Sunday, March 22, 2009

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On it's Way!

These are the projects we made at our monthly Serenity Stampers card and craft class .
Included stamp sets: Egg Hunt roller wheel , An Egg-cellent Easter and
" A Good Egg" all of these sets are available for order right now!

This card turned out so cute! We made it using my new circle scissors plus. Okay girls there definately was a learning curve! abig one especially for me and I was teaching the project!! LOL! I learned this layout recently at our Directs meeting from Lisa Curcio. She was over the other day for a stamp day and I got a little extra tutorial on it. So I felt brave enough to choose it for my class card. Practice, Patience and Perserverance, but totally worth it. Once you get the hang of it it is easy peasy. Tip: The line with dimensions on it, where you can hardly see it. Take a peice of white label maker tape and stick it underneath the numbers and it pops out the numbers where you can see them really good.
Supplies:
Stamps: An Egg-cellent Easter, Egg Hunt roller wheel
Card stock: Amethyst, So Saffron. Certainly Celery, Watercolor paper, Tea Party Designer Paper, Pretty in Pink
Ink: same colors in re-inkers and blender pen
Accessories:circle scissors plus, tag is from the match box die cut, So Saffron striped ribbon,rhinestone brads, 2 way glue and dazzling diamonds, Xyron machine, eyelet scallop
I saw an idea similar to this on SCS and my friend Lisa and I were playing around in my stamp studio and this is our version we came up with. The Flower Daises Die Cut was absolutely perfect for this! Thanks to my friend Sue for letting me borrow it. She will be on vacation for 3 weeks so I will have all kinds of goodies for her by the time she gets back.
Supplies:
Card stock: Tea Party Designer Paper,Pretty in Pink, So Saffron,Certainly Celery,white
Ink: Same
Accessories:Daisies Sizzix Die Cut, Scallop oval punch, 1" inch circle punch, glue dots, dimensionals, paper bag(from Michael's)

side view: I filled my bag with candy for Easter, but I see this as a GREAT Mother's Day gift with handmade cards for Mom or a friend!

Another card lay out we learned at directs meeting the Hinge card!
I used "A Good Egg Stamp Set" Tea Party Designer paper, all of the coordinating colors.
We stamped the egg on glossy paper with black stazon and used the SU markers to color it in and quickly used the blender pens to blend the color while the markers are still wet to give it that smooth look.
Then we used the Xyron machine and ran the image through upside down and peeled the adhesive off the image and put the dazzling diamonds all over, it looks so smooth. Use the photo corners to give the paper some weight when pulling the top hinge of the card back. Used a rhinestone brad to adhere the hinge.

This a wonderful gift my dear friend Frances a serenity stamper who attended class that day gave me for my Easter present, fresh homemade salsa! It's awesome!! Being the crafty lady she is of course she had to decorate the jar and finished the ensemble off with a box I taught at our New Years Day craft class! I love it when my stampers learn a project and then make one and show it to me and even better I get it as a present!! What a treat! Thank you, Frances. I love it!!









Sunday, March 15, 2009

Serenity Stampers Now Hiring Crafters!

This kind of Peace, Joy and Serenity
is waiting for you.....become a "Serenity Stamper" today and begin a journey where you choose your job description,your own hours, and set your own salary while doing what you love and sharing it with others!

Does that sound like Serenity to you?

Becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator has never been so easy!



Once you join Stampin’ Up!, the company benefits of being an active demonstrator are the same whether you are a hobby or career demonstrator. You can also view more about the opportunity on Stampin’ Up!’s company website.


Crafters join for many different reasons and you may have goals similar to these below:
DISCOUNT DEMONSTRATOR: Likes the idea of buying stamps for personal use at a discount and occasionally sells to friends and family.
SHORT-TERM DEMONSTRATOR: Sells for a short period of time to earn a specified amount of money and stops when the goal is reached.
HOBBY DEMONSTRATOR: Loves doing workshops and classes and earning extra money when it’s convenient, works a lot some months and very little or none, other months.
CAREER DEMONSTRATOR: Views Stampin’ Up! as a viable business with long-term career potential; pursues management and wants to move up the career ladder; regularly attends Stampin’ Up! events and has developed close social relationships with other demonstrators; works at her business in a consistent manner.
As you can see, this is a flexible, fun business you can build to suit your needs and desires. Make it fit for you by using your unique talents. Want more information? Ready to get started? Contact me for the me for more details!at: www.whitneyrichardson.stampinup.net and join
"Serenity Stampers"now!!

Take advantage of this awesome opportunity SU is offering right now!!
Remember during Sale-a-bration (through March 31st) if you sign up you will receive a FREE stamp set of your choice from the catalog and receive the kit for a discounted $169.00! (regularly $199.00 plus tax) products valued at over $350.00.

** This promotion of three easy payments will run through April 30th, however after March 31st the kit price is $199.00 and the 3 payments reflect that price.This is how is works!



Starter Kit - 3 Easy Payments!
This is the Starter Kit Payment Plan:
that is charged when the demonstrator agreement is received by home office.Payment Charged*

Payment 1 (charged at time kit is entered)
$56.34 (+ sales tax) is charged when the deomonstrator agreement is received by home office.

If you choose the Stampin' Memories Add-On kit-the payment would be
$106.34 (+ sales tax) (Payment with the Kit and Stampin' Memories Add-On* )
Payment 2 (charged around April 15th)
$56.33

Payment 3 (charged around May 15th)
$56.33
_______________________________________________________________
Total Payment
$169.00
Link to three easy payment plan form: http://www.stampinup.com/us/documents/Three_Easy_Payment_Plan_US7.pdf

* If you are interested in becoming a member of My Serenity Stamper's team. Please contact me immediately at http://www.whitneyrichardson.stampinup.net/ and begin the journey of a lifetime!
Sign up as a demonstrator before March 31st you will receive an additional stamp set valued at $23.95 from me as a new team member gift!!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Big Shot Sizzix Die Cut Storage

My DH and I did some major remodeling in my stampin studio today.

I recently converted my garage into a bigger studio than I had in my home. In my home I had very high counters that he designed because I am 5'1 and bending over a table all day left me with a terrible back ache. Because I am a stander and after ALL DAY that takes a toll. I can't sit and stamp. Plus you have to get up every 5 minutes to get something so what is the point?

Long story short, I have been bending over the 8ft tables working, doing assembly work for upcoming crops and craft fairs I have coming up and after countless hours of rubbing my back spasms I guess he decided theat is was time to get out in the wood shop and find a solution to all those little comments I keep making. You know the subtle honeydew wish list.
So, he took pieces of PVC pipe and extended the legs on my table and made them higher for when I am working alone. Easily removed when class time comes. Also the picture above is my new storage for my die cuts. He bought a piece of a Rubbermaid rack at Lowe's and turned it upside down and tilted it out and used braces from bookshelves and mounted it to the wall right above my work station. The dies fit perfectly into the slats, but it did bounce alot with out the braces. You can read each name of the die, see it clearly and I have marked each die with the measurement that the CS needs to be cut to die cut it. How many times did you measure that large scallop before you remembered it is 4 3 /4 x 4 3/4. So I wrote them on the top. Saves me so much time and paper.

These wooden little beauties is one of the very first things he made for me to keep supplies in a few years back when I had very little supplies, boy I outgrew these in a hurry. So I have all my cutting plates, acrylic pads, crease pad, texture plates and impressions plates and pads and then of course all my cuttlebug embossing folders. The there is a little metal tin with all my sizzlits and embosslits in it.I had this tin a friend gave to me and said decorate this and make it beautiful, I don't know what to do with t. So, I have finally found a use for it.

Here is all my different types and shapes of chip board. Hint: Every time you go to a restaurant ask for a few coasters here and there and you will have a collection before you know it. I use the coasters which are more light weight behind my Serif essentials to give them a sturdy backing.

I have an eight foot table with my rotary cutter, scor-pal, the bins have all my SU chipboard pieces and alphabets in it, then my new circle scissors, Big Shot, then my embossing station. All in one area on one table. It's awesome. Over on the left by the rotary cutter I have my filing cabinet( not in the picture) with all my full sheets of Card stock and my filing cabinet with my scraps in it next to it. Then my stand for my 12x12 and mybins for my DSP.
One stop chopping , scoring, circle cutting, big shotting and embossing all in row!!

I think I have died and gone to Stampin' Heaven!!

Truly girls I have the best husband. He was one of my first recruits when we were still engaged and then of course he became my supporting demonstrator when we married. so he knows how important it is to be organized and use time wisely. Makes for a less cranky wife in the evening.

I hope this helps anyone who may have been feeling like me..... Tired of looking for this and that!

Now it is all at my fingertips!! I have another surprise for you on the other side of the room it is gorgeous but I will post it when I finish some projects on it.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Sneak Peak of A Walk to Remember

This is a sneak peak of the new products coming in the Occasions Mini catalog which will be released on April 1st! This amazing Designer paper is " A Walk to Remember" I love it it reminds me of the movie with Keanu Reeves. The love story about the girl in vineyard and her Papa was real old fashioned and they made wine and danced in grapes smushing them with their feet in the big barrels dancing and singing, ooohhh what a romantic movie! Well this paper has that effect on you. I was very inspired to create with it even with this tricky illness I have. One day great, next day not so great!!

So much for that! On to the details!!


This card was inspired by Mary Fish at http://www.stampinpretty.com/
I received my new Circle Scissors Cutter and it is fabulous!! The best circle cutter on the market and believe me I have tried them all. It takes some practice. Perseverance definitely a must with this tool!
**Helpful Hints my blogger buddy passed on to me. Put a piece of colored CS underneath the glass mat so you can read the inches across from the centimeters. I could not see the inches and all there was was cm and I was freaked out!But you can see the inches to dial into to cut your circles from anywhere to 6". Make sure to put dotto on the top of the glass mat to hold the paper your cutting in place while you spin the cutter. Before pressing down to cut always spin your cutter knob around (without pressing down) to make sure you have enough room for your circle or if you need to adjust it.
Supplies:
Stamp set: Short & Sweet
Card stock: Baha Breeze,Walk in the Park DP, Cameo Coral, Baha DP
Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix BigX Butterfly Die, Large Scallop,Lots of Tags sizzlits, paper piercer,
white craft ink, white Ep, heat tool, in color buttons, dimensionals, baha breeze double stitch 5/8" ribbon.


This is the #2 Sizzix box ,Simple Flower Embosslit, SU little leaves sizzlits,
Paper: Walk in the park dp, cameo coral, old olive dp, choc chp butterfly punch,
Match Box Messages(coming in the Occasions Mini catalog) which coordinates
with the Match box die cut and the beautiful twill saffron ribbon 7/8"



Supplies:
Card stock: Cameo Coral, Baha Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip,Walk in the Park DP
Stamp Sets: Oval All (Occasions Mini) Ink: Baha Breeze
Accessories: Summer Love Rub-ons(Occasions Mini) the bird s a rub on
Big Shot,# 2 Sizzix 2 Scallop (lg One), circle scissors plus, little leaves sizzlits, oval scallop (OM)
Large oval punch, paper piercing with matpack and baha 5/8' double stitched ribbon

Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! Any advice or stories with your circle scissors plus please share!!




OOOOH La La Fifth Avenue is where I want to be!

This card uses the Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set
Card stock: Pink Pirk, Baha Breeze, Basic Grey Designer paper
I used the NEW Manhattan texture impressions die, then I sanded the raised impression it made with my sanding block and since designer paper is not dyed all the way through it gives it a bleached effect. This will not work with our standard card stock which is dyed all the way through and will not have the same effect when sanded. Then I took my two way glue pen and used dazzling diamonds to top it off. The sentiment is the NEW scallop oval punch (all coming in the mini in April) in Baha on white with The NEW Oval All stamp set also coming backed by the largest oval punch in the current catty stamped in baha breeze ink. I also used the pink pirk 5/8" ribbon.
This card is absolutely gorgeous in person.
I cased this card from my new blogger friend Mary Fish and added a few changes of my own.
Her work is amazing and so is she! You can visit her blog at:
I made this box to match my card using my Big Shot with the #2 box extended die cut!
With the NEW Good Friend stamp set also featured in the New Occasions mini catalog that will be available on April 1st. I love the beautiful Pink Pirk 1 1/2"(i think) ribbon tied around it!
However, there are some Easter sets available for customers to pre-order. Click on the link on the Occasions Mini Sneak Peak on the top right hand side of my blog


Thursday, March 5, 2009

Top Note Wedding Invitation with Seashells

Note: The rope is long b/c we are going to hang a sea shell from it!
This is the beautiful invitation Lexie, Eric and I came up with for their wedding
down in Key West on the beach in May. The stamp set is Seaside on page #95 $25.95.
There is nothing greater than your customer bringing
her new fiance' to your stamp studio
to do their wedding invitations and he is a natural born stamper!!
They were awesome!Lexie hit the jackpot with this one!
We used Baha breeze 5 1/2 x 51/2 as the base (it doesn't open just a single)
Then the whisper white CS layered on top is 5 1/4 x5/1/4 where we randomly stamped all the different shells in Baha breeze, Kiwi kiss, choc chip, pink pirk ink
then we typed up a mock announcement chose ink in choc chip to match
( made sure to center it in the middle)
and cut an 8 1/2 x11 sheet of kiwi at 4 1/4 down the middle x 11
then loaded it in the printer pushing the printing plates to the middle
and making sure to seperate the two announcements far enough apart so that we can
get two on the one strip of 4 1/4 x11, hence getting 4 announcements on one sheet of cs.
Then we cut out the top notes carefully lining them up so that the announcement is on the middle. You probably can't see it but they stamped the conch shell in versamark on the very top of the top note that really finished it off. The we took the rope left from The Holiday mini and put it through the top. The reason it is hanging so low is because we left it long Eric is going to try to drill a whole thru the shells they have and have it dangle from the rope, then will cut it shorter.I think it was a wonderful collaberative team effort and our ceation came out beautiful.
What I enjoyed so much is watching the two of them interact as they created their invitations.
If you marry a man who enjoys creating and stamping with you what a blessing!!

They are also doing the pillow boxes in Kiwi Kiss and stamping the outside
with close to cocoa and using the 2 line classic SU stamp that we ordered that says
Eric and Lexie
May 23, 2009
on one of the tags from lots of tags sizzlits, trying to decide what color the tag should be?
Any ideas? Please send them in!! We are also going to do the ribbon different probably use the cropadile and put holes in the top and thread the ribbon thru, gotta play with that a bit more.
So, I would love to hear your comments and ideas! If you can think of anything we haven't thought of please your comments are welcome. when their order comes in they will be back to
the Stamp Studio and they will make their invitations using stamp studio time.
Getting married on the beach in Key West how romantic, I wish them all the luck. Lexie is a great girl and deserves nothing but the best!

This a card that I cased the basic layout but changed a few things up and of course I can't remember which site it was from.I really have to better about this.
I used the Parisian Breeze textured paper and the Echoes of Kindness stamp set.
I used water color paper (ticket cornered it) on my focal point and used ink (brown stazon to stamp image and baha and close to cocoa) to paper with the blender pen to fill it in and then used dazzling diamonds on the flower.
I used Lots of Tags sizzlits for my sentiment with the stamp set Hope Happens stamped in white craft ink and embossed with white ep.
Then I used my new latte buttons I chose the white one and threaded beading twine thru the middle. Also the ribbon is the 1" double stitched baha breeze.
Very simple but elegant. the textured paper really makes it.
Hope you like it!


Fifthe Avenue Floral Frenzy

Can you tell this is my absolute favorite stamp set The Fifth Avenue Floral
and designer paper Urban Oasis

This card was inspired by my downline and good friend Vicky!


I saw this on one of my buddy's blog and for the life of me I can't remember which one...

This another crafty idea of Vicky's. She did hers in Raspberry Tart and
of course I had to do Urban Oasis.

I was hooked on RBT for so long I needed to try something new!!

These cards are 3 3/4 x 4 1/4. I put the top note on the front with a sentiment. Then on the back I added another top note where you can write a message. The envelopes will go on other side of the folder.

These are perfect to make with the gift notes on the under $10.00 page #208 in the back of the catalog! In April, we will have a special promo, for every $40.00 order you place you will receive a FREE item from that page.


This is the Sizzix Box #2 stamped with Fifth Avenue Floral with kiwi kiss, basic grey. and baha breeze inks. It looks just like the Designer paper in Urban Oasis!! I used the lots of tags sizzlits for the sentiment with the Thank you stamp also, from the under $10.00 page! It's only $ 5.95. WOW, what a great investment. I love those tag sizzlits. They are a must have so easy to make an impressive classy tag or focal point for any card or project. Great journaling tags for scrap pages as well. They are on page 201 only $21.95.

This card features the new Birthday set "On your Birthday" page 141 $33.95 with 12 stamps in the set, it covers about every bday sentiment you could want. Even one that says look who's turning ( ) you just put in the number for year. I also really like the two sided kiwi kiss satin ribbon, with vanilla satin on the back side accented with flower fusions 2 and our rhinestone brads. What did we ever do without all these beautiful new embellishments to choose from

yeah, don't answer that demonstrators!!

This is the pillow top box, made with the Bigz Sizzix die cut from page 197 for only $19.95.

Great for baby showers, bdays, bridal showers and weddings. I actually have couple using them for their wedding and putting in small starfish. too cute. They are having a beach wdding wait till you see the invitation I designed for them.
It is also so easy to punch the box and put acetate behind the punch
and you can see what is in the box.

Nice and simple. I love the sentiment if you can't read it, it says:

"Plant your feet firmly and let your heart have wings" from the stamp set

Hope Happens $19.95 page 135

I love this color combo, baha, pink pirk, and choc chip
with a little paper piercing around the outside edge. Easy peasy!!
Use the mat pack for the paper piercing $9.95 in the accessories section.

Well I am off to try to move onto another set. I really don't want to but I must!! I have all this NEW stuff to play with and being sick for three weeks and not being able to stamp almost killed me!! Can anyone recite Step One for me! Have we actually formed Stampaholics yet? Does anyone have a meeting schedule! LOL!

Hope you enjoy the cards and look forward to seeing you this month at Card and Craft class March 21, 2009 Saturday 10-am-2pm.

Deadline for reservations is March 9th. We will be doing SAB and Easter projects!! Whoo Hooo I love Easter and you will too when you see all the new stuff in the Occasions Mini coming out soon. You will be able to order from it April 1st, there are a couple of Easter sets that are available for pre-order now. Go to http://www.whitneyrichardson.stampinup.net/ and look for The Occasions Mini pre-order sets.
Save the date and come crop with us at Nativity Catholic Church's annual Spring Crop!! March 28th 9-4pm

tickets are $30.00 for all day 9-4pm tons of raffles and goody bags, all vendors will be there with make and takes, demonstrations and more!!
You can reserve a whole table for you and all your friends

Come visit Whitney's Stampin' Studio and get your hands on the latest and greatest.

We will be representing Stampin' Up! at the Crop! Great time to catch up on your cropping and enjoy fellowship and a few make and takes and help raise money for the missions trips this year.

See you soon!! Happy Crafting!!








Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Manhattan Flower Texture Impressions Die Now Available!!

Wow!! I am sooo excited! Ever since I saw this at leadership I could not wait to get this and it is NOW available!! You have to check out this baby for only $7.95 you can't go wrong! It is amazing. It coordinates with the Fifth Avenue Stamp set and the Urban Oasis Designer paper!!
I have had a blast with that stamp set! I will post all my goodies tonight of what me and my girls have been up to since coming back from my two week bout with the YUCK! It feels great to be back at the drawing board!! Easter is coming and wait until you see the cool sets they have for us this year. I am impressed SU's Easter sets are really awesome this year.
I will post those tonight as well!!
Now back to work!!