Two Step Stampin' Technique

All supplies SU unless noted: Botanical Blooms *SAB stamp set, cardstock in almost amethyst, pink pirouette, and very vanilla, ink in almost amethyst, pink pirouette, and kiwi kiss, word window punch, making memories silver brad

I earned the Botanical Blooms stamp set for FREE since it's Sale-a-Bration time. Sadly, Sale-a-Bration is almost over with only six days left! This is a limited time offer and all the free products will be discontinued and won't be available ever again! Don't miss out!

What makes this set so great is that it gives the image a natural watercolor look. Also, try as you might you will not be able to get the two images to match exactly and that's what makes it's so incredibly freeing knowing that you won't be expected to.

For this card, I used the two step stampin' technique:

$ Money Tip: Make a purchase of $50 this month and receive a stamp set, ribbon, or paper for free. This offer is my favorite because the minimum puchase is only $50. However, if you want to get the most bang for your buck. Make a $150 purchase and you receive:

• Your choice of 3 of the stamp sets, ribbon bundle, or paper
• 1 Hostess Stamp Set
• $15 Instant Rewards to be used towards additional merchandise.

That's a lot of free stuff! If you're going to order, then this is the way to do it. As always, if $150 is breaking the budget for you there's no reason why you can't split this up amongst friends. :) Don't forget to check out the Sale-a-Bration Goodies here.

You're a Hoot!

All supplies Stampin' Up! unless noted: Owl Together Now stamp set, card stock in chocolate chip, confetti, pacific point, Haiku designer paper, ink in chocolate chip, pumpkin pie, close to cocoa, creamy caramel, more mustard, and kiwi kiss, stampin’ dimensionals

Let's take a little wisdom from our owl friend when it comes to saving money. Saving money is always on my mind, but sometimes it's hard to keep up especially when the whole concept can seem quite daunting.

Real Simple Magazine's March edition boasts "71 ways to spend smarter (and save a lot)", so naturally I was intrigued. So far, I've implemented the "dust of your library" suggestion. My local library has made some technological improvements since I went there as a child. Now I can check the availibility of a book, as well as put it on reserve. It's so convenient...and guess what...it's free!

Now, I think twice about pressing the "Add to Cart" button when I'm browsing online for books and dvds.

Real Simple also offers other online Money Tips if you want to check them out.

Do you have any money saving tips that have added some padding to your pocketbook?

It's all in the presentation

You know how you can go to a very fancy schmancy restaurant and pay double for the price of the food because you're paying for the ambiance, and the presentation of your courses. Generally, you feel content with paying extra because you're paying for the experience after all.

Well, with crafting cards it's exactly the opposite effect. When you make your own cards you get to have the experience of creating, and it also ends up costing you less in materials. If you go to any stationary store and pick up a set of note cards it can cost anywhere from $10-15. However, depending on the materials you use...you can make a set of cards for a fraction of that price. That fact just thrills my soul since I love a great bargain.

While saving money is great, let's not forget about the presentation. To put the final touch you can either bind your cards together with gorgeous ribbon, baking twine, or on occasion I've been known to even recycled cello packaging from when I purchase envelopes at Michael's. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, the clear plastic boxes from Papertrey Ink give a nice finishing touch. The boxes can fit up to 12 cards and 12 envelopes. (I first saw this used by my friend Kelly who is fabulously creative.) In the end, the gift recipient gets to enjoy handmade cards with a professional look without the professional price tag.


$ Money tip: Papertrey Ink will offer free shipping if you order a minimum of $55. Let's face it you're not saving any money if you have to spend money for shipping and handling. I would suggest that you get together with a couple of other crafters so that cumulatively you can order the $55 minimum and all benefit from the free shipping.

40% off Michael's Coupons

There was a time when I subscribed to 3 newspapers. The beauty of having 3 newspapers was that it meant that I got triple the coupons. I would hurriedly flip through the ads on Sunday looking for the one coupon that mattered to me...the Michael's Coupon. Michael's coupons are also available on the internet, which makes it all that much easier to print out as many as you want. The fact that Michael's coupons are accepted by their competitors is a crafter's dream come true.

What I've noticed is that when items go on sale in the ad, they are at most 30% off of the regular price. This being said, if you have incredible self-control and patience you shouldn't buy their products when they're on sale. Rather, you should buy them when they're at their regular price but use your 40% off coupon. This way you can have ultimate savings.

$ Money Tip*: Michael's and other retail stores use their coupons to lure you in so that you'll buy more than just one item. Beware! Unless you're buying clearance items that are over 40% off don't put anything else into your basket/cart. If you really want to buy more than one item at a time because you have a project that requires it, then keep your eyes peeled during major holiday weekends. There will often be a 20-30% of your entire purchase coupon. (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day). Also, coupons are often printed onto your receipt so before you throw them away be sure to examine it first.

*Okay, so you may be thinking...but if I am constantly driving and back and forth from the craft store because I'm only allowed to buy one item at a time...this won't save me any money on gas! Ah, well this is where you can utilize any willing human being (sister, mother, child, boyfriend, husband) that you know who will accompany you to the store so that you can use more than one coupon at a time. If they're unwilling you can bribe them with ice cream...or something.