Retiring Stamp Sets: Awash with Flowers and Vintage Vogue

These are various swap cards I've received.  A couple had no names, so if you know who made them, please let me know.  The first 2 use the Awash with Flowers Stamp Set:

These next 2 samples use the Vintage Vogue Stamp Set.  The note pad holder we made for a Stamp Camp a couple of years ago and I really love how sponging makes the images in the stamp set look so rich.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to contact me if you want more information on anything I've shown (I'm never sure how much detail readers want)!

Retiring Stamp Sets: Homegrown and Friends Never Fade

This week I thought I better "show off" some great swap cards I've received and haven't had time to post.  I figured I'd better post them before the accessories and stamp sets used are gone!  I love that Stampin Up gives us new goodies, but I hate loosing some great goodies too.  I can tell you that the New 2012-2013 Catalog has NO "food" stamp sets like the Homegrown stamp set and NO beautiful Satin Ribbon.

Here's a great Recipe Card my friend Eva Davalos made using the Retiring Homegrown Stamp Set.  She stamped the artichokes then cut them out and layered them onto the recipe.  I love how she stamped on the Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon too!  Eva used Always Artichoke and Pear Pizzazz cardstock.  And by the way, the Dip is delicious!

Here's a great card my friend Kathy Griego made using the Retiring Friends Never Fade Stamp Set.  I love how she enhanced the look of the flower by putting Crystal Effects on it!  Kathy used Pear Pizzazz and Early Espresso cardstock.

Have a great Wednesday and don't forget to check out the Retiring Stamp Set List and the Retiring Accessories List (the links are on my right side bar)!  I still have a few of the New 2012-2013 Catalogs available, so if you need one, let me know.  I'll give you the Catalog for FREE, I just ask that you pay the Priority Mail Shipping and PayPal fees totalling $5.40. 

Recent My Digital Studio Downloads - they are cute!

I just had to show todays MDS downloads because the flowers and scrapbook template are AWESOME!  You can read more details about the downloads HERE, just click on the week you're interested in.  Also, don't forget that these digital downloads count towards my Frequent Shopper Program HERE!

May 22, 2012 MDS Downloads:

May 15, 2012 MDS Downloads:

Thanks for visiting and I'll "see" you tomorrow with another cute project!

Peace Within Card and 12x12 Cardstock Help Needed!

Here's a beautiful card made by fellow Demonstrator Sage Kimball; she used the Peace Within Stamp Set that will be retiring the end of May. Peace Within is a great stamp set and the images look wonderful colored with Markers, Aqua Painters, or Blender Pens!  Make sure you order Retiring Stamp Sets before they're gone - see the list HERE and don't miss out!

Also, I wanted to ask for some help from my readers!! I have A LOT of 12x12 Designer Series Paper packs and 12x12 Simply Scrappin' Kits. My question is: What's the best way to ship this large paper? Do you use Priority Mail or regular mail?  Where do you get the envelops to mail this large paper?  The envelops I've seen are expensive (about $2 each) and when you add that cost to the cost of shipping-it starts to get expensive.  If you read my postings through my subscription service, you can respond by clicking on "Reply" or you can contact me at:  stampingmaria@yahoo.com.

Have a great Monday and thanks in advance for your help with my paper dilemma!

Information on Stampin' Up's New Classic Ink Pads

I know everyone wants to see stamping, but I really wanted to post this explanation of Stampin' Up's new stamp pads because I think it's important.  From now on, it really matters that you don't press hard when you ink up your stamps.  The pads are really moist and almost feel like the pad on a VersaMark ink pad.  As a matter of fact, some Demosntrators have said that because the pads are so moist, the ink stays wet a little longer which enables embossing without having to use a Craft Ink Pad.  So, I'll be giving embossing a shot and let you know how that works!

Bottom Line: The new pads really do give GREAT coverage and I'm excited to start using them and I love the new labels too!  Just remember that because the pads are so moist, you'll need to give the ink more time to dry, especially if you live in a humid climate.

Firm Foam Stampin' Pads:

Per Stampin' Up: "With the introduction of the 2012-2013 annual catalog, Stampin Up has made a very big change to its Stampin’ Pads.

Introducing firm foam pads! They change your stamping experience for the better.
We know you’re going to love these new Stampin’ Pads—just look at all the exciting benefits listed below:

• Provide better ink coverage for your stamps!
• Light-tap stamping produces flawless images!

In addition, our new Stampin’ Pads

• Create wonderfully solid images. The Firm Foam releases more ink onto your rubber stamp than the felt pads. When using the Firm Foam pad, your stamp will get an even, solid covering of ink that you may not have been able to achieve with the felt pads. Please note: if you are using the ink pad frequently you may need to re-ink your Firm Foam pad more often.
• Have a crisply printed, glossy label on the top of the pad that is easier to read and that will not fade or chip off!
• Come with color name labels in all four languages (English, Spanish, French, and German)--just choose your language, peel it off the back, and add it to the side of the pad for easy identification!
• Use the same patented flip-top case design that stores the inking surface upside down, so the pad surface stays moist!
• Are available in all colors, including our exclusive In Colors!

Please note: Five ink colors have undergone formula changes to improve functionality and color stability with the new firm foam pads. These colors are

• Basic Black
• Basic Gray
• Marina Mist
• Perfect Plum
• Tempting Turquoise

All five colors of the reformulated inks have been fully tested and approved. While using the new ink formula in the old Stampin’ Pads is fine, we do not recommend using the old ink formula for these five colors in the new firm foam pads. Any refills purchased after April 30, 2012, will contain the new formulated ink.*"

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and have a great weekend.  My back is feeling better, so I'll be back to stamping this weekend; thanks for your patience!

Update & Retiring List Reminder

Happy Wednesday everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I haven't been able to blog this week because I hurt my back and have been in a Lot of pain. But, I'll be back to it soon!

Also, I wanted to remind you that there are only a couple of weeks left to order Retiring Items.  I know that everyone has probably already ordered what they want, but there are some items you really need to consider, especially if you've been on the fence about them.  The Box #2 XL Die, the Matchbox XL Die and the Bitty Box XL Die are 3 of them.  I know these are expensive dies, but they really are AWESOME!  After looking at the new 2012-2013 Annual Catalog (especially since I've been laid up here), there are NO new dies like these- there are no new box dies - I can't believe it!  If you LOVE boxes like I do, you'll want to consider getting these before they're gone!

Example of the Box #2 XL Die (item #114518) 
measures 3 3/4" x 2" x 1 1/4":

 
Example of the Matchbox XL Die (item #114890)-
measures 2 3/4" x 2" x 3/4" & holds 4 Hershey Nuggets perfectly :

Example of Bitty Box XL Die (item #115967) -
measures 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" x 3/4" & holds 4 Mini Snickers perfectly:

You can check out the Retiring Accessories List HERE and the Retiring Stamp Set list HERE.  If you see an "X" next to an item on the Accessories list, that means the item is sold out.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Christmas Keepsake Box Class

Happy Friday everybody! I'm getting ready for my Christmas Keepsake Box Class so I thought I'd show you a picture of the finished product. This box and all the accessories to make it are on SALE on the Stampin' Up Clearance Rack HERE. For only $11.97, you get the box, a whole pack of Pearls, a whole container of glitter, a Pearl Bauble, and precut ribbon, paper, and fabric!!  The box is about 5"x7" and makes a beautiful gift!  My customers wanted to have the class early to get a real big jump on Christmas gifts!

Have a great weekend and contact me if you'd like to preorder your 2012-2013 Annual Catalog!

PS: I made some corrections to the supplies I used on the Mother's Day card I posted Wednesday, so if you plan on making one like it you may want to click over to my blog and take another look!

Bordering on Romance Mother's Day Card

I'm giving this card to my mom this weekend; I know she'll LOVE it!  I used the Stained Glass Technique on the flower image.  I embossed the image using White Embossing Powder and White Craft ink on one side of the Vellum Cardstock, then I used Markers to color on the back side of the image for that soft look.

I also embossed one of the flowers in the Mixed Bunch stamp set, punched it out using the Blossom Punch, then cut out 2 of the petals to have it look like a butterfly.  To color the Vellum Cardstock for the butterfly, I used my brayer to spread ink onto vellum, then let it dry thoroughly, flipped it over and embossed with White Craft Ink and White Embossing Powder.

Finally, I used a stamping sponge and the Pear Pizzazz ink pad and sponged color on the Pear background layer that I ran through the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder; this really gave the  layer an beautful enhanced look!

Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Bordering on Romance (see Occasions Mini carryover list-5/4/12 post) and Delightful Dozen.

Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, and Vellum Cardstock.

Ink: Pear Pizzazz and Pretty in Pink pads, Markers: Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Baja Breeze, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, and Lucky Limeade, White Craft ink pad.

Accessories: Big Shot machine, Paper Doily Sizzlet Die, Lots of Tags Sizzlet dies, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon (retired), Circle Scissor Plus, 2 1/2" circle punch, Blossom Punch, Wide Oval Punch, White Embssing Powder, Mini Glue Dots,  Pearls, Brayer, Stamping Sponge, and Stampin Dimensionals.

Happy Stamping and thanks for visiting!

Stampin' Up Announces MDS 2 and Upgrade Options!

Below is a Stampin' Up video talking about the NEW My Digital Studio 2 (MDS 2). Don't forget, if you're reading this as an email subscriber, you'll need to click over to my blog to watch the video. The upgrades Stampin' Up describes in the video are great; I'll be paying the little extra to get the Upgrade! You can get more details about the upgrade here (at MyDigitalStudio.net).



Also, here are today's MDS Downloads:

Have a great day and come back tomorrow for a great Mother's Day Card!

Mixed Bunch Stamp Set Card

I made this card a couple of months ago and realized I forgot to post it here!  I got the idea from a card Stampin Up showed at Regional in January.  I changed it up a bit by adding a layer and ribbon under the flower and adding a couple of layers under the punched out greeting.  You can't see it well, but there's Dazzling Diamonds in the center of the flowers and the center of the main flower.  I used a Large Pearl in the center of the flower as the beautful final touch!

Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Mixed Bunch and Outlined Occasions (Sale-a-Bration).
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Daffodil and Lucky Limeade Markers, VersaMark.
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White.

Accessories: Wide Oval Punch, Blossom Punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, 3/8" white taffeta, Dazzling Diamonds, Iredescent Ice Embossing Powder, SAB ribbon, 2-Way glue, Stampin Dimensionals, Large Pearls, and SNAIL.

Thanks for visiting and please email me if you're interested in receiving a New 2012-2013 Annual Catalog - see the prior post for details!

Stampin Up's NEW 2012-2013 Annual Catalog PreOrder

Hi and greetings!  I've had a few people ask me how to get the NEW 2012-2013 Annual Catalog.  Well, you can get one FREE if you place a minimum $55.00 ONLINE order with me here during the month of May.  The order total of $55.00 is before shipping and tax and you must be certain to choose me as your Demonstrator when you Sign into, or Create, your Online Account.  In addition to the Catalog, I'll send you a 2012-2014 New In Color Chart with cardstock and ink samples of each color.

Or, I can mail you a catalog - the catalog is FREE, but you'll need to pay $5.40 for Priority Mail shipping and PayPal fees.  If you'd like me to send you a Catalog, please email me at stampingmaria@yahoo.com and provide me your name, address, and PayPal email address so I can send you an invoice starting May 7th.   If you'd rather save the PayPal fees, you can mail me a check for the Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelop shipping cost of $5.15.  I should get the Catalogs from Stampin' Up in mid-May and I'll ship them out as soon as I get them!

I'll be preordering the NEW Catalogs next week, so let me know soon to guarantee getting yours in the first round of mailings!  It's great that this year you'll be able to get your hands on the NEW Catalog earlier than usual - Yippee!

New My Digital Studio Downloads & Occasions Mini Catalog Carryover Update!

Below are the My Digital Studio Downloads from mid April to this week.  You can get more details on each download here; they are listed by week on Stampin' Up's website.

April 17, 2012 MDS Downloads:

April 24, 2012 MDS Downloads:

May 1, 2012 MDS Downloads (I LOVE the Happy Camper Stamp Set!):

Also, here's the Occasions Mini Catalog Stamp Set Carryover Update per Stampin Up:

"If you love the sets in the Occasions Mini Catalog, you are in luck! Because of the short time period between the end of the Occasions Mini Catalog and the launch of the 2012-2013 annual catalog, we have decided to make the carryover stamp sets available early--starting today!

The following stamp sets are available for purchase. We hope you will enjoy this extra little sneak peak to the annual catalog."

Stamp Set Name	Item Number
	Wood-Mount	Clear-Mount
Baby Prints	125470	125472
Love & Laughter	125475	125477
Bordering on Romance	125480	125482
Apothecary Art	125525	125527
Mixed Bunch	125535	125537
Tea Shoppe	125545	125547
Mouthwatering	125675	125677
Salon de thé	125934	125936
Etiquetas florales	--	125941
Art floral	125964	125966

So, the only stamp set not on the list that I thought would be is the Loving Thoughts Stamp Set. I guess we'll just have to wait until the catalog is released to know if it's in there!

Stampin Up Summer Smooches Gift Set

This Gift Set was one of the projects at my last Hostess Club get together.  For the ladies who wanted to gift the set to their mother's, they used a "happy mother's day" word stamp and others used "thanks" and "birthday wishes".  That's the beauty of a Club, participants  come over and customize projects if they want to!  I'm really sad that the Stack and Store containers I used for the straw hat are being retired, so make sure to order yours today!  Also, the Summer Smooches Fabric Brads sold out and they're no longer available.  But luckily, everything else is; so you can order any of the below products by clicking HERE and choosing me as your Demonstrator when you Sign into, or Create, your Online Account!  Don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack and Retiring Items too!

Stamp Sets:   Thank you Kindly and Beautiful Blossoms

Ink: Island Indigo ink pad and Marker and Lucky Limeade marker

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Whisper white, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, and Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Big Shot Machine, Petite Purse Die, large Scallop Circle Die, Lattice Embossing Folder, Polka Dot Embossing folder, Summer Smooches brads (sold out), White Satin ribbon, 1/8" Daffodil taffeta ribbon, Daffodil Seam binding ribbon, Stack and Store Containers, Punches: 2 1/2" circle, 2 3/8" scallop circle, 1 3/4" scallop circle, Blossom, Boho Blossom, Itty Bitty punch pack, and Bird Builder punches, Sticky Strip, Stampin Dimensionals, Crop-o-dile, Pearls, Stamp-a-Jig, Stampin Sponges, Mini Glue Dots, and SNAIL.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions - happy stamping!

April Thank You Card - Bright Blossoms Stamp Set

This is the April "thank you" card I sent everyone who placed an ONLINE order with me.  I used the Bright Blossom Stamp Set that will be in the NEW 2012-2013 Annual Catalog starting June 1st.  Also used that will be in the next catalog, is the Daffodil Seam Binding Ribbon and the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper.  I punched out flowers using the Itty Bitty Punch Pack (item #118309), sponged the edges with Island Indigo ink, and applied a Pearl (item #119247) to each center.  Also, I ran the card through the Big Shot machine using the Polka Dot Embossing Folder (item #117335).

2012 Occasions Mini Catalog Carryover List NOTE:  Please read my update in yesterday's post for more info on the carryover items.

May 2012 NEW Demonstrator Sign Up Kit!  Starting today, Stampin Up is only going to charge $99.00 for its Starter Kit for new Demonstrators!  With the new, flexible Starter Kit, you can customize it to include the items you love most!  A new recruit can choose any of Stampin' Up's quality products up to $125.00 in value.  Also, each kit contains a business supplies pack (valued at $65); these are things that every demonstrator needs to start your business.  Bottom line, you can create a Kit valued at over $190 that still ships for free!  Please contact me at stampingmaria@yahoo.com if you have any questions or would like to sign up to be a Demonstrator!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!