Happy Birthday!!

Here is a creative birthday gift wrap idea I found online and couldn't resist from making for my Sister, Dani, for her birthday. Since some of my siblings and I live far away from home, my mom has made it a tradition to put a "birthday package" together for us. This package usually contains our FAVORITE cake mix, frosting, cake toppings, plates, and napkins. Once I saw this ADORABLE gift wrap idea online, I told my mom that the "birthday package" could still be from her, I just wanted to put it together for her. Here are the items I started with that would be included in the package...

Keep in mind that when you are picking out the desired plates and napkins from the store, what colors of paper you will be using. In this case, it seemed to work out perfectly when it came it matching the different products.

Step 1: Wrap the cake mix in card stock. Take the cake toppings you have, measure them, and see how they would best fit to the front of the box. Cut and adhere "pockets" for each topping on the front as shown below...

Step 2: Attach another piece of card stock to the front of the box that will be able to extend beyond your toppings and will be able to meet the top of your box.

Step 3: Cut 2 strips of ribbon (in this case I used paper... it works just as well) to make the handles as shown below. Using the same color of paper, measure the front of the box to see what size you need to make the pocket. Fold and adhere to the front as shown below. Next, make the tab, or piece of paper that will keep the front flap closed as shown. Adhere Velcro to the front of the flap and bottom of the tab to keep closed.

Here is a side view so far...Step 4: Take your frosting, and wrap the container in matching card stock. Then simply chose your birthday stamp set and finish off the gift by adding some stamped images and accessories.

I also made a separate birthday card for her, and this is where the pocket in the front of the box came in handy. I placed the card in the front pocket. In the situation of sending a similar package to one who was having a birthday party for a group of people, I would make birthday invitations and place them in the front pocket.

(note: If you're wondering what the tallest object wrapped in Brown in the middle-back is, that was actually a willow-tree figure that I also wrapped in coordinating paper and added the same stamped images and accessories to. It ended up tying it all together very nicely.)

Here is a picture with the card inside the front pocket...

A lot cuter and more fun for the birthday girl to receive... don't you think? The best thing about it was that it was NOT time consuming and it was cheap to do.

Here is a list of the products I used...

Stamp Set: Party Hearty (111532)
Paper:Soft Suede(115318), Bermuda Bay (115315), Dusty Durango (115321) Wisper White (100730)
Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, and Dusty Durango (116329), Polka-dot Grosgrain Ribbon: Soft Suede(115612), Bermuda Bay (115610)
Scallop Edge Punch (112091)

TO ORDER THESE PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE

FYI...

I know that Summer has JUST ended, and some of us are getting back to school and are getting busy... but have you started thinking and preparing for the Holidays?? Stampin' Up! has JUST released their Holiday Mini Catalog for your purchase and use. There are a number of cute ideas for Holiday gifts inside. Click on the image below to browse the Catalog.Inside you will find 2 NEW lines added to Stampin' Up! First, is a jewelry line. Second is a digital line. This digital line is called My Digital Studio. It's a computer software program that allows you to scrapbook and stamp digitally. Yes, for all you moms who do not have time for the mess scraping and stamping can create, you can NOW do it on your computer using all of Stampin' Up!'s products. As the merchanise in this catalog is NOW AVAILABLE for your purchase, the My Digital Studio will NOT BE available for purchase until OCTOBER 1st. One more month as it can be yours for $80. That may seem like a large amount for this software, but to have a better idea of what it includes see the list below...

ALL 4 card stock color families and coordinating stamp pads
Current In Colors
50+ Stamp Sets

All punches
Some designer Series paper
+ MORE...

When Stampin' Up! releases new products, they will be available to download on the stampin' Up! website to add to your software. You can create cards, calendars, scrapbook pages, invitations and more. The best part is that you can have them professionally printed by Stampin' Up!, who's printers have been callibrated to match the colors of card stock perfectly. You are also given the choice to print your creations from your home right after creating them.

As you can see, I am VERY excited about this product and cannot wait to see all of the things I can create by using it.

Stay tuned for more information and services I will be offering to make personalized invitations, annoucements, and Christmas Cards using this software.

Happy Anniversary!!

For my In-laws Anniversary, I made and sent this card to them. This stamp set is called 'Inspired by Nature' and it's very fun to see the different ways you can use it. On this particular card, I used Stampin' Up's pastels. When using the pastels, you can get such different affects each time... that's why I LOVE to use them. :) This card was also so SIMPLE to make as it only took me 10 mins. I also love this card because of what my husband wrote inside of it to his parents:Products used for this card(Item #):
Stamp Set: Inspired by Nature(111656)
Paper: Rich Razzleberry(115316), Soft Suede(115318), and Whisper White(100730)
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (105542), Stampin' Pad-Soft Suede (115657), Ribbon- Rich Razzleberry(115613), and Soft Suede (115612), and Scallop Edge Punch (112091)

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7

Convention 2009

Stampin' Up!'s 2009 Convention is being held in Salt Lake, Utah as we speak. And no, I am not there. :( I had other things that had to be priority last weekend and this week. I am very jealous of those who had the opportunity to attend. BUT, I'm also VERY lucky because my upline, Jeanna, was able to attend and will be showing me everything they learned while there. In fact, she is keeping her blog updated while she is there... this is the ONLY thing that is keeping me from going NUTS!! :) I helped Jeanna make 100 cards before she left for Convention. She will be swapping these cards with fellow demonstrators and will have 100 other card ideas and samples. I can't wait to see these samples!! Thanks Jeanna for keeping me updated while you're away. I feel like I'm not missing out now! :) Check out her blog for updates to see what FUN things they are up to in Salt Lake. Maybe some of the things you see there will be projects featured in my upcoming workshops?! :)

A Little Piece of Home

My Husband, Nick and I just recently celebrated our One Year Anniversary. Just a little history about us, so that this makes more sense...
We grew up together in the same class in a small town in Wyoming. We now live in Nevada. Nick has always talked about getting some different pictures of our small home town, and hanging them up in our house here in Nevada. Well... I didn't just want to get pics, frame them, and then hang them. I went a little bit different route and this is what I came up with.

a mini book made using Chipboard!! :)

I'll go ahead and share some of the pages in the book.
This book was a little different from ones that I've made before. I wanted to use mainly pictures in this book, but I also wanted to add in some details and memories we both have there.
ALSO, I was trying to make it as "manly" as I could, because after all, it was for Nick!


The "Welcome to Lovell" sign when entering our town.

That's right! Our hometown is so small, there's only 1 stop light! :)

These are the 3 houses where Nick grew up.


This is where Nick and I went to High school.
One thing that Nick LOVED about home and misses dearly, is the beautiful great outdoors.


I think one of the things that brings beauty to main street of our small hometown, are the amazing murals painted on the sides of two different buildings.
Stores on Main Street and Entertainment.

One of Nick's favorite Country songs that reminds him of home is, "Where I Come From", by Alan Jackson. I added the lyrics to the chorus on a page.
Yes, I also added a picture of a license Plate from Big Horn County in Wyoming. I this for two reasons. The first being, that everyone there knows its a joke to live in 9 county because we're made fun of for our "crazy driving skills." Secondly, whenever Nick and I are driving in Nevada, and see Wyoming plates, we freak out by honking and waving like idiots like they are supposed to know that WE'RE from Wyoming TOO!! :)

And here is the end!
Nick was TOTALLY surprised and shocked when he opened it and said it's a great way to have all the memories from home right here.

For those who are curious:
I used two different sets of paper for this book. They are both Designer Series paper called
Urban Garden and Urban Oasis. However, neither of these two items are available for purchase any longer. No need to be sad though, the new catalog has a number of BEAUTIFUL designer Series papers.
AND... this is just another idea and way that the designer papers can be creatively used. :)

HAPPY DAY!!!

I'm so excited to actually be able to "SHOW" you the BEAUTIFUL new Catalogs. :) You can officially start to purchase ANY of the items you see in them or simply get CREATE ideas from the adorable samples. :) Be sure to check out the BEAUTIFUL new IN COLORS!! :) And also some of the MUST HAVE stamp sets and designer papers. :)

(click on the image to view)

Idea Book & Catalog:

Definitely Decorating:

Thanksgiving in June

My husband and I had a number of Family and friends that we wanted to send "Thank You's" to. After receiving my "Say It With Scallops" stamp set in my Starter Kit, it was the perfect opportunity to get to use it. :) It was fun to experiment and come up with a few ideas that I could use for my first 2 workshops. (You'll have to excuse the tacky pictures... I forgot to take pictures, so while we were delivering them, I took them quickly.) I LOVE this stamp set. :)






First workshop: June 12, 2009 @ 6 PM. Lindi's House, Nevada
Second Workshop: June 23, 2009 @ 6 PM. Tracy Bassett's House, Wyoming

If you are interested in attending any of these workshops, let me know. I would be happy to have you join us! :)

Summer Fun!

ATTENTION HOSTESSES:

Would you love to receive even MORE FREE Stamping and Scrapbooking Supplies?

Dates: June 1-30, 2009

The Summer Fun Hostess Bonus Promotion has two parts:

• Hostesses who hold a $250-$399.99 workshop will receive an additional $20 in hostess free merchandise dollars.
• Hostesses who hold a $400 or more workshop will receive an additional $40 in hostess free merchandise dollars.

Please contact me today to schedule your party. I look forward to hearing from you soon!