Stampin' Up! Holiday Sale

There is just a few more days for the Stampin' Up! Holiday Sale!  Have you seen these amazing deals yet?  Many of your favorite products are 20% to 50% off!  

Mark your calendars:  On Monday, December 2nd, Stampin' Up! will be announcing several more 24-hour deals.  Be sure to check the Holiday Section on my Online Store to view these amazing deals.

Happy Holiday Shopping and Saving!

Happy Thanksgiving to You

My daughter, Allison, and I had a great time putting together these decorative place settings for our Thanksgiving table today.  I thought they turned out very cute and talk about easy to put together!  It only took us a few minutes to make 10 place settings.

 

 

I wrote each person's name using the White Chalk Marker on the black banner piece.
(I really like this handy marker!)

 

Here's what's included in the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit:

Just a fun family picture from today - 4 generations!!

Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving and blessings for the new year!

Mosaic Christmas Cards

This was such a fun Christmas card to make using Stampin' Up!'s Mosaic Madness stamp set, coordinating punch and the Mosaic window sheet from the Quatrefancy Designer Paper pack.  Lots of fun products for lots of creativity!  When you bundle the stamp set and punch, you'll save 15%!

Enjoy making your own Mosaic Christmas cards!

Cut and Ready Card Stock Bases

Now through December 31st, Stampin' Up! is offering a new trial product - Cut and Ready card stock bases!  Just in time for Christmas, these card stock bases make putting your Christmas cards together a snap! 

• Each package contains 20 pre-scored, pre-cut cards in one color.
• The card bases measure 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4".
• Each package is only $4.95.
• Color choices:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla and Whisper White

 View the card bases online or view the pdf flyer

 Save time and work not having to cut and score individual pieces of card stock!  Stock up today on all your card stock bases today!

Stocking Stuffer Class 2013

What a fun time we had this past weekend at my annual Stocking Stuffers Class!  Year after year, this class has been a hit!  And this year was no exception.

Attendees had 6 different projects to choose from and I thinking deciding which one(s) to make was the hardest part.

Jamie and Katherine making boxes and bows!

Cindy and Beth used the new Envelope Punch Board to create adorable gift card holders as well as candy bar wrappers.

Lorri and Lorraine made lots of M&M treat bags using the Real Red Goodie Gear kits.  These little kits are so easy and fun!

Sharon and Kim create Ghiradelli candy holders using card stock and the Score Tool.  

Wanna make one too?  See the Open Top Treat Holder tutorial on Youtube!  Enjoy!

What a fun day of stamping and creating!  It was an all-day affair but SO much fun and SO worth it to get all these gifts and projects completed!

Stampin' Up! Holiday Sale

It's time for holiday shopping with Stampin' Up!  This yearly event (formerly known as the Holiday Extravaganza) begins today, Wednesday, November 20th and goes through December 2nd.  

During these 13 days you can score incredible Stampin' Up! products at a discount - some up 50%!  

There are even 24-hour-only door-busters happening on the first day of the sale (that's today!!).  

Today only you'll receive 30% off the Stampin' Trimmer, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate and Many Marvelous Markers!  The 24 hour sales period on these three items ends 11:50 pm (MT), November 20th.

Visit my Online Store to view all the sale
products or view the pdf flyer.

Stampin' Up! is My Passion and Career

Recently I was on Pinterest (what an addictive place!) and came across this quote that I just had to share.

I wonder how many people could say that their career is their passion (or vice versa).  How about you?  Are you doing what you love to do?  I can honestly say that Stampin' Up! is that for me (and maybe it can be that for you, too!). 

I started my Stampin' Up! journey as a hobbyist - I enjoyed purchasing my products at a discount and enjoying the creative outlet.  Somewhere along the way, I had a taste of the earning potential when several others joined my team.  It was just the fuel I needed to turn this passion into my career.  And now I can't imagine doing anything else!  I love creating and I love share creativity with others!

Have you ever thought about turning your hobby and passion into your career?  There are so many wonderful benefits for joining Stampin' Up! and becoming a part of my team.  Email me if you have any questions or if you're ready to join, purchase your Starter Kit and turn that passion into your career!

Festive Flurry Ornament Kit

Add a little festive flare to your holiday decorating with our new Festive Flurry Ornament Kit!  I've been seeing lots of amazing ornaments being made with the Festive Flurry Framelits set and coordinating punch.  If you don't already have these items and still want to make adorable ornaments, then this kit is for you!

Everything is pre-printed, pre-scored and ready to use!  This kit is a huge time saver!  You can make 10 ornaments for only $14.95!  I can't wait to get my kit!

Head on over to my online store and purchase your Festive Flurry Ornament Kit today!  While you're there, be sure to check out the Weekly Deals!

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deals

Have you seen the Weekly Deals for November 12 - 18 yet?  I'm doing the happy dance over these deals! I've listed a few below but make sure to view all the deals through my online store.


Gift Bow Die (love this die!)
Regular Price:  $32.95
Discounted Price:  $24.71

Real Red Goodie Gear (the Pumpkin Pie Goodie Gear is on sale, too!)
Regular price:  $4.95
Discounted price:  $3.71

There are a total of 8 different products on sale
through November 18th! 

Be sure to take a look and place your order today (these are while supplies last!).

Everyday Occasions Card Making Kit

Are you new to stamping and don't know where to begin?  Would you like to make a variety of cards but don't want to break the bank buying all the needed supplies?  If you answered yes to either one of these questions, then I've got a kit for you!

It's the Everyday Occasions Card Making Kit and it is AMAZING!  (I hope Stampin' Up! comes out with more kits like this!)  This kit includes everything you need to create 20 different cards for $29.95!

• 7 piece Occasions stamp set
• Clear stamp block
• Card stock and envelopes
• Twine, buttons and clips
• Full color tips and tricks brochure
• Die cut paper embellishments
• Stampin' Spots (mini ink pads)
• All in an adorable gift box, too!

 

View the Color pdf of all the cards you can create

Just a few of cards you can create:

If you're new to stamping or just want a variety of quick cards, this kit has it all!  This would also be a great way to introduce someone to stamping!
Who wouldn't love to receive this under the Christmas tree this year?

Pick up your Everyday Occasions Card Making Kit today!

November Best of Stamp Set

The Stampin' Up! "Best of" stamp set for November is Best of Snow!  Isn't this the cutest set?  My favorite image is the little porcupine guy making a porcupine snowman!  Too cute!

View the pdf flyer

Purchase any 6"Best of" stamp sets and you'll receive a FREE stamp set of your choice up to $14.95!  Check out all the Best of stamp sets and choose your 6 today!

Christmas Stocking Stuffer Class

Each year I love giving little gifts and stocking stuffer type projects to friends, neighbors, co-workers and teachers.  And, each year my number of little gifts I'd like to give keeps growing!

If you have people on your Christmas list that you'd like to gift with something unique and fun, then join me on Sunday, November 17th for an afternoon of creating stocking stuffers for everyone on your list!  You choose how many of each project to create.

Stocking Stuffer Class

Sunday, November 17th

5 pm until 7 pm

Class Fee:  $5 plus cost of project(s) made

6 different projects to choose from (ranging in price from $1 to $3)

RSVP for this Class

Project #1

Candy Bar Wrapper (Hershey candy bar inside!)
$3 each

 

Project #2

 Candy Cane Stick
$1

Project #3

Window Gift Box with Bow $3

 

Project #4

Gift Card Holder

$1

Project #5

Open Top Treat Holder with Ghiradelli Chocolates

$2

 

Project #6

Treat Bag with M&M's

$1

 

I hope you'll join me for this fun afternoon of creating a variety of stocking stuffers - perfect for everyone on your Christmas list!

Hostess Appreciation Event 2013

Every year as a "Thank You!" to those who have hosted a Stampin' Up! party with me, I hold a Hostess Appreciation Event.  It's my time to pamper my hosts and let them know how much I appreciate them.

This year's event was a blast!  We started off the event with food, of course!  Dinner was fajitas from Abuelo's with all the fixins (that's such a Texas word)!

Once our bellies were full, it was time to test their skills at Stampin' Up! trivia!  I passed out the sheets and had everyone start at the same time.  You should have heard the moans and groans when they turned over their sheet and started reading the questions.  I guess I made it harder than I thought.

Wanna try your hand at the Stampin' Up! trivia sheet I created?

Here are the questions:

1.  Name two colors from the 2013 - 2015 In Color Collection.

2.  Name two new features of the 2013 - 2014 catalog.

3.  Stampin' Up! started carrying a new kind of stamp.  Name the material these new sets are made from.

4.  You can now create your own custom stamps.  What is the name of this new product line?

5.  How many colors are in each of the color collections?

6.  What is the minimum amount to receive hostess benefits?

Working hard on the trivia!  

I told everyone that I'd have to start giving pop quizzes at our next stamp time!

The night wouldn't be complete without door prizes and gifts for everyone!

 

Every guest received a "shaker" full of Bakers Twine, a magnetic notepad and a special little soap with the saying "We were meant to bee" on the front.

Thank you all for hosting parties and supporting me in 2013!

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Not only are these ladies hosts for parties but they are my friends!  That's what Stampin' Up! is all about - connecting through stamping and building relationships! 

I'm already looking forward to another Hostess Appreciation event in 2014!  Wanna come next year?  Simply host a party in 2014 and you're invited!

Homeschooling Mom & Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

I have been debating for several weeks now about wanting to write a blog post that shares a little bit about what's going on in my life and at the same time keep the lines of business versus personal intact.  All my classes on business blogging say keep business, business and personal stuff, personal.  Recently, however, I've taken on a new adventure and it is affecting my business life, so to speak, and I thought I'd share some of what's going on with you, my readers, customers, stampers and friends!

My new adventure is homeschooling!  We started this adventure just a couple months ago with excitement and gusto and recently I've been wondering, "What have I done?".  The excitement is started to fizzle and instead of gusto, I feel overwhelmed.  Don't get me wrong.   I know I am so blessed to have this opportunity but man it's tough!  Some days it's all I can do to keep my head above water!

The time and attention I would normally apply to my business has shifted to my kids.  That's a great thing and I'm so glad a home-based business has that flexibility but at the same time, I miss having that time to focus just on my business.  I've heard it said before that "having a home-based business is both the best and hardest thing to do".  Now I know why.  It's a constant balance of house stuff (laundry, dishes, etc.), business stuff (blog posts, videos, FB posts, etc.) and school stuff (homework, reading, writing...you get the idea).

Let me back up a minute and tell you a little about myself.  I am a teacher by trade.  I taught school for 6 years before staying home to raise my kiddos (my kids are 9 and 11.).  They both went to public school up until this point.  This year I felt that homeschooling was the best for our family and for the kids so I jumped in with both feet!

Now, here's the crazy thing - I can teach a room full of 22 kids but teaching my own two children has been the biggest challenge yet!  I'm usually a very organized and focused person and lately, I feel like I've just been floundering.  I can't seem to find the time to plan ahead and get organized (both on homeschool stuff and stamping stuff).

So, if you happen to notice that I've skipped a blog post (or two, or three) or wondered why I haven't created a new video in awhile or haven't posted to FB, you'll know that I'm still learning and adjusting to this new adventure.


All of this to say:

• Thank You for hanging in there with me!
• Thank you for your patience and understanding while I figure out how to balance it all!
• I'm still stamping, creating and loving being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!
• Thank you for your support and encouragement!  My stamping friends mean the world to me and I'm truly blessed by your friendship!

 Are there any other moms out that that are homeschooling and running a home-based business?  I really need to start a support group for us!  If this is you, please send me a message or leave your comments!  I'd love to pick your brain on how you balance it all.

Happy Stamping and Homeschooling!

Monthly Christmas Card Class

It's time once again to mark your calendars and join me for a fun afternoon of making Christmas cards!  The November Christmas Card Making Class will be held on Sunday, November 17th from 2 pm to 5 pm.  If you plan on attending, be sure to RSVP by Friday, November 15th.

Each month we create 12 Christmas cards - 6 each of 2 designs for $25 (check or cash) or FREE with your purchase of $30 or more.  Below are the Christmas cards we'll be making this month.

This first card uses one of the Christmas single stamps, Prince of Peace.  Have you seen all the single Christmas stamps yet?  These stamps will be available through January 31, 2014.  (This card was cased from Beth McAlexander - thank you Beth!)

Stamps:  Prince of Peace
Paper:  Crumb Cake card stock, Old Olive card stock, Season of Style Designer Paper Stack
Ink:  Versamark Ink Pad
Accessories:  Deco Labels Collection Framelits, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Heat Tool, White Embossing Powder

Our second card is a window card.  These cards are always fun to make because not only are they a card, they are also decorative.  Who wouldn't love having this adorable card standing on an end table or a shelf?

Stamps:  Christmas Messages (my favorite for Christmas!), Christmas Collectibles (bundle with the Christmas ornament punch and save 15%)
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler card stock, Whisper White card stock
Ink:  Old Olive
Accessories:  Score Tool, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Christmas Ornament Punch

 

So who's ready to make Christmas cards?  RSVP for the November Christmas Card Class and let's get those cards made and ready to send (envelopes included)!

Fun Folds Cards for November's Stamp Classes

Every month I hold stamp classes so you can come try out new products, learn new stamping techniques and just have a fun evening out!  For November, we'll be creating what I'm calling "Fun Folds Cards". 


This first card is not only a card but it can also be displayed.  It's an easel card!  (Love the versatility of projects like this!)  It uses the Prince of Peace stamp and the coordinating Deco Labels Collection Framelits.

The second card we'll be making is a fun trifold card.  This was a card I received as a swap card from  Rachel Tessman at Founder's Circle.  Not only is this card adorable, when I saw how this card folded, I knew I had to include it with my Fun Folds class.

This card uses Festive Flurry stamp set and the sentiment comes from Christmas Messages.

I hope you'll join me in November for a fun time stamping!  Be sure to RSVP for the class day and time that you'd like to attend.  Let's get stamping!