Finally got to play!!!

Well it took ages, but I finally cut out my new stamps and played with one set. As a demonstrator, I had the option to purchase a Level 3 hostess set ahead of time...which I was absolutely going to do because I'm not going to be the hostess at an event that garners $500 in sales! :-) I don't hostess my own events, I typically have a hostess, so someone else gets the goodies. Needless to say, I'm so glad I got the Vases in Vogue set, because it's too cute! Right up my "girlie loves flowers" type of personality.

I will say it was one of those cards where nothing seemed to go right! The vase is stamped in Black Stazon, and then I used a blender pen with the new SU In Color Soft Sky ink pad to color it in. Well, my first go had me rubbing too hard on the paper and making it pill, which then made the "stazon"...well...not stay. I figured it wasn't too awful, so I continued. I adhered the white to the Rose Red, then even put the dimensionals on the back of the Rose Red. Then I realized that it just looked a little too plain, so I thought I'd add a little Rose Red ink to the edges of the Whisper White cardstock. BIG MISTAKE! I had the pen EVERYWHERE!!! There was no way I could cover it up! So I tried to *gently* take the Whisper White off..and basically ripped the crap out of the Rose Red. But, since I already had a ton of dimensionals down, I just felt that I couldn't give it up. So I started again on the Whisper White. Got all the way to the edging with Rose Red ink, and I DRAGGED THE PEN ACROSS THE CORNERS AGAIN! So then I decided "to hell with it", pulled out the ticket corner punch and now you can't see my mistakes. Oh, except for the fact that the Rose Red went all over the Rose Red paper...so I pulled out a wheel and inked that up. So now it just looks a tad odd. :-) On a bright note, I did get to use the new Soft Sky Designer Series paper, as well as a bit of the now retired Cream Organdy ribbon.

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamp sets: Vases in Vogue
Ink: Black Stazon, Soft Sky, Rose Red
Paper: Rose Red, Whisper White, Soft Sky Designer Series Prints
Accessories: Cream Organdy Ribbon (retired...boo hoo!!), Ticket Corner Punch, Silver Brads, Dimensionals, Spot on Jumbo Wheel

So who wants new stuff?

The Fall-Winter Collection is now available at Stampin' Up! To see the 208-page catalog, go to the Stampin' Up! website, and you'll see the new catalog on the homepage. There is a link on the lower right corner that says "click to view online". You can view all the pages, including the back pages that have all the supplies for each project shown in the catalog. Some pretty cool things out there now for us!

As a military demonstrator, it's difficult to receive shipments here sometimes. So, I do not yet have a copy of the catalog, but hope to receive my demonstrator copy and the box of catalogs I ordered this week. I can't wait to mark all of the sets I own, and those I wish to own. My husband is going to LOVE this wishlist. He'll have a heck of a time at Christmas this year, because he typically just lets me order stamping things. But this year, I'll have to wait because a brand new catalog will be released on January 1st! Stampin' Up is now releasing two catalogs per year, as well as two mini-catalogs per year. Woo Hoo!

Things to check out in the new catalog:

*Designer Series Double Sided Prints in 16 colors
*All new Simply Scrappin' kits including textured cardstock
*Tons of new chipboard items, including chipboard clipboards, flowers, ginormous pieces
*Taffeta ribbon, new ribbon originals, new 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
*Pretties kit, including dyeable flowers and pearls
*Build-A-Brad kit (currently unavailable due to a manufacturer problem, but hopefully available again soon!
*New stamp sets, including really cute flower sets, alphabets, christmas and holiday sets
2007 In Colors: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, River Rock, Groovy Guava: Available in Classic ink pads, reinkers, 81/2 x 11" cardstock, assorted pack of 12 x 12" cardstock, stitched ribbon

Lots of new things to put on your wishlist! If you're in the Lakenheath/Mildenhall/Cambridge area and are American military, please email me to schedule a workshop! You'll receive your own copy of the catalog for free, a special gift from me, and as a special incentive, 20% off one new stamp set in the catalog. How can you miss this opportunity?!?!?!

Have a great week everyone, and enjoy the 4th of July!!