All in the Family Birthday Card

Like many other stampers out there, I struggle a bit with masculine cards. When I was faced with the challenge of creating a birthday card for my cousin, Rex, I started with the background and used a Stampin' Up! Texturz plate and my Big Shot to create a masculine-looking base.

• I used the faux letterpress technique to get the black on the textured background. This technique is simple yet effective; you basically just ink up your Texturz plate with your choice of ink colour (I chose Basic Black) before running it through your Big Shot.
• "All in the Family" and "Family Accessories" made the focal image fun and personalized to the recipient, an avid basketball fan and coach.
  
• I added the dotted lines with my Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marker to give the impression that the basketball is bouncing. Fun!
• The sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes."
• Don't forget to stamp your envelopes! This adds so much to a card. I continued the bouncy basketball motif on the envelope and added a sentiment from "Happy Everything."

Peppermint Patty Party Favours

I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone! I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas day with close friends and family. Hope all of your celebrations were just as special.

I couldn't stop at just one of these cute little boxes that I posted about last week, so I kept going and made a bunch as party favours for my guests to take home with them after Christmas dinner. I tucked two peppermint patties inside each box - a perfect fit!

Thanks for looking!

I'm Back!

Hi Stampers! Sorry, I've been missing in action for a little while; things were busy at school with Christmas activities and wrapping up before the holidays. I have the next two weeks off, which means more stamping time for me :)

I made this cute little box for a friend today. The box was originally designed to hold chocolates, but I thought it was just the right size to hold a small gift (a pair of sparkly snowflake earrings). The tutorial, by Beate Johns, can be found here.

Have you put in your order for the 12 Days of Holiday Sales yet? Don't miss out on the savings, which include the exclusive Matchbox die and Two Tags die. Check out just one of the many adorable possibilities with the Matchbox die here. Remember, this sale ends in just two days, on December 22.

Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Holiday Sales are HERE!

Stampin' Up's! 12 Days of Holiday Sales promotion is on now, until Dec. 22. There is a fabulous selection of Big Shot dies on sale, as well as vinyl sheets in new colours for the Big Shot. Click here to see what's on sale, and here to order online through my website.

Gift Tags Set

I whipped up this set of gift tags in a divided box tonight as a hostess gift. The instructions for the box can be found in this week's tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers. I used Delightful Decorations and the matching ornament punch from the Holiday Mini, as well as Christmas Punch, a level 2 hostess set. The Real Red Polka Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon adds just the right festive touch.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dormant Stamp Sets To Be Discontinued on January 4, 2010

It is time to say goodbye to Stampin' Up!'s dormant list. The stamp sets listed below will be discontinued on January 4, 2010.

If any of these stamp sets are on your wish list, make sure to purchase them before they are gone for good!

If you want to see images of these sets - visit the online store and enter the item number in the "search the store" cell.

Item Number	Stamp Set
113407	Back Woods
114492	Beautiful Baby
114486	Birthday Wish
113200	Branch Out
114496	Celebrations
113732	Central Park
113206	Classic Sketches
113226	Classy & Fabulous
114498	Flowers in Silhouette
113405	Font of You
113216	For the Bride
114494	Forever
109425	Friend by Definition
114488	Fun Flowers
113716	Garden Greetings
114490	Glad Friends
111580	Grand Soiree
113242	Hit the Road
113710	Lexicon of Leaves
113236	Man's Best Friend
114423	Ocean Commotion
113728	Playful Petals
109276	Polka Dot
111544	Putt Putt
113240	Quilt Quips
113754	Really Retro
113403	Sip by Sip
113726	Sweet Stems
113250	That's Funny
113688	Wonderful Watercolors
114028	Para la novia
114032	Acuarelas Maravillosas

Online Extravaganza Sale Extended One More Day!

Stampin' Up! announced that the Online Extravaganza promotion will be extended for one more day, until tomorrow, due to the high order volume last night and some challenges they experienced as a result. If you missed out on the great deals, or have a few things you were still thinking of getting, here's your chance! Call or email me tonight with your order.

Midnight Crop This Friday!

What are you doing this Friday night? Come on by to my Midnight Crop (7:30 - 11:30 pm) and get started (or finished!) on those Christmas cards or holiday projects. You can use my stamps, punches and non-consumables, or even make up a class that you missed. Registration is only $5; RSVP required.

I made the card above using "Dasher," one of the most popular stamps from the catalogue this year, not to mention a great deal at only $10.95. The greeting is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes." I added some white dots with my Signo gel pen to echo the Real Red polka dot ribbon.

Thanks for looking!

Peace and Joy

I received this lovely card in a swap from Tina Jeng, a fellow demo in the fabulous group of demonstrators I belong to. Tina used "Delightful Decorations" with the coordinating ornament punch for the red ornament Both are from the Holiday Mini; if you've had your eye on something from the Mini, remember, it'll only be around until January 4! The greeting, which is embossed with Iridescent Ice, is from "Four the Holidays."

Remember to RSVP for my upcoming Stamp-A-Stack on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 7 - 10 pm. We'll be making 12 cards, 3 each of designs, with matching stamped envelopes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Online Extravaganza on Now!

Have you heard?! Stampin' Up! is having their huge Online Extravaganza sale, this week only, with prices slashed up to 50%! This is the BEST time to get some Christmas shopping done and to stock up on stamping goodies for yourself, too. Here's a quick peek at some of the incredible offers available.

Ultimate Stampers' Starter Bundle*

Item # 120289 Regular: $170.95, Sale: $102.57

• Best Wishes & More stamp set
• Eight Great Greetings stamp set
• On a Pedestal stamp set
• Earth Elements Stampin' Spots
• Earth Elements assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon
• Flower Designer brads
• *Only available while supplies last!

120292

Cheep Talk Bundle Cheep Talk stamp set Note cards Pumpkin Pie Corduroy buttons

Regular $57.40

Sale $34.44

120281

Thank You Kindly Bundle Thank You Kindly stamp set Scallop Edge punch

Regular $41.90

Sale $20.95

Remember, these offers are only valid until November 30, and some are limited in supplies. Contact me today to place your order!

Petals-A-Plenty Christmas Tree

I cased this card from the fabulously creative Jackie Topa. I used the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder and removed a stone from a rhinestone brad for the centre of the star. To get the embossing only in the area of the tree, I followed Jackie's technique of cutting a piece of chipboard in the shape of a tree and placing it under the embossing folder when I ran it through the Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo Monday 111 and PPA15

I love this week's Mojo Monday sketch and just had to give it a go. I used the super cute penguin from the "Cold and Cuddly" set from the Holiday Mini Catalogue for this card. The snowflakes and scallop circle image are from "Punch Pals". The Heart to Heart punch came in handy for the small hearts.


The inspiration for the colours of this card came from Pals Paper Arts Colour Challenge this week; I was really drawn to this interesting, somewhat unconventional colour combo that is wintry and yet warm at the same time.


Thanks for stopping by!

Holiday Gift-Giving Guide Promotion

Holiday Gift-Giving Guide Promotion

Dates: November 1, 2009-January 4, 2010

Details: You'll love the convenience of our Holiday Gift-Giving Guide! Click on the image to view the guide. With gift ideas for kids, teens, neighbours, and more, it's your one-stop shop for all your holiday needs.

Plus, when you spend $65 on products in the guide, you'll get a Décor Elements for FREE (up to a $22.95 value)!

There is no limit to the number of free Décor Elements you can earn. That means if you place an order of $130, you can earn two FREE Decor Elements!

In the Pink - PPA 14

The Pals Paper Arts Design Team announced a special edition of their weekly challenge; this week the theme is "In the Pink" for breast cancer awareness. What a great way to bring awareness to this very important cause!

I was asked by my colleague to make a wedding shower card for her younger sister, whose wedding colours are chocolate brown and pink. I love this colour combo; they happened to be my wedding colours, too. This is the card I came up with. I inked up my Upsy Daisy stamp in Pretty in Pink and used my Chocolate Chip marker to colour the stems. I used my Two-Way Glue Pen and dusted the daisies with Dazzling Diamonds for some instant sparkle. The "for your shower" greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and the inside greeting is from a retired hostess set. I hope she likes it!

Fall Foliage

I made this card using "Branch Out," which is currently on the Dormant List (not in the current catalogue, but available to order). There are so many fun possibilities with this set, as with many of SU's sets, to customize the images to the season or the recipient. I added the Jumbo Eyelet to the tire swing and embossed the Crushed Curry background with the Texturz Plates.

Thanks for looking!

Final Deal of the Week

This final deal of the week is valid through Saturday, Oct. 31. Contact me to place your order.
Princess Party Kit
You can make your princess's fantasies come true with our Princess Party kit. Your little princess and seven of her ladies-in-waiting can celebrate a splendid happily-ever-after complete with invitations, decorations, and dazzling crowns to create and wear. ■ Contains products to create invitations, crowns, purse boxes, banner, and food toppers for eight ■ Coordinates with the Princess Time stamp set and Princess personalized name stamp

Pirate Party Kit

Hoist the Jolly Roger and get ready to have a swashbuckling good time! Gather your little buccaneer and his or her mateys for a pirate party of the finest sort, complete with invitations, decorations, and eye patches to create and wear. This kit contains products you need to create party invitations and decorations for eight guests.
■ Contains products to create invitations, eye patches, banner, treasure boxes, and food toppers for eight
■ Coordinates with our Pirate Time stamp set and Pirate personalized name stamp

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
116214	174	Princess Party Kit	$21.95	$13.99
116213	175	Pirate Party Kit	$21.95	$13.99

Mojo Monday 109

When I sat down to stamp today, I examined this week's Mojo Monday sketch and thought of the snowman and "tis the season" images from "Punch Pals" right away. I haven't had a chance to use this set much yet, but I will definitely be putting it to use this Christmas season. I watercoloured the snowman with my Aquapainter and added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds for some bling.

Thanks for looking!

Deals of the Week #3

The third deals of the week are from October 19 through October 25.

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
114348	179	Basic Jumbo grommets	$9.50	$6.49
109857	179	Mini Library clips	$18.95	$12.99
112571	179	Circle Designer brads	$8.50	$5.49
112581	179	1/2" Library clips	$9.75	$5.49

Deals of the Week #2

The second deals of the week all feature Big Shot dies and are valid from October 12 through October 18. Order online through my demonstrator website or contact me today to place your order!

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
115961	200	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$57.95	$34.99
114515	195	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$15.95	$7.49
116760	201	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$53.95	$34.99

Halloween Class

I am offering a super fun and cute Halloween class that you can't miss! We will be making a variety of projects, including a set of three notecards in their own holder, a Frankenstein card using the Big Shot, and a fun Dracula treat holder. These projects are suitable for all levels of stampers and are easy to mass-produce, should you wish to make them as Halloween treats for your friends, family and colleagues.

Halloween Class

Date: Sunday, Oct. 18

Time: 2 - 4 pm

Cost: $15

Bring a friend; everyone is welcome. RSVP now to reserve your spot!

Mojo Madness 107 and Color Challenge PPA11

I haven't had the chance to play along with the Mojo Monday sketch in a while, and I was itching to all this week ever since I checked the blog on Monday! Well, I finally got around to it today, and came up with this card.


I based the colours on Pals Paper Arts "Color Challenge PPA11" from this week:

Color Challenge PPA11

What do you think? Does my pumpkin need a jack-o-lantern face?

Thanks for stopping by!

Razzleberry Wedding Card

I made this wedding card recently and was quite pleased with how it turned out. I embossed the flourish from Baroque Motifs with silver Encore ink and silver embossing powder. The two flowers were stamped with Rich Razzleberry, cut out and popped up with dimensionals. The square rhinestone brads give some added bling. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes - love this set! It has greetings for every occasion.

Thanks for looking!

Deals of the Week Are Back!

Remember the "Deal of the Week" from the summer? Stampin' Up! has brought the promotion back, with brand new deals for the month of October. Check back here October 12 for the next deal of the week. The first deal is not just one, but THREE great deals on the following punches:

Week 1 Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
109183	Trio Flower punch	$15.99
109041	5-Petal Flower punch	$15.99
110709	My Way punch	$16.99

Medallion Birthday Card

The Medallion background stamp is one of my new favourites, and a definite must-have for any stamper's collection. I inked it up in Old Olive and sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip for a two-toned effect. The Medallion is combined here with the En Francais background stamp in Close to Cocoa on Kraft cardstock. The Build-A-Brad adds a pop of dimension and shine.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Back to School Goodies

I made these two little desk treats last week as I was getting into the back to school spirit. The small glass jar is from Ikea; I use them for holding embellishments and desk supplies and they are so easy to decorate with rub ons, Staz-on, or in this case, the scallop circle with the stamped apple. I put a bit of Dazzling Diamonds on the apple seeds.

The jumbo paper clip will come in handy as a bookmark or to corral all those loose papers that seem to find their way to my desk at school. I used an extra punched layer of cardboard behind the scallop circle to make it sturdier, and glazed the apple with Crystal Effects.

Thanks for looking!

An Apple for the Teacher

Just a quick post today to show you a back to school card I made last week. This is a super quick, simple card I made using my Big Shot and Top Note die and the Tart & Tangy set. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. Check back soon for a back to school 3-D project. Thanks for stopping by!