Tea for Jenna

Hello again! I am posting 2 more cards made with my new Tea Shoppe stamp set. The first one will be the Make-n-Take project for this wekend's workshop. Funny thing is, I have only done events in my home. Club, play days...but my young stampin' friend is anxious to earn some FREE Sale-a-Bration goodies! So, I'm taking my stash on the road!

Frankly, I hope the card isn't too much for a workshop. I often forget how much I am familiar with my tools and design ideas compared to new stampers. But with coordinated colors, I think we'll be just fine! This card has a poppy parade card base. I added a layer of Everyday Enchantment dsp (FREE SAB item!) I inked this lovely tea cup in peach parfait, then used the rock-n-roll technique to add poppy parade ink, then stamped on very vanilla card stock. I mounted it on peach parfait. I stamped the sentiment in soft suede ink, punched out with the scallop square, and sponged with more peach, and popped up withh dimensionals. Finally, I added some SAB ribbon...love this stuff!!

My next card uses the same stamp set, ribbon, and dsp. I colored the tea cups with markers for this one (poppy parade, calypso coral, peach parfait), and the sentiment fits perfectly in the modern label punch. The words are stamped in lucky limeade; the frame is a separate stamp in poppy parade. Soft suede card stock replaces the peach parfait, and I added fun SAB brad.

I am really liking this Tea Shoppe set! Then again, I love tea! (Drinking Bigelow's Lemon Lift as we speak!) Hope this weekend's customers like it too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Christmas Tags

I had a small, but very fun Christmas tag workshop today! 3 teens entered my Stampin' Space, looked at a few samples, then created a wonderful variety! Here they are, working hard...can't believe I managed to get a picture. All of the products used are from Stampin' Up...though some items are retired.

They really liked the Candy Cane Christmas DSP and Tags til Christmas stamps found in the Holiday Mini. We also got Dasher inked up for the first time...Gasp! Can't believe it took me so long to buy this fun single stamp image! He'll get plenty of attention now!

I had my hubby take a picture of just some of their tags, ready to tie onto fun gifts.

Actually, they joked that the tags may be the highlight, instead of the gifts themselves!







Stampin' Mission Accomplished!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

My NEW Space!!

(Actually, you get to see the "old" first!) Well, after a month of chaos in my home, I finally have an organized craft room!! Anyone who is into crafting, whether it's card making, quilting, or jewelry making, knows how quickly things can pile up! For me, it is ribbon and scraps of card stock that get out of hand. My full sheets are ok...even my stamps were, well, kind of organized. I just had no room left.

So, prompted by the need to re-do things for my Valentine stampin' workshops, my hubby agreed to help me redecorate! Of course, this was a set-up, because with my disability, MOST of the project was done by someone other than me!

There were the occasions of drama...like the fact that the first friend who was going to paint had to bow out due to severe health reasons...and then there was the episode of my new countertop coming off of the wall, yanking out the wall brackets, just TWO days before my workshop...

...but hey, my motto has always been "never a dull moment!"

As promised to a few of my cyber friends, I am posting before during and after pictures...how fun, right?? The before pics include my post-Christmas mess, and demonstrates how much stuff I stashed on my exercise/therapy table. My wall display of Stampin' Up cards that I made or received from other Stampin' Up demos wasn't too bad...but shucks, I LOVE my new arrangement!!

2 college guys from church helped Bruce empty the room, then run some wiring. We added (ok, dear hubby added) track lighing in the ceiling, and got rid of the old red white & blue color scheme. Those 2 changes alone made a HUGE difference!! (By the way, the r/w/b colors date back to the time Bruce & I were foster parents.) Another church friend did the painting and put the Definitely Decorative items on the wall. She also helped me move things back in and organize...thanks Pam!!!!

I chose a slat board panel to display items, instead of the old poster board and kite string!! I also went through my old Stampin' Up sets...and I am actually getting rid of a lot of them. I can't even remember which ones...and I refuse to look in my big box in the den, lest I try to rescue some of them! My new, smaller cabinet is already full...but the bottom shelf has a basket full of ribbon. I want to use that up so I have room for more stamps! LOL!!

I chose the Manhattan Flowers decor elements, adding a touch of red & black. I decided to keep red because of the color of my therapy table...now available and ready for workouts! Frankly, I am so happy with this room, that I may spend loads more time in there and less time sleeping!!

Thank goodness my workshop was this week. You see my hubby is an Indianapolis Colts fan. They will be in the Super Bowl this weekend. If my events were next week, or if the game was last weekend, my countertop may have stayed on the floor! Instead, he'll have time to relax and watch Peyton Manning, and I'll have time to play with my Sale-a-Bration freebie stamps!!

Life IS good!!!

Valentine Girls' Night Out

So...I am mostly a "hobby demo" for Stampin' Up. Like thousands of stampers, I LOVE the quality of products, and so I buy a lot...maybe more than I need...Nah! Well, after my hubby got a better paying job in the summer of '08, I signed on as a demonstrator so I can get a 20% discount on everything I order! I say to him "Honey, I spent your overtime today." LOL! Bless his heart, he supports my habit, I mean hobby. After all, I make cards for the family, cards for the ministry...truly it is something I love.

I do have some stampin' friends from years ago who wanted me to start a monthly club. We met once a month for 10 months in my home. I showed them new techniques, and they purchased supplies like stamps and card stock. We also take time to eat, 'cuz, well, why not?? I love having customers and sharing this hobby with them.

Here it is 2010, and my club will be starting in February...I can't wait! But before that, I actually will host a Stampin' Workshop for a friend and her co-workers on February 1st!! I am so excited, because I get to introduce people to this great craft! Let's face it...with electronic communication like email, Twitter, Facebook and blogs (like this one!), the personal hand written note is nearly extinct! I love making someone a card, then writing a note...sloppy penmanship and all. Now I get to encourage others to do the same!!

So. let me show you what we're gonna make...

This first card uses Stampin' Up's In-Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, and Melon Mambo, including the designer series paper Razzleberry Lemonade. It features the Mini Occasions stamp set I {heart} Hearts, plus Teeny Tiny wishes. This will be a fun card to make with new stampers!

I admit, it is a toss-up for the second card. Here are 2 samples...I am letting the hostess pick...

The first was for a splitcoaststampers "Clean and Simple" challenge. I wanted something for a man. I used black craft ink, versamark and red classic ink, and clear embossing powder. The images are from Baroque Motifs...a must-have set in my book! I stamped on sahara sand card stock, and added the new black satin ribbon at the fold.

This next card has just basic black and very vanilla card stock. I stamped the flower from "Three Little Wishes" in Stazon Black, but decided not to color it in. The sentiment is stamped in real red. Add dry embossing with my Big Shot Texturz Plates, oval punch, scallop oval punch, ticket corner punch and satin ribbon, and you have a simple, but classic looking Valentine. This stamp set is in the regular Idea Book & Catalog (IBC), but from Jan-March, it is available for free as a Sale-a-Bration item with a $50 order! How cool is that??

Finally,I wanted to make a non-card item. Well, using my Big Shot, along with the Bigz XL Fancy Favor die, and I have this CUTE bag! I added the strap, using my new scallop trim border punch (another FREE Sale-a-bration item, with a $50 order.) The paper is Sending Love designer series paper...LOVE the patterns! I added a cute sentiment from All Holidays, stamped in chocolate chip. It's hard to se, but the strap is attached by ADORABLE pretty in pink corduroy button brads! I have these corduroy embellishments in about 6 colors! Circle and scallop circle punches come in handy for cute little projects like this too!!

So...if any of this stuff looks like fun (of course it does!) but you are not gonna be at the Girls' Night Out, you can contact me, or even order online by clicking HERE

Happy Stamping!!