2018 Online Extravaganza REVEALED!

Online extravaganza personalizedI'm SO excited to finally be able to share the details of Stampin' Up!'s 2018 Online Extravaganza! 

Can you believe that over the course of 6 upcoming days (Nov. 23 – 28) almost everything in the Annual Catalog will take its turn at being offered at 10% off?!? How fun is THAT?!?

Ok, now yes, there IS a catch. Note the words in the previous sentence: "almost everything". And of course, I know that you'll naturally want to know what's excluded, right? So here ya go… the list that shows what will NOT be included in this sale. And yes, at first it does look like a long list, but when you consider how many individual items there actually are in the catalog, it's still a pretty modest percentage. Looks to me like it's primarily the pricier items (Big Shot & Stamparatus, for instance), items that generally move quickly and regularly anyway, a few items that might be in questionable supply already, host sets, and bundles.

But everything else? YEP! INCLUDED! 

So what should be your strategy here?

Well, I highly recommend that you begin by downloading this PDF flyer and studying it thoroughly. Note that each part of this sale will feature 2 categories of products – for 2 days. Timing will run from midnight to 11:50 pm (MOUNTAIN TIME) every 2 days, and best pickin's will most certainly be early in each 2-day period. That's because there is already a "safety limit" (my words) of items available at this 10%-off pricing, and when that limit has been reached, that will be *it* for the discount on that product. (Naturally, Stampin' Up! isn't too keen on potentially wiping out our entire inventory of products; you probably already *know* how we have enough challenge keeping supplies of hot stuff in stock anyway, lol!) But if the item shows in my Online Store at discount, then that means you're in luck!

So my recommendation? Grab your catalog and your wish list, and review what's still on your list. Then compare that to the "excluded" list, and to the categories below – to plan out your orders. And remember to shop EARLY in each time-frame!

November 23 – 24

  • Bags
  • Brads & Buttons
  • Cards & Envelopes
  • Cardstock
  • Designer Series Paper
  • Embossing material
  • Glitter
  • Ribbons
  • Twine
  • Specialty Paper
  • Tags
  • Washi Tape

November 25 – 26

  • Stamp sets
  • Project kits
  • Card kits
  • Kit refills
  • Memories & More
  • Punch box kits

November 27 – 28

  • Adhesives
  • Applicators
  • Cleaners
  • Cutting tools
  • Embossing folders
  • Framelits & Thinlits
  • Ink pads
  • Ink refills
  • Markers
  • Punches
  • Scoring tools
  • Stamp blocks & cases

Happy shopping!

PS: If you'd please apply my current host code as you check out [the current code is always available at the link up at the top of this or any page on my www.YourPaperDreams.com website ], I'd be most appreciative! Thanks so much! 🙂

Snowflake Showcase

Snowflake virtual swap card - w my wm
Do you love snowflakes at Christmastime as much as I do?

Sweet, sparkling snowflakes evoke the nostalgia of a “white Christmas” – even when the reality of snow manages to complicate certain elements and transportation logistics of our modern-day lives. (Like even GETTING to Grandma’s house in time for Christmas dinner, for instance. And especially if there might be mountains involved between oneself and one’s destination.) Nevertheless, we love the concept of the silent and pristine white blanket all around… and the beautiful patterns snowflakes make, whether individually or en masse.

So, if you’re a snowflake lover like I am, I’ll bet you’ll be thrilled with what Stampin’ Up! has created for us this month!

“Snowflake Showcase” is an exclusive set of 5 products designed to appeal specifically to those of us who count ourselves among snowflake-admirers. These 5 items will be available for the month of November only – and only while supplies last. No, they’re not in any catalog, but will be available through the online store as long as inventories hold out. (Or until November 30th, whichever occurs first.)

This gorgeous collection consists of 2 stamp sets, a set of dies, and a couple of accessory items. No bundled pricing this time around… which means that you can pick and choose your favorites – as long as they’re still available. And if one item runs out, there won’t be concerns about having to 86 an entire bundle just because that item might have been part of it.

For those of you young-uns who might be reading this, waaaayyyy back when I used to wait tables in a restaurant, the term “86” meant to delete a menu item because we’d run out of it. It wasn’t uncommon on a busy dinner shift to hear a cook holler out from the kitchen, “86 the bakers!” Which meant we servers were not to take any more orders for baked potatoes because we’d just run out of them.

Now, according to Google, that term isn’t used much anymore these days – not even in restaurants. Frankly, I don’t know if that’s true or not (kinda makes me wonder what they holler out *nowadays* when they run out of baked potatoes, lol), but I’ve continued to use the term, and I’ve heard it used a number of times outside of restaurant-speak over the years, as well.

(This piece of restaurant nostalgia brought to you by Denny’s, cir. early 1970’s.)

Ok, so back to the Snowflake Showcase…

Here are the 5 fun products that are part of this exclusive opportunity. Note that the die set includes shapes that coordinate with each of the stamp sets, and that amazing set of dies includes 20 of ’em!

And hang onto your stocking caps, ‘cuz you won’t want to miss the white velveteen sheets, either!

Now, I’ve got something else in store for you, too! About mid-November, I’ll be sending out a special email to everyone who has purchased even one item from this collection (through me, of course), and this email will be filled with Snowflake Showcase project ideas – including the step-by-step tutorials for each one of ’em!

So THERE is a very good idea for ordering your Snowflake Showcase products early in the month. But here’s another…

Remember I said that they’d only be available “while supplies last”? Well, we already know these are going to be popular! Which means the odds of one or more of the items running out of supply is likely. So the earlier in the month you order yours, the greater the likelihood you’ll get your hands on the items your heart is set on. (AND the longer you’ll have to use your new goodies this winter season, too!)

So in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t recommend waiting very long to get your favorites from the Snowflake Showcase.  In fact, you can do it right now at store.YourPaperDreams.com!

And then keep an eye out for your special email filled with project ideas – arriving around the middle of November!

Happy 30th Birthday, Stampin’ Up!

Birthday Sale

Wow! 30 Years! Thru thick and thin. Thru all the ups and downs of national economies, natural and man-caused disasters, and an exceptionally ill-timed UPS strike! And I'm both amazed and proud to have been part of the adventure for 3/4 of those years!

Many (most?) of you have already heard my story: 

I was invited to a "stamp" party by my best friend – way back in January of 1996. As I had nothing else to do that night, and after all it was being hosted by my BEST friend, and yeah, I did use stamps up in the right-hand corner of all the envelopes I mailed out regularly (remember, this was back in the days when you hand-wrote checks to pay your bills and mailed them through the postal system), so I showed up, figuring I'd could buy some stamps from her party 'cuz I used 'em practically every day anyway!

Well, man-o-man was I ever in for a surprise! The party didn't turn out to be about POSTAGE stamps, it was about ART stamps! Decorative stamps, which, when combined with beautiful colors of ink, could turn plain white cardstock into an absolute work of art! 

Back in those days the only person at such an event who ever touched the goodies was the demonstrator, so I never laid a finger on a stamp that night. But I left that party already knowing I was a rubber stamper. I was totally over the moon – without ever even having touched a stamp or ink pad. In fact, I was SO excited I confess to having immediately hunted down a "stamp" store in town so I could get my first "fix" before my Stampin' Up! order even arrived!

But 4 months later, I was a demonstrator. Getting a discount on everything I purchased through Stampin' Up!, so my retail stamp store infatuation faded real quick.

My plan was to purchase a personal party's worth of stamps each month for 6 months. (Back then a "qualifying party" to earn you free host product, was $100.) So I would purchase $100 worth of product (at discount) AND get free host goodies every month – for those 6 months – and then quit. Surely $600-worth of supplies would provide all the stampin' supplies I'd ever need in a lifetime, right? 

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to my quitting date. I made the "mistake" of attending a Stampin' Up! Convention, and absolutely fell head over heels in love with the COMPANY! So instead of coming home and quitting, I came home and planned an open house. And the next 2+ decades of my life took an amazing, but unpredicted, turn.

Fast forward more than 22 years, and Stampin' Up! has touched the lives of almost everyone I know these days, in one form or another. I've moved to new states twice (which means I've "started" my business 3 times). And life has changed, too. When I first started out, my son (then about 12 years old) went with me to every party. He was my right-hand man, carried and set up my gear, spoke of the world's colors in Stampin' Up! lingo, knew the names of all the products, sorted and bagged orders for me, and even eventually learned how to submit orders for me. But eventually, he grew up. A busy high school schedule, college, then marriage, and now 3 kids. And most recently, my life has included several years of caring for aging parents, which has significantly impacted the time I've had available to attend to my stampin' business. So now I'm rebooting it yet AGAIN, lol.

Along the way, our forms of "demonstration" have evolved, too. I still do hands-on classes, which I love, and David still helps me set up for booth events when he can, but much of my daily work is now done over the internet. I have a team of demonstrators who live in several different states, so when we "meet", it's online. Who'd have envisioned THAT back in 1996?!?!

But here we are…. still creating art with stamps and ink, and still looking forward to the future. Do I dare wonder what even 10 years from NOW might look like?

Birthday Sale - 1

So! Birthdays call for celebrations, don't they?!? And for Stampin' Up!'s 30th birthday, what would make more sense than a SALE on stamps?!? So that's exactly what they're doing – for 24 hours only – Tuesday, October 23rd. (Note, those are MOUNTAIN TIME hours!) So check your wishlists and help yourself – at store.YourPaperDreams.com 

Birthday Sale - 2

Join us for our 5th Annual World Card-Making Day Virtual Retreat!

Virtual Retreat - Social Media

#WCMDVirtualRetreat2018

So I'm kinda betting that if you haven't attended one of our previous Paper Dreamers Virtual Retreats you may likely be wondering "just what in the world is THAT?!?" And it would be entirely fair for you to wonder.

So here's what it's about, in the shortest nutshell I can compose…

What: Our 5th annual online event (presented entirely in a closed Facebook group) – focused on fun and friendships, as we each make greeting cards using any crafty products we wish. Several optional challenges may be presented along the way, and there may or may not be rumors of prizes, too. 😉 Each participant will be invited to self-report the numbers of cards he/she completed during the event so that we can tally all the cards made and see if we can beat our previous 48-hour group record. (Which, btw, currently stands at 481 cards – a record set 2 years ago.)

Why & Where: The first Saturday of every October is World Card-Making Day…. a day that crafters, and especially rubber stampers, enjoy commemorating by making cards, of course. Some people like to gather in small groups to work together (which is awesome!), but others of us gather online ("virtually") – and craft in our own homes.

When: 48 hours beginning Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 @ 4 pm (Pacific time) – and running thru Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018 @ 4 pm (Pacific time)

Who: Anyone on my Paper Dreamers (Stampin' Up!) Demonstrator Team, AND their families, friends, teams and customers are invited to participate! (If you think about it for a moment, that has the potential to be a LOT of people, actually!)

Cost: Zip, zilch, nada, nothing!

So, if you can be included in the definition of "Who" in the section just above (and if you already know me, you certainly qualify!), I encourage you to join us! Even if you'll just be "auditing" for your first year. (We like that term better than "lurking", lol.) But however you prefer to participate, it does require joining the Facebook group, where the 48-hour event will take place.

So go ahead and get signed up for that group right now at http://bit.ly/WCMDVirtualRetreat2018 , be sure to read the FAQ's and other info that is already posted (you may have to click the "discussion" tab to view those posts), watch for more info that will appear over the next couple of days……. and plan to join us if you possibly can at LAUNCH TIME this Friday…… 4:00 pm Pacific Time (7:00 pm Eastern)! 

CM10040B

NOW, before I sign off, what would World Card-Making Day be without a bit of a product sale from Stampin' Up!, as well? So yeah, we've gotcha covered there, too. 10% off a couple dozen items in the online store…. available (while supplies at this price last, of course) through October 7th. Check 'em all out here, and see if any of your wishlist goodies might be included!

Color Your Season – Part 5

20180817_151805

Only 3 days left for availability of this exclusive, limited-edition stamp set, dies and watercolor pencils collection, and I've still got 2 samples to show. Yikes! I've had the samples ready for a long time, but have been particularly tied up with personal life stuff this past couple of weeks. But I'd better get on the ball to meet my goal of showing 6 cards while these products are still available, huh?

This one features 2 of the 3 dies that have those lovely stitching marks around not only the inner edge of the die (as shown in this example), but they're also on the negative part of the die (so they'd show up along the edge of a window or frame, for instance). Honestly, I think these particular 3 dies are SO versatile and beautiful they're worth the price of the entire die set!

For these flowers, I pulled out my Stampin' Blends and had some fun. Now, I'm admittedly not the most skilled "stampin' blender" around (lots of practice still needed here), but I do enjoy using them. And I particularly love how easily and quickly you can apply color with them. You'll also notice I did a bit of "cut and paste" with the flowers, too. Meaning, I stamped, colored and then "fussy" cut and rearranged flowers and leaves to my liking. I like how splitting the 3 flowers into 2 groupings provides a nice balance to this layout.

To add a touch of additional visual interest I added some splatter to the background of the card base using an aquapainter dipped in ink. (But if you have a really keen eye you'll notice a wayward spatter just above the words. Oops! Apparently, I didn't have those extra pieces set quite far enough away from the splatter action, lol!)

If you don't have this amazing set of stamps, dies and/or watercolor pencils yet, you'll have to hurry, but there are still 2-1/2 days left to grab yours! Jump on over to my online store to check 'em out, and choose 1, 2 or all 3 elements!

"BONUS DAYS" reminder!
 
With every $50 product order you place in August,
you'll get a coupon for $5 off your September order. No limit!
So if your product total is getting close to $50, $100, or $150, etc., then you might want to bump it up.
Also, don't forget that orders of $150 or more (that aren't part of a hosted event) always qualify for Stampin' Rewards, too…
meaning at least $15 in additional free products in your box!

 

Color your Season – Part 2

My challenge (to myself) continues, as I attempt to create and post 6 card samples made with the "Color your Season" limited-edition products available only during this month of August, and only while supplies last.  (Which, I suppose, defines them as "collectible", right?) 😉

 

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Sample #2 is another layout option from my July class. It's stamped with Stazon Jet Black, then colored in with Watercolor Pencils (a mixture of the original set of pencils shown in the Annual Catalog + the additional set available this month), plus Blender Pens. And then fussy-cut.

BTW, I posted some fussy-cutting success tips in our "Paper Dreaming with Lynda" Facebook group this morning. If you're a member, or qualify to be a member, of that FB group (current customer or team member, regular class attendee, or long-time close stampin' friend), be sure to check over there for those tips!

And keep your eyes peeled for Sample #3!

Bonus Days Reminder

Blended Seasons – Limited Time Availability

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Don't you just love stamp sets with seasonal longevity? And what if such a set also had a matching die set that included a beautiful, unique element that Stampin' Up! has never offered before? And what if you could add 10 new, fresh colors to your watercolor pencils collection? 

Well, that's exactly what August's special limited-edition offer includes!

Introducing the "Color Your Season" collection…… available only during August 2018, and only while supplies last!

 

2

 There are 3 elements to this offering (an exclusive 2-volume stamp set, an exclusive die set, and a set of watercolor pencils in 10 fresh colors). You may choose to get 1, 2 or all 3. The best way to see everything that you can get, and all the details you'll need, is by downloading this 2-page flyer.

Now, you won't want to wait very long to order these because the stamps and dies will only be available during this month of August, and ONLY while supplies last! (And if you've been around Stampin' Up! for very long you KNOW what those 3 little words "while supplies last" can mean, don't you?!?)

While the watercolor pencils make a lovely addition to your 12 stamps and 10 dies, they will eventually appear in a future catalog and you can get them at that time if you MUST wait. (But why not get them now, while you can take advantage of August "Bonus Days", and use them with these stamps and others you may already own?!?)

Oh! And might you be wondering if you can get a discount if you order BOTH the stamps and the dies as a bundle? But, of course you can!  🙂

20180803_180001

In the meantime, I'll leave you with my very first Christmas card of 2018……  one of the cards from my July card class. It features a couple of each of the 3 products from this collection: stamps, dies, and watercolor pencils.  And did you notice that all 3 of the frame dies have stitching on both inner and outer edges?!? Be still my heart! Even if you used only just *those* frame dies, you'd still get lots and lots of use out of them when combined with other dies and stamps you may already own!

Remember that the earlier in the month you grab your "Color Your Season" products, the more likely you'll be to GET them before they're sold out. Be careful to not wait too long and risk disappointment.

  "BONUS DAYS" reminder!

With every $50 product order you place in August,
you'll get a coupon for $5 off your September order. No limit!
So if your product total is getting close to $50, $100, or $150, etc., then you might want to bump it up.
Also, don't forget that orders of $150 or more (that aren't part of a hosted event) always qualify for Stampin' Rewards, too…
meaning at least $15 in additional free products in your box!

Bonus Days are Back!


Bonus Days Aug 2018
Stampin' Up!'s popular "Bonus Days" promotion will run again from August through September this year, and here's the scoop:

For every $50 product order you place with me during August, you'll receive a $5 coupon (emailed directly to you from Stampin' Up!) to apply towards your September order. To qualify, each $50 in product must be placed on the same order (that is, it's not cumulative and therefore cannot be spread out over multiple smaller orders such as $25 + $15 + $10). But each $50 segment placed on a single order WILL qualify for a coupon. So a $100 product order qualifies for two $5 coupons, and a $150 product order qualifies for 3 coupons, etc. (And of course don't forget that an order of $150 also qualifies for Stampin' Rewards of at least $15 in free product!)

So place your order here, and then be on the lookout for your coupon(s) to arrive in your email shortly after you place your qualifying order. You might have to search around a bit for it, because it might deliver into your promotions box, or sp*m or some other folder/box, depending on your email server and how your settings are configured. But this email will contain a unique code, so be sure to save it in a safe place to use when you place your order NEXT month!

2-1/2 days of savings left in Online Extravaganza!

Online Extravaganza is getting closer to winding down, but it's not yet running out of steam! In fact, there's even something brand-new for Monday, so keep reading!

But in the meantime, here are the items still available at various discounts – through Sunday, Nov. 26

40% off 

20 – 30% off 

 

Online Extravaganza 2017

Store.YourPaperDreams.com
It's that exciting time of year again! Stamps and accessories galore – at savings ranging from 10% up to 50%….. to stuff your pre-Christmas stocking with loads of stampin' fun! 

This year, Online Extravaganza consists of 3 parts, and a little bit different from what you may recall of years past. So please take a moment to check out all 3 elements so you don't miss any of them!

Part 1:

The Extravaganza launches on Monday, Nov. 20th (that's tomorrow…. or actually TONIGHT, even), with a 24-hour stamp sale. Select stamps available at 20%-off, beginning at midnight tonight (Mountain Time), and running until Midnight Monday night (Mountain Time). Check my online store to see what's included. But be careful not to miss out; these stamps are only available at this 20% discount on MONDAY!

Part 2:

Select OTHER products will also be available at discounts ranging from 10% – 50% from Monday, Nov. 20th thru Sunday, Nov. 26th, too. But several of these items will be available only while supplies last, so I recommend shopping early for best selection. Again, you can visit my online store to see what's included.

Part 3:

Online Extravaganza 2017 wraps up on Monday, Nov. 27th with a Flash Sale, but at this time details are still being kept a surprise! Even we demonstrators don't know what to look forward to, so I guess I'll just say "STAY TUNED!"

And thank you for using a Host Code when you order online:

Also, unless your order totals $150 or more in products, I do appreciate when you apply my current host/ordering code to your order. The current code changes from time to time, but is always available here at my website. (See the "Current Host Code" link at the top of every page.) If you are unfamiliar with what this code is about, you'll find an in-depth explanation at the "Current Host Code" link. I believe that as you view your cart (but before you move on to the check-out process), you'll see an opportunity to enter a Host Code. Unless I've broadcast a different one for some reason (which would be VERY rare), please apply the one that you'll find at my website (which is where you probably are right now……… at www.YourPaperDreams.com). Hugs & thanks!