Kind & Caring Birthday

Hello there,


Today has been an absolutely beautiful day here in Northern Virginia. So beautiful that I was able to sit outside and watch my kiddos play for about 3 hours, and since I have ZERO tolerance for heat or humidity, that is saying something!


What I have for you today is a couple pics of a gift I made for a neighbor who's birthday get-together is this weekend. It is a simple set of cards, using some fun, bright colors, and then paired with a lunch-box style tin that I picked up at my local craft store and altered to match the cards. Now, I wanted to make this card square, but I also wanted them to be able to be mailed, so that means they had to be at least 4x4. In concentrating too much on them being mail-able, I ended up making them too big to allow the tin to close. Oh well..it's decorative anyway, so I hope she doesn't mind sitting it on her desk with the cards peeking out a little bit.


So, please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Supplies used:
Paper: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry and Whisper White cardstock; Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts (Level 3 Hostess Set)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry

Accessories: Crushed Curry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Mini-Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch

$4000.00 in Stamping Supplies

Hey guys...I wanted to let everyone know about some amazing prizes and giveaways through a group I've been following and having fun with. If you think you'll be going to convention, consider signing up for one or more of her pre-convention activities...they're sure to be loads of fun. Here is the post she has on her websites and blog (they say "I", but it's coming from her...I'm not the one giving this awesome stuff away, she is). So...check it out...

Going to Stampin' Up! Convention 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah? ... think about this :)

Prizes, prizes, and more prizes!!!! Late Night Stampers... WANTS YOU!!!

If you are going to Stampin' Up! Convention this year, 2010, consider going early. Join the Late Night Stampers -- which is FREE! -- and join us at the following pre-Convention events. Love them! To learn more about joining, click below or copy and paste:

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/LNSDemoOnly/

Plan to attend Stampin Up Convention 2010 with us on July 21-24, 2010 at Salt Lake City, Utah! OUR LNS events start on Monday July 19th and end on Saturday July 24th with Patsy's WOW event after convention is over.

$180 gives you the "I want it all package"or you can pick from the events below
Send your payment to istmpnv@aol.com using pay pal or mail a check to:
Sherrill Graff
605 Kendrick PlaceBoulder City NV 89005
if you are sending a check e-mail Sherrill at istmpnv@aol.com and let her know so she can hold your spot.

Monday July 19th will be a 8:30 AM stamp camp 8 great projects $90 FULL

• we supply everything except adhesive

Monday 2 PM shoe box swap $35 OPEN

• please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest

Monday Night 7 PM WOWevent by Tami $10 OPEN

• we need 3 more wow demonstrators to show their stuff.
  
• please e-mail istmpnv@aol.com ASAP
  
• bring your camera and a note pad

The WOW demonstrations are different on both days.

Tuesday July 20th will be a 8:30 AM stamp camp 8 great projects $90 OPEN

followed by

Tuesday 2 PM shoe box swap $35 FULL

• please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest

Tuesday Night 7 PM Reunion party 3 fun projects$35 FULL

• we supply everything except adhesive

Wednesday July 21 Anything New Swap 75+1 at the Radisson behind Convention on sign in day

Wednesday Sign In Day 2pm-4pm Shoe Box Swap Hosted by Mary and Brenda $35 OPEN

• please bring a project to share with 6 people and a finished project to enter into the contest

Saturday July 24th 6 PM WOW event by Patsy $10 OPEN

• bring your camera and a note pad

NOTEWORTHY THINGS:

While Stamp Camp projects will be the same Monday and Tuesday, the WOW demonstrations are different on both days.

All events have prizes and give-a-ways.

ALL LNS EVENTS ARE HELD AT THE RADISSON.

May God bless you and your family,Sherrill Graff istmpnv@aol.com

Someone WORKS Here??

Ok..so I promised a while back that I would post before and after pictures of my disastrous workspace...so here's the before pics.

Now...let me tell you how this happened...I actually HAVE a craft room in my basement. However, it is oddly shaped, not very big, and it's IN THE BASEMENT. That means that every time the doorbell rings (with more Stampin' Up! deliveries usually), or if I need something to drink, or if the kids wake up early from nap, I have to go up and back down the stairs. Not so much fun for me. So I find myself saying "I need to go downstairs and work on {insert pending or past due project here}, but ugh, I don't want to work down there." So I started out just going down and getting what I needed for a particular project (my monthly swap cards). That continued with each new project until now...I have almost as many supplies upstairs all over the dining room, as I have in the CRAFT room. I'm hoping if I organize it and straighten it up, that my husband will not make me go back to the craft room in the dungeon. Sooo...I hafta HAFTA get organizing. OK...so prepare yourselves...this could get ugly!

Yay! Followers!

Hey there!

Just checkin' in and dropping you guys all a note to say Thanks! I'm excited that in 2 days I've gotten 15 new followers! You guys are great, and I can't wait to see who wins the first giveaway.

My upline meeting last night was great, as always and I wanted to show you guys the results of the swap. I'm always amazed at the creativity of others and how other stampers think to use something in a totally different way than I ever thought of.

So here was my swap card that I made:

And here are a few of the ones I got back from other ladies on my team-aren't they GO-GEOUS! (to use one of Jan Tink's favorite words)

Keep checking back to see what's new....and watch for the giveaway! At this rate, I may reach 50 followers this week!!

BLOG CANDY!!

Happy Monday Everyone! (Well, I guess it's already Tuesday here...)

Hope your week has gotten off to an amazing start! I'm just here with a quick post to let you all know that I am going to give away some fabulous blog candy! Yup...you got it-FREE STUFF!

All you have to do to win is sign up to follow or subscribe to my blog! It's that easy!

There will be two separate drawings/giveaways...

First when I reach 50 followers, I will draw a random follower/subscriber's name and send them a care package full of wonderful stamping and scrapbooking supplies. These supplies will be a variety of supplies in one of our beloved Fond Farewell colors. Especially since it will be in a retiring color, I will give the winner the choice of which color they would like their stuff in. We all have our favorites, but our favorites may not all be the same, right?? So...this is an opportunity for you to stock up on whichever color is your go-to...before it's long gone. Sound good? Good! Now keep reading-there's MORE!!

The second giveaway will be done the same way when I reach 100 followers/subscribers. The only difference is: IT WILL BE A PACKAGE OF SUPPLIES IN A "HERE TO STAY" COLOR!! The winner will again get to choose which color they would like their package to be in...

AS AN ADDED BONUS:

EACH TIME I DRAW A WINNER'S NAME, IF THEY LEFT ME A COMMENT WHEN THEY SIGNED UP...

THEY WILL RECEIVE SOMETHING AMAZING IN A BRAND-NEW, NEVER BEFORE SEEN COLOR!!

That's right...so please-join me on my journey, but also don't forget to leave a comment...I mean, if you're gonna win free stuff, why not win all you can win, right??

I can't wait to start reading your comments and to see who the first winner will be!

Spring is HERE!

Hey everyone!

Hope everyone had an AWESOME Spring Break and is excited at the prospect of summer! I'm excited for a couple reasons:

1. Summer means warm weather opportunities for family activities and fun get-togethers with friends...and you know what that means-more things to scrapbook and more occasions to make cards!

2. Summer also means a new Summer Mini Catalog AND the new BIG catalog comes out in July! Can't wait!

If you haven't already received your new Summer Mini catalog in your mailbox, please respond to this email and I will send you one absolutely FREE.

There are a lot of exciting changes and plenty of new things coming down the pike at Stampin' Up! and I would love to share all of them with you! Please check out my new blog at

http://www.scrappin-for-sanity.blogspot.com/

(bear with me as I get it up and running...it's kinda sparse right now.)

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

1. Stampin' Up! has announced a fantastic realignment of their color families, and some of our "always there" colors will be retiring in June...so you'll want to stock up on these fabulous products before they're gone! Email me if you'd be interested in purchasing or earning specially coordinated kits to help you stock up! The kits include designer paper, card stock, ink pads, reinkers, and ribbon that will soon be UNAVAILABLE!!!

2. I have a few dates left in April and May if you'd like to host a workshop with me. Hosting a workshop is fun and easy (you don't have to actually DO anything but invite your friends) and you earn FREE stamps and scrapbooking supplies. Who doesn't like FREE, right?

PLUS: ANYONE WHO BOOKS A WORKSHOP WITH ME DURING APRIL OR MAY GETS A FREE GIFT TO HELP THEM GET STARTED WITH THEIR SUMMER PROJECTS!! So don't wait! BOOK NOW!!

Can't wait to hear from you guys...send me a quick email or leave me a comment on my blog to let me know you were here!

I almost kissed the FedEx guy...

Hey everyone!

So I hope you all had a fantabulous Spring Break and are looking forward to Easter. The kids and I are headed up to the Crayola Factory in PA for a quick weekend trip since we didn't really do any other vacation or trips during Spring Break. I'm hoping to leave by 7am, but it is after 2am already and I'm still sitting here, so we'll see...

OK...I am soo excited to tell you guys that my rolling paper storage carts arrived yesterday! Yay!! I was so thrilled I almost kissed the FedEx guy. I love how they're always willing to carry the heavy boxes inside and put them where you want them-unlike my mail carrier who drop kicks everything from the curb. :)

Anyhow...they each have 10 drawers, and I got 6 of them...so I can put all my 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock in them. I've read mixed reviews about these trolleys, so wish me luck!

Additionally, I thought I'd post a recent project for you guys to check out while you're waiting on me to get my booty in gear and make some new stuff. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Here ya go:

This is a tin I picked up at my local craft store and altered for my neighbor's birthday. I used Cottage Wall Designer Paper from Stampin' Up! as well as Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive cardstock. The word "faith" is one of Stampin' Up's Decor Elements. It actually comes in a set with 4 words "faith", "love", "hope", and "life", and comes in several different colors. I've used the black ones here. The ribbon is whisper white organza and satin ribbon-one of my faves, and definitely my go-to. I also used the new "Beautiful Butterflies" Embosslit for the embellishments on the front. I love that thing...in one trip through the Big Shot, it punches out and embosses 5, yes FIVE butterflies in different sizes and textures. I have to say it's the most versatile embosslit yet. Finally, I added some half-pearls to the butterflies to dress things up a bit.

Inside the tin, is a set of general purpose cards with envelopes, an easel calendar, and of course a pen. The cards also feature the Cottage Wall Designer paper, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive Cardstock and butterflies from the Beautiful Butterflies embosslit. I have also used Stampin' Up! rub-ons and the Whisper White taffeta ribbon here. I like this ribbon a lot because it adds an elegant touch to things, so I use it when I want a narrower ribbon, but don't want to use grosgrain.

Here's a quick peek at the easel calendar. I got this idea from one of my upline meetings. Of course I used the same Designer paper and cardstock colors to keep everything matching, and you can get those little tiny calendars online for next to nothing. If you can't tell what that is at the bottom, it's a binder clip covered in cardstock. That is what makes the calendar stand up. The binder clips are a little bit finicky though, so sometimes I fold the back clasp of it down to kind of prop it up. And one last note: the butterfly at the top of this is the largest butterfly created by the Beautiful Butterflies embosslit.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my project...Don't forget to leave me a comment, and I'll be back to post another project after I've seen the Crayola Factory. Woohoo...roadtrip, here we come!