Good Morning and Happy Last Saturday of the year! WOW…that sounds super scary but yep…it is true!

I hope you all have been having a wonderful Holiday Season sharing love and laughter with family & friends!

Before we get going…I want to thank you for the well wishes for my dear Dad…he “sprung”  from the hospital yesterday and is soooooo happy to be in his own home and is doing GREAT!

It’s funny how your body reacts to things….my “internal clock” woke me up to say…..“It’s time to get crafty!!!” and I admit, it felt great knowing that I was going to be able to have a “jammies day” as I am not going anywhere!!! Driving back and forth takes a toll on you…and truth be told – I wanted to get this STAMPARATUS inked up!

WARNING….this is a LONG post

(but I do hope that you will read it as my hopes are you to learn more facts about the STAMPARATUS!)

I have a super sweet…super easy….super duplicatable card for you today! As I shared, I woke up before the chickens and wanted to have some good old fashion “me time” and make some thank you’s but really, REALLY wanted to play with the new kid on the block so I can give you some feedback.

(click on the image to see it in use)

Here you go….let’s open the book of “Confessions of an Honest Stamper”….remember- this is the book of ME that I share with you as I always want to be upfront and honest with feedback of products that I use….and that is both Stampin’ Up! products and also others that are not Stampin’ Up!…here you go…

I firmly believe that a Stamp Positioner is a necessity for a card maker. There are all types of stamp positoners…let’s start with the Stamp-a-ma-jig….I can hear MANY OF YOUR SIGHS…..but YEP, I do love it but I agree that there is a learning curve but it is like learning to ride a bike…once you “get it…you get it”….and I DO think that there is always a need/purpose for this handy and inexpensive positioner.

Moving to the “nuts & bolts”…..many of you have heard of and possibly have a MISTI…it made its debut in 2014 ( I think?) and brought a whole new element to stamping in being able to mass produce….to have stamps stamp not only a super clean and crisp image, but also to be in perfect placement.

I do have a MISTI and also a Mini one and YEP, I have learned to use it…and I have used it hard. There was a learning curve but I ask you….Don’t you think there is a learning curve in just about everything we learn to do?

I admit, at first I did not like it because I did not take the time to embrace learning the “how to”…and I thought – well now that I bought this….I will be an expert card maker…(doesn’t work that way)

Earlier this year, Tim Holtz came out with a Stamp Postioner….and YEP, I bought it and I too have used this hard. I have known that Stampin’ Up! was developing a Stamp positioning tool but I also knew that I needed to try, play, get familiar with….other products so I could give a fair and honest feedback on what Stampin’ Up! was going to come out with.

We all know that it is hard to develop something that already is an amazing concept and I truly think that this is one of the reasons that it has taken Stampin’ Up! soooooo long to develop the STAMPARATUS….but they have and it is AMAZING!

I do want you to know that just because Stampin’ Up! comes out with a product…doesn’t mean that I need to use it or blog about it…I use and promote what I like….and what works for my stamping needs!

I learned to use the MISTI and then earlier this year when the Tim Holtz one came out….I learned to LOVE the Tim Holtz one….and I think that I found this one to be easier of a curve than the MISTI but again, I am just giving you feedback from my personal experience.

I also at first glance thought that the STAMPARATUS was basically the same as the Tim Holtz one but with 2 plates….I WAS WRONG!

Once the final prototype of the STAMPARATUS was developed I admit, I was getting a bit “perkier” about the design and how the whole “double hinged reversible plates” was going to work. Well – let me tell you….I have been up since 4:30 a.m. and I am like a kid in a candy store. This product is a keeper of all keepers!

Not only is the design of it brilliant…but the sheer ease of use is a big winner in my eyes. I am all about being able to “get the job done” with ease and precision.

For this card I used both a clear mount stamp (red rubber) and also a photopolymer stamp as I wanted to have the “feel” of both types of stamps on the plates. I even took it a step further to mount a third stamp so I could get the feel of how it felt to take the plate off and rotate it to the other side…and YEP, it worked perfect.

To me, this is a wonderful concept…when using Photopolymer keep the black foam in the STAMPARATUS and when using red rubber…take it out! This is just amazing that you can use all sides of the plates for different stamps!

I am just in amazement that the STAMPARATUS does the job so effectively yet with ease.

I know that there are many blogs and videos out there from Demos that have already received their STAMPARATUS but I invite you to watch these short videos from Linda Heller as she perfectly showcased this product! Linda calls it her Stamparatus 101 Series.

I know that there are (6 videos) but trust me….they are each super short and Linda does a fantastic job in describing all of the in’s and out’s. Linda demonstrated this tool during the Stampin’ Up! OnStage Event so she has had it for months and is sharing her knowledge and tips!

I know without a doubt that you will find these videos a HUGE help to you shine the light on this amazing product.

• 4 Step Stamping with the STAMPARATUS – click here
• Die Cut Stamping with the STAMPARATUS – click here
• Perfectly Stamped Sentiments with the STAMPARATUS – click here
• Alignment Tips and Tricks with the STAMPARATUS – click here
• Hinge Stamping with the STAMPARATUS – click here
• Inking, Cleaning and Storage with the STAMPARATUS – click here

Well…I was right!!! Isn’t Linda just the best in explaining all if the aspects of the STAMPARATUS. For those of you that are not familiar with Linda….she also has an amazing online school called Stamping School where she does videos every week! Take a moment and check it out!

Whew….I am sorry that this is such a LONG POST but I felt the need to really let you know my thoughts about this new product. This will be a game-changer for Stampin’ Up! and they have really thought this through and have really made it the best.

Today IS the last day for you to “make a reservation” for your STAMPARATUS until the New Catalog comes out in June of 2018. Here is what I would do…

I would HIT THAT PAW PRINT BELOW and reserve yours. Please remember, this will NOT be offered again until the new annual catalog comes out in June. I ask you….why in the heck would you want to wait that long when you know that this will not only make your stamping cleaner and more precise…but it will be a time saver as well.

(scroll down a wee bit and to the right –  then click the STAMPARATUS image to get going)

Here me out here…have you ever made a reservation at a restaurant or a hotel and then had to cancel it? Well…my guess your answer is YEP….well….this is how it will work with the STAMPARATUS as well.

Beginning March 19, Stampin’ Up! will ship the Stamparatus in the order the reservations were received (first in, first out) and continue through the next few months and beyond as product arrives in the warehouse.

When your “reservation window” is available (remember..first in, first out) you will have the opportunity to cancel the order (which I am sure you will NOT do) and also be able to add other products onto your order….so you can see….there is plenty of time for you to continue to learn about this product and then IF for some reason you change your mind….no worries, just cancel your reservation!

As I continue to play and learn all about this product, I will continue to share my thoughts, learning curves, tips & tricks with you. As always, it is my goal to give you honest feedback.

Please make sure that when you secure your reservation that you leave current info (shipping, cc# etc…) You will NOT be charged until you confirm and close your reservation when notified. This is a new ordering system for Stampin’ Up! and they are trying to minimize backorders.

WHEW AGAIN….this was a bunch to put into words but I do hope that you have found this helpful. You can see, you have nothing to lose in making a reservation. Remember, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY until JUNE 2018.

As always, please feel free to email me if you have any questions…I know that this is a bunch to take in and I know that many of you have been on the fence because of having other stamp positioners. I admit, I am thrilled with the design mainly because I can use the “set up” for an entire card if I am using multiple stamps like I did for this card. Being able to use up to 4 stamps with one tool….WOOT-WOOT – I’m doing a happy dance!

I am sure that I might get some questions as to where the other stamps came from? Well…I am sure that you and are are the same in the way that we do not buy all of our groceries at the same store or wear just one brand of clothes….well I am also the same with my stamping.

When I see something that I think is useful for my needs, it’s simple….I just get it and use it. The other stamps that I used were here and here….you know me, I adore sentiments (and especially simple and useful ones) and I adore my envelopes!

Also….my Occasions Catalog Product Share is now open. If you want to get in the first wave of the share please email me your share requests and I take care of you! I have also added a Share Drop-down box on my blog header to make it easy to find!

I will NOT be sending Pay Pal Invoices out until January 3rd as per Stampin’ Up! policies so when you see your invoice, please take care of it to finalize your share. Product Shares ARE the best way to take advantage of the goodies!

Have a fabulous day…it feels great to be at home and also to know that I am not going anywhere! There is nothing better than a jammie day!