Here is a peek at this week’s Pals Paper Arts card, which will be revealed in it’s entirety Thursday at 5:00 AM CST. It shouldn’t be too difficult to determine what went into the making of this card! So join me Thursday and find out if the card is as you envisioned it!

Need a photo/light tent, but don’t want to spend lots of money? Since several people have asked about how I take my photos, I will reveal the secret of my light tent. I made it! It was so easy…and inexpensive, too!

The Stampin’ Schach Tips:

• Begin with 1/2″ PVC pipe.
• Cut eight 16″ pieces, using a hacksaw. (I acted helpless, so me husband actually cut it for me. But the rest I did all by myself!)
• Select four pieces to serve as legs and top each with a threaded connector.
• Screw the legs into three-way elbows, and slide the remaining pieces into the elbows to form the top square of the frame.
• Add a section of white poster paper.
• Cover with white fabric. I simply used a twin sized sheet. Of course, this can be cut to size, but I just left it whole. You never know when you might need a twin sized sheet! Note the chip clip holding the sheet in place. Neccessity is the mother of invention, you know!
• Two clip-on lamps are placed at the side.
• One swing arm clip-on lamp is used for the top lighting source.
• The light bulbs are GE Energy Smart Daylight 6500K (85394).

As you can probably tell, my light tent has a place of honor on my kitchen island. It was the only place that I could find to clamp the lamps on. Oh, well! My husband is a very patient man! I can also tell you that the man at the hardware store was very patient and helpful, too, when I explained what I wanted to build. He actually knew what the “do-hickies” were that I needed to connect all the pieces together!

Want to Shorten Your Wish List in a Hurry? Join the Schach Pack today! Just click on the link at the top of this post to see how being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator can benefit you! Enjoy the SPA treatment as you reach your potential as a Schach Pack Artist. I will be there every step of your journey! If you have been “on the fence”, Sale-a-bration is the perfect time to join and take advantage of the $169 Starter Kit price!

Remember, if you have any questions about the light tent, or joining The Schach Pack, don’t hesitate to email me. You know that I always enjoy chatting with you. Until next time…

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Isn’t this just too cute? Today’s card is the creation of Donette Barry of Castle Rock, Colorado. As you might guess, Donette is a multiple winner of several challenges, including the Pals Paper Arts challenge. I feel like a proud mother, as Donette is a member of my downline group, The Schach Pack.

Donette’s card features the adorable Stampin’ Up! Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, Beary Best Friends stamp set, and the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die. The little dress and shoes are paper pieced, while rhinestones accent the flowers. And the inside is just as adorable as the outside! Donette is more than willing to share her passion for stamping with you and your guests. All you need to do is book a workshop with her. In addition, Donette conducts classes and sponsors a Hostess Club. To access Donette’s upcoming workhops or to email her, CLICK HERE.

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I will be the first to admit that I know very little about girls…I am the mother of a boy! So it was with trepidation that I agreed to design a card for “Schach Pack” member Amy Ryan’s “Mommy and Me” workshop this afternoon. First of all, I wasn’t quite certain what little girls in first through fourth grades would like or what they would be able to do. After all, I teach the “big kids”. However, I was delighted with what a big hit my Pony Party card was! At first, I was not going to post this card to my blog, but then I decided that maybe we could all benefit from what I learned from helping Amy at her workshop this afternoon. Let’s par-teh with the ponies!

The Stampin‘ Schach Tips:

• Take a tip from the Boy Scouts and be prepared! Before the workshop I stamped the Pony onto Whisper White card stock using Basic Black ink and matted it onto Melon Mambo. Since I didn’t want to lose any little fingers, I also pre-cut the Bermuda Bay and Whisper White panels.
• Kids of all ages love the Big Shot! Although I presented the option of not embossing the Whisper White horizontal layer, and instead stamping the little flowers and hearts and stars and rainbows that came with the Pony Party set, little girls know what’s classy at an early age! Every single one of them opted for Stampin‘ Up!’s Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder! Is this not cool?
• Blender Pen protocol! Stampin‘ Up!’s Watercolor Pencils are a big hit when coupled with Blender Pens! And it is never too early to train little stampers in the basics of Blender Pen use and care. We learned how to clean them and how to remember to keep them capped when not in use!
• Adhesives 101! We learned how to hold the SNAIL Adhesive at the proper angle and how to use Mini Glue Dots to adhere butterflies so you can raise their wings.
• Sandwiches are not just for eating! Every single stamper today embossed their own Perfect Polka Dots and Beautiful Wings Embosslits. Not a single one forgot the proper “sandwich”!
• Embrace originality and creativity! In shades of pink, purple, brown, and blue…there were ponies colored in every hue! Butterflies swarmed in various areas of the card, and not every pony was positioned like the sample. After all, isn’t a large part of the fun of card making, being able to put your own “stamp” on the card!

In addition, hostess Amy Ryan designed a birthday card for the young ladies to make using Stampin‘ Up!’s Big Bold Cupcake Sizzlits. Yep…there’s no doubt about it…stampers of all ages love the Big Shot! By the end of the afternoon, ponies and cupcakes decorated the room and Butter Brickle Bars were quickly snarfed up. After all, stamping does work up one’s appetite! And what did the mommies end up doing, you ask? They were in charge of the Scallop Trim Border Punch…and more than one colored their own Pretty Pony!

Amy is just one of my downline members who is doing what they love and sharing it with others. For more information on how you can become a member of my downline group, The Schach Pack, just click on “Join the Schach Pack”, located at the top of today’s post. I would love to mentor you as you begin your Stampin‘ Up! journey. As newest member Leslie Stone has stated, “From the moment that I decided to sign up as a demonstrator, Ann took the time to walk me through the process and helped me make decisions about what items to purchase that would help me hold my very first workshop. She is always more than willing to help me when I have questions about products and techniques. To me, this is what mentoring is about.”

Join me next time, when I will welcome talented Schach Pack Artist, Donette Barry as my Guest Stamper. Donette’s cards are simply stunning! I guarantee that you will be in for a treat. In the meantime, if you have any questions about today’s “Mommy and Me” card or the techniques that I use, don’t hesitate to email me. Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Pony Party (115217); Inks: Basic Black (101179); Card Stock: Whisper White (100730), Melon Mambo (115320), Bermuda Bay (115317); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder (117335—Occasions Mini), Stampin’ Up! Beautiful Wings Embosslits (118138—Occasions Mini), Stampin’ Up! Watercolor Pencils (101879), Blender Pens (102845), Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402), SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Mini Glue Dots (103683)