A Special Mother's Day Project

Mother's Day is almost here and all moms love something hand made by their little darlings. Luckily, Uppercase Living expressions are perfect for making your own creations. In fact, UL has just released, for a limited time, some lovely expressions perfect for those special ladies. The video shows you a great project using one of those expressions and our Glass Charger. Mom will display this proudly...just don't expect her to hang it on the refrigerator.

May Project of the Month: A Double Duty Graduation Gift

Maybe it's because I'm a little wistful at the thought of my daughter graduating 5th grade and my son graduating preschool, but this month's project kind of calls out to me. I can see it used in so many different ways. As shown, it's a perfect personal gift or centerpiece for a graduation party. The colors can match school colors and you can change the name or leave it off altogether. But what's great about this design is that it's been applied to our Vintage Round Embossed Metal Charger so that it  doubles as a magnetic photo board, too. It's a great, lightweight graduation gift that can go to college or a new apartment and hold memories from Senior year (or Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, in the case of my son).
This same expression (or any of our other graduation expressions) can also be used with our Square Charger. Not only would it give a different look, but party guests can sign it with a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie, as a lasting keepsake for the guest of honor. 

June holds not only graduations but also Father's Day, and this idea would be also be a perfect gift for Dad or Grandpa. Magnets make it easy to change out photos so there's always a fresh batch of family pictures on display.  Or, if you choose the Square Charger, the kids can each write a message on it.

Of course, either of these designs would be a perfect teacher's gift. They can also be modified for bridal showers and weddings, two more of spring's big celebrations. However you modify these designs for your needs, keep in mind that all orders receive FREE SHIPPING this month. I'd love to help you create the ideal design for each of your spring occasions. Enjoy this month's project and share your ideas here too!

Celebrating Nowrooz the UL Way

You've seen me post ideas for a variety of different holidays, but this one marks a first for Please Use Your Words: a UL idea for Nowrooz.
Nowrooz, which literally means "new day," is the Persian New Year, celebrated on the first day of spring (the perfect time to celebrate a new year, in my opinion). In Persian households throughout the world, you'll see a table set with a number of traditional items. The "haft seen" is not unlike a Christmas tree in that every family has one, each is unique and all are beautiful. Unfortunately, this lovely tradition has fallen by the wayside in my own home, having fallen in priority below endless homework, baseball practice and the rush of daily life (plus, where am I going to find a clear surface to adorn?). This year, I was inspired to make up a vinyl version which I quite like. Think about it: I can use it year after year, nothing rots or gets smelly, and no messy egg dying.
I'd love to see how you use Uppercase Living in your holiday celebrations, so share your photos and ideas with me.

Holiday Tin Sets: Perfect for Gifts, Favors and Rudolph

So many times during the holidays, we need to give a gift to a large group of people. Other times, holiday events call for guest favors. In both instances, we'd like to give something heartfelt, unique and thoughtful. But when purchasing multiple gifts at once, it's also important to watch costs. Naturally, Uppercase Living has a solution that will suit your taste, wow your guests (or anyone lucky enough to receive one of these cuties), and meet your budget.

Our Gift Tin Kits are the perfect many-gifts-in-one. Each set has 4 tins, 4 vinyl decorations in your choice of design and color, and 4 gift bags. Even the ribbon is included! You can fill these with anything from candy to jewelry and make the packaging a special part of the gift. For those of you who need affordable business gifts, this is a great solution. It's also a nice way to recognize several people in one business establishment, yet give each person and individual present. The variety of designs available makes it easy to choose one that will suit your event, recipient or mood! They would make great favors for weddings or showers this time of year and can easily be customized to match the event's colors. These are so cute that you might just want to purchase several sets to keep on hand for different occasions throughout the year. 
One great idea to fill these tins is Reindeer Feed! Of course, you never forget to leave out cookies for Santa, but those reindeer get tired and hungry from their long flight, too! Mix up the following in as many batches as you need:

3/4 c. uncooked oatmeal
3/4 c. sugar (can also use bird seed or shredded wheat cereal)
1/4 c. red or green decorative sugar crystals (more kind to our animal friends than the traditional glitter)

Print out the following on decorative paper and attach it with your gift:

      Santa's reindeer, on their magical flight,
      Travel thousands of miles, all in one night.
      A sparkly snack sprinkled over your lawn
      Will be just the treat for them to munch upon.
      With full and happy tummies, they'll soon be on their way
      To help Santa deliver the toys in time for Christmas Day.

You just might find that this becomes a new holiday tradition for your family.

Holiday Gift Tip: Pair a tin of Reindeer Feed with a "Cookies For Santa" charger set for an inexpensive and merry holiday gift set. 

Money Saving Kit: To save even more, recycle baby food jars to fill with reindeer feed. Add a reindeer or other themed embellishment, cover the lid with wrapping paper and add a cute ribbon!    

HOSTESS WITH THE BONUS GIVEAWAY: DAY 1

Here we are, Day 1 of my Hostess With The Bonus week. Anyone who schedules a party with me today will receive our exclusive, limited time only, Cookies For Santa Charger Kit with her qualifying party order. This $25 value can be yours FREE, along with all the other benefits of hosting an Uppercase Living party.

Each day this week, I'll be giving a different FREE BONUS GIFT to anyone who schedules a party in November, December, or January. If this is the bonus you'd like, you'll probably want to have your party in November or December, so Santa can have his cookies on this cute charger when he comes to visit on December 25. Contact me today, to confirm your party date and reserve your Cookies With Santa kit.

NEW! Exclusive "Cookies for Santa" Charger Kit

Here's another holiday surprise from Uppercase Living! Just released is the new "Cookies for Santa" charger kit, available only until our limited supply runs out. Each kit comes with your choice of a Round
Scalloped Charger or a Square Charger and the adorable 10" x 10" "Cookies for Santa" vinyl expression in Crimson Red. Both of these kits are valued at over $25 but are available now for just $9.95 for the Round Charger Kit and $11.95 for the Square Charger Kit.

Keep in mind that these completed kits are to be gently hand washed. No dishwasher or submersion in soapy water, please.

At this price, you can afford to check off lots of people on your gift list. Think neighbors, teachers, or the perfect hostess gift. To order, visit my website and choose item #700076 for the Scalloped Charger or #700077 for the Square charger. There is no other purchase necessary and no limit on how many you can purchase. Judging by the  response to our last holiday kit, I do expect these to sell out quickly, so please don't wait too long to order yours. I'll be placing an order tomorrow evening for local delivery; add yours and save on Shipping!

I'd love to hear what you think of this cute kit, so leave me a message and let me know, and don't forget to tell me how you plan to use it: for yourself or as a gift.

Customer Appreciation Day #3 - FREE Expression With Any Order Placed October 15

Hooray, it's time for yet another Customer Celebration Day!! This has been such a great program from Uppercase Living.  We never know when another Customer Celebration Day is coming or what the FREE gift will be, so it's fun to find out right along with our customers. This time it's a gorgeous expression that's perfect for the fall. "Gather Here" comes in Soft Copper. I've had this expression on my Willow House metal drink bucket and I always get compliments on it. Those of you who came to my recent Open House may have noticed it. Here are a few other ideas for this versatile FREE gift:

 

The size of this Customer Celebration special is similar to our Simply Words collection, perfect for the rectangular Frameworks. The top section of this Double Frame holds the Galvanized Metal insert covered with some seasonal scrapbook paper and a turkey embellishment. The FREE expression fits the bottom of the frame beautifully, while faux leaves glued to magnets turn this into a gorgeous, seasonal home accent that comes in handy as a memo board. Best of all, you can completely change the look with different inserts for any other holiday or season.

The Gather Here expression looks equally beautiful on our Glass Charger. With a coordinating Cornucopia Embellishment, it's a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table or the perfect hostess gift. You can even use the charger as a tray and pile it high with treats for that lucky hostess!

Finally, look at how lovely it is displayed simply in a Chocolate Rectangular Frameworks. The neutral colors in this combination make it perfect for almost any decor.

I'd love to hear how you plan to use your FREE Customer Celebration Day gift. To make sure you get one, just call or email me to place your order by Friday October 15. You can also shop on my website; your gift will be automatically added to your order.

I am so happy that Uppercase Living is helping me thank all of you wonderful customers with such a versatile gift, just in time for autumn. It feels great to know that our expressions will be part of so many of your holiday gatherings.

Cheap and Easy Gift Giving with Buy Two, Get One FREE

UL's Buy Two, Get One FREE promotion is in full swing and lots of smart customers have been saving a ton on their purchases. Whenever a great deal like this comes along, I always recommend that people stock up. For some of my customers this presents a mental block. With so much product to choose from, it can become difficult to choose items for the future without concrete details available. Never fear, though. I'm here to make the process easier.

Using this promotion to purchase several gifts at once, will not only save you plenty of money, but lots of time and stress, too. Just follow my simple steps and you'll be done in no time.

First, take a look at your calendar and make a list of all the occasions that you'll have to purchase gifts for in the next few months. In addition to specific dates and holidays, keep in mind milestone events such as retirements, graduations and the end of the school year. As you're doing this, make a list of each person who you'll need a gift for on each occasion. For example, under Mother's Day, you might have your mom, mother-in-law and grandmother.

Now, this is the part where you can save yourself a ton of time: figure out how many people you can give the same type of gift to, with a slight variation if needed. So for Mother's Day, you might choose a metal charger with a Mother's Day expression on it, but you would vary the color scheme to match each recipient's favorite colors or decor. Or for your children's teachers, you might choose to give a set of coasters with different monograms or a different embellishment depending on each teacher's interests.


From here you can begin to make your shopping list. Most likely, you will have a Foundations (accessory) piece and a vinyl expression (or a set of them) for each person. Here's the part where you realize just how much you can save: as you tally the number of items you will need, remind yourself that every third one is FREE. So, if you need 6 acrylic blocks, for example, you'll receive 2 FREE. And here is where you can really save. If you've done your homework and picked out enough items to reach $200 (not including the free items) you can submit your order as a party order, get even more free items and FREE SHIPPING.

Let's face it. Many of us find ourselves in a difficult financial situation right now. We're cutting corners where we can and that may include gift-giving. But there are certain people and occasions that we just can't and don't want to ignore. A little planning and smart shopping can let you stay within budget and give a thoughtful, personalized gift. If Costco could provide the perfect individualized hand made gift program, this is what it would be like: the perfect gift priced as low as $10-$15 apiece. If you're short of ideas, I've got plenty and they won't cost you a thing!

Prepare to be Inspired: Spring/Summer 2010 Catalog and Inspirations Incentive are Here!!

After all the teases and sneak previews, you can start shopping from our brand new Spring/Summer catalog today! In a few hours, you'll be able to visit my website to view all of the great new products and ideas you've been waiting to see.

In addition to tons of new expressions and new colors, we have added a few foundations accessories: metal plaques and Frameworks in white! You won't believe the 2 part Chalk Walls. Plus the Grande Format designs and new Decorative Prints. In my opinion, those will be the show stopper in this selling period.

As if all that weren't enough, our annual Inspirations Incentive is back and better than ever. Whether you want to buy some items, host a party to earn free and half price products, or become an Uppercase Living demonstrator yourself, the Inspirations Incentive makes now a great time to get more, pay less, or both!

New Demonstrators
Have you been looking for a way to earn some extra money in the new year? Perhaps you need to pay off some holiday bills or want to save up for a summer vacation. Uppercase Living offers a great opportunity to set your own hours and make money sharing an exciting product that people love to hear about. The Inspiration Incentive gives you our Essentials Plus starter kit, usually priced at $199, for only $129. Not only do you save $70, but you also get a $100 product credit! You're basically getting everything you need to start your new business for only $29!!

Hostesses
You have a lot to gain when you host your own Uppercase Living party during the Inspirations Incentive. First, your Double Up rewards from previous purchases will become TRIPLE UP REWARDS. You'll add up to $375 to your guests' orders to determine your reward level. This is a great benefit and doesn't come around often. Also, if your January party reaches $400 in guest orders (before tax and shipping), you will receive one of our Spring Inspirations Kits absolutely FREE!

Customers
There's a treat in store for all of you who purchase our products during the Inspirations Incentive. Each order of $25 will allow you to purchase one of our pre-designed Inspirations Kits.

Each kit is individually priced and includes everything you need to create a fun, seasonal project. The kit components and vinyl colors have been selected by our designers. Each includes a Foundations piece as well as a 2-color vinyl expression. At first I was worried that it would be difficult to pick just one, but you get to choose one for each $25 increment of your order, so no worries there!

The hostess and customer Inspirations incentives are in addition to our regular monthly incentives which you will still receive with your order. The only thing you'll need to decide is whether you'll place your own order, host a party or a catalog party, or join my team and get started on a fun and profitable new venture. Whatever you choose, you'll have lots of help and support from me.

Great deals, free items and big savings. Plus a whole new catalog full of great ideas and inspiration. This is shaping up to be a happy new year indeed.

Ideas for November Incentive Expressions

The November orders have all been submitted and the last few shipments are making their way to all of you. For many of you, your packages will include one or more of our exclusive free incentive expressions. If you're still wondering how to use them, here are some unique ideas:

This exclusive hostess expression in Soft Gold and Pine Green has been applied to the Scalloped Charger. Vinyl Effects solution has been added to the candles for added dimension, then faux holly leaves and berries were hot-glued on.


This expression achieves a two-color look with just one color of vinyl. If you look closely, you'll see that every other ornament is gold. Applied to a Foundations MDF board painted with Whipped Creme Toolbox Paint, the vinyl was then further embellished. The selected ornaments were covered with Vinyl Effects, then dusted with gold superfine glitter. Once the excess glitter was removed, the sparkly ornaments above were revealed.


By far the most popular free expression in November was the elegant "Welcome" you see above. Most people ordered it in Matte Black to apply in their entryway, but doesn't look great here in silver. Do you believe it is displayed in our best-seller Frameworks frame with interchangeable inserts which has been spray painted silver? Silver wired ribbon and sleigh bells add a perfect holiday touch, but can easily be removed after the season.

I'd love to see how you've used your monthly free expressions. Email me a photo and you might find yourself featured here.

Fun Hannukah Project

Thinking about Hanukkah projects tonight, I came up with this great one. Everyone knows that the best part of Hanukkah is piles of crisp latkes (never soggy) topped with applesauce, sour cream and green onions...all at once. Mmmmm...

And what better to serve all those latkes on than our glass charger, customized with this expression and a dreidel? Yes, that's right. You can serve food on Uppercased dishes. In the case of this piece, I will order the vinyl pieces mirror-imaged for you so that they can be applied to the bottom of the glass and never come in contact with the food. A quick hand wash with soap and water when you're done and it continues to look great. I like this so much I might have to make one for myself.

And of course, it doesn't have to be just for Latkes. Change it to "Got Cookies?" "Got Grandma's Brownies?" "Got Pie?" or whatever your family loves to eat.

Order the kit to create on your own or work on at my project night. Latkes not included (cause I ate them all).

More Project Night Ideas

I've already told you about my Project Night on Dec. 4th. So you know that you can pick from the kits in the Holiday Catalog, the projects I've created or come up with your own, like my friend Karynn did. As you make your final project choices (don't forget the ordering deadline is just a few days away) here are four more ideas for you to consider. What I love about all of them is their versatility and your ability to completely customize them. Each gift you make can truly be one of a kind.

1. Photo Coasters: Uppercase Living coasters embellished with vinyl squares to protect the photos that you provide. Gifts don't get more personalized than this. 2. Glass Candle Tray: Embellished with an "etched glass" medallion, this charger becomes an elegant gift that can be displayed on the included easel when it's not holding the candles you add.


3. Reversible Holiday Chipboard Accordion: I love items that can be used for more than one holiday. This cute chipboard accordion has a Christmas greeting on one side and is ready for Valentine's day on the other.

You choose the embellishments and colors; I'll provide the coordinating background paper and ribbon. Paper and ribbon will vary from what's pictured.

4. GIVE Box: You may have seen this in my last newsletter but I love it so much that I had to feature it again. This is our acrylic block embellished with our two part "Give" expression. The block includes a top that turns it into a bank. The idea behind this item is to fill it with spare change throughout the holidays and then donate the contents to a charitable organization at the end of the season. Although it's pictured here in shimmery holiday colors, I think it's worth keeping out and using all year, both at home and at work.


Contact me for pricing or to reserve your kits. Remember, you don't have to attend Project Night to work on these kits.

Ideas for September Hostesses

Each month, UL customers and hostesses earn free products with their qualifying orders. Many of my hostesses having a hard time choosing their free expressions(s). Hopefully the ideas here will help you visualize what those expressions really look like and help you have an easier time making your choice when it's your turn.

Just Treats

The "Just Treats" expression is pictured here in Sugared Plum on the Scalloped Charger. Use this to serve up your favorite Halloween goodies.

Live, Hope, Love

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, this expression is shown in Bright White and Fairytale Pink. However, by changing the color of the "hope" portion of the expression, you can choose a cause that is meaningful to you. View this page to learn what each color ribbon symbolizes.

To create this project, apply the expression to the insert of our new square Frameworks. I prefer to use Mistick when working with Frameworks. Apply 3 UL Blooms in White/Honey Wheat to the frame itself.

Pumpkin Patch

The pumpkin on this charming expression reminds me of the one that turned into Cinderella's coach. This versatile expression can be used throughout October and November.

Here it is applied to our new square charger. Ribbon has been glued to the back of the charger and the whole thing hangs from a UL Medallion. The color is Terra Cotta but you can go a little bit brighter with Valencia Orange.

Spooktacular

The Spooktacular expression is available for both hostesses and customers. I love how it dresses up our new pre-drilled MDF board. I can just see some spooky spider webs or some gauze the Mummy left behind hanging from the hooks.

The board is first painted with our Toolbox Paint before the expression, shown here in Lemon Chiffon, is applied. The cool spider web effect is easily created with our new Vinyl Effects product. You will love using Vinyl Effects to add a new dimension to your vinyl projects. For more detailed instructions, just leave me a comment and let me know you'd like them.

These are just 4 of the 6 seasonal expressions available to our hostesses this month (all customers get to choose from 3). You can view them all on this page of my website by clicking on the September Hostess and Customer Gifts link. Hopefully the photos here have given you some ideas of how you'll use your free UL expressions in your home this fall.