Just Because

Hi Stampers!
Well, today is officially the coldest morning we've had so far this winter. I feel like I start out my blog with a weather report too often, but honestly, isn't that one of the first thing that registers in our brain when we get up?  It's crystal clear, perfectly still, sunny and - 15 degrees.  It's too cold to snow and blow but it does look gorgeous! I decided for my blogpost today, I would focus on something warmer, like spring and plants and flowers!

Have you noticed the "Just Because" hostess set in the 2019 Occasions Catalog?  It is quite charming for its simplicity and a delight to color. The stamps come with the sentiment attached, but I am going to cut them apart (after applying the sticker to the back of the stamp) so I can mix and match the plants with the sentiments or even use them on a different card. These are nice sized, larger than you would expect and very easy to work with. Here are some ideas:

I couldn't resist using some "Petal Promenade" Designer Series paper for my first card. This is a lovely set of photographic paper with floral themes. The colors are rich and beautiful. I used the paper to help me with my color scheme and then colored the stamped area with my Stampin' Blends markers. Can you see the shading in the flower pot, flowers and leaves?  This is so easy with the two different shades of every color of the Blends.

I kept this next card very simple as I wanted to show you could make a botanical themed card for a guy!  This card features an embossed background (leaves) and a plant. To color this card, I used my watercolor pencils and a blender pen to even out the color and hide my pencil strokes.

For this card, I went back to a favorite color, Mint Macaron. The paper is from the "Nature's Poem" Designer Series paper and is so sweet. I kept the color scheme fairly monochromatic with Mint Macaron and Crumb Cake, both subtle but gorgeous colors. My ribbon is a leftover from a couple of years ago. One of my goals this past year has been to try to use and no longer hoard ribbon and embellishments, haha!  I have way too much ribbon that sits on my shelves with little to no attention because they are retired. Well, no more!  You are being put to work!

HOSTING A PARTY 
Hostess Stamp sets in our Stampin'Up! catalogs are attractive because of their low cost and unique stamps that aren't found in any other set. To be able to purchase them, you must place an order of $150 or more and you'll start accumulating "hostess rewards" which amount to 10% of your order total back to you in free product. During Sale-A-Bration, there is extra incentive for hosts!  If your order is over $250, you get an extra $25 in hostess rewards!  If you would like to host a party, I would love to come to you and your friends with a catered card party full of fun and creativity. Contact me for available dates and times. I'm usually available during the day, evenings and occasional weekends.

The other option you have is to just be your own party and put in a large order and get your hostess rewards that way. Either approach works!

FOLLOW MY BLOG
I'm getting new "followers every day!  That is so exciting to me!  You can join in by clicking on "follow" at the top right of the blog. You'll be notified whenever I post with my latest updates.  It's easy and then you don't have to remember to check each day to see if I posted! Thank you so much to those of you who have done that. It means more than you know to have people interested in my work.

I'm off to sign up a friend this morning who wants to join Stampin'Up! because of the GREAT sign up deal!  From now through the end of March, you can sign up as a demo for $99 and choose $175 worth of products!  Guess what her plan is?  She needs a Big Shot and that's what her motivation is to sign up. She'll get some embossing folders and framelits to play with and be on her way. There's no further obligation and she has until June 30th to decide if she wants to continue as an active demo or let it go. It's all her choice, no pressure either way!  Maybe that's something you're interested in? It's easy and my "Join the Fun" tab on the right side of this blog will easily walk you through all the steps!  Contact me if you want to know more, I would love to talk to you!

Stay warm and stay stampin'!
Sarah