Retired stamps (for sale next weekend)

Jul 13, 2009

2009-07-12-002 Take a look at what my parents and I did on Sunday!  We sorted and prepped piles and piles of retired stamps for this upcoming weekend!  The hostesses at my Hostess Appreciation Party will get first dibs on them, and then they'll be available for anyone else later in the weekend. 

Believe it or not, these pictures don't even show all the stamps I have; there are still some out in the garage! 

And if time cooperates with me this week, I'll also have some other retired items available for sale this weekend, too.

If you're local, feel free to come on by!  Saturday, July 18:  4 – 7 pm….. Sunday, July 19:  1 – 4 pm2009-07-12-004  

If you’ve ever attended a Stampin’ Up! workshop…..

Jul 8, 2009

Stampin' Up!® has requested our help in notifying stampers of a customer survey they are running.  It looks like a quickie, so if you have ever attended a Stampin' Up! workshop (whether with me or another demonstrator) I hope you'll take a few moments to help out. 

Remember this survey is for CUSTOMERS only, though…… not for current demonstrators.  (Although "former" demonstrators are welcome to participate.)  And although I will also provide the link in my upcoming email newsletter, please only respond once.

Click here to take the survey.…. and thank you for being part of Stampin' Up!'s research!

Happy News card (w/ Good Friend)

Jul 8, 2009

003 I received some happy news recently that warranted a card, so I just had to dig out (and assemble, wouldn't you know?!?) this fun stamp set, "Good Friend".

The 3 colors I chose were Summer Sun, Old Olive and the just-recently-retired Pacific Point (which was just too perfect, so I couldn't help myself, lol.)

The letters in "news" were die cut on the Big Shot (Naturally Serif die), and attached with a 2-way glue pen.  Had to work very, very carefully to get the spacing so it'd fit!

Good-Friend

Now, if you check the images that come in this set, you'll see that I had to do a little "fussin'" with the "good friend" image.  At first I tried just inking up the word "good" with my marker.  But my marker is so juicy that it left areas of light and dark on the stamped image and I didn't care for that effect. So the next option was to mask it.

I began by covering the "…..friend" part of the image with a carefully-placed piece of transparent tape.  Then tapping very delicately, I inked up the stamp directly on the ink pad as usual.  But then here's the important part:  YA GOTTA REMOVE THE TAPE before stamping, lol!  (Does that sound like the voice of experience there?!?  Yes, it IS important to remove the tape or you get a great big smear instead of your carefully-planned custom image!)

Are you as charmed as I am with this darling birdie?  While he does fit on a card, just think how adorable he'd be on a scrapbook page or gift of some kind!  And he's got some companion birdies, too;"Cheep Talk" coordinates beautifully!  In fact, I used those images on the inside of this card.

Order up your own happy birdie sets here; just click and then select SHOP NOW.  For Good Friend, enter 113740 in the search box, and to find Cheep Talk (smaller coordinating images) it's 113204.

Hostess Appreciation Party invitations are ready

Jul 7, 2009

Invitations to my Hostess Appreciation Party, along with corresponding Stampin' Bucks, should be going out in today's mail (provided I get to the PO before pickup time).  If you hosted a workshop with me between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, I hope you're holding the morning of July 18 open!  Looking forward to our fun annual event!

Deal of the Week #2 – Sizzix Big Shot Doctor Bag!

Jul 6, 2009

 Sizzix_doctors_bag Oh my gosh!  How cool is THIS offer?!?  Save almost $20 on the Sizzix Big Shot Doctor Bag this week!  I love, love, LOVE my Doctor Bag, and if you've got the Big Shot (or will be getting it), I know you will, too!

But remember that these "Deals of the Week" are just that – only available for a week.  So that means that if you'll be ordering online you have until 9:50 am (MT) next Monday, July 13th to close and finalize your order.  But if you'll be ordering through me directly I'll need your order by no later than this Sunday, July 12. 

Don't miss this chance to get your doctor bag at nearly $20.00 off! More details here….. or order online here.  Do it quick, before you forget!

Rich Razzleberry Cake – & Open House Wrap-Up

Jul 2, 2009

How fun it was to see so many of you at my New Catalog Open House yesterday!  Thank you for coming; it was fun catching up!  For those of you who were not able to join us, here's the make & take project of the day.  (Hmmm….. I wonder…. does that mean it's the MTPOD?!?)

2009-07-02-002This card features Stampin' Up!®'s brand-new Rich Razzleberry (quite possibly my favorite of the new "In Colors" collection) - in both ink and cardstock, as well as the matching oh-so-fun brand-new polka dot grosgrain ribbon. 

The stamps are from the new stamp set On a Pedestal, which I actually earned for free way back in April, and have been just dying to finally get a chance to unveil! 

Another feature to note is the scallop along the left edge of the main image.  That's done with Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Edge punch – which just happens to be our "Deal of the Week" product – at only $10.99 this week! 

(If you don't yet have yours, check out the link over in my right-hand column that will lead you in the right direction to get it.)

I also wanted to congratulate Kevin B. for once again winning my "Guess the Retiring Stamps" game (she took home my now-retired "Doodle This" stamp set as her prize of choice), and to our drawing winners from yesterday:  Kathy A.*, Chris H.*, Steffi S., Karyle K.*, and Kevin B.* (again).  Kathy A. actually won twice, too, as her name came up again for the final drawing – a free square signed off on her Great Rewards card!  So she's almost $60 closer to redeeming her card – without having to spend a penny to fill that square!

Ladies, those of you whose names I've listed with asterisks after them, I have your prizes here, and will get them to you either next time I see you – or will be in touch with you soon to arrange some other plan. 

And those of you who couldn't join us yesterday, but who still have catalogs here with your names on them, please contact me to make alternative arrangements if you still want yours.  (I can deliver when I'm in your area if you're ok with waiting until then, or you can make an appointment to come pick it up here, or I can mail to you if you send $4.95 for the postage.)  Please let me know soon which method you'd prefer, as I will only hold catalogs on reserve through the end of July. 

Happy Stampin'!

Links may not work properly for a couple days

Jul 1, 2009

Please remember that due to the changeover from one set of catalogs and promotions to another, links here may be incomplete for a couple of days.  Please be patient; I will be updating 'em as they become available – and as I have time.  (Remember I've got my Open House all day on Wednesday, though.) 

In the meantime, you might find more up-to-date information at:  http://StamptheRock.Stampinup.net Even though links THERE may not work properly for a time either, it may come up accurate sooner.  So keep trying……

It'll all be worth the wait!  🙂

Deal of the Week & the New Idea Book & Catalog – Beginning July 1st

Jun 30, 2009

Beginning tomorrow, July 1st, Stampin' Up!® will be offering a "Deal of the Week" for the entire month of July.  Due to the catalog change-over and some other internal changes going on that day at the Home Office my demonstrator website (and associated links from this blog, too) may be down for a time in the morning.  But when it all comes back up again you should be able to visit the promotions page and see what the current "Deal of the Week" is. And remember to do that every week throughout the month of July!

As a reminder, my demonstrator website (for online ordering, online demonstrator sign-up, current promotions and additonal project ideas and videos) is:  http://StamptheRock.StampinUp.net

And the address above will have the most up-to-date info you'll want to explore when it does come up tomorrow.  I will be busy with my New Catalog Open House all day on Wednesday so I will not have a chance to update any specials or news announced that day, nor verify that links still work here on this site - until the next day or two afterwards.  So until I can get those details caught up, please check out my demonstrator website for the latest and greatest! 

Oh!  And I hope you'll drop in to my Open House tomorrow – and of course pick up your new catalog if you've got one here with your name on it!  (Complimentary new catalogs are already prepared for upcoming Club members, hostesses of this past year, upcoming summer/fall hostesses with workshop dates booked, and regular customers and class attendees of this past year.)  But even if you don't fit any of those descriptions, you're invited to come to my Open House anyway.  And I'll have a limited supply of catalogs available to purchase at my price – that day only!

Jun 29, 2009

2009-06-27-005

Don't you just love our adorable Matchbox dies for the Sizzix Big Shot?!?  I just can't get enough of 'these cuties, myself!  

2009-06-27-007

This is a set of goodies I showed at a recent workshop.  The cardstock box is Real Red, and the sleeve is a piece of Specialty Designer Series Paper from the "Rockabilly" set - which, although retiring in only a matter of hours, still remains one of my all-time very favorite Designer Series Papers.  (That is, the "cherries", "stripes", and "polka dot" sides are my faves; I'm not so into the skulls and crowns, lol.  What an odd combo of images, eh?)

  2009-06-27-004

Anyway, inside this little box I had tucked a few individually wrapped cherry candies with tiny toppers made with the Curly Label insert from the Movers and Shapers die (for the Big Shot, of course).

Once that little "label" shape was punched out I used my metal straight edge and a stylus to score a line exactly across the middle and folded it over the end of the candy wrapper.  BTW, can you see the subtle, glossy black stripes in this close-up?  Another feature I love about Rockabilly! 

Well, then you know ME!  I had to go and cut out those fussy little cherries from another paper from that same Rockabilly DSP set.  (Yes, I do think I was quite out of my mind drunk with a momentary overdose of creativity, but once I had the first couple done I HAD to finish up the rest of 'em, lol.  Anyway, I liked how they turned out, and the whole set made quite the presentation.  So it was worth it.  (And thank GOODNESS for Paper Snips!)

If YOU think they're adorable, too, but you haven't yet picked up a package of Rockabilly for yourself yet, guess what?!?  You're in luck!  As of the time I'm writing this on Monday afternoon, it's one of the FEW retiring Designer Series Papers that are not sold out yet!  So click on over to my online ordering system and grab yourself a package or two – and if YOU don't happen to be into skulls or crowns, either, tell 'em Lynda said it was totally ok NOT to use those sides of the paper!

So here are the main supplies I used for this project (besides the candy):

Paper:  Rockabilly Specialty Designer Series Paper

Real Red Cardstock  (Or although it's already sold out, Riding Hood Red would work too, if you still have some hanging around.)

Big Shot for Stampin' Up!

Die:  Movers & Shapers (Btw, the price of this die will be going up $3 in the upcoming catalog.  And since there are more insert shapes on the horizon, I'm sure its appeal will be greatly broadened.  So if you think you may want this die, you might want to think about getting it before the price goes up on Wednesday!)

Die:  Matchbox Die (Oh, and I like to use the Extended Premium Crease pad with my Matchbox die.)

Paper Snips

5/8" Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon

Have fun!