Sneak Peek and a Tool Tip

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Every year, Stampin' Up! is bringing in five new colors that will be the designated In Colors for two years. When they do this, it means we have 10 In Colors to work with at any time, as five are rotated out at the same time five new ones are rotated in.  Today, I am giving a sneak peek and a tool tip using Pistachio Pudding and the 1-1/4" Circle punch as a corner rounding tool.

DSCN0512Turn the punch upside down and look where there is a margin for you to insert the cardstock between two narrow layers. Make sure that your corner of the cardstock is pointed to the center. Might have to waggle the cardstock a bit to place just where you want that corner rounded.  Do only one layer of cardstock at a time!

DSCN0513If you insert your cardstock a little off center, your rounding will be a little off as well.  However, if you intend to use a Textured Impressions embossing folder, this will not even be noticed.

DSCN0514If you love the subtle shades of sherbet like I do, you will love the card that I'm working on right now!  Come on back tomorrow to see two of the In Colors together!

Being Sick Is Just No Fun …

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Being sick is just no fun … unless you have a snuggle buddy like my Jasmine.  She is just the sweetest kitty!

Jasmine Kitty

Today is my first day of feeling like I'm coming out of it, so I am anxious to get into the craft space. However, you know where we live?  We are usually hotter than hot pretty close to the first of June, so I have been to the BEST landscaping place yet!  I've got to get some flowers in the ground, and I picked up some perennials at Red Barn Garden Center.  HUGE place and full of well-marked plants.

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After all the pansies die each Spring, it's time to replace them with something that can stand the heat and sun. This year, I am putting in lots of gallon sized pots of Coreopsis to keep the yellow sunniness happening.  They will provide some height difference amongst the Lantana that tend to die every two or three years.

DSCN0482There is such a nice curve there on the left side of the house that I've tucked in some Japanese Iris.  I'll pull out the pansies and mondo grass while planting the Coreopsis and then see about getting some of those great new WHITE cone flowers!  The birds and butterflies love them and they are more sturdy than Shasta daisy.

DSCN0481I set the pots of Butterfly Gaura in between each of the shrubs with the beautiful foliage.  There were four of them, and I really prefer odd numbers of things.  Once the mondo grass and pansies are out of the way, I can pull the Gaura out a bit and start the creep out into the lawn. Ultimately, I want to pull that line way down to curve along the sidewalk entry.

DSCN0480Hail damage.  Sorry to see the stuff get so beat up, but they wouldn't last another couple of weeks in our growing heat any way.  I'm putting more Coreopsis in this corner to set a nice tone against that maroon foliage.  (Have I told you lately how much I enjoy NOT HAVING DEER IN MY YARD???)

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So, you can only see the shadow of the Pear tree there on the right.  No hail damage, fortunately.  Once I get the flower beds curved out from the house and down the sidewalk a smidge, I'll approach the HOA about creating a nice kidney shaped berm of flowers under the tree to protect it from lawn mowers.  

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Tomorrow is the last day for the sale prices on the newest Healthy Lifestyle planner.  You might want to take a look at it over at THE PRINTED PLANNER.

I'll be placing an order on May 31st for the new catalog items that I just can't live without.  Guess what that might be?  A stamp set and framelit bundle called Backyard Basics.  Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Florals and even a Speckled Egg!  Have you gotten your 2013-2014 ANNUAL CATALOG?  Shoot me an EMAIL if you need to get one and you don't currently have a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

See you later this week!

 

Stampin’ Up! Secret Garden in New In Colors

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Stampin' Up! Secret Garden 2013 In Colors

Today's card features the Stampin' Up! Secret Garden stamp set in new In Colors.  Pistachio Pudding and Strawberry Slush, welcome to the 2013-2015 In Color Collection!  I've used Secret Garden, Itty Bitty Banners, and Papillion Potpourri stamp sets from Stampin' Up! along with the coordinating Framelits and Butterfly Punches.  The Honeycomb embossing folder is an essential in my tool box!

Mr. Brown Delivers!Even my husband gets excited when Mr. Brown is delivering the newest Stampin' Up! products.  Do you think he wanted to make sure it wasn't a total of 16 boxes?  It easily could have been that many boxes had I ordered all the Sneak Peek items we are allowed as Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  Yep, we ordered our goodies on April 24th, and you can start ordering on May 31st.

Secret Garden In ColorsColor your Pearls with permanent markers and you can have pearls in any color you need.  I've used the tiniest pearls on the sheet of 150 pearls, and placed them right where I wanted them clustered by using the tips of my Paper Snips to slide under and around each pearl I gripped.

I used both the Aqua Painters and the Blender Pen directly to the Strawberry Slush ink pad on these flowers.  I really love the new Firm Foam ink pads.  Look at how solidly those leaves stamped.

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My Big Shot Classes are starting up again! Here in Pflugerville, I have so much gardening to enjoy (without those stinky deer eating everything) that I am only going to hold one event per month. Everyone is invited! First class meets on Thursday, May 30th with a demonstration starting promptly at 10AM, 1PM or 6:30PM. Cost is $25 payable in advance, no later than May 16th or when class is full. We'll make four cards, one of each design. With limited seating of 6 students, be sure to get your class fee mailed to reserve a spot for you (and a friend!).

Go to my Online Store now to order your own set of the Stampin' Up! Secret Garden stamp set and coordinating Framelits in a bundle that will save you an extra 15%.  See you next week!

How To Organize Your Stamping Space

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I just spent all day yesterday sorting, cleaning and now ….. I am doing a happy dance!  Want to know how to organize your stamping space to get ready for the 2013 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog and Color Refresh?

stampin up demonstrator online catalog order

I tend to hold onto many things when they are retired.  What?!?  You DON'T?!?  Ha ha ha ha ha!

whale tail punch storage at stamp-n-storage.com

So, when I emptied out the punch storage case that I bought from Stamp-n-Storage for all those whale tail style punches, I gained a great little piece for keeping my pre-made cards at the ready!

Hill Country Stampin' ready for the color refresh

See all those empty slots?  Well, the Color Refresh means that we have 5 new In-Colors coming (on the far right side of the ink storage).  The retiring punches means I've got to make room for the new ones, including a punch for PANSIES!!!  That's right, Linda Walter!!!  I said Pansies!!!  And where there is a Pansy punch, there are stamp sets of nothing but pansies.  Whoa!

2013 Color_Refresh_flyer

In just a little while, Mr. Brown will be pulling up to the curb in his Big Brown Truck with cases of catalogs.  If you don't currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to receive a catalog, shoot me an EMAIL and I'll make arrangements with you to ship directly.  If you have made a purchase from me this catalog year, and are still on my Customer List, your catalog will ship tomorrow. (If you have purchased from another demonstrator, all of your customer information has been transferred to that demonstrator and you are not on my Customer List any longer per Stampin' Up! procedures.)

Mr BrownGotta go!

Retiring Stampin’ Up! Products

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DBWS Retiring Image

Always an exciting time of year, retiring products means that the new ideas and creativity are about to start rolling in!

The retiring lists are out a week earlier than planned so that our Demonstrators who earned the trip to Fiji will be able to get in on the fun before leaving for their trip in a couple of days.   Check out the lists here:

RETIRING STAMP SETS: Retired_List_stamps_en-US

RETIRING EVERYTHING ELSE: Retiring Accessories

EXTRA FREE HOSTESS PRODUCTS:
Right now, for every $350 order, there are $80 of free product included in your order, so be sure to have your friends get in on this with you, and have your wish list handy to buy at checkout!

Please remember that the accessories and punches and paper and ink pads, etc. will be available only while supplies last.  Be sure to shop for those things TODAY HERE ON THE WEB.

Stamp sets are made here in the USA up until the very last day of May, so you have a little time to make sure that you've gotten every stamp set that you just can't live without.  You can ORDER THEM HERE.

Be sure to check out the CLEARANCE RACK while you are shopping!

The new catalog will be available to you June 1, 2013, and Demonstrators are able to order from it starting this morning … I can't wait to show you all the new things! I've needed some down time to get over this move, but I am SO READY to get back to playing in the Stampin' Space!

SO!  Are you ready to get shopping???

So Many Thanks

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Have you ever read a book that just made you say aloud, "Wow."

While I am recovering from a big move just four months ago, and the excitement of getting a Card Ministry started in our new church, and wondering when the weather is EVER going to decide what season it is (please, God, let it not be Summer yet) … I have neglected my daily crafting.

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“Creativity must be cultivated,” Brene Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is an American scholar, author and public speaker, who is currently a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.

I have only been crafting in my brain, not on real paper, or at least not in the daily abundance as I had previously. And guess what?

“Unused creativity is not benign; it metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame. We are divine beings, and we are, by nature, creative. It gets lost along the way, it gets shamed out of us… Like gratitude and joy, it must be cultivated.” Brene Brown, Ph.D., LMSW

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So, I broke out the paper and those DARLING doilies!!!

“The opposite of play is not work—the opposite of play is depression.” ― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

New Catalogs and Retiring Lists Coming SOON!

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Ahhhhhhh!!


New 2013-2014 Annual Catalog Sales Period Begins: May 31st, 2013

I provide catalogs to all of my customers. If you haven't ordered from me in a while and would like one CONTACT ME, please! Even if you aren't sure whether you've ordered from me lately, it's better to be on the list than harbor hard feelings.

Customers who have placed an order with me ($40 or more) from July 2012 – April 2013, are already scheduled to receive the new catalog in the mail (shipping begins mid-May).

Stamp Club Members: You will receive a copy directly from me as soon as I have them. I'll send you a squealing with delight email and we'll all meet back here at the ranch to pour over the pages while I pour glasses of wine!

Retired Lists Are Coming April 24th!!! Are you counting down the days?

Color Refresh at Stampin’ Up!

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Every three to five years, Stampin' Up! has promised to refresh our colors and keep us current with the trends out there.  For example …. I hear that emerald green is this year's "it" color, and you know how I love me some emeralds! ;)

2013 Color Refresh

The InColors that I love are staying and a few from years ago are coming back!  I am THRILLED with the colors!  The only one that is retiring that I will miss is going to be River Rock, but here's the thing: I can stock up on it! GET YOUR FLYER BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW:

2013 Color_Refresh_flyer

How?

Even those small orders that have a minimum shipping of $6.95 can be a hinderance to ordering but I have some good news on that account!

Free-Shipping

Starting tomorrow, and for three days, FREE shipping on all orders of any size! 

Here's your homework: 

Step One:  Make a list of the colors that you need to stock up on.  Make sure you include RIBBON and PAPER and DESIGNER SERIES PAPERS and INK PADS and INK REFILLS and MARKERS and BUTTONS AND EMBELLISHMENTS!
Step Two:  Click on the links above and go shopping anytime this weekend and get FREE shipping on all orders of any size!

Heat Embossing the Designer Builder Brads

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Try heat embossing the Designer Builder Brads to change them from silver to any of the 14 shades and types of embossing powders we have!

I liked the way these Brads worked with the Delicate Doilies stamp set, but didn't want them in the silver they came in. Heat embossing them in Pool Party embossing powder makes them work perfectly!  I've used this card as my entry in this week's Stamping Challenge SC14!

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I layered the Brad with a single floral Framelit from Lucky Limeade cardstock that I distressed to the point of being able to separate the layers into two pieces to build this Card Corsage up a bit.

Heat embossing the Designer Builder Brads adds just right touch to these Delicate Doilies to make a nice collection of Thank You cards for the month, don't you think?

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Are you subscribed to my email list?  Use the subscribe button in the upper left corner of my website so you can stay In The Know!

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I have had so many requests for publishing custom day planners that I am continuing them again this year! Check out the new website, The Printed Planner and order yours this week!

Oh, Hello Moleskine Love

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04.04.2013

The minute I saw some cards that Becky Roberts had created with Crumb Cake and Summer Starfruit, I knew I wanted to create some little Moleskine journals! The stamp sets, of course, are Oh, Hello and French Foliage (is there any BETTER stamp for the splatters?).

So, this is reason elebenteesebenteen why I love our move closer to Austin: shopping for moleskin took 5 minutes! <3 <3 <3

These are gifts for the first dozen buyers of the new Day Planners for 2013-2014 (or just 2014 if you're an early bird).  Hop over there to The Printed Planner to see my new digs.

Card Sets As a Gift

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As we get ready for the NEXT holiday, Mother's Day, I thought of this while I was sipping my Starbucks this morning. :)

Note Cards and Envelopes are smaller than an A2 card, but you can still mail them through the Postal Services with a regular First Class stamp! The cards are 5" x 3-1/2" and the envelopes are 5-1/8" x 3-5/8". Large enough to send a Thank You, or even a little Thinking of You note.

This also means that they all will fit inside a folio made from two of the Stampin' Up! Medium Evelopes (5-3/4" x 4-3/8").

I've dolled these two envelopes up a bit! The Designer Series Paper is This 'n That Epic Day (130814) and I simply LOVE the Pool Party, Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake color combination!

I have also used the Tea Lace Paper Doilies (129399) from the Spring Catalog.  I colored it with the Pool Party ink pad directly ink pad to doily.  So easy!  The LOVE ticket is from the Artisan Embellishments Kit (129328).

Don't you love that we have two different Butterfly punches now?  

The Note Card has another doily from the Delicate Doilies Sizzlits L.  The stamps came from Spring Sampler and Oh, Hello.

So!  With Mother's Day just around the corner I have one last thing to say about this card set as a gift.  Note Cards and Envelopes come 20 to a package, and this little folio of cards and envelopes only fits four sets in it.  So, get out there and bless five women in your life! Note Cards and Envelopes are $5.95!

No Foolin’ Around Here

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Oh my goodness gracious!  I have been working much more than I anticipated I would have to on the new edition of custom day planners.  Trying to find a place to have them bound as good as Matt was for me in Kerrville has proved a daunting task.  I'm still unsure of what's what.

all 7 books

For the next two weeks only, I will be able to let you choose your cover. After that, due to production, the covers will be set in stone like they were last year and last edition.

Personal favorite?  Take Me To Paris!  Hop on over to The Printed Planner and get your healthy lifestyles version in Women on the Go!

Stampin’ Up! Business Opportunity

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mom & pop business

Today is National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day, and that includes the Stampin' Up! business opportunity. You've seen how much fun I've had with owning my own business, and you should know how much I enjoy sharing that opportunity with others, too. Take a look at the Hobby Demonstrator information HERE.

Creating cards for the sketch challenges on Stamping Challenges' website is part of that fun!  Who knew how much I would enjoy making cards from a sketch?  I sure didn't, until I tried it.

The sketch for today started out like this …

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… and this is what I came up with:

Head on over to Stamping Challenges to enter your interpretation of the sketch.  You may use any kind of product, and post any kind of project, even if it's just a Gift Tag!

Creating daily planners has been a part of my life for …. gosh, can it really be 18 years?  Last year's response was big enough for me to create a website specifically for the planners as it expanded to include Thirty-One Gifts, Pampered Chef, Women on the Go!, a muse | studio, and a scattering of custom requests.

If you have experienced the unstable economy lately, you might be considering a part time second job "just in case." If so, you are not alone.  Money stated last year that in our unreliable job securities, many people have had to make Plan B their Plan A.  I have something you might want to check out HERE if this is starting to look like your life.

From Stay At Home Mom's, to all Direct Sales demonstrators / consultants / representatives, everyone who wants to keep track of their schedules with pen and ink benefits from my custom Day Planners over at The Printed Planner.  Sales begin on Monday, April 1st, so be sure to check back here for some First Come First Served special CANDY that starts with Moleskine!  ;)

Easter Blessings Card Idea

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This card makes a wonderful workshop card because you can do this very clean die cutting with a couple of framelit collections, or you can emboss everything, pierce everything, and really bling it up with glitter.

This also makes a GREAT card when you need to send many of them out.  Remember this around Thanksgiving and Christmas!

So … yesterday I shared with you the Card Ministry that I and two members of my team created at our church. In our first card making event last month, we created 48 cards.  Using my 60 Card From One Pkg of Cardstock, I cut out 12 cards of each: Praying for You, Thinking of You, Birthday, Sentiment-free.  

Because I knew that there were members who now reside in a nursing home, I asked upon delivery of the box of cards, "How many Easter cards would you need to send to nursing homes?"  The reason I asked this and prepared them myself was because I wanted to donate whatever cards needed to contact those shut-ins every month for either a Holiday of the month, or something fun that's been made up like Pie Day!

If you would like to know how to set up and run a Card Ministry in your church, make sure you are subscribed to my newsletters because I am going to include information about this in next month's newsletter.

I Can’t Believe This!

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Big Sale

Stampin' Up! just announced that they are extending the deal with their Starter Kits!

That's right!  If you missed the opportunity to get $156.50 shopping spree for $99, your op is not gone forever :D

Take a look at the promotion HERE.

And I'm going to sweeten the deal that I had during Sale-a-bration ….. join my group of demonstrators and get one of my custom 18-month Day Planners  for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from me for free! (That's a $45+ value)

Stampin’ Up! Ministry Idea with Cards

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Although this isn't the first time I've done done this, a Stampin' Up! Ministry with cards was the very first thing I wanted to get involved in at our new church after moving in December.  Well, the second thing.  I had to figure out how to hang 22 new stockings, first.

What is a card ministry?

Every church is involved in caring for the community through a number of methods, not the least of which is praying and comforting. I have two new wonderful team members here in Pflugerville who are as passionate about making cards for the church to mail out to those needing a hand written note. And, those notes are coming in hand made cards!

Here is Janice opening the filing box of cards we delivered today:

And them the Small Groups and Community Pastor came down to hall to talk to me about the cards he needed, and a Fund Raiser:

All in all it was a very good day!  I came back about two hours later with some Easter cards to send to members who are in nursing homes or home bound:

Come back tomorrow to see the rest of the story.

Cards Are Hugs With a Fold In The Middle

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Okay, I'm going to try composing this without weeping, but I'm already tearing up.

I have been getting some of the most beautiful cards! It reminds me of how precious girlfriends are, and I will be the first to admit that yeeeaaars ago I thought that women who talked about their girlfriends being lifesavers had something missing in their marriages.

WRONG!  Women need women!  (There, Jeannie, I am finally admitting in writing right here on the web that you have been right for more years than either of us want to admit)

Making cards has always been a part of my life.  I've been stamping since before Stampin' Up! was born.  A good ten years prior to their creation, but of course that would be telling my age.

How do you feel when you get a card in your mailbox?  Yep!  Me too.  And that is exactly why I am passionate about creating Card Ministries in churches.  Just created one in my fourth church and I am delivering a box full to the Office tomorrow.  If they let me take pictures, you'll be able to see the reception in tomorrow's post.

I never would have met these women if it hadn't been for Stampin' Up!  Their friendship has meant more to me than lots of things, and the making of cards together has blessed me tremendously.

Blessed indeed!  I spend time with these ladies as often as I can muster, and will see four of them in just a few weeks when we drive to meet somewhere in the middle between Pflugerville and Kerrville.

Leave me a comment today and tell me how important girlfriends have been in your life.  Is there an extra sweet memory?  Please share it so we all can weep with you!