More Aviary!

I have to get better at my titles because I have lots more Aviary cards in my future and they shouldn't all be titled Aviary, right? I just LOVE this stamp set!!

Edited to add: Thank you to Kristin Moore for letting me know this was her design. I was given a photo copy of the card from one of my customers and she had no idea who's it was. You can see Kristin's card HERE. Thanks Kristin!

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Confetti White, Night of Navy

Stamp Set: Aviary

Ink Pads: Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Night of Navy

Accessories: Big Shot (you have one yet?), Lattice Embossing Folder, Top Note die-cut, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Corner Rounder, Night of Navy Satin Ribbon, Night of Navy Grosgrain Ribbon

The fair was going on all last week and since it had cooled down a bit, we decided to head over there. Have you ever seen anything like this? It is a Swirl Fry...remember I'm in Idaho where potatoes can do anything! This thing was well over a foot long and had a stick through it but it was a french fry. I didn't try it...too weird, but Benjamin ate it all and LOVED it!

Nicholas on the other hand, prefers games to food...and we are now the proud owners of 10 goldfish! Don't even get me started!
Happy Birthday to my husband today! Here's George with his 3 boys. Ü

Are You Ready For Christmas Stamping?

Well, I wasn't really either, but decided to break out the Christmas paper. Last weekend I was asked to be a 'surprise guest' demonstrator at another groups demo meeting. I had a great time demonstrating for them and meeting new friends. Although I am not going to share the presentation with you as they paid to attend, I will to share a couple of the other samples I had on my table for display.

A pull up card using the Scallop Square die-cut. The snowman is from the new Tags till Christmas set available Wednesday in the Holiday Mini catalog and the Tis The Season is from Punch Pals (which apparently is never going to retire!).

Of course I had to make a purse for display! This one uses the Holly Jolly Designer Series paper. The pattern can be found in my Tres Chic Handbag tutorial HERE.

The clasp is made using the new Glimmer Brads available Wednesday also. Super sparkly and oh so pretty. The tag is from the Tags till Christmas set.

This tag is a die-cut from Two Tags, uses the Tags till Christmas set, snowflake die-cut, Glimmer Brad, Spiral Punch, Jumbo Antique Brass Eyelet, Clips Assortment, Old Olive Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon available Wednesday.

Penny's Show

This is the demo I did last night for Penny's show. Showing off some of the new colors !

Just Believe in Wild Wasabi, Aviary in Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso and Word Play with On A Pedestal in Rich Razzleberry with Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive. (Thanks Mary Brown for the great idea to put the words over the image...you're awesome!) The bottom two were the make-n-takes.

Thanks Penny! It was fun to stamp with you and your friends. :)

A Morning Without Coffee...

Here is the second of the two I made with the Morning Cup set. It was set to post yesterday but our Internet was out all day! :(

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, Woodland Walk Designer Series Paper
Stamp Set: Morning Cup
Accessories: Basic Black Watercolor Crayon, Blender Pen, 1" Circle Punch, 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta, Small Heart Punch, Corner Rounder

Also, to address the comments left regarding the video I made. It is for my downline blog and will not be showing on my public blog. Thank you for your encouragement tho! If you really, really, really want to see it, you can join my team.

Have a great day!

Perk Up!

This week has been a crazy one! I'm preparing for a demonstrator event this weekend and my September workshops. I scheduled my fall line up of classes. I registered Benjamin for high school, Nicholas for Middle School (boo hoo!) and my husband had surgery. I started a downline blog and made my first video...do you know how weird that is to talk to a camera? I'm not ready for show business, I guess.

Usually I try to keep things a little calmer than this! Thank goodness for a good cup of coffee. Ü

Cardstock: Early Espresso, River Rock, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla

Stamp Set: Morning Cup

Ink Pads: Marina Mist, Staz-On Jet Black

Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Square die-cut, 1-3/4" Circle Punch

Two-Tags Birdhouse

I loved this layout by Lisa Young on Stampin' Connections, our demonstrator sharing site. She used the tag from Two Tags die-cut as a base for the bird cage. I changed it up a bit by using my Riding Hood Red cardstock!

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Stamp Set: Aviary
Accessories: Big Shot (you NEED one of these!), Two-Tags Bigz die-cut, Bird Punch (leaves), Bitty Flower Punch, Pearls, Jumbo Eyelets, Cherry Cobbler 1/2" Seam Binding, 1/8" Basic Black Ribbon, Love Letters DSP

Birdhouse Bookmarks

Have some reading to do? Maybe a bookmark for your new catalog...maybe not, I would need about 50 for my catalog! Ü

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White
Stamp Set: Aviary
Ink Pads: Real Red, Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Marina Mist 5/8" Grosgrain, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain. Punch Pack flower punch, Rhinestone Jewels, Two Tags die-cut, Big Shot

London Locks

I apologize that the links were not working earlier. They are all working now. Thank you for your comments asn e-mail!

Today I would like to introduce you to London Locks, a brand new Etsy store that my neighbor Kim Rosen just opened. Kim is the mother of 'my' two baby girls who I adore and send back home. :) They are absolutely precious and always look so darling in her custom made hair clips.

She is going to try a few consignment stores in the area also, so creative packaging is a must, right? As we were brain storming about how she could market these, we started clipping them on all kinds of things only to discover hair clips are not just for hair!!

There is a hair clip as an embellishment on the handle of this purse....

On the lovely dog model....

On Gracie's favorite boots, AND they are darling on patent leather shoes too...

And of course in the perfect model's hair!

Check out her store, London Locks on Etsy. She has a variety of hair clips for sale!

If you are interested in the packaging for the hair clips or any other small gift, a tutorial (Tres Chic Handbags) on how to make them yourself can be found HERE.

If At First...

If at first the colors don't look right to you, change them before you finish the card! Ü

I'm trying to embrace the new Color Coach because it is a GREAT tool...but seriously...Basic Gray, Melon Mambo and Old Olive? Maybe it's just too far out of my comfort zone to appreciate. What do you think?

Cardstock: Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink Colors: Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight
Stamp Set: Aviary, Full of Life
Accessories: Big Shot (do you own one yet??), Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels, Bold Bright Brads

August Stamp Clubs

The projects we will be making Thursday and Friday at Stamp Club.

Notepad with envelopes. This idea came from Erica Cerwin, you can see her project here. She has her envelopes stuffed with tea bags, I'm not sure what we will do with these yet.

I love this stamp set. It was one of the free ones we received at convention, Just Believe. I saw this in Baja Breeze on Chats blog, and recreated it in Wild Wasabi and the new Woodland Walk Designer Series paper. Chat is one of my top 3 favorite designers...go give her some love but remember you were mine first! Ü

Aviary....another new set I just love! This one is with the new Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper.

Thanks A Million

Kind of wild for me, don't you think? This is loosely based on a card by Erica Erwin on Stampin' Connections that I liked.

Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Whisper White
Stamp Sets: Word Play and Printed Petals
Accessories: Blossom Party die-cut, Petals A Plenty and Dotted Embossing Folders, 5/8" Chocolate Chip Brads, Extra Large Decorative Label Punch (coming in the Holiday Mini catalog)

While in Salt Lake City for convention, I did a little shopping at the Quilted Bear...do you like my refrigerator door? It's on and easel and will be so darling holding samples for classes! It is about 12" x 18".

Play Date Notes & Bag

Hello, hello...we're home! We had a fabulous vacation, everything is unpacked and the laundry is done, however we all still need a little more sleep! What an adjustment!!

Back to stamping and business as usual. I came in from convention just to re-pack and leave 2 days later so I still have a lot of thank yous to get out. This little card is just a single card front for a quick note.

I made them to match the new recyclable bags that were offered to us at Memento Mall.

Stampin' Up! is offering this amazing opportunity to all hostesses for a limited time!

Host a show that is $350 or more and get $25 extra in FREE Hostess Dollars to spend. That's $65 in FREE merchandise.

If you are in the Boise area, or even a couple hours away, schedule your next workshop with me by August 31 to earn an additional $25 in FREE Stampin' Up! merchandise!

If you host a $350 workshop, you'll receive:

A FREE Level 1 or Level 2 exclusive hostess only stamp set of your choice. To learn more, see pages 9 - 16 of the new catalog HERE.

Receive $65 in FREE Stampin' Up! product ($40 + $25)

Your workshop will include a personal demonstration, instruction and materials for a fabulous make-n-take project, lots of paper crafting tips and of course prizes!

You provide the guests, I'll provide the entertainment!

Promotion dates: July 27-August 31, 2010

Details: Hostesses will receive an additional $25 in hostess free merchandise dollars when they hold a workshop totaling $350 (before shipping and tax) or more!

It's a perfect time to host a Stampin' Up! show. Free stuff and lots of fun!!
E-mail me at yasou@cableone.net to schedule your show. Ü

Zip Line and the Tiki

Well he boys survived the Zip Line! They LOVED it!!!

Benjamin
Nicholas
They said it was way too short, even though they went on 5 different lines. They wanted to do it over and over all day! Kids!
I don't have any pictures of the pedicure I was getting while the boys were dangling in the wind. :)

Benjamin had a cool experience yesterday. He's been shopping for one of these little Tiki's (I hope that is what they are called, if not, I'm sorry) since we got here. Finally we met a man that was hand carving them while we watched.

It was fascinating how he holds it with his feet and pounds away with his tools. Ben picked out the one for good luck and prosperity.

He asked if he wanted his name carved into it and it took literally one minute for him to carve out 'Benjamin, Maui 2010' in the most beautiful script writing!

Tomorrow is the big snorkeling adventure!