The Holidays are approaching fast, fast, fast!  And I've got something fun for you that I know you'll love!  It's a series of Holiday Helpers Newsletters featuring quick and easy projects (made with Stampin' Up! products, of course), that you can use to add just that extra festive flair to your celebrations this year!  This 2-week-long series of newsletters will inspire your creativity – but you'll have to sign up for it separately from my regular newsletter, since this series will include far more regular emails than I usually send.  (Probably one newsletter a day for about two weeks.)

But if you're ready for lots of holiday inspiration, click here to sign up! 

PS:  The copyright of this newsletter series permits me to send it to customers only (that is, not to demonstrators).  Since I know I have some demonstrators who look at this website and subscribe to my newsletter, if you are currently a demonstrator with Stampin' Up!®, please do not subscribe to this series here, but instead, please contact me directly for a special link where you can get the special "demonstrator edition" – also free of charge – but through the author, rather than through me.  Thank you for understanding, as I wish to honor the author's copyright information.  

I am having SO much fun with the ladies who are participating in my Christmas Card Design Studio this year!  The way this works is that they have each independently worked with me to design their custom Christmas card, and then I have been hosting a series of "work days" when they can come over and work on their cards here, if they wish to. 

And wow!  What gorgeous cards are getting made!  I am going to post the cards of the ladies who are ok with that – so stay tuned for more as they get completed.  But in the meantime, here's Steffi's take on a card I received in a card swap last month.  Her layout is basically the same, but we've updated the colors and other elements used.

And if you act quickly, it's not too late to get in on the fun this year!  You'll get a complimentary one-on-one design session with me (plan on about 2 hours for that), and we'll work up your prototype at that point.  Then we'll order your supplies, and when they arrive I'll cut your cardstock to size for you, and help you begin the construction of your cards!  In between scheduled work days you may either take your supplies home to work on them there, or just leave your things here if that's more convenient for you.

Contact me quick if you'd like to join us!

I'll be having stampers here most of the day for their Christmas Card Design Studio, so no time to update the links over in my (right-hand) Specials and Promotions column yet…..

But if you scroll way down in my left-hand column you'll see a tiny little link there that says "Have you seen the current specials?"  Click that, and you'll find the specials are up-to-date there!

Oh, and as of today it's Holiday Extravaganza time!  More about that later!

Click here to view a fun video from Shelli Gardner's recent guest appearance on a local TV program….

A couple of our Make & Takes from Convention this past summer – and more very different looks for this versatile set!

  This card (left) features Crazy for Cupcakes – another 20%-off set this month (with a $20 order).  You'll find it on page 64 of the Fall/Winter 2008 Catalog & Idea Book, item #111618.  Another project from my Stamp-a-Stack earlier this month. 

Remember you, too, could make cards like these at my Stamp-a-Stacks.  I offer 3 sessions every month, and you only pay $12 to make 5 different cards.  And it's ok if you've never even picked up a stamp before; we'll show you how!  That's what it's all about! 

And I'm now accepting registrations for November's sessions.  Just click here to sign up!

These final two samples also feature Big Bold Birthday, which I've shown here in several cards recently. (And is one of those 20%-off sets this month.) Another valuable staple in your rubber stamp collection, this set is real easy to reach for!  The two similar cards (below) were made for our October demonstrator card swap.  The hostess this month asked us to use the right-hand card on page 61 (with the elephant) as a template for a birthday card.  Actually, all the cards I sent to that swap were like the pink one below, but after those were on their way I was suddenly inspired to try the same thing by just changing up the colors a tiny little bit. 

The DSP is Sweet Always, and the center background strip is wheeled with the jumbo wheel Happy, Happy Birthday.  The icing doesn't really show it in these pictures, but it is embossed with clear EP.

I think this stamp set, Inspired by Nature (Item # 111656, page 100 of the Fall/Winter 2008 Catalog) is one of the true beauties in this catalog – and I know many of you think so, too.  Here are some of the things we've done in my Stamp-a-Stacks, Clubs, and workshops in recent months. 

Featuring brayering and sponging (and masking), this first sample was a project from our October Stampers 30 Clubs.  (Remember we still have room for 1 more!)

And the two other samples were from August and September events.  Isn't it amazing how very different the very same image looks just by changing its colors?!?  The images in this stamp really seem to lend themselves to a broad range of moods and themes.

Stay tuned for a couple more samples tomorrow, and if you'd like to see these projects in person, ask me to bring them to your next workshop!

Here's another use of one of the featured stamps this month, called "Simple Birthday Thanks".  I saw this general idea presented at Convention and just HAD to come straight home and make my own gift bag!

If you think this stamp is as cute as I do, you've got until Oct. 31 to get it at 20% off – with a $20 order.

  Figured I'd post some samples of the birthday special that's running through the end of October, since now might be a good time to freshen up your "Happy Birthday" stamp collection!   

This tri-fold card with belly band features Big Bold Birthday – one of the birthday sets I find myself reaching for often.  Talk about versatile!

Here's another one with the same stamp set.  I made this card (left and below) some time ago for a "masculine" swap with my demonstrator group.  Since then, someone has splattered water on the element with the greeting, so unfortunately the ink is a bit blurry now.  The "closed" version is to the left; the "open" version is below.  It's not really all that obvious, but when it's "open", several elements move and pop up.  Notice how the "make a wish" element is only visible in the open version?  One version of this had a balloon and "ribbon" on the right-hand side – but who KNOWS where that one went, lol!