by Susan Itell | Apr 24, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Good Morning! We had a FABULOUS WEATHER WEEKEND on the East Coast over the weekend and we were deep into the fun and chores that Spring brings to us! If you can…please read to the end as I have a super sweet story for you!
I did not go into my Craft Room to do the COUNT…..until yesterday and I am a bit embarrassed to say the amount of stamps that are on my shelf that are retiring…..as I shared on Friday…I had several downline text me what their numbers were…and I was wondering what mine will be?
It’s kinda like that feeling when you need to get weighed at the Doctors Office….that REALITY of that number, yikes…that is just the worse but here you go…..the number is 46. YEP, I had 46 stamps and/or bundles that are being retired. Now before you fall off your chair (that’s what I kinda did) remember that there are stamps that have been around for years that are leaving the catalog.
This happens…and we all know it and just seem to deal with it. What will I do with them? WELL….I will pull out the ones that talk to my heart and make me smile….and the others, will find new homes. When I sell my retired stamps I know that they are going to GREAT homes and will still get the love that they deserve!
We have a winner – winners…as 3 of you guessed 47 and I just couldn’t pick one of you as this is just silly that I have this amount so guess what….you all get to pick a stamp from the stash that is retiring! Please email me and I will be back in touch! I will not be able to send them to you until after June 1st!
Many thanks for the comments and emails. By now…you know me….I am very upfront and honest about my love for paper crafting and I also love to share my tips and have fun on my blog with Blog Candy!
Willy Wonka was one of my FAVORITE movies and Candy Lane was one of my FAVORITE games when I was a grass-hopper…. I just like being the candy man as I know it makes you smile!
Now here is to a sweet story. You know that my dad has been having health issues over the past several months. Because his doctors are mainly where I live, he has had to stay in the area. Probably 20 years ago, my parents decided to purchase a home here so in case they needed care….they would be close to me. (I am the youngest of 4 and my siblings do not live near)
Well…that time is here and trust me, he would much rather be at his home on the water…but in due time. If you think I am active…he is like me at 87 so you know that I get it honestly. He is hard to keep down as he wants to go but his heart is telling him he needs to slow down!
I have been trying to do something with him about every other day to get him out of his house and give his care-takers a break so on Saturday I asked him if he wanted to go with me to get hay for the horses and to the nursery for flowers. Naturally he said YEP….I would love it so on Saturday we made the trek!
John said to me, how is your Dad going to get up in the truck? I said….let’s put the mounting block in the trailer (this is a big 2 step block that I use when I get on a horse to mount them) and in it went and off I went! I pulled into his retirement development with my truck and trailer….he was waiting for me outside and I popped out….pulled out the block and up he went!
We went for breakfast in a charming little town….then up to the “Hay Man” and they put 100 bales of hay in my trailer….then off to the nursery and I put the items in the trailer and then back home we came! He had SOOOOOO much fun! If anyone was on I-81 and saw a white truck and trailer rollin’ down the road….you would have seen a beaming father/daughter team!
I have bought hay from the same family for about 15 years and even though it is over an hour away…it is a destination of happiness for me as this family is a special family that are super hard workers! T
hey had baby goats….cows….and Dad was just thrilled to be out and see beautiful sights and talk with special people! Farming is a super hard job and a job that many of us do not understand the amount of labor. Next we rolled down the road to a nursery and as I pulled in he said…these people look like they have never seen a horse trailer before…we both laughed!
To wrap it up….we had a GREAT WEEKEND…John’s Birthday was super….my Dad had a great time and my joy tank is filled! What am I doing today……GOING TO THE MOVIES WITH DAD!
He calls me every morning when he wakes up…. and as it is to rain today I said – wanna go to the movies? He quickly said YES – I bet I haven’t been to the movies in 5 years!
So….the moral of the story is – there are times that we need to adjust life as simple adjustments bring lasting joy!
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by Susan Itell | Apr 20, 2018 | Blog Candy, Uncategorized |
Hello and Happy Friday!
I wanted to pop on and share with you
some of the things
that I am going to miss…..
maybe a bit surprised with….
and also share with you what has already sold out thus far…
and…..how about some BLOG CANDY!
You might have been wondering….what the heck has Susan been up to?
Well…I did a big project for my team that went in the mail to them today…I will share that with you next Wednesday….as I want them to receive “Happy Mail” and be surprised and the big reason…TAX SEASON is over (whew….this was a rough one for John this year) and he has taken some well deserved time off and we have just been enjoying the slower pace!
You see….I am like you….I love to craft and I get surprised just as you do when the retired list comes out. I have YET to pull off the shelf the stamps that are being retired but hopefully I will do so over the weekend. The other day, several of my team friends were texting with how many stamps they had….and I thought – wonder how many do I have?
SO….how about some BLOG CANDY?
Leave me a comment with a guess of how many stamp sets I have that are retiring from the Annual Catalog! This will be fun and I guess a bit scary at the same time..but reality is…we have some newbies around the corner!
I heard their numbers and it will be interesting to see if I am in the same ballpark! If there are multiple that guess the correct number, I will use random.org. WHAT IS THE CANDY?...The winner will get 1st pick of a stamp or bundle of her choice from the ones that are retiring that I will be selling starting June 1st.
Once I pull the ones that are leaving off the shelf…I can go through and spot the ones that will NEVER leave Randall Lane…and then the rest…I will add to the Vault of retired goodies and sell them to a loving crafter that will give them a very good home!
Now to some scoop…I talked with Demonstrator Support as in the past they always updated the list and then we could easily send it to YOU via our blogs. I was told that this year they will not be doing it in that fashion so I will do my best to update it for you to see. Below you will see as of this morning what has been sold out.
As a Demonstrator, I also can see that there are many…..many items that are already on the low inventory and then you know what that means….
THEY WILL HAVE WALKED OFF THAT PLANK and BE GONE FOREVER!
I wish that I would be able to take a screen shot for you the items that are on the “low status” but it is not in a convenient format like you see below! I guess that you can say the moral of the story is…not to wait of there is something that you really have wanted and/or something that you enjoy using and it is leaving the Stampin’ Up! line.
This time of the year is very bittersweet for all of us as it saddens us to see some favorites leave but at the same time we get super excited with what will be blooming in the New Catalog! Trust me, “I get it” as I feel the exact same way.
One thing that I truly hope that you embrace is… just because it is retiring….it doesn’t mean that it needs to leave your craft room and also that you should not like it because Stampin’ Up! has put it on a retired list. Please do not look at in this way. I am sure that it is super hard for Stampin’ Up! to figure what stays….what goes!
These are the things that I am surprised about and yep, I love them….no particular order…just flippin’ through and looking at the BIG X’s over them! I am sure that there are many that I have missed…at the end of the post you will find all of the links to them in the product lineup!
- Fast Fuse – that
is WAS the BEST and STRONGEST adhesive we have had in a convenient format. (application) I think that many had a hard time using it…and found it to be more of a pain that a pleasure! I am sad and I was hoping that SU was coming out with an alternative for that…but nope! Personally I am not a snail lover but I know many of you love it….the Fast Fuse and refills are already sold out. - The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig – (page 217)YEP….I am really surprised on this one as I think that it is a tool that EVERY CRAFTER needs. (pg. 217) You know how I feel about tools…..TOOLS ARE WHAT MAKE THE PROCESS OF CREATING FUN and REWARDING! True, we all know that the Stamparatus is a dream addition (LOVE IT) but there IS a time and place for the Stamp-a-ma-jig…..
- Bakers Twine – (page 199)You all know how I feel about Bakers Twine (page 199)…I LOVE IT as it is not only super easy to use…it is a product that is so inexpensive and delivers a great end result! I would not worry one bit if the Bakers Twines that are being retired are a retiring InColor….this simple twine always seems to be a great mix-in with many colors!
- Basic Black Metallic Thread – (page 198) This pick might surprise you as honestly I do not use it a bunch…BUT….any of the threads come in handy for making a simple enhancement to a card. You know how we look at something and say…what could I add to give it some simple pizzazz? YEP, wrapping thread around your hand and then slapping it down….works every time!
- Lovely Words Framelits -(page 214) You also know how I feel about sentiment words…I adore them as they add a simple yet effective touch! I have used these framelits just for the sentiment words. A quick snip and presto!
- White Perfect Accents – (page 196) – Another simple accent that makes a statement to add a bit of bling and after all…white goes with anything!
- Petal Passion Memories and More Card Pack – (page 24 Occasions) I know that most of my customers are not Memories and More kinda people BUT…..the Card Packs are a very useful and oh so simple addition to enhance a stamp set! I know that the Petal Palette Bundle was SOOOOOO popular with the Occasions catalog and YIPPEE….it IS being carried over BUT NOT AS A BUNDLE. I hope by now you all have gotten in the swing that they are only at that bundled price for the longevity of that particular catalog. So if you do not have this bundle and have been eyeing it up…I would hop on it as face it, every bit of savings helps!
- Woven Ribbon In Colors (page 198) – I am not surprised that this ribbon is discontinued as they always seems to change up the ribbons with the new colors but I will say, this particular ribbon is beautiful to work with!
- Whisper White 1/4″ Organza Ribbon (page 23 Occasions) – Now this is one ribbon that I AM SURPRISED about – this is simply the best and YEP, I have stocked up on it as how much more classic is a simple white ribbon??? This is a dream to work with and it is my FREEBIE with orders of $75 this month. If you are remotely bow challenged…this IS your kinda ribbon!
Well….thoughts? What is your biggest surprise that is leaving? It is funny that we all see things differently as to what we will miss etc….Please do not forget to leave me a comment with how many stamps I personally have on my shelf from the ANNUAL CATALOG that is being retired! I admit, it is a bittersweet time when you see them come off the shelf!
Have a FABULOUS weekend….we sure plan to! Today is actually John’s Birthday so I guess that is a gift he gets each year after Tax Season! We are having a dinner together with James, Ashleigh and my Dad at the BEST RESTAURANT around us….15002 Randall Lane…..YEP, we are all foodies, we all love to cook and having a yummy dinner at home is always sure to please and as the saying goes….there is no place like home!
I am sure many of you join me with the sad news of this week, the passing of an AMAZING women, Barbara Bush. WOW…what a lady! I adore this picture….it is in the current issue of Town and Country Magazine…4 generation! She truly was an inspiration to us all and what a love story…married for 73 years!
I think that it is fair to say…Pearls are and will always be a classic and I will say Mrs. Bush wore them proudly! I adore the bill boards that have gone up over the country for this special lady!
SO much to be thankful for…have a super weekend and I will see you on Monday! Don’t forget to leave a guess on the stamps and I will announce the winner on Monday!
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by Susan Itell | Apr 17, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Good Morning!
I popped on this morning to give you a “head’s up” that Stampin’ Up! has added some goodies into the clearance rack!
Take a peek and grab some deals! When the clearance rack gives refilled….it goes quick and there are some things in there that I would take a peek at.
I always try to look at ribbons as they get used all year long with gifts/packages etc…..here is a head’s up – I see that the Mint Macaron Stripe Ribbon from years before is in there. Don’t forget – we are bringing back the Mint Macaron Color with the upcoming re-vamp of colors!
Here is another “smart shopper” pick….the Quilted Christmas 8 1/2 Cardstock Pack….this is a FAB-O price and all 3 of these colors will be in the Stampin’ Up! line so why not…..it is soooooo much cheaper than buying the colors individually!
Another one that caught my eye…the Watercolored Christmas Project Kit.…I adored this kit last year and trust me, you could cut down the fronts of these cards to utilize the fun paper if you did not want to use it in the traditional way….also – the gold liners…LOVE THEM – and for just $8.00 you can get a bunch of stuff to do up to 20 cards!!!! LOVE IT!
Take a peek….lots of fun stuff and to me, it looks heavy on the side of Christmas but that is a good thing as we can still remember how pretty our paper was from last season! That Quilted 6 X 6 DSP was a HUGE favorite of mine as the prints are super easy to use for envelopes and also to make holiday poppers and also perfect for wrapping hershey nuggets!
Have fun looking around….have a great day……..don’t forget to look at the PLANK WALKERS as well!
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by Susan Itell | Apr 10, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Good Morning! I am typing this as I am at the hospital again with my Dad. I was super proud of him that he reached out to say he wasn’t feeling well and he is where he needs to be right now. Fingers crossed, all is good but you all know the wait and see time at a hospital.
I had an amazing time in Hartford, CT with my Top Dog puppies! I think that the easiest way to put it is…we are blessed. We call ourselves the “Sisters of the Traveling Stamps” and it felt great to be with these ladies! We rented a house to make a stampin’ fun time and my car did not move from the time I pulled in on Thursday until it was time to come home on Sunday.
We never left once (well except to go to OnStage) as we bought all of our food (and darn was it yummy)… we brought all of our stampin’ stuff (WOW – we had a ton)… we just yacked…stamped…laughed…REPEAT!!!
The house we rented was super fun, HUGE and OLD…..a perfect retreat place as we took over the dining room….had stations set up all over and just had a fun time doing EVERYTHING and NOTHING…all at the same time! (this is my way of having fun….SIMPLE!)
There are so many things to share about On Stage and more importantly the exciting new changes that will be coming with the debut of the new catalog. I am sure you have all heard about the color revamp….and to me….this is the biggest exciting thing that was making my heart pitter patter!
I have already placed a preorder and I will go more into detail with the new colors later in the week if time allows. I truly am super excited and I think that Stampin’ Up! did a fantastic job with this revamp. Very exciting….and in a nutshell….FUN and FRESH are the colors!
When a new catalog comes out…we all know what happens….products become retired. Please remember that the retired list is while supplies last so make sure that you take a look at it! (I will update it as it is updated by Stampin’ Up!)
Here is a head’s up for you…..you might be confused when you see that ink pads in colors that you know will be current next year….Stampin’ Up! has made changes (in both the container design and also in the formula)….and they will be available when the new catalog comes out.
I will go into more detail about this in a future post but please take a deep breath and know that what you have is just fine! Again, I will share with you my thoughts about this later but I will say….the change is very positive and yes, I did notice a difference when I was able to stamp and play with them.
Ok….onto the lists! I have created some cute pirate images for you! Click away and I know what you might be thinking….what is that I am going to miss the most? Well…here is the answer as of now – I really do not know as I have not had time to mark up my catalog yet but I will say one thing that I know is the white organza ribbon that is currently my incentive special this month.
I just adore this ribbon as it makes the prettiest bows. I will stock up on that but once my Dad is settled, I will have time to look and YEP, I will report back to you!
Have a great day and one thing I will leave you with…..we all get the “lower lip blues” when a retired list comes out but I think that you will agree with me that when you see the new offerings, you will have a wonderful feeling of…..
YIPPEE-SKIPPEE…..I can’t wait to get them and play!
Hopefully I will be able to play with my pre-order tomorrow when it arrives…..always a fun time! Here is a tip for you when you look at the retiring list. If you can, I would print it off and then go by the page number to see what is leaving…..perhaps you will want to put an X over an image or simply write retiring beside the product name.
I know that it always looks like a ton and if you are anything like me, you flip through and do this search and rescue thing…and then end up frustrated! Take a deep breath and go through it page by page!
2nd tip…..remember, there are items that look from a glance to be retiring but perhaps they have been bundles and in the new catalog they will not reflect the bundled pricing, please read the guide and if you need me, email me!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 23, 2018 | Fun & Cute!, Uncategorized |
Good Morning! Well….before I inspire you with some video links for you to watch and be inspired with…we have a WINNER! You are just going to LOVE this fun and easy project….you know me, I love to share with you ideas and inspiration….
On Wednesday I had another challenge as to how I would choose up to $125 with of products from the supplies that I used on Wednesdays post to fill my picks for the Ultimate Bundle. I gave you the clue that the targeted amount that I was going for was $124.50. If you missed the post on Wednesday…..please click here as it is a super sweet card that ALWAYS gets rave reviews!
The winner is Dana M…..way to go and please email me so I can mail you the Fast Fuse. Here was Dana’s picks:
- Stampin’ Trimmer
- Layering Circle Framelits Dies
- 1/2″ Circle Punch
- Pansy Punch
- Whisper White Medium Envelopes
- Multipurpose Liquid Glue
- Tear & Tape Adhesive
- Stampin Dimensionals
- Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
- Simple Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
All of these items are link below at the end and when you add them up…..yep, $124.50! That is a perfect target amount to make the most of a $125 threshold. It truly is as easy as that…pick what YOU want and just pay $99 but remember, you can still pick ANY 2 stamp sets….and it all ships for FREE!
You can see from the list above that these are staples and tools that make the classics. I adore punches and Stampin’ Up! does a fantastic job with the quality of our punch offerings. They are a HUGE time saver and I encourage you to have a solid punch collection as it is a product that you will use over and over. When I started….I would add a punch on every order….and then in no time, you will have a great collection.
Punches are a product that I rarely get rid of if they become discontinued. If there is a specific punch that goes with a discontinued product than I might but in general if it is a shape I will keep it. I think we all love and covet our punches.
On Wednesday I shared that we were going to get Easter Inky today….and what I was going to do was show you the finished products that I made from doing the below videos…..BUT….I am KNEE DEEP in a project that is going to make you smile from ear to ear but I do not have the directions typed up yet…..
So…the moral of the story is – you are going to have to wait a wee bit but TRUST ME – it is worth the wait because you will just have the biggest smile…so fun…so cute yet very doable! In the meantime….ENJOY THESE VIDEOS as they are just amazing and these are the easiest project to do!
The videos are SUPER FUN techniques to use alcohol inks with plastic Easter Eggs….Tim Holtz is a fabulous teacher and trust me, you will be wowed with how easy they are to make. Sit Back, enjoy these short videos and then grab coupons to go to the store and get the supplies – you will have a ball!
TIP FOR THIS VIDEO – Remember to get the smaller plastic Easter Eggs…..I bought a bag at Hobby Lobby that had 24 for a whopping.60! The foil paper is also super inexpensive…..like $3.00 for 50 sheets. Last Friday Jeanie and I made these and they came together perfectly – the only thing that we giggled about was the fact that the end product looked like a super expensive chocolate from a candy store….and when our loved one open them up and see a Hersheys Chocolate….well….they will know that we love them!
TIP FOR THIS VIDEO: I had a hard time finding white eggs where I live but here is a heads up…Jeanie found them at 5 Below…..a store that I have yet to go in but that’s where they were! These make up an AMAZING EGG…they would be beautiful as a centerpiece on your table or you could fill them etc…..
If you have not played with Alcohol Inks….I say, grab a coupon and go to the store and get a few colors…..don’t go crazy and get a ton but grab colors that you like. They are a super fun product to work with and there are ENDLESS videos out there with different techniques!
I will see you soon…..(hopefully later today) and if not, I will be in your IN BOX in the morning! If you are out and about getting some of the supplies to make this super fun eggs…..go ahead and grab some Easter Candy as when you see my next post…..you will have wished that you got a PICK UP TRUCK LOAD of candy….that Easter Bunny…..he is a sweet guy!
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by Susan Itell | Mar 8, 2018 | Sale-A-Bration, Super Easy, Uncategorized |
Good Morning….oops….Good Afternoon!
(It happened again as I am with my Dad but he is doing great!)
I have a fun and colorful card of inspiration for you today….PLUS a chance to win BLOG CANDY!! You can tell by the colors that I am using that I am sooooo ready for Spring! I invite you to look at colors and just have FUN with combining them together.
One thing that I hope you can see right off the bat is that this card is all about the basics again! You know me…..that works for me and I never get tired of pointing that out to you, To be honest….I hadn’t put away the square framelits away from Tuesday as well as the Tutti-Fruit paper and I thought – challenge yourself to make something that is right in front of you!
When I say the basics….look at this….
- Whisper White Card Stock – yep….gotta have it in both Thick and Regular Weight.
- Trimmer – yep – need this too!…gotta have this for ease of making perfect cuts in all sizes and you can score as well!
- Big Shot – yep – of course!…true an investment….but one that you will buy once but use over and over! (I call mine “Mr. Big”)
- Square Framelits – yep-a basic!..another one time investment that you will use for your crafting lifetime!
- Sentiment Dies – yep again plus this is free, this is one thing that I am a HUGE LOVER of…..I just adore sentiment dies and my fingers are crossed that we keep coming out with more and more of them! The great thing about this one….you will get it FREE as it is a choice in the SAB Freebies!
- Sentiment Stamp Set – yep – I do love my sentiments!, when you are choosing stamps, go for the sentiments as you can always tuck a sentiment in here and there that are classic and timeless….just look at how many useful one are in this stamp set, Sunshine Wishes!
I am just a huge believer if you have the basics you can go from there and add as needed. I know that we all get super excited with buying more and more stamps….but I truly think that as you build your crafting collection you need to have the basic tools/supplies….and all of the ones that I listed above are ones that I would recommend as a must have!
Let’s have a little fun and how about some BLOG CANDY
What is the combination of basics that I have listed below that would get you to $124.50 (the maximum amount of product that you could get is $125) that you could choose as your “ultimate bundle” and just get it all for $99.00 (and it would ship for FREE)
On top of the savings…you would be able to pick any 2 stamp sets of your choice…YEP – ANY 2…and I always think it is super fun to hear what people pick….some go for the most $$$$$….some go for the newer ones….it’s completely your choice!
The 2 FREE STAMP OFFER is just good until March 31st……so each week until then….you will have 4 opportunities to guess what items from the list below (at the end of the post) would I pick that would add up to $124.50 for my starter kit is I was a newbie!
Each week until then I will be offering a different Blog Candy FREEBIE….this week it is the Tutti-Fruiti Notecard & Envelopes….and if we have multiple winners…I will honor it to the first 3 that guess it correctly! Have fun and see if we think the same! I will list the winner (s) on Saturdays post.
I think that you can see from this card that there are simple shapes (squares) and a sentiment. I stacked up several of the sentiment word and I do think that this adds a fun impact. Also adding dimensionals add depth and interest to this simple card.
I used some color inspiration from the Tutti-Fruiti 6X6 DSP….and I actually covered the entire front panel of an A-2 card and then I used the extra scrap to give the envelope some love.
There are 2 other additions that I used that are not Stampin’ Up! Products but ones that I consider great ones to have on hand….(actually I always have 2 white pens as I would be lost without it) and these fun and sassy blings….from Honey Bee.
I hope that this super clean card will inspire you to think about using minimal products…..lots of FUN color…..to create a card that would make anyone feel super special! This is truly a less is best example and one that would be easy to make up in the masses.
I hope that you have fun playing the “puzzle/challenge” to see in the below product line up….what I would pick to add up to $124.50! I will give you a hint…..the Big Shot is not one of the items item… ha-ha, well at least not this time 🙂 ……
If you wish, leave your guess in the comments and up to 3 will win the Tutti Fruiti Notecards & Envelopes! Have a great afternoon and remember, there is absolutely nothing wrong with be being simple in your style – I think that this is one sharp and fun card!
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