The Stamp Workshop

Merry Christmas!

The Stamp Workshop wishes you a very Merry Christmas!  I'll "see" you in a few days!

Posting Slowdown

I want to thank all my readers for visiting me!  You may have noticed a decrease in posts this week.  Everyone knows that this is a very busy time of year, and it is also the cold and flu season!  Well, I been running from here to there to get all the fun holiday prep done, and we've been hit by various colds!

I'm hoping to pop in here and there and to post, but regular daily posts are on hold for the next week or so.  So, until y next post, keep warm and go stamp!

Celebrate Baby

I made this card today to show off on the the new stamps in the new Hostess set, Cause for Celebration.

It was a very quick and easy card to make.  It can be adapted to several different occasions.  Change the colors to a spring palette and exchange the stamped baby rattle with a flower and you've got a great thinking of you or thank you card!

Here's the recipe for this card:
Stamps: Flannel Plaid, Cause for Celebration
Cardstock: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose
Accessories: White Gel Pen, Small Corner Rounder, Scallop Punch, Circle Punches, Regal Rose 5/8" Wide Grosgrain

Current and Upcoming Promotions

Here's a recap of current and upcoming specials and promotions offered by Stampin' Up! and additional specials offered directly through me.

• Retired Stamps & Accessories
• Wrapping Up the Holidays Promotion
• Valentine's Day Bundle Promotion
• Sale-A-Bration

Retired Stamps and Accessories - Last Day to Order: December 31, 2007

Items on both the retired stamp set list and the retired accessories list are available while supplies last, or through December 31 - whichever comes first.

As a special to my customers, buy $75 or more of product by December 31 and receive a 10% discount on your entire purchase.

To see the retirement lists, follow these links:

• Retirement List - Alphabetical List (142 KB PDF)
• Retired Accessory List

Wrapping Up the Holidays Promotion - Ends December 31, 2007

Wrapping Up the Holidays promotion has been extended until the end of the year.  Your last day to purchase from this promotion will be December 31.  Download the official promotion flyer:

• Wrapping Up the Holidays (1.2 MB PDF File): Click here

Don't forget to take advantage of my 10% off discount on all purchases $75 or more!

Valentine's Day Bundle Promotion - January 2 - 31, 2008

The Valentine's Day Bundle Promotion consists of two parts:

Customers - Purchase the Valentine's Day Bundle (item #111903) for just $33.40 and get Regal Rose wide grosgrain ribbon-FREE!

Hostesses - Hold a workshop of $350 or more  and choose any one stamp set from the Spring-Summer Preview 2008 Brochure for FREE!

The Valentine's Bundle is priced at $33.40 and includes:

• Happy Heart Day stamp Set ($20.95 value)
• Real Red  wide grosgrain ribbon ($7.95 value)
• Medium cellophane bags ($4.50 value)
• Regal Rose wide grosgrain ribbon (included free!)

When hostesses can earn the free stamp set and take advantage of the specially priced Valentine's Bundle.  Also, hostesses may use the free hostess dollars to purchase the Bundle!

As a bonus, offered directly from me, hostesses qualifying for the free preview set will receive an additional spool of 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, any color!

Sale-A-Bration - Coming  Soon!

Our Sale-A-Bration promotion gives everyone a reason to celebrate!

• Customers: For every $50 purchase they make, customers will receive a free Sale-A-Bration product.
• Hostesses: In addition to our regular hostess benefits, hostesses will receive a free Sale-A-Bration stamp set for workshops that reach $300 or more.
• Recruits: Anyone who joins as a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration can choose any stamp set, a value of up to $47.95, from the current catalog.

Sale-A-Bration runs from February 1 - March 17, 2008.

Book your Sale-A-Bration workshop or catalog party by January 31 and receive a special gift!  Sign up through me as a demonstrator and receive a BONUS free stamp set of your choice (up to $35).

 

Contact me today to book your workshop or catalog party!  Place an order.  Time is running out!

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers

I've joined the Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers 6!  It was a wonderful group of well, Blogging Stampers!  Check out my page of links to all the Blogging Stampers' Blogs.

Be sure to visit my Blogging sisters!  You can find a link to their blogs here.  Have fun and enjoy!

To my Blogging Sisters, I am excited to get to know you  more!  I know I am supposed to post an intro, but instead I am going to direct you to my family blog.  Click here to check it out.

Splitcoaststampers

Today's feature is a website: www.splitcoaststampers.com

Splitcoaststampers (aka SCS) is a wonderful stamper's community.  It has over 90,000 active members.  SCS was started in late 2002 as Tracy, the site's owner, was looking for a way to communicate with her Stampin' Up! team members.  Since then, it has grown into a community for all stampers.

With so many active members, it is *the* place to go for the latest stamping news and trends.  SCS also is a fantastic resource for card and paper craft ideas.  Many of its members have had their work published in national magazines and books.  The SCS gallery has over half a million uploads!

Members include crafters, design team members, online and brick and mortar store owners, stamp designers, stamp company owners.

Come and visit Splitcoaststampers!

I've been Elfed!

I received this neat clipboard yesterday as part of an "Elf" package.  On the message board (splitcoaststampers.com) that I frequent, there was a thread that encouraged readers to "Elf" someone.  Readers sent all kinds of goodies to other members.

I received a package from Vera.  She is a lovely lady that posts frequently and is a great member of the forum.  She wanted to thank me for all the moderator work and the for the challenges that I help to host on splitcoast.

She made me this clipboard and beaded pen.  Both personalized!  I love when someone sends me something personalized.  It shows how much they care!

Along with these, she also sent a beautiful card stamped with an image of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse that is located at the Cabrillo National Monument.  I've been there several times as it is in San Diego.  The card was beautifully watercolored.  I also received a box of Trader Joe chocolates, a Christmas tree stamp and some pink puffy stickers what will go perfectly with the flowers from the Pretties Kit!

As far as I can tell, here is the recipe for this clipboard and the beaded pen:

Clipboard recipe:

• Stamps: Well-Worn Alphabet
• Ink: Sage Shadow
• Accessories: 4 1/2" X 9" On Board Clipboard, Soft Sky Double Stitched Ribbon,Wintergreen Designer Series Paper

Beaded Pen Recipe:

• Stamps: Rough Edges Mini Alphabets
• Ink: White Craft Ink
• Accessories: Wintergreen Designer Series Paper, Sticky Tape, Micro Beads

Thanks Vera!  It was a wonderful package!

Glitter Window

Today's technique is a very easy, yet wonderful way to add a little bit of sparkle to your project.

It is called Glitter Window.

To make a glitter window you'll need:

- a piece of cardstock (cut to desired size)
- a tool to make your "window" (a punch, or paper cutting knife will do)
- clear packing tape
- Dazzling Diamonds glitter

For this card, Certainly Celery cardstock is the window base.  Then, using a Scallop Circle punch, punch directly in the center to make the window.  On the backside of the Certainly Celery cardstock, place a piece of clear packing tape over the window.  The sticky part of the tape should be placed so when holding the cardstock piece facing you, the stickiness is also facing towards you.

Now, place the cardstock on a flat surface with the sticky side up.  Take the Dazzling Diamonds glitter and sprinkle the glitter over the tape so that it covers the tape entirely.  Shake off excess glitter.  It would be a good idea to do this step over something that will contain the glitter.  Powder Pals would be perfect for this!

To complete this glitter window, take Whisper White cardstock cut just slightly larger than the Certainly Celery piece.  Here the butterfly from the Just Like You set was stamped directly in the middle.  Adhere the window directly over the stamped image.  The glitter side should be facing up.

Your glitter window is done!

For this card, the glitter window was then mounted on the front of the card as shown.

Here is the recipe for the card:

• Stamps: Just Like You
• Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Whisper White
• Ink: Regal Rose
• Accessories: Corner Rounder, Scallop Circle Punch, White Gel Pen, Certainly Celery grosgrain, Flowers for you Designer Series Paper

Clean Stamps are Happy Stamps!

Have you ever wondered how to properly clean your stamps?  Read on for some tips!

Why clean your stamps?

• Properly maintained rubber stamps should last a lifetime
• Ink from one project can bleed onto another project, ruining your artwork.
• Likewise, using a stamp with residual ink can ruin the color of your inkpad.

One of the easiest ways to clean your stamp is "stamping off".  On a scratch piece of paper, continually stamp your image until the image runs clear.  Once the image runs clear, the stamp is clean.

For a deep clean in which ink is removed from all the "nooks and crannies", a stamp cleaning pad and stamp cleaner is best.  A stamp cleaning pad has soft, tiny bristles that can reach all the intricate details of the stamp, brushing out excess ink.  The stamp cleaner helps to loosen the ink to be brushed off by the stamp cleaning pad.

The Stampin' Up version of the cleaning pad is called the Stampin' Scrub (102642 $14.95) and the stamp cleaner is called Stampin' Mist (102394 $3.95).  To clean your stamps, open the Stampin' Scrub and lay on a flat surface.  Spray the Stampin' Mist on one side of the scrub.  Gently rub your stamp, image side down on the side of the scrub with the cleaner.  On the dry side of the scrub, gently rub the stamp to remove the excess cleaner.  Using Stampin' Mist not only cleans the stamp, but conditions the rubber as well.

Some things to avoid when cleaning rubber stamps:

• Avoid soaking wood mounted stamps.  This may cause your rubber to come loose from the foam padding.
• If using cleaner other than Stampin' Mist, avoid cleaners with alcohol, including baby wipes.  Alcohol can contribute to the breakdown of the rubber.
• When cleaning stamps, avoid using a heavy hand.  Vigorously rubbing a stamp can cause it to peel away from the foam or even the wood.

Designer Series Paper

Need a card in a hurry?  Well, here's a tip.  Designer Series Paper.  Designer Series Paper (DSP) makes it easy to crank out a beautiful card in minutes!  By using DSP, your color scheme is already predetermined.  All you have to do is use some coordinating cardstock, one main image and a few embellishments and in no time you have a beautifully coordinated card!  Here's an example made with Ginger Blossom paper - brand new DSP that will be available in the upcoming catalog.

This card was very easy to put together.  The coordinating colors for Ginger Blossom DSP are Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, River Rock and Groovy Guava.  Take a look at the "recipe" for this card:

• Stamps: Embrace Life, Short & Sweet
• Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, River Rock
• Ink: Ruby Red, StazOn Jet Black
• Accessories: Paper Distresser, Ticket Punch, Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper

As you can see, by taking the Coordinating colors directly form the DSP, this card came out perfectly coordinated.

Here is a list of coordinating colors for all the current Designer Series Paper:

• Brocade Backgrounds: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, River Rock
• Cerise: Real Red, Very Vanilla
• Charbon: Basic Gray, Very Vanilla
• Creepy Crawly: Basic Black, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust
• Cutie Pie: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, So Saffron
• Darling Doodles: Brocade Blue, Groovy Guava, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi
• Dashing: Old Olive, Real Red, River Rock, Very Vanilla
• Fall Flowers: Old Olive, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky
• Flowers for You: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise
• LeJardin: River Rock, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
• Linen Prints: Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Pink Passion
• Notations No. 2: More Mustard, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi
• Outlaw: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla
• Petals & Paisleys: Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean, Rose Red, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Taken with Teal
• Prints: Monochromatic papers available in Almost Amethyst, Always Artichoke, Blue Bayou, Brilliant Blue, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava,Lovely Lilac, More Mustard, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, River Rock, Rose Red, So Saffron, Soft Sky, Tempting Turquoise
• Porcelain Prints: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Wild Wasabi
• Uptown: Almost Amethyst, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi
• Wintergreen: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow, Soft Sky

Use this info.  Get out your favorite Designer Series Paper and make a card!

Retired Accessory List

Watch this space for the retired accessory list!  Each time the retired accessory list has been published, there always seems to be at least one customer of mine that is disappointed.  Why?  Because retired accessories go fast!  Don't miss out on stocking up on your favorite discontinued accessories!  I will be updating this post through the next few days to let you know the status of the retired accessories.

RETIRED ACCESSORY LIST

Remember to place your order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  All orders of $75 or more will receive a 10% discount!  Orders may include retired accessories, retired stamp sets and/or current merchandise.  If any part of your order is a Christmas gift, please order by December 12th to insure on time delivery.  To place your order, email me at Michelle@stampworkshop.com.

New Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper

When I first saw the preview brochure for the Spring Summer 2008 Collection, I was immediately draw to the designer series paper that was featured.  There were two new designs: Bali Breeze and Ginger Blossom.  The minute we could preorder, I bought both sets!

Here is a card that features the Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper.  The colors that coordinate with Bali Breeze are Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie.  These colors are absolutely gorgeous together!

Here's what this card uses:
Stamps: Celebrate Everything, Linen
Ink: Taken with Teal, Old Olive, Versmark
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Taken with Teal
Accessories: Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper, Small Corner Rounder, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamond Glitter, Distresser Tool

The main flower on this card was one that was cut from a sheet in Bali Breeze.  It is cut in half for this card.

I applied drops of Crystal effects in the centers of the little flowers and on a few places on the big flower.  Then I sprinkled Dazzling Diamond Glitter over that.  It adds a bit of shimmer to the card.

Also notice the white dots.  I carried this over to the card base from the pattern on the flower.

You might not see it, but I did mess up on this card.  Right under the ribbon, I stamped the word "Life".  It came out terribly crooked.  It was the very last step of the card.  I did not want to have to draw in all the dots again, so I just covered it with the ribbon.  There are never mistakes in paper crafting, just opportunities to add embellishments!

The Retirement List is Up!

With a new catalog, we are saying goodbye to some of our favorites!  Check out the retirement list!  Do you have a "must have" on the list?  If so, contact me today to place your order!

Retirement List - Alphabetical List (142 KB PDF)
Retirement List - List by Catalog Page (142 KB PDF)

All orders $75 or more receive a 10% discount**.  Offer ends December 30.

Remember to order by December 30!  Stamp sets on the retired list will not be available after December 30.

Please note: The accessory retirement list will be released December 10.  Combine your retired stamp and retired accessory order and receive a 10% discount** on all orders over $75.

**This discount is offered through me and is not offered by Stampin' Up!.