There's a blog tour coming!!!

This post is sticky at the top until January 31st. Come back on February 1st to take part in the SUDSOL blog tour. You won't be disappointed!

Rounding it out for MOJO Monday

...on a Tuesday of course - LOL!

Today is a VERY busy post day, so PLEASE scroll around (up and down) to see what else is going on!

Today's card was made for the MOJO Monday sketch. Yes, I KNOW it's Tuesday, but really, how many times have I ACTUALLY posted the MOJO Monday ON a Monday? Not very often I can tell you that...probably just once...MAYBE twice, but not more than that - LOL!

We were given the option of round or square and since I had so much fun making this card, I decided to go for round again. I've got to say! I'm liking round very much!

Since I still had everything from YESTERDAY's card, I decided to use it again for today's card. I sure hope I don't tire of Everything Eleanor BEFORE it's even available for purchase - LOL!

I started off with my Scallop Circle die and my Big Shot - WOOT! I used Daffodil Delight for my base and built my card up from there. The next layer was some of the Daffodil Delight with some of the Soft Suede paper from Attic Boutique. I stamped the lined image from Everything Eleanor in Daffodil Delight on Very Vanilla and cut it out before sponging on some Soft Suede. The sentiment, from You're My Type is stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla and then punched out with the Jewelry Tag Punch.

Then I added some Pool Party Ribbon (love this stuff and SO happy I got ANOTHER full roll at Leadership!) and a stacked pair of the flowers, also stamped in Pool Party.

I finished the inside too of course:

But looking at the photo, it's a little off kilter. Oh well! It's an original - LOL! Hopefully, the recipient won't mind.

Congratulations to Claudia who left a comment on YESTERDAY'S card! Claudia please email me your snail mail addy so I can send the card off to you!

Would YOU like to receive this card? Leave me a comment before midnight EST today, January 31st, 2012 and tomorrow I'll pick a random winner and send them this card!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Everything Eleanor, You're My Type
INK: Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party
PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Daffodil Delight Cardstock; Attic Boutique DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Punch, Brad, Scallop Die, BIG SHOT BABY! and Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

While I was away...

...it seems my blog hit over 50,000 views! Now...this may not mean much to awesome stampers like Patty Bennett, who likely has well over 1,000,000 hits, but in MY little Stampin' UP! world 50,000 hits is a pretty big deal!

And a pretty big deal means BLOG CANDY!!!!

How about this?

We received this set for FREE at Leadership! Stampin' UP! sure knows how to spoil us. Since I already own it, I'd like to give YOU the one I received at Leadership!

Just leave me a comment and let me know what YOUR favourite Sale-A-Bration item is (there is no wrong answer) and at the end of the month (January 31st, 2012), I'll have random.org select a number. If the number matches YOUR post, you win! Only ONE post per person please. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.

Oh...and I FINALLY got to meet Patty Bennett:

Pretty much the highlight of my trip...

Happy Stampin'!

Very Vintage SUDSOL Design Challenge

Last night, all (or at least most - there were a LOT of us!) of the program coordinators got together in the SUDSOL chat room and chatted about what we could do to get MORE SUDSOL members to participate in the challenges that are posted weekly.

The overwhelming response from the coordinators was, "THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME!" Who hasn't said THAT before? Well, *I* decided that I spend MORE than enough time on the computer (and really, it's not even productive!) and that I should spend more time creating.

To that end...

It's January 30th and my goal is to post consistently for the next 30 days! And not just something mundane or copied/pasted from the SU! site (though that MIGHT happen once or twice if I'm pressed for time), but an ORIGINAL creation, made by me. Now, I'm not saying it won't be CASEd once in a while, because I don't know that I have THAT MUCH creativity in my brain, but it will be made by me.

And if the idea of something new EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. wasn't enough to get you to keep visiting, how about this? I'm going to GIVE AWAY every single thing I make for the next 30 days...starting today!

So...today's card is for the SUDSOL Design Challenge which was to use three different Designer Series Paper. Now, that might seem a little scary, but Stampin' UP! makes it easy by putting 12 sheets of Designer Series Paper in each package...and the all coordinate!

I chose some papers from Attic Boutique, mostly because I *STILL* had the paper out from BEFORE Leadership, but also because I was in the mood for vintage.

Tips from the Heart (and Ann Schach too - heehee!)

• Make it even MORE vintage by adding colour to the edges of your Designer Series Paper using sponges and coordinating ink. I used Soft Suede on this card.
• Colour our pearls with permanent markers! This is something I learned from Ann. You can LAYER the colours too. I started with brown, but the colour wasn't deep enough, so I started over and used black first, followed by brown. This gave me JUST the look I wanted.
• Spritz it up baby!! Have you tried our Colour Spritzer? If not, you're missing out! I just love the look it creates! I even carried it over to the inside of the card:

I didn't spritz as much on the inside because YOU might want to write a little message before you give it away...and with Valentine's Day on the way, this card would be just PERFECT!

So, do YOU want this card? Just leave me a comment on THIS before midnight EST tonight, January 30th, 2012 and tomorrow morning, I'll draw a winner!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Everything Eleanor (flowers) and P.S. I Love You (sentiment)

INK: Soft Suede, Pool Party

PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Soft Suede Cardstock; Attic Boutique DSP

ACCESSORIES: Colour Spritzer, Basic Pearls, Jewelry Tag Punch

Happy Stampin'!

Delightfully Digital

Here's another quick layout from Leadership:

This was SUCH a quick and easy page! And that's one of the things I just LOVE about MDS. There are ready made pages and all you have to do is drop in the photos! It couldn't be easier!

After picking up our bags, we ran into Dale Hampshire, Manager of Stampin' UP! Canada. He is such a fun loving guy!!! He asked us "What's your angle?" meaning what works for YOU in your Stampin' UP! business. It was all part of the "MY WAY" theme at Leadership this year. We came up with SIN with Stampin' UP! I'll let you think on that one - LOL!

Of course, I had to include the picture of Patty Bennett and I in the layout. She is, after all, a new found friend!

What do you think?

Have you Sale-a-Brated yet?

This is my SECOND post today, so PLEASE scroll down to see what I've been creating!

It's that time of year again where every $60 purchase earns YOU free goodies! If you place an online order, even the CLEARANCE RACK items count toward your $60 total! And, if you spend $200 you get 3 free Sale-a-Bration goodies as WELL as Hostess Benefits on your order. You really can't go wrong!

As many of you know, I attended Stampin' UP!'s annual Leadership conference in San Antonio, TX. The weather was FANTASTIC! There is nothing like great weather, 1400 like minded women and changes at Stampin' UP! to get you re-energized!

Stampin' UP! announced a re-alignment of the catalogue year beginning with this year. The BIG Idea Book and Catalogue will expire this year on MAY 31st rather that June 30th. That means a whole new catalogue will be available on June 1st! Now you'll be able to shop BEFORE you go away to the cottage for the summer and take all your goodies WITH you rather than waiting till you get back!

There will also only be TWO seasonal catalogues rather than three mini catalogues. The Holiday catalogue will be in effect from August to December (that's FIVE months instead of four!) and the Spring Catalogue will be in effect from January through to May (another FIVE months!).

I can't WAIT for all these changes to take place! I think it'll mean a LOT of good things both for demonstrators and their customers.

Speaking of which...this is a GREAT time to join my team and become a Stampin' UP! demonstrator! You can join for just $150 instead of the regular $215 and STILL get over $400 worth of stamping goodies delivered RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR (with NO tax and NO shipping!). And it doesn't matter if you're reading this in Red Deer or Little Heart's Ease, I support my team across the country!

Let me know if you have ANY questions at all! I'd love to have you as a customer, hostess or demonstrator, ESPECIALLY during Sale-a-Bration!

Happy Stampin'!

Everything Eleanor for the Stampin' Queens!

Oh dear! I'm a little late to the game today! Cristena, THE Stampin' Queen, usually likes our posts to be up by about 2 a.m. so she can link us all up - OOPS!!! Hope she doesn't throw me off the team - LOL!

For today's card, I used a BRAND NEW set that I received at Leadership last week. This set has already made an appearance in the UK catalogue, but now it's coming to Canada (and the US too!) and I couldn't be happier! It's SO elegant! From the moment I saw it, I hoped we would get it on this side of the pond - WOOHOO!!

I opted for a simple card based on the sketch and used Sahara Sand, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry. I just LOVE the giant swirl in the set!

I first stamped the Sahara Sand "background" stamp and cut it out. Then I stamped the flower and cut it out too. As I was laying out the card, it looked a little "naked" so I decided to stamp the swirls - one at the top, one at the bottom.

I adhered everything to my Whisper White base using Snail and Stampin' Dimensionals (of course!). I haven't added a sentiment yet, because I decided it could be an "anything" card. This means that when I NEED a card, I can add an appropriate sentiment.

Here's the sketch on which the card was based:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Everything Eleanor

INK: Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry

PAPERS: Whisper White and Soft Suede Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Pearls (they're tiny, but they're there!)

Happy Stampin'!

Sneak Peek at the Stampin' Queens!

It's Tuesday and (better late than never!) that means it's sneak peek day for the Stampin' Queens!

It's ALSO the first day of Sale-a-Bration, so if you've been holding on to an order just waiting to hit "send", today is the day! You'll get a FREE Sale-a-Bration item of YOUR choice from the Sale-a-Bration brochure for every $60 you spend!

The set I used for my Stampin' Queens card is a BRAND NEW SET that will be available in the new Idea Book and Catalogue beginning on JUNE 1st, 2012. Yes, you read that right! All the details of the catalogue changes and my trip to San Antonio for Leadership will be available in my newest newsletter (coming out the at the beginning of February), so if you're not a subscriber yet, now is the time to do it.

My card features Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede and Sahara Sand. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the FULL reveal!

Happy Stampin'!

Sale-a-Brate by joining the Canadian Blossoms!

Tomorrow is the VERY first day of Sale-a-Bration! Are you ready? I'm sure some of my customers are ready with their lists and just DYING to hit send on their online orders! Just a few more hours and you too can get your hands on the fun stuff.

Today's card is my Canadian Blossoms Team Card of the Month for February. Why am I showing it to you when it is normally reserved for JUST my team members? I wanted YOU to see it so you have an idea of what you'll be getting when you join my team.

When Sale-a-Bration starts tomorrow, you'll be able to join my team for just $150! You'll get EVERYTHING in the standard kit (it's NOT a smaller kit to match the reduced price). Also, if you join in January, you'll receive a FREE pack of Designer Series Paper or a FREE My Digital Studio Download in EACH month you place an order for the remainder of 2012. Free papers/downloads do NOT carry over, so you'll need to place an order each month to receive your goodies! Just so you know, the paper ALONE is valued at almost $150, so it's a GREAT deal. Actually, if you join ANY time during Sale-a-Bration you'll get that free pack of paper/free download for the remainder of 2012. Of course to get the MOST out of the deal, you'll WANT to join in January. :)

You'll ALSO get my Team Card of the Month...EVERY month during which you're active. That doesn't mean you need to place an order in every month, it just means you need to maintain your quarterly minimums, which will renew your Stampin' UP! demonstrator benefits for another three months. Make sense? If you're confused, PLEASE contact me so I can answer any questions you might have.

Want to see the card?

I created it using the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper which will be available tomorrow for FREE with any qualifying $60 purchase. The tiny piece of 1/8" Organdy Ribbon is part of an embellishment pack which is ALSO available with any qualifying $60 purchase. If you want them both, you'll need to spend $120. The stamped image is from Take it To Heart, which is available RIGHT NOW in the Occasions Mini.

If you purchased the products I used to make this card, you would spend $124. Now, I KNOW that seems expensive for one card, but think about it. You would have enough product left over to make close to 75 cards when you were done with this one. AND you'd get the FREE Designer Series Paper and FREE Ribbon/Brad pack. That's only about $1.65 per card. Bet you can't get that at those big card stores. And it certainly wouldn't be from YOUR heart if you bought it at a store.

Joining my team is SO easy! All you have to do is click here and you can be done in a matter of MINUTES! Your goodies will wing their way to you and you won't pay ANY SHIPPING or ANY TAX on your starter kit! I'll get a notice as SOON as you join, so if you decide to do it before February 1st, I'll be sure to have a card ready to go out to YOU on that date!

Happy Stampin'!

A quick peek at Leadership!

I'm sitting in the San Antonio airport (been here for 4 hours, got another 2 or so to go) and I decided that since I couldn't really STAMP anything (I have some materials, but no Whisper White or Very Vanilla on which to put ink to paper), I would play with My Digital Studio. Here's a little sneak peek of what we did while we were at Stampin' UP!'s annual Leadership Conference:

What do you think? The GREAT thing about My Digital Studio is that "old" products never retire. So, the Travel Log set which is no longer available in the Idea Book and Catalogue is STILL available in My Digital Studio. Did you LOVE Pixie Pink or Green Galore? You can still use them and even print them with My Digital Studio!

Have you TRIED My Digital Studio? If not, I have GREAT news for you! Beginning February 1st, you'll be able to download a 30 day FREE trial from Stampin' UP! Get your feet wet, dabble a little and give it a shot. You truly have NOTHING to lose!!

Happy MDSin'!

Edgelits!

I'm sitting in Houston waiting for my flight home to Toronto. In a few minutes, I think I'll work on some MDS highlights of Leadership, but for now, please enjoy this video filled with tips to make YOUR very first use of the new Edgelits a success!




Happy Stampin'!

OOPS! What's the opposite...

...of a day late and a dollar short? 'Cause...ummm...if you scroll down, today's OTHER post wasn't supposed to show up till tomorrow - OOPS!!!

Well...lucky you! You get to see the Stampin' Queens Sketch a whole day early and THAT means you have a WHOLE other day to create!

Ready? Set? GO!!!

I'll report in when I LAND in San Antonio later today.

Happy Stampin'!

Bordering on Romance for the Stampin' Queens!

I'm in San Antonio - WOOT! - and scheduled this post to appear this morning. If the weather reports from last week are accurate, I'll be wearing CAPRIS and shades today!!!

It's the first day of leadership and today we're scheduled for Make and Takes at 2 p.m. This morning will be spent picking up our bags (I'll try and post a pic later!) and doing general swapping. I can't wait!!!

Anyway...since I'm actually posting this before I even GET to San Antonio, I guess I should just get on with the card, eh?

I started off with the idea that I wanted to use one of the new Framelits dies for my focal image and then went from there. Still in LOVE with Twitterpated, so I HAD to use some more of that paper. I chose a piece featuring Basic Grey because I had already coloured my image using Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo. The pink/red colours in the paper pack are actually Blushing Bride and Riding Hood Red.

Here's my colour combo:

Source: photocardboutique.com via Christyne on Pinterest

Don't you just LOVE it! So bright and cheery! Just like me in the San Antonio sun...sorry...sidetracked again!

Today's card is based on this sketch:

I chose not to add the ribbons for a clean and simple look.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Bordering on Romance
INK: Staz-ON
PAPERS: Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo Cardstock; Twitterpated DSP; Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot Baby!, Framelits, Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Thoughts of You - Twitterpated

It's no surprise that I just love, love, LOVE the Twitterpated Collection from the new Occasions Mini, so when I saw this card on the Stampin' UP! site, I just knew I had to share it with you!

It uses both the Bordering on Romance and Thoughts of You stamp sets. Of course, it also uses Twitterpated Designer Series Paper.

Here are all the details:

Stamps
• Bordering on Romance
• Loving Thoughts

Paper
• Blushing Bride Card Stock
• Riding Hood Red Card Stock
• Sahara Sand Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Twitterpated Designer Series Paper

Ink
• Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin’ Pad®
• VersaMark® Pad

Accessories
• Baja Breeze 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon
• Linen Thread
• Twitterpated Designer Buttons
• White Stampin’ Emboss® Powder
• Stampin’ Dimensionals®
• 3/16" Corner Punch
• Mat Pack
• Paper-Piercing Tool
• Big Shot™
• Heart Collection Framelits Die

Hope you like it too!!

Happy Stampin'!

Delightfully Digital!

Stampin' UP! never ceases to amaze me with it's digital downloads! Another new batch was released this week and Twitterpated (my absolute FAVOURITE paper from the Occasions Mini!) was among them!

Of course, Stampin' UP! went one BETTER and included a BUNCH of other fun elements to go with the paper.

This download includes:

• 16-piece stamp brush set
• 15 Designer Series Paper patterns
• 12 buttons
• 4 ribbons
• one-page 12" x 12" designer template

And features:

• Traditional Twitterpated Designer Fabric patterns as well as digital Designer Series Paper patterns.

The thing I like BEST about My Digital Studio downloads is that you don't have to wait for the UPS man to deliver them. You go to my store, you make your choices, you check out and you download your selections. Then, you get to play! RIGHT AWAY!! Nothing could be easier!

What will YOU create today??

Packed for Mom - Freshly Made

When I first saw these sets in the Occasions Mini, my first reaction was, "Meh...I don't need those." But I participated in a book-a-thon in October and December and all the participants got all kind of goodies JUST for participating! Those who booked workshops (like me!) got even MORE awesome stuff and the Packed for Mom stamp was among the goodness!

So...my mom's birthday is on March 11th. I'm PRETTY sure she doesn't read my blog, so I think I'm safe in posting this. If she sees it, it just gives me an excuse to stamp again, doesn't it? LOL!

I started off using the Freshly Made Sketch for this week:

but I wanted to something just a little different, so I went round:

I started off with a Real Red base and ran two 1/2 sheets through my Big Shot at the same time using the Scallop Circle Die. I added a piece of First Edition Designer Series Paper as a layer under the strips of Real Red.

The image panel was stamped on Very Vanilla using Basic Black Ink. I stamped the purse a second time and cut it out, coloured it and adhered it with Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Packed for Mom
INK: Basic Black
PAPERS: Real Red and Very Vanilla Cardstock; First Edition DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot Baby!, Scallop Circle Die, Stampin' Write Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

I did it myyyyyyyyyyyy wayyyyyyyyy!

Who knows that song? Am I dating myself? OOPS!

The theme for Leadership this year (as I may have mentioned) is "MY WAY". You may remember from this post that I received my Leadership name tag. etc late last week and you may remember from this post, that I found a way to pretty up my iPhone case.

Today's post is a combination of BOTH those things!! And it's the Stampin' Queens sketch with QUITE a few liberties taken. Hey...I never said I was a conformist!

Here's my new decorated iPhone ready for Leadership:

I used my Sweet Shoppe Alphabet sets to stamp the "My Way" in Tangerine Tango on Whisper White and then matted it on Real Red and punched a notch using the square punch. A little strip of Tangerine Tango was added under the banner before adhering it all to a piece of Tempting Turquoise. I just LOVE bright and cheery!!

And here's the Stampin' Queens Sketch on which it was based:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Sweet Shoppe Alphabet
INK: Tangerine Tango
PAPERS: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise
ACCESSORIES: Punches

Happy Stampin'!

Thanks so much!

THANKS SO MUCH CARD

Saying thank you has never been so easy! The Simply Set kit makes it easier than ever to say thank you. The cards are pre-cut/pre-scored. All you have to do is add stamps and ink and you're ready to go!

Stamps
• Everyday Wishes Set

Paper
• Baja Breeze Card Stock
• Simply Sent® Everyday Elegance

Ink
• Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin‘ Pad®

Accessories
• Baja Breeze 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon
• Stampin‘ Dimensionals®
• Decorative Label Punch
*During Sale-a-Bration, get this set of cards FREE when spend $60!

Bring on the Cake - CASE

Remember this post? I just love that Stampin' UP! provides us with so many wonderful ideas. Sometimes the MOJO just isn't flowin' and it's good to know that as demonstrators we have a place to turn!!

This is my version of the card:

It's pretty much the same...though I think one of the flower buttons might be different. We made this during my birthday card/calendar class on Saturday and everyone LOVED it!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Bring on the Cake
INK: Staz-On
PAPERS: Whisper White, Rose Red and Pool Party Cardstock; Wild Wasabi DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot!!, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Scallop Punch, Baker's Twine, Stampin' Write Markers, Subtles Buttons

Happy Stampin'!

Leadership Colours!

So this past Friday, I FINALLY received my Leadership package in the mail. It had my bag voucher, my name tag and my Senior Consultant "banner" that goes under my name tag. I am SO excited!

The really funny thing was that I had made a card BEFORE I got the package and the colours of my card and those of the Leadership goodies MATCH!!! How fun is that? I REALLY hope that means the colours of the voucher/name tags will match the colours of the bag we get. If that is the case, we are in for a BRIGHT time! See what I mean:

This is the card my class attendees completed at Saturday's Calendar and Cards Class. And we had SO. MUCH. FUN. It's too bad YOU couldn't be there! You should definitely come to my next class though! It's featuring Easy Events and we'll be making eight bright and cheery cards using some fun colours. You won't want to miss it!

In addition to five cards, the attendees also completed a Perpetual Birthday Calendar, where they stamped each of the months in a month specific "theme". Here is August:

We used Up, Up and Away for this one. It seemed like a perfect set for the month!

If YOU would like a calendar, I still have a few available, though they are UNSTAMPED. They are just $8 plus shipping to you. If you would like it stamped for you, the cost will be $15 + shipping to you.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Pennant Parade and Grunge Rock (Card); Up, Up and Away (Calendar)
INKS: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango
PAPERS: Whisper White, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Bakers Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Happy Stampin'!

Can you just IMAGINE?

A FULL day of scrapping/stamping? No kids? No husbands? What would YOU pay for that kind of luxury?

Then you'll want to join Caroline and I at Crop and Create Markham!

We'll be there as Stampin' UP! representatives and we'll have LOTS of fun product that you can purchase right there on the spot! I'll have my class schedule printed up for the next few months, so you can collect that too and join me for classes of your choice in Mississauga.

When you register for the event, please let the organizers know you found the information on my blog. Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you there!

Delightfully Digital!

Are you a scrapbooker? I used to be...but then card-making came into my life and scrapbooking fell by the wayside. I find creating cards so much more satisfying...mostly because they work up a WHOLE lot more quickly than scrapbook pages. And, in my house I can't leave a scrapbook page out since I work on our dining room table. Cards are a whole lot easier to whip up and then put away the bits and pieces.

Of course, LOVING card making does nothing to assuage the guilt of not scrapbooking my childrens lives. Enter the digital age!!

This year at Christmas, we took video, not pictures. I'm not sure if I can convert any of it to stills, but we'll see. If YOU took pictures, this kit is JUST the ticket!

This download includes:

* 12 Designer Series Paper patterns
* 21 embellishments
* One-page 8" x 8" designer template

You can see the page template in the bottom right hand corner. It's a great way to jumpstart your 2011 Christmas album.

Want to add to your digital collection? Just click here to see all the newest downloads! Stampin' UP! released new digital downloads on every Tuesday of 2011 and I hope they continue the trend in 2012!

Have a Delightfully Digital Day!

Time's UP!!!

Today is the LAST day for the CLEARANCE RACK BLITZ. Now, this doesn't mean that the clearance rack will be going away altogether, it just means that some of the AWESOME deals will be over.

So, if there's something you've been thinking about, now's the time to go shopping!

And while you're there, don't forget that the Occasions Mini launched yesterday.

Just click on the "go shopping" image in my left hand sidebar and you're on your way!

Happy Stampin'!

Flower Fancy for the Stampin' Queens

Happy Wednesday my friends and Happy Hump Day! If you work outside the home, you're on the downside of the week. Friday will be here before you know it!

As for me, I'm counting down the minutes till the kids are back in school! With Christmas falling as it did this year, the kids didn't have their last day of school before the break till December 23rd. That means they don't go back till January 9th!! I KNOW that it's still the standard two week break, but it just seems to be dragging on FOREVER! Thank goodness I have my stamps to keep me sane! :)

Today's card features Flower Fancy, one of my favourite two-step stamping sets:

I started off by using Melon Mambo and Garden Green markers and the direct to rubber technique to stamp the outline of the image. Then I reached for my Wild Wasabi and Pretty in Pink markers to stamp the "middles". I didn't use my Stamp-a-majig (though if you're coming to class on Saturday, I'll have it with me) and my stamping was a teeny bit off, but I'm OK with that. It's one of the things I LOVE about two-step stamping. It doesn't HAVE to be perfect.

I added some colour to the edges of the Whisper White panels to soften them and then added a sentiment along the bottom of the image panel using a stamp from Bring on the Cake.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Flower Fancy and Bring on the Cake
INK: Garden Green, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi
PAPERS: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Punch

Happy Stampin'!

A peek at the Stampin' Queens

How has your new year been so far? Have you found some creating time? I have a class this coming Saturday and this is one of the cards we'll be creating. Want to join me? Click on the classes tab to check out the description - there's still a few spots left. :)

The card is also this week's card for the Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge. Here's your sneak peek:

It's pretty simple but simple is a GOOD way to start off the New Year! I'm hoping to simplify this year...let's see how that goes!

I do hope you'll come back tomorrow for the full reveal!

Oh...and P.S. Today is the LAST day for Holiday Mini orders! You can order from my online store here. There's still LOTS of fun things to make you stamp happy in the Clearance Rack too.

See you tomorrow!

Only a couple days left!

The Holiday Mini sales period is almost over! Did you get YOUR stocking punch yet? In an odd twist, Stampin' UP! has decided that the stocking punch will NOT be available for sale once the Holiday Mini ends. You have until January 3rd to get yours.

The good news is that some of the fun things from the Holiday Mini WILL be carrying over!

Seeing the Dazzling Details totally made my day! I'm not much of a glitter person, mostly because it's SO messy! But I love the Dazzling Details because I can add glitter and not have any mess. It's a win-win!

The Occasions Mini starts on January 4th - prepare to be amazed!!!! If you don't have a copy of the Occasions Mini yet, I'll be ordering some soon! Let me know and I'll put one in the mail for you (Canadian addresses only).

Happy Stampin'!

Let's Get This Party Started!!!

January 2012 Reasons to Stamp

MONTH-LONG OBSERVANCES

Apple and Apricots Month

Artichoke and Asparagus Month

Bath Safety Month

Be Kind to Food Servers Month

Book Blitz Month

California Dried Plum Digestive Month

Carnival Season

Celebration of Life Month

Eye Care Month

Family Fit Lifestyle Month

Financial Wellness Month

International Change your Stars Month

International Creativity Month

International New Year’s Resolution Month for Businesses

International Quality of Life Month

International Wayfinding Month

International Wealth Mentality Month

National Be on Purpose Month

National Bird Feeding Month

National Birth Defects Prevention Month

National Blood Donor Month

National Braille Literacy Month

National Cervical Cancer Screening Month

National Clean Up Your Computer Month

National Get Organized Month

National Glaucoma Awareness Month

National Hobby Month

National Hot Tea Month

National Mail Order Gardening Month

National Mentoring Month

National Oatmeal Month

National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month

National Polka Month

National Poverty in America Awareness Month

National Radon Action Month

National Skating Month

National Soup Month

National Stalking Awareness Month

National Staying Healthy Month

National Thank You Month

National Thyroid Awareness Month

National Volunteer Blood Donor Month

Rising Star Month

Self-Health Group Awareness Month

Self Love Month

Shape Up US Month

Tubers and Dried Fruit Month

WEEK-LONG OBSERVANCES

First Week

Celebration of Life Week

Diet Resolution Week

National Folic Acid Awareness Week

National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week

New Year’s Resolution Week

Silent Record Week

Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week

Women’s Self-Empowerment Week

Second Week

Cuckoo Dancing Week

Elvis Presley Week

Home Office Safety and Security Week

International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week

Kid Film Week

Law Enforcement Training Week

National Soccer Coaches Week

National Thank Your Customers Week

National Vocation Awareness Week

School Crossing Guard Week

Universal Letter Writing Week

Third Week

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days

Christian Unity Week

Healthy Weight Week

Hunt for Happiness Week

International Printing Week

National Book Week

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

National No Tillage Week

Slam Dance Week

Special Education Week

Fourth Week

Clean Out Your Inbox Week

Health Awareness Week

Junior Achievement Week

Kid Film Festival

National Activity Professionals Week

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week

National Handwriting Analysis Week

National Medical Practice Week

National Nuclear Science Week

National Nurse Anesthetists Week

National Take Back Your Time Week

No Name Calling Week

Women in Blue Jeans Week

World Leprosy Week

Fifth Week

Catholic Schools Week

Intimate Apparel Week

Meat Week

January 1st

Betsy Ross's Birthday (1752)

Bonza Bottler Day (1/1)

Copyright Law Day

Ellis Island Aniversary (opened in 1892)

Emancipation Proclamation Anniversary (1863)

Euro Day

First Foot Day

Global Family Day

J.D. Salinger's Birthday (1919)

J. Edgar Hoover’s Birthday (1895)

Kid Inventors Day

Le Jour de l'An – French New Year

Mummer’s Parade

New Year’s Day

Paul Revere's Birthday (1735)

Polar Bear Plunge

Saint Basil’s Day

Z Day

January 2nd

Boo Boo Bear's Birthday (Yogi's little buddy)

Drinking Straw Patented in 1888

55 MPH Speed Limit Day

Happy Mew Year for Cats Day

National Buffet Day

National Motivation and Inspiration Day

National Personal Trainer Awareness Day

Rose Bowl GO BADGERS!!!!

Run Up The Flagpole, See if Anyone Salutes Day

Science Fiction Day

Thank God It's Monday Day

Tournament of Roses Parade

January 3rd

Drinking Straw Day

Festival Of Sleep Day

Humiliation Day

J.R.R. Tolkien's Birthday (1892)

National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day

Victor Borge's Birthday (1909)

World Braille Day

January 4th

Dimpled Chad Day

Elizabeth Ann Seton's Birthday (1774)

Humiliation Day

Isaac Newton's Birthday

Jakob Grimm's Birthday (1785)

Louis Braille's Birthday (1809)

Michael Stipe's Birthday (1960)

Phyllis Naylor's Birthday (1933)

Pop Music Chart Day

Spaghetti Day

Sterling Holloway's Birthday (1905)

Tom Thumb Day

Trivia Day

World Hypnosis Day

January 5th

Bean Day

Jill Stuart’s Birthday (1965)

National Bird Day

Robert Duvall’s Birthday (1931)

January 6th

Armenian Christmas

Carl Sandburg's Birthday (1878)

Cuddle Up Day

Epiphany or 12th Night

Joan of Arc's Birthday (1412)

National Tempura Day

Rowan Atkinson's Birthday (1955)

Sherlock Holmes' Birthday (1854)

Three Kings Day

January 7th

Argyle Day

Earth Rotation Day

Harlem Globetrotter's Day

I’m Not Going to Take it Anymore Day

International Programmers Day

Kenny Loggins' Birthday (1948)

Old Rock Day

Orthodox Christmas

January 8th

Bubble Bath Day

Carolina Herrera’s Birthday (1939)

David Bowie's Birthday (1947)

Elvis Presley's Birthday (1935)

Fruitcake Toss Day

Learn to Ski Day

Male Watcher’s Day

Midwife's Day

National English Toffee Day

National Joy Germ Day

Rock N Roll Day

Show and Tell at Work Day

January 9th

Balloon Ascension Day

Dave Matthews’ Birthday (1967)

Kate Middleton’s Birthday (1982)

National Apricot Day

National Clean Off Your Desk Day

National Static Electricity Day

Play God Day

Positively Penguins Day

Stepfather’s Day

Stephen Foster Day

January 10th

First Meeting of United Nations (London-1946)

Jim Croce's Birthday (1943)

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day

Peculiar People Day

United Nations Day

Where’s the Beef Day

January 11th

Alexander Hamilton’s Birthday (1755)

Cigarettes are Hazardous to Your Health Day

Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day

January 12th

Charles Perrault’s Birthday (1628)

Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day

Jack London's Birthday (1876)

John Singer Sargent’s Birthday (1856)

John Winthrop’s Birthday (1588)

National Pharmacist Day

Rush Limbaugh's Birthday (1951)

Secret Pal Day

Work Harder Day

January 13th

Blame Someone Else Day

Friday the 13th

International Skeptics Day

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' Birthday (1961)

Make Your Dreams Come True Day

Michael Bond's Birthday (1926)

Poetry Break Day

Public Radio Broadcasting Day

Rubber Duckie Day

January 14th

Albert Schweitzer's Birthday (1875)

Caesarean Section Day

Coming-of-Age Day (Japan)

Miss America Pageant

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

Nina Ricci’s Birthday (1883)

Organize Your Home Day

Ratification Day

January 15th

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

First Super Bowl 1967-won by Green Bay Packers

Get to Know Your Customers Day

Humanitarian Day

Margaret O' Brien's Birthday (1937)

National Hat Day

Religious Freedom Day

Women in Blue Jeans Day

January 16th

Appreciate a Dragon Day

Hot and Spicy Food Day

Martin Luther King Day

National Nothing Day

Sade's Birthday (1959)

World Religion Day

January 17th

Anne Bronte’s Birthday (1820)

Anton Chekov’s Birthday (1860)

Benjamin Franklin's Birthday (1706)

Betty White’s Birthday (1922)

Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Day

Cable Car Day

Customer Service Day

Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day

Hot Heads Chili Days

Judgment Day

Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day

Shari Lewis' Birthday (1934)

Vidal Sassoon's Birthday (1928)

January 18th

Cary Grant’s Birthday (1904)

Daniel Webster’s Birthday (1782)

Do Dah Parade Day

Jane Horrocks’ Birthday (1964)

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

Peter Roget's Birthday (1779)

Thesaurus Day

Winnie the Pooh Day – A.A. Milne's Birthday (1882)

January 19th

Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday (1809)

Get to Know Your Customers Day

National Popcorn Day

Paul Cezanne’s Birthday (1839)

Paula Deen’s Birthday (1947)

Robert Palmer’s Birthday (1949)

Thomas Kinkade’s Birthday (1958)

Tin Can Day

Women in Blue Jeans Day

Women’s Healthy Weight Day

January 20th

Camcorder Day

Cheese Day

Inauguration Day

International Fetish Day

National Buttercrunch Day

National Disc Jockey Day

January 21st

Christian Dior (1905)

Ethan Allen’s Birthday (1738)

National Hugging Day

Squirrel Appreciation Day

Steven Hignite's Birthday (My Son)

January 22nd

Answer Your Cat’s Question Day

Bill Bixby's Birthday (1934)

Celebration of Life Day

Diane Lane’s Birthday (1965)

Graham Kerr’s Birthday (1934)

National Blonde Brownie Day

Sir Francis Bacon's Birthday (1561)

January 23rd

Chinese New Year

Edouard Manet’s Birthday (1832)

John Hancock's Birthday (1737)

Measure Your Feet Day

National Handwriting Day

National Pie Day

Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day

January 24th

Beer Can Appreciation Day

Belly Laugh Day

Edith Wharton’s Birthday (1862)

Ice Cream Bar/Eskimo Pie Day

Mary Lou Retton’s Birthday (1968)

National Compliment Day

Square Dance Day

Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day

TV Game Show Day

Warren Zevon's Birthday (1942)

January 25th

A Room of One’s Own Day

Better Business Communication Day

Dean Jones' Birthday (1931)

Etta James’ Birthday (1938)

Macintosh Computer Day

National Speak Up and Succeed Day

Opposite Day

Robert Burns’ Birthday (1759)

Virginia Woolf’s Birthday (1882)

World Leprosy Day

January 26th

Anita Baker's Birthday (1958)

Australia Day

Bob Uecker's Birthday (1935) Voice of the Brewers

Chinese New Year

Cockroach Race Day

Lotus 1-2-3 Day

Michael Chiarello’s Birthday (1962)

National Peanut Brittle Day

Paul Newman's Birthday (1925)

Spouse’s Day

Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement

January 27th

Auschwitz Liberation Day

Chocolate Cake Day

Donna Reed's Birthday (1921)

Fun at Work Day

Holocaust Memorial Day

Jerome Kern’s Birthday (1885)

Lewis Carroll's Birthday (1832)

Mikhail Barysknikov's Birthday (1948)

National Preschool Fitness Day

Punch the Clock Day

Thomas Crapper Day

Viet Nam Peace Day

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Birthday (1756)

January 28th

Arthur Rubenstein's Birthday (1860)

Bill Peet's Birthday (1915)

Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion Anniversary (1986)

Clash Day

Colette’s Birthday (1873)

Data Privacy Day

Jackson Pollack's Birthday (1912)

National Kazoo Day

National Seed Swap Day

Rattlesnake Roundup Day

Rosemary Wells' Birthday (1943)

Thank a Plug-In Developer Day

January 29th

Carnation Day

Curmudgeon’s Day

Freethinker’s Day

Fun at Work Day

Katharine Ross’ Birthday (1942)

National Cornchip Day

National Puzzle Day

Seeing Eye Dog Day

Thomas Paine’s Birthday (1937)

January 30th

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

Child Labor Day

Dick Cheney's Birthday (1941)

Escape Day

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Birthday (1882)

National Inane Answering Machine Message Day

National Write to Congress Day

January 31st

Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day

Backwards Day

Inspire Your Heart With The Arts Day

Jean Simmons’ Birthday (1929)

Minnie Driver’s Birthday (1971)

National Seed Swap Day

Suzanne Pleshette’s Birthday (1937)

Zane Grey's Birthday (1872)

As always, special thanks to Jane Hignite for this AWESOME list!