Stamping Smiles

3 Stampin' Up! Tote-ally Tess card ideas - she's retiring May 31, 2012!

 

The Stampin' Up! Tote-ally Tess stamp set is totally cute!  There is so much to love besides Tess.  In this set you will also find a rubber stamp, greeting card, scissors, a roller and marker.  In addition, so great rubber stamping sayings:

 

• The best things in life and handmade and not bought


• I HEART STAMPS

 

Sad, but true, Tess is taking a permanent vacation as of June 1, 2012. 

 

My first of three card ideas uses the I HEART STAMPS greeting.  Tess is sporting the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator apron.

 

 

Not only is Tote-ally Tess retiring on May 31, 2012, so is the die to make the large die-cut scallop circle (Scallop Circle #2 Bigz Die) for my card.  That size of scallop circle has been used for many of my handmade greeting cards.  It is a perfect size for 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" cards.

 

 

Here Tess is showing off a pretty, hand-stamped card she made.  Do you think it was her first or 100th card?   Do you enjoy making your own handmade cards as much as you did at first?  Do you find you enjoy it more with the more knowledge, skill and tools you have?

 

 

Tess decided she did not want to be the focus of this hand-stamped card.  Instead she wanted to show you all the different types of tools she uses to create her hand-stamped masterpieces.

 

The bottom half of the card is embossed with the also retiring Perfect Details Texturz Impressions Plate.   The Texturz Plates provides a softer embossed impression.  The plates are great for added some flourish to your greeting cards without overpowering them.  The Perfect Details and other Stamping Up! exclusive Texturz Plates are only available while supplies last!

 

If you want to add the Tote-ally Tess stamp set your stamping collection, order it in my online Stampin' Up! store today!  She is only available through May 31, 2012!

 

When you place your online Stampin' Up! orders with me, you enter into the Stamping Smiles Online Ordering Oasis!  After only 3 orders of $25 or more, you earn FREE shipping on the fourth order!  It is that easy.  No punch cards.  You don't have to wait until you spend hundreds of $$$ to earn your FREE shipping reward.   Just place your 4th order within one year of the first. 

Life is complicated enough, ordering the best stamping and scrapbooking supplies available should not be.  It isn't with the Stamping Smiles Online Ordering Oasis rewards program.  Enter into the oasis now with your first order on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net!

 

 

Tote-ally Tess is retiring forever on May 31, 2012.  Order now!

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Elegant Thank You stamp used for wedding thank you cards

 

Godby (God-be) With Us Stamper Marsha Mendenhall offered to make the wedding thank you cards for her middle son's August wedding.  She got busy making up different sample thank you cards with the retiring Stampin' Up! Elegant Thank You stamp.

 

Knowing she had to make a lot of thank you cards, Marsha was wise to use the Whisper White Note Cards for the base of her cards.  The Whisper White Note Cards are 3-1/2" x 5" cards with envelopes.  The cards are already cut-to-size and scored.  Talk about a big time saver!

 

The single Elegant Thank You stamp is a great choice for a wedding thank you card.  It's name says it all.  While the Elegant Thank You stamp is just one stamp, it is not one of those stamps you can only think of one way to use it.  See for yourself the five different cards Marsha made with it.

 

The first sample card was stamped first with VersaMark Ink Pad on Bashful Blue Card Stock.  It was then embossed with the Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder.   The embossed card stock was then die-cut into the elegant frame with the exclusive Labels Collection Framelits Die with the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine.

 

Marsha's second sample card was embossed on only 1/2 the card with the retiring Finial Press Embossing Folder run through the Sizzix Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine.   On the right side of the card Marsha made a window through the Bashful Blue Card Stock with the Labels Collection Framelits Die.

 

The third sample card was a fun idea with the die-cut hearts.  The largest heart was die-cut with the very soon to be retiring Movers & Shapers Punch Windows (heart) Die.  It is the perfect layer for the Full Heart Punch.  The Elegant Thank You stamp received a trim job when punched out with the heart punch.

 

This time Marsha embossed the Elegant Thank You stamp with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.   Then she got all kinds of fancy punching the bottom of the card with the Scallop Trim Border Punch and adding a couple of more strips. 

The fifth and final card sample is simple and elegant.  Well, how could it not be with the Elegant Thank You stamp?  Marsha simply trimmed the Bashful Blue Card Stock to 3-1/4" x 4-3/4" and embossed the thank you stamp with Silver Emboss Powder.

 

Which one is your favorite?  Vote for your favorite of the five wedding thank you cards by leaving a comment below. 

 

Let's list all the retiring only products used in the above five card samples just in case you need to order one or more before they retire on May 31, 2012.

 

• Elegant Thank You stamp (only $6.95!)


• Finial Press Embossing Folder


• Punch Windows Movers & Shapers Dies


• Curly Label Movers & Shapers Die (needed for Punch Windows Dies)

 

If you would like to order any of the stamping supplies needed to make any of the thank you cards Marsha made or your for your own design, place your order in my online Stampin' Up! store now!   

 

When you place your online Stampin' Up! orders with me, you enter into the Stamping Smiles Online Ordering Oasis!  After only 3 orders of $25 or more, you earn FREE shipping on the fourth order!  It is that easy.  No punch cards.  You don't have to wait until you spend hundreds of $$$ to earn your FREE shipping reward.   Just place your 4th order within one year of the first. 

 

Remember:  the Elegant Thank You is available only until May 31, 2012.  The retiring accessories only while supplies last.  They may or may not be available through May 31.

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! 2012-2014 In Colors

 

The new Stampin' Up! 2012-2014 In Colors are Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple.  Right away I loved Gumball Green.  The blue of Midnight Muse is somewhere in between our current Night of Navy and retired Brilliant Blue.  Any form of pink is always a crowd pleaser.  The color I was unsure of was Summer Starfruit.  But after stamping bunches of bookmarks with the new In Colors, I came to really appreciate it especially when paired with Gumball Green and Midnight Muse.

 

Now I have to tell on myself, for I just noticed this when I posted the picture of the bookmarks.  Did not notice it as I printed, cut, layered, stamped, took the picture, edited the picture or put the boomarks into my customer catalogs.   I have the wrong date! 

 

I saved the file as 2012-2014 but typed the bookmarks as 2012-2013!  I'd love to write it was because I was rushing to get the bookmarks made and included with the catalogs so my stampers could have their catalogs ASAP.  While that is true, the saddest truth is I had made the bookmarks up a couple of weeks before the order with the stamp pads and card stock was delivered!  Must have read what I thought it should be and not what it was.  Anyway, have a look at the new 2012-2014 In Colors and my good intentions. :)

 

 

 

Now for the remarkable part of this story.  None of my sweet ladies pointed out my mistake!   Perhaps the were too busy looking at the card stock.  I did try to pick the color I thought each would like best.  I'm quite sure that is not the case, I am just blessed with wonderful women who overlook my flaws!

 

Every year I give the new catalogs away free to my customers.   The catalogs are not free to me, they have to be purchased.  And, while I also do not charge my customers postage to have them mailed to them, the Post Office does not find me so special that they allow me to do that for free or even at a discount.

 

What do my customers have to do to get a free 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! Catalog?  All that is required is to give me their telephone number and best time of day to reach them.  After a short conversation giving me permission and agreeing to take my phone call few days after they receive their new catalog to see if they would like to purchase anything, a catalog is mailed to them free of charge.

 

After you understand Stampin' Up! Catalogs are not free to demonstrators and the Post Office insists on charging for delivering the catalogs, it surely must seem very reasonable that I only require you agree to take my phone call after receiving the free catalog. 

 

If you would like to have the new 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! Catalog for free, please email your phone number and best time of day to reach you.