Extending My Birthday Celebration

Yes, my birthday was in July (thanks for asking) but I just like celebrating for an extra long time. Even though I've commemorated 46 of them, it never gets old :)

Let me show you some of the cool things my friends made me for my birthday! Handcrafted gifts are always the best, so I'm sharing their talents here.

Created by (top left, clockwise): Laura Hill, Sherrill Graff, Pam Clyde, Anne Beddo

Card creators(l to r): Sue Stratton, Angie Baldwin, Pam Clyde, Beth Martin, Jenn Seaver, Sherrill Graff

I was truly spoiled on my birthday and these are just a few of the handmade items...Thank you to everyone who remembered me on my birthday. You made it so very special!

In Case You Need A Reason, Here Are 12 Good Ones (of 25)

It's no secret I LOVE WHAT I DO as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator...but it's not an exclusive club: I also love sharing the opportunity with everyone else because it has made a difference in my life.

Co-ordinating with the 25th Anniversary of SU! I'm sharing 25 reasons you may want to join my Stampin' Up! family over on my Facebook Page, but today I'm listing the first 12 here, in case you've missed them. Stick with me, 'cuz there are a few priceless ones!

1. Anytime is a good time to join SU! and for just a few more days (through August 31), you can pick one of these kits from the Holiday or Annual catalog FREE when you become a demonstrator:

2. You would make a great demonstrator if...you refer to colors in Alliterative SU! lingo, i.e. Coastal Cabana, Crisp Canteloupe, Pistachio Pudding...You may be over the top if you paint your fingernails in said colors...

3. If you love creating and swapping cards, that's something demonstrators do at every event!

4. Where should you go for summer vacation? Wonder no more: Come with me to Convention next year as a demonstrator?

5. Never be bored at a sporting event: As a demonstrator, there is always a project you can take along!

6. Combine work with play and avoid being homicidal.

7. You would be a wonderful Stampin' Up! Demonstrator if: You've ever served glitter for dinner.

8. Kids are expensive.

9. Raise your C.Q. (Creativity Quotient)! You'll be amazed at the things you learn from Stampin' Up!

10. The demonstrator starter kit is only $99 and you can choose $125 in product you want! It's the best bargain we have :)

11. Don't let your ship pass by...SU! can help you swim out to meet it!

12. Stampin' Up! can change your life. You can change the lives of others. Share the love!


...the other 13 reasons will be coming to FB and I'll share them here in October. MEANWHILE, to find out more about starting your own creative journey with Stampin' Up! come on over to my Opportunity Night tomorrow, August 29th at 7 p.m. Too far to travel? Most of your questions can be answered by reading about the opportunity HERE, or pick up the phone and call me 801.376.8685

JOIN THE FUN NOW!

Feminine Colors and County Fair

Needed a special thank you card and the color challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary this week epitomized the person I am sending it to:

And here is my finished project :

Card Recipe (all from Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: En Francais background stamp, Too Kind and Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Smoky Slate, Pistachio Pudding, Blushing Bride, Versamark
Paper: Blushing Bride, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder (109130), Heat Tool, Sponge Daubers (102892). Big Shot Machine, Deco Labels Collection Framelits (130102), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), Silver 1/8" ribbon (132137)

In other news...I won a blue ribbon (actually two) at the Utah County Fair for some of my paper creations!

Stamp and Share

Often as my stampin' friends are creating cards at one of my classes, I'll hear them say something like "This is too cute to give away!" The solution was simple: Make more than one card! So when you attend my Card Buffet class (the next one is August 31, click here to register) you'll create 2 of each of these lovely greeting cards...and you'll notice there is a variety of styles, so there really is something for everyone! With one to keep and one to share, you can spread the joy to someone else as well.

Helping Make Your Holidays Happier

… The holidays are just around the corner! But if you’ve seen Stampin’ Up!’s Holiday Catalog, you know that it’s not time to panic because we have the holidays all wrapped up. Whether you have gifts, wrapping, or décor with all of the trimmings on your list, you’ll find it all in the Holiday Catalog with festive inspiration. For example, there is the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit (#133463) - perfect for all of your fall gatherings and events. And when you bundle it with the Thankful stamp (#133341 - bundle), that’s a 15% savings for you! 





Now is the perfect time to get started planning, so if you haven’t seen the Holiday Catalog yet, contact me to your own copy or come to one of my upcoming events. Don’t forget that when you shop with Stampin’ Up!, you receive rewards when your order reaches $150 - and that includes products from the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, the Holiday Catalog, the Clearance Rack, and My Digital Studio downloads. So get a head start on your holidays and have it delivered right to your front door. 


Have you been trying to think of a way to make holidays more affordable this year? Well, have you ever considered doing what I do and becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator? Not only will you be able to get your holiday supplies at a discount, you can also earn additional income all while working around your family and holiday events. And just for signing up to become a Stampin’ Up! by the end of August, you’ll also get to choose a fabulous project kit to add to your Starter Kit at no additional cost. Just contact me today and we can get you started.







So start making your lists and your plans, and let Stampin’ Up! And your Holiday Catalog be your go-to resources this season.

Shop from the HOLIDAY CATALOG HERE

Find out more about starting your own Stampin' Up! business HERE.

Sketchin' It Today...

Just having fun with the sketch over at Create with Connie and Mary today...one super simple version and another simply simple for CCMC263:

Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit (For more info on My Paper Pumpkin, read THIS POST)
Ink: Whisper White & Early Espresso stamp pads
Paper: Early Espresso card stock and Soho Subway Designer Series Paper (130140)
Accessories: Epic Day Washi Tape (131269) and Hardware Clips Essentials (129964)

Card Recipe (all from SU!):
Stamps: Too Kind and Loving Thoughts
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzaz and Always Artichoke
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzaz and Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch (120907), 1-3/8" circle punch (119860), Paper Piercing Tool, Beautiful Wings Embosslit (118318), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (113439) and Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246) 

Dodgeball, Trampolines and Tournaments

We've often joked that we live in a community where baseball/softball are HUGE and yet not one of our kids has ever swung a bat on a team. My husband was very athletic in school and argues that playing a team sport teaches some essential skills. We have encouraged (maybe even forced) them to try other team skills. Each child has tried something; soccer, basketball or swimming are the ones that have been most successful.

Then along came Dodgeball.

Let me back up a few years. When my oldest children were in high school, they discovered a gymnastics place that had some trampolines to train on and a huge foam pit. Once or twice a week, the place was open for anyone to come play. Being a natural leader, Kayson gathered his friends and took them with him. As parents, we went a few times to observe and even held a few birthday parties there. We were grateful to have a place where people of all levels of athletic ability (or none at all) could do something fun. We could see that there could be opportunities for injury, but not any more than playing on a sports team...and since our kids tended to spend more time on the computer than doing any kind of physical activity, it was a risk we were (and continue to be) willing to take in exchange for some good-old-fashioned EXERCISE.

Here is an early video my son made of their early shenanigans at PPT:

Open Gym was so successful for the business, the owners went on to create Lowe's Extreme Air Sports where it is open gym most of the time and where we have spent many happy hours.

Fast forward a few years and there is a new gym in town: Get Air Hang Time in Orem, Utah (similar to Lowe's) and includes a dodgeball "arena" on trampolines. Guess whose kids work there now? Yep, that's my boys!

With the addition of the dodgeball arena, Kayson and Braden are now pretty darn awesome players and I've found that I really love watching this sport! The games are short and sweet and the players are incredibly talented: Is all that eye-hand co ordination from video games paying off in real life after all?!?

Last weekend, the boys took us to Las Vegas where we celebrated Kayson's 21st birthday by watching the Hang Time teams (Kayson was on team Hang Time and Braden played for The Misfits) compete in a tournament at Sky Zone. Because they needed 10 teams to participate to be able for the winners to qualify for the National tournament (and when we arrived there were only 8 teams registered) we rousted up a few bystanders (including dads, sisters, cousins, coworkers) and created two more teams: The Autistic Avengers and Meat Shields. The team names explain the ability level and purpose, and those two teams ended up 9th and 10th, but the fun was priceless.

How did the other two teams do? AWESOME. And the Hang Time Team won the tournament!

(yes, I know I spelled "shield" wrong in the video, but after 2 hours of editing, I'm not going to fix it)

Here's the whole group from Utah who participated on the 4 teams:

If you are reading this before August 12, 2013, you can vote to help the Hang Time Team get invited to play for the National Championship next month by clicking here: http://bit.ly/13AR7Qr 

It's not where we ever expected to go, but we are enjoying Trampolines and Dodgeball right now!

No Excuses Crafting

As mentioned in this post, Paper Pumpkin is the answer to EVERY excuse you could give for NOT being crafty...and while it's an awesome deal at the regular price ($19.95/month), for just a few more days it's a KILLER deal for just $10 for the first two months you try it!!! WHY NOT TRY IT???

Seriously, it's a fabulous chance to give yourself (or a friend) 30 minutes of creative fun and it comes with everything you need to get started except scissors and adhesive. I'm pretty sure that  you have scissors lying around your house somewhere, so let me make this a NO BRAINER decision and tell you that anyone who signs up for My Paper Pumpkin (yes, just click those words or the image above and they'll take you to the magic kingdom to sign up...) with me before August 31 (make sure to enter the code PUMPKINDEAL when checking out), will receive a Stampin' Up! Glue Stick  in the mail. No more excuses. Go now.

You're still here? If you have questions, let's see if this FAQ answers them.

Q: What is My Paper Pumpkin? 

A: A monthly creative escape: A crafting kit with EVERYTHING prepared for you to make something magically beautiful!

Q: What comes in a Paper Pumpkin Kit?

A: It's a surprise each month! There have been card kits, journal kits, small scrapbooks, cake toppers...the anticipation is half the fun! You'll have everything you need to complete the project: paper, stamps, ink, accessories and more. And I'm sending you a glue stick. 

Q: Will it come every month?

A: Your subscription is on auto renew so it will ship every month on or around the 15th. You can skip a month or cancel at any time. Just log on to your account and click "manage my pumpkin" on or before the 10th of the month to skip that month or cancel.

Q: When will I be billed?

A: Your credit card will be charged when your Paper Pumpkin is shipped (after the 11th of the month) and you will get an e-mail notifying you that your card has been charged.

Q: Does my Paper Pumpkin project come with instructions? 

A: Yes, of course it does. The instructions will tell you everything you need to know. And they are so easy to follow-we promise.

Q: How much does a Paper Pumpkin membership cost each month? 

A: A Paper Pumpkin subscription is $19.95 per month +tax. Shipping is already included! If you subscribe before August 31, 2013 you will get the first two months for just $10 each (then it will return to $19.95 for the duration of your subscription. Remember to enter code PUMPKINDEAL

Q: How do I start my Paper Pumpkin membership?  

A: Visit www.mypaperpumpkin.com to sign up-it's that easy!

Q: What is the return policy? 

A: If you are not thrilled with your Paper Pumpkin, please call us at 1-800-STAMP UP, we'll chat and be your fairy godmother to make your wishes come true.

Q: What is the Welcome Kit? 

A: The Welcome Kit is the very first Paper Pumpkin you will receive in your first month of membership. This initial kit is the same for everyone, regardless of which month you subscribe. If you are a new member, we'll send the Welcome kit to you for your first month. Bonus! the Welcome Kit includes a free gift-a clear acrylic block!

Tag-a-Bag Album & Class

If you've been busy making memories this summer, you'll want to preserve them to share in this whimsical Paper Bag Album...and you can finish it in about an hour at my class next Wednesday!

With 10 delightful chevron pages, pockets and tassels, there is plenty of room to store pictures & memorabilia from a family vacation, a special friendship or just capture the everyday happiness at your house. Participants need to bring scissors and adhesive, everything else is provided.

When: Wednesday, August 14th at 10 a.m. ~OR~ 7:30 p.m.
Where: My house in Spanish Fork, UT (Ask for directions when registering, if needed)
Cost: $18

{Awe} -inspiring, -some, -gust

Welcome to {Awe}gust and just wait until you see what SU! has in store: It's {Awe}some!

Let's start with the Holiday Catalog:


Oh, will we be having fun with these products this fall! Would you like your own Holiday Catalog? Just ask and I'll give you one.

Next, we have the August "Best Of" stamp set which is the Best of Halloween!

Remember that for every 6 "Best Of" sets you purchase through March 2014, you can choose a FREE stamp set of your choice (up to $14.95 value). Save those 25-year proof of purchase stickers!

And finally for today, these new products (Thinlits Card Dies! were the envy of everyone who won Prize Patrol at convention...now you can order them, too! I'll also be teaching a class in August where you can come try them out, so watch for more details to come.