I just added several new class tutorials (click the Free Class Tutorial link at the top of the page). These classes are $4.95 or FREE with a $50 or more online purchase! Two of them are great Christmas classes!

This is the Letters to Santa Card Class

and this one is the Over the Top Christmas Card class.

I am back from convention and had such a great time hanging out with my stamping friends from all over the country and also Canada. Stampin Up demos are the nicest and most fun group of ladies! I always look forward to any kind of Stampin Up event but this one was super special to me. As many of you know, I am going through a divorce and I must have gotten several hundred hugs and well wishes from so many of you (some that I have never even met before)! Thank you all for your support, love and prayers. You are all a special group of women and I am so glad to have you all in my life. Stampin Up is the best company to be a part of. I never would have met all of these super women if I hadn't signed up 10 years ago. I will have these friends FOREVER! It is hard to describe the feeling of having so many awesome ladies genuinely caring about you and coming up and saying hi even if they had never met me…..just to show their support. Ok, I will stop now before I start crying again……

If you were at convention, you might have seen me in one of the booths demonstrating the distressing kit. Here is one of my favorite samples…..It is a 4×6 notepad I covered in River rock cardstock and then topped it with the Well worn designer paper.

This is a close up of the front part. I used the distressing kit to rough up the edges, curl the corners and color the white paper. Then I added an antique brad also.

I was trying to come up with a cute and simple little treat idea and I noticed I had all of these mini Hershey bars left over from something else I made. So, I decided to wrap them in that gorgeous Springtime Vintage paper and tie with some seam binding ribbon and a little tag. The sentiment if from You're a Gem in the Occasions mini. This is a great way to use up your leftover designer papers when they retire. It only takes a little piece to wrap it around the candy bar. These are great to just keep in your purse and hand out to anyone to brighten their day.

Today in Chesapeake, it was so gorgeous outside, I decided that I had to postpone my stamping plans to go lay out in the sun. It felt so good but now I am burnt to a crisp! It will be tan in a couple days but right now my skin is sizzling.  My daughter Lindsey laid out with me and she just turned brown…..it isn't fair. I meant to take some pictures of her out there but I forgot. I am sure we will have many more days like this.

Anyway, I finally got back to stamping and finished my projects for this month's stamp camp. This month I am featuring the Sneak Peek Special…..the Paisley petals designer papers and the four frames stamp set that will be in our upcoming Idea Book and Catalog.

This first picture is of the folder that the cards all go in….isn't it pretty?? This paper is just GORGEOUS!

This next one is the inside of the folder. I have 2 cards on either side. I will stick some envelopes in there too.

Here is the folder (top left) and the 4 cards we are making. If you are local to the Chesapeake/ Va Beach/ Norfolk area, and would like to come to this or any other class, please email me! If you click on my calendar at the top of the page, you can see when all of the classes are offered. Or, if you and some friends would like a private class of your own, that would be great too! Cost of this class is $20 or if you would like to purchase the whole set already completed, it is $25. If you are out of town and would like this class set, add an additional $5 for shipping. All complete sets for this class will be ready for pick up or shipping at the end of the month.

choose one

completed set (local) $25.00 completed set (plus shipping) $30.00

This is a fun little holder we made in my stamp clubs last month using the petal cone die. I glued 2 of them together using sticky strip and then cut the scallop half circles out of  the springtime vintage designer paper that is in the Occasions mini.  These make perfect little gifts to put candy or a piece of jewelry in.

Here is a close up of the front of it. I used the Clearly for you stamp set background stamp in crumb cake to put behind the "for you".  Then I added a mini rosette to the front.

To place your Stampin’ Up order online  24-7, click here

Doesn't this remind you of an ice cream cone? It kind of makes me feel like summertime too! I made these treats for Valentine's Day but since they don't say Happy Valentine's Day on them, they can really be used for any time of the year as a nice treat to give to a friend.  They are super easy to make  as favors for a child's birthday party or classroom treats also. I used the Petal Cone die from the Stampin Up Occasions mini and the red glitter paper also in there. The cardstock is pretty in pink and so is the taffeta ribbon.  The friend heart stamp is from " I Heart Hearts" on pg 46 in the big catalog.

To place your Stampin’ Up order online  24-7, click here

This past weekend I had my February Stamp Camp and we made this cute box purse and set of 4 cards.  For most of the projects I used the Nature Walk set from the Occasions mini along with the Botanical Gazette designer paper also in the Occasions mini.

Here is a close up of the front of the box. I used the 2 1/2 in circle punch and the 2 3/8 scallop circle punch for these.

Here is a pic of all the cards and the box. All of the cards except for one are made with the Nature Walk set and the one with the butterfly on the front is made with the Bliss set which you can get for free from the Sale-a-bration mini with a $50 purchase. I will post more pics of the individual cards this week.

To place your Stampin’ Up order online  24-7, click here

These are easy little matchbook style candy holders. I cut the crumb cake cardstock at 2 1/8 by 7 1/4. You can get 5 of these per sheet if you cut the 7 1/4  first from the 11 inch side.  Then turn it and cut at 2 1/8 3 times. This will give you 4 pieces. With the leftover piece, you can get one more. Then I scored it at 3 and 6 1/2. I stamped the crumb cake in marina mist ink using the Bliss stamp set and the front piece is stamped in chocolate chip using the Eat Chocolate set. There is a staple under the ribbon on the bottom to hold the chocolate in there.

Here is a view of the inside. That Ghirardelli is stapled right under the ribbon.

To place your Stampin’ Up order online  24-7, click here

My awesome friend Kimberly Van Diepen showed these adorable treats on her blog a couple of  months ago and I knew I had to copy them. She does amazing work so I do have to copy her a lot! LOL!  Anyway, these are super easy to make. You just need the Stampin Up table setting die that goes in the Big Shot and that creates the piece that holds the candy. I then stamped it with the Bliss stamp set which is FREE when you order $50 or more right now!!! I put a little adhesive inside to keep the candy  from falling out. Then I wrapped it with our gorgeous striped grosgrain and used the Eat Chocolate stamp set to make the front piece.

Lastly, add a little bling with rhinestones and the button. Some of the buttons are from our retired holiday mini but the night of navy one and the melon mambo one are from the Occasions mini.Thanks Kimberly for this awesome idea!

Wow! We are actually having a white Christmas here in VA on the east coast for the first time I can ever remember. We rarely even get snow here but on Christmas, we are usually still in the 50's. THis year has been super cold so far and this is the 3rd snowstorm for us! I think that is a record! It sure is pretty though.

I got many hand stamped Christmas cards from my friends and customers that I LOVED but this is one of my favorites. It was hard to choose because there were so many awesome ones and I am saving them all! This one was made by one of my customers named Chris. I think it turned out just great.

I also got several gifts that were handmade and this was one of my favorites. My good friend Sam made this one. She handmade the star ornament. I have no idea how she did it but it looks like a lot of work. She also made a little cookie cutter with fudge to go along with it. I just thought it was so creative and delicious at the same time! Thanks to everyone who sent me a card or gift. They were all loved and appreciated.  I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas. Mine was great but I sure need to go on a diet immediately! I have one more apple pie to make for a special friend tomorrow and that is the end of my holiday baking. I think I gained 10 pounds just looking at food this week.

THis is a close up of the ornament. It is made out of paper but it totally does not look or feel like it.