Thank you cards

Still working on my leadership pages...I think I might not get them all done in time for the discount deadline. Too many pictures! How can I possibly have taken so many pictures in just 3 short days?

Today was a fun day. We had the Nicaragua missions team over since they wanted to make thank you cards for all the people that gave donations. Of course a few of them were appropriately impressed by those cool Stampin' Up! tools that gave extra wow to the card. The big shot was a hit as well as the SNAIL. It never ceases to amaze me how impressed people are by SNAIL adhesive. I guess I've used it for so long I forget how fabulous it is.

It was nice for me to hang around the gang and get a feel for the team dynamic. I had always been buys watching the kids when they had their meetings so I didn't really get to know everyone. You can tell by how everyone interacted that they truly cared for each other and also had a lot of fun. Here's Vern, the team leader, amazed by the SNAIL adhesive and contemplating how he can use the top note die to make metal wrestling belt buckles.

Here's Emren, eating as usual...I didn't totally get the inside jokes but for Emren it always seemed to have to do with food.

Here's Izzy, Rebecca and Kevin showing off their hard work.

It's a joy for me to see how stamping can bring people together and also be used to bless other people. Cool.

More scrapbooking things

It's the last few days of the national scrapbooking month promotion and I have returned with new vigour to my digital scrapbook pages. I want to get as many printed this month as possible. I feel kind of passionate about finishing my leadership pages because I know in a few months I'll have all sorts of pictures from convention. I don't want to miss putting those great pictures and stories into a scrapbook. In addition, the summer is always a time when we take lots of family pictures and I certainly want to capture those in an album as well...so I"m trying not to get too far behind. Some of the pages I completed and got printed arrived via the ups man yesterday. I couldn't wait to show the kids. They loved looking at them but leave it to my oldest son to point out: "You just did those scrapbook pages? Those pictures were from AGES ago!"

Here's a couple of things for you to enjoy:

My friend and fellow demonstrator makes mothers day gifts for the ladies in her church each year. Here's her sample from this year. Cards, bookmark, pillow box of candy (you can't see the candy because I ate it) all packaged in a beautiful folder.

I just got the elegant bouquet embossing folder so I had to play with it. I've never embossed on a scrap page before. I love the result.

Time for a makeover!

Another Stampin' Up! contest has been announced. Stampin' Up! is offering a complete stamping space makeover to one person. Shelli Gardner (CEO) will judge the entries and be the one to come and makeover the sapce. In order to qualify, this person must attend and be present at Convention this year. As well, you need to submit a video explaining why you think you deserve to win the surprise and delight makeover contest and the video can not be longer than 60 seconds.

I HAD to enter. I know the chances of winning are slim since there are thousands of people going to convention and even if 10% enter the contest, there's still a lot of competition. However, I knew that there was absolutely no chance of winning if I didn't enter so here's my attempt. Thanks to Jeff and Susan who did the magic of putting my name and stamp space dimensions on the bottom so I didn't have to waste precious seconds saying that mandatory information and of course my husband who had to convert the video file to DVD. (The contest rules were explicit that the entry had to be on a dvd that could be watched on a regular DVD player.)

Here's hoping!

The final week for starter kit and scrapbooking deals!

Just a reminder that this is the final week for the promotions this month:

**Only $150.00 no tax/shipping on the digital starter kit which includes My digital studio software, stamps, ink, embellishments and more!

**Crazy 30% off on select stamp sets. Prices start as low as $12.57

**Discounts on digital download bundles

**Discounts on professional print services.

Click HERE to get all the specific details. Don't miss out!

Happy Anniversary!

Yesterday was my 15th wedding anniversary! When I announced this to my children a couple of days ago, my oldest son lept out of his chair and said "I need to make a card!" I am serious. Isn't that funny?! I influence my kids without even knowing it! Here's the card he made and gave to us on our anniversary. So cute! Handmade is the best.

I felt guilty because I hadn't sat down to make my husband a unique card. If anyone deserves a handmade card, it should be him considering all he does to support me in my hobby.

I had made a card the night before at my Team S.T.I.C meeting since we were all stamping but we were all stamping the same card and I felt it was cheating since I had designed that card for a workshop...not for him.

Yesterday I had to work (with the end of the school year, the pace and workload has picked up considerably...). I only had a few minutes between paper work and running to the school where I made this card. I used the sponge daubers to sponge colour over the whisper white cardstock. (tempting turquoise and night of navy, then crumb cake and early espresso, then the red band

is melon mambo and rose red). I spritzed everything with silver foil smooch spritz in my attempt to "man" it up a bit. I couldn't resist adding and antique brad...they are too beautiful to omit.

Of course my husband gave me a card because I asked him to. For those of you married for any length of time, you know that if you want your husband to do something for you, you have to come right out and ask in order to avoid disappointment. I told him he didnt' need to buy me anything but please give me a card and write something meaningful and loving inside. That's all I wanted. I said he was free to buy a card but it had to be a nice one. No dollar store cards PLEEASE!

The good man did exactly as I asked. Here is the card he bought me. It was special because when you open it, it sings a Taylor Swift song. Hilarious. It scared the kids the first time but it was fun.

A Man Card

I did a workshop this past weekend where the hostess requested a father's day theme. YES! I get to use The Open Sea stamp set. A perfect man card set. As usual, if there is a co-ordinating dsp, I have to use it to easily tie the theme together.

This isn't the exact card we did at the workshop since I always give the hostess the demos I do but it's very similar. The one we did at the workshop looked better in my opinion because I used very vanilla paper and I also used sponge dauber and soft suede ink to age the edges.

If you're interested in making "man cards", make sure you contact me sign up for my class on June 12th where you will make 4 man cards and matching envelopes for $20.

Pink Tea Highlights

Sorry for not posting for days. Of course I must share the highlight of the weekend which was the pink tea. The pink tea was a stamping breast cancer fundraiser. As a part of the registration fee, guests received the strength and hope stamp set, three card projects with matching envelopes, yummy cupcakes and a donation made on their behalf to the Breast Health Centre at Markham Stouffville Hospital. Here's a couple of the cards we made. I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but the short & sweet sentiment set is one of my new favourites! I am using it a lot and it is so cute.

I had a great time chatting with friends old and new and enjoying the stamping enthusiasm.

Here's Pat enjoying her time stamping...

And Sebastiana getting ready to use her new stamp set.

It was a friend of Esther who donated the cupcakes and I just have to say that the cupcakes were delectable! I really had to restrain myself from eating 10 of them! Oink!
A close up of the cupcakes is necessary since they were so yummy...

What a pleasant day! Thank you EVERYONE who participated and supported the event in one way or another.

Hope

The pink tea breast cancer fundraiser stamping event is coming up this Saturday. I am in the process of final preparations for the event. I've got little pink bags to put the strength and hope stamp set into, I've got some educational brochures about breast health...

In the midst of getting ready, I found out last week that a good friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I feel kind of helpless as I know it's shocking news for her and her young family. She knows she can call me for childcare help and whatever other support she may need but I've got a card to give her as well. Hope is the right word for this situation. The word cancer evokes such negative emotion but a life challenge like what my friend is facing can bring hope. Hope that things will get better. Hope that this circumstance will not beat her down emotionally and hope that good things can come out of this experience. Somehow.

So many toys...

Just had to share what my husband put on his truck today. He had requested one of Stampin' Up!'s decor elements to customize his truck. You like? This one would also be perfect for the lid of a toy box or in a toy room.

Digital Scrapbooking

Over the past couple of days I have been focusing on getting some scrapbooking done. I know we tend to take lots of pictures when the warmer weather arrives and I can not feel good until I know I am caught up with scrapbooking last year's pictures. This month's promotion that includes a discount on digital print services, gave me a kick in the rear to get some pages done so I could get them printed before the sale is over. Here's a page I did from our outing to Wasaga Beach last summer.

I then started in on my Stampin' Up! leadership photos. I've been dying to scrapbook these because I bought special digital papers and stamps with all the Leadership logos so it really brings back the feeling of what it was like when I was there in January. It made me so happy just looking at the pictures and the logo.

I know I had told myself that I would EITHER go to Leadership or Convention this year and I had decided on Leadership. Well...I had such a good time at my first ever big Stampin' Up! event that I was convinced that I had to attend Convention. So, in July I will be going to Utah to experience my first ever Stampin' Up! convention. I am really looking forward to going and seeing what all the thrill is about. I also can't wait to see what new things I'll learn.

Scrapbooking is not hard. If I can do it, anyone can! My Digital Studio makes it super easy too!

Scrapbook in an evening

Ever wish you could have your pictures in an album to help you and your family remember fun and cherished moments?

The scrapbook in an evening class is for you! We will complete 20 6X6 scrapbook pages using the cheerful "playful polka dots simply scrappin kit". You will have a sense of pride and accomplisment at the end of the evening. All you will need to do is to drop in your favourite photos. This is ideal as a gift, or a brag book. Come join in, I'd love to scrapbook with you! No scrapbooking experience is necessary!

Date: Saturday May 28th 6:30pm

Cost: $35 includes all supplies to make the pages

(the album is not included in the cost but can be added on at a special price)

RSVP by May 14th.

Summer's here!

Okay, maybe the weather doesn't seem like summer but the summer mini catalogue is now live which is fun.

In case you missed my summer mini party yesterday, these are the cards we did as make and take projects.

At first I loved the Open Sea card but when I did the flower fest card, I was so happy with the bright colours that the not quite navy one looked a little dull in comparison. The cute little sentiment is from the set called "short & sweet" I eyed that set for so long and finally caved and bought it during sale-a-bration.

It's fun to do such different cards. If you didn't receive your copy of the summer mini, make sure you contact me to get your copy.

I know you've heard me say it before but one of the best things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the wonderful friendships and relationships that develop. I really believe that God uses relationships as a way for me to bless others but also I experience so much joy and blessing in return. It's amazing how it happens. I was blessed last week because someone I met through the business, invited me over for lunch. We have developed a friendship and for that I'm glad. I'm also glad that I got invited for lunch because her husband is a chef; that should give you an idea about the calibre of food I got to enjoy. I was also treated to creme brulee for dessert. Here's Mai's husband holding the fabulous dessert. (Must give credit to Mai for making the dessert)

I met Mai because she learned that Stampin' Up! cardstock is the best for making her card bases and she contacted me through my website. She makes beautiful handmade cards using special Japanese paper. You can see her beautiful artwork through her website or at the One of a Kind Craft Show. If you check out her creations, you can see that she really is an artist!