Stamp Journey

Boo, Y'all!

Simple, direct and to the point, don't you think?

Very similar to the great sale this coming Monday, Oct. 29th...a simple way to save money. Buy stamps on October 29th. That's it. No great secret, no complicated formulas.

15% off stamp sets and single stamps in the Holiday Mini and 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! catalogs* -- ONE DAY ONLY.
*Does not include hostess sets, digital stamp brush sets or bundled sets.

It includes:

• Background stamps
• Personalized name stamps
• Incentive stamp sets from the supply list
• Cookie press stamps
• Single-image stamps

So grab a cup of tea, pick up a pack of sticky notes and start marking out those stamps and sets you want. Circle Oct. 29th on your calendar, and get ready to SAVE!

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

The Shades Among Us

One of the best things about Halloween in Duluth, GA, are local walking tours offered by Duluth Ghost Walks.

It seems our oh-so-modern southern city is more than a metropolitan suburb...it is a community named for a French explorer, on land originally occupied by Cherokee Indians and rife with stories of hauntings and things that go bump in the night.

You can imagine that with a rich history from the time of settlers through the arrival of the railroad to the heyday of cotton, spanning the fights of the Civil War, Women's Vote and Civil Rights, there are many stories of life and love, violence and hate, delight and despair.

Oh yes, there are said to be ghosts in old Duluth.

Whether or not you believe there are shades who walk among us, the Duluth Ghost Walks presents an outing that combines local legends with the definitely-spooky City Cemetary at night. Just right for a Halloween outing!

Duluth Ghost Walks runs Friday and Saturday nights through October 31st. For information and tickets call 770-403-1795 (reservations recommended but not required).

Now what do you suppose any self-respecting ghost walker would wear on a scary cemetary walk?

Why, BOOts, of course!

This card was on the display board at a recent Stampin' Up! gathering. It made me smile!

It uses the stamp set Bootiful Occasions (Wood #126595; Clear #126597).

Leave a memorable footprint with this stamp set. To order, go to my website and shop now.

But first -- make sure you are signed up for my free newsletter to enjoy the next installment of the 12 Weeks of Christmas. It's my gift to you, featuring exclusive projects for holiday cards, gifts, tags and more. Special projects with how-tos, supplies and instructions can be yours simply by going to the top of this page and entering your email address in the signup box. Sign up by Wednesday at noon to make sure you receive your gift Wednesday afternoon!

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

Halloween: Monster Munchies Box

Oh my, "Bone" Appétit...there's a stamp you don't see every day.

Stamps
Monster Munchies (Wood #127904; Clear #127907)

Paper
Gumball Green Card stock
Very Vanilla Card stock
Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper #126906
Silver Glimmer Paper #124005

Ink
Elegant Eggplant Classic Stampin’ Pad

Accessories
Pumpkin Pie 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon #119253
Stampin’ Dimensionals
1-1/4" Circle Punch
1-3/8" Circle Punch
1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch
Takeout box

If you're a digital crafter, there's an exclusively-digital download that includes the Bone Appétit skeleton image, along with everything you need for a too-cute Halloween party.

Monster Munchies Ensemble #131314

You can even get a digital version of Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP, #129827.

For a real treat, make sure you are signed up for my 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletter. The second issue will be sent out this afternoon, so go to the top left of this page and enter your email address now. You won't want to miss this series of holiday cards, gifts, tags and wrapping projects exclusively for my newsletter subscribers!

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

My Digital Studio: Spooky Tuesday Downloads

Halloween is in the air and today's digital offerings definitely raise the creativity bar. If Halloween isn't your thing, check out the two holiday downloads.

#132315
EMOTI-COSTUMES PRINTABLES
INCLUDES: 7-page 8-1/2" template; 7-piece SVG stamp brush set
COLORS: Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie



#132316
LAST MINUTE MASKS
INCLUDES: 2-page 8-1/2" x 11" template; 9-piece SVG stamp brush set
COLORS: Basic Black, Basic Gray



#131360
ORNAMENT KEEPSAKES KIT
INCLUDES: 9-piece SVG stamp brush set; 9 punches



#132568
OH WHAT FUN OVERLAYS STAMP BRUSH SET
INCLUDES: 6-piece SVG stamp brush set

Go to my online store now to order your digital downloads.

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

Chattanooga Regional Meeting: Samples

Oh, how lovely it is to have so many talented people in one room sharing their artistry!

Here are samples from the Chattanooga Regional meeting this past Saturday.

 

 

A feast for the eyes, don't you think?

I'll be showing more samples from the Chattanooga Regional Meeting all week, plus I'll be featuring some of the techniques, tips and special projects in my October newsletter. Make sure you're subscribed to my mailing list...you can sign up in the box at the top of the left-hand column on this page.

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

Holiday Catalog Starts Today

Kids go to back to school next week here in Duluth, GA -- can you believe it?

It's August. Too hot. Too many bugs. Too many choruses of "I'm bored!"

BUT THE HOLIDAY CATALOG IS HERE!

Download the PDF here

See the FLASH Holiday Catalog online version here

See the Holiday Catalog Supplies List here

Want your own copy to drool over? Email your full name, mailing address and phone number to maccreative@me.com. I'll send one to you -- FREE!

 

 

NEW! SAVE WITH HOLIDAY CATALOG BUNDLES! 

There are nine different coordinating product bundles in the Holiday Catalog...savings for you on bundles of the latest holiday crafting goodies. Don't miss the details on page 2 of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. 10-15% savings for you on bundles!

The example on the right is just one of the available bundles in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. This one gives you savings of 15% for purchasing the Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set and Cannery Set Framelits Dies together (Wood-mount bundle #129943; Clear-mount bundle #129944.)

There are eight more bundles in the Holiday Catalog, so check it out.

Halloween is not forgotten...here's a sample using the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper.

Paper
• Pumpkin Pie card stock
• White Vellum 8-1/2 x 11" paper
• Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (Item #126906)

Accessories
• Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch

What a great treat bag for school parties, co-workers or those special kids in your life.

I'll feature lots of Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog samples here on stampjourney.com and in my newsletter this month. Make sure you're on my mailing list to get the exclusive samples, tutorials and tips in my newsletter. You can sign up in the box at the top left of this page.

Stay tuned...there's lots more excitement in the air today with the release of My Digital Studio 2!

Cheers,
Kathleen
678-467-1330
maccreative@me.com
www.stampjourney.com
www.kathleeninnes.stampinup.net

Traditions: First Day of School

This is the first day of school in our county of Gwinnett, Georgia, despite temperatures that continue to hover from the mid-90s to three digits.

On this most eagerly-anticipated day (yes, I'm ready, even if the 10-year-old is not) I'd like to share with you one of our favorite family traditions.

Every year -- from Kindergarten through High School -- my freshly scrubbed and excited girls posed in their oh-so-new clothes on our doorstep, bookbags in hand, optimism shining in their eyes.

Note that I said girls...my experience with boy children for the first 30 years of marriage was limited to brief visits with nephews and cousins. Now that we are the surrogate parents of a 10-year-old boy, many tried-and-seemingly-sure traditions have been thoroughly XY-tested. Several have not survived.

But this first-day photo tradition has met with approval by those who will be women AND by those who will be men. The man child only needs to be coaxed a little bit.

I look forward to the day when I can present a mini album of First Day Photos to him; maybe at his high school graduation celebration. By that time, he'll be able to laugh at the cow-lick that threatened to defeat him this morning, the bookbag he loved last week but detests at this moment, and his plaintive complaint about being in a new class with "absolutely no one I know!" (Imagine the last said with a dramatic throwing up of 10-year-old's already-grubby-at-7-a.m. boy hands.)

As we start the new school year, I'm looking for ways to organize him, me, and our world. Here are some great ideas for using Décor Elements to sort out your entry, your schedule and (maybe) your sanity.

 

What a fun way to check off chores.

Love the things to do list!

These chalkboard elements are just great. Kids love to use them, too.

You can download the Definitely Decorative offerings here, or if you'd like a brochure sent to you just send an email to maccreative@me.com with your full name, mailing address and phone number. I'll be happy to mail it out for you.

If you're a Halloween fan, you've got to see the spooky Décor Elements in this brochure.

Spooky, indeed! This one is sure to meet with boy approval. What boy doesn't love bats???

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet…

Give me something GOOD to eat!

My mother would have had a righteous fit had she heard this chant recited at our door on Halloween night. The offender would have been sent smartly away, probably after a phone call to his mother. (Surely it would only have been uttered by a cheeky boy)

But it’s not the Halloween of my mother’s generation anymore. Sweet children in homemade costumes have given way to zombies, hatchet-killers and their victims; complete with wounds, blood and dangling eyes that would make a Hollywood makeup artist proud.

No more the calls of “Halloween Apples!”

Here are some of the spooky sayings you may hear at Halloween events tonight…

Blood donors needed.  See the Count.
Come as you aren't.
Forget the ghosts . . . beware of me!
Ghosts have real spirit.
Just hanging out with my ghoul friends.
Time for a coffin break.
It's Hallo-scream!
Have a spooktakular good time.
Have a frightfully spooky Halloween.
Have a fang-tastic night.
Have a bootiful Halloween.
I boo believe in ghosts!  I boo, I boo, I boo!
Gone haunting. Will return at midnight.
I can’t stop falling in love with brew.
I witch you a Happy Halloween.
Trick or Treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.
Trick or Treat. Be so sweet. Give me something good to eat.
Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat. Give me candy. Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take!
Happy Haunting!
Sit for a spell and have some brew.
Come in for a bite.
Mind your mummy.
That's witchful thinking.
Fangs for the memories and nightmares!
I only spook when spooken to.
Boooo spooken here.
If the broom fits, fly it.
Caution!  Ghost Crossing
Caution!  Witch Crossing
Caution!  Low flying bats
The graveyard shift is best.  No bones about it!
Practice safe hex.
Be the ghostess with the mostess.
Witch Parking. All others will be toad!

Happy Halloween!

How to Have a Safe Halloween

The American Red Cross has a short video on Halloween Safety Tips.

The Red Cross also offers a short pdf document of Lucky 13 Halloween Tips.

Today’s card features Halloween Frights stamp set (item #111766), a jumbo wheel called Frightful Fence (item #113632) and Grateful Greetings (item #116511).

With 12 greeting images for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, the Grateful Greetings stamp set will see you through months of stamping.

Order now at my website, or give me a call at 678-467-1330.

Halloween & Daylight Savings Time

Confused about when to change your clocks to “fall back” on schedule for Daylight Savings Time?

It’s easy this year…move your clocks back one hour on Halloween night before you go to bed. Get those ghouls and goblins tucked in their beds and head for the grandfather clock.

Time officially falls back for those of us in the eastern U.S. at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st.

The stamp set used on this card is one of my favorites, Sense of Time (item #113804)

Paper

Basic Gray cardstock
Bordering Blue cardstock
More Mustard cardstock
Close To Cocoa cardstock
Naturals White cardstock
Not Quite Navy cardstock

Ink

Versamark Pad
Chocolate Chip Classic pad
Not Quite Navy Classic pad
More Mustard Classic pad
Close To Cocoa Classic pad

Accessories

Silver Embossing Powder
Taffeta Chocolate Chip 3/8” ribbon
Hodgepodge Hardware Styled Silver
Color Spritzer Tool
Spiral punch
Photo Corner punch
Dimensionals

It’s also time to check out the Deal of the Week before it expires on Monday at 9 a.m. Click here to see the great embellishments available at a deep discount…but just until Monday morning!

The Greatest FREE Show on Earth

Yep, step right up, folks...the Circleville Pumpkin Show starts today.

Started in 1903, this is a festival with all the right ingredients. Parades, food, competitions, rides, entertainment, souvenirs and pumpkins. Pumpkins everywhere. Little ones, big ones, HUGE ones.

So if you live anywhere near Circleville, Ohio, pack up the kids and head on over to one of the longest-running Festivals in the country. Two parades a day through Saturday and all the pumpkins you can stand!

Here's a quickie page I made up in My Digital Studio to celebrate the 2009 Circleville Pumpkin Festival.

The background for this page comes from the "Night and Day Designer Paper" add-on module.

Starting at under four dollars, add-ons expand your choices of stamps and designer paper in My Digital Studio, or you can use the images in your favorite image-editing software.

The Night and Day Designer Paper add-on is item #118115 and a steal at only $4.95.

Check out all the add-ons available at my website.

Something Creepily Cute This Way Comes

Start with the traditional Only Orange and Basic Black...

 

Venture into Elegant Eggplant and So Saffron...

 

And you may be ready for the Happy Halloween room...all Halloween, all the time.

 

This room was featured at the Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake City. Just the thing to make little ghosts and goblins go, "Oooohhhh!"

There are several items from the Definitely Decorative catalog, including Decor Elements and stencils, plus Big Shot dies and other goodies from the main Idea Book & Catalog. If you need either of these catalogs I'll be happy to one or both to you. Just email your full name, address and phone number to maccreative@me.com.

Help Yourself...to Halloween

Calling all shutter bugs! Here's a technique for taking "ghostly" photos that would be spooktacular for Halloween scrapbooking.

This post at the Webshots blog details a step-by-step method to produce ghostly images starring your family and friends.

It can be used with both digital and film cameras -- read the comments section for digital info.

 

While you've got your camera out, check this post on how to capture your Halloween pumpkin in all its ghastly glory.

 

 

 

For a roundup of all things Halloween, go to History.com's Halloween site. There's fascinating Halloween history, historic haunts, costume ideas, games and more.

When you're ready to scrapbook those great pictures you'll be taking this week, go to my Stampin' Up! website and click on the Shop Now button. Browse through all the wonderful paper, inks and embellishments designed to make your scrapbooking easy, color-coordinated and fun!

Happy Halloween!