Teacher Appreciation Week continued

On each day of Teacher Appreciation Week, in addition to the food treats, we also had a hand-stamped gift for the teachers. By the end of the week they had a whole assortment of office supplies that all color coordinated.

Monday--flower paper clips

Tuesday--note pad and matching pen

Wednesday-- binder clips

Thursday--animal crackers in cute box (no office supplies)

Friday--note cards with matching envelopes

Teacher Appreciation Week

As many of you know, Teacher Appreciation Week was a busy time for the Sendera Ranch PTA! Here are a few of the projects we did for the teachers. We started out on the Friday before handing out "suitcases" with itineraries of each of the activities that would be happening. You can see the Creamy Caramel suitcase with the personalized luggage tag in the open and shut view. Then, the other images that are around it are what was in the pocket. Our theme was travel and we sent the teachers on a journey to Hawaii (smoothies), France (croissants for breakfast), Mexico (luncheon with Mexican food), Africa (safari of animal crackers), and Italy (pizza party). I think the teachers loved each and every day!

Challenges!

Just for fun, during National Scrapbooking Month, I thought I'd try posting some challenges to see if anyone wanted to play along! If you make a card or page, be sure to take a picture and email it to me, so I can see what great work you did. Now, of course, I'd LOVE it if you used only Stampin' Up! supplies, but I understand there are other products out there. :)

Week of May 3: Color Challenge: Use a combination of blue and yellow. This can be any shades of blues (Bashful, Brocade, Ballet, Brilliant, etc...) and yellows (Summer Sun, So Saffron, Barely Banana, etc...). These are my two favorite colors, so I'm sure these cards and pages will be beautiful!

Week of May 10: Design Challenge: Scallops are trendy and IN right now! Use scallops somewhere in your design...punches, dies, squares, circles, borders...whatever works!

Week of May 17: Image Challenge: Butterflies are fun! Plan to play along and stamp or die cut a butterfly to place somewhere on your card or page. Stampin' Up! has lots of butterfly images to choose from.

Week of May 24: Sentiment Challenge (for Cards): This is an easy one! Make a birthday card!!
Photo Challenge (for Pages): Make your focal point with a 5" by 7" photo and add extra photos or embellishments around it. This is one of my favorite scrapbooking techniques.

Have fun playing along!

Holiday Blitz 6" by 6" Scrapbook Pages

Holiday Blitz is such a versatile set! There are images for EVERY occasion in this set. I previously used it to make a variety of cards, now I'm using it for scrapbook pages. These 6" by 6" pages cover all sorts of holidays and would be perfect for a small year long memory book. These pages are adorable by themselves or would work great layered onto larger pages. The class is $20 and will be on Thursday, May 13 at 10 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. Let me know if you need to make more than one set. Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 11.

Happy Bday 2U 6" by 6" Scrapbook Class

Hey Scrapbook Friends! This one's for you! Here are two samples of a 6" by 6" brag book that's all about birthdays! This class will run at the same time as the All About Birthdays card class on May 19--you can do both, if you want! Cost is $20. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can attend. I need to order the kits! These 6" by 6" pages make great brag books for a single event or layer onto a 12" by 12" spread for an easy focal point.

Some of the colors (Brocade Blue and Crushed Curry) in this book are retiring soon so I'm pretty sure this fun kit won't be available in the new catalog. Please let me know if you'd like to attend.

All About Birthdays Samples--Finally!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get these birthday card class samples done. Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I'll begin posting what I've been working on...I think you'll understand why the birthday class took so long to get done!

The All About Birthdays class is on Wednesday, May 19 (morning or evening) and I have to move up the RSVP date to ASAP because I have to order supplies. Some of the cards are done with the Happy Bday 2U Simply Scrappin' kit. I realized that with the major color renovation I wasn't going to be able to use this kit after July, so I thought I better get the class done! The other cards that are part of this class are mini (3 by 3) cards using Bitty Birthday and then there are six fun tags that use Party Hearty and Crazy for Cupcakes. It's a great class to get stocked up on birthday necessities! Cost is $20. Please let me know ASAP if you can attend.

Office Accessories Class--Monday

The fun and trendy office supplies class is Monday, and I still have supplies available for a few more people. Call me or email ASAP if you'd like to attend. It's all this plus extra folders for $30. It would be a great gift or a way to totally redo your desk. I know whenever I get new office supplies it MAKES me want to organize!

Fox and Friends!

It's the last few weeks of the Occasions Mini! Don't miss this fun stamp set with all the cute animals. I got it because Ellen really liked it (yes, my girls stamp with me lots of the time!), but I have really come to love these sweet images too. This set is on page 31 of the mini and is available in wood ($18.95) or clear
$14.95).

Awash with Flowers--New Set! Plus 20% off offer!

Two-Step into Spring Promotion --
email me for a pdf of the Awash with Flowers full set of images

Promotion Dates: April 1-30, 2010
Promotion Details




Hostesses:



Host a $350 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE!




Customers:



Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.




Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary!




Qualifying stamp sets are listed below:




Item Page Description Discount Price
113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $20.76
113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $19.96
111578 101 Flower Fancy $29.56
113258 112 Trendy Trees $14.36

Things to Remember:
The Awash with Flowers stamp set is a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and will not be available again until the release of the new Idea Book & Catalog.

Order deadlines:
Online Ordering: Friday, April 30, 2010; 11:50 PM (MT)

Hostess Promotion:

• You must place your order on a workshop, customer, or demonstrator order to qualify. Online orders are not eligible for this part of the promotion.



• There is a limit of one free Awash with Flowers stamp set per workshop; the reward is for reaching the $350 workshop level, and is not incremental.



• Qualifying hostesses may choose either the wood-mount or clear-mount set. Please note: Clear-mount blocks are not included with the clear-mount set (blocks C and H are recommended this set).

Customer Promotion:

• You may place your order on any order type (customer, demonstrator, workshop, or online).



• There are no limits, and there is no minimum purchase to qualify for the 20 percent off.



• The 20 percent off discount does not apply to the Awash with Flowers stamp set.

Color Renovation!

I have EXCITING news! Stampin' Up! is undergoing a Color Renovation! I'm so excited about the new color palette! It is fresh, vibrant, and fun! All of this will take effect in the new catalog that goes into effect on July 1. Believe me, I can't wait! In the meantime, here's what I know:



5 NEW Core Colors: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, and Marina Mist.



5 NEW In Colors: Blushing Bride, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade

10 RETURNING In Colors: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, and Wild Wasabi

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

Be sure to stock up on any of your favorite color supplies during the next few months. All products (paper, card stock, markers, pastels, inks, etc...) in these retiring colors will be gone at the end of June.

Be sure to see the sidebar post at the top of my blog for a look at the New Color Collections!

Trendy Trees on Sale!

Back in the Fall and then again in late January I had a class where the stamp set Trendy Trees was included in the class fee. So many people loved that class. If you missed the class, but still like the stamp set, now is the time to buy it! Stampin' Up! is offering 4 "spring" stamp sets for 20% off and Trendy Trees is one of them! The sale price of Trendy Trees is $14.36. The card on the right is a sample of Trendy Trees.

These cards were made as a "thank you" to the ladies that attended the January class. That date ended up being an event at the girls' school so everyone came early and stamped fast. As a "thanks" for the hassle, I made them two additional cards. The one on the left uses Season of Friendship...I kept with the tree theme.

The other stamp sets that are on sale are Greenhouse Garden (p. 94) for $20.76; Fifth Avenue Floral (p.98) for $19.96; and Flower Fancy (p. 101) for $29.56.

Happy Easter!

Here are some Easter treats I made for the kids at church to celebrate after they did their puppet performance. I wrapped the small tube containers of M&Ms, put a butterfly on top of a bottle of bubbles and topped a cello bag filled with sidewalk chalk. I put all that in the Fancy Favor Box that had been rolled with Easter eggs. The box went in a larger cello bag and I tied the bags with different colored ribbons. It all looked very cute and festive! I love to do party favors...stay tuned for a later post where I'll show the latest favors I made for a baseball party!

Bailey's Birthday!

Bailey's birthday party was so much fun! Nikki made the cutest cupcake cake and popcorn in Bailey's favorite colors. Of course, we had to make the toppers for the party favors to match. Green Galore and Pink Passion together are so bold and bright for a little girl party! If you'd like party planning made easy, feel free to contact us! Tell us a theme and we'll get to work. Nikki does beautiful cakes and I can make invitations, thank you notes, memory pages, and party favors to coordinate.

A New Craft for the Family?

So, this weekend Laura decided she wanted to learn to crochet. She was all excited and couldn't wait to get to the store to purchase the supplies. I agreed to buy yarn and a hook (needle, stick--honestly, I don't even know what you call the "tools"). I had told her I didn't know how to crochet nor did I want to learn a new craft. She promised that she knew everything there was to know...she had "googled" it. Well, it turns out crocheting was a little harder than it looked on the web. After a huge fit from Laura, Chris agreed to try...he's much better at looking at a diagram and following it than I am. Well, it turns out Chris is a mighty fine crochet-er. Yep, he's surrendered his man card and has crocheted until his hand hurts. Laura's still learning, and I'm still sticking only to stamping and paper crafts! You all know I have a REALLY awesome husband! :)

More Samples of Holiday Blitz

Holiday Blitz is this coming Monday, March 29. Here are two more samples of the cards you will make at the class. There's lots of holidays represented, so this is a great opportunity to stock up on some cards. The cost is $20. Please RSVP as soon as possible. I'll be cutting card stock and getting ready on Sunday afternoon! Hope to see you here!

More Spring Classes--Office Accessories

This is a really fun class of office accessories. You'll modify a file folder into this handy notebook/pen holder plus making matching binder clips and a variety of other office accessories. This makes a great coordinating gift or would look perfect on your own desk! Cost of the class is $30. The date for the class is May 3, but the RSVP date is April 19 because I will need to pre-order the supplies. Let me know soon if you'd like to attend!

Spring Classes

The first photo is the Sweet Pea stitched felt class. It is on April 21, although the RSVP date is April 1. The second photo is the Spring Fun card class. The reason the cards look unfinished is because I intentionally left off any sentiments. You can make these cards be whatever you need! They are actually made with the Eggscellent Eggs Easter egg decorating kit, but instead of using it for eggs, I decided to make them all into Spring cards. The RSVP date for this class is March 24. The final photo is the Holiday Blitz card class. Holiday Blitz paired with Teeny Tiny Wishes makes a large variety of cards--you'll be well stocked for lots of occasions! The date for Holiday Blitz is March 29; the RSVP is March 26. The cost for Holiday Blitz and Spring Fun are $20 each. The Sweet Pea class is $25. All classes are offered during the morning (10 a.m) and during the evening (anytime after 5:00 p.m.). I hope you are able to attend an upcoming class very soon!

Bulletin Board!

Tonight was Open House at the girls' school. What fun! Last week Laura's teacher emailed me to ask if I could come help her put up a bulletin board. Well, this probably won't surprise you, but that used to be one of my VERY FAVORITE parts of teaching!! (I think that's why I like to scrapbook...it's just a smaller bulletin board!) Mrs. Rosales did all the layout and the hard work. I just put up the letters, leaves, vine, and borders. Most of this bulletin board isn't stamped, but of course, I had to work a few stamping elements into it. Check out that vine--it's Stampin' Up! packing material! I also stamped the stationery the kids wrote their summaries on. Laura was so proud that her summary made it on the Standards Based Board. Naturally, Chris and I were very proud of that too!

Bailey's Birthday!

My sweet neighbor is turning 7 soon! Her mom always makes my girls' birthday cakes--delicious and beautiful--so I had to do a good job on her invitations! I used the Simple Birthday Thanks stamp. I "modified" mine...I cut out the center part of the cupcake that has the thank you note form when I mounted it. This allowed me to simply stamp the outline of the cupcake. I did the party info on the computer and printed it on Pretty in Pink card stock, then used the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to get the cupcake base stamped such that all the party info was perfectly centered. (The SAMJ is a "must have" tool. Let me know if you need to learn how to use it...I'll give you a private lesson and you'll be sold!) I stamped the top of the cupcake on Close to Cocoa card stock and cut them out. The cherry on top is the best part--I stamped them in black, colored them in with Real Red and then added Crystal Effects over the top. This photo doesn't do it justice--they are shiny and sparkly in real life!

New Member Dinner at St. Paul

We had the New Member dinner at church last Sunday. I made the place cards for the tables. They match the invitations I made several weeks ago. I also made butterflies to use like confetti around the center pieces on the tables. I die cut hundreds (yes, literally hundreds!) of butterflies with the Beautiful Wings embosslit. The Family Life Center looked so spring-y and festive. It was a great day to celebrate new members of our church family! Laura was excited that her job at the end of the dinner was to pick up all the butterfly confetti pieces...she did a great job...I think she got every last one of them!