New Holiday Mini Collection

Stampin' Up!'s new Holiday Mini Collection should be showing up in your mailboxes. WOW! Besides the fabulous new stamp sets, wheels, ribbons, and accessories, did you know that ALL THE STAMP SETS IN THIS MINI COLLECTION ARE DIE CUT!!!! This will save stampers valuable time in mounting their stamps. As a demonstrator, I take pride in trimming my stamp sets very close to the image. I did not need to trim off any excess on the stamp sets.

At my Technique Tuesday class last week, I showed my customers a die-cut set from the new Holiday Mini Collection. They were impressed too!

What did I purchase from the Holiday Mini Collection (so far)? The Snow Jumbo Wheel (I collect snowmen so this was a must), Holy Triptych, Silver Elastic Cord, Holiday Harmony Double-Sided Designer Paper, Mini Library Clips, Autumn Apparitions, and the Autumn Leaves Wheel.

I've already uploaded several examples of the Autumn Apparitions stamp set to my stamped art gallery:

http://www.stampwithjane.com/autumnapparitions.html

Let me know what you think!

Becoming Jane

For those who know me, you already know I am a Jane Austen fanatic or rather a Janeite. For those of you who don't know me, well...now you do. When I was deciding about joining the blogging world, I even pondered if Jane Austen would have blogged.

Becoming Jane hit only a few small theatres in major movie cities. I had almost lost any hope that my small Wisconsin town (West Bend) would bring this movie about Jane Austen's life to me (well, before NETFLIX would get to it).

To my genuine surprise, I found out it is coming to my town this weekend...and bonus points for me...my husband has plans with my boys all weekend!

I love movies, but rarely go to the movie theatres - especially since NETFLIX. I am treating myself today and hope to get swept away by the story of my literary heroine!

My First Technique Tuesday Class

Because my customers keep asking for more ideas and stamping events, I started a new event with the 2007-2008 Fall/Winter Collection. On one Tuesday each month, I will be hosting a Technique Tuesday stamping class in my home. For only $5.00, my customers will get to make 3 different cards using techniques I will teach them!

As a bonus for my customers, when they attend their first Technique Tuesday class, I will be handing out one pack of my card sample protectors so they can keep the instructions with the cards they make! Here is a scan of my card protectors -

It was a FULL HOUSE this month - and my stampers were thrilled with the techniques, color combos, finished cards, and their ability to quickly complete the projects!

I posted the 3 cards from the Technique Tuesday class to my stamped art gallery - you can check them out here:

http://www.stampwithjane.com/techniquetuesday82007.html

My Christmas in July Stamp Camp

I have finally uploaded my Christmas in July Stamp Camp samples on my stamped art gallery site.

You can check them out here -

www.stampwithjane.com/stampcampgalleryjulychristmas2007.html

I hosted three evenings filled with happy stampers!

Christmas in July

I was busy the last couple of weeks designing projects and hosting my Christmas in July stamp camp. This year, I had to hold it on three evenings for my eager stampers. We had lots of fun stamping for Christmas in 90 degree weather! Because the new catalog just came out, I used all new Christmas sets for the stamp camp. There are so many fabulous stamp sets in the new catalog!!! Well, after the stamp camp, I still had some remaining pieces left, so I began playing with my older sets and created new samples using the designs from the stamp camp.

Here is a sample using one of my all-time favorites stamp sets - Loads of Love!

I'll be posting my Christmas in July samples on my gallery website today! I'll post the link here when I am finished!

Yappy Day Projects

I'm involved in a group called "VC Rocks" - Virtual Convention Rocks. I was introduced to this group the first year I couldn't actually go to Stampin' Up!'s convention. We share the excitement of the new catalog, participate in swaps and classes, and chit-chat about our stamping and other-than-stamping lives. One of opportunities you can participate in is a Roomie Swap. You send RAKs back and forth and then you send a Roomie Box at the end. My roomie this year is a Stampin' Up! demo who is also a vet. Now, I don't own any pets, but I am partial to dogs (my sister's family has had 2 Golden Retrievers - Casey who is in doggy heaven - and Colby who is just as sweet). The new Yappy Day set is one of my new favorites, and I thought it was a perfect theme for my Roomie Box.

Yesterday, I finalized some of the goodies for the Roomie Box. Here is a doggy scrapbook I made using Very Vanilla envelopes as the base. You can view more detailed instructions on my gallery website - http://www.stampwithjane.com/wowprojectsenviebook.html

Then I made some stamper treat bags with some stamping goodies inside:

Aren't those just adorable? I hope my roomie likes them!

Other Priorities

There is a big joke in my family. Actually, my mother-in-law said it first.

When my sister Margie visits from New Jersey, the world as we know it stops.

Now, keep in mind, that when my mother-in-law first said this, it wasn't very funny - it was meant to be a slam against me. Now, I have mellowed a bit and relish in this phrase.

Well, my sister and her family visited us last week...so my blog, gallery website, stamping, and everything else did halt a bit. Did you feel the world screech to a halt???

We gathered at my mom's house in Milwaukee all of last week and enjoyed being together. My sister even came to my book club meeting (a real treat). My nephew Matt wanted to do taste testing of various hamburger joints in Milwaukee. We tasted some of the best - Kopp's and Gilles. He was partial to Kopp's. One more place I would have loved to have taken him was Solly's (if you're ever in Milwaukee, you have to try this place), but time ran out.

During Margie's last visit, the sisters started a new tradition - going out on the town all by ourselves - no husbands, parents, or kids. This time we did it again and had a fabulous time, and we even did some business brainstorming (all captured on a cocktail napkin).

My sisters are just the best. We were good to one another as kids for the most part (Yes, Mary I am truly sorry about how I unintentionally duped you regarding the paper route), but as adults I consult them above everyone else and treasure them dearly.

Both of them are so passionate about their lives and their families. I wish I had daughters to see this cycle continue, but I am passing down this love of family to my three boys. They will be best friends forever too.

Working With My New Stamp Sets

I've been working with my new stamp sets to get some swaps sent in the mail.

I absolutely LOVE Baroque Motifs...it is so elegant! I'll be using this set quite a bit this year! I've done lots more with it, but this is one of my swaps:

I really love the little tag with the gel pen flower center! This card scanned a bit goofy - there is no vellum on the top or bottom.

Year After Year will also be a great stamp set to use. It reminds everyone of Sketch an Event, but what I like about Year After Year is the images are larger so they fill more focus space. Sketch an Event was almost too small to grab attention on a card. Here's another swap I did:

I know my customers LOVE to use Dazzling Diamonds so I covered the present with it.

I have uploaded a few more samples on my gallery site - and will be posting more this weekend.

The Retired Accessories List

Well, another big day in the life of a stamper! The 2006-2007 Retired Accessory List is out.

Some of the items included in the list will actually still be offered in the new catalog, but just in different quantities or assortments. These are:

• Select Individual Color Packs of 12" x 12" Card Stock
• Confetti White & Kraft Tiny Takeout Boxes and Tags
• Select Embossing Powder Colors
• Select 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon Colors
• Corner Rounder Punch

Well, I am amazed at the number of ink cartridges, ribbons, designer papers, and the Pearl Ex/Lumiere that will be discontinued. However, now I am really anxious to see the new products and maybe a reworking of some items in the new catalog!

My Stamping Goodies Arrived

Yeah - my new stamping goodies came on Friday afternoon - the UPS man was even early!!!!

MY FAVORITE SET

Love Wild Wasabi!

The chipboard is 8" x 8"!

New Brads - great news - 2 different sizes in the squares; 3 different sizes in circles!