3-2-1 Blast Off!

My New Catalog Open House is this Sunday.  We are blasting off into the new catalog with some fun prizes, promotions, and of course, food!  If you're local to me, contact me for details.

Today's card is inspired by Lynda's card.  There's actually some details that are difficult to see on a photo.  I encased my astronaut with Window Sheet.  I heat embossed the fire from the engines in Cherry Cobbler.  The background is made by using the coordinating Outer Space jumbo wheel.

My Supplies List (all supplies and images by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamp Set(s): Blast Off, Outer Space wheel

Ink: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Summer Starfruit

Papers: Midnight Muse, Soft Sky, Summer Starfruit

Accessories: Bitty Banner Framelits, Circle Punch, Embossing Powder, corner rounder (non-SU)

Convention Freebies & Sign Up Special!

Check out all the stuff I got from the Convention in Salt Lake City!  Because I cannot show actual products from the Holiday Catalog yet, a lot of it is hidden.  And after I took this photo, I realized there's another stamp set that I forgot to put in the group photo.  There were SO. MUCH. FREEBIES that were given away, it was Ka-razy!!!!  Wouldn't you want to go to such a fun convention with thousands of other like-minded fanatics??!!!  The Stampin' Up! Annual Convention is open to all demonstrators.  So, if you would like to go with me next year, now is a perfect time to sign up.

In addition to the completely customizable kit for $99 (choose up to $125 worth of products, and NO SHIPPING!), you can also choose one of the Project Kits for FREE!

Offer: New recruits get to pick one of four project kits for free in addition to their starter kit when they join Stampin' Up!
Dates: July 15-August 31, 2013
Kit Options:
The first three project kits are from the holiday catalog and the last option is from the annual catalog.

Option	Kit Description	Item	Total Value
1	Build a Banner Simply Created Kit AND Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit	133507 132698	$29.90
2	Build a Banner Simply Created Kit AND Christmas Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit	133507 132697	$29.90
3	Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit	133463	$19.95
4	Tag a Bag Bundle AND Tag a Box Bundle	131371 131372	$22.45

CONTACT ME today for details or to sign up!

Worth the Wait

Good morning, everyone!  I'm back from Convention 2013 where we celebrated Stampin' Up!'s 25th Anniversary in style.  Did you follow me on my FB Fan Page to get the scoop and join in my excitement as a first-time attendee?  I will share what I learned and pictures over the next few days/weeks.  There were new products, a new line, a promotion (or two, I can't remember.  Gotta go through my notes), demonstrations of products, techniques, tips and tricks, fellowshipping with other demonstrators, classes, etc.  It was a lot to take in in just 2 1/2 days.

One of my swap cards was based on this card.  The layout design came from www.splitcoaststampers.com's sketch challenge a little while back.  When I was done, I thought the card needed a little something on the bottom.  So I added the 3 candy dots.

This is such a cute stamp.  It's called Worth the Wait.  It's a single wood stamp, for only $8.95.  Great deal for being able to build different layers with it.  Of course, the cute turtle is very difficult to resist.

Flower Garden

Oh my goodness, the Convention is WILD!!!  For chatter and pics, please be sure to go to my Facebook Fan Page and click to "Like" me.  Isn't this card beautiful?  I just love it.  In fact, I love it so much that I made a bunch of these to swap at Convention.  I was so late in finishing my swaps, I was even assembling them at the airport, on the plane, and at the hotel.  But alas, they are all done and ready to swap today!

The stamp set for the flowers is from Flower Shop, along with coordinating Pansy punch.  The sentiment is from Feel Goods.  And the paper, of course, is from my favorite, Gingham Garden DSP.

Stampin' Up! Convention Starts!

Stampin' Up!'s Convention this year officially kicks off this afternoon.  Before the opening session, we are able to take a tour of the facility.  This is where we get to see how our stamps are made, and how they get packaged up and shipped to us.  Along with their offices, and various inspirational and creative areas.  For pictures, go to my Facebook Fan Page and follow along on my tour!

Label Challenge

It's Wednesday, July 17th.  It's travel day for me.  OK, so I don't leave until early evening today, but I have so much yet to be done.  Starting with packing.  Yikes.  I'm going for the throw-everything-in-and-hope-it-fits technique.  I will attempt to pre-schedule a couple of posts while I'm gone.  But, as I said, I have lots that still needs to be done...  Anyways, to make sure you don't miss out on the Convention action, be sure to Follow Me on my Facebook Fan Page.

I can't remember where I followed this sketch from.  Anyways, after I made this card, I decided it's lacking something.  Any ideas?  Perhaps I should have embossed the big Apothecary cut out.  Using Embossing Folders is almost always my go-to solution when I want to jazz up a card.

I have to apologize for not providing you with a list of supplies today.  I'm just too beat.  Talk at y'all later from Salt Lake City, UT!!!

Challenging Hexagons

Good morning, everyone!  I hope you are having a great start to your week.  You know why I sound so chipper?  It's because this is the week I travel to Salt Lake City, home of Stampin' Up!, for the biggest convention ever, with 5500 demonstrators.  It's the 25th Anniversary of Stampin' Up!, and they have promised us a rockin' great time.  I cannot wait to meet up with girlfriends that I have met online through Stampin' Up!.  It'll be a surreal experience.

Today's card is another card that didn't make it on time to link via the challenge blog.  That's okay.  The sketch is from Clean and Simple Stamping.  I really just wanted to use the new Six-Sided Sampler stamp set with its coordinating Hexagon punch, but not with the Honeycomb embossing folder.  What do you think?

My Supplies List (all supplies and images by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamp Set(s): Six-Sided Sampler

Ink: Melon Mambo, Wisteria Wonder, Chocolate Chip, Rich Razzleberry

Papers: Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Island Indigo

Accessories: Apothecary Framelits, Hexagon Punch, Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Candy Dots

Fabric Friday!

I haven't done this in quite awhile, so I thought we should do this again.  I know Stampin' Up! has discontinued the awesome super fat quarters.  But I'd bet at least some of you have some stashed away, especially those scored from the Clearance Rack awhile ago for $0.99 a pack!  Anyhow, I had done a cell phone carrier thing last year.  But ever since I've had my new phone, I've been wanting to make another one that fits, plus a little pocket to fit a license and a $20, for when I'm running out the door as a chauffeur.  Let me show you what I made first, then I'll tell you a story.

Left: Front                                           Right: Back

The tutorial I started with is from HERE.  Of course, now with a year's sewing experience under my belt, I thought I can be more creative and make modifications with ease.  Boy, was I wrong.  Luckily, these things are quick projects, so it was easy to whip up another.  My phone has a super protector on it, so it's a little fat.  And the original tutorial didn't have a pocket that I wanted.  Then I remembered when I made this last year, with a layer of long batting, that you then fold over, the bottom was a bit thick.  I figured I'd make it as 2 separate pieces.  Long story shorter, here's some lessons I learned:

1. ALWAYS try to follow the tutorial as closely as possible.  I've mentioned this before, but why I don't listen to myself, I don't know.
2. Sew pocket onto back piece first.
3. Cut 2 pieces of batting, so that there's no batting towards the bottom (or middle, since you're folding it over).
4. Don't forget to pin your tab on, before starting to sew.
5. MEASURE!  I kinda eyeballed, and it's a bit tight.  But I guess it turned out alright, since the phone won't fall out, and the credit card/license won't fall out either, with the fabric stretched taut.

If you must know the size of fabric pieces I used, they're about 4" x 11", with 1/4" seam, topstitched as close to the edge as possible.

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop July 2013

Woo-hoo!  It's a celebration of birthdays for this month!  Either you came from Diana's blog, or starting from here, come along with us, and you are sure to be treated with some great eye candy.

For this month's hop, I really wanted to do something fun and a bit unique.  I have had the Dress Form and the Card Base Pop 'n Cuts for awhile, but never tried them.  I was inspired by the creator, Karen Burniston's video on using this great die.

I used so many products that it would be difficult to list everything.  But for the main part, I used Oh Hello and Make a Cake stamp sets.  Gingham Garden DSP.  Main cardstock colors are Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo.  Oval Framelits, Dress Form & Card Base Pop 'n Cuts.  I love using this die to create a 3-D card that can be mailed.

And did you catch what I've got on the inside of this card?  It's Stampin' Up!'s 25th Anniversary this year.  And I'm going to the annual Convention with 5499 other demonstrators!  I'm so looking forward to the party that is sure to rock the house.  If you want some inside scoop while I'm there, I will be posting to my Facebook Fan Page.  If you're not a fan, please Like Me, so that you can follow my first-ever SU Convention Coverage!

For now, I will send you onto Jamie to discover what cool project she has in store for you!

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!
2. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
3. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
4. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
5. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
6. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
7. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
8. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper
9. Bree R. of Craft-somnia
10. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
11. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
12. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
13. Jennifer C. of Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life