I hope you had a great holiday. My sister and her husband were here last week, as well as her dog, Katie. We had a great week and a super Christmas!! It goes by so quickly tho, doesn't it!! And, before you know it, it will be Christmas 2010!!!

On Christmas Eve morning, we have a tradition to get together with some stamping friends for a brunch and ... what else -- stamping!!! I so look forward to this each year. I was thinking about what project I wanted to share and when I went to bed on Wednesday night, I still didn't have any idea! Unfortunately (well, really fortunately), I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to watch some television and see if I could find anything on the internet to share. Oh goodness, I love the internet! I feel so un-talented when I look at the creations of other people. I stumbled across a card made by Michelle Zindorf (I've mentioned her before on my blog), my mouth dropped wide open because it was so gorgeous and knew I just had to try it! So, here it is . . .

See, I told you it was gorgeous!!! Michelle Zindorf has this way of blending colors using sponges, as well as brayers. I'm really excited that I'll be taking a class from her in March - a little treat to myself! Anyway, when I showed the card to my sister, she said "I'm not trying it, it's too hard". Ha! She did it and couldn't believe she could create it. I know she was really proud of herself. Are you thinking you'd like to try to create this card? CLICK HERE and you'll find a step by step tutorial created by Michelle. Check out her blog and her creations! She is so awesome to share her talent with us!!

I'm looking forward to seeing you at Stamp, Play and Create this weekend!! I have four exciting projects planned - all ready to go! If you haven't signed up yet, shoot me an email or call me at 757-587-1005. I have three sessions: Jan. 2 - 10:00 a.m. (full, wait list only) and 2:00 p.m. and Jan. 3 - 2:00 p.m.

Also, if you missed the Retired Stamp Set sale this past weekend, I will have those stamps available. They are priced according to the size of the stamping container as follows:

Small Case: $2.00/set
Medium Case: $4.00/set
Large Case: $6.00/set
Extra Large Case: $8.00/set
Jumbo Case: $10.00/set

You'll find some sets that have not even been used!! I hope you can take advantage of this great opportunity. The sets are priced to go!






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There is something about Reese's Cups that makes my mouth water. They are one of my favorite candies because they combine two things that I love - chocolate and peanut butter! So, since I like them so much, I think everyone does. Matter of fact, I don't know anyone who doesn't like them (hum .... I'm wondering ...). I made these cute little gift bags for the people at the bank that I use for work who take such good care of me. The bags are from the cake section of a local craft store and they are called Pretzel Bags. They were super easy to make! And they are just not for Christmas, they can be used for party favors and gifts -- all you do is change the stamp that you use!

Today is my last day at work -- then four days off for the Christmas Holiday! I can't wait!!! Hope your day is awesome!!

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I was looking for something besides candy to give as Christmas gifts and was ecstatic to find it this past weekend! This project was posted on Shelli Gardner's Blog, Stampin' Up!'s C0-Founder. She is just so creative, and, well, I guess she should be since she is our Co-Founder, huh!! She has a very definitive style, sort of vintage. Take a trip over to her blog and check it out.

She had a guest spot on a television show in Utah and she displayed this cute package of Holiday Potpourri. It's so perfect - just what I was looking for. The package contains one orange, 3 cinnamon sticks and cloves, along with the recipe/instruction sheet. You probably have all the ingredients in your house! Below is the recipe:

Holiday Potpourri

1 orange, sliced
3 cinnamon sticks
Cloves
4 cups of water

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn to a low/simmer. Add more water as it gets low.

Yummy - I can just smell it and it isn't even cooking yet!!! I hope this gives you a last minute idea! They are great to have on hand for people that drop by! Oh, and I used the Stampin' Up! large cello bag to hold everything!

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Oh, I so wish you could see this card in real life!! This past weekend, the Bold Brights and Rich Regals Stamp Clubs met and we had so much fun! They made this card and we were sparkling the rest of the class!!!

This card was making using the Supernova Pink Glitter. First, using the Medallion stamp, you ink the stamp with VersaMark. Then you dip it in the Heat and Stick powder and heat the powder. A word of caution - don't over heat the Heat and Stick powder because it become heat and no-stick powder!! Sometimes it is hard to gauge, but as soon as the powder "turns" move on to the next section of the image. I think we get used to heating embossing powder which takes longer that sometimes we over heat the Heat and Stock powder. After that step, you apply the glitter to the image and heat that for just a few seconds. This sets the glitter into the Heat and Stick Powder. Brush off the excess glitter using a brush and you'll love it end result!!! My sister, who is here from New York, loved the card so much, she is working on her Christmas cards using the Aqua Glitter. I'll post them when they are done (hopefully today when I get home from work). If you remember last week, I told you that Darci and Dugan (my kitties) decided last week to play with my glitter by taking the Supernova Pink Glitter and spreading it over my carpet!! Oh, I love my Dyson vacuum cleaner which sucked that glitter right up; however, leaving me with no Pink glitter left! So, I pulled out the Cosmo Rose Pink glitter and used that. We all decided it looked better and that Darci and Dugan knew that and that is why they decorated the stamp room with the pink glitter! Aren't they sooooo smart!!!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I'm looking forward to a three day work week and some holiday events I have planned with my friends. Also, as a reminder, next Saturday, December 26 at 2:00 p.m. is my Retired Stamp Set Sale!! If you are a current stamp club member OR schedule a workshop to be held during January through March, you can come at 1 pm and enjoy advance sales. I will tell you that the stamp sets are priced to go!! Hubby tells me I need to clean house! Hope to see you this weekend!!

Click here to place your order for any Stampin' Up! products on my Demonstrator Website - just click on the SHOP NOW in upper right hand corner!

I think these gift tags/boxes are so darn cute -- a tag and shoot, you can put chocolate in them!! What an awesome combination!!! These are nice little gifts you can make alot of them and give them to everyone!!! These tags were made by Marci Baldwin, who is a demonstrator in North Carolina. Again, the creativity of people truly amazes me!!! When I grow up, I want to be creative! he he!!! These tags are made with the Two Tags Bigz Die, which is on sale right now!! Yes, a sale BEFORE Christmas!!!! Check it out!

This die in on sale right now for $18.66. While you might look at this and think you can't do too may things with it (like I did originally), you'll be surprised!!! The second tag with the scallop at the top -- well that is just a little bit bigger than our scallop punch - so you can layer right on top of it. Here's a project done at a recent Stamp, Play and Create.


See what I mean about the scallop circle layering on top of the tag? The special price ends on December 22, so take advantage of it now!

I hope you have an awesome day and yes, I'm hoping for snow this weekend. Probably won't get it -- but I can hope!!!

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Here's another project made with my favorite Holiday Lounge DSP and Taken with Teal cardstock. There is a story here ....

I had set aside two pages of the Holiday Lounge DSP for scrapbooking. The sheet with the Teal Trees in the lower left corner and the other sheet with the Ruby Red Ornaments. They just scream to be used in a scrapbook. Well, Darci (my kitty) has this thing about biting paper and tearing it! I think she was trying to achieve the torn edge look on my piece of Holiday Lounge DSP, but she's not that good at it and ended up making a mess. So, I decided to use the rest of the DSP on this card!!! I just think it is so pretty!! And I love the Scallop Trim Border around the DSP used with the new Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches!!! And look, I even tied a bow!! I've been doing that a little more often lately -- what's wrong with me!!!

I hope you enjoy this project and have a wonderful day!!

p.s. Darci and her brother Dugan have really been testing me lately. Yesterday after coming home from a very long day at work, hubby tells me to go to the stamping room and check out the new mess (other than what was on my stamping table!!). On the carpet was Pink Glitter!!! Yikes!! Apparently, someone didn't put the lid back securely on her container of glitter (don't know who that could be) and the kitties decided to play with it! It looks so pretty on my carpet - NOT!!!

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Yes, you know I absolutely love snowmen! For some odd reason, I think they are so cute! It reminds me of that movie, Jack Frost, when the snowman actually comes to life as the father, oh gosh, I do love that movie (caution - it's a little sad!!). Anyway, check out the size of this snowman!! It's in the Holiday Mini and I wasn't going to purchase it because it had this thank you note in the middle of his tummy (see below for a picture of the stamp). Then, Connie Babbert, another Stampin' Up! demonstrator, shared this project and I even sent her a note telling her now I had to purchase that stamp from the Holiday Mini too!!!! Really, I don't think there is very much that I didn't purchase from that Holiday Mini!! When the stamp arrived, I knew I could just color the outside lines of the image with a marker and stamp it that way, but then decided to cut out the words from his tummy!!! I just took an X-acto Knife and cut them out. I did leave the backing on that part of the stamp because if I want to use them, I can just place them back inside the image! It was a great solution!!!

This project is pretty self explanatory. I used the Simple Seasonal Thanks (yup, that's the name of the snowman stamp) and the Bitty Box XL die. I put the box together and punched a hole in the top of the box to hold the LED candle. PLEASE DO NOT USE A REAL CANDLE - IT IS WAY TOO HOT AND WILL CAUSE A FIRE. Something to remember is to purchase your LED candle prior to making the circle in the top of the Bitty Box because they are different sizes and you want to make sure your circle in the right size.

Here's the stamp set!!


I love this guy!!! I'm off to work because the sooner I get there, the sooner I can leave and I have a Stampin' Up! order coming today with goodies from the new Occasions Mini!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!

Click here to place your order for any Stampin' Up! products on my Demonstrator Website - just click on the SHOP NOW in upper right hand corner!

Hostess Appreciation Project

I wish I could take credit for creating this project, but alas, I can't. This project was created by Ilina Crouse, who is absolutely fabulous!! I love everything she does -- she's one of my stamp heros!! When I saw this, I knew I had to share it with you! Prior to the Hostess Appreciation Workshop, I keep my eyes peeled to see if I can find projects that are suitable for the Hostess Appreciation Workshop so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this one!!! Now, I did not include the googly eyes on the project for the workshops because (1) those eyes were way too small to mess with and (2) on the stamped image he has these cute little dots for eyes that for some reason, look better on this image! I know, I love googly eyes, but they just didn't fit for me on this project!!

The stamp set is Cold & Cuddly from the Holiday Mini Catalog. At the bottom of this post is a picture of the stamp set. It is so darn cute! Along with the penguin, the walrus and polar bear are adorable and there are so many accessories in the stamp set you can create forever! I also love the fact that this truly is a "winter" stamp set -- it is not just for Christmas.


Now, when you open up the pouch, inside are two pouches, one for Hot Chocolate mix and the other for marshmellows. You could also stick a small peppermint stick in the pouch with the marshmellows. I so love this project!!! Another thought is you could use this as get well gift and put some cup a soup mix on one side and crackers on the other side!! And, we thought about putting a set of note cards in here too!! Then I was thinking about if it opened like a book, that would be cute too!!!

Here is the Cold & Cuddly Stamp Set:

See .. I told you it was too cute!!! Enjoy your day!!!

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Gift Ideas

I can't help myself, I love to stamp, play and create! It's so addicting and I find that the hours go by so fast before I know it, its time for dinner. Today I finished creating a gift for a friend's son's teacher -- they wanted note cards and a Christmas ornament and I had the perfect idea!! Below are pictures of the gifts that I created.

This is the Christmas ornament made with the Ornament Punch from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The tag is from the Christmas Punch stamp set - a Level II Hostess Set which you can earn FREE!!!! I also used the Pretties Kits for the Ornament. Below is the box that I created to hold the ornament.



I've been making note cards for years and they really are the perfect gift. I set up in my computer a page sized 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" (statement size), made the margins .5 on all sides, and just spaced down and typed the name and "A Note From". I stamped the image beside the typewritten words and also on the lower left corner of the envelope.


Now, I needed a box to put the cards in so I created one using Always Artichoke cardstock and the medium thickness Window Sheet for the top. The flowers are from the Pretties Kit and were colored with ink to match the cards. Oh goodness, I almost forget -- check out the border on the notecard. It's from the Scallop Trim Border punch - you can get this FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-A-Bration which starts on January 5 and end on March 31, 2010.


I'm so thrilled with how these both came out!!!! Love, love, love them!!

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Congratulations

I had a challenge on Friday and I'm pleased that I accomplished my mission! What was it (I swear I heard you ask that)? Well, in the new Occasions Mini, we have border and corner punches that coordinate so you can make a decorative edge around the border of a piece of cardstock. I tried this the other night and failed, so in true Phyllis fashion, I put it aside to try again later. I watched a video from a fellow demonstrator and got some pointers so I felt a little better. So yesterday, I pulled out the punches and played. Oh gosh, my table is an absolute mess, but sometimes you have to make a mess to make some beautiful! Here is a card I made for a friend using some new products. Do you like the decorative edge? That is made using the Scallop Trim Corner from the Occasions Mini Catalog and the Scallop Trim Border Punch from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. See, you can get the Scallop Trim Border Punch FREE during Sale-A-Bration (January - March 2010) with a $50 purchase!! Gotta love that!

The border stamped on the top of the cardstock is from Abundant Hope (which I showed on a post two days ago). The word "Congratulations" is from the Well Scripted stamp set and lastly "4 you" is from the Tiny Tags stamp set. All three stamp sets are from the Occasions Mini. Do you like that little tag? The Tiny Tags set coordinates with the Medium Jewelry Tag punch!!! I'm so glad Stampin' Up! coordinates all these things to work together. It certainly makes my life easier!

I'll be sharing how to use the new border and corner punches in upcoming classes and workshops. They are da' bomb!!!!

Click here to place your order for any Stampin' Up! products on my Demonstrator Website - just click on the SHOP NOW in upper right hand corner!

12 Days of Holiday Sales

When I read the title of the new Stampin' Up! promotion "12 Days of Holiday Sales", I thought, holy cow, Christmas is almost here! Yikes, I don't have my Christmas tree up yet, but hope to get that up this weekend. It is something I really love to do with Kirk and with his school and work schedule, it is sometimes hard for us to get together. Plus, we have to get a new tree this year and haven't done that yet! But, I am listening to Christmas music at work and in my car and I love it! Now, with it being really cold today, that really puts me in the Christmas spirit. Is it too much to hope for a white Christmas???

Well, while we are out purchasing our holiday gifts (yes, I know some of you are already done ... and some of you haven't even started), Stampin' Up! is making it a bit easier on your pocketbook to purchase some great products!!! This special begins today, December 11 and ends on Tuesday, December 22! If you place your order online, you must do this by December 15 to arrive in time for Christmas. Hey, here's an idea -- go to my Stampin Up! Website, and click on the Shop Now button in the upper right hand corner -- and shop. Once you have your order ready and you need to enter your credit card information, call your husband to your computer and have him enter HIS credit card information and hey, he's done! He has just gotten you your Christmas gift and its what you want!!! Woo hoo!!!!

Below is a list of the specials -- and yes, I'm placing my order too!!! I can't pass up such great deals!!!

Product Offering:

Item	Page #	Description	Regular Price	Discounted Price
114515	195	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$11.95	$8.96
114516	195	Cherry Blossom Embosslits die	$11.95	$8.96
115957	195	Thanks Embosslits die	$11.95	$8.96
114513	195	Sweetest Stem Embosslits die	$11.95	$8.96
115952	195	Hi Embosslits die	$11.95	$8.96
115951	197	Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits die	$74.95	$59.96
113446	197	Build a Flower #2 Set Sizzlits 4-Pack die	$19.95	$16.96
114509	197	Big Bold Cupcakes Sizzlits 4-Pack die	$21.95	$18.66
113448	197	Hearts Set Sizzlits 4-Pack die	$19.95	$16.96
113457	198	Tulipe Bigz die	$21.95	$16.46
115954	198	Two Tags Bigz die	$21.95	$18.66
114524	199	Fringed Flower Bigz die	$19.95	$15.96
114523	199	Decorative Accents Bigz die	$19.95	$15.96
114534	199	Flower Bigz Clear die	$19.95	$15.96
113473	199	5-Point 3D Star Bigz die	$19.95	$16.96
113472	199	Circle 3D Ornament Bigz die	$19.95	$16.96
113470	199	Flower Layers w/Leaf Bigz die	$19.95	$16.96
113465	199	Bird w/Leaves and Flower Bigz die	$19.95	$16.96
115961	200	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$42.95	$32.21
113483	200	Pennant Bigz XL die	$39.95	$29.96
113484	200	Baskets & Blooms Bigz XL die	$39.95	$31.96
116760	201	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$39.95	$29.96
116759	201	Pop-Up 3D Ball Bigz XL die	$39.95	$29.96
114890	201	Matchbox Bigz XL die	$42.95	$36.51
113458	202	Flower Layers Originals die	$15.95	$13.56
114336	158	Kraft Décor Elements sheets 12" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$10.36
114334	158	Dark Gray Décor Elements sheets 12" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$10.36
114337	158	Chocolate Décor Elements sheets 12" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$10.36
114335	158	White Décor Elements sheets 12" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$10.36
118797	n/a	So Saffron Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118798	n/a	Rose Red Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118799	n/a	Taken With Teal Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118800	n/a	Pretty In Pink Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118801	n/a	Bashful Blue Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118802	n/a	Real Red Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118803	n/a	Old Olive Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118804	n/a	Black Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118805	n/a	Night of Navy Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118806	n/a	Certainly Celery Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118807	n/a	Tempting Turquoise Décor Elements Sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118808	n/a	Clear Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118809	n/a	Pumpkin Pie Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118810	n/a	Pixie Pink Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118812	n/a	Sahara Sand Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118813	n/a	Gable Green Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118814	n/a	Basic Gray Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$12.95	$9.71
118815	n/a	Chalkboard Décor Elements sheets 15" x 24" (2)	$14.95	$11.21

Here are pictures of the items on sale!! Click on the pictures to enlarge!!!

If on line ordering is not for you, please just email me or give me a call at 757-587-1005. Happy shopping!!!!!

All images copyright Stampin' Up!






Click here to place your order for any Stampin' Up! products on my Demonstrator Website - just click on the SHOP NOW in upper right hand corner!