LOVELY AS A TREE!

This is one of the first stamp sets I purchased from Stampin' Up!, and I cannot believe that it is still in the Idea Book and Catalog; but I am thrilled that it is! This stamp set can be used for so many things (birthday, holiday, sympathy....) This month I will be useing it to make a holiday card for my Holiday Stamp-A-Stack.

For this card I stamped it in classic ink and then used my Aqua Painter to "blend" the ink and make it look like a water-colored image.

ANOTHER TRIP FOR ME!

Yes, it's true, I am on the road again! Tyler and I are heading up to the beautiful J & J Retirement Resort on the West Shore of Houghton Lake. I am really excited about this trip, as my son is going to be joining me. I usually go by myself, so this trip will be even more relaxing and fun!

My sister and I are going to make some stewed tomatoes, the way my mom used to. We've missed that homemade taste in our goulash and chilli over the past years, so we're taking a trip down memory lane, and we're going to try and reproduce the recipe that my mother had perfected when we were children and that we took for granted and now crave!!

Hopefully there will some sunshine so we can have some boat time too! And, of course, there will be a big fish fry where we put that salmon we caught earlier in the summer to good use in some Panko. Lots of fresh veggies will hit the grill and we're going to grill up some of those beautiful and sweet fresh peaches that are so awesome in September here in Michigan.

I will be home on Thursday and I've scheduled some posts for while I'm gone.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and stay safe, my friends!

DELIGHTFUL DECORATIONS FROM STAMPIN' UP!

This is another one of the cards we'll be making at this month's Holiday Stamp-a-Stack. Today is the last day to RSVP if you'd like to join the class.

For this card we'll be useing the Delightful Decorations stamp set and the Ornament Punch, along with some 1/8" ribbon and the Dotted Embossing Folder.

Be sure to RSVP today and join the fun!

NORTHERN FLURRY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

I really like this new Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder for your Big Shot. It is called Northern Flurry and is available now in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog. It's on page 26 and at only $7.95 it is a definite "must have" item!

This is one of the cards we will be making at my Holiday Stamp-A-Stack this month. The SAS is on September 15th, and tomorrow (September 5th) is the last day to register. We will be making eight cards (2 each of 4 different designs). The cost is $12. I will supply all the materials for your cards, and envelopes, light snacks, coffee and water. All you need to bring is your adhesive.

You can see in the close up photo that I put a little Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on my embossed snowflake image. I used Cherry Cobbler and Wild Wasabai cardstock. I added some of the new 1/2" seam binding in Cherry Cobbler and the sentiment for this card comes from the Occasional Quotes stamp set.

STAMPIN' UP! VINTAGE WALLPAPER EMBOSSING FOLDER!

I am addicted to the embossing folders for the Big Shot, and Stampin' Up! has some of the coolest embossing folders! This is a card made with the Stampin' Up! Friends 24/7 Stamp Set and the Stampin' Up! Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder for your Big Shot. We will be making this card in a couple of my clubs this month so you can learn how to brayer your embossing folder image firsthand if you're in club!

Not in club? Well, be sure to stop by on Wednesday for my video tutorial, and I will share with you how I made this card.

WITCHY HAPPY HALLOWEEN CARD WITH THE OWL PUNCH!

As promised on Tuesday, here is the Halloween card I made with the same sort of design as my 6x6 scrapbook page. We'll be making this card at the Wright Club this month. They love their punches, so I'm sure they'll like this card~~atleast I hope they will.

For the witch's hat I started off with the Stampin' Up! Wide Oval Punch. It gave me the "general" shape I wanted, and then I just cut it in a little bit at the middle and then sort of "winged it" for the rest of the hat shape. I did make a "template" for my customers to use so they wouldn't have to free-hand it. The bottom of the hat is just the small oval punch.

I used the new spider web embossing folder from the Holiday Mini Catalog for the background. It's easier to see (I think) on the close up photo that I did put a little Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on the web.

TRIANGLE CARD CLOSURE PATTERN VIDEO!

Linda Garrett, one of my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator friends, shared this great card pattern with us at our last get together. I knew immediately it would become one of my favorites. She shared the monogram card, and from that I made the snowman card.

In today's video I will share with you how to make this card. Here are the measurements you will need (they are repated in the video also). The card back/wrapper (outside part with the triangle) is 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 and you score the 8 1/2 side at 5 1/2. The card base (the part that opens) is 10 1/2 x 4 and you scored the 10 1/2 side at 5 1/4.

I hope you enjoy today's video and will have fun trying out this unique card fold idea.

THE HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG IS HERE!

Starting today, September 1st, 2010, you can begin ordering from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Don't have one yet? Use the link on my left sidebar to view it online, or just contact me, and I will get one of these hot little mini catties into your hands!

The Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog is bursting with so many new products, and the ideas and inspriation are endless. For the very first time ever Stampin' Up! is offering material~~yep, you read that right! There are so many totally new items in this mini catalog that I know you will be terribly disappointed if you don't try some of them. AND I know you will fall in love with many of them!

It's easy to earn FREE products from both the Holiday Mini Catalog and the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. I am happy to show you how to enjoy a fun night with friends, make some great projects and earn FREE goodies!

Sign up for the Holiday Mini Open House on September 23, 2010 in the Rubber Room and learn how the new Holiday Mini Catalog products work and just how wonderful they are! Use the "class schedule" tab on the top of my blog for all the Open House Details and sign up today!