OMGoodness! I have so much to share with you now that I've gotten used to my new Windows 7 PC and I'm finally feeling alive again after 2 1/2 weeks sick with a bad head cold.
Stampin' Up! is running their best ever promotion for new recruits. How about a FREE Big Shot! Or if you already have one, how about $100 in FREE Stampin' Up! products! Click on the photo below for more details. To join my team, contact me today! Or sign up at my website directly by clicking here and entering the code "stamps896" where requested.
ANOTHER OCTOBER SPECIAL OFFER FROM STAMPIN' UP!
Order any 2 Simply Sent kits from pages 192 and 193 in the Stampin' Up! 2011-12 Idea book and Catalog during October and get a free stamp set of your choice from the same 2 pages.
I have 2 kits on order and can hardly wait to make some cards. (Shh, don't tell her, but I'm going to make a gift set using these kits for our real estate agent who has been working really hard to get our short sale approved by the bank.) I've seen some really great samples shared by my fellow demonstrators where they have really gussied them up with trims and DSP. Below is a sample by Mary Fish, a fellow demonstrator, who's blog I really enjoy following. Hoping she doesn't mind me sharing this great card since I've linked the picture to her blog post. My kits are due here anytime. I'll share my samples ASAP.
AND FINALLY FOR THE COOKIE BAKER!
Stampin' Up! has just released "Sweet Pressed", the cutest cookie stamps. These can be used on ready to bake dough or freshly made dough. Click on the picture of more details. I'm thinking these might work great for handmade paper pulp to make darling ornaments or card/package embellishments (since I'm gluten free and I can't stand the temptation of having shortbread or sugar cookies in the house). Hmm, I'll get back to you on that.
OK, that's it for now. As always feel free to email me at boxer3086@sbcglobal.net if you have questions or you'd like to place an order through me/join my team and perfer personal contact instead of going directly through my website 24/7.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
Besides "Raindrops on Roses", I really enjoy the Stampin' Up! Designer Series Papers. In fact, I'd even say I'm in love with them. The wonderful patterns are exclusive to Stampin' Up! and the quality is superior to any other patterned paper I've used (and I've used a lot).
If you also love the Stampin' Up! Designer Series Papers, you need to take advantage of the current special. I sure am going to.
Dates: August 1-31, 2011
Promotion Details: During August, you will get a FREE package of Designer Series Paper when they buy three! This is a very limited-time offer so I suggest that you stock up on all your favorites, including brand-new designs from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog and the Summer mini catalog. You may order multipes of any pattern or they may be all different patterns.
To order, simply email me with your wish list and I'll reply with your total . . . OR . . . you may place your order directly on my website. While there, you can take advantage of the clearance rack and the grab bags available only through my website.
Questions? Please contact me anytime.
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle
Updated July 7th:Had a compatibility issues with IE9. All fixed now, so you can click on the catalog covers below. I will also be working on my sidebar icons this AM. So glad it was a simple to resolve issue!_____________________________________________________________________
Every July is so exciting, because it's when Stampin' Up! releases the new annual Idea Book & Catalog. Every year since I became a demonstrator in August 1996, Stampin' Up! has out-done themselves with each new catalog. Seriously! And this year is no exception.
Click hereto see the newly released online 2011-12 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog. You may view it at any time online and you may also download it onto your computer. I save a copy on a memory stick, aka thumb drive, because it is quite a large file. For a hard copy of this awesome book, contact me anytime for our very own.
Now that the catalog is live, you may order anything from it. Simply email me your wish list and I'll email you back with your total and any earned hostess benefits . . . OR . . . you may order directly through my Stampin' Up! website. Ordering direct is super easy, secure and so convenient. You can also take advantage of ordering from the clearance rack and the grab bags when you order directly on my website. Click here, then click on "SHOP NOW" in the upper right corner.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
Hope you're having an awesome summer. Thanks for stopping by, Michelle
Celebrando Creatividad 2011-12
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Please keep the following in mind:
Be sure to share this special offer with your paper crafting friends today so they too may get some great retired Stampin' Up! products at a huge saving! QUESTIONS? CONTACT ME ANYTIME! |
We've had some discussion going on in my Stampin' Up! upline's Yahoo group about the clear mount stamps not sticking to the clear blocks. There were lots of great suggestions as to how to remedy that little annoyance. Below is what I compiled this AM. You can click here to print the Word doc of what I compiled.
Remember, the clear-mount stamps from Stampin' Up! are made of the same high quality rubber as their wood-mount stamps. They have been adapted for clear block mounting with self-clinging labels. The clear-mount stamp sets are more economical since you don't have to pay for new blocks with every set. I love this! They are also a major space saver. Don't know about you, but my crafting space is quite limited.
Check out all of the Stampin' Up! stamp sets and their entire awesome line of paper crafting products by clicking here.
How to Make Clear Mount Stamps Stick to Blocks: Suggestions from “Udderly Awesome” Demos
"Make sure that the block is very clean, with no finger oils or anything on it. If it still won't stick you can try one of these 2 suggestions: 1) Put a tiny dab of water on the sticker side of the stamp and then press the block onto it with good pressure. Or 2) Put a few little dots of Tombow glue on the stamp and let it sit overnight - Stampin' Up said that it will come off when you are through."
"If the block and/or clear part of the stamp (with the pic on it) is cold or chilled, it will not stick to the clear block. You have to warm it up a bit with your hands. I have had to do this several times and it has always worked."
"I wipe my clear block with a damp cloth and then put the stamp on and it stays. Works like a suction."
"I have also just put a little tiny bit of DOTTO onto the block if the stamp is not sticking and the stamp stays on really well."
"The one thing I do when mounting a clear mount stamp to the block is: Rub the BLOCK on my pant leg or shirt sleeve back and forth about 10 times really rapidly ... that takes off any dust, oils, whatever and it tends to heat it up just a tiny bit … then with the rubber piece on my table, STICKER SIDE UP, just place the block down onto the rubber stamp and press for at least the count of 5 or 10. It takes a few seconds to really press them together good. I have never had a stamp fall off the clear block or had any trouble when doing the above."
"One thing I've been doing with the sticker is to trim the sticker as close as possible to the design and then put it on the rubber piece. Very often this gives you a little border around the image so that you have that added cling effect of no sticker around the edge, but you still have the image."
"I have decided to leave the labels off. It just doesn't stick as well with the label since it's no longer a "rubbery" surface."
QUESTIONS? Contact me anytime!
Have a great week, Michelle
I am having so much fun with My Digital Studio, MDS and I am so glad I bought it. It's so much faster than real paper crafting. Plus you can be more generous with the embellishments - brads, ribbons, etc. - since they new run out! And you can print your creations on your own color printer.
Below is the card I just created in MDS. I wasn't yet ready to face the mess in the kitchen or in my office/studio this AM, so I made this card instead of searching out my old favorite puzzle site. Every element I used in this card came with the program. And it doesn't have to be just a sympathy card. It can be made into a birthday card or any other sentiment that fits the top layer. Of course, the top layers can be re-sized to fit whatever sentiment you like.
One of the main reasons I ordered this program was to pre-design things before making it with real cardstock, Designer Series Papers (DSP) or accessories, so I don't waste materials trying things that don't look good together. And I can pre-view new products with the downloads before I order the real DSP, etc.
To order this awesome program, please click here.
That's all for now. Have a great week everyone and thanks for visiting, Michelle
I used to play computer card games and jigsaw puzzles. It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I'd win, but it was false accomplishment and it was addicting. So I completely removed all games and puzzles from my PC, 'cuz I was wasting way too much time. Like a drunk having to have just one more, I kept playing just one more round for hours. Ugh! What a waste!
I'm excited that I have a new obsession that is truly productive. My new obsession is "My Digital Studio", aka MDS . OMGosh! It's so much fun. You've already seen my first practice project using a template included with the program. Click here for that post. With the help of Stampin' Up! demonstrator friends with lots of experience in MDS, I was able to make my first card totally from scratch. I already have lots of experience with editing pictures using Adobe Photoshop, so I was able to figure out most things by a little trial and error.
The background paper in the card below is from the 2010-2011 Occasions mini-catalog, not yet released. (If you've ordered from me recently and you're on my mailing list, you'll have your Occasions mini-catalog hard copy soon.) I placed my pre-order of products from the new mini yesterday and can hardly wait to play with it. Love the smell of new Designer Series Papers, DSP.
OK, that's all for now. Have a great week, y'all, Michelle
I am so excited about the discounts on a huge list of the current Stampin' Up! products. I can finally afford to order the "My Digital Studio" for digital scrapbooking, card making and more. There's other things I can hardly wait to order too like some of the Big Shot dies. Check your wish list right away, 'cuz this promo is only through the rest of November.
For the online Spectacular web page, click here. Click on this link Download Online_Spectacular_flyer_US to open the flyer that shows all of the currently discounted products and promo item codes. Discounts are up to 50% off! Plus, you can get free shipping on qualifying orders!
Free Shipping
NOTE: SU! do not yet have a function to save your shopping cart. So please remember not to close the web page before closing your order or making a note of what was in your cart.
OTHER CURRENT PROMOS: Remember, there are other promos running right now including the demonstrator stater kit at 50% off and the "ABCs of the Perfect Handmade Holiday".
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy shopping!
OMGosh! As you know, I've been super busy with so many other things that have kept me from my papercrafting - jewelry making for my other business, pruning the roses, trimming the trees, dealing with a dog that can't seem to keep away from the bees and spiders (costing us $100's at the vet), and so much more.
But the new Stampin' Up! 2010-11 Catalog/Idea Book has really caught the attention of my local customers, as I expected it would. It's awesome!I have a party scheduled for Monday 7/26 so I'll be making some new samples for that. As soon as it's over, I'll be sharing with you. (Don't want to spoil the surprise for my hostess.) I'll be using the Big Shot, the new clear mount stamps, lot of new stamp sets, the smoosh spritzers and more.
Gotta get back to it! Check back late next Monday or Tuesday to see what I chose to wow my hostess and her party guests with.
Have a great weekend,
Check it out! I have listed all of the videos from my Stampin' Up! website and the Stampin' Up! You Tube site in one place. I created a special page so you can go to all of the videos from this one locations. Click here to open that new page.
Eventually, I will also add my own video tutorials as soon as I learn how to use my camcorder for that purpose. Want to see a video on anything in particular? Just email me with your request(s) and I'll add that to my priority list.
Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!
My loyal customer Lee VP is the winner of my latest 50/50 Club!
Every one of my stampin' friends who places an order of $50 or more is entered into my 50/50 Club drawing. Actually, every $50 ordered qualifies for an entry into the 50/50 Club - order $100, earn 2 squares, etc. Lee, like any other 50/50 Club winner, gets to select $50 in FREE merchandise as her gift. I can hardly wait to see what Lee selects for her $50 of FREE Stampin' Up! merchandise!
Want to have the opportunity to win $50 of FREE Stampin' Up! merchandise? Simply place an order of $50 or more and you'll automatically be entered to win - 1 entry per $50 ordered. Click here to see the chart. If you order online, I'll fill in your squares for you. If you order at one of my local parties, you get to fill it in yourself.
Obviously, the more your order, the more chances you have to win. But, even 1 order of $50 qualifies you for the drawing and could win you FREE merchandise. There will be a drawing, by an objective party, for every 50 squares filled in.
Ready to order some wonderful Stampin' Up! products off your wish list? Simply visit my Stampin' Up! website and click on "SHOP NOW" or contact me to place your order.
QUESTIONS? Feel free to contact me anytime!
I finished my 30 purse party invitations. It took me about 2 afternoons and 2 long evenings, figuring out time savers when I was almost done. Making them in so many variations added to the time it took, as compared to doing a swap with all of the cards exactly the same. In these 30 cards, there were very few duplicates so I had to re-figure the embellishments and the background colors virtually for every card to best enhance the Designer Series papers I used - retired scraps.
Visit my Big Shot Samples photo album to see all of the variations. They are all really cute and it's really cool how different they look depending on whether I turn one side of the paper down or the other side for the top flap. BTW I got the idea from a card featured in Mary Brown's blog gallery (currently on page 8, posted Sept 6th). I had to minimalize the card design a bit since I needed to make so many.
Materials and tools used: Big Shot, Top Note die, Designer Series papers, card stock, trims, Flower Fusion 1&2, plain and rhinestone brads, SNAIL, Dimensionals, Glue dots and miscellaneous trims from many years back. Some of the ribbons I saved from our wedding gifts in '94 and even from high school (late 970's) when I wore them in my hair. Yes, I'm a serious pack rat! :-) I used the Craft & Paper Scissors for cutting all of the trims/ribbons. They are the best thing I have ever used for the purpose. I always get a perfect clean cut with them.
The invitation slip tucked into the pocket of the paper "purse" was computer generated. Click here to open the Word doc of the slip. Next time I have a purse party I may just use cards I already have (from swaps of retired products) and tuck the quarter sheet version inside. I've included the links for the invitation Word docs in case you want to use them as templates for parties of your own for whatever occasion you choose.
To order any materials to create this cute card or any of your paper crafting projects, please visit my website to shop online or contact me anytime.
Have a great weekend, y'all!
I'm finally using my Big Shot! Woo Hoo! It's so much fun! Below are some pictures of my progression on the invitations I'm making to give to my friend who is hosting a purse party for me. I'll share the finished invitations (lots of variations) and the materials needed to create them ASAP. Click on any picture for the enlarged view.
I'm off to finish the invitations,
Whew! I'm finally feeling better after nearly 3 weeks of fighting the worst chest/head cold that I can remember ever having. I hate being sick 'cause my creativity gets congested too. The first thing I chose to make is a card for my husband since tomorrow is Valentine's day - especially since our 14th anniversary was Jan. 29th and I wasn't able to create anything for him for that.
Here's a scan the card front. I've also uploaded several other shots of the card - opened and some details - into my Cricut Projects and my Stampin' Up! projects albums. The (retired) "cherish" rub-on and all of the papers are Stampin' Up!: Textured Riding Hood Red and textured Chocolate Chip, Candy Lane and Riding Hood Red designer series papers. I also used the Stampin' Up! Eyelet Border punch and the Heart to Heart punch. I used my Cricut with George/Basic Shapes cartridge to cut all of the other hearts. I could have used the Full Heart Punch for all of the medium sized hearts (striped center front heart and inside), but I used the Cricut so I could shadow them using Chocolate Chip. This card was a lot of fun to make and my husband lovesit. I have to mention though that I got the general design from the latest Cricut Chirp newsletter. (In case you belong to the Cricut Community, here's the link to the card that was my inspiration.) I put my own spin on the card. Oh, the stamp I used inside I bought probably 12 years ago and I have no clue who it's by or where I got it.
OK, that's it for now. Happy stampin' and paper crafting, Michelle
OMGosh! I love Stampin' Up! and how they make it easy for me to share some of the most adorable paper crafting projects. I now have a new Big Shot projects video on my Stampin' Up! website. Click here to go straight to that new video. You'll see how to use the Big Shot to create a great card, gift packaging and scrapbooking.
Not only will you see how to create these great projects, but there's a list of all the supplies used to create them. While you're there at my website, you can order any of those or other products quick and easy. Simply click on the SHOP NOW button.
Remember, while supplies last, Stampin' Up! is including a FREE 2009 Spring/Summer Idea Book/Catalog with every online order (of any size) placed during Sale-a-bration, which is now through March, 2009. For every $50 ordered, you'll get your choice of any of the Sale-a-bration products.
Because I've been too sick to get anything made since I got my new catalog and SAB products, I'd like to share a project created by a friend who is one of the most creative Stampin' Up! demonstrators that I know, Patty Bennett. Here's a Big Shot sample she just shared with our upline's Yahoo group. Click on the picture for an enlarged view. To see more of Patty's beautiful creations, visit her gorgeous blog.
Now that I am feeling about 95% back to myself, WATCH MY BLOG for creative projects of my own. You can subscribe to my postings simply by entering your e-address in one of the two places in my sidebars.
OK, I'm off to get some creating done. Happy stampin' and paper crafting!
I got the instructions for the bow design from Split Coast Stampers (SCS). If you don't already get their weekly newsletter, you'll want to subscribe. Click here for the free tutorial I've made into a Word doc, or click here for the online tutorial found at the SCS website. I did something a little different when assembling the blue/green bow on the left of the picture. I used a mini-stapler to hold the ends together of each strip. Then I used Stampin' Dimensionals to hold the layers together. It made the bow seem more full and not so flat as the red/blue bow which I assembled completely with Mini-glue dots. 
Questions? Contact me anytime!
Just a quick share of the Christmas card I made during the JoAnn's open house recently. It was very simple to create using the Beyond Birthdays cartridge and the DCWV Christmas patterned and textured paper pack. I used the Stampin' Up! Scalloped Border punch 3 times, twice on the outside and once on the inside. The design of the card was inspired by one of those holiday card catalogs you get in the mail. They are great for getting ideas for cards using the Crciut, the Cuddlebug and my Stampin' Up! Holiday mini-catalog stamp sets. I'll share more holiday cards, also inspired by the junk mail catalog, once I get a chance to snap and edit photos of them.
Questions? Contact me anytime!
Well, I still haven't gotten to work on my Christmas cards, but I did get my sample made for submitting to Cricut. I've applied to be the Cricut trainer for my area and one of the things they are requiring is a sample of my work. I created a cute little banner to send them. Here's a sneak peek of it. It's simple, but I think it's more important to show quality work than something more complicated and fussy. We'll see if my theory is right.
My inspiration for the project is on page 49 of the current Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Idea Book/Catalog. I chose to use papers I wasn't going to use for my home or my classes since I won't be getting my project back from Cricut. Click on the picture to see more pictures of the banner. My thinking was it would be cute in a baby boy's room for the holidays hung from a evergreen garland. I'll be hanging from my living room mantel, on an evergreen garland, a similar mini-box banner in more traditional colors with bigger boxes and letters. I'll post that as soon as I get it made. This was a really fun project and I can see doing something like it for all sorts of occasions.
I used DCWV papers, Stampin' Up! grosgrain and ribbon and the cartridges I used were Tags, Bags, Boxes and More, Christmas Cheer and George. I used the Design Studio to be able to fit 2 boxes on one piece of 12 x 12 as large as possible. I think they ended up being 6.5 ", which would not fit 2 of without the DS program. Each side of the boxes are just under 2". I used Sticky Strip to hold the boxes closed. The boxes are strung on the grosgrain through the slots cut by the machine on 2 opposing sides of the box. In a couple pictures of the banner you can see how I used mounting tape for dimension. All the stars and the letters I backed each with a lightweight chipboard for additional dimension.
QUESTIONS? Contact me anytime.
Be sure to visit my Stampin' Up! website to see the latest technique video. This video demonstrates how to use the enormously popular Big Shot with the equally popular chipboard offered by Stampin' Up! The main project, though simple to create, is adorable, as are the other projects shown.
All of the materials used to create these projects are listed on the same page as the video.
To order the materials to reproduce these projects or for any of your Stampin' Up! needs, simply order online by clicking "SHOP NOW" or contact me anytime.
Enjoy the video! Michelle
I just have to share with you something made by Shelli Gardner, CEO of Stampin' Up! She used leftover pieces from the Stampin’ Up! Country Living Kit. This project gives you an idea of how clever and creative Shelli is and just how wonderful her presentations are at the Stampin' Up! demonstrators annual convention. When you visit Shelli's blog, you'll not only see more creative projects, but you'll also get to know how sweet Shelli is and why her demonstrators all love her so much.
To order the kit Shelli used to create this fanciful holiday decoration, visit my website and click on shop now in the top right corner of the page. Or click here to go right to the kit ordering page.
QUESTIONS? Feel free to contact me anytime! Blessings! Michelle
OK, so I over estimated a bit on just how much this case would carry, but I can still carry A LOT of things in it. Be sure to visit my photo album Cricut Travel & Storage Case/Tote to see the rest of my pictures of how I had it packed for the JoAnn's open house I participated in on Saturday, Nov. 15th. The length of this case is just right for the Cricut Expressions, keeping it from shifting around while rolling the case. The case itself is amazingly lightweight, so when you hoist it into the backseat or trunk of your car, it won't through out your arm, your shoulder or your back. I showed it to some of the Cricut users who visited my demo table Saturday and they seemed really like the case. It's a great value at only $65 + tax and shipping.
INTERESTED IN THIS AWESOME TRAVEL CASE? CONTACT ME ANYTIME!
Here's a sneak peek of one of my favorite details from my latest scrapbooking endeavor. I got the idea last Saturday as I was demonstrating the Cricut Expressions at JoAnn's to promote my classes. I decided to make a few pine trees in various sizes with Christmas Cheer. That was the cartridge in the machine when a prospective class member's husband approached my table and wanted to see the machine in action. His wife and I had been talking about Big Bear while she'd been waiting for him to come give her a ride home. Since Big Bear is a place my husband and I have enjoyed visiting and I even have pictures from a vacation there, I decided to make a 2-page layout using the pine trees I'd demo'd for the couple. I need to find my Big Bear pictures and maybe add some more embellishments, but for now this is done.
To see the full 2-pages and more detail close-up pics, visit my Cricut Projects photo album.
QUESTIONS? Feel free to contact me anytime. Happy paper crafting, Michelle
I'm still having loads of fun with my Cricut Expressions in preparation for my Scrapbooking 201 class next week. I've created page 2, aka the right page, to go with my Snowman page posted Oct 28th. Details of which cartridges I used are in that post. Here's a sneak peek of page 2. It's just a tiny detail, but I wanted to share how it was done. I cut the snowflakes out with my Cricut and used most of them on page 1. Since I wanted to repeat the snowflake element on page 2 (the basic design principle of repetition) and didn't want to cut more snowflakes, I used my SU! 1 3/8" circle punch to punch out the negative space of the snowflake and the dark blue circle to back the snowflake. To give it dimension, I used bits of Scotch Brand mounting tape off a huge roll I've had for years (and it still works!). To see the full view of page 2 and the 2-page LO, visit my Cricut Projects photo album. I decided to keep page 2 simple, IE no more snow people or titles, so that page 1 would remain the focus for my class next week. Also, I like the pictures to be the main focus of my pages. Oops! No pics on this page. Don't have any for this layout since I got the first picture from an internet photo search. :-)
BTW, can you believe the detail picked up by my camera? Technology just amazes me! I'm getting better at using it, but have a way to go to be really good with my Nikon D40. Having fun learning though.
QUESTIONS about this page or anything else in my blog? Contact me anytime.
Have fun paper crafting! Michelle
Since my Scrapbooking 201 class featuring the Cricut is coming up early November, I figured I ought to get the sample made to display at Jo-Ann's. As usual I had a syllabus to follow making it super easy to create this adorable page. Here's a sneak peek of it. Isn't this snowman cute?! Because of the scale of the paper shapes I needed to use the Cricut Expressions, but all of the cut pieces could be made using the original Cricut, just scaled down. What a great Christmas card it would make.
Just to give you an idea of how quickly the page went together, the scalloped background (visible in the full page view) took less than a minute to cut. Try that by hand with a pair of scissors. Ha! Not! I got the picture of the family playing in the snow from the internet (source forgotten) since I don't have any of my family or friends in the snow. I was so tickled to see that the colors in the picture ended up coordinating with the paper colors I'd chosen from my DCWV cardstock supplies on hand before I even found the picture. Cool, huh! Of course the same page would look great in all Stampin' Up! cardstock, textured or smooth. I just have to use materials available at Jo-Ann's for my classes there.
To see the full page and another detail shot visit my "Cricut Projects" photo album. I had so much fun creating this page, that I decided to create a right side page to coordinate with it. In class we may only have time to create the left page, but I want to show how a 2-page layout could look. If there's time, we can at least cut the parts for the right page to assemble at home. I'm also creating another 2-page layout using a similar template from the SB201 class syllabus. I'll post the photos of the 3 additional pages ASAP.
Cartridges used: Accent Essentials (scalloped bkgd), Christmas Cheer (snowman and snowflakes), Cursive 101 (part of title) and Printing 101 (part of title).
The class is scheduled for November 6th at 6:30 or November 7th at 10:00. It's a 2 hour class and is only $20. Please pre-register right away.
I just watched a fun video with Shelli Gardner, CEO/Co-Founder of Stampin' Up!, on the Studio5 website. Shelli has the link posted to her blog, So Shelli, but I have it linked HERE for your convenience. Here's a sneak peek of the projects you'll see if you take just a few minutes to watch the video.
"It's the ultimate party prep three-peat! Get busy now, and one efficient holiday table setting design will carry you through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.
Each place setting includes a napkin ring, nameplate, favor, and confetti - all based on the same template. Just for Studio 5 viewers, Stampin' Up CEO Shelli Gardner shares the design tricks that give that template three terrific twists."
To duplicate the projects shared by Shelli in the video, see the supplies list on the same page as the video. You may contact me any time to order the products to create these terrific projects (or any of your own design). You may also go directly to the online ordering page by clicking here or on the photo below "Michelle's SU! Website" at the top of my right sidebar.
BTW, Studio5 has another webpage with more of Shelli's projects. So cute! Click here to see Shelli's home decor projects.
Questions? Contact me anytime!
OK, so I've been using a lot of Heidi Grace lately and I'm sure my die-hard Stampin' Up! fans are pretty sick of it. Well, I'm pleased with what I've created with the materials and think it's a nice quality product line, but I am pretty tired of working with the HG materials provider me from Jo-Ann. So, the 2-page spread I'm sharing today will be the last of my HG projects for a while, at least until next year sometime, maybe after Valentines day or later. Maybe forever. :-) Well, we'll see.
Here's a sneak peek of a simple 2-page spread I threw together this AM to display at Jo-Ann. You can see the 2-page layout in my Heidi Grace album. It's based on the syllabus I teach from for my Scrapbooking 101 class at Jo-Ann. The template can be used in a variety of ways. If you compare it to my more elaborate 2-page spread of my Valentine roses (in my Cricut photo album), you'll see the same basic template. The large rectangle on the left page in this layout could be for a large photo or for a long bit of journalling. In my Valentine roses page, I tucked it into a pocket on the same page since the journalling is a love letter to my husband. This 2-page spread really needs some rub-on or chipboard lettering for the title bars and maybe some additional rub-on or chipboard accessories, but I don't have those from HG here at home. If I jazz up the layout I'll re-photograph it and re-post it. But this is done for now. This template can be used for anything from fancy to funky, masculine or feminine. Have fun playing with this template.
If you've ever taken or taught a class at Jo-Ann's, then you know that their "core" classes, IE the classes that ALL of their stores offer, follow a syllabus handed down from the corporate office. That is how my scrapbooking 101 and 201 class samples are determined, by following a syllabus. I actually like this because it saves me a lot of time coming up with new ideas. Plus, the class coordinator at our store allows me plenty of room for creative license. Here's a sneak peek of the 2-page layout I made for my October Scrapbooking 201 class. Be sure to see the full view in my Heidi Grace album. Yes, Heidi Grace (HG) again, but that's what I am given to work with. Note: The letters in the title at the bottom of both pages are rub-ons. I didn't have all large letters, so I used what I had. Notice the 3 dots between the "m" and the "e" in Moments. That is to signify that the layout is to "Celebrate MOM". Just so you know, I think the HG products that I have used since starting with Jo-Ann's in January '08 are all a very nice quality. But my heart still belongs to the Stampin' Up! (SU!) line of products. This 2-page layout would be simple to adapt to Stampin' Up! papers, pretties, die-cuts, rub-ons and trims. Hopefully, soon I'll get a layout of the same template made with all SU! so you can see.
BTW, I used the SU! border scallop punch on the HG layout since it's the only border punch I own. If you decide to take this class, coming up this Thursday PM and Friday AM, we'll have lots of Fiskar's border punches to use, which is what the instructions call for.
Questions? Contact me anytime! Have a great week, Michelle
After living here for 6 years, I finally went to the "famous" county fair. I was there to demonstrate the Cricut. While I did the demonstrating, Crystal, the class coordinator for Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, did the speaking for me on the mic. All they had was a hand held, which was not possible for me to use while demonstrating. I can project my voice pretty well, but there were times Crystal had to speak for me over the noise of the crowd. Plus, she's better at promoting my classes at Jo-Ann's than I am. We were in the Home Crafts exhibit building. Wow! Some of the quilts and cross-stitched pieces were nothing short of amazing.
Most of what I demonstrated at the fair on my Cricut Expressions machine were little party favors and ornaments created with the "Tags, Bags, Boxes and More" cartridge. Here's a picture of some of the items I made, which I will have on display at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts later this week. I've also created a photo album for my Cricut samples so you can view the projects up close.
The papers used were card-stock I have on hand from years past or from Jo-Ann's, specifically DCWV for all of the textured papers. All inks, the jumbo eyelets and the flower punch (Trio Flower) are SU! and the stamp images are from the current Stampin' Up! set "Embrace Life" in the Fall/Winter Idea Book/Catalog and "A Cardinal Christmas" in the 2008-09 Holiday mini-catalog. All trims are scraps I had or items from Jo-Ann's. The rub-on used for the tag of the heart box is retired SU! Be sure to visit the photo album. The samples are so cute, if I may say so myself! Very soon I'll add more of these little boxes to the photo album featuring all SU! products.
Remember, I offer a Cricut class at Jo-Ann about once a month. These adorable little boxes will be the featured projects for the next class and you are welcome to bring any papers and trims you'd like to use. Solid or patterned papers will work great! If you own a Cricut - original or Expressions - please bring it to the class. You are welcome to come to the class even if you do not have a Cricut of any kind. The classroom is equipped with 2 machines. Please be sure to pre-register right away. My class schedules are posted on the right of my blog page.
Want to have a party or take a class featuring the Cricut machine and ALL Stampin' Up! products? Contact me anytime and we'll set a date. It will be a blast!
Oh my goodness I'm punchy! Earlier today someone in my Upline's Yahoo group asked about a certain card she had seen with a character made using some of the Stampin' Up! punches. Well, I had some saved in "my pictures" and on a thumb drive. Some of the other demos in the group also had saved quite a few. So I decided to consolidate all of the pictures shared into one online photo album. Oh my gosh! What a terrific collection of samples. There are really cute cards and some really elegant cards.
So . . . what's the tip? Think outside the box - or the square punch or circle punch or tab punch, etc, as the case may be. Just as with your stamps you want to look at the images as parts of a whole in addition to the whole image to come up with more versatility in using the stamps, the punches can create parts of a whole. Here's a sample that shows what I mean. (Sorry, I have no idea where I got this sample or to whom to give credit.) As you can see, the mini 5 petal blooms are punched from the "Trio Flower" punch found on page 189 in the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Idea Book and Catalog. Simple, right? You might even say you've already done this. Well, check out all of the samples in this online album (you do not need to join Shutterfly to view the samples.) and I'd bet you'll see things made with punched shapes that you have NOT imagined.
Oh! And think of how adorable your scrapbook pages can be with some of these punched creations. Fun!
Have fun looking at the samples and if you need help dissecting any of them, feel free to contact me.
In honor of World Card Making Day I have a card class scheduled for October 2nd at 6:30 PM and forOctober 3rd at 10:00 AM. Below is one of the cards we'll be making - a head start on our holiday cards. Not all of the cards are holiday themed. Check out my photo album, WCMD Class Samples, for the 4 cards we'll be making. You can also see these cards on display at the JoAnn's where I teach. I will provide all of the materials and supplies for the this class. (You are welcome to bring other stamp images if you'd like.) Two of the cards feature Sizzix dies, which are carried by Stampin' Up! as well as JoAnn's. The sample here uses theStampin' Up! scallop edge punch, which will not be available for the class, but lots of terrific Fiskar's edge punches will be on hand for you to try in addition to the Sizzix dies. Both the dies and the punches are so much fun!
I'd love to see you there! Please just pre-register within 48 hours of the class and show up at the time you're signed up for. I need at least 2 people, but would prefer at least 4 so please get your friends to sign up too. My JoAnn's classes are held either in the store classroom or in the scrapbooking department (if the sewing class needs the room).
If you are a die-hard Stampin' Up! fan and prefer not to use anything else, as I know some of you are, I'd be happy to offer this class using only SU! products, at your place or mine. However, I will need a minimum of 4 people for a private SU! class. Check with your friends and we can set a date.
Hope to see you at my class! Have a great week, Michelle
Yes, I've been bitten by the Cricut bug and I'm lovin' it. I recently purchased the Expressions machine, which is how I created my "Welcome Home Dad" card, but my "Home" Banner can easily be created on the original Cricut. See my "Home Banner" photo album for more pictures. I used some lightweight chipboard and cut it 2-3 times to cut all the way through. I adhered 2 layers together for more stability using my Xyron machine. Then I cut my decorative papers (long time retired SU!) using the same cartridge and image size. I "wallpapered" the first layer of deco papers with glue stick. Then I torn and adhered the second layer of paper to make it look like old wallpaper that had been peeling away. I also smudged, aka "distressed", it with some dark brown ink. 
To punch the holes and set the eyelets, I used my Crop-a-dile. BTW, the coloring in these pictures isn't quite right, especially the ribbon. I did not use bright red ribbon. It's actually more of a dark wine color. Getting a good photo was not likely on our semi-gloss gray-green walls. The gloss created an unwanted back lighting effect. Oh well, I'm still learning how my camera works. Having fun with it too!
The idea I had for this banner is to hang it from a mantel or over a doorway/arch, perhaps along with a floral/leaf garland. It could actually say anything you'd like. Imagine the possibilities!. I'll be making some for our mantel for the holidays for sure! This banner will soon be on display at our local JoAnn's Fabrics and Craft Store. OK, off to get some more fun stuff created!
Because I own the Cricut and am on the Cricut.com mailing list, I got an e-message that they are looking for people to do some in-store training. If I get the position I'd be demonstrating to customers in various locations, in addition to my actual classes at JoAnns, where the products are sold. I have already completed their online survey and I just downloaded a sample to their website. Below is what I posted to their online "message board".
"I've been thinking about all our military folks and how it must be such a wonderful time when they get to come home to their families, whether they have been in the country at "boot camp" or out of the country in active service. With those giving folks in mind I decided to make a patriotic welcome home card.
I used the Design Studio to plan it out and to "Weld" some of the words. I wanted chunky letters so I used the "Shadow" mode. To get a shadow on some of the words instead of a full outline, I simply made the same word a bit bigger and offset it when adhering the layers together. The cartridges used are "Opposites Attract" and "Plantin SchoolBook". The card looks simple, but it took a fair amount of fiddling to get everything the size I wanted. The papers I used mostly are some heavy watercolor paper I had on hand. The bright blue is SU! Brilliant Blue. The ribbon I had on hand - found item. I used some dimensionals to pop up some of the stars and "Dad".
Enjoy!"
I'm pretty excited about the new camera I got a couple days ago and have been playing with it. I'm not very proficient with it yet, but I have taken some decent pictures of the projects I made for displaying at JoAnn Arts and Crafts. I've downloaded these pictures into my Heidi Grace photo album. 
Even though these are not SU! products, they still are great ideas for using any deco papers by SU! or otherwise. I'm hoping these samples, once displayed at JoAnn's, will help promote my classes there.
I'm also hoping that with a little bit of time I'll get a lot better using my new camera. It's a professional grade piece of equipment and I'm less than a novice at photography. Wish me luck!
Of course I know that paper bag albums/scrapbooks are not all that new to the paper crafting or scrapbooking world, but for me to be making them is new. I finished my second last week and had so much fun using Stampin' Up! designer series background papers in combination with my new toy, ProvoCraft's Cuttlebug machine, dies and embossing folders purchased on sale last week at JoAnn's. I also used my Sizzix die-press and dies which have all been in my closet for years never used before last week. 
I wanted to feature these machines since the this little album will be on display on JoAnn's to generate interest in my paper crafting classes. Please see my JoAnn's class schedule. I had to make some changes.
I do hope to get some Stampin' Up! classes organized to be held in my home for my customers who prefer a smaller, more intimate setting than a big store like JoAnn's. Although, my classes at JoAnn's feel pretty cozy whether in the classroom or on the showroom floor in the scrapbooking department.
Be sure to check out the photo album for my latest paper bag scrapbook and contact me to sign up for any of my classes.
Oh my gosh this little paper bag scrapbook was so much fun to make!
It is quite small having used the lunch sacks I got at Costco. The pages are quite simple because I like the photos to be the focus. I used Stampin' Up! Designer papers in So Saffron and Certainly Celery along with coordinating narrow grosgrain ribbon. My Crop-a-dile made quick work of punching through all the layers of 5 lunch sacks folded in half plus 2 thicknesses of the Designer paper which covers the folded ends of the sacks. Be sure to check out my photo album Paper Bag Scrapbook to see all the pages and some details of how it was made. This little scrapbook is currently on display at the local JoAnn's store to advertise my paper crafting classes. Click here to see my class schedule. Want to know more? Simply email me.
Yea! I finally finished making my first Gratitude and Prayer Journal. I used an aritist's notebook that I had on hand and some of my favorite double sided designer series papers from Stampin' Up! These papers are no longer available, but I still LOVE them, so I chose to use them for this journal which is not just for display but for my personal daily use. My Cricut came in handy for cutting out the letters for the section titles. I have to say I was greatly inspired by my fellow SU! demo, Patty Bennett who has several delightful samples on her blog and Her Website
By clicking here you can see all of the decorated pages of my "Gratitude Journal" photo album.
Enjoy!
Thank You!
