UP ALL NIGHT STAMPER

A Taste of Sparkly Spring

I don't know about where you are but here in Massachusetts today was freakishly beautiful and it made me think I could get just a teensy whiff of spring in the air.  I just HAD to do something springy today so I made this for you

This card came together so quickly.  It is made from some leftover pieces from another butterfly card I was working on and when I decided that these parts didn't work with those parts, a new card was born when I saw them lying there together on my desk.

All I had to do to take those pretty butterflies from "Aww" to "OOH!" was to spread a thin layer of liquid glue over them and when dry, sprinkle them with our superfine Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  See how the light refracts off the glitter?  You won't see such tiny points of light and such sparkle with the regular craft store glitter.  It's just not fine enough to reflect the light the same way.  Plus who can resist some "Dazzling Diamonds"?

Enjoy!

Supply List
Lucky Limeade Cardstock, Item #122926
Regal Rose Cardstock, Item #105130
Basic Gray Cardstock, Item #121044
Very Vanilla Cardstock, Item #101650
First Edition Specialty Paper, Item #121878
Pretty Postage Stamp Set, Item #123097
Postage Stamp Punch, Item #122344
Regal Rose Stampin' Write Marker, Item #105108
Lucky Limeade Stampin' Write Marker, Item #123002
Basic Gray Classic Ink Pad, Item #109120
Mutipurpose Liquid Glue, Item #110755
Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Item #102023
Victoria Crochet Trim, Item #118481
Stampin' Dimensionals, Item #104430
SNAIL, Item #104332

New Releases for My Digital Studio!

It's Tuesday so that means more brand new releases for My Digital Studio!  Check them out!

Look at that ADORABLE bride and groom!  Can't you just see that on some simple white cards, maybe with some embossed edge as a thank you note set for a new bride?  And look at that Blossom Builders set!  That's SEVENTY FOUR pieces with multicolored rhinestones!  YIPPPEEEE!  And the baby boy and baby girl announcement postcard template - honestly, there's really nothing you can't do with My Digital Studio!

If you have any questions know you can ALWAYS contact me for help!  I am My Digital Studio certified and I try to spend several hours a week "practicing".  Oh, the trials of my job! <snicker>

Who Wants an Instant 45% Discount On Stampin' Up! Products?

Would you like to get $278.00 of Stampin' Up! stuff for $125.00?  PLUS a free subscription to an exclusive Stampin' Magazine?  PLUS a free package of Designer Series Paper or digital downloads every month?  PLUS a minimum of 20% off all your future purchases?  PLUS the chance to see new things at least a month before anyone else?  PLUS the chance to earn a free trip?  PLUS the insanely fun camaraderie that comes with being a Stampin' insider?  PLUS the chance to earn money if you are so inclined?  PLUS eight catalogs and all the other business materials you need to start your own stampin' business?

Now through the end of March, you have the unique and lucky opportunity to get the FULL starter kit for $125.00!  This means you have the opportunity to choose over $278.00 worth of product and get that plus eight catalogs (worth almost $80!) plus all the materials you need including order forms, brochures, a great DVD and even more for just $125!  And if you sell all eight catalogs at the suggested retail price of $9.95 each, your cost drops to just under $50.  Are you SERIOUS?   $278.00 worth of Stampin' Up! products for $50???????  Yowzah!

And yes, let's talk about that elephant in the room.  It DOES mean that you would become a demonstrator.  Besides all of the INSANE benefits of being a demonstrator, the single most important thing for you to know is that THERE IS NO RISK TO TRYING OUT THE DEMONSTRATOR OPPORTUNITY.  None.  Nothing at all.  There's no having to pay anything back if you decide to drop. There are no additional costs if you aren't interested.  There's no hard sell if you decide you aren't interested.  Neither I nor Stampin' Up! would ever try to pressure you into doing something you aren't prepared to LOVE to do.

Now, here's a secret that not a lot of people know.  Selling Stampin' Up! products and following the Stampin' Up! business model is NOT the only way to earn money through being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  Yes, Stampin' Up! offers you ample opportunity to earn money, products and all sorts of additional benefits, but I have written a white paper listing many other ways you can parlay being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator into a real, reliable income stream.  All you have to do to get this white paper so you can learn more is to contact me and tell me you would like more information.  I will share this and more with you and then the ball will be in YOUR court.  I won't chase you and I won't nag you/  you have to be as excited about doing this as I am sharing it with you or it won't work for either one of us.

So think about it and if you want a SMOKIN' DEAL on a huge box of Stampin' Up! stuff and the chance to test drive being a demonstrator, call or email me.  We'll talk and you will be SO HAPPY we did!

PHEW!

Some of you may know that my mum and dad own a flower shop, Flowers By The Station, about an hour from where I live, near the town where I grew up.  Every year I help out in their shop on Valentine's Day since it is always completely crazy busy.  This year was no different.

We started at the crack of dawn, pulling runs for delivery.  This means going into a refrigerated room the size of a small bedroom and searching among hundreds - literally hundreds - of arrangements, wrapped bunches, vases, ever iteration of flowers you can imagine, looking for the name on the order sheet.  When you find it you have to somehow maneuver out of the cooler without spilling cold water on your (or someone else's) feet, breaking any of the blooms and not getting tree fern up your nose.  Then you put it on the correct staging table and turn around and go back in for another one.  Once you have all the orders pulled for that "run", you have to prep the orders. This means checking each and every one carefully for any broken stems, browning petals, make sure the sentiment card is attached, make sure the address is correct, and then cover it with a weather bag if it's below 40 degrees - but wait!  You have to put in a support spike first so the bag doesn't crush the flowers.  Then you have to nestle it in the correct travel container.

OK now they are ready to go. This means playing a delicate game of Tetris, trying to fit all the arrangements in the vehicle, making sure that they are roughly arranged in order of the delivery route BUT making sure that they aren't crushing each other.

And that's just GETTING READY to DELIVER! 

So the next time someone says "Oh it must be so much FUN to work in a flower shop", well, you can just nod knowingly.  It's not all wine and - ahem - roses.  Today I am sore, tired, my hands are chapped from being in cold water all day and I have thorn scratches all over my hands and arms and I am really hoping that brown streak on my jeans is lily pollen.

I did however, have a blast! I love being with my mum and dad anytime and the people that work with Mum and Dad are just the best.  They really have become family in the very best sense of the word.

So the next time you order flowers, know that a lot of very attentive work and a whole lotta caring went into your purchase.  And guys?  Don't call at 6:00pm on Valentine's Day and be surprised when the place you are calling is out of ivory roses or birds of paradise or teddy bears in red sweaters with "I Love You" in felt on their hats!  Take what you can and be glad the place you are calling doesn't have an "Oh, crap!" surcharge, a policy *I* wanted to institute!

We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow!

 

Stained Glass Valentine for my Readers

Yes it's been a while.  Yes, I have good stuff for you.  More later.

But NOW, check out this Stained Glass Valentine; isn't it GORGEOUS??

Now you may be wondering how on earth I made that and I am here to tell you it was EASY PEASY!  I used the beautiful Designer Cuts cards in the Occasions Mini Catalog and adhered a square of Vellum Cardstock to the INSIDE of the card, behind the cut outs.  Using markers, I colored ON the vellum OVER the openings, allowing the colors to show through the vellum and the openings on the front of the card.  When I was done, I just adhered a panel of Very Vanilla over the inside of the front of the card, hiding the "magic".  A little ribbon and - VOILA! - gorgeous card in under 10 minutes! 

The thing that is so wonderful about these Designer Cuts cards is that because the heart is filled with flower cut-outs, this can be used for so many more occasions than just Valentine's Day.  Think of this as a Mother's Day card!  Or a wedding card, done in the bride's colors.  And the other design in the package of eight cards is a lovely border that would be just as beautiful with this treatment.   And with the included Blushing Bride envelopes, these cards can be truly special.

Supply List
Designer Cuts Cards & Envelopes, Item #125414
Vellum Cardstock, Item #101856
Stampin' Write Markers, Assorted, pages 176 - 180
Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Item #117289
Lucky Limeade 1/8" Organdy Ribbon, FREE with Item #127279 from Sale-A-Bration
SNAIL Adhesive, Item #104332
Very Vanilla Cardstock, Item #101650

New Releases for My Digital Studio!

It's Tuesday so that means brand new digital papercrafting releases from Stampin' Up!  Here are this week's new releases:

Check out that Spring Fever Kit! This includes a 13-piece stamp brush set, 4 Designer Series Paper patterns and 69 embellishments!  WOW!  And do you see that Meant to Be Board Book Kit?  Can you picture that as a scrapbook chronicling how you and your honey met and got together?  What a terrific Valentine, Anniversary or even Wedding gift!  And that Everything Easter Ensemble is SO CUTE - it makes me wish I still had smallie-dos in the house.  You could color your eggs to match the colors in the kit and have the cutest little egg belly bands, egg stands and adorable little matching place cards for your Easter table. 

Check them all out and see which one you just can't live without this week!

A Masculine Valentine

So do you have trouble creating Valentines that are masculine but still lovely?  Don't want to pepper his Valentine with rhinestones and lace but still want to make sure there's some of YOU in it?

I have the problem, too and with a hubby and a manchild, I have to come up with TWO ideas!  Today I have one to show you that I think is an ideal combination of "Manly, yes, but I like it too!"  Check it out

 

I chose the blue and kraft for the manly bent and added white to brighten it up.  I love that there's a boy figure and a girl figure in the main image, emphasizing our bond.  I really wanted to put something on there that was a little bit of me, so I added the ribbon, but by knotting it and interspersing the knots with the punchies, I was able to keep it looking less frou frou and more tidy.  The words are punched from the Word Window Punch by punching once and then reinserting the punchie through the BOTTOM of the punch and punching the other end to get the same shape.  Then I popped them up on Stampin' Dimensionals to add some texture.

This was a ten minute card (sssshhhh - I want him to think I SLAVED over it!) and you could make several in different color combinations for all the men in your life whom you want to send a little love this Valentine's Day.

What do you think?  How do YOU lend an air of masculinity to your men's Valentine's? 

Supply List
Crumb Cake Cardstock, Item #120953
Whisper White Cardstock, Item #100730
Bashful Blue Cardstock, Item #124266
Night of Navy Cardstock, Item #100867
Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad, Item #102977
Take It To Heart, Item #125520
Loving Thoughts, Item #125843
Word Window Punch, Item #119857
Whisper White 1/4 " Grosgrain Ribbon, Item #109025
Small Heart Punch, Item #117193
Big Shot, Item #113439
Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Item #119976
SNAIL Adhesive, Item #104322
Stampin' Dimensionals, Item #104430

Try My Digital Studio FOR FREE!!!

As if Sale-A-Bration wasn't enough, you can now try My Digital Studio for FREE for THIRTY DAYS!  Yes, I know, you did read that correctly - free for thirty days!

With the FREE trial, you'll get:

• Full access to the software at NO COST.
• Full design functionality.
• Exclusive artwork that comes with My Digital Studio Express.
• The opportunity to purchase additional downloads from designer templates to stamp brush sets--and everything in between.
• Access to our professional print services.

It's simple; add the free My Digital Studio Express trial - Item #129600 to your online shopping cart through my store, and then download and install it from your Download Manager.

Now, what do you do when your thirty days are up and you want it for good? ('Cause you know you will!) Once the 30-day free trial period is over, you can purchase the downloadable OR disc version of the software to continue using it. You'll simply open up the trial version you already have on your computer, and will be prompted to enter the product registration key you received after purchasing the software. (You'll receive this key via e-mail if you purchase the downloadable version, and you'll find it along with your shipped software if you purchase the disc version.) Could this be any easier?

Give me a call or drop me an email if you have any questions at all. 

 

Stamping Space Makeover with the Gardners

One of the exciting benefits that was offered to Convention goers this year was the possibility of winning a stamping space makeover compliments of Stampin' Up! and designed and executed by Shelli Gardner herself!  Check out this video to see how lucky Tamzin Cochrane got a total space makeover by Shelli, Sterling, Sara and Shalae Gardner.

 

 

 

Jealous?  I know *I* am!!!  Check out all the great ideas and little artistic touches they added to this gorgeous space. Are there any YOU can incorporate into your space?    Send me links to pics of your space and what you love about it and I will feature them here on my blog you can be Space Proud, too!

New Releases for My Digital Studio!

You know, I was so excited about Sale-A-Bration, I forgot to share this week's new digital downloads with you!  Check them out!

Check out those cute little tags and envelopes!  At just $4.95 for a décor template, 10-piece stamp brush set, and 6 embellishments, this is a terrific deal and you can use them for any occasion by substituting other colors, embellishments, anything!

And remember that you DON'T have to have My Digital Studio to use these creativity inspiring digital elements!  They work with most other photo editing programs so you can craft away to your heart's content in the program you already know and love.

And also remember, that these digital downloads are a great instant gratification fix!  You just purchase, download with a couple of clicks and you can be on your way with your new toys right away.

If you have any questions or would like more information - or even see a demo on my laptop - give me a call and we can get together.