Don't Miss Your Opportunity!

This is just a quick note to remind you that I'm taking orders this week for a virtual workshop--and one of you can get the hostess benefits from it! Everyone who places an order of $25 or more can get their name in the drawing for hostess benefits for the total order. If six of you place an order, the winner of the drawing gets a free stamp set and $15 in free merchandise! How cool is that?

And, since Sale-A-Bration ends on March 31, this is your last chance to place a $50 order or more and get still more FREE stamp sets, punches or paper. If you place a $50 order for this virtual workshop, you'll get TWO tickets in the hostess drawing. Feel free to browse my web site, http://harmonyshouse.stampinup.net, for a look at all our fabulous stamps and papers.

Email me or call me with your order as soon as you can. I'll be placing the order on Sunday.

A Swap Sneak Peak

Thought I'd share a sneak peek of the card I'm bringing to trade, or swap, with other demonstrators as the SU Regional Seminar in Milwaukee in April. I was looking for clean and pretty, a note card that could be used for literally anything. I found it in this combination of bright and vintage colors, using the smaller flower stamp from the Vintage Vogue set out of the Mini Occasions catalog.

Stamp Set: Vintage Vogue
Cardstocks: Elegant Eggplant, Sahara Sand, Whisper White.
Tools: Scallop Trim punch, Scallop Square punch
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Razzleberry, and Brilliant Blue

I really like the look of the Scallop Trim punch; it offers a lacy edge to the center strip. You could use this layout in multiple ways. If you shift the strip up or down, you can add a sentiment. You could also turn this card the other direction, and add a sentiment to the right of the strip. It's an enormously versatile layout that you can use to build dozens of designs from.

Think they'll like it in Milwaukee? :)

A Niece's Present

I have a niece, Kesinee, about to turn fourteen at the end of the month. Where did that time go?

Well, anyway, I made a chipboard scrapbook journal for her, and covered a small paper mache box in paper from the Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper pack (free with a $50 order)! She likes things with her name on them--since she has an unusual name, she can never find things in stores that are personalized--so I made sure everyone knew this was KESINEE's Scrapbook by adding her name in calligraphy on the front.

I also used the Happy Birthday stamp from the Four Square stamp set, Creamy Caramel Ink, Top Note die for the Big Shot, Scallop Trim punch, and Whisper White cardstock (for the interior). Page one features a big picture of her auntie and uncle--Me and Matt.

New Look for the Blog

...and new specials for March!

This is the last month for Sale-A-Bration, so I've got a little more incentive for you to order this month. In addition to Stampin' Up!'s FABULOUS specials--a free stamp set with every $50 you order!--I'm going to put all orders of $50 or more together this month, and draw one customer's name for all the benefits from the total order!

Just think--your free SAB set, plus a chance at free hostess sets, additional SAB sets, and free merchandise--all the benefits of hosting, without having to clean house. :)

Email or call to place your order today. I'll be drawing and posting the orders on March 28.

To help you out a little, I'm posting new links on the blog to the Sale-A-Bration and Mini-Occasions Catalogs. Enjoy!

Amy

Valentine Stamp Camp, Part II

Oh, we had so much fun at the Valentine Stamp Camp last weekend! Everyone got a bag of goodies when they walked in the door at the Ravine Room of Bethel Baptist Church. This cute stamped bag is a simple brown lunch bag on which I used stamps from the I {Heart} Heart set (the purchase of which will send $2 to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts). I also used that set to make the heart tags on the bag and on the bottled water. Everyone got to write their names on their own bottled water, which made it super easy to keep track of drinks.

We also had several door prizes:

The vase of flowers in the center was one of our featured projects this month. I used Tempting Turquoise Fluttering Butterflies from our Decor Elements line, and burnished them on to simple glass vases I found at the local dollar store. (Hint: If you do this, make sure the sides of the vases are smooth, not faceted.) I added a handful of turquoise glass pebbles in the bottom, and when I added water, the pebbles refracted light in that color all the way through the vase! How neat!

The daisies I picked up locally. I couldn't believe my find when I saw the bouquet had flowers that matched my turquoise. A lucky first-time stamp camper won the drawing for the fragrant and elegant home decor item.

The fishy cards in the front I donated to the church after camp. The fish is made using the ornament punch! It's a fun way to use that punch in a new way.

Finally, one of the three cards we made:


Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts; Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant & Sahara Sand; DSP: The FREE DSP sample pack from the Sale-A-Bration catalog; and the Heart Punch. This is a simple and fun card with a real WOW factor. You won't believe how easy it is to make!

That's it for this week. Look ahead to the next stamp camp: April 17. We'll be making cards and gifts for Moms, Dads and Grads! Details to come.

Peace,

Amy

A Masculine Valentine

For my honey and my nephews, I made a heart card, but not in traditional colors. I'm not the only one thinking this technique works for Valentine's Day; check out Lily's Ink Pad for another version.

Stamp Set: Fundamental phrases.
Cardstocks: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Mellow Moss.
Punch: Modern Label
Ink: Creamy Caramel
Big Shot dies: Heart Embosslits, Top Note

Easy-peasy! Even if you don't have the Big Shot dies or machine, you could do a variation of this card with square layers, punched out hearts, and assorted embellishments. And using the more masculine colors makes this a cinch to use for the men in your life this Valentine's Day!

Feel the love, people.

***

I still have two spots open for Saturday's Stamp Camp! Contact me to reserve your spot.

Favor bags for Valentine's Day

On Saturday, I spent my afternoon with one of my favorite people: My niece, Katie. Katie is getting ready for her first school Valentine's Day, which will celebrate friendship. So I brought my Stampin' Up! stash, Big Shot, and punches to her house to see if we could create fun, friendly valentines.

Well, Katie fell in love with the favor bag we could create with the Big Shot. So we ended up with 20 favor bags, cut from card stock and decorated with stamps, stickers, and other die cut shapes, including the Embosslit Heart of Hearts and Beautiful Wings die shapes.

These fun bags will be filled with small treats, including candy, erasers, and bookmarks for Katie to bring to her new friends at school.

Hey, if I was a six-year-old kindergartner, I'd want one!