That's How Thursday-A Crafty Gift

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday! Hip Hop! Hip Hop!

Ok, so today is my LAST post as an Ippity Design Team Member! I will be playing along for the next few weeks til the new release, but this is my LAST official duty! (Haha...I said duty! LOL)

This isn't just a team, it is a close-knit family that I've grown very fond of...So after 3 months, it is going to really hurt to not be a part of this family anymore. Even though I still will be with them in the art that I draw, it still isn't the same. Not at all...So I am definitely going to miss each and every one of these gals so very much! They are my inspiration to keep my art going and seeing what they create with them!!!

ANYWAYS..Enough mushy mush!

So as my last post, I will be bringing you a fun tutorial recycling baby food jars!

{You don't have to have a baby to purchase 56 cent baby food jars, just purchase and clean out and create!

Just a littel FYI for this project}

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Make Box (8x3" with 1.5" sides, 2" with fencing)
2. Assemble box.
3. Make dividers for the inside of the box
4. Jars fit in the box

5. 6-11x.5" strips, the cut in 2" slices
6. Cut tops of white strips to a point for the fencing
7. Glue ribbon around box as part of the fence.
9. Use mini glue dots on each fence post and glue to box over
10. Decorate as you see fit.
(Flowers are handmade)
11. Decorate jars as well.
12. Add goodies to the jar and give to someone special!

ALSO, LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

{to see who's won, be sure to stop by tomorrow, never know, it could be you!!!}

Ok, so that is my tutorial and a chance at a free stamp set, so now you gotta scoot cause you need to go see all the wonderful creations created for you by the dt's as part of Hip Hop Thursday!!!

So Scoot! Get out of here! Go now! Shoo! Get your booty on over to the Unity Blog for the beginning of the hop! I double dog dare you!

After you are done hippity hopping, stop on over to the Unity Forum on SCS for lots of chatter, prizes, anniversary fun, etc! Just a fantabulous time! I know I won't want to miss out on that action!!!

To the world, you are just one person, but to one person, you are the world.

Hugs all!

Heather R.

Extra Cards? Fresh Idea Friday

Hello everyone! Happy Friday! Heather here with a Fresh Idea Friday for you!

I don't know about all of you, but I have a TON of cards lying around my house that I've created with no home to go to. Well, a couple of years ago, I heard about Blue Star Moms.

If you haven't heard of this group it is a WONDERFUL opportunity for you to donate your cards and help out those that are serving our country!

I am a disabled veteran of the United States Army. I served overseas and was away from home for birthdays, births, Christmas's and such. I remember receiving care packages and all sorts of goods. Some of the things I received were cards, the handmade kind. It was so that I could send home notes to my loved ones for special occasions. I was just amazed by all the generosity that I went in search of the responsible party of those care packages and discovered that it was Blue Star Mom's.

Since I got out of the Army in 2002, I've been sending items about every 6 months. For the most part, I send all my extra cards. I know a lot of people try to sell them on Etsy, Ebay or Garage Sales, but they are Tax Deductibles if you donate them! PLUS it puts a smile on a soldiers face...I know it really impacted me!

So if you are interested, you can send donations to: ACBSM, P.O. Box 2006, Fremont, CA 94536-0006

Here's my package that I've collected and I think it's finally full and ready to go out!Hope this was a good Fresh Idea Friday for you!Super big hugs and hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!

Heather R.

P.S. If you head on over to our sister Unity, they are having a FWF Friday! Lots of wonderful Eyecandy for you!

P.P.S. Commenter #3 from That's How Thursday post by Kelly is the winner of "Life's Little Moments" Stamp set! Wig4usc, please email Eryn at eryn@unitystampco.com and let her know you are the lucky winner of that fun stamp set!!!

T{ippity} Tuesday

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!

It's Heather here and I have a super fun & easy tip
to share with you all this week for
T{ippity} Tuesday!!!

As a Hostess for a workshop or a paying customer at a card club or kit club, I always LOVE receiving thank-you's. One thing I noticed people like receiving are embelshiments. What better way to say your thanks better than super cute, easy & fun homemade embelishments?

So this is my "Thank You" Card for the business I receive. I've even had people appreciate them so much they ask if they can purchase more because most embelishment packs are really expensive, and these cost about $0.34 to make.

Here's a sample I created using this same consept of homemade embelishments...

Thanks for listening to my mini tip and hope it brings you much repeated success!

Super big hugs and have a fabulous day!

Heather R.

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday!

It's Heather over here, and I've got a fun, clean and simple tutorial to share with you all today! I had an idea to make easter eggs out of nestabilities dies, so thought I would share this with you in time for Easter!

Sorry I've been MIA for a while, I had actually forgot to post a few weeks back, and hope you can forgive me! Hehehe...Batting my eyelashes over here!

Anyways, for today's tutorial, I used Sweet Thoughts of Spring. I just love this cute cute adorable stamp set!

Step 1: Cut your eggs using dies... Step 2: You'll end up with 3 layers but will only use 2. (I used double sided paper)Step 3: Stamp your image on your neutral cardstock.Step 4: After you've colored your image, adhere to cardstock layer.

Step 5: Use pop up dots or dimensionals to add your windowed egg layer.

Step 6: Embelsh to your liking.
Step 7: Ta-DAH!I hope you all will enjoy this fun and simple tutorial! Sorry for the weird pictures, I'm not very good at taking pictures for a step by step project yet! Hehehe...

Here are 2 quotes for you. Lance is always making me laugh and keeping on my toes, so I thought I would share a super cute quote with you all!

Thanks all and hope you have a FABULOUS day!

Hugs,

Heather R.

T{ippity} Tuesday

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!

It's me, Heather, and I'm super excited to bring you a TIP today!

A lot of people are often overwhelmed by starting any type of business
because they don't know where to start or
how to go about getting a customer basis.

A GREAT way to get things started
is to host your own workshop at your home.

This is very informal and doesn't inconvenience anyone
right away and also gives you a feel of customers you never knew
you had who you've known forever!

Here are some GREAT tips for hosting your first workshop!Just remember to have fun with it.
Offer beverages and make it so the customers don't feel overwhelmed or pushed.

Be sure they are having a good time and that
will help you to get more sales.

Remember: Less is More...Super big hugs and good luck with your Open Houses! Heather R.

Here are some links for Examples of Hostess Benefits
and Potential Kit Klubs...

That's How Thursday-Altered Picture Frame Tutorial

Hello everyone and Happy Thursday!

I'm super excited to be with you today and share
one of my FAVORITE alterable pieces!

I alter picture frames A LOT!

They make fun an inexpensive gifts!

{Graduations, Weddings, Birthday, Valentine's, Christmas, etc.}

The frame was $3.99

The accessories, when broken down came to $1.90

So here were the supplies I started with, MINUS the letters.

{I decided not to add the letters at the very end.}

Step 1: Gather SuppliesStep 2: Paint your frame with acrylic paints
{Set frame aside to dry, about 10 min}Step 3: Stamp your images on the acrylic paint with inks
{For this project, I used Moon Beams & Heart Strings}

Step 4: Alter according to style and taste and occasion.Step 5: Final step is to insert picture of your choice.

Pretty easy and simple alterable project as well as inexpensive.

You can use any kind of archival glue, they will hold, but I like

to use my Hot Glue Gun for that added strength.Hugs all and happy creating!

Heather R.

T{ippity} Tuesday

Hello everyone! This is Heather (Guest Designer)

Happy Tuesday!!!

I'm having an out of body experience as I post my first {Ippity} blog post!

EEEEEEEEEEK!

So as my first act of Guest Designer for a while,

how bout a super uber fun

T{ippity} Tuesday?Look into holding classes locally through the community.

Look at Community Ed or Local Craft Stores.

This pays for your time, supplies and product.

It's a great way to grow your business as well and

look at new customer avenues.

YOU:

1. Set price of the class

2. Select what the student will receive as far as product

3. Select how often you will meet and what time

4. Create the projects for the class

5. Enjoy the rewards with minimal efforts

THEY:

1. Get the people signed up and collect the money

2. Provide the space needed

3. Advertise for you

4. Pay you for your time, supplies & product!

See, easy peasy, just takes a phone call or a drop in to your local

Community Ed department or local craft/scrap stores!!!

Thank you all for listening to my T{ippity} Tuesday...

Stay tuned to {Ippity} Matters Wednesday for the latest and greatest!

So in {Ippity} fashion as old as time itself

(or rather, when it launched in November),

I'm gonna leave you with a quote that

has meant the world of difference to me...

Super big hugs all!

Heather R.

T{ippity} Tuesday

How about another T{ippity} Tuesday Tip from one of our fabulous {ippity} chicks

Heather Rolin

Of course, the prices of YOUR klub are completely up to YOU. The best thing about being an {ippity} chick or dude, is that EVERYTHING is up to YOU.

To create a Kit Klub that works for you:

*consider how often you would like to meet

*adjust the Kit Klub membership to fit your monthly sales goals

*teach new techniques at each class

*offer the paper kits and ink pads as additional purchases or add them into the membership fees

An exciting part of having a Kit Klub is being able to offer new {ippity} sets every three months as they are released. Your customers will be just as EXCITED as you are to get the new stamps.

It's Flatter-Day Saturday!

Good day to all of you!!  This is Kelly here and I am so excited to have the opportunity to let you get better acquainted with a very talented designer and wonderful person!  I would like to introduce you to Heather Rolin!

 

Most of you probably already know Heather because she is a regular on the Unity and {ippity} forums, (her SCS name is hlr976) but wait til you learn more about this special lady!!  She is a real hoot and a wonderfully creative person!  I have had the pleasure of communicating with Heather through emails and chats and find her to be a one of the sweetest and funniest gals I know!!  She is a doll!!

If you spend any time in her SCS Gallery you will quickly realize why Angela has chosen her to be the

{ippity} Guest Designer for February

We are excited that she will be working with us as we release our next set of stamps and know that you will enjoy her creations as much as we do!  

To get to know Heather a little better, we asked her a few questions, go grab your coffee and enjoy some light reading about this incredible lady who somehow finds the time to be a wife, mom, stamp designer, card maker and even a comedian!! LOL!!

We asked Heather to tell us a little about herself.

My name is Heather Rolin and I live in Alexandria, MN. I've been married for over 5 years to my very best friend Michael. He gets me like no one else can, so he's kinda stuck with me! LOL...We have 2 beautiful boys. Lance is going to be 3 in January, and Adam just turned 3 months. We are truly blessed and I'm so thankful for what God has given me.


I am a Veteran of the United States Army and proud of that. I have a degree in Finance, but decided to stay home once we started our family. I love anything to do with the outdoors and LOVE roughing it in the wild with camping, canoeing, white water rafting, hiking, biking, etc. I LOVE sports of all kinds. My favorite to play is Tennis (so lucky I have a hubby who can keep up! Hehehe), my favorite to watch is Football! Go VIKINGS! I also love to read, ride my horse Rusty, Fish, Hunt, spend time with my family & friends & all my crafting hobbies!


Other than the normal day to day, there really isn't anything that exciting about me. I just live each day as much as I can with the time I have and try to make sure everything stays balanced so that I don't get overwhelmed...

We also wanted to know a bit more about Heather's stamping...

• How did you first get involved in stamping?  We bought our first house in 2003 and my new neighbor introduced me to stampin'. I wasn't that good at it, so I didn't purchase my first stamp til a year later. Once I got into it with my own supplies, I was HOOKED.
  

• What is your stamping style? My style is eclectic because I take a little bit of everything and throw in a pile and hope it turns out! LOL!

• Tell us about your creative process? Let me just start by saying there is no method to the madness. Literally! I'll be watching tv or surfing the net or my MILLIONS of blogs I subscribe to, and something will trigger a card or project. I literally drop whatever I am doing and go to town.
  

•  What is your favorite {ippity} stamp set and why? I must say I'm a country girl. Through and through. I love anything rustic, so my favorite would have to be Simply Home. I have tons of rustic décor around my house, and this set was inspired by the every day rustics...

• How often do you stamp? I try to stamp 2-3 times per week. There was a time (before kiddos) that I stamped 365 or more cards in a year! Most of which got donated to soldiers over seas...

• How long does it take you to make a project you are happy with? A typical card will take 20 min. start to finish. If I scrap a page, that takes me about 30-45 min. I rarely do any altered art, but if I do, it takes me FOREVER! LOL...

• What does your craft room look like? {messy, clean, etc.} I am literally too embarrassed to say...But I will anyway! Hehe. My stamp room hasn't been cleaned since May. And this past October, I trickled into the Family room in my basement. So not only do I have my HUGE stamp room, I also have a card table, coffee table, couch and recliner in the living room overflowing...literally! One of these days I'm going to get everything reorganized (New Years Resolution) and I'm going to be posting BEFORE/AFTER pics to show you! You'll see what I mean!

• What is your biggest paper crafting challenge? Chipboard. I have no clue how to use it, and I would LOVE to learn how!

We asked Heather to share with us one of her recent favorite cards and she shared this set with us...

These adorable cards are made using the Kissmas and Mistletoe kit.

Did you know that Heather also designs stamps for {ippity} and Unity?  Here is what she says about that...

• What is your title at Unity/{ippity}?  I'm an illustrator for Unity/{Ippity}...

• How are you involved in the making of {ippity} stamps?  I design images that can be made into stamps.

• How long have you been designing stamps for them?  My first release was in August, but I started July 1st.
  

• What inspires your designs?  I get inspired by what inspires you and you tell us about it in the SCS forums, watching tv, surfing the net, going out to eat, shopping, sleeping (actually sleeping is when I think up my best work!)
  

• Do you have special training in art or just natural ability?  I actually have my degree in Finance, but that wasn't for me. I've always been able to draw, so one day I purchased Adobe Illustrator CS3 and taught myself how to use it. I didn't dream that it would take me here. My Illustrations on the computer are 10x's better than when I hand draw...they turn out looking more finished...In my spare time I am a painter and always have been. I specialize in acrylic based paintings, but I am looking at taking classes with colored pencils!

• What is your favorite stamp or set that you have created?  My FAVORITE stamp is something that isn't out yet, but I hope it will be some day. It is a ballerina and makes me think of my niece who just loves to dance, she is 3 1/2 and just had her first recital, she was so fun to watch and is already uber talented at this age!

• What current {ippity} stamps were designed by you?  

1. The 2 flowers, Birdcage, Circled Heart, 3 mushrooms & the LOVE background in Because of You.  
2. The Mistletoe Sentiment, Mistletoe and Tree in Kissmas and Mistletoe  
3. The Simply Home set  
4. The "Capture" Sentiment from Life's Little Moments

• Can we look forward to some of your art in future releases?  I sure hope so. I really really do LOVE my job and the people I work with. I feel blessed to be among such company in times like these. This is an amazing experience and I never want it to end!

• Can you tell us a funny story about Angela (the owner) {Sorry Angela!} I wish I could but she seems pretty perfect! (I got something brown on the side of my nose!!! LOL)

Heather not only designs and uses {ippity} stamps, but she is also an {ippity} chick, so we had a few questions to ask her about that as well...

• What is the name of your {ippity} Sales Blog?  www.ippitysaleshlr976.blogspot.com

• What made you decide to start selling {ippity}? I LOVE Unity and have been waiting for an opportunity like this! I signed up the very first day! I haven't sold anything yet, but I signed up for a monthly sales group where we get a chance to sell stuff, so am hoping to get sales and workshops and classes off of that.

• Tell us about your experience selling {ippity}  My experience is that it is a FABULOUS group of people, more like a family than anything else. The products are amazing, the people are fantabulous, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it makes me try to be the best I can for me and my family.

 

Because she is such a fun gal, we had some FUN Questions for her too...

• What song best describes you?   Gosh, There are some weird Al songs, no just kidding. There is a new song out by Chris Allen called Live Like You're Dying (not the same as the Tim McGraw one from a few years ago). It says to live each second of the day like it were your last and tell the one's you love that you love them every day. This is exactly how I try to live, even though the song is relatively new, it just is so true!

• If you were stranded on a desert island what are the three things you would bring?  1. Lifetime supply of stamping supplies, 2. My husband 3. My Kiddos (I wouldn't need food or water because my stranded island would be in fresh water and I could catch fish! LOL)

• What is your favorite quote?  I made this one up for Unity (which is in the Store Kit this month), "No matter how old you get, play like no one is watching"...I feel like some people think just because you get older, you aren't allowed to be silly or fun anymore...those people better not enter my house! LOL...It's craziness over here!

• What would we find in your refrigerator right now?  Leftover Lasagna and a severe lack of food! Grocery shopping is on the agenda!

• If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?  The power to resolve...I would resolve conflict in the world, with my children if they need it, with health care...just basically something that I could use to make the world better because it seems like we are in a slump. KWIM?

• If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?  Hehe...Sorry inside joke...Probably "Laugh It Out" would make a good title.

• What would your dream vacation be?  I would LOVE to spend 2 months stranded in the mountains of Colorado in a cabin with my hubby and kids. We would spend all our time getting to know the land, white water rafting, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting...I think that would actually be more like my description of heaven!

And finally Heather adds...

• My New Years Resolutions: 1. to LOSE 20 pounds 2. Keep my stamp area as clean as I keep the rest of the house 3. Spend Less 4. Create more images 5. Live more in my faith 6. Not be so impatient 7. Listen better 8. Spoil my kids with as much time as the day will allow with my other activities getting in the way 9. Volunteer More and 10 for 2010. Be WHO I am was meant to be, NOT who I think I should be.

I hope to see tons of you at CHA this month! Please don't hesitate to say hi! Also, feel free to add me as a friend on facebook! Super big hugs and I wish you all a year full of blessings, happiness and much success!

Heather Rolin

Heather, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to be interviewed over this holiday week!  I really appreciate you and am so happy to have become acquainted with you.  I know that we all are anxious to meet you at CHA and to work with you in February!!  Have a very Happy New Year and good luck meeting your personal goals for the year!!  :-)

Feel free to leave Heather some love in the comments section!!