I just mailed out my Monthly Club customers their gifts for orders placed in October and I hope they are going to love them…

The gift for October was a Holiday Card Kit containing all the supplies for them to make 10 Cards complete with Envelopes.  I decided to give them 5 of one design and 5 of a different one for a bit of variety…

And here is the first design that they have in their kit – they will each be able to make 5 of these CUTE cards…

Isn’t it adorable?  Whimsical stamps aren’t usually my style, but when I saw the snowmen in this stamp set, I had to have it…

The set I used to make this card is called Snow Much Fun – a brand new set for this year – and you can find it on pg 35 of the main Catalog…it features two cute snowmen, a fir tree, a bird riding a snowball, a stocking & 2 sentiments – it is very very cute!

My card base is made using Marina Mist cardstock onto which I layered a piece of Whisper White – check out that snowflake texture on that white cardstock – it was made using the Big Shot & Snow Burst Embossing Folder that you can find on pg 33 of the Holiday Mini Catalog…

I then wrapped around a piece of Marina Mist Scallop Dots Ribbon and tied a knot in front.

My snowman is stamped in Stazon Black Ink and then I colored him in using my Inks and Blender Pen – the colors I used are Basic Black, Marina Mist, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler and Tangerine Tango – I think he looks bright & fun…click on the photo below for a larger view…

See just under his feet?  I added a little line of glue and sprinkled on some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to make it look like sparkly snow – if you prefer to use glitter glues, you could get a similar look using the new Dazzling Details Glitter Glue that you can find on pg 41 of the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I then stamped my sentiment and punched it out using the Modern Label Punch (pg 209) and added it to my card using Dimensionals.

For a cute finishing touch I decided to stamp the little bird on a snowball image onto the bottom left corner of each envelope – I love how this little touch really gives your cards a WOW factor…

And I wanted to show you how I am dressing up my own envelopes to mail out my Holiday cards this year – I am stamping the little snowball stamp in the lower left corner and in the top right I am stamping my return address info…

Isn’t that one cute look?  There are TWO personalised stamps to choose from and you can find them both on pg 33 of the Holiday Mini Catalog – I got the 3 line Snowy & Bright stamp and I love that I will be able to use it for many many years to come…

So my Monthly Club customers are getting everything they need to make 5 of these cute cards – tomorrow I will be showing you the second Card design that I mailed to them too, so be sure to check back then…

I WILL SOON BE OPENING UP A NEW ROUND OF MY MONTHLY CLUB WHICH WILL RUN FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE…

My Monthly Club members commit to place a $50 order with me for the duration of the club and in return they receive a gift and a handmade card from me each month – they also get to use my monthly Coupons on their orders and their orders count towards my Loyalty Rewards program too…

They also receive the new Mini Catalogs along with samples and in addition the next round of Club Members will also receive next year’s big Catalog for FREE in June!

WANT TO JOIN THE NEXT ROUND OF MY MONTHLY CLUB? I will be posting details on Monday – be an early bird subscriber and get a bonus gift in December!

Here are the images you get in Snow Much Fun – it is a set of 7 and is also available in both Wood & Clear Mount versions…click on the picture below to view it in the online store…

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! SUPPLIES ONLINE!

Stampin’ Up! is giving you FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS from today through Monday – how cool is that?!

And please note that you do NOT have to have purchased My Digital Studio software in order to download them – EVERYONE can download them and you can use them with whatever digital package you use!

So what are the FREE downloads? They are brand new, never before seen and there are FOUR sets of them:

• Home for the Holidays Ensemble
• So Typefelt Stamp Brush Set
• Neutral Delightful Digital Tape
• Delight in the Day Photobook Template

On November 8th they will be added to the download collection and will be available for purchase – BUT THIS WEEKEND THEY ARE FREE – get yours today!

Where can you download them? Click HERE – on that page you will fill out a very brief survey & then download them for free!

Here are the images & info for each of these Free Downloads – and YES, you get ALL of these THIS WEEKEND FOR FREE!!!

Home for the Holidays Ensemble - my favorite – contains a 7 piece stamp set, 19 embellishments, 2 cards, 2  8 1/2″ x 11″ pages of labels & flags and a full page decor template – and it’s free!!!

So Typefelt Stamp Set – a 10 piece stamp set…

Neutral Delightful Digital Tape – contains 25 embellishments and an 8″ x 8″ designer template…

Delight in the Day Photobook Template – contains a two page 8 1/2″ x 11″ designer template, 6 piece stamp set, 2 embellishments and 4 DSP patterns…

ALL OF THESE ARE FREE THROUGH MONDAY!!!

Don’t have the My Digital Studio software and want it? Click HERE to find it – it is amazing value for money and comes preloaded with 60+ Stamp Sets, Scrapbook Kits, Punches, Ribbons, Embellishments, Cardstocks, Papers and lots more!!!

If you are thinking about taking advantage of the Free Big Shot Offer when you join as a Demonstrator by November 11th, then you could get your copy of My Digital Studio by joining & getting the Digital+ Starter Kit – you can find more information about that Starter Kit by clicking HERE – download these free downloads this weekend and when your software arrives with your Starter Kit, you already have lots of fun things to create with!

PLUS when you join by November 11th you’ll also get your choice of a FREE Big Shot or $100 Shopping Spree and when you Join my Team you will also receive your gift of a free Stamp Set & Welcome Pack from me too!  Click HERE for more details…

HURRY & GET YOUR FREE DOWNLOADS – YOU CAN FIND THEM BY CLICKING HERE!

You can make beautiful snowflakes from two of the sheets of paper in Flirtatious Specialty DSP – and the best bit is that they are quick & easy and give your card a WOW factor…

In that package of papers you get two laser cut sheets – one is pink & the other orange – but the reverse side of each is simply white meaning they are perfect to trim out with your scissors and use as snowflakes.

And each sheet has 16 of these beautiful shapes – meaning you get 32 snowflake shapes from the two sheets of laser cut sheets contained in one pack – and they create a beautiful focal point for your Holiday cards…

You know how I love Clean & Simple looking cards…well, this card is a perfect example of what you can create using few ‘ingredients’ – all I have used on this card are cardstocks & papers – no ribbons or extra embellishments…

I wanted my card to have an elegant sort of look and so choose Cherry Cobbler for my red – I made my card base, layered a piece of Whisper White cardstock onto it and then matted on a piece of Cherry Cobbler which I textured using my Big Shot & Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder…this created a very elegant looking card base to work with…

I then made my snowflake…I took a piece of laser cut doily paper from Flirtatious Specialty DSP and turned it over to see the white side…just look at all of those gorgeous snowflakey shapes that you get on one sheet…

I then chose the snowflake shape I wanted and used my very sharp Paper Snips to trim it out – which took me just 1 minute – and this is what I got:

Isn’t that beautiful?  I added it to my card base using Dimensionals which I put in the center so that none would show on the finished card.

Then I stamped that beautiful central image using a stamp from the set Pines & Poinsettias that you can find on pg 21 of the Holiday Mini Catalog – using my Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Markers to color directlyonto my stamp and then stamping it down onto Whisper White cardstock.

Then I punched it out and layered it using my Circle Punches and added it to my card base…

If you wanted to, you could add some sparkle to it using some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter or the new Dazzling Details Glitter Glue featured on pg 41 of the Holiday Mini.

So you will notice that my card does not have a sentiment on the front – this was by design because I wanted the image & snowflake doily to draw the eye…

And so I decided to add a sentiment to the inside of my card using one of my favorite Holiday stamp sets Christmas Lodge that is featured on pg 29 of the Holiday Mini – can you tell I am loving the fabulous Holiday Mini Catalog?!

Check out the inside…and that GORGEOUS sentiment…it ties in beautifully with my elegant theme…

Here are those two stamp sets that I used on my card – click on the pictures of them below to view them in the online store:

Here are the stamps you get in Pines & Poinsettias – it is a set of 5 and is available in both Wood & Clear Mount versions…

And here are the images you get in Christmas Lodge – it is a set of 6 and is also available in both Wood & Clear Mount versions…

Two absolutely stunning sets…

Now off on a tangent, this evening we are expecting our first light freeze here in Central Texas – what a contrast to the extreme summer we have had!  And so in light of that I made my last harvest of my chilli peppers out on my patio…

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of them – look at all those gorgeous hues of color…surely inspiration for a future card…hmmm…

If you DO NOT currently have a Demonstrator and would like a copy of the Holiday Mini Catalog including a FREE card kit and some FREE samples of papers & ribbons, please email me by clicking HERE and I will get a package out in the mail to you.

If you DO have a Demonstrator, please contact them for your copy of this fabulous Mini Catalog.

Not got a paper copy and want to see it right now?  You can click on the picture of it below to view it online…

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! SUPPLIES ONLINE!

You can create the most ADORABLE Reindeer using your Punches…he is fun and easy to make and he will go down a storm with both little & grown-up people alike…

You can use him as a focal point on a card or gift bag OR you can make cute Treat Toppers using him…to do this easily, simply add him to the top of a Cellophane Tube Bag filled with treats – you can put M&Ms, Jelly Beans, a Twizzler, a Pencil – anything you can think of into this bag to make a cute treat.

YOU CAN FIND CELLOPHANE TUBE BAGS on pg 11 of the Holiday Mini Catalog or by clicking HERE – they are bargain priced at just $2.95 for a pack of 50!

You can even use this Cellophane Tube Bag and Punch Art Reindeer to make a tube of Magic Reindeer Food for the kids…check mine out below along with a little Chocolate Bar Gift perfect for grown-ups too…

CUTE eh?  Read on to find out more about both along with links to my FREE printable tutorials…

Firstly the basics – WANT MY FREE PRINTABLE TUTORIAL so that you can make your own PUNCH ART REINDEER that is featured on both my projects below?  Click HERE to find it!

Magic Reindeer Food Tube…

This is utterly adorable – if you haven’t heard of Magic Reindeer Food it is one cute tradition for Christmas Eve – you simply mix oatmeal with some glitter – the oatmeal is food for Santa’s Reindeer and the glitter makes it shine so that the Reindeer can find your house – the kids simply sprinkle it on the lawn the Night before Christmas – cute & fun…

There you see one of those Cellophane Tubes filled with the Magic Food and it is topped using a little card that is secured using Mini Glue Dots so that it can be removed easily to keep…here is a close up so you can see that oatmeal mixed with the Glitter – I like to use chunky glitter so that it shows up easily…

Here is a close-up of that Punch Art Reindeer & my Card Topper…

And check out the poem to go along with the Magic Food…I simply attached this to the back part of my card topper – this makes a very cute treat for those little ones…

To make it easy for you to print this poem, I put together a document – on there are 8 of these poems on one page – to find it click HERE – and then print or save to your computer to use later – easy as that!

WANT MY FREE PRINTABLE TUTORIAL so that you can make your own MAGIC REINDEER FOOD IN A TUBE WITH THAT CUTE TOPPER?  Click HERE to find it!

Reindeer Holiday Chocolate Bar Wrapper…

This is a very sweet treat for those grown-up friends – it holds a Hershey Bar which simply slides out of the top…

The base of the wrapper is made using Early Espresso cardstock and onto it is layered a piece of Real Red and a piece of patterned paper from Letters to Santa DSP (pg 186) and around it I wrapped a piece of Early Espresso 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon…

At the top I added my Punch Art Reindeer over a circle of Silver Glimmer Paper which makes a very cool sparkly moon…and there is one cute holiday treat!

WANT MY FREE PRINTABLE TUTORIAL so that you can make your own CHOCOLATE BAR WRAPPER?  Click HERE to find it – the tutorial shows it made with different papers from above, but the instructions to make the wrapper are the same.

Here is a list of supplies you will need to make that Punch Art Reindeer:

You will see the products below are highlighted in blue – click on each to get a look at it in the online store…

From the Holiday Mini Catalog:
124095  Stocking Builder Punch $16.95  pg 34
124096  Snow Burst Embossing Folder $7.95  pg 33
121790  Red Glimmer Paper $4.95  pg 41

From the main Catalog:
119852  Snowflake Punch $16.95  pg 210
115318  Soft Suede Cardstock $6.95  pg 180
119686  Early Espresso Cardstock $6.95  pg 180
104199  Linen Thread $4.50  pg 194

Other:
Googly eyes – or make your own using 1/4” & 1/8” Circle Punches

Optional Extras:
124134  Cellophane Bag (50) $2.50  pg 11
124116  Mini Jingle Bells (48)  $2.95 pg 30
119747  Designer Buttons – Brights $8.95  pg 197

PLACE YOUR ORDER WITH ME DURING NOVEMBER AND I WILL MAIL YOU A FREE PUNCH ART REINDEER MAKE & TAKE KIT!

AND WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER OF $50+ WITH ME DURING NOVEMBER I WILL GIVE YOU FREE SHIPPING TOO – to get your free shipping simply email your order to me by clicking HERE - along with the coupon code of Nov_11

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER ONLINE!

Halloween is just days away and FINALLY here in Central Texas it is beginning to feel like Fall is here…we have beautiful cool weather today and long may it last.

The arrival of this cold front has made me want to drink hot drinks…tea, hot chocolate…mmm…and so with this in mind, I made a few Halloween cards featuring a tea bag…

Quick & easy to put together, this is a fun non-candy little gifty treat card…

And of course being an English gal, I had to pop Twinings English tea bags into my cards!

My card base is simply Basic Black – onto this I layered a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock to give an orange accent.

On to this I layered another piece of Basic Black that I textured using my Big Shot and Spider Web Embossing Folder – so simple to get such a fabulous background…

I then wrapped around a piece of 1/4″ Grosgrain Black Ribbon and that is one very simple card base done!

That cute envelope housing the tea bag? So quick & easy to make simply using the Big Shot and Scallop Envelope Die (pg 223) and a piece of patterned paper from Frightful Sight DSP (pg 185)…

The sentiment? From the set Wicked Cool (pg 24) – which I stamped and then layered using Circle Punches.

When you take the tea bag out I wanted to leave a little something behind – and punched out a Bat using my Bitty Bat Punch – sadly that punch has now been retired but any other halloween embellishment would work fabulously well in there…

Remember I was telling you about a cute little Reindeer Make & Take that I mailed to my customers this week?

You will find out all about it on Sunday when I will be posting details about how to make him along with two projects that I made using him – one for kids & another for adults – so come back and see me then!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR STAMPIN UP SUPPLIES ONLINE!

Until Halloween and the excitement is building for the little people in the Wills’ household…

They can hardly wait to run out to go trick or treating – although it really doesn’t feel like the end of October with the next few days forecast to be highs of 90 degrees here in Central Texas!!!

Finally I got my Halloween cards made and ready to mail – I made lots & lots of these to mail to EVERY customer who has placed an order with me this year – AND they will also get a cute Reindeer Make ‘n Take in their envelope too…I will post more about that later this week.

So here is my card…

I used three colors of cardstock – Old Olive, Basic Black & Whisper White…

My black layer is textured using my Big Shot & the FABULOUS Spider Web Embossing Folder (pg 218) – I love how that backdrop fits perfectly with my witchy theme – here is that textured web pattern that you get when you use it:

See that gorgeous glitter moon? SO simple to make using Silver Glimmer Paper (pg 41 Holiday Mini Catalog) and the 1 3/8″ Circle Punch – I added it using Dimensionals to layer it over my cloud…

Those images? Stamped with stamps from the beautiful halloween set Out on a Limb that you can find on pg 12 of the Holiday Mini Catalog – it is a set of 10 and comes in both Clear Mount & Wood Mount versions…

The Clear Mount version costs just $16.95 which is great value for money…AND using Clear Mount stamps makes stamping a scene like mine above super easy because you can put more than one stamp on your acrylic block at a time – this is what I mean…

I put both the cloud stamp and the broom stamp on the same acrylic block – I inked them up & stamped them just like they are one big stamp – it works beautifully and it makes stamping a scene fast!

If you were using a clear mount sentiment you could have added that too making this card very quick to put together.

I then stamped my cute witch and punched her out using my 1 3/4″ Circle Punch and colored her and the broom in using Markers…I then added her to the scene using Dimensionals so that she is hovering over the broom…

For a finishing touch I stamped my sentiment using a stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes (one of my favorite GO TO sets) and added a piece of Old Olive 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon…

Isn’t it cute?  I love this card – and the stamp set Out on a Limb is adorable featuring this cute witch, a cat, an owl, jack-o-lanterns, bats, spiders…in fact EVERYTHING you need for a Halloween projects!

Here are the images in Out on a Limb – click HERE to view this set in the online store…

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET THIS SET BEFORE HALLOWEEN!!!  Order yours now!

And it’s not too late for YOU to get one of my Halloween Cards – place an order with me this week and I will mail one out to you along with a cute Reindeer Make & Take too!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! SUPPLIES WITH ME ONLINE!

I hope you enjoyed this past weekend’s Big Shot Blog Hop and that you came away with lots of different ideas on using your Big Shot…

If you don’t yet have a Big Shot you can get one for FREE when you join Stampin’ Up! during October - an AMAZING deal – and you will also get a fabulous discount on all your favorite crafting supplies too & lots of other benefits!  Click HERE to find out more!

Already got a Big Shot & want to join?  Fear not! You have the choice of a free Big Shot OR $100 in Stampin’ Up! products of your choice so you get to choose the freebies you want!

Join my Team during October and I’m also going to give you a free Stamp Set of your choice and a beautiful set of Welcome Gifts to get you up & running – click HERE to see them!

For my projects I used the Fancy Favor Bigz XL Die that you can find on pg 221 of the Catalog – traditionally it is used to create formal favors but I wanted to show you how you can use it in other ways too.

Here is the shape of the Fancy Favor Die – it features a beautifully shaped top edge…

Want to view the Fancy Favor Bigz XL Die online?  Click HERE to go to it!

My original blog hop post is below this one so that you can refer to it and the main photos of my projects and in it I promised to post more details, photos, all of the FREE tutorials and my blog candy winner so please read on to find out more…and remember that you can click on any photo to get a larger view…

Want to find the products that I used in my projects below? If you see a product name in blue print below, you can click on it – this will take you to that product’s page in the online store for easy viewing!

First up was my FrankenMonster Treat Bag…

Isn’t he cute? My girls keep on asking me to make them for their friends…I think I am going to be making 48 of these this coming weekend!

I used Lucky Limeade cardstock to make his head -that is a very fun & halloweeny color – and I decided to use Textured cardstock simply because it gives him a bit more definition.

Sarah’s note – when planning how much cardstock you will need to make a bunch of these, bear in mind that you will need to use 12×12 sized sheets for this project because the Fancy Favor Die is LONG!

I drew on his mouth using a Black Sharpie Marker and made his eyes using the 1/2″ and 3/4″ Circle Punches & his nose using a small square punch…

His hair & the handle is made simply using strips of Basic Black cardstock and I used two Old Olive Glimmer Brads to secure the handle to his head…and then I filled him with bite sized candies…

WANT MY FREE STEP-BY-STEP PRINTABLE TUTORIAL showing you how to make your very own FrankenMonster Treat Bag? Click HERE to find it – included are photos, instructions and cutting dimensions.

Next was my Witches Boot Treat Holder…

Isn’t it gorgeous? Sandwiched between those two Boots is my Fancy Favor Box that I cut using Basic Black Textured cardstock…

After I made it I realised that it would be really cool to texture that box using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder so that the texture on it would match the boots…oh well…next time!

It is just perfect for filling with some goodies – I plan to fill with shredded paper and add some chocolates & a gift card just at the top.

SO HOW TO MAKE THAT WITCHES BOOT? It was designed by the amazingly talented Susan Adams – and here is another…

Made using Basic Black cardstock that is textured with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder – and that shape is made using the Holiday Stocking Die (pg 24 Holiday Mini Catalog) and the 3 1/2″ Circle Die.

The top trim of both versions is made using the gorgeous papers in Morning Mocha DSP (pg 183) – the laces are made using the Word Window Punch (pg 209) and above they are made using  Crumb Cake cardstock & Rhinestones…on my Treat Holder Boots they are made using Silver Glimmer Paper & Black Brads.

You can use this Witches Boot to create cool Treat Holders, Gift Card Holders & Halloween Cards…I HAVE FREE TUTORIALS FOR ALL OF THEM…scroll down to find em & their tutorials!

WANT THE FREE STEP-BY-STEP PRINTABLE TUTORIAL showing you how to make your very own Witches Boot? Click HERE to find it

And check this out…the box & Boots are all shimmery…very hard to see in the photo (click to enlarge it) but they are sooo sparkly!!!

So how do you add sparkle without glitter? You spray it on using the fabulous Shimmer Paints!

This is so easy and so much fun to do – you can find the Shimmer Paints on pg 203 OR BY CLICKING HERE – they come in 3 colors and I love to use the color Champagne Mist on black cardstock – they are great value for money since one pot will last you a very long time!

You will need to gather your pot of Shimmer Paint, a paper towel, a small spray bottle (I found mine in the travel sized toiletries section of Target for just $1) and a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol – I like to use the 91% version.

Put about 1 oz of alcohol into your spray bottle and add approximately 10 drops of Shimmer Paint to it – close the lid of your spray bottle and shake to mix it.

Place your Boot onto your paper towel and spray all over – you might want to do this one more time – and then see how sparkly your boot looks…

Isn’t it pretty?  And because of the alcohol, it is going to dry fast…

SO WHAT ELSE DID I CREATE USING THIS GORGEOUS BOOT?

I turned the Witches Boot into a cute Gift Card Holder – perfect for a candy-free Halloween gift…I simply added a shaped pocket behind the top trim & into it I popped in a Starbucks Gift Card – I thought that this would make a cute teacher, friend or co-worker Halloween gift…

WANT MY FREE STEP-BY-STEP PRINTABLE TUTORIAL showing you how to make your very own Witches Boot Gift Card Holder? Click HERE to find it!

I also gave it a card base to turn it into a cute Halloween Card…

WANT MY FREE STEP-BY-STEP PRINTABLE TUTORIAL showing you how to make that base to create your very own Witches Boot Card? Click HERE to find it!

And finally onto my Clear Acetate Treat Boxes…

They are just GORGEOUS and look like crystal glassware!  PERFECT for each place setting on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table this year…

They are so easy and fun to make – you simply cut the shape using the Fancy Favor Die and then emboss the acetate using an embossing folder – I used the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder on this one and just love how it turned out…

I tied around a piece of Crumb Cake Seam Binding and on top of it, a piece of beautiful Victoria Crochet Trim.  I made a tag using stamps from the set Day of Gratitude, punched it out using my 1 1/4″ Circle Punch and added it to my ribbon using Linen Thread…

I found some delicious Lindt Truffles to fill it…what a fabulous & stunning addition to your table or a gift for a friend.

WANT MY FREE STEP-BY-STEP PRINTABLE TUTORIAL showing you how to emboss Clear Acetate Window Sheets & make these boxes? Click HERE to find it!

WANT TO FIND ALL OF THE TUTORIALS I HAVE FEATURED TODAY IN ONE PLACE?  Click HERE to find them all in my Project Tutorials section – all my tutorials are absolutely FREE because I love to share!

And finally onto the winner of my Blog Candy who wins a kit to make the Witches Boot Treat…drawn using random.org the winning comment is no. 4…

By Sara on October 14, 2011 at 10:31 am who said:

‘I LOVE the treat holders! Very pretty. The halloween items are just as cute!’

A BIG congrats Sara– drop me an email with your mailing address and your goodies will be on their way to you!

Thank you SO much for returning to visit me…you can subscribe to me so that you will be notified by email every time I post new ideas – you will find my subscription box at the top of my blog in the right side bar…

ORDER YOUR STAMPIN’ UP SUPPLIES ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE!

A very warm welcome to Stop no. 3 on the Stampin’ Addicts Big Shot Blog Hop – you just arrived from Holly at Rubber Redneck where she showed you some beautiful items using the Leaves No. 2 Die…I love how she used that DSP & Fabric with those leaves…

Every stop on this hop is showcasing a Big Shot Die and today I am going to show you things that I made using the cool Fancy Favor Bigz XL Die that you can find on pg 221 of the Catalog.

Please read on to see my projects and for details of my Bigtastic Blog Candy…and to get a better look, you can click on each photo for a closer view…

Now because Halloween is just a couple of weeks away I just had to use this die to make some spooky treats…so I made one for the kids and one for the grown ups…

For the kids…meet my FrankenMonster Bag…

Isn’t he CUTE?  I just love how he turned out – so here you can really see the shape of that Fancy Favor Die, especially that beautiful scalloped top edge.

The Fancy Favor die is long so you will need to use half a sheet of 12×12 cardstock with it – I decided to use Textured cardstock to give his face more definition and chose the color Lucky Limeade…

He is so easy and fun to make – I decided to add a handle so that he is easy for the kids to hold- each side it is held in place with a Glitter Brad that looks just fabulous…and I filled him with mini candies that I know the kids will love!

And my girls LOVE him so much that they have commissioned me to make one for each of their class mates…hmmm…guess what I am going to be doing next week?!  Just have to make the 48 of them!!!

On Monday I will have more details about how I made him along with a free printable tutorial so be sure to come back and see me…

And for the grown-ups…here is my elegant Witches Boot Treat…it actually incorporates two dies – the Fancy Favor die AND the Holiday Stocking Die…

At Founders Circle some lucky ladies stamped at Susan Adams house – she is a very talented stamper and she came up with the idea of using the Holiday Stocking Bigz Die featured on pg 24 of the Holiday Mini Catalog to create a Witches Boot – isn’t that amazing?  I saw one and was awe-struck…

And so I decided to make two of them and place them each side of a Fancy Favor Box to create a halloween treat holder – and it worked out great!

I gave my boots texture with an embossing folder, added an elegant top to them with DSP and added sparkle using Shimmer Paint…

Want to know how to make this Witches Boot Treat?  Come back on Monday and I will have a FREE printable step-by-step tutorial here for you & more photographs!

I had lots more halloween ideas for this box but decided to make something different…

For an out of the box thing, I wanted to work with a different material and went looking through my drawers…and came across my Thick Window Sheets…

Ding!!!  Use them with the Fancy Favor Die and Embossing Folders and check out the FABULOUS look you get…

These treat holders look just like GLASS!!!  They are just BEAUTIFUL!!!  And look at how you can make them for different occasions…above I decided to show you an empty one and a full one so you can see how they look – click on the photo for a larger view…

I used the Pretty Petals Embossing Folder for the one on the left and tied around a piece of red ribbon for a Christmassy look – you could fill it with peppermint candies or red wrapped chocolates…

And I used the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder for the second one and gave it a Fall feel by using vanilla & brown embellishments…

Wouldn’t these look BEAUTIFUL on your Thanksgiving table – one at each place setting?  That’s what I am making this year for our table…

And you could theme them for weddings, birthdays, thank you’s etc just by changing the ribbons & tags…I will show you exactly how I made these on Monday, again with a free printable tutorial!

I just LOVE this die – you can use it for so many occasions – I even devised a card holder using it that I will feature at a future point…my brain got into high gear using this die and the Big Shot makes it SO easy to create projects like this quickly & easily..

AND DON’T FORGET THAT WHEN YOU JOIN STAMPIN’ UP DURING OCTOBER YOU CAN GET A BIG SHOT FOR FREE!!!  How cool is that?!

Well, don’t forget to come back and visit me on Monday for more details, photos and tutorials about my projects…and of course to find out the winner of my Blog Candy…speaking of which…

Leave me a comment to let me know which item is your favorite and you will be entered into a prize draw – the winner will be chosen by random.org on Monday and one lucky winner will win a kit to make one of those Witches Boot treats!

Thank you for visiting – now you’re off to visit Yapha at Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha where she will show you some cute things that you can make using the Matchbox Die…enjoy!

Join Stampin’ Up! as a Demonstrator during October and they will GIVE YOU a FREE BIG SHOT OR $100 IN PRODUCTS OF YOUR CHOICE – how AMAZING is that???

I was astounded when I read about this BIG giveaway – if you LOVE Stampin’ Up!’s products, it is a fabulous way to get a whole lot of them for FREE!!!

AND this offer of a free Big Shot or $100 in product APPLIES to everyone – if you are a former Demonstrator YOU CAN RE-JOIN and get these freebies too!!!

And it gets even better if you can believe it – when you Join my Team you will ALSO get my personal welcome gift of a FREE Stamp Set of your choice valued up to $21.95 AND a Welcome Pack from me which includes a Card Kit of 10 cards, a handmade Card and a hand-covered Journal using beautiful Designer Series Papers! Here is an example of what you will receive in that Welcome Pack…

How do you join Stampin’ Up?

• you can join online right now and become a Demonstrator instantly!
• To join online click HERE – and Join Now – and fill out the forms!
• You will then select your Starter Kit – you have the choice of the Standard Kit or the Digital+ Kit
• Both kits are customizable – YOU get to choose what stamps, cardstocks, ribbons, inks etc are in your Kit – how cool is that?
• To customize your Starter Kit simply click ‘edit’ next to each item you wish to change
• The Starter Kits cost JUST $175 and ship to you for FREE – they contain $445 worth of products – what a bargain!
• Once you have completed your paperwork you will receive a welcome email from Stampin Up
• You will be able to log into the website straight away and order your Free Big Shot or products within an hour!

When you have joined my Team I will automatically receive an email from Stampin’ Up! to let me know – I will then email you my welcome email with lots of information about navigating the demonstrator website and how to place your first order…

I will get your Welcome Pack into the mail to you THE SAME DAY – all you need to do is email me to let me know what FREE stamp set you would like as your gift from me – I will get that ordered and on it’s way to you asap!

Click HERE to see what is included in each Starter Kit – remember you get to customize most of it!

Sarah’s note - why not give it a go??? I mean if you can get a kit for $175 that is worth $445 PLUS you get a Big Shot or products worth $100 bumping that value up to a $545 – for which you are paying JUST $175 – you have NOTHING to lose!

I hope you’ll think about it even just to buy the kit and do nothing else – YES that’s OK – you do not have ANY obligation to purchase anything ever again and you get to keep EVERYTHING in this deal – there are no penalties for deciding not to continue – I promise!

Commonly asked Questions & their Answers:

Q – how much do I have to buy/sell to remain a demonstrator?

A – you have to buy/sell $300 worth of products each quarter

Q – what are Stampin’ Up!’s quarters?

A – they run Jan-Feb, Mar-Jun, July-Sept, Oct-Dec – and the quarter that you sign up in is waived, for example if you sign up in October – NOW – then you do not have to meet your quarterly minimum of $300 until March 31st 2012 (end of the 1st quarter of next year) – you have SIX MONTHS to do so

Q – do my own orders count towards the $300 quarterly minimums?

A – yes – and because of your discount when you spend $300 in merchandise it will actually only cost you $240 per quarter to be a demonstrator – got to love demo math!

Q – do my own orders qualify for hostess benefits?

A – yes – all of your own orders over $150 qualify for hostess benefits

Q – what is my discount?

A – you get 20% off of all merchandise – AND you get a special extra 10% off of one order of $150+ when you join – meaning you get 30% off of your first order of $150+ placed within your first 45 days – and yes, you will get all hostess benefits on that order too!

Q – can I earn more income?

A – yes, if you decide to sell to others then you also receive Volume Rebates based on your quarterly sales

Q – what if I decide to not continue as a demonstrator – are there any penalties?

A – NO penalties at all!  If after purchasing your starter kit you do not want to order anything, you do not have to – you keep everything in your kit – and when you do not meet your quarterly minimum you simply ‘drop’ – simple as that!  You are not obligated to purchase anything.

Q – will I be pressured to sell anything?

A – absolutely not – Stampin’ Up! does not put any pressure on any demonstrator to do anything ever – it is a wonderful company to be a part of – you can join simply to get a fabulous discount on your favorite crafting supplies

What other benefits are there to becoming a demonstrator?

• You get the opportunity to go to Regional Seminars and the annual Convention along with thousands of other demos – its fun!
• You can work towards the fabulous Incentive Trips – the next ones are to Fiji & Hilton Head Island!
• Great Rewards is a program where you earn points for your sales and promotions and can use them to choose free product and/or gift cards.
• In your first 6 months you have the opportunity to earn free stamp sets through the Stampin’ Start program – this is very possible – I did it!
• There are special demonstrator only incentives such as extra discount promotions, pre-ordering and bulk buying opportunities.
• You get to pre-order select Hostess sets and brand new, never before seen sets a full month before a new main or mini catalog release
• You get to know about all the new catalogs and mini catalogs a month or so ahead of everyone else and you automatically receive a complimentary copy of each newly released Catalog – and a copy of each Mini Catalog as it is released.
• You get a free monthly magazine called Stampin Success & access to the demonstrator only forum Stampin’ Connection

You can find more information in my Join my Team tab at the very top of this page.

READY TO JOIN?  Again, you can do so online right now and become a Demonstrator instantly!

Simply click HERE – and then Join Now!

Got Questions? I have the answers!  Email your questions to me by clicking here and I will be very happy to help.

I just LOVE the Spice Cake Product Suite that is featured on pgs 16-18 of the Holiday Mini Catalog and can’t stop using it…the patterns on the Designer Series Papers are just so beautiful and  irresistable to me…

And sadly I came to the end of my second pack and had lots & lots of scraps left over (don’t worry – I have a new pack arriving tomorrow…tee hee!!!) and so decided to use them up by making a bunch of cards.

I love using scraps up in this way – rather than waste them you can incorporate them into a simple but effective card just by using your Punches…

My card base is Soft Suede cardstock onto which I layered a piece of Early Espresso.  I then cut a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and wrapped a piece of 1/4″ Early Espresso Grosgrain Ribbon (pg 195) around it and then adhered it to my card base layers.

I wanted to add a splash of color to my ribbon and decided to tie on a little piece of Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon (pg 194) – that gives it a dramatic look…

Now onto my circles…I punched out circles from Soft Suede cardstock with my 1 3/8″ Circle Punch and onto them layered pieces of Spice Cake DSP that I punched out using my 1 1/4″ Circle Punch – you can find both of these punches on pg 212 of the Catalog…I used Dimensionals to adhere the DSP to give it a bit more of a feature…

Prefer squares? If you prefer squares you could punch out 1 3/8″ card stock squares and then layer on 1 1/4″ squares of DSP.

And then finally I stamped my sentiment using a stamp from the beautiful Hostess set Precious Butterflies (pg 15) – you could of course adapt this card to be a thank you, birthday or any occasion card simply by changing the sentiment.

And there is one very simple card that uses up all those bits of lovely patterned papers you have left over.

And so it turned out that I had so many bits of patterned paper scraps left over from the two packs of Spice Cake DSP that I have used that I could make lots of this design of card…

And so I used them to put together Card Kits for my Welcome Packs for my new Team Members as detailed in my post below – and I made a few extra ones for new team members that might come along this month…

Check out how cute the kits turned out all wrapped up in cello bags and with a cute piece of Spice Cake Fabric tied around them…

Underneath you can see another cute notebook I covered using more of my favorite Spice Cake patterns…I hope my new Team Members enjoy putting those cards together – they are CUTE!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! SUPPLIES ONLINE!