Sandy's Stampin' Safari!! On the hunt for the perfect Stampin' Up! project? Look no further, it is here!

Beautiful card using Re-inkers and Rubbing Alcohol

I will show you the card first. Then, I will show you how EASY PEASY it is to do this. Donna, my hostess for the night wanted to learn more about this, so that is why I am doing this. She got me out of my comfort zone and I LOVE her for that!! I have used reinkers and cotton balls before, but didn't feel I had a lot of control.  So, I thought, why not get out the aquapainter.  And, I LOVE the effect!

Directions to make the card:

Ingredients:

Big Shot 113439 99.95

Top Note Die for Big shot 113463 21.95

Stamp set: Pocket Silhouettes 111672 18.95

Cardstock: ½ sheet certainly celery 105125 5.50, ¼ sheet glossy white 102599 5.95, scrap of glossy white, ¼ sheet ballet blue 100613 5.50

Ink: Stazon Black 101406 7.95

Re-inkers: Certainly Celery 105230 2.75, Ballet Blue 101713 2.75

Extras: Word Window Punch 105090 15.95, AquaPainter 103954 16.95, Snail Adhesive 104332 6.95, Stampin' Dimensionals 104430 3.95, Paper Snips 103579 9.95, Heat Gun (not shown) 100005 26.95

Non-SU! stuff: Rubbing Alcohol, little dish for alcohol( use an empty button container)

Step 1: Run the ¼ sheet of ballet blue and ¼ sheet of glossy white through the Big Shot. Set the ballet blue piece aside.

Step 2: Gather your supplies for making the background.

Step 3: Drop down drops of one of the colors of reinker.

Step 4: Add drops of the other color of reinker. Note: in the pictures the colors look the same – but in real life you can see the color difference. The more drops, the more color you will have.

Step 5. Soak up the rubbing alcohol with your aquapainter. Start blending the dots of ONE color together. Once you are finished blending the dots of one color, clean out (as much as possible) the aquapainter and blend the second color.

If you get too much color on your paper, you can move some of it off on to your scratch paper. I have actually moved off quite a bit of my color. I wanted my background to be pretty light so I could still stamp over top of the background.

Step 6: Dry your piece with the heat gun. You can dry from the backside and topside of the cardstock. If you rotate, it won't warp quite as much.

Step 7: Cut off on the "dotted" lines. When you ran the glossy paper through the big shot and used the top note die, the top note die automatically added the dotted lines around the edge. If you cut that off on this glossy sheet, then you can put it on to the ballet blue piece and have a nice border.

Step 8: Stamp images along the bottom of glossy paper using Black Stazon Ink.

Stamp "thanks so much" using Stazon ink and punch out with the word window punch.

Step 9: Add 6 stampin' dimensional to the back of the glossy paper.

Step 10: Mount glossy sheet onto Ballet blue cut piece. Add "thanks so much" punched piece using SNAIL.

You are finished!!

Are you signed up for my newsletter?  Yes -- awesome -- watch for the 5th Week of Christmas to come out tomorrow.  Also -- watch that same e-mail for an AWESOME coupon -- only available to subscribers!!!

As always, you can order any of these products online, quickly as easily.  Head on over to www.sandyh.stampinup.net.  Click Shop Now.  Enter the products.  The items will show up at your doorstep just a few short days later!

Not a Christmas card…and a challenge

I took a little "me" time this morning to create a card – and one totally out of my comfort zone. How about these colors? I got the color ideas from the kwerner challenge. I hope you like it J.

• Pumpkin pie
• Sage shadow
• Ruby red
• Whisper white

Put those together on a card??? Actually, they look awesome. Whoooda guessed????

Can you see the flowers (ruby red ones) have some texture to them? What I did was to color some of the felt flurries. I chose to color the pink pirouette ones since I thought the lighter the felt, the easier to color. Works for me!!

Ingredients: (All Stampin' Up! All the Time)

Stamp set: A Little Birthday Cheer 111062 13.95

Cardstock: pumpkin pie 105117 5.50, whisper white 100730 7.50, sage shadow 101563 5.50

Patterned paper: Ghostly Greetings 112463 9.95

Ink: Ruby Red 102259 5.25

Extras: Boho Blossoms punch 110711 15.95, earth elements buttons 103978 6.95, earth elements brads 106955 8.95, stampin' dimensional 104430 3.95, flower Fusion Too 112006 15.95

Enjoy the card!!

Women’s Expo

What a whirlwind of a weekend.

Friday morning, bright and early, I head to Sioux Falls (with my helper, Savannah) to get set up for the Expo for Her held at the Convention Center in Sioux Falls, SD (see details at www.etcsiouxfalls.com). What an awesome experience. There were 7,500 gals (and a few men) who walked through the doors. What a nice crowd. And, a TON of you walked away with a little 3 x 3 handstamped card. I hope you enjoyed the experience as much as I did. My mom and Hannah helped me on Friday too.  LeAnn came along for the experience and to help on Saturday.

I had my tables set up with all the Stampin' Up! stuff – card stuff, scrapbook stuff, product, Décor elements.

Probably the MOST asked about item was some 6x6 tiles that I had made. Gals would hold them up, turn them over, stare at them J. They were hoping that somehow the directions would jump out of the tile. Too funny!!

Here is what you do:

I bought my tiles from Lowes. You can buy them other places too I am sure. They are 6x6.

Stamp using Craft Ink from Stampin' Up! (All of our 48 exclusive colors come in craft ink. You can go to www.sandyh.stampinup.net. Click Shop Now. Do a search for Craft Ink. You will find what you need. You can also see the colors on pages 164 and 165 in the catalog.)

Pour on Glassy Glaze enamel (item 100477, $4.75, page 190).

Shake off excess.

Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Take out and let cook on a cooling rack.

More info on Sandy’s Stampin’ Scallops

Here they are!!

Check back to yesterday's post and see what they are all about!!

I will date and initial the backs of the scallops. As I said yesterday, you will get them back so you can use them on your cards. I will change the design every once in awhile so you will have an assortment.

What fun!!!

Place orders, go to parties, and be a hostess. In now time, you will have that $20 gift certificate in your hand.

12 weeks of Christmas – are you getting the ideas? How about a little something extra??

I have been sending out a card idea so far for the 12 weeks. In a couple weeks we will take a look at some "giftable" ideas and also gift tags. These 12 weeks of Christmas are sent out in an e-mail to all the customers on my e-mail list. If you have not been receiving these, PLEASE sign up for the exclusive e-mails. All you need to do to sign up is: go to www.stampinsandy.com(you might already be here). Enter your e-mail address in the Add to Mailing List button in the top left hand corner. Now, you are good to go!! You do not want to miss these fabulous ideas. Included in the e-mail are the picture, supply list, and instructions on getting the project completed. You CANNOT beat that!!

Tomorrow there will be a new idea going out -- how to include that favorite picture of yours with your holiday card.

Sandy’s Stampin’ Scallops

I am so excited to introduce to you Sandy's Stampin' Scallops. I was looking for a way to reward my customers and have put a lot of thought into this!! I can't wait to start giving these away! And, giving the $20 gift certificates is going to be EVEN more fun!!

All of MY customers and hostesses are going to be getting these. Are you going to get some???

What are Sandy's Stampin' Scallops?

• Scalloped little gadgets that you can earn.   Sandy's Stampin' Scallops are my Customer Rewards!!

How can you earn a Sandy's Stampin' Scallop?

• For each $40 in order (subtotal amount).
• For booking a party.
• For hosting a party ($200 minimum in orders). Party can be in-home or catalog show.
• For having a BIG party ($400 or more in orders). Party can be in-home or catalog show.
• For each booking at your party.
• Attending a class.
• Purchasing a class kit to go. See my www.stampinsandy.com for current class kits.
• Any time I want to give you one J. There will be random things going on that will qualify you for a free scallop!

What can you do with your scallop?

• Redeem 20 of them for a $20 gift certificate.

After you collect your gift certificate – you get the scallops back! Yeah! They are an easy embellishment to a card.

With so many ways to earn them, it won't be long and you'll have a pile of them J.

Scallops must have Sandy's signature and date on the back.

Don't lose your scallops! Keep them in a safe place.

For online orders – your scallops will be mailed to you.

Scallops are not transferrable – you earn them, you keep them.

Scallops are only available through Sandy Hoefakker.  They cannot be used with anyone else.

Rules are subject to change at any time.

I have pictures – I'll show you tomorrow!!

A Video!!

 

Check out my website, www.sandy.stampinup.net. There is a really neat video out there. There are three outlined projects that come from the Catalog Sampler. All of those things are explained on the video.

Remember too, there are a lot of other fun things on my website – Contact Me, Shop Now, Other Projects, Class Calendar, etc.

An AWESOME stamp a stack

Last night Carrie (sister in law) organized a stamp a stack. A fun time was had by all.

Here are the cards we made. We made 4 of each design for a total of 16 cards.

I overcut and have some extra packets. I have 4 extra packets. $21.95 will have them in your mailbox. Packets will go in the mail today!!

Here is what you will get:

• Lighthouse card – baja blue, so saffron, chocolate chip cardstock to make 4 of these cards.

• Birthday card – bashful blue, not quite navy, whisper white cardstock, strips of patterned paper (patterned paper will vary because of the different paper in the pattererned paper packs) to punch – to make 4 of these.

• Thank you card – pink pourette, whisper white (already cut to the shape by putting cardstock through the Big Shot), patterned paper to make 4 of these.

• Baby card – confetti white, chocolate chip, certainly celery pattnered, bashful blue, pretty in pink cardstock and chocolate chip twill ribbon to make 4 of these (2 bashful blue and 2 pretty in pink to make 2 boy and 2 girl cards)

• General directions on how to make the cards including a supply list.

• Shipping to your mailbox

***Notes:

• Patterned paper on the birthday, thank you, and baby cards will vary some because of the different patterns in the paper packs.

• Certainly celery patterned paper and twill ribbon are retired.

• All cardstock will be cut to appropriate sizes for the cards.  Punching (if necessary) will not be done.

Click Add to Cart to purchase.

Would you like to have these 16 cards completed for you and sent to your mailbox? That can be done. Give me 48 hours from payment to get them in the mail. Cost is $34.95. Included in the $34.95 will be the finished cards (no inside stamping), 16 Stampin' Up! whisper white envelopes, and shipping to your mailbox.

Click Add to Cart to purchase.

Crankin’ Out the Christmas Cards

I am not sure where that term originated, nor do I totally know what that means. We could call it "Makin' Up a Bunch of Cards" or "Gettin' in Gear for the Holidays". Whatever works for you, works for me!

I will be holding three different days for Crankin' Out the Christmas cards. The card making will take place at my house (or yours J).

These are the two cards that we will make for the month of October. There will be two different ones for November and another two for December. Each month we will make 16 cards. Make cards all three months and you will have 48 Christmas cards. Each month you will make 2 varieties – so you will have 8 of each card when you are finished. Each month is $30. You may come every month if you like! You can also do multiple sets each month. Sign up for all 3 months and I will throw in the envelopes at no charge!

How to get the cards?

Method 1 – come to my house on the following days: Monday, October 27, 1 PM or 7 PM, Tuesday, November 18, 1 PM or 7 PM, Monday, December 8, 1 PM or 7 PM. I will have two stations set up. There will be a sample to follow (see above for October cards). You will stamp your things and put it together. Allow 1 ½ hours to complete the 16 cards. Not too much of a commitment for GREAT cards. Of course, you will have a GREAT time as well. E-mail me at sandy@stampinsandy.com to get signed up today! You must be signed up by October 23.  Click the paypal link to pay now.

Method 2 – don't live close or cannot make it to the October date? Order your card kit to go. Included in your kit will be all the materials to make the cards (pre-cut cardstock and ribbon). Also, included will be step by step directions so you can get your cards finished. $30 cost includes shipping.  E-mail me at sandy@stampinsandy.com to get signed up today! Allow 1 week for shipment of your materials and directions.   I can send you a list of ingredients.  That way, if you need extra supplies you can get those as well.  Click the paypal link to pay now.

Want to sign up for all three months? By doing so, you will get 48 FREE Stampin' Up! envelopes for your cards! E-mail me NOW to get signed up. E-mail me at sandy@stampinsandy.com.  Click the paypal link to pay for all three months.  If you would like your set mailed to you, let me know.  October cards will be mailed within a week, November cards will be mailed around November 18 and December cards will be mailed around December 1.

Harvest Sale

Many of you know, but some not. We send our kids to a private school funded by us as parents and the church. So, we are always looking for a way to make an extra buck or two (actually thousands J if you know what I mean) to fund the education of the students there. In the fall we have what is called a Harvest Sale. People donate stuff. Those same people buy stuff back. And, hopefully we get a few others to buy some things from us to help us fund the education of our little ones. All those little bucks add up. This year I donated some fun things – a completed scrapbook for pictures (I didn't take any pics L), and a couple of jars. There were other things too, but these are the Stampin' related things.

This first item was a really cute jar. I just added some candy, a snowflake sticky thing (yeah, it has a technical name), some ribbon, and wahla!! Hopefully, someone was looking to buy a Christmas item. I was thinking this would be really cute for Secret Pal or Secret Santa gift. Watcha think?

Ingredients:

Decals – 113894 Snowflake Shimmer Décor Decals $14.95 (Winter Mini catalog), 110714 ½ striped Real red grosgrain ribbon $7.95

Here was another item I brought. I filled a coffee mug that I got from WalMart with some Hugs. These hugs are AWESOME and they match Riding Hood red. These hugs are the peanut butter chocolate ones. MMMMMM,good!!!! I tied up one of our large cello bags with the ribbon. I added a tag that I made using a folded piece of paper that I ran through the big shot. Punched a hole with the crop a dile. Added a snowman. And, it was finished!! I was really happy with how it turned out. I think – another great Secret Sister kind of gift???

Ingredients:

Stamp set: 110376 Merry and Bright 14.95

Cardstock: 111352 baja breeze 5.50, 111348 riding hood red 5.50, 100730 whisper white 7.50

Ink: 101179 basic black 5.25, 111836 riding hood red 5.25, 111833 baja breeze 5.25, 111834 tangerine tango 5.25

Extras: 113439 Big Shot Die Cut machine 99.95, 113463 Top Note Bigz Die 21.95, 113483 Pennant Bigz XL Die 39.95, 104430 Stampin' Dimensionals 3.95, 102845 Blender Pens 9.95, 112004 1 ¾" circle punch 15.95, 108362 crop a dile 29.95, 104199 linen thread 4.50, 111374 riding hood red ribbon 9.95, 113894 Snowflake Shimmer Décor Decals $14.95 (Winter Mini catalog), 102210 large flat cello bags 4.95

Watch tomorrow for some Christmas Cards. The Cranking Christmas card class will be October 27, November 18, and December 8. We will make 16 cards each time. Come to all three of them and get FREE envelopes!!

Come each month and make 16 cards. Come all three months and you will have 48 Christmas cards. Each month you will make 2 varieties – so you will have 8 of each card when you are finished. Each month is $30. You may come every month if you like! You can also do multiple sets each month. Sign up for all 3 months and I will throw in the envelopes at no charge! Can't make it one month on the dates below? Come to one of the Open Stamping nights (listed above) and I will have the cards ready for you to complete. You must RSVP at least 4 days prior to event.