Awesome new technique... it will pop!!

I found this tutorial on another super talented stamper's blog. Lauren is amazing. She has a blog called Mytime, and she is so awesome. You have to try this new technique she came up with as well as the fun box she designed too. It is a box for Ghirardelli chocolates. Yum!! The technique is poppin' acetate.

Anyway, you stamp on acetate with white stazon ink, and then take sponge daubers and add pastels to the ink while it is still wet. The pastel's adhere to the ink and then you just take a dryer sheet or a embossing buddy and wipe off the excess pastel dust. It is so fun. You have to work fast and in small sections, but it works. You'll have to check out her blog for complete directions. Another fun way to use those pastels, which I haven't used in ages. I used the poppin' pastels for the stamped elements on the tag and the butterfly too.
I used the level 3 hostess set Time Well Spent for the box.

More hostess gifts

More hostess gifts for my downline. I made a brownie mix in a mason jar and jazzed it up with some paper and stamped pieces. Took just a little bit of time and makes a nice gift for a hostess. Now she doesn't have to worry about what snack to fix. And it only takes some easy ingredients to make some gooey yummy chocolate brownies. A girls' night out isn't complete without that.

The other project is a box for putting candy in. It is a new pattern which I call a mock take out style box, cause the flaps fold over on the sides like a take out box. Tutorial is on the right sidebar. I think it turned out cute.

Customer and hostess gifts and thank yous

I have been working on ideas using the new Taking Care of Business set from Stampin' UP! for promoting your business, thanking your customers, and things like that. Here are a few things I have come up with. I am going to be making some gift packaging for this too, but I haven't completed those yet. I have to admit this was a big challenge for me. I find it very hard to be creative when I don't have something to go by. I was on my own for this. I am having my downline over on Thurday to make some of these things. While I am not currently doing workshops, they want to build their businesses. I want to help them in their endeavors, so I am providing these resources. I hope it works for them.
There are thank you's for their customers (3x3) and then coupon book to look cards (4 1/4x 4 1/4), and then wishlist notebooks using jr. legal pads cut in half. The bottom picture is a little box for a ghiradelli chocolate. Very cute.

All 3 Card Kits for the Spring are Done!

Just wanted to let everyone know that the three card kits I am offering this Spring are done!!! Yea! I worked very hard on this, and much thanks goes out to talented stampers from Splitcoast, whom I either CASE'd or was inspired by. These card kits will be offered throughout the Spring/Summer 08 catalog season.

Some card kit facts:
The kits are designed for you to purchase a stamp set and accessories that work together. Then you receive at a small extra cost the supplies to make approx. 10 cards using the products you have purchased. Most of my usual customers have inks already, so they are not included in the kits. Inks and other accessories that you will need to complete the projects are always listed as good add ons after the kit contents. Please note that if you do not have those items, you will want to get them as they are needed to complete your cards. All cards require you to have the following special adhesives: mini glue dots, and pop up glue dots or stampin' dimensionals.

If you already own the stamps I use, you can still purchase the precut cardstock to make the projects I have shown with each kit. You will receive instructions and cutting measurements with the precut cardstock to make more and to help you assemble your projects. I always recommend you check out the photos on the blog as well to help you see what the finished product should look like.

I do these kits to help me better utilize the stamps I purchase, and to help you in using your stamps. The ideas I have are in no way exhaustive of what you can do, but merely act as a springboard for you to get started. There are numerous other examples of what you can do on Splitcoaststampers and other blogs for you to get inspired from.

There is a special opportunity for you to save on these kits if you purchase them during the Sale-A-Bration sales period from Feb. 1- March 17. I am offering 20% off all stamp sets in the current Stampin' UP! catalog, and 15% off all paper, inks, and embellishments (this does not include punches or tools). For every $50 you order in Stampin' UP! merchandise (the precut cardstock does not count towards this) you will get to choose a FREE special Sale-A-Bration stamp set or rub-ons package. It's a great time to get in on these kits.

Here are the links to the kits:
One of a kind card kit
Embrace Life card kit
Carte Postale card kit

A note to me about a website I found for Homeschooling. Instructorweb.com for grammar lessons. I have been looking for a definitive explanation on parts of speech and grammar skills for teaching my son this year. While I like our current curriculum, I find it lacking in explaining these things in a way he can understand. Since I am not a formally trained teacher, and it has been so long since I learned these things, I have been struggling to explain these things to him. So I did a Google search tonight and came upon the above website. While the site charges a fee to get access to a lot of it's worksheets, I found the general information was helpful enough. Does anyone out there know of a good resource for teaching these things or worksheets useful for a first or second grader?

Bonus Carte Postale: a Valentine

I saw this card on Splitcoaststampers (by Patti Chesky) and was awestruck. I love this card. How lovely and elegant. And who would of thought to use this set like this? Okay obviously someone did, but I didn't. It is beautiful.

These are some Christmas thank yous I made to send to family who sent us gifts. I am late in getting these out and done as I haven't been home. I used some of my new toys. I used my new Nestabilities dies (I love them.), although in using the instructions from Papertreyink with Nicole's suggestion to use some extra cardstock in embossing the pieces, I broke my B plate on my Cuttlebug system. Not to worry, I can get another one. Now I know that I don't need extra cushion. Some people have found that they need some extra cushion to make a good impression. I didn't find that to be true. I am still learning about this though.
I also used my new Papertreyink stamp set called Papertrey. It has all kinds of words to use together to make custom sentiments. I love it. So versatile and I can see exactly where I want place them. Think Stampin' UP's Fundamental Phrases set, but you can line them up on the acrylic block perfectly and see exactly where you want to put them. And Papertreyink's set is only $15. Woohoo!!!

I also used SU! Snowflake spot, and the Wintergreen designer paper. Oh and I came up with the card design from Nicole's blog too. Thanks, Nicole. Keep the ideas and the beautiful stamps coming.

New Stampin' UP! business website

Hi, Everyone. I have a new Stampin' UP! business website. These just launched this month and are so much better than the old sites. So much more professional and helpful to everyone. Now you can one stop shop for specials, events, projects, and I can even send you professional e-newsletters, e-cards, and e-invites. I am so excited. I am still working at adding my own projects to it, but there is enough new stuff there to entice you to go ahead and visit it.

Sale-A-Bration time is near

It is almost Sale-A-Bration time for all of us who love Stampin' UP! What is Sale-A-Bration? It is a special time where customers and hostesses get to earn FREE stamps from Stampin' UP! for every $50 they spend on merchandise. Hostesses get more Free sets for every $300 in workshop sales. For those interested in being a demonstrator, they get to choose a free stamp set from the new catalog when they sign up during Sale-A-Bration.

When does Sale-A-Bration start? February 1- March 17th.
What do you get? For every $50 you spend, you can choose one of 5 stamp sets or one set of rub-ons. There is no limit to how many sets you can earn.

How about one of my card kits to earn some FREE sets? My Carte Postale and One of a Kind kits total $50 in products ordered.

My own special to go with this great event is the following:
20% off all stamps ordered during SAB, 15% off all embellishments, paper, and inks.

Free stamps, extra discounts from me, new card kits!!!! Wow!! What are we waiting for? Get your orders ready for February 1st.

New Boho West Collection card kit

Here is one last card kit I am going to offer based on the new Boho West line from Stampin' UP!.
One Of A Kind card kit:
One of a Kind stamp set $18.95
Boho Backgrounds stamp set $15.95
Boho Blossoms punch $15.95
assorted card stock for 10 cards $12
total for kit: $58.73 for product + $12 for precut cardstock for the 10 cards you see here.

Good add ons for this kit: chocolate and pink taffeta ribbons, chocolate and regal rose wide grosgrain, Berry Bliss designer papers, chocolate chip, close to cocoa, pretty in pink, regal rose, purely pomegranite inks, white craft ink and Urban west rub ons, large scallop punch.

To complete these projects you will need the items above that I highlight.

This is a great kit to order during Sale-A-Bration because you automatically get a FREE SAB set with the purchase of the kit.

Here are some links to other ideas from the products in this kit and the Berry bliss paper.
http://dostamping.typepad.com/dostamping_with_dawn/2008/03/last-day---boho.html
http://dostamping.typepad.com/dostamping_with_dawn/2008/03/day-2---boho-st.html

My Funny Valentines

I am currently at my parents' home in Alabama, and I brought some stamping supplies with me to play with while we are here. I don't have access to all my accessories like ribbons, brads, etc. so my cards are a little plain. But I am finding ways to use paper since I don't have those things. Here are some Valentine's cards I am making to send with some candy to my cousin who is in Iraq serving in the military. I hope the cards will be useful for his fellow servicemen to send home to their loved ones, and who doesn't love chocolate?
I used Papertreyink's Sweet Love, My Punny valentine, and Stampin' UP's Simply Said for these cards. I used last year's Designer paper from Stampin' UP! and some new paper from a local store here.

Carte Postale Card Kit

I have another card kit available.

Carte Postale $25.95
French Flair background $17.95
Le Jardin designer paper $9.95
asstorted cardstock and embellishments for 10 cards $12

total cost for kit is $53.85 for ordered items (does not include shipping and tax) and $65.85 with the precut cardstock for the 10 cards.

Add-ons for this kit would be the following ink colors: so saffron, bordering blue, river rock, always artichoke. Also cream grosgrain ribbon, brads, paper piercing mat pack, Spring Sihouettes designer paper, scallop notes, pretties kit.