Concord Crush Christmas Card

This is one of the cards my club members made at our November meeting.  It was really easy to mass produce, so this was the main Christmas cards I sent out this year.

SNOW!!!!

It took being snowed in, for me to finally get back to blogging.  It started snowing last night and it has snowed all day today.  The last time I checked, the snow was 11 inches deep!!!  This is very unusual for southern Virginia, but I love it……mainly because it gave me a good excuse to spend time in my rubber room.  This is a card that I had left over from last year, but I thought it would be perfect for today.  The snowflake is made using the Big Shot.  I added Dazzling Diamonds to make it sparkle.  Check back to see the other cards I sent out this year.

Simply Christmas – Part 2

These are the cards you can make at my second “Simply Christmas” Stamp-a-Stack. Make 12 cards (4 of each design) for only $15. You can also substitute cards from my first Stamp-A-Stack (see this post). Just let me know which cards you want to make, when you RSVP.

Dates and times are:


Saturday October 30th 10am-noon


Saturday October 30th 7pm – 9pm

Sunday October 31st 1-3pm

Pre-pay by Thursday October 28, and I will make this box for your cards. FREE!

September’s Club Projects

I am getting my projects prepared for October Stamp Club meetings, and thought it was about time I shared last month’s projects with you. First we made this cute Halloween Card and treat. The card front was made using the Spider Web embossing folder and the Big Shot. Everyone had their choice of spraying Smooch Spritz on the web, or Shimmer Paint (which I added to rubbing alcohol to make a spray.) The Spider was made using the Scallop Circle Punch and the Photo Corners punches.

Then, to show another use for the Photo Corners punch, we made this quick and easy Christmas Card. Just punch holiday designer series paper two times. Use some scraps to cut the tree trunk, and then use the photo corners to make the tree limbs. Put the two larger photo corners at the bottom and the smaller two at the top, using Dimensionals. I punched an embossed star (non Stampin’ Up!) for the top of the tree. Layer everything onto the card front and your are finished!

If you would like detailed printed directions for these projects, please let me know! My next club meetings are Friday evening, October 15th, Sunday afternoon October 17th, Tuesday October 19th (morning and evening sessions) and Thursday morning, October 21st . If you have never been to one of my stamp club meetings, the first visit is FREE!!!! This is a great way to check it out before deciding whether to join. Repeat visitors pay only $7 or place a $15 minimum order. Contact me for more information and to let me know if you would like to come to one the October meetings.

Simply Christmas

Let this be the year that you make and send beautiful, handmade Christmas cards. Join me on Saturday September 25th to make 12 cards for only $15. You will make 4 of each of these 3 cards. I guarantee that these cards are quick and easy to make, so if you haven’t tried stamping with me yet, now is the time to jump in and get started! Each session is held at my house, in my stamping studio. Space is limited to 6 people per session, so sign up soon (online sign up on the left sidebar)! 

Saturday September 25th 9am-11am

Saturday September 25th 7pm – 9pm

A New Blog Name for the “New (School) Year”

Where did summer go?! It will soon be time for my kids to go back to school. As a former teacher, September always seems a new year for me, and that hasn’t changed much, even though I have been out of the classroom for 16 years. I like to set goals for myself and try to make some positive changes and revisit January’s resolutions. One change I made already is re-naming my blog. The kids and I had a brainstorming session the other day and they came up with some clever names. Sadly, my first few favorites were already taken, but I ended up with one from my top 10 list. Now I need to work on posting on a regular basis! I hope you will encourage me with your comments and check back often to see what I have been up to.

Here are the projects we made in Stamp Club this month.

These are little boxes made to look like ice cream sandwiches. I had these at my “Get the Scoop” open house event last month, and everyone wanted to know how I made them. They are easy to make (if you don’t mind your fingers getting a little glue on them!) and they look like the real thing! These are great for holding a little gift or as favors for a kid’s party.

We also made these two quick and easy cards.

If you would like to make projects like these, consider joining my stamp club. The first visit is free. If you decide to join, the cost is a $15 minimum order each month. Not bad for an afternoon or evening of fun, and you get to earn FREE Stampin’ Up merchandise. Contact me for more details.

New Colors!

Here are the projects everyone made at my “Get the Scoop” event last weekend.

This card uses all five of the new “In Colors.”



These cards were made using Cherry Cobbler cardstock and ink. I wanted to show how to make a Christmas card using a non-Christmas stamp set – “Elements of Style.” (I did have to borrow a stamp from another set for the greeting.)



These cards were made using Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, and Daffodil Delight. Everyone thought these colors would be great for making cards this fall.



This is a corner bookmark using Marina Mist and Crumb Cake. Here it is in use……marking the spot in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog where you can purchase the “Lovely Letters” stamp set.





Thanks to everyone who stopped by over the weekend. I hope you enjoyed making your projects with the new colors.

Happy New Year!

July 1st marks the beginning of a new Stampin’ Up! year. I hope you will stop by on July 17th or 18th to “Get the Scoop” on what’s new in the 2010-1011 Idea Book and Catalog. There will be free make and takes, door prize drawings every hour, an opportunity to purchase retired Stampin’ Up products at a discount, and much, much more. I am really excited about the new color collections and I’m sure you will be, too, once you get a chance to play with them!

This is an invitation I made to send to some of my friends who haven’t had a chance to get in on all the fun of my clubs, classes, and workshops. This is one of the projects we will be making in my June club meetings. If you would like more info on my clubs, come “Get the Scoop” on the 17th or 18th.

Presto Papers

These cards were made using the Presto Patterns Specialty designer series paper, available in the current mini catalog. The paper comes white - with watermark images on it. When you add ink to the paper, the watermark area stays white and the rest of the paper takes the color of the ink you choose. I used a brayer to put ink on the paper, but you could also use a sponge, sponge dauber, or the new “Smooch Spritz” sprays. For the pink card, I used a sponge dauber to rub ink onto Whisper White organza ribbon. This is a great way to get ribbon to match any card!

Happy Father’s Day – a day late!

We made these two cards at our May stamp club meeting. HERE is the tutorial I followed for making the suit card. Unfortunately, I am unable to find the blog where I first saw the idea for the grill. It is made using several punches. The grill is embossed with clear embossing powder. The smoke coming out of the grill is an image from the Priceless stamp set.

A Little Black Magic

At our June stamp club meeting, I demonstrated the Black Magic technique. HERE is a good video that explains how this is done. Basically, you stamp your image on black cardstock using white craft ink. Use the embossing tool to dry the ink, or set it aside to dry naturally. Once the ink is dry, you can color the image using water color pencils. Then add highlights with a white gel pen. I challenged my stamp club members to design a card using their stamped/colored image. Can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Last Chance Lists

This morning Stampin’ Up announced the items that will be retiring from current catalogs.
Click HERE to view the list of retiring stamp sets.

Click HERE to view the list of retiring Décor Items

The retiring stamp sets and the retiring Décor Items will be available through June 30th.

Visit my Stampin’ Up website HERE for the updated list of retiring accessories (ink, cardstock, ribbon, etc…) These items are limited in quantity and are only available while supplies last. Many items are expected to sell out quickly. You can place an online order 24/7, or I will be placing an order on June 5th, if you would like to save a little on shipping and handling costs. Just email or call me with your order by 11pm Friday June 4th. (Some of the items may sell out before then, so if there is something you really want, then I would suggest ordering it online.)
Many of these accessory items are 25-50% off, so stock up on your stamping and scrapbooking supplies for those summer projects!

Let me know if you have any questions! The new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog will be out on July 1st! Ask me how to get yours for FREE!!!!

5th Avenue Floral One Sheet Wonder Workshop

You are invited to attend a “One Sheet Wonder” workshop on Friday June 4th, from 6:30pm-9:30 pm at Southside Baptist Church, Chesapeake. I will show you how to use the beautiful 5th Ave. Floral Stamp Set to create your own patterned paper. Then you will use that paper to make 10 all occasion cards and a cute tote to keep them in.

Option #1: $15 to make 10 cards and a tote (card box)
Option #2: $40 for the class and Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set to keep
Option #3: $65 for the stamp set, 3 ink pads, 24 sheets of colored cardstock, 20 sheets of white cardstock, 40 envelopes, and SNAIL adhesive (and the class is FREE)

Space is limited, register by May 16th!

See left sidebar to register NOW!

Color Renovation

Last week Stampin’ Up announced to its demonstrators that they will be going through a Color Renovation. Here is a list of the current colors that will be retiring.

Some former In Colors are coming back as part of the new core collections, and 5 brand new colors are being introduced.

All this will happen in July, with the new Idea Book & Catalog. There will also be 5 new In Colors, which will be available for two full years, instead of the current one year.

I must admit, that at first, I was shocked at the announcement, and somewhat disappointed that they decided to make this change………..especially since I was gradually purchasing all the colors of cardstock, and have almost completed my collection!

But after listening to the information presented to us on the demonstrator website, and reading other blogs for opinions………..I am excited about the change. Most of my favorite colors are sticking around, many of the retiring colors I NEVER used, a few of my favorite In Colors from the past are becoming part of the new collection, and most of all, if I understand correctly, the new catalog will have more accessories that coordinate will the cardstock colors! Yeah! I think I avoided using certain colors because there wasn’t ribbon to match the ink and cardstock.

I think the best analogy I have heard about the color change is to think about when you are shopping. Isn’t it fun to see all the new colors used in clothing, purses, make-up, and even cars? Wouldn’t it be dull and boring if we wore the same colors of clothing year after year after year?!

And - have you ever had a product that you really loved, suddenly disappear from the shelves because it was discontinued? Wouldn’t you have bought extras, if only you knew ahead of time it would no longer be available? With this announcement by Stampin’ Up, we have time to stock up on our favorite colors before they are gone.

This Color Renovation may be overwhelming at first, but just like a renovation to your home, the end result is something beautiful and you are happy with the results and glad you did it!

I am looking forward to the next few months – trying to use up that stash of cardstock I have been purchasing! Contact me if you would like to get together with your friends and help me! Keep checking my blog and Stampin’ Up website for future class offerings!

February Stamp Club Projects

I am a little out of order with posting my club projects. I am trying to be better at blogging on a regular basis………but like the rest of my life, things continue to be crazy and totally unorganized!
The first card we made in our February club meeting was this card.

My upline, Susan Elise, demonstrated how to make this card at one of our meetings. It is super easy to make this beautiful card using a brayer, the Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder, and the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine.

Then each of my club members made a little box like this for holding 3x3 cards.



We used retired Designer Series Specialty paper. The specialty paper is cardstock weight, and perfect for making cute boxes. The little flower on the front of the box was made with several circle punches. I plan on giving my club members a 3x3 card with their club order each month. They can keep them in the box, until they have an occasion to use the card.

Finally we made this 3x3 card and 6x6 page showing how to make the little lamb.

My stamp clubs are a great way to learn new techniques, and have a fun afternoon/evening out. Contact me for more information about joining!

The Power of a Handmade Card!

I have been my daughter’s Girl Scout leader for the past 10 years. Recently I was asked if I would be interested in starting a new Brownie Girl Scout troop. There are always girls who show interest in joining Girl Scouts during the cookie sales, but all the Brownie troops in our area are full. I decided to take on a new troop, with the hope of getting the girls in my Senior Girl Scout Troop to lead and mentor the younger girls. For several weeks now I have been given names of girls and parents who have expressed interest in joining a Brownie Troop, and called or emailed the families to invite them to a meeting. At the first meeting, only two families showed up. During the course of two more weeks I made many more phone calls to invite girls/parents to a meeting to find out more about Girl Scouts. There were 3 or 4 parents who said they were interested and would bring their daughters to the next meeting. At the second meeting, only one girl showed up, and she was one of the two girls that came to the first meeting. She had a great time with the older girls………but I was disappointed that the others had “forgotten” (even though I called to remind them of the meeting) or that they had just changed their mind. Two more weeks go by…….more phone calls are made to invite girls/parents to a meeting……..but this time I sent each girl this card:





Well, Thursday night was our third Brownie meeting, and 5 out of the 6 girls that received this card, attended the meeting and signed up to join the troop! Even though there was nothing fancy about this card, I know it was the card and handwritten note inside that made the difference. The parents all mentioned how excited the girls were to receive something in the mail.
So you see, a handmade card really does make someone feel special. I am going to TRY and actually send the cards I make, instead of hoarding them! Thanks for looking. Now go make a card for someone and SEND IT!!!

March Stamp Club 3D Project

This is the 3D item we made at stamp club this month. I saw this idea
back in February. I kept seeing the same idea on other blogs. You can make this using any size of paper. Then I saw where someone added a handle, making it into a cute Easter basket. I thought it would make a cute favor for the Easter dinner table. Thanks for looking!

March Stamp Club Projects

These are the cards we made in stamp club this month. The paper for the basket is made by sliding three shades of brown ink across More Mustard cardstock. It really looks like wood, in real life. I totally copied the idea from this blog.

There are a few minor differences between my two cards, including the grass, the size of the basket weave, the width of the pink lace, and the direction the bunny is facing. We used the brayer to make a reverse image of the Chocolate Bunny stamp. I learned the technique from a blog which, unfortunately, I forgot to bookmark. This is a really fun card to make! Thanks for looking!

January Stamp Club Project

Since my stamp club is meeting tomorrow, I thought it was about time I showed the projects we made at last month's meeting!

First we made this calender using coasters.

Then I showed the ladies how to make a cute puppy, using several of the hand-held punches. They make this 6x6 page to keep as a handy reminder of how to make the puppy.

Finally we made this cute valentine card.

Thanks for looking!

More SOUP-er Stampin' Projects

Here are more projects you can make for FREE if you stop by Sunday.

4pm

Make both of these cards using the new scallop border punch. You can get the punch FREE with a $50 order.

5pm

The last project you can make for free on Sunday is this Christmas card. Just think, if you started now and make just four cards a month, you will have 40 homemade cards ready to mail by early December! Make 2 additional cards this for only $1, while supplies last.

Hope you will be able to join me for a Super Day of Stamping!

(Scroll down more more information about this event.)

“SOUP”er Stampin’ Projects

If you are able to stop by on Sunday February 7th, here are some of the projects you can make for FREE!

Noon-1pm

Make this cute Get Well Card......complete with packet of Soup.

1-3pm

Make your choice of one of these projects using the BIG SHOT die cutting machine. You can also make these cards at my Stamp-a-Stack on Saturday March 6th. Look on the sidebar for more information.

Keep checking back for more projects you can make on the 7th. Don't forget to come hungry and enjoy a bowl of soup! (Scroll down to Jan 29th's post for details about SOUPer Stampin' Sunday.)

SOUPer Sunday Stamping!

Join me on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th, for some SUPER Stamping fun!

• Come when you can between the hours of noon and 6pm.
• Bring a friend!
• Make a different project each hour for FREE!
• Take a break for a yummy bowl of home made soup (Get it......"Soup"er Bowl Sunday!)
• See what's new with Stampin' Up, including clear mounted stamps, new punch design, simply adorned jewelry, new decor elements (vinyl clings for decorating your wall), and more!

PLUS, it's SALE-A-BRATION, an annual Stampin' Up Promotion, where for each $50 purchase you make, you earn a FREE stamp set or other exclusive merchandise. Look at what you can get free HERE.

From now until February 28, 2010, if you purchase the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, Stampin' Up will donate $2 to the American Red Cross' Haiti Relief and Development Fund. More Info HERE.

In addition, I am donating 10% of all sales (from now through Feb. 28) to the same charity.

If you can't attend on Sunday, and would like to make a purchase, please call or email me by Monday, February 8th. Or, you can order online 24/7 at http://kathywinter.stampinup.net

Hope to see you on the 7th. Please let me know when you will be stopping by (and how many friends you are bringing) so that I can have enough projects prepared. Check back later this weekend to see some of the projects you can make for FREE!

Valentine Treats

Wondering what to do with the kids on the upcoming teacher workdays? Bring them over to my new Stampin' Studio and help them make Valentine Treats for their friends and classmates. You supply the candy.......I'll supply everything else. Make any of the following for only 10 for $1.

These cute containers hold about 6 Hershey kisses.

These "matchbook" cards hold a small package of M&Ms, or similarly packaged candy.

These "sour cream" containers contain about 5 mini Tootsie Rolls.

Wrap the box of traditional conversation hearts in cute packaging for a unique treat.

Turn simple lollipops into something special.

Feel free to stop by anytime between 9am-1pm on Friday January 28th or Monday February 1st.

Please RSVP so I can have everything ready. I guarantee these are quick and easy to make!