New Year's Resoulution #1

I'm not great at making one big resolutions so a few years ago I started making a list of goals. I have some personal goals, financial goals and some Stampin' Up! goals. Over the next several days I'm going to share some of my goals or resolutions with you. The first is a continuance from last year. I want to send my family and friends birthday cards. I love my birthday and I love getting cards (my birthday is April 23, feel free to send me a card ). I came up with something that worked most of the time last year. Many of you have seen tins like the one below decorated beautifully. This is my Birthday Card Box.

You'll notice that inside are little dividers with each month listed on them. Then I file envelopes already addressed in the appropriate month (I file to the front but I know some crazy people file to the back so whatever floats your boat). I put the birth date in the upper right hand corner of the envelope so that when I mail it the stamp covers it up.
It takes a little while to address all the envelopes and get the birth dates written down but then all the hard work is done. If you have a surplus of birthday cards go ahead and sign it and put it in the envelope, I wouldn't seal it because you may want to add a note before you send it.

This worked pretty well last year, I have to admit there were two months that I forgot to look at it at all and no one got there cards in those months. Then there were a few cards that made it out of the box and on to my desk, but never saw the mail box. I hope to do better this year.

I've been working on some birthday cards, I'll show you those tomorrow

Christmas Thank You Cards

snow swirled, sincere salutations

Bordering blue, baja breeze and pacific point Ink

Bordering blue and Whisper White cardstock

dazzling diamonds (looks much better in real life)

Lovely as a tree and Sincere Salutations

Handsome Hunter Ink

Sahara Sand, Handsome Hunter and Very vanilla Cardstock

Dazzling Diamonds and Hunter Ribbon and Large oval punch

Merry & Bright

Black Ink, Certainly Celery and Real Red Markers

Confetti White, Real Red and Certainly Celery Cardstock

Wide Red Ribbon, Circle punches and Scalloped Circle punch

(this card is 4inx 4in and fits in a standard envelope)


I told you I was working on thank you cards, well I got them done. When I do Christmas Thank yous I do them just like a Christmas card but with a Thank you sentiment. The snowflake card I cased from myself, changed the colors and the sentiment. A few of you made this card at a Christmas Stamp-a-stack in purple.

The middle card that uses Lovely as a tree was very fun. I've been wanting this set forever and I won it in a drawing that my up-up-up line has. All the demonstrators under her can send her samples of cards and then she does a drawing each month for $75 in free product!! I try to submit every month and I've been lucky enough to win several times. I usually try to pick something that I want, but wouldn't normally buy. That's how I got my crop-o-dile that I'm now in love with. This time I went with things that I needed, but the one fun thing was the Lovely as a Tree stamp set.

The last card couldn't be cuter or easier. I love the snowman from Merry & Bright. It's retiring this year, I Will miss him!!

just one more

This stamp set is called With Gratitude. This stamp set is beautiful, it has several different leaf images as well as two sentiment "with gratitude" and "hope". I love set that come with sentiments because I have a very difficult time buying the sentiment sets. I don't know if anyone else is like that but they don't wow me like the other stamp sets, so anytime I can get beautiful images and words in one I love it!!

retired samples

So cool was one of my favorite sets in the Spring/summer catalog last year. Then it went on the dormant list and now it's retiring. It's not a stamp set for everyone but if you have teens or preteens in your life--it's great. It can be used for both boys and girls and can be used for many different occasions.

I definitely picked to different kinds of stamp sets today. This card was made using the Kind Thoughts stamp set which is very feminine and whimsy. it includes the sentiment "kind thoughts" as well as the beautiful butterfly and flourish and a few other stamps. It really is beautiful.

More samples with retiring sets

If you love florals stamps, Pretty Peony just be on your wish list. It is one of the many two step stampin' sets that Stampin' UP! offers. The great thing about sets like this is that the Stampin' UP! artists have done all the hard work for you. You don't have to do any shading because when you layer the stamps onto each other it is already shaded beautifully.

Ahoy, Matey has got to be one of the cutest stamps ever. clean lines and easy to color (it even has a matching wheel. Of course this stamp set came out the year AFTER Caleb had a pirate themed birthday!

New year's Resoulutions!

Okay we all make them--but did you ever thing that rubber stamping could help you achieve them?

Check out this link to see how. It's pretty good.http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/opportunities/a/PopNewYearRes.htm

I have to admit that I haven't really made any resolutions this year, I'm still pondering them. I'd love to hear what some of yours are. Leave a comment and let me know.

I'm finally getting back into the swing of things

Okay all Christmas decorations are down (except for the two snowmen that I left in the kid's bathroom and the dish towels that were in the laundry when I put away the decorations). All Christmas presents are basically put away. I still have to make and write thank you notes. I hope to have that done by the end of the week. I have a mountain of laundry that has been neglected because I was too busy playing cool games like mouse trap, mancala and the High School Musical DVD game (I know you are jealous). Anyway I don't think I'll be doing much stamping until the weekend so to tide you over I'll be posting some samples from the Stampin' Up! website using some of my favorite retiring sets. Today's card is a sample of Bronc Buster--a great boy stamp set!

Stampin' UP! is also doing an INVENTORY BLOW OUT SALE. For a complete list of retiring stamps and accessories and the inventory sale check out my Stampin' UP! website.