Digging out

I'm sure you can all relate to this. A stamping area buried in stamping/crafting ideas-projects-class projects-kids projects for school - you get the idea. About 6 weeks ago I thought Oh the kids start school I will spend a couple of weeks pulling the house back in order and then I will get to stamping, planned on doing lots of classes, stepping up my business. Okay who was I kidding. The girls have been doing projects for school that all seem to need my stampin' supplies. I seem to be running here and there more than ever and even my house work is falling behind and the girls haven't had time for doing their chores. I'm one of those people that when things start building up I start to feel overwhelmed. I start to do everything that needs to be done at once and at the end of the day I always seem to be farther behind...never did figure out how I do that but it must be in my blood because my sister says the same thing lol. Anyway much to my husbands disappointment, because he hates when I do this, I'm going into my survival mode...Time to tackle the Monster mess that looms in my stamping studio, I choose this first because it is the biggest part of me and the biggest mess plus you see it as soon as you walk into my house. So off I go to pull almost everything out of my studio drag it into the dinning/living room and put it back in a very organized way ( mmm might need to do so shopping for storage but we will see) Well time to tie a rope around my waist (in case i can't find my way back out) and enter the room of doom!
Have a great week because when I get back I will be ready to do some stamping and post on my blog.

My Hamilton Swap

This was my swap for Hamilton. I had three color choices. They were all created using More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Old Olive as the main colors. Leaves were made with more mustard, Cajun craze, old olive, always artichoke.pumpkin pie, and early espresso. I planned on making 50 but I ended up with 80.




I had CASED this card from my own design I did for Heather's shoe box swap on Friday night.

To create the frame I used the Paper Cutter and measured in 1". You can use the piece that you remove from the frame for the bottom layer on the inside of another card.

I have a camera

We finally bought a new camera and I don't have to use my cell phone to take pics. The best part is we got it just before leaving to go to Stampin' Up! Regional in Hamilton, Ontario. Hi to all my new and old friends in Canada thanks for making me feel so welcome. I attended Heather Summers event Friday night. It was a blast and I met lots of new people. I have so many new ideas my head is just spinning right now. I have to go to convention next summer... well at least that's what I told my husband. He didn't fall for it so I admitted that I didn't have too but I really really want too.
 So this is all great for me but I know what about you...well I have a very special offer that only regional attendies can offer.
Sign up with me to become a Stampin' Up! demo by OCT. 10th not only will you recieve the Greenhouse Gala Craft Tote free but you will recieve a free stamp set called Eat Chocolate. This stamp set will not be available until January for everyone else. Please call or e-mail me soon if you are interested in this awesome deal. Then you can join me this summer at convention!

Holiday Mini Catalog

    This mini catalog is wonderful. it is full of new product and lots of ideas. You don't have it? Click here to see it or email me your address and I will send it to you for free. Better yet contact me about having a workshop and receive all the current Stampin' Up! catalogs for free.
   Would like to just come to one of my classes and stamp instead? Check out my events calendar on my demonstrator page.

Have a great stamping day

Michelle

Join My Team

Free Craft Tote Promotion

Don't let this tote-ally awesome opportunity pass you by!

September 1 through October 18, receive a FREE craft tote--a $39.95 value--when you join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator!

Imagine sharing your love of Stampin' Up! with this stylish and practical tote, patterned after our Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper and large enough to carry 12" x 12" card stock and a Paper Cutter, as well as punches, ink pads, and accessories. And with two Starter Kits* to choose from--Standard and Digital+--at a new lower price, there's never been a better time to join the Stampin' Up! family.

Contact me at michelle.fairbrother@hotmail.com TODAY to get started with this tote-ally awesome opportunity.

*Sample Starter Kit contents pictured in tote

No I'm not lost....

at least I don't think I was. Well maybe I was a little lost but I'm on my way back! Not a very good winter < lots of arm pain,and a very busy summer on top of camera going bad makes for one very bad blogger. I have been doing lots of stamping but sorry no pics to show. Good news is I will be getting a new camera soon and I plan on being a much better blogger. In fact it is on my "I want to step up my Stampin' Up! business list". I will admit it is kinda low on the list but the fact that I'm here typing means I have accomplished a lot on my list! I have been a very busy stamper since that decision was made at the end of June. I have started doing more stamping classes and I'm even doing workshops now. I'm one of the few US demos going to Stampin' Up! Regional in Hamilton Canada, can't wait to see Heather and meet some of down line while I'm there. I can't drive very far due to arm pain so my Wonderful, Fabulous, best thing that ever happened to me husband is going to drive me up. He will be a tourist while I'm stamping. I am sooo lucky to have him! Well time to take care of some updates on my blog. Keep stamping and I will be posting very soon.

Look what I did...

look what I did... I made this wedding cake for my nephew, Justin, and his bride, Jannine. I don't normally make wedding cakes but they asked so I made it as a gift.

Justin & Jannine

It was a perfect day

My husband,Jeff, and I dancing to the song we had for our first dance as husband and wife. he requested it and surprised me with a dance. 

Color Inspiration 113 / DCBD 167

I'm sure you have noticed I love to combine a color challenge and a sketch challenge. I tried to do each challenge seperate but I felt I never had the time to complete each challenge and then post so I would end up not doing any. Ok just because we think something, doesn't mean it makes a lot of sense, thats what makes us women:) So all this babbling is leading to something. If you are feeling uncreative or stressed for time you should try combining a color & sketch challenge. I know it is easy to CASE a card but it is more fun to create a card...even if it is someone else creating the color combination or card sketch. So let me thank Stamping 411 Operators and the Diva Coffee Break Design Team for all the insiperation that they have given me.

Stamps: Starring You & On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa & Naturals White

Inks: Close to Cocoa & Old Olive

Accessories: 1 3/4" circle punch, Word Window punch, Sponge, Dimensionals & Sizzix Damask template

Curtain Call Act18 / MTSC63

I love this color combination from Stacey with this stamp set, and Mercy always has such great sketches. The only thing I did wrong was use a glue that shows through the vellum, ooops. I was going to remake the card but decided to just leave it. I like people to know that I don't do everything perfect the first time either.

Stamps: Close as a Memory

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Old Olive, Kraft, Whisper White & Patterns Pack III

Inks:Markers- Night of Navy, Old Olive, & Ballet Blue

Accessories: Vellum, 5/8" Old Olive ribbon, Sizzix Circle die

Gifts for my Sister

Here is the gifts I made for Annette as a thank you for going to Syracuse regionals, yes that were cancelled, with me. She is taking quilting classes so I made this card for here after watching this video on Stampin is my Job. Thanks Barb for the great video.

I also used a couple of empty Hodge Podge containers to make us something to hold our sissors and adhesive. I used the pinwheel design on these to.

Color Dare 58

Another card on the simpler side. Even though the colors are from the Color Dare Challenge I seem to use pink and turquoise alot with this stamp set. Then again I use this set a lot when making cards for the friends of my daughters.

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquiose, Regal Rose & Whisper White

Inks: Basic black & Markers

Accessories: Crystal Effects, Glitter & ribbon

Colour Q #22

Love these color challenges! If you haven't tried one yet you really need too. I seemed to pull out stamp sets that I don't normally use. Make sure if you try thi that you go to Arielle's site so we all can see your creation. I know I seem to be creating very simple looking cards this week...must be from looking at all the white snow outside my window. I'm soooo ready for spring.

Stamps: Party Hearty

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze(retired), Night of Navy, Sahara Sand, &Whisper White

Inks: Night of navy, Baja Breeze & Certainly Celery

Accessories: Dimentionals, 1 3/4" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, Sizzix Circle die

Challenge card

Mojo Monday 128 / Curtain Call Act 19

Again I used combined 2 challenges to create 1 beautiful card. I plan on giving this card to my mother-in-law for her birthday this month.

Try both of these challenges and be sure to go check out the sites and post your creation.

Stamps: Fifth avenue Floral & On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Rich razzleberry, Bashful Blue, Pink Pirouette(retired) Very Vanilla & Watercolor Paper

Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black & Pink Pirouette

Accessories: Aqua pen, Dimentionals & Sizzix Pattern 1 Template

No Syracuse Regional BUT fun at Missy's

Yea I was supposed to go to the Syracuse Regionals with my sister Annette as my guest. We had been watching the weather closely and Annette decided to leave work early so we could drive up Thursday afternoon ahead of the storm. We had already prepaid for our hotel room and planned on staying 2 nights. Yes we beat the storm made it to the hotel and finished up our swaps and cards for the shoebox event we would be attending Friday night before doing anything....We were so excited and chatting about everything that we might get to see and do (this was our 1st SU event ever).

Our Swaps

Then I turned on my lap top...opened my e-mail... and there it was :(

The e-mail from my upline Missy...

FRIDAY REGIONALS CANCELLED

...my heart stopped.

After a few moments of silence Annette and I decided the room was paid for and we were going to make the best of it and stay in Syracuse for the 2 nights we had planned. Plan started to form... ideas started to roll... decisions were made... Call Missy

Missy informed us she had ladies from out of town staying with her for the regionals and yes THEY WERE STAMPING!!! we were so excited... but then we looked out the window and reality...The Snow :( and we were stuck in the hotel thinking about the ladies gathered at Missy's house stamping, sharing stories and eating Carols homemade cookies, sad sad sad moment.

Okay so on to plan B

Feed our broken hearts at the hotel resturant

Drown our tears in the hotel pool

Relax our sore stamping muscles in the hot tub

Put on our PJs and cheer on the USA Olympic Atheletes 

Get a good night sleep and hope tomorrow is better.

New day, sunshine, going to Missy's house to stamp

It gets even better

Get to Missy's house...a dear friend Carol VanBork is there :|

Start meeting new friends and...

Missy's house guest was Heather Summers yes thats right Heather from Stamp with Heather and her friend Anne P:)
Swapped some cards, Stamped our shoebox items

Mine                                                                        Annette's

Went to lunch at a fav of Missy's- Copper Top Tavern YUMMY

Went to a new quilt store, Calico Gals

Then off to Hobby Lobby
Wegmans to grab some dinner things and back to Missy's for more fun!

    Missy's                                                Heather's

  Carol's                                                  Carol's                                               Anne's

I have to say it was the BEST SNOW DAY EVER!!!!!!



I will be posting instructions on Annette's shoebox swap as soon as she sends them to me.

Thanks Bunny

My sister Annette let me use her Chocolate Bunny stamp to make cards for club. I like to make a card from any stamp I borrow as a thank you and an inspiration. I cased this card from Dianne Sisneros, thank you Dianne.

Stamps: Chocolate bunny, Inspired by Nature, Itty Bitty Backgrounds & Three for You(retired)

Inks: Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron & chocolate Chip

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss & Very Vanilla

Accessories: Trio Flower punch, Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon & the rhinestones form the Eggcellent Eggs Kit

Syracuse regionals swap

My Swap was inspired by the Mojo Monday 125 challenge. I made 68 swaps. I hope they reschedule the regional so I will get a chance to swap them.

It can hold a gift card or even cash

I will be posting pics of my Annette's swaps soon plus our shoebox projects that we took for an event Friday night but also had to be cancelled.

Wasted Time

I know I haven't posted for awhile but I was working on things for the friday Syracuse Regionals, that were unfortunately cancelled :( The good side is that my sister Annette and I still had lots of fun in Syracuse. It was going to be my first time going and I needed to have something to carry my swaps in. Now being the mother of Allissa from T.A.P.E.D. by A. Hand that of course ment I needed a bag made from duck tape.

The front flap has a clear pocket so everyone can see my swap.

It even has 2 spots for business cards