New Year's Eve Musings...

The Countdown is on!

Another year almost over, and a new one soon to begin... Do you make New Year's resolutions (or goals, or wishes)?

I have every year since I've known what they meant. Not to say that I kept many of them (or ANY of them!!) 

But 2015 was a good year for keeping resolutions (I did lose weight, I did exercise more, I did read at least 20 books) so here I am again, listing resolutions for another year.

I won't share the whole list with you, but there are a couple that will affect you as well:

1. I will post to my blog REGULARLY... OK I'm not brave enough to say if that will be five times a week, once a week, or once a month, but it will be more regular than it has been before!

2. I will no longer align myself with the shoemaker's practice (making shoes for everyone else while his family go barefoot), I will be sending out plenty of handmade cards to family & friends this year! Although I love texting and email, I know that receiving a real card is high up on the 'special' list.

How about you? I'd love to hear about some of your resolutions for 2016!

Here is a lovely card for New Year's by Jennifer Frost - a member of Stampin' Up!'s Artisan Design Team.

I will post the supplies to make this card after January 5th, as some of the products are in the upcoming Occasions Catalogue.

Happy Stamping!

My Wish For You This Christmas

Peace and simplicity in your busy life,

Friends and family to share your joys,

Love to make your life complete.

Merry Christmas!

Online Extravaganza Ends Tomorrow with another added 24 Hour Flash Sale!

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Sales end midnight Monday, November 30th.

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PLUS

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Happy Stamping!

Carol

Oh, What Fun!

Oh What Fun Tag Project Kit # 139602 Price $26.00

This is a great project for family Christmas craft afternoon. Everything you need to make beautiful, eye catching tags, or make the tags and use them as the embellishment on a card front. Take a look at the samples below for inspiration!

All of the supplies included in the kit

Completed Tags

Sample Cards

Hope you enjoyed a closer look at this kit.

Happy Stamping

Carol

Tell Your Husband, Tell Your Mother, Tell Your Friends!

There are some amazing deals here - on stamps, paper, dies, punches, ribbons, buttons, and more!!! Grab your favourite liquid, a pen and paper, and enjoy!!

Contact me to order, or if you have any questions!

The following are on sale until November 30th

50% off prices shown

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40% Off Prices Shown

Filled With Love Paper Pumpkin Refill Kit

(Does not include stamps or ink)

139163

$12.50

  

Sew You Paper Pumpkin Kit

139186 

$21.00

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30% Off Prices Shown

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20% Off Prices Shown

Contact me to place your order, or if you have any questions - I am standing by!

Happy Stamping!

Carol

A Year Round Stamp Set

Although it's found in the Holiday Catalogue, the stamp set Your Presents can be used whenever a gift is appropriate!

Although I've ordered several stamp sets before I ordered this one, it kept calling to me whenever I looked through the catalogue, and I'm so glad I finally got it.

It's so quick and fun to use, great if you need to put together a card quickly.

Here's the card I made for today's post:

This card is very clean and simple. The card base is the new heavier weight Whisper White cardstock.

The ink colours I used are Real Red, Gold, and Garden Green.

I popped up the gold present with dimensionals. The sentiment is from Versatile Christmas, another super stamp set that's completely sentiments!

The third present was stamped and cut out by hand, then tied with 1/8" Gold Ribbon, then attached directly to the card base.

Here are some other samples of what you can do with this set:

I hope you enjoyed seeing different ways to use this set.

Happy Stamping
Carol

Blissful Bouquet Alternatives

The Blissful Bouquet kit designs are beautiful, but you don't have to use the elements of the kit exactly as instructed. In fact you only need to add a couple of products from your stash to make an entirely different card.

Here's one I put together in five minutes - it's so easy when most of the elements are already prepared for you!

First I cut a piece of Watermelon Wonder cardstock to 5 1/4" x 4". I stamped the top and bottom of the cardstock using Basic Gray ink and one of the borders from the Bordering Blooms stamp set. (You could also use the smallest flower from the Blissful Bouquet stamp set to do the same thing.)

Then I cut a circle from Hello Honey using one of the Circles framelits to use as a mat behind the round flower background paper, and attached it with dimensionals to the Watermelon Wonder. I stamped the 'thanks' from the Blissful Bouquet stamp set onto the green banner and attached it to the bottom of the circle.

Finally I attached the whole thing to the largest card base in the kit.

Now if you're looking for more ideas, Tracy Elsom - a member of our ASI team - creates alternatives for each Paper Pumpkin kit that is released.

Here is the ad for the October kit:

To order Tracy's Tutorial which includes 8 lovely projects, send her an email requesting to purchase it. tracy.elsom@gmail.com
Only $2.88 Canadian via PayPal!

You can also visit Tracy's blog, "Then Grandma said...".

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping,
Carol

October's Paper Pumpkin Kit - Blissful Bouquet

I subscribe to Paper Pumpkin and it's always fun when my box arrives each month - I can hardly wait to open it and see the treasures inside!

October's contents held supplies for making three different sets of cards. Here is a sample of each:

I think the coordinating envelopes really add extra pizzaz! Imagine finding one in your mailbox... which envelope would you open first - one of the regular white ones or one of these exciting colours!

Even when I've used up all the supplies in the box I still have the lovely stamp set that came with it to use forever!

The kit comes with the watercolour wash paper, then you stamp the flower and leaf designs on it.

The second card is made with the enclosed circle background paper.

 The smaller gift card is made using the enclosed square of background paper.

All of the banners and tags on the cards were included in the kit, all you have to do is stamp!

Tomorrow I'll show you other items you can make using elements from this "Blissful Bouquet" Paper Pumpkin kit that were designed by one of our team.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Stamping,
Carol

Best Sale Ever!!

PLUS ANOTHER 10% WHEN YOU PURCHASE FROM ME!

THAT'S 25% IN TOTAL!

Why am I adding another 10%? 

Because you've helped me make it to Silver Elite

and I want to show my thanks!

But it's only until Friday, and you need to either

Order On-line using this hostess code: ZYZHHSTY

or contact me directly

to obtain your extra discount.
(Canadian orders only)

Happy Stamping!

Carol

Christmas Club Card II - Winter Wishes

I must confess I did not order this stamp set on the demo pre-order, although I thought it was beautiful. I also didn't order it in the first live catalogue order. But I couldn't resist it any longer when I placed a second order earlier this month. Winter Wishes just gives me a warm feeling of winters when I was a child. 

Along with the snowshoes, greenery, and pine cone, the set also has a ski, a skate (stamp twice for a pair!), and an old fashioned sled. The sentiment "Warm Wishes" can be used for any time of year!

I found this design on Pinterest but I've lost the name of the original designer - I'm sorry! I love that it is eye-catching but not overwhelming. And there's just a little fussy cutting to make it pop.

The greenery and pine cones are so easy to add to the envelope and inside of the card.

The snowshoes really are fast and easy to fussy cut so you can make numerous copies. And I'm so glad Stampin' Up! made the little wooden snowflakes from last years Star Boxes kit available on their own as Snowflake Elements this year! Plus the red, green, and white Home for Christmas Enamel Dots work with everything!

The Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper gives it just enough bling to make it special.

Details on how to make the card:
Card Base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Real Red cardstock
Front: 5 1/4" x 4:Whisper White cardstock
Strip 1: 1" x 5 1/4" Real Red cardstock
Strip 2: 1/2" x 5 1/4" Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Stamp Set: Winter Wishes

Happy Stamping!
Carol

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Weekly Deals and Christmas Card

Happy Tuesday!

Do you check out the Stampin' Up! Deals each Tuesday? You can find them on the right hand column of this blog (they are updated weekly) or you can check out my Stampin' Up! store - and take a peek at the Clearance Rack at the same time!

Or, this week, I am posting them!

This is a super opportunity to get the Butterflies Thinlits Dies (save $7) and the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies (save $12).

Simply email me if you want to order.

I also want to share with you one of the two cards we made at the Christmas Card Club last night. Each month we make eight cards - four each of two designs. Plus decorated envelopes, plus a case to store them until use.

The first card used the new Wonderland stamp set, and was inspired by a fellow demo Amy Koenders:

This is my husband's favourite Christmas card so far, so if you're on our Christmas list you might just receive one this  year!

The stamp set is "Wonderland" from the new Holiday Catalogue. I stamped the trees three times across the 5 1/4" x 4" Whisper White cardstock in Archival Basic Black (but you could also use Black Stazon or Black Memento). 

After each I stamped again without re-inking to get the illusion of depth in the forest. Also you can stamp the image higher and lower to give a more realistic look. There is a line at the bottom of the trees but it will be torn off so it doesn't matter that they don't line up.

Then I sponged the whole scene with Soft Sky ink, using a piece of sponge moving in small circles. Now you can tear about an inch off the bottom of the scene.

Finally I sponged the edges of the scene with Night of Navy ink.

Attach the scene to the Whisper White Heavy Card base on which you have stamped Silent Night in black in the bottom right hand corner. (You may need to tear a bit more off if your sentiment is covered.)

Add a rhinestone and you're done!

Tomorrow I will show you the second card.

Happy Stamping!
Carol

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Cards & Cases

Hello again. Happy last weekend of August...already!!!

I want to share with you the cards we'll be making at the upcoming Cards & Cases class on Monday. We have a Cards & Cases class every month (last Monday) with a different theme each month. We make eight cards (four of each design), with envelopes and a decorated case to store them. 

This month's theme is adult birthdays.

The card on the left was designed to be a man's card, but it could be used for women too. The card on the right is not quite as versatile.

The cards for this class need to be quick and easy to make, yet attractive and something you will be proud to send.

The supplies you'll need to make the cards are below, and if you wish to order them on-line simply click on my on-line store. I really appreciate your business.

Which reminds me... everyone who places a $50 or more order with me, or from my on-line Stampin' Up! store, from Tuesday, September 1st to Monday, September 8th will receive a FREE package of Home for Christmas Enamel Dots from the new Holiday Catalogue! But you'll need to email me your address so that I can send them out.

Thank you for stopping by...

Happy Stamping

Carol

First Card

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Second Card

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Snowflakes & Glitter

I know - but what's a better time to think about snowflakes than when you're sure you're not going to see any! Any real ones at least... (smile)

I didn't have the opportunity to go to the Inspire.Create.Share Convention this summer but I did watch the live streaming of some of the events.

Pam Morgan of Stampin' Up! showed how to make a Snowflake Garland and it was one of the first things I wanted to make when I received my pre-order. It's really easy!

The finished banner is about 4 feet or a metre and a bit. You could hang it on a fireplace, or a window, or even on your tree!

The snowflakes and sentiments are found in the new Flurry of Wishes stamp set.

 The snowflake pieces really have a lot of texture and is very 3D.

Pam also made a single snowflake to use as a tree ornament and I did as well, but I changed it a tiny bit - can you see the difference? I really like it.

The ornaments are two sided.

The supplies needed to make the banner and ornament are listed below.

Sure hope you're enjoying our wonderful Nova Scotia sunshine!

Happy Stamping
Carol

The punches, stamp set, cord, and snowflakes are all available in the new Holiday Catalogue available on September 1st.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog