Last Chance Lists

As many of you know, our 2008-2009 Spring-Summer Catalog is retiring on June 30th, and our new catalog will be available July 1st. As always, Stampin' Up! has to retire many stamp sets, accessories & wheels to make room for all the new goodies. Even some Decor Elements have to retire to make room for new ones! Sad, but good at the same time. This year, they have a new name for the retired list ... it's now called the "Last Chance List".

Well, today they released all of the Last Chance lists: Stamp sets, Accessories, and Decor Elements. I've put the links below so you can just click and view yourself, and even print them out.

Last Chance List
Last Chance Accessories
Last Chance Decor Elements

Now, for some good news ... you can purchase some of these items now at 25-50% off! Just click SHOP to find all the retiring items.

Of course, you can always contact me if you have any questions, or if you prefer to place your order the old-fashioned way. Just keep in mind that you only have until the end of the month.

Have fun shopping!

Too funny ...

Last night's Stamp-a-Stack was so much fun! I don't know if it was because this particular group has never been together before, or if it was just a full moon, but we were laughing so much poor Anabel was in tears, and Jens face was red she was laughing so hard! It could've been that everyone just really, really needed a good night out, and all the planets aligned just right to make everything come together.

We made 3 great cards, but I can't take credit for any of them. I had such a laid back Mother's Day weekend that I completely forgot about the class until yesterday morning! Luckily, I have access to Stamper's Showcase on our Stampin' Up! demonstrator website. This is a huge library of card samples submitted by other talented demonstrators for everyone to share.


This first card I called "Happiness Always", and it was designed by Brenda Keenan. It was perfect for this type of class because it was put together quickly and easily, and we all love the In Colors. Some ladies cheated on the paper piercing (we won't name names!), but that was the only time consuming detail.


This next card I called "Pocket Silhouette", and we all loved it! It was designed by Betty Travis, and all I changed from her original design was the DS paper choice, and I moved the main image to the left a little. We made a mask to create the circle, and using daubers, we colored the circle with Summer Sun ink, and then went over the outer edge with Pumpkin Pie.


Finally, the 3rd card I called "To You from Me", and the original design was by Marie McClellan. Her card used some jumbo eyelets, but I thought the design didn't need them. I never would've thought to mix Baja Breeze, Really Rust and Chocolate Chip, and I might just keep this color combo in my repertoire. I think the Rust gave the card just the right 'kick'.

While at class, Frances asked me about my Project Class that I had scheduled for this Saturday, May 16th. I showed everyone the stationery box (with it's flaw), and explained that I wanted to re-work it. Also, I could never have it ready by the 16th because I need to order supplies. We chose a new date for Sunday, May 24th, but I'm sure Denise would want to attend as well, so I might change that date. In the meantime, I'll get working on it today, and I'll get photos on here with all the details.

MORE great promotions!

Boy! Stampin' Up! has been going crazy with promotions this year! They announced 2 new promotions today. As most of you know, the Occasions mini catalog will be coming soon, and the sales period is from April 1st to June 30th. BUT ... SU is allowing our customers to pre-order any of the Easter sets now! You can click on the link to the right to get a sneak peak of these adorable sets and order them today. After you check them out, you can go right to my website and find them under 'New Products' and order for yourself online (which brings me to another promotion ... a free catalog will be included with your online order until April 30th). And, of course, if you order $50 of merchandise, you'll be eligible for a Sale-A-Bration item too! In fact, you'll get a SAB item for EVERY $50 you spend until March 31st!

The other new promotion announced today is called 'Get Connected'. Their goal with this promotion is for everyone to get connected with family & friends by either making wonderful cards & gifts to give them, or even better, getting together with them to create wonderful cards & gifts! From April 1-30, when you buy $40 in products from the Occasions Mini or host a workshop totaling $150 or more, you'll get one item from the "Under $10" page (pg.208) in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free! Geez, add another $10 to that order, and you also get a Sale-A-Bration item. That's like getting $25 in free stuff for a $50 order! And, wait until you see what's in the Occasions mini! I wish I could only spend $50! I want it all! Stamp sets, new tools, rub-ons, Designer Series paper, buttons, ribbon and more! Just wait 'til you see! Oh, my heart is palpitating. Calm down Stephanie ... OK, so you can click on the link to the right to view the flyer.

And, just one more little thing ... coming soon ... POP-UP DIES for the SIZZIX BIG SHOT! We're getting them before any other merchant, and you can only get them through a demonstrator like me! I wish I had a picture to post of samples with these pop-ups. Keep an eye out, and as soon as I get one I'll post it for you.

My newly decorated bathroom!

I've had these Decor Elements flowers since early last Fall, and I finally made some time to put them up. Rick, my husband, helped and we made quite the team. I'm going to take you step by step with some photos so you can see how we did it.

First, I took the four packages of flowers. Each package has 3 flowers (1 of each design). I purchased 2 packages of Chocolate Chip, and 2 packages of Kraft for a total of 12 flowers. I carefully cut them apart, laid each on the table (grid side up) and scraped over the image to make the vinyl stick to the transfer paper.

I took a few 'before' photos and then I got to work.




I started taping the flowers to the walls so I knew approximately where I wanted them.


I began with one of the medium-sized flowers and carefully started peeling back the transfer paper. This was a little tricky, and I was slightly nervous about doing the larger flower. I got it up on the wall and felt quite proud of myself. Just then, my husband came up and asked if I needed any help (thank you, thank you). I was so glad to have the extra set of hands for those bigger flowers! We went one by one around the room ... I held the transfer paper, and he peeled back the grid paper, then I climbed up the step stool and placed each one on, careful not to touch the vinyl. I'd place them so the center would touch the wall, and I'd leave the sides kind of hanging. I then drew an invisible line down the center with the scraper tool and began scraping from that center line out to the edges to squeeze out any air bubbles.

At one point, Rick decided he wasn't quite happy with the look of the Kraft flowers overlapping the Chocolate flowers, so he suggested I carefully cut along the edge of the Chocolate flower, and peel off the overlapping Kraft part & discard.


We were both pleased with this look, so at another point, I 'cut away' the Kraft flower on the left side, and left the Chocolate to overlap on the right side.


Then came the inside corner. I wanted a flower to 'wrap' from one wall to the next, so I carefully held the flower where I wanted it and laid it as close to the corner as possible. I scraped down the inside corner and then scraped my way out to the sides on each wall. I think it came out very well.


Then, I had an outside corner ... much easier. I just laid most of the flower on one wall up to the edge, rubbed the corner with my fingers, and then finished scraping onto the other wall.


I ended up placing the flowers tighter together than I had planned, so we ran out. I ordered 3 more packages so we could finish the last two walls. We love how it came out and had alot of fun doing it too. It's so nice when Rick gets creative with me ... it doesn't happen often, but it's great when it does.


I hope you like the way it looks and get inspired to create some art on your walls too. Now, if I could just get him to finish putting up my woodwork.

Decor Elements Catalog Correction

I was just notified by a customer that the numbers for Flitting By I and Flitting By II (pg.12) are the same numbers as Spot On I and Spot On II (pg.13). If you try ordering either of the Flitting By Decor Elements, you'll get Spot On. I called SU, and the correct number for Flitting By I should be 114840, and Flitting By II should be 114841. If you have a copy of the Decor Elements catalog, please make a note of this correction.

Speaking of Decor Elements, I'm finally going to put up the Manhattan Flowers in my newly renovated bathroom tomorrow (a little busy today). I'm going to take photos of the steps and post them here, so check by over the weekend to see how it looks.

And you know what else? In case you didn't realize, you can get Decor Elements as hostess benefits! There's a Level 1 and a Level 2 offering on page 3 of the Decor Elements catalog. I just love the set of books with the Flower Finesse, but I wanted to get something I could put up right away for my customers and students to see, so I ordered the Home Is Love which I'm going to put up in my living room. I have just the spot for it ... I've been wanting to get something for this one particular wall for a long time now, and this will be just perfect! I'll have to post a photo of that too when I get it.

Next Scrapbooking Class

I just sent an e-card out to all my customers. I was a little preoccupied while writing it because they only give me 15 lines of text, and if you go over it by one little letter, you lose half of it! So, I tried cramming in a lot of information in a little bit of space, and of course I forgot to mention my upcoming scrapbooking class! It's next Wed. Feb. 25th at either 10am or 7:30pm for only $18. This class is a little more expensive than my usual SB class because we'll be using textured cardstock, Designer Series papers, felt flowers, our new corduroy buttons, and we'll be making a title from chipboard using the Big Shot machine.

I'm baaaaaack!

It's been ages since I posted anything here! Where have I been? Don't ask me. Ever since my internet problem before Christmas, I've been having trouble getting back into the swing of things where posting is concerned.

Anyway, tonight is my new catalog workshop, and I'm so excited because I just love all the new accessories and Sizzix items (I'm definitely an accessories and tool junkie!). I want to show it all! I've got a great project planned using the Big Shot machine and some DSP, and that brings me to my Big Shot, Big Deal! From now, until March 31st, if you purchase the Big Shot Starter Kit at $195.95 and any one $4.95 Sizzlits die (pg. 200), you'll also receive free ... FOUR items from the Sale-a-Bration catalog, plus one $15.95 Sizzix die from me as a gift! That's over $75 in free stuff just for purchasing the machine you know we all gotta have anyway! I just love my machine, and I don't know what I did without it. And, you want to know what I love most about this machine? It works with ALL my dies! I was able to clean out some bulky machines (and make a little $$ to buy some new dies!), like the original Sizzix machine with that big arm you had to crank down on each part of the die, and the Cuttlebug machine (it was so cute, I did kinda hate to part with that one), the Kwikcutz handle and the Sizzix Sidekick. Now, if I could just organize the rest of my stamp room!