Happy Holidays Blog Hop-Haunting Hill

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Happy Holidays Blog Tour! Each of the 22 stops on this hop feature products from Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini-Catalog--a full 40 pages of amazing products.

Yes, Stampin' Up! has done it again. Every time I think I can start spending less, something extraordinary comes my way and this time it is the Holiday Mini. Be sure to check out the other stops on the Blog Hop as well as the Stampin' Addicts Website for more ideas!

If you just came from Twila's awesome Stamp a Little Longer blog, I hope you enjoyed her fabulous projects featuring the Trick or Tweet set ! My projects feature the Haunting Hill Jumbo Wheel and the Night and Day Designer Series Paper.

I wanted to create a set that could be used before, for, and after a party. I love halloween, so this was exciting and fun to play with. The card features the Spotlighting Technique which makes the wheel image pop.

Stamps: Haunting Hill Jumbo Wheel

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Night and Day Designer Series Paper

Ink: Black Ink Cartridge

Accessories: Not Quite Navy Marker, Old Olive Marker, Bordering Blue Marker, Close to Cocoa Marker, 1/4 inch Circle Punch, 1 3/8 Circle Punch, 1/4 Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Perfect Details Texturz Plates, Texturz Silicone Pad, Texturz Impression Pad

At any Halloween party, candy is essential. Why not make it a part of the decorations?

Stamps: Haunting Hill Jumbo Wheel

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Night and Day Designer Series Paper

Ink: Black Ink Cartridge

Accessories: Not Quite Navy Marker, Old Olive Marker, Bordering Blue Marker, Close to Cocoa Marker, 1/4 inch Circle Punch, 1 3/8 Circle Punch, Curly Label Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Paper Crimper, Black Hemp Cord, Dimensionals, Paper Cutter with Scoring Blade

The coolest part of the Night and Day Designer Paper is the two pieces of dotted window sheets! You'll have to look closely to see the dots, but in person, it is SO COOL! The details on the top of the acetate box are simply punched from the Night and Day Designer Series Paper and layered with dimensionals! I used a rubber band to secure the pixie sticks together and covered it with a crimped piece of Basic Black cardstock. I then added the wheeled paper colored like the card and scrapbook page. The candies are covered with a curly label punch on top and bottom and a 1" circle from the wheel design.

After the party is over, the event should be documented in style, so why not make the page ahead of time?

Stamps: Haunting Hill Jumbo Wheel

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Night and Day Designer Series Paper

Ink: Black Ink Cartridge, Whisper White

Accessories: Not Quite Navy Marker, Old Olive Marker, Bordering Blue Marker, Close to Cocoa Marker, Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Two Tags Bigz Die, Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Die, Extended Spacer, and Cutting pads.

I hope you are inspired by my projects and enjoy your hopping to the next stop on the Blog Hop--Marie with projects using the Night and Day paper. Check out her blog at From Combat Boots...!

Happy Holidays (and Stamping!)

Holiday Ideas Sneak Peek

Ok, so I've had a few problems lately with my blog. Twice I've lost posts so the past two weeks have been a bit boring for my avid readers. The great news is this weekend, I have a special treat--I'm participating in a Blog Hop.

Is it like a sock hop? Hop scotch? Blog hopps? Nope. This is where you start at one blog and "hop" from one blog to another in a big circle. You get to spend some fun time seeing amazing projects created by amazing demonstrators. You'll love it! Join me on Saturday, August 29th at noon through Monday, August 31st at midnight for the Happy Holidays Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop.

Want to see what I've been creating? Here's a hint:

To see more, you'll have to come back!

Oh My GOLLY!

Where or where have my posts gone?

I pre-planned posts the past week so when I was internetless at my new house, you'd see what I'd been up to. However, they are gone. Gone. Not there. Not anywhere. So, while I fix them up...please forgive me.

Happy Stamping!

UPDATE: I rewrote some of my posts that went missing. I spent time searching, time dealing with tech support, and really, we have no idea what happened. During the past two weeks at school, I didn't have internet access, so I wasn't able to update as often as I wanted to. Hopefully, now you can go back and see some of projects that I've been working on in August!

Friends and Fun

Last Night was my Green Bay Scrapbooking Club Meeting for August at the St. Clare Hall basement at St. Mary of the Angel's Church. We meet monthly, eat a prepared supper (pizza, take-out, salads), and work on whatever projects we want! Members have access to my stamps, ink, and tools. We do a lot of collaborating and sharing, plus chatting. It's a real Girls' Night Out that's productive. Most of the members worked on cards this time and one scrapbooked. Since my group has diverse needs, I've started designing a scrapbook page as well as a card. Each participant makes one or the other.

First, the page:

Stamps: Hello Again, Retro Remix

Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Tempting Turquoise, Versamark Standard Wheel Cartridge

Accessories: Standard Stampin' Around Handle, Oval Scallop Punch, 1 1/4 Circle Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Big Shot, Acrylic Plates, Alphabet Simple Letters Bigz Die

Now, the card:

Stamps: Hello Again, Retro Remix

Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Versamark Standard Wheel Cartridge

Accessories: Standard Stampin' Around Handle, Circle Scallop Punch, 1 1/4 Circle Punch

I love the brightness of these projects!

A Pendant of a Card

A perk of being a demonstrator is the ability to attend convention, see great projects being created by experts on stage and then...WINNING THE STAMPS AND SUPPLIES! Yep! I won the Pendant Park Stamp Set along with the Pendant Notes! WHOO HOOOO!

Immediately, I had to make one of the projects with it that we were shown:

Stamps: Pendant Park

Paper: Pendant Notes, Very Vanilla

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: Paper Snips, 5/8" Jumbo Brads Neutrals, Craft and Rubber Scissors, Dimensionals, SNAIL, mini-glue dots

Basically, this card isn't hard. I cut a 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 piece of Very Vanilla. I stamped the tree from the Pendant Park Stamp set. This I adhered behind the pendant cut out. I then trimmed off the "tangs" on my brad and used the dimensionals and glue dots to secure it in the center.

But wait, there's more. If you've noticed the Pendant Notes, they look a little different than my card. The note starts like this:

I cut the insides of the pendant out:

and glued part of the trimmings on my envelope for texture.

Happy Stamping!

Saving the Best For Last

Ok. I might be going crazy. (or Crazy, man, crazy, as Don says). I know I posted this project on Monday, but it's not here! Oh no!

Here is my Last Convention Swap-- a mini scrapbook.

Stamps: Simply Said

Paper: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Very Vanilla

Ink: Lovely Lilac Marker, Certainly Celery Marker, Summer Sun Marker, Lovely Lilac, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Ribbon, Dimensionals, Elegant Bouquet Texturz Impressions, Big Shot, Multipurpose Platform, Acrylic Plates

I made these using a 12 x 12 piece of Certainly Celery. I scored every 3 inches and cut 4 from each piece. I then accordian folded the paper, added my layers, and tied the ribbon.

I used dimensionals to raise the front panel and wound my ribbon underneath. On the cover, I colored the embossing from the Elegant Bouquet Texturz Impressions Folder. Quick, easy, and fun.

Off to stamp some more!

Sara

A Happy Heart at Convention

That's me. As an adult, I've been very active person- politics, social groups, activism groups, my work, graduate school, muzzleloading. As I find a hobby or interest, I delve into it whole heartedly. Sometimes, I find a group of people I can relate to and a place to have fun. As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I have found a niche in the world that fits me. My husband jokes that I belong to a cult or a sorority, but, amazingly, I love it. I love every minute of convention--the four hours in line at the Momento Mall to buy Stampin' Up! merchandise, the hours of preparing swaps to share with others, carrying a heavy bag around all day, meeting other demonstrators from all around the United States. All of it. It's a place I fit.

I made a bunch of the Christmas cards to swap, but wanted another side to show...so I made 50 of these:

Stamps: A Happy Heart

Paper: Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede, Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla

Ink: Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, Always Artichoke 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Perfect Details Texturz Plates, Plastic pad, Silicone Pad, Piercing tool, Matte, and Template, Vintage Brads

There is never enough time, but I managed to cut the layers and stamp before leaving for convention. I ended up putting half of them together here in Salt Lake City. I ran out of the Autumn Traditions Designer Series paper. Since the remainders were over 1200 miles away in Neenah, I reworked my card to use the supplies I had:

There you go. Two designs from one set of supplies!

Happy Stamping!

Christmas is a Coming

and I never get my cards done by Christmas. But this year, I will get them done. Especially, since there is such amazing papers to play with this year!

Today is the first official day of Convention. At 9 am I can pick up my bag, visit Momemto Mall, and swap til I drop. Later today I have two organized swaps scheduled. That means, one demonstrator organizes a group of swappers in advance around a theme. Today is the punch art swap and the "Are We Crazy, the Last Minute Christmas Swap." Here's my card:

Stamps: Best Wishes and More, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Garden Green, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Garden Green

Accessories: 1 3/8 Circle Punch, Snowflake Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain, Jumbo 5/8” brad, Glassy Glaze Embossing Powder

I own one stamp set with a winter theme before Convention-Best Wishes and More. Opps. All of my favorites got retired! This year, I could buy about 7 sets, I love so many of them. Anyway, back to the card.

I wanted the snowflake part to dazzle everyone who saw it, so I did emboss the entire circle with Glassy Glaze Embossing Powder. It took two coats, but worked well. When I went to make them for Convention, though, the GGEP stuck together something awful. I passed the job onto my embossing loving sister who gave up. It was that bad. Since then I have resolved the problem with Stampin' Up! I must have gotten some moisture in the jar. I did start the project during that hot, muggy week. I guess embossing like this is best done in Winter!

Happy Stamping!

Cute N' Easy Notepad Cover

Today my Convention Roommate arrives and I have a gift for her that looks a little bit like this:

Stamps: Razzle Dazzle
Paper: Lovely Lilac, Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Paper cutter with scoring blade, sticky strip, Paper Snips, 5/8 Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon

This was so easy. All I did was measure the notepad, add a quarter inch and score at the measuremnt (4 1/4). Then I scored 1/4 inch over and then 4 1/4 over further. I cut the inside flap at an angle and then adhered it with sticky strip. I also adhered the Target Dollar Spot Notepad (bought last spring) on the right side with sticky strip.

Before my last stamp camp two team members (and cousins of mine)made a larger version:

They had fun experimenting with the altering of the cover. For this one, the pad was wider, so I only had a small flap. We used velcro as a fastener for the small flap.

Thanks, Amy and Tracy!

I hope Kathy likes hers!

Happy Stamping!

Sara

Off to Convention...Feelin' a Bit Punchy!

After 10 hours of driving today, I am feeling punchy. I needed a nap before I posted. Don and I left for Convention today, traveling from Neenah to Omaha on our way to the great Salt Lake City! One of my favorite part of being a demonstrator is meeting others and sharing ideas. To that end, I like to swap. On Wednesday, I will be swapping ideas for punch art.

I apologize for the weird picture. Apparently, I never took a good one and now am far away from my swaps in the parking lot and my camera. Plus, everyone else is sleeping. Frustration.

However, there is some good news. You can learn how to make punch art like this and take home your own card with punch outs at my Feelin' Punchy Class this month. Check out my SU! calender by clicking here and email or call me to register!

Now, for some better news!

This month-during Stampin' Up!'s Just for Kids promotion, you can earn FREE STUFF!

Spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (pages 74-90) and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons--a $7.95 value! Eligible buttons are listed below.

Item #	Page	Description	Retail Value
116313	181	Playground Designer buttons	$7.95
116312	181	Sherbet Designer buttons	$7.95
114333	181	Button Latte Designer buttons	$7.95

How cool is that!

Off to bed...more driving tomorrow.