New Stamp: Goody-Goody Gum Drops:

Easy back for a scalloped card...

Free Idea Book with Online Purchase

From February 1-April 30, 2009, we're introducing new customers to Stampin' Up! by promoting our award-winning Idea Book & Catalogue. To receive a free idea book, customers must:

1. Place an online order during the promotional period
2. Select a demonstrator

There is no minimum order amount required, so anyone can take advantage of this offer.

Existing customers can also receive a free idea book with the same requirements.

Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer Catalog

Download the current catalogue here or click the catalogue image on my webpage (to the right). It is a large download (over 200pgs) so be patient!

Below are images from the sampler to see some of what is new and fabulous!

IMPORTANT: supply lists for projects featured in the catalog are no longer at the back of the catalog, but are available here... I just love the ideas are almost like recipes - cute and easy to follow!!!

Photo Mania

october ’08 spread (8" x 8")
Full Calendar set; Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy, Really Rust, and Very Vanilla
textured card stock; On Board Timeless Type; VersaMark® pad; Clear Stampin’
Emboss® powder; Button Latte; Stampin’ Dimensionals; Photo Corners and 1-3/8"
Circle punches; crochet thread

Puzzled by too many photos? A few dos and don’ts can help you fit the pieces together perfectly.

When you put together a jigsaw puzzle, no matter how many pieces you have, they all fit neatly together to form a complete picture. Unfortunately, scrapbooking is rarely that way! Sometimes
trying to fit more than three pictures on a scrapbook page can feel like trying to put together a puzzle with too many pieces. Here are some dos and don'ts for fitting your photos perfectly into the puzzle and creating beautiful and memorable scrapbook pages.

DO use photos with uniform color, even if they’re from different events. Using photographs with similar color schemes is less confusing for the eye and allows you to focus more on the
photographs themselves instead of clashing color schemes.

DO let your photos decide the color scheme of your layout. In our samples, the blues, browns, and oranges in the photos coordinate with the Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, and Very Vanilla textured card stock. The harmonious color scheme allows the pictures to be the focal point instead of getting lost in a myriad of colors.

DON’T use too many patterns. When you use a lot of photos, you want them—not your beautiful patterned papers— to be the focal point of your page. While patterned papers work great for
scrapbook pages with only one or two photos, if you’re putting three or more photos on a page, patterned papers only work to distract from the photos.

DO keep your photo sizes and shapes uniform. If you’re using more than three photos, it’s a good idea to have one large photo that can work as the focal point of the page and then two additional photos that are uniform (or at least similar) in size and shape. In our spread, the family photo is the focal point of the page, while the additional two photos work as accents. When you look at the page, your eyes naturally go to the largest photo first—the focal point—and then move on to the other smaller, less prominent photos (the accents).

If you don’t want one particular photo to be the focal point, then make all your photos the same size and shape. On the right side of our layout, using three same-sized photos lets your eyes move evenly over the page without distraction. tip: When working with more than four photos, using punches such as our 1-3/8" Square punch or 1-3/4" Circle punch will help you keep them uniform in size and shape.

DO balance your layouts. If you’re using a large number of photos on one side of your layout (four or more), keep your layout balanced by only using one or two photos on the other side.

DON’T go overboard with the embellishments. When scrapbooking with multiple photos on a page, keep embellishments to a minimum.

If you want to use an accent, use only one or two large pieces as they will be less distracting. In our layout, the embellishments blend into the background (a few Chocolate Chip circles, a Really Rust line, some chipboard, and a Chocolate Chip button) and do not overpower the photos themselves.

DO use uniform spaces to do your journaling. If you have a lot of photos, consider making your journaling area the same size as the photos. For example, if you do a checkerboard layout, your photos can make up the “black” squares and your journaling can make up the “white” squares.
Following these basic dos and don’ts will allow you to scrapbook multiple photos on a page in a way that is visually pleasing and uncluttered, resulting in a beautifully put-together puzzle!

Hope that helps a little...

circle scissor plus - the next generation in circle cutting

You’ll be dancing in all kinds of circles once you see what the new Cutter Bee® Circle Scissor® Plus can do. You might be thinking, “Why do I need another circle cutter when I’ve got my Coluzzle®?” For some projects, your Coluzzle Cutting System might be the way to go—but
we’ll show you why the Circle Scissor Plus is also a must-have for your stamping tool kit.

For starters, with the Circle Scissor Plus, all you have to do is turn a handle. The V-shaped blade allows for cutting in both directions, and the gripper base ensures that the cutter stays still. In one fluid motion, the Circle Scissor Plus cuts all the way around your circle. You won’t have to worry about awkward hand placement, templates shifting, the blade jumping track, or stopping halfway through to reposition.

In addition, the Circle Scissor Plus can cut circles of any size up to six inches. You’re not constrained by increments—you decide the size. It also cuts circles smaller than two inches. On top of that, try it out for cutting rings of any width like we did on our 14 card below. When it comes to rings, the Circle Scissor Plus will be with you through thick and thin.

Other important product information for the Circle Scissor Plus:
• Comes with one replacement blade, which stores in the top of the handle.
• Cuts one sheet of card stock or Designer Series paper at a time.
• Has a see-through body that allows for precise photo cutting.
• Includes a pen/pencil tool for drawing circles (works great with Stampin’ Write® markers!).
• Is compact and lightweight for portability.

Contact me to find out the benefits of purchasing the Circle Scissor Plus from me instead of a craft store.

Tips for Using the Circle Scissor Plus:
• The gripper base is not sized to fully grip the edges of anything smaller than six inches, and you may find your smaller pieces of paper spinning around instead of cutting. To cut paper smaller than six inches, lightly tack it to the glass mat using SNAIL Adhesive®.
• For best results, use with a glass mat. Glass mats allow the blade to “float” across the cutting surface for a cleaner, better cut. (We recommend the Cutter Bee Glass Mat. It provides the smoothest cuts.)
• The Circle Scissor Plus works most smoothly when you’re standing up. This helps distribute the weight and pressure on the cutter evenly, resulting in the cleanest cut and most perfect circle.
• Cutting rings can be a little tricky, but it takes only a little practice to master. When cutting rings, cut the smaller circle, or the center of the ring, first, and then don’t move the cutter! Make sure it stays in place while you adjust the size for the outside circle of your ring, and then cut again. Keeping the cutter in place the whole time is the key to getting radical rings.

We miss you Fritz!

My nephew Theo and I had a very special weekend a while back where we worked on a memorial book for our family pet that passed away. I finally finished and photographed it to send off to my sister. She has his pedigree certificates and first vet visits etc to slide into the pockets.A memorial in loving memory:

Named: Broomacres Undercover Fritz Broswick
Born: May 3, 1997
Died: March 7, 2008

It just not feel like that amount of time has passed - when I go see mom I still think he is going to run to the door and greet me.

A Wedding Present

I made this just before I left Whitehorse but wanted to show you before I give to my cousin and his new wife. I think it is so romantic and love the purse shape. I was inspired by my online buddy Patty but changed it up to suite what I was doing. Hope you like it!!! This is the outside:These are the inside pages...The last page shows the inset pages that are throughout the album - hidden journaling or more pictures or a menu??? So many options.