After 18 years, Lovely as a Tree is finally retiring!  See what else is retiring below...If you had your eye on any of these products, get them while you can before they are gone, like the In Colors.  While supplies last!  

The wait is finally over!  Storage solutions for ink pads, markers, Blends, and more!  
​And you know I love to organize! Get yours here! 

The technique for VIP Card Club this month was Fun Folds!  I have a Pinterest board just for these, and there are so many options to try!  My brain doesn't think in 3D, so I look for ones with videos or templates.  We made three different cards with three different folds.  See links below if you want to try yourself!  

Like I mentioned, there are some new products coming in March!  See them here!  For the first time ever, Stampin' Up! is offering products for sale which coordinate with Sale-A-Bration products, hence while they are only available in March.  Plus, three new FREE options were added in February!  Sale-A-Bration ends March 31, so be sure to get what you want before products are sold out or the sale ends!

I don't normally use bleach, but when I do, it's for card making.

This month at VIP, we wore our junky clothes and tried stamping with Clorox!  We lined stamp cases with six sheets of paper towel and then poured in bleach until saturated to serve as our "stamp pad."  

The background stamps worked best, or anything with thicker lines.  Stamping sentiments didn't work well, since the bleach can run.  I also found that using a paint brush to dip in the bleach is a good way to touch up your images.  

As for what colors of cardstock work the best, I suggest dark colors like Blackberry Bliss and Basic Gray.  But surprisingly not Basic Black which doesn't work at all!  I also like bright colors like Melon Mambo and someone got a great (but subtle image) with Pineapple Punch.  

The cards we made are pictured below.  The first used Shaded Spruce and the Flowering Desert stamp set.  
The second card used the retired Swallowtail background stamp on Melon Mambo cardstock.
And the last card used the Buffalo Check stamp set on Blackberry Bliss.  Then we used the free Lovely Lattice stamp also on Blackberry Bliss, then snipped out and popped up with dimensionals.  

Such a fun and interesting look, if you can handle the bleach smell!  

On top of your Stampin' Rewards, hosts get to choose a free gift out of my goody basket!  

I am so excited to have put together a new scrapbook of all of the Stampin' Up! events I have attended thus far!  I was beginning to lose track of where I went, when, and with whom, so as a paper crafter, a scrapbook is in order!  Attending these OnStage events each April and November is one of my favorite reasons for being a demonstrator.  I can't wait for my next trip back to Minneapolis in a few months!

I used a 12x12 Black Faux Memories & More album, and added some Variety Pocket Pages and some Traditional Pages.  I found a cool "Travelogue" page that serves as my Table of Contents. After the cover page, I decided to do one spread (2 pages) for each event I attend.  So I have many blank pages in the album which I can't wait to fill up!  Interested in joining the fun?  Learn more here about the benefits of joining my team and how you can attend Stampin' Up! events too!  

Sale-A-Bration is such a fun time of year!  Spend $50 (before taxes and shipping) and choose one of the free options from the 2019 Sale-A-Bration Catalog!  There are 11 options available.  Which one is your favorite?

And when you spend $100 (before tax and shipping), you can choose two $50 options above
​or one of these two options below. Which one is your favorite?  

Also, note on page 2 where it says, "Watch for another set of exclusive free items coming February 15!"  That's when I renew my 12 month Paper Pumpkin subscription...and get to choose 4 free items!   

Starting with the 2019 Occasions Catalog, Stampin' Up! is introducing Cling stamps to replace Clear stamps.   If you have used our clear stamps before, you know they tend to fall off the clear blocks.   Now, with the addition of Cling stamps, you can put the sticker on with no worries the stamp will fall off!  Just be sure to follow these step-by-step instructions on how to assemble Cling stamps.  Once they are assembled, I suggest using the YouPick Tool to peel the stamps out of your case.  Here's a Facebook Live video I did to show my new Cling stamps.  Or check out the videos below to learn more!  

In November 2018, I made the trip down to Orlando to be a part of the 30th anniversary party for Stampin' Up!  Ten IN Stampers made the trip, by far the greatest number of team members to join in on the fun!  Without planning it, there were 3 others on my flight!  Once we arrived in Orlando, we rented a car and 11 of us stayed at Barb's vacation house, a Vintage Rose Stamper who graciously allowed us to stay for free!  The next day I was able to attend CenterStage with my upline, Chris, which was held at Epcot.  We got to taste food from around the world since the International Food & Wine Festival was going on, plus attend a private reception for Stampin' Up! leaders with yummy donuts and karaoke. The main event started Thursday and included make & takes, prize patrols, all-attendee giveaways, and lots of free time to eat and enjoy the sun.  After the high energy packed event, I made a solo road trip down to Naples to see my best friend and college roommate.  It was a fun-filled seven days and I can't wait to see where my next Stampin' Up! event takes me!