PPA Sneak Peek and Free Giveaway


I just love my Wednesday “PPA Peek” Day. It’s fun to give you just a little taste of things to come before the big reveal on Thursday! Pearls and texture are two of my favorite elements to see on a card, and this card has both. And while you are waiting for Thursday, why not stop by Pals Paper Arts and check out this week’s PPA Picks!

Sale-A-Brate Good Times

As strange as it may sound, the end of Sale-A-Bration makes me a little sad. However, there is still time to earn a free stamp set for every $50 you spend…and that is a happy thing! In fact, it is downright blissful…which leads me to my favorite SAB set this year, “Bliss”. With its fabulous flourish and beautiful butterfly, Bliss became one of my go-to sets. You still have time to get yours! Here are three cards created with this set:

Simple Bliss (Click Here for Details)

Bliss in the Round (Click Here for Details)

Bliss Color Challenge (Click Here for Details)

Not only is there time left to earn free stamps, there is still time to take advantage of the Starter Kit Special! Join the Schach Pack by March 31 and save 15% on the Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit (Normally $175, NOW $148.75) PLUS receive a bonus package worth up to $50! If you have any questions, please EMAIL me! I would love to talk with you!

Free Giveaway

Your comments on this post and tomorrow’s post, through 11:59 PM CST, will earn you a chance to win FOUR containers of retired Stampin’ Up! Bead Duos…two in Blue and two in Orange. These can be used with either Tombow Adhesive or Sticky Strip. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Friday! Until next time…

Copy Cat Creation and Ribbon Winner


One of the perks of being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator is that you have such wonderful resources at your fingertips! One such resource is Stampin’ Success, a monthly publication filled to the brim with ideas. So when asked by a recent hostess, Karen, to demonstrate a layered flower at her party last week, I reached for my February Stampin’ Success and found this beautiful card made with the Fun Flowers Bigz Die. Needless to say, the flower was a huge hit at Karen’s party and at Krista’s party the very next night!

I changed the card ever so slightly by adding a center punched with the Scalloped Circle Punch. I substituted a Rhinestone Brad for an Antique Brad. Instead of having my party-goers stamp a sentiment directly onto the textured Crumb Cake, we stamped the sentiment from Bring on the Cake onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out with an Oval Punch. Of course, I just had to add Pearls!

How about you? Would you like…
  • …ideas at your finger tips, such as is found in Stampin’ Success?
  • …to be able to preorder the newest in Stampin’ Up! products?
  • …access to two premiere private downline blogs?
  • …one-on-one mentoring?
  • …comprehensive training for business demonstrators?
  • …to order Stampin’ Up! at a discount?
  • …to be part of a caring, supporting group?
  • …to receive a customizable Starter Kit? (15% off and $50 Bonus Bundle if ordered by March 31st…Free shipping, too!)
If you answered yes to any of these questions, we need to discuss whether being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator is for you! EMAIL me and I will answer any questions you may have.

Or contact me to see how you can talk directly with a Stampin’ Up! representative in an opportunity call.

During these calls, a Stampin’ Up! staff member will share some of Stampin’ Up!’s history and philosophy, and discuss the Stampin’ Up! opportunity. The presentation takes approximately 10 minutes, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. The calls take place every Tuesday at 11:00 AM (MT) and 4:00 PM (MT). To attend the next call, please EMAIL me for the phone number and access code. What do you have to lose?
We Have a Winner!

The Random Number Generator at Random.org has spoken! The winner of the Perfect Plum and Tempting Turquoise 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon is:
#35 Frenchie
Oh Ms. Ann, there you go again, another beautiful card…TFS. You inspire me always,
Hugs, Frenchie.
Can’t wait to see it whole!
Frenchie, would you please email your address to me? I will get your ribbon sent out pronto! Thanks to everyone who left comments. And just as soon as my email subscriber number hits 1000, be prepared for a Blog Candy Blow-Out. Woo hoo! If you do not already subscribe via email and would like to have my posts delivered to your inbox, please sign up today! Until next time…
Stamp Set: Bring on the Cake (W 121899, C 121958—Occasions Mini); Ink: Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede (115657), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973); Designer Series Paper: First Edition (121878—Occasions Mini); Card Stock: Textured Crumb Cake (119929), Perfect Plum (101889), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Fun Flowers Bigz Die (121812), Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (115964), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Sponge Dauber (102892), Stampin’ Mist (102394), 2″ x 1-3/8″ Oval Punch (119859); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads (109111)

Clean and Simple for The Paper Players #39


It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players! We are proud to announce our first Clean and Simple Sketch Challenge, and what a wonderful sketch it is! For my card, I allowed the fabulous Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper take center stage. It’s rich, warm colors, with just the right balance of vibrancy, evoke a feeling of classic design. This is definitely going to be one of my favorite collections from the 2011 Idea Book and Catalog! I hope you enjoy today’s card and that you will join us in our challenge this week!

The Stampin’ Schach Stampin’ Tips:

  • Simplify! With “busier” patterns, keep the embellishments to a minimum. This lends balance to the composition and keeps the card elements from competing with each other.

  • Coordinate! To select the color for the card base, I pulled the major color from the Baja Breeze Floral pattern. Peach Parfait and Cherry Cobbler were also pulled from the pattern, and used as accent colors. The Butterfly from Strength & Hope was inked in Cherry Cobbler and stamped onto Peach Parfait card stock.

  • Accent! A trio of Basic Pearls accent the Butterfly, adding a touch of elegance. A Cherry Cobbler Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border adds visual interest, while a simple tailored bow, created from Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, adds texture.
Sometimes a card just creates itself, as it did in this situation. A fabulous sketch, paired with gorgeous paper and a stunning image, are a cardmaker’s delight! I would love to hear what you think of today’s clean and simple design. Won’t you please leave me a comment and let me know?
Your comment today will put you into the running for my “Bite of Blog Candy”…8 yards of Perfect Plum and 14 yards of Tempting Turquoise 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon. I will randomly select a winner from all comments left by 11:59 PM CST Sunday, March 20th, on both this and yesterday’s posts. The winner will be announced on Monday. And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away. Until next time…
Stamp Set: Strength & Hope (W 118100; C 123660—Summer Mini available May 1); Ink: Cherry Cobbler (119669); Designer Series Paper: Paisley Petals (122367—Available April 1); Card Stock: Baja Breeze (111352), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Peach Parfait (119794); Tools: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Cherry Cobbler 1/2″ Seam Binding (120992)