8/22/2017

My Story Update!

Today is my 17th anniversary with Stampin' Up! Wow, 17. Not sure how that is possible! I originally wrote this story in 2010. I've updated the ending, but here is my Stampin' Up! story:

I wanted to take a minute and tell you all the story of how I came to be a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator and why I continue to enjoy it.

I got started stamping back in 1999 with a friend. We were both stay home Moms who met through a Moms Club in Lincoln. We only lived about a block apart and had boys of compatible ages. Well, the older two were compatible, the younger two were like oil and water, but that kept it interesting! She was a demo and after I attended a workshop for a mutual friend I was hooked. I remember the first thing I stamped were bagalope valentines for my son's preschool class.

We spent alot of time after that in her basement stamping while the boys played. I built up my basic supplies buying from her. When she had to move away in 2000 I knew I had to become a part of the SU!® family. I signed up in August 2000. We lived in Lincoln at the time and I started by hosting a workshop for neighbors and friends and booked a few workshops. I settled in to doing monthly Stamp Camps (4 projects for a flat fee) and the occasional workshop. Things changed after moving to the country and I was my own best customer for quite a while.

Stamping has always been my sanity though in a busy world and that holds true today. A year or so after moving to the country in 2004 I started attending a stamp group and things started rolling again. A few workshops were booked and a club was started. While I still don't do a lot of workshops I have a great base of customers all of whom I consider friends. My stamping club become my closest group of friends. I started doing Open Houses here that were a blast! Lots of work, but a blast! Nothing better than a group of stamping friends creating and sharing!!

In 2013 things changed. Some moved away, other life events happened and changes were made. The club group disbanded but we are all still friends at heart. The Open Houses stopped because of too many other things happening in my life. I took several years off and didn't stamp much at all. Only the occasional card happened, and a workshop or two. This year (2017) I felt it "missing" from my life and I've made an effort of late to get back in the stamp room. Creativity feels good and takes away the stresses of every day life!

Recently, someone called asking for "thinking of you cards". It felt so good to go through the stash in my room and pick cards for her-especially knowing the situation and friend she wants to send them too!

Stampin' Up!® is a flexible business; it can be whatever each independent demonstrator wants it to be. I've been able to build wonderful friendships doing something I love through many changes in my life. Today, on my 17th anniversary, I can't imagine not having had SU!® in my life!

To LOVE what we do
and SHARE what we love,
as we help others enjoy CREATIVITY
and worthwhile accomplishments...
in this we make a DIFFERENCE!
-Stampin' Up!® Statement of the Heart©

Thanks to you all for the last 17 years! Great times have been had, great friendships established! Creating with friends is the BEST!! We've learned from each other and it doesn't get better than that!! 

Please let me know if I can help with your creativity!!

8/14/2017

Painted Harvest Triple Time!

One more Painted Harvest! While watering flowers Saturday morning, I decided I needed to try pink with this set. I've seen several I decided that were then done pink combos but I'm not sure any with this exact combo. I also saw a sample using the Triple Time technique which I have always liked. So, I put the two together and this is what I came up with.


Sorry the scan is a little wonky-the bow didn't work well with my flatbed scanner! Colors are Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Suede and Garden Green. For this technique you take the 3 pieces of (in this case) Very Vanilla and lay them down together. I use a bit of adhesive to hold them together because I stamp all 3 at the same time! I stamped the saying first in Soft Suede. Then I did the flowers, added centers, added some green stem images, then some dots and leaf images stamped off once. I sponged all the edges with Soft Suede before attaching to their Melon Mambo piece. The sizes of the Very Vanilla are 2 x 3-1/4, 3 x 4-1/4 and 4 x 5-1/4. The Melon Mambo are 1/4 bigger each way for all 3. Well, the base is the card base folded. Let me know if that is as clear as mud and you need me to try again! One hint with this: don't decide if you like it or not until you put all the layers together. I really wasn't all that impressed until the accent layers went on and I put it all together! The Burlap Ribbon was the perfect accent to finish it all off!

Thanks for stopping by today! Next time I will try a different set!! Hopefully back soon, but no promises! Lots on the agenda for this week! Product details below.


8/13/2017

Paper Pumpkin Half off for NEW Subscribers!


From now through September 10, New Subscribers get HALF off the September kit!
*Regular price is $19.95 per month.

Below is a video shared by Stampin' Up!



Use the Promo Code HALFOFF0917 and click the link below to sign up! You must sign up by September 10 to get the savings AND to get the September kit!

Click HERE to go to my Paper Pumpkin page!

8/12/2017

Puple Painted Harvest!

Another with this set, in purple because I can!! :)  Really, I think this flower will work with just about any color combo but purple is my happy one! I may have to dig out my old Concord Crush and give it a whirl!!


This is Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant and Crushed Curry. The flower is two step, so the background, more solid flower part is Wisteria. The darker accents are Eggplant and the center is Crushed Curry. The background dots are Eggplant and Curry stamped some full strength, some off once. The background is Whisper White, edges were sponged with Eggplant. Accent layer of Crushed Curry, Crushed Bakers twine and Wink of Stella on flower centers.

Quick and easy! I'll be back with more but not sure when. Dragging today and so much I should be doing. Also have a boy home this week so I will likely be spending more time not in my room! They don't get home much anymore, gotta enjoy them when they do!!


8/10/2017

Painted Harvest!!

Preview of a set from the upcoming Holiday Catalog! Probably I should have skipped the rest of the preorder... ha! You know I have a thing for sunflowers!

My preorder box of goodies finally arrived today! I spent some time sorting through all the goodies, then of course picked this one to play with first. I can think Fall, but Christmas and Holiday is pushing just a little! This set is so me and the color combo possibilities are endless!!

The set is Painted Harvest. The flower is a two step, with a center, accent pieces and leaves. I didn't use the leaves, just the flower, center and dots. So Saffron for the background of the flower, Crushed Curry for the accent, second layer. Soft Suede center and Crumb Cake accent dots around the flowers. I also sponged the edge of the Very Vanilla with Crumb Cake. The saying is also from this set and was stamped in Soft Suede. Above that, wrapped around the card is Crushed Curry Bakers Twine. Pretty sure this was an afterthought on my order, but worked perfectly on this card. Ribbon would have been too much! Lastly, I added just a touch of Wink of Stella glitter to the center of each flower.

Thanks for stopping by! Watch your mail box if you're a regular customer, hopefully your Holiday catalog will be arriving soon!

8/09/2017

Sunflower Thanks

Hey all! Back again! I've made it to the room and gotten a few things done, but not near as many as I'd like! And that probably won't get better anytime soon! The garden is in full production mode, and we're approaching State Fair time and College Football season! Good news though is my preorder is arriving soon so hopefully that will be motivation!!


This was created during several trips up to the stamp room. The first night I did the background, then the next I finished it into a card. Can't remember if I just pulled these colors together, or if I had a challenge I used. The background came out very nice and I really hated to cover up as much as I did! Using the Touches of Texture set, I stamped the long (wide) floral dotted image in Crumb Cake over and over, bottom to top. Then over that, I added the alphabet image in Crushed Curry inset from the left side, and the Splatter image in Pear Pizzazz on the right edge. Finally I sponged all the edges with Pear Pizzazz. I layered that onto a Crushed Curry accent layer and then a card base of Pear Pizzazz. The flower was stamped by doing the solid image first in Crushed Curry, then the outline over in Crumb Cake. I had a little trouble lining this up, but think it finally came out OK. Miss the days of all wood stamps, and logos on the images to help line them up! I added the stem, splatter dots in Crumb Cake around the edges, sponging in Pear Pizzazz, a Thanks in Crumb Cake from Thankful Thoughts and a Pear Pizzazz Shimmer Ribbon. Final accent, which is probably hard to see in the photo is Wink of Stella in the flower center and on the leaves.The flower panel is attached with dimensionals to the background.

Thanks for stopping by! 

8/02/2017

Video for Carols of Christmas

Here is the video I promised yesterday on the Carols of Christmas Early Release!




Thanks for stopping by! Click HERE to Shop Now!!

8/01/2017

August News!

Howdy all! Once again I've been absent-hoping to get back in the room this week! I actually made it up there last night, but nothing to show for it yet! Too much happening in my crazy life!

Welcome to August! Can't believe I did my preorder from the Holiday Catalog this morning! First time in a long while I've done it on the first day, and early in the morning. Coincidence that I wasn't working and had time! Lots of good stuff in this one! I got some Christmas, a great Fall set with a sunflower and a set all about wine!! Samples to come!!

For you this month, there is an Early Release of one of the Christmas sets and coordinating Thinlits Dies. Carols of Christmas set, wood or clear, and Card Front Builder Thinlits. Click on the pictures below to enlarge if need be!

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx?dbwsdemoid=30579

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx?dbwsdemoid=30579

You can get the stamp set alone, wood-mount or clear-mount. Clear-mount also available in French. Thinlits alone also. Or as bundles and save 10%! Contact me if you have any questions!! There is a video for this that I will put in a separate post!

Also, if you earned Bonus Days Coupon codes - DON'T FORGET to redeem them! Very easy on my website. Add your item(s) to your shopping bag. Click to view the Shopping bag. On the bottom right will be a box that says "Manage Coupon Codes". Enter (copy and paste works!) your code(s) and click Apply. The Review Order screen should show the discount.

Lastly, I want to try something new for those of you that order online. I have the ability to tie those orders together by using a Host Code. If enough orders accumulate ($150) Host Rewards are earned. We will do a Mystery Hostess drawing from all orders placed and the winner gets the rewards.  No guarantee of any rewards in any month. No minimum required to place an order using the code. Entries given based on dollars spent. Orders ship from SU! right away just like any online order you place. The product total accumulates for the month and if $150 is reached, rewards are earned. Last day of month to order and qualify is the 25th. With my varying schedule, that will give me time to check the total, do a random drawing if need be, contact the winning hostess and get their order in and all closed by the 30th.

Hopefully that is clear. Please contact me if not and I will try to be more clear!

**Note: if you order is going to be $150 or over, DO NOT use the code! You will get benefits on that amount already.
*Also, I can do small orders for you too, if online ordering is not for you. Call or email me!

The code for August
7JS4TUK4

In your shopping bag it gives you the option to add a code. Add one item, then view the bag. It should show my name as the host (for now!)


Thanks all! I think that's it for now. Hope to be back soon with creations to share!!