Free Shipping with Stampin’ Up! – Dec. 15

Free Shipping with Stampin’ Up! – Dec. 15

Surprise! We can once again enjoy Free Shipping with Stampin’ Up!®… in just 2 more days! That’s right; with a minimum $75 product order, shipping costs will be waived… as long as you begin and end your order on Thursday, December 15th. (That’s according to “Mountain Time”, which is the time zone Stampin’ Up! lives and operates in).

While it’s probably too late in the month to receive orders in time for Christmas, right now is an excellent time to be thinking a bit beyond then. Let’s say, perhaps towards upcoming January birthdays or other special events, or towards Valentine’s Day, or even just to take advantage of stocking up on some of the basic supplies you might be running low of. (When was the last time you checked your inventory of  cardstock, envelopes, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots, or adhesives?)

And of course if you haven’t already taken advantage of the Close-Out (aka “Last Chance”) opportunity from the July-December Mini Catalog… well, that’s running right now, as well. So while it’s likely a bit too late to receive products in time to use them for Christmas projects, there’s *always* a good reason to take advantage of free shipping whenever it pops up!
 
When you’re ready to place your free-shipping order on December 15th, you can find the current host code here, and shop at my online store right here. And here’s a reminder of how long we have to wait until Free Shipping Day begins!
mailtimer.io

“Painted Poppies” Valentine Cards

“Painted Poppies” Valentine Cards
Valentines wtih Painted Poppies
"Painted Poppies" Valentine Cards

Today I’ve got some serious monochromatic pink for you, in the form of “Painted Poppies” Valentine Cards. ‘Cuz what says “Happy Valentine’s Day” better than hearts and flowers, right?

Both of these cards feature Melon Mambo and Whisper White, along with some of what I consider the most basic dies that we should probably all have in our collections. And, of course, my current favorite stamp set, “Painted Poppies”. 

die-cutting-basics
Are you missing any of these basics? Sale-a-Bration is a smart time to update your collection of dies because you get to choose free product(s) with every $50 you order!

Can you find all the places I've used "Painted Poppies"?

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Images © Stampin' Up!®
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Images © Stampin' Up!®

And this card is basically the same, except the Whisper White and Melon Mambo of the large heart are reversed, and the inner heart is then stamped with an additional image from the “Painted Poppies” stamp set. 

Want more details about these cards? Be sure to order your Painted Poppies stamp set (or bundle) by Saturday, Feb. 15 (that’s tomorrow, btw), in order to receive the package of tutorials I’ll be sending out after that! Contact me to place your order for you, or submit it yourself at store.YourPaperDreams.com. (Current host code is always at hostcode.YourPaperDreams.com)

YOUR favorite moods of the “Painted Poppies” stamp set?

Have you ever thought about the many moods of the “Painted Poppies” stamp set? This delightful set of images, featured on the front cover of Stampin’ Up!®’s 2020 spring catalog, as well as on pages 24- 27, can confidently step up and shine for almost any occasion: birthday, anniversary, thank-you, friendship, invitation, wedding, sympathy, congratulations, and on and on! Dress it up, or leave it simple. Make it shout, or let it whisper. 

The next time you’re ready to create a card, friendship gift, scrapbook page, or even some home decor, there’s a really good chance that Painted Poppies can lend a hand.

The "understated" mood of "Painted Poppies"

Painted Poppies #simplestamping
Just stamps, ink and paper. #simplestamping
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Step it up with a bit of layering, some masking, ribbon & rhinestones.
stepped up Painted Poppies
Step it up again. This time I added a die-cut poppy and leaves for interest & dimension, along with a fussy-cut bottom border that offers a glimpse of the sponging inside.

The "feeling pink" mood

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A Valentine gift for a special someone
moods of the Painted Poppies stamp set
A little vintage look, anyone?
Painted Poppies cling stamp set

Free tutorials with purchase of "Painted Poppies"

Check back in a couple of days for some additional moods of the “Painted Poppies” stamp set. And in the meantime, why not grab your Painted Poppies (or even the Bundle with its coordinating dies) right here, so you’ll have everything when you’re ready to use it. 

I’ll be sending out a set of tutorials featuring some of the samples in this grouping (and the next) to everyone who purchases a Painted Poppies stamp set (or Painted Poppies bundle) through me by February 15th! And yes, if you’ve already purchased yours thru me, that order counts, too. (Tutorials will send AFTER the 15th, tho, because I’ll send them all at once to everyone who qualifies.)

Oh! And don’t forget that the Painted Poppies bundle will also qualify you to select a free item from the Sale-a-Bration brochure, too!

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!

Lovely Lattice Stamp Set meets Stampin’ Blends

Lovely Lattice Stamp Set meets Stampin’ Blends

One of my favorite “Freebie” choices from the 2019 Sale-a-Bration (going on now through March 31) is the stamp set “Lovely Lattice”. And when it’s brought to life through the magic of Stampin’ Blends, well… now there’s a match totally made in heaven!

Lovely Lattice – Choose this stamp set for FREE with a $50 product order during Sale-a-Bration 2019. (Thru March 31, while supplies last.)

I was almost sad to see this card completed. Coloring in an outline image isn’t all that far off from the days of crayons and coloring book pages – elements of a relaxing past-time I have never really outgrown. So when my eye warned “That’s enough, Lynda; it’s done”, my heart wasn’t quite ready to cooperate. Nevertheless, I reluctantly put down my grown-up crayons and tended to final assembly.

“You can never have too many flower sets (in your stamp collection).”

– Lynda Glassmoyer

Those who know me, know I’m a sucker for flowers. And it certainly shows in my stamp collection! But why not? Flower images are appropriate for (almost) any card-giving occasion, and in this case, I didn’t even have a concrete idea yet for where this card was headed. I had no one specific in mind to receive it, and figured I’d just leave the outside free of any particular sentiment that could limit its use later on.

Getting the look

I began this card by stamping the largest image in the stamp set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink – onto Whisper White cardstock. And then used Stampin’ Blends in both light and dark shades of the following colors to bring it to life:

And a little touch of Pumpkin Pie in some of the flower centers. Then I created the highlights with the Stampin’ Blends Color Lifter.

Lovely Lattice colored with Stampin’ Blends

At this point, I realized a touch of dimension seemed in order. So I took that entire stamped & colored layer and ran it through the Big Shot inside the “Subtle” embossing folder. (BTW, that folder is right up there near the very top of my faves at the moment!)

3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder – “Subtle”

Then I added the same embossing to the front half of the Balmy Blue card base. I mounted the stamped & embossed layer onto an un-embossed layer of Highland Heather, and then adhered those layers onto the card base. The textural difference between embossed layers and those without embossing seemed to strike just the right contrast.

The final details

But it still needed just a bit more dimension. So, grabbing one of the Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends, I quickly transformed a few “plain-ol‘-white” pearls into coordinating flower centers and added those to some of the flowers.

And that little flower down in the lower right corner? It was stamped onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock, colored in with the same Blends markers, and then fussy-cut and positioned for visual balance.

Did you know that if you were to order all the Stampin’ Blends I’ve use here, and toss in the “Subtle” embossing folder, you’d qualify to get this lovely stamp set for free? Get all the goodies here.

Featured products

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!
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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?

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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. 

Snowflake Showcase – Last call

November's exclusive "Snowflake Showcase" has certainly been an amazing collection, hasn't it? So many beautiful snowflakes and versatile images – in both stamp sets and dies; I'm super-sad to see it coming to an end. But yep, today's its last day of availability; the curtain falls in just a few more hours.

In the meantime however, I thought I'd share some of the thank you cards I've been sending out recently. Featuring… well, what else, lol?!? Not only some of my favorite winter-time images, but some of my very favorite winter colors, too!

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Besides the "Snow is Glistening"  and "Kindness & Compassion" stamp sets, these cards feature "Layering Ovals" dies; Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape and Coastal Cabana inks; Frost White Shimmer Paint; Clear Rhinestone Jewels; and Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, and Whisper White cardstocks (WW in both regular and thick). And of course, the Stamparatus helped place that "Thank you" image exactly where I wanted it… nice and bright!

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There are still a few remaining hours to claim all or part of this collection for yourself. If you're still debating, let me help. The answer is "Yes!" – because snowflakes of this classic art style will never look dated, they can be used solo or in conjunction with other images on almost any winter project, and look fabulous in pretty much any color. (Well, maybe not so much Real Red or Cajun Craze, come to think of it….. but YOU know what I mean, lol!) 

See what's still available from the Snowflake Showcase here!

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"!