Monkey Business

Tonight is my monthly stampers club... we will be playing with a stamp set called Sock Monkey. When I was little, my mom made me a sock monkey, and I know lots of people that could tell stories of playing with their special sock monkeys. A few years ago, they became the rage again, and you could find them on quilts, in scrapbooks, stuffies mass produced and lining the shelves. I love the little guys! And I love it that there is a sock monkey stamp set.

Tomorrow, I will blog about the cards we make tonight, but for now, check out this vintage article that my mom gave me. I wish the year and newspaper source had been written on the paper, but it wasn't. However, the original is yellow enough to prove that it is a few decades old. I scanned it and whitened it up for here.

Looks easy enough to make, eh? I think after I stamp monkeys tonight, I'm going to want to make the actual thing, too!!

Retired Sets for Sale

I just went through my retired sets again, and here's what I have left... some are new to the retired collection, so take a browse through and please let me know if there is anything that interests you. Buyer can pick up from me, or pay for shipping.

Bodacious Bouquet $25

Canvas $12Paint Prints $6

Infinite Goodness $15
All Natural $12
Looks Like Spring $15
Autumn Fest $10
Merry & Bright $10
Yummy $10
Say it with Scallops $14
Big Bold Birthday $20
Botanical Blooms $10
Block Party $12
Time To Party $10
Wild About You $20
Big Blooms $25
A Little Somethin' $15
On Angel Wings (NUM) $15
Cute & Curly $12

Retired Sets for Sale....

I just posted my latest retired sets list for sale...

Click HERE to see all the sets available.

Thanks for looking!

More Retired sets for sale

Just clearing out some more retired sets... Please let me know if you are interested in any of them. I will mail them within Canada, but buyer pays shipping. All the sets are used unless otherwise posted with "N-UM" which means "New - Unmounted." All sets are retired Stampin' Up! sets and the set title and price are above the set.

Don't forget about the ones I posted awhile ago... Click here to see those ones.

Merry and Bright $10.00

Happiness Always (N-UM) $22.00

Form and Function $12.00

Word on Word $20.00

Seasonal Icons $10.00

Infinite Goodness $15.00

I'm Here $20.00

Canvas $12.00

My retired sets blowout!!

It is time to clear my baskets in order to make room for my "newer" retired sets. So the following stamp sets need to go... Please let me know if you would like any of the sets below. Thanks for looking! Please email me at stampinsars(AT)hotmail.com if you are interested.

** Buyer pays shipping... or you can pick up from my house if you are local.

Looks Like Spring $15.00
Spring Solitude $ 10.00
Block Party $12.00
Be Happy $10.00
All Natural $10.00
Autumn Fest $10.00
On Angel Wings (NUM) $15
Simple Shapes $15.00

Pre-buy class

I have a pre-buy class coming up on February 12th, and it was listed as TBA because I wanted to pick a set from the new catalogue. I love the set for this class... it's called "Trendy Trees" and starting tomorrow, you will be able to see it on page 91 of the online catalogue. The class is $30.00, and we'll be making 4 projects with this set. Please contact me if you would like to sign up for this class... I need to know by February 2nd so I have time to order enough sets.

Sweet Stems

Here is another card from my stamping Friday night.... this card is pretty self-explanatory, but both the set and paper are going to be in the upcoming catalogue. I coloured the flowers using ink and blender pens. And a final thought... I LOVE this ribbon! It is the double sided Kiwi/Vanilla silk ribbon and I think it suits this paper perfectly.

Love You Much!

Well, as we faced blizzard warnings and crazy snowfalls last night, I decided to do some non-winter stamping fun. Valentine's is just around the corner and Stampin' Up! has a fun new stamping bundle that will get you feelin' the love!

VIEW THE BUNDLE FLYER - CLICK HERE!!!

The Love You Much stamp set, Heart to Heart punch and adorable Candy Land Designer paper have been bundled together at 20% off the retail price. As a further bonus, if you place your order for this right on December 23rd (promotion runs between Dec. 23 and January 31st) you will also get free shipping!!!! That's 30% savings.

CLICK HERE to start shopping - just click on the "shop now" button at the top of the page!!

** All Retiring Stamp sets (see list HERE) are on sale for 10% off regular price... offer ends Dec. 23rd.

If you live locally, and want to order this bundle at 20% off, and take advantage of free shipping, then please email me (stampinsars(AT)hotmail.com) before Dec. 23rd, so I can place the order on the 23rd, and take advantage of free shipping. If you have any questions, just email me at the same address, and ask away!!

Here are a few samples I stamped up last night using these fabulous new products....

Going... Going... GONE!

Stampin' Up! has just released their 2008 Fall/Winter Catalogue Retiring Stamp set list. And for the first time ever, the sets are offered at a 10% discount! So, if you have been eyeing any of these sets, don't delay. You still have time to place an order to arrive by Christmas (cut off is tomorrow, after that the order could arrive, but there are no guarantees)

Here are some links for you to check out...

RETIRING SETS ALPHABETICAL

RETIRING SETS NUMERICAL

SALE FLYER

Dare To Be Fabulous!

When I first saw the set "Fabulous Flowers" in the SU! catalogue, I loved it! But for some reason, I didn't buy it right then... other sets seemed more practical, perhaps, or I had already spent my budget for that month!! (ha! like I have a stamping budget - kidding...) But whatever the reason, I only purchased it recently, and I have really been having fun with it since. I love the saying, "Dare to be Fabulous," and I think the set lends itself to any colour combination.

Here is a card I made this week while playing around with the set. I inked the stamps in Pumpkin Pie and then used a red marker to colour the edges. Markers are so versatile, and one of my favourite things to do with them is to ink right onto the stamp.


card measures 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 square and fits perfectly in the large square envelopes from SU!

Scandinavian Season

Last night I had my pre-buy class for "Scandinavian Season." Why did I pick this set? Well, first off, I love it! And secondly, it feels a bit like my heritage. My mom was born in Norway, and then immigrated to Canada with her family when she was young. I have never been to Norway, but it is high on my list of places to visit. I was supposed to go there with my mom in the Summer of 2001, then instead, I got sick and needed surgery. Bummer. Later that year I got married, and the opportunity fled as Steve and I went other places on vacation.

So, when I saw this set, all kinds of visions of rose malling came to mind. And the mitten looks just like the ones that my Mormor knitted throughout her whole life. I think the Scandinavian style is so beautiful, and this set really appealed to me.

The first thing I did was to raid my mom's rose malling collection for inspiration. And then I made up some cards, as well as checked out Splitcoaststampers for more ideas.

Some pieces...


The cards we made last night:

The "Bandanna Technique" Cased from Speedystamper

Ornament card Cased from stamperjen0

And this last one is just a take on the SC200 sketch challenge on Splitcoast