I'm a Sucker:)

Well, I did manage to send off a few of the Holiday Banners cased from Patty Bennett's blog as Christmas gifts. Everyone I gave them to ABSOLUTELY loved them (or at least that's what they told me:) I made one for my sister, and as my parents are staying at her house this Christmas, both of my parents had seen it. For my dad to comment to me on something "crafty" that I've made is a really big deal, so when he told me how much he and my mom loved it I decided that I couldn't leave them hanging. I didn't have enough of the DSP left to make it the same as the others, but I did have a package of Holiday Treasures leftover as well as some felt flurries which look fabulous with that DSP. After my hubby and I wrapped lastnight I got to work and 45 minutes later...voila! Personally, being an Earth Elements person, these colours are even more me than the other banner. I can't wait to give it to my parents tonight at our traditional Steak and Lobster Christmas Eve dinner!

oooooohhhhhhh, I forgot!

Not only is the Valentine's Bundle available today, but it is also free shipping today! Talk about an amazing deal! I'll put in an order today for anyone wanting the bundle along with the free shipping that have coincided for this one day!

Sneak Peek and Sale all in one!

Okay, now this is just cruel... starting tomorrow, Stampin' Up is giving us a sneak peek of the new catalogue as well as an opportunity to order a bundle at great savings! You're probably asking yourself why this is cruel, so let me remind you what today is... two days before Christmas! How does one justify making a purchase two days before Christmas you ask? Well, Boxing Day shopping I say! My husband's family introduced me to the JOY of Boxing Day shopping 8 years ago. We are the die hards at Starbucks for 7:00am to get our preshop coffee. This year, my sister-in-law and I will be out there again, but this time, I think she may need to do a little desktop shopping ahead of time!

As an SU demo, one of the benefits is the ability to preorder stamp sets etc. I was able to get this fabulous bundle in my hands about a month ago, but really hadn't had time top pull them out and play yet; that is, until tonight! The DSP is gorgeous, and the stamp set and punch are totally adorable! This is not a deal that you will want to miss! If you click on the the image above you are able to see the items in much more detail. Watch for some sample cards this week!

Better Late than Never!

Evrey year I vow to have my parcel ready to send to my relatives in Ontario early enough that I don't have to pay for Express Post. This year was no exception... I vowed and then failed miserably:) I finally got it in the mail today. I'm going to blame the whole thing on the photographer for the boys preschool this year; notice the denial here? I was hoping to have the boys school photos back early so that I could make the ornaments for my Grandma and Aunts and Uncles, but it seemed to take over three weeks this year to get them back. This would have been fine if they were taken in September, but we were the second week of November for photos. In the hub bub of all the Christmas Cards I forget about these. I had purchased the Country Living Kit which had a great sample of these adorable ornaments. The do spin quite naturally on the tree so I have one of the boys on either side of the ornamment, because although I would love an entire tree of pictures of my boys, I do realize that others may not:) Now I'm off to make them for my sister with her own children in them.

These were the little gift bags that I had my ladies make at Technique Club the other night. There's were out of DSP that either coordinated with their cards or with a Christmas theme. I made another lastnight to match another set of the BigZ Tulipe cards that I made. I got the idea for this little bag from Andrea Walford's blog and made some adaptations to make it into a little purse. My only problem in making this purse was the lack of black in SU's wide grosgrain selection. I must admit that I cheated and used a small piece that a friend had given me in some of her leftover ribbons. This bag is the perfect size to fit standard A2 cards and envelopes as well as the 5.25" square cards and envelopes. The presentation is adorable!

Gifts for my ladies who started it all!

Well, lastnight was my December Technique Club meeting. When I started my first club in September I had one woman signed up and decided to go ahead with it anyways. By the time that the actual meeting date arrived in September, I was up to five, and we now sit at 7! If it weren't for these ladies, and a few others who haven't joined club, but have been placing orders since the get-go, I wouldn't have had such a fabulous few months. I have met the most amazing group of women, whether it be through club, or others that they have introduced me to. Anyway, in appreciation to this group of 7 women, I made each a set of 4 monogrammed notecards. Their make-n-take for the evening, little did they realize, was the gift bag to carry their cards home in. We also learned the Faux Metal technique to finish off their bags (I'll post those tomorrow).

This particular set of cards was made for one of my club ladies, and it is the only set without a monogram. I made it using the BigZ Tulipe die which is exclusive to Stampin' Up. You see, Kristen owns the most beautiful floral shop, called Posy, which is in Lynn Valley (where I live). Her decor in her shop is very similar to these cards so I thought personalized for her could have a different meaning. As you can see, I was able to use the negative image of the die cut on the inside matting of the card. I loved the effect. I must admit that I was thrilled with the outcome on this card as it wasn't something that I had seen anyone else do! What do you think?

The Greatest Night Before Christmas Ever!

I had this forwarded to me by a friend and couldn't resist sharing it with the rest of you! Santa sures sounds a lot like my husband:)

Twas the night before Christmas,
I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
Or a Cricut, I said, with a smile on my face.
And that's when I heard him,"Hi Santa, " I said
"You know....good little girls
should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa,and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited
To see what you brought."
"Well, let's take a look in this room
where you work."
He shook his head quickly,
And left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear.
"You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!"

It's still Saturday...isn't it;)

I had promised to do Scrappin' Saturdays a few weeks ago and then somehow in the chaos of Christmas preparation they slipped my mind. At least I had done the pages! These are again part of the baby book for my gorgeous neice! I'm sticking to the Simply Scrappin' Kit on this book as far as papers go because it is all so beautifully coordinated. I've been adding the embellishments using my Big Shot and Cricut, but I will admit that it becomes ridiculously easy when you don't have to sit and ponder colour combinations on each page! The Top Note BigZ die is perfect for adding a journalling spot on pages and the envelope makes a perfect holder for baby bracelets, hair clippings, etc! Next week's pages will be a little more boy focussed as I ordered the Make Tracks wheel to complete the pages for Lucas' Birthday from LAST YEAR! (ahhh). He had a Lightning McQueen party last year so the Stampin' Around wheel was the perfect touch to the page!

The Reason I Haven't Been Blogging

I feel like I haven't been blogging in forever; but in my defence I do have a really good reason! After finishing up with all of my classes at the end of November I thought that I'd better get off of my buns and get my own Christmas cards done. So although it may appear that I've done nothing recently I've actually completed 67 homemade Christmas cards! I took this picture lastnight of just some of them out on the floor of my room. I've since realized that one of my best purchases of the year was my personalized name and address stamp. I can't even imagine writing out our return address info on each of the envelopes after the ease of stamping them this year! This is definitely an investment worth making!

The Retired List (AND SALE) are here!

Wow, who knew that along with the sad news that some favourite stamp sets would be retiring, would come some great news! Not only is Stampin' Up offering 10% off of sets on the Retirement List from December 9th-23rd, they are also offering free shipping on orders of $100 or more! YYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAAA! This means, even if you can't afford the $100, grab a couple of girlfriends and put your orders together so you all benefit! I've decided that I'm going to one up Stampin' Up; the first five people to place orders for the Wide Oval Punch or the Scallop Square Punch during this sale will also receive the Punches Three Hostess Set for FREE! Remember that the 10% discount on retired stamp sets is only on until December 23rd so make sure to take advantage now! The items on the retirement list will only be available for purchase until January 19th!

Last Class Before Christmas!

I sat down yesterday and did my December Newsletter (yes, I know, it was late:). I was feeling awful as I did my December class list, because I really wasn't offering anything. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but I tried to be so organized for people's gifts that all of my classes were held in November. Then, I remembered that I had completed this little project created by Patty Bennett at the start of November and I've been admiring it on the mantle for the past four weeks. I added it to my display that I put out for classes last week and the ladies loved it; hence the addition of this December Class! Make sure to RSVP early as it is limited to 6 spaces and 4 are already full; my newsletter ladies jumped on it! If you don't already get my newsletter, leave me a post and I'll add you to my list! You'll laugh when I tell you this, but I really wanted to have a class in December as my digital box in the room where we craft has now added a holiday music channel. (yes ladies, that means that you don't have to listen to my country music:). I should have my regular ladies who come to club and crop night sick of the Christmas Carols too! By the way, Crop night is already full! Make sure to RSVP early for January to avoid disappointment.

Holiday Banner Class

Date: Tuesday December 9th
Time: 7-10pm
Cost: $15
*Bring along your favourite adhesive!

Final Fall/ Winter Sampler Promotion Starts Today!

Product Offer: December 1, 2008-January18, 2009

Spend $20 and get 20 percent off any stamp set from the Fall-Winter Sampler.

Item # Description Retail 20% Off
111564 Flight of the Butterfly $37.95 $30.36
111752 Sur les ailes d'un papillon $37.95 $30.36

(French Flight of the Butterfly)
111676 Puns From the Past $32.95 $26.36
111660 Just Jawing $30.95 $24.76
112881 Je t'ai en tête

(French Just Jawing) $30.95 $24.76

111624 Dreams Du Jour $22.95 $18.36
112869 Rêves au menu $22.95 $18.36

(French Dreams Du Jour)
111700 Thank You Kindly $16.50 $13.20
111742 Tous mes remerciements

(French Thank You Kindly) $16.50 $13.20
111714 Wow Flowers $15.50 $12.40
112652 Bonheur fleuri

(French Wow Flowers) $15.50 $12.40
111600 Bella's Bloom $15.50 $12.40

*There is no limit to how many reduced priced stamp sets you purchase after spending the initial $20!

Sale Update!

Mission Embossable and All in the Family are now sold out! If there is something else that you were wanting please let me know as I will be placing another order tonight! Sorry for the short post...class lastnight, tonight, and tomorrow night! My stomach hurts from all the laughs!

The Language of Stamping

The best part about the card that I am posting today is that I cased it from someone whose blog I can't read a word of! I came across Silli's blog completely by accident. I saw a card that she had posted on Splitcoast and I proceeded to check out the rest of cards. Little did I know her blog was in German. I love the fact that it doesn't matter what language we speak, or blog in, we all share the common love for stamping! This card is such a non-traditional Christmas card in its colour choices, but I thought it was stunning. I think that it was also the layout of this card that I fell in love with; it was so different the way that the center panel seemed to hang from the top of the card. I think that tonight's task will be to make a card using this as my sketch. I think that I'll challenge you to make a card based on this sketch too! Email me your pics by December 4th and I'll post them for you along with a special "gift" for the most creative entry! Remember, if you're the only one to send in your photo, you'll automatically get the gift!

Items are Selling Out

I just found out that the All in the Family Bundle is already sold out! Make sure that you aren't disappointed and place those sale orders as soon as possible! Any sale item orders placed yesterday I've already entered so you don't need to worry!

Quick and Easy Card

The was a very quick and easy card that I cased from someone who is in our HUGE Colourful Impressions Group here in the Lower Mainlaind. Carrie Gaskin designed this card, and I loved the simplicity of it. I decided to add the white signo gel pen along the Rik Rak and to change the colour of the Happy Holidays stamp, but other than that I left it as is. This was such a great way to use up strips of DSP that were leftover and create an adorable card at the same time. I created the Rik Rak using the scallop border punch on a piece of cardstock that was 1" wide and 5.5" long. You first punch completely down one side, then flip it over and punch the other side off-setting the punch. This technique is so simple but provides an easy transition from DSP to solid cardstock or DSP to coordinating DSP. This was very popular at all of my Christmas stamp-a-stacks this year so don't be surprised if someone sends it to you for Christmas!

Yiiiiipppppeeeee! It's Here!

It's here and it's fabulous! This was one sale definitely worth waiting for! I won't go on and on because I know that you won't be reading it. Just click on the image to be taken to the sale flyer... make sure you have your catalogue handy as it lists page numbers that you can see the items on ! Happy shopping! Remember, every $100 order earns you a $10 gift certificate whether you place your order on line or by phoning/ emailing me. I'll try to place orders as soon as people call/ email them in to ensure that the items that you want are still available. There are limited quantities so don't wait too long!

It's Almost Here!

Starting Wednesday, November 26th, Stampin' Up! will be offering 20-50% off select product bundles (I still have no idea what will be is included... I promise it's killing me too!). You can be the first to see these bundles by checking out my SU website at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/northshorestamper or by stopping by my blog. You can place your orders one of two ways, by using the online shopping on my SU website or my calling/ emailing me your order!
*BE CAREFUL, SU has announced limited quantities of the bundles, so order early to avoid disappointment! I will be placing orders Wednesday morning as you email/ call or you can place them yourselves online. In addition, I will be giving $10 gift certificates with all purchases of $100 or more (before taxes and shipping). Don't worry if you place your order online, I'll send these out to you as soon as your order is confirmed.

A Minor Change

Yesterday I posted a card done by Dannie Graves that I adored as well as a new variation of the card. Today's card was another take on it just changing up the stamp used for the focal image. I love the set To You and Yours from the Mini Occasions catalogue; I can't believe how much use I've gotten from it. Unfortunately, as this is a set from a mini catty it is not guaranteed to make the next big catalogue. I would definitely take advantage of this set while it's around! Another item you won't want to miss out on is the Alpine Originals ribbon! I love this little set of ribbon. You get one roll of the ribbon used on this card as well as TWO rolls of the brown felt ribbon.

GUESS WHAT TOMORROW IS?????? LESS THAN 24 HOURS LEFT UNTIL WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE BIG HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA SALE! (Tonight will be like Christmas Eve for me:)

SU from Start to Finish!

If you 've followed my blog for awhile, you'll probably recognize this card using the Bugs and Kisses stamp set. I've really had a lot of use from this set as I have two little boys in preschool and the birthday parties seem to be never ending.

The boys had a party on Saturday that they were both invited to so we made their favourite card together. It is easy to do with this card as the images are just stamped randomly on the Whisper White. Joe and I used the Colour Spritzer with my Blasic Black marker to put some "dirt" on the card and on the wrapping paper. The brown wrapping paper is just the packing paper that SU puts in all of my parcels. We flatten it out and use it for everything from paper recycling bags for all my scraps, to wrapping paper and art projects! (another perk of being an SU demo:)

When I first joined SU I was hard pressed to order envelopes from them because as far as I was concerned, an envelope was an envelope. Well, as long as you're never going to stamp on them, that's probably the case. If you do like to make matching envelopes there is no comparison! It's the same quality as the Whisper White cardstock so your images are sharp and it absorbs the colour really well.... definitely worth the money!

New Twist on a Cased Card

I came across a card on Dannie Grave's website that I absolutely adored (the Ruby Red and Brown). Now any of you DSP fiends out there will know, you only get two sheets of each pattern of DSP in your package, so although you may love a card, you've got to make sure that you love the other patterns as well. When I was designing my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack for this month, I decided to offer both cards. What I found is that there are people who are definitely in love with only one of the two colour combinations and it was pretty much fifty-fifty. Both cards used the same stamp set, To You and Yours, but I was able to change up the ribbon, DSP and even add felt flurries to the second card instead of the three brads in the corner. The top card was made to fit in the Carousel Notes chocolate chip envelopes as I had a number left over after making Carousel Notes purses. The Baja Breeze and Old Olive card was made as a 5.25" square to fit the Whisper White Square Envelopes. What's your preference?

TWO AND A HALF DAYS UNTIL THE BIG HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!

The Start of Scrappin' Saturdays!

Although I actually got into this whole Stampin' Up thing because a friend knew I was an avid scrapbooker, my focus has shifted since March. I became ADDICTED to cardmaking. I've really enjoyed the fact that with the limited time we all seem to have that I could create a finished product in much less time than it took me to complete a 12x12 scrapbook page. Well... it's time to get back on the old scrapbooking train, but this time I'm doing it in Stampin' Up style!

I finally bought one of the Simply Scrappin' Kits and decided that I could no longer neglect my neice's scrapbook that should have been finished months ago (June to be exact)! When my nephew was born I made him a scrapbook and it has always been my plan to complete Sophie's; life has just gotten in the way! The Simply Scrappin' Kits are amazing in the sense that all of the die cut stickers, DSP, and cardstock already match one another. The time that it takes me to put a page together has been cut in half! On top of that, I have ribbons that match exactly so I'm thrilled with the final outcome of each page.

As I have set a goal for myself to have this book complete by the end of January, I am going to be having "Scrappin Saturdays" to keep myself on schedule. Every Saturday I will post a picture of a 12x12 two page spread from Sophie's book. I will try and keep each page to Stampin' Up products,, but you may notice the occasional "contraband" (teehee) item on the page. I do still have my Cricut and the New Arrival cartridge that I didn't get enough use out of after my boys were born:) I did try and convince Sean to have another baby so that I could make more things with it, but he just didn't see that as a real reason... men!!!!!!

This particular page is demonstrates a technique called "progressive scrapbooking". First you create a 6x6 scrapbook page and then mount it on an 8 1/2 x11 piece of cardstock and add embellishments. When that is complete you now mount on a 12x12 piece of cardstock and embellish again. This is a very easy way for someone new to scrapbooking to create a fabulous looking page!

I've Become my Mother:)

Growing up, my mother always stressed the importance of writing thank you notes to us. I grew up in North Vancouver, but all of my relatives were still back east in Thunder Bay. This meant many letters to grandparents, aunts and uncles thanking them for birthday and Christmas gifts. These days the internet has made it so easy to write a thank you to someone and send it off immediately, but in the spirit of old times sake and for a good reason to spend more time in my stamp room, I went down and made the 15 thank you's for Lucas' Birthday. I decided to stick with the Pacific Point and Real Red from his Thomas the Train invitations. It was so difficult to photograph this as the glare from the sparkes came making the entire picture appear white when the flash went off. I stamped the cupcake from Simple Birthday Thanks on Pacific Point DSP and then cut it out, while also separating the icing from the bottom of the cupcake. I then flipped over the bottom of the cupcake to show the unstamped side. I used my Thank You Kindly stamp set with the wide oval punch (a must!) to make the little Thank You on the front. I used my crop-o-dile to puch out the little spots on the icing and to allow the back Real Red to show through. My two way glue pen allowed me to get the glitter exactly where I wanted it. On the back of the Pacific Point cardstock I restamped the Simple Birthday Thanks image. This is a perfect stamp to allow a small child who is just learning to print, to personalize each thank you without making the task too overwhelming.

From Stampin' to Jewellery??!!!!

I had the BEST morning! How many times as an adult do you get to have a "playdate", and I don't mean where you get together with a girlfriend and try and chat while refereeing the play of children! Well today, my rockstar husband and my amazing upline Kari's rockstar husband were 100% in charge of children and Kari and I met up for a playdate! We were able to plan this a couple of days ago so our job was to come up with some new and exciting project to share with our customers. Now Kari and I both follow Patty Bennett's blog, as I 've mentioned before, and this woman is a creative genius. We had both seen this posted on her blog yesterday and it sold out in just a few hours. Between the two of us we had all of the supplies so we were on a mission. This adorable bracelet and mini giftbox were made using almost all Stampin' Up supplies. The bracelet is stunning, and we thought the tin looked adorable all done up for you to put in either some chocolates or Christmas gift tags. Kari and I put together a little kit for you so here it is:

The Build-a-Brad Bracelet Kit contains:

• One Package of Pewter Build-a-Brads
  
• One of two sizes of bracelet (S/P or L/G)


• lobster claw


• 3 punched 3/4" circles from the Frosty Day DSP


• 3 assorted colour Rhinestone Brads


• 3 Filligree Flowers (assorted sizes)


• 3 jump rings


• one strip of DSP to cover your Build-a-Brad Tin


• DSP mat for the bottom of your tin


• 1 Felt Flurry

Kits are $20 and I will put the first order through on Monday. They can even be shipped to you for an additional $5 s/h. I will have orders ready for pick up and ship all orders placed by Monday November 24th by December 3rd.

More Watercolouring with a Blender Pen

Okay, photography is definitely not my thing... I just can't make anything appear as it does in real life. The flower portion of these two cards is much softer in real life. Again, I stamped the image from Fancy Flowers in black Staz-On on watercolour paper. Then I used the tip of my marker to indicate areas of shading on my flower and leaves. Finally, it's as simple as using your blender pen to pull colour from these marker lines to paint the rest of the flower. Which of the two do you like better? I have this problem with needing things to be symmetrical so I really struggle with not centering things on cards. The sympathy card in particular really made me feel uncomfortable as I was making it. I wasn't actually intending for it to be a sympathy card, but my need to balance the Ruby Red cardstock sent me looking for a long thin sentiment. I've definitely got to get over this:) Practice makes perfect... ahhhhh..... an excuse for more time downstairs:)

I Need Photo Lessons:(

Once again I've tried to photograph this card so many times that I think I now have carpal tunnel! The first image showed the sentiment that I stamped using both the large oval and the wide oval, and the second image is a more realistic portrayal of what the cards colours actually look like. I used the Faux Embossing technique on this card as well. This is one of the many card selections for my upcoming Christmas Stamp-a-stack on November 23rd. The sentiment is from my Best Yet Level I hostess set. This is a great set to choose as the sentiments in it cover so many different occasions. If you can't tell from either of my AWFUL photos (teehee) this was done using the Kraft Cardstock for the base of the card, a mat of Whisper White and then the image was stamped on Riding Hood Red. I love the Riding Hood Red Taffeta! I added a little paper piercing to the wide oval, but other than that I kept this card relatively simple. I didn't want my Stamp-a-Stack cards to be too time consuming, but I did want them to be effective. I really like this particular one:)

Countdown to Holiday Extravaganza Sale

Stampin' Up has announced a Holiday Extravaganza Sale... only catch... neither you nor I knows what will be on sale! I think that they are making this much like the HUGE sales on Thanksgiving weekend in the states, where it is a surprise right up until the last moment. First thing on Wednesday November 26th, you will need to check either my blog or the Stampin' Up customer website for the details! I would love to give you a little hint as to what may be on sale, but I honestly have no idea. If you saw how well I did with the suspense of the new catalogue coming out in the summer, you'd know that this is almost too much for me to handle:) This sale will continue from November 26th through until December 1st. To make this work with my Angela's Little Elves Sale, I will hold off on placing the orders for your husbands and family members (unless they need them early) until I can find out if any of the items you were wishing for are on sale! This may ensure that good old mommy, or hubby, gets the most bang for their buck and you get more of the items that you wished for:) And so... the countdown begins... five days and counting:)

And the Winner is.... (drum roll please:)

Using Random.org I was able to pick a winner of the blog candy and Shelley, you won!! Thanks so much for all of your comments; it was great to find out who some of you are who come to take a peek! I think that just to satisfy my curiousity that I may have to make this a regular thing... that is at least every 5000 hits! Shelley, make sure to email me all of your mailing information so that I can get it in the mail to you ASAP. Thanks again everyone!

Announcing Angela's Little Elves!

Since I got into scrapbooking and stamping four years ago, my husband's shopping has become much more difficult. Although he has an endless list of items that I would love to have, the element of surprise has disappeared as I often have to go with him to show him exactly which items I've listed. In an attempt to return the element of surprise to Christmas, I will be offering a special promotion in the last two weeks of November (Nov 15th-30th). Ladies, your part in this is to email me your Christmas wish list, and pass on my email address or phone number (604-341-2950) to your husbands or family. Your husband's/ family's job is to contact me and I will help them select items from your wishlist. All orders of $50 or more will receive a 15% merchandise discount (taken off after shipping and taxes are calculated) All orders of $50+ will come gift wrapped when ready for pick up. Just a reminder that I also offer gift certificates for either merchandise or classes in specific dollar amounts. This offer ends November 30th so make sure to get your wishlist in! Orders are also available for shipment directly to your home (unfortunately they will not be gift wrapped as they will ship directly from Stampin' Up and a minimum $9.95 s/h charge will apply).
*This promotion only applies to orders placed directly through me and not my online ordering as I am unable to apply the discount to your online order.

Marker Club Technique

This month's technique involved using our markers, watercolour paper and a blender pen to get a watercolour effect! I love the way that these turned out as it is a much softer finish than colouring them directly with markers. What we did for this process was to stamp the image in Black Staz-on ink on watercolour paper. We heat set it using the heat gun to allow us to get to work more quickly. Once the image was dry we used the fine tip of our marker to outline the image or highlight areas of shadow. Once that was done we used the blender pen to pull the colour from the outline into the center of our image. This was my first go round. They only improve as you practice, as your shadows become more and more realistic. I can't wait to show you the other card that I've been working on. I've never really pulled out my watercolour paper before, but when I tried this technique on my Whisper White cardstock it just got it all wet and pilly. The watercolour paper was PERFECT! I could definitely get into this technique.

Time for Blog Candy!!!!!

Well, I'm about 120 hits away from 5000, and for me that's a HUGE deal! I remember when my upline suggested that I start this blog back in March; I snickered to myself thinking, "who will ever bother to read it?" It is so exciting and so flattering that people take the time to check it! Anyway, I've decided to give away some great blog candy in honour of this great milestone for me! As you can see, I decided take the photo lastnight after I'd spent an hour cardmaking. (my desk was a mess), but I decided that it looked kind of cool in the photo. Again, I can't get this image to flip on "Blogspot" for the life of me. It is actually the right way in my files so I have no idea why it is flipping it! After you crank your neck, you'll be able to see that the bag contains the stamp set, A Little Bit of Happiness, the Fresh Favourites II eyelets, a package of Heat and Stick Powder, and finally a roll of the brown felt ribbon from the Alpine Originals set in the Mini Occasions Catalogue! When my blog reaches 5000 hits, I will draw from the comments placed between now and then. *If you are the only person who leaves a comment, then you are guaranteed to win it:) Thanks again!

Always on my Mind

I have looked at my Always stamp set for a month and just never used it. I guess I bought it at the wrong time with all of my Christmas classes starting. When I was looking through my sample ring of Designer Series Papers today I came across my Always DSP and decided that it was time to put the Christmas cards aside. Reason for all this being that when I looked the DSP it was four colours I had never put together before (Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, and Chocolate Chip) and it just looked interesting to play with. I love the fact that so many of the DSP's have a coordinating stamp set. Another item that I had yet to use was the amazing brown ribbon. I felt like it was too thick for many of the cards I have made, but Iam definitely feeling different now and looking forward to breaking all the other colours in! I think that I just might tuck this card away for Valentine's Day as I love the saying, "Always on my mind- forever in my heart". Although I love having sentiments stamped on the outside of my card, it is also nice to be able to put something on the inside.

On a different note, although it may not seem like a big deal to you, it is HUGE to me, I am nearing 5000 hits on my blog. I would love to know who you are out there that are coming to have a look. Tomorrow I will be posting some AWESOME blog candy and all comment entries between now and the 5000 hit count will be entered in that draw. Thanks for coming to look; it means a lot to me!

Once the cards are done...

Once you've managed to check the Christmas cards off of your list, I have your next "to do" ready! At the request of the staff from my school, I decided to run a Christmas Tag Class! For some reason, no matter what I do with this photo, it always shows up sideways in my post???!!!! These are the 10 tags that we will be making and you will make three of each. I know that sounds like a lot of work, but with the paper all precut for you each tag takes only a couple of minutes. I just threw the felt flurries in their for effect although they are on one of the tags. (I'm having visions of them strewn on the table for Christmas dinner, if only one knew where to buy a Not Quite Navy tablecloth:)

Christmas Tag Class

Tuesday December 2nd 7:30pm-9:30pm

$10 for 30 tags

*Limited to 6 spots!

Time is Running out to Register!

I have my second Christmas Stamp-a-Stack coming up on the 23rd of November! The first one was a huge success, and I actually ended up running three of the class! I've already got three scheduled for November as well! What tends to happen is that I have a group of people who register individually or with a friend for the class, and then there are others who decide that it would be a fun event to do with a group of friends so we schedule their own private event! These are just a few samples of the 8 cards that I am offering. You will get to choose three different designs and make 5 of each! It's just $15 for 15 cards! Remember that you need to register early to save a spot and to ensure that we don't run out of a card that you like! The earlier you register, you are open to choosing whatever you'd like as I can always order more supplies!

Another Kick at the Can

I gave the card another whirl with some other colours. My plan was to change the Pacific Point to pink and somehow I got distracted by the Bella Rose paper on the floor:) I am still determined to try the card using the plan I had previously come up with, but it will have to wait! For some reason this card was next to impossible to photograph in my white box. The flash made the whole thing white and the without the flash it didn't even look like the same card. If anyone has any amazing suggestions for photography, please feel free to let me know!

Direct Case

Appalling as this may sound, in the process of getting ready for Lucas' birthday, the last thing to be completed was his card! Somehow the cake just seemed to take precedent! I guess at his age, I also know how little time is spent by him looking at his cards. Therefore, when I tell you that I realized at 9pm the night before his real birthday that I had no card, I hope you won't think I'm an awful mom! My husband said not to worry, and although I know Lucas won't notice now, I've kept all of their birthday cards from immediate family since they were born! I know that my darling second child would see it as some sign that I loved him less when he realizes in the anxst of his teens that I didn't make him a third birthday card:) Can you tell from this comment that I am the middle child of three (teehee). Anyway, I headed downstairs to my "haven" and decided that it was not the time to spend an hour creating. I went to Splitcoast and found this card. I cased it DIRECTLY! This is the Party Hearty stamp set. Looking at it now, I really wish that I had rolled the background squares with my Happy, Happy Birthday Stampin' Around stamp for a little extra something. I do love the simplicity of this card though, and it makes use of all of the In Colours with the exception of Pink Pirouette. I think that by taking out the Pacific Point and replacing it with the pink, and possibly changing the circles under the "Party hearty" as well as the star to flowers, that this could be a great girls' card as well...hmmm...maybe this is my job for tonight!

Rub-Ons are Rubbing Off

I will admit that I had never been a fan of the Rub-On prior to becoming a Stampin' Up demo. I decided that if I was going to sell something, I'd better make sure I knew how to use them. I am now a bit of a sucker for them. They are fabulous for decorating things that I wouldn't normally stamp on, and they are also the perfect solution when you need a quick card or tag and don't have the time to sit down and set up the stamp table. Starting today, when you purchase $20 or more of Stampin' Up products, you are eligible to purchase as many packages of the Rub-Ons as you like at the 20% discount! This will apply to club orders too so make sure that you add it on to your club order when you send it to me this month!

Dates: November 10-30, 2008
Promotion Details:
Spend $20 and qualify to purchase any Rub-Ons assortment at 20 percent off ($10.36 per package; regularly $12.95):

Item # Page # Rub-Ons Description

111416 178 Chateau Bella
111417 178 Word Flurries
111414 178 Hidden Garden
112735 178* Jardin secret en fleur
111277 178 A Perfect Day
110283 179 Take Note
111806 179 Chills & Thrills
111804 179 Chit Chat
111415 179 Greatest Moments
111805 179 School Days
110282 179 Anchored
112844 11** Old Saint Nick
112843 17** Season of Cheer
*From Livre d'Idées & Catalogue automne-hiver 2008

**From Holiday 2008 Mini Catalogue

Roof Garden Accents and Elements Class

Okay, I was going to wait until December to run this class, but I am so excited about it that I can't wait! For the first time I decided to purchase one of the Accents and Elements Tins and I am in love! I was already a bit biased because I adore the Urban Garden DSP and it is based on many of the same images and the same colours.
In my ongoing attempt to keep us all organized in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I am going to take care of all of those imposssible gifts for you. This will cover hostess gifts for the upcoming holiday season parties as well as gifts for teachers, coaches etc. There is nothing better than having a selection of cards at home when an event like a birthday comes up. We will make three stationery folders in this class and one set of six cards. You wil go home with the supplies to finish the other 12 cards (6 per folder). You could easily finish all 18 cards in class, but I know how much you all talk, so I'm going to be realistic here:) You will need to finish all stamping and punching here and then take them home for assembly.

Date: Sunday November 30th
Time: 7:00-9:30pm
Cost: $36 *
Includes:
One tin of Roof Garden Accents and Elements $12.95
3 different sheets of Urban Garden DSP $2.93
18 envelopes $3.49
60 inches of Striped Gros Grain (combination of Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss) $1.48
36 inches Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon $1.05
2 Filligree Designer Brads $0.86

6 Silver Eyelets
2 pieces of Hodgepodge Hardware (Very Vanilla) with coordinating brads
16 pieces of 8 1/2 by 11 cardstock (colours to include Whisper White, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy) $4.33
Snail Adhesive $8.95
*Note that the cost of the class is cheaper than buying the products individually with taxes and shipping!
RSVP: RSVP by November 19th to attend
Limited to 6 spaces! First six to email or call me get the spots!
(I will do this as a class by mail for $42; your package will include written instructions as well as prepunched pieces and a colour printout of the cards for ease of replication. Please email me if you're interested. Unfortunately I can only ship in Canada.)

Personalized Birthday Banners!

I was so excited to finally be able to use my Big Shot Pennant Die. Sticking with the colours of Lucas' Thomas Birthday Party, I made his banner using Pacific Point and Real Red and the coordinating ribbons. I can't believe how easy it was or how professional it looked! The best part is that this can be put away for next year, or I could even make the rest of the names for our family and use the first two strings along with the changeable names for each of our birthdays. I'm now seeing visions of Happy Holiday or Merry Christmas Banners to put in my front window! Just because I am feeling so giddy about this accomplishment, I will be offering 20% off of the Pennant Die and other accessories needed to make these banners (taxes and shipping** calculated on the regular price)* for the next three days! I bet you're asking why I chose three days... well it's Lucas' third birthday of course! I will be placing an order on November 12th so make sure that you get your order in before 6pm that day!

The discounted items to make this banner include:

Crop-o-dile $37.95 $30.36

Jumbo Eyelets (Pewter/ Antique Brass)$11.75 $9.40

DSP $11.75 $9.40

Cardstock

Extended Cutting Pads $24.95 $19.96

Pennant Die $47.95 $38.36

Serif Essentials Alphabet $177.95 $142.36

Any of the 5/8" or 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbons $10.50- $13.25 $8.40-$10.60

Two Way Glue Pen $4.50 $3.60

Snail Adhesive or refill $5.75-$8.75 $4.60-$7

*This discount does not apply to orders placed through online ordering, only those orders placed directly through me via phone or email will receive this discount.

**Shipping is $9.95 for all orders of $100 or less unless you are picking it up from me, otherwise it is 10% of merchandise cost before discount.

***Unfortunately I am only able to sell and ship these items to customers living in Canada.

Remember that if your order is $200 or more before discount that you qualify for hostess benefits! (free merchandise will be at regular price)

Happy 3rd Birthday Lucas!

I don't know where three years ago but my baby is three today! Sometimes it is scary when you look back and realize how much has happened in what seemed to be such a shore period of time.

After humming and hawing, Lucas finally decided on a Thomas the Train themed birthday party. Although I loved the idea, (cake was relatively easy to decorate), I was kind of bummed as I don't have any train stamps! How pathetic is it that I plan my kids' parties around what I'll be able to stamp??? I convinced Joe to have a Pirate Party last year as I had just purchased my Ahoy Matey stamp set:) I decidd to make the best of Lucas' choice and put my Pacific Point paper to work. The colour has never really grabbed me, but I must admit that the Pacific Point along with the Real Red is Thomas to a t! I'll post his goody bags later!

More from the "Faux" World!

Here are some other samples, along with my brother-in-law's card, of the faux embossing technique. The card in the back left is almost a direct case of a card that I had seen done by Emma Fewkes. I loved her colour choice. I never seem to use my Mellow Moss and once I pulled it out it gave me the inspiration for the Organizc Outlines Card which was a combo of Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss. I think that my next go at this technique may have to have a Christmas influence.

The Learning Never Stops!

I came across this technique the other day called, "Faux Embossing" and thought I'd give it a try! I feel like everything I've learnt about lately has the word "faux" in front of it... is anything real anymore????? Anyway, those of you who enjoy embossing will know what I'm talking about when I say that it's not something to do when you're pressed for time. Although the actual technique is easy, cleaning up takes a little more time. This technique, on the other hand, is rapid and the clean up is instant! I think that I'll be teaching this at technique club this month as part of my embossing lesson. I really wanted to ink up my Organic Outlines for the first time and this gave me reason. It was my brother-in-law's birthday yesterday and this was the card I made him. Not too flowery. I've also been loving the Wonderful Favorites stamp set; it is such an easy way to personalize cards. I do however have one problem with this set with me being a school teacher, the word Favourite uses the American spelling!!!!!!!!! So, if you never receive a card from me saying that you are my favourite anything, don't be offended. I would never sleep at night if I sent out a card with that spelt wrong. I just need a pen pal in the States so that I can make them cards:)