Paper Expressions Rubber Stamping & Video Tutorials

New My Digital Studio Downloads!

NEW My Digital Studio Downloads! Yahooo!

click HERE for the pdf with ordering numbers and prices!!

 

To Order your New My Digital Studio Downloads just Click HERE and under my name on the top right click SHOP NOW.

I hope your Thursday is amazing!  We still have cruddy weather, and I am still sick with this cold but.... life goes on!  Now, I am off to order MY new digital downloads!  Have a great day!

 

Simply Scrappin Class

In this Scrapbooking class we will create 20, yes TWENTY, 12x12 pages in just 5 hours! You will have a scrapbook full of pages all ready to put your photos and embellishments on when you go home!

 

Saturday April 16, 2011  1pm- 5pm 

Registration Closes at Noon on April 6, 2011

Option 1: Class here in my Studio- Class fee includes a Simply Scrappin Kit ($28.29 value) of your choice, and 5 hours of instruction ($50.00 value) That's only $2.25 per page! WOW!  Fee: $45.00

Option 2: Class by mail- fee includes a Simply Scrappin Kit ($28.29 value) of your choice, 1 pack of 12x12 assorted textured cardstock to match your kit choice ($15.00 value)  pdf tutorial ($15.00 value)  and Priority Shipping ($11.00 value) Shipping only within the USA.  Kit Fee: $60.00

You will need to bring to class:  Paper cutter, scissors, adhesives like snail, dimensionals and or a glue stick that is ACID FREE. (If you are bringing your own adhesives PLEASE be sure they say ACID FREE on them! We don't want to go to all that work and in a few years have our pages fall apart or disentigrate from using the wrong adhesives!)

On page 178 and 179 of the Idea Book and Catalog, Choose your Simply Scrappin Kit and type the name & order number in the notes section when you pay for your kit!  There are 4 kits to choose from.

You can view the Simply Scrappin Kits online here.

After class, you will be able to use your new pages as inspiration templates to create even more pages for more projects and more books!

Use the easy Pay Pal button and Register Today, because Classes fill quickly!

Simply Scrappin Classes

Option 1 $45.00 Option 2 $60.00

Green House Garden

You may be thinking gardening after reading the title of this post! But, I fooled you! It's our Class Card for this week.

I am in love, love, love, with this stamp set  Green House Garden # 113824 page 101 in the Idea Book & Catalog.  It's a 2 step stamp. I love 2 step stamps because you get the effect of watercoloring without all the work and that makes me very happy! I have a confession to make, I purchased it months ago and just used it for the first time today. GASP! I know .. What is wrong with me? Now that It's been inked, I will definitely be using it more!!!

For this card front, I stamped the large bashful blue flowers first and then stamped it with the Night of Navy. (that is the 2nd step)  Same with the yellow flowers. Stamped in So Saffron and then the centers are More Mustard.  The lovely greenery is Pear Pizzaz and the Tiny Tags Stamp Set # 118592 (acrylic)

The ribbon is covered with 3 flowers I stamped and hand cut out and 3 yellow flowers the same. It doesnt show, but there is Dazzling Diamonds in the centers of the 3,  3-d flowers.  The corner edge is a NON SU product.  You can't tell by the lousy lighting (sorry)  but the card base is Pear Pizzaz.  This was a very fun card to make!

Here is a fun tip for you:  Take a sheet of Whisper White cardstock and stamp it like this;

 

Spritz with Vanilla Smooch spray and let dry.  Notice that for this one sheet page I used the medium sized flower in Daffodill Yellow with the More Mustard for the centers and it just pops!  The pink flowers are Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose.

Now, cut it into card fronts or note card fronts, or book marks or make a basket out of it......  or use it as a background for a scrapbook page! The options are endless!

Have fun!!

Friends are Bliss

 

I saw a card made by demonstrator Illina Crouse today and I had to make  one almost like hers!

I love the color scheme of Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla and Early Espresso and I especially love the Vintage feel of this card!

I stamped it with the Bliss set from the Sale a Bration special. And I hand cut the butterflies and then ran the background through the Square Lattice Embossing folder. The oval center is from our Scallop Oval Big

It's so lovely and has a soft vintage feel in person!  I just don't have good lighting in my home for photos- sorry- add in a grrr to that. ;o)

Here are some photos of what I made for supper~ some good old "from scratch" Baking Soda Biscuits and Hamburger/milk Gravy. NOTHING from a pack or box!

  

 
YUMMO!!  Wish you had been here!

Have an awesome week!

 

3 Days Left for FREE Stamps!

"3 Days Left For FREE

Sale a Bration Stamps" 

Click on THIS LINK to see the catalog online

and place your order before March 31st.

Sale a Bration Ends March 31st. Don't wait till the last day to place your order to receive your FREE Sale a Bration items. The server is usually so busy on the last day that it takes forever to place your order.  All orders of $50.00 before shipping and tax  will get to choose a free stamp set from the SAB catalog. If you order $100.00 you will get 2 free sets, $150.00  you will not only get 3 free sets but you will also be eligible for Hostess benefits too!  Don't delay place your online order today! And For those of you wanting to earn extra money  or SAVE money on your PERSONAL PURCHASES, don't miss out on this special offer! Is crafting a big part of your life? Wouldn't you love to earn money while doing something you enjoy? How about the convenience of setting your own hours? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then Stampin' Up! is the perfect opportunity for you. Doing what I love, and sharing what I love with others are just a few of the benefits that made me decide to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I love sharing my passion for stamping with family and friends, meeting new people, and having the chance to build a great business doing so. I also get to set my own schedule and that is a definite plus! Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator starter kits are full of products that you'll use immediately as you share Stampin' Up! with your friends. Click on the image below to see what's included in your kit and then follow this link to see some of the techniques you'll be able to showcase with your new Starter Kit.     Plus, during Sale-A-Bration Ending March 31-you'll get 15 percent off the Starter Kit (traditional or Digital+), which means you'll get over $310 of high-quality Stampin' Up! products for just $148.75!   In addition, you'll get a special Bonus Bundle that contains up to $50 of additional Stampin' Up! products, including Color Coach Simply Sent Something Special (or any Simply Sent kit) Live, Laugh, Love Set (or any Simply Sent stamp set) Full Heart Punch (or any punch valued at $16.95 or less) If you're interested in becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, follow these easy steps: Click HERE and then Click JOIN NOW  Read and agree to the Independent Demonstrator Agreement. Purchase your Starter Kit-there are two options! The $175 traditional Starter Kit contains over $310 worth of stamping and business supplies! The $175 Digital+ Starter Kit contains over $320 worth of stamping and business supplies, including the all-new My Digital Studio™ software. Once you've completed the above steps, Stampin' Up! will send you a password so you can log in to the Demonstrator Web Site where you'll find an abundance of tips, ideas, and training to help you.   AND, Because I attended the Branson Regional Training earlier this year, WE will BOTH get a brand new stamp set for FREE that will be in the 2011-2012 Catalog!!

I AM Grateful!

Do you say thanks?

I would like every Service member and their families to know

HOW grateful I am for their

sacrifices and their service to our Country!

THANK YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

Underselling Article- IMPORTANT please read!

I am sharing an article today because a lot of you who follow my blog are demonstrators and this article applies to you and anyone else in a home business.

by Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl + Tara Gentile   

This is an EXCELLENT article found HERE

We’re going to talk about something uncomfortable: money.

More than just our daily dealings with money, we’re going to talk about how you price what you sell.

I’m going to assume for a moment that you’re a woman (and, if you’re a dude, just keep reading because this all likely applies to you) and that, as a woman, you feel a deep, unapologetic connection between what you offer and who you are. As nurturers, mothers, sparks of the divine feminine, we are programmed to think of what we birth as a part of us.

Yup, I said it – your business, products, or service is your baby.

You gave birth to it and now someone has asked you to put a price tag on it.

And perhaps more than anything else before in your life, you just don’t want to. But without a product or service with a price tag, you don’t have a business – you have a time waster (AKA hobby).

There are numerous ways to determine a price for what you sell. You can generate a wholesale price by adding the cost of labor to the cost of materials and doubling it. You can determine what you need to make per hour to pay the rent and buy ramen noodles. You can check out what others are charging and price yourself well below.

Regardless your method, the number you come up with likely still doesn’t “feel” very good. You probably still think it’s too high – “you” couldn’t possibly be “worth” that.

So you abandon the formula and pick a price that represents what someone “reasonable” would pay.

Nota bene: the quotations mean I’m being a just a bit sarcastic.

Underselling – yourself, your customers, and your colleagues – is a big problem. It’s just wrong, philosophically & financially. It will ruin you, anger your customers, and frustrate your colleagues.

So how can you get your head around charging a higher price for what you do?

Be kind to yourself.

Underselling yourself means that growing & maintaining your business will be as hard as it possibly could be. Forget market factors, customer issues, and supply problems, underselling yourself makes it nearly impossible to carry on with a business over the long haul. All the other pressures of running a business are magnified.

• Relieve your anxiety. In both your personal life & business, your anxiety levels go way up when you’re underselling yourself. You end up feeling like everyone is out to get you – but you just don’t know why.
• Create an ideal work environment. When you undersell yourself, you have to produce more than is possible in working a reasonable period of time. This is often confused with “growing” a business – marketing, communication, customer service – but you need to charge enough to cover your time for those parts of your business as well.
• Build something sustainable. Your business feels like a race that never ends. You’re not prepared for expenses as they come up. You have no cushion to purchase the coaching, supplies, or support you need to move forward. Pricing appropriately means you’re ready for what comes your way.

Ultimately, underselling yourself is a sure way to see your business collapse. That’s unkind to you as a business owner and, when we’re talking ethics, we have to be aware of how we treat ourselves. Mindful earning is a way to be kind to yourself.

Be kind to your customers.

We assume our customers want low prices. But for as many people as shop around for the lowest prices, there are at least as many who shop around for a great fit, a perfect package, or a personal connection.

• Do the best work for the best price. It’s okay to add value into your products or services – versatility, for instance – but that value is worth something. Having a reasonable price means that your customer gets your best work and not something much less.
• Maintain a great relationship. When you price responsibly, your customers end up being people you look forward to connecting with. You don’t resent them or blame them for the failures of your business. Instead, you celebrate them for making your business a success!
• Deliver what was promised. Just as underselling means you’ll be overworked, customers often get less than was promised when you price too low. You run out of time, you fail to meet deadlines, you can’t produce to your high standards. The customer deserves what you promise so price accordingly.

Your customers deserve better than bargain basement. And they’re willing to pay you for what you do best. You just have to ask for it.

Be kind to your colleagues.

Some of the greatest losers when it comes to underselling are your colleagues. They work hard to build customer bases, reputations, and fantastic products. But when you decide to compete on price, they may feel forced to alter their business to keep up with the market.

• Maintain a market that competes on need rather than price. There will always be different needs (beginner to expert, pretty to edgy, blue to green) and a huge variety of businesses can operate side by side without ever needing to compete with each other.
• Support others bottom lines while creating your own. Seek out similar businesses to yours that offer similar services in a different style. What do they charge? Are their customers happy? Consider how your pricing stacks up to theirs.

It’s true that paying special attention to underselling will mean that you will raise your rates to levels that are uncomfortable to you.

It’s also true that, until you become more comfortable with your life as an entrepreneur and money in general, you will be uncomfortable with your rates no matter how low they are. Selling what you love is hard.

Discomfort is not a good pricing strategy.

Kindness is.

Be kind to yourself, your growing business, your customers, and your colleagues by learning to respect your product & it’s price.

Tara Gentile is a coach & teacher who empowers passionate people produce & profit. Discover her unique philosophy on creative entrepreneurship at taragentile.com.

 

 

 

 

 

12x12 Scrapbook Page

Prom 2010

Featuring Katie, my favorite Daughter  lol  actually she is my only daughter!  (although I have several awesome step daughters)

I created this using My Digital Studio.

Details follow the page

Remember the background pages I created earlier this week and showed them here on the blog?  Well I used that Same idea for this page!

In My Digital Studio:

I started with a multi option 12x12 page

I colored it pink pirouette

I added a square punch on the left side of the page and filled it with Designer paper Night and Day #5

I changed the opacity of the designer paper to  about 20%

I then Added from the stamp selection the Presto Overlay Floral Frame and changed the color to Early Espresso

Then I changed the opacity to 50 and I right clicked on the overlay and chose send backwards. That way it is behind the photos and text.

I added Katie's beautiful photo and matted it in white to match her chiffon jacket. You will notice that the large photo has a wider white border and drop shading behind it.

I did that because I wanted that photo to be the focal point of the page.

Before adding the other photos, I put in a photo box, sized it to the size I wanted and then I clicked copy and paste and pasted in 2 more so they would all be exactly the same size.

I then clicked each photo box and added the photo of the dress that I wanted and added a tiny white mat to each photo- I thought after doing that~ I could have added the tiny white mat to the photo box and THEN copied and pasted them! I will remember that next time ( I hope! lol)

I added the (text) wording in 2 different Text boxes using the Lucinda Handwriting font from my computer. And just for good measure I right clicked on each text box and chose bring to front. The text color is black to match her glasses.

For a finishing touch, I added the rhinestones from the embellishments option to the corners to tie it to the beautiful rhinestones on her dress!

I think she is going to love this page! Now I only have about 122 more photos of prom to get onto pages for her! lolol  "someday"

This entire page took me about 15 minutes to create! And the fun part? I didnt have to cut any paper and I had NO waste either!

Have fun creating your pages!

 

Watercoloring With My Digital Studio

I love working with MDS as you can tell this week, There are SO many possibilities to do with it.  I saw this card on Patty Bennett's Blog and instantly knew I wanted to learn to do this watercolor technique. She was kind and thoughtful enough to mail me one and I used it in creating my own. However, I started from 'scratch"  BIG mistake. She used a template card and I should have read her directions better!! See those Here. She learned it from the instructions HERE.

This is a very fun technique but VERY time consuming when you are just learning! I love the outcome and hope you do too!

6x6 card front- it opens bottom up

card inside top
card inside bottom

Mine isn't exactly like hers because a few of the goodies in MDS she used, I don't have yet.  So you can see that you can substitute other things! I love the ability of the MDS program to provide so much layering! We cannot do that with traditional stamping!  Thanks Patty for your inspiration and your help and for putting up with my zillions of questions! You rock.

What are you waiting for? Get creating with your My Digital Studio Program! ;o)

 

Why Join Stampin Up?

Why Join Stampin' Up!?

Just as Stampin' Up! demonstrators provide their customers with one-stop shopping and individualized service, Stampin' Up! provides its demonstrators with the opportunity to pursue their individual goals whether those goals are to enjoy a hobby, build a thriving business, or contribute to family income while spending more time at home.

Whether you'd like to earn money to pay for your stamping supplies, create a full or part-time career, or simply get a discount on your stamping supplies, Stampin' Up! will help you do it. And if that isn't enough, we've listed 10 reasons for you to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

1. Get ideas for handmade cards, scrapbook pages, and home decor projects.
2. Learn new, artistic stamping techniques on a monthly basis.
3. Gain first access to popular product lines and exclusive, award-winning designs.
4. Get a 20 percent discount on Stampin' Up! products.
5. Be your own boss, and establish a flexible business that meets your goals.
6. Spend more time with family when you work from home with a schedule that fits you and your family.
7. Be eligible to attend Stampin' Up!'s fabulous conferences and events.
8. Earn free exotic trips and other recognition (like free rubber stamps, cash awards, and other valuable prizes).
9. Meet new friends and enrich lives while sharing what you love.
10. Receive support and training from Stampin' Up!

Contact your demonstrator to get started, or to tell you more about the great benefits and support Stampin' Up! provides. You'll also order the Starter Kit, which includes an amazing selection of stamping products to get you started.

Starter Kit Special ends March 31st at 6 pm central time.