The Stamper

Udderly Awesome Meeting

 

On Saturday I taught my How to Take Better Photos class at one of my up lines' Udderly Awesome Meeting.  She meets at the Spaghetti Factory in the LA area which was not ideal for a power point presentation but it went over really well.  It was fun, because Ted traveled with me so he got to see me present, that never happens because he is usually home with the kids.  There are a few advantages to having older children who can watch the younger one especially when they are not that young anymore. 

It was fun to visit with old friends and make new ones and seeing great ideas and projects is a plus too.  Here are a few of my favorite ideas I saw.

The crow card is made by punching out different punched images and clipping and gluing them together.  He is just so cute I want to create a bunch of them for my entry way for fall.

Sweet treat cups are a big deal and several ladies had great projects made with them.  I thought this stop light box was a unique way to use them and made a fun gift box that anyone would enjoy getting. 

I also loved these great pencil holder boxes and can't wait to figure them out so I can use them in a hands on class in the future.  They are a great idea that can be adapted for any holiday or occasion and I know how much I like decorative pencils so I know my girls friends will love getting a gift like this. 

Back from my California Trip

We had a great time on our California Trip.  We started the trip off with a day at Disneyland.  We meet one of my down line Julia and her husband for lunch at Disneyland, he works there, what a place to work.  We enjoyed visiting with them. 

After lunch we wandered around the park, I loved taking photos of all the great Halloween decorations they had up everywhere.  My favorite was the candy corn patch with it's giant candy corns.  They even made Ted look small. 

I had not been to an amusement park in about 8 years. The last several times we have taken our children so I am always riding the rides with someone smaller than me.  Riding with someone bigger made the rides a lot more exciting (I think) because the bars did not tighten as tight and I moved around like a little child which added to the adventure. 

I can't wait to get these pictures developed and scrapbooked. 

Three circle card layout

I created these cards using this three circle layout and I really like them.  This layout works for many stamp sets and can be adjusted for different size circles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Halloween card images are stamped with Stampin' Up!'s Batty for You stamp set and punched with 1" and 1 1/4" punches and the Holiday card images are stamped with Stampin' Up!'s Berry Christmas stamp set and is punched with 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" punches.  The strip of Designer Series paper was cut smaller when I used the larger circles. 

Medallion Coaster set

This is another project we will be making at the Gift Making Weekend November 6th and 7th.  This coaster set is created using chipboard and the circle die.  The Medallion stamp is embossed on colored circles with white embossing ink and powder. 

I think this is a great project and one that both Shelli and another demo showed at convention.  I wanted it to be a little bit more of a gift so I created a box from coasters to hold these on your table when they are not in use. 

Each set includes 6 coasters and you get to choose the color you want your box and coasters to be at the class, color choices are: Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Old Olive and Elegant Eggplant.

Build a Bear Sleeping Bag

At our Starz meeting this month, Monika shared this Build a Bear sleepingbag card she created for her exchange card.  It was created using Stampin' Up!'s Top Note die and the new Build a Bear dies and accessories dies.

She had made them in all different colors and both boy and girl and she let us choose our favorite one, I had a hard time choosing which one I liked best because I liked them all. In the end I waited until others had their choice and decided on a little girl bear.  I guess having 4 girls just makes me lean more towards those colors. 

My Digital Studio Hoppy Album

I have been playing with this new program and wanted to share a couple other pages I have created.  This book is about my nephews Alex and Tyler.  I had a great time with them in Utah this summer before convention.  I stayed at their place and followed them around with a camera and just took photos of their everyday life. 

I wish I had photos like these of my own girls when they were young.  It amazes me how we don't take the time to photo the everyday moments because we are living them but once your children start growing up and out of those little kid stages it is the everyday moments that we miss the most.  Take the time to photo some everyday moments today, even if your children are older in a couple of years you will cherish the everyday moments of this day.  A couple of years ago I walked around my home on a Sunday and just snapped photos of what my girls were doing and how "clean" NOT their rooms were.  I laugh when I look at the scrapbook pages I made with those everyday shots.

Okay, I will get off my soap box and finish my summer story.  These two little boys captured my heart when they put on their Indiana Jones hats and whips and ran around the house singing the theme song to Indiana Jones and you might be wondering how they did that since I don't think it has words, they did not use words they sang the tune in tas and das and had me laughing as they tried to whip me and each other. Great memories and this digital scrapbook album will help me remember it always.  I think I might even give them a copy of this book for Christmas.

Pocket Silhouettes Card Box

I wanted to share another one of the project we will be making at my Gift Making Extravaganza event in November. 

This is another card box made using Stampin' Up!'s Pocket Silhouettes stamp set and the new Designer Series Paper called Autum Meadows from the mini catalog.  I love this paper; it is even more beautiful in person than it is in the catalog.  I love that it is double sided and that the side that is fall has a non-fall print on the opposite so this paper does not have to be fall.  It is great colors for masculine themes or just any one. 

The card box has 8 cards and envelopes, 2 each of 4 designs, in it and opens on the side with locking tabs that tuck in.  I like the look of hardware and the vanilla hardware looks great with these colors. 

I have started getting sign ups for this class and I am so excited to spend the weekend with all those who will be attending.

My Digital Studio first album

I finally finished both my first and second album and was so excited to share them with you.  Over the weekend I was showing a few customer friends Stampin' Up!'s new My Digital Studio program and how easy it is to work with and we started a sample project.  When I went back to the computer later I deleted what I thought was the sample project and today decided to learn how to export my album to put on my blog.  When I went to open my first album it was not there I just had the sample project I thought I had deleted.

I wanted to cry, I tried to find in on my computer and it was not there, I called SU! for help and found out that once you delete it from the program it is gone.  I really wanted to cry and so I did what any wife would do I went in and whined to my husband and he calmed me down and said, " let me have a look and make a phone call and see what we can do."  He called my efolder man John Mitchel and he helped me restore my project.  I really wanted to cry then.

For those of you who don't know what efolder is: a several years ago I lost my computer and all my digital photos, I had been backing them up on cd's for the most part but of course not as faithfully as I wished I had been when I lost the hard drive in my computer.  I also lost all of my patterns, ideas and business handouts I had created over the years.  We called a service to try and recover the data off the disk and they wanted thousands to try and restore

all my data.  I was talking to John Mitchel and John Williams two computer guys I know from church and they helped us restore my data and so they never had to do it again they introduced me to efolder a service that backs up all my programs on my computer on a regular basis, all my photos, all my documents and even all my customer lists and today that back up paid off because John was able to restore that program that I deleted and you get to view my first album. 

It took him about 5 minutes and another 5 minutes of download time and I had my first album back where it belonged on my computer and now on my blog.  I can't wait to print it and be able to show all of you how beautiful it is in person.  

I really like this new program and those of you who know me know that I am not a computer person, but I can do this. 

It was not hard at all and the pages that SU! has designed in the kits are beautiful.  I also like how I can use their layout or change it to fit my pictures either by changing colors or images or I can start from scratch and create my page one item or image at a time.  I know this will never replace scrap booking for me because I love paper and ink and embellishments but it will be great to make these books as gifts or use the hybrid method and add 3-d images to the pages.  I can't wait to share more ideas with you soon.

October's Hands On Class

I have been working a lot of November's class but we don't want to forget October. 

For my Hands On Class in October we will be making these great projects.  The pink box is a cupcake holder, I received this as a gift for my birthday from Monika and loved it and can't wait for you to make one as well.  It makes a fun gift to be able to give a friend a single cupcake in a box for any occasion.   The next project is the Mozi box that Shelli showed us at convention with some adjustments to make it easier to make.  The box have some unique folds and it holds 3x3 cards and envelopes.  We will also be making this great holiday card that I have shown you already in this blog. 

Plan to join me Friday, October 9th at 10 AM or 7:30 PM.  The cost is $15.00 for all projects.  

Bear Magnetic Paper Doll Tin

This was my final project for my gift making extravaganza class.  I wanted to use these cute Build a Bear stamps and die cuts and this little tin was a very cute way to use them.  Having had all girls paper dolls and bears were both very popular at our home but my daughter that loved them the most is my oldest Shanae. 

Shanae is serving a church mission but I know she will love this little tin and I plan to send her one for Christmas. 

I love how the clothes are magnetic and stick to the tin as well as to the bear.  My bear can be either a girl or boy and you will be able to make it either way the day of the class.  It does not have to be a girl gift, I know little boys will enjoy it as well. Who would not love to play in the car with this little tin.

Gift Making Extravaganza Event

Wow, it has been a lot of work but I finally have my projects finalized and the newsletter with all the information is sent.  I started it this morning and here it is late at night and I have finally finish. 

It would have gone much quicker if I could have written it without all the distractions.  You know how it is, the phone rings and it is your parents so you talk a while, then a lunch break, then you find out you don't have enough pictures so you hope the sun will come out but after checking the weather report you know that is not going to happen at all this week so you take dark photos and hope for the best, back to the computer and more distractions, your daughter's doing her homework and thinks you can help her write a paper while you are writing an newsletter, another daughter does not want to do her practicing so she comes down to visit with you instead, another daughter keeps checking her email to see if she made the youth orchestra she tried out for on Sunday, then dinner and off to bed so you think you will have a few minutes to finish the newsletter because your husband is at a meeting and the girls are in bed or gone to meetings but alas more distractions, your husband is driving and has nothing to do but call you and talk and ask how your newsletter is coming which you inform him it would be coming along better if you were not trying to write it and talk on the phone at the same time.  And that is how the first item on my to do list did not get done until 10:PM.  I am guessing all of you have had days like this. 

Join me for this class Friday, November 6th, and Saturday November 7th from AM to PM.  The class fee is $15.00 plus project supply fees. 
Send me an email at wendy@thestamper.comto receive a newsletter with all the paypal links if you have not received it already. 

Photo Letter decor project

I made photo letters of each of my girls for my wall and have received so many comments on how great they are and how you, my customers, would like to make some of your own, so this is one of my gift making extravaganza projects.  You can choose whatever letter you desire and it can be for a boy or a girl.  This one is for my niece Allie and I decorated in with chipboard flowers, the ones I am doing for my nephews will be decorated with chipboard stars and stamped images. 

This letter is a little different than the ones I hung on my wall, they are a little smaller and come with a stand so they can sit on a child's dresser or shelf.

You will need to bring mini photos to decorate your letter the weekend we make them, I develop these at a major photo developing store and ask for them to print 2 up on a 4x6 for the largest photo and the rest are printed on their charms layout which will give you several mini sizes to choose from. 

Note: this project is a part of my gift making extravaganza class that will be held November 6th and 7th.  I hope you will come and make a few of these great gift items.

Stampin' Up! Flower Fancy gift box

What is a gift making class without a gift box full of cards.  Last year my box of cards was very popular and this year I don't think it will be any different.  Amber Allen, one of my customers who made several gift boxes of cards last year, shared with me that she made these and used them all year for birthday gifts. 

There will be two different choices of card boxes and this is one of them.  It is very generic and can be used as a Holiday gift or save it and use it for birthdays or any occasion throughout the year. 

This gift box has a clear wrap around the box so the beautiful cards show through.  There are 6 cards and envelopes, 2 each of 3 designs that fit in this box. 

You will be able to accent iyour gift box when you make it with any of the three colors choices: Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry or Melon Mambo

I think your friends and family will love receiving a gift like this one any time of the year.  Mark your calendars for November 6th and 7th and join me for a weekend of stamping fun.

Eat Home Decor magnet board

I don't know about you but whenever we cook the receipe gets put on the counter next to the stove and something always gets dropped on it as we cook.  I was so excited about this magnet board concept when I saw it in Stampin' Up!'s Home Decor catalog that I just had to make one for me and also for my Gift Making Extravaganza class that is the weekend of November 6th and 7th. 

This project is very quick and easy to do and will match anyone's home decor.  It will hold those receipes by the stove so they don't get stuff placed on them as you cook. 

Mark your calendars for November 6th and 7th.  You can make as many of each project as you want so all your gift making for the holiday will be done the first of November.

If you are planning to come or just want to see all the projects at once and you don't receive my email newsleter you can email me at wendy@thestamper.com and I can add you to my newsletter list so you can start getting my class invites and all the information I put into my newsletter.  

Things that I love...

At convention Stampin' Up! always has some cute projects for us to make and this was one of them. 

I was cleaning my stamping room last week, because we had the carpets cleaned and ran across the hands on packet from convention.  It is amazing what you find when you clean up and put things away. 

This project was very quick and easy to make and can be a fun gift.  It is made using the Things I love stamp set.  It is 3x3 cards and envelopes in a little cello bag with a topper. 

This stamp set says, I love chocolate, new shoes, shopping but most of all you.  I decided they know women pretty good because it is a good bet all women love chocolate, new shoes and shopping.  All of those things light me up. 

Stampin' Up!'s Delightful Decorations

The card exchange I do with my friends always gives me some great ideas and I did this card and patterned it after one Joann did. 

This is the new stamp set Delightful Decorations found on page 7 of the mini catalog.  And Stampin' Up!'s Baroque Motifs stamp set from the main catalog.  I stamped the swirl with Old Olive Classic ink along the top of the card to look like tree branches.  The ornament on the right is stamp directly onto the card stock with Real Red classic ink, the ornament on the left is punched from the new Designer Series Paper Christmas Cocoa Specialty.  This is the flocked piece of paper so it is fuzzy.  The one in the middle was textured with the impressions folder.  There is glitter added to the stamped ornament and they all have silver cording strings.

I think you will love the new flocked papers and the coordinating sheets of DSP that go along with this great paper. 

Gifts of the Earth Stamp set

The new mini catalog always means a card exchange with my Stampin' Up! cruise friends.  We each take a stamp set from the mini catalog and make samples to exchange with each other. 

This catalog, my choice was the Gifts of the Earth stamp set.  My first stamp set I ever brought was an outline image because I love to color and I still tend to choose an outline image when I get a chance. 

This stamp makes me smile, I guess it is the feel good memories of fall and the country life and this layout works for so many different images that it is a good layout.  The DSP paper strip is from the new Designer Series Paper called AAutumn Meadows that is featured in the mini catalog.  I loved this paper when I saw it in the catalog but even more once I had it on my desk.  It does not have to be a fall theme.  It is double sided and they put the fall prints behind great generic prints.  It would be a great masculine print. 

Polished Stone Technique

I love this technique and had a chance to teach it this week twice.  My workshops this week wanted different themes but the same card layout and technique worked well for both. 

The basic technique:  dab glossy card stock with little dots of Encore ink refill, don't do too many and keep them small.  Moisten a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and add a few drops of ink refills, don't really squeeze bottle just let a drop get on the cotton ball.  Now dab, dab, dab all over the card, this blends the colors together and creates a marble effect with the Encore refill.  You must use glossy card stock for this to work.

For the Halloween card, I used Silver Encore refill, pumpkin pie, crushed curry and night of navy classic ink refills.  I stamped over the image with Night of Navy ink with the House of Haunts Stamipn' Up! stamp set.

The winter trees card, I used gold Encore refill, Night of navy, sage shadow classic ink refills.  I stamped the trees twice, once full strengthNight of Navy and the other upside down having stamped off once.  I added two way glue and glitter in little dabs to the tress so they glisten. 

I attached the greeting with those too cute library clips. 

Magnet Board

Shelli Gardner, the owner of Stampin' Up! shared a magnet board like this one at convention.  It was so fun and easy to do and makes a great gift for anyone that I had to make one like it for my Gift Giving Extravaganza that I am planning for onNovember Th and Th. 

This is our large board chipboard with a piece of sheet metal glued on it and then covered with DSP.  Punch two holes with the Crop-a-dial and insert jumbo brad accents. 

I stamped images from the Wanted Stamp set using a marker technique and backed them with card stock and a magnet.  The magnets can hold notes or lists to your cute little board. 

For the class you can choose the DSP you would like to use and I hope to offer a kids version with paper dolls. 

We will see if all the ideas in my head get made.  Enjoy.

Changeable Calendar

I guess my theme for this week is calendars.  This changeable Calendar is another preview of one of the projects I will be offering at my Gift Making Extravaganza on November 6th and 7th.  I saw an idea like this one at convention and had to come home and make it mine.  I love the new Night and Day Designer Series papers that debut in the mini catalog and they make a perfect calendar that I can change the theme each month. 

The way this works is the squares are your days of the month and each month you write in the days on top of the glass with a white board marker, you can even jot down notes or appointment dates.  (Just don't let the kid in the cranberry commercial close to your filled out calendar, ha ha) The months are changed and the image that matches the month are changed by opening the back of the frame. 

I know I am excited to share more ideas soon.