Tuesday, November 25, 2008

SU HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

Stampin’ Up! Spreading Holiday Cheer With Thought

With recent economic strains and a possible recession looming in the minds of many, holiday shoppers are transforming from a shop-till-you-drop mentality back to the pace of simpler times. In fact, based on an annual survey, the National Retail Federation recently forecast the lowest increase in holiday spending by consumers in at least six years, and for the first time in the survey’s history, those surveyed said they plan to spend less on family gifts than the previous year. With this in mind, this year’s budget-conscious shoppers need suggestions for spreading holiday cheer with thought—not debt!

Two for One Giving

Charitable gifts are an emerging trend in holiday gift giving. In fact, many corporations are embracing the holiday spirit by teaming up with non-profit organizations to donate proceeds from the sale of exclusive products, allow individuals to make donations to particular charities on behalf of others as presents, and some corporations will even match donations during the holiday season. If you decide to go this route with your holiday shopping, try to choose an organization that is near and dear to the recipient’s heart. For instance, the Ronald McDonald House Charity has a variety of corporate donors who match donations or donate proceeds from the sale of special products back to their charity. Giving a Two-for-One gift this holiday season is a financially smart choice and one that will help according to GuideStar.com, many non-profit organizations that expect a drop in donations this holiday season when most donations are normally made.

Volunteer Your Time

If you can’t afford to give a monetary donation this holiday season, give your gently used unwanted belongings or volunteer your time or professional services. Non-profit organizations are always in need of helping hands and hearts as well as supplies to help supplement their holiday activities. For instance, your entire family could get involved and share a heartwarming experience of cleaning out their closets and delivering clothes to the homeless shelter or delivering meals to the elderly or serving soup at a soup kitchen. The act of service will be a gift you can give to yourself and your family that will last a lot longer than the expensive gifts of years past.

Give Handmade

This season, shoppers will find that making handmade gifts, packaging, holiday décor and baked goods are a great alternative for stretching the holiday budget. The value of a handmade gift is priceless, and for many budget-conscious holiday shoppers, much less expensive.

One company helping shoppers do more with less is Stampin' Up!® The company will host a Holiday Extravaganza sale with up to 50% off select product bundles Nov. 26-Dec. 1, 2008 only online at www.stampinup.com/holiday. “I love to give handcrafted gifts. It is often less expensive, plus the people I give the gift to usually appreciate them more,” says Shelli Gardner, CEO and Co-founder of Stampin’ Up! “Creating and giving handcrafted gifts also provides and opportunity to appreciate the spirit of the holiday season by spending more time at home with the ones we love, sharing our talents and spreading holiday cheer the old-fashioned, handmade way.”

To learn more about exciting offers during the Holiday Extravaganza sale, unique handmade gift ideas or to attend a holiday crafts demonstration, contact Karen Foltz (www.stampinwithkaren.stampinup.com - knk75@aol.com).

Sunday, November 16, 2008

SASI Birthday

I love all of Taylor's sets and if you like cupcakes, then SASI is the stamp line for you!! I don't have her newest sets yet, but I'm lucky that Laura from Lu-La's Corner was kind enough to offer to stamp some images for me. We're actually swapping images, but I really wanted SASI new sets, but can't spend money right now.

I made this card for my niece's birthday this weekend. She turned 4, so I thought the 4 candles on the cake were perfect!
Supplies:
Stamps:
Sweet Celebration (SASI)
CS: WW, Pink CS and Patterned Paper are from the Key Ingredients Birthday Girl Kit (SASI)
Ink: Palette Noir
Other: Copic Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Scalloped Rectangle Nestie, Ribbon from the
Key Ingredients Birthday Girl Kit (SASI)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

MissyB Designs Blog Candy Giveaway

To start off the holiday shopping (I can't believe I just typed that - how could it possibly be the holidays AGAIN? Wasn't Christmas like a week ago?) I wanted to reward a lucky customer with a HUMONGOUS give away.

The winner will be getting:

"Just a Thought" set
"You're Bugging Me" set
"Country Snowman" set
"Penguins" set
"Happy Cows" set
"Go Girl" set

PLUS
2 sheets of clingmount
AND
a roll of double sided tape

That's a lot, folks. In fact, that is so much stuff that it's worth $82.60.

Do I have your attention now?

Ok, so here's what you have to do to win:

Place an order and leave a comment HERE. (Be sure to click on the link and leave your post on Missy's blog post and not here to be entered.)

Simple right?

And if you want an extra entry, get a friend to order and comment about how you are so great to have referred them here and how wonderful you are in general. Then your friend will be entered, and you will get a double entry. And if you get all of your friends to order and comment - woah, you'd have a ton of entries and win for sure!

On TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25th at 7:00PM I will do the drawing.

I think we'll do it the old fashioned way where I stick everyone's name in a hat, close my eyes and pick out a winner. Or I might put all the names in a cup or a bowl or something, because we don't have too many big hats around here. Then I'll email the winner that night and get the $82.60 worth of FREE stuff headed their way!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rub-On Promotion


Dates: November 10-30, 2008

Promotion Details: Spend $20 and qualify to purchase any Rub-Ons assortment at 20 percent off ($8.76 per package; regularly $10.95):

Item # Page # Rub-Ons Description
111416 178 Chateau Bella
111417 178 Word Flurries
111414 178 Hidden Garden
111277 178 A Perfect Day
110283 179 Take Note
111806 179 Chills & Thrills
111804 179 Chit Chat
111415 179 Greatest Moments
111805 179 School Days
110282 179 Anchored
112844 11* Old Saint Nick
112843 17* Season of Cheer
112735 39** Hidden Garden Blossoms

*From Holiday 2008 Mini Catalog

Download the flyer

Email me today to place your order or you can order anytime from my website by clicking the Shop Now button there.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Happy Birthday Riley Moose

This was made the other day, but for some reason I haven't been able to get it to post til now to my blog. Anyway - I made this for the Hanna Stamps Release Party sketch challenge over on SCS. This is the first time this cutey has seen ink. I'm super late for my sister's birthday, so I think I'll use this one to send to her.

Supplies:
Stamps: Coffee Riley Moose (
Hanna Stamps), Card Greetings I (Green Grass Stamps)
CS: Mellow Moss, WW, PP Glitter Stack
Ink Palette Noir
Other: Copic Markers, Stampin Dimensionals, Coluzzle, Pink Sakura Glaze Pen (for the cupcake top)


Yep - 2 posts in one night!! Hope you are having a wonderful start to your week!!

Witchy Thank You

Yes - I know Halloween is over, but I realized I never showed you this card. I made this as a thank you to my neighbor for the goodies she made for our Halloween party. I used the witch because her daughter was a witch for Halloween and I thought it was appropriate. I popped the witch up on pop dots. The purple card base and the striped paper is from the SASI Halloween Key Ingredient kit.
Supplies:
Stamps: Trick or Sweet and Frightful Night (both by
SASI)
CS: Halloween Key Ingredients (no longer available), WW, Basic Black
Ink: Palette Noir
Other: Copic Markers, Stampin Dimensionals


Have you heard about Paper Craft Planet? If not - come check us out and join us over there!! There is tons to do and lots going on. Be sure to add me as your friend when you do.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

A sleddin' we will go

I'm seriously loving the Snowmen Cuteness set from MissyB. You will too - I'm positive of this!! These images are so fun and whimsical. This particular image reminds me of my 3 kiddies. I hope we get enough snow this year, so that I'll be able to take a picture like this. This would be perfect on the scrapbook page!!

I had fun with the Dew Drops on this card. :) Sorry all of these pictures look 'washed' out. I took them all at night and should have waited til morning.

The copic markers that I used for this image.

Supplies:
Stamps:
Snowmen Cuteness (MissyB Designs)
CS: Creamy Caramel, WW, Basic Grey Figgy
Ink: Palette Noir
Other: Copic Markers, Dew Drops (Water), Striped Green ribbon, Lt Blue ribbon


Happy Stamping!! I do have more new sets that have yet to see ink, so be sure to stop back by!!


Snow = 70 Degree Weather

Well, not exactly. It is supposed to be near 70 here today, but I played with my new stamps and thus the snowmen. :) Our weather has been crazy in that it was cold and now it is back to being warm again. Makes for dressing hard - considering I've put away the 'summer' clothes and now we could use them again.

Anyway - here is another card done with MissyB Designs Snowmen Cuteness set. I used my Copics again to color the image. I added Crystal Stickles to the 'snow' that is falling. I used an Orange Sakura Gel Pen to the snowmen noses as well. Both the image and the greeting are popped up with pop dots.

Here are the Copics I used for this image. Need specifics - just send me an email.

Supplies:
Stamps:
Snowmen Cuteness (MissyB Designs)
CS: Real Red, Soft Sky (retired), WW, Basic Grey Figgy
Ink: Palette Noir, Real Red
Other: Copic Markers, Crystal Stickles, Orange Sakura Gel Pen, Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Lt Blue Ribbon, Stampin Dimensionals

Have a wonderful Thursday!!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

MissyB Designs - Snowmen Cuteness

Snowmen Cuteness indeed!! I {heart} snowmen and these just melt my heart! Seriously - these are super adorable that you'll want to go get your set today. Where can you get it you ask? Head right on over to MissyB Designs - Snowmen Cuteness.

Now onto my card - I colored this cutie in with Copic markers (picture below showing the colors). With some designer paper and dew drops - you've got an adorable Christmasy card!

Supplies:
Stamps:
MissyB Designs (Snowmen Cuteness)
CS: Green Galore, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Designer Paper (Arctic Frog)
Ink: Palette Noir
Other: Copic Markers, Stampin Dimensionals, Dew Drops (Poinsettia), Red Stickles

If you want to know exact colors - feel free to send me an email.
Sorry to keep you waiting - I've got some more cards to post, but thought I'd spread them out instead of lumping them into one post. Yep - my method to my madness to keep you coming back!! :)

Happy Stamping!!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Where does the time go?
Seriously - where does the time go? I feel like my days have been passing me by - well more like flying right by! I can't believe we are already into November. Christmas is just around the corner - yes, we haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving yet, but I saw my first Christmas commercial on tv today. Not that I mind - Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

Anyway - I have cards to show you, but I don't have them off my camera yet. They are Christmas related though. I got my new stamps from MissyB Designs the other day and finally got a chance to ink them up this weekend. I made 2 cards and have 2 more in the works. I really like this set.

So, stay tuned - tomorrow I will be posting at least one of the cards for you to see. Til then - have a wonderful evening!!