Stamp Out Breast Cancer Weekend Crop

Hi there!  Been catching up on emails and household stuff.  Thursday I left for Sally Nusbaum's Columbus Day weekend crop and returned Sunday evening.  These annual crops are held at the beautiful Holiday Shores Resort, (more info here) Lake of the Ozarks, MO. ( If you're looking for a place to vacation or a venue for business meetings, this place is great!  It is clean, well maintained, and the people are so nice and very accommodating.)  This years crop theme was Stamp Out Breast Cancer.  The pink covered tables and cowgirl décor was so fun.  Pictured above is the adorable frame that had each person's name designating their crop table.  (Everyone had their own 6' table. Yee haw!)  The local Hy-Vee grocery store catered our meals.  Oh my!  Not only were the meals absolutely delicious and the amounts more than plentiful, they were also prompt delivering them!  We had a ton of food left after each meal, so we gave it to the employees of the resort.

 

Pretty presentation of the menu

Our wonderful meals!

 

Not only did we have an abundance of food - we also had gifts and raffle prizes!  Pictured below are some of the table gifts.

 

A bag filled with yummy snacks

 

More yummy goodness - a cookie and a Ghirardelli chocolate



A mini chocolate bar in the pouch was a thank you gift for assembling cards at the
 Card Care Connection table

Sally had a table with card kits that we could assemble for Card Care Connection.  This is a non-profit agency that sends the cards with an uplifting message to cancer patients.

 

 

A group shot of the "cowgirl" croppers!



Oh, forgot to mention that on Saturday there was a massage therapist!  It was a FUN weekend with very little sleep.  A huge thanks to Sally for organizing a great weekend crop!  Can't wait for next year!  Sally has already started making plans.  She's calling it Save the Hooters - an owl theme.  Come join us next Columbus Day weekend!
 

 

Must get to bed now.  Thank you for stopping by today!

 

 

 

 

Eyes in the Woods

Hi there!  Hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was busy and fun!  Friday afternoon was spent with my granddaughter since she only had a half day of school.  We had lunch, then did some crafting.  She helped with a project that can't be revealed just yet.  She was a great help!  Saturday was spent with my stamping peeps, Jayne Singleton, Kim Coulter, and Sally Nusbaum.  Jayne, Kim, and I were assisting in a "covert" operation for Sally's Croptober at the Lake of the Ozarks next month.  Can't wait!  Sunday a great group of gals attended my Card Buffet.  Thank you so much, ladies! 

How about we get to the project above?  It is another 3x3 note card - for September customer orders.  The new Woodland embossing folder by Stampin' Up! was used.  Black ink was applied to the flat side of the embossing folder (the side with the Sizzix logo) before running it through the Big Shot.  I love this technique, which varies the look each time.  The spooky eyes were added using a retired set (sorry!) called Freaky Friends.  Easy peasy..... and fun!

Remember - new Weekly Deals today!  This is your chance to get the Envelope Punch Board and/or the Gift Box Punch Board at a reduced amount.  Both are on sale this week (Sep 29 - Oct 5)!  Check them out by clicking HERE or the picture in the right side bar.

That's all for today.  Hope you have a great day and thank you for stopping by for a look!

Watercolor Happy

Hi there and happy Friday!  Quick post so I can finish a few things around here before heading out early to our Demonstrator holiday party that Sally Nusbaum has organized for this evening!  Woo Hoo!
So, here is another card using a portion of the watercolor background made with the Decorative Dots embossing folder.  You can see how that was done HERE.  The sentiment from the Yippee-Skippee! stamp set by Stampin' Up! is layered onto Pool Party and Pumpkin Pie mats cut out with the Deco Label Framelits.  A Pumpkin Pie sawtooth border strip was made using the Finishing Touches Edgelit.  The Rich Razzelberry card base contrasts nicely with all the colors (and a color that has been neglected lately).  A bit of Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon finishes off the card.  This ribbon is really nice to work with, too!

Must get going.  Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping in today!

Bright and Beautiful & More

Hi there!  Sorry that I've been absent the last couple of days.  Been busy with other things called life.  Today I'm sharing samples from the Christmas Card Workshop our team hosted on two different days and locations.  The above card was designed by team member, Cheryl Renth.  She used the Bright and Beautiful stamp set from the Stampin' Up! 2014 Holiday Catalog.  Cheryl chose a rich color palette of Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey. 

The next card is by Jayne Singleton.  She used a retired set, Come to Bethlehem, in Night of Navy.

Just the right amount of pizzazz was added with the Silver Glimmer banner and a rhinestone in the center of the star.  A stunning card in real life.

Punched out circles make up the tree for Kim Coulter's card.  She also added some bling by using Champagne Glimmer paper for some of the circles and the star.

The "Merry Christmas" stamp can be found in the Sassy Salutations set, which contains sentiments for several occasions in this same whimsical font. 

Who doesn't love snowmen?  Mary Taylor created this darling guy! 

Mary used the Top Note Bigz die for this adorable guy.  The Soft Sky background was textured with the Decorative Dots embossing folder, whereas, the Delicate Designs and Fancy Fan embossing folders were used on the hat. 

Sally Nusbaum's card was erroneously left out of my samples.  She used the Endless Wishes set.  I'll post her card whenever I receive it.  My card was in an earlier post that can be seen here.

That does it for this week.  Hope you have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping in today!

Hexagon Wreath

Hi there!  Life got in the way of posting this past Thursday and Friday but I'm back with one of the cards that everyone made at our Christmas Card Workshops.  This year we expanded to include a South location besides our North location.  Cheryl Renth, Jayne Singleton, Kim Coulter, Mary Taylor, and Sally Nusbaum comprised the rest of the Demonstrator team.  Our Christmas Card Workshop at the South location was held this past Saturday.  It went very well and we thank you and appreciate you for making this event a success!   A big thanks also goes out to the team for filling in during for my absence while I was attending my family reunion.  The other five cards will be posted after I collect my supplies and samples from the team.

Must get busy on that to-do list.  Thank you for popping in today!

All Stampin' Up supplies used unless otherwise stated. 

Stamps: Sassy Salutations 

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Mossy Meadow, Vanilla 

Ink: Cherry Cobbler 

Tools: Circle from Itty Bitty Punch Pack (retired), Tiny Triangles embossing folder 

Other:  Linen Thread, Dimensionals, glue dots

Work of Art Butterfly

Hi there!  Hope you're stamping away on this gloomy, rainy day!  Today's card was a swap Sally Nusbaum received when she attended the Stampin' Up! Convention.  The butterfly was made with the Work of Art stamp set.  Such a versatile set.  I've seen so many creative ways of using this set.  The sentiment is from Label Love.

Sorry for the brief post.  I need to spend some time in the kitchen to make bran muffins and some soup - haven't decided what kind yet.  Our granddaughter is spending the night with us tomorrow.  We'll be busy making cookies and probably some art projects, so a couple of quick meals will be in order.  Plus, the girls getaway retreat is next week.  I like to prepare as much as possible ahead of time so my time at the retreat is spent creating and chillaxing, not in the kitchen.  lol
Heading to the kitchen now.  Thank you for stopping by today and have a great weekend!

Num - Num

Hi there!  Ready for a new week?  Hope you had a good weekend.  Mine was busy with our Card Buffet and having the granddaughter for the weekend.  A big thank you to all the ladies who came to our Card Buffet!  Mary Taylor and I appreciate your support!
My card share today is another swap from the Stampin' Up! Convention that Sally Nusbaum attended.  Sally was kind enough to bring them to the crop we attended after her return.  Sorry for the glare on all of her swaps.  I didn't want to remove from the protective cello envelope on the off chance of getting the card dirty.  Love this version of the Cookie Monster which pairs up perfectly with the Num-Num stamp set.  (You can find this set on page 17 of the 2014-15 Annual Catalog.)  It is a great set to dress up those packaged goodies, especially with the holidays just around the corner!  It appears that the 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch was used for Cookie's head and folded down part of the way after adhering a black semi-circle.  Circles were punched out for his eyes.  His "hands" were punched out from the Boho Blossoms Punch.  The sentiment was stamped, then punched out with the Decorative Label Punch.  The Topnote Die was used to cut out the black background, which is adhered to a Pacific Point card base.
Must get busy now to work on my swaps for the Demo Shoebox Swap that Sally has organized for us on Sunday.  Looking forward to the fun!  Thank you so much for stopping in today!

Under the Sea

Hi there and happy Friday!  My apologies for not posting yesterday - just ran out of time.  I'm back with one of the numerous swaps Sally Nusbaum shared with us when she returned from the Stampin' Up! Convention.  What you can't tell from the picture, is that the octopus travels around the circular channel.  Cool, huh?  Most of the stamped images are from Sea Street.  The sentiment is from the Yippee-Skippee set.  Lullaby Designer Series Paper was used for the semi-circle of gold fish (heat embossed with gold embossing powder) and for the "sand".  A very cute and creative card! 

Must pack up for our Card Buffet tomorrow before I pick up the granddaughter for the weekend later this afternoon!  Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping in today!

Pelican Punch Art

Hi there!  Another busy week zipped by, which is why I didn't get a chance to post Thursday or Friday.  Mary Taylor and I had our Card Buffet on Saturday.  Thank you ladies for coming and your patience waiting for the boxes! 
Today's card is one that Sally Nusbaum took to the Stampin' Up! Convention to swap.  (Sorry for the glare.  Didn't want to remove the protective cover and take a chance of getting it dirty.)  That pelican is just too cute!  She received some really cute cards in return. 
Tomorrow I'll be heading out of town for the girls getaway retreat.  Can't wait!  Today consists of gathering supplies for projects and packing/loading everything.  Well, not everything!  lol  Need to make sure there will be room for our granddog on the trip home Sunday.  He'll be staying with us for a bit.  Looking forward to that, too!
My plan is to schedule some posts ahead of time but that will depend how things progress today.  So if there aren't any posts the rest of the week, you'll know why.
Must get busy now!  Thank you so much for stopping in today!

Love Notes

Hi there!  This will be really quick since Granddaughter will be waking up soon.  Last night we saw the production, Seussical, at the Muny.  It was very entertaining, especially the Cat in the Hat character.  The interaction he had with the audience was so much fun and had everyone laughing.  He did a great job.  Granddaughter loved the show and talked about it all the way home.

On the subject of love.....how about this cute card.  It was one of Sally Nusbaum's Convention swaps.  She shared them with us at the crop this past Saturday.  Sorry for the glare, nor do I have the swapper's name.  The typewriter image is positioned on a background made with the Dictionary stamp.  Tap, Tap, Tap is a new stamp set in the 2014-15 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog.  This set contains the typewriter image and the letters that look like typewriter keys, plus six other images.  Love it!  The sentiment is from Just Sayin', which was cut out from the coordinating Word Bubble Framelits.   A bit of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding adds the finishing touch.

Must run.  Thank you so very much for stopping in today!

Birthday Lion

Hi there!  Hope your weekend was good.  I had a fantastic weekend stamping with my friends....and making new friends.  Yesterday was a bridal shower for the future daughter-in-law of our close friends.  On the down side, our granddog went home after staying with us for about a week and a half.  Sure will miss having him around for nightly walks.
Speaking of animals, how about this lion punch art card?  Cute, cute, cute!  (Pardon the glare.)  It's a swap that Sally Nusbaum received at the Stampin' Up! Convention.  She brought her swaps to the crop on Saturday to share with us.  Sorry I don't have the name of the Demo who made it.  The Designer Paper is Lullabye and the birthday embellishment is an image from Label Love, which was punched out with the Artisan Label punch. 

This evening I'm taking our granddaughter out to dinner before we go see Seussical at the Muny.  With that said, must get busy on my very long to-do list.  Thank you so much for visiting today!

Maritime Traveler

Hi there!  Today's card is one of the make n takes from our New Catalog Open House that Mary Taylor and I hosted on May 31.  The ship image is from the Traveler set, which can be found in Stampin' Up!s new 2014-15 Annual Catalog.  (See below for other images that are in this set.)  The strip of Designer Series Paper is Maritime and the background panel was textured with the Argyle embossing folder.  My sample was totally CASE'd (Copy And Share Everything) from Sally Nusbaum's card.

Must run - our granddaughter spent the night.  Thank you for visiting today!

Tag - You're It!

Hi there!  Hope you're having a good week.  It's been a busy one here with making final preparations for our Card Buffet scheduled for Saturday and just catching up on sleep from this past weekend.  Without further ado, let's get to the above card - another sample from our Card Buffet display board.  The inspiration for this tag card came from my friend and fellow Demonstrator, Sally Nusbaum.  I changed the base color from Gumball Green to Crisp Cataloupe and also used some different ink colors to make it my own.  The supply list can be found below.  Here is a better shot of the tag.

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Too Kind 

Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Gumball Green, White, Watercolor Wonder DSP 

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Wild Wasabi 

Tools:  Standard hole punch (non-SU)

Other:  Gumball Green Satin Stitched ribbon 

Must get busy.  Thanks for stopping in for a peek at my blog today!

 

Spring Fling Make n Takes

 Hi there!  Sorry for the late post sharing the make n takes from Saturdays Spring Fling 

organized by Sally Nusbaum - with the help of Kim Coulter and Cheryl Renth.  The above 

card is showcasing the new Stampin' Up! Ampersand embossing folder, which is found in the 2014 Occasions Catalog (page22).  A piece of gold Foil Sheet was used, as well as gold Washi tape and gold Baker's Twine.   

Our next make n take also uses a piece of the gold Foil Sheet.  This time it peeks out from underneath a piece of gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.  Here again, gold Baker's Twine was used.  

The sentiment is from Perfect Pennants (found on page 27 of the Occasions Catalog).  It was stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed using gold embossing powder.

The same patterns in silver can also be found in Fancy Foil Designer Vellum, as used for the following card.

A different sentiment from The Perfect Pennants stamp set was used - only this time, we stamped the sentiment with silver Encore ink.  The banners were cut out with the Banners Framelits Dies.

Isn't this a fun card?  The background was made with Washi tape.  Love Washi tape!  It is so easy to use.  Gold Baker's Twine was wrapped around the panel a couple of times and embellished with a strip of Gold Sequin Trim and a button from the Very Vintage Designer Buttons collection.  This time a sentiment from a Sale-A-Bration freebie set is used, called See Ya Later.  Cute, cute, cute!

Our last project has become very popular on the internet.  You may have seen similar boxes.  What a presentation for the recipient!  It  wasn't difficult - just a little more time consuming but so worth it!  Cheryl did a lot of advance prep work, which made it go quicker.  Here again, the same elements are used as those in the above projects.  The sentiments are from See Ya Later and Just Sayin'.  Modern Medley Designer Series Paper (found in the Annual Catalog) was used on the panels and for some of the banners.

Here's a better view of the inside workings of the box.  The great thing about this box - it folds flat for mailing! 

What awesome projects, huh?  I just can't express how much I love being a part of Stampin' Up! and among such creative talent!

Not sure what is going on with Blogger today - spacing is all wonky.  I've tried to fix it but it's not happening.  Sooo, I'll sign off for now.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Spring Fling

Hi there!  Yesterday I attended a "Spring Fling" event and had a blast!  Let me tell ya, it certainly didn't feel like Spring outside!  I heard the snow plow come down our street early yesterday morning.  That got me out of bed real quick to peek outside to see how much snow had fallen.  It wasn't even an inch but I had about 30 miles to travel and snow could make that a scary trip.  Fortunately, the roads were fine!  Now back to the event.... Sally Nusbaum organizes a few different events for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators throughout the year, usually after the debut of a new catalog.  There are demonstrations, make n takes, business information, prizes, and card swapping (optional).  Oh, and food!  The best part, for me at least, is meeting other Demonstrators.  Sally's events are so much fun and I have met the nicest people!  If you're a Demonstrator and would like to attend, contact me and I'll connect you to Sally.  She does an awesome job!  So with all that said, the above packaged plastic shovel is one of the favors we received.  Isn't that just too cute?  We also received this one shown below.

This little cutie holds a square of Ghiradelli chocolate.  Yum!  It was made using the new Angled Tag Topper punch, gold Washi tape, and gold Baker's Twine - all from the 2014 Occasions Catalog.  The next favor designed by Kim Coulter is my personal favorite. 

What a gorgeous presentation!  That rose was made using the new Spiral Flower Originals Die.  Polka dot Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum was cut from a Starburst Framelit.  (Each package of Designer Vellum contains 3 sheets of 3 different designs) The branch of leaves (bird punch found in Annual Catalog) and banner (new Framelits) were made from our Foil Sheets found on page 23 of the Occasions Catalog.  The Chevron print kraft bag is a product that appears in the Annual Catalog on page 158 and the Tea Lace Paper Doilies can be found on page 156.  What's inside the bag you ask?  Samples of both gold and silver Designer Vellum, gold and silver Baker's Twine, Mini Metallic Clothespins, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, and Gold Sequin Trim!  
Are you seeing a theme here?  lol  It was gold, silver, and red. 

Tomorrow I'll share the make n take projects.  Thanks for stopping in today!

Kaleidoscope Herringbone

Hi there!  Popping in real quick to show you one of the make n takes we did at the retreat last month.  Sally Nusbaum showed us the herringbone technique.  It is easier than it looks and was a lot of fun to do.  You can Google for directions by typing in "herringbone technique" in the search engine.  Or, watch the video I found on Dawn Olchefke's blog here.  The Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper  used in the sample can be found in the 2014 Stampin' Up! Occasasions Catalog.  The sentiment is from Just Sayin' and cut out with the coordinating Word Bubbles Framelits. (These are also new products in the Occasions Catalog.)  Give this technique a try.  Caution - it's addictive!

Must run.  Thank you for coming by today!

Last of the Swaps

Hi there!  Today is the last of the shoebox swaps from a fun girls' retreat last month.  Our theme was to make a sympathy, get well, or thinking of you card.  The above swap was by Sally Nusbaum.  The sentiment from Sassy Salutations fit perfectly in the center of the Blossom punch.  Both items can be found in the Stampin' Up! annual catalog.  How about that subtle polka dot background?  That is the new Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper (DSP) on page 23 of the 2014 Occasions Catalog.  The finishing touch is the 3/4" Island Indigo Chevron Ribbon.  Who wouldn't feel better after receiving this card?

The next swap was designed by Susan Fields.

Her card is showcasing High Tide DSP (in the 2014 Occasions Catalog), the Banner Blast stamp set, and coordinating Banner punch.  The banner stamp set and punch are FREE products you can earn during Sale-A-Bration!  Some gold Baker's Twine was used for "hanging" the banners.  This is a new item in the Occasions Catalog and also comes in silver.  A circle stamped with an image from Hello, Sailor and matted onto a Pacific Point shape punched from the Curly Label punch makes the perfect embellishment.  What a great masculine card!

Snow is in the forecast.  Looks like another day in the studio.  It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it.  Ha!  Thank you for stopping in today!

Wetlands Thinking of You

Hi there!  Happy New Year everyone!  We've been greeted with COLD temps and about three inches of snow for the new year.  That's OK.  I'll be warm and cozy in my studio working on projects for our Card Buffet scheduled for Jan 11th!  So, a quick post on the above card that was made at Sally Nusbaum's Buffet.  This is a good masculine card, which showcases the Stampin' Up! Dictionary background stamp and some of our 7/16" trim behind the Wetlands goose.  An Aqua Painter brush was used to add a little color to the gooses body giving it a watercolored effect.  The Aqua Painter brush has a barrel that is filled with water.  These brushes can be found on page 164 of our Annual Catalog.

Don't forget the new Weekly Deals and Clearance Rack items!  You can view the Weekly Deals here and  click here  to view the Clearance Rack items. Please contact me if you'd like to place an order and you don't already have a Demonstrator.  My contact information is on the right side bar.  Thank you and hope to hear from you!

Must sign off for now.  Thanks for coming by for a visit today! 

Top Note Grinch and Treats

Hi there!  Are ready to ring in the New Year?  Where did the year go????  Well, I'm gonna wrap up the year with one last Christmas card.  For several years I've wanted to make a Grinch card and this year it finally came to fruition.  My inspiration came from Chris Twing.  You can view her video here.

Thought I'd also share the treats received from the Christmas party that Sally Nusbaum organized but was cancelled because of snow.  Kim Coulter made these cute treat holders.  The Santa is a container of Tic Tacs and the other little goodie is a lip balm holder.  Aren't they adorable?! 

The last treat, one of which was given to our granddaughter, is a cello bag of cookies sporting some elf legs.  Grandma's cookies are even better when they're presented in a cute way don't ya think?

That's it for this year!  Have a safe and Happy New Year and as always, thanks for stopping in today!

Joy to the World

Hi there!  Been in bed the last two days with some sort of crud, but now I'm back!  And we have snow!  We're supposed to get more later today according to the forecast.  Tomorrow is our Christmas party that Sally Nusbaum is organizing again this year.  Can't wait to see everyone!  The weather will keep some from attending - like Pam D'Urso.  It's been so long since we've seen her and that makes me sad that she won't be able to join us.
So in the holiday spirit, let's move on to the above card that was on our Card Buffet last month.  This was an easy card and seemed to be popular at the Buffet since there weren't any kits left.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Joy to the World, Special Season (tree & pine cone images), World Map, The Open Sea (world image for inside) 

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, White 

Ink: Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke marker, Soft Suede Marker

Stay warm and have a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by today!