Christmas Stamp-a-stack Oct 23rd

Announcing my first Christmas Stamp-a-stack at my new studio!!!

When: Saturday, October 23rd
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Place: Stamp & Tea Studio
23 Telfer Glen Street
Morriston, Ontario

Join me on the 23rd of October to make 12 Christmas cards all featuring the Deck the Halls Designer Series paper. You will make 4 of each of the 3 designs pictured here.

Cost of the class is $30 and includes a pack of the Deck the Halls paper used to make the cards, and you get to keep the rest!

RSVP by Oct. 18th to ensure I order enough paper. Hope to see you there!

Please note: I will be calling all of my customers and contacts tomorrow evening (Oct 12) to find a class that suits your holiday needs. When I call you if you use the code word *SANTA* you will get a special gift from me at the event you attend. If you are not available tomorrow night or just want to get ahead of the game, call me tomorrow at 519-836-8921 to book a spot in one of my upcoming classes.

October Schedule:

Friday, Oct. 22nd, 7pm- Wine & Cheese night- FREE class- space is limited
Saturday, Oct. 23rd, 1-4pm- Stamp-a-stack- $30 (includes Deck the Halls DSP pack)
Thursday, Oct . 28th, 7pm- Monthly Card Class- 5 cards for $20 or FREE with $25 order that night

Cheers,

More Two Step stamping & a new B Canadian

Every month in my newsletter I feature a Stamping technique. The focus this month is Two-step stamping.

Here is a project that uses this technique.

This card is and oldie, but a goodie. It uses the Season of Friendship set (one of my personal faves) which is a classic two-step set. The multi-colour leaves were achieved by creating a stamp pad from a baby wipe and re-inkers. Isn't the result stunning??

Don't receive my newsletter? Fill out the join my mailing list widgit on my blog to receive up to date info on current promotions as well as my monthly newsletter full of project ideas, techniques, contests and more!

I would also like to welcome Brenda to the B Canadian Stampers team!! She was one smart lady who decided to take advantage of the FREE Greenhouse Gala tote (look at that beauty!! And it's HUGE!) and the "Eat Chocolate" stamp set offer! Way to go Brenda! Welcome to the team!!!

Do you want to get in on all the freebies??? Contact me to find out more or click on this link to sign up now- password is Canadian.







Cheers,

Ever want to make Christmas Crackers?

Okay, I am finally ready to show you the project I demonstrated at this weekends Stampinpalooza.

I am a huge sucker for Christmas, and Halloween, heck, all holidays for that matter. And I love all the cheesy traditions that come along with them. One of them being Christmas Crackers.

Years ago my sister used to make crackers and sell them, and they were so much nicer than the ones you could buy. Not to mention that the ones you buy are so much more expensive!

As soon as I saw the Waffle paper in the Holiday Mini I knew how I would use it. And I honestly can't say that there is a better paper for making crackers! Of course I made a Christmas one, then I had to try a Halloween one (how fun would those be to give out on Halloween night) and then I decided to make a Thanksgiving one too! I LOVE THEM!

Here are some close ups.
Fall using the brown waffle paper, Deck the Halls DSP for the wrapper, the leaf die for the big shot and Autumn Splendor stamp set for the main leaf. I tied this one using the linen thread!

The Halloween one uses black waffle paper, Halloween DSP, Silver Tinsel trim, the new XL Decorative Label punch, the Wicked Cool stamp set, oval punch and the new awesome bat punch. And if you think the bat is sparkly you are right, he is sprayed with Silver foil smootch spritz.

Finally I have the Christmas one. For that I used the Gold Waffle paper, Deck the Halls DSP, Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon and the Bells and Boughs set with a bit of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter!
Wouldn't these look beautiful on your table? And the best part is that they can be customized for your family. You don't have to put dollar store junk in them (all though the dollar store does have lots of great stuff). Why not earings for the women, cuff links for the men? Cars for little boys, hair clips for little girls. Or how about a Simply Adorned charm?? The possibilities are endless!! Just make sure you put tags on them so you know who gets each cracker! Plus you could then use them as your name tag! Talk about double duty!

I would love to see what you guys do with this. So I am going to issue a challenge. I would like for you to make your own crackers, for any holiday. I will work on posting a link widgit (update- posted now- see below) so that you can link to your creation here. I will leave the challenge open for a few weeks. I really want to see what each of you makes. I can't wait to see how you take this concept and make it your own.

Oh, and right now I don't actually have the cracker part (you know the part that you pull that makes the bang!) but I am told that the craft stores do carry them, just not yet. I am also sourcing out an online retailer. If you know some where you can get them, please post a comment.

You have until Oct. 27th to post your creation!! I can't wait to see them!!!!!



Happy crackering!!!

Cheers,

Less than 1 month until my Birthday & the Clearance Rack!!

I can't believe it!! In less than 1 month- November 3rd to be exact I will be 37 years old! I guess I have passed my mid-30's and will be entering my late-30's now! But I am 13 lbs lighter than I was last year and are feeling great! So I figure it's time for a contest of sorts!

Send me a Birthday card before the 3rd of November and receive FREE shipping off all your orders in the month of November!!!! And all entries received will be entered in a draw! So start your stamping engines!! Lets see those Birthday cards!!!

Birthday cards can be sent to:

Blair Moch
23 Telfer Glen Street
Morriston, Ontario
N0B 2C0

Here's a pic of me 3 years ago on my 34th birthday with my husband and the sushi cake our fav sushi restaurant in Toronto (Gonoe Sushi on Don Mills Rd.) made for me. I was very very pregnant in that picture (I had Xander on the 18th of December).
And it just so happens that Stampin' Up! has filled up the Clearance Rack with all sorts of goodies to start off your holiday shopping.

As you know, the Clearance Rack has been operational for over a year now, and demonstrators and customers alike are finding it a great place to discover discontinued Stampin' Up! merchandise for fantastic prices. Now, from October 5-18, we're adding over two hundred more discontinued items--some at up to 80 percent off--to help us make room in the Distribution Center for new products!

Things to know about the Clearance Rack Blitz:

• Orders for Clearance Rack items can be placed through the Online Store Qualifying orders are eligible for hostess benefits/Stampin' Rewards.
• While the Blitz lasts from October 5-18, some items, depending on availability, may be made available in the Clearance Rack in the future.
• All discontinued items are available only while supplies last.
• All sales of discontinued items are final.

Cheers,

More stuff from regionals

It's been really busy around here of course, as always. But I have been having a blast. As you know two weekends ago I went to the Stampin' Up! Regionals in Hamilton and then this past weekend I attended my Upline Caroline LeBel's Holiday Stampinpalooza!! I can't honestly describe for you the amount of fun we had. If you have been to Palooza in the past (this was the 4th) you will be interested to know that she drastically changed the format this time. Instead of sitting and listening to presenters mixed up with stampin' time, this time we had all day stampin' time and we could get up, walk around and see the demo's up close and personal! I loved it. We had so much fun chatting at the table (thanks for the laughs ladies- Susy, Erin, Lara, Hannah and Mary) and with those around us that I didn't want to leave!! We had a ton of make n'takes and lots of good eats as always! The next one will be on June 18th, so mark your calendars and plan to attend! The event was sold out, so book early!! I will be showing you what I demonstrated later this week. I want to play around with it some more! But do come back, because it was AWESOME if I do say so myself!

Anyhow back to regionals! How would you like to see some pictures of the event including the beautiful make n'takes???

Hamilton Regionals Sept 25, 2010

I will leave you with a picture of Shelli and I. For those of you who don't know, Shelli is the CEO and Founder of Stampin' Up! and an amazing woman! Can you believe that she has 14 grandchildren?? Love it!

Hope you have an awesome day!!







Cheers,

SU comes to Hamilton! Fall Regionals 2010!

Yesterday was the Stampin' Up! Fall Regionals in Hamilton, Ontario. Which happens to be less than 1/2 hour from my house. So of course I HAD to go!! And I am sooooo glad I did. It is definately one of the many perks of becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and this is the first official event I have ever attended. Now I can't wait to go to Leadership in Nashville, TN in January.

And one of the coolest part of going to Regionals are all the freebies we get (plus getting to see all of our SU friends too!) oh and did I mention that Shelli Gardner, CEO and founder of SU was there???

Here are the make n'takes and stamp set we got for attending.The stamp set is Day of Gratitude from the Holiday Mini. It's really beautiful. And we had 6 fabulous make n'takes to work on. I didn't get a chance to work on them yesterday, because I was chosen to be one of the 3 Demostrator helpers for the day. It was a huge honour to be chosen and I had a blast helping out. Thanks to my co-helpers Mary-Louise & Ellen for making it a truly fun experience. I did find some time today to make everything so I will show you pictures in the days to come. So come back often to see everything we made with this set.

That's not the only FREE stuff I got. I got a Logo apron that I had to wear as a helper, and I got to keep it. Believe it or not, but it's my first black SU logo apron, so I will wear it with pride. We got a Hamilton Regionals button for attending and at one point they announced that we would all get a package of Glimmer Brads!! Rock on! I love those brads from the mini!! Oh and the best FREEBIE announced was actually in the form of a special promotion just for Regional attendees.....

If we recruit someone from now to Oct. 17th both myself and any new recruits get the not yet released AWESOMELY ADORABLE new stamp set called Eat Chocolate that will be in the next Occasions Mini Catalogue!!!!!! So, in addition to getting over $400 in SU products AND the Greenhouse Gala Tote (a $49.95 value) AND an additional FREE stamp set of your choice from the Holiday Mini (a special bonus for joining my team only) for ONLY $215 you will ALSO get the NEW Eat Chocolate Stamp set!!!! Wow!! What a deal!! I wish I could re-join to get all those awesome things!

I can't show you the stamp set (plus I don't have one yet) but I can show you some pictures of projects made with it.

Contact me TODAY to take advantage of this VERY limited time offer!!



Cheers,

Card from the Aberfoyle Fall Fair

I thought I would show you the card we made at the Aberfoyle Fall Fair last weekend. This has to be one of my favorite Make n'takes ever!! I totally copied the idea from Ronda Wade, in fact it was this card that made me want to buy the stamp set Autumn Splendor. When I first saw it in last years Holiday Mini catalogue I didn't think much of it, until I saw this card. It really is stunning. One thing that a number of people noticed and commented on last Saturday was the beautiful clean crisp image that this stamp product. In fact it seemed that the men pointed this out the most. Well honestly that is a true testament to the fabulous quality stamps, and deeply etched images that Stampin' Up! produces. All things are not created equal, and SU's stamps are really top quality compared to a lot of the rubber & acrylic stamps on the market. Anyhow, just thought I would toot the SU horn for a bit.

Products used: All Stampin' Up
Stamp sets: Autumn Splendor, Grateful Greetings
Card stock: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive.
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon.

Cheers,

Wanna see something from the Open House this Saturday??

Here is something seriously cute that we are making at my Open House this Saturday. If you are able to make it please RSVP.

Isn't he just the cutest thing ever?? It'a bookmark that folds over your page. The bookmark is made using the Two Tags die for the Big Shot but you first fold a piece of paper in half and then place it on the die so that you don't cut the top of the book mark. It's kind of hard to explain, much easier to see in person. So come on by the Open House this saturday and I can show you!!

The Owl is the new Owl punch and I LOVE him! Honestly at first I thought "oh, this is going to be so fiddly" but he's not at all! He's really easy to assemble. I have also incorporated a few of our new colours with this project, Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft), Cherry Cobble & Early Espresso. And the tummy on the Owl is our returning in colour Baja Breeze!

Here's a picture of him in a book doing his job! Don't you just want to make one of these??? These little book marks make the best presents for Teachers, Grand-parents, kids, really anyone who loves to read, and still reads REAL books, not the digital kind (I have to admit I am a digital convert......... I love my new Kobo!!). But I still have some real books, like cookbooks, and this is a reference book on Direct Selling that I am reading. So these bookmarks coming in super handy even for me!

RSVP for my Open House this Saturday and learn how to make these super quick, super easy gifts!



Cheers,

Who's coming to my Open House this weekend??

Hope to see you there!! :)

Cheers,

Grand Manan 2010

I promised you the pictures of my trip. Just click on the picture below to be brought to the full album. Enjoy! If you have any questions don't hesitate to post a comment and I will answer them as soon as I can.




Cheers,

Open House and Sale this SATURDAY!!!!

Many of you have expressed a HUGE interest in my Open House and Sale this weekend. And for good reason. I am selling off all my retired stamp sets, paper, punches, ink pads and MORE! You won't want to miss this one. For every dollar you spend on retired products, you get the same value in NEW catalogue (or Mini) purchases!! So if you spend $20 on my retired stuff, you get $20 to spend in NEW stuff!! How cool is that????? Now is absolutely the time to stock up on stuff for the holidays!!

Here are a few pictures of the stuff for sale:

















See, there is LOTS of yummy stuff for sale!! Markers, re-inkers and so much more!! None of this stuff is available for purchase from Stampin' Up! anymore, so if there is something you want, you had better come check it out. Sale is based on first come first served. Please come to the first door on the walk-way.

Saturday, Sept, 18th form 10 to 5pm. Please RSVP ASAP!!


Cheers,

New Holiday Mini!!

Hi Everyone,

I had a fantastic Saturday at the Aberfoyle Fall Fair! I met a bunch of lovely people, and can't wait for them to join me at some of my upcoming events!!

In the meantime, and I am sorry for the delay on this, I would like to post for you the FABULOUS holiday mini!!!

There are some awesome new stuff in this catty. Some of my personal favs are:

• FABRIC in extra large Fat Quarters that match our designer paper!!!
• 2 new embossing folders for the Big Shot, one with a spiders web and one with snowflakes
• New products like waffle paper and lace trim!! YUM!
• New Big Shot dies
• Cards that play Xmas music or that are recordable
• Chip board houses!
• And Advent calendar kit!
• New PUNCHES!!! One is an XL Label that matches an awesome new Xmas Stamp set
• Letter Press plates!!!
  

I could literal list everything in the mini, but you are much better to see it for yourself. I had an issue with my automatic mailer, so if you didn't receive yours in the mail and you are a regular customer of mine, please let me know so that I can send you your copy ASAP.

Or visit me this SATURDAY from 10 to 5 for my New Catalogue, Holiday Mini & 2-for-1 Sale!!!

We will be doing:

• 3 make n'takes featuring ALL NEW products!!!
• Door Prize Draw with LOT OF GOODIES to give away!!!
• 2-for-1 Sale of all my retired products- Stamp sets, Ink Pads, Re-inkers, Paper and MORE!!
  

For the 2-for-1 sale, whatever you purchase from my retired stock you get the same value in NEW Catalogue merchandise!! AWESOME!!

Please RSVP ASAP to ensure I have enough stuff for everyone!!! Hope to see you there.

Cheers,

I'm back & a donation today!

Sorry about the long hiatus!! First we went camping for a week with my sister from Pennsylvania and her family, and some friends of ours to Owen Sound and Tobermory, Ontario. If you haven't been to those area's before you must check them out. I will post some pictures in the next few days. After that my daughter got back from camp and then my husband and I flew out to the East Coast for a mini vacation and 5th Anniversary celebration. We went to Grand Manan, New Brunswick. Now, most of you will not have heard of it. It's a small island in the Bay of Fundy off the coast of Maine & New Brunswick. You have a to take a 1 1/2 ferry from Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick just to get there! It has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. I will post some pictures from that trip two in the next few days.

Let's move on to today's posting. Today I present to you a donation to the D.A.D Project. The D.A.D (Drawing a Day) Project is the brain child of two sisters, Serena & Emily. It is an ongoing, online, art-based fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. Each day one of the sisters posts an original drawing they have done, and then they make that item available as a print in their etsy shop. Each friday they feature a different artist and I am honoured that today they are featuring a item made by me!

I have donated this beautiful Artistic Etchings Card Folder & card set with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society. The folder contains 2 handmade cards (blank with no sentiment) and 4 handmade notecards, blank with stamped images. The folder is also handmade and all materials are Stampin' Up!.

Head over to their blog to find out more or to purchase this one of a kind gift for only $20 plus shipping and handling.

Tomorrow I will be at the Aberfoyle Fall Fair, so if you are in the area please stop by and say hi. I will be selling Rag Quilt bag kits, handmade cards, catalogues and will have a make n'take as well. Aberfoyle is located South of Guelph, Ontario. If you are interested in getting directions contact me for more information.


Cheers,

Going camping!!

Hi everyone!

The weather in Ontario has finally cooled down to a manageable temperature. Thankfully, as my family and I are on our way to Owen Sound to do some camping. No tents, I am way out of camping practice, but we have rented a cute little cabin. Should be really fun!

But that mean's that I won't be posting when I am gone. Try not to miss me too much! I will be back on the weekend with pictures of my upcoming Page-a-grade Scrapbook class!!! Check out my event page for more info.

Also, before I let you go, I just wanted to extend a warm welcome to my newest member of the Be Canadian Stampers Group!! Welcome WANDA!! So glad you finally took the plunge!

If you think you would love to join a fun group of stampers why not join my team? Click here for more info.

Cheers,

MDS for weddings

As posted earlier, I did some decor work for a friends wedding. I used MDS (My Digital Studio) to make table signs and a seating chart.

Well, the bride wanted to put together a collage of pictures that would be printed out and put in her thank you cards. So this is what I came up with.
I love the flexibility of MDS. I love what I can do with it. Boy what I wouldn't give to get married over again (to the same man of course) just so I could make all sorts of fun things for my wedding. This was really easy too, I used one of the card templates, just adjusted the size of the pictures a bit for a more geometric design, added a few stamps, some text and VOILA!

Aren't Lesley & Mike an adorable couple? And their wedding, if I do say so myself was stunning!! :)

This would make a great photo invitation (but use engagement shots instead) or baby announcements, save the date cards etc!! The possibilities are after all endless! You are only limited by your own creativity or by those around you! Thank goodness the Internet is full of wonderfully talented people!!



Cheers,

You know how I love a good challenge!

My life seems to always be about challenges these days.

1. Challenges with my weight and my love of food and wine
2. Challenges with my family, being tested hourly by that of a 2 1/2 year old son
3. Challenges with my marriage, it's hard when your better half is working in a different city
4. Challenges with my business and finding the right work life balance

I am happy to report however that I have made significant progress in many of these areas.

1. I started back at Weight Watchers last week and after 1 full week on the program I have already lost 8lbs!
2. A new found strength from within (due largely to the fact that I have decided to step up all aspects of my life) have me less frustrated, and calmer when he isn't. Not sure it's having an effect on him yet, but my throat is happier with less yelling!
3. Looks like this is the last trip to Winnipeg Ed has to take! But I am still keeping my fingers crossed, you never know! Plus we have booked a trip to the East Coast to visit a wonderful secluded Island in the Bay of Fundy called Grand Manan. I can't wait to sit on a cliff watching the ocean roll by!
4. My business in the new area is picking up. Everyday I am meeting new people, and making new contacts. I have also scheduled work nights so that I can stay ahead of the tasks and spend less time crunching at the last minute before a class, event etc.

So today, I have a sense of accomplishment. Things are moving forward. And life is pretty good!

Shelli Gardner the CEO and founder of Stampin' Up! posts monthly challenges on her blog, open to both Demo's and customers alike. I haven't participated in a while. Thought I would give this month's challenge a go. It's all about using the Colour Coach to find new and innovative colour combos. And stepping out of your comfort zone.

I have had an idea to use the Elements of style flowers on Marina Mist for a few weeks now. It sort of has a Wedgwood thing about it. But I knew it need to be grounded by another colour. So I pulled out the Colour Coach and tried out a bunch of different colours. Well, it so happens that my fav new colour, Cherry Cobbler was the winner.

And since I got my Holiday Mini sneak peak items today, I thought I would just have to play with the new Cherry Cobbler Seam binding ribbon! Yum! It has a wonderful sheen to it, and it is light and airy. Just lovely. Sorry my bow looks like junk! My eyes are heavy with lack of sleep. The sentiment was framed by a layering of punches. The Designer Label, 1" circle ad the small oval punch bring it all together.

Anyhow, it's very much time for me to go to sleep. I can barely look at the computer screen.

Don't have a Colour Coach yet? Visit my online store to order one today!


Cheers,

Change of date!

Due to the fact that so many are taking vacations right now, I have decided to change the date of my New Catty Open house and 2-for-1 Retired product sale to Saturday, Sept. 18th. And now it's a preview of the Holiday Mini Catty too!! I will have a whole table set out displaying some of the fabulous products from the new mini.

This just gives me even more time to make this an event you wont want to miss! Please RSVP for this event.

Cheers,

Sorry I have been so quiet, and PPA!

My family has abandoned me this week (husband in Winnipeg, son at Grandma's, daughter at camp) and I have been extremely busy getting ready for my Martini Party tonight. So sorry for the lack of posts.

I made a card to send to my daughter at camp. This is actually her stamp set. It arrived the day after she left. She earned it for helping me organize my stamp sets. She did a ton of work stamping them into my binder, sorting them into categories and then punching out little colour dots (based on categories) and adhere those to the sets. Then she put them in my cabinets so that they can be easily found. It was a TON of work and I would never have got it done without her. So since she wanted this set so badly, she asked me to make her a card with it.

As it turns out, this card would work well for a boy too. And so it works well with this weeks PPA challenge- KISS Masculine. Not sure this card is really a KISS card, but it didn't take me long at all. I simply stamped the little monsters with Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush & Pumpkin pie, highlighted them with my blender pens and ink from my ink pads and voila!

I hope she likes it!!

Cheers,

Off to Camp day!!

We have had a busy weekend around here, packing everyone up. Everyone but me that is! My husband Ed is off to Winnipeg, AGAIN! My son Alexander is off to Grandma's for a week and my daughter Kieran is off to CAMP!! If I could join one of them it would be Kieran. Kieran goes to a fabulous girls camp in Algonquin Provincial Park (one of the most beautiful places on earth) called Camp Tanamakoon. I went to Tanamakoon when I was a kid right up into my twenties (I was a counselor for many many years). Now Kieran goes. This is her 5th summer and she goes for all of August. I won't get to see her or hear her voice for a whole month! I can't tell you how much I look forward to getting a letter in the mail!! It is one of the most wonderful and nurturing places you could ever send your daughter. If you have some, you should check it out. It is the single most important gift my parents ever gave me. It, more than anything else I ever did helped shaped me to be the woman, mother and person I am today. And I am so thankful that I can give her this same gift as well.

Since I have been so busy packing everyone up, and have had no time to play. This week however will be dedicated to Stampin' Up! Lots of fun things happening around here. Tuesday night is my FREE crop night (RSVP if you would like to come) and Friday is my Martini Party/Card class! I can't wait!

I will leave you with a picture of Kieran going to camp last year, but will make sure to take some new ones this year too! I can't believe how young she looks in this picture! Can you see the excitement??

I will be back tomorrow with the winner of my Card Class Blog candy tomorrow. Until then.........

Cheers,

Want to see what we are making at my Open House???

Well, part of it anyhow............

My New Catalogue Open House and 2-for-1 Retired Sale is on August 14th from 10am to 5pm. You are not going to want to miss this event!!! One of the things we will be making is this adorable little pail.

This is a super simple favour for a party, wedding, shower etc. Right now the pail is empty, but when you come to my Open House you get to fill it with a yummy treat that you will not want to miss out on.

To give you a true picture of how little this cutie is, I have included a picture with a re-inker! Too cute!!

I got these pails from www.many-thanks.ca

If you want to make one of this, RSVP for my open house!! Hope to see you there!

Cheers,