A Passion for Stamps

What we stamped at January Jamboree!

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new products in the Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog and the Sale-A-Bration brochure, don't you?

The Last weekend of January I held my first annual January Jamboree class....didn't come? Here's what we made:

  ...a Love You card, sympathy card, Friend Mini Milk Carton

and a Birthday all-in-one treat box!

I created this floral sympathy card using the Faux Silk Technique(the bumpy white textured cardstock) -one of my favorite techniques:

Notice the new Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402)? This is one of the FREE products you can get right now during our Sale-A-Bration event with an order of at least $50! There is also a matching corner punch too! (available for purchase in Occasion Mini Catalog) Don't you just love the silk ribbons? and now they come in different colors!

Here is the same card showing the scallop punch used on the top and on the side. Which do you prefer?

This card also utilized the Big Shot die cut machine, and Polka Dot background (hard to see), the new Extra Large Fancy Flower punch, Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Papers! Isn't this so bright and cheerful? I could have used hearts, but just had to try the new floral punch!

 

The new Mini Milk Carton Die used with the Big Shot Machine is SO adorable! Here it is featured with the NEW Vintage Vogue stamp set, Sending Love Specialty DS papers and a rhinestone brad and grosgrain ribbon to finish it off! So many great NEW products!

The last project was this pretty Birthday box showing both sides of the designer papers, and using different bow designs and button colors. Can't really tell from the photo, but the Specialty paper is glittered! Oh, so chic!

 

Here the box is opened-the lid is attached-VERY cool! Fill it with Hersey's kisses or whatever you like, and it's the perfect gift for a Birthday--or Valentine's Day!

So--don't you wish you came to January Jamboree?

I'd love to hear what you think of these projects...and all the wonderful new products Stampin' Up! came out with!

Be sure to check out my future classes and events on the Calendar to the right....

or, visit my website to view events and to shop for any of these products 24-7!

Come back and see me tomorrow,

My Holiday Big Shot Class Projects

I held my Holiday Big Shot class the other night and it was alot of fun! I provided attendees with a list of the 50 Materials that can safely be used with the Big Shot die cut machine...pretty impressive stuff! I also provided individual Instruction Sheets for each project, with the Supply list of stamps and acccessories PLUS the Big Shot Sandwich for each, as it can be confusing at first. Also included was a template for the Bigz #2 die showing how to fold, apply adhesive (only in one place-and it holds the box together) and assemble the box.

Here are the projects we made:

This card was made using the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder and the lovely Delightful Ornaments stamp set from the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog. The Bermuda Bay cardstock is one of this year's new IN Colors-one of my favorites! Another favorite paper of mine is the Specialty Bride Paper found in Stampin' Up!'s main Idea Book & Catalog. The shimmer paint gives dimension to the ornament and compliments the specialty paper as well.

The next project we made was this adorable SNOWFLAKE EMBELLISHMENT...no stamps needed for this! We used the Originals Snowflake #2 Die with On Board Book Basics and FELT-one of the Fifty accepted materials to use with the Big Shot machine. I accented the center with a clear Rhinestone brad and a Filagree Designer brad (love these!)

Next we made a double Handled Gift Box (shared by stamping sister Diana Gibbs). We used Box #2 Die, and Christmas Cocoa Designer Series Paper and Grateful Greetings tag (both from the Holiday Mini Catalog). Can you tell I just adore this new mini catalog? In my opinion, it is the BEST one Stampin' Up! has produced yet!

Of course this box looks kind of empty, so we adorned it with the Snowflake Embellishment previously shown above! Doesn't this just dress up the box and make you want to fill it with goodies?

Using the Movers & Shapers Curly Label Die here, we stamped the poinsettia from Season of Joy and then added Crystal Effects to the petals...this really accentuates the flower! The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig assures exact placement of the flower-critical for this design!

Here is the grand finale: Dasher using Texturz Plate with Foil! Oh my goodness..how absolutely STUNNING it is to pair up foil and the Harlequin Texturz Plate! Just one more of the accepted materials that can be used with the Big Shot machine! 

There you have it...a great class showing various materials and dies with this incredibly versatile die cut machine! To learn more about the Big Shot machine and dies, and see some wonderful samples of projects, click HERE, click on SHOP NOW, then select DIE CUTS from the menu. I hope you can join us at other classes. I am going to be offering the Big Shot class regularly, because there are so many wonderful dies to try, and with up to 50 materials to try them with, we will never run out of projects to make!

Don't forget to check my Events Calendar for other upcoming classes-it will be updated tomorrow with classes for the rest of the year.  The next class will be a Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack making 20 cards with matching envelopes! I'll post more about that tomorrow, so see you then! Thanks for stopping by,

Four-piece Chocolate Nugget Box Gifts from Stampin' Up! Matchbook Die!

Well I'm getting ready for the 2009 Mistletoe Market Craft Fair at my church this Saturday October 24 from 10-3...if you happen to be in the Northern New Jersey area, specifically Sussex County, come and look us up! Go here for the website of the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin for it's location and phone number. This is our third annual event. Be sure to stop at my table to shop and chat, do a Make & Take, and don't forget to ask me for a door prize slip-I'm giving away a set of ten Christmas Cards to one lucky winner! There will be other drawings too during the day, and great food brewing in the kitchen, so come and get a head start on that holiday shopping!

I've been getting my projects ready for the Craft Fair, and working on 3-D projects. If you've been following my posts the past few days you know that I'm hooked on the Big Shot™ Die-Cut machine from Stampin' Up!, so I pulled out my Bigz XL Matchbook Die that arrived awhile ago. I've been anxious to play with it, but just hadn't been able to find the time, so it was fun giving it a try. I came up with this *sweet* little 4-piece Hershey's Nugget gift box:

 

The photo is a bit fuzzy, as I was up late working on this last night, (and I was seeing fuzzy myself by the time I took this photo), but I did a great job NOT getting a glare from the clear window sheet cover, didn't I? If I didn't tell you, you wouldn't even know it was there, would you? It's almost invisible! But it is there, a simple wrap around cover... I wanted folks to be able to see what was inside, because if you have ever done Craft Fair events, I'm sure you've experienced little children who just LOVE opening things...they are so curious and inquisitive, so they just HAVE to find out what's inside boxes when they have lids on them, and it's always when you are busy helping someone else too! I think since I'm covering the nuggets with such pretty paper and leaving the shiny edges of the candy wrappers exposed, that it's nice to show off the inside with clear packaging.

I used the Holiday Lounge Designer Series paper from Stampin' Up! (of course) and just love all their double sided-papers! You can see the Hershey's candies are wrapped in both sides of the paper (four fit PERFECTLY inside this completed matchbox!)

The die makes a little box, the wrap around lid, plus three tags, one of which is shown here. The DSP actually has little starry snowflakes on it, although you can't tell because I photographed this straight on, standing up so you could see the candies and the tag. I decided to try the Snowfall printed clear Window sheet over the white tag to carryover the snowflake theme.

Here is a rundown of how to make this project:

1. First I laid out my DSP over the box on the die; then I covered the lid with a piece of window sheet, and laid down the Snowflake window sheet over the tags, ran it through the Big Shot™.

2. Next I covered the tags with white cardstock and ran it through the machine again.

3. I stamped the greeting with ink on the white tag, then layered the snowflake tag over the white tag, so the words are visible through the snowflake window tag.

4. I assembled the box and lid according to the directions that come with the die.

5. Cover the chocolates with strips of the same designer paper.

6. I used Taken With Teal layered over a wider strip of Silver Metallic cardstock for the belly band, punched a hole in the tag and pulled the silver cord through the tie before tying the bow. 

I will make some of these, but then I'll switch to other colors and DSP for variety.

These are fun to make, go together pretty quickly and are easy-the result is SWEET elegance, so I'm sure they will sell well at the Craft show.

I hope you've enjoyed this mini tutorial...if you would like to order the supplies to make these, just email me and I'd be happy to let you know what you need!  If you would like some other project ideas check out some here.  Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think of this project-and if you make some, I'd love to see it!

Have a great stampin' day!

HALLOWEEN Photos-and more stamped treats!

Well Halloween is over! We don't get many kids at all-just about 10 who were mostly our immediate neighborhood kids. We always buy waaaaayyyyy too much candy to give out to the trick-or-treaters (but my family ends up gobbling it all up, of course! LOL)

Here are some photos of our foyer decorated for halloween and a few stamped projects on display:

Cornstalks, mums and pumpkins are a must for the front deck!

My daughter painted the pumpkin face-her first! We usually carve the pumpkins out but this year, we opted to paint them instead.

This is the table in the foyer all decked out and ready for the hoards of trick-or-treaters...ha, ha! (a whopping ten!)

The huge spider is usually hung in a web, but we ran out of time this year and just hung it over the mirror. It was very effective...we had some baby spiders that we would put in the web, so we put them on the lamp instead. Timmy, one of our neighbors youngest, was eyeing them because he LOVES spiders so we ended up giving him the babies...(we can always buy some more next year). At least we know they will be loved...

The pumpkin on the lower shelf is actually a soup turine with a matching ladle I purchased from QVC last year...(don't know where the ladle is-guess I hadn't put it in the bowl yet when this photo was taken). It's beautifully painted and I love to display it from September through Thanksgiving. I actually use it for homemade soups which I intend to make a lot of this year! There's nothing that compares to the warmth of a cup of hot homemade soup on a frosty bone-chilling day, to warm you up from head to toe!

ok...back to halloween....

This is the basket of pixie sticks I jazzed up with punched circles and the scallop punch using stamps from Batty for You-what a great set to make halloween treats with! The next photo will show a close-up of them.

Do you see the BOO boxes in the background? I made these last year with Creepy Crawly Designer Series Papers-and chipboard letters, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and ribbons. Can you make out the stamped images on the letters? You guessed it-Batty for You stamps....I'm so glad they are still in the catalog and haven't retired!

Here are the Pixie Sticks close-up. They were quick and easy to put together-alot of punching and stamping, then sandwich them together over the top of each pixie stick...I had the leftover treat bags from awhile back so I used them, wrapped some jute around with my blog info tag, and that's it! Simple, quick and easy-that's all I had time for, but it's amazing how kids love these! (even our 15 year-old teenager! She is eating the leftovers I didn't use))

Here is a close-up of the pumpkin tureen I mentioned earlier...isnt' it beautiful?

The message tile next to it is one of the projects I'm making for craft fairs I have coming up-Mistletoe Market at the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin (in northwest NJ) on November 8 and Wallkill Valley High School's annual Booster Club Holiday Craft Fair in Hardyston on December 6. If you are local, come see me! It's a nice day and a great way to get a jump on holiday shopping for some unique and interesting gifts!

This is the Spooky Spider Jar I made with Decor Elements. I can't wait to try some other Decor Elements images! This was perfect because it coordinated with our "spider" theme. (Notice the basket with candy has spiders/webs on it too!) We're not into the gore and graphic halloween stuff...but spiders are ok, even though in reality, I absolutely detest them! We have Cave Crickets in our basement-have you ever seen them? I hadn't-until we noticed them in our basement one day...they really creep us out because they are HUGE, have VERY long thick legs AND--they JUMP!! Imagine finding them in your washing machine and when you look inside-they jump up into your face! HORRORS! (no wonder I have nightmares-who wouldn't!) We keep getting rid of them but there are still some in the basement-hopefully they STAY IN THE BASEMENT..and do not migrate to the rest of the house, or I'll have to move out! I remember I told one of my good friends (she's our neighbor) about them-she had never heard of them, and said how bad could they be? I challenged her to GOOGLE Cave Crickets-and when she saw a picture of what they look like, she couldn't believe it! She said she will never set foot in our basement again....(can't say that I blame her!!!! LOL) Unfortunately, our washing machine is down there so I have no choice!!!!

Let's move on to a much more pleasant topic-fall leaves and pumpkins! This is one of my message tiles up close. What do you think? I am making a bunch of different tiles to sell...I'll post more photos of them at another time.  I like to get creative and really add detailed artwork to these.  Do you see the colored jute bow I added to the pumpkin? We have this one in our front foyer, and another in the kitchen. They come in handy (saves on writing pads!) and I use Dry Erase markers which clean up easy with tissues.  What's nice, is my family actually USES them! This tile will also be displayed through Thanksgiving because the saying is  appropriate for this season of thanks!

That's it for today. I hope you have enjoyed this little peak into our Halloween home decor (and you thought stamps were only for card-making!).  Thanks for stopping by....Have a lovely weekend!

Sizzix Big Shot-Halloween Basket

With only a few days to spare before Halloween, I can finally share this adorable little halloween basket I made with the Sizzix Big Shot Baskets & Blooms Die!

If you haven't heard, Stampin' Up! has partnered with Sizzix and now has some terrific exclusive dies as well as the Big Shot machine! I can't believe how easy this machine is to use and the cute projects that can be made with this product! This is the basket I made:

I had so much leftover Creepy Crawly Designer Series Papers from last year (I LOVE this paper) that I decided to use some of it for this project. The stamp set-Batty for You,  is a carryover from last year and I just love this little set too...so I was thrilled to be able to continue using it this Halloween for my projects!

I used this as a Hostess Gift during October, but it is a great little basket to fill and give to your favorite Trick or Treaters too, by varying the stamps used...or how about making one for a friend, spouse or co-worker? Just change out the papers and stamps, and this idea can be duplicated for any holiday or occasion during the year. The infinite possibilities.....

If you have any baskets you have made with this die, I'd love to see them!

If you have no clue what the Sizzix is (I didn't really know what it could do until SU! started offering it) you can learn all about it, how to use the Sizzix Big Shot and the 50 different surfaces that are acceptable for use with the Sizzix by clicking HERE. You can even shop online now...from this link! (but that news is for another post!)

It's GREAT to be back to blogging again! I've missed you! I welcome your comments!

Thanks for looking,

CARD & BOX USING RETIRING STAMPS

I pulled out a stamp set called All Through the Year which will be retired from Stampin' Up!'s 2008 Spring-Summer Collection after August 10. I really love the Summer Picnic Designer Series Paper which is two sided so I used the cherries from All Through the Year with it and came up with a card and this matching 2-4-6-8 box:

Created by Debbie Van Gieson Images © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

I am really going to miss the set and I'm sure the paper will probably be on the Retired Accessories List coming out on July 21....

The "gift package" was made simply by folding over the top of the designer paper to reveal the design on the other side of this two-sided decorative paper! Then I wrapped the ribbon around it, tied it in a bow (can't do bows? See this post HERE for bow tying help!) and attached it to the Real Red cardstock with SNAIL Adhesive.

I think it would be helpful to do a tutorial or two showing how to get that sparkling cherries affect on both the card and box using Heat and Stick powder (makes a great embelllishment), and how to make a 2-4-6-8 box! But it's very late so that will have to wait till another day! Don't forget to check back again soon!

Happy Stampin'!

Boatload of Love Box in the Bag-a downline gift!

I really enjoy making these Box in a Bag projects (and this is what it is called, because there really IS a box in the bottom of the bag-see the photo below as proof!). To learn more about these, read THIS POST.

Here is another one I made as a gift (shhhhhhh!) for Jan (one of my first level downline) who has been an inspiring leader to her team, a supportive downline member, and most importantly-a dear friend for many years. I hope she doesn't see this before she receives it in the mail! Even if she does, what's IN it will still be a surprise (so I'm not telling you what I'm putting in it!) I'd love to hear your suggestions though!

 

                                                    IMAGES © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

I had so much fun making this one! I try to make gifts with nautical themes for my downline, because our team name is S.O.S. Team (for S.aving O.verwhelmed S.tampers)..I use images of lighthouses, beachy ocean, tropical, fish (starfish), and boat type images such as life rings and anchors. Sooooo....having explained that, you'll understand why I had to have the Boatloads of Love stamp set  from Stampin' UP! (love that Boat with the life rings and anchor!). As I was going thru my vast assortment of Designer Series papers, I knew as soon as I saw this Cutie Pie paper that this was THE one I wanted to use and the ideas just flowed from that point on... (Its amazing how different the colors and designs are in this package!) I love it when that happens...

Here is the INSIDE-as you can clearly see, there IS a box on the inside at the bottom which explains the name of this project:

Pretty cool, huh? Ok-on to some of the details up close:

Created by Debbie Van Gieson Images © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

The boat is watercolored with Aqua Painters and Classic Ink Pads on Watercolor Paper, then cut out and added above the scalloped edged bottom. The boat, life rings and anchor are all stamped again, tediously cut out and raised with Stampin' Dimensionals and Crystal Effects for a fun 3-D effect.

Created by Debbie Van Gieson Images © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

 The clouds are stamped in White Craft ink and embossed. I painted the chipboard letters with white acrylic paint, then used the aqua painter and reinkers to color them blue. The Life rings, anchor and clouds as well as the On Board Lots of Letters Chipboard are all finished off with Crystal Effects to make them "pop".

Created by Debbie Van Gieson Images © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

I LOVE embellishments and this time I need something more nautical....so here is what I came up with...
I used Textured Wild Wasabi Cardstock and the Round Tab punch, then added eyelets with the Crop-o-dile and looped (retired) Bella Fancy Fibers loosely thru them, knotting them at the ends.  I decided to made the nautical knot with roping (instead of using ribbon) to add to the seafaring touch! 

I am pleased with how this project it turned out!  So--what do you think?

I truly had so much fun making this..I should have made two! As difficult as it will be to give this one-of-a-kind creation away, it was made with love, for someone I admire who is very deserving of special recognition-in case Jan doesn't realize it, she has been a loyal, caring friend and I just want her to know how much I have appreciated our friendship over the years.

Here are the supplies I used to make this project:

Stamps: Boatload of Love
Ink: Wild Wasabi, White Craft, Ballet Blue, Brocade Blue,Versamark Pad, Black StazOn
Paper: Cutie Pie Designer Series, Bashful Blue, TEXTURED Wild Wasabi, Watercolor
Accessories: Crop-o-Dile, Eyelets, 1/4" Circle Punch, Round Tab punch, Crystal Effects, On Board Lots of Letters, Sanding Block, Ballet Blue Ink Refill, White EP, Heat Tool, Aqua Painter, Slit Punch, 1/8" Circle Punch, Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots, Paper Snips, SNAIL adhesive, (retired) Bella Fancy Fibers

Non-SU: white acrylic paint, roping

To view all Stampin' Up! products used in this project, visit the Stampin' Up! ONLINE CATALOG. Just click on the photo link on the left sidebar. Fortunately for me, the Boatload of Love stamp set is NOT on the retirement list!!!  It's a great set!

I'd love to hear your comments...don't forget my BLOG CANDY posted awhile ago will EXPIRE at midnight on June 29! Follow the instructions in THIS POST to be in the drawing to win this awesome Stampin' Up! candy I'm giving away at 9:00 a.m. EST on JUNE 30!

Happy Stampin'!

Here's my Box in a Bag for a Birthday Gift!

Check out this adorable "box in a bag"! Or...is it a bag in a box? (I saw this posted both ways so I'm not sure which is correct-I'm going with Box in a Bag.) These were created by Paula Goff:

ARTWORK © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

ARTWORK © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

When I saw these, I knew I had to give it a try and make one!

NOTE ADDED NOVEMBER 2 2008: I just learned that the credit for the Box in a Bag creation actually goes to one of my INKredible Impressions (my upline Tina's Stampin' Up! group) friends from Arizona-none other than Diana Gibbs, an awesome stamping gal! Diana won a contest with Stampin' Up! for this creation! She wrote a terrific tutorial which you can find HERE.

Pat, a good friend of mine, had a birthday last week, so I thought this was an adorable way to package up a gift! Paula asked that we share our creations, so I will be sending mine to her. I noticed others have already sent her some and she has posted them on her site here. You can find the tutorial here.

I had just been talking to Pat earlier and she said she loves the colors aqua and apricot together, so can you guess which Stampin' Up paper I used? If you guessed Bali Breeze Designer Series papers, you are correct! To coordinate with the paper, I chose Apricot, Pumpkin and Taken with Teal. I also decided that the colors were perfect to use the Flower Fusion as accents with aqua Rhinestone Brads in the center. It just occurred to me that I used a bunch of punches again (I always seem to use them in most of my projects!)

Do you know which punch was used to make the scalloped base? The Slit punch! It's really very cool!

The photo didn't come out great, even after editing, because the colors just don't seem as pretty as they were in person...and I wished I had taken a photo BEFORE I stuffed the gift inside...but here is my Birthday Box in a Bag:

ARTWORK © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

 

So-what do you think? My friend Pat LOVED it! She couldn't believe I made it...she thinks I have the patience of a saint-but I told her these are SO EASY and quick to put together! Here are the supplies I used:

Stamps: NONE (?!)
Ink: NONE(?!)
Cardstock: Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Taken with Teal
Accessories: Bali Breeze Designer Series paper, Flower Fusion, Aqua Rhinestone Brads, Large & Small Tag Punches, Round Tab Punch, 1 16" Circle Punch, Slit punch, grosgrain ribbons, Teal Stampin' Write Marker

All of these products can be found in the 2008 Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer Collection. You can view the ONLINE CATALOG HERE.  Email me  if you are interested in purchasing any of these products...

Now it's YOUR turn! Give it a try! I'd love to see YOUR creations! Send me your photos and I'll showcase yours here! Or leave a link here in the comment section when you make your own!

HAPPY STAMPIN'!

Christmas Special #5-Baroque Motifs Box

Todays project is a lovely box that is easy enough to create without a template. What a nice way to package up a gift for the holidays, a birthday or other occasions! Think of the beautiful things you can create!

This is one of the projects I came up with for our quarterly S.O.S. Team Demo Camp in July. The camp is designed for the demonstrators to learn new projects and then teach them to their customer base. This project uses alot of the new products in the Fall-Winter 2007 Collection which is retiring at the end of December, so check the updates on the sidebar for the Retired Stamps & Accessories Lists and make sure you have everything you need-or you can place an order for any of the retiring supplies by December 31.

I love the Baroque Motifs set and the Brocade Background Designer Series papers together! This set is so elegant, it seemed appropriate to also use the Pretties Kit to dress it up! Other newer products used in this project are the Theatre Ribbon Originals and the Round Tab Punch!

If you don't have the 5-in-1 Card Cover Template yet, you NEED this simple tool-you would be amazed at the cool things you can make with it!

Today's Special? I'm giving away free copies of the Stampin' Up! 2008 Spring-Summer Collection!

To find out how you can get one for free and to view the Instructions for this lovely Barque Motifs 5-in-1 Template Box, click Here

Christmas Special #4 Snowman Soup

I just finished up my Stocking Stuffer & Last Minute Gifts Classes last week...didn't make it to class? I've already shared the origami tree chocolate bar; here are the other items we made and the number of each we made:




Frosty the Snowman Soup! (2)

Elegant Christmas Origami Hershey Treat Bar (1)

The Weather Outside is Frightful!-Holiday Candle (1)


Merry & Bright Peek-A-Boo Peppermint Box (1)

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL #4-Frosty the Snowman Soup!

Each person made (2) cello bags! Each cello bag included Mocha Cappuccino Cocoa, Peppermint Candy Cane and Hershey's Nuggets! YUM! This is a yummy treat when a person adds the peppermint candy to a cup of cocoa..top it off with Hershey's Nugget and you have the makings of a VERY delightful warming and loving treat to serve after:

• ice-skating!
• hockey!
• snow-tubing!
• skiing!
• sled-riding!
• shoveling!
• ANY winter sport!
• at home movie time!
• create your own occasion!
  

To learn how to make this simple SNOWMAN SOUP PACKAGE-Click below:

SNOWMAN SOUP PACKAGE

I offer a Stocking Stuffer & Last Minutes Gift Class every year to my customers...(and we make different things each year, of course). They love it and so do I! It forces ME to come up with fast, easy gifts that we can use to slip into stockings, adorn gift packages with or to have on hand as terrific surprise little gifts that we can "whip up" in a moments notice..  (well...maybe in half an hour to an hour or so...) and give to those unexpected friends and family that sometimes pop-in during the holidays! I have a wonderful story that explains how this tradition found it's beginnings...

My FESTIVAL OF GIFTS STORY

My brother Kevin was FAMOUS for popping in on us TOTALLY unexpectedly!

It started many years ago when he was single, but he was so sporadic about it that we were ALWAYS taken by surprise when he showed up without warning with a new girlfriend-just in time for Christmas! (of course!) Back then he lived in South Jersey...and had a different girlfriend every other year! We were NEVER prepared-but he also didn't show up regularly!

I remember one year in particular that stands out in our memory-our son was around 11 and our daughter-7 (the magical years)...it was Christmas Eve and we were all getting ready for the Christmas Eve service at our church (my kids were both in the children's choirs so we had to get there about 45 minutes earlier for them to practice before the service).

We were in our typical "mad family rush"-hoping to just make it in time! I was in the tedious process of getting my daughter's hair brushed evenly so I could pull some of it up with a fancy holiday bow. We had just finished the whole process of getting her dressed in her new  holiday outfit, and of course, those TIGHTS I used to struggle with...followed by getting on those new black patten leather shoes-the whole works! (If you've raised girls, you definitely know where I'm coming from!)

Meanwhile, I was dealing with what every mom of a daughter can identify with-frantically trying to get her ready, while in between, I was trying to also get my own hair done (by now, it was already dry!) apply make-up (in stages, of course! in between taking care of daughter, getting church offering envelope & check written) remembering to throw on pantihose, and everyone hears me ranting "where IS that perfume", and "I left those earrings here-where are they now????"!  This is just some of the "frantic mantra" that was projected to no one that was really listening...my husband (who was always the first one dressed & ready to go) was frantically trying to get our son ready to go, (he makes everyone frantic when he starts urging us to all get moving...). All of a sudden-THE DOORBELL RANG!

Now we live in the country...so we usually know when someone is expected, and we are off the beaten path, so we don't expect vagrants....our neighbors usually call if they need something first, so of course-we all stopped and looked wide-eyed at each other-with the same question running thru each of our "almost ready" heads: "Who could possibly be here on Christmas Eve at a time LIKE THIS?"

Everyone expected "someone else" would get the door...so my husband finally gave in and went to see who it was. So I go back to doing my daughter's hair, and at possibly the most critical moment when I finally get it all ready for that hair clip, suddenly we hear "Hey Kevin!-what are YOU doing here?"  Of course that's ALL the kids needed to hear...and off they went to greet their beloved and long lost uncle who "wasn't gonna make it up for the holidays"..... (remember?) leaving mom with brush in hand and hairpins in her teeth...thinking "oh Lord-how will we EVER get there on time now...."

Don't misunderstand me-I was truly THRILLED to see my brother, (we hadn't seen each other in a few years) but after all the hugs were exchanged, all these things started running thru my head:

• yikes-where will they sleep?
• oh no-we don't have presents for them!
• do we have enough food for two extra people?
• there goes our peaceful, Christmas holiday....(my brother is a chatterbox! although I absolutely love him dearly!!!)
• oh my goodness-my brother is actually HERE for Christmas!!!!!!!
• the kids are gonna go NUTS tomorrow! and.......................................................
• THANK YOU GOD-for such a wonderful, unexpected surprise!

But, what actually came out of my mouth?????

"WE HAVE TO GET TO CHURCH, FOLKS!!!!!! "

Well,somehow, we made it to church JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME, and guess what happened? Kelley got sick-and didn't sing! She was SO excited that her tummy just took a tumble...and my brother didn't get to hear her sing! But it was still the most special Christmas Eve I will ever experience...not to mention the HUGE impression, UNKIE KEV (no it's not a typo-that's what they called him! made on my kids! He had gifts for them, and us...and we haven't had a Christmas like that-since!  (kind of like those old Christmas movies you see on tv this time of year...)

By now you are thinking "how sweet" but WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS STORY?" The point is simply that this is how "Festival of Gifts" originated! My daughter and I stole some time to make some holiday ball ornaments that I had taught at classes-to give to Uncle Kevin and Aunt Debra...and that's how the whole idea of "Festival of Gifts" was born!

Now, every year I plan a bunch of gift items (some home decor projects, some quickie gifts like these) for an annual Festival of Gifts event that I have been doing for yearssc...until this year-I opted to offer classes instead of holding the Festival of Gifts event, because I decided to be a participant as a crafter/consultant at some local craft fairs and just couldn't imagine how I could do it all! (but I think we'll manage to do BOTH next year with good planning! It's amazing how easy it can be when you plan it ahead of time! )

This has become a tradition in our family...my daughter and I have always enjoyed coming up with holiday projects for our family members, church school teachers, hairdresser etc. (we now MAIL them to Unkie Kevin & Aunt Debra if THEY SAY they can't make it up!). But-these projects have become the gift items we offer at our Festival of Gifts Events, Craft Fairs and/or classes! I can recall my husband and son commenting that it's like "Santa's Workshop" here about six weeks before Christmas while the Festival of Gifts Event is going on! When the Craft Fairs, classes and Festival of Events are all over, my daughter and I keep the stamp studio bustling right up until a few days before Christmas-making more gifts for our family and friends!  You can find us in there tinkering away making our gifts...embossing, masking, sanding, painting, eyelet setting, snow frosting,  gluing,  glittering,  hammering, and having a blast!

And after all, isn't this what Christmas is all about too? We have THE BEST TIME discovering and creating, making memories-together...(although my daughter shys away from the camera-which makes it tough to catch these ONE-TIME ONLY memories that I of course, want to scrapbook, I will always treasure these times we spend together getting ready for the holidays! It's a time that we've come to really cherish..someday I'll present her with an album that captures times like these! Shhhh.....

2007 Mistletoe Market Craft & Home Consultant Show

I took a break from posting while I prepared for this first annual craft fair at the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin, NJ 07416 this past Saturday....

I haven't done a craft fair in awhile,so this year I decided to give it a try! The day started out with SNOW! The first snowflakes of the season came down on Friday night into Saturday morning-how appropriate for the holiday show!

There were about 40 vendors there with quite a variety of crafts,gifts and  products...Of course I was there with my Stampin' Up! table-here is a photo of half of my table (I must have been interrupted and never took a picture of the rest of the table!)

Here are some of the items that were great sellers:

Christmas Fudge-These were made with beautiful new Stampin' Up! Designer Wrapping papers found in our Holiday Mini Collection-so easy to make! The tags were made using both the Mini Tag & the Tag Punches and some of the `1/4" ribbons and also the new Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitched Ribbon which I just love! The poem is perfect for those last-minute procrastinators...these were very popular and I almost sold out of them! We will be making these at my December Stocking Stuffers & Last-Minute Gifts class-they make great stocking stuffers, too...if you are in the Hardyston NJ area, you may want to check this class out-but hurry..sign-ups for this weekend's classes end this Wednesday. There are later classes in the month in case you can't make it to this one.

Apple Spice Nugget Box-Closed

Nugget Box-opened

This was another hit-these were intended as nice little hostess gifts to give at Thanksgiving...I will definitely need to make some holiday themed nugget boxes for my upcoming craft fair at the Wallkill Valley High School Holiday Craft & Gift Show on December 1 in Hardyston NJ! This is also another featured item at my December Stocking Stuffers & Last-Minute Gifts Class!

Clear Magnets in a Tin-closed

Tins-opened; inside are four clear fridge magnets-a cute way to hold papers and artwork on your fridge! These were actually designed by my 14-year old daughter who decided to help out! These papers are retired from last year...but I like them so much-I was glad to have some leftover to use for this project. We will be making these at our November Holiday Gifts & Home Decor Classes using Stampin Up! current Designer Series papers

Tomorrow, I'll show you some other items I made for the Mistletoe Market Craft Fair.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of these projects..I love feedback-it lets me know there are actually folks out there READING this blog!

I will tell you more about the Mistletoe Market later and will provide you with a link to the First Presbyterian Church and next year's craft fair dates etc. so if you are a crafter or a Home Consultant in the Northern New Jersey area, you can sign-up to participate in our event too!

Stampin' Up!® PAPER PARTY PROMOTION!

Stampin' Up! is having a Paper Party Promotion to kick off the upcoming holiday season! This month's Stampin' Up! Special of the Month is a Buy Three Get the Fourth-FREE Deal...three of what, you ask?  Why-Stampin' Up!® Designer Series Paper packs! This is a great way to get four packs of the same paper, or a variety-just in time for card-making, gift wrapping & tags, and scrapbooks for the holidays! 

These pretty 12 x 12 papers have double-sided designs featuring Stampin' Up! patterns and colors. Each package contains 12 sheets, 2 each of 6 double-sided designs. There are ten various themes to choose from in the Fall/Winter Collection  and don't forget to check out the pretty Holiday Harmony Designer Series (also double-sided) paper offered in the Holiday Mini Collection  which will be available only thru the end of November! I love the selection Stampin' Up! has come out with...here is a project I created for a class I offered recently-a scrapbook in a box, using Le Jardin D.S. paper. To find out about other classes and upcoming events I offer, visit my Events Page of my Stampin' Up! website!

This is the box closed. It is embellished using Stampin' Up! On Board Accents Chipboard, various punches   including the very popular Scallop Circle Punch and also a lovely Rhinestone Brad in the center of the embellishment!

When opened, the pages spill outward-with plenty of space for alot of photos and journaling!

None of the pages are attached-they are each decorated with D.S. paper (that is Buy 3-Get 4th FREE right now!). It's all ready for me to add fall photos and journaling for a wonderful "box of memories" or, this would make a very nice holiday gift for that special someone...(if I can part with it!)

I made a coordinating card to go with it to:

The stamp sets used in the card are Illuminations and Season by Season. The "C" in Cherish is embossed and raised so it stands out. The Illuminations stamp set is so pretty and elegant looking!

During November, I will be featuring some of these papers at my demonstrations and classes to give you other great ideas for these wonderful papers...

To view all the Designer Series papers now, you can go to your own Stampin' Up! Catalog or this
ONLINE CATALOGS link to shop.

HOLIDAY
WISH LIST:   Would you like to add Designer Series papers to a holiday wish list? Follow these steps:

1. Just download this document : HOLIDAY WISH LIST

2. Jot your items on the wish list and complete the form.

3. Add your contacts so I can follow up with them later! This is THE BEST way to get stamping and scrapbooking supplies YOU want for the holidays this year!

TO PURCHASE THE PAPER PARTY PROMOTION SPECIAL NOW, select four Designer Series Papers from the Fall/Winter Collection or the holiday paper in the Holiday Mini Collection-you pay only $9.95 each for the first three packs (plus tax and shipping)-the fourth is FREE! The promo code for this product special is 111878.  To order, E-MAIL ME.

My October Hostess Gift! Acetate Treat Box...

Isn't this a neat idea? I originally learned about this adorable box from Susie McCormick who used it for Halloween Treats...I thought it was such a cute idea I decided to tweek it by adding the name of my hostess, and filled it with candy corn and seasonal Hershey's kisses-my October hostesses received this as one of their gifts for hosting an in-home party! (Hostesses can also opt to have their Stampin' Up! parties at my home Stamp Studio). I used a retired Stampin' Up! Designer Series paper from last season called Halloween Night for this particular acetate treat box because it had a really cute candy corn design, but you can easily subsitute any of the papers in the current Creepy Crawly DS Paper package or Pumpkin Pie Prints DS paper too and it would be just as adorable!

I also used the cute stamps from the Batty for You stamp set and Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain ribbon, several circle and square punches and Short Order Alphabet letters..I basically used Sticky Strip as the main adhesive so it would hold together well.

Click HERE to learn how to make one of these. You can also come and make a thanksgiving themed box at my Harvest Time Thanksgiving Class in November! To learn more about this and other classes, visit my Events Calendar which is updated periodically.  To order any of the above products, simply email me

GIFT FROM SHELLI & Chipboard Coaster Box

Stampin' Up! demonstrators received a lovely and unexpected SURPRISE for Christmas from the Co-founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!-Shelli Gardner!  She sent us all one of the stamp sets from the upcoming Spring Mini Catalog-Polka Dots & Paisley! I have been waiting for an opportunity to play with this very cute set, so here is my first project: A Chipboard Coaster Box:

                         

This is a sample of a upcoming class project! It was also a project I did with my S.O.S. Team group at a demo camp. The box features Sarah Designer Series Paper & Spring Bouquet Flower Punch from Stampin' Up!  This makes a great note paper holder, pen holder and even works great when filled with tissue paper or a gift in a cello bag! 

I think this set will be very popular-I know it already is with me! I'll be working on more projects with this set and can't wait to place my order for the Spring Mini Sets-they are AWESOME, and you are going to LOVE them! Did I mention that you can order from the Spring Mini Catalog starting March 1 thru JUNE? That's right! In my next post I'll update you on some other changes Stampin' Up! is implementing!   If you would like to receive a hard copy of the Spring Mini Catalog, contact me and I'd be happy to send one along to you. Otherwise, you will be able to view it online which can be accessed from the link found under my Stampin' Up! Links... starting March 1!