January Card and Craft Projects

This basic layout of this card was cased fom my roommate at leadership, Judy Carpenter.

Stamp Set: Petal Pizazz, A Happy Heart, Bella Toile BG stamp

Card Stock:Base: Kiwi, Rose Red, Whisper White and my favorite Raspberry Tart DP

Inks: Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Regal Rose

Accessories: white gel pen, Arrow Punch, 3/4" circle punch, Pink Perk 5/8" ribbon. Pretty in Pink 1/4" ribbon, Scallop edge punch, Sizzix XL Large Scallop

Raspberry Tart Valentine Favor
Use the 2 scallop Sizzix die cut for the topper, use cropadile to thread ribbon thru on both sides of scallop, rhinestone brads, 3 heart punch, or window word punch, use small SU 3x5 cello bag on the inside cut off at 2 1/4 add candy and adhere to inside of favor

Inside shot of my candy

I received this card in a swap from Heather Medford. I just changed the color combo and design a bit. But when you pull the tab out it becomes a bookmark. See below. She is very talented.

Love those filagree brads! Super deal 8 small, 8 large for only $5.95

I received a swap from Charlene at leadership, which was one of my favorite swaps and of course I had to come home and turn it into a Raspberry Tart bouquet. In order to make these you must have the BIG SHOT with the following die cuts: Baskets and Blooms, Large Scallop, 2 scallop die and the ribbon I used was the 1 1/2' pink perk and the kiwi 5/8 grosgrain. I also used mymat pack to punch he holes in the ends of the scallops much faster than the croppy. I got this bucket at Old time Pottery back at Christmas for like $2 bucks!! This would make a great teacher or mothers day gift or great for your desk at work and use your large circle punch and put pictures of the kids and put in the center of the flowers! Definately selling these at my vendor stand at the Nativity Crop in March!

You probably recall the front of this 6x6 flip scrap book from a previous post.

I love to take card fronts and turn them into the focal points of my scrap pages! Why reinvent the wheel when the wheel got alot of WOW's the first time!

This will be our March stamp camp project.

6x6 Scrap Flip Book Stamp Camp will be held on

Saturday 10am-4pm on March 7th,

so make sure to save the date! Stamp Camp will be $40.00 and you will receive an entire pack of Designer Paper of your choice to make your book. 6 pieces of 6x6 chipboard, 2 rings to fasten it and 6 pieces of ribbon for the top. Plus access to multiple dies embosslits, texture plates, and tons of other accessories to design your scrap pages. So start choosing your pictures! This is a quick instant gratification scrap project.The first three people to reserve their seat with pre-payment will receive a $5.00 gift certificate!(Must sign up by Feb 8th to receive special offer)

I have a few new scrapping techniques I learned at leadership I can't wait to share with you!

**Also I will be offering a basic version of this as a bonus make and take at the Bloomingdale High School Orchestra Fundraiser on Feb. 21 at a reduced rate. All the profits and proceeds will go to the BHS Orchestra. Space limited to the first 10 ppl who sign up for this make and take at the BHS crop! Details on my previous email regarding the crop. you can contact Lisa Curcio to reserve your crop seat. These are the most wonderful group of kids. This is a non-profit event and a non-sales environment. You will not be asked to order or book workshops. Just come and crop enjoy fellowship and make and takes. And help our kids!! If you have been meaning to do more charity work, here is your opportunity and you will be doing something you enjoy in the process.

Plus there will be massive raffles!!

Sample page of the inside, I still need to pick out my pictures!

4 Scallop envelope die cuts make a box! These have been among my stampers favs this month!

you can fill it with candy and makes a cute VDAY gift!

I made these for my down line girls that attended Regionals in Orlando on the 10th.

It is 2 top notes with a base card stock and then Dp over it, with a cello bag inside that fits 8 Hershey's nuggets, with Rose Red 7/8' Grosgrain ribbon, the rope twine ribbon from the Holiday min, love that stuff! Then a scallop circle from the 2 scallop die cut, and then I stamped the tic tac toe stamp from "Happy Heart" ( whew! so glad that made it into the catty i love it) and popped it out with the circle scallop punch, then stamped the i love you and punched it out with the arrow punch. That is becoming a fav of mine lately. I found this pattern on a blog and can't for the life of me remember who's. During leadership swap preparation my whole family had the flu right up until the day I left for leadership. So it was all kinda of a blurrrr.....

I cased these from Janet Wakefield's blog and made a bunch of them for swaps and actually got to swap with Janet herself at leadership and show her what I did with her pattern, It was an honor! I put the little packets of the sweethearts in them, too cute! We hung out with some members of Janet's down line( which is HUGE) Jan Shaw and Jennifer Thompson who were awesome!

We had the best time dancing and laughing and carrying on during the end of leadership when they were giving out all the prizes. For breakfast every morning, I had to meet them at their hotel, I would have to shlep about 1 1/2 miles down to their hotel where my up line was staying to join all of my sideline for breakfast and get ready to go over to the convention center. Boy, did I ( and everyone else realize how out of shape I was!!) the pouty face and barking dogs probably gave it away too!LOL!

This is one of my latest creations with metal embossing. This is a accent element tin

that I heat embossed and decorated the belly band with Baroque Motiff and Together Forever, Always, and Happy Heart stamp sets. 2 scallop die cut and the circles die cuts, with Rose Red 7/8" grosgrain ribbon and the arrow punch again with the I love you. Can you ever save anything and not show it to your husband? Or are you like me the night before trying to come up with something totally original he hasn't seen to surprise him? Or be honest how many of you end up at Hallmark with a singing card. OHHH if those walls could talk, over thousands of dollars in paper crafting materials and a store bought card. AHa hah

without the belly band

My candies I threw together literally walking out the door to leadership!

I hope you enjoyed the projects and we would love to have you join us to make them wit us his month. We still have room at class on Jan 30 th Friday AM 9-12 and a Valentines Day Stamp a Stack on the 31st Saturday from 10-2pm. If your schedule is crazy and you cannot meet on any of the days outlined on my SU calender at www.whitneyrichardson.stampinup.net and you need help with Valentines or party favors for your childs class you can rent stamp studio time or schedule a one on one class, details located on mu SU website!

I will be giving away blog candy to a random winner on January 29th from all the people who post comments regarding this post. So let me know what you think. Any questions can be directed to www.whitneyrichardson1969@yahoo.com

Happy Crafting!! Can't wait until my new stuff fromt he new catty comes in, how bout you?

New Sizzix 3D Die Cuts Coming soon!

In the new Spring-Summer Catalog we have alot of new Sizzlits die cuts.

Above the one in the picture fits perfectly on the Stamp set

"Big Bold Birthday"page 40 to make the icing on the cupcake 3D.

(this die cut is in the catalog pg. 201 and available now)
At leadership, this year they demonstrated some super cool new big 3D

die cuts that will be coming out later in the year. Believe me with all the new die cuts we have enough to keep us busy until then.

This is the stamp set "Big Birthday Candles" on page 38 with the candles

are cut out on top of the card and below there is a huge 3D cake that

will pop out of your card when you open it!! So cool!

Below is a beach ball which is a Sizzix die cut that is put together inside
with rubber bands to hold it together.

Look below:
The front of the card is too cute, imagine that big beach ball popping out at you as you open the card! Won't your friends be impressed with your handmade cards then? LOL!

So yes Cuttlebug girls, you are going to have to start saving your money for the

"BIG SHOT" because alot of these die cuts are too big to fit through the cuttlebug machine!

Trust me I was a cuttlebuggin fool and I have fallen in love with the BIG SHOT there are just so many more possibilities with it!! Also make sure to check out the new texture plates on page 203

they come 2 sided so you get 6 for $11.95 do the math cuttlebug embossing folders are $4.99 each even if you catch at 30-40% off Stampin' Up's! texture plates are still the best value for the money. Plus they are going to match your stamp sets!

Valentine Stair Step Card

This is a new card fold I learned at Leadership, I couldn't wait to come home and try it.

I took a couple of cards that I received as swaps and redesigned them to fit this card style and tweaked it to my style. We will be incorporating the cards into our classes this month.

Hope you like them tell me what you think?

Stamp Sets: Love You Much ,Bella Toile Background Stamp, and Heard from the Heart

Pink Perk, ,Chocolate Chip and Vanilla card stock and inks, along with the 3 heart punch.

And always 2way glue and dazzling diamonds and Chocolate Chip grosgrain 5/8' ribbon

"Hawaiian Ink" Goes to Leadership!

"Hawaiian Ink" in Orlando 2009

led by Lisa Curcio, Sr. Manager of Brandon. Florida.

Our downlines met up with us on Friday night for dinner before Regionals Saturday Morning.

What a great time we had talking about the new catalog and all the possibilities that lie before us

Leadership Conference 2009

"Imagine the Possibilities"
Charlene, Heather, Kim, Lisa, and Whitney(me)

Former model and now Stampin' Beauty Charlene, conducts a little down line meeting at dinner with our girls that arrived from the East Coast.

One of the most wonderful parts of my trip was the time I got to spend with Kim Medlock and Heather Medford(not shown in this photo). Being a member of Hawaiian Ink has been one of the greatest journey of my life. Leadership this year was filled with inspirational moments and times of reflection. I think the greatest part was reflecting over the past 2 1/2 years and seeing the growth in myself and my business and how it has changed my life spiritually and financially.

As a new demonstrator, I was very eager and very fortunate to be a business builder from the get go! There were so many times I would call my up line and be discouraged when something didn't work out and meet my expectations. Lisa would always ask me the very first question...

Have you prayed about your business today? Once I learned that part of my daily prayer and meditation should include my business and that with God should be at the center of my business.Then if I applied spiritual principles to my business practices just as I did in my personal life and relationships things began to change for me. God led me down the Craft show circuit and I was apprehensive at first and then after my first successful event, I starting seeing that by standing on faith and believing that others believed in me even when I wasn't so sure myself it helped give me that nudge I needed to preservere. From the profits of that craft fair in August 08 I was able to turn my garage into a stamp studio and craft store with the help of my DH. I have done 4 more craft shows and through that my business has tripled in the past six months. I have met some of the most amazing people.

If one thing Lisa Curcio (my up line) has taught me is perseverance. Not only does she teach it, she walks it. I can see it in my fellow sidelines like Heather Medford who made cruise this year and the whole group Charlene and Heather have put together, I see those values being passed on and that is what makes this kind of business work!

So my goal for this year is PERSEVERANCE! and to meet as many new people and touch their lives through creativity, friendship and fellowship and leave the rest up to God!

May each of you be blessed today and create something beautiful for yourself!

I wanted to mention a special person I spent some time with her name is Kim Medlock. She is also in Hawaiian Ink, although we have met before. At leadership we shared some moments that I hold very dear and believe me she has all the right INGREDIENTS!!

Heather and Charlene makin and takin!!

New Stampin' Up! Product Lines Unveiled at Leadership Convention 2009

Yes! It is true digital scrapbooking is headed our way!

This is a sneak peak of "My Digital Studio" coming in the Fall of 2009.
You will be able to create your own scrapbook pages right from your own computer. If you can use Microsoft Word you can use this program. Easy Peasy! It is so cool! You can choose any background, emellishment on and on... the creativity available to you is endless. I am very excited about this new product line!!

In the new catalog you will see that we are now going to be offering stencils in our Decor elements line. This is a stencil that Shelli(CEO and Co-Founder of Stampin' UP!) demonstrated on stage and used on top of her linen scrap book album. It was gorgeous!!

Stencils are very easy and can be used several times. As an extention to the decor elements line which by the way has exploded! There are so many new choices and options for you.

We found out at leadership that later in the year we will be able to order customized decor elements in your choice of colors and other customized options will be available

Details will follow soon!

New Years Day Valentine Craft Class

Our Serenity Stampers New Years Day Craft Class was awesome!! What a fun girls day out!!

No football, just stamping and crafting the afternoon away. Here we are busy making a box with the Scallop envelope sizzix die. This is the cutest box and perfect for Valentine goodies or goodies anytime!! When isn't there a good reason for chocolate?

Valentine Envelope Scallop box, Top Note Party Favor Bags, and two samples of Valentine cards.

We were all very excited to get our hands on this array of Valentine goodies showcasing the NEW Raspberry Tart Paper that will be in the NEW Spring-Summer catalog that will be unveiled at our class on January 17th! These are some the craft projects that we will be doing throughout the month at our card and craft classes in January.
A NEW Serenity Stampers Craft Club formed out of this class. The club will meet the 3rd Saturday of each month. You are required to be a member to attend club meetings.

For Stamp club membership information contact me at www.whitneyrichardson1969@yahoo.com.

We had a blast with these new color combinations!

Very bright and definitely perfect for Valentines with The Happy Heart Set which is featured in the Holiday Mini catalog( if you are interested in this set please make sure to get it before it retires January 17th. We also used sets from the new Valentine Bundle which is available now at 20% off, check it out herehttp://www.stampinup.com/us/documents/Valentines_Bundle_1208US.pdf

Also, the retired accessories list has posted click on the following link to view all retiring accessories. http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/13062.asp

Retired stamp set list link herehttp://www.stampinup.com/us/documents/Retired_Lists_US2.pdf

Most all of the Designer Series paper and Simply Scrappin Kits are retiring to make way for the new upcoming and trendy versions of 2009. So make sure to grab any kits that you can not live without and designer paper. Orders must be in by January 16th,

Our newest and youngest Stamp club member Kimberly came with her Mom Betsy below and they are naturals! I so enjoyed having them for their very first stamp class ever and their projects were gorgeous!

Betsy was blinded by my beauty as I shot her picture using the New Sizzix BIG SHOT machine!

Look forward to seeing you all in class this month! I will be off to leadership on The 7th!! I am so excited ! Can't wait to get home and show you all the goodies that Stampin' Up! showers us with.

And of course the new catalog!! Until then Happy Stamping!! Make sure to get your class seat reserved for January classes deadlines are here!!

My next post will be after leadership! See ya then!