Christmas in May

Today, I wanted to highlight some retiring stamp sets that are designed for Christmas.  I haven't used them for a while, for obvious reasons, but I will be sad to see them go regardless.

This beauty was made with the stamp set, Snow Swirled (w111690; c127799), and with the silver embossing powder and the Whisper White and Midnight Muse colour scheme it makes the card quite striking!  What do you think?  Here is the link with the products used.

This next card was made with Bells and Boughs (w120831; c121142), another set retiring June 3, using the Spotlight Technique.

Here's the link for that one, including the how-to for the Spotlight Technique. 

Better order if you want these sets before they are gone for good on June 3!  Have a great weekend!

Flashbacks Continued

One more day of lying by the pool and then we head back to real life. Not sure I'm ready, but all good things must come to an end.  What a segue!  All good stamp sets must come to an end as well, I guess!  Here are a few more blasts from the past celebrating some of Stampin' Up's retiring stamp sets of 2013:

The first is an old favourite for masculine stamps  - Countryside (w116998; c120495)!  This card was created using a Faux Mosaic technique.  Check out this link for how-to details.

Another well-used set is Just Believe (w116948; c120453) and here is a card made with that set.

It is such a beautiful set and I'm really going to miss it!  But my chief mourning is reserved for the untimely passing of French Foliage (w120845; c121166).

Here are the links for the first card and the second  card made with French Foliage.  All product lists are posted on the links.

Newly sold out Retiring Accessories are:

Jolly Jingles Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel 

Happy Bday Stampin' Around Builder Wheel 

Take a Sip Stampin' Around Wheel 

Brights Collection Classic Stampin' Ink Refills 

Make sure you order any retiring accessories you want quickly before supplies run out.

Have a great day, and I hope it's sunny and warm where you live, too.

Countryside

French Foliage

Just Believe

Retiring Stamp Sets Flashback

With just a couple of days left in my holidays, I wanted to bring you some posts with some of my favourite stamp sets that are going to be retired at the beginning of June, ones that I will really miss!

First up is one of my go-to stamp sets that I've loved and used since I became a demonstrator over a year ago - Elements of Style!  I love everything about it, the flowers, the flourishes, the sentiment and, of course, the hummingbird!   It makes you look like a pro!  Here are a couple of favourite cards from the archives:

Elements of Style (w118611; c120045)

Another favourite is Nature Walk!  Such gorgeous natural images.  All three of these stamp sets work well with the vintage style as well!

Nature Walk (w121925; c121997)

And speaking of vintage, I am really going to miss the flourishes and antique images from Established Elegance!

Established Elegance (w122530; c122532)

If you are dying to have any of these stamp sets or any of the other beautiful sets being retired, be sure to get them before June 3!  After that they will be gone for good!  Email me or call after Friday and I can order them for you, or go to my online store and order them for yourself.

Elements of Style

Established Elegance

Nature Walk

Sizzling!!

For the next several days, my posting will be a little inconsistent, as I am on holidays and taking a good break from business related stuff!  But I don't want to leave you high and dry, especially with all the excitement over the retiring products and the new catalogue coming out.  I definitely feel at a disadvantage over that.  I've ordered my Sneak Peek products, but will be away when they first arrive and I won't have any projects with new products to show you.  I'll have to make up for lost time when I get back.  In the meantime, be happy for me as I soak up some sunshine and rest - as compared to my home town weather, where it is raining, hailing and SNOWING!  Mind you, 90 degree weather is a pretty big leap!  Gonna live in the pool, I think!

Our terrace!  Yes, that's a gas fireplace!

My goals are to share a few cards that I managed to make before we left and to keep you up-to-date on the latest developments from Stampin' Up.  

This card I made just before we left was created with both the Dynamic Duo challenge #50  and The Paper Player's Layout challenge #143 this week.

For the colours, I don't have any Blushing Bride, yet, so I had to use Pink Pirouette.  I'm not a real fan of that combination.  I also tried to use the Delicate Details Lace Tape as one of the flags and some Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon for another and I'm not sure that worked very well.  I do like the Calypso Coral rosette made from some Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, especially backed by the Paper Doily.  The image and the sentiment are from the Tea Shoppe stamp set, which is retiring June 3, so make sure you order it soon if you like it.  Did you notice that I did some shadow stamping using the Stamp-a-ma-jig?  The little vanilla and pink roses are from the Artisan Embellishments kit in the Spring catalogue, good until May 31.

In the Stampin' Up news, the latest kit has just come out.  Here are the deets:

Bloomin' Bouquet Kit

Mother's Day. Teacher appreciation. Just because. Say thank you with this no-maintenance bouquet. There's no watering, no weeding-just enjoying. This easy-to-assemble kit comes complete with the petals, stems, and buttons to create the flowers, as well as four different tags to make this the perfect gift for any occasion. All you need is some paper, ribbon or a vase to add the finishing touches to the bouquet.

As if that weren't enough, the kit contains a "baker's dozen"! This means you can create and give (or keep) a dozen flowers, and have a bonus flower left over to pass along to someone new! Give it to someone you wouldn't normally think of: a teller at the bank, a grocery store clerk, or the librarian at your local library. Anyone you encounter on your way that you'd like to give a little "thank you" to-and introduce them to Stampin' Up!

Ordering information:

Item 134542          $15.95
Available starting April 29, while supplies last.

Kit contents:

2 sheets of preprinted and precut flowers on 12" X 12" cardstock; makes 13 flowers using Pool Party, Gumball Green, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry
13 Vintage Faceted Buttons
13 green floral wire stems
Adhesive not included. (Glue gun recommended.)

Don't forget about my Mystery Hostess program!

And here are the links again to the retiring products:

Retiring Stamp Sets - available until June 3

Retiring Accessories - available while supplies last until June 3.

New sold out products since my last post are the Linen Ring Albums pg 169 Crumb Cake 12 x 12 Album and Early Espresso 12 x 12 Album; and the Comfort Cafe Collection DVD from My Digital Studio (pg. 198)

Stamps:  Tea Shoppe (w125545; c125547)*
Paper:  Calypso Coral (122925), Pink Pirouette (111351)* and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock; Tea for Two DSP (129311)*
Ink:  Classic Ink Pad in Calypso Coral (126983) and Stampin' Write marker in Pink Pirouette (119700 - as part of the Subtles bundle)*
Accessories - Paper Doilies (129399); Artisan Embellishments Kit (129328)*, Delicate Details Lace Tape (130966); 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon in Calypso Coral (122976)*
Tools:  Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749); Simply Scored Scoring Tool (122334)

Tea Shoppe Stamp Set

By the Seashore

I think I may have mentioned before that all three of my girls got married within 12 months of each other!  It's one of our family's claims to fame, I guess.  But three of us have our anniversary dates within days of each other as well, and I wanted to show you another anniversary card I made for my middle daughter, Kristen and her husband, David!  I used the stamp set, By the Seashore, because my daughter liked to collect sand from the shores of all the oceans she visited and she still has that collection, I think, stored in fancy little bottles. 

I paired Pool Party (for the water) with Certainly Celery because Kris likes green, and Sahara Sand, for what else but the sand.  The square lattice embossing folder just seemed liked the right texture for the images.  I used the Lovely Letters Alphabet for their initials and if you like that set, it is on the Retiring List and will only be available until June 3.  The Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon is perfect for the beachy look, and the Tea Time Trinket clock indicates the passing of time in their marriage.  I left off a mushy sentiment because they're not really into that, but they do have a strong relationship that will certainly stand the test of time.

Here, again are your links to the retiring products lists:

Retiring Stamps - available until June 3, 2013

Retiring Accessories- available while supplies last until June 3, 2013

The accessories already sold out are:

The products that have already sold out are: 8 1/2" x 11" card stock in More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze; 12 x 12 card stock in Pretty in Pink; First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper; Watercolour Wonder Crayons in Subtles and Brights;  Stampin' Ink Refills in More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery, River Rock and Baja Breeze; Watercolour Pencils; and the Story Time DVD Digital Content

Newly sold out are:
Subtles Collection Classic Stampin' Ink Refills; Basic Black Craft Stampin' Refill; Glossy White Paper; Grid Paper

Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  By the Seashore (w126530; c126532); Lovely Letters Alphabet* (w115030; c127796)
Paper:  Certainly Celery* (105125), Pool Party (122924), Sahara Sand (121043) and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Sahara Sand (126976), Pool Party (126982) and Crumb Cake (120953)
Accessories:  Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon (129287); Tea Time Trinkets (129326), Linen Thread (104199)
Tools:  1 3/8" Square Punch* (119877); Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976)
*Retiring Products

By the Seashore Stamp Set

Linen Thread

Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon

Ovals Collection Framelits

Tea Time Trinkets

Lovely  Letters Alphabet

New Mystery Hostess Contest

Announcing a new Mystery Hostess Event!!

Place your orders for any product, retiring or otherwise, between April 24 and April 30, (on-line or email me) and use this Hostess Code - QKSCZFZK.  

Your name will be entered once for every $30 you order and I will draw for the Mystery Hostess on April 30.  (I will be away from April 30 to May 10, so don't phone, send me an email, or order on-line.)

If your order is $200 or more DO NOT enter the hostess code, as you will receive your own hostess benefits (unless you would forfeit your own benefits in order to have a chance at greater ones.)

As you look at the Retiring Lists, remember you can get all the stamp sets right up until June 3, but the retiring accessories are only available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!  You know that means you have to act quickly.  Check the list daily with attention to the column on the far right.  If you see an x in that column, that accessory has been sold out and no longer available.  Did you notice that some accessories are 25%, 40% and even 60% off?

Don't wait too long until you are disappointed!  Remember how fast some of the Clearance Rack items went!