Sep 9, 2018 | Business Opportunity, cards, Stampin' Up!
This week’s Sunday Swap share is a celebration of the fact that it’s technically still summer….even though by this point in the month it feels like we are into the next season. However, well will highlight this Tropical Thank You Card and remind ourselves that it is not yet September 23rd…
Kay Smith created this lovely, tropical thank you card! It was created with the Tropical Thinlits dies and coordinating stamp set – Tropical Chic. The set is available in red rubber clear mount or red rubber wood mount, and is also available as part of a discounted bundle (wood mount or clear mount) with the thinlits. On this card, you can see some of the Tropical Escape Designer Series Paper peeking out through the die cut window. Love the coordination of the images and colours. Stampin’ Up! really does a great job of presenting coordinating products in suites so that it’s easy for the crafter to pick up on the colour theme or image theme for their projects. Perfect for a lazy crafter like me. I don’t want to work too hard to come up with something that looks great!
As a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, I’m often asked where I get my card ideas. I often get inspiration from the products themselves, but I also get inspiration from other demonstrators! I love participating in card swaps with other demonstrators – we each design one card and make multiples of that card – and in return for participating in the swap, we get a variety of cards back (including our own). It’s great to see how others interpret sets and images, and a great way to expand my sample collection – especially when I don’t actually own that particular stamp set or framelit. Shocking, I know, but I don’t actually own everything in the catalogue!! If you enjoy card making or scrapbooking, consider joining my group of Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators – we’re known as the “Eh” Team! You can “support your own crafting habit”, and make a little money as well doing something you love. Please come to my Information Evening on Wednesday, September 12th at 7pm in north Burlington. All that’s required is an RSVP! No cost, no pressure. Come and hear about how being a demonstrator can add a little creativity and income to your life! Maybe you’ll get a tropical thank you card for attending! (or maybe a non-tropical one…since I don’t actually own this set….yet). Hope to see you soon!
Sep 7, 2018 | Paper Pumpkin, Stampin' Up!
If you love Halloween, it will be scary if you miss out on this kit! The September Paper Pumpkin kit is a Halloween themed one!
Usually the contents of the Paper Pumpkin kits are a surprise (until you open yours…), but Stampin’ Up! have let us know a little bit about the upcoming September box. It will be Halloween treat packaging! The colours that will coordinate with this kit are Mango Melody, Gorgeous Grape, Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black. That’s all we know… If you want to grab one of these fun kits, you’ll need to subscribe by September 10th (that’s MONDAY). You can click on the image (or here) to start a month-by-month subscription, or you can prepay for a subscription (just remember to go to the official sign up page afterwards to enter your subscription code!).
Paper Pumpkin is the monthly craft kit that you subscribe to – each month that you’re a subscriber, you’ll receive a box containing that month’s crafting project – with instructions and supplies. Your first kit will also contain a clear block to use with the photopolymer stamps that come in each box. These kits are great to take on trips, share with family or send to friends and family (have a crafty university student who might need a little pick me up or break from studying?). One of the nice things about these kits is that you can also skip a month – so if Halloween crafting really isn’t your thing, you can pause your active subscription for this month. You can see more frequently asked questions – and the answers here.
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Don’t forget – if you want to grab the Halloween themed kit, subscribe by Monday!!
Sep 5, 2018 | cards, Christmas, Seasonal Catalogue, Stampin' Up!
Happy New Catalogue Day! The Stampin’ Up! Canada Holiday Catalogue is now “live” and up for ordering. Demonstrators have had access to the catalogue since last month, including an opportunity to preorder merchandise, so it’s been fun playing with new products, but hard to wait to share! Today I’m sharing a wintery card with you to celebrate. Oh and I’m not going to say ANYTHING about the humidity level, because I jinxed it last time I talked about it. Thank goodness the air conditioning is working in here, that’s all I can say….
This card was created using the new Beautiful Blizzard bundle. The Beautiful Blizzard stamp set comes in either red rubber clear mount or red rubber wood mount stamps, and coordinates with the Blizzard Thinlits Die. Purchase the wood mount bundle or clear mount bundle and save 10% off the individula prices of the stamp set and die. The Blizzard thinlit die is a single die, so I used it on the background Night of Navy cardstock. I ran it through with Whisper White cardstock as well to get the snowflakes that accent the Layering Oval with the sentiment. This is one of my favourite items in the new holiday catalogue! Hint: with some of the dies that have more details or more cuts, I often like to run the die through in one direction, then turn it 90 degrees and run it through again. This way, if my plastic cutting sheets have any bowing or areas that might not contact as well, I figure it makes up for that. The other thing to get a good cut – use the Precision Base Plate.
There are so many fun holiday products – and it’s not just Christmas stuff – there’s also Hallowe’en and autumn choices, and seasonal vs “holiday” items too. If you still need a copy of the new catalogue and don’t have a demonstrator that you’re already working with, you can contact me about getting a copy. If you are looking to make holiday cards, September’s Christmas Card Class will be using the Santa’s Workshop Enamel Shapes as the featured product. Your class fee of $30 will include all the supplies required to create 4 different holiday cards, and each one will use the accents as decoration. You’ll use some of your package on the cards in class, and take the rest home for your own creative projects! Please contact me to reserve your spot – ASAP as I need to order the product ahead of time to ensure it will arrive in time for class. Class Dates: Wednesday, September 19 at 1pm or Thursday, September 20 at 7pm. See the YamStamps Events Page for other dates and classes! In the meantime – happy shopping!
Sep 2, 2018 | cards, Stampin' Up!
This week’s Sunday Swap share is a beautiful card of encouragement for a friend. It’s great to be able to send cards of celebration, but it’s also important to send words of support and encouragement, too. This lovely card was created by Cynthia Millan.
It uses one of my new favourite embossing folders – Tufted. I love the elegant background it creates! The Botanical Tags Thinlits die cut makes a lovely focal element – and I like the way she’s coloured in the birds to bring out the accent colour. The sentiment is from a set that I had overlooked previously – but now is on my wish list – Beautiful Promenade, which is actually available in a discounted bundle with the Beautiful Layers Thinlits as well. The set is full of great sayings that could be used on cards of encouragement for a friend or loved one. Perhaps I’ll use one of my Bonus Days Coupon Codes to purchase that bundle this month!
If you are looking to send a mesage of encouragement for a friend, or to commemorate an occasion, you’ll want to build up your stash of cards! There’s still space in the evening monthly card class for September – so contact me ASAP to grab a seat! This Wednesday at 7pm. The afternoon class filled quickly this month – looks like people are getting back into routine and back to school! I hope that you have a great last long weekend of summer…and that your back to school / routine preparation goes smoothly. Don’t forget those first day of school photos!! I’m going to have to get my son to take a selfie since he’ll be away at university….what do you think my chance of success will be?! Wish me luck!!
Sep 1, 2018 | specials, Stampin' Up!
Annnnnndddddd…..it’s September. It definitely feels like a change in the weather and season has come upon us in southern Ontario! I’m happy for a break in humidity, but not sure that I’m happy that summer seems to be over (and I know, technically it’s not, but you know what I mean…). My love of back to school supply shopping helps me cope though…and the fact that Stampin’ Up! is helping ease the transition by offering a special offer or two!
First of all, it’s time to spend those Bonus Day Coupon Codes! That’s pretty special….each time you placed a merchandise order for $60 in August, you would have received a coupon code via email from Stampin’ Up! – and now you can use those codes! You can shop online in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store – shortcut is yamstamps.com/shop – and once you’ve selected your merchandise, click on MANAGE COUPON CODES and then copy and paste your codes (one per line) and click APPLY before you check out. OR – you can email me or call me with your merchandise order and coupon codes, and I will enter your order and codes for you. As always – you can contact me if you have any questions, or need a hand navigating the shopping site.
Stampin’ Up! is offering a sweet host special for September! You may have seen a sneak peek of this paper in this card I shared about a week ago… Host a party, make cards with your friends, and after all the orders are tallied, if there are total merchandise sales of $300 or more, you’ll receive a package of the Dashing Away Designer Series Paper for free! You can choose if you share with your friends or not…the package has 12 sheets total – four sheets of each of 3 different double sided designs (so 6 different designs in total). Some of the patterns definitely scream CHRISTMAS, but there are patterns that are more year round/not quite so blatently holiday-ish. You can see them in the graphic above. Contact me to book a date for a cardmaking party with your friends! Since this special is only good for September, you’ll want to book as soon as possible – or you can try a catalogue party on your own time – share the catalogue with friends, I can share some samples and ideas with your friends via a private facebook group, and you can collect orders to submit!
Lastly a reminder that the registration deadline for September’s Christmas Card Class is approaching! Register by Wednesday for this holiday class – your class fee of $30 includes a package of Santa’s Workshop Enamel Shapes that we will use on your cards – with plenty of leftovers for you to take home and use on other projects! Registration available after Wednesday, but may be subject to an express shipping fee (in order for your product to arrive in time for class!). Class dates: Wednesday, September 19 at 1pm, or Thursday, September 19 at 7pm. Please note the “split dates” for this month – as I’ve got a demonstrator group meeting on the Wednesday evening and a business mastermind session at the end of the month – both great combinations of work, inspiration and FUN! Looking forward to seeing you in class soon!
Aug 27, 2018 | Business Opportunity, Stampin' Up!
For me, September is a time of new beginnings – just like January! I have always loved the “back to school” and “back to routine” routine…and of course, shopping for back to school supplies. Other than shopping for Stampin’ Up! craft supplies, I think going to an office supply store (in person or online, I’m not picky), is my second favourite shopping option! (please tell me I’m not alone…..). Anyway, around here this upcoming September is feeling a little extra big as my one and only son is heading to university away from home. I know that he’s ready for it and will adapt, but I can confess that I’m a bit of a worrier (which parent isn’t, really?). So with that in mind, I’m prepared to provide support from a distance, and distract myself with things around here! If you are looking for something new to keep yourself occupied, or provide a little extra income, may I suggest the Stampin’ Up! side hustle?! It’s not a new dance….but it could be as fun… and we can keep each other distracted for a while hahaha!
(probably as close as one could get to a Stampin’ Up! side hustle image? Made with the stamp set Beautiful You)
Side hustle is the term for an extra job or occupation – you don’t have to quit everything and embark on a new path, you just add a little something to your current situation. Stampin’ Up! has been my side hustle since before they invented the term! I started just after my maternity leave and continued when I moved across country and started a new job. In the past few years, I’ve chosen to decrease my hours at that job to part time to step back from some of the stresses and pressures in order to try maintain my life balance and happiness. I’m happy that I had this Stampin’ Up! side hustle to support that move.
If you think this might be a good time for your to consider something new, I have a page dedicated to FAQs about becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, so you can read that to see if your questions are answered there. I also invite you to come to my next Information Evening, scheduled for Wednesday, September 12th at 7pm here in Burlington (click here to RSVP and get directions). If you don’t live closeby, or can’t make that date, there are options! Contact me and you can join the online version that evening, or we can set a time to chat (in person, online, via emails, whatever your preference). I hope you’ll consider starting a side hustle with my group of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators!
