Well, it hasn't been QUITE a month since I posted something here, lol!  Not sure exactly what happened, but life kinda took a turn on me, and between the holidays, and then being sick for a few days, and then Mom being in the hospital for a week….. well, let's just say that apparently the days clicked by and all of a sudden I woke up and we were deep into January already! How in the heck did THAT happen?

But I'm back, and already have 3 card classes under my belt for this month, and my Crafting Adventures classes meet tonight and tomorrow.  (So excited about the project for tonight!) And as much as I love Christmas stamping, it's always a breath of fresh air to move on to the pink and red of Valentines, and the excitement of Sale-a-Bration, too.  So that's where we are right now!

I only have a few moments to pop in here today, and what I'm going to share won't be news to anyone who "likes" Stampin' Up! on Facebook already, but just in case you haven't "liked" them yet or follow their posts, they recently celebrated 100,000 fans who "like" them on FB, and decided to give us ALL something to mark the occasion.  So there's a $14.95 digital designing download kit waiting for you if you want it – for FREE!  But only through today, that is….. January 10th.  You can choose whether you want it for My Digital Studio for Windows or Mac….. or for another design program other than My Digital Studio.  

Here's the link to claim your "A Day in the Life" kit – yes, for FREE!  Isn't that COOL?!?

http://surveymonkey.com/s/100k

Ok, that's all I have time for today, but at least I wanted to get that out there to my blog subscribers before the clock struck midnight (MOUNTAIN TIME, that is)! 

It's a Bargain Hunters' paradise.  A bunch of retired Stampin' Up! products were just added to the Clearance Rack, including a big batch of older style punches.  Stake your claims here before someone else beats you to 'em!

PS:  You CAN order regular stuff (including digital downloads) on the same order, too, btw.  And remember if your product total comes to $150 or more you'll qualify for at least $25 in free product of your choice. "Stampin' Rewards" is basically the same thing as hostess benefits, except it's available when you order online.

Edited to add:

PPS:  When you're paging through the list of products be sure to keep using the "next" arrows, 'cuz there are way more than just the 10 numbered pages that list there……

Pantone has just announced their "2012 Color of the Year" – and guess what it is?!?

Tangerine Tango!

Now, it might not be precisely the exact color as Stampin' Up!'s Tangerine Tango, but it looks mighty, mighty close to me.  And it's particularly exciting because that's one of the select colors we have in our new line of colored embossing powders, too!

So while orange isn't generally one of the first colors I reach for to wear or stamp or decorate with, perhaps I may have to rethink that a little this upcoming year and see about appreciating it just a little bit more.  I probably still won't wear it, but I could certainly challenge myself to stamp with it!  (Along with Tangerine Tango's kid sister, Calypso Coral, which you'll see a lot of coming real, real soon, too.  Hint, hint…..)

Check out some of the ways Tangerine Tango will be showing up on the runway and in design and decor this next year!

Just posting a quick note to let you know that I am aware you may encounter certain links on this site that appear to be broken (pointing to a fake website).  Thankfully, however, it should only be temporary.  Links that connect to my calendar of upcoming events, as well as to Stampin' Up! specials or the option to join online, did not work on Friday, and so far do not appear to be working today (Saturday) either.

Stampin' Up! became aware of the problem early Friday and immediately accomplished what they needed to do from their end, but now it's just a matter of waiting until all servers worldwide get updated to point to the proper site, domain, whatever.  (The technology is actually way over my head, lol – but from what I understand it's just a case of waiting for "however long it takes" – probably in terms of hours, but maybe even a few days.) 

However, the good news is that most links on this site which point to my online store still work, so you can still place an order online…… and links to the catalogs and many other options work fine, too. 

Also, while I'm addressing the topic of links, I'll be setting up registration for my regular upcoming monthly classes real soon, too (like card class, for instance)…. so you should be able to register for January classes soon as well.

This message will remain at the top of my updates until it appears the linking problem has been fully resolved.  If you are unable to view my calendar of events or the current company specials, please keep checking back every few hours – and feel free to email or phone if I can help you with something specific.  And thank you for your patience while we wait!  🙂

The 2011 Online Extravaganza has begun!  Visit my online store to see all the items on sale through November 30th, including discounts up to 60%!

And don't miss the two SURPRISE products on sale the first 24 hours only………. only 'til midnight (Mountain Time) on Monday, Nov. 21! 

Fabric, My Digital Studio products, stamps, Decor Elements, ink, accessories, and even exclusive product bundles…….. check it out, 'cuz there's something for everyone in there!

This is the project I swapped with my team members this month…… a sweet little box made with the templates from "Savor the Season", Stampin' Up!'s new limited-edition hostess item – a CD chock full of digital images & templates for My Digital Studio – available only through the end of December!

Sorry, ladies, cookies weren't included, but of course these staged ones WERE made with Stampin' Up!'s new Sweet Press Cookie Stamps.

I altered the colors on this project a bit by using Digital Designer Series Paper that I had already downloaded and installed on my computer about a year ago, and then used the colors from that paper to match the other elements.  Sounds complicated when I type it, but it's actually a cinch to do.  

Here's what the paper (actually, Whisper White Cardstock) looked like when it first came out of the printer, and before I punched out the embellishments, or cut out and assembled the box:

To add a little more stability (and visual interest) to the inside of my box I lined it with Garden Green cardstock.  The main colors in this project are Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Real Red and Garden Green – all taken from the stripes of color on the DSP.

Find out more about this fun ensemble of digital images at:

http://mydigitalstudio.net/profiles/blogs/holiday-hostess-promotion-savor-the-season

(Note:  You may have to sign in or join the website if you haven't already become a member of MyDigitalStudio.net .  But if you're interested in My Digital Studio, you SHOULD be a member there anyway, because that's where the MDS fans all hang out and share ideas!)

Just wanted to pop in here real quick with a reminder that there are only 3 days left to get your FREE BIG SHOT  (or $100 of other products) when you join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator.  You can review my initial posting here, or find out more about being a demonstrator here.  If this is something you may have been thinking about anyway, why not go ahead and give yourself the perfect gift of creativity in October – right before the holidays hit!

Contact me either via email or phone; my contact info is up above, just under the pink banner.  (Or if reading this from a feed, click here to visit my website.)

If your computer decides to play tricks on you and tell you that a newly-downloaded MyDigitalStudio image is corrupted, don’t believe it and don’t freak out. Here's a super-simple "fix". 

Just close out of your MDS program, and right-click on its icon and choose “Run as administrator”. Doing that should probably fix the problem……. but if not, then opening and closing each of the images you just had trouble with should finish up the “fix” – and it shouldn't recur on those images again.

I don't understand the "why" of it, but when a random download has decided to be uncooperative with me, this simple work-around has worked for me like magic for over 2 years now!

So as we enter the holidays, is it time for some fresh images for your MyDigitalStudio software?  Right now (through Dec.) we have a really fun limited-edition hostess gift CD "Savor the Season" chock full of digital crafting images you can turn into 3D projects like boxes, bows, gift tags, etc.  And of course its got lots more seasonal and year-round uses, too. 

Check out our enormous line of other downloadable images at my online store!  Remember that digital downloads count towards your stampin' rewards ("free stuff with a $150 or greater purchase at my online store")……. AND you don't get charged shipping/handling on your digital downloads, either!  Cool, huh?