Stamp with Jeanne

Garden Whimsey Page of the Month

I always try to be original when I'm creating stamping projects for you, but sometimes my brain is on design overload or I see a layout or card that is so perfect for what I have in mind that I CASE (Copy And Share Everything) it completely.  Such is the case (no pun intended) with this July's Page of the Month layout.  I saw a page in Memory Makers Magazine by Hillary Heidelberg that had such a fun feel to it that I knew it would be great for the Garden Whimsy stamp set featured this month.  I love how the design flows around the photographs, the use of our new In Colors, and the combination of the butterflies, circles and buttons. Yes, this is a HAPPY page!  It makes me smile and I hope you are too!

If you think you aren't artistic and are afraid to design your own cards or scrapbook pages, you don't have to!  Remember, there are over 500 hand-stamped samples in the Fall/Winter Collection Catalog to spark your imagination.  Stampin' Up! makes coordinating colors and stamps easy for you by bundling images in sets and developing color families for our inks, markers, ribbons and embellishments.  Don't be afraid to let the creative side of you shine, you may be surprised at how beautiful your own projects turn out.  Before we know it, you'll be joining my Stampin' Up! Sparkles Team and teaching others the joy of stamping too!

Bermuda or Bust!

Woo-hoo!  Okay so I'm really excited now!  I received official confirmation that I'll be on the next Stampin' Up! Cruise heading towards Bermuda!  I knew I earned the cruise back in February, but it's so much fun to receive the email outlining your reward and the details of your stateroom.  The rooms are awarded based on the date you qualified.  I struggled a little this year and didn't earn the cruise as quickly as I hoped. I figured that Dennis and I would be down in the engine room helping to fuel the engines! That was okay with me, at least I'd be on the ship!  Today I found out that I'm not only on the ship, but I'll have a window...actually a balcony!  I'll eat with the rest of the passengers and be allowed on deck...yay!  Here's the information I received: 

Congratulations!  You have earned a cabin on the ms Noordam for the Stampin’ Up! Bermuda charter. Based on the date you qualified, you have earned a Verandah Stateroom.  This cabin has approximately 249 square feet, 2 beds that convert into a queen size bed, a bathroom with a bath and shower, a sitting area, a private verandah, and floor to ceiling windows.

Dennis is trying to decide if he wants to go with me, so if he doesn't I may be auctioning off the other bed!  Wouldn't it be a blast to cruise to Bermuda courtesy of Stampin' Up!?

I know that I could never achieve this kind of award without the continued support of my family, friends and customers. Thank you all for booking workshops, attending Stamp Camps and purchasing your stamps and accessories through me.  I know that you have thousands of demonstrators to choose from and I'm humbled and thankful that you continue to allow me to share my passion for this great hobby with you. 

Convention Swaps!

In a couple of days I'll be packing my bags, stampin' tools and junk food headed for Denver, Colorado.  It's Stampin' Up! Convention time!!!  Woo-hoo!  Convention is one of the reasons that I love being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  Imagine, thousands of crazy stampin' women hootin' and a hollerin' for 3 exciting, insane, sleep deprived days!  We stamp, we bond, we cry, we laugh and most importantly make new friends from across the Nation and around the world.  The longer I'm a demonstrator the more exciting Convention is because I get to meet up with incredible, fantastic women that I've had the opportunity to get to know over the past 4 years.  Most of the close friends that I have now are people I've met through Stampin' Up!  I never knew my life would be blessed in so many ways when I decided to join the Stampin' Up! family.  Becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

A huge part of Convention in swapping cards, scrapbook pages and "Wow" projects.  I can't even describe what being on the trade floor is like.  Trust me, the New York Stock Exchange has nothing on us when it comes to frenzy and enthusiasm!  Dennis has been on 3 Stampin' Up! cruises with me and has decided that we're a cult, lol.  Just walk up to Dennis and yell, "Stampin'!".  If he doesn't say, "Up!" back to you, I'll give you a free card! 

This is one of the cards I've designed to trade with the masses.  I completed 96 of these babies and will do my best to swap for cards that will inspire your creativity. 

This card uses the Bold Snowflakes Jumbo wheel, the beautiful Baroque Motifs and the Hugs & Wishes stamp sets.  Featuring the Faux Emboss technique with Hologram Highlights and White embossing powder the card sparkles in a way you can't see in a picture. 

Some of you are probably wondering how I was able to stamp the snowflake designs individually when they're on a wheel.  Easy!  I removed the rubber from the wheel and mounted the designs separately on blocks of wood.  I was able to get 8 stamps for only $7.95!  I was lucky enough to have wood blocks available, but if you don't...go to the Dollar Store and buy a set of building blocks.  They come in all sizes and are just right size for mounting your stamps.  You can mount fun foam under the rubber with rubber cement for the cushioning.  Keep this in mind any time you see a wheel design that you think would be great as individual stamps.  I'll be doing this with the All About Birthdays, All About Christmas, All About Gratitude, and Neighborhood wheels for sure! 

Boatloads of Love

When I first opened our new Fall/Winter Catalog I knew I was in trouble. I was so impressed with all the new stamp sets and accessories that I figured I needed to get an extra job just to pay for the ones I wanted.  I had a hard time finding a stamp set that I really didn't want, I mean NEED.  There's always a few sets that I can live without, but this time it was tough.  The first stamp set I knew I'd be purchasing is the Boatloads of Love set.  I think this little boat and the sayings are so darn cute!  I quickly chose this set as the one I'd be featuring for my August Card of the Month projects.  Cindy and I had a great time designing these cards together last night.  For those of you who don't know, Cindy is my upline and is one of the most fun people I know.  She always makes me laugh!  I so appreciate that she meets with me once a month to stamp.  I always want to keep adding more and more to my designs and Cindy keeps me under control.  If all the cards were in my style it would take you hours and hours to complete the projects.  Eventually, you would have to move in, lol.  Cindy keeps reminding me that the Card of the Month projects are supposed to be easy to duplicate.  Thanks Cindy for all that you do to keep me inspired.  Your support means so much to me!  These cards are what we came up with for COTM.  Of course, I had to add the "Out of the Box Thinking" card and came up with making popcorn out of the cloud stamp.  This will be one of my Convention trade cards if I can get my act together in the next couple of days to make them.  We thought it would be cute to use this card to hold a gift card or movie tickets.  If you would like to purchase the August Card of the Month kit to create these cards, let me know!

Feedback

As I was adding posts to my blog this morning I was wondering, "Am I doing this for my own amusement or is someone besides me actually reading this?"  I can't see who visits, so the only way I know if anyone is stopping by is through comments.  If you have opinions, suggestions or just want to say hello, please feel free to add a comment any time by clicking the link below.  I'm not asking you to pump my ego (though that's always enjoyed ) but to learn.  I'll also be adding polls to the site randomly, so I would love it if you take a moment to answer the questions when I do.  These polls will help me to help you.  When I know your preferences, I know what kind of classes and information to offer.  You only need to answer each poll once. 

I'm enjoying the blog and hope that you are too.  Be sure to let your friends know that I'm here.  I hope you will always see something that sparks your creativity.  If I ever post a project that you would like to do or know more about, you can check my online calendar for a list of classes, or contact me.  I'll be happy to answer your questions any time!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Stampin' Up! Ornaments

Some of you know...some of you don't...that besides being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator I also have a Christmas ornament business.  I've actually been creating ornaments individually by hand for over 20 years. Since my latest creations are stamping related, I thought I'd share a picture with you. These figurines are made out of a clay called FIMO.  Each color you see is another piece of clay.  Yesterday, I sat down in my clay studio for the first time in a long time and created these Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ornaments for a friend who is giving them to her downline as gifts at Convention.  I sure hope those friends aren't viewing my blog because if they are, the surprise is ruined now, lol! 

For the first time in 20 years I put the ornament business on hold.  Trying to maintain my Stampin' Up! business, the ornament business, Paperstation and my Taste of Home business all at the same time is crazy!  After creating these ornaments yesterday I realized that I do still enjoy working with the clay and will probably renew the business again next year.  It was a nice break, but I'm ready to get back into the studio once more. 

In Full Bloom Stamp Camp

Brenda and her friends are getting together once again for a fun day of scrapbooking.  This time they selected an album I offered at my Hostess Appreciation BBQ.  I decided to share it with you here because unless you were one of my Hostesses, you probably haven't seen it.  I love how easy it is to create a beautiful 6" x 6" brag book out of one Simply Scrappin' kit.  These kits are amazing and so easy to use!  If you haven't checked them out yet, I suggest you take a look.  The new Fall/Winter Idea Book has so many great kits to choose from.  I'll be featuring them all in a class through-out the next 6 months, so if there's one you really want to do, be sure to check my Online Calendar often. 

Celebrity Ranch Weekend Getaway!

The Celebrity Ranch Weekend Getaway was so much fun! After 5 days of very little sleep, I was anxious to arrive at the Ranch and get things started. Unfortunately, Dennis and I got lost along the way. I found myself hoping others wouldn't arrive on time because we were going to be late setting up. We weren't the only ones who took a wrong turn or two, so my first lesson of the weekend was to make sure that I mark the route next time. Gloria suggested some bright colored flags at each turn because the street signs aren't the easiest to read. Great idea Gloria!

I'm blessed with the best clients in the world! Even though things weren't quite ready when they arrived, they were troopers and used the time to select their bunks, settle in and get ready for the creative venture ahead. After choosing their table space, chowin' down some pizza and hitting the margarita machine the ladies were ready and raring to go. Many started with their greeting card kits. The ladies had their choice of stampin' their own Christmas card designs or the Friends & Flowers kit. It was so much fun looking at everyone's designs and seeing their reaction to how many great cards you can get out of one Simply Scrappin' kit.

Many of us stamped and stamped and stamped 'til the wee hours of the mornin'. Some went to bed a little earlier and watched the sun rise instead. Dennis, Jim and Mary cooked us a great breakfast and we were ready to start another day of stampin' fun. Cards were finished and the scrapbooking began. The ladies had a hard time choosing which album to stamp, so many ended up owning them all! We worked and worked with Dennis and Jim bringing in the food and chocolate on a regular basis to keep up our energy. Mike stopped by and shared the story of how the Ranch was started and his vision for the future. After he spoke, we were excited about the prospect of becoming involved with the Ranch even more. A brainstorming session ensued and we have a plan to start our own event for the children. We'll bring about 50 girls to the Ranch, teach them the art of stamping and help them make a pack of greeting cards to send to their family and friends. Everything will be included, even the postage stamps! If you want to help, we'll need volunteers and funds. I hope many of you will get involved to help us inspire the creativity of these girls. Many of whom have never had a chance to do anything creative like this before.

After a delicious dinner under the stars, some of us headed up the hill for a bonfire and S'mores. Ethan kept us entertained with stories of Chief Whiteface and his Boy Scout antics. It was a beautiful evening and those Eagle Scouts make a mean fire! When we returned Mary baked some Chocolate Chip Cookies and Jim mixed up the Mudslides, or as he called it...the Malibu Special, lol. Many of us stayed up almost all night, but there were 2 that were in for the longhaul...Ida and Kristin...who didn't sleep at all. The good news is that they got a lot of stampin' done!

All in all, everyone had a fabulous time and left the Ranch with beautiful cards and scrapbooks. We're going to do this again in the Fall, so mark your calendars for October 5-7th. Let's work together to raise funds for the kids. The October event will help raise the necessary funds for bringing the girls to the Ranch next year. Invite and encourage your friends to join us! The more the merrier!

Winter Bright Album

The Winter Bright album is my favorite design for the Celebrity Ranch Weekend.  I just love the colors used in the Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' kit.  I don't know who thought of adding the Pixie Pink, Bashful Blue and So Safforn to the normal Christmas Red and Green, but they're BRILLIANT!  This album is just so bright and cheerful.  The album includes the Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' kit, the Cutie Pie Designer Papers, and the Snowfall stamp set.  Disappointed that you couldn't attend our weekend getaway?  That's okay, you can still order any of the projects in kit form to make at your own convenience. 

Delight in Life Album

Another one of the albums from the Celebrity Ranch Weekend Event.  This album is so pretty in person.  It features the Sell-a-Bration 2007 Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' kit and the Delight in Life stamp set.  You can't purchase the Simply Scrappin' kit, but you can still purchase this album from me.