Busy busy busy ...

I can hear your questions from here .... Where is Kelly? Did she drop out? Is she doing something else? Where is she? Is she still having classes, etc.? I know, it's been a while since I've been back here. Truth be told, it does take a lot of time to update my blog, and I have to prioritize like everyone else what the best use of my time is going to be. For the last three months my priority has been my job as a mom (it's always my top priority). My youngest two children are involved in soccer and cheerleading and both activities place me in my vehicle about 75% of the day as we don't live anywhere near school or practices. The rest of the time, I'm working my day job, taking care of my home, etc. It doesn't leave much time for me in my stamp room. It's funny how each stage of your children's lives dictates how much or how little time you have left over; as of right now, not much. I am NOT complaining. Kids grow sooooo fast and furious, and I don't want to miss a thing! Unfortunately for my stamping business, it hasn't left much time for me to share and teach. I apologize to those of you who would like more from me right now, time just hasn't allowed it and my kids have needed me more.

That being said, soccer ended for Michael this week. Their modified team ended as league champs! He is the goalie for the team which can be pretty stressful. They have played two and three times a week for the last month and-a-half with practice EVERY day except Sunday. My daughter Samantha is in cheerleading for Pop Warner which began in August. They not only cheer for the football games, but they have competitions of their own. Her first one was in Utica where they placed third and earned the right to compete in Albany last weekend. They placed in Albany as well, which means they get to compete in New Jersey next month (another month of practices three times a week). Big sigh ...... it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

We did manage to squeeze in scrapbook club last night. I missed my club SO much! Here are the details:

Stamps: Autumn Splendor, Defining Alphabet

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bermuda Bay, Vanilla Craft, Dusty Durango

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla, and Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Bermuda Bay Polka-Dot grosgrain ribbon

Be sure to check out my Stampin' Up! website at http://kellyswienton.stampinup.net/ for all of the specials, there are just too many to list in both places and I don't want you to miss out!

Ready or not ...

... fall is here! I usually look forward to fall, it's one of my favorite/prettiest times of year here in Central New York! I think I would be a tad bit more enthusiastic about it if we had had a REAL summer. Oh well, not much we can do about that now is there? So, in the spirit of the fall season, I stamped this colorful card today using the Season of Friendship stamp set from page 114. Here are the details:

Stamps: Season of Friendship, #111776, page 114

Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango

Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Hemp, Basic Jumbo Grommets Designer Hardware (page 179), Vintage Brads, Modern Label Punch (page 186)

We had a really fast but fun weekend. We flew to Virginia to surprise my brother-in-law for his 50th birthday. He was indeed very surprised! The weather couldn't have been nicer for flying. It was my first time on a prop plane -- I was pretty nervous about that. It really wasn't too bad, just a little noisier than the planes I'm used to flying in, but they do fly lower at about 18,000 feet so you can see a whole lot more than from the usual 30 to 40,000 feet! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed your weekends; it took me until today to get back here and post something -- it's WEDNESDAY already -- boy time flies!

A gift for a friend ...

I spent a few hours making a gift for our neighbors who are going through an extremely difficult time right now. And while there's nothing I can say or do about their situation, I decided to do what I know best and make some things they could really use. I wish I could do more :o(

I really love the subtleness of the embossed images created by our embossing folders. I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder from page 195 in the 2009-2010 IB&C. The sentiment is from the level 3 hostess set Kind & Caring Thoughts on page 16. The "W" is from Monogram Sweet on page 151. The colors I used were Always Artichoke, Basic Black and Whisper White. For the Onboard Journal I used the same ingredients, with the exception of the Designer Series Paper (retired). I also used our new Frost White Shimmer Paint on the embossed flowers on the journal which is on page 27 of the Holiday Mini Catalog. I created the page marker with our Whisper White Organza Ribbon on page 183 and a piece from my Silver Hodge Podge Hardware kit. The circle punch sizes are 1-3/4", 1-3/8" and 1-1/4".

Oh my goodness!

Okay, so I haven't perfected the program yet (I just got it last night), but I was able to create this page with our new MY DIGITAL STUDIO in about a half hour of playing around! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this program! I may not sleep for days, but it is sooo much fun to play around with -- available for customer purchase on October 1 (I told you there were advantages to being a demonstrator ;o))! I just know you're going to love it too! You can select from pre-designed pages and themes or create your own as I did with the one above with our exclusive colors, stamps, accessories, fonts, etc.! It is MADDENING I tell you! While I will definitely still be creating with my physical paper and embellishments for many of my projects, this program fits into another side of me that I've been waiting to unleash! I should mention that the photo above was taken for my FAVORITE FATHER-IN-LAW at one of our family events. He calls us all his "favorite" ... I was just letting him know that I think IIIIII'm really his favorite ;o) I just know the gift giving is going to be sooooo much fun with this new program because I can get so much done so much faster. And, even after the pages are printed through Stampin' Up!, I can still add embellishments to the pages when I receive them in the mail or eventually print them at home (need a much better printer than the one I currently have).

Regularly Scheduled Stamp Classes Resume ...

Last night was our first Technique Tuesday for this year! It was great to see the girls again after our summer pause. Scrapbook class will resume again tonight at 6:30. If you live in the area and you are interested in joining any of my regularly- scheduled classes, please contact me at kelly65@adelphia.net. I'd be happy to fill you in on the details.

The kids had a great first day back to school. I do so much better when everyone is back on schedule, don't you?! After the good news about the TV and Wii system over the weekend, it was followed by some news on Monday that I have a stress fracture in my left tibia and a healed one on the right due to my running venture. I have to go in for an MRI and blood work this morning, but I'm hoping that since the right one healed on its own, the left one will do the same. Only problem is, the left one hasn't stopped hurting since the Boilermaker, so I'm not so sure it will be that easy -- SIGH. Oh well, at least I can say I ran it and most definitely will be adding to my supplement regime every morning with some calcium and vitamin D! It could have been worse, right?!

OHHHHH EMMMMM GEEEEE!

I'm still a little shocked at today's events! Funny story -- our TV started doing some funky things a couple of months ago where it would just shut off for no apparent reason. I thought maybe it was the cable or something and just fluffed it off. Well it started to happen more frequently until one day it shut off and didn't turn back on again! Long story short, neither one of us were too keen on spending the hundreds or even thousands of dollars the new HDTVs cost these days! A friend of mine told me they had a TV like the one we had that they wanted to get rid of because they were getting a new one; so we buy that TV to hold us over for a few more years. The day AFTER we buy that TV mom and dad call to ask if we want their old TV because they're getting an HDTV -- DOH! Well had we known that the day before .... well you get it! So todaaaaaaaaay, we go to my daughter's first game of the season where my duty was to collect the 50/50 (woo hoo NOT). While I was out collecting money for that, they apparently called my name in the raffle for a brand-spankin-new 42" HDTV and Wii system! I literally screamed like a little girl, totally and completely taken by surprise -- forgot I had even bought a ticket! I am so thankful to the FS Pop Warner organization for this raffle -- now hopefully the Giants have a good year! Hubby made me go buy lottery tickets LOL

Too much fun!

When I got this new stamp set, Sweet Centers #116521 $29.95 on page 6 of the new Holiday Mini, I just had to figure out a way to get people into the hot air balloon -- then I remembered we did have little people in the Loads of Love Accessories #115024 $20.95 on page 58 of the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog! WAHOO, the balloon has people! I think it makes a great anniversary card or card to your significant other -- too bad we don't have a stamp that says, "You swept me off my feet" or "You lift me up". I'm sure we can come up with some other pretty clever sayings, but for now I used the Defining Alphabet and Define Your Life stamp sets, #114952 and #114950 respectively on page 150 of the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog to stamp the sentiment. I punched a bunch of small hearts using my Heart to Heart punch #113694 page 187 and placed them into our new Sweet Treat Cups #116802 $2.95/12 on page 7 in the Holiday Mini. These cups are sooooooo neat - you just peel off the back and stick them where you want them once filled. They're pretty deep too -- I know for certain they will hold, most importantly, M&Ms!!! YAHOO for that! I told you you're going to want to book a party! There are so many new things to show you and a great deal for hostesses going on right now!

Well I hope you enjoyed my little creation -- remember, you saw the little people in the balloon here first! ;o)

Razzle Dazzle ...

I'm loving the new IN COLORS, they're a lot of fun to use together! I had to chance to get out some more of my new things tonight and created this card for a special friend of mine. I'm so thrilled they decided to create In Color markers this year, as in year's past they were not available and we had to try to create our own using old blender pens. This is so MUCH cleaner and easier -- thanks Stampin' Up!

Here are the details:

Stamps: Razzle Dazzle #116714 $18.95 page 10

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper.

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Details/Accessories:

1.) I colored the stamp with my In-Color markers and stamped image on Whisper White cardstock.

2.) I punched a square and cut it into quarters to create the corners around the main image.

3.) I punched the circle accent pieces from the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP and adhered to corners.

4.) I created the strip behind the main image using strips of Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry cardstock.

5.) I punch holes in the Melon Mambo layer with my paper piercer, drew a line between the holes with my Singlo White Gel pen, adhered the three layers together, and adhered all layers to the card.

New toys ...

Ahhh, the kids are occupied, hubby's not home yet -- PLAY TIME for me! It seems like forever that I've had some creative playtime. The very first thing I needed to do when I started stamping tonight was to make a card for ONE of my favorite nieces (they're all my favorite), as she's getting married in October and unfortunately I wasn't able to attend her bridal shower last weekend in St. Louis. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to whip out my new Shimmer Paint from the Holiday Mini. You're going to love this stuff! It's very similar to the Radiant Pearls and/or Pearl-Ex we used to carry. The product description goes like this: "Make any paper look shimmery with our shimmer paint. This acid-free paint is perfect for porous surfaces such as paper, fabric, and wood. Apply it to a stamp with a dauber to create frosted, stamped images." I'm guessing that it works best with dark-colored cardstock, but I will have to experiment some more (oh darn, more play time)! It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it! ;o)

Anyhoo, here are the card details:

Stamps: Ever After
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Black Staz-On
Details/Accessories:
1.) I used my Flourishes Texture Plate in my Big Shot machine for texture.
2.) I then used a a sponge dauber to sponge the Frost White Shimmer Paint (item #116854 $5.95 page 27 in the holiday mini) to add shine to the pattern.
3.) I then used my dauber and shimmer paint to ink up the heart from Ever After (item #113401 $22.95 page 50 2009-2010 idea book and catalog) and stamped on a piece of Basic Black cardstock.
4.) I used clear embossing powder onto the stamped image to add dimension and set with my heat gun.
5.) I added some white taffeta and silver cord ribbon and some half-pearls from our Pretties Kit for accent.
6.) I then punched a window with my Wide Oval Punch and stamped the sentiment inside.

Well, I'm off to play some more. I can't wait to get everyone over this fall for classes and to do some private workshops. I have SO much to show you, so many new toys to play with, you're going to LOVE it! HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Drum Roll ....

Introducing the NEW HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG!

HOLIDAY MINI

You are going to go CRAZY over the new holiday mini! Now is THE PERFECT time to get your home party scheduled before all of the holidays start to roll in, you'll want EVERYTHING in this catalog -- I know I do! When was the last time you had a personal home party with me and Stampin' Up!? We have SOOO much more than paper and stamps now, it's amazing! Contact me today to schedule YOUR personal party!

AND, as they say on TV, that's not all. Check out this great hostess special going on now until November 30: Host a workshop totaling $250 or more and choose any one item* from the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog for only $10!
*Offer excludes hostess sets and My Digital Studio.

One week left!

You only have until August 31 to get in on the $85 mini starter kit special. I've had two people just this month who've decided to join in on the fun! You CANNOT LOSE! You get all of the merchandise you see here, PLUS access to the Stampin' Up! demonstrator website which has TONS AND TONS of patterns and ideas and all of the training you can possibly think of! You will also get our monthly Stampin' Success magazine which is always full of new ideas, techniques, etc., as well as additional business tips and class planning. AND becoming a demonstrator does NOT mean you have to go out and sell stuff like a used car salesman, you can make it what you want. If you just want to be a hobby demonstrator and receive a discount on your own personal stamps and supplies, you can do just that. Or, if you decide you'd like to "kick it up a notch" and do a few classes or workshops a month to earn some extra income (who doesn't want that?!), then you can do that as well. This is one of THE MOST FLEXIBLE jobs you can have! So, why not join me and my stamping family ... you can sign up online at http://kellyswienton.stampinup.net and click on the Join Now button. You will need my password which is michael to proceed. I would love to walk through it with you though, so just send me an email at kelly65@adelphia.net or call me at (315)735-2572. You are able to change a few of the items in the kit if you wish, so I want to be able to show you how to do that. MOST IMPORTANTLY - HURRY, there's little time left! Keep in mind that if you try it and you don't like it or don't want to continue, you still keep all of the things you get, so you're not throwing money away! JOIN ME today, I'd love to have you in my family!

Brrrrr ...

Who turned the heat off?! The temperature certainly changed out there, didn't it? It's feeling more like school every day! Speaking of which ... I'm sure you've wondered why I've been so quiet here on my blog. Well those kids of mine are getting ready to head back to school in less than two weeks and we have just made the absolute best of our summer. We've had some great fun, and I was able to recharge my stamping batteries and am preparing for the very busy fall/winter season ahead. My family always comes first but my stamping family is family as well and I have a great season planned ahead! I hope you're enjoying your new newsletters and I look forward to seeing all of you at my regularly-scheduled classes that begin in September.

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Pat and the gang for her monthly stamp-together. It was great to see everyone. The girls made this cute little triangle box that can be used to place a gift inside or as a pretty silk flower holder or centerpiece for a birthday party you could fill with candies, etc. The card is just a simple card you could send to one of your BFFs. The cupcake pick at the bottom is so simple to make. You can make up a bunch to add to cupcakes or as cake decorations, etc. Here are the supplies:

Triangle box and cupcake pick:

Stamps: Sock Monkey

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Brown

Accessories: In Color Stampin' Write markers, Soft Suede Polka-dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8 Circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, two-way glue, and dazzling diamonds glitter.

Card:

Stamps: Season of Friendship

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Craft

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Bermuda Bay Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon.

My NEW favorite stamp ...

Isn't it a B-E-A-uty? I just knew this would be the first stamp I had to have out of the new catalog! I had a chance to play a little today, so I got out some of my new Bermuda Bay cardstock and went to work. I absolutely LOVE this stamp (it's called Medallion on page 133 and it's-a-stinkin gorgeous)! I think I'm going to put it on one of my walls one of these days when our house is done. As for the cards, I stamped the image three different times in Bermuda Bay and White Craft. I embossed the white craft pieces with white embossing powder to enhance the image. I then took pieces and parts of each stamped image using my Coluzzle circle template and a 3/4" circle punch. I used Stampin' Dimensionals in between layers to give it more depth. I finished off with a rhinestone brad from the Pretties Kit and some of the new 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon (it's not polka dotted on both sides, I used the side that didn't have the dots). I also used silver cord and white taffeta ribbon. For the sentiment I used "Kind Thanks" from the Thank you Kindly set on page 145, punched it out with the new Modern Label punch on 187, and placed it up on Stampin' Dimensionals as well. Voila!

Time for a little stamping ...

I woke up waaaaay early this morning, not sure why, so I decided to make a card based on the splitcoast challenge from this morning which was a color combo challenge using bleach. You were to stamp an image with bleach, see what color it faded to, and use complimentary colors to finish the card (I think that's what they wanted anyway). Anyhoo, I ended up here using the hostess level 3 Kind and Caring Thoughts stamp set from page 16. I stamped my image in bleach first. I stamped over it once more with Basic Black Craft ink and embossed it with black embossing powder. I used a sponge dauber with Vanilla Craft ink to create the "aura" around the flower. The accent pieces were created using the new Modern Label punch from page 187 and Jumbo brads from page 179. It's not the cheeriest of creations, but I'm just getting ready to come out of my "step away from my stamps summer". Things should start picking up from here. I have been enjoying my family and getting my kids ready to go BACK TO SCHOOL, WAHOO!

Happy 25th Birthday Party in NYC!

Happy birthday to my son Christopher who turned 25 on Saturday! We all went down to NYC for some family fun! I keep telling him he's catching up to me! It was a beautiful day in the city weather-wise. We always stay on the Jersey side and take the bus into the Port Authority. From there we walked up to the Museum of Natural History, strolling through Central Park. If you've never been to the Museum of Natural History, it's a must, but you'll need a few days --- it's HUGE! Even though I've been down to the city quite a few times, I had never rode the subway until this time. After being in a museum all day and then into the subway, I was feeling like I really needed to get some air! We found a great place to eat called The Brewery near Time Square and enjoyed a birthday dinner with Christopher and his girlfriend Julie and her family. Can you believe the size of the birthday beer?! Shhhhh, he didn't really drink the whole thing, I taught him to share at a very early age ;o)

Growth Chart Special Offer


Dates: August 1 - September 30, 2009

Promotion Details:
Purchase the brand-new Décor Elements Growth Chart, only available August 1-September 30, and as an added bonus, receive a free applicator tool with your purchase (a $1.95 value).

Item # Description Price
117519 Décor Elements Growth Chart $24.95

AND, that's not all:

Dates: August 1-31, 2009
Spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (pages 74-90) and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons--a $7.95 value! Eligible buttons are listed below.

Item # Page Description Retail Value
116313 181 Playground Designer buttons $7.95
116312 181 Sherbet Designer buttons $7.95
114333 181 Button Latte Designer buttons $7.95

What we've been up to ...

Greetings! I hope your summer is going well -- we are back from a family trip to St. Louis to visit my sister and her family. I know we were just there in February, but you can never get enough time with family and what a GREAT time we had! It went waaaaay too fast as usual. We spent a day at Six Flags St. Louis and a few days of boating, tubing and fun in the sun! Next weekend we head to New York City to spend some time with my soon-to-be 25-year-old and his girlfriend and family -- we have to get it all in while there's no school! Again, I hope you're enjoying your summer!

Tri-Shutter Card Class ...

Here are the cards we made at tonight's tri-shutter card class. Two very different cards, same concept. Here are the details:

Card 1:

Stamps: Friends 24-7

Cardstock: Old Olive, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, White Craft

Accessories: Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers, wide oval and large oval punches, silver brads.

Card 2:

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Ever After

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry

Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, White Craft

Accessories: Bermuda Bay Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, 1/2" circle punch.

Iiiiiiiit's Monday, time for the ....

CURRENT DEAL OF THE WEEK
Item # Description Special Price
112454 Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware $18.99

Oh My Melon Mango ...

I must confess ... this is the FIRST card I've made with the new In-Colors -- I know, GASP! They have been here calling my name for quite some time, but I've been putting it off. Sometimes I just need to walk away from things and recharge my batteries, if you know what I mean. I decided to sit down tonight and get my creative juices flowing once again after my little hiatus. Since everything goes good with chocolate, I reached for Soft Suede and Melon Mango. What a combo! These colors look terrific together, don't ya think?! I used the faux grid technique which involves stamping random images on a piece of cardstock and then drawing evenly spaced lines horizontally and vertically, being careful not to go over the stamped images so it appears as if the images are floating over the lines.

Here are more of the card's details:

Stamps: Priceless

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Craft White

Accessories: White embossing powder, photo corners punch, paper piercer, white gel pen, soft suede polka-dot ribbon.

I definitely enjoyed my stamp time tonight and look forward to sharing more creations with you very soon.

Greetings! Yes, I'm still here ... I've been enjoying summer break with my kids, recovering from my run, and preparing for my HUGE retired stamping/scrapbooking supply sale -- boy did I have a LOT to go through! One of the hardest things is determining what to part with and what to keep, thus the reason I have so much stuff! With the new catalog out and the new mini (no, you can't see it yet) that's LOADED with FUN NEW STUFF, I need to make room! I will let you know the details of the sale VERY shortly, I promise! In the meantime, DON'T FORGET the BEST signup offer to date as mentioned in an earlier post. Here are the details in case you missed it:

Dates: July 15 - August 31, 2009

Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator with the limited-time $85 Mini Starter Kit. The Mini Starter Kit contains the following products:

Item Code Page #* Description Retail Value

**115360 118 For All You Do stamp set $28.95

115658 155 Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

115656 155 Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

115659 155 Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

115654 155 Dusty Durango Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

115655 155 Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

115657 155 Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95

100730 155 Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11") $7.50

115315 155 In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11") $7.95

*All page numbers refer to the 2009-2010 Idea Book & CATALOG

**All items may be substitued for like items. See Starter Kit Order Form

You will also receive all of the business supplies and catalogs seen in the photo above.

You can get all of the new In Colors in your kit if you choose and, as a special thank you from me, I will purchase the matching In Color marker set ($17.95 value) for the first four people to sign up. You have NOTHING to lose and everything to gain by joining my stamping family! Please contact me at kelly65@adelphia.net to learn more.

Deal of the Week!

Deal of the Week: Square Fire Rhinestone Brads
Add sparkle to your projects with our Square Fire Rhinestone brads. From July 13–19, they're just $6.99—over 30% off the regular price of $10.95!Throughout July, be sure to check my web site every Monday at 10 AM (MT) for the week's new deal!

My First Boilermaker ...

Well, it's over, I can hardly believe it. And it was everything everyone said it was going to be ... simply amazing! The whole race is laced with crowds cheering you on, all kinds of bands at every mile, the animals from the zoo, belly dancers, enthusiastic water stations, DJs, etc., it was 9.3 miles of pure excitement from when the cannon went off at 8:00 a.m. until the two F16s flew over the post party! This is THE BEST 15K event in the US, I am certain of that! Utica may be small, but they sure know how to have a good time and put on a good race! I really didn't sleep much this weekend in anticipation of the big day. The emotions were pretty evenly split between uncontrollable excitement to gut-wrenching anxiety about whether I could really do it or not. The weather could not have been more perfect! My friend Sarah came up in the a.m. and we rode down to the start together where we met my other friend Kim, the one I trained with. We stood anxiously waiting through the National Anthem, the prayer, the announcement of the wheel chair race and then the boom of the cannon for our race that began at 8 a.m. It took us 11 minutes just to get to the starting line, so you deduct that time from the time you run through the clock in the end and that's your official time. For someone who has never run before, you wouldn't know unless someone told you. People were yelling and cheering, holding signs up like "you're halfway to beer" and signs from Dunkin Donuts that said, "You Kin Do it". Some of the people who were running dressed up including the Blues Brothers whom we ran behind, a guy in a cape, people running with American Flags, and even a mom who was running to accumulate miles while her son is in Iraq (she's been on TV in the news), something that hit pretty close to my heart. I saw many of my friends and relatives along the route cheering everyone on, young and old. It was truly one of the best things I've ever done. Even if you don't live in the area, it would be worth your investment to come and run with us next year. My official time was 1:43:47. Not the best, not the worst, and definitely not the last. I'm sure I could have done better, but I really honestly didn't care -- I just wanted to finish an finish feeling good and I did exactly that! You can watch the finish line video here. I finish at 1:54:37 on the clock to the right that you see above the finish line banner. I'm in the bottom right corner with a red tank top. Thanks for putting up with my posts about this little endeavor of mine -- I had something to prove to myself but wanted to share the experience in case it happens to inspire you! I will get back to stamping VERY SOON, but plan to continue my newest passion (whodda thunk it?)

A quick note ...

I know, I know, I haven't been posting much lately. Quite honestly I can't focus on anything other than this race I'm about to run on Sunday as I've been preparing for it for sooo long. There are over 11,000 people registered to run the Boilermaker Road Race on Sunday, and I am SUPER excited! I can't believe it's almost here! Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling very well this week -- of all times to come down with something, so I've been resting as much as possible, drinking as much water as possible, and trying to focus on the 9.3 miles I have prepared myself to run. This has been an incredible journey, one I would recommend to anyone! And even doubly special is that my son Christopher will be running it for the first time as well. He will be running with his National Guard unit and will hopefully be there waiting for me at the finish line. This was so much more than running 9.3 miles for me. It has been an emotionally-cleansing journey and I'm so thankful I made the decision to do it. No matter what your goals are in life, you can achieve them, you just have to be willing to do the work to get there. Before this little endeavor, those were just words that sounded good when spoken by others, but now they have TRUE meaning for me. I CAN DO IT and SO CAN YOU no matter what it is!

Deal of the Week!

Almost 30% off the Big Shot Doctor's Bag and you don't need a coupon! From July 6 - 12 you can purchase the Doctor's bag for $49.99. You can order online using item #113474 or contact me today!

Deal of the Week!

From July 1-31, Stampin' Up! is bringing you a new Deal of the Week every Monday at noon(ET). With the Deal of the Week, you'll get up to 30% off a selection of products from the new 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog! To kick us off, here's their newly announced first offer:

July 1-5, 2009 only: #112091 Scallop Edge punch SPECIAL $15.99 (reg. $22.95)

Be sure to check back next Monday to see what the next deal will be!

A card with a surprise in side ...

Here's a card design that's been around for quite some time. I received one of my first tri-fold shutter cards from another demonstrator I love to swap with, Amy Celona, at a Stampin' Up! event. I tried to locate her card, as I remember it quite vividly, it was a winter scene with whites, light blues, and glitter, so pretty ... unfortunately I wasn't able to locate it (it's been a few years), but you'll just have to trust me when I tell you how pretty it was. This card style has many variations to it, but I like to do it this way so that the front panel shows up as a full card panel. I will be having a class on tri-fold shutter cards on 7/20 at 6:30 p.m. We will be making two different style tri-fold cards for $10, you will LOVE them when they're done! Just RSVP by 7/16/2009.

Details for this card:

Stamp Set: Wings of Friendship (new level 2 hostess set)

Cardstock: Old Olive, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Craft White, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Stipple brush, Photo Corners Punch, paper piercing tool w/mat (we now sell just the piercer and mat without the whole kit, YAY!!!!)

Scrapbook Club ...

Can you believe it's almost July 4?! It's especially hard to believe if you live in CNY since we haven't had very much summer-like weather yet this year. I hope it gets here soon so we can enjoy all of those backyard barbecues and swimming at the beach!

Here's a two-page July 4th spread we did the other night at scrap club. Details:

Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet (retired now), Good Friend (faux fireworks)

Cardstock: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, and Whisper White

Ink: Brilliant Blue, Real Red, White Craft

Accessories: Star punches, Stampin' dimensionals, sponge daubers

I hope you all have a safe and Happy 4th of July! Thanks for stopping by!

Join my stampin' family for only $85!

Dates: July 15 - August 31, 2009 Kit form - Download US_mini_starter_kitDemo Agreement- Download US_indpndnt_demo_agrm_0708
Promotion Details:
Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator with the limited-time $85 Mini Starter Kit. The Mini Starter Kit contains the following products:


Item Code Page #* Description Retail Value**
115360 118 For All You Do stamp set $28.95
115658 155 Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
115656 155 Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
115659 155 Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
115654 155 Dusty Durango Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
115655 155 Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
115657 155 Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad $5.95
100730 155 Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11") $7.50
115315 155 In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11") $7.95

*All page numbers refer to the 2009-2010 Idea Book & CATALOG
**All items may be substitued for like items. See Starter Kit Order Form

HaPpY StAmPiN' NeW YeAr!

It's here, it's here .... the new catalog is here! You are going to love this catalog, it's GORgeous people, and today is the first day you can order from it! Please visit my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Business Website to view the new catalog and see the specials of the month! For those of you on my mailing list, you won't want to miss this month's newsletter which will be arriving shortly! If you are not on my mailing list and would like to attend classes, please contact me at kelly65@adelphia.net. I'm looking forward to another fun stamping year with all my friends!