HOSTESS APPRECIATION PARTY - FUN!!!

Happy Tuesday stampin' friends!!! WHEW! It was a hugely busy weekend since I had my Hostess Appreciation Event on Saturday!! It was a lot of work, but it was really worth it because I think everyone had a good time!! I wanted to share the make n' takes with you today as well as some pics of the decorations and such! So, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy!! This first card is one of two make 'n takes that we did! The theme throughout the whole event was the Big Top Suite using all the fun papers in that collection and the Sweets for the Sweet stamp set as well as the Up, Up, and Away stamp set.  This one features the former and is just too too fun!  Sorry for the bad pic - not sure what is going on there, but my camera has been acting wonky lately!! The background of the card is embossed using the Polka Dots embossing folder, and I just love how it looks with those bold, bright colors! The pinwheels are stamped twice - once on the card, and then once on another piece of card stock, then cut out and popped up on dimensionals.  The two candy pieces are also up on dimensionals and all four items have the liquid diamonds on them so they are nice and glittery IRL!

This second card is a gate fold card, again using the Big Top Suite, although the sentiment is from the Happy Greetings Stamp set.  The small candy was stamped and punched out using the 1 inch circle punch, and the sentiment was stamped on Whisper White card stock, and then punched out with the 2 3/8 inch Scallop Circle punch, then layered on a 2 1/2 inch circle of Real Red card stock.  We added some rhinestones underneath the sentiment and again added some Liquid Diamonds to the candy piece so there is lots of glittery fun on the front of this card!

The inside of this card is really fun, with the balloons from the Up, Up, and Away stamp set floating away into the clouds!  I was not sure I was
 going to use this stamp set much, but I find myself using it for lots of different occasions, it really is very versatile and definitely fun to play with, lol! It's a great card that can be used for all kinds of occasions, so I made a couple for my card stash - you never know when you are going to need that quick card, right?? *wink*  These next pictures are just some of the fun decorations I made to spruce up the room we were using since it was at the back of the local pizzeria and has tons of sports decor - nice, but not really what I was going for, lol! I kept true to the theme, using the Big Top Suite! I am not going to address each and every decoration so if you have any questions about anything, you can just email me and I will be happy to answer them :-)

This was the food and drink table - it didn't look so empty once the pizzas were brought in, lol! I made a cute banner that says thank you, and then each water bottle had some flavor of Crystal Light to add. I also made some fun cupcakes because I think every party should have cupcakes, don't you??  Here are some better shots of each of these items so you have a better idea of the decorations and how they were put together! I tried to make it personal and fun since these special ladies hostessed for me all last year

and introduced me to lots of local ladies who have since become my friends and fellow stampers!!! Which is why I totally love my job - I get to meet wonderful people like these ladies!! Out of the 27 ladies I invited, 15 of them came, so I was thrilled to see them! I wish they all could have been there, but that just does not seem to happen with everyone's busy schedules these days!! They all know how much I appreciate them though - I make sure of it!! Aren't the little pennants cute on the cupcakes? I had such fun making those!! And, the water bottle holders were perfect to keep the little Crystal Light packets in and they brightened up the room as well! Many of the ladies actually kept the holders so I know they enjoyed them as well. There were lots of different flavors to choose from but I discovered that I really like the Green Tea Raspberry something I never thought I would drink - who knew??  LOL - it's very rare I try something new *wink*  I also made each of them a little goodie bag full of different embellishments as well as some 3x3 cards and envies and their own sponges!! For some reason, these silly things are so popular with them that I thought it would be fun to give them each their own and the loved them - a couple of the ladies actually squealed - over a sponge - I know, right??!! In addition to the goodie bags, I also made them each a treat box filled with an assortment of Hershey's kisses - they even have cookies and cream now! Aren't they cute with those pinwheels?  I had the best time making those although by box 20 I was done, lol!

Here are some fun pics of the ladies eating, doing their make n' takes and playing some of the games - we had bingo, word search, stamping scavenger hunt, and stamping unscramble, and they all competed for prizes of current product! 

It was funny to watch them get all competitive in bingo, and then frustrated over the word unscramble - they had a hard time with Crop-a-Dile, lol!! There was a lot of laughter too though, and that made me smile - I really wanted them all to have a good time, after all, it was for them!!

Dawn was one of my very first hostesses after moving to Northren California and we have become great friends! Her group of friends actually formed a scrap club that lasted a year, and it was a really fun time! She is super talented and creative, and enjoys stamping! Here she is holding up her make 'n take - what a ham, lol! Katie is also a real sweetie, and I had the added pleasure of also having her mom Kim there as well - I love to stamp with these ladies, they are amazing! I adore them, as well as the regulars that stamp with them - I always leave a workshop with them feeling really good and happy because they are some of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet! Here is a pic of Katie with her new sister in law to be Barushka - I am sure I butchered the spelling of her name, but hey, I tried, lol!!! She is a sweetie, and just discovered the joys of stamping, and, judging from all the wedding favors they have been making, she is quite the natural!

Katie is also quite the competitor, you can see here how hard she is concentrating at bingo, lol! She was one of the finalists in the three rounds, so she got to go home with some fun goodies!!  All in all, I thought it was a really fun day and I thoroughly enjoyed spoiling them because without them, my business would not be a business at all!! I hope to see many of them again this stamping year as hostesses and again next year at the Diva Event!!! I will leave the recipe for the cards so that you can know the products used, and again, if you have any questions, just let me know!!! If this looks fun to you, and you would like to come to my next Hostess Appreciation Event, contact me and let's get your workshop set up! I promise you it will be a lot of fun, and your friends will really enjoy the creating, the products, and ME :-) Plus, I would love to come and stamp with you - I am always up for a girls' night out *wink* Have a wonderful day and I will be back tomorrow (hopefully with clearer pics if I can figure out what is wrong with my camera) with another couple of fun projects I made this past week! Until then, take some time to be creative!!

Card One Recipe:

Paper - Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight card stock, Big Top Birthday designer series paper

Inks - Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Peach Parfait classic inks

Stamps - Sweets for the Sweet 

Tools - Big Shot, Polka Dots embossing folder, Modern Label punch, 1 inch circle punch, dimensionals, sponge

Accessories - Dazzling Details liquid

Card Two Recipe:

Paper - Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Whisper White card stock, Big Top Birthday designer series paper

Inks - Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Peach Parfait, Bashful Blue, Real Red classic inks and stampin' write markers
Stamps - Sweets for the Sweet, Up, Up, and Away, Happy Greetings
Tools - 2 1/2 inch circle punch, 2 3/8 Scallop circle punch, 1 inch circle punch
Accessories - Basic Rhinestones, Dazzling Details liquid

A NICE MASCULINE CARD

Good morning stampers!! I hope your week is going well - it is BUSY around the Hobson house, lol!! Getting ready for two workshops, two classes, and a downline meeting AND getting the kiddos ready to go back to school, lol!! But, busy is good, it keeps me out of trouble, heehee!!! So, I wanted to share another swap card I made. This one uses a set I HAD to have right away called Zoo Review - I have been WAITING and WAITING for a good zoo set because I have TONS of pics that need scrapping that are from the zoo and the wild animal park!! I snatched this one up the minute I could order, lol!!! This is the first time I have inked it up but I have lots of plans for it in the future *wink*  I wanted to make a masculine birthday card - guy cards are hard for me it seems so I need the practice, lol! The base of the card is Early Espresso with the next layer being River Rock card stock that is embossed on my Big Shot using the new embossing folder called Houndstooth - yummy.  Then, more card stock layers of Early Espresso and Cajun Craze to give some dimension and depth to the image piece.   I chose the giraffe, which I stamped on Naturals White card stock and then stamped again on patterned paper from the Well Worn designer series paper collection. LOVE it!!! I cut the image out and paper pieced myself a giraffe that looks really like a giraffe should look :-)  Cool, right?? Perfect paper for this!! The ribbon is also new and is Artichoke Denim Jean ribbon - AMAZING ribbon that I NEED more of because I can't stop using it, lol!!! I added one of the new mini silver brads (and I thought I would never use these, heehee) and the sentiment, and the card is done! Pretty simple but most masculine cards are! I DO like the way it turned out, and now I have the perfect birthday card for my nephew:-)  If you like these products used here, and would like them to be in YOUR stamp room, you can order them in my online store or you can contact me and I will be happy to help you place your order! OR, you can earn them for FREE (yes, I said FREE) by hosting a workshop where I get to come and stamp with you and your friends - I would love that!!!  So, now I am off to the ortho about my knee, but then back to my stamp room I come to work on my upcoming events - have I told you how much I love my job??!!!  I will be back tomorrow with a sneak peek project from the upcoming mini....you DON'T want to miss it *wink*
Card Recipe:
Paper - Early Espresso, River Rock, Cajun Craze, Naturals Ivory card stock, Well Worn Designer Series Paper
Ink - Early Espresso, Cajun Craze classic inks
Stamps - Zoo Review
Tools - Big Shot, Houndstooth embossing folder, 1 inch, 1 1/4 inch, 1 3/8 inch circle punches, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponge
Accessories Always Artichoke Denim Jean ribbon, mini silver brads

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Happy Friday all!!! I am so glad it is Friday - I am ready to spend some time with my husband :-) I feel like we have been high fiving in the doorway as we both are rushing around to and from work, kids events, errands, etc.  I am teaching tomorrow but Sunday we are going to take the boat out and have some fun on the lake, and I am very much looking forward to that!!! Saturday my daughter is also participating in a very special birthday event for one of her best friends - a Quinceanera.  This is a special party that is celebrated in the Hispanic culture for girls who turn 15.  Sort of like a sweet sixteen party :-)  So, Kayla asked me if I would make her a card (of course!) for her birthday, and so I decided to use one of the fun stamp sets I purchased from our Spanish catalog.  Many of the sets are the same, just the sayings are in Spanish; however, there are some sets we don't have and this is one of them! It is specifically for this special event, and so it was perfect for making the card!  My daughter's dress is gorgeous - it is coral in color with sparklies all through it, just a beautiful dress! The birthday girl is wearing a white dress with coral accents, so I thought our new in-color Calypso Coral was perfect! This is a square card, which is probably my favorite size card to make.  I used the new patterned paper called Domestic Goddess, I just loved the pretty flowers and colors of this particular pattern! I used my Scallop Trim border punch on both sides as well as the patterned paper strip going across the middle of the card. All the images are from the stamp set Quinceanera, which can only be found in the Spanish version of the catalog - if you want to see it, you can click on the image in my sidebar the right, and it will take you directly to the catalog :-) I stamped the pretty birthday girl in stazon, then accent colored the dress with my Calypso Coral stampin' marker.  I used my two-way glue pen and my dazzling diamonds glitter to make the dress and crown all pretty and sparkly just like the dress she is going to wear!  Can you see how pretty it looks? If you click on the pic it should make it bigger - it is soooo sparkly IRL, I just love it!  The ribbon is the new Calypso Coral Ruffled Ribbon, which is available in all our new in-colors.  It is soooo pretty! The sentiment is also stamped in Stazon, punched out, and mounted on a Calypso Coral scallop circle, then popped up with dimensionals.  I am very happy with how this turned out! However, since this is a special card, I also had to do the inside because I wanted the card to look finished, lol!
So, here is a pic of what I did to the inside of the card! I stamped the crown, flowers,  and the word in Stazon, and again accented with the Calypso Coral marker, but I also added some rhinestones to the crown and the flowers on the bottom as well! I think every girl deserves a little bling, don't you *wink*  so, there is plenty of room left for Kayla to write her secret birthday message to her friend (I was not allowed to see it, lol) and my daughter loved the card as well! So, that means I was successful because if I can get the 14-year old stamp of approval, I am good! If you like this set, you can order from the Spanish catalog in my online store as well! Or, you can contact me and I can assist you in putting your order in! I will leave the recipe below so you have all the pretty ingredients in one spot, and again, if you have questions, please feel free to ask! I am now off to prep for tomorrow's canvas class, which is one of my favorite classes to teach! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and get some time to be creative!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Calypso Coral, Whisper White card stock, Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper
Stamps - Quinceanera (from the Spanish version of our catalog)
Inks - Calypso Coral stampin write marker, Black Stazon ink
Tools - Scallop Trim Border Punch, 1 3/8 inch Circle punch, Scallop Circle punch, mat pack and paper piercer, two-way glue pen
Accessories - Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, basic rhinestones

I LOVE CUPCAKES!

YAY! The sun is out and shining today although the wind is still blowing like crazy!!!  I am just glad the sideways rain has stopped, lol!!  Although it is supposed to start back up again later on today so I better enjoy the break while I can!  Soooo, today I have a little birthday pick-me-up to share - I love making birthday cards, such a happy reason to send a card! This one went to a friend who shares the same birthday I do - pretty cool, right??  And, we both love cupcakes so this is what I came up with! I used the super cute patterned paper and coordinating buttons that I received FREE from Sale-a-Bration - how cool is that??!! I LOOOOOOOOOVE FREE, LOL!  It's called Ice Cream Parlor(item 122242): isn't that a great name???  The buttons actually come with coordinating ribbon all in one package(item 123529) which is fabulous! I did not use the ribbon on this card but stay tuned for another project where it is predominately featured :-)  The stamps are from the uber cute cupcake stamp set in the Occasions Mini called Create a Cupcake(clear item 121982) , which is made even more fabulous because it has a coordinating cupcake punch(121807) that makes is super easy to make all kinds of different colored cupcakes for your projects! For this one, I stamped the cupcake base in Melon Mambo classic ink(item 115656), then added the "icing" in Pretty in Pink classic ink(item 101301) with some glitter sprinkles(item 114286) and a cherry on top - soooo fun!  And, check out those cute little buttons!!  I just love them, they match the paper perfectly, AND can be used for other projects because of the different colors! I added some twine and just tied it in a knot for that whimsical feel - just soooo CAUTE!  I had fun making this for my birthday buddy - and I know it was we are on the same wavelength because I also got a cupcake card, LOL!  Soooo fun! I hope you like my little piece of happiness and if you would like to have these items for your very own, all you have to do is place a $50 order in my online store or email me your order and you can choose these products for FREE!!!   I have lots going on today as I have two big classes and Club coming up this weekend, so I will be busily prepping for those in my stamp room today! I have another fun project to share tomorrow, but until then, happy stampin'!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Whisper White card stock, Ice Cream Parlor designer series paper
Inks - Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Pretty in Pink classic inks
Stamps - Build a Cupcake
Tools - Eyelet Border punch, Build a Cupcake punch
Accessories - Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Daffodil Delight thin ribbon, Ice Cream Parlor designer buttons, Fine Galaxy red glitter