Sweet Stamper

Masculine Graduation Card - Stampin' Up! Style

For today's Inspirational Sunday Post, I want to share with you the masculine graduation card I made for my son-in-law last weekend.  I love it when I can make a quick and easy card that looks elegant.  Stampin' Up!'s Mocha Morning Designer Series Paper makes that happen so easily.  

The rich color scheme and pattern on this Designer Paper is befitting of a college graduation.  It's a significant accomplishment under any circumstances.  For Amir, he managed to finish his bachelor's degree while working 2 jobs, parenting 4 kids, being a great husband, and holding leadership positions in our church (Tower City Church).  Now, that's inspiring!

My daughter organized a surprise party for him.   She made a darling banner with the retired Banner Kit (which she got from the Clearance Rack), there were helium balloons to mark the spot for gifts, and we had a table with a lovely spread of savory and sweet snacks for this Saturday afternoon party.  Of course, gifts were accompanied by Stampin' Up! cards:)

The best part of the party was when Amir gathered us all together to offer thanks to God for "taking a junkie off the street and giving him a new life in Christ."  Without the genuine change Jesus made in Amir's life, the graduation, the family relationships, the marriage and children, the leadership he has developed, the peace and joy he experiences daily...none of it would have happened.  Jesus changed (and is still changing!) Amir, from the inside out.  

Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm in this freedom, and don't become slaves again. (Gal 5:1 GW)

Bright Blossoms Stamp Set

For today's Saturday sample, I'm showing my March meeting swap for my Stampin' Up! demonstrator group, the Southern Sweet Stampers, featuring Bright Blossoms stamp set, part of the Summer Smooches sneak peek.

The Summer Smooches sneak peek includes the Bright Blossoms stamp set, Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper, and Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon shown above.  It also includes the darling Petite Purse Die that I showed on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  Scroll down a bit to see that sneak peek item.

Supplies:

Stamps:  Bright Blossoms, Petite Pairs

Ink:  Brights Collection, In Color Collection Stampin' Write Markers

Paper:  Island Indigo, Whisper White Card Stocks; Summer Smooches Desginer Series Paper

Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border Punch, Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon, Island Indigo Baker's Twine, Brights Buttons, SNAIL Adhesive, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Come back here on Monday for another look at the same card shown above with a different color scheme.  It's amazing what a simple color change does to a card.  And tell me which one you prefer!

The Summer Smooches Sneak Peek is a great example of Stampin' Up!'s awesome coordinating products.  They will be available for sale on Sunday, April 1st.  Click here for the flyer to see all the sneak peek products.  Email me to preorder your Summer Smooches items, I'll place the order tomorrow on the 1st, and you can be on your way to some Bright Blossoms and summer smooches:)

Mixed Bunch Scrapbook Pages

During my monthly scrapbooking club in San Antonio, we made these fun scrapbook pages with the Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating Blossom Punch.  We added in the Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit (double-sided printed, die-cut flowers on textured paper and half-back pink rhinestones) for additional design options and had a blast creating a garden of flowers on quick and easy scrapbook pages with lots of variety and creativity.  Each of us had different flowers, some using more pink or razzleberry or yellow or poppy.  

This color scheme never would have occurred to me.  Once again, Stampin' Up! gave me a great color scheme--this time via the Blossom Builders.  Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry, Poppy Parade, and Daffodil Delight make for a beautiful garden with a variety of bright and soft colors, just like a real garden.

I filled my quick and easy scrapbook pages with random photos of my granddaughter Olivia.  This made a nice 12 x 12 layout where I could include lots of photos, capturing the essence of Olivia and her ever-changing facial expressions.

My scrapbook style is what I like to call "real."  The kind where you can put in lots of family photos--because I have a lot of photos I want to scrapbook.  I'm not looking to win a contest with my scrapbook pages--I'm looking to enhance my family photos and tell a story.  The story I'm telling is one of life in my family.  Journaling is my weak point, and as you can see here, I don't require "journaling pieces"--although I often have them and love using them.  If they aren't there, I just go for it with my uneven printing.  When my kids and grandkids look at these pages, it is apparent that Gramma made them.  But it's also apparent that Gramma made them with lots of tender loving care:)

If you would like to scrapbook in San Antonio, email me about joining my monthly scrapbooking club.  We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for scrapbooking fun.  Full information is here.  I have a fun group of ladies, and there is room at the table for you!

More Petite Purse Die

Yesterday I showed you the Petite Purse Die using card stock.  Today I'm showing a version made with the very sophisticated Paisley Prints Designer Series Paper.  I love that paper as it reminds me of art from the Arts & Crafts movement.  It's very classy, so my Petite Purse ends up with a totally different look.

I really can't believe how simple the Petite Purse die is to use!  Simply run through the Big Shot using any paper or card stock.  Voila!  It's ready to fold up and glue into place, handle and all.  It takes a VERY small amount of adhesive, and I like to use the Multipurspose Liquid Glue.  

Look at this side view to see the handle.  I simply flipped my designer paper over to give a different look for the handle, and I love it!  I also added some gold brads--again, just like a real handbag!

Get your Petite Purse Die (exclusive Stampin' Up! die), part of the Summer Smooches Sneak Peek, beginning April 1.  Email me to preorder today, and I will place your order on the 1st.  

We will be making these in my April card making club and scrapbook club in San Antonio.  I'd like YOU to be my guest!  Meetings are Tuesday, April 10th, 6:30 p.m. for card making club and Thursday, April 12th, 10:00 a.m. for scrapbook club.  Email me to let me know which you would like to attend.  All projects are free at my clubs, and as my guest you are under no obligation to place an order.  Full info for my card-making clubs is here.  So come stamp with me!  I can't wait to stamp with you:)

Fun with Petite Purse Die

The Petite Purse Die is part of the Summer Smooches Sneak Peek for the new catalog, and we had a blast making these little purses last night at my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Group Meeting in San Antonio!  I had 1/2 sheets of In Color card stock so everyone could choose the color purse they wanted to make.  I mean, really, when we go to the store, we want to select a handbag in a certain color.  It's the same way with these darling little card stock bags!

I love the fact that it takes just 1/2 sheet of card stock to make one of these little beauties.  The die even makes the little handle.  We added a bit of extra detail via the Scallop Trim Border Punch.  They come together in just minutes and hold quite a lot.  You can put 5 Hershey Nuggets inside or tuck in 8 Hershey Kisses.  Of course, you could tuck in jelly beans or mints or jewelry or movie passes...lots of goodies!

April 1 -30, you, too, can purchase the Petite Purse die through my online store.  Come back tomorrow and I'll show you another version of this little handbag--this time made with Designer Series Paper.  So many possibilities!  I'm feeling a bit like a handbag designer and having lots of fun.  The fact that I can make these for less than $.50 each makes my designing even more fun:)

We will be making these Petite Purses in my card making clubs in April.  Join me as my guest by emailing me here.  Full club info is here, and my new clubs begin in May.  Plan ahead and be ready for monthly crafting fun with new friends!

Don't Forget Sale-a-Bration!

We are in the last week of Sale-a-Bration, so don't forget to take advantage of Stampin' Up!'s most popular promotion of the year.  Here are the details:

1.  Customers earn a free Sale-a-Bration item for every $50 purchased, no limit on free merchandise.  Sale-a-Bration catalog with all free options may be viewed here.  Notice the lack of prices--everything is free!

2.  Place a $150 order and receive 3 Sale-a-Bration rewards plus a darling reusable shopping bag and $25 hostess dollars to spend on anything you like in the catalogs including hostess-only merchandise.

3.  Join my Southern Sweet Stampers team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators for just $125 ($50 savings!) and become a stamping business owner.  Plus receive a FREE pack of Designer Series Paper--regular or digital--every month for the remainder of 2012!  This promotion is ONLY available through March 31st, so if you have been thinking of becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, there is no better time to join.  With a customizable Starter Kit (valued at $310) for just $125, free papers every month AND getting to be on my fun team where you will receive the support you need to achieve the goals you have (small or big--just right for you), this is a great time to jump into owning your own business.  Complete information is here.  Call me at 210-355-5729 with any questions or just to chat.  Or email me.  I can't wait to have you join my team!

Send Me Soaring - Masculine Card

 For today's Saturday Sample, Send Me Soaring is out-of-the box different AND making a great masculine card!  I never would have thought to use the kites like this, but I think they make a great pattern that begs to be reproduced!  This is a card I received from one of my swap buddies, Bobbie Ganley, and I love the bold geometric shapes and color scheme.  Kites are really just diamond shapes, so the sky is the limit (no pun intended:) on those design options.  Don't you also love the new In Colors in this card:  Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade.  Again, great design options for a masculine card.

Remember that Sale-a-Bration ends on March 31st.  Sale-a-Bration is the once-a-year opportunity to earn free Stampin' Up! stamps and supplies with every $50 you purchase.  So if you are wanting something from the Occasions Mini Catalog like the Send Me Soaring stamp set or some of the amazing stamps and supplies from the main Idea Book & Catalog, now is the time to order so you get free stuff while you are ordering.  The Sale-a-Bration catalog is here, and you will notice there are no prices.  That's because every single thing in the catalog is a free option!  Woo-hoo!  Click here to order.

As part of my Saturday Sample, I list supplies used in the featured card.  Here they are:

Stamps:  Send Me Soaring, On Your Birthday

Ink:  Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad; Island Indigo, Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers

Paper:  Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Basic Black Card Stocks

Accessories:  Decorative Label and Circle Punches, Stamp-a-ma-Jig, Basic Black 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Order this stamp set today, make masculine cards as well as feminine cards for any age, and watch your friends and family talk about how you "Send Me Soaring" with your amazing creativity:) 

Gnome Sweet Gnome!

This is another great Gnome Sweet Gnome card from one of my swapping buddies, Dorrie.  Aren't the punch art mushrooms super cute?! With a chef son, I'm thinking of what I can do with those mushrooms for something by way of a kitchen-inspired card for him!  But, back to Gnome Sweet Gnome.  I love this stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I knew when I saw it that it was a must-have for me.  When my kids were young we lived in England, and there was a darling after-school TV series called David the Gnome.  Evidently, it was on here in the States as well on Nickleodeon.  My kids all loved that show, so this rubber stamp set will connect with them all!  To read more about David the Gnome, click here!

My upcoming Gnomes class is going to be so much fun, and I would love for you to join us, by mail or in my Studio.  You get your own Gnome Sweet Gnome stamp set to take home with you so you can have even more fun after class is over.  My Gnomes class is Friday, April 13th, but registration closes on April 5th (I have to order stamp sets for each student!).  Click here for full info and to sign up today.  I can't wait to stamp with you!

 

Packed for Birthday

This handmade card featuring Packed for Birthday (single stamp, Occasions Mini Catalog) was inspired by a similar card I saw on one of the many display boards at the Stampin' Up! Regional Conference here in San Antonio in January.  For us here in San Antonio, this is a perfect rubber stamp for birthdays with the pinata added into other birthday images.  Pinatas are featured at LOTS fo our birthday parties!

My stamp clubs will make this at our April meeting as one of two handmade card projects.  There will also be a 3D project--the sneak peek Big Shot die called Petite Purse will be used for mini purses for us all:)  I'm so excited!  Okay...back to Packed for Birthday.  This super-versatile stamp can be used for masculine cards or feminine ones and for any age.  Now, that's versatility!  Couple that with the extremely affordable price of $9.95 and you have a must-have rubber stamp!  

My stamp club members make 3 projects absolutely free each month!  To learn more about my clubs, click here.  New clubs begin in May, so hurry to sign up.  Simply email me to let me know which level you would like to be in my clubs, and let the stamping...and fun begin!

Stamp Clubs-San Antonio

I have unveiled my newly renovated stamp clubs and can't wait for you to join us here in San Antonio!  Every month we make 2 cards and one 3D rubber stamping project for FREE while having a great time with one another.  The card above featuring the Sale-a-Bration products Elementary Elegance stamp set and Everyday Enchantment Designer Papers is one of the March stamp club cards.  Now I am offering MORE meeting times, MORE rewards, and MORE fun than ever!  Here are some of the many benefits of my stamp clubs:

• Try out multiple stamp sets
• Try out new products and techniques
• Big Shot training--we use the Big Shot at every meeting
• Build your supply stash a little at a time
• Two levels of membership--choose the best one for you
• Stampin' Up! Hostess Benefits
• Free class instructions
• Hostess gifts
• Meet new friends
• Monthly FREE girls night (or day!) out

For full info, download my Sweet Stamper Club info here.  Then let me know which level of my stamp club you would like to join, and let's stamp!  

Gnome Sweet Gnome!

I'm so excited about my April Class featuring the Gnome Sweet Gnome stamp set!  We are going to have great fun creating gnome projects that are sure to delight:)  If you are here in San Antonio, come to my studio class.  Whether you live in San Antonio and can't make it to class on the 13th or live too far to come to my Studio, take my Class by Mail.  And if you just want to go for it on your own or conduct your own class, grab the Instructions only option.  Here are the details:

• Hands-on instruction during class
• Written instructions for home use
• 2 deluxe cards with envelopes-extra large size!
• 2 different boxes/favors
• 2 jumbo tags
• Bonus:  a new technique!
• Friday, April 13th, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m 
• $40 includes all supplies, including the Gnome Sweet Gnome (click on the stamp set name to see the entire set) stamp set (clear mount)*If you already have the Gnome stamp set, you may substitute any other stamp set valued at $21.95 or less.  Simply email me with your stamp set choice.
• Class Kit by Mail option-includes stamp set and all pre-cut consumable items like punched pieces, Big Shot elements, ribbons, etc.
• Instructions only option
• rsvp with payment by 4/5/12
• Checks, credit cards, and cash accepted

Gnomes Class

In Studio Class $40.75 USD Class by Mail $45.75 USD Instructions only $4.95 USD

Please bring your own basic adhesives such as SNAIL and Anywhere Glue Stick as well as your own Clear Blocks for your stamps.  All other adhesives and supplies are provided.

This class promises to be lots of fun with the Occasions Mini Catalog's Gnome Sweet Gnome as the star:)  I can't wait to stamp with you!

Tea Shoppe Stamp Set--Neatly Stacked!

These Tea Shoppe stamp set cups are neatly stacked, ready to take out of your cupboard for morning tea!  Personally, I'm a big tea drinker and enjoy tea in all its forms:  white teas, green teas, black teas, herbal teas, rooibos teas, and more!  When I first started drinking tea in the 70s as a teenager, Lapsang Souchong was pretty daring.  I am thrilled that now there are hundreds of teas readily available both locally here in San Antonio and online.  A cup of tea makes most anything better, and it's a fantastic drink whether you need to wind down or get revved up.

Some of my current favorites are from Mighty Leaf Tea, and I usually buy online as I prefer loose teas which are not as available as tea bags in most grocery stores--although my San Antonio HEBs do carry many of the Mighty Leaf teas.  I like Green Tea Tropical in the morning, White Orchard anytime, and Organic African Nectar (rooibos) in the evening as a fantastic black tea alternative--caffeine free!  I began my tea-drinking life as a die-hard black tea drinker and remained that way for over 20 years.  Alas, I began discovering whites, greens, rooibos and beyond and I scarcely have room in my day anymore for black teas:)

Celebrate the wonders of tea drinking with the very versatile Tea Shoppe stamp set (125545 wood mount, 125547 clear mount) .  You can go with a simple design in deep, warm colors as shown above, or go all girly or go vintage.  You can even make masculine cards for the tea-drinking man in your life!  After all, tea is the drink of kings all over the world, both past and present.  It is NOT a girly drink! 

Tea Shoppe stamp set and all Occasions Mini Catalog products are only available through April 30th, so hurry over to my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net to get yours now.  Then let the creativity, and the tea drinking, begin!

 

Kindness Matters

The lovely Kindness Matters (love that name!) stamp set is one of many free offerings during Sale-a-Bration, which ends on March 31st.  You don't want to miss this once a year Stampin' Up! promotion whereby anyone receives a free item--stamp sets, designer papers, digital content, Big Shot embossing folders, buttons, brads, ribbons, vinyl art--for every $50 they spend.  There are so many choices!  Although Kindness Matters is in our big Idea Book & Catalog for $11.95 wood mount or $9.95 clear mount (page 121), you can get it free during Sale-a-Bration!  I love that kind of value:)

My color scheme here of Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, and So Saffron is perfect for spring.  Jump into spring yourself with free products from the latest and best in paper crafting, Stampin' Up!  You can download the Sale-a-Bration catalog here so you can see all your free product options.  Then hop over to my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net.  Time is running out, so hurry!  As always, I'm here for you so contact me at 210-355-5729 with any questions and I'll give you some Sweet Stamper customer service!

Easter Card-Fifth Avenue Floral

This simple Easter card features Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set with its lovely lily image that is perfect for this time of year.  With a Brights Collection color scheme of Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight, it's a quick and easy Easter card with just enough softness, just enough sparkle, just enough pretty to delight any age.

Do you have some older relatives that don't live nearby?  Making and sending handmade cards wishing them a Happy Easter is a lovely way to stay connected.  As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, it's a great opportunity to reach out and spread the hope and love that are inherent in Easter.  And we can spread that hope and love far beyond where we live through mail!

My husband is pastor of Tower City Church in San Antonio and is preaching a series of sermons leading up to Easter on "Comeback Power."  Resurrection gives us the power to become what God intends.  When Jesus died, taking the sin of all the world, He was separated from His Father God as well as all those that He died for.  And death in the Bible is truly a separation, not a cessation.  But when Jesus was raised from the dead, resurrected, He became all that God intended for Him to become.  You can hear the entire series by going to towercitychurch.com and clicking on Sermons.  Receive some fresh insight on what Easter is all about!

 

Saturday Sample - Punch Art

For today's Saturday Sample, I wanted to show you a Clean and Simple punch art card designed by one of my team members.  Marissa Celestino likes to make stacks of cards like this to use up her scraps...as well as delight people with birthdays!  I think it is just fabulous:)  Talk about a quick and easy card!

This was Marissa's swap card at our February meeting of the Southern Sweet Stampers, my team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  Not only is her Clean and Simple swap a great sample, it makes a great Make & Take.  It's easy on supplies, easy on time and necessary skills, and very easy on the eye:)  Here are the supplies:

Stamps:  Fabulous Phrases

Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pads

Paper:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie Card Stocks; Brights Collection Designer Series Paper Stack

Accessories:  Big Shot Die Cutting Machine, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Bird Builder and Modern Label Punches, Stamping Sponges, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Purchase any of these supplies and more at my 24/7 online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net.  Don't forget that through March 31st, we are in Sale-a-Bration which means you earn something FREE for every $50 you spend, no limit on free merchandise.  Click here to see the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  Notice there are no prices.  That's because everything in the catalog is free!  Once you make your selections in my online store, simply add the item numbers from Sale-a-Bration to your order.  Shop now and enjoy FREE merchandise:)  Call me at 210-355-5729 with any questions.

San Antonio Scrapbook Store

If you live in San Antonio, you know that ALL our local scrapbook stores have closed their doors; my online store can be your new San Antonio scrapbook store!  Sale-a-Bration is almost over (March 31), so if you haven't yet received all the FREE Stampin' Up! products you want, step up and get them now.  With 17 FREE item selections to choose from, there is something for everyone.  And if you're like me, you want quite a few of them.  I love ALL the Sale-a-Bration stamp sets this year, and the paper and ribbons/brads are gorgeous.  You can even get card stock and Big Shot Embossing Folders as free items!  During Sale-a-Bration, you get something free for every $50 you spend, no limit on free products.  The designer papers on the Easter scrapbook page above is one of the Sale-a-Bration free selections.

Want to see all the Stampin' Up! card stock colors in person?  Want to see all our gorgeous designer papers in person?  Just call me at 210-355-5729 or email me by clicking the Email Candy button to your left.  We will arrange a convenient time for you to come by my Studio and check them out.  One of my scrapbooking customers came by recently and did just that.  I loaded her up on card stock samples, and she even brought along some of the photos she is wanting to create scrapbook pages for, and matched them up to my Stampin' Up! papers.  It's easy, it's local, and I provide great customer service!

You can shop in my online store anytime:  candystamps.stampinup.net.  It's easy shopping with no lines or traffic, and you can shop when it is convenient for you--day or night.  Since ALL the San Antonio scrapbook stores have closed, hop on over to my online store for all your scrapbook supplies.  You will find fantastic card stocks, designer papers, punches, dies, and more.  Consider it your NEW San Antonio scrapbook store...with home delivery!

Last Call-March Techniques Class

Today is the last call for this month's Techniques Class in San Antonio!  Class is this Thursday, March 15th at 6:30 p.m. and there are 3 more spots left.  Click here to see all 3 designs we will be creating.  Then hurry and register now! 

• Learn two cool new techniques:  Faux Mother of Pearl and Weathered Woodgrain!
• Gorgeous images using The Open Sea and Nature's Nest stamp sets
• Hands-on instruction during class
• Written instructions for home use
• 6 deluxe cards with envelopes, 2 each of 3 designs
• Thursday, March 15th
• 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m 
• $25 includes all supplies*
• rsvp with payment by 3/12/12
• Checks, credit cards, and cash accepted 

Easter Scrapbook Pages

For today's inspirational Sunday post, here are the Easter scrapbook pages we made in my scrapbook club in San Antonio this month.  I love the way Stampin' Up!s Sale-a-Bration (free through March 31st) Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper makes gorgeous Easter Eggs and brings us a soft color palette for Easter scrapbooking!  This 2 page layout comes together quickly and easily.  I love doing titles with Lovely Letters stamp set, each letter punched out.  They make elegant titles, and in this Easter layout, I like that touch of elegance that keys off the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper.  (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post to see the pages side by side in full two page layout mode.)

The cross made using the Lattice Die is another elegant touch that also clearly depicts the whole reason for celebrating Easter.  Without the cross and resurrection, there is no Easter!   This is, in fact, a Christian holiday.  And I love the fact that we can take something natural like an egg and help our little ones understand new life from a young age.  Easter Eggs clearly show new life and transformation, and this is what redemption is all about.

Notice the little Very Vanilla Scallop Rectangle on the left page.  It's the Scallop Rectangle Clearlit, and I think these little pieces (2 x 2-1/4) make terrific journaling pieces, perfect for short comments, names and dates, etc. 

My scrapbook club in San Antonio meets once each month, and we make a 2 page layout plus a 3D item at each meeting.  For complete information, click here.  Once you are there, scroll down a bit to see the info on scrapbook club.  If you would like to join us, simply call me at 210-355-5729 or email me by clicking on the Email Candy button to your left.  There is room for you at my table!

One Layer Easter Card

This darling one layer Easter card was designed by my daughter Tiffany as an invite to a little egg hunt she is hosting for some friends and family, and I think it makes a great Saturday Sample.  She wanted something fairly simple and unfussy as she had to make quite a few invitations, so she came up with this and got them all made in about an hour.  The fact that some of the supplies used in this one layer Easter card are Sale-a-Bration items (meaning they are FREE!) is the icing on the cake!

This will be her daughter's first egg hunt (Olivia is almost 2), and Tiffany wanted to invite Olivia's young cousins, other family members, young moms, and family friends for an egg hunt on Easter afternoon.  (Here in San Antonio, the weather should be perfect!)  So the invitations have gone out, and plans are underway.  It will be a simple affair with the focus on the kids and celebrating a tradition that is worth keeping!  Of course, the invitations are handmade cards which is just the beginning of little handmade touches and treats that will make this celebration even more special:)  After all, we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the gathering together of family and friends.  A special occasion deserves the special enhancements of handmade, heartfelt decorations and treats.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Elementary Elegance (Sale-a-Bration), Sincere Salutations

Ink:  Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral, Baja Breeze

Paper:  Whisper White, Lucky Limeade Card Stocks; Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper

Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Border, Cupcake, and Wide Oval Punches, Sponge Daubers, SNAIL Adhesive

To purchase any of these supplies and more, go to my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net.  Remember that we are still in the Sale-a-Bration promotion where you get something FREE for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products.  Make your own one layer Easter cards plus other goodies for your special handmade, heartfelt Easter celebrations.  

Simple Tea Shoppe

This quick and easy card featuring the Occasions Mini Catalog Tea Shoppe stamp set is quick to make, easy to finish, and fun to send AND receive!  Its color scheme is derived from the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper--the stripey pattern--and is just lovely:)

This quick and easy card is also easy on supplies.  With just one stamp set (Tea Shoppe), a few punches, two markers, a little card stock, a few pearls, and one embossing folder, it's a great card for beginners.  But even us veteran card makers love quick cards!  They give us almost-instant gratification while still being very creative and having fun:)  And you can make a stack of cards like this in less than an hour and be ready to send out handmade, heartfelt cards to your loved ones.

Remember that Tea Shoppe stamp set and all other Occasions Mini Catalog items are only available thru April 30th.  And if you order items now through March 31st, you get FREE Sale-a-Bration rewards for every $50 you spend.  Maximize your supplies and your savings by ordering now.  Contact me today by clicking the Email Candy button on your left or calling me at 210-355-5729 with any questions and/or to place your order for you.

Stamp Clubs-San Antonio

I have unveiled my newly renovated stamp clubs and can't wait for you to join us here in San Antonio!  Every month we make 2 cards and one 3D project for FREE while having a great time with one another.  And now I am offering MORE meeting times, MORE rewards, and MORE fun than ever!  Here are some of the many benefits of my stamp clubs:

• Try out multiple stamp sets
• Try out new products and techniques
• Big Shot training--we use the Big Shot at every meeting
• Build your supply stash a little at a time
• Two levels of membership--choose the best one for you
• Stampin' Up! Hostess Benefits
• Free class instructions
• Hostess gifts
• Meet new friends
• Monthly FREE girls night (or day!) out

The photo above shows our February stamp club projects featuring:

1. Outlined Occasions stamp set (Sale-a-Bration)
2. Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (Sale-a-Bration)
3. Everyday Enchantment Ribbons and Brads (Sale-a-Bration)
4. Mixed Bunch stamp set
5. Blossom Punch
6. Loving Thoughts stamp set
7. I (Love) Love wheel
8. Assorted colors, Big Shot dies, ribbons, other embellishments

Complete information is here.  So choose your level of membership and let's stamp!  Call me at 210-355-5729 or email me by clicking on the Email Candy button to your left to reserve your spot today.

National Craft Month

March is National Craft Month, and I would love to help you celebrate!  There are Stampin' Up! products galore in my 24/7 online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net with supplies that run the gamut from Card Making to Scrapbooking to Home Decor to Digital Designing.  And right now through March 31st, you get a free item with every $50 you spend.  That is called Sale-a-Bration, and it's a fantastic Stampin' Up! promotion that will help you celebrate National Craft Month with style AND savings.

There is something for everyone, for novices and veterans.  And if you would like something hands-on, I'm booking workshops for late March-June.  For more information on my Sweet Stamper workshops, click here.  They are fun crafting parties, and you will love them!

And I have a Techniques Class this month as well.  Check out all the photos and details here.  But whichever way you choose to celebrate, let's do celebrate National Craft Month!  Crafting is a great stress-reliever, it's affordable, it's therapeutic, and it has no calories!  You can craft at any age and enjoy the creative process of making your own projects.  Plan now to make something soon and enjoy the many rewards:)

Fresh Vintage

This fantastic handmade card featuring the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Fresh Vintage was made by one of my team members, Sarah.  She is a brand new Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and I just love this card she created.  It was her "swap" at our monthly Southern Sweet Stampers team meeting here in San Antonio.  A swap is a fun exchange of creative ideas whereby you make, say, 12 of the above cards and then swap with 12 other people for the 12 cards they made.  You go home with 12 different handmade cards with different styles and stamp sets resulting in lots of samples to show and ideas to use in your own card creations.

Sarah's card is a great example of the beautiful coordinating products that Stampin' Up! makes, the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper and the Fresh Vintage stamp set.  This quick and easy card is lovely and sophisticated, and the coordinating products are what make that happen with ease.  Some quick stamping, a little sponging, and a little punch detail, and voila!  A beautiful handmade card to make someone's day!

Sale-a-Bration runs through March 31st, so hop over to my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net and do some shopping today.  It's quick and easy, plus you get free products, like the Fresh Vintage stamp set and Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper shown above for EVERY $50 you spend.  Get more for your money during Sale-a-Bration, but hurry before it's too late!

Clear Blocks-Look What They Can Do!

Stampin' Up!'s Clear Blocks are a wonderful stamping tool!  Let me highlight this fantastic product for you!  Not only are they a cool, space-saving way to rubberstam p, but you can use them to combine images thus making your own custom stamps. Here, I have taken two images from the Tiny Tags stamp set and combined them to form a single stamp.  Is that cool, or what?!  It saves me time and allows me to make my own stamp formations.

This particular combination of stamped images was used for this little 3D stamp club project using the Big Shot Matchbox Die (114890).  By combining the two Tiny Tags stamp set (118592) images on one clear block, I can simply ink my stamp, press, and go.

Tip:  if you have trouble getting your clear-mount stamps to cling to your clear blocks (this normally happens in a very dry environment such as when we run central heating), simply attach a Mini Glue Dot (or two for large blocks) to your clear block.  Your stamps will cling every time.  Once all the sticky is used up on your dot, simply remove with Goo Gone or similar product and put a fresh one in its place.  If your Mini Glue Dot is too sticky, swipe it with your Embossing Buddy to remove excess stickiness.  

To make beautiful projects like this absolutely free each month, join my San Antonio stamp clubs.  They are affordable, fun, and a great way to learn to stamp and/or improve your skills.  We make 3 projects each month, absolutely free!  Join today by calling me at 210-355-5729 or clicking the Email Candy button to your left.  I'll reserve a spot just for you.  I can't wait to stamp with you!

Can stamps be patriotic?

They sure can, and so can stampers!  My Southern Sweet Stampers group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators did a service project at our monthly meeting here in San Antonio.  We "adopted" a unit of sailors and made "seaworthy Easter baskets" for each of them.  The baskets were the brainchild of Jamie Sanchez.  She created a simple, darling bag of Easter treats to send to sailors a very long way from home this Easter.  

We had to get them ready early as they will be flown to the ship, and that takes a bit of doing, to bring Easter blessings to our unit of sailors.  The Southern Sweet Stampers were so blessed to be able to bless others!  This is just a small way we can give back to those who are far from home, risking their lives, to ensure our safety and freedom.

Our military services do so much for us, and I love it when we can do something for them.  Thoughtful cards and gifts may not seem like much, but to those who are far from home, they are a real boost to their morale and a tangible expression of gratefulness and thanks.  

Thanks, Jamie, for a great project as well as helping us get our basket of Easter blessings, full of gratefulness and prayers, all the way to the Pacific Ocean!  And thanks to my Stampin' Up! team of demonstrators for all their work in donating time and money to ship some Easter blessings to our military!  What a team!

Supplies:  

Stamps:  Delightful Dozen

Ink:  Lucky Limeade Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Lucky Limeade, So Saffron Card Stocks; Everyday Enchantment DSP

Accessories:  Large Oval and Scallop Edge Punches, Medium Cello Bags, Anywhere Glue Sticks, Staples

Mouthwatering Stamp Set

I can't think of a better name for the Mouthwatering stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog!  With images of a popsicle, watermelon slice, cherries, and an ice cream cone, your mouth will be watering as you create wonderful, handmade cards!

This handmade card was made by my swapping buddy Gail Beezley and is perfect for today's Saturday Sample.  It's a great example of the way Stampin' Up! creates "product suites", no pun intended:), with products that coordinate with one another and make us look like real pros when we use them.  With designer series papers, designer stickers, stamp sets, brads, and even scented embossing powders that coordinate plus luscious colors in the Sweet Shop Product Suite, your projects will stand out with their sophistication and style.  Make projects that look handmade rather than homemade with Stampin' Up products, available in my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net. 

Supplies (Occasions Mini Products denoted with *):

Stamps:  *Mouthwatering stamp set, *Sweet Cake stamp set

Ink:  In Color Stampin' Write Markers; Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pads; VersaMark Marker

Paper:  Pool Party, Lucky LImeade, Calypso Coral, Whisper White Card Stocks; *Sweet Shop DSP

Accessories:  Big Shot Die Cutting Machine, *Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Embossing Buddy, *Melon Scented Embossig Powder, Heat Tool, Modern Label Punch, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sale-a-Bration

We are in the last 4 weeks of Sale-a-Bration, and I don't want you to miss out on the many free items you can earn during this favorite promotion.  The card below is one I'll be sharing in my March Sweet Stamper workshops and is made with Sale-a-Bration (FREE!) products.

The gorgeous Designer Series Paper (double-sided printed paper) is the Everyday Enchantment DSP that you get free with a $50 order of Stampin' Up! product.  There are 12 sheets of coordinating 12 x 12 paper, all double sided, for a total of 12 designs!  So many creative options:)  The stamp set I used here is the beautiful, vintagey Elementary Elegance stamp set, another of the 17 free options available with a $50 order of Stampin' Up! products.  You get to choose which free items you want.  You can see why Sale-a-Bration is so popular!

There is no limit on the number of free products you can receive, so hop on over to my online store:  candystamps.stampinup.net and start shopping.  Remember that if your order is $150 or more, you also earn hostess benefits ($25+) which you can use on any items in the big catalog and/or the mini catalog.  So do a bunch of shopping and/or get a few friends to order at the same time, and you will have so much free stuff coming your way it will feel like Christmas!  As always, email me by clicking the Email Candy button on your left or call me at 210-355-5729 with any questions.  I love being your Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  

Sweet Stamper Workshops

What is a Sweet Stamper Workshop?  It's a fun, free gathering of your family and/or friends where I show everyone how to stamp!  It's part workshop because everyone learns to make something.  And it's part party because everyone has such a great time!  At my Sweet Stamper workshops, you and your guests make a project(s) to take home, learn a bit about the wonderful creative art of rubberstamping, and then do some shopping.  YOU earn free products by simply being the hostess!  

Here are some particulars:

• Host at your place or mine.  Don't have the space to host a gathering at your place?  My Studio is available for your Sweet Stamper Workshop.  Meet at my place and you don't even have to clean house!
• Traditional Workshop option:  

1. Session of 1-1/2 to 2 hours, packed full of creative fun.  
2. Guests make 2 projects to take home.
3. I show loads of samples to spark ideas and allow you to see the MANY possibilities of projects to enhance your upcoming celebrations and occasions.
4. Fantastic doorprizes for you and your guests.
5. Extra prize for you when your guests book their own Sweet Stamper workshops.
6. Have a leisurely time of Q & A as well as shopping.
7. Earn fabulous free products based on sales.

• Express Workshop option:

1. Session of 1 hour packed full of quick, creative fun.
2. Guests make 1 project to take home.
3. I show samples to spark ideas and allow you to see some of the MANY possibilities of projectsto enhance your upcoming celebrations and occasions.
4. Fantastic doorprizes for you and your guests.
5. Extra prize for you when your guests book their own Sweet Stamper workshops.
6. Have a quick time of Q & A as well as some express shopping.
7. Earn fabulous free products based on sales.
8. Have time afterward for fellowship, Bunco, watching movies, etc.  

My Sweet Stamper workshops (aka Stampin' Up! workshops since I am a Stampin' Up! demonstrator using all Stampin' Up! products) are popular, fun parties where YOU are the hostess, I am the entertainment, and ALL have a great time.  I give you all the invites you need (online and/or paper) to invite your guests, a free Stampin' Up! catalog(s), and I will be in touch with you as time draws near for our stamping get-together.  

Contact me by clicking on the "Email Candy" button on your left or call me at 210-355-5729.  I still have a few dates available for March and am booking into May.  Remember that Sale-a-Bration runs through the end of March whereby you and your guests can ALL earn free products.  So, hurry!  I can't wait to stamp with you and your friends!