I finally caved and joined Pinterest…then wondered why I haven’t done it sooner! One reason could be that it is addicting, but I’ve tried to limit myself to a certain time when I am there and only look at those I follow or for specific things. Luckily, I follow some pretty AWESOME people so I get plenty of inspiration from them 🙂

After a while, I realized that I was pinning all these cool things, but never making any of them! So I took some time to make a few things and put my own spin on them 🙂

Celebrating the “Reason to Smile” promotion this month (see below on how to order for $5! in July only!), here are a few “Pinterested” card…not originally created with this set, but translated beautifully, giving me plenty of smiles and I hope some for you, too.

How do you get your hands on one of these stamp sets for only $5? FOR JULY ONLY, go to my Stampin’ Store and when you order $50 of merchandise, you can add this stamp set to your order for only $5!! And there is still a LOT of good stuff in the Clearance Rack, too, so that can count toward your $50 purchase 🙂 To order the Reason to Smile stamp set in clear mount, use item #131275 or in wood mount use item #131274 after your shopping bag reaches $50 🙂 Of course, there is always the option of calling me to order, and you get the added benefit of talking to me 🙂 801-376-8685

You’re welcome 🙂

Card Buffet Class

July 11, 2012April 26, 2017Leave a comment

You’ve survived the first half of the summer…and hopefully it has included a lot of family fun! If you feel like you could use a little adult conversation and crafts that don’t include playdough or balloons, then make sure you register for the Card Buffet class on
Saturday, July 28th at 1 p.m.
in Spanish Fork! Here is a peek at one style of card you’ll be creating:

This is the new “Moving Forward” stamp set and Stampin’ Up! donates $3 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities with every purchase of this set 🙂 Hooray for making a difference in such a cute way!

For the card buffet class, I’ll have everything cut and prepared to assemble, you just need to bring the standard crafting supplies (scissors, SNAIL adhesive, bone folder-optional). Register and bring an adult friend I haven’t met and I’ll give you a FREE SNAIL refill!

Cost: $15

Looking forward to some cool crafting with you this summer!

Diagonal Fold Card Tutorial

June 17, 2012April 26, 20171 Comment

Today I am sharing a fun card and envelope tutorial that uses the Simply Scored and Diagonal Plate from Stampin’ Up! If you are visiting to see the long envelope tutorial, you can see it here…but stick around for a minute to see this fun fold card, too! We’ll start with the card front:

The finished card is 4″x4″ and opens like this:

To create this card, use a piece of 12″x4″ card stock (I used Marina Mist). Score it at 4″ and 8″ on the Simply Scored, then put on your diagonal plate and score diagonally at from the top corner and at the 8″ mark. Fold the straight score lines in toward the center of the card and then fold the triangle folds BACK away so that two folded edges meet in the center of the front of your card.

Cut your Designer Series Paper to 3.5″ square and cut in half diagonally to put on the front of the card inside the scored diagonal areas. I used the Nursery Nest DSP which has been retired, but try any of our fun NEW Designer Series Paper and create your own!

Next, create a 3″x3″ focal point (the baby feet on this sample) and when you are adhering it to the front of the card, ONLY use adhesive in the bottom left corner/triangle so that your card can open! For my focal point, I did the emboss resist technique with the Baby Prints stamp set: Stamp baby feet on white card stock using Versamark ink and emboss in white (or clear). Sponge ink over cooled, embossed image and wipe off the excess with a tissue: Voila! Your feet appear magically!

Of course, this card needs a special envelope, so I created a matching one with the Simply Scored tool and Diagonal Plate (for tutorial, click HERE):

Scavenger Hunt Winner, Friendship Card & Recipe Share!

June 11, 2012April 26, 20171 Comment

Thanks to everyone who stopped by Saturday for either the Hostess Appreciation Breakfast or “I Spy” Catalog Reception! As promised, here is the recipe for the Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast served at the breakfast (from allrecipes.com with a few modifications):

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling (or 1 quart jar of homemade apple pie filling + 3 apples, peeled and sliced)
16-20 slices white bread
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Spread the sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the apple pie filling evenly over the sugar mixture. Layer the bread slices on top of the filling, pressing down as you go. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread, making sure that it is completely absorbed. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place covered pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 to 75 minutes. When done remove from oven and turn on broiler. Remove foil and drizzle maple syrup on top of the egg topping; broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the syrup begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Invert the pan onto a serving tray or baking sheet so the apple filling is on top. Serve hot.

This is the card we made at the Hostess Appreciation using the “Faux Diamonds” technique…can you see the glitter on the “yes, please” circle? It’s pretty fabulous in person! The stamp set is one of my new favorites from the catalog called “From My Heart” on page 139 of the new SU! catalog:

If you missed the open house, contact me to Join a Club or schedule a party and get a new catalog FREE! And just for fun, here is the link to the “I Spy Catalog Scavenger Hunt” you can print off and play as you discover creative treasures in the fabulous new Stampin’ Up! Catalog!

And congratulations to HEATHER ASH who won the Scavenger Hunt drawing and the “Bright Blossoms” stamp set!!!

I {Heart} My Hostesses!

June 7, 2012Leave a comment

Saturday morning is my annual Hostess Appreciation Breakfast and I’m so excited to show my fabulous hostess’ how much I sincerely love them for inviting me into their homes to share what I love with their friends! Here is the invite they received in the mail:

This is the new “Floral District” Designer Series Paper…and it feels like summer!

THANK YOU to all my 2011-2012 hostesses and club members: Laura, Heather, Shelly, Heidi, Andrea, Cassie, Rita, Jeanna, Heather, Brenda, Jeni, Mari, Sarajane, Jen, Beth, Kami, Jamie, Whitney, Laura, Lorraine, Ashlie, Diana, Sariah, Charli, Laura, Yvonne, Thaleanna, Carol, Nan, Katee, Nancy, Bobbie, Julia,

Stacy & Cheryl!

If you would like an invitation to this exclusive event next year, call me to schedule your workshop or join one of my clubs that will be starting in June/July! When you hold a party in June or July, you can also earn $115 FREE from the new catalog:

What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and call me to schedule your party: 801-376-8685 or come to the “I Spy” Catalog Reception this Saturday from 2-5 p.m. in Spanish Fork!!

Long Envelope Tutorial

June 5, 2012April 26, 20172 Comments

UPDATED 6/6/12: Thanks to Mary Fish of Stampin’ Pretty, she let me know that the minimum envelope width for mailing is 3 1/2″ and she suggested a few adjustments to the envelope measurements, which are now reflected in the following instructions!

When you cut a piece of 12×12 card stock into quarters, you can create FOUR 6×3 cards, like this one created from a new set called “Betsy’s Blossoms”

And here is how to create a beautiful envelope to match!

First, cut a piece of Designer Series Paper 7.5 “x8.5″ (this sample created with the new Floral District DSP). With the 7.5″ side along the top of your Simply Scored tool, score at 1 3/8″ and 4 7/8”

(red lines shown below)

Hint: the Simply Scored tool has grooves and marks every 1/8 inch!

Turn the paper so the 8.5″ is along the top of the Simply Scored tool and score at 1″ and 7 1/8″

(Green lines shown below)

Now you can trim off each corner along the score marks (or use the 1 3/8″ square punch…it works perfectly!)

Your envelope will now look like this:

Optional: Use the 1 3/8″ circle punch and insert the top and bottom tab corners in the back to round the corners like this:

Now it looks like this:

Fold over the side pieces and adhere first, then the bottom flap folds up:

Voila! it fits your 6×3 card perfectly!

(Finished Envelope size is now 3.5″ x 6 1/8″)

Sense-ational Card Class!

April 13, 2012April 26, 2017Leave a comment

Pretty excited about the upcoming
“Sense-ational” Card Class
on Thursday April 19th at 7 p.m.
at my house in Spanish Fork!!

This playful, more advanced stamping class will appeal to all your senses: Create 4 amazing cards you can TASTE, TOUCH, SMELL and HEAR (and of course, they all LOOK beautiful, too).

Cost: $16. Bring your own scissors and SNAIL adhesive (or order one when you register). To save your spot, CLICK HERE or call 801-376-8685 by Monday, April 16th!

The Influence of Art

April 9, 2012April 26, 20177 Comments

Sometimes the busy-ness of life prevents me from having time to create “just because”… but the planets aligned on Saturday evening when my talk for church was written and printed, the house was clean and the kids were off doing their own thing! So I found a cute sketch challenge on Create with Connie and Mary, swept the first layer of creative strata off my stamp desk and went to town 🙂

Here is sketch #196 from Connie and Mary:

And this is my creation:

This was the first time I used the new paper doily die and found that it cut through lightweight paper beautifully (like copy paper) with a shim on top of the sandwich. Other supplies used (all from Stampin’ Up!): Early Espresso, Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizzaz and Calypso Coral card stock, Berry Blossoms Designer Series Paper, Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslit and Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Rhinestone Jewels and Petite Pairs stamp set (the other half of the “pair” is stamped inside and reads “…begin with YOU!”)

It made me so happy when I was finished because I had created something beautiful! It reminded me of a message from “Music & the Spoken Word” with the Mormon Tabernacle choir that I was able to attend in March:

(By Lloyd Newell, March 4, 2012)

“Beautiful art is good for the soul. It can lift and inspire; it can calm and soothe; it can inform and enlighten. Art improves our quality of life and has been shown to stimulate brain function, reduce stress, and help us focus on things that really matter. Those who take time to appreciate art—in its many forms—understand its remarkable effects.

Years ago, a man purchased his first home and, with his limited budget, set to the task of furnishing it. But rather than buying a sofa, a nice kitchen table, or other pieces of furniture, he first bought some modest but inspiring artwork. He knew he would eventually need a place to sit in his new home, but he felt he neededart on his walls even more.

When friends and family came to visit, they admired the beautiful prints and paintings that adorned his walls, but they wondered why he did not have much in the way of furniture. He explained that he was working on saving enough money to buy better furniture, but he was afraid that if he did not place a priority on art, he might never be able to justify its purchase.

John Hafen, a noted artist from a hundred years ago, explained what this man seemed to know about art. He said: “The influence of art is so powerful in shaping our lives for a higher appreciation of the creations of our God that we cannot afford to neglect an acquaintance with it. We should be as eager for its companionship . . . as we are eager for chairs to sit upon or for food to sustain our lives, for it has as important a mission in shaping our character and in conducing to our happiness as anything that we term necessities. Life is incomplete without it.”

Indeed, art makes life more meaningful. Whether a painting or a poem, a sculpture or a song, wholesome artistic expression lifts us from the everyday and helps us see beyond the here and now.”
http://www.musicandthespokenword.com/messages/display.php?message=744