Ice Cream Parlor...a fun "Sale-a-Bration"

I'm combining lots of delightfully delicious things today: The Clean & Simple sketch #129, the Ice Cream Parlor Sale-a-Bration packs (that you can earn FREE!) and throwing in a little birthday scrapbook page, just for fun!

Let's jump dig right in with my take on today's C&S sketch:

When I saw this sketch, I immediately thought of the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper & Quick Accents and Ice Cream Parlor Ribbon & Button Packs sitting on my stamp desk! There was even a self-adhesive scallop in the Accents to make it really super simple. I added a sentiment from the On a Pedestal stamp set and ta-da...it's done!

I also created this page for one of my daughter's birthday celebrations from the same Ribbon & Button pack. The Pacific Point Top Note shape (cut from the Big Shot) peeks out from under the pictures with the title for this page to say, "May all your wishes come true!". It's very bright and gives it a "Celebration" feel...which was perfect since I used the "Sale-a-Bration" offerings!

Want to know how you can get the paper, accents, ribbon and buttons FREE? You can choose them free when you order $50 from my website! I just love using free supplies...
 

10 Reasons to Join Stampin' Up!

10 reasons to join my Stampin' Up! Family:

During Sale-a-Bration (through March 31st), our starter kits are 15% off...that's like getting more than $310 of amazing products for just $148.75! And if you need one more reason to join today, how about FREE BONUS PRODUCTS ($50 value):

While anytime is a great time to start your own Stampin' Up! business, I want to invite you to be part of my family today! The sooner you start, the more you can SALE-A-BRATE with your friends. My recruit password is "stampwithme" :)
 
Would you like to know more? Listen to an Opportunity Call from Stampin' Up! every Tuesday, February 22-May 31, at 11:00 AM (MT) and 4:00 PM (MT).
To attend this call, dial 1-866-640-4044 and, when prompted, enter the access code 500284#. 

Sale-a-Bration Bliss

bliss

/blɪs/ Show Spelled[blis] –noun

1. supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment: wedded bliss.

2. Theology . the joy of heaven.

3. heaven; paradise: the road to eternal bliss.

4. Archaic . a cause of great joy or happiness.

5. my favorite Sale-a-Bration Stamp Set! 

One of my favorite thing about the taffeta ribbon (shown here in Rich Razzleberry) is that you can fray the end and pick a strand from the middle of the ribbon, then pull it to gather the ribbon! Isn't that so feminine and pretty? PURE bliss, as far as I'm concerned :)

 

And here is Shannon West from Stampin' Up! showing you a few more ways to use this gorgeous stamp set: 

Did I mention you can get this stamp set FREE??

Blog Chocolate Winner!

Thanks to Random.org, comment #6 by Latricia is the winner of the BLOG CHOCOLATE prize! E-mail me with your mailing address, Latricia, and you'll get THIS:

And for some more chocolate valentine's inspiration, here's pure BLISS (those dark chocolate hearts co-ordinate beautifully with SU! Brushed Gold, Real Red and Whisper White card stock!):

My Fabulous Escape!

When I moved into this house in 2005, my goal that first autumn when the kids went back to school was to stay home and catch up on their scrapbook albums. Scrapbooking is therapeutic for me and my children love looking through their books and sharing them with friends and family. Alas, I have finished very few pages or books since then!

So when my friend Beth said that she was planning a casual scrapbook retreat in Salt Lake City, I invited myself and my dear friend Kelli :) It was time to do something personal I wanted to do...that didn't have anything to do with my business.

When my husband went into emergency surgery for kidney stones the day before the retreat began, I rationalized: The funeral could wait until Monday, worst case scenario. Judge me, dear reader: I *did* get him situated at home (with painkillers) 2 full hours before I left!

AND even when Kelli had to drive 4 hours home during the middle of the retreat to open her son's mission call (he's going to Paraguay), then drive her daughter all the way to Park City the next morning, she CAME BACK the next morning.

We worked through the wee hours of the night/morning, laughed heartily at Beth's entertainment (she's a master storyteller!), bared our souls to one another, ate well (Buca di Beppo and Cafe Rio along with plenty of snacks), and even managed to squeeze in a little exercise. We passed the "I-finished-a-page" crown around, shared ideas and did whatever we wanted when we wanted (which explains why we don't have makeup or hair done...and possibly not many supporting undergarments...in many of the pictures above) Pure bliss! Thanks Beth, Kelli, Vicky, Jennifer, SaraJane, Helen & Nanette...you were just what I needed.

I finished over 50 pages and it felt so good! I'll try to share a few in the next week or so (when I'm not working).

P.S. Husband survived and even had Superbowl dinner ready when I came home! He's a keeper :)

P.P.S. Will announce Blog Chocolate Winner soon!

I'm That Friend...

It won't come as any surprise that my favorite set from the new Occasions Mini Catalog is "Eat Chocolate" and here is the card I created for the Stitched Stampers Occasions Mini Swap (inspired by a Mojo Monday sketch):

I added a little Crystal Effects on the chocolate and now it looks good enough to eat!

Now if you are a local (Utah County)...have you tried "The Chocolate" (a dessert cafe) in Orem? We just discovered it a few months ago and I can definitely recommend skipping dinner and just going for dessert...

And since we are chatting about chocolate, may I recommend a good book?

This is a wonderful new cookbook by Annette Lyon (who also writes LDS Fiction) and I can say that she really makes chocolate fun! I got to visit with her when she came to sign books a few months ago in our Deseret Book Store (where I have worked for 5 years) and I was so excited when this came out!

My Great-Grandmother Charlotte Jane Cole Grey's biography was titled "I'd Rather Read a Recipe Than A Book".  I think the fact that I like to read recipes AND books comes from both Charlotte and Montrue,  her daughter (my Grandma) who worked for years at the Dixie College bookstore... the love of books & cooking run in the family!

Since "I'm That Friend (Who Has Chocolate)" here's a chance to win some BLOG CANDY CHOCOLATE! Leave a comment (or a recipe!) about your favorite chocolate indulgence and YOU COULD WIN a delicious chocolate treat AND the "It's All Good" stamp set (retired). Comment by midnight, February 8th and I'll announce the winner on the 9th!