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New! Double Pouch Treat Holder Video Tutorial

Several of you asked if there were instructions for the little Double Pouch Treat Holder I shared on Day Two of the Valentine blog series last week. I made you a quick little how-to tutorial video to share how easy it is to make. It uses just two 6x6 pieces of patterned paper and has just one cutting measurement, three quick score lines and the pocket trick is super simple.

Wasn't that a sweet treat? Leave a comment and let me know if you're going to try it! Fun fact: the Sending Love Designer Series Paper Stack is actually the #1 seller in the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog, isn't that interesting?

Want to recreate this project at home? Here's what you'll need:

Sending Love Designer Series Paper Stack [142733]	Foxy Friends Photopolymer Stamp Set [141549]	Foxy Friends Photopolymer Bundle [142326]
Fox Builder Punch [141470]	Simply Scored [122334]	Tear & Tape Adhesive [138995]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Paper Snips Scissors [103579]	Big Shot [143263]
Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949]	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [131179]

Thanks so much for making Song of My Heart part of your day. It makes me SMILE to think that you enjoy coming to see what I've been up to. Drop me a comment sometime! Don't be a stranger!

SECOND CHANCE: Class of the Month Club extended code for January 2017

Song of My Heart's totally fun new online club option, Class of the Month Club, officially closed for January 2017 on the 20th.

But because it was a BUSY month for many of us, I've extended a second-chance offer for those who missed out!

All you have to do is place your Suggested Club Order (or a minimum of $33 in other products) using the code QERGJU4D at checkout before noon on the 31st. The files will be emailed to you within 24 hours!  And even though the official deadline is past, you'll still get the handmade thank you card and free product sample of the month from me, too.

Most importantly, you'll still qualify for the first point towards the shopping spree you get when you have participated in COTM Club five times! It's just one of the many perks of being a VIP club member in my new online club!

See the full details here, but be sure to use the JANUARY SECOND CHANCE CODE: QERGJU4D to place your order no later than noon on January 31st. Your goodies will go straight to your house. Just print out the files and you'll be all set to create!

Hope to see YOUR name on the club membership list, very soon!

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4x4 Scrapbooking Classes: four-month local and online options available!

Join us for a short term scrapbooking class series featuring 16 double-page layouts over four monthly sessions! Imagine what a boost that will be to your albums. Create the pages exactly as designed or branch out and make them your own! Emphasis on the latest papers, tools and trends in papercrafting. You'll learn as you enjoy fellowship with friends and make lots of progress you can be proud of!

Local Class meets on the second Thursday night of the month from February through May from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. RSVP required by January 30th to participate. Online participants get everything the class members do. Please be aware I am not allowed to stamp images to send you; you will need to substitute in your own stamps and inks where necessary. Mailing charges will apply. Please contact me for details.

4x4 Scrapbooking Classes
Fee: $20 per person OR free with any $40 order, per class (four class commitment required)
Dates: February 9, March 9, April 13, and May 11, 2017
Location: Watertown, WI OR online from the comfort of your home.
Bring along: adhesive, beverage with lid, something to place completed pages in.

RSVP no later than February 1st! [email protected]

*****FREE Sale-A-Bration reward item of your choice

when you register and pay in full/order in full for all 4 classes!*****

To see past projects along the lines of what we will be doing, see the 31 Pages in 31 Days and Scrapbooking Spreads categories on this site. Hope you can come and play with us and start making some progress on your albums once again! I love scrapbooking and can't wait to dive in to the new year. Let's do this!

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Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Tiny Totes & Dainty Details

Happy Friday and the final day of the Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures of Penni & Lyssa! My crafty BFF and I hope you had a ton of fun learning a bunch of pretty and practical tips for your holiday projects. I've even got a video for you today!

The week sure went fast, didn't it? Don't forget to leave a comment on any post in this series to be entered to win a free pack of 12x12 Glimmer Paper AND a selection of the projects we featured this week! U.S. residents only, sorry. Enter once per post for a max of five chances to win!

I am a huge fan of little tote bags--just check out the 100% Free Tutorial Library for evidence of that!--so I took on this Tiny Tote & Notes assignment. The tote is SO easy to make! Here's the quick steps:

1. Half-sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock (8.5 x 5.5 inches).
2. Score the short way (portrait) at 1 inch and 4.5 inches.
3. Score the long way (landscape) at 3.5 and 5 inches.
4. Slice on the scores to form flaps and fold into open-ended box.
5. Use Tear N Tape or Liquid Multi to adhere.
6. Use 1/2-inch wide strips of patterned paper for the handles and trim.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: The tote bag is the perfect size for 8-10 little 3x3 cards and envelopes! What a fun little gift for someone to receive. Use the Envelope Punch Board to make envelopes that are the perfect size. Make sure you deliver it to them in time to use the little cards for their friends, if you are giving it to them for Valentine's Day.

Or, if you don't have time to create mini cards and envelopes, just make the easy totes and fill them with candy or a hot cocoa packet and some cookie sticks or something fun like that. I had a lot of fun, though, making up a bunch of different designs and using up all my odds and ends of scraps. Here's some closeups of the details...

I am happy to say I finally purchased and taught myself a new video editing software (my ancient one finally went kah-flooey with the last Windows 10 update), so I am back in the business of making tutorials for your viewing enjoyment! Here's a quick how-to on the tote with some tips along the way.

Another quick valentine project for home decor or a party decoration we came up with was to transform a chalkboard into a cute banner clothesline. We made easy pennants with the Banner Triple Punch and 2-inch wide strips of patterned paper, adding some burlap and doilies in there for textural contrast. We added a few Sweetheart Punches and some fun pom-pom trim clipped to a few of the clothespins. The photos are printed in sepia tone and backed with Early Espresso cardstock. Cute and EASY!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: You can use any alphabet set to create a message to clip to your twine. We used the Layered Letters Alphabet with Smoky Slate and Real Red inks for my "Love You More" sentiment. If you don't have an alphabet set, try cutting out individual letters from magazines and newspapers and go for a fun "ransom note" look instead! Or just hand-cut some larger hearts and place them randomly to break up the pennants for more visual interest.

And last but not least... for when you need a Valentine that is neither formal nor funny but just a little bit flirty...we have the Crossover Card from Cheat Sheets Colleciton #10 with just a teensy-bit-naughty of "French maid" flavor! 

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: Turn almost any peek-a-boo style card into something saucy using black cardstock and white lace! Corset lacing, satin ribbons, rounded edges and tiny bows also help play up the lingerie feel. This is going to be his FAVORITE card ever! In fact, he'll probably love it so much he will hand you his credit cards and beg you to order some more Stampin' Up! : )

WOW! I think we did it--we crammed our entire Crafting Adventure in, in just five days! Did you love it? I know you did! Please leave Penni a comment below and thank her for joining me on the blog this week.

The fun is not over, though--if you sign up for blog updates, you'll continue to see all of the fun projects here at Song of My Heart. Or, subscribe to my once-a-week eNewsletter and you'll get not only all the news but also a weekly exclusive sneak peek for my subscribers, plus a free set of Cheat Sheets Collection #1 as a signup gift from me.

There's so many reasons to stay in touch! See you soon!

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Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Formal Fancy-ness & Scrap Layout!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Day Four of Song of My Heart's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures blog series! Penni and I are sharing our personal Valentine cards today and we hope you're enjoying all the cool tips and ideas we've been posting this week. Missed a day? No problem! Click here for Day One, here for Day Two, and here for yesterday.

I wish we could give away a crafting session with the two of us! Wouldn't that be a ball?! But you'll have to settle for free Glimmer Paper and a selection of the projects from this series, if you win. Enter once on each post by leaving a comment (up to five chances to win) by Sunday night, and we'll draw the winner next week!

On to today's inspiration!

If you like to go over-the-top now and again for a special occasion, these first two cards are for you! I made this Victorian-inspired faux "hanging" heart on the left and the woven strips background card on the right. Both were a little more time-consuming and both admittedly do use Valentine-specific stamps (Bloomin' Love stamp set and matching Bloomin' Heart Framelits). You could easily adapt either layout for a spring card. It's all layered up with the new Stitched Shapes Thinlets.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: we are crazy for the new cardstock (not paper) Lace Doilies from the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog. They are white on one side and vanilla on the other, so no more being limited to one color when you craft! And being made from cardstock makes them so much sturdier and nicer than the thin tissue ones. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to doilies.

Penni and I went a little less formal for our other Valentine needs. She made gift card holders with the Gift Card Envelope & Trims dies and heart-shaped balloon cards with the Balloon Builders stamp set and sayings. The cool Stitched Diagonal Stripes layout is a design from Cheat Sheets Collection #5.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: Penni cleverly repeated a tiny stamp image from Sweet Stack along a banner. Repeating a small image gives it more weight and "presence" on a card. In this case it allowed a little stamp to become a much bigger element than it actually is. So if all you have that is appropriate for a holiday is one little stamp, remember this tip and you're still good to go!

For my casual Valentines, I have been making a lot of these Fan Deck Cards from Cheat Sheets Collection #20. They are easy and fast! and the covers are small and I can use up a lot of little scraps to decorate them.

Penni is way more up to date with her scrapbooking than I am... ironically the scrapbook teacher is too busy designing for her class members to keep up with my own kids! This is a great page with lots of space for photos and some fun little details that draw the eye, like the Enamel Shapes hearts; the engraved flat wooden Sending Love Embellishments; the Metallic Doily in the gold finish; and the sweet new Sending Love grosgrain ribbon combo pack. Together with the Sending Love Designer Series Paper stack and a Pink Pirouette base page, she's all ready to snap, print and paste her photos in after the holiday!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: Stampin' Up suites save you money! Never worry again about coordinating colors and whether or not the paper will match the ink, the cardstock will match the paper, the ribbon will match anything, etc. Sending Love is a good one because hearts are versatile and can be used year-round, and the patterns on the paper stack are not too Valentine-specific to be used for other occasions.

My last Valentine card shares my favorite tip for today--making custom embellishments from any punched shape. Check out the side view of this rather ordinary-looking card.... we've got some KILLER dimension goin' on here!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #4: save your money and create a custom embellishment in any color you need, using any punch shape! I used the Sweetheart Punch and layers of Real Red and Whisper White cardstock to stack one on top of the other until I had the height I wanted. Use Liquid Multipurpose Glue so that you have the time to play with positioning and get it extremely straight before it dries. I glued one last extra Real Red heart on top, and when it was dry, pulled off the top layer to reveal the fuzzy inner core (a technique called faux suede). Fun! You can top them with sparkly Glimmer Paper, too, like I did in the photo below.

Wow! I think we crammed in as many projects as we could on one post! I hope you're getting so much good from our blog series. Can't believe tomorrow is already Day Five!

Now, today's assignment is to leave us a comment and let us know what upcoming holiday we should collaborate on for our NEXT adventure! Mother's Day, Easter, Fourth of July??? Give us a couple months to recover from this one. What could you use a whole week's worth of concentrated inspiration for?

Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Conversation Hearts party decor

Hi guys! Welcome back to Song of My Heart's Valentine blog series! We are already on Day Three--click here to see Days One and Two, if you missed them, and then settle in for the rest of a very fun week!

This week is PAYBACK for my BFF Penni talking me into a Halloween blog series (my least favorite holiday and her very favorite!) I love Valentine's Day and every year I make her a HORRIBLE card, all frilly and fluffy with gobs of pink and glitter. I pulled a part a feather boa to use once, that should tell you a little about these cards! LOL!

For not liking Valentine's day very much, however, Penni sure rocked it with her conversation hearts centerpiece!

Is that not adorable? All you need to make this great container is two vases, one that fits inside the other with enough room to drop candies down between them to fill the space. You can do this with glass candle-holders, too! Penni said to make sure to tell you guys that it's a lot easier if the vases are straight-sided instead of curved.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: Penni made a cute cake-topper banner with long lollipop sticks (you can use bamboo skewers or thin wooden dowels, if handy) and baker's twine and sequin string. The Sweetheart Punch created the quick heart pennants in colors to match the candy (Peekaboo Peach, Pink Pirouette, Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum and So Saffron) the Brushwork Alphabet stamp set (use block letter handwriting if needed).

With a challenge like that, I took up the gauntlet and tried to match the theme. This conversation hearts door wreath was as easy as pie to make!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: I traced a dinner plate on heavy chipboard, then traced a salad plate inside that circle, and cut out a sturdy, hollow ring for my wreath. Wreath bases are so expensive and who wants to make another trip to the store, anyway, right? Then I punched out a LOT--I mean a LOT of heart punches, and adhered them overlapping each other using Liquid Multi glue (you can also use hot glue but Multi gives you a couple extra moments of flexibility in placement.) The last layer of hearts (the ones with words) are attached with Stampin' Dimensionals.

We discovered that the Thoughtful Banners stamp set was just perfect for creating a variety of funny and sweet conversation heart sayings. Don't know if the Stampin' Up designers ever thought about that use, but it worked out great for our needs! If you don't have this handy set yet, you can use any small, block-letter sayings that are appropriate.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: You may think you're SUNK for quick Valentine projects if you don't have any red paper or own a red ink pad. But you're not off the hook that easily, honey! Our color scheme today is all PASTELS. Don't panic if you don't have any specifically-Valentine products to use. You can still pull off a handmade holiday without the red and white. And if you don't have a heart punch? Trace and cut any heart shape--you may not want to attempt the wreath, however : )

Then we just went nutso... we made party straws, favors, a hostess gift... it was just so easy to put hearts on everything! The hostess gift, wrapped in a continuous chain of conversation hearts, is made with one of the acetate-sleeve 3x3x3 inch White Gift Boxes. So fun and FAST!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #4: don't have the size of cellophane bag needed for your candies? Use self-sealing Clear Envelopes! You can fold the flap down and secure it in any shape necessary--a roll, a square, a rectangle--or leave it the regular shape and tie a bow and cute tag around the excess, like we did here.

Good times, huh? Wouldn't a conversation hearts theme be just so cute and easy for your next party? Grab your heart punch and let's play! And if you DO need supplies and want to place an order, there's plenty of time to get your products and make some of these ideas before Valentine's Day arrives. Click here to Shop with Lyssa!

See you tomorrow for Day Four!

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Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Classroom Crafts & a giveaway!

Hip hip hooray! It's the second day of fun and easy Valentine crafting magic from the minds of Penni and Lyssa. We're back with more real-life papercrafting ideas for Valentine's Day and great tips for using things you already own to express your love this holiday.

If you missed day one of our week-long series, click here to see it. Then Pin it and share with your friends!

First up today are some adorable punch art critters! Around my house we tend to send cute or funny Valentines rather than serious or elegant ones.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: You can use any cutesy animal stamp set to create Valentines, even if you don't have specific stamps for the sentiments. We used Foxy Friends and the coordinated Fox Builder Punch (bundle both and save) to make our woodland Valentines for today's post. Using grays and black to coordinate with our red and white color scheme, the little critters send their love on cards and little gifts.

Recognize the little Post-It Note Pad & Pen? Get the instructions in the 100% Free Tutorial Library! Small tokens like this (and the alternate standing Post-It Note holder below) make great Valentines for co-workers, teacher and friends. Who says a Valentine has to have candy in it? Give them a practical alternative and something they'll really use!

We used the Sending Love red and white patterned paper stack for these projects, but for sayings, we just used the everyday sentiments in the Thoughtful Banners stamp set and coordinating Duet Banner punch (bundle both and save!) We found a lot of sayings that could work for Valentine's Day as well as many of the "lesser" holidays.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: everybody wants their cards to look good, but nobody has time to sit there and design them all from scratch. Enter the Cheat Sheets Collections! Using a red and white color scheme, you can turn any of the layouts into a Valentine, like this cutie Paper Circle Daisy card Penni made using a design from Cheat Sheets Collection #6. Not sure what Cheat Sheets are? Click here to watch one in action!!

PS--Real Red Glimmer Paper adds a great touch to your cards, but if you don't have any of the red, you can color your white Dazzlin' Diamonds glitter paper with a red ink pad and a sponge. Just be careful to dab and not rub, or you'll transfer a bunch of glitter to your ink pad (which sounds fun but might cause problems down the road).

Our last share for today's post is a quick idea for classroom Valentines. It's really kind of silly how much we pay for a box of those dumb character cards at the drugstore, when kids love making their own so much better--AND we all have suitable stamps in our own closets to do it with! 

They are literally just one layer of paper with a pun on it, after all. Come on, parents--we can do better than this!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: Penni and I cut red cardstock bases and plain white cardstock panels to layer on them. Then we went through our stamps and found all kinds of sets with fun sayings to coordinate. None of them are actually Valentine sets. Does it matter? Not a bit! The kids will have an hour of fun, and they won't have exactly the same generic (and pricey) character valentines as all their classmates. Tape a sucker or pencil to the back of these and you're good to go! You can even use washi tape to make it pretty : )

Now for the giveaway!

We can't have a blog series without prizes, right? Enter by leaving a comment on any of the five posts in this series (max five chances to win; US residents only, sorry!) We'll draw a name next for one person to receive a bundle of the Valentine projects featured during this week PLUS a free package of Dazzlin' Diamonds 12x12 Glimmer Paper! Contest ends Sunday night, January 29, 2017. No purchase necessary to win, but all products featured on this blog are available at Shop with Lyssa!

I can't wait to share tomorrow's creations!! Wait until you see what Penni and I have cooked up for you! Thanks for stopping by Song of My Heart today. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Sweet Treats and Spiffy How-To's

Today's the day! Penni and I welcome you to our new blog series. You guys seemed to really like the projects and tips in our Excellent (Halloween) Adventure, in honor of my BFF's birthday and fave holiday, so this time we've created five Real-Life (Valentine) Crafting Adventures for you, in honor of MY birthday and fave holiday!

We'll be using NON-Valentine-specific stamp sets to create real-life papercrafting projects you can make in 30 minutes or less, with tools you have on hand. We'll share bargain-hunting tips, time-saving tricks, and unique layout ideas to turn stamps into cute Valentine projects without spending an arm and a leg. We hope you really enjoy this week of collaboration!

So let's get on to the projects!

Valentine's Day, like Halloween, is a holiday that is ALL about the candy, so our first projects are candy containers. This is where our Big Shots really shine; we used the Mini Treat Bag Thinlets and the hexagonal Window Box Thinlets (by Sizzix exclusively for Stampin' Up!). Any box or bag can be turned into a Valentine treat in a jiffy, however, just by using a red and white color scheme. 

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: Throughout our blog series you will see ordinary papercrafting supplies and non-Valentine stamp sets that perfectly play the part, and the secret is the color scheme! Stick with red and white and your project will "say" Valentine even if you don't own any specifically Valentine products. Penni used the Sweet Stack stamp set on her treat bag--a great set that works year-round for all kinds of projects. I used the Irresistibly Floral specialty papers and Real Red ink pad to create the colored patterned paper I needed.

PS--We also both used the Sending Love Designer Series Paper Stack, which admittedly IS designed for Valentines--BUT the cute patterns work great for any time of the year. I even used some of this stack on this Christmas card last month!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: I know you're wondering how to do that fun curly topper on our hexagon window box! You can do this at home with any ribbon IF it has synthetic fibers in it (most modern ribbon does). It needs to be able to melt a little, and natural fibers like cotton or silk won't do that. The Whisper White Organza Ribbon works especially well for this technique.

1. Wrap your ribbon loosely around a wooden stick or dowel (we used the handle of a paintbrush).
2. Wave your Heat Tool over it slowly from one end to the other, always keeping it moving.
3. You may not actually SEE anything happening, but it's acting like a curling iron!
4. Slide curled ribbon off the dowel and trim ends at an angle to prevent ravelling.
5. If it's not curly, it didn't get enough heat. Re-wrap and try again with the heat tool a little closer.

To make our topper, we used four curls approximately 5-inches long to tie together with baker's twine. Fun and EASY! Fancy ribbon turns and everyday gift box into something really special for Valentine's day.

Our other hexagonal box has a great little heart-shaped folded gift tag that was SO quick--you're going to love this tip and use it ALL the time! we used the Sweetheart Punch for this shape.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: Fold a piece of patterned paper in half (cardstock also works BUT your punch needs to be strong enough to go through two layers simultaneously) and slide it into your heart punch. Position the fold of the paper along the left hand side of the punch, so that when you punch, it will leave a small area of the fold un-cut. PS--this trick only works with open-bottomed punches like the ones from Stampin' Up, where you can clearly see for placement.

Remove the piece from the punch and use a 1/8th inch hand-held punch to make a hole to tie it to your project with twine. You can use this tip to make folded gift tags with ANY shape of punch OR die-cut! If it can go through two layers at once, it can be made into a tag.

That's it for Day One! Penni and I can't wait to share more real-life papercrafting tips with you tomorrow! Leave us a comment if you learned something new today that you might use on your own craft projects this holiday. Thanks for stopping in!

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January 2017 Class of the Month Club: final day to get the free PDF!

It's the 20th of the month and the final day to submit your club orders to get the free featured stamp set project PDF and Free Product Sample of the Month! Plus a point towards the shopping spree you'll get when you accumulate five points! Click here for the full details on how my online club works. You'll LOVE how simple and quick it is to get your order AND four complete projects plus two bonus designs, every month!

The Suggested Order changes every month but will always be between $30-40 dollars, depending on the featured stamp set. You do NOT have to order the Suggested Order! You can order the same dollar amount and it will still count as long as you use the club CODE for the month. The Class of the Month Club Code for January 2017 is 6KEGEE46.

Some are having trouble spotting where to input the code--it IS is a little tricky in that it has to be put in before you hit checkout. There is no where to enter it during the actual checkout process. This photo will help you spot where the box is hiding!

If you already have a Stampin' Up demonstrator who is not me : ) you can change your demonstrator for one order only, if you prefer. That will allow you to shop for club and then any other orders revert to your chosen demonstrator. I'm totally ok with that and in fact would encourage you to be loyal to your local demonstrator as long as she/he is providing you with great customer service and fun projects. We're all stampin' sisters and we know crafters get their inspiration--and their products--from a wide variety of sources, these days.

If you have any questions about COTM Club or anything else, I'd be happy to talk shop! Email me anytime at [email protected]

Hope to be sending YOU a "welcome to the club" packet, very soon!

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Blog Hoppin' with the Control Freaks! January 2017

Well, this is FUN... about seven months ago I was honored with an invitation to join the Control Freaks, a talented bunch of Stampin' Up demonstrators who run an awesome blog hop each month. My health didn't cooperate, but they graciously allowed me to put them on pause, and now this is my VERY FIRST blog hop with the Freaks!

I'm so excited to introduce all of Song of My Heart's fans to the Control Freaks. They have stringent guidelines to ensure top-notch quality (hence the name of the group). Wait until you SEE what these stampers have put together for you this month! WELCOME to the Tour de Freaks for January 2017!

If I'm not your first stop on the hop, you probably came here from the amazing Heidi Baks' adorable Running with Scissors blog. I always love her stuff! All of the Control Freaks who are participating in the hop this month are linked, so just follow the link at the bottom of the post to go to the next blog, each time. Hop as long as you can stand it before you just have to "hop" off the computer and go get in the craft room!

Onto the projects! Our theme this month is the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog and the Sale-A-Bration products that coordinate with it. I choose the Custom Tee stamp set and matching Framelits and the adorable Designer Tee free Sale-A-Bration stamp set.

It's.... GUY cards! Ta-Da! I was gonna do girl cards, too, but I was having too much fun with the boy stuff, and hey, we all need more masculine card ideas, right? These are are perfect for the spiffy dresser in your family... or the one who is rockin' the "geek chic!" First job... work promotion... graduation... birthday... there are just so many occasions you could use these stamps for. Love it!

Just got the new Labeler Alphabet stamp set (101 pieces, wow!) so I had to work it in on this card that showcases some of the different sayings you can put on your t-shirts. All of these describe my guy pretty well!

Which shirt will be the perfect fit? Well, the "birthday boy" one, of course! Here's the inside...

Last of all, I made a Valentine card using just the Custom Tee set. See, I did manage to work in one of the girl's tees, after all! I like how simple and cute this turned out... wouldn't it be fun for newlyweds or a freshly engaged couple, too? Thinkin' outside the "formal" box a little.

I hope you've enjoyed the projects I made for the Control Freaks' Spring Catalog & Sale-A-Bration fest! Your next stop on the Tour de Freaks is my darling friend LeeAnn's Flowerbug Inkspot. I can't wait to see what she's got for us! See you there.

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Sale-A-Bration Color CASE Challenge! Week 3

Welcome to 12 Weeks of Sale-A-Bration here at Song of My Heart! We are throwing our own party alongside Stampin' Up's biggest sale of the year. One of the fun things we're doing is a weekly color challenge, with PRIZES!

What's a CASE? Copy and Share Everything! It's an old papercrafter's term that's used to denote when you did not come up with the project or idea (or in our case color combo) entirely by yourself. There's no shame in CASE'ing--in fact, it's the best way to learn! Eventually you'll find yourself branching out, experimenting, and coming up with ideas of your own. Which other crafters will then want to CASE, so we've come full circle.

Here's this week's Sale-A-Bration Color CASE Challenge! Use the colors below, taken from this week's featured Sale A Bration sample, to create your project. Take a good-quality, well-lit photo and submit it via email to [email protected]. I'll choose my favorite each week, and the winner will get a prize AND have their project featured in that week's newsletter! Good luck, everyone!

Week 3 Sale-A-Bration Color CASE

 

Watermelon Wonder

 

Peekaboo Peach

 

Whisper White

 

Mint Macaron

 

Night of Navy

Need Supplies? bit.ly/shopwithLyssa

Ready to see last week's SAB Color Case winner? Congrats to Penni Litwiller! Penni used a layout from Cheat Sheets Collection #20 (the Wrapped Presents design, love it!!) for her winning entry.

Hope to see YOUR entry in my inbox, very soon!

Dreamin' of Dragonflies...

Got some fantastic sample swap cards using the Dragonfly Dreams stamp set and coordinating Thinlets this week... Can't wait to recreate some of these techniques in my own stamp room! I LOVE how the scored lines on the back side of this card background have been sponged to create an almost velvet-feel.

Dragonfly Dreams is another case where you don't HAVE to have both the stamp set AND the die-cuts in order to use them effectively. But it is cool that they all coordinate so well! The multiple-dragonflies die-cut below is my personal favorite from the set of five Thinlets.

As you can see from these four different cards, it's really cool how it looks totally different depending on what colors and textures you pair with the images... you can go super-realistic, with nature colors and patterns, or totally elegant and formal, with metallics and regal tones. Way more versatile than I thought it was!

Thanks for my fellow Stampin' Up demonstrators for sharing their samples with me, so I can share them with YOU! What Spring 2017 Catalog products would you like me to showcase next? Chances are I have something in my sample basket you're waiting to read about!

Leave me a comment and let me know what stamp set or accessory is making you curious. I'll answer everything I can!

Falling in Love with coordinated DIY wedding invitation products

I was recently in a demonstrator-only sample swap and got some gorgeous examples of cards made with the Falling in Love coordinating product suite. These would be perfect for your Pinterest-worthy, totally custom wedding! Just think, you could make everything match, from the save the date cards, to the invites themselves, to the table cards, favors boxes, programs, menus and even the thank-you notes.

I love that soft, vintage-inspired colors are making a comeback this year--vanilla and cream and blush and sandy taupe, pale coral, soft sky blue and a smokey mauve.

Suggested Color Combination:

Blushing Bride

Sahara Sand

Very Vanilla

Soft Sky

Sweet Sugarplum

   Falling in Love Suite Coordinating Products

Click any image to go Shop with Lyssa!

Orders take about one week to arrive. Expedited shipping is available!

Falling In Love Designer Series 12x12 Paper Asst. Pack	Falling In Love 12x12 Cardstock Pack in Blush, Sky and Sand	Falling Petals Embossing Folder for Big Shot/Cuttlebug
Falling For You Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Falling For You Cling-Mount Stamp Set	So In Love Wood-Mount Stamp Set
So In Love Cling-Mount Stamp Set	So In Love Wood-Mount Bundle w/dies	So In Love Clear-Mount Bundle w/ dies
So Detailed Thinlits Dies for Big Shot or Cuttlebug	Falling In Love Embellishments 12-pk, 11/16th of an inch across	Very Vanilla 1/4" Satin Ribbon 10 yard spool
Very Vanilla 1/2" Lace Trim 5 yds.	Metal Rimmed Pearls 24 pack	Delicate White Doilies 24 pack

I don't have any weddings booked this summer because we are going to Thailand for 15 days in July, courtesy of Stampin' Up!! But I hope to be able to throw a couple of showers and engagement parties and will use some of these ideas, for sure.

Do you have any milestone events coming up? Maybe a wedding anniversary or even a brand new baby? Use your talents to create a one-of-a-kind, amazing celebration they will never forget. And then don't forget to scrapbook it! : )

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Want some of these these bigger ticket items? have a book party!

 

Got your eye on a little pressie for yourself? Maybe the Big Shot, or the big marker collection?

If you're going to spend a little chunk of change, it's probably a good idea to have a book party! Hostess benefits start at just $150, so with your own order and maybe a friend or two, you can get hostess dollars to knock some bucks off your total, or even use it as your half-price item. It's easy to gather orders online even when you're really too busy to get together this spring.

Here's our six highest-ticket items! Time for a book party!

Click any link to see full descriptions & photos and Shop With Lyssa

Clear Block Bundle: 1 each of all sizes A-I [118491] $71.50	Color Caddy Organizer Holds 48 ink pads + refills [104335] $60.00	Big Shot Home Die-Cutting System [143263] $110.00
Many Marvelous Markers comes with 38 markers +space for 10 [131264] $110.00	Letters For You stamp set & Large Letters Big Shot dies bundled (photopolymer) [142348] $133.00	Large Letters Framelits Dies for the Big Shot (works in Cuttlebug or Big Kick) [141712] $99.00

Even better, get one or more of these bigger-ticket items when you choose your own Starter Kit, and you'll pay no shipping, only tax. Click http://bit.ly/joinSUnow to pick out your kit and join my team! I'm telling ya... there is NO downside to signing up to get the discount, even if you don't have the time or inclination to do anything else with the business side of things.

Happy to answer questions about how to get the BEST deal possible--email me! [email protected]

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Penni & Lyssa are back in the Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures

Penni and I are back for another collaboration, this time for Valentine's Day! On January 23rd the fun begins with all-new projects, class treats, party decor, scrapbook pages and of course--Valentines! If you loved Penni & Lyssa's Excellent (Halloween) Adventure, you'll want to tune in for this one, too.

We'll be using NON-Valentine-specific stamp sets to create real-life papercrafting projects you can make in 30 minutes or less, with tools you already have on hand. It's going to be full of bargain-hunting tips, time-saving tricks, and unique layout ideas to turn stamps into cute Valentine projects without spending an arm and a leg.

To tide you over until then, here's some amazing Valentine cards I received in a Stampin' Up demonstrator sample swap recently! These are all from the amazing Sending Love suite of brand new coordinating products from the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog.

Sending Love Suite: Shop with Lyssa!

If you don't have a local Stampin' Up demonstrator, I would LOVE to be yours!

Please email me if you need a hard copy of the most recent catalogs--they're free!

Sealed With Love Clear Photopolymer Stamp Set [142815] $21.00	Sealed With Love Clear Photopolymer Bundle w/dies [144705] $45.75	Love Notes Framelits Dies for the Sizzix Big Shot [142752] $30.00
Sending Love Glassine Sheets 10-pack [142734] $5.00	Real Red 12" X 12" Cardstock 12 count [141982] $11.00	Sending Love Designer Series Paper 6x6 Stack [142733] $10.00
Mini Paper Clips Combo Pack [142766] $5.00	Sending Love Ribbon Combo Pack [142737] $7.00	Sending Love Wooden Embellishments [142735] $6.00

 

So there's a few quick layouts and easy cards to tide you over until the blog series at the end of the month. Now go tidy your craft room and clear away all that "Christmas Craftermath" so that your desk is clean and ready to rhumba! You're not going to have time for that nonsense after you see what Penni and I have cooked up for you.

Happy tidying!

Adorable "Tea for Two" Caddy holds two teabags and cookies to go

I've been meaning to share this precious little free-standing tea bag caddy for ages--well, today's the day! Someone gave me one years ago at a Stampin' Up convention and I took it apart and figured it out for you all (after I ate the cookies).

The Tea for Two Holder is so easy to make--once you've made one, you won't be able to quit making them! They are perfect for ladies' ministries at church, wedding or baby showers, co-worker gifts, get well soon packages--you name it!

Download Song of My Heart's free pattern and scoring instructions now:

Download Tea for Two Standing Holder Lyssa Zwolanek stamping free tutorial library

You'll need a piece of double-sided paper cut to 8.5 x 12 inches, something to score with (Simply Scored Board or paper trimmer) and a stapler. Here's some quick tips:

• Use these gusseted cello bags for the cookies, or in a pinch you can use self-sealing clear envelopes.
• I stapled mine shut, but you can also close the holder by punching two holes and threading ribbon through to tie into a bow.
• In the sample shown above, my bows are actually just adhered with Glue Dots.
• You can fold the diagonal flaps to the inside or the outside--or both--if you prefer. Just depends on how much of which pattern you prefer to see more of! The pretty navy and white paper I used is called Floral Boutique and you can find it here.

Please feel free to share this blog post with your friends. The more the merrier! Everyone can use a quick, practical project like this. I specialize in those kinds of projects! I hope you'll check out the rest of the 100% Free Tutorial Library for more "real-life" papercrafting tips and tricks.

The Crafter's Blessing

I crafted The Crafter's Blessing for you all today! Enjoy the giggle and feel free to share with your crafty friends.

"May you never run out of storage space;

May your scissors never dull.

May your trimmer blades be ever sharp

And your ink pads always full.

May all your cardstock have two sides

And may your corners never be bent;

And may your husband never know

Exactly how much you spent."

--Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, songofmyheartstampers.com

UPDATED: it is never ok to crop someone's watermark off their original work. I'm very dismayed to find this image circulating the interwebz without any credit as to the author. I know it's just a silly poem, but I wrote it and I deserve for my site to be attached. JUST SAY NO to "swipe and wipe" tactics on the internet!! THANK YOU to everyone who behaves ethically when sharing images and wording. LZ

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Sale-A-Bration Color CASE Challenge! Week 2

Welcome to 12 Weeks of Sale-A-Bration here at Song of My Heart! We are throwing our own party alongside Stampin' Up's biggest sale of the year. One of the fun things we're doing is a weekly color challenge, with PRIZES!

What's a CASE? Copy and Share Everything! It's an old papercrafter's term that's used to denote when you did not come up with the project or idea (or in our case color combo) entirely by yourself. There's no shame in CASE'ing--in fact, it's the best way to learn! Eventually you'll find yourself branching out, experimenting, and coming up with ideas of your own. Which other crafters will then want to CASE, so we've come full circle.

Here's this week's Sale-A-Bration Color CASE Challenge! Use the colors below, taken from this week's featured Sale A Bration sample, to create your project. Take a good-quality, well-lit photo and submit it via email to [email protected]. I'll choose my favorite each week, and the winner will get a prize AND have their project featured in that week's newsletter! Good luck, everyone!

Week 2 Sale-A-Bration Color CASE

 

Watermelon Wonder

 

Pool Party

 

Whisper White

 

Pear Pizzazz

 

Peekaboo Peach

Need Supplies? bit.ly/shopwithLyssa

Ready to see last week's SAB Color CASE winner? Congratulations to Kristine John! Gorgeous watercoloring on the Mediterranean Moments stamp set with the new Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens.

Hope to see YOUR entry in my inbox, very soon!

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5 Ordering Mistakes Newbie Crafters Make & how to avoid them

It's sooo exciting when you start a new hobby. You just want EVERYTHING! And you're dazzled by all the potential in every single package, box and bottle. I've been there, baby! I'm still seeing projects around every corner, and I've been at this a LONG time now!

Over the years I've helped literally hundreds of people start stamping. Each one has unique plans and goals for their crafting, but I've compiled some basic tips to help any new stamper make wise purchases.

Enjoy these quick tips and hit "submit" on that order knowing you've played it smart.

Five Ordering Mistakes Newbies Make (and how to avoid them):

1. Buying too many single-occasion stamp sets. Sets that are designed to be versatile enough for several seasons tend to be the best value. Florals and nature themes work all year round. But honestly? don't limit yourself. If you really love a specific stamp set, no matter how "impractical" it might be, it will get more use than a generic one you don't really feel excited about.
2. Cherry-picking from several different suites and families. This one's a biggie. When you're new to a hobby, stick to a suite of products that were designed to go together and you'll have better luck with the finished product. Plus you'll waste less time trying to figure out what looks good--it's all done for you, with suites! The same thing applies to colors. Instead of just choosing five or six ink pads randomly, order in color families if you can (Brights, Regals, Subtles, etc). There's a price discount if you do so, and you can rest assured knowing the colors you're getting will all play together nicely.
3. Ordering without doing the math first. Nothing is worse than not having enough supplies to finish something and having to sub in stuff that doesn't match, or worse yet--wait for another order to come in. Think the project through from start to finish. Did you do the math--and leave margin for error? Might want to add a pack. What will you mail it in? Better add some envelopes. Don't sabotage your chances of getting your project successfully completed!
4. Not ordering what they actually need. On my first order I ordered wheeled stamps (remember those?) and no ink cartridges. I am not sure what I was thinking! I got the box and literally could not do a thing with my new toys. Stamps need ink. Cardstock needs a trimmer. Paper needs scissors. Embellishments need adhesive. Look at each item on your list and think about what it needs to actually do its job. That's what you'll need to order.
5.  Losing track of what they order. Over the years I've exchanged quite a few things for people who didn't realize they already owned them! I know it's hard to imagine when you're just starting out, but it's totally true! Make a check mark or circle items you just ordered right in your Catalog. That way you won't make the mistake of ordering a duplicate. Need a hard copy of the catalog? Just let me know!
6. I know I said "five mistakes," but here's a bonus! The worst mistake newbie crafters make is to order more than $100 without knowing their options. Party benefits start at just $150. You might as well put it in as a party and get hostess rewards, right? And it's only $99 to join Stampin' Up and pick out ANYTHING you want for the Starter Kit, up to (but not over!) $125. The business supplies are thrown in free. And there's no shipping, only tax. And then, of course, everything you purchase yourself after that will come with a demonstrator discount! So I guarantee you it's going to be worth a look if your wishlist is over $100--and that's good advice for anyone, anytime, regardless of whether or not this is a new hobby for you.

I hope you've gotten several good tips that will help make your first orders from Stampin' Up a little smarter than mine were! If you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate one second--email me! [email protected] I love to talk shop, and with a calculator I'm not bad at math--and I've probably personally tried or seen just about any product you could think to ask about.

It's fun to go crazy and order willy-nilly--but it's even more fun to plan ahead a little bit and have everything you need to actually complete your intended project. Chat with you soon!

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Cool Treats & Tasty Trucks: ice cream cards

It's only fitting that I'd be blogging about an ice cream stamp set when it's only 20 degrees outside and the power was out in the house all morning, right??? Forgive any typos my frozen fingers make this afternoon--it's going to take me some time to thaw out, I think.

I just received a fantastic set of sample swaps back--this one from my fellow Stampin' Up Advisory Board Alumni. The Advisory Board no longer exists, but it was my honor to serve the 2013-14 term. We have a lot of special memories and we all still keep in touch!

The work on these particular swaps is always really great and I couldn't wait to share with you. I've grouped them in related posts for convenience, so you'll be seeing several collections over the next week. ENJOY!

Aren't they just too fun? All of these card use the Cool Treats coordinating suite of "sweet" matching products. There are endless hours of fun in this bundle! If you don't have the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog yet, please email me at [email protected]

Cool Treats Suite: Shop With Lyssa!

Cool Treats Photopolymer Stamp Set [142982] $27.00	Frozen Treats Framelits Dies for Big Shot [142756] $27.00	Cool Treats Photopolymer Bundle w/dies [145181] 10% off $48.50
Tasty Treats Specialty Designer Series Paper [142770] $13.00	Tasty Treats Designer Washi Tape [142773] $8.00	Tasty Treats 8.5x11 Cardstock Asst. Pack [142771] $8.00
Sprinkles Embellishments for shaker cards or glitter [142741] $5.50	Peekaboo Peach Ombre Stampin' Ink Pad [142805] $9.00	Tasty Trucks Photopolymer Stamp Set FREE with any $50 order [143300]

I have this bundle but haven't had time to play with it yet. I can't wait to copy a couple of the samples on page 32 in the Spring Catalog. They are STINKIN' CUTE! Thanks for spending a little time with me today, SWEET friends! See you tomorrow for another set of WOW cards from my AB sisters, and an awesome photo tutorial you're going to flip for!