Fall Frenzy Promotion (Sep 1-30)

Woo hoo, I LOVE these kinds of promotions! During September, when you purchase $30 of regular priced merchandise, you can select Fall Frenzy Promotion During September, spend $30 in regular priced merchandise and qualify to purchase one of each of the six promotional stamp sets at 30 percent off! DOWNLOAD FILE Stamp Set - Item # - Page - Discounted Price Bitty Boos Too - #105355 - Page 26 - $12.57 Haunting Halloween - #109284 - Page 29 - $13.27 Thoroughly Thankful - #107383 - Page 30 - $16.07 Autumn Fest - #109373 - Page 108 - $16.77 Elementary Essentials - #109421 - Page 91 - $19.57 Stem Silhouettes* - #110366 - Page 17 of the Holiday Mini Collection 2007 - $22.37 * The Holiday Mini Collection will be available online on 9/1! Check out this link after 9/1 to see the new mini collection. They're very nice... and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that they are all die cut! I mounted three new sets from my mini preorder in just 15 minutes! Yes!!! Meredith

Halloween Themed Stamp Camp - Sep. 15th

Host: Meredith Kofnovec Location: Meredith's House7666 Santa Inez Ct., Gilroy, CA 95020 US View Map When: Saturday, September 15, 7:00PM - 10:00PM Phone: (408) 846-9896 Cost: $18 per person It's getting to be that time of year when we start preparing for the spooky fun of Halloween! I'm still working out the details on the projects... but at present the ones I have in mind are a treat basket, Special Monster spray to keep the monster's away, a home decoration idea, a non-candy treat since many schools are requiring that this year... and of course we have to throw in a candy treat too! You are welcome to invite friends... and will receive a gift from me for each new friend that you bring. Please make sure you include them in your RSVP so that I will have all the materials available! :) Please RSVP by 9/6 as I need to pre-order some supplies for this class.

Subscribe for Email Updates

Another cool new thing... If you look over on the left there at the top of the column, there's a new little box that will allow you to subscribe to recieve an email when I update the blog... that way you'll never miss out on any of the fun! Meredith

Three For You Punch Box Samples

Ooohhh, isn't this fun?!? I just learned how to add a gallery of some recent projects. The promotion to receive the FREE 30 textured Love Notes ($12.95 value) with the purchase of the Three For You Punch box ends on Friday. If you want in on this fabulous deal, you need to act fast! Many of these projects were CASE'd and modified from wonderful SCS users. Thanks all for your inspiration!

Club Challenge - August

The challenge that I am giving to my club members this month is a blind project. I put together a card using the new True Friend stamp set and Boho Friend wheel that are featured in the upcoming Holiday Mini collection. The little goodie bag that you received (or will receive) at your club meeting has all the pieces that I used to make the card. (See below)

Your challenge is to make something using these pieces... but you don't get to see my card first! You are NOT trying to figure out what I did, the fun is going to be in seeing how different all the projects come out when everyone started with the same pieces.

Here are the "rules"

• You must use at least part of everything in the project bag
• You may cut the pieces
• You may use any one other stamp (the same stamp as many times as you want)
• You may use any one other accessory (ribbon, eyelets, hardware, etc)
• Don't show your creation to any other club members...

Bring your finished creation with you to the next club meeting and give it to me on the sly. We'll put them all out and have a guessing contest for who created which card. The person with the highest number of correct guesses will win a prize. :)

If you have any other questions, please post with a comment and I'll get answers back out so everyone can see.

(If you would like information about joining one of my stamping clubs, please ask for more info... we would love to have you!)

Pick Your Family promo... want $191-$232 worth of free stuff?!?

Hot news... Hot news... Hot news... Stampin' Up! just published our newest promotion! This one is special for those who have ever thought about joining the Stampin' Up family... my family! Now through the end of September, when you purchase the Starter kit, you also get to choose a whole color family of classic ink pads to be added to your kit! That's an extra 12 ink pads... an additional $57.95 value. The starter kit is already a fantastic deal, but when you add in the extra pads, it's almost irresistable. The value of the kit is over $390, but is just $199 to purchase! You can see the starter kit options by clicking here. It's also on the inside back cover of the catalog. You can swap out which stamp sets and ink colors to be included in the main kit, and there is an optional Stampin' Memories add on too that makes the kit an even better value (over $481 value for just $249). Plus, as I posted earlier, each new person that signs up with me get to choose a stamp set out of my special stash! What have you got to lose? Contact me with any questions. I can't wait to build my little family! Meredith

Faux Silk Class Samples

In last weekend's technique class, I also taught the Faux Silk technique. I just love the look of this one. I'm not sure the camera is doing justice to this technique... so if you're local, ask me to take a peek the next time you're by. Here is the one we actually made in class: Stamps: Bud Basics, En Francais, Carte Postal Ink: Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Brocade Blue, Brilliant Blue, Regal Rose, Rose Red Paper: Rose Red (hidden base), Rose Red, Whisper White, Brilliant Blue Accessories: Two way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, both oval punches, Liquid Glue, Tissue Paper, Glue dots Techniques: Faux silk This one has lots of little sparkle accents with the dazzling diamonds glitter. I love the bling, and don't mind that I ALWAYS wind up wearing some of the glitter! As it turns out, I could have just used a Regal Rose card base since you don't see the Rose Red base in the final card... but I wasn't sure what I was going to wind up doing as I designed the card, and I had alread cut and was using the hidden Rose red. The centers of the big flowers have a glue dot applied to the tissue paper, and then the glue dots were sprinkled with dazzling diamonds (DD). The Bonjour sentiment was circled just outside the white part with a two way glue pen and then sprinkled with DD. And these two were additional samples Stamps: Snow Flurries, Many Merry Messages Ink: Brocade Blue, Brilliant Blue Paper: Brocade Blue, Whisper White, Brushed Silver Accessories: Tissue Paper, Liquid glue, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon Techniques: Faux Silk This card was a nice & easy to put together, and I love how simple it is. It is a 3" x 6" card... fun to do a different size. Stamps: Baroque Motifs Ink: Wild Wasabi, Brilliant Blue Paper: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Brilliant Blue, Soft Sky Accessories: Tissue paper, Liquid Glue, Bold Brights Brads Techniques: Faux Silk This panel card was interesting to make. I wanted to try doing the faux silk with a different colored background paper to see how it would look. I used Soft Sky under the tissue paper, and it winds up with a more mottled look than when you mount it on white. I made the whole large panel at once, then cut it up into the three sections. The edges seem to have stuck down fine, but I would be careful handling this card too much since those tissue edges are unprotected after they are cut. Looking back, I probably should have just added an acetate piece over the panels and attached it with the brads in the corners. Happy stamping! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section. Meredith

Faux Leather Cards

Okay, so this is the card I mentioned in my July 30th post that was an additional sample in class for the Faux Leather look. I was going for the "pleather" very fake leather looking stuff. I thought the card was fun and bright. For my technique class, we created one card using each of the three techniques, a technique card with instructions and a small sample of the technique, and I showed two additional samples using the technique. We had a great turnout and it was a lot of fun! The second sample uses Booglie eyes, these guys are just so darned cute! I wanted to have the faux leather look like the little mummy's bandages. I tore strips of masking tape instead of little pieces. I coated them in white craft ink and tried to dry them with the heat tool.... which wasn't happening very quickly. The masking tape seems to take longer to heat when you're emboss anyhow, and then with using craft ink... it just was taking a while. Since this was in the last hour before class, I gave up after a few minutes and continued with the card. I sponged on some Going Gray ink, then coated with clear embossing powder and embossed. No more issues! The sentiment was added word by word using the Stamp-a-ma-jig so that I could have them in a row instead of top to bottom as the stamp is. Stamps: Booglie Eyes Paper: Basic Grey, Whisper white Ink: Going Grey, Basic Black Marker Accessories: Masking tape, Basic Grey taffeta ribbon, Clear embossing powder, stamp-a-ma-jig

Three For You Punch Box Promotion & Class & Sneak Peek

We're having a PROMOTION this month! This brand new punch box includes a 9-piece die-cut stamp set (click here to see it at the right of page 183), a Trio Flower punch, 3 Stampin' Spots (small ink pads) in the colors Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, and Purely Pomegranate {2 of the brand new In Colors!} all packaged in a keepsake tin. And with Stampin' Up's August promotion, you will receive an exclusive set of thirty textured 3" x 3" Love Notes (10 each of So Saffron, Purely Pomegranate, and Wild Wasabi) with Very Vanilla envelopes. This set of textured Love Notes is valued at $12.95 and is not sold in the catalog- you can only get them with this promotion! I am offering a special class on Sunday, 8/19, to get you started using your new kit, we'll make up some of your new Love Notes and some bonus cards at this stamp event. Card designs and instructions in addition to layering cardstock, ribbons, and brads will be provided for you to use with your new punch box. The class fee must be prepaid by August 8th to get the punch boxes in time for the August 18th stamp event date.

Contact me for more details! Here is a sneak peek at some of the class projects...

Looking for a good home

It's that time again when I have gone through my treasured stamp sets and have picked a few that need to find a good home. Some of these retired just this year, and some are from the past couple of years. If you are interested in applying for the title of "good home" ;) let me know which sets you would like. These are first come, first served. I'll try to keep this post updated as sets are claimed. NUM = New, Un-Mounted Loved = Used, some may have staining, but the stamping performance is unaffected All Around Argyle (Level 3 Hostess - Loved) $28 PENDING All I Have Seen (Loved), $15 Artifacts (Mounted, but I don't think it has been used) $23 Basket Full of Fun (Level 3 Hostess - NUM) $30 Best Barcodes (Loved) $15 Beyond the Basics (Loved) $12 Birthday Best (Loved) $13 Blooming with Happiness (Level 1 Hostess - NUM) $15 Flowers for a Friend (Level 3 Hostess - NUM) $28 PENDING Flowers of Gratitude (Level 1 Hostess - NUM) $12 Holiday Blocks (Hostess Appreciation set - NUM), $20 In Any Event (Level 2 Hostess - NUM), $22 In Full Bloom (Loved) $25 Love It (Level 2 Hostess - Loved), $22 Measure of a Life (Level 2 Hostess set - NUM), $22 Mon Ami (Loved) $15 Provencal (Level 2 Hostess - NUM), $22 Sew Seasonal (Loved) $28 Simply the Best (Hostess Appreciation - NUM), $20 Springtime Stems (Level 1 Hostess - NUM) $15 Found a Home Stipple Celebrations (2 Stamps mounted & loved, rest NUM) $25 The World Over (Level 1 Hostess - NUM) $15 Treat Yourself, (1/2 loved, 1/2 NUM) $30

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Well, maybe not... but I've started thinking about Christmas projects. These were some cards that I put together using some of the new Dashing paper (click here). I still have a ton left of even just this one pattern, guess I should go make some more projects! These pieces were cut from a One Sheet Wonder template, which is a template where you make a bunch of pieces from a single sheet of stamped or patterned paper to create projects from. It is a great way to make projects that coordinate without being all the same. Would you be interested in having a class on One Sheet Woners? (You can post a comment below.) I've also started making a list of project ideas for my annual Gifts Galore Stamp camp in December (this has so far been my most popular event each year). The projects in this stamp camp are all items that can be given as gifts, as well as fun gift packaging ideas. I create a project list and prices for each project, and then you get to choose which projects and how many of each you would like to make for gifts. Some ideas for this year:

• All In the Family Frames, similar to the sample on page 77 of the F/W collection here
• Decorated Plates to use as Candle holders
• Decorated On Board Bitty Books as mini photo albumns (unfinish book here) These would be great to contail the kids school pictures for the year to send to grandma!
• Mailboxes for Santa, decorated mini mailboxes as a decoration, or a place for special kids to leave notes for Santa!

Happy stamping!

Scrapbook Samples

I've been working on samples for this weekends technique class... and don't want to spoil the fun before class... so I'm posting some Scrapbooking pages that we did in a previous class. These used a Simply Scrappin' kit that is now retired, but we have some great new ones on pages 174-177 of the Fall-Winter Collection (click here)

Incentive Program - Join my family!

Hi folks, I am really wanting to earn the Incentive trip this year (an all expense paid trip for two to Hawaii!!!!!), so with that in mind, I am launching another Incentive... incentives to join my Stampin' Up! family! Stampin' Up! has all kinds of demonstrators, some who just want a discount on thier own purchases, some who do just classes, some who do home workshops, some who make it a full time business, and everything in between. If you become a demonstrator with me, I'll help you to set goals that fit *your* life and *your* dreams. Whether that is making enough income to cover your minimums to stay a demonstrator, earning enough to pay for an amazing trip to Convention next July, or aiming to join me in Hawaii! Being part of my Stampin' Up! family means having help and support when you need it, fun group meetings, trying new techniques together, occasional swaps, and much more! Incentive Program: When you Join you get:

• To pick an additional stamp set from my special stash
• Project instructions and samples using just the starter kit materials so you'll be off and running with ideas
• A binder of inspration sheets with additional project instructions and samples (these will no longer be offered by Stampin' Up!)
• A fabulous upline (Me!) who wants to help and share this business with you. I would LOVE to have a stampin' family!

As you promote to new titles by 6/30/07, you will earn the following from me:

• 1st Promotion: $25 gift certificate
• 2nd Promotion: $25 gift certificate
• 3rd Promotion: $50 gift certificate

And if for whatever reason, you need to drop your demonstratorship, you are always welcome to return to being my customer! Come on... you know you wanna! Let's have some fun! Meredith