Peanut Parade

Happy Heart Day!

2012-02-14T17:59:00.002-05:00

Hello there!

Hope you are having a good Valentine's Day and getting lots of love! :)

I wanted to do a quick post today to show you the cards I made for hubby and a little home decor too.

I saw a CUTE card to make from the kids on Pinterest where you trace their hands and make a 'hug' out of paper. I changed the design a little bit by tracing the boys' hands on DSP (Retired Sweet Pea - my fave of all time!!)and layering all the boys' hands together. I changed the saying to something that we say to the boys all the time too. The great thing is it records the size of their hands right now - fun!

We always ask the boys, "How much does Mommy/Daddy love you?" and then the boys throw their arms wide and say, "THIS MUCH!!" It worked perfectly with this card and my husband was SUPER thrilled. Probably the most excited about any of my cards, lol.

My card for hubby was meant to be a little inside joke because we've definitely upped our coffee consumption since having three kids under 5 yrs. old, lol. I printed the card from My Digital Studio using my own computer (how cool is that!?) onto Crumb Cake CS and then paper-pieced the stamped mug. Super easy and so fitting for us. :)

Finally, I again saw this on Pinterest and tweeked the idea a bit... I printed the "I <3 you because..." using My Digital Studio again at home and then added a glimmer paper heart. The frame is from the Dollar Store and then I just embellished it with DSP hearts and buttons. You can use a dry-erase marker to write different messages on the glass everyday - how fun is that!? My husband likes it so much that he says we should leave it out all the time - not just for Valentine's Day! You know you've found a good idea when your husband approves of something crafty! LOL

And hey, did you know you can download a copy of My Digital Studio Express FOR FREE this month to try!? CLICK HERE to get your copy to give it a shot! You might surprise yourself with how versatile it is to make cute crafts like my card and sign from above! Not to mention all the scrapbooking and cute photo books you can make too! :)

Anyways, time to go make dinner and hang out with the boys. Have a 'lovely' night!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy B-day, V-day and Some Rainbow Rice Too!

2012-02-13T14:54:00.002-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday the 13th! :)

It's been another whirlwind week and I have lots to show you!

A friend turned 35 on the weekend, so I decided to make her a cute card using some new and old SU product (some of my favourites!) and also a bag of CAKE BATTER FUDGE.

I know, WHAT?! I found the recipe HERE
, via Pinterest and it is sooo ridiculously good. Like 'eat the whole pan and quickly develop type two diabetes' good. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

Secondly, Valentine's Day is tomorrow and my fabulous upline, Heather Summers, challenged all of her team to create a card for one of our fellow tteam members. I was lucky enough to get Heather's lovely mom, BJ, and I wanted to make her a fantastic Valentine's Day card. :)

I used my ALL TIME favourite Valentine's paper (it was on the Clearance Rack, but is all sold out now! Booo!!) and some of the new Glimmer paper and Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine.

While I was scoping out ideas (on Pinterest again. I know...)I saw something and wondered if I could dye the mini clothespins with reinker to match my card...turns out YOU CAN!!

Just a couple drops of reinker with some water in a container and leave for a few hours and voila! Colour-coordinated clothespins!!!! These ones I even stepped up some more by putting a rub-on onto the length - cute, huh?

And speaking of dyeing stuff with reinkers and Pinterest, I saw an activity on there for my boys - dyeing plain rice to become 'rainbow play rice'. All you need is rice, ziplock baggies, reinker/food dye and rubbing alcohol! Place about 4-6 cups of rice in a ziplock, add reinker (10 - 20 drops, depending on how intense you want the colour) and about 1/4-1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol to the bag. Seal it up and 'mush' it to cover all the rice with colour. Open the bag and spread the rice out on paper towel to dry and you're ready to play!

Our rice is Purely Pomegranate, Summer Sun, Wisteria Wonder, Bermuda Bay and Lucky Limeade. So cool to use some old (and new) favourite colours, AND find another use for reinkers!!

A GREAT indoor 'sandbox' activity, and quite the hit in my kitchen as we speak! (This is why I have 20 minutes to do my blog! LOL)Each kid gets a bin and some 'diggers' (containers and utensils from the kitchen) to play. All I do is sweep up afterwards,and at least I can see where this goes, as opposed to sand which gets EVERYWHERE!!!

You can buy reinkers by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! And Happy Valentine's Day!

Craft Sale Cards!

2012-02-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

Hello there!

It's been a busy week as I get ready for my craft sale this weekend! I wanted to post today to show you the other stuff that I'll be selling this weekend, including some Valentine's Day cards!

Now I can't take credit for the designs - I've been scoping out Pinterest for lots of cute card designs. If you are the owner of one of the designs, email me and I'll post your blog link! The designs are lovely and I'm grateful to CASE them! :)

My last treat is courtesy of Heather Summers, my fabulous upline. She made these cute treats at our last meeting and I had to rush right home to make my own! :) Each owl has a peppermint patty inside - fun, huh!?

If you're in the London area and want to come see me this weekend at An Artist's Affair, here's the link to the website for more details!
www.anartistsaffair.com

Hope to see you this weekend!

Yippee!! A Craft Sale is Coming!!!!

2012-01-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Hello there!

I told you in my last post that I have been feverishly crafting in preparation for my upcoming craft sale... and here's some pics of what I've been making!

I've been working around Valentine's Day for my theme, so here's my latest creations...all based on things I've seen on Pinterest! :)

"I dig you' bags - Valentine's candy with a toy shovel! :D

Valentine's treats in skinny sleeves!

Handmade rainbow crayons with Valentine's tags!

I love these!

My craft sale is going to be on Saturday, Feb. 4th at the Convergence Centre at UWO in London. Here's a link to the craft sale's website with more details: http://www.anartistsaffair.com/
There will be more than 25 other local artists there and admission is free! Donations to Heart and Stroke will be accepted, since it is Valentine's Day, after all!

Hope to see you there!

I'll have more craft show goodies to show you in the next few days. Check back soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History...

2012-01-20T16:42:00.004-05:00

Ugh, I'm having one of those days...

It's a PD day here, and usually I'm on the other end of a PD day - working on report cards, in meetings, planning for my class, etc. Today, I got to see it from the other side, ie: a parent who suddenly has her kid(s) home all day. At first glance, we thought this would be a great day to get things done - eye appointment for Peanut, family photos for all three boys, general errands and occasional merriment for the kids interspersed throughout the day. Some of that has happened, lol, with some minor detours along the way.

Pictures went well, and not so well. Kids were great and we got some good shots, but baby Blake barfed all over himself and his photo outfit, as well as my sweater. Re-route #1. Plans for groceries railroaded by kids who had NO INTENTION of wandering the grocery store with Daddy while Momma frantically throws groceries in the cart. Re-route #2. 45 minute window between groceries and eye appointment now, so hey, let's take the kids for lunch at McDonald's Playplace. Re-route #3.

Umm, WHAT THE H#%% WERE WE THINKING?! It's a PD day. Every kid in the free world is at McDonald's. OMG. Put, by the time we put two and two together and figure this out, we're already in the parking lot and there's no backing out now. Sigh.

12:30 eye appointment. Muffin falls asleep in the truck, so Daddy takes Peanut in to get his eyes checked while I chill in the car with him and Baby Blake. Semi re-route #4. Peanut's eyes are 20/20, so yay! He's super good for his first eye exam, so our treat is to go home and make rainbow snow (more on that later).

We decide to get a mid-afternoon pick me up for Daddy and I at Tim Hortons. While in the drive-thru line, the guy behind us lets his foot slip off the brake and bangs into the back of our truck. No damage done, other than to my nerves. Grrr. Apparently the guy behind us needs to LAY OFF THE CAFFEINE. Seriously. Minor road hazard #1

Kids decide they are going to craft while Momma mixes up rainbow snow bottles. Check out the disaster that was my kitchen table: Re-route #5 to kitchen clean-up.

Kids get their rainbow snow bottles and go and paint the yard. Here is the PD Day merriment I was looking for, interspersed with crying jags because mittens are hard to wear while being a two-year old and operating a spray bottle, yet entirely necessary when you fall in the snow, lol.

Check out the colourful carnage:

Why didn't I think of this idea before? Food colouring + water bottle = rainbow snow fun!

Now we are back in the house and the boys are flipping between playing together and being kitchen astronauts and fighting over monster trucks. I hear this is what it's like to have brothers, lol. But I have a sleeping baby on my lap, so how bad can it really be?

Okay, I'm done venting about my day. Thanks for listening. I'd still rather be doing this than writing report cards, which is what this PD day is for on the education side. :)

Okay, onto today's card!

I've been working on some projects for an upcoming craft show - Feb 4th at the UWO Convergence Centre, if you're in the London area! I'll be showing you what I have for sale over the next little while, along with details about the show. But today I have a card that I'll be selling in sets of 6 for the show!

This card uses one of my favourite quotes as the sentiment (an old SU set, but I can't stop using it! lol) and the new Berries and Blossoms DSP. The cardstock is Calypso Coral - so bright and sunny for spring! Yay!

Stay tuned for more craft show excitement, and don't forget about my 'Learn to Stamp' class on Monday! You can still register and come for a fun night! :)

Have a great weekend!

Technique Club - Back by Popular Demand!

2012-01-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hello there!

We're having a hibernating day - it is cold and snowy outside, so the boys are camped out om their puffy chairs in the kitchen watching a DVD - a kitchen drive-in, if you will. :) While they do that, I'm getting a chance to use the computer without requests to have a turn to watch Monster Jam on Youtube, lol. Did I mention my boys are monster truck craazy!?

While I have a chance, I figured I would do a post to tell you about Technique Club, version 3, coming in February! My latest version of Tech Club is ending this month, and a few of the newer girls are SO enthused about it that they want to go back and do our first round, since they missed out on it! That way everyone will have all the techniques, no matter when they took Tech Club with me! YAY!

Here's the details:

What's a Technique club, you might ask?

Well, it's a 6 month club where each month, you get to make 2 pages for a resource book that is JAM-PACKED with super-fun ideas that you can use in your cardmaking or scrapbooking! Each month, we'll also make 2 cards using the technique we learned so you get extra practice and a card to give away if you want!

How does the club work?

Each month, you'll come to my house and I'll have your supplies ready to go to create your 2 pages and 2 cards. Each page will include instructions on how to do the technique, plus an example that you've made! When you're done, you'll have a resource binder that you've made, plus all your cards to show how you can use that technique in real life! And there's bonuse too!

What bonuses?

Each month, you'll submit a $40 order for whatever SU supplies you want. One of those orders will include your binder (a $15.95-22.95 value). Each month, one of the girls in our group will be the 'hostess', and receive all the hostess benefits from SU, like FREE stamp sets! (Nothing like hosting a party and not having to clean your house or make party snacks! Heehee!). So over the 6 months, you get 6 nights out, LOTS of stampin' stuff every month, a chance to get free stuff, AND your resource book! Not too shabby for a $40 order! :) You're basically getting the pages and cards for free!

The dates I have scheduled for the classes are :

Monday Feb. 27, Mar. 26, Apr. 30, May 28, June 25, July 30.
(It's always the last Monday of the month).

If you can't make it to one of the nights, we can always reschedule for you, or it can be a take-home kit for you to assemble that month.

Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com or to sign up for the class, but hurry!

I only have room for 4 stampers in the club!

I promise you won't be disappointed!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Baby, Come Learn to Stamp!

2012-01-09T13:21:00.002-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

Today is the first day back to school after Christmas holidays. I dropped of Peanut at JK and went to the gym for the first time in 6 months...AHH!!! It was great, but I have a feeling I'll pay for this in a few days' time, lol. I couldn't go the gym this time around while I was pregnant because I kept spraining my ankles (6 times in the last 3 months of pregnancy! WTH!?) and I didn't want to risk a faceplant at the gym.

So, with my newfound burst of energy, I'm finally getting to update my blog too! Yippee!

For today's post, I thought I would show you a baby card using new product from the Occasions Mini - the Doily sizzlit for The Big Shot and the new baby stamp set too! My friend Jasmine had a baby girl a week after me (we swapped due dates, apparently!) and this was the card I made for here. This card also uses the new Sale-a-bration paper which I LOOOVE (and it's FREE with a $60 order, starting Jan. 24th! Yippee!!) and Calypso Coral ink, one of the new In-Colours. :)

Well, it's time to craft with the boys for a bit and then it's naptime. :) Maybe I'll get the Christmas tree down this afternoon. I'm pretty done with Christmas, lol.

Oh, before I forget, I have a 'Learn to Stamp' Class scheduled for Monday, January 23rd, from 7:00pm-9:30pm. We'll be making 3 SUPER CUTE birthday cards and a 3-D package that evening. The class fee is $20 and includes all supplies, instructions and even TREATS!!

If you click HERE,you can see the cards we'll be making!

If you're interested in coming to the class, email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to RSVP!

Let me know by Jan. 20th, please as space is limited!

I hope to see you soon! And I'll be back this week with more details about Sale-a-Bration and all the other crafting craziness I am currently up to!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas is Coming...

2011-12-23T11:38:00.002-05:00

Hello!

How is it possibly 2 DAYS away from Christmas?! When did that happen?!

I've been busy crafting for Christmas - stuff I was selling at an Artisan's market all month, as well as stuff for gifts. I guess that's how the holiday snuck up on me! lol

Anyway, I wanted to share some of my crafts with you. This is some of the stuff I was selling at The Met Artisan's Market:

Magic Reindeer Food (can't wait to do this with the boys this year!)

Hand Sanitizer Gift Boxes, Candy Cane Chocolate Hearts(!) and Stamped Stone Coasters

Scrapbook Page in a Box and Star Scrapbooks

'Thoughtful Husband' Card Kits and Glass Magnets

Hot Chocolate Cones and Scrap Scarves

I can't take credit for all these ideas - I've recently discovered Pinterest and I am addicted to finding new crafting ideas on that site! If you haven't been there, google 'pinterest'. And I'm sorry in advance for finding one more thing to take up your free time, lol.

Speaking of Pinterest, one of the recipes I found on there was for Cinnamon Butter, so I thought I would give it a try, and I am SOOO glad I did!!! It's my new favourite Christmas find this year!

I made the recipe and put it in these cute little jars from the dollar store (seriously, what did we DO before the dollar store!?) and then decorated them with a little bow and medallion embellishment.

I handwrote (is that even a word? LOL) a tag to say what it was. And I'm sure once my neighbours open them, they will DEFINITELY remember what's in the jar - at least for the few days it is still around! :)

I even gave one to my UPS delivery guy when he brought my Stampin' Up order yesterday, and he was thrilled! Maybe he ate it in his truck! LOL

So, now that you've seen my little gifts and your mouth is watering, I bet you want the recipe... well of COURSE I'm going to share it with you!! It's Christmas! :)

Here's what you need:

2 sticks of butter (half a 454g block, if you live in Canada) at room temp.
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. DO NOT microwave the butter or it will not keep the cinnamon suspended in the mix - it will all settle to the bottom of your jar. And use REAL butter, not margarine - that stuff is not real food anyway! Calories be damned when it comes to something this good! If you are going to put it into pretty jars, I recommend using a icing piping bag to squirt it into jars and then bang it on your hand/counter to knock out the air bubbles. Much easier than spooning it into a little jar, trust me. :)

Well, I hope you have a lovely holiday with your family and friends, and I'll be back after Christmas with details about new classes for January (including a 'Learn to Stamp' class on Jan. 23rd!) and don't forget Sale-a-Bration!!!

Happy holidays to you and yours,

HOLY COW!!!!!!!

2011-12-15T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

I just found out the Stampin' Up is having a HUGE Clearance Rack sale with TONS of new stuff - like PUNCHES!!! Are you kidding me? Punches never go on sale! Yippee!!!!

There's also buttons and ribbon from as low as $1.89 for 10 YARDS!!! You can't get ribbon that cheap at The Dollar Store! LOL

I'll be putting in an order later today - if you would like to add to my order (and save on shipping), please message me before 9pm at peanutparade@gmail.com.

If you wanna order yourself, that's easy to do too! Just CLICK HERE to check out the Clearance Rack and click on what you want to start a virtual shopping bag! The order ships right to your house and your purchase is totally secure online. :)

Happy shopping! I'm busy getting ready for my "Learn to Stamp" class tonight! :)

Have a great day,

Wanna Learn Something New?

2011-12-12T15:57:00.004-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

Boy, we're getting close to Christmas now! Feeling stressed out? Feeling overwhelmed? Want some ME time that has NOTHING to do with Christmas? Me too! :)

That's why I'm having a "Learn to Stamp" class on Thursday of this week! I'm putting aside my 500 Christmas projects (cards, gifts, crafts, birth announcements for Blake, etc., etc...) and I'm making stuff that has NOTHING to do with Christmas! Yippee!

DETAILS OF THE CLASS:

When - Thursday, Dec. 15th, 7-9pm
What - make 3 birthday cards and a 3D treat package and learn how to stamp!
Cost - $20 or FREE with a $35 Stampin' Up order!
RSVP by Thursday at noon

They use one stamp set (Create a Cupcake) and the coordinating punch, the new In-Colour cardstocks and two types of Designer Series Paper (Flirtatious and Berry Blossoms, as well as the Big Shot and various embellishments. I tried to design the cards based on stuff you could buy to make lots of cards (ie: 1 stamp set with a coordinating punch, 1 variety pack of coordinating cardstocks, 1 designer series paper (DSP), some embellishments and inks you could buy in a marker variety pack as well). This way you get LOTS of options but hopefully aren't completely overwhelmed!

Take a look at the cards we are making below:

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Pin It

To order supplies to make these cards, CLICK HERE.

If you're interested in trying this class, I promise you won't be disappointed! RSVP by Thursday at noon to reserve your spot - space is limited!

Hope you have a great day! I will likely be back later this week with more crafty stuff (I've been making stuff all over the place!!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Gift Card Class!

2011-11-22T18:54:00.008-05:00

Hello!
I know, I know, 'Didn't you say you were gonna post a whole lot more, since you are off now??'

Yeah, like all my best-laid plans, that didn't quite work out that way, lol.

First off, I want to introduce you to one of the reasons things got a little off track - Baby Blake decided to arrive one week early, which threw a bit of a monkey wrench into some of my plans! But, that's the nature of natural, unscheduled childbirth, isn't it? LOL

Blake, born Nov. 4th @ 12:31am, 8lbs. 4 oz, 22 inches long (!)

Secondly, I insanely decided to sign up for a Christmas Baazar at Peanut's school for last week. With a newborn. I know, crazy. At the time, when I was ridiculously pregnant and really wanting something to occupy my mind so I wouldn't sit around all day and think about how ridiculously pregnant I was, it seemed like a good idea. LOL So, in amongst chasing Peanut and Muffin around, and nursing Blake (his nickname from now on will be "Pumpkin"), I was furiously making all kinds of Christmas-y stuff to sell (I'll post some pics soon - I need to put all the stuff on my Etsy store too).

So, now that THAT'S done, I can come back here and post again! YAY!!!! I can share with you my upcoming Holiday classes! DOUBLE YAY!!!!!!

My next class coming up is my Gift Card Holders' class - with designs courtesy of the amazing Heather Summers! :)

We will be making 5 gift card holders (plus a BONUS 'magic' gift card holder which will boggle your mind because it's so awesome!!!) shown above. Can you tell which one is the "magic" card? HINT: It doesn't fit with the vintage-y theme of the other cards, but I PROMISE it is totally awesome!!

DETAILS:

Wednesday, December 7th, 7:00-9:30pm
Cost - $25 or FREE with a $40 order

** Bring a friend and BOTH you and the friend receive a FREE gift!! **

Please RSVP by Monday, December 5th to reserve your spot! Space is limited!

RSVP BY CLICKING HERE.

I will be back soon to share more recent creations with you. I have been busy, so I have lots to show you!

Have a great night and stay warm! I've got a newborn to go and cuddle with. :)

A

Halloween Hijinks!

2011-11-01T09:19:00.007-04:00

Hello and happy November 1st!

Geez, when did THAT happen!? The last time I checked, it was Labour Day! LOL

I wanted to share some more Halloween pics with you before I start talking about Christmas stuff (I know, I'm not ready for it either, lol).

I carved our pumpkin this year to look like it was eating a smaller pumpkin because I was SO excited to use the PUMPKIN TEETH that I bought online - so totally worth $5 and reusable!! They even glow in the dark! :) It got lots of comments, even though we were down on trick or treaters this year due to rain. I was so bummed when I sent out the boys to trick or treat with Daddy and it started to rain literally 5 minutes after they left. I can't remember having rain on Halloween night in a looong time.

Tony Stewart (aka: Daddy), Grave Digger Monster Truck and Superman before they got soaked trick or treating. (Can you tell the boys like motorsports?! LOL)

I also made a Halloween card that I wanted to share with you. It's part of last month's Technique Club, where we learned to do a technique called "Frosted Filter" - it uses a coffee filter! How cool is that?! The stamp is "Calendar Kids" (which I really don't use enough, considering everytime I use it, I am SO happy with how it turns out!) and the greeting is the new "Hand-Penned Holidays" stamp set from the Holiday Mini. I love the script in these stamp sets!

Have a great day! I'll be back later this week to share some some (eek!) Christmas stuff with you!!

A

I LOVE Halloween Treats!!!!

2011-10-30T11:25:00.006-04:00

Hello!!

I'm so excited to be back here - I'm now done teaching, I started my maternity leave as of Friday, baby is due 11/11/11, and IT'S HALLOWEEN TOMORROW!!! Halloween is my absolute favourite holiday, and I've been busy creating! So as a result of all these things, I'm a happy girl, and I'm happy to be here to show you some cool stuff!

I made Halloween treats for Peanut's JK class (how do I have a kid in SCHOOL already!?) and he helped by filling the cups. I haven't used Sweet Treats cups in awhile, so I forgot how fun they are and how cool they turn out!!

I love that they look super complex and almost 'store bought', but we made them together!

I also made a whole bunch of treats for trick or treater's moms for tomorrow night - I thought it would be a good way to introduce myself and invite new clients to my Holiday Open House later this month!

These use the new long cellophane bags which I LOOOVE - ($3.25 for 50 of them - how could you NOT love them!?) and I filled them with the same skull candies as Peanut's school treats. Cool, huh?

I had to make one special Halloween treat for my friend Christie - the same basic format as the other ones, but I used my new Simply Scored tool to make a medallion and then stamped the bat from the "From the Crypt" stamp set. I even included a mini skull that I had from another crafting project (you never know what I'll find laying on my craft table, lol).

I'll be back tomorrow with a Halloween card and pics of our pumpkin carving extravaganza - I've got a cool plan for our pumpkins later today!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

It's a BIG Deal!!!!

2011-10-02T11:42:00.005-04:00

Hello!

I know, I have sorta disappeared off the face of the blog lately - school and 'real life' is just overwhelming right now! I managed to go to a stamping event with my fantastic upline, Heather Summers yesterday, and I think I managed to get back in my stamping groove! Yay!

I'll have lots of stuff to show you over the next little while, and lots of classes coming up too for Christmas! But in the meantime, I have some FANTASTIC deals to tell you about that Stampin' Up is offering for the month of October!!

Here are the details for this month's specials:

An offer to DIE for!

If you've been looking for an opportunity to do what you love, while getting a 20% discount on your favourite products, now is the perfect time!

During October, you'll get a FREE Big Shot when you join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator.*(or up to $125 worth of product of your choice!)

Use the Big Shot die-cutting machine and Stampin' Up!'s exclusive dies** to create uniquely beautiful projects in a flash.

In addition, the new demonstrator Starter Kit--a steal at just $215--contains over $425 worth of stamp sets, card stock, ink, accessories, and business supplies--everything you need to start your new business.

There are so many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, including:

•A 20 percent product discount!
•A free monthly issue of Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator-only magazine, Stampin' Success!
•Sneak peeks at brand-new products!
•Invitations to exclusive Stampin' Up! events!
•Regular get-togethers to stamp!
•Free access to an online community of 30,000+ crafters/stampers and creative artists, as well as 160,000+ project samples!
•Plus, access to an exclusive video and training for your new Big Shot!

Don't miss this BIG deal! Email me today at peanutparade@gmail.com to learn how you can take advantage of this great opportunity and get your FREE Big Shot! Or you can sign up online under my demonstrator website at anytime!
CLICK HERE and use "maverick" as the password!

I know, can you believe it!?.....$550 worth of stamping supplies for only $215. CRAAAZY!!!! If you've ever wanted to get a Big Shot, but thought it was out of your price range, NOW IS THE TIME to take the plunge! You get all kinds of stamping stuff PLUS a FREE BIG SHOT!! What a HUUUGE deal!!!

Remember that the kit is customizable as well, so you can choose stamps and inks (and other things) of your choice. If you'd like to join my team, I'd would love to welcome you! If you have a local demonstrator, give her a call and ask for the details! I am so excited to see Stampin' Up!'s family of demonstrators grow over this month!

My project to share with you today is a baby shower card that I made a few weeks ago. My friend Tova is having her first baby (a girl!) in mid-October and she is SOOO excited to be blessed with the chance to have a baby! :)

I made this card using the Sweet Treats cups and filled it with candy pacifiers (how cute is that!?). The stamp set is from Sweet Centres, and the baby is from All in the Family. Tags and coordinating stamps are from Tiny Tags. The background is done by using a scallop circle that I punched out of scrap paper and using it as a mask to sponge over it using Pool Party ink to look like clouds! How fun is that?! The hearts and balloon are punched out of Pretty in Pink cardstock using the Large Scallop Circle and the Small Heart Punch.

Hope you have a great weekend! We were going to go apple picking today, but it is windy and cold, so I think we'll postpone 'til next weekend (then I can MDS the pictures for you to see!). I feel a crockpot dinner coming on tonight, I think! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Christmas Lollipops!

2011-09-02T10:27:00.004-04:00

Hello!

I meant to be back to you yesterday with this new project, but yesterday was CRAAAZY!!! I had so much stuff to do and getting on the computer just didn't happen. Sorry about that!

But, better late than never, here I am with my new favourite project - a Christmas centrepiece using the ALL-NEW Simply Scored tool!!! I didn't know if it would be worth the money when I ordered it, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! I can make projects now that I never would have attempted now because I'm a) lazy and b) not that good at scoring straight lines, lol. This tool comes with a stylus to score with, and really deep grooves to get crisp score lines, which I could never get with my cutter or a bone folder. Yippee!! Totally worth it.

And look at the fabulous project it made:

I cut strips (1", 1.5" and 2") of the new Mountain Lodge DSP (love all those plaids!!) and then used Sticky Strip to tack two strips together. I accordian folded the strips to make a big fan, essentially. I used the 1/16" hole punch to make a hole in the bottom of the fan, and then fed through a piece of Baker's Twine. I cinched up the twine and tied it, then added punched circles, buttons, brads, etc. to make the centres.

I hot-glued the flowers to shish kabob sticks (!) and stuck them in a bucket with my pinecone garland for 'filler'. I thought the pinecones and berries went well with the Mountain Lodge theme. :) I threw some snowflakes cut with my Big Shot in with the pinecones too (from the Northern Flurries die). Lastly, I tied some Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain (retired, but still on the Clearance rack for only $2.49! What a steal!) around the bucket. Voila! Really fun, and really cute!

I'll be showing you other projects from the Holiday Mini over the next little while, but if you haven't looked at the catalogue, you REALLY SHOULD!!

Click HERE to go see the Mini now!!

Click HERE to go buy supplies from the Mini NOW!!

Even though we've been talking Christmas, it is over 30 C here today, so I am taking the boys to the beach this afternoon for one last hurrah! Hope you have a great day wherever you are, and enjoy your Labour Day weekend! School starts next week! (ahh!)

It's Almost Here!!

2011-08-31T09:13:00.004-04:00

Hello!

In case you haven't been watching the calendar, TOMORROW IS SEPTEMBER 1st!! Aside from that meaning I go back to school VERY soon (EEK!!), it also means this is the last day to order from the Summer Mini, and TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY TO ORDER FROM THE NEW HOLIDAY MINI!!!!

I haven't been this excited about a Holiday Mini in a looong time, but this Mini has SOOO much fantastic stuff in it that you are gonna freak out when you see it too!
**check back here tomorrow for a link to the new catalogue, if you haven't already seen it!

In the meantime, here is a sneak peak of one of the SUPER FUN new items in the Holiday Mini - 1" cello treat bags!! They would be great for stocking stuffers, Halloween treats, kid's birthday parties, whatever! AND, the best part is, you get 50 for $3.25!!!! How crazy is that!?

I stuffed them with jelly beans and stamped a Halloween classic (with a new Holiday Mini Halloween DSP scallop circle behind) and voila! Super easy and super cute!

Check back tomorrow for new Holiday Mini details and another fabulous project!!

Oh, and don't forget, if you want to take advantage of the great deal on DSP (buy 3, get 1 free!!), it expires today at midnight, just like the Summer Mini catalogue. If you'd like anything from either of these offers, you can shop 24/7 HERE!!

Have a great day!

A

Sunday Picnic!

2011-08-28T12:22:00.004-04:00

Happy Sunday to you!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend - I have been busy busy crafting all weekend, and I'll have lots to show you next week!

Today I have a little mini card to show you that uses two of my FAVOURITE new DSP's - Domestic Goddess (that's me!! LOL) and Berries and Blossoms. It's a case of a card Heather Summers made for one of our demo classes, but I changed the paper/colour combo. It reminds me of picnic blankets and lemonade - perfect for today!

Here's the recipe:

Pennant Punch
Tiny Tags Punch
Scallop Edge Punch
Domestic Goddess DSP
Berries and Blossoms DSP
Espresso Baker's Twine
Wisteria Wonder CS
Naturals White CS
Subtles Buttons
Tiny Tags Stamp Set

It's a great little card that is super-easy to put together, thanks to those awesome and EASY punched pieces! I love easy cards that look fantastic! :)

Oh, and don't forget the fantastic deal that SU is offering until the end of the month - BUY 3 DESIGNER SERIES PAPERS AND GET 1 FREE!! A spectacular deal, and a great way to get all those DSP's that you love! I'll be putting in an order early this week (after Tech. Club on Monday), so if you're interested in getting some supplies and saving yourself some shipping by joining my order, email me at peanutparade@gmail.com. :) Or, shop online anytime HERE!

Have a great day!

A

Flirtatious Birthday!

2011-08-23T07:39:00.003-04:00

Hello there!

I have another birthday card to show you today (can you tell that I have a lot of summer birthdays to make cards for!?) LOL.

This one uses ALL NEW product - new In-Colours, new DSP, new punch, and new ribbon! I love the bold colour combination to go with the fun doily pattern!

Here's the recipe:

Cardstock bases: Lucky Limeade and Melon Mambo as the DSP underlay
DSP: Flirtatious Specialty DSP
Ink: Melon Mambo (I sponged the edges of the cardbase, and the other stamped elements)
Stamps: Tiny Tags, Create a Cupcake (greeting)
Embellishments: Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Lace Ribbon Border Punch (in Whisper White), Tiny Tags Punch, Melon Mambo brad, Decorative Label Punch (I cut or re-punched the labels to get them in nesting sizes in the 3 cardstock colours).

Hope you enjoy today's card! It is the perfect 'girly' card, with a little bit of a kick!

Oh, and I forgot to mention - I'm doing an embellishment share! If you are interested in getting some of the Ruffled In-Colour Ribbon, or some of the other fantastic embellishments, check the details below!

Designer Series Paper Share - $55
All 13 patterns of NEW DSP, bundled for you in one shot! You will receive 78 12” x 6” pieces of each double-sided DSP pattern for $55!

Buttons Share - $15
All 4 colour families of our coordinating buttons (18 from each set) for $15!

Brads Share- $15
The 4 colour families of our fabulous coordinating brads (30 from each set) for $15!

Fancies Share $20
Designer Printed Brads (10), Glimmer Brads (10x4), Mini Clothespins (12), Basic Rhinestones (30) and Basic Pearls (30) all for just $20. A great deal!

Vintage Share - $12
So fun and versatile! Vintage Tags (6), Vintage Trinkets (12)
and Antique Brads (10) for $12!

Seam Binding Share -$22
My favourite type of ribbon because it is so easy to use! 2.5 yds. of all 7 colours of Seam Binding for $22!

Ruffled In-Colour Ribbon Share - $22
The fantastic new In-Colours in a ruffled ribbon – how fun! 2.5 yds. of each of the 5 new colours for $22

I need 4 participants for each group, and prices above INCLUDE SU shipping!! If I have to mail you your share, I will email you with the cheapest shipping price before we proceed (it will depend on where I am shipping to, but I would estimate shipping to be under $5). Oh, and when you participate in the share, you get a special gift from me as a thank you!!

EMAIL me at peanutparade@gmail.com if you are interested in participating in an embellishment share! You won't regret it - it's a great deal!! :)

Hope you have a great day! I'm off to the midwife this afternoon for a baby appt. 27 weeks so far, and rolling right along! Baby #3 is growing well. :)

A

Sunflower Sunday Birthday!

2011-08-21T11:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Sunday to you!

I am heading out to a SU potluck today, but before I go, I wanted to share another birthday card with you, for my other aunt, whose birthday is on Monday. :)

I used the new Sunflower background stamp (LOOOVE IT!!!) and clear embossed over the French Script background stamp. Then I sponged Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight and Chocolate Chip over the flower to bring out the image. I finished the card with the new Always Artichoke Denim Ribbon (!) and Tiny Tags with a Vintage Trinket pin. Oh, the card base is More Mustard, and I used some adhesive pearls on the card too.

Sorry for the short post today, but I've still got to make a taco dip before I go! :)Hope you have a great day, and I'll be back next week to share with you again!

A

Birthday Butterflies

2011-08-18T11:03:00.003-04:00

Hello!

Today, I wanted to show you a couple birthday cards that I made for special women in my life - my Mom and my Aunt! They both use the "Strength and Hope" stamp set, which is Stampin' Up's breast cancer fundraising set - every set sends $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation - a great cause!!

This set is really pretty and feminine, and not just a 'breast cancer' set - it can be used for anything! That's why I love it - it's a great set for a great cause! :)

***This set is only available until the end of August from the Summer Mini, so if you want to help a great cause and get a really versatile set, you have to act fast!

ORDER ONLINE HERE!!

Speaking of great deals for the month of August, did you know that SU has a "BUY THREE, GET ONE FREE" deal on Designer Series Paper this month? Only until the end of August, if you stock up on any 3 packs of DSP, you get another pack for FREE!!! That works out to 48 sheets of DSP for $40.50!! What a spectacular deal!!

CLICK HERE to start shopping for your favourite DSP's!!

Hope you have a great day! The boys and I will be chillin' by the pool. :) I might even get to do some MDS this afternoon. Yippee!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Christmas in August!

2011-08-15T10:52:00.005-04:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

I wanted to show you some better pics of my Christmas in August class that is coming up on the 25th!! After all, that is only 4 months to the day until Christmas, so it's time to get moving! LOL

CARD 1

CARD 2

CARD 3

Here are the class details:

Thursday, August 25 from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Come out for Christmas treats and make 10 Christmas cards (2 of each, 5 designs) using all new SU product and be ready for the mad Christmas rush! All the designing is done for you! :)

COST: $30, or FREE with a $45 SU order.

Three of the cards use current Main Catalogue product, and TWO of the cards will use BRAND NEW Holiday Mini supplies, which you can order starting September 1st! (hence why I can't show you pics of those - they are under wraps until the catalogue goes live! You have to come to the class for the sneak peak!) :)

We'll even have Christmas cookies and Christmas music to get you in the mood! :)

If you would like to attend, you can RSVP on my SU website: CLICK HERE TO RSVP!

I hope you'll come out and join us for some Christmas cheer! Maybe Santa will bring you a treat for coming to the class! WINK WINK :)

AND, if you bring a friend, YOU AND THE FRIEND MAKE DOUBLE THE CARDS!! THAT'S 20 CARDS FOR $30 FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIEND! WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!! :)

Have a great day!

A

Christmas Artisan!

2011-08-11T12:32:00.006-04:00

Hello!

This is my last Artisan submission - I can't believe I've shown you all of them already! This one is a Christmas card with a twist!

I stamped Serene Snowflakes on the Thick Window Sheets in white Staz-On ink and then 'built' up snowy hills in Sahara Sand CS, edged in Dazzling Diamonds.

I made a snowflake 'medallion' for the greeting out of Cherry Cobbler CS, Silver Waffle Paper and the Northern Flurries diecut snowflakes. I used adhesive pearls here and there for accents and a bit of texture.

Inside the card, I stamped a greeting on the 'hill', which is actually behind the acetate sheet, and I sponged the CS in White Craft Ink.

Hope you like this last card! And speaking of Christmas, I'm having a Christmas in August card class this month! There will be more details tomorrow, but here is a sneak peak of 3 of the 5 cards we'll be making on August 25th:

If you are interested in getting a head-start on your Christmas cards this year, check out my SU website for class details, or come back tomorrow for the full class description and details! I will tell you that this class involves Christmas cookies! :)

My SU website is: www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/andrea-peanutparade/

See you tomorrow!

A

Spooky Artisan!

2011-08-08T14:22:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday to you!

I have another Artisan card for you today - for Halloween, my favourite holiday!!

This card was meant to be a Halloween party invitation, so the invite part slides out to reveal party details. :)

I stamped the invitation gravestone on vellum and then tinted/distressed it with the Distressing Kit (which I wasn't sure I would use very much, but I LOVE it!! It's so handy!)

I hand dyed the Crochet Ribbon to look spooky in Old Olive, and bundled it with Rich Razzleberry Satin ribbon and Linen Thread for some texture.

I embossed the spiderweb on the Basic Black CS and then highlighted it with Silver Shimmer Paint.

I included spooky and sparkly bats on wire to give a little 3-D effect to the card, as well as lots of Antique Brads and Glimmer Brads.

I was joking with my stampin' girls that if I was to use this card as a real invitation and make, say, 20 of them ,it would cost like $10 for each card, with all the embellishments and extra postage it would take to send them! LOL

Hope you like the latest, and I'll be back soon with the last Artisan card, and some news on the upcoming Christmas in August class!

Have a great day!

A

Summer Kid's Class

2011-08-06T12:48:00.004-04:00

Hello!

I'm taking a break from Artisan entries for today to show you my next upcoming class - a kid's class!!

I can't take credit for the idea -it's from Heather Summers (of course!), but it was so good, I couldn't pass up the chance to CASE it!

The class is on FRIDAY, AUGUST 19th, from 1-4:30pm at my home. (originally it was on the 17th, but I had to move it, in case you were looking at my earlier class schedule!).

If your kids are driving you crazy with "I'm bored!!", or you just need an afternoon to yourself, drop them off here to do some crafts with me! :)

The project we'e making is a travel kit, which includes a bookmark, 2 mini thank-you cards (to leave for relatives that you travel to see, or hotel staff, wait staff, etc. - a great way to teach kids about gratitude!)and a set of 4 laminated and reusable travel bingo cards! Everything is housed in a decorated DVD case, so it's all in one spot and easy to transport!

The cost of the class is a $40 SU order (per child) or $50 without an order ($75 for two kids). The cost includes all the supplies for the afternoon, including snacks and drinks! You are more than welcome to stay and help/visit, or you can use this as childcare for the afternoon to get some errands done! :)

If you are interested in your kids coming to the class, email me at peanutparade@gmail.com BEFORE SATURDAY, AUGUST 13th. Spaces are limited!

I'll be back tomorrow with another Artisan entry to show you!

Have a great day!

A

Artisan Bad Boys...

2011-08-04T20:26:00.004-04:00

So, here it is, Thursday already...sigh. The summer is starting to accelerate and that always makes me sad. My birthday is next week, which means it's time to get back to my classroom and get organizing for September. What a bummer. :P

ANYway, onto funner things (yes, I know that's not a real word, lol), like my attempt at MDS for my Artisan entry!

***I'm not super thrilled with this because I don't feel that skilled in MDS yet, but I do like the embellishments that I added to it after the fact. :)

I used a couple pics of Peanut and Daddy as they were heading out for a November walk, all bundled up. They looked kinda scary, so I told them to make a 'gangsta' face for a pic before they left, and I LOOOOVE the pics! So that was really my inspiration for the page. The Extreme Elements stamp set worked perfectly with my layout and picture!

I printed the MDS page 3 times so I would have some to cut up for layers. I layered the big pic and the arrows with Brushed Silver cardstock and the Top Note journal
piece with pop dots to give some dimension.

I brushed the edge of the page with silver Shimmer Paint, and punched out some silver and black stars, as well as some from the actual MDS page to pop up too. I added black glitter to some stars and then used some Glimmer Brads too, because, well, I love glitter, lol.

Lastly I stapled over the MDS staples with real staples to 'man' it up a bit and make it kinda' industrial looking. (Sorry for the crappy picture - my flash wouldn't cooperate with the glossy MDS paper, and then Blogger rotated it for no reason! Grrr...).

Anyway, looks like it's time to bathe Peanut and Muffin, so I'll do my best to get another post in tomorrow.

Have a great night!

A

Artisan Bird

2011-08-02T10:10:00.004-04:00

Hello!

How did an entire week pass since the last post I made?! We went away for the long weekend up here, but how I didn't get another post in since Tuesday, I really don't understand... :P

Anyway, I have another Artisan card to share with you! I was thinking I wanted to dip into my Visual Arts training (WAAAY long ago in university!) and try some 'mixed media' elements with a card. I used the Botanical Gazette DSP and Nature Walk stamp set as my inspiration. I used found objects like a red twig and cancelled stamps to enhance my vintage-y feeling card.

I stamped the French Script background stamp around the edge of the DSP almost like a frame (THAT was harder than it looks!) and sponged every layer. Not Quite Navy is my cardstock base.

The bird is embossed in black on watercolour paper and then hand-coloured with markers and Aqua Painter. I used the Big Shot to cut out the hanging tag, stamped with Style Beautiful stamps. The twig is sewn to the card with Linen Thread, and a little Crystal Effects, just to make sure it stays.

I embellished the card with an Antique Brad that I hand coloured with Shimmer Paint to coordinate with the Trinket Crown on the Razzleberry Striped Grosgrain. A little Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon to give another texture element is on there too. :)

Inside the card, I embossed the DSP with Vintage Wallpaper (hard to see in the pic - sorry), and I stamped Nature Walk, added cancelled stamps and a Vintage Trinket button to jazz up the inside.

Hope you have a great day - today we will be running around doing errands, so I'll be back tomorrow!

A

Artisan Monkey!

2011-07-26T16:22:00.006-04:00

Hello!

We had a great day around here today, with a sleep-in treat for me this morning (thanks, Daddy! xoxo) and trip to the library with the boys. :)

Now it's naptime, so I have a second to show you another Artisan entry - one of the scrapbook pages I made, showing Peanut with his beloved Monkey birthday card. Grandma gave him this card that would screech monkey noises everytime you opened it (much to my chagrin,lol), and he LOOOOVED it - so much that he literally wore it out!

The picture shows him freaking out when it monkey screeched, and it made such a hilarious picture that I had to scrapbook it. :) (Sorry the flash blocked some of the image - I hate that!)

I included close-ups of the little details I included on the page, from sponging the First Edition DSP in Pacific Point, to hand-dying the Pompom trim to match.

I stitched and stapled the page too, and included buttons to coordinate with the DSP. I stamped the monkey from Fox and Friends to pull it all together (get it, monkeys? LOL)

The greeting/title is the 'Birthday' Builder Wheel, and the DSP's are Blueberry Crisp, Presto Patterns, Playdate, and Greenhouse Gala. I journalled the story on vellum, laid over Playdate DSP (miss that paper!!).

To buy your very own scrapbooking supplies, click HERE!

Thanks for popping by! Be back tomorrow with more Artisan (a card tomorrow!).

A

Artisan 3D Project #2

2011-07-25T12:57:00.004-04:00

Hello, and Happy Monday!

Well, my goal last week was to post everyday and show you a lot of my Artisan projects, but somehow, that SO didn't happen! I'm thinking back today and seriously can't figure out why, or where the weekend went!

Anyway, I'm back today and I ready to show you my second 3D project - a sewing project using the Sweet Stitches fabric. :) I will say, I am really not good with a sewing machine, so it is definitely not up to par with other sewing projects that sewing girls could do, lol.

I made a clutch out of the fabric, and embellished it with the Fun Flower die for the Big Shot. I also included Striped Grosgrain for a wrist strap, and the Fabric Brads for a closure.

I made a scrap scarf (like my Etsy store ones!) out of the fabric, coordinating ribbons, Big Shot flowers and designer buttons and brads.

I packaged the entire thing in a coordinating gift box, with a "Queen for a Day" tag. :) I was thinking a 'girl's night out' or a birthday gift! (Thanks for the idea, Heather S.!)

I will be back tomorrow with another Artisan entry - I have to go and get ready for my Technique Club tonight! Yippee!! Can't wait to see my girls! :)

To buy your own fabric to create fabulous projects, CLICK HERE.

Have a great day!

A

So Hot and Sew Suite!

2011-07-21T20:00:00.005-04:00

Hello!

It was a record-breaking day, temperature-wise, here in London today - 45C with the humidex, which was apparently hotter than Cuba and Mumbai, India today. Craazy!

I wanted to show you another Artisan card entry today - this one uses the Sew Suite group - stamps, DSP and buttons/fabric brads.

I used the DSP on Early Espresso, and punched holes for the buttons to be sewn to the back of the card, so they peek-a-booed out the front. I put the DSP on top of the Sweet and Sour Specialty DSP that I punched with the Pinking Hearts Edge Punch.

The sentiment is stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on Sweet and Sour DSP and Early Espresso cardstock. I also used Early Espresso ribbon to accent it.

The inside of the card is done with the DSP, where I layered and sewed Vellum on top, and I stamped the greeting. I also stamped tone-on-tone the Sew Suite stamps on the Espresso CS. I hand-dyed the thread to be Espresso too. :)

Whew! I'm glad I did all this work back in the winter - to do all that finicky work in this heat would be brutal! LOL

Anyway, hope you are enjoying the Artisan entries, and I'll be back tomorrow with another one!

To buy supplies to make your own fabulous cards, CLICK HERE.

Have a cool day!

A

More Artisan and a Recipe Too!

2011-07-20T13:16:00.003-04:00

Hello and Happy Hot Hump Day!

We are coping with a pretty intense heat wave here in Ontario, and temperatures are looking to reach 45C with the humidex today (I think that's 115F or something - CRAAZY!!), so we are doing very little around here today, other than planning to go for a swim once Muffin wakes up from his nap. :)

In the meantime, I wanted to show you another Artisan entry, and share my homemade butter tart recipe with you (at the special request of Heather B!) :) Heather, just don't bake butter tarts in this heat - that woulod be torture - delicious, but still torture! LOL

My card is made using the Morning Cup stamp set (one of my go-to stamp sets! I love it! Being a teacher, I get lots of use out of it for my personal cards for friends too! LOL). The DSP is Elegant Soiree (retired) and Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Basic Grey for cardstocks.

I embossed the DSP with a bit of Soft Suede ink to give a little interest to the design, and I included a Sweet Stitches XL button with the Crochet Ribbon around the greeting.

I hand-coloured the teacups and kettle with markers and Aqua painter/blender pens, including the teabag on the Mini Vintage Tag. :) The ribbon is Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze Seam Binding, doubled-up and knotted and ruffled. I included some Vintage Trinkets too. I love those embellishments!!

Inside the card, I included a scallop frame around the sentiment (with DSP) and a paper-pieced teacup too. :) Can't forget the inside of the card!!

CLICK HERE to buy supplies for a card just like this one!

So, to go with my teacup card, I figured butter tarts compliment it nicely!

Here's the recipe:

Pastry:
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. icing sugar
1 lb. Tenderflake Lard (or equivalent brand)
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
water

*** Mix flour, icing sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut lard into small pieces and mix into dry mixture. Should be a pea-sized consistency. In a separate bowl, combine, egg, vinegar and water to make 1 cup total. Gradually add liquid to dry mixture (not all of it!) and mix to a smooth consistency. Divide into 4 balls and cover, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for later use.

I know making handmade pastry is a pain, when you can just buy it pre-made, but it REALLY makes a difference in tarts when the crust is handmade. I'm yet to find a worthy pre-made crust to make me abandon my handmade recipe! :)

Filling:
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter (butter is best - try not to use margarine, especially light or low-cal margarine!!)
1 cup raisins or nuts (optional)

**** Combine sugar, vanilla and melted butter. Add raisins/nuts and eggs LAST, and beat until well blended.

Fill tart shells to about 2/3 full. Bake for 10-15 min. at 350F, or until crust is lightly golden brown at edges. Makes 12 large tarts (about 1/3 of your crust recipe, so you have more pastry dough pre- made for your next batch!). :)

Try not to eat them all at once, especially when they are still warm. Don't say I didn't warn you. They are addictive! :)

Have a great day, and see you tomorrow with another Artisan entry!

A

Technique Club , Round Two!!

2011-07-18T20:33:00.003-04:00

Well, it's time to learn again!!

I'm excited to announce that NEXT WEEK is our second round of Technique Club!!

In case you don't know what I mean, read on!

A technique club is a chance for you to have a night out once a month at my house and learn two new stamping techniques!

Every month, we’ll do two example/teaching sheets for your reference book that highlight that month’s techniques, and we’ll also make a card using that technique - a great way to show how to use that technique in ’real life’!

Here’s a list of the new techniques we’ll be doing:

Faux Shaving Cream
Vintage Block Background
Ruffled Ribbon Surround
Faux Flocking
Wax Paper Emboss Resist
Double Embossing
Frosted Filter
Colour Wash Faux Bleach
Salted Background
Faux Barn Board
Wet Watercolour Crayons
Faux Fabric

This is a 6 month club, with a $40 order each month - a great way to get your supplies or build your stockpile each month, but also learn new tricks! Each month, one girl will be the ‘hostess’, meaning they will get all the free stamps and discounts for that month! You get the hostess benefits and never have to clean your house or host a party!

Club Dates: Mon. July 25th, Mon. Aug. 29th, Mon. Sept. 26th , Mon. Oct. 24th , Mon. Nov. 28th, Mon. Dec. 19th (fall/winter dates are not set in stone - can be adjusted month by month, as the group needs).

Please RSVP by Friday, July 22nd to confirm your spot!

BONUS OFFER!!!! If you sign up by Friday the 22nd, get a free gift from the new catalogue from me as a thank-you!! :)

Check back tomorrow for more Artisan entries!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Exciting News!

2011-07-17T11:45:00.005-04:00

I just found out that my Artisan entry from April won some attention at The Stampin' Up Convention in Salt Lake City! A whole bunch of my team went with Heather Summers to Convention and reported back through Facebook that I was in the finalist category for my Artisan entry! Yippee!!!!!!

That means my work was displayed at Convention for the demos to see, and they announced my name on-screen at the awards ceremony on Friday night! Wow - how fun is that?! Two other girls from our team were also finalists, so yay us!! :)

To celebrate my big news, I'm gonna show you all my Artisan entries over the next couple weeks, starting today!

This is one of my 3-D objects - a chunky frame with hand cut, stamped glass and stone tiles on it!

I used Circle Circus for my stamp set, along with Artistic Etchings and the Medallion stamp. I stamped in white and black Staz-On, as well as silver Shimmer Paint.

I put large brads (stamped with Artistic Etchings), adhesive pearls, and Presto Patterns DSP paper circles on the glass tiles too for some texture.

I stamped the Medallion in wet Crystal Effects on the blue square tiles for a raised look. I backed the two translucent square tiles with Presto Patterns paper, coloured with Marina Mist.

I surrounded the frame with Marina Mist patterned DSP and I wrote out the lyrics to Joni Mitchell's song "The Circle Game" (a pretty good fit, I think!).

I hope you like seeing my Artisan entries over the next few days! Tomorrow I'll have one of my cards to show you, and the recipe for my homemade butter tarts (just for you, Heather B!). Right now I gotta run and get ready for Elise's baby shower! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

A

A Baby CASE...

2011-07-15T23:15:00.006-04:00

Hello all!

It has been a busy week around here with my new catalogue open house on Wednesday and a trip to the beach in there too! Tonight we're trying to 'camp' in the backyard with the boys (we're planning to go camping for real in August, so we figured we needed a trial run first!), so wish us luck! (LOL) I'll hopefully have pictures to MDS in the next couple of days for you...

In the meantime, I have a baby shower this weekend for a very important person to me - my oldest friend Elise is expecting her first baby - a girl! We've been friends for 30 years, so I am a thrilled for her to start this new aspect of her life! To celebrate this big milestone, I CASE'd a card from my fabulous, talented (and 2011 Artisan Award winning!) upline, Heather Summers.

Her design was SO stinkin' cute, that I thought it was perfect for Elise. I tweaked it a little bit (just so I could play with the new 3-step punch! LOL) and even decorated the inside of the card and the envelope. I have a laundry basket FULL of baby gifts for the shower this weekend (can you tell I've been looking forward to this baby a little bit!? LOL), but I don't want to show you a pic of it, in case Elise checks my blog before Sunday! You'll just have to use your baby gift imagination, I guess. ;)

Card Recipe:
Pretty in Pink textured CS (5x5)
Early Espresso CS
Nursery Suite Specialty DSP (retired - so sad!)
Nursery Suite stamp set
Tiny Tags stamp set
Doily 3-step punch (is that the right name??)
Decorative Label punch
Jewelry Tag punch
Organza Ribbon
Vintage Trinkets
various retired DSP's for paper piecing the onesies
Early Espresso and Pretty in Pink ink and markers

Hope you have a great weekend!

I'll have some exciting posts for you over the next couple of weeks, so check back often!

A

Getting Ready for My Open House!

2011-07-10T20:21:00.004-04:00

Hello!

I had a great time up at a friend's cottage for a couple days and now I am home and getting ready for my NEW CATALOGUE OPEN HOUSE on Wednesday!!

One thing that I have been doing to prep for the Open House is cleaning out my overflowing scrap bin (it's a long story, but it will make sense once you come to the open house! LOL). Here's a pic of the 'remnants' of all my hard work in my fire pit:

While I was at the cottage, I got some time to do some MDS work - it is SO nice to have a picture taken and scrapbook it THAT AFTERNOON without having to lug all my supplies anywhere! My laptop is all I need. :)

(And I have to tell you, I was NEVER going to switch from traditional paper scrapbooking - now I am hooked!!)

This is a pic of me floating in the lake one afteroon - pregnant and with a sprained ankle, lol. I based my design on the scrapbook page in the new catty from the hostess sets section (have you seen the new catalogue yet? If not, plan to come to my Open House to get one, as well as do make and takes and enter some fabulous draws!).

If you are planning to come to the SUPER FANTASTIC Open House and haven't RSVP'd yet, please email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to reserve your spot! You won't be sorry! :)

Have a great day, and I'll be back to post again in a day or two!

A

Wow, Am I Late on This One!!

2011-07-05T10:54:00.003-04:00

Hello!!

I have been slacking this weekend, as I had a little accident at school on the last day (June 30th)... I twisted my ankle and fell down in the hallway, resulting in a REALLY nice sprained ankle and REALLY purple bruised knee (where I landed when I fell).

Ugly ankle...

Uglier knee...

The bright side is, baby is totally fine, because my knee took the majority of the impact. In between laying on the couch with ice on my legs and pillows to prop everything up, and trips to the chiropractor (he's a MIRACLE worker!!), I haven't done much of anything this weekend, especially since THE NEW CATALOGUE CAME OUT!!! I know, some time to get injured!! LOL

But, now I am back in the game, and I am posting details of where to view your catalogue online : CLICK HERE!!
or when to come and get your very own paper copy of the catalogue at my OPEN HOUSE!!

DETAILS:

When: Wednesday, July 13th, 1-4pm or 7-9:30pm
Where: My house (email me for the address, if you haven't been here before! peanutparade@gmail.com)
What: lots of freebies, 3 make and takes, snacks, draws and of course your new catalogue to drool on!

Here is a sneak peek of one of the make and take cards from my Open House - thanks to Heather Summers for the design idea!

This is using 3 of the 5 new In-Colours, which I totally love!!! So fun! This little card also uses the Strength and Hope set, which donates $2 from every set purchased to the Breast Cancer Foundation - a great cause and a beautiful set!

If you can come to the Open House, please RSVP at peanutparade@gmail.com to let me know, so that I can prep all the fabulous stuff for you! You won't be disappointed!

Have a great day!

A

It's Almost Here!!!

2011-06-30T20:13:00.003-04:00

The new Stampin' Up catalogue goes live tomorrow, and I am SUPER EXCITED!!! I love the new In-Colours coming out (check out these names to pique your interest: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Island Indigo! Yippee!!) and the new accessories are SOOO FUN!!

I'll have new accessories bundles to share with you next week, but in the meantime, I'll show you a new card:

I will apologize in advance for the sucky picture - I'm kinda hobbled up with a sprained ankle at the moment (I know, only me...) and my camera skills are right up there with my balance at the moment.

This card is a mix of old, current and new stamps - I made them for my class of grade eight graduates this year. The card base is Daffodil Delight and I used the Baker's Twine and Stampin' Builder Wheels from current Summer Mini (so fun and so CHEAP!!) I also used the ALL NEW "Just Add Cake" DSP and the Pennant Parade Punch!!! It is so fun, I can't wait to play with it more during the New Catalogue Open House on July 13th!

Oh, did I forget to mention that I have a new catalogue open house coming up?! :)

Come to my place on July 13th between 1-4pm or 7-9:30pm and make some all new cards, eat some snacks, enter some draws and GET YOUR BRAND NEW CATALOGUE! Yippee!!

I hope you enjoy your long weekend, either as a Canadian or an American. :) Summer is finally here!

I'll be back next week (or maybe on the weekend, if I'm lucky) with news about the new catty and my accessories shares (YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!).

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Tea-rific!

2011-06-24T21:02:00.004-04:00

Hello and Happy Friday!

I have a quick post tonight, as I am just heading downstairs to make some birthday cards, since I just put the boys to bed, and then I need to put myself to bed! I forgot how exhausting teaching grade eight during June really is!

A lot of staff at my school are moving to other schools this year, and some are happy about it, while others are not (It's a loong story...). For the ones that are happy about their new placements, I made them a little going away card to show that I'm still thinking about them, even if they are not just down the hall:

I used the Blueberry Crisp DSP on a little mini card in River Rock CS and one of my favourite stamp sets from the last catalogue, "Morning Cup" (which I'm happy to say is returning in the new catalogue! Yippee!!). I coloured the cups in shades from the DSP (which is not returning, by the way, so if you LOVE it like I do, you should stock up now before the end of the month!!)

Inside each card is a little pouch for a teabag! Yay! How cute is that, if I do say so myself!? ;)

Anyway, hope you have a great weekend - we have a twin girls' birthday party tomorrow (hence the card I need to make tonight) and my staff party on Sunday, so it is a busy weekend as usual!

I'll be back hopefully Sunday to post the graduation cards that I made for my graduating grade eight class this year.

Oh, and if you want to stock up on your favourite retiring SU gear, you MUST do it before June 30th!!! Our new catalogue goes live on July 1st! YAY!!!!

CLICK HERE to shop for all your favourite retiring goodies!!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Whoohoo! MDS!!!

2011-06-21T16:27:00.004-04:00

Yippeee!!! Now that things are winding down with school, I am getting more time to craft and more computer time to update my blog! Yay for me!!

While the boys were playing in the backyard sandbox last night, I brought the laptop out to the patio and started playing with MDS. How lovely is that - to sit out in the summer on my deck, watch the boys play AND work on a scrapbook page - and nothing even can blow away if the wind picks up!! LOL

MDS is becoming a really fun and versatile tool for me, and I hope to make some more stuff over the next couple months to show you here. In the meantime, for you seasoned MDS'ers out there, IT'S DOWNLOAD TUESDAY!!! That means Stampin' Up has released new downloads today for you to buy for your MDS. I was looking today, and I am VERY excited about some new stuff on my list!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST DOWNLOADS FOR MY DIGITAL STUDIO!!!

Anyway, on to today's page:

This page is using the Cheerful Treat MDS disk from the Summer Mini. It comes with EVERYTHING - coordinating paper, embellishments and 'elements' (think chipboard elements in traditional scrapbooking). SO FUN!!!

This is Domi after he finished his breakfast one morning and started running around laughing before I could clean him up, so I had to capture that happy face, breakfast and all. :)

Last time I saw my upline, Heather Summers, she showed us how you can stretch/zoom in on DSP that you have put into a punched shape, so you literally have COUNTLESS options for DSP choices in MDS! I love it!!!

Anyway, enjoy the first day of summer (FINALLY!!) and I'll be back soon to share the MOUNTAIN of projects I have stockpiled for blogging!

Have a great day!

A

How CUTE Are These Shoes?!?!?

2011-06-19T18:01:00.003-04:00

Hello there! Happy Father's Day to you and yours! I hope you enjoyed the day with your most important people. :)

My husband is enjoying some "Daddy Time" watching NASCAR with the boys (one of his favourite pastimes), so I had a few minutes to show you what I made yesterday... NEW SHOES!!!

Okay, I didn't really MAKE the shoes, I just embellished them with the NEW Stampin' Up 'Flirtatious' FABRIC!!! Is it not the funnest thing ever!? I love the patterns and colours, and it has coordinating DSP and a stamp set to go with!! Yippee!! Can't wait to get new catalogues to all my stampin' girls! :)

My mom bought these flipflops and then discovered they hurt her feet, so I inherited them. :) I like the purple colour, but didn't like the brand name that was on the strap (if I'm advertising a company, it better be my own SU business! LOL). So I used the Fun Flowers Bigz Die to cut out flowers in the new fabric and then sewed them on the straps and finished them off with Subtles buttons. So easy and so fun!! I can't wait to wear them all the time!! :)

I know you can't buy this fabulous fabric yet, but you can still get those last minute retiring proeducts for only another couple weeks!
To buy all your retiring favourites, click HERE.

I'm feeling like I want to MDS this week, so hopefully now that report cards are done, I'll get a chance to do that! The DOWNTOWN GRUNDGE download is calling my name! LOL

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!

A

Did You Know?!

2011-06-01T18:03:00.007-04:00

Today is June 1st!!! That means it's Stampin' Up's retired lists day!! WHOOHOO!!!!!!!

You might already know this, but a new Stampin' Up catalogue comes out July 1st and the brief steak peek that I got of the new catalogue looks AWESOME!!!!! Lots of new stuff and fun new In-Colours, which means LOTS AND LOTS of stuff is retiring!!!

CLICK HERE to see the RETIRING ACCESSORIES LIST
(only available while supplies last!)

CLICK HERE to see the RETIRING STAMP SETS LIST
(guaranteed available until June 30th)

CLICK HERE to see the RETIRING DECOR ELEMENTS LIST

CLICK HERE TO BUY ALL YOUR FAVOURITE SU! SUPPLIES
that may never be available again!!!

To celebrate the big day, I thought I would share a project with you that didn't make my cut for the 2011 SU! Artisan Award entry. This page was done a few months ago, along with another three that I did send in for the contest.

I had this page designed around my greyhound, Nilla, who we lost back in 2007 (man, I miss that dog!!). The papers that I used were Greenhouse Gala DSP, Nursery Suite Specialty DSP, Sweet and Sour Specialty DSP and Botanical Gazette DSP.

The picture actually slides/pivots over to reveal more journalling about my special pet. :) I punched the 'border' using the Petal Punch and added all kinds of doodads and embellishments to the page too. The alphabet is Broadstreet Alphabet (which I looove!). :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the Retiring list, and don't miss out on the neve to be seen again products! Remember that all accessories are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED, so if there is something you NEED to have, or something that is on sale (some things are up to 40% off!!), you better move fast! You can order online by clicking HERE or you can email me to add your order to my order! :)

peanutparade@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by! Only 22 more days of school and then I am off for the summer and I will be stamping my butt off! LOL

A

I've Been Around...

2011-05-01T22:26:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, everytime that I disappear from blogworld and then reappear, I SWEAR I'm gonna do better...and then I slip into blogger delinquency again. SIGH.

But this time I have a good excuse!!

Since my last post in February, I have run a half marathon, gotten pregnant with our third child (!) and entered the Stampin' Up contest for their Artisan Award. The Artisan award is given to the top 10 SU demonstrators who send in a body of work that they have created with all SU product. The work includes 5 cards, 3 scrapbook pages and 2 3-D items. Needless to say, planning and creating ALL that work took FOREVER. And the worst part is, I can't even show you any of it! It has to be 'never displayed' work until they announce the winners May 27th. I'll keep you posted on the contest when I know more info!

My latest thing since I sent in my Artisan entry back at Easter is doing a little side business creating scarves. I know, how random is that?! I think it's because I have crafting ADD...

Anyway, here are some pics of my scarves:

I've started an Etsy store, located HERE: www.etsy.com/shop/peanutparade and I'm also selling my scarves and handmade cards and scrapbook stuff at a local Artisan's Market called "The Met". This past weekend was their grand opening and it went fantastic!! My scarves are nearly all sold out, so I guess I'll be scarfing my butt off this week to get ready for next weekend's market! LOL

If you wanna find info about The Met, like Peanut Parade on Facebook and all the info is there!

If you're in London, come down to The Met and see me! :)

Have a great week!

A

OOPS, Missed a Couple!!

2011-02-18T19:05:00.002-05:00

Hello!

AHHHHHH, so much is off my plate now.... report cards are done and out to the kids, as of today, most of the family is healthy (no more root canals, strep throats or salivary gland infections - I know, don't ask...)and we have a LONG WEEKEND to boot!!! Yippee!!!!

Now that things have slowed down for two seconds, I realized I missed two of my Valentine's card designs to show here on Peanut Parade!! What was I thinking!? :)

This card uses the new Valentine's DSP from the Occasions Mini, and Real Red and Basic Grey as accent colours. I used the Glitter Ppaer (LOOOOVE IT!!!!!)and the large heart punch to accent the paper, and the stamp set Valentine Defined. Simple but super cute, and quick to make!

This card uses the same DSP, and the Glitter Paper, but uses Basic Grey as the card base, and the new Tulip Frame Embossing Folder for a little texture. I used the Organza ribbon and the stamp set Greeting Card Kids for the centre medallion image. I think the greeting is from Love Bandit from last catalogue (is it still in the main Idea Book? LOL I don't even remember).

It has been TOO LONG with very little stamping going on - too much real life intruding on my stamping time! Now I'll be in a bit of a lull with teaching, so it's time to create! YAY! I have a Sale-a-Bration party next weekend with Ana (YAY!!!!!!) and I have some cards to make and send. I'll be sure to post my latest creations soon!

Have a great long weekend!

A

My First MDS!!!

2011-02-02T20:39:00.004-05:00

Okay, I finally caved...

I got My Digital Studio when it was on for 1/2 price back in November, and I've been putting off using it because,well I didn't want to get addicted, lol. TOO LATE!!
I've never done any kind of digital scrapbooking, but I see what my scrappin' friends can do, and I LOVE it, and they all say how FAST it is. Well, I may never get to scrapbook stuff of my husband and I (sans kids), so I figured I would give it a shot.

Here's my first project:

This picture was taken at a friend's wedding that we shot in the fall - it was at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton, ON and we got to take pictures all over the hangar with the wedding party. After we were done shooting the wedding party, Mike and I snuck away to get this pic on a really cool antique Fire Engine. We weren't sure if we should be sitting on the front bumper, hence the faces. I love this pic of the two of us, and used colours from the pic to choose my background paper/stamp/embellishment palette.

Hope you like it! If you are an MDS'er, don't forget that buying digital downloads for MDS or printing your MDS pages counts towards your $60 order for a free Sale-a-bration set! Yippee!

CLICK HERE to shop online now!

Have a great day!

A

I LOVE A GREAT DEAL!!!!!

2011-02-02T16:05:00.004-05:00

And nothing is a better deal than Sale-a-bration!!! :)

If there's ever a time you want to look at stocking up on your crafting essentials, then SAB is it! For every $60 order you put in, you get a FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set, or embellishment pack, or MDS cd!! Wow!

And if you want to put in your order online through my SU website, I HAVE A SPECIAL offer for you! For every $60 order you put in on my website, I will send you a FREE package of embellishments as a thank-you!

If you REALLY need to stock up and you get to a $200 (or more) order, you get ALL your SAB goodies for every $60 order mark, you get your FREE embellishments for every $60 order mark, and you also get a level 1 hostess set and your $20 in free merchandise and I'll also send you a handmade pack of 6 all-occasion cards! Yay!

In short:

For a $200 order:
3 free SAB picks
3 free embellishment packs from me!
$20 in free merchandise!
A Level 1 Hostess Set!
PLUS a pack of 6 handmade cards from me!

For a $240 order: - BUMP IT UP FOR MORE FREE STUFF!!!
4 free SAB picks
4 free embellishment packs for me!
$20 in free merchandise!
A Level 1 Hostess Set!
PLUS a pack of 6 homemade cards from me!

AND ALL OF YOUR FABULOUS Stampin' Up product that you ordered!! How great is that!?

CLICK HERE to order online right now and take advantage of these fabulous deals!

And now, onto today's card:

I used the new Valentine's DSP from the Occasions Mini and the stamp set Valentine Defined from the Occasions Mini. My colours were Basic Grey and Pink Pirhouette. Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to take advantage of the great deals! :)

A

Feelin' the Love at Sale-a-Bration!

2011-01-29T09:18:00.005-05:00

Hello and Happy Weekend!

I wanted to post a quick Valentine's Day card, and also tell you about my special Sale-a-Bration deals!

If you want more than one free SAB set, but can't afford to spend $180 all at once, have I got the deal for you!

A SALE-A-BRATION CLUB!!

I need 3 girls for the club. Each month, you put in an order for your $60 of SU stuff - that gets you a FREE Sale-a-Bration set!

PLUS, one of those months, you are the 'hostess' - and that means you get another bonus - A free Level 1 Hostess Set AND $20 worth of free product from any current SU catalogue! Yippee!!!!!!

Want more?

If you think, "Well, I have some girls who need a night out..." I can help you out with that! Sale-a-bration is the PERFECT time to host a home party - everyone gets a much-needed night out (or afternoon!), makes some fun stuff, and gets free stuff!

How fun is that?!

As an ADDED bonus for hosting a SAB party with me, I'll include a FREE pack of embellishments, on TOP OF your free hostess benefits and any SAB sets you earn! WOW!!

I really hope you take advantage of the FANTASTIC deals going on during Sale-a-Bration - you won't be sorry!

Okay, on to the cards:

I used the Big Shot and various punches to create a lot of these cards. The background DSP is actually created with the Lots of Love Letterpress - I embossed and inked white cardstock and some retired neutral DSP with Real Red on the Letterpress to create a slightly raised and coloured impression. So fun!
Then I made the Scallop Envelope using my Big Shot die, and filled it with various punched hearts in the new Glitter Paper (LOOOVE it!!!) and Love Letters DSP from the new Occasions Mini. One version is done in white with Basic Grey accents, and the other is done in neutrals, with Crumb Cake Seam Binding for the envelope accent (loove that too!). The sentiment is from the 'Valentine Defined' set in the Occasions Mini (so cute!).

Click HERE to purchase supplies to make your own Valentine's creation! Remember, every $60 order gets you a FREE Sale-a-Bration set! :)

Have a great day!

I'll be back in a day or two with another Valentine's card, and my special deals for online orderers! :)

A

Sale-a-bration, Sale-a-bration, SALE-A-BRATION!!!!!

2011-01-25T18:50:00.006-05:00

I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!

Sale-a-bration, Stampin' Up's BIGGEST sale of the year starts today!

Here are the nuts and bolts of Sale-a-bration: For EVERY $60 you spend before shipping and taxes you will receive FREE product of your choice. There are 6 exclusive Sale-a-bration items...ones you will not be able to purchase and you won't see again after March 30th! There are 3 stamp sets, an embellishment bundle, an MDS CD (with all the Sale-a-bration products on it!) and some home decor stuff too! If none of these interest you, there are like 50 stamp sets out of the current catalogue you can choose from! YIPPEEE!!!!!!!

Download 2011 SAB Catalogue options from the current catalogue

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SALE-A-BRATION CATALOGUE

This amazing deal is good from now until the end of March! So, watch out for some great classes that will involve Sale-a-bration benefits as well as lots of fun creations coming soon!!!! I can't wait! Please contact me if you'd like a paper copy of the flyer as well.

My card today is using the new 'Build a Blossom' punch and coordinating stamp set, as well as the Botanical Garden and First Edition DSP's. I stamped the blossom petals on the First Edition DSP (a GREAT deal - 24 sheets of double-sided, thinner paper for the same price as a regular pack of DSP!!) in Marina Mist and Pacific Point, then punched them out and layered them on the card. So fun! I can't wait to do more with this punch and stamp set!

If you want to order anything for Sale-a-Bration, just email me or order online HERE!

I'll be back later this week with my own Sale-a-Bration deals for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Okay, Okay...

2011-01-20T10:50:00.002-05:00

So I went to a Stampin' Up meeting last night and got in a bit of trouble from my lovely upline, Heather Summers, who was disappointed that I "NEVER" update my blog anymore!! :D

I'm terribly sorry to any of you that are in the same boat with Heather - "Great, Peanut Parade, the same stale picture/post - AGAIN!" (Isn't that what you said, Heather?) ;)

After the meeting last night, I'm feeling inspired (and a little scared of Heather, lol. Kidding!), so here I am, at school on my prep, doing a blog post. Yay me!

The card I have to show you today is my shoebox swap from last night. I used the Botanical Gazette DSP and Nature Walk stamp set because I LOOOVE them and I can't wait for spring!

Here's a brief recipe:

Cardbase - Sahara Sand
Cardstocks - Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz
Inks/Markers - Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz, Marina Mist
Extras - Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon, pop dots

Ooh, just in case you didn't already know, SALE-A-BRATION (SAB) starts on Monday!!!!!!

This year, if you spend $60, you get a FREE stamp set or MDS download or embellishment package or DSP suite from the SAB catalogue!!!!! YIPPPEEEEEE!!!!
I can't wait! (There obviously aren't enough "!!!" to show how excited I am! Either that or my morning coffee just kicked in, lol).

I am offering a special SAB club this year (thanks for the idea, Lisa D!). It would consist of 3 girls joining the club, coming over once a month to make a card or two (YAY! A night out!), putting in their $60 order and getting their free SAB set. Over the 3 months, in one of those months each girl will be the hostess and get an ADDITIONAL bonus of hostess benefits! All without hosting a home party! If you're not a home party kinda girl, or you just can't swing it this year, email me to join the club! Then you get 3 SAB sets, 3 stamping nights AND free hostess stuff! Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to sign up or get more details!

As always, I am available to come to your house and do a FANTASTIC Sale-a-Bration party too! They are always super fun!

To keep my loyal blog stalkers happy (ahem, Heather!) I will be back next week with another few cards and more details about SAB, and some SWEET deals just for you!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Love the New Petal Cone!

2011-01-08T10:30:00.004-05:00

Hello!

Happy Saturday to you! We are back to work here after Christmas break, and double ear/throat infection for Peanut, and a BRUTAL stomach flu for Mike and I. Gotta love winter...

Anyway, before the entire family got sick, I was using some of my Christmas break to work on some new projects from the Occasions Mini!! Yippee!!! I had to have SOOO much of the new product from this mini - I love it!

My first project to show you is using the Petal Cone die for the Big Shot. I used the new Valentine's DSP and the new Glitter Paper too (which I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE! Do you think my husband would be okay with me wallpapering the house in it, since I love it so much!? LOL).

I made two cones, one in Pink Pirhouette and Basic Grey, and the other in Real Red and Basic Grey. The pink cone I used the In Colour Blushing Bride Ribbon to hang it, since I don't have any Pink Pirouette ribbon (how is THAT possible?). I embellished it with punched hearts, Tiny Tags, and of course, treats inside! I can't wait to make some of these for special Valentine's friends!

If you haven't seen the new Mini, check out the link on the right side of my blog to download it now, but be prepared... you might need a bib to catch the drool, so you don't ruin your keyboard! :D

Have a great weekend, and I'll be back next week with another new Occasions Mini post!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-22T12:17:00.006-05:00

Hello!

I know, it has been AGES since I last posted... blame it on report cards, and kids, and snow days, and kids, and work, and no sleep, and craft shows, and blah blah blah. :)

But I'm back today with some of my Christmas projects to share!

I've been using the Christmas fabric to make candle cozies for gift. They are SOOO quick to make, and then I added some designer buttons, and everything matches!! I love that!

I've been making my usual Candy Cane Bark this year to give our neighbours, but this year, I found a recipe for Cinnamon / White Chocolate Almond Bark, and it tastes JUST like iced gingerbread!!!!! It is sooo fabulous that I can't wait to give it out!
I packed it in takeout boxes (from Michael's) and added a cute gift tag using the 'Two Tags' die and 'A Cute Christmas' DSP and stamp set. The tinsel trim ties it on perfectly!

Here's the recipe for the "Gingerbread" Bark, if you wanna try it
(trust me, it's rich, but sooo good!)

Equal parts cinnamon chips and white chocolate chips
(Put them on a wax paper-lined pan and melt in the oven. When melted, swirl together.)
Roasted almonds, coarsely chopped, and English Toffee bits
(Sprinkle on top of warm chocolate).

Cool and break into chunks. That's it!!! So easy. :)

I designed two different cards, one based on a CASE from Anne Granger (from my Simply Stars group!), and the other is my own creation, using the Cute Christmas stamp set and DSP.

The last item I have to show you was the gift I gave to my Secret Santa at school - I made a set of six cards in two designs using the Calendar Kids stamp set - in the 'school' setting, of course! I watercoloured the kids and used some retired DSP in Soft Suede, and some complimentary pink/green papers too. My Secret Santa was so happy to get them, I thought she was gonna cry! :)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you enjoy lots of fun this holiday with family and friends. Thank you for your support with my blog and my SU business this past year. I truly, truly appreciate it! :)

All the best,

A

WOW!!! Now That's a BIG DEAL!!!!

2010-11-22T14:28:00.004-05:00

Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh!!!!!

Stampin' Up has a HUGE sale on right now, but for only 8 days!!! Items are anywhere from 30 - 50% off, INCLUDING My Digital Studio!!!!! Can you believe it!?

I am sooo excited about this deal, but also the fact that orders over $200 get FREE SHIPPING!!!!! Yippee!!! That is a great deal! If you would like to take advantage of these INCREDIBLE deals, but you don't have a huge order, email me at peanutparade@gmail.com and you can add to my order (I know I'll be putting one in!)and save on shipping.

CLICK HERE to view the list of all the items on sale!

CLICK HERE to go to my webstore and SHOP RIGHT NOW!!!

Aside from all the SPECTACTULAR deals on products right now, wouldn't it be great to get a 20% instant discount ALL THE TIME on Stampin' Up products? If you're a demonstrator, you can do just that! PLUS you get all the sneak peak benefits of being a demonstrator, and all kinds of incentives and bonuses!

Did you know that Stampin' Up still has their FANTASTIC deal on the Stampin' Up starter kit as well?! Over $385 worth of Stampin' Up product for only $107.50, NO TAX and NO SHIPPING!!! If you've ever thought about becoming a demonstrator, wanted LOTS of Stampin' Up product for SUPER cheap, or wanted a 20% discount on Stampin' Up products, THIS IS THE TIME!!!!! You will LOVE LOVE LOVE the discount, especially when you see all the FABULOUS stuff coming out in the new Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration!!!!!

To sign on right now and get your FABULOUS deals, CLICK HERE and then click on "Start Your Own Business". The password you need to get started is maverick.

HURRY!! This deal is only on until NOVEMBER 30th!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with details about my next Christmas card class.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

A

Have You Ever...

2010-11-17T23:15:00.005-05:00

...thought about becoming a Stampin' Up demonstrator?

Well, THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME!!!!!!

Stampin' Up has the most AMAZING deal out right now - from November 15th to November 30th, if you sign on as a new demonstrator, you get the Starter Kit OR Digital Starter Kit for HALF PRICE!!!! That's right, instead of $215, it is NOW ONLY $107.50, no shipping and no tax!!!! There aren't even enough exclamation points to tell you how excited about this I am!!!! :DThe Starter Kit is over $375 worth of Stampin' Up products and supplies, including stamp sets and inks/papers that you can customize, based on what you already have!! And if you've ever wanted to try My Digital Studio, this is the time! MDS is $132 (with shipping and tax, all by itself), and you can get MDS with your Starter Kit and a TON of other cool stuff for LESS than that! Soooo exciting!

Now you might be thinking, 'Well, that is a great deal, but I don't wanna BE a demonstrator. I already have a job, I don't have time, I don't have the space to do classes,' etc.
I know how you feel. BUT THAT'S OKAY! You don't have to be a full- blown demonstrator if that's not your thing! Stampin' Up NEVER will ask you to send anything back or pay for anything if you don't 'sell' a certain amount by a certain date. You'll just stop having access to the Stampin' Up website and stop getting our cool magazine sent to you every month - that's IT!!! If you do decide to give it a try, all you need to sell or buy is $400 worth of SU product in a quarter (3 months). That can be in one order or 100 orders, it doesn't matter! And YOU can be your best customer, with your 20% discount, ALL THE TIME!!! (Oh, and did I mention that your first order is a 30% discount!? WHOA!!!!!) How great is that to save yourself money on the stuff you love, plus make a little extra money making CRAFTS!?

If you think this is something you wanna try, I really think you'll love it. I have met so many wonderful, creative women through Stampin' Up that I really couldn't imagine my life without them. I also know that you'll surprise yourself with how creative your life can get with Stampin' Up. :)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at peanutparade@gmail.com.

To learn more, or to get started,click here
and then click "Start Your Own Business". The password that you need to get started is - maverick

I promise, you won't be sorry!!!

Have a great day,

A

It's Almost Hallowe'en!!!!

2010-10-23T21:41:00.005-04:00

Hello!!!

Okay, I am a TERRIBLE blogger since I went back to work.(hanging head in shame...)

I do have some lovely and fun Hallowe'en decor to share with you, so I hope you'll forgive me! :)

I bought the Spooky Things Vinyls from the Dark and Dreary Suite in the Holiday Mini (SO CHEAP!!! Only $18.95 for 10 vinyls!) and I have been creating like crazy with them! I made a "Trick or Treat" sign with some new and old DSP, and a 12 x12 frame with the vinyl and the coordinating Dark and Dreary scrapbook paper that I then stamped and embellished with adhesive pearls and black jewels (LOVE THEM!!). Then I had to go back and buy the Spooky Bats vinyl from the Definitely Decorative catalogue ($6.95!), and the Spooky Brocade too so I could decorate some glass jars too! Yay! (Can you tell I LOOVE Hallowe'en!?)

If you would like the recipes for these projects, feel free to email me, or comment! I'd love to share the ideas with you! And if you'd like to buy some (or all!) the FABULOUS VINYLS, click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! If I don't see you, have a SPOOK-TACTULAR Hallowe'en! :)

A

WHOA!!!! HUGE SALE!!!!!!

2010-10-05T20:31:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Yes, I know, I haven't posted in FOREVVVVER. :( Sorry about that. Being back to work is far more hectic than I imagined.

But, on the bright side, I just HAD to post this!!!

Stampin' Up! is making room for new products coming in so they've added over 200 items to their clearance rack with items up to 80% off!!!

So, if you're interested in purchasing any of the clearance rack items, you have two options.

CLICK HERE to order your supplies and have them shipped directly to your home OR

email me at peanutparade@gmail.com (if you're a local customer) and I'll be placing an order tonight and tomorrow night and this will save you on shipping if your order isn't $100 or more.

Remember, these are WHILE SUPPLIES last so check it out and have fun!!!
You won't be sorry!!!!

I'll be back this weekend with a post or two. :)

A

You Can Be Simply Adorned Too!

2010-09-06T11:54:00.004-04:00

Hello, and Happy Long Weekend to you!

I'm going back to teaching tomorrow after 14 GLORIOUS months away from school, so blog posts may seem to shrivel up in the next little while, but I will try my best to stay on top of it! In the meantime, I HAD to share with you my next class, scheduled for Wednesday, September 15th - A SIMPLY ADORNED CLASS!!!!!

Have you ever tried to make your own jewelry? I know, it's all the rage right now - just go into any craft store and it is JAMMED with jewelry fixin's... but where do you start? I've tried, and sadly, all I end up making is a lot of purchases of beads and other 'pretties' that sit in a bag somewhere (don't tell my DH that! LOL).

Well, if you wanna wear your own custom jewelry (or give it as a fabulous Christmas gift - HINT HINT!!), I've got your solution!!
My Simply Adorned class will be a chance for you to make 12 inserts of your choice PLUS a cute little box to keep them all in! I've designed 20 inserts for you to pick from, so you have LOTS of choice!

AND, the cost of the class is ONLY the cost of your Simply Adorned charm - THAT'S RIGHT, you basically get ALL your inserts for FREE, along with the class to show you how to make them! WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!!

Check out the pictures below:

20 designs to choose from!!

Like these...

And these...

And these!

(All designs come with a front AND back component, as the Simply Adorned Charm allows you to decorate from the front and the back! Fun!

Simply Adorned Charms are:

1 1/2 x 2" rectangle - $31.95
1 x 1 1/4" rectangle (as shown in my pics) - $27.95
1 x 1" square - $25.95 *prices are without shipping and tax

They are REALLY sturdy and solid, which is good with my two little sets of fingers all over them whenever I wear them, so they are worth their cost. I wear mine on my own chain or a ribbon, but you can also purchase a coordinating chain to go with the charm:

24" chain - $15.95
34" chain - $17.95 *prices are without shipping and tax

BONUS!!! If you buy the chain AND the charm of your choice, you can make ALL 20 of the inserts as a special thank-you from me!! Yay!!!

Please let me know by SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12th if you are interested in attending the class. Hope to see you there! Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com

Have a great day,

A

I'm a Hoarder...

2010-08-26T09:08:00.004-04:00

Okay, I know I have a problem...

I have a REALLY hard time throwing out paper, especially Designer Series Paper. It's just too beautiful!! I always threaten my DH that I'm gonna wallpaper the house in my favourites someday. LOL

In the meantime, I simply save almost ALL my scraps in a bin and hope to use them a later date. Usually that date doesn't come for most of my scraps, but I've been making a effort to dive into the bin more often lately! Here's a couple cards that I came up with using just scraps...

(I don't know what happened with that yellow ribbon as I was photographing this one!)

I also made these Post-it Note folders using scraps and the base is the heavy cardstock backing that comes to protect your DSP in shipping! Yay!

Hope this gives you some inspiration for using up your scraps! Hoarders unite! :)

Have a great day,

A

Colour Challenge + Cake!

2010-08-15T18:49:00.006-04:00

Hello!

We've had a busy week around here this week - my birthday, my husband's birthday, a trip to Port Dover to see 1000's and 1000's of motorcycles and the usual craziness! Yesterday we had friends over for cake for our birthdays, and my hubby loves all things racecar, so I saw a racecar made of cupcakes in "What's New, Cupcake?" and HAD to make it!!

Here's a pic of it before we demolished it:

Cool, huh?!

My Aunt's birthday is coming up and I needed to make her a card today, so I thought what better way to kill two birds with one stone than to use my fabulous upline, Heather Summers' Colour Challenge! Her colours for this week were Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight. Going with the 'cake' theme of this week, I thought I would break out the new hostess set, Birthday Bakery - how cute is this one?!

I made two cards using the colours, but flipped them in the stripes. I hand coloured the cakes and used Crystal Effects on some of the cake elements. Hope you like it!

*** Again, I have tried all I can think of to get these pictures to NOT rotate like this when they upload, and I can't fix it! Grr... Why is Blogger doing this all the sudden?! Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by!

A

p.s. Wanna earn that hostess set for FREE, plus other great FREE Stampin' Up product? Have your girls come over and host a party! I'll come with all the supplies to make fun projects, and YOU get a night of crafting with your girls! Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to find out more! :)

Something Borrowed, Something Blue...

2010-08-11T15:57:00.005-04:00

Yay!

My friends Amy and Joe are getting married in October! I'm super-excited to be their wedding photographer and as part of their wedding shower gift, I made them this:

It's a Star Album!!!

I made this in Blueberry Crisp DSP because Amy's bridal colour is 'Air Force Blue' (Joe loves planes and they are getting married at the Canadian Warplane Museum - how cool is that!?) - I LOOOVE how it turned out! That paper is fantastic. :)

If you want the details of how to make a Star Album, I'm offering the tutorial here for ONLY $2.50!!!! This includes all dimensions, directions, tips, and photos!
To order, click here:

This is also the card I made to go with the album - this is my 'borrowed' part - the design is borrowed from Heather S., my fabulous upline! The card is also done in Blueberry Crisp, and coordinates with the album perfectly! :)

Closed...

Open!

Hope you enjoyed today's post. To buy your Stampin' Up supplies, click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Heather's Art and Happy Birthday!

2010-08-10T10:06:00.006-04:00

Hello all!

Well, yesterday was my birthday...34. Whoa. Birthdays are harder now because I end up spending some of the day reflecting on the people that are no longer with me, and this birthday was no exception. I count my blessings on my birthday, but also get a little sad. :(

To help pass the day and keep me from getting too deep into a funk, Heather B. came over during naptime and we worked on some artwork for her living room using some old opera sheet music that she found at her grandfather's house - isn't it cool!? She's a music teacher, so this artwork is going over her piano - neat!

Here's a closeup of the Cherry Cobbler panel - embossed with Fifth Ave. Floral and using crochet lace and Antique Brads (it's the same on the other side, just mirrored)...

Here's a closeup of the Early Espresso panel - embossed with Vintage Wallpaper and using 1/8" Vanilla Tafetta ribbon and Antique Brads...

(Sorry for the sub-par pictures - I was rushing and thought they looked better than that on my camera display. The piece is now hanging up at Heather's, so these are my only current pics!)

I also wanted to show you the handmade cards I got for my birthday from my stampin' girls - Ana L. and Heather B. - aren't they FABULOUS!? Can you believe these girls just started stamping in the early spring of THIS YEAR?!!?!?! Such talent. :)

Heather's card (I have tried 3 times to upload this pic and EVERY TIME this program rotates it, even though I don't want it to! GRRR!! I'm sorry you have to tilt your head to look at it, but I'm not technologically advanced enough to know how to fix it.)LOL

Ana's card

It's so nice to get handmade cards from someone - it means SO much to me, because I know how much work goes into it, and it's really nice to be on the receiving end! :)

Thanks for stopping by - I'll have a new post in the next couple of days to show you the wedding suite I made for a friend's shower on the weekend!

Happy day!

A

A Fun Card...

2010-08-02T12:08:00.003-04:00

...that looks harder to make than it really is!

My fabulous upline, Heather Summers, designed this card and showcased it back in January for one of our meetings, and it's been rolling around in the back of my mind since then! I have numerous cards to make for this month, and thought this was the perfect design to use!

Instead of me explaining how to do this card, I'm including the dimensions and Heather's video (a link to her fantastic blog, actually...) so you can attempt it too. :) I swear, it is easier than you think!

After babies go for afternoon naps, I will hit my stamp studio and whip up some of these cards to show you. In the meantime, here's the video!

UPDATE: Here's my first attempt at this card - made for my friend Elise, who loves all things tropical!

Closed...

...Open!!

I'll see if I can get another one done before naptime is over, lol.

See ya soon!

A

Christmas in August!!!

2010-07-31T16:53:00.005-04:00

Hello!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend - it's a long weekend here in Canada, but every weekend is a long weekend when you're on a maternity leave! LOL
(Oh, that just reminds me that I'm a month away from going back to work. SIGH.)

Anyway, one thing I'm planning to do this year is
NOT LEAVE CHRISTMAS STUFF TO THE LAST MINUTE!!!
You might be thinking, 'Well, August is a little early to start Christmas stuff...', but believe me, once school starts again in September, the next thing I know it will be Halloween and then I'll be doing report cards and PANICKING because I haven't thought about Christmas since, well, now.

So, if you are like me (or you just CAN'T wait for Christmas!), have I got the class for you!

CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST CLASS

Wed. Aug. 11, 7-10pm

Come and make 6 Christmas cards with easy-to-adapt patterns to get a jump-start on all your Christmas cards for this year!

COST: $30, or FREE with a $50 order

Here are the cards we'll be making:

As a thank-you for coming to my class, I'll also include 2 free Christmas tags and a treat package! YIPPEE!!!!!

Contact me at peanutparade@gmail.com by Aug. 9th if you are interested in coming to the class! I'd love to see YOU!

Have a great weekend!

A

I ride...

2010-07-27T11:20:00.005-04:00

Hello!

Hope you are enjoying the fantastic summer we are having - can you believe it is almost halfway over!? Crazy...

Something that I like to do in the summer is something you might not know about me... I ride a motorcycle. I know, I know, not the typical activity for a stampin' girl, LOL. But, I have been riding for almost 10 years now and I really love it! I haven't gotten out as much as I used to since the boys were born, but I do get out every once in awhile for a ride. Our next big ride is to Port Dover, ON for Friday the 13th in August (it's a big deal for bikers - kind of like the Canadian Daytona Bike Week or Sturgis, North Dakota, if that means anything to you). ;)

So, I was SUPER-EXCITED to see Stampin' Up come out with a motorcycle stamp this year in the Summer Mini - especially when it was only $10!!!! Whoohooo!!

Here's some of the cards I made with it:

I used tin flashing (bought at Home Depot in the siding aisle) that I ran through the Big Shot with a texture plate to make it look like diamond plate. The ribbon is retired ribbon from my stash (I think I got it from the Clearance Rack, if it's still there!) The sentiment is from the set Pedalling Past, which I also love! The paper is Basic Black and Riding Hood Red (so happy that one came back in the new Colour Reno!). I used Smoosh Spritz in Silver Foil too. (Sorry about the glare on the one motorcycle - crazy glossy white paper! LOL)

This card is made using my first attempt at reflection - not great, but kinda cool. I like how the moon turned out through masking and the higlights on the motorcycle tank and fender done with white gel pen. The paper is Not Quite Navy, which I don't use near enough! The 'beach' is done in Creamy Caramel and I hand-drew the reeds in.

This stamp is great for 'guy' cards (especially in my family!) and also for anyone going on a trip, or even girls that ride! Yay!

Click HERE to shop for this stamp, and other great SU products!

Welcome back to all my SU friends who went to Convention - I'll get there one of these years - babies are keeping me home-bound right now! Thanks for sharing your adventures online so I can live vicariously! LOL

Thanks for riding by!

A

Oops, I Almost Forgot!

2010-07-16T07:27:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Wow, it's 7am, and I have no idea why the kids are up already - they went to bed really late last night and I was figuring I would get a little sleep in... NOPE!!!!!

So, while they are chillin' and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I'll do a quick post for your Friday. :) I made some quick cards for stuff a few weeks ago and almost forgot to post them in all the new catalogue excitement. Crazy!

I made a card for our neighbour's little guy who finished his first year of school at the end of June - he's Peanut's best friend, so he of course needed a card and a little treat! I used the First Day set from the Summer Mini and Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler cardstocks and Old Olive ribbon. I even made the "A + Awesome" stamp into a magnet that he could put on his fridge! Cool, huh? :)

Card interior

The second card is for one of my 'dads' - my best friend since kindergarten's dad, to be exact! He turned 60 on Canada Day, and had a big BBQ, so I made him a card using the King of the Grill stamp set and some retired DSP on Garden Green and Pacific Point cardstocks. I heat embossed the barbeque with silver embossing powder and then burned the edges of the cardstock - it works perfectly with this stamp set! (but if you're gonna do it, be right by your sink or some water or else your paper will continue to smolder and it will be gone before you know it! LOL)

Anyways, hope you have a great Friday! I'll be back soon with some BRAND-NEW stuff and details on my button and brad share! :)

Thanks for visiting!

A

My Box of Happiness is Here!!

2010-07-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

Hello all!

I was pretty jazzed today to get my first NEW CATALOGUE ORDER from 'Mr. Brown' (aka: The UPS guy)!!!!!! Packed with so much fun, I can't wait to dive into it later tonight! It has all the stuff I HAD TO HAVE right off the hop, and all my catalogue Open House orders for my girls!! YIPPEE!!

Muffin couldn't wait, so he started going through the box in the hallway - a future SU demonstrator, perhaps? :)

I also have my Open House winners to announce - 5 girls are going to be very happy! :)

Heather B, Andrea M, Sheryl C, Ana L and Becky S - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I have your prizes and your orders ready to go! Email me for details!

I didn't post any pics from the Open House (we were too busy crafting and drooling on the catalogue to take any!!), but I did get a pic of the black and white cupcakes before we ate them (I did them to coordinate with the Newsprint DSP - pretty smart, huh?!) :D

I will be back over the next few days to post my new creations - I'm gonna be a craftin' machine! LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Greenhouse Gala!

2010-07-13T11:10:00.005-04:00

Hello!

Well, after a week at the cottage with my babies, I gotta say I am more tired than when I left, lol! But I did get to do some stamping during naptimes, using the new Greenhouse Gala DSP!! Here's what I came up with:

RECIPES:

Cardstock: Early Expresso, Marina Mist, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, Pumpkin Pie
DSP: Greenhouse Gala
Stamps: Cute by the Inch, Occasional Quotes (both hostess sets in the new catalogue!), Tiny Tags
EXTRAS: Bitty Buttons, Chocolate Chip grosgrain, Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, 1/8" Marina Mist ribbon, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, So Saffron striped grosgrain (retired), Tiny Tag punch, Smoosh Spritz in Vanilla and various markers.

Email me if you need details of dimensions or other instructions on any of the cards. :)

I am not-so-patiently waiting for my first catalogue order to come - SO exciting!!!!!
Then I'll be REALLY tired because I'll wanna stay up all night stamping! LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Come and Get 'Em!!!!

2010-06-30T20:36:00.008-04:00

Hello all!

Well, we are mere HOURS away from the release of the new Stampin' Up 2010-11 catalogue!!! As tomorrow is Canada Day for me, I won't be posting because I'll be spending time with my boys. So that means, I need to tell you NOW about my NEW CATALOGUE OPEN HOUSE!!!!!

WHEN: Monday, July 5th, 1-4pm and 7-9pm.
WHERE: my house (email me for details if you haven't been here before)
WHY: for your new catalogue, your snacks, your make-n-takes, and your draw prizes!!!

I know... like getting a new catalogue in your hot little hands isn't fantastic enough - there will also be snacks, a chance to play with some ALL NEW Stampin' Up stuff, AND, for every $10 you spend in orders, you get entered in my draw for FIVE fabulous Stampin' Up prizes!!! Also, if you bring a friend, or join a class, I'll give you an EXTRA entry ballot! Book a party and I'll give you 3 extra ballots!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!

You don't need to be a stamper/scrapbooker to come and visit either - this is the perfect opportunity for you to come and check it out if you have never stamped before - come and let me show you what FABULOUS stuff you can make too!

To celebrate the release of the new catalogue, here's some samples I've been working on the last week or so (with all-new SU stuff - so fun!!!!!!!)

This is my Twilight-inspired card - using the Presto Patterns and Newsprint designer papers from the new catalogue, as well as the new colour Cherry Cobbler and a new hostess set, Cute by the Inch!

This card is using ALL new colours (Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso) and the new Stampin' Wheel, Baby Tees! Don't you love it!?!

Finally, this last card is using the new Greenhouse Gala designer paper and the stamp set Favorite Sayings from the Summer Mini. I LOOOVE this new paper!!!

If you are interested in coming to my open house (even if it's just to say hello and have a cupcake!{oops, did I say cupcakes? Spoiler alert!!!!LOL}), email me at peanutparade@gmail.com

AND, last but not least, if you can't make it on the 5th, but you'd really like a catalogue, I'm available all weekend to get you one! Just let me know - I'd love to be your Stampin' Up demonstrator!

Have a great Canada Day, and Independence Day to all my US friends and visitors!

A

LAST CALL!!!!!!

2010-06-29T09:57:00.004-04:00

Hello!

Hope you are enjoying the end of June (already!!!), and possibly the end of school! To all my teacher friends, way to go! You made it out alive again! :D And way to go to all the kids and parents too - congrats on all your accomplishments and hard work!

This is the (almost) LAST DAY TO ORDER FROM THE 2010 Idea Book - so many fun things are retiring!! Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, Cottage Wall DSP, Tulipe Big Shot die, all the retiring colours, ACK!!! So, if you're panicking a little bit that you might need to hoard some of that retiring stuff, you can jump on my last order of the 2010 catalogue. I am placing that last order WEDNESDAY night at 8pm, so if you want to join the order and save on shipping, just email me at peanutparade@gmail.com.
Or, if you want to order right now, you can click HERE to shop online (you can also check out the clearance rack from this link - SUPER great deals to be had!!!)

To celebrate the one last hurrah of the retiring catalogue, and to usher in the new, I made a card using old and new:

RECIPE:

Kraft cardstock (soon to be called Crumb Cake)
Pacific Point cardstock (a former In-Colour that is returning as a permanent colour!)
Circle Circus stamp set (returning in the new catalogue - YAY!)
NEW Marina Mist 1/8" tafetta ribbon (SO easy to use!!!)
NEW Pear Pizazz ink
NEW Crumb Cake ink (Kraft coloured ink!!!!!!!!!!)
NEW Pacific Point ink (returning, but now offered in markers, which is new!!)
NEW Marina Mist ink
Favourite Thoughts Stamp Set from the Summer Mini

I gotta say I am SUPER excited to release all my catalogues starting July 1st!!!

I'll be back to post tomorrow with details on my CATALOGUE OPEN HOUSE on July 5th - lots of prizes, treats and of course, Stampin' Up!!!

Thanks for dropping by!

A

Ice Cream! Ice Cream!

2010-06-23T08:19:00.007-04:00

Hello all!

I know, I know, 'Where have you been? Why haven't you posted? Did you fall off the face of the earth?'

Nope, but June is always a crazy month for us around here - four birthdays, Father's Day, the end of school (when I'm not on mat. leave, at least) and whatever other random stuff comes up. This year, we've done Relay for Life (a 12-hr overnight cancer fundraiser), Big Bike for Heart (a heart and stroke fundraiser), Mike started a new job, and I ran my first triathlon (y'know, because I have nothing else on the go! LOL). That's not including my technique club and the Tropical Party I'm having this Friday! I have no idea how we get this stuff done when I'm working outside the house and I have to throw report cards in there and teaching for 6 hours a day!!!!

So, onto today's post (finally!)

For my sister-in-law's birthday (on Father's Day), I made a basket of ice cream 'stuff' to go with the Sweet Scoops stamp set (I have fallen in LOVE with that set!). I stamped the card with three ice cream cones (the DSP is from the Island Oasis set in the Summer Mini - good fit, huh?!) and then I made MINI MILK CARTONS using CLEAR WINDOW SHEETS!!!!! (the window sheets are from the Night and Day DSP from the Holiday Mini catalogue of 2009). How cool is that!?

I filled the milk cartons with ice cream sprinkles and toppings and finished the carton with a little DSP sleeve to fancy it up. In the basket, I included some FANTASTIC ice cream that we have available in Canada right now and an ice cream scoop and cones. SUPER FUN!! She was super-impressed.

But, being a busy month, I totally forgot to shoot pics of the project BEFORE we left to go to her house...

So the pics below were shot on my lap, in the truck on the way to her house. As I'm shooting, the exchange between my husband and I went something like this:

Mike: "What are you doing?"

Me: (as I set up my shot on the dashboard) "Taking pics of the stuff that I made for your sister to put on my blog."

Mike: (PAUSE) "You know Debbie would probably let you take pics of it at her house before you give it to her..."

Me: "That's tacky to ask. And it would take too long to explain WHY I need a pic of her present. The ice cream would probably melt."

Mike: "Ahh. So instead you'll post pics taken at 120km/hr on the 401."

Me: "Yup. Just drive straight."

***Pay no attention to the obvious speeding infraction - we were late (as usual). :)

So, I hope you enjoy the pics below. If you have any questions about how I did it, a card recipe, colours, tips, why I did it, etc., just post below, or email me!

As usual, you can order all the products for this project and anything else, 24-7 by clicking HERE!

Have a cool day!

A

Retiring Deals Everywhere!!!

2010-06-01T11:04:00.003-04:00

Oh man, oh man, oh man, I am SOOOO excited!!!

June 1st means... the RETIRING STAMPS, DECOR ELEMENTS, and ACCESSORIES LIST IS OUT!!!!

And this year, it's a BIG list! Just a quick heads up before you check out the retired accessory list....check out the reconfiguration list (this means the accessories will be available in the next catalogue but will be changed). Also notice the other column that shows some items are being DISCOUNTED!!! Gotta love a good deal! :)

All accessories are first come, first served. Be advised that some items will sell out FAST. So if there is anything you'd like, I will place your order immediately if it is $50 or more to make sure you get what you want before it's sold out. If your order is less than $50, I will add it to another order as soon as I get enough to reduce our shipping costs (nobody wants to pay crazy shipping, even on a deal!).

So, grab a cup of coffee, put the kids in front of the TV (trust me, you need some time to yourself!! lol), grab lunch at your desk, and check out the lists! You won't be disappointed! :)

Download Retiredaccessories-CANENG

Download LastChanceStamps_0510_CA

Download LastChanceDefinitelyDecorative_0510_CA

Have a fantastic day!

A

CLICK HERE TO SHOP ONLINE FOR ALL CURRENT AND RETIRING STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES!

A Tropical Party!

2010-05-31T16:39:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone!

Hope it is summery wherever you are - here it is downright HOT for the end of May! But that is totally okay with me - I love the heat! It makes me feel like I live somewhere tropical and exotic. :)

Speaking of tropical, have I got a FUN girl's night out idea for you!!

COST: $50

What do I get for my $50?
You get one pack of the Island Oasis 12 x 12 paper (a $13.25 value),

the Tropical Party clear-mount stamp set (a $18.95 value),

and 4 projects!!!! They are:

A decorated box and 4 coordinating cards

A fun easel card

A 3-D 'tropical drink' card, and
A party treat box, decorated with a vellum flower

PLUS, a thank-you treat from me,

and a girl's night out!

All that for $50?! What a great deal!

DATE: Friday, June 25th at 7pm

WHERE: Heather's house, details to follow (Heather wants to use her new blender to create drinks for our girl's night out, so we're at her house!)

And our party wouldn't be complete without tropical drinks and snacks, and even some tropical prizes!

Please RSVP to peanutparade@gmail.com by Monday, June 21st to save your spot!

Thanks for dropping by!

A

It's Time for ICE CREAM!!!!

2010-05-23T00:08:00.003-04:00

Hello, and happy long weekend to you!

Hope you are enjoying some 'R n'R' this long weekend, wherever you are. I'm happy to brighten your day with some ice cream creations which are the best kind - FAT FREE! :)

Check out these cards I made at my Simply Stars meeting:

The girls in my Simply Stars group were challenged by our upline, Heather Summers to create a Shoebox Swap card using a new set from the Summer Mini, and most of the girls chose the Sweet Scoops set, which is my second favourite, after the Tropical Party! I'm so excited to show off their work, but unfortunately I can't remember who designed what! I'd love to give credit, so if any of the Stars girls swing by, please claim your card design!

Hope you enjoy the designs, and if you want to shop online for any of the supplies to make these cards, CLICK HERE.

Have a great long weekend!

A

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2010-05-09T11:53:00.004-04:00

AHH, nothing says Mother's Day like time to myself... LOL.

I've only had three Mother's Days now, so it is really the best part of the day for me. And it actually started on Saturday - I got to sleep in 'til 11 (I know, UNHEARD OF with a toddler and a 7 month old!!!) and then I got to do some craftin' last night too. Yay. I'm banished upstairs right now while Mike and the boys whip up something for me for Mother's Day (there's a lot of card signing and the sounds of scotch tape downstairs right now, LOL).

So while I'm trapped upstairs, I thought I would jump on the computer and show you what I was working on last night!

A Summer Sampler using the NEW Tropical Oasis paper from the Summer Mini!! Yippee!!

I LOVE this paper and I always joke with my stampin' girls that papers I really like I wanna wallpaper the house with so I can look at them all the time. Well, this is my solution! I included a few squares of reitred papers too, and some Dollar Store contraband (it was too cute to resist!), but the rest is new or current stuff!!

If there is something on this sampler that you have questions about, just email me at peanutparade@gmail.com. There is too much stuff to go through for a recipe, but I'd be happy to help you/answer questions if you're gonna attempt your own! it's a lot of fun!

Anyway, gotta go - I hear little feet coming to get me. :)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there - our work never stops, but it's totally worth it. Just check out the pic below to see. :)

Have a great day with your family! Hug 'em tight!

A

Challenge + Babies = No Time!

2010-04-23T18:03:00.005-04:00

Okay, seriously, how is it Friday already!?!

Well, I'm participating in my upline Heather's challenge again this week because I had some cards I needed to make anyway, and this way the design part is mostly done!
However, I had NO IDEA it would take me all week to get this done... SIGH.

Well, here they are anyway. And as an added bonus, I'm showing you the baby shower card I made for a friend's shower this weekend too!

The first card is using the DSP Shades of Spring from the Occasions Mini (which retires at the end of this month!)and the hostess set Love Bug. I used Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink as the main colours.

The second card is using the NEW DSP Tropical Party (LOVE IT!) and some 'old' DSP too - Pink Flamingo. It uses Summer Sun in those flowers, which is retiring at the end of June (WHAHHH!!!), so I'm enjoying it while I can. :) I distressed the papers for some added 'oomph', and doubled my ribbon with Tempting Turquoise and Real Red. The tag is from the Tiny Tags set.

The last card is using the Sale-a-bration free DSP and some Sweet Pea DSP too (which also retires at the end of April!!), along with Old Olive and So Saffron Cardstock. I also used the All in the Family baby stamp along with the Sweet Centres set for the Sweet Treat Cups. Pretty fun, huh? Love those safety pin baby candies!

I heard at my latest SU meeting that as of June 1st, all retiring colours (inks, cardstock, brads, ribbon,etc.) will be WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. So if you MUST MUST MUST have Summer Sun paper/reinkers/etc. (or whatever your fave retiring colour is) I would HIGHLY recommend you order them before the end of May, or risk having them sold out before you get there! EEK!!!

To order now, CLICK HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

A

New Stamps and a Challenge Accepted!

2010-04-15T11:52:00.004-04:00

Hello!

My upline Heather extended a challenge to all of us in her group to design a card from her template (she gives us a new one every Sunday). So this week, I was inspired by some NEW STAMPS that my favourite UPS guy brought me to get some cards done! This is one of them:

It uses stamps from the new set Pedalling Past, from the upcoming Summer Mini.
Love it!
I also used some of the retiring colours, :( like Bermuda Bay and Creamy Caramel. I'll need to stock up on those before the end of June, that's for sure!
On the Chocolate Chip cardstock piece, I used the new Log Cabin Smoosh Spray, which is so fun too!

With all this new stuff coming out, PLUS the new catalogue in July and all the new colours, I may not see the light of day for most of the summer! lol

I'll have some more cards within the next few days, but in the meantime, enjoy some goofy kid pics. :)

Peanut

Muffin

Thanks for popping by!

A

WHAT?! A Colour Renovation?!

2010-04-09T10:19:00.005-04:00

Okay, I know change is scary, but...

When I heard earlier this week that Stampin' Up was changing their colour line-up, I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. What were we going to lose? What was new and coming up? How much was this gonna cost me? LOL

But now that I have looked at the colours, and seen what we are losing, I'm PRETTY DARN EXCITED!!!!! There are only 3 colours that we are losing that I'm upset about (Taken with Teal! Summer Sun! Cameo Coral! :*( Whah!!!), and 22 that I barely use. We are getting back 10 former In-Colours, (which are AWESOME!!!!) and 5 brand new colours to boot!! WHOOHOO! I'm back in the game!!! LOL

Check out the new colours below:

Included in the 5 new colours is Crumb Cake, formerly Kraft!!!! Now it's gonna be available in ink and other accessories, not just paper! Whoo!! You'll also see Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso.

These are the colours that will retire, as of June 30, 2010:

Glorious Green, Green Galore, Gable Green, Yo Yo Yellow, Only Orange, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Brilliant Blue, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Summer Sun, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Ballet Blue, Taken with Teal, Handsome Hunter, Pale Plum, Blush Blossom, Apricot Appeal, Barely Banana, Mellow Moss, Sage Shadow, Almost Amethyst, Lavender Lace, Basic Brown and Going Gray.

If there are colours in the retiring stash that you absolutely LOOOOOOOOOVE and can't bare to see out of your arsenal, make sure to order them before they retire (cardstock, inks, re-inkers and markers!!). Click HERE to shop right now!! :)

Feel free to post your comments about the change here. I'd love to hear what you think!

Have a great day!

A

I LOOVE a good SALE!!!

2010-04-05T21:14:00.002-04:00

Hello all!

I wanted to pass on a quick update to you, in between getting ready for my Sweet Pea class on Wednesday and running after kids - Stampin' Up is having a clearance sale!!!!

There is TONS of stuff on the clearance rack, lots of it at 60% off! Whoohoo!!!

Click HERE to take you right to the clearance rack, where you can order all your stuff and have it shipped directly to you! Yippee!

Hope you had a fantastic Easter and be sure to check out the clearance rack - it rocks!

Here's a little Easter laugh for you - Dominic in his Easter ears!

Thanks for hopping by!

A

Technique Club!

2010-03-31T20:28:00.004-04:00

Hello!

Have you ever made a card and thought, "Wow, that turned out SO great that I don't want to give it away! What if I can't remember how to do that again?" Or, you've seen a fabulous card and asked the card's creator, "How did you do that?" and they answer, "Oh, it's the 'blah blah' technique", like you should know what that is?

Well, have I got a solution for you - a Technique club!

What's a Technique club, you might ask?
Well, it's a 5 month club where each month, you get to make pages for a resource book that is JAM-PACKED with super-fun ideas that you can use in your cardmaking or scrapbooking! Check out the pictures below!

A pic of your soon-to-be FAVOURITE book!

A sample of one of the pages in your book (closeup)...

How does the club work?

Each month, you'll come to my house and I'll have your supplies ready to go to create your 4 pages. Each page will include instructions on how to do the technique, plus an example that you've made! When you're done, you'll have a 20 page resource binder that you've made, plus bonuses!

What bonuses?

Each month, you'll submit a $40 order for whatever SU supplies you want. One of those orders will include your binder (a $22.95 value). Each month, one of the girls in our group will be the 'hostess', and receive all the hostess benefits from SU, like FREE stamp sets! (Nothing like hosting a party and not having to clean your house or make party snacks! Heehee!). So over the 5 months, you get 5 nights out, LOTS of stampin' stuff every month, a chance to get free stuff, AND your resource book! Not too shabby for a $40 order! :) You're basically getting the pages for free!

The dates I have scheduled for the classes are :

Wednesday April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, and August 18.

If you can't make it to one of the nights, we can always reschedule for you, or it can be a take-home kit for you to assemble that month.

Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com or mpam96@rogers.com to sign up for the class, but hurry!
I only have room for 5 stampers in the club!

I promise you won't be disappointed!
Hope to hear from you soon!

Andrea

Sweet Pea Class, Part 2!

2010-03-29T16:22:00.004-04:00

Hello, and Happy Monday to you!

I wanted to show you a couple more of the cards that we will be making for the Sweet Pea class, which is happening next Wednesday, April 7th.

Here are the class details:

$40 gets you a chance to make 10 cards using the Sweet Pea designer series paper, AND the Sweet Pea paper stack to take home! Check out the FABULOUS patterns in this pack!!! I LOOOOVE how versatile and fun they are!

I still have room for 3 more stampers if you are interested! Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to sign up!

Have a great day!

A

Sweet Pea Class!

2010-03-18T11:47:00.004-04:00

Hello!

Hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day, whether you're Irish or not! We went out for our traditional Irish pub lunch, and then Peanut came home and had a 3 HOUR nap! I guess 'pub-crawling' wore him out, LOL!

I had lots of time during Peanut's nap to finish my designs for my upcoming Sweet Pea class! YAY!

Here's the details:

WHAT: Come and make 10 cards using the FABULOUS papers in the Sweet Pea designer series paper stack. You even get to take home your own Sweet Pea paper stack when you're done!
WHEN: Wednesday, April 7th, 7-10pm
WHERE: my house
COST: $40, which includes your Sweet Pea paper stack (a $32.95 value!)

So basically, you get to come and make 10 cards for less than $8! What a fantastic deal! :)

Here's five of the designs we'll be making:

Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com if you're interested in attending the class! Please let me know by April 2nd (Good Friday) so I can have all supplies ready to go for you. As usual, if the class time doesn't work for you, we can work together to arrange a better time or it can ba a take-home kit too!

Have a great day!

A

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-16T20:49:00.003-04:00

I know it's a bit early, but we have an appointment in the morning and then we are going for our annual "Take Our Kids to the Pub" St. Patrick's Day lunch (it actually sounds way more trashy than it is - we have nachos on the closed-in patio at our favourite Irish pub and the kids just hang out, LOL). So if I didn't post now, you wouldn't get to see my fabulous St. Paddy's Day card!

I used the Sweet Heart cups to create shamrock leaves and corner punched a piece of Handsome Hunter textured cardstock to look a little 'celtic'. The white cardstock is embossed with a paisley texture plate too. I had to seal it in a clear plastic envelope to keep little candy-seeking fingers away from it while it was on my display board (hence the smudgy marks on the greeting already!).

Anyway, have a fantastic green day and I'll probably have some funny Peanut pics to show you tomorrow!

To buy your supplies for this card, click HERE.

Erin Go Bragh!

A

Whoa! Where did THAT week go?!

2010-03-15T12:55:00.006-04:00

So I said last Monday I would be back to post wedding stuff in a day or two... then the sunshine came. LOL

Well, I finally made it back from playing outside with Peanut (and Muffin), so here's the wedding cards I promised... just a week late. :)

This was the card I made for Elise's bridal shower. The dress is the Scallop Circle cut with the Big Shot and embossed with an embossing folder in the Big Shot. Her dress was similar to that with a red sash at the waist. :) I used shimmer paint to stamp the hearts in the background.

We bought Elise and Ryan new luggage for their honeymoon and this was the card attached to the suitcase. It's Raspberry Tart (retired DSP), but goes SOOO nicely with the new Old Olive striped grosgrain! Stamps is from the Sugar and Spice set. The cardstock is stamped with Boho Backgrounds.

Here's Mike and I in our wedding party finest!

I WILL be back to post this week, as I've got LOTS of stuff to show you and tell you about! Lots of upcoming fun classes and activities, as well as fun stuff to make!

Have a great day and thanks for surfing by!

A

Easter Class!

2010-03-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday to you!

I have had a crazy week this past week, and I'm pretty excited to see my world come back to normal, which means more stamping time! :) My family was in a wedding for my best friend on the weekend, so needless to say it was a huge commitment from all of us, but it went great! I'll have some wedding cards to show you tomorrow.

But on to what I came here for today - to show you my latest Easter Class!! I was super-excited to get back to my craft room yesterday, and here is what I created for my special Easter class!

Class Details: Come and make 3 cards and two packages, PLUS a bonus card for free!
(I couldn't decide which cards to include in the class, so you get to make them all!)

Time: Wednesday, March 24th, 7-9:30pm

Cost: $40 0r FREE with a $65 order (that includes a Sale-a-bration free pick too! You can't lose!)

All projects for the class - three cards, a bunny Top Note box and mini milk cartons basket.

The bonus card! Yours to make for free!

A close-up view of the mini milk cartons and basket.

EMAIL ME at peanutparade@gmail.com if you are interested in joining me for the class! As always, if that date doesn't work for you, we can work around your scheduling, or it can be a kit for you to make at home.

Thanks for "hopping" by!

A

More "Reverse Stamping", lol

2010-02-24T14:04:00.004-05:00

Hello all!

Well, the snow has stopped here, and AGAIN I have two boys napping, so since hubby is home this afternoon, I'm gonna slip out to the dollar store in a bit (did I mention I have a pretty serious dollar store problem?! lol).

Before I do that, I wanted to show you some more examples of my "reverse stamping" cards (a fellow stamper told me the technique is REALLY called 'emboss resist', but I think I'm kinda attached to my name for it! LOL). I'm using the stamp set Circle Circus, which I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE (I know, I say that every time I use it...) and the In-Colour inks and papers. Accents are various scraps of DSP that coordinate, In-Colour ribbons and circle brads.

If you are in the London area and would like to learn this technique, email me to book an in-house workshop! I come to you, I bring all the supplies (as well as door prizes!) and we have a fun afternoon or evening of stamping! PLUS, you get the added bonus of SALE-A-BRATION for you and your guests! For every $65 order, you get to choose a FREE stamp set/paper pad/punch from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue! HOW FABULOUS IS THAT!? :) As a hostess, you get an EXTRA Sale-a-bration stamp set for an in-home workshop totalling $295 or more! It's win-win for you and your girls! :)

To sweeten the deal, I'll give you a FREE Classic Ink pad, just for hosting your party!

Email me at peanutparade@gmail.com to book a party! But hurry, this offer is only available until March 31st!

Thanks for stopping by!

A

Sunday Challenge (fashionably late, lol)

2010-02-22T16:55:00.004-05:00

Hello, and happy snow day!

We are getting a dumping of the white stuff around here today - quite a change from yesterday when it was +7!

Since I'm cooped up in the house with kidlets today, I had some time to check out blogs and stuff. One of my favourite blogs to visit is my upline Heather's, and she was running a Sunday Design Challenge for all us girls on her team. I've never done a challenge before, but wanted to play with some stuff today, and lo and behold, managed to get TWO napping boys for the afternoon! YAY! Here's what I came up with:

The first card is using the DSP Cottage Wall, which I LOVE but have been hoarding since I bought it (why do I do that!? LOL). I used Rich Razzleberry as the accent colour and Old Olive as the base for the card. The message is from the new set in the Occasions Mini for the Sweet Treat cups. :)

The second card is a little bit more involved, but SO much fun! I showed some girls at Christie's workshop yesterday how to 'reverse stamp' (it might have another technical term, but that's what I'm calling it!). We stamped the paper in Versamark with Circle Circus (LOOOOOVE that set!) and then heat embossed with white emboss powder (you could also use clear emboss powder). After it was cool, we 'smushed' the In-Colour inks to create our own custom DSP, and it turned out awesome! I wanted to still play with that paper some more, so I used it here, on a background of Bermuda Bay with Rich Razzleberry and Crushed Curry accents. The stamp is Love Bug from the level 1 hostess collection. Isn't it fun!? Totally what I needed to counteract this snow thing going on outside!

If you'd like to learn how to create this designer paper too, it is what I am showcasing at all my in-home workshops for the rest of Sale-a-bration! If you're interested in hosting a party in your home and taking advantage of the fabulous deals available until March 31st, (for every $65 you spend, you get a FREE stamp set from the Sale-a-bration catalogue), email me at mpam96@rogers.com.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay warm!

A

Baby Stuff...

2010-02-18T14:05:00.005-05:00

Hello!

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day weekend - we spent ours watching a very long Daytona 500! The boys all had fun though, so it was worth it.

For today's post, I thought I would show you some of the cards I have been making lately for all the babies that have shown up in our midst in the last little while, not including our own! We're at that age where everyone we know is having babies, so I'm trying to stay ahead of the game and make cards in advance now! Here are a few of them:

This card is using the Sweet Treat Cups and the coordinating stamp set from the Holiday Mini (if you didn't buy it already, I have a feeling it will be in the new 2010 catalogue!). The rattle is a 'snowglobe' of glitter and glass beads, and the bunny stamped behind the globe is from the "I'm Kind of a Big Deal" baby stamp set. Bundle of Joy is from the Occasions Min set "Little Angel".

These two cards are using the Scallop Circle from the Big Shot dies. I made one into a baby bib and the other into a baby carriage. Both are cut from the die with the folded edge slightly off the die to leave the fold intact so the card can open. The bib's bunny is from the Easter set in the Occasions Mini and is stamped in Rich Razzleberry. The ribbon is Bermuda Bay.

This card uses the Tiny Tags punch for the bottles with a small notch cut out of the top to make the bottle nipples. The DSP is Razzleberry Lemonade, which I haven't used since the summmer and really should use more often! :)

And lastly, this card is a baby onesie cut out of a regular sized card. The neck and leg holes are cut with the large oval punch and the blue scalloped edges finish the sleeves and legs. The onesie is stamped with Fox and Friends (yay!) and the snaps at the bottom are So Saffron brads. This looks a lot more complicated that it is - it's really very easy to do!

Hope this gives you some baby inspiration for your creations. To buy supplies to make these cards, click HERE.

Have a great day!

A

Valentine's with a Punch! (or two...)

2010-02-10T12:17:00.005-05:00

Hello!

Long time no see - things have been busy around here! I did manage to get some cards made last night that I wanted to show you - one using a Sale-a-bration set from the main Idea Book catalogue, and one using PUNCHES!!!

This card will be for my mom, and it uses the Things I Love stamp set. It works perfectly for my mom because we both love to shop! I also used the new satin ribbon and the Valentine's DSP from the Occasions Mini.

My other card is using the ornament punch and the ornament stamp set from the Holiday Mini - if you purchased this one back in 2009, here's a new way to use it!!! I hope they bring the ornament punch into the new catalogue in July...

I also used the new small heart punch to create the water and the fishies' fins, eyelids and tails. I really didn't think I needed that small heart punch because I already had the heart trio punch, but am I ever glad I got it! It is SOOO easy to use and makes a great little heart without worrying about the other two hearts that I may or may not want to punch out too! Yippee for happy surprises! :) The DSP I used is Razzleberry Lemonade, and the water is Bermuda Bay with Tempting Turquoise hearts and Supernova blue glitter on top. The fishes' fins are done in the Sale-a-bration DSP.

Lastly, these are the thank-you gifts I included in my customers' bags with their last order. These are made using the Sweet Treats cups and coordinating stamp-set from the Holiday Mini. I was rather excited to use this one, since I hadn't gotten around to using the Valentine's stamp in it yet! I stamped the heart in Pixie Pink and then 'rock + rolled' it with Chocolate Chip. I needed to coordinate to the paper AND the candy, y'know! :)And finally, the treat release door is punched with the pinking hearts punch.

To order any of the punches used here, go to my SU website by clicking HERE.

Hope you have a fabulous day, and enjoy Valentine's Day with the ones you love! I'll be watching the Daytona 500 with my favourite boys!

A xo

More Valentine's...

2010-01-24T19:08:00.006-05:00

Hello!

Wow, where did this week go?! I meant to be back earlier to show you some more Valentine's cards and now it's Sunday night already! How did that happen?!

Anyway, here's a couple more Valentine's Day cards using stamps and accessories from the Occasions Mini. One is using the Sweet Treats cups and the other uses the Sweet Heart cups, which I LOVE just as much as I thought I would! So easy to use, especially with the coordinating stamps! Yippee!

The last card uses the stamp set Love Bandit. At first, I wasn't sure I would get a lot of use out of it, but wanted the raccoon anyway. :) Now I love it! I've used it quite a bit, and this is just one of my samples.

To order your supplies, click HERE.

Hope you had a great weekend, and we'll see you next week!

A

More Valentine's Decor...

2010-01-19T12:27:00.004-05:00

Okay, can you tell I LOOOVE Valentine's Day?!

Here is some of the things I've been working on to decorate my studio for Valentine's...

I saw this ribbon garland at Michael's craft store (for $20!? WHAT!?) and thought, I can make a much cooler one than that! I used scraps of the Valentine's DSP from the Occasions Mini that I crimped and punched, SU ribbons and (oops) some contraband too - Dollar store ribbons and fabric scraps! I tied it all to a piece of jute twine. I can't wait to make other colour combinations!

I was VERY excited to get a super cool SNOW picture from my friend Dale at our downline Christmas gift exchange, and really didn't want to put it away with my Christmas decor... so, I made the back of it into a Valentine's picture! (Check out Dale's blog on my sidebar to see the original.) I used the Valentine's DSP again (I swear, I would wallpaper my house in this paper if my husband would let me! LOL) and cut the letters out with my Cricut (oops! More contraband! LOL). I tried the letters in vinyl, but actually liked them better in Very Vanilla cardstock because I could sponge the edges of the letters.

This is a great way to use up scraps of your favourite DSP (bet you can't guess which DSP is my current favourite!? LOL). I used the scallop square to punch out these squares and glued them on a masonite heart that I got from the Dollar Store (what did we ever do before the Dollar Store!?). I added the striped grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip and some of the new cordoroy buttons in Real Red to finish it off.

Hope you are inspired to deck your house out using SU! Click here to buy your supplies!

Have a "LOVE"-ly day!

A

OMG, Valentine's Tree!?

2010-01-18T23:01:00.003-05:00

Okay, I am SOOO excited about this that I have to show you!

I made this card for my husband (I hope he doesn't check my blog in the next month and see it! LOL) for Valentine's Day, and it turned out SO good! I got the idea from Karen Burniston - check out her blog on the left for more pop-up ideas(thanks Karen!). This card uses the Christmas Tree pop-up die covered in punched out hearts! I LOOVE IT!!!!! I used the new DSP Valentine's paper from the Occasions Mini (LOVE THAT TOO!!!) and the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set. I added some bling to the front too!

This is the outside of the card...

And this is the inside!!!! How fabulous is this?!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you some more of my Valentine's creations. :)

Oh, one last thing! I'm having my Valentine's class AGAIN this week on Wednesday - a 6-page board book ready to assemble, 2 cards, and a package, all for $50, or FREE with a $65 order! Email me if you are interested! mpam96@rogers.com

Have a great day!

A

Valentine's Day Class!

2010-01-08T16:51:00.003-05:00

Hello!

I am SUPER EXCITED about my upcoming Valentine's Day class!

I am torn on which date to have it on though... either Thursday the 14th or Wednesday the 20th... let me know what you think!

Anyway, enough indecisiveness, let's see the projects! :)

For the class fee of $50, you get a 6 page heart-shaped board book and all the supplies to decorate it, using all new designer papers, stamps and embellishments from the Occasions Mini (YUMMY!), two card designs (including one using HEART-SHAPED Sweet Treat Cups!!!) and a super-cute package too! If you place an order for $65 or more, you get the class for FREE!!! And because it's Sale-a-bration time, your $65 order will ALSO get you a FREE stamp set or punch or paper pack from the SAB catalogue! What a sweet deal! :)

Here are pics of the board book and one card design - you'll have to sign up for the class to see the other designs!

Email me at mpam96@rogers.com if you are interested in taking the class!

Have a great day!

A

It's Sale-a-bration time!!!

2010-01-05T13:35:00.005-05:00

Yippee! Free stuff! :)

You may already know about this, but in case you don't, I'll fill you in:

From January 5th to March 31st, for EVERY $65 you spend with Stampin' Up, you get to pick a FREE stamp set (or even a paper set or punch this year!) from the Sale-a-bration catalogue!! How great is that?! If you host a party, you get even MORE FREE STUFF!!! If you host a party that is $395 in sales, you get a free Sale-a-bration stamp set too, and that's on top of your regular hostess benefits! Yippee!! If you ever thought about hosting a party, now is definitely the time to do it! Email me at mpam96@rogers.com if you would like to get in on the fun (and free stuff, of course!)

For today's post, I wanted to show you some of the cards I've been making with the new Sale-a-bration papers, and some stamps and paper from the Occasions Mini, which just started today too!

This card is using the Sweet Pea paper from the Occasions Mini (which I LOOOOVE!!) and the Sweet Pea stitched felt flowers too! Love how they coordinate - I can put it all together with no brain power at all! LOL

This card is using the Sale-a-bration paper pad, Welcome Neighbour. It has tonnes of different patterns, but lots of these house series in different colours. Great for a neighbour card, which I needed this week to thank our great neighbours! It's on Crushed Curry paper.

And lastly, this card is also using the Sweet Pea Paper, and the Fox and Friends stamp set, both from the Occasions Mini. It's a semi-case from my upline, Heather (thanks Heather!)and I used the Chit Chat rub-ons for the words in this card and the last card. All of us here are sick with a cold, so I guess I made this card for myself! Hope I feel better soon! LOL

Oops, I almost forgot - the Open House I had scheduled for this Saturday I have to reschedule for a later date - I double-booked myself! I'll let you know the rescheduled date soon.
Have a great day!

A

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-30T11:51:00.011-05:00

Hello!

I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and New Year's - ours was great, but busy! It seems like Christmas and Julian's 2nd birthday and New Year's has lasted for weeks! LOL

I'm finally back to post, and wanted to share some pics and some news with you!

FIRST, the Holiday Mini catalogue expires January 4th! If there was something you wanted to get from that catalogue, or that you used and LOVED over the holidays and want to stock up on before it's gone forever, click HERE to take you to my online ordering page. Click SHOP NOW at the bottom or top of the page to order your goodies.

SECOND, the new Sale-a-bration catalogue is coming out, as well as the new Occasions Mini! Starting January 5th, for any $65 you spend, you get to pick a FREE Sale-a-bration stamp set, or a great punch or paper pad from the catalogue! They are even offering over 50 stamp sets in the regular catalogue for the same deal! WHOOHOO!!! One of the super cute stamp sets is Fox and Friends from the Occasions Mini, shown in the card below. I originally ordered it figuring I would use it for kid's stuff, but the animals are so cute that I'll use it for lots of other stuff too! I've seen Valentine's, thank you and birthday cards made with it and can't wait to try my own!

>

THIRD, I'm hosting an OPEN HOUSE to show off all the new and great stuff coming out in the new year on SATURDAY, JANUARY 9th from 1 -9pm. There will be snacks, a make and take, new class schedules and draws for free stuff! All as a thank you for being my great customers! If you are planning to come, please email me at mpam96@rogers.com to let me know, or post a comment below!

AND LASTLY, I promised I would post some pics of Christmas with the Powers boys, but got caught up in the Christmas whirlwind until today. So, it's a little late, but here they are!

Our Christmas breakfast centrepiece. Mom supplies the Creme Brule french toast, and I do everything else! It's a Christmas tradition!

The "Post Julian Christmas Massacre". LOL

Definitely the big hit of Peanut's Christmas - the bead runner! (Does it actually have a real name??)

Chowing down on his 2nd birthday cupcake. No birthday is complete without a cupcake (and this year it was accompanied by the lack of pants!)

A big Christmas kiss from Momma...

Happy 2010!

A

Some Christmas Cheer for You!

2009-12-24T14:37:00.003-05:00

Yippee, yippee, yippee!

We're so close now, so in the midst of my baking and prep work, I thought I would show you a couple pics of some Christmas decor...

This is our Christmas tree, all decked out in blue and silver snowflakes. I don't know how much longer this tree will stay like this - Peanut is getting more and more interested in the tree, and I'm sure next year he'll want to help me 'decorate', LOL. Oh well, the tree will have to change as we go. :)

This is not decor for our house, but I made this wreath for my aunt and uncle, who own a pair of peacocks on their farm (how cool is that!?). I saw these colours and decided to create a "Peacock Wreath" for their front door. It looks so good, I almost don't want to part with it, LOL.

Anyway, hope you are totally jazzed for Christmas like I am! We are planning to see my family tonight, my husband's family on Christmas Day, friends on Boxing Day and then a big birthday dinner and presents back home on the 27th for Peanut's 2nd birthday! We're even going to go and see the Olympic Torch Run as it passes through our city on Julian's birthday - how cool is that?!

Have a fantastic day!

A

It's Almost Here!

2009-12-23T23:27:00.003-05:00

Well, we're getting very close now. I must say, I'm pretty excited to celebrate Christmas with my boys, especially Peanut (Julian) who will be TWO on the 27th! (How did THAT happen already!?). Christmas is always more fun through a little one's eyes. :)

I just wanted to do a quick post today of some more of the Christmas cards I sent out this year. I had so many ideas I wanted to try that practically everyone got a different card this year!

Now the scary part is, I'm already thinking about Valentine's Day! Yippee! My Valentine's class is gonna be so much fun!

Anyway, as usual, if you need info on any of the cards, just write a comment or email me - mpam96@rogers.com . I hope all your Christmas errands are done (my husband is at Walmart right now - it's 11:30pm! LOL) and you can now relax and enjoy time with the ones you love. I'll post some pics of Christmas with the boys after the big day...

A

It's Almost Christmas!

2009-12-21T11:57:00.005-05:00

Where has the time gone!?

I had all these plans of things to make and show you on my blog, and now it's 5 days away from Christmas, and I'm finally getting back to my blog (and typing with one hand, since I have a sleeping baby in the other arm!).

So, here are some of the Christmas cards I made and sent out last week - I meant to do numerous posts to showcase them all, but now it's a bit late! (LOL) If you want specific instructions or details on a specific card, just post a comment and I'll let you know. Some cards are done with non-SU papers (GASP! Contraband!), so don't be alarmed. And yes, I did case some designs, but honestly can't remember where anymore. :)

Using Christmas Cocoa DSP, Kraft cardstock, and a Sweet Treats cup, filled with water and glitter like a snow globe! (I think this one came from Roxy- thanks!)

Using hearts punched in Old Olive from the Heart to Heart punch. Card is Sahara Sand and White shimmer paint is the snowy hills.

Reindeer from large oval punch and 'Swirly' die from the Big Shot on Always Artichoke Top Note. (Cased, but I can't remember where!) Sparkling jumbo wheel is used in the background.

Two cards done in Sahara Sand and Taken With Teal, using the Holiday Lounge DSP. Patterned Pines is the stamp set on one, and Snow Buddies from the Holiday Mini in the shaker card!

Don't forget, you only have until JANUARY 4th to order from the Holiday Mini, and then it's gone!
CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW!

Enjoy! Only 4 more sleeps!

A

COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!

2009-12-03T18:54:00.003-05:00

Hello!

So for today's post, I wanted to show you what I have been working on in between naptimes and watching The Wiggles with Peanut - cookies!

My cookies are Toffee Almond Sandies, which are pretty popular around here - I keep having to smack hands to keep them out of the cookie bin or else I won't have any left for Christmas gifts! Here's the recipe:

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. confectioner's sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
4 1/2 c. all-prupose flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package of English Toffee chips
2 c. sliced almonds

Mix all your wet ingredients together, blending until smooth. Mix all your dry ingredients together (except the chips and nuts)and add slowly to the wet ingredients. Mix the chips and almonds in last. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Yields 9 dozen!

I've also been making etched glass cookie jars with vinyl snowflakes cut on the Big Shot to give away my cookies. I got some glass etching liquid at Michael's craft store and you just paint it on after you've put on the vinyl snowflakes (or the surrounding vinyl, if you want the snowflake in the frosted look, instead of the background)and then let it do its chemical thing. (Be really careful not to touch the liquid with your bare skin - it's every corrosive, obviously!)

The best part is peeling off the vinyl to see your creation! That and filling it with cookies and giving it to someone you love! Take a look at my two examples below:

Just one of the many things I've been crafting around here lately. This weekend I'm going to try my hand at making handmade soap (from a kit, LOL). Wish me luck, and I'll let you know how it goes!

A

Christmas Scrapbooking Class!

2009-12-01T10:35:00.003-05:00

Hello there!

It's a busy week around here - I'm crafting my butt off to get things ready for Christmas (I was up 'til 3am last night making stuff! I must be crazy! Or used to being up all night with the baby! LOL). And to boot, we woke up to our first snow here in London. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Time to put up my tree! :)

Here are some samples of two of the three scrapbook pages we'll be making for next week's Christmas Scrapbook class:

Just a reminder that the class is Wednesday night, December 9th, from 7-10pm. You will make three pages total, including one double-page layout. Cost for the class is a $35 order (which can include your Christmas scrapbook kit to make the projects, and then leave you with TONS of supplies left over!).

Please email me at mpam96@rogers.com to let me know you are interested in the class before TUESDAY, DEC. 8th so I can prep your project supplies. If you have an order at that time, I can also take that.

Thanks for stopping by!

A

LAST DAY FOR THE BIG SALE!!!

2009-11-30T11:41:00.006-05:00

Hello all!

Don't forget to check out the Online Extravaganza sale that ends today! Lots of stuff on for 30-50% off! Send someone you love to the website to shop for you and make their life easier! LOL

Click here to take you there:
www.andrea-peanutparade.stampinup.net

When you get to my webpage, click on SHOP NOW to go to the sales page. Look for "Online Extravaganza" to find the big deals. :)

Here's a super fancy Christmas card to entertain you in the meantime:

I used the ornament punch to cover the front with DSP ornaments. I also stamped some ornaments in the background on the paper.

On the inside is the Christmas Tree pop-up die with the Medallion stamped in the middle as a tree skirt, and DSP on the edges. I distressed the Chocolate Chip paper to look more like earth too.

Be back tomorrow with details about next week's scrapbook class!

A

Christmas time is coming...

2009-11-25T14:50:00.005-05:00

Hello!

Things are starting to feel a little bit more Christmas-y around here - the weather is a little bit more crisp, and I'm spending lots of money! LOL

Aside from knocking things off my Christmas gift list, I'm getting those Christmas cards done! Here's a few examples to show you:

These cards are made with the Christmas Cocoa DSP, and the stamps are Patterned Pines Hostess set (which I looove!) and the Serene Snowflakes. I also used the Petals-a-Plenty texture plate!

These cards are using similar stuff, but different designs/colours. Patterned Pines is done in Old Olive (love it!) and I played up the colours in the Christmas Cocoa DSP with the Snow Swirled stamp set, stamped in Shimmer Paint and Real Red ink.

These last two cards are done with the ornament punch (It is so versatile! And to think, I was on the fence about ordering it! Duh!) and Christmas Cocoa DSP and Holiday Lounge DSP. (Another one I was on the fence about! I must be crazy!)

Anyways, that's it for today. I'll be back later to post some pics of the scrapbook pages I've made for my Christmas Scrapbooking class coming up on the 9th!

Have a great day!

A

WHOA!!! BIG SALE!

2009-11-23T11:11:00.006-05:00

I looove a good sale! And this one is right up there!

Check out my Stampin Up online shopping page to take advantage of the sales!
CLICK HERE: http://andrea-peanutparade.stampinup.net

When you get to the page, click on SHOP NOW to get to the super fun list of deals! Stuff is 30-50% off!

There's SOO much on sale, I don't even want to waste your time making you read it here! Go to the website now and check it out - you won't be disappointed!

Happy shopping!

A