Ahhh... Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is upon us, yes, love is in the air... at least the love of crafting. I thought I would post some pictures of some Valentines that I have received, or made. Also, my fellow Stampin' Up buddies have been cranking out some lovely Valentine's Day creations.

Claire Lawrence made this lovely Valentine's Day card (to the right) that I got in the mail yesterday, isn't it pretty? I love the way she used water color techniques to accent this Sale-a-Bration stamp set.

Kristin Fuller sent this beautiful Valentine to the left. Very prettyful (a word I learned from my niece).

Below are some Valentine's Day projects I had been working on for my workshop. The first two cards I made with the inspiration of the last card, one that Claire sent me (thanks Claire!). I went a little crazy with the hearts stamp from Short and Sweet in the middle card.

I hope everyone has a happy and blessed Valentine's Day!

My First Workshop

So, on Sunday, I had my first workshop. My friend Yolanda was willing to host a workshop for me, and we decided to combine it with a Mary Kay pampering party, provided by our friend and Mary Kay Beauty Consultant Mueni, and we also had a presentation of lovely crocheted fashions and accessories by my friend Helen. And we did all this on Superbowl Sunday! Most of the attendees have been friends of mine for years from grad school at Eastern University and Palmer Seminary, so it was fun to do my first workshop amongst good friends!

Since it would be a busy day, I designed one small and simple 2.75" x 2.75" card with the Embrace Life stamp set, the Short and Sweet stamp set, Real Rose Prints Designer Series Paper, Whisper White card stock, Silver Brads, and Purely Pomogranite Ink. I was going for a Valentine's Day theme.

Though it's kind of tiny, I really like the way that it turned out. And this is one of the first cards that I have made with duplication in mind, so I'm happy about that. Thus, the small size!


Anyway, I also made the hostess gift using the same papers and inks. I made a few extra jars to give to anyone who wanted to host a workshop in the future, but I didn't have any takers. (But I still have them if someone is interested!)

When I got home, I discovered that I had accidentally reclaimed Yolanda's Hostess Gift! Oops! I'm going to get it to her this week, though. She told me that she has no hard feelings. :) Below is Yolanda (2nd from right) and some of the other ladies at the workshop. Look at all the food on the counter behind them that Yolanda and her mom provided!

And this is Carolyn, having fun with the
blush and preparing for the Superbowl festivities. :). She also won this door prize, a mini mailbox for her Valentines... wrapped in Prints Designer Series Paper.
















These are tags I made out of Holiday Harmony Designer Series Paper. I handed these out at the workshop with my contact information on the back.

We had a lovely time, and I'm glad that it gave us all a chance to get together. I also told my friends that I appreciated that they would all support the small businesses that were starting amongst our group.



SWAPS

I used my workshop card design as the same design for my very first card swap I had with the other Demonstrators at our Philly Inkers meeting on Monday night. I already had all my materials cut and sorted.

Some of you may wonder why I did 2.75" x 2.75" cards instead of a 3" x 3" card (I mean, it's already small enough, right?). Well, I noticed that when using 8.5" by 11" inch card stock, 11 inches divided by 2.75" is exactly 4. So, I was able to cut my paper into four cards instead of only 3 cards with a wasted 2 inches on the side. Aha! And to some of you that made no sense at all, right?


Anyway, here is a picture of the swaps I made for the Philly Inkers.

So, if you made it this far, thanks so much for reading my long blog! You are a true friend.

Sale-a-Bration Time and Free Stamp Sets

February 1st - March 17, 2008, is Sale-A-Bration time. Every year Stampin' Up! gives customers, hostesses, and new demonstrators the opportunity to earn fantastic, FREE, limited-edition stamp sets they'll enjoy for years to come.

Here's how Sale-A-Bration works:

Customers

When you spend $50 on Stampin' Up! merchandise, you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward. There's no limit-for every $50 you spend, you can select another free Sale-A-Bration reward!

Hostesses

When you host a workshop of at least $300 (before tax and shipping), you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits!

New Demonstrators

During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set--a value of up to $47.95--from the Spring-Summer 2008 Collection! Plus, new demonstrator recruits get 20 percent off the Demonstrator Starter Kit--over $350 of Stampin' Up! products and business supplies for only $159!

Talk to me today to book your workshop or learn more about this promotion. You can also view the full-color Sale-A-Bration brochure online here. Not sure if you want to host a workshop? I can provide the place, and you can still qualify for free stuff, just ask me how!

So now you wanna Sale-A-Brate? Contact me at tking1998@hotmail.com.

My Stamped Creations

This post is simply a review of some examples of cards I have made over the years. I love making cards and other things and have been doing it all my life.

This is a card that I made for a co-worker's birthday. It used Stampin' Up's Fresh Fillers (a retired stamp set) and Bravo Burgundy Ink.

Below, this 'Thinking of You' card was one that I made for another co-worker. It uses Stampin' Up's Sincere Salutations, Bravo Burgundy Ink, and again, Fresh Fillers, and lots of dimensionals to give it depth.

Below was a birthday card I made for my roommate. I used a Susan Branch stamp set called Letters and Numbers.

Next is a folder that I made. I learned to make folders at Alison Wear's Christmas card making class last year. I made this one for a coworker who was changing jobs. I had other coworkers write their thoughts on index cards, and I placed the cards inside the folder. I stamped 'Best Wishes' using a stamp from Sincere Salutations inside the folder .

I hope that I have and will continue to grow creatively as I continue going to trainings, classes, and providing workshops as a demonstrator. I have already grown a lot through techniques I've learned through Stampin' Up. My next goals are speed and time. I need to take more time making things AND I would like to get faster. I know the two go hand in hand. It's just in making the time.

Just thought I'd share!