Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Feeling Great

 The food poisoning seems to have moved along, thankfully!  While at the Leadership Conference, earlier this month, I participated in a "shoebox" swap. We all brought one planned card, all the pre-cut cardstock, ink, stamps and embellishments to make 48 of the cards. Then we swap and create the cards the other demonstrators brought. So awesome.  Then we each go home with a shoebox full of great samples. I love doing a shoebox swap!

Three of these cards are from this swap, the fourth is from Stampin' Up, from the make n' take sessions. This past week I used these four cards at my workshops. The stampers in attendance had a great time and got to go home with 4 great cards!

 Maybe you and your friends would like to make some great cards? Just leave me a comment or send me an email and we can arrange to make that happen.

Happy Stampin!
Dee Tollaksen


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Feeling gross

 While in San Antonio, at Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference, there were so many great ideas shared, samples posted, cards swapped. One of my favorites is a simple correspondence set, using the same stamp and layout, but varying the colors. I might do this for a stamp-a-stack class. What do you think? And this beautiful stamp is only available free as a Sale-a-bration option.

I'm still in the pj's today, sick as a dog (a sick dog, for sure) with some food poisoning. I'm sure you didn't eat where I ate, so I won't mention any names.  But I am thinking back fondly to the great food we ate in Texas.  Have you ever stayed at a LaQuinta hotel? They offer free breakfast, and I am a breakfast eater, so it is a good deal for me. But most of the time, you make your waffle and it comes out of the iron in a round shape. Not in Texas! How fun is this ?!? Gotta have a little fun with your food when you're up early, after being up late with your stampy friends in a hotel, far from home!

Happy Stamping (hope to be feeling better tomorrow),
Dee Tollaksen


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Super Simple

 When Stampin' Up! does all the thinking for me, I'm just, so fine with that!  In the new mini catalog, there is this beautiful blossom set, three nice big flowers, each with their own personality, and a couple little circle elements that can be used as centers or complementary elements. AND a punch that perfectly matches for quick cutting of the flowers.  So, when you need a card and you are feeling a lack of inspiration, just pick a DSP, a matching color, stamp some flowers, punch' em out and add an appropriate sentiment. Done.

As I said, sometimes it is nice to be able to let Stampin' Up! do ALL the thinking.

Remember these cute little photogenic gnomes? He looks like he was having fun in a photo booth!  I posted this card in a contest Stampin' Up! offered at the Leadership Conference. He appealed to at least one other demonstrator, even tho I didn't win the contest.  Jan of Metropolis, IL posted this card in her compilation of gnome cards. Feel free to go peek at her blog and leave her a little comment. http://inkrubberart.blogspot.com/2012/01/do-you-like-gnomes.html

 Oh, and feel free to leave me a little comment. I love to know who is visiting!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Ladies at Leadership


How well do you know your demonstrator? Which one of these women is your Stampin' Up! blogger? I'm the one who sparkled all day on the first day of the Leadership Conference. The others are my sideline friends, Dawn, Barbara, Julie and Catherine.

Just to keep you crafting, the second picture is Shelli Gardner, the founder of Stampin' Up! She was showing us one of her current projects and I grabbed a picture off the big screen. Simple, right? A folded strip of DSP, a bellyband of DSP, then two die cut labels and a piece of ribbon, a button and a sentiment.  Then stuff it with chocolate! Fabulous!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sale-a-bration kicks off


 Have you ever hosted a workshop with me? If so, you know I bring 4 gorgeous cards for you and your guests to stamp and take home.

During Sale-a-bration, Stampin' Up! offers you a free gift with every $50 you spend, and the hostess will get a fun shopping tote and if there are sales of $400 you will get a great gift pack of DSP, ribbon and brads.

If you decide you want to join the Stampin' Up! family now, you will save $50 on the kit and receive a bonus every month for the rest of the year: a pack of DSP or a digital download, you pick!

Leave me a comment, give me a call or send me an email. . . I'd love to be able to shower you with free stampin' goodies!

Dee Tollaksen


Monday, January 23, 2012

Ready Set Sale-a-brate!

January 24 (tomorrow!!!) begins the best time of year in the Stampin' Up! calendar: Sale-a-Bration! Whoo hoo!!

As a hostess, you can pretty much double your free hostess gifts, with a shopping tote, special DSP, ribbon and brads that coordinate beautifully as well as the regular hostess benefits.

As a stamping shopper, you get to select a free item from a special collection with every $50 you spend on stamps, paper, tools or embellishments.

As a new demonstrator, you save $50 on the kit and SU throws in a bonus of a pack of DSP or a digital download every month for a year!

If you are "in the market," just leave me a comment or give me a buzz or email, and I'll be happy to fill you in on the details!

Oh, yea, this card is one of the swaps I made for Leadership conference. Kinda pretty, if I do say so myself.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, January 22, 2012

SWAG

SWAG is Stuff We All Got. . . Can you see all this stuff? This is my bed at the hotel in San Antonio. We got a stamp set that won't be released til the next catalog, 3 stamp sets from the current mini catalog, a special release for the My Digital Studio software, DSP (designer series paper) rhinestones, pearls, brads, buttons, ribbon, twine, a gorgeous tote bag and matching portfolio and the printed flowers that match the DSP. And this isn't even everything!

Stampin' Up! really knows how to take care of their demonstrators and leaders!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Romance and sparkle

Grey and yellow together, so elegant! The new embosslits for the Big Shot (or your brand of cutting and embossing machine) are so versatile and fun. The label shapes here are all cut in seconds with thin metal dies that coordinate perfectly. The Apothecary Arts stamp set is designed to perfectly with the dies, as well. These flowers are so easy to spruce up with just a little color, or a lot, depending on your style. I have also added some shimmery glittery fun that comes in a bottle for just $3!!! Can you see a little shine on the leaves and stems?

I have had a good night's sleep in my own bed and now have the fun job of sorting through 100 swaps I brought home from the Leadership Conference with Stampin' Up! in San Antonio.

I attended awesome sessions on many topics, but the one that stands out in my mind was with SU trainer Carrie Cudney on Why Women Buy. I am all ready to address your shopping wishes and needs! Just drop me a line here in a comment or email or phone and let's get together to stamp and laugh!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

You light up my lawn

Evidently, gnomes are silly little folks. All the sayings that go with the gnome stamps are funny word plays. And this picture doesn't really highlight the sentiment, it's down in the right corner, "you light up my lawn."

It's time to think about Valentine cards, and I think this one would be appropriate. A bit of glittery red and some pretty ribbon, what else could we need?

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Happiest Birthday

 Vintage style is so trendy, I am having fun learning to stamp in this style. The new mini catalog from Stampin' Up! does make it easy, by providing so many gorgeous options. The Apothecary Arts stamp set is beautiful and it coordinates perfectly with the label sizzlets. These metal dies cut cleanly and precisely in the Big Shot. They take up much less space than the regular dies and much more economical. Fabulous!

I used the pretty little pins we offer to hold a few little flowers onto the beautiful ribbon.  And I got to watercolor with the watercolor crayons. And the lovely new DSP from the mini catalog. So much pretty-ness!

Come and take a class with me, see the new products and make some gorgeous cards!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Gnome a little vintage love

Are you the romantic type? Like a vintage style card? Looking forward to Valentine's Day? Stamping your own cards seems like a perfect activity!  This handsome fella is surrounded by shimmering silver glitter paper, there is no mess, no shedding and tons of sparkle. I cut the shape using Stampin' Up! new sizzlet frames, then cut a large sizzlet frame from DSP (designer series paper). The tag is just a rectangle with the edges snipped, from the coordinating DSP. I did texture the background with an embossing folder and added a couple different ribbons.

If you are in love with these gnomes as much as I am, be sure to get your hands on them soon, as the mini catalog is fresh now, but won't be around long!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

How's the weather in Hawaii?

Did I mention that Nancy goes to Hawaii for 3 months every winter? Since it is 45F in Chicago, I'm not freezing, too much, yet. . . but I know I will be envious when the snow flies and the temps drop.

And Nancy likes to send a note or two to a friend or two while she is in Hawaii. We got together and made some wintery cards before she left.

Tomorrow is our Bible study time, and I will definitely be missing her.  Enjoy the islands, Nancy!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Punchy penguin

How do you feel about punch art? This little penguin is created with so many of the punches in my drawer. . . large heart, small heart, word window, circles, label.

I worry that you don't own all these punches and I don't want you to think that you need to order 10 punches to re-create a card we make in class.

But then when someone is here and gets a look at this silly creature, they clamor for the supplies to copy him!

So tell me. . . how do you feel about punch art? If I get a couple comments, I'll randomly select one to receive this fella.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, January 6, 2012

Wintery note

My good friend Nancy is leaving tomorrow for Hawaii. Yes, we all envy her, especially as they stay for nearly 3 months during the worst weather Chicago has to offer.

She wants to send home some love notes but doesn't want to make us feel bad, so they are wintery notes. This is CASEd from my buddy Dawn, who CASEd it from someone else. That is how you know it is a great design! Super clean and simple, striking and easy to duplicate.

We used Stampin' Up's notecards. They are 3 x 5" cards & envelopes. The post office will handle these without any special postage, and they are just a cute little note size. They are in the Idea Book & Catalog, 20 cards, 20 envelopes and they just cost $5.95. What a deal!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Holiday Cleanup

 We barely decorated for Christmas this year. Somehow the busy-ness of the season snuck up on me! Combine that with the over-active Boston Terrier who lives here, work obligations and stamping fun, the tree never got unpacked. We did manage to set up a small pre-lit tree, with a few new ornaments, and lights outside.

But our best decoration this year were the cards we received. There were many and they are lovely. I think they got special attention this year, since it was our primary decoration. I displayed them on a wreath in the kitchen and in a big frame in the dining room. We did enjoy each and every one of them.  Then comes the big decision about what to do with them after the holiday. Thanks to Pinterest, I made a booklet of them, to stash away with the decorations, or to keep on the bookshelf for year round enjoyment.

All I did was cook up a cute cover in the MDS program (My Digital Studio) and print it on my home printer. Then I punched holes in the cover and in every card and used binder rings to hold it all together. So simple and awesome. Now all my 2011 cards are bound together, with Catherine's Joy card peeking out at the front. Next year I will know exactly who took the time to keep our house jolly and they will definitely be on my mailing list.

My apologies to all who usually get a card from us. We just didn't accomplish that goal this year. Please forgive and look for our card next year.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Monday, January 2, 2012

Gnomes all over the place

I don't have a weird collection of gnomes or anything, but I do think they are stinkin' cute.

This little fella is starring in an array of poses on one of my swap designs. Even though it is exactly the same image, I chose different angles and I hope it looks like a photobooth array.

Cute? Just a couple days til this set is available for sale. Did you get your mini catalog yet?

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen