Stamp Club--Ladies Night Out!

Do you constantly dedicate yourself to someone else at home and at work?  Do you find yourself frazzled, exhausted, and wishing you had more time to create?  Are you in need of some "me time?"  There is a solution!

On the first and second Friday evenings of every month there is a wonderful group of ladies who meet at my house in anticipation of learning new and creative projects.  We play with stamps, colorful paper and ink, cool tools, glitter, pearls and rhinestones.  We learn new techniques and form new friendships.  There's chatter about personal lives, creations we have made or seen, and swaps to share.  Of course, there is always something delicious to eat as well!

Doesn't that sound like a great Ladies Night Out?  Those nights are also know as Stamp Club nights here.  We draw names to see who will be the hostess each month and that person receives all the FREE benefits Stampin' Up! has to offer a hostess.

If this sounds like a great evening away from work, kids, husband, errands, housework, and all the other demands on your time and emotions, please contact me to learn more about how you can join Stamp Club.  You will be so happy you did!  It's a mini-getaway every month with time just for you; and it's an incredible stress-reliever!  Then you can go back to your family and friends refreshed and ready to tackle whatever life throws at you.

There are currently spaces available in the group that meets on the first Friday of the month at my home in O'Fallon, Missouri.  There will also be a new Club starting in Union, Missouri, beginning in January on the third Tuesday evening of the month.  There are still a few spots available in that group.  So if you are near either of these areas and are ready for some "me time", contact me today to learn more about joining Stamp Club.  You will be so glad you did!

Birthday Balloons

Nothing says "birthday" quite like balloons.  This is a fun card made with the Birthday Basics DSP and punches.  The balloons were made with the Small Oval Punch and the Owl Builder Punch.  It's a quick and festive birthday card that has a great WOW factor!

Stamps:  Remembering Your Birthday (131347-w, 131350-c)
Paper:  Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla, Birthday Basics DSP (130145)
Ink:  Bermuda Bay
Tools:  Small Oval Punch (120908), Owl Builder Punch (118074), Modern Label Punch (119849), Large Oval Punch (119855), Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder (132174 Holiday Catalog), Big Shot (113439)
Other:  Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262), White Gel Pen (105021), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Glue Dots (103683)

LAST CHANCE--DEALS END MONDAY!

If you haven't done so yet, now is the time to place your order for the Deal of the Week items or your favorite stamp sets in the 25% Off 25 Stamp Sets sale.  Both deals end Monday, October 28.  Click HERE for the compete list of stamp sets that are 25% off.

Here are this week's sale items:

DRESS UP FRAMELITS DIES Price: $24.95 $18.71	HOLIDAYS SWEET PRESSED COOKIE STAMPS Price: $10.95 $8.21	REMEMBER THIS AND THAT ROTARY STAMP Price: $5.95 $4.46	SPECIAL EVENTS SWEET PRESSED COOKIE STAMPS Price: $10.95 $8.21
SWEET PRESSED COOKIE HANDLE Price: $5.95 $4.46	WICKED FUN KIT - DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Price: $9.95 $4.98

Click HERE to order Weekly Deal items.  (Discount will be added at checkout)

Last chance to order individual markers!  In the 2013-2014 annual catalog, Stampin' Up! offers the Stampin' Write Marker New Color Kit (item 130034, page 163) to help you update your Stampin' Write Markers Collection.  For a limited time, from June 26 until October 31, you can buy any of the new colors as a pack or individually!  Go ahead, fill in the missing pieces in your collection or buy the whole Stampin' Write Marker New Color Kit!

ITEM	PRICE	DESCRIPTION
130034	$28.95	Stampin' Write Marker New Color Kit Bermuda Bay, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Soft Sky, Wisteria Wonder
131899	$3.50	Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write Marker
131265	$3.50	Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Marker
131902	$3.50	Calypso Coral Stampin' Write Marker
131901	$3.50	Crushed Curry Stampin' Write Marker
131905	$3.50	Island Indigo Stampin' Write Marker
131266	$3.50	Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker
131904	$3.50	Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker
131898	$3.50	Smoky Slate Stampin' Write Marker
131900	$3.50	Soft Sky Stampin' Write Marker
131903	$3.50	Wisteria Wonder Stampin' Write Marker

While you are bargain shopping, be sure to check out the Clearance Rack.  There are always new deals available there.  Click HERE to shop in the Clearance Rack.  Enjoy the bargains while they last!

CLEARANCE RACK

I love a great bargain, don't you?  Place your order today for items from the Thank You Thursday Specials, Weekly Deal, AND the 25 Stamps at 25% off list!  Just click HERE or on the shopping cart in the sidebar to place your order now! 

THANK YOU THURSDAY SPECIALS FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 - ONLY!

Hearts a Flutter Framelit (130159) $24.95  NOW $18.71

Honeycomb Textured Embossing Folder (129378) $7.95  NOW $5.96

Envelope Liner Framelit Dies (132172) $26.95  NOW $20.21

Alphabet Press Textured Embossing Folder (130916) $7.95  NOW $5.96

Window Frames Framelits Die (129021) $26.95 NOW $20.21

Chalk Talk Framelits (129983) $24.95 NOW $18.71

25 Stamp Sets at 25% Off!

Stampin' Up! is stepping way outside the box this week and offering 25 Stamp Sets at 25% Off in celebration of their 25th anniversary!  Click the link on the right sidebar to see the complete list or go directly to my website HERE.  Click SHOP, then in the drop down menu on the left click 25% Off 25 Stamp Sets.  It's a great time to order those stamp sets that have been hanging around on your wish list.

Don't forget Thank You Thursday this week!  Check the Stampin' Up! Blog HERE for the Thank You Thursday Deal of The Day on Thursday, October 24.  That deal is only available on Thursday, so don't miss out--mark your calendar, set the reminder alarm on your phone, place a sticky note on the fridge--whatever it takes to remind you to check the blog for the Thank You Thursday Deal.

So get your list together, check the deal on Thursday, then place your order to get the most bang for your buck! 

Weekly Deals

Here are this weeks deals.  The discount will appear at checkout in your shopping cart.

DRESS UP FRAMELITS DIES Price: $24.95 $18.71	HOLIDAYS SWEET PRESSED COOKIE STAMPS Price: $10.95 $8.21	REMEMBER THIS AND THAT ROTARY STAMP Price: $5.95 $4.46	SPECIAL EVENTS SWEET PRESSED COOKIE STAMPS Price: $10.95 $8.21
SWEET PRESSED COOKIE HANDLE Price: $5.95 $4.46	WICKED FUN KIT - DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Price: $9.95 $4.98

Halloween Owl

This is one of the cards we made at Stamp Club this month.  October is a perfect time for owls, and bats, and spooks, OH MY!

I CASED my card idea from Michelle Zindorf.  You can view her original card HERE.  Of course I changed it up a bit adding some layers, and rather than stamp the image of a tree branch and leaves, I ran a Basic Black piece of card stock through the Woodgrain Embossing Folder, then trimmed it with my scissors to create a branch.  This way my branch had some texture and dimension.  The leaves were punched out from the Bird Builder Punch and highlighted a bit with a blender pen and some Old Olive ink.  I really like the addition of the bat flying in the night sky.  The bat was really fun and easy to make.

To make the bat I used the Bitty Butterfly Punch.  I punched the butterfly out of Basic Black card stock and lightly adhered it to the edge of a scrap of Whisper White card stock.  You want to use a lighter color of card stock so you can clearly see where to punch the second time.

Then I re-inserted the butterfly into the punch so just the very bottom edge of the top wings were still showing and punched again.

The result is this cute little bat!

I didn't feel the bat had quite enough pop, so I then covered the bat with Crystal Effects and lightly sprinkled Black Stampin' Glitter into the wet Crystal Effects.  Be sure to give the Crystal Effects plenty of  time to dry.  This is the result.  I added him to the edge of the card with a double layer of glue dots to make him pop up just a bit.  The Crystal Effects gave him a nice dimension that had the appearance of a puffy sticker!

To finish off the entire card I spritzed it with Illuminate ink mixed with rubbing alcohol in a Stampin' Spritzer just before adhering the bat.  This gave the card a subtle overall shimmer.

To order supplies to make this fun Halloween card, click HERE!

Stamps:  None
Paper:  Basic Black, Summer Starfruit, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Old Olive
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, Old Olive, Illuminate Glimmer Ink Refill (128333)
Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Chevron Embossing Folder (127749), Owl Builder Punch (118074), Bird Builder Punch (117191), Bitty Butterfly Punch (129406), Paper Snips (103579)
Other:  Stampin' Sponges (101610), Dimensionals (104430), Glue Dots (103683), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Crystal Effects (101055), Black Stampin' Glitter (132206), Stampin' Spritzer (126185), rubbing alcohol

Punch Art Pumpkins

This is a swap card I made this month that I CASED from Michelle Zindorf.  You can see her original card here.  I really like the whimsical pumpkins created from punches.  The background is a direct pad to paper technique.  It really gives the Baked Brown Sugar a unique look with the Basic Black ink on it.  The pumpkins were created using the Extra Large and Large Oval Punches.  The stems were also made by punching the Large Oval shape, then punching out a small section from the negative space that remained after punching out the oval.  As a finishing touch I spritzed the card with Illuminate reinker mixed with alcohol in a Stampin' Spritzer.

Stamps:  Flowering Flourishes (131998-w, 126367-c), Everything Eleanor (131987-w, 124164-c), Gorgeous Grunge (130514-w, 130517-c), Harvest of Thanks (131736-w, 131739-c Holiday Catalog)
Card Stock:  Basic Black, Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit, Old Olive
Ink:  Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Illuminate Reinker (128333)
Punches:  Extra Large Oval (119859), Large Oval (119855), Bird Builder (117191)
Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Paper Snips (103579), Craft Scissors (108360), Stampin' Spritzer (126185)
Other:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140 Holiday Catalog), Dimensionals (104430), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Stampin' Sponges (101610), rubbing alcohol

Thankful Banner

Have you tried the new Banner Kits yet?  I am so impressed with all the usable products that come in the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit (133507) in the Holiday Catalog.  You can use them for banners, scrapbook pages, cards, home decor, or whatever your mind can create!

I chose to make a Thankful banner with mine (and still have lots left over to make another banner).  Here are the images of the banner I made.  Please note that I did not use the pattern guides provided with the kit, but created my own stencils using the Autumn Accents Bigz Die.  That die makes such lovely projects!

I am showing you the complete banner image, as well as close ups of it in sections, so you can see the detail and variation I used with the brads, buttons, etc.

To create the banner I first spritzed the white canvas pieces with Summer Starfruit ink mixed with alcohol in a Stampin' Spritzer.  Then, after cutting out the leaf shape with the Autumn Accents Bigz Die, I used the negative space from the leaf and held the paper on the canvas, while dabbing ink into that space to create the leaves on the canvas.  I used a sponge dauber and inked in the letter stencils included with the kit and cut them out with the new Deco Labels Collection Framelits.  Sponging a little ink around the edges of these pieces gave them a bit more dimension.  Everything was adhered together with Multipurpose Liquid Glue so it would hold tight.  That awesome glue is not going to come undone!  ;)

I then accented the pieces with textured acorns made from the Die and some Naturals Designer Buttons.  Antique Brads and pieces of the Burlap Ribbon created a little fun and interest in between the banner pieces.  Alternating with those pieces are leaves cut out with the Die, folded in half and run through the Woodgrain Embossing Folder in the Big Shot.  A Naturals Designer Button brings the leaf grouping together with the twine from the kit used to hang it from the Burlap Ribbon.  Finally, I attached the canvas pieces to the Burlap Ribbon using the pins from the Vintage Trinkets.

Supplies:
Build A Banner Simply Created Kit (133507) Holiday Catalog
Ink:  Summer Starfruit, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Early Espresso
Card Stock:  Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso Core'dinations
Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Autumn Accents Die (127812), Woodgrain Embossing Folder (127821), Craft Scissors (108360), Paper Snips (103579)
Accessories:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140) Holiday Catalog, Antique Brads (117273), Vintage Trinkets (118764), Naturals Designer Buttons (127554)
Other:  Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110775)

More Sweater Weather and Burlap Ribbon

Here is another quick and easy card I made using Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper and that great Burlap Ribbon!  I'm almost through my 3rd roll!  It was easy to layer card stock pieces together and top with the Designer Series Paper.  I popped the sentiment up on Dimensionals and glued a strip of the Burlap Ribbon on with a little Liquid Tombow.  Fraying the edges of the Burlap Ribbon gives it more texture and character.

Stamp:  Harvest of Thanks (131736-w, 131739-c) Holiday Catalog
Paper:  Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sweater Weather DSP (132184) Holiday Catalog
Ink:  Chocolate Chip
Tools:  Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003), Big Shot (113439), Craft Scissors (108360), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755)
Extras:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140) Holiday Catalog

Envelope Liner Framelit Box

Today I am going to share with you the lovely gift box and card I made for my friend's 50th birthday.  I made this adorable box from the Envelope Liner Framelits (medium size), using a tutorial from Carol Lovenstein.  I just fell in love with the fun box and thought it had a very classy look perfect for a 50th birthday.  Then I had to buy the gift to fit the box!  I included a small 3x3 gift card and made a custom envelope with the new Envelope Punch Board and Modern Medley Designer Series Paper.  I used the same DSP on the box and inside the box also, running the "ribbon" down the inside walls of the box.  The new Gift Bow Bigz L Die was used to make the bow on the box.  This set is a great example of how many creative things you can make with Stampin' Up! products.

I used my Bone Folder to break down the fibers of my Soft Suede Card Stock so I could separate the layers of paper, creating a faux suede look.  This was such a fun project to make.  Think outside the box!

Here is a tutorial from Carol Lovenstein for the box

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z29W8O4utxw

Stamps:  Chalk Talk (130631-w, 130634-c)

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Soft Suede, Modern Medley DSP (126926)

Ink:  Jet Black Staz-On (101406)

Tools:  Envelope Punch Board (133774), Envelope Liner Framelits (132172 Holiday Catalog), Gift Bow Bigz L Die (129977 Holiday Catalog), Big Shot (113439), Paper Snips (103579), Bone Folder (102300), Modern Label Punch (119849), Chalk Talk Framelits (129983)

Bling:  Neutral Candy Dots (130934)

Adhesive:  Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

September Deal Winner!

Six people participated in my special September Deal offer by placing an online order of $35 or more between September 15 - 30.  I drew out one name on October 1, and Beverly R. is the winner!  She will receive the new Oh, Goodie! stamp set (131889) from the Holiday Catalog for FREE!  Congratulations, Beverly!

Oh, Goodie! - 131889 - $8.95

Monster Maniacs Are Here!

In July, art enthusiasts were given the challenge to create a monster themed stamp set. Voters fell in love with her design and voted this set to victory!

Monster Maniacs - Item 134972 - $14.95

Stampin' Up! will be running ongoing contests and would love your particiation.  Join the fun at http://inwithyou.ideascale.com.

Many Thanks!

More fall fun with the Harvest of Thanks stamp set in the Holiday Catalog.  Sweater Weather DSP (I just LOVE this paper!) gives this card a bright pop and a Frosted Finishes embellishment gives it sparkle!  Using a fun fold makes this card fun and different.  What a great thank you card to send!

Stamps:  Truly Grateful (131730-w, 131733-c), Harvest of Thanks (131736-w, 131739-c), Lots of Thanks (129687-w, 129690-c)
Paper:  Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Sweater Weather DSP  (132184)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Tools:  Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Big Shot (113439), Big Shot Magnetic Platform (130658), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Paper Snips (103579), Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003)
Other:  Frosted Finishes Embellishments (132150), Dimensionals (104430), Glue Dots (103683)