Trendy Earrings

Won't this add a twist to my sister's jewelry making? I got her started on making jewelry a few years ago and I created a monster. She refuses to get involved with stamping because she knows she'll become addicted to it, too. Well, this is the first pair of earrings I've made since I started stamping 2-1/2 years ago. I got the inspiration for them at Convention during one of the General Sessions. Why don't I ever think of this stuff? Anyway, they were really easy to make and if you want the directions, just shoot me an email. Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.

Josie

This little Altoids tin...

This little Altoids tin was supposed to be my business card holder once I got it finished, but guess what? The business cards are a hair too long for it. Talk about the best laid plans...and I thought I'd be saving myself some money by not buying an expensive holder. It is just like me to not think things all the way through. So I had to quickly decide what I could do with this once I learned my cards wouldn't fit in it. It would make a cute little paper clip holder for my desk, don't you think?

It was so easy to do. I traced the top and bottom of the box on DSP and cut them out. I used sticky strip to adhere them to the tin. Then I cut a half inch strip to go around the bottom of the box, just below the hinges in the back. I again used stick strip to adhere this. I sanded the edges on the bottom with a sander. Then I used sticky strip to adhere the ribbon around the edges of the top. I cut out flowers from the dsp and stuck them on using dimensionals, added a pearl to the top one and used card stock for the leaves. I used the Tea Party dsp, almost amethyst card stock, rose 1/4" ribbon, dimensionals, sticky strip, and a pearl from the Petty's Kit. It will make a nice desk top accessory.

I still need a card holder for my business cards! I guess I'll have to get one of those expensive ones...darn. :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Josie

Friendship Card & One Convention Photo

Here is a photo of me sitting at one of the reserved demonstrator tables at Stampin' Up!'s home office in Riverton. I felt special because I've never been any where and found a reserved table for me! Stampin' Up! really treats its demonstrators like members of the family. Of all the direct sales companies I've ever worked for, I've never had one make me feel like I really matter, until I found Stampin' Up! It is nice to know that they aren't only concerned with what I can do for them. They are genuinely concerned with what they can do for me as a demonstrator too.

The other photo is of a card I made with the Wings of Friendship hostess set from Stampin' Up! I love this stamp set because there are so many things you can do with it. You can cut out the flowers and bird wing and pop them up, add glitter, or even color the bird, flowers and flourish different colors with the stampin' write markers for a totally different effect. Here I went totally monochromatic using the tone on tone technique. I used tempting turquoise and very vanilla paper and ink, along with a piece of very vanilla taffeta ribbon. I added a little dazzling diamonds glitter here and there and...voila! A beautiful card for my best friend.

I really like the tone on tone technique. It takes little thought and I think it looks so elegant. You know the old saying, less is more, and the older I get the more I believe that.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...

Josie

Back from Convention

I arrived back from convention Sunday evening after a week of fun and excitement in Salt Lake City, UT. This was my first Stampin Up! convention and definitely not my last! I've only been home a little over 24 hours and I have already marked next year's convention on my calendar.

Convention was a fun-filled learning experience where I forged new friendships that I know will last forever. I hardly knew the two ladies I traveled with at the start of our nine hour road trip from Colorado Springs, but by the end I felt like I'd known them forever. I also met and became friends with my 3rd room mate who is originally from Iceland but now lives in Hawaii.

Convention started with an early wake up on Wednesday so we could all get over to the convention center for the opening of Memento Mall. We waited in line for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours but once inside we learned it was definitely worth the wait. Later Wednesday afternoon we visited Stampin Up!'s Riverton campus for a self guided tour of the facility. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. On the way back to SLC we made a side trip to IKEA. I'd been to IKEA before when I was stationed in Germany in the 80's but hadn't been to one since. It brought back excellent memories and...great prices! Got a lot of nice organizational items for my stamping office.

Thursday morning started with another early wake up so we would get good seats for the Opening General Session of the convention. The excitement continued to escalate until the doors for the first general session finally opened at 7:45 a.m. to 3,000 pumped up women. As we made our way to our seats, music continued to play until Shelli Gardner made her first appearance on stage at 8:30. There was dancing in the aisles and much singing and laughter as we awaited her arrival. It was hard not to get caught up in all of the excitement

Friday and Saturday was much of the same and I was sad to see convention end on Saturday afternoon.

I got home about 6:00 p.m on Sunday evening and spent yesterday unpacking, catching up on laundry, working on my stamping business and getting some much needed sleep.

I've posted photos of the long line for Memento Mall. I'll post more photos as the week progresses.

Thanks for stopping by.

Josie

Convention Swap and Gifts

I've never been to a Stampin' Up! Convention, but people tell me to go armed with gifts for room mates, swaps and business cards. So...these are what I came up with. I hope they're good enough and people will want to swap with me. I had fun making these, but I do detest remaking the same card over and over and over.

For the top note box I used retired dsp and cs and I hope that is okay. The color is pacific point and the dsp is Morning Sunshine. I have tons of retired paper that I need to get rid of. Of course I used the top note die for the Big Shot.

The card stock for the card is whisper white and regal rose (one of my favorite pinks). I used the Backgrounds 1 texturz plate for the background on the white and white satin ribbon. I think it is pretty and was quite pleased with myself that I thought this up all on my own.

Any questions? Please email me.

Thanks for looking.

Josie

The Bride and Groom

Mixed Feelings

Ican't believe time has flown by so quickly and that it has been more than 2 months since my last post. I find myself with mixed feelings because summer vacation is almost over for me as I go back to work in two weeks. We start school before Labor Day in Colorado. My feelings are mixed because I'm disappointed that I didn't get as much stamping done as planned, but I also feel proud that I've accomplished a great deal this summer.

I got out of school the second to last week of May. My mom arrived to help finish the final details for my daughter's wedding which took place on June 20th. She stayed with us for a month. Mom and I baked approximately 8 dozen of 13 different kinds of cookies for the wedding. Definitely a regional tradition for weddings. I hail from northeastern Ohio and cookies at weddings aren't usually done in Colorado. Everyone that attended enjoyed the "dessert bar" and the owners of the reception hall said they are seriously considering adding such a thing to their list of items provided. I told them I was definitely NOT INTERESTED in providing that service for them! :)

It rained the day of the wedding, but I believe it was my dad who passed away 5 years ago, crying for joy on his only granddaughter's ( his little princess) wedding day. The ceremony was beautiful, if I do say so myself. I haven't seen two people so deeply in love and passionate about each other in a long time. The date of the wedding would also have been my parent's 56th wedding anniversary and the officiant did a wonderful job in bringing us all to tears as he wove that event into his talk on this special day.

The week after the wedding was activity packed as I had 10 house guests staying with us. We did a lot of sight seeing locally and even managed to get in some white water rafting on the Arkansas River. That was something I had always wanted to do, and if it weren't for my young and adventurous niece and nephew, it probably wouldn't have happened. But feeling it was part of my duty to participate as a good host, my husband and I participated int he event. It was pretty scary at first getting the safety briefing. I even remember literally crying and saying "I don't want to do this!" But I caved to peer pressure and, let me tell you...I'd do it again in a heart beat!. In the photo, I am the one sitting in the second row in the middle between my husband and daughter, holding on tightly. I opted not to row. I am glad I had the option. My daughter almost fell out. The water was frigid, but it was a BLAST!

A week after company left, I flew home to Ohio for a week to spend with my sister and Mom who had just returned from Colorado. (We have a very close family connection.) I got to visit my other nephew's new child, Gino, who is only 4 months old. I can't get over how much he looks like his daddy and I cried when I held him. I got in a good rest after all of the other activities just in time to get home and...

redecorate my daughter's old bedroom. I turned it into my stamping room. If you've ever stripped wallpaper, and ripped up wall-to-wall carpeting, you know how much work it was to get started. It took about a week to complete from beginning to end. I repainted it, added a few of Stampin Up!'s home decore to the walls, got myself a flat screen tv and a new leather love seat. My hubby and I find ourselves fighting over who gets to watch tv in there at night. The love seat is for him to keep me company while I sit in my stamping chair.

It was only this week that I actually got to sit at my desk and make a few things which I'll post in another entry today. I wanted to let you guys know what my summer has been like and to apologize for neglecting this thing that I love...stamping.

Oh, and next week I'm going to Stampin' Up!'s convention in Utah. The week after I return I head back to work for another fun filled school year!

Josie

P.S. I've added some pics of the happy bride and groom and white water rafting.