New Fall/Winter Catalog is here!

The new catalog is fabulous!! Lots of cute stamp sets and Stampin' Up! really outdid themselves with the patterned papers this time! They are a must-have (and you can expect to use some of these in upcoming classes!!). There are new punches, new hardware, new scrapping kits, new In Colors, new ribbons! It is just fabulous, I tell you!!

Now, if that isn't exciting enough for you, Stampin' Up! is also offering these incredible deals through Sept. 30th: Save 15% on new stamp sets. They have never before done this!! Here is the info for you: Never Before Seen Sale

(Okay, I have tried and tried to post the chart, but I can't do it - very frustrating! I asked several friends, but copying and pasting is not working for me! So, you will have to click on the above link to see the prices for the sale.............sorry! I am going to figure this out yet!! Gggggrrrrrr..............)

The next thing I want to tell you about is the new Fall/Winter sampler. (Some of you will be receiving this in your mail soon). Those of you that don't can pick one up from me. Hang onto these. If you look on the back cover you will notice specials. These are good throughout the life of the Fall/Winter catalog. So don't lose these.
For instance: There is a Hostess incentive from Oct. 1 - Nov. 30, 2008 - if you host a $350 workshop, you get to choose one stamp set from the Fall/Winter sampler for free!

And last, if you have ever thought of becoming a demo, now is the time! Stampin' Up is offering a $99 mini starter kit! You have your choice of 3 mini-starter kits when signing up as a demo! Here is the flyer.

I know this is a lot of information all at once, but I wanted to get it out to you. Hopefully, NOW I can take some time to stamp a card for my next post! (And hopefully I can figure out how to post charts and tables in this dumb blog!!! It is not fun being computer-challenged!!! I need a kid to help me!)

Well, well, well.......here it is the end of July and I still have not updated my blog!! Bad Paula!! I have been very busy searching for a new job! If anyone knows of one, please let me know, okay??? But that's no excuse for deserting all of you, so let's see a card already!!

Okay, well, I made this card for a very good friend of mine. She and I used to work together, but we have been separated by the powers-that-be. We will always be friends, but it is hard not seeing and talking with someone every single day like you have for years. This card started out as a sketch challenge to myself, but it slowly turned into something not even remotely resembling the sketch, so I won't bother showing you that here! It is very simple, but I love the card and I did finally get it sent off to my friend, so now I can share it with you all. Enjoy!!!


Recipe:

Stamps: Moose You

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Basic Black CS, PP

Accessories: Twill Ribbon (Old Olive), HodgePodge Hardware

Noble Deer

Hello All!
Thought I would finally get back here to post something for you! So much for once a week, huh?? I will have to work on my timing!! Life just gets too busy for me sometimes (seems like ALL the time!).

I have one announcement that I forgot to put in my newsletter: Stampin' Up! is retiring their 3 current styles of HodgePodge Hardware and they are on sale for 25% off until August 10th or while supplies last (these styles are retiring only - i.e. copper, brass, and pewter - the HodgePodge Hardware itself will remain). If you would like to order please e-mail me.

Now, onto the fun! I am posting another Sketch Challenge from SCS for you - you can check it out here Sketch Challenge 181. I also used the Color Challenge 171, which is using the colors Soft Sky, Basic Black, and Kraft.


Here is my card:

I used the Basic Black as my background and added a layer of Soft Sky card stock which was stamped with the Sanded background using Creamy Caramel ink.


I stamped the image from Noble Deer (this is a retiring set) and colored in with markers. I layered onto the Basic Black and Kraft card stocks and added the Rub-on sentiment and Vintage brads. Not too shabby!!
It makes a nice masculine card.
I always need Thank you cards, so I am making a lot of these lately!


Recipe

Stamps: Noble Deer, Sanded
Ink: Basic Black, Creamy Caramel, Markers
Paper: Soft Sky, Basic Black, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Vintage Brads, Rub-ons

And here is the sketch for you all to try! (Remember - you don't have to use these colors - I am really challenging myself to do both challenges together - not so easy sometimes!)

I'm Baaaacccckkkk!!!

I bet you missed me, didn't ya????? I have had a little excitement/stress in my life lately and just haven't had the time to create something of my own until now! But I had a friend come over today and we just stamped all day. Now I have some things to show you! I don't want you to get too excited, so I will just post one today...............you will have to check back later to see the rest! Hehehe...........

I did another SCS (Splitcoast Stampers) sketch challenge and color challenge combined. I am finding that combining the 2 challenges is not so easy sometimes! But I managed to get it to work with this card. Like I said in an earlier post, I am trying to do these to challenge myself to become more creative on my own, instead of having to copy everything. I think it will help......................................eventually!

So, without further ado, here is your card for today - this is Sketch Challenge 180 (SC180) and Color Challenge 170 (CC170) (you can check these links to see everybody's cards). The colors are Real Red, Regal Rose, and So Saffron - these are most definitely not my favorite colors, so this was a real challenge for me!! But I overcame and here are the results:

The picture is not so great either - I am still working on learning how to take decent pictures of cards, get the lighting right, etc, but you get the gist.

I colored the flower from True Friend with my Real Red and Garden Green markers and then stamped it on Whisper White cardstock. I used a scrap of Designer Series Paper from the last catalog on the card base (just something from my scrap pile), because it was the only thing that matched the So Saffron. I am telling you, trying to keep in their color schemes is not always so easy! I also used a Rub-on for the sentiment because it was easy and it fit the space! Perfecto!!

I hope you like it!

I am posting the sketch so you can see it - give it a try (you don't have to follow the color scheme - I am just combining two different challenges together). Have fun!!!

Recipe:

Stamps ~ True Friend

Ink ~ Real Red and Garden Green Markers

Paper ~ So Saffron, Real Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White

Accessories ~ Gold Brads, Rub-ons

French Riley

This is SplitcoastStampers (SCS) sketch challenge for this week. I am telling you - this being creative on my own is going to be hard!!! I think I spent about 5 hours getting this figured out! I need to get a little faster at this, don't you think??? (Truth be told, I was doing laundry and surfing the web during that time too). But I have to get up and move around during MY creative process, just to get the juices flowing again!

I also followed SCS's Color challenge for the week, which was Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and Real Red (CC169). That was very hard for me as these are not colors I would normally use. I like this having to think out of my little "box"! Just don't expect these posts more than once a week until I can gain some speed!!! You can go to the links I posted to see what others have done with these challenges. And please try them on your own! I think these are really helpful (for SOME of us more than others!!). I envy those truly creative people - I will never be one of those who can look at a blank canvas and come up with beautiful art! So the sketches and color challenges are very good for me!

Here is my card:



I wanted to make a card for my French tennis partner and coworker. His birthday is in June. But we are both facing layoffs this coming week, so we may not still be together when that day arrives, and our tennis days may be over. He and I have been partners for about 10 years now. We know each other so well on the court that we don't even have to talk. He calls me "Gazelle" and I call him "Frenchy". We laugh so hard together sometimes during tennis that we have tears in our eyes! I have learned most of the French curse words over the years, thanks to him! He is honestly one of my best friends, and I will miss him dearly if one or both of us are laid off. My tennis group is meeting for a "goodbye" lunch on Monday and I want to give this to him then.



I know this isn't a Stampin' Up! stamp, but they don't have a tennis-playing moose, or I would have used that!!! This is Riley. He is the creation of Hanna Stamps. She has lots of Riley's - check them out!!

I stamped him using black ink and colored in with markers. Then I used my Marvy punches to punch him out and I also punched out a scallop circle in Real Red to frame him. I used Blue Bayou ink for the Canvas background on Blue Bayou cardstock. The Mon Amie stamp comes from Stampin Up's Carte Postale set. I stamped this using Blue Bayou ink and then used the Word Window punch to create my greeting. The silver star brads are from the Silver HodgePodge Hardware set found in the Occasions Mini catalog (good until the end of June - LOVE this hardware set!!). (I put those stars on there because he is a star - just don't tell him I said that!!!). I think that's about it for my card for the week - hope you liked it!

Recipe:
Stamps ~ Riley tennis player (Hanna Stamps), Carte Postale (SU!), Canvas Bkgd (SU!)
Ink ~ Basic Black, Blue Bayou, Markers
Paper ~ Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories ~ Marvy punches, Word Window Punch, Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

One last thing to note - Stampin' Up! has announced that they are launching a "new line" of products to the demos later this month. I have no idea what it could be. There is a lot of speculation on the demo side of SCS, but I will not bore you with "what if"s". I will let you know as soon as I hear anything! How exciting!!

Stampin' Up! Fresh Cut Special

I wrote about this in the newsletter, but couldn't include the link at that time. So I wanted to show you more about this special for June.

Whether you're a customer or a hostess, June's sneak peek into the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog has something fresh and new just for you!

Customers:When you purchase the brand new, die-cut Fresh Cuts stamp set ($21.95), add on the coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes* for only $5! (You can also just purchase the Fresh-Cut Notes for $8.95).

Hostesses:Host a $400 workshop during the month of June, and receive the Fresh Cuts stamp set and coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes FREE--over a $30 value--in addition to your regular hostess benefits!

Contact me if you would like to place an order!

My very first blog post!

Welcome to my blog! I am so excited to finally post something here. I wanted to start this blog to keep in closer contact with you all. I am hoping that when Stampin' Up! adds specials mid-month, I can post them here so you don't have to wait until the next newsletter to know about them. But I also wanted to start a blog for 2 other reasons as well. First is so that I can share projects with you that you might want to try. Second is so that I can try to become a little more creative on my own. As you all know, most of the cards we do in classes are copied ideas from the SplitcoastStampers gallery. I am trying to challenge myself to step out and be more creative on my own. Not an easy feat for me! So, this will definitely be a learning curve on my part. Please be patient with me! But hopefully I will get better at this and will have more and more to share with you as time goes on.

So, for now I am going to try and do some of the challenges found on SplitcoastStampers website and a few other places. I encourage you all to try them as well. They do several challenges each week, but for now I am going to focus on the sketches and maybe the color challenges at the same time. I will post the sketches I am trying to copy here so you can give it a try as well. I would love to see what you come up with!

Now, for my first post, I am trying to do the SC177 sketch challenge, which can be found here. I have posted the sketch below. I also am using a color challenge, CC168, which can be found here - the colors are Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, and Chocolate Chip. For those who are interested, the new color challenges come out on Tuesdays and the new sketch challenges come out on Wednesdays. I probably will just do my own random thing, but I will always post a sketch for you to copy.

One last thing - I obviously have a learning curve with posting in this blog too - I wanted the sketch to be on top and my card below, but it didn't work out that way today. I will have to read a little more on this. Oh, and all the supplies will be Stampin' Up! unless I tell you otherwise (I may throw in some other stamps from time to time just for fun)!

For my card, I used Chocolate Chip card stock as my card base and layered it with Sage Shadow card stock. I stamped the bird from the Always stamp set onto Very Vanilla card stock with Chocolate Chip ink and colored him in with markers. I layered this onto Sage Shadow and then Chocolate Chip card stock and then added gold brads. This was layered over the base with some Afternoon Tea Designer Series Paper (found in the Occasions Mini catalog) and some wide grosgrain Chocolate Chip ribbon. Then I stamped the Thank You sentiment from the All Holidays collection with Chocolate Chip ink. As you can see, I turned the sketch on its side because it worked better with my bird this way. I hope you like it!!!

Recipe:
Stamps ~ Always, All Holidays
Ink ~ Chocolate Chip, various markers
Paper ~ Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Afternoon Tea DP
Accessories ~ Gold brads, Wide GG ribbon