Last night my sister, my cousin and I went to a concert at the Soaring Eagle Casino. There were three groups performing. The Crystals, Herman's Hermit's and another group that I've totally forgotten their name. Anyway it was a great time. Very nostalgic. But I saw something that I've never seen before. The line for the men's room was longer than the line for the ladies room. My sister said that it must be the beer. Got home about 12:30 because we had to stay a little while and support the casino. Now I've got to get busy because we're going camping this weekend and it take me forever to get around. The camper needs a new door handle and I got one and it's the wrong one. Oh well, Ted says that he can make it work so that's what we're going to do. So I'm hoping the weather gets nicer. Don't really like camping when it's so cold at night.

Here's a card that we did last night in card class. This is using the baby wipe technique that was demonstrated at Ronda's last all day meeting. It's really easy. You just put a couple of baby wipes on a dish and drop the ink onto the wipes in a random pattern. For this one we used the new in colors Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede. Then you use the baby wipes as your ink pad. These colors are perfect for this pheasant from the set Autumn Days.


This card uses the chalk grid lines that Melissa Roberts demonstrated at our last demo meeting. For this one you chalk up the white paper in a random pattern using the colors that you like. Here I used YoYo Yellow, Pretty in Pink, Orchid Opulence and Gable Green. Once you have the paper covered then you erase the grid lines. This was easy to do by using the paper cutter. Lay the paper on the cutter with two opposite cornes lined up with the cutting ling. Then move the paper so that the line you erased is even with the edge of the cutting guide and keep erasing and then turn the paper so you can get the rest of the grid lines. Isn't it pretty. The flower is from the hostess set Kind and Caring Thoughts. It's stamped in Orchid Opulence.



This card is a straight copy of one that I received as a swap at convention. It's the set Pick A Petal and it's stamped with Taken With Teal ink. The black center is the chunky black glitter. I've had the glitter for awhile and have to admit that this is the first time I've used it. I love it.

Look what I got today. The scrapbook store in Greenville is closing and they're selling everything in the store. I got this 8 1/2 by 11 paper rack and it's great. But now I need another because this one doesn't have quite enough slots for all of my paper. But it's wonderful having it out where I can see it. I guess I'll have to call them tomorrow and see if they would happen to have another one.

Have I got a deal for you. Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 Stampin Up! is running a hostess special. Host a workshop of at least $250.00 and you can buy anything (not hostess items or My Digital Studio) out of the Holiday Mini for only $10.00. What a great deal. There's 39 pages of holidays items in the mini. And after My Digital Studio is realeased host a workshop of $400.00 and you can buy My Digital Studio for 50% off the regular price. And here's the really great part. You can have your workshop right here at the Paper Palace. I'll do all the cleaning and set up and you only have to bring a few goodies. Let me know when you want to have a workshop.

Today I had an eye doctor's appointment in Lansing so I decided to go early and check out a yard sale that a friend told me about. It was billed as a "crafter's estate sale". And there were lots of craft supplies there. Some of them looked like they had been packed in boxes for a long time and it got me to thinking. Is this what will happen when I die? Someone will be sorting through all of my stash and saying "what in the world did she do with all of this junk?" Maybe I should start sorting some of this stuff. NOT. I don't really care what they have to do when I die but I'm not getting rid of any of my treasures. Maybe if I had a few less crafts it would be easier but it wouldn't be as much fun. And I know that there's things here that I haven't seen in a loooooong time but you never know when I might need it. Of course I'll never be able to find it when I need it. And then I'll just go out and buy more. How about you? Do you have lot's of things that will probably not interest your heirs when you die. I'd like to think that someone will love all of this stuff as much as I do but I'm not sure that's the case. Oh well, I'm having fun with it now.

These cards are made from the Simply Sent Card Elements "Flower Power" I've had people ask me how many cards a kit will make and how hard they are to do and I had no idea. So I decided that I needed to get a kit and try it for myself. The kit will make a total of nine cards. Three of each design. And they were really easy to do. There was some stuff left over so I could have made a couple more cards. But I was really happy with these. All of the kits have a stamp set that co-ordinates with them but I didn't get the stamp set. All these cards need are some greetings and I'll just use some sets that I already have.

This picture is of two of my great nephews and Jasper the goat. Tiger, the little one, loved the goats at Potters Park so when I knew that he was coming today I called Garret and asked him to bring Jasper over for a visit. Tiger had a ball. I'm not so sure about Jasper.

The bottom picture is the 6 x 6 page. I just mounted the image and added some ribbon and an animal punched out at the junction of the ribbon. The second picture is the 8 x 8 page. I put the 6 x 6 page onto the 8 x 8 paper and added some word at the top and bottom. Just wanted to show you how you can use all three sizes of pages with the same image.

Here's a 12 x 12 scrapbook page that I did of my niece's little boy Tiger. He loves playing with a set of jungle animals that I have at my house. He was sitting in the toy box when I took this picture. The background cs is Chocolate Chip, the green is Certainly Celery and the brown under the picture is Soft Suede. The printed paper is Tall Tales designer series paper. This is a 12 x 12 page but it started out as a 6 x 6 page.

Here's a sneek peek at the 3-D project that we'll be doing at the August 27th card class. You'll have to come to class to get the dimensions but I'll give you the technique right now. It's called crayon resist. You stamp your image on glossy white card stock with Stazon ink. Then you color in any place where you want a white highlight. You have to use a really good quality wax crayon. I tried a couple of different crayon's from the dollar store and they didn't work near as well. After your done coloring then ink up your brayer and color the paper. Use a tissue to wipe off the excess ink and you'll have a very pretty, different look. You probably can't tell from this picture but this is a pocket size pack of tissue.

Now I'm done (I think) for the day. I'm going to get outside and do some weed wacking and move some dirt around. They delivered another load yesterday and I'm hoping that's all I'll need and once this load is spread and leveled I can start putting down some grass seed.

Happy stamping.

Stampin UP! is always looking for more fun people to share their love of stamping and scrapping. Right now they're offering a great deal with a mini starter kit. For only $85.00 you can become a demonstrator. You'll get all of the in color stamping pads, a pack of Whisper White card stock, a mixed package of the in color card stock, the For All You Do stamp set and all of the business supplies that you'll need to get started. Imagine that. For only $85.00 you get to stamp and scrap with all your friends, come to meetings, learn lots of new techniques, hear about all the new products before they're introduced to the public and you'll always get at least 20% off everything that you buy. Let me know if your interested and I'll be glad to give you more information. And if you sign up before the end of August you'll get a surprize gift from me.

Here's one of my swap cards that I took to convention. It's the angel from the Holy Triptych set. I stamped the Baroque Motifs in gold on Very Vanilla card stock. The angel was stamped with Versamark and embossed in gold. Then I took an embossing pen and colored in the wings and embossed them with Irridescent Ice embossing powder. Layered it onto Chocolate Chip and Brushed Gold card stock. We will definately be using this set at my Christmas Card Stack on Sept.

I know I already posted once today but now I have another question for all of you. My sister-in-law and I are looking for a few people who would like to take a class using embossing folders. Sue Nelson of Heart Print designs, www.heartprints.net, will teach a private class if we get at least five people who want to take it. It doesn't matter what machine you have. Let me know if your interested and we'll see if we can get a group together. email me pennylynn2@yahoo.com or call me at 989-862-5666.

Here's the card that I demonstrated last night. It's really easy to do. Just ink up your embossing folder with a brayer. Ink up the de-bossed side. That's the side with the dents going down (make sense??). Then run the folder through your Sizzix or Cuttlebug or what ever machine your using with Whisper White cardstock. And it's like magic. I used Regal Rose classic ink. The base of the card is Basic Grey. I stamped the verse from Close As A Memory on Whisper White cs in Regal Rose ink. I punched it out with the big oval punch and mounted it onto a tag that I cut from the Matchbox die. The ribbon is Basic Grey taffeta ribbon. One little note. The folder has an arrow on one end. Be sure that that's the end that you put through the machine first. If you don't then your paper might slip and you won't like the effect.

Well, I got a good night's sleep last night. But that's not to say that I couldn't use a nap right about now but I've got to get ready for our demonstrators meeting tonight. I'm going to demonstrate using a brayer on an embossing folder. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I've spent most of the day trying to finish up the make and take's from convention. They just don't give us enough time while we're there. And then I had to sort all the stuff I bought at convention because some of it isn't mine and Sandi really wants her stuff. And then there's tons of laundry to do and swaps to sort. The girls who went to convention are taking their swaps to the meeting tonight so everyone can see them. Here's a picture from convention. That's me with the Build-A-Bear mascot. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a few more pictures. Everyone have a great day.

Finally home.

Here it is Monday afternoon about 5:30 and I'm finally home. Sat. night I went back to the Macaroni Grill with my cousin and her husband. After we ate Harold and I walked down to Temple Square because he had never been there. We couldn't go in the temple but we went into the tabernacle and the assembly hall. There was someone practicing on the organ in the tabernacle and a concert in the assembly hall so we got to hear some beautiful music. Sunday morning we went out to breakfast with a friend of theirs. We went to a restaurant called the Village Inn. They're a chain out West and the food was really good. Then we went to a park and just walked and talked until it was time for me to get to the airport. Got there about an hour and a half before my flight. When you fly on smaller airlines the gates are usually the ones furtherest away from the main building. Well, I waited at the gate and then we still had to walk about 1/4 mile to the door where we actually got on the plane. It was an uneventful flight to Denver. I really don't like the Denver airport. It's huge and if you have to change concourses then you have to take a train. But at least I had plenty of time between planes. Got to the right gate and saw that the flight was delayed a half hour. Wandered around and looked in the shops and then went back to the gate. Now the sign says that the flight is delayed another hour. Then they call my name. Got up to the desk and they inform me that my flight from Milwaukee to Flint has been cancelled but when I get to Milwaukee they'll give me a voucher for a hotel. WRONG!!! Got to Milwaukee and there were about 10 -12 of us who had been told that and the people there inform us that they never give vouchers when it's a weather delay. So we all had to find a hotel and at least they had a courtesy phone that connected us with a service that arranged hotels and shuttles for us. Finally got into bed at 1:00. My flight out wasn't until 1:30 this afternoon so I thought that I would have time for a good nights sleep. WRONG again. The walls were so thin that as soon as the other people in the motel started waking up I was wide awake. Oh well, I finally got home and now I'm going to go and take a nap. I'll post again when I'm rested up.

It was so late last night when I got back to the room that I just went to bed. Last night was awards night. Two of the girls in our Rubber Queens group were in the top 100 demonstrators so it was a good night for us. And our leader Ronda Wade is going to be on the Advisory Council again next year. That's a first for Stampin UP! Usually, once a person has been on the council they are never asked again. What a surprise for her.
They had great enterainment. An acapella group that was there last year as well. They sing just about any type of music except hard rock.
Tonight we went to the Macaroni Grill for supper. I had never heard of it before but I guess it's a chain. It was very good. After we ate I dumped my stuff in my room and went to the Gateway Mall. It's an outdoor mall like Eastwood in Lansing. But I had forgotten how far away it is. Only about four blocks but it felt like four miles.
And we had really big news today. Only for convention attendees. Stampin Up! is coming out with a digital scrapbooking program sometime in Sept. And the convention attendees were offered a challenge. If we can recruit 3000 new demo's by the end of Sept we can get the program for free. So come on everyone. Help me out. Don't you want to be a demo and own your own business, be your own boss, set your own hours, work only when and if you want to. Right now is a great time to join because Stampin Up! is offering an $89.00 kit. Check the Stampin Up! web site or my web site for more details. And let me know if your interested. I would really like to sign you up.
Well, now I'm going to go upstairs and get a bag of ice for my knee, put my jammies on and take two tylenol and go to bed. And it's not even 9:00 yet. Quite.

Well, it's much cooler this evening. We went to P.F. Changs for supper and just before I got there it started to rain. It looked really bad but while we were eating it cleared up and cooled off. The next couple of days are suspose to be only in the low 80's. For Salt Lake that's really cool.
I didn't get started as early this morning as I had planned. By the time I got to the Salt Palace there was quite a long line for Momento Mall (the place where we spend all our money). So I decided to check in and get my bag first. BIG Mistake. By the time I came out to the line again it was way down the hall at least three times as long as it was when I first got there. So I decided that I was going to wait. From the time that I got in line until I checked out (much poorer) it was four hours. But I got some really cool stuff. But there were limits on some of the items so you know that I have to go back tomorrow.
Then I decided to wait for Ronda because I knew that she at least was getting some awards. Both she and Melissa Roberts are going to Founders Circle. That's a special retreat for the top 100 demonstrators in the company. Tomorrow night at awards night they will both get to go up on stage. Ronda has been in the top ten for at least 8 years and the last two years she was number one. I belong to a geat group.
Then it was back to the hotel to put my stamp sets together so I'll be ready for make and takes tomorrow. And it was a good chance to sit and let the a.c. blow on me.
Now I'm just winding down and relaxing at the hotel. Tomorrow morning the excitement starts. The first official day of convention.

Well, I'm finally here in Salt Lake. The plane was an hour late leaving Detroit so it was a little later when I got here. It's hot. I'm staying at the Hilton and it's really nice. And it's only a block from the Salt Palace. I had supper at a little tea room called the Beehive Tea Room. But since it was supper they didn't have any pastries so I might have to go back tomorrow some time. I'm planning on being at the Salt Palace early tomorrow morning so I can shop before it gets to crowded. And then I have to pick up my bag and my make and take supplies and my stamp sets. Then back to the hotel to assemble the stamp sets. And Ronda want's us to meet her at the Salt Palace around 2:00 so we can see who's getting awards. Then tomorrow night we're going to eat at P.F. Changs, which is just around the corner from the hotel. I'm glad because it's to hot to walk very far.
Now I'm going back to my room to sort out my swaps and get them ready to go tomorrow.

I'm off to convention.

I've been thinking about starting a blog and decided that this is the right time to do it. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Salt Lake City and the annual Stampin Up! convention. I'm going to try and update this blog every day this week so you can see what's going on at convention. And then when I get home I'll work on getting this personalized. Let me know what you think.