Holiday Extravaganza Sale!

Starting today, Stampin' Up! will be offering a 50% discount on selected items! Click here to check out these great deals!! Then go to my web site and click on SHOP NOW in the upper right hand corner to take advantage of them!



Holiday Extravaganza Sale

Sale Dates: November 26 - December 1, 2008

Promotion Details:
For a limited time, you can purchase any of the Holiday Extravaganza bundles at a special promotional price--up to 50% off!

Christmas Card

I've been running around all day getting ready to go on vacation next week. I got the oil changed and car maintenanced and checked over and washed, laundry done, snacks packed, dvds ready, clothes packed, fridge cleaned out, and mail held. I just have to get up and finish packing a couple of things in the morning and then we're off!

And when I get back, I have a lot of whole list of things to do to get ready for Christmas! One of the first things I need to do is make some Christmas cards. Here's one idea for a card using the Snow Swirled set. I stamped the tree in certainly celery and sponged some more on to fill in the tree. Then I embossed the snowflakes on the tree and sponged some pacific point on them. I stamped the other snowflakes on pacific point and then sponged the edges of the card for the background. Then I layered the tree on some going gray and used the ticket punch for the corners. I stamped the sentiment in pacific point and punched it our with the large oval punched and sponged the edges with pacific point as well.

I'll see you next week! Happy Thanksgiving!

Hot Pepper Jelly

I love hot pepper jelly! I found a great recipe for it and made a whole bunch, so I put some in baby food jars and dressed them up with some Holiday Treasures DSP and a little snowflake stamp from Snow Swirled on top with the label and the present stamp from Deer Friends. It makes a great holiday gift, so save those baby food jars!

Edited to add:

I've had some requests for the recipe so here it is:

Holiday Pepper Jelly

8 cups sugar, divided
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded
1 green bell pepper, seeded
1 red bell pepper, seeded
2 cups apple-cider vinegar
1 box (6oz) liquid pectin (2 pouches)

In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the sugar and the jalapeño peppers. Process until the jalapeno peppers are completely ground. Sugar will look green. Transfer to a large saucepan.

Cut green and red bell peppers into chunks. Chops pepper chunks into small piece in food processor. Add peppers, vinegar, and remaining sugar to saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add both pouches of pectin, and boil 1 minute. (Don’t leave or it will boil over!)

Skim foam from surface. Let cool for 1 hour. Stir, and then transfer to clean jars and cover. Refrigerate up to 6 months. Makes 9 cups.

Enjoy!

Gobble, Gobble

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving? This year, we're going out of town to visit my parents. We're looking forward to spending time with them. Meanwhile, I saw this cute turkey card and thought it would be fun to make. I made the turkey using punches! Isn't that fun?

I used the 1 3/8 circle punch for the body - chocolate chip

3/4 circle for the head - more mustard

two 1/4 circle for the buttons - real red

double circle for the eyes - basic black

3/4 square trimmed down for the hat - basic black

Boho Blossoms flowers for the feet and a petal for his beak - pumpkin pie

Scallop Punch for his feathers - real red, old olive, and chocolate chip

To fold the scallops:

1. Count five scallops and fold that portion of the circle down
2. Turn the circle over, and fold in half to form a crease in the middle for reference, then unfold.
3. fold the flat edge down from each side so the folded edges line up with the middle crease (similar to making a paper airplane fold).

Fun Brayering Technique

We had a fantastic time at our stamp meeting last night. We learned some of the fantastic brayering techniques of Michelle Zindorf. This is the card that Mary showed us how to create. I just love everything about this card!

We started off with a piece of whisper white (the best cardstock to use for this technique because it is so smooth) and brayered some bashful blue on opposite corners followed by some lavender lace, then we sponged some elegant eggplant all around the edges. Then we stamped the skaters in chocolate chip and without reinking the stamp, stamped two more times diagonally. Then we stamped the snowflake in whisper white in the corner (I love this little touch!)

Mary have already embossed the snowflake on some bashful blue and sponged some elegant eggplant around the edges for us. To finish, I mounted it on some elegant eggplant.

I will definitely be using my brayer more!

Holiday Extravaganza Classes

Here is the class you've been waiting for! I will be doing two holiday classes this year. One for Holiday Decorations and one for Holiday tags and gift boxes.

Holiday Extravaganza Part 1 – Decorations Class

When: Thursday, November 20th at 7pm
Where: 5451 Lauren Drive (Elaine’s house)
What: We will making a variety of holiday decorations from Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive holiday kits Fee: $20
Deadline: Monday, Nov. 17th


Holiday Extravaganza Part 2 – Holiday Tags & Gift Boxes

When: Thursday, Dec 11th at 7pm
Where: 5451 Lauren Drive (Elaine’s house)
What: We will be making lots of cute holiday tags and a gift box

Fee: $20
Deadline: Monday, Dec 8th

Classes

Decorations Class $20.00Tags & Boxes Class $20.00Both Classes $40.00

Fall Scene

Ok, now that I've done a winter card, I'm rewinding and doing a fall card. Can't skip fall. Luckily there are some trees that turn colors here which is lovely to see. I used Lovely as a Tree again to create this card. I used sage shadow, chocolate chip, really rust and more mustard markers and thumped the colors all over the stamp. I used some of the Autumn Vine DSP and just pulled all the colors from the DSP for my card!

Create a Beautiful Winter Scene

Some people think I'm crazy, but I have to admit that I miss the snow! Don't get me wrong, I love the beautiful California weather. But it still feels strange to celebrate Christmas without snow! So when I saw the Winter Post stamp set, I knew I had to have it! I love the snowflake stamp and the ice skaters.

The ice skaters are perfect to create a Winter Scene using Lovely As a Tree. First I stamped the skaters on a piece of kraft cardstock cut out with the Big Shot top note die. Then I stamped the skaters on a piece of paper and cut them out so that I could use it as a mask. I placed it over the skaters and stamped the trees for the background. Then I used my blender pens to color in the skater's sweaters.

I used a sketch challenge of scs for the layout of the card. I added some of the new Holiday Treasures DSP (love it) in layers and some wide double stitched chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon. Are you ready for ice skating and hot chocolate?

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

Are you excited to get ready for the Holidays? Here is the perfect kit to get you started! Invite the warmth and coziness of the holidays into your home with Stampin' Up!'s Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit. This kit has everything you need to create beautiful handcrafted ornaments.

Holiday Collection stamp set
Die-cut chipboard and Designer Series paper
Card stock
Ribbon and cord
Pretties Kit brads
Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter
Adhesives
Classic Stampin' Spots

Create dazzling ornaments and memories that will last a lifetime! This offer is only good through December 31, or while supplies last.

For my next class: Holiday Extravaganza Part 1, on Thursday, Nov. 20th, we will be creating decorations from this kit, so mark your calendars, I will start taking registrations for the class next week!

Order your kit online through my web site and you'll receive a free gift. Go to my website and click on "Shop Now" in the upper right hand corner and search for "Country Living."

BONUS: Subscribe to Country Living magazine at a 75% discount and get a bonus mini-stamp kit! Go to stamp.countryliving.com.