The one about starting a blog

I started a blog when I started my Stampin' Up! business. Thankfully, the business has taken off better than the blog! I consider my first event, an open house on July 18, a success. And then a stamping friend submitted a surprise order, not tied to the open house. Thanks, friend!

From my open house, two friends booked workshops. Yay! Those are coming up this next week, Thursday and Sunday (not tomorrow). I've been preparing for them today, designing the make-n-take, deciding on hostess gifts, and trying to think of a door prize.

Even more exciting than the new business success...one of my childhood best friends is moving back to the Midwest from the East Coast this week, and she's landing right in my town! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. That's why I'm trying to get my workshops in order this weekend...so I can just concentrate on helping my friend and her family unpack and aclimate to little ol' Zumbrota.

And now I'm back to blogging! Here's the photo for this post. It was the 3-D item I demonstrated at my open house. How cute, copied from my upline Heidi, and using two things from the kitchen--an ice cream lid for the circle template and a brown lunch sack.


Supplies
Stamp sets: Tart n Tangy, Perfect Punches
Paper: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi
Tools: Scallop Border Punch, Oval Punch, Oval Scallop Punch
Embellishment: White grosgrain ribbon, 1/4"

Thanks for reading!
Julie

The one about the man's tie and the wedding card

One day, I was sitting in a meeting (remember, day job in PR) and rather than focusing on the topic at hand, I began focusing on the speaker's tie. A beautiful tie is was. Black with a gold background pattern and a stunning ivory calla lily as the focal point. I thought, "I could totally turn that into a card!" I snapped back to the present, hastily scribbled "black background, gold, ivory lily" in the corner of my notepad, like I just had a brilliant thought about the current discussion, and got back into the meeting.

I got home that night and went right to work! What came out of a couple design experiments is this card.

The Medallion background stamp was inked with Encore metallic gold (no longer sold by Stampin' Up!, but I made this card in early June), and a similar effect could be found using Champagne Mist shimmer paint or embossing the image with gold embossing powder. I embossed the rose from Fifth Avenue Floral set using VersaMark ink and gold embossing powder. The ribbon is the retired 5/8" ivory organza (current substitute: 5/8" organza ribbon in Whisper White or 5/8" satin ribbon in Very Vanilla). "For the Newlyweds" sentiments is from Teeny Tiny Wishes set stamped in Elegant Eggplant classic ink, and it's punched with the Word Window and layered on Elegant Eggplant cut with the Modern Label Punch.

Supplies (all SU!)
Stamp sets: Fifth Avenue Floral, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant
Ink: Encore Gold Metallic ink, VersaMark, Elegant Eggplant
Embellishments: Gold embossing powder, 5/8" ivory organza ribbon (retired SU!), Word Window and Modern Label punches

Enjoy your Saturday! I'm excited to go to this wedding, and I always manage to get nostalgic about my own wedding day nearly eight years ago as I watch the ceremony. I love weddings!

Thanks for reading,
Julie

The one about the half-done bathroom revamp

My bathroom revamp was simple by home-improvement standards: paint. Paint the primer-white bathroom with a beautiful, dark gray from Ace Hardware called "Medium Gray." (With all the fancy paint-color names in the world, I had to choose "Medium gray?" Anyway.) One would think that painting a bathroom would be a quick project. It's less than half the size of a regular room, right? At least mine is. Oh no, it took a day-and-a-half, the same amount as the apple-green craft room took two years ago. But it's done! It took most of Friday and part of Saturday. Isn't it way better, even with the drop cloth and blue tape?


So, on Sunday, I wanted to re-hang the cabinet (see first photo). This project involved the help of DH, who does not love interior home improvement projects. We got the cabinet hung. He left the room. It promptly fell off the wall. He got industrial-strength screw anchors from the garage (who knew?). It hasn't fallen off the wall in three days. We're good.

I couldn't resist buying new towels! New towels! Like new shoes for the bathroom! They're waiting patiently for their new towel rack. I still have a few finishing touches, but wanted to show you how much better the room looks with just the paint update.

And, as promised, here is the make-n-take card that we'll be making at my Stampin' Up! open house launch.
Supplies (all Stampin' Up!)
Stamp sets: Watercolor Trio, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Pretty In Pink
Embellishments: Pretty In Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Thanks for reading,
Julie

The one about the 4th of July, the open house, and the painting project

Happy 4th of July! As we celebrate our country’s independence, let’s remember to give thanks for those who continue to keep our country free, including my husband’s cousin and uncle. Both have served tours in Iraq, and his cousin is set to deploy for a second time later this year. I’m interested in learning more about the efforts to send cards to soldiers…if you have information, please e-mail me or leave a comment below!

And, on this long weekend (my day job is in public relations for a major medical center), I’ve been busy getting my legs under me for my new Stampin’ Up! business AND painting the master bathroom. Pictures of the painting project to come later. For now, take a look at this invitation I prepared for my very first open house, to be held at my home on July 18.

The background is tone-on-tone stamped with the rose stamp from Fifth Avenue Floral, Going Gray classic ink on Going Gray cardstock. The details part is printed from my computer on Whisper White cardstock, then the lily from the same set is stamped in Perfect Plum classic ink in the white space. I finished it off by using the Scallop Trim punch, adhering the front piece to the background, and tying on a length of the new 1/8" black satin ribbon.


Supplies (all supplies Stampin' Up!)
Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral
Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Perfect Plum
Embellishment: 1/8” Black Satin Ribbon, Scallop Trim Border punch

I need to get working on making samples and preparing the make-n-take!

Thanks for reading,
Julie