MORE VALENTINE CARDS

Did you miss me? I've just returned from the Leadership Conference in Phoenix, and it was amazing! I have lots to share but first I want to show you two cards I created just before I left. This first card features the "Sending Love" Specialty paper in the Occasions Mini (page 13) This paper is gorgeous and comes complete with glitter! I experimented with mixing the bold designs and I really like how it turned out. The card stock colours used are Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, and Very Vanilla. I also used the Scallop Border punch that you can earn for free from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, and the Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch from the Occasions Mini. The sentiment is also a new set from the Occasions mini called "Well Scripted".

The next card uses the same "Sending Love" DSP, but I used a smaller print along with card stock in Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla. I used the Pinking Hearts Border punch, and retired satin ribbon in Chocolate Chip (we have new satin ribbons in the Occasions Mini in a whole variety of colours but they aren't quite as wide.) The flowers are from Flower Fushion in the retired colour Pink Pirouette, held together with a Real Red brad. The sentiment is again from "Well Scripted". There are lots of beautiful new products in the Occasions Mini so be sure to take a look! Call or email me to place an order.

Soon I'll be posting photos of swaps I received at Leadership, so stay tuned!

3-D Swap

I've only managed to pull together one 3-D item to swap, but I really like it. It's a style we used in a Christmas class, but this time I used a Valentine theme.

This is a combination card/mini album, and I used one sheet from the truly divine "Sending Love Specialty" paper in the Occasions Mini. One side of each sheet has glitter - I love it!! The other cardstock used is Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, and Real Red.

Inside I used punched hearts and borders, stamped messages, and love quotes I printed on cardstock using my computer printer.

I also used some of the new "Sweet Pea Stitched Felt". There are 52 pieces in five colours to mix and match. And although I used a lot of embellishments there is still room for personal messages or photos!

On the last page I attached a pocket which holds four 'Love Coupons' - always fun!

And I stapled ribbons to one end of the coupons so they are easy to remove.

I hope you like this fun little folder.

Carol

Last Swap Card

This card is as soft as the previous Valentine card was bold. The colours used are Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla, with a touch of Chocolate Chip ribbon to anchor it all.

Again I used the "Scallop Trim" corner punch and the polka dot impressions folder (both in the new Occasions mini). I also used one of the dies from the Sizzlit 4-pak "Lots of Tags", and the stamp set is "Charming". I used a sponge dauber and Pretty in Pink pastel to sponge the flower design.

Another Card to Swap

This card is for a Valentine Swap and I like the dramatic combination of Real Red, Basic Black, and Whisper White. There's nothing shy about this card!

The stamp set used is "A Happy Heart", plus the new "Scallop Trim Border" punch (you're going to see a lot of this one!). The background is the "Finial Press" textured impressions folder, and the hearts in the Scallop Circle Punch are found in the new Occasions mini.

When you lift the flap of the 'tic tac toe' design, you find the message.

Hope you like it!

Carol

Leadership Swaps

In the next few days I'll be sharing with you a variety of cards that I've made to 'swap' at the Stampin' Up!Leadership Convention. And that also means I'll have a whole new batch of cards to show you when I get back too!

The first one uses a new Occasions Mini stamp set called "Garden From the Heart". Most of you know that flowers and gardens are close to my heart so this set was a 'definite'. I've used the spring garden colours of Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla. I've also used the new "Scallaop Trim Border" punch from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue - you can obtain it by placing a $65 order and choose it as your treat! (See the Sale-A-Bration and Mini Occasion catalogues by clicking on the icons on the right hand column.) The matching corner punch is in the Occasions Mini, along with the butterly embosslit.

Oops! Forgot to mention the raised polka dot background is made with the new "Perfect Polka Dots" textured impressions folder.
Hope you like it!

Carol

It's Still the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Wow, just get over Christmas and the New Year celebrations and we're still having fun. The new Occasions Mini catalogue and the Sale-A-Bration catalogue go live on Tuesday! And there are so many neat new things to check out! Like gorgeous new punches...and beautiful Valentine DSP... and of course new stamps, but they are more than new - they are also available with Clear Blocks!!!

Now I'm a traditional kind of gal, and thought I'd try out a set of the clear block stamps just so I could give you my honest opinion... WELL, I Love Them!!! And it doesn't hurt a bit that they are less expensive than the traditional wooden block style (both styles are available in new stamp sets).

I'm off to Leadership this week, but if I can get my camera working I'll be giving you photos of the new products and cards I have made with them. Until then - take a peek at the catalogues (see - they are over there on the right hand column). If you want a copy of your own just let me know and you can pick them up at my studio!

ESPECIALLY FOR BIG SHOT OWNERS!

Wow - lots of treats for Big Shot owners, plus new colours of Decor Elements Vinyl! Visit my on-line Stampin' Up! store site to order. Simply click on 'order now' then click on the '12 days of holiday sales' in the left column. Or you can contact me to place your order. Have fun!

Things to Remember:

The sale begins Friday, December 11, 2009, 12:01 AM (MT), and ends Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 11:50 PM (MT).

Discounts range between 15-25 percent.

All items on sale can be purchased for all 12 days.

There are no quantity limits.

There are no qualifiers to receive the discount.

For online orders, discounts will be reflected in the "regular price"; "catalogue price" will show the non-discounted price.

Isn't it Pretty!

I've just had a new Blog banner designed by Laycock Designs, and I love it. Michelle is a fantastic designer and offers a multitude of services. You can visit her at http://www.laycockdesigns.com/. Tell her I sent you!

LAST MINUTE GIFTS

There are only 17 days left until Christmas! Can you believe it!
Do you still have loved ones to buy gifts for? Me too. Stampin' Up! has some last minute gift ideas, and if you contact me by December 10th (Thursday) they will arrive in time!


My Digital Studio is a great gift for all ages! They will love making scrapbook pages, cards, and calendars for themselves and friends using the simple software. Plus when you order this exciting software suite, you'll receive a free Décor Elements piece valued up to $22.95!

Simply Sent card kits are a great ready-to-wrap gift and have everything you need to complete 10 cards. This is the perfect last-minute gift for card makers or people you think may like making cards!

Anyone who has a Big Shot will want the Alphabet Simple Letters Bigz die. It can cut through a variety of materials including vinyl, chipboard, and felt. This makes a great gift for a seamstress who would like to sew custom appliquéd pieces on her projects, someone who wants to create her own vinyl phrases to personalize their home décor, or any paper crafter who uses letters. And when you purchase this item, you qualify for a free Décor Elements piece valued up to $22.95!

Add the final touch to your gift that says "I was thinking of you when I bought this gift" by personalizing it with Décor Elements. Add an Upsy Daisy Décor Elements to a laptop or cut it apart and apply it to a cell phone. Put all of the toys from Santa together in one container and add the So Many Toys Décor Elements to it, or use individual letters to add monograms and names to your gifts. These extra special touches won't go unnoticed.

Something different, something special, something to solve your shopping problems. You can order directly on-line or contact me through email or phone.

BUT - if you're looking for something for yourself, mark Friday, December 11 on your calendar as Stampin' Up! is releasing the 12 Days of Holiday Sales with many never-before-discounted items!

Beautiful Boxes

I'm always amazed at how easy boxes are to make - and how beautiful they can be. The first boxes are perfectly sized to hold ten 5 1/2 " x 4 1/4" cards, or a scarf, or other small gifts.

Both boxes have Holiday Lounge Designer Series Paper attached to the lids, and the snowflake on the blue box is Snowflake Die #2 and was cut out using the Big Shot.

The next box was designed to hold a small cake, cookies, or tarts. The plastic window allows the treats to be seen, and I love this wide striped ribbon. If I had known how lovely it was I would have been using it much sooner!

Unfortunately it was empty when it was photographed, but it will soon be filled with carrot cake to give to a neighbour!

That's all for today - I'll be back soon with more goodies!

Pretty Packaging

Last week I held classes on packaging for Christmas. We made 5 different projects and this is the first one - made from an empty Pringles potato chip can. It's a smaller size than normal (they were on sale for $1 per can), and will hold a dozen cookies, or peanut brittle, or chocolate bark, or non-food items as well.

I scored Real Red card stock at 1/2 inch intervals to give it more visual interest and attached it to the bottom sectioin of the can with sticky tape.  Then I used the Cocoa DSP for the top section - love those stripes! The ribbon is the Soft Suede polka dot.

The bow on the front is tied with the Soft Suede and 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon in Real Red and attached to the can with Mini Glue Dots. The ovals are cut using the Big Shot Ovals die, and the snowflakes are punched using our new snowflake punch. There is a red circle on top with two snowflakes attached.

I really like it and plan to make several to fill with extra little Christmas treats this year. I'll show you another idea for packaging tomorrow!

BACK AT LAST!

It has been a Very Busy Month - which is good, except that I haven't been posting regularly. I met a lot of new stampers, had a lot of fun, made a lot of projects, and now I want to show you some of what I've been up to!

November 14 and 15 I participated in the Festive Craft Market at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College - it's one of the major fundraisers for their sports organizations. So I spent many hours preparing for that. Along with selling crafts I also wanted to make contacts with new people and it was a wonderful weekend for that. I met dozens of people who either already scrapbook and create with paper, or people who would like to start, so I'm planning classes for the new year!

I didn't have a huge amount of crafts to sell and while the display looks a little sparse, it took a long time to prepare it all. In the end I had a successful weekend so I was pleased. This is my regular display:

And here is my Christmas display:

I must admit I was exhausted after it was over, and I'm glad to be back on a more regular schedule. The most popular items were the Gift Card holders! Wonder what it will be next time...

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!

Hey Stampers!

This is my holiday gift to you! Each day for twelve days I will be giving you new ideas to use for your holiday celebrations! My gifts will include card ideas, gift ideas, and wrapping and tag ideas-- a new one each day!

If you already subscribe to my newsletter you will receive the special URL address to view the gifts. If you're not already a newsletter subcriber you can join now - look for the sign-up link on the right hand column. Tell your friends! I love to give gifts!!


From Your "Christmas Carol"

Leather Look Tags

I was at a craft fair a couple of weeks ago and took along a few supplies to work on and demonstrate. Included were precut topnote dies in Kraft Cardstock, Soft Suede Classic Stampin pad, Winter Post Stamp set, Jumbo eyelets and my Crop-A-Dile. This is what resulted:

While my photography doesn't really show it that well, several people thought for sure I was using real leather for my tags because of the colour and the sponging that give it that effect. I was very pleased! I also have several people interested in making these tags because they are so easy.

Hope you like them!

Cheers
Carol

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