Hi Stampers, Just a quick reminder - if you want to take advantage of my Spiral Binding service for the 2013-14 Stampin' Up Catalog the orders are due to me by the end of this week! (5-18-13) Click Here to Read All About It! Continue reading

Bow Tutorial Q&A Q: What is your favorite ribbon bow technique? A: Well, I’d like to say it’s a natural ability, but that wouldn’t be true! I’ve learned how to make a bunch of great bows through resources from Stampin’ Up! and my fellow demonstrators. Here are 5 of my favorite bows as well as tips for making them. 1. Two Colored Double Bow: Layer two 18” ribbons. Layer ribbons then tie a standard bow. Before pulling the bow loops to tighten the bow, take a moment to twist the ribbon ends so they lay straight. Pull bow loops to... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, It's Spring Cleaning time - and for me that always means a spending a little time getting my crafting supplies in order. This year I decided to focus on my Buttons, Brads, and such. I had them in a drawer in one of my crafting carts but I find myself never putting them away because I like to have them right near my crafting table so they're easy to use. I finally found the perfect solution for me!! I found these Organizers with small Really Useful Boxes (one of my favorite organization tools) at Office Max. I seperated... Continue reading

A few weeks ago if you were following me on Facebook you noticed my mention of working on Wedding Programs - Wedding programs are one of my favorite things to make!!! :) and this is my favorite style - Simple and Classic These are the programs I was working on for Hollie and Matt. (with a few bits of personal information blured out) It's hard to tell from the picture with the bluring but the names and information are printed on Vellum with the & printed in Pool Party on the card stock underneath - then everything it tied off... Continue reading

Mother's Day. Teacher appreciation. Just because. Say thank you with this no-maintenance bouquet. There's no watering, no weeding-just enjoying. This easy-to-assemble kit comes complete with the petals, stems, and buttons to create the flowers, as well as four different tags to make this the perfect gift for any occasion. All you need is some paper, ribbon or a vase to add the finishing touches to the bouquet. As if that weren't enough, the kit contains a "baker's dozen"! This means you can create and give (or keep) a dozen flowers, and have a bonus flower left over to pass along... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, I'm excited about the new Color Refresh coming with the new Catalog in June! When I created this card I wanted to play around with the new Brights range of colors - I love the way the colors come together when you include Bermuda Bay in the mix!! I used the Tasteful Trim die to cut the mini rick rack strips out of Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, and Bermuda Bay card stock. I adhered them to Crumb Cake card stock, matted with some more Bermuda Bay, I added a little corner rounding and attached... Continue reading

Hi Stampers! Tomorrow Night is World Book Night!! and I was honored to be selected again this year as one of the Book Givers!!! WHAT IS WORLD BOOK NIGHT? World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person. Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light or non-readers. World Book Night is about more than just encouraging people to read more! It’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and... Continue reading

New This Á That Product Line by Stampin' Up! Q&A Q: The new This and That journals look cool. In what ways are people using them? A: Our latest This and That Product Line is based on a growing trend of smash books. They go back to the roots of scrapbooking when people created memory books filled with photos, mementos, and journaling. Today's scrapbooks can be truly an art form to be cherished as a family memento. Some scrapbookers prefer to go back to a simpler and faster way of capturing what is happening in their lives. So you maybe... Continue reading

Hi Stampers! Stampin' Up! released another Photopolymer stamp set today!!! Bombs Away (See It Online). They also posted this great video with a few tips for creating with Photopolymer! If you have any questions about the New Clear Stamps contact me!! Continue reading

Hi Stampers! I've got some exciting new to share today! Announcing Stampin' Up!'s Color Refresh! We love color and we know that you do too. Color is fundamental to who we are and what we offer. It's important for us to stay up-to-date with color trends so we are thrilled to share our updated line of colors, and hope you will be as excited as we are by the new possibilities! Why now? In 2010 we did a big color renovation and shared our plans for smaller color refreshes every three to five years to keep our colors on trend.... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, If you've been following me over on my Facebook page I shared a picture of all the fun tablemate gifts we shared at regionals over the weekend! I have some SUPER talented team members :) Today I am sharing the gift I made for all my Create, Ink! team members who were at regionals with me. I've been wanting to play around with making a key fob - so I decided this was a GREAT time to try that out and it was SUPER easy! These are the Key Fobs I made (Keep reading for full supplies and... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, Get ready for Stampin' Up!'s week long Fabric Frenzy starting tomorrow!! Seamstress or not--you'll love using our high quality Designer Fabric--especially at 50 percent off! Our Designer Fabric is designed to coordinate with Stampin' Up! inks, paper, and other accessories, and is perfect for adding a stylish touch to traditional paper projects. Available in an extra-wide fat quarters (18" x 26"). Use it for quilting, clothing, home décor, and more! The sale starts Monday and runs for just ONE WEEK!!!, so call all your friends now--and tell them to jump into the spring Fabric Frenzy! Promotion dates: Monday,... Continue reading

Hi Stampers! This Night Owl was up bright and early this morning to head out for a day or Stampin' fun at Regionals. Yesterday I posted one of the swaps cards I was taking with me and today I have my other card. This time I wanted to play around with My Digital Studio and share a Hybrid card. Hybrid crafting is when you combine traditional paper craft items with digital designs you've printed out. If you're new to Digital Crafting you can download a FREE trial of My Digital Studio right here: http://stmp.in/freemdstrial I created a 3-1/2 x 5... Continue reading

Hi Stampers! On Saturday I'll be at Stampin' Up!''s regionals in St. Louis!! Regionals are TONS of fun!! A little one day of training and learning put on by Stampin' Up! for their Demonstrators. I'm excited to have one in St. Louis again because it means a lot of my team members are able to make it! Of course no Stampin' Up! event is complete without swapping, so I made up a few cards for swapping. This one is created with one of the new Single Stamps - Ears to You (You can get it online here!) I'm so in... Continue reading

Easter Ideas Q&A Q: I’d like to make some treats and decorations for Easter, but I’m not sure what. Do you have any suggestions? A: Spring and Easter are coming up quickly! This time of year we think about the weather warming up and start looking forward to spring flowers. Spring also brings to mind holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day, and small gifts for teachers at the end of the school year. Stamping and paper crafting have virtually unlimited possibilities, but some of the most popular are tags, treats, and baskets. Read on to get your creativity blooming this... Continue reading

Ten years ago today my paperwork arrived in the Stampin' Up! offices and I was assigned a demonstrator number - and I started the best job I've ever had!! When I first became a demonstrator I was mostly looking for a discount on products for so my friends and I could get together and craft - but I figured I would give the workshop thing a try and I realized - I LOVE IT!! I love making new friends - I love sharing an each creative outlet with them - and I LOVE helping hostesses earn lots of free stampin'... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, Today Stampin' Up! added a New addition to their Stamps line - Photopolymer, completely clear stamps!! I'm SUPER EXCITED! I know how long many of you have been waiting for this option :) A Little Note from Stampin' Up! about this new option: We've searched long and hard for just the right material to be able to introduce completely clear stamping. And we've found it. We're excited to announce that we now have wood-mount, clear-mount AND photopolymer stamps! The new photopolymer will be an addition to our stamp line and will appeal to all types of stampers. Our... Continue reading

Hi Stampers, A few weeks ago I shared some swaps from my last team meeting but I didn't share my own swap yet! :) So here's my swap - a bright fun card to cheer everyone up on these gloomy snowy days! (And if it's not snowing where you are - it's still a bright cheerful card) Stamps: Rain or Shine (C: 126777 W: 126775) Inks: Jet Black StazOn Card stock: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Wisper White, Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper (126922) Tools: Corner Rounder Punch, Vine Street Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (Earn this FREE During Sale-a-Bration. Click... Continue reading

 Hi Stampers, I'm excited to share the new Online Classes offered by Stampin' Up! wtih you!! Who doesn't LOVE going to a stamping class without ever leaving home and in your Jammies?!?! I know I do!!! The first Class, Stampin' Up! The Basics, is now available!! The Basics: Online Stamping Class Being Offered by Stampin' Up! Click Here to Order Today This $14.95 downloadable class (item 133385) includes innovative ways to get the most out of your supplies (from stamps to the Big Shot) with clever tips and all the techniques you need to start creating with success. The... Continue reading

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Hi Stampers, Here's a fun new way for you to follow my blog on Bloglovin' :) Check it out!! Continue reading

It's time for the last Create with Connie and Mary Spring 2013 Edition challenge! Can you believe we're already at the end?? This Saturday we have a sketch challenge. Everyone who participates is entered into a drawing for a FREE subscription to the NEXT Create with Connie and Mary edition! But…you do need to be a subscriber to win. When you sign up you'll be able to access all the tutorials we posted for this addition! Join us today…for $34.95 US and enjoy all the tutorials, inspiration, and challenges!! I've been wanting to play with the Soda Pop Tops and... Continue reading

It's time for the next Create with Connie and Mary Spring 2013 Edition challenge! This Saturday we have a color combo challenge. I love the fresh spring look of Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, and Not Quite Navy. Everyone who participates is entered into a drawing for a FREE subscription to the NEXT Create with Connie and Mary edition! But…you do need to be a subscriber to win. When you sign up you'll be able to access all the tutorials we posted so far along with all the projects coming in the following weeks! Join us today…for $34.95 US... Continue reading