Lakeshore Stamping

Rising Star Holiday Mini Swap

I am SO excited there is only 2 days left before the new Holiday Mini is available to all of you!  I was asked to participate in a swap with past and present Rising Star award achievers.  The timing worked out great for me and I was able to participate.  The Holiday Mini is always my favorite mini catalog that comes out and this year isn't any different!  There were 32 participants in this swap which was a lot but I had a great time playing with the new items!  Here is my card...

I used the new set "Christmas Lodge" from the Holiday Mini.  This is a fun set and it would be great for anyones Christmas card.  Just love the house image!  I stamped the house with Whisper White Craft Ink and then heat embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder.  I didn't want it stark white so I decided to give this a try and I liked the outcome. 

The Designer Series Paper is from the "Letters to Santa" pack which is in the Idea Book & Catalog.  I just love blue, green and brown and this paper fit the card perfectly.  If you look close you will see I used the new Snow Burst Textured Embossing Folder on the Letters to Santa DSP.  Just love the textured it gives. 

The button is from the Subtles Collection and has a Mini Jingle Bell tied in the center.  These bells are just adorable and I loved fitting it with a button!  These are also in the new mini and only $2.95 for 48 bells!  Too cute!

I am a banner freak and loved how the greeting fit perfectly as a banner.  Yes, I am also addicted to the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch.  I love the small scallops this punch gives and adds just the right amount of detail to a card.

I hope you've enjoyed browsing the Holiday Mini catalog.  If you haven't received yours please let me know and I will get one out to you.  On Thursday you will also be able to order from this mini and start creating with these new wonderful products!

Have fun creating and remember you can order anytime online by clicking on the "Order Online" button at the top right hand side of this page.

Happy Stamping!

An amazing trip...

I finally returned home late last night after 14 hours of traveling...UGH!  It was worth every minute but sometimes my body just doesn't handle time changes well.  I got the kids off to school today and then I went back to bed.  It felt good and I feel much better this afternoon.  I am missing all my new and old friends today especially when looking through the pictures of this amazing trip.

I started off the trip with two amazing friends, Kimberly Van Diepen and Tamye Dunbar, in Las Vegas for a couple days.  We shopped, slept in, visited at the pool and enjoyed friendship in Vegas.

We enjoyed a delicious meal at our hotel, Bellagio, before our evening out.  Tamye is in the white, Kimberly in the middle and then me.

Shopping was fun and the experience was fun with a lot of walking in the warm sun!

It was SO pretty at night with all the lights.  This is the hotel Paris which was directly across the street.

 
On Wednesday afternoon, we boarded a bus to take us to St. George, Utah for the start of Founder's Circle 2010.  It was the most beautiful two hour bus ride.  The mountains and desert were just beautiful.

This was the welcome we received when we arrived at the hotel in St. George.  I am with Bonnie Thurber from Stampin' Up! in this picture.  Bonnie went every where with us and she was a hoot!  It was so much fun getting to know her and the other Stampin' Up! employees that put on this great event for us!

These are some of the new friends I met on the first night.  We all had assigned seats and our table was a riot!  We laughed all night long.  It was nice to met everyone!  Left to right (Front):  April, Jo, Jacque Left to right (Back):  Penny, Me, Sharon, Dawn, France.  I couldn't have picked a better table to sit at!

It was decorated with a 50's theme so we wore goofy glasses.  Here is Me, Kimberly, and Holle.  Holle and I are both Rising Stars and Kimberly is our fearless leader! 

On my last post I had skipped ahead a day so I wanted to back track to the beginning.   So these were the first few days of our trip and thanks for letting me share with you.  There is more to come and I hope to post some pictures of some projects in the upcoming days.  Time for bed for me!  Lots to do tomorrow!

 

Just pinch me....

I really can't believe I am in St. George, Utah for Stampin' Up! Founders Circle. For those of you who don't know, Founders Circle is a group of demonstrators who are either, in the top 100 for the U.S., 15 Rising Stars U.S., top 15 Canadian Demonstrators, and 3 Rising Stars Canadian.  I have met SO many wonderful people and have loved every minute of it.  Today is the last day and it is a bit sad as it has gone SO fast.  I hope today goes slow but we know that is never true.

Last night was our pajama party and card swap.  I had to make 135 swaps for last night...I was busy last week putting them all together.  Here's the start of them...

And here is the finished product.  I am sure you know after making 135 of this card I am a little sick of seeing it! 

Not all made Christmas cards which was nice...I have an assortment of others and some GREAT ones!  I just can't believe I swapped with the top 100 demonstrators last night!  We were in a LONG line and it seemed like forever but it went very smoothly!

While doing the swap we were all in our pajamas which was fun.  I didn't see many duplicate pairs which is amazing!  Here is Kimberly and I in our pajamas with our little gift which as in a popcorn box and we didn't know it wasn't popcorn because there was popcorn in the room until we opened the box.  The pen has "Founders Circle 2010" engraved on it.  The gifts are just great!

I also took a tour on Thursday to Kanab, Utah which is the town Stampin' Up!'s manufacturing plant is located.  We had a 2 hour bus ride of all first time Founders Circle attendees and it was a blast.  I met some wonderful people and the plant is just amazing!  Here are some pictures to share with you...

The employees were all outside cheering for us and it was a VERY touching experience.  They are SO thankful for us demonstrators and we are so thankful for them.  There were tears from many of us as I still get goose bumps thinking about it.  Everyone was SO nice!

This is in the entrance to the facility and many of us got our pictures taken here. 

Shelli and two of here girls were on the tour with us and it was nice because we learned more about them and the start here in Kanab with Stampin' Up! and some one on one time with them.  It was fabulous!

To the left of me is Sara, Shelli's oldest, and to the right is Shalae, Shelli's second oldest.  They were WONDERFUL to talk with. Yesterday I was able to chat for about an hour with them and we had such a fun talk and got to know more about them.  It was great!

This is a playground in Kanab where they use the rubber they cut off the stamps while making them and recycle them by putting them at the playground.  There is a whole long wonderful story on why they do this but I'll have to share that later.  It was so much better to have rubber than bark, it was very springy when you walked on it!

Here are two other Rising Stars that I met who are a lot of fun.  In the middle is Amy Jordan and then Jenny Watson.  These ladies were fun and I am just glad I got to met them.  I also went to dinner with them, Joanna Banta, another Rising Star and Mandy Grant, Demonstrator #57, who I am thrilled to have met.  We had a great time and will all hopefully stay in touch!

One last thing and then I need to go eat breakfast!!!

Each night when we get back to our room, we receive pillow gifts from Stampin' Up!  This is a SPECIAL gift that was waiting on Thursday night.

Isn't the cupcake just the cutest thing you've ever seen!?!?!  Then inside was even better.  A Simple Adorned Charm Necklace HANDMADE by Shelli and her girls for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How awesome is that!?!? 

I have SO many more stories and pictures to share with you but it will have to wait...sorry!  I hope this gives you a little taste of what Founders Circle is all about and I wanted to share my excitement and my trip of a lifetime with all of you...my wonderful stamping friends!

Have a great weekend!

 

Convention Swap Card & Friends

I had a WONDERFUL time with friends while at Convention.  Of course, Stampin' Up! has brought us all together and I enjoy spending time with these ladies when I can.  This first group picture is of two friends from South Dakota and Whitney, my roommate, from Colorado.  The friend to the right of me is Sue, she and I met at the airport my very first year of attending Convention.  That year, I met my sister at convention so we weren't traveling together.  Sue had a SU! bag and I started chatting with her.  We ended up sitting together on the plane and our friendship has blossomed since then.  She was also traveling alone because her friend Joyce, who is to the right of Sue, couldn't attend Convention and it was the first year they weren't going together.  Sue and I get together each year at Convention and chat about one a month on the phone.  We have such a great time together and Joyce and Whitney joined in the fun this year.  We enjoyed their company and I FINALLY got a chance to meet Joyce!!!!

I also have some exciting news, my upline, Kimberly, received Demonstrator of the Year #1 Award this year!  It was so exciting to sit by her when she heard her name as #1... the excitement is hard to explain.  The whole awards night was kind of a blur and SO exciting.  This is a picture of us all dressed up before Awards Night.

She gave me a lot of encouragement to make goals and reach them.  I worked hard to do this and in doing it I was able to receive #4 Rising Star.  I owe a HUGE thanks to her for never giving up on me!

Here is a picture of friends just before Awards Night.  I met them through our Stampers by the Sea team and they have now become great friends. Left to Right are, Cathy, Me, Kimberly, Christy and Whitney.  I enjoyed spending time with them during Convention...we had lots of laughs!

 

This is the card I swapped with fellow demonstrators during Convention.  Swapping is a CRAZY time at convention.  Some people make a hundred or so...I made 22 which was perfect for me. I mostly swap with friends and a few others who ask if I have a swap.  It is a great way to get ideas and meet some new friends.

The colors on this card are Baja Breeze, Basic Gray and Whisper White.  The Top Note is cut out with the Presto Patterns Specialty DSP and then stenciled using the Elegant Trio Stencil.  My new favorite embossing folder is this folder, Elegant Lines.  I just love the detail it gives to a card.

I hope you are getting a little taste of what Convention is all about.  This Convention was the best yet.  I just wish my sister would have been there with me...maybe next year :)

Thanks for checking back and have a great weekend!

Convention 2010!!!!!!!

I am home after having an AMAZING time at Convention in Salt Lake City!  I am tired and struggling with a little jet lag but it was TOTALLY worth it!! It was great to see all of my friends from all around the U.S. and to meet new ones too!  This year was especially exciting for me, I was awarded the #4  RISING STAR AWARD!  I am SO excited!  It took a lot of (fun) hard work and dedication to earn this award.  Thanks to all of my stamping friends for their love and dedication to me and stamping!  I couldn't have done it without all of you! 

Here I am finding out if I received an award...I was VERY NERVOUS!!!!  As you can tell by the look on my face!!!!

 

This is a little more relaxed after I found out I did!!

And then me on stage receiving the #4 RISING STAR AWARD during Awards Night!!

 

Here is my roommate, Whitney Banning, and I just before the start of Awards Night.  I was so glad to have her as my guest for the night...she kept me somewhat calm and held my hand during the Rising Star Awards! They started at #15 and I was on the edge of my seat each time they called a name!!

I will have more pictures to share with you through the week of Convention!  I can't show them to you all at once :)  Although, I can't leave you with out showing something I stamped.  I actually stamped this the night before I left for Convention.  It is Whitney's gift for being my roommate.  It was her first convention and I loved giving her something special.  I had a great time with her and I hope she comes again next year!

This is the covered notebook I made for her...

This covered notebook uses some great new items from the NEW Idea Book & Catalog.  The DSP I used to cover the notebook is called "Love Letter" it is one of my favorites.  I coordinates with the NEW stamp sets Artistic Etchings and Notably Ornate.  I also used those stamp sets to add some color to the paper.  See those little rhinestones!!!  Those are new stick on rhinestones and they add just the bling you need!!  Thanks to all of the demonstrators who loved my notebook during convention.  Whitney and I received a lot of compliments and if you have any questions on it please let me know!

Keep checking back this week as I have more to share with you!