Today, April 15, 2012, the list of Retiring Stamps was released. These items will only be available until May 31, 2012. Lists for Retiring Accessories and other Products will be released April 25th...so stay tuned...
During the Summer Smooches promotion, Stampin' Up! is offering the opportunity to purchase a suite of brand-new products from the 2012-2013 catalog, including two Limited Edition products that are only available April 1-30. The items are listed below for your convenience, the Limited Edition products are marked with an asterisk. Click the image above to SHOP SUMMER SMOOCHES NOW!
125495 Bright Blossoms Wood-Mount Set $16.95
125497 Bright Blossoms Clear-Mount Set $12.95
125409 Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper $10.95
125583 Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon $6.95
125411 Summer Smooches Designer Fabric $9.95 125589 Summer Smooches Fabric Designer Brads* $6.95SOLD OUT
125626 Summer Smooches Décor Stencil* $7.95
125606 Petite Purse Bigz L Die $32.95
129919 Summer Smooches Photobook Template $17.95 (digital art)
129601 Summer Smooches Digital Kit $9.95 (digital art)
My favorite is the Petite Purse Bigz XL Die...you can see how adorable it is in the picture below--the sample was made using the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper, and coordinating card stock. The coordinating colors are: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, and Rich Razzleberry.
Can't you just see these adorable purses as table favors at your Mother's Day luncheon? How about making them to give out at coffee with your gal pals? And, wouldn't your girly-girl graduate just coo over a gift of jewelry in this petite purse?? You don't even have to put gifts or treats in the purses, think of the fun you could have putting a basket of these out on a table, with fortunes or fun quotes in them! Remember, the Petite Purse Bigz XL Die will not be available again for purchase until June 1st, so BUY IT NOW to use for Mother's Day and your graduation celebrations.
NOTE: Stampin' Up! dies are intended for use in the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine...and if you purchase your Stampin' Up! dies from me, you are welcome to come over and use my Big Shot if you are not yet ready to make the investment in your own :-)
Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-a-Bration promotion ends March 31st, so make sure you get your FREE stamps & other products before they're gone for good! Just to recap, here's how it works:
SPEND - choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item for every $50 purchased. (click the link to SHOP ONLINE NOW!) HOST - enjoy the benefits above on your own retail order, PLUS get a FREE exclusive Hostess reusable tote bag when your party sales reach $150. Earn a Hostess Bundle of THREE FREE items when party sales reach $400. (click HOST to email me and schedule your party) JOIN - get a FREE paper pack or digital download of your choice each month for the rest of the year--that's over a $100 value in paper! (click JOIN to Become a Demonstrator)
Here are several cards using my favorite Sale-a-Bration FREE products, the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, and the coordinating Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad pack. You get these two items PLUS the coordinating Fresh Vintage stamp set with $400 in party sales! [Remember, you can click on any image to see it full size.]
And don't forget the darling Teabag & Cookies Pouch I featured a few weeks ago...you will definitely want to stock up on the FREE Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper so you can make tons of these for Mother's Day! The front holds a little card, the back holds a teabag, and you can tie a little bag of cookies in the center.
Shop Now, and choose your FREE Sale-a-Bration items with your purchase in my ONLINE STORE. Remember, these FREE goodies are in addition to the standard Hostess Benefits, so contact me TODAY to plan a quick PARTY with your friends before the end of the month! (By the way, every single one of these samples was inspired by an idea I found on Stampin' Connection--a private web site and forum available ONLY to Stampin' Up! Demonstrators! Become a Demonstrator, and get instant inspiration from tens of thousands of samples using Stampin' Up! product.)
I figured I'd better get this posted before the kitty completely wrecked it by knocking it repeatedly off my display table, batting it around the floor, and chewing it to death!
{New Social Media Definition: proCATStination...waiting to take pictures and post them to your blog, until AFTER you've rescued your subject matter from imminent destruction at the paws and/or jaws of feline(s).}
Anyway, I learned about this adorable pouch thru a fellow demonstrator, who was demoing it at Stampin' Up!'s San Antonio Regional. Unfortunately, I was demoing something else at the same time, so it took me a while to catch up with the instructions for making it. There's a place for a card in the front, a teabag in the back, and some cookies in the center! [Click any image to see it full-size.]
Pouch Instructions:
Start with 8-1/2"x12" paper or card stock. Our 12x12 Designer Series Papers are ideal, not only for size, but also because of the contrast the double-sided patterns provide.
Score parallel to the 8-1/2" side at 1-1/4", 2-1/2", 5", 7", 9-1/2", and 10-3/4".
Score parallel to the 12" side at 2-1/2" and at 6".
Cut the 2-1/2" squares from each corner.
Fold the four center corners in half diagonally, each tip pointing towards the center.
Fold in the short sides.
Fold in the long sides.
Fold back each top edge.
Punch holes thru top for string or bow. If you want to put treats in a bag in the center, punch your holes close together, so they can gather the top of your bag when you pull them tight.
Place cookies or treats in 3x5 Small Cello Bag, then tuck bag in the center of your pouch, and then tie your knot or bow. (TIP: tying a bow allows the recipient to open without ripping.)
Okay, I'm gonna show you a quick video walk-through for a visual. I know you're a busy crafter, so I'll keep it short and to the point. I'm a busy crafter, too, so please excuse the rough cut of the video. Really, you should only need to see it once, and after that, you'll easily be able to refer to the text instructions above.
Seriously, you NEED the FREE Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, and the FREE Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack for this project. During Sale-a-Bration, you can pick one item FREE for each $50 you spend, or if you Host a Workshop with $400 in sales, you get the paper, ribbon/brad pack, AND a coordinating stamp set...ALL FOR FREE! My teenage daughter is not a froo-froo person, but immediately upon seeing this project, she said the paper and the coordinating ribbon make this project scream "Mother's Day". But the FREE supplies are only available through March 31st, so get yours NOW!
Stampin' Supplies: Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack, Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Small Cello Bag (3x5), Crop-a-Dile. [And for the card...] Pool Party card stock, Very Vanilla card stock, Peach Parfait & Calypso Coral ink, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Pearl Jewels, Pear Pizzazz Pleated Satin Ribbon, Tea Shoppe stamp set, XL Oval Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, SNAIL.
I've been MIA doing some de-cluttering and reorganizing around the house...quite a bit in the stamp room/office. I'll share pictures soon, but only if you promise not to make fun of the "before" shots! Anyway, just wanted to share a couple stamped goodies with you in the meantime:
The box was made at a club meeting that another demonstrator graciously allowed me to attend. It was inspired by the little journal in the Sale-a-Bration brochure, on page 6. The card is one I made, which was inspired by the 3x3 card, also in the Sale-a-Bration brochure, on page 3. (Click HERE to download the brochure for free!) If you need a hard copy of the Sale-a-Bration brochure, and would like to be on my mailing list, just drop me an email and let me know.
One of my New Year's Resolutions was to post to my blog more regularly. Another of them was to get a little more organized. So, I'm trying to make a dent in each today by posting a quick card, before finally forcing myself to take the holiday decorations down & get them stored back in the garage (brrr, it's cold out there today!).
I actually was not going to make the rectangle frame around the greeting a different color to begin with, but I had to cover up a goof...so there it is! What I had originally done was stamp the greeting down without using the Stamp-a-majig. Yes, I am THAT lazy. And I had already cut out the entire Pool Party cupcake image, and didn't want to do that again (remember lazy?), so I quickly inked up just the rectangle area of the image in Soft Suede, and stamped it. (I used Soft Suede to make it look like I had intentionally designed that cover-up piece to be different--but you know the truth now!) Then I USED the Stamp-a-majig and stamped the greeting exactly where I wanted. Moral of the Story: using the Stamp-a-majig in the first place would have kept me lazier, although I kind of like the darker frame around the greeting :-)
You can download My Digital Studio Express starting TODAY for a FREE 30-Day Trial, with no obligation...no credit card number required.
My Digital Studio is Stampin' Up!'s digital designing software. My Digital Studio Express is the downloadable version of the full My Digital Studio program, with a little less image content than the physical version (which comes on discs). The program works with layers, similar to a Photoshop program. Check out the Stampin' Up! videos on MyDigitalStudio.net to see how it works first, and then browse the rest of the videos to see what else you can do with it!
To Download Your FREE 30-Day Trial Now, click HERE.
(First, Sign In or Create an Account near the top left of the page, under the logo.)
Click HERE to see the Digital Content/Images included in My Digital Studio Express.
Click HERE to see Frequently Asked Questions regarding the 30-Day Free Trial.
I have to put in a quick word here for My Digital Studio...when it first came out, I was not interested at all, because I LOVE putting my hands on real product. But since My Digital Studio uses the Stampin' Up! exclusive images and coordinating colors, I still feel like I am creating something of my own. With the drop shadows and photo mats, there is texture and depth, and it's just a lot of FUN! In most cases, with a few changes in print settings, you can even print your projects at home. This is SOOO convenient when you'd like to have a pre-printed background, but don't own the actual physical patterned paper you'd like to use. And the pre-designed albums are fantastic when you want to drop some pictures in, and complete a project in a hurry. The cool thing is that you can modify the templates, so you can do things like remove flower embellishments, and just put in stars, to change a feminine layout to an all-purpose layout, or remove entire pages if you don't want to use them.
Anyway, I could talk about it all day, but it's so much better if you experience it for yourself. By the way, you can print out any and every project you make during the trial period, using Stampin' Up!'s professional print services, if you'd like. I will share one big hint--take the time to save each page/project as a full-size .jpg file when you finish it...that way, even if you decide not to keep using My Digital Studio Express after the free trial period is over, you will still have copies of your work that you can access to print on your own. Just email me if you need to learn how to save those .jpg copies.
