Butterfly Hope

It's finally Friday!
And honestly friends, it couldn't come fast enough.
This past week has been full to bursting with activity and it's totally slayed me!
The icing on the cake was yesterday morning when I was trying to make my morning cereal with my eyes half open and poured orange juice on my Golden Crisp. Ugh!
Definitely NOT a great taste combination. I don't recommend it.

So, here we head into the weekend and the big highlight?
It's Emma's first High School Homecoming weekend.
Yep. Game tonight. Dance tomorrow.
She's growing up waaay too fast friends. Someone please tell me that I'll make it through the next 4 years with my heart intact. Sigh.

As more evidence my week has been overwhelming, here's yet another card that I created in JUNE and had yet to share. Hey, at least the products aren't retired yet - that's something, right?

I pulled the color combo from the Color Coach - Marina Mist, Tangerine Tango and Early Espresso. It's actually kind of fall looking, don't ya' think?

Lots of sponging going on here with the Crumb Cake ink pad and of course bling-bling-bling with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and some Basic Rhinestones.

I used one of my favorite NEW stamp sets on this one - xoxoxoxoxo - LOVE that flower image!
The Early Espresso layer was embossed with the NEW Fancy Fan Embossing Folder and my Big Shot. The Marina Mist medallion piece was cut with the NEW Delicate Doilies Sizzlit Die - it was the perfect sized layer for the
1 3/4" Scalloped Circle Punch. I used the NEW Butterfly Punch with some Designer Series Paper for that accent. Yep, lots of NEW going on with this card.

Here's a couple of the products I used on this one:

#126422 - Blooming with Kindness Stamp Set - Clear Mount - $16.95 

#126999 - Delicate Doilies Sizzlit Die - $21.95

So, there ya go folks! Something creative to send you into the weekend. 

If you need supplies, you can visit my website anytime 24/7 to purchase them. 

Click here: Robin's Online Stampin' Store

Click the Shop Now button at the top right corner to get started!

I'll be back with photos of my weekend on Monday - no post tomorrow, I'm gonna be a busy Mom!

Happy Stampin'!,

~~Robin

Raspberry Merry and Type

Would you believe that I designed this card in May? 
Yep, waaay back then.

Guess it's time I shared it with you, huh?

Especially since that awesome Stitched Satin Ribbon is FREE right now with a $40 purchase! Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about! That's like getting over 25% of your order back in FREE product!

I used Gumball Green on this card - love how it looks with Raspberry Ripple for Christmas cards.

This card is a great mix of old and new products - the stamp set is Merry and Type from last year's Idea Book. Really one of my favorites and if you took classes last holiday season, you know we used it a LOT.
Here, I've colored the ornament stamp with new In Colors Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green Stampin' Write Markers. Summer Starfruit was used to color in the strings. I added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter with my 2 Way Glue Pen and a single Basic Rhinestone to the center of one ornament.
The sweet little bow was attached with a Glue Dot.

The Raspberry Ripple background was run through the Big Shot with the Stripes Embossing Folder and spritzed with the Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.

All in all, a pretty clean and simple card with just the right touch of sparkle.

I'm off for another day - see you back here tomorrow!
Happy Stampin',
~~Robin

TGFS!

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration.

I've been up against the wall this week along the order of deadlines and personal commitments. Sometimes, the creative side of my brain just shuts down with all the craziness swirling around up there. That's when I look for a little help from my stampin' buds.

One of the best things about going to Founders Circle was the 120 card swap that we participated in. Not only did I return with a LOT of new ideas, I got lots of good, Clean and Simple card ideas which was just what I needed for my starting point for my Clean and Simple Christmas Cards class last night.
TGFS! (Thank Goodness For Swaps!)

Here's one of the cards I created for class:

I used the Scentsational Season/Holiday Collection stamp/framelits Bundle and the Winter Memories stamp set; Sahara Sand, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla cardstock; Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip ink; Blender Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Here's my card with my inspiration piece:

The card on the right was designed by my bud Stella Mackay in California. I loved the simple message and warmth of it so it was perfect for my CAS class.

Since I turned my mug into a mug of Hot Cocoa, I changed the base cardstock to Sahara Sand to give more of a cozy feel.
TDS Tip!: To make that cocoa quick and easy, just ink the mug image with a Cherry Cobbler ink pad.
Use your Blender Pen to remove the Cherry Cobbler ink from the top of the stamp where the 'drink' shows.
Re-Color that area with your Chocolate Chip Marker, huff on it to re-wet then stamp.
Easy Peasy!

The stampers loved this sweet little card last night and I hope you do too.
Here's a look at the Scentsational Season Product Bundle:

It's Item #129946 and is discounted in the Bundle to just $32.95!
You can visit my ONLINE STORE to purchase yours today.
Just click here: Robin's Online Stampin' Store

Simply click the SHOP NOW button in the top right corner to get started!
Remember for each $40 you spend in September, you get a FREE Roll of In Color Stitched Satin Ribbon. That's an $8.95 value - FREE!!

Happy stampin' everyone!
~~Robin

Opening the Archives Today

Now I'm really digging into the archives - this card was created for a swap I participated in back in May.
Yep, I've been holding out on you, I know.

My friend Diana Gibbs has a swap group that runs with each new catalog and this one was for the new Idea Book that started on June 1st.
It was one of my favorite swap cards I did that season and I've still got it on display in the studio. Maybe I'll put it in a little frame and hang it up in there. The 'Create' message is perfect for my happy place!

I used two of the new In Colors - Midnight Muse and Summer Starfruit - combined with Rich Razzleberry. The combination really puts me in mind of Fall, so maybe posting this now is timelier than I thought. Ha!
The Very Vanilla layer is stamped with the flower spray from the Forever With You stamp set. (#126727 $17.95) I used Summer Starfruit for that image.

The Rich Razzleberry cardstock layer and the Comfort Cafe Designer Paper layer were die cut with the Dresden Plate Die. (You know I don't sew, so I HAD to find something cut to do with it!)
I ran the Razzleberry layer through the Big Shot again with the Houndstooth Embossing Folder for texture and crumpled the Comfort Cafe Paper too.
The next layer is punched from the First Edition Designer Paper and crumpled as well.

For my center elements, I stamped the 'Create' image from the Layered Labels stamp set (#127072 $25.95) twice on Very Vanilla. Once in Midnight Muse and once in Rich Razzleberry. The Midnight Muse piece was cut out with the Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies in my Big Shot and I used the 1 3/8" Circle Punch for the Razzleberry layer. Lots of Stampin' Dimensionals pops up the top three layers.

I used my Spritzer Tool and the Summer Starfruit Stampin' Write Marker to spritz a little ink over the whole card front to add a more vintage touch. 

As a final touch, I made a bow with the Victoria Crochet Trim and tied a Vintage Faceted Button around the center with Linen Thread. It's attached with a Glue Dot to the card front.

Thanks for stopping by today, I've got a few other cards from the vault to share this week, so stay tuned!
And visit my Stampin' Up! website to purchase any of the products I've used here today - the online store is open for you 24/7!  http://www.robinstamps4u.stampinup.net

~~Robin

Special! - Limited Class Offering!

So, you may have seen these cool printer's tray kits over the past few weeks as an incentive for joining Stampin' Up!.
I was fortunate to welcome many new demonstrators into my team and because of that, I am eligible to purchase a limited amount of these kits to offer in a class to YOU!

Here, check it out:

Howl-O-Ween Printers Tray Class
Join me in the studio to create a fun and decorative Printer's Tray Kit that will add a spark to your seasonal decor!
Class includes the wood printer's tray along with all supplies to complete your work of art. You'll also receive ideas for creating more seasonal inserts so you can make your tray last all year long.
*I'll be holding a drawing from all registered and paid attendees for the stamp sets used to create our projects!

Class times: Thursday, October 4th 10 am - 1 pm OR
Friday, October 5th 6:30 pm - 9:30 PM
Payment in full with RSVP to hold your spot.

ONLY 6 SPOTS LEFT in either class! Hurry to hold your kit!

Class Fee: $50.00
Payable in full by cash/check when you RSVP

Cased Congratulations - and a Cool Tip!

You know how sometimes you're traveling somewhere with friends or family and you want to capture the moment with your camera in a photo that includes all of you?
Yeah, you know.
So, you ask a friendly looking stranger to take your picture - trusting this stranger with your camera or phone - trusting that they will just take the picture and not mess anything up.
And MOST of the time, it works out just fine. You get your picture, thank the friendly stranger and go your separate ways.

Well, on my trip to Founders Circle it didn't quite work out that way and without going into details, lets just say that it's a good thing I have some projects already photographed and uploaded for your creative enjoyment.
Sigh.

The card I'm sharing to day is a case of a card my friend Ingrid in Florida made a few months ago. I did my version for card classes in July and the stampers here loved it!
It uses three of the new In Colors - Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple and Midnight Muse. A great color combo!

I started with a card base of Whisper White, and used the polka dot pattern in the Designer Paper pack. The papers strips were stacked together and I used the Curly Label Punch to create the wavy edge across the bottom.

It's really a very easy card to assemble, just those three strips of designer paper and the focal image stamped on Whisper White with Raspberry Ripple ink. I cut it out with my Big Shot and the Apothecary Accents Framelits set. If you look closely, you can see the little bit of paper piercing that I did with the new Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (#126187 $7.95):

It's just around the outside edges of the die cut piece for a little extra something special.
Once I'd done the piercing, I attached the greeting die cut to the card front with four Stampin' Dimensionals.

Now, here's a little tip for you.
I have always struggled to get strips of paper lined up perfectly, SO, I found an easy-peasy way to get them even!
Simply take a small strip of scrap cardstock and run SNAIL adhesive along the whole strip.
Position the center piece of designer paper first, right in the middle of the scrap cardstock.
Next, just add the other strips to either side of the first, lining them up at the top.

Lookie! It's even!
How cool is that? 

And no card is complete without SOME decoration on the inside, so here I just used a scrap piece of designer paper and punched it with the Dotted Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch:

I really love the clean and simple look of this card - AND how quick and easy it was to create. Thanks Ingrid for the great idea!

Hope you have a great Monday!
I'm headed into the studio to finish a project now that I've got a new camera that works - yay!
I've got a busy, busy week ahead, so cross your fingers for me!!

Happy stampin',
~~Robin

Founders Circle - Extra Fun Stuff

I realized that I have lots of miscellaneous pictures to share from our fun time last week, so I put them in one post, ok?

Here is a shot of what I 'think' are all the goodies I had to find space in the luggage to bring home. Oh, and my door sign too.
I won the Simply Scored and Diagonal plate - that was fun to find space for! :)

Me being cute to test out the new camera I had to buy at Target.
Some poor dude was helping us out and taking a group photo of a few of us and dropped my camera. I was only upset because I NEED a camera at SU! events and my iPhone doesn't always cut it. So, I bought a cheap whizzy-snapper at Target to get me through and I'll be looking for a decent one here soon.

We had lunch and cupcakes at a cute little place in Historic St. George and they had this sign displayed:

Me stamping with Connie Steward to the left and Dawn Olchefske to the right - fun gals!

So, apparently Angie Juda and I were the only ones to get the blue/white clothing memo:

Dan, our new cameraman proudly showing off his first hand-stamped card. Maybe it's for his wife since he spent the week with 120 strange women! Ha!

Some of the fun, beachy displays in the Gathering Place:

Love this DSP wrapped canvas art piece:

Our very own Ice Cream Freezer! I need one of these in the Studio! Not!!

A very empty looking Plinko Prize corner:

Too cute banner:
(I want that wood box!)

Oh, this one's from home. Emma had her first school picture day of High School while I was gone. Mark did good remembering to send me a photo of her.
I think she's beautiful!

Me playing Plinko after our Zion Trip. You can see no one else was around - I was in desperate need of a shower!

And Emily bear guarding my oh, so soft fuzzy throw.
Emma always puts a stuffed animal from her room in my suitcase when I travel. She's done it since she was little and even at 14 still remembers to do it. I love the little piece of her and home in my hotel room.

Happy Saturday everyone!
I'm off to the studio to stamp for a deadline - you'll see the results soon, promise!
~~Robin

Founders Circle - Friday Fun!

One of the highlights of the Founders Circle trip each year is the visit to Kanab, UT where our awesome rubber stamps are made.
Yep! Right here, start to finish in the good ol' USA! Love that!

It's a pretty early morning for a bus ride, the sun is still coming up over the gorgeous southern Utah landscape:

But it's SO worth it to arrive at the manufacturing facility in Kanab to see all the employees lined up there with signs greeting us:

They are a fantastic group of people, warm and welcoming, and truly at the heart of what we do.Their signs may say "We love our Demonstrators", but we really love them too!

And honestly, have you ever seen such a gorgeous 'factory' in your life??
It's just as beautiful on the inside too.
And the CLEANEST factory (and one of the greenest) I've ever seen. Awesome!

Here's a photo of me with Shelli Gardner in her apartment over the plant:

I respect this lady so much. 25 years ago, she and her sister LaVonne took a germ of an idea, a dream, and took a chance and started Stampin' Up!.
As we look around today at where SU! has gone, what it has become, the lives it's touched and enhanced, you can't help but feel that anything is possible with persistence, consistency and a belief that you're doing what you were meant to do.
I'm grateful.
Without SU!, I'd be working outside our home and not living out my purpose. That may sound deep, but I feel it every time I drive Emma to the rink, travel for a competition or have a heartfelt talk over milk, coffee and cookies after school.  My prayer is to always be the wife Mark needs, the Mom that Emma needs and the child of God that I was created to be. It's a gift that allows me to live that out each day.

So enough mushy stuff, here's some more pics:
I love taking photos of Shelli's decorating. Her vintage/retro style is right up my alley and I get so many ideas for what I want my home to look like.

Love the old door and embossed metal for a headboard!

And how cool is this? Old doorknobs for picture hangers!

Outside of the Kanab facility, there is a big rock with our logo. A very popular photo spot.
Here I am with my third level upline Jan Wakeland and five more of her RemARKables team members who earned Founders this year. (including my first and second level uplines Christina Crawford and Joyce Feraco. Joyce reached her 1 million dollar sales milestone last year!) Tamra Davis, on the left, earned Founders for the first time this year! Go Tamra!

I know you've seen me with these gals before - my buds from my second year on the Advisory Board 2010-11. We're missing Jodi and Meg in the picture, but they were on the trip too.

And I reached a milestone on this trip!
For the FIRST TIME EVER, I won a prize at an SU! event!
WooHoo!!!
Here's a pic of me with my new Simply Scored and Diagonal Scoring Plate - Yay!

So our next stop was somewhat mysterious. We drove south into Arizona and crossed the Glen Canyon Dam. It was a little disconcerting to see this sign:

And then they gave us hardhats since we were under the bridge:

Yeah, that bridge.

Makes you feel pretty small, eh?
Try being there!

Georgia and I look pretty chill as we head out on our adventure. We were headed out on a 3 hour Colorado River Rafting trip!
It was a great surprise!

Bonnie, ingenious as ever, created her own sun visor:

We had a stop about half-way to walk up a short trail and see some ancient hieryoglyphs:
(it was REALLY hot!)

So hot in fact, that when we came back down the trail, I took off my shoes and walked straight down in to the Colorado River.
At 47 degrees, it was bracing, but felt SO good!!
If I'd have had my bathing suit on, I'd have dived in - swear!

Eventually we had to get back on the raft, but look at what we got to see:

Talk about feeling small.
It's amazing to me how with a swipe of his finger, God created all this majesty for us to enjoy. I cannot understand how anyone could fail to recognize His glory in this beauty.

More cooling off in the river. Several of us sat on the outer pontoon of the raft for the trip.
Made for sore behinds, but, we were able to hold on to a handle on the inside of the raft and dip our feet in the water.
Bliss!

Can't you tell it was a glorious day?
Words really fail me in trying to describe how beautiful it was.

When we arrived at the end or our trip, we found our dinner in these awesome cooler bags!
Another fantastic gift from SU! and a delicious meal as well. The salad dressing was delish - wish I knew what it was so I could have MORE!

Last Friday was truly one of my most memorable days ever.
I love the beauty of our land and love that I got to enjoy it with fun friends on a special trip.
Feeling very blessed.

Happy Stampin'!
~~Robin