Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack Blitz! Up to 80% Off!

Straight from Stampin’ Up!’s Home Office:

“As you know, the Clearance Rack has been operational for over a year now, and demonstrators and customers alike are finding it a great place to discover discontinued Stampin' Up! merchandise for fantastic prices. Now, from October 5-18, we're adding over two hundred more discontinued items--some at up to 80 percent off--to help us make room in the Distribution Center for new products!”

Things to know about the Clearance Rack Blitz:

Orders for Clearance Rack items can only be placed through the my Online Store. (Just click on Products at the top of the page and Shop Now!)

Qualifying orders are eligible for hostess benefits so if you spend more than $150 you will be eligible for hostess benefits!

All discontinued items are available only while supplies last.

All sales of discontinued items are final.

From ink pads and punches, buttons and brads, chipboard and clips, ribbons and rub-ons, tins and treat boxes, and more - you'll find them all here!
Come see all the new items in the Clearance Rack. Remember...these are all discontinued items and are only available in my Online Store!

Please Note: You can purchase current merchandise along with your Clearance Rack purchases too!!

Happy savings!

-Melissa Buss

French Foliage Birthday

I received this French Foliage stamp set as a thank you for being a Make-n-Take helper at Convention this last July. It is a new stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog that launched September 1st and goes through January 3, 2011.I was unsure of it at first, but I have since seen a few adorable things made with it, including a card that a friend and fellow demonstrator made. I changed some things up and made it a bit different and this is what I came up with!

Since the base of the card is Cajun Craze, and a little on the dark side to be writing on the inside of the card, I added a piece of Very Vanilla card stock that I stamped twice with one of the leaf stamps and the inside looks like this!

Here are the supplies that I used for this card:

French Foliage stamp set (#120845 Wood) (#121166 Clear)

Sincere Salutations stamp set (#115068)

Cajun Craze card stock (#119684)

Early Espresso card stock (#119686)

Cajun Craze Stampin’ Pad (#119671)

Early Espresso Stampin’ Pad (#119670)

Very Vanilla 3/8” Taffeta Ribbon (#109071)

Early Espresso 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon (#119959)

Thanks for looking!

Remember-You can always order product directly from me at my website MelissaJoBuss.stampinup.net!

You can also contact me at MelJBuss@gmail.com to book a party or ask any questions that you might have!

Play Date How-To

Covered Jr. Legal Pad Tutorial

1. Cut 2 pieces of Real Red card stock. One at 5-1/2”x8-1/2” and one at 5-1/2”x11”.

2. Score the 5-1/4”x11” piece at 8-1/2” and again at 8-3/4”. Fold on score lines.

3. Place a length of sticky strip to the back of the legal pad at the top, bottom and both sides.

4. Remove the backing from the Sticky Strip and place the top of the Junior Legal Pad at the top of the 5-1/2”x8-1/2” piece of Real Red card stock. (Make sure that it is centered.) And press down.

5. Place a length of sticky strip to the 5-1/2”x11” piece of Real Red card stock above the top crease and another at the very top of the card stock.

6. Remove the backing from the sticky strip and line up the top of the back side of the legal pad on the section of the 8-1/2”x11” with the sticky strip and press down.

7. Cut a piece of the Play Date Designer Series Paper with the numbers to 5”x8” and center it onto the front side of, the now covered, legal pad.

8. Cut a strip of Real Red card stock at 3”x6” and center onto the middle of the DSP.

9. Cut a strip of the brown sheet of DSP at 1-7/8”x4-7/8” and center on to the Real Red card stock.

10. Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock at 2-1/2”x3”. Stamp the deer from the Forest Friends stamp set in Chocolate Chip in the center of the card stock. Sponge the edges.

11. Cut a piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock at 1-3/4”x2”. Using the Scallop Trim Border punch, punch the 1-3/4” side of the card stock. Adhere to the back of the Whisper White card stock at the bottom.

12. Place Stampin’ Dimensionals on all 4 corners of the back of the Whisper White card stock.

13. To finish up the inside, cover up the top section of the legal pad with a strip of DSP measuring 7/8”x5” using sticky strip.

14. Place onto the notebook wherever you think it looks best. I put mine up a little higher just to offset the look a little bit.

For this project I used the following Stampin’ Up! products:

Forest Friends stamp set (#113748)

Play Date DSP (#117168)

Real Red card stock (#102482)

Whisper White card stock (#100730)

Pear Pizzazz card stock (#119795)

Chocolate Chip Classic Ink (#100908)

Scallop Trim Border Punch (#118402)

Stampin’ Dimensionals (#104430)

Sticky Strip (#104294)

Thank you for looking at how I made this adorable notebook cover. If you have any questions feel free to post them in a comment below the post!

Much love,

Melissa Buss

Play Date!

This new Designer Series Paper in the 2010 Idea Book & Catalog is probably one of my favorites ever! It's so cute and works so well for projects for teachers, children, or even adults who are still children at heart!

I made this covered Jr. Legal Pad as a hostess gift for a friend who hosted a workshop for me last weekend. Everyone there totally fell in love with it and kept telling me how adorable it is.

I'm working on a tutorial of how I did it, and it should be up by the beginning of next week. I am putting the finishing touches on it, and it should be ready to put up within the next couple of days!

Much love,

Melissa Buss

Thanks So Much Card Pocket

Yesterday I shared my favorite card from the 2010 Convention Make & Take projects, the Thank You Watercolor Card. Today I will be sharing what's called a Card Pocket. It's a really cute idea that I intend to use again in the future, so keep your eye out! :) 

This project used the same Small Open-End envelope as the Watercolor Card yesterday. We just altered it a bit to be able to put 3x3 cards and Mini Square envelopes in either side of it.

Step 1: Seal the end of the envelope.

Step 2: Trim off a small strip off one of the long sides of the envelope.

Step 3: Open up the long side of the envelope that you just cut. Punch 2 half circles on the inside flap of the envelope. (1-1/4" Circle punch)

Step 4: Fold card in half.

And then you have your Card Pocket!

It should look like this when you are finished:

We used a 3x3 square of Real Red from the Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper to make a layer on the front of the envelope. We used Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Marina Mist and Real Red Stampin' Write markers to color on the stamp and stamped it onto a piece of 2" x 2" Whisper White card stock and popped that up off of the DSP using dimensionals. Ran a piece of Daffodil Delight 1/4" grosgrain ribbon under the Whisper White layer and tied a bow on the side.

The front of the Card Pocket now looks like this:

We then stamped 3 more of the So Many Thanks stamp onto 3 more 2"x2" pieces of Whisper White card stock and placed them onto a 3"x3" piece of colored card stock.

The Marina Mist card looks like this:

We put the other two onto a piece of Real Red card stock and a piece of Daffodil Delight card stock.

The set of them looks like this when finished:

And your finished product will look like this:

Then you open up the envelope and put 3 Mini Square Whisper White envelopes in one side and the 3"x3" cards in the other side and you have a cute little set of Thanks So Much cards.

Here's a real quick rundown of what products were used in this project:

Stamps: So Many Thanks single stamp

Card Stock & Paper: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Real Red and Whisper White card stock. Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper in Real Red.

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Real Red and Early Espresso Stampin' Write markers

Accessories & Tools: Mini Square Whisper White envelopes, Small Open-End Whisper White envelopes, Daffodil Delight 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, 1-1/4" Circle punch and Stampin' Dimensionals

Thank you for looking again today, and if you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments below or send me an email at MelJBuss@gmail.com.

I'll be posting yet another favorite Make & Take card tomorrow, but until then, happy stamping!

Melissa Buss

Just Believe

One of the most exciting parts about a Stampin' Up! Convention is the Make & Take projects that you get to do while you are there! I was one of the volunteer helpers this past July and had a wonderful time helping ladies of all different skill sets finish all of their beautiful projects.

Over the next couple of days I am planning on showing you a couple of my favorite Make & Take projects from the 2010 Stampin' Up! Convention.

Today I am going to be showing you the Thank You Watercolor Card.

 

Used a stamp from the new Just Believe stamp set on page 109 in Not Quite Navy on the bottom right hand corner of the envelope.

We used the Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers on the same image and misted the stamp with water out of a small spray bottle. 

I tore the watercolor paper after I stamped the watercolor image onto it and adhered it to the Bashful Blue card stock and then tore it in the same manner as the Watercolor Paper.

The button has a string of linen thread through the front and tied in a knot and applied to the card using a Mini Glue Dot.

It is a very simple and elegant card to make and you could always swap out the saying for another.

Stamps: Just Believe set

Card Stock and Paper: Bashful Blue card stock, Not Quite Navy card stock, and Watercolor Paper

Ink: Bashful Blue Stampin' Write marker, Not Quite Navy Stampin' Write marker, Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write marker, Old Olive Stampin' Write marker

Accessories & Tools: Small Open-End Whisper White Envelopes, Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Brights Designer Buttons, Mini Glue Dots, Spray bottle & water

Thanks for looking, and I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see my next favorite card using the new So Many Thanks single stamp from the 2010 Idea Book & Catalog.

-Melissa Buss

New Product: Letterpress Plates!

We have a new product featured in our Holiday Mini Catalog! Letterpress Plates - they add a whole new dimension to your stamping projects!  You can use these plates with the Big Shot machine to add an ink debossed impression to cards, invitations, accents for scrapbook pages, home décor, and more.  Reminiscent of an old-world letterpress, Letterpress Plates provide sophistication, dimension, and color all in one!  

Trick or Treat Letterpress Plate (#120980, $7.95) - Our Trick or Treat plate gives you a nice bold and taunting option for a banner or greeting that coordinates with our 1800s London Halloween suite of products.

Joyful Season Letterpress Plate (#120981, $5.95) - The playful socks on our Joyful Season plate will surely get your friends and family in a jolly mood for the festivities and traditions of Christmas.  Coordinates with Candy Cane Christmas Suite.  8” x 3” x ¼”.

Northern Trim Letterpress Plate (#120982, $5.95) - Our Northern Trim plate coordinates with our Northern Hearts stamp set and Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for a trio of delightful images, texture, and trim for all your captivating wintry projects.  8” x 3” x ¼”. 

Lots of Love Letterpress Plate (#120983, $7.98) -  Our Lots of Love plate is appropriately packed with love and affection. When debossed with bold Real Red Craft ink, the recipient will have no doubt as to the depth of your love for them. Coordinates with Filled with Love set.  8” x 5-7/8” x ¼”.

Check out this great Stampin' Up! video on how to use our Letterpress Plates:

LETTERPRESS TIPS:

• Pigment ink, such as Craft Stampin’ Ink, works best for letterpress projects. Classic (dye-based) Stampin’ Ink does not lay down evenly on the plate or transfer evenly to paper.
• Do not apply too much ink, or your image will not look crisp.
• You can use a Stampin’ Spot™, Stampin’ Pad™, or brayer to apply the ink.
• If you want to apply different colors of ink to one plate, it’s easier to use a Stampin’ Spot. Simply dab the Stampin’ Spot on the plate.
• If you want to apply one color of ink to the entire plate, you can also use our un-inked Craft Stampin’ Pad, filled with the Craft Stampin’ Ink refill color of your choice, applying the ink from the pad directly to your Letterpress Plate.
• If you want to apply one color of ink to the entire plate, it might be easier to use a brayer to apply the ink evenly. A brayer is also helpful if you want to create multiple projects because it allows you to re-ink the plate quickly. Simply ink our un-inked Craft Pad with Craft Stampin’ Ink, ink the brayer thoroughly using the Craft Stampin’ Pad, and roll the brayer across your Letterpress Plate.
• Because the Letterpress Plates emboss so deeply into your paper, they may press into extremely small recessed areas, such as scratches in cutting pads. For best results, we recommend that you use a cutting pad that is relatively new and unscratched.
• Letterpress Plates work well on card stock and other paper. Porous paper (such as watercolor paper) or paper with weakened fibers (such as textured card stock) will create a deeper impression.
• Make sure you test your materials before creating your projects to ensure you get the results you want.

If you want to order any of these Letterpress Plates please contact me at MelJBuss@gmail.com or visit my website at MelissaJoBuss.stampinup.net !