I finally held my big birthday celebration class a couple of weekends ago.  I celebrated 9 years with Stampin’Up! AND Stampin’Up!’s 10 years in Canada.

21 friends came to enjoy 5 birthday-themed projects and a whole lotta fun.

I featured the 5 projects a couple of weeks ago, but here are some photos of the actual event.  Please note the lighting in the rented room was terrible for photo-taking!

This photo shows the prizes for the evening.  A few were door prizes and then we had to have prizes for the games which were “Name that Stamp Set” and “What is the Stampin’Up! Color” – catalogues on the tables were a big help to some stampin’newbies!  lol

This mini cupcake box was filled with delicious chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting.  Instructions to make the box  can be found in my Homemade Goody Packages Tutorial.

A blossom box filled with kisses – and it fits a lot of those tasty little guys!  The blossom box die is on the retiring accessory list and won’t be around much longer!

This little cutie is also carrying a bunch of kisses.  You can find the instructions to this purse at  Inking Idaho and is in Becky’s Tres Chic Handbags tutorial.  My friend who won this bag was so thrilled!! 

I prepared quite a birthday spread for my friends too.  I used colors from the Sweet Shop designer series pack to decorate the table and the cupcakes!  We also had red velvet birthday cake, mini banana split bites, ice cream sundaes, strawberry shortcake kabobs and 3 different punches.  No one went home hungry!!

A very special thank-you to all my friends who came to celebrate my anniversary with Stampin’Up!  I had a great time visiting with you one-on-one!!

TTFN!

Natasha

This little 3×3 card and matching envelope is that last project to be made at my Birthday Celebrations Class coming up at the end of the month.  If you are in the area and would like some information, please contact me at nzandbergen@shaw.ca

I created the envelope with the Simply Scored Tool and it’s Diagonal Plate.  Did you know that the plate comes with the measurements to create many different sizes of envelopes?  I used Sweet Shop DSP to make a matching envelope for my card – how easy is that! 

Supplies used:

Stamps – Happiest Birthday Wishes

Ink & Paper – Sweet Shop DSP, Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Soft Suede

Accessories – Sweet Shop stickers, Simply Scored tool

That’s all 5 projects – I’m so excited to present these projects at the Birthday Celebrations Class.

TTFN!

Natasha

This little cutie is SO easy to make using the new Petit Purse die and is the 2nd 3D project for my Birthday Celebrations Class!  This die is currently available for a short time (month of April) and then will be in the next annual catalogue available June 1st.  This die cuts 1 piece and only requires 2 pieces of adhesive to complete.  The die also cuts a handle should you wish to use cardstock instead of ribbon like I did – it’s your choice!

I decided to use the embossed designer paper from the Sweet Shop package and I LOVE it!  How cute is this?  I also thought the right touch would be a “snap” created from a matching Jelly Bean brad.

TTFN!

Natasha

I LOVE this card – it just makes me happy to look at it!  I can’t wait to demo it at my Birthday Celebrations Class coming up at the end of the month.  Notice the waffle pattern on the Soft Suede background?  I created that with our new Diagonal Plate for the Simply Scored tool!

Supplies used:

Stamps – Up, Up & Away, Pennant Parade

Ink & Cardstock – Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Sweet Shop DSP, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party

Accessories – Create a Cupcake punch, Petit Pennants punch, Scallop Trim border punch, Big Shot & Labels Framelits, baker’s twine, Jelly Bean Brads, Simply Scored tool, dimensionals

TTFN!

Natasha

This is the second project for my Birthday Celebrations Class, featuring the Sweet Cake and Sweet Shop DSP products available now in the Occasions Mini Catalogue. 

I definitely CASEd my friend Connie Collins from Constantly Stamping with this project.  When I saw her treat pouch, I knew it would be perfect for my Birthday Celebration Class – thanks Connie!

Supplies used:

Stamps – Sweet Cake

Ink & Paper – Sweet Shop DSP, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder

Accessories – Big Shot & Labels Framelits, Fashionable Hearts embosslit, scallop border punch, ruffled ribbon, Sweet Shop stickers, rhinestone jewel, Modern Label punch

TTFN!

Natasha

1.  10 Years of Stampin’ Up! in Canada

2.  My 9th Year as a Stampin’Up! Demonstrator

I had no idea signing up to be a demonstrator would lead me to ALL this!  From making great projects with the best products available, to making friends all over the continent, and working with the best company in the world – I can truly tell you that I LOVE MY JOB!  I have always told people that I will stay a demonstrator until it’s not fun anymore, but it just keeps getting MORE fun!  And that’s no exaggerating!

To celebrate  this milestone of mine, I’m throwing a

BIRTHDAY PARTY!

What will be at this party?  Food, games, presents,  activities and of course…CAKE!  And everyone who comes will go home with 3 birthday cards and 2 easy 3D projects – all made with the Sweet Cake stamp set and matching Sweet Shop DSP and stickers packages.

All this week, I’ll share the projects that will be made at this fun birthday party. 

First up-one of the 3 birthday cards:

 I love the colors on this card – they’re so vintage “Ice cream shoppe”!  And speaking of ice cream, we better have that at the party too!

Supplies used:

Stamps – Sweet Cake

Ink & Paper – Whisper White, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Island Indigo

Accessories – ticket corner punch, dimensionals, rhinestone jewels, ruffled ribbon

TTFN!

Natasha

This isn’t a card, but it sure expresses to someone that you care!  It would be a great gift topper or, even better, to accompany a plate of cookies to a sick friend.

Supplies used:

Stamps – Tea Shoppe

Ink & Paper – Poppy Parade, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Pool Party, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip

Accessories – Big Shot & Adorning Accents Edgelits, piercing tools, dotted scallop ribbon punch, pearl accents, Everyday Enchantment ribbon, tea bag

Well friends…that’s it…all 5 projects for my Occasions Mini class on February 22nd.  If you are in Calgary, I would love for you to come!

TTFN!

Natasha

You know how some times it takes 5 minutes to make a card and other times, it can take 5 hours?  This one was a 5 minute card for me – it just came together exactly as I had planned it in my head!! Love it when that happens!

Supplies used:

Stamps – Word Play

Ink & Paper – Sahara Sand, Island Indigo, Soft Suede, Twitterpated DSP

Accessories – Blossom punch, 3/4″ circle punch, jumbo brad, baker’s twine, piercing tools, sponge

TTFN!

Natasha

Well, it’s finally here – my 8th annual Christmas Card Class is tomorrow!

This is one of the door prizes.  It’s a empty Christmas book box!  Look, it opens up to reveal space for cards, a gift, chocolates, etc.  SO MANY things coud fit in here:

One lucky person will be able to take all their handmade cards home with them in this fabulous box!  I got the pattern to make this from a USTamp with Dawn and Friends a couple of years ago so unfortunately I can’t share the “how-to”to make this box with you.  But Becky at Inking Idaho is the original designer for this project – see her version here.

 I can’t wait to give it away tomorrow!

TTFN!

Natasha

Here in Alberta where I live, scrapbook and quilting retreats are very popular.  Crafters pack up all their crafting gear and head to a hosting bed and breakfast, where they enjoy personal crafting space, beautiful accommodations,  homemade meals, and most importantly, uninterupted crafting time!  Getting away for a couple of days to concentrate wholly on your crafting projects is exciting and rejuvenating…

…they also can be pricey to attend! 

 I’ve decided to host my first every Stampin’Up! “Retreat”!  But unlike a traditional retreat where you plan for days (if not weeks) the projects you will complete, and thus tote all the supplies with you to make your projects, I will be supplying my guests with 2 amazing scrapbook related projects and all the supplies needed to complete them both!  They will enjoy all the benefits of a retreat, and more, without the accommodation cost.  Find THAT at any retreat around here!

  Want to see the projects I’ve prepared?

A DVD case cleverly housing both a calendar and a notebook!  We made something similar to this as a Leadership make-and-take, and my mind started spinning with many uses for these DVD cases. The protective case makes this calendar/notebook easily thrown into any bag.  It’s economical as well since we’ll be using the same Simply Scrappin’kit as our scrapbook the next day! 

 I found notepaper at WalMart that is appropriately sized and fits amazingly into our cases.  Voila – easy peasy!!

I developed the calendar myself so it would be the same size as the notebook – coordination is important to me!!

Here’s the second project – the Saturday project - the 2011 “One Great Year” scrapbook:

 Scrapbookers are usually trying to play “catch-up” with their photos.  For once, I want to work ahead of myself and my photos!  Now that this book is completed, all I have to do is insert a couple of photos from the month, journal a bit and enjoy watching our year unfold!

This scrapbook has 16 pages.  Each month of the year is represented on it’s own page with space for 2 photos and some journaling.  Some additional pages I’ve prepared are a title page, favorites of 2011 page, and a reflections page. 

The neat thing about this Simply Scrappin’Kit, One Great Year, is that it can be used to document the year of an inidividual, a couple or an entire family – it’s so versatile!!  Once this book is made, it can be used by anyone!

What about the food??? 

You don’t have time to make a meal when at a retreat!  You just get to craft the day away and listen for the dinner bell to ring!  Many of my guests and class attendees know that I love to cook and bake so hosting this retreat allows me to provide my guests with some fun homemade food and goodies while they’re here too – it’s all about the pampering at a retreat!

I’ll be hosting this retreat on March 11-12th so if you are in the area and want some details, let me know!

Have a great weekend and TTFN,

Natasha