Addicted to Stamping

Carrie Cudney's Mixed Media Class

Carrie Cudney taught a class during convention where she showed some samples of mixed media art she created using Stampin' Up products and DSP. These were photos I took of Carrie's samples. The first 3 were done on a 6" canvas and the last sample she made into a card. They were just too cute not to share.

Cinderella for a Night

Well actually it was more like an hour but I still felt like Cinderella.

Before convention I received an invitation from Becky Roberts to a little gathering she was organizing  with Monica Gale to meet some of the Grand Vacation Winners from the UK, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand. When I saw the list of US and Canadian demos that were invited (most of whom I consider SU royalty) I thought I must have gotten my invitation by mistake. Oh well, mistake or not I wouldn't have missed it. What an honor it was to meet so many awesome demos from other markets. Becky made name signs for us to carry which I have to admit I liked since no one ever thinks I look like me.

Many of the international demos had swaps and gifts for us (even chocolate). I've posted the pics below.

 

Thanks again Becky and Monica!!!   

Oval Flower Swap

My scrap bins were getting a little unruly so I made several of these swaps for convention in a variety of colors to use up some of my card stock scraps. Here are the supplies: Express Yourself Stamp Set, Black Stazon, Chevron Folder, Large Oval Punch, Hexagon Punch, Brights Collection DSP stack, scraps of card stock for petals

Baby Shoes Punch Art Swap

This was one of the samples I made using the Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set and some Stampin' Up punches. Here are the supplies: Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set, Black Stazon, Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set, Pink Pirouette Classic Ink, Small Oval Punch, I/2” Circle, Modern Label

Gingerbread Punch Art Swap

Here is another swap I made for convention. The gingerbread are made using the Pansy Punch. Here are the supplies: More Merry Messages Stamp Set,  Black Stazon, Gingham Wheel, White Taffeta Ribbon, Candy Dots, White Gel Pen, Chocolate Chip Marker,  ¾” Circle Punch, Small Heart Punch, Pansy Punch (trim one of the bumps off for the arms and legs). You can find the cheat sheet for the gingerbread men here

Happy Couple Punch Art Swap

This was one of the swaps I made for convention. It's from my All Occasions punch art class. Here are the supplies I used: Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set,  Hair; Scallop Oval, Head; 1¾” Circle, Eyes; Owl, Pupils; Neck/Shirt; Owl, Itty Bitty Punch Pack Circle, label; Modern Label punch . Make a tiny slit in the white apron and fold the tabs back to form the shirt collar. Add a string of pearls or rhinestones to the woman's neck.

A Sad Goodbye

Before I start sharing my convention swaps I wanted to let you in on why I enjoy swapping so much. I usually make several hundred and it's something I really look forward to. Every year right before convention my mother's family gets together for a weekend long reunion. My Aunt Helen would come down a week or two early and I'd get together with her and my parents and make swaps. This year Aunt Helen was in the hospital and making swaps just wasn't the same without her. She passed away the day I left for convention. I'm thankful I got to see her before I left and for all the fond memories I have to look back on. She will truely be missed. The photo below is picture of my Aunt Helen, my mother Betty and my Aunt Clara taken a couple of years ago at our family reunion.

Mom to the Rescue

I knew I could count on my Mom. I found a brand new blade for my cutter in a box of sewing supplies she gave me so I'm back in business. I think I have most of my parts and pieces cut and ready to go. We're leaving tomorrow for our weekend long family reunion and I can usually round up enough slave labour there to complete several hundred swaps.

Just One Little Blade

All I need is a blade. ..one little blade…how hard can it be to get a new blade???  Well, let’s just
say it’s waaaaay harder than you think. First… a little background; we’re still not in our house and when we moved I put all but the two paper cutters that I use regularly into storage. I’ve been using my Stampin’  Up paper trimmer for the past year with the same blade. Don’t ask me why I never thought to order a spare.  I have a drawer full of spare blades for the other 6 trimmers that I currently have in storage but not a single blade for my Stampin’ Up one.

So…I’m working on my swaps for convention and my Stampin’ Up blade doesn’t just cut poorly it tears through the card stock leaving a 1/8”
wide trail of destruction in its path. If I order a new blade now I’d have to expedite to get it in time and one little blade would cost me more than the whole trimmer is worth so I go to plan B.

Plan B: We’re short a vehicle for a few days because the
master cylinder went on my van and both teenagers are working full time this summer in different cities so I ride my bike to my parents’ house 4k away to pick up my Fiscars Rotary cutter. Now picture Auntie Emm from the Wizzard of Oz except instead of Todo in the basket I have my Fiscars cutter.  I took the back way home for obvious reasons.  So…I start cutting the card stock for my swaps and the blade is so dull I don’t just get the fuzzies on the edges of my Whisper White I have actual snow balls. I have spare blades for it but they’re in storage with my other 6 trimmers.

Rather than making the 2 hour trek into town on my Hardley (that’s what my kids call my bike) I call DD who works right down the road from Walmart and say “can you pick up eggs and blades for my rotary trimmer?” then give her a full description of the blades. I must have spoken in too many characters because I think her ears slammed shut after “bl”. That’s what I got…eggs and bl.

Round 2. The next day DD’s boyfriend came to pick up DS and the two of them are going shopping at Walmart. Perfect, right?   I show them the old blade, tell them exactly where to find it, wait all day, they get home at 10:00pm…nothing. They couldn’t find them. I’m contemplating sending them shopping for tampons.

I don’t dare ask Hubby. I can’t even imagine what he would bring home.  I think I’ll call my mother.