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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

My Winning Artisan Entry - Day 1


Here we GO! This is SO EXCITING! You just came from Cathy's on our first day of showcasing our Artisan Entry projects!  Over the next ten days, the Artisan Design Team will be sharing all 10 of our winning entries!
I am going to begin with the card that started it all! It was the first entry I created. I wanted to use some bling bling as a challenge and silver/champagne glimmer paper with vintage faceted designer buttons is the perfect fit!  I colored 2 of the silver paper strips with Summer Starfruit ink with the Aqua Painter to get the gold coloring. The sentiment is embossed in clear over black craft ink.
The inside of the envelope flap is a black and white photo of my daughter Megan printed on Whisper White cardstock thru MDS. You could not see this on the display boards at Convention - you got to see the envelope glimmer paper side only.
 
Now continue to hop along to Connie's blog! That woman is amazing at all she does!
 
Thanks for stopping by! Hope this inspired you today!
 Cindy
 

 
    
 
Watch out for the Artisan Finalists Blog Hop
coming August 10-20th with their 10 Artisan entries!
 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Stampin Up Convention - where friendship multiplies

 
One of the best parts of being involved in Stampin Up is the friendships that I have made along the way. We all have a love of the craftsmanship of papercrafting, scrapbooking and much more. We all love to share ideas and share our lives as well. This year's Stampin Up Convention was such a blast with my Stampin Up friends! Wendy, Monika, Elizabeth, Carol, Michele, Diane W, Diane S, Fran, Linda, Ruth, Jeanne, Julie, Sue, Rochelle, Jeanna, Julie D, Erica, Julie L, Heather, Nancy, Libby, Carolyn, Julie W, Alana, Tysha, Shanae, Andrea, Holly, Sara, Lindsey, Corinne, Lorri, Melissa, Linda, Bev, Karen, Barb, all the Top 20 Artisan Finalists and many more!  I got a chance to see friends from over the years, met some friends made on the net, and NEW friends! AND all my friends and family back home that showered me with love from Facebook during the week.
What a lucky lady I am!
 
This page is from the Convention 2013 template download on My Digital Studio. I added a few more photo boxes to fill in the page to showcase here. I am missing some pictures as I need to get them from others before completing the opposite facing page of my album.
 
Want to start new friendships with some fantastic people? Love to create with paper or digital?
Come join us!  It is so much fun no matter where you live in the US. We could meet in Salt Lake City at next year's Convention!
 
Super duper blessed!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cindy

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

MDS Blog Hop - What are you doing in MDS?

Welcome back to our MDS Blog Hop! The ladies have some rockin projects and be sure to check out our guest blogger Julie Davidse! Hello! Shut the front door! Amazing!
 
Here is a page that I designed awhile back for the Artisan submissions that missed my cut. I just love how it turned out though so wanted to share with you all. Love the colors, love the recolored wood embellishment, love the cropped doilies and LOVE the picture of my baby girl in her ballet outfit. Sigh, they grow up so fast.

I got it printed thru SU on heavyweight option. Then I added rhinestones to the page for a hybrid effect. Sorry the photo is not good quality.
Thanks for stopping by! Hope it inspired you in some way!
Cindy
 
 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

My Stampin Up Artisan Journey


 
I found out on Friday June 29th that I was selected as one of Stampin UP's Top 20 Artisan Finalist this year! I was dancing like a teenager around the living room. My family thought I had lost it. LOL Then over the next two weeks, I got to know each of these CRAZY talented and SUPER sweet ladies. All deserving of Artisan Design Team for their kindness and talent. We were able to meet for an Artisan card swap as shown above. Love these ladies!
 
Top Row: (L to R) Wendy Weixler, Jennifer Timko, Mercedes Weber, Dani Dziama, Connie Collins, Elizabeth Price, Cathy Casey, Kaitlyn Zumbach, Erica Cerwin, Jane Lee. Bottom Row: Breelin Renwick, Amy O'Neill, Alanna Wharf, Julie Warnick, Cindy Schuster, Cathy Caines, Jeanna Bohanon, Melissa Stout. Not Pictured: Becky Cowley & Dara Gloden.
 
I will be posting next week our swaps over the 5 days Mon-Fri. They are AWESOME SAUCE!
 
Then came Friday July 19th....I was a BIG ball of nerves ALL day as we were to find out on stage that night at the Awards Event. I could not believe that my name got called!
I AM ON THE 2013 ARTISAN DESIGN TEAM! 
Tears started flowing and I was in shock! I never win anything!!! Seriously!
 
Here we all are: (L to R) Mercedes Weber, Jeanna Bohanon, Cathy Caines, Erica Cerwin, Connie Collins, Jane Lee, Becky Cowley, ME, Jennifer Timko and Alanna Wharf with CEO/Cofounder of Stampin Up Shelli Gardner.
I will be sharing my Artisan entry projects on an Artisan Top 20 Finalists Blog Hop in August so come back to see them! I love each one and was very proud to create them. I also was a little sad to leave them in Salt Lake City. I had to go over and say goodbye to them before the Gathering place closed. Pathetic, huh?
 
I also will be creating for the Design Team and posting our creations on here monthly/weekly and Pinterest starting in August. My first box of goodies will arrive any day now! So excited to see what comes in it!
 
THANK YOU to ALL my demonstrator sisters and BESTIES 
for standing by my side with love, support and cheering me on!
Special thanks to my friend Monika for all you did to help me get here!
Hugs to my upline Wendy who asked me last Convention what I wanted to do and said YOU CAN DO IT!  I DID!
MY DREAM CAME TRUE!
Thanks for stopping by and reading my good news!
 
Cindy

 
 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

MDS Blog Hop - Celebrate Stampin Up 25!

 Welcome back to MDS Blog Hop! This week we are celebrating our company, Stampin Up, as they mark their 25th silver anniversary! Next week, our Northern American Convention takes place. I am so blessed to be able to attend! I am celebrating my 5th year as a demonstrator and Top 20 Artisan Finalist! It is going to be a blast! I am looking forward to seeing my SU friends and doing/learning new things! So excited!!!!!
I decided to make a quick and simple card in MDS for the theme. You know I love chevron and in that new Smoky Slate color to boot! Color me happy! The rest is done with color match and freeform stitching. I am thinking I can print these at home and turn into a hybrid card with real silver glitter paper and some sewing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cindy
Be sure to check out what each of us did this week!
Comments made us blush, so leave one if you can! 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Reaching for a dream

I found out recently that I am one of the Top 20 Finalists for the Stampin Up Artisan Design Team Contest!  What a complete shock and super honored to be named among those other creative and talented 19 ladies!
I created this page just a few weeks ago after I sent my submissions to SU. It reflects on how I felt about just even completing my goal of trying for the contest. I was so thrilled with myself! I received great support from my family, my girls at the Scrap Cabin and my friends that do Stampin Up. My biggest support came from my friend Monika. She was my second opinion when I doubted something. She gave me encouragement each step of the way. I poured my creative heart and soul into each of the 10 projects. I can wait to share with all of you soon!
Now I have made the Top 20 with my first time trying!  Wowsers!  All my work will be on display for all 5,000 Convention attendees to see!  Oh my golly geez weez! Freakin out! I will find out on July 19th if I made the Top 10 and a position on the Artisan Design Team for a whole year!  I am excited to go to Convention this year and experience all this with my friends!
No matter what happens, I am glad that I did the contest. It has sparked something in me and that spark is not going out anytime soon!
 
Thanks for stopping by!
Cindy