Celebrate Texture Card!

Here is the card that I made for my Top 10 Sales Achievers in my downline during the month of June:

A BIG Congratulations to these fabulous ladies!!

1. Jen Rios Raner
2. Linda Jennejahn
3. Laura Swift
4. Kriss Huels
5. Sheila Ogletree
6. Pam Kane
7. Melissa Grover
8. Davina Allgrim
9. Ruth Petrovich
10. Ronda Nelson

ALY'S HELPFUL HINTS:

• All I can say about this stamp set, "Punched Posies," is "MUST HAVE!" It's seriously the BEST Hostess Set that Stampin' Up! has EVER put out (in my humble opinion!). I just adore how every images coordinates with a punch, and the bold artwork is fabulous! This stamp set is only available through the end of August, and with August's Bonus $25 Hostess Promotion – there has never been a better time to host! I still have some dates – let me know if you want to snatch one of them up and get this stamp set for your very own in addition to other generous shopping dollars.
• I'm showing off TEXTURE in this card – from the Clear Bitty Buttons to the Polka Dot Embossing Folder there's lots of fun elements going on to make this card what it is.
• I fell in love with our new Scallop Rectangle Clearlit Die as soon as I saw it! I've been "craving" another Big Shot Shape that is versatile for focal images. This serves that purpose in full!

WHAT TO ORDER:
Punched Posies (Level 2 Hostess Exclusive!), Curvy Verses Stamp Set (114948),  Basic Black Cardstock (121045), Basic Black Classic Ink (101179), Poppy Parade Classic Ink (119782), Whisper White Cardstock (100730), So Saffron Cardstock (105118), So Saffron Cardstock (105213), Certainly Celery Cardstock (105125), Bashful Blue Cardstock (105120), Bitty Buttons (118761), Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119261 – share also available), Fancy Flower Punch (118073), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309), Big Shot Die Cut Machine (113439), Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder (117335) and Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die (118872)

What's the BIG DEAL about the BIG SHOT!?

• Where do I begin!? The Big Shot is a FABULOUS tool that will TRANSFORM your creativity! You've seen just a sampling of what the Big Shot is capable of on this card, but there is SO MUCH MORE. I love the Big Shot so much and want to get all of you using it! So I've begun offering a BIG SHOT CLASS that will take place once a month! This class will teach you all of the ins and outs of this machine and I'll work with you to make sure you gain a vast understanding of all that you can do with it.
  
• CLICK HERE for more details on this class – the August Class is on August 18th and the Registration Deadline is a week from today – August 11th!
• Get a FREE BIG SHOT CLASS!!!! When you purchase the actual Big Shot Machine from me, you'll get to attend the next Big Shot Class I'm offering for FREE!!! That's a $20 value given to you for FREE!
• Live Long Distance from Me? No problem! If you purchase the Big Shot Machine from me and don't live locally enough to attend the next class, I'll send you ALL of the completed projects from the class, a printed step by step instruction sheet so that you can turn around and create similar projects on your own AND give you a phone call crash course in how to use the machine and which dies to use with what, what each die can get through, etc.!
• Sure, you can try to find the best discounted deal on the Big Shot. But will those large companies take the time to teach you how to use it? That kind of excellent customer service is what you will get from ME, Your Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!
• The BIG SHOT really is a BIG DEAL! Contact me to Learn More!

TO ORDER STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE!

My Gift for the Exchange!

Last night we had our Team Christmas Party!!! I've been so excited about it as it's an event I look forward to all year. We do a Gift Exchange — one of those fun ones where everyone picks a number and you get to pick a gift from the table in numerical order — the higher the number you have the better because you can take a new gift or steal one that's been opened! Lots of fun!

So here is the gift that I made for the exchange…..!

It's a scarf, hat and mitten set that I made with fabric, buttons, ribbon and the Big Shot!!! Here's a shot of my modeling it…

Now for some upclose shots of each item… the Scarf:

The Gloves:

The Hat:

This was soooo much fun to make!!!! I'm going to have to do another set for myself!

ALY'S HELPFUL HINTS:

• These adorable flowers come from the Circle Die. For the large flower, I stacked all 4 circle sizes, for the medium the 3 smaller circles and for the small flower I just used the 2 small circles.
• The flower layers are all held together by sewing the buttons on — I didn't do anything to anchor the layers together — I think part of the fun is having them kind of "flow."
• The smallest flowers didn't use a button – instead, I punched a hole through both circles with a Crop-A-Dile, then tied a knot in a piece of Taffeta Ribbon and pushed it through!
• Each of the leaves are a loop of Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.
• I didn't use a sewing machine for anything — just needle and thread!
• You can use any kind of fabric, I used Suit Wool that I purchased at my local Craft Store. The scarf set is from JCPenny.

WHAT TO ORDER:

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine (113439), Circles #2 Die (114526), Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (109054), Kraft Taffeta Ribbon (109068), Playground Buttons (116313), Button Latte (114333), Fresh Favorites I Buttons (107421) and Fresh Favorites II (107422)

TO ORDER STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE!

Don't Forget!

• To order your retiring stamp sets before their gone forever on January 4th – Click Here for the listing!
  
• To register for the Build-A-Bear, Mommy & Me, Viewing Party – Click Here!
  
• To register for the Birthday Card Class – Click Here!
  
• To place your qualifying order for a FREE Decor Element – Click Here!
• To order your December Card Kit of the Month – Click Here!

Mommy & Me Build-A-Bear Viewing Party!

You may have notice this new, fun little icon on my sidebar:

I've been selected as one of just 60 Demonstrators asked to host a Mommy & Me, Build-A-Bear Viewing Party!!!! This is such an exciting, very exclusive opportunity, and I hope that you'll join me in taking part! And, you don't have to be a mom (or a me!) to attend. If you're just young at heart and want to come for yourself, that's perfectly fine as well!

I've scheduled two dates, times and locations from you to choose from:

Thursday December 10th from 6 pm – 8 pm

at Aly's Stamping Studio in West Irondequoit, NY

OR

Sunday December 13th from 1 pm – 3 pm

at The United Methodist Church in Webster, NY

RSVP Deadline: December 9th

We will be watching Build-A-Bear's newest Christmas Movie, Holly & Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure, with a heartwarming message about following your dreams… no matter how high they may seem. After the movie, each Mommy & Me Team will create a special Build-A-Bear craft project using Build-A-Bear for Stampin' Up! Sizzix Dies and the Big Shot Machine! In addition, Build-A-Bear Workshop Gift Cards and Holly and Hal Moose Bookmarks will be given out. One lucky participants will receive the Hardcover Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure Book and one lucky attendee will receive their own copy of the movie! 

Here is a look at the special card we're going to make! This is a card that is a "joint effort" project between each mother and child. Since it's a card being created together, I thought this "From all of us" greeting was perfect – give it to dad, a grandparent, aunt or uncle!

There is no cost to attend, this is a FREE Event! But I do need a firm head count, so please RSVP by December 9th if you're able to join us! To RSVP, contact Aly Schilling at 585.360.2667 or alystamps@gmail.com.

Because this is a class offering, there isn't an "Aly's Helpful Hints" section for this card – attend the class to learn how! But if you are unable to attend and want to make this card on your own, here's what you'll need to do so!

WHAT TO ORDER:

Stampin' Up! Sizzix Big Shot Die Cut Machine (113439), Stampin' Up! Bear Die (117977), Stampin' Up! Beary Merry Die (117980), Christmas Cocoa Specialty Paper (116770), Silver Cord (109866), Family Phrases Stamp Set (114960), Basic Black Cardstock (102851), Basic Black Classic Ink (101179), Whisper White Cardstock (100730), Soft Suede Cardstock (115318), Real Red Cardstock (103133), Old Olive Cardstock (100702), Creamy Caramel Cardstock (102044), 1" Circle Punch (109046), 1/16" Handheld Punch (101227), Silver Brads (104336), Crystal Effects (101055) and Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

TO ORDER STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE!

LATEST NEWS – JUST RELEASED TODAY!!!

As promised, many of the stamp sets currently on our dormant list have been available for a year and now it is time to say goodbye. The following stamp sets will be discontinued on January 4, 2010.

Item Number	Stamp Set
113407	Back Woods
114492	Beautiful Baby
114486	Birthday Wish
113200	Branch Out
114496	Celebrations
113732	Central Park
113206	Classic Sketches
113226	Classy & Fabulous
114498	Flowers in Silhouette
113405	Font of You
113216	For the Bride
114494	Forever
109425	Friend by Definition
114488	Fun Flowers
113716	Garden Greetings
114490	Glad Friends
111580	Grand Soiree
113242	Hit the Road
113710	Lexicon of Leaves
113236	Man's Best Friend
114423	Ocean Commotion
113728	Playful Petals
109276	Polka Dot
111544	Putt Putt
113240	Quilt Quips
113754	Really Retro
113403	Sip by Sip
113726	Sweet Stems
113250	That's Funny
113688	Wonderful Watercolors
114028	Para la novia
114032	Acuarelas Maravillosas

If any of these stamp sets are on your wish list, make sure to purchase them before they are gone for good!

To view any of these stamp sets, Click Here, then click "Shop Now" in the Upper Right Hand Corner. Then, enter the item code of the stamp set you want to view in the Search Bar.

I've done this for you on just a few of my favorites…

To any of these stamp sets today, contact me at 585.360.2667 or alystamps@gmail.com! Or, Order Online 24/7 Here!

Don't Forget!

• To register for the Build-A-Bear, Mommy & Me, Viewing Party – Click Here!
  
• To register for the Birthday Card Class – Click Here!
  
• To place your qualifying order for a FREE Decor Element – Click Here!
• To order your December Card Kit of the Month – Click Here!

Thanksgiving at the Schilling Home!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I had every intention of going "all out" with decorating for Thanksgiving in Stampin' Up! Style… only time slipped away from me more and more as we got closer to the day! But I did manage to add a few Stampin' Up! touches to the holiday in our home and thought I would share them with you.

The first is our table setting – I used the Table Setting XL Die to die cut the name card tents at each of the places:

Then the next thing I did was make up these little Recipe Card Holders for my mom and sister-in-law…

ALY'S HELPFUL HINTS:

• Yes! This recipe card holder was fully constructed with Stampin' Up! Products! The base of the holder is an altered Decor Block from the Holiday Mini, the wire "post" is a Hat Pin from the Pretties Kit and the clip that holds the Recipe Card in place is a 1/2" Library Clip!
• Our Decor Blocks have a wonderfully smooth surface that makes DSP application easy – for a "weathered" look like I was going for here, burnish the DSP to the Blocks with a Sanding Block. For a sleek look (not shown here) trim the edges closely with a Hobby Blade.
• I used a girlie mini drill (he-he) with a 1/16" Drill Bit to get the Hat Pin in the block – I applied Crystal Effects around the edges to help it hold.
• The leaf was cut out with the Wood Sheets that we carry in the catalog, the Leaf Bigz Die and Big Shot Machine. The beauty of the Big Shot? It is so heavy duty you can cut through just about anything! Refer to this post for a listing of other materials the Big Shot will cut through.
• I died the leaf with Markers and an Aqua Painter.
• Pop Up Glue Dots is what held all of the clip components at the top together.
• Pair this Recipe Card Holder with the "From the Kitchen Of" stamp set for a fabulous gift presentation! This wonderful stamp set is part of the Gift Giving Guide and just one of the items that can be used towards your FREE Decor Element through January 4th!

WHAT TO ORDER:

Decor Elements Decor Blocks (116829), Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper (116769), From the Kitchen of Stamp Set (114964), Very Vanilla Cardstock (101650), Basic Brown Classic Ink (104315), Really Rust Stampin' Write Marker (100073), Creamy Caramel Stampin' Write Marker (100078), Taken with Teal Stampin' Write Marker (100068), Earth Elements Textured Cardstock (108697), Wood Sheets Texture Cuts (116309), Clips Assortment (112580), Pretties Kit (109114), Hemp Twine (100982), 3/4" Circle Punch (107217), Sanding Blocks (103301), Crystal Effects (101055), Pop Up Glue Dots (104183), Big Shot Die Cut Machine (113439) and Leaves #2 Die (113459)

TO ORDER STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE!

Don't Forget!

• To take place your Online Holiday Extravaganza Order – select products up to 50% off! Click Here for more details, Click Here to place your order! – JUST ONE DAY LEFT!!!!
  
• To register for Aly's Stamping Christmas Party – Click Here! – JUST ONE DAY LEFT!!!!
• To schedule your Complementary Christmas Card Designing Appointment – Click Here!
• To place your qualifying order for a FREE Decor Element – Click Here!
• To order your December Card Kit of the Month – Click Here!

Aly’s Stamping Christmas Party – Last Chance!

You have just two days left to reserve your spot at Aly's Stamping Christmas Party!

My Stamping Christmas Party is a FREE Customer Appreciation Event coming up on Friday December 4th, Open House from 6 pm – 9 pm at my Stamping Studio in West Irondequoit, NY.

I've been sharing the projects that we'll be creating that evening, and it's time to share the final project – this adorable yet simple Christmas Tag using the "Merry" Embosslit!

Click Here for more details on this and/or to reserve your spot!

Unable to attend? No problem! You can order the things that you need to make this darling tag on your own! Here's a list…

WHAT TO ORDER:

Stampin' Up! Merry Embosslit (116820), Berry Christmas Stamp Set (116509), Scallop Edge Punch (112091), Whisper White Cardstock (100730), Real Red Classic Ink (103133), Old Olive Cardstock (100702), 5/16" Neutral Brads (112534), Stampin' Up! Sizzix Big Shot Die Cut Machine (113439) and Silver Cord (109866)

And if I haven't sold you on these Netural Brads yet, I don't know what will! I've just been using them on everything lately, AND – they're on sale at 30% off for just 2 more days, through November 30th! Be sure to add them to your order while you can get them at this terrific pricing!

TO ORDER STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS ONLINE 24/7 CLICK HERE!

Don't Forget!

• To take place your Online Holiday Extravaganza Order – select products up to 50% off! Click Here for more details, Click Here to place your order! – JUST TWO DAYS LEFT!!!!
  
• To register for Aly's Stamping Christmas Party – Click Here! – JUST TWO DAYS LEFT!!!!
• To schedule your Complementary Christmas Card Designing Appointment – Click Here!
• To place your qualifying order for a FREE Decor Element – Click Here!
• To order your December Card Kit of the Month – Click Here!