Christmas Scrapbook in a DAY! Part 3

Ok, kids, here's the last installment of this fun scrapbook!

I had scheduled a second class for this scrapbook for December 19th - but it has already filled! Are there enough of you out there for me to find time for a THIRD class?!! Let me know, ok?

So, as you are reading this, we are headed north for our second skating competition this season. We'll be in Stamford, Connecticut this weekend for the Terry Conners Synchro Classic. But today - we are spending the day in NYC!!!
We have tickets to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular and we'll be eating in a couple of our favorite restaurants too. I'm looking forward to seeing the tree at Rock Center and checking out the Christmas window displays and decorations.
Love NYC! I'm sure I'll have photos on Facebook from today and from the skating too. I know some of you follow Emma's skating, so I'll try and get a video up of their performance as soon as I can.

Now, how about some scrapbook pages?

Lots of white space on this one for journaling:

I stamped the background with the swirl from Season of Joy and added a bit of glitter to the berries on the holly Sticky Die Cuts.

I love this page! Two die cut Scalloped Square tags (from the duo die) Hey, you either duo or die! Get it?! Ha! I crack myself up!
Anyway, Sticky Die Cuts used for the reinforcements and threaded with Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine. The tags fit down in the white cardstock pocket.

Ok, THESE are my two favorite pages in the whole album!
I got the idea for the Santa's list from SU! demo Ashley Marostica and just altered the design to suit my style. Even if you don't have a "letter for Santa", this would be a great place to journal about your holiday!
The Santa medallion on the second page is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals so the photo will slide under it.

The cute rik-rak Sticky Die Cuts frame out this photo mat nicely and leave a space for journaling too. The little Sticky Die Cut tag was nullified with more baby powder and added to the ribbon with a Mini Glue Dot.

Nothing fancy here, just a nice space for two photos!

Almost done! The Big Shot makes these pages easy. Northern Flurry embossing on the Lucky Limeade cardstock panels and two Cherry Cobbler Top Notes for photos. A little bling, a button and some twine finish it off.

Last one! Two tags for photos, journaling or both, each in it's own little pocket. I used the greeting from Notes and Details for the one tag corner.

So, there you go, all done!!
What do you think?

I'll post the photos of the four cards we made tomorrow for you, ok?
In the meantime, if you need to shop for stampin' supplies, stop by my Online Store! With my NEW Rewards Program, you earn points towards FREE Stampin' Up! products each time you shop there!

Happy stampin'!
~~Robin

Place your order for Stampin' Up! supplies at this link here: Robin's Online Stampin' Store
Simply click the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner!

Christmas Scrapbook in a DAY! Part 2

Wow!
Judging from the e-mails I got yesterday - you all really LIKE this scrapbook project!
THAT makes my heart so happy and really makes me want to do more scrapbooking!!

Here's the next few pages in the album:

The Sticky Die Cut Stocking was just screaming for glitter, so I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the cuff with my 2 Way Glue Pen.

On this page, I added some baby powder to half of the Sticky Die Cut so the photo would slide under it and not stick. Cool, huh?
The center image is stamped out of the Perfect Punches Stamp Set, punched out and popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals. That gorgeous Cherry Cobbler Ribbon makes it into a sweet wreath accent.

I love the border element on this next page. I just punched a border strip out of Whisper White cardstock with my Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch and threaded some Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon through it and topped it with a sweet bow. Cute and Easy, plus the photo will slide right under the border or you can journal below it.
The Cherry Cobbler cardstock on this page was texturized with the Snow Burst Embossing Folder and the photo mat has a simple wrap of Old Olive Satin Ribbon. More baby powder on the Sticky Die Cut keeps it from sticking to the mat/photo and a button finishes off the element.

These next two pages are two of my favorites in the whole album - my other two favorites will post tomorrow - I added Dazzling Diamonds to the torn edges of the cardstock on each side and on the Sticky Die Cut Border piece on the next page. Lots more stamping with the Winter Post Stamp set too!

This page was fun with the Scalloped Square Die cut piece for the photo mat. Just a little Rhinestone Bling to finish it off!

So, there you have it - more fun pages!
Tomorrow you'll get the last few pages and then on Saturday, I'll show you the four cards that were made with the kit leftovers!

Don't forget that my new Robin's Rewards Program begins officially TODAY!! You can get all the details at this post HERE. Be sure to download the simple tracking form so you can begin keeping track of all your qualifying orders and earn your FREE Stampin' Up! product!

Happy Stampin'!
~~Robin

Place your order for Stampin' Up! supplies at this link here: Robin's Online Stampin' Store
Simply Click the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner!

NEW! Robin's Rewards Program

I love being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!
I especially love being YOUR Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

I've said it so many times, but I'll say it again - I have the BEST clients in the world. YOU make my job so fun and rewarding, that I wanted to find a way to REWARD YOU for being loyal to me and allowing me to inspire your creativity!

So, starting at Midnight December 1st, any time you place an Online Order through my Stampin' Store that totals $40.00 before tax and shipping you will earn 1 (one ) Rewards Star from me. After you have earned a dozen (12) Rewards Stars, you can choose $30 in FREE Stampin' Up! Products as a Thank You Gift from me.

I've created a handy PDF Tracking sheet for you to print out to keep track of your orders and watch them add up to FREE Products!

The link below, so click on it to print out the flyer. It also explains all the other details about the rewards program.

Download Robin's Rewards Program Tracking Sheet

Remember stampers, this rewards program is being offered by me, Robin Merriman. The rewards you earn are NOT directly redeemable with Stampin' Up! or any other Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

If you have any questions, let me know.

I'm so thankful for your continued support and business, it means so much to me that you have chosen me to be your Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Stamped Blessings,
~~Robin

Christmas Scrapbook in a DAY!

Last Saturday, I got to do one of my most favoritest things - I got to scrapbook!
Yes, believe it or not, I started off this paper crafting adventure wanting to scrapbook - cardmaking had never entered my mind.
But as you all may know, once you start making cards, it's kind of addicting. Not to mention the joy it brings to someone when they receive a card you've made! There's something special about getting a hug with a fold in the middle.

However, I still love to create pages and albums to hold my photos and memories - it makes me so happy, and sometimes wistful, when I go through my photos and recall the events of the day or the season. I love looking at the faces of my loved ones at different times in their lives and think about how their life was then, wonder about what was on their minds or in their hearts then. Mostly it just makes me smile and experience all over again the warm fuzzies of having them in my life. Our relationships are the most important thing in this life - it's the people we love and care for and the people we impact and who impact us that help us to leave a legacy of love.

So, last Saturday, I held my first scrapbooking class in a very long time - and I can tell you, it WILL be a more frequent occurence here in the studio! First of all, the ladies who took the class LOVED it and two of them were first time scrapbookers! Secondly, it filled a need for me in creating the sample book and I'm not walking away from that so quickly again.

Today, I'm showing you the outside of the book we made along with the first 5 pages - sans photos - if you like what you see, I've been asked to add one more of this class to my calendar this season. It will be on Monday, December 19th from 10 am - 3 pm; details are on my Events page on my Stampin' Up! website.

Here's the album cover. I used the Cherry Trim 6" x 6" Designer Album from the Holiday Mini. It has 20 pages inside and includes the page protectors!

The cover has a big bow of Old Olive Striped Ribbon tied around it (retired ribbon, but it was perfect!), and I used one of the sticky die cuts from the Simply Scrappin' Kit that the album is designed around for a fun tag. Some Basic Rhinestones and a Trinket Key (Santa's Key) tied with some Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine finish off the cover embellishment.
Are you wondering how I got the sticky die cut to not be sticky? Well, here's a little secret for you - baby powder! Yep, I put a little baby powder in an empty embellishment container and use a paint brush to brush it on the back of the die cut. It neutralizes the adhesive and allows me to use the die cuts any way I'd like! Yes, folks, that tip alone is worth the price of admission right there! Ha!

Here's page one:
All my pages were designed using one-half of the Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit that's in the Holiday Mini Catalog. The best part was that I had enough supplies left over to make four Christmas Cards too!

Here's page two:
I added many other embellishments along the way - Dazzling Diamonds glitter, ribbon, buttons, etc.

Here's page three:
I designed the album using several different stamp sets - Winter Post (which today is the LAST day to get it at 1/2 price - just $13.47!), Season of Joy and Perfect Punches.

Here's page four:
Lots of punches and ribbon and Baker's Twine through the album - see the glitter on the stamped and punched ornament? Really, just little touches like that can elevate a page. I like my scrapbooks to let the photos tell the story, so I try to keep my embellishments subtle or minimal.

Here's page five:

The color combination of this Simply Scrappin' Kit is gorgeous! Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, Soft Suede - so yummy!

So, want to come take the class now?!! I hope so, I love having a studio full of stampers and scrappers! But, if you can't come or want to do it yourself, here's the info on the main products I used to create this album. You can shop in my Online Stampin' Store anytime 24/7 and have it delivered right to your door!

#124008 - Cherry Trim Designer 6" x 6" Album w/ 10 page protectors $10.95

#111780 - Winter Post Stamp Set (wood mount) SALE $13.47 TODAY ONLY!!

#124007 - Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit $21.95

Be sure to order the stamp set TODAY before the 50% off sale closes! It's part of the Online Extravaganza SALE that Stampin' Up! has been offering since the 21st! You can place your order from my website up until Midnight Mountain Time.

Have a great day folks - thanks for coming to visit!
I'll have the info available for you on my NEW Robin's Rewards Program posted this evening, so be sure to check back!
Stamped blessings,
~~Robin

Place your order at this link here for all your Stampin' Up! needs: Robin's Online Stampin' Store
Simply click the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner to get started!

Stampin' Fools Recipes!

Just a quick creative post this evening -
my day got away from me entirely and I'm just now sitting down to share with you!

Anyway, you've read about my Stampin' Fools party group here before, they are a fantastic bunch of stampers who meet at my house each month to stamp, laugh, eat and have a fun, foolish time. They are also my friends and I love them dearly.

Well, for our party this month, we started something new. Two of the Fools brought a dish they had cooked for us to sample and they sent me the recipe ahead of time so we could scrapbook them as one of our projects. We're going to do this each month for a while and fill up a 20 page 6" x 6" Stampin' Up! album. What a cool project huh?

Here are the two recipes and pages for November.


The recipe on the left is from Pat for Praline Sweet Potato Casserole and the one on the right is from Betty for Corn Pudding. Both were really delicious and I was lucky enough to be able to keep the leftovers!

Since this is a recipe album, I kept the page design very simple. The base page is Crumb Cake cardstock and it's stamped all over with a floral image from Day of Gratitude in Soft Suede ink. I printed out the recipes on Very Vanilla cardstock and sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink. I laid them side by side and used More Mustard to ink up the large medallion stamp from Day of Gratitude and stamped it on both pages at once. It creates a cool effect when you separate them in the album. The recipe itself was mounted on a mat of Soft Suede cardstock and adhered to the page.
For a nice border, I took a piece of 2" x 6" Spice Cake Designer Paper and tore it down one edge, sponging the exposed edge with more Crumb Cake ink. It was adhered to the outside edge of the page to finish it off.

I can't wait for next month to see what we get to sample and share!
Have a great evening friends - I'll be back tomorrow with another fun project for you AND the details of my Robin' Rewards Program!

Stamped blessings,
~~Robin

A Quiet Thanksgiving

Hello again!
Just a little catch up post this morning. I have some fun creative stuff to share too, just gotta get it uploaded!

I know it's been a week since I posted, and I probably should have told you guys that I was taking a Thanksgiving blogging break - sorry if you were wondering where I'd disappeared to!
We had a very relaxed, low key Thanksgiving this year.
Mom came up to stay for a few days and we just hung out mostly. Watched the parade on tv, ate a simple, but very yummy dinner thanks to my super chef hubby; did a little online shopping and just sat and snoozed.
No Black Friday craziness this year for us, even though it had been our plan - and truth be told, I didn't miss the crowds this year. It was nice to just sit and decompress a bit.

My Dad's absence was definitely felt - I wasn't sure what to expect really, but it was weird not having him here. Especially when it was time for football. And dinner. His two favorite things about Thanksgiving!
So yes, I was sad, and I miss him, but I still wouldn't bring him back for anything. Not to face the pain of this life again. He's healed and happy and whole in Heaven and that gives me peace.

Here's a few photos of our day:

Me and Mark at the dinner table. Yeah, it was a no make-up kind of day too.


Emma and my Mom at the table. No fancy dishes again this year, but you don't need them to make the food taste good! I love seeing Mark in the mirror on the wall - cool picture!

Mark and I took the dogs for a long afternoon walk and this was one of the sights we saw in our neighbors yard. He'd been very busy that day - the day before there was a giant inflatable turkey there, by the time we walked by, he had 2 inflatables on the roof and 4 in his yard - including this one. Santa's gonna get awfully chilly by the time Christmas rolls around. Just sayin'.

Like I said earlier, we did a lot of snoozin':

Susie really enjoys "her" spot on the couch.
Buster was enjoying the warm, sunny spot by the fireplace.
Wish I could do that all day sometimes........

So, there you go - our quiet Thanksgiving.
Hope yours was a special one too!

~~Robin

Spice Cake Faux Tile

Howdy stampers!

So, are you ready for Thanksgiving yet? Nothing like getting right to the heart of the matter, eh? If you're not thinking about Thanksgiving and that big, juicy turkey, then you're probably trying to decide if you're gonna go out at midnight on Thursday and scoop up some of those crazy doorbuster deals, right?

Well I can tell ya where this ol' girl will be - snoozin' in my warm, snuggly bed! This year, I'm really ahead of the game and my Christmas shopping is 97.8% done! And the rest I'm doing online - oh yeah! But even if it wasn't, I'm not the doorbuster type. I love to shop, but not when I'm so sleepy that I can't see the price tags

.

Nope. Since Mark is working Thursday evening and then again on Black Friday, Emma and I will head out and get breakfast, then hit one of the malls with all the other 5 million people in NoVA just to say we did. I know it's crazy, but it's always fun girl time for us and the best part is that since I'm usually done with most of my Christmas shopping by this time of year, we don't HAVE to buy anything! We can just look at those super long lines and count our blessings that we aren't in them.

That's my kind of Black Friday shopping!

So, if you're not shopping on Black Friday - you can always stamp!

Here's another one of the cards we made at my card classes this month. I showed everyone how to do the Faux Tile Technique with the Simply Scored Scoring Tool - makes it so easy!

Did you pick one of those up yesterday during that great 24 hour sale SU! ran? Well, if not, you can still get one, just not on sale.

Here's a thought - put it on your Christmas list! :)

Just a few details about the card. The card base is So Saffron, sponged with a little bit of Crumb Cake on the edges. The next layer is Not Quite Navy and after I adhered the scored and stamped Spice Cake Designer paper to it, I ran the bottom section through my Big Shot with the Lattice Embossing Folder.

So, the Faux Tile was done by taking a piece of Designer paper - this was cut at 3 3/4" square - and scoring it at even intervals all the way across. I turned the paper one quarter turn and scored all the way across again at the same intervals, creating a grid pattern.

Next, I sponged Crumb Cake Classic Ink lightly all over it then stamped my image from the Inspired by Nature stamp set on top with Early Espresso Classic Ink.

A little bit of Not Quite Navy Taffeta Ribbon added a little feminine element and the stamped and punched greeting from the Perfect Punches stamp set finished the card. I did add an Early Espresso brad to the greeting layer before popping it up on Stampin' Dimensionals - a little extra bling never hurts!

Did you know that the Perfect Punches greeting set is part of the Online Extravaganza? It sure is! It's on Sale for 40% off the regular price making it only $10.77 for the clear-mount option! That, my stamping friends is what we call a steal! I love the versatility of this stamp set and I really love that each image works with one of our punches making it so quick and easy to use!

So, take a minute and head on over to my Online Stampin' Store and check out ALL the great deals and steals in the Online Extravaganza! While you're there, check out the Clearance Rack too - I saw some fantastic buys on there yesterday that I think you'll love!

Remember, ALL your November purchases from my Online Store will count towards my NEW Robin's Rewards Program that begins on December 1st! Shop now, Save now and get a head start on earning FREE Stampin' Up! merchandise from me! For every $40 merchandise purchase you make, your rewards start to add up into FREE Stampin' Up! goodies! Full details on this program will be published here on November 30th, so be watching!

Have a great Tuesday ya'll! Happy Stampin'!

~~Robin

Place your order for Stampin' Up! Supplies at this link here: Robin's Online Stampin' Store

Simply click the SHOP NOW button at the top right corner to get started!