Snowflake Challenge

This week Stampin' Royalty brings us a snowflake challenge!   I just love our amazing snowflake line in the holiday mini!   The beautiful Festive Flurry bundle, Winter Frost Specialty Designer Paper and the amazing Frosted Finishes Embellishments.  I love all of it! 

The challenge will be open until 3:00pm (PST) December 9th. Hope you can join us!

Ingredients to make the card:
Stamp Sets:   Festive Flurry
Ink:  Coastal Cabana
Paper:   Whisper White, Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper, Silver Metallic
Accessories:   Rhinestones, Frosted Finishes Embellishments, Whisper White Satin Ribbon
Tools:   Festive Flurry Framelits, Big Shot, Expressions Thinlits Dies

 

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

I am truly grateful to have the best friends in the world!!!  I am super excited to share with one of the many beautiful homemade gifts I received for my birthday from my friend Colleen.    She made me this beautiful nugget cake.    How gorgeous is it.    Daisies are my favorite flower and I just love the way they are my cake!!   That cake would have been enough, but the presents didn't end there.   She is super talented and patient and truly a very dear friend of mine.   We meet almost 7 years ago through Stampin' Up!   She is my stamping sister.  

Thank you Colleen!!!

I am going to try to let you know all the ingredients to make the homemade gift, bag and card, but I may miss an ingredient or two.

Make sure you stop in and check out her beautiful creations on her blog!

Ingredients to make the cake: 
Stamp Sets:   Upsy Daisy
Ink:  Marina Mist
Paper:  Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso
Accessories:   Rhinestones

Tools:  Big Shot, Flower Daisies #2, Perfect Pennants, Circle Cutting System, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Birds & Blooms Sizzlet, Scallop Circle Punch

Ingredients to make the card and bag:Stamp Sets:  Upsy Daisy, Field Flowers

Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso, Old Olive
Paper:  Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Marina Mist
Accessories:  Very Vanilla Ribbon, Rhinestones
Tools:   Circle Cutting System, Lace Ribbon Border Punch

Stamping Studio!

Here is my stamping studio. There has been so many additions since the last time I took pictures which was in April of 2008. It's amazing how much stamping and scrapbooking supplies multiply. So without further delay, here is my little haven from the world.

Two tables ready for lots of stampers and scrappers to join me.

Magazines, Stamps, Paper, Accessories, Oh My...

The third shelf just holds my white and vanilla cardstock and it's scraps along with the latest InColors!

Here are all my wonderful friends, my beloved stamp sets. I keep the current ones towards the front and retired sets that I just can't part with in the back.

Now we are onto retired stamp sets and color kits for sale, ribbon, punches and tools and accessories.

Here is a close of my ribbons and tools!

Here are all my wonderful stamp pads hanging on the wall. Can you believe that was my old cassette tape holder! The pads just fit perfectly!

Here is my Big Shot station along with lots of various tools and materials. Along with a rack of all my cards for sale and display.

Hope you enjoyed a view of my stamping studio!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well I made it just in time... the cards are out, the tree and the decorations are up and the presents have been bought and wrapped.

I would like to wish you and your families lots of love, laughter and happiness this holiday season. Hope everyone gets what they want on their Christmas lists!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Creating Keepsakes and Shelli

I was just thumbing through the latest issue of Creating Keepsakes and low and behold on page 52 and 53 we get a sneak peak into Stampin' Up!'s co-founder and CEO Shelli Gardner's craft room! So make sure to check the November/December issue! Also on page 41 is our fabulous new Letterpress die!

While you are at, why not stop by the Creating Keepsakes site and win a chance at some ribbon. I spy 4 rolls of Stampin' Up! ribbon!!! Click here to enter your chance to win.

Cute Blog to Check Out

Here is a cute blog to check out on different ways to do photo shoots with you little one!

http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

Stampin' Up! Convention Updates

If you are anything like me, you are a Stampin' Up! convention fanatic. I am so sorry I am missing this year's convention. Too much happening that I was not able to make it to Salt Lake City again this year.

It looks like SU outdid themselves in inspiration!!! Loving the Sweet Shop!!!

Here are just a few blogs that have been posting convention updates and photos. Enjoy!

http://www.understandblue.blogspot.com/

http://www.mirrorimage.typepad.com/

http://www.sandimaciver.com/

http://stamptimesomewhere.typepad.com/

http://stampingleeyours.blogspot.com/

Dream Night

Last week, I got the chance to spend the night with Shelli and a few of my closest friends. A fellow friend and demo, Dawn Rapsas, earned a Workshop of a Lifetime and invited all of us to share the night with her.

Here are some pictures with my Ink sisters and another one we took with Shelli. I have to say one of the best parts of the night was to be able to talk to Shelli one on one and then spending the night with my stamping friends. I have to say I have some made some incredible friendships through out my career at Stampin' Up!

Here's a picture of me and Dawn. She is a very talented, generous and wonderful friend that without Stampin' Up! I would have never been able to meet. Did you know she is the #1 Demo at Stampin' Up! this year. She is a powerhouse. She just sets her goal and then she is on it!

Now I don't know if you noticed, but Dawn and Shelli have the same pj's. They were homemade just for the occasion so was the photo station.

Now the best part of this was the Big Shot "purse" cake made with the same fabric. Yes the cake was made with a little big shot purses that we each got to go home with!!!! Isn't it just beautiful!

Here is a close of the bag. The bag is made with running fabric through the Big Shot with a Scallop Square purse and then running it through with a sewing machine. So all you quilters out there, the Big Shot is a must have to die cut your fabric squares and flowers, etc.

I was so excited to get this bag. I have been meaning to do it for myself, but the sewing machine scares me a little bit.

Lastly, here is a close of the butterflies on the cake. Aren't they gorgeous! A little glitter and velum, the Beautiful Butterfly Sizzex, the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impression Folder and the Butterfly punch and jaw dropping butterflies!

If this wasn't enough we got to go home with the stamp set, products and so many make and takes. I didn't do the make and takes at the event, I ended up doing at home. So the next couple of days you will see the creations with my touch.

Do we demo's know how to have a good time. Thank you again Dawn and Shelli for making this a night to remember!

Scrapbook Princesses

I had such a productive scrapbooking weekend. I actually finished a 6x6 baby album at the crop I attended on Saturday. A co-worker of mine just became a grandma and what better present than a grandma brag book. I loved the book so much, on Sunday, I sat down and made a second one for my nephew.

The funny thing is that on Saturday, my friend Diane and Colleen both wore the same shirt as me. So here we are the three scrapbooking princesses!

In the next couple of days, I will post the pages from the scrapbook but for today, I am going to start with the card I made.

Ingredients to make the card:

Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, Simply Scrappin' Rock-A-Bye Boy (retired)

Accessories: Old Olive Buttons (retired)

Tools: Eyelet Border Punch

Stamping Fun

This weekend I had my little cousin and her friend come over for some stamping fun. Here they are holding their favorite projects of the day. I am sure you recognize the bunny and the sheep from my previous blog posts.

Ingredients to make the bunny wall hanging:

Stamp Sets: Miracle of Spring (retired)

Ink: Regal Rose
Paper: Regal Rose Patterns Designer Series (retired) Paper, Regal Rose, Whisper White

Accessories: Regal Rose Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, 5/8" Jumbo Brad

Tools: Crop-a-dile, Big Shot, 1 1/4", 3/4", 1/2", 1/4" circle punches, small and large oval punches, small heart punch, trio heart punch, Big Shot, Top Note Sizzex, Flower Layers Sizzex, punch from a local craft store, uni-Signal gel pen, Stampin' Write basic black journaler

The baby card is similar to the one I made on Saturday. The only difference is the retired Certainly Celery Prints Designer Series Paper.

New Blog Header

Well I finally created a new blog header. It is so simple using My Digital Studio. Can you recognize what Stampin' Up! products I used to make the header? I'll give you a hint is a Simply Scrappin' Kit.

I admit I had a little help. I viewed Patty Bennett's video on creating blog header with My Digital Studio. Click here to see the video.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the new blog header.

Shelli on The Today Show

Did you miss Shelli on the Today show, never fret!!! Click here to see the video clip of Shelli on the Today show!

Shelli on the Today Show!

Shelli Gardner has been invited to appear on NBC’s TODAY Show on December 4, 2009!

Happy Halloween Stampin' Up! Style

I just went over the Shelli's blog, our CEO, and I have to say Stampin' Up! really knows how to celebrate Halloween in the home office! I am truly amazed by their creativity and their costumes!

Click here to see photos of all the fabulous photos!!! It's no wonder why we all love Stampin' Up! Who wouldn't want to work for a great company like this!

Busy Weekend

If you were wondering why no posts this weekend, we'll that's an easy answer. It was a very busy weekend. It started with a birthday party on Friday, followed by standing in the rain to get the latest book by Clarenece Clemons, Big Man signed and then a day of stamping with friends!

So here some photos from this weekend. 1st is my picture of Clarence from the Bruce Springtsteen and E Street Band. He is just a nice guy. I wish we were able to take photos with him side by side, but they wouldn't allow it. The line was very long so they moved it along pretty quickly, so a photo was all we got along with our autographed books.

Next I had 3 fellow demonstrators come over and stamp. Here we are along with the mess we made. There was not a stretch of clean space along the two tables, check out the 2nd picture for a close up. We were a very productive little group yesterday. Lots of projects were completed with the 4 of us.

Great Day at Fall Fest

We just finished a fabulous day at Fall Fest on Saturday here in NJ. It was a fun filled day of stamping, inspiration and catching up with old friends and making new ones. We had two very extremely talented artists at our Stampin' Up! regional event, Michelle Zindof and Karen Barber who taught us a beautiful sponging technique and black magic. All the projects we made were amazing. I would post the projects, but you have to wait and see. They are such great projects and ideas, you are sure to see them in my future workshops!

Here are some pictures taken of the day. Stay tuned tomorrow for some of my favorite projects. Click on the individuals names to see their beautiful work. We really have some INKredible stampers in our group! The talent is just amazing!



Tina Rosenkrans and Karen Barber



Michelle Zindorf and Kathryn Roberts



Debra Jacobsen, Debbie Modrowsky and Lorraine Mastalski



Kristen Kortonick



Natalie Meyer, Me and Kim Lampone

Convention 2009

Well it's convention week at Stampin' Up! I have to say I am missing it just a little bit this year. With my sister's wedding in less than a month, I had a feeling I was not going to be able to fit it in. At the moment, I am to my elbows in projects. More pictures to come on that as I finish them.

Here are two blogs that are doing a fabulous job of tracking convention.

The first one even has display boards she took pictures of! I saw like three of my projects up on the boards! So exciting. See if you can find my works. One is very obvious, my little niece is front and center in the scrapbook page.

http://weekendstamper.blogspot.com/

Kristen's blog is fabulous as well. She does a great job of recaping her day to day events. She is a sister demo in our fabulous Inkredible group.

http://kristinstamps.typepad.com/elmerstamper/stampin-up-convention-2009.html

Busy Day

I had a really busy day. I got my big Stampin' Up! order yesterday from the new 2009-10 Idea Book & Catalog. I first started with die cutting all my new Sizzex and making great new charts so you can see them first hand. I also made a comparison chart with all the Alphabets so you can see how they all measure up. You can see all of those below.

After that I had to make room for all my new Sizzex, so I cleaned out a bookshelf and made it my Sizzex station. I moved all my scraps to the bookcase at well so they will all be within reach when I go to work with my Big Shot.

I also got a visit from Colleen and her little guy Daniel. My niece is staying over so she and little Daniel got to play together. Here with my decorative scissors they took their hand on cutting up scraps! So if I didn't have enough work organizing, I went running around cleaning up scraps. All worth to see those two having a great time playing together!

Stampin' Up! is now on YouTube

Stampin' Up! is now on You Tube. Yes, you read that correctly! Want to learn the latest techniques straight from the experts and from Shelli herself? Here is the link to all the Stampin' Up! videos. You can also find it under My Stampin' Up Links in the future!

Lots of Contest Giveaways

In honor of Stamp It! Cards that is out on the newstands, Moxie Fab World blog is hosting Stamp It! Week.

Click here to view all the great projects and the great contest giveaways for beautiful stamp sets! You only have until Sunday, March 22nd to enter.