Scrappin' Along

DAZZLE PENS

2011-11-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

Of all the things I made for the Fall Bazaar, I think these pens are my favorite. They are so much fun, and people love them. I often carry some with me and give them away to folks I meet. I gave one to a server at a restaurant, and the next time I went in, she was still using it! I'll put up a tutorial on this and other projects I did, but I have to clean my house first!

The Fall Bazaar was a blast!

2011-11-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally happened. After a month of making a variety of projects, the day finally arrived! The Grandezza Girlfriends held their first Fall Bazaar, and I was part of it. What a great job they did! It was the best organized fair I've ever been in! Congratulations ladies, you did a great job. The proceeds from the table rentals will go to a worthy charity.

Here is a look at my table after my sister Gina got done merchandizing it for me!

Advent and Baby Calendars

2011-11-13T23:22:00.000-05:00

My husband worked with me on these projects, and I appreciate all his help. Putting these calendars together is a lot of work! We re-imagined the Advent Calendar to a baby Calendar. We envision the baby one to be a countdown to baby due date. We thought having a little drawer to open everyday the last month of pregnancy.

Cute Ikea Jars

2011-11-10T18:47:00.000-05:00

My friend Amy Czuba introduced me to these cute jars from Ikea. They are versatile and fun to use. These are stuffed with miniature York Pepperment Patties. The band is from our Holiday party designer paper. The scalloped circle is made from red metal craft paper and the stamp is from our Elements of Style.

Note Pad and Dazzle Pen

2011-11-10T00:43:00.000-05:00

This is a little note pad holder complete with a "dazzle" pen; the pen adds a bit of bling with its glitter barrel, silver "gift embellishment attached to a jaunty ribbon. I made this set for the Fall Bazaar on Sunday, November 13. If you live in the Ft Myers to Naples area, I hope you'll stop by the Grandezza Clubhouse on Ben Hill Griffin Road.

The box is fun to make, and has a built-in holder for the pen. I used metal craft paper cut with punches to embellish it. I also made a "cover" for the pad by stamping with Versamark and emossing it. I'm selling them at the Bazaar for $8; I'll also be selling them online with a variety of color choices and themes ~ but not until the Bazaar is over! :)

I'll also put a tutorial up for this project next week. Or, if you live in my area, you can sign up for the class I'll over for this project.

"Samantha" Mailbox

2011-11-09T03:07:00.000-05:00

I've had such a great time coming up with these mailbox "people." I made a pleated skirt and peter pan collar for "Samantha." I think she's from the 1950's! I will put up tutorials later because right now, I'm still working on my craft fair for Sunday. It looks like my schedule is divided into BCF and ACF ~ before craft fair and after craft fair! :)

I'm naming this little girl mailbox " Samantha" after my friend Marie Aviza's amazing little girl. I hope Sam likes the picture.

Santa Mailbox

2011-11-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

I created this mailbox for my upcoming craft fair. I tried to make the box look like a Santa suit. I plan to fill it with candy. I've learned from past craft fairs to fill the box; the children are very disappointed if there isn't anything in it! :)

The Santa face is made from punches, a design created by a couple of my fellow demos who generously passed it on. So thanks go to Dawn Olchefske and Kelly Acheson.

Ghirardelli Squares with Tutorial Link

2011-10-31T07:00:00.003-04:00

This design is not mine, but it is a wonderful and easy-to-make project. Thanks to Brenda Quintana for her creativity and generosity in sharing her tutorial. Here is the link to her blog with the instructions for making these wonderful purses! Brenda Quintana.

I used up some retired ribbon since these are items I'm selling at a craft fair. I also added charms and fancy brads. When you look at Brenda's tutorial, you'll see this design takes Ghirardelli Squares. These would make great stocking stuffers, added to the top of gifts, or just as a little present to give a hostess. The nugget tin and the red purses are made with glitter papers, although it doesn't show up. They look really cool in person, but the glitter is hard to capture in a picture. By the way, I used MDS to put together this picture!

More Nugget Purses

2011-10-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

This tin contains more of the nugget purses except this is packaged with 12 nuggets. This is a great little gift to bring to a party or for a Secret Santa gift. Stampin Up has such beautiful designer papers, ribbons and embellishments that making these little gifts is easy and can be made up in a large variety of papers and ribbons.

Glitter, Glitter, Glitter

2011-10-26T07:20:00.007-04:00

Don't you love bling? I made several of these little nugget purses with our Red Glitter paper from Stampin' Up! I packaged them in a cellaphane bag so hopefully, you can see them through the plastic. I just hope Stampin' Up! comes out with more colors, because I love bling!

Candle with Rub-ons

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Preparing for the Fall Bazaar at my community clubhouse has allowed me to use up some of my retired materials. Sadly :( the terrific rub-ons have gone away, but I have a good supply that I'm using for my projects. In the pictures below, you'll see how I used them on candles.

On the left is the front of the candle, and on the right is the back. It is decorated entirely with rub-ons. The candle below is very tall, about 12" but I had a rub-on that was perfect for it!

Care for a Mint?

2011-10-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

Here's a nice way to offer someone a mint. This tin holds individually wrapped spearment life savers. This makes a lovely favor or small hostess gift. I custom make these tins, so please email me at designbylucia@hotmail.com. Or if you'd like to make it yourself, contact me for a kit to make this.

Cute Little Nugget Purses

2011-10-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

These are great party favors for a baby or bridal shower, a girl's graduation or a sweet sixteen party. They are super easy to make, and everyone always love how they look. I take orders for these little favors, so email me at designbylucia@hotmail.com if you're interested.

Nugget Tins Make Great Gifts!

2011-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love all the ways you can dress up these tins. These are assorted Hershey nuggets wrapped up in Stampin' Up! designer paper. Each tin holds 12 nuggets. The belly band is made with the same paper for a coordinating design. You can give them as baby gifts, housewarming or secret santa gifts. They can be anything depending on the paper, ribbon and embellishments. I make these gifts to custom order, so email me at designbylucia@hotmail.com if you're interested.

Sneak Peak Day 4

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

So here is the fourth card I've created for the Fall Bazaar. This is a simple note card that can be used for just about anything you want. The border is created using our tulip Big Shot embossing folder. It adds such elegance to any card, doesn't it?

Sneak Peak Day 3

2011-10-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

Ready for Day 3 Sneak Peak? If you've been following along, you know I'm participating in a Fall Bazaar at the Grandezza Club House in Estero, FL. You can find the Club House off exit 123 on Route 75. Grandezza is off Ben Hill Griffith Road. I'll be selling lots of things at this Bazaar. If you live in Southwest Florida, I hope I'll see you there!

Sneak Peak Day 2

2011-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Here it is, your Day 2 Sneak Peak. Hope you like what I've created for the Fall Bazaar being held at Grandezza Club House off Ben Hill Griffith Road in Estero Florida, exit 123 off Route 75. I'll have many, many creations for sale. You can also email me at designbylucia@hotmail.com if your interested in custom cards or a choice from among my designs.

Sneak Peak Day 1

2011-10-18T12:48:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in a Fall Bazaar here in Florida on November 13th. Here is a sneak peak at one of the cards I'll be selling. If you live in Southwest Florida, be sure to stop by the Grandezza Club House off Ben Hill Griffith Road in Estero, Exit 123 off Rt. 75. There is a pub with food and football on TV, so you can bring along anyone who either likes a trade/vendor show or would rather sit back with a beer and a burger and watch football! Something for everyone!

P.S. All my creations are available for purchase. Email me at designbylucia@hotmail.com if you'd like custom cards made just for you, or choose from among my designs.

What a great video!

2011-09-14T19:53:00.000-04:00

My AMAZING friend Marisol had this video from..

My AMAZING friend Sage..

If you want your stamping time to be enjoyable and productive, organization is key.

Check out HER online class,

"Save Time and Get Organized! A Class for Paper Crafters with Clutter!"

So if you feel like you have tons of stamps and just can't figure out how to start. Check out her online class. She will give you SURE tips on how to manage your time and space and create BEAUTIFUL artwork in the time you have alloted to get CREATIVE!

You can also visit her at Stamping Madly.

Here is her first FREE video about Inks and Stamps.

You can sign up for her mailing list and

receive more free videos and so MUCH MORE!

Corner Bookmark

2011-08-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

My daughter-in-law Charity and I spent a few stolen hours making crafts! I showed her how to make a corner bookmark, and of course, she knocked it out of the park. A Stampin' Up order had just arrived and we got spent some time oohing and aahing before picking out some papers to work with in our projects. My grandson had to help out as well since he's under the impression I'm there to visit him alone!

That attitude makes me a success as a grandma!

Kids Are Card Makers Too!

2011-08-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

This little guy lives in my neighborhood. He had a great time putting together some cards with stickers he bought. I helped him use his paper, ribbon and their stickers to make some cute little cards.

I love working with children and I enjoy having classes with them. If you'd like to have a card-making party for your child, please contact me for details. The following are some of the supplies and a sample of what we can do at a card making party for children. Of course, everything can be adjusted for age -- including teenagers!

Our Very Nice President!

2011-08-12T23:27:00.000-04:00

Bob and I had so much fun in Orlando this past spring. Stampin' Up President Shelli Gardner is one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. Attending these regional events is a real highlight of the year for Bob and me. It's worth becoming a Stampin' Up demo to attend these incredible meetings. We got so many gifts! And I won a stamp set!

Joette Gullo Coughlin, 1951 - 2011

2011-06-14T17:31:00.000-04:00

We lost my sister Joette on June 9, 2011 to complications from diabetes. We have all been extremely saddened and shocked by her loss.

Godmother Joette at Rob's Baptism, 1974

She fought valiently against this terrible disease. Her strength and determination for the last 45 years was an example of courage in overcoming many obstacles while trying to lead a normal life. She didn't want anyone to treat her as an invalid or as someone who couldn't do anything for herself. She hated it if you tried to feel sorry for her; she just wanted to be treated as a normal person. She endured operations, amputations, dialysis, kidney transplant, pancreatic cell infusions, needles, heart procedures, and countless hospital stays from the age of 19 until she died one week shy of her 60th birthday.

Auntie Joey dances with her grand-nephew Kegan Thompson at Amanda's Wedding, 2009

Her husband Gary cared for her during these difficult years, especially the last five years. My brother Philip's wife, Mary, gave Joette 10 extra years of life with the donation of her kidney. My mother was always a constant source of love, even on Joette's worse days. When Joette and Gary moved to Florida a couple of years ago, my siblings, Jim, Gina and Dan did their best to be of assistance. As a family, we had to stand by helplessly as her condition deteriorated in her last years.

With her niece Amanda Kaiser at her bridal shower, 2009

As sad as we are at her loss, we are also grateful that her suffering is finally at an end. Our family witnessed first-hand the ravages of a disease that many people think is controlled. It is not; death is usually inevitable, and as in my sister's case, it's devasting effects move slowly, painfully toward it's final conclusion.

If you would like to make a donation to the American Diabetes Association in Joette's name, my family would be very grateful. Research into ending this deadly disease would have been a wish close to my sister's heart.

I would urge you to learn the symptoms of diabetes and educate yourself about this disease. If you see any symptoms, visit your doctor, let him/her know if your family has a history of diabetes and ask to have your blood sugar checked. There is a lot of information about this disease (see link above), so there is much opportunity to learn and be informed.

Finally, thanks to all of you who sent your love, sympathy and support in the last week. My entire family felt the strength of your prayers on our behalf, and we want you to know how much we appreciated it. we look forward to the day when we'll see my sister again, and she will be healthy and happy.

Our Visit to Homewood Suites in Peabody

2011-06-05T10:02:00.000-04:00

We just finished a five-week stay at Homewood Suites in Peabody. We had such a great time with a wonderful staff that helped us throughout our entire time there. This is Bob from mainenance and Mariah who worked the front desk. I made the staff a bouquet of M&M skinny bags, and they all loved it! We promised to come back in the fall when Bob will have more programs to teach. I do have to say though, I don't come up from Florida to Boston for the weather. We had three weeks of rain, followed by a couple of days of sunshine, and then the tornadoes came! We missed the tornadoes, but really! Is someone trying to tell me something? LOL

It's Our Wedding Anniversary Today!

2011-05-31T14:54:00.000-04:00

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our 42nd anniversary! As many of you who have been married a long time know, it seems like only a short time ago we knelt and repeated our wedding vows. I thought you might like to see how we looked way back then on our special day.

My dad walked me down the aisle that day.
He passed away in 1998 and I still miss him.

Bob and I exchange rings; my sister was my

Maid of Honor and Bob's dad served as

his best man.

My baby brother Jimmy was only 18 months old
when I married Bob; he's never known a time
when my husband wasn't around. That's my
mom on the left.

This is the card I made to give him on our anniversary. I created the poem inside the card; Bob gave me a card with almost the exact theme! I guess we have been married a long time! Anyway the poem is reproduced here; if you wish to use it in one of your own cards, please just give me credit for the poem. Hallmark may be watching and I wouldn't to miss my chance to write for them! ;)

An Anniversary Poem

Written by Lucia Kaiser

May 31, 2011

It was such a long time ago,
When we wed that spring day,
Yet, though years have passed,
It seems like only yesterday.

Forty-Two years of wedded life,
And still, we travel the road together.
We kept the promise to love and cherish
And support one another forever.

Although this life has had challenges,
And our tie, at times, was almost broken,
We always had each other in mind,
Our commitment was more than a token.

I love you more this day in May,
Even more than I did that May before,
And I’ll love you even more than that,
As we open and enter each new door.

Here we are today. When did he get all that white hair?

This is what happens when you have a lot of grandchildren!

2011-05-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

I'm in Massachusetts on business, but in a week I'll be visiting children and grandchildren. I've been busy preparing surprises for them. I'll be posting more about the things I'm making, but here's a peak at the volume I'm dealing with!

Friend to Friend

2011-04-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

This is a thank you card I sent to a friend who had us to a lovely lunch one day. She liked the card so much, and she told me she was going to keep inviting me to lunch just to get handmade cards! The little red heart is from our glitter paper; I just love bling, don't you? Giving someone a handmade card has such an impact. Would you like me to teach you how to make one like this? If you live in the Estero, Florida area, go to my website to see when and where my classes are being offered. My Stampin' Up Website

HANGING CALENDAR AND TUTORIAL

2011-01-23T00:14:00.000-05:00

Brittany spent the day creating

2011-01-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

Brittany made this beautiful calendar project for her mom!

Here is one of my friends having fun crafting with me today. Look at the beautiful things she made!

Brittany's style is elegant and understanded I thik this card is beautiful. It's made with designer paper from the new Occasions Mini. We even lined the envelope!

Story Time

2010-12-13T22:53:00.000-05:00

I've started an album chronicling our winter visit north. Here is the cover page.

Murph Dogg!

2010-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

My daughter's family has a funny, smart little Boston Terrier we all love! Here he is with my granddaughter on my visit to Massachusetts. I scrapbooked this in My Digital Studio using one of the templates. I usually do my own layout, but this was easy and fun. I just changed a few of the colors.

Recipe Album

2010-11-22T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here is a really cool way to use MDS. Make a Recipe Album. You can create 6 x 6 pages, have them printed by Stampin' Up!, and then pop them into one of our 6 x 6 albums! I'm with my grandchildren up in Massachusetts, and we're going to make cookies together. They each picked a cookie recipe they wanted to make, and I'll be shopping for ingredients tomorrow. They were very excited about this page I created for them. I plan to put all the cookies they picked out into pages like this so they'll have a nice little album to remember the times they baked with their Grandmother!

You might notice the background paper is a larger and more subtle picture of the smaller version of the cookies. This is a really terrific technique you can use with the My Digital Studio program. It's a custom background paper. Hope you enjoy the page ~ and the recipe!

Deck the Halls Designer Paper

2010-11-18T13:06:00.002-05:00

If you haven't purchased the Holiday designer paper "Deck the Halls," run to your demo and order it! This is the most gorgeous paper for the holidays. Below, you'll see how I used it in a card I designed for a customer. The stamp set, "Bells & Boughs," is also from the Holiday Mini, which expires December 31, 2010. The ribbon is one of our new colors, "Pear Pizzaz." I colored the Pointsettas with the Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke markers. The oval is a big shot die cut; I embossed the middle with the Petals a Plenty embossing folder. I cut two ovals, one set from Very Vanilla and the other from Deck the Halls DSDP. Then I switched them so the outside layer has the DSDP and the center has the VV card stock. The card is 6 x 6, and I cut the back ground DSDP to 5.5 x 5.5 so it created a border. I used dimensionals on the pointsettas and the center oval to give it more depth. With the exception of the coloring, the rest of the card went together quickly and easily.

Join My Team For Half Price!

2010-11-15T21:57:00.002-05:00

For two short weeks, you can join my team for half-price! From November 15-30, you can purchase either our Standard or Digital+ Starter Kits at 50 percent off the regular retail price of $175 (plus free shipping!) You get over $310 in crafting and business supplies for only $87.50! And you get more! Earn extra income, and get 20% off your Stampin' Up products. Earn free stamps and volume rebates. For more information, contact me. But do it quickly. This fantastic deal will be over by November 30th!

THE ROYAL BLOG TOUR HAS ENDED

2010-11-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

All good things must come to an end ~ but not the Royal Blog Tour. For the next month, the links to all 78 blogs will be on the home page of the RBT site! Royal Blog Tour Links You can go back and leisurely take a look once again at the beautiful projects put out by our Queens and Princesses. And stay tuned for more exciting news about the Royal Blog Tour!

Welcome to my Castle!

2010-11-04T20:50:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Royal Blog Tour and many thanks for taking the time to visit my castle. I hope you will like the cards I've prepared especially for you. A brief explanation of the products I used are below each picture. My featured stamp set is Greeting Card Kids, and they are wonderful stamps for use on greeting cards for many occasions. I've paired them with some fantastic Designer Papers.

Be sure to scroll all the way down the page and sign up for my Blog Candy. Non-demos only please. Demos may email me if they'd like dimensions and layers for the cards shown here.

Here is our little girl all dressed for winter. The large scallop square die cut is used with the Big Shot; and since I've never seen a paper that I didn't want to emboss, I used the Northern Flurry embossing folder from the Holiday Mini to accent the square. I highlighted the snow flakes with a white gel pen. The paper is the gorgeous Deck The Halls; be sure to ask your demonstrator about this fabulous paper featured in the Holiday Mini before it goes away. And the bling is one of my favorite new items from the mini ~ glimmer brads. I love these shiny little things!

Can you tell I'm a Designer Paper junkie? The background for our two little school children is from our Newsprint collection found in the Idea Book & Catalog for 2010-2011. And how cute is the brother and sister off to school together? Wouldn't this make a great teacher's card?

Yes, more designer paper to showcase my cute featured set, Greeting Card Kids. The striped paper is from the Candy Cane collection in the Holiday Mini, and of course, more bling with glimmer brads. I need to buy more of those! I used the lattice embossing folder on the Big Shot. Embossing folders are one of my favorite products, and the lattice design is one of my favorite folders! I combined two of the stamps from the stamp set into one card. It's very girlie; I'll have to send it to one of my granddaughters!

BLOG CANDY

Here is the blog candy I'm offering during this tour. Look at the picture below:

My featured set, Greeting Card Kids (unmounted) is also my blog candy! To be eligible for entry into the drawing you must adhere to the following. Any step that is missing will disqualify the entry:

Leave a comment on this post
Email me your full name and email address at luciakaiser@hotmail.com or leave your email in your comments.
Only those who are not a Stampin' Up Demo AND living in the US are eligible .
SU Demos can email me or leave their email in their comments and I will send instructions for these three cards.

Thanks for stopping by my Castle. I hope you enjoy the rest of your travels.

Natalia is Beaming

2010-10-29T23:05:00.001-04:00

I taught a jewelry class today, and my customer Natalia did such a great job. I thought you might enjoy seeing her first effort at Jewelry making. I think she learns fast! BTW, the pearls were not part of the design. We were so excited for her to try it on, we didn't think to have her remove the pearls she wore to class.

One of my hobbies

2010-10-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite hobbies ~ decoupage. My mother-in-law taught me this craft 40 years ago, and it has a resurgence using napkins. I'm going to give it a go with some of the beautiful designer paper we have, but this is something I've done to display for my classes. Once I get the DSDP paper on some of the projects, I hope to offer it in a Stampin' Up class. Because our wonderful designer paper is so thick (good for cards and scrapbooks, not good for decoupage), I'll have to "thin it down." It requires soaking it in water and removing some of the ply. Our products are so well made, I don't know if I'll be able to do it! LOL! Once I try it (and if it works), I'll share the results with you.

Another card for my Christmas Card Class

2010-10-08T14:56:00.001-04:00

Another design done in MDS for my Christmas Card Classes

Designer Paper Makes Cards Easy to Make

2010-10-07T15:21:00.001-04:00

I needed to design some cards for classes I'm doing. I decided to first make the design in MDS and then transfer it to the "real thing." Oh my, how much easier this makes things! I love the ease of coming up with a design without wasting paper.

Entertaining the Troops

2010-09-28T01:46:00.000-04:00

My grandson is the entertainer in the family; he reminds me of his dad, my son, who always makes me laugh!

Announcing Our New Honorary Queens

2010-08-28T21:27:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our winners.

Look for their castles on the upcoming Royal Blog Tour!

Father's Day: King of the Grill

2010-06-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

This image comes from our current summer mini, and I think it is so cute! You can make a card like this on My Digital Studio, put a sentiment on the inside and have it printed for as little as $2.95! And it includes the envelope. I did this card in response to the 411 challenge to use three particular colors; see below. I hope you enjoy the King of the Grill!

Anniversary Card for Technostamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 126

2010-06-14T22:59:00.000-04:00

We have a number of challenges in the groups to which I belong, and I decided to try my friend Mary Jo Price-Williams lunchtime sketch. I'm still without my stamping supplies, so I did this on MDS. I'll recreate it when I get to my supplies in July! Below is the sketch Mary Jo provided. Why don't you try making a card from this sketch and then post it on her blog? The link is below picture.

Mary Jo Price-Williams

Love You Much

2010-06-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

I noticed this color combination on a motel while driving along Route 28 on Cape Cod. I wanted to try it out on a card, so I used my MDS to see how it looked. I still love the combination!

Masculine Card

2010-05-24T08:06:00.001-04:00

A very sweet and hard-working young real estate agent found just what I was looking for here in Florida. His trademark phrase has been incorporated into my card. I know he checks out my blog, so I hope he sees this. And if you ever need to buy real estate in southwest Florida, look for Jay Berube!

411 Challenge #152

2010-05-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

Every week, a fabulous group of demos create a sketch and challenge us to put our own spin on it. The group, called 411, put out this week's sketch and I decided to try it out on MDS. Yes, I'm still in Florida without any of my supplies, so I continue to use this fantastic program to keep creating! I love the colors in this card, Old Olive, Dusty Durango and So Saffron. I also used one of the Presto Designer Papers. Oh my, they are very fabulous! Be sure to get a pack for yourself!

Gratitude

2010-05-20T23:33:00.001-04:00

This is a design I created in MDS using the Summertime Splendor Orchids designer paper. I plan to use this design as a greeting card . The gratitude stamp comes from the Define Your Life stamp set, and the border is our new scallop border punch. I love the soft colors in this. I plan to have a set of eight printed for someone who helped me look at real estate during the past few months. I think they make unique thank you cards, and I hope she'll like them.

Cousins

2010-05-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

My granddaughter and grandson are special friends. They formed a close bond when they were very little, and they love to be with each other. The picture on the left was taken when they were about 4 years old; the picture on the right was taken in September of 2009 at their aunt's wedding. They were dancing with each other! They are both very sweet, loving children. I hope they enjoy this special page I made for them.

Nonna and Her Great-Grandchildren

2010-05-17T21:52:00.004-04:00

A vintage picture, circa 1950, of me with my cousins and my great-grandmother. I used the background picture as the paper, then I highlighted each section by bringing forward the photos of the people in the picture. Love this MDS!

All Your Wishes

2010-05-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

My granddaughter is the subject of this scrapbook page, and thanks to my friend Jan Tink, I learned how to create this special effect page on MDS. These are the things you can do with this software that you can't do with regular scrapbooking. You can even have your pages printed through Stampin' Up!

To make this page, first you have to buy the MDS :) Then you can do the following:

Open a project
Go to background papers
Choose "Custom"
Pick your size (I did 12 x 12)
Make your photograph your background page
Pick "Add a Layer" and choose your designer paper
Double click the designer paper and expand it to cover the photograph
Move the "Opacity" to the left until your picture emerges to your satisfaction.
You can add your embellishments and lay them on top of the screen or send them to behind it.

Very easy and a super effect. I have a picture of my grandparent's and I'm planning to do a vintage thing with it. Look for it tomorrow!

The Story of Papa

2010-05-15T08:00:00.005-04:00

In case you've noticed a theme over the past few days, let me explain. Due to a family emergency, I've been in Florida since March 28th; and I haven't seen my hubby in that amount of time! He's due to arrive down here next week, but these have been my little messages to him this week. I hope you've enjoyed them as much as he has! :)

I Like You

2010-05-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

This is another MDS creation using more of the beautiful new digital papers. This is Pussy Willows from the Summertime Splendor collection.

I did a few things to make the components stand out, such as using drop shadows on many of the embellishments, like the butterflies and the matted rectangles. Also, by layering a brad on top of a button to make a new element. The scallop border was created by sizing the original down to a smaller size and then copying them until I filled up the entire side.

A Love Card - MDS

2010-05-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

This card features one of the new digital designer papers now available for uploading. I honestly didn't really have to add anything if I didn't want to, that's how beautiful the papers are. But, of course, I did add. The florish, the bird and the sentiment are all digitally added. Of course I had to put in some brads and a corner punch on the lower left. Hope you will try MDS - it's incredible the things you can do with it!

MDS Soft Spring

2010-05-09T01:47:00.002-04:00

I promised to give you some hints on working with the My Digital Studio Software, so I'll describe how I made the above card.

First, I chose a background paper, in this case, Script. I was able to choose among many colors in this design; the above color is Sage Shadow. The vertical stripe was made by going back to the background papers, but this time I checked the box "Add as page layer." Always Artichoke was the color I chose.

Next, I made the three squares by picking a square punch. Again, I was able to choose my color - certainly celery. I made a mat by choosing the mat option; the color is Barely Bananas. To get the flowers in the middle, I chose the stamp from the "For All You Do" set. The stamp was in black, but through the magic of digital software, I changed the color to certainly Celery. The stems were also from that set. If you look closely, you'll see some reverse images among these stamps. That's because I have the ability in this program to get a mirror image. A neat little trick.

Finally, I used a sentiment from this set, and ended with the certainly celery bow. I used a drop shadow on all the objects to give it depth. With the bow, I used 100% opacity to give it extra depth.

I encourage you to play with this terrific software. You'll have so much fun!

Simple Friendship Digital Style

2010-05-07T14:44:00.000-04:00

I was so happy to learn that many of you were either inspired or motivated to try out My Digital Studio after seeing examples on this blog during the Royal Blog Tour. I promised to give you some tips on using this wonderful software after the tour. Here is a card I designed using MDS.

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you some tips on how I created this card and give you ideas on how to create with MDS.

Meet My Blog Candy Winner, Julie Gass

2010-05-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

Meet my blog candy winner, Julie Gass, pictured here with hubby Darwin. I will be sending Julie "Simply Sent Card Elements" and the coordinating stamp set "Thankful Thinking."

I want to thank all of your who participated in my blog candy drawing. I will be emailing all of you; I just have to finish the clean-up duties on the Royal Blog Tour.

So many of you were happy I chose to use MDS as my featured project. Let me tell you a little story about that.

I live on Cape Cod, but I am currently in Florida helping to care for my ailing sister. I arrived here with none of my Stampin' Up products. I had intended not to participate this time because I wanted to devote my time to helping my brother-in-law care for Sis. However, we had a lot of last minute holes to fill in the tour, so I volunteered to get back on the tour. All I had was my MDS, so that had to be the featured project for me.

Fast forward to tour day, and lo and behold, many of you had never tried MDS and didn't know what it could do. It made me glad for this "happy accident" As a result, I'm going to put up a tutorial showing you how I got many of elements of my pages. So be sure to check back.

And congratulations to Julie for her blog candy win! I hope you enjoy it Julie! :)

Welcome to The Royal Blog Tour - The Promise of Spring

2010-04-29T21:00:00.009-04:00

Featuring My Digital Studio

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to my castle on The Royal Blog. I hope you enjoy the items I've prepared for your entertainment.

I am excited to give you a peek at our wonderful My Digital Studio. This is our digital scrapbooking and card Making software program, and it is so much fun!

Some folks may be resistant to digital paper arts, but believe me, you have to try this before you dismiss it.

You can design your projects on this program, and then create them without wasting paper, brads, etc. formulating the design!

You can create hybrid pages where you print some of the project and then add embellishments.

Finally, you can actually create whole books of special occasions, like the wedding I've spotlighted here. (The little ringbearer is my grandson who served at his Aunt Neesha's wedding!)

A COLOR RENOVATION

2010-04-09T01:15:00.002-04:00

Stampin' Up! has exciting news! When our Idea Book and Catalog for 2010-2011 debuts in July, there will be new color families and new colors! While some colors are being retired, you'll still find the same wonderful coordination of card stock, inks, ribbons, brads, etc. You'll love the new grouping of colors and the return of some of our favorites from the In Colors of past years. More information will be coming soon, but for now, click on the icon above to see the new family groups and the new colors! And check out the chart in the left sidebar for the colors going bye bye in July. If your favorite colors are there, stock up now before they're gone forever.

More from Just Buzzin' By

2010-04-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

Here's my second card from the Just Buzzin' By stamp set. I love the little honey bees that are part of this set. I layered this card with one of my favorite die cuts from the Big Shot, the Lattice Die Cut. I also used the polka dot embossing folder to add a little more texture to the background paper from the Sweet Pea pack in the Occasions Mini. The new scallop punch added a little pizzaz as the backdrop to the lattice.

To order any of these products, please go to my website and order online, or email me and I'll be happy to place an order for you.

Honey of a Day

2010-04-01T12:01:00.002-04:00

In this card, I'm able to use one of my favorite stamp sets, "Just Buzzin' By." The honey pot is just one of the stamps in this set, as is the sentiment! The paper is from the Occasions mini, which expires April 30th (as one of my demo sisters reminded me!). The Sweet Pea designer paper pack is fabulous! If you want it, let me know ASAP as it is now on backorder.

I'm in Florida presently, so I'm missing all the problems with my flooded basement on Cape Cod. Poor hubby spent the entire night trying to stem the flow of water, finally gave up this morning and went to bed.

For all of New England underwater, my prayers go out to you as you struggle to find wet vacs, sump pumps and batteries. I know your Yankee ingenuity and strength will prevail.

Psst! Guess What's Coming?

2010-03-13T12:25:00.004-05:00

I'm on the Royal Blog Tour! It's launching April 30 through May 3. I'm so excited I've been chosen to be a Princess! I hope you'll become a Royal Tourist and ride along in a Royal Coach. Please come and visit my castle during the tour! For more information, please check out these links!

Website: RBT Website

Home Blog: RBT Home Blog

Coaching and Mentoring Your Downline

2010-02-26T12:42:00.002-05:00

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teach demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~ William Arthur Ward

Bob and Lucia Kaiser and children

In the 20+ years I've been in direct sales companies like Stampin' Up, I've noticed a decided lack of training in one important area - the Upline. I believe multi-level marketing companies will be an important part of the future in retailing, and the way we do business must change with the times. That's why Bob and I have developed a program that addresses the training needed for uplines in order to build a strong and sustainable business.

Our management training company is the perfect vehicle for training since we've been doing it for 30+ years. We're so confident about our program, we're offering the first introductory segment free!

To sign up for our free segment, please join our Yahoo group, SU Coach/Mentor The sign-up button is in the left sidebar of this blog. Once you sign-up for this group, you'll receive information on how to enroll. This segment will be released during the first week of March.

Brick and mortar stores are fast disappearing, as is personal customer service. There has never been a better time to become a stellar upline and build a strong business in Stampin' Up!

Having Fun with Window Sheets and the Big Shot

2010-02-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

I decided to have some fun with my Big Shot, the lattice die cut and the scallop square. After that, I thought I'd due a little fancy cutting with our new scallop punches! You can earn one of those punches for free during Sale-A-Bration. By the way, the photo corners come from one of our punches as well!

The printed window sheet adds a special touch to a card; I think they make a card look really cool, don't you? I plan to send this card to my friend in Florida, but before it goes into "snail mail," I thought you might like to see how versatile our punches and Big Shot die cuts really are!

Pretty Petals Class Card 3

2010-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

With this card, I used our new polka dot embossing folder the stickers in the kit. I love our embossing folders!

Pretty Petals Class Card 2

2010-02-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here is another in the series of Pretty Petals cards we did in our 10 for $10 class. The little charm on the card is made by cutting the lattace die on our Big Shot machine out of Shrink paper. It is heated until it shrinks to this size. I then heat embossed it with orange embossing powder.

Pretty Petals Class Card 1

2010-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

I held a card class on Sunday, January 31st using the Simply Scrappin' Kit Pretty Petals. We made 10 cards. I'll be putting each one up over the next week. These are so easy and so much fun to make.

A Special Wedding Card for Neesha

2010-01-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, my daughter-in-law's little sister was married. I met Neesha when she was seven years old. She was always such a special girl. The first time I met her, she sat on my lap and started talking to me like she'd known me all her life. When she'd visit her sister, we'd try to snag her for a day out with us because she was such a sweet little girl. She made a beautiful bride, and her new husband is wonderful. This is the special card I made for a special girl and her new husband.

Introductory Segment of New Training Course Being Offered Free of Charge

2010-01-15T09:35:00.002-05:00

You read the headline correctly. Bob and Lucia Kaiser are offering the introductory segment of Coaching and Mentoring for the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator absolutely free! Check out the left sidebar of this blog for more information.

WINTER DOLDRUM STAMP CAMP FEBRUARY 6, 2010 SNEAK PEAK

2010-01-06T12:42:00.002-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at some of the things you'll make at the Winter Doldrums Stamp Camp! This is just a very small part of what we'll be doing. There will be lots, lots more, so don't miss out!

If you weren't coming because it was Super Bowl Sunday, we've fixed that problem. It is now being held on Saturday, February 6th, so you can make it a whole weekend of fun!!

Join me Saturday, February 6, 2010 and beat those winter blues! We'll meet at my Craft Room from 1 pm to 5 pm to make FOUR wonderful projects from the new 2010 Occasions Mini.

And if that isn't enough, Sale-A-Bration will also be in full swing! That means, not only do you get to try new sets from the INCREDIBLE Occasions Mini coming out January 1, you also get a look at the FREE stamps you can earn from the SAB catalog.

The $30 cost of the Winter Doldrums Stamp Camp includes all the ingredients to make four projects. Snacks will be available throughout the afternoon; feel free to bring a snack to share! (optional).

To reserve your place, go to Stampin'and Scrappin' MeetUp and use your credit card to pay online. Or, if you prefer, you can call me with your credit card or make arrangements to use a check or money order. Space is limited, so don't wait to save a spot!

Oh, one other thing: for every friend you sign up, you get a $5 merchandise credit! You must sign your friend up and pay the entry fee before the deadline in order to receive this special offer!

12 Days of Holiday Savings!

2009-12-12T08:24:00.001-05:00

These might be the most exciting 12 days of December with select Big Shot dies and vinyl sheets for the Big Shot on sale! The 12 Days of Holiday Sales begin

today and runs through December 22.

Some of the items introduced in this sale are new colors of Décor Elements vinyl sheets. There are 18 new colors to choose from, and they make great

projects when you use them with Big Shot dies. Consider pairing the Clear Décor Elements vinyl sheets with the Tulipe Bigz die to create an etched-like design

on a vase. Or use the Decorative Accent Bigz dies with the Old Olive Décor Element vinyl sheets to enhance a frame. The combination of Big Shot dies and

Décor Elements vinyl sheets is sure to take your creativity to a new level!

Tell your husband!!! Shop now --- sale is only until Dec. 22nd!

Click here to view the Big Shot Specials list!

Dazzling Pens

2009-12-11T19:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a fun and easy project that always wows the recipients! Take a look at "Dazzling Pens!" Join me for a Technique Sunday the last weekend in January when I'll demonstrate how to make these fun pens.

Here's Rebekah Jensen's Calendar

2009-12-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

Rebekah sent me a picture of her calendar. You can see clearly in this picture how the clip is used as a stand for the calendar.

Look at what Chera Wiest Did

2009-12-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Chera really went crazy making clip calendars for her co-workers. Look at her creations:

An Array of Clip Calendars!

2009-12-10T14:00:00.004-05:00

Recently, I hosted a bulk buy for miniature calendars, and I promised everyone they'd get a tutorial on how to make my Clip Calendar when they placed an order. Well, 125 people participated, and last night I sent out the tutorial (which is another story for another time). I've told everyone I'll feature their calendars on my blog if they send me pictures. It is fun to see how different each calendar can look.

I'm excited to feature my friend Nancy Dawson's take on this pattern. Nancy's calendar features some of the new paper from the Occasions mini catalog coming out in January, so you'll get a "sneak peak". In the midst of winter, Nancy has brought us the promise of spring!

Here's what Nancy had to say: "Lucia Kaiser sent this cute calendar pattern with our bulk calendar order. Thought I’d have to try it and it is so quick and easy and makes a cute gift for any occasion. I tried not to use Christmas colors so it is more Spring-y using the new paper in the Stampin’ Up mini called Shades of Spring DSP (which is gorgeous, I might add). Nancy"

The next one was made by my friend Claire Ventre. Claire didn't have the binder clip, so she improvised using one of our beautiful retired (sob) papers Parisian Breeze. I think she did a beautiful job, don't you?

Clip Calendar 2010

2009-12-09T22:15:00.003-05:00

This calendar is made with Kaleidoscope Designer Paper, Melon Mambo card stock and ink. It uses a 4 x 4 chipboard coaster and is accented with Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon and flowers punched with our Boho Blossoms punch with a Summer Sun Corduroy button in the center. All ingredients except the coaster are from Stampin' Up!

Custom Card for my daughter

2009-11-18T16:43:00.003-05:00

This is the card I designed for one of my daughters ~ she needs 50 of them! I did a variation on my Victorian card below but with a more modern twist. There's lot of sparkle on it that doesn't show up as well in the photo as the Victorian Card did. She's happy with it, and it is a design that is for her exclusively. Since ALL my daughters think they're princesses (their father's doing), she'll love that no one else can have this design. Now I have to come up with a completely different design for my other daughter! LOL

LOVELY AS A TREE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

2009-11-15T22:37:00.004-05:00

I wanted to design something that had an old-fashioned look to it, and I thought this color combination accomplished that. The stamp is from our Lovely as a Tree stamp set that is a classic among Stampin' Up! products. It is so versatile because you can create any season with these stamps. To create the illusion of snow on the tree, I used a white gel pen. The sparkle comes from using a VersaMark pen, making little dots throughout the tree, then sprinkling Dazzling Diamonds over it. I used a Stampin' Up! Real Red marker to add the red "lights" to the tree. You may be able to make out the embossed layers on the card. I used Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder from our Holiday mini and the Scallop Oval, a Big Shot die cut that has so many uses! The card stock colors are More Mustard and Not Quite Navy. I thought those colors are what gave it a bit of a Victorian look! I did a little more aging by sponging a little of the navy ink around the tree. If you'd like to make this card and others like it, please sign up for one of my advanced card classes. You can find this stamp set on page 110 of the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. If you don't have this catalog yet, please call me for a copy.

Purr-fect Friends in MDS

2009-11-10T07:38:00.003-05:00

I'm having fun again with my new MDS (My Digital Studio)! Now here's the thing that's so great about this program. The stamps I've used here I don't have in my personal collection, but because of MDS, I can use them in my card, and I'm able to resize elements to fit my design! Then I can send it off to Stampin' Up! printing service and have it printed! How great is that?

The cat and mouse are from the Cute Cat stamp set, the flour de lis is from the Extreme Elements stamp set, and the papers are from the Night & Day Designer Paper.

Clip Calendar

2009-11-05T02:29:00.004-05:00

I make a version of this calendar every year. Excuse the 2009 label on this one; I'm waiting for this year's calendars to come in. These cute calendars make a nice little gift. They are also fun to make! You can order a kit for $5.00! The kit includes everything you need to make this calendar.

Masculine Card

2009-11-05T02:24:00.002-05:00

Here is my entry to our recent Masculine Card Challenge. I made this card using ingredients from the Tailor Made Simply Scrappin' Kit. I love the colors and papers in this kit. I'll be offering a class in making cards from this kit.

Daddy's Little Girl in MDS

2009-11-01T12:15:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite picture from the whole wedding~

Well, I continue to use my MDS (My Digital Studio) to scrapbook my daughter's wedding. I plan to have these pages printed; and then I'll add more embellishments, like the dried flowers from her bouquet. I would never have gotten this far if I used the "old fashioned" method! This way I have a headstart but I can still add things to make it 3-D. Now, I know you "die-hards" are saying "never!", but I think you might want to keep an open mind. This is super simple to use, and you have so many options here that you wouldn't have in traditional scrapbooking. Want to see how it works? Call me and I'll give you a demonstration!

Spiritual Sunday from Ruth Burkey

2009-11-01T12:09:00.001-05:00

It is once again "Spiritual Sunday" when my friend Ruthie once again gives us food for thought. I love this story! Read it and enjoy!

THE OLD PHONE ON THE WALL.

When I was a young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.

My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. "Information, please" I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information." "I hurt my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.

"Isn't your mother home?" came the question. "Nobody's home but me," I blubbered. "Are you bleeding?" the voice asked. "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts." "Can you open the icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice.

After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for
help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts. Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, “Information Please," and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?" She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, " Wayne , always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone, "Information Please." Information," said in the now familiar voice. "How do I spell fix?" I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston . I missed my friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle . I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information Please." Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.

"Information." I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying,

"Could you please tell me how to spell fix?" There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now." I laughed, "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?" I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls." I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. "Please do", she said. "Just ask for Sally."

Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, “Information." I asked for Sally.

"Are you a friend?" she said. "Yes, a very old friend," I answered.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," She said. "Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago." Before I could hang up, she said, "

Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?"
“Yes." I answered.

"Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called.

Let me read it to you."

The note said, "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean." I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

Never underestimate the impression you may make on others..

Whose life have you touched today?

Season of Thanks

2009-10-28T00:52:00.000-04:00

This card features our Season of Thanks stamp set, but the real secret of this card is that the rest of it is made with ingredients from one of our Simply Scrappin' Kits! If you think you can't make a card, then try using all the wonderful elements you'll find in these terrific kits!

The Flower Press (with thanks to Ruthie Burkey)

2009-10-25T11:24:00.001-04:00

I belong to a wonderful group of Stampin' Up! Demos called Utah Divas International. In that group is a very special lady named Ruth Burkey. Each Sunday she sends out an email with a list of people in our group who ask for our help through prayers (and sometimes a card of encouragement sent to a loved one. Along with these requests, Ruthie usually includes a story or a quote of encouragement or food for thought. I love the one she included in today's email, and I'd like to share it with all my followers. Each of us has a story for today's difficult circumstances, so I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't find something to relate to in this story. Thank you Ruthie! http://www.stampinwithruthieb.blogspot.com/

"Recently I was given a couple of tiny wildflowers. They came from a distant place where they are quite prolific but I had never been to that region and had never seen them. Theirs was a loveliness never revealed to me before. Enchanted, I put them in a vase for a few days and then decided to press them and preserve them for a longer time."

"One of my old flower presses was called into service, lined with absorbent paper, and the wildflowers carefully arranged. Gently I screwed the top down just a little. Next morning, I tightened it a little further to expel any moisture that would destroy the flowers."

"Each day for several days, I tightened the press until it would go no further and then it stayed that way for two weeks. It seemed a harsh thing to do but by then the flowers were firmly preserved and their deteriorating elements were expelled. They would deteriorate no further and were preserved for all time."

"I took them out and arranged them to their special advantage so that I could appreciate their beauty and reveal their beauty to others for a long time to come."

"Sometimes I think God uses flower press techniques to preserve us. We wonder why we are put in severe and trying places and why it keeps getting harder. He is getting rid of the self-sufficiency that would destroy us."

"God never destroys us, he puts us in his flower press and tightens it down each day to get rid of the rubbish. Finally, only beauty remains to be revealed."

"Paul saw it this way, ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’ Romans 8:18."

by Elizabeth Price

Madison Creates A Special Card

2009-10-23T23:24:00.001-04:00

Whenever I visit my grandchildren in Maine, I always try to bring a project for them to make. My granddaughter Madison loves to stamp with me, so I brought the ingredients for a card her to make. She is such a delightful young girl (and I'm not a bit prejudiced), and I enjoy photographing her as she puts together her projects. I decided to use the new My Digital Studio to create this scrapbook page. I love using this new tool; I can't wait to demonstrate it for you! You won't believe how addictive it is! Contact me to schedule a demonstration of this wonderful digital paper crafting solution!

Here for You

2009-10-15T20:35:00.001-04:00

This card uses one of my favorite designer papers - Kaleidoscope. The stamp is from "Friends 24/7" ,and the buttons are from our designer collection called Playground. The ribbon is from our In Color collection; this one is Melon Mambo. I finally have some time to do some creating and I'm having fun! I'm heading to the Portland, Maine Regional tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have lots of wonderful ideas to share with you when I return. Please let me know what you think of this card by making a comment below.

More Cards from the Holiday Card Class

2009-10-11T20:35:00.000-04:00

Here are more cards from the Holiday Card Class on October 24. I hope to see you there. Remember to go to my MeetUp to reserve your place. I've done these cards with My Digital Studio, but we'll be making them for real (not virtual) time!

Some Examples of Holiday Card Making Class

2009-10-10T14:56:00.003-04:00

Here are a some of the cards we'll be making in the Holiday Card Making Class on October 24th. We'll be making Holiday Cards of all kinds. Keep checking this blog for more examples of what we'll be making. Cost of this class is $30. It includes a container of 80 buttons, a container of 200 gold brads, 3 sheets of 12 x 12 double sided designer paper, 4 sheets of 12 x 12 colored card stock, 10 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 white card stock, 3 sheets of 6 x 12 stickers, and a 10 yard roll of Sleigh Bells ribbon. To reserve a place, go to my MeetUp site at Stampin' & Scrappin'

Friends 24/7 Digital Card

2009-10-09T16:52:00.000-04:00

Here's another digitally-made card that I did with My Digital Studio. This is so much fun! I plan to have these cards printed up with Stampin' Up! special printing service. I can't wait to see how they look. Please call me for a free, private lesson on using this wonderful software!

More Digital Scrapbooking Pages!

2009-10-07T15:04:00.004-04:00

I'm trying my hand at the new My Digital Studio. Here are my attempts at digitally scrapbooking my daughter's wedding. I'm going to create "hybrid" pages by adding "real" embellishments. This is a lot of fun; I can't wait to share it with my customers!

My First Digital Greeting Card!

2009-10-05T00:15:00.004-04:00

Well, here it is - my first digital greeting card. How much fun is that! If I want to, I can send it off to Stampin' Up! to have it professionally printed. When it comes back, I can embellish it with more ribbon, punches, etc. This is so easy to use! Be sure to check out My Digital Studio on my website. I'll continue to play with this and post what I come up with. Hopefully, I'll get better and better and you can tell me if you see a difference!

My Daughter and I get ready for her wedding

2009-10-02T15:23:00.007-04:00

Okay, so I haven't done so well getting myself together after the wedding. I'm sorry, I really am putting some designs together, but I have to clean up the Craft Room of the wedding debris! I've taken some stamps and markers up to my room to work so I don't have to look at the mess! I'm going to have to suck it up and get things cleared away so I can work! In the meantime, here are more pictures of the wedding.

Can you tell she's my daughter? We had to take some of our pictures at the Beauty Salon as it took longer than we thought to get through all the day's hairdos! I rushed to the salon with her clothes and got her dressed there! Nantz, the salon owner, helped us get her ready and took pictures!

Amanda's Wedding Day

2009-09-27T14:55:00.011-04:00

Amanda is escorted by her father down the aisle. The day was absolutely gorgeous and we had a wonderful time.

The picture on the left: Amanda's maid of honor was her sister Beth, far right. On the left, her other sister Bonnie and in the middle is her friend Corinne. The picture on the right: Bonnie and Amanda's sister-in-law Charity.

The groomsman line up for the wedding. On the far left is Derek, the best man and brother of groom Dave. On the far right is Amanda's brother Rob. In the center are Chris and Matt, friends of the groom.

From left to right, Dave, mother Gaby, Derek's girlfriend Allison and Derek at the rehearsal dinner.

Amanda's Centerpiece

2009-09-11T18:23:00.005-04:00

I know I have been remiss in posting on my blog, but as many of you know, I've been preparing for my daughter's wedding, which is two weeks from tomorrow! However, I have been creating, and I thought I'd show you what I've done for her centerpieces.

This is the first completed one ~ I only have 19 more to go! I'm very happy with how it turned out. The only thing Stampin' Up! I was able to use were the rhinestone brads in the window. Unfortunately, SU doesn't make shells or candles! Hope you like it. I'll be posting again frequently after the wedding.

Family Tree Frame

2009-09-03T20:07:00.012-04:00

Isn't this a wonderful picture? This is a special design from Stampin' Up! If you'd like to learn more about the ingredients used in this picture, check out my website. Click on "Projects" , and you'll find the complete "recipe" for this lovely design. It would make a great scrapbook cover for scrapbooking family events. There many more projects shown there that you might like.

More Wedding Scrapbook Pages

2009-09-01T17:03:00.002-04:00

I've been having fun creating these scrapbook pages for my daughter's wedding florist. I've been adding embellishments using my Big Shot, and I'm pleased with the results. Hope you enjoy these pages. I'll be offering a Scrapbook Club in the fall. I hope if you live in the Cape Cod area, you'll join me.

Fall Scrapbook Page Challenge

2009-08-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

Late Night Stampers issues a challenge to us each week. This week's challenge was a to make a fall scrapbook page. This is my entry. These are pictures of some of my sweet grandchildren when part of our family was together at my daughter's house last Thanksgiving.

If you don't buy anything else from the Holiday Mini, I hope you'll get the Autumn Meadows Designer Paper. This is what I used on this page, and I am in love this paper. It is one of the most beautiful ones I've seen, in my humble opinion. You're getting another sneak peak at something from this mini which makes its debut September 1st!

Janet Swofford Art

2009-08-23T21:38:00.006-04:00

Last month during our Royal Blog Tour, I offered a Simply Sent Kit as Blog Candy. Janet Swofford of Durham, NC won the drawing. She is a delightful lady, and I've enjoyed my correspondence with her. However, nothing prepared me for the three beautiful cards she made from the kit and sent to me. She is a very talented lady, and I want to share her fantastic art with you. Thank you, Janet. I love these cards so much, I don't know if I'll be able to part with them!

I think I'm the one who won the prize!

Once Upon a Time Purse

2009-08-18T23:45:00.012-04:00

Once Upon a Time Purse from Stampin' Up!

Isn't this purse adorable? A small gift fits inside perfectly , and it's so much better than wrapping paper or a generic bag, don't you think?

Book a workshop during September, and I'll demonstrate how to make this purse. All your guests will receive a copy of the template for the purse as a special gift. It's great fun, and your friends will love seeing how this purse is made.

I live in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and I do workshops within a 30 mile radius. Contact me at luciakaiser@hotmail.com or call 508-771-6202 to book your workshop.