Today's the Day!

The Vendor Fair is over and what can I say? We had a beautiful day to be outside. I enjoyed myself tremendously and did not pack up until 2PM. Unfortunately it was a quiet day for attendance, but I did set up a booking with Jessica and placed an order for a new found friend, Marne'.
She sells for the Angel Company but she is a beautiful woman with a golden heart! And I even have three names who are interested in attending the monthly workshops....Woo Hoo! Maybe I will not have to get out of SU afterall......for the present time. I am so wishy washy. One minute I fear my physical being can't deal with it and the next, I really don't want to give up on it. I love the creating, and the fellowship of getting together with my ladies and teaching new techniques. What to do, what to do? On the other hand, being one's own best customer is not a really productive manner in which to conduct business.

And the absolute best part of today, was that my friend Pat, came over and sat with me and visited for an hour or so. We caught up on a lot of news from work and will have breakfast together on the 8th of August at Perkins. Oh it was so nice to see and visit with her again! We've worked together for years but now we are in different buildings and have been for quite some time. She made my heart very happy today!

Well today's card was what we featured at last week's workshop. It's called a Pyramid card and of course I learned the technique from the Technique Junkie newsletter. It's the same design stamped on the same size paper in 5 different colors. The darkest layer becomes your bottom layer, then on each consecutive piece of the pyramid, you cut an equal amount from all four sides of the piece and match the picture to the piece below, in a layered pattern. The cards are so cool in real life. My ladies really enjoyed making the card and it was a great afternoon.

I hear tomorrow will be as nice as today and I hope you all make the most of it! This has been a gorgeous summer in the midwest! That's all for now friends!

Vendor Fair

Well a long week at work has finally drawn to an end! And it just couldn't have come any sooner!
This weekend we are participating in a vendor fair at 1315 Washington from 9Am-3Pm......join us if you can. I am hoping for a lot of leads for workshops or at least orders. I am very close to ending the demo part of Stampin Up, so this vendor fair and the one at the ARL in September will be the decision makers for me. Sales are slow and I certainly can not make up the difference for the minimum sales due on a quarterly basis. And then there are the knee and back issues I am experiencing. That's alot of fun when you are on your feet demonstrating or lugging your creative accessories around......up to a third floor apartment on the hottest day of the year. With my age and great physique, well, you can imagine.....so we are at a crossroads. I don't think I will give up the craft though. Being my own Hallmark store is all I ever really knew I wanted to do. Maybe a little low ambition, but I do enjoy stamping and color and being an "artiste", LOL!

Anyway, the picture of three artist trading cards is for the vendor fair tomorrow. On the back side I have labeled my name phone # and email address, thus a creative larger than life business card! The three above were designed in 2006 and I will work on more tomorrow at the VF. Pray that this is a success and not a waste of time...join us if you can...it should be a lot of fun.
There will be dealers from the Angel Co, Close to my Heart, Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Discover Toys, Party Lite, Avon, Tomboy Tools, Lia Sophia Jewelry, Longaburger, and several others. AND there will be prizes!!! Stop by for a visit! We'll show you a good time on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

It's been a little while....

Oh they should say bad luck follows me everywhere! LOL!
Can I tell you how many different CPU's I have had since April; how many times I have had to kill my system and reload it? Well, not me actually....the Miff Man does this for me....I have no patience! Groan of (frustration). Finally I have my scanner back and finally I can upload scans of my cards! Woo Hoo!

This card was done using Stampin Ups Asian Artistry set (dragonfly), Embrace Life (white flowers on the pink cardstock), and (grass) from the Inspired By Nature stamp set. The focal point of the card is from ISC's Women Around the World II, as is the layout of the card. It's ISC's July challenge and with your entry, you are eligible to win one stamp sheet from ISC if you used an ISC image with other stamps, or two ISC stamp sheets if you use only ISC images. I thought I would try my hand at it....I love their stamps and have an insatiable need for more......ok, I've just proved it, I am not playing with a full deck.....everybody happy now? Confession is good for the soul or so they say.
Anyhow, my next activity will be to upload the card to ISC's challenge. With that task I have not met with success! I call this card Lady of Grace.

Anyway, life goes on and change is inevitable. My best friend from work, Jeanne, will be retiring in August. She was my first real friend I made at the Blues when I first started, (working on 31 years now). She was preggers with her Bether and I was preggers with my Mikey. Oh we had big plans for these babies from the time they arrived. We were just sure they were going to be our connection to being family, but as they grew, they decided to have minds of their own and our plans were not to be. Deep sigh. I just don't know if I can continue to work without my friend there........wish I could also retire....a seed has been planted and I'd sure like to do it. Anyway, I am very excited for her.....can you believe it, she doesn't really care for horses and I just love her like a sister! :)

Just a few thoughts.....

Stars and Stripes forever!

Do you ever have a day where you feel like you were disassembled and put back together incorrectly? That's how I feel today. I am achey and tired and I really have no right to be tired. But I am certainly not thinking straight.

The artist trading cards pictured in this post were my gift to my unit this morning. I think I made 40 of them to honor out nation's birth. Once I distribute to the unit, then I hand out the extras to different ones on the floor. I think we have over 250 Customer service reps, and no way can I make enough for everyone, so I try to catch ones that I haven't given to before as well as my unit. A star spangled boy for a star spangled day! They were a real hit and I'm glad they were received so well. You can't really miss with a great stamp like this little guy. He reminds me of the grandsons and parades.

I'll keep this short today. Thanks go out to all who ever served our country and prayers for a safe return home to all who are in active duty at the present time. You are our country's finest and we owe you a big debt of gratitude. Thank you.

Happy Fathers Day

It is very few Sundays that my husband and I spend apart. Well once a month I leave him for my Stampin With Heart club meeting. But today, he has left me to my own devices and I am going to update my sorely missed blog and play music to my heart's content. He has gone to see Star Trek with our son for Father's day. The kids took us out to eat at Old Country Buffet, My hubbies favorite place to go and eat. Mandi has begged me not to choose there for Mother's Day, Lol! Wow was it ever packed.! So to all the father's out there, I wish you the happiest of Fathers Days! I still believe in fatherhood and the necessity of both parents in raising children, the American Dream and the good old red white and blue.

My own Dad was just about the best dad I could have ever wished for. Of course I know he spoiled me as I was the only girl, but he had a way about him. He was a considerably handsome man, hard working, great sense of humor. although he didn't appreciate my grandmother comparing him to an arangatang one time when we sent a picture post card home from the San Diego Zoo. LOL! But he was well loved by all five of us kids and I think as we grew older we all gained the wisdom that young adults do, he did the best he could to raise us and we turned out fairly well. I really miss him; I used to call and we would depress each other with our talks about the country going to pot. I miss those conversations and miss asking his opinion on so many things. His opinion seemed far more worthy than my own most of the time. And I miss seeing him at the kitchen table with his bedroom "do" first thing in the morning--coffee, paper, and hair standing up sort of like Kramer on Seinfeld wore his hair. With Kramer it was always mussed, but Dad would comb his eventually and look decent for the day. When he passed, there was an emptiness that will only be filled when we cross over from this life to the next. After I meet Jesus and thank him for all he did and all he provided me with, then I will sit down with my dad over a cup of coffee and have a long awaited visit and a hug!

Until then, I am content to watch my son and my son in law raise their sons, doing the best that they can. I'm grateful to my husband who practically raised our children, while I worked several years well over a forty hour week. And I am thankful for the partnership we have had for over thirty years together. Life has not been without it's trials, but whatever doesn't kill you , only makes you stronger. Or so they say.

The two pictures above are my dad holding four of five children , not sure Dennis was born yet, but he, Dad, was out of lap room. The second is a 4 generation shot of Miff with his dad and grandmother on dad's side and Michael. Also pictured is his youngest brother Georgie.

Again Happy Father's Day to all of you dad's, God love you!

Say good-bye to iris

Springtime and autumn are my two favorite seasons. I love the outside and appreciate the smell of fresh cut grass, lilacs and the smell of upturned earth. Spring rains wash away the remnants of winter. The sun pokes it's head just a little closer and coaxes all the tender flowers to push through the darkness and tranquility of dormancy to bloom and blossom, sharing the beauty of new life! It truly is a time of rebirth. I find myself this spring wanting to do what I've never done, be what I have never been and to start anew. Best to start with my own attitude I guess.

Anyway, Iris are my favorite flower. They come in all sizes and colors and they are gloriously shaped and designed. When we lived in our house on the east side, I planted 26 different varieties of IRIS. That was before my knees and my back gave out on me. I had one iris that was almost black, another that smelled like grapes, verigated iris and a beautiful dark rust color. Some had such huge blooms, the stem could barely stand up, otheres were small and petite.

To honor spring and my love of the IRIS, I have done the card featured here, using my favorite shades of the color purple. I can not remeber what company put out the stamp, sorry, but I am pretty sure, I bought it at Michael's, another favorite!

We are watching the boys today while the adult kids are at Laser Fest. I bet we have more fun than they do! Rigth now they are playing video games, but we'll be stamping before too long!That is a sure bet when they are at Grandma's house. Who knows I may have the next Picasso growing up right before my eyes!

Enjoy this last day of May. I certainly will!

Newsletter June 2009

Greetings everyone! Can you believe the Month of June is just around the corner!
I have been enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air and the excitement of Stampin Up’s transition to a new catalog come July!!!

June 1st, the retired list will be posted on line. Be sure and check out my demonstrator website at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stampwithheart/ and see the retired stamp sets. They will only be available through the 30th of June.

Anyone who orders three retired stamp sets will receive a free pack of colored paper from me during the month of June. This is my demonstrator offer to you and is not being offered through Stampin Up. You will need to place you orders directly through me in order to earn this freebie!

Summer Fun Hostess Bonus Promotion
Dates: June 1-30, 2009
Promotion Details:
The Summer Fun Hostess Bonus Promotion has two parts:
Hostesses who hold a $250-$399.99 workshop will receive an additional $20 in hostess free merchandise dollars.
Hostesses who hold a $400 or more workshop will receive an additional $40 in hostess free merchandise dollars.
Things to Remember:
Customer, demonstrator, Online, and workshop order types qualify for this promotion.
Hostesses may use their additional hostess free merchandise on any regular catalog or mini catalog merchandise.
Order deadlines:
Phone: Tuesday, June 30, 2009; 6:50 PM (MT)
OEX or Online Ordering: Tuesday, June 30, 2009; 11:50 PM (MT)

Monthly Meeting: June 28th, Sunday
Amy’s House, 1310 NW Eden, Ankeny
2-4 PM or whenever Amy turns us out
RSVP me at 515-865-4625 or
Email: miffbeth@q.com

We’ll work on a couple of cards, hear about Amy’s trip to convention in Minneapolis and see her most organized craft room that we will envy for the rest of our lives….LOL

Come join the fun with an afternoon at Amy’s!
Admission free to club member’s, $5.00 admission for non member’s to assist in covering expenses.

Ask me about club membership and see if the rewards are for you!

I hope to see as many of you as possible on the 28th…

Only two days left to get in on 12X12 paper, buy three and get one free. Please go to my on line website if you want to get in on the last minutes of this great sale from SU. This includes designer series paper paks and colored paper packs as well.
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stampwithheart/

That’s it for now Ladies.

Beth Cutwright
Stampin With Heart
515-865-4625
Email: miffbeth@q.com
Demonstrator website: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stampwithheart/
Blogspot: http://www.bethartfromtheheart.blogspot.com/