Stamping In My Neighborhood

More In Colors

Wouldn't this card be great to give to or receive from a friend?  It's one that Sheila, one of my team members, made for our quarterly meeting and shoebox swap.  It features two new In Colors, Lucky Limeade and Island Indigo.  She paired them with Perfect Plum to create a warm and welcoming card using the new My Friend stamp set.  It's on page 139 of the new Idea Book & Catalog (you can click on the link in the left margin to view it online).  Sheila also used her Beautiful Wings embosslit for the Big Shot and Bird Builder punch.

Speaking of Bird Builder punch, I know a lot of you own that punch and now Stampin' Up! has a stamp set that coordinates with it to add detail to the punched image.  It's called Language of Friendship ($15.95 for wood mount, $11.95 for clear mount) and is on page 101 of the new catalog.  There's also an image that coordinates with the Boho Blossoms punch as well.

I had earned some free sets through my efforts during Sale-A-Bration and I waited for the release of the new catalog to redeem them.  I still haven't finalized my order yet, and I need to within the next week, or lose the opportunity.  It's just so hard to choose!  

Stampin' Up! is having a July-only promotion for those who want to join the Stampin' Up! demonstrator family.  They have released a special starter kit for only $99.  It has a value of $185, plus it comes with a bonus Christmas box project that is valued at $40.  To view what you get, click HERE.  If you'd like to discuss the opportunity with me, I promise to answer your questions as fully and honestly as possible.  I'd love to have a new team member at my next team meeting in September!

Easy Easel

This card is one that I made at my Stampin' Up! team meeting earlier this month.  It was designed by one of my downline, Charlotte.  What you can't tell from this picture is that it is an easel card.  An easel card bends to form an easel shape.  The Whisper White scalloped edge keeps it standing.  

The set is Posy Punch and is one of our new hostess sets.  In case you haven't heard, our hostess benefits have changed some and you can pick any sets you want from the hostess section...no more Level 1, Level 2, Level 3.  Even the largest, most expensive hostess set is available to someone who hosts a minimum party.  And the great thing is that a hostess with a $300 workshop (considered "average") can earn 3-5 hostess selections, maybe more depending on the value of the selection. And actually, a hostess doesn't have to select anything out of the hostess section (which has some great sets)...the hostess dollars can be spent anywhere in the catalog! When a hostess reaches the $400 level of sales, another benefit kicks in and that's the ability to select any product at 50% off.  While you can't use your hostess dollars toward the 50% you have to pay, imagine what you can do...you can purchase a Big Shot at 50% off!  Or My Digital Studio!  Or anything you want!  There is so much more freedom with this plan.  Can you tell I'm excited about it? 

Don't recognize some of those colors?  Charlotte chose two of our newest In Colors, Wisteria Wonder and Calypso Coral, to coordinate with one of her favorite standard colors, Daffodil Delight.  This card was super easy to make and the uniqueness of the easel card makes it very fun.  I'm going to be demonstrating easel cards in my upcoming workshops, so schedule yours today to learn how to make your own and earn great hostess benefits!

Simple Strength

In keeping with the Melon Mambo theme of the other two Strength & Hope cards, here is a very simple card that features the new postage stamp punch ($15.95).  The "H hope" stamp fits very nicely inside, as do all the stamps from the Pretty Postage stamp set ($8.95 for clear mount, $11.95 for wood mount) on page 66 of the current Idea Book & Catalog.

Three quick stamps of the H in Pretty in Pink then one in Melon Mambo and then all you have to do is punch them out and adhere them to the Basic Gray cardstock.  I popped the Melon Mambo one off using a dimensional to give it added emphasis.

Mounting the layer onto a Melon Mambo layer, adding a Whisper White taffeta ribbon and mounting on a Pretty in Pink card finished the card.  Adding up the time it takes to complete this card, I'd say it can be done in 5 minutes or less, including cutting the cardstock.  Maybe even three!

I've shown my Strength & Hope cards in pink variations because it's a set that benefits breast cancer research and because I have three friends who are breast cancer survivors. But you could easily change the color to give a card to someone undergoing treatment for another kind of cancer or to someone going through some difficult circumstances.  A card in the mail really can make someone feel better...and isn't that the goal?!

 

Elegant Hope

I love this card.  It's a spin-off from a design that was in Stampin' Success, a monthly publication from Stampin' Up! for demonstrators.  The base of the card is Melon Mambo, stamped around the edges with the swirly design from Strength & Hope. That little added something really increases the elegance factor, in my opinion.

I purchased this set in wood, so I needed to use my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get great placement on my butterflies.  I used Basic Gray, Old Olive and Melon Mambo inks...a combination I got from the Color Coach.  To me it symbolizes how flowers start in yuckiness (Basic Gray dirt), pop out of the dirt (Old Olive) and bloom into a beautiful flower (Melon Mambo).  That's the hope that every cancer survivor should experience...not only as hope but as reality!

There's a layer of Basic Gray in there, but the other wonderful feature to this card is the bling that I added to the butterfly bodies.  In the Basic Rhinestones collection, there are strips of rhinestones all connected together.  I cut them apart in segments of four rhinestones.  It's so beautiful in person!  I love the rhinestones, and at $4.95 for a package, it's a great deal!

Just a reminder that if you'd like to participate in my Hope for a Cure Stamp-A-Stack, please contact me at srogersfam@yahoo.com.  If you'd be interested in hosting one at your home for a group of 6-8 women (whether your friends or women I assemble), please let me know that as well!  Each hostess will have the opportunity to purchase the Strength & Hope stamp set for 50% off!  I'm open to hosting as many Stamp-A-Stacks as possible from now through the end of August.

Back Again

I disappeared again, but now I'm back.  Thanks for your patience.  I started a new job and working full-time (between teaching and my new job as church administrator) has taken some adjustment.  That's not the only thing keeping me away...my messy stamp room has contributed as well.  But I'm starting to feel more on top of things and so I hope to really get back to stamping and posting.  I have definitely missed it.  It's amazing how much taking some time for yourself and creating something for others can really give you a lift!

Here's a card I presented at my Stampin' Up! team meeting today.  It features the Strength & Hope stamp set that can be found in the Summer Mini Catalog.  $2 from the purchase of each Strength & Hope benefits breast cancer research.  The color combination is Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo.  The credit for this card goes to one of my fellow demonstrators, Christine Gaydos.

I purchased this set with the express intent of hosting some Stamp-A-Stacks to benefit two friends (and stampers) who are walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk that's coming up in Boston.  They are walking 60 miles in 3 days!!!  Of course, my new job came about and I never got around to designing and creating the event, which I'd hoped would raise much more than I could donate personally.  I'll still make a donation, though, and I will put together a class to be held in August.  If you would like to attend this Stamp-A-Stack, please contact me at srogersfam@yahoo.com.  If you'd like to host a Stamp-A-Stack for 6-8 women, I would love to come do one in your home.  

How does a Stamp-A-Stack work?  I design four cards and cut and prep all supplies for those cards.  You show up, follow the written instructions and take home 8 completed cards.  The cost is $15 for the 8 cards with envelopes.  Because this is a benefit Stamp-A-Stack, I am donating $10 of the $15 fee directly to the cause.  

On Wednesday I will post another card made with the Strength & Hope set, so check back soon!  And, really, it will be there, I've already scheduled it to show up then!

As Close to Quilting as I Get

For the record, I have made an elementary quilt.  And I do mean elementary.  It was just some patches of rectangles sewn together for my older son (now 14) when he was a toddler.  But I'm more of an immediate gratification kind of girl, so I haven't sewed in many years and have instead stuck with card-making.

This card was one I presented a little over a month ago at a club meeting.  It's really easy to make and the texture that was added using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder made it appear even more quilt-like.

This card features Melon Mambo cardstock and DSP from Sale-A-Bration's Ice Cream Parlor DSP and Quick Accents pack, but it would look great using any of our Designer Series Paper.

If you would like to schedule a workshop to learn how to make this card and other great projects, contact me today!

Another Autism Album Option

My last post showed you a sample album that I'd made with the Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper. Here's a sample I made with the Ice Cream Parlor DSP and Quick Accents Pack from Sale-A-Bration.  

         

I knew I was going to be doing an album for a fundraiser so, to keep my costs low, I used the Sale-A-Bration benefits that I earned to stock up for the fundraiser so as to minimize my costs.  This paper is so fun and full-of-life (like my kids) that I knew it would make a great option.  Although this sample would probably look best for pictures with girls, you probably could just choose the sides of the paper that were less girly.  The base cardstock is Marina Mist, which is a blue and so will go for either sex.  Those who select this option for their album get the added bonus of being able to add Quick Accents (self-adhesive, cardstock-weight die cuts that coordinate with the paper).

I do not have a sample album made with Greenhouse Gala, but here's a look at the Designer Series Paper that make up that collection.  The colors are Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie and Baja Breeze.  This collection was a HUGE hit at the Stampin' Up! convention when it was unveiled last summer.  

                                       

The autism fundraiser is on Saturday, April 30th at Curtis Lake Church in Sanford.  I can accommodate up to 25 people comfortably in each of the time slots (9am and 11am).  The cost is $20, with $15 of that going directly to benefit My Place/My Friends.  My son has been attending My Place for years and it is a huge benefit to him AND to us as his parents.  The thought of adding the My Friends initiative (a guided opportunity for social interaction...what kids on the spectrum desperately need) is so exciting to me.  

Don't forget, those who sign up and pay by April 23rd will be earn a bonus project that features the Big Shot!  AND, there will be a prize drawing for all participants for $100 worth of Stampin' Up! goodies, donated by Stampin' Up!.  If you get a friend who is not currently in my database to join you, your name will be entered into another drawing for $100 worth of Stampin' Up! products!

If you have a special woman in your life, this album would make a wonderful gift for Mother's Day or even "just because".  All supplies except basic adhesive are included.

April is Autism Awareness Month!

Sorry for yet another long absence.  Just as I was happy to be getting back to my blog after my son's illness, my husband became critically ill with complications from the flu and pneumonia.  He's home now and that means it's back to business for me!

Today is World Autism Day, and all of April is Autism Awareness Month.  For those who don't know, I do indeed love someone with autism.  In fact, I love two people...my sons. My older son has Asperger's Syndrome which is on the high-functioning end of the spectrum.  These days, thanks to intervention since he was about 3, you'd probably not even guess he is on the spectrum.  My younger son is more toward the other end of the spectrum, although I'd probably put him in the middle.  He doesn't speak normally, but he can communicate.  He's occasionally in mainstream settings at school with an aid, but spends a large portion of his day in a special needs setting.  Again, he only is where he is because of the interventions and programs designed to help him.

Each year, except for last year when I dropped the ball, I host a fundraiser to benefit programs that serve those with autism.  I'm proud to announce that this year's recipient is My Place, a ministry at Curtis Lake Church in Sanford.  My Place provides a safe, secure environment for children with developmental delays (and some other issues) so that they can have fun and their parents can attend a service worry-free.  To our knowledge, there are no other similar programs available.  

There is also a desire to expand services into a program that would facilitate social interaction amongst children with autism (among other diagnoses) on a regular basis. My younger son has an in-home support aid that works with him about 15 hours per week. They work on social skills, safety skills, etc.  It is very difficult for them to find things to do in the community that facilitate social interaction and are free.  And that's what My Place would love to be able to offer.  The program, tentatively being called My Friends, would offer a place where children and their aids can come and interact together, free of charge.  Game nights, dances and other such activities would be open to anyone in the community (and surrounding communities) free of charge to children and their parents/aids.  Programs like this already exist in Portsmouth and Portland, but we want to bring one closer!

               

At each of my past fundraisers I have shown people how to create beautiful self-contained scrapbooks from scratch and this year's fundraiser is no exception.  These scrapbooks hold up to 9 pictures each and would make PERFECT gifts for Mother's Day. The cost to participate is $20, with $15 of that going to benefit the My Place/My Friends initiative.   The other $5 is to help offset my costs for the event.  Each participant will receive the cardstock, ribbon and Designer Series Paper needed to create an album.  Participants should bring their own adhesive as well as a paper trimmer.  Extra paper trimmers will be on hand.  These albums go together very quickly and should take an hour or less.

Stampin' Up! has kindly donated a box of goodies worth over $250 for this event.  I have divided up the box into two bags:  one name from the list of anyone participating in the fundraiser will win one bag and the other will be reserved for those who invited a new friend (not in my database) to participate with her/him.  

In addition to the album-making and prize-giveaway fun, I will have many of my retired sets for sale at this event, with 100% of the sales going to benefit My Place/My Friends. AND, if anyone desires to place an order for Stampin' Up! merchandise, I will donate 100% of my instant income to the cause as well.  

To sign up, please contact me at srogersfam@yahoo.com and let me know whether you'd like the 9AM or 11AM time slot.  I have three different album themes, one based on one of three Designer Series Paper collections (Ice Cream Parlor, Elegant Soiree and Greenhouse Gala).  The Ice Cream Parlor collection comes with an added bonus of die-cut, self-adhesive accent pieces!  Anyone signing up and paying by April 23rd will receive a bonus project featuring the Big Shot!

Please contact me today to reserve your spot and help support families affected by autism.  

Lovely, just lovely.

Here are a couple more cards CASEd by Laurie.  It's pretty clear to me that she likes her punches as much as I do!  What a unique way to use the square scallop punch!  This is just a sweet card that features some of the gorgeous Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper.

I love the little bows on this card, accented by the Antique brad. A little button and a butterfly and this card is complete with all the girly touches.

Square cards are so cute to me.  Probably because they are "different".  I just wish there wasn't an extra surcharge on them at the Post Office!  However, at least it's only an extra 17 cents.  Most (lol) recipients are worth it for sure!

Isn't It Lovely?!

This is a card that my downline, Lauri, created.  I believe she said she CASEd it from someone else, but isn't it beautiful?  Lovely as a Tree has been around so long and yet I see new projects every day that make me fall in love with that set all over again. 

You already know that this is a definite go-to set at Christmas for me, but there really isn't an image in that set that isn't gorgeous.  If you don't own this set, you should really consider purchasing it...it will be one of the best purchases you can make!

Did you notice the embossed background in the back?  Lauri sponged ink over the raised portions which really accentuates it.

On another note, I received a box from Stampin' Up! yesterday full of stamping goodies for me to give away at my autism fundraiser later next month.  I'm going to be creating samples of the projects I'll be offering and posting them within the next two weeks.  Stay tuned!