While I was away...

...it seems my blog hit over 50,000 views! Now...this may not mean much to awesome stampers like Patty Bennett, who likely has well over 1,000,000 hits, but in MY little Stampin' UP! world 50,000 hits is a pretty big deal!

And a pretty big deal means BLOG CANDY!!!!

How about this?

We received this set for FREE at Leadership! Stampin' UP! sure knows how to spoil us. Since I already own it, I'd like to give YOU the one I received at Leadership!

Just leave me a comment and let me know what YOUR favourite Sale-A-Bration item is (there is no wrong answer) and at the end of the month (January 31st, 2012), I'll have random.org select a number. If the number matches YOUR post, you win! Only ONE post per person please. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.

Oh...and I FINALLY got to meet Patty Bennett:

Pretty much the highlight of my trip...

This post will remain at the top until January 31st, 2012. Please scroll down to see what else I've been creating!

Happy Stampin'!

Delightfully Digital

Here's another quick layout from Leadership:

This was SUCH a quick and easy page! And that's one of the things I just LOVE about MDS. There are ready made pages and all you have to do is drop in the photos! It couldn't be easier!

After picking up our bags, we ran into Dale Hampshire, Manager of Stampin' UP! Canada. He is such a fun loving guy!!! He asked us "What's your angle?" meaning what works for YOU in your Stampin' UP! business. It was all part of the "MY WAY" theme at Leadership this year. We came up with SIN with Stampin' UP! I'll let you think on that one - LOL!

Of course, I had to include the picture of Patty Bennett and I in the layout. She is, after all, a new found friend!

What do you think?

Have you Sale-a-Brated yet?

This is my SECOND post today, so PLEASE scroll down to see what I've been creating!

It's that time of year again where every $60 purchase earns YOU free goodies! If you place an online order, even the CLEARANCE RACK items count toward your $60 total! And, if you spend $200 you get 3 free Sale-a-Bration goodies as WELL as Hostess Benefits on your order. You really can't go wrong!

As many of you know, I attended Stampin' UP!'s annual Leadership conference in San Antonio, TX. The weather was FANTASTIC! There is nothing like great weather, 1400 like minded women and changes at Stampin' UP! to get you re-energized!

Stampin' UP! announced a re-alignment of the catalogue year beginning with this year. The BIG Idea Book and Catalogue will expire this year on MAY 31st rather that June 30th. That means a whole new catalogue will be available on June 1st! Now you'll be able to shop BEFORE you go away to the cottage for the summer and take all your goodies WITH you rather than waiting till you get back!

There will also only be TWO seasonal catalogues rather than three mini catalogues. The Holiday catalogue will be in effect from August to December (that's FIVE months instead of four!) and the Spring Catalogue will be in effect from January through to May (another FIVE months!).

I can't WAIT for all these changes to take place! I think it'll mean a LOT of good things both for demonstrators and their customers.

Speaking of which...this is a GREAT time to join my team and become a Stampin' UP! demonstrator! You can join for just $150 instead of the regular $215 and STILL get over $400 worth of stamping goodies delivered RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR (with NO tax and NO shipping!). And it doesn't matter if you're reading this in Red Deer or Little Heart's Ease, I support my team across the country!

Let me know if you have ANY questions at all! I'd love to have you as a customer, hostess or demonstrator, ESPECIALLY during Sale-a-Bration!

Happy Stampin'!

Everything Eleanor for the Stampin' Queens!

Oh dear! I'm a little late to the game today! Cristena, THE Stampin' Queen, usually likes our posts to be up by about 2 a.m. so she can link us all up - OOPS!!! Hope she doesn't throw me off the team - LOL!

For today's card, I used a BRAND NEW set that I received at Leadership last week. This set has already made an appearance in the UK catalogue, but now it's coming to Canada (and the US too!) and I couldn't be happier! It's SO elegant! From the moment I saw it, I hoped we would get it on this side of the pond - WOOHOO!!

I opted for a simple card based on the sketch and used Sahara Sand, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry. I just LOVE the giant swirl in the set!

I first stamped the Sahara Sand "background" stamp and cut it out. Then I stamped the flower and cut it out too. As I was laying out the card, it looked a little "naked" so I decided to stamp the swirls - one at the top, one at the bottom.

I adhered everything to my Whisper White base using Snail and Stampin' Dimensionals (of course!). I haven't added a sentiment yet, because I decided it could be an "anything" card. This means that when I NEED a card, I can add an appropriate sentiment.

Here's the sketch on which the card was based:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Everything Eleanor

INK: Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry

PAPERS: Whisper White and Soft Suede Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Pearls (they're tiny, but they're there!)

Happy Stampin'!

Sneak Peek at the Stampin' Queens!

It's Tuesday and (better late than never!) that means it's sneak peek day for the Stampin' Queens!

It's ALSO the first day of Sale-a-Bration, so if you've been holding on to an order just waiting to hit "send", today is the day! You'll get a FREE Sale-a-Bration item of YOUR choice from the Sale-a-Bration brochure for every $60 you spend!

The set I used for my Stampin' Queens card is a BRAND NEW SET that will be available in the new Idea Book and Catalogue beginning on JUNE 1st, 2012. Yes, you read that right! All the details of the catalogue changes and my trip to San Antonio for Leadership will be available in my newest newsletter (coming out the at the beginning of February), so if you're not a subscriber yet, now is the time to do it.

My card features Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede and Sahara Sand. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the FULL reveal!

Happy Stampin'!

Sale-a-Brate by joining the Canadian Blossoms!

Tomorrow is the VERY first day of Sale-a-Bration! Are you ready? I'm sure some of my customers are ready with their lists and just DYING to hit send on their online orders! Just a few more hours and you too can get your hands on the fun stuff.

Today's card is my Canadian Blossoms Team Card of the Month for February. Why am I showing it to you when it is normally reserved for JUST my team members? I wanted YOU to see it so you have an idea of what you'll be getting when you join my team.

When Sale-a-Bration starts tomorrow, you'll be able to join my team for just $150! You'll get EVERYTHING in the standard kit (it's NOT a smaller kit to match the reduced price). Also, if you join in January, you'll receive a FREE pack of Designer Series Paper or a FREE My Digital Studio Download in EACH month you place an order for the remainder of 2012. Free papers/downloads do NOT carry over, so you'll need to place an order each month to receive your goodies! Just so you know, the paper ALONE is valued at almost $150, so it's a GREAT deal. Actually, if you join ANY time during Sale-a-Bration you'll get that free pack of paper/free download for the remainder of 2012. Of course to get the MOST out of the deal, you'll WANT to join in January. :)

You'll ALSO get my Team Card of the Month...EVERY month during which you're active. That doesn't mean you need to place an order in every month, it just means you need to maintain your quarterly minimums, which will renew your Stampin' UP! demonstrator benefits for another three months. Make sense? If you're confused, PLEASE contact me so I can answer any questions you might have.

Want to see the card?

I created it using the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper which will be available tomorrow for FREE with any qualifying $60 purchase. The tiny piece of 1/8" Organdy Ribbon is part of an embellishment pack which is ALSO available with any qualifying $60 purchase. If you want them both, you'll need to spend $120. The stamped image is from Take it To Heart, which is available RIGHT NOW in the Occasions Mini.

If you purchased the products I used to make this card, you would spend $124. Now, I KNOW that seems expensive for one card, but think about it. You would have enough product left over to make close to 75 cards when you were done with this one. AND you'd get the FREE Designer Series Paper and FREE Ribbon/Brad pack. That's only about $1.65 per card. Bet you can't get that at those big card stores. And it certainly wouldn't be from YOUR heart if you bought it at a store.

Joining my team is SO easy! All you have to do is click here and you can be done in a matter of MINUTES! Your goodies will wing their way to you and you won't pay ANY SHIPPING or ANY TAX on your starter kit! I'll get a notice as SOON as you join, so if you decide to do it before February 1st, I'll be sure to have a card ready to go out to YOU on that date!

Happy Stampin'!

A quick peek at Leadership!

I'm sitting in the San Antonio airport (been here for 4 hours, got another 2 or so to go) and I decided that since I couldn't really STAMP anything (I have some materials, but no Whisper White or Very Vanilla on which to put ink to paper), I would play with My Digital Studio. Here's a little sneak peek of what we did while we were at Stampin' UP!'s annual Leadership Conference:

What do you think? The GREAT thing about My Digital Studio is that "old" products never retire. So, the Travel Log set which is no longer available in the Idea Book and Catalogue is STILL available in My Digital Studio. Did you LOVE Pixie Pink or Green Galore? You can still use them and even print them with My Digital Studio!

Have you TRIED My Digital Studio? If not, I have GREAT news for you! Beginning February 1st, you'll be able to download a 30 day FREE trial from Stampin' UP! Get your feet wet, dabble a little and give it a shot. You truly have NOTHING to lose!!

Happy MDSin'!

Edgelits!

I'm sitting in Houston waiting for my flight home to Toronto. In a few minutes, I think I'll work on some MDS highlights of Leadership, but for now, please enjoy this video filled with tips to make YOUR very first use of the new Edgelits a success!




Happy Stampin'!

OOPS! What's the opposite...

...of a day late and a dollar short? 'Cause...ummm...if you scroll down, today's OTHER post wasn't supposed to show up till tomorrow - OOPS!!!

Well...lucky you! You get to see the Stampin' Queens Sketch a whole day early and THAT means you have a WHOLE other day to create!

Ready? Set? GO!!!

I'll report in when I LAND in San Antonio later today.

Happy Stampin'!

Bordering on Romance for the Stampin' Queens!

I'm in San Antonio - WOOT! - and scheduled this post to appear this morning. If the weather reports from last week are accurate, I'll be wearing CAPRIS and shades today!!!

It's the first day of leadership and today we're scheduled for Make and Takes at 2 p.m. This morning will be spent picking up our bags (I'll try and post a pic later!) and doing general swapping. I can't wait!!!

Anyway...since I'm actually posting this before I even GET to San Antonio, I guess I should just get on with the card, eh?

I started off with the idea that I wanted to use one of the new Framelits dies for my focal image and then went from there. Still in LOVE with Twitterpated, so I HAD to use some more of that paper. I chose a piece featuring Basic Grey because I had already coloured my image using Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo. The pink/red colours in the paper pack are actually Blushing Bride and Riding Hood Red.

Here's my colour combo:

Source: photocardboutique.com via Christyne on Pinterest

Don't you just LOVE it! So bright and cheery! Just like me in the San Antonio sun...sorry...sidetracked again!

Today's card is based on this sketch:

I chose not to add the ribbons for a clean and simple look.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Bordering on Romance
INK: Staz-ON
PAPERS: Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo Cardstock; Twitterpated DSP; Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot Baby!, Framelits, Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!