Disney World - Day 1

HELLO from WALT DISNEY WORLD!!

I think the kids were a "little" excited when we left home yesterday...What do you think?

Before we left my sweet niece Bella (4 years old) wrote a few letters to the kiddos.

They were so cute I had to share...

Thank you, sweet Bella!

Whenever I've attended Stampin' Up! events, they never cease to amaze me. 

Their "hospitality room" here at the Disney Boardwalk resort welcomed my family and I with open arms with candy filled dishes, comfortable couches to relax for a few minutes, gifts for the kids and a special gift when I spinned the prize wheel. 

Tomorrow is a day of Magical Kingdom, Monster's Inc. Comedy Show and a full day of festivities.

I best hit the hay or I'll be in the stroller asking for a ride around the park.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Inspired by Nature...

Today I want to share a card with you that I sent to a

recent hostess of mine as a thank you. 

Her name is Dacia and I've come to know her the past month.

She is a riot and have really enjoyed my time with her!

I received a card similiar to this at Convention

last year from Crystal Fowler.

She is part of the SBStampers team in Seattle (Seattle's Best Stampers)

I loved the simplicity of it...and of course, it is using my grass again from Inspired by Nature, a stamp set soon to be retired.

I appreciate and love the quietness of nature.

Maybe that is why I am a "montana" girl through and through.

Thank you, Crystal, for the inspiration.

And, thank you, Dacia, for the fun afternoon and

the opportunity to share embossing techniques with you and your friends!

Enjoy your Thursday!

Stampin' Up! Products Used:
Stamps:  Inspired by Nature
Ink:  Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Bashful Blue, Early Espresso
Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue
Accessories:  Paper Piercer, Basic Pearls, Boho Blossoms Punch, Gold Glow Smooch Spritz, Stampin' Dimensionals

Order your RETIRED Stamps and Accessories in my online store 24/7! 

Click HERE to get started!

Retired Accessories - Up to 70% off!!

"Goodmorning-Goodmorning...it's time to rise and shine!"

I sing that to my girls if I happen to beat them to their alarm clock in the morning. 

I'm sure they love it.  :-)

Today is the day that Stampin' Up! announces their RETIRED ACCESSORIES list.

WOW...12 pages of goodies...and many of them up to 70% off! 

Click on that icon above and start your list.

Once they are sold out...they won't be available any longer!

I know...grab a kleenex if you must...

So, today I want to share with you a card I created for a workshop I had with my friend Dacia over the weekend using CRAFT INK.

I'm sad to see this ink retire as I use it all the time with my embossing. 

Embossing powder doesn't come in all of Stampin' Up! colors so when I need a color to coordinate perfectly I take out out my CRAFT INK Stampin' Spots

(they come in all 38 colors).

You simply stamp using your choice of CRAFT INK and then pour clear embossing powder over the top.

Heat it with our Heat Gun and you have the above effect used on the grass!

(when you heat it, the powder melts into the craft ink; thus creating this effect)

Both of these stamps sets are on the RETIRED STAMP LIST:

Inspired by Nature

111656 - $23.95

Three Little Words

113254 - $13.95

I've used Inspired by Nature for years in my scrapbook and cards. 

Love-Love-Love the instant grass look!

The CRAFT STAMPIN' SPOTS look like this

Brights Craft Stampin' Spots

119714 - $19.95

(these also come in Subtles, Regals and Neutrals)

I used the Old Olive for my grass.

These will sell out fast so make sure to click on "SHOP NOW" and get them before it's too late!

As a reminder, when you order $50 or more up until April 30th, you'll receive the 2012-2013 Idea Book FOR FREE!  We as demonstrators can preorder starting May 7th and I'll make sure one is shipping right to your door so you don't have to wait until June. 

This special is only available through me and not through Stampin' Up! so you must order on my online store or by emailing me or calling me with your order.

Have a fabulous Wednesday.

I'm off to pack for our big trip this Saturday!

Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets:  Inspired by Nature; Three Little Words
Ink:  Old Olive Craft Stampin' Spot, Old Olive Classic, Island Indigo Classic, Certainly Celery Classic
Cardstock:  Island Indigo, Old Olive, Whisper White
Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Island Indigo 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon,  Designer Printed Brads, Labels Collection Framelits Die, Big Shot, Brayer

Join my Stampin' Up! Family for only $99

I am thrilled to announce that beginning May 1st, Stampin' Up! is offering a fully customisable Starter Kit for new recruits at a new lower price of $99!

This will give you the perfect start to your businesses--YOUR way! 

When you join Stampin' Up!, the choice is yours to put together a kit with any of our current high-quality products--you can choose up to $125 worth of any Stampin' Up! products!

You'll also receive a business supplies pack (valued at $65) to create a kit with a total value of $190 that still ships for FREE!

With the introduction of the new Starter Kit, you will no longer have the option to purchase another kit or the add-ons. So, if you've been thinking about ordering the current kit option, you will need to place your order by Monday, April 30th. 

Stampin' Up! has made it easy peasy to join!  

Simply click on my website and walk through the small steps. 

You'll be done in no time and able to order at a discount immediately! 

With the new Idea Book released June 1st one of the many benefits of being a demonstrator is that you'll be able to pre-order in May!

If you have thought about it in the past, May 1st is the perfect time to join!

5 More Sleeps...

Hello SUNSHINE! 

80+ degrees here today...Praise the LORD! 

Just love it!

It's going to be a busy week though.

There is no way under God's green earth I could wake any morning and not remember what is taking place this Saturday. 

I have my kids to remind me....

"Five more sleeps, Mama"

I don't know if Elijah is more excited to fly on an airplane or go to DisneyWorld.  :-)

But until that day, there are invites to complete

Disney swaps to piece together... 

and a bunch of beautiful cards to create for my wonderful mother and my Aunt Karla.

I started with My Digital Studio for my FIL's wedding invites but I have the hardest time with no 3-d on the front, so I ended up embossing the Medallion Stamp Set with clear embossing powder and used the Framelits Labels Collection (Occasions Mini) to cut out the wording. 

They requested "simple"...so simple they got...which was a blessing for me with my time frame I had.

What I did do with My Digital Studio is the front color of cardstock. 

They requested a "dusty rose" which Stampin' Up! really doesn't have.

So I created a blank 8-1/2"x11" page in MDS and changed the background paper to

Cajun Craze. 

The opacity I changed to about 40% which gave me the color they wanted.

I then stuck Very Vanilla cardstock into my printer and printed the color onto the cardstock.

It worked perfect and then I was able to emboss the front. 

The inside was designed with MDS but then printed at Staples to conserve some ink.  :-)

Some day this week I'll show you my final swap for Disney World!

As a REMINDER:

You have ONE MORE WEEK to order from the Occasions Mini

Click the Mini Catalog above to be taken directly to my online store...

Happy Day to you!

Summer Smooches Continued...

These Summer Smooches products are just HAPPY!

Here is another card using the

Summer Smooches Designer Paper and Bright Blossoms stamp set. 

Fun design, huh? 

There are so many different ways of using the Framelits Dies...this has to be one of my favorite! 

The ladies in my April clubs were able to learn and create this card this month. 

It lays flat to send in the mail, but then will pop open for a fun fold.

The Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon is part of this great product line as well.  

Notice the two different sayings on the above cards?

Remember, these items are only available during the month of April so jump on the wagon with me and get your happiness now.  :-)

As promised I wanted to share with you a few last photos of my trip to California this past weekend.  

Last Saturday we headed down to Venus beach for the day. 

With expectation to catch a few rays, BUT it was windy and quite chilly so we enjoyed the sights faces instead. 

Dorthy, we aren't in Montana anymore...

Seriously?  A bum selling signs for other bums?

I think I've seen it all!

As you can imagine, my sisters and I had a few chuckles...okay, more than just a few! 

The best part about this photo is that Emily didn't mean to get the two wacky girls in the background.

Just look at our faces...

We're just innocent girls from Montana that just "don't get it". :-)

Here we are freezing our little buns off.

We had to have proof that we attempted a day at the beach...we actually had our swimming suits on under our short/skirts but unfortunately they didn't see the light of day.

Uncle Bill was so patient with us.  :-)

We attended church at Rocky Cliff on Sunday.

Wonderful church. 

Uncle Bill has spoken so highly of it through the years so it was great being able to sit under the Pastor and meet some of the peeps he knows.

They all love him there!

(that was no suprise to us...easy to love, these two)

I got more sun sitting out at Panera Bread for lunch on

Sunday than I did the whole weekend.

That is one thing we need more of here in Montana...SUN!

As I was reminded of this morning though...

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." 

- Frederick Koenig

Enjoy your weekend, my sweet stamping friends!

Did you know you can order Stampin' Up! product 24/7 online? 

Click on the link to the left to take you to my online store. 

You'll access the CLEARANCE RACK, the SUMMER SMOOCHES product

 and SO MUCH MORE!

CA here we come...

Goodmorning, Friends! 

This past weekend will be right up there with my 2012 highlights!

And, to my sister, Rach, I have to thank! 

She bought plane tickets for Emily and I and her to head to Southern California for 3 days and hang with my Uncle Bill and my cousin Chad. 

Here is a sneak peak into our journey...

We started our Friday off by enjoying lunch at Phillipe's...World Famous for their sandwiches.

My mom went there as a little kid with her dad and she said she has such sweet memories of the place.

As I sat there I envisioned her walking in as a little girl. 

Oh, to be able to go back into time...

Our cousin Chad was gracious and took us to Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive for the day.

We just wanted to walk the streets and enjoy the sights.

We walked across the street and did a little bit of shopping...heee...heee...

Notice Chad's response to what I am sure was a quacky comment from one of us.

Thanks for your patience, Chad.  :-)

Can you imagine spending a whole day with the three of us girls?

He was probably so excited to hand the baton to Uncle Bill when he got off work that day.  

I just love these gals...just missing Jen, my older sister in Texas.

If you EVER visit or live in the area you SO HAVE TO stop in and meet Monique and purchase one of her cupcakes.

Oh, my, the tastebuds can still savor the taste.

It's a 5th generation bakery and I can see why.

Check this cake out!!! 

Uncle Bill spoiled us...it was definitely not a low-cal weekend.

We SO need an IN-N-OUT Burger joint here.

YogurtLand...stopped in their not just once, but TWICE in three days! 

Here's my uncle along with us girls. 

Seriously, if you're single and need an amazing man, us girls are interviewing.

It will be a tough interview though as we can't hand him over to just anyone...

he's pretty special (and pretty darn cute, dont' you think?)! :-)

I'll share the second half of our trip with you tomorrow.

We took so many fun photos it's hard to choose which ones to share with you!

Before I go though, here is a card I created for my sister Rach. 

Her birthday is in February and she requested 20 greeting cards as her gift.

Yes, I know it's April...she understands.  :-)

I made a bundle of many different ones for her and this was one of them. 

I used the stamp set Zoo Review along with one of the free sets I received during 

Sale-a-Bration.

You can create this same look with the black frame by taking a 3"x3" piece of cardstock and using your Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch punch along all 4 sides making sure to be centered on all sides.

Easy Peasy!

Have a great Tuesday!