Royal Blog Tour: Sweet Scoops (of Ice Cream)!

(UPDATE May 4: Scroll down for Blog Candy Winner!)

Welcome to my UTAH Ice Cream Castle along the Royal Blog Tour featuring the SWEET SCOOPS stamp set from the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalog!

Confession: I have an incurable sweet tooth, and when it comes to stamps of food...I'm totally addicted! On the last blog tour, I used cupcakes, so it only follows that you need ICE CREAM with your cake, right? Did you know the average U.S. citizen consumes an average of 5 1/2 gallons of ice cream each year? 

 The petite size of these "cones" make perfect gift tags. More trivia: More ice cream is sold on Sunday (Sundae?) than any other day of the week!

 

Is your mouth watering yet? I call this card Double Dippin' (kudos to fellow princess Tami F. for the card pattern!) The sentiment is from the stamp set A Little Birthday Cheer and I'm so happy that Baja Breeze is one of the colors returning to Stampin' Up!'s new color palette in July :)

This next card is called Cherry Topper ~ have you ever had a dipped cone? Scrumptious! But at one time, it was illegal to serve ice cream on top of cherry pie in Kansas...

To make a "shiny" ice cream cone (like the Cherry Topper), just add Crystal Effects over your stamped image (Dazzling Diamonds glitter, optional).

Here's the scoop: 25% of Baskin Robbins' ice cream sales are Vanilla! This card covers the other 30 flavors (sentiments also from A Little Birthday Cheer):

 

So, dear traveler, if you are refreshed by your stop here and would like to enter to win my BLOG CANDY (yum...another food related metaphor!), please subscribe to my blog and/or newsletter in right column (U.S. non-SU! demonstrators only, please) and you could win the Lots of Thoughts stamp set and Tag Punch (shown below with one more Sweet Scoops sample)! That's better than a hot fudge and caramel sundae, and with much fewer calories :)

If you enjoyed your visit, please leave me a comment! Don't forget to collect clues along the Royal Path to enter the BIG SHOT drawing at the Royal Blog Tour homepage, and if you are ever in Utah, let's go out for ice cream!

MAY 4th~Drum Roll please....and the Blog Candy Winner is:

GALE SEWELL!

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments, joining my newsletter and following my blog!

Peek: Spring Stamp-a-Stack

 Stock up on beautiful hand-made cards at the Stamp-a-Stack class! Since you'll be creating 4 different cards (and making 4 of each one), you'll have one to keep and THREE to give away :)

Saturday, April 24

10 a.m.-Noon

Down Spendlove Lane

Spanish Fork, UT

16 cards for $20

Bring scissors and adhesive. All other material will be cut/prepared for you. Stamping is always more fun with a friend, so when you register with an adult friend I haven't met, I will give you a FREE SNAIL adhesive refill! Space is limited, so register by April 19: 801-376-8685.

Make it a day of creativity and stay for the afternoon Stamp Camp!

Playing with My Digital Studio

I'm working on my first album using Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio. It will be a 2008 family scrapbook. It has been fun to work on and I'm discovering that I love MDS for so many reasons!

Reason #1: You can choose a template for a scrapbook page, an entire album, a card, a multi-media show (including music!) or a calendar... simply drop in your photos, add your words, and you are done! Here's a sample of a pre-made template page I am using for my album from the "Summer Home" design. It's actually part of a two page spread, but you just get to see the right side:

Reason #2: You can change a template to meet your needs, like this one that I changed a bit:

Reason #3: You can create a project from scratch using the tools included in the software (Stampin' Up! colors, stamps, Designer Series Paper, buttons, ribbons, accessories, etc) and your photos...here's a sample of a simple and easy scrapbook page that I created from scratch with My Digital Studio:

Now to finish the project and get it printed...I guess I can do without sleep...

Want to start making your own amazing projects using My Digital Studio? Click the MDS link and choose "Shop Now" in the top right corner!

Color My World!

Why ARE there so many songs about rainbows?
My husband always teases me about referring to colors in Stampin' Up! vernacular: "That's not orange," I'll correct him, "That is PUMPKIN PIE!" Every color has a proper name, and I use it!

Well, Stampin' Up! made a wonderful announcement on Monday about our new COLOR RENOVATION and I'm very excited to share it with you! If you have ever renovated a room or a whole home, you know that the new look is better than the old look...and the same is true here! As of July 1st, our new color COLLECTIONS will look like this:  

You will see some returning IN COLORS from years past, and a sneak peek at a few NEW colors that are surely part of every perfect rainbow :) This renovation will help you look at colors in a whole new way, and I'm drooling with anticipation, myself.

But before you get too excited, we must also say farewell to some well-loved hues:

If these colors have been some of your favorites, you have until June 30th to order ink refills for your pads, stock up on card stock and matching accessories! Visit my website to order anytime. 

I guess the answer to the question is that a rainbows bring color and wonder to the world, and Stampin' Up! is doing our best to bring that delight to you. 

Spring into Stamping!

Nature played an April Fool's trick today and we woke up to a few inches of SNOW! I'm so ready for SPRING...and sunshine, tulips, my Sweet Lena Iris', and even a little bit of yard work :)

Another way to put some SPRING into your step is at one of my upcoming Stamping Events in either southern Utah or Spanish Fork! The cute cards shown above are just a few of the samples from the Spring Stamp Camp.

Saturday, April 10th

Washington, UT

9 a.m. Big Shot Fabric Crafting

10 a.m. Spring Stamp Camp

Saturday, April 24

Spanish Fork, UT

10 a.m. Stamp-a-Stack Class

2 p.m. Spring Stamp Camp

SPRING STAMP CAMP: Stamp 5 sweet springtime projects (3 samples shown above) AND take home the "With All My Heart" stamp set! All the materials are prepared for you, simply bring scissors and adhesive.

Cost: $35 for wood mounted stamp set & class ~or~ $30 for *NEW* clear mounted stamp set (bring your own acrylic blocks or order them when registering). Bring a daughter/granddaughter (10 years+) for an additional $12 (no additional stamp set included).

Big Shot Fabric Crafting Demonstration: See how the Big Shot can make your quilting and fabric crafts simple and fun, like my fun circle quilt! The demonstration is free, and you can create a fabric rosette for $3.


Stamp-a-Stack Class: Sending a thoughtful greeting card has never been more fun, because this class helps you put your heART into 16 beautiful cards! You'll create 4 each of 4 different designs so you can keep one and send three :) Bring scissors and adhesive (bone folder and paper trimmer optional, but helpful). Need adhesive refills? Order when registering. $20 for 16 cards.


Space is limited and I have to order the supplies in time to cut the card stock, so please call me to reserve your spot at least a week before the event: 801-376-8685.  You deserve a day to discover your creativity, so come stamp with me!

All this could be yours...HALF PRICE!

If you dream about stamping, OR

 Take millions of photos to scrapbook, OR

Hoard paper and embellishments, OR

Send hand-made cards for all occasions, OR

Need adult conversations, OR

Love sharing creativity, OR

Live in a world of color, OR

Love to travel, OR

Want to earn some extra money, OR

Just WANT IT ALL...

This is your chance!!

Through March 31, 2010, you can purchase the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Starter Kit (worth $335) for just $169...that's 50% off the retail price!! BUT WAIT...that's not all! You can also choose ANY stamp set in the Idea Book & Catalog or current mini catalog FREE as a bonus!

So really, what are YOU waiting for?

Click HERE for your starter kit (my password is "stampwithme")

Royal Blog Tour

I'm on the Royal Blog Tour!  It's launching April 30 through May 3.  I'm so excited I've been chosen to be a Princess!  I hope you'll become a Royal Tourist and ride along in a Royal Coach. Please come and visit my castle during the tour! For more information, please check out these links!



Website: RBT Website


Home Blog: RBT Home Blog

Getting Punchy: Scallop Edge and Border Punches

I am so grateful to Gretchen Barron for making the new Scallop Trim Border and Scallop Trim Corner punches so easy to use with her tutorial! 

For this card, I started with a 2 7/8" x 4 1/4" piece of Mellow Moss card stock. You can combine any of the measurements she gives for her squares to create rectangles, as shown. I can say that to get this perfect, you really need to cut your paper to the exact measurements and punch upside down (looking through the bottom of the punch to line up your paper). If you are in the 40+ age bracket, you may need to use your reading glasses to get it lined up :) I also used the watercolor technique: Color your stamps with Stampin' Write markers, spritz inked stamp with water and stamp directly onto watercolor paper. It's a lovely, soft look, don't you think?

The Scallop Trim Border punch is something you can earn FREE during Sale-a-Bration (through March 31) with a $50 purchase...click on the link to the right to see the brochure, then visit my website to order! The corner punch is in the Occasions Mini catalog, FYI

 Gretchen also has a tutorial for the Pinking Hearts Border and Corner punches (also available in the Occasions Mini Catalog). Gretchen is a prolific and wonderful creator! My job is to share all the great ideas with you...even if I didn't come up with it myself ;)

Ready for more instruction on the Border and Corner punches? Here's a video from Stampin' Up!'s YouTube Channel :

28 Days of February

What I did in February (in no particular order):

1. Went (snow) tubing at Soldier Hollow with JDRF
2. Received See's Candy from my Valentine :)
3. Held 3 Stampin' Up! workshops and 1 Class
4. Ironed 37 shirts
5. Attended niece Emery's baptism
6. Hosted Ward Valentine Party
7. Taught the Relief Society a Primary Song
8. Cleaned the church every Monday 
9. ...and Saturday (it was our turn)
10. Attended "Killer Uno" Party with friends from Israel
11. Sewed my first rag purse (using the Big Shot!)
12. Date to SPARK with Mr. Spendlove
13. Attended Uncle Bill's funeral
14. Watched 10 nights of the Winter Olympics
15. Read the Pearl of Great Price
16. Vacuumed my bedroom (see #20)
17. Worked 50 hours at Deseret Book
18. Ate dinner with Chris and Kristin
19. Went clothes shopping with 2 teenage boys
20. Found my missing glasses!
21. Cleaned off my desk...
22. Twice!
23. Played too many games of Wordsplay
24. Changed sides of the bed
25. Had a cavity filled (possibly related to #2)
26. Sent 7 hand-stamped Birthday cards
27. Lost 4 pounds
28. Came out in the black for the budget!

My Stampin' Story, Pt. 1

 

While some people spend their money on clothes, furniture or electronic gadgets, I have always had a weakness for office supplies. 

 

When I spent a semester in Israel in 1987 (that's me in the skirt, with my roommates Jenny and Lisa!) much of my college student budget was spent in the Mid-Eastern equivalent of "Staples" where I gloried in the vast stacks of paper, envelopes, pens and blank books. With this fondness for fiber and ink, it should come as no surprise that I fell in love with rubber stamping!

By 1992 we were living in Kanab, UT and had just welcomed baby #2 (Kayson--so precious, above with my sister Mindi and her hubby Russ in background) and I was looking for a rubber stamp company to join as an excuse for adult conversation and a creative outlet. The idea of being my own office supply store was also appealing, since Kanab didn't have many shopping opportunities! I wanted the best company, so I was looking at all that I could find and before the internet, that took some effort. One Sunday at church, my husband took the fussy baby out to the foyer where he ran into a high school classmate, LaVonne Crosby. As they visited, Vonna mentioned that she and her sister Shelli had started a rubber stamp company... and just happened to have a Stampin' Up! catalog in her van. She referred me to her neighbor, Sherrill Graff, who became my recruiter and dear friend.

Stampin' Up! has been a blessing to me in so many ways: I have learned to be a better teacher and presenter. I have learned how to share creativity and overcome some shyness (believe it or not!). It has helped me set and reach goals. Finally, it has blessed me with some of the most wonderful friends in the world...my demonstrator family, my hostesses and my customers continue to enrich my life every day. I invite YOU to discover what Stampin' Up! could do for you! If you want to CREATE, HOST or JOIN my Stampin' Family...discover the benefits, then give me a call: 801-376-8685. 

More of my story to come...