End of Year SALE! (thru Dec 31st ONLY)

Did you get some Christmas Cash you're looking to spend, but you want a great deal...but you missed the Free Shipping and the Retired Stamp Set Sale? Are you looking for some new stamps to take you out of the holidays and into the New Year with a surge of inspiration and joy? Or did you perhaps just realize that you inadvertantly left a special crafter off of your gift-giving list? Then, this sale is just for you!

Click HERE to shop my ONLINE STORE, through December 31st, and you will get:

15% OFF* ALL PURCHASES of $50 or MORE!

Make sure you check out the Retiring Stamp Sets, and the Sneak Peek Love You Much Valentine's Bundle. Retiring Stamp Sets will be available until January 18th, but my 15% OFF special is only valid through December 31st.

The Love You Much Valentine's Bundle has already been discounted 20%, and is available through January 31st. However, you will receive 35% OFF this bundle when you purchase it from me through December 31st! And, when you purchase this bundle, you will get the step-by-step instructions to make the Fantasy Box shown above. The Fantasy Box is shown open, below, with chocolates inside.

*15% discount applies to merchandise total, before tax & shipping. All discounts for Online Store purchases will be refunded in the form of a rebate check, approximately 2 weeks after purchase.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas today :-) I hope your holidays are everything you desire! I have a little gift for you...to help you get all the things you do desire. Just scroll down the right sidebar of my blog, below the Holiday Helper (which you should sign up for if you haven't already!). You'll find a heading that says "Thoughts Become Things...", and you can click on the image under the header to check out some audio recordings by a fellow named Mike Dooley. If you've heard of the Law of Attraction, and you want to manifest your desires in your life, this stuff is for you. Whether you are a stamper who would like more "mad money" to allow you to add to your stampin' stash, or you want to create a comfortable and spacious crafting area that inspires and uplifts you, or you are a SU! demonstrator who would like to create the career of your dreams, or you just want to add prosperity and abundance to your life, these recordings are for you!



For today's stampin' treat, I'll leave you with a couple of cocoa tins I decorated for my mom. I have gotten her the same Christmas gift for the last few years--a tin of Stephen's brand Raspberry Milk Chocolate Cocoa. This year, they made the tins smaller, so I got two of them. I figured, since my mom knows what I'm getting her, I may as well make their appearance a surprise by custom decorating the tins! They are covered with Ski Slope Designer Series Paper, with some rub-ons and ribbon added for embellishment.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS!

Reminder: FREE Holiday Helper Newsletter

If you haven't already signed up for this, it's not too late to get all 12 FREE ISSUES--you can use them for next year's holiday planning!

Simply click HERE to go to my main blog page, then scroll down until you see the red Holiday Helper logo in the right sidebar. Enter your name and email address under that, and get all 12 copies sent directly to your email inbox, over the next 12 days.

I think the last day to sign up so that you'll still be able to get all of these newsletters, will be January 3rd, but you should probably play it safe and sign up no later than January 1st. There is no obligation, and all the issues are completely FREE. Just click HERE if you want to learn more about the Holiday Helper Email Newsletter.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Since it's Christmas Eve, I don't typically get much of a nod for my birthday (except from immediate family and close friends) because everyone's too busy with other holiday plans. When I was little, I got about 20 minutes for my birthday in the evening, then our family would open all the presents under the tree. Our Santa presents were the only thing we'd open on Christmas morning. My mom always made sure that I had a special birthday cake, and that no one tried to slip me a birthday present wrapped in holiday paper!

When I had kids, I changed the tradition, cuz I'm a grownup and I'm allowed to do that sort of thing! Now, I give my kids a new set of PJ's as a gift on Christmas Eve, and they wear them to bed. Then, on Christmas morning, with the kids all nestled under the tree in their new PJ's, we open all our gifts. Even though my kids are teenagers now, they still seem to look forward to the PJ's. I always try to find something holiday themed for them. For my birthday "cake" these days, we have a dinner of waffles with strawberries and whipped topping, and usually some bacon to round it out.

I thought it might be fun to see which "famous" people were born on my birthday:

• 1809 Kit Carson
• 1880 Johnny Gruelle (best known as creator of Raggedy Ann)
• 1905 Howard Hughes
• 1922 Ava Gardner
• 1929 Mary Higgins Clark
• 1968 ME, FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD! (yeah, I'm so famous...hahaha...)
• 1971 Ricky Martin
• 1974 Ryan Seacrest (ew.)

By the way, for those of you who might need help with the math, I'm celebrating the second anniversary of my 39th birthday this year :-D

If you want to check out your birthday, take a quick peek HERE. This is a nice site because it doesn't have a lot of graphically intense stuff...it's mostly just plain text. Wow, I love that.

Anyway, don't forget to put out your Reindeer Food tonight! If you missed the recipe, click HERE and read through the blog post. You can find Snowman Poop and Snowman Soup in there, too :-)

A Sweet Valentine Sneak Peek

Stampin' Up! is offering another Sneak Peek purchase opportunity--a chance for you to get a bundle of new products that you won't otherwise be able to get your hands on until January 19th, when you can begin ordering from the new 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog.


From December 23rd to January 31st, you can order the Love You Much Valentine's Bundle (item 115405, $41.48), which includes the Love You Much stamp set, the coordinating Heart to Heart Punch, and a package of coordinating Candy Lane Designer Series Paper...all at a 20% Discount (reg. price $51.85)!

Click HERE to view, or right click to download, the flyer.

The Heart to Heart Punch is designed to punch out all three of the hearts on the stamp image, at the same time. And the hugs & kisses scallop circle image is the perfect size to punch out with the Scallop Circle Punch, which you probably already have. This is a great bundle of coordinating products you can use for Valentine's Day, and all year long!

REMEMBER: you can get FREE SHIPPING on your Love You Much Bundle, and whatever other products you'd like to add to your order, if you PLACE YOUR ORDER ON DECEMBER 23RD!!!

BONUS OFFER: I am preparing an awesome class to make a Fantasy Box with this bundle, click HERE for photos and a supply list. This class will be available with step-by-step directions for FREE by email when you purchase the Love You Much Bundle, and you can additionally choose to bring your bundle products to my house, and make the project under my direction, for a nominal supply fee!

PLUS, to help you get the additional supplies you'll need if you want to make the project on your own, I am personally offering a 10% Discount* on the following products when ordered with the Love You Much Bundle through January 18th ONLY:

• Sticky Strip, SNAIL, SNAIL Refills, Glue Sticks
• 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter
• Corner Rounder Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Square Punch
• Paper Trimmer, Bone Folder
• Pretties Kit
• Riding Hood Red Tafetta Ribbon
• In Color® Assorted Card Stock Packages (8-1/2" x 11", and 12" x 12")
• Whisper White Card Stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Riding Hood Red, and Pink Pirouette ink pads and reinkers
• Blender Pens

*Orders placed through my Online Store will receive their discount as in the form of a rebate, approximately 2 weeks after purchase.

You can place your order in my ONLINE STORE anytime day or night, but feel free to contact me if you'd rather talk to a live person :-)

No Stamp Gift Wrapping!

You might remember the Snowman Poop & Snowman Soup cello bag toppers I posted HERE. Today's quick project uses the Snowman Topper, as a gift tag!

No stamping is involved, just take an ordinary gift bag and punch a couple of holes to thread ribbon through (I used the 1-1/4" Riding Hood Red/Very Vanilla candy cane stripe ribbon), then tie the snowman topper to the bow with gold metallic cord. The snowman's head is a Top Note die-cut piece which was folded in half, so you just open that up and write your greeting or "to-from" info on the inside!

Poof, no stamping! Instant Christmas Gift Packaging.

REMINDER: if you are still looking for the perfect Christmas gift, or would like to receive the perfect gift, contact me (or have your loved ones contact me) about a GIFT CERTIFICATE! These are available in any denomination, and I can even send a pretty email notice to the recipient on Christmas Day, if there's not time to pick up your paper copy before Santa arrives.

Fantasy Box

I went to a local demonstrator holiday party last night, and we had a stamped gift exchange. I made the little box shown here, called a Fantasy Box. Several demonstrators asked me where I got the pattern, so I promised to post the link. I got a good giggle when one of the demonstrators said she was afraid to Google the term "Fantasy Box" to find it herself!

I found a great pattern using Stampin' Up! product on the blog of another demonstrator, Julie Reynolds. Click HERE to check out her instructions.

I used the Urban Garden Designer Series Paper (DSP), and Baja Breeze card stock. For the decorative flowers on the outside, I used a flower from the Fall Flair Hostess Set, inked up in Night of Navy, stamped onto a scrap of DSP. Stamping an outline image over a lightly colored patterned piece of paper creates a lot of depth with zero effort!

One tip I'd like to share is that I cut an extra strip of chipboard for the "guts" that was 5" by about 1/8". Then, I laid that between each piece of chipboard and the next, as a spacer between them as I adhered them to the back of the main piece of Designer Series Paper. The spacer doesn't get adhered, you lift it up and move it between the next two pieces of chipboard, and so on. That way, all your pieces of chipboard are evenly spaced apart from each other, and they are level and square with each other.

I also made sure to leave the top of the box lid flat, which you can see in the picture above, instead of adding layers with bling. The reason I did this is because the box lid can be turned over when it's taken off, and used as a fifth container, set under the tallest box in the row, as pictured below. If you have brads or a knot of ribbon on the top of the box lid, you won't be able to set the box lid flat, unless you find something that is taller than your embellishment to adhere to each of the four corners of the box lid. That would lift the box up a bit so it would rest on those four corners.

The boxes inside the Fantasy Box are filled with chocolates. There are stamp covered peppermint patties, and also Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares. Two of either of those candies fit absolutely perfectly in there, stacked on top of each other! The Scallop Circle Punch is used for the covers for the patties, and the Scallop Square Punch is used to embellish the DSP-wrapped chocolate squares.

Video Tutorial: Creative Options with the Big Shot

Have you been wanting to order the Big Shot, but would like to see it in action before you take the leap? Here's your chance...I have a new video on my SU! web site that shows some creative options you can use with the Big Shot. It's so much more than just a fancy paper cutter--you can cut fabric, foam, and lots, lots more!

Click HERE to check out the video.

FREE SHIPPING!!! (Dec 9th-23rd)

Just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping, Stampin' Up! is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders of $70 or more!

Take advantage of this special to get additional savings on the already discounted retiring stamps. Remember to check the Promotions page on my SU! web site, and my newsletters, for more of my own personal offers, and other current Stampin' Up! specials--bundle them together and save like crazy this holiday season on your favorite stampin' stuff!

REMEMBER: for Christmas delivery, you will need to place your order no later than December 16th in my Online Store, or get your order and payment to me by December 15th if you'd like me to place your order for you.

Retiring Stamps and a SALE!!!

The list of stamps which will be retired from the 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog has been released today! Click below to get the list in either alphabetical order by stamp set title, or numeric order according to page number in the catalog.

• List of Retiring Stamp Sets (Alphabetical)
• List of Retiring Stamp Sets (Numeric)

These retiring stamp sets will be available only through January 18th.

However, when you buy any set from the retiring list from December 9th through December 23rd, you get a 10% Discount!!

Click HERE for a flyer with discounted pricing.

You may take advantage of this special by contacting me with your order, or you can visit my Online Store and place your order directly through my web site.

Stay tuned for details on a FREE SHIPPING offer, also available from December 9th through 23rd...

Order in Time for Christmas Delivery!

Just a quick note to let you know that Stampin' Up! has set a holiday ordering deadline of December 16th, to process orders in time for delivery by Christmas. You may order through my ONLINE STORE for delivery directly to you, up until 11:50pm Mountain Time on December 16th.

If you would rather have me place your order, you will need to have an appropriate form of payment to me by December 15th, so I can process it and submit your order on time.

Please Note: Holiday shopping greatly increases the likelihood of backordered and out-of-stock items, so plan ahead to avoid last minute disappointments.

GIFT CERTIFICATES: I can create a Gift Certificate for you in any denomination, which makes a great present for any stamp, scrapbook, or paper craft lover! I'll even wrap the certificate up in a nifty decorated tin that will look oh-so festive under the tree. Why guess which products to buy, when you can let the recipient do her own shopping?? Email me to purchase your gift certificates today!!!