Hostess with the Most-ess!

Be the Host with the Most free stuff! From now through December 15, if you host a qualifying workshop, you can earn an additional $35 in Free Hostess Credit! That means, a $350 workshop earns you $85 in FREE product!


Now is the perfect time to gather with friends and family to create beautiful handmade and heartfelt cards and gifts. Book your workshop with me today to ensure your choice of open dates. I have tons of great, easy and inexpensive gift-giving ideas that I would love to share with you and your friends.
And if you thought you missed out on the chance to get a FREE Big Shot, it's not too late. That promotion has been extended till November 11. Join the Stampin' Up! family now and choose either a free Big Shot or $100 in extra product. That's like getting over $450 of products for only $175!


I look forward to hearing from you and helping you enjoy a creative and fun holiday season!

Heather

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Llama Hop

Hello! If you've just migrated over here from Diane's wonderful blog you've arrived at the right pasture. This is the next stop on the Stampin' Llamas Holiday Blog Hop! If this is your first stop, no worries, you can continue on the Hop from here or use the link below to hop back to the beginning and start from there. Either way, make sure you check out all these very talented ladies.




My projects today all feature the Pines & Poinsettias stamp set from the Holiday Mini. I got this set free from Stampin' Up! and yes, free stamps do stamp better. I've created a card, a bookmark and a gift box for you.








This would make a great gift ensemble for the avid reader on your Christmas list. Put the bookmark and a gift card to a bookstore in the box and you've got a great gift set. The card base is Very Vanilla card stock. I ran a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock though the Big Shot with the Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder and then distressed the edges. Using the 2 3/8" scallop punch I punched a piece of Wild Wasabi. If you crumple it repeatedly and break up the fibers you can actually peel it into two pieces; which is what I did. The pinecone image was colored using Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cobbler markers and stamped onto Vanilla. I punched the image out with the 2 1/2" circle punch and layered it onto a same size circle of Cherry Cobbler after a bit more distressing. (notice all the de-stressing?) Add some Stampin' Dimensionals and some 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and you've got a nice card with lots of texture. This card also happens to be the one my fellow Llamas will be receiving as their swap this season! (They are all now running out to their mailboxes!)








For the bookmark I started with a 24 inch piece of Chocolate Chip Scallop Dots Ribbon which I folded in half so I had dots on both sides and held together with Sticky Strip. I used a scallop square piece from the On Board Merry Medley chipboard and covered it with Wild Wasabi. I hand cut the flower images and stitched on the buttons with Linen Thread to finish off the bookmark.









For my final project I made the gift box. First I covered a piece of Wasabi card stock with the Holly Berry Bouquet fabric using our Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets. Then I ran the whole thing through the Big Shot and was able to die cut the box using the Box #2 die. Easy peesy! For the embellishment on the front, I used the Scallop Circle punch, the 5 Petal Flower punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, some Basic Pearls, Bakers Twine and the last image in the Pines & Poinsettias set.









I hope you enjoyed your stop here and I encourage you to keep hopping on over to Holly Denghel's blog. I know she'll have some great projects for you to see. Besides, she's going to be my new neighbor when I get to Texas! Llamas in the hood! Feel free to stop by here again and I hope you'll leave a comment if there was something you liked. Happy Blog Hopping!









Heather
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Join my team and get a FREE Big Shot!

That's right! You can get a FREE Big Shot or $100 in FREE product when you join my team from Oct 1-31!



The Big Shot is one of the greatest and most versatile tools you can use in your stamping business. From die cutting to embossing, the Big Shot helps take your cards, gifts and scrapbook pages to the Wow level! If you've ever considered becoming a demonstrator, now is the perfect time. If you already have the Big Shot, it's no problem. You can get $100 worth of dies, embossing folders or anything else you'd like in addition to the amazing Starter Kit.
I would love the opportunity to talk to you about becoming a demonstrator. You can sign up right through my website or give me a call and we can walk through the process together. As your upline you can be sure I will be here every step of the way as you begin this exciting adventure and I will help you make your business exactly what you want it to be. I hope to hear from you today!

Heather
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Card Buffet

A card buffet? What's that? A buffet is defined as a meal in which people serve themselves from various dishes set out on a serving table. So a card buffet is an event in which you can pick and create cards from a variety of predesigned options. This month I premiered this event for the first time with rave reviews. Here is a sampling of some of the "dishes" I offered.



The cards cover a variety of occasions and stamping levels. I am now up to 16 cards in my buffet and will keep adding new cards each month. Cards will remain on the buffet until the stamp set or embellishments retire (or you just get sick of seeing it!) so if you can't make them all one month, they'll be there the next month.
My October Card Buffet classes will be held on Oct 5th and 13th so if you are in the area, please register (see the My Events link to the right to RSVP). There are even some Christmas cards on the buffet now to get your creative juices flowing for the holiday season.
If you see a card design you'd like to create, send me a picture and I'll add it to the buffet. Is there an occasion you need cards for? I'll add those as well. I hope to see you at the next Card Buffet!

Heather

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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I'm sure you've all seen the Staples commercial with the parent singing and dancing their way through the isles buying back-to-school supplies while the kids scour in the background. Yes, September means back to school and back to my house staying clean for more than 3.5 seconds, but that is not the only thing that makes this the best time of the year. The new Holiday Mini Catalog is here and it will knock your stockings off!





If you haven't received one of these babies from me you can view it by clicking here or contact me and I will gladly mail you one. This is one of the best mini catalogs in my entire Stampin' Up career. The new Simply Scored knocks the competition out of the water and I received a cute tote for it made out of the Spice Cake fabric when I attended Convention in July (I love the perks of being a demo!) The Christmas sets along with the coordinating punches and dies will make your holiday gift-giving a breeze! As always you can place an order right through my website (use the links to the right) or stop by one of my two Card Buffet classes being offered this month and get your hands on some of these new sets. Check out my calendar for the dates and descriptions. I will also be adding the first Christmas card class toward the end of the month. This will be a great opportunity to get a jump start on creating beautiful handmade cards your friends and family will treasure.

Heather

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Field Flowers CASE

If you are not familiar with the term CASE, it stands for Copy And Share Everything which is what many demonstrators do regularly. We share our project and business ideas for others to copy and in turn share with others. Even the company does this for us (and you) by filling the Idea Book & Catalog with hundreds of sample projects. One project in particular caught my eye and was the motivating factor for me to purchase the stamp set. The sample is on page 97 of the catalog and uses the stamp set Field Flowers. I recently recreated this card for my Stamp-a-Stack class.



The card base is Pink Pirouette layered with another piece of Pink Pirouette that I ran through the Big Shot with the Lattice Embossing Folder. The Old Olive and Pool Party scallop strips were made with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch cut in half down the middle. I stamped the image with Old Olive and More Mustard ink. The piece of Crumb Cake along the top of the White was punched with the Crop-a-Dile and then cut with the Paper Snips. The old Spiral Punch would have been perfect but that punch retired last year. :( oh well. I then finished it off with some White Bakers Twine. I realized too that just by changing up the color scheme of this card you could easily make it appropriate for a masculine card, sympathy of any other occasion. I love using the Idea Book & Catalog for inspiration and no matter how many (thousands of) times I look through it, there is always something new that catches my eye. I challenge you to pick your favorite sample from the catalog, recreate it and share it with someone today. Then tell me about it!

Heather
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Convention Day 1

Wow, what an exciting day! General session this morning was a wild thrill as always. Rockin' music, all the Riverton employees there to welcome us and tons of excitement. Shelli talked about the importance of growth (obviously the theme of convention) and it's benefits. Bonnie Thurber unveiled several super exciting products from the Holiday Mini and then surprised us all by giving us a pack of minis right then and there! Wait till you see it, I am in love! A Simply Score Tool, gorgeous fabric, stocking stamps, matching punches and a die, advent set (see pic), card keeper box and a stamp for cookies! Yes, you actually stamp on the cookie!



Then we broke for lunch and a few classes. I learned some great new techniques in the My Digital Studio class and Bonnie taught a great class on embracing change and keeping the right attitude about it. Very appropriate and timely for me.
The second general session featured Shelli's daughter Sara demonstrating some super ways to overcome the "I'm not creative, I don't have time..." etc excuses we often here when we try to share the art of stamping.
I skipped the Awards Night tonight in favor of a relaxed dinner with friends and some retail therapy. We did head back for the After Party though which was great. Usually they have a performer (band, group, etc) but this year they opted for the cheaper and much more fun, night club idea. Loud speakers, lots of bass, a great DJ, disco ball, dance floor and chocolate. There's no going wrong with that. It was a long day and I have Make n Takes at 8am so time to get some zzzzz. Good night from Salt Lake!

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Last Chance!

Hi Stampers,
I have 3 very important bits of information to share with you today.  Please read them through carefully!
* Last Chance Lists
* Open House Event
* Garage Sale (with special note to Club members!)

Its June 1 and you know what that means!  We are getting ready to say goodbye to some of our current stamps sets to make room for the brand spanking new 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog which debuts July 1st!  Use the links on the side bar to view the Last Chance Stamp Sets and Last Chance Accessories Lists.  You will only be able to purchase the items on these lists until June 30.  After that they are gone for good.  Stamp sets orders are guaranteed to be filled but the items on the Accessories List are while supplies last and will likely sell out before the end of the month.  Please look over these lists and be sure to order those items you want as soon as possible.  You can place an order 24/7 through my website by clicking here! 

You are also invited to attend my New Catalog Open House on Friday, July 1 from 7-10pm.  Stop by for a chance to flip through the new catalog and begin creating your wish lists.  I will have several new stamps sets on hand as well as the new In Colors.  There will be a FREE make-n-take project available to get your creative juices flowing and special gifts and giveaways as well.    Desserts, snacks and beverages provided as well.  It will be a fun night of ooing and ahhing so let me know you plan to attend so I can have a catalog waiting for you!

Finally, since I cannot demonstrate or take orders for retired stamps sets, I will also be having a Garage Sale on July 1 during the Open House.  My retired sets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and I can only accept cash or checks for Garage Sale items.  These sets will be sold at 50% off retail price!  If you are a member of my Stampin' Club, you will have first access to these sets during our June Club meeting so come prepared! 

Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am blessed to be able to celebrate it. There were many years when I was not sure I would ever be graced with the title of 'mom' but now I have 4 beautiful sons and my role as a mom is my favorite "job". I am also grateful that I have a wonderful mom to celebrate as well. She is spending her Mother's Day doing what she has done her whole life, serving others. She is currently in New Orleans helping to rebuild homes still devastated from the floods. This is her second or third trip there and she has also served as a relief worker in Haiti and as a nurse on several medical missions in the Dominican Republic.
One of my favorite parts of Mothers Day is receiving those beautiful hand made cards my kids proudly make. This year my oldest couldn't wait to share his so I received it tonight. He was especially proud of what he had made in school because it is "like you make in your stamping classes!" my response, "no sweetie, its even better!"


The flower on the giant clip comes out of the pot to use as a bookmark! You can be sure it will only be used in my favorite of books. I tend to think that even though I am no longer the cute little girl with the crayon and construction paper card, my mom will still treasure the handmade greeting she will receive when she returns next week. I taught this card along with 2 new techniques we used to my Club last night.


This is an easel card and can stand open as a display.


The card uses the new Strength and Hope stamp set in the Summer Mini. For every Strength and Hope stamp set sold, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation so not only do you get a beautiful stamp set but you help out a great cause as well.


The other technique I taught was how to dye our ribbon. Did you know that you can dye any of the white Stampin' Up! ribbon to match any SU color using the reinkers? Come back next week and I will share a tutorial on just how to do that!
Happy Mother's Day and remember, moms will always treasure a handmade card, even if you are no longer 5!

Heather
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Nothing Alive

I know it's a weird title but believe it or not that was a Challenge posted by a fellow demonstrator. I love when I see an interesting Challenge like this and am anxious to see what what gets posted. The Challenge was to make a card without using any images or representations of anything living (no flowers, trees, butterflies etc). Since that eliminated a great deal of my stamp sets I decided I would try a card without any image at all! Now THAT'S a challenge. What did I come up with? Shaving cream! Have you tried this technique? It's very easy and not nearly as messy as you might think.



The base card stock is Pacific Point embossed with then Framed Tulips Embossing Folder. The white is mounted on Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink. The swirl pattern used Pacific, Celery, Pink and Perfect Plum reinkers. How would you have met this Challenge, I'd love to hear!

Heather

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Award

I received my first Blog Award today!  I received this Stylish Blogger Award from Kathryn Ricks who is a fellow WaterCooler Llama (a crazy fun group of fellow demonstrators).

Please take a minute or two to check out Kath's blog where she showcases her amazing work!  When you are the recipient of this award you must do 3 things.  First, you must thank the person who gave it to you and link back to their blog ~ done!  Second you must share 8 things about yourself so here goes...
1- I was just promoted to Senior Supervisor with Stampin' Up! last month and I am so excited.  That was my goal after last year's Convention.
2- I have the most adorable kids in the world.  Don't believe me?  Think I'm biased?  See for yourself.

3- I am a lefty.
4- I'm a bit OCD when it comes to organization.  Everything in my house has one place where it belongs. Apparently my children did not inherit this trait.  ;)
5- I am a NY Yankees fan.
6- I am a chocoholic and I am proud of it!  A moderately-sized chocolate treat can fix most anything.
7- Despite having lived most of my life in Upstate NY, I do not like winter. 
8- I start every morning with a cup (or two or sometimes three) of coffee.  It seems to be the only way to keep up with the energy level of the rest of my household.

And now I must pass this award on to worthy recipients.  I have chosen the following blogs and hope you will visit them as well.
 Stamp with Chris  - my adopted upline and wonderful friend
Doodlers, Ink - my downline, Carolyn
There's Glitter on the Dogs
Thank you for visiting my blog.  Now, go create!
Heather

Spring is Blossoming

I think it's finally coming! The temperatures look to be in the 50s all week with lots of rain. That seems like a Rochester spring to me. Spring is also blossoming at Stampin' Up! and they are celebrating by offering a sneak peek at the new catalog. During the month of April when you spend $20 on Stampin' Up! products, you are eligible to purchase the Four Frames Stamp Set and the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper. Both of these items will be in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog but don't wait because after April 30, these items won't be available again until July. Click here for more details on how to order.
Last Friday my Club ladies made two great spring projects. The first one was an adorable little treat box that I got from fellow demonstrator Beth McAlexander's blog. It is the perfect size Box for leaving a little Easter treat for someone special.



Once we filled our little boxes with the M&Ms, we couldn't leave any the extras just sitting there so we gobbled up the rest and started on project #2. This card used a technique called Quilting that I first saw Becky Roberts do. The Springtime Vintage DSP just fit so beautifully with this technique and my gals loved how easy it was. They even started brainstorming all the other Embossing Folders they could use to create great quilted designs.



Are you like many in my classes and Clubs who struggle to make a 'perfect' bow or knot? You are definitely not alone and due to the overwhelming appeals, I will be offering a nuts and bolts class called Knots & Bows! This class will cover several different knot and bow styles in a hands-on learning environment. In addition, I will also teach you how to dye our ribbon to match any Stampin' Up! color. The class will be held on Sunday, May 1 at 2pm. The class fee is only $8 and includes an entire roll of beautiful organza ribbon but you must register and prepay before Easter to ensure your ribbon is here.
Did you know I teach private stamp classes? They are a great alternative to the traditional workshop for repeat hostesses and friends that want an excuse to get together and stamp on a monthly basis. Contact me to book your class today!

Heather

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Daffodil Delight

My tulips, daffodils and crocuses had just begun to pop through when we got another few inches of snow last week. Needless to say I wasn't too happy about it. Despite the continued cold temperatures the sun has managed to melt most of the snow - at least until we get more next week (so says the forecast).
I'm still fighting for Spring to come so I'm using a lot of spring colors and sunny designs. Here is one of my latest ones. I love the color combination of Daffodil Delight and Night of Navy. The Elegant Lines embossing folder (have I mentioned how much I LOVE these) created the light fluttery feel I was looking for to go with the butterflies from the Beautiful Wings embosslit.



Did you know you can emboss vellum too? Hopefully it won't be too much longer before the flowers are up for good and the butterflies are flying. Until then I plan to keep creating with these beautiful color combinations and spring inspirations!

Heather

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Countdown

The countdown is on! There are only 9 days left to take advantage of the best promotion of the year! Sale-a-bration ends at the end of this month and you don't want to miss out on this one!



For every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you get a FREE stamp set! Who doesn't like free? And if your wish list is as long as mine then you definitely need to check out the Starter Kit. During Sale-a-Bration the kit is 15% off and you get an additional $50 product bundle. That's over $350 worth of products for less than $150! Now that's a great deal.

Click here to shop right from my website, browse the free stamp sets or purchase the Starter Kit. As always, contact me if you have any questions.
Happy Stampin'
Heather

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Fun Flower Technique

Last month I taught my Stampin' Club girls this cool technique for making flowers using ribbon! I learned this technique from the Stampin' Up demonstrator website (an awesome perk for being a demo!). There are a couple variations of it as you can see from this first photo.



Start with a circle of card stock covered with sticky strip. Adhere your ribbon to the center of the circle and then begin to twist your ribbon as you wrap it around and around covering the sticky circle. For the upper flower, I tied loose knots all along my ribbon and then just coiled it around in a circle. My Club ladies loved how easy this really was and how it added such a nice touch to a card.



We added it to this card featuring the Vintage Vogue stamp set, the Tulip Border Embossing Folder and those gorgeous In Colors, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz and Concord Crush.

I then used this card as inspiration for another card that I will be teaching at the monthly Penfield Rec class.



If you like this card, there is still time to sign up for the April 12th class. We will be making a total of 10 cards including two more which I will show you next week. With that little tease I will leave you for now.
Happy Stampin'
Heather
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Bliss

I'm back! Yes I know I've been away too long and you have missed me terribly. I have been working on a way to make posting to this blog a bit easier. Stampin' Up has a great interface and is very easy Unfortunately most of my pictures of my cards are either on my camera or my new iPad it's been a pain to have to transfer them to to my computer and then upload them to the blog. So I opened a blogger acct and now post my blog entries there and link them back to my SU blog. Since I can do this from the iPad there is really no excuse for me not making regular posts.
So here is my first piece of eye candy for you. This is one of the cards we did this week at the Penfield Rec class. I will share the others next time. This card uses the FREE Stamp set called Bliss and it has become one of my favorites lately. There are only 2 more weeks to get this set! The awesome Sale-a-Bration promotion ends at the end of this month so place your $50 order today and select this set for FREE! Isn't free fabulous?




Stamp set: Bliss
Ink: BlushingBride and Chocolate Chip
Card stock: Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Stripe Grosgrain ribbon, Itty Bitty Buttons, Linen Thread, Scallop Border Punch.


Please come back and visit again, I'm getting better at this blogging thing.