Stampin' Up! news

I'm sure many of you have heard the news that Stampin' Up! has changed the demonstrator contract and I'm heartbroken to announce that I'll be hanging up my demonstrator hat today. I have been in love with Stampin' Up! products from the day I went to my first workshop and only a few months after that I became a demonstrator. I had the great privilege to attend convention in 2005 with my upline and sister stampers and it was one of the best experiences I've had. {Hi girls! - Do any of you have the picture of all of us in front of the VW Bus???} I have wanted to attend others and was so upset that I couldn't attend the convention in Denver (hello - that's my backyard!!), but I was big and prego and penny pinching... anyway...


I've had an amazing stamping journey and it has led me to be on an amazing design team for Taylored Expressions. What a dream come true! And then last month to be added to the Dirty Dozen was beyond thrilling! I'm a hobby demonstrator and I can't justify boxing myself into a corner with one company - not able to spread my wings and fly when I'm not actively selling Stampin' Up! products. As I find more fabulous stamping products, I want to be able to share them with all of you {smile}!


I know many of you who visit my blog are Stampin' Up! demonstrators and I do hope you will continue to stop by and say hello because I sure do value your kind words and encouragement. You can bet I'll continue to use Stampin' Up! products here on my blog - I love them too much not to and one lucky demonstrator will make some $$ off of my addiction, lol!


Thank you so much for listening to my ramblings.


Happy stamping!
Karen

sweet sunday sketch challenge #37

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use Mr. Linky down at the end of my post to enter your card. On Thursday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog. So, as long as your card is linked in the Mr. Linky box by 10 PM Thursday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC37 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

The team got me thinking about Christmas last week and now I'm starting to get some Christmas cards done. I pulled out my old set, City of David for this one. It's one of my all-time favorite Christmas sets, so I don't see myself selling it anytime soon. I stamped the city in Not Quite Navy craft ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I cut out an oval template with the oval Coluzzle and then sponged Not Quite Navy ink over the top of the image.

The Sweet Sunday Stampers also have samples to show you today, so don't forget to stop on by to see:

Jennifer Tapler
Karen Motz
Laura Fredrickson
Lynn Put
Nancy Riley
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick

Now it's your turn! Have fun!
Karen


recipe -
stamps: city of david, linen background
paper: kraft, not quite navy, bravo burgundy, naturals vanilla card stock
ink: not quite navy craft, creamy caramel
accessories: coluzzle, clear embossing powder, elementary ribbon originals, stampin' dimensionals

sweet sunday sketch winner

Greetings from Nashville - where the tea is sweet and so are all the people. I'm travelling this week for the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) convention and having a blast! I just found out that the pastor from my old church near Denver is speaking and I'm so excited to hear him talk.

Ok, so without furter ado...... This week's SSSC winner is lucky #13!

Martha - Congrats to you Martha! Please email me with your snail mail and I'll get your goodies out to you soon. Please stop on by Martha's gallery and check out her marvelous treats!

See you back soon!
Karen

key ingredients challenge

Hello again! It's the 20th and that means it's time for another Key Ingredients Challenge from Taylored Expressions. You are absolutely going to fall in love with the September Key Ingredients - Taylor has yet again picked out some amazing papers and embellishments for you! This month's patterned paper is Kitchen Spice from Bo Bunny and all I can say about it is YUMM-OH!!

Our challenge this month is to get inspired by the name of the Kitchen Spice paper and the required element is distressing. Fun, no?

So I've been pondering all week, what to make, what to make... hmmm. You see, I'm not in my kitchen a whole bunch - my amazing husband does all the cooking, so I pretty much have clean up duty. Then it dawned on me - I have candles in my kitchen. The yummy spice kind of candles, mmmmmm! So I ran out and got a new candle called Macintosh Spice and there you have it, my spice theme. This year my family is travelling to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving and I thought it would be nice to take a little thank you gift to our family who is hosting. I decorated this little tag for the candle with chipboard and buttons {included in the Key Ingredients} and inked the edges with Tea Dye Distressing Ink. I used some ribbon from the kit to tie the tag around the neck of the candle. I used the same elements to make a coordinating card and added some of this adorable vine ribbon - cute!

You can sign up to receive the monthly Key Ingredients Kit for as low as $14.95 a month, plus shipping, so you can't beat that incredible deal!

Would you like to participate in this month's theme challenge? Hop on over to Taylor's blog and check out all the details.

You can see more fantastic samples for our Kitchen Spice challenge from Charmaine Ikach, Sharon Harnist, Taylor VanBruggen, Laura Fredrickson, Jodi Collins, and Donna Baker.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen


recipe -
stamps: lots of thoughts (stampin' up!)
paper: prism frosted teal, prism suede brown dark, choice buttercream card stock, kitchen spice patterned paper (bo bunny)
ink: chocolate chip, tea dye distressing ink (ranger)
accessories: ribbon, chipboard, buttons - from the september key ingredients; rectangle/scallop & oval/scallop nestabilities (spellbinders), sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals

sweet sunday sketch challenge #36

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use Mr. Linky down at the end of my post to enter your card. On Thursday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog. So, as long as your card is linked in the Mr. Linky box by 10 PM Thursday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC36 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

I'll be honest with you - I was having a very difficult time with this sketch! To get my creative juices flowing, I decided to pull out my old favorite paper, Maine Blueberries, and start from there. I remembered I had the Sizzlits Little Leaves and put that on one of the tilted panels. Now I needed to find a square sentiment and this little Many Thanks from Lots of Thoughts saved me!

I have an exciting announcement - starting this week, you will have lots more inspiration! I'd like to introduce the Sweet Sunday Stampers:

Jennifer Tapler

Karen Motz

Laura Fredrickson

Lynn Put

Nancy Riley

Sarah-Jane Kale'

Vicki Burdick

So in honor of this fantastic addition to the SSSC, I would like to give away a little candy. Up for grabs is an assortment of coordinating 12x12 paper and embellishments to suit all of your autumn papercrafting needs!

Have fun and good luck!
Karen

recipe -

stamps: lots of thoughts

paper: bashful blue, not quite navy, whisper white card stock, maine blueberries dsp

ink: chocolate chip

accessories: 1/2" library clips, flower brads, 5-petal punch, sizzlits little leaves, circle & circle scallop nestabilities, stampin' dimensionals

sweet sunday sketch winner

I have really loved looking at all of your cards this week - you all have amazing talent and it was such a treat to see them! Are you ready to see who has won new treats from Clear & Simple Stamps???

It's Teneale Williams!!! I was just blown away by Teneale's baby card - LOVED the background stamped at an angle and had a complete "Why didn't I think of that?" moment.


Congratulations, Teneale! Please e-mail me and I'll get you set up.

Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you back Sunday for the next challenge.
Karen

party princess

It seems like my daughter is invited to birthday parties every week these days and the majority of them are princess parties. Seems the be the popular theme with first graders this year, lol! When I saw this little ballerina in Trick or Sweet II, I just knew I could use it for all things fairy princess! I stamped this cute little cuppie in Memento Rich Cocoa and then colored it with Copic Markers and cut it out with a circle Nestabilities die. To add that special fairy princess charm, I used Diamond & Cotton Candy Stickles on the tutu and wand. I lightly sponged the birthday sentiment with Pretty In Pink ink and popped it up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day -
Karen



recipe -
stamps: trick or sweet 2, sweet celebration
ink: memento rich cocoa
paper: pretty in pink, whisper white cardstock, retired su dsp
accessories: copic markers, circle/scallop nestabilities, diamond/cotton candy stickles, regal rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals

fan club gallery

Hiya! September's Splitcoaststampers fan club Gallery is now online. Not a fan club member? Click here to find out how you can join the club and have access to exclusive tutorials and projects.

Here's a little peek at one of my projects :)