It's been way too long since I've posted here. This month has been crazy busy, so I've had to focus on designing and prepping for classes. But I have a few days before I leave to visit my sister for a long weekend (WOO HOO I can't wait, Sandy!!!) so let's see what we can update with, OK?

First of all, here is a copy of a swap I made for Amanda Coughlin's Holiday Mini Catalog Swap. It's been awhile since we traded cards, but I never did get around to showing you what I made for it, did I? I had lots of fun with this card. I got to use the beautiful new stamp set, SERENE SNOWFLAKES and some of the SHIMMER PAINT in the Holiday Mini Catalog. That paint is very different than anything else Stampin' Up! has to offer. I combined a little of the paint with a little bit of water in a small spray bottle. I used this to deliver a few short squirts onto the background Bordering Blue card stock, and topped it with the largest snowflake, embossed with silver embossing powder with a clear brad in the center. All other supplies are listed below. I made over 30 of these cards, and traded with 30 other demonstrators. I received 29 different card fronts using all the different stamp sets in the Holiday Mini Catalog. 

Swaps are a great idea, don't you think? And they're LOTS of fun, too! Thanks, Amanda, for letting me be a part of your Holiday Swap! I did have a little trouble with the post office. It seems they sort of lost my package, and it wasn't delivered in 2-3 days Priority. It came a week later! I was so worried it was lost and that I wasn't going to get the other card fronts I had been waiting for (impatiently). But I contacted Amanda, who is such a sweet person, and she helped me out until my package FINALLY arrived! I just love Stampin' Up! and all the demonstrators I have met through this wonderful company!! Everyone is always so nice... and will try to help out whenever possible. If you would like to order any of these supplies, or if you'd like to learn more about how to use the Shimmer Paints, just contact me and I'd be happy to help. :-) Have a GREAT week!

Stamp Sets: Serene Snowflakes, Four the Holidays

Card Stock: Night of Navy, Brushed Silver, Whisper White, Bordering Blue

Ink: Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, VersaMark

Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Clear Rhinestone Brad, Eyelet Border Punch, Jumbo Snowflake Punch, Platinum Shimmer Paint, Silver Elastic Cord, Whisper White Organza Ribbon

~Alice

Stampin' Up! Retired Stamp Set List is here!

The Stampin' Up! Retired Stamp Set List is here!

And... all retired sets are

10% OFF December 9-23!!

And... you get

FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $70

Just click Here to go see the list of stamp sets that shows the 10% discount so you can see how much you're going to save! It's very easy to shop. Just go to my website here and click on SHOP NOW in the upper right hand corner.











LAST REMINDER...





Be sure to send me your Holiday Wish List so that your friends and relatives can contact me to do their Holiday Shopping! The deadline is tomorrow, Dec. 10th. I will deliver the merchandise, wrapped and ready to place under your Christmas tree! Won't it be nice to know the gifts you receive this year will be exactly what you wanted?!?!




Also...

GIFT CERTIFICATES are available in any denomination. These make a great last minute gift for family and friends who craft. Just e-mail me right now! Angelsme@aol.com











Now... I know you're looking for another idea of what to make for last minute gifts, right? Well, I won't disappoint you. My grandson, Braiden, loves Sour Patch Kids candy. So I bought 3 boxes of it, and wrapped each one individually with some of the Holiday Prints Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the Holiday Mini Catalog (which is only available until December 31). Then I stacked them one on top of another, and wrapped the stack with a belly band made from another piece of DSP and topped that with some 5/8" Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.


Then I had lots of fun adding some SU! Felt Flurries, snowflakes from my Cricut and Martha Stewart punch, all topped with a rhinestone snowflake I picked up last year somewhere. I attached them to the ribbon using one of the Small Library Clips from the Clips Assortment on page 184 in the SU! catalog and only $6.95. What a great stocking stuffer!!


























Ooooooops, how could I forget???!!! It's time for BLOG CANDY!! And I was supposed to pick a winner YESTERDAY!!! I am soooooo sorry. Let's go to random.com and pick a number for our winner! I'll be right back...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:2
Timestamp: 2008-12-09 18:16:05 UTC


OK... the results are in. It's number 2 which means derr.sandy@gmail.com is our winner! CONGRATULATIONS! Contact me with your snail mail address and I will send you the promised BLOG CANDY!!

Thanks for being so supportive and for coming to my blog regularly. One of my new year's resolutions for 2009 is to be better about posting new ideas and tutorials to my blog. Hey... it's better than trying to stay on a diet, right? hehe
That's it for today. See you next time!

~Alice

SNOWFLAKE CARD

This is one of the cards we made at the Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack held a few weekends ago. I have some pieces left over, so I decided to go ahead and make them up into cards. But I changed each one a little, so that each looked unique. It was lots of fun!

This first card uses one of the new Filigree Brads on top of the snowflake image from Stampin' Up!'s SNOW SWIRLED stamp set, along with some Rhinestone Brads in the centers of some of the Big Felt Flurries snowflakes. The Designer Series Paper (DSP) strip is from the Ski Slope collection in the Holiday Mini Catalog. The words are also from the SNOW SWIRLED stamp set.




All of the cards shown here use the same stamp set and DSP. The images are all on Whisper White cardstock which was mounted onto Sahara Sand card background. The card below also uses some of the pearls from the Pretties Kit in the Spring/Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalog.





I think this last card is my favorite. I used the new Sizzix Sizzlits 4-pack die, SNOWFLAKES SET #2. Although I do not have the Sizzix Big Shot, it was easy to punch out the snowflake using my Cuttlebug Die Cutter.

This close-up below shows a bit better the Sizzix die cut snowflake punched out of Vellum Card Stock, covered with glue and then Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I firmly believe that a little glitter and bling makes any card more appealing, don't you? :-)




It's not too late to order the supplies you need to make your own Christmas cards to send to loved ones this year. Just contact me and I will help you pick a design (or two!) from the samples you have seen here on my blog -- or we can plan your own unique card design. Then we'll just fill out an order together, or you can go to my website here and place the order yourself, any time of the day... 24/7. Expedited delivery is available as we get closer to Christmas, but I would recommend placing your order by December 10 to assure timely delivery.

There are only 25 days left 'til Christmas!!

~ Alice

GypsyCrafter is moving on...

A few of the demonstrators with our Hawaii Ink group got together last week to say goodbye to our dear friend Kim (see her blog here), who is moving with her family to northern Florida. They are military, so I think they know how to go through moves better than us "normal" people. I mean... that's not to say that military people are not "normal"... I mean... ummmmm... well... you know what I'm trying to say, don't you? Military wives seem to know how to make friends easily and quickly, maybe because they know they don't have much time to get acquainted and settled in, and then it's time to pack up and move again.

<-- Whitney looks on as Kim opens the beautiful journal/scrapbook tin that she made for her "dear kind and wonderful friend" using the ALL HOLIDAYS stamp set, a DVD tin, and silver embossing powder. Only Whitney can create miracles with a few tools and accessories as gorgeous as this keepsake! You can go see Whitney's blog here.

Here Kim holds up the notepad holder that Lisa C. made for her using an On Board Clipboard. Hmmmm, maybe I should consider moving so that I can receive all these awesome Stampin' Up! gifts!?!?

And here is the card I made for Kim. It's really an ornament attached to a card front. On the back of the ornament there is a frame for a small photo to be inserted, thus creating not just a decoration, but a cherished memory. I can't take credit for the Origami tree. I found that on one of the gazillion blogs I peruse every day, but can't remember who to give the credit to. Sorry! When I remember, I will update here so you can all go get the directions from the original artist. I used some retired DSP to pull this all together, and slid it into place on the card front using the slit punch. Cute??










I know Kim, her DH (<-- that's Darling Husband for those of you new to blog-language),Paco, and their two daughters are excited about moving to a new place, with a new home and new friends. Kim will be in an area where there are no other Stampin' Up! demonstrators. That is... for now! Once she gets settled, Kim will be teaching classes, techniques and the love of card-making to all who want to learn. Then she'll have an entire downline of her own to nurture and instruct. Good luck, Kim. We'll miss you, but we know you'll keep in touch. Right? Good friends are never really gone, just re-located.


~Alice

CHRISTMAS CARD

This is the Christmas card that I designed for Amanda Coughlin's swap that I participated in last month. I don't know how I forgot to post it earlier, but 'tis the season... and the card making has begun! I really enjoyed watercoloing this image with my Aqua Painter using some Refill Inks and my Watercolor Wonder Crayons. This stamp is from Home for Christmas in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog. You can still place an order and get your supplies in time to produce your own hand-made Christmas cards this year. I can help you design your cards so that you have a beautiful message to mail to your friends and family -- and still have plenty of relaxing time to spend with your loved ones this holiday season. Just call me or e-mail me here.

I am hosting a Christmas Card Bazaar at my home on Saturday, November 15, 11AM - 4PM. We will make 4 each of 5 different designs, totalling 20 cards with envelopes. Louise has graciously volunteered (cough cough) to bring us some homemade Christmas cookie treats to keep our sugar level at a high. There will be Christmas carols playing in the background, and I promise not to sing along with Johhny Mathis (not too loud, anyway... hehe). But you need to R.S.V.P. by Nov. 3 so I can prepare a packet for you that includes ALL your pre-cut cardstock, Designer Series Paper swatches, ribbon and other embellishments. All you need to bring is your adhesive and $30 to cover the cost of supplies. C'mon now, where else can you get 20 cards for $1.50 each?!?! Space is limited, so call me today to save your spot!

Recipe for Home for Christmas card: Stamp Sets: Home for Christmas, Best Yet (Hostess Level 1); Inks: Black StazOn, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss; Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Bravo Burgundy, Parisian Summer DSP, Watercolor Paper; Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Silver Embossing Powder, Satin Ribbon Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla, Scallop Edge Punch, Hodgepodge Hardware Styled Vanilla, Aqua Painter, Designer Label Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Stampin' Write Markers

I hope to hear from you SOON! :-)

~Alice