QUICKIE WEDNESDAY

For this weeks edition of "Quickie Wednesday" I wanted to share with you, a great card I received in a swap. 

This card was designed by fellow demonstrator Donna Dorion. 

She used a piece of the designer series paper Snow Festival for her vertical mat.  She  used whisper white as her base and her horizontal mat.  Her greeting stamp is from the More Merry Messages stamp set, stamped with Marina Mist ink, 

  A quick zip through the big shot with the finishing touches edge-lit gives this a classy feel.  

She also took a piece of white organza ribbon and inked it with marina mist ink so that it would coordinate.  

Thanks for sharing Donna!

TIP TUESDAY

Today, for tip Tuesday, I want to share with you four tools that I must have on my worktable at all times. 

1.  Stamp-a-ma-Jig- I use this on each and every card I make.  Now this takes a bit of getting used to, but you will never have a crooked image or greeting again.  No more wasted cardstock! It allows you to perfectly position you image where you want it. This is found on page 7, item#101049 $15.50

2.  Stampin' Scrub- Extra large size, easily cleans stamps so they are just like new!  This is found on page 15, item#126200 $23.95

3.  Paper Snips- are the absolute best scissors for cutting precisely.  They cut all the way to the tips.  This item is found on page 180, item #103579 $14.95

4.  Tabletop Paper Cutter- Precise and superior straight cuts.  Blade has a five year replacement warranty.  Arm extender so it cuts up to 12 x 12 pages. No little replacement blades to repetitively buy, as with smaller cutters.  This item is found on page 180, item #106959 $64.95

MASCULINE MONDAY

Here is great card for guys of any age.  It features the stamp set called Horse Frontier page 85, item#126347 $17.95.  

Two shades of blue cardstock, an embossing folder to add some texture (I used Argyle page 189, item#127750 $9.95) and a piece of jute twine for the handmade tag make this an easy and appealing card. 

PAPER PUMPKIN....

IT'S A MAGICAL PAPER ESCAPE EVERY MONTH!

Sweep away the mundane-your creativity carriage awaits!

I'm Paper Pumpkin . . .

I come to your door each month (a fully decked-out creativity carriage). I'll help you to escape your life with some paper fun.

I come in a sweet box, but you'll really love what you find on the inside:

All the stamps, ink, paper, and accessories to create pinable projects. Create stuff like cards, journals, décor, and more!

Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up! is a new monthly kit program that anyone (even you) can enjoy!

Get Started

It's so easy to get started. Simply sign up for the program starting Monday, January 14 by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it. Every month a new, surprise project kit arrives at your doorstep. Just think of the anticipation of creating a fun project to pin, showoff, and share with your friends and family-every month!

Of course, you'll want to know more. So here's the nitty gritty:

• Each month we send you a unique, surprise kit with a project-cards, journals, décor, and more! (We've even colour-coordinated, measured, and cut everything for you!)
• Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper, and accessories-everything but adhesive.
• Each kit gives you a 30-minute creativity escape.
• We will ship your Paper Pumpkin on or around the 15th of the month.  
• You need to sign up for a kit by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. If you sign up on the 11th of the month, your first kit will come the next month. (Let's say you sign up on May 10th, we'll send your kit around May 15th. If you sign up on May 11th, we'll send your first kit around June 15th.)
• A Paper Pumpkin membership $24.95 per month (and shipping is included!) 
• There's no commitment, you can cancel your monthly Paper Pumpkin at anytime. You can also skip a month if you want.

Here's How You Order

Sign up for your monthly Paper Pumpkin starting Monday, January 14 by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it.

Starting in early March, you can try Paper Pumpkin for one month by visiting our online store.

A Free Gift in Your Very First Kit

The Welcome Kit is the very first Paper Pumpkin you will receive in your first month of membership. The Welcome Kit includes a free gift-a clear acrylic block!

Questions? We've Got Answers

Why are we offering Paper Pumpkin?

Paper Pumpkin is the perfect introduction to Stampin' Up! We designed it for crafters that want to create a project each month, but aren't quite ready to build a stamp collection (yet).

How does shipping work with Paper Pumpkin?

Your Paper Pumpkin will be automatically shipped to you each month (so fun!). Because we are auto shipping these, the pricing structure is slightly different from our other Stampin' Up! products.

SCRAPPIN FRIDAY

This layout uses a circular theme throughout the page.  Even the title follows the circular theme.

A solid background with a coordinating print makes this page visually interesting. 

 A minimalist page...but very visually stimulating. 

I used circle templates to achieve the circles and arcs. 

THURSDAY TOOL TALK

The tool that is the topic of today's post is framelit dies and edgelit dies. 

Have you ever had an issue, when using framelit dies or edgelit dies, that the die moves on you when you are placing it and ruins your cut? 

Well I have 2 solutions for you: 

1. (My personal favorite) use a post it note to hold the die onto the cardstock in the exact position you want. It NEVER tears the cardstock and is strong enough to hold the die in place. 

2.  Use painters tape (make sure you stick it to your pants a few times to remove the tackiness) Many demonstrators use this method successfully....but I have had issues a couple of times when I didn't remove enough of the tack. I know, operator error. :)  

QUICKIE WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY'S ARE NOW FOR THAT QUICK CARD YOU NEED IN A HURRY.  

A GREAT BASIC CARD THAT YOU CAN MAKE IN JUST A FEW SHORT MINUTES.  

This card is a great example.  It was made by fellow demonstrator Oona Hayes, and I received this as part of a swap.  

She has used the stamp set Baby Boutique on page 63 of the annual catalog.  Product #126352 $17.95.  

To give this card some great interest and dimension she cut out the focal image with the Labels Framelits on page 190 of the annual catalog Item#125598 $32.95.  

Then she matted the focal image on another die cut shape using patterned paper and the Apothecary Accents framelit on page 191 of the annual catalog.  Item#127003 $31.95.  

A couple of brads is all the card needs.  Quick, easy and a very, very nice card ! 

TIP TUESDAY

FOR THIS WEEKS TIP TUESDAY, I THOUGHT I WOULD COUNT DOWN WITH YOU, MY TOP TEN PICKS FROM THE NEW SPRING MINI. 

HONESTLY, THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT NEW PRODUCTS, IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO CHOOSE! 

10.  CLOUDY DAY EMBOSSING FOLDER.  PAGE 28- ITEM#127022- $9.95  This is going to be a GREAT background for all kinds of cards! 

9.  HAPPY WHALE CLEARLIT DIE. PAGE 29- ITEM#129403 $9.95  This is soooo cute!  Great for card making and scrapbooking. 

8.  NATURAL BURLAP 7/16 RIBBON.  PAGE 20- ITEM#129287 $8.95  Finally!  A GREAT ribbon for guy cards and for those distressed rough cards and scrap pages. 

7.  THAT'S THE TICKET STAMP SET.  PAGE 27-ITEM#128075 $20.95   Coordinates with the ticket duo punch on page 182 of the annual catalog,,,,great for lots of occasions!

6.  HEXAGON EMBOSSING FOLDER.  PAGE 6- ITEM #129378 $9.95  GREAT folder.....hexagons are a hot trend right now!

5.  BITTY BUTTERFLY PUNCH.  PAGE 13-ITEM #129406 $21.95   The bitty butterfly is the yellow one....the pink butterfly is the elegant butterfly on page 184 of the annual catalog.  I wanted to show you how little this guy really is! 

4.  OCCASIONS PAPER PIERCING PACK  PAGE 27 ITEM#129387 $10.95  Coordinates with all the new framelits and a few of the punches.....LOVE IT! 

3.  SWALLOWTAIL STAMP PAGE 18  ITEM#129216 $16.95  At first I hesitated on whether or not to buy this background stamp.....and boy oh boy am I glad I did!  The detail in this stamp is AMAZING! 

2.  HEARTS A FLUTTER BUNDLE.  PAGE 11  ITEM#131097 $44.95  Yes a bundle is in the number two spot....and these hearts and banners are SUPER!  Yeah Stampin' Up!  

1.  SECRET GARDEN BUNDLE  PAGE 17  ITEM#131099  $44.95  And of course. my number one favourite item is the floral bundle....great stamps and great dies- Stampin' Up! truly hit the mark with this one! 

Well that is my top ten picks.....like I said earlier....LOTS of really. really great products.  Remember to sign up for classes and get your chance to try out some of these great products for yourself!

MASCULINE MONDAY

NEW YEAR, NEW BLOG FORMAT.  

NOW MONDAYS ARE GOING TO BE FOR THE GUYS IN OUR LIVES....FROM THE WEE LITTLEST ONES 

TO THE YOUNG BOYS

TO THE TEENAGERS

TO THE MIDDLE AGED ONES

AND THE  GREY HAIRED WISE ONES

LET'S FACE IT GIRLS, GUY CARDS ARE DIFFICULT BY TIMES....SO MONDAYS ARE NOW GOING TO BE GEARED TO MAKING CARDS FOR THEM.  

IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR GUY CARDS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH MY READERS....EMAIL ME AT SHEL@SHELSCREATIVECORNER.COM.  

COME BACK NEXT MONDAY FOR OUR FIRST CARD!  

SATURDAY SHOWCASE

Today's showcase features swap cards I received in the mail from other Stampin' Up demonstrators. 

SCRAPPIN' FRIDAY

Today I wanted to share with you a double layout of my grandaughter Brielle's first birthday. 

 I used a lace doily as a mask on the first page and spritzed it with a mixture of red ink and alchol....I think it made quite a pretty effect.  I used turquoise leters which I cut out using my dies and Big Shot and turquoise butterflies, hoping to tie the two pages together with color.

On the second page I continued with the turquoise theme and added the pink from the other page.

QUICKIE WEDNESDAY

Today's clean and simple card features the stamp set Frosty Friends from the Holiday Mini catalogue, that was stamped with Stazon ink and then colored with Stampin Write markers. 

I used the Northern Flurry embossing folder for the background.  

Quick, simple and can be used for a variety of winter occasions. 

Shel's Stampin' News- January 2013

Shel's Stampin' News          Jan 2013

Hi Girls! 

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and got to visit with friends and family.

I was blessed to have an extended holiday this year…. We had dinners on Sat 22^nd, Sun 23^rd, Tues 25^th, and Wed 26^th.  I must say I was glad to get back to work and back  to normal on the 27^th.

  New Years Eve was spent with our dear friends John, Dorothy and Carole at a local restaurant. 

Throughout the holiday we of course ate too much, and will be back at the gym on Jan 2 to work out. ( grrrr chocolates!)

As I sit here reflecting over 2012 I feel very blessed, and I realize that one of my best gift this year ... was YOU!

I want to thank YOU for being one of my greatest gifts this year!  I truly appreciate the opportunity to be your Stampin’ Up demonstrator, and your friend.

Whether you joined me in a one on one class, a monthly card class or scrapbooking class, a Stamp-a-Stack or a Christmas card class, even if we just connected online….I want to share my sincerest gratitude to you.  

Through our classes, conversations and friendships, you continually inspire, and affirm why I am a Stampin’ Up demonstrator and why I love sharing and encouraging you.   I'm more grateful than you will ever know.

As we move into a new year, I will continue to offer my classes, guidance and encouragement and hopefully continue to inspire you and to encourage you to explore your own creativity.

I hope that all of you are as excited for 2013 as I am!  

So, here we go….LOTS to tell you this month!

1.  As most of you know, the Holiday Catalog is now expired and the  new Spring Mini Catalog is out…..and boy oh boy,  is is FULL of amazing new products!  I cannot wait to show you some of the new products I received in my preorder! If you don't have a copy of the new Spring Mini catalog, there is a link on my blog for you! 

2.  If that wasn’t enough, SALE-A-BRATION starts Jan 21^st….and you know what that means….FREE PRODUCTS….for every $60.00 you spend you get to choose one item from the Sale-a-Bration flyer for free!  Woooohoooo! Here is my copy of the flyer….(it is much clearer than the pamphlet)- there is also a link on my blog. 

3.  New class structure for 2013.  I have done some soul searching and decided that working full time, family time and classes need to have more balance.  I have restructured my classes so that I have more prep time for classes and more family time. 

I am no longer am offering classes every week of every month. 

Two weeks per month I will have classes….each week there will be both card classes and scrapbook classes.  Also one Saturday per month I will offer two card classes- one at 9:30 am and one at 1:30 pm. 

Another new change is that the class sizes will be smaller, allowing more opportunity for one-on- one instruction, less confusion, less congestion, and shorter class times (no more classes ending after 11 pm on a weeknight- that is just crazy!) When one class is filled, another class will be added to the calendar on another day in the same week,  to accommodate all my girls, and so no one misses out. 

4.  Sketches will now only be offered in my monthly newsletter, instead of weekly and the newsletter.  There has been a decreasing interest in the weekly sketches so I have decided to discontinue them.  I will continue to offer them in my monthly newsletter.  If interest increases, I will restart them.  Here are your sketches for this month:

Card Sketch:

Scrapbook Sketch:

5.  Class Schedule- see new class schedule below.   . If one class fills, a new class will be added to make sure everyone gets to attend. 

Also note, that the cards made in the first card class of the month will be different cards in the second class. The same is true for scrapbook class- different class- different layouts.   This is because some of my girls wish to attend classes every two weeks instead of just once a month, and they cannot have duplicates.   


Remember, you must contact me to reserve a seat in all my classes. (email shel@shelscreativecorner.com or phone 204-232-7744)  If you haven’t contacted me, your seat is not reserved.

 Remember, you must contact me to reserve a seat in all my classes. (email shel@shelscreativecorner.com or phone 204-232-7744)  If you haven’t contacted me, your seat is not reserved.

 Remember, you must contact me to reserve a seat in all my classes. (email shel@shelscreativecorner.com or phone 204-232-7744)  If you haven’t contacted me, your seat is not reserved.

6.  Daily Blog Posts will continue, but look for some exciting new changes coming soon.  More videos, more tutorials, and more samples is my goal for 2013.  

7.  January Promotions- Stampin Up has two new promotions running in January.  Here are the details:

MY LITTLE VALENTINE PROMOTION 

Dates: January 3-21, 2013

Details:

During the My Little Valentine promotion, your customers will get the Sealed with Love Simply Sent Kit FREE-a $9.95 value-when they purchase the brand-new My Little Valentine Set. This four-piece set was created exclusively for this promotion and will not be available again after January 21!. 

The My Little Valentine Stamp Set is only available in clear-mount.

Buy one of the following:

Item	Description	Price
132242	My Little Valentine (English; clear-mount)	$11.95
132245	Enamorados (Spanish; clear-mount)	$11.95
132248	Mon petit amour (French; clear-mount)	$11.95

Get this FREE:

Page	Publication	Item	Description	Retail Value
35	holiday catalogue	126923	Sealed with Love Simply Sent	$9.95

valentine treat bundle promotion

Details:

From January 3 through January 21, your customers will have the opportunity to purchase the exclusive Valentine Treat Bundle. This bundle, created specifically for this special offer, contains the brand-new Happy Valentine Heart Single Stamp (English only) and a package of 1" x 8" cellophane bags.

Bundle Item	Description	Retail Value	Special Bundle Price
132771	Valentine Treat Bundle Includes the Happy Valentine Heart Single Stamp (clear-mount) and 1" x 8" cellophane bags	$9.20	$7.25

8.  Monthly Tutorial

For my first tutorial of a new year I thought I would share a really clean and simple New Years card. It features an embossed background and a great image from the Embellished  Events stamp set.   

Supplies Used:  

Whisper White cardstock

Raspberry Ripple cardstock

Raspberry Ripple stitched ribbon

Embellished Events stamp set

Raspberry Ripple ink pad

Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Big Shot 

Adhesive

Scissors

Dimensionals

Sticky Strip

1.  Insert front of card base in the vintage wallpaper embossing folder and run through the Big Shot. 

2.  Tie a knot in the stitched ribbon and heat seal edges, then adhere to the front of the card with sticky strip.  Trim tails to desired length.  

3.  Stanp the wineglass image on the focal panel with raspberry ripple ink. Stamp another one on scrap paper, and cut out.  Adhere with dimensionals. 

4.  Adhere the focal panel to the raspberry ripple mat. 

5.  Adhere the mat to the card front with dimensionals. 

Now I did not use a greeting on this card, but there is a greeting in this  stamp set that says "celebrate" which would be very appropriate, or perhaps the "happy new year" greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. If you chose alternate colors, it would be fun to bling it up with some rhinestones in the bubbles! 

Well ladies, I think that is all for this month.  If any news pops up throughout the month I will forward it to you.  See you in class! 

Inky huggs, 

Shel