New Design Studio Coming Up!!

So I have been longing to have a bigger, better space for my creating pleasure, upstairs. I have a 5 bedroom house, but only 2 rooms are upstairs and 3 down. So, one upstairs is the master bedroom and the other has always been for the girls. After McKenzie was born and we discovered she is a super light sleeper, we moved McKayla downstairs to her very own room. (It was actually the Guest Room that she got, only 3 year old I know with a queen size bed...lol) Anyway, she loves it. She also has the smallest of the rooms downstairs set up with all her furniture (yes actual "mini" furniture, couches and all) as a toy room, fully equipt with her tv and dvd player. The last room downstairs, I painted and turned it into my craft room, although we used to have it as a computer room. We brought them computer upstairs a while ago and it just stayed.

The next portion of the story is this.....I barely get to go downstairs to my room until after the girls are in bed and I really would like to be able to do stuff during the day. The solution is to put McKenzie downstairs and bring the craft room upstairs, so we are playing musical rooms. We put her downstairs last night and I have moved most of my stuff out onto the pool table. I went to Rona for the paint last night before I picked McKayla up from daycare and took her to Gramma's house. Then after we put McKenzie to bed (after taking apart the crib moving it and setting it up again downstairs) I started to paint.

I am doing it in 2 colors and neither of them are blue. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? I know, but I am actually getting sick of the blue on my walls. Next will be to cover up the blue in my bathroom. I also picked these colors because I would like a more grown up, tasteful color, that would not require repainting should we ever decided to sell the house. I am going to keep the colors a secret until I reveal the pictures in a few days. But here are the (aweful) before pictures.

As you can see, the people we bought the house from really like sponging.
YUCK!! and it is proving difficult to cover.


And best of all she did it ALL the way around the entire room. We left it when we moved in because we didn't have time to paint. Well! Bye Bye sponge painting.

These litle Teddy bears (not even really cute) are a pain in my A**! She also had stenciling done in this room, both bathrooms, one bedroom downstairs and in the kitchen. The dark spots and the blue practically climb out from behind the new paint...LOL So I painted then first and that way they get coated a few times and then....BYE BYE TEDDY BEARS!!

So there you have it. I will return, hopefully soon, with some better looking pictures. In the meantime, I have to go clean up my house as my neices & nephews are all coming over tonight so that the kids can all exchange there Christmas Presents together.

Have a great day & a Happy New Year if I don't see you before then~~Jewels

Saying Hello

Just wanted to pop in and say hello to you all. I have heard from a few of you over the holidays and I am glad that you all had GREAT Christmas's. As did I. So just saying hello again to my many friends accross the globe. We have had recent hits from The Netherlands, The UK, all over the US and Canada and closer to home in my home city. I am sure I know who most of you are so that is why I thought I would give you all a big Shout out. So HI and I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. So tell me, What was the best Christmas Present you got and What are you Plans for new years?

My Favorie part was watching my Three year old opening her Christmas Presents. My Favorite Gift this year was from My Best Friend Melissa, who made me mosaic pictures of both my girls and framed them. They are Beautiful, so thanks Girl!! I will blog those later as well. As for New Year's we are going to a huge party with all our close friends, or that is the plan anyway.

I will be updating my blog a little later on after I finish a card order for a local store. That way I will have all the time I need to tel you all about Our Christmas!!

Jewels

Canadian prices going lower

Well who wouldn't be happy about this? I was just reading some updates on the Stampin Up Demonstrators website when I stumbled straight in to the one titled "Canadian prices going lower"(GASP!!!) I think my eyes popped right open as far as they could and I suddenly had the urge to get up and dance like a complete retard in my livingrom. So of course, my DH looks at me like I am clearly insane....and perhaps he is correct. So anyway, here is the update:

Canadian Prices Going Lower! December 21, 2007

Stampin' Up! is happy to announce that the prices in the Spring-Summer Collection 2008 are going down! You may have noticed that the prices in your new catalogue are already lower, but with further evaluation of current circumstances, we have decided that the pricing warrants a further reduction of 7 percent! We are excited about this further development and hope you will be, too!

Unfortunately, the timing required to determine the catalogue pricing meant that this additional reduction was not ready in time for printing, so the prices listed in the Spring-Summer 2008 Collection, as well as the Occasions 2008 Mini Collection, are inaccurate. This adjustment will be valid for the full cycle of the catalogue, including the upcoming mini, so to help you with this new pricing structure, we will provide you with a price conversion sheet that you should print out and keep with you, and hand out to anyone who receives a catalogue. We will post an announcement when this list is available. OEX will be updated with correct prices, so they will be accurate when you go to place your orders on January 2, 2008. OEX will calculate the 7 percent reduction on individual items. If you choose not to utilize the price conversion sheet (or do not have it on hand), and you take the 7 percent reduction after you add up your order total, before tax and shipping, you will see a slightly different total.

With the adjustments in Canadian pricing, many other factors have been considered:
Starter Kit: The price of the starter kit will remain at the new, lower price of $260, as printed in the new catalogue, so a further 7 percent reduction will not apply. The kit remains a fantastic value, and we will consider promotions in the future to make this kit an even greater deal!
Supply Items List: The new supply list will be posted on January 2 and will reflect accurate pricing. We evaluated each item on the list individually, and pricing was determined based on several factors; therefore, you won't see a straight percentage reduction across all supply items.
Promotional Levels: Current promotions, such as the Spring-Summer 2008 Preview Brochure promotion and Sale-A-Bration, have qualification levels attached to them. These will be reevaluated, and new levels, where appropriate, will be posted under Specials & Promotions when they are determined. Please check back for the latest information on these opportunities!
Hostess Benefits Plan: There will be one change to the hostess benefits chart, effective until June 30, 2008. The current level for a hostess to qualify for benefits is $225, and we have dropped this amount to $200. All other levels and details will remain the same. With the lower pricing, when your hostess reaches her hostess benefits levels, her free product dollars will now go further than before!

Career Plan: As we are in the middle of a Stampin' Up! year, we are unable to effectively adjust the career plan requirements and levels. We hope that the new pricing will encourage your customers to continue to buy from you. We will monitor the impact the new pricing has on career plan performance, however, and may run promotions or offers to help compensate for any imbalance you may experience. Any permanent adjustments to the career plan based on these new developments will be done for July 2008 at the start of the new Stampin' Up! year.
We hope the benefits of these new changes will outweigh any inconvenience you experience. We will keep you informed of any further details as they become available, including the new price conversion sheet.


YIPPEEEEEEEEEE!!

~~Jewels

Catching Up

So today I am just playing catch up. I have been finishing up some Christmas projects. I am just about done a pregnancy Journal that a friend ordered, I also got my Gifts for The wonderful people at Fresh Flowers & Gifts done. I even had Curtis come home early from work on Thursday so That I could rush over before they closed. Then after I got back I realized that I had rushed to get their calenders done (I made one for each employee) and then I forgot them...argh! I guess that gives me an excuse to go back and drop them off and perhaps purchase some beautiful flowers for my Christmas Dinner. Check out their website HERE. Another wonderful site designed by Marlyn at Gaslamp Village.

Anywho!! I also got some running around done this evening I went and dropped off Michelle's Christmas present and I CAN NOT wait until she opens it, I have been holding out on that eauty for 3 months!!! So now I have to go and finish Sarah's stuff and get them ll wrapped so they are ready to go tomorrow....So I shall bid thee farewell in the hopes to get some more stuff done and perhaps get to bed at a decent hour (Gasp!) Early, I know not likely but all I have to do is be i bed by 4 am and it would be earlier then the last few evenings.....errr mornings?

Good Night! Stay tuned....tomorrow I hope to remember to upload a blog about the Pregnancy Journal, it's so SO cute!!

~Jewels

BTW if anyone wants a brand New SU catalog I have only 7 left get yours today for $8.00 instead of the book price of $12.95 CDN

Time Well Spent

At the beginning of December my upline, Heather, had a christmas party at her house with 7 of us all together. We had a blast and I got to meet some great people. Krista, Carmen (who made cruise a few times....can you imagine??) Chris, Melody & Sam. We each brought a project and enough stuff for everyone to make the same thing. So she had 4 cards tables pushed together into a big square, we all sat, munced on snacks, drank coffee and made projects.

SO, this is what I brought. I used the set that Stampin' Up! so graciously gave to all the demos for free. Did some watercoloring & Masking (2 of my favorite things to do. I think I need to get this set out and do some more with it. Perhaps the best time for me to get it out is when I start doing some more scrap pages. Ok well next post...lol I will catch up and then I have t go rock out some more things....AHHH Christmas is almost here!!

Papertrey Ink Release

WOW! That is all I have to say about the new releases from Papertrey Ink. I am absolutely heads over heels with them right now! I love small tidious things and that includes the latest stamp set release. LIMITLESS LABELS is a great jam packed set for creating great labels on candy & Chocolates. Hershey's Nuggets work perfectly with the set. Also Nichole has cleverly designed the background image stamps to PERFECTLY coordinate with the Avery Address labels (8160) How fantastic is that? Well I think it is PERFECTLY SWEET! I will definitely be posting my projects in the future! In the meantime feel free to ceck in on Nichole from Papertrey Ink at her BLOG or her wonderful WEBSITE.

Gingerbread House

TAA DAA!

The

House I made with McKayla! We got a little Wilton Kit from Michael's. She has a blast and she was a great little "helper decorater chick" Yes those were her words. I have to admit she reallywas, with the exception of the next photo to the right. I was trying to put the house together and she came and wrapped her curious little fingers over the edge of the counter in hopes to sneak a peek at things and CRASH! The end peice went crashing to the floor so I had to do that peice in a sort of mosaic fashion. After the house was all decorated and so on it became an öpen Concept"house when the back peice fell apart.LOL Luckily it didn't effect the rst of the house and my ginger people will just have to whip out their Parkas and touques! (For some of my non Canadian friends that translates to Jackets and Hats) hahaha Totally joking with you!

OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! New Catty Alert!!

Well! The new Catalogue or SU! has shown its VERY pretty face, and with the help of some SCS members it has been spotted in amoungst the clutter of their "Messy Desks" photos. Clever way to reveal the new stuff. I however am going to make you wait...HAHAHA It will be worth it. Lots of new flowers, sentiments and DS Papers. I think I could bankrupt myself on that alone.

Then to top it off I have been reading on Nicole's Blog >>Here<< and I think I will be ordering some new stamps from there as well. Just got my last order (minor blip corrected by there FANTASTIC company, props to Superb Customer Service!!) Anywho....I see an add on set to the Holiday Treats (perfect set for decorating Hershey's Nuggets in case you were wondering) Ey yi yi!! Lets skip Christmas presents for me and hook me up with some GC's and I would be some Happy Chicklit!! May have to send a link to the Gift Certificates to my DH's inbox...lol

Ok well that is about all for now. I have more to show you but have to go catch up on some things I was Supposed to be dong rather then reading 22 pages of Splitcoast forums...LOL Hey I know some of you out there were doing the same thing!! So perhaps I will come back and post this evening...or I will post after I get my Caty in my mailbox....I shall be stalking the mail guy tomorrow...Happy Stalking my Fellow Reginal SU Demos!

Awesome Cards

Update January 17, 2008: Anyone linked to this page hit the "Card Felt Greetings" title above ^^^^^To bring you to my current update posts. :)

Just want to add the pic in here quickly so I can get my butt to bed. I will come back tomorrow and update everything (if I remember)

My favorite Cards this year

The card above is made using the Stamp set SNOWFLAKE SERENADE from PAPERTREY INK. If you have not checked them out yet....pssst now is a fine time to do that by clicking >>>HERE<<<>

This card I made with Stampin Ups Wrapping paper available throughout the Christmas season only. nywho, I wrapped it over cardstock, added ribbon and made it look like a present. Then I stamped the sentiment from Wishing you cheer set (SU) and attached it to look like the gift tag. BTW: That is Martha Stewart Ribbon...LOVE IT!

Sweet Simple and EASY! I first made this card in Purely Pom, Soft Sky and Always Artichoke....I think I like this better! (paper & stamp from SU)

Tag Time!!

So I have had the Set Tags For All for a super long time and I was feeling like I wasted my mone because I had not even used them. Tonight finally had the chance and liked some of the stuff's outcome.

I have to say though that I do perfer the ones that are embossed compared to the ones that are just stamped. I did however only stamp them on paper and i didn't back them with anything or add ribbons, but I had a reason for it. I wanted to a Band aid tin to put the tags in as well and I still wanted to be able o fit lots in there comfortably. So here are my pics!!

Super easy to make and so darn cute!!

New Pretty Decorating!!

That's Right! No cards today, however some super cute items I have been LONGING to try for a while and did not have time. After I was puked on by my 1 y/o and finally got company gone and some time, it was nice to escape to my peper world. So sit back relax and check it out! (I am totally proud of these things) :)

So Saturday afternoon I planned to do lots of things and somehow my whole day slipped by before I even knew it. I did however manage to get at least this done. I wrapped Candies and Chocolates. Ok, now I just have to say.....HOW CUTE ARE THESE???? Just some simple chocolates and bars and candy picked up in Safeway wrapped in the most beautiful Stampin' Up! Holday wrapping paper. Then I took a few of each kind and put them in a card cello bag (Only thing I have available at the moment) Then I used the same wrap as the topper added the "For You" stamp from the Holiday Treat set at Papertrey Ink available HERE (and I do highly recommend her stamps, they are the best acrylic stamps that I have experienced) I added a silver embossed snowflake, also from that set, and voila!! Too cute and I have to make a zillion more of them!!

Supplies: Wrapping paper from Stampin' Up!, tape, hershey's mini bars (sorry can't remember what they are really called) Hershey's mini cookies & cream bars, Mini Mentos rolls all purchased bulk from Safeway, cello bags, Stamps from Papertrey ink, emboss powder & close to cocoa ink from Stampin' Up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Beauty s going to be a Christmas present for a friend of mine that absolutely LOVES baking. She has taken the wilton cake decorating class and can do some pretty sweet looking cakes. She also loves all kinds of cookies, cupcakes and anything baking related. So I thought it would be a great gift to make a recipe box for her. I really hpe she likes it as I think I might have a hard time giving this away...LMBO!!!



Anyway, I used the smaller size tin from provo craft. I think it roughly measures 2.75 x 5.5 or something like that. Then I used my new BEAUTIFUL Designer Series Paper Le Jardin from Stampin' Up! I love love love this paper and I think I will be ordering more before the new catty comes out in case it ends up gone. So I also used some Martha Stewart Acrylic Alpha stamps and I just have to say.....they are beautiful, I love the pattern inside the letter but the stamp itself wasa tiny bit disappointing. I say this because they dont cling very well. I had troubles keeping my letter on the block. But honestly that is my only complaint. Sometimes you just think you should get your money's worth espicially when you can not use a coupon with her stuff. None the less I probably will use this alpha set again but I wont buy any more. Back to the topic...This box is super cute I am SO proud of it but still have to figure out what I am going to use as dividers and what not....but I think I will make recipe cards to match.



Supplies: Le Jardion paper, close to cocoa ink, buckaroo blue ink from Stampin' Up!, Also used: tin from provo craft, Martha Stewart Acrylic Letter Stamps and tan ribbon. Other ribbons from Michaels. Giga scallop punch from Marvy (also now available from Papertry Ink)

Ok Last but not least.... A cookie tin! ANd funny thing is I did this one for me but my incentive for getting it done finally is for the same friend that loves to bake. She is doing a pile of baking for gifts and I want to show her this and offer to do a few for her as well. Because I am tired I am only going to list the supplies and perhaps I will add more to it later.

Supplies: tin from Dollar Giant, grey cardstock from Michaels (value pack paper) striped paper from Basic grey figgy pudding series, martha stewart ribbon dove white, Stamps from papertrey ink (snowflake serenade & Holiday Treats sets) EK success circle cutter, scallop punch, circle punchs from Stampin' Up!

Ok well, that's all for me now I think. Yeah now that it is almost 4:30 am hahahaha nitey nite.

~Jewels

Seriously? Give me a break!

Ok I am sorry I have not been posting lately, but you know had it is....Christmas = Busy. I know bad blogger! LOL However, I was all set to accomplish several things today. First, MY christmas cards. I have been so busy filling orders that I haven't done my own. Ooops! Secondly I wanted to do some candy wrapping (that will be a full picture post one day hopefully soon) and I wanted to continue a bit of my "Wintertime Spring Cleaning" SO, I now bring you the vented portion of today's blog. If you are reading this, sorry or just don't read it because I have no where else to vent. People don't know how to just listen or whatever so my apologies and here goes.

Today I didn't get out of bed until late morning. (thanks to someone not bothering to wake me) I didn't sleep well at all. Both my girls were waking up all night, alternately (almost as if they planned it that way...lol) plus I am taking Champix to quit smoking and I find I am not sleeping as well on it. (which was going well until I went out one night and smoked with my drinks....silly move) That brings me to my next complaint. Seriously!! how hard is it to quit smoking when your husband still smokes around you??? Well, I will tell you...It SUCKS. I can go an entire day not even thinking about smoking until he walks in the door and lights one up. From that point on I want one all night and usually do. Grrrr

Also today my 3 Y/O daughter was a little additude queen, nuff said! My 1 Y/O played with the Christmas tree all day. Fantastic time of year where I spent the greater portion of the day putting ornaments out of her hand and back on the tree. As soon as I would grab it from her you would need earplugs from her screaming. ok so blah blahblah bathtime, bedtime...okie dokie. or not. McKayla threw a HUGE fit about going to bed and landed herself in bed anyways after a spanking. At that point she went to sleep without a peep. (well now aren't I the poet..lol)

Last but not least shortly before I am sitting here typing my mom phones me and is depressed and lonely so we were just talking about random things. I mentioned to her that Chris had one their cars hit while parked on the street and the guy left his name and phone number. So my mom starts talking about how they should phone the cops and what if this guy tries to pin it on them and screw them over so to speak. I said to her well he wouldnt be able to because HE hit THEM and a parked car surely didnt jump out in front of him and that had that of been anyone else (including Me) they would have done the same thing. If it is just a minor little dent or whatever who calls the cops you just trade info and sort it out amoungst yourselves. Well then she decided to jump down my throat and say "Why do you always have to argue with me? thats not why I phoned you. I phoned to see how you were and now I see your fine so goodbye" I told her no dont hang up I was not trying to argue I was simply carrying out a conversation with you and saying what I think. simply saying well anyone would have done the same thing and I am sure that the situation would be just fine. It is not likes its a big deal why would I want to argue over it, it's not even my car or my problem.

Anyway after that she just said well everytime we talk that I start arguing with her and also pointed out the fact that I have not talked to her in a while. Well, I am sorry but after months of confused disorganized life I HAVE to get m, my family and my house back on track. Does anyone else think it is totally selfish of me to want to make sure I can pay attention to my daughters ever growing additude problem? or the fact that my husband and I have argued more in the last 6 months then we have almost the whole time we have been together and I want to pay attention to that? OR the fact that my household duties have fallen so far behind that my laundry pile id taller then I am so I would like to remedy that as well? I spent 4 hours yesterday cleaning and all I did was my livingroom top to bottom and the front entry way. Lets not forget that t has ONLY been FOUR days since I talked to her!! HELLO!! I cant call her every day. i dont cal anyone everyday anymore. I just can't sit on the phone and expect any of this stuff to get done.

WOW, it suddenly occured to me that it hasnt even been that long I called her on thursday and she was laying in bed. Which brings me to my next point. Every time I call her in the last 2 weeks she has been laying in bed....well I feel bad disturbing her in bed at 3 pm!

So all that said, I got a few things done this afternoon but nearly as much as I wanted. This evening I was savoring the silence of the girls in bed, watched a movie with Curtis (so as not to let him feel meglected) and then the part f the evening I was going to spend having a shower and then doing a bit of scrapping has now been hijacked by my mood and postponed to a later evening then I had intended on. Now I am going to have that shower but skip the scrapping and try to get some sleep. I thank you for my massive rambling but I feel slightly better the I did...ok so i would perfer to spill on some listening ears of a good friend but it is after late and a good friend is no where in sight.

Night all ~Jewels