Stampin' Up! Deal of the Week - Sizzix Big Shot Doctor's Bag

Every week during the month of July, Stampin' Up! will offer one discounted product as a "Deal of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required.
This week's deal is the Sizzix Big Shot Doctor's Bag (#113474) for $49.99 (regular price $69.95). It's available through July 13, 10:50 AM (ET).
The Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up! product line is a big deal! The Big Shot (#113439, $99.95) cuts over 50 materials. It cuts multiple pieces of card stock in one pass, which makes duplicating creative and intricate designs fast and easy. Stampin' Up! offers exclusive dies that coordinate with current Stampin' Up! product lines, or you can use standard Sizzix dies or other brands of dies - so many possibilities.

Contact me to see a hands-on demonstration of the Big Shot!
You can order online with through my Stampin' Up! demonstrator website.

New Day, New Weather, New Catalog

Just taking a quick minute to say YEAH!.... Summer has finally arrived and it was a perfect day - 80 degrees, sunny, light breeze.

These cards were made before the sun came out last week :-)
This week I'll be playing with the new In Colors from the new 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (IBC). This year I love all of them! Can't wait to play. For what's new, check out my website.

Stampin' Up! Scrapbooking Specials

From May 1-31, 2009, Stampin' Up! is offering 2 great scrapbooking specials:
1. Buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one FREE! Each Designer Series paper coordinates perfectly with our colored card stock, ribbon, buttons... - no guessing when matching colors!! It makes it SO much easier.
2. Buy a sneak peek stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog--Jumble Alphabet (set of 52; double-mounted)--at a 20% discount. Jumble Alphabet stamp set (Item #115199), Sale Price $35.16 (Regularly $43.95)

Visit my demonstrator website at http://lyrastampandcreate.stampinup.net to see details in the Promotions section or to order online 24/7.

Scrapbooking & Volunteering ??

My 2 wonderful (mostly) dogs come from the Shih Tzu and Furbaby Rescue (STFBR) out of Georgia/Florida. My 'big boy' Lucas is about 10-11 yrs old, has more allergy issues than any single person I know, is stubborn beyond belief, is so NOT a lap dog, and I love him with all my heart. Bella is a 1-1/2 yr old with an angelic, child-like face (dog-type of course) and a streak of Cujo that would scare the dickens out of you. And I adore her!
After years absent from volunteering, my dogs gave me back that gift. The people who keep the STFBR going never cease to amaze me. Daily they take in dogs that others would and have either thrown away (literally) or put to sleep, and by 'take in' it usually means to their own homes until a foster or forever family can be found. The stories I could tell.... but this is about giving back.
So I decided to give STFBR something else that was close to my heart... the items I make as part of my personal home therapy - scrapbooks and home-made greeting cards. They'll use these as raffle items, sell them at pet/dog events like their reunion this weekend (dogs welcome of course), or put them on eBay. Somehow it's very motivating to make a book that will help pay for the grooming of a dog who has never had a bath, clip nails, part of a vet visit, surgery, medication, etc.
Saturday is set aside for volunteering... making scrapbooks for STFBR. So since I'm going to be playing with paper, ink, glue and ribbon, I decided to invite others to join me. Stampin' Up!s Statement of the Heart is "To love what we do and share what we love as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments... in this we make a difference!" It feels good to make a difference.
Now Saturday hasn't come yet, and I've already volunteered to make yet another scrapbook item. This time for the American Cancer Society's Race for the Cure, the team from my doctor's office.
Opportunities just seem to be popping up all over... or is it that I'm more open to them lately? Hmmmmmm... I think I'll defer pondering that one until after these books are made!

More pics of the books....

Lyra's been scrapbooking !!!

Some of my friends couldn't believe it... You see, I'm mainly a card-maker. Well I bought the Big Shot and the BigZ Circle and was determined to FINISH a scrapbook. You see I'm REALLY SLOW at scrapbooking. This circle one was so fast and easy with the Big Shot that I got the bug!!

Then I signed up for a class at a local store and made the D-O-G book. I enjoyed this so much I went and got another D-O-G chipboard kit and am doing my own thing. Too much fun and just the therapy I need these days!!

Been a long time......

2 months and a week but it seems like forever! February and March were just cold blurs. I've taken a couple of days off and found I wasn't sure what to do with myself - too many projects on the list so it felt very scattered. I've had the itch to create but found it tough getting into my creative self when I'm consumed with work (computers, logic, order and people) all day... not to mention the teenager and dogs! So yesterday I sat down and forced myself to make a card... 2 cards and here they are!