Update on Retired Stamps

Based on feedback, I've just updated the blog entry "Where do Stamps Go When They Retire?" to include a text-only list of all the stamp sets that will no longer be available after January 18th. Please click here for the list, and let me know if you would like to place an order for one of these sets before they're all gone! Happy crafting...

Some Assembly Required

As I mentioned in my photo of the day blog our wonderful UPS delivery man came today, bearing a box full of new product from the soon-to-be-released Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalogue. While putting together my new stamp sets, I thought now would be a perfect time to remind everyone how to assemble them, as Stampin' Up ships all their stamps unassembled to save production costs (savings that get passed on to you when you purchase them!)

Step 1: Unpack the clear box the stamp elements come in - you'll find several wooden blocks, a sheet of rubber with your selected stamped images, and a sheet of clear adhesive labels.

Step 2: The stamped images on the rubber sheet are all dye-cut, which means popping them out of the sheet is simple and easy. Once you've removed the image you want to use, peel it's adhesive backing off and adhere it to the appropriately sized wooden block.

Step 3: Peel the corresponding adhesive label from the sheet and adhere it to the other side of the wooden block. Take care to ensure you're placing the label correctly, facing the same direction as the rubber image.

Step 4: Once all your stamps are assembled, adhere the label with the name of your stamp set to the outside of the clear box. This helps you easily identify what set is in the box without taking it out, shows you how many stamps are included in the set, and also indicates any additional features of the set (ex. 2-step stamping sets are all marked as such).

Step 5: Repack the assembled stamps in the clear box. On second thought... get them back out again and start playing! It's far too tempting to start using your new stamps immediately - they can be stored later.

Bonus tip: Once your stamp set has been assembled, you will be left with a sheet of punched-out rubber. Don't think of this as garbage - it's actually a great money saving thing to have around (yes, something else I don't throw away). Using a pair of sharp scissors, you can cut pieces of this rubber to add dimension to your cards and scrapbook projects... simple use the sticky rubber and foam between layers of paper to create a great raised look!

Discontinued Accessories

As the Fall/Winter 2008 Stampin' Up catalogue winds down (the last day to order is January 18th!), many of our popular embellishments, papers, and albums are being retired to make way for exciting new products. Please see the "Retired Accessories" list below, and note that these products sell quickly - some have already sold out. If you're interested in ordering any of these products please contact me right away, and remember that I'll be updating the list frequently to indicate products that are no longer available to order.

**List updated on January 15th**

ACCENTS & ELEMENTS TINS:
ROOF GARDEN
SEASON TO SHARE
TRUE ELEGANCE

ALBUMS:
BLACK LEATHER 12X12 (Sold Out)
BLACK LEATHER 6X6
MELLOW MOSS LINEN POST 6X6* (Sold Out)
NAVY LINEN POST 6X6
REAL RED LINEN POST 6X6* (Sold Out)

BUTTONS :
BOLD BRIGHTS*
EARTH ELEMENTS
EARTH ELEMENTS & NEUTRALS
RICH REGALS
SOFT SUBTLES

DESIGNER SERIES PAPER:
BANBURY (Sold Out)
GEORGIA PEACH
GHOSTLY GREETINGS
GREEN TEA
HAIKU
HAWAII PAPAYA
HOLIDAY TREASURES
JUNIOR VARSITY
MAINE BLUEBERRY
MUIRFIELD
PARISIAN SUMMER
PRESTWICK (Sold Out)
SUMMER PICNIC (Sold Out)
WINDSOR KNOT

ENVELOPES & ENVELOPE TEMPLATES:
FIVE-IN-ONE CARD COVER TEMPLATE
MINI ENVELOPE TEMPLATE (Sold Out)
CONFETTI WHITE MEDIUM ENVELOPES
OPEN END KRAFT SMALL ENVELOPES
OPEN END VERY VANILLA SMALL ENVELOPES

ON BOARD COLLECTION:
BITTY BOOK*
9X9 CLIPBOARD*
SIMON UPPER
SOMETHING SEASONAL

PUNCHES:
1/4 INCH SQUARE

1/4 INCH CIRCLE (Sold Out)
3/4 INCH SQUARE
DOUBLE CIRCLE*
HANDHELD 1/8 INCH CIRCLE (Sold Out)

RIBBON:
CARAMEL GINGHAM
LIGHT BLUE GINGHAM
LIGHT PINK GINGHAM
MOSS GINGHAM
MORE MUSTARD 1/4 INCH GROSGRAIN

RUB ONS:
ANCHORED
CHILLS & THRILLS
SCHOOL DAYS
WORD FLURRIES
TAKE NOTE

SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KITS:
I WISH
PINA COLADA
SUMMER HOME (Sold Out)
U R SWEET
WINTER RETREAT (Sold Out)

SIMPLY SENT CARD ELEMENTS & KITS:
HANDMADE HOLIDAY
LIFELONG NOTES

STAMPIN' AROUND WHEELS:
MATEYS MAP
BRIGHT BULBS
BRONCO (Sold Out)
MAKING TRACKS
SANDY SHELLS (Sold Out)
SNOW
SNOWFLAKE
SWEET STARS
TAKE A NUMBER

ASSORTED:

STAMPIN STORE MINI
WRITE ME A MEMORY FONT CD VOL II
PAGE PROTECTORS RING 3.25 X 3.25 (Sold Out)
METAL EDGE TAGS ALUMINUM WHITE SQUARE PUNCH 1/4 INCH CIRCLE (Sold Out)
DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 12X12
DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 8 1/2X11

* items marked with an asterisk are discounted and included on the Inventory Blowout.

All That Glitters...

I've recently been enjoying a series of creative conversations with a friend in Montreal whose daughter is getting married in a just a few short weeks. At the moment they're deep in the process of making tin candle-holder centrepieces and building cupcake stands for what promises to be a rustic and romantic farm wedding... and these conversations certainly do get my creative juices flowing! After hearing about their wedding colours (burgundy and plum), I was inspired to create a wedding card for them that reflected those colours.

As mentioned in a previous post, I just got into a package of Sticky-Cuts letters and have been anxious to see how they look with a glitter finish - I think the result is stunning. The biggest challenge was designing and cutting the small '2' from the hole I originally punched out of the letter 'b' and used on a previous card (yes, it's true, I save every little scrap). The bride and groom are Renee and Reid, hence the 'r-squared' image on the cards front... may their union multiply their joy for many years to come!

Inventory Blowout!

January is the month for sales, and Stampin' Up products are no exception! From January 5th to 18th, a great selection of retired, retiring, and current products are on sale for up to 50% off regular price. Take a moment to check out these great savings, and contact me today to take advantage of these great deals!

Items retiring from the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalogue: 

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
109190	180	On Board 9" x 9" clipboard	$9.50	$6.99
107925	181	On Board Bitty Book	$11.75	$8.99
105384	183	Mellow Moss 6" x 6" Linen Post album	$23.95	$17.99
105381	183	Real Red 6" x 6" Linen Post album	$23.95	$17.99
103977	187	Bold Bright buttons	$8.25	$5.99
104389	188	Double Circle punch	$7.50	$5.49
114447	n/a	Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit	$58.95	$29.48

*Items available while supplies last; page numbers refer to the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalogue

Retired items from the Spring-Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalogue:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
109013	163	Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109012	163	Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109011	163	Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109010	163	River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109009	163	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109014	163	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	$6.75	$4.49
109179	178	On Board Ginormous Pieces	$18.95	$12.99
109189	190	Beachfront Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$14.99
109187	190	District Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$10.99
109188	190	Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$11.49
109185	190	Jersey Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$11.99
109184	190	Sherbet Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$11.99
109186	190	Theater Ribbon Originals	$16.95	$11.49
109062	191	River Rock double-stitched ribbon	$11.95	$7.99
110716	191	Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon	$10.95	$7.49

*Items available while supplies last; page numbers refer to the Spring-Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalogue

Current products appearing in the upcoming Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalogue:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
111349	162	Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" x 11" card stock	$6.50	$4.99
111345	162	In Color (2008-2009) 12" x 12" textured card stock	$13.95	$10.49
109110	185	Fire Circle Rhinestone brads	$13.75	$9.99
109112	185	Fire Square Rhinestone brads	$13.75	$9.99
109113	185	Ice Square Rhinestone brads	$13.75	$9.99
111325	185	Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware	$36.95	$27.49
112454	185	Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware	$36.95	$27.49
113451	n/a	20th Anniversary Embosslits die	$13.95	$10.99

*Quantities at reduced price are limited; page numbers refer to the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalogue

A Sticky Situation

This New Years Eve was my 8th wedding anniversary, and naturally I made my husband Chris an Anniversary card rather than buying one. It gave me the opportunity to try my new Sticky Cuts Letters, and I was pleased with how pretty the card looked using this embellishment! After applying the Sticky Cut letter "b" (to complement my "the best is yet to be" stamp), I sprinkled it generously with Green Micro-beads. The result is a slightly glittery, wonderfully textured letter as one of the two focal points of the card. I can't wait to try this technique using Fine Cosmo Glitter as well - I'm sure the card will just glow!

Love You Much...

Get ready for Valentine's Day with the exclusive Love You Much Bundle (item 115405)! The Love You Much Bundle includes the following:
*** Love You Much stamp set, retailing for $30.95
*** Candy Lane Designer Series paper, retailing for $11.95
*** Heart to Heart punch, retailing for $19.95

(See images below)

These new Valentines products won’t be available individually until January 19th when the Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalogue arrives – if you purchase them separately at that time the cost will be $62.85. Purchase the Love You Much Bundle now to get these items before the Idea Book is released, and you’ll receive 20% off paying only $50.28.