Seeing Red

My friend Erin R. recently attended one of my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack sessions, and after making her set of ten vanilla/celery/olive cards decided she wanted to try the same card in white/red/black. We just spent the evening putting the card together in her choice of colour combination as well as coming up with a couple other creative cards. I think they turned out wonderfully - the colours are so crisp and dramatic. Great work Erin!

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Linda H. had the same idea after her attendance at my Stamp-a-Stack, but her vision was the card in shades of blue. I have a soft-spot for Christmas cards in shades of blue, and as a result seven of the past eight years I've sent out blue cards (I seem to continuously have a blue Christmas!) Here is her lovely addition to our Stamp-a-Stack colour family!

*It's great to see how many ways you can modify such a classic card design - keep up the good work everyone, and if you have another colour combination to share please send it in.

Being a Pack-Rat Pays Off

For the past three years I’ve been the Community Representative on Tecumseh’s School Council, which has led me to working on some very interesting projects. It’s a great school - very community and environmentally minded, and there are always lots of innovative fundraisers and events on the go. Recently the Community School program staged a play called “Street Signs”, based on anecdotes collected by students from members of the community, many of them seniors. The night of the performance handmade items donated by members of the Tecumseh community were given out as door prizes. My contribution was a set of 10 Christmas cards in a hand-crafted carrying box, and they’re a great example of why I keep most of the scraps from the many hundreds of pieces of card stock I cut each year.

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The three-layer strip of Vanilla, Old Olive and Certainly Celery card stock that runs horizontally on the card as well as the Certainly Celery rectangle with the embossed snowflake are scraps from my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack class. The circle with the smaller snowflake was punched from scraps of Very Vanilla, and both the handle of the carrying box and its tag embellishment were created using scrap as well. What a great way to recycle bits of card stock that might otherwise end up in the blue box and cut down on the supply cost per card at the same time! Take it from a consummate pack-rat… you really can find a good use for many of the things you just can’t bring yourself to throw out!

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Mailing the Cards & Getting a Latte

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year! This year promises to be even more special as it’s the first year my daughter Sophie understands the concept of the holiday and is excited about it. I want to be sure to have lots of time around Christmas to enjoy the season with her and have been working hard to get many of my holiday projects done early this year… no more last-minute panic for me! To that end, my Christmas cards have been made, filled out, addressed and stamped for about a week – I’ve just been waiting for December 1st to take them to the post office. As you can see, Sophie’s excited to help me put our cards in the mail slot too!

From there it’s off to Starbucks for a special drink… today is World AIDS day, and 5 cents of every Starbucks beverage will be diverted to the Global Fund for AIDS treatment in Africa. For the rest of the holiday season, 5 cents from the cost of any of their three holiday beverages will go to the fund. Did you know that it only costs 45 cents for the two pills a day it takes to provide treatment for someone with AIDS? I know that the next nine Starbuck’s beverages I drink will equal a day of treatment for someone living with this disease… and those of you who know me know I’ll be drinking more than nine lattes between now and the end of the holidays! Give yourself a treat today…and maybe I’ll see you at the Wellington & Commissioners Starbucks!

Holiday Extravaganza Details

As I mentioned in my “teaser” posting earlier this week, Stampin’ Up is offering an amazing, very limited time sale starting today, November 26th. The deals in the Holiday Extravaganza campaign are amazing, with bundles of stamp sets, accessories, scrapbook papers, inks and more on sale for 20 to 50 percent off! The special Holiday Extravaganza bundles on sale are listed below, with page numbers so you can find them quickly in your Fall/Winter Idea Book. If you don’t have your own copy of the Idea Book, you can visit www.stampinup.com and click “View Online Store” to browse by product name.

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All in the Family Bundle (item 116217) – 50% off
* All in the Family Stamp Set, page 78
* Family Accessories Stamp Set, page 78
* Neighbourhood Stampin’ Around Jumbo wheel, page 79
Retail Price: $74.85
Sale Price: $37.95

The Manly Man’s Bundle (item 116224) – 50% off
* Sporting stamp set, page 82
* Just Football stamp set, page 82
* Just Basketball stamp set, Page 83
* Just Baseball stamp set, page 83
Retail Price: $67.45
Sale Price: $33.95

Seasonal Stamper’s Bundle (item 116221) – 40% off
* Autumn Harvest stamp set, page 30
* Snow Burst stamp set, page 34
* A Good Egg stamp set, page 47
* Something New to Love stamp set, page 47
Retail Price: $99.80
Sale Price: $59.95

Alpha-Betcha Need This Bundle (item 116226) – 40% off
* Well-Worn Alphabet stamp set, page 155
* Well-Worn Numbers stamp set, page 155
Retail Price: $76.90
Sale Price: $45.95

I’m On Board Bundle (item 116218) – 30% off
* On Board Batch of Blooms, page 180
* On Board Essentials, page 181
* On Board Lots of Letters, page 181
* On Board Timeless Type, page 181
* On Board 8 1/2” x 8 1/2” Ring Album, page 181
Retail Price: $80.95
Sale Price: $55.95

Bags & Tags Bundle (item 116216) – 30% off
* Punch Pals stamp set, page 37
* Riding Hood Red Classic Stamp Pad, page 162
* Note Cards, page 167
* White Gift Sacks (2 pkgs.), page 167
* Riding Hood Red Patterns Designer Series Paper, page 171
* Tag Punch, page 188
Retail Price: $89.85
Sale Price: $61.95

Santa’s Stocking Stuffer Bundle (item 116219) – 30% off
* Square Ice Rhinestone brads, page 185
* Metallic Eyelets, page 185
* Fresh Favourites II Coloured Buttons, page 187
Retail Price: $28.95
Sale Price: $19.95

Curly Label Punch Bundle (item 112966) – 30% off
* Curly Label Punch Bundle, page 189
Retail Price: $39.95
Sale Price: $27.97

Star Struck Bundle (item 116220) – 30% off
* Starstruck stamp set, page 117
* Starring You stamp set, page 138
* Star Designer Brads assortment, page 184
* Star Punch, page 188
Retail Price: $50.15
Sale Price: $34.95

Sticky Situation Bundle (item 116222) – 30% off
* Sticky Cuts Letters, page 190
* Blue Bead Duo, page 190
* Green Bead Duo, page 190
* Fine Cosmo Stampin’ Glitter, page 190
* Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter, page 190
Retail Price: $56.80
Sale Price: $38.95

Mission Embossable Bundle (item 116223) – 30% off
* Heat Tool, page 190
* Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder, page 190
* Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder, page 190
* Iridescent Ice Stampin’ Emboss Powder, page 190
* Powder Pals, page 190
* Embossing Buddy, page 190
Retail Price: $82.10
Sale Price: $54.95

Scrapbooker’s Dream Bundle (item 116227) – 25% off
* Blooms Again Die Cuts, page 166
* Urban Garden Designer Series Paper, page 168
* On Board Lots of Letters, page 181
* Roof Garden Accents & Elements, page 182
* Natural Linen 12” x 12” Ring Album, page 183
* Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, page 187
* Basic Black Stampin’ Write Journaler, page 193
Retail Price: $96.10
Sale Price: $71.95

Wild Thing, I Think I Love You Bundle (item 116225) – 20% off
* Wild About You stamp set, page 77
* Bold Brights 8 ½” x 11” card stock, page 164
* Bold Brights Classic Stampin’ Spots, page 164
Retail Price: $65.40
Sale Price $51.95

Ribbon Storage Bundle (item 116228) – 20% off
* Small Ribbon Keepers (2), page 195
* Medium Ribbon Keepers (2), page 195
* Large Ribbon Keepers (2), page 195
Retail Price $58.85
Sale Price $44.95

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This sale, which only lasts until December 1^st and while supplies last, focuses on four main areas relevant to the holiday season: card making, decorating, gift giving, and packaging & tags. There are a limited number of these amazing bundles available, so contact me today to take advantage of these spectacular seasonal savings!

Holiday Extravaganza!

During the holiday season, crafters and non-crafters alike are in the market for supplies to make cards, decorations, create packaging, or even to give away as gifts. Stampin’ Up! is ready to help with our Holiday Extravaganza campaign, which focuses on four main areas relevant to the holiday season: card making, decorating, gift giving, and packaging & tags. As a part of this campaign, we'll be offering a limited-time, 20 to 50 percent discount on select product bundles from November 26 through December 1, 2008! Keep your eyes open for a special notification from me on Wednesday November 26 with full details, and get ready to take advantage of some spectacular seasonal savings!

Feeling Crafty

When looking through the Holiday Mini recently I was struck by how beautiful the sample card was for the set "Winter Post" (item # 111780, $31.95). It was created using a combination of Riding Hood Red and Craft card stock, with accents in a soft green I think is likely Mellow Moss. It's such a  natural, gentle colour combination, and it inspired me to create a card using my current favourite Christmas set "Snow Swirled" (item #111690, $29.95).

I used Riding Hood Red card stock for the background, Craft for the trim and border, and Very Vanilla for the top layer. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been going scallop crazy since getting the Scallop Edge Punch, and I think it makes a lovely accent on the edge of the card, especially when combined with the Scallop Circle Punch. The top of the tree and the centre of the accent snowflake are highlighted with an Antique Brass Brad, which ties in nicely with the colour of the Craft paper. The layer of twine wrapped around the top layer is actually some kitchen twine... I always appreciate using something you have on hand for a completely different purpose, so you never know what unique accessories you'll find on my cards!

Stacks of Fun

Thank you to everyone who joined me at my second Stamp-a-Stack session on Sunday November 16th. The eggnog and tea were flowing, cookies were nibbled, the Christmas Carols were playing, and between six of you one hundred and twenty cards were created. Amazing work ladies!

Victory!

Until I realize that one-more-person I’ve forgotten, I’m basking in a feeling of victory - I’ve got my Christmas cards ready to mail! As all you stampers know, it’s a big undertaking each year… the holidays are the perfect time to share homemade creations with friends and family, and you realize just how many of them you have when Christmas comes! I make and send about 60 cards, and that’s where assembly-line card making comes in handy… creating 60 cards one-at-a-time it takes much longer than if you cut all 60 of one element at the same time, then all 60 of another, and so on. This year I cut squares in three sizes from Urban Garden Designer Series paper, highlighted the patterns using Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and stacked them from largest to smallest on the front of a Not Quite Navy card. A simple ribbon tied from top to bottom and a tiny bow creates a sweet stack of presents perfect for under the tree! The single word “wish” comes from the Define Your Life stamp set and shows how convenient it is to highlight a small portion of a stamp using markers instead of using an ink pad – the actual stamp says a whole lot more than just “wish”! After hours of filling out greetings and finding addresses, my wish was for a cup of tea and a cookie… it’s nice to know my holiday wishes are coming true already! Many thanks to Jenn N. for providing me the inspiration for this card.

Are you interested in using assembly-line card making this year? Consider joining me at my final Christmas Stamp-a-Stack on Saturday November 29th at 3:00pm. You’ll have the opportunity to try this method of card assembly while creating a beautiful 6-layer card in sets of 10 – contact me for more information!

Updated Holiday Class Schedule

I’ve recently updated my 2008 Holiday Class Schedule, adding some great new classes (home-made Christmas Crackers and Gift Tags) and adding a new date for my popular “Stamp a Stack of Christmas Cards”. The holidays are a wonderful time to express yourself creatively – join us!

Stamp a Stack of Christmas Cards
Time & Date: Wednesday November 12th from 6-10pm
or Sunday November 16th from 1-5pm (class full)
or Saturday November 29th from 3-7pm (NEW session)
The holidays are a perfect time to send greetings to friends and family… and how better to do it than with your own beautiful hand made Christmas Cards? Join us to create beautiful layered Christmas Cards by cutting, stamping and punching your card elements in sets of 10. This assembly-line style of card making gives you fast results, and allows you the opportunity to either assemble your cards during the class or take them home to do at your leisure. With Christmas music playing and eggnog to sip, this fun afternoon or evening will really get you in the holiday spirit!
Cost: $25.00 for 10 cards. Want to impress even more people with your craftiness? Additional sets of 10 cards cost only $10.00!

Good Things Come in Threes: 3-D’s!
Time & Date: Monday December 1st, 7-9pm
Thinking “outside the card”, this class focuses on three-dimensional projects that are unique, lovely, and incredibly useful! We will make a set of three charming gift bags and boxes perfect for smaller Christmas gifts, and you’ll be “wowed” by the three custom gift bows you make using double-sided patterned scrapbook paper (see sample photo on the left)!
Cost: $15.00, or free with a $20.00 merchandise order

Get Popping: Home-made Christmas Crackers
Time & Date: Saturday December 13th from 11am to 1pm
We’re all familiar with these fun paper-covered tubes which often make an appearance on the table at Christmas dinner… popping them open with a partner and checking out the goodies inside has become a long-standing tradition for many families. Choosing to make your own Christmas Crackers instead of using store-bought gives meaning to the little gifts you find inside… they can be personal, specific to one intended recipient, or even home-made. This year I invite you to join my Christmas Crackers class, where you can make 6 of these lovely crackers to take home and share with family. Each cracker will be decorated with Designer Series paper and finished with coordinating ribbon, and I will provide treats and slips of paper with jokes or seasonal quotes to stuff in your cracker along with an idea sheet of small, inexpensive and charming gifts you can add if desired.
Cost: $15.00 for a set of six Crackers

Decorative Holiday Tins Class & Open House
Time & Date: Saturday December 7th, 2-4pm
Will the smell of fresh baked goodies be wafting through your home this holiday season? Make sure you edible gifts look as good on the outside as they taste on the inside by presenting your home-made sweets in beautifully decorated tins! These versatile tins are also a great alternative to gift baskets for your smaller gifts – you’ll want several on hand over the holiday season. This event is also my Holiday Open House, so if you want to come by just to share some holiday goodies, look through supplies and card samples, perhaps try a stamping technique you’ve had your eye on and maybe add some items to your Christmas wish list, we would love to see you!
Cost: $15.00 for a set of three tins, free to join us for the Open House

Tag… You’re It!
Time & Date: Tuesday December 16th, 7-8:30pm
Personalized gift tags are a quick and simple way to add a unique touch to the presents you give friends and loved ones this holiday season. With just over a week to go before Christmas, we spend a quick hour (with an extra half hour buffer just in case we get chatty!) making a set of 16 layered gift tags ready to fill out and attach to the gifts waiting under your tree.
Cost: $10.00 or free with a $15.00 merchandise order

There is limited seating at each class, so please contact me to reserve your spot in any of the above events. I look forward to crafting with you this Winter…

Embellishing with Rub-Ons

From accents on cards and scrapbook pages to personalizing picture frames or decorating other non-porous surfaces like windows or mirrors, Rub-Ons are an excellent choice to add a simple yet beautiful touch to your projects. Stampin’ Up’s Rub-Ons include a wide variety of styles and themes to suite many occasions, and since each package contains two full sheets of images, one in Whisper White and one in either Chocolate Chip or Basic Black, you’re sure to find a Rub-On perfect for any colour surface. There are Rub-Ons to complement your Halloween scrapbook pages (check out the “Chills & Thrills” set!), personalize your Christmas cards (the “Old Saint Nick” set is full of fun winter images) or help you add that perfect sentiment to your home made cards (our “Chit Chat” set has over 180 sentiments in one package of Rub-Ons!). Now is the perfect time to try this versatile product, because when you spend $20.00 between November 10th and 30th you will qualify to purchase as many Rub-Ons as you would like at 20% off ($10.36 per package; regularly $12.95). I’m sure this promotion will “rub you the right way”, so contact me today to find out more or place your order!

Polly Want a Cracker?

With the holiday season just around the corner I recently started thinking about Christmas Crackers. We’re all familiar with these fun paper-covered tubes which often make an appearance on the table at Christmas dinner… popping them open with a partner and checking out the goodies inside has become a long-standing tradition for many families. I’ve spent countless Christmas dinners eating pumpkin pie with one of those “charming” tissue paper crowns on my head, and have disposed of more cheap plastic toys than I care to remember – about ten years ago it inspired me to start making my own. Choosing to make your own Christmas Crackers instead of using store-bought gives meaning to the little gifts you find inside… they can be personal, specific to one intended recipient, or even home-made. One year I presented my young cousins tickets to Walt Disney World on Ice, all wrapped up in their personal Christmas Crackers, and I always make sure my diabetic relatives get sugar-free candy in theirs – the possibilities are endless (and the paper crowns are conspicuously absent!)

This year I invite you to join my Christmas Crackers class on Saturday December 13th from 11am to 1pm, where for $15.00 you can make a set of six of these lovely crackers to take home and share with family. Each cracker will be decorated with Designer Series paper and finished with coordinating ribbon, and I will provide treats and slips of paper with jokes or seasonal quotes to stuff in your cracker along with an idea sheet of small, inexpensive and charming gifts you can add if desired. Space in this class is limited as always, so please RSVP to reserve your space as soon as possible!

Country Living

Country Living and Stampin' Up! have partnered to create the "Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit", which will be featured in Country Living's December issue! I've included a picture from the upcoming article here... check it out for some great holiday ideas.

In conjunction with the release of this special stamp set, you can also subscribe to Country Living for only $12 and get a FREE mini-stamp kit. For just $1 an issue, you'll receive great craft projects, articles on collecting, makeover features, recipes, and entertaining ideas--all delivered to your home each month. When you sign up for a subscription through Stampin' Up, Country Living will send you the exclusive Stampin' Up mini stamp kit which can be used to design note cards, menus, or anything else that inspires you. Ask me for details on how you can sign up for your new subscription to Country Living and get your free mini stamp kit today!

Feeling Full

Even though Halloween is officially the next holiday on the calendar, I can tell that many of you are thinking about Christmas just as much as I am! The Christmas Stamp-a-Stack workshop scheduled on Sunday November 16th is now full with 8 attendees... there are still spaces in the Wednesday November 12th session, and I'm thinking of scheduling an additional weekend session near the end of November if there is interest. Please contact me if attending an added weekend session would work for you!

For a peek at my Fall/Winter class schedule please click here: http://summerscreativecorner.blogspot.com/2008/08/upcoming-classes.html

Happy crafting everyone!

Lovely Layers

The moment I came across the “Snow Swirled” stamp set in the Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book I knew I would use it as the basis for Christmas cards this year… the design of the tree is so beautifully intricate, and I’ve always had a soft spot for delicate snowflake stamps. We’ll be using this set in my upcoming Stamp a Stack of Christmas Cards workshops (November 12th at 6pm & 16th at 1pm), and I’m pleased to share the card design with you here!

The finished card is customizable in several ways. Don't like the notched corners? You can skip that part... Prefer a different greeting? I have more to choose from... Not the glitter type (but, who isn't the glitter type?!?!)? You can leave the glitter behind. However people choose to tailor it, the elements of this 6-layer card will be precut and waiting for them to stamp and assemble at my Stamp-a-Stack of Christmas Cards Workshops. The workshop costs $25.00 to make 10 cards, with a fee of $10.00 for additional sets of 10 cards – you can make as many as you need to send personalized greetings to everyone on your list this holiday season! The session on November 16th is almost full, although there are a couple spots available on the 12th… please contact me if you would like to join us - hope to see you there!

Dying for Die-cuts

My Christmas supply shipment arrived yesterday, and in it I received some of the first sets of stamps I’ve ordered since Stampin’ Up introduced die-cut images. What a quick and easy process it was to assemble my new stamps! Those of you who’ve purchased Stampin’ Up sets in the past probably already know that our sets come unassembled – it’s a great way to cut down on the costs associated with having someone in the factory assemble each stamp you order. In the past, when your unassembled stamp set arrived you would carefully cut around the raised image using a pair of sharp rubber scissors before adhering the image to a wooden block. In the Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book Stampin’ Up introduced many new die-cut stamp sets, saving you the work of cutting the images yourself while preserving the cost-saving benefits of at-home assembly.

When your stamp set arrives, you will find three separate elements in the clear plastic storage box – a sheet of adhesive rubber with the raised stamp image now die-cut, wooden blocks for mounting, and a sheet of clear stickers with the images of each stamp as well as a box label. Assembling your new stamp set is easy:

First, pop the stamp images from the adhesive rubber sheet (don't discard the remaining rubber though - see my bonus tip for why!)

Then, peel the protective backing off the rubber and centre it on the corresponding wooden block

Finally, attach the sticker with the corresponding image on the front of the block, being sure that the sticker and the rubber image face the same direction

Once your stamps are assembled, don’t forget to adhere the label to the clear storage box making it easy to identify the stamp sets name and how many stamps are included in the set.

Bonus tip: Save the remaining adhesive-backed rubber from your stamp set, and store it with your other glues and adhesives. With a pair of sharp rubber scissors you can easily trim this leftover rubber to use in place of the raised adhesive squares and circles we often purchase to give cards a sense of dimension. It’s a great way to save you money and help reduce needless waste going to our local landfills!

Introducing “eCrafting”

By now we all know that internet technology can open new doors and bridge distances at an amazing speed – after all, without it you wouldn’t be reading this blog :-). I’m excited to share with you the latest way I’ve incorporated technology into my classes... I call it eCrafting, and it allows someone living at a great distance the opportunity to attend my classes “virtually”. Preparation is required for this long-distance learning opportunity as supplies must be ordered well in advance, papers must be pre-cut and some additional preparation may need to be completed (depending on the supplies an eCrafting attendee has access to at their location). Individual orders for Stampin’ Up supplies such as stamp sets and ink pads can be delivered directly to your home, and the additional supplies I’ve prepared are mailed out in plenty of time to arrive prior to the class. That preparation combined with the use of our webcams and microphones allows me to welcome a long-distance student into my home along with the rest of the class, and gives everyone the opportunity to complete their projects together. In addition to enjoying the experience of learning new techniques and creating beautiful cards and other projects, eCrafting offers the added bonus of social interaction and a sense of camaraderie from working in a group setting – an experience we miss when working alone. So don’t let distance be the barrier that stops you from enjoying an afternoon with friends working on fun and exciting stamping projects… join me in eCrafting!

Shown above, Meaghan from Petawawa (on the monitor) joins Tracy and Valeeta here in London for our Halloween Handiwork class!

A Halloween Trick… or Two

In my recent Halloween Handiwork class we created a set of six sweet treat bags, embellishing the bag topper with stamps from the “Batty for You” set and trying lots of great colouring techniques. The results were fantastic, and I thought I should share some tips & tricks with those of you who were unable to attend the class.

Make-a-Marker: When planning this class I knew I wanted to use more than one ink colour for many of the stamps in “Batty for You”, and using Stampin’ Write markers is the easiest way to accomplish this technique. Unfortunately one of the colours I had my heart set on using (the recently added “in colour” Kiwi Kiss) doesn’t come in a marker. What to do? After putting just a drop of the Kiwi Kiss re-inker on a sheet of plastic, we dipped the end of a Blender Pen into the ink and allowed it to soak into the end of the pen – viola, instant marker in just the colour I wanted! After the class I cleaned the Blender Pen by wiping it back and forth on a scratch pad until the ink ran clear, and I’m ready to use the pen again for either another creative re-inking or in a more traditional blending fashion. Big thanks to Lisa B. for introducing me to this great technique - I can't imagine Frankenstein would be nearly as spooky in any other shade!

What's Down is Up: What’s the best way to be sure your image is centred nicely when using a small piece of paper shaped by a punch? Be sure to stamp your image on the paper before punching, then use the punch in its upside down position so you can centre the image in the hole before actually punching the paper. I’ve gotten so used to using this technique that I tend to use my punches upside down even when I’m not punching out an image at all!

Unwanted Ink: No, I'm not talking about tattoo removal... just the neat trick of removing ink from part of an already inked stamp using a blender pen. In the pictures shown below I’ve fully inked our little Dracula in Basic Black, and am then removing the black ink from the edge of the cape and Dracula’s eyes. Filling in the newly cleaned areas of the stamp with a Real Red Stampin’ Write marker gives us this charming two-tone image... What a treat!

Happy (and crafty) Halloween everyone!

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas (Card)

I've been drooling over the "Snow Swirled" Christmas stamp set since the day I got my hands on the Stampin' Up Fall/Winter Idea Book, and have decided to use it as the key element of my "Stamp-a-Stack of Christmas Cards" class on November 12th (6-10pm) and 16th (1-5pm). This class is your opportunity to create beautiful many-layered Christmas Cards by cutting, stamping and punching your card elements in sets of 10. This assembly-line style of card making gives you fast results, and allows you the opportunity to either assemble your cards during the class or take them home to do at your leisure. With Christmas music playing and eggnog to sip, this fun afternoon or evening (choose the date that works best for you) will really get you in the holiday spirit! The cost is $25.00 for 10 cards, and if you want to impress even more people with your craftiness additional sets of 10 cards cost only $10.00. Although I won't have a completedsample card to post until my supplies come in, I thought a sneak peek at the colour palette and stamp set itself might be a nice teaser for those of you considering joining this class... I hope you like the elements that will go into the card as much as I do!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider...

Here's another fun way to make your home spooktacular this Halloween - Stampin' Up has just released the Décor Elements Spooky Spider! These adhesive vinal die-cut shapes can be used to decorate non porous surfaces like your Halloween candy jar or adhered on walls, windows and mirrors around your house. Imagine how cool this guy would look hanging above your door to scare off tricksters on October 31st! The Spooky Spider comes in three sizes and two colors, and coordinates with the Ghostly Greetings Designer Series paper (which will be used in our upcoming "Halloween Handiwork" class). 

Spooky Spider (in your choice of black or white):
Small: 4-5/8" x 4" $6.95
Medium: 8-7/8" x 7-3/4" $12.95
Large: 14-15/16" x 13" $17.95

These spiders won’t hang around long, so contact me today to get your Spooky Spider Décor Elements before they vanish into the night!

Colour Conundrum

As mentioned in a previous post, I absolutely adore the new Fall/Winter “In Colours” Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze, and have been drawn to many of the products in which those colours appear. The charming “Roof Garden” Accents & Elements tin (shown here) contains 12 sheets of adhesive-backed die cut shapes in Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Basic Grey and Whisper White. While I’m itching to start using this kit to accent my cards using my favourite colours, I challenged myself to use the Basic Grey die-cuts first since it’s a colour I don’t often gravitate toward. The result is a card that breaks the mould of my typical cards… and I love it!

In addition to the Accents & Elements, I used Real Red for the card stock and ¼” grosgrain ribbon, a 2” metal edged tag, and some silver embroidery thread I snuck out of my sewing kit. The “friend to friend” stamp came from the new Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, which I’ve just begun to experiment with… I look forward to seeing what I can do with the little flower silhouette stamps in the set.

Thoughts of Christmas...

I know, I know... it's only September! What am I doing thinking about Christmas already? Several things have promted this "jumping the gun", not the least of which is a class I will be teaching at Tecumseh Public School on Monday October 27th. Tecumseh is home to a wonderful Community School program, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to offer affordable educational programs for youth and adults and foster a sense of neighbourhood. I'm a passionate believer in this organization, and have volunteered to teach several classes this year (including Sushi Making, but that's another story!). Here's the description of the class I've been preparing for this evening:

"Crafty Christmas Cards"

It's never too early to start thinking about the holidays! Get in the spirit at our Christmas card workshop, where you'll have the opportunity to make six different handmade holiday cards. Come ready to try a variety of stamping techniques while you use coordinating papers, inks and embellishments to create hand crafted masterpieces. One night only: Monday October 27 from 7:00 - 9:00pm. Cost is only $18.00

As a friend of Summer's Creative Corner, you get a sneak-peek at the cards we'll be making that evening (see below)! If you're interested in the class, registration can be done in person on Monday September 8th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Tecumseh School Gym (payment is required upon registration). You can also register by phone (519-452-8600) on Tuesday or Wednesday September 9th & 10th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Payment is due by one week following your registration date.

The Colours of Fall

I recieved my most recent Stampin' Up order in the mail yesterday and have been swooning over some of the new colours introduced for fall/winter... I especially love "kiwi kiss" and "baja breeze" - two cool colours that bring to my mind the Seas of the Mediterranean. Last night I decided to play around with those two colours of card stock as well as the Urban Garden designer series paper and Dreams de Jour stamp set, and I love the result! I used StazOn permanent black ink for the stamp so I could watercolour the flowers and border without worrying about the ink running, and created a decorative edge on the designer paper using the scallop punch, which is my new favourite toy. I have the feeling anything not nailed down is about to be scalloped in my house!

Upcoming Classes!

We all know that September is “back to school” time... With that in mind, I’m pleased to offer you an exciting selection of stamping and card-making classes and workshops throughout the fall & early winter!

Fall/Winter Idea Book & “New Product Launch” Workshop
Time & Date: Sunday September 14th, 1-4pm
Get your first look at the Fall/Winter Idea Book and check out some of Stampin’ Up’s beautiful new stamp sets and accessories. I will demonstrate several techniques using never-before-seen products, and you’ll have the opportunity to make the beautiful scallop edged vellum card shown here to take home.
Cost: Free!

“Halloween Handiwork” Class
Time & Date: Sunday October 5th, 1-3pm
Hosting a Halloween bash, getting ready for trick-or-treaters, or just want to send a spooky little greeting to a friend? This class is a perfect way to get ready for the soon-to-be-materializing ghosts and goblins in your neighbourhood... Join us as we make a set of 6 Halloween cards and 6 sweet & spooky treat bags!
Cost: $20.00, or free with a $25.00 merchandise order

Stamp a Stack of Christmas Cards
Time & Date: Wednesday November 12th from 6-10pm
or Sunday November 16th from 1-5pm
The holidays are a perfect time to send greetings to friends and family… and how better to do it than with your own beautiful hand made Christmas Cards? Join us to create beautiful layered Christmas Cards by cutting, stamping and punching your card elements in sets of 10. This assembly-line style of card making gives you fast results, and allows you the opportunity to either assemble your cards during the class or take them home to do at your leisure. With Christmas music playing and eggnog to sip, this fun afternoon or evening will really get you in the holiday spirit!
Cost: $25.00 for 10 cards. Want to impress even more people with your craftiness? Additional sets of 10 cards cost only $10.00.

Good Things Come in Threes: 3-D’s!
Time & Date: Monday December 1st, 7-9pm
Thinking “outside the card”, this class focuses on three-dimensional projects that are unique, lovely, and incredibly useful. We will make a set of three charming gift bags and boxes perfect for smaller Christmas gifts, and you’ll be “wowed” by the three custom gift bows you make using double-sided patterned scrapbook paper (see sample photo on right)!
Cost: $15.00, or free with a $20.00 merchandise order

Decorative Holiday Tins Class & Open House
Saturday December 7th, 2-4pm
Will the smell of fresh baked goodies be wafting through your home this holiday season? Make sure your edible gifts look as good on the outside as they taste on the inside by presenting your home-made sweets in beautifully decorated tins. These versatile tins are also a great alternative to gift baskets for your smaller gifts – you’ll want several on hand over the holiday season. This event is also my Holiday Open House, so if you want to come by just to share some holiday goodies, look through supplies and card samples, and maybe add some items to your Christmas wish list, we would love to see you!
Cost: $15.00 for a set of three tins, free to join us for the Open House

There is limited seating at each class, so please contact me to reserve your spot in any of the above events, and I look forward to crafting with you throughout this Autumn and Winter…