Love is in the air

I've been having fun lately experimenting with "non-card" stamped treasures & gifts.

Not to sound too corny, but a hand stamped card usually WOWs people that the person giving it to them took the time to actually hand make a card vs. just tossing one in their grocery cart, so I decided to try to take a step further for a special upcoming occasion...

Here's a sneak peak of the project... this shows the corner of the project that uses the beautiful butterfly from For All You Do in Melon Mambo. Melon Mambo is one of the current in-colors and I am very excited that it is one of the colors that is continuing on as a new core color so it will still be available even when the new catalog comes out in a couple of months.



I don't want to spoil the surprise since this gift has not been given yet, but I promise I will share the rest of it by Saturday!

Kristi

On the road again...

... and this time not for work!!

In celebration of this rare occasion, I have been avoiding my laptop like the plague. I tend to spend way too much time staring at this tiny screen and giving myself carpal tunnel, so my wrists & neck are thankful for the chance to recuperate so they can be fresh feeling and ready to STAMP when we get back home!!

Rest assured, however, that I have fabulous projects to share with you very soon. I finished them up right before we left town, brought them with me to photograph (no I'm not a complete weirdo, but they are part of a wedding present and the wedding is the main reason we are on vacation)... and now you know my motivation for needing to finish them up late the night before we left on a 6am flight... eeks.....

Anyway, I plan on taking said photos shortly. In the daylight. Though nice, the fairly dimly-lit hotel room would not do justice to these tokens of longtime friendship & messengers of well wishes. I think they're just lovely though, and I do promise to share them soon!

ORDER IN!

A girl sure could get used to this 2-Day Air deal.... I am happy to say Mr. Brown just stopped by and if you placed an order with me in the last few days, it is already here! Shoot me an email or give me a call if you want to swing by my place to get your goodies in the next few hours, otherwise you can be expecting a message from me soon to arrange a time to meet up for the hand off.

So many goodies... can't wait to play!!

Ornament Punch & other favorites still available!

Great news! The availability for some of the most popular items in the Holiday Mini & Spring Occasions has been extended!!

So if you liked this cute little Delightful Decorations Trio from the holidays...


...but didn't get the punch yet for whatever reason, now is your chance!

In addition to using it for your next round of beautiful (yet easy) Christmas cards (any of you getting a jump start now, or is everyone waiting until Dec. 23rd this year??), you can even use the same punch to make cute spring & summer cards like this:


See the ornament punch in there? It's sort of like one of those eye trick games, but tilt your head a bit to the left, and they're there!

I just love it when stamps & supplies originally designed for a specific holiday can be used in other creative ways for something totally different!



Here are the items still available from the Holiday Mini:
Item # Description Price
116794 Ornament punch $15.95
116806 Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint $5.95
116854 Frost White Shimmer Paint $5.95
116807 Platinum Shimmer Paint $5.95
116829 Décor Elements Blocks $9.95
116824 Stampin' Up! Textured Impressions Folder Petals-A-Plenty $7.95
116821 Stampin' Up! Holiday Windows Magnetic Movers & Shapers $29.95
116819 Stampin' Up! Table Setting Bigz XL die $42.95
116820 Stampin' Up! Embosslits Merry die $11.95
116823 Stampin' Up! Sizzlits Merry Details die $5.50
116822 Stampin' Up! O Christmas Tree Pop-Up Bigz XL die $42.95
118140 Stampin' Up! Tree Decorations Sizzlits die $5.50
118108 My Digital Studio $79.95
116519 Charming stamp set $19.95



Here are the items that will still be available after 4/30 from the Spring Occasions Mini:

Item # Description Price
116519 Charming STMP $19.95
117690 Vintage Vogue WM $23.95
118598 Vintage Vogue CM $17.95
118882 Vague vinatge WM $23.95
119109 Vague vinatge CM $17.95
118091 Tiny Tags WM $22.95
118592 Tiny Tags CM $16.95
117535 DÉCOR ELEMENTS F IS FOR FOX CHOCOLATE $4.95
117536 DÉCOR ELEMENTS G IS FOR GIRAFFE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117529 DÉCOR ELEMENTS IS FOR BLACK $4.95
117541 DÉCOR ELEMENTS L IS FOR LION CHOCOLATE $4.95
117542 DÉCOR ELEMENTS M IS FOR MONKEY CHOCOLATE $4.95
117544 DÉCOR ELEMENTS O IS FOR OWL CHOCOLATE $4.95
117528 DÉCOR ELEMENTS SCALLOP FRAME BLACK $6.95
117549 DÉCOR ELEMENTS T IS FOR TURTLE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117552 DÉCOR ELEMENTS W IS FOR WHALE CHOCOLATE $4.95
118139 DS FOLK FLOWERS -SHELLI SIG.COLLECTION $12.95
117597 DS PAISLEY PATTERNS 2-STEP $14.95
118072 PNCH CRNR PINKING HEARTS $9.95
118870 PNCH CRNR SCALLOP TRIM $9.95
117191 PNCH LG 2 STEP BIRD $15.95
118073 PNCH LG FANCY FLOWER $15.95
117649 PNCH MD BRDR PINKING HEARTS $15.95
117190 PNCH MD JEWELRY TAG $10.95
117193 PNCH SM SMALL HEART $5.95
117310 SZX BIGZ L MINI MILK CARTON $32.95
118138 SZX EMBSLTS BEAUTIFUL WINGS $11.95
117332 SZX EMBSLTS SCALLOPED HEART OF HEARTS $11.95
117335 SZX TI PERFECT POLKA DOTS $7.95
116772 RECIPES BY DESIGN $24.95
120435 HEART TREAT CUPS $2.95


Jot on down what you want and bring it with you to next month's Stamp Club!

Thanks for visiting,

New Stamp Club AND Facebook Fun!!

Whew.. first of all, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended Stamp Club last night!! I am so excited to have this new group going and to see all of the beautiful projects we'll make together.

This was our first project of the evening:


This design was an absolute hit and I think people really liked being able to customize them a bit by choosing to use the sophisticated stripped side or the cute flower side of the Chocolate Chip Designer Series Paper and adorable coordinating stripped or flowery Chocolate Chip Sending Love Brads.

Here's a close-up view of the adorable 3D flowers we learned how to make together:

Tip: Just click on the image if you want a more close-up view.

I'll be posting more pictures soon for the world to see. This is partially to inspire others and partially for those of you that were there, too. I won't name names, but I know there are a few of you out there that have a box of gorgeous cards that you can't seem to part with and send on to anyone else to enjoy.... so this blog can double as your library, or extra idea "book" so you can spread the joy to others by dropping those cuties in the mail and still have a spot to look back and see what we made together when you're looking for some inspiration.

I'm going to turn in our orders from both Stamp Clubs by Sunday night, so please make sure to send me what you would like by then. As a special bonus to everyone who puts in an order by Sunday night at 9pm I will also cover the difference from regular shipping to expedited 2-Day shipping! That means I should have it by Wednesday and will sort it all out and make arrangements with everyone to get you your goodies right away! Yippee!!

In other news.... I started a Facebook page just for us! Check out Homemade Smiles on Facebook and become a Fan today! You'll be the first to hear about the latest & greatest Stampin' Up! specials, see photos of awesome crafty projects & be able to share your thoughts of course, too! There might, just might, even be some special deals posted on there from time to time, too... :)

Krist

Stampin' for a Cause

My husband and I really believe in the importance of caring for our environment and our community and are proud members of the Lands Council, a great local group in town that does just an amazing amount of wonderful things for the people and land in the Inland Northwest.

A few months ago we found out they were planning a big charity dinner & auction and were looking for people to donate items they could auction off as a fundraiser. So, I got to thinking... what would I want to buy at an auction??!? Stampin' Up! supplies of course!!! So I talked to Stampin' Up! and got some AWESOME supplies donated, plus went out on my own and purchased a super cute basket, then added card samples and other goodies to put together a pretty killer silent auction item.

Who wouldn't want this?!?!

A ton of stamp sets, Designer Series Paper, cardstock, ribbon, eyelets, rub-ons, ink pads... gosh, the list goes on and on.

I am excited to say it was a huge hit! Here is the event during the live auction portion of the evening:


What fun to hear the auctioneer doing his thing and also to raise our bid card a time or two!

It was an absolutely amazing event and I'm so thankful to SU! for their donation that helped me put together this basket and helped the Lands Council with their big annual fundraiser so they can keep working to protect our natural areas as well as support the health of the children and families where I live. Thanks, SU! and thanks Lands Council for all you do!!

Woohooo!!! Color Facelift!

I am excited to let you know that Stampin' Up! is introducing a bunch of new colors and bringing back some old "In Color" favorites in the upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog!

Here is the Color Renovation chart:



Looking at the chart you may have noticed that in addition to the new colors there is also a new way to organize them in a very fresh & current way into new "Color Collections" (vs. "Color Families").

I am so excited that my favorites are still here and now we have more fun new options to use, too!! If you are wondering about some of the colors you may be used to seeing, yes, some of the less popular colors are retiring, but the popular ones are still around & there are lots of new options.

There are also going to be five new In Colors every year (starting with the new Idea Book) and they will be around for two years! So, this summer we'll get five and next summer we'll get another five so we'll have 10 new In Colors at that point with a new five coming in every year.

For those of you wanted to check on a certain color, here are the details:
In Colors that are back (!) and now part of the Core Color Collection:
Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango (used on my card on the right), River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi.

The five brand-spanking new Core Colors:
five new Core Colors: Daffodil Delight (a very pretty yellow), Early Espresso (a gorgeous deep brown), Cajun Craze (a very rich orange), Cherry Cobbler (red of course), and Marina Mist (a very pretty blue).


And, here is the detailed listing for each of the new Core Color Collections:

Brights Collection: Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Real Red

Regals Collection: Elegant Eggplant, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Garden Green, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Bravo Burgundy

Subtles Collection: Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, So Saffron

Neutrals Collection: River Rock, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (formerly called Kraft), Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black


Time to stock up! If any of these are your personal favs, now is the time to stock up on ink, paper, etc. because they are retiring with the current catalog.

Retiring Colors:
Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Bordering Blue, Brilliant Blue, Brocade Blue, Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Gable Green, Glorious Green, Going Gray, Green Galore, Handsome Hunter, Lavender Lace, Lovely Lilac, Mellow Moss, Only Orange, Orchid Opulence, Pale Plum, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, Summer Sun, Taken with Teal, YoYo Yellow.


I am very excited for the new options, though I admit I will be stocking up on a few of my personal favorites that made it to the retiring list. I think it's very cool SU! is staying trendy. Imagine if we all still had bright orange and avocado green kitchen appliances?!? Eeks! I'm definitely looking forward to playing with these new choices and seeing all of the cool new accessories that will coordinate with them! How about you??

Kristi

Special Delivery!

Remember the baby shower invites & fun from a month or so ago?

Well, I am so excited to say CONGRATULATIONS to the new momma & pappa on the arrival of beautiful baby Brenna!!

I knew I needed to make a special card for such a special occasion and I really wanted to incorporate trees, owls & birds again since that's their nursery theme. So I did a little digging through my sets and mixed & matched a bit to come up with this fun design:



I used the Forest Friends set:


and the Picnic Parade hostess set:



We also put together this fun gift to bring them. I found the cutest basket that incorporates a dark brown/black basket with a bright flowery fabric liner that I think will coordinate well if mom & dad want to re-use it in Brenna's room for little baby lotions or socks or other little things. Then we filled it with a combination of goodies for Baby Brenna and for mom & dad.

What do you think?



The goodies include champagne and new mom & dad necessities like Frappucinos, Tylenol, and earplugs! Plus some other treats too and a cute little Easter bunny I just couldn't resist since Brenna was born so close to Easter.

Oh! I almost forgot. I also wanted to share with you this picture that momma Erin sent me last week of Brenna's room.


They used the Large Thoughts & Prayers Tree Decor Element in Black to coordinate with the cute black dresser & crib they got. I think it turned out great- nice work you guys!


Congratulations again to the newly expanded family!!

BIG Smiles,

Not foolin' around

I am not foolin' around here, stampin' friends, there are some AMAZING DEALS that just began with the start of April.

1. The Clearance Rack: If you haven't checked this out before, or perhaps just not in awhile, today is the day.

They have Designer Series Paper (yes, those big packs of the really nice designs) on clearance for $3.99 instead of $9.95!! ... and Simply Scrappin' Kits on clearance for $7.99 instead of $19.95 (perfect for scrapbooking & awesome for carmaking too).. and buttons and ribbons and rub-ons and and and... lots of new awesome choices for amazing prices.



Check it out now!

p.s. placing an order? Just type in my name as your demonstrator and you'll be eligible for the special (cheaper!) preferred price rather than the regular price.

2. Two-Step into Spring:
This promotions has two parts.

The first part is that Stampin' Up! is offering a sneak peak view of one of the pretty new spring floral sets in the catalog coming out soon and making it available during the month of April. Not only is it available to purchase, it's FREE with any $350 workshop. Sweet!

Look at these cute spring designs made with the new set-


And here is the whole set... 18 images WOW.



The second part of the Spring Promotion is that, during the month of April only, other springy two-step stampin' sets are 20% OFF!!
Item Page Description Regular Price Sale Price
113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $25.95 $20.76
113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $24.95 $19.96
111578 101 Flower Fancy $36.95 $29.56
113258 112 Trendy Trees $17.95 $14.36


That's the good news for today, friends. I have been out of town A LOT lately for work and it's really crampin' my stampin'...like that? oh man, I need sleep! :)

But do not worry, I've been working on some fun fun cute new projects today now that I'm home again and I will be sharing them over the next few days, so check back soon!

Smiles,