What’s this Template-Based Online Card Class all about anyway?

What’s this Template-Based Online Card Class all about anyway?
Template 34 of Online Card Class
Template 34 of our Template-Based Online Card Class (April 2021)

Introducing our Template-Based Online Card Class

One of the things I’m most proud of during my 25-year journey as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator is that the events I’ve designed and held over the years have often become the basis for many deep and lasting friendships. Each event attendee arrives expecting to create something pretty with paper, of course. That is to be expected. As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, that’s what I do. At least at the surface level, anyway. 

Yet time and again, as people return to the next event, and the next one, and they see the same faces ’round the stampin’ table, many have developed friendships along the way. Lasting friendships. The kind where they get invited to dinner at each others’ houses, or to the weddings of each others’ kids. Or they may even plan family outings or vacations together. Or gather together to form an assembly line to put together wedding invitations. Or memorial booklets.  They’ve shared friendships among themselves, and friendships with me.

As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, that’s also part of what I do. And honestly, it’s the most rewarding part. I kinda touched on the friendship angle of my job on the final day of my 25-day-countdown to my recent 25th anniversary with Stampin’ Up! If you are a member of my Paper Dreaming with Lynda Facebook group, you’ve probably already read this.

Today is my 25th anniversary as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. When I think about all the people in my life now, and all of the people I've met since joining this company in 1996, it occurs to me that almost every one of them has been touched by Stampin' Up! in one way or another. From my family, to customers and team members (of course), to those whom I've met through booth activities and classes, to the UPS man, the folks at businesses I patronize regularly, and the ladies who've cut my hair... I am so grateful for having had this quarter-of-a-century opportunity to connect with people in this way, and to have met so many I would otherwise have never met. Several of those I'm thinking about today are, sadly, no longer with us, while others who've remained good friends have seen loved ones pass, children grow up and marry, and have been blessed with grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Life cycles and changes, but love & friendship remain. My heart is full. THANK YOU for your part in blessing and enriching my life with your friendship!

(If you’re not already a member of my FB group, but know me or are friends with another group member, please ask to join at Facebook.com/PaperDreamingwithLynda.)

History of these Template-Based Online Card Classes

The concept began back in March 2020, when my routine monthly in-person card classes came to an abrupt and unceremonious halt. Pandemic. It seemed like the world closed down in a matter of hours. From a health standpoint, I knew that closing down my classes was certainly the right thing to do. But it rocked the entire format of my 24-year-old business. And closing my classes would also mean disconnecting from my stamping friends and customer base. Something that would do none of us any good. So, like many of us in similar situations, I pivoted to online. *Zoom*… which, thankfully, I was already familiar with. We would still be able to connect, but still keep our proper “distance” from one another. And our first session was held before the end of that very month. 

But my class format had to be reinvented. Obviously, I could not longer show up with totes full of stamps & supplies, and packs of precut paper with which everyone could copy that session’s card designs. And, I decided that at least for the time being, I was going to run these new classes for no charge. So no one would have to stay away due to lack of funds. And so most anyone would have the ability to join in… regardless of where they resided. I would supply several downloadable (collectible) card layouts (templates) at each class, and the attendees would use their own stamps, ink, and paper to create their own custom card designs.  

 And so we launched. And, except for the predictable technical hiccup from time to time (which must always be expected with online stuff), it worked out fairly well. Except for one thing. The “connection” part was kinda missing. So after a couple of months we added an additional (and optional) “gab” hour… designed to combat the effects of pandemic isolation and keep the friendships intact. 

Tomorrow’s session will mark our 14th such class, and although our participation numbers have not yet reached anywhere near my eventual vision, the class is still fee-free… and still held monthly, usually on the 4th Wednesday at 2:00 pm Pacific. I have now created and presented 35 card-layout templates… enough to actually bind into a book and use for inspiration whenever I sit down to stamp a card. 

If you’d like to take a peek at what one of the templates looks like, you can download Template #34, from April 2021, at this link. It’s in PDF format; just print it either in color or in B&W. 

And if you’d like to join us for tomorrow’s Template-based online card class, there’s still time to register. Just click here before noon (Pacific time) on Wednesday, the 26th, read the info and fill out the quick form. Then watch for a confirmation email from Zoom, and also an additional email from me, directing you to information you can use to prepare for class, and also use as reference during the class. 

A small sampling of cards made during past classes

Q: On what platform does this class take place?

A: We use Zoom, which can be accessed from almost any device, and doesn’t require a membership or an account for attendees. Since I host the class on my own account, I pay the fee for us to use it.

Q: Is Zoom safe to use? I’ve heard horrible things about it.

A: Yes. I believe it’s as safe as anything else you might do online. There have been many improvements to its security since it first became a staple in life early last year, and most of the “horrible things” were caused by carelessness on the part of users, anyway. 

Q: How do I know what to gather up to use for class? What if I don’t have the proper stamp set(s)?

A: I will send you an email with a link to our online resource page. On that page will be a downloadable guide to gathering your gear. You will use Stampin’ Up! supplies that you already own, whether retired or current. Everyone will use the same layout templates, but different stamps, ink & paper, based on what they already own. 

Q: Why will you only admit people you already know?

A: See the question above… “Is Zoom safe to use?” I am very cautious to ensure we have a safe environment in which to meet. The “horror stories” we used to hear about generally came about by meeting hosts being careless about who was showing up to their events. Even if you and I don’t know each other yet, I am happy to include you when you email me with your background and other things the registration form requests. Basically, I just want to know that you are really *you*. Someone who actually wants to attend this class, and not a planted troll or “bot” of some type, bent on causing trouble.

Q: What if I don’t want to be seen on camera?

A: You can still participate while keeping your camera turned off (which I don’t particularly encourage because it’s awkward for the rest of the attendees, but technically you *can* do that)… OR, you can call in on a phone line and listen that way (although you’ll miss the video presentation part by doing that, of course). 

Q: What if I have another question not addressed here?

A: Email me! 

Coastal Weave Embossing Folder Meets Peaceful Poppies

Coastal Weave Embossing Folder Meets Peaceful Poppies

What a Month!

Wow! The last day of May already. Hard to wrap my head around all that’s happened this month (both good and bad), but I’ve been mighty grateful to have had access to the internet and various online services so I can continue to be active with and enjoy my Stampin’ Up!® business!

This month I upgraded my video lighting for a “bit” better look for my online presentations. But I think I may have had a little higher expectation from my new lights than they’ve delivered; somehow new lighting hasn’t entirely eliminated the fact that I’ve been a demonstrator with this company for 24 years, and well, I look at least that many years older in front of the camera. That I have a growing number of wrinkles and sags in places I’d rather not have. That my “quarantine hair” is much too long and much too gray. And that my tiny poorly-lit apartment is…. well, a tiny poorly-lit apartment.

But nonetheless, I’ve had a lot of fun this month connecting with my stampin’ friends while presenting 3 online events… beginning with my 3rd monthly template-based card class via Zoom, and then followed by 2 more events which were live-streamed to my Facebook page. None of these were flawless, but I’m learning to cope with the unexpected and “oops-es”… and not die of embarrassment. (Can we say “open mic” during yesterday’s intermission?!? Now the world knows I talk to myself when designing, lol.) So I choose to chalk up the flub-ups to “learning”.  And I truly appreciate all in the Paper Dreamers community who seem willing to accept the imperfections as I learn all this new tech stuff… and participate in these online activities anyway! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Mystery Card Class - Episode 1

Coastal Weave Embossing Folder Meets Peaceful Poppies
Coastal Weave Embossing Folder Meets Peaceful Poppies

This was the 3rd card I created during yesterday’s inaugural presentation of “Mystery Card Class”, which was live-streamed to Facebook. The concept for this class is to follow along with some specific guidelines for making a card of your choice, while trying to resolve the “mystery” that looms in the background. And the clues to the mystery will eventually appear in the cards that participants stamp and post online for the viewers to see. 

I’d sent out prepared card kits to several stampers in advance, and invited them to participate in this event by assembling their cards and sharing them with the other class participants. But unfortunately, that plan kinda fell on its face because only 1 card got made up and shared. So we’ve had a significant shortage of “clues” (as compared to what I’d envisioned), and therefore yesterday’s mystery stands a good chance of remaining unresolved, and the intended prize not awarded. 

Ah! But I don’t give up that easily. I’m up for trying again next month, and hopeful that we might get broader participation. And if you receive one of the card kits I send out for Episode 2, please do play along by making up your card and showing us the result. The more participation this event can get, the more fun it will be!

I can't believe Coastal Weave Embossing Folder is retiring already!

This particular embossing folder has become my very favorite during its short life, and I’m really going to miss it. So when it came time for designing cards for yesterday’s class, I *had* to give it yet another workout before bidding it farewell.

So I ended up using not only my current favorite embossing folder, but also one of my very favorite techniques… applying and blending inks with various types of applicators. For this background, I began with a piece of regular Whisper White cardstock and embossed it with the soon-to-be-retired Coastal Weave 3D embossing folder.

Then I went after it with several ink colors, applied with Sponge Daubers… gradually building up light layers of Rich Razzleberry, Poppy Parade, and Blackberry Bliss classic inks until I had the look I wanted. I deliberately tried to vary the intensities of each color in different areas so the color wasn’t entirely even throughout.  I’m always thrilled to watch what develops when applying layers of color this way, and given that I was working with some of my favorite colors, I got more and more excited as the overall look developed! 

Once I had the general look I wanted, I went back over it with the Frost White Glimmer Paint (also applied with a sponge dauber) to give it a sheen. (Which may or may not show up in the pictures.) 

Additional supplies I used include Rich Razzleberry, Blackberry Bliss, and Whisper White cardstock, several sets of dies, various elements from the Peaceful Poppies Suite, and some retired trim & accessories I found while digging through my stash.

If you still need to add the Coastal Weave 3D Embossing Folder to your own collection, it’s still available in my online store, and as long as supplies hold out, will be for 2 more days… thru June 2nd. Grab yours here.

And be sure to bookmark my calendar page so you won’t miss what’s coming up!

 

24-Hour Stamp Sale!

 

Shop online at http://store.YourPaperDreams.com

I’ve promised it’s coming, and it’s almost here! Stampin’ Up!®’s 24-Hour Stamp Sale is set for Wednesday, October 23rd. That’s just day after tomorrow!

On that day, you’ll find just under 60 stamp sets from the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog available at 15% off!

Download a preliminary PDF listing (here) indicating which stamp sets are slated to be included in this very rare opportunity. And then on the 23rd, you’ll find them in my online store. (Please be aware that the specific sets and/or pricings are subject to change between now and then – due to Stampin’ Up!’s discretion.)

And oh, by the way, if you’ve been thinking about joining (or returning to) Stampin’ Up!, Wednesday would be an excellent time to do so because you could choose these stamps for your starter kit at their *discounted* prices! So you could pack even MORE value into your starter kit! (Click here to join (or re-join) Stampin’ Up!)

Be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, Oct. 23 (maybe even in RED- with stars all over it) – so you don’t miss out on this exciting 24-hour stamp sale!

Report your counts for World Card-Sending Week

Report your totals for World Card-Sending Week
Click image to report your number of total cards sent this week.

So last weekend my online friends and I marked World Card-Making Day with our 6th Annual WCMD Virtual Retreat. 48 hours of online card-making fun, including theme challenges, learning new layout ideas, and getting to know each other a little more. And then THIS week has been the brand-new concept (that I sure hope will become an annual event), “World Card-Sending Week”! Sponsored by Stampin’ Up!®, WCSW has been all about encouragement to SEND all those newly-made cards and let someone know you’re thinking of them!

World Card-Sending Week cards

And participation in World Card-Sending Week is not only open to demonstrators, but to all of our card-sending friends, as well. (Of course!) So here’s how YOU can play along and add YOUR cards-sent tally to the global count, which has a goal of hitting 50,000 cards sent between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12!

Here's how to play with us!

If you’re already a card-maker you probably already have a pile of cards somewhere that you haven’t gotten around to sending to anyone yet. So grab that pile of cards and address them to friends, family, or anyone else who’s been on your mind. Enclose a little personal note if you’re inspired to do so, and send them on their way. 

But don’t forget to record a tally of each card you’ve sent this week, and then report your total number of cards on this form right here! 

I  will accept your totals up thru Tuesday, Oct. 15 (this upcoming week), and then I’ll combine your totals with my own, and report the entire amount to Stampin’ Up!, where the *worldwide* count will be tallied and maintained. Wouldn’t it be fun if our Paper Dreaming peeps could report 100 or more cards as a group? And in the meantime, I’ll update how we’re doing towards that 100-cards goal. Keep your eye on my Facebook page for those updates over the next several days.

But let’s be careful to help keep the worldwide totals accurate, and not accidentally double-report the same cards. That means that each card sent must ultimately only be reported to Stampin’ Up! ONE time. 

So if you’re a current demonstrator, you should report your card count directly through Stampin’ Up!’s reporting system. (Link found in the Oct. 8 updates.)

If you’re NOT a demonstrator, but are a friend, family member, customer or follower of mine, you can report your cards on my custom tally form… as long as you don’t report those same cards elsewhere, too. I will ensure that your total will be included in the Paper Dreamers group total that I will report directly to Stampin’ Up! on Oct. 16 (next week).

"World Card-Sending Week" - in review

  • Oct. 6 – Oct. 12 – Send as many cards as you can during World Card-Sending Week. 
  • Oct. 12 – Oct. 15 – Report the number of cards you sent
    • Demonstrators – report your counts directly via Stampin’ Up!’s system (by Oct. 16)
    • All others (friends, customers, followers, family, etc.) – report either through me or another demonstrator who is actively participating in this campaign, and who will ensure that your count will be included in the total he or she reports to Stampin’ Up! by Oct. 16.

A real big thank-you to everyone who participated in our WCMD Virtual Retreat last weekend and/or will be sending cards during World Card-Sending Week, too! Do you think the total numbers of cards will have enough impact to make the USPS wonder what just happened?!?

SEND your cards, then REPORT your numbers for World Card-Sending Week!

“Your Paper Dreams” is moving!

“Your Paper Dreams” is moving!

I’m super excited to announce that “Your Paper Dreams” will soon have a brand-new home on the web!

Yep, for the past month or so I’ve been busy at work creating a brand-new website, and HOPE to have it up and running by sometime around the end of February!

This process has really been a technical challenge for this-here senior citizen, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for the better part of 3 years, and I’m a firm believer that we’ve gotta keep using our brains in order to keep them functioning for us in our later years. But yeah, to say this has been a brain challenge (fraught with more than a moment or two’s frustration and significant concern about my level of sanity), well, that would definitely be an understatement, lol!

So how might this affect YOU? And why does it matter?

Well, eventually the older site that you’ve been familiar with for 12-1/2 years will close down. But before that, *elements* of it stand a potential chance of breaking as I begin the process of disconnecting it from the web address “YourPaperDreams.com”. (So I can ultimately reuse that same name for my new site.) So once I initiate that process, which will likely be in the next few days, I wouldn’t be surprised if some links cease to work, and who KNOWS what other chaos might occur?!? But I will not be trouble-shooting any such issues ‘cuz this site is headed towards demise anyway. All brain-power is now being devoted to developing my new site these days.

I recognize there are a few elements of the (older) site that my stampin’ friends access regularly, and if this name-extraction process causes those areas to blow up, it won’t be a pretty picture. So short term, I’ll be increasing delivery rate of my emailed newsletters, and in them will include popular information that has resided on this site (in particular, the current host code and the link to upcoming class registration). If you don’t already subscribe to (or read) my newsletters, you might want to pay particular attention in the upcoming weeks so you’ll know what’s going on behind the scenes. I sure don’t want to lose anyone along the way!

SUBSCRIBE TO (or update your preferences for) MY NEWSLETTER HERE.

So what does this mean to ME?

It will give me a more contemporary platform on which to present my communication, more opportunities to display eye-candy, more flexibility to install new exciting features over time, and (I surely hope) that it will rank better with Google searching! (While my old site used to be considerably better in the ranking world years ago, it has dwindled nearly to non-existence over time.) Also, I *think* that once I’m past the initial investment and the new site is up and running, that it shouldn’t cost all that much more to maintain than what I’ve been paying anyway. 

One other piece of semi-good news (well, something I’m particularly jazzed about anyway), is that I succeeded in exporting all 12-1/2 years worth of blog posts over to my new site! Several years ago when I first explored the idea, I’d been told it would cost BIG bucks to hire a professional to do it – or alternatively, move the text over myself, but forfeit the associated images. Obviously, that was pretty discouraging to hear. But thankfully, over time, technology has advanced and I got the move accomplished myself – to the tune of only $22! (Plus or minus a few dozen hours, of course.)

But alas, the world is still not perfect. Lots of my former formatting went away during the export/import process, and I have only gone back to just a few of the more recent posts to correct that issue. Likewise, I suspect a bunch of links probably died, as well. But I will NOT be revisiting the other 700 or so old posts to correct whatever may have gone a little wobbly. They’ll just have to live on as they are. Old and maybe a bit creaky. But I’m thrilled that at least they’re THERE at all! 

Very loose projected timeline to launch:

I wish I could lay out a fairly firm timeline on this journey towards my new site launch. But I’m DIY-ing this project, and EVERY SINGLE STEP along the way is new to me. So every single step requires intensive study before implementing. Some steps have gone smoothly, but several have not. The worst example of that (so far) was having made NO forward progress for the past 6 days as I struggled with one stupid, picky detail that just would NOT work. But with that frustration finally resolved yesterday (SO grateful to my nephew for writing the code that provided the solution!), I’m excited to be moving forward again. Of course, I’m nervously aware that some similar type of stall could recur and set progress back for another period of time. But that said, I’m still HOPING for a launch somewhere around the end of February. 

Your Paper Dreams Banner

So as we say good-bye to my older site, I’m delighted to be moving to my NEW home on the web shortly… and it’ll have the exact same name, so you should be able to still find me easily! 

In the meantime, watch your email for more updates!

And don’t forget that brand-new Sale-a-Bration freebie items debut tomorrow, February 15th! (But demand is expected to be tight, and as always, they’ll only be available while supplies last. So you’ll want to choose early for best selection!

YourPaperDreams.com is under construction

YourPaperDreams.com is under construction

Hey, Lynda here, and I want to let you know that this site, to eventually be known as YourPaperDreams.com, is under construction. Not quite ready for prime time yet; I’m still adding, subtracting, learning, exploring, tweaking, debugging, etc. I haven’t publicly announced the debut of this site yet, but if you’ve stumbled into this chaotic construction zone anyway, I apologize that it’s not yet quite as polished as I’d like.

I’ll be sure to get the word out to my followers via newsletter and Facebook once it’s ready to go live. But wait! *What’s* that thought you just had?!? You don’t get my newsletter yet? Well hey, no worries; you can fix that pretty quick by subscribing right here.

Sale-a-Bration (SAB) – Perk #2 – Hosts & “I Deserve It” orders get extra Stampin’ Rewards!

Sale-a-Bration (SAB) – Perk #2 – Hosts & “I Deserve It” orders get extra Stampin’ Rewards!
2019-SAB-Botanical-Butterfly-DSP-800b

Welcome to the 2nd in my series of 3 posts detailing the perks of Stampin’ Up!’s “Sale-a-Bration 2019”! (Yes, that’s another example showcasing the Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Papers, which are available as a freebie choice with an order of $50, along with the super-popular Butterfly Duet Punch).

In my last post I discussed the Sale-a-Bration perk that everyone seems to be most familiar with: getting to choose a free product with each $50 you order. But the perk we’ll refer to in THIS post is pretty doggone sweet, too!

So, you probably know (or at least I HOPE you know) that Stampin’ Up! offers a rewards program for those who gather a few friends together and host a group stampin’ event. (Call it a party, call it a class or call it something else, Stampin’ Rewards will be part of it if there are sufficient qualifying sales.) Typically, when combined orders from such an event reach $150 in product sales, those rewards (called “Stampin’ Rewards”) kick in for the host.

At $150 in total product sales, the host can select most any product of her choice equal to 10% of the sales (which would be exactly $15, if the total product sales were $150, for instance). And as the total product sales increase, the percentage levels of Stampin’ Rewards increase too, until they ultimately reach 16% of the total product sales. In addition, when sales cross the $450 line, the host can also get any one item of her choice for half-price! (Big Shot, Color Family of ink pads, or Stamparatus, anyone?)

But Stampin’ Rewards are enhanced during Sale-a-Bration…

…making it a perfect time to host an event – or else submit what some like to call an “I Deserve It” order (of $150 or more for one’s own self). “I Deserve It” orders are a great way to maximize your purchasing dollars, and the bigger your order, the more freebie goodies you can choose!

So not only is it a smart plan to group your personal orders into batches that qualify for Stampin’ Rewards (starting at $150 in product sales), but it’s particularly clever to do so during Sale-a-Bration! That’s because in addition to your usual Stampin’ Rewards (see the Party Sales chart in any of our catalogs – sometimes near the back; sometimes near the front), you may also qualify for ADDITIONAL Stampin’ Rewards!

Which brings us to… SALE-A-BRATION PERK #2:

Sale-a-Bration Perk #2 offers an enhancement to the usual Stampin’ Rewards plan! During Sale-a-Bration, whenever your total product order reaches $250, Stampin’ Up! throws in an additional $25-worth of credit you can apply towards your freebie product as a “host” – over and above what a $250 sales volume would ordinarily qualify for! So here’s an example of how that would work in real life:

Let’s say your “party” total (regardless of source) reaches $250 in product sales. Under the usual, year-round plan, your Stampin’ Rewards would be figured at 10% of $250, which would equal $25 credit towards additional product of your choice. But during Sale-a-Bration, Stampin’ Up! will kick in that additional $25 in Stampin’ Rewards credit for any “party” of $250 or more! So that means if you reach the $250 level exactly, you’d get the usual $25 in Stampin’ Rewards credit, PLUS the additional $25, for a total credit of $50 you can apply towards any current additional product!

Oh, but wait!!! If your $250 order was actually all YOUR order, then each $50 segment would *also* qualify for one of the free SAB items in the SAB 2019 brochure!

Yes indeedy, we DO love to let you double-dip in the Stampin’ Up! perks whenever possible! 🙂

So should you find yourself staring at a particularly long wish-list at this time of year, give that clever concept a bit of thought. Qualifying for Stampin’ Rewards with your order is nothing to sneeze at!

And stay tuned for the final installment of this 3-part series – explaining how to get what might be the absolute BEST deal of ALL with Stampin’ Up! during Sale-a-Bration! We’ll call that PERK #3……. and I’ll show you some extra, totally-legit, double-dipping ideas tossed in for added fun!

Sale-a-Bration (SAB) – Perk #1 – Customers get FREE product!

Can you name all 3 (4, actually) ways that a papercrafter can benefit from the perks of Stampin’ Up!®’s annual Sale-a-Bration (SAB) season?

2019-SAB-Botanical-Butterfly-DSP-800

If you’ve been around the Stampin’ Up! community for very long, I’ll bet you can name at least ONE of the perks. But be sure to follow this week’s series of 3 posts, so you don’t accidentally miss out on the *other* 2 (3, actually) available perks, too!

Let’s begin by reviewing a bit of SAB history (that is, as far as my memory recalls…), and then we’ll touch on what (I think) is probably the most well-known feature of Sale-a-Bration. 

I wish I could tell you exactly when this fun tradition began in Stampin’ Up!, but I don’t exactly know. What I DO know is that “Sell-a-Bration” was already going on back 23 years ago (in January of 1996), when I first became acquainted with the company. But although it was an exciting time of year way back then, the format wasn’t even close to the generous SAB season we are familiar with nowadays. The way I remember it as a brand-new customer, is (I think) we could choose a stamp from a unique collection (note: a small, single wood-mount stamp) – for a dollar. I remember being really excited about getting that additional bonus with my order, and I chose a teddy bear. (I even got to take that stamp home with me that night!) And I know I’ve come across that stamp from time to time throughout the years, so it MIGHT still be in my collection of stamps that are deeply buried in storage somewhere.

Through the years, the name “Sell”-a-Bration morphed into “Sale”-a-Bration, and the perks evolved, too. In general, they’ve become more generous over time (especially compared to that year when you could buy a small stamp for only $1!), but it’s always been the biggest season of the Stampin’ Up! year, and a whole lotta fun!

SALE-A-BRATION PERK #1:

So for *my* stampin’ peeps over the years, certainly the most popular attraction has been getting their choice of free product (usually) created for, and available exclusively during, that season.  For a long, long time now, there has been the opportunity to choose one such special item with each $50 product order placed. And for the past few years, there have also been some bigger choices included, too – for product orders reaching $100 or more. (Examples this year include the “Tea Time Framelits Dies“, which coordinate with the gorgeous stamp set “Tea Together“, shown on page 49 of the Occasions Catalog. And don’t overlook the Distinktive stamp set called “Lasting Lily“, if you’ve had some experience with the line of Distinktive stamps. Btw, in case you might be admiring the “Tea Time Framelits Dies”, but also have other  SAB freebie items on your wishlist, we’ve been notified that that set of dies will carry over beyond the Sale-a-Bration season – but of course it’ll have a price tag attached to it once it does, lol.)

Anyway, certainly my stampin’ friends have found Sale-a-Bration to be a great time to make some of their major investments in tools or pricer products, OR to replenish basic supplies that may have been starting to run a little thin during the past year.

But here’s yet another tip you’ll want to take into consideration when planning your Sale-a-Bration order(s):

Sale-a-Bration items are available on a “while supplies last” basis. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’ve heard me preach this before, haven’t you?) But it’s true, and in recent years, the deeper we get into the SAB season (which ends on March 31, btw), the smaller the inventory of choices has become. So I doubt that the full inventory of choices will be available to those who wait until later in the season to submit orders. So my advice will always be to place your orders early in the season, especially until you’ve earned all your most favorite freebie choices. 

Whew! But all that said, did you also notice this statement that appears on the inside cover of the Sale-a-Bration brochure? “Watch for another set of exclusive FREE items coming February 15!”

So take another look through your Annual and Occasions catalogs, along with the SAB brochure, and see what’s fresh and new that you’d love to work with this Spring!

December card classes: Bring-a-Friend Day!

Marketing Collage

I'm excited to share that this month not only will our card classes be held on a different day of the month (because our normal "4th Tuesday" falls on Christmas Day and I just kinda suspected that might mess with our attendance numbers), but we're also introducing "Bring-a-Friend Day", and offering FOUR different format options!

So if you're anywhere within driving distance of Coeur d'Alene, ID, take a look at these various format options, choose which one will best fit you (and your friend), and come join us on December 11th for our final stampin' push before Christmas! As usual, you've got 2 sessions to choose from – morning or afternoon. 

And here are the 4 class formats to choose from this month:

  1. Make up to 20 Christmas cards with coordinating envelopes from the lovely Stampin' Up! Christmas project kit "Timeless Tidings". (Examples featured above.) Purchase the kit yourself at http://bit.ly/BuyTimelessTidingsKit (preferably by no later than Dec. 4th), use my stamps, inks and other supplies (but you provide your own SNAIL adhesive, which you can purchase at class), and pay only one $5 class fee – which will cover BOTH you and your friend! You and your friend can each purchase your own individual kits (so you can each make 20 cards) -  or you can split one kit between you. Your choice. But either way, be sure to order your kit(s) SOON – kinda like today or tomorrow – so they can (hopefully) arrive before next Tuesday's class!
  2. Choose and make a handful of cards (with envelopes) from my "Card Buffet". In addition to several individual designs from the Timeless Tidings project kit, I'll also have several other fairly simple Christmas card designs to choose from. All supplies included except SNAIL adhesive. Pay by the individual card ($1.75 each, which is less than half the usual per-card class price.) Note: Depending on how many card kits are available and how many people show up, there might be a limit to how many cards each person can make.
  3. Place an order of $40 or more in product (at my online store), apply the current host code (found at hostcode.YourPaperDreams.com), and make your first 6 cards for free. store.YourPaperDreams.com (Hey, does this one sound familiar? It IS! It's one of the standard pricing choices at my monthly card classes.)
  4. Got a craft project deadline coming up? Bring your own Stampin' Up!-based project to work on (and your own supplies), pull up a chair and a section of table and hang out with us! Finish up your Christmas Cards, work on gifts & stocking stuffers, or whatever! As long as your project is based on Stampin' Up! products, that's cool. $5 donation to the church for your seat (and heat). 

So grab a friend and come join the fun! The projects will be easy, and the pricing will be, too. But better hurry and claim your seats while there's still best selection of session times and format. 

Black Friday (and beyond) Bonus Bags

So what's better than an Online Extravaganza that offers a chance to get almost any item from the 2018 – 2019 Annual Catalog at a 10% discount?

Well, how does an extra Black Friday (and beyond) Bonus Bag on top of that sound? Here's how that's gonna work:

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See these envelopes? I actually have 10 of 'em. And they're each packed with various types of retired products. Stamp sets, cardstock, DSP, embossing folders, accessories, some left-over sample cards, etc.  That kind of stuff. But you don't know *which* envelope has *what* in it. And you *won't* know, until YOURS arrives in your mailbox!

How do you GET one of these envelopes, you might wonder? Well, during Stampin' Up!'s Online Extravaganza (Friday, Nov. 23 – Tues. Nov. 28), you'll be able to choose one of these envelopes for each $50 in product you order (through me, of course). This offer will continue throughout the Online Extravaganza dates until all 10 envelopes have been chosen, OR until Online Extravaganza ends, whichever occurs first.  Envelopes will be chosen in a first-come, first-served manner. Meaning that as qualifying $50+ orders come in, I will email you and ask you which numbered envelope(s) you'd like. The sooner you get back to me with the answer, the more likely you are to get the envelope(s) you requested. 

If all goes ok with my schedule, I expect to get the first round of these into the mail on Monday, with the final batch probably going out next Thursday. 

I'm super-excited to do this, and I hope you'll be just as excited to see what's in your "Black Friday (and beyond) Bonus Bag", too! 

But wait! Just in case you're wondering why they're called "Bonus Bags" when they're clearly NOT bags, but rather envelopes? Well, initially I wanted to actually offer literal "grab bags", and I thought "Black Friday (and beyond) Bonus Bags" would roll right off the tongue. But then I realized that the cost and hassle of packing and mailing ten 3D "bags" like that would be ridiculous. And basically prohibitive. So the "bags" are now envelopes. Or the envelopes are pretending to be bags.

DON"T MISS THESE TIPS!

Tips to maximize Online Extravaganza

And while I'm on the subject of Online Extravaganza again, have you seen the 3 tips I've published on my Facebook page recently to help you maximize this upcoming Online Extravaganza? Here are the 3 tips I've shared there:

  1. Save on the minimum s/h fee by combining your order with 1 or more local friends. Instead of each of you paying the full minimum (potentially 3 times over the course of the sale days), you can split that minimum fee among 2 or more people by submitting one order.
  2. Plan what you will order WHEN. Use the 3 date-specific categories found here (https://bit.ly/2zm8Vo5) to plan which dates you'll order WHAT.
  3. Will you (plus any local friend(s) that you might be combining orders with) be ordering a total of $150 or more of product during Online Extravaganza days? If so (or even if you THINK you might), ask me for your own custom Host Code BEFORE you place your very first order. Then, each time you submit an order during the first 4 days of the Extravaganza you'll just input that custom Host Code before you check out, and the ordering system will automatically connect the product amounts of all your orders together.  (COOL, huh?!?) Then when you're ready to submit your order for items from the 3rd category (Nov. 27-28), contact me directly and let *me* submit that final order for you, bringing your total product to at least $150, AND getting you Stampin' Rewards (aka free product) of at least $15 on TOP of it all! Lookie there! "Host" credit without even "hosting" anything!

But remember to get your $50 (or $100, or $150, whatever) orders in early during the Online Extravaganza – because not only are quantities of discounted items limited, but I've also ONLY got 10 surprise Bonus Bags (er, "envelopes") to send out! 

Now let the fun begin! Stock up on some of the basics and other items on your wish list + save 10% + grab a "grab bag disguised as an envelope"!