Friday Idea!

WOOHOO! I did it I survived the first week of public kindergarten. To tell you the truth it was way less stressful than I had thought it would be. Madeline jumped right in to class and was as happy as could be. We got a great teacher and I am feeling good about the year. I hope that everyone else had a very positive start to school also.

Today's Friday Idea is coming from Robyn in cy-fair. She was one of the participants in our recent card swap. Thanks for the great card Robyn!

Paper: White, brilliant blue, only orange
Ink: Brilliant blue
Designer Print paper: Jersey shore
Tools: Scallop punch, CM 1.5 circle punch, CM 2.5 circle template (inside cut with green blade)
Stamp sets: Crab & Company, Lots of thoughts
Accessories: SU Brilliant blue accessory tag
Ribbon: Sage ribbon local craft store

Placing order: I am placing an order today and it is not too late to get it in, I will be placing the order around 5 this afternoon. I will also place an order next friday, this will allow you to order from the holiday mini which you can see on my blog.

Technique Tuesday: This class will be on Sept. 16 at 9:30. We will learn how to use embossing powders and the heat and stick powders with our stamping. Cost is $5 and you will make 5 cards. I have 2 spots left for this class so let me know ASAP if you want to attend.

Chirstmas: I know you don't want to think about it but we have too. In October I want to get started on our christmas cards. Last year I came up with several designs and then you choose the design that you wanted and created however many of that design that you needed. Do we want to do that again or would you rather a christmas card crop where you bring your own supplies and everyone makes what they want? I could offer my inks and christmas stamp sets and paper to sell by the piece but it be more of design your own thing. Last year I had everything cut and ready for you but you were locked into the design that you had choosen. Just let me know your preference and I will start planing the workshop.

Friday Idea!

Today's Friday idea comes from Jill in cy-fair. Thanks Jill for the great card and for participating in the cardswap.

Stamp set: Love ya bunches
Cardstock: choc. chip, Naturals ivory, bashful blue
Inks: brillant blue, bashful blue, apricot appeal, wild wasabi, choc. chip
Ribbon: hobby lobby
Tools: blender pen, word window punch

Jill used her blender pen with her ink pads to create the watercolor effect that is used to color the image.
Great Job!

Technique Class: We will learn to do heat embossing, make 5 cards using the technique. Cost $5, Date: Sept. 16 RSVP by sept 9th Time: 9:30 -11

Order: August 29th I will be placing an order, remember right now there is 15% off select stamp sets see my blog for details under 'never before seen' promo.

Holiday Mini: The holiday mini is out, I have it posted on my blog. I have been having trouble getting it to load all the way. Great Christmas sets in the mini. I know you don't want to but it is time to start thinking about Christmas cards and teacher gifts.

Ready to host? : want to host a party so that you can earn your wish list stuff for free? let me know I will be happy to book a party for you.

Personal note: alright I put my woes about starting school at the end just in case you were tired of hearing about it. :) Tonight is meet the teacher, and I have been having positive thoughts about Kindergarten so I am hoping that it goes well. Who knew this would be so hard? ACKKKK!

Blog Bonus!

Ok so this has nothing to do with stamping or scrapbooking and I guess it eventually will be crafty but honestly just something funny that occured.

So we are in the van Maddie 5, Allison 2 and myself and we are heading to my aunt's house. Maddie askes "why are we going to aunt Lorena's house today?" I explain that I am going to teach aunt Lorena how to use her computer. Maddie's reply "how come she doesn't already know how to use a computer?" I simply say that she just doesn't know so we are going to teach her. Again the little genius in the backseat thinks some more and states "Why did she not learn to use the computer when she was a kid?" I reply "Well there were not household computers when she was a kid, nor when mommy and daddy were kids." Maddie a little puzzled now simply says "oh!" Conversation over right? No not at all she just needed a few minutes to digest what she just heard and then out comes "Well how did you look stuff up?" I reply with "we had to go to the library or in books." Maddie then asks "Well how did you share pictures?" I reply with "well we printed them at walgreens and mailed them to each other" And that ended the conversation for the time being.

But think about it how many times do you see something on tv and think "I am going to look that up!" Would we look up as much stuff if we had to go the library every time, doesn't the convenience of the internet allow us to learn about so much? Simply things like planning a trip we don't have bulky maps anymore we print out just the section of the map that we need and we are ready to go. Shopping for a hotel, tickets to our destination, all found on the internet. Want a new recipe to use with chicken? we head to the internet. Want to know how other people handle situations with their kids? the internet. It is all there and so easy to do now.

Ok so let me tie this in to being crafty so it is not out of place on my blog. So as you know Maddie starts kindergarten on MONDAY! ACK, gulp it is going to be ok. RIGHT? So my number 5 rule for going places is our hair has to be pulled back and a bow in place. I try really hard to get hair do-da's when I buy outfits so that I know that it matches but sometimes it just does not work. I gathered all the items that still needed hair do-da's in my bag and I am headed out to the boutique bow shop. You know the one, $7 for this bow...$9 for that bow. "Oh I just spent $100 on bows that will be a good one to explain to my husband!" Anyways my mom calls as I am about to head out the door and I explain to here what the mission for the day is and she stats "Trisha can't you make your own bow?" I reply with "Well no I can't!" Ladies I have tried and everytime there is one loop way too big, very cock-eyed looking would not put it on my worst enemies kid. My bow making skills are terrible. My mom then tells me to buy a book at Micheal's on how to make bows. I explain that I am not buying a $19.95 how to make hairbow book when the information is probably free on the internet. And then I start thinking. I google "how to make hairbows". You guessed it the absolute perfect website on how to make hairbows. Given I have tons of ribbon that I use for card making so I pulled some out that would be appropriate and I give it a try and low and behold I did it! I was very impressed. I headed to Joann's with my sack of clothes and gathered up all the ribbon I needed. Spent $28 and made 11 or so hairbows.

So the point of the story you can learn to do anything on the Internet. Now let's see who is reading my blog. Leave a comment on what you have learned to do on the internet or what you frequently look up or use the internet for.

Friday Idea!

10 days till school starts for us...I don't know if I am more scared or excited. This will be my first year to send one of my babies off to cared for by complete strangers. I think I will need a cocktail or two or maybe drop the cocktail give me the hard stuff to get me through the first day of school. Wouldn't that make a good impression? Truth be told just thinking about the hard stuff I already have a headache and I think I may have to lay down. Maybe just a caffeine beverage will do. Enough about that lets move on to the fun stuff.

The new catalog is beautiful, I know I said that last Friday but I mean really it is great! Use to you could look at the catalog online and you still can but they turned it into a PDF file and it takes forever to download and by forever I mean I have yet to get it to download. Stampin' Up is trying to pair their online catalog with their new online ordering and well guess what? There are some kinks to be worked out. I do still have 2 copies left if you want one for yourself. New this time is a spanish supplement where they have taken some of the "wordy" stamp sets and translated them to Spanish for our Spanish speaking customers. I have a copy of that if you are interested I can let you borrow, but I don't have any for sale.

I will turn in my first order for the New catalog on August 29th, if there is something that you want or need just let me know.

Technique Tuesdays: As we get ready to send our babies back to school, I thought it would be fun if we went back to school too. So starting in September I will start teaching a technique class each month. If there is a technique that you have seen that you would like to learn how to do let me know and I will be happy to put it on my list of technique classes. The first technique class will be on embossing and it will be held on Tuesday Sept. 16th at 9:30-11:00. We will learn how to use embossing powders with our stamp sets, each person will make 5 cards and the cost will be $5. Please RSVP by Sept. 9th.

Friday Idea! Today's friday idea from Valerie this is the card that she submitted for our card swap.
Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate chip, very vanilla
Ink: Chocolate chip, Ruby Red, versamark
Stamp sets: Priceless
Ribbon: Local craft store
Extras: Crystal effects, dimensional
Great job Valerie.

Friday Idea and More!

Remember last Friday when I had nothing to write you about? This Friday is way different.

Before we get started. I am thinking that I want to order one more thing off the retired accessories list so I have to do it this weekend. I will place my order on Saturday at 5. If you were having second thoughts about anything retiring and you want to get it before it is too late, this order will be your last chance.

The new catalog is due out on Monday and I have been stalking the UPS man since Wednesday in hopes that my order of catalogs will arrive before the August 11th deadline. I am telling you it is like Christmas when the new catty comes out. I sit patiently watching the clock until 1:00 and then I hurry up and put Allison to nap and set Madeline up with an activity that I know will take at least an hour to do and then I sit and look at all the new stuff Stampin up has to offer...and this time there will be a lot of new stuff. I finally got my catalogs Thursday evening. A few spoilers to get you excited, look away now if you want to see them for yourself. 1) All the new stamp sets in the catalog are die cut, no more cutting out your own stamp sets. 2) There is a new square scallop punch. 3) There is a scallop edge maker. 4) TONS AND TONS of super cute stamps and don't get me started on the designer papers. I am loving this new catalog.

Two new product lines will be out with the catalog. Stampin up will start offering home decor items. These are rub-ons for the walls. They coordinate with our stamp sets. The other product line is Stampin up will be offering our own Sizzix machine called the Big Shot. This is a personal die-cut machine that works with all other sizzix dies. It is also time for new IN COLORS. I got my new in color paper and inks last week and they are great. Those that participated in the card swap got a sampling of two of the new in colors.

Along with new stuff there are tons of promotions to help you aquire all the fun new stuff.
1) Ever thought of becoming a demo but have almost everything out of the demo kit so you can't see buying it? Stampin up is offering 3 different 'mini' kits that include all the business supplies but a limited amount of 'fun' supplies for $99.
2) Or maybe you want to become a demo and you want the full kit ($199) you get to choose a free stamp out of the catalog sampler.
3) Maybe being a demo is not for you and just want to party. In that case host a party sometime during Oct 1 - Nov. 30 and you could earn an additional free stamp set as a hostess reward.
4) For those who are too busy to party but have found a stamp set that you just have to have. Stampin up is offering 15% off select new die cut stamps.

I know this is a ton of information and I just covered half of the promos. Just take your time and check out my blog to find out more details and see the other half of the promotions.

We are now ready for the Friday idea!

Todays friday idea comes from our card swap that we completed yesterday. This is Kelly's card that she made for everyone. All the cards came out so nice and I hope everyone had fun and will enjoy the cards they recieved. Thanks again to all who played.

Stamp set: Voila
Ink: basic black
Cardstock: Whisper white, black, red
Accessories: black ribbon, crystal effects, watercolor pencils, black thread.

Technique: The birthday cake and platter lid are both stamped on a circle. The two circles are then affixed together making sure to put the black thread in the between the two circles leaving a tails of string out the top and bottom. Then cut a circle in the card slightly larger than the circles that you stamped the cake and platter lid. Now attach the tails of the string to the card front and layer on your colored mat paper and then the white that you can stamp the chef onto. The birthday cake and platter lid should now spin around to create the effect of platter open platter closed.
Great Job Kelly!

PROMOS! PROMOS! PROMOS!

There are a ton of Promotions coming out with the new catalog. I have posted the information for all the promotions to the right. I want to highlight some of them for you right now.

$99 Starter Kits: These kits are for those that want to become a demonstrator and already have most of the products in the full kit. There are 3 different ones to choose from.

New Recruits: If you become a demonstrator and purchase the full kit at $199 you get to choose a free set out of the sampler.

15% off select NEW stamps: The new stamps in the catalog this time will all be die cut stamps...no more cutting them out yourself. A select few of the stamp sets are 15% off from Aug 11 to Sept 30. These include some holiday sets.

Friday Idea!

Today's friday idea comes to us from my friend Paula. She is unsure of the color cardstock that she used and if I had to guess this is what I would think it is:

Cardstock: black, Pixie pink, green galore, whisper white
Printed paper: I am unsure of
Ink: Pixie pink
Stamps: Rough edges mini alphabet

Very cute design, thanks Paula for sharing with us.

Not much going on except for the retirement list. Tons of the accessories are already gone so you may want to check it out. New catalogs will be in soon I have 2 left if you want one for the $4 price.

Want to plan a party for the new catalog or maybe a workshop? Let me know now so I can get you on my calendar.