Oct newsletter

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.

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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.
   
7. 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.
   
8. 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.

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

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

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!

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.

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

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 ~ 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!

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

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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.
   
7. 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.
   
8. 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.
   
9. 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.
   
10. 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

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
  

 

1. 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.
   
2. Press the front & sides (where necessary) into the ink pad firmly. You may need to do this several times to get complete coverage.
   
3. 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

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 ~ 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 style.

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 1^st.

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!

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.