Another Friendship Friday!!

RAK's are in da' house!!

But I am not!
As you read this, I am either on my way or already arrived at my first ever Female First Cousins Reunion. FFRC for short.

Back in April when my Dad died, ALL but one of my cousins was able to come up for the funeral - and that's saying a LOT. My Dad had 6 sisters and that's a plethora of cousins -male and female!
Our family used to have a big family reunion each year at the beach mostly, but over the last few years, with our parents aging and such, we've not done it. Frankly, I miss it.
It was a blessing to have such a large extended family, especially with me being the ONLY in our family. I had the benefit of brothers and sisters without having to share a house with them. That's pretty awesome in my book.

So, long story short, my cousin Peggy e-mailed all of us a while after the funeral and had a fantastic idea of all the female first cousins getting together. She found us a gorgeous cabin in the mountains of Southwest Virginia and I'm headed there tomorrow! Not only is the perfect time of year to be headed to that area - the leaves are going to be gorgeous - but it will be so special to spend the weekend with my cousins again. I'll take lots of pictures and I'm sure I'll be on Facebook with pictures too so Mark and Emma can keep up from here.

For now, I've got some more beautiful cards from some wonderful stampin' friends to show you. None of these projects was done by me, even though my watermark is on them. I did that just to protect the artist's work. Ready to see?
Ok, let's go!

This card is by my dear friend Tara Bazata. Tara and I served together on the Advisory Board during my first term and my friendship with her was one of the greatest gifts I got that year. She lives in Colorado, so we don't get to see each other much, but she has the uncanny ability to know just when I'm getting out of the shower in the morning and calls me to talk! Hey, guess everyone needs a talent! HA! As you can see, she's a talented stamper as well. She sent me this beauty in her swap package last month:

Next is a card from Susie Wood. Susie and I met on my first Founder's Circle trip and hit it off right away. She's such a sweet, lovely person and has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. She's also the youngest looking Grandmother I know too! Beautiful inside and out!
This was her swap card for Founder's Circle this year and she sent me one too - see what I mean? Just so sweet!!

Another great friendship I've been privileged to make is with Stella Mackay. Stella and I have known each other for several years, we met on the Bermuda cruise, but we really got to know each other while serving on the Advisory Board together last year. Stella lives in Califorinia so again, we don't get to see each other except at SU! events, but the e-mails fly fast and furious!
This card was Stella's Founder's Circle swap card as well and you guessed it - she sent me one! Love it Stella!

Now, this next set of projects deserves a round of applause. They were made by Michelle VanWiggeren - also from California. I read her blog because she has great ideas and she reads mine too, which is fun to know! Well, we trade e-mails and comments from time to time and I consider her a friend even though we've never met in person. Someday!! Anyway, I think it was last month, she was showing these Kusudama paper balls on her blog. Well, she was offering one up as Blog Candy and you know me - I'm not likely to do that project any time soon (actually never!) I'm too lazy a stamper - but it was so beautiful, I had to try to win the Blog Candy!
So I left her a comment, never expecting to actually get it!

Well, on Tuesday, September 29th, I got a Priority Box from Michelle in the mail and inside was the Kusudama Ball and this gorgeous card! I have to tell you, I was going through a pretty stinky time in my life and that Tuesday was very bad. So when her package arrived in the mail - and it was special, just for me, I cried. Lots.
See how a handstamped card and a handmade project can really make someone's day? Yep, never underestimate the power of some paper, glue and glitter and a big heart behind it. Michelle has a huge heart!

Ok, now that you've sniffled a little bit, that's it! No more for today, although I have many more things to show you! I'll do another Friendship Friday soon, so be looking for it! In the meantime, be sure to stop by tomorrow. I'm posting some fantastic Christmas cards that my downline members made for our October team swap. You're going to love them!

Happy Friday!
~~Robin

It's Friendship Friday - RAK Me!

First things first,
Angie, my snowy card did NOT send away the rain. Uggh! That's painfully obvious this morning isn't it? But I guess it was a nice thought anyway. Hope your commute was not too bad this morning......

Oh, hey, let me clue you stampers in here - Angie is my awesome, non-stamping friend that sings next to me in our church choir. We tend to talk too much and get in trouble with Pastor Scott (which is fun, btw), but we end up doing pretty good, so I guess we figure it's ok. Especially since it's about the only time we have each week to catch up.
Angie is awesome, well, because she is, even though she doesn't stamp - maybe on an envelope - but she pretty much views crafting as a communicable disease. And that's ok, because at least she likes my stuff and even reads my blog - hence the shout out in response to her snowy card comment on Facebook last night.
Anyway, Angie is pretty special to me. We've been friends for over 10 years, I think. It's hard to remember at my age. But point is, we all have special people in our lives; in different parts of our lives, and even though not all of our interests are the same (I dislike baseball - Angie is a FANatic) there is some common bond that makes each one unique and beautiful.

Today's post is me sharing what some of my special friends did to make me feel awesome! Each of them are part of my stamping life, but they ALL are special to me just because they are who they are.
Over the last 6 weeks, I've gotten a BUNCH of RAK's (random acts of kindness) in the mail and it's time I showed off a few of them to you and tooted my friend's horns a bit!

Here's a card I received from Meg Wheeler:

Isn't it adorable?!!
Meg and I served on the Advisory Board together last year and we have many things in common - our faith for one. She sent me this sweet card along with a little treat in mid-September and I've been remiss in sharing it. With all that's going on in her life, she still thought of me.

This card is from Karen Duke:

Karen is my surprisingly, umm, shall we say - feisty Canadian friend. I'll just leave it at that. WE know what I mean!
Anyway, Karen also served on the Advisory Board last year with me and she was so sweet to mail me one of her Founder's Circle swaps last month. I love it sweet Karen!

This one is from my crazy chocolate bunny mutilating friend Diana Gibbs:

We knew an awesome friendship was in the making when I flipped over her way too funny Easter cards a few years ago. She is awesome for trading wisecracks with, and some sweet words too - but I have found in her a kindred, comedic spirit. She GETS me, and that's pretty cool. I still need to go visit her and eat at The Deli. She kills me with the food photos she shares. Yeah, I know, like I should talk!

Lastly for today - I have MORE for later - is this cute treat pouch from Barbara Dondero:

Now I did not know Barbara personally when she was recommended to me at the beginning of my GoDiva swap group. But having exchanged e-mails and traded stamped pretties for the past several years, I've come to know her heart - and it's beautiful! She sent me the most lovely letter when my Dad passed and I still have it. AND she knows me pretty well - she always sends chocolate!

So, there you go - a Friday full of friendship and kindness. Don't you LOVE that?!
Like I said, I have more RAK's to share, so keep checking in so you can see some of the beautiful work that my stamping friends do and see yet another reason why stamping brings us together.

Have a wonderful day!
~~Robin

A Special Invitation

Good morning stampers!

I have something special to share with you today - just look at this card that I received in the mail a few weeks ago:

Isn't it gorgeous?!! Trust me, the photo cannot do it justice - it's just so beautiful in person!
I don't know who made it, but it came from Stampin' Up! and was my invitation to the Advisory Board Alumni Breakfast at Leadership last week.

Being on the Advisory Board had been a truly wonderful experience - and I'm thrilled that I was chosen to serve a second year! It's an honor and a privilege to serve the company that I love so much in a completely different way than my everyday demonstratorship does. The ladies I've been allowed to serve with have blessed my life tremendously as well as the amazing professionals on the Corporate Team.

If you like this card, I'm going to recreate it for an upcoming class - it's just too beautiful to NOT share with you!
Thanks for stopping by today to visit. I'm in the process of catch up from being gone, posting my class schedule for January and February (yes, I'm a little behind!) and uploading photos from Leadership. So stay tuned - I have a LOT to share!

Stamped blessings,
~~Robin

Beautiful RAK from Kerin

Welcome to Monday Stampers!
Have you looked ahead and figured out yet what kind of week you are going to have?!
We have lots of activity going on here this week, but so much to look forward to! I'll be doing design work this week for the rest of my Holiday Classes - be watching my Events calendar, you won't want to miss those...
But Thursday is my fun Stampin' Fools group, Saturday is our family tradition apple picking, pie making day and Sunday is Trunk or Treat at our church! Yes, busy - but oh so fun when it's spent with family and friends. I LOVE my life and feel so very blessed!

Here's yet another blessing - a beautiful card from my very talented friend Kerin Sylvester.

Kerin sent me this a while back and I have it proudly displayed in my stamp room. You know the best part of this card? She didn't have any specific reason to send it - she just did! And let me tell you, the day it arrived - I needed a blessing! Don't you just love going to the mailbox and finding happy mail that's just for you? Yep, me too! So I'm going to challenge you this week. Why don't we all step up and mail out one card each day this week, beginning today, to random friends just to tell them we are thinking of them and to bless their day.
We all need a little encouragement from time to time and I know that a handstamped card is a surefire way to spread some around.

Have a wonderful Monday stamping friends - I can't wait to hear about your card sending mission - I'll report back to you on Monday right here about mine this week, ok?

Stamped blessings everyone,
~~Robin

RAK Showcase 2

Good morning stamping peeps!
Time for Round TWO of the RAK (random acts of kindness) Showcase!

I hope you are enjoyed the first one the other day - I am so blessed to have wonderfully talented friends who send me such beautiful artwork - I can't keep it to myself!

Today's showcase begins with this gorgeous card from Canadian demo Sabriena Satchwell. Sabriena participated in my ECS Fundraiser and sent me her ticket money in this beauty! It also contained a heartfelt note that made me cry - she is a beautiful person!

Next we have two cards from my dear friend Susie Wood. She and I met at my first Founder's Circle and have been friends ever since! Susie doesn't have a blog to showcase her beautiful work, but she is one terrific person and a wonderful stamper to boot!
This card uses the new Greenhouse Gala DSP and the new Friends Never Fade stamp set.

And look at this bright beauty! Love the new colors - she used Daffodil Delight and Cajun Craze on this one. So summery!

Now, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know one of my bff's Selene Kempton. She and I were in the same group of Rising Stars and got to know each other at Founders Circle that year. In addition to our collaboration on Stamping 411, Selene is a member of my GoDivas swap group.
I just love this card she made with the Elements of Style stamp set. Stunning, really!

And look at this cool gift card holder she sent me!

Love how she used that fun Island Oasis DSP here - too cute!

I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for so many reasons, most important of all are the friendships I've made. There are so many fabulous people that I would never have known if our common love of paper crafting hadn't put us together. Every event we attend is like a big slumber party or family reunion! I love these ladies so much and am grateful for their friendship.

Have you ever thought about becoming a demonstrator? Well, even if you haven't, maybe you should - for two reasons - the FUN and the FRIENDSHIPS. Yes, you can earn money too, but isn't it the relationships in our lives that make us full?
I'd love to chat with you about all that Stampin' Up! means to me and what it could mean for you too. So give me a call or send me an e-mail at stampwithrobin@yahoo.com and let's talk. You might just discover that a stampin' family is just what you need right now!

Blessings,
~~Robin

RAK Showcase - Act 1

Hello everyone!
I'm stopping back by today to share some gorgeous RAK's (random acts of kindness) I've received recently from fellow demos. I am so fortunate to have truly wonderful friends through Stampin' Up! and from time to time, they send me some beautiful artwork just because - isn't that wonderful? I love what my bff Tiffany and I call "happy mail" days. That's when you open the mailbox and get something that makes you happy just because the other person wanted to make you smile.

I haven't shared many RAK's here lately and I've got quite a few built up to show you so I'm gonna start with a few today and a few more tomorrow. I'll share some more with you next week too, ok? With only 13 days left before I leave for convention, I have an overwhelming amount of work to do to get ready so this is the perfect time to do my RAK Showcases!

The projects today all were included in swap packages to me over the past two weeks from participants in my private GoDivas swap. I'll be posting some of their actual swaps later on for you to drool over. These ladies are all handpicked by me because they are amazing stampers - all with varying styles and strengths. Their combined talent make each swap round something not to be missed and gives each of us fabulous inspiration!

The first piece is a gift wallet by my great friend Patti Chesky. Look at that gorgeous combination of color and elements!

Patti had also sent me this fabric flower pin in May and I'd not taken the opportunity to show it to you! It is stunning in person and believe it or not, all made with the Big Shot!

And just look at this adorable beach basket and the yummy chocolate treat that was tucked inside! This is from my friend Gretchen Barron and is just stinkin' adorable!

Gretchen also sent along this card she made using SU's digital paper crafting software - My Digital Studio. It is so obviously NOT just for scrapbooking! This card is gorgegous!

And just who doesn't love a little bitty card and a gift of ribbon?!
My buddy Daryl Micciche knows just how to make me squeal with delight, which is what I did when I opened her swap package and found this gift!
A lot of my swappers send me chocolate, but since it was so hot, Daryl elected to send ribbon instead - which has the added benefit of no calories! Yeah!
I just love the little card she made for it with the new Artistic Impressions stamp set - so adorable! Daryl doesn't have a blog or I'd give you the link there.

So, there you go, I've had a chance to show off some of my talented friends artwork and tell everyone just how special they are to me! Love them bunches!
Check back in tomorrow for RAK Showcase Act 2!
Stamped blessings,
~~Robin

ECS Charity Raffle Winners Announced!

Good morning stamping friends!

It's not often that I am at a loss for words, however, I've been so amazed at the outpouring of generosity during the raffle I held for the Emmanuel Christian School Art Department, I just don't know where to begin this message.
So many of you purchased tickets and just straight up donated money towards the purchase of supplies - I am overwhelmed with the huge response from your hearts.
I really shouldn't be surprised - stampers are known for their big hearts and giving nature - after all, we make and send hand stamped art from the heart!

I am so excited to announce that your generosity in participating in the raffle and donating funds raised $790.00!
That is so much more than I had anticipated and every penny will go toward the purchase of art supplies for the Elementary students this upcoming school year.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you - whether you bought a single ticket or donated money - you are all amazing people and I am grateful for each of you!

Now, would you like to know who actually WON the raffle prizes?!!!

Ok, I had my daughter Emma draw the winners names from a basket of tickets that I'd filled out with all the participants names on them.
The first one she picked actually sent her money in this gorgeous hand-stamped card:

SELENE KEMPTON!!

Yes, Selene was the first name drawn from the basket and we called her to tell her so! She was so stinkin' excited she started squealing - and she may have even cried! She, of course, chose the Cruise Purse and told me that she'd be sporting it with pride on next year's Alaska cruise! (Yes, she and I are still working on earning it. We've been encouraging each other along the way, but we both still need a little help from our stamping friends!)

So next, Emma drew the second name from the basket and the winner of the Big Shot Die Cut Machine was.........

BETTY KEALEY!!

The best part of Betty winning the Big Shot is that she is actually one of my Stampin' Fools stampers club - they meet here once a month to stamp and be foolish (have fun) but these ladies have the biggest hearts and always bring so much life to the studio when they are here playing. I just love each one of them and it was so fun to be able to tell Betty in person that night that she had won the Big Shot! It had been on her wish list for a while now, but she hadn't taken the plunge yet.
Betty, your Big Shot is on it's way to you now!
Thanks so much for being you!

I'll be meeting with the ECS art teacher this week to complete her wish list of supplies and they will soon be on the way to her so she can plan her classes and projects for the kids.
I know she will be amazed and overwhelmed when I tell her how much was raised.
You ALL are a blessing and I am praising God for you today!

Have a wonderful day friends!
~~Robin

Card today by Selene Kempton, all supplies SU!
Stamps: Because I Care (SU! hostess set sneak peek), Medallion
Inks: Concord Crush, Old Olive
Cardstock: Old Olive, Concord Crush, Shimmer White
Accessories: Vanilla Smooch Spray, Scalloped Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch

RAK of Chocolate Love!

Welcome to Monday everyone!
I had a fantastic weekend, did you? Friday and Saturday I spent in the York, PA area with one of my upline's Jan Wakeland and her group of RemARKable Stampers. The meeting was just flat out FUN and I met some really incredible ladies - I have photos to post later on so stay tuned for those.
Also, Emma competed in Richmond on Saturday and took Bronze! Yay! I'm so proud of my little skater - she never ceases to amaze me!

I have just a cute, quick project share for you today - this little beauty came to me from my friend Barbara Dondero in NJ. She is a member of my GoDivas swap group and she was so sweet to include this in her last swap package to me.

It's a decorated candy tin that is filled with NEW goodies for me! She used the beautiful Vintage Vogue stamp set along with Tiny Tags and some of SU!'s retired Organza Ribbon (loved that stuff!) to decorate it. Isn't it gorgeous? I really didn't want to open it, but when I heard rattling inside, I couldn't help myself. Look what I found:

Yumm! Caramel filled kisses! Oh, yeaahh! Barbara knows me so well - I'm a chocolate girl!
Thanks so much Barbara - you ROCK!

Have a great day everyone and be sure to stop by later for photos and projects from my fun weekend!
Stamped Blessings,
~~Robin

Beautiful Butterfly RAK

Good Monday morning everyone!
I'm just popping in here to share another RAK from a stamping friend - this time it's Kay Kalthoff who sent me this super sweet card.
I met Kay this past year at her first Founder's Circle Retreat - she was one of the new Rising Stars last year! Kay is also a great stamper and I invited her to be part of my GoDivas swap group. When she sent along her package of swaps this last time, she included this card:

She's used two of my favorite colors - Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette - which are coming back to us on July 1st! The lovely butterfly stamp is from Garden Whimsy and she used the Rock-N-Roll technique to ink it up. My favorite part is the Eyelet Border, that is actually the edge of the card and it lifts up to reveal the Pink Pirouette panel underneath - so pretty!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday - I'm busy, busy in the studio today preparing for my stamp camp at the Tall Oaks Community Center in Lake Ridge tonight at 6:30 pm. We'll be doing 5 fun card projects that you all will love - I just know it! Hope to see you there!

Blessings,
~~Robin

A RAK and a Bonus!

Last week while I was on the cruise, I showed you a few RAK's from my stampin' friends. RAK means Random Act of Kindness and in a stampers case, in the form of a card or handmade gift. I love getting what I call "happy mail" from my friends - it is always something beautiful!

Well, I had a few more that I didn't have time to photograph before I left and I'll be showing you those in the coming days, starting with this beauty from my buddy Selene Kempton. Selene and I met at my first Founder's Circle Retreat the year we both earned spots among the Rising Stars and have been buds ever since. She is also the sketch genius at our shared teaching blog Stamping 411. Love this girl to pieces!

Just look at this beautiful card she sent me:

Isn't this just fresh, bright and fun?! I love how happy it makes me feel!
And looky at this next photo - see what else she sent me?!

Yep, the title of that candy bar says it all "Exceptionals"! It's a hugemongous, luscious dark chocolate bar (my fave of faves!) and I'm having a hard time eating just a square at a time - it's yummy delicious! :)

Thanks so much Selene for my beautiful card and this 'exceptional' goodie!

Have a blessed day everyone,
~~Robin

It Doesn't Get Much Sweeter!

Hey everyone! I am back from the Stampin' Up! Cruise, but won't be back to work until tomorrow so enjoy one last pre-scheduled post - and it's a doozy!

So, I didn't get a chance to photograph all the fun RAK's that I received in my swap packages before we left on cruise, but this one came early enough that I was able to share it with you.
Kerin Sylvester is an AMAZING stamper and she is not only part of my GoDivas swap group, but one of the Stamping 411 Operator team as well.

Kerin made a super fun swap card using the new stamp set Sweet Scoops, which is available NOW in the Summer Mini Catalog! She also sent me this totally adorable box that she made!
Isn't it just da' bomb?!

But wait, the best is yet to come:

YAY! Chocolate just for me!!!!

Oh, yumm!

Kerin used the new Sweet Scoops Stamp set and new Island Oasisl DSP to create this cute box - I just love it! Here is the link to Kerin's blog and the template for creating this fabulous little box.
Thanks so much Kerin!

Blessings,
~~Robin

A Tri-fecta of RAK's!

Just a reminder that I am on the Stampin' Up! Cruise this week, all my posts were pre-scheduled.

Some of you who read my blog regularly know that I host a swap group of amazing demonstrator stampers - the GoDivas. Well, just before I left for cruise, I received all the cards from this round - items from the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog! They are simply fabulous and I'll be showing you some of them in coming days. But, today I wanted to share the BOUNTY that my friend Susie Wood included in her swap package - just for me! Susie is an amazing demonstrator and stamper from Iowa and we met three years ago at my first Founder's Circle Trip. I just love her to pieces and I'm getting to spend some time with her this week on cruise.

Susie sent me three cards that she had made for other swaps - just so I would have a sample for my board! And she sent me a big chocolate candy bar too, but that didn't last long enough to photograph! :)

Here are her super cute cards:

Love the black and white here - she used the new Elements of Style stamp set and the new Lattice Embossing Folder! So beautiful!

And isn't this a fun card?! Love the fact that Wild Wasabi is returning in July with the new Big Catalog! WooHoo! This card uses the stamp set Tropical Party along with Heard from the Heart.

Lastly, this lovely card features the stamp set Watercolor Trio - talk about simple elegance! So pretty!
Thanks so much Susie!

Glad you stopped by today!
Blessings,
~~Robin

RAK from My Friend Diana - the Artisan!

Just a reminder that I am on the Stampin' Up! Cruise this week, all my posts have been pre-scheduled.

Look at this card, will ya?!

Is this not one of the most GORGEOUS things you've EVER seen?!
My chocolate bunny mutilating buddy Diana Gibbs is one of the new members of my GoDivas swap group and when she sent me her package of swaps, she included the gift of this card - just for little ol' me!!!

It truly is a masterpiece and my jaw just dropped when I opened the package, this photo does not do it justice - I'll be framing this beauty for my studio!

Thank you Di! You ROCK!
Can't wait to hug your neck at convention!
xoxo,
~~Robin

A Little Stamped Love

One of the things I've enjoyed most about being a demo with Stampin' Up! is all the wonderful friendships that I've formed with fellow demos from all over the globe! I love my peeps and love to keep in touch with them via e-mail, phone and sending RAK's. (random acts of kindness cards)
Lately, I've been the recipient of many RAK's from my gal pals and wanted to share them with you here today.
Please know that I DID NOT create these cards, even though my watermark is on them - it is simply there to protect the artwork of the artist. (To tell you the truth, my pal Selene created my watermark for me and I don't know how to adjust it or recreate it with someone else's name on it! Hey, my skills are in paper crafting - not computers! LOL!)

Here are the gorgeous cards I've received lately, I've linked the artist's blog (if they have one) with their name so you can go check them out!

Easter Card by Tiffany Bauer

Friend card by Tiffany Bauer

Embossed Metal Flower card by Tara Bazata

Vintage Butterfly Friend card by Selene Kempton

Contemporary Butterfly Friend card by Selene Kempton

Embossed White Butterfly card by Karen Duke

Vintage Friend CD Folder by Jan McClurg

Aren't these just the most wonderful projects? You can see why I treasure them and the friends that made them!
Have a wonderful day everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with some wonderful news and this week's UDI Inspiration Challenge project!
~~Robin

Sweet, Sparkly and Chocolate!

Hi everyone, did you have a good weekend?
Ours was crazy busy - I had my Very Valentine Class on Saturday morning, and a fun stampin' party on Saturday night, so stamping was definitely the highlight! We also spent Sunday visiting my Dad in the Veterans hospital in Richmond. Some of you already knew that he was not doing great and have been praying for him and I appreciate that so much! Please keep praying for him - we can feel it! We know that God is faithful and is in complete control.

I have a very 'sweet' share for you today - it's a RAK from my friend Kerin Sylvester. Kerin is one of the newest members of my private swap group the GoDivas and look at what she sent me along with her swap package at the end of December!

I KNOW! More Chocolate! And isn't it just darling?!
She used that yummylicious new Designer Paper called Sending Love to make the envelope with the Scallop Envelope Die and her Big Shot. That dsp has glitter covering one side of each sheet, so in addition to being gorgeous, it's sparkly too! And who doesn't love a little bling with their chocolate?!
The ribbon is the Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon and she tied on a little tag made with the 3/4" Circle punch and the new Small Heart punch. Isn't it cute?

Here 's a closer look at the little card she wrote. It was made with the new I {heart} Hearts stamp set and the Heart to Heart punch. Just too, too cute!
I loved my little gift Kerin and I'm so glad you are part of our swap group too! :)

For all my clients out there, did you know that Stampin' Up! is doing a fundraiser to help the people of Haiti? Since the devastating earthquake they experienced two weeks ago, Stampin' Up! has not only sent over 5000 hygiene kits packaged by the SU! employees in Utah, they are also donating $2 of EVERY purchase of the I {heart} Hearts stamp set to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. This donation period doesn't end until February 28th, so you have time to help make a difference with your purchase of this stamp set.
If I am your demonstrator and you'd like to participate in this effort, simply go to my website and place your order in my online store or you can call or send me an e-mail and I'll take care of it for you!

Have a great Monday evening!
~~Robin

Chocolate RAK from Ashley!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - the BEST thing about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the FRIENDSHIPS! Honestly folks, in the 4 1/2 years I've been with this wonderful company, I've made lifelong friendships with women that I never would have even crossed paths with had it not been for our mutual love of stamping and paper crafting.
Many of these friends are close by and are a wonderful part of my client base, but many of them are from all over the US, Canada and Australia! The project I'm showing you today was a gift from one of those friends, Ashley VanCamp who lives in Utah, very near the SU! headquarters. (Ashley, can you feel the creative vibes in the air?!)
She is one of the newest members of my private swap group - the GoDivas - and when she sent me her swap package, it contained this fabulous package of goodies!

Now, the dark chocolate would really have been super special on it's own, seeing as it's my FAVORITE and all, but Ashley made it super-duper special by putting it in this uber-cute package!
I love the topper she created and it even sparkles since she sprayed it with shimmer mist made out of our shimmer paints. The topper itself was created with the Big Shot and she stamped it with words from the Wonderful Friend stamp set. She added a piece of Patterns Designer Paper to the plastic pouch to jazz it up a bit. The front flap is secured with a velcro dot so I don't have to ruin the package to get to the yummies inside!
I told Ashley that it was almost too pretty to eat and she suggested that I could just refill it.....!

I hope you all have a great day wherever you are. I have my two Just Cards classes going on today at 10 am and 7 pm, so it's a busy day for me, but fun since we'll be stampin'!
Don't you want to come stamp with me too?
~~Robin

Happy Mail!

I've been a bad blogger.....I spent all day Christmas Shopping and have not had time to take pictures of my cute, fun new stamped stuff for you! BUT, I do have a couple of RAK's that I photographed a LONG time ago that I totally forgot to put on here for your viewing pleasure!
So at least you get something fun from me today! :)

The first card came from my friend and fellow Go-Diva, Barbara Dondero. She sent me this sweet card to congratulate me for Advisory Board. Isn't it pretty? I love Trendy Trees and I think she did a marvelous job with it here!

This next card is from my Stamping 411 bud and fellow Go-Diva, Gretchen Barron.

It was a thank you for hosting our last round of Go-Divas Swaps - Love these colors together and the combo of stamp sets too! Beautiful card Gretchen!

I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator! I have friends all over the US and Canada that I never would have met otherwise, and sometimes they send you gorgeous cards too!

Have a great evening everyone - we are off to the skating rink! Again!

Blessings,
~~Robin

RAK from Claudia

It's Sunday, and around our house that means, church, lunch and a nap!~

So, now that I've done all three, I wanted to post this beautiful card for you to see. No, I didn't make it, (if only!) my stamping friend Claudia Perry did. Isn't it beautiful?

Earlier this month, she did me a HUGE favor and stamped some images for me to use in a special birthday card for my hubby. Not only did she send them to me within hours of me making the request, she included this beautiful card with them. I was just stunned and thrilled! What a special treat and what a special friend!

Thanks again, Claudia - you rock!

Have a great Sunday everyone! Go enjoy some ice cream with your family - Summer is almost over!

~~Robin

Good Enough to Eat!

Isn't this gorgeous? Oh, my, goodness! This fabulous looking candy bar came in the mail for me recently from my sweet friend Daryl in Florida. She is part of my swap group - the "Go-Divas" - and we just did our New Catalog round!

These girls are some of the most talented stampers around and I'm so fortunate to be able to recieve their work 3-4 times a year! Sometimes, when they send their swaps to me, they send along little goodies, and I got several this last time. I'll be showing them off to you over the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Daryl used the new Flower Folds Bigz XL Die for the Big Shot to create these gorgeous flowers along with some of that scrumptious Raspberry Tart Designer Paper. (Don't you miss Kiwi Kiss already?) Hershey Chocolate never looked so good!

Thanks so much Daryl - I'll bring myself to eat it someday. For now I'm having fun admiring it!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Go eat some chocolate!
~~Robin

Something Sweet from Selene!

Earlier in the week, I talked a little bit about the great friends we make as a result of being part of Stampin' Up! Whether it be demonstrator or client, we meet people and form relationships that would never have happened without this fun hobby that we have in common. It's truly one of the biggest blessings for me as a demonstrator - the friendships!

One of my dearest friends is Selene Kempton. She and I met when we were coming off the stage at convention after the Rising Star awards were announced two years ago. We got to know each other after Founder's Circle that year and I love that even though we are miles apart - she lives in Mass. - our friendship remains strong and we talk every week. She is the brains behind the Stamping 411 Blog that I am a designer/operator for. And Selene also maintains her own creative blog at this link here. Be sure to check it out!

Selene created the card I'm showing you today and sent it to me as a congratulations for earning the cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I just love first of all, that she thought enough of me to send it, but the card itself is so beautiful in it's simplicity. It just goes to show that a card doesn't have to be overdone to be beautiful.

She used the new Hostess stamp set 'Asian Artistry' and combined the new In Colors Dusty Durango and Soft Suede. Isn't it pretty?

I'd love for you to experience the joy of being part of the Stampin' Up! family too. This month, through August 31st, Stampin' Up! is offering a special for new signing demonstrators - it's just $85 to join my team! Go to this link here for more information about Stampin' Up! or simply contact me if you have specific questions. I love my team of Trinity Design Stampers and you would love being part of it as well.

Happy Thursday everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with another project to share!
~~Robin