Retirement Has Its Benefits - Mystery Hostess Contest!

I can say that from experience!  I've been retired from teaching for three years now and I have to say I like it!  What I like best is not having to get up early every workday morning, because I'm a night owl!  I like a leisurely breakfast with some reading material or a crossword!  But, after two years of doing whatever I wanted, I got a bit bored and that's when I decided to become a Stampin' Up demonstrator!  Life has not been boring since! (And that's an understatement!)

But retirement of another sort has its benefits as well.  That's right, this is the last week to order those stamps and accessories on the retirement list!  And to add a little excitement to the last week, we will be having a

Last Chance Party!

Yes, place an order through me or online at my online store any time from now until Thursday night, May 30th and use the Hostess Code 6XRSSFD6 and you will be entered to be the Mystery Hostess and if we get enough orders, there may be more than one winner so we can spread the love (and free Stampin' Up Products) around!  Every order regardless of price will have one chance to win, but orders of $40 or more will receive extra entries for every $40 spent!  You will have an excellent chance of winning! 

This is your last opportunity to order items on the Retiring lists.  Here, once more are the links to those lists:

Retiring Stamp Set List

Retiring Accessories List

To order, use this link to my On-Line Store, making sure you see my name in the upper right hand corner, and enter the Hostess Code in the box on the first page.  Then order your products.  Or call me at 250-768-7379 or Email me with your order.

This week I will be featuring some of the stamp sets and accessories that are retiring, so that you may get some idea of how to use these sets.  My first one is a masculine card featuring the stamp set, Daring Adventure, which has a very cool sentiment - a quote from Helen Keller.

I used a Dynamic Duos Challenge #54 colour combination of Midnight Muse and Bashful Blue.  Bashful Blue is a retiring colour and the card stock is already sold out, although you can still get the stamp pad.  I don't know if I've ever put these two colours together, but I really like the crisp look, especially paired with Whisper White.  I've used one element of another retiring stamp set as well.  See the water drops on the sentiments.  That is a stamp from French Foliage, one I'm really sad to let go of.

I've used the layout from the Pals Paper Arts Challenge #159. 

The two sentiments are actually from one stamp.  I was able to make it into two sentiments by inking the parts of the stamp I wanted with a Midnight Muse Stampin' Write Marker, stamping, cleaning and then reinking the other part with the same marker.  I used Bashful Blue ink for the backgrounds, stamping off once (stamping once lightly on scrap paper before stamping on your panel) for the typed script.

The Midnight Muse panel is from the Print Poetry Paper Stacks from the Spring Mini Catalogue - again, only available until May 31st - a really good value at $8.50 for 48  4 1/2" x 6 1/2" sheets!

So don't waste any time!  Place an order this week and earn some chances at FREE Stampin' Up product!

Stamps:  Daring Adventure (w122600; c122602)*; French Foliage (w120845;c121166)*

Paper:  Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stacks (129312)*; Bashful Blue (105120)** and Whisper White (100730) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Bashful Blue (126961)* and Midnight Muse (126860); Stampin' Write Marker in Midnight Muse (126856 as part of the 2012/13 In Colour Bundle)

Accessories:  3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Midnight Muse (126847); 3/16" Metallic Brads (119741)***

Tools:  Paper Piercing Tool (126189); Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199); Tabletop Cutter (106959)*

*Retiring item

**Retiring but sold out

***Retiring and on sale for 25% off

French Foliage Stamp Set

Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack

3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Midnight Muse

Daring Adventure

Tabletop Paper Cutter