Rubber Room Stampin'

Stampin' Up!'s Demonstrator website

As a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I have access to a website created just for demonstrators---a place where we get stampin' ideas, where new products are shared with us before our customers see them, where templates are shared, and where, occasionally we get acknowledged for a card we have submitted to the Stampin' Up! home office in Riverton, UT.  I got an email from a stampin' friend this morning telling me that I had a card on the "STAMPER'S SHOWCASE".  Woohoo.  Hmmmmm.....so what card would it be.  I hadn't sent anything in recently.  I checked it out and here it is:

This was one of my 2008 SU! Convention swap cards.  I still like it.  When you create 100-200 of one particular card you can get very tired of it.  But this one I really do still like.  A little disclaimer before the ingredients list---I copy/pasted it from the Demonstrator Website and guess what???  I can break into the format to tell you bye bye at the end of the post.  So,  until next time......

Here are the ingredients:

Stamps:

• Boho Backgrounds Stamp Set
• Wheel Boho Friend
• One Of A Kind Stamp Set

Paper:

• Really Rust
• Apricot Appeal
• Very Vanilla
• Pumpkin Pie

Accessories:

• Punch 1 1/4 Inch Circle
• Punch Scallop Circle
• Brads Gold
• Ribbon Grosgrain Apricot Appeal 1/4 Inch
• Stampin Dimensionals
• Snail Adhesive Permanent

Inks: Apricot Appeal Really Rust

JUST IN THE 'NICK' OF TIME! THE DOLL HOUSE IS READY!

Remember that doll house I mentioned several weeks ago?  Well, I had no idea how long it would take to finish it but as of this morning it's ready to present to Nora, my (almost) 2 year old granddaughter.  As I put the final touches on and was laying out the rooms, I realized that the poor little girl of the family has no bedroom furniture so it's just been ordered and she'll get it after the first of the year.  The furniture for the dollhouse is all from Ryan's Room....where imagination comes to play.  It's wood, very simple and nice to the touch.  Leaves lots of room for imagination.  So, here it is.  Check out the retired Stampin' Up! Designer Series Papers and Simply Scrappin' Kit paper.  Also the floors in the 'older children's rooms'.

Front and back of the house are open for easy access.  Pictures on the walls are framed in either Stampin' Up! chipboard pieces or popcycle sticks, trimmed to fit.

 

This is the nursery---there is a 10 week old in the family.

 

 

 

 

Now, the grandparents have come to visit.  They don't quite look like Russ and me!  (Like the stamp pad caddy out the back of the house!?)

Finally, a little view from the outside looking in.  I'd do some redesign on the layout of the home if I was going to live there, but, I'm not so I won't.   It's definitely time to get back to stamping!!!

I should learn, when blogging to not use the option of 'floating' my pictures, left or right, because then I can't put my words where I want them.  So, I hope these appear near the picture I'm talking about. 

Merry Christmas from the Doll House Family and ours.  May your Christmas  be all that you're hoping for and may you return to your homes safely.

Peaceful Wishes to you all.

MI WUK VILLAGE SNOW TIME

I know I'm not the only one who lives in snow country but I just have to share a few shots of the beauty that surrounds my home.  We are located at 4500 feet elevation, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of northern California.  It's also known as The Motherlode, a long stretch of territory where gold was discovered in the mid-1800s.  Fun place to live.  :)   I do try to not load up my stampin' blog with personal stuff but this is the exception.....new snow......

One of my favorite things is the English phone box.  I have a small collection of photos taken here and there with me exiting a box (England, Australia, Switzerland).  And my dear husband has built this one below for me with 2 doors given to us by a friend who was moving cross-country and 2 'found' doors.  Lots of R&D and time spent in the construction period of several years. 

 

 

This tree below, which I've watched grow over the years,  is right outside our kitchen window.  It seems as if it stayed at 2-3 feet for years and now, like a teen-ager, it's growing like crazy.  One of these days we're going to have to cut it down because it will begin to interfere with the clothesline.  I could expect this snow-covered version below, to just start walking away, kind of like a cartoon character.

  I always enjoy the eerie lights-at-night photo.

My grandchildren live about 120 miles east of me.  The older one, Austin, has enjoyed several seasons of snow at our house but his sister, Nora, was too young last year so she hadn't experienced it prior to me bringing a cooler full of fresh powder this last week.  This little cooler, which was in the car to return to my sister, just happened to be in the car when I realized "Oh my, I could have brought some snow to the kids" and voila..... I pulled over to the roadside and filled it up.

  

 

And that's it for snow time/play/observations.  Hope you enjoyed your little tour. 

I'll be back with stampin' related items very soon, maybe even tomorrow!!!

ONE DAY OPPORTUNITY~

I know it's not even Christmas yet.. but you need to know about this great Valentine's Day Bundle (item #115405) offer before the FREE SHIPPING offer from Stampin' Up! expires!

Stampin' Up! is offering this great new BUNDLE beginning Tuesday, December 23rd.  This date is also the last day for the "FREE SHIPPING OFFER" from Stampin' Up!  If your order total $70 (pre tax/shipping) you qualify for free shipping.  You can take advantage of both offers only on December 23rd. (2008)

This great bundle comes with a stamp set, a package of 12x12 "Candy Lane" Designer paper (12 sheets), and a brand new 3-heart punch!!  The punch coordinates with one of the stamps in the set!!

The total for this versatile Valentine Stampin' Bundle is $41.45, 20% off of regular price.  And remember, only on December 23rd, 2008 can you order the bundle, along with other items, totaling $70, and get FREE SHIPPING.  On the 24th of December, shipping reverts to the regular 10%, with a minimum of $6.95.  Find a friend, share an order.  Although I'm away from home at the moment, I'll be returning home later today and will get all orders placed by 11.30 p.m. on the 23rd so you qualify for the free shipping.  If, for some reason, I do not get your order entered into 'the system' I will cover you shipping on qualifying orders of $70 or more.......BUT they must be received by me before 10 p.m. on December 23, 2008.

I will be sharing samples in the next few weeks and January's classes will be featuring items from this offer.  Promotional items cannot be ordered separately until the Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog is available on January 18, 2009.  Hostesses who hold a $150 workshop or more will qualify to use their hostess free dollars for the Love You Much Bundle.

And now it's time for me (and you perhaps) to get back to Christmas preparations.  I just had to share this with you before the opportunity expires!

And yes, we do have snow at Mi Wuk finally.  It arrived not with a wimper, but with a seasonal b-a-n-g.  Photos tomorrow.  And the snowfall dump allowed Dodge Ridge, our local family ski resort, to open last Friday.  Woohoo for them and for our mountain tourist economy.

HI AGAIN! CHECK OUT THIS CHRISTMAS CANOE!

I have been just so busy---along with everyone else---these past few weeks.  And you can also 'see' my discipline.....not so good at times.  But this morning, when I opened my email, I had a missile from my favorite stamping 'student', Nancy.  Just look at what she made for her 28 year old little boy for one of his Christmas gifts.

Now Nancy does love to create fun things (like cookie wrappers, Halloween gift bags and bottles) and I for one really enjoy her creativity.  If you enjoy it too, just give a 'shout-out' in the comments area of this article, so she can know how much we enjoy her work.

Here's what she had to say about the background of her project:

"Every year we give our fly fishing son items in his Christmas stocking that are fishing related. This year I decided to make him a canoe to put some items in.  I faced the paper canoe with cork paper.  Since I didn't have a needle with an eye big enough for sewing the canoe together, I punched holes in the paper and threaded it through by hand.  The "rainbow" trout come from a 2002 Stampin' Up set.  I embossed the trout to give them more dimension.  I made the fly fishing reel and the tags on the gift boxes with stamps from the same set.  Hubby made me the oars and I made the fishing net using a hangar and some gauze that I dipped in coffee (didn't have any tea).  It was a fun project and I think my son will get a kick out of it.  Even though my "baby" is 28 years old, he loves it when his gifts are specially wrapped!"

WAY TO GO NANCY!!!!!! 

LET'S SHARE A CUP OF CHOCOLATE CAKE

Yes, you heard me right.  A CUP of chocolate CAKE.  Now that the weather is crisping up for most of us, some days just demand a cup of something warm.  This is kind of a fun thing......

You're going to need:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional-----but I don't think they're optional!!)
small spash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Here's my blatant display of name brand ingredients.  I used Mocha Mix only because I finished the milk at breakfast.  It worked just fine.

Measure your ingredients right into a small bowl and mix them up.  Don't forget to spray the inside of your cup.

Pour them into the cup.

Pop it into the microwave.  I cooked mine for 3 minutes since we're in the mountains at 4500 feet.  Next time I'd go for 2 minutes, 45 seconds and check it out.  There WILL be a next time.  This was so quick and easy.

Check this out!

The only thing that I would do differently with this yummmmmmmmy cup of cake is to add some Kahlua for a tad more moisture AND flavor.  I might use a slightly smaller cup but I wanted to be sure it was large enough for this trial run/photo shoot. (Sorry I didn't use my flash.)

I'd say this project took 10 minutes from ingredients in cupboards to cake in mouth. Talk about instant gratification.  :)

Here are the instructions:
Spray your mug (4.5" tall) with Pam.  Mix ingredients and pour into mug.  Cook on high in the microwave for 2.5 - 3 minutes.  It will rise above the mug.  Don't worry.  (Mine didn't rise above the mug but that's because I used such a large mug.)  Take it out, and while cooling, the cake will fall back into the mug.  This is a perfect single portion of cake!   Enjoy.

COOKIES! Yum Yum!

I just received an email from one of 'my' Mi Wuk stampers.  There is a quarterly Friendship Tea at our local library (where I teach the 3rd Thursday of every month, including December), and this month's tea will include a cookie exchange.

Nancy got this idea out of the 2008 Fall-Winter 2008 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog (page 19, top right) and decided to put it to use for the cookie exchange.  Since she couldn't find any of the bags in the size and quantity she wanted, she made them out of parchment paper and used scallop scissors.  Then it was time to get out her new 1-3/4" inch circle punch for the Peace Love Joy stamp as well as a few others, which it fit perfectly!   With the festive Stampin' Up! (some current, some retired) Designer Series Papers and stamps she figured no one would care if there were cookies in the the little packages or not!

You might remember Nancy's other contribution to this blog.  She set the pace for our monthly treats, furnished by each month's hostess, by making treat bags and coordinating water bottles for our October Stampers' Club meeting.

I'll be back again today, or maybe tomorrow (again), with some pictures of the doll house I'm working on.  It's a bigger job than I thought it would be---but it's also lots of fun.  My final task is to 'hang framed photos and artwork' on the walls throughout.  It'll be cute!!!

Have a great day.........

Time for RETIREMENT! Not mine....STAMP SETS is what I mean

(Current stamping idea posts can be found under this post until December 24th.)

Would you believe it's already time to retire some stamp sets from the Fall/Winter 2008 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog in order to make way for NEW SETS in the 2009 Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog?  Well, it is.  "Stampy" sure isn't wasting any time getting on the golf course.

What makes this an even sweeter deal is that Stampin' Up! is offering us 10% off of each of these retiring sets, effective from today, December 9, 2008 through December 23, 2008.  Wowsers, how good can it get!   Well.....how about FREE SHIPPING?  If your order (all items, not just retired stamp sets) is over $70 (before tax and shipping of course), you'll receive free shipping as well.  You can do this on your own or, perhaps, you'd like to join forces with a friend or two.  Just click on "Stampy" in the side bar to your left for the list of retiring stamp sets.

You can also go to SHOP NOW on my Stampin' Up! demonstrator website and then click on PROMOTIONS to see the list of retiring sets.

And now, it's back to My Country Loft studio where, alas, I'm not stamping today, but rather, where I'm 'fluffing' a re-cycled doll house for my little granddaughter for Christmas.  That's where my energy has been focused the last few days.  Pictures tomorrow.  Retired Designer Series papers, stamped images on the floors and walls........  So, I guess you could say I'm stamping--just not like I usually do.

Have a great day.  And don't forget to check out the retiring sets.  They'll be available until January 19, 2009 and at 10% off until December 23, 2008.

WHAT WOULD YOU PUT INSIDE THIS SUPER LITTLE BOX?

My sister greeted me with this super little box in this morning's email.  The template was from Paper Pleasing, Julie Buhler...   http://paperpleasing.typepad.com/my_weblog/

It's taking forEVER to download/open up on my dial up connection so I'll hope to get the details for the location of the template before I hit the road this morning.  Oh the joys of dial up!  You certainly do learn patience---or at least how to successfully multi-task!

The box is for an office mate's birthday today and my sister, Janet, did not want it to be Christmas-y.  She definitely succeeded there.  I just love how elegant it is.

Janet used Brocade Background DSP (retired) , River Rock CS (retired) , Chocolate Chip CS, Coluzzle, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (retired), Linen String, Scallop Circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, So Many Scallops stamp set (retired SAB), SNAIL adhesive, and one dimensional.   I'm not sure I like it when my little sister shows me up!  :)

WHEW, the site just loaded so here is the little treat box tutorial link:

http://paperpleasing.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/treat-box-tutorial-.html#more

Enjoy!  If you make one, send a picture to me.  I'll post it for sharing too if you like.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YESTERDAY WENT?? DECEMBER 1ST WENT POOF!

I guess the Thanksgiving Weekend did me in more than I thought!  I have no clue where the 1st OR the 2nd of December went, except perhaps, they got lost in the preparations for this weekend's classes.  I'll be repeating my Bags, Tags, and Cards (with modifications) on Friday night, and then a Christmas Stamp-a-Stack on Saturday afternoon. 

I'm heading for Fresno CA tomorrow morning for a long overdue meeting/Christmas party with my stamping buddies.  I haven't seen them since JUNE!  For this annual event each participant brings a white tissue paper wrapped hostess gift, an item we would give a workshop hostess. Here's mine:

 

There is a little cello bag of Christmas tags inside.  Here are the bag-in-a-box components.

We made this Bag-in-a-Box at my Mi Wuk class a few weeks ago.  If you missed it, just click HERE.

And now I must be sure I have every little stamp pad, brad, ribbon and punch packed up for the weekend's adventure.  It'll be a bit of zig-zagging in Northern California....Mi Wuk Village, south to Fresno, north to Dublin, south to San Jose, north to San Francisco Airport and finally east to take me home again. 

Take care and I'll be back soon.