CHRISTMAS, CLASSES, DEALS & MORE

Hi everyone,

I've been a little behind on my weekly posting - but I'm happy to say that my basement is now ready to host my first class tonight! Seven ladies will be doing the Stitched With Cheer card class - looking forward to it! I've also been busy putting together some new items to show at the Open House this weekend (details below) and I will post those next week.

UPCOMING CLASSES | Are you interested in joining me for a class? I have included all classes on my EVENTS tab - have a look and see if any of them interest you. Plus I have a few CROP NIGHTS coming up in November that you might want to take advantage of!

 

PLACING AN ORDER? A few of you have been asking when I will be putting in my next Stampin' Up! order and if you can add some items to save on shipping - and the answer is yes and my next three scheduled orders are for Oct 31, Nov 5th and Dec 8th. If you want to order something for yourself, or as a gift you can email me your order by either of those dates to ensure it arrives before Christmas. You are welcome to also enter an order online through my online store as well.

FREE PAPER DEAL | There is still time to get your order in to take advantage of the great Designer Series Paper Sale. Order three packages of $14.50 paper and get one FREE! Great time to stock up on your Christmas papers or split with a friend and get a variety of different designs! Deal ends Oct 31 - don't miss out!

BROCKVILLE OPEN HOUSE |  If you are in the Athens/Brockville area we would love to have you join us on Sunday, October 30th between 2-4pm at 772 Tupper Street, Brockville for an OPEN HOUSE. This is a great chance to see the latest products and catalogues from Stampin' Up!, try out some of the products by making a card, enjoy some yummy treats, see class projects in person and place orders. PLUS you'll have a chance to win some free stuff! Stop in and say hi, bring a friend!


CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING & RECEIVING | Its less then 2 months away from Christmas and the snow we received yesterday (though now all gone) helped get me in the mood for Christmas shopping and crafting! Are you ready for Christmas? Do you have a crafty friend who would love to receive a monthly kit (Paper Pumpkin) in the mail? Or an All-Inclusive Kit? Or would you like to put together a fun set of cards to give to someone? Stampin' Up! has some great ideas for all your gift giving needs.

OR are you the crafter and would love to have some Stampin' Up! product under the tree? Fill out the Christmas Wish List and either send out to family and friends or send to me to send to your family and friends.

I also offer gift wrapping and gift certificates! Email me at amy.grendel@gmail.com for more information.

A Peak At My Christmas Albums

Well I had hoped to get this up earlier but we have been busy around here with work and getting our basement finished - I'm so excited to soon have a dedicated place for classes and workshops! 

As I mentioned last week - I am VERY excited to be able to offer a HELLO DECEMBER kit through Stampin' Up! I love to document our holidays - especially Christmas - there are so many traditions and its such a busy month its easy to have something to take a photo of each day.  

I made a video showing you my past Christmas albums. Now its a 14 min video (yikes!) so feel free to skim through it. My main reason to show you these is so that you can see what kind of things I documented. In the beginning it was mostly a way to document our traditions, but then I stumbled on Ali Edwards December Daily and was hooked to document each day of the month leading up to the 25th. These are great albums I bring out during the holidays to look through and share with family. I hope you will enjoy a peak into my albums: 

Some years I have planned my album ahead of time, selecting products and method (size of album, page protectors, etc.), before the month so that I could put the bones of the album together before December. What I like about this is that it keeps the process simple - once the month starts I just take my photos and keep track of my journalling. Then I either work at it each day or put it all together once the holiday is done. In other years I have waited until the end of the holiday before assembling the album. 

If I do put the album together before hand I try to keep it fairly simple so that in case the photos from a certain day don't go with what I have planned I can move things around. Which is why I love using the Project Life pocket pages. 

Once the album has been laid out, most of the work has been done. Then you just need to add your photos and journaling as you celebrate the season. Hello December is such a fun tradition to begin, and it enhances the holidays as you share and enjoy memories.

When I first heard about December Daily/Hello December a few years ago, I was worried that my life was just not that exciting, what could I document EACH day. But looking back I realize that some of my favourite memories documented are the every day moments - I like those mixed throughout the holiday events! You could also use days where you don't have anything planned to highlight something you love about the season—like the Christmas CD playing in your car or the holiday mail you received from a friend or that yummy treat that only comes at Christmas time.

Here are a few photo prompts to help your creativity flow. Please leave a comment below if you have a suggestion to add to the list!

                        Advent calendar

                        Christmas traditions

                        Letter to Santa/Visit to Santa

                        Shopping list

                        Family activities

                        Christmas tree

                        Christmas lights

                        Baking holiday treats

                        Wrapping gifts

                        Christmas carols

                        Craft or DIY

                        Mailing of handmade cards

                        To-do list

                        The weather outside or temperature

                        Colours of Christmas

                        Visitors

                        Food prep or menu planning

                        Elf on the Shelf

                        Yummy December treats

                        Family photos

                        Decorations

                        Parties

                        Hanging the stocking

                        Memories from childhood

                        Favorite movies

                        Gingerbread

                        Wise words about the season

                        School activities

                        Mail or gifts arriving in the post

                        City decorations

                        Church celebrations

                        Gifts being opened

                        Exchanging gifts

                        Store displays

                        Shopping (seeing presents before they’re wrapped)

                        Compare a moment from last Christmas to one from this Christmas

                        Before and after; for example, before-and-after pictures of the kitchen during     

                           Christmas cooking and baking

                        Trying something new

                        What CD is playing in the car

                        Cleaning up

                        Travel

If you are interested in putting together your own Hello December album - there is still time to get your order in! 

Hello December Starter Kit | Cost $60 + tax | Includes two of the 6"x8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages (you decide which packs), the Hello December Card Collection and the Hello December Accessory Pack. PLUS Bonus Die Cuts and Embellishments

Hello December Full Kit | Cost $75 + tax | Includes the Emerald Envy 6" x 8" Project Life Album, two of the 6"x8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages (you decide which packs), the Hello December Card Collection and the Hello December Accessory Pack. PLUS Bonus Die Cuts and Embellishments

PLUS if you purchase the starter kit or the full kit you have FREE access to the CROP NIGHT on Friday, November 25th. You can come anytime between 6pm and 9pm and use my assorted stamps, adhesive and papers to put together your album.

If you would like to purchase your own supplies or just some of the supplies and put together your own kit - you are more than welcome to still join us for the CROP NIGHT - the cost is $15 or FREE with a $25 order. 

Please sign up by November 5th to make sure your bundle/products arrive on time!

For more details or to order your kit/supplies please contact me at

amy.grendel@gmail.com or 613-888-0589. 

Document the holidays - HELLO DECEMBER

I am beyond excited to share with you a creative way to document the holiday season! If you love to scrapbook or if you have never put a picture in an album before - you will love this simple yet stunning project!

Project Life Hello December is all about helping you document those special moments, traditions, and fun activities you enjoy with family and friends during the month of December. Almost everyone takes photos on camera phones these days, and for me it has become natural to capture a moment using my phone. Hello December provides an accessible, fun approach to documenting and sharing your December photos and memories in one simple album.

Project Life is not meant to be overwhelming or stressful. The whole idea is to spend time making memories, not documenting them. Hello December helps you quickly and easily capture the 25 days leading up to December 25—all of those stories of December—from the treats and the decorations to the traditions and every day life.

Your goal is to tell one story each day. That might mean one picture or several. That might include a few lines of journaling or a lot of journaling. Most of the layouts will feature Christmas. However, they don’t have to, as sometimes the everyday events that keep us busy in December are the stories we really want to remember.

Speaking from experience (and many who have taken part in Hello December during past years would agree) the key to keeping the process simple is to set up the album structure before December. 

Below I have included a few ways to help you with that - including a list of suggested products, a few bundles of suggested products and a night for you to come out and put your album together. 

To get started you need the Emerald Envy 6" x 8" Project Life Album (142009), Project Life Photo Pocket Pages (Variety Pack 135297 or Variety Pack 2 142010), the Hello December 2016 Project Life Card Collection (142004), the Hello December 2016 Project Life Accessory Pack (142693). 

(Please note: you will most likely require more than one pack of pocket pages.)

Better yet, you can purchase the Project Life Hello December 2016 bundle from me and receive a bonus pack of assorted die cuts and embellishments! 

Hello December Starter Kit | Cost $60 + tax | Includes two of the 6"x8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages (you decide which packs), the Hello December Card Collection and the Hello December Accessory Pack. PLUS Bonus Die Cuts and Embellishments

Hello December Full Kit | Cost $75 + tax | Includes the Emerald Envy 6" x 8" Project Life Album, two of the 6"x8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages (you decide which packs), the Hello December Card Collection and the Hello December Accessory Pack. PLUS Bonus Die Cuts and Embellishments

PLUS if you purchase the starter kit or the full kit you have FREE access to the CROP NIGHT on Friday, November 25th. You can come anytime between 6pm and 9pm and use my assorted stamps, adhesive and papers to put together your album.

If you would like to purchase your own supplies or just some of the supplies and put together your own kit - you are more than welcome to still join us for the CROP NIGHT - the cost is $15 or FREE with a $25 order. 

Please sign up by November 5th to make sure your bundle/products arrive on time!

For more details or to order your kit/supplies please contact me at

amy.grendel@gmail.com or 613-888-0589.

I will be back later in the week with more information about what to include in the album 

and a look at past albums I've put together.

For now I will leave you with a Stampin' Up! video that shows you whats included in this years Hello December card collection and accessory pack. 

TABLE IS SET & THE DESSERTS ARE YUMMY!

Putting on the finishing touches of everything before the holiday weekend begins and wanted to share with you a few sweet treats...

A favourite dessert of mine and my families is the mini chocolate cheesecakes I bake in short mason jars. It really is simple. You can really use any cheesecake recipe - just know that approx. one brick (8oz) of cream cheese will make 4 jars.

We love the Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

1 cup - chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup - butter (melted)
caramel topping
2 pkg cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 lg. eggs
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (melted)

Heat oven to 350F
Mix Crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of each jar. Bake for 10 mins. Pour caramel sauce over crust once out of the oven and let cool.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.
Add eggs one at a time and then stir in melted chocolate.
Add filling to each jar and bake for 25 mins and then check every 5mins until set.
Chill overnight.
Top with your favourite garnishes.




Another dessert I am serving tomorrow is my mom's Pumpkin Pie

1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup white sugar
3 tsps vanilla
1 1/2 tsps nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Mix together the above and then add
1 1/2 cups warmed milk
3 eggs.

Pour mixture over prepared pie dough. Bake at 425F for 20 mins then 350F for at least 30mins or more. You can tell its done when you can dip a knife in and it comes out almost clean and is almost set in the centre.




Ok enough of the recipes - another sweet treat I wanted to share with you...
a few fun videos from Stampin' Up!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - see you back next week!

BROCKVILLE CLASSES & OPEN HOUSE

I'm so excited to announce a few changes to our Brockville classes and a NEW event...

My lovely mother will be our host (772 Tupper St., Brockville) on Sunday, October 30th from 2-4pm. And we want to make sure that you all know that everyone is welcome - whether you are new to crafting, have been crafting for years or have no idea what Stampin' Up! is.

I will be showcasing new products from both the Annual Catalogue and the Holiday Catalogue, details and examples for 3 new classes (see below for more details & NEW dates), several creative ideas for the holidays, and of course there will be yummy goodies to enjoy as you look. There is also some chances to win FREE stuff and create your own card using Stampin' Up! products!

If you have any questions you can contact me via email or phone.

amy.grendel@gmail.com | 613-888-0589

I have finally updated my EVENTS TAB - so if you are interested in knowing more about these classes you can click on the events tab and go through the October, November and December calendars. 

PLUS - I'm excited to say I have added a NEW class I will be offering in November in Kingston. Have you heard of December Daily albums?

December Daily® is a December photo/story centred project, first created by Ali Edwards, that documents the 25 days leading up to Christmas. The simple goal is to capture the spirit of December via one story/picture per day all in one album. That being said many people have altered this project to fit their needs/styles.

I will be offering a kit and class with the December Daily theme. Stay tuned for more details next week. I look forward to sharing this holiday tradition with you! 

THANKSGIVING PREP #2

Happy hump day! We are half way through the weekend and because of the holiday week many of us get a shorter work week next! Woohoo!

So I wanted to share with you quickly what I did with the September Paper Pumpkin kit for my upcoming Thanksgiving dinner guests. It was so easy and quick it took me 15 mins (or less) to put these cuties together and I still have lots leftover! I filled each with some festive candy corn. In their example they have used mints. You could also use M&M's or other small treats.

Here is a quick video showing you what was in the September kit and how easy it is to make these cute treat holders!

There are so many ideas out there on different ways to use these guys as well - including giving away spices with a thank you gift (add a tub of cinnamon with a loaf pan a fresh apples as a cute hostess gift) or put in some bath salts or loose tea or sprinkles...the list goes on and on. To see more ideas just go to youtube.com and google Paper Pumpkin Sept 2016 alternatives - so many suggestions!.

And don't forget now is the time to sign up for Paper Pumpkin - as the BOGO deal will soon end (October 10th) so you will pay $26.95 for October and then get a free kit in November. You can count on some cute stamps, a new stamp block, ink spots and lots of supplies to create some fun items.

Click here to check out the site and find out more. Don't forget to use the coupon code BOGO when you check out.

THANKSGIVING PREP - PART #1

Its hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this coming weekend! I wanted to share a few projects I put together tonight to help decorate my table and give ideas if you are attending a get together and need a hostess gift.

So for the table - I have a few fall decorations already that sit on my table and will work for our family dinner, but I always like to add a little something special for each of the guests. And when I was looking on Pinterest for some ideas - I thought these utensil pockets were really cute.

So I put together this... with the help of some digital paper printed on my home computer and some cute leaves and pumpkins cut with the help of my silhouette.

If you are wanting to do something like this - Stampin' Up! Had several fall and Christmas products to help you. 

I also thought it would be cute with just the tag and leaves. And even add the name of the guest...

And then using those same products I put together a tag to go on a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider (my favourite!). Again very simple - a large tag folded and a circle cut with a circle punch. 

Other hostess gifts could include a lovely fall scented candle (my favourite is Leaves from Bath & Body Works - smells like fresh apple cider) or fresh flowers for the centre of the table. 

It might be too close to this holiday to make a few projects - but there is a lot of time to plan for Christmas. Grab a paper pack, a set of stamps, a punch or die set and have fun creating! 

Have a look through the holiday catalogue for lots of ideas!

One last note - there is still time to place an order and take advantage of some great deals!

Email me (amy.grendel@gmail.com) by 8pm on Oct 5th to add your items to my order and save on shipping. 

And check out the great deal on paper!

If you don't need three packs - maybe you and a friend could share!

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