Do you have the creativity of a warthog? - Charly's Ink Link April 2011

Are You Creative?

 

Does it matter?  I don't care if you have the creativity of a warthog, you still have the ability to make a beautiful gift.  

Whether you want to give a thoughtful card, or share your photos and memories with your children, if you have two hands with opposable thumbs you can make these things.  

Stampin' Up! provides stamps so you never have to draw, Designer Series paper so you never have to try to put your own colors together, and the most fabulous and easy-to-use tools.  

Hundreds of blogs and websites exist to give you ideas, layouts, designs, and technique tutorials.  

But most of all, putting it all together is my job.  I am your personal coach when it comes to papercrafting, and I am awesome at what I do.  

So I dare you to be the least creative person on earth.  I can help you make projects you will be proud to give away - and your recipients will be touched to receive.  It's not about how creative you can be.  It's about making someone happy with your hand made, beautiful, greeting cards and scrapbook pages.  

Easter and Mother's Day Class

Join me on the 23rd at 2:00pm at my house to make six simple cards.  For April we will be using the paper Elegant Soiree, with its spring-like colors of earthy browns and cheerful blues.  Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, birthdays, "get well", or just "thinking of you", these cards will be great to have on hand.  

While these cards look sophisticated, they are really very simple to put together.  Class fee is only $15 for 6 different cards, or place a catalog order of $25 or more and the class will be free.  Please contact me by 4/14 to reserve your spot.  

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Calendar

Apr. 14: Easter & Mother's Day class sign-up

Apr. 14 6:30: Simply Adorned Bracelet Club

Apr. 23 2:00: Easter & Mother's Day Class

Apr. 24 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

May 19 Congrats and Condolences sign-up

May 19 6:30: Simply Adorned Bracelet Club

May 28 2:00: Congrats and Condolences class

May 29 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

June 16 Summertime and Picnics sign-up

June 16 6:30: Simply Adorned Bracelet Club

June 25 2:00: Summertime and Picnics class

June 26 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

Simply Adorned Bracelet Club

Make a personalized, totally unique charm bracelet for yourself or for a gift.  Buy one charm each month, or buy the entire bracelet at once, it's up to you.  Order your charms ahead of time, then come to our club meetings to use my supplies and ideas.  What is more fun than friends, crafts, and jewelry?

Freestyle Stamping Club

Come to my Freestyle Stamping Club to give yourself a little crafting time and stamp with friends.  I will provide ink, some stamp sets, basic tools, and I will have paper packs available for $5.00.  Or bring your own materials, any brand.  There is no fee, and everyone is invited!  Please RSVP.   

April - Easter and Mother's Day Class

Come make six pretty and elegant cards which can be used for a variety of occasions - including Easter or Mother's Day.  Class fee will be $15.00, or place a $25 catalog order and the class will be free.  Please sign up by April 14th to reserve your spot.  

May - Congratulations and Condolences

We all need cards for both happy and sad events.  In this class we will make six cards, including wedding cards, new baby cards, and condolences cards.  Please sign up by May 19th so supplies can be prepared.  Class fee will be $15 or a $25 catalog order.  

June - Summertime and Picnics class

This month we will make four different 12"x12" scrapbook pages with a summertime theme.  Each layout will be easily reproducible with other stamps and papers, so make four pages in class and  more at home.  I will also talk about scrapbooking for non-scrappers.  Class fee will be $15 or a $25 catalog order.  Please sign up by June 16th so I can order your supplies. 

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May Baskets

Celebrate May Day this year by surprising others with these cute May baskets.  These little baskets are perfect for holding a handful of treats and leaving anonymously on co-workers' desks or neighbors' front porches.  

This month book me for a private class and I will show you and your friends how to make this adorable basket and a matching card.  These would also be perfect for a wedding or party favors.  

This is a great time to host a class, since hostesses can earn a beautiful set of products for free!  With the Spring is Blossoming promotion, earn both the stamps and the papers shown here for free if total orders equal $350 or more.  Call me to book your private class today!

Color Challenge

It's April - Happy Birthday to me and all my other April birthday friends! This month I chose a color combination which looks bright, happy, and energetic.   Try making a project using Concord Crush, So Saffron, and Pear Pizzazz.

Here's a tip- always keep some white ribbon on hand, like this 5/8" organza ribbon (item #114319). When you need ribbon of a specific color, just dye the ribbon by rubbing it on a Classic ink pad, or color it with Stampin' Up! markers (shown here). Concord Crush ribbon is available, but I don't have any so I made my own using this method. 

Technique Challenge

Birthdays, baby showers, and weddings are all good excuses to have cake.  Now you can have this cake and eat one too!  These mini cakes are fun as gifts, party favors, or table decor.  They are made with an LED tea light, scraps of paper, and a 1-3/4" scallop circle punch.  They can be ornate like this wedding cake, or quick and easy like the birthday cake.  

Tip: If you want to make a lot of cakes, I suggest using a Simply Scrappin' kit.  With patterned paper and matching decorative borders you can decorate an LED cake in a snap.  To make the center hole, use a hand held hole puncher and punch several holes as close to the center as you can, to make one larger, centered hole.  Ask me to demonstrate! 

Charly Bratt
Independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator
(970) 206-9120
CharlysInkLink@gmail.com

September 2010 Newsletter - Simply Adorned Jewelry

Simply Adorned Workshop

Get compliments on your jewelry every day! With Simply Adorned jewelry, the necklace and bracelet (see next page) are attractive on their own. But with your hand made inserts, your creativity adds the beauty and the colors. You can have a new look for your jewelry every day to match the season or your outfit, without ever having to buy another necklace or bracelet! 

Even if you can't draw a stick figure, by using gorgeous Stampin' Up! stamps you can create the images you like most.

Let's get together and have a workshop! I'll show you how to make jewelry-worthy tiny pieces of art. You'll learn the Emboss Resist technique (used on all the samples here), which is so impressive and yet so easy. The workshop is free, and you and all your friends will go home with 6 inserts each for your necklaces. 

The only thing more fun than new jewelry is... friends, food, crafts AND new jewelry! Call me to book your workshop. 

Three "Scrap Cards"

For those of us who don't have the time to scrapbook, there is now something easier - scrap cards!  

Send one in the mail and make somebody's day, use one as a Christmas card design, and keep your favorite one on your desk.  All three of these designs are perfect to display. 

Come to my class on Sept. 25th and make one of each of the card designs shown here.  We will assemble and decorate these cards, you can add your own photos later.  You will also receive instructions so you can make more of these cards at home.  

Wow your long-distance family and friends by sending them the best greeting card they've ever received.  Class fee is only $9.00.  Please sign up by Sept. 16th.  Call or email me to reserve your spot.  

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Calendar

Calendar Update: All classes have been moved to the 4th Saturday of the month (except December), and the Freestyle Stamping Clubs are on the Sunday following the class.  

Sept. 16: Scrap Card class sign up

Sept. 25 2:00: Scrap Card class

Sept. No Freestyle Stamping Club in Sept.

Oct. 14: Stamp 'n Watercolor sign up

Oct. 23 2:00: Stamp 'n Watercolor class

Oct. 24 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

Nov. 18: Brayer Class sign up

Nov. 27 2:00: Brayer Class

Nov. 28 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

Dec. 9: Snowflake Ornament sign-up

Dec. 18 2:00: Snowflake Ornament Class

Dec. 19 2:00: Freestyle Stamping Club

Freestyle Stamping Club

Come to my Freestyle Stamping Club to give yourself a little crafting time and stamp with friends.  I will provide ink, some stamp sets, basic tools, and I will have paper packs available for $5.00.  Or bring your own materials, any brand.  There is no fee, and everyone is invited!  Please RSVP.  

September Class - Scrap Cards

Scrapbooks can be big, intimidating projects, but scrap cards (cards with photos and journaling) can be made in a snap!  Come learn to make 3 scrap card designs.  Class fee is $9.  Please sign up by Sept. 16th.  

October Class - Stamp 'n Watercolor

Try something new!  With a stamp and an Aqua Painter it's hard to go wrong.  Come make a hand-painted card and gift box.  Class fee is $20 and includes an Aqua Painter set.  Please sign up by Oct. 14th so I can order your supplies.  

November Class - Using the Brayer

I'll show you tips and techniques to take you from "what is a brayer?" to becoming a brayer goddess.  We will be making a card and also a photo background suitable as a gift.  Class fee is $17 and includes a brayer.  Please sign up by Nov. 18th so I can order your brayer in time.  

December Class - Snowflake Ornaments

Become the King of Bling!  We will be using the Big Shot to make snowflake ornaments, and I will show you several techniques to make them glitter.  Class fee is $12 and includes rhinestones.  Please sign up by Dec. 9th.

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Simply Adorned Bracelet Club

I love wearing personalized jewelry - with charms that hold pictures of my boys, colors that match my clothes, and images that match my style.  Charm bracelets are very fashionable right now, but many of them are out-of-this-world expensive!  Luckily, with Simply Adorned bracelets you can have the best of everything:  Personalized charms, and for an affordable price.  

To add even more fun, sign up for my Simply Adorned bracelet club!  We will meet 3 times, and each time I will show you another technique for decorating these tiny charms.  We will play with glitter, embossing, tiny punches, pearls and rhinestones.  I will even show you how to customize your favorite photos to fit.  

Bonus: When you pay for each bracelet installment on time, I will give you a free Filigree brad (the flower charms in the photo) to add to your bracelet as a bangle.  

Buy the entire bracelet for only $51.35 (total includes tax and shipping), or pay in three installments.  

Join the club and we'll meet on September 16th, October 14th, and November 18th at 6:30pm at my house.  Are those bad dates for you?  Start your own club, on your own schedule, with 3 or more of your friends! (4 person minimum.)  Call me or email me for more information.

Back To School Pencil Jar and Pencil Toppers

This great little pencil jar is quick to make and quicker to decorate.  Give one to your teacher, your favorite student, or change the style and keep one on your own desk.   

You'll need the Thick Window Sheets (114324) and Sticky Strip (104294) to make the jar, and Play Date Quick Accents (117172) to decorate with this Back to School theme.  Ask me for a full instruction sheet. 

These pencil toppers are also fun to make - switch out the colors and stamps to make them in a birthday theme, or a Halloween or Christmas theme.  

Other Supplies used: 

Real Red card stock, Play Date designer paper, metallic brads, Snail, Scallop Edge punch, Circle Scissors Plus, Paper snips, Paper Piercing tool, Mat Pack

For pencils: Real Red, So Saffron, Old Olive, and Tempting Turquoise card stock; Real Red, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Basic Black ink; Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8 Circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, and Every Little Bit stamp set.  

What do you want?

I've been doing some reading and listening to audiobooks recently, to help me grow my business.  I learned something I may have already known but didn't want to think about: the importance of setting goals. 

I've been going along in my business this last year, just going with the flow, taking things as they came.  It's a non-stressful way to do business, but also a fairly non-productive way at the same time.  Sure my business has grown, but not by much.  I can't say that I am where I want to be today.  So...where do I want to be? 

I somewhat arbitrarily decided I wanted to win the free trip Stampin' Up! is offering - they're giving away trips to Walt Disney World, and they've even reserved Disney's Boardwalk Resort hotel for us.  Woo-hoo!  I want to go!  But how can I produce those big sales, recruits, and downline promotions?  I have no idea.  But I never tried before.  How will I know what I'm capable of if I don't try?  And what happens if I fail?  Um.... I'll have done better than I ever have before?  Is that really all that bad?

My friend Susan says to always aim high.  She says you often miss your goal by just a leeeeeetle bit.  But since doing so makes you so much more productive than you've ever been, even losing is a winning situation. 

So I'm determined to win that trip some day.  I'll work on it this year, and if necessary next year, and every year until I get it.  Then I'll take a look at my business, and pick a new goal. 

When I try to picture myself in my perfect business situation, I see myself with constant workshops and classes, I see myself running one or two clubs, and having a downline.  (I'm reading all this great inspiring material, now I want some stamping sisters to share it with!) 

So far I don't dream of having a downline in excess of 300 people.  I don't see myself on the Advisory Board, or in Founders Circle.  I am, after all, a stay-at-home-mom first and a Stampin' Up! demonstrator second.  But just wait.  I may just make that my goal next year. 

On another note, for those who don't like blog posts without pictures, here's Trotters the Pig.  He's my first attempt at designing punch art, and from the comments I've gotten, people like him.  I never thought I could design punch art before, and now I made myself a pig.  What if becoming a huge business success is just as easy as deciding to give it a shot?

Ingredients:

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Whisper White

Tempting Turquoise ink

Basic Black marker

2-step Owl Punch, handmade cloud template, stampin' sponge, paper snips

Charly Bratt

Independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator
(970) 206-9120
CharlysInkLink@gmail.com
http://charlysinklink.blogspot.com/

Man of Mystery

I had such fun making this little guy today!  I found the directions for the Man of Mystery on Ellen Kemper's blog, the streetlight I just pieced together with various circle punches.  I have no idea how people like Ellen can dream up these amazing creations!  Man of Mystery is made entirely with shapes from the Two-Step Owl Punch (item #118074, $16.95).  Give me a call to order yours today!  

Charly Bratt

Independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator

(970) 206-9120

CharlysInkLink@gmail.com

http://charlysinklink.blogspot.com/

December 2009 Newsletter - Holiday Photo Cards

Holiday Photo Cards

Would you like to make holiday photo cards this year but you don't want to spend a lot of time or trouble? Make an appointment with me and I will help you create amazing holiday cards with your digital photos. Stampin' Up's professional printer can print on both sides of the inside of your card as well as the front! Include a holiday letter in your card this year, or more photos, or just use Stampin' Up's beautiful images to customize your card inside and out. If you already have the pictures you want to use in your card this year, call me to make an appointment just to see what we can do. Here is an example of one possible card inside layout - what would be in your card?

Sale-A-Bration: The Biggest Event of the Year!

Every year Stampin' Up's biggest event is Sale-A-Bration, and every year Sale-A-Bration gets better and better! This year Sale-A-Bration will run from January 5th - March 31, and there are more free stamp sets available than ever.

Sale-A-Bration is the big sale where you can earn free stamp sets and other product in several ways. First of all, for every $50.00 you spend on any Stampin' Up! products, you will earn one of the stamp sets or other goodies as shown in this year's Sale-A-Bration catalog. That catalog is coming to you in the mail this month - if you don't receive yours by the end of December let me know and I'll be sure to give you one. Since the new mini catalog is coming out at the same time, it will be very easy to find $50.00 worth of stamps you'll want to buy. There is no limit to the S-A-B rewards you can earn, so for example, if you order $150 in products you'll be able to choose THREE free Sale-A-Bration sets!

Secondly, when you host a workshop, in addition to all the free hostess gifts and products you would earn at any time, hostesses will receive a free Sale-A-Bration set for every $300.00 in workshop orders. If you remember that many of your guests will be trying to buy $50.00 worth of products, getting to $300 or even $600 in orders will not be hard.

Thirdly, if you have been thinking about becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator like me, this would be the perfect time to do it. Both the regular and the digital starter sets are 15% off, and in addition you can choose any stamp set valued up to $47.95 to receive for free!

In short, Sale-A-Bration is an event you won't want to miss, and it's definitely the best time of the year to host a workshop. Call me today to choose your workshop date! You'll have an easy instant party, your guests will have fun, and you'll earn free stamp sets. What could be easier?

Holiday Goodie Jar

Do you need a hand-made, heartfelt gift to give to teachers, friends and neighbors? Wouldn't it be nice if this gift could also be made quickly and easily and didn't cost a lot of money? Holiday goodie jars are simple and fast to make, and always fun to receive. The Delightful Decorations tags are the perfect touch, and with the ornament punch cutting them out is fast and fool-proof.

Supplies:

• Merry Moments designer series paper
• Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon
• Silver or Gold elastic cord
• Delightful Decorations stamp set
• Ornament punch
• SNAIL adhesive
• Sticky Strip adhesive
• 1 glass 1-quart jar w/ lid

Contact me by Dec. 15th to order in time for Christmas!

Charly Bratt

CharlysInkLink@gmail.com

www.CharlysInkLink.StampinUp.net