Hey! Grab my handy, free app to direct you to all my links & things. Test it out!

Lovely Lattice Stamp Set meets Stampin’ Blends

Feb 20, 2019

One of my favorite “Freebie” choices from the 2019 Sale-a-Bration (going on now through March 31) is the stamp set “Lovely Lattice”. And when it’s brought to life through the magic of Stampin’ Blends, well… now there’s a match totally made in heaven!

*Lovely Lattice – Choose this stamp set for FREE with a $50 product order during Sale-a-Bration 2019. (Thru March 31, while supplies last.)*

I was almost sad to see this card completed. Coloring in an outline image isn’t all that far off from the days of crayons and coloring book pages – elements of a relaxing past-time I have never really outgrown. So when my eye warned “That’s enough, Lynda; it’s done”, my heart wasn’t quite ready to cooperate. Nevertheless, I reluctantly put down my grown-up crayons and tended to final assembly.

“You can never have too many flower sets (in your stamp collection).”
– Lynda Glassmoyer

Those who know me, know I’m a sucker for flowers. And it certainly shows in my stamp collection! But why not? Flower images are appropriate for (almost) any card-giving occasion, and in this case, I didn’t even have a concrete idea yet for where this card was headed. I had no one specific in mind to receive it, and figured I’d just leave the outside free of any particular sentiment that could limit its use later on.

Getting the look

I began this card by stamping the largest image in the stamp set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink – onto Whisper White cardstock. And then used Stampin’ Blends in both light and dark shades of the following colors to bring it to life:

And a little touch of Pumpkin Pie in some of the flower centers. Then I created the highlights with the Stampin’ Blends Colo r Lifter.

*Lovely Lattice colored with Stampin’ Blends*

At this point, I realized a touch of dimension seemed in order. So I took that entire stamped & colored layer and ran it through the Big Shot inside the “Subtle” embossing folder. (BTW, that folder is right up there near the very top of my faves at the moment!)

*3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder – “Subtle”*

Then I added the same embossing to the front half of the Balmy Blue card base. I mounted the stamped & embossed layer onto an un-embossed layer of Highland Heather, and then adhered those layers onto the card base. The textural difference between embossed layers and those without embossing seemed to strike just the right contrast.

The final details

But it still needed just a bit more dimension. So, grabbing one of the Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends, I quickly transformed a few “plain-ol‘-white” pearls into coordinating flower centers and added those to some of the flowers.

And that little flower down in the lower right corner? It was stamped onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock, colored in with the same Blends markers, and then fussy-cut and positioned for visual balance.

Did you know that if you were to order all the Stampin’ Blends I’ve use here, and toss in the “Subtle” embossing folder, you’d qualify to get this lovely stamp set for free? Get all the goodies here.

Featured products

“Your Paper Dreams” is moving!

Feb 14, 2019

I’m super excited to announce that “Your Paper Dreams” will soon have a brand-new home on the web!

Yep, for the past month or so I’ve been busy at work creating a brand-new website, and HOPE to have it up and running by sometime around the end of February!

This process has really been a technical challenge for this-here senior citizen, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for the better part of 3 years, and I’m a firm believer that we’ve gotta keep using our brains in order to keep them functioning for us in our later years. But yeah, to say this has been a brain challenge (fraught with more than a moment or two’s frustration and significant concern about my level of sanity), well, that would definitely be an understatement, lol!

So how might this affect YOU? And why does it matter?

Well, eventually the older site that you’ve been familiar with for 12-1/2 years will close down. But before that, *elements* of it stand a potential chance of breaking as I begin the process of disconnecting it from the web address “YourPaperDreams.com”. (So I can ultimately reuse that same name for my new site.) So once I initiate that process, which will likely be in the next few days, I wouldn’t be surprised if some links cease to work, and who KNOWS what other chaos might occur?!? But I will not be trouble-shooting any such issues ‘cuz this site is headed towards demise anyway. All brain-power is now being devoted to developing my new site these days.

I recognize there are a few elements of the (older) site that my stampin’ friends access regularly, and if this name-extraction process causes those areas to blow up, it won’t be a pretty picture. So short term, I’ll be increasing delivery rate of my emailed newsletters, and in them will include popular information that has resided on this site (in particular, the current host code and the link to upcoming class registration). If you don’t already subscribe to (or read) my newsletters, you might want to pay particular attention in the upcoming weeks so you’ll know what’s going on behind the scenes. I sure don’t want to lose anyone along the way!

SUBSCRIBE TO (or update your preferences for) MY NEWSLETTER HERE.

So what does this mean to ME?

It will give me a more contemporary platform on which to present my communication, more opportunities to display eye-candy, more flexibility to install new exciting features over time, and (I surely hope) that it will rank better with Google searching! (While my old site used to be considerably better in the ranking world years ago, it has dwindled nearly to non-existence over time.) Also, I *think* that once I’m past the initial investment and the new site is up and running, that it shouldn’t cost all that much more to maintain than what I’ve been paying anyway.

One other piece of semi-good news (well, something I’m particularly jazzed about anyway), is that I succeeded in exporting all 12-1/2 years worth of blog posts over to my new site! Several years ago when I first explored the idea, I’d been told it would cost BIG bucks to hire a professional to do it – or alternatively, move the text over myself, but forfeit the associated images. Obviously, that was pretty discouraging to hear. But thankfully, over time, technology has advanced and I got the move accomplished myself – to the tune of only $22! (Plus or minus a few dozen hours, of course.)

But alas, the world is still not perfect. Lots of my former formatting went away during the export/import process, and I have only gone back to just a few of the more recent posts to correct that issue. Likewise, I suspect a bunch of links probably died, as well. But I will NOT be revisiting the other 700 or so old posts to correct whatever may have gone a little wobbly. They’ll just have to live on as they are. Old and maybe a bit creaky. But I’m thrilled that at least they’re THERE at all!

Very loose projected timeline to launch:

I wish I could lay out a fairly firm timeline on this journey towards my new site launch. But I’m DIY-ing this project, and EVERY SINGLE STEP along the way is new to me. So every single step requires intensive study before implementing. Some steps have gone smoothly, but several have not. The worst example of that (so far) was having made NO forward progress for the past 6 days as I struggled with one stupid, picky detail that just would NOT work. But with that frustration finally resolved yesterday (SO grateful to my nephew for writing the code that provided the solution!), I’m excited to be moving forward again. Of course, I’m nervously aware that some similar type of stall could recur and set progress back for another period of time. But that said, I’m still HOPING for a launch somewhere around the end of February.

So as we say good-bye to my older site, I’m delighted to be moving to my NEW home on the web shortly… and it’ll have the exact same name, so you should be able to still find me easily!

In the meantime, watch your email for more updates!

And don’t forget that brand-new Sale-a-Bration freebie items debut tomorrow, February 15th! (But demand is expected to be tight, and as always, they’ll only be available while supplies last. So you’ll want to choose early for best selection!)

Handmade Valentine Card – then & now

Feb 8, 2019

Remember the days of childhood when it was so much fun to make a handmade Valentine card? You’d drag out the construction paper, scissors, and paste, and create something really special straight from your heart, right? Well, that’s exactly what we were recalling as we assembled this card at last month’s card classes!

Handmade Valentine Card – Grown-up Version

For all the color, texture and layers going on with this card, it’s deceptively simple to make… although not necessarily quick to assemble. Actually, it might be the type of card you’d choose to put together while watching TV, so your mind could focus on something other than gluing hearts down in place. Again and again.

The colors featured on this card are Blushing Bride and Bermuda Bay – which together, make up one of my favorite color combos.

Oh! Wait! Um, let me try that again…

ANY color that coordinates and combines with Bermuda Bay represents “one of my favorite color combos“, lol! But yep, this is indeed one of my regular “go-to” combos.

And can you believe that everything, with the exception of the ribbon, was created with just one die set: the “Be Mine Stitched Framelits Dies“?!?

So it’s all pretty simple, actually.

It starts with die-cutting all the pieces and then laying them out to dry-fit. (The two Blushing Bride lengths of hearts near the bottom are actually one piece put thru the Big Shot and then carefully trimmed into 2 sections with Paper Snips.) Once you’ve got that done and everything’s laid out to your satisfaction, it’s time to anchor everything down. My adhesive preference for this step is Multi-purpose Liquid Glue, applied in tiny amounts at a time, to the back of each die-cut element using a small piece of scrap-paper as an applicator.

“When it comes to applying glue, less is more.”

Reminder words repeated ad nauseam at most of my card classes.

But basically, that means that less glue not only dries faster, it also leaves fewer smears on your project, fewer sticky fingers, and overall less mess and frustration. And then a happier papercrafter.

Finally, you may want to add some Wink of Stella shimmer to the small solid hearts. It’s my philosophy that you can never have too much shimmer and shine.

Do you have a memory of making Valentine cards as a kid? If so, please share your recollections in the comments.

YourPaperDreams.com is under construction

Feb 1, 2019

Hey, Lynda here, and I want to let you know that this site, to eventually be known as YourPaperDreams.com, is under construction. Not quite ready for prime time yet; I’m still adding, subtracting, learning, exploring, tweaking, debugging, etc. I haven’t publicly announced the debut of this site yet, but if you’ve stumbled into this chaotic construction zone anyway, I apologize that it’s not yet quite as polished as I’d like.

I’ll be sure to get the word out to my followers via newsletter and Facebook once it’s ready to go live. But wait! *What’s* that thought you just had?!? You don’t get my newsletter yet? Well hey, no worries; you can fix that pretty quick by subscribing right here.

Download February’s Wallpaper/Calendar

Feb 1, 2019

Pink! One of my favorite colors – and certainly at THIS time of year! If you’re as ready as I am to finally lay eyes on some pretty flowers, well here ya go! February’s wallpaper/calendar is ready to download and install on your computer monitor.

My monthly desktop wallpaper background offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all; it also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat sheet reference to websites you may want to know about and visit. And it’s even FREE, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

Download February’s wallpaper to your own computer:

Click HERE to download your FREE background & calendar.

You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy!

Download and save the image to your computer – from the link just above that starts with “Click HERE”. (NOT from the picture that appears with this post!) TIP: To “download” the full-resolution image once it’s open (from Google Drive where it’s stored), click on the downward-pointing arrow. THAT is what actually begins the download process to your computer.
Once the file has been downloaded, named and saved to your computer’s hard drive, open the image.
Then right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system as well as your laptop.)

More tips:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, these tips may help with installation:

Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows
Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly picture is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (1920 x 1080 pixels.) If you’re working with an older monitor (one that is more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format, the picture will probably not work for you. Sorry ’bout that.

What topic am I best known for “harping” on?

Jan 24, 2019

Think you know what topic I’m best known for harping on? Well, I’m not sure if I’m REALLY known for this subject, but I sure oughtta be. And I’m pleased to share that it appears my message is starting to get through. Hurray!

So just how many times have you heard me say something like: “If there’s something currently available from Stampin’ Up! that you really, really want (or even WILL want to use later), better plan on getting it now while it’s still available.”

We’re all learning a lesson here

This is a lesson that’s proven itself true again and again over the past several years. Sale-a-Bration items run out and get discontinued considerably before the SAB term expires. The most popular Christmas products run out before some people have even started to *think* about designing their Christmas cards for the year.

And who can forget the incredibly unfortunate circumstance of 2017’s Father’s Day-focused “Build It” Framelits Dies completely running out weeks before anyone had even thought about Father’s Day! That set of dies is STILL being searched for every day on the internet, and I finally just sold my set a couple months ago for about $10 over its original asking price. And had I known at the time I offered my set for sale, that I’d have a half-dozen additional people clamor for it too, I’d have asked a whole bunch more in the first place!

So here’s where I’m going with all this…

The Occasions and SAB products have been available for exactly 3 weeks now. And we’re already starting to see shortages of supply for certain items. Just Tuesday afternoon I heard myself advising my afternoon Card Class ladies to not wait TOO long to order things from the Occasions and SAB options that they might really want. I think I was delivering this speech sometime around mid to late afternoon… and as I listened to my own words I remember thinking to myself, “Lynda, good grief, why do you keep HARPING on this topic all the time?!?”

Well, fast-forward about 2 to 2-1/2 hours from that moment… to the time I arrived home. Went directly to the computer to see what had transpired while
I’d been doing classes all day… and lo and behold, there was an announcement from Stampin’ Up! regarding the SAB product “Organdy Ribbon Combo” pack (page 7 of the SAB brochure), that had apparently been posted sometime since I’d checked right before heading out to my morning class.

The message stated that due to the product’s popularity it was already sold out, and backorders had mounted quickly. So much so, in fact, that they’d already had to turn off its ordering number. Apparently, there will be more arriving to the warehouse sometime in March, and at that time the ordering number will be turned back on again. But in the meantime, it sounds like anyone who doesn’t already have their Organdy Ribbon Combo ordered is in for a rather long wait before they can even order it.

And then today, 2 additional items found their way into the spotlight.
The Butterfly Duet Punch (Occasions Catalog, page 35) will have its ordering number turned off tomorrow morning (Friday, January 25, at 10:00 am Mountain time, which is 9:00 am for my Pacific time friends), and the earliest it’s expected to reappear will be mid-March, as well. But even then, it’s possible that the first shipment may not cover the back-orders that have already collected and which are expected to grow between now and tomorrow morning. However, if it’s been on your wish-list, you do have a few more hours to at least get on the wait-list!

Alas, there’s more…

There’s also the “Cake Builder Punch”, likely next in line for running out – expected to be not too far into the future, too. So similar story there: order real quick before inventories are depleted, or initial back-orders may get filled around Mid-March.
And orders placed farther down the road may have to wait even longer.

But we’re all learning with experience

Actually, I’ve seen many of these selections already show up on orders this month, so I’m pleased that it appears my “harping” may be beginning to get through and take effect. And if it is, then I’ll consider that a very GOOD thing!

And while I’m on the subject of placing orders, I’d like to send out a big “thank you!” to everyone who’s ordered through me already this month! You’ve really helped launch Sale-a-Bration 2019 with a BANG! 🙂

But don’t forget: if you haven’t yet ordered your Butterfly Duet Punch, you’ve still got a few more hours…. until tomorrow morning (10:00 am Mountain/ 9:00 am Pacific)… to get your name on the wait-list. Shop at: store.YourPaperDreams.com , and search for item 148523, (or bundle 150599, which will also include the lovely coordinating stamp set)!

Sale-a-Bration (SAB) – Perk #2 – Hosts & “I Deserve It” orders get extra Stampin’ Rewards!

Jan 17, 2019

Welcome to the 2nd in my series of 3 posts detailing the perks of Stampin’ Up!’s “Sale-a-Bration 2019”! (Yes, that’s another example showcasing the Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Papers, which are available as a freebie choice with an order of $50, along with the super-popular Butterfly Duet Punch).

In my last post I discussed the Sale-a-Bration perk that everyone seems to be most familiar with: getting to choose a free product with each $50 you order. But the perk we’ll refer to in THIS post is pretty doggone sweet, too!

So, you probably know (or at least I HOPE you know) that Stampin’ Up! offers a rewards program for those who gather a few friends together and host a group stampin’ event. (Call it a party, call it a class or call it something else, Stampin’ Rewards will be part of it if there are sufficient qualifying sales.) Typically, when combined orders from such an event reach $150 in product sales, those rewards (called “Stampin’ Rewards”) kick in for the host.

At $150 in total product sales, the host can select most any product of her choice equal to 10% of the sales (which would be exactly $15, if the total product sales were $150, for instance). And as the total product sales increase, the percentage levels of Stampin’ Rewards increase too, until they ultimately reach 16% of the total product sales. In addition, when sales cross the $450 line, the host can also get any one item of her choice for half-price! (Big Shot, Color Family of ink pads, or Stamparatus, anyone?)

But Stampin’ Rewards are enhanced during Sale-a-Bration…

…making it a perfect time to host an event – or else submit what some like to call an “I Deserve It” order (of $150 or more for one’s own self). “I Deserve It” orders are a great way to maximize your purchasing dollars, and the bigger your order, the more freebie goodies you can choose!

So not only is it a smart plan to group your personal orders into batches that qualify for Stampin’ Rewards (starting at $150 in product sales), but it’s particularly clever to do so during Sale-a-Bration! That’s because in addition to your usual Stampin’ Rewards (see the Party Sales chart in any of our catalogs – sometimes near the back; sometimes near the front), you may also qualify for ADDITIONAL Stampin’ Rewards!

Which brings us to… SALE-A-BRATION PERK #2:

Sale-a-Bration Perk #2 offers an enhancement to the usual Stampin’ Rewards plan! During Sale-a-Bration, whenever your total product order reaches $250, Stampin’ Up! throws in an additional $25-worth of credit you can apply towards your freebie product as a “host” – over and above what a $250 sales volume would ordinarily qualify for! So here’s an example of how that would work in real life:

Let’s say your “party” total (regardless of source) reaches $250 in product sales. Under the usual, year-round plan, your Stampin’ Rewards would be figured at 10% of $250, which would equal $25 credit towards additional product of your choice. But during Sale-a-Bration, Stampin’ Up! will kick in that additional $25 in Stampin’ Rewards credit for any “party” of $250 or more! So that means if you reach the $250 level exactly, you’d get the usual $25 in Stampin’ Rewards credit, PLUS the additional $25, for a total credit of $50 you can apply towards any current additional product!

Oh, but wait!!! If your $250 order was actually all YOUR order, then each $50 segment would *also* qualify for one of the free SAB items in the SAB 2019 brochure!

Yes indeedy, we DO love to let you double-dip in the Stampin’ Up! perks whenever possible! 🙂

So should you find yourself staring at a particularly long wish-list at this time of year, give that clever concept a bit of thought. Qualifying for Stampin’ Rewards with your order is nothing to sneeze at!

And stay tuned for the final installment of this 3-part series – explaining how to get what might be the absolute BEST deal of ALL with Stampin’ Up! during Sale-a-Bration! We’ll call that PERK #3……. and I’ll show you some extra, totally-legit, double-dipping ideas tossed in for added fun!

Sale-a-Bration (SAB) – Perk #1 – Customers get FREE product!

Jan 17, 2019

Can you name all 3 (4, actually) ways that a papercrafter can benefit from the perks of Stampin’ Up!®’s annual Sale-a-Bration (SAB) season?

If you’ve been around the Stampin’ Up! community for very long, I’ll bet you can name at least ONE of the perks. But be sure to follow this week’s series of 3 posts, so you don’t accidentally miss out on the *other* 2 (3, actually) available perks, too!

Let’s begin by reviewing a bit of SAB history (that is, as far as my memory recalls…), and then we’ll touch on what (I think) is probably the most well-known feature of Sale-a-Bration.

I wish I could tell you exactly when this fun tradition began in Stampin’ Up!, but I don’t exactly know. What I DO know is that “Sell-a-Bration” was already going on back 23 years ago (in January of 1996), when I first became acquainted with the company. But although it was an exciting time of year way back then, the format wasn’t even close to the generous SAB season we are familiar with nowadays. The way I remember it as a brand-new customer, is (I think) we could choose a stamp from a unique collection (note: a small, single wood-mount stamp) – for a dollar. I remember being really excited about getting that additional bonus with my order, and I chose a teddy bear. (I even got to take that stamp home with me that night!) And I know I’ve come across that stamp from time to time throughout the years, so it MIGHT still be in my collection of stamps that are deeply buried in storage somewhere.

Through the years, the name “Sell”-a-Bration morphed into “Sale”-a-Bration, and the perks evolved, too. In general, they’ve become more generous over time (especially compared to that year when you could buy a small stamp for only $1!), but it’s always been the biggest season of the Stampin’ Up! year, and a whole lotta fun!

SALE-A-BRATION PERK #1:

So for *my* stampin’ peeps over the years, certainly the most popular attraction has been getting their choice of free product (usually) created for, and available exclusively during, that season. For a long, long time now, there has been the opportunity to choose one such special item with each $50 product order placed. And for the past few years, there have also been some bigger choices included, too – for product orders reaching $100 or more. (Examples this year include the “Tea Time Framelits Dies“, which coordinate with the gorgeous stamp set “Tea Together“, shown on page 49 of the Occasions Catalog. And don’t overlook the Distinktive stamp set called “Lasting Lily“, if you’ve had some experience with the line of Distinktive stamps. Btw, in case you might be admiring the “Tea Time Framelits Dies”, but also have other SAB freebie items on your wishlist, we’ve been notified that that set of dies will carry over beyond the Sale-a-Bration season – but of course it’ll have a price tag attached to it once it does, lol.)

Anyway, certainly my stampin’ friends have found Sale-a-Bration to be a great time to make some of their major investments in tools or pricer products, OR to replenish basic supplies that may have been starting to run a little thin during the past year.

But here’s yet another tip you’ll want to take into consideration when planning your Sale-a-Bration order(s):

Sale-a-Bration items are available on a “while supplies last” basis. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’ve heard me preach this before, haven’t you?) But it’s true, and in recent years, the deeper we get into the SAB season (which ends on March 31, btw), the smaller the inventory of choices has become. So I doubt that the full inventory of choices will be available to those who wait until later in the season to submit orders. So my advice will always be to place your orders early in the season, especially until you’ve earned all your most favorite freebie choices.

Whew! But all that said, did you also notice this statement that appears on the inside cover of the Sale-a-Bration brochure? “Watch for another set of exclusive FREE items coming February 15!”

So take another look through your Annual and Occasions catalogs, along with the SAB brochure, and see what’s fresh and new that you’d love to work with this Spring!

Spring Catalog, Sale-a-Bration, and Cling Stamps

Jan 3, 2019

Well, Happy New Year! And along with that, Happy New (Occasions/Spring) Catalog, and Sale-a-Bration 2019!

I'll be offering more about the Occasions/Spring Catalog and Stampin' Up!'s long-standing Sale-a-Bration tradition in the coming days, but today I wanted to share a bit about Stampin' Up!'s new "Cling" stamps, which you may have already noticed in this brand-new catalog.

Yes, we can once again put labels on our temporary-mount red rubber stamps AND expect them to stay in place on the acrylic blocks or Stamparatus! Something I know many of you have been awaiting for a long, long time!

So here's the basic low-down on some of the changes you'll notice in the Occasions/Spring Catalog…

Going forward, *new* stamp designs in red rubber will be known as "Cling" stamps, and the terms "Clear Mount" and "Clear" will be retired (I'm speaking of *new* designs, that is). As you look through the new Occasions catalog you'll notice that stamp designs will generally be available in either the new "Cling" style or "Photopolymer", as we've had for several years now. And with only a few exceptions, Stampin' Up! will be phasing out wood-mount sets… although ongoing sets will continue to be available in the current Annual Catalog until it is replaced this June.

But fear not, those of you classic stampers who favor traditional red rubber images! The red rubber and foam elements aren't going away; only the wood blocks and the concept of "permanent mount" are being retired. Why? Because only a small minority of modern-day stampers are opting to order wood-mounted stamp sets these days – due to the increasing cost of raw materials and the fact that they take more room to store. So these new "Cling" stamps will feature exactly the same red rubber (for the crisp detail you have come to expect and love), but the foam layer appears to me to be a little "whiter", and – most of all – ready to accept the corresponding label, which will actually CLING to your acrylic block (or Stamparatus) until you're ready to remove it! So all the best features of red rubber are being retained, PLUS we'll be able once again to attach the image labels to our stamps! (Hey, now it hasn't really been all THAT bad, has it; the "no-labels" practice of recent years just taught us all how to read backwards when selecting a stamp without its image label attached, lol. Good exercise for our aging brains, right?!?)

So here are some things you'll want to know about the care and feeding of your new cling stamps:

The case will look very familiar, with the front showing each image, as usual.
The inside left will show (in diagram form) how to assemble your new stamps. (Updated diagrams, but if you've used Stampin' Up! stamps in the past, there's really not too much new about assembling them.)
Be sure you understand how to remove these assembled cling stamps from their case, acrylic block, Stamparatus, etc. Because the labels are SO sticky, it is highly recommended that when it's time to remove the stamp, you carefully get something underneath a corner (such as your fingernail, mini-spatula end of the "Take Your Pick" tool, or perhaps you might want to slip a Post-It Note or piece of painters tape underneath a corner when mounting it to the block in the first place – so you can use that as a peeler-upper handle. Since I have fingernails I've not had any problems carefully and gently peeling the stamp up from its corner and ensuring that the label's coming off with it, but I suspect that could pose a challenge for those who may have shorter nails. So go ahead and think in advance about how you'll handle the "removal" step to avoid any "oops'es" with your stamp.
In the recent past many of us (myself included) have kept the outer section (scrap piece) of the die-cut rubber, and adhered it to the inside right half of the case as a frame for each stamp, so that we could tell at a glance which stamp(s) might be missing from the set. But it's no longer recommended that we do that because – IF YOU JUST CARELESSLY YANK ON A CLING STAMP TO REMOVE IT FROM EITHER ITS CASE OR AN ACRYLIC BLOCK (OR STAMPARATUS), IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT A LAYER OR TWO OF THE STAMP MAY RIP OFF IN YOUR HAND, WHILE LEAVING THE SUPER-STICKY "CLING" LABEL BEHIND! So don't be a "yanker"; remember to take an extra moment to peel up carefully from a corner!
Ok, so if we're not going to use the scrap rubber-frame trick anymore, how WILL we keep track of which stamp(s) might be missing from the case before we put it away? Well, here's what I'm doing these days. When I open and assemble a new set of cling stamps, I remove the insert from the front cover and make a copy on my all-in-one printer. Then I replace the original in the front of the case, and trim the copy and insert it back into the right-hand side of the case, so it's visible from inside the case. (It will look just like the front of the case.) And then I attach my assembled stamps right on top of their corresponding images, and now I can tell at a glance which stamp might be missing!
Finally, to maintain maximum "cling", do keep your stamps (and their labels) clean of dust, pet fur, hair, etc. Rinse with water or Stampin' Mist, or use a mild detergent if necessary. But please, nothing harsh, including no Stazon Cleaner on the labels, if you want to preserve their cling-ability!

Now go pick your favorite designs from the Occasions Catalog, and order 'em up at: store.YourPaperDreams.com

January 2019 wallpaper/calendar is ready to download

Jan 1, 2019

Can you believe I’ve been creating these monthly desktop wallpaper/calendars for nearly 2-1/2 years now?!? As we enter another year I found it a little stunning today to realize just how many of these I’ve done!

This is my 3rd January image, but I’ve found that every year January’s has always seemed difficult for me. Christmas, with all its warm and embracing colors, is now behind us, and while the days are just beginning to get a little longer, the sky is too often dark and brooding. It’s very cold, and there is still a long, long ways until spring flowers make an appearance. Nevertheless, I always like to think that things ARE moving in that direction, and my heart urges me to acknowledge that.

So this month I have chosen an image that recognizes it’s still definitely “cold season”, but the stream is active, rather than frozen solid. And the sun shining through the trees offers a glimpse and hope of brighter days to come. All of which makes me smile.

I do have to share one note regarding the URL for the Occasions Catalog, however. Please note that the URL for the Occasions Catalog (PDF) listed on the image will not actually be active until sometime on January 3rd, because that’s when the 2019 Occasions Catalog actually goes live. So while you’re free to download and install the image now, please don’t try to use that URL until (sometime on) the 3rd. (“Sometime” depends on when I get around to updating it, lol.)

My monthly desktop wallpaper background not only offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor, but also includes a handy monthly calendar, and serves as a cheat sheet reference to websites you may want to know about and visit. And it’s even FREE to download and install, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.