Constantly Stamping

MDS Certification and New Digital Downloads

 
I recently received notification from Stampin' Up! that I am now a certified My Digital Studio demonstrator. That means you can count on me to provide you with up-to-date training and information in MDS. In addition, you can rest assured that I have been using digital software for over fifteen years in my graphic design business, so I am familar with the in's and out's of creating beautiful projects with this powerful yet easy to use software.

Here are seven new digital downloads now available for purchase from Stampin' Up!

Click on images for larger view!

To receive the Preferred Price, purchase and download digital sets HERE.

 

 

118117 - Berry Christmas stamp brush set

Preferred Price: $5.95

The Berry Christmas stamp brush set works great on its own for beautiful holiday projects, but combine it with the Christmas Cocoa II digital kit and you have the perfect combination for every Christmas project.

120880 - Christmas Cocoa II digital kit

(certified MDS demonstrators receive this kit for free)

Preferred Price: $9.95

You’re sure to warm some hearts with the Christmas Cocoa II digital kit for My Digital Studio. This fun digital kit has just about everything you need—Designer Series papers and lots of Christmas ornaments, tags, labels, and borders— to make beautiful holiday projects. Even better, the Designer Series paper in this kit coordinates perfectly with the Berry Christmas stamp brush set

120881 - Write Stuff II digital kit

Preferred Price: $9.95

The trick to any project is making sure you have the right tools to do the job. With the Write Stuff digital kit, you know you’ll have what it takes to make some excellent projects with My Digital Studio! This kit comes with eight patterns of Designer Series paper and thirty-six individual “die-cut” images so you’ll have just what you need for journals, ledgers, frames, recipe, or whatever else you can think of.

120882 - Icicle digital photo card kit

Preferred Price: $3.95

There is nothing cold about the Icicle digital photo card kit. This kit has everything you need—paper, embellishments, and images— to make this elegant card. Just drop in a photo you’re ready to send out your cards!

120883 - Merry Moments digital photo card kit

Preferred Price: $3.95

Make the season shine with the Merry Moments digital photo card kit. This kit has everything you need—paper, phrases and ornaments—to make this merry holiday card. Just drop in a photo of your smiling faces and you’re ready to send out your Christmas cards!

 

 

118118 - Friend by Definition stamp brush set

Preferred Price: $1.95

What characteristics make a friend? Trust, love, generosity; the list goes on and on. Tell your friends that they meet all these definitions and so much more, with this Friend by Definition stamp brush!

118119 - Just Perfect Alphabet stamp brush set

(certified MDS demonstrators receive this kit for free)

Preferred Price: $9.95

Looking for the perfect alphabet for your personalized project? What can we say, this stamp brush set is Just Perfect for you!

Daisy Die Pine Cone

Hey everyone. I am still feeling a bit under the weather, but much better than I did on Tuesday. I am slowly getting my appetite back but my fever still spikes in the evening... I haven't really felt like sitting down and creating anything, so decided to drag out this little project I put together several weeks ago. I wasn't really sure if I should share it or not, because it was tons of work, but I decided why not. It sure beats days of not sharing anything.

Does this look familiar? Well, you may remember my water lilly tutorial a few months ago. I added some more layers and ended up with a pine cone. It is basically the same process, except lots and lots of extra layers. It is a little flimsy, so maybe later I will try to come up with a way to stabilize it better. Adding a skewer to the center may help.

Here is what the original project looked like:

Just a few more notes about the craft fair...When I say we had a small booth, I really mean that we had a small table and one chair. It was only 2'x 6'. That was it...I mean really, there wasn't any space to display anything and we had to practically hold our breath so that people could squeeze past us in the hallway. Can you believe we paid $150 for that? At least the booth fee went to a good cause, (the After Breast Cancer program). The fair wasn't even open to the public. Only people who came to work out were there and they were in such a hurry to get in and get out that most of them wouldn't even make eye contact with you, much less look at what you had for sale. Also, have you noticed that there are fewer and fewer people at these things who actually "craft" their items? I promise you that there were only two vendors who made their "crafts". (Us and one of the jewelery vendors.) Everyone else was either selling make up, jewelery, clothing, soup/dip mixes, and the like that they purchased elsewhere and were re-selling them. What ever happend to a good old "craft fair"? Maybe I am just not looking in the right places.

Under the Weather

Many of you may be wondering how the craft fair went on Monday and Tuesday...well, I am sad to say that as far as craft bazzars go, it was not good. We weren't in a very good location and those who did manage to find our cramped little booth wanted something for nothing. I am pleased to say that my blackberry jam did sell well, but only the 8 oz jars ($4). I also sold some of my felt gift card holders and a few cards. Everyone seemed to love Nancy's tile coasters, and Veronica's wine glass charms. On the bright side...at least now I have some of my Christmas gifts ready to go.

I woke up Tuesday morning very, very sick with a stomach virus and ended up at the doctor in the afternoon. I can't remember when I have felt so bad. I am feeling a little better today, but I still am not able to hold much on my stomach. I will try to post again in a few days when I am feeling better.

BTW, some of you asked what the washer on the paint bucket is for...it is to open the container. Without it, they would be very difficult to open. Very observant ladies!

Craft Fair Buckets

Things have been a little on the crazy side at our house this past week. We found out that we have family coming to visit during the week of Thanksgiving, so we have been in overdrive trying to clean out, clean up, and all those "fun" things you do when relatives come for the first time in several years. To add to the confusion, I am helping with a craft fair booth on Monday and Tuesday at a local YMCA. I am not at all ready for this thing, but I am at least trying to package up some of my items for sale at the fair. I asked myself, "What are two things you want to sell the most?" The answer is retired stamp sets and some of those big, bulky items leftover from previous workshops. I decided to pair the two and this is what I came up with...a bucket o'stamps.

I have many new-in-the-box retired sets that need to go, so I trimmed (yes, these are from the old days), and mounted them. I decorated a clear paint bucket with vinyl that I cut from with my snowflake die and snowflake punch. You can also use Decor Elements "Flurry" or even the "Icicle" rub-ons in the Holiday mini to achieve similar results. I am short on time, so these have to be easy and cute. I love the way these turned out, so I am off to make a few more.

I have only done one craft fair in my 10 years as a SU demonstrator, so I am a little overwhelmed. Thankfully, there are three of us in this together. I know that I would never have enough items to sell on my own. I know ladies (and gents) who work all year with the intent of selling their items at these things, but I am not one of those people. So wish me luck.

New Video Tutorial: My Digital Studio-How to use the clipart you already have

I received a great question the other day. Rene' wrote, "...I am a teacher and have lots of clipart from various sources other than SU. Do you know if I can import them into My Digital Studio to use with that program?" Well, the answer is yes! According to the MDS user manual, "MDS accepts most major photo file formats (jpg, gif, png, bmp, psd, tif, and pct). Note: to preserve transparancy in photos, save file in PNG format from your image editor." With all that being said...what does that really mean in plain English. I decided to put together a little MDS tutorial on how to import art from other sources into MDS. Hope this helps.

Wings of Friendship Christmas Wreath Card

 

When you first see this card, you may ask yourself, "how did she do that?" The answer is simple...lots and lots of trimming. I used the flourish stamp from the Level 2 hostess set "Wings of Friendship" to create this out-of-the-ordinary Christmas wreath. I stamped the image eleven times on Whisper White cardstock and Old Olive ink and then trimmed each one until I had enough to form a circle. This wasn't all that difficult, although it was a little time-consuming. But I think the results were worth the effort. I stacked each image one on top of the other and then added some half-back pearls for added interest.

Did you know that can earn this set for free, simply by having a $300 workshop. It's that easy. Contact me today at connie@constantlystamping.com to book your workshop today.

A Day at Watermelon Moon Farm

I try not to share too much stuff on my blog that isn't related to stamping, but I just had to tell you a little bit about the fabulous experience I had at Watermelon Moon Farm this past Saturday. My husband's step-mother, Ellen, and her friend, Sue, invited me to join them for lunch at Watermelon Moon Farm. The farm, bed & breakfast, and gift shop are nestled away in the country just about a 25 minute drive east of Nashville. I have not had the opportunity to spend the night, but I can tell you that this was my second visit for lunch and it was heavenly. The owners, Emily Steinberg & Harold Cash, were so excited that I wanted to share about my experience on my blog, that they graciously gave me their recipe for their fabulous grape salad to share with all of you. Be sure to scroll to the end of this post for the recipe.

  

Watermelon Moon Farm is listed on the National Historic Registry as the Wm. Washington Seay House and was built between 1835-1845. We visited the farm on Halloween, but Emily made sure to let us know that on November 1st the Autumn decorations were coming down and they were transforming the farm for their Christmas Open House on Saturday, November 14 (10:00 AM-4:00 PM) and Sunday, November 15 (1:00-4:00 PM). Guest author, Candy Paull, will also be also be signing her new book, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

  

To make your reservations, get directions, and receive more information, visit their website at www.watermelonmoonfarm.com. The dining room only seats 18, so if you are looking for a fantastic place to bring a small group of ladies for a wonderful lunch experience, you definitely want to make your reservations well in advance. I am sure you will love your Watermelon Moon Farm experience as much as we did!

Carrol's Grape Salad

3 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup toasted nuts, chopped (pecans, walnuts, or both)

Wash and drain grapes in colander. Place half of the white grapes in a flat Pyrex dish. Slice the remaining grapes in half and add to the whole grapes.  In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the cream cheese and blend with a fork, leaving some small chunks. Pour over the grapes and toss to evenly blend the sauce mixture into the grapes. Sprinkle the brown sugar and toasted nuts over salad. Cover and refrigerate for several hours until ready to serve. Makes approximately 15 servings. Delish! (Note: They served this delicious salad over a small mix of salad greens. Yum!)