The new standard Starter Kit is here! Create YOUR OWN customized Starter Kit for just $99. 

With the new, flexible Starter Kit, you can customize your creativity-your way.  When you purchase the kit, you can choose up to $125 of ANY (yes, ANY) current Stampin’ Up! quality products.  You’ll also receive a business supplies pack valued at $65.  The total  value of the kit is $190 and it ships for FREE!  This is a fabulous deal, whether you are a hobby stamper or want to be a business demonstrator!

So, basically, you choose $125 worth of any traditional or digital supplies to create a kit valued at over $190 that still ships for free!  CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up, or feel free to contact me.

Time flies when you are having fun!  Say goodbye to these AMAZING accessories and three product ‘suites’ in Stampin’ Up!’s 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog.  The suites feature coordinating papers, sets and accessories:

• The ‘Twitterpated’ product suite
• The ‘Attic Boutique‘ product suite
• The ‘Sweet Shop‘ product suite

Be sure to order by today… use the  downloadable PDF or you can view it online in the interactive flash format for a limited time.  Stampin’ Up! hasn’t published the ‘carryover’ accessories and we won’t know what sets will be carried into the new catalog in June.

Have you forgotten already?  Look at some of the fun I’ve had with them:

Remember, my online purchase gift for April & May is 20% of your purchases back in free product in the new catalog–that you will receive… CLICK HERE for more information and to see the current ‘Class to Go’ that you will also receive.

HEADS UP FOR MAY 1ST!  Excellent news!  Starting tomorrow, you can join Stampin’ Up! for only $99 and it is really, completely, totally customizable… no ‘set’ price limits, etc.  That’s right… the Stampin’ Up! starter kit will be $99 and the online sign up process will be simplified.

I will post all about it tomorrow… are you excited?  I am!

I have been sitting here AMAZED at how quickly the retiring Sizzix dies are going on the Discontinuing List!

And then I looked at the Clearance Rack and saw that the Stampin’ Up! Sizzix ‘Look Here’ die was still available!  I feel very bad–I just told someone who emailed me a few weeks ago, that we didn’t carry it anymore! Now I have guilt!!!

So the moral to this story is that while you are checking out the Discontinued lists… be sure to check out Stampin’ Up!’s clearance rack for things you miss but SU still has inventory in. There are some awesome deals there!  And don’t forget my online order special through the end of May… earn 20% back on your online purchases towards an order in the new catalog… read all about it here!

How did I make this card? CLICK HERE for the video on how to work with the ‘Look Here’ die by Sizzix, made exclusively for Stampin’ Up!  and by the way, the snowflake punch used in this card is retiring with this catalog… but good news, the stamp set, Delightful Decorations,  and coordinating punch is staying!

This has always been one of my favorite sets!  And with Stampin’ Up!’s discontinuing sets accessories announcement yesterday, Noteably Ornate was unfortunately among those on the chopping block.  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, wouldn’t this make a fabulous card for that special woman (with a different greeting, of course!).

If you are planning to come to my ‘Retirement Party’ on Thursday, May 10th… be sure to sign up soon–there is a special offer only for those attending that I will be giving a preview–but only to those who are signed up and planning to attend.

Too far? Don’t be jealous! I have some fabulous online order gifts for you as well… you know I love you guys too!

Set: Noteably Ornate (wood: #117098, clear: #120561)
Accessories:
5 ½ x 8 ½ Baja Breeze
5 ½ x 4 ¼ Very Vanilla cardstock
2 ¾ x 4 ¼ Very Vanilla (for stamping & cutting)
1 x 2 inch Baja Breeze (for stamping & punching)
2 x 4 inch Soft Suede cardstock (for tearing)
1 ½ x 2 ½ DSP Vintage Springtime (for scallop oval punch)
Baja Breeze Classic Ink, Soft Suede Classic Ink and sponge dauber
Scallop Oval XL punch #119856, Oval XL punch #119859, Modern Label Punch XL #119849
7 inches Chantilly Crochet trim ribbon #118480
5 inches & 3 inches Sticky Strip, Basic Pearls #119247, Vanilla Rosettes #118774
Framed Tulips embossing folder #121809
Sizzix Die Cutting Machine, Multi-purpose platform
Two clear cutting pads, Dimensionals

CLICK for Retiring Sets	CLICK for Accessories
CLICK for DISCOUNTED Retiring	CLICK for MDS Retiring Content Collections
CLICK for Retiring Definitely Decorative

Wow… an amazing number of sets and accessories are listed for retiring! 

These products will retire for good on May 31st, but also keep in mind that Stampin’ Up!’s Occasions Mini Catalog retires next Monday!

I am a visual person, so I have some links to my online store (see thumbnails below) as well as for those of you who like to mark up your catalog… I have also provided the download links.

… list people, here you go…

DOWNLOAD the stamp set list by page (PDF)
DOWNLOAD the stamp set list in sortable Excel

DOWNLOAD the accessories list (PDF)
DOWNLOAD the accessories list (Excel file)

DOWNLOAD the Definitely Decorative list - they are pretty much all going away.  Stampin’ Up! will offer them in the future, but not as a product line.

Looking for some steals? CLICK HERE for the retiring product that is on sale while supplies last.

And actually everything is ‘while supplies last’… so don’t wait on what you are looking for.

This is some fabulously happy paper with a coordinating stamp set ‘Bright Blossoms.’ This is part of the Stampin’ Up! sneak peek of the new ‘Summer Smooches’ suite that is coming out in the 2012-13 Catalog on June 1st.

The center piece was created by first cutting the frame (Labels Collection ‘Framelits’), the third smallest frame, and then embossing it with the oval from the ‘Designer Frames’ embossing folder.

You can purchase the set, designer papers and some coordinating accessories that are only available this month until they are unveiled with the new catalog. Click here for those details of all the products in this suite.

Sets: Bright Blossoms (#125495 wood, #125497 clear)
Accessories:  8½ x 5 ½ Whisper White cardstock
3 ½ x 5 ½ Island Indigo cardstock
3 x 5 ½ Summer Smooches DSP #125409
(2) 4 x 3 Whisper White cardstock
Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon #125583; Dimensionals™ #104430
Extra Large Oval #119859; Eyelit Border Punch #119853
Real Red, Old Olive & So Saffron Stampin’ Write Markers
—–Sizzix—-
Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder #117335, Designer Frames Embossing Folder #123130
Labels Collection Framelits Dies #125598
Sizzix Big Shot, Multi-purpose platform, standard Cutting pads
(comes as a set #113439)

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this set (which retires with the Occasions Mini Catalog on April 30th), will come back in the 2012-13 Catalog… here’s to hoping!

The set ‘Bordering on Romance’ was featured in these posts (#1, #2 & #3) as projects for my SAB stamp festival.  Get it while you can!  Those of you coming to my Stampers Xpress tonight will be making this!

Accessories to make this card:

Sets: Bordering on Romance (#125480 wood, #125482 clear)
Petite Pairs (#122495 wood #122497 clear)
Accessories:
5 ½ x 8 ½ Whisper White cardstock
2 ½ x 4 in. Daffodil Delight c/s (for pressing stripes)
2 ½ x 4 in. Daffodil Delight c/s (for punching)
3 x 4 in. Daffodil Delight c/s (for embossing the frame)
3 x 4 in. Whisper White (stamping flowers)
So Saffron, Old Olive &      Sahara Sand Stampin’ Write markers
Lace Ribbon border punch #122362
Daffodil Delight 1/8th in. Taffeta Ribbon #119254
Black StazOn, Extra Large Oval #119859, Dimensionals™ #104430
Basic Pearls Jewels #119247, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack #118309
Dazzling Details (glitter glue) #124117
——–Sizzix————
Finial Press Textured Emb. Folder #115963
Stripes Textured Emb. Folder #123128
Designer  Frames Textured Emb. Folder #123130
Sizzix Die Cutting Machine, Multi-purpose platform
Two clear cutting pads

It’s that time of year again–out with the old and in with the new.

Today, Stampin’ Up! has announced the list of retiring sets.  It is quite large, so you might want to take a minute and mark up a catalog… and make your wish list!  The last day to order these sets (and the accessories list that is being announced next week) is May 31st, however many are only available while supplies last.

To help you and I have some ways to make it easier… each list is available in a few ways.  And to ease the pain of the list, I have a few gifts for you, click here for my online purchase gifts.

DISCONTINUING STAMP SETS:
CLICK HERE to download the PDF version (in the order sets appear in the catalog)
CLICK HERE to download the sortable Excel file
CLICK HERE to view a ‘visual’ of the sets online and purchase them*

DISCONTINUING ACCESSORIES:
To be announced April 25th

*CLICK HERE for my April & May online gifts

This is my latest installment of ‘Things that I have done with the Petite Purse die instead of doing housework…’

The purse itself was cut from Very Vanilla cardstock.  But before assembling, I stamped the floral spray from ‘Elements of Style’ (wood: 118611, clear: 120045) in Black StazOn and colored in with the Watercolor Crayons ‘Brights‘ collection and a blender pen and ‘outlined’ with the addition of the ‘River Rock‘ crayon from the Neutrals crayons for a 3D look.  I also sponged it with More Mustard ink and a sponge dauber to ‘antique’ it.

I then cut a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 piece of More Mustard cardstock and lay it over the purse top portion of the die and cut it plus a strip for the handle.  I embossed the handle and top as shown with the ‘Vintage Wallpaper’ embossing folder and adhered the purse flap with our stick glue and then cut off the purse tip and used my sponge dauber to bring out the embossed pattern.  I adhered the handle with glue dots and embellished the entire purse with Pearls and also Dazzling Details glitter glue.

The flower is two punches of the largest blossom on the Boho Blossoms punch.  I distressed the flowers with a bone folder until they came apart and ended up with four layers of very soft paper.  I crumpled them up and punched a 1/16th inch hole through the middle and put a silver mini brad in to hold it together.  I actually stuck a pearl on top of the brad (no one is the wiser so far, LOL!) and sponged the edges a bit.  The leaves are from the Bird Builder punch–I think I use those leaves more than the bird itself, LOL!.  I held the top closed with a Dimensional, but I suppose if you want it to hold a gift and be reusable, you can use Velcro coins.

So, how did I do?  Is it annoying to have the live links to where you can purchase the products I am talking about?  You’d be surprised how many emails I get… ‘where do I buy that…’ REALLY? Rule of thumb, I don’t show it, unless I sell it!  So good news, I sell it!  And remember, you can only get the Petite Purse die in April–until the new catalog comes out in June… can you LIVE that long without it? I think NOT!

Isn’t this lovely?!  Another awesome project made with Stampin’ Up!’s Petite Purse die… available as a pre-buy before it isn’t available until the new catalog in June.

And I’ve been asked by quite a few people what the dimensions and the purse (without the handle) is–it measures about 3 x 2 1/2 x 1 inches.

Crank out as many as you need of these lovely purses as a wedding favor… and while mine was made with our very cost effective Whisper White cardstock, if you really want to go ALL OUT, use our Shimmery White Cardstock (#101910)… it has a lovely sheen to it… very bridal!

Boho Blossom Punch (#119858); Bird Builder Punch (#117191); Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder (#120175); Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (#117335); Clear Rhinestone Brad (#113144); Basic Pearls Jewels (#119247)

I have an even more lovely one tomorrow!