Stamped Sophisticates

Monday, July 30, 2012

Convention Swap samples & Spooktacular offer in August.

One of the best organized swaps I participated in was the Lyssa's Convention #12 - "Now THIS is Convention Quality" It is so well-organized. It was 5 groups of 20 swappers.

We used the tables at the front of the Gathering Place

This is Lyssa. This is the 12th Convention Swap that she's organized. She knows what she's doing!

Once all 20 cards were laid out, each group took a turn picking up one of the 20 swaps in their group.

The quality was amazing! See a few of the swaps below

Even more amazing, everyone who signed up for the swap kept their commitment and all cards were available at the scheduled time. It only took 30 minutes for over 120 cards to be swapped.

Thanks, Lyssa! Your new title: I am an incredible swap organizer!

Here are some of the wonderful cards I received. I'll share more in coming days.

Thsi card was created by Anne Venci and uses the Nature's Pace stamp.

Emillie Chisholm created this beautiful card using Blooming with Kindness

The creator of this card is Lyn Schumacher and she used Field Flowers

Swaps are one my favorite reasons for attending Convention. It is a great way to gather ideas for classes for the next several months.

Join as a demonstrator for $99, pick your own Starter Kit Products and get this Spooktacular offer during August

If you have a long "Wish List" ready to place on August 1, we have a spooktacular offer for you! If you plan to order over $99 from the new Holiday mini catalog, your better choice is to sign up as a demonstrator. For $99, you can choose $125.00 worth of any traditional or digital supplies with free shipping...just for signing up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. And you will receve a FREE Howl-o-ween Printer's Tray project kit. This boo-tiful kit contains all the bits and pieces to create a super spooky Halloween decoration.

In addition, Stampin' Up! has made the new standard Starter Kit completely customizable! This is a great way to update your supplies with the new In Colors, new stamp pads, new dies, new digital downloads, new ribbons and new stamps from either the big catalog or from the Holiday mini. And after purchasing your Starter Kit order, you'll receive 20% or more off future orders. Read more here...and let me help you select your starter kit items. Contract me via the "Read more" link above. We'll hold the order until August 1 so that you'll qualify for this free kit...A special offer for signing up between August 1-31, 2012.

Enjoy!

Donna Ross

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Private Classes: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping
Current Promotions

Saturday, July 28, 2012

MDS Printing discounts, download discounts, and Announcing MDS 2!

I can't wait for August 1! I've been holding this little photo swatchbook for a while -- waiting for a printing special from Stampin' Up so I can make more copies! And in August I can print this for 31% off!

I'm so proud of my nieces who are on the winning 2012 US Synchronized Skating Championship team. Both of them skated on this year's winning team.

I'm going to take advantage of the August My Digital Studio printing special and make copies of this little photo swatchbook for both of them. These are great to carry in your purse to show off your latest family activities and accomplishments, wedding photos, or favorite memories because of the durable protective cover and the high-quality paper used for printing. I'm working on another book using my Convention photos, so I have favorite memories and great display board ideas close at hand for inspiration in my craft room.

Get ready for these August My Digital Studio Specials!

Get 31% off 31 digital content options and get the most of our print products for all 31 days in August! Feed your My Digital Studio addiction. With digital goods on sale and the 30-day FREE trial of the software, August is the perfect time for you to enter the digital designing craze and see what it's all about. Or read further to hear about the new release of My Digital Studio.

What's on sale?
1. ALL cards, photobooks, individual pages, and tags. That's right: print any photobook, board book, swatchbook, individual pages, greeting card, postcard, trifold card, or tag-all for 31% off.

2. Some of our best digital content. 30 downloads and 1 content disc. Yup, that equals 31.

Also it is a perfect time to upgrade to the new version of My Digital Studio 2 (MDS 2)

Coming August 1...

While you're putting together your order from the new Holiday mini catalog,be sure you also include your My Digital Studio Software purchases. Combining your purchases into a single order can qualify your for additional purchasing benefits. If your order reaches $150 (not including tax and shipping), you qualify for an additional $25 in free products -- products from the main catalog or the Holiday catalog--traditional pproducts or digital downloads. Don't worry, you'll be prompted to select your free merchandise during the on-line check out process.

With My Digital Studio 2 Software, Coming August 1, you'll be able to:

Design in Spreads
Create with custom canvas sizes
Add more than one color to a single stamp image
Change the color of designer papers or embellishments
Resize vector stamp images while keeping them crisp
See color combination suggestions
And much more...75 new features making designing easier!

Some versions are software only and other versions include tons of images and contents in addition to the new software. If you have purchased only a few downloads for your original version of My Digital Studio, now would be a great time to purchase the software plus content disk called MDS 2+. MDS 2+ adds over $500 worth of downloads to the software disc. As soon as the final contents are released, I'll post them so you know exactly which downloads are included. Some of them were available as downloads for the original version of MDS. In addition, check out the downloads that will be on sale beginning August 1.

31 My Digital Studio Downloads on sale during August

To see what each of these digital Content packages on sale during August include, visit the My Digital Studio catalog on the My Digital Studio Site. Look for the link on the right hand side of the page. These downloads that will be on sale beginning August 1.

Pick My Digital Studio Plus and digital content as part of your Starter Kit when you join as a demonstrator for $99

Join Stampin' Up! as a Demonstrator and select My Digital Studio Plus and downloads as part of your customizable kit. If you plan to order over $99 of Stampin' Up! merchandise (digital or products from the catalogs,) This is a great opportunity for you to sign up as a demonstrator for $99, and choose $125 worth of any digital or tradition products from current catalogs and get free shipping! In August, you'll also receive a Halloween kit.. See photos of the kit I posted yesterday. Then enjoy your future purchases at a discount. Find out more here.

Enjoy!

Donna Ross

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Private Classes: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping
Current Promotions

Friday, July 27, 2012

Early Halloween Projects - Toxic Framable Digital Template

I know it's a bit early, but I've been inspired by the new Holiday Mini catalog, which many of you have already received if you've purchased from me during the past year.

I received my Holiday Mini Pre-order just before leaving for Convention. One of my favorite purchases is the Haunts & Harvest Collection Disc for My Digital Studio (1298350). It is filled with papers and stamps from the Orchard Harvest product suite (p. 28-30) and Howlstooth & Scaringbone product suite (p. 24-25) from the Holiday Mini.

I saw the sample at the bottom of p. 25 of the Holiday Mini, and had to print my own version. Here's a sample I made using a 3 x 5" photo holder. You can print the Toxic Framable image in a large framable size or in smaller sizes for use on card fronts.

My versions:

After printing the digital template in a size that fit a 3 X 5 frame, I backed it with Howlstooth & Scarinbone Designer Series paper (126906). Then I glued a strip of Pumpkin Pie 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119253) to the center of the 1/2" Basic Black Scallop Dots Ribbon (124145) and tied it in a knot at the top of the printed image. I keep a candy dish on my desk at work. I'll display this behind my candy dish. I love making items ahead of time. This year, Stampin' Up! is releasing the Holiday Mini a month earlier than usual, which means I might actually have a chance to play with ALL the wonderful items from the catalog before the next mini arrives!

Here's a framed sample of the Toxic Framable Digital Designer Template from Haunts & Harvest Digital Collection Disc (129835) on display during convention. You can also purchase this framable artwork as a single digital download (128139). You save 10% by purchasing the entire Haunts & Harvest Digital Collection Disc (129835) over purchasing all of the downloads on the disc individually, if you're like me and "want it all"!

The My Digital Studio disc, Haunts & Harvest Collection (129835) (available August 1), from the new catalog includes many digital images of the Halloween stamp sets from the Holiday Mini catalog, including the Toxic Treats set. Or you can purchase the traditional stamp set separately (w-127898; c 127901) beginning August 1.

Below is a swap I received during Convention from Cari Miller using the Toxic Treats stamp set and the Etruscan Elegance jumbo wheel (127868); available August 1. This card had so much texture, showcasing both the new Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127821) and the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (120175). I know I'll be using the Etruscan Elegance jumbo wheel for many card other than Halloween. It is soooo versatile! I can see using it for holiday cards, wedding cards, birthday cards, and Valentine's Day cards. This one will be part of my stamp collection for quite a while. You'll need to order a jumbo handle (103661). And you note that the image fits the Labels Collection Framelits Dies from the annual catalog p. 191, making it even faster to put together a bunch of holiday cards!

Join as a demonstrtor for $99 and Pick your own Starter Kit Products

Many of my customers have received their copy of the new Holiday Mini catalog from me and are busy putting together their "Wish List". On Wednesday, August 1, you can begin to place orders from the new catalog.

If you plan to order over $99 from the new catalog, your better choice is to sign up as a demonstrator. For $99, you can choose $125.00 worth of any traditional or digital supplies with free shipping...just for signing up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Stampin' Up! has made the new standard Starter Kit completely customizable! This is a great way to update your supplies with the new In Colors, new dies, new digital downloads, new ribbons and new stamps from either the big catalog or from the Holiday mini. And after purchasing your Starter Kit order, you'll receive 20% or more off future orders. Read more here...and let me help you select your starter kit items. We'll hold the order until August 1 so that you'll qualify for this free kit...A special offer for signing up between August 1-31, 2012.

Get this kit for signing up as a demonstrator between Aug 1-31, 2012

The tray and products to finish your tray are free when you sign up as a demonstrator August 1-31

Enjoy!

Donna Ross

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Private Classes for 1 or a small group of friends: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping
Current Promotions

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Do you like texture on your greeting cards?

Here's another card I designed for swaps at Convention...featuring lots of texture. I love the new Apothecary Accent Framelit dies and the butterfly stamps from Papillon Potpourri (w-123757; c-123759)!

This card features several easy-to-do textures. The Early Espresso layer uses the new Core-dinations Card Stock from the Holiday Mini. Core-dinations Card Stock is sandable card stock that crates an antique, distressed look when sanded. The inside layer is a monochromatic color. I sanded my cardstock but you can also reveal the inside layer by tearing or distressing. The Certainly Celery layer is dry embossed with the Vintage Wallaper Folder (120175). Both layers only took minutes to create. The addition of the punched butterflies and the Crochet Trim added more texture to the card.

I used the largest of the Layered Labels stamp from the Holiday Mini. I covered the sentiment in the center with a hand-cut oval and then added punched butterflies using the new Elegant Butterfly Punch (127526). I stamped the center section of the Layered Labels stamp again and hand cut the oval center and placed it on a banner die cut from the Petal Cone Bigz L die. (We need an Oval punch that size...hhmmmm... I think I have something for the Stampin' Up! suggestion box).

New dies; new texture folders, new stamps; new tools -- what's not to love!

Recipe
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri (w-123757; c-123759), Layered Labels (C-127072-Holiday Mini)
Paper: Certinly Celery; Gumball Green, Early Espresso Core-dinations Card Stock, Very Vinella
Inks: Soft Suede
Accessories: Apothecary Accent Framelit dies, Oval Accent Bigz Clear (127005), Big Shot Die Cut machine, Petal Cone Bigz L Die (for the banner), Elegant Butterfly Punch (127526), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), 1/4" Crochet Trim (118481), Dimensionals

*Holiday Mini merchandise will be availalbe to purchase beginning August 1

Want to save some money on your fall and winter holiday craft projects?

Sign up as a demonstrator in early August to earn a discount on a customizable starter kit ($125 in product for $99). Beginning August 1, if you sign up you'll also receive a Halloween Home decor kit that you'll love! Let me help you select the starter kit items you really want today and we'll hold the order until the August promotion begins!

As a Demonstrator you'll also be able to attend Convention next July and hear from Stampin' Up Staff presenters like Pam Morgan, Donna Griffith, Carrie Cudney, and the always humorous and irreverent Bonnie Thurber. They share great tips from research they've done on what makes a successful Stampin' Up! demonstrator to help you start your own successful business or enjoy your stamping as a passionate creative outlet and a reason to get together with friends, family and neighbors.

Want to experience what a Stampin' Up! Convention is like? Watch this video below. It was streamed live the last day of this year's convention to demonstrators...but now you can see it too! Note that the demontration also uses the Layered Labels stamp set. You can create so many wonderful looks with this stamp set!

Stampin' Up! Convention 2012 Live Stream

Enjoy!

Donna Ross

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Private Classes: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping
Current Promotions

Monday, July 23, 2012

Convention 2012 Memories

Convention memories
Another swap sample

Home in Houston after the Convention, and so sad to leave Salt Lake City. Our shuttle driver knew we were all from Stampin’ Up!. All except one of us had two large suit cases in addition to our extra computer bags and Memento Mall bags. The only reason we had enough room for all 5 of us and our luggage in the shuttle was that one smart demonstrator ships her swaps ahead of time to the hotel and also ships her swaps and Memento Mall purchase home via UPS rather than carry it with her. Our driver commented that of all the Convention visitors that he Shuttles to and from the Convention Center area, that Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have the most fun and are the happiest people he drives.

I have to agree with him. On my last day at lunch I grabbed an empty table to collect my thoughts and set some goals for the coming Stampin' Up! calendar year. I was quickly joined by a group of 7 other ladies who invited me to join a birthday celebration a demonstrator's birthday -- complete with candles and Eclairs (someone’s husband ate half the cake that was originally planned for the celebration, so the Éclair’s were a last-minute improvise). How nice!

Earlier I had dozed off for a moment in one of the large general sessions--too many late-night swaps... I remember waking up thinking that the wonderful women that filled the ballroom and stage reminded me of waking up to warm buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup. Maybe someone left an open bottle of Sugar & Spice Scented Stampin’ Embossing Powder close to a ventilation fan. The entire ballroom of 2,500 demonstrators felt warm and homey. It is so hard to describe the feeling of enthusiasm and concern for providing demonstrators what they need to be successful from Stampin’ Up!’s staff and executives. I can’t wait to go to next year’s convention. We will celebrate Stampin’ Up!’s 25 years in business , and in order to make it possible for more people to attend, the Convention will be one day shorter.

Here’s a YouTube video showing you the flavor of what a Stampin’ Up! convention includes:

Another of my swaps from Convention

I'll post another couple tomorrow since this post is getting long:

This card uses several products that are new in the June release of the 2012-2013 Catalog.

Tip: I purchased two of the Delicate Doilies Sizzlits L dies to save time when cutting swaps or for large classes. Two dies fit on one cutting pad, and you only need to roll it through the machine once to get two Delicate Doilies in all three sizes.

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes (wood-127322; Clear 127324); Itty Bitty Banners (126255 – wood, 126257 – clear)

Papers: Pretty in Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, In-Color Designer Series Paper Stack (126910)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Embellishments: Fancy Fan Folder Embossing Folder, Big Shot Die Cutting Machine, 2-3/8” Scallop Circle Punch (118874), 2-1/2” Circle Punch (120906), In Color Dahlias (127556) (love these little Dahlias!)1/4 Pretty in Pink ¼” Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Die Cuts: Delicate Doilies Sizzlits L (126999), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267)

Grand Vacation 2014

This vacation trip was announced during the final session on Saturday. Demonstrators that earn the Grand Vacation this year will Sail away with Stampin’ Up! May 4-11 2014 for a world-class adventure* aboard the Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Allure of the Seas®. You should see it! It is 17 decks tall!. Onboard there are seven unique neighborhoods that include a theater featuring Broadway hits, the DreamWorks® Experience, and restaurants such as Rita’s Cantina and the Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse. The ship also features a FlowRider® surf simulator, aerial acrobats in the AquaTheater, a classic carousel on the Boardwalk, a zip line ride over Central Park® –or a garden lined with fine restaurants and shops. And because this is Stampin’ Up!’s 25th anniversary, we will be joined by demonstrators from all over the world! This is one experience well worth working towards!

Click here to learn more about the awe-inspiring Allure of the Seas®, and, if you're a demonstrator, start planning today to earn this truly unforgettable luxury vacation!

*The vacation package includes a 6-day, 7-night Western Caribbean cruise with ports of call in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Labadee, Haiti, Falmouth, Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Sign up as a demonstrator in early August to give yourself as much time possible during 2012 -2013 to earn this fun, exciting trip. Beginning August 1, if you sign up you'll also receive a Halloween Home decor kit that you'll love! Let me help you select your start kit items today and we'll hold it until the August promotion begins!

As a Demonstrator you'll also be able to attend Convention next July and hear from Stampin' Up Staff presenters like Pam Morgan, Donna Griffith, Carrie Cudney, and the always humorous and irreverent Bonnie Thurber. They share great tips from reasearch they've done on successful Stampin' Up! demonstrators to help you start your own successful business or enjoy your stamping as a passionate creative outlet.

Enjoy!

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Classes: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping

Current Promotions

Start You Own Business

Host a workshop

Download Free Stampin' Up! Catalogs

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Stampin' Up! 2012 Convention Swap

I'm at Convention....

I've been busy the past few weeks preparing for Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake City. Swaps are a big part of getting ready for convention. Here's a quick look at one of my swaps. I'll be sharing others with you later when I get home and get caught up on sleep.

I know, a little early for Christmas... but with all the wonderful products in the new Holiday catalog (available for purchase August 1), I wanted to start showing you some of the great projects you can quickly create with new dies and papers from the catalog. This card uses the new Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127821) on the Very Vanilla background layer. The checked paper is from the Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack. This pack includes 48 sheets (4 ea. of 12 double-sided designs in a 4-1/2 X 6-1/2 in -- and corrdinates with your favorite Stampin' Up Christmas colors like Cherry Cobbler, Early Expresso, Lucky limeade and Crumb Cake. The image is stamped in Soft Suede and it is mounted on a Soft Suede cardstock

One of the best announcements at Convention is that MDS 2 is coming August 1...

I know some of you of you are just as anxious as I am about the new My Digital Studio (MDS) 2 design software. One of the Convention evening classes I finished my first night here was an overview of the 75 new features coming with MDS 2. We downloaded an early version onto our computers and were able to experience some of the new features such as being able to round paper and photo corners, designing in spreads, recolor embellishments, recolor designer series paper, layers, and cropping stamps and cropping embellishments. Everything just became so much easier. Lots more to tell you later! The Free 30-day trial is still in effect.

Convention 2012: Live Streaming Video

If you are already a Stampin' Up! Demonstration and always wanted to join the party and be a part of convention in Salt Lake City? Here's your chance! Tune in for an exciting stamping demonstration (and a fun announcement!)-streaming live from Utah at 2:00 PM (MT) on Saturday, July 21. Make plans now to be here! You won't want to miss it. http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/22934.asp

If you aren't already a demonstrator, but love to create ....

$99 Fully Customizable Kit lets you choose $125.00 worth of merchandise

I'll post some of the great projects from convention using items from the 2012-2013 soon. If you plan to order over $99 from the new catalog released in June or the Holiday Mini (which my customer will receive shortly), your better choice is to sign up as a demonstrator. For $99, you can choose $125.00 worth of any traditional or digital supplies with free shipping...just for signing up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Stampin' Up! has made the new standard Starter Kit completely customizable! This is a great way to update your supplies with the new In Colors, new dies, new digital downloads, new ribbons and/or new stamps. And after your Starter Kit order, you have no further obligation. However, if you choose to continue purchasing as a demonstrator, you'll receive 20% or more Instant Income from future orders. And your first order within 45 days as a new demonstrator is 30% off! As long as you purchase $300 each quarter... that's about $100 a month...you can continue to purchase at a discount. This is a great offer if you plan to be a hobby demonstrator or if you want to make a little extra money at different times of the year.

Add up what you spend at craft stores and scrapbook stores and you may be surprised at how signing up as a demonstrator can save you time (with coordinated products and product suites) and stretch your crafting dollars (discounts off your purchases, plus additional free merchandise you select from anywhere in the catalog on orders over $150). Read more here...and sign up today, on-line. You can even turn what you love into a part-time or full-time business, with free training, webinars, and demonstrator support available on line. Stampin' Up! makes it easy for you to do it any way that works best for you.Read more here...and sign up today, on-line. You can even turn what you love into a part-time or full-time business, with free training, webinars, and demonstrator support available on line. Stampin' Up! makes it easy for you to do it any way that works best for you.

One of the most powerful experiences during convention is the opportunity demonstrators have to spend time with each other. As demonstrators chat together, forging friendships and sharing their ideas, goals, and challenges, convention becomes one of those invaluable opportunities that can only be found at at Stampin' Up! If you're a business demonstrator or hobby demonstrator, I'll be sharing some of the great tips and projects here over the next few weeks.

Don't forget! During July, $5 stamp set with $50 order.

Check it out now! http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/donnaross/promotions

Enjoy!

Donna Ross

Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator

Classes: http://cardmaking.meetup.com/71/

To place an order: Place an on-line order through my Stampin' Up! store - 24/7 Shopping
Current Promotions