There are some retired colors of card stock now on the clearance rack, and yes, some of them were "sold out" before.  Here's SU!'s explanation on that…

"The answer is simple: this card stock, which is available now in very limited quantities, was earmarked to support sales in the European market. Now that this card stock is no longer needed in those markets, we can make it available to you at a significantly discounted price through the Clearance Rack!"

So hop on over to the Clearance Rack and see what you can get before it really is all gone!

Good things happen in threes, right?  Well, today it happened in fours!

1. My son turned three today!  Below is the birthday invite I made him.  (His party isn't until the 12th.  Try explaining that to a 3 year old!)  I didn't have the new spider web embossing folder from SU! yet when I made these so I borrowed this one from my friend/team member Joan.  The Spiderman face is incredibly easy… just an oval punch and a black circle and white circle cut in half!  The 3 came from the Big Shot.  Honestly, my 5 year old did most of the work on these!

2. That same son went to preschool for the first time by himself and rode the bus to and from school by himself!  And for those who know me, you'll know how much this bothers me… I get out to the bus and start to take a picture and my battery dies!  ARGH!  I'm going to take pictures next week and pretend it's the first day, I guess.  Who am I kidding?  I'll always know!

3.  The Holiday mini catalog went live today!  And let me tell you, it's AMAZING!  I know maybe I say this about most of the mini catalogs but honestly, this is the best one I've seen in a couple years.  I absolutely love it!  Did you get your copy of the Holiday mini?  I'd be happy to get you one if you didn't!  Just give me a shout!  Click on the link on the right to download the Holiday mini.

4.  A new demonstrator special started today.  If you decide to join Stampin' Up! you get a free, exclusive, Stampin' Up! Greenhouse Gala tote bag worth $39.95 for FREE!  The starter kit is already an amazing deal at just $175 for more than $310 worth of product and business supplies so this tote bag just makes it that much sweeter of a deal! 

Did you know?
* The starter kit is completely customizable?  You can change out stamp sets, ink pads, etc to ones that you prefer.
* You get 20% off all your orders?
* You only need to submit $300/quarter in sales to remain an active demonstrator and receive all the perks including the awesome Stampin' Up! Stampin' Connection website?

If you're thinking about joining I highly recommend you take a look at this page and then contact me for more information.  No obligation to chat with me!  I love to chat….especially with adults!!!!

Here's a picture of the tote you'll receive for free!

Here are the cards we did at the workshops I had this month.  I had an excellent time at my workshops this month and met a lot of new, fun people and got to show stamping to a lot of 'newbies'!  Lucky me!!!  I truly did have a ton of fun, even though I forgot one of the stamp sets at one of the parties!  (Geez Louise!  2nd time in 7 years.  You don't forget when you forget something! LOL  Man I hate that.  But we made it work with alternate stamp sets – the beauty of stamping!) 

So does the above card look at all familiar?  It should if you read my blog.  Here is another version of the card that we did at my Team Meeting this month.  Now because the version for my team had many, many techniques and lots of pieces I simply turned the card on its side and created a simpler version appropriate for a workshop!  So my point?  Don't feel like you have to reinvent the wheel everytime you stamp because you don't!  Just put a new spin on something you've already created and you'll cut your creating time in half.

This one uses two techniques – stamping off and two step stamping along with the Big Shot.  It also uses:
Card Stock:
Pear Pizazz, Whisper White, Concord Crush
•Stamp Set: Flight of the Butterfly
Inks: Perfect Plum, Concord Crush, Pear Pizazz
Punch: Butterfly
Embellishments, Concord Crush Stitched Poly Ribbon
•Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, mini glue dots, Big Shot, stamp a ma jig

And here is the other card:

This past week I had my 2nd Christmas Card camp of the year.  (Can you believe it?  It's not even September yet and some of my customers are done their Christmas cards! Woop, woop!)  So here are the cards they created the other night.  4 designs, 3 of each.

Supplies Used:

STAMP SETS:
An AMAZING set from the upcoming Holiday mini called Bells & Boughs
Delightful Decorations
Baroque Motifs
Snow Swirled

DESIGNER SERIES PAPERS: (both from upcoming mini!!)
Candy Cane Christmas
Deck the Halls

COLORS USED: (card stocks, inks, marker, etc)
Cherry Cobbler
Crumb Cake
Bashful Blue
Marina Mist
Elegant Eggplant
Real Red
Wild Wasabi

OTHER SUPPLIES:
2 3/8" scallop circle punch
ornament punch
Illuminate Top Coat
Champagne Glass Glitter (from upcoming mini!)
Half back rhinestones
blender pens
Aqua painters
ticket corner punch
Scallop trim border punch
Big Shot and Petals a Plenty embossing folder

Here is another card we made at my Demo Only stamp camp this week.  I found one extremely similar to it on Jackie Topa's blog and knew I had to copy it!  I have a tough time with simple layouts and know others on my team do as well.  I thought this was a great example of how less is actually more!

Not sure how to do Poppin' Pastels?  I'd love to show you!  It's really easy, fun, beautiful and fool proof so literally everyone can do it!  Give me a shout to let me know you want to learn this great technique!

Supplies Used:

•Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings
Inks: Versamark®, Elegant Eggplant
Embellishments: Brights button, linen thread
Punch: Fancy Flower Extra Large
Accessories: Stampin’ Pastels, cotton balls, mini glue dots, dimensionals, Cutter Kit, Stampin’ Sponge

Here is a card we made at my Demo only stamp camp the other night.  It features lots of new product like:
- Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder
- Concord Crush ink, card stock and stitched poly ribbon
- Pear Pizazz ink and card stock
- the new, fabulous, beautiful half back pearls!

To do the flowers we used various combinations of stamping off and rock and rolling to get the multiple colors and shading.  Don't know these techniques?  Let me show you!  Contact me today.

Other Supplies Used include:

Stamp Set: For All You Do 
•Punches: word window, modern label extra large, retired 3 flower punch (could substitute small flower from Boho Blossoms or from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack)

Here is the sticky note holder we made at the Mom & Me class as well as at my Demo Only stamp camp.  The kids loved making them (and the moms too!) and so I thought it a good idea to show my team members so they too can offer the project as an option for a children's class.

Remember, I'm holding another Mom & Me class where you and your child can create these same projects on September 15th at 6:30 pm.  Let me know if you want to attend!  Class Fee: $12

These would make really great back to school gifts, don't ya think?

Supplies Used:

•Stamp Set: Cheap Talk
•Markers: Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip and 1 to match your base cs.
•Embellishments: any ribbon
Punches: 2 3/8” scallop, 1 ¾” circle, 1 3/8” circle
Accessories: Perfect Polka dots embossing folder, Big Shot, crimper, Illuminate Top Coat, dimensionals, sticky strip

So last week I held a Mom & Me stamp camp.  Each child, with the help of his/her mom, made three items.  1) an altered clipboard, 2) a matching pen, and 3) a post it note holder.  Here are the clipboards that were made.  Didn't they do a great job??

My sample shows a 5 x 7 picture of my daughter's and their girl cousins.  Other ideas would be to attach note pads, multiple pictures, sticky notes, or personalize it for a teacher.

Bummed that you and your son/daughter/niece/nephew missed this class?  I am offering this class again on Wednesday, September 15th if there is enough interest.  Email me to let me know!  Class fee is $12 for all three of the aforementioned projects.

Our friend had a baby last week and I felt compelled to create "something" for her!  So I took this Pirouette can from my back room and began decorating.  I know her nursery is yellow walls with white and green trim and has an animal motif.  So I went from there.

I used the retired Kiwi Kiss cardstock and ink and some older designer series paper that had both Kiwi Kiss and So Saffron in it.  The ribbon is also So Saffron ribbon from Sale-A-Bration a couple years ago.  I used My Digital Studio to create the oval scallop with all of Zoe's birth information.

I used the new half back pearls for the eye on the giraffe and turtle.  There are pearls in the center of the butterfly and underneath all of her birth information.  Love those pearls.  Quick, simple, and beautiful touches to complete the project.

Now I'll put the adorable and tiny girlie outfits I bought for her (I miss shopping for those teeny, tiny girl clothes!) inside the tin and get to meet her tomorrow!  Can't wait!

No, I guess it's not back to school time yet but I just had to make something with that cute little boy and girl stamp from Greeting Card Kids! But hey, maybe I'm ahead of the game for the kids upcoming school year?!  (yeah right!)

Anyway…the card was inspired by another creation of Nancy Riley's (I think, if I remember correctly, anyway…).  Those who attended my Stampin' Bingo made this card the other night as well!

I used Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade, and Newsprint DSP along with the Greeting Card Kids and First Day stamp set.  I used markers, blender pens, and aquapainters to color in the kids.