Tuesday, April 21, 2015

I'm not retiring, just some stamps

 The good news is that nobody wanted a sympathy card! I often hear that it is difficult to design a sympathy card and that my customers and club members always need sympathy cards. So I thought this was a good one to offer my Stamp Club members, not too much bling, not too feminine or seasonal, so it would be good to keep on hand. But I gave them the option of stamping Happy Birthday instead of the sympathy sentiment and, darned if the birthday sentiment wasn't picked 20 times! Well, you ladies aren't going to fool me again! I'll be leaving you to design your own sympathy cards in the future! LOL

And the third card for April Stamp Club featured these bright cheerful water colored daisies from Petal Potpourri. Everyone loves when the flowers are cut with a punch! And the cute centers are from the pom pom trim that was so popular that it is sold out and Stampin' Up! can't even get anymore of it. Wow!

So today is the big Retirement announcement for the 2014-2015 Stampin' Up! catalog. Here is the link to the retiring items list: retiring list 

There are already a few items that we cannot obtain for you, like the pompom trim, some In-Color ink pads and refills and card stock items, so if you have your heart set on anything, order early! We have been told that stamps will be manufactured so they should not sell out, but anything else is fair game. Some products are discounted, others are not.
Enjoy!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, April 20, 2015

I'm ready for retirement, are you?

Oh, the month just slips by so fast. Stamp Club met here way back at the beginning of the month, April Fool's Day, to be exact! And me made some cute cards, and no one even tried to prank me! Thank goodness, because  I tend to be pretty gullible!

And here we are, past the midway point of the month and I still haven't shared the cute cards we made. I CASEd Julie Davison's great fun-fold design to make this bright spring-y card featuring the Lovely Amazing You stamp set.

As you can see in the second and third pictures, I originally designed it in a neutral color palette, but then I stopped midway because I really wanted it to be bright and cheerful. It looks great in neutrals, just not what I was going for with April Stamp Club.

I'll share the other two cards soon!
Stampin' Up! will announce the products that will be retiring this year TOMORROW MORNING. If you are in love with the In-Colors you might want to place an order tonight or as soon as possible and if you have a wish list that will make you sad if you aren't able to buy everything, you better check that retiring list early, because those items sell out and fast!

shop here: www.dtollaksen.stampinup.net

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Sunday, April 19, 2015

What is normal anyway?

Getting back to Normal, OUR BUTTERFLIES HAVE LANDED! 
There has been a big strike on the west coast of dock workers and most industries have been affected, including the Stampin' Up!, but finally products are being unloaded and delivered. And one of our most desired items, the Butterfly Thinlits are available! Since I hesitated and didn't order them on the first day, I wasn't able to get them, so I am sharing a cute project I copied from Pinterest, thank you to Stempelraum-corina -- your flowers are sweet! And now I am placing my order and getting my bundle at an extra discount and that is even sweeter! And on top of that, I am getting to extend some of the Sale-a-bration rewards because this product was absent throughout that entire sale period! So don't miss this triple bonus, purchase the Butterfly Thinlits at this deal and I will happily share the "dryer sheet" secret for success on the Big Shot! 

So, to review: Purchase 
1.  Butterflies Thinlits Dies (137360) at 15% off–just $21.20    OR

Get the Stampin’ Up!
2.  Buy any of the Butterflies Thinlits bundles already at 15% off (wood bundle #139322, clear-mount bundle #139323, photopolymer bundle #138865) 

and 
choose one of three FREE Sale-A-Bration items below (only available while supplies last) as a FREE gift. Offer good thru April 30.

  • Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper (item 138633)
  • Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (item 138634)
  • Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 138635)




 Happy Stampin'
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, April 12, 2015

IRS I'd Rather be Stamping

Join me this Wednesday at 1 pm or 7 pm and make 10 beautiful cards to fill your stash! These are designed for Sympathy or Get Well, but look how pretty this is, you could sure use it for a birthday or graduation.

Don't let the IRS own your day, come enjoy some stamping and laughing with friends! Call or comment and save your seat!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Faux crazy or Faux real?

 24 hours remaining, get a goin'! If you like to save $$ as much as I like to save $$ then you have until the end of the day on Friday to get your order in and take advantage of the free shipping offer, and that will save you 10% on your order. And that's a good thing!

So, now you can look at my two pretty cards I made the other day, two new techniques that I mastered, while wearing one earring. I didn't know I forgot to wear the second earring, I was just having a "senior moment." Frightening. But I think the cards are winners. The Happy card is a total CASE from Nance Leedy, but I have tried to master the "stacked die cut" technique previously and just got covered in glue. But now I have found the Transfer Adhesive Sheets in the Stampin' Up catalog (p204). It is a sheet of teeny tiny glue dots. Just lay your die cut on the sheet, burnish it so it picks up the glue dots and carefully pick it back up and then adhere it to your project. Works like a dream--super sticky but not drippy or over glued. Perfect for this project!

And the Faux Rusted Metal heart is from a tutorial by Allison Okamitsu, posted on the Stampin' Up blog. It was fun and easy, just had a few steps involving gold embossing powder, green embossing powder,  sponging ink, 6 layers of gray die cuts, and MORE! I know it may sound complicated, but I loved it and it looks so awesome in person! And then I went and put a crazy sentiment on the card too!

So, let's get together and try it, you will LOVE it as much as Allison did and me too. Call me!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen



Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Old? Says Who?

So yesterday I wore a new blouse and put on a pretty pair of earrings to match it. All day I was feeling pretty snappy. I made a couple cards with new techniques. I made dinner with a new recipe. My life is just zipping along. The upcoming birthday isn't bothering me at all. The big round number won't bother me. I'm not getting older, I'm getting better! Then I realized that I actually only put on ONE earring and had gone all day with one snazzy bright blue dangly earring and no-one mentioned it. Thanks daughter, husband, restaurant people, store people and all the rest of the folks I saw all day! So, I'll do a double check before I leave the house, but I'm still not going to let the birthday bother me!

And I will be sharing the cute cards with you, tomorrow. Come back! Today I want to remind you that there is free shipping through Friday-- any size order, large or small. And if you forget anything (ha ha, jokes on me) you can order again, because the shipping is free!

These cards are the beauties we made at workshops in March. Lovely Amazing You photopolymer stamp set, featured on the top card, is so gorgeous, I have used it frequently and it is a dream to work with. Love it! And have you noticed, the clear photopolymer sets are not only easier to use, but they are less expensive? Bonus!

Petal Potpourri stamp set bundle with the punch makes quick work of the bright Daffodil Delight card, paired with the doily, a fun spring color combo with the Melon Mambo flower. And then we have seen the Build A Bow punch used frequently since it was introduced, mostly in pretty feminine colors, so I wanted to offer an alternative, and we dug deep for some masculine DSP and made a Father's Day card featuring bow ties.

Design your own party or let me select the cards, hold the fun in your kitchen or my dining room, whatever works best for you, but let's get together soon and have some drinks and make some cards! Just leave me a comment or shoot me an email!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen


Monday, April 6, 2015

Free shipping just for you!

Five days of free shipping just for you my friend!

Order that little sale item on the clearance rack and there is no minimum shipping charge! Hooray!

Order a boatload of stamps and ink and there is no 10% charge added on top to multiply the cost! Hooray!

Placed an order and forgot one little detail? Go ahead and place another order, the shipping is on us this week! Yippee!

So look over the weekly specials today, and order whatever you like, but quick because they change at midnight!


Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen