On Sunday, The Paper Players will unveil their second challenge of the new year. To get you inspired, I am sharing a peek at this week’s inspiration card. I hope that you will join me on Sunday for the reveal. In the meantime, please stop by The Paper Players to see which talented stampers were honored as our Cuts Above and Headliner!

Are you ready to take advantage of Stampin’ Up!’s demonstrator benefits? Stampin’ Up! can make that happen with their Sale-A-Bration Starter Kit Special! Beginning January 25th, you will be able to get 15% off the cost of either the Standard Starter Kit or the Digital Starter Kit, reducing the price to $148.75, AND you will also receive a FREE Bonus Bundle (a $50 value). Starter Kits ship FREE.

You will receive 30% off your first qualifying purchase of $150 or more (if placed within 45 days). In addition to receiving your Hostess Rewards, you will also receive a minimum of 3 Sale-A-Bration items (one for every $50 of product spent).

Please feel free to email me about the advantages of becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

I have no card ready to post today, but instead I do have two pictures of The Twins. These were taken the Monday before Muffy’s “wrestling mishap”. They were visiting their handler, Michelle, who was working on show ring training and etiquette with them. Michelle’s friend graciously took these pictures and forwarded them to us, since “Mom” and “Dad” stayed out of sight during the training. Muffy, as always, is being a little diva. Michelle loves Muffy’s lines and her sparkly personality. If she were a card, she would have lots of “bling”!

As usual, Brody is doing an excellent job…but yikes…his tail is down! Michelle is a professional Boxer handler whose list of impressive wins include campaigning one of her clients all the way to the Eukanuba National Dog Show. Michelle’s assessment of the Twins at this point is that Muffy is ready to begin her show career. Brody still needs to mature more, but in order to get him used to the sights and sounds of the show ring, he will be shown on a limited basis until he is ready. She loves Brody’s head and thinks he is adorable. If he were a card, he would be “clean and classy”.

Many of you have emailed me asking for an update on Muffy’s condition. I am happy to report that she has been an excellent patient. The swelling is greatly reduced, and although she favors her leg slightly, I believe that she will be ready to show at her first show in February. During the first few critical days, she spent a lot of her time sleeping, which helped me in my quest to keep her from jumping!

The upcoming months will be an adventure. But each of the Twins is first and foremost a member of our family, and that is their true calling in life. They have brought so much joy to us since their arrival. Yes…there were times when I wondered if I would survive early puppyhood…if I were too old to raise not one, but two bouncing Boxer babies. But each day gets easier as they get me better trained!

Classes, Retreats and Parties

Would you like to host a class, retreat or party for a group of your friends? I am currently booking workshops and classes for January, February and March. I can tailor my classes to meet your needs…from beginning stamping to advanced card making. Email me today to save your date. Until next time…

It’s Thursday…and that means it’s time to play at Pals Paper Arts! At this time of year, what better challenge is there than “Valentines”! May our “Lady in Red” inspire you to create the Valentines of your dreams. And if you do not want to make your Valentines in the traditional red hues…be a rebel like me! I selected the “Valentine Girl” from Greeting Card Kids and paired her with Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper…a match made in “Nostalgia Heaven”!

Lace, pearls, designer paper and banner, paired with a nostalgic image, work to produce a Valentine reminiscent of the 1930’s and ’40’s. Who could resist a sweet card such as this!

Before you head off to check out what the rest of the Design Team has created, I do want to announce the winner of the Basic Rhinestones. Congrats to:

Please email me with your address, and I will drop the Basic Rhinestones in the mail to you! And a big thank-you to all of you who commented. If you didn’t win this week, don’t despair! I will be offering retired ribbon as a little blog gift next Wednesday during my next sneak peek. Who couldn’t use a couple of spools of Stampin’ Up! ribbon?

Please let me know what you think of today’s card by leaving me a comment. And remember, if you have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

Please Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7!Stamp Sets: Greeting Card Kids (W 119887, C 120633), Be My Valentine (122045—Occsions Mini); Inks: Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write Marker (100037), So Saffron (105213), Rose Red (101778), Pretty in Pink (101301), Jet Black StazOn (101406), Soft Suede (115657); Designer Series Paper: Springtime Vintage (121782—Occasions Mini); Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Pretty in Pink (100459), Wild Wasabi (108641), Rose Red (102544); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit (117332), Pinking Hearts Border (117649), Small Heart Punch (117193), Sponge Dauber (102892); Glitz and Glam: Very Vanilla 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (117291), Victoria Crochet Trim (118481), Antique Brads (117273), Trinket Keys (121892—Occasions Mini), Basic Pearls (119247)