Save the date!

Stampin’ Addicts is celebrating its first birthday this month, and one of the ways we are celebrating is with a Birthday Blog Hop on February 20 & 21!  Join me this Saturday at noon Easter time and hop the weekend away.  Each of the 25 stops on the hop will feature birthday projects with a particular theme.  I’ll be showing birthday cards and gifts for the gardener — it’s not too early to think spring!

If you’d like to see all the stops, check the Birthday Blog Hop post at Stampin’ Addicts.  See you at the hop!

Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop starts today!

Let me send you on a little weekend trip!  My friends at Stampin’ Addicts are launching a blog hop today centered around products available through the Sale-A-Bration catalog!

You can see the entire list of blogs here.  Start anywhere and go in either direction.  Resume your  travels if you are interrupted by housework or grocery shopping; the hop will be live all weekend.

Hoppy New Year

What better way to kick off a new year of stamping than with a blog hop?  Beginning Friday, January 1, at noon EST through Sunday, January 3, you can visit 24 blogs that feature one of the items offered in the new Occasions Mini Catalog.  Begin here at my blog to see projects made with the new Chocolate Bunny stamp — that’s a sneak peek above — and you will make a loop through all 24.  See you this weekend!

Stampin’ and snackin’

This evening is the Third Annual Scrappin’ Cookie Exchange at my house.  Each stamper brings one dozen cookies for each of the other participants, as well as some to pass, and a 6″ x 6″ scrapbook page with the recipe.  This page is shared in “shoebox” style, with all elements — stamps, ink, paper, tools — passed around to each person until we each have made a page for each cookie.  In addition, we share appetizers.  Good thing we are starting early!

I couldn’t decide on my cookies this year, but finally settled on my classic Gingerbread Cookies, a recipe that came from my father’s aunt, I think.  There are many Christmas traditions that could be put aside without damaging my holiday experience too much, but these cookies are essential!  Nothing is better with a cup of coffee.  Call it breakfast!

Click on the image above to see the texture on the stamped panel.  I need to do this more often — it’s a very cool effect!

Stamps:  Sweet Season (p. 29)

Ink:  Real Red, Stampin’ Write Markers (Close to Cocoa, Real Red)

Paper:  Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla

Other:  Big Shot and Stampin’ Up! Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Round Tab Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 5/16″ Neutrals Jumbo Brads (Chocolate Chip), Sleigh Bells Ribbon (only available until January 4 in the Holiday Mini!)

Super Saturday lived up to its name

Super Saturday, our Heartfelt Inkspiration event, was a huge success.  A gloomy day, it was perfect weather to be inside getting inky.  Check the Heartfelt Inkspiration Events home page this week for pictures of the fun.

I will share this one with you now — it’s how we began the day.  Each participant received this personalized accessories tag with a Stampin’ Up! Adhesive Remover and Décor Elements Applicator.  Tina’s husband cut the Adhesive Remover and drilled the hole; the hole in the Applicator we could punch with the Crop-a-dile.  We figured that since we misplace these kinds of tools all the time when we’re stamping, our Super Saturday participants might also — and they could put their scissors on the tag as well, at least for the day.  I must say that few items were left behind at tables when everyone made the move to a new project!

I enjoyed a lovely and recuperative Sunday, and I’m ready to get back to my studio!

Super Saturday!

This week will be full of preparation for Super Saturday, the Heartfelt Inkspiration all-day event held twice each year.  Lots of cutting and bundling — and lots of scraps flying around the studio.  A week from today you can be sure I’ll be in full cleanup mode!

Tina and I have spent many hours planning our projects and other details of the day.  It’s fun to collaborate; we complement each other’s talents.

I love when stampers start to arrive on Saturday.  It starts out pretty quiet and tentative, and I worry that no one is ready to have fun.  Of course, when I finally take a break a couple of hours later, I realize just how loud we are!

I arrive home aching and tired, but really happy to have shared the day with people who love to do what I do.  Come to think of it, it’s the Stampin’ Up! Statement of the Heart:  To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments, in this we make a difference!

I thought I would give you a sneak peek of one of my cards.  Or, rather, part of one of my cards.  A short time after Super Saturday, you’ll find all the projects on the Heartfelt Inkspiration events site.  Check back!

Happy Holidays Blog Hop

Just in time for the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini, my friends at Stampin’ Addicts are holding a Happy Holidays Blog Hop.  Starting at noon (EST) on Saturday, August 29th, there will be 25 stops on this tour.  You can keep hopping until midnight (PST) Monday night, August 31st.  Start at Yapha’s blog — at every stop you’ll find links to the stops before and after.

I’m not participating in this hop — I prudently decided that and my stepson’s wedding this weekend would be too much.  But as soon as I can get to my PC and start hopping, I will!

What’s the big deal about Stampin’ Up! Convention?

Take a look at THIS and find out! The 12 shots of sample boards have tons of inspiration on them — why not try to CASE* one of those projects?

Would you like to go with me next year?  You can — if you sign up to join my Stampin’ Up! team.  There’s only a short time left to take advantage of a fabulous offer.  Read more about it HERE, then call me and let’s talk about it!

*Copy And Share Everything

Big Shot Hero

In mid-April, Stampin’ Up! encouraged demonstrators to create a video “commercial” advertising an event or product.  The prize for this contest was a $200 shopping spree!  Yowee!  When I went to Convention 2006, these commercials were a hoot — really clever.  One of them showed a husband saying goodbye to his wife as she left for an evening activity, then calling his buddies because the coast was clear to come over.  You were thinking it was for poker, etc., but really it was an evening of man stamping.  Hysterical!

Below is the winning entry for this year, by demonstrator Linda Heller:

Super Saturday registration has begun!

Registration is has begun for Fall Super Saturday, an Inkspiration event to be held Saturday, October 3, from 8:30-3:30 at First Lutheran Church, DeKalb.  Last spring’s Super Saturday was so successful, we’re keeping it pretty much the same, making two of each card design so you’ll have one to keep and one to send!

You can find the brochure with information and a registration form at http://home.comcast.net/~dlburgin, the Inkspiration Event site.  You’ll be stamping 16 cards (two each of eight designs), finding inspiration, enjoying lunch and snacks throughout the day, and (hopefully) winning something from the many door prizes available.  The grand prize is a Tabletop Paper Cutter!  We’ll also have a “with-purchase” offer available only on the 3rd to celebrate World Card Making Day!

Early bird registration of $50 (a $5 discount!) must be received by September 4 ($55 after), and no registrations will be allowed after September 16.  We can only accept 48 registrations, so don’t delay!