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!

If Your Man "Doesn't Do Pink"

If it's a challenge to come up with a Valentine for your man who balks at pastel colors, I'm here to lend a little inspiration! My husband isn't afraid to wear an apron in the kitchen (he was grateful when I finally gave him a masculine version that reads "I TURN GRILLS ON") but he has a strange aversion to the color pink. And since women are more likely to be making cards and gifts for their husbands/boyfriends, we should show some respect for those men who enjoy receiving a hand-stamped valentine, but want to retain their man-card.

Here's a Not-Quite-Navy Explosion Card that we created at my Stamp Club last week:

 All you need to do is add some photos or a message of love inside:

And here is a Tuxedo-Ready version using the new "Lots of Love" letterpress plate and Glimmer Paper from the Occasions Mini Catalog:

One thing I love about the Glimmer paper is that NO SPARKLES rub off onto your fingers, clothes or face...but if you need it on your face, you can always use Dazzling Diamonds glitter :)

Don't forget to register for the Valentine's Stamp Camp by Monday, February 7th!

Love Birds (Valentine Stamp Camp!)

These little flip albums always make me smile, and you can create this one at my Valentine Stamp Camp! Here's a peek inside...

It's the perfect size (6x6) to present to your own "Love Bird" for Valentines Day (with your pictures inside) AND we'll also be creating a CD cover so you can burn an album of all your love songs, too!

Friday, February 11 at 10 a.m. 

OR

Saturday, February 12 at 1 p.m. 

Spanish Fork, UT

Cost: $20  

Click Here to Reserve Your Spot!

Bring: scissors, paper trimmer (optional) and Adhesive  

(Sticky Strip adhesive *strongly* recommended to keep your projects together...order when you register if you don't have any!)

The Stars are (RE-)Aligned!

"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground" ~ Theodore Roosevelt

In the early 80's, one of my high school teachers read daily horoscopes (from the day previous) out loud to the class to see if the predictions truly were accurate. As members of the class "oohed" and "aahed" and nodded their heads in agreement that indeed, yesterday had been just as their horoscope had read...I, as the lone astrological skeptic, thought, "I could have fit yesterday into any of those generalities." Then the teacher revealed that he had actually "twisted the dial" and read the incorrect horoscope for everyone.

Well, it seems the stars have (re-)aligned, and just when
you got that Taurus Tattoo, you became an Aries! That's progress people...the earth tilts and suddenly the whole galaxy as we know it is put into a primordial spin. On the bright side, it is certainly going to help the tattoo-removal business. In case you need to go re-read today's horoscope, "here's your (new) sign":

Capricorn: January 20 to February 16
Aquarius: February 16 to March 11
Pisces: March 11 to April 18.
Aries: April 18 to May 13
Taurus: May 13 to June 21.
Gemini: June 21 to July 20
Cancer: July 20 to August 10
Leo: August 10 to September 16
Virgo: September 16 to October 30
Libra: October 30 to November 23
Scorpio: November 23 to November 29
Ophiuchus: November 29 to December 17
Sagittarius: December 17 to January 20

If you are disturbed by this shift in the galaxy, you are not alone! There are claims that perhaps this doesn't apply to the western world (we can choose our own reality!), or since we added that 13th constellation, we should add a 13th month to the year (poor Ophiuchus...he's been there all along and now he's finally getting some respect! Let's name the new month "Ophiember"), or (my favorite): Earth's movement does not determine astrological signs (Hello? Do they not understand the definition of Astrology?). But wait, there's more: Maybe it only applies to people born after 2009...

Most likely, it doesn't matter at all. Because if you are the type of person who won't get out of bed when your horoscope tells you it's a one-star day, you have bigger problems.

Bring on the Bling!

Art from the Heart

Sharing a few cute Valentine Card Ideas from a recent Group Gathering with the demonstrators in my Stampin' Up! family...enjoy! Clockwise from top left: Pam, Kay, Me (I cased this card from another demonstrator and would give them credit if I could remember who!!), Sally (Approved by MEN for Valentines Day: NO PINK!!).

Did you know that Valentines Day is the holiday when people send the most cards (after Christmas)? If you didn't get your Holiday Cards sent, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! Don't miss the Stampin' Up! Filled with Love Promotion...the perfect choice to create art from the HEART, but only available until January 24th.