200 LIKES AWARD!

My facebook page has long been a place where I've posted projects I've made, product announcements, and info about upcoming events. I've been working hard at increasing my audience there, and today, I reached an exciting milestone!

200 LIKES! woohoo! To celebrate, I gave away one of my fave bundles from today's Online Extravaganza doorbusters: the Project Life bundle.

It includes the This Is Your Life Card Collection & Accessory Pack, the Striped Album, and the Variety Pack 2 pocket pages. That's an over $70 value! woohoo! It's already on it's way to the lucky winner.

If you're sad that you didn't win... don't be :) I have other prizes coming up very soon here! Today is the last day of the Online Extravaganza sale. All orders that are placed online using hostess code
FKWN7ZPJor placed with me today before 7 pm are eligible to be in my draw for the hostess benefits!

ALSO - and this is SUPER FUN - I am really close to hitting a lifetime sales goal of $100k. When I do, I will be drawing a name from everyone who's placed an order with me since September, and that person will win a $100 shopping spree!! If you haven't placed an order with me yet this fall... there is no better time than now!

Jenilee

Online Extravaganza!!

I remember the first time I went Black Friday shopping. I live super close to the Canada/US border, so it was pretty normal for us to pop into the US to go shopping every once in a while. I'd heard about these amazing deals, but I'd never experienced them before. I think we left at about 10 or 11 pm, so that we'd get where we wanted to go at about midnight.
It was pure craziness.
I remember walking into JC Penney to see the payment lineup go around the whole.entire.store. I think people were waiting in line for 3 hours just to pay! (those had better be some good deals). We also went to the outlets where I think there were more people shopping than I'd ever seen at one time before. It was nuts.
I loved it :)
I don't think the rest of my shopping party did though...  but I will always remember that trip because I had just found out I was pregnant with my second son, Aaron, and I wasn't quite telling anyone yet. I think the ladies I was with figured it out when I declined coffee. That was always a sure sign. If I said no to coffee, I must be pregnant!! hahaha!
Anyways, Stampin' Up! is offering up their own version of Black Friday!

You know that Black Friday sales have officially begun when Stampin' Up!'s Online Extravaganza begins. It is a weeklong event - bookended by 24-hour doorbuster specials!! You can see the whole list of sale items here. You will want to check them out ahead of time so you know what you want to order and when. I will be unavailable during this time, so you want to place your orders online using hostess code FKWN7ZPJ. Then, at the end of the week, I will do a draw for the hostess benefits and all orders that use that hostess code will be entered!

Seriously, I feel like it's party central over here this week! I have the 100k draw happening (for a $100 shopping spree!), the Online Extravaganza... and there just may be something special that happens when I hit 200 likes on my facebook page. Just sayin'. 

So make your wishlists! This is also a GREAT time to pass them on to your family & friends who may be purchasing gifts for you for Christmas, or birthdays... for those of us who have our birthdays in the last week of November... ;) You'll want to have Christmas orders in by about the 15th in order to receive them in time for Christmas. I also do have gift cards and you will get a lovely gift card holder made by me when you purchase a gift card! That way, the gift card actually looks like a gift! Imagine that!

Ok. I am rambling. Signing off for today! Check the online extravaganza!

Go here to order, and when you're checking out, use hostess code FKWN7ZPJ.

See ya later!
Jenilee

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Sleepytime Scrapbooking

This is one of the layouts I was working on at the Stamp Your Heart Out Retreat weekend. It's actually kinda funny, because I was working on it late at night on the Saturday night, and I was literally falling asleep as I was working on it... a scrapbook layout about my son who was... falling asleep.

Yup. I just got it now.

Sometimes I'm a little slow. Haha!

Anyway, I LOVE these photos, and I find that my favorite scrapbook layouts are always the ones with my favorite photos. Good photos don't require a lot of fancy scrapbooking to make them look awesome. In fact, I think the simplicity of this layout makes the photos stand out even more. He's just so darn cute. I have adorable kids. And I'm not even biased at all. (not).

I used, like I'm sure you've been noticing in my work lately, a pack of Designer Series Paper as my color inspiration. I like everything to coordinate perfectly, and that's why I love the fact that Stampin' Up! papers use Stampin' Up! clors, and everything just always looks awesome together. I've given up on perfectly matching my photos to SU colors. That's just a little too crazy. I'm not going to lie though. I do it whenever I can. (Did someone say OCD?)

I used the Sweet L'il Things designer paper with the matching washi tape, and a couple of cards from the Moments Like These Project Life accessory pack. Because I knew they'd be the right color! yay. The circles were cut with the Big Shot & Circles Collection framelits, and the punched hearts were stamped with the Epic Alphabet heart. That one's a hidden gem. LOVE that alphabet and the heart & star in it!! The Z's were cut with the Little Letters framelits. Easy Peasy!

OOH - and if you're someone who loves to use 12x12 cardstock in colors other than Whisper White and Basic Black for your scrapbooking backgrounds, a great idea is to get the In Color 12x12 packs. Because there's only 5 colors in each In Color family, you get 4 of each color instead of 2. So a little more to work with in each color. Love that!

Thanks for checking me out today! Go create something awesome!

Jenilee

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

The 100 countdown is on!

Hey everyone!

I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for more than 7 years. When I signed up as a demo, I never thought that I would do this as a business. I just signed up for the discount - who doesn't like 20% off on their crafting supplies?!  That was a no-brainer to me.
Anyhoo... 7 years later here I am, doing clubs and classes every month, and LOVING it! I have had the chance to go to conventions in lots of fun places like Nashville, San Antonio, and Orlando; and I have made some amazing friends.
And I am getting close to a big milestone that I never thought I'd hit...

woohoo! When I do hit it, I'm going to be giving away the $100 shopping spree that I had talked about back in September. If you've put an order in with me since September, you'll be entered in the draw!! So get your wish list ready - and if you haven't placed an order with me yet this fall, be sure to do so!

Jenilee

Stamp Your Heart Out!

I love our retreats! They are a huge highlight for me and my stamping friends. There is just something about being surrounded by friends that inspires a greater level of creativity! I love it. I love them. :) I realized this weekend that we've been doing these retreats for 5 years - twice a year. So fun, and still going strong!

Door prizes are a fun part of retreat. This retreat was especially fun because a couple of attendees decided to donate some door prizes, too! Sherry was pretty excited to win a whole pile of Blendabilities and stamps to use with them!

We're kinda packed in like sardines at times... but it's fun :) Right?

This one is tucked in a little corner in my office space. I love having her back there with me!!

I'm so glad each and every one of these women could join us for this weekend. We've already planned the next TWO retreats in 2016! Drum roll, please.... April 15-17, 2016 and Nov. 10-13, 2016! Registration for the April retreat begins today and Registration for the November retreat will begin April. 18. Just in case you think that's super early to be planning.... the April retreat is already more than half full. Seriously. I know. Contact me for more details! 

Thanks for checking out our pictures, and I hope you'll join us next time!

Jenilee

Weekly Deals & Retiring Lists, oh my!

Hi everyone!
It's Tuesday, which means that we've got announcements and weekly deals for you! First off, Stampin' Up! has released the Retiring List for the Holiday Catalog. This means that all items on this list are now on an AS SUPPLIES LAST basis. If something you still want is on this list, order it today!

Also, Weekly Deals are out today. I love how Stampin' Up! is putting some of the new, current Holiday Catalog merch on the weekly deals. Snow Friends Framelits for $24.75? Love it!

The best way to ensure you'll get your Retiring items is to place an order in my online store. You can also contact me to place an order, too!

Happy Shopping!

Jenilee

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

November Club Projects - #4 of 4

Hey there! Thanks for coming by today! Today I'm sharing the last of the November club projects. I used the Home for Christmas Designer Series Paper as my inspiration for this month's projects. I love the colors and designs. And the artwork is just gorgeous!!

You may or may not know about my club. I run a hostess club once a month where members get to choose whether they make three cards or one scrapbook page. This is the November scrapbook page. I was a little bit in the Christmas spirit :)

A couple of quick tips!! It is hard to see in the photo, but the "merry" is actually Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper. The "Christmas" is cut with the Little Letters framelits, and then laid out and treated with Crystal Effects to give them a glossy, plasticky kind of finish. When you do this, you want to apply a thick layer of Crystal Effects, and then let them dry overnight. If you can leave them to dry fully without touching them, you will love the effect!! I attached them with the fine-tip glue pen that's new in the Holiday Catalog (love that item!). Also - did you notice that wooden snowflake up in the left corner by the deer? That is one of my absolute top favorite items in the Holiday catalog. They are so versatile and beautiful. I just love them!!

I look back on these pictures and they seem so, so long ago! This was 7 years ago. James, my little baby boy... is definitely no longer a baby. Here he is a couple of weeks ago with my sister, hiking Mt. Cheam. A lot has changed in 7 years!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

ALSO - are you a fan of my facebook page? Find me at Stampin' Up! with Jenilee Pauls on facebook.

Here are the products I used to make today's project. You can get your hands on them in my online store or by contacting me!

Jenilee

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

November Club Projects, #3 of 4!

This card features yet another stamp set that I just.had.to.have! I love the dove, and I love the detailed artwork. I love everything about it! I wanted to make a super quick and simple card for club. I *try* to make a 5-minute card, a 10-minute card, and a 20-minute card for club. That's my goal anyway. I don't know if I achieve it! Making simple cards is not my strength! But I do love this one, and it is simple. The image and sentiment are all on one stamp, and it's stamped in Versamark and embossed with gold. I then sponged pool party in a small ring near the center of the card, leaving some white in the very middle. Then I sponged Pacific Point around the outer edges. 

I'll tell you my trick for this card: cut your card front larger than you want the final product to be. When you sponge in a circular motion, you need to squish your sponge tightly and press in a circular motion pretty much as hard as you can. To get the soft color, you don't necessarily need a ton of color - especially when you're sponging Pacific Point. Better to do a lot of soft layering of color than have a dark blotch where there was too much ink on the sponge! After you've sponged your color on, you'll notice that you will have blue lines up and down the sides of your card. When you trim your card front, they'll disappear and you'll be left with a beautiful, circularly sponged card front. (I don't know if circularly is a word. Probably not).

Ta-da! Attach the ribbon to the card front, attach the card front to the base with some dimensionals, and you're done! This is a card you could mass-produce in a hurry. Love it!

Here are the products I used to make this card. They are available through my online store, or by contacting me & getting me to do the ordering for you!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jenilee

November Club Projects #2 of 4

In my last post, I showed you two cards that I was choosing between for our November club. I usually do three projects for the cardmakers, so this is project number 2! I wanted to make a gift card holder. Gift card packaging can often be kinda boring - just a flat card. My husband feels very strongly that when he gives a gift, he wants it to be an actual, physical gift. Gift cards would be an easy out to him :) But these days, that is often what people want! I wanted to create something interesting - something that you're proud to give and something that feels like a gift in itself. So, without further ado, voila!

I used the Home for Christmas Designer Series Paper as my inspiration for this months' club projects. I love the musical score background paper! And those little deer are to die for. So adorable!! I also had the chance to play around with the Curvy Corner Trio Punch (a must have!!) and the Festive Flower Builder Punch. I've gotta admit - when I first saw the Festive Flower punch, I was a little intimidated. All those little pieces!! I thought it would take so long and be quite finicky. I was wrong. Super easy, super quick. I've found that the best way to stick the flowers together is with a little green tombow glue. That way, the glue dries clear and invisible and lovely. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned to check out the other two projects from November Club! Here are the products used to make this card! You can find them here on my website or contact me to order!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

See you soon!

Jenilee

November Club Projects - #1 of 4

Hey there!
So I have been SO busy getting ready for retreat that I haven't had a chance to post our November club projects! Don't you love it when you work something over and over, and then suddenly, it just clicks, and you end up with a project you absolutely LOVE?
That's what I felt like with this card. I love this stamp set - Winter Wishes - from the Holiday Catalog. In fact, it was probably my first choice in the whole stamp set.... if only it came with a set of framelits!! That would have been amazing. Fortunately, it's not too hard to cut out the adorable little images! Anyways, I knew I wanted to make something with the stamps, so I came up with one card. It was super simple. And you know me... I have trouble doing simple. I had to add something to it. By the time I came back to the card, I had decided to focus on the Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper for this months' club projects, and so I knew I would have to remake the card in the coordinating colors.

So how about I show you both cards, and you can tell me which is your favorite?

Obviously, the one on the left was my first try, and the second one incorporated the Home for Christmas DSP. Which do you like better?

If you love these cards, here's everything you need to make them!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jenilee

And here is this week's weekly deals. They start every Tuesday, so get them now while they're on!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog