12/22 A Start & A Finish on December 23

Tuesday, December 23 is the start and the finish of a couple of promotions that I want to remind you about. It's the START of the Love You Much promotion and the end of 10% off all retiring sets along with FREE shipping and handling on all orders over $70. The Love You Much promotion is a bundle of stamps, paper and a brand new punch that will be featured in the Spring/Summer 2009 Idea Book and Catalog. You can get it for $41.48 instead of $51.85 - that's a 20% savings and even more if you place that order tomorrow and take advantage of the free shipping and handling.
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I will be placing several orders tomorrow, so if you would like to add your order to the mix, let me know. Just e-mail me at stampawayk@yahoo.com and I'll help you take care of all the details and answer any questions you might have.
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The card above is inspired by a card I saw on Aly's blog. I've always been so challenged by those stick pins that come in the Pretties Kit but when I saw Aly's card . . . I just knew I could manage it!! Thank you so much Aly for the GREAT idea.
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Supplies on my Love You Much card:
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Stamps: Love You Much, Totally Tabs
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Candy Lane, Kraft
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa for sponging
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Ridiing Hood Red Taffeta, Dimensionals, Heart to Heart Punch, Round Tab Punch

The card above is made with a set that is retiring and it is one of my favorite sets saying farewell. This little set is called Merry & Bright. I wanted to show you how it can be used as a winter birthday card. It doesn't have to be Christmas all the time! lol! You can get this set and any of the retiring sets at a 10% savings through December 23. Whoo Hoo! That promotion along with FREE S&H for $70+ orders ends tomorrow.

Supplies I used on this card:

Stamps: Merry & Bright, Stem Sayings Paper: Handsome Hunter, Kraft, Confetti White Ink: Craft White, Basic Black, Close to Cocoa, Handsome Hunter Accessories: Aqua Brush, 1 3/4" Circle Punch

12/21 A Holiday RAK & Blogging Friends

Just LOOK at this CUTE card I got in my mailbox on Saturday! Talk about Holiday Cheer!! This sweet sock monkey and his bright smile brighten up my whole stamp room!! Thank you so much, Debra!! Debra, aka dtstampz, is one of my SCS friends. We've been rak'in each other back and forth for a couple of years now and one of the highlights of going to Stampin'Up's convention this past year was getting to meet dear sweet Debra Tack!
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Oh, and did you notice the ornament perched so sweetly on top of the card?? She sent that along, too, and it is now trimming the tree in our living room. A sweet little reminder of friendship that I will treasure each and every year as the Christmas tree is decorated.
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My next little bit of Holiday Happiness came in the form of a Blog Award from Debi. She has a great little blog called iScrap 'n Stamp. And now it is my turn to share a few of my favorites with you. Actually I have MANY favorites as I spend probably an hour a day with my Google Reader! These are a few, however, that I especially enjoy because they feel like Stampin' Friends to me.
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Mary - Scrap & Stamp with Mary
Angie - Schwoo! by Stampin' Angie
LeAnne - Wee Inklings
Dawn - DOstamping with Dawn
Nancy - I Stamp
Julie - Stamps & Taxes
Sharon - No Time to Stamp?
Beate - Fresh & Fun
Kelly - Flutter by Atomicbutterfly
Chat - Me, My Stamps & I
Kristen - Sunshine, Smiles & Stamps
Susan - Rainy Day Creations

January 6 EOHN Project!

On Januray 6, I will be holding another Equal Opportunity Hostess Night and we will create a lovely Valentine Box filled with eight lovely Valentines. I have a picture of the box above and the details from the cards pictured below.

I learned how to make this note card holder at Convention this past August and I've been planning this debut for January since the moment I created it! I actually have two designs for you to choose from. You can make the Valentine's Box and Cards as pictured above, or you can make a Thank You box with eight thank you notes that I have pictured at the bottom of this post. Not every one is interested in sending Valentine cards, and maybe that January "to do" list includes sending out some thank you cards! (or, if you are like me, you can pick your box and then make a combination of Thank You and Valentine cards! lol! I just love to mix it up, don't you?)

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So, what is an Equal Opportunity Hostess Night? Well, first off they are FUN! After the on-time drawing . . . where you have a chance to win one of my hand-crafted cards, we have another drawing to see who our hostess will be! Equal Opportunity Hostess Nights run just like a club night and they occur in the months when I do not have scheduled club events. This is a great opportunity for people who are wondering if they would like being part of club to come to an EOHN and have a club-like experience.

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We always make two cards and a "project" or 3-D item of some type. We also focus in on a technique . . . Ribbon Rosettes this month! Everyone also has the opportunity to make a Charity card which is then donated to a local befrienders group. We need at least six people signed up to attend who commit to purchasing $25. This amount may go lower if we have more than six people signed up to attend. The sales totals will not be closed out until 2-3 days later to allow our hostess to get additional outside orders. Our first EOHN was a huge success . . . as our hostess Jennifer can attest to!! I'm really looking forward to our second EOHN! Let me know by January 3 if you can come!

Above is a picture of the Thank You box and cards you can choose to make instead of the Valentine's Box. The cards are created from the Eastern Blooms and the Thank You Kindly stamp sets.

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All the Supplies I used in these projects:

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Stamps: Floral Background, Sanded Background, Whimsy Jumbo Wheel & Handle, Thank You Kindly, Eastern Blooms, A Happy Heart

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP

Ink: Ruby Red, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Wide Oval Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain Ribbon, Hidden Garden Rub-Ons, Circle Fire Rhinestones, Linen Thread, Needle from the Crafter's Tool Kit, Sticky Strip Tape, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Crystal Effects, Chunky Essentials Glitter, Dimensionals, Note Cards

12/19 Love YOU Much Promo!!

Love YOU Much Promo Dates: December 23 - January 31

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Description Retail Value
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Love You Much stamp set $25.95

Candy Lane Designer Series paper $9.95

(Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding

Hood Red, Very Vanilla)

Heart To Heart punch $15.95

Bundle Retail Value $51.85

Love You Much Bundle

(20% off; item 115405) $41.48

One thing that is very exciting about this bundle . . . at least to me . . . is that you actually have a chance to get it with FREE SHIPPING and HANDLING!! The Love You Much promotions starts on the same day that the Free S&H ends so on that one day only you can combine the two specials!! WOW!! I love it when stuff like that happens!

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Here's a card I made with my Pre-View items (oh, how I LOVE being a SU demonstrator!!) This card uses the Love You Much Stamp Set, the Candy Lane DSP and the new and awesome Heart to Heart punch. Isn't it just the sweetest???

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I stamped the love and vase image with StazOn onto Cardstock Vellum. To really make it pop, I layered this onto a piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock cut smaller than the vellum piece. I just used makers to color in the letters and I did it from the front side, not from the back as is commonly done. When you stamp with StazOn, you don't have to worry about smears.

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All the Supplies I used to make this card:

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Stamps: Love You Much

Paper: Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum, Candy Lane DSP, Cardstock Vellum

Ink: StazOn Black

Accessories: Heart to Heart Punch, Very Vanilla Ribbon, Metallic Eyelets, Photo Corner Punch, Trio Flower Punch, Markers, Pretties Kit, Mini Glue Dot, Dimensionals, Crop-a-Dial

12/17 Quick and Kinda Sweet!

This is the Kristina Werner Color Challenge for the week. I really don't have a lot of time to stamp, so I squeezed this in after carpooling and before a Christmas program this morning. I used punches which are my favorite speed tools, and I applied the ribbon with Snail adhesive. That stuff works GREAT for putting on ribbon! I couldn't get the colors just right in my photo editing program. The yellow isn't really that bright of a yellow . . . but since I'm about to head out the door again, I don't have a lot of time to fuss. So, here it is!!

Supplies I used to make this card:

Stamps: Say It with Scallops

Paper: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze

Accessories: So Saffron Ribbon, Trio Flower Punch, Marker, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, Scallop Square Punch

12/17 A Lovely RAK!

A couple of days ago, I recieved the most gorgeous RAK from my friend Mary Rindal. She moved to Minnesota this past year from Colorado and has been such a blessing to me. Her generous spirit and quick laugh always make my day. This card is just amazing. I love the peircings, the placement of the brads, the gorgeous layers and the fabulous brayered sky image panel. Thank you so much, Mary, for the card and for being part of my life! Visit Mary's blog and check out more of her fabulous creations!

12/11 A Day Late? Or not? Whoops!

I'm a day late so I missed posting my card on time to Kristina Werner's color Inspiration Challenge. But I HAD to play!! Look at the picture below . . . arent' those colors gorgeous together?? Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Bordering Blue, Sage Shadow and Certainly Celery! Yummy, yummy!

I decided to make a wedding card and it was fairly quick to put together, too! No tricky techniques, just a few layers, some ribbon and brads and done!

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Here are the supplies I used on my card:

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Stamps: Always, Heard from the Heart

Paper: Sage Shadow, Perfect Plum, Bordering Blue, Pale Plum, Certainly Celery Prints DSP

Ink: Perfect Plum

Accessories: Dimensionals, Celery 1/4" Grosgrain, Glue Dots, Vanilla Hodge Podge

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Ok - Thanks to Vera, I now know that it's really not as close to Christmas as I thought it was! lol! I guess I didn't miss the challenge cut off! I feel like I've just been granted an extra 24 hours! Thanks, Vera, for setting me straight and for letting me know that I'm not too late for the challenge!! (yeah!)

12/10 Something a bit different!

I rarely use bleach when I wash clothes (unlike my mother . . . the whole house smelled like bleach when it was laundry day on the farm!) so I decided to try a little bleach on my card. I started with a card base of Creamy Caramel. I stamped the flower from the set called Doodle This with Black Craft ink and then embossed it with black embossing powder. I used a watercolor brush to paint bleach onto the flowers and it turned into a lovely shade of yellow . . . very similar to Barely Banana.

I had a lovely background . . . and not a clue where the card would go from there! Does that ever happen to you when you create a background? It's usually the result of a little work . . . so you don't just want to cover it all up with an image panel! So, I decided to opt for just a couple of strips of paper with a sentiment. I like how it turned out. I think the Tangerine Tango Patterns paper gives the card a nice "pop".

Supplies I used to create this card:

Stamps: Doodle This (flower image), Upsy Daisy (sentiment) Paper: Creamy Caramel, Basic Black, Barely Banana, Tangerine Tango Patterns DSP Ink: Black Craft Accessories: Wide Oval Punch, Vintage Brads, Sponge, Black Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Watercolor Brush, Bleach, Dimensionals

I am going to bake cookies today. I promised the kids I do a lot more baking for the holidays this year. Most of the goodies will go straight into the freezer. I simply cannot risk having cookies sitting out. My self control is in the negative numbers when it comes to sweets!! I recently made Berry Shortbread Dreams and today I am going to make Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies.

I am also making a double batch of potato soup - most of it is prepped already. And then tonight I will make a pot of chili for the girls to take to a skating party tomorrow. I'll have it simmer in the crock pot all night long so it will be perfect by noon tomorrow. I am feeling a bit like a domestic goddess today! lol!

Have a happy day and thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

12/9 Retirement List is OUT and TWO AWESOME SPECIALS!!

The retirement list was released today and you can get them at a DISCOUNT if you order by December 23! That's the FIRST special! The SECOND special is FREE shipping and handling on all orders over $70!! Whoo Hoo!

CLICK HERE for the retirement list.

CLICK HERE to see the 10% Disount Pricing on the Retiring Stamp Sets

And, don't forget about the FREE SHIPPING on all oders over $70 between December 9 and December 23.

You can take advantage of this sale by contacting me through my SU website. Click HERE. At that point you can e-mail me or click the Shop Now button in the upper right hand corner and place your order online to be shipped directly to you!

12/8 Saturday RAKs & a Birthday Card

You just never know when someone will make your day with a RAK! I got two card fronts on Saturday from Leah Quist. What a pleasant surprise!! Thanks so much, Leah, for thinking of me and sending me these cuties!

I played with my Big Shot this weekend and decided to make a couple of birthday cards using the Swirly Die Cut. This is the first card I made. I created swirls in Chocolate Chip and Old Olive and then layered them. Looks like a lot of swirling smoke, doesn't it? Well, that's bound to happen the older you get! lol!

This next card uses the scrap from one of the swirls.

I think I like this card even better than the first. What do you think? Both cards were quite fun to make. You won't find this set pictured in the current catalog, but it is still available for ordering from our Dormant List.

Supplies I used on the birthday candle cards:

Stamps: Big Birthday Candle
Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Haiku DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Photo Corner Punch, Swirly Die Cut, Big Shot Machine, Paper Piercer and the Mat Pack, Dimensionals, Earth Elements Brads, Blender Pen to put the Tangerine Tango onto the candle flame

12/5/8 A Wonderful RAK!

I am so amazed at the timing of RAKs. It must truly be a God Thing. My stamping friend, Susan Roberts from the great state of Washington certainly had no idea that I would be "just a little" stressed out with my daughter's surgery yesterday. And when we got home toting our Caribous, look what should arrive in my mailbox . . . a Wonderful, Delightful and Totally FUN Rak from Susan!! Up to that point, I don't know that I was having such a wonderful day, but after that point, I sure felt better! Thank you, dear friend, Susan! You can see Susan's blog and the original post of this beautiful card HERE.

As far as the surgery, it appears that the cyst on Kari's collarbone is a misplaced lymph node. Of course it will be sent in for testing and we will know for sure after her follow up check up . . . but the doctor seemed quite sure that he was taking out a swollen lymph node and nothing more.

12/4 Simple? no . . . BRILLIANT!

Would you like to make a FIVE minute card?? Can it really be that simple?? It was for me. I clicked onto Kristina Werner's Blog this morning looking for some inspiration and of course she provided it with her weekly color challenge. The colors to use this week were Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Taken With Teal, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip.

My base is a half sheet of Whisper White folded in half. The top portion of the card is Celery Prints paper . . . now with slightly different designs called Celery Patterns in the latest SU catalog. I used Pumpkin Pie on the lower portion of the card. I love the flower I created with my Big Shot Machine and the Sizzlet set called Birds and Blooms. I've been noticing that flower shape on a lot of cards and I liked the look. It was only today as I was quickly getting my supplies together for this card that I realized I actually HAD this shape in my Birds and Blooms set! I've used the bird here and there but not the bloom!

Supplies I used to create this card:

Stamps: A Little Bithday Cheer Paper: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Taken With Teal, Celery Prints DSP Ink: Chocolate Chip Accessories: Chocolate Chip Double Stitched Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot Machine, Sizzlet Die Set Birds and Blooms, Fresh Favorites Button, Linen Thread, Glue Dot, Dimensionals

Today I have to take my daughter, Kari, for out patient surgery at Children's Hospital. She has a cyst on her collar bone that needs to be taken care of. It will be her 5th time to get stitches. She's kind of psyched about it - very proud of each and every event that led to having stiches! Most times have to do with falls onto lawn mowers, down steps, off bikes etc. I'm not quite as excited as she is.

12/1 The Bundles are GONE!

Thank YOU to everyone who placed an order this weekend! We must have really swamped Stampin'Up because the Holiday Extravaganza Bundles are SOLD OUT! It pays to be an early bird! Thanks so much for shopping with me!