Clearance Blitz!

 

I just ordered from the Clearance Rack and got some amazing deals!  Stampin' Up! is offering punches, ribbon, buttons, card stock, designer series paper, Big Shot Dies and more at up to 80% off!  I just got buttons for $1.59 and paper for $3.99!  Crazy!  Why not treat yourself to a little Holiday Treat?  You know you deserve it after all the shopping you've done for everyone else, right?  And it's on sale so...you can order even more!  

Visit my website to order today...quantities are limited!

Girly Girl!

Apparently my baby albums are popular lately and I couldn't be happier!  They are one of the most fun things I make...

This accordian album is for a new baby girl named Emma.  As long as it was girly, I could do anything I wanted.  Since polka dots are the craze right now, I've covered the front in embossed colors and used some chipboard letters for her name.  The inside of this album is double sided and has lots of space for pictures and journaling.  I can't wait to see the album with the added pictures.  That always seems to bring it to life for me.

Holly Fair

Yesterday my daughter and I went to the Northwood Holly Fair.  Our table did okay but more importantly, we met lots of new people in our new community.  There were so many kids from the school there with crafty creations and delicious treats.  Sitting next to us was a very creative Kindergartner who made lots of amazing goodies.  He had marshmallow shooters, chocolate covered Oreos, Santa hats and more.  He was a great little salesman and was probably the biggest seller of the day.  The best part for me was seeing how patient his parents were with him.  It reminds me that what matters during the holidays is spending time with our children.  It's time for me to go make a list of baking supplies so we can get to those cookies!  Our tree us up and decorated, the house is sparkling, the gifts, well...those have a ways to go, but I'll get it done! 

 

Sorry things are a bit fuzzy.  All I had was my camera phone.  My class schedule is up and ready for registrations.  Can't wait til the first of the year to get started with lots of new product!

Coming later this week will be a beautiful new album for sweet little Emma.  Don't forget to stop by!

Classroom Goodies

This past weekend I went to a Holiday Card Swap with about 20 other gals!  So much fun...good food, good company and some amazing cards.  Just a quick post today to show you my "country-style" creation and the goodies I brought.  Love the new treat bags that Stampin' Up! offers.  They are the perfect size to fill with candy cane sticks, twizzlers, skittles or M&M's.  Add a cute little topper and you've got an easy, enjoyable gift for the classroom or office. 

Click on my website to place your order today!

Vroom, Vroom...

I was asked to make an accordian album for a baby shower gift last week.  Great, right?  Cute, fun, sweet...these are the words that came to mind.  Well then I was thrown a curve ball.  The baby's room is being decorated in Harley Davidson colors...orange and black.  How on earth am I going to pull this off without screaming Halloween? 

Add a little Pacific Point, a few funky shapes and some cool embellishments and amazingly enough, it worked!  I've made a few of these albums for different events now and they are so much fun.  I really love how the pages can be touched and are not hiding behind plastic. I'd love to hear what you think! 

Sorry there are so many picts...they were too cute not to include.  I also did a matching card to go with it including the requested pinwheel. 

I now have another baby album as well as a black and white wedding album to make.  Can't wait to get back to my craft room!  I'll post those when they're finished! 

New Year's Resolution

Now, I know it's a little early but with my inspiration and commitment to my Stampin' Up! business rejuvenated, it seems like the right time.  It feels so good to have finally made the jump from a hobby demonstrator to a money-making business.  The Holiday Season has been good to me...one last craft fair coming this weekend and a few product orders to finish up.  (If only I could get my own shopping finished!)

There are lots of great things coming for the new year for A+ Stamping Solutions!  My new Etsy shop is just getting underway, project tutorials are being completed and the new class schedule is up.  Thanks for your support and following through the past year. The roller coaster has been crazy with more ups and downs than I care to remember but...the ride is slowing down and I couldn't be happier.

We have recently moved into a new home and I have an amazing new crafting space that I share with my daughter.  I can't wait to get paint on the walls, shelving and display space so that I can share it with all of you.

Only 3 weeks to go before Christmas!  Are you ready?  How about one last gift idea, so simple, so cute.

These lollies are so popular right now as are pennant banners so...why not combine the two!  The Spice Cake Designer Paper is the inspiration for much of my new house and this little cutie fits in perfectly.  Add a few pearls, scraps of ribbon and buttons here and there and you can't go wrong!  Later this week I'll post some holiday themed ones I'm finishing up for the craft fair...

Stay tuned!

Limited Time Only!...Online Extravaganza Sale

Oh the weather out side is frightful...well actually it's been pretty warm here in NH and I haven't really been in the Holiday mood. But all that changed this morning when I saw the very long list of sale items from Stampin' Up!  I already put my order in! 

And to add to the excitement, SU is offering two brand new items on sale for the first 24 hours only!  This is crazy! 

Visit my website to place your order right away!  www.amywest.stampinup.net

Spice Cake Shadowbox

October 1st has come and gone!  The leaves are starting to change color, the apples are ready for picking and it's time to buy those beautiful fall mums.  So that must mean that it's time to update my shadowbox from Sunny Fun to the gorgeous Spice Cake DSP. 

I love that this DSP has a little bit of Pool Party from the new In Colors.  It reminds me of that cool, crisp air that makes fall my favorite time of year in New England.  I did pull out one of my retired stamp sets...Basket Full of Fun to add the leaves and apples.  The were too cute not to add! 

Craft Fair items and Christmas Gifts have begun!  I like the smaller version (it was much easier to do!) for the craft fairs.  I'll also sell different inserts to go along with them. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

So much going on...

I keep telling my self that I'm going to actually schedule time to stamp...Right!  I seem to only find little snippets of time and feel all this pressure to create, that my creativity seems stunted.  (If only my weight seemed stunted!  Those stupid M&M's!!)  Anyway...
World Card Making Day was yesterday and we had a fun little celebration!  Thank you to those of you who left covered in glitter, glue and ink!  The end of the night brought a challenge for me from one of the members of our demonstrator group, Linda.  Apparently I am not posting enough inspiration!  Well, that must have set the creative wheels in motion because I had a super productive day...

First let me share the WCM Day goodies...

 These are the lovely ladies that joined the fun, and Pam, my Demonstrator Upline...

 Pam and I each created three cards with a fall-like theme.  At our last meeting, Terry went over a great technique that I've fallen in love with.  After you emboss a piece of cardstock using an embossing folder in the Big Shot (oh, remind me how you can get a FREE Big Shot:-), use an inked up brayer and roll on the ink.  Then I used heat & stick powder and some dazzling diamonds...The picture looks a bit flat but it is really sparkly and cute!

 Love doing a gate fold card with a belly band and Days of Gratitude is one of my favorite sets!  Very simple card, tone on tone and some sponging of Early Espresso around the edges.  This was my attempt at a semi-manly card.  (Did I mention I love glitter and sparkle?)

 Who doesn't love to color?  I certainly can't get enough and when you use the watercolor pencils with a blender pen, it looks like you can even paint!  Oh the magic...
Cherish Friendship with a sentiment from Three Little Words completes this card.  Very simple but versatile. 

 And now Pam's amazing goodies...
Gently Falling has to be one of the most popular SU sets out there right now.  Everywhere I go on my favorite blogs or websites, there it is!  Pam used the new Shaker Frames on this card with the Mica Flakes from the Holiday Mini Catalog.  Did you know that you can use a SU Ink Refill and die the Mica Flakes?  Really beautiful!!

 A card with no stamps!  Some Big Shot accessories and Spice Cake Designer Series Paper is all this card needed.  After punching out the flower petals with the Daisies II die, we ran them through the Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  Just this little bit of texture made a big difference.

How sad.  I don't know the name of this stamp set (and I don't have my catalog handy) but it was perfect for the fall theme.  Isn't the dotted scalloped ribbon adorable?  Pam also used the Champagne Glass Glitter.  It's chunkier than the regular glitter and really makes a bold statement. 


Thanks, Pam for all of your hard work!


That's all for today but I did a few new projects and I can't wait to share them this week.  Stay tuned!

Oh, wait a minute, I told you to remind me about that FREE Big Shot!  Well...if you sign up to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator between October 1-31, not only do you get over $345 worth of project for just $175 but you'll also get a FREE Big Shot!  If only I could sign up again...I'd love another Big Shot!  (If by chance you already have a Big Shot and don't want a second, you are welcome to choose $100 worth of FREE Stampin' Up! Product!)  Contact me today for more information!

Manly Man

For as long as I can remember, my aunt has sent the coolest care package and little goodies to different people.  She pays such attention to the littlest details.  She has been ordering my paper purses for the many people she works with and it seems, they've all loved receiving them.  I've included a picture of the latest order, all coordinating but different.  These little cuties are so much fun to create and dress up.  Last week she brought me a new challenge:  a gift for a man.  At the company she is at, there is one lone man.  What can I do for him?  Well a traditional brief case of course!  I know these are all over the internet but I didn't have my laptop handy so I just did my own thing.  The supplies for this are simple:  Chocolate Chip card stock, Hodgepodge Hardware and the white gel pen.  (Paper cutter and hole punch too)  I did decide to add some depth to the briefcase by adding some sponging in Early Espresso to darken the edges and show some "age" to it.  There are 4 mini brads on the bottom, too. There is a little velcro dot so the case can open.  This would be adorable for a gift card or business card holder for a desk!

Thanks for checking in!  It's good to be back creating and posting!

Christmas Card Club #2

Cherry Cobbler...it just sound scrumptious doesn't it?  I can just smell the holidays!  For the next two cards in this year's Christmas Club, Cherry Cobbler was paired with Always Artichoke for a warm, fuzzy look and then with Baja Breeze.  This made for a crisp, clean card that really highlighted the Dasher stamp.  Something else that adds some texture to the cards is using the Naturals Ivory and Naturals White Card Stock.  There is a speckled look about them and a really heavy feel.


Greeting Card Kids Card:
Supplies:  Naturals Ivory, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke
Aqua Painter with Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Crumb Cake Classic Ink
Lace Ribbon Border Punch, sponge

Dasher Card:
Supplies:  Naturals White, Cherry Cobbler and Baja Breeze Card Stock
Versa Mark Ink, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine
Season of Joy Stamp Set

 Really excited for the next installment of our Christmas Card Club Cards!  I think there is some Designer Series Paper in store! 

On a side note, I would love to get to 100 followers!  I would love if you could help by passing my blog on to your friends!  Thanks everyone for listening to me ramble this week.  It's so great to be back...

Christmas Card Club: Part One

I know, it's only September but...the holiday season gets so crazy that I thought this year I'd do my Christmas Card Club beginning in August.  By the time November rolls around, cards will be done and you'll have extra time for Thanksgiving prep and gift making!  I've decided to try a variety of techniques and looks for this years card selections.  I started with a traditional card using punches and dry embossing.  By turning the triangle upside down from the Pennant Parade Stamp Set, a Christmas Tree emerges!  This card is clean and simple.  Now, if you wanted to dress it up, a little ribbon tied on the tag, embossing the sentiment and adding some rhinestones as ornaments would do the trick.  The new dotted scalloped ribbon is really adorable.  I'm anxious to get a few more colors of it.

Frosty cold snowflakes make me love winter.  I'm sure there are other parents out there who remember the first time your children tried to catch a snowflake on their tongue.  My son, Dakota, would get upset that the snowflakes would melt before he could show me.  Love, love, love memories like that!

As always, I love shimmer paint and a bit of bling.  This card is about layering.  The Crumb Cake layers are sprayed with a bit of Log Cabin Smooch Spritz.  The top Bashful Blue layer is sprayed with the solution of rubbing alcohol and shimmer paint.  Although it is hard to see in the picture, this solution gives the card a soft, irridescent look.  Then I painted straight shimmer paint onto the snowflake, added a rhinestone and we're done.  A simple card with room for a note inside.

I've already done the samples for September's Christmas Card Club and am excited to share!  Stay tuned...

Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini

It's here!  One of the best mini catalogs I think Stampin' Up! has ever released is here!  The fabric is beautiful, the stamp selections are amazing, Big Shot accessories are to die for...
I always go through a new catalog and make a wish list right away.  Then I'll go back and do a little editing and revise my list to be a bit more affordable.  Well.  That's really not working this time.  I just love the new Stocking Bigz Die...can you imagine making a little Merry Christmas banner with that?  And how about the the Stitched Stockings stamp set?  Did you see the coordinating punch?  I can't wait to get my hands on that too!  I've already ordered the new Designer Series paper, Frostwood Ledge, which has a whole suite of products to go with it.

I certainly don't mean to skip over the Halloween and Fall/Thanksgiving options...they are just as beautiful.  I tend to decorate in fall colors so the Spice Cake paper is on it's way to my house too!

Well, how could I forget the new Simply Scored Scoring Tool!  Stampin' Up! thought of everything with this new treat.  There is a stylus, place markers and built in storage.  I've always used the scoring option on my Paper Cutter so I didn't think I needed this but...it's really fantastic!  What a time saver!

Contact me today to get your copy of the Holiday Mini, orders and project ideas! 

A Little Bit Spooky

Well, well, well...is it really September already?  This has been the craziest summer ever and fall is off to a funny start.  Hurricane Irene delayed the start of school 2 days.  The kids finally went back on Wednesday only to have Friday and Monday off.  I know I'm ready for the school/work routine!  I can't wait to get back to stamping and creating on a regular basis!

I did have a Clearly Creative meeting a couple of days ago and we changed up our swap a bit so...a gate fold card it is!  For some reason I was in the Rich Razzleberry kind of mode and this is what came out of it.  What do you think?

The shimmer is the Vanilla Smooch Spritz.  I really love how it looks, hopefully it won't clog like the Log Cabin Spritz.  Wicked Cool is the stamp set used with lots of Chocolate Chip sponging.

I'm off to create a couple of cards for Inkspirations and Create with Connie and Mary challenges.  I promise (really this time!) to post a few times a week...Coming up tomorrow are the first Christmas Card Club cards.  Friday, September 9th is the next club date...Kits are still available for $15 if you are not able to attend.  Contact me today!