FUN PICS FROM LEADERSHIP

I cannot tell you how much fun I had at Leadership this year - it was a total WOW! event! I mean, every event Stampin' Up! does is a total class act, but this one was absolutely AMAZING!! From the hotel, to the classes, to the food, to the demonstrations, momento mall, and of course, the fabulous giveaways and make 'n takes! I was so inspired and so proud to be a part of such a wonderful company, I just want to shout it from the rooftops LOL! I felt special, really special - I bet not every direct sales person can say that!!! I have always thought that SU! was awesome, but I am in awe of how truly wonderful they really are in every way! From Shelly on down, they are one class act!!! So, I thought I would show you some of the fun pics I have from Leadership - I just love to share!! The first picture is of our whole group plus a few we have adopted, LOL! We had dinner out at the Steak House and this was the stairway inside the restaurant. Dinner was really good and we had a great time laughing our way through our dinner!!!  These next few shots are of areas all around the hotel - which is more like a little city - which is absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Opryland Hotel and I highly recommend this place if you like to have everything right on site when you are vacationing. There are several eateries, lots and lots of shopping, entertainment venues, bars, and a full service spa! I would have loved to take advantage of more of the options here, there just wasn't enough time!  This is one of the archways leading out to the center and lobby area of the hotel - it's just beautiful! And, check out these beautiful water features - they are in the main area of the hotel as well, and there are a couple of restaurants surrounding them so you can listen to the water, watch the light show, and view the beautiful flowers while eating - just gorgeous!! This waster fountain was towards the Convention Center where we spent most of our time - isn't it purdy??!! There is a light show that goes on in these fountains each night at different times during the night and they are amazing!!! I could stand and watch these for hours if I had the time, LOL!  I could not get over how many beautiful light fixtures they had hanging from the ceilings - just amazing!!! Look at how beautiful they look at night - and they had all different shapes and designs as well.  The garden areas that surround each walkway were full of exotic, tropical plants and so the whole inside of the main areas felt like a hot house, LOL! But, it was totally worthy it, they were absolutely gorgeous and reminded me of Florida and Hawaii!

Okay, so not that I have shown you the inside of the hotel, I guess I should share some of the fun things I actually did do while there, LOL!

Here is a picture of me holding the wonderful bundle that Stampin' Up! gave to each and every one of us - so cool!!! I was so excited because that red glitter paper ROCKS and we also got some fun glitter brads to go along with it!!!  There was also some fun Champagne glass glitter int here too - such a wonderfully nice thing for Stampin' Up! to do - they sure do spoil us!!!  I also won one of the prize patrol offerings they do - they call a color of the buttons that we received when we first got there, and everyone with that color receives a prize - mine was Melon Mambo and we got a great stamp set with matching accessories - whoooohoooooo!!!!!

This next picture is of me and my new friend Darcy, who hails from Louisiana and is absolutely fun to hang around with!  We met during a Focus Group and she is just the sweetest gal - I also got to meet her whole group and they are all so sweet and nice! One of the best things about being a demonstrator is all the new friendships that come out of it - I am so glad to have met Darcy and I am hoping to see her again at Convention and get together for a fun night out!  I have a feeling we will be friends for a long time - she is just my kind of people :-)

I love Stampin' Up! events because I get  a chance to see and catch up with old friends as well! My room-mate Peggy and I had not seen each other in awhile because first I moved and then she moved so we both missed a couple of events - and went to ones where the other was not there, LOL!  Sooo, this was a great time for us to catch up and we so did! We roomed together and had the best time chatting and laughing and yes, stamping! Peggy NEVER finishes her swaps until we are at the event and she didn't' change for Leadership - each night she sat up in bed putting more swaps together for the next day to swap, heehee!!! She is sweet and fun and I am glad I got to see her!
Here is a pic of her and Holly - she is a new team-mate to me, but has been a demo for a couple of years and lives in Colorado Springs.  Holly and I hit it off right away, and we had a great time hanging out together! She is also hugely talented - you should have seen what she made during our card challenge - I so wish I would have gotten a picture of it! She took scraps of paper and totally created a flower pot and flowers while I sat and stared at this paper wondering what the heck to do with it, LOL!

 Well, this post would not be complete without sharing one last picture and that is of me and my upline and friend Kimberly! It is nice to be able to see her at these events because we have never lived in the same state since I have been a demonstrator (the three weeks she was in Jacksonville after I signed and she moved doesn't count!)  Being military has its downfalls and one of them is you don't stay in one area very long - Kimberly has moved twice since I have been in her group - maybe someday her and Russ will move to California, LOL!  In the meantime, we will continue to catch up via email, phone, and at Stampin' Up! events!! So, now you have had a little taste of what Leadership was all about - it was sooo much fun and if you ever have the chance to attend a Stampin' Up! event, I highly recommend you go! And, if you are not a demonstrator and this looks like fun to you, you are welcome to join my team - we have lots of fun, do lots of fun stamping events, and of course attend these fabulous events put on by the home office!!! I will be back tomorrow with a couple of fun class projects that I have recently done - I am excited to share them as they have become very popular with my customers!!!  Until then, happy stamping!!

WOW!!!! I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!!!

I am soooo very sorry I disappeared like that - so much going on with the holidays, then I got pretty sick, and then off to Leadership I went!! BUT, I have TONS to share with you so I hope you all did not give up on me :-)  I am going to share some Leadership items today - it was the best one EVAH!!! I had such a great time, made new friends, some old friends, laughed, cried, got new goodies - just one good time was had!!!! The card is one of my swaps using a set called Nature Walk from the new Spring Mini! Now, I don't know about you, but I LOVE everything in this new mini!!!!  I am having the best time playing with all the new embellishments and stamps :-)  I used a lot of different products on this card - I was having so much fun I think I got a little carried away, LOL! But, I love the vintage look and feel of this and I just know this stamp set is going to see a lot of ink from me *wink*  Lots of distressing and sponging too as I really like the effect these techniques add.  I am going to list all the products in my recipe but I do want to note a few of my favorites such as the new embossing folder called Framed Tulips (item 121809, pg. 28).  Soooo pretty and fun to play with! I actually trimmed the Crumb Cake card stock around the embossing so that it frames the base of my card and it looks really pretty this way! My other new favorite is the Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon (item 122331, pg. 16) - can you say YUMMY??! We now carry this scrumptious ribbon in seven colors and it is my absolute favorite ribbon to use and play with!  I am really enjoying all the new products and can't wait to share some more samples with you! I have some fun items to share with you all tomorrow as well as some more pics from Leadership - I just need to get them all edited, LOL!!  Thanks for sticking with me and I WILL be back tomorrow with more :-)  Happy Stamping!!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla card stock, First Edition designer series paper
Inks - Old Olive, So Saffron, Early Espresso stampin pads, Baja Breeze stampin' write marker
Stamps - Nature Walk, Tiny Tags
Accessories - Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon, linen thread
Tools - 3/4 inch oval punch, Big Shot, Framed Tulips embossing folder

BUSY GETTING READY....

to head out to a Scrapbook Retreat with a group of friends this weekend and I CANNOT WAIT!! Amid all the craziness of the holidays it is going to be nice to have a weekend of FUN! I am going to do some personal proejcts - something I need to start making more time for so that I can enjoy making my family stuff too, LOL!! When it gets really busy like this, I forget to take care of "me" but I think that is a common occurrence amongst us women, heeehee!! However, I HAVE been making some Christmas cards so I can get those in the mail and so I am sharing one of those with you today! It's another simple card because when you send as many as I do you have to keep them simple or you will never get them done!!  I pulled out one of my favorite sets, this is totally what Christmas is for me - family, reflection, thanks to God, and time spent together - and yes, I get that all from this image, LOL! The stamp set is called Welcome Christmas and it has some wonderful images included that are very reflective of what a traditional Christmas might be.  I paired the stamp wet with some Holly Jolly Designer Series paper and some Early Espresso card stock - added some yummy taffeta ribbon and done! I love the simple prettiness, it makes me smile!!! I hope you are all enjoying the festive feeling in the air and trying to maintain some balance - I know it gets hard!!! Enjoy your weekend and I will have some fun pics to share when I get back!! And, hopefully a whole lot of scrappin' because I have an entire book to get done, heeehee!  Until then, happy stampin'!!
Card recipe:
Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla card stock, Holly Jolly Designer Series Paper
Ink - Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green stampin' write markers and classic ink pads
Stamps - Welcome Christmas
Accessories - Whisper White taffeta ribbon, designer buttons
Tools - Ticket corner punch

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK..

a lot like Christmas!!! WHEW! I spent 16 hours Christmas shopping yesterday with a friend and I have to say it was a wonderful day!! I am still smilin' from all the fun we had!! And, I was able to put a dent in my Christmas list - a small one, but hey, that just means I need to do another day!!  Great fun, I just love this time of year!!!  So, in keeping with my mood, I am sharing another Christmas card with you all today - loved all the bling I was playing with from yesterday and so I made another card with  more bling :-)  I love this Cardinal stamp - it is one of the prettiest stamps I have, I just think it is very elegant! The set is called Cardinal Christmas, isn't that bird fabulous??!!!  I enjoy coloring him in with my stampin' write markers, he is just so fun to color! I used traditional colors on this one - reds and greens all th way but with a splash of gray that I love! I kept the card simple because I wanted the focuse on the image - I stamped him in Black Stazon, colored him in with Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, and Early Espresso stampin' write markers, and then ran the whole piece of Whisper White card stock through my Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder - love it!! The sentiment is stamped on Old Olive card stock and is punched out using the Fancy Label punch.  I then added some of the fine red glitter using my two-way glue pen under the words and also on the berries on the branches! I have to say, this was a fun card to make - I love getting all glittery, LOL!  I am leaving the recipe of everything I used below so if there is something here that catches your eye and you HAVE to have it, you can order it in my online store!  Have questions??  Feel free to email me and I will get back to you with an answer :-)  Today I am working on some more cards for my workshop on Saturday and then my Stamp-a-Stack on Sunday so lots of stamping fun for me today!! I hope you are all having as wonderful a week as I am!! I will be back tomorrow with more to share- until then, Happy Stampin'!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Old Olive, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White card stock, Holly Jolly designer series paper pack
Inks - Black Stazon, Early Espresso classic inks, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Early Espresso stampin' write markers
Stamps - A Cardinal Christmas
Accessories - Going Gray taffeta ribbon
Tools - Scallop Edge punch, Extra Large Fancy Label punch, Corner Rounder punch, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

BLING MAKES ME SING!!

Hi All!! WOW! We had a wonderful time on our vacation in Mendocino - the ocean was beautiful but it sure was COLD there, LOL!! We had great fun hiking and climbing all over the cliffs and exploring the tide pools - the kids had a BLAST! We stayed in a wonderful, cozy little home overlooking the water, the view was amazing! We explored all kinds of different beach areas, and our little Bella (mini weiner dog) got her first taste of the beach and she seemed to really love all the new smells, LOL! As soon as I am done organizing my pics (over 1000!) I will post a few for you all to see, it really is beautiful there!  But now, I think I probably owe you a card so I thought I would share one I did for Christmas, my favorite time of year!

Oh, how I loved making this card - look at all the bling!!! Bling really DOES make me sing - it makes me feel so happy, I just love it! The glitter, the brads, the pearls, I love it all!!!!! On this card I used some of the fine red glitter and I adhered it to the tree using my two-way glue pen. If you have never used this wonderful little pen, you HAVE to try it, I swear you will wonder why it took you so long, I did, LOL!!  The stamped images are from the stamp set called Snow Swirled, and I just absolutely love this set, it is one of my favorite ones to pull out for the holidays! And, look at that yummy patterned paper from the Holly Jolly designer series pack - YUM!!! I could see me using this paper all year long for all kinds of things :-)  Of course, no card for me is complete without using my Big Shot and my punches and this card is no exception! The Chocolate Chip Card Stock is embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder and then the sentiment is mounted on Cherry Cobbler that has been punched out using my Extra Large Designer Label Punch.  The sentiment itself is stamped in Garden Green on Very Vanilla card stock that is punched out using the Modern Label Punch, then popped up on dimsensionals! I love it!!! I also used the Eyelet Border Punch along the bottom of the DSP, I just think it really adds to the card! And of course, every card deserves a bow so I added that as well :-)  Pretty simple but sooo fun to make - it will definitely be one that goes in the "to send" pile, LOL!  I have been stamping quite a bit since I got back on Sunday and have TONS to share so I will be back tomorrow with another fun project! 'Till then, happy stampin'!!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla card stock, Holly Jolly Designer Series Paper
Inks - Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler Classic inks
Stamps - So Swirled stamp set
Accessories - Very Vanilla thin grosgrain ribbon, Red fine glitter
Tools - Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing folder, Modern Label punch, Extra Large Fancy Label punch, Eyelet Border punch, dimensionals

OFF TO THE COAST!

Good morning my friends! So sorry I have not been posting - seem to be off my regularly scheduled program lately, LOL! We are leaving today to head to the Mendocino Coast for the Thanksgiving Holiday and will not return until Monday! I will be taking my computer with me so I may upload some of the pics but I will not be creating at all, just hanging out with the family and enjoying a much needed vacation! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will be sure to share some fun stuff when I get back!!!

CARDS FOR THE TROOPS EVENT - CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

Where have I been??!!  I bet you all are wondering, lol!! I have been up to my eyeballs in cards!!! This past Saturday was my Annual Cards for the Troops Event and I have been madly cutting, stamping, punching, tying bows, and prepping kits for all the wonderful people who signed up to help make these cards to send over to Afghanistan to our sponsored unit NMCB 3 who left recently and will be gone for a long while.  Sooooo, I have had no time at all to post, but I thought today I would share the pics from Saturday and show you all the hard work definitely paid off!!! 

The way it worked was each table had 4-6 card samples and then the kits to go with them.  Each person did one type of each card and then rotated to the next table to make different cards.  This worked out wonderfully since everyone got to make all different types of cards, and we got them all stamped and put together, ready to go!!! 

I was so gratified to see how many people came - we had over 50 people in and out all day although many stayed the whole time and enjoyed going table to table making all the different cards! Even the VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary got into the act! None of them had ever stamped or made cards before, but they jumped right in and were wonderful! Here are some of the pics of the different ladies and gents that showed up!

 Even the guys from the Post joined in, stamping and assembling alongside their wives from the Auxiliary! I felt so good about this - seeing people come together to make an event like this a success is amazing and one of the main reasons I stamp - I have met soooo many wonderful people!!! 

 And, it was definitely a family affair in the Hobson household - my wonderful husband Tony, and my two kids Tyler and Kayla were all there, making cards alongside our good friends Les and Cyndi and some of my club gals Lori and Elle - it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I saw them all stamping away!

I am very proud of my family, especially my kids, who recognize and understand the sacrifices military members and their families have to make - they have done it many times themselves!!! 

Here is a picture of my man making cards - I am going to have to enlarge and frame this one since I dont' get him in my stamp space too often, LOL!! He is a great supporter of my business, but stamping is just not his forte, heeheee!! He was a great sport on Saturday though!!! 

Two of my favorite people in the world were there helping me with this event - Angelina (not pictured) and Wendy! They are both members of my downline and I would not have been able to pull this off without them!! Wendy and I were up many a late night creating, cutting, stamping, and singing - yes, singing!!! LOL - we do tend to get silly :-)  Here is Wendy at the main table cleaning stamps and sorting all the finished cards.  It was nice to see the attendees come up and check out the fruits of their labor - many of them had their favorite cards and enjoyed coming up and taking pictures of them and checking out some they may not have gotten to!

Finally, here is a picture of all the completed cards - don't those stacks look beautiful??!! I love it - I have soooo many cards to match to envelopes now and with all the generous donations of supplies such as baby wipes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. there will be quite a few boxes heading over!!!  Just look at this gang - don't they look proud??! I wish everone had been able to stay until the end as I would have loved a picture that incuded them all, but this group stuck it out and I just had to have a picture!!!  It was a great day and I am looking forward to doing even better things next year!! And, if you are still reading this post, you ROCK!!! I know it is long, BUT it was a great story to share! Tomorrow I will be back with my Christmas Canvas that I just taught - till then, Happy Stampin'!!!