Tag Topper Treat Box

I love Stampin' Up!'s new Tag Topper Punches!  The scallop topped punch is my favorite!

Click Here to Order the Tag Topper Punch

I found a wonderful tutorial on You Tube making a cute treat box using this fun punch.  

You can watch the video at this link:

Brianna Thompson's Tag Topper Treat Box

Here is my version using Brianna's directions:

 Have fun making your own tag topper treat box!  Easter is coming...what a cute little treat to hand out to co-workers, family, friends, children's teachers!

Booking SALE-A-BRATION Parties Now!

A lot of uncreative people are really creative.  They just need me to help them to realize their potential!  Do you feel that way?  Let me help you!

One way I can do that is to bring some supplies to your house to stamp with you and a few friends!  And right now, when you host a stamping workshop in your home you can also earn all kinds of free stuff!  And who doesn't like free stuff?

It is the best time of the year at Stampin' Up! - SALE-A-BRATION TIME!

After we stamp, you and your friends will need to order some products.  Not because I need you to, but because you will HAVE to HAVE whatever we used!  This will start you on your papercrafting adventure.  Not only is it fun, but in the long run can save you money!  I haven't purchased a single greeting card from a store in 6 years!

For a sale total of only $150, you will begin to earn FREE PRODUCTS!  For as little as $300, you can earn $80 in free product throughout the SALE-A-BRATION period.  That's a lot of cool, free stuff!

Also, any person, including all your guests, can earn free products too!  For every $50 they spend, they qualify for 1 free product from our special SALE-A-BRATION catalog.  (You can find the catalog link on the left side of my blog.)

So email me right away before all of the SALE-A-BRATION booking times are gone!  

Can't host a party - have a catalog party!  

Can't host a catalog party - you can still order!  For every $50 you spend, you will still earn a free product from the SALE-A-BRATION catalog!

Happy Shopping!

Embossing!

 A good friend of mine is due in 7 weeks with her first baby.  Her baby shower was yesterday and we were asked to bring a book as our card.  What a great way to start a child's library!  I wanted to add a little touch to the inside, so I chose to make a small card, embossed with baby footprints and filled out to Mom and baby from me, that would be permanently attached to the inside flap of the book.

I love embossing and sometimes I assume everyone else knows how to do this fun technique too! However, my customers remind me often that I should never assume anything.  So, here is a quick lesson on embossing, for those who have not tried it yet!

The tools you need are:  Heating Tool (and no, a hair dryer will not work as it does not get hot enough to melt the powder), embossing powder, versa mark ink OR one of the new Stampin' Up! ink pads (must be the new pads), a stamp.

1.  Take your stamp, ink it up and stamp onto your paper.

2.  Sprinkle the embossing powder over the inked image, making sure to 

completely cover it with the powder.  Tap off the excess powder.

3.  Heat the image with the heat tool.  As it heats, you will see the powder melt.

The right foot has the powder completely heated and melted.  The left foot is not completely melted yet.  Can you see the difference in color between the right foot and left foot?

The melted powder becomes bright and shiny.  Once cooled, you can feel it raised to the touch.

The finished card.  I did write an additional personal message in the center before attaching it into the book.  Conner is a lucky boy to be getting such a wonderful Mom!

Stay tuned for information on my upcoming Embossing Class.  We will make 3 projects using this technique in various ways.  

Thanks for visiting!

Flowers and Butterflies...with a little bling

Our Maine Stampers Group, which is a group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who live in Maine, run by Debbie Henderson, had a challenge - to let this photo inspire us to make our own creation. 

  

And here is my result:

I stamped the base flowers in raspberry ripple ink. The leaves are stamped in old olive ink and then colored in with a blender pen with old olive ink.  The overlapping flowers are stamped in perfect plum ink, cut out and attached with stampin' dimensionals.  This adds dimension to the front of the card.

Here you can see the dimension a little bit better.  I also added rhinestones for bling! 

To learn more about Debbie Henderson, visit her blog at http://debbiesdesignsblog.blogspot.com/

If you would like to know more about my card, comment here or email me!

Last But Not Least

The last shoe box swap project I have to show you was designed by Pat Greenleaf, a member of my downline team.  It holds a K-Cup.  How cute is this?  Now I just need to find more of these cute little cups so I can make up a bunch.  It think it is a great idea for Teacher Appreciation Week.  A little something with a beautiful "Thank You" tag!

More Shoebox Swaps!

Card Designed by Dallas Wilkins

Card Designed by Jenny Hansen

Card Designed by Pamela Parker 

 Card Designed by Pam Elliot

All of the above pictures were taken by Jeannine Tarrio.  Find more of her work on her blog at www.jeanstamps.com

Shoebox Swap

Once a month, my Stampin' Up! Upline, Jeannine Tarrio, hosts a Downline Meeting at her home.  This means all Stampin' Up! Demonstrators under her and under me gather together to have fun stamping together.  For January, we had a shoebox swap.  Each person designed a card, cut up all pieces needed, added all stamps and supplies needed to make the card into a box - about the size of a shoebox.  We all sit, pass our boxes to the left and start making.  Each card takes about 10 minutes to make.  Today I will share a few of the cards we made!

Card Designed by Heather Turner

Card Designed by Bethany Crummett

 Card Designed by Jeannine Tarrio 

If you would like more instructions on how these cards were made, email me!

Tomorrow I will share more cards that we made that day!

What's New Today?

Last night, 11 artists came out to the Children's Discovery Museum in Augusta to design and paint this new mural.  The lead artist, Helene Farrar, led the rest of the crew for 4 hours.  The result is amazing!  The youngest artist was 5, as you will see in the next set of pictures.

This one has my son, Sam, painting the anchor.  I loved including the kids!

This is Helene.  You can learn more about her on her web page.

http://www.helenefarrar.com/

My favorite picture!

Now here is my point - I am not an artist.  I am creative and enjoy paper crafting, making cards, etc...  I am not a wall mural artist.  However, when you are surrounding by artists who instruct you, who encourage you to try, you ultimately become an artist too!  I painted rocks, kelp, mussels and did a darn good job!  I was hesitant, but in the end, I was so happy I did it.

The same goes for Stampin' Up!, making cards and other paper crafts.  I often hear. "I just am not creative."  I am here to tell you, "YOU ARE!"  If you take a class with me, I will instruct you, encourage you and you will be amazed by how creative you really are.  Just give it a try!

Blow Out the Candles One by One!

I try not to go onto Pinterest too often, because when I do I end up spending way more time there than I should.  It is very addicting, between finding fun crafts and ideas for The Children's Discovery Museum that I work for or finding great new card ideas!  I found this one http://www.pinterest.com/pin/183451384795725802/

a few weeks ago.  I thought the concept was cute, but had to make it my own.  Crafters do that - it is called case-ing.  Taking another idea, changing some elements and viola - it is ours.  Here is my version:

I love sponging, so naturally the flames needed it!  This is a simple technique that can be done quickly and adds so much to your card.  All you need is this: an ink pad and a sponge.  Through Stampin' Up! I sell the sponges in packs of 3 - the large circle you see here - and I cut them up into wedges.  Very economical this way! (Want to order some?  Shop through my "Shop Now" link at the top left side of this page.)

and this is how you do it!  Rub the sponge wedge onto the ink pad and then brush it onto the edge of the cardstock.  So easy!

Here is a closer look at the finished flames:

and now some close ups of the card elements:

If you are wondering how I made the flames look so uniform, well I used a punch!  See the photo below:

Yes the punch was made for flower petals, but you have to think outside the box!  This tip was from one of my customers and she made this card a whole lot easier to make!

Want to make this card?  Here is what you will need:

Summer Starfruit, Bermuda Bay and Whisper White Cardstock, Birthday Basics DSP, Tangerine Tango and Gumball Green Ink, Sponge, Designer Brights Collection Buttons, Pool Party Baker's Twine, Big Shot Machine and embossing folder of your choice, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals and Glue Dots.  I also used the Blossom Petals Builder Punch, which is now retired, but you can use any petal punch.

Hope you enjoyed!  Email me with any questions! 

You can order any of the current products I have used through my "Shop Now" link at the top left side of this page.

And so it begins...

I visit so many blogs on a daily basis for inspiration.  As a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I am always looking to others to help me get my creative juices flowing, so why not start a blog to be that inspiration to others?  Seems like a hard task - posting daily - but life should be with no regrets.  How will I know if I can keep up with it unless I try?

When you're happy you find pure joy in your life. There are no regrets in this state of happiness - and that's a goal worth striving for in all areas of your life.

Suze Orman

I am happy!  I do find joy in my life!  The Stampin' Up! Statement of the Heart is 
"To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments . . . in this we make a difference."

And so it begins...