Today is The Day!

The new 2008 Fall & Winter Idea Book & Catalogue is now available, along with some exciting offers from Stampin' Up!

Take this for instance - a Never Before Seen Sale - 15% off brand new stamp sets.

And a new $119 Starter Kit Promotion for anyone interested in becoming a Stampin' Up! Demo.

AND On-Line Ordering will be available to everyone this fall. Simply log on to my website and order away!

For more details on all these exciting changes scroll down the page and you'll find the links in the right hand column. Enjoy!

I Won! I Won!

As is clearly evident, my blog has undergone a serious overhaul resulting in an extreme improvement - I can say that because I didn't do it! I had the wonderful good fortune to win a 'Blog Makeover' from Heather Wright-Porto, (www.blogsbyheather.com) assisted by Michelle Laycock of Laycock Designs (www.LaycockDesigns.com).

Heather has started a new business creating and maintaining blogs for busy (read computer illiterate) people like me. I was thrilled to win one of her 'Grand Opening' prizes, but didn't really know what to tell her I wanted done. Not to fear, Heather made it easy and fun. First she organized things so readers could find what was there - see the column on the right, you'll find a list of Categories that I will be adding to daily. Then she worked her magic so that all of my SU flyers actually link to the SU information!

Meanwhile Michelle had asked me what I wanted in my banner... hmmm, I wanted something pink, and something that showed Stampin' Up! products, and some of my samples. With that little bit of information she put it all together with lots of her creativity and now I have a beautiful new banner to introduce my blog.

Heather went back to work and tidied everything up, took out the unappealing background and added the lovely green borders and purple headings to co-ordinate with the banner. In the end she brought it all together in a beautiful way that makes me look good. Thanks Heather! Thanks Michelle! You both did a wonderful job!

Christmas in July

I love Christmas any time of year! And since it's been so hot and muggy here I thought I might cool down with some Christmas designs.

The first two cards use the Punch Pals stamp set.

I really enjoyed using my aquapen and wonder crayons to create these cards. The Dickens card is made with the "Keep Christmas" stamp set, and the Cardinal is from a retired set called "Christmas Cardinal."

Summer Stamping

Hi Everybody!

I've been having fun making a whole variety of cards the last few days, and I want to share them with you. Hope they inspire you to spend some time creating for yourself!




This pink card is made with designer paper and is a double fold design. The two pockets hold tags that have pockets on the bottoms. They are sized so you can tuck in gift card or a $$bill.

I really like this masculine card that I CASED from a swap. It works for Birthdays, Get Well, Thinking of You, Sympathy, almost anything.

Everything is made with Stampin' Up! stamps and materials.

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2007/2008 "IN" Colours & "IN" Colour Accessories Almost Gone...

I'm really going to miss River Rock and Purely Pomegranate (and Blue Bayou and Wild Wasabi and all the rest). So yesterday I decided to make a few simple cards using up some of my supply.

Sad times at my house

Normally I don't share non-stamping info here but I want to explain why I haven't been updating my blog recently. My brother passed away a few weeks ago and along with missing him terribly I have moved our mother into our home with my husband and I. Things are a little more settled now and I hope to be updating regularly in the future. Thanks for your patience!

New Product Line Announced!

Stampin’ Up! is now offering additional coordinating home décor products for making customized personal space easy, cost effective and flexible. Stampin’ Up! is introducing wall graphics, expressions, and lettering. The new product, Décor Elements™, will be available for order in July 2008.

You can add a striking element to your room for under $50 and 30 minutes time. Or decorate a mirror or photo frame for under $25 and 15 minutes time.

Be sure to check out the the brochure for ideas you can use in your own home!
http://www.stampinup.com/ca/documents/decorelements_web.pdf

Time to Retire....

Prior to every new catalogue Stampin' Up! retires several of its stamp sets to make room for new styles and trends. The list was released today, and these stamps will only be available until August 10/08. If you want to order them before they are gone, please contact me at carolmatthews@ns.sympatico.ca

A to Z Accents
All in a Row
All Through the Year
Amazing to Zany
Artfully Asian
Background Basics
Be Happy
Best Friends, Alphabet Lower
Best Friends, Alphabet Upper
est Friends Numbers
Big Pieces
Block Party
Blossoms Abound
Bud Basics
Care Postale
Check It Out
Circle of Friendship
Create A Coupon
Dare to Be Darling
Dilly-Dally
Dotted
Eat Cake
Elementary Essentials
Festive Favourites
Flannel Plaid
Flower Friend
Forever in My Heart
French Flair
Give Thanks
Glad Tidings
Greetings Galore
Happy Camper
Here, Kitty Kitty
It's Your Birthday
Just Like You
Labelicious
Little Pieces
All Monogram Lower Case letters
Much Appreciated
Never-Ending Joy
Noble Deer
Office Accroutrement
Peace to the World
Peaceful Wishes
Perennial Favourites
Polka Dots & Paisley
Polka Dots & Petals
Print Pattern
Property Lines
Rough Edges Mini-Alphabets
Sealed with a Kiss
Snowfall
Snow Flurries
The Snowflake Spot
So Happy
So Much
Stamp of Authenticity
Sweet Shapes
Sweet Thing
Tagger's Dozen
Touch of Nature
Trimtastic
Two Cute
Unfrogettable
Weathered
Whale Wishes
Wild Rose
Wildlife Reserve
Word Search
Yappy Day
Year after Year

"Fresh Cuts" Take II

Here are a few more cards using the 'Fresh Cuts' sneak peek stamp set. This time I've used the 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 greeting card size.

The first is done in Old Olive (yes I absolutely adore this colour) and Regal Rose bordered with Chocolate Chip. I 'dusted' the main image with creamy caramel, coloured the riot of petals with Regal Rose, and tied it up with a ribbon in the same pink.



The second uses Old Olive card stock and ink again but this time I've combined it with Blush Blossom for a very soft effect. I added Crystal Effects to the green leaves on the image, and used an oval piece from the silver hodgepodge to frame the sentiment.



Okay - are you ready? Here's a totally new colour scheme! Brilliant Blue and white.



I embossed the main design with white embossing powder on the Brilliant Blue cardstock, then used Brilliant Blue ink to stamp the vine and sentiment. Three half pearls give it some dimension. Do you think I should add a few more pearls? I can't decide...

Scrapbooking!

I love my scrapbooking class - the ladies make me work hard to keep ahead of them but it's so much fun I don't mind!



We had a travel theme this month and I heard about some fabulous trips. Here are two completed two page layouts - each with their own unique adaptations.



I'd better start working on next month's design!

Sneak Peek - "Fresh Cuts"

The sneak peak stamp set from the SU Fall & Winter Catalogue & Idea Book arrived and I've been having so much fun! It's a very versatile set, especially if you take advantage of the bundle promotion and purchase the gift cards as well.



First I made a very simple, quick card using the laser cut gift card and the two of the stamps from the stamp set. I used Pink Passion card stock behind the cut out, stamped the small flower in Lavender Lace and glued it to the centre along with a half pearl from the Pretties kit. I sponged the front of the card with Pink Passion and Lavender Lace and voila!



(Sorry about the photography - it was after midnight!!)

The second card was based on the 'Fresh Cuts' flyer design and I used Old Olive cardstock and a So Saffron designer series paper for the background. Scallops were made with the corner rounder punch, and I added an Old Olive felt flower and So Saffron button. (I know - it looks pink...)



The last card is my favourite (pink and green, what else!) and I CASED it from another demo.

I stamped the front of the card with the large background stamp using Certainly Celery ink. I then stamped the vines with Pretty in Pink. The laser cut was backed with designer paper in Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery card stock punched with the five-petal punch, and a round Rhinstone brad from the 'Ice' collection. A Pretty in Pink 1/4 grosgrain ribbon finished it off.



These cards are gift card size (4 inches by 4 inches) so they cannot be sent by mail. But my next post will show larger cards using the 'Fresh Cuts' stamp set.

If you like what you see you can order the stamp set and set of 15 gift cards and envelopes beginning June 1st! Just give me a call...

Card fun

It's been a hectic month but I'm finally able to post my latest samples.

I have to admit I'm getting 'antsy' for the new catalogue so I decided to dig out some sets and paper I haven't played with in a while.



The first is done almost entirely with Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper - simple, but very effective I think.

Then another simple card made with the background stamp 'Floral' embossed in gold.



One of my favourite sets, "Wild Rose", is used in the Perfect Plum/Pale Plum colour scheme.





Finally I used the 'Spring Song' set by embossing the hummingbird and flower in black and colouring in with my SU markers.



Then just when I couldn't stand waiting for new stamps any longer Stampin' Up! came out with a 'sneak peak' of a new stamp set that will be available in the Fall & Winter catalogue. It's gorgeous! Be sure to check back in the next week or so for some samples...

To Garden, To Garden...

After almost a week of rain, we have a beautiful, warm, sunny day! And my garden is calling to me to clean it up, add some compost, prune the rose bushes, etc. etc. Trouble is the ground is too wet to work on just yet. So I've done some gardening on my cards instead.


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As growing flowers is my other passion, it's not surprising that I have (or borrow) almost every flower stamp set that Stampin' Up! stocks.

This card is made with the 'Wild Rose' set. It's a two step stamp set and can be used for so many different occasions.

This one is for a friend of ours who is retiring. The cardstock is Regal Rose, Old Olive, and Very Vanilla. The inks used are Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, and Always Artichoke. The background stamps are 'Canvas' and the retired 'En Francais', with 'Circle Pals' sentiment. I also used the scallop punch and two sizes of circle punches.

The second card also uses the same colours, same layout, but a different rose stamp from the 'Wild Rose' set. I used silver Stickles for the centre of the roses. (Have I mentioned I'm a bit of a crow - I really do love sparkle.)



This card may become a Mother's Day card, or birthday, or anniversary, or just a note card. Without a specific sentiment it can be used for whatever you want.

If left to my own preferences 99% of my cards would be made pink, green, and white or vanilla colours. Good thing my Card Classes make me expand my horizons. Watch for the May 13th Card Class samples coming soon!

Back on Track after my trip to the UK

Although I had a wonderful time in the UK, I was happy to get home to my stamps and classes. And to some super SU news: The Occasions Mini Collection catalogue is being extended to June 30, so you (and I) still have time to pick up those stamps and embellishments that have been calling out to us!

AND (drum roll please) As of April 23rd, Stampin' Up! is accepting Visa and Mastercard for part or all of your purchases! Hopefully that will be more convenient for customers.

I'll soon be posting more scrapbook pages, but for now I have three cards I want to show you:

The first is a tribute to spring with the chickadee. The bird stamp is from the "Spring Song" set, and it's sort of a cross between a nuthatch and maybe a wren. (If someone recognizes its breed, please let me know!) As a birdwatcher it was driving me crazy so I made its head a little larger and lengthened its tail so that it could pass as a chickadee. The cardstock used in Old Olive, Real Rust, Basic Black, and Whisper White. I coloured the chickadee using the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Blender Pens. The sentiment is from 'All Holidays'.

The second card is copied from another demo (thank you for the inspiration!) and uses the delightful 'Tart & Tangy' stamp set, in particular the orange (or it could be a lemon or lime depending on which ink you choose). I used Pumpkin Pie Classic on Whisper White and cut the orange in half. The background cardstock is Wild Wasabi and Pumpkin Pie (stamped with the Canvas background stamp). The circle sentiment is from the 'Circle of Friendship' set, and punched with the 1" circle punch and the scallop punch. I used the white Signo Gel pen for the faux stitching.

I want to use the 'Tart & Tangy' set to make scratch and sniff cards too.

Finally, I used my 'Heartfelt Thanks' set (love it!) to create this Pretty in Pink and Old Olive card. The background is stamped with the single flower from the set, using versamark. Then I embossed it with white embossing powder and stamped them again with the outline stamp using Pretty in Pink Classic ink. The featured flower is also a two step stamp in those same colours, and I used my pastels and the sponge daubers to add more texture. The ribbon is Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain.

I'd love to hear what you think of them!

Til next time - Keep Stamping.

What a lovely Easter weekend! We received about a foot of snow overnight Friday and into Saturday - big surprise for everybody! But today dawned sunny and beautiful (but very cold and white!) We had family over to join us for Easter dinner and had a lovely time dying eggs and eating chocolate.

I haven't got my scrapbook pages up yet, but it will happen in the next couple of days as I have a class on Thursday night. For now I'm loading a couple of cards for your 'viewing pleasure'.

This first card was inspired by another demo - I've changed it slightly and used different embellishments.

The background and largest oval cardstock is Always Artichoke. The pink is Cameo Coral (although it looks stronger in the photo). The Designer Paper is Ginger Blossom with butterflies stamped on it. The butterfly and fern is from the Touch of Nature stamp set and stamped on Whisper White. I coloured the cut out butterfly with pastels and a blender pen. The flowers are from my new Pretties Kit and I coloured the tips of the petals with Cameo Coral pastel and dry sponge. The centres are brads from the Soft Subtles kit.

These cards were made for a swap and while they look simple, the detailing doesn't show up too well. (Gotta get a decent scanner so I can do this properly)

The base cardstock is Old Olive with Pretty in Pink matting and Whisper White to stamp. The stamp set is Artfully Asian, stamped in Old Olive and coloured with blender pens. I've used a darker pink (Pink Passion) for the flowers and given each centre a dot of white from the Signo Gel Pen. Then I've used Crystal Effects on all the flowers to give them some depth and shine. The cards are finished off with a Pretty in Pink 1/4 inch ribbon.

That's all for today. Hope spring has sprung where you live