6/29 Simply Said My Friend

It's been a busy weekend, but it's fun to come home and put on the Mojo! I decided to use a much neglected set called Simply Said. I've always liked those wispy flowers and thought they might be a good fit for the main image panel.

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I am planning a Friends 24-7 Ten Card Class the end of July and this is one of the cards I might use. It's quick and simple to put together and yet very elegant. I just love the texturized paper that is available in 8.5x11" for all of the In Colors. Totally Yummy!

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Only a couple of days left to sign up for my Perfect Paper and Ribbon Share!

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Stamps: Simply Said ()

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Debuting on July 1: Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (115675), In Colors Textured (115719), Crushed Curry (115319)

Ink: Basic Black (101179)

Accessories: July 1 Debut: Six In Color Markers (116329), Melon Mambo 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115611), Available Now: Old Olive Marker (100079), Square Fire Rhinestone Brads (109112), Dimensionals (104430), Large Oval Punch (107305), Scallop Oval Punch (114889), Scallop Edge Punch (112091), Ticket Corner Punch (107214)

6/25 Throw Down Some Whimsy!

I had some fun this morning creating this whimsical card with this week's Color Throwdown. The base of the card is made from Baja Breeze and the top flap is punched with the Eyelet Border Punch. It l00ks really neat when you open it up, but I tacked it shut in order to get a better picture.
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To give the butterfly some dimension I inked the rubber up with Pink Pirouette and then, using a sponge dauber, I edged the wings and the antennae tips with Baja Breeze. The butterfly panel is popped up with dimensionals. I love the texture of the extra wide Pink Pirouette Grosgrain Ribbon . . . pretty, pretty, pretty! This is a very quick and easy card to create so I am going to get off the computer now and create a few more. I'm still working on filling up my depleted card boxes after a successful sales run at our Spring Ballet Performance of Candyland. Have a great day!
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Stamps: Garden Whimsy (113502)
Paper: Baja Breeze (retiring), Pink Pirouette (retiring), Kraft (102125), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Pink Pirouette (retiring), Baja Breeze (retiring)
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Sponge Daubers (102892), Dimensionals (104430), 1 1/4" Pink Pirouette Ribbon (retiring)
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Less than a week to sign up for the Perfect Paper/Ribbon Share!!
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6/23 Tangerine Bloom

My mother loved poppies and she had some in red and some in bright orange. When I saw the color challenge at SCS this morning, I knew I had to pull this set out so I could make a Tangerine colored poppy. The challenge was to use Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point and Summer Sun. Very summery colors!! (And, boy, has summer ever arrived! We'll be enjoying (?) mid-90's today with a lot of humidity - yikes!)

I broke my 1/2" Circle Punch making this card this morning. NOT good, but lesson learned. You cannot punch through a layer of watercolor paper and a layer of SU cardstock at the same time. I think I learned that lesson once before and today was reminded that I needed to learn it again. humph.

I am really excited about the ribbon. I love how well the new In Color Crushed Curry ribbon goes so well with Summer Sun. It's great to have this color join the ribbon lineup. Have you heard about my Perfect Ribbon Share? You can get two yards of Crushed Curry along with two yards of every new In Color ribbon for just $10! Check out the details HERE.

Here are the details of this card:

Stamps: Bloomin Beautiful (111490)
Paper: Textured Pacific Point (retired), Textured Tangerine Tango (retired), Summer Sun (103124), Watercolor Paper (105019), Tangerine Tango DSP (retired)
Ink: StazOn Black (101406), Summer Sun (100537), Garden Green (102272), Tangerine Tango (retired)
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch (112091), Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon (debuting on July 1), Basic Jumbo Grommets (114348), Dimensionals (104430), Aqua-Painter (103954)

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The Perfect Paper & Ribbon Share!

6/22 Combining Challenges!

I made a quick card today so that I could dive into some new, uninked rubber! Full of Life, a delightful sentiment set that I've had my eye on for a long time and Lovely Letters . . . so lovely as you can see . . . are two of the free sets I received from Stampin'Up for Sale-a-bration Rewards. This card also uses a Sneak Peak set from the upcoming catalog called Circle Circus.

I combined two challenges to create this card because I didn't want to "think" too hard. I've got a lot on my plate today so I have to "hurry up and create!" Not my preferred way to stamp, but better than not stamping at all! lol!

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The first challenge I checked in on was a Color Challenge that you can read about HERE. It's been quite a long time since I've done a KWerner Color Challenge. I was excited to try this one because I would be able to incorporate a few Sneak Peak In Colors from SU that are debuting on July 1. That rusty orange color is called Dusty Durango, and I used Crushed Curry for the mustard color.

And, of course one of my FAVORITE challenges is the Mojo Monday Challenge. You can see that I added some big faux brads along the bottom. These came from the Circle Circus set punched out with the 1/2" Circle Punch.

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Shopping is easy at my SU website!

Have you heard? I'm doing a paper/ribbon share!

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Stamps: Lovely Letters (115030), Full of Life (111500), Debuting July 1 Circle Circus

Paper: Naturals Ivory for the base of the card (101849), Basic Gray (108692), Very Vanilla (101650), Walk in the Park DSP (115123), Debuting July 1: Dusty Durango Textured, Crushed Curry

Ink: Basic Gray (109120), Debuting July 1: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry

Accessories: Scallop Border Punch (112091), 1/2" Circle Punch (104390), 1 1/4" Circle Punch (104403), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (104401), Dimensionals (104430), Debuting July 1: Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon

6/18 My first Diva Challenge Card

Isn't this an awesome color combination? I was inspired to try it when I was blog hopping and saw that the Diva Coffee Break Designs Blog was hosting a color challenge. I love the rich regalness of these colors and I don't know that I would have thought of pairing these colors with Bashful Blue . . . but isn't that a lovely touch?

I used one of my freebie reward sets that I recently received. This one is called Friends 24-7. Can you believe that it has been on my wish list since January? I've seen so many beautiful cards made with this set . . . but then it's scary to get it because you wonder if you can make anything even half so good . . . like all of the ideas for it have been sucked up already. But, I guess I did OK. I like how the image panel is long like the card. This will be an easy one to mail . . . even though I did you some dimensionals. Just can't resist that little bit of "pop!"
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Stamps: Friends 24-7 (113218)
Paper: Night of Navy (100867), Always Artichoke (105119), Kraft (102125), Naturals Ivory (101849), Bashful Blue (105120)
Ink: Night of Navy (102977)
Accessories: Photo Corner Punch (109042), Ticket Corner Punch (107214), Sponge Daubers (102892), Linen Thread (104199), Dimensionals (104430)
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Shopping at Stampin' Up is FUN and EASY! Click HERE to shop at my website!
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Perfect Paper Share and Perfect Ribbon Share! Information HERE!

6/17 Sweet Monkey Thanks

Here is a card using my sweet Sock Monkey set. It has lots of awesome NEW colors on it . . . colors like Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede. The designer series paper is also a sneak peak. This particular pack is called Razzleberry Lemonade and I also used it in on a 12x12 scrapbook page you can see here. Oh, and that reminds me . . . . have you heard that I am doing a Perfect Paper and Ribbon Share? You will get a sampling of all of the NEW to the CATALOG designer series papers at a fraction of what it would cost you to purchase all of the paper packs. And, for the first time ever, I am offering a ribbon share, as well! See THIS POST for all the details!

I made this card totally flat . . . not a single dimensional on it. I challenge myself to do that once in a while just to prove that you can make your cards "pop" on color and layers alone. Plus, it makes mailing it off just so much easier. One of my favorite features of this card is the flower. It comes from the set called One of a Kind and I punched it out with the BoHo Blossom punch. This punch will also work with a stamp set soon to debut - except instead of flowers, you will be punching a trio of snowflakes! How fun is that?

The monkey is aqua painted, yes, I 'm sure you wonder if I ever use another coloring technique. Not too often! I feel like I can do almost anything with an aqua painter - love that tool! The monkey is also paper pieced. That is where you stamp the image a second time onto patterned paper and then cut out just the portion that you want to layer. Notice the wonderful yellow on my banana? The new In Color called Crushed Curry makes a marvelous looking banana!

Shop Stampin'Up 24/7 HERE and check out my paper and ribbon share information HERE.

Stamps: Sock Monkey (111552), One of a Kind (113624)
Paper: Whisper White (100730), Debuting on July 1: Dusty Durango in plain and textured, Crushed Curry in textured, Soft Taupe, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Debuting on July 1: Crushed Curry, Soft Taupe
Accessories: Large Oval Punch (107305), Small Oval Punch (107304), BoHo Blossoms Punch (110711), Aqua Painter (103954)

6/16 Call Me Anytime Friendship Card

I made some time for the Mojo Challenge this week. I am loving my new soon to be retired set called "It's a Sign". I also inked up the 24-7 sentiment from the stamp set called Friends 24-7. Although it's a totally different style from the larger sentiment on this card, the whole funkiness of it all makes it work. The Tangerine Tango Prints Paper paired with black and a print from Urban Oasis DSP helps it all come together. I made this card so quickly, I made three more. How fun is that? I need to fill up my card boxes again . . . they are really low since sales from the Spring Ballet Performance.

Stamps: It's a Sign (114994), Friends 24-7 (113218)
Paper: Basic Black (102851), Whisper White (100730), Tangerine Tango Prints DSP (112153), Urban Oasis DSP (113978)
Ink: Basic Black (101179)
Accessories: 1/4" Black Grosgrain Ribbon (109027) adhered with Snail Adhesive (104332), Large Oval Punch (107305), Scallop Oval Punch (114889), Dimensionals (104430)

Shop with me 24/7 at my Stampin'Up Website
Have you heard? I'm doing a Perfect Paper/Perfect Ribbon Share!

Supplies in RED are on the last chance list and available only through June 30.

6/16 Announcing the Perfect Paper & Ribbon Share!

The 2009-2010 Stampin'Up catalog is making its debut on July 1 and it will be bursting with new ideas, new stamp sets, new colors and new accessories. I have had several requests asking that I do another Perfect Paper Share and combine it with an optional Perfect Ribbon Share. So, this is what I've put together for you:

The Perfect Paper Share includes a 6x6" square of all of the NEW designer series paper in the new SU Idea Book and Catalog. (It does NOT include any paper that carried over from the last catalog.) There are 12 new debuting packages of paper excluding the Prints DSP. One of the paper packs is a mix of paper and die-cut journal boxes so from that pack, you will receive three sheets of paper and three die-cuts. In total, you will receive 69 pieces of 6x6" paper along with three die-cuts. And the price? Only $18.50, plus $5 if you need me to ship it to you.

The Perfect Ribbon Share includes 2 yards each of the 6 Polka Dot In Color Ribbons. This share will be only $10, plus $2 more if you need me to ship it to you.

Everyone is welcome to participate and I will take orders from now through my Catalog Kick Off Event on July 1. You can sign up for one or the other or both and place as many share orders as you wish. The best way to get on the list is to e-mail me at stampawayk@yahoo.com. If you are not local, I will send you a link to my Pay Pal so that you can make your payment easily.

I will place the order on July 1 and as soon as it arrives, I will ship or have your shares available for pick up. My goal is to do this all on or before July 10. However, if something is back ordered, I will hold off on shipping until it can all go out at one time.

The Perfect Paper and Ribbon Share is available for US orders only.

6/15 Gift Cards & LOTS of Free Stamp Sets!

We've been out of town for several days but when I got back home . . . look what was waiting for me!! I don't think I'd even finished helping unpack the truck before I was tearing into my box from SU and asking my daughter to take my pic with all those wonderful FREE stamp sets! Eight wonderful sets that I got for SAB rewards. YES! So much fun - thank you, Stampin'Up! Would you like to know what I got? Of course you would . . . : It's a Sign (soon to be retired), Owl Together Now, Friends 24-7, Lovely Letters Alphabet, Le Jardin Botanique, Many Merry Messages, Simple Friendship, and Wonderful Favorites. Just can't wait to get into the ink - - - but first things first - laundry, grocery shopping, helping my daughter with a landscaping project, responding to e-mail messages etc. Maybe tonight I can create.

Meanwhile, I thought I share these pictures of your basic gift card . . . but it works GREAT when you need a quick birthday card. Teens especially seen to like gift cards . . . or cash! My customers got to make two of these at one of my recent events - one for him and one for her.

This is the inside . . . very simple with plenty of room for a gift card. (or cash!) Start with a 5 1/2" piece of paper and score on the long side at 1 3/4" and at 6". Fold up and tape the 1 3/4" side and this will create the pocket. Then, just decorate as desired. To keep the card firmly closed, I tied it with some taffeta ribbon.

Here is a picture of the "girl" version. I used patterned paper out of some 6x6 hostess packs that I had on hand. The cute tags with the Happy Birthday on them are made with the Big Shot Machine and the Sizzlit die called Lots of Tags.

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Supplies:

Stamps: On Your Birthday (111664)

Paper: Basic Gray (108692), Whisper White (100730), Hostess 6x6 Patterned Paper,

Ink: Basic Gray (109120)

Accessories: Big Shot Machine (113439), Sizzlit 4-Pack Lots of Tags (114508), 1 3/4" Circle Punch (112004), Vintage Brads (109109), Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (109064)

6/10 Casing Shanna

I have an upline, Shanna McLaughlin, who creates cards with a beautiful clean and simple look. That is hard for me to do. I tend to add one more thing and layer and glitter and paint and play and play. But, Shanna is always blessing me with sweet beautiful cards and I try to learn from them. One of the best ways to learn from others is to "case" them. When I first started stamping I cased exactly and it helped me learn and grow. Now, I try to case with a twist . . . except in this case. I only changed out the ribbon and reduced some 0f the piercings. Shanna's card was just so perfect to begin with . . . I really couldn't "twist" it too much! lol! Thanks, Shanna, for all of your beautiful inspiration!

This is another card my customers will be making at my Last Chance 10 Card Class. It features the Ronald McDonald House set called "Say It with Scallops." For every set that is purchased, SU donates $2 to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Isn't that awesome? Some $800,000 have been donated since SU started this program. What a wonderful way to make a difference. Thank you, Stampin'Up.

You can shop 24-7 at my Stampin'Up Website!

Items in RED will be discontinued as of June 30!

Stamps: Say It With Scallops (111678)
Paper: Riding Hood Red (111348), Textured Baha Breeze and Kiwi Kiss (111345), Chocolate Chip (102128), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Baja Breeze (111833), Kiwi Kiss (111835)
Accessories: Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon (111365), Scallop Square Punch (112081), 1/2" Circle Punch (104390), Spiral Edge Punch (108341), Mat Pack (105826), Paper Piercer

6/9 "Blushing" Bride

Isn't this a beautiful wedding card? My customers will be making this at a Last Chance 10 Card Class in just a couple of weeks. We will make 2 cards each of five designs . . . all of which will feature Last Chance stamp sets. Have to send them off in style, right? lol!

I LOVE how this card turned out and it was so easy to create . . . yet it looks soooo elegant. I think the ticket corner punch can be so elegant, don't you? And, I love the Blush Blossom card stock paired up with the Basic Black. This card took its inspiration from a swap card I received from Kim McGrath at convention this past year. Of course, I changed it up a little to make it more my own . . . but I'd like to give Kim credit for the layout and the beautiful sparkles on the veil!

The inside of the card uses a verse from a stamp set out of the Spring Occasions Mini. The stamp set is called Very Versatile. I love collecting stamp sets that have verses created especially for the inside of your cards. I really enjoy finishing out the inside of my cards . . . afterall, what is the very first thing that someone does when they pick up a greeting card? Why, they open it up and look in the inside!! How disappointing if there isn't anything there! Very Versatile did not make it into the Big Catalog, so if you like this set as much as I do, be sure to get it now. You can order anything from the Spring Occasions through June 30. The link to the mini catalog is on my side bar.

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You are welcome to Shop with Me 24-7 at my Stampin'Up website!

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Supplies: (items in red are will no longer be available as of June 30)

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Stamps: Very Versatile (113806), To Have & To H0ld (115098)

Paper: Basic Black (102851), Blush Blossom (103318), Watercolor Paper (105019), Naturals White for inside panel (102316)
Ink: StazOn Black (101406), Blush Blossom (103318), Basic Black (101179), Close to Cocoa (103139)

Accessories: Aqua Painter (103954), Markers in Certainly Celery (105106), Cameo Coral (100074), Ticket Corner Punch (107214), Dimensionals (104430), Two Way Glue Pen (100425), Dazzling Diamonds (102023)

6/8 Animal Cracker Box ... for Jelly Beans!

This is an Animal Cracker Box . . . it's just the cutest size and you can fill it up with a LOT of goodies. I was blog hopping this morning and came across THIS TUTORIAL by Tracy Harp at Inky Doodles and before you could say "Stamps, Paper, Scissors" I was off creating my own version! It came together very quickly thanks to Tracy's excellent instructions.

Here is a side view. The tag was made with the oval that I cut out from the front of the box to make the peek-a-boo window.

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Shop 24/7 at my Stampin'Up website!

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Supplies:

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Stamps: Great Friend (113792)

Paper: Basic Gray (108692), Walk in the Park DSP (115123)

Ink: Basic Gray (109120), Cameo Coral (103035)

Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (109064), Crop-a-dial (108362), Pewter Jumbo Eyelets (108432), 5/8" Jumbo Brad (112533), Oval Cutter of your choice . . . I used a Coluzzle, but that has now been retired and is sold out.

6/6 Summer Morning 12x12

As many of you know & for the many of you who don't know . . . I was a Creative Memories consultant for 10 years. I kept my stamping of cards and creation of 3-D items separate from CM. My albums were strictly CM with just a very occasional image stamped here or there.

For years, I struggled with wanting to join Stampin'Up . . . but not being able to because of my Creative Memories business. Then, one day, my husband was visiting with me in my office and said, "You know, I don't see one single thing in here that tells me you sell Creative Memories, but it sure does look like you sell Stampin'Up!" That was when the light bulb went off and I decided to follow my heart into Stampin'Up. I've been a SU demonstrator now for nearly two years and I love, love, love it!! But, I have almost completely given up scrapbooking. Oh, I shouldn't say completely . . . I do digital albums with my oldest daughter and we send them off to CM. Easy peasy . . .drop and drag . . . you're done.

But, my SU customers occasionally ask me if I ever scrapbook with SU products. I have to hang my head and say, "Not really." Oh, I've made the simple and sweet page or two here and there, but nothing consistently. That may be about to change!

I found a blog called Stamp & Scrap and they posted their very first challenge today. How wonderful for me! I've been dying to start working with the new IN Colors that I got in my Sneak Peak order. The challenge was to make a page with a summer theme, use at least two stamps and follow the sketch which I've posted above for you to see.

True to form . . . I'm terrible at following sketches. I just couldn't stand all that blank space off in the upper left hand part of the sketch so I filled it in with a journaling box. I also wanted to use my BIG Inspired by Nature flower stamp so I kind of blew the small doo-dad-like-dealy-wheely-thing on the upper right. But, who CARES?? It got me SCRAPPIN' again and I think that was the whole point of the challenge!! And, I LOVE it!! I especially love the swirls connecting my boxes across the top . . . I love the ribbon and how the middle picture is accented with the scallop edge punch. And, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED using my IN Colors!!

Doesn't the Crushed Curry title show up awesomely on the Razzleberry Lemonade patterned paper? That ribbon is Crushed Curry, too. Love that color! I made the title with my Big Shot using the Naturally Serif Alphabet die. I find that the best way to apply these letters is with a glue pen. Stampin'Up sells a Two-Way glue pen, but I found that to be a little big. I had another glue pen by Sailor that worked like a charm. It really is like a ball-point pen! The best way to apply ribbon is to run a strip of SNAIL adhesive down the back of it and set it on, carefully, right where you want it. I put the faux brads on with little squares of Sticky Strip.

This is a close-up of the journal box. The little butterflies come from a Hero Arts sentiment stamp. I just inked up the tiny butterfly with my Rich Razzleberry In Color marker. How did we ever get along without In Color markers?? The little dots are from the stamp set called Itty Bitty Backgrounds and they are stamped in Crushed Curry. The swirl is made with the Big Shot machine and the die called Swirly. The dark accent paper is Rich Razzleberry. (soooo yummy!)

Here is a close up of the flower I created using the In Color markers in Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry. The stems were inked up using the Always Artichoke maker. Isn't it to die for?? The sentiment is from Hero Arts. A little tip: To make my edge stand out against the mat, I used a sponge dauber in Crushed Curry on the sides of each box and then followed that up with a teeny tiny Rich Razzleberry edge that I made with the side of the Rich Razzleberry marker. It doesn't have to be much to get the "pop!"

Shop with me 24/7 at my Stampin'Up website!

Supplies:

Stamps: Inspired by Nature (111656), Itty Bitty Backgrounds (114996), sentiment from Hero Arts

Paper: Crushed Curry (115319) available July 1, Rich Razzleberry (115316) available July 1, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (115675) available July 1, Whisper White (100730)

Ink: Crushed Curry (115659) available July 1

Accessories: Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115614) available July 1, 1/2" Circle Punch (104390), Scallop Edge Border Punch (112091), Sponge Dauber (102892), Big Shot Machine (113439), Naturally Serif Alphabet Die (113453), Swirly Die (113456), Serif Essentials Die to make the S (113464), Always Artichoke Maker (105113), In Markers (116329) available July 1: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Sticky Strip (104294)

6/5 In Color Sneak Peak!!

My Sneak Peak order from Stampin'Up arrived and I am so excited to introduce to you the 2009-2010 In Colors. They are GORGEOUS!! A warm welcome to: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Rich Razzleberry. And, did you notice? MARKERS!! Markers, markers, markers, markers . . . doing the stamp happy dance!! lol!

Here is a more complete look of my goodies - markers (YES), paper, lovely new ink pads and POLKA DOT GROSGRAIN 1/2" RIBBON! It's just so yummy!!

I hope you are enjoying your sneak peak. It's with great fondness that I say goodbye to this year's In Colors. Have you collected an ink refill for each of your In Color stamp pads? What about an extra pack of paper of your favorite 2008-2009 In Color? June is the month to do this!

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Contact me or Shop 24/7 at my Stampin'Up Website. If you have any retiring stamp sets on your June Wish List . . . e-mail your order to me and I will see that you get a 10% discount on all retiring stamp sets. Whoo Hoo!

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Have a great day!!

6/4 Goodbye Little Birdie!

I fall in love a little bit with every stamp set that I own (and even a few that I haven't owned! lol!). It's soon time to say Goodbye, Little Birdie. This stamp set appeals to me because it is sooooo easy to paper piece allowing you to dress your birdie in all sorts of sweet and colorful DSP "outfits." Too much fun!! Doesn't he look fabulous in the Bella Rose Kiwi Kiss tapestry? I think so . . . and what is more perfect to show off Kiwi Kiss than Pacific Point? So many elements on this card soon to be retired.

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In a couple of weeks I am planning a Last Chance Ten Card Class and this is one of the cards we will make. Sweet, sweet, sweet. (Or, is it tweet, tweet, tweet?)

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There's still time to get your Last Chance items - Shop 24/7 at my Stampin' Up website!

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Items in red will be retired by SU on June 30. Retiring stamp sets will be discounted 10% as long as you place your order through me . . . be sure to e-mail your order to me as online ordering does not account for demonstrator specials.

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Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me (115016)

Paper: Pacific Point (111350), Whisper White (100730), Bella Rose DSP (112041)

Ink: Basic Black (101179), Kiwi Kiss (111835)

Accessories: Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon (111879), Pumpkin Pie Marker (105115), Dimensionals (104430), Blender Pen (105845)

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