Time is Running Out…Take Advantage of the Sales

The chance to take advantage of Stampin Up!’s Half Price Starter Kit ends tomorrow. Purchasing the Starter Kit does not mean that you have to have a workshop, or that you have to sell Stampin’ Up! Let me share my Stampin’ Up! story with you.

When I purchased the Starter Kit, I was interested in the discount. I had just started stamping, and I was impressed with the quality of Stampin’ Up!’s products. Twenty percent off my purchases, as well as 30% off my first qualifying order of $150, seemed too good to be true. I was thrilled to get so many awesome products in my Starter Kit…and the value is even greater today with the Half-Price Special.

I knew that with all of the things I wanted to buy, I would be able to meet the quarterly minimums ($300 per quarter), just with my own purchases, for at least a few quarters. I had no desire to sell Stampin’ Up! However, a friend with whom I worked, encouraged me to start a monthly Hostess Club. I started with six stampers at our first meeting. Of course, the rest is history, as they say. I found that I loved designing cards and teaching others how to re-create them. I was also introduced to blogging by my upline, and now I would be lost without my blog…simply because of the wonderful friendships I have forged. That is one of the rewards of stamping…you meet the nicest people. And remember, I only joined for the discount.

Yes, there is money that can be made through instant incomes and volume rebates. You can decide how much you want to earn and how hard you want to work. As for me, I have found a happy balance with my workshops, classes, and yes…my own purchases.

So with one day left to take advantage of this amazing sale, what is keeping you from trying out Stampin’ Up!? The products are yours to keep, and there is no penalty for dropping. If you decide that you want to maintain your benefits, you have until March 31st, to meet the minimums. Plus, I will be beside you every step of the way, to mentor you and to answer your questions. What do you have to lose? Please email me for more information, but hurry! We are running out of time. To find out more about this offer, check out this earlier post. I would love to have you as part of my stampin’ family! Think of the fun we could have at Convention! Until next time…

Angelic Joy for The Paper Players


It’s time for another Paper Player’s challenge! This week The Players are challenging you to pull out the heat gun and embossing powder…it’s an embossing challenge!

I inked up the “Angel” from Angelic Joy and two wheels, Elegance and Music Notes, with VersaMark for this card. Heat embossing was accomplished with Gold and Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powders. I used several of my favorite products, such as Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper, Silver Tinsel, Basic Pearls, and Antique Brads. Plus, I also used the Faux Burning technique. I hope you enjoy this card as much as I enjoyed making it!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:
  • Emboss and watercolor! Watercoloring is a breeze once your image has been embossed. The Angel image was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Then she was watercolored using the Blender Pen and ink method. (See my tutorial HERE.) So Saffron was used for the hair, Blush Blossom for the skin, Always Artichoke for the gown, and Rich Razzleberry for the cloak.

  • Tag…you’re it! The Two Tags Bigz Die was used to create the background panel for the Angel. I inked the Music Notes Stampin’ Around Wheel with VersaMark and embossed with Gold. I used a VersaMarker to outline the scalloped border of the tag, and once again embossed with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder.

  • Star gazing! It is hard to take your eyes off of the silver embossed star. This time, the Elegance Stampin’ Around Wheel was inked with VersaMark and rolled over a Brushed Gold Star. Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder was used for contrast. An Antique Brad adds interest.

  • Faux burning! The right edge of the “Diamond” patterned Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper was prepared using the Faux Burning technique. (See my tutorial HERE.) Silver Tinsel was then adhered along the burned edge for another vintage touch.

  • Joy comes in small packages! The “Joyful” Sizzlits Die was zipped through the Big Shot with Cherry Cobbler card stock. It was adhered to the card using Dotto adhesive. I selected Dotto for its repositionable quality.

  • The finishing touches! Basic Pearls adorn the halo. Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding was added for balance. And as a final detail, the edges of the Cherry Cobbler mat were edged with VersaMark and embossed with Gold.
I hope that you will join in the fun this week! And if you have never heat embossed before, it is easy. Just stamp in VersaMark, sprinkle with embossing powder, shake off the excess, and heat with the heat gun! It’s so fun to watch the powder melt.
Today is one of those sad Sundays. Brady the Boy heads back to college, and the Twins and I will miss him terribly. Muffy has already gotten into the habit of racing up the stairs after her early morning potty break, and scratching on his bedroom door. Of course, he lets her in and they snuggle in his bed for a few more hours of sleep. I dread tomorrow morning when she looks for him and he is not there. I remember vividly how heartbroken Missy the Boxer was when Brady the Boy first left for college. I just wished that there was some way to make Muffy and Brody understand that he will be back in a few weeks.
Thanksgiving break is traditionally when we decorate for the holiday season, and at the Schach house we go all out. However, this will be the “Year Without a Christmas Tree”. We discussed it as a family, and decided that it would just be safer. I am sure that with two bouncing baby Boxers, the tree would undoubtedly end up being knocked over. I don’t want to spend the entire holiday season policing the tree and having to use the Twin’s new middle names. Nor will we have the candles in the windows or the garland on the banister. But there will be a few things that I can display…as long as they are far from the edges of the tables and Brody’s inquisitive nose! By not decorating, I will have more time for candy making, baking and stamping. And most importantly, we will still have the joy of sharing the season with family and friends…
I am anxious to hear what you think about today’s card. And as always, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create, or the techniques that I use, don’t hesitate to email me. As I always told my students, the only silly questions are the ones that don’t get asked! Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Sets: Angelic Joy (W 120849; C 121172—Holiday Mini), French Foliage (W 120845; C 121166—Holiday Mini), Elegance Stampin’ Around Wheel (120325), Music Notes Stampin’ Around Wheel (120327); Inks: Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso (119670), So Saffron (105213), Rich Razzleberry (115658), Always Artichoke (105219), VersaMark (102283), VersaMarker (100901), Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write Marker (100037); Designer Series Paper: Deck the Halls (120810—Holiday Mini); Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Always Artichoke (105119), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Brushed Gold (102935); Tools: Heat Tool (100005), Sponge Dauber (102892), Embossing Buddy (103083), Big Shot (113439), Two Tags Bigz Die (115954), Joyful Sizzlits Die (115973), Star Punch (119875), Dotto Adhesive (103305), Blender Pens (102845); Glitz and Glam: Antique Brads (117273), Basic Pearls (119247), Cherry Cobbler 1/2″ Seam Binding (120992), Silver Tinsel (120994), Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109129), Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109131)

We Have a Winner and Puppy Middle Names

On this day after Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of you for your kind comments during my Blog Candy giveaway. And if you did not win this time, I will be having another giveaway closer to Christmas. I love giving away blog candy!

Using the random number generator from Random .org, the winner was: lisa808, who left comment #33 on Monday’s post:

Hi Ann,

Yes, it is amazing the friends we make around the world through blogging. Crafters are awesome! My favorite stamp set in the Holiday Mini is Fireside Christmas. Love that fireplace image.

Lisa

Congratulations, Lisa! Please email me your name and address by Monday, November 29th, and I will get your package in the mail!

The Boxer Twins Now Have Middle Names
The Boxer Twins, Muffy and Brody, made the trip to their Aunt Sissy’s for Thanksgiving. Although I was worried what the Twins might do, they were perfect! Well, almost. We do need to work on “no jumping”. But there were no potty mistakes, and no whining when crated! Aunt Sissy was so impressed that she took lots of pictures to show her friends, AND she invited the Twins back for Christmas! Woo hoo! As for me, what kind of a mom am I? I forgot my camera!

Since they were such good puppies, there was no reason to use their newly selected middle names. For Muffy, it came down to Muffy Lin and Muffy Marie. We allowed Muffy to choose her own, but calling her these names. She liked Muffy Lin better. Lin was suggested by none other than my good Pal, LINda Callahan!
As for Brody, it was a little tougher. There were so many wonderful choices. I liked “Beal”, which means “handsome”, because it really fit him. He is one handsome Boxer boy. However, the men in my life did not care for it as much. (I think they are just jealous because their ears are not as big as Brody’s.) We narrowed the choices to Brody Andrew, Brody Michael, and Brody James. And the winner was…Brody James. This combination just “came” to me while listening to songs on You Tube. I listened to some real oldies, let me tell you! Well, one of the songs I listened to was “Reuben James”, sung by Kenny Rogers. I started singing it to Brody, but changing the words to Brody James. Brody liked it. (OK…so I sing to my dogs. Doesn’t everyone? I just change the words to suit them. The Twins love the classic Elton John hit, “Your Bone”, and the Aerosmith tune, “Bark This Way”.)
So now, if the Twins get into trouble, it will be “Muffy Lin Schach” and “Brody James Schach”! But I am sure that their wild and wanton puppy days are over…NOT!

Stampin’ Up! Specials!

Hurry! Until November 30th, Stampin’ Up! is offering a fantastic sale with discounts from 20 to 50% off AND free shipping on qualifying orders of $150 (products before shipping and handling). CLICK HERE to see the list of discounted products. CLICK HERE to order.

Take advantage of the 50% Off Starter Kit for even greater savings! Recieve of all of the perks and benefits of being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator at the no-risk price of $87.50 for over $300 worth of products and business tools! Click here for more details. Have questions? I am just an email away! Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7