Welcome to the Mediterranean Achievers Blog Hop for June 2016. 

The theme for the hop this month is to reflect and share pictures of our experience during the Mediterranean Cruise.  OH. MY. GOSH!!!  Every time I reflect back to the beginning....I mean, the end of Stampin' Up!'s Convention in 2014.  When I heard the announcement of the Grand vacation, I set my ultimate goal as a demonstrator...to earn the Mediterranean Cruise.  To achieve this award would be my very first grand vacation!  My immediate thought was "WOW! What a dream vacation."...with a follow-up thought...what a wonderful 25th wedding anniversary gift this would be for my hubby!  My eyes swell every time I think back to that day.  What once was a dream became a real life experience....all in due part to the wonderful and dedicated customers that helped me achieve my goal down to the very last minutes (literally), my AMAZING team members, and my beautiful and supportive family and friends.  For this, I gratefully (and with an overflowing heart) Thank YOU all so very much.

You may be starting from here at my blog, Lori Mueller - Stampin' Dreams, or you may have come here from the previous person to me on the list. Please be sure to click the person after me to move along the blog hop. If you get off track at any time, the full line up below will help you move along from blog to blog.  So, here are only a (very) small number of pictures I took during the trip.  We were asked to limit it to 15 pictures.  Yee GADS!!  I took over 950 pictures!  Nonetheless, I am excited to share with you.

Thursday, May 19, 2016:  My husband and I decided to extend our trip to Europe by leaving early and spending some time in Dublin, Ireland.  We spent two days walking around the area that we stayed at and walked across the famous Ha'penny Bridge.  The Temple Bar near Trinity College was another stop we had on our list, which was full of guests listening to an Irish native singing the Irish tunes.  All of the streets in this area were cobblestone.  Loved walking these streets.

Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland

Saturday, May 21, 2016:  We have arrived in Barcelona, Spain and toured the sites from the top of the Hop On Hop Off Bus.  What a time saver!

AND, we have lights!!  When we came back to our hotel room after sight-seeing through the city, we realized that we had no lights or electricity.  We scoured the room for 15-20 minutes before we gave up and went to the front desk.  The very kind person behind the counter indicated 'no one told you?'  Hmmmm, told us 'what?'  "There is a box beside your door...you put your room key in the slot and that will turn on your electricity."  AHHHH!  Brilliant concept...when you leave, you need your room key, right? and it turns off the lights!  LOL

Port of Barcelona (Sunday, May 22, 2016):  The day has arrived!  The day to board the Norwegian Epic cruise ship!  YAY!  Here's a view looking back on Barcelona, Spain from our Stateroom Balcony.  Amazing!!


         

First port stop...Napoli, Italy!  This castle may look really small, but take a closer look at the people walking up to it.  It was HUGE!  Castel Nuovo Museo Civico, Napoli, Italy

         
2nd Port Stop....Rome, Italy  Walking around the Coloseum ruins was breathtaking.  I think I have a pretty good camera, but these images don't do the magnitude of the beauty near the justice it deserves.

         

Not only is there the beauty of the structures, but the city of Rome ravishes on their flower beds.  The greenery and bright colors really made the buildings come to life.

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome...the only vocabulary I have to describe this amazing structure...WOW!!  Stole my breath!

         

Our driver, Savigno, had one last 'present' for us to remember the City of Rome.  The best view to soak it all in.

3rd Port stop (Thursday, May 26, 2016):  Florence, Italy.  We hopped into a van and drove off into the Italian countryside.  Since I grew up on a farm, my heart was in heaven.  I love the fresh air, the smell of dirt stirred into the air, and warm sun rays on my skin.  We were heading to Fattoria, Italy to check out the San Michele A Torri vineyard and experience some wine tasting....Italian style.  A little bit of history with this vineyard....during World War II, this cellar became a bomb shelter for over 125 women and children for almost a month.  The war ended when U.S. troops came in.

It was very interesting to learn about the different wines, how they are processed, the length of time, and that no part of the grape is left without making something with it.  The different wines that we tasted (and all with wonderful breads) were good, but that Grappa!  That was pure moonshine!  I swear I could breath fire after the teeny-eentsy taste that we got.  haha

When you step foot into any city of Italy, you are immediately engulfed with a store serving many flavors of Gelato!  OH. MY. GOSH!  I swear...every block had Gelato cases with wonderful flavors to choose from.  This little store only had a dozen of flavors to choose....while others had about 2 dozen!  So it seemed, anyway.  I forgot to take a picture to help me remember.  haha

No Italian pasta dish is complete without a little glass of wine or champagne.  So, anyone want to tell me what they think of the napkin?  Are you thinking "Swirly Bird" like I did?  So cool!

         

4th Port stop (Friday, May 27, 2016):  Cannes, France.  On this day, a small group of us ran through the streets of Cannes to catch the train because we weren't staying.  GASP!  Yep!  We boarded a train heading to Monte Carlo, Monaco!  It was only about an hour or less to travel, so why not?  Our goal was to see the Formula 1 cars racing the streets in preparation for the big Grand Prix race on Sunday.

         

5th (and last) Port stop (Saturday, May 28, 2016):  Marseille, France.  Our stop in Marseille was a shorter stay than the other ports, so we hopped on this little train that took us through the city to see the tourist sights.  Chugga-chugga choo-choo!!  The other side of the street, for many, many blocks were tons of different restaurants and vendors (flowers, jewelry, paintings, fresh fish, etc.)  Like a farmer's market, so to speak.

         

Remember that little train?  It took us all the way to the top where Notre Dame de la Garde sits. WOW! What a view of the city! Had no idea how big it was.

This is only 1 side of the cathedral's view of Marseille.  I took pictures from all 4 sides, but the size of the city was HUGE.

Each night, our wonderful Stateroom representative, Aruind, would secretly leave behind wonderful gifts from Stampin' Up! (pillow gifts).  He was so friendly and liked to tease.  One night, he tried to convince me that there were no pillow gifts.  He wasn't sure what happened, but there wasn't one for me.  Hahaha!  Lots of good laughs and conversations to remember.

Here are all of the pillow gifts I received throughout the trip.  I love what I do, and I love working with Stampin' Up!  If you have the desire to dream big and work hard to achieve your goals, come join me and my Stampin' Up family.  We call ourselves "Lori's Dream Team".

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BLOG HOPPERS

I literally screamed out loud when I saw this new announcement from Stampin' Up! this morning.  As a 6 year Breast Cancer SURVIVOR, this cause is very near and dear to me and my family.  While I was going through treatments, I stamped and paper crafted every day...even through the days that my stomach and body was feeling at its worst.  Stamping was my life-line...my mental therapy to keep my mind off of what I was going through.  I brought stamping projects with me to every chemo treatment...every nurse waited anxiously to see what I was preparing to make that day.  Lots of new friendships created.

If you, a family member, a friend, a friend of a friend is currently undergoing treatments, GIFT them this little treat in a Pink box.  Help them forget...for just a couple hours...the ICK they are going through to get well and back on the road to recovery.  Trust me, they will be very thankful for those peaceful hours of fun!

Please help me raise awareness for a great cause...subscribe to Paper Pumpkin.  Subscribe for Paper Pumpkin through me and I will donate $2 for every new Paper Pumpkin, as well.  I thank you SO much for your consideration!

To show our support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're going PINK . . . or at least our October boxes are! And because we know our subscribers want to share the love too, we will be making a donation on their behalf to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

Stampin' Up! will donate

• $1 for every currently active Paper Pumpkin subscriber.
• Plus, an additional $1 for every new subscriber.

Together, we will make a difference!

Here's how you can help: 

1. Subscribe! If you're new to Paper Pumpkin, click here to get started. Your first kit will arrive in a limited-edition pink box that you'll want to hold onto forever-and we'll donate $2 because you're new!
2. Stay active if you're a subscriber so we can donate $1 for you. Only those who receive the October shipment will be counted for the donation.
3. Spread the word! Help us get as many new subscribers as possible. Every current subscriber adds $1 and for new subscribers it's doubled, so let's get the word out and raise as much as possible.
4. Use the images below to spread the word via email, texts, and social media. For those who have been on the fence about Paper Pumpkin, this could be just the thing that makes you want to give it a try!

Remember, those who get the October kit will not only be donating to a good cause, but you will also get a one-time only, pretty pink Paper Pumpkin box! No one will want to miss it. Promise.

More About BCRF

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) advances the world's most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. Founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, BCRF has raised more than $550 million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis, making it one of the largest non-governmental funders of breast cancer research in the world. This year BCRF has invested $58.6 million in research, to support over 235 researchers at leading medical institutions across six continents, including $11.6 million to the international Evelyn H. Lauder Founder's Fund focused on metastasis. By spending 91 cents of every dollar on research and public awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the nation's most fiscally responsible nonprofits. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization with an "A+" from CharityWatch, and has been awarded Charity Navigator's highest rating of four stars 13 times since 2002. For more information, please visit: www.bcrfcure.org.

Additional Details: 

• New subscribers are those who signed up between September 11 and October 10, 2015 and have not been a Paper Pumpkin subscriber at any time in the past. 
• All funds will be donated in US dollars.
• Mini spoiler alert! The October project inside the pink box is just as awesome as always, but we should probably let you know that it is not a pink project. That's all we're saying. ;)
• Funds will be donated based on number of subscribers instead of boxes shipped. But, if you want more than one pink box, you can always increase your subscription quantity by logging into your account at PaperPumpkin.com before October 10.

Thank you for Shopping with Lori

• SHOP | VIEW: Stampin' Up! Annual 2015-16 Catalog online
• Subscribe to a Paper Pumpkin
  
• Lori's Catalog Product Shares: to review your options Download CatalogProductShares-2015-2016
• Don't forget to check out this weeks 25% off Weekly Deals
• Visit the Clearance Rack - up to 80% off
• Orders of $30 or more receive Dreamers Loyalty Rewards Points, accumulate and redeem for free stamps...print your copy!
• Use Hostess Code R7DAQE97 to get a FREE GIFT from me when you order $50 or more.

Just last week, I hit the 'top of the hill' with the nice round figure of the BIG 5-0. Holy Mackrel!  Where did that week go?  The older I get the faster time flys by me.  Eeeek!  I have to say that one of my most favorite things about Stampin' Up! is the many friendships and crafting buddies I have made over the years.  I have been blessed with so many friends who share my passion for creating handmade greeting cards and then shower friends and loved ones on special occasions.  Today, I am sharing the shower of love I received in my mailbox.

I love the triple stamp technique using the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set...one of my favorite sets that is fitting for any occasion.

I need to try creating a monochromatic card (only using one neutral and one solid color).  Thank you for introducing me to the stamp set World of Dreams!  Thinking Elizabeth was using black to signify "Over The Hill" in a subtle way.  LOL!!  LOVE it!

One of my favorite things is to create 'frames' with our framelits....I think the Deco Labels Framelits are my favorite.  Pretty-pretty!

Look how easy it is to create a CAS (Clean And Simple) card using Washi Tape.  You can whip up a set of All Occasion cards with the help of the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set in nothing flat....perfect for gift-giving!

I haven't gotten the Flowering Flourishes stamp set, yet (it's on my wish list), but Sassy Salutations is one of my go-to sentiment sets.  It's fitting for and handful of occasions.

It seems like I'm not the only one who loves the triple stamp technique!  LOL!  Love the richness of Rich Razzleberry and Hello Honey.  YUMMY!

I love this retired set....AND, the fact that it's created with bright and cheerful colors of Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi and Daffodil Delight.  ;)

Can you believe this was created using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set?  How cool is this?!!  Such a versatile stamp set....if you don't have it yet....you NEED to get it.  I use my set ALL the time.  ;)

Thank you -- thank you -- thank you for all of the hand-stamped love, my friends.  Life is GREAT at 50!  I am sure that these creations will inspire all my readers to head to their crafting havens to make lots of papercrafting love.  Ooh-la-la!

Stampin' Dreams!!

May God Bless You and Your Family!!

That's right!  I have "Something to Say" stamp set is a wonderful, versatile stamp set that has landed several times in many of my creations.  Pair it with Daydream Medallions and we have an assistant to some fun creating while helping a friend battle against cancer.  This is card #2 from my Stamp Out Breast Cancer stamp class and was inspired by a fellow demonstrator and friend, Selene Kempton.  Her colors were more in the season of the Christmas holidays, and I have troubles totally CASEing anyone else's creations, so I changed the colors to reflect symbolism to Breast Cancer awareness with a touch of Pink.

This card is so soothing and warm using the colors of Soft Sky, Melon Mambo, and Smoky Slate and the variety of Daydream Medallion images stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock and then matted onto a layer of Blackberry Bliss.  I just love the softness of the Smoky Slate cardstock base...really brings a richness to the meaning of the sentiments.  I'm sorry for the poor lighting as it makes the Blackberry Bliss inked sentiments, scallop circle and 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon banner tails appear black in nature versus the true deep, rich purple.  I just could not get the true color to come through.  But, you gotta love the sparkle, right?!!  The sentiments are popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals to add a little depth and character.  I have a couple of friends that are fighting the fight of Breast Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer that will be receiving some love from me.

Yesterday was a birthday milestone for me, which was celebrated quietly with my family.  My sweet hubby treated us to a night out of Brazilian food (Rodizio's) and Reese's Blizzard cake from DQ.  YUMMY!  And, my wonderful daughters bought me a beeee-u-tiful bouquet of flowers garnished with a balloon decorated with lots of candles....didn't count them, but there were LOTS!  ;)

I do have to say, that so far Life is Great at 50!!  Teeehehehe....I know, I can only speak experience of one day, but it's good!  ;)  So good, that I am handing out Birthday Treats to everyone that wants to party with me. Click on the image above to check out the details.  Place a $50 order through my online store, send me an email with your Order Confirmation number, and I'll mail you the Birthday Present of your choice (see selections below) along with a beautiful handstamped card from me:

Birthday Treat Choices

#102619 -- Clear Envelopes               #119246 -- Rhinestone Basic Jewels
 #135718 -- Kraft Grid Journals            #135304 -- Project Life Journal Pens
#103683 -- Glue Dots                        #129369 -- Blendabilities Color Lifter
            #119247 -- Pearl Basic Jewels             #135835 -- Frosted Sequins (Holiday Catalog)

This is my way of saying "THANK YOU" and expressing my utmost appreciation to YOU....my loyal customer, my friend, and my inspiration for all of your support for me, my family, and my wonderful Stampin' Up! business.  I really LOVE what I do, and enjoy sharing everything I know with YOU.  I live to inspire you.

                  

AND, the moment that everyone has been waiting for....Oh, before I announce the Winner of my Spooktacular Stampin' Up! Anniversary giveaway, I want to thank everyone that placed a Stampin' Up! order through my store.  I am so very grateful!!

AND, the WINNER of the wonderful Printers Tray and Accessories kit goes to.....

Heather (from the lovely state of Utah!)

Congratulations, Heather!  I'll get your fun little bundle all packaged up and mailed out to you.

May God Bless You and Your Family!!

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your friendship, support of my small business, and sharing this crazy love of rubber stamping and paper crafting with me.  I truly LOVE what I do; and to share it with you means the world to me.  Many, many thanks!

May God Bless You and Your Family!!

I know, I know!!  How many Anniversaries can one person have?  Well, this year is filled with lots of them for me....my 6th year as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and also reaching 5 years as a Breast Cancer survivor.  WOOT!!  I am SO excited to be able to continue sharing life with my family and friends and everyone that I've met through my blog, emails, vendor & craft fairs, stamp classes/camps, Stampin' Up! Convention....and, the list never ends.  I appreciate everyone of you that has entered my life!

Every year, I have a special "Stamp Out Breast Cancer" stamping class with 3 really beautiful creations.  This first card was inspired by someone on the internet....probably through Pinterest, but I can't find it now.  I know that I changed up the colors to incorporate the pinks designated to Breast Cancer awareness, and what better stamp set than the Petite Petals stamp set and coordinating Petite Petals punch.  I am in love with the warm, earthy colors of our Naturals Ivory and Strawberry Slush.  YUM!

Follow me down Creation Lane.....

• The background stamping is using an image from the Work of Art stamp set inked in Strawberry Slush and Baked Brown Sugar.  Once the image was inked, I did stamp off once onto scrap paper, then huffed the rubber stamp and then stamped onto the Naturals Ivory layer.  If you look at this stamp, you will see that it really is shorter than what you see.  Once I did the first row, I turned the stamp 180 degrees and did another row, and stamped over top of the bottom portion of the first row so that I extended it to fit the rest of the Petite Petals arrangement.
• I love how the Naturals 5/8" Chevron Ribbon is all set up for me to trim into an arrow....I know, that's cheating, right?!!
• To add more 'pink' accents, I added some of our Thick Strawberry Slush Baker's Twine that was placed in loops in not particular fashion....just whatever way you want to position them.
• Smothered with Petite Petals flowers that were stamped on each of Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory and Baked Brown Sugar and topped with some beautiful pearls.
• The last little touch to hit the card creation was some of our new Essentials Wooden Elements that were added with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This layout renders almost any occasion.  I chose to use the word "Congratulations" from the Something To Say stamp set because I was going to create a large number of this card and send off to the many Breast Cancer Survivors I have met along my journey.

If you liked the Pink creation, check out the very quick transition of colors and sentiments for this next version.  Yep!!  Boss's Day was the next day and my brain was not working to create anything unique.  The sentiment is an old stamp that I've had in my stash (pssst....not a Stampin' Up! sentiment....please don't turn me in!)  Instead of Strawberry Slush, I used Pistashio Pudding.  SO easy and CUTE!!

ALTERATION NOTE:  It was to my surprise that the Essentials Wooden Elements only had 4 of the wooden arrows.  Soooo, I had to improvise.  I kept all of the Chevron punches from this card....(Yes, I'm a clepto), sponged the edges a bit with Crumb Cake and popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.  LOVE it!

In Celebration of my Stampin' Up! Anniversary

I have BLOG CANDY for you!!

Enter Giveaway to Win!

Place an online order of $50 or more in my Stampin' Up! store

1 winner will be randomly selected from all orders placed in my online store

between now and Tuesday, November 4, 2015 at midnight CST.

Enter Hostess Code: AQHGUC6Z

WINNER ANNOUNCED ON Thursday, November 6 on my blog!

Giveaway includes:

• Toxic Treats set (clear mount)
• printer's tray,
• and all the goodies you need to make this boo-tiful project.
• *Project kit does not include ink

Need some more ideas of how to convert your Printers Tray to decorate for other holidays?  Check out these samples.

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I loved this layout so much that I did create more using Coastal Cabana and Cantaloupe Crisp.  **squeal**

May God Bless You and Your Family!!

BOO!  I hope I didn't make you jump too much, but I am super excited today.  It's my Stampin' Up! Anniversary!  Yep!  I joined as a Demonstrator on the most Spooktacular day of the year.  LOL!  Like most people who join, I wanted the discount because I was spending enough to support myself!...Shhhh, please don't tell my husband!  I have enjoyed every moment of my 6 year adventure and looking forward to many more as a Demonstrator.  The many friendships created are the most valuable to me....along with the daily discount, loads of inspiration that is shared, and the love of helping others enjoy stamping and paper crafting.

In Celebration of my Stampin' Up! Anniversary

I have BLOG CANDY for you!!

Enter Giveaway to Win!

Place an online order of $50 or more in my Stampin' Up! store

1 winner will be randomly selected from all orders placed in my online store

between now and Tuesday, November 4, 2015 at midnight CST.

Enter Hostess Code: AQHGUC6Z

WINNER ANNOUNCED ON Thursday, November 6 on my blog!

Giveaway includes:

• Toxic Treats set (clear mount)
• printer's tray,
• and all the goodies you need to make this boo-tiful project.
• *Project kit does not include ink

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Now for some Spooktacular eye candy displaying the FUN Motley Monsters!  I have had so much fun making cards with the Fall Fest stamp set and the coordinating Fun Fall Framelit Dies.  This card was one for my Halloween card class last month.  The z-Fold always accumulates the "WOW"  reaction when opened and displayed.

• The Basic Black card base is 4-1/4"x11 with scores at 2-3/4" and 5-1/2", then fold on the scores to create a 'z'
• Decorate the front panel with some Motley Monster Designer Series Paper layered onto some Tangerine Tango.
• The inside is filled with Sahara Sand and a small strip of another pattern from Motley Monsters.
• I inked up the 'hatch' stamp image from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set in Sahara Sand, stamped off onto scrap paper, then onto the Tangerine Tango layer that the Fun Fall Ghost rests on.
• LOVE the White and Tangerine Tango Two-Tone Trim as an added embellishment.

The sentiment was inked in Versa Mark and heat embossed with Basic Black embossing powder and a heat tool onto White Vellum.  The face of the friendly ghost was done the same way.  CUTE!!

COME JOIN OUR DREAM TEAM! Today is the LAST day for Pick a Pack of Paper!

Try out and test drive the demonstrator discounts and benefits...become a member of Lori's Dream Team when you purchase the $99 Starter Kit through me.  EVEN BETTER . . .During the Pick a Pack of Paper Starter Kit Special, you'll have the opportunity to receive up to 6 packs of Designer Series Paper....FREE.  Over $60 in bonus products.  Some restrictions apply.  Ends October 31st.  I welcome everyone...Hobby stampers and anyone who wants to build a business and earn extra money.  Get the details.

NEED A PRINT COPY OF THE STAMPIN' UP! HOLIDAY CATALOG and would like to place your next Stampin' Up! order through me?  Contact me to order a FREE Holiday or Annual Catalog.  As a courtesy, if you plan to order Stampin' Up! products through another demonstrator, contact them directly for your copy, please.  Thank you!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

May God Bless You and Your Family!!

So, what does a hardworking stamper do the day before Stampin' Up!'s Annual Convention begins? Go lookin' for adventures, I say! So that is what my friend (and Upline) Tami and I set out to do. We had been trying to catch a ride with a tandem Paraglyder, but the winds (or lack thereof) were not cooperating by any means. So we hopped in a car and headed South to Park City to see what excitement we could find to fill our day.

One stop at Park City Mountain and we landed on a ski lift to soak in some sun, smell the fresh air (with a hint of evergreens), and enjoy the peace and serenity. Of course, what's an adventure without a selfie! LOL

Next stop was Olympic Park...to do something crazy fun...like riding a Bobsled down the same slopes the U.S. Olympic team did in 2002! I know...CRAZY, right?!!! Let me tell you, it was an adrenaline rush like no other that I've experienced. We had a great driver that got us to the bottom in 1:02:07 minutes to earn the Bronze, but it was quickly relinquished when the next team beat our time by 4 seconds! It was a thrill while it lasted. LOL

After we got back to Salt Lake City, I headed out for supper with a wonderful group of friends. Most of them are my Sideline (meaning we have the same Upline), but some of them are part of my Lori's Dream Team. I'll post our group picture tomorrow.

Stay tuned for all the Stampin' Up! fun to begin tomorrow. Until then, this is what the Convention hall looks like right now....the calm before the storm! **squeal**

May God Bless You and Your Family!!