Maybe I missed the price of bacon slowly creeping up. Maybe I already had a stockpile of bacon and hadn't bought any recently. I don't know what happened, but I was shocked to discover that the price of bacon had skyrocketed to $7.00 a package!  It didn't seem any cheaper even at Walmart or any other grocery stores. So even I did not buy a package of bacon at that price…but then I hadn't run out yet.  Finally I found one brand on sale to tide me over.  I think an alarm would go off on my refrigerator if there wasn't bacon in there!

So speaking of bacon, have you seen the Stampin' Up! stamp set Button Buddies that you can stamp and then add a button?! It's really cute but I hadn't gotten to use it yet.

What on earth does bacon have to do with stamping?  Well, until there is a bacon stamp, I'll just have to make this connection with the little pig in Button Buddies!  Here's a little card with the pig and a button!

In doing some research on this issue, I found that the price of pork bellies did skyrocket, due to high corn prices forcing hog farmers to pare their herd because of the high feed costs.

So if you find a sale on bacon, you better stock up so you'll have bacon available for those BLTs!  There are other bacon flavored products out there, but you can't fool me. Nothing like the real thing!

And nothing like the best stamping inks, papers, stamps and accessories either from Stampin' Up!  Stock up now on your favorite stamping supplies!  You never know! Shop HERE today!

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Stampin' Up! created this Special Edition God Bless America stamp in September 2001 to benefit the September 11th Fund, a national disaster-relief fund.  Stampin' Up! sold more than 147,000 stamps, with the entire purchase price donated, and raised more than $1 million for the September 11th Fund.

A leaf and these colors make us think of fall.  Amazingly, here in Houston we have actually been having weather that makes us think fall is possible, in the near future, here! I still can't believe that we went from 100+ degree days, for days on end, to very comfortable, cooler, dry days.  It's almost jacket-weather here early in the mornings!  

The only thing taking away from fully enjoying this beautiful weather is the knowledge that many people in Texas right now are suffering with all the wildfires. Today in Houston we can smell the smoke as a haze settled over the city from miles away due to our cooler morning temperatures. But that is nothing compared to what the people in counties north of Houston and farther west in Bastrop, Texas have to deal with having to evacuate their homes and not knowing if they have any home to go back to.  And many don't. If only the Northeast could send some of their rain down to Texas!  If anyone knows how to do a raindance, come to Texas!

This card is made with Soft Suede card stock and the beautiful, gorgeous Spice Cake Designer Series Paper.  The leaf is stamped with the Gently Falling stamp set.  My leaf actually didn't stamp properly…I forgot to check if I had inked up the center of the stamp well enough…but rather than do it over, I just sponged in some Pear Pizzazz ink in the center, which makes it look more realistic anyway!  See, there are no mistakes in stamping!  I actually "CASED" this card from the Holiday Mini on page 16, except made mine a little larger…and no time to find a button! Love that Spice Cake paper!!

To see all the products in the Stampin' Up! 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog, just click HERE.

Today is the last day of August (I don't know how that can be!), the last day for the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalog, the last day for the Strength & Hope Promotion, and the last day for the Buy 3 Get 1 Free Designer Paper Promotion. Time flies when you're having fun!

This card is made with the Easy Events stamp set….I stamped one of the images three times without the words at the bottom of the stamp…and colored in with Stampin' Write Markers.  For the card background, I used the fun Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper #124339. I think it makes a happy card! Along with the Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon #122331 and the new Designer Printed Brads #122940!

I'll add a sentiment later if I want, or I might just use it to write a happy note to a friend!

If you haven't stocked up on the new Designer Series Paper yet, today is your last day to place an order.  After you put in three packs of paper, the fourth will be free.  Or email me your order and I'll take care of it.  This promotion includes the paper that sells for $10.95 (not the Specialty Designer Series Paper).

And check that Summer Mini Catalog one more time!

I will say these are a few of my favorite Stampin' Up! Convention swaps but really I was barely able to single these out because I got some really good swaps!  But for the sake of this post, here are some that particularly jumped out at me!  Sorry that I don't have the names in front of me of who created these lovely swaps.

Now that you have been inspired, go stamp something!

There are a lot of reasons to love the new stamp set Easy Events, but I have a special reason for loving the cuckoo clock image.  When my father was in the Air Force and visited Germany, way back when, he bought cuckoo clocks to bring home to my mother and both sets of my grandparents.  So when I see cuckoo clocks, it reminds me of all of my family and their homes.  I remember exactly where the clocks were hung in their houses and ours.  Cuckoo clocks are fascinating to children to see that little bird pop out and chirp or to help pull up the cuckoo clock weights to keep the clock running.  I was amazed to see that this image would be included in a Stampin' Up! stamp set!

I used the Color Coach to choose my colors for this card (Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze and Soft Suede….except I used a darker brown..Chocolate Chip) and when I saw the new Scallop Dots Ribbon on my table I decided that would be the perfect embellishment for my 4×4 card!  I colored the image with Stampin' Write Markers and a Blender Pen.

Easy Events has stamps for almost every occasion, such as baby, Christmas, wedding, thank you and more….and if you omit the sentiment you have even more uses for the images….and of course you can always use the sentiment by itself.

Order your Easy Events stamp set and all your stamping products HERE at my Online Store.

One of the most fun parts of the Stampin' Up! Convention and even other Stampin' Up! events is swapping with other attendees.  Swapping means a Stampin' Up! demonstrator makes a bunch of the same card front to trade with other demonstrators.  Usually we make more than one design.  Really almost from the time you arrive at the airport swapping among demonstrators begins…but for sure once you arrive at the Convention hall!  You will see demonstrators in the lobby and everywhere with their hands full of swaps to trade and this continues for days.  Besides being fun and a good way to get acquainted with others, it gives us samples to show our customers for ideas on what they can make with their stamping supplies.  Some demonstrators sign up for special organized swaps with a certain group or with a certain theme….it might be 3×3 cards, or scrapbook pages, or 3D items, or gifts or pop-up cards or whatever!  You might see them meeting in a circle in the lobby and trading their swaps in an organized fashion.  Whatever the method, it is REALLY fun, and so fun to come home with lots of samples to show!

(You might be able to click on the photos to enlarge them.)

It's fun making little 3"x 3" notecards, and these were perfect for putting in my customers' bags with their Stampin' Up! orders!

Stamps:  Pretty Postage, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Calypso Coral

Paper:  Pool Party, Whisper White, and Calypso Coral card stock; Pocketful of Posies Designer Series Paper

Accesssories:  Postage Stamp Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Stampin' Write Markers for words:  Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo

Try making some 3 x 3 cards for fun!  Maybe you will think they are less intimidating that a full-size card, just to get your creative juices flowing!

If you need any stamping supplies, just click on over to my Online Store!