Stamp Club Cards

Monday night one of the card clubs I belong to got together. We made three cards and I had planned to share them all with you, but I got a big streak of Cherry Cobbler ink on one of them so you only get to see two.

This first one came from Kim Becker. Glitter paper is one of my favorites in any color and this card fit the bill quite nicely, even though we had to pop out all the little bits.

Kathy Harmon cased this card from Stampin' Success and we all had fun making it. Glitter paper was a theme that evening!

I'm Back

Hello all. Sorry for the long absence. I have been away on a wonderful month long cruise to Hawaii and the South Pacific. I have had the most wonderful time.

Now that I am back to reality I will be back with cards to share with you beginning tomorrow.

Family Happy Birthday Cards

October is the birthday month on my Husbands side of the family. My SIL and BIL have birthdays coming up very soon, so I made the following cards to celebrate their special days.

The one on the left is for Linda and the one on the right is for Jerry. Hope they enjoy them.

Halloween Purse

I made this card and purse set for the Great Pumpkin Blog Hop that is going on over at Terry Blais' website. I shared the card with you earlier because I just couldn't wait. This week I am entering the little purse in the blog hop. 

It easily holds two Butterfingers.

The little squiggly things are actually from a retired MS branch punch. I use it often because it adds just a little bit to the card.

Here is another card to send to friends who need a bit of encouragement right now.

Thinking of You

I have some friends going through some very difficult times and I made this card to let them know I am praying for them.

Just had to use the Champagne Glitter Paper to step it up a notch.

Thanks for stopping by....Michelle

BOO Whoo to You

I was going to save this card until next weeks Great Pumpkin Blog Hop on Terry Blais' blog, but every time I look at it I chuckle so I am going to share it early.

 Do you recognize the ghosts? They are cut with the corn on the cob in the framlits Cannery Set.

I think the card tree from convention makes a nice backdrop for this card.

Thanks for looking and I hope it brings a chuckle to you too.

Great Pumpkin Week 6

I like the Core'dinations Card Stock and the Woodgrain embossing folder. They appeal to my like of textures.

I was also very happy to have clear stamps while I stamped the leaves after I had used the Autumn Accents bigz die cut. I must tell you I tried stamping the leaves first and then lining them up on the die cut, but it just didn't work for me. I am sure there are people with more talent than I who are able to do that with success, I'm not one of them.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and please enjoy the other stops.

Great Pumpkin Week 5

Looking through my stash today I came across this stamp set that I found a couple years ago online. I bought it because of the black cat that looked just our Inky did. Hope you enjoy the whimsy.

Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Wk 4

In addition to our large monthly Demo meeting with my upline and grandmother upline, I get together once a month with a group that includes my upline and sideline Demo's. Our goal is to develope our stamping skills and techniques. Half of the group provides a M&T and the other half provides snacks. This month I am in the M&T group and the card below is my project. I am also going to include it in Terry's Blog Hop for the week. 

As you may have noticed, I am hooked on the Champagne Glimmer and the Howlstooth and Scaringbone papers. They just go together.

Festival of Prints

I like the little DSP stack of Festival of Prints. The combinations are wonderful for the holidays and they work for day to day cards as well.

The colors remind me of Paris and since I had a little Paris stamp I added it to the project. The dots on the ribbon are white and the base of the DSP is vanilla, this just didn't sit right with me, so I reversed the ribbon and like how it turned out.

 I saw a set of tools for paper crafting that are like the tools I use for making fondant flowers so I had to buy them. I like how using a rolling motion on the paper gives it added dimension and interest. I even had to cut around some of the petals. Hope you enjoy.

Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Wk 3

I decided to enter The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop for week three. This is being hosted by Terry Blais, a very talented demo and my upline grandmother. 

Hope you like this weeks entry and that you will play along.

I think Night of Navy and Rich Razzleberry work well together. Here are a couple of cards I made last night. Now that the Olympics are over I have a bit more crafting time.

The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Wk 2

My upline grandmother, Terry Blais, is doing a 13 week blog hop and I thought I would play along this week. I don't have many Halloween stamps, but I do have Frightening Feline and decided to bring her out to play. I stamped her, put the googlie eyes on, and then decided to use a framelit. It worked just fine and added the extra interest of flattening the whites of the eyes. They don't wiggle anymore but they have a cute little bug to them that I hope you can see in picture 2.

I am now going to try my hand at linking to Terry's blog. If it works you will be able to see more entries. If not, I will be giving Terry a call and will find out how to fix it.

Thanks for looking.

Anniversary Card

I like the Everything Eleanor set and thought it would make a nice anniversary card for my husband. We will celebrate our 43rd anniversary later this month.

I puffed up the hearts and the LOVE to add some additional dimension to the card. 

I think my DH will like it.

I am loving framelits

I am continuing to have a good time with SU! framelits. They add so many options to card making. Today I am sharing three of the cards I made last week. 

I normally don't mix Very Vanilla and Wicker White, but I like it on the first card.

Thanks for stopping by for a look see.

Preserved Just for You

I like cards with moveable parts and I just couldn't resist doing one for this card. The jar and lid just call to me for a brad to open and close the lid. I am enjoying the stamp and framelit bundles that will be available in a few days from the holiday catalog. I actually stamped the jar AFTER I cut the jar out with the framelit.

Clockworks & SWAPS

I just put together my Clockworks stamp set and had to use it today. I think this will be a go to set for me because it is so versatile.

I also want to share more of the cards I got for the 100 card swap that Cricket Thompson coordinated. This card is the creation of Katherine Anderson.

This lovely card was created by Lisa Lange.

Wendy Haynes is the author of this gem.

I'm Back

I am back from the most marvelous vacation. I was in France, Spain, and Portugal on a pilgrimage tour with friends old and new. It was a wonderful two week trip that has enriched my life. The picture below is of  me and the two friends who encouraged me to join them on the trip.

I am the one in the back, Bev is on the left and Colleen is on the right. We are on the plane at DFW getting ready to fly to Paris. I will share some other photos as time goes on.

Just before I left I made 100 cards for a card swap that was coordinated by Cricket Thompson. When I returned home I had a notice the package of return swaps was waiting at the post office. My DH went and picked up the package today. I am thrilled with all the wonderful cards and want to share some of them with you.

This is the card Cricket Thompson shared with all of us.

Rhonda Wilkinson created this one:

Laura Barto is the artist for this creation:

Bon Voyage

I will be away for the next two and a half weeks on a wonderful holiday.

When I return I will have lots to share because I am about to send off 100 swaps for a big group swap I am part of. So come back the middle of July.

Celebrate

I am part of a stamp club of demonstrator who get together each month. Half of the group brings a make-and-take and the other half brings refreshments. We switch each month. It is a good way for us to grow as demonstrator because we ask for feedback from the other demos about our projects. This month I am on the M&T side of the group and this is my card. TFL.

I used the starfish for my star since we don't currently have a star punch. I am enjoying all the framelets we offer because they can add so much to a card.

PPA 135

I made this card to late too enter the challenge, but I liked the sketch so I went for it anyway. For the bow I used Very Vanilla seam binding and ran it across Midnight Muse to dye it. I used my heat gun to gingerly dry the bow. Yes, the ink did color my fingers, but it washed off and I like the result on the ribbon.

MOJO Monday 244

I haven't taken time to participate in challenges for awhile, but I spent time playing today and came up with cards for two of my favorites. This challenge is for MOJO Monday. I had fun coloring the SU! crystals to match my paper. Enjoy.

I have been away for a bit. Took my Mom on her first cruise. We went to Alaska and had a wonderful time. She is now hooked on cruising, so I expect we will be heading out again.

Today I started playing with my new stamps. I am so pleased with the new catalog. The stamps are very nice and the new stamp pads are wonderful. Here is the card I made this afternoon. Hope you enjoy.

Some of my go to items

I am so pleased that Tea Shoppe made it into the new catalog. It is one of my favorite stamp sets along with French Foliage, which I used on the background for this card. I also had to use a bit of silver Glimmer paper, just because.

As I post this I am waiting, not so patiently, for Mr. Brown to bring my new items. I plan to spend the evening surrounded by new treats. TFL

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in the Northwest. My DH and I went to an RV show to see what is new since last year when he bought me a nice new 26 foot trailer for my crafting. We call it the Craft Palace (CP.) We looked at many RV's and I came away very happy with last years purchase. It is vey comfortable and suits me quite well.

Today was another beautiful day. I was in the CP for several hours sorting and packaging cards for a craft fair I will be doing in December. I also took down all my sample cards from the current catalog so I can replace them with fun, new creations. (Mr. Brown comes tomorrow with my pre-order for the upcoming catalog release on June 1.) I have stored almost all of the retired stamp sets, there are a couple I will be continuing to use for special projects.

I even had time to make a couple of cards and thought I would share one with you this evening. TFL.

Good News

STAMPIN' UP! UPDATE (and clarification) AS OF 5/3!  

In addition to the STAMPIN' UP! OCCASIONS MINI CATALOG CARRYOVER LIST, the following Occasions Mini Catalog stamps are available for purchase RIGHT NOW!  They will show up in the new Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Catalog on June 1, too!  

Stamp Set Name	Item Number
	Wood-Mount	Clear-Mount
Baby Prints	125470	125472
Love & Laughter	125475	125477
Bordering on Romance	125480	125482
Apothecary Art	125525	125527
Mixed Bunch	125535	125537
Tea Shoppe	125545	125547
Mouthwatering	125675	125677
Loving Thoughts	125843	125845
Salon de thé	125934	125936
Etiquetas florales	--	125941
Art floral	125964	125966

I joined Stampin' Up! in February of 2008 for the business opportunity. Since then I have changed my focus and continue with SU! mostly as a "hobby demo". I have people on my team who also enjoy SU! as a business and as a hobby.  We get together once a month with a larger team (my upline) and have a good time sharing card swaps, learning new techniques, and completing make and takes brought by demos. It is a very good way to keep up with what is going on with SU! and also to get together with a nice group of people who enjoy paper crafts, good food (yes, we always have food), laughs, and being around other happy people.

I do hold Stamp-a-Stack events, do an occasional craft fair, and am open to doing stamp clubs and camps. As a demo I get a nice discount on SU! products and I have the opportunity to order new products in advance. SU! is a part of my day to day life and I love it.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Beginning TODAY (and for the duration of the new catalog), Stampin' Up! will be offering a new, customizable Starter Kit at a lower price of $99!  Ladies and Gentlemen . . . start your paper crafting engines!

 CHOICES:  When you purchase the kit, you can choose up to $125 of ANY (yes, ANY) current Stampin' Up! quality products.  You'll also receive a business supplies pack valued at $65.  The total value of the kit is $190 and it ships for FREE!  This is a fabulous deal, whether you are a hobby stamper or want to be a business demonstrator!

Think about it . . . great deals, exclusive resources and new stamping friends with no pressure to sell or hold workshops (but lots of advice and support if you do).  There's no penalty to drop!


Ready to get started? CLICK HERE  to order your kit on-line and become part of my team. (Don't live near me? That's okay, I have demo's on my team who live in other states.)
Please EMAIL ME if you have any questions.

Transition time

I spent the day in my crafting space preparing for the new catalog which is coming June 1. SU has given us the lists of stamps and accessories that will be retiring. (You can click on the links at the right side of this blog to go to the lists.) I like to make the transition with my supplies once the lists are announced. It lets me see what current product I will have after the transition and it gives me time to say good-bye to some of my favorites, which can be difficult for me.

While I was "transitioning", I had to make a card. This is what I came up with for today.



I also wanted to share with you another change SU! is making. This one starts May 1.
Stampin' Up! is offering a fully customizable Starter Kit for new recruits at a new lower price of $99! To sign up go to my website at http://michellewilliams.stampinup.net , click on Join The Fun, then click on Join Now.
If you want to purchase the Starter Kit the way it is now, you need to order it by April 30, 2012, 10:50 p.m. PDT.

Why buy the Starter Kit?

As a demonstrator, you get to be among the first to preorder new catalog items starting May 1 with the new catalog starting June 1;
You'll get to learn new stampin' tips, tricks, and ideas at our monthly demo gatherings, as well as at SU! events;
You'll save money on every purchase you make as a demonstrator.You get to order up to $125 of product in your kit. After you buy the kit, you'll get your demonstrator number and password in a couple of emails and get 30% off your first order of $150 or more. From there, you'll save at least 20% on every order you place!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need more information. I'm happy to help!

Appreciation Event

Yesterday I enjoyed an appreciation event given by my SU! Grandmother (my uplines upline.) Several of us earned this event based on sales, recruiting, promoting, etc. We were treated to a wonderful Mexican themed lunch, gifts, and several wonderful projects.  

Today, I want to share a couple of the projects with you. Thanks Terry.

 We made a fun garden stake out of gutter flashing on a copper wire stake. We cut the flashing using our Big Shot Dies. Everyone did something different. Then I embossed mine using an embossing folder. Terry had a pearl or crystal bobble for us to add (it is a bit hard to see in this picture) and we could embellish our stake with a butterfly and brad. The butterfly was also cut from the flashing. This was fun to make and also to see how each of us decorated our own and how we twisted our wire stake.

The second picture is of the "vase" we made from a tin can covered in DSP and the flowers we made to compliment the vase. These are the only kind of plants or flowers I can keep "alive" in my house.

I will share others things later this week.

Retiring Stamp Sets List

 We have all been anxiously waiting to hear which Stampin' Up! rubber stamp sets will be retiring effective May 31, 2012!  GOOD NEWS!  The Stampin' Up! Retired Stamp List is NOW available!

• Click HERE to see the list of over 300 stamp sets that will be retiring. 
• These stamp sets will be available for purchase THRU May 31, 2012!
• If you plan to order your retiring favorites, be sure to check the Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack for great deals on punches, albums, designer series paper and more.  Up to 60% off!   50+ new products added to clearance this past week!  Clearance rack items can ONLY be placed through an on-line order and are available while supplies last!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  The Retired Accessories/Décor Elements Lists will be released on April 25, 2012.  Retiring accessories and Stampin' Up! Décor Elements (this line is being discontinued) will only be available while supplies last.  BE SURE TO ORDER EARLY! 

PLEASE REMEMBER that the Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Annual Catalog will be released June 1, 2012, a month earlier than in the past.  The good news is that with so many stamp sets retiring, the new catalog will be loaded with new products!

SAS cont.

Here is another card from my recent SAS.

 I like the combination of Pool Party and Island Indigo and the stamp set Nature Walk is one of my favorites. I think the Silver Shimmer paper adds a bit of bling to the project.

SAS Continued

These are a couple more of the cards from my recent SAS. I wanted to use DSP from Sale-a-bration and give the cards some dimension. Had to include googlie eyes for the giraffes just because. TFL.