Beginning May 1st, you do not need to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator to order this gorgeous new product suite from Stampin' Up! which will be available in the Annual Catalog which comes out June 1st, 2017. Unless you have been living under a creative rock, you have seen this suite all over Pinterest, on peoples Facebook pages, Instagram and more. It is call the Easter Palace Suite, and include 3 of the new In Colors available June 1st.  You can pre-order this bundle May1st! Yes, you, a customer, can pre-order. How cool is that! I love Stampin Up! for doing this. Download the product flyer here .  And, and, and, because I love what I do, I have a special that goes until May 20th. If you order the Eastern Palace Premiere bundle at $103.50 you will automatically get my Flight of the Dragonfly mail order class FREE, mailed to you all on me! Learn more about this class here. You will end up with an exclusive new product suite from Stampin' Up! and a beautif

New class has been added for May! It is mail order only! Details: Now through May 20, 2017 online/mail order $40 for six WOW cards, envelopes and a cute storage box, or FREE with any $100 order. Orders for kit only or any order placed through my website until May 20th, will receive this kit in the mail. The kit will come precut and stamped. You will just need scissors and adhesive to finish. The picture does not do these cards justice! Anyone can participate. To order just the class , send cash or check $40 to Sandy McManus, PO Box 1769, Minnetonka MN 55345. Email me if you have any other questions. If you place a minimum of $100 single order with me by May 20th , the kit will automatically be mailed to you. You should receive it by May 26th. Place order now. The colors in the cards are white, mint macaron, black, emerald envy and copper. The storage box will hold more than the 6 cards in the kit. This would make a great gift for someone you love, or just for your

During the first weekend of April I was blessed to escape for a 4 day weekend of scrapbooking with some good friends. The weather was fantastic and I escaped outside a few times for walks around the property. During these weekends there is always a lot of laughing, a lot of talking, this time some pretty intense stuff with a friend who has some issues at home, and fantastic cooking. I thing this is my fourth retreat here and with this group, though my count may be off. In any case, we are booked for next year already. This year, I worked on card swaps for the upcoming Stampin' Up! OnStage. Then I worked on one of our really  big trips from 2016. I did that in My Digital Studio, which I really need to upgrade to My Memories Suite, and I will soon. But I got a fair way through the trip. But here is the catch. In the first two days of our trip, we stopped at at least 5 places, plus Disneyland. All places are worth at least a page or two and all are important. It was a big tri

I love using negative space from dies and punches to display beautiful designer paper, like I did here with the hammer placing the Urban Underground designer paper behind the cut out. My post from April 25, 2017 (yesterday) talks about the supplies used. This card is approximately 3 x 6. I cut it so the fold is on the top and the card can stand on its own. Don't delay, be sure to get your Urban Underground supplies while they are still available. Sorry this is going to be a short post tonight. My hubs and I have been spending a lot of time in the evenings finishing up my studio (finally and Amen to that!). I am hosting my splines team meeting here this coming Sunday and I am so excited. This will be the first time the space has been used by more than my family and myself and my friend Jeny. This phase of the studio remodel is minutes away from being done and I will give a grand tour. As the hubs and I found out tonight, confirming our many years suspicion, there is only

Still plenty of time to register for my May Stamp A Stack, 3 locations and dates to choose from. Register here or by email  with the subject - Stamp A Stack. May Stamp-A-Stack 3 each of 5 card styles, $35 with envelopes. May many greeting options (Moms Day, Dads Day, Graduation, Wedding, Baby, Birthday and more) May 2, 5-8, Caribou Coffee, Glen Lake Minnetonka May 6, 10-1, My Hillside Retreat in Elk River May 9, 6-9, Caribou Coffee Coon Rapids at Gateway and Hansen Blvd REGISTER BY APRIL 30TH PLEASE! If you still want to participate in the Stamp A Stack but are unable to attend, the cost is $40 for class and prep fee and mailing. Please send a check to Sandy McManus, PO Box 1769, Minnetonka, MN 55345 and let me know you are sending a check so I can prep your materials ahead of time. Thank you. Read more information about the class here . Thanks. Hope to see you soon. Sandy

This darling item here would make a nice Dad (or Grad) gift. It is not a card, more like a bookmark or wall hanging or something. It is appropriately 3" x 7", I had to accommodate the letters, which are quite large. There is still time to purchase your Nailed it and Urban District stamp sets to get ready for your dad or grad. Shop Now Supplies used are very similar to several cards I have posted recently. Read here for supply details. I did fussy cut the letters and the black layer underneath the letters. Its hard to believe that I still have projects I have not shown you with the Urban Underground suite from the Occasions 2017 catalog. I just fell in love with the suite, the colors, the uses, and it is so nice to have guy stuff that isn't military or hunting. Those are important too, but didn't fit the guys in my life too well. Thank you for stopping by.

This! This stash of beautiful new Stampin' Up! supplies has got me excited. This is some of the items we were able to pre-order early for attending OnStage, one of the really cool perks of being a demonstrator! I did not get a change to play with my new goodies, but I did open and look at every sheet of the beautiful new designer series paper. There are framelits that cut out shapes (animals) in the top paper stash. I am so excited for this. No more fussy cutting special shapes out of paper. I cut so many sombreros and guitars out of the retiring Fiesta paper, my hand would get sore. I love the new label type shape punch (pictured). And that copper mesh ribbon? Oh so much fun, you can actually kind of mold it. Super cool stuff. Make sure you are on my mailing list. My open house for the new catalog is on my calendar . May 30th and 31st are the days to come get your catalog in person. Need one mailed, make sure to let me know in the next few days if you need it mailed.

I so blew my daily posting streak this week. After 4 weekends in a row gone for various reasons (cannot wait to unpack my suitcase for a few months), my groove got off. Easter came. It was quiet but nice here. I staying quiet as I was very tired. Church happened quietly. But my body, and quite frankly, my brain too, were shot. My knees needed a few days of nothing. My brain needed to flatline a few days. And then I got sick. Maybe I would have been better if I kept up my pace, not let the bad germs in, but you all know, it does catch up. Between my schedule, the travel and other factors, I was ripe for an illness. And because I had been busy I didn't pre-post some items like I normally would have. Argh. LIFE HAPPENS! Come Monday I was very worn down. Barely able to be up long stretches. Tuesday the migraine came. In this case, a burning building migraine. For those that get migraines, you know the kind, where if the house were on fire, you could care less if you got out? Yup, t

 Recently my husband turned the magical 50! It was a very quiet affair. I was at a scrapbooking retreat, our son worked, and our daughter was at college with no way to get home. I think he preferred this, as less fanfare meant it really didn't happen. Or so his thinking goes! It sounds like he had a lovely day. He had a sunny brunch on the deck. He went for a lovely walk at a nearby creek. Our son purchased a deli dinner from his grocery work and got him an iTunes card. He has a Nintendo Switch coming from me as soon as they come back in stock (patience). I had bought him a cake before I left. I tried to get him German Chocolate but the local store had been unable to get the proper supplies for weeks. So marble cake with rich chocolate frosting will have to do and the large 50 in gold frosting! Fifty is looking good on him. Relaxed and in charge of his life. What more can anyone ask for today. We all have a story to tell, and every story is worthy of documenting. Be sure

Bless us this Easter! He is Risen indeed!

This kit may be retired, but it is still a darn cute kit and I have included great tips for you, in case you still have a kit unassembled at home. The coordinating stamp set, Tin of Cards, still available for purchase until May 31, 2017!!! Download the tips PDF here . TIN OF CARDS PROJECT KIT Stampin’ Up! Item 138378 2015-16 Annual Catalog (retired item) $27.00 US Makes 16 cards and envelopes These instructions coordinate with the ones in the kit. They will help make assembly that much easier. I have assembled several kits with my instructions. Additional supplies you will need to complete your kit: Inks: Black, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Mint Macaron, Black StazOn ink pad Adhesives: Tombo green multipurpose glue, SNAIL adhesive, fin tip glue pen, optional dimensionals. Scissors Foam stamp pad Silicon craft sheet Scratch paper Tin of Cards Stamp Set Photopolymer • 138946 $17.00 (suggested clear blocks: a, b, g, h) 
  Tin of Cards stamp

At OnStage a week ago, I decided to stay at a local hotel, just to make the early morning easier. I roomed with Beth T, who is an amazing crafter. Seriously, she should open up her own paper flowers boutique. She has been hired by quite a few brides for her crafty prowess. She was so kind as to leave me a pillow gift. I was the crummy roommate who didn't get time to do that. I will do something nice for her later, I promise! The cool thing about this box is its mostly scoring and burnishing. No adhesives to hold the box together. Speaking of adhesives, and tools and Tool Box series, I will not be posting any of my series in April. I have just been out of town too much. It will be 4 weekends in a row. That has really thrown off my groove and rhythm. Back to the darling box. Beth copied a pattern that Pootles in the UK posted very recently. Click on the link to watch Pootles video instructions. I am giving all the love and talent to Pootles and Beth on these projects. Th

When I was at my scrapbooking retreat a few weeks ago, I scrapped a few unusual, well not really unusual, just a life event that I thought should be recorded. So now my secret, which was never a secret, more like a little known fact about me, is wide out in the open. I still keep up with games and devices. I am not a "gamer girl" by any means, I play specific games, and not that many at all. Back in the day when I was going to Gamestop a lot with my friend Berta, we became the Pokemoms. The gamer crew there were amused by us and our knowledge. But how is got into it is for another post another day! I still love the challenges that Pokemon brings. And you darn well bet I was playing Pokemon Go on about day 3 of release. Met a lot of really nice people that first week after its release. The Story (copied here for easier reading) Rory started playing Pokemon many years ago, after he got his Gameboy Advance. He started with Emerald because it was giving away a free adapt

Attention MN Scrapbookers: April 22, 10-10 pm My House All Day Craft and Crop FREE (this first time) I will have soup available.  Feel free to bring your own treats. There is a fridge and microwave and Keurig in the craft area. Try the Big Shot, stamps and punches. Feel free to bring your own paper for these tools. I will have adhesive for sale if you forget your own. Work on scrapbooking, card making, knitting, sewing and more.  Or just join us and read a book all day.  You will get directions upon registering. Minnetonka area. I do have projects leftover from other events available for purchase that day if you are interested. Prices range from $5-20 per project. I have not held an all day craft and crop in many years. It is time to return to my roots, and reality, force myself to work on stuff too. Join me on April 22. Register here .

This adorable home decor succulent kit is an affordable and easy to assemble piece. I have written up some tips for assembly for you. You can download the PDF here or follow below. Kit comes like this VERTICAL GARDEN PROJECT KIT Stampin’ Up! Item 142782 $23.00 US Coordinating tips, coincides with kit directions Kit Colors : Sweet Sugarplum, Calypso Coral, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe Additional Supplies Adhesives: Tombo green multipurpose glue, hot glue Pencil or small tubular object Calypso Coral and Tip Top Taupe ink pads Vertical Garden stamp set 7 photopolymer stamps 142996 $21.00 (suggested clear blocks: c, h)    Step 1 Punch out succulent petals Use a bone folder to help punch out pieces. Punch out all layers at the same time. It makes the pieces more stable and easier to work with the thin layers. Lay out in same pack arrangement after you punch them out. Step 2   Layout the petals Not