Out with the Old......

It's that time of year again when Stampin'Up! retires some of our old favorite stamps and accessories to make room for new wonderful products to dazzle us.  Check out the list of products via the link in the sideboard....available until June 2nd while supplies last and discounted up to 50%!  In addition, this year SU will be discontinuing it's My Digital Studio program and downloads!  These products will also be available until June 2nd.  All digital downloads will be available until the end at a 30% discount!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

 It's hard to believe that we are already 2 days into the year 2012!  Hopefully you had a wonderful holiday and a good start to the new year.  Life was very busy for us the last few months of the year with our daughter, Anna, playing Max, the dog, in the Christian Drama School play about the Grinch (a spin-off of the Grinch who Stole Christmas).  She did a fantastic job, along with the whole cast.  I get involved in costuming and helping backstage, so needless to say, my Christmas cards didn't quite get done (since the performances were the weekend before Christmas this year)!  So scroll down to see a couple of cards that we did in our year-end classes as well as one other card that may end up being next year's card.  Why not be ahead for next year!

REMINDERS...

Tomorrow, January 3rd, is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

January 5th is the last day for the Clearance Rack Blitz.  Check out the fantastic deals through my online store.

Technique Classes in January and February...

* Thursday, Jan. 12 @ 7 p.m. or Friday, Jan. 13 @ 10 a.m.

* Thursday, Jan. 26 @ 7 p.m. or Friday, Jan. 27 @ 10 a.m.

* Tuesday, Feb. 7 @ 7 p.m. or Wednesday, Feb. 8 @ 10 a.m.

* Thursday, Feb. 23 @ 7 p.m. or Friday, Feb. 24 @ 10 a.m.

Happy Stamping,
Marge

This actually uses the digital version of the Christmas Lodge set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.    It's hard to see, but I put Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the roof and overhang to add some sparkle.  The embossed border was resized to frame the image.

This is a side-step card with the new "Snow Much Fun" set in the main catalog.  The background was made by running vellum cardstock through the Big Shot with the Snow Burst embossing folder from the Holiday Mini. 

This uses the set "Come to Bethlehem" from the main catalog.  The image and scalloped border were embossed using the new Pewter embossing powder from the Holiday Mini Catalog, and the sky was "salted" which  gave it a mottled look.

This card incorporates the large star and saying from set "The Sounding Joy" from the Holiday Mini.  The image and greeting were embossed with Pewter embossing powder, and the background was brayered.

Only 3 Days Left...

...to take advantage of the buy 3, get 1 FREE promotion. Buy 3 packs of designer series paper and get the 4th absolutely FREE. There are lots of great DSP packs retiring in the Summer Mini, as well as some great new ones in the new Catalog & Idea Book. Now's the time to stock up!

...to order from the Summer Mini Catalog (deadline 8/31). The card below was created using the digital version of the "Sail Away" stamp from the Summer Mini; however, it could easily be recreated using the stamp itself.

The next card was created using another summer mini set called "Touch of Kindness. The background was made using a double embossing technique and DSP printed from the "Strength & Hope" digital kit. The flower was made using a faux mother of pearl technique and the center is a filigree brad, embossed with white ep.

...to order the Stength & Hope stamp set. When you purchase this set or the digital kit, Stampin'Up! will donate $2 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The digital kit includes 12 Designer Series Papers and 10 embellishments in addition to the 4-piece stamp brush set. Click on the link in the sidebar for details.

The following 2 samples were created with a new set, "Nature's Pace," from the brand new Idea Book & Catalog. The first one also uses the new embossing folder set, "Designer Frames," and they are both embellished with the new Wisteria Wonder 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon (available in the 5 new in-colors). You can see the beautiful new catalog, including the new in-colors, by clicking on the sidebar link.

Last Chance Lists are out!!

It is that time of year again, when we say goodbye to some of our favorite stamp sets and accessories in order to make room for all the great new additions to the next Idea Book & Catalog! Click on the links in the sidebar to see the 3 lists (stamps, accessories, and definitely deccorative) of products that are retiring.

One of my favorite Christmas sets shown here, Home for Christmas, will be going with the bunch. Also, the jumbo brads that you see used in this ornament!

This ornament is made on chipboard cut with the Scallop Square bigz clear die and the big shot. The layers were decopaged together and the accents were created by paper layering and crystal effects. The background paper and the greeting were printed on whisper white card stock with My Digital Studio!

Order your retired products now before it's too late!!

Petal Cone Bigz L Die

The Petal Cone Bigz L Die is new in the current Occasions Mini Catalog which you can see by clicking on the link on this page. I've seen many adorable samples created with this die used in so many different ways. This was my valentine to my husband (and a similar one for my daughter--filled, of course, with chocolate!), inspired by a number of different samples I found, but mostly, thank you to Andrea Walford and the Paper Crafters Library for your video tutorial with great tips on how to use this die.

The decorative band is embossed using the Big Shot and SU's Finial Press embossing folder, sponged with Cherry Cobler die ink, and then the pad was scraped across the top of the embossed image. Even the half scallop under the flap and the banner are part of this die. The LOVE note was created using My Digital Studio (MDS) with the "Filled with Love" download, and printed on my Brother inkjet printer on Whisper White cs.

As I get time, I will be playing with this die and posting some new projects.

Happy Stamping,

Marge

Stampin'Up! Online Spectacular!

From November 22-30 get spectacular deals in my online store!

FREE shipping on order of $150 or more!

50% off My Digital Studio!

50% off Designer Fabric!

And much more!

Click on the link to my Stampin'Up! website and choose the "Shop Now" button in the upper right corner, or click on the link to the left to see a list of the products that are on sale. Sign in or Create a new account to order online.

Only have a few items to order...if you live close to the Parsippany/Morris Plains area, you can e-mail your order to me and I'll add it to mine (I'll be placing an order on Nov. 30th). If the order adds up to $150 between all of us, you get FREE shipping!

I've been having fun with "My Digital Studio (MDS)." This ornament was created using MDS. Everything--the background paper, the stamped image, the greeting--was printed on my inkjet printer from MDS. I decoupaged the paper and greeting medallion to a painted paper mache' ornament. I printed out 3 copies of the stamped image (it can be sized to fit the ornament in MDS) and colored them using watercolor pencils and sans odor oil and a blending stump. The image is

cut out, layered and finished with Crystal Effects.

The cute little snowman ornament was created the same way!

The adorable butterfly box somewhere on this page (Sorry, I have no idea where the photos are going to land on this blog!) was created using MDS also (the butterflies are cut with my Sissix Big Shot). I printed the Designer Series paper onto our Whisper

White card stock with my inkjet printer to form the box. I think the colors came out pretty close (colors

will vary depending on your printer).

I then printed Designer Series paper onto plain copy paper to make the flower.

MDS can be used for way more than scrapbooking...and it's 50% off right now!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Marge