Here’s to Cheers Treats with Recipe

I completely forgot to show you this fun treat idea.  It uses the Here’s to Cheers stamp set and coordinating Cheerful Tags Framelits Dies.  These little treats were perfect for everyone attending my classes in person during December and also for neighbor gifts.  But you don’t have to wait until next Christmas to use this wonderful Holiday Catalog combo!  Change up the sentiment and colors and you have a perfect Valentines Day or Easter treat!  Today, January 3rd, is the final day to purchase from the Year-End Sale and from items retiring from the Stampin’ Up! 2016 Holiday Catalog.  The Bundle & Save 10% off price is only good today!

• I used the Stampin’ Up! 4″x6″ Cello Bags to package the nuts in.  They worked perfectly!
• Cello Bags are tied off beautifully with the 3/8″ Silky Taffeta Ribbon. 
• A sweet heart created with Red Glimmer Paper gives this tag a little bling.

As an added bonus, I’m giving you my favorite recipe for Sugar and Spice Pecans.  I make them every holiday season, but really, why not all year!

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg white

2-1/2 Tblsp. cold water

8 c. pecan halves

Mix dry ingredients together.  Add egg white and water and mix well.  Add pecans and coat thoroughly.  Bake at 275 degrees for 50 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Remove immediately and cool thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Don’t Forget!

As always, any time you order your Stampin’ Up! products and choose me as your demonstrator, you’ll receive free card kits!  Spend over $150, you take the Stampin’ Rewards AND the free card kits.  There is always a Host Code to use (if your order is under $150), so be sure to grab that code and put in your shopping card in the space provided.  AND you’ll receive an “X” on your Loyalty Card.  Fill your card and receive a FREE stamp set!  Details HERE.

The current Host Code is WZ3KKQGB.  Place your order in my online store HERE.

 
Product List

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Creative Convention display projects

This past weekend was our team weekend-long Creative Convention, and it was a blast!  There was so much inspiration to take in!  There were displays where people could share what they've been working on, and althought the lighting wasn't so good, today I want to show you just a few of the amazing projects created by my team members. 

Use Core'dinations card stock with an embossing folder, then lightly sand the top for this pretty tone-on-tone look.

This is an adorable baby train showing off the In Colors as well as Zoo Babies stamp set.

Here's another project showing off the In Colors, this time in a birthday card using Sketched Birthday stamp set.

This is a pretty framed piece using Season of Style Designer Series Paper and the Color Me Christmas stamp set.

Here's a beautiful card using the coordinating products Truly Grateful stamp set, Sweater Weather Designer paper and 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon.

Another card showing lovely coordinating products in the Holiday Catalog – Festive Flurry stamp set, Festive Flurry Framelits Dies and Winter Frost Specialty Designer Paper. 

How beautiful is this tablesetting, all created with the components in Christmas Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit and Winter Frost Specialty Designer Paper.

Love this punch art idea with Mosaic Madness stamp set and coordinating Mosaic Punch.  So pretty!

BRAND NEW:  November's "Best of 25 Years" stamp set has just been released.  It's called "Best of Snow" and I am in love with the "Let it Snow image – it's a "must have"!  Here are the images.  You can also click here to view the full flyer:  Best of Snow Flyer

Item No. 134387 Best of Snow in clear $14.95

Don't Forget!
There's always free card kits to be had for your online orders!  It's so simple – just grab the code for the current card kit (you'll find them HERE), enter the code in your shopping cart along with a qualifying order and I'll send you the card kit completely free – there's not even any shipping cost!  Start your order now!

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Merry Christmas to You!

I wanted to get this beautiful group of Christmas Cards I received from customers and team members posted on Christmas Eve, but it just didn't happen.  Hope you enjoy seeing some creativity from other artists.  (Name of the artist appears beneath her card.)  And I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration and are looking forward to the New Year.

Jeanne Gage

Jen Rios-Raner

Julia Hill

Pam Kane

Sara Beechner

Sheila Edwards (swap from October Retreat Weekend)

Sheila Edwards

Susan Gilbert

Don't Forget!
To order from the Holiday Mini Catalog – expires Jan. 3, 2011.  Click the picture of the catalog in the right sidebar to view.
Order Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

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Snow Swirled Christmas Card

My friend and downline team member, Lena Thompson of Waterloo, NY, sent me this fantastic Christmas Card.  I love the Sleigh Bells cotton ribbon from the Holiday Mini Catalog – I'm really going to miss it!  You can purchase this beautiful ribbon only until January 4th.  Lena used the snowflake stamp, as well as the sentiment stamp, from Snow Swirled and stamped in three different colors – Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Real Red, then backed them all with Chocolate Chip card stock punched with the Scallop Square Punch.  Great card, Lena!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 111690 Snow Swirled stamp set   $24.95
Item No. 112081 Scallop Square Punch   $15.95
Item No. 116795 Sleigh Bells Ribbon   $7.95

Lena's layout for her card reminded me of a card I did last summer for my Convention swap.  It's the same layout, but I thought you might like to see how different a card can look using a different stamp set and different colors.  Why not try your hand at this layout and send me a picture of your card at krisshuels@gmail.com – I'd love to see what you come up with!

Don't Forget!   

• To order your retiring stamp sets before they're gone forever on January 4th – click HERE for the listing!
• To order your discounted Big Shot Dies and Vinyl Sheets until December 22nd ony — click HERE for the listing!
• To register for the Birthday Card Class – click HERE!  Registration is due by December 27th.
• To register for the Winter Scrapbooking Class  – click HERE!  Registration is due by January 4th.
• To register for the More than Valentines Class — click HERE!  Registration is due by January 22nd.

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Punch Pals Treat Container

Here's a cute little treat container perfect for the Christmas holidays.  If you're a demonstrator, you might recognize this as looking a bit like a sample that Stampin' Up! gave us in the November issue of Stampin' Success.  If you're not a demonstrator, this is just one more fabulous reason to join the Stampin' Up! family of demonstrators.  We have exclusive access to so many exciting ideas!

The base of the treat container is Bermuda Bay card stock cut at 9" x 3" and scored at 4" and 5".  I punched the front of the card stock with the Scallop Oval Punch, then put a piece of Medium Window Sheets behind the opening.  I filled a Small Cello Bag with cinnamon candies (I need red candy, of course!) and attached it inside.  The penguin image is from Punch Pals, an adorable stamp set that I've used year after year.  Each of the stamps contained in this set punch out with one of Stampin' Up!'s terrific punches.  He's colored in with a Blender Pen and stamp pads in Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Basic Black, then punched out with the Small Tag Punch and layered with Real Red card stock punched with the Tag Punch that layers just perfectly.  The "just for you" sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Have you gotten the hint yet that I can't do without this marvelous greeting set!  I've used it so much since I bought it!  There's some polka dot paper from the Old Olive Patterns Designer Series Paper backed again with Real Red card stock for some added interest.  The top of the bag is a 2" x 2-3/4" piece of Real Red card stock folded in half and the top corners rounded with the 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch.  It's held in place with some Sticky Strip, as well as a piece of 1/2" Old Olive Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and a black brad from the Vintage Brads packet.
 

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 116588 Punch Pals stamp set   $32.95
Item No. 115370 Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set   $36.95
Item No. 108264 Small Tag Punch   $15.95
Item No. 105934 Tag Punch   $15.95
Item No. 109047 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch
Item No. 114889 Scallop Oval Punch   $15.95
Item No. 112160 Old Olive Patterns Designer Series Paper   $9.95
Item No. 109109 Vintage Brads   $8.95
Item No. 113883 Old Olive 1/2" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Item No. 114323 Window Sheets Medium   $4.95
Item No. 103104 Small Flat Cellophane Bags   $3.95

Don't Forget!

    * To order your retiring stamp sets before they're gone forever on January 4th – click HERE for the listing!
    * To register for the Birthday Card Class – click HERE!  Registration is due by December 27th.
     * To order your December Card Kit of the Month – click HERE!   December Card Kit of the Month orders are due by December 15th.  Here's a sample of one of the fabulous designs:

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The Heartfelt Stampers Team Christmas Party

Each year, our team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators get together for a fun gift exchange.  Honestly, I can't believe how creative our gals are!  The gifts just get more and more clever each year.  Here's the gift I brought to our Christmas party.  (And did you know that if you go to the Navigation Bar and in the dropdown box under "Gallery," click "3D," you can see a larger version of the project with more detail.  Each post I make to the main body of my blog also gets added into the Gallery.  You can also scroll down to see the supplies needed.)

This project was a lot of fun — that is, once I found the right type of pins.  I had purchased these small pins designed to be used with styrofoam, but they just weren't staying in.  So I purchased long dressmaker's straight pins and didn't have any problems from there on i n.  The base is a simple cone-shaped styrofoam piece.  I used Merry Moments Designer Series Paper (yes, I'm on my second package of this gorgeous paper!).   I covered the base at the top by punching out a piece of the paper with a 1-3/4" Circle Punch and adhering it in place with Crystal Effects.  Then I began layering on paper strips that were cut at 3/4" x 5".  Then I simply curled them with the Bone Folder on one end and stuck them on the styrofoam with a pin.  I found that working from the bottom up worked the best. 

I created the top of the tree by using my Big Shot and the Stars #2 Originals Die, along with Fine Galaxy Red Stampin' Glitter and Sticky Pages.  (The glitter comes in a package of 5 different colors, and I had the red because I had bought the silver for THIS CARD CLASS.)  So here's how to assemble the star:  Cut two squares of Long Board Chipboard out that will cover the largest star on the Stars #2 die.  Then cut two pieces of Sticky Pages and adhere them to the chipboard.  Run the chipboard through the Big Shot and voila – your Sticky Pages is adhered to the star and is the perrrrrrfect size!  Then just peal off the orange protective coating and sprinkle on the red glitter.  The glitter won't flake off because the Sticky Pages is, well, so sticky!  I made two stars then used the Crystal Effects to adhere one to each side of a lollipop stick.  (Man, that Crystal Effects is a strong adhesive!)

And you know with stampers, the packaging is almost as important as the gift inside!  I purchased a large, plain green gift bag, then drew and cut out mittens, adorning them with a red snowflake punched out from the Snowflake Punch with a Clear Rhinestone Brad in the center.  I tied them together with some 5/8" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, then tied the bag closed with a piece of every red or white ribbon that Stampin' Up! carries!

Our Heartfelt Stampers Team Executive, Aly Schilling, was honored with a gift certificate to a local spa for all of her support and training throughout the year.  Here's the special box I made for her present:

I made the box from 12"x12" Night of Navy card stock and used VersaMark and Irridescent Ice, along with the Serene Snowflakes stamp set, to decorate it.  The tag was cut from the Big Shot and the Two Tags Bigz Die and also decorated with the same stamp set, in addition to a greeting from A Cardinal Christmas.  it's finished off with some white Organza Ribbon and Silver Cord.

Here's a close-up.  I notched the ends of the box using a 1" Circle Punch so it would make it easier for Aly to open her box.

Enough photos for one evening — check back for photos of some of the other gifts!

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Pam’s beautiful cardinal

I have the most talented customers!  And I absolutely LOVE when they share their creations with me!  I'm so proud to show you the top quality work they're turning out.  Here is one shining example from Pam Kane of Seneca Falls, New York.

For some reason, I couldn't get this to photograph in the correct color.  Pam used Very Vanilla, not Whisper White as it seems in the picture.  She used A Cardinal Christmas to create the image and the Big Shot along with the Petals A Plenty Textured Impressions Folder for the background.  I see a piece of that yummy Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon from last year–don't you miss that gorgeous ribbon?  And a Very Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware ribbon slide makes the perfect accessory.

I'm told Pam had a little help from a friend with water coloring the cardinal  image.  Watercolor pencils and classic ink, along with an Aqua Painter, were used to get this beautifully vibrant yet shaded look.

Won't you leave a comment and give Pam a "woo-hoo" for the first card she's shared?

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Stampin’ For Christmas Card Class Projects

While everyone else in the world was at New Moon Friday night, 15 dedicated stampers signed up for my Stampin' For Christmas Card class.  We had such a fun time making the 5 cards below.  Thought you might like to see what we created.

The first card I CASED from my 3rd level upline Missy Shipman, our Glad Heart team leader.  She created this card for our team swap, and I love the simplicity yet interest. 

I got the idea for the card below from one shown on the Stampin' Up! website.  I changed it a bit to make it my own.  The girls loved seeing that you could use the stamp set Always to create a Christmas Card.

I created the card below because I needed a swap and didn't have much time.  It went together so easily with the help of the Big Shot and the Top Note Die.

The card below is a combination of two separate ideas from the Stampin' Up! home office.  I loved the idea of using our Ornament Punch and Clear Window Sheets to create a stencil, then sponge inside to make this darling ornament.  I wanted the scallop on the edge of the main image to have a finer scallop than the Scallop Edge Punch, so I punched Ruby Red card stock with the Square Scallop Punch, cut that square in half, then overlapped the last scallop on one piece with the first scallop of the second piece.  You can't even tell where I seamed them together! 

This card was lovingly CASED from Heartfelt Stamper team member Jen Rios-Raner who did this beauty for a team swap.  Jen's designs are always a big hit!  After seeing this card the Snowflake Punch was a must-have!

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Stamping 101 Library Class

I've had so much fun teaching two sessions of a beginner rubber stamping class at both the Naples Library in Naples, NY, and the Wood Library in Canandaigua, NY.  Thought I'd share the projects from these classes with you.

This card got its "wow" from cutting the frame and oval from the Big Shot using the Scallop Frame Die.  We stamped a beautiful tree from the Thought & Prayers stamp set in Old Olive Classic Ink and added a sentiment from that same set.  We punched a few flowers using the 3 Flower Punch and Perfect Plum card stock and attached them to the card with some Gold Brads.  A piece of Old Olive 1/2" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon completes this easy yet effective card.

The next card is a bright, fun birthday card showcasing several of the In Colors — Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and a bit of Soft Suede.  We used the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set and colored in the main image with Blender Pens and Stamp Pads.  A dash of Bermuda Bay 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon coordinates so beautifully!

It's the middle of November, so no card class this time of year would be complete without making a Christmas card.  We used several products from the Holiday Mini Catalog to create this card — Delightful Decorations stamp set and coordinating Ornament Punch, Four the Holidays sentiments stamp set and Silver Elastic Cord.  Colors used are Bordering Blue and Rose Red.  An extra bit of glitz comes from the 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter on both of the ornaments.  The Eyelet Border Punch was used to complete this elegant card.

I like to show my students that stamping isn't just for card making and scrapbooking, but you can make wonderful gift-giving items as well.  And 80% of the students voted this their favorite project out of the four the completed!  Here's a simple pouch with topper using our Small Cellophane Bags.  I showed how to ink up the rubber stamp from Holiday Best (Level 1 hostess exclusive stamp set) with markers to get a multi-colored image and brought in the colors from the Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper that's wrapped around the chocolates.  A bit of Elegant Eggplant Rick-Rack from the Ribbon Originals Orchard packet gives an added bit of interest.

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Razzleberry Snowflake

One of the many perks of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is receiving a monthly publication called Stampin' Success, which is just full of all sorts of stamping ideas.  I taught this card at a workshop last evening, and except for changing the greeting on it, it's just the way it appears in the magazine.  I'm so thankful to our designers at the Stampin' Up! home office for giving us such terrific ideas to share with customers.

The base of the card is 4" x 10".  TIP:  When you're working with something like the printed window sheets which come in 12"x12", instead of making your card base 4-1/4", trim it down to 4".  That way, you'll be able to cut an additional "row".  I layered in strips at the top of Whisper White and Brushed Silver card stocks, then a piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock that has been punched with the Scallop Edge Punch at the bottom.  A layer of Snowfall Printed Window Sheets (from the Holiday Mini Catalog) completes the base.  Then it's time to do some stamping!  I stamped one of the images from Serene Snowflakes stamp set (also from the Holiday Mini Catalog) onto a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock.  I punched it out with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch and applied it to the Metal Edge Tag with SNAIL adhesive.  I don't care for trying to stamp directly onto the tag, because I always make a mistake!  This way, I know that I can get a perfect image for my tag.  I stamped "ready, set, snow" from Best Wishes & More stamp set onto a piece of Brushed Silver card stock (I used StazOn Black ink to make sure it was nice and crisp), then tore both ends.  A dramatic piece of Black 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon completes the card.

Would you like to make this card?  You can order online by clicking the "Order Online" button to the right, or email me with your order at krisshuels@gmail.com.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 115438 Serene Snowflakes stamp set   $20.95
Item No. 111602 Best Wishes & More stamp set   $26.95
Item No. 116805 Snowfall Printed Window Sheets   $7.95
Item No. 100712 Brushed Silver Card Stock   10/$7.95
Item No. 103374 Aluminum White Circle Metal Edge Tags   12/$4.25
Item No. 115606 Basic Black 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon   15yds./$7.95
Item No. 112091 Scallop Edge Punch   $15.95
Item No. 112004 1-3/4" Circle Punch   $15.95

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