Stamp with Elissa

Inventory Blowout Sale

Stampin' Up!'s first-ever Inventory Blowout begins today and runs through January 18th. You can purchase selected retired, retiring, and current products at up to 50% off retail price!  

***  Click here to order online  ***

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

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
109190	180	On Board 9" x 9" clipboard	$7.95	$5.99
107925	181	On Board Bitty Book	$9.95	$6.99
105384	183	Mellow Moss 6" x 6" Linen Post album	$19.95	$14.99
105381	183	Real Red 6" x 6" Linen Post album	$19.95	$14.99
103977	187	Bold Bright buttons	$6.95	$4.99
104389	188	Double Circle punch	$5.95	$4.49
114447	n/a	Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit	$49.95	$24.98

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

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

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
109013	163	Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109012	163	Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109011	163	Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109010	163	River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109009	163	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109014	163	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	$5.25	$3.99
109179	178	On Board Ginormous Pieces	$14.95	$10.99
109189	190	Beachfront Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$7.99
109187	190	District Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$7.99
109188	190	Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$8.49
109185	190	Jersey Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$8.99
109184	190	Sherbet Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$8.99
109186	190	Theater Ribbon Originals	$12.95	$8.49
109062	191	River Rock double-stitched ribbon	$8.95	$6.49
110716	191	Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon	$7.95	$5.49

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


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

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Discount Price
111349	162	Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" x 11" card stock	$5.50	$4.49
111345	162	In Color (2008-2009) 12" x 12" textured card stock	$11.95	$8.99
109110	185	Fire Circle Rhinestone brads	$10.95	$7.99
109112	185	Fire Square Rhinestone brads	$10.95	$7.99
109113	185	Ice Square Rhinestone brads	$10.95	$7.99
111325	185	Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware	$29.95	$22.49
112454	185	Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware	$29.95	$22.49
113451	n/a	20th Anniversary Embosslits die	$11.95	$9.49

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


If you need a portable list, please use this link to download the .pdf list of sale items.

Supplies are limited, and current catalog items may revert back to their regular price once excess inventory has been sold.  (Retired items, of course, will be gone for good once they sell out.) 

So don't delay--place your order today!

Featured Artist: Angie Throm

Today's sample card comes from Angie Throm, who is a super-smart PhD candidate as well as an enthusiastic stamper and one of my best customers.  Angie is getting married soon, and she's planning ahead by making her own thank-you cards.  What I love most about this card is that it is both simple and elegant--a perfect reflection of what a wedding should be!

Supply List:
Stamps: Pretty Peony, With Gratitude
Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Soft Sky
Paper:  Soft Sky, Naturals White
Accessories:  Non-SU! Ribbon

Has Angie's card inspired you to do some stamping? Our entire "In Color" line and many of our accessories are retiring, and they are selling out fast.  Click here for more info, then call or email me to order your favorites.  Don't miss out!

25% Off Select Retiring Accessories

For the first time ever, Stampin' Up! is offering a 25% discount on selected retiring accessories!  The promotion begins July 21st and runs through August 10th, or while supplies last.  There is no other purchase required, so this is a great way to stock up on some beautiful "bling" for your projects without breaking the bank! 

Click on the image at left to view it full size, or view a printable .pdf version.

Click here to view a list of ALL retiring accessories.

These deals are only available while supplies last, so call or email me today to place your order!

Find Joy in the Little Things

My friend Melinda wore a really cute, summery outfit to work today, and as soon as I saw it I thought, "That would be a really great color scheme for a card!"  So today's sample is an homage to Melinda's Wild Wasabi capris and her flowered Whisper White, Groovy Guava, & Rose Red top.  I think it's pretty cool that something as simple as a friend's outfit can brighten my day, so the "find joy in the little things" stamp seems very appropriate. 

Supply List:
Stamps:  Polka Dots & Paisley (retiring in August)
Ink:  Groovy Guava (retiring), Wild Wasabi (retiring), & Rose Red
Paper:  Groovy Guava (retiring), Wild Wasabi (retiring), Whisper White, & Rose Red
Tools & Accessories:  1-3/8 Inch Circle Punch, 3/4" Square Punch, White Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Snips

Hopefully this card provide you with the inspiration to pull out your stamps and find some "joy in the little things" yourself.  Happy Stamping!

Scrapbooking: Scored Journaling Lines

My customer MaryLynn recently posted a comment asking for ideas for her kids to scrapbook their summer memories on their own.  I did some thinking, and my favorite idea is to do a 6x6 brag book using two-page spreads for each main photo or event.  This size works really well with one or two photos on the left-hand page and a full page of journaling on the right.  You can share a funny story, a top-ten list, or anything else that really captures the fun & excitement of the experience. 

In this sample, you may recognize the Mother's Day page that I originally posted on June 28th.  The original page includes a nice photo of my family on my first Mother's Day, with just some very simple journaling & a couple of accents.  I then added a  page of journaling that allowed me to express some of my feelings about being a new mother.  Since a full page of writing can get off-track easily, I decided to add some simple scored journaling lines.  Using the black scoring blade for my paper trimmer, I scored a line every 3/8" and then used a brayer to add a layer of ink so that the lines stood out a bit more visually.  (For younger kids, you could use 1/2" spacing to allow more room for writing.)

MaryLynn, I hope this idea works for you and your kids.  Everyone else, I hope you can find some inspiration here, too.  So that's it, everybody-- Get to scrappin'!

Featured Artist: Lynn Monk-Treadway

My downline Lynn came to my workshop last Saturday and gifted me with some lovely samples for my collection.  So, I thought I'd share them with you for your inspiration!  If you have any questions beyond the information I've included here, please feel free to email her at msmonk471@yahoo.com

Lynn's first card uses the Pick A Petal stamp set to create a really cute exclamation point.  The color scheme is a simple combo of Whisper White & Groovy Guava, with Double-Stitched Ribbon as a finishing touch.  She chose to make this a "thank you" card, but it would work equally well for "happy birthday" or "congrats".  She tells me that she CASE'd the design from a talented stamper named Angie Kennedy Juda, so I'm officially giving credit where credit is due  :-)

Lynn's second card uses the Tart & Tangy stamp set and Summer Picnic Designer Series Paper from the just-expired Occasions Mini Catalog.  Even though these items are no longer available, you could certainly recreate the look with other stamp sets and DSP.   This card also makes use of the Time Well Spent hostess stamp set, the Scallop Circle Punch, and the 1-1/4" Circle Punch.  And what card would be complete without embellishments?  Lynn used Wild Wasabi Double-Stitched Ribbon, Red Gingham Ribbon, Chunky Essentials Glitter, and the White Gel Pen for her finishing touches.

Last but not least, Lynn gave me this beautiful 4x4 inch notecard using the Fresh Cuts  stamp set and the beautiful laser-cut Fresh Cut Notes.  These items are a preview of what's to come in the Stampin' Up! 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog.  Although the preview special ended on June 30th, you'll be able to purchase these and other fabulous new products when the new catalog makes its debut on August 11th.

Hopefully these cards have inspired you to pull out your supplies and get stamping!  If you need any further advice or encouragement with your creative projects, please feel free to call or email me anytime.
   

Scrapbooking Saturday: Mother's Day 6x6

This 6x6 scrapbook page is the final project from my Fond Farewell Workshop that was held earlier today.  The photos shows me, my husband, and my daughter on my very first Mother's Day.  There aren't really any special instructions for creating it, so I'll just post the supply list:

Stamps:  Office Accoutrement (retiring in August)
Ink: Wild Wasabi (retiring), So Saffron, Basic Black marker
Paper:  Wild Wasabi (retiring), Naturals White, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink
Tools & Accessories: Spiral Punch, Round Tab Punch, Hodgepodge Hardware Pewter (retiring)

Just B Cuz

This was such a fun card to create!  I needed a design for my upline's Shoebox Swap on Sunday, so I went to the SplitCoastStampers challenge forums for some inspiration.  This card fulfills the requirements for Sketch Challenge #182 and Limited Supplies Challenge #174.

Here's my supply list:

• Stamps: Just B Cuz
• Ink: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate (retiring in August)
• Paper: Purely Pomegranate (retiring), Always Artichoke, Apricot Appeal, Naturals White
• Tools & Accessories:  1-3/8" Square Punch, Vintage Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

If you choose to enter either one of these SCS Challenges, please leave a comment here with a link to your card sample.  Happy Stamping!

Masculine Card: Noble Deer

Here's another preview of a project I'll be demonstrating at my Fond Farewell Workshop this Saturday.  I wanted a more masculine feel for this one, so I went with my old standby, Noble Deer. 

(Directions Added 6/28/08):  I used the Print Pattern background stamp to create the diamond design on Purely Pomegranate card stock, and I dyed my Twill Tape by running it across a Close to Cocoa ink pad several times. 

The focal point for this card was created by first stamping the deer image onto Naturals Ivory card stock using Basic Brown ink.  Then I used the Coluzzle circle template (4th ring from the outside) to cut out the image.  I colored the image using my Stampin' Pastels, then cut out the mat from Not Quite Navy card stock using the 3rd ring from the outside on the Coluzzle. The whole thing was mounted using Stampin' Dimensionals to really make it "pop" off the page.

Here's the full supply list:
Stamps:  Noble Deer (retiring in August), Print Pattern (retiring)
Ink:  Purely Pomegranate (retiring), Basic Brown, Close to Cocoa
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Purely Pomegranate (retiring), Not Quite Navy
Tools & Accessories:  Coluzzle, Stampin' Pastels, Stampin' Dimensionals, Twill Tape

Sometimes Simple is Beautiful

We all tend to get caught up in making cards with fancy embellishments or "wow" techniques, but often my favorite cards turn out to be the ones that are just simple & elegant.  Today's card is one that I created for a demo-only challenge on SplitCoastStampers, and I plan to demonstrate it at my Fond Farewell Workshop this Saturday.

(Directions Added 6/28/08):  To create the background strip for this card, I stamped the bold images from Bud Basics onto Glossy White card stock using VersaMark.  Then I used a brayer to apply Groovy Guava ink over the entire strip, and buffed it with a tissue to remove any excess ink.  This technique is called "VersaMark Resist" or "Ghosting". 

The focal point of the card was created using two-step stamping with the bold flower in Groovy Guavy and the flower outline in Ruby Red.  The greeting was stamped in Ruby Red using a stamp from It's Your Birthday.

Here's the full supply list:
Stamps: Bud Basics (retiring in August), It's Your Birthday (retiring)
Ink:  Groovy Guava, Ruby Red
Paper: Groovy Guava (retiring), Ruby Red, Glossy White, Very Vanilla
Tools & Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch.