Alaska Incentive Trip Pillow Gifts!

This week, I am going to be showing you some snippets of some of the things that took place on our Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip to Alaska. I'm a little late posting because Dave and I arrived home from the cruise and had a lot to do that week because Dave was scheduled for his 2nd knee replacement surgery a week after the cruise. I'm happy to say that his surgery was this past Wednesday and we arrived back home from the hospital on Saturday. Thanks to those of you close to me, for the well wishes and prayers. He is starting physical therapy today. The first two weeks after surgery are the worst. We are counting down those two weeks.


So on July 20th, we flew from Maine to Chicago and Chicago to Seattle and boarded the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas cruise ship. This ship is HUGE! There were over 5,000 people and crew onboard the ship. As far as Stampin' Up!, there were over 400 demonstrators that earned and signed up for the cruise, plus spouses/boyfriends and some also took their children with them. This is a photo of our ship:

Once we embarked, we were allowed to go to our staterooms a few hours later. Upon arriving to our rooms, each demonstrator had a wooden frame memento on our doors. We were told to take them off of our doors and bring them inside so other non-Stampin' Up! people wouldn't take off with them. Isn't it a great memento?

So today what I'm going to talk to you about are Pillow Gifts. What is a Pillow Gift? Each night, usually after our dining time, when we arrived back to our rooms, our cabin stewards always made up our beds for the 2nd time each day and placed a Pillow Gift from Stampin' Up! on our beds. This was our Day #1 Pillow Gift:

Each Pillow Gift has a cute tag attached to a cut bag with some new ribbon you'll find in the Holiday Catalog. We all knew we were receiving jackets because when we accepted the trip and started the process of registering, we had to give our preferred jacket size.  Isn't the jacket beautiful? I had ordered one for Dave also and his is a dark gray. Along with the jacket, we received our first gift from the new and upcoming Holiday Catalog. This gift is the Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder:

Our Day #2 Pillow Gift is was pretty appropriate. You see, we need something to store all of our gifts in so here's what we received on our beds:

We also received a package of the new All Is Bright Designer Paper that was inside the bag. You can see a little of the paper in the left-hand top corner of this photo:

Day #3 Pillow Gift, which happens to be on Sunday was sitting on our bed in this cute little bag:

More goodies! This time we received the Merry Christmas To All Bundle. This bundle includes the Merry Christmas To All stamp set and Merry Christmas Thinlits Dies:

The Pillow Gift for Day #4 was perfect if Alaska would have had normal temps while there. But as luck would have it, we were in a heat wave that week. Temps reached in the 80's which was very unusual we were told. This gift is going to come in handy for the Maine winters Dave and I live:

So as you can see, we received this pretty blanket along with the All Is Bright Paper Clips:

Are you getting excited yet? I know we were! And you can get gifts just like this too by joining my team and earning your own trip. I would LOVE to have you on my team! So now let's move on to Day #5. My new bag is getting fuller as I show you all of these gifts. Stampin' Up! is always so generous to their demonstrators! We had an interesting box sitting on our bed for Day #5 along with another sweet bag:

And look at what we found inside the box. It's a wireless speaker that you can hook to your phone or other electronics and we also received a spool of the Real Red Mixed Ribbon:

I've got two more days of Pillow Gifts to show you. Isn't it just crazy? So we are now on Wednesday and this is Pillow Gift #6:

We all received another new bundle from the new Holiday Catalog. This one is called  the Making Christmas Bright Bundle and includes the Making Christmas Bright stamp set and Christmas Bulb Builder Punch. A lovely set:

Thursday night was our last night on the ship as we disembarked early on Friday morning. So this was our final Pillow Gift which is #7:

The large cylindrical tube holds a map and all of the continents, countries, etc. are gold foiled. The purpose of this is to use a penny to scratch off all of the places you have travel to. I did not take it out of the cylinder until we arrived home. I actually waited a bit because I purchased a frame to put it in and hung it in the garage where I host all of my classes. I wanted my customers to be able to see it! Along with the map, we received my FAVORITE bundle in the Holiday Catalog. I was so pleased to receive this one as a gift! This is the Dashing Deer Bundle which includes the Dashing Deer stamp set and coordinating Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies:

I want to end my post today, by showing you the creativeness of our cabin steward. A few times during our stay, he created some towel art to leave on our bed. This was usually done in the mornings while we were at breakfast. Enjoy the towel art and see you tomorrow with more Alaska photos!

Shop Stampin Up! Debbie's Store

Watch my YouTube Channel 

Like my Facebook page 

Follow me on Instagram

Follow me on Pinterest

Join Paper Pumpkin with me

Shop the Clearance Rack - up to 60% savings!

Join my Stamp & Ink Designs Team 

Control Freaks August Blog Hop!

Welcome everyone, to our August Control Freaks Blog Hop. Our theme this month is "masculine". Enjoy all of the inspiration from myself and my teammates. You may have arrived here from my teammate Cindy Elam's blog. Don't you just love all of the products she used on her projects?

I created two masculine cards for you this month:

The Best Route Suite of products is one of my favorites and I'm one of those demonstrators that loves creating masculine cards. I used the following products from the suite:

• Best Route Designer Paper
• En Route stamp set
• Best Route Enamel Shapes

Let's start with Card #1:

So many layers and so many beautiful products. Did you notice the pretty Tufted Embossing Folder embossing on the background layer? I also added some Linen Thread, Leaf Ribbon and some hand-cut stamped images:

Do you spy something new on Card #2? Look closely at the new Corrugated Embossing Folder background. Remember the old Crimper Tool that we used to use on our cardstock? It's the same thing but in an embossing folder. This is so much easier and I love it!

I added a few banners using the Pick A Pennant stamp set and coordinating Playful Pennants Dies. Did you notice my Night Of Navy Rhinestone Jewels? I colored our jewels with my Night Of Navy Dark Blends Marker. I love how these turned out and so perfect to bling up a masculine card:

Thanks so much for visiting me today. Make sure you take the whole blog tour to visit all of my teammates and now I will send you off to Connie Babbert's blog. I know she is going to blow you away with her designs!

Card #1 Products:

• Stamps: En Route
• Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Pineapple Punch, Blueberry Bushel, Bermuda Bay, Cucumber Crush
• Cardstock: Blueberry Bushel, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
• DSP: Best Route
• Accessories: Leaf Ribbon, Best Route Enamel Shapes, Linen Thread
• Tools: Mini Stampin' Dimensionals, Stitched Shapes Dies, Layering Squares Dies, 3/4" Circle Punch, Tufted Embossing Folder, Paper Snips

Card #2 Products:

• Stamps: En Route, Pick A Pennant, Perennial Birthday
• Inks: Blueberry Bushel, Balmy Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry
• Blends: Night Of Navy Dark
• Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Blueberry Bushel, Gray Granite, Whisper White
• Accessories: Rhinestone Jewels
• Tools: Corrugated Embossing Folder, Layering Circles Dies, Playful Pennants Dies, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

Shop Stampin Up! Debbie's Store

Watch my YouTube Channel 

Like my Facebook page 

Follow me on Instagram

Follow me on Pinterest

Join Paper Pumpkin with me

Shop the Clearance Rack - up to 60% savings!

Join my Stamp & Ink Designs Team 

August Club Projects!

I will have two posts today so make sure you visit again at 8:45 p.m. eastern time for the August Control Freaks Blog Hop!

I hosted my August Clubs this month and these were the two cards that were created during our club meeting:

The first card uses the hostess set Hand-Delivered. Why is this a hostess set and did you miss it in the catalog? It's way in the back of the catalog. A hostess set means that if you reach $150 in a personal order all by yourself or a workshop order with combined orders, you can earn this stamp set for FREE with your hostess rewards.  So what did I do here on this card?

We stamped the images using Memento Black Ink and colored the skirt, legs, shoes and arms using a Blender Pen and Inks, plus some of the Stampin' Blends. Next, we cut out 8 balloons using the Brights Designer Paper Pack. We used circle punches to cut the designer paper and used the stamped image for placement. This is called Paper-piecing. The two largest circles were glued in place using Stampin' Dimensionals:

The Tufted Embossing Folder was used on the card base to add dimension. It looks just like quilted material:

For Card #2 we used the Love You To Pieces stamp set and coordinating Puzzle Pieces Thinlits Dies. First we stamped the Whisper White Cardstock layer to created our own background: 

And then all of the other layers were glued in place. The center layer is embossed using the Polka Dots Embossing Folder. We also added Red Rhinestones to the sentiment layer: 

Aren't those puzzle pieces the neatest?

Thanks so much for visiting and be sure to come back tonight to view our monthly blog hop. Have a great weekend!

Shop Stampin Up! Debbie's Store

Watch my YouTube Channel 

Like my Facebook page 

Follow me on Instagram

Follow me on Pinterest

Join Paper Pumpkin with me

Shop the Clearance Rack - up to 60% savings!

Join my Stamp & Ink Designs Team 

Create With Connie & Mary Saturday Blog Hop!

Welcome to a Saturday Blog Hop at Create with Connie & Mary. I love that our blog hop today is featuring “Black or White or Both”. Doesn’t black & white paired together scream elegance?

I used the Marbled background stamp, along with the Leaf Punch, Flourish Thinlits Dies and the Stitched Shaped Framelits Dies for my layers. Notice the pretty details here:

Card Layers:

• Card Base: Basic Black Cardstock 11” x 4-1/4”. Score at 5-1/2” and fold.
• Layer #2: Whisper White Cardstock 5-1/4” x 4”. Glue to card base.
• Layer #3: Whisper White Cardstock 4-3/4" x 3-1/2". Stamp the Marbled stamp using Memento Black Ink. This is easier done by placing the stamp face up and inking it. Place the cardstock layer over the stamp and add a piece of scrap paper on top. Add pressure over the cardstock with your hands. Glue the stamped layer to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.
• Layer #4: Stamp the sentiment using Memento Black Ink on Whisper White Cardstock. Cut out using the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies. NOTE: Leave room on the left side when cutting. Wrap the Basic Black Twine around the square on the left, three times and tie into a bow. Glue the square to card front using Stampin' Dimensionals. 
• Leaves: Cut out 3 Basic Black Cardstock leaves using the Leaf Punch and cut out 2 leaves using the Flourish Dies and Whisper White Cardstock. Glue and tuck the leaves under the square 

Now you can follow the rest of the Saturday Blog Hop
by clicking on the links below to visit my talented teammates!
Click PREVIOUS to visit Libby and NEXT to visit Melissa:

Stampin' Up! Products Used:

• Stamps: Marbled, All Things Thanks
• Inks: Basic Black
• Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White
• Accessories: Basic Black Bakers Twine
• Tools: Stampin' Dimensionals, Leaf Punch, Flourish Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies

Stampin’ Up! Display Stamper Application Projects!

Good Morning! I am pretty excited to show you some beautiful projects today! On the 14th of this month, I registered for the Stampin’ Up! grand celebration that will be taking place in Orlando, Florida for their 30th Anniversary celebration. Isn’t it wonderful that our company has been around for that long?

While at an OnStage event, we all get to see new products, demonstrations, business talk and lots and lots of inspirational designs created by stampers from all over our global existence. The projects I am showing today, allow me to enter to hopefully be chosen as a display stamper. The application process requires the following:

• 3 cards
• 2 3D projects
• 1 scrapbook page

Here are all six of my projects using the Dashing Deer stamp set, Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies and Joyous Noel Specialty Designer Paper:

My three cards:

For my first card, I chose to cut out the reindeer using our Gold Foil Sheets and add some embossing to one of the layers with our new Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder. I also added some die-cut swirls around the reindeer:

Card #2 uses all of the same elements. This time though, I embossed the reindeer after it was die-cut and I gave her a little flower to adorn her neck: 

The Joyous Noel Designer Paper was so easy to use on all of my projects!

For my final card, I created 3 layers of snow using our Sparkle Glimmer Paper:

I love the way this paper sparkles and how neat to tuck the reindeer in place and then add lots of die-cuts:

My 3D projects:

I started out using a Lustrous White Mini Gable Box and inserted the bottom half of the box into the embossing folder to add texture to the box. You will fall in love with our new Merry Merlot & Copper Reversible Ribbon. The sheen on this ribbon is fabulous. I added a tag on the side of the box using the designer paper:

For my final 3D project, I used the Kraft Pillow Boxes and added a half piece of the Pearlized Doilies and layered a few die-cuts along with the reindeer and sentiment: 

And of course, that beautiful ribbon again!

My scrapbook page features my two beautiful granddaughters Kaitlynn and Kylee:

I did not continue with the Christmas theme from my other projects but was able to use the same products to create a non-Christmas-themed scrapbook page. The Large Letters Framelits Dies were cut twice so that I could outline the cardstock in gold. I love how this really stands out:

Again, using the same ribbon and die-cuts paired with the Leaf Punch!

I hope you have enjoyed all of my beautiful projects today and I'll let you know in a future post if I made the cut. Crossing fingers! Thanks so much for visiting me today!

Shop Stampin Up! Debbie's Store

Watch my YouTube Channel 

Like my Facebook page 

Follow me on Instagram

Follow me on Pinterest

Join Paper Pumpkin with me

Shop the Clearance Rack - up to 60% savings!

Join my Stamp & Ink Designs Team