If you already subscribe to my blog updates, please ignore this message.  But for the rest of you…….

Do you often forget to come see if I've posted any updates here?  And then by the time you think to look, it's too late to take advantage of the special, or class, or "whatever it is" that I've written about?

Well, the solution is to subscribe to my updates.  It's free, and it's easy.  To get signed up, either select the RSS feed option over in the left-hand column (you may have to scroll down a little bit to see it), OR enter your email address here:

  And THEN – once you've completed all the steps to the sign-up process (including any confirmations you may be asked for), anytime I post a new article here, you'll get the RSS feed (if that's what you've chosen), or an email delivered automatically to your inbox with the contents of my article - within roughly 24 hours! 

So there's no more reason to feel left in the dark or miss out on a special or earlybird registration for a class just because you don't remember to check in here regularly!  Subscribe to my updates and they'll come straight to YOU instead!  Easy-Peasy!

This was a recent Stamp-a-Stack card. Note the green swirl background behind the square; that's done by brayering Old Olive Classic Ink onto the Texturz Plate (Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I) before sending the piece of Very Vanilla cardstock through the Big Shot.  The tendrils on the pumpkin are strips of cardstock sliced very thinly (which the Tabletop Cutter is a master at) and then wrapped around the stylus, while the pumpkin itself is made with the Wide Oval Punch.

If you'd like to make cards like this, too, our next Stamp-a-Stack will be Friday & Saturday, Dec. 4th & 5th.  Sign up here!

And on this day let's be sure to remember the many blessings we have to be thankful for.  I have lots.

What do you suppose is inside?  It's headed to the post office soon…..

Beginning today (Monday, Nov. 23), get 30%, 40% and 50% off popular items and brand-new PRODUCT BUNDLES at my online store!  What an easy way to choose a gift for a friend – or even yourself!

But I urge you to hurry!  Although the Online Extravaganza continues through November 30th, you'll want to order your goodies right away to be at the head of the queue and get them delivered as quickly as possible. 

Please note that while the very best way to take advantage of this special is to order at my online store, I will still be able to accept your orders, too.  However, due to my schedule this week (I'm taking some time off this week), I will arrange for all orders to direct-ship to you.  So please remember that means the minimum s/h will be $6.95. 

But come to think of it, what an awesome opportunity to gather up orders from a few friends, and call it a book party & get the hostess benefits that result!  Especially since we have TWO additional hostess promotions that run through the end of the month, and an additional customer special, too!  Check them all out here if you don't remember what they are!

So what do you think of the new look to my blog?  I designed the banner and signature myself with the newest digital downloads for My Digital Studio™!  It was LOADS of fun!

So please leave me a comment (the link is at the end of this post) and let me know what you think!  (And also to confirm whether anyone is actually reading this, lol.)

There's a new batch of digital downloads available today in my online store.  Some nice holiday images, including some quickie card ideas.

Did you subscribe to my Holiday Helpers Newsletter Series last year?  If so, you'll be happy to know I'm gearing up to bring you the "2009" series as my customer appreciation holiday gift!

As a refresher, this is a nearly 2-week series of daily newsletters all about helping you get your crafting ready for the holidays!  Whether your interest lies in cards, gifts, wrappings, home decor, or family traditions, this daily newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every morning is sure to have something of interest for everyone!  And every day there will be a different tutorial for a lovely project – ready to download and make up for someone special!

If you're a customer or hostess of mine, please take a moment to subscribe to your Holiday Helper newsletter series.  It's absolutely free, so why not?!?  

To begin your subscription to my Holiday Helper newsletters, please click on the link at the top of my left-hand column (the link that invites you to subscribe to my newsletter).  Yes, even if you already get my regular newsletter you'll need to specifically sign up to receive the Holiday Helper series,too, because I'll need your specific permission to email you daily for nearly two weeks.  (Don't wanna get in trouble with the legal folks who patrol the spammers, ya know!)  Sooooo, bottom line is you'll have to request it if you want it. 

If you already subscribe to my regular newsletter (and you're not a demonstrator yourself, or a customer of another demonstrator), just follow the instructions you'll be presented along the way until you arrive at the point where you can select the Holiday Helper 2009 subscription.  (The process may involve clicking on a link that gets sent to your inbox, so keep an eye out there to complete the process.)

And if you're *not* already one of my regular newsletter subscribers you can use that same link over at the left to get signed up for BOTH my regular newsletter as well as the Holiday Helper series.  

Launch Day for the Holiday Helpers series is Thanksgiving Day, so be sure to sign up now before you forget – 'cuz you won't want to miss a single issue!   

Oh, and one last reminder…… because of copyright issues with this Holiday Helper series, I can only send these newsletters to my customers (current or future) who do not already have another Stampin' Up! Demonstrator with whom they work……. and especially who are not demonstrators themselves.  If you have another demonstrator through whom you order your Stampin' Up! product, please ask your regular demonstrator to provide you with this series of newsletters…….. and if you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator yourself, please contact me to find out how to get your very own (free and legitimate) subscription to the "demonstrator" version of this newsletter series!  

Ok!  I've got November's series of Gift-Making classes ready for registration!  Here's where to see the class projects being offered, and sign up for your favorite(s).  And be sure to check out the very first project listed; it's NEW!!

Earlybird discounts only run through Monday, Nov., 16, so act quick to take advantage of the savings!

Just have to share with you today a close-up feature of yet another of last month's baby-card swaps.  The card this came from was created by Maureen Donnan – and her pacifier (shown in this close-up) is all done with punches!  It took me a moment to figure it out – and then I broke into a grin when I realized how she'd done it.  

She featured the small oval, 1/2" and 3/4" circle, and Heart to Heart punches here. Clever, clever, don'tcha think?!?  Maureen's comments on her card indicate she'd seen the idea from Jackie Topia, but that's one of the things I love about being a Stampin' Up!®:  always plenty of AWESOME ideas being shared!

Today's been all about both my sessions of Stamp-a-Stack.  We sure have had lots of fun around my table today! But pictures of SAS cards will have to wait; I've still got cards to feature from our demonstrator swap last month. 

So here's the next card from the series I'm showing featuring cards from our most recent demonstrator swap.  (Baby themes.)  This one was designed by Debby Bockman, and I particularly love how she created this lovely card from the Tea Party Designer Series Paper, and the very versatile stamp set Fast and Fun Notes – with nary a "baby stamp set" to be found.  While the design of this card uses pastel colors and suggests the idea of "delivering" something, the only actual "baby" thing on the entire card is on the inside, where Debby stamped the simple sentiment "Happy New Baby", also from Fast and Fun Notes, although from a different stamp than the bird and flower on the front. 

Check out the images from Fast and Fun Notes yourself, and see if you don't agree that Debby used a really fun (and untraditional) placement for the stamped image on the front of her card!  Gorgeous card, dontcha think?!?