More cards and a box!

Hello Stampers and happy day after Christmas!

Did you have a good day yesterday?  I sure hope so!  We spent the day with our Woodland daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters Allie and Lindsay.  It was a fun-filled day of breakfast, gifts, more gifts, and later on, dinner.  By 8 pm both girls were exhausted and it was time to go home and put the girls to bed.  That's the only sane thing to do with two tired and grumpy girls. They'll be all full of smiles and energy this morning!

As promised, today I'm showing you the remaining two cards from my recent thank-you note class, as well as the box we made to store them in.  Many of you have made this box, but should you need the directions again, please email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll send them along. 

OK...here are the cards

This card uses the Awesomely Artistic stamp set on page 153 of the annual catalog.  The colors are Crumb Cake, Pool Party, and Basic Black.  The sentiment is from the Background Bits stamp set, which is a set you can earn by hosting a stamping party.

The last card in the four card set is made with the Background Bits stamp set, which you can see on page 220 of the annual catalog.  Again, the colors are Crumb Cake, Pool Party, and Basic Black.

Now let me show you the box...

I'm sorry this picture is a bit blurry, but I think you get the idea.  I'm pretty sure that most of my customers have made this box at one of my classes, but if you haven't had the fun of making one, please let me know and I'll happily send you the directions. The front panels of the box are embossed with the Garden Trellis embossing folder on page 210 of the annual catalog.

If you've got some time on your hands in the coming week, get out your stamps, ink, and paper and make a similar set of cards.  Then you'll have a handy little hostess gift that's ready to go at a moment's notice.  This collage style of stamping is almost impossible to mess up.  Just keep adding images until the white space is filled, then top off the focal panel with an image stamped in black.  

Well, my friends, that's all for now!  I hope the week ahead will be a good one.  I'll be closing out the December Host Code on Thursday, December 28th, so if you'd like to use your Christmas $$ to buy yourself a gift, the December code is QK66QF7K.  If your order is $40 or more, your name will go into my December Host Code drawing for a free host stamp set (pages 220-223 of the annual catalog).

Oh, and one last reminder... The new Occasions catalog and Sale -a-bration both start on January 3rd, so there's not much longer to wait for the best time of the Stampin'Up! year!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Are you ready???

Hi there, stamping friends!

Well, it won't be long now.  Christmas will be here before we know it, so I hope you are almost ready!  I'm happy to report that my "do less this year" plan has been fairly successful.  We have managed to attend 4 concerts and a musical version of "It's a Wonderful Life,"  and I'm also reading a silly Christmas romance.  These are things I wouldn't have had time to do in previous years, as I went on a decorating, entertaining, shopping, and baking binge.  This year I'm making only 2 kinds of cookies.... not 5 or 6.  

Today I've got something to show you that we're all going to need right after Christmas, as well as year-round.... thank you notes.  Are you a thank you note writer?  If not, I encourage you to start.  Thank you notes are so very appreciated, as many people don't send them anymore.  Of course it's a great way to express appreciation for a gift, but a handwritten note is also a wonderful way to thank someone for an act of kindness.  Or how about sending one to a special friend to say thank you for your love and friendship?  Or thank a teacher or mentor who has made a difference in your life. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and there's nothing that does the job better than a handwritten note sent via snail mail.  It says that you cared enough to sit down and take a few minutes of your time to write and address the note, add a stamp, and then mail it.  I hope I've convinced you to be a thank you note writer!

OK... let's get to the photos, shall we?

These are two of the cards in a four card set that we'll be making today at a card class I'm having.  The first card uses the Background Bits stamp set, which is one of the free host sets on page 220 of the annual catalog.  The second card uses the Awesomely Artistic stamp set on page 153 of the annual catalog.

I wanted the four cards to be similar, so that they'd be a set.  I used Whisper White card stock and stamped in Pool Party, Crumb Cake, and Basic Black.  I'm a big fan of collage stamping and since most of the stampers are beginners, this is an easy technique to start out with.  There's almost no way to make a mistake with collage-style stamping.  I love layering on the images to fill the white space.  

I hope I've inspired you to pull out some stamps, ink, and paper and create some of your own thank you notes.  Or are you working on finishing up your Christmas cards?  Whatever you might be working on these days, remember to take a creativity break each day!  A few minutes spent with stamps, paper, and ink can be a sanity-saver.  

The December host code is QK66QF7K in case you'd like to place an online order.  The easiest way to get to my shopping site is to just scroll up to the top of my blog and then hit the "shop now" button.

Thank you for reading my blog!  I need more readers, though, to make it worthwhile.  So if you can steer any of your friends my way, I would be very appreciative!

Have a great week-before-Christmas!

Susan

Back on Track

Hello stamping friends!

Sorry I missed last Monday's post... just too many things going on!  Does December sometimes get away from you as well?  After being out of town for many days in November, I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm catching up with the many tasks that needed my attention.  

Have you mailed your Christmas cards yet?  Or should I be asking if you've started your Christmas cards yet???    If you need a break from making and sending Christmas cards this year, I'm sure your friends and relatives will understand.  If you just cannot face the task or if you just plain don't have time, why not consider sending New Year's cards in January?  Or maybe send Valentines in February.  It's quite routine to receive Christmas cards in December, but just think of the pleasant surprise of getting a New Year's card or a Valentine!  

As a demonstrator, I was able to place a pre-order for products in the new Occasions catalog.  Now those new stamp sets, DSP, and accessories are just sitting here on my desk, awaiting the day when I will have time to unwrap them and actually create something with them.  It is frustrating, but Christmas preparations take precedence over playing with new goodies, unfortunately.

To pass the time while you are waiting to see some of the new stuff in action, I've got a quick and easy card for you today, made with the Hearts Come Home set (#145416, $21.00) on page 39 of the Holiday catalog.  The good news is that this set is carrying over into the new Occasions catalog, as are the matching Edgelit dies.
However, the stamp set and dies will not be bundled in the new catalog, so if you want both for the bundled price, you'll need to get them before the Holiday catalog ends on January 2nd....(#146068, $47.50).

The colors aren't the best in this photo... sorry about that!  The card base is Whisper White, the top panel is Crumb Cake.  I used one of the Layering Oval Framelits to cut out the scalloped oval.  The houses are stamped in Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, and Old Olive.
The ribbon is Cherry Cobbler and is found on page 198 of the annual catalog (#144117).  I have to admit that I was naughty and used the discontinued oval punch for the sentiment.  I cannot explain how Stampin'Up! chose to discontinue this very basic and popular punch.  I've decided that most of you probably already have this punch, so it is OK to use it once in a while.  If you don't own it, I suggest the new Pretty Label punch (#143715) on page 207 of the annual catalog or the very popular Everyday Label punch (#144668) on page 12 of the holiday catalog.  

The big news for today is that Stampin'Up! is giving us one more day of FREE shipping.  It started last night at 11pm Pacific Time and ends tonight at 10:59 Pacific Time (which is 11:59 Mountain Time... Utah is on Mountain Time).  Order as much or as little as you want... you won't pay even a dime for shipping!

Please use the December Host Code  QK66QF7K when placing an order under $150.  If your order is at least $40, I will add your name to my December Host Code drawing for a free host stamp set.
If your order is $50 or more, I will also add your name to my 50-50 board for each $50 you spend.  When all 50 spaces on the board are full, I draw one name for a $50 gift certificate. 

Speaking of gift certificates... I've got them for sale!  Just let me know the amount and I'll get one in the mail to you.  Gift certificates are the perfect gift for your friends and relatives who love stamping.  You send me a check, give the certificate as a gift and when the recipient is ready, they email me to let me know what they'd like to order.  I place the order and the merchandise is delivered directly to them.  What an easy way to give a gift!

I hope all is well with each one of you!  May the week ahead be a good one.  I'm sending happy holiday thoughts your way!
Hugs,
Susan