Teenager time

How can my baby boy already be a teenager? It seems like he was crawling just yesterday. Time has gone so fast.

Friday he turned 13 and he was thrilled that the new Star Wars movie opened on his birthday. He invited his cousins and a few friends and we al went off to see the movie. We all loved it (except for Daddy who slept through it, and Emma who never likes any movie).

Matthew had his heart set on a Star Wars cake of some sort. I used a clone trooper mask as my guide and came up with this one. It was a real challenge since he wanted a chocolate cake. Have you ever carved a chocolate cake into a custom shape then tried to ice it? Chocolate Crumb City.

So it's not quite Ace-of-Cakes quality, but it thrilled my Matthew so all is good. (Plus it tasted yummy too - homemade buttercream icing is one of my favorite things.)

One of his gifts was a new phone and we went yesterday and signed our new contract and got a new set of phones (Emma got one too). The kids are beside themselves with excitement. They are texting like crazy already. But my new phone is the best one - VX6900 (HTC Touch). It's got it all: Windows mobile, touch screen, full internet access... most excellent.

In stamping news, I GOT MY ORDER!

I only barely had time to unpack it yesterday, but I'm anxious to play with it all today and will have some samples to share soon. I do know that just from playing with some scratch paper, that I'm going to LOVE LOVE LOVE the Big Shot die cutter. I definitely need to start saving my pennies for more dies.

The new catalog is here!

The new catalog has been released and it is wonderful. I entered my order yesterday and I'm anxiously awaiting all my new goodies to arrive - especially all that new patterned paper and the BIG SHOT die cutting machine.

Other big news from Stampin' Up:

Sale on selected brand NEW sets!
Limited time special edition $99 starter kit with 3 options.
Online ordering (via my website) coming this fall.

Check out more info about all of this on my official Stampin' Up! website at www.stampinup.net/inkaura

Dying to see the new catalog - you can view it online! Cool huh?

My lovely daytime ladies came today (bearing cookies & flowers as a lovely birthday surprise!). One of the cards we made used the new set Inspired by Nature that I brought home from convention.

The card base is Mellow Moss and we stamped the leaves with Always Artichoke. The giant flower stamp was colored using markers - Mustard, Rust, Chocolate, & Artichoke.
(NO Olive - haha).

Whirlwind of Activity

It's a whirlwind here in more ways than one. I'm unpacking from convention and making wish lists and hunkering down for the tropical storm.

My favorite things about convention 08:

Time spent with my good friends.

Free stamps!

Winning a doorprize (woo hoo)

The new partnership with Sizzix - exclusive SU! Big Shot die cut machine and dies.

Online ordering coming soon through my demonstrator website (http://www.inklaura.stampinup.net/)

The Sock Monkey set (and the accessories to go with him).

New punches: 1 3/4" circle and a square scallop punch, and a scallop edge punch!

The new camping set: Bears, bedrolls, skeeters, and s'mores.

So many beautiful new Designer Series Papers.

The prints packs (single color double-sided DSP) are back with new patterns.

All the new sets are die-cut!

More Decor Elements (vinyl images for walls and more) to be unveiled soon

(click to see the brochure) in brand new exclusive designs.

We will have a new Spanish Catalog.

Back from Convention and Back in the groove.

Hi everyone! After some encouragement from my demonstrator friends and some motivation from convention, I'm back in the blogging & stamping groove.

Convention was an AMAZING fun time. I SO treasure the time spent with my demonstrator friends! We are not all from the same downline and have met over the years at Stampin' Up! events and just bonded. We share stamping projects, ideas, and laughs (lots and lots of laughs). Here we are on Saturday headed to Make & Takes.

I'm so excited to get busy stamping with my new sets (I brought home FIVE- three from Stampin' Up! when I picked up my new convention bag and catalog, one from a door prize (woohoo!), and one (the new Ronald McDonald House set) that UPS donated for every single demonstator there (Go Brown!))

The orthodontist awaits, so more later....