A Big Cupcake Thank You

This new giant cupcake stamp is just what I needed to make Maddox's thank you cards! I wanted to use the same basic colors as I did in his invitation, which you can see in this post. I was inspired by this card on Splitcoast, so here's my version:

I thought the crimping on the bottom was just perfect! And I need to use up all these eyelets I still have as we no longer carry them, so this was an ideal opportunity. I put the sentiment on the inside - which is so great because it saves you from having to write the same thing over and over!!

It'll be even better when Maddox can write them out himself! ...not that I'm rushing him. As promised, here is a photo of him on his birthday playing with the balloon bouquet.

He still melts my heart... but then again, so does his daddy. Life is good. ;)

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Simple Birthday Thanks, Family Phrases
Ink: Basic Black, Brilliant Blue
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Real Red
Accessories: Real Red Narrow Grosgrain ribbon, Linen Thread, Bold Bright Eyelets (retired), Chunky Essentials glitter
Tools: Crop-a-Dile, Crimper, Small Oval Punch, Glue Pen

The Set I HAD to Have!

As soon as I turned the page in the catalog to the new Under the Stars set, I gasped and knew I HAD to have it! It was first on my list... so you'll be seeing more. (Edited to add: How could I forget to mention that this set is currently 15% off?! This is through September 30th - see this post for details. Thanks, Tabitha, for reminding me!) Here's the first thing I made with it:

This is a gate fold, where it opens from both directions. I think you normally see it vertical, but I did mine horizontal. The bear is only attached at the top and he comes down to rest on the bottom fold. You'll notice that I used the sentiment from Wild About You, which I thought was appropriate! And oh, those skeeters with the spray... just TOO CUTE!! Here is the inside with space for another sentiment or a hand-written note:

Brent Steele, Stampin' Up!'s VP of Creative Services, created a fabulous card for us at convention using this set - he had the bear's arms flapping up and down with a pull tab like in a children's book. He was swatting at all those skeeters! Perhaps I can duplicate it someday.

Thanks for visiting!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Under the Stars, Wild About You
Ink: More Mustard, Black StazOn
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory, More Mustard
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Vintage brads
Tools: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aquapainter, Large Oval punch

Simple Card Portfolio

Sorry for the late post today - I'm not feeling so hot... and I promised a photo of our little birthday boy, but it'll have to wait another day. The party was a blast, however, and he was so excited about all the people coming to his house! Ah, to be two again...

Here is a nice gift idea - and one that can be as detailed and extravagant as you'd like, or as simple and quick as you'd like. The one here is pretty simple, as I had my team make it at our meeting last weekend and we were short on time. It's a card portfolio, designed out of a single sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" cardstock.

Above you see the outside. It is held closed by a 2 feet strand of Whisper White narrow grosgrain ribbon.

On the inside, you can see that the ribbon helps to hold the cards in place. This would also look lovely with the pockets wheeled in a coordinating design. Again, this one is very simple, but I'd like to make another more involved one... ah, if I only had time to create all the things in my head! *sigh*

And here are the matching cards. We only made two, but this portfolio would easily hold a few more, depending on how many layers you put on them. ...and don't forget! You should always include matching stamped envelopes, as shown here!

The recipe for this particular project is below, but here are some general directions to make the portfolio: Again, it is a regular 8-1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock that is scored in half at 5-1/2" and then down the long side at 2-1/4". You then cut an upside-down "V" shape out of the center up to the 2-1/4" score line so you can fold the pockets up and the portfolio still closes nicely. Put some Sticky Strip along the outside edges of the pockets to hold them secure - leave the inside edges open. With the portfolio closed, use a Crop-a-Dile to poke a hole through the whole thing about 1" above the pocket on each side (see the first photo above for a visual). Then open it back up and weave the ribbon through so the long pieces are above the pockets on the inside. Voila! Simple portfolio. Now dress it up, and enjoy!

Project Recipe:
Stamp Set: Happiness Always (Hostess Level III)
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Pacific Point
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Ruby Red
Accessories: Whisper White narrow grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Key Tag punch, Crop-a-Dile, Sticky Strip, Dimensionals

A Quilter's Birthday

I made this card for my step-mother-in-law... she has many talents, and one of them is quilting. I wanted to try and mimic a quilt using our gorgeous new Bella Rose DSP... but any of our DSPs would work great like this as you get to showcase several patterns all from the same pack... and what a perfect opportunity for me to remind you about my Paper Share that's currently going on! :) It ends on Monday, so this weekend is your last opportunity to jump on board! Anyway, this card was inspired by a convention swap I saw that was made by Jan McClurg. I don't know who she is, but I sure liked this idea!

Obviously, this card is a different size - one I don't do too often - but it's 6" x 6". The envelopes we have for our Carousel Notes work perfectly, so that's what it got mailed in with just a bit of extra postage. The effect I was going for apparently worked, because when she received it, even her husband (my father-in-law) said, "Look! It's a quilt!" Good job, Dad!! Who says our guys can't appreciate this craft?

To get more dimension, I used the Textured cardstock for the base. Since that's a little thinner than our regular cardstock, I added some bulk to the inside with a couple layers - which also gave me a neutral writing surface instead of the dark Chocolate Chip. You can see a peek of it at the top of the photo.

Fun card to make... and I'll leave you for the weekend with this one as we have a little birthday party of our own on Sunday when Maddox turns 2! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Sweet Celebrations
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Textured Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Photo Corner punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 3/4", and 1/16" Circle punches

Cheers to Mark!

My brother, Mark, just got a great new job and I wanted to send him a card to congratulate him. Nothing suits the occasion better than a nice, cold mug of beer!!

This card was made with a couple new things - the Classic Stripes background stamp and the new Cheers to You stamp set! Love it! Not only can you make masculine cards like this, you also have some girl-y martini glasses, tropical drink glasses, and some elegant champaign glasses! I can see this for invitations for girls night out, luaus, wedding cards, New Years cards, and more! What a fun set. Just knew I had to have it!

If you notice the old Print Pattern in the background on the Night of Navy, it's only because I stamped like 50 of those a while back for a project that never panned out... I'm still trying to use them up!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Classic Stripes background, Cheers to You
Ink: Black StazOn, Versamark, Night of Navy
Cardstock: Night of Navy, More Mustard, Bordering Blue, Confetti White
Accessories: Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, More Mustard Narrow Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Designer Label Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aquapainter, Stamping Sponge

Tags Long Overdue!

I have been tagged several times lately (well, some of them were not-so-lately), but I'm just now taking the time to acknowledge them!

I was tagged by Holly over at Hog Wild About Stamping, Regina over at Stamps Alot and Kim over at Kim's Creative Stamping.

And I've received blogging awards from Michelle at Paper, Ink, & Glitter, Pam at Creative Inking, and Julie at One Crazy Stampin' Mama.

Oh, and my friend, Tiffany, at My Crafty World, actually tagged me TWICE, at two separate times! (she must really like me *blush*) Hee hee! Thanks, Tiffany!!

Whew! I think that's it for now. I am so honored to have been listed so many times. Thank you, ladies!

PS: Oh yeah, I was supposed to list 7 random facts about myself and display those awards... well, let's just say it took me THIS long to just list these wonderful people! If we waited for me to come up with 7 new things I haven't told you, or for me to upload these images that you've all seen before, well, then it'd be Christmas before I got these tags acknowledged!!

Ribbon Flowers

At convention, I was inspired to use ribbon in a different way. You may remember this post, which uses the flower we actually made during the make-and-takes at convention, only I left off the glitz and brought it home plain to make my own card. That card uses the new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain ribbon, which is super simple to use when making flowers like that! Well, since I'm still waiting on my new ribbon to arrive (Mr. Brown should be bringing it TODAY!), I decided to try it with the 5/8" Wide Grosgrain. And it works! The flower is obviously smaller, but still just as cute! Here's the first card I made - and this is also in honor of Skool Teacher (whom I've still not heard from... who would leave a comment for blog candy and then never return to see if they've won?!), who stated that she has a hard time using More Mustard.

And here's a close-up of the flower. To attach mine to the card, I punched two small 1/16" circles into the card front and then threaded the Linen Thread through those holes, up through the center of the flower, through the button, and tied a knot. Holds it nice and secure without any chance of falling off!

Here's another little card I made with a ribbon flower - this was one of the little projects we completed at my Team Meeting this past weekend. It's a 4"x4" card - perfect for tucking into a gift bag. To get the three poinsettias red, I inked up the entire stamp with Kiwi Kiss, then used a Q-tip to wipe off the flowers and then used a Real Red Stampin' Write marker to color them.

The full recipes for both of these cards is below, including instructions on how to make a ribbon flower of your own! Have fun!

To make a ribbon flower:
Take a length of ribbon (about 5-6" for the 5/8" Grosgrain, or 10-11" for the 1-1/4" Grosgrain) and do a simple running stitch along the length of it about 1/8" away from the edge using the needle from the Crafter's Toolkit and some Linen Thread. Be sure you start and end on the same side of the ribbon. Holding one end of the thread so it doesn't pull out, scrunch the ribbon onto the thread to make it gather. Bring the ends of the thread around to meet each other and tie a knot. (8/21/08 - edited the wording to make more clear)

1st Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: En Francais background, Sincere Salutations
Ink: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, Button, Linen Thread
Tools: Crafter's Tool Kit

2nd Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Season of Joy
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Real Red
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories: Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon, Real Red button, Linen Thread
Tools: Crafter's Tool Kit

Maddox is Turning Two!

I can't believe it myself... just yesterday he was trying to walk. But our little guy will be two this Sunday! You may know that there is a 7 year gap between our second son and baby Maddox (he was planned, I assure you!), so having a little one around again has been both a challenge AND a true joy! He's an easy kid... and just the cutest darn thing.

I knew I wanted to do a cupcake invitation for him, because I'm dying to use the new Simple Birthday Thanks stamp after the party! (I like my invitations and thank you's to coordinate). And I WANTED to use the new Crazy for Cupcakes set for the invitation, but I'm still waiting on Mr. Brown to bring it to me! So, I had to use another fun cupcake found in Big Bold Birthday. I am pleased with how it turned out - I wanted green and blue, and that's what I got!

No real tricks here - other than stamping the cupcake base and the candles onto the Whisper White first (with some blank space between), and then cut the icing out separately and added it with Dimensionals. I also glitzed the icing up a bit with a Glue Pen and some Dazzling Diamonds. Full recipe is below.

I'll share a photo of our sweet baby Maddox after his party on Sunday... just cuz I like to show him off a bit! :)

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Big Bold Birthday, Family Phrases
Ink: Brilliant Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Old Olive
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie narrow grosgrain ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds
Tools: Key Tag punch, Two Way Glue Pen, Dimensionals

Last Call for Ribbon!

Don't forget... if you are wanting to participate in my August Ribbon Share, I need to know by the end of the day on Saturday, August 16th!

For Baby Thomas

Happy Friday, everyone! I happen to know that this card made it to its recipient, so it's safe to post now... it was for one of my newer customer friends who just had her first baby... and oh, is he ever adorable! Cute as a bug, I'd say!

So what better stamp set is there to use than Bugs & Kisses? The cute fuzzy caterpillar is stamped with the new Kiwi Kiss, and I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line him up just right. I'm also really using the new Scallop Edge punch quite a bit - so much easier than the old corner rounder method. The ribbons were attached by tying them around a small paper clip. And nothing finishes a cute card better than a matching envelope! A couple more bugs stamped on the envelope from the same set help to bring it all together and scream "HOMEMADE CARD" from the moment it's plucked from the mailbox!

Enjoy that baby, Hollye!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Bugs & Kisses
Ink: Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Whisper White
Accessories: Blue Gingham ribbon, Very Vanilla narrow grosgrain ribbon, small paper clip
Tools: Scallop Edge punch, 1/16" Circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Swirly Bugs!

One of the neatest things about Convention was all of the great new techniques and ideas we learned. Here is one such example. Check out the front of this card...

You can't really tell in the photo, but I stamped the Kiwi Kiss with the Paisley background. Cute, but nothing too exciting, right? And why on earth would I want to use Basic Black as my base? Well, this is what you see INSIDE:

B-O-I-N-G! Isn't it darling?! There is a curly-Q attached to the top and bottom that folds up very well when it's closed, but springs out when you open it! I've attached some brightly colored bugs to it - but you could do this with almost anything! The presenter at Convention did one with the beer mug in the new set, Cheers To You, and it was a fantastic masculine birthday card! I had to use the Coluzzle to make mine as I am still waiting on my new 1-3/4" Circle Punch to arrive, but basically you take some scissors and cut a nice size circle into a swirl. Then you put Glue Dots on the ends of the swirl (the top of the center, and the bottom of the tail end). You want it to fold up into a nice circle again when the card is closed, so in order to achieve that, place the circle where you want it on the inside bottom of the card, and then close the card so the other end attaches to the top. Here are some more views:

The one above shows you a better side view so you can see how it stands up. The one below is just so you can see the sentiment I used.

I am going to be teaching my downline how to make a card like this at our Team Meeting on Saturday afternoon! So girls, if any of you are looking, I hope you're planning to be here!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Bugs & Kisses, Paisley background
Ink: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Summer Sun
Cardstock: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Accessories: Whisper White narrow grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Coluzzle Cutting System, Glue Dots

Sizzix Big Shot...It's a Big Deal!

I promise I will get back to stamping very soon - there is just so much that I feel obligated to tell you about! I sent out my latest Stamp Link Newsletter on Monday, and I discussed the exciting new Big Shot that we will soon carry. But here's what I didn't include (sorry)! Click here or on the photo below to view the Sales Brochure where you can see the Stampin' Up! EXCLUSIVE Dies and some other Sizzix Dies that we will soon carry!

We were able to see it live at Convention and watch all sorts of demonstrations where they made terrific projects using cardstock, felt, fabric, foil, shrinky-dink plastic, chipboard, and many, many more! Plus, one of the best things about this handy machine, is that you will be able to use almost any of the dies you may already own... INCLUDING all those Cuttlebug embossing folders! Yippee!

I am very excited about this new line. It will be available for you to purchase beginning September 2nd!

What's Up With the Online Catalog?

Many of you may have already realized this, but the online catalog does not look like it used to. In order to view it, you have to download a large .pdf file and that can take a bit of time - especialy since there are so many people trying to do it right now! But this is only temporary... read this statement made to us today by Stampin' Up! (and take heed to the recommendation in bold):

"...the new Online Ordering system will take the place of the online catalog you're used to seeing. During the interim period between the release of the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog and the release of Online Ordering, the online catalog has been replaced with a PDF version that can be downloaded and viewed. This is a temporary solution that allows online access to the catalog until Online Ordering is available.

We are working to decrease the document's download time on our end, but because of file size and significant download traffic, it may take some time to download. When you do download the document, make sure to save it to your hard drive so that you do not have to download it again.

Thanks for your patience as we work to bring you a fantastic new Online Ordering system!"

So, the bulky .pdf file is only temporary - and it's online replacement will be outstanding (trust me, I saw sneak peeks at Convention)! Remember, too, that you can order your very own Idea Book & Catalog that you can hold in your hands - just drop me a line!

Current Promotions!

As if it weren't enough that we have a NEW Idea Book & Catalog to keep us happy, there is an unprecedented sale going on as well! Stampin' Up! has never put brand new stamp sets on sale... until now! That's right! From now until September 30th, you can choose from a select list of brand new stamp sets and enjoy a 15% savings! Click on the flyer at left for more information!

But that's not all! Stampin' Up! also has an outstanding offer on becoming a Demonstrator! From now until October 11th, in addition to the regular Starter Kit, they now have 3 other kits that focus on different areas... Stamping, Scrapbooking, and Home Decor! You choose the kit that best suits your interests, and each one is only $99 - WOW! Click on the flyer below to view it full size, or visit this link for a text only version. If you prefer, you can still purchase the original kit for $199, and they'll throw in an extra stamp set from the new catalog absolutely FREE!

What a great time to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator... and what a great time to take advantage of the Stampin' Up! opportunity! I would love to answer any questions you may have about joining my growing team. There is so much to tell you - I hope you'll ask!

Back to Scrapbooking!

Yes, I know... this is my THIRD post today! But I simply cannot stand to leave you all with a bunch of jabbering (even when it's EXCITING jabbering!) and not show you something I've created! So here is the latest page I've made - and it just so happens to include the word "celebrate" on it, so I think I'll submit this one to Shelli's challenge (found at www.soshelli.com)!

This is a picture of me and my two oldest boys - then just barely 2 and 4. That's Morgan on the left, and Mason on the right. I must say, Morgan looks just like baby Maddox (who happens to be almost 2 himself at the moment)! Just like my earlier pages, this one is for my 6"x6" Favorite Photos album, where all the pictures are black and white. You can view the rest of them at this link.

You can see that I used some of the NEW Bella Rose Designer Series Paper (included in Group 4 in my Paper Share!). As a demonstrator, I was able to preorder this particular pack, and I've been playing with it quite a bit... I must say, I do think that this is my very favorite pack. But who knows, once I get my hands on the other packs, I may say the same thing about them!! There truly is an outstanding selection of DSP in this new catalog! You can also see a few of the new In Colors here - Kiwi Kiss , Riding Hood Red, and Pink Pirouette. If I would've had the textured Pink Pirouette cardstock, I would've used that, but I don't have it... yet. Oh, believe me, it's already on order!!

For the sentiment, I had to force myself not to use the Scallop Circle punch like I always do (love that thing!)... so I used the Key Tag punch instead... L-O-V-E IT! Here's a closer look:

The Rhinestone Brad goes through all layers, except the ribbon. Then I used the Horizontal Slot punch on the ends of the Key Tag so I could thread the Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon through.

Well, I'm still hooked on this little album... can't wait 'til my next page! But I promise I'm done blogging for today. I'll tell you about the current promotions tomorrow. :)

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Sweet Celebrations
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP
Accessories: Rhinestone Fire Circle brads, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 1/2", and 1/16" Circle punches, Word Window punch, Tag Corner punch, Key Tag punch, Scallop Edge punch, Horizontal Slot punch

August Paper Share!

A brand new Idea Book & Catalog means it’s time to sample some paper... the new Designer Series Paper, that is! Here are the details on my new Paper Share:

There are 5 different groups to choose from. Each group has 48 double-sided 6" x 6" sheets - that's 2 squares of each sheet from 4 different designer packs. You can view these patterns by looking at pages 168-171 in the new Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog. You may participate in as many groups as you’d like. The prices listed below include Priority shipping and tax, and as you’ll see, the more groups you participate in, the more you’ll save! Plus, there’s an added bonus if you participate in all 5 groups! I accept payment via PayPal and will send an invoice upon receipt of your order. This share is open to anyone in the US!

Group 1	Hawaii Papaya, Washington Apple, Georgia Peach, Maine Blueberry
Group 2	Muirfield, Manchester, Prestwick, Windsor Knot
Group 3	Summer Picnic, Junior Varsity, Ghostly Greetings, Rainbow Sherbet
Group 4	Bella Rose, Holiday Treasures, Banbury, Parisian Summer
Group 5	Haiku, Urban Garden, Green Tea, Sweet Always

PRICING:
Basically, the first group is $15, and then the price drops $1 for each additional group you purchase, so by the 5th group, you're only paying $11! Here’s the breakdown, including your savings if you were to purchase the equivalent amount of FULL packs - what you pay is in red.

	Cost per Group	Your Total Cost	Cost if purchased FULL packs (shipping & tax not incl)	SAVINGS!
1st (sample 4 packs)	$15	$15	$47.39	$32.39
2nd (sample 8 packs)	$14	$29	$94.78	$65.78
3rd (sample 12 packs)	$13	$42	$142.18	$100.18
4th (sample 16 packs)	$12	$54	$189.57	$135.57
5th (sample all 20 packs)	$11	$65	$236.96	$171.96

BONUS!
If you participate in ALL 5 groups, I’ll toss in a Classic Ink Pad (your choice of color) absolutely FREE! Indicate the color you’d like when placing your Paper Share order!

Please contact me with your order, and feel free to ask any questions you may have. I will be placing this order on August 26th, so please have your order in by August 25th!

Stay tuned - my next post will have a NEW Scrapbook page I've made for my 6"x6" Favorite Photos Album... remember that?! (visit this link for a reminder) It's been awhile, but now that we have beautiful new DSPs to play with, I decided to get back to work on it!

Welcoming a NEW Idea Book & Catalog!

The day has come! The new Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog is here!

Click on the image above to view it online!

The release of this new catalog means the release of many, many great things. Not only do we have a fresh new supply of stamp sets and accessories, but we get a new collection of In Colors – Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, and Tangerine Tango... I am more excited about this set of In Colors than any of the previous ones! They are simply gorgeous!

Let me fill you in on some of my favorite newest accessories (this list is NOT exhaustive!):

Description	Item #	Page #	Price
Flower Fusion Too in 3 new colors	#112006	182	$14.95
Designer Brads, 4 new styles	varies	184	$5.95 ea
Hodgepodge Hardware in Styled Vanilla	112454	185	$29.95
Designer Buttons in 4 of the In Colors	112092	187	$7.95
Wide Oval punch	112082	188	$15.95
Scallop Edge punch	112091	188	$15.95
1-3/4” Circle punch	112004	188	$15.95
Scallop Square punch	112081	188	$15.95

Again, that is not a complete list - just some of my favorites. And that doesn't even mention all of the NEW Ribbon – pgs. 186-187. Be sure to visit my Ribbon Share post to learn how you can sample it all!

And finally, you simply MUST check out all of the fabulous new Designer Series Papers (DSP) on pgs 168-171!! Oh, my word! I love them all! And to help all of you sample all of it, I’m doing another Paper Share! Yippee!

In addition to all of this great stuff, there are several new promotions that begin today as well! I will be updating my sidebar with information, and I will detail each of them individually in the next few posts. But I'll leave you for now so you can spend some time compiling your wish lists!

Celebrate Your Life!

I am very excited about Shelli's new blog! For those of you who have not heard, our very own Shelli Gardner (Co-Founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!) has decided to enter the blogging world and her new blog debuted earlier this week. You can find it at www.soshelli.com. In addition to sharing a part of her world with us, she will also post periodic creative challenges that we can participate in! I've decided to enter her first one (create something with the word "Celebrate" in it), and here is the card I made:

I had a great time with this card! Of course, the family across the bottom (stamped with the All in the Family stamp set) represents me and all the wonderful men in my life... my husband and three sons. In order to line them all up properly, I had to get real friendly with my Stamp-a-ma-jig , as you can imagine! (Be sure and visit my Stamp-a-ma-jig tutorial for a quick lesson in how to use this incredible tool!) I also decided to showcase some of the new Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss In Colors - available to you on August 11th! And check out that GORGEOUS new Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain ribbon!! Isn't it fabulous?! ...and if you've been keeping up with my blog, you know that this ribbon is included in my August Ribbon Share! We got a little bit of it at Convention (yippee!), so I thought I'd give you another sneak peek!

For the sentiment, I used A Little Birthday Cheer and Define Your Life, inking up only the words I wanted using my Stampin' Write markers.

I think this card front would also look darling in a simple frame to keep on my desk - or my husband's - as a reminder of what is truly the most important part of our lives. I hope you've enjoyed it as well!

Full Recipe:
Stamp Sets: All in the Family, A Little Birthday Cheer, Define Your Life
Ink: Black StazOn, Pacific Point, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Accessories: Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Glue Dots
Tools: Word Window punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8", 1-1/4", and 1/16" Circle punches, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Check Out THIS Opportunity!!

Oh My GOODNESS!!! You will not BELIEVE how easy and affordable it's going to be to join this fantastic Stampin' Up! family! We have just been informed of a new promotion for all of you who want to get in on the action, but want to do it for LESS! Starting this Monday, for a limited time only, there will be 4 different Starter Kits to choose from - and three of them are ONLY $99! That's $100 LESS than the regular kit!

I can't show you the flyer just yet - it will be released on August 11th... hmmmm, that's going to be a BIG day! But I wanted to give you a heads up so you could start asking me your questions now!

Soooo, if you have questions about becoming a demonstrator, please feel free to contact me directly. I'm always looking for more Stampin' Up! enthusiasts to join my growing team! I will share more details on Monday - both on my blog and in my newsletter (subscribe now if you haven't already!).

Woohoo! I can't wait to talk with you more about this incredible opportunity!

Did Someone Ask for YoYo Yellow?

The Skool Teacher is still MIA - but I know she'll turn up eventually as she's the winner of my earlier blog candy! And I do intend to make a card using the More Mustard that she has trouble with. But since I haven't heard from her yet, I thought I'd take an opportunity to offer a suggestion on the #1 listed color challenge - YoYo Yellow! It seems that so many of you have a hard time with this color, so I made it a priority to make something with it as soon as possible.

I will start by admitting that this is probably my least used color as well. I'm not much for bold and bright colors in general, but when I do use them, I never let them overwhelm my cards. I usually only use splashes to brighten up the look. Here, as you can see, I used a YoYo Yellow base, but toned it down by adding a layer of Close to Cocoa and some Pumpkin Pie from the Jersey Shore DSP. I think those colors are also appropriate since I'm using a giraffe here! And because I intend to give this to a darling little girl (I won't mention who in case she sees this before it arrives!), I decided to add a little bit of bling as shown below:

These are some Fire Circle Rhinestone Brads... there's one in the sentiment as well. Aren't they cute? I'd say this giraffe is STYLIN'...

I will work on some other cards with this difficult color, as it is my aim to make those of you who are as challenged as I am in the YoYo Yellow department go "Ahhhhhh! Now I LIKE it!" Just let me know when I hit the winning look! :)

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Wild About You
Ink: YoYo Yellow, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: YoYo Yellow, Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, Jersey Shore DSP, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Fire Circle Rhinestone Brads
Tools: Large Oval punch, Dimensionals

...Trying to Reach You!

This is just a quick post to let a couple of you know that I have been trying to respond to your e-mail messages to answer your various questions, and because the conversation gets left hanging at that point, I'm wondering if my messages got directed into your Spam folders. Darlene... Amy... I have been trying to reach you in response to your inquiries! Check your Spam/Junk folders. If that doesn't work, you can e-mail me your phone number and I'd be happy to give you a personal call.

This goes for anyone... I am extremely diligent about responding to e-mail, and I usually do it within a couple hours or less. If you have ever sent me an e-mail where you expected a reply and didn't receive one, please try checking Spam/Junk. If I'm not in there, send me another e-mail indicating that you haven't heard from me... and consider leaving your phone number. I WILL get in touch with you!! I've even used my old Hotmail address to reach someone (Hi Michelle) before.

Know that EVERY e-mail is important to me - and so are YOU!

August Ribbon Share!

Yes, it's time for the August Ribbon Share! And this month it will be EXTRA special in that it will contain all of the NEW ribbon featured in the upcoming Idea Book & Catalog (to be released on August 11th)! Every month I get asked how a Ribbon Share works, so let me answer that right here: It's simple. I order entire spools of ribbon and divide it up (along with the cost) between 5 individuals. I normally have SEVERAL groups of 5 each month, and you can even choose to take up 2 spots if you'd like to - just double the costs listed below. Participation is on a month-by-month basis - you join only the groups you are interested in. I do all the work... I measure and cut the ribbon, bag it all in individual bags, and mail it to you. The prices listed below include everything - shipping and tax. Anyone in the US can participate - demonstrator or not! (it's actually a great thing for demonstrators...)

I got to see all of the new ribbons - and even work with some of it - at Convention, and here's a teaser card that uses the new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain ribbon:

Isn't it darling? We actually made this adorable pink ribbon flower in one of our Make and Take classes. The ribbon is simply threaded down one edge with some Linen Thread, and then gathered into a circle - easy-peasy! But at convention, they added some silver chunky glitter around the edges and used a Rub-on in the center... I preferred mine softer, so I left those parts off and brought the flower home plain to embellish my way and create my own card!

There are several new items on this card... let me point them out. First, it uses the new Riding Hood Red In Color as the base. Second, it uses a sentiment and small flower from the new Flight of the Butterfly set (which we all got for FREE at Convention!). Third, it uses one of our new Riding Hood Red Designer Buttons. Fourth, it has our beautiful new Bella Rose DSP. Fifth, it uses the new Scallop Edge punch across the Whisper White - no more using the corner rounder to do this, whoopee! And lastly, as I mentioned, this flower is made with the new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain ribbon! So since this ribbon will be included in the August Ribbon Share, let me share with you all the OTHER new ribbons! (Keep in mind that you will be able to view these ribbons on pages 186-187 of the new catalog once it's released on August 11th - I am not allowed to reproduce it at this time, but I will make a hot link once I am able to.)

The August Ribbon Share will be broken into two separate groups and will consist of the following:

GROUP 1: (Standard colors only)
3 yards each of the 4 new colors of 1/4" Grosgrain:
Rose Red, Sage Shadow, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip.

2 yards each of the new 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain:
Rose Red, Bashful Blue, and Chocolate Chip.

2 yards of the new 7/8" So Saffron Poly Twill.

GROUP 2: (In Colors only)
2 yards each of the new Baja Breeze 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain.

2 yards of the new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain (shown in the card above).

3 yards each of the new 5/8" Striped Grosgrain in the new In Colors:
Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, and Tangerine Tango.

2 yards of the Kiwi/Vanilla Satin.

2 yards of the new Riding Hood Red Taffeta.

PRICE (includes shipping and tax):
Group 1: $16.00
Group 2: $25.00
Buy BOTH & Save: $38.50

Remember, anyone in the US can participate - demo or not! If you are interested in joining this share, I will need to know NO LATER than August 16th as I will place the order on the 17th. Once I hear which group(s) you'd like, I can send you a PayPal invoice.

What better way to have all the great NEW ribbons without spending a fortune? To put this into perspective, if you were to order a spool of every new ribbon that's being released on August 11th, you would spend around $175 (depending on your local sales tax)! Sample ALL of it with me and save over $135! I hope you'll join us - and as always, I appreciate testimonial comments from my past Ribbon Share participants!

Full Recipe:
Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly (NEW!)
Ink: Riding Hood Red (NEW!), Versamark
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (NEW!), Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP (NEW!)
Accessories: 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain ribbon (NEW!), Pretties Kit, Designer Button (NEW!), Linen Thread
Tools: Scallop Edge punch (NEW!), 1/16" Circle punch, Crafter's Toolkit (for needle)

Blog Candy Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of my 100,000 hit Blog Candy! I used a Random Number Generator and it gave me the number 23! Here is the lucky winner:

Skool Teacher
More Mustard is the hardest color for me!!! I just can't seem to make it look good.

I could not find a way to get in touch with you as your profile does not have an e-mail address or a name, so I hope you are checking back here!! Please contact me with your mailing information so I can get these things on their way to you!

Thanks again, everyone, for your wonderful support! I look forward to making a More Mustard card that will help the Skool Teacher... and who knows, maybe I can create a couple cards with some of the other "difficult" combinations I heard about! (YoYo Yellow seems to prove challenging to so many of you... I'll see if I can't come up with something you might like.)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

PS: Just a quick sneak peek at August's Ribbon Share - I will be doing all of the NEW ribbon that is in the new catalog! Stay tuned for more details...