August: So much to share!

Once again, the months are just slipping right on by and now we find ourselves in August already.  Still not sure how that happens. August 1 is a busy day for Stampin Up! and I have a lot of news to share. So much news I'm having trouble deciding where to start because they are all very exciting things.  One thing is for sure, I will be taking a break from sharing a project today and convention pictures just so my post doesn't get tooooooooooo long.

HOLIDAY CATALOG

The Holiday Catalog is now live with so many things to love.  For the first time, Stampin' Up! is offering bundles of coordinating products at discounted prices to customers. There are four bundles featuring a stamp set with matching framelits for the Big Shot, two that include a stamp set and a project kit, and one that is a desk calendar with a holder all 15% off when you purchase them together.  Click on the Holiday Catalog on the left to take a look for yourself and let me know if you'd like a catalog sent to you.  You can also shop on line anytime.  I will be sharing more projects and showcasing some bundles in the coming weeks.

SPOOKTACULAR RECRUIT SPECIAL

Ever thought about joining Stampin' Up!  August is a fabulous time to do just that.  If you haven't already heard, the starter kit is now completely customizable.  You can pick any products from any current catalog, up to $125, for only $99.  So if you've had your eye on the Big Shot, the Many Marvelous Markers, or My Digital Studio, or just lots of fun stamps, buying the starter kit will save you some $$$$.   And in August, the deal is even better.   All new recruits this month will receive the Howl-O-Ween Printer's Tray Project Kit.

This kit is only available to new recruits and the demonstrators who recruit them and is not available to purchase.  Contact me today if you would like more information.

MY DIGITAL STUDIO 2

I love My Digital Studio.  I've love using it to make scrapbook pages, albums, cards, invitations and so much more.  But I am over the moon about the new features available in My Digital Studio 2.  I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on it since Stampin' Up! showed us just a few of the 75 new features of this updated software package.  Some of the highlights:

• Design in spreads
• Create with custom canvas sizes
• Add more than one color to a single stamp image
• Resize vector stamp images while keeping them crisp
• Retint embellishments, Designer Series Paper and more.

You can download your free 30-day trial version of the software starting today, even if you've already used a free trial of the original MDS.  Just head on over to my online store for your free trial. If you've purchased My Digital Studio in the past, you can update to MDS2 for $19.95.  The full-version of the software is still $39.95 and MDS2+ features the full software and over $500 in downloads for $79.95. All of these versions are also available in my online store.  I will be downloading mine today and will have more information to share on Friday.

31% OFF FOR 31 DAYS

To celebrate the release of MDS2, Stampin' Up! is offering 31% off of 31 different digital content options during August and nearly all print products as well. The Floral District Content CD can be added to any order, but the other 30 digital downloads are only available online.  You can get them at my online store: paula.stampinup.net.

I know I will be busy creating with MDS2 this month so I can take advantage of 31% off albums, individual pages and much more.

WHEW!!!  That was a lot of information to share. And can you see why I didn't know which to share first?  What are you most excited about this month?

Convention Display Boards

 As promised, I have some pictures of display boards to show you today, but before we get to that, I will share another one of my swaps:

Colors: Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black and Whisper White.  Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners and Layered Labels. Big Shot: Apothecary Accents &  Bitty Banners Framelits.  Accessories: Rhinestone Jewels.

This is another card that was offered at my Customer Appreciation Event in June.  Only, then, I did it in Primrose Petal instead of Wisteria Wonder.  The idea from the card came from Allison Ohran at alliohran.blogspot.com.  I love her work and when I saw her version, I knew my customers would love it too.  I modified it by simplifying it and changing the layers up a bit and using a different greeting on it.

Now on to the Display Boards.  At convention, they put up dozens of these boards and they feature creations from demonstrators all over the country.  There are some really talented demonstrators out there for sure!  Today, I will share four boards and my two favorite samples from those boards:

Aren't there some fun ideas on these?  I love the bed.  So creative!  If anyone knows who created it, please share.  I would love to know.

Is it Fourth of July or Christmas in July?

The swap I am sharing with you today has a story behind it.  See, my super, amazing friend Erin Kyle came to stay with me for a week or so, at the beginning of July, all the way from British Columbia.  She help me with my convention swaps as well as a number of other things around my house.  She kept me focused and helped me figure out exactly what I was going to do for each swap. As a former Demonstrator, she knows swaps.  That's actually how we met: swapping. 

So when it came time to make my lip balm holders for Smallish-3D swap, I knew we could whip these together really quickly and easily.  I went to my box that holds all my alterable stuff and pulled out the lip balms.  I had just the right amount of cute blue ones with a red Santa on the front.  Perfect for the swap.

We decided that Pacific Point was the closest blue to match and of course, Real Red to match the Santa.  And Whisper White to match the snow flakes too.  I pulled out some Real Red Designer Series Paper that I had and asked her stripes, or polka dots?  She answered, "Stripes. Because it reminds me of Candy Canes."

And we went to work on these boxes.  It wasn't until I was applying the Real Red DSP to the Whisper White card stock and then putting it on the Pacific Point box that it hit me.  These weren't Christmas lip balm holders at all.  They were Fourth of July! We put the snow flake on them anyway to make them look a little more Christmassy, but really, they would be perfect for the Fourth of July if you put a start on the front instead. 

Colors: Pacific Point, Real Red, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits.  Punches: 3/4"& 1" circle punches. Accessories: Brights Designer Patterns Pack, Simply Scored Board, Real Red Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels.

You'd think working on them the day after the Fourth of July we would have figured it out sooner.  I suppose that is what I get for having a Canadian help me with my swaps. :)  Totally kidding.  I love Erin and all my Canadian friends.

If you are wondering how I made the box, I used the same directions as the ones I made last fall  that looked a lot more Christmassy.

Today's convention share is about Memento Mall.  Every year, Stampin' Up! has a marketplace set up during convention for demonstrators to buy exclusive items with the Stampin' Up! logo.  These range from business tools to apparel and small premium items to share with our customers. Here is what I picked up at Memento Mall this year:

The only thing missing is a Card Tree that I haven't gotten out of the box yet. At the top, there are reusable shopping bags that I give to my customers when they place an especially nice order.  Then moving clockwise there are a stack of sticky notes and the tops, a blouse and a tee-shirt.  Pens and a pad of wish lists come next.  Those round things are cookie stamps and above them are some cookie cutters.  That cute flowery thing on the bottom left is a tape measure.  I can never have too many of them!  Especially if they are cute!  Believe it or not, I didn't buy nearly as much for me as I usually do. But I did buy a lot for my good friend Rhonda.  I should have taken a picture of her loot before I mailed it off to her. :) 

Next week, I'll show you some pictures of the sample boards at convention.  Be sure to check back then!

Holiday Catalog Sneak Peek!

July is almost over and I haven't even had a chance to show you any sneak peaks of any new products coming out in the Holiday Catalog that starts August 1.  So today, I'm sharing a card I made for the Stampin' Addicts Christmas Card swap.  It may seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but if you plan to send out handmade cards, it's NOT to early. :)

Colors: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Heart of Christmas.  Big Shot: Holiday Frame Textured Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits Collection, Heart Framelits Collection. Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations Card Stock, Stampin' Sanding Block, Pearl Jewels.

Do you notice all the new stuff on this card?  First is the fabulous Holiday Frame Textured Embossing Folder.  It is an oval wreath shape and has a lovely baroque feel to it.  Here I ran the new Core'dinations Card Stock through the Big Shot with this folder and then sanded it with the new Stampin' Sanding Block.  When you sand away this card stock, a monochromatic color is revealed.  Very fun!

The Heart of Christmas Stamp comes as a single image.  Here, I used markers to color right on the stamp to make the image multicolored.  And because the look and feel of the card is kind of vintage-y, I used Crumb Cake ink to distress everything on the card.  I love the way it turned out!

But you also might notice a major OOPS! on this card.  Swaps are always suppose to contain current product.  I just realized as I was posting this that the little heart stamp on here is RETIRED!!!  Yikes.  Substitute out that heart for another heart, please.

I promised to share more convention information with you each day this week too.  So today, I'm going to show you all the fun stuff you get for going to convention:

When you show up for convention, you pick up your bag and stamp sets for Make and Takes.  This year we received Your Amazing and Daydream Medallions from the main catalog and Affection Collection from the Holiday Catalog.  What isn't in the photo are the Make and Take projects because there wasn't room (and I haven't finished two of them).  Inside the bag is a convention book that contains all the schedules and other information you need and nice pen for taking notes of course. For attending the Make and Take sessions, we also received three different bonuses: Rhinestone Jewels, Primrose Petal Ribbon and the In Color Dahlias.  During one of the Main Stage presentations, I won the Friendship Preserves Stamp set with the matching Paper Piercing Templates and a new Paper Piercing Mat and Tool. In addition, everyone at the Closing Session received Moving Forward, the Ronald McDonald House Charity set for this year, and the Mixed Medley Hostess set from the Holiday Catalog.  And just for attending six different classes during convention, we got a really fun stamp set that goes along with theme of the convention.

Did I miss anything?  Oh ya, all the great idea and business tips.  They are kind of hard to show in a photo.  I seriously considered not going to convention this year but I am so glad that I did.  And look at all the fun stuff I have to show for it.

Back from Convention!

Sorry I took an extended vacation the past few weeks.  This summer has been CRAZY.  We've had company or been traveling or had something major going on every week.  And while that has made for some really fun times, it also meant that I just didn't have time to sit down and write my blog posts.  I have so many projects to share so that was NOT the issue.  I just didn't have time to actually take the pictures and post them.  I'll be back to my regular schedule this week.  I promise.

Last week's craziness involved Stampin' Up! Convention.  For me that doesn't mean traveling, because I'm lucky enough that the convention center is just 17 miles from my house.  But it is one of my favorite weeks of the year because I get to spend it with my Stampin' Addict Sistahs and I get to meet so many of my "virtual" friends IRL.

I came away from convention with so many idea for my business.  That's one of the reasons I make time to go.  Some of the things I plan to do is offer more classes besides just buffets, more kits and more videos here on my blog.  So watch for more details in the coming weeks.  I'll also be sharing pictures from convention and tidbits of news in the coming week.

One of my favorite parts of convention is the swapping.  This year, I didn't join quite as many swaps as I have in the past, but I still have plenty to show you.  So today,  I'm showing you a card I did at my All-You-Can-Stamp buffet and used as a swap (see how I multipurpose like that):

Colors: Old Olive, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie.  Stamps: Worlds Greatest and Family Reunion. Big Shot: Labels Collection and Bitty Banners Framelit Collection. Accessories: Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper and Mini Brads.

I originally offered this as a Father's Day card, but my Dad's birthday is this Friday and it will be a great card to take to him from the boys. (Yep, you read that right, I'm taking it to him in California so another trip this week. I told you the summer crazies just keep going around here).  The "Worlds Greatest" is a new single image stamp.  I just love it with the Family Reunion Stamp set.

I also want to share some pictures from Convention. Today I'll share pictures from the Main Stage:

Shelli Gardner is the cofounder and CEO of Stampin' Up!  She is an amazing woman.  Here she is opening convention.  This year's theme was i am . . .

Jason Dorsey was the keynote speaker.  He taught us about connecting with Gen Y and he was so funny.  This Gen Xer learned a lot. Like maybe it's time for a smart phone. . . .

Isn't that bag adorable?  This is Shannon West and Brian Pilling.  Shannon is dressed like a witch and Brian is her assistant with the cat ears on.  Meow.

Here is Shelli and her daughter Sara talking to the great Richtar about where next year's Grand Vacation will be. Must insert more stamps.

Carry Cudney plays the bagpipes.  Who knew?

Watch for more pictures (including some fun projects) over the next couple of weeks.  And I hope it makes you want to join me next year for convention: July 18-20 right here in Salt Lake City!

Happy Fourth of July!

Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and stamping. What's more American than that?  Stamping is really a worldwide hobby, I know.  But I do plan to spend part of my holiday stamping this year. 

I promised on Monday to show you the stepped up version of this card.  Drum roll please:

Colors: Daffodil Delight, Basic Black and Whisper White.  Stamps: Reason to Smile and Itty Bitty Banners.  Big Shot: Bitty Banner Framelits, and Large Scallop Edgelit.  Punches: Oval.  Accessories: Daffodil Delight Seam Binding, Stampin' Pierce Pack.

I didn't make a lot of changes, but I wanted my club members to try out the new Large Scallop Edgelit, Stampin' Pierce Pack (I've already mentioned here a few times how much I love these things), and the Itty Bitty Banners and the matching Framelits. 

I hope you are all enjoying your Fourth of July holiday.  And I hope that where you are is safe from fires that are burning across the west.

Happy July!

Wasn't I just saying that I didn't know what happened to May?  And just like that it's July.  I guess 2012 is just going to just fly right on by.  But  new month means new promotions for Stampin' Up!  This month there is a customer and a hostess promotion for you to enjoy.

There are plenty of reasons to smile this month.  When you spend $50 or more, you can purchase the exclusive Reason to Smile stamp set for just $5.  This stamp set is only available during the month of July so don't miss out.  Click on the flyer below to get all the details

Last week, I hosted a new catalog swap and included a simple little bonus card front using this set:

Colors: Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Whisper White.  Stamps: Reason to Smile and Fabulous Phrases.  Punch: small oval.  Accessories: Daffodil Delight Seam Binding.

For my club members, I wanted to step this card up a bit and show off a few new products.  Come back on Wednesday to see that version of the card.

For hostesses, the We ♥ Hostess promotion continues through July.  When your workshop orders total over $450, you get an additional $50 in hostess dollars to spend on anything in the catalog.  It's a fabulous deal that I've already taken advantage of twice myself.  And since your customers get a reward for spending $50 or more, it will be easy to get to the $450 level.  So invite your friends over for a girls night out and let's have some creative fun!

Two By Two

It's late, but it's still Friday everywhere in the USA so this still counts for today's post.  We have company in town again so I didn't get to it first thing this morning and then I started puttering around my stamp room and just forgot.  But here is the card I promised to share.  This picture is not the best.  But I waited until too late to take it and there wasn't a lot of natural light left.

Colors: Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Sahara Sand, and Pretty in Pink.  Stamp: Two by Two.  Big Shot: 3-1/2" Circle, Apothecary Accent Framelit. Accessories: Many Marvelous Markers, Paper Piercing Pack, Brads.

Two by Two is a single stamp image that is new to the catalog this year.  I don't tend to buy a lot of the single sets because I love the idea of images that coordinate together. But I love this image.  It's just so sweet and perfect for a baby card.  And it makes me think of the Noah song we used to sing at Girls' Camp when I was younger.  Maybe you know it?  "It rained and rained for 40 daisies, daisies.  Rained and Rained for 40 daisies, daisies.  Drove those animals almost crazy, crazy. Children of the Lord."  I probably could have found a You Tube video of it so it could be stuck in your head too, but I decided to spare you just this once.

Monday, I'll be sharing a peak a new promotional stamp set that is only available during the month of July.  You won't want to miss out on this fun promotion!

Flowering Flourishes

There are so many fun, new sets in the 2012-2013 Catalog.  I tried to feature several of them at my last stampin' buffet.  This is one of them:

Colors: Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petal, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Flowering Flourishes, Perfectly Penned.  Punches: Itty Bitty Punch Pack and Boho Blossom.  Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Primrose Petal Stitched Satin Ribbon.

This set is called Flowering Flourishes.  I love flourishes of any kind.  They make great back ground images or focal point images.  Here I used the largest of the three flourishes that come in the set as the focal point.  To give it some dimension, I added punched and layered flowers to the spot on the stamp that already had flowers.

This card also features two new In Colors, Primrose Petal and Summer Starfruit, with Soft Suede. Remember back with Soft Suede was a new In Color and it was the most despised of the colors that year?  I just cannot get enough of it now.  And I love how it lends an vintage look with the new In Colors.

Come back on Friday for a look at another new stamp: Two by Two.

Teacher Gifts

I know, I know.  I'm a few weeks late posting these.  They are the gifts I made for my boys' teachers this year and they both feature products that recently retired.  I hope you will forgive me and just enjoy the project and the idea behind them.

Actually, I got the idea for them from the Family Frame insert that I made a couple of months ago.  A teacher friend of mine was at my house making one and we started talking about how I could turn it into a teacher's gift and well, this is what I came up with:

Colors: Lucky Limeade, Coral Calypso, Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Early Espresso.  Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, retired greeting.  Big Shot: Serif Essentials Alphabet(r), Timeless Type(r).  Punches: Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Heart Trio(r) Accessories: Berry Blossoms Designer Series Paper(r), Lucky Limeade and Coral Calypso Ruffled Ribbon, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels. Other: 8-1/2"x11" frame.

This is for the amazing first grade teacher my younger boy had this year.  The saying on it reads, "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill"  I've always thought this was a great saying for a teacher because who gives more than they do?  The stamp came from a hostess set from a few years back, but I won't give it up since I love this saying so much. And I really do love these alphabet dies and was so sad to see them retired.  But again, no way am I giving them up.  I love them.

Colors: Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, Naturals Ivory.  Stamps: Daring Adventure.  Big Shot: Serif Essentials Alphabet(r), Timeless Type(r). Accessories: Well Worn Designer Series Paper (r).  Other: 8-1/2"x11" frame.

My older son also had a fabulous teacher this past year. I chose the saying, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing - Helen Keller" for Mr. Hassett because he loves adventures and was so excited to talk about our National Park trip and other adventures he has been on. As you can see, I kept this one a little more simple (less embellishments) for a man.

The Family frame inserts were 10"x13".  But I also wanted to make these smaller so they could be displayed in the classroom, if the teachers choose.  So I shrank down the squares to make them fit in the frame.  (And of course, I didn't measure them before I gave them away so I couldn't tell you exactly what those measurements are.  Sorry).

This is the week I get serious about convention swaps so I should have lots of new projects to share with you over the coming weeks.  Everyone send mojo my way so I can get them done in the three weeks I have until convention starts.