I was blessed to spend this past weekend with two wonderful women: Cheryl Lee and Nancy Forsberg. These two gals on my team are at the Silver Elite title. And this retreat is geared towards spoiling these leaders and to remind them about how special they are to me, their team members, and so many others.

This year we stayed at an Airbnb in the Highland Park area (an area of St. Paul) in Minnesota. We drove through snowy weather and arrived around noon on Friday. After unloading the car, we ventured out once more to pick up and bring back lunch from Panera.

Then we ate, unpacked, settled in, opened gifts (see below), and crafted with some new products. Friday’s make-n-takes included the newly released Light the Candles Card Kit from the Kits Collection. Because of the non-stop snow we stayed in the whole day and evening, I made tacos for dinner, and we watched a movie wrapped up in our new blankets.

We tried to stay awake. But we were all exhausted, in bed early, and slept hard and long that first night. Guess that meant we needed it.

On Saturday I prepared brunch (eggs, rolls, english muffins, and a mini yogurt bar), we completed more make-n-takes with the Home & Garden Bundle and the soon-to-be-available All Together Collection, and just hung out all day in the cute house enjoying each other’s company. (I’ll be sharing all these projects in the near future, so be sure you are subscribed to my blog posts.)

The day was sunny, but we stayed inside until dark so we could use the daylight for crafting. Saturday evening we visited the Highland Grill for dinner and then stopped to shop at Patina a bit afterwards. But it was super cold out. So that was it for exploring the area. And we headed back to the warm house to watch another movie before bed.

Sunday was “clean up day.” But we took our time, enjoyed more brunch from the day before, and just socialized. None of us were feeling too productive with any extra crafting or other work we brought. We DID take the time for this photo to show off the cards that Nancy and Cheryl had made Friday and Saturday.

This weekend really was a fun get-away. I adore and respect these gals so much. And it was an honor to spoil them.

Here are the invitations I sent them for this event. I used the new Flowing Flowers Stamp Set and Bough Punch, two of my favorites!

The color combination I chose mimicked the Stampin’ Up! floral graphics which you can see on some of the gift items below. I also used my computer to print out the inside invitation and agenda.

Products I used… See below for a complete list of products linked to where you can find them in my online store.

Measurements

• Basic White Cardstock
  • 4-1/4” x 11″ scored parallel to short side at 5-1/2”
  • 3-1/8″ x 3-3/8″ (inside layer)
  • 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ (post card)
  • Scrap for stamping and fussy-cutting the large flower
• Granny Apple Green Cardstock
  • 3-1/4″ x 3-1/2″ (inside layer)
  • Scrap for punching leaves
• Vellum Cardstock
  • Scrap for punching leaves

Directions for the front of the card…

• Stamp the Calypso Coral flower on the white scrap. Cut it out and use it to guide you for stamping the other flowers and leaves. Just don’t attach to the card until the other stamping is done.
• As I shared in my last YouTube Live on January 12th, I did some “stamp surgery”… I cut one of my floral stamps to separate the leaves.
• Stamp the leaves and smaller flowers. Stamp the sentiment.
• Press a clear block into the Coastal Cabana ink pad. Then use a wet Water Painter brush to pick up some of that ink. And tap the barrel of the Water Painter against a Bone Folder over the top of the card to catch some faint blue ink speckles.
• Using Dimensionals add the larger pink flower and punched leaves.
• Color a few pearls with the Blends Markers. Then add them to embellish the card.

Here are the gifts I gave Cheryl and Nancy. (See the floral design?! Too pretty.)

I purchased the navy plush, embroidered blankets through Tamra Davis from TaDa Moments. The gifts also included a set of 3 reusable SU Logo shopping bags,…

…Blue Adhesive Backed Gems and Rhinestones (that were clipped to the bags behind the gift tags which I stamped to match the invitations), note pads and sticker sheets inside mini floral folders, AND D-size etched clear blocks inside Mini Paper Pumpkin Boxes that I fancied up with more of the florals.

I plan to share the projects we made in the near future. In fact the Light the Candles cards will be in my next post along with my YouTube Live on Wednesday, January 19th. Thanks for stopping by! 

OH! A bit of news for those of you who subscribe to Paper Pumpkin kits…
The Kisses & Hugs Mini Treat Boxes, item #160147 (the optional add-on product for the January kit that just shipped) became available earlier than previously announced! Paired up with the Kisses & Hugs kit, subscribers can create stylish treat boxes to match the heart-shaped cards in the kit. These Kisses & Hugs Mini Treat Boxes are sold separately and only available to active Paper Pumpkin subscribers while supplies last.

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Flowing Flowers Cling Stamp Set

[157880]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[101856]

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[147110]

Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad

[147101]

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

[147095]

Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad

[147097]

Water Painters

[151298]

Bermuda Bay Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154878]

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154883]

Pearl Basic Jewels

[144219]

Bough Punch

[157711]

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

Paper Snips

[103579]

Take Your Pick

[144107]

Stampin' Seal

[152813]

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146990]

Basic White Medium Envelopes

[159236]

A BUNCH OF NEW PRODUCTS!
A new catalog filled with new products is here! Click here to view the online version of this new publication. Click here to shop these new products online. Click here to learn how you can get your hands on this new catalog.

EARN FREE PRODUCTS DURING SALE-A-BRATION
Earn free products by ordering, hosting, becoming a demonstrator or discount shopper, and more! Click here for the details.

WOULD YOU LIKE A TOUR?
Click here to learn how you can get your hands on a virtual tour of the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog! You can earn or purchase the tour within a downloadable PDF containing photos, supply lists, and measurements for 11 featured projects, along with links to corresponding videos showing the awesomeness of several of the new products, details for the featured creative projects, and many other creative samples. 

A PEEK AT FEBRUARY’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT
Grab your binoculars, buckle up, and hop into our off-road truck—there’s so much to see on this safari!
Answer the call of the wild—and your creativity—with the Safari Celebration Paper Pumpkin Kit. This playful, party-themed kit includes all the goodies and gear you need to create nine 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ cards —3 each of 3 designs—and coordinating envelopes in safari-inspired shapes and patterns you’ll go wild for! Make every occasion a celebration with this month’s amusing animals, beautiful botanicals, and celebratory sentiments. Leaf imagery coordinates with the new Artfully Composed Suite. Coordinating colors: Bumblebee, Fresh Freesia, Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Succulent, Soft Suede. If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by February 10th for this next kit.