MOTHER'S DAY SET

This is a set I made last week, and it combines the Envelope Mini Scrapbook with a card and a decorated tin for goodies. I used several different sheets of the Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper to make it all coordinate.

The cardstock is Not Quite Navy, Kraft (soon to be Crumb Cake), and Very Vanilla. The stamp sets used on the card are Vintage Vogue, For All You Do (inside sentiment), and All Holidays (Happy Mother's Day).

Along with making a belly band for the tin (which I ordered from the US), I glued a 1/2" strip of DSP around the bottom:

You can fill it with candies, or note cards, a lovely silk scarf, or whatever else you like!

The card is made with a 'Z fold' (I think that's the proper term - please correct me if I'm wrong.)

And because I didn't have Kraft ink I used the Sahara Sand marker to ink up the ivy type stamp. I love the Vintage Vogue stamp set because it is so versatile, and by using different colours and different stamp combinations you feel like you have 20 stamps instead of eight.

The inside of the card has a Very Vanilla section to the left where you can write your special message, while the main part has the lovely sentiment from For All You Do - perfect for a Mom!

The Not Quite Navy oval is made with the Big Shot and the Ovals die (largest of the three), the sentiment was punched out with the Curly Label punch.

Hope you like it - if so please leave a message.

USTAMP CONTEST

This is a card with a 'bird' theme - I'm entering a contest to win a free UStamp with Dawn & Friends (http://ustampwithdawn.blogspot.com/) and to enter I must post a card with a bird theme... Ta Da!

This card is made with the Friends 24-7 Stamp Set, and the wonderful To The Nines Specialty Paper. To The Nines is especially good for 3-D projects because of its extra weight, but it's also great for masculine cards. I've not put a sentiment on this card so that I can add one whatever need comes up! Hope you like it.

Now don't go to Cindy Lou's blog  and enter yourself, or you'll dilute my chances!!

SHAKESPEARE AND STAMPIN' UP!

Today is Shakespeare's birthday, and I raise my glass to him! He had knew all about how it feels to be a Stampin' Up! Demo:

"To business that we love we rise betime, And go to’t with delight."

Methinks he knows of which he speaketh - What say thou?

In closing:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
   If this be error and upon me proved,
   I never writ, nor no man ever loved. 

Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare

EARTH DAY 2010

It's Earth Day and here in Nova Scotia we are having our earliest spring ever! Our lawns are green, the daffodils and tulips are blooming, and the Magnolia tree is about to pop! Here are a few photos from my garden:

Our garden is totally organic, and we're always adding more shrubs, trees, and plants that will attract birds and other wildlife (and we're in the middle of town!)

I wish you all a wonderful Earth Day - take some time to go outside and commune with nature.

MINI ALBUM FOR BELLA

This little album is for my delightful and beautiful eldest granddaughter Bella who is almost five. She and her family vacationed in Hawaii this past winter, and this will be her very own remembrance of this special time. I've made mini albums for her before and she loves to show them to her friends and read them to herself before she goes to sleep, so I hope she will enjoy this one too.

I used Tempting Turquoise to represent the waters of Hawaii, and the other main colour is Melon Mambo to represent the flowers of Hawaii. I titled some of the pages and also put some blank title tags in one of our Rectangle Glassine envelopes on the inside bag cover so that Bella could choose her own words.

There's a lovely new stamp set in the upcoming Summer Mini that would be a perfect compliment to this mini. I may just have to send it to Bella too!

APRIL CLASS PLANNER SNEAK PEEK

My April class planner will be posted on the website soon for you to purchase, but I can't wait to give you a sneak peek!

SUMMER SOFT GET WELL CARD

In contrast to the last post, this card is definitely soft and feminine and very spring-like.

The cardstock used is So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White. The ribbon is So Saffron Grosgrain, the brads are Pretty in Pink. The sentiment is from Sincere Salutations and the flower image from  Upsy Daisy. We also used the Corner Round punch on several pieces (I missed some on this one!!) The Designer Series Paper is from the Occasions Mini and called Shades of Spring. Some of the sheets are very bold but they are usually off-set on the opposite side with a gentler image, and the pink & saffron stripes are one of those.

GET WELL CARD FOR A MAN

This is another card from the All Occasions class. This time I wanted a card specifically for a man and I think it succeeded!

Certainly Celery and Soft Suede are a wonderfully restful combination, just what you need when you're not feeling the best. The image is from Nature Silhouettes, and the sentiment from Upsy Daisy. We also used three wraps of the Linen Thread to give it more texture. Inside we stamped "Get Well Soon" and the image of the wolf.

THANK YOU CARDS

There's nothing more special than receiving a thank you note in the mail, unless it's a handmade thank you note!
Here are two cards we made at the All Occasions card class this week:

This first one is an interesting folded card using More Mustard, Night of Navy, and Very Vanilla cardstock. The ink is Night of Navy, More Mustard and Old Olive. The flower is from the Charming Stamp Set and coloured with markers then stamped. We used the Bitty Background stamps to give the Very Vanilla a more vintage look, plus sponging the edges with More Mustard. The ribbon is Very Vanilla Taffeta ribbon. The sentiments are from the Level 3 Hostess set Kind and Caring Thoughts.

Here is the inside and you can see how the folds open:

The second Thank you card is a popular layout using the even more popular Designer Series Paper Cottage Wall. Plus I had to use the new Medium Jewelery Tag punch - it's so cute!

 The images on the card are from a Level 1 Hostess Set called Of the Earth. The ribbon is the Satin Old Olive, cardstock is Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry, and we also used the Scallop Trim Border punch (available in the new 2010/2011 catalogue coming in July!)

It's always good to have thank you cards on hand!

ONE MORE FRAMED ART

This is a photo of my 1st line team. You can tell by the smiles on our faces that we've just spent the day scrapping, stamping, and laughing!

Of course this was also after we had spent 20 minutes trying to get the timer on the camera to work. Beware ladies! I have blackmail photos of feet, tummys, and other assorted body parts that were not expecting to be photographed - plus a few of the floor and walls.

If you notice the flower on the green jacket - this was made by one of the team, in fact she made one for each of us, along with a box to store it in. What a great day!

(Have I convinced you yet how much fun it is to be part of a Stampin' Up! team? If you live in Canada and think you would like to join us, we'd love to have you! Email me for more information: carolmatthews@ns.sympatico.ca)

MORE "FRAMED ART"

This wonderful creation was made by Maree, another member of our team. Maree is originally from New Zealand and one of the many things we love about her is her awesome accent! Thanks Marie for this super Framed Art!

Wouldn't this be a great inspiration piece to take to workshops and classes to show crafters!

THE COLOUR RENOVATION IS HERE!

Stampin' Up! has announced that in our new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue that is coming out in July we'll be introducing a COLOUR RENOVATION!!  

Colour Families will be changed to Colour Collections, and instead of 12 colours in each family, there will be 10 colours in each collection. Plus, some of the retired "In Colours" are coming back, while some of the regular colours will be retiring. 

I want to share with you what the New Colour Collections will look like, I love them!

Click on the links on the right hand column...

Can you find the returning colours? The new colours? And guess what! Kraft is now called  "Cake Crumb"!

Now that you know what is staying and what is going, if you need to stock up on a retiring colour be sure to contact me to order before June 30th!

OUR "ASI" CREDO

Our team challenge this past quarter was to make some 'framed art' and bring it to our quarterly meeting. Well Linda, one of my team, did more than that. She created a CREDO for our team and framed it. This photo doesn't do it justice, but you'll get the idea! Thanks so much Linda!

Isn't it awesome!

A FREE GIFT FOR YOU! ***Ends April 30, 2010)***

I'm in a particularly happy mood today - we had a wonderful meeting of our Atlantic Stampers Ink team yesterday and I will be sharing items from that later in the week. Plus it was so much fun to get together with my very special ladies and spend the day learning, sharing, and laughing! And finally my husband comes home this evening after a week of golfing in South Carolina (yes I know, poor guy!)

So to celebrate this terrific day and spread the 'happy' around I'm going to give you a FREE copy of the directions for the Envelope Mini Scrapbook that we made at our team meeting yesterday. If you would like to receive it, please email me and I'll send it off within 24 hours and most likely sooner! Here's a photo. Enjoy!

 

If the above link doesn't work you can reach me at carolmatthews@ns.sympatico.ca

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON "NO HOUSEWORK DAY?"

Can you tell I'm enamoured with this special day? I've been telling everyone I meet! I hope you've announced it too, especially to those people who feel it is your duty to keep the house tidy...

Anyway, I'm going to lunch with Linda, one of my team, then I'm travelling to the big city to have dinner with Jenn, one of my daughters, and topping off the day by taking a stamping class! What a luxury to take the class instead of give it. Plus I learn lots too.

So I hope you've planned something for your special No Housework Day. Remember the rubber stamping credo:

"A Tidy House Means a Lazy Stamper!"

Happy Stamping!
Carol

PS Don't forget to tell me what you're doing on this special day!

STOP THE PRESSES!

I've just learned that Wednesday, April 7th, is NO HOUSEWORK DAY!!! Sorry for shouting but now that's a day to celebrate!! Mind you I celebrate No Housework Day a lot more often than that, but it's nice to know that at least one day is officially sanctioned!

So I went looking for clip art to round out my message and look at what I found!

Who are these skinny smiling women?!! What are they thinking?!!

I was expecting more:

 

and

Hmmm, I am definitely missing something. I love a clean tidy house too, I just hate getting it that way!!

So instead of doing ANY housework on Wednesday, I'll be doing this:

 and this

(alas, I won't be as skinny)
But most of all I'll be doing things like this:

If you need some ideas on how to spend No Housework Day, contact me!!  Whatever you do, make sure you have fun!

SNEAK PEEK STAMP SET AVAILABLE NOW!

Two-Step into Spring!

Promotion Dates: April 1-30, 2010 Hostesses Host a $460 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE! Item  Description  117062  Awash with Flowers (wood-mount)  120549  Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)  Customers Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the   2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection. Item  Description  Price  117062   Awash with Flowers (wood-mount) $52.95  120549  Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)  $36.95  Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary! Qualifying stamp sets are listed below: Item  Page  Description  Discount Price  113824  94  Greenhouse Garden  $27.96  113734  98  Fifth Avenue Floral  $26.36  111578  101  Flower Fancy  $39.16  113258  112  Trendy Trees  $19.16

BIRTHDAY BEAUTY

I have to confess, I love the frilly pink cards and here I am with another one:

This is made with Regal Rose and Whisper White cardstock, with liberal use of the new Scallop Trim Border punch. Don't worry - if you didn't earn it for free during Sale-A-Bration you will be able to purchase it when the new Idea Book & Catalogue 2010-2011 comes out in July!

I also used the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder (Occasions Mini). The hint of green is Old Olive - in the 1/4" grosgrain ribbon and the sentiment which is from the Well Scripted stamp set in the Occasions Mini.

I cut the card base at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", then trimmed the long side of the front cover by 3/4 so that the punched trim would show on the Regal Rose.

Hope you like it!

CLEARANCE RACK IS RESTOCKED

If some of you are pining for "In-Colour" that have been retired - take a look at the Clearance Rack at my Stampin' Up! store! There are buttons and ribbons and DSP, plus other goodies as well, all at amazing prices!
Check it out:






Items are only available while they last!

Orders must be made on-line from my store website to receive the discounted price!