Christmas Card Class 2012 - new changes

I have always loved my Christmas Card class that I do every year.  It has ALWAYS been such a fun time and I've made lots of friends. This year, I'm changing a few things.

First off... I'm doing it a bit earlier this year. I'd always done it in November... which I think just gets TOOOO crazy for most people to set aside several hours to play.  So I've moved it to September... it takes the Christmas Rush off and for those of you who do a family newsletter, that helps with the planning and scheduling of writing that.

I've always done 4 different designs.  I'm only doing 2 this year, so you'll make 10 of each design.  I sort of felt that sometimes doing SO many designs can be overwhelming for new stampers.  I think this will be a bit easier, plus you get a chance to "master" techniques that I will be using.

Another change... is that for the same price as I've always charged for the class ($25), I'm including a stamp set to take home.  What good is it to make such fun things if you can't go home and do it again? So with this years class, Everyone will receive a wood set of the Scentsational Seasons set, which we will be using in one of our card designs.  I'm doing the wood set instead of the clear because I want everyone to be able to use it right away... as much as I LOVE the clear sets, if you are new to stamping, you then have to buy the clear blocks and for newbies, I don't want for this hobby to be overwhelming. 

The last change that I'm doing... is basically because I've moved... Most of my customers are out of state. I MISS my girls so much.  And I would HATE HATE HATE for them to think I've forgotten them. I certainly haven't!  I know how much they looked forward to classes and clubs. SO I'm setting up kits to send to people who are out of state and therefore can't make it. (Don't get me wrong...I would LOVE to have visitors!!!) So kits will be $30 to cover shipping.  Everything will be pre-cut and ready to go. I would love if my old card club girls got together to play together, just like old times!! I would be there in spirit!!

So here is a picture of my flyer with all the details (minus the kit info, I forgot to add that! ooopsie!!) Click on the picture to enlarge.  I don't have pics of the cards we are doing... the ideas are in my head and I need to order my supplies still to put them together... but if you could see what's in my little head, you would be signing up and getting all your friends to come too!!

I do need prepayment for the class, so I don't order unnecessary supplies and so I can get a head count. So please contact me and prepay by SEPT 1.  Class is at my home on Sept 8 at 10am, until you finish.  Please no kids under 12 (and they must be signed up for the class)  My house is small, so there is limited space... if needed, I may add another time to do a second (or third, or fourth) class.

Well... um, what can I say... its been a while since I last did ANYTHING on my blog... Life has been a bit crazy, to say the least, and the blog was set on the back burner.

My sweet, hardworking crazy husband, David  finished school... for now. He graduated as a Respiratory Therapist in the spring of 2011... to celebrate, we went to Disneyland and Sea World. It was an amazing trip, one to not be forgotten.  Life has been revolving around school for so long, that we really didn't know what to do with ourselves.  I was still stampin' and crafting, but pictures, and blog writing, just weren't on the to do list.

I was also very busy with my sisters... my sister Deb, had lived nearby for years, but my sister Lisa moved to the area, so spending time with my family, spoiling nieces and nephews, having girly time made for lots of fun.

But real life had to take over... and David had to get a big boy grown up job, so the job hunting, state licensing was in our face.  We took a trip to Houston, TX, pounding the pavements to get a job. We LOVED it there... but no one was hiring "new grads". (will someone please tell me HOW new grads are supposed to get jobs if no one wants to hire them???)  My mother in law sent us a link to a job offer in Vernal, UT.  So David applied, interviewed over the phone, flew to UT and interviewed and was offered the job... we had to be there in 2 weeks!

AHHHHH! 2 weeks? How do you pack up 10 years of living in one city, increasing our family from 3 to 5 during that time, in 2 weeks?  You cram everything in boxes without looking at it, load the U-Haul, and don't count on getting any security deposit back from your apartment because you don't have time to clean!  We got here with 2 days before he started his work.  We lived in a hotel (at $500 per week)... because trying to find an apartment to rent over the internet is not possible here... (only because the common response was "we don't have that fancy internet thing here!" uh, Really?)  Rent prices are astronomical here... its an oil town, and oil companies pay for housing expenses (because who, in their right mind dreams of living here?.... don't get me wrong... I like it, but I wouldn't DREAM of living here).  So landlords can charge A LOT here.  But if you're not an oil worker, you are out of luck.  So we quickly started looking for houses, trying to figure out what school my kids would be in at the same time.  A lot happened in 2 weeks, and we ended up finding a house, that needs some love, that we could move into immediately, that wasn't in short sale, that we could BUY immediately! We rented it, until the closing date, and our mortgage is significantly lower than rent would ever be here.

Since then, we have made some really good friends. My hubby is adjusting, slowly to a healthcare job in a small town, where you bump into patients all the time. He is very cautious about HIPPA laws and does not want to violate anything. We have a great little neighborhood, with a great view of the LDS Vernal Temple and incredible sunsets. My kids can play outside without melting like they did in Arizona and I'm not stressing so much about crime, and horrible neighbors.

Meanwhile, I haven't done a lot of stamping and I miss it.  Our house is much smaller than we are used to, and the room I would use for my stamping and crafting, is also our laundry room, and until very recently, storage.  We built a shed in our back yard (we still need shingles on top), but I can start organizing my Stampin' Up! goodies... Business-wise, I get to find more customers. I still have a few in AZ who order... but now that my club is no longer active, my sales have dropped... (eek!)

BUT... I am so excited because I get to go to Stampin' Up! Convention NEXT WEEK in Salt Lake City!  I've made so many friends with other demonstrators, but never met in person, and that will change next week.  I wanted to do swaps, but I just haven't had the space to organize and get my Stampin' Groove on.  I can't wait for that to change, and I can get pumped at convention.

I'm sure I will come home with convention, with TONS of ideas and lots of inspiration to get things moving here in Vernal.

Stay Tuned...

Holiday Cards

I've been blog-hopping a lot lately.  You know what I mean... you sit in front of your computer, gazing at all types of creative, informative, funny etc, blogs... You jump from one and it links you to another, until you get completely lost and not quite sure what, where, or why you started to begin with.  I love it.  I don't get a chance to blog-hop often.  Life seems to be a distraction... One thing I have noticed tho, is how far behind I am in my own blogging... personal and professional... EEKS!  SO, I guess I need to to get busy, and show you some of my Christmas Card designs. 

So here we go...
This first set of 4 were for my Annual Christmas Card class that I held a few weeks ago.  Being, I think, fairly new to Stampin' Up!, this was my 2nd Christmas Card class.  I really look forward to doing it... and I have some amazing customers who do also...!  My "girls" really are the best!

My customers all set on their holiday cards... Me? Not so much.  So inbetween my kids holiday parties, and school concerts, I have done a few others... that weren't anywhere close to my Christmas Card Class...

I love ornaments... and adore the Ornament Punch. and the amazing stamps  that coordinate with it!

Don'tcha just love the Jolly Holiday Designer Paper.  I do!  Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla... classic!

Ahhh, Cute Christmas. stamp set and Designer paper.  One of my customers, ordered the stamp set and asked if I could coordinate something into my Christmas Card Class.  I didn't have the stamp set, so she let me borrow it.  SO CUTE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is my favorite.  Comtempo Christmas... and the Jolly Holiday paper... And of course I had to use my FAVORITE Embossing Folder  for my Big Shot - Square Lattice.  The catalog just doesn't do it justice in how amazing it turns out!!

This one was NOT in my Christmas Card class (just the first 4) I found an app for my ipod... (yes... there is an app for that) that showed me how to do an origami Christmas Tree.  Super easy, and SO fun... Kinda Bulky, so I might hand deliver this one, instead of mail.  I loved it.

So I know... 2 pics of the same card.  This one shows the truer colors of the Whisper White and the Marina Mist, but you just can't see the glitter...

So, this one... you see the glitter (OOO - Sparkly!) but the colors are off.  *SIGH*  I just can't win!!

With all the hustle and bustle of holidays, I hope you take time to enjoy the Season, enjoy your family, traditions. 

Merry Christmas!!

Birthdays

November and December are packed with birthdays in mine and my hubby's families.

On November 24, my niece turned 18... not sure how that happened. Wasn't she 2 just yesterday? *sigh* She is a senior in high school and due to some crazy job circumstances,  mixed with her being a good kid, she lives in Idaho, with an aunt and uncle, while her mom (my sister) and dad and siblings moved here, to Arizona.  I was an exchange student when I was 16, so I know a lot of what she is going through being away from her immediate family.

November 26 holds 2 birthdays... One for my nephew, who turned 16. And the other for my adorable sister-in-law, Laura (who just happens to be my Stampin' Upline)  This next one was for my nephew...

And this next card was for Laura.  Her adorable hubby (my hubby's little brother) sent out an email to EVERYONE in Laura's contact list, reminding them of her birthday, and her love of cards.  He asked to please remember to send  them, and even sent a reminder email on the day to send them, so they would ALL arrive ON her birthday.  She received 100+ cards!  So fun!  Here is the card I sent.  I cased the idea from my good friend Martha - who is on my team.  (She's got some great ideas)

December has a TON of birthdays too (2 nieces, Mother and father-in-law, that super sneaky Brother- in-law I mentioned above... and I'm already behind on sending the cards (missed getting 2 out on time! - ugh) I guess I better get off the computer and get stampin'!

THIS IS HUGE!!

HOLY MACKEREL! Stampin' Up! is offering the starter kits (both standard and digital) for 

50% off!

I know right! CRAZY! How can anyone resist?  I want to sign up again (but I can't - its for new demo's only).  So here's the deal... 

Something THIS big can only last for a little while...

November 15-30,

For 2 short weeks, you (YES YOU!!) can start your own business for $87.50!!  (its normally $175) and you receive everything you need to start your own business. The kit is worth $310. It's such a huge savings!

The Starter Kits are customizable, so you have your choices of papers and ink and stamps - so you can personalize it to your own taste!

The Decore Elements and Stampin' Memories add- on kits are still available for their regular prices ($40-50)

What are you waiting for??

Click here to go to my website for more information.  

or email me!

(and if you just want all the amazing products for that deal, you can still purchase it, and there are no penalties for dropping your demonstrator-ship- Not that you'd want to do that.  It is seriously such a fun, rewarding job!  Give it a try!)

Holiday Bundles!!

Now is a PERFECT time to purchase some of our beautiful holiday sets... 

and Stampin' Up! is offering it at a GREAT discount... YUP!

I said DISCOUNT!  

A 20% Discount to be exact, 

when you purchase one of these amazing Holiday Bundle!!  

Check this out!

And if you are like me... and want to see what is in those amazing bundles... here are some  pictures of the sets... Aren't they great?  Who can resist? I know you can't!
(click on the images to enlarge them)

 So Hurry, this promotion is from October 19 - December 16

2nd Annual Christmas Card Class

Are the Holidays sneaking up on you? They are sneakin' up on me, that is for sure!  But there is always time to send personal and beautiful cards out for the holidays!

Come to my 2nd Annual Christmas Card Class!

You can make 20 beautiful hand-stamped Christmas Cards to send to your loved ones for $25.  You will make 5 cards each of 4 different designs.

Saturday, November 20, 10am - 4pm

at my home

(Contact me for my address!)

Must Prepay by November 1 to reserve your place.  Space is limited, contact me soon to reserve your place!

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