Embellish

Top Note folder purse

Got a couple of cute samples from our demonstrator meeting to share this morning. I appreciate having a few fun Halloween things to show my customer friends, as I don't do Halloween myself. Wanda D. made the "spooky" card with the stamp set Dark and Dreary, and the new Spider Web embossing folder for the Big Shot as her swap card. Julie L. made the cute little Top Note folder purse with the Wicked Fun specialty DSP, a Glimmer Brad, and the new Bat Punch. The stamp she used is from a set called Wicked Cool.

To make the Top Note folder, just fold your card in half before running it through the Big Shot--but position it so it is not cutting two separate Top Notes, but leaving  a "hinge" along one side (make sure you have the folded edge pulled back from the side of the die a little). Then she cut a Scallop Oval die cut in half to make the cute handles. Finish it off with embellishments and a little quarter-dot of self-adhesive velcro. What a fun project!

The lovely & talented Julie Lamont

My adopted downline Julie TOTALLY made my day yesterday at our group meeting, when she handed me a stack of simply gorgeous cards. This one, made with Elements of Style in Night of Navy and Crumb Cake with Whisper White, is my favorite! The punch art hamburger below is a close second! we're going to be making that one in Incredible Cards Club for sure.

Too cute... what a NICE gift, Julie! Thank you for thinking of me.

 

Charity of the Month: cards needed for Necessities Bag

We're making a pink card like this cute Birthday Bakery one at every workshop of mine this month--can you guess why?

It only seems right that my chosen charity organization for October is one that ministers to women who have just had a mastectomy because of breast cancer. I lost my paternal grandmother to cancer when I was only seven, and this past year my maternal grandmother underwent a lumpectomy (she is doing very well, thank you to all who remembered and have sweetly asked after her since that time!) So I greatly appreciate those who would strive to provide comfort and support in one of life's most difficult moments.

Necessities Bag is a great idea, formed by a former patient herself, of giving each woman a bag with essential supplies and practical guidance, as well as being an organization that doctors, nurses and caregivers can go to for information. Necessities Bag relies completely on donations. You can read more about this neat organization here.

One of the things in the bags is thank-you notes! Patients will have many people to thank for providing care and help while they are in the hospital and during recovery. Necessities Bag is always in need of more cards. Luckily, I know a whole slew of fantastic stampers who can help out!

If you would like to donate cards to this project, please send them to me by the end of November. I will be mailing a package after Thanksgiving and I hope to have 100 cards to send, like we did last time! Wouldn't that be awesome?! Email me for the address, and thank you in advance for helping the women--mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, aunts, friends of us all--who are journeying through that valley.

Craft Fair Cards

I've been busy as a beaver, holding workshops all over the place and getting ready for my biggest craft fair of the year, Maranatha College on November 6th! I made over fifty cards in one day last week--WOW!

I came back and revisited these Sense of Time monochromatic cards after I opened a package from my darling grandma. She is getting rid of her sewing stuff, and she sent me her entire button collection--a huge vintage cookie tin full!

I had so much fun pawing through them. Some of them are really little bitty works of art. I pulled out some of the really special ones to have my friend Judy incorporate into the beautful Kanzashi Bloom hair clips she makes. And there were a lot of simple small ones, so I added them to some cards for a collage look, too.

As always, I dig out some retired favorites to play with when I am making craft fair items. Here's another monochromatic card, done with Classic Pickups. All of the cards benefit greatly from Newsprint DSP pieces. I've mentioned the world map pattern before, and used the musical notes paper on Christmas cards. It just adds SO MUCH to a project! Love it!

All of these items, except the retired stamp, are available to view and purchase at my shopping website, www.lyssa.stampinup.net  Happy Shopping!

My friends are so nice...

They must know I've been up to my eyebrows in craft fair stuff and having a shortage of pretty things to put on my blog lately! So they're sending me cards. Isn't this one a beauty? My friend and fellow demo Michelle sent me this today. Just gorgeous. I always find orange and yellow combined so compelling.

Quite different but equally beautiful is this card that my adopted downline Diane sent me. She used the pretty piece of Victoria lace from our monthly challenge AND the inset embossing technique we learned at the September meeting. Just lovely! I'm so lucky.

Fall Open House at School

Yesterday I took the afternoon off from stamping craft fair cards to go to a photo op on behalf of my children's grandparents. The occasion was our school's fall open house. Daniel brought the colar system that we had labored over painting last week (remember my Concord Crush-stained fingers?) He did a really nice job presenting it to the 3&4 graders and the assortment of parents and grownups that attended.

It was fun to see the wide variety (and size) of the solar systems each child had made. Ours was one of the smaller ones, actually! Some of them took two people to carry. Some were really fancy, with glow in the dark paint, routered orbital paths, asteroid belts, etc.

Next up was Natalie's class. I was a little early, so I got to sit in on her reading group. She's in the advance group and I was so proud of her. Here's a picture of Natalie with her buddy Camille, especially for Camille's Aunt Betsy! : )

It was the end of the day by this point, so Natalie's braids were pretty shot, but she looked so adorable. And she looked like such a big girl! Who is that great big girl? Where did my baby go!? I can't believe she is almost seven.

Ok, one more brag on my kids and then I'll stop making you all jealous! We just got our mid quarter reports back, and they are currently getting all A's. So proud of them!

Sign me--one blessed mom

Side benefit to demo challenge!

I had forgotten there is a definite side benefit to a particular demo challenge that I like to give my ladies once a year--they send me cards! Karri made this Sock Monkey cutie, featuring the Spiral Notebook punch and the filmstrip technique.

At each monthly meeting, I give my ladies a product challenge and a business challenge to complete before the next meeting. The product challenge could be a piece of a particular patterned paper, or a paper daisy, or a length of ribbon--this month it is a six inch strip of our new lace trim. They have to come up with a project using that product and bring it to show at the next meeting. This is a really fun way to see a variety of people's takes on something! I always learn a new way to use whatever product we featured.

But the business challenges are a little tougher, so this last month I made it something everyone could (and should) make time for: send ten handmade cards. It's a simple thing, but I find people get so caught up in the MAKING of the cards, that they don't actually send them!

Many thanks to the demos (and customer friends) that sent me cards this month--I appreciate the happy mail! And I'm challenged, too, to give that feeling to others more often myself.

Huge Craft Fair & Gift Show--November 6th, 2010

My biggest craft show of the year is coming up and my stamp room is a flurry of paper, cardstock and ribbon! Those of you who have attended this event before need hear no more--you already know what a great fair it is. For everyone else--come and check it out, and it will become a yearly tradition for you and your girlfriends.

Maranatha College here in Watertown is holding their annual craft fair to benefit the Women's Softball team on Saturday, November 6th. Admission is free, and there are tons of prizes and freebies! Come hungry, because there's concessions, bake sales, and lots of free samples from vendors.

My assistant Penni and I will be there with a free Make N Take at the Stampin' Up booth, and of course my usual selection of hundreds of cards at my Song of My Heart Stampers booth.

By the way, there are still a couple open spots for vendors--email me for registration info or to see if your company has a representative there yet. I'll get you a table near mine and we can chat during the slow times! Although--there's a home football game on campus that day, so there probably won't be any slow times!

Hope to see you there!

Alaska, here we come!

Just had to share with you all--Mike came home today with official documentation releasing him from his college professor duties to go with me on the Stampin' Up incentive cruise to Alaska in May! WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

We are just praising God right now! If you remember, they did not allow him time off to go on the Southern Caribbean cruise, which was an absolutely devastating blow for me. I truly wanted to quit... no way do I work the business this hard just to not be able to bring my best friend along! I actually went into a little funk for a while there. God knew, though, and I had a precious, priceless time with my beloved mother on that trip--but I am SOOOOOOOO happy to be able to take my dear, long-suffering spouse on his first cruise. The man deserves SOME kind of thanks for what he puts up with!

Thank you for rejoicing along with me tonight! I think I'm more excited today than I was when I actually earned it. Can't wait!

Fall folding mantle piece

I have not had any time lately to work on cards, but here is a simple project from Big Shot Club last Monday night. It's a little fall themed stand-uppy thing for your mantle or bookshelf. Love the colors! left to right: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Cajun Craze. The base is Crumb Cake (formerly called Kraft), cut 4x12 and scored at 3,6 and 9 inches.

The letters were cut on the Big Shot using the big Serif Essentials dies. These are not cheap dies, but they have been one of the best investments I have ever made! I use them all the time.

We stamped leaves from the Day of Gratitude stamp set on the backgrounds, and spritzed some Early Espresso on them with a marker and the Color Spritzer airbrushing tool. Then we finished it off by adding some texture with Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery and Early Espresso narrow grosgrain ribbon tied around the folds.

Love the modern feel of this project--clean and crisp. In contrast, here's one we made at Big Shot Club last fall, a very vintage, heavily distressed version, slightly larger.

Lots of Chocolate Chip craft ink sponging, too... Loved that Autumn Meadows DSP--hoping that will show up on the Clearance Rack this week!

I like how the faux stitching looks on the chipboard squares, like an old Western saddle stitching. I made it with a Paper Piercer and Mat Pack, and drew the lines with the Basic Brown journaller marker.

Have you made any home decor of your own yet? Why not create a one-of a kind, personalized piece of art for your house? Come over and use my Big Shot to cut letters, banners and more on any of my PMS Ladies' nights on the third Fridays, or at the All-Day Craft Event on October 23rd, 2010. But be warned--you're gonna wanna buy your own machien after trying mine!

Big Shot "Boo" Banner

Here's a cute little project for all you Halloween lovers. Cut 28 inches of a wide ribbon, such as this Old Olive stripped wide grosgrain. Fold over one end and set a jumbo eyelet in it. Then cut four of the large Scallop Squares on the Big Shot (I used Pumpkin Pie). Mat Basic Black 3.75 inch squares on top of those.

Adhere Elegant Eggplant 3x5 squares done with the Spider Web embossing folder from the Holiday Mini Catalog, and letters cut from Certainly Celery using the Big Shot Serif Essentials Alphabet.

The little spider is made from Basic Black punches--Scallop Circle, Photo Corners, half-inch circle and Itty Bitty circle. His mouth is drawn with the white gel pen.You can see in the closeup that I also paper-pierced every other scallop of the square--just provides a finishing touch.

One lesson learned--attach the squares to the ribbon using Sticky Strip or dimensionals. The weight of the layered cardstock is too much for the Mini Glue Dots. Hot glue might work as well, but I always injure myself when I use it, so I tend to avoid when possible!

Narrower ribbon just does not look right, so if you need some, this great striped grosgrain comes in ten different colors. At $9.95 a spool and 10 yards, you can get 12 lengths for banners from one spool! You will want to use a yard for each banner instead of 28 inches, if you plan to add more letters.

Have fun! The possibilities are endless with things you could put on a banner like this. if you need supplies, I'd be happy to take your order via email (zwolaneks@att.net) or on my shopping website: www.lyssa.stampinup.net   And don't forget, the Clearance Rack Blitz is going every day this week. Be sure to click on "ALL" when you are viewing the Rack, to see all 200 items on clearance. I missed about ten MORE pages of goodies when I first looked!

 

Scrap A Stack Pages for October

We're making this adorable camping-themed spread with the cute set Under the Stars at Scrap A Stack club on the 14th, and we'd love to have you join us! We'll be doing a little watercoloring and accenting with Smooch inks. As always, I have my entire alphabet dies and stamps available to change out the headline to suit your own needs.

Here's our single page for the month, a little more formal... in classic Fall colors. Love the accent of the torn Newsprint DSP tucked under one edge of the headline piece. And there's plenty of texture to be had on this page, with the Hemp Twine curled around the matted letters and handcut leaves. I used the totally gorgeous fall set Day of Gratitude on this page. as always, all the products, tools, and sets I used on these pages can be found at my shopping website, www.lyssa.stampinup.net

Join us this month as a guest, and see if Scrap A Stack Club is for you! We're having a great time, a night out with the girls, and a guaranteed number of pages done per month!

All-Day Crafting Event on October 23rd, 2010

RSVP today for the All-Day Crop at Maranatha College on Saturday, October 23rd!

Bring your own items to work on, and enjoy all my Big Shot dies, inks and tools at your disposal! This is a wonderful time to set aside to work on those vacation scrapbooks, your Christmas cards, or any other project you have been wishing you could get completed. 

Cost is just $10 per person and includes lunch buffet at the school and your own table with padded chair. The comfortable room we will be in is temperature controlled, handicap accessible, and right next to the restrooms. An email will be sent out with directions before the event.

I have the room reserved from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so come any time you can make it in the morning, and stay as late as you can! Space is limited to 25 ladies.

Lunch buffet closes at 12:30 p.m. and includes all you can eat soup and salad bars, deli counter, pizza bar, hot foods line, breakfast bar, beverage bar and dessert bar, including both hand scooped and soft serve ice cream. It's honestly the best salad bar in town!

Scrapbook digitally? I will be on hand all day to answer questions and share tips about digi-scrapping with My Digital Studio. If you're interested to learn what digital papercrafting is all about, stop by my table and I'll give you a quick overview of what all it can be used for. I'm lovin' it!

There will be goodie bags!!! If you are a direct sales vendor and interested in contributing to the goodie bags, please let me know ASAP. You do not need to be present in order to contribute. Your item must be an actual product or a coupon, not just a flyer.

Please spread the word! You are welcome to forward this information to your friends and family. I'd love to widen the circle of crafting friends here in Watertown! RSVP TODAY by calling (920) 261-3962 or emailing me at zwolaneks@att.net

Do not try this at home

Dan has a big science project--a 3-D model of the solar system--due Monday, so last night we dug into the world of styrofoam and got messy. Our pre-cut planet kit didn't come with paint, so instead of buying a bunch of different colors and spending a lot of money, I came up with the genius (or so I thought) idea of getting plain white paint and coloring it with my ink refills. Worked like a charm and we had 30+ colors to play with.

Fast forward.... craft paint washes off, right? Well, YES, but INK doesn't!! Here's my hand today after multiple washes and a shower! I have Concord Crush and Pacific Point fingers on my left hand and Cherry Cobbler on my right!!!

Now, I usually have ink on my hands nearly every day, but this is ridiculous! I look like I was fingerpainting with the stuff! And I have a workshop tonight. Good thing it's with friends and not new people! My friends already KNOW I'm nuts. I like to break new people in slowly.

There's my little science nerd himself... he kept up a non-stop monologue about the planets while we were at it. Isn't Dan just too cute?? Gracious, my children take my breath away. And not just because I'm sucking in air to yell at them. So blessed, so blessed...