I am a Stampin' Up! deonstrator who loves to scrapbook and paper craft. My blog is filled with rubber stamping projects and techniques aimed at helping others find their inner crafty side!
Every month I participate in a card swap with other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. The theme for the February swap was St. Patrick’s Day cards. Last week I shared the card I made using My Digital Studio for the swap. You can check it out here.
Today I am going to share with you the card I received from Cyndy Ponczek. She used the Bordering on Romance stamp set to create a neat background.
She stamped the small flower image in a random pattern for the background but used the floral border down the right hand side of the card. The background images are separated by the very pretty pear pizzazz pleated satin ribbon.
I really like how Cyndy used the new Big ShotEdgelit die and labels framelits die for this card. The Bordering on Romance stamp set coordinates perfectly with the scallop Edgelit die.
And how about the shamrock? She used 4 small die cut hearts to create the shamrock and finished it off with a glimmer brad – too sweet!
You can order the supplies to create this card from my website. Click here to shop now.
Do you know what Sale-A-Bration is? Sale-A-Bration is Stampin’ Up!’s biggest sale of the year! For every $50 you spend (before tax, s/h) you get 1 FREE Sale-A-Bration item! But there is more – this year when you host a Stampin’ Up! party and have $150 in guest sales (before tax, s/h), you get a really pretty shopping tote for FREE – have $400 in guest sales and you will also earn a hostess exclusive bundle! In addition for all my Sale-A-Bration hostesses, as a thank you I am having a special hostess only event in April. There will be snacks, games, giveaways and of course stamping!
But there is even more! There is no better time to join my Stampin’ Up! team then during Sale-A-Bration! First of all the demonstrator starter kit is on sale. For $125 you can join my team – that’s $50 OFF the regular price! Plus when you join during Sale-A-Bration you get a FREE paper pack or digital download every month for the rest of the year! To learn more about the benefits of becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator click here.
One of the Sale-A-Bration offerings is the Home Sweet Home Décor Elements. It is available in Chocolate, Black, White, and Crumb Cake. While I was at the NJ Crop Weekends Winter crop this past weekend I put this picture frame together. I used the Home Sweet Home Décor Elements along with patterned paper from the Twitterpated DSP to create this altered picture frame.
I love how it came out! I plan putting the frame on a stand on my entry table. I think I will change out the patterned paper with the seasons or holiday. What do you think of the frame?
Placing your Sale-A-Bration order is super easy – you can do it right from my website. Click here to shop now.
I got back from the NJ Crop Weekends Winter crop late last night and boy what a fun weekend! We had such a pleasant and enjoyable time together! Throughout the weekend I worked on a variety of projects that I will be sharing with you later this week in my blog posts. There was a lot of laughing, relaxing, and of course crafting!
Check out all of my scrapbooking “peeps” who attended the crop with me!
Since the crop was held in February, the crop theme was hearts. It was neat to get everyone involved in the name that song game. The first person who identified a Heart song earned extra door prize tickets. We had hearts on everyone’s nametag and each Queen of the Crop had their chair decorated with heart balloons. Even one of the scrapbooking contests had a heart theme!
We will be finalizing the dates for our next all inclusive scrapbooking weekend very soon. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to make sure you get all the latest details on our upcoming crops. You can sign up for my mailing list here:
Have you tried the Stampin’ Up! digital paper crafting program, My Digital Studio? I have been using it more and more for cards, calendars, and scrapbook pages. The program is pretty easy to use and if I can’t figure something out I go to the My Digital Studio online community. It has a bunch of tutorials, project samples, FAQ’s, and forums. It is really a great resource.
The other day I used My Digital Studio to make a cute St. Patrick’s Day card featuring the Sweet Shop DSP.
Isn’t it darling! I made the card for a monthly card swap I participate in. The theme for this month was St. Patrick’s Day cards. I like the unexpected color combination in the card. I don’t typically think of light green (specifically Lucky Limeade), light blue (aka Pool Party), and white for St. Patty’s day. Do you? But how could I not use Lucky Limeade on a card with the sentiment of “Luck of the Irish” – lol I had to use it!
You can try My Digital Studio for FREE for 30 days – click here for the details!
Tomorrow’s the big day! Day 1 of the New Jersey Crop Weekends Winter 2012 Crop – whoooooo hooo!!!! Can you tell I’m just a little bit excited – lol!! I am so looking forward to this weekend. I need a break and a little time for myself. A bunch of my scrapping buddies are joining me and I know we will have a fun time paper crafting and laughing. It will be a nice break from the day to day craziness! But before I can head out on my weekend adventure, I’ve got to pack. And of course there is a method to my madness.
No surprises here, I start with a list. Actually I’ve made a couple lists. My first list contains the items I need for the scrapbooking class I am teaching and the second is a list of all the projects I plan on working on.
For my list of projects, I have tried to break down each project on the list. That break down includes things like the paper and embellishments I plan on using as well as my project sketch. I then make project kits of everything I need for that scrapbook page or paper crafting project. I put the kits in a 13x13 paper keeper so everything is all together in 1 place.
For me it makes things easier at the crop to pack this way. You know, you don’t have a ton of space at a crop and if I know that all the stuff I need for that Christmas layout is in a given spot, I can just grab that kit and start working instead of searching for everything and trying to remember where I put the red ribbon or that certain patterned paper I wanted to use – everything is together.
Of course this assumes I know what I am going to do ahead of time….if I don’t know exactly what I am doing but have a topic in mind (ie: my daughter’s birthday or Thanksgiving) I will gather all the items I will most likely use and put it in my kit. By planning and packing this way I avoid taking everything with me to the crop.
Don’t get me wrong…I generally have an ambitious list…and I do still over pack, but not to the extent I used to. Several of my scrapping buddies have tried this method of planning and packing for a crop and they said it has made their life easier. I put together a YouTube video showing how I pack for a crop. You can check it out here:
Now we can't forgot to pack the other “all purpose” items that I need for the weekend. Of course I have a list for those things too :) These items include:
My scrapbooking sketch book
Ott light (often times the lighting isn’t the best at crops)
Extension cord
Idea books and sketches
cutting mat
paper trimmer (I have forgotten it before)
mini garbage can (it folds flat for storage)
cup holder (it attaches to the table so my cup isn’t on the work surface)
wine bottle opener & wine (a must have for cocktail time! - LOL)
extra adhesive
comfy shoes/slippers
iPod & headset
computer
So that’s it – my crazy thought process on how I pack for a full weekend crop.
Oh, before I forget – our next crop is on August 11 & 12, 2012 at the Dolce in Basking Ridge, NJ! I’d love for you to join me! If you register and pay in full by this Sunday you will be one of our Queens of the crop! Our queens get the extra specialtreatment including lots of opportunity for extra door prize tickets, a decorated cropping space, discount on classes, and much more! Contact me today if you are interested in attending!
Now I’ve got to get packing – see you at the crop!
Are you bummed that you can’t make it to my monthly classes? Do you wish you lived closer so you could attend? Are you busy with various activities and work that my evening classes just don’t fit in your schedule right now? No worries! I have the solution to your problem. A way to get my hands on step by step instruction as well as two fresh, trendy and pretty card samples every month. It is my stamp set of the month club!
With my stamp set of the month club there are no meetings, no driving, and no extra time out of your already busy schedule, but ALL the fun! This virtual club is the best of both worlds!
Here are the club details:
This is a virtual club! ANYONE in the US can join no matter where you live as it's all via the mail!
All club members have access to a member only, password protected site with project samples and instructions!!
Click here for sample Stamp Set of the Month instructions featuring the Field Flowers stamp set
Your subscription lasts 7 months. You can renew your subscription after the 7th month if you choose.
You choose if you would like to receive clear mount or wood mount stamp sets.
Sometime during the month you will receive a brand new stamp set plus TWO finished sample cards!
Easy billing with a credit card on file
Referral program: refer a friend to my Stamp Set of the Month Club and receive a FREE catalog item of your choice (value $19.95 or less) during your 7 month subscription!!
This club will run year round, you can join at any time! Your 7 month subscription begins with the month after you join. (ie: if you join in January you will receive your first stamp set in February and your membership runs until September)
So what are you waiting for? Join my stamp set of the month club today!
I will be featuring the Spring Fever Simply Scrappin’ kit from the 2012 Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog in an upcoming scrapbooking class on March 10th from 10am-3pm in Mansfield, NJ. I am teaching the class with fellow Stampin’ Up! demonstrator Jennifer Cagnassola. We are so excited for this 8 page 12x12 layout class! Registration closes next week on Feb 29!
Here is a photo of Spring Fever Simply Scrappin’ Kit
I love this kit! The Spring Fever Simply Scrappin’ kit will be perfect for all of your spring paper crafting needs from cards to scrapbook pages. The colors in this kit are some of my favorites including Melon Mambo, Deffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, and Basic Gray.
Check out a couple of the pages we will be making in the class:
Your class fee includes all of the following:
8 beautiful single 12x12 page layouts
Full color step by step instructions!
A full Simply Scrappin’ kit “Spring Fever” from the 2012 Stampin’ Up! Ocassions Mini Catalog.
All the embellishments needed to complete the pages…any leftover will be yours to keep!
Additional 4 sheets of 12x12 card stock!
Light snacks throughout the class.
Hourly door prizes!
I hope you can join us for a fun day of scrapbooking! Click here for a registration form and all of the details. And remember registration closes on Feb 29th!
Have you seen the new Sweet Shop product suite in the 2012 Stampin’ Up! Occasions Mini Catalog? This collection is just so cheery and happy! Perfect for birthday parties and celebrations!
Sweet, tasty designs in all five 2011-2013 In Colors (Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Soft Suede, and Whisper White) make this paper an easy choice for your Sweet Shop projects! Two sheets have embossed designs to make this paper extra special. The Sweet Shop product suite has a variety of products including designer series paper, stickers, scented embossing powders (I’ll have a blog post about them next week!), stamp sets, embellishments, My Digital Studio templates, and Decor Elements!
The treat bag was easy to put together using the Big Shot and Fancy Favor die. Remember when you use the Fancy Favor die be sure to use the crease pad otherwise instead of getting creases, your seams may be cut instead. I jazzed up the stamped cupcake from the Easy Events stamp set with some Dazzling Details glitter glue.
Don’t you just love those ice pops on the birthday card?! They are from the new Mouthwatering stamp set. I used markers to color the stamps. I cut out the stamped images and adhered the Calypso Coral ice pop with some Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Next week I will be attending the NJ Crop Weekends Winter crop. There is about 8 days to go until my weekend of paper crafting bliss! I am so excited to spend the weekend away with the ladies scrapbooking, relaxing, and having a great time!
Plan My Projects:
I am so excited and really need a ladies weekend. When I go for a full weekend of scrapbooking I have a game plan for the projects I am going to work on. I have a notebook with scrapbooking sketches, to do lists, etc and in that notebook I make a list of the projects I would like complete while at the upcoming crop. I go as far as listing what items I need to complete each project. I will also create project kits with everything I need (paper, embellishments, buttons, ribbon, etc) to complete the layouts I have planned.
Order photos:
This week I ordered any additional enlargements and reprints that I need for the weekend. It seems I am always ordering pictures. Are you?? On day 1 of a crop I always set aside an hour or 2 to organize my photos. So in addition to the photos I’ll be scrapping, I’ll also order current photos as well. I don’t scrap every photo I take. Most photos go into a standard photo album and the doubles/extras I store in a photo safe storage box. It will be those photos I will be organizing on day 1 of the crop.
Gameplan for the upcoming week:
Now onto my game plan for the next 8 days. These steps are like the icing on the cake, the finishing touches that will help you be more productive at the crop. Here they are:
I will continue to work on creating my cropping kits, layouts, etc
Since I have a sketch for most of my layouts, for those layouts that I will include typed journaling, I will type out and print the journaling and include it in my layout kit. I will plan all of my journaling if possible/time allows
Coordinate with my friends so everyone is not bringing the same stuff – share big items if possible. For example each one of us doesn’t need to bring our own Big Shot and all of our dies. One of us can bring the Big Shot to share. Each person brings their own platform and cutting pads. And we discuss which dies everyone is bringing.
Confirm which items are at the help desk. At a lot of these crops there is a help desk with all sorts of tools you can use. For example, usually there is a punch station. I will bring my “go to” punches, the ones I use all of the time and maybe my “unusual” or “uncommon” punches. The rest will stay home and I’ll use the ones on hand.
Make sure I have enough SNAIL adhesive, sticky strip, cutting blades, glue dots, etc. For a crop weekend I probably bring 6-8 SNAIL refills plus liquid adhesive, and 1 box of glue dots.
Here is a non-scrapping item but never the less, it is an important: make sure I have comfy clothes and slippers ready to go.
So that’s it for now. It will be a busy week or so getting these last items together but it will all be worth it. How do you plan for a scrapbooking weekend away? Leave a comment below with your tips and tricks!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Yesterday I went to my son’s class to make Valentines with the kids. I got the idea for this adorable punch art Valentine card from a neat kid website called Family Fun.
Isn’t this bunny just too cute! The card idea on Family Fun was made using paint and finger prints. Our card is a less messy punch art version. If your child needs a last minute Valentine today, then this is your go to card.
Right now is an awesome time to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. Stampin’ Up! is offering a totally cool promotion -- when you join Stampin’ Up! during Sale-A-Bration your starter kit is only $125! – saving you $50! Plus get a FREE pack of designer series paper or digital downloadevery month for the rest of the year! The starter kit is valued at over $300 so right off the bat you are saving more than 50%!! And your starter kit is customizable! Get those items you want from your wish list and join my team today!
Here are some reasons why you should become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator AND part of my team:
Product Discount:
Demonstrators get a 20 percent discount on all Stampin' Up! products, including stamp sets, paper, and accessories. It's a great way to support your love of stamping, paper or digital crafting, home décor!
Plus as a demonstrator you will get new product sneak peeks!
You get paid to make cards, scrapbook, and paper craft! Ok, You get paid to paper craft, make cards, and scrapbook– how awesome is that!
As part of my team:
I’ll be your up-line! I’ll be here to help you and encourage you in your new business!
And if you join during Sale-A-Bration I am having a special new team member only brunch in April to celebrate! There will be food, fun, and of course stamping!
Flexible schedule:
This is your business, so you can put as much (or as little) time into it as you'd like!
Extra income:
As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, keep 20% of the personal net sales you earn through workshop and customer direct sales!
Earn an extra 10 percent instant income on your first order of $150 or more when you place your order in the first 45 days of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. That means you can earn up to 30% from your first order!
Earn additional income (which we call volume rebate) on your monthly net sales of $400 or more.
Earn free stamps within your first six months as a demonstrator through our Stampin' Start program-a program.
Earn cash bonuses, product bonuses, incentive trips, and other awards as you achieve success through our awards and recognition program.
You can use your extra income anyway you see fit – whether you want to pay the electric bill each month, your child’s preschool tuition or just have some extra spending money – it is up to you!
Joining Stampin’ Up! and my team is super easy. You can do it right from my Stampin’ Up! website. Just click here for all the details.
If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment below. I will be sure to respond to you quickly.
Valentine’s Day is just 3 days away. Do you need a card for someone you care about? Today I have a sweet card to share with you that comes from the heart.
At first I was going to make this card the traditional way by punching out all of those hearts and using various adhesives to give it dimension. But I didn’t feel like getting glue all over me, you know how it is sometimes..lol So I made this card in My Digital Studio.
To create the heart, I started with the Full Heart Punch and made it about 3.5 inches high. I used that as my template for all of the little hearts. I did color fill the template heart in a shade of pink. That way if I missed a spot when I filled in all of the little hearts you wouldn’t really be able to tell. I was afraid if I left it gray you may notice the missed spot. After I had my template where I wanted it on the card front, I then punched a lot of small heart punches. I found it was easiest to punch 5 to 8 small hearts at a time then place them where I wanted on the template. I filled the hearts in various shades of red and pink. I used varying amounts of shadowing to give the small hearts dimension. Once the heart was all filled in, I stamped my sentiment in Basic Black on the lower right corner.
With My Digital Studio I can print this card out on my home printer or send it to Stampin’ Up!’s professional print service. To learn more about My Digital Studio and try My Digital Studio Express for FREE just click here.
I’d love to know what you think of this card, leave a comment and let me know.
This week for the INKcredible Impressions color combo challenge a romantic color pallet was on the agenda: Regal Rose, Old Olive, Blushing Bride. I used My Digital Studio to create 2 different projects featuring the color combo challenge colors.
In My Digital Studio you can create a variety of projects. One of neat things you can make is a personalized journal. You can create the cover any way you would like! The journal is filled with lined journal entry sheets. With Mother’s Day literally around the corner a customized journal would make a great gift! Here is my journal cover featuring Regal Rose, Old Olive, and Blushing Bride.
You guys know how much I love butterflies so I just had to put a butterfly on the cover :) I also added, another favorite of mine -- some Soft Suede. I love how the brown looks with the shades of pink and little bit of green.
My next My Digital Studio project is a card. On the card I added a lot more Old Olive compared to the journal cover and instead of Soft Suede I added a little bit of Very Vanilla.
The stamped images on the Very Vanilla and Blushing Bride card stock are from the Fresh Vintage stamp set (2012 Sale-A-Bration). I love how the stamped flourish looks like patterned paper!
Both of these projects came together pretty quickly and easily. If you have been on the fence about trying My Digital Studio and making paper crafting projects, get off the fence and try My Digital Studio today :) Did you know that you can try My Digital Studio Express for FREE for 30 days?! You can check out all the details and order your FREE trial by clicking here. And don’t worry, there is a great My Digital Studio community filled with tips, tutorials, and project ideas!
At the first technique class you will create a cute little technique book using the Big Shot and learn the featured technique. Each time you attend the Technique Thursday class you will add a sample to your technique book. Your technique book will become a great reference guide! During the class you will also create a project using the featured technique.
This month we will be learning how to make a variety of flowers – 3 different paper flowers and 1 fabric flower. Check out this great little gift box we will be making!
Don’t you just love it! I love this little box! I don’t know if I can put a gift in it, I want to keep the box for myself – lol!
Starting this month, I will be offering a morning and an evening session for my monthly technique class. Click here for all the details and to reserve your spot!
Mini scrapbooks are a great gift for any occasion from new baby to birthday to wedding – a scrapbook always comes in handy! This little scrapbook featuring the Pocketful of Posies designer series paper is easy to make and keep on hand the next time you need a gift. Because the inside pages are blank, the recipient can use it as a journal, traditional scrapbook or mixed media album!
I love the color combination in this project: Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry, with a hint of Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White. It is sort of unexpected and has a contemporary vibe. I think that a single initial stamped in Night of Navy would look great on the label tag. If you didn’t want to use a single initial the label tag is large enough to stamp a sentiment such as congratulations or happy birthday.
Of course I had to use the Color Spritzer Tool to add a little spatter to the front of the album and I inked all the paper edges with Night of Navy ink. I think that inking the paper edges really finishes off any project.
I’d love to know what you think of this mini scrapbook. Leave a comment and let me know.
The first card I made is a simple, quick birthday card. You can literally put this card together in minutes.
To make this card you will need Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie card stock and Melon Mambo, Tempting Tourquoise, Pumpkin Pie, and Wild Wasabi ink. I love how these bright colors look together! The 1 inch square punch worked perfectly to cut out each stamped image. To give the card a little pop, I mounted the Pumpkin Pie stamped image on a Pumpkin Pie postage square.
The next card is completely different. It is a thank you card featuring Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla.
I love how with this 1 stamp set you can create 2 very different projects! What do you think of this stamp set and these cards? Leave a comment and let me know!
The Kindness Matters stamp set is 1 of my favorites in the Idea Book and Catalog. I love the butterflies and little flourish! I find myself using this set often. It is a great little set!
And now you can get the Kindness Matters stamp set for FREE with your $50 Stampin’ Up! product order during Sale-A-Bration! Isn’t that awesome!?
I really like this color combination of Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade. It is happy, trendy and hip! Make a set of these little 3x3 cards for your child’s teacher or give a set to your administrative assistant for administrative assistant day.
What do you think? Isn’t it pretty? I love how the scallop border punch was used to make that great ruffle detail! And I really like how the Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folders was used to create a frame around the stamped butterflies. This embossing folder is another Sale-A-Bration exclusive item!
You can order all of the supplies to make these cards by clicking the shop now button above or by clicking here to shop my online store.
Have you seen the Simply Soft stamp set in the Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog? This 6 piece, 2-step stampin’ set is an hostess exclusive item.
One of the perks of being a Stampin’ Up! hostess is the opportunity to ear hostess dollars. You can use your hostess dollars on anything in the catalog including the hostess only section. Your hostess dollars go further in the hostess only section as these exclusive products are specially priced to help your rewards go further! How cool is that!
I used the Simply Soft stamp set along with the “hello” sentiment from the Sale-A-Bration Elementary Elegance stamp set to create this note card.
I’d love to show you and your friends how to make this Simply Soft note card. I offer a variety of private card making and scrapbooking classes. They are a great way to learn more stamping techniques and tricks with your friends and family in the comfort of your own home. You invite the guests and I’ll bring the stamping and crafting fun!
To learn more about the benefits of being a hostess click here. Contact me today to book your private class.
This is my personal blog. I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! products I may offer here.
