Bye..Bye..Bye

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With the anticipation of the new Annual Catalog also comes the sadness of saying good bye to some of our favorite sets, colors and accessories. What are some of your favorites? If there are any items on the retired list that have been on your wish list, now is the time to get them before they are gone!

See Annual 2019-2020 Catalog Retired List Here

See January – June 2020 Mini Catalog Retired List Here

Place an order over $35.00 using the host code DJPSQ474 and receive a Designer Series Paper Sampler as a personal thank you from me! Your sampler will be mailed to the address on your order at the end of May.

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Here are some of my favorites that are retiring.  Remember, this is just a partial list of all the products leaving, be sure to view the entire list by clicking above.  And don’t forget to place your orders as soon as possible, the retiring products are only available until June 2, 2020 or while supplies last.

From 2019-2020 Annual Catalog:

From January – June 2020 Mini Catalog:
If you have any questions on any of the retiring products, please let me know!
Happy stamping!
~Jo
~Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

Time for a change – Part 2 – The New Ink Pad Design

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Welcome back!  Today’s post will focus on the new design of the classic ink pads.  Like I said in Part 1, change can be a good thing and I think the ink pad redesign is a wonderful change that will make your stamping much easier. You may wonder why the new design?  The case’s manufacturing mold was about to expire and they can only be used certain number of times before it needs to be replaced.  Instead of ordering new molds of the same design, Stampin’ Up! decided to make some improvements that I know you will love!  In addition the ink has been reformulated to reduce bubbles, especially with brand new juicy pads.  This will ensure you get exceptional ink coverage on solid stamps.

Lets do a side by side comparison of the old pad versus the new pad:

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The new pads are a little more square, the outer case measures 3 5/8″ x 4 1/4″, with the ink pad itself measuring 2 5/8″ x 3 1/2″ x 1/2″.  The old style is slightly narrower and longer with the outer case measuring 3 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 3/4″ and the pad at 2 3/4″ x 3 5/8″.

There are still grooves along the edge so you can easily grip the pad when inking larger stamps.

Now lets see the new improvements to the design:

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The old style pads have a lip running around the bottom edge.  Making them a little thicker and when stacking they tend to be a bit wobbly.

The new pads are completely flat except for four tiny little “pegs” on the bottom and four little holes on the top of each pad.

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This allows them to “lock” onto one another when stacking.  An added bonus the thinner design saves space!!

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When the pad is open you now can add a sticker to the inside allowing you to see the color at a glance.

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The label on the front has a larger color block with a small icon showing the color collection it belongs to.  While the In Colors on the old pads did show that they were in that collection the core colors did not.  I love this feature, if you are like me I keep my ink pads by collections.  Now at a glance I can make sure they are in the right grouping.

Opening your new pads:

The pads have been designed to open easier.  They also are not as loose as the old pads reducing the chance of the pad coming out of its track.  That being said here are step by step directions and tips on opening your new pads.

Step 1: Grasp the pad in your hand and place your thumb in the little groove. Then simply lift up and open as you would a compact. No more push and slide.  This may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it opening them is super easy!  Tip: The pad will be stiff when you first open it,  but the more you open and close the pad it will loosen and the easier it will be to open.

Step 2: Once open, slide it along the track toward you and lock in place.  Again it will be stiff the first few uses.  This is normal and will loosen the more the pad is used.  The tighter fit is part of the design so the pad portion doesn’t come off the track.  Tip:  To help “grease” the track – try rubbing a birthday candle in the groove.  The wax will act as a lubricant.

Step 3: To close the pad grasp in your hand and place your finger in the channel pull sightly to unlock and then continue pulling until fully extended. Then flip over and snap closed.

Another final note on the ink pads.  Stampin’ Up! will no longer carry Archival Basic Black and Archival Basic Gray.   The Basic Gray will be replaced with a dye based Classic ink and be included the Neutrals Collection.  Note: You cannot use the Archival reinkers on the dye based pad you must use the classic Basic Gray reinker. 

As a substitute for the Archival Basic Black you will now use Jet Black StazOn for stamping on non-porus surfaces and  watercoloring.  When using your Blends you will continue to use your Tuxedo Black Memento pad.  Tip: Remember when choosing your ink pad, you want the ink to be the opposite of the medium you are using.  For watercoloring you want a solvent based pad (StazOn) and when using the alcohol based Blends you want a dye based ink (Memento or Stampin’ Up! Classic ink).

As a special promotion, you can purchase the 2018-2020 In Colors with the new pad design along with three different bundles  ranging in price from $57.00 – $127.50 and all include a free item as part of the promotion. These bundles are a sneak pre-view of the stunning Share What You Love Suite from the new 2018- 2019 Annual catalog and this offer includes an exclusive stamp that will not be available in the catalog.  See the video below for more details.

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The Gotta Have It All Bundle #149526 $127.50  The bundles includes all items pictured plus you will receive a package of Very Vanilla       8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock, Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes and the Exclusive Statement of the Heart Single stamp for FREE.

SHOP NOW FOR ITEMS FROM THE SHARE WHAT YOU LOVE SUITE 

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As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.  I welcome your questions on any stamping technique, Stampin’ Up! products or suggestions for future posts.  Please email me anytime!!

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

 

 

 

 

Time for a change – Part 1 – The Color Revamp

“Don’t be afraid of change. You may lose something good  but you may gain something even better.”                                                                                                      ~ Unknown

I love change, whether a new hair style or color, moving furniture in my house or reorganizing things in my office or house.  But I know some people are resistant to change they like things to always stay the same.  No matter which category you are in,  I guarantee you are going to LOVE the new colors that Stampin’ Up! is introducing in the new 2018-2019 catalog!  I know I will miss a few of the retiring colors but the new fresh colors taking their place are so stunning I cannot wait to start creating with them!!  And not only are we getting new colors but the ink pads have been redesigned!!

First off let me explain what is happening with our exclusive color collection.  Each year five In-Colors are introduced and five In-Colors are retired.  These colors are around for two years so this year the colors from the 2016-2018 grouping will leave us and the 2018-2020 colors will be introduced.  That is usually it, but this year Stampin’ Up is doing a complete color revamp!  They are retiring thirteen colors and not only bringing back six previously retired colors but they are introducing ten brand new colors, for a total of sixteen new colors!!!  The collections have been reconfigured and they have added a Basics collection consisting of Whisper White, Very Vanilla and Basic Black.  The last time a complete color overhaul took place like this was in 2010!  We did have a refresh in 2013 where several retired colors were brought back but there were no new colors  (other than the In Colors) introduced.

Now for the ink pad redesign.  We are all used to the push and flip method of opening the pads, now all you have to do is open the pad like a compact and slide the lid into place.  In addition to this the ink has been reformulated to reduce bubbles so you will get exceptional ink coverage.  All this in a flatter pad that stacks to save space and a sticker that gets placed inside so you can always see the color at a glance!

Since there is so much information I want to share with you, this post will be two-parts.  Be sure check back later this week for Part 2, an up close look at the new ink pad design, including several tips on using them!

And without further ado, let’s see the retiring In-Colors, the new group and the five from 2017-2019 that are staying for one more year!

2018 In Colors

And here are the thirteen retiring colors and sixteen new colors…..

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As I mentioned there are now 5 color collections to choose from they are:

Basics – the foundation for your projects:

  • Whisper White
  • Very Vanilla
  • Basic Black

Neutrals – colors designed to go well with everything:

  • Merry Merlot **
  • Early Espresso
  • Soft Suede
  • Crumb Cake
  • Sahara Sand
  • Gray Granite **
  • Smoky Slate
  • Basic Gray
  • Mossy Meadow *
  • Night of Navy

Brights – vibrant happy colors:

  • Poppy Parade *
  • Melon Mambo
  • Flirty Flamingo *
  • Mango Melody **
  • Daffodil Delight
  • Granny Apple Green **
  • Coastal Cabana *
  • Bermuda Bay
  • Pacific Point
  • Gorgeous Grape **

Subtles – soft soothing colors:

  • Blushing Bride
  • Calypso Coral
  • Petal Pink **
  • So Saffron
  • Soft Sea Foam **
  • Pear Pizzaz
  • Mint Macaron *
  • Pool Party
  • Balmy Blue **
  • Highland Heather **

Regals – rich deep jewel tone colors:

  • Real Red
  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Cajun Craze
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Crushed Curry
  • Old Olive
  • Garden Green
  • Shaded Spruce **
  • Blackberry Bliss *
  • Rich Razzleberry

* denotes a retired color returning      ** denotes a BRAND new color

I hope you are as excited about this color change as I am!!

If you want to stock up on the retiring colors don’t delay, once the stock has been depleted they will be gone forever!!!  If buying ink pads don’t forget a reinker!

SHOP NOW FOR RETIRING COLORS

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As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!