Hooray It's Your Day and Creative Blog Hop

Hello Crafty People!

To those of you who are following the Creative Blog Hop, welcome, and thank you for visiting! I was asked by Lisa Tyndall to participate in this hop and I thought it sounded like fun because its different in that you don't go in a circle! She is also a very talented and sweet lady, so make sure you check her out at www.lisatstamps.blogspot.com if you haven't just come from there.

Today I wanted to show you a little more of what I demonstrated last week at the My Stamping Friends event that I attended. OK...my mission was to show you what ELSE you could create with one of the 5 kits Stampin' Up! has featured in the Occasions Catalog. I chose the "Hooray It's Your Day" kit because it's designed for making birthday cards and I think birthday cards are a) the best type of card to go rogue with-they should be created to suit the person for whom they are intended, and b) something that is very EASY to change up just a bit, so there's no re-creating the wheel.

So here's what the kit is INTENDED to create...TWENTY (5 each of 4 designs) super cute, fun, embellished cards, with envelopes. Guess what: all the supplies needed to make these little beauties are included! Easy peasy, right?

Well, what if you don't want to make all 20 of the cards? I made one of each design, and then went to town with the rest of the supplies from the kit. Here is one of the cards I came up with, using a few simple add-ons like linen thread and the Stacked with Love designer series paper stack. I also used the Big Shot and the Alphabet Press embossing folder to add a little interest to the Pumpkin Pie piece.

I used the coordinating stamp set and one of the star clips from the kit, plus a bit of linen thread messily wrapped and stuck down behind the sentiment banner. (This messy wrapping of thread/twine and sticking it down in what appears to be a random manner seems to be quite the trending technique. I've seen it done quite a lot, but this was my first attempt.)

For this Hop I need to answer the four questions below….so here goes!

  
1. What are you working on?  I’m working on projects for a fundraiser crop at my kids' elementary school that is coming up in a couple weeks. I provide a make and take project and also usually create a home decor art piece to be raffled off. I attend the crop every year, though I always get more socializing than scrapbooking done. LOL

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre? Well, truthfully, it probably doesn't. I create what I am inspired to create, and that inspiration can come from anywhere...a magazine photo, Pinterest, I even once created a card set that looked like a tshirt my daughter was wearing that day.

3.  Why do you create what you do? It may sound selfish, but I create for ME. Creating makes me happy, and is one way that I take care of myself, which enables me to take care of everyone else! (I am married to an angel, and have 4 amazing kiddos and without crafting, I wouldn't have my sanity! Hence, the blog name!) I do also love to create something that will make another person smile, or empower THEM to use crafting to bring a little extra happiness into their own life. CREATE. SHARE. EMPOWER. REPEAT. 

4. How does your creative process work? I am a very big fan of the whole CASE idea which you may remember reading about on Lisa's blog. Copy And Share Everything!  I often struggle with coming up with an idea on my own so I will re-create one or more projects I have seen or heard about until my creative juices get flowing. Then the next few projects are usually a little closer to "original" work. That's another reason I like the kits we offer...it gives you a jumping off point, but still allows you the freedom to stray whenever you get ready.

So, to keep the hop going, I will nominate two people who will post next week. You should head over to each of their blogs now and subscribe, and then you'll have the next link on the blog hop delivered right to you as soon as they post...like clues in a scavenger hunt!

First, I nominate Rose-Ellen Eastman whom I met when she hosted her first Stampin' Up! style Regional Event a little over a year ago. She and I are alike in that (I suspect) creating is how she also manages to keep herself in the right state of mind for handling the any challenges AND blessings that are always being thrown her way. You can find more information on her and see all her beautiful work by clicking HERE to head over to her site, My Stamping Friends. 

My second nominee, I met on the very same day as I met Rose-Ellen, although I had been a follower of hers for quite some time before and didn't realize until that day that she and Rose-Ellen were best buds. Small world, right? So please also show some love to Michelle Suit by clicking HERE to visit her site, Suitably Stamped. P.S. If you love Disney, OR punch art, or heaven forbid DISNEY PUNCH ART, you might wanna pack a lunch before clicking that link! She does some unbelievable things with punches!

Well, I hope you made it to the end of this much-longer-than-usual post. Thanks for stopping by!



Ready to order? Go to www.angelakhan.stampinup.net
Have questions? Email me at sakina716@gmail.com

Ctrl+Alt+Del: A Blog Reboot!

Hello Crafty People!

I hope this post finds you all well and warm (it's certainly NOT warm where I am at!).  I wanted to share with all of you some of the amazingly amazing (yes, that must be a phrase now, because I have a stamp that says it!) things I've been doing lately.

Last week, 1600 demonstrators shared and celebrated together as we had the last Leadership Conference as we know it.  Bittersweet, because I have loved Leadership the last two years I have gone, but very exciting as we transition into a new schedule which will still allow for all of the fun and excitement, learning and growing, and of course fabulous stamping that Stampin' Up! has been doing for 27 years.  We had a PHENOMENAL keynote speaker who actually lives in my area and shared some really pertinent information on how we (and others) should and do view what we do as Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  Stay tuned for more info on the many things I learned and enjoyed about #Leadership2015.

So....next up!  I was so honored to be asked by my friend Rose-Ellen Eastman to be a main stage presenter at her Northern Virginia Stampin' Up! Style Regional Event this past Saturday, and I just have to say,  IT. WAS. AWESOME!!  I was pretty nervous because I've never presented in front of 50 people, and I didn't rehearse my presentation, but in the end, no tomatoes were thrown, so it's all good!

Me presenting on stage for the first time ever!  #MyStampingFriends #ScrappinForSanity

Showing other projects that can be made with the supplies in the "Hooray It's Your Day Kit"- you can make a TON of stuff from that kit!

Now, I'm not going to show you EVERYTHING we did....I'll share that next week, but I did want to show you SOMETHING crafty.  This is a frame I made using the Sheltering Tree stamp set as a gift for Rose-Ellen (and I made one for her side-kick/#1 helper/partner in crime Michelle Suit), just because these ladies are so awesome.

#ScrappinForSanity

Supplies Used:

• Stamps:  Sheltering Tree
• Cardstock:  Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla
• Ink:  Early Espresso, Baked Brown Sugar, Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Sahara Sand, Crushed Curry, Garden Green, Tangelo Twist, Cajun Craze, Soft Sky, Pistachio Pudding,Wild Wasabi
• Accessories:  Sweet Taffy DSP, Burlap Ribbon, Candy Dots Brights, Basic Jewels Rhinestones, Frosted Sequins, Stampin Dimensionals, Sticky Strip (to hold the pleated burlap onto the frame)

OK, that's all for today!  Please remember to subscribe if you haven't already, and also to jump over and "like" my business page on Facebook (also called Scrappin' For Sanity)...I don't wanna give away any secrets or anything, but there just might be some FREE STUFF given away pretty soon.  Just sayin'... 

Ready to order? Go to www.angelakhan.stampinup.net
Have questions? Email me at sakina716@gmail.com