Inky Whisker's Musings

Oct newsletter

2009-10-03T13:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Stamper News!

Volume 3 * Issue 4 * October 1^st, 2009

October Deal of the Week!!!

The Deal of the Week promotion in August was so well received that SU! has decided to do it again! Each full week of October will have select items available at a discount. Regular s/h & tax will apply to the discounted price.

This week's Deal is for these select punches:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
109183	186	Trio Flower punch	$15.95	$10.99
109041	187	5-Petal Flower punch	$15.95	$10.99
110709	187	My Way punch	$15.95	$11.99

You have from October 1^st, thru' Sunday the 11^th to order any one or all of these great shapes for about 1/3 off their regular listed price. If you'd like to save on s/h, we can add your order to the club order. So don't wait too long or this offer will be over & we'll have moved onto Deal of the Week #2 that starts on Monday the 12^th. Each Deal of the Week will be on my SU! site each Monday during October.

More Hostess Fun From Stampin' Up!!!

Last month SU! premiered this awesome offer to hostesses: When you host an in home workshop or catalog party with your SU! demo, you can get ANY one item in the new Holiday mini for ONLY $10 when your workshop totals $250+!!! (hostess sets & MDS do not qualify) This promotion is good until the end of November, but wait, there's more! Host a workshop of either kind thru' your demo in October or November & receive the opportunity to get the new My Digital Studio paper crafting software for 50% off when your workshop totals $400+!!! (Qualifying for this offer is based on the product total of your workshop before s/h & local sales tax is added.)

Both of these fantabulous offers are ONLY available to the hostesses of qualifying workshop orders during the limited promotion period. The promo items are in addition to the other benefits SU! already provides it's hostesses & will count towards the hostess credit amount earned. On line orders do not qualify for this promotion. Both offers expire on Monday, November 30^th, so don't delay; contact your demo & book your workshop today!!!

Stampin' Tips & Techniques ~ Wax Paper Resist, a New Twist on an old Favorite!

Some of you may remember the 'old' version of the Wax Paper Resist technique, but I'm going to refresh us all the basics, then present the 'new & improved' method. For both versions you'll need:

Wax paper: the waxier, the better. Check the grocery store aisle where they sell plastic wrap & zip bags. Cut to 5"x6" pieces.

Glossy White cardstock: A2 sized pieces (4.25" x 5.5") are easy to work with & only require a little trimming to mount on a card front.

Iron & board: a no-hole craft iron is better for avoiding voids, but a dry regular iron works. All you need for an ironing board is a heat resistant surface a little larger than the cardstock. A piece of wood covered in aluminum foil or a bottom felted floor tile work just dandy & can be set on a table to use.

Clean Scrap paper: recycled copy paper or plain news print both work, paper towels are too porous & fuzzy.

Dye ink pads: any dye inks will work, but pick colors that are monochromatic (light, medium & dark versions of the same color) or analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) so you don't get mud where the colors overlap.

Rubber Brayer or sponges: both work, but the brayer is faster for getting the color down evenly.

Take one cut piece of wax paper & crumple it into a ball. Try not to tear the edges too much. You can also fold the wax paper to get a more defined pattern.
Unfold the wax paper & gently smooth it out. You don't want to remove the wrinkles, just flatten the piece enough to cover the piece of cardstock.
Place the worked wax paper between 2 pieces of glossy cardstock with the glossy side of both pieces facing the wax paper. Line up the edges as best you can so the wax paper covers both pieces of glossy cardstock.
Place this glossy cardstock 'sandwich' between 2 sheets of scrap paper & set the whole down on a couple more scrap sheets on your ironing surface.
Set your iron on 'high' & let it warm up. Use the iron to further flatten & fuse the wax paper sandwich. The scrap paper will stick a bit to the wax paper, but it's ok. Once you've gone over the area where the sandwich is a couple of times to ensure full meltage, set the iron aside & let the sandwich cool.
Peel the layers apart. One piece of glossy cardstock will have the lines of the wrinkles showing dominantly, the other will show the spaces between the wrinkles. By using 2 pieces of glossy cardstock on either side of the wax paper you get both a positive & a negative impression of the texture.
Use the brayer or sponges to apply ink to the cardstock. The ink will run off the wax. This is called 'resist'. Let the ink dry on the cardstock.
At this point you can blot any leftover ink up with a paper towel & leave the wax as a textural element OR you can place the cardstock pieces, glossy side up & not overlapping, on the covered ironing board; cover both with a clean piece of scrap paper & iron again to remove the wax from the cardstock. If you see the wax absorbing thru' the paper you're getting it off the cardstock. If there's still more wax than you'd like on the cardstock, use a new sheet of scrap paper & iron again. Repeat until no wax is absorbed into the scrap. (This method done with paper towels & a blow dryer is great for getting wax off a vinyl floor! Don't ask; just trust me when I say it works. LOL)

Sounds like a fun way to spend a rainy day, doesn't it? Now for the 'new & improved' version! In addition to the above supplies, you'll need:

Die cutting or embossing machine: I highly recommend the Big Shot from Sizzix, but any roller based machine that can use embossing folders will do. (Biased? Not me! LOL)

Embossing Folders: these are what they sound like, a clear plastic folder with a design inside that is concave on one side & convex on the other. The designs mirror image each other & mesh together when pressure is applied by running the folder, w/paper or cardstock inside, thru' the machine. SU! only offers A2 size folders at this time, but folders of various sizes & themes are available from other sources. You'll want an A2 size folder to make a background, but can use any size folder for this technique.

Place a piece of cut wax paper inside of an embossing folder & close the folder.
Run the folder w/wax paper thru' your roller machine as per the manufacturer's directions for using the folders.
Proceed with steps #3 thru' #8 above.

It may be possible to do this 'new' twist using texture plates & your die cutting machine, but I haven't seen anything online, nor have I tried it myself. I'll have to get back to y'all & let you know how it turns out.

Thanks to Deb at RSC for reminding me of this fun & easy technique!.

Important Updates & Other Information

My Digital Studio is now available! ~

Stampin' Up! is introducing their own digital creativity software in the new Holiday Mini! Chris, Donna & I saw it demo'd on the big stage at Convention & we're excited by how easy it is to use Stampin' Up!'s exclusive images & colors to create cards, scrapbook pages & more on your home computer! SU! is so sure you'll want to add this wonderful crafting tool to your computer tool box that they're using it to entice you into hosting a workshop to get the chance of buying this product at 50% off the list price of $79.95. Jenna & Chris now have this multi-purpose program & should have samples for you to see soon. (If we can stop playing with it long enough! LOL) In addition to all the nifty ways to play with SU! images & colors to create your own digital works of art, you can also have your digital projects professionally printed. If the logistics can be worked out, those of you who come to our Stamp Camps will have the opportunity to make a card using MDS & take it home at a future camp! To learn more about how this easy to use program can fit your crafting style, check out the new video SU! has posted on line!

http://www.youtube.com/stampinupvideo

New 'Clearance Rack' Available On Line!

Have you ever wondered what Stampin' Up! does with their retired accessories once the catty year ends? Basically, they've been packing it up & warehousing it until they decided what to do with all those left over papers & embellishments. Starting September 29^th, SU! has launched a new section in the on-line stores to liquidate retired inventory! Prices have been slashed to promote quick turnaround & quantities are limited to stock on hand. They'll be adding new products at some point after the sales period for those items ends, but please don't put off buying what you want from current catties & promotions in the hope that it will be available in the Clearance Rack later. There are no guarantees as to what will be added to the Rack or how long it will be available. All Clearance Rack purchases must be done as on line orders & the standard shipping & sales tax will apply. You can go to my demo web site at: www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net and look in 'shop now' section for the 'Clearance Rack' listed near the top of the index on the left side of the page. There may be retired In Color products, Designer Series Papers, ribbons, chipboard, tins or rub-ons that you may have missed.

Simply Adorned Jewelry Line release Delayed!

Stampin' Up! is also introducing their own line of beautiful beveled glass metal locket style charms & necklaces in the new mini. However, due to a manufacturing quality issue, they will not be available for purchase until this problem is corrected. Stampin' Up! strives to offer its customers the best quality products available & refuses to sell anything that doesn't meet their high standards. We'll let you know when these items become available.

My Digital Studio Demonstrator Starter Kit!!!

Have you pondered what becoming a Stampin' Up! Demo would mean for you? Would you like to make new friends & spend more time with the friends you have? Would you like to earn extra money every month? Would you enjoy getting together with other like minded crafty ladies & gents to learn about new products & techniques, create beautiful projects, & have tons of fun? How about saving 20% on everything you buy from SU!? Demos do all of these things! Stampin' Up!'s Demo Starter Kit is always a great deal at $195 (the value of all the stuff plus business supplies is over $300) & if My Digital Studio is making you think of great things, NOW might be the perfect time to join the SU! family! From now until the end of March, 2010, SU! is offering a MDS version of the starter kit for only $185. This new kit comes with My Digital Studio, 2 stamp sets, 4 Classic pads & markers, cardstock, ribbons, buttons & more! Plus you can add on the Stampin' Memories scrapbook mini kit for only $50 (this is an $83+ value). So contact me today to find out how easy it is for me to become your upline!

New Camp Schedule for 2010!!!

Life sure is a busy place! All of us have some combination of work, family time, church activities, school activities & hobby time to juggle. We demos have our versions of this list of things to do and Stampin' Up! is an important part of this schedule. We enjoy the time we spend with you chatting on the phone & thru' emails as well as the face time we get with some of you at our monthly stamp camps. We want to be available to as many of you as we can without sacrificing other important aspects of our lives. One of the issues we've discussed & revised several times over the years is what day works best for the most customers to come to camp & at what time of the day should we start & end? The final answer is that there is no one magical day & time that works for everybody, every month. So after reviewing attendance records for the last year or so, we've agreed that we're going to schedule our camps in 2010 a little differently than we currently are, but we'll only putz a little or not at all with the camps already on the calendar for the rest of 2009. The main change is that we'll only be offering camps on Saturday mornings since this is the day & part of the day that we get the highest attendance. We know this will mean some of you can't come to as many camps as you have been & may have to join us in spirit or pass on some camps. Donna & Jenna will still be having 2 Last Chance camps where you can make some of the projects you may have missed due to logistics issues. Chris may even join us for these make-all-you-want camps. Any changes to the remaining 2009 camps are in the title for that camp's listing in the Calendar section below.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!

Please mark the following dates for our 2009 Stamps Camps on your calendar. We don't want you don't miss out on any the new products, techniques & projects we have planned for your stampin' education & entertainment! We learned about all kinds of nifty things at the SU! Convention that we will be sharing with you at our camps. Contact your demo if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming events chock full of good stampin' stuff. Our Camps are held at Home Wood Terrace with the start time of each camp noted below. You won't want to miss all this fun, so contact your demo to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on Jenna's SU! website calendar at least 3 months in advance. Every month has a camp scheduled. We do not provide any kind of child care at our events, so we ask that unless your 10+ year old kids will be stamping with you (you can share your projects with them or pay for them to have their own set of materials), please make other arrangements for your little ones. At some of our camps we offer you the option of attending in Spirit. This service is for those who for whatever reason can't make it to a camp in person. You pay the same camp fee as those attending in body & we make your projects for you & your demo will get them to you the week after that camp. We'll note which camps offer Spirit Guest services in the Main Event listings. We're always open to your input & ideas, so please contact us if you want to learn something new!

October Main Events

Friday the 9^th, 7 pm – 10 pm ~ Punch Camp

Come join Donna & Jenna and get punch happy! For only $5, you'll get to make 2 each of 4 different punched creations. One set will be used to make simple cards & the other set is for your reference along with the supply list. This is our "Cheap Girls Night Out". We provide bottled water & Spirit Guests are welcome. Please RSVP by Saturday, October 3^rd.

Friday the 16^th, 7 pm – 10 pm ~ Technique Camp

Would you like to learn more about water coloring? Join Chris, Donna & Jenna to learn 6 different water coloring techniques for only $15! This is not a class for the stamp & go crafter. We'll be spending up to half an hour on each technique & making cards to showcase your efforts. Since the focus of this camp is learning the techniques, not the finished projects, we will not be offering Spirit Guest services for this event. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, October 10^th. Seating is limited to 12 guests, so don't wait too long to sign up!

While we always provide everything you need to make the projects at our camps, we don't have stock piles of certain materials & tools that will be used by everybody at the same table at the same time at this camp. If you have any of the following supplies that you are willing to bring to Tech camp for your own use, this will help offset delays from having to share what's available. If you don't have any of these items, please don't let it stop you from signing up & joining the fun!

Brush tip Blender pen (pointed rather than rounded)
Aqua Painter (water brush)
Stampin' Pastels
SU! Craft inks in your choice of Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal or Barely Banana
SU! Watercolor pencils
SU! Soft Subtles Watercolor Wonder crayons

November Main Events

Saturday the 7^th, 10 am – 2 pm ~ Holiday Blitz Camp

This is another of our Big Camps with Chris, Donna & Jenna. Please join us to make 12 winter holiday themed projects for $20. We'll have door prizes & treats! Spirit Guests are welcome. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, November 7^th. Don't forget! When Donna & Jenna's customers place an order by November 10^th to be added to their November club orders, they'll get 10% shipping AND no sales tax!!!

December Main Events

Saturday the 12^th ~ Last Chance Holiday Camp 10 am – 4 pm

Did you miss one or more of our camps since the new catty came out in July?
Are you behind in making your holiday cards to mail to family & friends?
Was there a project from one of our earlier camps that you really liked & would like to make more of without having to buy the whole stamp set & all of the supplies required?
Do you need a break from the holiday hubbub?
Would you like the opportunity to play with My Digital Studio?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to join us at this camp! Donna & Jenna will have most of their projects from workshops & stamp camps from the last six months (most of them are fall/winter themed), some pre-made holiday cards & tags, as well as previously retired stamps & accessories for sale. There is no fee for coming to this camp! What you'll pay is based on what you make & buy when you're at the camp. Projects are $1.50 each & the other items for sale are price as marked. The retired stamps & accessories for sale are discounted with many of them priced at 50%+ off the price last listed in the catty.

Questions? Please contact me if you'd like more information about anything in this newsletter or anything Stampin' Up! related.

Happy Stamping!

Luminarte Update

2009-09-06T15:05:00.001-07:00

Wonderful news!!! Luminarte received such a tremendous response to their announcement that it took them months to catch up on all the orders. They decided to restructure a bit & stay open! They have asked their customers to take a survey letting them know what your favorite colors are so they can cut back the number of 'standard' colors they carry from 196 to 72. I can't blame them for wanting to simplify! They will still do limited runs of new colors & specialty sets (like the new set of 12 yummy colors they are currently offering) & just maintain the standard line year round. So please let them know what your favorite Twinks are!

www.liminarteinc.com

Happy Stamping!

September Newsletter

2009-09-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

Happy Stamper News!

Volume 3 * Issue 3 * September 1^st, 2009

Stampin' Up! LOVES Happy Hostesses!!!

What does SU! do when they want to put a big smile on the face of their workshop hostess? They offer benefits you can ONLY get when you host a workshop with Stampin' Up! Starting September 1^st, when you host an in home workshop or catalog party with your SU! demo, you can get ANY one item in the new Holiday mini for ONLY $10 when your workshop totals $250+!!! When SU! says 'any one item' they mean ANY ONE ITEM!!! If a product from the big catty is listed in the mini with ordering info, you can choose it to be your $10 item. The $10 Any One Mini Catalog Item offer is only available for September, October & November 2009. This qualifying amount is the product total before s/h & tax are applied. The Holiday Mini hostess sets & My Digital Studio are exempt from this offer.

What?!? You want MORE hostess benefits this fall? How about the opportunity to get SU!'s exclusive My Digital Studio card & scrapbooking computer software for 50% off? This easy to use program that features exclusive SU! images & colors can be yours for only $39.97 when you host a workshop that totals $400+ in October & November 2009!

Both of these fantabulous offers are ONLY available to the hostesses of qualifying workshop orders during the limited promotion period. The promo items are in addition to the other wonderous benefits SU! already provides it's hostesses & will count towards the hostess credit amount earned. On line orders do not qualify for this promotion. Both offers expire on Monday, November 30^th, so don't delay; contact your demo & book your workshop today!!!

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this offer.

Stampin' Tips & Techniques ~ a poem for Stampers

I stamp to love, I stamp to live. I stamp to laugh and I stamp to give.

I go on binges putting on fringes. I knock myself out using my punches.

Embossing and embellishing…beads, buttons & brads.

And if my husband goes without…well, then that's just too bad.

My colors all match, I do it all from scratch, creating something…just for you!

I may case a little or I may case a lot.

And you best beware…I can even stamp while I'm on the pot.

The life of a stamper goes on and on and on…there will always be new catty's, new stamps & new tools. Because after all you know, life without stamps would just be too cruel.

So here's to my husband, my kids, and my cat. Thank you for your understanding.

I am a stamper…and I'm NEVER looking back!

Created by: Kevin Piotrowski, husband of ChrisP…and stamp victim

Please, let us know if there is a technique you want to know more about and we'll do a future T & T feature on it as well as use it on a future stamp camp project where feasible.

Important Updates & Other Information

Mini Catalogs ~

Alas, due a glitch in the on line mini pre-selector system, minis scheduled to be delivered west of Illinois have delayed. SU! expects that the New Holiday Mini will be delivered to the rest of us very soon. In the mean time, you can go online to the Stampin' Up! customer web site ( www.stampinup.net ) or to Jenna's Demo web site ( www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net ) to view the new mini. Club members may NOT place their club order online thru' either website!!! There is no way for us to add those orders onto club if they are submitted by you online. You are welcome to look at the on line mini & add to your wish list, but you must contact your demo to order for club. If you are not a club member, please feel free to order on line when ever you'd like. The 46.95 or 10% s/h & your local sales tax will apply. When ordering thru' the SU! Customer website, please remember to list your demo by name so she gets the sales credit & you get to pay the preferred pricing. (Jenna's customers can go to her site for preferred pricing.) Also available on line are the supply lists for both catalogs, free project ideas & additional info with photos for all of SU!'s current promotions. (as of today, 9/2/09 people are receiving their minis in the mail YIPPEE!)

My Digital Studio Release Delayed ~

Stampin' Up! is introducing their own digital editing & creativity software in the new Holiday Mini! Alas, it isn't available for customers to purchase until October 1^st. We saw it demo'd on the big stage at Convention & we're excited by how easy it is to use Stampin' Up!'s exclusive images & colors to create cards, scrapbook pages & more on your home computer! SU! is so sure you'll want to add this wonderful craft tool to your electronic tool box that they're using it to entice you into hosting a workshop just to get the chance of buying this product at 50% off the list price of $79.95. Jenna is planning on getting this multi-purpose program & should have samples for you to see soon. Oh! In addition to all the nifty ways to play with SU! images & colors to create your own digital works of art, you can also have your scrapbook pages professionally printed into hard bound 8x8 album This unique method of preserving your families memories makes that perfect gift for loved ones! More info will be posted here next month when this excited product becomes available!

Simply Adorned Jewelry Line release Delayed!

Please contact me if you have any questions about these Updates.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!

Please mark the following dates for our 2009-2010 Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don't miss out on all the new products, techniques & projects we have planned for your stampin' education! We learned so many kewl new techniques & project ideas at the SU! Convention that we want to share with you that we have to restrain ourselves from chucking all of our earlier project ideas. Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming events chock full of new ideas, products & techniques. Our Camps are held at Home Wood Terrace on either Friday Night at 7pm or Saturday morning at 10am & Saturday afternoon at 4pm unless otherwise noted. You won't want to miss all this fun, so contact your demo to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on Jenna's SU! website calendar at least 3 months in advance. Every month will have a Big Camp, a Punch Camp, a Technique Camp or a Last Chance Camp scheduled. We do not provide any kind of child care at our events, so we ask that unless your 10+ year old kids will be stamping with you (you can share your projects with them or pay for them to have their own set of materials), please make other arrangements for your little ones. At some of our camps we offer you the option of attending in Spirit. This service is for those who for whatever reason can't make it to a camp in person. You pay the same camp fee as those attending in body & we make your projects for you & get them to you the week after that camp. We'll note which camps offer Spirit Guest services in the Main Event listings. We're always open to your input & ideas, so please contact us if you want to learn something new!

September Main Events

Saturday the 19^th ~ Fall Into the Holidays Camp

At this Big Camp, Chris, Donna & Jenna will be offering you 12 autumn & fall holiday themed projects for $20. We'll have door prizes & treats too! Spirit Guests are welcome. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, September 12^th.

October Main Events

Friday the 9^th ~ Punch Camp

Friday the 16^th ~ Technique Camp

Looking to learn more about water coloring? Join Chris, Donna & Jenna to learn 6 different water coloring techniques for only $15! This is not a class for the stamp & go crafter. We'll be spending up to half an hour on each technique & making cards to showcase your efforts. Since the focus of this camp is learning the techniques, not the finished projects, we will not be offering Spirit Guest services for this event. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, October 10^th. Seating is limited, so don't wait too long to sign up!

Please contact me to inquire if this class is suitable to your stamping level.

November Main Events

Saturday the 7^th ~ Holiday Blitz Camp

This is another of our Big Camps with Chris, Donna & Jenna. Please join us & make 12 winter holiday themed projects for $20. We'll have door prizes & treats! Spirit Guests are welcome. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, November 7^th. Don't forget! When you place an order by November 10^th to be added to the November club orders, you'll get 10% shipping AND no sales tax!!!

Questions? Please contact me if you'd like more information about anything in this newsletter or anything Stampin' Up! related.

Happy Stamping!

More Fun with Veneer!

2009-09-02T15:01:00.001-07:00

Did my veneer tip sheet get your creativity flowing? Do you want to learn more about what can be done with wood veneer? Then head on over to gg designs & check out their September challenge featuring wood veneer!

http://www.ggdesigns.net/Gazette/index.html

Here's one of my veneer practice pieces using a stamp from LIWP colored with pencils, synthetic paint thinner & over layed with Twinks.

This was one of my postcard entries for a contest held by Dowlen W&P. I heat embossed both the main image & the background on Maple veneer using SU! stamps. This is the only type of veneer that holds up under a heat tool, but be very careful to NOT over heat it! I dyed the veneer after spray sealing using a brayer & rainbow dye ink pad. The sealer blocked the ink in some areas giving the piece a variegated look.

This is a spiffed up version of a tag I made for an RSC monthly Color Challenge swap. April's I think. I used chalk inks & Brilliance metallic ink to stamp on the veneer.

These projects are only the beginning as the possibilities are ENDLESS!!! So go out there and make something beautiful using veneer, you'll thank yourself. Happy Stamping!

Using Wood Veneer

2009-08-28T14:11:00.001-07:00

At some point in the last year I met a delightfully exuberant man on line thru' Rubber Stamp Chat named Pat Dowlen. This hard working family man sells a wonderful crafting product known as wood veneer. It's the perfect material for stamp projects featuring masculine & nature themes! Stamping on veneer is different than stamping on paper, but the extra steps are so worth the effort. Yes, Stampin' Up! now carries paper backed White Birch veneer (Texture Cuts Wood Sheets) & while I usually encourage the use of everything SU! offers, I have to say for the record that Pat's veneers are not only better quality, they're a better value as well as available in several wood types in different colors to provide us with more crafting options. The list below was compiled by me at Pat's request.

Tips for using wood veneer:

This is actual wood cut from logs in one long continuous piece and then cut to the desired size. Sometimes it is glued to heavy craft paper or poster board for stability. It has not been sealed and is not acid or or lignin free! It needs to be sealed with a good quality matte clear acrylic spray. (i.e. Krylon or other brand) You can also use an archival neutralizer such as Archival Mist prior to sealing to lessen the impact the veneer may have in your scrapbooks.
The paper thin, unbacked veneers can be cut very easily using punches and both the backed & unbacked versions can be used in any die cut machine.
Liquid adhesives used on the unbacked veneer can cause the wood to buckle & should not be used! This includes glue sticks & paste glue as well as any glue from a bottle or tube such as Elmer's or Eileen's Tacky line. If you plan to punch or die cut your veneer, pre-backing it with sheet tape or Xyron will stabilize it & lessen the chance of cracking as well as making adhering the cut pieces to your project very easy.
The poster board (white) backed materials makes for beautiful postcards, bookmarks & business cards! If you have a flat feed ink jet printer (the paper doesn't get rolled over during the printing) you can print directly on the veneer. You must seal the veneer before printing on it.
After sealing the surface, veneer is wonderful for all kinds of coloring mediums! You can use, but are not limited to: markers, pencils, water color paints (including Twinkling H2Os), watercolor pencils & crayons, and rubber stamping inks. You'll want to use a permanent ink (i.e. StazOn, Archival ink, SU! Basic Black, Brown & Gray or other solvent based ink) when using any of the water based colorants, including the markers, to prevent the outline of your stamped images from bleeding into your colors. Also, you'll want to use opaque mediums when coloring on the darker woods or the colors won't show very well. Pencils, Twinks & crayon all show on the darker colors as long as you don't dilute the pigments with too much water. When in doubt as to how a certain medium will look, try it first on a small piece of the veneer. You may also wish to seal the surface after coloring if the medium is prone to bleeding when exposed to humidity or other sources of moisture.
You can heat emboss on the Maple veneer! The other woods are likely to crack & blister (rise up from the backing material) when subjected to the high heat of a standard heat tool, so don't use them for this technique. To emboss the Maple wood, lightly dust the surface of the veneer with an anti-static powder than stamp your image(s) using pigment ink & cover the wet ink with embossing powder. Tap off the excess powder & heat. Hold the heat tool about 3 inches away from the surface to avoid cracking the wood by drying it out too fast. It will take a smidge longer to melt the powder than it does when embossing on paper, but the raised contrast is worth the extra effort! You can then leave the image to stand as is or add color.
You can also dry emboss on the veneer! Lightly mist the unbacked veneer with water to soften it, then use any dry embossing templates, including Sizzix & Cuttlebug, to impress a patterned design into the wood. Allow the wood to dry completely before adhering it to a backing material.
Use your veneer to make boxes, envelopes & cards! Cut out the desired shape from a pattern or template, mist the fold lines to soften the wood & fold into the desired shape. Allow the wood to dry before adhering the pieces together. You can do any stamping &/or coloring before or after folding, but you'll want to seal any coloring before misting to avoid color bleed.
Craft inks work wonderfully on veneer! It's a tad bit thicker than regular pigment ink & designed to be used on multiple crafting surfaces (i.e. WOOD & fabric) as well on any type of paper. This opaque ink can be used to heat embossed on Maple veneer. The general directions for this type of ink state that using a heat tool to dry & set the ink makes it water resistant & fade resistant. DO NOT DO THIS WHEN STAMPING ON VENEER!!! The amount of heat required to dry the ink will make the veneer shrink and possibly crack & bubble. Let the ink air dry.
Wood tends to warp &/or curl when exposed to humidity. You want to store your veneer flat in an air tight box. To flatten out your pieces prior to sealing & stamping, you'll want to mist them ever so lightly with water to relax the wood, layer them with paper towels then set one or more phone books or dictionaries on top of them for several days. Check them at least once a day & change out the damp paper towels for dry ones so you don't get mildew spots.

DO NOT IRON, BAKE OR USE A HEAT TOOL ON THE VENEER TO FLATTEN IT!!!
The heat will cause the wood to shrink & possibly crack. If its paper backed veneer, it will not only shrink, it may bubble up from the backing as the adhesive liquefies & evaporates. This bubbling stretches the wood & makes it nigh impossible to re-attach the veneer to the backing in a way that looks good.

This information was compiled by Jenna Roby at the request of Dowlen Wood & Paper Crafts of Sweeny, TX & was last updated on 8/28/09.

If you'd like to know more about this wonderful product & order some for yourself, please contact me.

Happy Stamping!

August Newsletter

2009-08-12T13:14:00.001-07:00

Happy Stamper News!

Volume 3 * Issue 2 * August 1^st, 2009

I want to apologize to my readers for being such a busy slug that I haven't updated in months. My only excuse was a busy calendar & 2 weeks with a cold. I will endeavor to get my inky act together & keep it that way. ~ Jenna

Just for the Kid in You!!!

Stampin' Up! wants to bring out the creative child in all of us with a fun offer for August! When you place an order for $35 worth of stamps sets from the "Growing Up" section (pages 74-90 in the IB&C) you'll receive your choice of a FREE package of playful buttons from the selected list below.

Item #	Page	Description	Retail Value
116313	181	Playground Designer buttons	$7.95
116312	181	Sherbet Designer buttons	$7.95
114333	181	Button Latte Designer buttons	$7.95

There is no limit to how many FREE buttons you many earn for each $35 of Growing Up stamp sets you order. There are a few restrictions: The Pirate & Princess Personalized name stamps are included in this offer, but not the party kits & Stampin' Around Wheels do not count as stamps. Both the Spanish & French versions of any stamp set in the Growing Up section are eligible for this promotion. This offer is only available until the end of August, so please get your orders to us by Saturday the 29^th.

Club members may participate in this promo for full ordering bonus credit. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this offer.

Country Living Summer Cookout Kit is on SALE!!!

Earlier this summer SU! teamed up with Country Living Magazine to offer us some funtabulous summer cookout party & picnic decorating ideas. As part of this event SU! offered us a nifty kit that comes with stamps, ink spots, pre-cut paper supplies & embellishments to make your invitations & dining table look like Martha did it for only $24.95. SU! also has a paper supply refill kit available for those who wanted to stock up on these fun invitation & table decorating supplies or are planning a big party for only $9.95.

Well Ladies, SU! would really like to see more of these kits being used by their customers. To encourage this they've lowered the price of the price of the Country Living Summer Cookout kit to $14.95! That's 40% off!!! The refill kit is still only $9.95. I've attached the available flyer. You will be able to order this delicious kit at this reduced price only until the end of August. So get those summer fun orders to your demo by Saturday the 29^th!

If you have any questions about this limited time offer, please contact me for more info. Club members may participate in this promotion & receive ordering bonus credit for actual product total of their order.

Stampin' Tips & Techniques ~ What can you do with Hodge Podge Hardware?

What can you do with the Styled Silver & the Styled Vanilla Hodge Podge Hardware sets? You can embellish about 100 cards & other projects with them, that's what! Each tin of hardware comes with 10 each of 10 different styles of metal embellishments consisting of frames, fancy brads & ribbon slides plus 100 plain brads to use with the frames or by themselves. That's approximately 200 pieces for $29.95!!! You can't beat that price in the stores, that's for sure! What if silver or vanilla doesn't go with the project you wish to embellish? Not a problem! Just follow these simple directions for custom coloring your Hodge Podge Hardware to match any project:

You'll need these items to custom color your metal embellishments:

Metal embellishments
StazOn permanent ink pad (Choose a color that goes with your projects. SU! carries Jet Black & Cotton White, but Tsukineko makes 28 other colors.)
Tweezers or hemostats &/or disposable gloves (unless you like to have inky fingers that last for days)
Heat tool
Paper towels or scrap paper

After selecting a color of ink (make sure the pad is well inked) & the metal embellishment you wish to alter, don your gloves & place the metal piece in your tweezers with the fancy front facing down.
Press the front & sides (where necessary) into the ink pad firmly. You may need to do this several times to get complete coverage.
Once you cover the piece with the new color to your liking, use the heat tool to speed dry the ink. Be careful to not burn yourself on the hot metal or melt your gloves. You can also set the piece, right side up, on a paper towel to air dry.

TA DA! You now can have fancy metal embellishments to match your every project. You can also use alcohol inks to color you metal embellishments for a wider variety of colors to choose from.

So what can you use these fancy bits for? The frames are great for highlighting words & phrases and can also be used to frame small photos or stamped images on cards & scrapbook pages. You can also use the frames as a title frame on the covers of notebooks or a label frame on small drawers when attached with small nails or adhesive designer to work with metal. The fancy brad are great for embellishing the center of stamped or die cut flowers; attaching vellum, acetate sheets & other see thru' materials to your projects; and for accenting words by placing a brad over the 'o' or over the dot in the 'i' of any word. The slides fit smoothly on any 1/8" wide ribbon & can be used with ¼", 3/8" or ½" wide ribbons to get a gathered ruffle effect.

To attach brads of any size with ease, use a 1/8" hole punch, a Crop-a-dile or a Paper Piercing tool to make a hole where you wish the prongs of the brad to go thru' the paper. Pull the 2 prongs apart & push them down so they parallel the back of the paper & point in opposite directions. Are the prongs refusing to lay flat or is the fancy bit on the front wobbly due to not resting on the surface of the paper? Place the paper face up on a cutting mat or other damage resistant surface with your thumb on the head of the brad, then press down firmly to flatten the prongs so they lie flat & the head of the brad is flush with the surface of the paper. When possible, attach your brads so the prongs are hidden between 2 layers of paper. This gives a more professional, finished look to your projects.

Please, let us know if there is a technique you want to know more about and I'll do a future T & T feature on it as well as use it on a future stamp camp project where feasible.

Important Updates & Other Information

Catalogs, Mini Catalogs, Dormant & Supply Lists ~

You can purchase your copy of the 2009/2010 Idea Book & Catalog for $5 OR you can sign up to be a Happy Stamper club member for 2009/2010 & get your catty for FREE OR you can host a workshop (ordering $150+ by yourself counts as a workshop if it's not part of a club order) & receive the new catty as one of your hostess benefits!!!

Club members & customers who order regularly will receive their copies of the mini catalogs thru' the mail. The next mini will be the Holiday edition & should be arriving in late August with the sales period starting on September 1^st.

If you're browsing the new catty & can't find a stamp set or wheel you had your eye on in the old catty, but you're pretty sure that set wasn't on the retired list in June, it may be on the Dormant List. Stamps & wheels on the Dormant list are still available for purchase, they just didn't make into the new catty. They also may or may not be in the next catalog. So contact your demo to find out if that 'missing' stamp set is still available.

To save on printing costs & encourage more contact between demos & their customers, SU! is no longer including the supply list for the projects shown in the catalog. You demo has access to this information & will gladly share it with you upon request.

If you have any questions about the above info, please contact me.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!

Please mark the following dates for our 2009-2010 Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don't miss out on all the new products, techniques & projects we have planned for your stampin' entertainment! Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming events. Our Camps are held at Home Wood Terrace on either Friday Night at 7pm or Saturday morning at 10am & Saturday afternoon at 4pm unless otherwise noted. You won't want to miss all this fun, so contact me to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on my SU! website calendar at least 3 months in advance. Our Big Camps where Chris, Donna & Jenna offer 12 projects will be every other month, that's 6 big camps this year! The other months will have a Punch Camp, a Technique Camp or a Last Chance Camp scheduled. We do not provide any kind of child care at our events, so we ask that unless your 10+ year old kids will be stamping with you (you can share your projects with them or pay for them to have their own set of materials), please make other arrangements for your little ones. At some of our camps we offer you the option of attending in Spirit. This service is for those who for whatever reason can't make it to a camp in person. You pay the same camp fee as those attending in body & we make your projects for you & get them to you the week after that camp. We'll note which camps offer Spirit Guest services in the Main Event listings. We're always open to your input & ideas, so please contact me if you want to learn something new!

August Main Events

Friday the 14^th ~ Punch Camp

Due to a logistics issue, we have cancelled this camp. We have rescheduled it for October. (see below)

September Main Events

Saturday the 19^th ~ Fall Into the Holidays Camp

At this big camp, Chris, Donna & Jenna will be offering you 12 autumn & fall holiday themed projects plus maybe a Christmas idea or two for $20. We'll have door prizes & treats too! Spirit Guests are welcome. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, September 12^th.

October Main Events

Friday the 9^th ~ Punch Camp

Friday the 16^th ~ Technique Camp

Please contact me to inquire if this class is suitable to your stamping style.

November Main Events

Saturday the 7^th ~ Holiday Blitz Camp

Questions? Please contact me if you'd like more information about anything in this newsletter, the Happy Stampers Club or anything Stampin' Up! related.

Happy Stamping!!!

May Stampin' News!

2009-05-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Inky Whiskers Stampin’ News!
Volume 2 * Issue 11 * May 1st, 2009

Get Stampin’ & Scrappin’ in May with Sneak Peeks & FREE Paper!!! May is National Scrap Booking month & while some of you may not be into scrapbooking, we all enjoy the colors & patterns of Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper & the finger tip tantalizing Textured card stocks! From now until the end of May, when you buy any 3 packages of SU!’s Designer Series paper (including the Specialty Designer Series paper & the Patterns Designer Series papers) or 12”x12” Textured cardstock, you will receive your choice of a 4th package of paper for FREE!!! You can mix and match these colorful 60lb cardstock weight papers as you desire & there’s NO LIMIT to how many packages you can buy! You must order in increments of 4 for the promotion to apply, but considering how yummy these papers are, that should be no problem. The Textured cardstock comes in assorted packages of 24 sheets, one per color family. (In Colors, Neutrals, Bold Brights, Earth Elements, Rich Regals & Soft Subtles) You can see how many of each color & what the colors look like on pages 153-155. The Designer Series papers start on page 158 & you get 12 designs on 12”x12” double sided pages, 12 pages total. So mix & match to your heart’s content and stock up with every 4th package FREE!!! The regular Designer Series & Patterns DS are $9.95 each & the Textured cardstock & Specialty DS paper are $11.95 each.

SU! often gives us a sneak peek at new products before they release the next catalog, but they often tease our customers by not letting you buy these items before the catalog comes out. Not this year! During the month of May you can not only purchase the whimsical double mounted “Jumble Alphabet” set (see attached flyer) you will save 20% off the catalog price!!!

115199 Jumble Alphabet stamp set regularly $43.95 only $35.16 in May!

If this sweet set tickles your stamping fancy, don’t wait to order. Get a head start on your new catty wish list fulfillment & save money too!

The Extended Premium Crease Pad is now available!!!
Do have any of Stampin’ Up!’s Bigz XL dies? If you do, you may wish to consider getting the new Extended Premium Crease Pad! Because many of these dies have score lines intended to make folding these shapes easier, it’s recommended that you use a Premium Crease Pad when cutting to avoid cutting the lines meant to be folded. You can use 2 regular Premium Crease Pads, but it’s a bit awkward & there’s a risk of getting a gap in both the cut & scored lines where the 2 pads meet. Getting the Extended PCP makes cutting these larger 3 dimensional items just as fast & easy as using the regular PCP with Bigz & Original size dies. If you haven’t bought a Premium Crease Pad yet, I recommend getting the Extended model since you can use for all of your 3D die cutting needs.

117630 Extended Premium Crease Pad $19.95

Don’t forget about the two new XL 3D dies that were released in April! They take your paper crafting to a whole new dimension! Questions about these new dies? Please contact me!

Stampin’ Tips & Techniques ~ How to Layer Materials on your Big Shot to Dry Embossing & expand your Crafting Adventures!
Many of you have asked about using non-Sizzix texture plates & embossing folders, as well as metal & plastic templates & stencils with your Big Shot die cutting machine. I wanted to know how to ‘sandwich’ these creative options too, so I sat down one night & played. You may need to add or subtract shims to get the best results on your Big Shot as there is a small variance in the spacing of the rollers between machines. Materials that make good shims are: thin pieces of plastic i.e. the 2 shims that come w/the PCP, scrap cardstock or thin chipboard. I discovered that what the item used is made of is not as important as how thick that item is when making the ‘sandwich’ to feed into the Big Shot. The recipes listed below are for either a specific product or a specific measurement in millimeters & are items not shown with specifics, like thickness, in the directions on the Multi Purpose Platform.

· Plastic Embossing Folders (Cuttlebug & Sizzix):
MPP no tabs/regular cutting pad/plastic folder with cardstock or paper inside/regular cutting pad

· Embossing Plates (Fiskars):
MMP Tab 1/embossing plate/cardstock or paper/silicone pad/Impressions pad

· 1 mm thick items (metal & plastic stencils & templates):
MMP Tab 1/cutting pad/template or stencil/cardstock or paper/silicone pad/Impressions pad

· .5 mm thick items (plastic & metal templates & stencils):
MPP Tab 2/cutting pad/template or stencil/cardstock or paper/silicone pad/Impressions pad

· Paper thin Laser cut plastic stencils & .25 mm metal templates:
MMP Tab 2/1-2 shims/cutting pad/stencil or template/paper*/silicone pad/Impressions pad

(*cardstock may be too thick to get a good impression thru’ these very thin stencils & templates)

No Tabs in reference to the Multi Purpose Platform means that both tab pages have been turned to the left & the ‘book’ is fully open. This is the thinnest setting for the MPP. If the item you wish to emboss with will not fit thru’ your Big Shot after adjusting the tabs &/or shims, remove the MPP and try using thicker shims on top of one or 2 cutting pad for a base. Please, let me know if there is a technique you want to know more about & I’ll do a future T & T feature on it as well as use it for a future stamp camp where feasible.

Important Updates & Other Information
Tabletop Paper Cutter Unavailable ~
Due to the unexpected closure of the manufacturing facility of the supplier, this item is currently unavailable for purchase. SU! is working with a new manufacturer to arrange production of this item, but there is no shipping date available at this time. I will update you when more info becomes available.

2009 -2010 Idea Book & Catalog Pre-Order!!!
SU! has decided to go back to one Idea Book & Catalog for the year, starting this summer. The new catty will be released around the end of June with the sales period starting after July 1st. You can pre-order your copy of the 2009/2010 Idea Book & Catalog for $5 OR you can sign up to be a Stamper’s 10 club member for 2009/2010 & get your catty for FREE OR you can host a workshop in May or June (ordering $150+ by yourself counts as a workshop if it’s not part of a club order) & receive the new catty as one of your hostess benefits!!! Club members & customers who order regularly will receive their copies of the mini catalogs thru’ the mail. If you have any questions about the new catalog, please contact me for more info.

2009 -2010 Stamper’s 10 Club Sign Up Starts NOW!!!
What is the Stamper’s 10 Club? Just the easiest way to get the stamps, papers, inks, embellishments & tools you desire from Stampin’ Up! without spending the kid’s college money or the rent check!

How it works:
· 10 people sign up to order once a month for 10 months (Aug 2009-May 2010)
· Each club member gets to be hostess of the club order one month of club
· Club orders are a minimum of $15 (product value before s/h & tax added), this adds up to a qualifying workshop catalog party & earns hostess benefits.

What you get when you are member of MY club:
· The 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog FREE! (plus all the minis mailed to you)
· Minimum Level 1 Hostess benefits when it’s your turn to be club hostess!
· FREE SU! ordering bonuses when you order more than the club minimum! (bonuses start when you place a club order for $35+ in any club month)
· An additional BONUS when you get all 10 club orders turned in on time every month! ($9.95 value)
· FREE mailing if you live too far away to make pick up/delivery feasible! (You have to pay the standard 10% s/h on your club order each month, but I don’t charge extra to mail your order to you after the club order arrives at my house each month.)

Some additional info to ponder:
· Depending on club membership numbers, Donna & I may combine our clubs to fill all 10 months. This has no negative effect on club and will in fact raise the monthly club total giving everybody better hostess benefits.
· While the catty is going back to a once a year publishing, the minis are increasing to 3 per year, each lasting 4 months & containing a selection of new hostess items. This will allow for Double Month Hostesses! If you wish to be a DMH, you will be required to order a minimum of $30 each month of club, but will receive hostess benefits two months of the club year. If you’d like to sign up for the 2009-2010 Stamper’s 10 Club or have questions about club that haven’t been addressed here, please contact me!

Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog Retirement Lists~
I don’t currently have a release date for either the Retiring Stamp Set list or the Retiring Accessories list. The Stamp list should be available in the next couple of weeks & the Accessory list by June. I’ll send the lists out as soon as they become available!

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!
Please mark the following dates for our upcoming Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don’t miss out on all the inky adventures! Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming Camps. Our Camps are held at Home Wood Terrace on either Friday Night or Saturday morning & evening. We usually offer 2 sessions for each camp: Friday night from 7-10pm/Saturday morning from 10am-1pm for Punch Camps or 10am–2pm & 4pm–8pm for Big Camps unless otherwise noted. You don’t want to miss all this fun, so contact me to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on the website calendar at least 3 months in advance. We will soon be scheduling our monthly camps for the new catty year!!! Our Big camps where Chris, Donna & I offer 12 projects will continue to be held every other month & the 3 of us are working on the details for advanced technique camps to be offered in the fall & spring. Donna & I will offer two of our fun Punch Camps as well as two Make-All-You-Want camps (Last Chance Holiday Cards & Retirement). We’re always open to your input & ideas, so please contact me if you’ve want to learn something new!

May Main Events
Friday the 22nd & Saturday the 23rd ~ Punch Camp
Friday night from 7-10pm & on Saturday morning from 10am–1pm we’ll be offering 4 simple punch themed cards plus 4 examples of the punched creations to save for reference. The cost is $5 & Spirit Guests are welcome.

June Main Events
Saturday the 6th ~ Linda Ingersoll’s Club workshop
I don’t normally announce workshops in the newsletter, but this is a special event. Many of you have met Linda at camp. She is my Stamper’s 10 Club June hostess & she’s asked to have an open stamp camp style workshop. (Club members always have the option of hosting a workshop to collect outside orders to go towards the club order total to enhance their hostess benefits.) This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, June 6th at 11am & will be at the HWT Rec Room where we hold our regular camps. We will be doing 10 cards for a fee of $15 and everybody is invited!!! The format will be similar to our big camps but with some workshop elements like tag kit goodie bag door prizes.

Friday the 26th ~ Retirement Camp
Yes, this is a different day than we listed in April. Donna had a logistics shift for a Missions Trip she & her daughter are taking in June and we had to change the camp date to accommodate. (Donna lives in HWT & gets us the Rec Room, no Donna = no camp) Camp will start at 3pm & run until 9pm or until we run out of projects for you to make. This camp is pretty mellow with everybody working at their own pace to make as much or as little as they want. It’s a chance to make some of the projects you may have missed or make more of the projects you really liked. We offer our projects from our camps & workshops during the past year for $1.50 each at this camp. We don’t offer Spirit Guest services for this one & quantities are limited to what we have available. We also bring our previously retired stamps & accessories priced at a discount. Please RSVP the week before camp so we know how many tables & chairs to set up.

July Main Events
Saturday the 25th ~ Christmas in July is BACK!!!
That’s right, we’re bringing back the Christmas in July Stamp Camp! We will be offering you 12 Christmas & winter themed cards to get your ideas for your own 2009 holiday cards flowing. The camp fee will be $20 & will not include the new catty. We’ll have all the usual fun of door prizes & munchies at the 2 sessions (10am & 4pm) and Spirit Guests will be welcome.

P.S. Egad! Where did April go.

Extended Premium Crease Pad Available!

2009-04-09T12:32:00.001-07:00

I wanted to let y'all know that the Extended Premium Crease Pad is now available from SU! Why would you need this tool accessory? If you have the Big Shot die cutting system (You really should have one, they're awesome!) and use any of the Bigz XL dies that create boxes, bags or any folded shape, you should use the EPCP to get the best results when cutting. The thick base dies are made with steel blades. These blades when sharpened can cut thru' all kinds of materials & enhance your creativity. When these blades are left dull & rounded, they leave scored or creased lines in paper & cardstock that allow you to fold the cut items into 3D shapes. If you use a regular clear cutting pad on dies that have both cutting & scoring blades you run the high risk of cutting the score lines. You can repair cut score lines with frosted 'invisible' tape placed over the cut on the inside of the shape, but it doesn't look as good. Why repair when you can prevent?

Using the Premium Crease Pad or the EPCP when cutting 3D shapes allows the cutting blades to cut & allows the scoring blades to score. You can use 2 regular PCP with your Bigz XL dies, but you may get little skipped spots in both cut & score lines from where the 2 pads meet. The Extended PCP is long enough & wide enough to completely cover the surface of an XL die & can be used with smaller dies.

The question arrises: What can I cut with my Big Shot?

The thin Sizzlits, including the Decorative Strips, can cut plain & patterned scrapbook paper as well as light to medium weight cardstocks (80lb or less).

The Embosslits (mini folders that cut & emboss a shape at the same time) can cut paper & cardstock.

Both of these types of thin dies are made by acid etching the design into metal. They are designed to cut thin materials only. Using materials that are too thick will result in poor results at best & may damage the dies.

The thick base dies (Original, Bigz & Bigz XL) that have both cutting & scoring blades should not be used with thick materials that can't be bent. Materials that would make dandy 3D items are:

Paper (patterned, flocked, textured, metallic, etc)
Cardstock
Thin embossing metals (aluminum, tin, copper & colored foils*)
Wood veneer* (wet it first so it doesn't crack)
Metal mesh
Drawer liner*
Shelf liner*
Wall Paper
Vinyl*
Clear acetate (20 mil)
Vellum
Fabric* (canvas, iron-on, plush, burlap, velvet, denim, thin leather, lace, felt)
Thin Fun Foam

When cutting 3D items, you must only cut one layer of the material at a time. Cutting multiple layers will result in the bottom layers getting their score lines cut from the added pressure.

*The more flexible materials will be easier to work with if they have been adhered to a supporting layer of light weight cardstock prior to cutting.

When cutting any 2D shape from an Origianl, Bigz or Bigz XL die you can cut all of the materials list above plus:

Thick corkboard
Thick chipboard (59 mil)
Magnet sheet
Balsa wood (3/32")
Bass wood (1/16")
Mat board
Static cling vinyl
Shrink film
Fine sandpaper
Fun Foam
Quilt batting
Rubber (make your own shadow stamps!)
Beeswax (layer wax between 2 sheets of parchment paper when cutting)

If you are cutting small & delicate shapes or cutting from delicate materials using any of the dies, you may wish to apply double stick adhesive that has a backing paper prior to cutting. Little & delicate pieces are rather challenging to put adhesive on after cutting. Xyron, Red Liner, Miracle Tape are all brands of double stick sheets that can be used. You can also look in the fabric store for Wonder Under or other brands of fusible web as an alternative to sticky adhesive sheets when working with fabrics & other materials that can be safely ironed. Basically, pick an adhesive that will bond the material you're cutting to the surface of your project.

Gee, I intended for this to be short. Silly me! LOL

Happy Stamping!

Get Connected in April!

2009-04-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

Howdy-dee-do, Inky Land!

SU! has worked out the kink that prevented the Get Connected promotion from starting yesterday, so here’s the scoop:

Place an order during April for $40+ worth of fantabulous products from the Occasions mini catalog & choose any of the “Under 10” stamps on page 208 in the big catty for FREE! There is no limit to how many FREE stamps you can earn thru’ this promo! You must order a minimum of $40 (product total before s/h & tax are added) to qualify & order in $40 increments to earn the FREE stamps. An order of $150+ will earn you 3 choices plus one more for hosting a qualifying workshop in addition to your regular hostess benefits. As a hostess, you may only receive one FREE stamp as part of your hostess benefits, but you can earn as many as you’d like with your personal ordering.

Happy Stamping!

April Stampin' News!

2009-04-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Inky Whiskers Stampin’ News!
Volume 2 * Issue 10 * April 1st, 2009

Get Connected in April!!!
Alas, due to technical difficulties, this promotion is on hold for now. I will send out the new & improved info as soon as I can.

3D Pop Up Bigz XL Dies Are Here!!!
After several months of impatiently waiting the 3D Pop Up Dies are finally available! Stampin’ Up! is offering 2 styles of 3D dies that can be used for many different occasions. The 3D Ball will fit best on a 6.5” x 6.5” card & the 3 Tier Cake will fit best on a standard A2 card. (4.25” x 5.5”) Because these dies have score lines, it’s recommended that you use a Premium Crease Pad when using these dies. The Extended PCP is not available yet, but you can use 2 regular PCPs placed end to end on top of the cardstock as a reasonable substitute until the Extended PCP becomes available.

Item Name Price
116759 3-D Ball Pop-up Bigz XL die $39.95
116760 Three Tier Cake Pop-up Bigz XL die $39.95
117630 Extended Premium Crease Pad- Coming Soon! $19.95

Questions about these new dies? Please contact me!

Stampin’ Tips & Techniques ~ Glitzy Stained Glass!
Create a colored overlay using stamps, StazOn ink, Crystal Effects & glitter on Window Sheets. Other useful items to have on hand are an Embossing Buddy, a toothpick & paper towels. Open line coloring book style images work best for this technique.

1) Cut a piece of Window Sheet acetate to the desired size. This may be just a bit larger than the image you wish to use or large enough to be a full size layer on a card front or scrapbook page.
2) Stamp your chosen stamp image on the acetate using StazOn ink. Press carefully & don’t wiggle the stamp or you’ll smear the image. Let dry completely.
3) Turn the acetate over & lightly dust the now facing up side with the Embossing Buddy.
4) Carefully fill one area of the image with the Crystal Effects. You want a thin even layer that is within the lines. If you dribble over the line, use the toothpick to carefully wipe the excess off the acetate. You don’t want to scratch the surface as it may show from the other side.
5) Sprinkle a generous layer of fine or chunky glitter over the adhesive, cover the glued area completely & let dry for a few minutes. You want the adhesive dry enough to not run when you tilt the piece to pour the excess glitter back into the jar.
6) Repeat steps 4 & 5 in another area of the image that doesn’t touch the last area done.
7) Repeat again if there is another area that doesn’t touch the 2 already done. If there isn’t, set the piece aside to let the adhesive dry.
8) Once the done areas are dry, repeat steps 4 & 5 on the remaining areas & let the piece dry completely. This may take as long as over night, depending on the humidity at the time.
9) Once the adhesive is completely dry, gently tap the non-glittered side of the piece to knock any loose glitter off. If there are any bare spots, add adhesive & glitter to that spot & let dry.

Attach the piece stamped side up, using brads or eyelets placed at the corners or glue dots placed under the glittered area. Glue dots work best if you used opaque glitter. The glue dots may show thru’ transparent glitters.

Please, let me know if there is a technique you want to know more about & I’ll do a future T & T feature on it as well as use it for a future stamp camp where feasible.

Important Updates & Other Information:

Washington Sales Tax Rate Increase Effective April 1st, 2009!
I’m sorry to have to inform you of this if you weren’t aware of it, but effective today the standard tax rate for King County is now 9.5%. Snohomish & Pierce County’s sales taxes have also gone up. Not all areas in these counties will have the higher rates, but most will & I won’t know for sure which ones until I check the SU! tax rate chart for your address. Club members will have to pay the 9.5% rate since club is shipped to me & I live in one of the raised rate areas. Individual non-club instate orders being shipped to your home may be charged a lesser rate depending on where you live. I will be updating my files to reflect the new rates for my customers. You can find out if your area is affected here: http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/Pubs/SpecialNotices/2009/sn_09_KingPiercSno-Co.RTA.pdf I know this bites, but apparently ‘we the people’ voted for the increase to help pay for the RTA Rail Line expansion.

FREE Spring Summer Catalog When You Order On-Line!
You can still get a FREE copy of the 2009 Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog when you place your first on-line order thru’ my demonstrator website thru’ the end of April. There is NO minimum amount of product you have to order to receive your FREE catty, but the regular s/h rate of 10% of the product total or $6.95 (whichever is greater) will apply. Please remember that there is no group ordering at this time, so club members CANNOT place their club orders online. All online orders must be for individual, non-workshop orders being shipped to the person ordering. If you are placing a single customer order for $150+ in product, you will receive your hostess benefits. If you wish to place an order outside of club, you may, as well as anybody else desiring to get their inky fingers on some hot SU! products. Already have the new catty? Give your FREE copy to a friend so they can stop borrowing your catty! The full catalog & the current mini are available for both viewing and shopping 24/7. The website address for Inky Whisker’s Stampin’ Up! site & store is: www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net Have fun exploring my site! Please let me know what you think of it & if there’s anything you think I need to add.

2009 -2010 Idea Book & Catalog/Mini Catalogs!
The 2009 Occasions mini sales period starts today, April 1, & runs thru’ the end of June. So what about future minis & the new catalog? SU! has decided to go back to one Idea Book & Catalog for the year, starting this summer. The new catty will be released around the end of June with the sales period starting after July 1st. You can pre-order your copy of the 2009/2010 Idea Book & Catalog for $5 OR you can sign up to be a Stamper’s 10 club member for 2009/2010 & get your catty for FREE OR you can host a workshop in May or June (ordering $150+ by yourself counts as a workshop if it’s not part of a club order) & receive the new catty as one of your hostess benefits!!! There will be 3 mini catalogs to entice & entertain us as well in the upcoming catalog year. The 2009 Holiday mini sales period will start September 1st 2009 & run until January 4th, 2010. The 2010 Occasions mini will start January 5th, 2010 & run until April 30th, 2010. There will be a 3rd mini after that & somewhere during the year we hope to see Sale-a-bration return, but this is all the info I have for now. Club members & customers who order regularly will receive their copies of the mini catalogs thru’ the mail. To see the current mini online, go to: www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net & look under ‘products’ then ‘shop now’.

If you have any questions about the current mini or upcoming minis or the new catalog, please contact me for more info.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!
Please mark the following dates for our upcoming Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don’t miss out on all the inky adventures! Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming Camps. Our Camps are at Home Wood Terrace on either Friday Nights or Saturdays. We usually offer 2 sessions for each camp: Friday night from 7-1-pm/Saturday morning from 10am-1pm for Punch Camps or 10 am – 2 pm & 4 pm – 8 pm for Big Camps unless otherwise noted. You don’t want to miss all this fun, so contact me to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on the website calendar at least 3 months in advance.

April Main Events
Saturday the 25th ~ Spring Thing camp
We’ll be offering 12 spring/summer themed projects for $20. Some may be cards for Mom & Dad, some may be summer themed & others may be general cards or 3D projects. We’ll have our 2 standard sessions available, door prizes, plus drinks & munchies. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, April 18th. Spirit Guests are welcome!

May Main Events
Friday the 22nd & Saturday the 23rd ~ Punch Camp
Friday night from 7-10 pm & on Saturday morning from 10 am – 1pm we’ll be offering 4 simple punch themed cards plus 4 examples of the punched creations to save for reference. The cost is $5 & Spirit Guests are welcome.

June Main Events
Saturday the 6th ~ Linda Ingersoll’s Club workshop
I don’t normally announce workshops in the newsletter, but this is a special event. Many of you have met Linda at camp. She is my Stamper’s 10 Club June hostess & she’s asked to have an open stamp camp style workshop. (Club members always have the option of hosting a workshop to collect outside orders to go towards the club order total to enhance their hostess benefits.) This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, June 6th (time to be announced) & will be at the HWT Rec Room where we hold our camps. We will be doing 10 cards for a fee of $15 and everybody is invited!!! The format will be similar to our big camps but with some workshop elements like tag kit goodie bag door prizes. I’ll post more details in the May newsletter.

Saturday the 27th ~ Retirement Camp
This is your chance to make up some of the projects you may have missed or make more of the projects you really liked but don’t want to buy the supplies to make more at home. We offer our projects from our camps & workshops during the past year for $1.50 each at this camp. We don’t offer Spirit Guest services for this one & quantities are limited to what we have available. We also bring our previously retired stamps & accessories priced at a discount. We’d like to only do one session for this camp & will let you know what the hours will be when we get closer to June.

July Main Events
Saturday the 25th ~ Christmas in July is BACK!!!
That’s right, with the change in the catalog release schedule this year; we can bring back the Christmas in July Stamp Camp! We will be offering you 12 Christmas & winter themed cards to get your ideas for your own 2009 holiday cards flowing. The camp fee will be $20 & will not include the new catty. We’ll have all the usual fun of door prizes & munchies at the 2 sessions (10am & 4pm) and Spirit Guests will be welcome.

Want a little? Place an order!
Want a lot? Host a workshop!
Want it ALL? Ask me how you can save 20% on ALL your Stampin' Up! purchases!

Puyallup Rubber Stamp Convention

2009-03-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Soggy Greetings Inky Land!

Heirloom has the info up for the stamp con in Puyallup, WA on the weekend of May 15-17 up on their website! The Friday night make & take party sign up is open as well. If you want to go to the party with friends & be in the same group, you need to have one person buy all the tickets at the same time. Otherwise you most likely will be in different groups & they don't allow you to switch. Here the link for the Puyallup show: http://www.heirloompro.com/shows09/shows-Puyallup-05-16-09.html

I'm hoping to go on one of the 2 days with Donna & I know of several Rubber Stamp Chat members who are also planning on attending. The show is lots of fun with demonstrations & make & takes at many of the booths, mini classes and of course lots of stamps, papers, inks, tools & embellishments to keep any Muse happy for at least a little while.

If one stamp con isn't enough to float your inky lil boat (you rubber glutton you! LOL) or you don't live in the Great North Wet, you can go to the Rubber Stamp Chat Virtual Stamp Convention the same weekend. This show opens Thursday, May 14th in the evening & runs until midnight Monday, May 18th. The VirtCon runs 24 hours a day over the 4 1/2 days of the show, so you can shop in your jammies and come & go as convenient for you. Each vendor will have their own booth set up as a thread in the Convention Hall.

I'll post more info as I have it. Happy Stamping!

Open Comments

2009-03-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note ~ I opened up the comment section so you don't have to be a Google member to leave a comment. I hope this encourages those of you that check in often to leave feedback. To lessen the chance of too much junk getting posted I left the human verification feature on (this is that funky word thingie you have to do to prove you're not a automated spam program) as well as set things so I can pre-view all comments & approve the post.

Happy Stamping!

Don't Miss Out!

2009-03-25T13:26:00.001-07:00

Hidey Ho Inky Land!

You still have a few days left to get your FREE Sale-a-bration stamp sets, ribbons & Designer Series papers along with your FREE Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog when you place a $50 order (that product total before s/h & tx are added) thru' my SU! site by next Tuesday, March 31st. This fantabulous promotion only happens once a year, so get your FREE EXCLUSIVE SAB GOODIES before it's too late!

Happy Stamping!

March Punch Camp

2009-03-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Inky Land!

A good time was had by all last Friday night at our 2nd punch camp of 2009! We made the following 4 projects using a wide addortment of SU! punches & papers.

Spring Flower DA #1: 3/4" Circle, Lg Oval, Sm Oval & Scallop Oval* punches; Oval All stamp set*; Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette & So Saffron Classic dye inks; Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron & Whisper White cardstocks; Pink Pirouette Designer Series Prints paper; Mellow Moss Narrow grosgrain ribbon & Stampin' Sponges.

Clown at the Big Top DA #2: 1/8" Circle**, 1/4" Circle**, 3/4" Circle, Full Heart, Heart to Heart & Lg Star punches; Bashful Blue & Sahara Sand Classic dye inks; Blush Blossom, Riding Hood Red & Whisper White cardstocks; asst Designer Series & Designer Series Prints papers (scraps); Big Shot w/Top Note die.

Got Milk? JR#1: 1-3/8" Circle, Lg Tag, Sm Tag, Lg Oval & Scallop Circle punches; Itty Bitty Backgrounds & One Smart Cookie stamp sets; Chocolate Chip Classic dye ink; Creame Caramel, Sage Shadow, Vellum & Whisper White cardstocks.

Easter Tulip JR#2: Scallop Oval*, Scallop Edge & Sm Oval punches; All Holidays stamp set (Easter Wishes is on the inside); Certainly Celery Classic dye ink; Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery & Orchid Opulence cardstocks; Embossing Stylus & Mat Pack. (OK, so this one looks more like a hyacinth than a tulip. LOL It's still works for a spring card.)

*This punch & stamp set are from the upcoming Occasions Mini. If you get your minis mailed to you, you can see these items on pg 8. Otherwise, you'll be able to see these items & the rest of the mini on my website starting next Wednesday, April 1st. (no foolin!)

**These punches are no longer carried by SU! but they are such usuful shapes & sizes that we still use them for punch camps. You can get these punches at your local craft &/or office supply store.

Now don't you wish you'd contacted me so you could learn how to make these fun punch creations? Our next Punch Camp is scheduled for May on Friday the 22nd & Satuday the 23rd. I'll post more info in the April Newsletter due out on the 1st.

Happy Stamping!

January Punch Camp

2009-03-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Howdy Inkyland!

Next Friday night at 7pm & Saturday morning at 10am are the dates & times for our March Punch Camp. Donna & I will be showing our campers how to make 4 creations using SU! punches. Everybody will be making 2 of each creation & using one of each to make 4 simple cards. The extras along with the supply list are theirs to keep for future reference. Once you start playing with punches the creative possibilites are endless!

The 4 projects below are from our January Punch Camp. I'm posting them to give you an idea of what kind of projects we offer.

JR #1 From the Heart: Lg Oval & Heart to Heart punches; Itty Bitty bgs and Holidays & Wishes stamp sets; Naturals White, Lovely Lilac, Basic Black & Brushed Silver cardstocks; Brocade Blue Classic dye ink.

JR #2 Thanks a Bunch Bunny: 1-3/8" Circle, 1" Circle, 1/2" Circle (retired), 1/8" Double Circle (retired), & Sm Oval punches; Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, & Whisper White cardstocks; Itty Bitty bgs & One Smart Cookie stamp sets.

DA #1 Just B Monkey: 1/2" Circle (retired), 1/4" Circle (retired), 1/8" Double Circle (retired), 1-1/4" Circle, 1-3/8" Circle & Sm Oval punches; Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa & Confetti White cardstocks; Basic Black marker, White Signo gel pen & Bold Bright Classic dye ink Stampin' Spots; Just B stamp set.

DA #2 Penguin: 1-3/8" Circle, 1" Circle, 1/8" Circle (retired), Boho Blossoms, Lg & Sm Oval punches; Basic Black, Whisper White, Only Orange & Bliss Blue cardstocks; Basic Black Classic dye ink; Smarty Pants stamp set.

Yes, some of the punches we used last January are now retired from the SU! line of punches. Don't despare! All of them are still available in some form from other companies including: EK Success, Fiskars & Marvy.

Would you like to join the fun? If you live in south King County, WA it may be possible for you to join us in person. If you live too far away to make the trip, you can always join us in spirit! What is a Spirit Guests? A Spirit Guest is somebody who for logistical reasons can't join us in person at our camps, but doesn't want to miss all the fun. For the same camp fee as those who can attend in person, we (the demos) will make your set of projects for you & I will mail them to you the week after camp. The fee for the up coming Punch Camp is $5. Contact me at inkywhiskers@qednet.com to sign up for this punched full of fun event. I'll be posting the projects from next weekend soon after, so stay tuned inky fans!

Happy Stamping!

AOC Show & Tell

2009-03-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Inkyland!

On February 28th my demo group (me, Donna & Chris) held our annual All Occasions Card camp & I thought you might enjoy a little show & tell.

JR #1: Gratuitous Grafitti & A Little Something stamp sets; Baja Breeze Classic dye ink, cardstock & textured cardstock; Naturals White cardstock; White narrow grosgrain ribbon; Flower Fussion Too w/small Crystal brad; Round Scallop punch & Circles die w/the Big Shot.

JR # 2: Simple Birthday Thanks & On Your Birthday stamp sets; Close to Cocoa Classic dye ink & cardstock; Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla & Riding Hood Red cardstock; Candy Lane Designer Series paper; paper crimper & Stampin' Dimensionals.

JR # 3: Pick-a-Petal & Stem Sayings stamp sets; Spot On jumbo wheel; Lovely Lilac Classic dye ink & Watercolor Wonder crayon; custom Versamark jumbo ink cartridge; Green Galore & Pink Passion cardstock; 140lbs cold press watercolor paper; Scallop ciricle & Scallop circle #2 dies w/Big Shot; Silver Hodge Podge Hardware; 1" & 3/4" circle punches; fine mist sprayer.

JR #4: A Kind Word & Curvy Verses stamp sets; Fast Flowers wheel; Almost Amethyst cardstock & marker; Basic Gray Classic dye ink; Certainly Celery marker & 5/8" Twill ribbon (from the SAB bundle); Pretty in Pink cardstock, marker & ink cartridge; Very Vanilla cardstock; Petal card die, SU! Backgrounds I Texturz plates w/Big Shot.

DA #1: B is For Birthday stamp set; Apricot Appeal Classic dye ink & cardstock; Tempting Turquoise Classic dye ink, carstock & narrow grosgrain ribbon; Confetti White cardstock; Rainbow Sherbet Designer Series paper; 1 1/4" & 3/4" circle punches.

DA #2: Celebrate Everything, Darling Dots & Sending Happy Thoughts stamp sets; Certainly Celery Classic dye ink & cardstock; Sahara Sand Classic dye ink; So Saffron cardstock; Delicate Dots Designer Series paper (SAB); 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" square punches; Lg & sm Tag punches; Word Window punch; Soft Subtles brads.

DA #3: One of a Kind & Elegant Thank You stamp sets; Riding Hood Red Classic Dye ink, cardstock & satin ribbon; Very Vanilla cardstock & A2 envelope; Boho Blossoms punch, paper crimper, Stampin' Sponge.

DA #4: Birthday Wish & Polka Dot Punches (SAB) stamp sets; Basheful Blue Classic dye ink & cardstock; So Saffron & Whister White cardstock; Delicate Dots Designer Series paper (SAB); Full Heart & Eyelet Scallop border punches; So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (SAB)

CP# 1: Yummy stamp set (SAB); Basic Black Classic dye ink; Riding Hood Red & Very Vanilla cardstock; Candy Lane Designer Series paper; Word Window punch; Pretty in Pink narrow grosgrain ribbon; Stampin' Sponge. (This projects is half the size of a regular card & contains CHOCOLATE!)

CP #2: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla & Kiwi Kiss cardstocks; asst Designer Series paper scraps; 5 Petal Flower & Scallop Edge punches; 5/8" Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon; Loopy Flowers deco strip die w/Big Shot.

CP #3: Sincere Salutations stamp set; Basic Black Classic dye ink; Whisper White & Brushed Silver cardstock; SU! Backgrounds I Texturz plates w/Big Shot.

CP #4: Botanical Blooms stamp set (SAB); Certainly Celery Classic dye ink & cardstock; So Saffron Classic dye ink & cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; Delicate Dots Designer Series paper (SAB); So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (SAB); Dazzling Diamonds glitter & 2 Way Glue pen.

These cards are a pretty fair example of our work. A good time was had by all & we're already looking forward to our next big camp in April! Now go out there & stamp something fun for yourself & a friend.

Inky Whisker's March Stampin' News!

2009-03-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

Volume 2 * Issue 9 * March 1st, 2009

Stamper’s 10 Club Corner
Club orders are due by the 10th of the month. The club minimum order is $15+ in product (before s/h and tax) or $30+ if you are a 2 month hostess. March is also a Sale-a-Brations month! When you order more than the minimum thru’ club, you already can earn FREE SU! products, but during SAB a $50+ order will also get you a FREE SAB item of your choice!!! February’s order bonus theme is “Pretty it Up!”!

A) Receive a FREE 3 pack of Stampin’ Sponges with your order of $35-$54.99
B) Receive a FREE jar of Stampin’ Emboss powder with your order of $55-$74.99
C) Receive a FREE pair of Stipple brushes with your order of $75+

To see your bonus options & color choices where applicable, turn to pg 190 to see the A and C bonuses and pg 186 to pick your color for the B bonus in your catalog. I accept checks, cash, Paypal and credit cards for club payments. The March club hostess is Candi Radach. Please make your checks payable to Jenna Roby. Club due dates & order bonuses will be posted on the website calendar starting this month!
If you have any questions about Stamper’s 10 Club, please contact me.

It’s Still SALE-A-BRATION Time!!!
Until the end of March, for every $50 worth of awesome SU! product you order at one time, you get to choose one of the 6 items SU! is offering this year in the SAB mini catalog. The best part of SAB? The more you order, the more FREE Sale-a-bration items you get to choose! Place an order for $50 and get one FREE item. Order $100 at one time and get 2 FREE SAB items. Place an order for $150 and not only receive 3 FREE SAB items, but Level 1 hostess benefits too!!! If you host a workshop during SAB (this includes February and March club hostesses) and your workshop orders total $300+ you will receive your choice of one FREE SAB item. That’s in addition to whatever SAB items you’ll receive for your personal order. You may order in $50 amounts as often as you like during the promo period and get to choose a FREE SAB item each time. Regular s/h and sales tax will apply, but with the new catalog available, you shouldn’t have any trouble ordering the minimum qualifying amount. If you haven’t seen a Sale-a-bration mini yet, go to my SU! site under Promotions.

Club members may participate in SAB and receive ordering bonuses for their full order. Questions about SAB? Please contact me!

March Stampin’ Special!!!
The Occasions Mini sales period will officially start April 1st, but what about Easter? There are 3 adorable stamp sets & one Stampin’ Around wheel in the new mini that can be used to make cards & other projects for this holiday, but if you have to wait until April, you may not have time to get your projects don’t in time. What is a stamper to do? Stampin’ Up! has decided to give us all a head start on those egg & bunny cards by offering the 3 sets & wheel mentioned above as a Sneak Peek ordering opportunity in March! One of these sets is also available in French & Spanish as well as English & you may order it in any or all of these languages. Here’s the list of Sneak Peek sets:

Item Description Retail Price
113196 An Egg-cellent Easter $21.95
113262 Wagon Full of Fun $34.95
113822 Eight Great Greetings $27.95
115421 Ocho saludos geniales (Spanish Eight Great Greetings) $27.95
114643 Huit souhaits sympas (French Eight Great Greetings) $27.95
113833 Egg Hunt Stampin' Around wheel $6.50

Eight Great Greetings & Wagon Fun of Fun are both multi-function sets that allow you to make projects for several different holidays & occasions. When you order any of the sets listed above, they will count towards your SAB benefits too!
Club members may participate in this promotion and receive ordering bonuses for their full order. Questions about the March Special? Please contact me!

Stampin’ Tips & Techniques ~ 10 things you can do with Window Sheets!
Why am I bringing up acetate Window Sheets? Because Stampin’ Up! is bringing them back better than ever in the Occasions mini! We’ll have 3 types of acetate to choose from and I know I plan on using mine as soon as possible. There will be a set of Printed Window sheets you can cut apart & use as overlays on your projects and 2 sets of plain 12x12 sheets in 2 thicknesses that can be used for all kinds of projects. What can you do with acetate?

1) Use a piece as a reusable palette for Watercolor Wonder Crayons.
2) Create a word overlay for your projects.
3) Create a colored overlay using stamps, Crystal Effects, glitter, mica powders & tissue paper.
4) Use it to make Shaker Boxes or a window in gift bags & boxes.
5) Use it as a replacement sheets to use with your Stamp-a-ma-jig.
6) Create Embossing Folders.
7) Do the Smackin’ Acetate.
8) Use it to customize glass ornaments.
9) Create die cut & colored embellishments.
10) Create custom photo embellishments.

What? You don’t know how to do all of these techniques & projects? Let me know which ones you want to know more about & I’ll do a future T & T feature on them as well as use them for a future stamp can where feasible.
If you have a technique you’d like to know more about or need tips on anything stamping related, just let me know & I’ll address it here.

Important Updates & Other Information

FREE Spring Summer Catalog When You Order On-Line!
To encourage more on-line traffic Stampin’ Up! is including a FREE catalog when you place your first order on-line thru’ a demonstrator website thru’ the end of April. There is NO minimum amount of product you have to order to receive your FREE catty, but the regular s/h rate of 10% of the product total or $6.95 (whichever is greater) will apply. Please remember that there is no group ordering at this time, so club members CANNOT place their club orders online. All online orders must be for individual, non-workshop orders being shipped to the person ordering. If you wish to place an order outside of club, you may, as well as anybody else desiring to get their inky fingers on some hot SU! products. Already have the new catty? Give your FREE copy to a friend so they can stop borrowing your catty! The full catalog & the current mini are available for both viewing and shopping 24/7. Have fun exploring my website! Please let me know what you think of it & if there’s anything you think I need to add.

New 3D dies for the Big Shot coming soon!
SU! announced in February that they’d be adding 3D Bigz XL dies & an Extened Premium Crease Pad to their line of Big Shot accessories. The new dies are for making a Pop-up 3 tiered cake that fits in an A2 card & a Pop-up 6 sided ball that fits a 6.5x6.5” card. The crease pad is for keeping the score lines on these & other Bigz XL dies from getting cut when using the dies. Both dies are currently only available to demonstrators as a pre-order item & the crease pad is not available yet. The 2 new dies will be available for purchase by our customers starting April 1st.

2009 Occasions Mini Catalog!
The new Occasions mini sales period will April 1, 2009 & run thru’ the end of June. Club members & VIPs should start receiving their copies by mail in late March. As an added bonus, many of the stamp sets in the mini are available in French or Spanish as well as English & some are available in all 3 languages! To see this mini chock full of mega kewl stuff you can go to my website on April 1st.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!
Please mark the following dates for our upcoming Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don’t miss out on all the inky adventures! Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming Camps. (I had the wrong dates for the March Punch on the website calendar & may have told some of you this incorrect info when communicating with you in February. My oops & the web calendar has been corrected.) Our Camps are at Home Wood Terrace on either Friday Nights or Saturdays. You don’t want to miss all this fun, so contact me to RSVP today!!!! This info will be on the website calendar at least 3 months in advance.

March Main Events
Friday the 20th & Saturday the 21st ~ Punch Camp
Friday night from 7-10 pm & on Saturday morning from 10 am – 1pm we’ll be offering 4 simple punch themed cards plus 4 examples of the punched creations to save. The cost is $5 & we’d appreciate your pre-paid class fee & RSVP by Friday the 13th. Spirit Guests are welcome!

April Main Events
Saturday the 25th ~ Spring Thing Camp
We’ll be offering 12 spring holiday themed projects for $20. Some may be cards for Mom & Dad, some may be summer themed & others may be general cards or 3D projects. We’ll have 2 sessions available: 10am-2pm & 4pm-8pm, door prizes, plus drinks & munchies. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Saturday, April 18th. Spirit Guests are welcome!

May Main Events
Friday the 22nd & Saturday the 23 ~ Punch Camp
Friday night from 7-10 pm & on Saturday morning from 10 am – 1pm we’ll be offering 4 simple punch themed cards plus 4 examples of the punched creations to save. The cost is $5 & Spirit Guests are welcome.

June Main Events
Saturday the 27th ~ Retirement Camp
This is your chance to make up some of the projects you may have missed or make more of the projects you really liked but don’t want to buy the supplies to make more at home. We offer our left over projects from our camps & workshops during the year for $1.50 each at this camp. We don’t offer Spirit Guest services for this one & quantities are limited to what we have on hand. We also do bring our previously retired stamps & accessories priced at a discount. We’d like to only do one session for this camp & will let you know what the hours will be when we get closer to June.

Happy Stamping!!!

2009-02-27T12:19:00.001-08:00

Howdy Do Inky Land!

The sun is shinning here while I semi-frantically finish getting ready & packed for the big stamp camp my demo group is hosting tomorrow. We offer 2 sessions & spend all day getting inky & having fun with our camp guests. Once my brain has recovered on Sunday, I'll post some good stuff here like the March newsletter.

I just wanted to remind everybody that Sale-a-Bration is in full swing & that when you place your $50+ qualifying order thru' my SU! web-site to get your FREE SAB item, you'll also get a FREE Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog with your order. If you opt to order less than the required amount to get a free SAB item, you'll still get the FREE catalog with your order. The SAB mini along with the SU! catty are avalable for viewing & ordering from on my website. The link is at the top of the side bar on the right of your screen. (SAB is over at the end of March & the FREE catty offer is over at the end of April or whenever SU! runs out of the pile of catties they set aside for this promo.)

I'm off to pack a small mountain of stuff. Some of you I'll be seeing tomorrow & the rest of you have fun this weekend and go get inky!

How to Reink your Stamp Pads

2009-02-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

EEEK! Where did the weekend go? I hope to update here at least weekly & more often if I have something to share. So please forgive me if there isn't a daily post & keep checking back. Thx.

Today's lesson class...LOL If you're a stamper, you have ink pads, probably for more than one type of ink & in as many colors as you can get your inky fingers on, right? What do you do when the ink runs dry? Your local craft & stamp stores generally don't carry many ink refills. (Impress in Tukwilla, WA does carry all the refills for the Tsukineko & other brands of ink pads they carry, but they are an exception.) Ink refills are small, easily stolen, plus they tend to fall over & roll off the shelf. The stores also make more $ when you buy a new ink pad then when you buy the ink refill. Most manufacturers do make refills for the pads they sell, you just have to know where to find them. On line stores usually carry the refills for the pads they sell & manufactureres usually have a 'find-a-store' feature you can use to find a place to buy your refills if the maker doesn't sell them retail. (Clearsnap does, but Ranger & Tsukineko don't) Stampin' Up! sells ink refills for every stamp pad they carry. It's a good idea to buy the refill when you buy the pad. Why? Sometimes the pads aren't 'full' when you buy them & will need to be topped off. Also, don't ya' just hate it when you're in the middle of a large project (i.e. making your holiday cards) and your stamp pad runs dry? If you have the refill on hand, you'll be stamping again in a few minutes instead of spending time running to the LSS (Local Stamp Store) hoping they have the one ink you need in stock or going on line & having to wait for your refill to be delivered. How you go about adding fresh ink to your stamp pad depends on what kind of ink you are using.

Dye ink is translucent and needs to be stamped on lighter colored cardstock or you won't be able to see it very well. The color of the cardstcok will also affect what color the ink appears to be after stamping. (i.e. stamp with light blue dye ink on yellow cardstock, the result will look green) Some dye inks have solvents added to make them permanent (mosture & light resistant) but all dye inks are made by disolving the color into water or solvent so they bond & can only be separated by evaporation. Regular dye inks can be reconstituted by adding water, but this will usually dilute the intensity of the color. I can't recommend spraying water on your dye ink pads as a way to get more use out of them instead of reinking, but it will work in a pinch if you only need to make one more card and you use just enough water to get a good image. Don't try for 10 more images, they will get more faded with each stamping.

Dye inks are generally sold in a felt stamp pad that may have a woven top layer. In regular dye ink pads, the ink doesn't 'dye' the synthetic felt and as the ink is used up the edges of the pad show white where the ink has receded. (The edges may also show white when you buy the pad, requiring the topping off mentioned above.) This white line around the sides of the pad is your clue that reinking is needed, if the faded stamped images aren't noticible enough. Using a bottle of ink from the same maker & in the same color (check the label, most dye inks look darker in the bottle than they do in the pad), gently squeeze a dollop the size of a quarter into the middle of pad. (make that a dime if it's a mini pad) Now wait for it to absorb completely. If your pad sucks the ink up in 2-3 seconds, the pad is really dry & you can apply more ink in dollops until the absorbtion rate slows down & you notice the white band around the edge is filling in. The ink will continue to spread out after it is gone from the surface, so wait a few moments between dollops for it to absorb. You really don't want to over fill the pad. This is very messy to clean up & if it's permanent ink, you'll have a lovely stain on your table, your hands & whatever else is in the area to remind you to not over fill your ink pads next time. (been there, done that, can't recommend it) When reinking permanent dye ink pads you won't have the white line to tell you when to add ink or when the pad is getting full. Always do a test stamp with these ink if you haven't used them in awhile to see how dry they are (they tend to dry out faster then regular dye inks) & then watch the absorbtion rate carefully. As soon as the ink isn't getting sucked up fast, stop adding ink.

You can easily add more ink, but removing too much ink is a pain. (If you do put too much ink into the pad, grab paper towels and blot the ink up until the pad no longer looks 'wet', then go wash your hands.)

Pigment inks are very different from dye inks. They are a 2 part suspension where the ground up pigments are in a viscous base, often glycerine. These inks are usually opaque and can be used on any color cardstock without 'changing' color. (Tsukineko's Versamark Watermark ink is pigment ink without any actual pigment added and is not opaque.) These inks are sold in a sponge pad that allows the pigment & the base to absorb equally. Pigments ink often separates in the bottle & requires a serious shaking to re-blend them prior to reinking your pads. (kids 5-10 can be great at shaking up your pigments inks for you) You'll know when your pigment ink pads need ink when the color looks faded upon stamping &/or embossing powder refuses to stick to the image. You want your pigment ink pads to be moist but not drippy. Too much ink will clog your stamp images making a bloppy mess when stamping. To reink the sponge pads, you'll need the matching ink refill & an old credit card. (you can use just about any thin stiff material, but the cards are washable & reusable) After shaking the bottle well to reblend the ink (if you can see 2 colors in the bottle, you need to shake it more) apply a drizzle of ink back and forth, loosely covering the surface of the pad with an open basket weave type pattern. Now gently tap the edge of the credit card across the pad from one side to the other. You want to be pressing into the sponge enough to compress it & make it absorb the ink when it returns to it's normal state, but not so hard that you cut the pad or splatter the ink. Work your way across the pad from different sides, spreading the ink out with the card if it starts to pile up in any one area. Do this until all the ink is absorbed. If the pad sucks it up fast, add more ink. If it takes more the 2-3 minutes to work the ink into the pad or starts oozing out the sides, you don't need to add any more ink.

Hybrid inks like Brilliance & MicaMagic are also in sponge pads. They dry faster than other pigment inks, but slower than dye inks. Reink them just like you would regular pigment ink pads, but know you may need to reink them more often.

The pads that come in craft kits or tubs of stamps (dye or pigment) are usually not of good quality (the pigment mini pads from Hero Arts are the exception) & as far as I know, you can't get refills for them. Your best best for those pads if you really want to keep using them is to find a similar color of that type of ink made by another company & use it to refill the pad when it starts to run dry. Considering the poor quality of these 'sampler' pads, I recommend giving them to your kids or a youth group. Better yet, just chuck'em & buy yourself decent quality ink pads to stamp with, you get quality results when you use quality products.

I know this is a lot of info & if any of it doesn't make sense or you have questions, please let me know!

Happy Stamping!

3D Big Shot Dies update

2009-02-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

Stampin' Up! had told us earlier this month there would be an announcement about the rumored 3D dies today. All today's announcement said is that demos will be able to pre-order them starting March 1st, but not what shapes the dies will cut or how many new dies to look forward too. Ratz! LOL

I know these new dies are not in the upcoming mini, so I guess we'll just have to keep our big kid panties on a little longer & wait until SU! releases more detailed info. Hopefully I'll have more to share about this by March 1st.

New Stampin' Up! Catalog Release Schedule Announced!

2009-02-20T15:00:00.001-08:00

Stampin' Up! just annouced that starting with the July 2009 fiscal year, they will be going back to a one catalog per year printing schedule. They had been planning on doing this in 2010, but with the ecomonic challenges these days, they decided not to wait.

This means that we will be getting one big catty this July (maybe late June) that will be good until the end of June 2010. Will also have 3 mini catalogs to look forward to, each one good for 4 months and containing a small selection of additional hostess sets, new stamps sets, new embellishments & new accessories to choose from during the year.

Stampin' Up! is always looking for new ways to keep both their customers & demonstrators happy & excited about Stampin' Up! and the wonderful products they offer. When changes happen this often means looking at how we plan for projects & events in a new way that will work with the changes, but it is always intended to improve our stamping satisfaction.

I don't have specific dates or info beyond what I've listed above, but I will let you know more when I know more. Happy Stamping!

RSC Virtual Stamp Convention

2009-02-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

I missed getting a post out yesterday, so you get a 2-for-1 today. LOL

Rubber Stamp Chat Virtual Stamp Convention!
Starting on Thursday, May 14th & running thru' Monday, May 18th Rubber Stamp Chat will be holding another of its wonderful Virtual Stamp Conventions! What is a virtual convention you ask? Only the most stamp shopping fun you can have in your jammies!!! X-Ray Amy from Beeswax Rubber Stamps set up RSC to give stampers & other paper crafters a place to chat about everything relating to our artistic passions and she invented the virtual conventions so we could get together to shop & have even more fun together. Most RSC members & vendors may never meet face to face, but RSC allows us to become friends anyway.

Here's how the Virt Con works: Amy sets up a special 'convention hall' in 'The Mall' section of RSC on Thursday and each particiapating vendor sets up their 'booth' as a thread in this section during the next few days. (you'll want to check back every so often to see what new booths have opened since last you looked) The vendors describe what their show special is & any particulars we need to follow when ordering to get the special. (This is usually a code we enter during ordering.) There's a link to the vendor's web site & we can ask questions on their thread or by email. Just imagine staying up as long as you want or popping in & out at your convenience during these 5 days of fun. Wear your comfiest clothes while cruising your fav web stores & meeting new favs to love! Plus there are NO lines to wait in, NO crowds to wade thru', & no icky over priced snackbar food to suffer.

Some vendors offer a % off when you order a certain amount, others offer a 'buy so many get something for free' deal & some come up with something totally new & fun to entice us into their 'booth', justs like a regular convention. RSC members get together in other areas of the site & chat about what goodies they bought & what they want to create with them. After the show ends, various swaps are offered to give us all a un-needed excuse to play with our new toys! (If you haven't participated in any of the RSC swaps you are missing out on some FANTASTIC art!)

You aren't a Rubber Stamp Chat member yet? Why not? It's free & safe plus you'll be able to join in the various conversations going on & play in the swaps. You also get your own space in the gallery to show off your art! Go click the link in the side bar & sign up NOW! (Tell them Inky Whiskers sent you.)

For those in the northwest US, The Puyallup, WA stamp convention is scheduled to be held at the Puyallup Fair Grounds & hosted by Heirloom Productions is the same weekend as the RSC Virt Con. The show is on Saturday, May 16th & Sunday, May 17th. Heirloom has not posted party sign up info or show ticket ordering info yet, but stay tuned inky fans! I'll let you know when the info becomes available at Heirloom's website. I encourage you to go to both shows & overload on stamping happiness, just like I plan on doing!!!

Occasions Mini Tease!

2009-02-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

Oh Ladies & Gents out there in Inky Land, wait until you see the new Occasions Mini!!!

Our demo copies are arriving this week & that lil booklet is chock full of wonderful spring, summer & mutli-use themed stamps & wheels. It also has a new punch and a new Bigz XL die, both with co-ordinating stamp sets; a new set of Rub-Ons, new Designer Series paper, 2 new colors of Corduroy buttons, new Designer Hardware embellishments and...Window Sheets are BACK & better than ever!!!

The official sales period for the mini doesn't start until April 1st, but because 3 of the new sets contain Easter images & words, you will be able to buy these particular sets (and the wheel that goes with one of them) in English, Spanish & French in March!!!

This special offer should be available thru' my web store starting March 1st & I will post more info here in the March newsletter due out on the 1st as well.

Happy Stamping!

Sale-A-Brate with Stampin' Up!

2009-02-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all you Happy Stampers!

Did you know that February & March this year are Sale-a-bration months? SAB is the annual promo offered by Stampin' Up! where you can earn FREE exclusive stamp sets & embellishments everytime you place a $50+ order with your demo. As an added bouns, you will also receive a FREE Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog with your website order thru' the end of April! SU! is giving away 22,000 catties, one per online customer while supplies last.

To earn a FREE SAB item, your order must total $50+ before s/h & tax are added, but there is NO minimum amount to order to get the FREE catalog. When you place an order for $100+ during SAB you get to choose TWO FREE SAB items & when you place your order for $150+ you'll not only get THREE FREE SAB items, but Level One hostess benefits too!

Please click on the Inky Whisker's Online Site & Store to go to my website to see the new catalog online & the Sale-a-bration items available this year & don't wait to place your online order as SAB ends at the end of March & the FREE catalogs are a limited time offer too.

Happy Shopping!

Luminarte Update

2009-02-16T12:58:00.001-08:00

It's been confirmed that all products at the Luminarte site are indeed 40% off!

http://www.luminarteinc.com/

Also, Stamp La Jolla just got in a big shipment of 6,12 & 24 packs of Twinks & currently has ALL of them in stock. They also carry 30 of the most popular colors in single jars. Oh! They are also releasing 4 new Hula Bunny images soon!

http://www.stamplajolla.com/

Luminarte has ceased all production, so get your favorite colors before they're gone!

Good Bye Luminarte!

2009-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

I just learned today that Luminarte, makers of Twinking H2Os & Radiant Rain, are closing this year. There isn't anything on their site yet, but they have informed their wholesale customers. Also rumored is all products are 40% off at their site, but this is unconfirmed at this time. To see their full line of wonderful sparkly paints, powders & spray washes go to their site: http://www.luminarteinc.com/

To get 50% off Luminarte products go to: http://morethanmemories-mtm.blogspot.com/

I was bummed when they discontinued their Radiant Pearls line (SU! carried a limited selection of these paints, way back when) & I resisted trying Twinks for a long time. Now that I'm hooked on Twinks, they're closing. WAAAA!!!! So get'em while they're still around & enjoy them while they last!

Inky Whisker's Stampin' News

2009-02-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my brand spankin' new BLOG!!! My hope for this venue is to share my love of stamping with those who know me & to make new stamping friends. My first post is an abridged version of my monthly email newsletter that I send out on the 1st of the month. I will post each newsletter here on the 1st, but you can go to my SU! website & subscribe if you'd like to get this info delovered to your email instead.

It’s SALE-A-BRATION!!!
Starting February 1st, for every $50 worth of awesome SU! product you order at one time, you get to choose one of the 6 FREE items SU! is offering this year. You get to choose from 4 darling stamp sets, a set of Designer Series paper or a bundle of ribbons! The Ribbon Bundle contains two 10 yard spools, one of 5/8” poly-twill ribbon & the other is 5/8” grosgrain ribbon. The best part of SAB? The more you order, the more FREE Sale-a-bration items you get to choose! Place an order for $50 & get one FREE item. Order $100 at one time & get 2 FREE SAB items. Place an order for $150 and not only receive 3 FREE SAB items, but Level 1 hostess benefits too!!! If you hostess a workshop during SAB (this includes February & March club hostesses) & your workshop orders total $300+ you will receive your choice of one FREE SAB item & that’s in addition to whatever SAB items you’ll receive for your personal order. You may order in $50 amounts as often as you like during the promo period & get to choose a FREE SAB item each time. Regular s/h & sales tax will apply, but with the new catalog available, you shouldn’t have any trouble ordering the minimum qualifying amount. Due to a delay in mailing by the SU! publisher, the SAB minis I sent to many of you have not arrived yet. If you don’t receive a Sale-a-bration mini by mail in the next day or so you can contact me to get an Adobe download flyer of the mini or go online to: www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net
Under ‘Stampin’ Up! Products’ go to ‘Promotions’ to review the SAB details & see the flyer.
Club members may participate in SAB and receive ordering bonuses for their full order.
Questions about SAB? Please contact me thru' my SU! site!

Stampin’ Tips & Techniques ~ How to use Spellbinder’s Nestabilities dies with your Big Shot.
This question has come up frequently since Stampin’ Up! started carrying the Big Shot last August. The Spellbinder website does offer directions for how to use their dies in other machines using their accessories & they offer written directions for using BS accessories, but they recommend you do things that Sizzix says NOT to do when using your Big Shot. So what’s a stamper with a nifty new Big Shot to do? I went & bought a set of Nestabilities and figured out a good way to use them with the BS & the BS accessories that doesn’t go against the Sizzix recommendations for use:

To cut make the following ‘sandwich’ starting at the bottom:
Multipurpose platform with TAB 2 on top (all pages closed)
1st clear Cutting Pad
Nestabilities die of choice (choose one ‘ring’ of the die set)
Paper or cardstock of choice
2nd clear Cutting Pad

To emboss with the same die on the piece you just cut:
Multipurpose platform with TAB 1 on top (one page open)
1st clear Cutting Pad
Nestabilities die you just used with the paper still inside the shape
Texturz Silicon Pad (used for embossing)
Texturz Impression Pad (used for embossing)

You can only cut one layer of paper or cardstock at a time when using Nestabilities dies, just like when you use Sizzlits dies.

How do you store your Nestabilities dies? They offer pricey magnetic pages for you to use for storage, but I came up with a cheap, easy method. You’ll need one slim cd case per die set you wish to store (they’re about ¼” thick and come in bulk packs), self adhesive magnet sheet at least 4 ½” square, and a ½” circle long reach or anywhere hole punch (the center thingy for holding the cd in place can’t be removed).

1) Cut a piece of magnet sheet 4 ½” x 4 ½” (or whatever size will fit the case)
2) Place the cut sheet inside the case (with the backing paper still on!), centered over the disc holding thingy & press down to make an impression of the thingy in the center of the sheet.
3) Use the punch (or scissors) to make a hole where the impression is.
4) Peel the backing paper off the sheet and adhere to the inside of the case with the hole centered over the disc thingy.
5) Use your finger nail to push the edges of the hole down around the thingy.
6) Place your Nestabilities dies in concentric rings with the smallest ring right around the thingy.
If you use clear or tinted cases, you need not label the cases & can store them in a cd storage unit, a box or a binder. These cases may not be larger enough for some of the dies available, but should hold many of them neatly & safely. For larger dies, try this system in a dvd case.

If you have a technique you’d like to know more about or need tips on anything stamping related, just let me know & I’ll address it here.

Important Updates & Other Information

New Website Available!
After years of pondering whether to get a site for my business, three things finally decided me.
1) People keep asking me if I have a SU! website.
2) You can now place Individual Customer Orders online thru' demo websites.
3) Stampin’ Up! is giving away FREE Idea Book & Catalogs to customers who place an online order February 1st thru’ the end of April. (no order minimum!)
I currently have the SU! website Event Calendar updated for the next few months & will be uploading projects from our recent camps into the gallery along with other modifications. Please bear with me as I learn how to do all this new stuff. There is one big limitation to my new SU! site: workshop participants INCLUDING club members CANNOT place their orders online!!! At this time there is no feature available for group ordering. All online orders must be for individual, non-workshop orders being shipped to the person ordering. If you wish to place an order outside of club, you may, as well as anybody else desiring to get their inky fingers on some hot SU! products. Already have the new catty? Give your FREE copy to a friend so they can stop drooling on your catty! The full catalog & the current mini are available for both viewing and shopping 24/7. The website address for Inky Whisker’s Stampin’ Up! site & store is:
www.inkywhiskers.stampinup.net

Have fun exploring my site! Please let me know what you think of it & if there’s anything you think I need to add.

New Décor Elements III!
With the release of the new catty last month, Stampin’ Up! released new additions to their exclusive line of Décor Elements. These reusable rub-on style decorations can be used on walls & other solid home décor items like lamp shades & furniture to customize & enhance your home environment. If you’re interested in what Stampin’ Up! has to offer in stylish home enhancement, please go my website to see the full line of vinyl wall art & stencils available.

New 3D dies for the Big Shot coming soon!
On February 20th, SU! will be adding two new 3D shapes to their lineup of exclusive dies! I’m not going to tell you what they are (that would spoil the surprise!), but they are pretty gosh darn AWESOME!!! I’ll send out a postcard to my email list with more info later this month. (I know, I’m a tease!)

New Dormant Stamp List Available!
The new dormant list for the Spring/Summer catalog is now available. Any stamps that didn’t retire in January, but are not in the new catty are on this list. These sets are still available for you to buy. They just didn’t make it into the new catty. Contact me to get a copy of the list.

2009 Occasions Mini Catalog!
The new Occasions mini sales period will start April 1, 2009 & run thru’ the end of June. Club members & VIPs should start receiving their copies in late March.

New Catalog Release Dates!
You may have noticed the sales end date for the new catty on the back. SU! has decided to go back to the July 1st release date for the next Fall/Winter catty rather than make us all wait until after convention in August. The next Spring/Summer catty will be released in mid-January 2010.

Coluzzle refill blades discontinued & the Coluzzle Starter Kit to follow!
Stampin’ Up! recently let us know that the Coluzzle Starter Kit & swivel blade refills are no longer available from the manufacturer. The refill blades are out of stock, but the kit will be available while supplies last. If you’ve bought this product, don’t despair! Refill blades are still available in some craft, stamp & scrapbooking stores, as well as online. Also, the Fiskars swivel blades will fit in the Coluzzle handle.

Stamp Camp Calendar!!!
Please mark the following dates for our upcoming Stamps Camps on your calendar so you don’t miss out on all the inky adventures! Contact me if you wish to attend any or all of these upcoming Camps. This info is also post on my SU! site calendar. Our Camps are at Home Wood Terrace near Federal Way, WA. We offer 2 sessions for you to choose from unless otherwise noted. You don’t want to miss all this fun, so contact me to RSVP today!!!!

February Main Events
Saturday the 28th ~ All Occasion Card camp
We’ll be offering you 12 All Occasion themed projects for $20. Themes may include, but are not limited to, Thank You, Birthday, and Friendship cards. Please RSVP & pre-pay by Friday the 20th. We’ll have munchies & door prizes available & Spirit Guests are welcome!

March Main Events
Friday the 20th & Saturday the 21st ~ Punch Camp
Friday night from 7-10 pm & on Saturday morning from 10 am – 1pm we’ll be offering 4 simple punch themed cards plus 4 examples of the punched creations to save. The cost is $5. More info will be made available closer to this event.

April Main Events
Saturday the 25th ~ Spring Thing camp
We’ll be offering 12 spring holiday themed projects for $20. Some may be cards for Mom & Dad, some may be summer themed & others may be general cards or 3D projects. We’ll have our 2 standard sessions available & Spirit Guests are welcome.

What is a Spirit Guest?
Sometimes the logistics just don't work out for somebody to attend one of our camps, but they don't want to miss all the fun. For the regular camp fee, we will make the projects for you & get them to you the week after the camp.

Who is the 'we' I keep refering to?
I stamp camp with my downline & another demo pal. We invite our customers to the events & by combining our creativity can offer you a variety of project styles at a reasonable price.

Thanks for reading & let the inky fun begin! ~ Jenna