I ❤ Stampin' Up!

              

I know, stating the obvious. But seriously, I do love Stampin' Up! 

Why? Well...

I am addicted to paper (and sugar, but Stampin' Up! has little to do with sugar), all kinds of paper. Salesman's receipt books were like magic slates to me when I was little and my daddy was a sales manager ~  an intriguing size, lined, perforated AND carbon paper! 

Paper used to be everywhere: wallpapered rooms, paperback books, Sunday comics, drawing paper, paper bags, magazines, wrapping paper ~ ooh, the stationery and school supply aisles in Rose's Five & Ten.

So really, is it any wonder that I have to have all the Designer Series Paper that Stampin' Up! creates? Am I a hoarder, no, but sometimes I am a little apprehensive about cutting into that last precious piece of my favorite paper.  I do think Stampin' Up! has wonderful designs and the quality cannot be beat.

Truthfully, I can open the catalog to almost any page, point to any item pictured there and say  'that's why I love Stampin' Up!'.  Especially if I open to the pages with Die Cuts and Embossing Folders!

I  ❤  Stampin' Up!  Demonstrators ~ some of my new best friends are fellow demonstrators.  I have met them online, in meetings, at corporate conferences,  at dinners, in lines at the ladies rooms. My demonstrator friends and acquaintances are generous and genuine and I consider myself fortunate to associate with them and to learn from them. And not to be sacrilegious, but whenever two or more are gathered, there is guaranteed fun. 

I ❤ Stampin' Up! because somewhere inside of me there is a teacher that did not major in education (even though I attended Virginia's best known school for such a degree), but loves to teach outside of the classroom. 

I love sharing my love for paper crafting.  My classes take place anywhere there is a table or two ~ in my dining room, your dining room, church social hall, library, museum. I get as excited as my stamper does when she's astonished with what she's created. 

Some of my other new best friends are my stampin' friends. 

 

I ❤ Stampin' Up! because as a demonstrator, the company gives me a discount ($) for shopping with them! Who doesn't like a discount? I joined eight years ago for the discount and have stayed because of the community of my Nite Owls team of demonstrators, my demonstrator friends and colleagues, the company staff and my Stampin' Friends in my classes.

 

I whole heartedly invite you to consider joining me and Stampin' Up! Scroll back to the top of the post and select Join the Fun for more details.  Then contact me and we can chat about it. 

I ❤ Stampin' Up!

 Mini or Mighty?

Just about eight years ago I hosted a Stampin' Up! party in my home. We were probably six gals gathered around the dining room table experimenting with stamps and ink , making cards. 

AND THEN...

the Demonstrator brought out her Big Shot. I don't really remember whether it was the magic of the Big Shot or the framelits that cut out miniature paper dresses, but I was SOLD! I had to have that machine; I was going to have that machine.  

I joined Stampin' Up! and purchased the Big Shot and the All Dressed Up Framelit Dies.

Well, one dress, one card was not nearly enough for me. I was back in my childhood of the '60s playing paper dolls. Every month McCall's magazine published a Betsy McCall paper doll with an ensemble or two for the season or the holiday: Betsy McCall has a Merry Christmas, Betsy McCall goes to the ballet, Betsy McCall visits the White House ...

 

Although I was pretty adept with craft supplies, Mama would help me; she did have an excellent idea for cutting around the dresses, mounting them onto index cards or old file folders, and then trimming them out. They were much sturdier that way and the tabs would would not tear. (Mama used rubber cement as her glue of choice ~ ahhh, I can still smell it, can you? )

So, although 50 some years have ensued, it just was not a far leap from Betsy McCall to this:

Designer Series Paper, ribbon, pearls, buttons, washi tape, all after die cutting those dresses. 

I have seriously told my stampin' friends that the best value in the catalog is the Big Shot, hands down. I kept and used my first machine until Stampin' Up! released their new Stampin' Cut and Emboss Machine last year (that first Big Shot still lives on in the craft room of one of those friends).

AND THEN ...

the Mini was born, just a few months ago.  

Do I have both? Yes.

Why? I have a lot of Stampin' Up! tools and supplies, so much that I need a little more room than I currently have in my craft space. I have wonderful storage in my kitchen craft space but I still need to spread out sometimes - out to that dining room table. The Mini is the perfect fit to sit on the table at my right hand - I can reach over and die cut smaller dies rather than getting up from the table, going back into the kitchen crafty space and cranking the Mighty Stampin' Cut and Emboss Machine. 

Lazy? I refuse to answer that question. I prefer to think of it in terms of convenience and efficiency.  Sometimes it is easier to cut out a few small dies on a smaller plate. This is all personal preference, but I will say that I am not the only Demonstrator finding it easy to use right on the craft table or dining room table or ... 

I die cut these detailed butterflies from a 3 x 6 inch strip of Designer Series Paper; I was able cut two and three detailed dies at once with the Mini and they cut perfectly (I did not get up from my chair at the table). It is a dream! 

However,  

this picture from Stampin' Up! shows the standard sized Stampin' Cut and Emboss Machine poised to die cut six butterflies from the Butterfly Bijou Designer Series Paper using the one large outline die from the Brilliant Wings die set. The Mini cannot take that size of a die as a whole. IF you snip the large die into six individual dies, one for each butterfly, then you can die cut the butterflies one at a time, BUT you will likely lose some important real estate on that paper. 

With that being said, the Butterfly Bijou Designer Series Paper will not be around for ever, but you can continue to cut from other papers and from the stamped images using the Mini.

If you notice in the catalogs, die sets that can be accommodated by the Mini are so indicated; as are embossing folders designed for use with the Mini. 

So, what'll it be? Mini, Mighty, or both?

Whenver you are ready to make a purchase, you can do so from right here - hit Shop Now and look around. I am happy to order for you and to offer any suggestions, answer any questions. 

Since I have named my machines Mini and Mighty, I can frequently be heard singing  "Mighty Mouse to save the day!" 

Let's stamp!

  

 Deaming in Green

I am still dreaming about my next trip to Ireland, some day in the future. I can't help it, I have had only wonderful experiences there and I can drink in that countryside all day - and the towns and cities, too, for that matter.

Twice my husband Dave and I have sailed into the port of Cobh, once named Queenstown in honor of a visit from the British Monarch Queen Victoria. And to greet us, the towering spire of Saint Colman's Cathedral. The woodwork, the tile, the stained glass windows, the pipe organ (undergoing restoration)  ~ magnificent. Construction was begun in 1868 and completed in '79 and it was concecrated in 1919.

It is fitting I think for a catherdral in a harbor to include a depiction of Jesus calming the waters.  When I visit I always lift up a prayer beneath that window for my oceanic ventures. I am sure my prayers have not been the only ones as Queenstown/Cobh was the last port of call for the HMS Titanic on her maiden voyage April 11, 1912. Titanic boarded 123 passengers in Cobh; 79 perished. 

  

Commemorating  HMS Titanic ... In special memory of the Irish emigrants and all those who lost their lives in this great tragedy.   

The Queenstown Heritage Center located at the cruise piers/train station tells the Titanic story, along with the stories of thousands of emmigrants leaving the Irish shores for the US shores and Ellis Island. Although questioned by historians, the story is told of a young Annie Moore traveling with her two brothers as the first emmigrants to leave Queenstown, arriving in New York on January 1, 1892.  A happy ending ...

May your days be blessed with happiness and safe adventures.

This little card was reworked a couple of times for you ~ it requires a wee bit of math and there was a fiesty little leprechaun stealing me hearts and playing with me stamp. 

I used a surprising combination of Pear Pizazz and Granny Apple Green colors and designs from the 6 x 6 Designer Series Paper Assortments. It takes only a bit of paper, scraps almost, to create the windmill. 

I cut 2 Pear Pizazz squares  2 7/8; 2 Whisper White squares at 2 3/4.

Layer a white on a green, twice,  and place one new square diagonally on top of the other.

Choose 2 coordinating designs of DSP and cut a 2 5/8 sqaure from each.

Cut each 2 5/8 square into fourths for 8 8 squares.

Start at top point and adhere one square, on teh diagonal, guiding it into the corner  ~

glue down only the right side.

Alternate the 7 remaining squares  - the last will slide half way under 

your first placed square.

I created the shamrocks by punching the reverse side of one of the DSP patterns 

with a heart punch (retired ~ use any die or framelit that will fit, or draw and cut).

Lucky golden gems sparkle from the middle of the shamrocks. 

I think there is still one other rework in the furture of this greeting card.

But I think I need a nice cuppa of strong Irish black tea before I continue. And maybe a little something on the side ...

Care to join me?

Don't forget, you may order any Stampin' Up! supplies right from this blog ~ 

click on Shop Now! I am also happy to order for you if you'd prefer. And I am happy to make any suggestions, should you need. 

Let's stamp!

 An Irish Blessing

No, I am not Irish but I have been lucky enough to have visited the beautiful Emerald Isle several times ~ by ship, by plane, by train.  And I will happily venture that way again whenever the opportunity arises.  

Why Ireland? The drama of the landscape, Irish Breakfast Tea, Belleek china, Aran Isle Sweaters, fiddles, scones, castles, Guiness, shepherd's pie, Oscar Wilde, Maeve Binchey ... 

Like all wonderful destinations there is much to see between cityscapes and countryside.  Do I ever tire of hills dotted with sheep? No! 

On one guided train tour through parts of Ireland I had the good fortune to visit a sheep farm and meet the shepherd and his herd and his dog. The shepherd had species of every sheep known to live on the island. They are indeed less than bright animals and they are scaredy-cats  ~ easy for the dogs to herd.

Blarney Castle is in the middle of the woolen mills of Blarney, County Cork. Did I kiss the Blarney Stone? No! Some will say that I already have the gift of gab. But the line up the tower was incredibly long so we chose to stroll through the gardens and glens of the castle ~ with thrilling bagpipe music in the background. 

Lush Bluebells were everywhere, but I saw no faeries. Curiously, the Poison Garden was the closest garden to the castle ... In the small village, several woolen mills were rehabed into wollen retailers, shops and pubs! Fish and chips, a guiness and a fisherman's knit sweater ~ made us the last ones back to the tour bus and our seats had been taken by a group of tourists who evidently were not familiar with motor coach etiquette. 

As long as we are talking about food and drink and I am not finished gabbing, one of the country's best offerings to mankind is Baileys Irish Cream. One nippy spring morning on tour we were treated to a Bailey's Hot Chocolate at a lone roadside attraction and inn, The Red Fox. Baileys is a staple in our house, and with a bit of experimentation and reliance on another Irish spirit - Jameson Whiskey - we enjoy home crafted Irish Cream now. And here is the recipe ~ as good as the Blarney Stone for imparting the gift of gab:

Irish Blessings in a Bottle 

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup half and half

1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

1 cup Jameson's Irish Whiskey

2 Tbs. instant coffee granuels

2 Tbs choclate syrup

pour all into blender ~ blend 60 seconds

enjoy straight up, on the rocks, in hot chocolate, martinis, or ...

In the mood to try some punch art tonite, I searched for little sheep created from various sizes of scallop, circles and ovals punches. So here is my variation on that theme:

Two little ewes doing an Irish jig. I should have crafted little green bowler hats. I save scraps and recycle and reuse. The DSP is Paper Blooms from Sale-A-Bration; I have barely cut into it. The lambs wool is curly and fluffy thanks to the Ornate Garden Embossing Folder. The little fluttering butterflies are brand NEW from the Butterfly Brilliance Collection released just today! You can find it in my online store - check Shop Now.

Leaving the sentiment off till I know the recipient ~ but I am thinking grandchildren.

Let's see your take on these little guys. Go ahead, pull out your green cardstock and punches and pearls ~ make your scraps work for you. 

 

                 May the luck of the Irish be with you all month long! 

  

 

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