January Stampin' Up Classes and Events

Hope everyone had lots of fun opening their many beautifully embellished, gifts--Stampin' Up giftwrap, embellishment (recognize that charm from our chipboard class?) and, if you're lucky, products inside! Well, I've got one more fabulous gift for you to open. It's the upcoming class schedule! I know you're thrilled. Now now, no need to thank me. Just contact me to sign up and because this is a gift that keeps on getting better, don't miss the coupons that are being offered as well! Do I hear an angel chorus hailing all this goodness? '

Trash to Treasure: ATC's Demystified

Nope, we're not going to learn about riding off road motorcycle thingies, I'm talking about Artist Trading Cards--a fun, inexpensive and highly creative hobby based on using up those little tips and tails of your leftovers from cardmaking and scrapbooking--the bits you either throw away or end up keeping stashed somewhere ad infinitum.

Instead of letting your extra bits of ribbon and cardstock moulder away in a box, use them to create these tiny works of art--like an itty bitty scrapbook page, or a mini card front, or just a way to show off your mad stampin' skillz. We'll talk about what they are, how and where to swap them, and most importantly, how to make them. Then, we'll make 10 of them to get you going!

Class Fee: $10

Class Date: Tuesday, January 8. 7:00 p.m.

RSVP: princess.puppy@gmail.com by Jan. 5

Club Card n Crop

Every month we'll get together to make 10 greeting cards so you're prepared for every event on your calendar--by the end of the year, you'll have filled every slot in your card keeper (See January's project, below). After we make the cards, we'll crop for a couple hours, just to hang out, have a good time, and get some work done on whatever projects you bring. The fee each month is just $15 and it includes all the materials you need to make the cards of the month.

January's Card n Crop Club project will be an extra-special one you won't want to miss. Not only will we be making the cards for this month, but at no extra charge--you only pay the regular class fee--we'll be decorating a Stampin' Up Forget-me-not Keeper ($11.95 value) to fill with the cards you make for the rest of the year! Not bad, eh? It's not a hostess club, so there's no major commitment. It's just a year-long series of classes and crops I hope you'll choose to attend each month. RSVP now! This is the only month I'll be offering the Forget-Me-Not class special!
Class & Crop fee: $ 15

Class Date: Saturday Jan. 12 6:00-8:00 (crop till 11!)

RSVP by January 1st to reserve your Keeper!

New Year's Resolution: Organization

Make a handy calendar notekeeper using our On Board 5"x 8" Art Journal (loads of pages!). We'll embellish the cover, make a full 12-month calendar, and decorate every last page inside with Accents and Elements stickers, Stampin' Up papers, stamps (of course!) and even a few favorite photos to keep you inspired all year. The fee includes all materials except your photos!

Class fee: $30

Class date: Tuesday, January 15, 7:30 p.m.

RSVP by January 5th to reserve your spot and materials.

Mini Calendar Clipboard Class

Like the calendar in the 2008 Catalog Preview? I'll help you make it! ! We'll create a cute clipboard calendar using a photo or (or a few tiny ones) of your choice, cool Stampin' Up papers, stamps, and the 4.5"x9" On Board Clipboard. A lovely gift or a cool decor piece for your home. Neat, huh? Haven't received the Catalog Preview Brochure? Let me know and I'll send you one right away!
Class Fee: $15

Class Date: Thursday, January 10 7:30 p.m.

RSVP by January 3 So I can make sure all your supplies arrive in time!

Birthdays? Done!

In this class you will make 20 (yep, I said twenty!) birthday cards with 10 different designs so you will be prepared all year long with a birthday card for everyone on your list. We'll make a variety of styles for the different types and tastes of your friends and family. Total cost? $1 a card!
Class Fee: $20

Class Date: January 31, 7:30 p.m.

RSVP by January 15

February will be here before you know it!

There's a lot to look forward to in February, too.

Charity Night for Dogs Deserve Better

Dogs Deserve Better is an organization that works to help end the chaining of dogs. We will be creating handmade dog-themed Valentine cards for their annual Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Campaign. You can read more about last year's campaign at: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/vdaywrap2007.html Join me Feb. 2 to make cards to donate--I provide the supplies, you provide the imagination. As an added bonus, 10 percent of the merchandise total of all orders placed with me that day will be donated to Dogs Deserve Better!
Class Fee: Free!

Date: Saturday, February 2 3:00 p.m.

Donate 10% to Dogs Deserve Better

Just place an order on Sat. Feb. 2, 2008 and 10% of the merchandise total will be donated to Dogs Deserve Better, an organization devoted to improving the treatment of dogs. Pass along to friends, family, and animal lovers to let them know to place their orders Sat. Feb. 2 too! Phone and email orders will also be accepted for this event!

Offer Expires: Feb. 3, 2008

Valentines: Romantic Watercolor Cards

Okay, maybe many are more cute than romantic, but nonetheless, we will make 8 watercolored valentines for your friends, family, and schnookiepie. There are a lot more ways to watercolor than you'd think--and they're easy as pie to boot!

Fee: Only $10 for a fun evening of luv.

Date: Feb. 5 7:30

RSVP by January 30

Dogs Only! Album in an Evening

Pick out your photos now or make the pages and add your pics later. We'll make 10 festive, colorful and cool 6x6 pages that will honor your dog's...dogginess!

Fee: $30 includes all you need to create all 10 pages or $42 to include a Stampin' Up ring album we will dog-theme the cover of too!

Date: Feb. 17.

RSVP by February 1st or sooner, please.

January Coupon:

Get a Free Mini Stampin' Up Stamp Set w/ Your Order!

Receive a free mini stamp kit (2 special Stampin' Up promo stamps and a black stampin' spot) with your order of $50 or more! Receive a bonus of 2 additional larger size stamps (that's 4 stamps total!) in your kit when you spend $50 more *or* RSVP for a class (with pre-pay) in addition to your $50 order. Please mention coupon at time of order. One offer per order please. (Stamps included will be chosen by me--I'll do my best to avoid duplicates and choose ones you'll adore!)

Offer Expires: February 1, 2008

Happy Happy Holidays!

Wow, I'm like a bajillion posts behind! There were so many events I planned to cover, so many photos to upload. So for Christmas, Yule, or actually it's Kwanzaa at the moment, so for that, I am asking that we all pretend that I've written fabulous, interesting, mind expanding, bold, creative, ingenious blogs every single day since its inception. Which means only, oh about a week has gone by. And what an exciting week it has been, right folks? Wink wink.

Today was fake Christmas here at the ol' Rat's Nest. We're running a couple days late because we spent real Christmas at Walt Disney World, the most scrapbookable place on Earth! I love scrapbooking because it makes every big event twice as exciting since you get to live it, then document it. And with all the cool crap Disney makes, I can totally make my fifth Disney scrapbook and never use the same product twice. Kick ass!

My first was a little rough. I didn't have a real scrapbook, just a photo album with picture sized slots and a little space for journaling. I used store-bought embellishments primarily. That's not a bad thing, but I hadn't really developed my style and was on my own when it came to technique. At that time I was a closet scrapper. Honestly, my image of what scrapbooking was all about was pretty scary. Construction paper cut into circles and stickers shaped like giant headed kids doing charming things, country cutie lettering, lots of gingham. Mix in some titles like "Cool Dude" with a picture of either a kid or dog in sunglasses. Or bubble letters reading "Lordy Lordy Look Who's Forty!" and caption stickers of little clouds coming out of people's mouths saying things like "Ain't I cute?" and "What smells?" Hyuk! I had no idea there were other options.

But, I wanted to record my trip so I hid in the proverbial closet and created my first scrapbook with some Jolees and stuff I had won in a contest online with EK Success. I had tripped over the contest while I was complaining about some stickers I bought to stick on my mail (they were apparently on the shelf a long time--they wouldn't come off the backing, but that's not important.) As I went through the stash of things they sent, I got more excited about working on the book and when I was done, I even showed Scott and one or two other people what I'd done. My first little step out of the scrap closet.

So, Disney has a special place in my scrappy little heart. That mouse is welcome in this rat's nest any day.

Shhh! I'm hiding.

Well, not really, I've just been incredibly busy making Christmas, Hannukkah, and Yule presents for all of you people. I have a ton of things to tell you about, a layout challenge, pics from my classes, new classes to announce, and much much more once I get a free hour to post it all. I haven't forgotten you!

In the mean time, why don't you enjoy a few of my favorite websites?
General Interest:
www.cuteoverload.com All things so adorable, you'll puke frosting.

Animal lovers:
www.hamsterific.com If nothing else, you have to love their logo. And how can you not love those fat furry creatures who keep the world's wheels turning. Learn more about them and maybe you'll decide you need to adopt a fuzzy pal in 2008.
www.raleighrodentrescue.org in case you do!
www.cok.org Hooray for the good guys!
www.doggiefun.com Hey, is that *me* with a monthly column?
www.dogwise.com Fantastic selection of dog related books. Hint hint to those who need a gift idea for me. ;)

Scrapping and Crafting:
www.craftcritique.com Love their newsletter--it's full of great info on the good and the not so good crafting items out there.
www.splitcoaststampers.com I love their challenges! They have a new one every day of the week. While you're there, take a look at my gallery. :)