Thursday, May 27, 2010

One card, Two Challenges!

Hi Everyone,

Crazy HOT weather we are having here. Being that I am more of a cold weather girl, I am not over the moon like some. But I am glad that summer is finally here, and they are saying that it is going to be hot and dry! At least we should see less rain than last year. Too bad we don't have a pool at our new place!

Just a reminder to visit this post to see my new Workshop Walk-through for Stampin' Up! Demo's and leave me a comment with a new name to be entered in a contest to win a copy! And members of my team, you guys get a copy for FREE! Just one of the many perks to being on the "B Canadian" Stampers team.

Oh and this Sunday is my NEW Studio Grand Opening bash! RSVP if you can make it.

Okay, on to today's card. This one was created based on two challenges this week. Kristina Werner's colour inspiration challenge and Pals Paper Arts Sketch challenge. The colours were really challenging. There was a Bright bluish purple, and I decided to use Rich Razzleberry, Bashful Blue, a bright yellow (Crushed Curry), A medium blue (Ballet Blue), Certainly Celery and White. Plus I had to use a bit of black for the flowers outline. I coloured the flowers using a combo of markers and blender pens and ink from the top of my ink pad. I am not sure that I love this card. I think there are too many colours for my liking. Ah well, if you don't try you will never know!

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Elements of Style (Summer Mini)
Card stock: Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, Crushed Curry
Ink: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Sale-a-bration Scallop trim Punch (which will be in the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue), Blender Pen.


Cheers,

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Memorial Day post for PPA

Hi Everyone,

I think I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I finally have time to work in my studio. My studio still needs LOTS of work, but I am crafting again with some regularity. Yeah!

I decided to play along with the PPA (Pals Paper Arts) challenge this week, where the theme is Memorial Day. This one is for my American friends and relatives.

This is a very simple card using almost no stamping! Take special note of the brads...... These are our Star Brads but I recently saw a technique on someone's blog (sorry I can't seem to find it right now) where she coloured in the centre of the brad using crystal effects and re-inkers. I loved the look! So I did just that. I took a little container (it was actually the clam-shell packaging from one of my acrylic blocks and squirted some crystal effects in it. Then I put a drop of real red re-inker and mixed it up with a pin (a tooth pick would work well too). I then used the same pin to pic up the colour and carefully fill the centre of the brad! Too cool! The best part is, these brads are FREE right now when you buy a stamp set from a select list. Click here to view that post.

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card stock: Real Red, Whisper White, Night of Navy
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Designer Label Punch, oval punch, small star punch, mat pack and paper piercer, star brads.

Just a reminder about the Demo Resource "Workshop Walk-through" that I launched the other day. I am running a contest for naming the resource by giving away a digital copy of it. Visit this post to learn all about it and enter a name in the contest to win. I will keep the contest open until I find the right name. Good Luck!

Cheers,

Monday, May 17, 2010

A NEW Resource for Stampin' Up! Demo's available now & Blog Candy!!

I have been a very busy bee!! I have been doing a lot of training and rebuilding of my business as of late due to our recent move. And as a part of that I have been re-evaluating how I do my workshops. It occurred to me that the part of the workshop I felt was most awkward was the Catalogue tour. The catalogue is fabulous, but it's huge! And I always felt like I was doing it a disservice as I couldn't effectively talk about all of it, otherwise I would confuse the guests. So I decided to do something about it.

I created a Workshop Walk-through presentation in My Digital Studio that I have then put into a 12x12 scrapbook. Now I have a concise and easy to follow presentation that provides workshop guests with all the initial Stampin' Up! information!

And the best part is, I am now going to offer this to all Stampin' Up! demos for purchase!!!! Visit my Resource for Demo's page for more information. Or contact me directly!

I honour of my new product launch I would like to have a contest!! I need a name for my Workshop Walk-through. Please send me your suggestions. The contest will stay open until a name has been chosen. The winner will receive a Digital copy (file only) of a customized presentation (does not include MDS printing or 12x12 scrapbook)!!! Please send me your name suggestions for your chance to win. Please SU Demo's only.

I hope that you find this resource to be as helpful to you, as it is to me.

Cheers,

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's day to all those Mother's out there, or mother's to be. I hope you are all having a fabulous day! I am, my kids woke me up with cuddles and hand-made cards, and my daughter decorated a vase for me, and gave me a Mom & me scrapbook! Too sweet! I need to head outside to get some tulips for my vase. Unfortunately my husband is away in Winnipeg and won't be home until Friday. But he sent the most beautiful flowers!

Earlier in the week I was really sick with a nasty nasty cold and having a bit of a tough time with the kids so he sent these to me a few days earlier. It was the sweetest thing ever! It really improved my spirits. They are stunning, arn't they?

I finally got a chance to play with some of my new Summer Mini products today. I needed to make a Mother's day card for my Mother-in-law who will be coming over next weekend. I really wanted to try out the new Presto paper as I have seen lots of cool stuff made with it in Blogland. I also got to try out the new Smootch Spritz! I LOVE it! It's fun!

The picture as always is terrible, damn iPhone. You need perfect light for it to work out. Hence why the flowers turned out well. Anyhow, what do you think of the card? I went for a Vintage look as it seems to be all the rage these days. The background paper is the new presto paper, which is soooooo cool! It comes white with a white design on it. When you sponge it, ink it, spray it with Smootch Spritz etc the image is brought out. It really looks beautiful. I then sprayed the flowers and the background with Vanilla Smootch Spritz to give it a gorgeous vintage shimmer. It doesn't show well in the picture, but it really is beautiful. Oh, and I sponged the Presto paper with Pink Pirouette ink, did you know that this former In Colour is making a comeback in July? That's right, it will be resurrected as one of the new Subtles colour family. I couldn't be more excited because it is one of my favorite colours of all time.

Speaking of new colours, as the colour families are changing in July, a number of the existing colours will be retiring. Cardstock is selling out fast! If there is any cardstock that you want, please don't wait or you may not get your hands on it. And just an FYI, in some cases they have already sold out of smooth cardstock in some colours but will be shipping out textured cardstock in it's place for no additional cost. So you could receive smooth or textured. Just an FYI. But don't wait, I would hate for you to be disappointed and miss out.

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Rose is a Rose, Well Scripted
Card stock: Old Olive, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Presto Patterns
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Old Olive
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Ribbon Slide from Hodgepodge Hardware, Vanilla Smootch Spritz.

Enjoy your day today, all you mother's out there!

Cheers,

Friday, May 7, 2010

Canadian Swap & a new B Canadian Stamper has joined my team!

One of the cool things about being a Stampin' Up! demo is getting to participate in Swaps. For a swap we make a pre-decided number of card fronts (this saves on paper not having to make full cards, are easier to mount on display boards and can be mounted later if desired). Generally there is a theme to a swap such as cards featuring products from the new current mini catalogue, and generally the rule is current SU products only. I love these swaps because it gives me a whole bunch of samples for my display boards using stamp sets I may not even have and they feature a number of colours and styles that are different from my personal style. It allows you, my customers and downline more variety of samples for inspiration.

For this most recent swap I decided to use the new Canada Day set from the Summer mini. I fell in love with this set immediately. I love that it has a plain, traditional maple leaf unlike the Canada set in the current Idea Book & Catalogue. And I love the firework stamps that can be used for much more than just Canada. I can see May 2-4 cards in the making!!! :) I also love this set because I can use it to make fun things for my downline as I have recently renamed the group "B Canadian" stampers as I felt this had a feeling of national identity and opened the team up to those from anywhere in this great country.

And speaking of my "B Canadian" team, I wanted to welcome my newest team member Donna to the group! Donna decided to make a fabulous decision to purchase the starter kit and come on board as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. Ever considered being a Demo? Click here to read my Stampin' Up! story and to learn about some of the many perks being a demo can bring.

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Canada Day (Summer Mini)
Card stock: Kraft (soon to be Crumb Cake), Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Paper snips

P.S. sorry for the really terrible picture. I really need to get my proper camera out of the box it is in. You can't really tell from this, but the firework stamps are stamped on the Real Red card stock using Real Red ink.

Cheers,

Thursday, May 6, 2010

You won't believe what I have been up to!!!

I am not a sewer. I hate sewing. I only sew to make my kids halloween costumes, and even with that I avoid having ever to use a sewing machine. But lately, something has erupted in the Stampin' Up! universe (yes, we really have our own little universe....). Quilting has become all the rage! And of course I was not very impressed. I was not going to succumb to pressure that other fabulously talented demos were putting me under....... no way.... not me........ I thumb my nose at stitching on cards and scrapbook pages, I take my clothing to seamstresses for repairs and alterations...... I am was not going to become a quilter.

And then..... something happened. I started watching the blogs of these uber talented Demo's like Angie Kennedy Juda who shares a step by step video tutorial on making these super cute rag quilt purses. And the coolest part is, that you use my FAVORITE tool the Big Shot to cut out the squares! And did you know that you can cut though 8 layers of fabric at once with the Big Shot?????? You need 19 complete squares to make a purse and I kid you not it didn't take me more than 30 minutes to cut all the fabric I needed to make 2 purses!! And I am a total newbie, with out all the super cool tools Angie shows!! I had to use Scissors to cut out my fabric before putting it in the Big Shot, scissors, can you believe that!!?!

So with out further ado, my very first, hand-quilted Big Shot rag quilt purse!!

How super cute is that???? Honestly, I have never ever ever quilted before. It was easily one of the easiest crafts I have ever done. And I actually enjoyed myself!! Crazy eh??? Oh and notice that button?? That's a Baja Breeze corduroy button!! Did you know that Baja Breeze is coming back??? Look for it again in the upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue! I really did have fun making my purse. And now that I know how extra versatile my Big Shot is, look for more fabric projects in the future. My mind is racing with all the possibilities.

I will have my purse on display at my Open House on May 30th. I might even have a demo going on showing how they are made. If you are free on Sunday, May 30th and want to come and see my new place RSVP as space is limited!


Cheers,

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

National Scrapbooking Month Promo


Did you know that May is National Scrapbooking month?? And of course, in honour of this event Stampin' Up! has a wonderful Scrapbooking promotion. Purchase any of the following Stamp sets or My Digital Studio and receive a pack of designer brads free.

Page Description Wood-Mount Item Wood-Mount Price Clear-Mount Item Clear-Mount Price
81

Extreme Elements

115181 $35.95 --- ---
119

Framed with Love**

114389 $36.95 --- ---
128

Certified**

113706 $36.95 --- ---
129

Circle Circus

115778 $38.95 --- ---
12*

Elements of Style

118611 $36.95 120045 $26.95
13*

Mementos

119910 $36.95 120105 $26.95
13*

Elements de style

119900 $36.95 120099 $26.95
14*

Rough Type

118659 $35.95 120072 $24.95
22*

Sentimental Journey

118513 $31.95 120075 $23.95
25*

First Day

118521 $31.95 120051 $23.95
25*

Camino a la Escuela

120152 $31.95 120154 $23.95
*From Summer Mini Catalogue
**Last Chance stamp set!

When you purchase one of the following sets, you can choose your FREE designer brads from the list below:

Page Description Item Retail Price Price with Qualifying Purchase
179

Flower Designer brads

112579 $8.50 FREE
179

Filigree Designer brads

112577 $8.50 FREE
179

Circle Designer brads

112571 $8.50 FREE
179

Star Designer brads

112572 $8.50 FREE

Contact me to order your scrapbooking supplies today!

Cheers,

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Summer Mini is Here!!

I must be totally out of it...... I forgot to post that the Summer Mini has arrived!!!!!! I am not sure where my brain has been lately. Anyhow, check out the pages of this beauty! There are some fabulous new products such as:

  • Builder Wheels- page 8
  • Bitty Buttons & matching punches- page 11
  • Smootch Spritz-page 15
  • Presto Paper- page 15
  • Chalkboard Decor Elements- page 18
  • New Scrapbooking products- page 22 & 23
  • Summer Luau themed items- page 26 & 27
Not to mention tons of beautiful new stamp sets and accessories! I just love the Stampin' Up! mini's.

All of my regular customers should have received a copy in the mail. If you did not, please contact me and I will mail you one right away. Don't forget about my Studio Grand Opening on May 30th where we will be playing with a number of new products from this mini. Contact me today to book your spot as space is limited.

Cheers,

Back in the groove again.....

I honestly had no idea how crazy moving could be. So much to do, so much change and upheaval! But I can report it has all been worth it. One of the most challenging things about all this change is having my son in daycare for the first time. He was at home with a nanny for the last year in a half. It was hard for him to get used to it, and of course, those of you with kids in daycare will know about this.........all the germs!! He got sick at the end of his first week, and then the rest of us got it. And then Sunday night, I was sick. Sick like I have not been sick in years. I have a killer cold!! Fever, chills, no voice, congestion, cough, etc etc etc. Brutal. And to add insult to injury my husband is working in Winnipeg for the next few weeks so I am going it alone!!

Anyhow, I haven't shared a card in a really long time. So I thought I would share a card that I made for my new neighbours. I thought it would be nice to make a card to deliver to all my new neighbours along with a note about our family and my Stampin' Up! business.

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Vintage Vogue, Fundamental Phrases
Card stock: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Very Vanilla, Old Olive
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Sale-a-bration Scallop Trim Border Punch, Texturz plates, Big Shot, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch.



Did you know that both the Scallop Trim Border Punch and the Vintage Vogue set will be making an appearance in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue? And did you know that the Last Chance list of retiring products from the current catalogue will be released in less than a month? That's right June 1st marks the first day of the retiring list.

Did you also know that May is National Scrapbooking month? And in true Stampin' Up! style we have a scrapbooking promotion. I will be back tomorrow with the details!

Until then, happy Stampin'!

Cheers,


 

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