stampin4fun

Thank you Paula!

2012-02-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

I guess you've noticed by now that my blog has a new look. A huge thank you to my team girl Paula who whipped it up for me. As you know, anything with technology is one of my huge challenges so I love it that Paula has talent in this area and offered to help me out.
Also, one of my friends Jan has been bugging me to change my blog photo as she thought the previous photo was extremely dull. I really don't have much to choose from so Jan, hopefully this new one is better!

Valentines: Done!

2012-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

I was lucky this year. My eldest is going skiing with his class on Valentines day so we decided we would not need to make any valentines for his class this year.
So, only the younger two needed to make valentines. There is some sort of healthy food policy at the public school so we couldn't send any treats. We just made a little cover for valentines balloons. The youngest also goes to a little private school where candy abounds so we made these little ladybugs using the scallop cirle big shot die , 1 1/4" circle punch for the head and the word window punch for the antenae. It's a little rough looking since I had both boys helping me. My eldest was actually sticking the heads onto the rear end of the butterfly and couldn't see what the problem. was! Boys and their lack of attention to detail! I am so happy that the little narrow cellophane bags are still available as a carry over item.

Girlfriends (NSR)

2012-02-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share some pics from a girls night out I had tonight. There's a group of us that get together regularly. We first met when our kids were babies and we'd meet during the day for some adult conversation, then we started getting together every month for book club. Book club deteriorated since we all liked different books and we really preferred talking about our kids and husbands anyway. Now with our busy lives, we only get together every few months but it's still super fun when we do.
This was our first time doing teppenyaki. Here's Stephanie playing chef

And here is Linda catching food being tossed in her direction by the chef.

I knew that Teppanyaki was getting to watch my food being cooked in front of me but I didn't realize that there was so much entertainment provided by the chef. It was really an interesting experience.

I'll just share with you an e-mail one of the girls sent around which I thought was hilarious and hope will give you a little grin.

The Girlfriends' Dinner

A group of 15-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet for dinner.
Finally, they agreed to meet at the Dairy Queen next to the Ocean View
restaurant because they had only $6.00 among them and Jimmy Johnson, the
cute boy in Social Studies lived on that street.

10 years later, the group of 25-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet
for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the beer was cheap, the restaurant offered free snacks, the band was
good, there was no cover and there were lots of cute guys.

10 years later, the group of 35-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet
for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the Cosmos were good, it was right near the gym and, if they went
late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

10 years later, the group of 45-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet
for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the martinis were big and the waiters had tight pants and nice buns.

10 years later, the group of 55-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet
for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the prices were reasonable, the wine list was good, the restaurant
had windows that opened (in case of a hot flashes), and fish is good for
cholesterol.

10 years later, the group of 65-year-old girlfriends discussed where to meet
for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the lighting was good and the restaurant had an early bird special.

10 years later, the group of 75-years-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant washandicapped-accessible.

10 years later, the group of 85-years-old girlfriends discussed where to
meet for dinner. Finally, they agreed to meet at the Ocean View restaurant
because they had never been there before.

Crafting Utopia

2012-02-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

This past week I had a lunch date with a neighbour of mine. Our kids are good buddies and we were long overdue for a nice chat. This neighbour, Lisa, is a fanatic about Disney. So, we can't help it. Whenever we get together we talk about all things Disney. (I know, some of you are shocked that I have another obsession besides stamping) Anyway, Lisa is amazing. She is always telling me all sorts of fascinating things about Disney world and where I need to go and what I need to eat. This week, I had my phone out taking notes as she was talking so that I could try to keep track of everything. We stopped talking Disney long enough for me to congratulate her because I heard from my friend Julie that she just signed up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I thought it was perfect for her because she has a chronic illness that keeps her housebound a lot and I wasn't surprised that she discovered that Stamping was a perfect therapeutic solution for her.

So, she invites me over to her house since apparently everyday her sister comes over and they spend the afternoon crafting. The last time I was in Lisa's basement it was the summer and it was filled with toys. This week I go to her basement and this is what I see:

Oh My Goodness!!!!! I had no idea that this crafting utopia was right behind my house!!!! I just about died. You have to understand, this past summer I brought her to my basement and tried to show her the basics of stamping because I thought she might enjoy it. She explained to me that her sister just started enjoying stamping with somebody named Julie but she (Lisa) hadn't really stamped before. Obviously Lisa's sister has totally converted Lisa to a stampaholic. When Lisa and I talk Disney there's hardly a second of silence between us because we get so excited. Once I went down to her basement and saw her set up and all the beautiful projects they had displayed on the tables (they have more craft tables than me!), there was now no stopping the flurry of conversation between us. She and her sister proudly ran around showing me everything and I was in awe. The only thing I could manage to do was pull out my phone and start taking pictures wildly. Here's one of my favourite things that they showed me.

I know you can't really tell in the picture but the card is huge. I found it so hilarious to see my friend talking passionately about pool party and her indignation that the pleated satin ribbon did not come in the pool party colour. She then showed me her many Christmas cards and guess what?? Her favourite stamp set at Christmas was the Christmas lodge set too! I was overcome. How could it be possible that we have all the same obsessions? We decided we must have been twins seperated at birth.

We took a picture to examine the family resemblance.

Okay, it's not the best picture of us but our smiles say it all. We love stamping and the friendship and laughter it brings!

Rue Des Fleurs Step

2012-02-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a center step card using the beautiful attic boutique dsp and rue des fleurs stamp set. I felt so calm when making this card...something about the soothing nature of the colours. Of course I couldn't resist adding a vintage brad and some pool party seam binding to dress the card up.
We'll be learning how to make the center step card at my technique class tonight along with a couple of other fun things. Let me know NOW if you would like to drop in tonight at my home: 7:00. I"ll have the paper all ready for you!
Cost: free with $30 purchase.

So Stinkin Simple!

2012-02-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

We had a fun team S.T.I.C meeting tonight. I always enjoy the laughter and friendship the girls bring. I had prepared three make n takes for everyone tonight highlighting the sale-a-bration products. I think this one was my favourite because it was so simple! This will always be the magic of stamping to me. I don't need fancy projects to make me happy. Just a simple, quick and easy card makes me so thrilled. I love the sentiment: You make my whole face smile! That's how I feel about all of you who make my life so fun. If you want to drop in for a one time visit and see how fun our team meetings are, just let me know and you can come as my guest!

The colours are: lucky limeade, rich razzleberry and island indigo dsp. If I had any whisper white ribbon I would have put it on the left side but I didn't have enough for all the girls tonight. OOOO, what does that mean? I need to buy more ribbon. Wait! I think I need to put in another $60 order to get a free sale-a-bration item! Grin.

It's cute but what is it?

2012-01-31T04:30:00.000-08:00

Here's something I made yesterday trying to come up with crafts for my daughter's birthday. I thought this was hilarious. I think I need to tweak the design a bit. I got the idea off of you tube. When I showed my family they all thought it was cute but didn't know what the purpose was for. Hmm, my craft has to have a functional purpose? Can't we just make it and look at it and think it's cute?
The you tube lady said she made it as a valentines holder so all the kids in the class can put their valentines into the mouth. So yes, it is supposed to have a purpose but not completely applicable to my daughter's birthday party. Hmmm back to the drawing board...

I mostly used the circles #2 big shot die to do the eyes and nose. The teeth were done with the scallop edge punch.

Craftin' with my girl

2012-01-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

My daughter is super excited about her Stampin' Up! craft birthday party this Saturday. She let me know last week that on Saturday we had to plan what crafts we're going to do at her party. She also let me know that all the crafts had to be valentine themed since she her birthday is so close to Valentines Day. Boy, my little girl is more demanding than any hostess! Smile. She was excited to try a little favour box with the petal cone die and this is what we made. She got a little discouraged about the sticky strip part. She was worried it would be too hard for her friends to peel off the backing of the sticky strip adhesive. I reassured her that we could probably use the tombow glue and it would be fine.

On to work on more projects for her valentines themed birthday party!

Stamp Space Makeover

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Do you remember way back I had entered a contest to try and win a Stamp room makeover from Stampin' Up? I didn't win the contest but I thought it was so fun to see the winner and what the Gardner family did to transform this demonstrator's stamping space.

Cool eh? Wish I could stencil as fast as Sara!

Sale-a-brate with fabric and hearts

2012-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd quickly share another card using the flirtatious fabric. Another sale-a-bration freebie!
This was a swap I received from Elaine Paget at Leadership.
I thought it was neat how she punched out the hearts and made them like a peek a boo window with the sentiment underneath.
I will be putting in a group order this weekend so please get your order to me by Sunday. Sale-a-bration is here! Remember, one freebie for every $60 you spend!

A swap and a shaker

2012-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a swap I received that I thought was neat and a shaker card that I did at a recent club meeting.
First the swap. It uses a catalogue set called Language of Friendship. This set will be available as a sale-a-bration pick starting tommorrow. I thought it was so interesting how they placed the bird in the stamped greenery. I also liked how they used the new punch that goes with the mixed bunch stamp set and layered the oval punches on top.

This card was created from my brain. I was desperate to play with the new everyday enchantment dsp and I wanted to show my club girls how the shaker frames work so this is what I put together. Isn't it great how the fresh vintage stamp set matches with the dsp so perfectly? You almost can't tell that it's a stamp...looks almost like the paper underneath that shaker frame. The sentiment is the curly cute set. Of course I had to add some of that new pool party seam binding.

More pictures

2012-01-21T06:08:00.000-08:00

Hoping that a picture will share a thousand words, here are more pictures from my time here in San Antonio. I'm currently at the airport gate waiting so we'll see how many pics I can upload before my battery goes...
Of course there were samples and creative inspiration EVERYWHERE

Then there were inspirational talks and demonstrations. I really enjoyed Shelli's demonstrations. She taught how to make the cutest little treat cover using the framelit label die. I can't wait to go home to make it since it was so easy.

What I really liked about her demonstration is that it was so natural and not polished. By this I mean that she made lots of "mistakes" forgetting her scrap paper, stamping when there was a bump under the table so the image wasn't totally clear, forgetting the name of the attic boutique dsp. For some reason, she was so cute even though her simple project seemed to take a while to make because she seemed to be a bit off. Generally being human. You know what? It made me remember that when I'm doing a workshop or class, it's okay that I make tons of mistakes all the time. I don't know if I"m as endearing as Shelli when making mistakes and being disorganized but it is a good reminder to know that nobody has to be perfect when demonstrating. Anyone can demonstrate stamping. (that's my not so subtle plug here for $150 demonstrator starter kit! :-))

The theme of the conference was "My Way". Basically the over riding message was that we are all different and will naturally run our stamping classes and events and business in different ways. Throughout the conference there were lots of demonstrators who shared "their way" of doing things. It's so true. With anything in life things are not a one size fits all but in Stampin' Up! there is room for all of our unique differences. I loved that message.

To highlight that message, the corporate team took turns sharing personal things about themselves and what they love. Here's Chad the information guy showing that he loves anything with motors. Yes, it really is a Harley on stage.

This is my third major Stampin' Up! event but the first time I won prize patrol! Woohoo! There are gifts they give to all attendees but there are some they only give to some people. We all had different kind of wrist bands and occasionally they will call a colour pattern combo and anyone with that colour and pattern jumps up and they come and give you your prize. The very last prize patrol they called out my band colour. I jumped up and screamed! I won the apothecary stamp set and framelits!

Apparently I was on the big TV screen at the front but myself or my friends didn't even notice because we were so excited. Generally how it works when they announce prize patrol is that as soon as the bracelet colour is announced, you know immediately if you have won or not and if you didn't win, you immediately look at your friends to see if any of them are jumping up because if you don't win, the absolute next best thing is for someone in your gang to win. So I guess we were all excited we didn't even notice I was on the screen.

After the closing of the general session we went out for dinner and took a boat ride along the river that runs through San Antonio. It was lovely and at least I can say I did something touristy even though I didn't make it to the Alamo. It wasn't until I paid for my riverboat ticket and got on the boat, pleased that I managed to fit in a touristy activity, that I suddenly remembered that I get very easily motion sick. I had a moment of panic worried that I would ruin everyone's experience by barfing on the boat. I made sure I sat near the rail in case I had to hang my head over the edge. Fortunately the boat went real slow and in the tiny river the water was very calm.

As usual, I have to close by saying, that the best part was the friendships and relationships.

Looking forward to seeing you all back in Canada!

on my way home

2012-01-21T03:02:00.000-08:00

I"m on my way home. Although I'm flat exhausted I am so glad I came. I'm waiting for my airport shuttle and can't wait to see my husband and kids.
I have so much to share and am so glad to have met up with my friends and get great stamping ideas.

I"ll post more when I get some sleep and get home.

A day of announcements and learning

2012-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

It was such a full full day today. First, up in the morning to get ready and get breakfast. Then over to the convention hall to swap while we waited for the doors to open for general session.
Here's one of the cute swaps I received using the new upcoming exclusive sale-a-bration set: sprinkled expressions

Isn't the sweet shop paper so cute with it?

I swapped all my cards and can't wait to have some time to just sit and browse leisurely through all the swap cards I received.
The general session was full of excitement. Stampin' Up! likes to share new announcements at their events. They consider it a special perk for event attendees.
Want to know some of the new announcements????
Here we go....!!!
1) Stampin' Up will be releasing a diagonal scoring plate that fits on top of the simply scored tool. WOOHOO!!!! A fabulous tool to easily make boxes and envelopes and other 3-D. I can't wait to get it in my hands.
2) Stampin Up! has made some changes to their catalogue program. There is so much to say about this but I know that they want to make the catalogue more accessible to more people, less overwhelming more user friendly. They are continuing with the one annual catalogue but the release date is changing to...JUNE 1st! This means we will have a brand new catalogue with new in colours coming out in 5 months. There is more about the catalogue program but I'll leave you hanging here...
3) They are discontinuing the decor elements line and the simply adorned line...so if there's anything you've been wanting to get...now is the time.

The other great thing are the prizes and freebies. A couple of ladies who have been with the company Forever, just recently promoted to the highest title that exists. They were rewarded with a LUSH trip to the West Indies and this giant basket of product.

Of course we were excited for these ladies but we were all more excited to receive our own free product. Of course it wasn't a basketful but we love the mds cd, rhinestones and pearls, new stamp set from the new not yet released catalogue and our very on pool party ruffled ribbon. yeah. Look how happy the whole auditorium gets when they hand out free stuff! We just stand up and clap and dance and jump around and smile a lot.

Here's a pic of me and Linda and Heather with our freebies. For some reason I am just so tickled pink about the pool party ruffled ribbon. I just can not stop thinking about how much I love that colour and now I will have ribbon to match the paper!

We then had a delicious lunch, an afternoon full of classes and then we went out for dinner.

I'm so sorry Kevin, I don't want to make you jealous but we went out for Mexican for dinner. I almost felt like I was cheating on my husband because normally I am with him when I go out for Mexican. I just love eating guacamole and deep friend cheesy enchaladas. Yum. The weather was so nice here and there are loads of restaurants just beside the river. It's so quaint with stone walkways I felt like I was in Europe or something. Here's some pictures of us as we're walking to dinner

We also were serenaded at dinner by a cute mariachi (sp?) band.

Oops, I forgot to mention that I sat in front of Sara Douglass, Shelli's daughter at one of the classes so I couldn't help but turn around and say hi. (Esther, if you're reading this you have to know that the first thing Sara did was ask about you and how you're doing!)

Okay, that was my full full day. I'm having fun, I'm glad I came and I"m looking forward to more fun and announcements and hopefully freebies tommorrow!

Wisteria Elegance

2012-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a beautiful stamp set called: Elementary Elegance. This was the first one that caught my eye when I first started browsing the sale-a-bration catalogue. I like how that curly label punch fits right inside.

I wanted to make a simple card that could be made quickly and easily. This is what I came up with.

I finally used the flirtatious fabric that I had been hoarding. (I bought it to sew a swap bag. Sadly, the fear of sewing overcame me and I never did end up sewing the bag so I gave myself permission to use it on my cards!)

I bought the fabric months ago but you can earn it free during sale-a-bration! Don't forget, you get one free sale-a-bration item with every $60 you spend starting January 24th!

Want to come and check out my leadership swaps and play with some new sale-a-bration things? Make sure you contact me to come out to my sweet and simple class this month on January 26th. 7:00pm. You get to make 4 cards for $15 or free with $30 purchase. Bring a friend, make a double set! Come out out! I'd love to share my enthusiasm with you!

A few pictures...

2012-01-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I had an awesome time tonight. A beautiful evening with great friends. I've got to go to bed but wanted to share some pictures:

This was us after we first picked up our bags. From left to right: Nancy, Joanne, Heather, Me and Lynda F. (Linda W hadn't yet arrived)
Here we are standing in line for the managers reception acrobatic show

I loved the chinese acrobatic show tonight. I alternated between clapping in amazement and holding my breath in fear that these acrobats would seriously injure themselves.

Then after the show we went out for coffee and dessert. Yum!

Can't wait until tommorrow when the presentations start. I saw Dale Hamshire, Stampin' Up's Canadian Corporate team member tonight. He said that there were going to be some great announcements this week. Can't wait to hear them!

My cute bag!

2012-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to share my pictures with you. Here's a picture of the cute leadership bag we received this year!

Seeing such cute, bright fabric couldn't help but make me smile even though I went to bed past midnight and woke up at 5:00am.
Why did I wake up at 5:00am when there was no main stage presentation today and this is not the crazy convention mentality? In fact it is still not entirely clear to me but my roomates had set the wake up call for 5:00am because they said we had to meet our other friends at 8:00am. This was an unsatisfactory explanation to me. I kept asking in a dopey confused voice why we were waking up at 5:00am. Nancy had already gotten up and jumped into the shower so Heather was trying to patiently explain that there were three of us in the room and if we each take an hour to get ready, we would need this time. I still couldn't figure it out. I tried very hard to make my brain understand while talking to Heather. I didn't want to sound rude or ungrateful but I was trying to grasp if we were going to wake up at 5am every day. I also worried that when our 4th roomate arrived, we would have to start waking up at 4 am. I tried to explain my thinking: that if we were all getting ready at the same time in the morning, we wouldn't need 1 hour plus 1 hour plus 1 hour. We could just get up 1 hour before we needed to leave. Heather then patiently explained that we couldn't all be in the shower at the same time. This still seemed like an unsatisfactory explanation for a 5 am wake up but by this time I gave up trying to understand and just accepted that we were awake for the day.
So, today was bag pick up day and make and take session. I loved the make n take session. I managed to complete many of the cards. Yea!
I also loved the make n take session because I got lots of goodies. A package of buttons, lucky limeade bakers twine, the beautiful twitterpated paper, the mixed bunch stamp set and so much more! I also got this beautiful fabric folder that can hold notes, an e-reader (which I don't own) or whatever else I want to put in there. I loved the My Digital Studio Tag signed by Shelli!

We had a wonderful lunch and I took more pictures. The other girls have gone shopping but I decided I'd better take a rest otherwise I might crash at Managers Reception tonight. I'm supposed to be napping but I couldn't wait to show you my little gifts!

I'm Here!

2012-01-18T05:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I'm here in San Antonio! I was stuck at Pearson for quite a while since flights couldn't land due to fog which caused me to get rebooked and re-routed through Dallas. I just passed the time at Pearson by eating and surfing the internet. I kept looking for opportunity to eat because I was afraid that I was going be famished on the airplane if I didn't eat. Pairing my meal with this FIJI water reminded me of Stampin' Up! and friends and fun.

Once I got to Dallas I technically had a 4 hour layover until my flight to San Antonio but since I had nothing better to do, I ran to each gate that had an American Airlines flight to San Antonio to hopefully get on by stand-by. I think there were 3 flights to San Antonio before mine. I made it onto the second one. Yea! I finally arrived in San Antonio by around 9:45 I think but of course my luggage didn't arrive since it was booked to come in on the last flight. I worried momentarily about my swaps but I figured getting to San Antonio and getting to the hotel was first priority and my swaps would arrive when they arrived.

I was so happy to get to the hotel room and see my two friends. What were they doing when they got there? Making their swaps!

Lots to share but I have to get ready for the day!
I'll share more later! My munchkins, if you are reading this, I miss you! I called you guys this morning but you didn't answer! Hope you had a great day at school!

One day I hope to get to San Antonio!

2012-01-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

I was awake early all excited to finally embark on this adventure to San Antonio. I got to the airport in plenty of time. I waited at the gate. I waited some more. I kept waiting until they announced that the plane I was supposed to get on was not landing due to bad visibility. The plane had to re-route to buffalo. Here is what it looks like at Pearson right now:

Okay, I admit, it's a little foggy. The problem is I was supposed to fly to Chicago and then connect on to San Antonio. There are no direct flights to San Antonio. So, I've been rebooked to leave Toronto at 3:45pm (instead of the planned 11:55 am) and fly to Dallas. The Stampin' Up! demonstrator in front of me in line got the last seat on the earliest flight out of Dallas to San Antonio. (note to self: next time I am at the airport, sit at a seat closest to the ticket counter so that if a flight is cancelled, I can rush and be first in line!)
I will layover in Dallas for a long time and will hopefully get on the last flight out and be in San Antonio by midnight. Groan. It's going to be a long day!

On a positive note, I decided that this glitch in plans meant that I could console myself with a bag of Doritos. How often do I get to just sit and do nothing and eat chips? Not often enough, I think.
I also thought I would take a picture of these card folders I made for my roomates and share them with you. I was DETERMINED to make something for my roomates and friends because when I went to convention, they brought lovely gifts for me and I had NOTHING for them. How was I supposed to know that it must be some sort of etiquette to hand make something for your long distance stampin' friends that you reunite with at convention?
In order not to be shamed again, I had to make something. I thought these were simple and easy and could also be used by them in their business.

Hee Hee. You can see the corner of my Doritos chip bag in the picture.

Here's a close up of the card. You know I like these friends because I spared no expense. There is an antique brad on every card!

Okay, I think my laptop is running out of battery. I have to go! I"ll keep you posted and hopefully will be in San Antonio sometime today...even if it's midnight!

Outlined Occasions Bling

2012-01-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's another sale-a-bration sample. This one uses the up and coming sale-a-bration Exclusive set called: Outlined Occasions.
I used up my very last piece of silver glimmer paper on this card. Good thing the silver glimmer paper has carried over and is still available for purchase even though the holiday mini is gone.
This card also uses the cute everyday enchantement brads...another sale-a-bration exclusive. In fact, you can earn the brads, ribbon and co-ordinating stamp set FREE with your qualifying workshop or private class!
I LOVE sale-a-bration. It is my very favourite time of the Stampin' Up! year. I love free stamps!

I am going to schedule one post for when I"m gone in Texas just in case I can't blog when I'm away. (but I really hope I can!)

Not so bad...

2012-01-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was so worried that today would be a complete write-off because of my crippled back. I didn't get to pack and get ready for leadership, I didn't get to make the gifts for my roomates but I am still thankful for today.
Moving around was a little painful so I just sat and cleaned up my e-mail and I finally got around to starting to book my dining reservations for the Disney Incentive Trip. Just thinking about the Disney trip in May lifted my spirits. It just made me so thankful to have such a great hobby job and especially grateful for all my team girls and customers and friends and God who made this amazing reward possible!
The evening was capped off by having our friend and photographer Jeff Ho come to show us the pictures he took of our family over the holidays. As a Christmas gift to my parents and brother, I arranged for Jeff to come and take some pictures. Even with my painful back I loved looking through the pictures. I just gave up and told him I'd order a book so he could just put all the pictures in it. Here's one of my favourites:

So, what I thought would be a terrible day ended up being not so bad...

Sale-a-bration is around the Corner!

2012-01-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

The biggest and most famous Stampin' Up! promotion is around the corner...Sale-a-bration!
Sale-a-bration is great because everyone benefits!
Hostesses earn a free tote and stamp set, brads and ribbon with their qualifying workshop.
Customers earn a free sale-a-bration item with each $60 purchase
Join the Stampin' Up! family for an amazing price and get a free package of designer paper every month for the rest of the year!
Here's one of the catalogue sets that you can get for free during sale-a-bration. It's called "Party this Way". Here's a super cute card I made using this set

The clouds were made with the cupcake punch.
Keep an eye on my blog as I hope to be updating it with other sale-a-bration samples and I am leaving for Leadership Conference on Tuesday! I hope to be able to access the internet so I can show swap samples and other fun adventures.
In case you are wondering how I am proceeding with my swaps, I had a setback. My back went out on me last night. Fortunately, I had invited friends over to come and help me with my swaps so we were able to get a total of over 85 done. So satisfying! Thank you so much Mel and Michelle!

Spring Stamp Camp!

2012-01-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

I've had many requests from last year's attendees so here it is again...
Stamp camp!
A full day to treat yourself. I will prepare the make n takes, lunch, goody bags and prizes. You just come and enjoy.
Take a day for yourself. You deserve it! Bring a friend and receive a discount on the fee.
I hope you can see the details in the flyer pictured above otherwise click on the picture and you may get a better image.
Details:
Date: Saturday April 28th 9:30-4:30pm
Camp Options: Inspiration A is 12 make n take cards $70
Inspiration B is 8 make n take scrapbook pages (likely 12X12 size) $70
Get it Done Option: Bring your own supplies and work on your own unfinished projects $55

The day includes snacks, lunch, a goody bag full of product, prizes, WoW breakout sessions and more!
Hope you can make it!
To register just email me at genevieve.ko@sympatico.ca
or use this link below:

                  Registration is not confirmed until payment is received.  Once this form is completed, please mail Genevieve a cheque for registration fees.

You will receive a confirmation email from Genevieve once registration form is completed.

I've invited you to fill out the form RegistrationForm - Stamp Camp 2012. To fill it out, visit:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEppT1lOaW1zd3pyd19HSFFNR2VITFE6MQ

Those Crazy Crafty People!

2012-01-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

I am procrastinating. I should be writing my O.T. reports. We have been told that we now have to do all our reports online on a new computer system. Learning new things is hard when I'd rather be stamping.
I'd probably have been done by now if I weren't constantly checking my e-mail, and facebook. With leadership only one week away, there is so much chatter going on about where we're going to meet, where we're going to eat, sharing opinions about swaps etc etc.
So, I"m on one of my facebook group full of stamping demonstrators and I see this picture and I have to show you. Jill Hiller (sp?) made this as a Christmas gift for her UPS man. I'm sure many of you have heard me talk about the UPS man. All stampin' up demonstrators love the UPS man because they bring us our beautiful stampin supplies. I am sure I am not the only one that runs to the door as soon as I see that brown truck slowing down in front of my house!
Anyway, I love crafting but I have NEVER made anything for my UPS man. Actually, I would maybe consider it if I always had the same guy. He's always changing!
Anyway, I digress (more procrastinating...) Here's the picture:

Really, during the holidays this demonstrator (who is one of the top 100 in the U.S.) has time to craft for her UPS man??? Those crazy over achievers!

Must Make Swaps!

2012-01-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, Leadership is now one week away and still no swaps!!!! I think I"m going to do this card. It uses the new Rue Des Fleurs stamp set from the occasions mini. I thought the paper daisies sponged with soft suede ink added to the vintage feel of the card.

I woke up this morning and all was quiet in the house and I ran downstairs to the craft cave and started cutting. I knew I didn't have much time before the kids awoke...20 minutes at the most. I figured if I started preparing the paper, I could stick them on when I had time later. I managed to get most of the pieces for 15 cards cut before a little munchkin showed up asking me to help him find his stuffed Pablo Penguin.

If any of you out there want to come and visit with me anytime this week, PLEASE come for a visit...as long as you don't mind that I"ll put you to work assembling my swaps. ;-P

Crafting with Team S.T.I.C

2012-01-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share some pictures with you from the last team meeting. We totally filled up the available space with all the people and make n takes! (If anyone has any leads on space that I can rent...low on cost, big on space, please let me know!)
Here's some of the girls having fun stamping:

This is something one of the girls shared. She stamped avery labels and wrapped them around hershey nuggets. Then she stamped and punched out the triple treat flower to put on top. The other ones that look like butterflies, she created by stamping the mixed bunch flower then punched them out using the co-ordinating punch from the occasions mini. She then hand cut triangles at the top and bottom to make them look like butterflies. What a great idea! I can't wait to try this.

Here's one of the make n takes I prepared using the single Easter Dove stamp from the occasions mini. I really love how the Lace Ribbon Border Punch totally adds to the interest of the card along with the textured impressions embossing folder and polka dot embossing folder. I used elegant eggplant for the colour..

Here's a close up of the stamped image where you can see the dazzling details I put on the dove.

Hope these samples inspire you and that you take time to craft this weekend.

An Invitation

2012-01-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Leadership Conference in San Antonio Texas is in just two and a half weeks. I am certainly looking forward to getting away to warmer weather. I was feeling a bit bummed out yesterday because I hadn't yet received my invitation to managers reception (which is a special night of food and entertainment for those who are at the manager/counselor level or above). I knew they would still let me attend because I was eligible but I wanted the hard copy of the invitation because I like souvenirs for my scrapbook and I had heard that the invitation was special and unique this year. When I called demonstrator support they said it must have gotten lost in the mail but they had no extras to send me. Boo.
When I woke up this morning, Kevin said, "I think you want to go down to your desk and see what is there". I shouted "yipee!" cuz I knew he must've picked up the mail late last night.
I went down and ripped open the envelope and this is what I saw:

Inside, was this beautiful fan! This invitation is in keeping with the entertainment which is a chinese acrobatic show. I love how Stampin' Up! pays attention to the little details to make things just right.

Speaking of the little details, here is a very very special make n take that I am preparing for my Team S.T.I.C girls tonight.

When you take off the lid of the box, the base falls open like this:

I was looking for a way to show the girls how much I appreciate their friendship, and stampin' enthusiasm. I hope this detailed make n take let's them know that I love them and LOVE having them in my life.

Joining the Stampin' Up! family is easy and almost irrisitable with the sale-a-bration promotion coming up. I would love to talk to you about how being on Team S.T.I.C is not only fun but rewarding!

creative space

2012-01-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

My friend just sent me this link to her blog. She is one talented lady and I thought I would share her tips with you all. This post is about setting up a craft room.
http://creativedesigntherapy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cheap-n-chic-tips-for-setting-up-quick.html

I know with the new year, comes a resolution for me to organize my things so that I have easier access to all my great supplies. I have always been more about function than how things look but somehow my friend Melissa can get things functional and beautiful. I love it!

All by Myself!

2012-01-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

At the December Team S.T.I.C meeting, Esther had made a passing comment prior to her technique demonstrations. She said "If you're like me, when you want to make a card, you sit down and start creating it." I thought to myself. Nope. That's not me. When I want to make a card, I sit down and turn on my computer to see what internet sample I am going to copy today. To give myself a little credit, sometimes the final product is somewhat changed from the internet sample but still...I depend on other creative people for my inspiration. If I sat down and just tried to make a card without a sample in front of me, I might never get anything finished. I decided the other day to challenge myself and try to make a card all by myself. Here's what I came up with. You don't want to know how long this took me to make. The card kept morphing and changing and I kept having to rip up cardstock I had already glued down because I realized it needed something else.

This card uses the twitterpated fabric and buttons along with the take it to heart stamp set. The background is the wheel called I {Love} Love. I am contemplating whether this is an acceptable swap card for the upcoming Leadership Convention. Here is the problem with being a copy cat stamper like myself. When I swap at these Stampin' Up! conventions, I have a fear that I will copy a card from the internet as my swap card and then actually swap with the person who "invented" the card in the first place. If it were me, I would be flattered that someone copied my card but maybe the person will be indignant that I have violated them...copying their work of art. So, to avoid that fear altogether, I am hoping to come up with a swap card that is a Genevieve original. I'm going to keep playing and see what I come up with. Time is running out. Leadership is in 2 1/2 weeks! Yikes!

Now here is something that is easy to create without a sample. The occasions mini has a wonderful simply sent kit that is absolutely fabulous. They make amazing gifts and are also perfect to make super fast cards when you are in a rush. The kit even comes with a box to store all your wonderful creations. These two cards were made by me in a flash without any sample. The stickers that come in the kit just make it so easy.

Here's the cute little box:

Whether you are a stamper that needs some inspiration or one that can come up with ideas right from your own brain, I hope you enjoy all your handmade creations!

A Stampin' Sale and a Skiing Adventure

2011-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first time ever trying a cash and carry sale that involved giving away a gift certificate for the value of what was purchased off the table. I was so excited about it because I thought it was such a BARGAIN! I just kept thinking, before I was a demonstrator, I would've been so totally excited about such an opportuntiy. I spread out all my things across a big long table. It looked impressive, even to Kevin who said "you've got your own momento mall here!" I of course corrected him and said that what I had on this table was NOTHING like the beautiful things at the momento mall (Stampin' Up! convention). It was a great event. I had set a long time frame for it so that people could drop in whenever was convenient for them. Several stayed to stamp since any purchase of $30 would get them the sweet and simple class free anyway. The longer time frame allowed me to have time to chat and visit with everyone and it never felt too crowded. I haven't yet had time to tidy up the table from the sale, so if you want to make an appointment to drop by and see what's left, let me know. Warning, the table is not as impressive now that many things have been taken but there are still many stamp sets left and the star and oval punch and the markers...

I hope you have all had a great Christmas holiday with your family and friends. I've been busy spending time with my family too. My brother and his wife and two kids are here from New York so it has been nice visiting with them. My brother is 4 years younger than me so we have never had much in common but now that he's got two kids, it seems like we can relate more and are finally in the same kind of life stage together. Their oldest daughter is the same age as my youngest son. They have a lot of fun playing together which is a good thing since I dropped off my youngest so that the rest of us could go skiing.
Today we went skiing as a family. I am physically unco-ordinated and prone to injuries but I was determined to go along even though I could have stayed home and crafted all day. I really wanted to spend time with Kevin and the kids and I envision how wonderful it will be one day when we can all ski together as a family activity and enjoy the whole apres ski experience. Kevin is an experienced skiier. Ethan has had a couple of lessons and can definately hold his own on the slopes. The problem is that Michelle has never skiied before and I had tried skiing many years before and it was pretty much a painful disaster. I spent most of the time rolling down the hill. I tried not to think of the past and only focus on the great possibility before me. Do I look ready and optimistic?

Kevin and Ethan were off hitting the slopes. Michelle and I did okay but of course when you have a young child, the whole experience is a little different. First, Michelle decided her ski boots were too tight so clomp clomp clomp back through the rental area to change the boots which meant we had to also get her skis re-fitted. Then out for our group lesson which partway through Michelle declared that she had to go pee. Off she went to the bathroom. Then we finally got to try bunny slope number two which involved going up the slope with the tow rope. That tow rope experience wasn't so great. I felt like my arm was going to get ripped out of its socket grabbing that thing which was supposed to pull me up the hill. Both Michelle and I fell using the tow rope and then they have to stop the whole thing while you flail around trying to get up. If they don't stop it in time and it keeps going while you're getting up or still lying on the ground, the person behind you slams into you and there is no other handle for you to grab to continue your journey up the hill. In my opinion they really need to have a better design. Look at how stressed I am using the device.

Nonetheless, I am glad I went. My beginner lesson and ticket only allowed me to go on three very very small hills so I experienced great success (not including using the tow rope) and I am eager to try again. I was pestering Kevin with questions when we were driving home. Things like "do you think I could manage to drive out to Dagmar and practice skiing and get back home in time to pick up the kids from school?" "Do you think I should take another lesson or just go and practice on my own?" Do you think I will ever learn to ski well enough so that I can go on a big hill?"
Well, I"m sure I'll be very sore tommorrow but today I feel great that I tried something new with my family and pleased that the kids had a good time.

Sniff this Card!

2011-12-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a cute card? I think it could be for a guy or a girl. I tried really hard not to pretty it up too much since it's always good to have a card on hand that I could give to a boy or man. It uses the new sweet shop specialty dsp from the occasions mini. The stamp is from the button buddies stamp set and you can't tell from the picture but this card smells like cherries! Yes! New beautiful scented embossing powders that you can use on your card. How cool is that?!

Red is Right on!

2011-12-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share more samples I have been creating using my new occasions mini products. I love this little mini catalogue. It is full of beautiful colours and of course some new fun "toys"

Here's a super simple card that you can re-create in a jiffy. It uses the Take it to Heart stamp set and the twitterpated dsp. So fast and easy.

This one below uses a stamp set that I got way back but never got around to mounting because Christmas crafting hit. This set is called "The Best of Everything". It's such a cute little set and has pictures and words which I love. It just means you don't have to reach for anything else. You can complete a card or two or three with just one set.

I dressed it up with the new cherry cobbler dazzling details and the pleated satin ribbon which I LOVE LOVE LOVE!

I am having so much fun playing with all my new things. If you want to get a great discount on Stampin' Up! products and get all sorts of special perks, consider joining the Stampin' Up! family. Sale-a-bration is just around the corner and I promise the sale-a-bration starter kit opportunity is amazing!
If you want to see more of the wonderful occasions mini products in action, make sure you come out on Dec. 29th anytime after 4:00pm. I'd love to see you!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. I know I don't say it enough but you all mean so much to me and make my "job" as a demonstrator so amazingly fun and rewarding!

Another occasions mini creation

2011-12-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is another creation using the new occasions mini stamp set called Apothecary Art.

I had some left over paper and scraps from a previous team make n take and I used it to create this card. I LOVE how Stampin' Up! sells their stamps in sets. This set includes some beautiful images but it also includes a couple of sentiments that fit right into the banner. Excellent!
I coloured in the image using my blender pen and the old olive and tangerine tango ink pads. I added some interest using the colour spritzer tool and sponging around the edges. Here's a close up.

I couldn't finish the card without adding some embellishment...the antique brad and scallop polka dotted ribbon seemed just right.
Happy 3 days before Christmas everyone!

Stocking Punch: Only while supplies last!

2011-12-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's just been announced that the stocking punch from the holiday mini catalogue will NOT be carrying over into the idea book and catalogue. This means, once the supply is gone, they will not be ordering more.
If you didn't yet pick up this punch and you want it in your collection, let me know and I will order it for you right away. Speaking of the stocking punch, here's a card I received from Diane today. I love how she used the silver glimmer paper for the cuff and heel and toe. The cherry cobbler/white bakers twine is just perfect too!

Fun flowers on Stockings

2011-12-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share a picture of what my friend made with the fun flowers big shot die. I love how it can cut fabric. She sews. I do not but the great bigz dies (like the fun flowers) and all the beautiful fabric that Stampin' Up! has released makes me want to learn to sew.
Want to see more big shot project ideas? Make sure to book a private class date with me. I'd love to prepare some big shot make n take projects just for you and your friends!

Last minute gifts

2011-12-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

Kevin was talking with his principal about gifts for the office and cartaking staff at the school. They wanted something meaningful but not necessarily breaking the bank. Kevin felt that handmade was the way to go. He came home from work and asked me what we could make. I believe this happened to me last June. I have no plans to make anything for his staff thinking he's got it all under control but then am surprised to discover that he assumes I can whip something beautiful up.
I was running out the door after he came home because I had to go to a memorial service, I mentioned that I had some candles that we could stamp and I left him the instructions and told him to choose what stamps he wanted to use. I thought I could make it tommorrow when the kids were at school and he was at work but when I came home tonight, he was all set to go and began talking about making these candles. Well, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to stamp with someone rather than stamping alone... and to stamp with my honey...well...how could I say no?
So, down to the craft cave we go. He did most of it. I was tired so I was moving really slowly. Of course after he made the first beautiful candle, I kept thinking how I was going to package it. I tried the large cello bag but it didn't look quite right. We had to go with the fancy favour bag. It was pretty easy with the big shot. I just rolled them out and Kevin did the assembly and then passed it to me to do the little ribbon handle.
Here's one of the finished candles...

I'm aiming to bake some of those sweet pressed cookies tommorrow and then he can take the candles in with the cookies. There you go, 8 little gifts done. I promise I"ll get back to crafting with the occasions mini stuff soon. Stay tuned!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Gift Bag

2011-12-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

Sweet Pressed Cookie Gift Bag

I just saw the coolest video about the sweet pressed cookie stamps. I hope this link above works. Have fun!

I couldn't resist!

2011-12-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with the occasions mini catalogue the moment it arrived in my hands. I paid a fortune to expedite everything so I could have things sooner. Then when the box arrived I ripped it open but stopped short of taking everything out. I felt I didn't deserve to play with all my new stamps and accessories until I'd finished my Christmas crafting. Sadly, I'm still behind schedule and haven't made the teacher gifts yet or finished some other family gifts. However, Kevin was out at a meeting and the kids were in bed and I just didn't feel like any more Christmas crafting. I decided since yesterday was my designated sabbath/rest day, I should do what makes me feel relaxed and happy. YES! In a mad rush I grabbed a stamp set, some new big shot dies and of course that incredible new pleated ribbon and ran down to my craft cave. This is what I made.

I think I am in love with that pleated ribbon. Here's a close up.

Please come out and stamp with me on Dec. 29th where I'll have 4 cards for you to make showcasing more beautiful things from the occasions mini catalogue. I'll also have a cash and carry table of retired stamps and accessories.

Please RSVP. I can't wait to see you!

Hijacked! Christmas Cards

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! In an effort to save time, she has enlisted me (yes, I have hijacked her account) to highlight and showcase her newest creation: the annual Christmas card. Using "My Digital Studio" this little "ditty" has been created and captures a magical time at Disney World... ok, the photo wasn't done at Christmas, but (a) how many of you are going to Disney World at Christmas and (b) it's one of the few we have all together. (Usually I am taking the photos).

In an effort to make it easier to print, I used an image editing program to allow me to copy the original twice. Two photos will fit across an 8x10 photograph. You will need to do some cutting and trimming to make it fit. It should fit into a #10 envelope. Use your paper trimmer (OK, I'm not the demonstrator... so I call it by our "house name" the "kachung machine".) If you want to know, the image editing program, just as powerful as the commercial editing programs is called GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program, available at www.gimp.org)

As always, contact Genevieve for all your Stampin' Up needs :)

Dudes and Flower Fest

2011-12-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

So, I held my first ever Dude Night. I heard about this idea at Convention. Of course in the ecstasy of convention, it sounded like such a great idea. Get some husbands together, serve dude food like wings and chili and beer and get them to make a super simple project for their wife that involves tools like the Big Shot and the heat tool and of course offer the opportunity for them to Christmas shop for their wives without having to even step into a mall. What a great idea I thought to myself. Even better considering my husband is the extrovert in the family and loves to socialize with other guys but for some reason doesn't do it as often as he should because the ability of men to plan ahead and book a guys night is too challenging.

I sent out a cool evite about it to my husbands friends and guys whose wives stamp with me. I can't say the positive RSVP's rolled in. A few weeks before I started to get wind that some men didn't want to come because the very thought of making something was frightening them away. I then started to worry that in fact this was a bad idea. Perhaps the stamping element was going to ruin an otherwise perfect guys night. (Kevin pointed out to me that men do NOT call themselves "dudes"). Well, about 5 men overcame their fears and came out. As promised, there was beer, wings, chili and soda pop. I don't think there was a vegetable in sight. (oops, maybe in the battered sweet potato fries).

Now, in retrospect, I would have to say, dude night was a blast. Hilarious is a better word. I don't know how I can capture the mood. Here's some pictures. Before the guys started arriving and while I was trying to get the kids to bed, I told Kevin to reassure the guests that yes, they were going to make something but it would be really really easy and short and that there was going to be lots of beer and video games and other manly things. I was so nervous after I put the kids to bed and headed downstairs to the guys. I was afraid I was going to get boo-ed or mocked out of the room. I plucked up my courage and announced that I was going to help them make a cute card for their wives because what wife wouldn't want a card with a nice message inside from their husbands. I even told them that a nice card might help with the "lovin" (yeah, I even stooped so low as to suggest that if they put the effort into making a card, they might get some bedroom time). The guys were great. The 5 minute activity turned into an hour activity. Here's what the card was supposed to look like (minus the rhinestone...one husband insisted that he needed a jewel in the flower)

I kept calling the heat tool a power tool to go with the whole dude theme but of course that just started a whole round of hooting and jokes because frankly they thought that it was a fairly lame power tool. One husband even said"power tool? this is a heat gun". Can you believe one guy made jokes about it being a hair dryer??? You could set your hair on fire and burn your head with the heat tool. Give me a break. It is nothing like a hairdryer. Humph.
What cracked me up is how creative the men were. I expected that they would just follow the sample and get out of the craft cave as quickly as possible. No no no. One man wanted a jewel (aka rhinestone), another one wanted different colour ink, another one wanted more sentiment options. He started by using my teeny tiny wishes stamp that says "hello baby" and then just kept stamping obsessively. Here's his card:

By now, I was spending most of my time laughing hysterically. In fact, even as I type this, I am giggling to myself.
Here's someone fascinated by the wild wasabi embossing powder. He's making lines and talking about cocaine.

I don't have a picture but one husband used one of my punches to create leaves around the flower. This was his idea, not mine!
Now my husband went all out and asked me for sponges and brown ink. I offered him the sponge daubers and he turned his nose up at those. He wanted the "other"sponges. I couldn't believe he knew the difference. Here's his card. (I suppose he put the beer bottles on either side to attest to his masculinity despite the fact that he had made a card). He kept calling his technique "ripping" even though I kept insisting it was called "tearing".

Here's what my craft table looked like after the "dudes" were done.

I was able to clean up quickly and the guys stayed in the craft cave to play poker. It was really a neat evening and I know the guys had a fun time too.

So, the moral of the story is: stamping parties are fun for everyone. Even dudes.

Earn money stamping!

2011-12-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

How ironic. Just yesterday I was posting and commenting about how super Stampin' Up! is about giving out free stuff. Wouldn't you know, I just received an e-mail from Stampin' Up! about a very special opportunity for those that want to purchase the starter kit and become a demonstrator.
This is a very exclusive offer that only demonstrators attending leadership can offer. Since I am registered to attend the leadership conference, I can offer this amazing deal to you. THIS DEAL IS ONLY AVAILABLE DECEMBER 13TH AND 14TH. If you are curious about this offer. Contact me now so we can get all our ducks in order so you can take advantage of this offer on December 13th.
I am not posting the offer here on the internet because not all demonstrators are able to offer this. If you want to find our more, you must contact me!
Stamps, fun, friendship and making money. Being a demonstrator is good!
Contact me today!

It's so great to receive a card!

2011-12-09T10:35:00.001-08:00

Tis the season when I start receiving cards in the mail. I love opening mail at this time of year because sometimes the mail is a handmade card for me and not a bill! It's fabulous! Of course I have received a few Christmas cards already (shame on me for not getting mine out yet) but this one seemed peculiar because the return address was from Stampin' Up!

Of course, with Stampin' Up!'s track record, I couldn't help but wonder "wow, what free thing are they giving me now?" (Did I tell you I won a contest where they gave me a $130 shopping spree? I LOVE stampin' up. Anyway, I digress)

Well, I didn't get any free product but this is what I got.

A beautiful handstamped card. It just made my day.
Don't worry if you didn't get a handstamped card from Stampin' Up!. Stampin' Up! is dying to give you something free too...Sale-a-bration is around the corner. This means you will get free stamps and accessories with every $60 purchase. It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's not too early to be booking your sale-a-bration classes and workshops. I'm already booking for the new year. Don't hestiate to contact me! I love stamping with you and your friends.

sweet pressed and bingo

2011-12-07T12:04:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have not posted in so long. So busy!!!! I have so much to share but no time to post. Here's some pictures of the fun I was having last weekend. There are a group of girls I get together with a few times a year. Every December, we do a cookie exchange. Of course I had to use the new sweet pressed cookie stamps! I felt I had to wrap the cookies nicely this year because I was attempting to compensate for the fact that I had no handmade Christmas cards to go with them!!! I am madly working on getting my Christmas cards done but I definately didn't have any ready to go last weekend so here are the cookies: Do you think the wrapping compensated for the lack of card?

I also tried something my downline Shelley showed me: Chocolates made with the sweet pressed cookie stamp:

Pretty cool eh?

I also wanted to share a picture of the bingo cards Salena made for me. I loaned her my stamp set and this is what she created for me. It'll be perfect for playing with the kids over the holidays!

So hopefully you all get what you need to get done for the holidays and have as much fun as I do!

Fun with Team S.T.I.C

2011-12-01T19:41:00.001-08:00

I have to say that the Team S.T.I.C girls are such fun and are such an encouragement to me. I love hearing their stories, getting to know them and being a part of their lives. It is such an unexpected blessing and joy in my life. Those of you who know me a while knew that I went kicking and fighting into this role of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and I was even more wary of having team members: girls who purchase the demonstrator starter kit from me. I didn't feel that I could inspire or train anyone. I was just trying to figure things out for myself. Now that I have been led on this journey, I realize that my fears were unfounded. My team girls are amazing! They all have unique gifts and personalities that make our group interesting. Never mind me inspiring them. They inspire me!

I just came home from our team holiday party and I am so pumped. I learned some new techniques, made some cards, we swapped and ate food. It was so great. Here's the card I made for the swap. I wanted to keep it simple and I saw this card on a blog but it didn't have any embellishments. No embellishments???!!!! It is such a simple, eleganat card it didn't need much but I felt that some pearls and paper piercing would be perfect.

Here's one of the cards that one of the girls brought to show. The winter wishes felt accents are so amazing! This is the last month to buy them before they disappear with the holiday mini in January.

If you want a dose of inspiration, come on out and check out our team meeting next month!

Come on out to Technique Class on Monday!

2011-11-28T12:59:00.001-08:00

My class on Monday has the theme of cards with movement. I thought I'd put out a teaser of one of the cards we will make. Here's a darling card I case'd from a fellow demonstrator Heidi Tekonoff. When you need to mail the card, the cute snowman folds down like this:

Then you can move the head and body so you can see the full snowman like this:

The circles #2 big shot die was perfect for creating the snowman. I can't wait to show you this technique and hope you can come out to enjoy my technique class on Monday Dec.5th. Bring a friend. Learning a new stampin' technique while getting out for an evening. It doesn't get better than that! RSVP HERE

A great day.

2011-11-26T19:09:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful day today with my younger two kids. First, we went to watch the Markham Santa Claus parade. I think this was my best experience yet since the weather was relatively warm and my kids were old enough to sit on their own in their little lawn chairs and enjoy the show. In previous years I would spend the time freezing and consoling freezing children or pushing strollers or having someone always climbing on my lap. Second, I got to have a delicious 2 hour nap while my kids entertained themselves playing downstairs. When I woke up, I was told that someone got hit with a hula hoop and there was crying but somehow they worked it out and by the time I woke up, they were the best of friends again and playing happily. I don't know what the magic was today but the kids were so great and pleasant and fun. I don't mean to make it sound like they are horrendous usually. It's just that having a whole day of great manners and good behaviour is unusual. Anyway, the kids are in bed now and I'm getting ready for a workshop tommorrow. I can't wait to show one of the cute little cards I made using the pennant parade stamp set and the new in colours lucky limeade and island indigo. Always when I'm getting ready for a workshop the delimma is how to keep it short and concise. There is always more I want to show! So, this was one of the cards I wanted to demonstrate but I just don't think I have time. So, I'll just show it here. I am enjoying the cherry cobbler, always artichoke combination. My medallion stamp set has been doing a good job doubling as a wreath lately.

Spice Cake Beauty

2011-11-23T04:57:00.001-08:00

I'm supposed to be getting the kids ready for school but I couldn't resist checking out what's new on Shelli Gardner's blog. I saw these cards and I desperately want to run downstairs to my craft cave to copy them but alas that would be the wrong choice since I"m already frazzled in the morning getting all the kids ready and out the door for school. Instead, I"m sharing them with you because maybe you have a moment to copy them or at least be inspired. I"m hoping Shelli won't be offended that I"m putting her creations on my blog.
I love the whole Spice Cake product suite. I've almost used all the fabric and the dsp which should speak to how much I've been using it.
Maybe later today I'll have a chance to play stamps...

A little bit of beauty

2011-11-22T07:16:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share this card with you. I case'd it right off the facebook page of my team stic girl Paula. Isn't she talented? I loved this card so much when I saw it like a month ago but it took until now for me to make it. No matter how busy we all are, making time to make something beautiful is always worth it. It's like a little pick me up in an otherwise busy, long day.
Making something beautiful brightens my spirit. I hope it brightens yours. Just take a moment for yourself and craft a little something. I know you'll be glad you did!
I actually made this card as a demonstration with my church small group friends. One of our activities was to share our life story, significant events etc so that we could get to know each other better. Kevin came up with the idea for me to share my life story while making a card, with the elements being metaphors for my significant life events. Because this card had so many elements: the tearing, ribbon, embossing, sponging etc, it was a good choice. If you want to hear about my life journey, just ask! I'd be happy to share with you.
Recipie:
River rock , soft suede, pink pirouette, rose red, naturals ivory cardstock
first edition dsp
textured embossing frame
beautiful butterfly embosslit
pretty in pink satin ribbon

Extravaganza Sale is here!

2011-11-21T04:27:00.001-08:00

The details are here!
The simply scored tool and sweet pressed cookie stamps are on sale for only today! I love the sweet pressed cookie stamps. They are so fun and easy to use. Even my kids can make cute cookies.

Take advantage of these deals and get some holiday shopping done!
Order on my online store or e-mail me with your order!
Happy shopping!

Scrappin' weekend

2011-11-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was away with a girlfriend scrapbooking all weekend. It was great! I got pretty caught up on the family memories. For me, scrapbooking is a necessity that I do for my family. All the pictures we take NEED to be in an album for us to look at and enjoy so we can remember all the treasured times we experience together. I'm worried if I don't scrapbook, all we'll remember is that mom looks really cranky every morning when she's trying to get everyone off to school.
Here's a couple of my favorites:
This one uses the hostess exclusive cheerful treat DSP.

This one uses the brights paper stack. So fast and easy.

The pennant builder punch and co-ordinating stamp set is so fun! If you want to start working on your family memories, make sure you come out to my memories matter class which is on November 25th this month and will then be on the last Thursday of every month. I'd love to see you and help you preserve your family memories!

midnight crafting

2011-11-18T21:14:00.001-08:00

So, my strategy for preparing for this craft fair is to leave everything to the last minute. Last year I was crafting way in advance (meaning I started probably a month before). It made it feel like I was preparing for forever and then last year, there were not very many people that came. With the unpredictability of volume at a vendor fair, I figured it probably made more sense to not waste time preparing too early because I could better use that time sleeping or preparing for workshops or hanging out with the family. I conciously accepted and decided that I would prefer staying up all night the day before rather than dragging it out for months ahead of time.

So, here I am at midnight getting all ready. Really, I'm not as behind as I thought I would be. (which is why I"m taking a break blogging) I've got everything set for the things I"m selling at the table. What I"m working on now is these little presentations I'm supposed to give during the day. The organizer asked if I would do a couple of little stage presentations throughout the day. I said "no problem" because that's the part I feel most comfortable with. I can demonstrate cute little stamping tricks anytime. Here's a little gift idea I'm going to show: stamping on a glass ornament.

Of course you need a cute little box to put the ornament in...

This is the beginning prototype for my gift box class on December 5th. I'm sure the final design will be even better! Sign up and make your own handstamped ornament and decorated box.

Okay, back to work for me! Hubby taunted that he had finished reading his report cards and was going to bed. I think I'll be done soon and can get some shut eye myself!

Snowman Kisses

2011-11-18T13:48:00.001-08:00

I'm getting ready for a craft fair tommorrow. Make sure you stop by and visit me. It's a fundraiser fair for the Stouffville Igoma Partnership. It is being held at Eastridge Church. 12485 Tenth Line, Stouffville, Ontario

I'm keeping it really simple this year. I've got some new retired Stampin' Up! merchandise and some little goodies like these reindeer poop and snowman kisses. The rhyme on the back of the snowman kisses says:

He's cute, he's cuddly and full of warm wishes. Here's some heartfelt SNOWMAN KISSES!

I'm looking forward to a day of checking out the other vendor tables and meeting some new people.

A reindeer punch!

2011-11-16T18:57:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures of what I was working on today. The cute two step owl punch helped me create reindeer. I am getting ready for a craft fair on Saturday. I figured I would make some cute little eye catching treats. I am going to put these reindeer head as a topper on the small, narrow cellophane bags and fill them with jelly beans. In case you're wondering, the antlers are from the snowflake punch.

The two step owl punch is so versatile. If you don't own it, you should! It can also become penguins! Here's a card swap I received from my roommate Erin at Convention.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed the inspiration and you all get crafting your own little creations for Christmas. If you need any supplies for your Christmas crafting, don't forget to contact me! I am putting in a group order this week on Friday! Also, you can go to my website to see all my upcoming events and to shop online.

Private Class Fun

2011-11-14T08:30:00.001-08:00

You will be hearing more about this in future newsletters but I am offering private card classes for you and your friends. If you want to try something different from the regular workshop format, or my class times don't work for you, then the private card classes are perfect for you! They are generally a mini stamp a stack with you and your friends. Everyone leaves with a minimum of 4 beautiful cards and don't worry, you can earn hostess benefits too!

Here's a private Christmas card class I did recently for Cristina and her friends. They were celebrating her birthday and thought it would be fun to make some cards together. (Cristina is the sleep deprived new mother who is holding her card sideways!) I think everyone had fun and they had beautiful cards to show off too!

Contact me today to book your private class! Be one of the first to see the Occasions mini catalogue going live in January!

We're a team!

2011-11-10T17:20:00.001-08:00

So, last week was one of those crazy busy weeks full of workshops, classes, kids extracurricular activities and all that jazz. With all my Stampin' events, Kevin was on duty a lot. He doesn't complain but I see that it was wearing on him a bit. This week is much better but I realized that I am scheduled to go away with a girlfriend on a scrapbooking weekend. Kevin will be left alone with the kids again. Hmmm, the guy is great but I"m recognizing he might have a rough go this weekend. What to do? I bought him an electronic present. He's been eyeing a new e-reader. In my ignorant mind, one e-reader is the same as the next and he already has one so why another? But then I realized, that's probably what he thinks of my stamps. You've got one, you've got em all. So, since I couldn't be keeping him company this weekend, I figured he could be occupied with this gift. I also made him a card which I case'd right off the demonstrator website. I love this card so much it is going to be one of the cards at my sweet and simple class on November 25th. It uses the Well Worn DSP and the Petite Pairs stamp set. The colours are River Rock and Soft Suede.

I really wanted this card to express how much I appreciate him and that even though there are seasons of busy-ness with Stampin' Up, there is no doubt in my mind that my family is the priority. I never want him to think I don't care for him or the kids when I am out and busy stamping.
I'm not sure if he totally got all the mushy sentiments that I was trying to convey but he sure likes his new e-reader. He's been playing with it and reading the manual all night. :-)

I'm getting ready for a club meeting and I wanted to show some different techniques with embossing folders. I made a card which I liked. I was quite pleased that I had come up with the design by myself but something seemed to be missing but I was still quite happy. I showed hubby and he looked at it and said it was nice. Then he said maybe it should have some glitter around it and I got so excited. He was absolutely right! I ran right down to my stamping area and put on the tombow glue and the silver glass glitter. MUCH BETTER!

I immediately (jokingly) asked him if he had ever considered being a stampin' up demonstrator since he had such a good eye. I informed him that the free Big Shot promotion was ending tommorrow. He smiled and told me that one Stampin' Up! demonstrator in the house was enough. Grin. It's fun to feel like we're a team.
So, if you want to see the rest of this card, come on out to club on Monday night. Let me know if you want to drop by. $15 or free with $30 purchase.

Gently Falling Watercolour

2011-11-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight's technique class is showcasing the watercolour technique. Here is a peek at one of the cards we are going to make. I know typically people think of watercoloring as a technique done only with line image stamps but I am going to show how it can be done with solid image stamps too!
I am so proud of this card because I had a lot of fun making it and I came up with the idea myself. I didn't copy from my vast resource of the demonstrator showcase. Yea me.! Whenever I come up with a card design that I didn't case from somewhere, I am always pleasantly surprised.
Everyone is welcome to come to technique class. It's always the first Monday of the month. Just make sure you RSVP so I have supplies for you.

sweet and simple

2011-11-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I am trying to be more consistent with my classes so you (and my family) know what to expect. I want you to anticipate when you can come and stamp for your fun and relaxation. I know it has been tough to plan to come to a class when my classes have pretty much been all over the map.
I have decided that every month I will always have a "sweet and simple" card class where you can come and stamp 4 cards for $15. (or free with a $30 purchase) They will be fast and easy but will be beautiful enough that you can give it to anyone with pride. Here's one of the cards from the past month's sweet and simple class. Wisteria wonder is such a beautiful colour and it looks even better paired with basic grey.

You know what the best part of this class is? Bring a friend and you get to stamp 8 cards for the same price! Yes! A double set of cards.
Plan ahead for a night out. Come out to my sweet and simple class in November. It is the last Friday of November.
For future, I expect that my sweet and simple class will be the last Thursday of every month.
Looking forward to stamping with you soon.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! has declared this week as the Worldwide Week of Workshops. Demonstrators around the world will be doing workshops this week. As it turns out, I actually do have quite a few workshops booked this week and I do think it's kind of cool that I'll be saying "hello" to my hostesses while other demonstrators will be saying: "bonjour" "g'day" "hola" etc.
I enjoyed spending today making all different kinds of Christmas cards. I always have to make a ton of different things and then look at them all and pick what I will show at a workshop or what I will do for my class. I made 7 different things today. I am loving a new set I bought (new to me, old to Stampin' Up!). It's called Many Merry Messages. It's got all different holiday sayings. Here's a sampling of a few of the cards I made today...

Here's a close up of the wreath from the winter wishes stitched felt accents in the holiday mini. My husband thought I actually made it using pieces of felt. Ha Ha!

I think it's hard for you to see but the designer series paper has glimmer red dots all over it. It is the special paper from the holly berry dsp. The glimmer gives it that extra bling.
Making and sending your own holiday cards is a blessing. It's not too late to sign up for my Christmas card class: $35 for 12 cards. Just let me know ASAP and I can have the paper prepared for you.

Free digital downloads!

2011-10-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

This was just announced: Stampin' Up is having a digital celebration on their mydigitalstudio.net website between Nov. 4th and 7th.
Make sure you go to this website on those days and see what free stuff you can snatch up!

I've been loving my digital projects lately. Just last night I turned my digital scrapbook into a movie format with music on it. It was just so cool!
Come over and play with my digital studio if you want to check it out.
I think the digital content can be used with other programs so even if you don't have digital studio, you should check out the website between Nov. 4-7 and see if you can download the free digital content anyway. Hey! If stampin' up is giving something for free, we should take it right?!

Digital Scrapbook Pages

2011-10-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

As promised, I want to share some of my scrapbook pages from Stampin' Up! convention this past summer. These are designer pages I purchased so pretty much all I had to do was just drop in the pictures and journal. I made some little changes here and there but the majority of the beauty was done by those Stampin' Up! people.

I have to say, I think I might be leaning towards preferring digital scrapbooking over traditional! Gasp! I am so behind in my traditional scrapbooking...I haven't kept up with developing my pictures but with digital I can work on it anywhere without having to lug all my paper around and I don't have to develop pictures.
I"m supposed to be going on a scrapbooking weekend in a couple of weeks so hopefully I will get caught up.

It's about fun and friends

2011-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share a card that I am doing this weekend at an upcoming workshop.

Keep it fast and keep it simple. That's my motto with workshop cards because who wants to come to a workshop to be stressed out with complicated projects? Not me. I'm thinking all the guests could use a sweet and simple thank you card. It uses the punch posy set and the pocketful of posies dsp. The sentiment comes from the short and sweet stamp set. The colours I used are pear pizzazz, daffodil delight and night of navy.

Since I was going to be talking about workshops at our Team S.T.I.C meeting yesterday night, I used it as a team make n take too.
As well, one of my downline, prepared a fun game where we were given envelopes with random bits of paper and she put out random stamp sets and embellishment and we were supposed to make a card in 5 minutes. It's amazing how fast five minutes goes by! Here's what I came up with. Excuse the crookedness...I know. It really looks handmade! :-)

It's not too late to take advantage of the amazing offer this month. Join the Stampin' Up! family and get the Big Shot or $125 of whatever you want, FREE. This promotion is only good until the end of the month. I'd love to see you at our next team meeting! We have FUN!

I also wanted to share with you a blog post from Shelli Gardner CEO and co-founder of Stampin' Up!
She turned 50 this month. I actually received an e-mail from the home office asking me to send a birthday card so that they could give it to her. Of course, I totally missed the deadline for sending the birthday card but it was fun to read her blog post about her day.
Being a part of the Stampin' Up! family is not just about stamps, it's about relationships and that's what I love.
http://www.soshelli.com/so-shelli-blog/2011/10/19/a-day-of-sweet-surprises.html

A Day of Rest?

2011-10-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

At church over the summer, one of the pastors had shared a message about keeping the sabbath and how that was probably the most broken of the 10 commandments. He challenged us to incorporate rest into our schedule and the value of taking a day of rest.
I stored that challenge in my mind for the future since I knew with my busy routine, I could use the challenge to discipline myself to schedule rest into my life.
Since mid-September, I have been trying to figure out what day should be my sabbath day. I know people typically do Sundays but weekends have been notorious for filling up with workshops and classes. I tried Monday but that didn't seem to work well.
I've figured out that Wednesday is really the best sabbath day for me. It just seems to naturally make sense since I go to a program at a community church that has a crafting and tea time. It's a very calm and restful environment. I can then use the rest of the day to do little mundane things and in the evenings all the kids go to a program so often hubby and I can go for a quick date night dinner.
Here's the question I've been wondering: what if my hobby is my work and my work is my hobby? My "job" as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is something I do because I enjoy stamping. Am I not allowed to stamp on my day of rest? But what if it's stamping that makes me feel happy and rested? I didn't want to be too legalistic but at the same time, I didn't want to blur the definition too much so that Wednesday becomes just like any other day.
I have a workshop this weekend and I had in my mind to do a little birthday tag since apparently many of the guests are moms of young kids. I have been really wanting to sit down to design this tag but haven't had time...until today. My "day of rest". Aarrgh. Should I do it? Should I not? Oh the delimma! Is it work?
I decided to try to take a nap instead. Unfortunately it wasn't one of those beautiful, long 2 hour naps. I think I was too worried I would forget to pick up the kids after school even though I had an alarm clock on. So then I woke up and wanted to stamp that tag but I told myself that I'm supposed to be resting. So, since my neck/back was bugging me, I took a hot bath. Are you getting the picture? I was trying so hard to rest on my sabbath day, it was stressing me out that I wasn't doing what I really wanted to do which was make that tag. I was even imagining what stamps I would use and what paper.
I finally gave up after the bath and went and did what I really wanted to do and what would make me happy. It took only 15 minutes of playing to get something that I was happy with. I knew I would use that big top birthday DSP and of course fox and friends.

I think my rule for my sabbath days is to avoid doing things that will make me feel busy and rushed and stressed and instead do things that make me feel rested and closer to God. I think stamping for fun (as opposed to stamping in stress...like I've got to come up with 5 different projects for a stamp a stack tommorrow) is allowed on my sabbath day; especially if not stamping stresses me out! Grin.

I know I am not the only one who has a busy, crazy life. In fact, I know many of you have a much busier life that I do. Maybe you can consider treating yourself to a sabbath day. A day to rest. It is good for the soul. And if you decide to stamp on your resting day, I won't mind. Send me a picture!

Texas, here I come!

2011-10-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

The best part of today was that I registered myself for the Stampin' Up! leadership conference in San Antonio Texas. Some of you may recall my first time experience at Leadership last January in Nashville. (if you don't check out my old blog posts from January 12-14, 2011) I met some fabulous new friends from Missouri (sp?) there so I know this year's experience will be so much fun because it will be like a reunion.
Actually, seeing them at convention this past July was already a reunion but I am really looking forward to the more intimate, less crazy environment of leadership. My Missouri friends said I could room with them too so I will be saving money this time around. Plus, Stampin' Up! changed their rewards/career plan in a beneficial way so now my conference fee is free AND I"m flying using air miles. I love a great deal!
I am currently basking in the excitement of another upcoming Stampin' Up! event and already wondering what kind of swaps I will do...I am so excited I had to share it.
I had great fun at my stamp a stack last night and wish I had time to upload some pics of the cards we did but there's no time. I have about a million occupational therapy reports to write so I must go but here's a picture of me and my Missouri friends, Heather and Nancy when we met up at Convention.

Arrgghhh, I have to finish my convention scrapbook before I wind up with another truck load of pictures from leadership. Later this week I'll show you all some pictures from the digital scrapbook of convention that I've been working on.
It's fun having long distance friends. I hope you all take time to connect with friends that you don't get to see or talk to often. Friends always bring unexpected blessings.

Kids Can Craft!

2011-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just had a fun time with three girls aged 7, 8, 9. We made 5 cute projects and the kids were awesome at following directions and completing their crafts. I love crafting with kids because they don't have the hangups that grownups do. They don't stress out if they glue something down a little crooked. They branch out and try something a little different from the sample. I should've taken more pictures. Here's a couple of my samples. I had to use the sweet treat cups, of course. I filled them with goldfish crackers. My attempt at a healthy treat.

There's my owl punch disguised as a ghost. I used Staz On to stamp the web from the wicked cool set onto the sweet treat cup. The stamp set is Sweet Centres.

This uses the fancy favour die and the Batty for you stamp set. We glittered it up using the champagne glass glitter.

Just to give you an idea of how the kids used their creativity and imagination to make their creations, here's a picture of our four different Frankensteins. Can you guess which one the kids made and which one is mine? Hint: mine is the most boring looking one.

The only downside of the class was that my daughter was going to join us. She was really looking forward to coming to one of my "Stamping Parties" but wouldn't you know she woke up with a raging fever. It was so sad this afternoon when I told her she couldn't join the class but I promised her I would prepare everything so we could do it together another time. She was lying on the couch in her pyjamas looking so forlorn and sick and she just nodded while little tears welled up in her eyes. Talk about breaking her mama's heart!!
Hopefully she will be feeling better tommorrow morning and I''ll send the boys out to go halloween costume shopping and us girls can craft.

The class was such a success, we picked another date with the moms for the next class.
Kids Can Craft: Holiday gifts December 9th 6:00. Check out my website on the events page to RSVP

Fast Invites

2011-10-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

I was whipping up some invites for my next Stampin' Up! family night which is on Oct. 30th at 7:30pm. Whipping up cards means that I use whatever scraps I have left over from past workshops and classes. I was so proud that I was able to make 7 cards in about 45 minutes. This card uses the borderlines stamp set. It is a stamp set that I never even noticed in the new catalogue but they gave it to me in one of my classes at convention and now I lOVE it. I managed to do this card without the stamp a ma jig too.

This card probably looks familiar since it is using the same components from another card I made. (you know, the whole using scraps thing...) I like how the repetition stamping gives the illusion of movement for the bird. Yeah, Elements of Style stamp set again. You really can not go wrong with this set.

A free big shot or $125 free product is too good a promotion to not consider so that's why I"m doing another family night. Hope you can come! RSVP required please! genevieve.ko@sympatico.ca

I am thankful

2011-10-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

I received this from my son's kindergarten teacher this week. I thought it was cute. I pray that you are all enjoying this long weekend and remembering all there is to be thankful for.
Blessings.

An offer to "die" for!

2011-10-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Big Shot offer really is to "die" for! Purchasing the demonstrator starter kit really is a no obligation offer but it also brings with it the opportunity to purchase high quality crafting supplies at a fabulous discount as well as the chance to make money doing something fun.
I would encourage you to come to my next Stampin' Up! family night on Oct. 30th or contact me to see how this amazing deal can work for you!
If you are ready to snatch up this offer, just click here and join now. I'd love to have fun with you.

spooky cute!

2011-10-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some of the fun halloween cards I've been making for classes and workshops. I have a tendency to start crafting for Christmas right after the summer and skip halloween and thanksgiving all together. This year, I had a request for a halloween themed workshop so here's a couple of my samples. I like the cute feel because I don't like to be spooked out too much!
Here's one card using the spider web embossing folder and the new peek a boo window die. The ghost is actually the owl punch upside down with the feet cut off. Isn't that the cutest?

Using the same wicked cool set, here's a fast and simple card. You could change up the colour and the stamp set and make it a christmas card too.

A free big shot!

2011-10-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, there's not much more to say. Buy the demonstrator starter kit for $215 no tax, no shipping and get the big shot free. Don't worry if you already have the big shot. Just add $125 free product.
That's it. Contact me at genevieve.ko@sympatico.ca or go to my website at http://genevieve.stampinup.net and get started.

Shake it up!

2011-10-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I posted this fun card. I demonstrated it at my holiday showcase last month. I wanted to show how easy it was to use the new shaker frames that are in the holiday mini catalogue. This is my version of a shaker card using the Tags Till Christmas set. The sentiment is from the Snow swirled set. I love the colours: pear pizzazz and cajun craze. I never thought those two colours would work together but the colour coach told me it would so I did. A little bit of Mica flakes and dazzling diamonds makes the fun shaker element. If you want to see how easy it is to make a shaker card, book a private class with me and your friends and I'd be happy to demonstrate for you!

Join the Stampin' Up! family: Become a Demonstrator!

2011-09-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

I had my Stampin' Up! family night last night. I try to offer this free class every now and again to share my Stampin' Up! story with the friends I stamp with. It also allows me to talk more fully about the demonstrator opportunity and why it may be a great choice...whether you want to be a hobby demonstrator or a business builder. Here's the card we stamped. Everything on this card comes as a part of the standard starter kit. The starter kit itself is a fabulous deal. It contains more than $400 worth of products for only $215 NO TAX OR SHIPPING. You are able to customize this kit! Plus, when you purchase the starter kit you get loads of benefits immediately such as access to the demonstrator website full of ideas, a monthly full colour magazine, a 30% discount on your first order over $200 and the opportunity to earn free stamps and earn and income. There are many more benefits but the list would be too long if I kept on going.

Do you like the card? I got the old olive and certainly celery colour combo from the colour coach (included in the standard starter kit) and I used the Best Friends Forever Stamp set I got free at convention.

I also wanted to share these cute paper flowers that one of the Team S.T.I.C girls, Brenda shared with us at our last team meeting. She taught us how easy it was to make these cute flowers and she had them on headbands and broaches. Too cute!

If you want to take advantage of the starter kit and demonstrator opportunity. Just go to my website HERE and click join now. I would love to have you join the fun. If you want to talk further, make sure to contact me.

Clean and Simple cards

2011-09-26T14:00:00.002-07:00

For me, the magic of stamping comes from being able to create something lovely in just a few steps and just a few minutes. Here's a couple of cards that you can easily reproduce. Just take out your supplies and go for it.

Here's my first Christmas card using the new Sounding Joy stamp set in the holiday mini catalogue. The holly berry bouquet designer series paper told me that wild wasabi, chocolate chip and real red work well together. So, that's the colour scheme I used here. I used vanilla smooch spritz to glimmer up the whisper white cardstock. (for those faint of heart who don't like spraying, use shimmery white paper instead). Some real red ribbon finishes it off.

Here's another super simple card using the Elements of Style stamp set. I just stamped the flower image on some very vanilla cardstock and matted it with soft suede cardstock. I quickly coloured the flower using the blushing bride marker and river rock marker. The card base is river rock with the flourish image stamped on the background and a sentiment from the Heard from the Heart set on the bottom. See? So easy, so fast. Way faster than going to the store to buy a card. I love stamping.

A card matters

2011-09-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, it was my husband's 40th birthday this past Saturday. I had made sure my day was clear way in advance because I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I had seriously considered a big birthday party with a caterer but it actually turned out to be more expensive than I thought so in talking with Kevin, we decided he would go up north with some guy friends and hang out and do guy things: go karting, eating chips, playing video games etc.

I was sooo busy with back to work, back to school and stampin' workshops that I decided to put off making his birthday card. I put it off not only because I was busy but frankly, I didn't think he would care if he got a handmade card or not. I mean, when I put my mind to doing something, I can usually get it done so if I had really wanted to get his card done in time, I could have. I just would've had to stay up a little later one night or something but truthfully, I figured I was the one who cared about handmade cards, not him. I figured he wouldn't really notice the omission.

I was wrong. He definitely noticed that he didn't get a card on the day of his birthday. Sigh. I tried to explain that I could've given him a stock handmade card from my stash but I really wanted to make one special for him and I had in my mind what I wanted to make but just didn't get around to it. (Basically, I was trying to explain that he was definitely special even though he didn't get a card from me.) Yes, it sounds as pathetic an excuse as it was.

Anyway, here's the card I made...a few days late. A very simple gift card holder using two colours: soft suede and more mustard. The dsp is the new spice cake pattern in the holiday mini. The stamp set is called "daring adventure".

My husband had bought a new bike over the summer so I figured the mountain equipment co-op gift card would be perfect so he could buy bike accessories.

So, the morale of the story is: even when you think your handmade gifts are not valued by someone else, maybe those gifts mean more than you think!

Fun with Friends

2011-09-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Oh My! The days are flying by! I am busy but happy. Here's a couple of pictures of what I've been up to. Here is my friend Linda and I posing in front of the hubby's pick up truck. We did a double date to the Keith Urban concert last week. I 'm wearing the cowboy hat I got from managers reception last year but I ended up not wearing it at the concert because I scoped out the crowd as we were driving by the ACC and not EVERYONE was wearing a cowboy hat so I decided to opt out. I knew I would be hot and sweaty from all the people and dancing that I figured I wouldn't wear it.

I know I mentioned before about the fun we had at our team S.T.I.C meeting but I'm still happy from it and just wanted to share some of the cards I got from our team swap.

This one is from Grace. Is it not awesome??!! The extra work she put into cutting out the images makes it stand out for sure!

I am happily using the spice cake designer series paper and fabric and gently falling stamp set all the time. It's so perfect for the season. I guess other team members felt the same because in our team swap we got about 3 cards using these elements. Here's one. Sadly I can't remember who on the team made it but it's gorgeous!

The sentiment is from the day of gratitude set.
Sorry I'm not posting as often as I would like but don't hesitate to contact me anytime.

Join the Fun!

2011-09-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some pictures from our Team S.T.I.C meeting tonight. We had a blast! I am so glad I opened my mind to the concept of having people sign up as demonstrators with me. It is so fun! It is only in our team meetings that we can talk openly about how we LOVE our stampin' experiences.

We tried to have a tropical theme in honour of the new incentive trip being to Fiji. Wouldn't you love to go to Fiji! Well, by being a demonstrator, you could get to go for free!

Here's a gift I made for the girls who met a specific team challenge I had placed out earlier in the summer. It uses the daring adventure stamp set and the border lines stamp set and the beautiful spice cake dsp and co-ordinating fabric.

Here's a close up of the beautiful new pewter embossing in the holiday mini.

I would love to have you join the fun. All you have to do to join the fun is purchase the starter kit. This kit is $215 no tax or shipping. Check out all the info HERE Come out to my Stampin' Up! family night on September 29th to learn how being a stampin' up demonstrator is really more fun! RSVP

Sweet!

2011-09-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sweet can describe so many things. It can describe my youngest baby going off to kindergarten

Or it can describe "the pleasure or delights found in something" such as my happiness in making this card using the new Christmas Lodge stamp set. I think the sponging around the card makes it feel more rustic and I LOVE the glitter on the roof. Dazzling diamonds and a two way glue pen are a stampers best friend. I'm not sure if you can see it but it adds some bling to the card. I used the colours always artichoke and cherry cobbler and chocolate chip on this card. At the bottom I've got cherry cobbler seam binding and an antique brad.

Or..sweet can describe these cookies made with Stampin' Up!'s soon to be released cookie stamps. It has a wooden handle with three interchangeable designs (heart, jack-o-lantern, or snowflake). I just announced this new product at my holiday showcase today and everyone got a taste of cookies that I made using the recipe included with the product instructions. Pre-order your cookie stamps today. They are only $20.95 and they are available for purchase on October 1st so I will plan to put in an order on October 1st so let me know beforehand if you want to be one of the first to enjoy this great new product.

My son and I stamped our cookies (no ink required!!) but he refused to be in the picture so here I am!

If you missed my holiday showcase class, contact me to book your own private class with your friends. It's always a time of fun, laughter and stamping.

Long time no post

2011-09-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! Sorry I haven't blogged in ages. I have started many times but failed to complete anything because I have been stressed out. Yes. I do get stressed out. I don't get stressed about doing back to back stamping workshops. I don't get stressed about meeting new people or going new places (like convention) but my kids going back to school is enough to send me loopy. Fortunately I've been doing this back to school thing for a couple of years so at least I know my crabby stress is only short lived. Once the nightmares about forgetting to pick up a child or worrying which day is what extracurricular class stop, I'll be just fine. Sigh. My poor husband does not remember this happens to me every year and therefore is always stunned that he can not do anything right. For example yesterday he went grocery shopping and brought home a cantalope. I snapped at him and said "you are the buyer of the cantalope and I am always the cutter of the cantalope". Can you tell I'm feeling a little overburdened right now? Yes, the thought of cutting fruit as an additional thing on my to do list just seemed too much.

Well, I don't have any cards to share today (because I want to save some of the surprises for my Holiday Showcase class on Sunday). I really want to share about my family vacation that we went on at the end of August. We went to Disneyworld. I love Disneyworld. One day I will share some of the adventures we had but for now here are a couple of pictures.

Since I discovered the amazing Disney Dining plan on our trip last year, I have been obsessed about eating food at Disney. I understand that people go to disney for the world class attractions. I love the world class rides and attractions but I love the food too. Doesn't this look great? Plus I didn't have to bake it (not that I would know how anyway)

Here's the kids pumped up after watching a 3D movie with Michael Jackson!?

And then here's one with Tigger and Kevin.

Finally...convention make n take!

2011-09-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

So, Stampin' Up! convention was in July. They had very fancy and detailed make n takes. I suppose when there are 3000 experienced crafters in one place, they felt they had to make the make n takes impossibly long and detailed.

Anyway, since I couldn't get anywhere near finished at convention, I brought all the supplies home and today was the day I finished them! It was so satisfying. I love the outcome. Here is a banner/card display.

Here's a close up of some of the elements:

I love the timeless portrait dsp and co-ordinating fabric. I also wouldn't have thought of the color combo that the cards use: more mustard, lucky limeade, island indigo and cherry cobbler.

I was so desperate to stamp today. I have so many holiday projects and class ideas floating in my mind I can not stand it! I think I need 4 days straight of crafting to get through everything I want to try. Alas, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon but I was thankful the kids played well today so I could get some crafting done. (the basement is a gigantic mess of toys but that's beside the point)

Finally cracked open a holiday mini catalogue set called: Stitched Stockings. It's got a co-ordinating punch so I had to buy it (of course)

Doesn't the silver glimmer paper pack a punch!? This card is going to stand out on anybody's mantle!

Please please come to my holiday showcase class. I have so many things to show you! Make sure you RSVP so I have supplies for you.

Some cards to share

2011-08-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

As I announced in my August Newsletter, I was doing a raffle for some glitter. One draw ticket was given to each person who made a card by Aug. 31st.

I just did the draw and the winner is: Pei Pei

Congrats! I hope you will find many creative uses for your glitter!

Here are a couple of pictures of some cards she made this month:

Isn't that an amazing card using the open sea stamp set?

Here's one using the vintage vogue stamp set.

I love how the paper piercing gives the extra detail and interest. As well, she has mixed some shimmer paint and rubbing alcohol to spray some all over shine on the card.

Thank you everyone for entering and inspiring me with your creations! Keep creating!

An Afternoon of Framping

2011-08-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek of something I made using the holiday mini products. This is another card that I made at a demonstrator team meeting. This gently falling stamp set is so beautiful and is perfect for fall. The co-ordinating spice cake designer series paper is a perfect match, of course.

If you want to see more beautiful projects and make some beautiful projects, make sure you sign up to come to my Holiday Showcase: An Afternoon of Framping Class. I will jam as many demonstrations, make n takes and product highlights as I can into an afternoon.

Date: Sunday September 11, 2:00pm

Cost: $10 or free with $40 purchase

Free if you bring a friend new to my business

What is "framping" you ask? It's short form for stamping with friends. :-)

E-mail me now to save your spot!

Simple summer

2011-08-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share a simple card that I made at a team meeting. It uses a stamp set that I had never noticed before. That's the great thing about going to these meetings. I always discover something new. This set is called Summer Solstice (pg. 114 in the catalogue in case you had never noticed it before either...)

I love how the beautiful images speak for themselves. No extra embellishment necessary. The colours here are cherry cobbler, not quite navy and garden green.

Ribbons Anyone?

2011-08-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to join in for my in-colour ruffled ribbon share.

You will recieve 10 yards total, 2 yards each of the 5 new in colours: lucky limeade, wisteria wonder, pool party, calypso coral, island indigo. I will fill the shares as people email me and I will order in groups of 5 people. I will email you and let you know if you are in or on a waiting list until the group fills.

The beuty of a share is that I just simply divide the ribbon and divide the price and you get great variety!!

Great News

2011-08-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer I had received the official letter on custom letterhead congratulating me on earning the incentive trip to Disney world.

I was most excited to receive the letter but I felt I couldn't get truly excited until I knew if my husband could get time off work to come with me. I felt he really needed to come because in a way he earned the trip as well since he is so instrumental in the business as well. He helps me deliver orders, he takes the kids out when I've taken over the house for stamping parties, he listens to me ramble on and on about what new and exciting class idea is forming in my mind...

I also wanted him to come because I thought it was really important for him to see and hear first hand how cool the Stampin' Up! corporate team is and that Stampin' Up! really is a profitable and reputable business. It's not all fluff and stamps.

Of course, the trip wouldn't be the same without my husband/best friend.

We just heard this week that he is able to come. Hooray! Now I have already started researching about all the great restaurants I want to eat at when I get to Disney. They have so many fine restaurants...I can't wait!

I hope you do not feel that I share my excitment with you in order to boast. Truly I view this great prize as a miracle and gift. If there is anything in your life that you feel is impossible, have faith, I have seen firsthand that the impossible can become possible.

DO NOT HESITATE to talk to me if you even have a tiny inkling of interest in being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I am having a night on September 29th where anyone can come and learn more about the demonstrator opportunity. Even without an incentive trip prize, I am so glad to be a demonstrator. It really is fun.

Buy 3 get 1 FREE

2011-08-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

These are the last few weeks to take advantage of the buy 3 designer series paper (dsp) packs, get one free promotion. Make sure you check my website under the promotions page to read all the details. There are so many beautiful dsp's in the new catalogue. Grab them now while the price is right! This promotion is only available until August 31st.

Hostess benefits

2011-08-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

I know I've been talking a lot about workshops lately and I realized I should share one of the newest, greatest things about workshops: the new hostess benefits!

The new hostess program is more flexible, allowing you to pick whatever you want with your hostess dollars. You can choose the special priced hostess sets or if you have your eye on something else, you can use your hostess dollars for that instead. I also love that you can earn half price products! Just imagine owning the big shot for half price!!! Yeah! I love it. Contact me now to get signed up for a club or to set a date for your own crafting party with friends.

You did that with an envelope?

2011-08-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share the instructions for how to make this little bag using one of Stampin' Up!'s medium sized envelopes. I showed this at a couple of workshops and people were amazed at how simple it was. Even though they watched the magic unfold in front of their eyes, they wanted written directions. It is really easier to demonstrate rather than follow the instructions but here I go.

Step 1: take a medium sized envelope (found on page 182 of the current catalogue) and seal it.

Step 2: Score at 1" along both long edges and one short edge.

Step 3: On the non-scored short edge, use one of Stampin' Up!'s fabulous border punches to create a decorative edge. (scallop edge punch used here)

Step 4: Bend along score lines to deepen the score lines then open the envelope with your hand inside the open end.

Step 5: Press the long edges of the envelope in while simultaneously letting the scored edges flare out.

Step 6: You will be left with two points at the bottom which you can fold under and adhere to the bottom with glue dots.

That's all there is to it. Decorate as desired. (posy punch hostess stamp used here along with the sentiment from easy events.) Fill the bag as desired. (I always fill it with candy but with back to school around the corner, decorative erasers and pencil sharpeners might be more appropriate.)

It's always more fun to see it in action so make sure you book a date with me so I can show you and your friends more crafting magic tricks!

Baja Breeze: take two

2011-08-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

I'm enjoying the relaxed pace of the summer. I've had lots of time to play in my basement craft cave while the kids run screaming around the house. Grin.
Here's a couple of cards I made using some of the new catalogue stamp sets. Of course, why make one card, when you can make two.
This card uses the button buddies stamp set. I love the colour combo which I got from the colour coach. Cherry Cobbler, More mustard and Baja Breeze.

I was all excited when I found this stamp set: Cherish Friendship when I was sorting through my clear mount sets. I can't believe that I forgot I pre-ordered this set waaa...yyyy back in June. The line image is so detailed and is perfect for watercoloring but of course I cheated and just used the markers instead. I discovered that if just coloured where there were shadow lines on the image and left some spots uncoloured, it looks kind of like watercolouring...but not. I think I'll name my lazy technique "faux watercolouring"

Don't get me wrong. It's not that watercolouring is harder or any more work than colouring with markers. It's just that I have my markers right beside me and my watercolouring things are under the desk behind my stack of envelopes. This would require me to bend down and search around. Pathetic that I am so lazy, I know. Between my potato chip eating and inactivity, the heart and stroke foundation should be knocking on my door any day now to lecture me on healthy lifestyle strategies.

The fun embellishment

2011-08-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

I had a hilarious day yesterday. First, hubby went to work so I decided that today was the day to take the children on an adventure. We went to Burd's Fishing. I don't know what posessed me to do this because I don't know how to fish and the children have never been fishing. However, I read the website and it looked like a very family friendly place where experience was not necessary. The staff were very helpful and suggested that we fish from the "medium" pond because the small fish pond was pretty low in stock and we probably wouldn't catch anything. We learned how to put the worm on the hook (gross) and learned how to cast. We got one hook in the water and I gave the rod to my daughter to hold so I could get another one ready for my son. In that time, a fish had already started tugging on my daughter's rod. Luckily she held on to the rod and with my help and the staff at the establishment, we brought in a large fish. My daughter was at first pleased at her contribution to the catch but then quickly became disgusted by the fish flapping in the water and then seeing the staff member grab it with a net and flop the bleeding, slippery fish onto the ground. She refused to go near the water again. My son was jealous that he hadn't caught a fish yet but that didn't last long. Soon we had another huge fish added to our basket. Did I mention that we are obligated to keep everything we catch? My eldest son was having a blast catching fish and promptly caught another one but he also was disgusted by the flopping, slippery mess. After 3 huge fish in just a short span of time, I told them that they needed to stop catching fish because I knew I had to pay by weight for each fish.

Here he is reeling in a big one.

After the fishing adventure, I became a woman on a mission. What was I going to do with the fish? I don't know how to cook fresh fish!!!! My children don't eat fish!!!!

I went home and told the children not to bother me. (as a side note, I overheard my daughter telling my youngest that when she grows up to be a mommy, she will NEVER take her children fishing.) I then "studied" on the internet. I watched You Tube videos on deboning and cooking fish, I saw grown men kissing raw fish, (and they think stampers are strange...) I googled recipes on cooking fish...

All this studying was pretty pointless. There was no way I could learn to be a fish cooking expert plus I had to have the food ready before I headed out to a workshop that evening.

I decided to steam one fish chinese style and bbq the other one western style. I was pretty pleased with how it looked considering I didn't know what i was doing. My dad assumed someone else had prepared the fish for me it looked so official. Here's one fish ready to go on the grill.

This just goes to show that a little embellishment goes a long way.

Speaking of embellishment...(yes, this post does get to stamping...) here is a card that I demo'd at the workshop last night.

It uses the new Easy Events stamp set. I was so proud of myself that I thought of the idea to put a glimmer brad on the top of the cupcake. I love embellishments and buy them all because frankly they are just beautiful to look at. I am well aware that a perfectly placed embellishment on a card can make the difference between nice and wow but most of the time I can't figure out where that perfect place is. Anyway, I was so happy that this poppy parade glimmer brad found a perfect home. The workshop was so fun. One lady who had never stamped before was so happy with her make n take creation that she kissed it. TWICE! I absolutely love the workshop fun and magic. The hostess walked away with three free stamp sets too!

Such cute buttons!

2011-08-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

In case you couldn't make it out to my open house last month, I wanted to show off these cute little 3X3 cards I had on display. I copied the ideas from the pictures in the new idea book. This stamp set called Button Buddies is so versatile because it can be used for so many occasions and when paired with the Petite Pairs sentiment stamp set, it's just so cute! I am happy just looking at these cards. Of course, I love embellishments and the button buddies set makes it so easy to use my beautiful buttons.

Do you want to earn free, cute stamps and embellishments? Make sure to join a club or set a workshop date with me. I always have things I want to share and we always have fun!

Calypso Wonder Friends

2011-07-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by one of my downline. She dropped off a sweet card using calypso coral and wisteria wonder. These two new in colours are beautiful but I never would have thought to use them together. Once I saw her card, I figured I had to try a card using those two colours.

At convention we were given a free exclusive stamp set that had different images/sayings that would be useful to us as demonstrators. Things like: thanks for being a great hostess, and Thanks for your order etc.

My convention roomates thought it would be a fun idea to do a virtual swap using this business stamp set. I was given the task of making a card using the "welcome to our Stampin' Up! family" stamp.

I kept it super simple using the beautiful images from the new Best Friends Forever stamp set. I like how it turned out. Right after I finish this post, I am going to run and put some halfback pearls on the card and I think that will finish it off.

When you join my team, I'll be happy to send you this card. :-)

sleeping, movies and chips

2011-07-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog post is what I have been doing with the family since last week. I have finally recovered from the serious sleep deprivation I encountered at convention. We are all being completely lazy and the kids wake up each morning and watch tv. Then we finally get around to eating some breakfast. We might play some card games, go swimming and then come back to watch more tv. Once the kids go to bed at night, Kevin and I watch a movie and eat chips. So that's why I haven't been posting because I have nothing exciting to share.

One evening, I managed to stop eating chips long enough to play MDS (my digital studio) while watching a movie. At convention I learned some cool MDS tricks. Here is a tag with "watercolouring" This is using the first edition brush download.

If you want to learn to do this, make sure you talk to me so we can play MDS together.

Speaking of MDS, did you know there is a journal option on MDS? I created a customized journal cover for Kevin for father's day. I placed the order and the UPS man delivered this beautifully bound, lined journal with my customized cover. This was the front and the back had the same stripe design but I had a picture of the kids and a inspirational verse at the bottom.

With the new My Digital Studio Express option available with the new catalogue, owning this wonderful digital design program is more economical than ever!

A great party.

2011-07-22T09:38:00.001-07:00

It was a great new catalogue party yesterday. As you know, I love socializing and snacking...espcially when stampin' is involved.
Here's a couple of the projects we made. This one uses the new in colour: Wisteria Wonder. I love how the new ruffled ribbon matches so perfectly with the paper and ink.

This card uses the new hostess products: Posy Punch and the Cheerful Treat DSP. If you want to get your hands on these cute products, make sure you book a time with me to get your friends together for some stampin' fun. I will customize projects for your tastes and interest.

The ink colour is concord crush.

If there are too many beautiful things in the catalogue to order all at once, consider joining one of my Stampers Clubs or signing up as a demonstrator. Contact me anytime! genevieve.ko@sympatico.ca

Stampin Up!: Not a job but a family

2011-07-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

When I thought about what I would blog about regarding the last day of convention, what really came to mind is how being a part of Stampin' Up! is really like being a part of a family. Everytime I attend a Stampin' Up! event, the family aspect really hits home. Here are some of my favourite memories:

All the dancing and fun that goes on in the main stage hall as we wait for the presentation to begin. These are girls doing the limbo under their team banner.

These are people dancing to YMCA. The Stampin' Up! staff are not too cool to join in. (I bet you've never seen people and managers dancing while holding swap cards!)

I think Stampin' Up! events have such a positive, family feel because the Stampin' Up! staff are so authentic and fun and down to earth. They mingle among us "commoners" and chat and take pictures without any hesitation. To give you some examples, the pie eating contest that I played where I got chocolate all over my face and hair, was also played by the members of the corporate team. My pie eating partner Dave, is in charge of all of Stampin' Up's international managers and he happily played along with the pie game. He didn't get any prizes though! All week when we saw each other we would refer to each other as "pie eating partners". Here's a picture of us all cleaned up.

It totally impresses me how the corporate team are so accessible and participate so completely in various activities.

Here's a picture of me with Sara Douglass, (daughter of the CEO, Shelli Gardner). She was behind us when we were entering a contest to try and guess where the next incentive trip was. When we turned around as saw who it was, of course we tried to nag her to tell us but her lips were sealed until it would be announced at awards night. I then excitedly told her about my journey since I last had dinner with her a year and a half ago at the Workshop of a Lifetime and that I had earned the incentive trip this year. She actually screamed she was so happy for me.

Another example is the CFO (chief financial officer), Scott. I actully can not recall his last name because we always call him Scott. He was helping out at my make n take session. He ran around helping everyone open their smooch top coat bottles because the lids were so tight. He also dressed up as Santa Claus and handed out prizes. How many company CFO's do this sort of thing?

The demonstrator is so happy at her free prize she's hugging the CFO! I would have too! Free stampin' up product is the best kind of product!

Okay, I think you get the point but I can't help but share one more example. Rich Jutkins is the president and Chief Operating Officer (COO). He was walking along when a demonstor who was new to Stampin' Up! and didn't know who he was, asked him to help her move some chairs. He of course happily obliged although he was probably rushing off somewhere.

Here's a picture of Rich Jutkins holding his daughter. There is a long story about his daughter which I had partially learned about at Leadership. They adopted her and shortly after learned that she was missing half her brain and therefore had very little use of one side of her body and obviously was not meeting the regular childhood milestones. He was thankful for all the kind words and prayers so he brought his daughter on stage so that we could see how well she is doing. She is now able to wave and talk a little bit. It was so touching.

He explained that when we focus only on numbers and tangible things such as how many dollars of sales or how much money we make, we can lose sight of the really important intangible things. For example, his daughter is technically in the 1st percentile in her abilities but that number doesn't reflect the joy that she brings their family every day.

For myself, I never want to lose sight of the joy that crafting and relating with my friends brings to me.

If any of you have been wondering about becoming a demonstrator, I hope my experiences at Convention have opened your eyes a little bit. I know that people often say they could never be a demonstrator because they can't do what I do or they can't talk in big groups or they don't have time. I'll leave you with the Stampin' Up! mission statement which says nothing about selling stuff or being outgoing or anything. Here it is:

If you want to talk further about the demonstrator opportunity, please contact me because there is a starter kit promotion this month. A mini starter kit is available for $119.

I am back at home and need to unpack. It's great being home and seeing the kids. Can't wait to catch up with you all soon.

make n take muddles

2011-07-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Another full day here in Salt Lake City. The day was full of classes and another general session. At the general session I had the fun of walking across the stage again for some milestone awards (which is why I was told when I registered online that I was receiving an award). Here's a small picture of me. Maybe if you squint you can see me. (I'm wearing the blue shirt).

Here's the award I received: 3 new stamp sets Yeah!

(Thank you again to my Team S.T.I.C girls and my stampin' friends who make my "job" as a demonstrator so rewarding!)

Today was also the day for the make and take session. It's a 2 hour session with several make n take projects. I worked as hard as I could and this is all I got done in 2 hours:

One 3X3 card and covering the lid of a box with the timeless portrait fabric. Sad. I know. I was so bummed that I didn't get anything else done. It wasn't just me. Someone else I met said all she managed to do was put the fabric on her lid and then do the very ornate paper flower that goes on top. I feel like such a novice crafter! The make n takes here are intense.

I had signed up for an optional class called "Every last Detail" It was supposed to highlight the finishing touches kind of techniques that make a project from ordinary to "wow!".

Truly the class did focus on the little details. We were supposed to make 6 elements to put into a frame. We managed to get two done. Here's a picture of one of the ones I didn't get done to give you an idea of how cute the projects were. The new in colours are fabulous! I am loving the pool party, lucky limeade and calypso coral combo!

Hmmm, so much more to share but really, it's just too much to put on a blog. Every day is so jam packed! A couple of the girls in my room are now off to go see the Harry Potter Movie. I think sleeping is in order for me!

What a day!!!!

2011-07-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, Dina and Esther entered by secret passage into the convention centre at 4:45am to line up for the general session. Listening to Esther retell their stealth mission put me into stitches laughing. Apparently the entire convention centre was locked up but Dina found some way in. Dina kept telling Esther to be quiet and stop her bag from jangling. I think Esther almost lost it when she was trying so hard to be quiet but accidentally knocked over the large wooden flower display and broke it. They then had to pretend to lie down and sleep when women outside started knocking on the door trying to get in. Can you imagine the hysteria that I missed? I rolled in much later and just strolled to the front of the line and watched the excitment mount as the time ticked closer to the start of general session. I was informed that an elderly lady behind us in line, tore her hamstring running to the front row seats when they opened the doors last year. Here's Dina knocking on the door. It was an incredible experience when they opened the door and we ran like mad to try and get the front row seats. Stampin' Up! had lined the path with staff members who high fived us as we ran in to loud, energetic music. We felt like super sports stars or movie stars or something. Very cool! Fortunately, none of us tore our hamstrings and managed to get awesome seats where we didn't miss a thing.

There are thousands of people at convention. Here's a shot of us demonstrators from above... Sometimes I felt like a sardine!

Time to show you a few samples that I saw displayed throughout the convetion centre. I swapped all my cards (and yours too, Shelley!). Swapping cards is so fun. All the beautiful and different ideas are so inspirational. Come out to my open house on July 21st to see all my swaps!

The evening was the awards night. All the top demonstrators are honoured. It was interesting for me to see these hugely famous and successful demonstrators go on stage to receive their awards and special jewllery and coach bag gifts. They also had asked all the demonstrators who earned the Disney trip to do a march across the stage so here I am. They also announced the new incentive trip for next year is to Fiji. Frankly, the pace of convention is a little much for me. I am so sleep deprived I don't even feel tired.

Still...I'm glad I didn't miss it.

Momento Mall

2011-07-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I took so many pictures yesterday I couldn't upload them all at once. This morning I thought I would share my photos from Momento Mall. For those of you who don't know, Momento Mall is a special place that is set up by Stampin' Up! within the convention center where you can shop for exclusive Stampin' Up! logo type things or supply items. There has been a whole experience that has risen up with Momento Mall. People can not wait to see what cute, beautiful items will be on sale and people want to be one of the first into the "mall" to buy everything. Although our experienced roommate from Kansas City informed us that it really was not necessary to line up for hours to get in since later in the day the line woul be gone and we could just walk in, the fear and the rumours about things getting sold out was still in our minds. Since myself, Esther and Erin were first time convention attendees we didn't want to miss out. Also, I had to hustle myself to the VIP tour I talked about yesterday and was worried I wouldn't have time later so our compliant and friendly roomate came along with us to line up and shop. Here I am in line. I'm still smiling even though we'd been in line for about an hour.

To give you a flavour of the experience, once you get into the quardrened (sp?) off area that is the momento mall, the room is filled with merchandise but of course it is not just thrown around it ugly bins. It is all displayed and decorated Stampin' Up! style. The beauty of it all just makes you want to shop! (which is probably the point...) Here's a couple of displays in the room. I know these pictures don't do it justice but it just gives you an idea.

These are beautiful pear pizzazz umbrellas with the stampin' up logo and I think there is an image of a stamp set but I can't remember which one. Of course I picked up one of those. I also bought a sweater, the cutest little pens, playing cards with the pocketful of posies dsp images...

Here is a lovely flower pot display with paper flowers (the theme of the convention is GROW) next to a wheelbarrow full of ribbon keychains.

I have so much more to share but I have to stop now. My downline Esther got up at 4:45am to get in line at the convention centre for the main welcome session. I felt no need to join her but have been awake anyway enjoying some quiet moments before the mayhem of the first day of convention begins. It's 6:20 and I should probably think about putting on some make up and joining her in line.

My first day of Convention

2011-07-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here I am! After a long day of flying and delayed airplanes and no food, we made it! Today was the first full day here. Today was the day when you check in, get your convention bag, line up for hours to get into momento mall...

Here's a quick synopsis of the day. It was so full, I didn't get a chance to rest so I am exhausted but happy.

We got our bags and our convention stamp sets that we will use for the make n takes. We also got a special catalogue that fits into a binder with tabs. We enjoyed searching through our convention bag and watching the sights of the other ladies walking by with their wonderful creative hats and bags. Here's some ladies who had swapping aprons!

I was eligible for VIP treatment since it was a special incentive for people who had someone join their team in April. (Thanks Irina for joining!) One of the VIP perks was getting a special tour of the Stampin' Up! home office. The home office is such a warm soothing place. I would love to work in such a beautiful building. It doesn't feel like the typical office building at all. The distribution centre is attached and we got to see how they pack the boxes and do the quality control. We saw so many boxes ready for shipping but the staff said the orders were so slow because so many demonstrators were at convention. If today was a slow day, I can't imagine a busy day! I always imagined people walking around the warehouse with shopping carts filling our orders but in fact, the process is completely automated. The boxes run along these tracks and exit the track when they are at the section that they need to pick up something. The worker scans the barcode on the box and the shelf will light up under the item that needs to be put in the box. Crazy huh?

The other VIP perk was getting a special meet n greet with Shelli Gardner in a VIP lounge where there was these fabulous donuts. I managed to restrain myself and eat only one!

I have so many more pictures and a crazy story of how I was on stage at the Kick off Party tonight eating a large chocolate tart without using my hands. Hey, in the spirit of the craziness of convention, I was completely willing to embarress myself for a pack of designer series paper!

That's all for now!

All things new!

2011-07-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today I am heading out for Stampin' Up!'s annual convention in Utah. Many of you have asked what the difference is between the conference I went to in January in Nashville and the one I am heading off to today. The annual convention is apparently much more focused on stamping and using and learning about the wonderful new products whereas the leadership conference in January was more focused on learning how to develop the business. So, although I have never been to convention before, I am expecting to play a lot with stamps! I can't wait to see all the new catalogue things in action. I am always inspired by other's ideas so I know I will come back with a brain full of ideas that I can't wait to show off in club or classes.

Make sure you RSVP to me for my New Catalogue Open house on July 21st. I will have special offers, new make n takes, and prizes to give away. Come and bring a friend!

Stay tuned on the blog. I hope to have internet so I can share the fun I'm having at Convention.

To get you thinking of new things, here's a card we made at a team meeting using the new Pennant Parade set and co-ordinating punch.

I'm so excited!

2011-07-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Stampin' Up! convention tommorrow where I am going to learn lots of new things, see wonderful Stampin' Up! product in action and generally have a great time. I know I"m going to love it already even though I haven't left because I just did my online check in and this is what I see right after I hit the "confirm check in" button.

"CONGRATULATIONS! You have won an award. Please pick up your award at the info and awards booth"

Could it be that I won the stamp room makeover contest? I am thinking that it is quite unlikely. There are other draws and contests going on during convention and I can't keep up with them all. The only one I can remember is the $50 hotel room voucher so maybe I won that?! Anyway, I just had to share that I haven't even gotten to convention yet and I've gotten something free.
I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!

Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator

2011-07-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, there's no promotion link on my blog but just go to my website at www.genevieve.stampinup.net and you can find out everything you need to know. This starter kit promotion is great because you can customize a mini starter kit for only $119. (no tax and shipping) You'll also receive a free project kit valued at $50. Being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is super fun. You get to share your love of crafting while earning money while getting free and discounted products. How much better does it get than that?

Contact me to sign up or sign up directly on my website under the "join the fun" tab.