You are invited to join my Stamping With Karen Mailing List so you will keep up with any news or special offers from Stampin’ Up! in a weekly email, get ideas for cards and projects, learn new techniques and stamping tips, and…..coming sooner than you can imagine……receive my annual “12 Weeks of Christmas” emails with a new holiday project each week leading up to Christmas!
Every Tuesday Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators get updates from Stampin’ Up! about any news or special offers and then I pass anything of interest on to my customers and email subscribers in my weekly email. I feel like this is a personal note to each subscriber to keep in touch and hopefully help you with your stamping and papercrafting.
In October I will begin sending out my annual 12 Weeks of Christmas emails each week with one exclusive holiday project so you can get ideas for cards, gifts, and then bags, tags, and wraps as we get close to the holiday. It’s really fun and people seem to enjoy getting these bonus emails, available only to my email subscribers.
Don’t miss another week! Join my Stamping With Karen Mailing List TODAY plus get a FREE GIFT, creative ideas for gift wrapping to save you a last-minute trip to the store! Click the link below OR find the red sign-up box on the top right side of my blog!
Stampin’ Up! has been busy updating our Demonstrator websites, where you do your ordering, and making them more secure, for one thing.
But in some cases, you may have received some kind of security alert instead of going to the website. To ensure you have the best experience, the next time you visit my site, please make sure not to include “www.” at the front of the URL. Or you can simply click the following link and save it as a favorite so you don’t have to think about it: karenfontinelle.stampinup.net
If you forget and do include “www.” at the front, it’s possible you will see an error telling you the site may not be secure. That’s not true; in fact, it’s more secure than it was before the update! That “www.” is the problem.
Hope you check it out soon! (Just don’t type “www.”)
Sales Tax Holidays are coming in at least a few states and some are in July! These sales tax holidays are to help with buying back to school supplies and clothes. Depending on the sales tax in your state it might not be very much, but if you buy a lot it can add up. At a minimum, it saves you a little bit of money. Of course it is not just back-to-school parents and students that get to use this Sales Tax Holiday! Anyone can as long as you buy eligible items.
I suppose since some of the Stampin’ Up! products can be used for school supplies (and how many times have we moms had to share our craft or stamping supplies with family members for school, Scout or other projects?!). Even if you don’t have a child going back to school, if you order during your state’s tax holiday you can take advantage of this savings.
Just some examples of Stampin’ Up! products that “may” qualify (depends on your state) are adhesives, markers, Stampin’ Blends (yea!), In Color Markers, Grid Paper, the new Pressed Petals Journal, Paper Snips, Watercolor Pencils, and more. Zoom in and look over that chart!
To read this Sales Tax Holiday chart, click HERE and even then you may have to zoom in on your computer screen to be able to read it. You will have to check the dates and items for your own state. Note that Alabama starts July 19-21 and Tennesee and Wisconsin are later in July. Several begin almost right away in August. Just sayin’….be ready! You can plan ahead if you are going to order.
However, remember the Bonus Days in July where you get a $5 coupon to spend in August with every $50 purchase of merchandise. Those early July states can double-dip!
I’m still thinking that school just got out for the summer (because once your kids are grown, except for school crossings when you are driving, your life doesn’t revolve around school schedules anymore) but I have already seen Back-to-School supplies out in the store! And even crazier, someone on Instagram said Halloween items are going out in craft stores already!
So it is coming up on Back -to-School time and you may be able to save a little bit of money during the Sales Tax Holidays on “your” school supplies for stamping!
What in the world is this blue thing, you might ask? It’s the new 3D Embossing Folder Plate! Well, what is that??
Because of the surprise change of Stampin’ Up! not carrying the Big Shot die-cutting machine anymore, they have also switched suppliers of dies and embossing folders. The new 3D embossing folders in the new catalog give that deep impression, even without spritzing with water, that our previous 3D Dynamic Embossing Folders did. However, with this new supplier, the folders are slightly thinner than the previous folders and therefore, you may have difficulty using them in your die-cutting machine.
You will probably have to experiment with your machine and see what works best. Do NOT FORCE anything through your machine. Maybe you need a tiny bit of extra pressure to get something to go, but if it doesn’t go, just stop! Try a different sandwich. Stampers are trying different sandwiches, maybe even with their original Big Shot platform with the tabs or with one of the mats or things we have been able to buy in the past.
Yesterday I made a sandwich with the Big Shot Platform, then the thin squishy mat. It’s the silicone mat and when it runs through the machine it squishes out at the end a little bit. Next, I placed my paper inside my Scripty 3D Embossing Folder and put a cutting pad on top of that (only one cutting pad in the whole sandwich). That worked fine! There may be other combinations but I haven’t had enough time to experiment. Some people are using the cardboard from Paper Pumpkin kits or maybe a piece or two of the cardboard in the designer paper packages would work.
OR if you don’t want to fool with all of that, this is what this blue 3D Embossing Folder Plate is for! Use this with the new folders and it should work fine. As another Demonstrator said, “It’s only $10 and it works.” I don’t own it yet so I can’t vouch for it yet.
The sandwich would be (on the bottom) the platform that comes with your machine, the embossing folder with cardstock inside, then the 3D Embossing Folder Plate. Stampin’ Up! says depending on your machine you may still need a shim ( thin piece or two of cardboard works).
Stampin’ Up! is still working on a new die-cutting machine for us, but there is no time frame that has been announced. I don’t know if we will use this blue plate in a new machine or not.
As you start receiving the new embossing folders, just keep these things in mind, that you will have to try and see what works best with your machine. But be careful, don’t force anything and break your machine. If you have it right, it will work and you don’t have to use brutal strength to get it to go!
You will find the new 3D Embossing Folder Plate in the Die-Cutting and Embossing Category of the Online Store and then under Embossing. Let me know if you have questions.
If this isn’t a stack of “Happy Mail”, I don’t know what is! All these lucky customers will be getting their new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogs in the mail soon! I just took these to the post office and have more to send out now that I have more mailing envelopes!
There are some great new Suites of products in this catalog. I daresay Stampin’ Up! has outdone themselves this year with some of these! (Or do I say that every year?) What is more exciting than a Stampin’ Up! Catalog?!
If you are interested in Stampin’ Up! products and do not have a Demonstrator you are working with, please email me at Karen@Karenstamps.com if you would like a catalog. Send me your contact information so I can get a catalog out to you. If you have a Demonstrator, check and make sure they have a catalog for you!
Before the new catalog goes live, though, make sure you have everything that is retiring in the current catalog that you need. Remember, Bundles that save you 10% will be taken apart for the products being carried over to the new catalog and you won’t save that 10% anymore. Any retiring In Colors things you want, be sure to get those. It’s best to go to the Online Store and look at the Last-Chance products there so you know what is still available.
Lemon Lime Twist Cardstock is gone but you can get a few sheets in the Animal Expedition Cardstock Pack. If you want more of the darling Gingham Gala 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper be sure to grab that. It sold out a couple of times after appearing in the Occasions Catalog! I still remember making my first card after the holidays with that gingham paper and feeling so “fresh” after all the holiday designs!
The new catalog goes live around Noon (MT) on June 4th. The current catalog AND Occasions Catalog ends June 3rd. If you are one of my regular customers who gets a catalog from me, be sure to keep an eye on your mail and let me know when your catalog arrives in a few days. If you are new to me and would like a spectacular Stampin’ Up! catalog in your Happy Mail, send me your information.
Every Tuesday I send out a newsletter with one or more stamping projects (usually more!) and the latest Stampin’ Up! news. As Demonstrators, we get a Weekly Update every Tuesday morning from Stampin’ Up! which is perfect because I can pass along any news to you in my weekly newsletter.
With the Last-Chance retirement list out now and the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog about to go live, now is the perfect time to make sure you are connected with a Demonstrator to keep you up to date on Stampin’ Up! news, new product information and ideas for using those new stamps and accessories!
An extra bonus is that at Christmas time I send out my “12 Weeks of Christmas” holiday emails to all my subscribers. These are extra, separate emails with one holiday project per week to inspire you to start working on your holiday cards, gifts and finally, packaging! You can copy the project exactly, get an idea for something to make on your own, or simply enjoy seeing a new project. I’m almost as happy seeing stamping ideas as I am doing the stamping! I just love new inspiration!
When you sign up for my Mailing List you will get a FREE GIFT, a list of gift-wrapping ideas to save a trip running out to the store for wrapping paper or gift bags. Just use whatever supplies you have. The ideas are timeless, you don’t have to have the exact paper or stamps.
I would love to have you join my mailing list because I love sharing Stampin’ Up! with others, not to mention talking about stamping ideas! Do it today and you will be set for some of the most important dates of the stamping year!
Click the button below or sign up in the red box on the right on my blog.
The Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack has been updated so don’t delay, race right over there and see what you want! Some items could go fast! Right now one of my favorite dies is on there…the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies! Make cute little treat bags with the Big Shot and decorate for any occasion.
There are all kinds of punches, dies, trinkets, designer paper, Watercolor Pencils 2, even a little bit of cardstock. There are some kits if you want to get an early start on Christmas cards. Just check it out!
Today is Tax Day so I hope you got yours done and sent off to the IRS so this afternoon you can de-stress and relax with the Stampin’ Up! Retirement List later this afternoon at 1:00 PM (MT) when it comes out! You can mark off in the catalog what is going away and decide which Stampin’ Up! products you can’t live without.
Over the weekend the Stampin’ Up! event called OnStage was held in Auckland, New Zealand with local events of one day held in scattered cities around the world. Demonstrators received the next new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog, so you can look online and probably find a picture of the cover! They were also allowed to show photos of some of the new stamp sets, paper, and In Colors coming and the prizes and gifts they received. Any Stampin’ Up! event is a fun thing to attend, I can tell you for sure!
Just be thinking ahead if there are things you fear could sell out when the Retirement List comes out today so you are ready to POUNCE! Who knows, of course, but sometimes the In Color refills and cardstock that are going out are the first things to go. Any accessories with those colors are also susceptible! There are new In Colors coming!
The Retiring List is supposed to be released at 1 PM (Mountain Time) (2:00 pm Central) today so give me some time to check it out and get it posted and then come back to my blog and/or Facebook to find out all about it! Get your work done early so you can de-stress with the Retirement List!
Are you on my mailing list? We all get a lot of email, but if you like stamping, please join my newsletter list.
Every Tuesday I send out an email in the afternoon with at least one stamping project and whatever news you need to know from Stampin’ Up! The first newsletter of the month has several stamping projects with a list of supplies and complete directions.
Please share with your friends if you know someone else who might be interested, too!
If you are like me, you can never have enough stamping ideas! Even when I DO have enough ideas, I still like looking and I still can find one more idea that I think I must use!
Here they are, the much-awaited Stampin’ Up! Occasions 2019 Catalog for spring and the Sale-A-Bration 2019 Brochure for the biggest promotion of the Stampin’ Up! year! All of the fun starts January 3, 2019, after we get everyone sent back home and back to work and are ready to do something for ourselves!
Inside the Occasions Catalog, you will find beautiful stamp sets, coordinating dies, beautiful designer papers, new accessories and embellishments, ribbons, cardmaking kits, punches, supplies and ideas for Valentine’s Day (is the candy out already now that Christmas is over?!), masculine card ideas, cards for babies, pets, new Memories & More memory-keeping products, cactus(!), and did I mention butterflies?!
Sale-A-Bration is an exclusive promotion by Stampin’ Up! held annually for many years! For every $50 you spend on Stampin’ Up! products, you get to choose a FREE product from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure! Earn even bigger rewards when you spend $100 or more (all of this before tax and shipping of course!). No limit on the number of rewards. Even a special bonus when you JOIN Stampin’ Up!
Remember, the Holiday Catalog ends on January 2, 2019. Don’t forget to look through all your favorite things in there one more time. These sales also end Jan. 2nd.
How do you get to see these fabulous catalogs?? On January 3, 2019 you will be able to view them online and the products in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store. If you are a regular customer of mine, I have ordered both catalogs for you through Stampin’ Up! and you may or may not have received them by now. The catalog mail delivery is very irregular! If you are new and do not have a Demonstrator you are currently working with, I would be happy to help you and send you complimentary catalogs so you won’t miss out! Just send me your contact information so I can get them in the mail to you. It’s always fun to start a new Stampin’ Up! catalog of any kind!
Let me know if you do not receive your catalogs in a reasonable amount of time. Personally, I received two SAB Brochures and not the Occasions Catalog in the mail! I don’t know what that means!! But Stampin’ Up! will send out another catalog if customers did not receive theirs.
Hope you are still having a happy holiday season! Ours comes to an end tomorrow afternoon after the last of the kids leave! So sad! But it was fun while it lasted!
About a week ago I posted about this video, the music being the theme song for the Stampin’ Up! OnStage event in November in Orlando. For those of us who have been to Stampin’ Up! conventions, the theme song is new and exciting every year and usually sticks in your head forever! I thought this video was really cute!
Yesterday I saw that other Demonstrators had pulled up some past Stampin’ Up! videos with theme songs that we loved! I thought you would enjoy seeing them, too, ….and perhaps singing along! This one was certainly a favorite!! This was made at the Stampin’ Up! Home Office in Riverton, UT outside Salt Lake City. You can see the offices and also where and how your orders ship! Really fun video! And lots of these Stampin’ Up! employees have plenty of musical talent!
And this one, a highlight reel from Convention 2013 (I was there!) with the “Be The Difference” theme song.
And the one from Convention 2011 – Grow (I was at that one, too!)
Besides listening to the music, these highlight reels might show you how much fun it is to be a part of Stampin’ Up! Click on THIS LINK to learn about joining Stampin’ Up!
The story about the “Love, Live, Share It” video I posted first is this from Stampin’ Up! If you enjoy this music, you might like to purchase the song by itself or the whole collection of Stampin’ Up! music. (expired) The money goes to supporting organizations that help with autism, in keeping with Stampin’ Up!’s Making a Difference program #sudifferencemaker.
From Stampin’ Up!: “Each year we offer a special, limited-time product or promotion dedicated to supporting a designated cause versus a specific charity. The money raised from this limited-time product or promotion is then donated to organizations that support the cause in North America, the South Pacific, and in Europe.
This year, our employee Heart of Stampin’ Up! recipient, Rett Christensen, proposed making our past and present theme songs available for purchase and donating the proceeds to Autism organizations. Having a son with Autism, Rett understands how important it is to support the community.
So thanks to Rett, you can own a piece of Stampin’ Up! history and make a difference in the lives of those with Autism at the same time!
Dates: November 13–December 31, 2018
Two options:
Full Collection of Stampin’ Up! Theme Songs – $15 USD*
Single Love, Live & Share It Today – 30-year anniversary song – $5 USD*
Stampin’ Up! will donate 100 percent of the funds raised to the following Autism organizations: Autism Speaks, Autism Speaks Canada, The National Autistic Society, Autism Europe, Autism New Zealand, Autism Spectrum (ASPECT), and the Japan Autism Society
Fun fact: Rett was also a primary contributor in composing Love, Live & Share It Today (along with a group of other Stampin’ Up! employees).
*There are NOT country-specific prices for this offering. During the purchasing process, the amount will be automatically translated into what the current exchange rates are.”
Just go to THIS PAGE to find out about purchasing these Stampin’ Up! songs!
2018 Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza is coming soon!
Beginning Friday, Nov. 23 Stampin’ Up! will offer its special online sale! This year it will be certain products available on certain days – so every two days a new list of select products will be on sale from the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. Stay tuned for details! Just remember it starts on Black Friday, Nov. 23.
Don’t Forget! The beautiful Snowflake Showcase comes to an end on November 30!
Click to view in Online Store!
This beautiful suite of products is only available until November 30th and only WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! (You will notice, unfortunately, the Velveteen Paper is sold out!) The end of the month is coming!!
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Coming December 5, 2018! New Craft & Carry Stamparatus Bag
You’re welcome to put this Stamparatus Bag (and maybe the Stamparatus® if you don’t have one!) on your Christmas List if someone special is looking for ideas for you! Just give them my email address with your Wish List of Stampin’ Up! products so they can contact me!
The good news is that the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog has been extremely popular!
The bad news is that since the Holiday Catalog has been so popular, these products are in danger of selling out SOON! If you are interested in any of these products, I would put in your order just as soon as you can! Like, ASAP!
Click on the photos below this list to go to the Online Store for more information!
(An asterisk indicates this product will be carried over to future catalogs but will not be available until then if they sell out now.)
These obviously are “While Supplies Last” so any of these products could become unavailable at any time. You can add other products to your order as usual. Let me know if you need any help or have any questions!
