A fun way to recycle

Who said the only way to recycle was through your recycling bin?  This is a super fun card made using my Big Shot, the new Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and an aluminum can!  That's right, the shiny silver textured piece of this card is a soda can!

One of the reasons I love my Big Shot is because of the variety of materials you can put through it.  I love the fun of using a soda can as part of a fun embellishment on a card.

To make your own soda can embellishment, use some tin snips or old scissors to cut your soda can apart and into the shape you want it (you could use a Big Shot die for this part!)  Put the soda can piece into an embossing folder and run it through as you would any piece of paper.  Voila!  You have a recycled embellishment!

**Tip: You'll probably want to use Sticky Strip to adhere your soda can embellishment to your card!

Did you hear I'm giving away a FREE Big Shot??  Check it out!

Isn't she beautiful??

This is my mom :-)  Yesterday was her birthday.  It was a bit of a milestone but I'll never tell which one!  We had a wonderful dinner with our family last night at her favorite restaurant.  Very nice, low key, family meal.  I absolutely loved it and so did she!

Her cake featured her favorite creatures...my kids and her dogs.  Yes, the boys are wearing Snuggies :)  It was hard to cut into the cake with such cute little faces.

Mom got a Big Shot for her birthday! I'm sure my dad was attaching the handle for her as soon as they walked into the house last night!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  I love you!!!

How do you know when you've had a successful stampin day?

When the room ends up looking like this...that's how :) We had a great day making our cards for Super Set Sunday yesterday.  The theme for our cards was "thank you".  I really don't think we send enough "thanks".  Sure, we get the obligitory thank you from a baby shower, a birthday, or a wedding.  When was the last time you sent a card to that soft shoulder who is always there to listen to your worries?  Have you thanked your child's teacher for going above and beyond?  Have you thanked Mr. Brown for getting your awesome Stampin' Up! boxes to your house safe and sound?  There are lots of people to thank so go make them cards!! :)

I need to send a special thank you to Sally!!  She brought us some yummy...and let me stress YUMMY...lemon cookies to munch on.  Actually, I didn't munch on them.  I devoured them!  The worst part was that she put them at the end of the table where I was sitting.  I'm such a sucker for sweets!  Tracy and Roxanne, you guys don't know what you missed.  I'd suggest coming back for another Super Set and hope Sally brings more goodies!!

When class was all over and there was nothing left but a couple crumbs in the cookie tin, we got a chance to sit and laugh and spend some time sharing stories about life.  That's one of the things I love the most about my stampin job.  I love to have an opportunity to know so many wonderful people and have them become part of my life.  Those are just the kinds of people I'm going to make a point of sending Thank You Notes to more often!

Technique Thursday - Brayer Basics

What do you do with your brayer? Have you seen some of these beautiful multi colored backgrounds and wished you knew how to create them yourself?


Brayer Basics is a special Technique Thursday class that will teach you the basics of how to use a brayer, created graded color backgrounds and make some cool techniques.

This class comes with a brand new brayer for you to use during class and take home when you’re done. Already have a brayer? You’ll find out during this highly anticipated class that having more than one is a very good thing!!

RSVP and payment for this class are due no later than May 4. You can register by sending me an email or by making your payment via Paypal below.

Technique Thursday – Thursday, May 13
Start time: 7:00pm
Class Cost: $20
RSVP: May 4

This class is now on wait list status.  If you are interested in attending this class, please email me and we will establish a second date for this class.

How many Buncos did you get??

This is Mari. Up until Sunday, Mari had never played bunco before (or so she says!)  Mari got 5 BUNCOS in 3 rounds of play...Mari won $50 in Stampin' Up! merchandise of her choice!!  I'm pretty sure it's beginner's luck.  Happens in our monthly bunco club all the time...the new kid always wins the big pot!

Bunco was an absolute blast!  We ended up with 16 players.  Unfortunately we had some no-shows but that's ok. They have no idea what they missed!!  There was a whole lot of excitement.  Two ladies rolled two buncos in a row!  I've never seen that one time, to have it happen twice is just crazy!  We made a super fun make-n-take when it was all over.  Lots of laughs, hootin and hollerin!

The next Bunco is scheduled for Sunday, July 11.  As with all of my large events, we will have a fun door prize drawing!  Get 1 entry for pre-paying and an additional 3 entries for bringing a new friend!

You can use the PayPal link below to register or send me an email if you would like to pay by cash or check.  With as much craziness as we had during this last Bunco, you won't want to miss the next one!!

Shhhh....it's a Sneak Peek!

Last night I had some of my bestest stampers over to say thanks for being hostesses during Sale-A-Bration.  We had a great time stamping and laughing.  Nothing formal.  Just a nice little get together and a great way to spend a Friday night!  These ladies never cease to amaze me, really.  They're so creative and fun.  I get inspired everytime we're together.

One great thing they had the benefit of seeing were my fun preorder products from the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog.  One of my favorite new sets is called Sweet Scoops.  It's just darling!  This is a really quick and easy card I whipped up for a swap I'm in as well as for the Stampin' Up! Milwaukee Regional seminar that I'm going to next weekend.  Super cute, right?  What girl doesn't love ice cream??  Last night Patty said, "You should make a banana split!"  I'm on it!!  Just give me a few days to figure out just the right banana!

Another one of my favorites in the mini is the Island Floral Bigz die for the Big Shot.  I think the flowers are super versatile. I'm definitely going to be attempting some fabric flowers with this die!  Another fun favorite are the Builder Wheels.  The little 3x3 note card and envelope were decorated using this new wheel concept.  You can get up to three wheels into one of our jumbo handles.  Very very cool, indeed!  We made this little note holder lickedy split...mmmm  banana split.  (One track mind. I need to go find some ice cream!)

I'm very excited to have a restful weekend to play with my new stash.  There's lots of creating to be done.  Tomorrow I'm going to take my new goodies over to my (new demonstrator!) mom and dad's house so we can do a little creating and sharing as we celebrate Easter together. 

Happy Stamping!

I'm giving away a Big Shot...or TWO!!!

You’ve seen the great things the Big Shot can do! It embosses, cuts, scores - makes boxes, bags, tag, flowers, and findings - cuts card stock, metal, wood and fabric. It’s an incredibly versatile tool that every paper crafter should have in their craft room!

I’m going to give at least one away!! Host a qualifying workshop in your home or mine in April or May and you’ll be entered to win a Big Shot of your own or $100 in Big Shot accessories of your choice.

Here are the details:
There must be a minimum of three qualifying workshops for this drawing to be held
One entry per qualifying workshop. Earn extra entries by:
   Holding your workshop in April (+1)
   Have 10 people at your workshop (+1)
   Get 3 bookings at your workshop with at least 1 held by the end of May (+2)
   Workshop total exceeds $400 (+2)
If the winner already owns a Big Shot, $100 in Big Shot accessories can be chosen!

If there are 4 workshops in April and 4 workshops in May, I will give away TWO BIG SHOTS! No strings attached, you could win a great prize!!

All hostesses will receive a certificate to attend a free Big Shot project class. Nobody loses as a Stampin’ Up! workshop hostess! The benefits are awesome. The free merchandise and stamp sets are incredible!

Book your workshop today! I promise you and your friends will have a great time!

A Year In A Day

I'm really on a scrapbook kick.  My little sister is expecting her first child in July and as the proud new Auntie, I want to be sure little mister has some great scrapbooks to commemorate his new life!

Scrapbooks can be scarry, though.  I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a pile of photos, a stack of paper and just went duhhh.  I've always been much more successful with my scrapbooking when I have already created the layouts and all I have to do is add  pictures. 

The Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack is a wonderful pack of paper to use in your scrapbooking.  The backgrounds and scene pages make for quick and easy pages.  Add a couple of photo mats and an embellishment or two and you're good to go.  Then when it's time to add photos, you can do a little journaling, add a title and Voila!  You've got a completed page, set or entire book in no time flat!

On the evening of April 30, I'm holding a class inspired by my coach, Ronda.  We're going to create an entire year's worth of scrapbook pages in one Friday evening!  Sound impossible?  It's not!  Using the Sweet Pea DSP, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Natural Brads, Old Olive Satin Ribbon and some coordinating card stock, we'll make 30 12x12 quick and easy pages that you can use to scrap a whole year of memories.  The page above reminds me of my older son's first Halloween.  We dressed him up as a little pumpkin.  Cute, cute, cute!!  I just hope I can find those photos :)

You can find other photos on my Facebook Fan Page.  Click the link on the right to become a fan and check out some of the other fun and easy pages.