En Route to Leadership

Good morning!  We are in Seattle, heading to the airport for our flight to Houston for Leadership 2014.  Hope everything is on time!  I will update you with more pictures once we are settled!

I wanted to share one of my Swap cards with you.  I didn't do many this time as time ran out, but here is one that I will be swapping as part of a WOW! Valentine Swap:

• I knew I wanted to do something with hearts made from the music page from the Modern Medley DSP, but I wanted a little extra sparkle to add that WOW factor.  Did you know that you could sponge glimmer paper?  Well, you can.  Obviously, you would start with the Silver Glimmer paper because the other two kinds are too dark to add a different colour.  But silver works perfectly.  For this card I sponged the silver hearts with Crisp Cantaloupe ink refill.
• You know how hard it is to adhere anything to glimmer paper, right?  Well, it turns out it's even harder when you recolour the paper.  You have to let the ink really dry and wipe it off the back of the paper, too.  With the ink even slightly wet, NOTHING will work to adhere it.  I ended up only sponging the glimmer paper around the edges, as I knew the middle would be covered with the music hearts.

• I made rolled paper flowers using the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch and cutting a spiral out of the outer edge.  I rolled it on a skewer, the let it relax slightly and adhered it to a 3/4" circle punched out of the middle of the scallop circle, using a little Sticky Strip to hold it well.  Then curl/push the edges out a bit and add a Pearl Basic Jewel in the middle.
• The leaves are from Soft Suede cardstock, die cut with the Little Leaves Sizzlet.
• The background DSP is from the Venetian Romance collection and the sentiment is from the stamp set, Hello, Lovely, and they both add just the right vintage look to the card.

Stampin' Up! is promising some big announcements this week.  I can hardly wait to find out!  I will pass the info on to you as I am able!  TTFN! (Ta ta for now!)

• Hello Lovely Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Hello Lovely Clear-mount Stamp Set
• Venetian Romance Designer Series Paper
• Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper
• Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Silver Glimmer Paper
• Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
• Stamping Sponges
• Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Stampin' Ink Refill
• Hearts Collection Framelits Dies
• 2-3/8 Inch Scallop Circle Punch
• 3/4 Inch Circle Punch
• Little Leaves Stampin' Up! Sizzlits Die
• Basic Pearls Jewel Accents
• Sticky Strip
• Decorative Label Punch

Pre-Leadership Crazies and Chalk Board for The Paper Players

I leave today for Houston, Texas and Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Convention!  Very exciting!  I've never been to Houston before so that will be a new experience.  But I found myself scrambling to get everything finished on time and it all got a little crazy!  I do try to be ahead of the game, but I think there is just too much game to get ahead of!  It happens every Stampin' Up event.  Over the next few days, posts will be a bit whirlwind, I'm afraid, but I'll try to keep you up-dated on everything that happens.  I will only participate in two swaps this year so I didn't have a ton of cards to make, but I'll show you later this week.  I also made some cute roomie gifts that you'll see as well.

But I thought I would do one more challenge before I left and that would be The Paper Player's Challenge #177.  Nance came up with "The Clean Slate" challenge, since every new year is like getting a fresh clean "slate"!  A "Do-Over"!

Since I love the look of chalkboard art, I was keen to try this one and here's what I came up with:

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• I used an older stamp set with brand new DSP for this card.  The paper is from the Watercolour Wonder collection and in case you hadn't yet noticed, I'm kind of head-over-heels in love with it.  Every. Last. Piece. of it!  
• The stamp set is from You're Amazing and I chose it because the font and embellishments are perfect for the Chalkboard Technique.

• To do the chalkboard technique you just stamp with Versamark on dark cardstock and heat emboss with White Stampin' Emboss powder.  Then you sponge using Whisper White craft ink around the edges and just a tiny bit in the interior, to look like chalk residue.
• A little Daffodil Delight fork bow and some Daffodil Delight Candy Dots provide a bit of interest and contrast to complete the card.

Here are this week's weekly deals:

WEEKLY DEALS

Here are this week's Weekly Deals!

	Borders Scoring Plate Simply Scored Item # 126192 Regular Price $19.95 Discounted Price: $14.96   25% off
	Classic Pad Soft Sky Item #131181 Regular Price: $7.25 Discounted Price: $5.44   25% off
	Finishing Touches Edgelit Die Item # 127010 Regular Price: $11.95 Discounted Price: $8.96    25% off
	Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die Item # 123134 Regular Price: $9.95 Discounted Price: $7.46   25% off
	Marina Mist 3/4" Chevron Ribbon Item # 130016 Regular Price: $12.50 Discounted Price: $9.38   25% off
	Envelope Liners Framelits Item # 132172 Regular Price: $32.95 Discounted Price: $24.71  25% off
	Frosty Day II Digital Download Kit Item # 128875 Regular Price: $10.95 Discounted Price:  $6.57   40% off

If you would like any of these deals, good until next Monday, Feb. 13, email me, since I will not have phone contact, but will have internet access, or shop at my On-Line Store at any time, day or night.  Talk to you again from Houston Texas!

• You're Amazing Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• You're Amazing
• Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper
• Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Basic Black 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Versamark Pad
• Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad
• Stamping Sponges
• White Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Heat Tool
• Daffodil Delight 1/8 Inch Taffeta Ribbon (retired,oops)
• Brights Candy Dots