A little birdie told me...

**If you're hopping over to find my Let's Scrap Blog Hop Challenge, click here!!!**

Happy Thursday and welcome to a new Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge!  Here's the CUTE inspiration this week:

 Aren't the little birds adorable?!  Here is my creation:

This was fun to create!  I LOVE the Patterned Designer Series Paper Stacks - 40 sheets of gorgeous paper!!

I combined the SCIC challenge with the Mojo Monday card sketch.  Here's the sketch this week at Mojo Monday:

And here's the scoop on my card--
Supplies Used:
Paper:  White, Pretty in Pink, DSP Patterns (pink-subtles, red-brights)
Stamps:  Valentine Defined, Love You Much, Short & Sweet
Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Early Espresso
Punches:  1 3/4" circle, 2 3/8" scallop circle, Heart-to-Heart
Other:   Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Bitty Buttons, Linen Thread, dimensionals, distressing essentials

Have you made your Valentine's cards yet?

Spend $50 during Sale-a-Bration and earn a FREE Stamp Set!

For example:

Love You Much Stamp Set (#113756) - $25.95

Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack (#117152 for subtles or #117155 for the brights) - $19.95

Classic Stampin' Ink Pad (#103133 Real Red or #101301 Pretty in Pink) - $5.95

This order would total $51.85 before tax and shipping which qualifies you for one FREE Sale-a-Bration set!  You'd have a great stamp set for adult and kids' Valentine's cards and plenty of fun paper left over for other projects. 

Click here or follow the Sale-a-Bration flyer link on the right to view the Sale-a-Bration items you can earn for free!  Let me know if you have any questions!

Make sure and visit Stampin' Celebration to see the other Design Team Member's creations this week.  You have until next Tuesday to upload your project and a chance to become the next "Pick of the Party!"

It's time to Sale-a-Brate!

Stampin' Up!'s biggest event of the year, Sale-a-Bration is in full swing!  Now is the time to stock up on your favorite products, host a workshop, or become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  Here's the scoop:

Sale-a-Bration Dates: January 25-March 31, 2011

Promotion Details
Our biggest sales event of the year--Sale-A-Bration--is here! This year we have four great Sale-A-Bration sets for hostesses and  customers to choose from--as well as a Designer Series Paper & Quick Accents pack, a Ribbon & Button pack, digital downloads, and Décor Elements!  In addition, there are over 50 stamp sets in the main Idea Book & Catalog you can choose from.

There are three ways for you to earn FREE products:

Shop: Receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 purchase (before tax and shipping)!  This includes online orders from my Stampin' Up! online store.

Host: Have a workshop and receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $300 in workshop sales*, in addition to our regular hostess benefits!  *Note: This benefit is only available on qualifying customer, demonstrator, and workshop orders. Online orders do not qualify.

Join: New demonstrators will receive 15% off your Starter Kit (Standard or Digital+), plus a special Sale-A-Bration bonus bundle valued up to $50!  If you've ever considered signing up for a discount on your favorite products, or to make some extra $$, now is the time!  Enjoy demonstrator discounts and benefits through June 30, 2011 with no obligation to sell or make any further purchases. 

I held my first Sale-a-Bration Workshop Friday night!  Here are the two projects we made:

The guests had a great girls' night out and left with a card they can use for either Valentine's, a wedding, or an anniversary, plus a cute Valentine's treat holder.  In addition, between all of the guests at the workshop, SEVEN FREE Sale-a-Bration sets were given away!!  The hostess also earned THREE FREE stamp sets plus $45 in free product to spend how she wanted!  She's already planning on hosting a catalog party in March to earn more free Stampin' Up! goodies!!  So, what are you waiting for?!  There are many ways to earn free stamp sets and other products during Sale-a-Bration!!  Contact me if you have any questions or place your online order here today!

Thanks for stopping by!  Check back tomorrow for a fun card and this week's Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge!

Wish BIG!

**If you are hopping over to find my Let's Scrap Blog Hop Challenge, click here!!!**

It's Thursday - which means it's time for a new Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge (SCIC)!  Are you ready?  Here is SCIC #36:

Isn't it pretty?  I immediately knew what I wanted to do!  (Sadly, I didn't have enough of the exact pink I wanted, so I had to go a shade darker.)  But, I'm happy with my creation and know just who I'm going to send it to!!  Here's my take on this challenge:

I keep wondering if I should have put a little bling on that star.....?

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Regal Rose, Early Espresso, Patterns Designer Series in Brights (a must-have!)
Stamps:  Occasional Quotes (Hostess Set)
Ink:  Early Espresso
Ribbon:  1/4" Grosgrain in Early Espresso
Other:  Scallop Squares Duo Big Shot Die (still available/carried over from Holiday mini), Vintage Wallpaper and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folders, 3/4" circle punch, sticky strip, dimensionals

I hope you get a chance to stop by Stampin' Celebration and see the gorgeous creations from the design team!  You have until Tuesday to upload your take on the challenge!  Thanks to everyone that played last week - there were some amazing entries!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Shop 24/7 for your favorite Stampin' Up! products in my online store.

Got Chocolate?

If you are hopping over to find my Let's Scrap Blog Hop Challenge, click here!!!

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for a new sketch over at Let's Scrap.  This week we have a card sketch from Kimmy.  Here's my card:

You all tell me that you want quick projects!!  Well, I'm labeling this card as fast & fab!  It took me about 10 minutes to make this card!  And, if I had used ribbon in place of the punched diagonal border, it would have taken even less time!

Supplies Used:

Paper:  Blushing Bride & In Color Designer Series Paper Pack, Early Espresso

Ink:  Early Espresso

Stamps:  Eat Chocolate

Punches:  Circle, Scalloped Circle, Scallop Trim Border, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Other:  Dimensionals

Easy peasy!  Isn't that polka-dot paper super cute?!  It's from the hostess only set of In Color Designer Series Paper Pack.  It comes with a pad of 6x6 patterned papers - so fun!  And, how about that stamp set?  It's from the new Occasions Mini Catalog.  I love this set with all of it's sentiments!  (Being the chocolate lover that I am!!)

Well, that's it for today!  Make sure and upload your creation in the Let's Scrap gallery.  I'd love to see it!  Make sure and stop by tomorrow when the new Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge (SCIC) is revealed!!

 

Scrapbook Resolutions

If you are hopping over to find my Let's Scrap Blog Hop Challenge, click here!!!

The Let's Scrap Blog Hop is in full swing!  The "resolution" theme has really got me thinking about my creative goals.  Scrapbooking will always be my first love.  I recently returned from my bi-annual girls' scrap weekend.  My family always wants to see the layouts I created when I get home.  I just love watching the boys go through our scrapbooks and reminisce about special moments in our lives.  That is the reason I began to scrapbook and will continue to do so!  It has since become my favorite hobby and my creative outlet.  I also love having such a wonderful group of friends that share this hobby with me.

I do have some scrappy resolutions for the new year and I'll share them with you.  (Or, feel free to scroll down to my layouts - lol!)

1. To continue to document our family's history through each layout I create.  To focus on both the important moments in our lives but also the little things that I never want to forget!
2. I'm setting a big goal of 104 layouts in 2011!  It sounds like a lot - but I know it's doable.  It averages out to a 2-page layout a week!  I have a little dry erase board in my "studio" where I tally each page.
3. Do more digital scrapbooking.  I recently purchased the digital scrapbooking software, My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up!  (For info on this click here.)  I really enjoy traditional scrapbooking, but with all of the photos I take, it's easy to get overwhelmed.  I'd like to do photobooks for the boys' sporting events and some of our family vacations.  Everything else, I will continue to do traditionally.  I'm also very excited about doing photobooks and calendars for gifts - so fun!
4. Finish my son's school scrapbook.  I've gotten a little behind (gasp) and want to complete it in time for his 5th grade graduation gift.  (sniff, sniff - they grow up so fast!)

Do you have any crafty resolutions or goals for this year?  Leave me a comment - I'd love to hear them!  Need some scrappy time to get inspired?  Join me for Chicks & Chocolate the last Friday of each month! We have tons of fun and actually get some projects done!  If you're new to scrapbooking or prefer to make cards, I'll have some kits available to purchase.  (Which makes it fast and easy!!)  

I've been enjoying the Let's Scrap Blog Hop and all of the wonderful layouts in the gallery.  I've actually done a couple of layouts myself that I want to share.  Most of you know that I've been a scrapbooker for a very long time and have become quite the collector (or hoarder as my dear friend might call it) over the years....  Well, I'm trying to use up some of my stash.  So, even though Stampin' Up! is now my very favorite, I will post an occasional layout without all Stampin' Up! products.  (another gasp!)

One of the challenges I completed was from Carolina - to make a layout or card without opening up new packs of anything!  That was easy for me since I have quite a few half-used kits lying around!  Here's my layout:

Isn't that a sweet face?   My son Evan LOVES to read - which make mama very happy!  :-)  I loved documenting this in a scrapbook page!

My next layout is for Betty Anne's challenge.  Her challenge was to scraplift a layout from the Let's Scrap gallery.  I chose to scraplift one of my favorite layouts from Jean Marmo.  Here's my layout:

I loved all of the layering and inking that Jean did on her layout - I tried to do the same on mine.  This is Evan and our sweet dog Marley.  She adores him and sleeps right next to his bed every night.  I was so tempted to title it "Marley & Me" but opted for "The Best Bud."  I am a firm believer that every boy needs a dog.  (Or maybe every dog needs a boy?!)

I also wanted  to say a big thank you to all of the wonderful comments this week!  I've received so many congratulations on making the Stampin' Celebration Design Team and compliments on my projects.  It really means a lot to me and makes me smile!  Thank you!!

Well, that's it for today.  Shew, what a long post.... thanks for listening to my ramblings and checking out my creations!  Stop back by tomorrow for my take on the new Let's Scrap card sketch!