Stamper Sue (luthersmom), you are the winner of the 2nd Annual Great Coin Jar Contest!  Sue guessed $98.10.  That’s amazing!  I myself was way off — I guessed $117.  DH guessed $76.  I think I’ll have him make up the difference, so he owes me $22, which ought to pay for something during my trip!

Speaking of amazing, what are the odds that there would be an even dollar amount in a jar of coins collected over a one-year period?

Sue, I’ll hand-deliver your box of goodies!  Thanks for playing, everyone!

Here are some of the milk cartons holding goodies for my club hostesses of the past six months.  Inside?  Well, it’s a secret, in case some of my hostesses haven’t yet seen their gift.

All of the paper (except Whisper White!) is retiring TODAY!  When I put these colors together, I was delighted by the effect.  It’s something to look forward to — all the mixing and matching with the new and returning colors.  Yes, I’ll miss the polka-dot ribbon, but I am very pleased with the selection in the upcoming catalog.  I like that Stampin’ Up! creates a ribbon style exclusively for the In Colors.  It looks wonderful!

Stamps:  Lovely Letters Alphabet

Ink:  Green Galore

Paper:  Green Galore, Gable Green, Taken With Teal, Whisper White

Other:  Mini Milk Carton Bigz L Die, Scallop Circle Punch, 1¼” Circle Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, 1/2″ Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (Bermuda Bay)

When you have a side-fold card like this one, how can you get a ribbon tied horizontally around the card front?  Simple!  At the point where you want the ribbon, with the card folded, use the soon-to-be-retired Horizontal Slot Punch to nip off the tiniest bit of fold.  (It will be twice as wide with the card unfolded.)  That will be big enough to feed the ribbon, but not enough to distract from your design.  No punch?  Use a craft knife — carefully, please! — to cut a slit.

On this day last year, I posted a contest:  guess the amount of money in the jar and win Stampin’ Up! product.  This time, however, the money goes toward my trip to Convention in Salt Lake City in just three weeks.  (Did you just hear me screaming with excitement?)  Since I’ve been saving coins for an entire year, I’m planning BIG!

ETA:  It may help you to know that this is a quart jar.  Last year I used the same jar.  You can see it here.  Last year’s total was $45.24.

I’ve been setting aside some special items just for the contest winner again this year.  So take a guess!  Here are the rules:

1. I’ll take the jar to the bank to be counted on Wednesday.
2. The person who leaves me a comment on this post with a dollar amount guess closest to the actual amount wins.
3. Only one guess per person.
4. The contest closes at midnight CST Tuesday (tomorrow!).  That is, guesses after 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday will not be counted.
5. You must be in the United States to win.
6. In the event of a tie, my husband will randomly choose the winner.
7. I’ll contact you for your mailing address on Wednesday and mail your prize (or hand deliver it).

After our sobering visit to Carnton Plantation, we were caught in a serious storm.  Luckily, it was almost time for lunch, and we waited out the rain with delicious food from Puckett’s in front of us.  Wish I had taken pictures of that place — marvelous!

In the afternoon, we left Franklin to visit another plantation.  No war history here; the farm (at one time 5,400 acres) raised  Thoroughbred horses.  Yes, in the late 1800s horse racing was great sport!

This page is pretty straightforward. I wanted to use the En Franςais stamp as a background because the plantation’s name is French (for “beautiful meadow”).  Delicate sprigs from the Always stamp set were “stamped” in various opacity settings and rotated or mirrored.

More next week on Belle Meade.

It’s no secret that I love Stampin’ Up!’s Almost Amethyst.  Lucky for me I have a spare pack, because it is not available after June 30 — in fact, it is totally out of stock in 8.5″ x 11″.  (Check the status of retiring accessories here.)

This card was part of my Wings and Things stamp camps in June.  Isn’t her face pretty?  The little smudge at the bottom is her shadow, although one of my stampers thought my card looked like the fairy was jumping into a puddle!  Must refine my coloring techniques!

The secret to the ribbon tied around the card front, even with a side opening?  Check out the Tuesday Tip next week!

Stamps:  A Little Bit of Magic (Summer Mini), Tiny Tags (still available)

Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, Basic Black

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Almost Amethyst*, Lovely Lilac*

Other:  Big Shot, Scallop Square die, Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Horizontal Slot Punch*, Aqua Painter and Watercolor Wonder Crayons, assorted Stampin’ Write Markers, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch, Taffeta Ribbon (Very Vanilla), Glue Dot, Stampin’ Dimensionals

*Retiring June 30!

It took me awhile to jump on the milk-carton-as-birdhouse bandwagon.  When I decided to use (mostly) retired colors, the idea of a folk art dwelling started to form.  Some of my stampers this month thought this was very Mary Engelbreit, which I count as a huge compliment.  When her magazine Home Companion was discontinued, I was sad.  So many good things in there!  Well, I don’t know why I didn’t investigate this sooner, but she has a blog that is also fun.  The pictures of participants and their projects at this spring’s Home Companion Workshop are inspiring.  When I first read about the Workshop, I was raring to go.  Then I saw the price!  Gulp.  Going to Convention in less than one month seems like a bargain!

Speaking of prices, I want you to know that for the new year — the new Stampin’ Up! year starting July 1, that is — I will not be raising my stamp camp prices.  There have been suggestions that I should, especially since the cost of card stock is going up, but I can hold the line just fine.  What I will be doing, however, is charging for workshops.  What’s the difference?  A workshop is a party held in your home, usually, that gives me an opportunity to present Stampin’ Up! products to your friends by demonstrating them and allowing guests to participate.  Workshops (that allow you to earn free and hostess-exclusive product!) will be “2x2x2″ — two projects for two dollars in two hours.  Talk to me about how to hold a party of your own!

Ink:  Close to Cocoa*, Ballet Blue*

Paper:  Summer Sun*, Ruby Red*, Garden Green, Taken with Teal*, Close to Cocoa*, Ballet Blue*

Other:  Mini Milk Carton Bigz die, Window Sheet (thick), Glue Dots, Punches (1¼” Circle, Scallop Circle, Extra Large Two-Step Bird, Heart to Heart, Small Heart, Scallop Edge), 1/2″ Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon* (Crushed Curry), Stampin’ Dimensionals, hole punch

*retiring June 30

Here’s another card from my Early Espresso monochromatic experiment.  As I’ve said, it’s never worth making just one of something, so the other day I had created a half sheet of random hydrangeas.  So pretty!

This pink, Blushing Bride, is one of the new In Colors.  As you know, each year starting in 2010, Stampin’ Up! will introduce five new In Colors, which will remain in inventory for two years.  I love that idea, since it increases the color combinations we have to play with!

When demonstrators first saw the new colors — core colors and In Colors — there was some grumbling about the similarity of the pinks.  However, our preview was online only, and I can tell you that in person, this pink is different enough from the others.  Pink Pirouette has a little raspberry in it; this is more like a strawberry shake.  Lovely!

Stamps:  Because I Care

Ink:  Early Espresso

Paper:  Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Other:  Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die, Stampin’ Dimensionals

When I got ready to mail this card to my friends last week, I was a little concerned how it would travel through the mail.  More than once a recipient has told me that a brad or other embellishment was poking through the envelope upon delivery!

To protect my work, I simple took 1/4 sheet of coordinating card stock and ran it through the Crimper.  This piece then faced the front of the card when I inserted it into the envelope.  Although it may not have remained crimped en route, I think it should have provided sufficient cushioning.  And it also gives the recipient something to wonder about when they open the envelope:  “What am I supposed to do with this?”