My Digital Studio

I've been busy! Getting ready for a Christmas craft fair, holding classes, and using My Digital Studio! Today I want to show you the first card I made using MDS. It's so much fun to use and a great design tool.

I used Real Red cardstock for the base and DSP from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin Kit (not just for scrapbooking!) The snowflakes are from the Snow Burst set (it's retired but one of the advantages of MDS is that it includes some of the retired sets!) The sentiment is using a font from my own computer - Monotype Corsiva. The ribbons and brads are all part of the MDS and never run out!!

My Digital Studio is really user friendly - I started loading the program at 3 pm, and finished the card less than an hour later. AND I'm no computer wizard by any stretch of the imagination.

I hope you like it! I'll be back soon with photos of projects I'm making for the craft fair.
Happy Stamping!
Carol

Canadian Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving holiday in Canada is October 12th this year (always the second Monday of October). We'll be having roast turkey with all the trimmings, plus apple and pumpkin pie. We have so much to be thankful for here in North America and I decided to use that as a theme for one of my classes.

One of the projects I did at our last 3-D class was this Gratitude Journal. I've seen a variety of this type of journal around and thought it would be fun to create a personalized one. I chose the Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper from the annual catalogue (love these maple leaves and the colours in general). The books were purchased at a craft store and then we used the DSP to alter the cover and decorate divider pages that we added using Stampin' Up!'s spiral punch which works perfectly for the double wire binding.

Inside I divided the lined pages into five sections. The first was labelled 'Thoughts' using the Round Tab punch. Here I plan to include thoughts on gratitude - both from quotes as well as my own.

The next section is labelled "People" and here I will write about the people I am grateful to have in my life and why.

The third section is labelled "Things" and while I try not to be materially minded, there are things that I greatly appreciate! Think washers and dryers, electricity, Stampin' Up! tools! I will record these here so that I don't take luxuries such as these for granted.

The next label is "Understanding" and here I hope to record what I have learned from and about gratitude and how it has changed my life.

Finally I have a section about myself, and the talents and skills that I am grateful to have and learned.

 

The book is 5x5 and all the pages are lined so it is small enough to keep on my night table or in my tote bag, and I think it looks really cute with the DSP and tags!

Everyone who made one at class chose their own themes for the sections. One young girl decided she was going to make it all about her Dad and why she was so thankful for him. Another lady was going to divide it using her grandchildren's names and make notes of why she was grateful for them. Everyone had a different idea for how to use it and they were all really interesting. I hope you will find a use for a book like this too.

Cheers

Carol

CHRISTMAS PLANNER - Altered File Folder

Here are the directions for making a file folder into a thing of beauty, plus it's useful too!

You start with a regular letter size file folder...

Fold it in half so that the tabs line up with each other like this:

Use your bone folder to make a sharp crease as it will want to keep reverting to the original crease.

Now fold it in half, lining up the fold at the bottom of the tabs, as shown here:

Crease it sharply and then open it out flat. Fold up the bottom section so that the bottom comes to the top of the shortest tab:

This is actually folded up on the wrong side in this photo so you can do it the opposite way, in any event it will work itself out when you fold it all together...

See how the short tab is on the right hand side above... well I actually want that to be the front of my planner not the back page, so if you flip the bottom fold to the other side the back page becomes the front page and it works.... clear as mud, right?!

You can leave it accordian style, but I prefer to attach the centre fold together with sticky tape so that it looks like the completed project on the right:

Now all you have to do is decorate your basic planner with stamps and/or Designer Series Paper, and labels. I printed the labels I wanted onto Whisper White cardstock with my computer and then attached them to the planner. Here is how the inside looks:

I attached calendars for November and December on the left so that I could mark the days that I have committments - workshops, classes, parties, family events, etc. The pocket at the bottom will hold invitations, and other info I'll need (time, directions, etc.)

I have a section for recipes and menus because I always run across things I want to try at Christmas parties (if the hostess will share her recipe!!) and sometimes I clip things from magazines and newspapers too.

In the third section I have tucked an envelope (don't you love the red!!) to hold receipts for Christmas gifts in case something has to be returned or exchanged (my fault for choosing incorrectly so I want to be able to fix it!) The last section has a list with gift recipient's names and ideas for their special gift.

I hope you'll give this a try. It's really easy and fun! And if you would like to have it as a class, just give me a call!
Cheers
Carol

More Samples from Mini Convention

It's so inspiring to share ideas with other crafters, I'm re-energized! There were so many impressive 3-D projects on display that I want to re-create. Look at these:

This scene is made with our clear Window Sheets and snowflake rub-ons.

This Christmas tree was stunning in real life, but loses something in the photography. It is made with the Bigz XL "Pennant" die in the Big Shot, along with the "Join in the Cheer" die and the Snowflakes die and punch.

I'd better get busy!!

YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN MY TEAM

Have you ever considered becoming a Stampin' Up! Demo? It's an interesting, challenging business you can run from your own home, on your own schedule. And now Stampin' Up! has added another Starter Kit that includes the "My Digital Studio" - a computer program that does more than digital scrapbooking, you can make cards, calendars, videos and movies too! All using SU's colour families and products.

If you would like more information just contact me, I'd love to have you on my team!

Cheers
Carol

Mini Convention

Last Saturday I attended a mini convention here in Truro with 40 other Stampin' Up! Demos. It was such fun, and sooo inspiring. We each provided samples of our work for display and here are some of the beautiful cards I photographed.

I love the colours in this one. The Stamp set used is "Autumn Splendour" from the Holiday Mini.

And isn't this one adorable! She used the Sizzix Scallop Circle for the base, and the stamp set is "Great Friend" from the Idea Book & Catalogue.

This one is made with the "Herb Expresseions" stamp set, my next 'must have'! The Designer Series Paper is from the "Thoroughly Modern" package.

I'll have more items to show you from the convention soon!

In the meantime be sure to check out the new Deals of the Week and the Clearance Rack available on my SU website: http://www.attherookery.stampinup.net/:

Cheers

Carol

AND THE WINNER IS...

I had such a great response to my Staples Small Business Display that I decided to give TWO prizes!

This is Mike Tapp, Business Support Manager at the Staples Business Depot in Truro drawing the first name......

LAUREL HEBERT!

And here is Mike drawing the second name.............

MICHELE ROGERS!

Each winner receives a 2009/10 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue and a $25 Gift Certificate for Stampin' Up! products.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit my display and enter the contest.