Hello my sweet stampin’ peeps!  I’ve missed you!  I enjoyed the Christmas break but boy did I miss sharing with you these past few days.  I said I was going to take this week off but I couldn’t stand it anymore.  

I have something new I want to share with you today.  It’s called “Out of the Box”.  One thing Stampin’ Up demonstrators love to do is find unique ways to use our stamps, paper, ink and toys in ways that go beyond the basics.

I was organizing my stamp room, moving the Christmas stamps to an upper shelf (always a sad thing but it was time) and I went to put away my holiday Designer Series Paper (DSP).  I really prefer to use up my seasonal DSP rather than store it for next year and BOOM, it hit me…. I need some new ideas on how to use my seasonal paper.  So, like any good crafter would, I immediately stopped what I was doing (cleaning, so it didn’t take a lot of prodding to get me to stop), and went to work on using my DSP in a new way.

My card was made with the Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper.  This side of the paper is pretty seasonal-focused but….

….FLIP it over and voila!  I have a card that can be used all year long!

I used a couple of stamp sets here – Scenic Sayings and Botanical Blooms.  As you can see, any stamp set would have worked here. 

A touch of satin ribbon was the key to bringing this card together.

Well, I had more of this paper so here is a SNEAK PEEK from one of my favorite stamp sets in the upcoming Occasions catalog, Cool Treats.

I love love LOVE this new stamp set!  36 stamps for $27.  My favorite part of this set are the “highlight” stamps so that you can really get some texture on each of the treats.

This set also comes as a bundle so it has framelits to go with everything.  See that cute little cherry?  It’s adorable!

I really love how this Christmas paper has a “sugar” feel to it….almost like icing.

So, there you have it!  A couple of “Out of the Box” ideas on using up your seasonal DSP!  I hope to have more ideas on using Stampin’ Up products in unique ways in the coming year!

I heard from a few of you that you’ve received your Occasions and Sale-a-Bration catalogs.  You had the same reaction I did… you were in LOVE with what you saw!

If you don’t have your catalogs yet, be patient.  We are at the mercy of the U.S. Postal Service and with the holiday rush, your catalogs may be delayed.

Whenever I send out catalogs I have typically have about 10-12 of them that never make it to those that I send them to.  If the post office mangels a catalog in their postal machines, they just throw it away.  Oh the horror!  Yes, they THROW AWAY a precious Stampin’ Up catalog!

Sadly, I never know who has or hasn’t received catalogs.  So, if your catalog hasn’t arrived after the first of the year, don’t think I’m the worst demonstrator on the planet because I didn’t send you a catalog, drop me an email and let me know. I will happily check on it for you and get a catalog in your hands ASAP.

Don’t know if you will be receiving the Occasions and Sale-a-Bration catalogs?  I had one sent to you if you placed an order in my Online Store from July – November.

Well, I am going to get back to my family.  Christina is home from college for another week and I am going to FORCE the girls to watch “Fiddler on the Roof” with me. They’ve never seen it and I have begged them to watch it.  Today is the day… musicals and hot tea. It’s going to be awesome!!!

Join me tomorrow for the Stampin’ Gals Gone Wild Weekend Challenge.  I have a couple great cards to share with you.

See you then!

Use the DECEMBER HOST CODE PS9QZJU3 on your order of $20 or more and receive a SPARKLY gift* in your Thank You card!  Just my way of saying THANK YOU for using the Host Code!  

Remember, if your order is over $150, don’t use the code and earn Stampin’ Rewards (starting at $15 in free product) PLUS you’ll receive some SPARKLE as well! 

*One gift per person