About quality and cardstock

I just discovered something and had to share -- many of you may already know this but like I said I had to share!

Since I am still lamenting the soon retirement of the 2008-09 In Colors I have become incredibly Scrooge-like with cardstock.  This morning I am working on a two page scrapbook LO and decided to mount all the photos on Pacific Blue.  After I got over the shock at the sheer amount of cardstock that would be required for the photo mounting I arrived at the decision to brayer a couple of pages of white cardstock.  Still being Scrooge-like I pulled out an old stash of white cardstock and went to town.  For the second sheet I decided to try out my precious stash of Stampin' UP!  Whisper White cardstock.  I can't believe the difference - take a look for yourself.  Be warned I am not a brayer type stamper this is my first go at brayering so there's lots of lines but the truth is in the pudding.  

The amount of ink accepted by the Whisper White cardstock is amazing.  Now I have never been a cardstock snob (patterned paper yes) it took me quite some type to jump on that whole Bazzill bandwagon.  For me cardstock was for matting or often behind the patterned paper (don't ask!)  Stampin' UP! has high quality standards for all their products and it shows with this little unknowing experiment.  Take some unsolicited advice and get yourself a package of this paper you won't regret it!  Am I biased?  You bet, but my love of the products of Stampin' UP! is the reason I became a demo.

Don't forget that for the month of May all patterned paper and textured cardstock are buy 3 packages get 1 free.  By the way, that free package can be more expensive than the 3 you purchase.

Thanks for looking and yes HE stamps.

Mother's Day and a ribbon awakening

Thanks to fellow Demo Cindee Wilkinson I can say that I appreciate Stampin' UP! Flock Together Designer Series Paper.  This card is CASEd from one Cindee created for a Stamp A Rama her upline's group holds.  

This is my first experience with good quality ribbon and it is a world of difference from that .99 spool stuff the big box craft stores sell.  Trust me when I say if price is a consideration (and in this economy when isn't it?) try one spool of a neutral color of quality ribbon and feel the difference.

As for the specifics of the card: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, and Certainly Celery Cardstock, 5/8" Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, computer titling, and diamond jewel embellishment.

Reflection

This has got to be one of my favorite cards (at least that I've created in sometime.)  I should say that this was CASEd from two different cards that I saw on SCS in the Clean & Simple challenge.  Beyond the beauty of the card is just the ease of it.  Such a simple card to make and to achieve such a classic look.  Do I wish I would have had a SU ribbon?  Yes, but I'm still trying to build my supplies not to mention the business.

Speaking of which, the business that is.  I wish I could report that things are moving along swimmingly but that would be a lie.  I'll just say that I am my own best customer.  I never went into SU with the intention of following the traditional model of success - my aim was to grow an Internet business until the children are in school and then move into workshops and the like.  But I'm not so sure about that any longer. 

I am trying hard to remain confident and upbeat.  I know that my first "real" sale is there - I can feel it.   This evening I got an email from the upline of about at least 3 possibly higher from me (pardon me if I don't get the terminology correct.)  The email was really a report of the top sellers and gifts to them.  The writer's intention was probably to rally everyone to do better but it just distressed me.  $1,000 a month in sales is so far from my reach at this moment.  I'm good for this quarter but next is a whole other story.  Okay, now that I've done the usual Ben thing and talked way to much I'll go.

Thanks for looking and yes HE stamps and wants to sell Stampin' UP!

Artist in blue?

And here he is my little artist.  Jase was okay with the painting, there isn't a lot that he gets excited about.  Some of the things he gets excited about; Disney Cars (anything with Lightning McQueen) Yo Gabba Gabba (and Plexi) and dare I say it McDonald's (termed Hot Donnie's by the toddlers in the house.)

This layout was CASE-d from one on the SU Demo website.  This like the earlier post are great examples of doing pages without patterned paper.  It's a bit harder in the beginning but can be quite liberating in the end.  All the details about this layout can be found on my website:  He Stamps .

Thanks for looking and yes HE stamps.