Apparently there's some large sporting event on TV today….I am planning on doing some cardmaking though! (Although…maybe I should try and do a Costco run if everyone else is watching TV??!! LOL)
I took a watercolour painting class a while back and while I really enjoyed it, I don't always have the time to pull out all the supplies. Plus I discovered that they expected me to be able to draw!! ROFLOL. Using a small piece of Stampin' Up!'s watercolour paper and a stamped image means I can quickly create a mini work of art to share – in this case, on a card.
I love how the scripted pear image coordinates with the En Francais script background stamp. I used the watercolour crayons with the Aquapainter to keep things relatively neat and easy. Stazon ink ensures that the image won't run when the paper gets wet.
This stamp is from Faith in Nature, a set available to purchase with hostess dollars. When you host a qualifying workshop ($200 in sales) you earn dollars that you can spend on anything in the catalogue, including some items that are only available to hostesses. If you're interested in finding out more, contact me to discuss the benefits of having a free workshop or fee-based class with your friends!
A version of this card was in my last newsletter, showing how to do the faux suede / faux velvet technique that's used for the strip of Cherry Cobbler cardstock along the bottom of the card. I think I called it faux velvet, I think others call is faux suede…but whatever you call it, it's a fun way to add texture to your paper projects!
Please be sure to join my mailing list – I'm going to be moving to a new email server next month so you'll need to be sure to be re-subscribed (use the top link at the left on the blog page, or the link from the last newsletter). Contact me if you have any questions!
This is another My Digital Studio template page I created for my CH Morning Live appearance. Do I admit that I literally created most of the projects you saw on the show in a couple of hours the night before? (hmmm I guess I just did! ROFLOL)
Anyway, love this 'grungy' template (from the aptly named "Downtown Grunge Photobook Template") and frames. I dragged and dropped the images into the photo boxes to create this "Things I Love" page. I added the heart shaped punch to the layout to go with my theme and moved the circular punches around a little bit. The font is actually my own printing! MDS uses whatever fonts you already have installed in your computer. I generated this font at Your Fonts so now I am able to make my digital pages even more "mine".
I'll be sharing more of the projects from my appearance over the next while, so please be sure to come back & check them out!
I'm celebrating Groundhog Day by sharing Valentine's Day Projects on CH Morning Live…the plan is for me to be on air around 8:20 so hope you get the chance to catch it!
This is a project that I will have with me to display. I absolutely loved how easy this was – another template that I simply dragged & dropped my photo into using My Digital Studio.
If you download the My Digital Studio Express free trial through my store, you will be eligible to get some free tutorials from me in your inbox! Click on the link above to download your free trial, and once I get notification of your download, I will send you the free My Digital Studio tutorial information.
I would love if you would join my mailing list to keep up to date on my events plus get some great paper crafting ideas! Sign up HERE.
Stampin' Up!'s FREE 30-day trial of My Digital Studio Express is now available! This is an ongoing offer so you can take advantage of it at any time! My Digital Studio Express software is a fully functional version of My Digital Studio, but has fewer included images and brushes.
How do you get it? Go to my online store here and click on the My Digital Studio Express trial. You will need to make a customer account if you haven't already ordered through me. Once you've "purchased" the trial, you can download it from the downloads section of your account, and install it onto your computer.
What do you do once you try it and like it? Once the 30-day free trial period is over, you can purchase the downloadable (My Digital Express) or disc version (My Digital Studio) of the software through my online store to continue using it. You'll simply open up the trial version you already have on your computer, and will be prompted to enter the product registration key you received after purchasing the software. (You'll receive this key via e-mail if you purchase the downloadable version, and you'll find it along with your shipped software if you purchase the disc version.)
Here's a hint – if you love MDS Express, and want all the great images, brushes and punches you would get in the full version of My Digital Studio right away, the fastest thing to do is:
You'll end up with all the items that you would get in My Digital Studio (plus a few more) and it will all be downloadable and instantly available to you!! Of course, the option to purchase the full version of My Digital Studio is there as well, especially if you like to have disk versions of your software.
Want to try but want some guidance? Attend my FREE MDS101 Class THIS FRIDAY, February 3rd at 7pm here in Burlington ON. Registration required. Bring your laptop and I'll walk you through the download, installation and initial use of My Digital Studio Express! Can't make it Friday?Contact me and I'll keep you in the loop. I plan on offering this class on a semi-regular basis and an online version is in the works! I love the ease of digital crafting and look forward to helping you discover how great it is!
I would personally LOVE a makeover of my stamping space (really, who wouldn't?!) Well, at our annual convention last year, this demonstrator won a stamping space makeover! (I _wish_ I had this space!) They shared this video at Leadership Conference (I know, are you sick of hearing about Leadership yet?! LOL). Take a look at the video below and see what Shelli and her family created.
I created this card using Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scored tool. You may recall my Christmas card where I used scored lines for a design element. When I revisited the concept for this card, I realized that having the scored lines so the bump was on the good side made them more visible. So here's the result. The leaf image is from the Days of Gratitude set the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny wishes. Always Artichoke, River Rock and Kraft cardstocks were used for this card. Can't wait til March 1st when the Diagonal Simply Scored Plate that fits on my Simply Scored tool is released! (Demos get to preorder in February – woohoo!)
If you are interested in learning more about demonstrator events and being a demonstrator, please attend my no cost Information Evening! Next one is being held Wednesday, February 8th at 7pm. RSVP for directions. If you can't make it that evening, please get in touch with me anyway – we can chat on the phone or make other arrangements. I'd love for you to consider becoming part of my demonstrator group!
As of February 1st, Stampin' Up! is offering a free 30 day trial of the My Digital Studio Express software! This is a great software program for digital crafting. I love working digitally – for one thing, scrapbooking is much less messy….and let's face it, most of my photos are digital and tend to live on my computer, where noone gets to see them (except me). It's a great way to create a number of cards as well – in the past, I've done my Christmas cards digitally and was able to include a number of photos from the year as a visual collage of my family's year. I'm planning on making a few books up in the near future as well. At left is a tag sample I made quickly using the Springtime DSP, scallop square punch and basic pearls.
If you're interested in trying out this software, please consider joining me at my FREE MDS101 class! The first one will be held on Friday, February 3rd at 7pm here at my place in Burlington. RSVP required. Please bring your laptop if you have one – I will walk you through the download of the software plus the basics of My Digital Studio. You'll leave that evening with your copy of the software plus information to get you started! If you don't have a laptop, you are still welcome to attend and look over my shoulder while we work. I will also be posting an online class in the near future for those of you not close to the Burlington, Ontario area. In the meantime if you want to watch a quick video – check out my video tutorials page. The first video is one that I made using a free template that Stampin' Up! offered for Digital Scrapbooking Day!
They say that one of the best ways to keep sharp is to keep learning new things. At Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference, there were lots of choices in classes to attend to hear about different topics to help demonstrators in their businesses. (Don't worry, there's also a crafty sample at end of this blog post!)
One class I attended was "Why Women Buy" presented by Carrie Cudney who highlighted habits and trends amongst female purchasers vs. male purchasers. A slide she used to show some differences cracked me up:
The theory is that the female is looking for "the" perfect pair of pants, while often men will settle for "a" pair of pants; the female is often also shopping for other things and other people at the same time, therefore needs to look around at more stores!
Now, for those of you who have attended workshops or classes with me previously, there's no need to fear that I'll become a hard sell, marketing machine now – I'll just be working harder to help you find "the" solution for your crafting needs (vs. "a" solution!!).
I also attended a class on "Coaching For Performance" by Natalie White and Jim Pitt, which concentrated on how to help others come up with goals and plans to meet them. I do try to do this with demonstrators who are signed up with me, but this was a more organized/formal way of approaching it. I will also be doing this for myself to help me focus on my goals and the plans to reach those goals!
"Retaining and Engaging Your Downline" by Donna Griffith and Patsy Waggoner (a US Stampin' Up! demonstrator) provided some practical tips to keep my team of demonstrators active and acknowledged, so that they can continue to reap the benefits of having a source of income plus a creative outlet. I plan on using some of these ideas at my upcoming demonstrator meetings and throughout the year!
Of course, we also receive lots of crafty inspiration and ideas too! Here's more samples using the Fashionable Hearts Embosslit (guess what was on my order that just went in for Sale-a-Bration?! LOL). I love the framed artwork – so simple but so effective and perfect for any time of year – not just Valentine's Day.
My next card class is on Wednesday, February 1st at 7pm here in Burlington and the theme is "Love"-ly cards. We'll be doing a card suitable for Valentine's Day, but all four cards will be designed to be given to someone you care about at any time of year! Cost is $20 and includes all supplies including adhesive and envelopes. Please contact me to register. Space is limited.
Sometimes it's just a question of being in the right place at the right time…Through another demonstrator, we met a woman who was helping organize theHelping a Hero gala in conjunction with the taping of the final episode of Extreme Makeover – Home Edition. She needed crowd fillers, and we were more than happy to help her out! Below – Ty Pennington and Meredith Iler (the organizer extraordinaire)
The evening was to raise funds for the organization plus celebrate the building of a home for a local wounded war veteran. All the designers were there, Lee Greenwood was there to sing as were the Four Tenors (originally the Ten Tenors from Australia).
Paige and some of the Tenors (above)
Demo friends and Tenors (below)
Kim, Lydia, Mel, Sue, me, Liz, Dana with a few Aussie guys thrown in for good measure ;)
Apparently there's some large sporting event on TV today….I am planning on doing some cardmaking though! (Although…maybe I should try and do a Costco run if everyone else is watching TV??!! LOL)
