After 11+ years as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, the time has come for me to stop. Truthfully, although I'll always be a crafter (and I have the stash to prove it!), my creative passion have has re-directed itself to finding and re-purposing vintage items for home decor. Of course, the business woman inside me won't be stilled either .. my husband & I launched "Barn Board & Old Lace" a year ago February and we're having a blast working together and sharing our treasures with others who also want to preserve the past, re-use rather than re-buy, and keep as... Continue reading

Learn 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. CLASS: The Basics # 133385 Preferred Price (through my online store): $17.95 CAN Divided into six sections focused on a variety of topics, this class includes videos, step outs, and supply lists for 30+ projects. Order today (it comes as a download to save to your computer) & join the fun! (You also might be interested in Stampin' Up!s new Paper Pumpkin kits-in-the-mail club ... sign up by March... Continue reading

During FEBRUARY & MARCH, 2013 purchase my "Love is in the Air" product bundle for just $75 (includes shipping and taxes) and you'll not only get a FREE Sale-a-Bration item of your choice, but you'll also receive full instruction sheets with colour photos to make: 5 different cards, suitable for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays or just to say hello 8 scrapbook pages, 8"x8", use as 4 double page layouts, or frame individually as gifts 1 cute & frilly gift box, 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" high All the projects are made using the products in my featured bundle, and... Continue reading

It's a NEW year, with a NEW catalogue and 2 NEW specials from Stampin' Up! VALENTINE TREAT BUNDLE: Jan 3-21, 2013 Just in time for your valentine creating, we're bringing you the Valentine Treat Bundle. This sweet bundle contains the all-new single stamp, Happy Valentine Heart, as well as a package of 1" x 8" cellophane bags. Use it to make treats for your child's classroom or for each of your 50 bestest friends. The possibilities are endless! MY LITTLE VALENTINE PROMOTION: JAN 3-21 What? A second new stamp set? That's right! From January 3-21, purchase the brand-new My Little... Continue reading

In light of the horrific news coming from Connecticut today, it's easy to feel overwhelming despair in a world gone mad. It's natural to want to reach out and help the victims' families, but sending condolences and prayers from this far away is just not enough. So, my husband and I have decided to trust that the grieving people of that town will help each other in the coming days and we will channel our shock and grief in a more practical direction by reaching out to one family who is closer to home and who are trying to cope... Continue reading

Every year I send out 12 brand new Holiday Helpers to all my Newsletter Subscribers .. a little thank you gift from me to you. The first email will be in your inbox on Mon Nov 12 & they will continue for 12 days. Not a subscriber yet? Just enter your email address in the form up in the top left corner of this blog and you too will receive all 12 holiday projects! Thank you all for another fun year with Stampin' Up! You make it all worthwhile ... enjoy! Continue reading

What do you think of my website's new look? I love the colours and that big splash up in the corner! It reminds me that crafters get messy sometimes, and that's ok; means the creativity is flowing! Why the redesign? I've launched a new line of paper crafting kits called SCRAP IT, and I wanted my internet presence to match my packaging and signs; so I contacted a blog designing friend & fellow demonstrator, Cristena Bagne - showed her one of my kits and VOILA! I'm so happy with the results. If you're a regular visitor & you came to... Continue reading

Since October 2012 marks my 10th year with Stampin' Up!, I want to share the celebration with EVERYONE, so for the NEXT 10 DAYS I'll be posting a new offer on my Face Book Business Page: STAMPING & SCRAPPING WITH DONNA All of the offers will be active until the end of this month, or until the number is reached; whichever comes first - so check back each day and cash in on as many of the offers as you can! Continue reading

COMING IN OCTOBER: A NEW LOOK AND A NEW LINE OF SCRAP IT! PAPER CRAFTING KITS YOU CAN PURCHASE ONLINE! STAY TUNED ... Continue reading

As some of you know, I lost my father and step-mother this spring, just 10 weeks apart, plus I have my mother and developmentally challenged sister who rely on me. To add some spice to this recipe called life, I have fibromyalgia & arthritis & depression, which I can usually keep all in check but during the last few months my symptoms have been wildly fluctuating and hard to control. I also have a new-to-us house in a new-to-us community which has been sadly neglected lately, as have my husband, children and grandbaby. The time has come to re-evaluate what... Continue reading

Join the Stampin' Up! family during June 2012, and not only will you get to choose up to $155 worth of products from the brand new catalogue for your fully customizable Starter Kit, but you'll also receive select products from our brand-new Patio Party Suite-all for the low price of $125! Plus, it all ships for FREE! Free products include the following: Page Item Description Retail Value For You 44 126740 Make a Cake Set (wood-mount)* $17.95 FREE 44 126742 Make a Cake Set (clear-mount)* $14.95 FREE 165 126916 Patio Party Designer Series Paper $13.50 FREE 199 127215 Patio Party... Continue reading

I need a 50th Anniversary card for a very special couple's party next weekend and a store-bought card just won't do, kwim? (Hey, if you know this couple too, keep this post under your hat until next Saturday, ok?) It's been a long time since I sat in my craft room and just played, but today I gingerly picked my way around the piles of retiring stuff slated for my crafty yard sale later this month, relocated the wobbly pile of UFOs from my chair, and rummaged around my desk for the last cards I had worked on before the... Continue reading

Bask in the extra $60 in FREE products you'll receive when you host a qualifying party* during June and July that celebrates your creativity. With hundreds of innovative products to choose from, there's never been a better time to party! Your Party Sales* Regular Hostess Benefits Additional Hostess Dollars Total Hostess Benefits $575 $90 + 1 item at 50% off $60 $150 + 1 item at 50% off $650 $110 + 2 items at 50% off $60 $170 + 2 items at 50% off $775 $130 + 2 items at 50% off $60 $190 + 2 items at 50% off... Continue reading

View the new 2012-2013 Catalogue online NOW! Continue reading

Finally, the new 2012-2013 Catalogue from Stampin' Up! goes live at 2 pm ET ... TODAY!! Yep, it's a whole month early, part of Stampin' Up!'s changes to their catalogue program, and I LOVE IT! The catalogue is crisp, bright, organized, and has lots of close-up photos, especially in the Accessories Section, so we can see exactly what each ribbon, button and brad looks like - full marks to Stampin' Up! for giving us a GREAT catalogue! There are lots of new stamps, plus Designer Series Papers, punches, and new and improved tools (like a heat tool with TWO SETTINGS!)... Continue reading

... on Stampin' Up!'s NEW dye ink pads ... same great exclusive colours, but now in a much-improved style that will change your stampin' experience for the better! Check out this video, then watch for my June Open House here in Clifford, to come try them in person! The new ink pads will be available June 1st in the new 2012-2013 Catalogue ... do you have your copy yet? Call me! Continue reading

There's good news if you are waiting to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator ... not only has the Starter Kit been reduced to $125, but YOU get to pick the products you WANT in your kit - choose anything at all that adds up to $155 catalogue price, plus you'll also receive a business supply pack worth $70 ... all for only $125. Here's more good news: if you are a former demonstrator who wants to re-join under a new upline, the wait period is now shorter. Here's the details from Stampin' Up: "We have recently reviewed several policies,... Continue reading

Due to a death in the family yesterday, I will be out of town for a few days and unable to blog. Watch for my sneak-peek projects next week. Hug the ones you love, Donna Continue reading

A nice box of brand new products arrived today from Stampin' Up! ... what a nice turn-around to what was a pretty crappy day around here! Now, I can't legally show you pics of any of the new goodies, and I can't tell you the names of any of them either ... not until June 1st when the catalogue is officially available to everyone in North America. Awwwwww. But .. and this is a GREAT BIG but ... I AM allowed to post pics of anything I MAKE with my new products, so I can give you a sneak peek... Continue reading

... if you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, that is. If the blog-o-sphere has been quiet lately and your demonstrator seems to have disapeared, it's likely that she/he is online, haunting other demos' sites for the latest and greatest news from Stampin' Up! <grin> The top demonstrators just got back from their incentive trip at DisneyWorld's Boardwalk Resort ... they were the first to get a copy of the new 2012-2013 Catalogue, the lucky devils. Plus they received some new products - stamps, etc - to play with when they got home. The rest of us just drool on our... Continue reading

Just a quick post to let you know what I'm up to this weekend ... too busy for my own good - there are 3 freshly-delivered boxes of Stampin' Up! goodies in my front hall and I DON'T HAVE TIME to open them!! On a brighter note, the piles of hand-stamped cards are almost packed for tomorrow's craft sale ... 10 years worth of samples and swaps are being sold at a toonie a card (envelopes included) to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and Patient Support Programs .. if you're in the Guelph area tomorrow, be sure to drop... Continue reading

Get them before they are gone! The retiring accessories lists are now available and won't stay around for long--these items are only available while supplies last! When you look at the retired accessories list, you'll note that it's REALLY long this year. That's because of the efforts Stampin' Up! is making to design the new 2012-2013 Annual Catalogue so that it's fresh, trendy, and half the price of the old catalogue - which means a reduced business-cost for me, which means I can afford to give FREE catalogues to more of my customers! Here's a few of the changes that... Continue reading

I had so much to do in planning and executing my team Diva Day on the weekend that I had to take Sunday AND today to recover .. just kidding! The truth is that I'm so lucky to know such a great bunch of gals and I enjoy spending time with them so much that it hardly seems like work. The Artful*Inkers rock and I can't wait for the next Diva Day in July! Thank you everyone who drove all the way to my place just to stamp and visit ... thank you for the great spread at lunchtime (potluck... Continue reading

In preparation for the upcoming 2012-2013 Annual Catalogue on June 1st, hundreds of stamps and accessories from the 2011-2012 catalogues are retiring, and this is your chance to get them before they're gone. While retiring stamp sets are available until May 31st, products on the Accessories list will only be available while supplies last, so be sure to get your orders in early! When you view the retiring stamps list, you may notice it's longer than in years past. During this transition to the new annual catalogue, there are a higher number of stamps being refreshed and replaced than usual.... Continue reading

Have you checked out the new Dresden Designs die for the Sizzix Big Shot? It's just one of the items featured in Stampin' Up!'s Occasions Mini catalogue, which is about to expire. (April 30th) I was so excited when this die came out in January - I'm a novice quilter so I recognized this popular pattern, and I love using the Big Shot to cut out multiple layers of fabric all at once - it's a real time saver! I took these photos at the Leadership Conference in Texas in January - this fabric is called "Twitterpated" and it's also... Continue reading