New product release for April

SUMMER SMOOCHES!

Okay, I don't have any pictures of things I've made with the gorgeous, bright and beautiful summer smooches line yet but I will!
I just wanted to get you excited of what is releasing April 1st.
Also, just a reminder that when you book a private class with me in April, I will give you any one item you want from the current catalogues valued at $25 or less. That's in addition to all the other hostess perks like a free idea book, invitation to my hostess appreciation night, a free class pass and free products based on the party sales.   What are you waiting for?
Give me a shout!  Let's book your spring stamping fun today!

Eek! Hopping happy!

Monday was a happy happy day. I just stamped my little heart out. I had wanted to send some cards to people and get ready for the sweet and simple class and get ready for the kids class AND I wanted to start playing with the summer smooches line coming out in April. Darn I couldn't get it all done but boy was I stampin fast and furious. . When I made this based on something I saw on the demo website I think I actually squealed and hollered out loud "this is so stinking cute!" of course no one was home to hear me. Luckily my opinion was reinforced by team girl sheena who dropped by later that day and by kevin. At first when I showed kevin I thought he was going to break out into a long discourse about what I should do to make it better. (sometimes he does that) he had a very serious face as he examined the project. Then he said "well, that is stinkin cute" No joke.  He actually said that!
 If you want to make this stinkin cute box, sign up for my kids can craft class!  If you can't make it, don't worry!  Just contact me and I'll book you your own private class to make stinkin cute projects with your friends!

sale-a-bration almost gone...

The once a year, fabulous sale-a-bration promotion is amost gone.  Only one week left!  I know many of you have already placed your $60 order to get your free stamps and accessories but if you haven't, make sure to do so before they are gone! 
Here's a couple ideas to help your inspiration:
This one uses pool party cardstock and the everyday enchantment dsp and brads (sale-a-bration exclusive!!)

This one is a super simple one using the beautiful fresh vintage set in blushing bride.  The blushing bride colour along with it's 2010 in colour teammates, pear pizzazz, poppy parade, peach parfait and concord crush will be gone very soon so order your cardstock and refills now before they sell out in May.

I'm STILL loving that pleated satin ribbon!

Hello Doily, Hello Bling!

I was thinking about glitter the other day and how women love things that sparkle and shine. I dug in my drawer, pulled out my heat and stick powder and got to work.
This was the result.  The fine cosmo glitter was essential here!

I love how the detail of the stamp still came out even after pouring the glitter. I worried that it would just be one gigantic mess of glitter but it was so great.  Would've been even better if I remembered to use my embossing buddy.

 If you want to see the glitter magic happen right before your eyes, make sure to book your workshop or private party with me and I'd be happy to dazzle your friends!

Beau chateau scrapping

Had some ladies over tonight working on their explosion box. They were working so independently and happily. Watching them craft made me so itchy to do something myself so I started working on a little scrapbook album. I had everything in the beau chateau line so I just started making little 6x6 scrap pages. The beau chateau paper with the co-ordinating side notes made me so happy. Here is a couple of the pages.

I'm hoping to use this little album to put pictures of Kevin and I when we go on the Stampin' Up! Disney trip together.  We'll see if I get it done in time!

Lifting my spirits with some calypso delight

I've been doing fine with Kevin out of town. The kids are happy and fed and clothed and we've been having some fun adventures and playdates so I think I'm doing my job.  I even managed to put out the recycling last night all by myself (typically that's Kevin's job) Just three more days and he'll be home...only to jump back into the crazy work/school routine. 

Despite everything going so well for some reason yesterday night and today I feel completely bummed.  Having had some bad depression episodes post partum and as a side effect of some medical issues, I recognized that I had to be careful with my thoughts today.  Usually when I start spiralling downwards, my thought life does not help...I tend to focus on my weaknesses, my failures, my disappointments.  Ugh.  NOT the cheery thoughts that I should be having and projecting to my kids. 

Fortunately I had some time to myself this morning since Michelle was at a friends house and my mom suddenly called and said that she was in the area and wanted to take the other kids out.

The time to myself was wonderful.  I was able to recharge a bit by listening to music, journalling and reading.  Then I went down to my stamp area and was working on finishing some cards I had started a few days ago.  (I really thought I would be getting so much stamping done over the March break but that hasn't been the case at all!)  Here's my favourite one I did today.  I wanted bright colours to help me have a more positive attitude and lift my spirits.  The colour coach gave me the idea to put calypso coral and daffodil delight together.

The stamp set is printed petals, and tiny tags.  The flowers are punched out with the boho blossoms punch and there is one of the new jumbo pearls from the occasions mini to top it off.

Here's another card I made with calypso coral cardstock.  I just threw it together really quickly but I'm still happy with how it turned out.  As you can tell, I was having fun with my framed tulips embossing folder...

This card uses the apothecary stamp set and Loving Thoughts stamp set.  I didn't think I would like the Loving thoughts set as much as I do.  I only got it since it was given to us at Leadership but now I find I use it fairly frequently because the sentiments can be used for cards and as journalling prompts for scrapbooking.

What a Week!

All I can say is What a week!  It all started on Friday morning last week when I was gearing up for a weekend of workshops.  (I have made a commitment to now only do workshops one weekend a month so that I can ensure I have the majority of weekends available for my family.  This means sometimes I will do multiple events in one weekend rather than spreading it out over several weekends.) I don't think I was particularly stressed about it or anything but Friday my mouth started breaking out in lots of canker sores.  It was ugly.  I've had one, two maybe three at a time before but never like this.  I must've had 50 in my mouth at once.  It was unbelieveable.  I could barely talk and I was in PAIN.  I couldn't eat since the pain was so bad.  All I could do was take motrin, rinse with salt water every now and then and pray.  Because I love doing workshops and I love the energy at workshops and I had some Team Stic help, I managed to make it through but my family saw my pain.  I couldn't do much around the house or with the kids.  It's amazing how pain in one seemingly small part of your body can suck the energy out of your whole being.
By Monday I decided to go to the doctor who suspected it was either something I ate or some kind of virus.  I really have to find a new family doctor.  I was there about 4 hours so I managed to get home just in time to get the kids from school, cook dinner and then run to the basement to cut the paper for technique class.  That's why I was late setting up girls and probably sounded like I had cotton in my mouth!  So sorry! (on another note, I was SOOO happy with the reinker techniques I played with!)
After my string of stamping events finished, I started to let the reality of Kevin going away sink in.  Obviously I had known for months that Kevin was heading off to Nicaragua again for missions work but I didn't want to think about it.  I didn't want to fret and worry about it.  I am a suck.  I am so dependent on my husband and I miss him when he goes to work. (I am not an independent woman of the new millenium...I know)   I was not looking forward to being without him for over a week but I know that he's doing what he needs to do and I really do support him in this adventure.  I also intellectually know that he is just as much in God's care there as he is here but emotionally I know I will miss him. 
So, here he is all packed and ready to go:

Thankfully I am now doing much better.  My mouth is pretty much all healed.  I didn't know but Kevin had asked people to pray for me last week.  I saw my friend Paul at church today and the first thing he said is that he's been praying for my mouth.  Giggle.  Not your usual Sunday morning greeting!  I had no idea he even knew but I appreciated the thoughts.
So far the first few days without Kevin have been uneventful.  The kids and I have loved reading his blog (www.ccccnic.blogspot.com) and talking to him via Skype.  It's not so bad when we can hear his voice and see his smile. We also got invited to dinner by some friends.  A group of them often get together for potluck and perhaps out of pity for me, they decided to invite me to join them this week.  Of course I jumped at the chance to socialize with friends while Kevin was away and I thought it would be fun for the kids to play with other kids.  Keeping busy helps the time to go faster.
I was so thankful to be included in the social gathering, I thought I must make something for each of the families.  Just a small token of appreciation...
Here's what I made.  It's just a simple treat cover.  Inside is a cellophane bag with chocolate covered blueberries.

Well, so now starts a new week.  I'm thankful for friends, I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with my kids and I'm thankful for good health.

Shimmery fifth avenue

I had great fun at technique class/club on Monday night. The technique focus was on reinkers. Not only do reinkers juice up your ink pad, they do lots of other great tricks as well. This is one of the cards the girls did using a reinker drop technique. To get the best effect on this technique you need the shimmery white paper. You heat emboss a line image stamp then spritz it with lots of water. Then using an aqua painter drop reinker onto the embossed image and watch the ink spread in the pooled water . So fun! The result is a watercoloured look with underlying shimmer. If you want to see this technique in action, contact me to book your own private class or workshop. I would be happy to wow your friends. Don't forget, you want to book your party soon do you can get in for my hostess appreciation night on June first! Another way to get in for my hostess appreciation night is to become a Stampin4fun Member.  Then you receive all my monthly technique classes, a free catalogue, hostess benefits and more!  Talk to me for all the details.

Come on spring!

I am ready for warmer weather and more sunshine. Making an Easter card makes me feel like that spring sunshine will be here sooner than later.