Saturday, July 31, 2010

Flattering Tommy T!

Hi guys this is Kelly writing to you from CHA in Chicago!  I have had the pleasure of hanging with the Unity Peeps for the last few days and have spent some time with Tommy T!!  So, it is my pleasure to get to introduce him to you today!!  He is a real sweetie and lots of fun to be around!  I am having a blast and am so thankful for the opportunity to be here!!

So without further adieu, here is Tommy T!!!


• Tell us a little about yourself. {Family, location, background, job, kids, etc.}

My name is Tommy and and I have worked at Unity for three years and am a Production Team Member there.  I live in Spicer, MN with my family.  My background is in the furniture restoration and construction business.  I enjoy riding my lime green dirt bike, sailing on the lake, target shooting, playing guitar and writing music and cross country skiing.



Stamping Questions


• How did you first get involved in stamping?

Through working at Unity and at the TradeShow. [Tommy is awesome at Make n Takes and the ladies love it when he mans the table!]



• What is your stamping style?

Clean and Simple.

• Tell us about your creative process

It just flows out of me. 

• What is your favorite {ippity} stamp set and why?

Fishy Philosophy, because they are cute and I love to eat fish!

• How often do you stamp?

Bi-annually at the TradeShows!!



• How long does it take you to make a project you are happy with?

As quickly as humanly possible!

• What does your craft room look like? {messy, clean, etc.}

I don't have stamp room, but my craft room contains musical equipment.

• What is your biggest paper crafting challenge?

Coming up with an original idea.

For {ippity} Management/Employees

• What is your title at Unity/{ippity}?

Production Team Member


Christian, Tommy and Ryan

• How are you involved in the making of {ippity} stamps?

I am involved in the entire stamp process beginning with cooking them, cutting them, packaging them and shipping them.

• How long have you worked there?

Three years, I was second one on board the team!

• Are you a crafter? Do you use Unity/{ippity} stamps outside of work?

No!

• Can you tell us a funny story about your boss? {Sorry Angela!}

It would be really hard to single out just one!




Just for FUN Questions

• What song best describes you?

"Fuel" by Metallica

• If you were stranded on a desert island what are the three things you would bring?

A knife, a guitar, and flint to start a fire with.

• What is your favorite quote?

"This too shall soon pass."


(Exhausted after a long drive from Spicer to Chicago and then a full day of setting up the booth!)
• What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Fruits, vegetables, Ham and eggs!

• If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I wouldn't want the responsibility of being a Superhero, but I would like the powers to relax people. 

• If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

The Quest for Peace



• What would your dream vacation be?

To have one week just to do whatever I wanted.  The location does not matter.

Well we have to head back to the last day of the SuperShow, so that is all we got!!  Have a wonderful day and we will talk to you soon!!

Hugs!!  Kelly

Friday, July 30, 2010

Fresh Idea Friday

Hello FRIDAY!!!!  Oh how I have been waiting for you!  How is everyone doing this super fine day???  Ready for the weekend?  I sure am.  
I have lots of crafty little plans and I can't wait to get the weekend started!

Today, I have a lovely fresh idea for you.  

You might have seen this card a few weeks back on the Graphic 45 Hip Hop.  
Well, this little card has a friend.


I love handmade gift card or money holders since I am a big gift card or money gift giver.  It is almost certain that these gifts will fit every time.  :)


The Graphic 45 paper is so pretty, that I just HAD to use it for a money holder as well.  I used a Spellbinder Labels 8 die to cut out the holder and folded it in half.  I have found that sewing is an excellent option on making a very sturdy envelope.  You can also use double sided tape, just make sure you leave plenty of room for the gift.  The "for you" from the Ippity Fall for You set was just perfect for this cute little money holder.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Lisa Arana

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Hip Hop Tutorial

Happy Hip Hop Thursday it's Stephanie here to share a fun mini box tutorial. I had found this box online awhile ago and I thought it was time to bring it out and do a little altering. I really do love to alter stuff when I have the time and this little box is going to be perfect to hold a piece of Jewelry.

Measure the box this is a 3x3 box so I cut five pieces of DP a little under three inches.



Inked up the edges this is my new favorite thing to do!!!

Adhere the Dp to the sides and top of the box.

You could also Mod Podge this which I would normaly do but for the sake of time I just used regular adhesive.



Stamped my Image on a couple different color DP's. I used the Now and Always Kit the flowers are perfect for paper piecing!!! Then I did some cutting out and layered them with foam adhesive.


This is the finished product added a button for the middle of my flower and also die cut a felt leaf and you are done.

Such a fun and easy project in no time at all and another fun way to use the fabulous Ippity stamps!!! I cannot wait to give this to a special friend I just might have to make a card to match!!!
Leave a comment to win
Where You Should Be

To start at the begining of the Hop You can go to the Unity blog.


Next Blog



Stephanie Muzzulin

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Better Late Than Never

Hiya! I'm finally here, remembering that today is my day to post a Tip for you all! I've meant to put this together 5 days ago and well, you know how the days just slip away and all of a sudden you remember you had something to do? Yep, that's what just happened to me! LOL!

With the new release coming upon us, I thought it would be a great time to offer a few business tips from one of our fellow {ippity} chicks. It's always nice to have a refresher on some tricks of the trade, plus there are plenty of new chicks that are eager to learn how others are making it work!

A while back I started a thread on the {ippity} Chick subforum on SCS asking for Tips to post on our Tippity Tuesday post here. We are always looking for ideas, so if you have any and want to share feel free to email me. A few weeks back I received the sweetest email from Jenny Johns (jenstampin4u). She complied a great list of what she's been doing to get her business thriving. The one thing I noticed, (and I've heard and seen plenty of other Chicks say it too) is she does a lot of little things that make a difference. The small things matter! Here's a few tips from Jenny, in her own words:
I recently started implementing these tips and they are showing some success. I need to continue to work on getting my {ippity} name out there locally, and I am so glad that these things are helping me go in the right direction!

Local deliveries:
I like to advertise that I will 'deliver free of charge' any local {ippity} orders with 30 miles of my home. Now I have been asked to deliver a little over 30 miles, and I've still included it in the 'free zone' (case by case basis, or course). I even have customers who meet me half way, usually at a Starbucks (my fav place), or a book store. I figure it's worth it to get a new customer and to be able to show them the sets and chat about the versatility of them in person.

Orders:
As soon as I get a phone call or email order, I respond within 1 day to confirm the order (it's usually within the same day). Once I confirm their order, I still ask if there is anything else they would like to purchase (it's okay to ask for more business, the worst they can do is say no). I then issue a Paypal email for payment. Once payment is made, I again contact the customer to confirm delivery day and time and I get this completed immediately.

Inspiration:
I like to give a 'thank you' card for inspiration to my customer for their order. I keep thank you cards that I made from a variety of {ippity} stamp sets...I choose a card using a stamp set other than one that my customer ordered. The customer may like the stamp set that I used and it could be a possible future purchase.

Add-ons:
I carry one of each stamp set (that I have in stock) in my {ippity} shopping bags (that I created) and also the 12x12 papers everywhere I go. I have had customers ask me about a certain set and since I have it in hand, I can show it to them on the spot. I have made additional sales of stamp sets by doing this!

Packaging:
I created my {ippity} shopping bags (similar to what others have shown) and I include the following items:

--the customer's order, which has one of my personal labels on each stamp set and/or package,
--a 'thank you' card for their purchase,
--a 'frequent buyer' card...for every $75 purchased, they get $5 off or a free ink pad that I have in stock (I keep track of the actual sales dollars),
--a little goodie bag (sample papers, buttons, {whatever I have on hand},
--a flyer that has each {ippity} collection pictured (8.5x11 paper which has two collections on one side),
--a flyer that has the basic info if they would like to sell {ippity} with my name as referral
.

Thanks, Jen, for sharing with all of us what you are doing. I'm sure many will find this info useful in their own business. Stop by Jenny's blog and give her a shout out.

I hope you all are having a fabulous day and for any of you heading out to CHA, I wish you safe travels and lots of fun! Wish I was there! Hugs, Lisa

Lisa Henke

Monday, July 26, 2010

Happy H{Ippity} Hop And A New Challenge


Happy Monday!!!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous weekend!!

It's Monday which means it's another Ippity challenge.


This weeks challenge is called the 1-2-3 challenge what that means is you create a card using

for example:

1 ribbon

2 buttons

3 Designer papers

But you pick you own combination of things to add to your creation.

The Prize:

Winter Paper Pack

How to Play?

Create a project using Ippity stamps and the above challenge.

Easy right?

Upload you card to SCS gallery by midnight on

Sunday August 1st.

using keywords IHHC34 and

Ippity.

I will choose a winner Next monday and post the winner in the Ippity forum!!!



I cannot wait to see what you come up with!!!

Here is the fabulous Dt creations.


Fabulous Creations from Ippity Chicks and customers.
















Enjoy the Hop!!!!!!





Stephanie Muzzulin

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Sunday Faves

Hello..and hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  I am getting so excited that soon there will be the next ippity NEW RELEASE, and it is coming out on August 12th!!   For now, I would love to share some of my faves this week!

Check out Jen Marie's (JenMarie) adorable ribbon work with the sweet little butterfly on top!  And, I must say the big flower in the middle for the Now & Always set, is looking so gorgeous!  I so love the color combo that you used in her fabulous card!!


Next up, I just love this shaped card that Kim (doodersmom9) used to make this gorgeous card!  I love the subtle shadow stamping!!  The white space is perfect on this striking clean & simple card!!


Oh, Christy (lone pin designs), who does not love a blue winter right in the middle of Summer!!  With the summer heat happening, I just adore seeing these cool blue shades and the placement of the snowflakes and gorgeous white bow...well...need I same more!!! 


What an outstanding choice of color to use on the green paper, Jess (Jexterra)!!  Love every bit of orange I see sprinkled on this stunning card!!  I truly adore the green & orange combo on the label and sentiment!!


Then, Corey (CoreyW), you've created a beauty here!  Fabulous mix of patterns and that little caterpillar placement was perfect for this fun card..makes me smile & so happy!!


Cathy (Stampin Fanatic) created this beautiful background stamping, and gorgeous design!  I love bit of black that makes your card just "pop", and the placement of the black rhinestones...well..it's just the right touch!!

So, that's it for today from me, but I sure hope you enjoy the rest of your day!  Have fun at the ippity hop tomorrow, and may you have a great week ahead!!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

It's Flatter-day!!!!

Hello Ippity Peeps!!!  I'm super excited to be flattering this Ippity wonderful girl today!!!


Does this face look familiar??? heehee.  It should because Cathy Meyers (aka StampinCathy/ Stampin Fanatic) is the most amazing, supportive and just down right sweetest girl!!!
She has to be Ippity and Unity's #1 fan.  She is always providing encouraging and delightful comments on the blogs and in the SCS forum.  I can't tell you how excited I am that she agreed to answer a few questions for us.  I just LOVE this girl!


Tell us a little about yourself.  {Family, location, background, job, kids, etc.}
•    Hello, I’m Cathy and I love Ippity and Unity.  I’ve been married to my Jr. High Sweetheart for 34 years and we have 2 beautiful daughters.  We are from Missouri and moved back to Tennessee 3 years ago.

I just love how bright and cheery this card is, just like Cathy!!!

How did you first get involved in stamping?
•    Every since I can remember I’ve always loved all kinds of crafts.  Our family went on vacation to see relatives in Nashville and our niece was stamping and of course I wanted to try it!  I’ve been hooked every since.

What is your stamping style?
•    I don’t have one style.  I love to stamp all styles.

Tell us about your creative process
•    I start with an idea, change in the middle and repeat.  Then it all falls into place.

 This is one of my favorite Ippity stamps set and I just love how Cathy used it!!!

What is your favorite {ippity} stamp set and why?
•    I love all the sets, but it seems that I keep reaching for Music of the Heart.

How often do you stamp?
•    I try to play every day.  If I can’t I think about what I want to create.

How long does it take you to make a project you are happy with?
•    Sometimes it can be 20 minutes or up to days.

What does your craft room look like? {messy, clean, etc.}
•    My DH calls me a Mad Scientist.  So I would say that my room is cross between a tornado and a hurricane.

 Another "fintastic" card... I love the stamped fish background.

What is your biggest paper crafting challenge?
•    I would have to say scrapbooking.

What song best describes you?
•    You Got a Friend

If you were stranded on a desert island what are the three things you would bring?
•    Family, some crafting goodies, laptop (hopefully there’s WIFI)

What is your favorite quote?
•    I love inspirational quotes.  One of my favorites is…‎"We are often so caught up in our destination. That we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet along the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it.
- AUTHOR UNKNOWN

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
•    Well of course leftovers and salad goodies.


Such beautiful cards by this girl!!!  Thank you Cathy for your support of all things Ippity.  You make everyone smile on a daily basis and I'm so happy we got the chance to learn more about you!!!!


Lisa Arana

Friday, July 23, 2010

Fresh Ideas Friday!!

You might remember this card I made based on Eryn's fabulous challenge to use turquoise, yellow..plus one color!!  Well, I went straight to my Cosmo Cricket "DeLovely" designer papers, and thought...hmm..I want to try something different with a plain Prima flower!

I love color, and this challenged sparked my curiousity to try this FRESH IDEA that I had heard or read about somewhere in my hours of surfing the net!! As I looked at the beautiful yellow paper, I thought, how about accenting my flower (glimmer mist with Sunflower spray) with something white to coordinate with the paper! Yep, sometimes I get into those types of  little details and it sparks an idea to try. So, here it is, and it's really easy-peasy too!!


All you need to do is spray your plain flower with a Glimmer Mist, and while it is still wet...sprinkle fine white glitter using glue! The glue and glitter I used were one of those Martha Stewart sample packs from Michael's that I purchased during the holidays. Let the flower dry over night, and in the morning you will wake up to that glitter clumping up a bit onto the flower!! I just love this look and I thought it would go perfectly with my papers!!

That's it for today!  Enjoy your weekend!!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

making PINWHEELS!!

hello and HAPPY HAPPY hip hop!!
i am so excited that you are HERE today...
i have a SUPER FUN & SUPER EASY tutorial for you!

check it out...

PINWHEELS!!
i was inspired to create this pinwheel by angela...
she made a TON of these for our unity booth next week for CHA in chicago!! 
...and when she showed me how to make them...i just couldn't believe how ADORABLE yet EASY they were to create!!


to create the pinwheel in my card i used a
2 x 2 inch square

fold over each corner to the opposite corner and make a crease.

it'll look like above. these are your guidelines as to where you should CUT slits...

cut slits into the paper right on the crease you made above...
just don't cut all the way to the center...leave a little bit of room.

put a DOT in each of the corners as the image above shows.

punch holes...including the center


...then fold them all into the middle so that they holes all line up...

and WAH-LAH!!


see...how EASY was that!
YOU have to try them!!
leave a COMMENT below for your chance to WIN
SWEET THOUGHTS OF SPRING!!
{this kit has the MOST adorable scallops that you will use ALL YEAR ROUND!!}

also...if you didn't start out at the unity blog...click below to start the hop out at the beginning!

Next Blog


Eryn Hagen

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

IPPITY Matters...NEW SUMMER COLLECTION AND CHA!!

The NEW SUMMER IPPITY COLLECTION has been released! 

If you are an IPPITY CHICK (enrolled with IPPITY) you will want to check out the PRIVATE IPPITY SITE right away for the preview
and also to PREORDER ALL of the NEW RELEASES

Here is just a little teaser:



IPPITY will be at the CHA SUMMER SUPERSHOW next week at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL!

Show dates and times are: July 30th from 12pm-8pm and July 31st from 10am-6pm! 

Stop by to see the NEW IPPITY SUMMER RELEASE and past Collections
and for a FUN IPPITY Make-n-Take

We will be available to answer any questions you may have and also to help you
ENROLL with IPPITY!

Come and visit us at Booth #123.

********

I would like to WELCOME
our NEWEST IPPITY CHICKS!!

Congrats to:
McCine Mendiola from Las Vegas, NV

and

Sharon Scheydt-Rittler from New Freedom, PA

YAHOOO LADIES!!!

*************

I HOPE TO SEE LOTS OF
IPPITY CUSTOMERS AND IPPITY CHICKS
AT THE CHA SUPERSHOW NEXT WEEK!!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

h{ippity} Hoppin..with a NEW challenge!

HAPPY H{ippity} Hop!!!

it's MONDAY...which means it's time for another new FUN {ippity} challenge!

This weeks challenge is to use my favorite color combination:
TURQUOISE, YELLOW, and ONE OTHER color of YOUR CHOICE!!

this week's prize is: 
Life's Little Moments

It's EASY to play along:
Simply create a project with your {ippity} stamps using the colors
TURQUOISE, YELLOW, & ONE OTHER color!

THEN upload it to your SCS gallery by midnight on Sunday, July 25th with keyword: IHHC33 and Ippity

I will randomly choose a winner next Monday and post it in a thread in the {ippity} forum

here's a little sneak at my project...



check out what the FABULOUS design team members have created for you....

Stephanie Muzzulin (Guest Designer)

AND now...
off to visit all of our UBER TALENTED and very INSPIRING {ippity} friends...

UPDATED TO ADD:
http://suzi-scraps.blogspot.com/
http://iscrap81.blogspot.com/


Eryn Hagen