Let’s get a head start on the holiday season and celebrate World Card-Making Day with handmade cards and gifts for those special folks in your life.

Please join Amy Miller and Diane Stader for an all day, come and go, card and gift workshop at the Barn at Fellowship Bible Church on October 2!  We will be there from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.  We will have four projects, plus bonus items, ready for you to make at the workshop or take home and make at your leisure.  You can choose one or all.

No experience – No problem.  We will be there to get you started.  Detailed instructions and supply lists will also be provided.

All supplies are premium high quality products from Stampin’ Up!

Christmas Cards – 12 cards and envelopes with decorated box: 4/2 each of 3 designs; $24 per set of 12; $12 per set of 6.

Note Card Gift Set – 8 all occasion cards to include Birthday, Congratulations, Thanks, Thinking of You, New Baby and more; Includes decorated box and envelopes. $16.00

What a Treat!!! – 5 different treat bag/boxes for the small gifts for students, teachers, etc. $6.25 per set includes candy.

Gift Tags – 6 Christmas gift tags with cute little box. $5.50 per set

All supplies, except adhesive, will be provided, cut and ready for stamping and assembly.  Bring your favorite scissors and premium glue sticks or a double-sided tape roller.

Snacks will be provided and door prize drawings held throughout the day.

We would love to know if you are planning to come and what projects you are interested in so we can make sure we have enough materials.  

Check out the photo for some of the projects we will be making.  More projects will be posted during the week.  Let us know what you think!  

Fun, Fellowship, Food – We hope you will join us!

Where:  The Barn at Fellowship Bible Church, 141 Pleasant Plains Rd, Jackson, TN 38305

Time:  9:30 am – 4:30 pm (come and go)

Blessings,

Diane

While were in Franklin I made a day trip to Columbia to visit with my wonderful friends Cleo, Leisa and Lisa.  I am so blessed to have friends like them.  They don’t come along often enough in life.   You can read all about my visit, plus the SURPRISE BABY SHOWER (with pictures) in my next post.  I am still smiling.

I was honored this week by my sweet young friend Amy who asked if I could come help her a little bit with her beautiful little month old daughter.  I spent part of three days with this sweet family and loved it so much.  Thank you Amy- hope to post pictures later.

I absolutely LOVE this card!  I borrowed the design from a fellow stamper on Stampin’ Up!’s demo community.  The colors are awesome together and I got to use my new embossing folder, Elegant Lines.  I have so many new stamp sets- and love playing with them every day.  I am getting ready for a workshop on Saturday- wouldn’t this be a great card to demonstrate?  The Ways to Use It challenge on Splitcoast today is to use Versamark.  Versamark is a sticky watermark element and the challenge was no problem for me- I probably use it every day.  I love the texture and finish it gives a solid or colored image.  And combined with the bird image from Punch Potpourri, a Level 1 Hostess set, it really makes this card “pop.” 

I also really like this cute set- Three Little Words.  The inside of this card reads – Thinking of You.  My friend Lisa said it should read – Send More Stamps!!!

View Full Album

I sure hope you are having as great a week as I am. 

Blessings,

Diane

All supplies can be purchased on my Stampin’ Up! website

Stamps:  Three Little Words, Punch Potpourri;    Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Basic Gray;           Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray;   Accessories:  Two Step Bird Punch, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Stampin’ dimensionals, Gray Satin Ribbon, Versamark

This coming weekend, the State of Tennessee is having a “back to school” tax free holiday on many items and over 30 Stampin’ Up! items qualify for this tax-free purchase.  I always stock up on glue sticks/pens, tape runners (SNAIL) and refills and other consumables that I know I will be using throughout the year.  This year I am going to treat myself and buy a set of Watercolor Crayons and save almost 10%!  Here’s the complete list, with item numbers.  Maybe you will want to save too!  It would be the perfect time to get those Many Marvelous Markers that have been on your wish list.

Stay tuned for information on my new monthly promotion.  I think you’re gonna love it!

Blessings,

Diane

Stampin’ Up! just announced that for a limited time, workshop hostess benefits  for a workshop of $350 will be increased by $25 in Stampin’ Up! products!  This means if your workshop order of $350 is placed by August 31st, you will receive the normal hostess benefits of your choice of a Level 1 or Level 2 Hostess gift  and $40 in Stampin’ Up! products + $25 in products. 

I have dates open for your workshop.  Just call or email me and we will start planning.  You can even start collecting orders right now!

Blessings,

Diane

Plus, I started Nutrisystem on Tuesday and have had fun trying out their food.  Usually I am waiting outside for Brown (UPS) to deliver my Stampin’ Up! order, but on Monday I was waiting on my big ole box of food!  140 meals – 5 weeks of food.  So, I went to the grocery early Tuesday to get fruit and veggies to supplement and then dropped by my mom’s garden for fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.  So far, so good.  As of this morning I had already lost a pound!  Yoo-hoo.  Many more to go, but I am pumped about how easy this is.  No planning.  Just read the book and do what it says.

Back to the important stuff- making cards!  Here’s a couple of cards made with a couple of pounds from my first new catty order.  I loved these so much that I made several of each.  Both are a variation of examples in the new Idea Book and Catalog.  The samples in the catty are absolutely awesome and I know I will be CASEing even more of them. 

Isn’t this gorgeous?  10 minutes from cutting to finish – Easy Peasy. I used several new items (listed below), but the main image is the brand new A la Carte stamp  Elizabeth.  And everytime I think of the name, I keep hearing “ Oh, E-liz-a-beth” by the Statler Brothers.  For you younger folks and non-country fans, the Statler Brothers ruled the group category of country music for more than 20 years.  That pretty, pretty flower started out white and I colored it with my Pear Pizazz Stampin’ Marker to make it fit my card.  These flowers are a brand new item and you get 40 daisies (10 each of 4 sizes) for only $6.95.  It’s a steal! (item # 110243, page 188)

Here are the deets: (All supplies by Stampin’ Up! and available in the 2010-11 Idea Book and Catalog.)

Stamps:  Because I Care – Hostess Level 1, Elizabeth (A la Carte stamp #117120, $9.95  – page 18)
Paper:  Daffodil Delight Textured, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Early Espresso, Pear Pizazz (Marker)
Accessories:  Pearls, Punches: Oval and Scallop Oval,Paper Daisies,  Stampin’ Marker, Pear Pizazz ribbon, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Dimensionals, SNAIL

I was fortunate to earn this gorgeous set of 7, Simple Friendship,  during Sale-A-Bration.  A big thank you “shout out” to my customers for helping me get free stuff!  The sweet sentiment is from the 4 piece Thank You Kindly set that I use almost every day.  It’s one of those “go to” sets that you keep on your craft desk.

Deets: Stamps:  Simple Friendship (#113397-page 108, $25.95; Thank You Kindly (#111700-page 158, $13.95)  Both of these are wood mount only
Paper:  Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft), Naturals White
Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  1-3/4 Circle Punch, Paper Snips, Stamp-a-ma-Jig, Kraft Taffeta ribbon (retired), Dimensionals, SNAIL

I’ve been making covered notebooks and Post It note holders all day long.  I can’t stop- intervention is needed!  So stay tuned ‘cause next post I am gonna tell you all about these cute projects as well as the saga of the falling chandelier.

Latisha Yoast, aka 1busymomof2, is being honored this week as the Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers.  If you have a chance, drop by and take a gander at her amazing gallery.  If you aren’t already checking out SCS and the amazing creations and tutorials and just about everything under the sun…go right now and take a look.  Lots of great ideas, card and scrapbook sketches…you get the picture.  I would love for you to browse through my gallery on SCS too…..Lost in the 60’s.

Now, to further honor Latisha, I have chosen one of her creations to CASE (Copy and Share Everything), changing an item or two to make it my own.  I chose to CASE this card.

And, as Part 2 of 23.4 lbs. of Fun…I am using a bunch of brand new stuff from Stampin’ Up! including my very favorite new stamp set Just Believe.  I predict this awesome set of 9 be around for a very long time.  I’ve included a picture of the set.  Also used, for the first time, Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Paper. It’s the pinkish layer behind the image.  I sponged it with Blushing Bride ink and like magic, err, Presto!, the pattern appeared and it is GORGEOUS.  Can’t wait to demonstrate this at my next workshop.  More new stuff Pear Pizazz stamp pad and ribbon and the Blushing Bride ribbon, plus the Pearl accents.  All in all, it was a pretty easy card to make…but IRL (In Real Life) it is stunning.  Take a look:

View Full Album

Give me a shout if you want to learn how to make this pretty all occasion card.  Hope your weekend is continuing to be peaceful and restful.

View Full Album

So, my goal is to put ink to all the stamp sets so you can see what you can create with these gorgeous images.  Today I decided to play in Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge – IC241 based on this website.  I chose this interesting tea towel as my inspiration and used the new masculine stamp set, Countryside.

I sponges the edges of the outer layers and designer paper with Always Artichoke and Early Espresso and watercolored the apples and grass on the main image.  The twine is from my father’s garden stash- he uses it to tie up the tomatoes (which are just getting ripe and are de-licious!).

I will be working on Part 2 tomorrow, so stay tuned.  The new sets include:  Elizabeth, Simple Friendship, Tag Alongs, Come to Bethlehem and my favorite, Just Believe.

Stay cool and enjoy the weekend.

I used the terrific new Level 1 Hostess set, Because I Care.  It is truly one of the prettiest hostess sets that Stampin’ Up! has ever offered.  I love hydrangeas (who doesn’t) and have already made a box full of cards with the image.  Lots of new stuff on this card- at least new to me.  The punches, butterfly embosslits, paper and ink.  Tell me how you like it…..here are a few techniques I used:

• Watercolored the main image and a bunch of little flowers
• Added flower centers using a white gel pen
• Clear embossed the whole lot
• Cut out the main image and all the little flowers and the leaves
• Sponged the edges of the two embossed butterflies

I used the same techniques on the Elements of Style card (first ink on it), plus used the little flowers from the Because I Card set.  I’m pretty proud of myself and, since I usually make two of every card so I have one to keep, I can admire my creations all day long!  (insert a chuckle here)

Here’s another tip that I learned from Cleo and Leisa Jane…..your card is not finished unless the inside and the envelope is decorated.  I’ve included photos of the inside and I also decorated the envies just as nicely.  I hope the recipients smile when they see a card from me in their mailbox and know I was thinking of them when I made it.  That smile is my reward!

I would love to show you how to make these cards.  Just give me a shout and we will get together.  In the meantime, you can get all the supplies in my online store.  Just click here.

Supplies: Stamps:  Because I Care – Hostess Level 1, Elements of Style (current Idea Book and Catalog)
Paper:  Early Expresso, Very Vanilla, Concord Crush, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Ink:  Perfect Plum, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Early Espresso
Accessories:  SU! Pearls, Punches: Oval and Scallop Oval, Dies for Big Shot: Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Big Circle, Scallop Circle, Signo White Gel Pen, Sponges, Dimensionals, SNAIL, Versamark, AquaPainter,

All my children were here visiting and we were also blessed with a new addition to our family.  Sons Scott and Bo and sweet DIL Jennifer arrived at various times during the week and we had such fun.  We celebrated (a little late) Jennifer’s birthday- she turned 29 on July 4th, and niece Marcie and hubby Michael’s first child, Easton James Williams, arrived at 5:12 a.m. on July 10.   I cannot believe I was holding this sweet angel just 30 minutes later.  Things have really changed since my fellas were born.  All went well- God is good.  I’ve added a few photos – isn’t he adorable?

View Full Album

It was so nice having my boys and Jennifer around for a few days.  We ate great and large and visited family and laughed and just had a great time.  It was totally a baby weekend because Bo and Jennifer are having our first grandchild in early December!  And it’s a girl!!! Jennifer is doing great and we are all so excited about this miracle baby.   At Jenn’s birthday get together we all got to “vote” on the name.  Bo posted the “top ten” on a chalkboard and everyone voted for their top three.  Scott assigned a value to each place and tallied the official results.  And the winner?  ISABELLA….with AnnaKate and AnnaBelle coming in 2nd and 3rd.  I guess we all knew that Bo and Jenn’s top name has been Isabella from the get-go and they hadn’t even heard of Twilight when they picked it!   So, as of today and, maybe subject to change, we will be welcoming Isabella Song Stader later this year.  Sweet!!!

Sure hope your weekend was wonderful too.

Just look at this Level 1 Hostess gift- just one of several you can choose from with a $150 workshop or individual order (plus you get $15 in free merchandise).  It is Because I Care and is a set of 5 available in wood or clear mount.

Tomorrow is July 4th and I want to take a moment to say thanks to all the brave men and women who are leading the charge for our freedom.  I am humbled by your loyalty and service.

To all of my friends- thank you for taking the time to visit me and I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Supplies: Stamps:  Because I Care – Hostess Level 1
Paper:  Pear Pizazz, Early Expresso, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Early Expresso
Accessories:  Pearls, Antique Brass HPH, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Oval punch, non-SU ribbon (waiting on my order of Early Expresso), Dimensionals, SNAIL