Ok....I've been resisting the digital designing world but alas....I think I'm being pulled over into it quickly!  I had a friend ask me about the MDS this weekend and as I was looking for answers to her questions I started being very swayed.  Look at all the cute things on this video....I do love the fact that you can get the patterns and images instantly.  If you've been thinking about trying out Stampin Up's My Design Studio....well now is the time....the new MDS2 has just been released and I hear it is awesome!  Plus now you can try it out for free!  Yes FREE!!!!  So come on let's do this together....I'm going to download it as soon as I get some "free" time...lol!  You can get it free for 30 days here!  PLUS....Stampin Up has lots of digital content on sale....31% off!!!!  Check out all the cool stuff on sale here!  I'd love to have you explore this avenue with me!

Ruffled Ribbon Share



Just a little picture if you've been thinking about this ribbon share....this ribbon is gorgeous and has soo much texture.   I'm including some coordinating brads and some matching sheer ribbon from the saleabration kits.  It is open until Monday but I had some that just came in with an order I received this week so I went ahead and made one up.  The ribbon share includes one yard of each of 5 colors as shown and is just $5 plus $2 shipping.  If you would like more than one share I will cut your ribbon consecutively so that you have one large piece instead of several one yard pieces.  It's a great way to have some of each color on hand without having to purchase a whole spool of each!  Just drop me an email by Monday August 6th if you want to be included in this share!

2012 Holiday Catalog

I am so excited about the new Holiday Catalog!  It's by far not a "mini" catalog!  It is full of wonderful new product!  I am especially excited about the framelits/stamp combo deals!  Stampin Up  has packaged coordinating stamps and framelits sets into some awesome discounted bundles!    Just click on the catalog and you can view all its wonderful goodness!  Happy Shopping!

But wait that's not all!  If you sign up to be a demonstrator during the  month of August not only do you get $125 worth of product that you choose out of the catalog and a starter supply of business materials for $99 with free shipping you will also get this AWESOME printer's tray project kit shown here:

You get everything needed to make this project except the ink and if you choose the clear mount stamp set you will need the acrylic blocks.  Here is the stamp set in clear mount!  You get to choose wood mount or clear!  It even comes with bling!  This kit is only available to those who sign up as a demonstrator.  Remember you can sign up as a hobbyist if you just want to get these wonderful products at a discount.  It is so easy to meet the quarterly minimums and there is no obligation so why not give it a try and see if it's for you!  Those who sign up in the month of August will get the rest of this quarter free from any minimum sales requirement so you won't have a minimum to meet until the end of December so why not take advantage of the discount while you can get this wonderful printer's tray project kit plus....you can get all the goodies you want from the new catalogs at a discount!  What a deal!  You will see it is an even sweeter deal when you see the discounted bundles in the holiday catalog!  Please email me if you have any questions at all about joining!  If you are ready to join you can sign up here!  Would love to have you join with me!

Ruffled Ribbon Share

I'm opening a ribbon share for the 3/8" ruffled ribbon in the colors Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder.  You can see more here.  The cost is $5 for one yard of each color plus $2 shipping.  If you would like more than one share I'll cut them consecutively meaning if you want 2 shares then I'll cut one two yard piece not two one yard pieces unless you are purchasing extra shares for gifts, etc then just let me know and I'll package them up separately.  Don't forget about the July special....Reason to Smile Stamp set for $5 with a $50 order. 

My "Scrappy Space"

I've been waiting to post pictures of my new scrapbook space until it is all nice and clean....well that doesn't happen that often so I decided this afternoon I should just go ahead and post pictures as this is what it looks like in real life.  It is actually fairly clean right now..I just picked up after a friend of mine and I made birthday invitations.  We are a military family so this is temporary but I'm feeling so blessed to have this space while I am here!



This is the view from the living room looking in...I have these wonderful louvered doors I can close if it is too messy.  We are in an old historic home with these really neat old windows!  Love them!

This side is a mixture of my craft stuff and the boy's school desks. 

The only downfall to having all these beautiful windows is that I don't have much wall space for any larger cabinetry so I did take advantage of these two spaces behind the doors going into the living room.  You can't really see in the photos but there is an entry to the right by the small cabinet with the ink carousel on top that leads into the kitchen.  I've crafted in various places..like my laundry room at one duty station, closets, etc. so I'm so happy to have this large bright place to scrapbook in.  I will surely miss it when we have to leave but I'm going to enjoy it all I can while we are here!











Mixed Bunch Gifts!

Here are a couple of little thank yous I made for some of the sweet volunteers at VBS.  I used that wonderful Mixed Bunch stamp set again!  I'm getting so much mileage out of this set!  It coordinates beautifully with the Blossom punch!  I also used my new Fabulous Phrases stamp set again for this sentiment.  Happy Crafting!



Thank You

WOW!  What a great week we had last week at Vacation Bible School.  I was doing crafts and it was so fun!  We  had almost 200 kids at our school!  What a blessing!  I truly meant to spend the afternoons getting my blog caught up but just came home too tired!  I promise to try to get more projects posted from now on.  This a card I made for some of the people that helped me during VBS.  I took beautiful soft suede cardstock and added some linen cardstock for that soft touch.  I saw the pennant and cupcake punches used to make an ice cream cone on pinterest and just had to try that!  The colors of ice cream are from an old variety pack I had so I can't tell you for sure the name of those colors...sorry!  I was trying to use up so me of my "stash".  The sentiment stamps are from Fabulous Phrases!  Loving that set!  I looked at it several times but finally just recently ordered it and I'm so glad I did!  Hope  you like it!

Don't forget about the hostess special that is still going on through the end of July!  If you have an order of $450 you get $115 in hostess dollars to spend however you want plus you still get any half price items you qualify for also!!!  So...gather those friends up and combine your orders into a catalog party and there you go!  Lots of free stuff!!!  PLUS you still have a few more days to get the Reason to Smile stamp set for only $5!  This stamp set is only available the month of July!

Mojo Monday Challenge

I haven't played along with Mojo Monday for a long time.  I LOVE their sketches!  They are such a great jumping off point to get your card started.  My card didn't turn out anything like I planned but I had fun in the process.  I played with some of the new in colors....Summer Starfruit and Midnight Muse.  The designer paper is from the Summer Smoochies set.  I used my scallop circle to make my flower and then 5 point flower punch for the base of it.  I almost forgot to add the "ribbon" and since I already had my main image glued down I just slid some twine behind it....it works!  Speaking of that main image.....it is from that wonderful sentiment set Pursuit of Happiness.  Hope everyone had a very Happy 4th of July!  



Check out this AMAZING stamp set that you can get for $5 with a $50 order during the month of July!  If you don't see an automatic prompt to add this set to your order when it reaches $50 then just enter item #131274 for the wood mount or #131275 for the cling mount!  Only one per customer and only for the month of July.  Also, don't forget the AWESOME hostess special that is going on through the end of July!  If you have a "party" order that totals a minimum of $450 you get $115....(yes one hundred fifteen dollars!!!!!!) in hostess benefits!!!!  Plus you will also get to choose one item at 50% off.....I'm thinking BIG SHOT!!!!  Remember you don't have to hold a party you can take up book orders if you want, too!  Please send me an email if you need a catalog! 

Celebrate Today!

Sticking with the patriotic theme...just wanted to share a card I made today for an Eagle Scout who is having his court of honor tonight!  Using those same designer papers I used on my last card, however, this time punching them with the pennant punch.  The sentiment comes from Perfectly Penned which you can find here.  I love the font on these sentiments!  This card came together literally in minutes!  Definitely something you could mass produce easily!

Milk Carton Box

Sorry to those who are already receiving their ribbon shares and have stopped by to see what that piece of cardstock with ovals punched in it included in your package should look like....as you can see I'm still not finished decorating mine.  I apologize for being late posting this....just didn't have the stamps I'd really like to finish it off with yet but at least you can see the finished shape.  Alas....again I can not take credit as I found the tutorial on how to make these super cute and super easy boxes here.  I LOVE that SU striped ribbon.....so wish I had bought more before it retired....it ties so nice.  All of the SU ribbon that I've played with so far is wonderful quality....so easy to work with!  If anyone from SU is listening....please please please bring that ribbon back....I'm not even picky about the colors...!!!!



Patriotic Flower

This card was so fun to make!  It's a take on the daisy card I made a week or so back ... even used the same petal, however, I turned it around so the pointed end is facing outward.  Doing that gives the flower a totally different look!  The petal comes from the Blossom Petals Punch....I can't believe I almost didn't order that...I'm so glad I went on and bought it!  I was feeling patriotic so I decided to go with the red, white and blue theme.  The red polka dot paper is from the Summer Smoochies Designer Paper and the blue striped paper is from the Brights Designer Paper Stack.  The sentiment is from the Petite Pairs Stamp Set and yes.....it is slightly crooked.  It's driving me crazy but I did that step very last and I didn't have time to correct it....it's driving my type A side nutty!  LOL!  IF I had just pulled out the Stamp A Ma Jig!!!!  

Ribbon Share Update

Just wanted to let you know that if you participated in the polka dot ribbon share and/or the polka dot paper share....all shipped out today!  You are going to LOVE the gorgeous colors!  I'm thinking about doing a seam binding share next month....please let me know if you are interested and/or if you would like to see a share offered of something else.

Praying For You

I wanted to use a different style fold for my stamp and stack this week and I was searching the web....seems I like to look at everyone's creations as much or more than I love to create...LOL!  Anywho....I ran across this joy fold card here that I absolutely loved!  I loved it so much that I cased it exactly.....I was a little hesitant as I haven't used my markers that much to color in stamps and this one is so beautifully intricate that I was worried about how it would turn out.  I was AMAZED at how easy this technique is....so were the sweet ladies at my stamp and stack!  As I demonstrated it I think they were all a little worried about coloring in the small intricate branches and leaves but the stampin up markers make it sooo easy!!!  All you really have to do is run that brush tip over where you want the color...it stamped beautifully every time!  I even stamped it again on the back of this cardstock to make sure it wasn't a "lucky first time" and I got the same beautiful crisp image again!  One of the ladies at my stamp and stack even made a "striped" trunk on her tree and it was "tremendously trendy" looking!  LOVED it!!  I wish I had taken a photo of it!  The stamp set I used is called Thoughts and Prayers and it is a wonderful 2 package stamp set so if you order the clear mount set you actually get 2 DVD style cases full of stamps.  There are several wonderful sentiments and 2 beautiful images in this set.  I know this is another set that I will be pulling out time and time again.

Don't forget my Scallop Dot Ribbon Share is ending on the 15th so if you haven't already signed up, please contact me as soon as possible!

Happy Stampin!