Monthly Archives: November 2012

Watch Sara Douglass on the Today Show Donating to the Holiday Toy & Gift Drive

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Here's the clip of Sara Douglass, Shelli Gardner's daughter, appearing on the Today Show presenting the Stampin' Up! donation of $300,000 in paper crafting supplies to their Holiday Toy & Gift Drive.  This is the fourth year in a row that Stampin' Up! has participated. Sara was on with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. She did a great job….but surely the Today Show realizes they should have Sara or Shelli on for a longer segment to do some stamping! I hope someday we will get to see what projects Sara had in her hands that she didn't have time to show!

Stampin’ Up! Holiday Packaging Bundles

Stampin' Up! Bundles

A new idea out this morning from Stampin' Up! for wrapping a gift!  Make your holiday gift wrapping and packaging a little easier with these cute bundles at a discount. Click on the image above to enlarge. Order easily from my Online Store!

Trimmings & Tags Bundle
Item 132769
$13.50 (a $16.85 value)

Includes

  • Gusseted Cellophane Bags (25 bags; 5" x 3" x 11-1/2")
  • Snow Festival Designer Printed Tags (25 double-sided tags; 4-1/2" x 3-1/8")
  • Cherry Cobbler 1/4" Sweater Trim (10 yards)

 

Petite Treats Bundle
Item 132770
$13.50 (a $16.85 value)

 
Includes

  • Glassine Bags with die-cut edges (10 bags; 3" x 5" x 1-1/2")
  • Handmade Holidays Stitched Felt (8 pieces)
  • Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (10 yards)

This special runs from today, Nov. 29th through January 2….but if you like these, I would order as soon as possible.

If you are looking for cute ways to package little gifts and treats for friends. co-workers, teachers, neighbors and even family, these take all the thinking and gathering out of your day!  You get everything you need for wrapping a gift for Christmas (except the treat!) and you're ready to go! 

Place your order today at my online store and get these bundles shipped to you in plenty of time for all your holiday gift-giving!

 

Sara Douglass for Stampin’ Up! on the Today Show Today!!

IMG_9943

Sara Douglass, daughter of Stampin' Up! CEO and cofounder Shelli Gardner, will be delivering Stampin' Up!'s donation of $300,000 in paper crafting supplies to the 19th Annual TODAY Show Holiday Toy & Gift Drive today, November 29, 2012. Here is a photo I took last January at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference of Shelli and Sara on stage. I'm sure Sara will do a great job representing Stampin' Up! I only wish they would give her more than about two seconds to talk about Stampin' Up!  They don't know what they are missing!!

Sara will be featured during the fourth hour of the TODAY Show with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford (generally 10 AM [EST]). Be sure to check your local listings, however, as the fourth hour airs at various times depending on the market.

Shelli is with Sara in New York for the show but says she is relieved that Sara will be the one on TV! I can't wait to watch!

Donations will be distributed to the following organizations:

  • Action for Boston Community Development Inc., Boston, MA
  • Arizona Helping Hands, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
  • Boys & Girls Clubs Harford County, Belcamp, MD
  • Cathedral Community Cares, New York, NY
  • Children's Toy Closet, New Haven, CT
  • Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY
  • Help USA, Brooklyn, NY
  • Hispanic Federation, New York, NY
  • Making a Difference Foundation, Virginia Beach, VA
  • Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Churches, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Operation Homefront, San Antonio, TX
  • Phipps Houses, Bronx, NY
  • Project Sunshine, New York, NY
  • South Central Los Angeles Regional Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • The Christmas Box Intl., Salt Lake City, UT
  • St. Margaret's Center, Lennox, CA

Stampin' Up! invites those demonstrators who live in the New York City area, to come join them on the plaza outside the TODAY Show studios!

Hope you can watch this morning!!

 

 

Stampin’ Up! Clear Blocks–Doorbuster Bundle! Fun to Play With!

Stampin' Up! Clear Block Bundle House
If you love stamping with clear-mount stamps, I hope you have plenty of Stampin' Up! clear blocks.  But if you don't, you can order them today at my online store for 20% off during the LAST DAY of the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza! These blocks are so much fun! Look at the house you can build!!  If you have several of them together, they make the neatest sound as you jumble them together! They really make a neat clinking sound together!  Oh, and besides stamping with them, you can make a pool of ink on them to pick up with your Aqua Painter or Blender Pen. You can also place several stamps on a big block at once
Today the Clear Block Bundle #118491 is one of the 24-Hour Specials on the Online Extravaganza
Clear Block Bundle

If you don't like the sound of your blocks clinking around in a box or basket, be sure to order the Clear Block Storage Caddy #120279 today. It's on sale for 20% off!
375
And last but not least, as they say….the last "doorbuster" today is the Stack & Store Caddy #109127. I've had mine for years to hold all my containers of embellishments. You can actually use more than one, probably, so if you want to get it on sale, today is the day!  It's the LAST DAY of the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza!
Stack & Store Caddy
There are plenty of great deals on the Online Extravaganza and today is your last chance!  Don't wait until the last minute tonight to place your order! Some items are already getting low and the wait for the back order might be awhile.
Two items running low are the Scallop Edge Punch and the Petite Pocket Die. The Rhinestones may already be backordered (according to an order I had last night). You can put them on your order but there might be a wait.
It's not on the Extravaganza, but the Texture Boutique Embossing Machine is sold out! Just so you know!  Stampin' Up! only had 4000 to sell and they are gone!
So rush right over to my Online Store (be sure you see my name in the right-hand top corner) and check out all the items on the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza! Sale ends

FREE MDS Download from Stampin’ Up!

MDS Download Naughty Free

Today a present from Stampin' Up!  Get this FREE digital download HERE for My Digital Studio or your other digital design software. It's called "Free For You From Us Designer Template" and is the trendy chalkboard-style art!

While you are selecting your free download, check out the other new downloads for My Digital Studio out today HERE.  You can purchase a matching download with the chalkboard style!  I can't wait!

 

It’s Cyber Monday! Time to Hit the Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza!

Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza Favorite Products

Today is Cyber Monday, the day lots of people shop for the holidays from their computer rather than hitting the stores (which they already did on Black Friday!). Of course Stampin' Up! has the Online Extravaganza STILL going on, so while you are at your computer anyway today, it's a good opportunity to shop Stampin' Up!

If you place an order with me today on Cyber Monday you will find a little surprise in your Christmas stocking!

These bargains are so great! I was going to make this post about several of my favorite items on the Online Extravaganza List…but then I kept writing and writing and writing! So I took a picture of just a FEW of my favorite things on the list…there are more!

But here are a few of my top recommendations from the Online Extravaganza list!

Tabletop Paper Cutter

Tabletop Paper Cutter #106959 30% Off

MDS 2+

My Digital Studio Version 2  #130646  50% Off

Button Buddies

Button Buddies Stamp Set 50% Off

Let's go over the Online Extravaganza List:

20% Off

Of course the Brights Designer Series Paper Stack is useful all the time..and the Be of Good Cheer DSP you can use right now for Christmas! Several of the sheets you can use anytime, not just for the holidays!

25% Off

More Merry Messages Stamp Set you can use right now for Christmas cards and tags and projects.  The Happy Hour Stamp Set is kind of fun to have on hand! The Northern Flurry Embossing Folder makes beautiful cards, tags, gifts.

30% Off

The Smooch Spritz Bundle…fun for a little "oomph" on your cards and projects! You HAVE to have the Kraft Gift Boxes…not just for the holidays, handy to have on hand, easy to decorate simply or elegantly.  Ribbon Bundle...love these ribbons! Rhinestone Basic Jewels…don't tell me you don't have any!  You certainly need more! Brights Designer Buttons…cute any time and goes well with the Button Buddies Stamp Set. Anywhere Glue Sticks…a must have. Stampin' Spritzer…cheap and great for mixing your own sprays. Tabletop Paper Cutter…everyone loves this! All the punches listed…gotta have them all! Petal Cone Bigz Die…so many cute things you can make with this starting with the holidays, but use all year!

40% Off

Pennant Parage Bundle can be used in so many creative ways.  Be sure to get the matching punch for 30% off.

50% Off

Snow Much Fun Stamp Set…you always need another snowman and you can use this set right now!  25 & Counting Stamp Set…want to make an advent calendar? Come to Bethlehem…a very pretty religious stamp set. You Are Loved…perfect for Valentine's Day and other times…I just ordered mine on the past sale after loving it from the Holiday Mini LAST year!  Button Buddies Stamp Set…cute set, with or without the buttons, versatile for lots of occasions…and 50% off!! And need I say more…the newest version of My Digital Studio software with TONS of content…MDS 2+…..50% off!  Can't pass this up!

Some people haven't realized this list of sale items had different discounts…and I even made a mistake writing this post…so check carefully and you might find you can get a better deal than you thought on a certain product!

Shop at my Online Store and see the products listed by discounts!

You can also add any other Stampin' Up! products to your order, including the Clearance Rack.

Let me know if you have any questions!  Happy Shopping!


 

Making a Christmas Wreath Card with Paper Scraps

Wreath Card
I saw this idea in a papercrafting magazine although that one was made with washi tape and I used paper scraps! It just caught my eye! I'm not sure I would make a bunch of these cards, but to make one or a few it would be fun.
First I cut some strips 3/4" wide from the pack of paper in the Holiday Catalog called Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack.  This is a fun pad of designer papers to have since they all coordinate and are small to use on lots of projects! I made the first ones 1" long and the red polka dot batch 3/4" long for the top layer. I suggest playing around with your wreath pieces until you see how they fit together, how big of a wreath you want, what will fit on your card layer or project. In the end I used 9 of the longer pieces and "scootched" them closer together. The red ones probably the same number.  At first I was going to do the same green print but it didn't show up well enough on top although I might have tried dimensionals.
Once I had it all laid out on the card layer, I realized I didn't want to take it all apart to glue it (or even put it on Very Vanilla card stock like I intended to do!) so I left the pieces where they were and just slipped a dot of Multipurpose Glue underneath each piece. That would be enough to hold them and if I wanted, I could ruffle up the tips of the pieces.
Wreath pieces
Wreath glue

I just added a  Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding bow and stamped a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes. This would also make a nice embellishment on a scrapbook page, too, if you just made the wreath!
Don't forget the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza continues tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday….thru Nov. 28th.  Be sure to do a little shopping and get your bargains. You may add any other merchandise on to your order as well, including Clearance Rack and MDS Downloads.

Shop the Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza for Bargains….and No Camping Out!

Online Extravaganza 2012

With Black Friday pretty much extending through the whole weekend, today being Small Business Saturday and Monday being Cyber Monday, this is quite the weekend for shopping. I've always thought it was rather crazy when people would camp out right after Thanksgiving dinner to be first in line on Black Friday, but this year that has been taken to new extremes.  Here there were people camping out ALL WEEK in line at Best Buy to be first in line to buy that $200 TV or whatever doorbusters they thought they had to have. In fact, one family that was interviewed said this is now their Thanksgiving tradition….they have their Thanksgiving dinner while camped out in line in front of the store!!!  Really???!!

Well, Stampin' Up! makes shopping way easier than all that!! You don't have to camp out in front of Stampin' Up! or even my house to get some good deals on Stampin' Up! products! The Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza started early before Black Friday, and to give you plenty of time goes on past Cyber Monday….until Wed. Nov. 28th. You'll be able to get any of the discounts from 20% – 50% off at your convenience either online or by contacting me….with no camping out on a sidewalk! And I bet your Stampin' Up! purchases will be much better quality than the deals that some of these stores are offering! There are no cheap versions of stamping supplies made just to get you "in the store" in hopes you will buy something bigger and better. It's all the same stamps and accessories we can always buy, backed by the Stampin' Up! reputation, just discounted to make shopping fun!

Don't miss out on these discounts!  Even though they are out there longer than a weekend, don't let the time pass.  They will end on Wednesday, Nov. 28 so don't wait until the last minute and risk a computer snafu or unexpected company or something else that happens to prevent you from ordering!

Shop the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza right now from the comfort of your computer chair!   No tents on sidewalks! This is shopping at its best!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps…Easy Cookie Baking!

Sweet Pressed Cookies

It may be Black Friday, but if you are not into that shopping craziness it would be a good day to stay home and read over the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza shopping list! There are so many great bargains on there, discounts from 20% – 50% off regular price! You'll notice that one set…Special Events…. of the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps is on the list at 30% off!

It's been over a year now that Stampin' Up! came out with these Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps! I'm not an experienced dough baker…..I can mix up some cookie dough and then drop globs on a cookie sheet and bake, but I've never been good with cookie cutters and rolling pins and all that. But the Stampin' Up! Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps are easy to use! I had a friend coming from out of town and of course I was making these at the last minute in between trying to finish cleaning the house….so I was under a lot of pressure!  Normally that would guarantee the 'fancy" cookies not turning out at all. But, honestly, I whipped these out with no trouble and they tasted great!  I'm not saying I took time to make them look REALLY nice (like trimming the edges if I didn't get the stamp centered properly), but they turned out! That's all I cared about….having some home-baked cookies that tasted good!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp one

These still basically met my "drop cookie" method of baking….just take a glob of dough, roll it in a ball, put it on the cookie sheet and stamp! The main tip is to ALWAYS dip the stamp into a bowl of sugar (or maybe flour) EACH TIME before you stamp and you won't have much trouble with dough sticking to the stamp.

I didn't take much time for decorating either which would have been nice!  I might even have some special cookie glitter (not to be confused with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter!!), but there was no time for that.  I just sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar and some sprinkles and called it good!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp with Sugar

              Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp with Sprinkles

The recipe comes in the box with the stamps, and the cookies are delicious.  My friend even commented that they lasted well over a couple of days (since we really didn't eat them all the first night!)

Before you start your holiday cookie baking, consider these Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps from Stampin' Up! While all the designs are fun, it is the Special Events set that is on sale right now during the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza 30% off! Add them to your Online Order HERE.

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Holidays Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps #125152

Special Events Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Special Events #126903

Occasions Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Occasions #127081

A Paper & Ribbon Thanksgiving Turkey Ornament

Paper & Ribbon Thanksgiving Turkey Ornament
Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving Day and weekend! I appreciate all of my Stampin' Up! customers, subscribers, blog readers, and fellow stamping friends! This papercrafting hobby is so enjoyable because of all of you!

Here's a fun little turkey to make easily.  I was going to put him on a card but once I got the ribbon tail feathers on I thought he was cuter as a little Thanksgiving ornament….or you could use him for a tag. Hang him around the neck of a bottle of wine or tie onto a packaged up pie or whatever food you are taking today! (as in my post yesterday!) Stick him onto a piece of candy, like a Hershey's Nugget or Kiss for a table favor!

Use the Owl Punch for the body and trim off his ears. Punch out the white eyes and just color in the dots with black marker.  Cut the little beak out of a scrap. Punch the little gobble-thing with the Modern Label Punch and trim it to a point at the top.  You just need the little end of the punch….or punch the little heart in the Owl Punch and adhere off to the side a little. Cut some scraps of ribbon, fold over and adhere to the back with SNAIL and/or Glue Dots. That's it! I guess you could punch another owl to glue on the back to hide the adhered ribbon and write a message.

When dinner is over and you start thinking about shopping, don't forget the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza.  You can get these ribbon colors in a Bundle!

Hope you are having….will have…or have had…a wonderful Thanksgiving! I can't wait to eat my Cajun fried turkey!!

A Turkey Tag — It’s All in the Presentation (Almost!)!

Turkey Tag Pecan Pie Presentation

They say "It's all in the presentation" or "Presentation is everything!" but I do have to say "almost" because the pie inside this presentation is beautiful! Notice all the individual leaves on the crust around the edge (and the crust is my favorite part of any pie!). 

This year we are doing Thanksgiving a little differently. My friend Dixie and her friend Sherrie have a cooking/catering company so I ordered a Cajun fried turkey from them as well as some chicken and sausage gumbo, a pecan pie and some chocolate Whoopie Pies! No cooking a turkey for me!!!  Oh my gosh, when I saw how they had decorated the pecan pie package and whoopie pies with this cute turkey tag and ribbon I just went crazy!  See how such a simple thing can make such a great impression?!!  Paper, ink, and stamps!  Aren't we part of such an impressive craft?!

Turkey Tag Whoopie Pies Presentation

And a peek inside the foil covering the cajun fried turkey! I don't know how I restrained myself from taking just a little taste from this turkey!

Peek at Turkey

Are you hungry now? If you live in the southwest Houston/Richmond area, email me and I'll give you Dixie's contact information.

If you're taking a pie or some plate of food to someone's house for Thanksgiving, consider taking a few minutes to make some kind of cute little tag or card just for a little something special! I know it will be appreciated!  And make the food look even more inviting!

Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza going on now until November 28th! Select products discounted 20% – 50%!  More Doorbusters the last day! Check the list right now!

Stampin’ Up! Sale….Big Shot 20% Off Today Only!…Online Extravaganza!!

Big Shot Metal Snowflake Ornament

I made this Christmas ornament with my Big Shot, the Snow Flurry Bigz Die and some roof flashing! The Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine is so useful in all kinds of papercrafting!  It can cut through all kinds of materials and makes your papercrafting life so much easier and fun!  And guess what??  TODAY ONLY, the Big Shot is on sale at Stampin' Up! for 20% off!!  You can also pick up the Big Shot Doctor's Bag on sale today only if you think you will be transporting your Big Shot, want a spot to put it away, or need another travel bag for yourself!  Yes, it is that nice!  You can use it for an overnight bag and look like you are traveling in style!!

There are lots of Stampin' Up! products on sale this week during the Online Extravaganza from November 19 – 28.  Today ONLY as 3 Doorbusters and again the last day, Wed. Nov. 28th.

    Click HERE to shop online!            Click HERE to see the List!

Online Extrav 2012

If you are putting in a large order ($150 or over) for yourself online, be SURE you go directly to my online store and not the Stampin' Up! general website so that you will receive your Hostess Rewards! If you see my name up in the right-hand corner, you are in the right place!  If you need any help, just contact me!  I can also put the order in for you, if you prefer.  But the fastest, easiest way is to do it online since you can put in your own payment easily.

Decorate Your Thanksgiving Table with My Digital Studio!

Unknown Blessings

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Special holidays call for special table settings and decorating your Thanksgiving table is probably one of the biggest ones!  Sara Brook, of the Stampin' Up! My Digital Studio Team, put together this lovely place setting made with the Unknown Blessings Ensemble. It comes with everything you need to make these table decorations and really sounds easy!  Just use the digital feathers, filling in with whatever color paper you want, print, cut out and snip to look like feathers.  We all made Indian headbands in school I'm sure…just print out the headband, size correctly and add some feathers. The napkin rings are made the same way, just smaller! There's even a pie box to print and make, frameable art, menu cards, place cards….and whatever else you can think up using this digital set!

Unknown Blessings Ensemble My Digital Studio

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Read more of Sara's post on the Stampin' Up! website for My Digital Studio HERE. She also has more photos how you can use all the elements of the Unknown Blessings Ensemble.

Even if you don't own My Digital Studio (you don't??!) I'm sure you can get some Thanksgiving table decorating ideas from this photo above!

Interested in My Digital Studio?  Well, there is the free 30-Day Trial….AND coming up, starting Monday, Nov. 19th during the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza, My Digital Studio is one of the discounted items!!!!!!

Check the Online Extravaganza list HERE….and find the My Digital Studio discounts at the very bottom of the last page!!  That's the 50% off list!!  You will be able to purchase the full MDS 2+ download, the MDS 2 version (less content), or the MDS 2 upgrade all for 50% off the regular price! I would absolutely recommend the MDS 2+ version even at full price but ESPECIALLY for half-price!  You will be amazed at all the downloads that are included in that version.  Treat yourself to an early Christmas gift!

Find all the My Digital Studio options HERE in my Online Store.

Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza Discounts….Starting Monday Nov. 19th!

Online Extrav 2012
Stampin' Up!'s biggest online sale of the year, Online Extravaganza, begins Monday, November 19, and ends on Wednesday, November 28. We've got a fantastic selection of stamp sets, accessories, and tools that will be discounted up to 50 percent!
To view the WHOLE list of discounted products, click HERE.

Plus, you won't want to miss the first 24 hours of the sale when the Big Shot, Doctor's Bag, and Simply Scored Diagonal Plate will be 20 percent off retail price!

Here are the "doorbusters" for Monday and the last day:

Monday, November 19, midnight – 11:50 PM (MT) 

Page

Item

Description

Retail Price

24-Hour 
Sale Price

181

125586

Simply Scored Diagonal Plate

$11.95

$9.56

186

113439

Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

$99.95

$79.96

186

113474

Big Shot Doctor's Bag

$69.95

$55.96

Wednesday, November 28, midnight – 11:50 PM (MT) 

Page

Item

Description

Retail Price

24-Hour
Sale Price

7

118941 Clear Block Bundle (Blocks A-I)

$66.95

$53.56

7

120279 Clear Block Storage Caddy

$16.95

$13.56

175

109127 Stack & Store Caddy

$34.95

$27.96

Once the sale starts on Monday you will be able to view all the items on my Online Store.
Here is the pdf of the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza!  You can also add other items to your order!

Texture Boutique Embossing Machine…from Stampin’ Up!

Sizzix Texture Boutique Embossing Machine

Stampin' Up! is offering a test run of the Texture Boutique Embossing Machine from Sizzix in the North American markets. There are 4,000 available to be sold only while supplies last. If this product test goes well, they may offer the Texture Boutique again in the future.

The Texture Boutique works with Textured Impressions Embossing Folders to transform ordinary cardstock, paper, metallic foil, or vellum into an embossed, textured masterpiece. This machine embosses only; it does not die cut. Because this is a product test, the Texture Boutique is not branded with the Stampin' Up! logo. It comes in Sizzix packaging and is the same color and design that is sold in stores. We recommend you read the included instructions before using the Texture Boutique.

Stampin' Up! is offering a special value bundle that saves you $5.90. If you prefer, you can also purchase the Texture Boutique alone. Looking for stocking stuffers? Pick up some additional embossing folders.

Texture Boutique Bundle 
Item 132700
$39.95 (a $45.85 value)

Includes:

  • Texture Boutique Embossing Machine, 1 Pair of Standard Embossing Pads, 1 Mylar Shim
  • Flower Garden Textured Impressions Embossing Folder-Stampin' Up! exclusive
  • Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder-Stampin' Up! exclusive

Texture Boutique Embossing Machine
Item 132657
$29.95 
Includes:

  • Texture Boutique Embossing Machine, 1 pair of Standard Embossing Pads, 1 Mylar Shim

To purchase the Texture Boutique Embossing Machine, save yourself a trip to the store and just order online from Stampin' Up! .  Get the bundle with the two embossing folders plus the machine…or if you already own those embossing folders, just buy the machine!  Then start planning all the embossing you will do!

Let me know what you think.  This took me by surprise! Just remember, if you are interested, it is only available while supplies last.