My Sister-in-Law took me shopping while I was in California.  What a blast we had!  At one of the stores we shopped I found a Martha Stewart Christmas stamp set on sale.  The stamp set had all these cool Christmas images and you can guess the rest…I bought the stamp set.  The stamp set had holly leave images and I love holly leaves and that was the tipping point for me—besides the great sale price!!! 

Speaking of sales… SU!’s wonderful sale is still going on!!!  Get up to 50 percent off select products and product bundles. But hurry—the Online Extravaganza ends November 30! Visit my Online Store to get great deals now!  CLICK HERE to go shopping.

Just like yesterday I inked my stamp image and using an SU! blender pen selectively removed ink where I wanted to color using a SU! marker.  The "Happy Holidays" sentiment was stamped using Encore! Gold Pad (SU! # 101017) and set using Clear embossing powder (109130).  In retrospect I think the Gold embossing powder (109129) would have worked out better. 

Card Deets

Dates: November 23-30, 2009

For one week only, you can get amazing discounts–up to 50 percent off–on over 40 products and product bundles! See below for complete offering.

Things to Remember:

• The sale begins Monday, November 23, 2009, 12:01 AM (MT), and ends Monday November 30, 2009, 11:50 PM (MT).
• Discounts range between 30 percent and 50 percent.
• For online orders, discounts will be shown in the shopping bag at checkout.
• The Distribution Center will be closed on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, 2009, for the US Thanksgiving holiday. No orders will ship on those days.

 Product Offering:

  *This bundle is only available while supplies last.

What a wonderful sale, huh? 

Our time in California visiting relatives was a blast.  We had beautiful weather every day and time went by way too fast.   Our time was mostly spent in Carlsbad, California which has been the "official" meeting spot for my husband’s siblings for many, many years.  Carlsbad is such a delightful and eclectic seaside town!  One of my favorite things to do is walk along the beach and watch the surfers in action.

Now for some good news!

My Digital Studio Certification

 In October I viewed all SU!’s MDS training webinars and took the required quizzes to receive My Digital Studio certification from SU!.  What does this mean for you?  It means I have the knowledge, experience, and training to help you maximize your MDS purchase to the utmost!   If you have a question or need guidance—I am there for you!

My first project with MDS was to design our 2009 Christmas cards and have them professionally printed.  It was so simple and easy from design to uploading my finished card project electronically to the professional printers.  I was also pleasantly amazed at how FAST the printers shipped my beautiful Christmas cards to me.  Remember, in Hawaii you expect everything to take FOREVER to get to you.  Just think how fast you’ll get your project back from the printers if you live on the Mainland!!!

My next project is a Calendar for my brother and his wife as a very special Christmas gift.  Also, I am going to do a calendar for us with lots of fun pictures.  After that—a scrapbook album!  MDS makes these projects so simple, fun, and easy to do. 

If someone told me I’d be making a Christmas Card using SU!’s In-Color Soft Suede I’d have said "HAH!".  Hah! on me.  Here’s the Christmas card I made using Soft Suede, Whisper White, Real Red, and Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP (116770, $11.95).  Dasher was stamped using a mixture of Shimmering Paint (Champagne Mist) and Soft Suede ink.  SU!’s Tags on Board (retired) stamp set was used to stamp the sentiment (Real Red) and Poinsetta flower (stamped on Whisper White with Real Red ink and cut out).  SU!’s scallop punch and scallop mover and shaper die were used to create the layering effect.  I used a Sizzix Christmas-theme texturz plate (thanks Waimea Nancy!!) on the Real Red paper on the card’s lower portion. Soft Suede polka-dot ribbon was wrapped around the card base with the cut ends being hidden by the layered scallops.

The card layout is based on Mojo Monday sketch challenge 109.

Today we took my Sister-in-law and husband to the Lapakahi State Historical Park (Big Island, Hawaii).  This 265-acre park is the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement.  The area was first settled around 600 years ago.  Some of the village has been partially restored but most of the rocky walls and remains are original.  This is a beautiful park to visit and if you’d like to learn more then CLICK HERE.

Here’s a picture my husband took of Ted and Mary Jean and of the ancient Hawaiian Village.

Stamp on and with Aloha! Aloha Jan

I have been busy these last few days with my pre-and-post SU! workshop activities, fishing, and getting ready for visiting relatives.  That’s why you have not seen a post from me.  After the dust settles I’ll be back in my stamping chair with ink pad in hand scratching my head on what to create.

My husband’s sister and husband should be arriving at our ohana (family home) any moment now.  Yikes!  I’d better get this blog entry posted!

Today’s card is a 3 1/4 x 6 1/2" card that features the Many Thanks SU! sizzlet.  This time it’s just "Thanks" that was added to my card.  Autumn Splendor DSP was matted on Taken with Teal card base.  Chocolate Chip paper (strip) and Taken with Teal (strip and die cut which was created by using a Spellbinder die) for accent color completes the card.  Guess what?  I did not use ribbon today!  Usually I just feel compelled to have ribbon somewhere on a card.

The autumn leaf was stamped using a mixture of Shimmering Paint (Champagne Mist) and Chocolate Chip ink.  Again, you’ll have to trust me on the shimmering color that is there on the leaf.  I also gently sponged Taken with Teal around the leaf.

Fishing Trip photos

If you look carefully to the right you’ll see these cute (and small!) black with a white spot tropical fish swimming around the pier pole.  They were oh so cute and oh so small.

Next is a photo of some of the fish we caught…Mahi Mahi, Ono (meaning it is delicious—and it is!), and Mahi Mahi.  The Kawaihae Harbor is being repaired from the October 16, 2006 earthquake (6.7 Richter scale) is why you see heavy equipment in the background.  Everyone is excited that the repairs have started because it’ll mean a better harbor for all.

Stamp on and with Aloha!  Aloha Jan

Great news!!!  SU! has launched a Clearance Rack section to their online shopping store.  You can save up to 80% by shopping this section!!  WOW!  All items are retired or discontinued and are marked down substantially which means cost savings for you. 

Just like any Clearance Rack you will need to act quickly before the your desired item is gone.   Remember, an upside of a Clearance Rack is that new items are continuously being added to the rack.  So check out the Clearance Rack section on a regular basis to see what is available.   

How to take advantage of SU!’s Clearance Rack?

• CLICK HERE (you’ll be taken to my DBWS) and then click on SHOP NOW in the lower right-hand side of my demonstrator business web site (DBWS).
• Look for CLEARANCE RACK on left-hand side bar of the online store.
• Check back frequently to see what new items have been added to the Clearance Rack.

Stamp on and with Aloha! Aloha Jan

A Working Cat

Tiger the cat (as in Winne the Pooh) is on the job Monday through Friday at the Crabtree Rock Company in Newberg, Oregon.  Tiger makes sure her owner (holding Tiger) stays on task with the timely weighing of trucks loaded with gravel and her owner’s other miscellaneous office duties.  Tiger works hard on maintaining good employee morale and building strong and lasting customer relationships.  Tiger will testify that time spent playing with your toys while on the clock is a positive role model for others.  Also, a good cat nap can do wonders for boosting your energy level.

This-n-That

My dad is under going Chemo Treatment for cancer at the Cancer Treatment Center in McMinnville, Oregon.  I was impressed with the compassion, tenderness, and dignity the RNs show to their patients.  I was saddened though to see how many people have a need for Chemo.   I hope the day will come when Cancer becomes a preventable treatment. 

Here’s a picture of my dad getting his crossword puzzle out before the RN hooked up his Chemo drip line.

Just to make sure you leave this blog with a bit of sunshine here is a picture of one of my mom’s many sunflower plants!

 Stamp on and with Aloha! Aloha Jan

It is going to take me a bit to get back in the stamping groove again.  So please hang in there with me while I figure out how to stamp again!

Today’s cards feature a Penny Black cat stamp that I purchased in Oregon.  I love the kitty’s pudgy, cuddly, and ‘oh so happy’ look.  The cards base are SU!’s Night of Navy card stock.   It felt oh so relaxing coloring in the stamped image using SU!’s markers (I pulled the color off with a blender pen).  Both stamped with an image white card panels are framed with Old Olive and Night of Navy card stock.  I also sponged Bliss Blue (retired) around the stamped image to create clouds.

The left hand side card has a Pumpkin Pie card panel that was embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I used SU!’s scalloped punch on white card stock to create a white accent strip against SU!’s Old Olive card stock panel.   The ribbon is Pumpkin Pie with white stripes.

The right hand side card is a simpler version of the first card.  This time I just cut out a white card panel (5 1/4 x 4") and layered retired SU! paper (2003!!!) cut at  5 x 3 3/4" on top.  I used a wide strip of Old Olive ribbon to tie the bow.  The cat’s meow!

Both cards have the same inside sentiment "Have a Purrfect day!" and that is what I wish for you.

Stamp on and with Aloha! Aloha Jan

I used SU!’s In-Color, Soft Suede, for the base of this 5×5 card.  The other colors used in making this card are Pumpkin Pie, Night of Navy, and Dusty Durango.  The flowers were made using Spellbinder dies and white dew drops were used for the flower centers.  The right-hand card panel is trimmed with Dusty Durango card stock around some old SU! DSP I found while scrounging around.  The left-hand card panel is trimmed with Pumpkin Pie card stock.  The panel’s interior is Night of Navy paper that has been run through my Big Shot using Cuttlebug’s Swiss Dot embossing folder.

I’m a polka-dot fan and SU!’s In-Color ribbon is polka-dotted so that made it easy to chose my ribbon.  Now looking at the card I’m thinking that the Dusty Durango ribbon might have been more festive.  Hmmmmm.  I used a Verve Stamp to stamp the card’s sentiment using Soft  Suede ink.

I hope y’all had a fantastic Monday and that your Tuesday is even looking better than Monday!

Stamp on and with Aloha!

Aloha Jan

We arrived home yesterday afternoon just ahead of tropical storm Felicia.  The weathermen are saying we’ll have high winds and 10-12 inches of rain on the Big Island due to Felicia.  I’m hoping the electricity doesn’t go out while Felicia is paying us all a visit.

I thought I’d share a few photos of our trip to Alaska.  This first photo was taken from our room’s veranda.  You are looking at Whalers Cove Lodge dock and across the inlet is Admiralty Island.  Guess what Admiralty Island is known for?!  It has more grizzly bears per square mile than any other place in the US.  Whalers Cove Lodge is on Killisnoo Island and there are handful of summer homes as well on this small island.

This is the Lodge’s dining hall where everyone congregates each morning for a sumptuous farm style breakfast and to pack a lunch for the day before heading out for a day of fishing. Dinner is served in the evening and my favorite meal is when freshly cooked crab is served.  Yummm!   The Lodge also has a huge fireplace to warm your cold bones and the close by comfy sofas are just the best for taking a nap.

Here’s one of the Lodge’s fishing boats headed out for a full day of fishing for salmon, halibut, and other types of rockfish.  These aluminum boats are practicable and sturdy although not necessarily considered….well, beautiful.

This is a late afternoon shot of the remote Tlinget village called Angoon.  The Tlingets have lived here in South East Alaska for over a thousand years.  There’s quite a bit of history surrounding this remote spot and some of it quite sad.  The people who live here full time get their main supplies from Alaska’s state capital, Juneau.  There’s a ferry that operates between Juneau and Angoon which is life line for the town of Angoon.

See that mountain area without trees on the left side of the photo?  Some folks think it looks like Snoopy on top of his dog house.  I think those folks have an active imagination.  

What you are looking at here is a Purse Seiner off loading it’s fish catch to the Tender boat.  There are several people (in yellow and orange rain slickers) in the Tender’s stern section prepping the days catch.  There are mixed feelings about Purse Seiners by sports fisherman and environmentalists.  As for us—it seemed the Purse Seiners were in all our favorite fishing spots.   What I do know it is hard work to be a Purse Seiner.

At the end of a fishing day its back to Whalers Cove Lodge dock.  I love the fact that once you are tied off a the dock your fish are taken away to be cleaned, packaged, and flash-frozen.  Woo Hoo!   No fuss or muss on your part!  For me, getting off the boat means heading back to the room for a much need long and hot shower.

That’s it for today for Alaska photos.  My plan (please hold me to this!) is to create scrapbook pages to commemorate our time there.  If its not in the scrapbook—then it never happened! Right?

Tomorrow I hope to have a card to share with you!

Stamp on and with Aloha!

Aloha Jan

Oh yes!  Check out their store at:  www.paperpopsicles.com!  Enabler’s alert–>they have a fantastic sale going on!

One last comment.  Paper Popsicles blog hop is this weekend and they are offering prizes too!  Check out the grand prize they are offering! WOW—a Maui Wowie grand prize!

~Aloha Jan~

Woops!  I have received several emails about not seeing the link to the picnic caddy tutorial.  What I forgot to mention in the previous post was the magical ‘words’ to click on.  Am I bad or am I bad? 

OK…here’s the url:

http://clearlyistamp.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/07/picnic-caddy-tutorial-march-of-the-ants.html

Or, you can click on the words "picnic caddy" in the first paragraph or this one and you’ll be wooshed off to the tutorial.  Thanks to all who emailed me and wanted to know if you were going blind…nope!  I just figured everyone was a mind reader out there. 

Stamp on and with Aloha! ~Aloha Jan~