Stamp Your Dream with Julie Ramos

I'm baaaaaack....

2012-01-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, after a long absence from the blogging world, I am back. What a crazy, busy month it has been! Classes, Valentines for Vintage Market....but most exciting: LEADERSHIP! Wow, I cannot really put into words what this experience was like. It was my first Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference and it was awesome. Convention is so exciting, but at Leadership we are simply spoiled, no other way to put it! I have so many pictures, projects, gifts, etc to share, but I wanted to start with a little sneak peek! Here is a picture of the fabulous pillow gifts that I received from my roommates on our first night in San Antonio. I am so blessed to be a part of such a talented group of girls. The pictures do not do these items justice. I took individual photos of each gift to share with you over the next few posts, so keep watching. Since I am blogging on my lunch hour I need to get back to work. Until next time.....

Love is in the air...

2012-01-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hello stampers!
Hope you all had a great holiday season! As you can tell it has been a while since my last post...I was very busy over the holidays keeping up with my boyfriend, my family, and my stamping business. Now that we have said goodbye to Christmas I am ready to say hello to Valentine's Day! Of course I have my own personal reasons why I am excited about the season of "LOVE"...heeheehee, but it is also nice to move on to some different kinds of projects. Here is a glass jar candle that I decorated to sell at Vintage Market. If you have recently paid a visit to the Clearance Rack you might have noticed that our gorgeous "Love Letters" Designer Series Paper has made a return and at a very low price...It has always been one of my favorites. I punched hearts out with our Large Heart Punch and backed them with the matching Heart Emobosslit for the Big Shot. I then added a Cherry Cobbler Button and a Cherry Cobbler Flower Brad with an adhesive pearl in the center. I topped it all off with a bow made from our Crocheted Ribbon. I picked up these glass candles for just a buck at the Dollar Tree so they are a fun and in expensive way to create really cool home decor or gifts. Check back for my next post; I will show you yet another way to decorate one of these candles with a different Big Shot Die.

Until next time...

A Merry & Type CASE of Tiffany Bauer

2011-12-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite stampers is a gal by the name of Tiffany Bauer. If you blog hop, you might have her blog saved to your faves. She is a very talented demonstrator and also has a cool feature on her blog called "My Crafty Picks" where I am very proud to say, my snowflake banner was recently featured. Anyway, this card is a case of one her most popular creations of the holiday season and it was also a card that I taught to my ladies for our November Stamp Club Hostess Gathering. It features the stamp set "Merry & Type" and our awesome silver glitter paper. Tiffany did have our mini jingle bells attached to the ribbon, but I was out of those when I decided to CASE her card. I think it still turned out very nice. Thanks, Tiffany for sharing your great designs! If you want to check out more of her work, visit her blog: My Crafty World

Double Hot Cocoa Packet

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Super easy to make, fun to give!

Supplies: Kraft Envelope, Northern Frost Embossing Folder, Scalloped Edge Border Punch, Merry & Type Stamp Set, Winter Post Stamp Set (snowflake), Soft Suede Ink (sponged on edges), Cherry Cobler Ink, Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (available on Clearance Rack).

A Merry, Merry Candy Cane!

2011-12-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

This was one of the projects for my December Hostess Gathering on Saturday. It was really easy to make and I love the color combo! We had made a cool Joy Banner (to be shared in a later post) using the Stitched Felt embellishments and had these snowflakes left so I decided to have the girls add them to these candy cane tag/ornament/treats.

The color combo is Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist and Whisper White!

Stamps used: Tiny Tags

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Whisper White

Ink: Marina Mist

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine, Cherry Cobbler Quilted Ribbon, Subtles Buttons, Stitched Felt Embellishments

Tools used: Tiny Tags Punch, paper pierce and mat stack, Mini Glue Dots, Tombo Multi Use Adhesive.

Until next time!

Holiday Stamp Night Project #1

2011-12-07T23:51:00.001-08:00

Snowflake Ornament

2011-12-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

Made this for Vintage Market tonight. I used our Large Scallop Square, Scallop Circle and Snowflake dies, and the 2 1/2" Circle and Corner Rounder Punches. I used the Stars Big Shot die (largest and smallest) to punch those fabulous start from our Silver Glitter Paper. The Merry Christmas sentiment is from the "Many Merry Messages" stamp set and the brad is a Neutral Glimmer Brad. The color combo is Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Basic Black. The piece with the polka dotted DSP is actually a 4" chipboard coaster, to give the ornament some sturdiness. I also lightly sponged the snowflake with Soft Suede Classic Ink and then sprayed Champagne Mist Shimmer Mist on it for a little extra sparkle. I used my handy dandy Crop-a-dile to punch holes thru the whole thing and then attached some jute twine. I love the rustic feel with just enough bling to make it cheery.

Until next time!

MERRY & BRIGHT TREATS!

2011-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

I am so loving the "MERRY & BRIGHT" words from the Merry & Type stamp set! I used them on 2 types of treats that I made last week. The first is pictured above and it is a candy can treat/tag. This item is great because you can tie it on a gift, bottle of wine or just put it on your tree! I also used the Frostwood Lodge DSP to wrap around the tag to help keep the candy cane secure as well as add a decorative touch. Glue dots behind the candy cane also help to keep it adhered to the tag. I stamped and punched my words using the Decorator Label Punch.

This treat above is just a simple treat made with bookmark sleeves found on a craft website and our Top Note Die. I ran the Top Note thru the Big Shot using the Northern Flurry embossing folder to give it a bit of texture (I also used it on the project above). I used the Decorative Label punch again to feature my words and then snipped a snowflake that was cut with our Northern Frost Sizzlet. I added a retired Always Artichoke button (gotta use em up) to the center of the snowflake for a little bling and a twine bow to the corner for a rustic look. I love these peppermint drop candies because they are filled with chocolate and are so yummy, but more even more important, the wrapper is the perfect shade of Cherry Cobbler!

Until next time!

2011-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends and especially all of the wonderful people that I have met since I began stamping nearly 7 years ago. You have all been wonderful friends and without your support the changes in my life over the past 12 months would have been really hard. I am so grateful for my 2 beautiful daughters and for the wonderful man that God has sent to me. Life is beautiful and I feel so blessed. Much love and many warm thoughts to you and your family on this day of gratitude.

The next few days will be a break from creating as I spend the holiday weekend in the most perfect little house in the mountains with those that I love the most. This place really is a little piece of heaven...

Until next time!

More hand stamped ornaments & tags

2011-11-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

Artistic Etchings Ornament

2011-11-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

I made these ornaments a few weeks ago with one of my favorite Stampin' Up! sets: Artistic Etchings. I love this crown and thought it would look great as an ornament. I used our large scallop and circle dies and then attached a pretty glittered snowflake ornament that I got for super cheap at a local craft store using Crystal Effects. I stamped and punched the crown with Black Craft ink on Very Vanilla card stock and mounted it on our smaller punched scallop also using Crystal Effects. I ran both scallops thru the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to give them a little texture. I punched a hole in the top with my Crop-a-dile and then tied some twine thru it to hand it on the tree. I finished the whole thing off with some Champagne Shimmer Mist made by adding a few drops of our Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint to 2 oz. of 70% rubbing alcohol. I mix it up in an old Stampin' Mist bottle which sprays it perfectly and evenly. It adds the perfect amount of bling to any project.

Until next time!

2011-11-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ruby and I are so blessed and proud to be a part of the wonderful venture known as Vintage Market. Many thanks to Teresa Benedict for giving us the opportunity and to all of the ladies (and guy) who make up the wonderful team of vendors/artists with whom we are lucky enough to share floor space. If you have not been able to experience the Market now is the time; the holiday decor is breathtaking.

Check out this wonderful article that blogger Shelly Bort recently wrote about Vintage Market:

Favorite Places: Vintage Market

Until next time!

Warm Winter Treats!

2011-11-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

So as you may have noticed, I have not posted anything here in a couple of weeks. I have spent the last 2 weekends up at my boyfriend's house in Angels Camp and just having a wonderful time! Last weekend we took Natalie with us and on Sunday we got to play in the first snow of the season. It fell in the Murphys/Arnold area (just up the hill) and it was just beautiful, as you can see below:

We also paid a visit to The Red Apple in Murphys and had their famous hot cider, apple turnovers and their amazing apple cider donuts! OMG, they were to die for. I bought a dozen donuts to take home as well as a half gallon of sweet cider and needless to say neither of those lasted very long! It did put me in the mood to get started on my warm winter treats for Vintage Market! These treats are some inexpensive gifts that you can create for your neighbors, teachers, or just use them for stocking stuffers.

The picture above is one of my Apple Cider bags. I buy the Alpine Apple Cider packets and then package them up with creamy caramels or some Werthers Hard Candies. I cut a piece of coordinating card stock (this I emboss in the Big Shot) and slide it into one of our wonderful clear envelopes (a steal at $4.95 for 50!). They are perfect for little gifts like this and look so much better than anything you find in the local craft stores. I just add some rustic ribbon from my stash and a cool Stampin' Up! tag and they are ready to go!

These treats are hot cocoa packets wrapped in Christmas DSP and then topped of with these cute Santa Lollipops that I found at the Dollar Tree. I made a matching topper for my bag (SU Medium Cello Bags), added my stamped and punched greeting and then wrapped it up in our Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (currently found on the SU Clearance Rack)!

I hope these ideas and the cool weather inspire you to get busy and start crafting for the holidays!

Until next time!

Vintage style snowflake banner

2011-11-01T22:09:00.001-07:00

Fun Flowers and a little "Spice Cake"

2011-10-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of thank you cards that I made recently. I love the colors in the Spice Cake DSP and I will miss it when the Holiday Mini Catalog comes to an end in January. I think I might have to stock up on a few packs for a fall event that I am planning for in 2012. The colors are so complimentary to each other: Pool Party, Soft Suede, More Mustard and Pear Pizzaz.

I used the Fun Flower die for this project, it is one of my favorites. I love embossing the flower shapes with the many embossing folders that SU carries, it just adds that extra texture that every card needs! The buttons and ribbon are from my stash but they matched the flowers and paper perfectly!

Queen for a Day!

2011-10-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love the new Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper! It has quickly become one of my new favorites. The french country shabby chic look is right up my alley. I had some cut pieces left over from our recent Autumn Stamp Fest (pictures to be shared in the future) and I decided to use them to make some really feminine cards.

Blushing Bride, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla make a great color combo for this DSP. I used the crown image from "Artistic Etchings" and the Queen for a Day sentiment from "You're a gem" and the "En Francais" Background Stamp. Punches used are Designer Label, Large Oval, Scallop Oval, 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" circle punches and the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch. I also used the Pinking Hearts Border Punch on the Soft Suede Panel. I sponged the edged of everything with Soft Suede ink and then added some ribbon from my stash. Our taffeta ribbon is perfect for this look.

Same layout in Bashful Blue, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla.

Until next time!

Magnet mania!

2011-10-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some super easy flower magnets that I made for Vintage Market. You just use your circle scallop punch to punch 2 scallops and then snip in between the petals to make them flower-like. I added a circle punched from the 1" circle punch and then pushed a fabric covered brad (from my stash of contraband) thru all 3 layers, but our Antique Brads would look even better, I just couldn't part with mine for the shop...heeheehee! I also punched the leaves from the 5 petal punch and used Mini Glue Dots to stick them to the back. I sponged the edges of the flowers and leaves to give them a vintage look. I attached another 1" circle to the back of the flower with a dimensional and then glued the flower to the front of a clothespin with Crystal Effects. I also glued the magnet to the back of the clothespin with Crystal Effects.

Super easy and very quick to make and they make great memo or photo holders for the front of the fridge!

My reason for lack of posting...

2011-09-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed a huge lack of posts over the last few months...well I just wanted to share the reason why with you....

I have been spending time with my boyfriend, Greg, and he is wonderful! I have been enjoying life and loving every minute of it, hence my lack of sharing projects with you...heeheehee! I have been creating here and there and sharing some of those items with you and I do have many more pictures of my creations to post, but I now spend my evenings with Greg and my daughters so the time that I previously used for posting my projects is now being spent otherwise. I am going to try to post projects at least once a week to keep my blog fresh and share my art with you, so please check back. Right now I am on a banner making streak, so you will see a bunch more of those, in fact I am working on 2 customer banners for a friend right now, and those will be my next share. Stay tuned...

WICKED!

2011-09-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest banner, made for Vintage Market! I used one of my favorite Halloween stamp sets, "Wicked Cool". The color combo of this project is Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizazz, Basic Black and Whisper White. I used the Spiderweb Embossing Folder for each panel, after I cut them out using the Top Note Die. I sponged each edge with Basic Black. Also used were the 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" and 2" circle punches as well as the Scallop Circles Die. The DSP is Rich Razzleberry from the Bold Brights Stack. The letters are from the Broadsheet Alphabet set, which is my new go to stamp set. I also used the Itty Bitty Punch and Adhesive Rhinestones. The ribbon is Basic Black Satin, from my stash. I stacked all of my panels and punched the holes at the top with my Crop-o-dile, it punches thru all 6 layers at once, so that I can ensure my holes are in the same place on each panel. I love this layout for my banners and will be duplicating many more with different colors and themes and if you are in my Hostess Club, you will be creating your own 4 panel banner at our October Gathering. Until next time, happy stamping!

Two new banners for fall!

2011-09-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

I created a couple more banners to take down to Vintage Market this weekend. These are perfect to add to your mantle or dining room for the Autumn/Thanksgiving season. I even made one for myself, which I never do!

Spice Cake Candle!

2011-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the projects that the Stamp Tramps made on Saturday for our September Hostess Gathering. I have been wanting to create something with those very inexpensive candles that you can find at Walmart or the Dollar Store and when I received my FREE Spice Cake Bundle from Stampin' Up!, I knew I was going to first use my goodies to create this project! It is SO EASY and would make a great gift or tablescape for a special occasion. I used my Spice Cake DSP, Fabric, Buttons as well as our Linen Thread, Leaf Die for the Big Shot and various embossing folders. I attached everything to the candle with Sticky Strip and it has held really well, so I think it is a winner! What do you think?

Fall Banner for Vintage Market!

2011-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Made a couple of these to put on the rack at Vintage Market, along with some other cute fall items that I will share in my next post!

Up, Up & Away!

2011-08-21T19:40:00.001-07:00

Pinwheel Card from Hot August Stamp Night...

2011-08-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the projects that I designed for last weekend's Hot August Stamp Night. I used the brand new stamp set, "Sweets for the Sweet". One of my new faves because it is just so happy and whimsical. The DSP is from Big Top Birthday and is also a new fave. The color combo is Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White. The birthday greeting is from the new hostess set, "Happiest Birthday Wishes". This is one of my favorite cards, just a fun, clean design, don't you think?

Stock up on Designer Series Paper NOW!

2011-08-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Click here to view!

HOT AUGUST STAMP NIGHT!

2011-07-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

HOT AUGUST STAMP NIGHT!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2011

6:00 P.M.

RALEY'S COMMUNITY EVENT ROOM

TURLOCK

FEE: $17.00

Get out of the heat and come into the cool and STAMP! It is time to get back into the swing of things with a brand new catalog and some fabulous new project ideas! Join us for our Hot August Stamp Night where we gather to eat, share, chat and of course, CREATE!
Our theme this time around is NEW, NEW, NEW! We have so many new stamp sets, papers, embellishments and more in our GORGEOUS 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! Catalog and we cannot wait to present them to you in 6 exciting new projects. Make sure to bring your cameras as well as your stampin' kit (snips, adhesive, bone folder) so you can snap pics of other projects that will be on display as well.

Reserve your spot quickly as we always fill up before the cutoff date. We will have space for only 12 stampers so check your calendars and save your spot! To register for the class and see other upcoming events, visit HERE!

A look inside the market.....

2011-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Vintage Market....take a look inside!

Craft Area Wish List

2011-05-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

So while I was out shopping with the girls today, I picked up a magazine for which I have patiently been waiting. Creative Spaces by Creating Keepsakes. I love looking at the craft areas of other artists and this magazine definitely delivers. Right now, I just have a corner of my living room to create in, but someday I hope to have one whole room designated to my passion. I fell in love with so many areas that I saw in this magazine and found a lot of creative storage ideas as well. It even features the craft rooms of SU! co-founder Shelli Gardner and her daughter Sara.

Thanks to my day job, I will shortly be receiving a $100 gift card for Pottery Barn and here are 2 items that I have had on my wish list for a while. The top cubby I spotted on one of my favorite stamping blogs, and the 3 tier rack on the bottom is actually featured in the magazine mentioned above. Now to choose....what do you think?

MIA again!

2011-05-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Just wanted to check in and tell you that I am still alive....LOL. I have actually been enjoying life and taking time to stop and smell the roses...and they smell great! I will be busy this week stampin' up new creations for you, so be patient with me. Talk to you soon!

Decorator Label Magnets!

2011-05-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

So, as soon as I saw these adorable magnets on Stampin' Connection (SU demo only web site), I just knew I would have to recreate them. So on Saturday night, my friend Diane and I hung out and stamped the night away. I made a ton of these for Vintage Market and one set for myself. I got this fabulous idea from a fellow demo, Cheryl Garratt. So easy to make! The color combo is Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze, River Rock and Soft Suede. We used Early Espresso and Soft Suede ink and of course the Decorator Label Punch to punch them out. We then used the Beautiful Wings Embosslet for the Big Shot as well as the Boho Blossoms Punch, leaves from the Bird on a Branch Punch and of course a ton of adhesive pearls. The words are from one of my favorite sentiment sets: Fabulous Phrases. Just glued some magnets on the back with Crystal Effects and they were ready to go!

Here are a few close ups for you:

Getting ready for Mother's Day, SU style!

2011-04-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

I whipped these cute magnets up on Saturday. Thought they would be cute to sell at Vintage for Mother's Day gifts. I used the larger square on the Scallop Square Duo Die. The DSP is "Springtime Vintage" from the Spring Mini catalog, only a few days left to order it. Of course the larger butterfly is from the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz Die and the smaller are from the "Beautiful Wings Embosslit". I added some tiny adhesive pearls to the smaller butterflies and the word "mother" to the larger ones, using the small and large oval punches. The word stamp came from "Wonderful Favorites". These were super easy to make and using the cardboard from our SU shipping boxes for the scalloped squares is a great way to recycle!

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-04-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

(CASE'd from Lisa Young)

Love this card!

2011-04-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

This card was given to me by my wonderful upline, Kim Molesworth. She made it for my housewarming/starting over party and I just think it is so beautiful. She used the inlaid embossing technique to get the quilted fabric look and also added this beautiful flower made of layers of both card stock and fabric. I love the color combo, in fact it is one that I have been using a lot lately myself. Great minds think alike! You can check out more of Kim's beautiful creations at her blog:

http://www.alacardcreations.com/

Thanks again, Kim! I love it!

April Hostess Club Project

2011-04-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the projects from our April Hostess Gathering this past Saturday. Since I have 2 ladies in the Hostess Club that are both expecting their first child, I thought it would be fitting to design a baby card. Unfortunately, both of those gals were unable to attend...lol! But we made the card anyway! I love the versatility of the "Nature Walk" Stamp Set. I have made many birthday cards with it, but also Easter and now Baby. I also used the "Wonderfully Worn" and "Sanded" Background Stamps to give some texture to the project. The speckles on the Wonderfully Worn BG Stamp matched the speckles on the eggs perfectly. This card also took many punches: 1 3/4" Circle, Large Circle Scallop, Modern Label, Boho Blossoms and Scalloped Border. I topped it all of with my favorite brad from the Antique Brads assortment. The color combo for this card is Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake and Whisper White. I also whipped up a bunch of these cards and put them at Vintage Market today. Baby cards seem to be going very quickly lately, so I think lots of people were busy this past winter ;)

Spring is Blossoming!

2011-04-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is Blossoming Promotion: April 1 - 30, 2011The Stampin' Up! Spring is Blossoming Promotion offers customers the opportunity to purchase two sneak peek products from the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog. You can get these brand-new products in one of two ways:
1) Online Order
•Spend $20* on any Stampin' Up! products and become eligible to purchase both the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper.

•Both items can be purchased once the $20 minimum is met; there is a limit of five per product once the $20 minimum is met. Ordering another $20 of Stampin' Up! products resets the limit and allows you to purchase another five Designer Series Papers and/or stamp sets.

2) Host a Workshop
•Host a $350* workshop and get the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE! Email me for details if you would like to place a combined order with friends or place a single order thru me to earn these products free!

•There is a limit of one Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper per workshop.

*Net sales before tax and shipping

Same elements, 2 different cards!

2011-03-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Fun flower magnets!

2011-03-20T23:14:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy favors or gifts. I love making magnets using my SU supplies. The new Fun Flower Die for the Big Shot is perfect for such a project. I also love the words in the new "You're a Gem" stamp set. They are great for my magnets. In addition, I used the crown from "Artistic Etchings" since it goes so well with the "Queen for a day" stamp from "You're a Gem". I ran the layers of my flowers thru the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Texturizing Folder. Our new crown trinkets also add just the right amount of bling, especially when you add some our adhesive rhinestones to them.

My color combo was Basic Gray, Old Olive, Baja Breeze.

I also used the friends word and tag shape from "Tiny Tags" stamp set.

Another look:

Framed Art

2011-03-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

So, I have been trying to come up with easy, inexpensive ways to decorate the house that I am renting for me and the girls. I picked us some cute frames at the M store recently using some coupons and played with my Stampin' Up! punches and DSP and came up with these ideas. I like the butterfly under glass theme so I used my butterfly punch and some retired DSP to try it out. While it doesn't really go with my colors in my house, it did come out nice and gave me more ideas. So of course, I took it to Vintage Market to sell!

I love this frame! I used our Large Heart Punch as well as our Scalloped Heart Embosslit and showcased the Love Letter Designer Series Paper. This project was cool because one sheet of the DSP is actually a grid pattern which made is super easy to line up my hearts. I loved the flourish on the lower right hand corner of the grid pattern. It just added that extra design touch. These colors are perfect for my kitchen but not my living room, so I took this frame to Vintage Market as well.

Sew Sweet!

2011-03-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

Another Hostess Club project from February's gathering.

Just for you....

2011-02-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

Made some birthday goodie bags for Vintage Market yesterday. These are so easy to make and very popular. We can customize them to match your birthday party theme. Or I can show you how cheap and easy it is to make your own! Just need our smallest cello bags and the Top Note die for the Big Shot. Watch for different styles as well as some coordinating banners that will be arriving in the shop soon!

Love this stamp, it says "Just for You, so you don't have to share"!

February Hostess Club Projects

2011-02-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

This was one of the projects at this month's Hostess Club Gathering. I was inspired by a simpler version of these tags on the blog of Andrea Munro, which you can find HERE. Of course, you know that I can't leave these simple, so I stepped up the design by using our punches, embossing folders and 2 new stamp sets, which we colored in with markers.

The projects featured one SAB set "So Happy for You" and one Spring Mini Catalog Hostess Set, "Slice of Life". Love these sets because they are for mutliple occasions. The strips of DSP are from the "Sew Suite" collection. Love the bright colors in this palette!

I will share more Hostess Club projects this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Fluttering by...

2011-02-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

Whipped up some more butterfly magnets for Vintage Market today. They feature the Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper and the stamp set "Fabulous Phrases". I used the Medium and Large Oval Punches as well as an adhesive rhinestone on each magnet. These are so easy and so much fun to make and they have been a huge it at the shop. Perfect little add-on gifts.

That is all I have time for today, still trying to get settled in the new house and the new life and trying to keep up with my SU business so I am exhausted. Until next time...

One word says it all....

2011-02-16T20:16:00.001-08:00

Love is in the air at Vintage Market!

2011-02-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Since I have not been able to create anything lately to show you, I thought I would share these gorgeous photos of the beautiful Valentine displays at Vintage Market. Let me tell you that I did NOT snap these beautiful photos, I "borrowed" them from the blog of one of the other vendors, Dogwood Designs. You can find the link to their blog at the end of this post. Please check it out, it is wonderful!

I cannot tell you how happy and blessed that I am to be able to sell my creations in such a magical store. Vintage Market features so many talented and creative artisans and collectors and these pictures are just a snippet of the lovely items featured in the store.

This photo features part of the lovely "love" themed display in the front of the store. This area is where each vendor puts an item from their space to form an wonderful collection of holiday or seasonal items. Of course we are currently celebrating Valentine's Day!

The two photos below are some of my favorites. My friend, Kim Jonson, creates these beautiful, vintage themed pieces of jewelry that are so whimsical and unique yet very affordable. I love when she changes up her display to match the season. She currently has some fabulous charms and chains for Valentine's Day and I think I will be picking up a Valentine's gift for myself this year!

This is another shot of the "collective" display at the front of the store. Can you feel the love...lol? I am craxy about that burlap wrapped flameless candle. I am not sure which space that is from, but I think I might have to pick one up for my new house!

If you came to our recent stamp night, "Feel the Love", you might recognize the cute little bags of chocolate that were created by BFF Ruby. The bars of soap are made by Michelle (aka CosmicPopsicle). Her products are made right here in Turlock and are wonderful. I picked up a few of these for Christmas gifts and I love that I can also support a fellow local artisan!

Love this apron! It makes me happy!

The ladies of Space #9, otherwise know as J.Blackbird, create one of my favorite spaces in the store. It is always a treat to see what Andie and her mom have brought in to delight our customers. Aren't these heart sachets sweet?

Love everything about their space. Even their price tags are works of art and they also offer some very beautiful and unique jewelry!

For more photos of the latest displays at the shop, please go to:

Dogwood Designs.

All photos courtesy of them!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

2011-01-25T22:52:00.000-08:00

It's here! Stampin' Up!'s biggest promotion of the year!!!

Dates: January 25-March 31, 2011

3 Ways to take advantage of this great offer:

1. Customers receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 they spend (before tax and shipping)!

2. Hostesses receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $300 in workshop sales*, in addition to the regular hostess benefits!

*Note: This benefit is only available on qualifying customer, demonstrator, and workshop orders. Online orders do not qualify.

3. New recruits receive 15 percent off their Starter Kit (Standard or Digital+), plus a special Sale-A-Bration bonus bundle valued up to $50!

I am placing a SAB order tomorrow night if anyone would like to add their own order to it.

Combined orders receive better shipping rates than indivudual orders, so take advantage of this offer!

A Personal Note...

2011-01-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

Hello stampin' friends,
Those of you that regularly look at my blog have probably noticed that I have not been posting as much as usual, so I thought I would share why. I am not usually one for putting all my personal business "out there", but I felt that this would be easier than having to tell each of my customers and stamping friends individually. I currently have a few big changes happening in my personal life, the biggest one is the fact that my husband and I are separating and the girls and I are moving to our own place in a couple of weeks. Now before you start feeling sad for me, I want to say that this change will be a positive one for our family, all of us, including my husband. I think once we all get over the big transition, our lives will be filled with positivity, peace and happiness and I know for sure that I will find out how strong I really am...lol! I know there will be challenges and it is scary, but it is truly time for a change for me and my girls. If you are one of my local stamping friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so supportive of me, my family and my Stampin' Up! business. I plan to grow my business even more, so I can have even more financial stability with my new "single mom" status...so don't be surprised if you begin to see a ton of classes appear on my schedule in the near future. Stamping has been a godsend for me and I am not about to cut back on what makes me happy, brings me new friends and adds to my income. So, say a little prayer for me, think good thoughts or wish good karma, whatever you believe in, and know that I have made it this far with the wonderful support of all of you, my friends and sisters. And keep watching for some new creations over the next few days!

God Bless,
Julie

Swap Card

2011-01-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

(Photo courtesy of Laura Pinto Nguyen)

I was recently invited to join a swap that was hosted by Laura Pinto Nguyen and this is the card I created for it. This card is FULL of new Spring Mini products. The stamp sets that I chose were Nature Walk and You're a Gem. I absolutely love anything with birds, birdcages or butterflies so Nature Walk was right up my alley. I love the vintage feel to it. Some new accessories that I used were the Rose Red Seam Binding (OMG, love it!) and the Vintage Flower Adornments. I love these little roses, just put a dimensional on the back and you are ready to go. I also used the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Folder to add a little flair to the base of my card. I also added a couple of our smallest adhesive pearls to the upper right hand corner of the card. The color combo that I chose for this project is Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Rose Red, River Rock and Very Vanilla. I sponged a little bit of Soft Suede around the edges of some of the layers to add a little more "vintage" to the card. The words, "love life, live life" are from You're a Gem and I punched and mounted them with the Small, Large and Scalloped Oval Punches. What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-01-19T22:57:00.001-08:00

Valentine Gifts

2011-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, long time no see!

As I posted in my last entry, my personal life has gotten a little crazy, so I was MIA for awhile and might be for a few more days this month. More about that in a later post. I am back tonight with a new project! Here are some cute little Valentine Gifts that I created to sell at Vintage Market. These were some lip balms that I recently picked up at Target and I immediately zoned in on the Eiffel Tower theme, so I knew I had to grab a few and wrap them up Stampin' Up! style! I put each one in one of our Large Cello Bags and added some shred. I then hand stamped a matching tag in Black, Whisper White and Rose Red using "Artistic Etchings" and the swirly image from "Simple Friendship". I was out of my SU ribbon, so I grabbed some off brand from my stash as well as these paper flowers, but I think this project would look even better with our Basic Black Satin Ribbon! You can also stamp the swirly image on our paper flowers. I have our paper flowers, but I try to save my best SU supplies for my workshops and classes and try to use up my off brand "stash" for the things I sell at the shops.

Here is another look:

Stay tuned....

2011-01-12T22:23:00.000-08:00

Nothing new to share right now. I have a few things that I need to get organized in my personal life and then I will have time to play catch up. Natalie's 12th birthday party is this weekend and I also need to get ready for that. I will return in a few days with some new projects.

2011-01-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog is here! Click here to enjoy!

Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers!

2011-01-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, friends!

Some new baby cards that I whipped up for Vintage Market. When I used this stamp on my previous baby cards, they sold out very quickly, so I will give it another try....LoL! The stamp is from the Stampin' Up! set "Puns from the Past" which I just love! Perfect for vintage projects. The cardstock, ribbon, button and punches are also from our wonderful line, the floral DSP from my stash and the news print is from our new Spring Mini Catalog, just $9.95 for 24 double sided sheets. I will be using this in a lot of future projects, as I love the vintage feel of it. Ok, I think I used the word "vintage" way to many times for one post, but I cannot help it, that is where my heart lies. Thanks for looking!

Bohemian Butterflies!

2010-12-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

I know I said I wouldn't be posting until the new year, but I couldn't wait to share this project that I completed last night. It is my Bohemian Butterfly Banner and it was so much fun to make something other than Christmas...lol! I made this version as well as a horizontal version. I just got this stamp set, "Broadsheet Alphabet" and I love it! It has such a vintage feel to it and it went perfectly with my "Beautiful Butterflies" that I cut with my Big Shot. I also used our various Circle and Scallop punches and dies to create the many layers as well as the Large Scallop Square die to make the backers for my chipboard coaster panels. The DSP is from my retired stash and I think some of these patterns are from before I was even a demo, but they were perfect for my shabby chic butterflies. I took my banners down to Vintage Market to sell, but I would love to show you how to make one using our new Spring Mini Catalog Designer Series Papers!

Here are some close up pics:

Here is a closer look at the awesome alphabet set that I used:

Broad Sheet Alphabet Stamp Set

Clear Mount #120585

$29.95

(Clear is the way to go, cheaper & easier to line up images with your clear blocks).

Wood Mount #118724

$43.95

2010-12-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

And that says it all!

Much love to you and your families! I will be taking a blogging break for the holidays, but hope to be back on New Year's weekend with some new goodies to share! Happy Holidays!

Frosty the Mini Hershey Bar Holder

2010-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a cute little Mini Hershey Bar Holder that I whipped up this week. My friend Lorraine had a super cute Halloween Mini Candy Bar Holder on her blog back in October and I liked it so much that I asked her for the directions. She was kind enough to send them to me and I modified them a bit to make my own version, but her project was truly the inspiration for this one. You can view her project here:

Lorraine's Stampin' Corner.

I will be creating some instructions for my modified version after the holidays, so keep checking back. I think it would be super cute for Valentine's Day!

More Christmas cards.

2010-12-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Both of the cards that I am sharing today were projects that my upline, Kim Molesworth, shared with her downline. The card above was featured at one of her recent downline meetings and I just love how clever it is! Not sure if you can see it, but the "door" on the front of the card is created with our Woodgrain Background stamp and a Neutral Glimmer Brad. The wreath is the branch from our Bird on a Branch punch. Love it!

The picture of the card above does not do it justice. It is so beautiful in person. This card was Kim's shoebox project from our October Stampin' Getway to the cabin. The Medallion stamp was inked up with Cherry Cobbler ink and then we sponged on some Champagne Shimmer paint directly over the ink and then stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and cut out. The outcome is just gorgeous! The final touch is the Antique Brad in the center. Many thanks to the very talented Kim, who always shares such gorgeous projects with us!

Another tag from "Holiday Tags Galore"

2010-12-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here is my final tag from our recent tag class. This is a super simple tag that used the Two Tags Die and the Bird on a Branch Punch. I ran the bird's wing and espresso strip thru the Big Shot using the Petals-a-plenty Embossing Folder. You can whip up a ton of these in a very short time.

My sneak peek items from the Spring Mini arrived a few days ago and I plan to spend some time today creating spring items with them. I am ready to move on from Christmas! It will be a perfect day of stamping since our weather outsided is CRAZY! I thought this morning that I was waking up to a tornado! The wind was blowing so hard and so loud and my neighbor's palm trees were bending in half! Then it became dead silent and then the rain came. Now it is a mixture of wind and rain and I don't plan on leaving my house until tonight, so after I get my Christmas cards addressed I will get busy stamping!

Holiday Stramp-a-stack Cards

2010-12-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the 3 card designs that were featured at my recent Holiday Stamp-a-stack Class. The ladies each got to make 5 of each design.

The card above was a swap that I received from my good friend Kathy. I just added the scalloped oval and sentiment. Sometimes the simplest of the cards are the best and this is one of my all time favorites. I liked it so much that I made a few for myself and will be mailing them out to my friends and family.

The next card is my own card and super simple. How can you not love Jolly Old Saint Nick? The colors of the Candy Cane Designer Series Paper are so bright and cheery that the card does not need a lot of bling, just the glass glitter on the scallop oval.

The final card is very subtle and more rustic looking. I got this design from Stampin' Connection and just changed it a bit. It features Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper and I still have a lot left, but some of the designs are very neutral, so they can be used year round. I wish I could remember the original artist, so if anyone knows, please inform me so I can give them proper credit.

Bells and Boughs

2010-12-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 cards featuring the stamp set: Bells & Boughs. The card above was a swap that I received from my friend/downline Shelley. Isn't it gorgeous? She did a beautiful job, especially cutting out the pointsettias. I absolutely love this card!

This card was one of the November Hostess Gathering projects. It features "Deck the Halls" DSP and our Artichoke Seam Binding. I love the rustic, vintage look of this stamp set paired with Crumb Cake card stock.

Holiday Tags Galore Class

2010-12-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

Jolly Old Saint Nick

Here are 4 of the tags that I taught at last Saturday nights class. I love cutting this size of tags and I love using Crumb Cake card stock for that vintage look.

Bells & Boughs and All Holidays

Mr. Snowman from Jolly Old Saint Nick. He is our favorite!

Friends 24~7 and Bells & Boughs

More cards from "An Old Fashioned Christmas"

2010-12-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here are the other 3 cards from the November class that Ruby and I did together. Above is our happy little snowman again from "Jolly Old Saint Nick". He is very popular with my ladies!

Love this snowflake, it is very vintage looking and you know how I love vintage. I might steal this one from Ruby for my family Christmas card! Very easy to duplicate.

The final card that Ruby taught featured the bleaching technique on Santa's beard, hair and hat. This was definitely a WOW technique that everyone loved. We learned it from our upline Beverlee. Thanks Bev!

An Old Fashioned Christmas

2010-12-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here are the cards that I taught at our "Old Fashioned Christmas" Stamp Night that Ruby and I hosted a few weeks ago. Everyone loves this vintage snowman from "Jolly Old Saint Nick" so I knew I had to use him!

The card above was similar to a design I found on Stampin' Connection, but I changed the layout a bit and the colors a lot! It was originally done in Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Always Artichoke but I wanted to brighten it up a bit, so I changed the colors to Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry and Crumb Cake.

Another layout I found on Stampin' Connection, love the subtle colors of Soft Sued, Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla. I will share Ruby's cards tomorrow!

2010-12-11T08:50:00.001-08:00

Magnetic Memo Board

2010-12-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

I created this magnetic memo board last weekend. I ordered Magnetic Sheets from Stampin' Up! because I have been dying to experiment with them and this is what I came up with. I love this project because the major parts of it are recycled! The base of is actually an 8x12" piece of chipboard that was cut from the backing of our Specialty Designer Series Paper. SU packages our paper this way to keep it safe when shipped. This is heavy gauge chipboard that sells for a few bucks a sheet at craft stores, so when you buy our Specialty DSP, this is an added bonus! I used my tabletop cutter to cut it down and I also used it to cut thru the magnetic sheet, and it cut like butter! The magnetic sheets come in 6x13" pcs and I cut this one down to 6x10'". The magnetic sheets are cool because they have an adhesive backing so you just peel and stick!

The top element was cut from more recycle chipboard using the Top Note die for the Big Shot. I just cut my "Newsprint" DSP big enough to cover the die (I cut black card stock out as well). I used my SU glue stick to clue the DSP to one side of the chipboard and the black card stock to the other. Then I just ran it thru, DSP side down, and voila! My Top Note comes out cut and already decorated! The pressure of the Big Shot roller compresses the DSP, chipboard and card stock together so there is no chance of it coming apart. I used my handy dandy Crop-o-dile to cut holes in the Top Note for my Antique Brads and holes in my base for Jumbo Eyelets (you won't find these at the "M" store!). I used some heavy duty jute to thread thru the eyelets because I wanted a more rustic look, but you could also use our wide striped ribbon as well.

I stamped the Take Note image from the "Notably Ornate" stamp set and mounted it on the large tag from the "Lots of Tags" Sizzlet set, added two Vintage Brads and then attached it to the center of the top note with dimensionals. I thought the sentiment was perfect for this project.

Now, you can thank my husband for the elements on the next part. I have a pretty sizable collection of bottle caps due to Brandon's fondness of beer, so I pulled some out and added some circles punched with my SU punches and some letters stamped with a stamp set from last year's Spring Mini Catalog, can't remember the name right now. I love this set and thought the typeset looking letters fit perfectly into the theme of this project. Now the bottle caps stuck to the magnetic sheets since they are metal, but I wanted a stronger magnetic attraction, so I added some tiny heavy duty, iincredibly strong neodymium magnets that I purchased from Etsy (cheapest place to find them - $5.00 for 50! - thanks Kim Jonson, for the tip!). I wanted to make sure that they would stay in place as this project ended up for sale at Vintage Market on Sunday.

I am really happy with how this project turned out and I cannot wait until I have time to make more in different themes and colors! Let me know what you think!

Feelin' a little Merry!

2010-12-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest tabletop banner. This one is a little larger than the fall ones. Each panel on this one measures 4"x 6". This one was a bit more time consuming because I had more space to fill, but I like the way it turned out. I put a couple of these at each store to sell yesterday so hopefully they will find new homes soon.

The color combo for this creation is Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette and Whisper White. I used the Delightful Decorations Stamp Set to make embellishments as well as the Ornament Punch, Snowflake Punch and 2 1/2" Circle Punch. The DSP is from my retired SU stash, so I don't remember what the name is, but the Subtles Stack would work great on this project, as it includes both pinks and Baja Breeze. I stamped little snowflake designs on the pink DSP using one of the small stamps from the Delightful Decorations set to give it a little punch of Chocolate Chip. I also added some contraband: silver snowflake brads from a local craft store just because they were too cute (and cheap) to pass up!

Sssshhhhh, don't tell anyone!

Well, I have to finish up a few small projects and then I am off toVintage Market to fill up the rack again. I want to say thanks to all of our friends and family that shop Vintage and Unique and support Ruby and I. We have been doing great and I know a large part of our support comes from our loved ones, so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Hot Cocoa Sliders

2010-12-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

This was a project from our November Stamp Tramp Gathering and I have had many inquires on instructions from online friends, so I have decided to post the same instructions that I handed out to my Stamp Tramps. Enjoy!

Cocoa Slider

Cut cardstock for base: 7 ¾” x 5 ½”

Cut DSP for band: 7 ¾” x 1”

Score cardstock at 3 5/8” and 7 ¼”

Fold cardstock on score lines and run thru Big Shot with embossing folder.

Sticky strip narrow flap and adhere together.

Wrap DSP around cardstock packet and adhere at both ends and underneath.

Decorate as desired.

Punch hole in top center for ribbon.

Cut 24” of ribbon.

Thread ribbon through hole then push down with cocoa packet.

Tie ribbon in bow at top.

Viola, you are done!

2010-12-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Storewide sale at Unique this Saturday!

20% off everything!

Plus, 20 additional vendors outside!

Stop in and pick up some "unique" gifts for your friends and family!

Make sure to check out our holiday display next to the card rack.

We have some great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts!

Raffle Prize

2010-11-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

This was a prize I made for the raffle at our "Old Fashioned" Stamp Night. It is a covered 5x7 mini legal pad and I packaged it up with a cute Stampin' Up! pen that I picked up at Convention. I used The following stamp sets: Aviary, Notably Ornate and Charming. The color combo is Basic Black, Whisper White and Melon Mambo. The DSP is from the Brights Stack and the black layer behind the "Take Note" oval is actually 2 Designer labels turned in two different directions. I also used the Wide Oval and Scalloped Edge Punches. My friend Veronica was the winner of this prize, I hope she likes it!

Welcome new team members & Paris Banner

2010-11-25T00:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the current Simply Amazing recruiting special, I have added 4 new members to my demonstrator team this week! Welcome: Tia, Carol, Veronica and Anita!

Don't ya just love Stampin' Up!

Woohoo!

Here is a banner that I created last night. I LOVE it! I made it for Vintage Market so if you like it you can purchase it on Black Friday! I will be making more so let me know if you would like to reserve one!

Not the best picture, but it was almost 2am when I took it last night! Colors are Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White. Eiffel Tower is from "Chic Boutique" stamp set and I made the embellishment with the circle scallop punch and the 5 petal punch and an Antique Brad.

What do you think?

Vintage Frames

2010-11-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here is another cool way you can use all of your Stampin' Up! supplies: stamp your own artwork! I picked these frames up in the Dollar Spot at Target about a year ago ( 3 in a pack for just $2.50) and just found them in my stash recently. I decided to stamp some artwork to put in the frame as well as decorate the outside. I used 3 of my favorite stamp sets (all current): Friends 24~7, Artistic Etchings and Flores Suaves. I coordinated my striped grosgrain ribbon with the colors of my art and then I made some embellishments by running cardboard (from the boxes in which my Stampin' Up! goodies arrive) thru my Big Shot using various dies. It works just like chipboard and guess what? It is FREE! And you are recycling it which makes this a very GREEN project.

For the butterfly embellishment above I ran some aluminum roof flashing thru my Big Shot using the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz XL die and then embossed the butterfly with my Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.

Here is another butterfly, this one made from the recycle SU! box. I loved these projects so much, it was hard to part with them. I took them down to Vintage Market and put them on our Holiday Collection rack, so hopefully they will go to a new happy home!

2010-11-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

HOLY COW!!! Stampin' Up! has once again shocked all of us with an AWESOME NEVER BEFORE SEEN OFFER that is starting on Monday, November 15th and will only last two short weeks!! Stampin' Up! is making an offer that anyone that has ever thought about joining our family or has left the family and wants to come back that you CANNOT RESIST!! For two VERY short weeks, Stampin' Up! is offering their regular and digital starter kits at 50% off!!! The kits contain over $310 in products but you can purchase one for $87.50 (plus FREE shipping)!! This is HUGE!!!

So, if you want more information about this HUGE offer please contact me ASAP since we only have two very short weeks to take advantage of this awesome offer!! And did you know that it is perfectly okay to sign up for just the discount!! Lots of demonstrators do and love it!! I say everyone should receive a discount on their favorite products!! Or, maybe you want to do this as a business or have some extra money to help pay a bill each month. Which ever option works for you this awesome huge deal is just way too good to pass up!!! Drop me a line or ring me up if you have any questions or need help picking your FREE stuff!

Here are some of the benefits you’ll receive just from ordering this kit:

$310 worth of Stampin’ Up! merchandise for $87.50 with free shipping

Receive a free subscription to our exclusive monthly magazine

Receive two free months subscription to your own business website

The opportunity to earn awards and incentive trips

A 30% discount off your first order (within the first 45 days)

A 20% discount on ALL purchases you make

The opportunity to attend Stampin' Up! Regional and National Conventions!

Access to The Stampin Connection, a private website for DEMOS ONLY, full of project photos, ideas, message boards and much, much more!

Admission to our demonstrator only downline meetings.

AND you get an exclusive DEMO ONLY preview and pre-order from the 2011 Occasions Mini catalog and Sale-A-Bration catalog starting Dec. 1!!!!!

Sale-A-Bration is right around the corner and there are great opportunities for FREE stamp sets! Take advantage of the upcoming Holiday sales at the Demonstrator price! The opportunity to earn extra income and be your own boss … or simply get great products at a FABULOUS discounted price! Keeping the starter kit NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS after you purchase it!

Need a gift bag?

2010-11-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of gift bags that I whipped up for our rack at Vintage Market. If you know me well, you know that I don't really enjoy making gift bags, but since these had a pre-printed pattern they were very quick and easy! I have had these bags for a while and thought, "How could I jazz these up?". Well, of course I went right to my trusty "Artistic Etchings" stamp set and put together a focal image for the bag. All I did was create a standard card front and adhere it to the front. I used Cherry Cobbler Cardstock and some Riding Hood Red Striped Ribbon (purchased from the SU Clearance Rack) and they go together really well. I think I will be making more of these since they were so easy!

More 3D swaps from Portland Regionals.

2010-11-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 more magnets that I made from my Stampin' Up! boxes. I used "Greenhouse Gala" DSP, our Itty Bitty Flower Punch and some Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon. I sponged the DSP to give it a vintage look and added some of our Adhesive Pearls. Super easy to make and I will be using Crystal Effects to stick them to clothes pins to make them a clip type magnet. I think they would be perfect to hold photos on your fridge, don't you?

More regional swaps

2010-11-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 tags that I took to the Portland Regional Convention for swapping. I really do not like mass producing a bunch of like items, so I actually had 4 different 3D swaps that I created. These tags were made using the Top Note die for the Big Shot and parts of my Stampin' Up! shipment boxes. I love the fact that this project has multiple purposes: recycling cardboard and saving me money that I would have spent on buying chipboard!

The bottom tag features the stamp set "Jolly Old Saint Nick" and our specialty Christmas DSP, "Candy Cane". I used the coordinating "Candy Cane" buttons on both of these projects, one in Pink Pirouette and the other in Baja Breeze. The top tag features "Friends 24~7" stamps and "Blueberry Crisp" DSP. As you can see they are the same layout, just different supplies.

I swapped these out pretty quickly and got some cool ideas in return, which I will share with you soon.

More decorated planners!

2010-11-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more decorated planners that I made for the shops. I got the idea to do this from my friend Diane, who also happens to be one of my downline. She created the Eiffel Tower planners for her 3D swap at the SU Portland Regional Convention and I thought they would be perfect to make for the shops. She did hers in Pretty in Pink/Early Espresso (which was adorable), but you know me, I always have to change it up!

Pear/Black featuring Artistic Etchings Stamp set.

These 2 have a Crumb Cake base, which is how these planners come, so I didn't even have to use extra card stock to cover them! Anything to make production easier! Other colors are Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo. The planner above features images from the sets, "Artistic Etchings" and "Friends Never Fade". The scalloped trim is from our new XL die for the Big Shot, "Tasteful Trim". The sentiment is from a retired set, but went perfect with my theme.

The planner below features "French Foliage" which has quickly become one of my "go to" sets. Love everything about it! Another thanks to Diane, who really brought my attention to this set with the beautiful card she created for her recent workshop. I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder for both of these planners and added an Antique Brad and some Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding to the one below. I am so happy to say that our seam binding will be making a return appearance in the next mini catalog and in additional colors. But, sssshhhhhh, that is just between you and me, ok?

Well, that is my share for today. I know I have been lagging lately on my blog posts but I am happy to say it is because I have been creating items for our shops for the holiday season because we had a record month for October and are on track for an even better month in November, which will really be nice, because Christmas is coming and you now how that goes (mucho dollars needed)! AND, I have been looking at our demonstrator sneak peek of the next Spring Mini and Sale-a-brations catalog and OHMIGOD, they are amazing! So I will be saving my pennies for all of those new pretties as well.

It is raining here today (yay) which makes this an indoor day so I will be creating at my desk for the rest of the day (and doing laundry). Hopefully I will have many items to share with you later this week!

Pocket planner

2010-11-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of just one of the pocket planners that are now available on our holiday collection rack inside Vintage Market (between the front doors). These make great inexpensive gifts for co-workers or neighbors or can be added to a gift bag or basket for a friend or family member. I have 2 more designs to share with you over the next few posts and I am creating a bunch more tonight for our holiday rack at Unique Boutiques. They will be in that store on Friday afternoon, just in time for the awesome Boutique Crawl on Saturday. If you have not done the Boutique Crawl yet, you really need to. Ruby and I and some other friends did the first one and it was amazing. You get the ultimate shopping experience, party bus from boutique to boutique, a very tasty lunch and swag from all of the shops. It is fantastic and will be stepped up this go round because all of the stores will be ready for the holidays, so you can get a jump on your holiday shopping and have a great day out with your girlfriends all at the same time. You can still get tickets in Oakdale (Modesto and Turlock tickets are sold out) at:

Tags Boutique

209-845-9312

Holidays at Vintage Market

2010-11-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at our new space at Vintage Market.

We have it loaded up for the holidays with much more to come.

Make sure you stop by and visit us!

I'm back...finally!

2010-10-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends!

It feels like I have been gone forever. I was actually out of state for a few days (Portland, Oregon for the Stampin' Up! regional convention). It was awesome and I will share my experiences and goodies with you, but I have been gone even longer from the blogging (and Facebook) world because my internet service has been down since Saturday night ( I was in Portland, but my family was at home and not very happy). So it came up today and here I am! I have been so busy, just got home from a great downline meeting at my upline, Kim's house. Super cute projects to share, but more on that later. The pictures that you see on this post are just one of my 3D swaps that I took to regional with me. I got a lot of compliments on it and I was super pleased with how it turned out. It is a magnet but could also be used on a gift or as an ornament. I made 4 different kinds for the regional convention but I wanted to share this first because it is my favorite!

Special offer!

Place an order of $30.00 or more with me before October 31st and you will receive one of these magnets as a gift from me! You can order online directly from my store or email me with your order and charge/debit card info.

***************************

*****Ribbon Share update:*****

If you signed up for ribbon share this last round, you will receive your share in the next few days. I am cutting up all of the ribbon this weekend and will be putting it in your orders for pickup or delivery. If you are a faraway customer, it will be mailed on Monday. Thanks for your patience!

2010-10-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

ONLINE STORE - CLICK HERE!

Stamp-pink Out Breast Cancer!

2010-10-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today was my Stamp-pink Out Breast Cancer Event and it was fabulous! We raised a nice chunk of money for the American Cancer Society and made a pile of cards for the Women's Cancer Center here in Turlock! Check out this GIANT prize basket that my friend Veronica put together for a fund-raiser! One of my customers is a Creative Memories consultant (Hi Kelly!) and she donated some cool scrapbook supplies and Veronica's mom knitted a beautiful scarf and Veronica's sister-in-law is a Gold Canyon Candle rep and she donated a couple of her awesome candles. There were also a ton of other items that Veronica put together for the raffle, which made this an awesome basket. Congrats to my cousin's wife, Chris, who won it!

Here are some cool braceletes that were donated to our event by the Emanuel Cancer Center. They also provided us with info on mammograms, checkups and exams. Thanks to Nancy, for dropping these off.

Here are my girls, hard at work creating cards for themselves as well as the ladies at the Emanuel Cancer Center.

A shot of our display table. Look at the black metal basket, the cards in there were some that Anita made ahead of time and brought with her. Soon that basket was full with cards made by the ladies in attendance.

A close up of some of the goodies inside the prize basket!

Great job, Veronica! You rock!

Above is my friend Tonia, aka Miss Speedy Stamper. This girl can churn out cards in no time flat. She is awesome!

Here is Chris, she was my helper for the day and came early to help me set up and she helped me clean up. She is my cousin's wife and an awesome woman. It was great getting to know her better today and she is coming back to stamp with us, which makes me happy! She was also the winner of the prize basket! Woohoo, way to go Chris!

Look at all of these cards, this is awesome and warms my heart. I know these cards will make a difference to the ladies at the cancer center and put smiles on their faces. Great job, Stamp Tramps!

I will share the cards that we made in my next few posts!

Spooky Treats!

2010-10-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of items that my Hostess Club members made at our September gathering. This cute little treat holder is made from one of the tags on the Two Tags Die for the Big Shot. These were super easy to make and are just the right size to hold a roll of Smarties! We ran them thru the Big Shot using the Polka Dot Embossing Folder (the Spiderweb Folder looks awesome, too!). We decorated them with the Halloween stamps from the set "Grateful Greetings". They were stamped and punched out with the Decorator Label Punch. We also added some bats that were punched with the Bat Punch. What do you think of the new Shimmer Brads? I just love them and they add just the right amount of bling to these treat holders. We topped them off with a bit of Black Raven Lace. Aren't they spooky?

I am addicted to banners!

2010-10-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of banners that I created and took down to Vintage Market today. I am really into the banner thing right now, it is a great creative outlet for me and they seem to sell very well for me at the shop, so I see lots of these in the future. They are a nice change from cards. I created my first one for my Fall Frenzy class last month and now I am hooked.

Right now I am concentrating on Seasonal/Holiday themes, but I plan on making birthday, baby, bridal and home decor themes as well. I am also thinking of starting a monthly class so I can share my ideas with my stamping friends, so if you are interested in learning how to make these banners, as well as my tabletop/mantle versions, let me know, and I will get the first class set up. I would like to keep up with the holidays/seasons so each month would be a different theme. These banners are a great way to decorate your home on a budget, which I think is helpful to a lot of people right now. Stampin' Up! makes it so easy for me because all of my supplies coordinate beautifully and these banners or fairly inexpensive to make.

HUGE SAVINGS ON THE CLEARANCE RACK!! UP TO 80% OFF!

2010-10-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

OK ladies, you better check this out quick! Stampin' Up! has added over 200 items to the Clearance Rack today and you will not believe some of these prices! $7.99 for Big Shot Dies? Crazy! $2.99 for Ink Pads? What!?! That is right! I took advantage of the HUGE SALE earlier and you should too! These items are available ONLY in my online store, so make sure you follow the link, select me as your demonstrator and log on for the savings. Best part is: everything gets shipped directly to you! WOOHOO, you get your bargain items delivered by the man in brown instead of me! HUBBA-HUBBA!! Wink, Wink!

What more could you ask for?

Here is the link, now get to shoppin'!

CLEARANCE RACK!!!

Back for a bit!

2010-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, where to begin! I had a fantastic weekend at a Stamper's retreat hosted by my fabulous upline, Beverlee. My other fabulous upline, Kim, invited me as her guest and in turn I was allowed to invite a few of my downline as well. Thanks to both of you wonderful ladies for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this awesome experience. This was my second time at the retreat and it was so great being around so many creative, talented ladies. I have not had a chance to take pics of the beautiful projects that I brought home but I will share a few pics that I borrowed from Beverlee and Niki's blogs.

This was an adorable bag made by Angie, who is one of my favorite demonstrators. She is such a sweetheart and always fun to be around and so very talented. She made this for Beverlee as a surprise, which was so nice of her. A few of the other girls liked it so much that they each made one too. That is what is so great about the retreat, you get so many great ideas from other stampers and the creativity spreads like wildfire.

Here is a little gift that Niki made for each of the girls. A butterfly bookmark! It is so delicate and pretty that I think I will hang it on my bulletin board so I can see it when I am stamping at my desk. It was fun hanging out with Niki and wait until you see the adorable project that she made for the project contest that Bev had us all enter. I can't wait to share it with you , but I need to get busy on some cards for the shop right now. I will share more tomorrow!

Here is a shot that Niki took of our cabin, we were literally in the forest and it was great! We saw deer and squirrels and the trees in fall colors were gorgeous.

2010-09-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hello blog readers! I have been MIA for a couple of days and will probably be MIA for a couple more. I have so many exciting events coming up so I will have a TON of stuff to share next week. Right now I am finishing up some cool Halloween Projects for Unique Boutiqes and Vintage Market and then I will have a weekend of rest and relaxation at a stamper's retreat up in the mountains. I cannot wait for a weekend of uninterrupted stamping with my sistahs! Woohoo! Until I post again, here is a cute little project that is made by the designers at Stampin' Up! Enjoy!

Supplies used to make this project:

Nite Owl Designer Series Paper

Baroque Motifs Stamp Set

Dark & Dreary Stamp Set

Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin Pad

Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

Black Flourish Designer Jewels

Spooky Things Black Décor Elements
Spooky Night Rub-Ons

2010-09-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

STAMP-INK OUT

BREAST CANCER!

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
1:00 pm
Raley's Event Center
2900 Geer Rd.
Turlock
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to celebrate we will be STAMP-PINK OUT BREAST CANCER!!

Of course all projects for this class will feature shades of the honorary color of breast cancer awareness: PINK! We will celebrate all things girly as well as honor those who have survived, lost or are currently fighting this disease.

This cause is very close to my heart as I lost an aunt to breast cancer and my mother recently waged her own battle and has been cancer free for almost 10 months!

At this event you will make 5 projects for $15.00. The $5.00 reservation fee will cover the cost of materials and reserve your spot in class. When you come to class I will ask for a minimum donation of $10.00 to be made to the American Cancer Society. You may make your donation at the class with cash or check, your choice! Please make all checks payable to the American Cancer Society.

Please don't miss this opportunity to raise awareness and spread the love! And don't forget to wear pink to show your support of such a great cause!

Don't forget to bring your favorite adhesive and snips. Everything else will be provided!

And don't forget to wear PINK!

To Register:
CLICK HERE!

Fall Frenzy Card

2010-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here was my other project from last Friday night's Fall Frenzy class. This card features the stamp set "Wicked Cool" and our new Spiderweb Embossing Folder. I also added some Raven Lace Trim and punched a bat with the new bat punch. I blinged up my bat with some of our fine Pumpkin Pie Glitter. What do you think?

Another Holiday Hoopla Project!

2010-09-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

I made this project at Lorraine's table and I love it! I absolutely love this fall paper, called "Autumn Spice". It is very thick and textured 12x12 DSP. Perfect for cards and making boxes! This is a 4x4 card and it was super easy to make. It looks even brighter in person and was very quick to put together, which is great if you need a bunch of cards, like for thank you notes.

Stamp Camp Project

2010-09-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Here is one of the cards that I got to make at last weekend's Holiday Hoopla Stamp Camp in Tracy. It was so nice to attend as a stamper instead of working it as a demonstrator, only because it is fun being on the other side of the table sometimes. We made some really cool projects and got to hang out with our demo friends. It was great!. The participating demonstrators did an awesome job with their projects and Ruby and I had such a good time. Thanks to our good friend Renee for inviting us!

This particular card was demonstrated by Beverlee and it featured a really awesome technique! Can you guess what it is? At our upcoming holiday stamp night (details coming soon) Ruby will be teaching this special technique, so make sure you come! The picture does not do this card justice, it looks much more vibrant in person, you will have to take a look at it next time we get together to stamp. I will share more Holiday Hoopla projects this week, I really need to get to bed now. Goodnight!

Fall Frenzy tabletop banner!

2010-09-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ruby and I hosted our Fall Frenzy Stamp Night on Friday night and this was one of the projects that I created for the event. This project was inspired the card that I created for this month's Hostess Club Gathering. You can see that card in yesterday's post. I loved the color combo of Black, Vanilla, and Crumb Cake so I decided to create a home decor item that was pretty neutral and could be displayed in anyone's home. This was another project that came to me in the wee hours of the night so maybe that is when I do my best work! I had extra pieces left over from the class so I whipped out 4 more today to sell at Vintage Market. If you were not able to attend the class, but would like to have your own, you will be able to find them there beginning tomorrow. Here is the list of supplies used for this project:

Autumn Splendor Stamp Set

Flores Suaves Stamp Set (stamped the script on the vanilla letters)

Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Polka Dotted Embossing Folder

Scallop Circle #2 bigz Die

Serif Essentials Alphabet Bigz Die

1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon - Basic Black & Very Vanilla

Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim

Boho Blossoms XL Punch

5-Petal Flower Punch

Antique Brads

Neutral Brads

Metallic Brads

Adhesive Rhinestones

Hostess Club Project #!

2010-09-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was my Hostess Club Stamp Gathering and this was one of the projects that I had my ladies make. This card was created by me at midnight one night and I think that is when I do my best work! I wanted to make a fall card but one with non-tradional fall colors (you know, browns, golds, oranges and greens) so I chose Crumb Cake, Basic Black and Very Vanilla. The DSP layer is from Woodland Walk and the leaf image is from the stamp set "Autumn Splendor". I texturized the black layer with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and added some Very Vanilla Stylized Hardware. The sentiment is from the "Grateful Greetings" set. My favorite element of this whole card is the Antique Brad (addicted to these) wrapped around the center of Striped Black/Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon (thanks to my upline, Beverlee, for this tip!). I was very pleased with my creation and I got lots of compliments from my ladies so I think they were too. I liked this color scheme so much that it has inspired another project, one from our Fall Frenzy stamp night. It is currently on loan to Vintage Market for display, but I will be making more and taking pics tomorrow, so keep watching!

2010-09-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

ONE SPOT LEFT!

FALL FRENZY STAMP NIGHT!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH

7:30PM

RALEY'S EVENT CENTER

TURLOCK

Come join me and my best pal, Ruby, for a girl's night out and get a head start on those Fall/Halloween projects! We will make 5 super cute fall & Halloween themed items including cards, treat holders, 3D items and home decor. We have so many cool Fall & Halloween items in our BIG Catalog/Idea Book AND the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog. You can get an exclusive hands on experience with all of the exciting new fall holiday products and have a fun night out with friends. Bring your snips and favorite adhesive, we supply the rest!

There will be lots of awesome ideas on display as well as refreshments, gifts and we are giving away a really cool prize to one lucky winner! Don't miss out on the Fall Frenzy!

Click here to register for Fall Frenzy Stamp Night!

More swaps!

2010-09-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

I hope my memory is correct on naming the creators of these swaps. Please girls, correct me if I am wrong! I love these 2 cards and these 2 girls are VERY talented and so much fun to hang out with! Enjoy!

Card above created by Lorraine Toll

Card below created by Niki Toll

More Swaps

2010-09-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more swaps from our recent demonstrator meeting. Such a talented group of ladies! The swaps below are from a couple of my favorite demonstrators! I can't wait to go to Stamp Camp on Saturday so I can make some of their awesome projects!

Card above stamped by Angie Durrant

Card below stamped by Beverlee Morales

More demonstrator swaps!

2010-09-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more swaps from our demo meeting a couple of weeks ago!

Above:

Stamped by Kim Molesworth

Below:

Stamped by Ruby Johnson

Wicked Cool! Swaps from my downline

2010-09-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Above:

Hand stamped by Julie Chavez

A couple more swaps from our Imprints demonstrator meeting, these 2 from my downline.

They both feature the new Halloween Set "Wicked Cool". My girls are so talented! I will share more in my next post!

Below:

Hand stamped by Diane Hickman

Imprints Meeting Swap

2010-09-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my swap card for the recent Imprints demonstrator meeting at my upline, Beverlee's house. I love these meetings because they are always so much fun, the swaps are great and Beverlee always has beautiful projects on display for us to photograph. It is always nice to get to hang out with some of the demos in our group that we don't get to see as often as we would like to.

So this card features my favorite halloween stamp set this year, "Wicked Cool". I love the witch's hat and shoes that are in this set and I chose to showcase the hat on my card. This set is available in our big Idea Book and Catalog but the some of the accessories that I used are only available for a limited time in our brand new Holiday Mini Catalog. These items are the Spiderweb Embossing Folder and Raven Black Lace Ribbon. l love that my Halloween card has a girly feel to it. The DSP is from the Brights Patterns Stack and the ribbon is 1/4" Basic Black Grosgrain. Punches used: Scallope Border Punch and 1 3/4" Circle and Extra Large Scallop Punches. I also made the little flower using the flower punch from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack. It is punched from Pink Pirouette and topped of with a Silver Brad. The color combo is Rich Razzleberry and Basic Black. Here are some more images from the "Wicked Cool" Stamp Set:

Wicked Cool

Clear-Mount Set

Item #120600
Price: $14.95

Wood-Mount Set

Item# 118738

Price: $19.95

Or you could win this set at my Fall Frenzy Stamp Night!

Friday, September 17th

7:30 pm

See details here:

Fall Frenzy Stamp Night!

More from the market...

2010-09-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, 3:14 am and I cannot sleep, so I decided to update my blog with more pics of Vintage Market. Such a beautiful store, it makes me happy. Enjoy!

Some beautiful ribbon in the J. Blackbird booth.

Andie and her mom have some really beautiful vintage items in their space.

How cute are these fabric flowers. Hey, I think this lady needs a Big Shot!

A Peek Inside the Market....

2010-09-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

So, as you can probably tell, I have not had much to share this week. I have tons of swaps, projects, etc., but my back went out on me Sunday night and I have been in pain ever since and have not felt like photographing my items to share. I will get that task done over the upcoming holiday weekend, but I thought I would share some photos from Vintage Market. If you have not been lucky enough to visit the store, here is a little preview of what is inside.

The picture above is one that was taken recently of most of the group of very talented and creative people that make up the vendors inside the store. I am so fortunate to be a part of this group such a awesome ladies (and one guy). They are all so wonderful, as you can tell by their gorgeous displays. This store is fantastic for gifts and unique home decor items but the inspiration you get just from looking at all of the displays is priceless. Just take a look:

I will share more in my next post!