Matchbox Messages Swap Card

Today is the last day to get a F R E E Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog with your online order AND earn a F R E E "Under $10" stamp or mini note kit by ordering $40 or more from the Occasions Mini Catalog! Go to http://2stampis2b.stampinup.net to order now before the offer expires!

Also, stick around...I have a few reasons to celebrate on Saturday, and I'm having a giveaway!

Sharon & Terry made this swap card for Teresa's Occasions Mini Catalog demonstrator swap that I participated in, using the Matchbox Messages stamp set and Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper. Very nice.

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Great Friend Swap Card

KayLynn T. made this pretty card for Teresa's Occasions Mini Catalog swap I participated in. The butterfly is layered and very nice in person.

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Sense of Time Swap

This stunning card was sent to me via Teresa's swap and was made by Peggy L. I love Elegant Eggplant, especially paired with Sahara Sand!

Speaking of time, where did the week go?

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Welcome Michelle!

Welcome to my Stampin' Up! team Michelle D!  I am looking forward to your enthusiasm and wish you great success!

Stampin' Up! demonstrators are a great bunch to be associated with.  Michelle lives in my area, but you can join my nationwide team no matter where you live in the US.  Contact me if you are considering becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator on my team and have any questions about this great opportunity.  I'll do my best to answer them all.


Stamp away today!
Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!
Don't forget to click all the way through to my blog if you read my posts via an e-mail subscription or a reader...I have a new blog design and it's drop dead gorgeous, thanks to Michelle Laycock!  See it at www.2stampis2b.com 

Wagon Full of Fun

Jen R made this clever card for Teresa's Occasions Mini Catalog demonstrator swap that I participated in.

Jen used the Top Note Bigz Die to make a pocket card! Great idea!

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

Subscribe to my free newsletter

To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Test

Testing the addition of video to my posts!

Choo Choo Birthday

I love the bright colors in this swap card made by Robyn H for Teresa's swap I participated in.

A while back I showed you the swap card I made for this swap, remember?

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

Subscribe to my free newsletter


To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Scene in a Garden Swap

I got this lovely card in Teresa's swap, and it is made by "suelynn". I'm ready to plant some flowers!

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

Subscribe to my free newsletter


To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

A Silk Scarf for Wanda

Yesterday was Administrative Professionals' Day, so I made this for my husband to give to his secretary, a stamped silk scarf.


If you are local or will be in the Black Hills area this weekend, I have a few spaces left in my Silk Scarves Class, where you will make 2 silk scarves for $20, just in time for Mother's Day and spring fashion wear.

Stamp away today!

Please note: If you read my blog via e-mail or Google Reader, you're missing out on my new blog design! I had Michelle Laycock create the graphics for me, and I must say, my blog is GORGEOUS! Please go all the way to my blog at http://www.2stampis2b.com/ and go often!

Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

Subscribe to my free newsletter

To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

STAMPS: Flower Fancy

Be Kind to the Earth

Today is Earth Day, the day our family of 3 walks our 10 acres and picks up any stray trash (of which there if very little if any) and the ditch along our frontage (sadly, there is some there). It's also time to look for emerging wildflowers and observe the creek and pond life, listen for birds and frogs, and take in the fresh smells of spring, like the grass just poking up and the fragrant aspen tree catkins.


I made this globe in honor or our beautiful earth.

What will you be doing this Earth Day? I would love to see the Disneynature film "Earth"!

Stamp away today and fill the earth with beauty!
Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

CARDSTOCK: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Creamy Caramel
INK: Pacific Point, Garden Green, Close to Cocoa
ADHESIVES: Sticky Strip
ACCESSORIES: 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, 3D Ball Pop-up Bigz XL Die, Sponge Daubers

Soft Summer Swap (say that fast 3 times!)

This Occasions Mini Catalog swap card was made by Christy Fulk. It's gorgeous!

The image kind of makes me think of those candles named like "cotton breeze" or "fresh linen." Christy's colors are great!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

I still have a full deck, I just shuffle slower.

Isn't that a funny saying? It's from the new Occasions Mini Catalog stamp set called Golden Oldies.


This card is one I received in a demonstrator swap hosted by my good friend Teresa, made by Kay Fulton.

Well done Kay!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

{To sign up for my newsletter that is full of project ideas, tips, and specials, click below or use my sidebar...look for the chimp:}

Subscribe to my free newsletter

To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net. Through April 30th, if you spend $40 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you get to pick an "Under $10" stamp or Mini Note Kit for free!

Krafty Gold from Jean

My friend Jean made this card using Kraft card stock and Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder with the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, one of my favorites.

I am sad to say that this is the last photo I have to show you of Jean's wonderful creations :-(

Do you suppose we can sweet talk her into sharing more with us?

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net

Charlie's Flower Pot Card

Is this gorgeous or what? My friend Charlie sent me this photo of her wonderful creation. Nice job, Charlie, it's beautiful!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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God's Beauty in Flowers

I just got the Manhattan Flowers Textured Impressions Die, and WOW, I am SO glad I got it!

It makes simple but beautiful cards! It took me a while to watercolor the flowers with my Aqua Painter and craft inks, but I really love the results! The butterfly is from the Level 1 Hostess Set, God's Beauty. I stamped on Pumpkin Pie card stock with Basic Black Craft Ink, then heat embossed in Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, making the butterfly look almost real!

TIP: I used Paper Snips to cut the top edge of the impression off, allowing the pretty color of the card base to show through.

If you don't have a Big Shot Die Cut Machine or the gorgeous and clever dies that Stampin' Up! carries, you are really depriving yourself! Aren't you worth it? All you have to do is go to the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at http://2stampis2b.stampinup.net/, and just by ordering the Big Shot Starter Kit, you'll get all of this:

• Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
• Multipurpose Platform and Standard Cutting Pads
• 2 Stampin' Up! Exclusive Bigz Dies (Scallop Envelope and Top Note)
• 1 Stampin' Up! Exclusive Sizzlits 4-Pack (Birds & Blooms)
• 1 Stampin' Up! Exclusive Decorative Strip (Decorative Strip Billboard)
• Decorative Strip Cutting Pads and Extended Spacer Platform

You'll also get the following Stampin' Rewards by ordering online:

• 1 Level 1 Hostess Set
• $15 in Hostess Dollars to spend on anything you want from Stampin' Up!
• 1 Free Idea Book & Catalog! (offer expires 4/30/09)

Goodness, don't wait any longer!

Michelle

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STAMPS: God's Beauty
CARDSTOCK: Almost Amethyst, Pumpkin Pie, Shimmery White
INK: Basic Black, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, and Mellow Moss Craft Inks
ADHESIVES: SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals
ACCESSORIES: Aqua Painter, Paper Snips, Heat Tool, Clear & Black Stampin' Emboss Powders, Manhattan Flowers Impressions Die, Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Stamp-a-ma-Jig

I'm a Proud Stampin' Mama!

My son is 5 years old and LOVES to stamp with me! Lookie what he created one night while I was working on a popup card:

His version of a pop-up card: see the grass fringe and flower?

and this card he totally designed himself:

TIP: My little guy got all of my non-Stampin' Up! paper, ink, and stamps when I became a demonstrator and he knows where his supplies are. The other thing I let him have are all of my extra pieces and parts that I don' t end up using, like punched shapes, ribbon tails, cut out stamped images, etc. (he calls them "features"...so cute!) It's a great way to get your kids involved, and they can stamp right along with you but use their own pieces.

Stamp away today and get the youth in your life involved!
Michelle


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Patty's Sundress

Is this the prettiest sundress or what? My online friend Patty showed us her dress a few weeks ago, and I just had to have the Hostess Club gals make this.

I ran the card base through the Big Shot with a Texturz Plate, then the dress was cut from the Scallop Circle Bigz die, using a template for cutting the sides from the circle to make the shape of the dress. One side that gets cut off is used for the petticoat, just by reversing the double-sided Bella Rose Designer Series Paper! A little ribbon and Rhinestone Brad cinches up the waist just right.

TIP: I made my dress template from a piece of the backing sheet chipboard from a package of Designer Series Paper. The thin white chipboard goes through the Big Shot easily but is substantial enough to hold to multiple uses as a template to trace the straight lines for cutting the Scallop Circle into a dress.

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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To order supplies online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net

STAMPS: None
CARDSTOCK: Riding Hood Red, Bella Rose DSP
INK: None
ADHESIVES: SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals
ACCESSORIES: Backgrounds I Texturz Plates, Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Fire Circle Rhinestone Brads, Paper Snips

"Ask Michelle" winner! And a Retreat!

We have a winner! Random.org chose comment #3, which was posted by Katie Ann Brooks! Katie, contact me by email at michelle@2stampis2b.com with your snail mail address and I'll get your Designer Series Paper sampler to you!

Katie Ann's question #3 was "How do you find your customers?"

Well, my blog has done a great job of helping them find me! What better way to show you what you can make with your Stampin' Up! supplies than give you a new project every day?!!! In fact, the Sock Monkey himself has drummed up a little business for me, love him or hate him! I have some customers that googled Sock Monkey and found me that way because I have made and posted some projects starring him (or her in some cases!).

I also find customers in the usual places: classes, workshops that their friends hostess, retreats (see below for the next one I'll be at!), my Stampin' Up! website, and my daily stops.

The most surprising place I found a customer (hi Lona!) was in the waiting line for the snow tubing run at a local ski resort! I was yapping away to my niece about stamping and Lona chimed in! I keep an extra catalog or two in the car just in case and was able to give her one right then and there. You never know where or when you're going to find a Stampin' Up! afficionado!

For all of you that so kindly asked me questions, be watching my blog: I'll be answering them here in the future. Thanks everyone for participating!

Now, if you live in the Black Hills or will be here the first weekend of May, please join me at Jenni's Scrappin' in Sturgis Retreat at the Holiday Inn Express, the same place Joyce and I hold our retreat each Martin Luther King Day weekend. It's new, clean, comfortable, and spacious! I'll be giving a free Make & Take class and will have my Stampin' Up! display with me while I also work on finishing some fabulous scrapbook pages. Click on the graphic to get to the full size pdf file.

Contact Jenni very soon as May 1st is not far away!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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Thoughts & Prayers Card

I seem to be doing a lot of sponging lately, and this card shows you what I mean. I used a sponge dauber to lightly sponge the edges and background of the stamped tree.


TIP: To keep your ink pads uncontaminated with other colors, make a palette of ink in the lid by squeezing the closed ink pad on the Stampin' Up! logo several times. Open it up and there you will havea nice puddle of ink to dip your sponge dauber, blender pen, or AquaPainter in.

Today is the last day to enter to win a Designer Series Paper sampler from me! All you have to do is ask me a question here! Demonstrators are welcome to enter too!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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STAMPS: Thoughts & Prayers
CARDSTOCK: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Confetti White, Rasperry Tart DSP
INK: Pacific Point & Kiwi Kiss Classic, Basic Black Craft Ink
ADHESIVES: SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals
ACCESSORIES: Ticket Corner & Eyelet Border Punches, Bold Brights Brads, Sponge Dauber, Cutter Tool, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool

Almost Amethyst Thank You

Jean's combination of Basic Black and Almost Amethyst is brilliant, isn't it? I am so lucky that my friend Jean has allowed to see her cards...thanks Jean!

Happy Easter everyone!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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Birthday Wishes

My friend Jean made this springy birthday card to share. I love the Basic Black paired with the So Saffron! So striking!

Thanks for sharing Jean!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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Easter Egg Basket

Don't forget, I'm giving away Designer Series Paper to one lucky winner on this post! All you have to do is ask me a question!

This weekend there will be quite a few Easter egg hunts, no doubt. We had 24" of snow last weekend so most of them around here were rescheduled until this weekend!

Here's an Easter basket card that is holding several textured eggs:

I used the Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates with my Big Shot to give each egg some interest.

TIP: To get a really nice impression with Texturz Plates, lightly spray the paper with rubbing alcohol before running the sandwich through the machine. It really does work!

The basket is just one half of the Baskets & Blooms Bigz XL die. I cut about 1/4" off each side to make it fit on the card. Besides tying a ribbon around the base of the basket, I also looped a piece of ribbon at the top to look like a handle.

If you're traveling this weekend, have a safe trip!

Stamp away today!
Michelle

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To order these supplies and more online 24/7, click the Shop Now button on my Stampin' Up! website at 2stampis2b.stampinup.net

STAMPS: None
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Delicate Dots DSP, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery
INK: None
ADHESIVES: SNAIL Adhesive
ACCESSORIES: Baskets & Blooms Bigz XL Die, Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates, Wide Oval Punch, Certainly Celery & So Saffron Poly-Twill Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch