Art of the Possible

New Catalog Open House--A Fun Afternoon

Well, the Fall/Winter Collection has been officially christened and launched on its six month voyage of enticement.  Yesterday, I treated some of you to a few peeks at products and samples and we made this card at my New Catalog Open House.

What is it with me?  Another simple, modern card with clean lines and 1960's graphic imact!  Who says you can't pop a card in the mail in 5 minutes--if it's this card and you have the new crop-a-dile hole punch and eyelet setter you can!

And check out the Define Your Life Stamp set.  With 26 defined words (one for each letter of the alphabet) the image "Define you Life" and a stamp of tiny borders, this set allows you to design a card and then wait to give it just the right (snicker) definition. 

Cardstock:  Bashful blue, night of navy.  Ink:  whisper white craft, night of navy and going grey classic.  3/4" hole punch, white eyelets, dimensionals.  Stamp sets:  Double Line Doodles, Define Your Life.

If this card inspires you, contact me to learn how you can make a card just like it, in the comfort of your own home, with your friends.  How's that for inspiring? 

Make These Four Cards at Shelby Bloom's House

My friend, Shelby Bloom, so loved these four cards that she has asked me to hold a cardmaking event at her home on the Southside on Sunday, May 24.  If you would like to see the details of this event, please visit my calendar HERE

All Stamped Images copyright Stampin' Up! 1999-2007

Accents and Elements Explosion

Can you believe that when I finished making all of this, I still had 64 of the self adhesive die cuts from the Accents and Elements tin left over?!!!  What a value. 

To see more details from this project, click on the May 5 Spring Festival of Stamping photo album to the right.

Want to make your own?  Check out the Accents and Elements Explosion, part of the Spring Celebration of Stamping, on the May Calendar on my events page (Click on "My Calendar" to the right). 

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Purse Project

   

This is the fantastic card tote that was designed by my Team member, Cheryl Herbert.  Check out the calendar for May to see details about your chance to make this exciting project.

Thursday at Leadership in Houston

Collect the secret words for today, Friday and Saturday and e-mail them to me on Sunday for a chance to win a stamp set.

Very straightforward, don't you think?  Everyone is swapping like crazy.  I made only 30 cards to trade though there are some here who made 500!  I'm swapping this card:

I'll share with you when I get back to the scanner some of the cards I collect. 

It was a long bit of travel--I left the house at 4:30 this morning and I'm just starting to fade.  I'm on pure adrenaline.  But already it has been a lot of fun and I've learned some new things.

I just finished a class in using Excel to understand my team reports.  I've been swapping samples to show and I'm doing make and takes using my fabulous free stamp set from the next mini catalog.  We are getting exciting announcements about new products, new ideas and new catalogs--and the conference hasn't really officially started.

I'm off to find some food and do some more stamping.  Check in tomorrow for the next report.

Reflections on a Free Trip to Mexico

  Well, we got to go on our amazing free trip to the Mexican Riviera in March.  For my husband and me, it was the honeymoon we never had and the much needed trip as adults that had not happened since October of 2000 (our son was born in April of 2001).  In case we needed a reminder, we were greeted on the day we departed with a reminder of our wedding day.  At our reception ten years ago we were treated to a double rainbow.  As our ship, the Oosterdam, churned out towards the pacific, we gasped to see that San Diego was bejeweled with the same sight--a beautiful double rainbow.  It was lovely, but with all the excitement, I don't think I really reflected on that amazing symbolism until much later. 

The trip was unforgettable.  It was relaxing and we were very spoiled by the service, the amenities and the stamping related gifts that found their way onto our bed each evening.  We had many opportunities to stamp, to see samples and to share crafting and business ideas and good will with over 500 of the top Demonstrators in our company.  What a treat. 

And then there was Mexico.  Our favorite city was Mazatlan, which was the second port of call.  The bird watching tour that we selected gave us an up close view of the natural and economic beauty of this thriving town.  Our, guide, Captain Palo, was a delight and he seemed thrilled to share his home with us.  A native of Stone Island, the barrier island that cushions Mazatlan from the Pacific Ocean, he wove a compelling picture of life in Mazatlan.  From the local music that greeted us at the dock to the tuna fishermen who held up their catch to us to the many,  many natural wonders of the area this was a treat from beginning to end.

In Puerto Vallarta, my husband tried to kill me with a easy little jaunt into the mountains.  This leisurely exercise consisted of a five mile hike straight up and down (and then up and down) the Sierra Madre mountains.  It was beautiful, if dry, and we saw blooming cactus and azure vistas of the valley.  But, despite my new fitness level, this really was too much for me.  I was treated to a ride back to the Rancho in the truck of our guide's boss.  We had an interesting conversation about the local wildlife.  He told me that there are more varieties of birds in their region than in the US and Canada combined.  And then we discussed the intricacies of boar hunting with a bow and arrow. 

In the evening (after a large lunch and a two hour nap back on the ship) we went back into town and strolled the Malcon, the area at the ocean's edge.  Most of the US tourists had fled and the crowd consisted mostly of locals and Mexican families on vacation.  Kids ran everywhere and there was a very entertaining street theatre performance.  I was glad to have this opportunity to help erase my impressions of the area from the morning.  On our way to the hike, we had traveled through areas of poverty and decay.  In town, however, we saw happy familes, a beautiful cathedral and signs of life and happiness. 

In Cabo, we found less to impress us. The only Mexicans that we saw were on the street peddling jewelry or food.  One little boy selling candy couldn't have been more than 2.  Mostly what we saw were tourists and spring breakers shopping and looking for booze.  The place had all the authentic feel of a Florida theme park attraction.  Oh, well.  We went looking for some local color and found a natural history museum that had been abandoned some time ago and a very interesting cultural arts center with a monument and a vista at the top.  As we did not care what Sammy Hagar and his friends were up to at Cabo Wabo, we returned to the ship.  There was a beautiful rocky shoreline and I enjoyed seeing that as we came and went. 

I thouroughly enjoyed my time aboard the ship.  One night, while Andrew slept, I went out onto our large private balcony and laid on the deck chair.  I could hear the gentle swishing churn of the engines.  The moon was out and almost full and that light, paired with the lights around the outside of the ship, provided amazing illumination.  I could see the ocean and our wake.  There is nothing that lends perspective like watching clouds slip over the moon as you like on your private balcony on a ship that is plying its way through the pacific.