The Thin Blue Line

Most of you who who have followed my creative endeavors for any time here on the blog or on social media are likely aware that my husband is a Police Officer for our local department and I am a former Police Officer from the same organization. 

This past Saturday, our department, the Prince William County Police Department, experienced for only the 4th time in our 45 year history, a line of duty death of one of our officers. 

The murder of Officer Ashley Guindon - on her first day on the job - is heartbreaking for our law enforcement community nationwide. 

Two more of our finest, Officer Jesse Hempen and Officer Dave McKeown, were critically injured during the shooting as well and are currently recovering from their injuries.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the details, here is a link to the press release by the PWCPD: 

Line of Duty Death of Officer Ashley Guindon

My husband is part of our department's Peer Support Team - uniquely tasked with counseling and advising the officers and staff of the department in times like these. 

It is a hard place, absorbing the hurt and heartache and anger that is the natural response of all affected. 

I've absorbed his real-life heartache as he shares with me his own sadness and his concern for our Blue Family. 

I've taken in as well, the news coverage and punditry of those outside the line - all trying to make sense of the senseless - an impossible task, even for those of us inside the line. 

I've reflected on my own history with the department, turning over memories again and again in my mind of times when things could have taken a deadly turn. 

It makes you catch your breath sharply when you allow yourself to think of what, but for the grace of God, could have been.

As an artist, I turned to what I know best, my craft, my outlet to express some of the emotions that have been coming in waves these past 48 hours. 

Truly, for some things, there are just no words. 

Tuesday, March 1st, we will pay our last respects to Officer Guindon and thank her for her service and ultimate sacrifice - paid on our behalf. 

The Thin Blue Line will continue to stand strong in your honor.

Please pray for us. 

Pray for our Blue Family. 

Our Brothers and Sisters in Blue who guard over us. 

Not just the Prince William County Police Department, but ALL Law Enforcement Officers. 

Never forget that they go where others will not. 

They defend the defenseless and stand up for those who cannot.

And at times, they are called to pay the greatest price 

for the least of us all. 

Great is the cost of a devoted heart, sworn to protect and serve.

Hello Sunshine! Note Card Holder - FREE Tutorial!

Hello crafty peeps! 

It's another rainy, dreary day here in the Old Dominion - time for a little paper sunshine! 

Check out what I created with supplies from the February Paper Pumpkin kit: 

Now if those flowers and that FAB ribbon don't brighten your day, I don't know what will....

WAIT! 

I KNOW! 

How about a FREE downloadable TUTORIAL?!?!

Ok, why not? 

Click this link to download now: 

Hello Sunshine Note Card Holder Tutorial

Here's a peek at the stamped Note Cards and Envelopes inside: 

You guys are always wondering what ELSE you can create with the monthly Paper Pumpkin Kits, aren't you? 

Did you know that when you are one of my personal Paper Pumpkin Subscribers YOU receive an additional 7-8 ideas for EACH months kit? 

Yep, tis true! 

And you don't have to do anything but be my subscriber to receive them. 

These wonderful ideas come directly to you in your email inbox!

Did you know that through March 31st, a 3 month Paper Pumpkin Subscription is ON SALE?

It's normally $59.85 - on SALE for just $55 so you save almost $5 AND you earn a FREE Sale-A-Bration exclusive product with your purchase! 

Click the photo here to purchase and subscribe today! 

Once you make your purchase, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to register your subscription and you'll begin receiving the Extra FREE Tutorials and Ideas from me! 

Something else you should know -

once you are a Paper Pumpkin Subscriber, you will be able to purchase past months Kits (as available) and refills as an exclusive perk! 

Yes, even this month's kit! 

I'm so glad you stopped by today and I hope you enjoy the FREE tutorial! 

I'd love to be able to share all the awesome Alternate Projects for Paper Pumpkin with you in the future!

Be sure to join so you don't miss anything!

NEW Weekly Deals!!

Love the price on the Stars Framelits and the In Color Markers! 

Don't miss out - www.trinitydesignstudio.stampinup.net

Shop Now!

Baby Name Banner

If you stopped by yesterday to check out the cute baby thank you cards I posted, you'll remember that I promised to share the name banner I created for my niece as well. 

Here's the full view: 

And the letters individually: 

This was such a simple project to complete - the nursery is in Navy and Gray tones, so I used that as my color palette and found just the right papers and pieces to create with. 

The only product I used that's not currently available is the Big Shot Alphabet letters, they are from my retired stash. But they would be easy to substitute out. 

Here's a complete supply list: 

I love how this banner is sweet, but clean and simple too - perfect for any baby nursery. 

After all, we KNOW who the star of the show in THAT room's gonna be! LOL! 

As it should be!

Thanks for stopping by today, I always love it when you do. 

Have an amazing day!

Oh Baby! Thank You Notes

What does every new Mom need? 

Besides diapers and sleep that is....

Thank you notes! 

(She probably also needs someone to write and send them for her, but a stamper can only do so much, ya know?)

Here are some cute, clean and simple thank you notes I created for my niece last week. Their sweet little man was a preemie surprise and I know she has her hands full! 

There's no layering at all on these cards - just pure stamping for a streamlined look. 

Here's a supply list for you if you'd like to duplicate these - they'd look adorable in pink too!

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow - I made a sweet name banner for my new nephew - can't wait to show it to you! 

Have a fantastic Monday everyone - 

LAST Day for these Weekly Deals! 

Don't miss the discounted price on Fast Fuse Refills!

www.trinitydesignstudio.stampinup.net

Clean and Simple Masking Card

Sometimes it all starts with a scrap of card stock.

There was a little square of card stock laying on my studio table that I'd cut a leaf from for another project. As I glanced at it for about the 100th time, it occurred to me that it would make a fun mask to create a background with - and this card was born:

I loved how it turned out so much that I did a live broadcast on Periscope, sharing how it was made. 

Usually the Periscope broadcasts go away after 24 hours, but this time I saved the video and downloaded it. 

I thought you'd like to view it so here's the link:

Clean and Simple Masking Card Video

**Remember this video was filmed as a live stamping broadcast on the Periscope App. The conversation I'm having is with the live participants who logged in to the broadcast. It's such a fun way to stamp and share! 

I'd love it if you followed me there and were able to tune in when I stamp live. 

Here's my account so you can follow me after you download the free app from the iTunes App store or Google Play -

@trinitydesign95

Here's a supply list for you:

So, there you go! 

Click on any of the product photos to shop for what you need in my Online Store!

I hope you enjoy working with this fun and easy technique - I'd love to see what you make with your own masks. :)

Sweet Weekly Deals you'll LOVE! 

www.trinitydesignstudio.stampinup.net

Creativate Weekend Sketch Challenge!

It's time to get crafting with a NEW Sketch Challenge from the Creativate Team! 

I share these sketches with my downline team in our private Facebook group each week and they have a ton of fun playing along. I'd love it if you played too!

Here's a sample based on this week's sketch:

And here's the sketch!

CREATIVATE WEEKEND CHALLENGE 

The Creativate Team wants to get you stamping but we know that coming up with ideas can be tough sometimes. Creativate Weekend Challenge to the rescue! 

Each Friday we will be sharing a sketch with you. Are you up for the challenge? Just grab some stamps, ink, and paper (and maybe an embellishment or two).

Look at the sketch... that circle can be anything! It could be a flower, Heart, framelit. The sentiment might look better somewhere else. That's okay! You might want the background to be designer paper or what about stamping a background stamp there? It's your card, just use the sketch to give you some ideas!

I want to see what you've created! 

Post a photo of what you design online and share the link in the comments of this post. You have all week to share your card or project. 

Happy Crafting! 

Don't forget the Weekly Deals this week!

Lots to LOVE!

www.trinitydesignstudio.stampinup.net

Birthday By the Numbers - Take Two!

Yesterday, I shared a really sweet and simple card that used the Number of Years stamp set and I promised that I'd share this one today:

And if you follow me on Periscope, you got to see the demo of how I set up my clear block with the stamps in the set to make the collage background. I also created the card live for you! 

I love Periscope! 

It allows me to stamp and create 'live' even if you're not in the same room with me. 

Be sure to follow my account there - @trinitydesign95

The app is free for both iPhone and Android AND you can watch from your laptop or desktop computer as well. 

Anyway, I digress - here's another look at today's card:

And here's a supply list for you: 

As always, you can click on any of the product photos and place your order in my Online Store! 

Shopping made easy!

I'm so glad you stopped by today - what will you be creating this weekend?

I'll be posting the Creativate Weekend Sketch Challenge tomorrow - come back by and let that inspire you!

Happy Birthday by the Numbers!

There's a new stamp set in the Occasions Catalog called Number of Years. 

It consists of mostly large number stamps (awesome!), a lovely leaf spray with different flower images to choose from and a few different greetings. 

It's a great stamp set when you need to create a specific age or date or year card. 

But then, what do you do when you want something more generic? 

Well, here's an idea - make a background stamp with it! 

Here's the card I created:

And here's how I set up my stamp:

One of the things I love about the photopolymer and clear mount stamps is the ability to arrange multiple stamps on one clear block to create my own designs. This technique is especially fun for making background images! 

Have you ever tried doing this? 

The card I created is really simple and one you can re-create in just 10 minutes or less!

The Night of Navy card base is a standard 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" folded to make a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card. 

The Soft Sky layer is 4" x 5 1/4" as is the Whisper White panel on the inside. 

I stamped the floral spray on a scrap of Whisper White and punched it out with the 2 1/2" Circle Punch. 

The greeting was stamped on more scrap and hand cut with Paper Snips. 

The Night of Navy Ribbon banner is about 14" of ribbon, casually adhered to the back of the circle, popped up on dimensionals.  

Here's a list of supplies I used: 

As always, simply click on any of the product photos above and you can Shop Online in my Store for all your Stampin' Up! needs! 

Don't forget that SALE-A-BRATION is still in full swing - 

you'll receive a FREE exclusive product for each $50 you spend in my store. 

Thanks for stopping by - what are you going to create today?

Don't forget to check out these fantastic Weekly Deals when you visit my store!

It's Your Day Celebration Card

What are YOU celebrating today?!?

Well, whatever it may be, remember - 

It's YOUR Day!

And here's a card just for you! 

We're celebrating BIG today in our home - 

our daughter got "the" phone call from her first choice college last night! 

She'll be attending Western Michigan University in the Fall and skating on their Synchronized Skating Team! 

That's been her dream for a long while now and even though she'll be very far away from home, we're thrilled that she gets to begin living out her dreams! 

And we have plenty of wonderful friends in Michigan who I KNOW will be there when Mom and Dad can't be - another blessing of this amazing company I work with. LOVE SU! and I LOVE my SU! friends! 

Anyway, enough about us - how about a FREE downloadable PDF Tutorial for this card? 

Here's the link: 

Party With Cake Circle Card

Your supply list is included on the tutorial sheet, but here are thumbnail photos of a few important items:

To shop for any of these items and more, simply click on any of the product photos and you'll be directed right into my Online Store!

Thanks for helping us pay for that out-of-state college tuition! LOL!

So, whatever you're celebrating today - make it awesome! And share it in the comments so we can celebrate with you!

NEW Weekly Deals! 

Great prices on some fabulous products!

Tic-Tac Treat Cover and the Creativate Team!

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope your weekend was as relaxing as mine turned out to be - a much needed break from the part-time job I've been working.....

I got to stamp, I worked on training for my downline team, spent time with my family, watched some sports (skating, wrestling and a bit of football too...) and I even got to go see a movie! I know that sounds busy, busy, but it was a whole lot of R-n-R for me!

I know I said I was going to blog yesterday about the new collaboration I've joined, the Creativate Team, and I know you'll understand when I tell you that I just needed to step away and enjoy the weekend with the people I love most. That's what I enjoy so much about what I do with SU! - the ability to step out every now and again and feed the non-business parts of my life.

So today I'm gonna share this cute project with you and I'll explain what this whole "Creativate Team" is that I'm so stoked about. Be sure to read to the end, it'll be WORTH it!

This adorable Tic-Tac Cover was created by one of the Creativate Team members, Lisa Curcio. She gave each of us one during our recent retreat in Kansas City. I thought it was just too cute not to share! (and ps. the grape tic-tacs are really good!)

Lisa obviously coordinated her colors for the project with the tic-tacs and she used products from the Have a Cuppa Suite in the Occasions Catalog to create the design. 

Here are the measurements and instructions to make the cover base: 

Cut cardstock at 3" x 4 1/2". 

Score at 2" and again at 2 5/8". 

Fold around the tic-tac container and adhere with Fast Fuse. 

Decorate as desired!

Here's a supply list for you:

NOW for what I'm really excited about:

The CREATIVATE TEAM!

Back in September 2015, I along with several demonstrator friends decided that we needed to begin a collaboration that would not only fill a need for our downline teams, but would empower them as well. 

And not only empower them, but us too.

We wanted to provide business training, resources - both creative and business focused, and inspiration to our collective downline teams. 

Our mission statement: 

"Defining the purpose and heart of our Stampin' Up! businesses by cultivating strategies for growth, leadership and sharing."

At that time, we began building libraries of resources based on 150 combined years of SU! business experience. 

Resources that would be available at NO COST to our downline team members.

In mid-January, we all met up for our first ever Creativate Retreat/Summit at the home of one of our members, Mimi Henwood in Kansas. 

The sign on the wall that we are pointing to sums up our group and our purpose perfectly: 

"There will always be a reason why you meet people. 

Either you need them to change your life or

you're the one that will change theirs."

You may or may not recognize the faces in this photo. 

They are all amazing women and fabulous business women. 

And they are all my friends. 

We not only share a love for SU!, but we share a love for each other, and one other - most important thing - in common; 

Our faith in Christ is at the center of our lives and our group. 

During our retreat, we all checked our egos at the door and brought our ideas, strengths, weaknesses, joys, sorrows, success and struggles to the table. 

We laid our hearts open to each other and set the foundation for a solid future with SU! for ourselves and our downlines. 

You may be asking "Why is this important for ME to know?"

Well, it's simple. 

When you belong to SU!, who you choose as your Stampin' Up! Upline Leader is important. 

No matter if you are a business builder or someone who belongs to SU! for the fun and crafting experience. 

You need to know that when you are a part of my downline team - or any of our downlines - that you will be supported and encouraged and offered resources that will contribute to your success should you choose to take advantage of what's offered. 

And all of that is FREELY given - because our whole goal, our whole purpose is to see you grow and succeed and enjoy your time with SU! 

Sharing what you love to do with others because you can.

So, if you're considering becoming part of SU! - at whatever level of interest - just know that when you join my team, you're getting not only me and my 23 years total of direct sales experience, but you're getting a family of demonstrators, and a community that will love and support you along with pooled resources that will guide you each step of the way. 

No one walks alone on my team. 

Want more information? 

Click HERE or 

email me at trinitydesignstudio1@gmail.com

Stampin' Up! changed my life 10 years ago, it can change yours today. 

Ready for a Little Challenge?? Creativate Weekend Sketch Challenge!

So, are you ready to get crafting this weekend?

I've got something new to share that's going to remove all of your excuses to NOT create - 

a Sketch Challenge! 

I've been very, very busy behind the scenes of my Stampin' Up! business lately. :)

One of the best things I've ever done is team up with a group of 9 other Stampin' Up! demonstrator friends to form the 

Creativate Team. 

Our goal is to provide FREE, accessible training, inspiration and resources to our downline teams. We are all friends who share much in common - and #1 is our faith in Christ. 

We've combined our over 150 years of Stampin' Up! experience to bring unbeatable content to our teams that they would have to pay top dollar for elsewhere. 

One of the things we decided to do was to encourage our team members to STAMP!

And to promote that, we are doing a weekly sketch challenge for them. 

I thought you all might want to play along! 

Here's the sketch for the week of February 5th:

CREATIVATE WEEKEND CHALLENGE 

The Creativate Team wants to get you stamping but we know that coming up with ideas can be tough sometimes. Creativate Weekend Challenge to the rescue! 

Each Friday we will be sharing a sketch with you. Are you up for the challenge? Just grab some stamps, ink, and paper (and maybe an embellishment or two).

Look at the sketch... those squares can be anything! That circle could be a flower, Heart, framelit. The sentiment might look better somewhere else. That's okay! You might want the background to be designer paper or what about stamping a background stamp there? It's your card, just use the sketch to give you some ideas!

I want to see what you've created! 

Share a photo of what you design in the comments of this post. You have all week to share your card or project. 

Here's one idea to get you started - I'll share another on Monday!

Want to know more about the Creativate Team and how we are working to empower our downlines? 

I'll be sharing that story here on the blog on Sunday, so be sure to check back - it's an awesome story, you won't want to miss reading it. :)

Weekly Deals! 

Don't miss these great prices - 

www.trinitydesignstudio.stampinup.net