Happy May!

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May to me is all about flowers and this month’s calendar page is just that. The flowers are colored with Blends markers and have Wink of Stella over them for a bit of shine. 

Secret Slider Card

Two of the recent cards made this month share the same template. The inside has a slider. 

The first card is using products from the Moonlit Flora Suite. 

The white piece on the front of the card is embossed with the Fern & Flora 3D embossing folder. The stamp set and dies are the Fern & Flora bundle and the paper is Moonlit Flora DSP, one of my all time favorites. 

When you open the card the insert, which is tucked under the right side section slides open.

 

The second card is made using products from the Waterside Retreat Suite. The stamp and die bundle is called Relaxing Waterside.

 

I made this a birthday card but there is a Father’s Day stamp in the set and this would be a nice card for any father or would also make a nice retirement card for anyone who likes to fish. For those who didn’t want to use the fish DSP on the front of the card there was a nice pattern on the reverse side to make the card less “fishy”.

You can see a video from Connie Stewart with instructions for making this fun fold card.

SPECIALS

One of my favorite new products with this catalog are the new In Color stamp pads. They are magnetic and stackable. The top lifts right off. Easy peasy. No more struggling to open the case. And because they are magnetic you can stack several pads on top of each other. You really need to see them to realize just how wonderful they are. The In Colors are in these new magnetic pads and next year there will be a color refresh and all colors will be offered in the magnetic pads.

And you can get these five new colors FREE when you sign up as a demonstrator. This is addition to selecting $125 in products for just $99. Want different products that the ink pads? Just select another $35 of products to your starter kit. This offer ends May 31st.

 

Pretty Party Kit    #167998      $25

This kit comes with everything you need to make nine cards.

DETAILS
– Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs
– Folded card size: 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ (14 x 10.8 cm)
– Colors: Cajun Craze, Calypso Coral, Flirty Flamingo, Fresh Freesia, Peach Pie, Very Vanilla
– Also available in French
– Includes gold foil

Kit includes one of each item listed below.
– Pretty Party Photopolymer Stamp Set
– Clear stamp block
– Cajun Craze Classic Stampin’ Spot
– Step-by-step instructions
– 9 printed envelopes
– Adhesive

 

 

April CD Calendar & Fun Fold Card

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Since Easter was in April this year the calendar design was easy using the Faith Collection stamp set.  Since my children who live locally were working we didn’t have a family get together. But I did cook and I took food over for my daughter and son-in-law who live in the same town as me. 

This is one of the cards I made for classes this week. It’s a fun card from demonstrator Erica Cerwin at Pink Buckaroo. See Erica’s card here.  You can see that I made a few changes to my card. 

 

The stamp set is Help Me Grow.

 

It’s been a busy few weeks for me. I saw three plays.  Our local community theater put on The Prince of Egypt. It was amazing. Then the granddaughter of a friend of mine was in her high school production of The Little Mermaid. I had never seen this movie or play before and was surprised by how good it was. My friends granddaughter played Sebastian, the crab and her daughter did the costumes for the play. Both excellent. The last play was part of my broadway subscription in Orlando, Kimberly Akimbo. I didn’t know anything about this play other than it won a Tony award for best musical. I thought it was good but didn’t quite think it was Tony award material. 

I attended our community theater’s fundraiser which was a casino night. That was great fun and I hope they raised a lot of money. No actual gambling with money was involved. You played casino games with chips which were then redeemed for tickets to use towards several raffle baskets. 

I played black jack and although it looks like I did very well most of these chips were given to me by the couple sitting next to me who left early. 

You may notice bandaids on my face in the photo above. I just had a MOHS surgery for skin cancer. As my dermatologist says, I grow basal cell cancers well. This is the 5th one on my face. Ugh! But glad it’s gone. Wear your sun screen people! It is said that these cancers tend to grow slowly from sun damage done many years ago. I’m from that generation where we put iodine in baby oil and baked in the sun. That was 60 years ago and we didn’t know any better. 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by

 

March News. So Much News! And a New Card

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I’m starting off the month with the CD Calendar page for March. I used the Sweet Jar stamp set with the coordinating punch which punches out the jar and the lid. Easy Peasy!

I will add a new card photo at the end of the post. Keep scrolling . . . . .

 

So Much News!

Stampin’ Up! has some exciting changes coming in the new catalog!  But – with good comes not-so-great news. So first the not-so-great news.

Price Increases Coming

Stampin’ Up! is committed to providing high-quality paper crafting products and a great overall experience—without compromising the quality that Stampin’ Up! is known for.  At the same time, they carefully consider costs and other important factors.  To do this, they regularly review our pricing based on the cost of doing business, global exchange rates, rising supplier costs, and market comparisons.

Due to higher production costs, please expect price increases in the following product categories:

  •   Select Stampin’ Cut & Emboss product
  •  Heat Tool
  • Cutting & Scoring Blades Multipacks
  •  Select Coloring Tools
  •  Storage
  • Select Adhesives
  •  Select Paper products including Envelopes, Basic White Notecards & Envelopes, and Masking Paper
  •  Designer Series Paper
  •  Classic Stampin’ Ink Pads and Refills
  •  Stampin’ Blends
  •  Select Embellishments, Twines, and Linen Thread
  • In addition, Paper Pumpkin subscriptions will also see an upcoming price increase.

There are no details yet on the specific price increases for the catalog items. 

If you’ve been considering purchasing anything on the list, be sure to order before the current catalog ends to get the lower pricing. 😎

This next change is a good thing from what I have seen and heard.

Changes to the Upcoming Catalog Timelines

Starting in May, Stampin’ Up! is refreshing the way they share products in print, with a new, streamlined catalog strategy designed to make shopping from their catalogs easier and more intuitive.  We’ve been wanting this and Stampin’ Up! listened. Instead of an annual catalog and multiple minis, they are moving to three beautifully designed catalogs per year—each one complete, current, and easy to use on its own.  No more overlapping catalogs!

Each catalog will introduce new products alongside a selection of customer-favorite staples (core products)—such as stamps, ink, paper, tools, and adhesives—bringing the feel of a mini catalog and an annual catalog together in one place.  This balanced approach creates an easy-to-shop print experience, all within a catalog released every four months:

  • January–April
  • May–August
  • September–December

These seasonal catalogs are designed to put products front and center, making it easy for you to browse, discover, and shop by product category. 

New Magnetic Ink Pads – and a peek at the new 2026-2028 In Colors!

 

Beginning in May 2026, Stampin’ Up! will introduce new felt ink pads in a magnetic, stackable case design.

In 2026, only the new In Colors will be offered in the new magnetic felt pads.

In 2027, all ink colors will transition to the new magnetic felt pad as part of a planned color revamp, and the current pad style will be phased out.

Importantly, existing ink pads will remain usable throughout this transition—there is no immediate need to replace what you already own. Please be aware, however, that once the transition takes place, the old ink pad design will only be available while supplies last.The photo above is an early peek at the new 2026-2028 In Colors!  

The NEW Magnetic Ink Pads in the NEW 2026-2028 In Colors will be available to order 5 May 2026!

New Kits Have Been Added

The two paper kits are designed to make artistic displays which could then be used with the third Easel Kit or even framed.

Every Little Thing           #167992         $21

3 Paper Artworks: 1 each of 3 designs (2 large: 5″ x 7″and 1 small: 4″ x 6″)
Every Little Thing Stamp Set


 

 

Radiant Reminders Kit       #167820      $14

Makes 3 displays

 

 

Easels Kit         #167819        $25

 

March Product of the Month

Product of the Month is s a new exclusive product released each month!
Can be unlocked for just $5 with orders over $75 (after discounts and rewards).
Is only available while supplies last—they can sell out quickly!

 Is limited to one per customer 

 

DETAILS

– March 2026 Product of the Month
– 15 photopolymer stamps
– Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c
– Two-Step
– Distinktive
 
 
Cake Day Birthday Card
 
Before anyone falls in love with this stamp set I’m so sorry to say that it was put on the last chance list last month has sold out. But I still want to share how this card is put together. It is a card with a place for a gift card.
 
The card front with a coordinating envelope. No naked envelopes!
 
 
Partially opened:
 
 
 
Completely opened:
 
 
 
The card base is 7-3/4″ x 5-1/2″. Score @ 2-1/2″ and 6-3/4″
Using DSP that has coordinating colors & patterns on the two sides cut 
             5-1/4″ x 2-1/4″ (cut two)
             5-1/4″ x 3/4″
             5-1/2″ x  5-3/4″ scored @ 4″
           
Using a circle punch create the notched opening in the 2-1/4″ side of the larger DSP.
With the card base opened and the 1″ panel on the right attach the larger piece of DSP right up to the score line but not right on the score line.
 
 
 
 

I started seeing others posting cute caricatures on social media and had no idea how they were doing that and then my daughter showed me how. It really was fun to do using ChatGPT. 

This is the photo I uploaded and it quickly became that fun caricature you see above. I entered that I was a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and that I wanted a Big Shot in it. And quickly it happened. There was a card in my hand that was not one of my cards so I uploaded a photo of one of mine and requested the generic card that had been put in my hand be replaced with my card. You can ask anything and it’s amazing how fast it is done. I even asked to take out a few of wrinkles. (smile)

 

The website is: www.chatgpt.com. It is free. You can ask all kinds of questions and they answer. If you want a caricature just ask them to create a caricature, tell a little about what you want and upload a photo.  You can only do one in each 14 hour period. Try it. It’s fun.

This is another one I recently did for a 3-day free shipping campaign. 
 
From this:
 
 
To this:
 

I think the first one looks more like me.

Well that’s enough for this very long post. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Happy February

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Good morning on this bitter cold February morning. I heard this is the coldest we’ve seen here in Florida since 1982. It was 27 degrees when I got up this morning.

February CD Calendar

For this month’s calendar page I used Stampin’ Up’s Bee My Valentine stamp set and coordinating punch. 

 

I have two more cards to share using the same template as the Valentine Day card I posted a few days ago.
Friendly Foliage
 
 

The patterned DSP inside the card is some retired paper that happened to coordinate with the card.
 
Zany Zoo (Retired)
 
 
 
 
 
Bonus Days Coupons
 
If you ordered last month and earned a Bonus Day Coupon remember to redeem it between February 3rd – 28th.
 
 
 
 
 

Endless Love

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I created this fun fold for a Valentine card. I tend not to send Valentine cards but this could be used to send to someone you are missing. Who are you missing? I have a granddaughter living in Chicago now and it means I won’t be seeing as much of her as I would like. The front side flaps are tucked behind the center square focal point. When opened the card looks like this:

And of course I like a decorated envelope:

 

 
 
 
Although we are not seeing the low temperatures and the snow and ice that so much of the country is dealing with, for us here in Florida it’s still winter to us. I do miss snow so much having grown up in Iowa but I sure would not want to have to shovel it or drive in it anymore.
 
 
This photo was from my son who lives in KY and was shoveling the driveway and walkway for two elderly women. The snow was coming up in these sheets of ice and snow and so difficult to remove he had to get a crowbar to help dislodge them. 
 

This is so much easier than shoveling snow. When it gets down to freezing temperatures at night I just cover the plants and go back inside to my nice, warm fire.

 

 

Stay warm. It’s going to be a chilly weekend.

Join Offer, Bonus Days, & January 2026 CD Calendar

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There are a few specials I want to let you know about before I share the newest CD calendar page for January.

Stampin’ Up Positioner.

There is a new positioning tool that will be available at a later date (not sure when that will be) however if you join as a new demonstrator between February 3 and March 2 you will get it FREE along with the starter kit. The starter kit is $99 and you select $125 of any product you want. And it ships FREE.

When you place a qualifying order between January 6th -February 2nd of $50 or more (before shipping and tax are added) you will receive a coupon via email from Stampin’ Up for $5 good on an order placed between February 3 rd- 28th. Keep track of the coupon number as that is what you will enter to redeem the coupon.

January 2026 CD Calendar

This just reminds me of a winter scene. The entire sheet was sprayed with a glittery spray so it really does sparkle. I used the retired stamp set Peaceful Evergreens. I rarely get rid of any of my Christmas sets. Balmy Blue ink was swirled across the middle of the stamp area with a blending brush and the trees were stamped with Night of Navy ink.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

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Oh my! I knew it had been a while since I last posted, but I was still shocked to see that my most recent post was back in April. Where does the time go? While I’ve been scaling back on how much stamping I do these days, nine months is still a bit longer than I intended!

To get back on track, I’ll be playing a little catch-up and sharing the CD calendar months I haven’t posted yet. And moving forward, I’ll do my best to be more consistent. Thanks for sticking with me — I’m happy to be back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been doing classes for the CD calendar for at least 12 years. It’s probably the favorite class of my customers. They make anywhere from just one calendar to as many as ten. I am up to making 24 myself for family and friends. I have never repeated a design over the years. Some months are easy to design, like December. I never have a problem with that. But March, that month gives me a headache. 

I hope everyone has had a good start to the year. Do you make resolutions? I don’t but I am going to try to be more present here. 

 


New Rewards Program & a Faker Shaker Card

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Introducing the new Stampin’ Rewards 🎉

Starting April 15, every order of $20 or more will earn you 10% in rewards to spend on a future purchase! 

  • No Limits: Whether it’s one order or many, the rewards keep adding up!
  • Track with Ease: Your rewards dashboard makes it simple to understand, monitor, and redeem your points.
  • Flexibility: Rewards are valid for an entire year, so you can save them up for something special!

How to Get Started:

  1. Create a Stampin’ Up! Online Store Account (if you don’t already have one)
  2. On or after April 15, when you login, you’ll see a pop-up in your account inviting you to opt-in to the new rewards program. It’s quick and easy!  Guests who check out without opting in won’t earn rewards, so make sure you’re signed in and enrolled!

Faker Shaker Card

Shaker cards are always fun and this version of a faker shaker card just as fun and a little easier to make.

 

A clear envelope is what makes this an easy shaker card. The floral DSP in inserted in the envelope and the embellishments added before the back is folded over and taped closed. 

It’s a bit hard to see the embellishments in the front of the card but there are several small sequins and flat beads enclosed in the clear envelope.

The directions and a video for this template can be found on Rachel Tessman’s blog here.

 

 

Have a great week!

April News & New Catalog Sneak Peaks

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As we get closer to the release of the new annual catalog in May Stampin’ Up has updated the Last Chance Products with those things that will be retiring. In years past I always had a retirement list to share with you however changing the way Stampin’ Up is handling the switch there is not an official list. Many of the products that will not be retiring and will not be in the new catalog will move to the Online Exclusives.

The Last Chance Products category will be updated every other month. Updates to this category will happen in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

New additions to the Kits Collection

PAPER BOUQUET KIT

With the Paper Bouquet Kit, you’ll bring the beauty of fresh flowers into your home. And the best part is, they’ll never wilt! This kit comes with pre-cut leaf and flower pieces, floral wire, and pony beads. You’ll layer and curl the paper pieces, forming a vibrant bouquet with 23 flowers and 11 leaves. Place the paper bouquet in a vase to give your décor a timeless touch, or gift it to a loved one as a heartfelt keepsake! This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is now available as of April 1, 2025 (while supplies last). 

  • Cost is $22 USD
  • Use item number 165636 when ordering
  • DETAILS
    • Makes 1 bouquet (23 flowers and 11 leaves)
    • Colors: Basic White, Cloud Cover, Darling Duckling, Garden Green, Secret Sea, Strawberry Slush, and Timid Tiger
    • Hot glue gun required for assembly but not included.

 

ESSENTIAL OCCASIONS KIT

Always have a card on hand with this oh-so essential kit! With hand-illustrated elements, die cut sentiments, and six card designs, the Essential Occasions Kit comes with everything you need to celebrate birthdays, share well wishes, or send a thank-you message. From graduations to anniversaries—and everything in between—celebrate the most important moments in your life with this kit! This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is now available as of April 1, 2025 (while supplies last).

  • Cost is $13 USD
  • Use item number 165635 when ordering
  • DETAILS
    • Makes 6 cards: 1 each of 6 designs
    • Folded card size: 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ (10.8 x 14 cm)
    • Colors: Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, kraft, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, and Pumpkin Pie
    • Sentiments printed in Dutch, English, French, and German

 

 

LOVELIEST WISHES KIT


Elevate your birthday cards with the Loveliest Wishes Kit! Craft cards that speak volumes through sophisticated simplicity. With pre-cut images and gold foil sentiments, you can create nine stunning cards that lend an air of elegance to every “Happy birthday!” This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is now available as of April 1, 2025 (while supplies last).

  • Cost is $14 USD
  • Use item number 166284 when ordering
  • DETAILS
    • Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs
    • Folded card sizes: 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ (11.4 x 11.4 cm) and 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ (10.8 x 14 cm)
    • Colors: Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, and white
    • Sentiments printed in Dutch, English, French, and German

 

New 2025-2027 In Colors

I’m always excited to see the new In Colors. Stampin’ Up brought back an old favorite, Strawberry Slush. My favorite so far is Secret Sea. It’s not quite black but a new very dark color with a hint of green to it. There were some issues with the Cloud Cover ink pads so until that is resolved that will not be available however the cardstock will be. 

Sneak Peaks

One of the best parts of going to On Stage is seeing the new catalog early and seeing demonstrations of new stamp sets. Here are a few photos from the Notes & Totes bundle.

 

 

 

Extraordinary Flora

The stamp set has one large stamp that will stamp all of the flowers and leaves that coordinate with the die. And what I’m excited about is this new washi tape that the die also coordinates with. It is 3-1/4″ wide and 10 yards long. The die is 5-1/2″ long so by my math you may be able to get about 60 cuts from it. That’s a lot of flowers and leaves! 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Feb, March, and April CD Calendars

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This is one of my favorites from this year’s calendar. I love how the mail has hearts on it with additional hearts falling out of the mailbox. Getting a hand stamped card makes the person receiving it so happy and loved. 

 

This month’s calendar was made from the DSP. No stamping involved. 

 

And since we are just a few days away from April … 

 

 

Actually I did eat a salad for dinner last night. I like fruit in my salad and had the veggies on the side with a little humus.

 

Thanks for stopping by. And have a blessed day.