What 2 Stamp

Occasions Mini Catalog!

I love the beginning of January at Stampin' Up! We get to start the new year with a rockin' new mini catalog!

This year's Occasions Mini will knock your socks off! The first time I saw it, I just sat there with my mouth open, drooling over every page! Among the new items--Framelits Dies for the Big Shot (these are nesting-style dies that give you multiple sizes that fit perfectly with one another, and of course there are stamps to match!), a Large Paper Doily Die, Pleated Ribbon, a Designer Rosette Die that makes those gorgeous flowers and does all the scoring for you....well, I could just go on and on, but you can see for yourself by clicking here. The catalog also can be found by clicking on the icon on the left side of this blog. The supplies used in each project are listed in the Supply List, found on the right side under Extra Catalog Information.

I'll leave you to peruse and enjoy. It's time to start your Wish Lists!

Punch a Bunch

 
Do you like this hoot owl? He is included in Punch Bunch, one of the new FREE Sale-a-Bration sets you can get when you spend $50 on merchandise. The great part about this set is that, as the name suggests, every stamp in there has a coordinating punch, to make your stamping life easier than ever.

Sale-a-Bration goes on through March 31 (see the catalog by clicking the link at the left of this blog). For every $50 in merchandise you purchase, you can receive one SAB item FREE! You can choose an item from the SAB catalog, or from a list of select items in the regular catalog--the list is in the back of the SAB book. And remember, it is one FREE item for every $50 purchased, so if you buy $100 in merchandise, you get 2 SAB items, and so on.

Sale-a-Bration is Here!

 
Yes, it's time for the biggest sale of the year! Sale-a-Bration is what I have always called Stampin' Up's customer appreciation sale. For two months, for every $50 in merchandise purchased, you may pick a FREE item from the SAB catalog, or choose from a selected group of items in the regular catalog. SAB starts today and runs through March 31. And remember, you will receive a FREE item for EVERY $50 purchased, so if you spend $100, you'll get 2 SAB items; if you spend $150, you'll get 3 SAB items...you get the idea! Also remember that when you hit the $150 level, you'll not only get 3 SAB items, but you'll also be eligible for hostess benefits, so that's means you can choose a Level 1 set and $15 in additional merchandise. The freebies just keep racking up!

How should you spend your $50? Take a gander through the new Occasions Mini catalog, which has some adorable stamps and products. I've been waiting for SAB to arrive so that I could place a large order, and I'm having a terrible time making choices from this new mini! I want it all! To view the Occasions Mini, click the button on the left side of this page.

Have fun making your own choices. To place an order, click the red button at the top of this page.

 

We made these little "Love Notes" at a recent Stamp Camp, and I think they show how good things come in small packages! A Love Note is a card that is 3" square, so the amount of space available to decorate is small, but with layering and texture, you can still pack a powerful punch. The samples use stamps from Cheep Talk and Polka Dot Punches, available for only one more week, as part of our Sale-a-Bration promotion. The texture on the green pieces is provided by our Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates, used in the Big Shot. These cute plates are exclusive to Stampin' Up! Punches also provide visual interest on these cards. The Scallop Circle Punch is used twice on the card above (once in white and once in Summer Sun), and below, in Pacific Point. The Scallop Edge Punch decorates the birdie cards below. And Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper is used on all 4 cards, tying them together as a nice set. Get out your scraps and put together some Love Notes today!

 

 

 

The countdown to Sale-a-Bration is on, and I'm so excited about some of the exclusive stamp sets! This one is called Yummy, and it looks the part. I can see using this little phrase for all kinds of goodie bags, as well as the occasional lunchbox note.

Here, I colored the stamp with Pink Passion, Real Red and Chocolate Chip markers, then stamped it on Whisper White. I wrapped it around a pail with Rose Red 1" ribbon and silver brads. To do this, I attached the ribbon and brad to one side of the paper strip, then wrapped the ribbon around the back of the pail and attached the ribbon and brad to the other side of the strip while it was around the lower part of the pail, which was narrower, giving me more slack to work with. Once I had the brad in place, I could slide the paper strip up until it fit snugly around the pail.

 

This stamp is just one of 3 in the Yummy set, so you'll have lots to work with! Remember, Sale-a-Bration starts Feb. 1 and you can receive a free, special SAB set--including Yummy--free with a $50 order. Hostesses also can receive additional benefits during Sale-a-Bration, so check out the catalog and book today!

Confessions of a Glitter Hoarder

 

Yes, I must confess, I'm a glitter hoarder. I buy it because it always looks so pretty in the catalog and on other people's projects. But I almost never use it. Not because I don't like it, or because I'm not a bling-y sort of girl (although I'm really not), but because I just don't want to deal with cleaning it up once I'm done. I think I never got over the comment my dear hubby once made about how our dining room chairs were "glittering!"

I have resolved to change my ways this year. SU has some gorgeous new glitters in the catalog, and I've decided I must have them--and must use them. I started by adding some to this card, featuring the Polka Dot Punches set in the Sale-a-Bration catalog, which starts Feb. 1. I first colored the image with Pink Passion, Lavendar Lace and Green Galore markers--a combination I never would have chosen, but I got it from the Color Coach and I love it! After the card was assembled, it just stared at me and whispered, "I need something more." So, I bravely got out the glitter and my small Powder Pal tray and went to work.

The Powder Pal trays really do make life so easy, because they collect the extra glitter, and then you just open the little cork at the bottom to funnel the excess back into the jar. The trays even come with a brush to help move the glitter along. Some people swear by Swiffer sheets for cleaning up stray glitter that gets onto your worktable, but I simply work on a plan paper "placemat" and then I carefully fold that up and throw it away when I'm done. Most of the glitter stays where it should, but if it doesn't, I've decided that's OK, because this non-bling-y girl could use a little bling after all.