Must see MDS2 Video

Still not sure if MDS2 is for you? Take a look at this awesome video and don't forget you can always get the trial version for FREE to try for 30 days.

Are you interested now? Try it out for free now. Click here and download the free version. What are you waiting for? Unleash your creativity today.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Stop by again soon and I hope to have those school passes uploaded so you can see them. They were super easy to make.

Till next time, Happy Creating!

Holiday MDS card

So I played with MDS2 some more last week and here is the creation I came up with.

I won't be using this as this years Christmas card but I thought it was cute. I will probably drop a current photo into this layout later on this year and create my Christmas cards using this layout though. 

If you purchase MDS2 + these downloads come in it so these are not additional downloads that you'd need to purchase. Also don't forget that Stampin' Up! offers you the option to download and use a trial version of MDS2 for free for 30 days. Click here to purchase the trial version of MDS2+ for free 

I will try to post images of a couple of other projects I've made using MDS2 + for my new lunch monitor/lunch recess monitor position at the elementary school my daughters attend. 

Happy Wednesday! Come back soon I promise to have those uploaded soon enough. 

Till next time. I hope you'll Be inspired, share with others, enjoy every day like it's your last. 

Convention Roommate Gifts

My good friend Kathy and I have turned to Skype to keep in touch with each other since she moved from Colorado Springs to Virginia. One day we were having a conversation and I mentioned how I needed to come up with a useful roommate gift for the ladies I'd be rooming with for convention. She happened to be on Stampin' Connection (Stampin' Up!'s form of Facebook for demonstrators) I usually don't go there myself because I could spend hours on there and never get any work done. She came across this great idea and shared it with me. I got a quick peek at the original and went straight to work on designing these. 

Products used:

paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse and Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper

inks: Soft Suede

marker: Dusty Durango

miscellaneous: Clear DVD Boxes, snail, stampin' dimensionals, sticky strip, paper piercing mat and paper piercing tool. Framelits Labels

You can't see the inside of these but I used a magnetic sheet that I picked up in a 2 pack and it has a nice sticky backing to it. I had to cut off a small bit of it so that it would fit into the clear case. I thought about it afterwards but I would have put the sheet on both sides of the inside of the case so that at least 2 sets of framelits could be housed in the case. I wrapped the entire design around the clear case and used sticky strip to tack it down.

Before I left for Salt Lake City I wrapped each of them in tissue paper and let them each randomly pick a gift. They all loved it so I'm happy I was able to give them something useful and that they can use in their stamp room to keep their framelits organized.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're having a fabulous Tuesday.

Teacher gifts

I love creating teacher gifts for my daughter's teachers as a way to say "Hello" or a way to say "Thank You." This year is no different. My third grader was lucky enough to loop with her second grade teacher so I already know her and have a great relationship with her. My second graders teacher is brand new to the school, so brand new in fact, she was just hired this morning. This year is no exception so here's what I came up with for their teachers this year.

These top note purses are one of my favorites because I can fit 3x3 mini cards in there easily. These cards are perfect for use as a gift card or a quick note. These say either "Thank You" or "Just for you."

Products used:

Whisper White card stock

Baja Breeze card stock

So Saffron card stock

Wild Wasabi card stock

Storytime Designer Series Paper (126907)

Just Believe (120453 Clear mount)

Top Note Big Shot die (113463)

1 1/4" scallop circle (127811) Holiday Catalog

3/4 circle  (119873)

Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons (127555)

Whisper White Bakers Twine (124262)

Real Red ink (126949)

Baja Breeze ink (126960)

As always the teachers loved them and I'm happy I could put a smile on their faces. 

Hope you've been inspired today. Happy Stamping and Creating to you. Stop by again soon as I will have more of my convention swaps posted for you to enjoy. 

More convention swaps

As promised here are 2 more of the designs that I traded/swapped for with other demonstratos and guests. These aren't card swaps these are 3D swaps.  I got this idea from my friend Donna, who was also doing a 3D coffee swap. These came about by accident though because I had originally bought iced coffee packets instead of these coffee sticks. I will share the iced coffee designs soon. 

Because iced coffee packages are chubbier and longer than these little guys are, only one can fit into the pocket. I couldn't track down anymore iced coffee so I decided to buy some of the coffee sticks instead and put two of them into the pocket instead. Isn't this cute? I loved this pattern so much that all of my 3D swaps were made using this pocket die.

Products used:

Early Espresso card stock
More Mustard card stock
Raspberry Ripple card stock
Very Vanilla card stock
Big Shot Petite Pocket Die
Big Shot Argyle Embossing Folder
Big Shot Pennant Die
1 3/8 Circle
1 1/4 Circle
Morning Cup
Pearls accent

Hope you are enjoying your Monday. Happy Creating till next time.

It's back to school time in District 49

My daughters are on their last week of summer break if you can believe it. I am excited for them to be heading back to school. I am in my second year of being in charge of the school's Hospitality/Appreciation committee. This is nice because I get to showcase many of Stampin' Up!'s products in the cards and gifts that are given to the staff throughout the school year. I may not have shared this with you back in April during Teacher/Staff appreciation week but here are the cute little cupcake boxes and cards that we passed out to the school staff as our way of saying "Thank you, for all you do for our children." The pattern design for the cupcake box was found on Craft Project Central if you look to the right of my blog you will see a link to their website. The pattern may not be available anymore though, they change out new patterns once a full year has passed. They have awesome designers though and on occasion I will subscribe to different months to get an idea for a pattern every now and again. Check them out if you need some inspiration. Let Jacque know Samantha sent you.

 This first photo here contains the finished cupcake boxes that my 15 year old and I passed around to the entire staff at the school. 

This photo contains the cupcake filled boxes as well as the mini thank you cards that were passed out with each of the cupcake boxes. 

The teachers and staff loved the gesture and were so surprised when we came by to say hello and to thank them.

This year is no different. I get together with a group of parent and PTA volunteers and we assemble thank you and birthday cards. 

Here are a few designs for this years cards that we'll be displaying at our open house later this week. 

We always hope we never need a to send out a sympathy card but I always like to keep one on hand. Last year one of the students in my first graders class lost his mom. She left behind her husband and several of her children were students in our elementary school. It was a very sad time but our PTA Hospitality/Appreciation committee wanted to let them know we were thinking about them. 

I enjoy volunteering my time at the elementary school. It is a lot of fun and I meet a lot of great people while doing it. 

Hope you are inspired by some of these projects and get out there and start creating.