Inky Images

October Card Class and I'm back from Italy!

2013-09-23T15:57:00.004-04:00

Hello! As I posted in my last message, I am having a Card Class in October. You can see all the details in the previous post. I do want to let everyone know that the Sunday session is FULL. There are still a few seats in the Friday evening session, so if you are interested in the class then, let me know ASAP! You can email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com. If you've signed up for class, be sure to send your $25 payment to hold your spot.

Okay, now I want to show you some pictures from our trip to Italy! We had a fantastic time, we did and saw so much, it was almost overwhelming! And 1200 photos later, yikes! Only 300 of those were mine, Bob tends to take lots and lots and lots more than I do...

Here are some favorites:

In front of the Colosseum - this place is HUGE!

Standing in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican

Tuscany - just as I imagined it, only more beautiful!

Overlooking the town of Cassis, in France.

Positano, a town on the Amalfi Coast of Italy

We also had stops in Palma Mallorca, Spain and Barcelona, Spain. Be happy I just showed you .4% of our pictures! If you're really lucky, you'll be invited over for the 5 hour slide show - just kidding... It really was a trip of a lifetime, I am very blessed!

Card Class coming in October!

2013-09-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Yep, it's me! Back after a fun summer, the time just flew by! Now that I've gotten my youngest back to VA Tech, my middle one off to work everyday, and my oldest living somewhere else (he also got engaged!), it's time to get back to business. I have decided to come out of semi-retirement and have a Class! Here are the details:

We will be making 4 cards, three of them will be more advanced and worth the extra work. The 4th one will most likely be a holiday card, I haven't decided yet. We will also be doing two holiday 3-D items, just to get you started on some "gifty" things you might need!

Class will be held on Friday, October 18 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, October 20 at 1:00 pm. Cost is $25.00. You will need to pre-register and pre-pay no later than Friday, October 11, to save a spot. You can email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com , or call me at 703-689-4818.

Here is a picture of one of the cards we'll be making. You will be able to turn this into a birthday card if you'd like.

This is the outside of the card. We will be using the Pop N Cuts die to make it.

And this is the inside of the card. Pretty cool, huh? That's what I meant by a little more advanced.

I hope to see you in class!

My "New Catalog" Open House is coming!

2013-06-04T11:58:00.003-04:00

Hello! Long time, no see. It's been a whirlwind month. My oldest son bought a townhouse,

my middle son graduated from Radford University,

and then we had to move my youngest son out of his dorm at VA Tech.

All of that within 2 weeks! Then we had the graduation party,

and this past weekend my brother got married!

Crazy times, but FUN! Needless to say, anything stamping related has been put on the back burner.

But it is now time for my annual "New Catalog" Open House! Come and do a FREE Make and Take project and pick up your new catalog. (This year I need to charge everyone $3.00 for the catalog, but you will receive a $3.00 credit when you place an order.) I will also be having my Retired Stamps and Accessories sale, and everything will be at rock bottom prices.

I am holding the Open House on the following days and times:

Wednesday, June 12 from 9:30 am-noon
Wednesday, June 12 from 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
Sunday, June 23 from 1:00-3:00 pm

Please let me know if you plan to attend so I am sure to have enough M&T projects for everyone. You can email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com.

You are going to love the new catalog! You can see it HERE. You can place an order anytime thru my WEBSITE, or I can place the order for you if you contact me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com.

That's it for today! Hope to see you at the Open House!

Stampin' Up! Retiring List is Here!

2013-04-24T16:25:00.000-04:00

Helllo! It's that time of year again, when Stampin' Up! retires a whole bunch of stamps and accessories, to make room for new ones! The new catalog will go live on June 1, 2013. You have until June 3, 2013 to purchase from the Retired List. However, the accessories are only while supplies last, so I would suggest ordering what you need ASAP. Especially any retiring colors in stamp pads, card stock and reinkers. Those tend to sell out quickly!

The easiest way to place an order is thru my WEBSITE. That way you will know at once if something is no longer available. If you prefer that I place the order for you, I'd be happy to do that. Just email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com with what you would like.

Here are the links to the lists:

Retiring Stamp Sets

http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/lastChance/2013%20NA%20Retired%20List/Retired_List_stamps_en-US.pdf

Retiring Accessories

http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/lastChance/2013%20NA%20Retired%20List/Availability_en-US.pdf

Let me know if you have any questions!

Sue

Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com
703-689-4818
http://suehyer.stampinup.net -mywebsite

Two more Spring or Sale-A-Bration cards

2013-03-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the last two cards from my February card class...

There is not much stamping on this card! The Whisper White strip of cardstock was embossed with the Delicate Designs folder. The big butterflies were punched with the Elegant Butterfly punch. The small butterflies were punched out of Sunshine and Sprinkles designer paper with the Bitty Butterfly punch, both from the Spring Mini Catalog. The ribbon is 3/8" Striped Organdy, also from the Spring Mini. The greeting is a single stamp called Beautiful Birthday.

And finally, the last card is one that I CASE'd from my upline's meeting. Unfortunately I don't know who the original artist is. The background is embossed with the Honeycomb folder from the Spring Mini. The stamp set is called "Just Thinking", also from the Mini. I punched the layered flower with the Boho Blossoms punch, and the ribbon is 3/8" Stitched Satin in Raspberry Ripple.

Don't forget that Sale-A-Bration ends on March 22! See what you can get for FREE with a $50 order HERE. And view the Spring Mini Catalog HERE.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to subscribe to my blog, INKY IMAGES, by entering your email on the right side of this page!

More Spring and Sale-a-Bration!

2013-03-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back! Here are two more cards from my class last month.

The first one uses the Vine Street embossing folder from the SAB brochure. That has been a very popular item! I punched the Daffodil Delight flower with the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch. I stamped the Rose Red flower with the Printed Petals stamp set and punched it with the 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch. The Designer Builder Brad in the middle of the flower is from the Spring Mini Catalog. This is one of my favorite items and you get 16 of them for just $6.95! The greeting is from the Curly Cute stamp set.

The next card uses all sorts of things from the SAB brochure! The Sycamore Street designer paper, Pretty Petites stamp set, and the Petite Curly Label punch are all from there. I also used White 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

Sale-A-Bration ends on March 22! When you place a $50 order (before S&H and tax) you get to choose one item from the SAB brochure for FREE! Click HERE to view the brochure.

The Spring Mini Catalog runs thru May 31. Go to my WEBSITE to see the Spring Mini Catalog.

You can place an order online at my website, or contact me and I will place the order for you.

More ideas coming...

A Few Cards

2013-03-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe that I totally missed the month of February! I know it's a short month, but that's ridiculous! I have been keeping very busy, and in the next week or two I will share with you some of the projects I've been doing in my semi-retirement!

In the meantime, let me show you the cards that we did in my Card Class last month. Each card highlighted items from the Spring Mini Catalog, or a Sale-A-Bration item. Today I'll show you two cards, and over the next few days you'll get to see all six that we did.

This first card uses Parker's Patterns designer paper from the Mini Catalog. I never have enough masculine cards, so this fit the bill. Inside I used a Happy Father's Day greeting. The Cherry Cobbler piece at the top of the card was embossed using the Argyle folder, and the stamp set is "Postage Due". I punched the images out with the Postage Stamp punch.

The next card uses the Sycamore Street designer paper from the SAB brochure, and the Pinwheel Sizzlits die from the Spring Mini Catalog. I embossed the Sahara Sand card stock with the Square Lattice folder, the ribbon is the 3/8" Ruffled in Island Indigo, and the stamp set is called "Made For You".

Stay tuned for more ideas...

Pop-Up Posies

2013-01-31T16:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, it's been 2 weeks since I posted! Don't the days just fly by? I have been doing some projects around the house, I haven't finished anything yet, but I'm in the middle of a few! Not really the best way to tackle something, but it just sort of worked out that way, and I blame a lot of it on Pinterest! I won't show you what I've been up to just yet, because today I want to show you a card I made.

I used the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit, which can be found in the Spring Mini Catalog on page 18. You can view the catalog HERE. This is a fun kit and comes with tons of stuff, including a cute greeting stamp that says "just for you". It's great for cards and 3-D items as well. I made a card that I will be doing as a Make &Take at my upline's meeting next week (hi Mary!).

The base is Calypso Coral, to match the flowers that come in the kit. On Pool Party card stock, I embossed with the Honeycomb folder, also found in the Spring Mini page 6. The embossed and die cut Crumb Cake piece comes in the kit, along with the white fabric-coverd brad. I stamped the butterfly with Papillon Pot Pourri and punched it with the new butterfly bunch (in the mini page 13), and added some pearls. I stamped the greeting with Island Indigo. Lots of goodies on this card!

Don't forget to sign up for my upcoming "Spring and Sale-A-Bration" card class. You need to let me know if you're coming no later than Sunday, February 3 (that is the absolute deadline), so I am able to order all the supplies. Cost is $20, and we'll be making 6 different cards with envelopes. Email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com to sign up. See the previous post for dates and times, plus the first 4 cards, the other 2 are a surprise!

Thanks for reading!

"Spring and Sale-A-Bration" Card Class

2013-01-16T17:25:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! If you recall, I've added a card class to my calendar. It will be featuring stamps and accessories from the Spring Mini Catalog and some Sale-A-Bration items. I have been busy designing the cards for the class, and I have four of them ready. And guess what, I'm going to show them to you right now!

There will be a total of six cards (with envelopes) in the class, all for $20. If you'd like to attend, you need to pre-register and pre-pay no later than Friday, February 1, to hold your spot. The dates for the class are:

Friday, February 8 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 10 at 1:00 pm
Wednesday, February 13 at 9:30 am
Wednesday, February 13 at 1:00 pm

Contact me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com to sign up for the class. There is a possibility that I will also be doing this class thru the mail, for those of you who can't attend, if there is enough interest. There will be an additional cost for that service. Let me know if that works better for you.

Sale-A-Bration starts on Tuesday, January 22! When you spend $50 (before S&H and tax), you get to choose something from the SAB brochure for FREE! Click HERE to see all the free stuff. I will be placing an order that morning, so if you need anything and want to piggyback it onto my order, please email it to me by then. (If you do piggyback your order, you will need to come to my house to pick it up.) Otherwise you can just go to my WEBSITE and place your order online and have it shipped directly to you.

Hope to see you in class!

"Happy Valentine Heart" Special

2013-01-06T23:46:00.001-05:00

This month, from January 3-21, Stampin' Up! has two Valentine's Day specials. I am going to show you some samples I made with the Valentine Treat Bundle, using the "Happy Valentine Heart" stamp. It's a single stamp that you will mount onto a clear block, and the bundle also comes with 50 - 1x8 cello bags.

I made 2 cards and one 3-D treat, as you can see below. All of these were super quick and easy.

For the first card I used the Fancy Fan embossing folder on Real Red cardstock. The lacy embellishment is the Delicate Details Lace Tape from the Spring Mini catalog. I just put that on top of the red piece (it's self-adhesive), stamped the heart, then punched with the Full Heart punch, and attached with dimensionals.

On the second card I used the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder. I made the heart embellishments with the Fashionable Hearts embosslit, and attached those to the front. Then just add the Happy Valentine Heart.

For the treat bag, I found a box of Mike and Ike candies, but this box didn't have any Mikes, just Ikes! So that meant the candies were all red or pink - perfect for my project! (I got them at Target.) I filled the cello bag, leaving a little room at the top to close and staple on the topper. For the topper I punched out 2 Real Red 1 3/4" Scallop Circles. I stapled one to the front of the cello bag, then used SNAIL to attach the second one to the back of it. I stamped and punched the heart, attached it with a dimensional, then added a 1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon with a mini glue dot. And there you go!

The Valentine Treat Bundle is just $5.95! You can get more details about both Valentine specials HERE.

Have a great day!

Who wants to "Move More and Eat Well" with me in 2013?

2012-12-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! and Happy New Year!

Who's made their resolutions? And whose include exercising more and eating healthier? I am on that band wagon, for sure. Working out regularly is a part of my life, some days I'm lazier than others, but I do get it done. That being said, a little motivation to push myself harder would be very welcome. And as for eating healthier, well.... I do like my carbs and my chocolate!

Anyway, I want to tell you about something I'm going to do this year. I am a huge fan of the site www.BigPictureClasses.com and I have taken many online classes from them. Their instructors are amazing, a lot of big names in the scrapbooking world, including Stacy Julian, Becky Higgins and Cathy Zielske. However, all of the classes aren't just about scrapbooking. You should go check it out and see what they have to offer.

I just signed up for Cathy Zielske's current class, which starts on January 1 and runs for the whole year! The class is called "Move More Eat Well 2.0", and it's not just for scrapbookers. It's really for anyone who wants some motivation and inspiration on their journey to better health. Cathy is absolutely hilarious too, and her videos are worth the price of admission themselves!

To read all about it, click HERE. Like I said, this class is not just for scrapbookers! I had been planning to start a workout journal this year, but this is going to be so much more fun!

I would highly recommend you become a member of the Big Picture Classes site! Membership is free. And when you decide to become a member, do me a favor and use the "Refer A Friend" registration code: 34F53CA4 (When registering, just enter the code into the Refer A Friend box.) Or you can go directly there with this LINK. When you do this, we'll both get a 10% off code when you purchase your first class!

So how about it? Join me in 2013 and let's Move More and Eat Well together!

"Winter Memories" Card

2012-12-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

I wanted to show you a card a I made using the stamp set "Winter Memories", which is in the Holiday Mini Catalog, found on page 19. At first I wasn't going to buy this set because it's all line images, and I don't like to color. (I color like a Kindergartner...) But the ice skates won me over! And as you can see, the coloring is very minimal, even I could do it. I cut out the opening thru the top Whisper White sheet of card stock, using the Labels Collection Framelits, then embossed it with the Northern Flurry folder. Then I stamped the skates thru the cut area, onto a second piece of Whisper White card stock. I colored with markers and blender pen, and added some glitter. Before assembling, I sponged the edges with Marina Mist ink.

You can hopefully tell from the sideways view that I attached the bottom piece directly onto the Marina Mist base, then used dimensionals to pop up the top piece. I made the tag with the "Tiny Tags" set, and punched it out with the jewelry tag punch. I attached that, plus the ribbon, with glue dots. I got this idea from a card I had seen somewhere (sorry, don't remember where), and then tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

Don't forget that the Holiday Mini catalog ends on January 2, 2013. That is the last day you can order from it, and the "Winter Memories" set is not being carried over. You can view the mini catalog HERE, on my website. Just click on "Products" at the top of the page to see all the current catalogs. You can place an order online as well, by clicking on "Shop Now". Be sure to check out the Clearance Rack while there, they have put lots of new stuff there and the prices are great!

Happy New Year!!!

The best sugar cookies I've ever had!

2012-12-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

In my last post I mentioned that I was making cut-out sugar cookies. Well let me tell you, they turned out great, if I do say so myself! Probably the best I've ever eaten. I tried a recipe that I found at www.RealSimple.com, and it was "real simple"! (I'll give the recipe to you at the end of this post.) I never really liked making cut out cookies because it always took so long and was so messy, with having to keep rolling the dough in flour and the cookie cutters would stick to the dough, and so would the rolling pin. Well, I have found the answer! I read somewhere that you should roll the dough between two pieces of wax paper, so I gave it a try. It was a miracle! No extra flour all over the place, nothing sticking, so EASY, and NO MESS!!! I am now a converted cut-out cookie baker!

So here's what they looked like when they came out of the oven. I just made snowflakes (I had gotten a nice cookie cutter and wanted to try it out.), and they were pretty big. I think I got about 35 cookies out of the batch, but you could get a lot more if you made smaller cookies.

And then I decorated them! I took the easy way out on this too, but they turned out quite pretty. I just used the Wilton Cookie Icing that I got at a craft store. The directions said to microwave the bottle, but the icing came out just fine and much easier to manage without heating it up. I just drew lines on the cookies, then added blue sprinkles, and white sugar sprinkles, and even some colored jimmies. It was a lot of fun! Needless to say, they have all been eaten (and not all by me, surprisingly enough!), so I plan to make some more over winter break. This time I will dust off some of my old cookie cutters and give them a try!

Okay, here's the recipe:

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
3 ½ cups flour
Decorations (optional but highly recommended!)

Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla and salt.
Gradually add the flour, mixing until just combined (do not overmix). Shape into a 1-inch-thick disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Between 2 pieces of wax paper, roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes, rerolling the scraps as necessary. Place one inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Let cool slightly, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Decorate as desired. Eat, and share if you must!

Printers Tray Project

2012-12-21T14:54:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! Are you ready for Christmas? I've got just a tiny bit of wrapping left, and I've got cut-out sugar cookie dough chilling right now! I'm going to try making snowflake cookies and then decorate them. Okay, I know for some of you that's not a big deal, but I am more of a "scoop and bake" kind of girl! So I'll let you know how it goes...

Anyway, I told you I'd show you the project I did for the gift exchange at my upline, Mary's holiday party. A few months ago Stampin' Up! had a promotion for demonstrators that recruited new demonstrators. They could earn these kits that included one of these very trendy printer trays. It was a Halloween collage, and absolutely adorable! However, I didn't recruit anyone, so I wasn't eligible for a kit. But, my dear friend, Deb, did recruit and not only did she get a tray, she was then allowed to purchase some more! So she very generously let me buy a couple from her, and we even worked on a Halloween one when I went to visit her back in October. Then we go the idea that we could do inserts for more holidays. And here's what I came up with...

This is my Halloween tray. It's a bit different from the one Stampin' Up! designed, just because I didn't have all the right stamps and supplies. Some of the squares are done with My Digital Studio, and some are stamped, punched, etc. I also used designer paper. The cool thing is that each square is mounted on thin cardboard and a magnet sheet is attached to the back. There is also a magnet sheet attached inside each square of the printer tray, so when you put the squares in, they don't fall out! Deb is a genius!

Next is the Fall tray. Once again, I used My Digital Studio plus stamps, etc. Deb has sent me a different version of this but I had to tweak it a bit since I didn't have the same stamps she did. But I think it turned out really cute. I did use some retired designer paper (don't tell anyone!).

And finally, here is my Christmas tray. I love this one, probably because it's so festive and a bit sparkly! And I know what you're thinking, "let's do this as a class!" Well, I can't because I don't have access to these trays! However, if and when Stampin' Up! does sell them to all demonstrators, I will definitely take it under consideration! I have seen something similar in the craft stores, but either there are way too many sections and they're too small, or they're all the same size, which takes away a bit of the design element. We'll see....

I hope you enjoyed this project! Merry Christmas!

Holiday Gift Exchange

2012-12-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

Each year I get together for a holiday party with my upline and her group, and another party with my own downline. We do a gift exchange, and it's a lot of fun. The gift has to be something handmade using Stampin' Up! product. I am going to show you 6 of the items that were in the exchange this year!

The first one is a paper flower arrangement in a glass vase. My upline, Mary, made this and I don't want to know how many hours she spent on it!

The next one is a framed picture with a holiday theme. Very cute!

And obviously these frames are very popular! I love this one made by Angela.

The next project is the one I got at my downline party, created by Pam. These printer trays are also trending right now, so cool! She used a cherry blossom theme. Reminds me of spring!

This adorable purse was made by Toni. She is quite a talented seamstress. It even has a zipper pocket inside, and a magnetic snap.

And this is the tote bag I made for the gift exchange with my downline. I used the Floral District fabric, and I put pockets on the inside. No pattern, just lots of straight stitching!

And of course I forgot to take a picture of the gift I got at Mary's party, and the gift I brought to Mary's party! So once I take some photos of that, I'll post them. Thanks for checking in!

Christmas with Kittens!

2012-12-05T13:15:00.001-05:00

You might have heard that back in September we had to say goodbye to our 14-year-old "best cat in the world, Fuzzy. It was really hard to do, he was a member of our family. I still miss him a lot. And I knew we'd be getting another cat, I love having one around, especially now that my boys are growing up. So in October we adopted 2 adorable sisters, Amy and Penny. Amy is the gray one, and Penny is the gray and white fluffy one. They are so much fun, although I do admit sometimes I feel like I have toddlers in the house again!

So now it's time to put up the Christmas decorations. I knew we might have some issues, especially since kittens like to climb. The tree would probably be in jeopardy, and boy, that was an understatement! Bob and I managed to anchor it to the windows so the kittens couldn't knock it over. I don't think we had it up for more than 5 minutes when Amy decided we had given her a huge catnip tree, just for her! She proceeded to climb it, even as we were trying to put lights on it. I haven't even put any ornaments up yet, and the treetop star will be put away for this year! I'll probably get out some unbreakable ornaments, which I'm sure the kittens will think are just an added bonus and a plethora of more cat toys!

Penny does like to climb the tree, (I think Amy eggs her on), but she also thinks it's great fun to just hunker down in the garland. Needlesss to say, decorating this year has taken a new twist, and I'm just going with it, laughing all the way. I'm hoping next year they will settle down and not be so interested in the tree, I'm probably dreaming...

I'm Back!!! and my "Noel" Class project

2012-12-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hello! Yes, I know, it's been almost a year since I've posted. Where does the time go? It's been a busy year, and I've just recently done some reevaluating of my priorities, so I am hoping my blog will come back up to the top of the list! The best way to see if I'm posting is to subscribe to Inky Images. Just add your email in the prompt on the right, and you can do just that. I will also be posting my events, so you won't want to miss it.

Today I want to share with you the project we did at my "Noel" class last month. This project was inspired by my stamping friend, Angela. She made a similar frame last year (you can see it in the post just previous to this one), and so many people admired it, I decided to do a class. I had to slightly redesign it, since some of the elements and papers were retired. But I am happy with the way it turned out. I ended up prepping for 40 of these, which was kind of crazy! So just in case you were thinking of asking if I would do some more, the answer would have to be "no"!

Holiday Gifts #4

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

My last post with our Holiday Gifts!

This next one was made by Angela and I was lucky enough to get this gift at Mary's party. I immediately brought this home and hung it in my foyer. Isn't it fantastic? I would love to make some more of these as they would be great gifts for next year. The little felt snowflake, wreath and mittens can be found in the current Holiday mini catalog, which means they will be gone as of January 3. So if you want some, be sure to order them right away. They are called "Winter Wishes" and are on page 30 in the mini. I will give you the link at the end of this post. The scallop squares are done with a Big Shot die, as well as the big letters. Other punches and dies are used as well. What a great project!

And I love this picture too! This was made by Stacey. My favorite part of this project is the rosettes, which are done with punches and scoring.

And this is the gift I received at my downline party. These are magnets created by Courtney. Soooo nice! She stamped them on tiles and colored in the flowers. She blinged them up with gloss and glitter and added magnets to the back. Love it!

And finally, here is the gift I made. It's a magnet board, and the 3 snowflakes in the center are magnets made with paper and crystal effects. I bought the painter's canvas, unstapled one end so I could slide a metal piece behind it, then restapled. Then I stamped and sponged with Craft ink and stapled on a ribbon. Pretty easy, and lots of fun.

Okay, don't forget that the Holiday mini catalog ends on January 3. If you want anything from it, let me know and I can order it for you. (email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com). Or you can go to my website at http://suehyer.stampinup.net, and go to Shop Now. You can also view all the catalogs, including the Holiday mini at the same place. Just click on Products and then Catalogs, and it will take you right there. Also, we just found out that Stampin' Up! will be discontinuing the Stocking Builder Punch and the matching Stitched Stockings stamp set, which are in the Holiday mini too. I was quite surprised about that, I never thought they'd retire a punch after just 4 months! So if you were thinking it would be in the big catalog this summer, that's not going to happen. Order those things now before it's too late!

Happy New Year!

Holiday Gifts #3

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

Another round of Holiday Gifts!

This is gorgeous! How clever to create a wreath using a flower die! The colors are so bright and cheery, you really could display this all year long. Pam I. made this.

Another use of our Flirtatious fabric! Toni is quite a seamstress, and she really wowed us with this adorable dress form. It could be used as a pin cushion, or even to hang jewelry on. I think it's just cute to look at too!

And what can I say about this amazing lamp?! It's beautiful, created by Mary. She used some brand new items that will be found in the Occasions mini catalog next month, including designer paper, a Big Shot die, and the pleated ribbon.

And here is an awesome memo board, complete with magnets, memo pad and even a little basket to hold pens, etc. I love this idea!

One more post tomorrow with the last four projects! See you soon...

Holiday Gifts #2

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Time for some more holiday gifts!

This first one was done by my upline, Mary, who is definitely one of the most creative people I've met! This was a much coveted gift, as you can probably tell! I'm sure it took her hours to make and I doubt she'll ever make another one. It involved folding more paper flowers than you'd ever want to count and then attaching them to a styrofoam ball. She then put it all into a vase. Isn't this gorgeous?

The photo above is a really cute and really big ornament! Attached to the ball are tons of buttons and then mica flakes were added for the bling!

And the next gift is an origami folded Christmas tree! How clever! Don't ask me how she did it, I don't have a clue!

And the last one is an Advent calendar. All the flaps open to reveal "How many more days till Christmas"!

There will be more to show you tomorrow!

Holiday Gifts

2011-12-24T14:53:00.008-05:00

Every year our Stampin' Up! groups get together for a holiday party and we have a gift exchange. We have to bring a handmade gift and we need to use SU! product to make it. Over the next few posts, I want to show you the gifts that were at both Mary's party (she is my upline) and at my downline party. These girls are VERY creative!!!

The first one I made, and it was really very easy. It's a card or photo display board. You just slip the cards under the ribbons and they stay. I just took a canvas (the kind you'd paint on) that I got at the craft store and attached the fabric and ribbons to that with a staple gun. First I laid some batting onto the front, then laid that and the canvas on top of the fabric. By the way, the fabric is from the "Flirtatious" set. I stretched it so it was tight, then stapled all the way around. To add the ribbon, I just lined it up, pulled it tight, and stapled. And then I just sewed the Bitty Buttons on by hand with the White Baker's Twine. So easy! I plan to make some more of these, including one for myself!

The gift in the photo above is a beautiful serving tray. I'm guessing it was stamped with Stazon and colored with markers. You'd probably have to seal it with something so the images don't rub off.

This next gift took a long time to make, I am sure of it! I didn't make it, but I think she cut all different widths of designer paper, scored them and then stacked them to make a tree. Hopefully she used the Simply Scored tool to make the job a little easier!

And the last one for today is this beautiful handcrafted picture. Lots of punches were used, and I especially like how the lace ribbon punch was turned into a snowflake.

Stay tuned over the next few post to see the other great gifts!

Happy 100th Birthday Grandpa Jack!

2011-11-25T10:02:00.006-05:00

Today is my Grandpa's 100th Birthday! He was born on November 25, 1911. He's had quite a remarkable life, living during the Depression, raising 4 children with my grandmother, living in a small town in Minnesota. He still lives on his own in an apartment, his sister lives 2 doors down. He goes a few blocks to the cafe in town to eat everyday, and of course, everyone knows him.

Back in August we had a big birthday party for him with all of his family! His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there to help him celebrate. It was fantastic! And I think it was a good lesson for my kids just how important family is.

We all gathered at the cabin at Birch Lake, in Minnesota. As a kid, my family would come here every summer. That was our vacation. Back then the cabin seemed much larger! It was fun telling my kids about the swing that hung from the tree, and that this was where I learned to water ski, and how we'd go horseback riding. (Grandpa loved horses and had quite few of them out at the lake.) It was even fun for me to go into the boat house and just the smell of that brought back memories.

I am thankful for my easy childhood and thankful that I get to share my memories with my kids!

And very thankful for my 100 year old Grandpa Jack! Happy Birthday! By the way, he's having a big party tomorrow and the whole town is invited - all 200 of them!

Just a few cards

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I want to show you just a few cards that were done by the girls in my downline. We meet once a month to talk a little business, do a card swap, and stamp! It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy getting to see them every month. They are a talented group of ladies!

This first one is the perfect masculine card. The stamp set is "Need for Speed". The background was done using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder, and then sponged with the same color ink. Very striking!

Next is a beautiful autumn card using the Day of Gratitude stamp set. Very simple, and I love the colors!

This card used the Flower Fest stamp set. The images were stamped on tissue paper, and then that was adhered to the underlying card stock. Okay, I know that technique has a name, but I can't think of it right now. Does anyone know?!

And finally, a card using the "For Everything" set. I have resisted buying this one, but every time I see a sample, I start to rethink that! What I love about it is that even though it's a line image set, you really don't have to color it. (I don't like to color...).

So there you go, just a few cards for your enjoyment! See you next time...

My Latest Find!

2011-11-08T15:58:00.006-05:00

If you've been reading my blog, you know I am on a quest to get my house organized. Okay, that's progressing very slowly. My best excuse is that we've decided to do a small kitchen renovation (new lighting, granite counterop, new sink, faucet and cooktop, new tile floor and backsplash). This has taken way more time than I ever imagined! Not to mention the fact that I have to keep dismantling my kitchen for each bit of progress. And... the amount of dust being manufactured is unbelieveable! I feel like I am just trying to stay ahead of that.

Anyway, I digress. I am also always on a quest to find the quickest and easiest way to clean something. Recently my aunt was telling me about a company called Norwex and their antibacterial microfiber cloths and polishing cloths. She said they clean windows and glass in a flash, with just water and no streaking or left-behind lint. She was going to a home party, so I told her to order me these cloths. Well, she was right!

They are amazing! The microfiber cleans with just water, picks up the dirt like crazy. And the polishing cloth is even better. Dries so fast and without streaks or lint, unlike paper towels. I was sold. Then after reading a little bit more about these cloths, come to find out they are not just your ordinary microfiber cloths. The microfibers in the cloths are about 1/100th the size of a strand of hair, so the absorbency is amazing, way better than the cloths you can buy at the store. But, there's more! They are also antibacterial. Embedded in the cloth is a silver-based agent that inactivates bacteria. So the cloth will pick up 99.94% of the bacteria on a surface, and then the silver will gradually inactivate the bacteria that is in the cloth. All of this is just done with water as the cleaner.

This really interested me, since who doesn't want less chemicals in their house. And then I realized how great this would be to clean my new granite countertops in the kitchen. I won't have to spray any chemicals on the counter to clean them. I can just use the antibac cloth and then wipe dry with the polish cloth. Easy and bacteria-free! And everyone knows you don't want bacteria on your kitchen counter, where you have food and cooking supplies.

Below are before and after pictures of when I cleaned my sliding glass door. Pretty dirty, especially with the sun coming thru.

And below is the after picture. I swear, it took me no more than 5 mintues to clean all 4 panels of the glass door. I wiped down with the wet microfiber cloth, then polished, and the glass was clear! I didn't have to go back over any streaks, and I wasn't chasing away paper towel lint.

And I have to tell you, I love these cloths on my bathroom mirrors too.

Yes, I sound like a commercial, but I really wanted to share this with everyone. Norwex has lots of other environmental-friendly products and I wanted to try a lot of them out. So guess what, I signed up as a consultant so I can get a discount on the products. They are a bit pricey, so that was the easiest way for me to get what I wanted. I have loved everything I've tried so far, and I will occasionally post about some of the other products and let you know how they work.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the products or see the catalog, you can go to http://www.suehyer.norwex.biz/ to view the catalog. And because I am really not interested in starting another business, I would love to give everyone a 15% discount on everything you purchase. There is a flat $4.95 S&H fee, no matter what you order, so the discount would be just on the merchandise (not tax and S&H). Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you want to place an order. This is good stuff!

Craft Room Tour again...

2011-11-08T08:35:00.003-05:00

Let's continue the Craft Room tour! Today I'm going to show you how I've set up my Big Shot and how I store a lot of my embellishments and punches.

I love my IKEA shelves! They are the perfect size, and you can stand them up vertically or horizontally. They work great under the windows. On top of this shelf I keep my Big Shot and my Cricut. It's great having a "countertop" like this because I don't have to keep putting away my tools when I'm not using them. They are always ready to go! Underneath the Big Shot I keep all my dies, embossing folders, etc, etc. The longer dies I just store on their sides and slide them into the shelf. The smaller ones I keep in a plastic shoe box. I like that I can just pull the box out and see what dies I have, since the boxes don't have lids on them. If you look closely at the two bottom right shelves, I have also added hanging baskets. These are perfect to hold the Sizzlits and small alphabet die sets. I found the baskets at Lowes.

On the bottom left shelf I have a slide-out box that I also got at Ikea. They are made specifically for the "Expedit" shelving units. I keep some of my Cricut supplies in this box. On the other shelves I have card samples and other random things that still need more organizing. The good thing is that there is plenty of space and I can move stuff around if I need to.

Next to the Ikea shelf I have a 4-drawer bin that I keep miscellaneous things in, like my scrub pads, plus some leftover supplies from old projects. Next to that is a 4-foot table and this holds a ton of stuff! Starting from the right is my ribbon shelf. I think I got it at Target and was able to find some extra shelves to add to it. I bought baskets at either Michaels or Joanns, and they fit perfectly. I keep all of my ribbon in the baskets and it's really easy to use. I just pull out the basket and find the ribbon I need. This basket system holds more ribbon than anyone should ever need, and I like that I can take the ribbon to the table, sit down, and cut what I need.

Next to the ribbon shelf are drawer bins that I keep my punches and other embellishments in. The bottom drawers hold the punches, since they are heavy, and in the top drawers are brads, buttons, eyelets, etc. In the white bottom drawers on the left side is where I keep my jumbo wheels and cartridges. As you can see, these drawers also hold a lot of stuff! On top of the drawers I have a Color Caddy and that's where I keep my ink pad doubles.

Way back in the corner is another Ikea shelf. It's narrow and tall and works well in this space. I store markers, ink refills, and just a lot of other extra things that need a home. On the very bottom shelves I keep things that I don't use very often, since it's hard to reach down there. I added one of the baskets from Lowes here as well, and that enables me to use the space more wisely.

So don't try to look under the table! I'll show you that next time. That's where I store my 8 1/2 x 11 card stock and I love my system!

See you next time!