Kelli Stamps 4 U...and U can 2!

This blog is moving......

2011-12-12T22:12:00.001-06:00

It's been a REALLY long time since I've updated this blog. All sorts of things have given me push to move on from this space to another that will suit "me" a little better.

I invite you to join me over at http://kellistamps.blogspot.com/ for the latest and greatest ramblings from Kelli. I'll keep this site active for the projects but will not be updating it any longer.

See you on the flip side!

I've been a bad blogger!!

2010-10-12T08:06:00.001-05:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I spent LOTS of time preparing for a craft show. I've been making LOTS of cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and thank you's. I've been working on some of my fabulous gift classes, coaster class, and extreme Christmas cards. Mix that with my regular daily life and you've got one tired stamper...and a very empty blog! Lucky for me, things slow down this week so I'll be able to share some fun stuff with you!

One of the cool projects I've been working on is a set of magnetic stones. These are the stones you get in the flower decorating section of the craft store. They're about 1-1/4" round with a flat back. To create this great gift, I pulled out my 1" circle punch and my Play Date Designer Series Paper and started punching. The numbers on the DSP are just the perfect size to create a set of 0-9 stones with two little flower add ons. Add a magnet button to the back of each one and you've got a super fun and easy set of magnets that you can give as a gift or keep for your own fridge! This project will be featured in an upcoming class. Which one?? Stay tuned!!

Korner Challenge - Polished Stone

2010-10-01T08:14:00.001-05:00

Inspiration comes from a variety of places. So often, my inspiration comes from YOU!! During a Hostess Club swap this past Wednesday, one of my incredibly talented downline created this gorgeous Halloween card using the Polished Stone Technique. Tell me that's not just killer?? Patty inspires me with so many different ideas with her swap cards and this one is no different. As soon as I saw it, I knew today's challenge was going to be Polished Stone!

Polished Stone is a technique created using glossy card stock, a cotton ball, rubbing alcohol and reinkers. The link above will take you to a wonderful tutorial in Split Coast Stampers if you're new to this particular technique. For my card, I'm still working on fall colors. the leaves in my yard are starting to turn and pretty soon, I'll have enough of them on the ground to fill a couple dozen lawn bags. While I'm not a big fan of raking, I love the blanket of color it gives.

Now it's your turn! Grab some glossy paper and your favorite reinkers and make try this fun technique. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Kelli's Card Recipe
Stamp Set - Upsy Daisy
Card Stock - More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Glossy White
Ink - Versamark Pad, Daffodil Delight Classic Reinker, More Mustard Classic Reinker, Cajun Craze Classic Reinker
Accessories - 5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Black Stampin Emboss Powder, Cotton Balls, Rubbing Alcohol, Heat Tool

Stone Coaster Gift Class

2010-09-29T08:24:00.000-05:00

Thursday, October 21
6:30pm - 10:00pm
Cost - $20

Nothing says you care more than a handmade gift! From October through December, Technique Thursday is now Gift Giving Thursday! Each class will give you easily duplicable gifts that you can give to the special people in your life during this upcoming holiday season...or for any reason!

In October, we will be making Stone Coasters. These coasters were a huge hit in Kelli’s Korner last year and they’re sure to be even better this year! You will have multiple designs to choose from including holiday and everyday. Use a full range of Stampin’ Up! colors to create two sets of 4 coasters that the recipients will love! You will make a gift box and matching gift tag for each set of coasters and use our 1-1/4” Striped Grosgrain Ribbon to tie a beautiful bow, making these coasters ready give!

For your class fee, you will receive all of the materials you’ll need to make two sets of 4 stone coasters, 5 yards of 1-1/4” Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, materials to make two gift boxes plus a template to recreate the boxes with full directions on how to make your own Stone Coasters at home. You can make an extra gift set of coasters for just $7.50 if you order in advance.

RSVP for this class no later than October 13. This is an open class start time. You may come anytime after 6:30pm to start your tiles. Please allow 20 minutes per set of 4 tiles as curing time. Weather permitting, I will spray the tile with a coat of sealant to give them more waterproof durability.

As a class special, all class participants can purchase any of the Stampin’ Up! Craft Ink Spots at 20% off the regular retail price! All orders must be placed and paid for the night of the class.

Prepayment is required for this class. Visit the Special Class Registration page on my blog or contact me via email to send a check

Korner Challenge - Emboss Resisting

2010-09-24T07:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!! Thank goodness, right? It's been a really busy week in Kelli's Korner. We're having a yard sale at our house on Saturday. I've dedicated my day and night today to getting ready for the sale. It's a lot of work but I'm really hoping it will be well worth it. I'm really looking forward to decluttering my life :)

Today's Korner Challenge is a technique called Emboss Resisting. I think Emboss Resist is cool because it gets out your Craft inks (or Versamark), lets you get your fingers inky, and makes a beautiful card! There is a great tutorial on Split Coast Stampers that you can visit for step by step instructions. The one thing I did differently from the tutorial is that I used More Mustard Craft ink instead of Versamark because I wanted more color in my design.

This card was another that we made for Korner Kards on Monday. Since summer is officially over, I was really feeling some fall inspiration. I love this color combination for fall. I can't wait until the leaves start to change and really show such these wonderful pictures in nature. So let's see what you can do with your Emboss Resisting. Grab some embossing powder and get creative! I can't wait to see what you create!

Card Recipe
Stamp Sets - Upsy Daisy
Card Stock - More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla
Ink - Bravo Burgundy Classic Ink, Cajun Craze Classic Ink, More Mustard Craft Ink
Accessories - Clear Stampin Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, SNAIL Adhesive

Fast & Fabulous

2010-09-22T07:56:00.000-05:00

Last week I was lucky enough to share some fabulous cards by some of my fabulous customers and downline members that they've made by following the Korner Challenge. Inspiration breeds inspiration!! One of my Kathy's made a card similar to this one. I took her card, changed around the colors, and presented this beauty as part of Monday night's Korner Kards class!

The background Designer Series Paper is from the Play Date package. The pattern is subtle but elegant and honestly, I wouldn't have thought to look in that bright and bold package for a softer background. So my tip for the day...don't forget to use the "back" of your Designer Series Papers!

Card Recipe
Stamps - Fast & Fabulous Hostess Level 2
Card Stock - So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper - Play Date
Stampin Up Classic Ink - So Saffron, Early Espresso
Accessories - Gold Brads, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin Dimensionals

Korner Challenge - Very Cherry Delight

2010-09-17T08:35:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the September 17 edition of Kelli's Korner Challenge! Last week, I had a lot of great participation in my first color challenge. A lot of you said you definitely prefer sketch challenges because a color challenge is just too hard. Well, I think that means you need some more practice playing with color!! May be four colors was a little much for your first color challenge. Sometimes I just get a little excited about these kinds of things :-) For this week, I'm hoping the color challenge will inspire you without making you crazy...tee hee hee!

Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight anf Very Vanilla is your challenge for today. I chose to steer away from a card today in preparation for some of my holiday gift classes. Everybody can use a little gift bag now and again. This bag, inspired by a project I made at a shoe box swap from my upline, is made with the Big Shot Box #2 die as the base then covered with Love Notes Designer Series Paper. The little pocket in front holds another little gift, a special book mark adorned with a paper flower.

Now go forth and conquer today's color challenge! I can't wait to see what you've made!!

Project Recipe
Stamp Set - Smarty Pants
Classic Ink - Cherry Cobbler
Card Stock - Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Designer Series Paper - Love Notes, Brights Patterns Designer Paper Stack
Accessories - Big Shot, Box #2 Bigz XL Die, Two Tags Bigz Die, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Corner Rounder, Regals Designer Buttons, SNAIL adhesive, Sticky Strip, Linen Thread, 3/8" Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Sharing Samples from my Friends!

2010-09-16T07:11:00.001-05:00

For some reason, it's been a really long week. I'm glad we're finally past the hump but there are still a couple long days to go! I haven't put a stamp to paper since Sunday :( I feel like I'm really missing out on some serious stress therapy. I'm definitely stamping tonight to get read for tomorrow's Korner Challenge. Maybe I'll have to find a few minutes to take a break in my day and stamp a special card for a coworker or something.

Since I've been such a slacker stamper, I'm happy to say that I do have wonderful projects to share with you from my wonderful downline! Kathy x2 have been playing along with the Korner Challenge and have been generally creative. I love that they're taking time to play with my little ideas and are turning them into great cards of their own! I love getting copies of cards that have been CASED or inspired by my work. It's really one of the best forms of compliment a girl can get!

Keep up the great work, ladies!! Keep the inspiration coming!

P.S. - To Kathy x2, you guys have a special gift coming from me! Thanks for letting me share your work on my blog!!!

Elements of Inspiration

2010-09-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

I get inspiration from all over. One of the things I really appreciate, however, are my swap cards. I thin it's one thing to see a photo on the internet but to see a card up close and personal really makes a big difference.

I received a swap card from Judy Carpenter of Decatur, IL while I was at the Stampin' Up! convention that I thought was absolutely beautiful. My share for you today is a remake of that card with some of my own touches. I think it's simply gorgeous. Wouldn't that look beautiful in fall colors? Hummm....I may just have to go back to my Korner.

Card Recipe
Stamps - Elements of Style
Ink - Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Certainly Celery Classic Stampin Pad, Versamark
Card Stock - Whisper White, Not Quite Navy
Accessories - Clear Embossing Powder, Stampin Sponge, Pearl Ahesive Accents, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Stampin Dimensionals

Korner Challenge - Color Fun

2010-09-10T07:35:00.000-05:00

Hello, Friday!! It's a wonderful day here in Downers Grove. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping (starting VERY early), and there is a crisp morning breeze. It's going to be a beautiful day!!

Start your Friday off right by joining me in the Korner Challenge!! Today we have a color adventure! Working with Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke, and River Rock, I challenge you to create a card, scrapbook page or fun 3-D item. If you play along, be sure to share a photo with me!

Today I made a new holiday card with this fun color combination. One of the things my customers have told me time and time again is that they want to see more samples of cards that use just one stamp set to make a background as well as the primary image. Fair enough! I love those kinds of cards, too! I think Snow Swirled is a great set to do just that. The card background was stamped with one of the three snowflakes included in this set. The sentiment is part of this great set as well. With the tree and a holiday verse, this stamp set will make a wonderful addition to your holiday collection!

I love to use ribbon on my cards. I think it goes a long way in adding a touch of class, elegance, or just a little bit of something extra to make your card go from ok to fabulous! I used three different layers of ribbon on this card today. The first layer is our Early Espresso Satin Ribbon. Next, is the 3/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon. Finally, the top layer is our beautiful Chantilly Crochet Trim It really draws out the accent colors in the card. As another fun accent, I added our adhesive pearls to the stars on the tree. These are such simple and pretty accents to any card.

I hope you'll play along with today's Korner Challenge. Have fun, be creative, and stamp the day away!!

Card Recipe
Card Stock - River Rock, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Classic Ink - River Rock, Early Espresso
Stampin Write Markers - Always Artichoke, Daffodil Delight
Accessories - 5/8" Early Espresso Satin Ribbon, 3/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, 1/2" Chantilly Crochet Trim, Adhesive Pearls, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin Dimensionals

Creepy Crawly Stampin' Up! Punch Fun

2010-09-08T07:13:00.002-05:00

Spiders are creepy...but not when they make googlie eyes at you! We're getting punchy today with a bunch of punch loving friends! You're sure to be treated to a whole cast of fun Halloween punch pals that will make you "ooh" and "aah" all the way to Trick-or-Treat!

This little spider isn't an original design. This little guy has been around as long as the photo corner punch has been in the catalog but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share him for this fun blog hop. I was inspired to make him primarily because of the so cool new new Spider Web Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for the Big Shot that you'll find in the current Holiday Mini Catalog. What goes better with a web than a smiling, googlie eyed spider??

All of the supplies used to create this card are from Stampin' Up! {Well, except the google eyes.} The spider was made with the Scallop Circle Punch (head), Photo Corner Punch (legs) and a little piece of the 1/2" Circle Punch (mouth). The spider web was embossed on a piece of Basic Gray card stock then I went over the embossed parts of the web with some Frost White Shimmer Paint for a beautifully webby shimmer. Basic Black Satin Ribbon, a Word Window/Modern Label sentiment with Basic Black brads finish off this cute little Halloween Treat.

Ready for some more punch inspiration? Check out my punch loving cohorts below!! If you're following along in order, you can go visit Jennifer's Northwest Stamper Blog here. Happy {{Punching}}!!

Paper Punch Addiction
Blinkin' Thinkin' & Inkin'
It’s A Stamp Thing
Kelli’s Korner {You are HERE!}
Northwest Stamper
Ink Paper Stamps
Gwen’s Paper Expressions
Stamping My Life Away
Gettin’ Crafty
Krafty Kate’s Kupboard
Brenda’s Stamping Corner
Beth-a-Palooza
Bonnie’s Creative Place
Craft Chaos
Stampin' With Heather

Feel Better Soon - Tea Bag Holder

2010-09-07T07:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! Oh wait, it's Tuesday, isn't it? Holiday weekends always get my week all goofed up. I'm sure it will all be back to normal by Friday!! The weekend was really very creatively productive. I got a lot of stamping and creating in as well as some unfun house "stuff". The weather was gorgeous. We got to have a fabulous barbeque at my parents house yesterday. I LOVE my dad's ribs. They're so tasty! All in all, it was a nice weekend all the way around!

My share for you this morning is this little tea bag holder, template courtesy of the Stampin Addicts 3-D Challenge. You can check out the challenge and project instructions here. I know when I'm not feeling well, a cup of hot tea is often just what the doctor ordered. I think this little card would make anyone smile, especially when they need a nice pick me up.

Now I'll be honest. The sick dog from Wellness Wishes has never been one of my favorite stamps. It's kinda creepy. This is the second project I've stamped with him in as many days, however. I might actually be falling for him! I guess if you think about it, when was the last time you looked like a supermodel when you weren't feeling well? This poor little guy is ill and looking pretty pathetic, just like I know I do when I'm feeling less than perfect. Ok, I know it's a stretch, but I'm going with it because it works great for this project!

That's all for today, folks. I'm off to make myself a nice cup of coffee and get going with my Tuesday that feels like Monday! Happy Stamping!!

Project Recipe
Stamps - Wellness Wishes, Word Play
Ink - Black Stazon, Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Sahara Sand
Card Stock - Sahara Sand, Pacific Point, Cajun Craze, Marina Mist, Naturals White
Accessories - Scalloped Lace Border Punch, Tag Corner Punch, Marina Mist 1/8" Ribbon, Cajun Craze Stampin Write Marker, Blender Pen, Big Shot, Texturez Plates, Sticky Strip, SNAIL Adhesive, Tea Bag

Super Set Sunday - All Occasions Gift Set

2010-09-05T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's time, once again, to plan for Super Set Sunday! Held on the last Sunday of each month, Super Set Sunday is a fun afternoon of stamping! On September 26 at Noon, I'm continuing on with the exploration of our color families, this time with the Regals collection.

This Super Set will get you ready for any card giving occasion. Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Get Well, Thank You and blank all occasion cards fill this really cool "buckle box". You will make 10 cards, two each of five different designs, all featuring the Regals colors. All participants will also receive written instructions for the buckle box so you can make them over and over. This set would also make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves to send handmade cards.

The cost for this class is $20 or with your merchandise order of $30, your class is FREE! Korner Klub members take $5 off of the class fee or order minimum. Make a full second set for just $12 or a $15 merchandise order.

Please RSVP for this class no later than September 19. Happy Stamping!!

Simply Lovely

2010-09-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

The weather is very fall like in these parts. Yesterday I was out with my older son all day and I had to wear a sweater to keep from shivering. Of course, once he got behind the wheel to get some driving practice in, I had to take my sweater off because I was sweating bullets! No worse for the wear am I but on our ride, I definitely saw signs of things to come. Leaves starting to change, a couple falling here and there. Summer is definitely over, folks. There are only 111 days left until Christmas!!

I have a special event coming up. I don't want to spoil any surprises so I won't tell you exactly which event but it's one I host every 3 months and sounds like "dingo". For my make-n-take, I wanted to showcase a fun project tha would make a lovely gift for a special neighbor, coworker or maybe a teacher. We made a card folder similar to this at the preconvention events that I attended this year. Really simple to make and, I think, a wonderful gift to receive.

I pulled out Lovely as a Tree. I haven't stamped with that set in a while. I honestly forgot how much I love it! It's been sitting quietly in a drawer while I've been playing with all of my new sets. I'm ever so glad I found it! I think this set makes wonderful chalked images, which is exactly what I've done to all of the tree images. Stamp in Versamark, daub with chalk. I love the way the colors of a stamped image blend so nicely together. For the card, I pulled out Define Your Life to show how wonderful "simple" cards can be. On the others I made, I stamped a variety of sentiments from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

For all of you who are coming to that special event that sounds like "dingo", you'll get full instructions on how to make this cool folder and will make your own to take home. Anyone who wants to come a little early to start their stamping is more than welcome to do so.

I'm off to create this month's Super Set Sunday class. I've got about 10 hours before my pulled pork is ready for dinner and I think stamping away my day is a perfect way to pass the time. Happy Stamping!

Korner Challenge - Fall Fun

2010-09-03T06:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, everybody! I have had a pretty long and often challenging week. I'm so glad I get to break away from my "real job" for three whole days and not worry about anything but family, fun, and stamping for the long weekend!!

I'm glad you've stopped by for my Friday Korner Challenge. Today, we have another sketch challenge. I certainly hope you'll play along, especially all of my Korner Krazy Stampers and Kelli's Korner Kustomers! Don't sit on all of those wonderful supplies! Use them!!

I issued a challenge to you in August to follow me with my sketches. So many of you participated. I was thrilled with the response to the fun sketch adventure! As promised, I've drawn one winner from everyone who participated. And the winner is...Kathy S.!! Congrats, Kathy! You can thank the youngest child of mine later. He pulled your number :) You've won a stash grab. Kathy participated in every sketch last month and got a total of 4 entries in the drawing. Way to go lady!!

My card today uses the new Paisley Prints stamp set and matching wheel from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Since we're looking a a high of 70 today, I was feeling a little fallish. I love the Regals color collection. It just screams Fall! I couldn't quite decide which buttons I wanted to use so I made two cards. One with the Garden Green buttons and one with the Cajun Craze buttons. Do you have a favorite? I can't decide which one I like best.

Go grab some supplies and start stamping! I'd love to see what you've made so feel free to email me your creations and I'll happily share them on my blog!! Happy Stamping!!

Card Recipe
Stamp Sets - Paisley Prints
Card Stock - Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Classic Ink - Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Always Artichoke
Accessories - Paisley Party Wheel, Regals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Stampin Dimensionals

Taking steps to Christmas

2010-09-02T06:46:00.003-05:00

As of today, September 2, there are only 114 days until Christmas!! It's hard to believe that Christmas will be here before I'm ready for it. Time really has been flying by too fast!

This morning I wanted to start working on my Extreme Christmas Cards class. I've been playing with the Side Stair Step card and thought a tree and matching ornaments would be a great way to showcase this extreme card.

The tree is from Snow Swirled, a favorite from the Idea Book & Catalog. The ornaments are from the new Holiday Mini set, Tags Til Christmas. I can't wait to "teach" this extreme card!!

Save the date!! Extreme Christmas Cards is coming to Kelli's Korner on Monday, November 1 at 7:00pm!!

Card Recipe
Card Stock - Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight
Stamp Sets - Snow Swirled, Tags Til Christmas, Many Merry Messages
Accessories - Adhesive Rhinestones, Ornament Punch

Korner Kards will be Wicked Cool!

2010-09-01T06:52:00.001-05:00

The third Monday of every month in Kelli's Korner is our awesome Korner Kards event! Make 5 great sample cards that you can create over and over again in your personal card making. This event is $8 or FREE with a purchase of $15. September's event will feature some fun Halloween cards! This one I'm showing you today is Wicked Cool, huh?

This card is an adaptation of a card shown at convention this year. It really serves multiple purposes. First and foremost, it's one of our Korner Kards! But next, it helps answer a question that was posed to me by one of my customers. How do you incorporate Designer Series Paper into your holiday cards without having to buy a pack of holiday DSP? My answer...Patterns Designer Series Paper! There is a stack for each color family. You get four 12x12 sheets of each color for just $19.95. It's a great deal and this paper is truly very versatile. You'll see on this card, I used a strip of Pumpkin Pie striped DSP on the belly band of the card to give a little extra flair to what would be a pretty simple card. Grab yourself a pack of Patterns DSP and add a little quick flair to your card...holiday or otherwise!

You'll see underneath the cute little belly band when you make this cute card during Korner Kards. I don't want to spoil all the surprises! Have yourself a Wicked Cool day!!

Card Recipe
Card Stock - Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Designer Paper - Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper
Classic Ink - Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant, Sahara Sand
Accessories - Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Stampin Dimensionals, Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Old Olive Stampin Write Marker, Pumpkin Pie Stampin Write Marker

When you have some extra roof flashing...

2010-08-31T22:24:00.000-05:00

Make tea light holders! I've been threatening to try this project ever since I saw a shoe box swap of this style at convention. I've seen tons of pictures of these cool tea light holders all over the internet so it's impossible for me to give credit to any one person for the inspiration. I'll just say to whoever thought this up first, YEAH YOU!! This was so much fun!

Ok, Kelli...what are you talking about? Flashing is a roofing material used to weatherproof your roof. You'll see it around chimneys or vent pipes. It's generally made of some kind of sheet metal. The stuff that's pretty easy to find your local home improvement store is made of aluminum. It comes in rolls with sizes from 6" wide to 14" wide and as long as 50 feet or more on a roll. Most of it is silver in color but I was able to find a coated flashing that was brown on one side and white on the other. (If you need to know more about flashing, check out this Wikipedia link.) For my particular project, I purchased a roll of flashing that is 14 inches wide (the same size as the Bigz XL dies) and 10 feet long.

To put this in the simplest of terms, I cut the flashing to 6" x 14" and put it through my handy dandy Big Shot using the Flower Folds die. I ran each piece back through the Big Shot using an embossing folder. I bent the small flower up and the large flower down, assembled them with some sticky strip and voila! We have a tea light holder :-) I know that sounds overly simplistic but I'm telling you, it was SO easy.

A couple words of caution. Flashing is SHARP! I cut myself and didn't even know I was bleeding. This is not a project for kids. Also, you will probably need a card stock shim when you cut the flowers out. Even through it's thick enough to go through with a cut, you do need a little extra push because the material is so thick.

Go try making yourself a great little tea light holder out of roof flashing! I bet your hubby will be pretty impressed you 1) know what flashing is ;) and 2) figured out a unique way to use some of those scraps. I really want to stamp on this stuff. I'll report back with the results!

When you need a quick and easy card...

2010-08-30T06:35:00.000-05:00

A piece of Designer Series Paper, a beautiful stamp and a ribbon can go a long way! I needed a whole bunch of cards this weekend and this design was the winner. Simple but pretty, I hope these cards get plenty of oohs and aahs.

Another plug for the new Color Coach. If it wasn't for my Coach, I probably wouldn't have put Pear Pizzazz and Rich Razzelberry together. The other color in that combination was Tempting Turquoise which, for the record, looks great! (I made some of these cards in Pear Pizzazz and Tempting Turquoise...yummy!)

Card Recipe
Card Stock - Rich Razzelberry, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper - Greenhouse Gala
Classic Ink - Rich Razzelberry, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories - Rich Razzelberry 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, SNAIL Adhesive

Why I LOVE to Share What I Love

2010-08-28T05:17:00.005-05:00

Anyone who knows anything about me at all knows how crazy in love I am with my new nephew. He's a dream! It's still hard for me to fathom the fact that I can love a child who isn't "mine" as much as I love this little man. He came to visit me on Thursday so my sister could finish off her birth announcements. It was so wonderful to just hold him and love him, and I even got him to crack a little smile. I've always been astounded by how much little babies grow and change in such a short period of time. It feels like only yesterday that my babies were this size and now, I have one driving. UGH! Time flies by way too fast!

When I first joined Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator, my little sister wanted nothing to do with my "hobby". She's not crafty and has no time to be...so she said. She's not getting involved with anything I'm selling and especially not stamps. That's just "weird" and she's not interested! It just so happened that she had some plans fall through on a Friday night and I had a last minute cancellation for a class. "Come on over, sis! I won't even charge you for the class." (The things you do for family!) It was a great class for her to get her feet wet. We made 60 cards out of a Simply Scrappin' kit. Not a whole lot of stamping, just quick and easy card making. Would you know, she had fun! She had a whole slew of cards that she could now just pull out when she needed a birthday or get well card. Amazing, isn't it? She was just pleased as punch with herself. She was sending them for everything under the sun. Then I received one of those cards last October. The inside read, "You're going to be an aunt!"

Today, my not crafty, not coming, not playing, NO WAY little sister is a member of one of my Korner Klubs, attends regular classes, and is the very proud creator of ALL of her birth announcements. I'm so proud to see the beautiful announcements she was able to make all by herself! **Note here...my watermark says "Created by Kelli Waters". It should say "Created by Kelli Waters' Talented Little Sister"** It's quite a big undertaking with all the cutting of the layers, sizing of the photos, and the stamping. I love the way they turned out. I really think she did a great job and the cards are phenominal! No preprinted designs from a print house for my nephew...now way! Her little guy's announcements are hand made with love!

Share what you love! That's what it's all about. Afterall, you never know when sharing what you love with someone else may just turn into that same someone sharing what they love with you.

Korner Challenge - Bee Happy

2010-08-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

As I sit here ready to create this post, I'm a little sad. My youngest son started middle school this week and all of a sudden...I'm not needed for the "bedtime ritual". Yes, I know he's getting older but there's something about being able to tuck him in that always made ME feel a little better. It's hard to let them grow up when you still want to do the Mom things. I might just have to sneak in after he's gone to sleep and make sure he's all comfy cozy anyway. I am the mom and it will make me sleep a whole lot better! But don't tell him that...please!

Up until this week, I've been participating in a sketch group. I've been so pleased with the praticipation I've had from so many of my wonderful customers and downline!! You guys have really been making some awesome cards. I love getting the emails and seeing the live samples of your creations. It's been so inspiring that I've decided to bring you my very own Korner Challenge! It might be a sketch, it might be a color combination, heck, it might even be a fun 3-D project. Rest assured, it will be a fun way for you to challenge yourself to use all of the wonderful Stampin' Up! products that we've come to love! I plan to have them posted for Fridays but if you don't see it til Friday afternoon, don't shoot me! I'm only human, afterall :-) Email me a photo or keep bringing your creations to your classes and workshops. Oh, and don't forget about the August challenge special!!

Given the developments of tonight, this card seems to be very appropriate. I just need to Bee Happy!! Daffodil Delight is definitely a happy color and the stamps in Every Little Bit are just too cute! Where did "happy" come from? Another new stamp set in the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog, Fabulous Phrases. This great stamp set contains 30 individual words that you can put together to make, well, fabulous phrase! What I really loved about playing with this card design was that I was able to use my awesome clear mount stamps to line up the bee and "happy" on the same block. It made stamping ten of these little guys so easy. It's just one more reason for me to LOVE the new clear mount option in our stamps!

So go forth and conquer this simple sketch. Design your own background, add a little bit of what makes you happy, and make someone's day with a piece hand-made love!

A thank you treat

2010-08-25T04:28:00.004-05:00

Coming soon to a Holiday Mini Catalog near you is the new Candy Wrapper Large Die for the Big Shot! I am totally in love with this little treat! I whipped up this little thank you gift in a matter of minutes using this great new die! Filled with some tasty sweets, this little treat would make a great thank you gift at a shower, wedding or birthday party! The color combination for this little treat came right out of our fabulous Color Coach! It's Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, and Marina Mist.

Project Recipe
Card Stock - Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Cajun Craze
Stamp Set - Perfect Punches
Accessories - Big Shot, Candy Wrapper Large Die, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Silver Brads, Adhesive Rhinestones, Scalloped Oval Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots

A gift in a greeting

2010-08-24T06:06:00.002-05:00

I love to send cards that give a little more than just a greeting. I love including a bookmark with my cards. This latest creation incorporates the bookmark right into the design of the front of the card. I got this idea while I was attending convention this year. I got a cool card from Bev Laechelt as a swap. She had used a cool little rooster on the tag and a textured foreground on the card. I thought the idea was so cool that I started designing one of my own.

The card uses the Word Window punch as a little insert for a great bookmark made from the Two Tags Big Shot Die. How excited would you be to not only get a wonderful little greeting from a friend, but also a bookmark to pop inside of your Stampin' Up! catalog to mark your favorite stamp set!! If you want to see a close up of either photo, you can click to get a larger image.

Card Recipe
Card Stock - Night of Navy, River Rock, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Night of Navy, River Rock
Accessories - Big Shot, Two Tags Bigz Die, Word Window Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Night of Navy 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones
Stamp Set - Just Believe

Sketch Challenge - August 20

2010-08-20T00:54:00.003-05:00

This is my last post as a member of the Sketch Frenzy Friday group. Today's sketch is brought to us by one of our stampin Friends from the other side of the globe, Roz Davidson! This is a great, simple sketch that anyone can participate with.

Card Recipe
Card Stock - Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, So Saffron, Marina Mist

I pulled out one of my favorite past classes for this sketch. This card was made using a One Sheet Wonder and made my own designer paper out of the Circle Circus stamp set. So easy and fun!!

The next stamper in this group is Kim. Go to Kim's blog by clicking here.

Simple and Bright

2010-08-18T07:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I like a simple, basic card. I think this Awash With Flowers card totally fits the bill. It's simple, it's bright, and gets the point across quite well without any ribbon, buttons or brads -- making it 44¢ to mail! This was another card we made during the last Korner Kards class. It was a big hit! There's a little bling on this card coming from the new Smooch Illuminate Top Coat. There's just a bit on each flower but it really gives a nice, unexpected pop on this otherwise unassuming card.

Card Recipe

Card Stock - Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White

Classic Ink - Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo

Accessories - Smooch Illuminate Top Coat, Snail Adhesive

Stamp Sets - Awash With Flowers, Fabulous Phrases

Korner Kard Fun!

2010-08-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

We had a great time during Korner Kards last night! We made 5 quick and simple cards and even introduced a new stamper to the fun we have in Kelli's Korner!

One of my favorite cards from last night was this fun little ice cream cone using stamps from Sweet Treats, a cute little set from the Summer Mini Catalog. Who doesn't love ice cream? This will be a great card for any kid or kid at heart!

The next Korner Kards night will be on Monday, September 20. The cost to attend is $8 or you can place a $15 merchandise order and make the cards for free!

Have A Sweet Celebration Card Recipe
Card Stock - Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake
Accessories - 2-1/2" Scallop Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Paper Snips, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, White Gel Pen, 2-Way Glue Pen, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals.

Sketch Frenzy Friday - August 13

2010-08-13T05:55:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another Sketch Frenzy Friday! The day of the week I can guarantee myself that I'm stamping :) Today's sketch is brought to you by Pam Browne. Pam's not part of our "official" group anymore and we definitely miss her! Thanks for the great sketch, Pam!! It was a lot of fun to play with!

For today's card, I was focused on playing with color! With Stampin' Up!'s recent Color Renovation, we have a whole host of new colors to play with. Many of you may know that we're playing with "Bright Inspiration" at the end of this month during Super Set Sunday. What a great color family for this card! , I went right to my new Color Coach to find a great, new and kind of different combination to play with. The creative combination of Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzelberry was the winner!

With a special someone in mind who is going through some rough times, I think this bright card will certainly spark up her day! The little medallion stamp is from Artistic Etchings (quickly becoming another of my favorite sets) and the sentiment is from Word Play (another becoming one of my favorites...are they all favorites??) The Designer Series Paper comes from the Brights Designer Patters Stack. The center of each medallion is adorned with one of the teeny tiny pearls. Don't believe me? Click on the photo for a bigger look. They're in there and add just the right level of adornment! Thank you, Stampin' Up! for giving us adhesive pearls and rhinestones!! I, for one, LOVE THEM!!

It's time to travel to the next blog on our Sketch Frenzy Friday hop! Kim is always sure to impress. Check out her blog by clicking here. To see the full list of Sketch Frenzy Friday bloggers, click here!

Happy Stamping!

Life is a matter of butterflies

2010-08-10T06:43:00.000-05:00

I love the Beautiful Butterflies Big Shot die. Of course, I generally love all things butterfly! I decided to make a new card design for the cards that I pass out to new stamping friends when we meet in different places. Inspired partly by one of the projects I worked on in Salt Lake City, I grabbed the Elements of Style stamp set and the Very Vintage wheel and got busy.

This card is based with Pretty In Pink and wheeled with matching ink. The butterfly is stamped with the large flower from Elements of Style in Chocolate Chip ink. The edges were sponged with Chocolate Chip and the centers of the flowers were lightly colored with Pretty In Pink and a sponge dauber. Gold Smooch spritz finished off the inking for the butterfly. Don't those flowers just go perfectly on the wings? I LOVE this concept and have a sneaking suspision that this won't be the last set of cards I make with that butterfly :)

The satin ribbon is kind of a given for me. It is absolutely my FAVORITE ribbon we carry. This card uses Chocolate Chip ribbon, available to purchase only through the end of the Summer Mini Catalog. Chocolate Chip ribbon didn't make it into the new catalog so be sure to get yours while you can! The new adhesive pearls are definitely on the top of my list as favorite accessories! I think these four pearls make a beautiful center for our fluttering friend. On some of the other cards I made, I use the rhinestones. Also stunning but this is definitely my favorite.

This will be one of the cards featured in this month's Korner Kards Klass!! This is a fun class that you won't want to miss! Be sure to check out my class listings for more details!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - August 6

2010-08-05T23:53:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another Sketch Frenzy Friday! This fun sketch was designed by Pam Browne. You can get to Pam's blog by clicking here.

I really had a lot of fun with this sketch because I went a little outside the box this week. I'm bringing you a "project" instead of just a card! Sketch challenges can be so much more than just cards. They are great for layout inspiration for scrapbook pages, photo frames, home decor projects, and so much more!

Today, my project was a Star Book. I made one of these fun books while I was in Salt Lake City at the Stampin' Up! convention. Somehow, I had missed this little gem of a project in all of my paper crafting endeavors! What rock have I been living under?? These have been so much fun to make! A star book would make a fabulous brag book or even a really involved "card" to say you care A LOT. So if any of you are at all like me, a Star Book is a set of pages put together in such a way that when it's open, it forms a star shape. I really wanted to make a special project for my sister so she can show off photos of some of her travels around the world. Artistic Etchings is a perfect stamp set to do just that!

I created this book using Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock. This is swiftly becoming one of my go to color combinations. Cherry Cobbler is totally my favorite new color!

This Star Book has six inside sections, each stamped with a simple design from Artistic Etchings. It has plenty of room to add photos, sentiments, and memories! I come from the school of thought that says you don't have to add loads of stamps and images to create a beautiful piece of art!

The cover of the book was designed with with Love Letters Designer Series Paper, some Vanilla Satin Ribbon and accented with the new adhesive pearls. Just simple but still very elegant, I think!

When I did my blog scavenger hunt, I heard from several of the participants that they really enjoyed the challenge of playing along with some of the sketches. My August challenge to all of my fabulous customers and Korner Krazy Stampers...play with sketches! All of you who participate in at least one Sketch Frenzy Friday sketch challenge will be entered into a drawing to win FREE STAMPS!! I've got a wonderful stamp basket that has a stamp set with somebody's name on it. It could be yours! Just email me a picture of your card or bring it with you to a club, class or special stamp event to be entered into the drawing! You'll get one entry for every sketch you participate in this month!

Ok, so it's time for you to see all of the wonderful creations by the Sketch Frenzy Friday bloggers. Kim is the next stop on the hop. Go to her blog by clicking here.

August Super Set Sunday - Bright Inspiration

2010-08-01T14:28:00.001-05:00

It's time to visit our new color families during Super Set Sunday! August's offering is the Brights family. Who is part of that family, you ask?

Daffodil Delight
Pumpkin Pie
Tangerine Tango
Regal Rose
Melon Mambo
Real Red
Rich Razzleberry
Pacific Point
Tempting Turquoise
Old Olive

We will make a set of 10 cards that fit perfectly into Stampin' Up!'s Small Open-End Envelopes. Each card will be made from a different color of the Brights family so you'll have a sample of each of these beautiful colors! We will create a special box that will fit the cards and envelopes perfectly making this a great set to give as a gift as well!

With your class fee, you will receive materials to make all 10 cards, a package of Brights Designer Buttons ($8.95 value), and 1/2 a pack of Small Open-End Envelopes. I will also provide you with a template for this great box so you can recreate this wonderful gift over and over!

Add materials to make a second set of cards, envelopes and storage box for just $10. Don't want the envelopes? A second set is just $5 more! Bring a friend who has never been to a Kelli's Korner Klass before and you'll get a second set (without envelopes) for FREE!

RSVP and payment must be received by Saturday, August 20 to ensure timely delivery of class supplies. You can pay via the Paypal link on my Special Class Registration page or you can email me for an address to send a personal check.

Happy Stamping!!

With 67 points the winner is...

2010-08-01T07:48:00.001-05:00

Kathy S!! Kathy is the only entry who answered all of the scavenger hunt questions correctly. She also made some wonderful Conversation Heart candies in a cute little Valentines Day candy box (that I may have seen somewhere before :) Kathy not only made a rose, she made it using the wax paper resist technique. So beautiful.

Thanks to everyone who played along!! We had way more entries than I had ever dreamed we'd have! Because the response was so great , we'll be having regular contests! Check back on Friday for details on the next fun blog contest :)

So you wanna know who the runners up are? If you entered the Scavenger Hunt and particiapted in ANY of the extra credit questions, you'll be getting a fun goodie from me :)

Happy Stamping!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - July 30

2010-07-29T23:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Sketch Frenzy Friday! Today's sketch is brought to us by Tess Davis. I really liked making this card today. You'll notice, I actually followed this sketch. It doesn't happen often, does it? :-)

This card is all Rich Razzelberry, one of my favorite colors in the Brights family. The card base is 3" x 6", a size that I don't play with as often as I should. Did you know we even carry envelopes for cards this size? I have a couple packs that I had tucked away but they're giong to be getting lots of use pretty soon! This card size would be great if you're giving a cash gift! It's just perfect.

I created the button using a Big Shot die. The button was just the right size for this card. I layered three card stock buttons together using Tombo adhesive and tied the center up with some Linen Thread. To add some fun accents, I pulled out my new Illuminate Top Coat and covered my new button and accented the stamped berries. This new product is a lot cooler than I thought it would be. It's made its way to my accessory bag so I have a feeling you'll be seeing lots more of it in my upcoming creations.

Card Recipe
Stamps - Just Believe
Ink - Rich Razzelberry
Paper - Rich Razzelberry Card Stock, Whisper White, Card Stock, Brights Designer Series Paper Stack
Accessories - Scallop Square Punch, Scallop Rectangle Clearlit, Buttons #5 Sizzlit, Big Shot, SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals, Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink Illuminate Top Coat, Linen Thread, Stampin Sponge

Be sure to continue to follow along with the rest of the Sketch Frenzy Friday bloggers! Kim's blog is next on the list.

Simply Square

2010-07-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

Square is the place to be :) I love this note card set. It's totally simple, quick and easy! The new Newsprint Designer Series paper makes for a great, old time look to the cards. Of course, they're mounted on my new favorite color, Cherry Cobbler!! The box is my own design. It holds all six of these cards with envelopes or will hold 10 cards nicely without the knot. Enjoy the box design. The starting page size is 8-1/4" x 11". I'd love to see how you're able to make it work into your own card set designs!!

Card Box

Convention 2010 Blog Scavenger Hunt - WIN PRIZES!!

2010-07-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

My adventure in Salt Lake City is finally over. I don’t say finally in a bad way, it just feels like I was gone from home for a month instead of a week  I had an incredible trip. I met so many people and saw hundreds, possibly thousands of new ideas and projects from demonstrators from across the continent. I leave the 2010 Stampin’ Up! Convention excited, rejuvenated, and full of ideas that I’m thrilled to share with all of you!!

So, I promised some goodies, didn’t I? Well, I’m living up to that promise but all good things come to those who work for it!! Are you ready for a blog scavenger hunt? If you’ve been a loyal blog reader while I’ve been away on my trip, this should be a piece of cake! If not, you may have to make some guesses because I’ve done a sneaky thing…I’ve blocked off some of the information on my blog!! If you’re a Feedburner subscriber, you should have all of my blog posts in your email. If you’re not a subscriber, you may want to go to the right sidebar on my blog and sign up. It’s free and easy! You’ll get notified by email every time I post a new message on my blog. You’ll never miss a special blog scavenger hunt question again!

Here’s how it’s going to work. Answer ALL of the questions in the scavenger hunt. If you don’t know the answer, guess! What’s the worst thing that can happen? There are bonus activities, too! You can get extra credit points by participating in the challenges and activities. Entries need to be in my email box by Saturday, July 31 at Noon. The person with the most points will win this fun Stampin’ Up! gift PLUS $25 in merchandise from the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog that launches on September 1!! How fun is that? In the event of a tie, a winner will be selected using a random number generator. Demonstrators outside of the Korner Krazy Stamper group are not eligible to enter. I encourage all customers to play along!! I will also draw a second place winner from all entries for a special “consolation prize”!!

Are you ready to scavenge my blog? On your mark…Get set…GO!!! Convention 2010 Blog Scavenger Hunt

Prize Pack – SU! expandable trash basket, SU! Ruler, SU! Key Chain, Level One Hostess Set from the Summer Mini, $25 Merchandise Certificate for the Holiday Mini

This is a picture of...

2010-07-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

my hotel from the front of the convention center. It was an absolutely wonderful location. It's a little old but you can't beat the walk on a 100 degree day! You know the only problem with this photo? I took it right about the time my flight should have been taking off from Salt Lake City. Thanks to weather in Birmingham, AL, (huh?) the plane that was supposed to leave Salt Lake City at 6:50pm was running late and wouldn't get me to Denver before my connecting flight left. Southwest gave me the option of flying out at 3:45, leaving convention over 2 hours early or rebook for tomorrow. So guess where I am? You guessed it! I'm in Salt Lake City until tomorrow morning. Oh well. I got to spend another evening with Linda and some new and old stampin' friends alike. I'll be honest, girls, I'm ready to lay my head on my own pillow, curl up in my own bed, hug my children and pet my dogs. This has been an incredible experience. I'm so glad I've been able to experience so many new and wonderful things. I'm done now :-)

My plan for tonight's post was going to be details on how to play along with Kelli's convention experience blog scavenger hunt. But, since I had no airplane ride to write it, I can't post it! That will be tomorrow's post instead. I'll bring out all of my wonderful goodies and post info on how my downline and my customers can win some cute prizes!!

Off to bed. I'll be dreaming of stamping IN MY OWN STAMP ROOM :-)

Sweet sweet paper

2010-07-24T00:11:00.001-05:00

Another day down in fabulous Salt Lake City. I can hardly believe I've been here nearly a week! Time has flown by so quickly. I just finished packing my bags...and gosh am I glad I brought an empty suitcase because it is officially FULL!! Tomorrow morning I'll be checking out of my hotel, spending my last day at my very first Stampin' Up! Convention and heading home to see my kids...who I miss dearly!! This has truly been a wonderful experience, one I will not soon forget. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! I'm sure it will be more wonderful, amazing things!

Today was packed full of learning. (Read - not a heavy picture day for the events but I've got other good stuff to share!) My day started out with breakfast for the Recruit Crew. Supervisors and Senior Supervisors were invited to join a program focused on helping us grow and build our businesses. Because we met certain milestones (growing our teams), we were invited to have breakfast with the SU! corporate team. Shelli was there as were Dale Fillmore, Jill Kocherhans, Mark Jessen, Carrie Cudney and a host of other members of the SU! team. It was nice to hear the experiences of other demonstrators with the Recruit Crew and share successes and learnings. I finally met another demonstrator from the Chicago area during breakfast! I was kind of starting to think we were the only ones here!

The morning general session was really very cool. Brent Steele, the Creative Services "guy", came out strumming a banjo, ready to show us some amazing projects. He focused on Halloween projects from the new Holiday Mini Catalog. Seriously, people, this is some cool stuff!! There are amazing products launching on September 1. I'm generally not a big Halloween decorator but these projects really made me start to rethink my "only decorate for Christmas" philosophy! Brent made a cool skeleton garland and some super cute luminaries. There were pumpkins and trees and favors, oh my!

Pam Morgan shared some really great workshop projects with us next. I can't wait to be able to implement some of these great projects in some upcoming workshops (remember the extra $25 you get in August?) I really love the Christmas gift tags she showed as a fabulous workshop make-n-take. Again, more items from the upcoming Holiday Mini catalog were showcased and wouldn't you know...I fell in love with ALL OF THEM! I'm pretty sure you're all going to love this mini. It's one of the best yet, full of brillian new designs and tons of new product! Demonstrators, you can preorder all of these awesome new products on August 1. Everybody else, you've got to wait until September 1...sorry!

After lunch, we learned lots of great tricks and tips for using some of our wonderful colors and products. One of my favorite presentations was by Kristin Kortonick, a demonstrator from New Jersey. She had some awesome projects made exclusively from the new starter kit. Stampin' Up! has really done a great job bundling up some great products to give a new stamper or aspiring demonstrator a wonderful array of supplies to make lots and lots of beautiful cards. Simple and elegant was the name of the game. Anybody could make these cards and I think that's what appealed to me so much. I really wish I was in my stamp room right now because I'd be whipping up these exact samples right now!!

So, who is that playing kissy face on the sample board? It's none other than our very own Linda and husband David on their 10 year anniversary! During all of SU!'s events, they put up wonderful inspiration boards featuring displays of cards, scrapbook pages, and all sorts of 3-D items. People from all around the country send in samples and SU! takes the best of the lot and puts them up for everyone to see. And as you can see, my very favorite upline is featured on the sample board :)

One of the awesome displays at this year's convention is the Color Confections product showcase. This amazing display is full of yummy, tempting treats...all made from paper!! These cupcakes are my favorite, I think. Seriously, how cool is this? I can absolutely envision turning thse beautiful and elegant pearl adorned cupcakes into fun bold and bright party favors. The very first photo in this post is a set of candies made from cute little boxes, ribbons, and our Simply Adorned charms. These are also on my list of things to make as soon as I get home. It's really too bad I'll have house chores and things to take care of. My to do list from convention is getting pretty long! All of the creative inspiration that's been overflowing my brain this week will keep me busy for months!! It's a good thing I took lots of pictures so I can remember some of this inspiration!

Tomorrow is another early morning. We have really grown fond of our seating arrangements for General Session. If we're not there waiting when the doors open, we may actually have to sit somewhere else! So, it's a muffin, yogurt and coffee to go. I am really excited to find out what the last day of convention will bring for us. I hope it's filled with wonderful surprises...and free stamps :-)

Nightie night all! Happy Stamping!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - July 23

2010-07-23T04:25:00.002-05:00

It's Sketch Frenzy Friday once again. Today, I'm sketching from Salt Lake City, Utah at the annual Stampin' Up! Convention!!

Today's sketch was provided to us by Kim Innis. If' you'd like to move forward to Kim's blog, go ahead and click here.

I've pulled an old favorite out for this week's sketch. This Vintage Vogue card is a regular go to for me. I made this card as one of my swaps at Leadership back in January. It's become a regular go to design for me. I've always loved the Versamark Resist technique and I think this card really shows off the technique well. If you missed the tutorial, click here to see exactly how I made the background for this card and give it a try yourself!!

Share What You Love

2010-07-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

...is the theme of this year's convention. It's been all about sharing, caring, learning and having a wonderful time swith friends new and old. Today was the first day of classes and the general convention session. Linda and I got the nose shot to commemorate the start of a grand day! The day was packed full of learning so it's not been a heavy picture day. I did get to go back to Momento Mall and grab some goodies for my customers, my downline, and some special treats for some special people!

Just announced today by Shelli, an amazing Hostess Special for the month of August. When you host a $350 workshop, anytime between July 27 and August 31, you will receive an additional $25 in FREE hostess credit! That means you'll get a MINIMUM of $65 in FREE hostess merchandise, a Level 1 or Level 2 Hostess Set of your choice, and all of the fun that comes with spending an evening with your friends and family. I booked two workshops this afternoon while I was here at Convention. August is going to be a busy month!!

Sadly, it's going to be a really short post tonight. I'm beat. I'm off to bed very early tonight. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow that again starts before the crack of dawn. (Have I mentioned I'm really not a morning person?) I won't head to bed without leaving you a little inspiration. Check out these cupcakes made entirely out of paper! How stinking cute are they? I can't wait to get home so I can grab my punches, my paper and my glitter and start creating some of the yummy things I've seen.

I'm having breakfast with the Recruit Crew first thing tomorrow morning. I need to be bright eyed for that adventure! So, until tomorrow night...Happy Stamping!!

And it begins...

2010-07-22T00:23:00.002-05:00

What a crazy, crazy day it has been! Today is the official start of Convention 2010 and right now, I'm totally exhausted...but in a GREAT way!!

We started our morning bright and early with a nice hot breakfast at the hotel and a quick jaunt over to the convention center to get in line for Momento Mall! The official opening of the mall was 9:00am. I was fortunate to earn an incentive to get in at 8:00am. But, we got over and in line before 7:00am. Man or man, was that ever a good idea! The lines got nuts but it was well worth the wait. The fun toys and great new product were just incredible. I was so excited to be able to get in, grab my goodies and get out before anyone in the general admittance was allowed in. I got LOTS of great goods but I don't want to spoil any surprises so I'll keep a little to myself for a while. Just know I had a lot of fun shopping!!

One of the awesome benefits we get at convention is a cool, special, only available to convention attendees bag! This year's bag is a vinyl messenger bag. It's bright orange and pink. There are lots of great pockets and crevaces to carry around the essentials. I'm totally in love with this bag (and NO Mickey, you can't have it!!) The bag comes packed with materials, pins, pens, and FREE STAMPS! One of the free stamp sets this year is Just Believe, possibly my favorite new stamp set out of the new catalog. I can't wait to see what kinds of make-n-takes we'll be doing with this set that I'll be able to bring home and share with you!

Today I swapped, met lots more new stampin friends, and also had an opportunity to visit the Stampin' Up! home office in Riverton, UT. Tell me with this view out your office window you'd be able to get any work done? Another simply breathtaking background, I'd say. The tour was so wonderful. I'll definitely blog about it in more detail at a later date. We saw our Demonstrator Support center, the place where the incredible ideas happen, and got a full rundown of the distribution center operations from the Warehouse Operations Manager himself! It was such an amazing experience to hear all about how it your orders go from my computer, through the pick lines, and off to UPS with incredible ease and precision. Cool, cool stuff!! I'm so glad I had the chance to experience it.

Tonight was "Flower Power" a full blown 60's themed party. That was a real hoot. Great music. Lots of energy. I tried my hand/foot at Twister (and failed miserably), danced to amazing classics, and had an all around great time. When Stampin' Up! throws a party, they really throw a party! Games, face painting, prizes...Linda won a wonderful stamp set from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog! Nothing for me but I'm sure my time is coming! Oh, there were also a TON of great samples and incredible projects on display. I have over 150 photos that I need to weed through before I share them. I promise I'll post some of those goodies tomorrow!

I'm totally off to bed. Tomorrow is the first day of our general sessions and great classes. But before I go, I will say that if you're ever in Salt Lake City and have an opportunity to go see the Stampin' Up! campus, do it, but also stop at the Sno Shack. We got the best snow cones this side of the Mississippi! Thanks, Susan!!

Until tomorrow, Happy Stamping!

A stampin kind of day

2010-07-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

Stampers are crazy. It's you can totally tell who they are, too! You walk down the street and you can just telll from the sparkle in their eye and their sheepish grin that they're just like you :)

We met some new friends at breakfast this morning. The hotel restaruant was just full of people like us. Everyone is so gracious and welcoming, you just sit down and enjoy a meal with new friends. Our new friend Dottie had on the coolest pair of earings and from one stamper to another...you can tell an awesome project from a mile away. Dottie's earings totally qualified as "awesome project"! She made these earrings from chip board. Aren't they awesome? I just loved these. They're so creative and so colorful. With all of our great colors, I'm thinking I could make myself a pair to match every outfit!

Our afternoon was spent "shoe box swapping". My shoe box project was a tutorial using the new magnetic sheets, the Top Note die, and an awesome rose made from the Ornament punch. I think all of my swap mates enjoyed the project so I wanted to share it with all of you too!! Enjoy the Scribd file below and make the whole project or just practice making the rose!

We had another fun night stamping. We made some really cool projects. I'm bringing another fun class home from this event. Wait til you see it. I'm not giving anything away about the project details but trust me...you're gonna love it! Tee hee hee :)

Joyce and Linda (and everybody else we're with) have really made this trip and the stamping we're doing so much fun. Stamping is always more fun with friends. We're making so many new friends and learning amazing things. The best part, though, is that it's only going to get better from here. Tomorrow is the "official" start of the Stampin' Up! 2010 Convention. We'll be up at the crack of dawn, eating breakfast early, and heading over to start our incredible adventure! This is my first trip to convention and I'm SOOOO excited!!! I can't wait to report again with the official convention excitement!

Enjoy my new tutorial :)

Top Note Rose Note Holder

Us Goop!!

2010-07-20T00:32:00.000-05:00

Day 2 in Salt Lake City was an absolute blast!! Our morning was full of stamping and creative fun and the afternoon/evening was the greatest reason I joined Stampin' Up! in the first place. We weren't stamping. We weren't crafting. We were sharing...our lives, our friendship and our love of all things friendship!

My roommate and sideline, Joyce, and I were running a few minutes late to breakfast. Our plan was to meet Linda and our other traveling companions for breakfast at 7:00am. Linda's response...Us goop! Thank you, iPhone. You gave me today's theme :)

We spent the morning stamping with the Late Night Stampers group. We created 6 incredible projects! I really loved them all! This one is my personal favorite! It's an incredible expandable scrapbook (or really big greeting card) that I can't wait to share in an upcoming class. We made a card folder, a pizza box, a funky tote, an explosion box, and a super cool scalloped circle multi page "thingie". It was such fun to create with so many new people and see the great ideas that so many people were willing to share. Being my first experience with the LNS group and their preconvention events, I can definitely say I enjoyed it!

After a very full morning of stamping, we headed for some lunch and relaxation. Toasters has some amazing sandwiches. If you're ever in the SLC area, I highly recommend it! Sit, talk, laugh and what's next? Starbucks, of course! Joyce, Linda and I ventured out into the melting sun to find ourselves some good old caffeine! A few soft chairs and great company made for a wonderful afternoon. It was great to catch up with Linda (since she up and left us!) and share stories and ideas about our businesses and creative endeavors.

I love exploring new cities and all of the cool things they have to offer. Here in SLC, pedestrian safety is very important! The sign next to Linda reads, "Look left and right when crossing. For added visibility, carry orange flag across with you" Sure enough, there's a little depot across the street with a matching sign and place to put your orange flag. These things are everywhere! I think it's definitely an idea we should take back to Chicago and see if we can get somebody to pay attention. Of course, where we're from, the gapers delay caused by all the crazy drivers watching a group of krazy stampers cross the street with caution flags would probably cause an accident!!!

Our hotel is right across the street from the convention center. We saw some banners that have just been hung and took advantage of the photo opportunity. Share What You Love is the theme of this year's convention and this little heart flower is it's logo. I really think it embodies the simplicity of the craft we all love to partake in. I've taken better photos but you know what...I don't care!! I'm here!! I'm soaking up everything that my first experience in Salt Lake City has to offer :)

Tomorrow is our only "sleeping in day." We're not meeting for breakfast until 9:00am. Crazy, right?? We're going to go do some more stamping around 11:00, grabbing a little lunch snack, then heading off for what I'm sure will be an awesome shoe box swap. Another little break after that and then we'll be back to stamping more fun and exciting projects. I can't wait to share my favorites with you again tomorrow.

I'm off to bed now. My feet and body have had it for one day. Check back in tomorrow for more "goop" on my SLC adventure!!

Welcome to Salt Lake City!!

2010-07-18T23:40:00.001-05:00

Ok. This is just beautiful!! Coming from the midwest, the mountain scene is just incredibly breath taking for me. If I had the option to stare at this every day, I think I would be the most unproductive girl EVER!!

We arived safe and sound in Salt Lake City. The flight was nice. We had a little bit of a lumpy landing but it wasn't so bad. Our rental car was upgraded from a Taurus to an Explorer. Nice perk :) The hotel is nice. It's quaint, quiet, and very comfortable. The front door of our hotel is literally right across the street from the front door of the convention center. Excellent planning...not my planning but still excellent! It was 103 degrees this afternoon. Holy moly. I swear I think I might melt if this keeps up but I'm very thankful that I have air conditioning in all of my stamping areas.

Tomorrow starts our first day of pre-convention activities. We're headed to a big Stamp Camp in the morning. I'll post pictures of all of our great projects. I'm hoping to do a little sight seeing in the afternoon or maybe a little R&R. Who knows? We may just have to see what tomorrow brings!

I don't have a whole lot to report in on today. It's really been a get here, get settled kind of day. I really wish you all could have come with me on my trip to the Stampin' Up! 2010 Convention! Since you can't all be here, I'll bring you along on a virtual journey. Check here everyday and read all about the fun things I'm doing. But, be sure to read every day. Leave a comment and let me know you were here! When I get home on Sunday, I'll send you on a virtual scavenger hunt about the fun and excitement that was had during this week's Convention. I will be awarding my customers and downline members with special prizes for answering the scavenger hunt questions correctly! But, the only way you'll be able to win is if you visit my blog daily for special updates that are only available for that day!

Join me on my trip!! I can't wait to have you along for a wonderful ride that you can only get at Stampin' Up! Once you see all of the incredible fun, you'll surely want to be sure you're here with me live next year!!

I'm off to bed. It's going to be a big day tomorrow!! Happy Stamping!!

Technique Thursday - Distressing Essentials - Thursday, August 12

2010-07-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

Technique Thursday – Distressing Essentials

Thursday, August 12 at 6:30pm

Cost: $30

Class fee includes your very own Distressing Essentials Tool Kit

Payment is due by the RSVP date. Cash, Check or Paypal only.

RSVP no later than Tuesday, August 3

Distressing Essentials includes tools that make it easier than ever for you to create a distressed, vintage appearance on your projects. Includes the following tools:
■ Sanding block and emery board for distressing Designer Series paper or smoothing the edges of paper that has been adhered to chipboard■ Precision files for sanding intricate die cuts and sanding in tight areas■ Blendable vintage ink and stamp for creating an aged appearance: Tea Stain, Charcoal, Mahogany, Navy ink (Not suitable for Scrapbooking)

The "Vintage" look is all the rage in paper crafting today. Learn to use the Distressing Essentials Tool Kit to distress, age, and enhance your paper crafting projects. In this class we will work with Designer Papers, chip board, and fun new techniques that will make your projects pop!

Class size is limited to the first 10 registered attendees. Payment must be made by the RSVP date because this is a product based class. Refunds not available after RSVP deadline.

To pay via Paypal, visit the Special Class Registration page on my blog here à http://kellistamps4u.blogspot.com/p/special-class-registration.html

Be sure to send me an email to let me know you're planning to attend this fun and much anticipated class!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - July 16

2010-07-15T04:21:00.006-05:00

Today is my sketch :) I've always liked this layout format and i'm so glad I've been able to bring it to Sketch Frenzy Friday!!

Today's card is made with the Newsprint DSP. I think this paper has so many possibilities!! So much fun and really different than what I'm used to working with. It's certainly not what I'd consider my "style" but I'm getting there!!

I'll be teaching a Distressing Essentials Class soon and you can bet, this card will be a part of it. What do you think?

Yeah BUNCO!!!

2010-07-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

This is Andrea. She had a GREAT time at Bunco on Sunday!! Andrea won $40 in Stampin' Up! merchandise by having the most buncos during our game. I think she had 3. Way to go, Andrea!!

Congratulations to everyone who came to our fun day. A good time was had by all! We had 20 Korner Krazy stampers rolling dice and screaming and yelling as they tried to win a coveted spot at the Winners Table or just try to beat their neighbor :)

The more players we have, the more prizes and merchandise I get to give away!! Next time, let's see if we can get 40 players! That means you can tell you friends, tell your neighbors, and come on out for a great day of stampin and bunco...otherwise known as Stampin' Bunco!! With 40 players, I can guarantee the Most Buncos prize will be $100 in Stampin' Up! merchandise to a single winner!

The next Stampin' Bunco will be held on Sunday, October 10 at 1:00pm. Mark your calendars and register today!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - July 9

2010-07-09T09:16:00.001-05:00

More inspiration gone astray from today's sketch :) When I saw this sketch, it sparked some a great picture in my mind. This is actually the first time I've pulled out Extreme Elements. Can you believe it's been sitting in a drawer UNMOUNTED?? Sheesh!

I love following sketches. I think they are great for inspiration. On days where I'm feeling less "inspirational", I'll follow the sketch exactly and see what happens. Other times, the sketch just sparks a fun idea...with all the elements of the sketch of course! The latter is what this sketch did for me today. Thanks to Sharon Field for providing this week's sketch!

This card is mounted on Cherry Cobbler card stock. The squares are Basic Black and Sahara Sand. The ink used is Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Versamark and Champaign Mist Shimmer Paint (cool, huh?)

Follow along with Sketch Frenzy Friday by visiting Kim's blog.

Aged Newsprint Meets Eleanor Roosevelt

2010-07-07T08:04:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed working with the new Newsprint Designer Series Paper. I wasn't sure if I'd like it. That generally isn't really my "style". I was wrong. I LOVE it! I've made a pact with myself that I'm not going to hoard supplies this year. So, I'm using this awesome new DSP at my Bunco event on Sunday to create make-n-takes for 20 people. I hope they love this paper just as much as I do because it has really been a mental challenge for me to cut that much paper and not have a whole pack as a backup for myself :-) For this particular card, I also incorporated the stamp set Favorite Thoughts from the Summer Mini Catalog. I like all the quotes in that stamp set. It is very woman empowering and inspiring. This particular tea bag quote is for sure my favorite. I just love strong tea :-)

I've really enjoyed agining the Newsprint Designer Series Paper. It's easy to do and I think it gives the paper a cool look. The edges of the DSP on this card have been inked with More Mustard ink to give them an aged, almost tea stained look. To continue to emphasize the aged theme, I crumpled the corner of the DSP and ripped the Basic Black layer immediately underneath it. Don't be afraid to crumple your paper! It's really quite simple. Start by accordian folding your corner then "squish it" between your fingers -- "squish it" is a very technical paper crafting term that you should absolutely put into your descriptive vocabulary! I added a little snail underneat the "squish" just to hold the corner in place. I love the depth that this technique gives to the card. It adds a lot and really uses only the paper you were planning to craft with in the first place.

The finished product holds a tea bag on the front of the card. I hope you take some time to "squish" your paper, age some Newsprint and enjoy a great cup of tea with a good friend!

Card Recipe
Stamps - Favorite Thoughts
Cardstock - Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Basic Black
Designer Series Paper - Newsprint
Ink - Basic Black, More Mustard
Accessories - Big Shot, Bigz Scalloped Envelope Die, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch, Gold Brad, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Stampin Sponge, Stampin Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, SNAIL Adhesive

Welcome, Owen!!

2010-07-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

My little nephew is here!! Owen made his way into the world on Saturday night, a few short minutes away from being a 4th of July baby!

He's so sweet and so wonderful!! It's been a long time since we've had a baby in our family. My baby is 12, so I guess it's been 12 years :-) Amazing how time flies.

My heart is full of joy! It's incredible how in love you can fall with a baby in less time than it takes to blink an eye. My eyes are still filling with tears thinking about the incredible little guy!!

He went home with Mom and Dad today. Everybody is doing great. My sister feels good and my brother-in-law seems to be getting the hang of things pretty well. They're a beautiful family and I'm so happy for them all!

Welcome, Owen!! Your Auntie Kelli loves you very, very much!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - June 2

2010-07-02T05:00:00.002-05:00

It's Sketch Frenzy Friday once again!! Today's sketch was designed for us by Connie Stewart.

Since I've gotten so good at totally changing around the orientation of the sketch, I did my best to actually follow the outline on this card...and then I changed it up a bit.

I used the stamp set Friends Never Fade, a new set in the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog. Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper serves as the real focual point on this card, though. I just love this new paper and the great color combination of Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip.

For the first card, I really tried to follow the sketch as closely as I could. So, I guess I flipped it upside down but it's really close!! :) For the second card, I changed the orientation added a quick little piece of satin ribbon. This is a great sketch that can invite so many different ideas. I definitely think I'll play with it some more!

Card Recipe:

Card Stock - Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Versamark
Designer Series Paper - Greenhouse Gala
Accessories - Scalloped Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon, White Siglow Gel Pen
Stamps - Friends Never Fade

As always, I'd invite you to continue on to visit more Sketch Frenzy Friday bloggers. To continue on in the tour, head on over to Kim's blog.

And the winner is...

2010-07-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

Rachel M.

Rachel, you've won $50 in NEW MERCHANDISE from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog!! Your name was drawn at random by my loving son (you can thank him later) from the group of smart ladies who ordered at least $30 in retiring product during the month of June. Congratulations!!

I can't wait to see what great stampin' products you're going to pick!!

Last Chance - A Holly Jolly Christmas meets Bride Designer Paper

2010-06-30T06:41:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has stamped with me for any lenght of time can tell you I'm in love with "alternative" colored Christmas cards. I don't think they all need to be red and green. I think blue is awesome!

A Holly Jolly Christmas is a great set. We made lots of Christmas cards from this set last year. I wanted to give it one last shout out since today is the last day that it is available for purchase. The Designer Paper is Bride, a white embossed sheet that I brayered with Ballet Blue ink. This paper is also retiring which is really a shame since it's SO cool!

Each layer is edged with Shimmer Paint in Champaign Mist and the reindeer was stamped in new Crumb Cake ink. It's nice to be able to mix the old with the new.

Last Chance - Tres Chic and Thoroughly Modern

2010-06-29T06:33:00.001-05:00

This was such a fun card to make!! I'll be very sad to see the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper retire. I love the color combination (Bermuda Bay, Rose Red, Soft Suede) but I'm sure I will find plenty of things I love just as much! I really wanted to get another card made with this great paper and this is what we got.

My friend and sideline, Joyce, shared this card design during one of our past shoe box swaps. The flower is from the Pretties Kit. It was stamped with the Tres Chic background stamp in Soft Suede ink and then inked using a sponge dauber with Rose Red. Pretty nifty, huh?

Christmas In July

2010-06-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas In July

Super Set Sunday, July 25
12:00p – 3:30p or 6:00p – 9:30p
Indicate which session you want to attend

Register by July 16
Cost - $35
Korner Klub Member Cost - $30
Register between July 17 – July 24 Cost - $40

Please be sure to email me or visit the Facebook Event page to submit your RSVP. Payment is required at time of registration. Contact me for my address to send a check or pay via PayPal on my blog http://kellistamps4u.blogspot.com/p/special-class-registration.html

Christmas is 183 days away!! I can hardly believe it but it’s definitely time to start thinking about making our holiday cards!! With the hundreds of cards that were made in Kelli’s Korner last year, I didn’t end up sending a single card…I never had time to make any for myself!! This year I’ve vowed to change that! I’m reserving a seat in one of my classes for myself.

During Christmas in July, we will make 20 cards with envelopes – 4 each of 5 different designs. All cards will be made with mailing in mind. No big knots or rigid embellishments will be used (the Post Office gets kinda crabby when you try to mail these kinds of things without extra postage.) We will be using lots of great accessories on all of the cards that will make them beautiful without making them expensive to mail. You’ll love what I have in store…and your special gift, too!

As always, when you bring a friend who has never been to a Kelli’s Korner Klass, you’ll get to make 10 extra cards. Bring two friends and you’ll get to make 20 extra cards for free!!

Place an order of $50 or more the day of the class and receive a credit for half of your fee. Place a $100 order and your entire class fee will be applied as a credit to your order!

Get your whole class for FREE by hosting a Workshop of Stamp Class in the month of July! All hostesses who have a qualifying workshop of $250 or more come to this class for FREE!!

Your class fee will include a package of Dimensionals and a SNAIL adhesive. One SNAIL should be more than enough to get you though this class. However, if you’re an adhesive addict, I will happily add an adhesive refill to your class fee ;)

Cancellation Policy – Cancel before July 16 for a full refund. Cancellations after July 16 will not be refunded but can be rescheduled for an additional $5 fee. If you are unable to reschedule, you will receive all class materials and photos of the finished samples.

Last chance - Kind and Caring Thoughts

2010-06-28T06:23:00.001-05:00

Kind and Caring Thoughts is by far one of my favorite hostess sets in the current catalog. I think the flowers and multiple sentiments make this such a versatile set!! It's a Level 3 hostess set so only a $500 minimum workshop would earn this set. It's definitley a great incentive to get those workshop totals up!!

The card base and ink used is Night of Navy. The flower was inked up once and then stamped 4 times to get the graded color. The flowers are stamped on Confetti Cream cardstock and the bottom layer is Bordering Blue, a retiring color through Color Renovation.

I want to stamp with you!!!

2010-06-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

The new 2010-2011 Catalog year is upon us!! With the new year, comes a new round of Korner Klubs!! What's a Korner Klub, you ask? Korner Klub is basically a Stampin' Up! hostess club. You fulfill a group ordering obligation and in return, you get hostess benefits during one month of the Klub and lots of other great goodies!

Receive a FREE Idea Book & Catalog ($9.95 value)
All club members receive a new color Classic Ink pad for FREE ($5.95 value)
Attend a free mini-class at each club meeting ($5.00 value)
Receive hostess benefits one month during the life of your club ($15-$20 value plus an exclusive Hostess Only stamp set ($15 value)) Extend your hostess benefits by obtaining outside orders and inviting your friends to attend your club meeting!
Get special Korner Klub Member discounts on many classes and all Stamp-A-Stacks held in Kelli’s Korner ($3-$10 value per class)
Receive priority registration for classes and events when they are in waitlist status
Free use of stamp sets, inks, Big Shot & accessories, and other tools in Kelli’s Korner with an appointment ($5-$10 value/hour)
Be the first to experience and play with new products and stamps. Plus, special “inside scoop” when it’s available!!

Available Korner Klub Openings:

Every other month beginning in August on the 3rd Sunday. Minimum order $30
Every month on the last Wednesday beginning in July. Minimum order $25
Other clubs currently have no openings.

Have a group of friends (minimum 4) who want to start their own Korner Klub, reap the awesome benefits and have a guaranteed Girl's Day Out?? We can start a special club just for you!! Email me for details on how to get your own club going!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - June 25

2010-06-25T07:45:00.001-05:00

I really missed last week's post. I had some unfortunate computer issues that prevented me for posting for nearly a week!! It wasn't fun but we're all better and back in action! Just because I wasn't posting doesn't mean I wasn't stamping. I have lots of great projects to share over the coming days that will hopefully make up for lost time :)

This week's sketch is brought to us by Brenda. I had a good time with this sketch although I did change the orientation of the card.

This coming Sunday is Super Stack Sunday in Kelli's Korner. We'll be making cards from all retired stamp sets this weekend. I have lots of favorites that have found themselves on the retired list and Sunday will be our send off for those dear old favorites!

Today's sketch card will be a featured card in Sunday's class. Heartfelt Sympathy is leaving us and so is Ruby Red. I've combined both of them together for this easy sympathy card. It's an unfortunate fact that sympathy cards are one of those things we need even though we don't want to. It's better to have a few on hand than find yourself fumbling around your stamp room when you "need" one.

Kim is next up in line and you can get to her blog by clicking here.

A Charming Card

2010-06-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

I've gone through several iterations of this card but for some reason it always comes back to the Chocolate Chip/Kraft (or Crumb Cake post July 1) color combination!

Charming is a stamp set that was originally released to be used with the Simply Admorned jewelry line. I love it on a card! For this particular rendition, I've also added a little circle punch from another of my growing favorite stamp sets, Elements of Style.

The recipe for this card is simple. Kraft (Crumb Cake) and Chocolate Chip cardstock, Chocolate Chip Classic Ink, Versamark, and Kraft Taffeta Ribbon (Retiring June 30). Add some Snail and Dimensionals and you've got a wonderfully, charming card!

Brayer in Silhouette

2010-06-13T07:22:00.001-05:00

More playing with my brayer! This time, we're looking at a wonderul silhouette image. I saw a card similar to this somewhere but honestly, I don't remember where so sorry I can't give credit! I do remember, however, that the person who did it gave inspirational props to Michelle Zindorf so that's where I'm giving mine!

I tried some different things with this card. For one, I started brayering on Very Vanilly instead of my typical Whisper White. I really like the effect it certainly brought more shading possibility to the layout. I also brayered the card background for the first time. I don't know what it is but sometimes I just can't wrap my arms around brayering color on color. I like it, though! Don't be afraid to try new things. The results might not be as scary as you think!

Card Stock - Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Classic Ink - Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze
Accessories - 2 Step Bird Punch, Top Note Bigz Die, Vanilla Smooch Shimmer Spritz
Stamps - Inspired by Nature

Sketch Frenzy Friday - 6/11

2010-06-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today's Sketch Frenzy Friday sketch, brought to us by Tina, inspired me to grab an old favorite before it goes away! Tea Party Designer Series Paper and the Voila stamp set are both heading into the world of retired merchandise. Why not bring them out before they're gone?? This is a fun sized card that fits inside of your classic #10 envelope. Nobody would expect a birthday card in bill size :)

Awash with a Brayer

2010-06-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

When I need inspiration for a card, I head over to visit Michelle Zindorf's blog. She is CRAZY talented! Her brayer projects and tutorials are just incredible. I love to visit blogs that spark my creativity and Michelle's does just that!

This is a version of one of Michelle's cards. I "dumbed it down" a little bit from Michelle's version. I changed around the colors and used a very basic matting. Of course, it you odn't know what the original looks like, I bet this one is still pretty impressive :)

This card is a great sneak peek into the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! It's made with the Awash With Flowers set that will be available on July 1. I was also able to incorporate some new colors into the card as well - Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, and Cajun Craze. Grab your brayer and start rolling!!

Card Stock - Almost Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Whisper White
Classic Ink - Certainly Celery, Almost Artichoke, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze
Accessories - Photo Corner Punch, Circle Bigz Die, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz
Stamps - Awash With Flowers

A little brayer inspiration

2010-06-08T18:59:00.000-05:00

I absolutely LOVE my brayer! I've done quite a bit with it and continue to work with lots of new tricks and techniques. On Thursday night, I'm teaching my next installment of brayer classes - Brayer Beyond the Basics. We're going to explore mixing and blending of colors along with the addition of some sponging and added mediums.

This is one of the cards we'll be making in class. I took several pictures of it and this is the best of the bunch. I wish I could have gotten a little better resolution. The Smooch Spritz was reflecting off of the flash but hopefully you will catch the drift :) You can click on the photo for a larger image.

Card Stock - Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Almost Artichoke, Whisper White
Ink - Classic Ink in Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Certainly Celery and Almost Artichoke, Versamark
Markers - Stampin' Write Markers in Almost Artichoke, Wild Wasabi, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede, Versamarker
Accessories - Photo Corner Punch, Silver Brads, White Gel Pen, Clear Embossing Powder, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz
Stamps - Lovely As A Tree

Simple and Practical

2010-06-05T12:17:00.001-05:00

I had my Korner Krazy Stamper night last night. I love getting together with my ladies. It's always such a great chance for us to sit, relax, learn from each other, and really enjoy stamping. Last night was particularly fun because I had some new stamping friends join us! I'm pretty sure everybody had a good time!

The highlight of the evening was really the new catalog launching on July 1. I was starting to worry if they were going to walk my copy off when I wasn't looking :) The OOH's and the AAH's were never ending! I had a hard time getting them to stamp!! When they saw what we were stamping, it all worked out ok. We created what I call a "scribble swatch" for each of our new color collections. I love having this little reference when I'm designing a card or trying to find some inspiration. I've attached a file below so you can create your own scribble swatch with all of the new colors!

We also played with some of our brand new colors! I can't decide which is my favorite but I've narrowed it down to....all of them :) The Friends Never Fade card was fun, quick and easy. I would definitley consider that an Easy, Demonstratable card. Great for new stampers but also interesting for the seasoned among us. This card is made with Marina Mist and Early Espresso card stock along with Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler ink. So pretty :)

My next Korner Krazy Stamper gathering will be Friday, July 9, one week later than usually scheduled due to the 4th of July holiday. It will be an exciting meeting as we'll have LOTS of new catalog items to play with and I'll be getting ready to head off to the Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake City a week later!!

2010-2011 Color Collection Card

Sketch Frenzy Friday - 6/04

2010-06-04T06:01:00.004-05:00

It's Sketch Frenzy Friday yet again! Today's sketch is brought to us by Kathryne! I had a rough time with this sketch. Anytime I see butterflies they have to be butterflies! But, I've been trying to break out of my comfort zone a bit and try new things. I definitely took some liberties with this sketch but I call it inspiration :)

Not only is this card part of our sketch challenge, it's also a 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog Sneak Peek! Because I Care is a Level 1 Hostess Set in the new catalog. Isn't that hydrangia beautiful?? I also had a chance to play with some of our new colors...Early Espresso and Crumb Cake. Early Espresso is the dark brown which I have a feeling is quick to become one of my go to colors. Does Crumb Cake look familiar? That's because it's the new name for Kraft. We've had the card stock for a long time but never had a matching ink. We do now!!

Card Recipe
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Stamps: Because I Care
Ink: Early Espresso Classic Ink Pad, Crumb Cake Classic Ink Pad
Accessories: Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker, Crumb Cake Stampin Write Marker, Color Spritzer, Stampin Pastels, 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Water spray bottle

A quick share

2010-06-01T06:54:00.001-05:00

I really love the Box #2 die for the Big Shot. It's really very versatile! This basket is made from two die cuts mounted back to back then decorated with some DSP.

So simple and easy, right? This fun little basket makes a great gift carrier or desk caddy.

Grab your big shot and make something fun!!

Sketch Frenzy Friday - May 28

2010-05-28T12:44:00.002-05:00

It's another Sketch Frenzy Friday!! Today's sketch was brought to us from Tammy.

I find that when I'm working on my cards, I often loose track of the basics. Simple is beautiful! I really love this sketch. It's sweet, simple and to the point! Sure, I could have done all sorts of crazy, but I didn't! I really like it!!

This is the first time I've used the Not Quite Navy Ribbon Originals. Nice, isn't it? The DSP is Bella Bleu. Cardstock is Not Quite Navy. Additional accessories from Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware. Sentiment is from Wings of Friendship. I think I may go make some more of these because they were almost too simple to be legal! Thanks for the inspiration, Tammy :)

Sketch Frenzy Friday - May 21

2010-05-21T06:00:00.007-05:00

This week, Melinda has given us a great sketch to follow. It's super clean and simple. I reallly like cards like this!

I'd love to see what you can come up with based on this card sketch!!

A Scrapping Transition

2010-05-20T06:46:00.001-05:00

Let's talk scrapping. I'm a habitually unfinished scrapper. I can't begin to tell you how many scrapbooks I have. I can absolutely tell you how many complete books I have...3!! It's sad. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed trying to plan a big ol book in one sitting. I've scrapped in 6x6, 8x8, 8-1/2x11, 12x12 and all sorts of random sizes in between. I haven't decided exactly what size is my favorite yet so until I do, I am going to take the liberty of scrapping in whatever size I so choose.

I really do like 6x6 pages for the simple fact that they're easy to fill up. The picture on the top left is me and lil sis the day of her baby shower. I really wanted to capture that photo for us and this seemed like a nice, logical layout. (I'll include the page recipes at the end of my post.) 6x6 books are great for new scrappers. One photo and you've finished a page! It's not overly daunting and the layouts can be pretty simple.

What if you happen to love the 8-1/2x11 scrapbook layouts. You'll see my rendition in the middle photo. I took that original 6x6 layout, added some journaling and Designer Series Paper, and created a quick 8-1/2x11 page out of my original 6x6. All of a sudden, I'm on my way to a full sized book!

Ultimately, however, I really do prefer to scrap on 12x12 pages. But let's get honest girls, do you really "see" the 12x12 layout every time or do you "build" it as you go? The last photo is my official 12x12 transition page. Here, I took my newly enlarged 8-1/2x11 layout and added it to my 12x12 page with some border photos and journaling blocks. (Yes, I realize there is nothing in the journaling section of the Modern Label Punches. Remember how I said I rarely "finish" a scrapbook!) We call this Transitional Scrapbooking. Pretty cool, huh?

The next time you think you can't create those big 12x12 layouts, start smaller! Work on your 6x6 layouts and work your way up to something a little bigger, then a little bigger, then...when you're ready...12x12. Or you just might like a smaller size. I think you should try it and find out for yourself!!

Page Recipe:
6x6 - Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive and Bashful Blue Cardstock, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Fast Flowers Wheel, Versamark, Flower Designer Brads, Vanilla Smooch Shimmer Spray
8-1/2x11 - Add Chocolate Chip Designer Patterns Paper, journaling block, and additional matching cardstock
12x12 - Add Modern Label Punch and additional matching cardstock

Chocolate Monkey Suckers and a Cupcake Tree

2010-05-17T06:28:00.001-05:00

I had an amazing weekend! For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you'll know I was taking a poll a few months back as to which invitation to use for my sister's baby shower. (We decided on the pocket card.) Saturday was the shower and it was wonderful fun! We had a house full of family and friends. We had family in from out of state that we hadn't seen in quite some time, too, so that helped make it an even more special day! Lil Sis was showered with wonderful gifts that will be ever so useful when my nephew makes his debut sometime around the beginning of July. I can't wait to meet him!!

So, you know if I was making the invitations, I had to make the decorations :) The baby's room has a monkey theme so we kept with that and used Brocade Blue and Chocolate Chip as our colors. I had lots of help getting these decorations and favors ready. Mickey, Audra, Madison, and Heather - Thank you for helping alleviate my stress. You guys did a great job!!! Below is a description of some my favorite party decorations and favors. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

WELCOME BABY Banner - We made this banner from the Stampin' Up! Pennant Die the morning of the shower. It went together so quick easy! Each of the pennants is connected with a 3/8" Chocolate Chip brad and the ends with the ribbon are reinforced with Pewter Jumbo Eyelets.

Cupcake Tree - With lots of help, we made Lemon, Chocolate, and Red Velvet cupcakes for the shower. I was even able to mix icing that was frighteningly close to Brocade Blue! Each cupcake was wrapped up so cute thanks to the Perfect Setting Big Shot die. BB - chocolate, CC - red velvet, CC DSP - lemon. On the top of each one sits a great little cupcake pick made by sandwiching a toothpick between two scalloped circle punches. Look closely at the photo. I used a 16x20 mirror as the cupcake tree tray. In the lower right corner, I applied the "M is for Monkey" Decor Element. So cute, right?? Now that it's not being used as a cupcake tray, it will be put in a frame and hung in the baby's room.

Chocolate Monkey Suckers - I'll be brutally honest. I hope I never have to get these chocolate molds out again :-) I made about 60 of these monkeys in both milk chocolate and peanut butter chocolate. They were really tasty and so cute! Each monkey was wrapped in a cello bag and mounted on a flower made with the Stampin' Up! exclusive Flower Folds die. We tied the little thank you notes to each one and put them into vases for fun and tasty table arrangements. I'll definitely use this idea again!

Love your BRAYER!!

2010-05-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first in my series of brayer classes. We were working on Brayer Basics. I absolutely love my brayer!! By learning a few simple techniques, you can make some amazing background and fun elements for your cards and scrapbook pages.

We started Brayer Basics by working on simple color blending. After that, we used two colors to create a wonderful floral horizon. Our last card used the beautiful Bride Designer Paper and our own rainbow ink pad made from baby wipes and Classic Reinkers to make fun butterfly embellishments. Lots of learning and fun was had by all!!

Ready to learn the next step in your brayering adventure? Join me for Brayer Beyone The Basics! You will continue to add color, depth and design to your beautifully inked creations. Brayer Beyond the Basics will teach you to blend color, mask areas to create depth and dimension, and use new techniques to bring your brayered cards to a whole new level!

The cost for this class is $20 and includes a pack of Stamping Sponges and a bottle of Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz. You must bring your brayer to this class. If you would like to order a new brayer, you can add one at the time of registration for just $12.50.

RSVP and payment must be received by June 1. Space is limited!

This class is available as a Class To Go. With a minimum of 4 participants, this class can be conducted in your home or mine on a date of your choosing. Please plan at least two weeks in advance to allow time for payment and product ordering.

School Days Scrapbook Workshop

2010-05-05T06:46:00.004-05:00

School Days Memory Scrapbook

Grades K-6

Saturday, May 22
12:00pm ~ 3:00pm
~or~
Thursday, May 27
6:30pm ~ 9:30pm

This quick and functional album is the perfect way to preserve your cherished school photos as well as report cards, special projects, and class shots.

Each 2-page spread has a mat for an 8x10 photo on one side and a special pocket on the other for your special memories with lots of space for journaling. All page pieces are precut. We will use die cuts, stamps and alphabets to create this keepsake scrapbook!

Create this wonderful scrapbook for only $35! Additional scrapbooks are only $25 each! Add a 12x12 post bound linen album with 20 page protectors for $30 more. Please indicate if you want Red or Pink accents. Adhesive not included.

This album is available as a Kit To Go for $25. Please email me for information on the Kit To Go option! Love the class but don't want to assemble it yourself? I'd be happy to assemble the kit for you! A preassembled book, ready for your photos is just $55 for the first copy and $45 for each additional album!

RSVP by May 18 to guarantee your spot! Payment is due in advance and can be made via PayPal, Cash or Check. When making payment through PayPal, please indicate which session you wish to attend.

A fun way to recycle

2010-04-29T21:50:00.001-05:00

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??

2010-04-27T06:44:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-04-26T06:40:00.001-05:00

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

2010-04-20T06:25:00.002-05:00

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??

2010-04-13T07:47:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-04-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2010-04-02T08:25:00.001-05:00

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

2010-04-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

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.

Play Stampin Bunco With Me!! Win PRIZES!!

2010-03-24T06:24:00.003-05:00

It's time to play Stampin' Bunco!! On Sunday, April 11, a room full of crazy stampers will set out on a Bunco adventure...Stampin' Up! Style!

Bunco is a fun and simple dice game to play. Our Stampin Bunco adds a great twist to the classic game. We're giving away your favorite stamping supplies! Win Stampin' Up! merchandise of your choice by having the Most Buncos, Last Bunco, Most Wins, or Least Wins. Nobody leaves a looser! Everyone is guaranteed to win at least $5 in merchandise!

Join us for an afternoon of Bunco fun! We will have a fun make-n-take along with fun giveaways, a raffle and a special door prize drawing at the end of the day!

The cost to play Stampin Bunco is $15 and everyone will win a minimum of $5 in Stampin’ Up! merchandise of your choice. I will also have a special Bunco door prize that you’re sure to love! I won’t spoil the surprise but I will tell you that it includes one of my hand held Bunco games and over $30 in SU! merchandise! Everyone who prepays for Bunco by April 1 will receive an entry into the door prize drawing. Prepay and register a friend not already signed up for Bunco, you’ll get three entries into the door prize drawing! Use the Paypal button below to submit your payment.

We will be playing at a meeting hall in Downers Grove, IL. We already have a full house registered but we can still hold lots more! I can't wait to see you at BUNCO!!

Brayered Background

2010-03-22T06:42:00.003-05:00

I just love my brayer...or brayers, I should say. With a little know how and some time, you can make some beautiful and fun backgrounds for your cards and scrapbook pages! This is one of my latest brayered background creations. I wish you could see the sparkle. It's covered with shimmer paint mist and this card absolutely pops!

Colors used to create this background were So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Almost Artichoke and Basic Gray. The stamp set used is Upsy Daisy, one of my favorite standbys.

It's pretty incredible to think that this card started out as a white card front. I had a lot of fun making this design. So much so that I whipped up 20 of them for some special customers :-) Because of the great response I've gotten from several of the brayered backgrounds I've been working on lately, I'm looking for a date to schedule a brayer class in the very near future. Be sure to check my Facebook Fan Page or my Meetup for information on the upcoming class date.

Let's get Hoppin!!

2010-03-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks for joining me today on the Operation Write Home Spring Break Bloghop! If this is your first stop on the hop, you may want to start from the beginning by heading to http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org/ or you can keep on going from here!

Wasn't Denise Lynn's page wonderful? Her stamps are super cool and she's an incredibly talented stamper! How lucky is anyone who receives one of her special cards?!

For those of you unfamiliar, Operation Write Home is a non-profit organization that sends thousands of cards overseas to the men and women fighting in support of our country. These handmade cards are used by these Heroes to write home since there is no Halmark in the desert!!

I love making cards for our troops. I really believe it is a great way to use our stamping talent to provide a smile to both ther sender and receiver of the card. I hosted several of my customers in my stamp room last Friday night with a goal of making 250 cards for Operation Write Home. In about 5 hours, we achieved our goal and had a great time in the process!

Our plan was to use all white card bases, helping cut my cost but also get us a little out of our comfort zone. I know I fall into a stampin trap often of becoming very dependent on multiple layers, lots of dimension, and complicated designs. Not all cards have to be that way! We had a great time keeping our cards plain and simple. We added color with ink and maybe a couple punches of Designer Series Paper. It was a great night that turned out tons of beautiful cards and lots of new ideas!

Thanks for visiting my little place on the web and my contribution to this important Bloghop! The next stop on the hop is with Rachel Brumley at http://www.stampingbyrachel.com/. Rachel has lots of fun and beautiful ideas on her blog to help inspire your own stamping adventures.

Before you leave, please take a minute to let me know you were here! Leave a comment and be sure to include your email address. One lucky hopper will be chosen at random to receive a box full of goodies you can use to make lots of great cards to contribute to our Heros through Operation Write Home!

Thanks for visiting and God Bless our Troops!

Operation Write Home Spring Break Blog Hop Is Coming!!

2010-03-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 20, a great spring break blog hop is ready to launch and I'm thrilled to be a part of it!! Operation Write Home is a non-profit organization that sends thousands of hand made cards to our troops serving overseas. I'm proud to say that I'm a donor and am thrilled to be a part of the blog hop! Please join me on Saturday to tour many different blogs in support of Operation Write Home. You won't be sorry you did!!

Game Night!

2010-03-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first Stampin Bingo game I've hosted in Kelli's Korner. We had a GREAT time!! The final game was a cover all that ended up being worth $71 in Stampin' Up! merchandise!! The wonderful lady who won that game added a couple bucks and is anxiously awaiting her BIG SHOT!!! How awesome is that??

Our Make and Take for Bingo was this handy score pad. I had some legal pads cut in half and we created a quick and easy cover with a magnetic closure.

The stamp set we used is called Game Night. I love it. I think it's a fun set that gets overlooked way too often. The word "score" was stamped with what I think is one of the greatest alphabet sets ever...Just Perfect Alphabet. They are all lower case letters. Not too big. Not too small. Just Perfect :-)

I added a piece of Designer Series Paper over the top of the pad so you couldn't see the office supply store logo. I think these turned out super cute and everyone at Bingo loved them also! I can't wait to use mine for a little Uno challenge with my son!!

Sometimes it's hard to make a card

2010-03-02T16:32:00.001-06:00

Nothing lives forever. Not even the special four legged friends we bring into our homes that give us such joy for so many years. One of my coworkers lost her buddy and I wanted to send a special card to let her know he's on my mind. D Is For Dog is one of those sets I wanted because the images are fun for dog lovers but there's a stamp I didn't want to use - "So sorry for the loss of your best friend". It makes me sad :(

I was inspired by a card I saw on SplitCoastStampers made by "Warm Glass Goddess". I pulled out my brayer (we've become close lately). I created the soft night sky with Bordering Blue, Basic Gray, and Night of Navy. The water was brayered with Tempting Turquoise and Take With Teal. The grass is a combination of Garden Green and Handsome Hunter. Can you see Spot's reflection in the water? Champaign Mist Shimmer Paint was applied to the edge to give a hint of subtle shine. The cardstock is Basic Gray for the base and Night of Navy for the mat. My son says it looks like doggy heaven. Ugh...

I'm a dog lover. I have fur babies of my own that keep me sane and drive me crazy (see this post if you missed one of the reasons why!) I don't even want to think about what our house would be like if there was nobody around to steal my fries when I turn my eyes away too long :) One of the things I love the most about being a card maker is that I can send a kind word, warm smile, and heart felt hug in an envelope when I'm not there to give them in person.

B-I-N-G-O!!!

2010-02-27T08:42:00.000-06:00

There are only two spots left for the March 7 Kelli's Korner Stampin' B-I-N-G-O Game!!! Enter for a chance to win $50+ in Stampin' Up! Merchandise of your choice!! If you're interested in joining us for a fun afternoon of bingo, be sure to RSVP to me via EMAIL ASAP!!

Take a little off the sides

2010-02-27T08:32:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite stand by card designs. I like cards that have an alternative opening. I think it's fun to get a card that's a little beyond your typical pretty face :)

This card is super easy to make. Start by folding your base cardstock in half. Cut 1-1/2" - 2" off the front and you're ready to start designing your card! I like to use a roller for the inside to add a little extra pizzazz. You may remember this particular card from a blog post several months ago. To jazz it up this time, I used the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt to add my flower center and leaves. Quick, simple and easy. Give it a try!!

So quick...so easy!

2010-02-24T07:53:00.001-06:00

I have to tell ya...it doesn't get much easier than this cool project! I really love 3x3 note cards. I use them for gift tags or as additions to bags for special customers :) I try to sneak them in the kids backpacks, although I'm not so sure they appreciate the hard work I've put into them!

This project is a great, quick and simple 3x3 note holder. I created this for a swap I'm participating in this weekend that has to be completed in under 10 minutes. (I'm not so good at under 10 minutes!) I used the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack for my paper selection along with some Kraft cardstock. With the help of a corduroy brad, I think this little box will be a great addition to my desk and will serve as a constant reminder to send a little note to someone "today"!

Be a square

2010-02-23T07:54:00.000-06:00

Who ever said all great cards had to be stamped? It certainly wasn't me...although admitedly, I'd be a sad girl if I didn't have my stamps! I definitely take for granted the beautiful papers I have hanging out in my stash. Stampin' Up! has given us such wonderful Designer Series Paper and I certinly don't use it as much as I should.

The Occasions Mini Catalog has a wonderful 48 sheet 12x12 paper stack called Sweet Pea. It has all my favorite colors and wonderful designs. I'm having a hard time using it because I'm afraid I'll run out! No More Hoarding Your Supplies, Kelli!!! So as I take some baby steps to use everything I've got, I grab my 1-1/4" square punch and start punching. I fall in love. I'm already in love with our new Satin Ribbon (although I've run through a whole roll of Chocolate Chip and am anxiously awaiting more!) I think these little guys look like a piece of patchwork quilt or maybe a window inside a crazy lady's imagination :)

These are quick, easy and fun cards to make. I'm thinking a set of these cards will find their way into a raffle basket I'm donating to my son's Boy Scout troop. I may just whip up a few dozen of these cards and keep them around for when I need to send a quick card to a special friend. Oh, and you might just see something like this as a Kelli's Korner Klass in the very near future!

Polished Stone Butterflies

2010-02-19T06:57:00.001-06:00

Splitcoaststampers has a great tutorial on the Polished Stone technique. I really enjoy using it when I'm creating with punches and dies as I have in this card.

This was a fun card to make. I used the Polished Stone techique on a whole sheet of glossy white cardstock. On half of it, I used Rich Razzelberry, Mambo Melon, Bermuda Bay and Silver. On the other half, I took out the Bermuda Bay. I cut out butterflies from the Bermuda Bay half and some Rich Razzelberry scraps using the new Butterfly Sizzlet in the Occasions mini. I used the butterfly Bigz die to cut the larg butterfly mat from the other half of my glossy cardstock. I think the butterflies turned out great!

For the decorative base of the card, I used Confetti White (one of my FAVES!) cardstock sprayed with some shimmer mist made of Frost White Shimmer Paint. The swirl from Baroque Motifs was stamped with Silver Encore Ink. Half back pearls from the Pretties Kit were used to embellish the butterflies and the Scallop Corner punch adorns the corners.

This was a fun card to make. If you haven't tried the Polished Stone technique, grab your supplies and let the creative juices flow!

5/8" Satin Ribbon - Have it ALL!!!

2010-02-09T06:56:00.000-06:00

Now that you've had a month to soak in the awesome new products in the Occasions Mini Catalog. What do you think? I'm still just as in love as I was when it first launched. I am totally in love with the 5/8" Satin Ribbon. We've had Whisper White Satin Ribbon through the whole 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog. The introduction of the new colors just sends me over the top! We now offer 10 different colors of Satin Ribbon each one just as beautiful as the next.

Want them all? Now's your chance!! For a limited time, get 3 full yards of each of our 5/8" Satin Ribbons for just $24! The ribbons come wrapped on a board inside a resealable protective envelope. Colors in this ribbon share include Real Red (shown), Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Basic Gray and Whisper White. The price includes tax and handling. Shipping in the United States will incur a small additional fee. Payment can be made via cash, check or Paypal.

Email me to reserve your Ribbon Sampler today!!

Which invite to use?

2010-02-08T17:08:00.000-06:00

My little sister is expecting her first child in July. In good big sister fashion, I'll be throwing her baby shower in May. You know I have to make the invitations, right? I really want to go with something a little off the beaten path. I don't want to go crazy but I also don't just want a card that opens on the side. I made these three "samples" to show my sis and get some input on a favorite design.

The card on the left is what I like to call the "diaper fold" that will have the invitation attached inside. The card on the right is a gate fold that is held closed with a belly band. Finally, the card in the middle is a pocket card that will have the invite in the middle. I think they all turned out super cute. The final project will likely have some element of each card somehow incorporated. We just don't know which "base" style to choose. Do you have a favorite?

You'll notice the color selection is varied right now. We'll find out on Thursday if we'll be making Pink or Blue invitations. I didn't want to show too much of a bias when I made the samples :)

Flutterby

2010-01-27T07:55:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm obsessed with butterflies. I have them on my walls, in frames, on the back of my laptop, on my back :) Those same people will also tell you, I can't stand the cold weather. Chicago is a great place for me, huh?? Butterflies always make me feel happy, especially butterflies in bright, happy colors like the Stampin' Up! In Colors!

Super Set Sunday in February is just what I'll need for a little happy pick up on what I'm sure will be another cold winter day. Inspired by a card design I learned at one of Jackie B's stamp camps in Michigan, this set of 6 matching cards and envelopes come in a quick and easy storage box. Each card comes with a special surprise for the recipient. What's the surprise, you ask? You'll have to come find out!!

Super Set Sunday is February 21. Cost for non-club members is $13. Please bring your own addhesive. I recommend Tomo Multi for this project. Email me to register for your spot today. Can't make the class? This class is being offered as a Kit To Go. $13 includes shipping. You provide your own stamps and ink.

Here's hoping we'll be seeing the real things fluttering by our windows sooner rather than later!!

Happy Stamping!!

Special Guest Stamper!!

2010-01-24T18:09:00.001-06:00

I have the distinct pleasure of introducing a special guest stamper on my blog today...my son, Dahlin! Through a little coercing, he decided to stamp a card for a special friend for her birthday. This Build-A-Bear is stamped on watercolor paper and colored with markers. I'm not 100% sure of the marker colors. There were quite a few out on the table. I do know there is some use of Bashful Blue and Pumpkin Pie...since those are the colors he chose for his background. Notice the Crystal Effects he used on the balloon?? I have to say, his card turned out better than I ever expected! I think he was pretty impressed, too. Now if only I could get him interested in Mom's hobby more often :)

Everything Always

2010-01-21T13:32:00.001-06:00

Everything - defined in one of my favorite stamps sets as Define Your Life as "All things that are meaningful to you. All that you know; the whole world". With Valentine's Day approaching, I start thinking about my Everything.

Inspired by the love of my children, this Valentine's Day card was so much fun to make. Using a mix of my favorite pinks and reds - Pretty In Pink, Pixie Pink, Ruby Red, and Bravo Burgundy, the background of the card was brayered and sponged to get that cool graded effect. The White Organza ribbon was "dyed" to match the graded color by adding a touch of all colors.

The stamp sets used for this card are Always and Baroque Motifs. Both have become great go to stamp sets for me whenever I'm feeling a need for some loving inspiration. What inspires you?

Technique Thursday was a hoot!

2010-01-17T11:07:00.000-06:00

I love simple water color projects. This past Thursday, I introduced a class full of students to some simple pencil and crayon projects. Using Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Watercolor Pencils makes watercoloring your favorite images a breeze!

Everyone in class did a great job making these three quick and easy cards. I was even lucky enough to welcome a new student to class. HE did a great job!! The ladies were pretty impressed that this new stamper was able to come to class and catch on to everything we were doing. I have a feeling we'll be seeing lots more of him :)

Happy Stamping!

Vintage Versamark

2010-01-13T17:35:00.002-06:00

Ok...I'd admit this up front. This card is a total CASE from Leadership. It was shown in the Workshop Elements class I took and I totally fell in love with it. It uses both the Watermark and Versamark Resist techniques (see my brief tutorial here). The one thing I changed between my card and the one I saw is the bottom border. Instead of using the vine stamp from Vintage Vogue, I used the Very Vintage roller in Versamark. Same concept, tho.

I would love to give credit to the originator of this card but I can't find my materials! If you know who created this card originally, please email me so I can update this post to give credit where credit is due. I think this is just too totally cool to go unnoticed!

Happy Stamping!!

Shabby or chic?

2010-01-12T21:51:00.001-06:00

Ok...feel free to click on the picture to get a bigger view. I'm torn. I've now made several fabric flowers but I don't know which version I like better. On one hand, I like the ease and simplicity of the "chic" version on the left. On the other hand, I really love the "shabby" frayed and currled edges of the version on the right. The kids aren't any help to me today. They're being just as indecisive as I am!

Bonus on the "chic" version...once it's done, it's done. No waiting on the wash/dry factor.

Bonus on the "shabby" version...I'm getting a lot of laundry done! It would be a crime to just wash a couple fabric flowers.

What do you think? I'm really looking for some opinions here. I have a pile of flowers that I either need to wash or walk away from. Actually, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with all of the pins I've made so far! Oh what to do, what to do. Opinions, please!! :)

**Note to yesterday's blog readers...I tried the folded vs. stacked version in the washer and have decided I like them both, unfortunately! I will probably continue to use the stacked version when I have 3 fabrics to use as opposed to 2 or 4. Easy way to distinguish at least that part of my flower pin dilema :)

You're right. I don't sell fabric, but...

2010-01-11T07:17:00.003-06:00

I do have this fantastic flower die for the Big Shot that makes the coolest fabric flowers you've ever seen!

While I was at the SU leadership conference last week, I saw tons and tons of fun flower pins and embellishments made with the Stampin' Up! exclusive Bigz XL Die Flower Folds. Who knew you could cut multiple layers of fabric with the Big Shot? I've had a very good time cutting fabric. So much fun that I really want to place an order for just about every die in the catalog :)

These flower embellishments are actually quite simple to make. The purpleish pin on the left is made using all four flowers from the Flower Folds die. I cut three coordinating fabrics in each size and layered them all together. I hand stitched the middle and added some Stampin' Up! clear buttons to the center. I threw it into the washing machine then dryer to get the frayed and currled edges.

The pink pin was made without fraying the edges and using a pretty simple folding technique to get the flowers placed just right. The buttons in the center are from the Playground Designer Buttons and Button Latte. They work really well with this project, don't they? I can't wait to make pin in this particular style and throw it into the washer just to see what happens! I really like the shabby chic style of the frayed edge but i also love the clean edge of the folded look. At least I know I have options!

The Flower Folds Bigz XL Die is exclusive to Stampin' Up! If you'd like to learn to make these shabby chic flowers on your own, shoot me an email! I'll happily give you a free Flower Folds pin class with the purchase of the Flower Folds die!

Don't forget, Sale-A-Bration is going on now! Purchase the Flower Folds die plus an additional $7.05 in merchandise and you will qualify to receive an item from our exclusive Sale-A-Bration catalog! Can it get any better??? A great die, a free class, and free "stuff"!! Email me today to reserve your die, schedule your class and pick out your free stamps!

Happy Stamping!

Basket Full of Valentines

2010-01-08T17:30:00.000-06:00

My youngest son is a Boy Scout. At summer camp this year, he was introduced to leather working for the first time. He absolutely loved it. Now, this is my son who thinks "crafts" are totally "uncool". He humors me on occasion when I'm kinda lonely in my stamp room. He'll add his finger so I can tie a bow or tell me how great one of my projects is. He's just NOT interested in stamping. So be it. He is a boy's boy after all!

The other day, we were looking through all the different merit badges he can earn. One of them happens to be basket making. He was intrigued. (Seeing a trend here??) "How might one create a basket", he asks. I felt it was my duty as his mother to show him how a simple basket weave, one piece atop another, was how to start a simple basket. The child, genius I tell you, says, "Why don't you do that around that stupid paper box thing and make a paper basket?" (Yes, the craft unappreciation is back.) He was totally kidding but I thought it was a great idea and the Basket Full of Valentines was born!!

Join me in Kelli's Korner on Sunday, January 31 to make your very own Basket Full of Valentines. I will teach you the fine art of turning Stampin' Up! exclusive designs into a fun basket that can hold your 12 mini Valentines or a treat for someone special. Can't make it on the 31st? A Kit-To-Go could be the answer! Get full instructions and all the pieces you need to make this fun basket. Email me today to reserve your spot in the class or order your Kit-To-Go!

Bucket Full of Valentine Treats

2010-01-07T17:30:00.005-06:00

A couple years ago, my mom, Mickey and I attended an event where we altered a paint can for someone special at Valentine's Day. My kids really enjoyed the crafty candy filled tin. One more thing for them to fight over...the chocolate, not the crafty can :) My dad, on the other hand, carried his treats all around the house in the special bucket from his sweetie! I promise you, if I were to ask for him to produce it today, it wouldn't be far away and I'm sure it's been restocked with something sweet.

Give your sweetie a sweet treat this Valentine's Day with a custom bucket full of love! (Yes, I know how cheesy that sounds...humor me!) On Wednesday, February 3 from 6:00 - 10:00 in Kelli's Korner, we will be embellishing buckets all night long. Come when you can. Stay as long as you like. You will have creative control over your very own bucket. Choose from bunches of different Designer Series Paper patterns, punches, stamps, and ribbon to make your bucket perfect!

Because I need to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone, all RSVP's must be in to me no later than January 17.