I'm back and it's time to Sale-A-Brate!

If you're a follower you've noticed I've had some time away from my blog over the last couple of weeks. I apologize but I've just been so insanely busy and run-down. It's been hard to find 5 minutes to do anything for myself or keep up with all the extra little things I like to do in a day between regional championships, training camps, a ton of new recruits to my training groups and the administrative explosion that the New Year always brings at work. Hopefully things are settling down now and into the next month :)

Of course the big news is that it is officially Sale-A-Bration time! I was so excited that as a demonstrator this year I got to take advantage of Sale-A-Bration early in December so that I could have all of the awesome stamp sets, paper and embellies and be ready for all of my classes during Sale-A-Bration. If you haven't seen the Sale-A-Bration catty yet I can send one to you, just let me know! My club this past Sunday was in love with the new Paper and Fresh Vintage Stamp set that we used :)

A few things to be aware of during Sale-A-Bration:

Whether you shop my online store, or at a party, class etc, you can pick a Sale-A-Bration product FREE with every $60 you spend before shipping and taxes. Every $60 is a bonus free product!

When you host your own party during Sale-A-Bration you can earn a beautiful FREE Tote Bag when your party sales reach $200, and a special Hostess Bundle of products when your sales total reaches $525! This is on top of all of the other great incentives that you already have to be a hostess, so book quickly, dates are filling up!

Finally, when you join Stampin' Up! during Sale-A-Bration you can take advantage of over $400 of products for only $150 plus a free package of your choice of Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download every month for the rest of 2012, the earlier you sign up, the more free paper or downloads you earn!

Feel free to contact me anytime to learn more about these great promotions!

Cheers!

Customer Appreciation Make-and-Take

Here was one of the projects from my recent Customer Appreciation Party; I had a blast with everyone who came out, it was a great time and I'm looking forward to all of 2012's events!

The light is really funny in my house today, it's a bizarre mix of sun and clouds out there so it was really hard to photograph this. You can't really make out the Vanilla Smooch Spritz on the Whisper White background or the Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details that I've used in the center of all the little pink flowers on the Twitterpated DSP, but they are there and the card is so sparkly in person!

As you can see I've used a ton of items from the Occasions Mini to create this project. I'll be back soon with more details on what I used and how and also for my previously posted project that I still haven't found time to complete, it's been a busy week and it's just the start of the craziest time of year for me at work. I have either a training camp that I've been invited to as a guest coach, or a swim meet every weekend from now through the last week of February as well as the peak of our school swim team season. I'm also an administrator which means I'm neck deep in registration and planning for upcoming Spring Break and Summer Camps, yikes! I'll be doing my best to keep this thing updated over the next while but please forgive me if I just can't get to it :)

Cheers!

Fancy Table Setting

I know far far too many people who have gotten engaged recently and it's been so nice that a few of them have asked me if I would be interested in making some of their wedding/shower decor and invitations. So here is my first setting to share using the Attic Boutique DSP from the new Occasions Mini:

Here are some closeups of the individual pieces, I just realized I forgot to photograph the place card so that will have to come later. I'll start with the invitation:

And the napkin ring:

Lastly, the favour box, it could be filled with just about anything that you can think of, and it was made with 2 Fancy Favor's, one tucked inside the other:

I will come back with some more details soon, and the place card :)

Cheers!

Another Day, Another CASE

Here's one from my Occasions Mini display that I've started to inspire my customers who attended my Customer Appreciation Party today:

This is a CASE from Elizabeth at Seeing Ink Spots, you can see her original here: http://seeinginkspots.blogspot.com/2012/01/hand-stamped-sentiments-challenge.html

I love the way she used this beautiful Sale-A-Bration DSP with the Soft Suede, it really stands out. I have used my Rue Des Fleurs Stamp Set in place of the cupcake and I have sponge daubed heavily to give a more distressed appearance to the card. The sentiment is from the Loving Thoughts Stamp Set, also found in the Occasions Mini.

If you missed out on the party today you missed a great time, but no fear, I have tons of upcoming classes and events that you can find out about here: http://littlebigtowndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-class-schedule.html

Also I still have one spot left in my Sunday Afternoon Bi-Monthly Stamp Club that starts January 29th. There are 5 spots in my Tuesday Bi-Monthly Stamp Club which I had hoped to start January 24th but it will need to fill up, and 6 spots in my February 3rd Thursday Bi-Monthly Stamp Club so if you're planning to join a club don't forget to sign up asap! It is only a one year, 6 class commitment of $35 or $35 in product before shipping and taxes. Stamp clubs are tons of fun and you earn at least the minimum level hostess benefits when it's your turn to be the hostess, plus you can piggy back with a party of your own held within the same week as your club night!

Cheers!

More Butterfly Easel Cards

I love to make these with all of Stampin' Up!s beautiful Designer Series Papers, so this was one of the first projects that I took on as soon as I got my gorgeous Attic Boutique DSP.

You can find a free tutorial at Bronwyn Eastley's website, I love what she creates and it is wonderful that while other demo's ask you to buy their templates and tutorials, she posts hers for free just to inspire and share all of her awesome and innovative ideas so please go check out her blog and this tutorial and support this awesome demonstrator! http://addinktivedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/butterfly-easel-card-tutorial.html

Here are my latest little butterflies:

I have more of these to share featuring other designs from this pack but I do love the bold colours of this particular print. I have sponge daubed all of the Very Vanilla edges with Soft Suede and also the embossing on the little butterfly. The pretty little brads are the Sale A Bration Everyday Enchantment Brads which you can earn for FREE starting January 24th!

Let me know what you think!


Cheers!

Loving the Occasions Mini!

I have to say that this is probably my favourite mini catalogue since last year's Holiday Mini, I don't know if there's anything in it that I don't want and I was so lucky to earn tons of items from it for FREE as a demonstrator, and even more for 40% off!

So here's my first project to show off some of the cool new things you can do with products in the Occasions Mini:

You can see that I've used the Edgelits and Framelits, Attic Boutique DSP, Pool Party Baker's Twine, and Apothecary Art Stamp Set all from the Occasions Mini.

One of the cool thing about the new Edgelits Dies are that you can use them to edge multiple layers and they still nest in an attractive way if you take the time to line them up correctly.

I keep getting asked which stamp I used in the background, and I can understand why, it does look hand stamped, but it is actually one of the patters from the Attic Boutique DSP pack.

The Baker's Twine bow has been made with 8 pieces of Pool Party Baker's Twine cut at 5" long. I tied them all in a "bunny ears" style bow at the same time to create on large bow. I stacked a Very Vanilla Seam Binding bow on top and rouched the ends by pulling on one of the vertical threads in the middle and pushing the horizontal threads upwards towards the bow.

If you have any more questions about the details, ask away!

Cheers!

One Last Christmas Card

Ok I have to get this one in because it's totally different from any of the other Christmas cards that I made this year. I actually CASEd it from the uber-talented Lisa Brown whose projects I love, and while I didn't have the materials that she used, I don't like to create direct copies anyways. Here is my version:

And you can see her original here: http://www.inkandinspirations.com/2011/12/stampin-up-card-idea-glimmer-paper.html

I've used Night of Navy CS embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper folder for the card base and layered on a piece of Marina Mist Patterns DSP that has been punched along one side with my retired Spiral Border Punch which is currently available on the Clearance Rack. I layered another piece Beau Chateau DSP, this one ripped along the edge. Next I stamped a scrap of Very Vanilla CS with my En Francais Background Stamp in Night of Navy. I cut the V at the end and then crumpled it up, uncrumpled it and adhered it down with Sticky Strip.

I cut out the shiny scallop with my Scallop #2 Die and Silver Glimmer Paper which is being carried over from the Holiday Mini through to the next catalogue, so if you missed out, you can still order it! I made my rosette with a 12"x1.5" strip of the Marina Mist Patterns DSP and my "scoreboard" as I like to call it... it's just the hockey fan in me, but actually it's called a Simply Scored tool. I stuck the rosette down to the Glimmer Paper with plenty of Sticky Strip before adding the Vanilla button tied with a small piece of Baker's Twine just to add detail.

The banner is cut with my Petal Cone Die and stamped with one of my Many Merry Messages stamps. Here's where I tried something new: I wiped my Versa Mark pad up and down, all along the edges of the banner before sprinkling on Silver Embossing Powder and heating, to give a cool metallic but worn appearance to the edges. I did the same on the Vanilla paper on the inside. It's a really beautiful effect and I'll definitely have to try it again :)

Ok, that's it for actual Christmas themed stuff, on to the new Occasions Mini!

Cheers!

Springtime Vintage Scrapbooking

To coordinate with my new blog look, I'm sharing this scrapbook page I made with a retired DSP set for my niece for Christmas this year. I managed to photograph this one before I framed it which I didn't do with another I'll be sharing in the near future.

I love this DSP so much, it was from last year's Occasions Mini and you can still buy the gorgeous Designer Fabric that comes in the coordinating design. While I love most of Stampin' Up!'s DSP, this is probably my true favourite (so far).

I designed this to coordinate with colours already in her room which made this paper so perfect. Instead of a photo, I was asked to scrapbook a lullabye for her:

The letters were cut with my Serif Essentials Dies and then covered in Springtime Vintage DSP before being sponge daubed in Soft Suede. The rose patterned DSP has been ripped in half on the diagonal, crumpled up and then sponge daubed all over with Soft Suede to give it a very distressed appearance and texture.

You probably cannot tell in the photo but I sprayed the whole thing with a light mixture of rubbing alcohol and Champagned Shimmer Paint to give it some girly sparkle, flash photography is terrible for trying to show off anything glittery.

The scroll was written on by my husband because his writing is so much more elegant and neat than mine, he gets to do all of the important hand-writing in our house. I sponge daubed around the scroll in Soft Suede before wrapping the ends around a Stamp n Write Marker to curl them over. I have used Sticky Strip to adhere them in place.

One of the last major details was the hand-sewing that I have done all the way around the Rose Red polka dot patterned paper. I don't have a sewing machine right now but I wanted to make sure my hand-sewing was neat and that my stitches were the same size so I cheated and used my paper piercing tool and a ruler to go around the edge of the paper and poke holes at 1/8" intervals before using those holes as a guide for my sewing... I know it sounds like I took the easy way out but it was actually a lot of work!

I'm hoping to get back into some more scrapbooking in the near future, I've hardly done a thing about our wedding photos or engagement photos yet and here we are about to have baby photos, yikes! If you missed it on my class schedule I'm hosting a Scrap-A-Thon on Thursday January 12th at 6pm, cost is only $5 and you get to use all of my dies, punches and non-consumable materials, bring anything else you think you will need whether it's Stampin' Up! or not, there is no 'lesson', just fun scrapbooking time with good friends :)

Cheers!

Sweet Stitches and Twitterpated Fabric Fun

I'm so lucky to have so many beautiful little ladies in my life to play dress up with. These are some of the little pretties I made this Christmas with Stampin' Up! Designer Fabrics:

This first hairband and barrette set was made with the Sweet Stitches Designer Fabric and retired Sweet Stitches Designer Buttons which are currently on the Clearance Rack Blitz.

This next barrette was made with Twitterpated Designer Fabric from the new Occasions Mini coming out tomorrow!
I have added a pretty little Antique Brad to fancy it up even more:

 A lot of people ask me how I get my fabric flowers to have so much dimension and it's a simple process of spray starching them, scrunching them, allowing them to dry and repeating at least once more. The hardward that I use is not Stampin' Up! and neither is the hot glue that I adhere them with but these are easy to find at local craft stores. You may not be able to tell but I've used Stampin' Up!'s Baker's Twine to sew up the buttons... Here are some detail closeups:

 

If you haven't tried Stampin' Up! fabrics yet, they come in packs of three designs, you get about a fat quarter of each design on really good quality cotton printed fabric. I am not much of a sewer but I have found tons of projects to create without a sewing machine and the fabric also works with my Big Shot dies for even more versatility!

Cheers!

In Colour Markers Club

Need markers but don't want to purchase them all at once? Join a markers club to get the gorgeous In Colour Markers to add to your collection! There is no meeting associated with these clubs, just the markers :)

It's simple:
Each month you pay me $5 by the 15th which includes the shipping and tax for your marker and you will receive by the end of the month a marker from the In Colour family of your choosing. This works out cheaper than buying them individually each month on your own.

The In Colour Marker Clubs start in January, every 6th person starts a new club. I must 5 people in each club to have them go and I already have one in both the 2011-2013 and 2010-2012 club so that leaves only 4 spots in each of those before I'll have to start another club. Sign up quick to make sure that you get a spot! It's first come first serve and only your $5 for this month holds your place.

Please note that you must be committed to the full 5 months for the sake of your other club members! I do offer paypal now but each time you use paypal your total will be $5.45.

2010-2012 In Colour Marker Club #1

1. Filled
2. Open
3. Open
4. Open
5. Open





(Concord Crush, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride)


2011-2013 In Colour Marker Club #1

1. Filled
2. Open
3. Open
4. Open
5. Open




(Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeaide, Pool Party)

Cheers!

January Class Schedule

Here it is everyone, my January 2012 class schedule!

January 8 1 PM Customer Appreciation Party! Free Event, Everyone Welcome:

This is to celebrate you my awesome customers for a great 2011! Come and create 2 beautiful cards featuring new Dies and products from the Occasions Mini! If you placed an order through me in 2011 then you will get 20% off your purchase at this event only, customers who did not make a purchase in 2011 are still more than welcome at this event and have a chance to win discounts off their purchases up to 15% plus there are great door prizes including a brand new stamp set. If you bring a friend who has never been to one of my events before you will get to pick out 1 yard of my in stock ribbon on a pretty spool for yourself, plus a bonus yard for every $35 before tax and shipping that your friend spends! RSVP deadline is January 6th.

Scrap-A-Thon Evening January 12th 6pm Cost $5: 

Come enjoy refreshments and friends and bring your supplies (including non SU!) and photos including adhesives and scissors and for your $5 fee you get to use my Big Shot, Dies, Stamps, Accessories and all non-consumable products including blender pens, inks, punches and more! I will have paper and more consumables on hand that you can purchase if you find yourself missing that perfect embellishment. Just getting started in scrapbooking? I will have templates on hand to help you get started as well as beautiful samples and the advice of an experienced scrapbooker! RSVP by January 10th.

Valentines Technique Class January 17th 7pm Cost $12:

Come out to make four beautiful Valentines Day themed cards and learn new ways to use your Smooch Spritz, Shimmer Paint, Heart Punch, Stampin' Glitter, Cherry Cobbler and of course stamps and ink! RSVP by January 15th.

Sale-A-Bration Kickoff Party January 28th 7-10pm Cost $10 or Free with Qualifying Sale-A-Bration Purchase:

We will be making 5 beautiful mini cards featuring the Sale-A-Bration stamp sets. Envelopes will come with your cards if you RSVP as an early bird before January 8^th. Purchases of $60 before taxes and shipping earn you one FREE Sale-A-Bration item and this year's catalogue includes tons of items beyond the traditional stamp sets including fabric, an embossing folder, ribbon and brad pack, DSP, Digital Downloads and more! There really is something for everyone this year! RSVP by January 26th. 

Valentines Day Mini Card Bonanza February 5th 1pm Cost Varies:

Need some Valentines for your kids classes, students, friends, family etc? You can come and make as many as you need for $1 each at this event. Each mini cards contains a candy treat and comes with an envelope! When you RSVP please give a ballpark number of approximately how many you think you will be making and I must receive $5 down payment for supplies by the RSVP date. Please note the RSVP date is early so that I can order supplies. RSVP by January 17th.

All classes are subject to cancellation if there is insufficient registration 24 hours in advance. Cash or cheque only for class fees please! If we get the call to go to Japan class fees received for classes that will be cancelled will be refunded in full.

Hostess Clubs:

Don't forget to join a bi-monthly hostess club for 2012 to get FREE hostess only merchandise from the catalogue at least once in 2012! Current clubs with vacancies are Tuesday 7pm and Sunday 1pm. Clubs meet once every second month, 6x total in the year, make two projects at each meeting, have 6 members who each spend $35 before shipping and tax at each meeting and rotate hostesses so that everyone gets to be a hostess once and is guaranteed to earn at least the basic level of Hostess Dollars. You can piggy back this club with your own hostess party held within the week of your hostess club night to earn even more Hostess Dollars! Email me ASAP for details and to join! mnishi@live.ca

Don't see a date that works? Tell me what you would like to see and I'll see if we can find more members to get that club going :)

Cheers!