Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Last chance for the Simply Amazing kit promotion and Online Spectacular sale!



Hello!

Just a quick post to let you know that today is the last day to shop the fabulous deals going on in Stampin' Up!'s Online Spectacular sale, saving you up to 50% on popular products!  Click HERE to see all the deals!  Remember that online orders of $150 or more get free shipping, in addition to the regular awesome hostess benefits!

Also ending after today is the Simply Amazing kit promotion.. what a perfect gift for you or someone else!  Check out the price breakdown HERE!

Feel free to email me at melissahuie@gmail.com if you have any questions.  Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

"About a Boy" challenge layout

Hello!

It's been a little while, but I've been busy trying to prepare for the holidays!  :)  My Dad and my stepmom will be coming down here tomorrow and spending Thanksgiving with us.  I'll try to make this a fairly quick post, as I need to get back to getting ready!

I finally finished my layout for the About a Boy challenge over at one of my favorite hangouts, the Memory Makers forum.  There's still time to play (needs to be uploaded by the end of today), so you should give it a try! Check the thread out here for details.

So, many of you know that my fiancé Seth and I have been together for quite a while.. it'll be 9 years in February.  My, how time flies!  I've never actually done a layout like this before, just about him.


The challenge included using a technique from the new PageMaps book by Becky Fleck - creating a faux notebook edge.  It took a little time, but I like how it turned out!

I created my background with the En Français retired background stamp, with VersaMark on Early Espresso textured cardstock, then sewed around the page with my sewing machine and white thread.  After creating the notebook edge at the top, I stamped the image from Lovely as a Tree (stamped off on scratch paper first to make it a shade lighter) with Crumb Cake on the textured Whisper White cardstock.

Here's a close-up of the journaling:  (it's a little mushy!)


I really love how that little border under the photo looks!  It was easy to create using just four punch-outs from the Decorative Label Punch (which is on sale as part of the Handmade Holiday bundles at SU!).. I trimmed the side edges and taped them together on the back.

The tag on the side is from the Table Setting Bigz XL die (which is also on sale!).  I punched a hole in it and threaded some Linen Thread through.  I did leave my chipboard letters raw, as I felt it added to the overall look of the page.  What do you think?

Here are a couple more close-up shots...



Well, I must go.. don't forget to check out the challenge!  And don't forget about the items on sale in the Stampin' Up! store.  They would all make great gifts!  :)

Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm grateful that you stopped by my blog!

"heart" layout supplies:
Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, French Foliage, En Français (retired)
Ink:  Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, VersaMark
Paper:  Early Espresso, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, and Soft Suede cardstock, Green Tea Designer Series Paper (retired)
Accessories/Tools:  Antique Brads, Neutrals Designer Button, Antique Trinkets (safety pin), Timeless Type On Board Chipboard Letters, Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaler, Stampin' Sponges, Decorative Label and Heart-to-Heart Punches, Crop-a-dile, Table Setting Bigz XL die, sewing machine and thread, Big Shot

Monday, November 22, 2010

A simply amazing deal!


Through November 30th, you can get the Starter Kit at 50% off.. yes, that's right - get over $300 worth of items for only $87.50, plus free shipping!

Want to know what you're getting in this incredible deal?  This awesome breakdown was provided by my demo friend, Lyssa Zwolanek (thanks, Lyssa!):

Here's what is in the CUSTOMIZABLE Standard Kit and the value of each:

1. Any $33.95 or lower Stamp Set
2. Any $28.95 or lower Stamp Set
3. Any $18.95 or lower Stamp Set
4. Any $9.95 or lower Stamp Set

Before we go on, note that the $87.50 kit cost has already paid for the 4 sets above valued at $91.80.  That means EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS FREE!!!!!!

5. $19.95 Brights Patterns Designer Series paper stack (OR color of your choice) FREE

6. $16.95 Stampin’ Scrub® FREE

7. $8.95 Whisper White 5/8" satin ribbon (OR ribbon at the same or lower price) FREE

8. $8.95 VersaMark® pad (OR ink pad at the same or lower price) FREE

9. $8.50 Card stock 8-1/2" x 11" (Whisper White OR color of your choice) FREE

10. $7.95 Small Chocolate Songbird Tile Décor Elements® (OR Décor Elements item at the same or lower price) FREE

11. $6.95 Assorted color card stock 8-1/2" x 11" (Getting Started OR assortment of your choice) FREE

12. $6.95 Clear Block C (OR clear block at the same or lower price) FREE

13. $6.95 SNAIL Adhesive® (OR adhesive at the same or lower price) FREE

14. $6.50 Fast Flowers Stampin’ Around® wheel (OR standard wheel of your choice) FREE

15. $5.95 Stampin’ Around Self Inking Handle (standard) FREE

16. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

17. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

18. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

19. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

20. $5.25 Uninked Cartridge (standard) FREE

21. $4.50 Stampin’ Mist® (OR StazOn® Cleaner) FREE

22. $3.95 Stampin’ Dimensionals® FREE

23. $3.50 Stampin’ Write® marker (color of your choice) FREE

24. $3.50 Stampin’ Write® marker (color of your choice) FREE

25. $3.32 Blender pen (single) FREE

26. $2.95 Marina Mist Classic Ink Refill (OR color of your choice) FREE

27. $1.95 Décor Elements Applicator Tool FREE

28. $1.17 Stamping sponge (single) FREE

29. Catalogs ($29.95 for 8), business forms, and other printed materials to get your business off to a great start! FREE


And were you thinking about getting My Digital Studio, maybe for Christmas?  Here’s what is in the CUSTOMIZABLE Digital + Kit and the value of each:

1. $79.95 My Digital Studio™ software* (see description of this product below)

2. $8.50 Card stock 8-1/2" x 11" (Whisper White OR color of your choice)

Before we go on, note that the $87.50 kit cost has paid for the My Digital Studio software & card stock above. That means EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS FREE!!!!!!

3. Any $26.95 or lower Stamp Set FREE

4. Any $18.95 or lower Stamp Set FREE

5. Any $7.95 or lower Stamp Set FREE

6. $16.95 Stampin’ Scrub® FREE

7. $8.95 Brights Designer buttons FREE

8. $7.95 Small Chocolate Songbird Tile Décor Elements® (OR Décor Elements item at the same or lower price) FREE

9. $6.95 Clear Block C (OR clear block at the same or lower price) FREE

10. $6.95 Assorted color card stock 8-1/2" x 11" (Getting Started OR assortment of your choice) FREE

11. $6.95 SNAIL Adhesive® (OR adhesive at the same or lower price FREE

12. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

13. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

14. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

15. $5.95 Classic Stampin’ Pad® (color of your choice) FREE

16. $4.95 Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (OR ribbon at the same or lower price) FREE

17. $4.95 Glue Dots® FREE

18. $4.50 Stampin’ Mist® (OR StazOn® Cleaner) FREE

19. $3.95 Stampin’ Dimensionals® FREE

20. $3.50 Stampin’ Write® marker (color of your choice) FREE

21. $3.50 Stampin’ Write® marker (color of your choice) FREE

22. $1.95 Décor Elements Applicator Tool FREE

23. Catalogs ($29.95 for 8), business forms, and other printed materials to get your business off to a great start! FREE

Seen enough?  Email me today at melissahuie@gmail.com and I'll get you hooked up and answer any questions you have about being a hobby or business demo, our low quarterly minimums, and what happens if you don't decide to stick with it.  Or, if you're already convinced, just go to http://melissahuie.stampinup.net and click on Join Now.  My authorization password is "fluffy3" and the whole process will only take you about twenty minutes total if you already know what you want in your kit!

A spectacular sale!


Don't you just love a sale?  I definitely do!!

For 9 days only (through November 30th), save up to 50% on your favorite products!  And, online orders through my website of $150 merchandise or more get free shipping!

There is truly something for everyone, even the digi-scrappers!  :)

Check out this PDF here for a list of all the discounted products and prices, then RUN over to my website! :)  Get your Christmas shopping done early, or pick up a few goodies for yourself with these fabulous deals!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!  Have a great day!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Winter Post Greetings

Hello!

One of my all-time favorite stamp sets has been Winter Post.  It seems that I've been on a vintage kick lately, but I think it really started when Winter Post was released.  :)

I used Mojo Monday's sketch this week to create my card..


Yes, yes.. the Music Notes wheel again.. which, by the way, makes two appearances on this card. :)   I love it!  The Very Vanilla cardstock on the left was stamped twice with the Music Notes wheel and Always Artichoke ink, then adhered to the right of the Love Letter Designer Series Paper.  The center Early Espresso piece was stamped with the retired French Script background stamp, then sewn onto the card front.  To get the really light impression on the sentiment piece, I inked up the wheel with my Crumb Cake ink pad, then rolled it on scratch paper before going over the Very Vanilla cardstock.

I stamped the ice skaters over some snowflakes (which were stamped with the same technique as above to get a lighter shade of ink) on a 1-3/4" circle, which was then layered on a 2" circle die-cut with the Circles #2 die.  Notice the little hint of shimmer on the female skater?  I filled in her hat and gloves with a little Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink.  It's so pretty and has such a subtle shimmer!

Of course, to finish off the card, I needed to also add some of my favorite embellishments, the Basic Rhinestone Jewels.  :)

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great day!

Winter Post Greetings card supplies:
Stamps:  Winter Post, Snow Swirled, French Script (retired)
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, and Always Artichoke
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, and Old Olive cardstock, Love Letter Designer Series Paper
Accessories/Tools:  Music Notes Wheel, Basic Rhinestone Jewels, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Circles #2 Originals die, Big Shot, sewing machine and thread

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

My inspiration board!

Hello!

I've had this pretty bulletin board for a while, having wanted to create an "inspiration board" of sorts and finding the board at a craft store on clearance.  I wanted to incorporate Stampin' Up!'s decorative line in somehow, originally planning on using a stencil.  I couldn't decide what stencil to use, though. ;)

I adore the Upsy Daisy DE, and realized it would look perfect on the board.  I simply cut it down to create the look I wanted before applying.  It literally took me a couple of minutes to prepare and apply it to the bulletin board!  (Just to let you know, the daisies aren't as blinding white in real life as they are in the pictures.  LOL - I really think the pictures don't do this much justice!)


Next, I cut out the letters to spell "create" out of chipboard and using the Simple Letters Bigz dies.  I then cut the letters out of Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper and adhered it to the chipboard using the Anywhere Glue Stick (love this for covering chipboard).  I inked the letters with Whisper White Craft ink, then added them to the board with Stampin' Dimensionals.  Of course, I also had to use my Music Notes wheel on my Old Olive punched borders.  :)  The group of scrunched flowers was the finishing touch!

Here are some close-up shots of the two corners:



Of course, the board is "naked" at the moment... I'm going to work on making some altered push pins and clothespins and start hanging things received from friends and inspirational photos, etc.  I also might add some other things to the actual design of the board, but you get the idea. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Inspiration bulletin board supplies:
Stamps:  Music Notes wheel
Ink:  VersaMark ink, Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad
Paper:  Old Olive cardstock, Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper, Thoroughly Modern DSP (retired)
Accessories/Tools:  Upsy Daisy White Décor Elements vinyl, On Board Long Board chipboard, Simple Letters Bigz dies, Eyelet Border and 1-3/8" Scallop Circle Punches, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Circle Designer Brads (retired), Big Shot

Friday, November 5, 2010

Vintage Mojo Rosette

Happy Friday!

I naturally gravitate towards autumnal colors, so this week's color combination challenge (using Peach Parfait, Early Espresso and Cajun Craze) at Splitcoaststampers kept jumping out in my mind.  I combined it with this week's Mojo Monday sketch to create my card...


This is definitely a card that you couldn't fit in a regular envelope, but that just makes it so much more fun! :)

I created my background by rolling the Very Vintage jumbo wheel across the cardstock several times, using my Wheel Guide to allow me to fill the background nicely.  I then stitched two pieces of Chantilly Lace Trim together using a zig-zag stitch, and stitched that to the background.

I then sprayed some Log Cabin Smooch Spritz over the Newsprint Designer Series Paper, using the Mostly Vintage mask to create a pretty pattern on the DSP.  Two layers of pleated Waffle Paper make for a pretty treatment at the top, which was then topped off with a piece of Cajun Craze (stamped with the Music Notes wheel) punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.  I had scored the Cajun Craze piece and folded it over the top of the panel, then tied a piece of Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon around it.

The butterfly shows off our fun cork, which cuts beautifully in the Big Shot.  This butterfly was die-cut using the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, then I tied some Linen Thread around to create the body and antenna.  I added some Basic Rhinestone Jewels to the body as well.

I just love the way the rosette turned out!  It's a spiral piece die-cut with the Table Setting Bigz XL die, which I rolled into the rosette shape, starting at one end of the spiral.  The die-cut actually creates a bigger rosette, but I trimmed it a little to make it small enough for my card.  I spritzed the rosette with Log Cabin Smooch Spritz as well, then bent the petals down a little. I then sponged it with Early Espresso ink before adding the three Basic Rhinestone Jewels.

Ok, the last part of the card is the sentiment tag, which I created by layering the Decorative Label punch-out and a die-cut from the Lots of Tags Sizzlits die set.  Don't you think they layer perfectly?

Well, hope I explained it all well enough. :)  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Vintage Rosette card supplies:
Stamps:  Occasional Quotes
Ink:  Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad, VersaMark ink
Paper:  Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Peach Parfait, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper
Accessories/Tools:  Basic Rhinestone Jewels, Chantilly Lace Trim, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Linen Thread, Cork Sheet, Early Espresso Waffle Paper, Mostly Vintage mask, Music Notes Wheel, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel, Eyelet Border and Decorative Label Punches, Lots of Tags Sizzlits die set, Table Setting Bigz XL die, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Stampin' Sponges, Big Shot, sewing machine and vanilla thread

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Winner of November's Paper Crafters Sampler!

Congratulations to the winner of November's issue of Paper Crafters Sampler... Jenn!

Jenn - I'll be contacting Melanie with your email address.  Enjoy your free issue!  :)

If you didn't win, don't despair!  You can still subscribe to this wonderful resource by clicking here and noting the code PCSMH!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Paper Crafters Sampler November Giveaway!

Hi!

So as some of you might know, I'm on the design team for Paper Crafters Sampler.  If you haven't heard about it, Paper Crafters Sampler is an online crafting resource that helps you get the most out of your Stampin' Up! products, and where you will find 8-10 wonderful projects each month.

This month, each of us is giving away a free issue!  Simply leave a comment on this post telling me about a favorite family tradition.  Please leave a comment before midnight today to qualify, and it's open to everyone.  Yay!  :)


Here's a sneak peek of my project in this month's issue, which will be released on November 10th:


Remember, if you subscribe to Paper Crafters Sampler, be sure to note my referral code, which is PCSMH.

Have a fabulous day!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

An elegant wedding card

Hi!

One of my favorite new sentiment stamp sets is Occasional Quotes, which is a Level 3 Hostess set.  You can earn it for free with a qualifying workshop... or, if you were a demonstrator, you could have pre-ordered it in June (LOVE that perk)!  Just keep that last part in mind, because think of what kinds of goodies SU! will have next catalog, and you could always join my team...  :)

Anyway, so back to the sentiments!  This one goes very well with the images from the Artistic Etchings stamp set...


Let me tell you how much I adore that Music Notes wheel.. I'm sure you're tired of hearing about that!  If you don't have it... well, why not??  It makes the perfect background, as you can see here.  And if you use stamp wheels, you'll definitely want to use them with the Stampin' Around Wheel Guide, which will make your wheeling life so much easier. :)

I stamped the Eiffel Tower with VersaMark, then heat embossed with Black Stampin' Emboss powder, then stamped the rest as you can see above.  The bow is a little different than usual - I've seen around here and there little doubled bows, and wanted to try it out, too.  I created mine here by tying a bow in the Very Vanilla Seam Binding, then taking another piece and tying another bow around that one, then finished it off with an Antique Brad.  Pretty, eh?  And perfect for a wedding card.

My ruffle was created by punching a strip of Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper (it has beautiful glossy accents) with the Scallop Edge punch, then folding it here and there to create random ruffles before adhering it to the card.  The rhinestones create the perfect finish there at the top!

Thanks for stopping by!  I have something special planned for tomorrow, so be sure to come back and see!  :)

Wedding card supplies:
Stamps:  Occasional Quotes, Artistic Etchings
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad, VersaMark ink
Paper:  Basic Black, Naturals Ivory, Very Vanilla, and Old Olive cardstock, Love Letter Designer Series Paper, Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series paper
Accessories/Tools:  Music Notes Wheel, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Antique Brad, Basic Rhinestone Jewels, Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Stampin' Around Wheel Guide, Scallop Edge Punch

Monday, November 1, 2010

Giveaway winner!

Hello!

Thanks everyone for visiting me over the weekend and leaving comments!  :)

Random.org says the winner is...
...Serene!  Congrats, Serene!

Did you all know that November is National Blog Posting Month?  Well, I've decided to challenge myself to post on my blog every weekday (Monday-Friday) this month.  Just a fun challenge to get myself blogging more!  :)

I'll be back later!  Thanks for stopping by!