Handmade by Lou: April 2015

Saturday, 25 April 2015

Updated Sold Out List As at Mon 27 April

Funny how the clear mount stamps sell out the fastest! The following are now GONE: Stamps: Baby, We've Grown (Clear) By the Seashore (Clear) Forever Floral (Clear) From My Heart (Clear) Love & Sympathy (Wood) Nuts About You (Clear) Pleasant Poppies (Clear) Polka-Dot Pieces (Clear) Postage Due (Clear) Stippled Blossoms (Clear) Sumthin' Sumthin" (Clear) The Great Outdoors (Clear) Undefined Stamp Carving Replentishment Embellishments Sweet Treat Cups 2013-15 In Colour ink Refills Coastal Cabana Crisp Cantaloupe Pistachio Pudding Strawberry Slush Baked Brown Sugar Encore Metallic Gold & Silver ink refills Neutrals Classic Ink Refills Stampin' Write Markers: Cherry Cobbler Crumb Cake Pumpkin Pie Rich Razzleberry 12 x 12 Cardstock Blushing Bride Cherry Cobbler Crumb Cake Daffodil Delight Early Espresso Marina Mist Pumpkin Pie Rich Razzleberry Very Vanilla In Colour 2013-15 kit A4 Cardstock Baked Brown Sugar Brushed Silver Coastal Cabana Crisp Cantaloupe Naturals Ivory Pistachio Pudding Strawberry Slush Cardstock & Stampin' Pads In Colour 2013-15 Kit DSP Paper Stack Backgrounds Regals Punches/Dies Big Shot Bigz Top Note Die Boho Blossoms Punch Scallop Border Punch Small Oval Punch post signature

My Top 5 Retiring Products

This makes me sad.

My Top 5 Retiring Products

1. Angled Tag Topper Punch
	Why is this retiring? I have no clue. It is just so very useful! It makes creating tags and bookmarks a snap. I love it and use it all the time! No way I'm getting rid of mine!
2. Sticky Strip
	Again, why are they getting rid of this? It is the BEST tape for box making. I am not a fan of glue in box making, it takes ages to dry and is messy (or maybe I'm just impatient and untidy?) but this tape does the job. I know, we have Fast Fuse but I just haven't fallen in love with fast fuse yet. :-(
3. Naturals White A4 Card Stock
	This, and it's twin, Naturals Ivory, are my go-to card bases. They are thicker than Whisper White (which is the BEST card stock for stamping on, but a bit too thin for a card base, IMO) so I find they are just the perfect weight for card bases and tags.
4. Champagne Glimmer Paper
	I love this vintagey-gold glimmer paper! It isn't as brassy as gold, and it is the perfect pop of glitter on many projects. If your style is more "shabby-chic" than "clean and clear" you'll already know about it's subtle glamour.
5. White Simply Pressed Clay
	I'm late on the Clay love. I'm only just discovering how fun it is, and now I'm kicking myself! Get the alphabet moulds (I've seen people use these as stamps too!) and the button/flower mould (buttons in any colour you like). Use re-inkers to colour the clay before pressing it into the mould, or colour it when it is dry with markers/ink/paint....

Friday, 24 April 2015

Updated Sold Out List

It's kind of exciting, wondering what is going to sell out next!

As at this morning the following retired products are sold out:

Stamps -
Nuts About You ( clear) (hostess);
Baby We've Grown (clear)
Polka Dot Pieces (clear)

Pleasant Poppies (clear)

By the Seashore (clear)

Sumthin' Sumthin' (clear)

Dictionary (clear)

12 x 12 Blushing Bride

12 x 12 Night of Navy

A4 Brushed Silver
A4 Coastal Cabana
A4 Naturals Ivory
A4 Pistachio pudding
A4 Strawberry Slush

A4 Crisp Cantaloupe

A4 2013-15 In Colour Kit

DSP Backgrounds Regals

Ink-

Classic Stampin Pads In Colour 2013-15 kit
Refils:
Baked Brown Sugar
Coastal Cabana
Crisp Cantalope
Pistachio Pudding
Neutrals

Strawberry Slush

Encore Ink Metallic Gold

Encore ink Metallic Silver

Stampin' Write Markers:

Cherry Cobbler

Crumb Cake

Pumpkin Pie

Punches-
Small Oval
Scallop Edge Border

Boho Blossoms

Big Shot Dies:

Bigz Top Note Die

Accessories-
Sweet Treat Cups

Top Five Retiring Big Shot Dies

So many Big Shot dies leaving! I really don't know if I can part with these. I might have to hoard them and use them on my own projects....

Top 5 Retiring Big Shot Dies

1. Top Note Bigz Die
	So sad to see this classic go! It was originally designed as the perfect size for a little cello bag topper - it fit the medium and small cello bags perfectly, depending on whether you used the Top Note in portrait or landscape orientation. Also used as a layer on cards, journalling spot on scrapbook pages, gift tags.
2. Party Pennants Bigz L Die
	LOVE this die! I've made birthday pennants, Christmas Pennants (I love decorating my home for Christmas), used them on cards, etc.
3. Flower Frenzy Bigz L Die
	Who doesn't love flowers? So many beautiful shapes in this die. And because it's a Bigz die, you can cut felt, fabric, cork board, etc. Used by me for wreaths, fabric headbands, etc.
4. Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die
	This is so pretty! I've used it on heaps of cards and tags. Sniff!
5. Starburst Framelits Die
	I love, love, LOVE this set and the matching stamps. Such a crisp, retro look and I love the layering. I've used it on heaps of cards, and scrapbook pages, and tags. So sad to see it go!

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Top Five retiring Stamp Sets

It's impossible to name my favourite stamp sets, but if I had to narrow it down to top five....

My Top Five Retiring Stamp Sets

1. Chalk Talk Clear-Mount Stamp Set
	Love this set with the matching framelits! I've made so many tags with it, which I've bundled together as gifts, or sold at markets.
2. Birthday Surprise Clear-Mount Stamp Set
	This big, bold, cheerful stamp set makes it easy to fill up white space. Great on a scrapbook page too.
3. Daydream Medallions Clear Stamp Set
	This one is so versatile. I've used it for wedding cards, scrapbook pages, Christmas cards, birthdays....
4. Embellished Events Clear Stamp Set
	I love a stamp set that has something for every occasion, particularly for beginners. I also love that this set was designed to work with our buttons and adhesive gems.
5. Mosaic Madness Clear Stamp Set
	I love the endless designs you can make with this. I also love the co-ordinating Embossing folder, and punch.

Don't miss out! Hurry and order in my Online Store before they are gone! post signature

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Already Gone!

As at this morning the following retired products are sold out:

Stamps -
Nuts About You ( clear) (hostess);
Baby We've Grown (clear)
Polka Dot Pieces (clear)

Paper-
12 x 12 In Colour 2013-15
12 x 12 Cherry Cobbler
12 x 12 Crumb Cake
12 x 12 Daffodil Delight
12 x 12 Early Espresso
12 x 12 Real Red
12 x 12 Rich Razzleberry
12 x 12 Very Vanilla
12 x 12 Pumpkin Pie
A4 Brushed Silver
A4 Coastal Cabana
A4 Naturals Ivory
A4 Pistachio pudding
A4 Strawberry Slush
DSP Backgrounds Regals

Ink-
Refils:
Baked Brown Sugar
Coastal Cabana
Crisp Cantalope
Pistachio Pudding
Neutrals

Punches-
Small Oval
Scallop Edge Border

Accessories-
Sweet Treat Cups

So be quick!

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Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Which is your favourite?

I'll be doing a few posts about my favourite retiring products. To start it off, here's a video by Stampin' Up! with some of them:
Get them while they last! post signature

Retirement List is Up!

So many wonderful products are leaving us! Sob!

The good news is - many of these products are going cheap! The bad news is - they won't last long. Some things have already sold out!

Retiring list - out of stock already

Pistachio pudding A4 card stock (131299)
Pistachio pudding ink refill (131166)
Very vanilla 12" cardstock (124301)
Subtles designer series paper stack backgrounds (130135)
Cherry cobbler seam binding (120992)
Sweet treat cups (116802)

Once it's out of stock, it's gone.
I'll update with what is out of stock as I find out. Don't delay putting in your order! Quick!

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Saturday, 4 April 2015

April, already?

Wasn't it February a week ago? My kids are all home how for school holidays and it is "Easter Bunny Eve" as my baby says. Phew! Lots to show and tell you - first, there is a fabulous limited time Bonus Bundle promotion being offered by Stampin' Up! from 1st April (whoops, I'm late) to 17th April.

Here are the details:

Stampin' Up! does the co-ordination thing so well. It's reason #15 that I love them so much! I know you'll want to buy all of them, so pop over to my Online Store over in the sidebar. Hurry because they are only available for a couple of weeks! The next thing I wanted to let you know about was the Backorder situation - it's the worst I've ever seen in the almost 7 years I've been a Demonstrator. Here's what's currently on Backorder:

WHY is this happening? Well, as with most natural disasters, it's caused by a number of factors: 1. Higher Sales of particular products than SU! expected (YAY! but d'oh!); 2. Contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association in the USA. Nearly 40% of all US imports pass through LA and Long Beach, California. During the contract negotiations (which are now resolved), freight vessels were arriving and not being unloaded. there is now a huge backlog of containers; and 3. Chinese New Year, which shut down SU's Chinese manufacturers from 19th Feb-5 March, meant that the products shipped before/after this time were caught up in the contract negotiations dispute and are sitting in containers waiting to be unloaded. These last two factors are of course totally beyond the control of Stampin' Up! Finally, a reminder about the upcoming retirement of the 2014-15 Catalogue and the 2013-15 in colours. Take note of these dates:
The current catalogue will be ending on 2nd June 2015 (not 30th June as it says on the cover).
The retirement list will be released on 21st April 2015.
The New 2015-2016 Catalogue will now be starting in our market (South Pacific) at the same time as the US, and Europe, and Japan on 2nd June 2015.
I'll have more details later this month.
I don't know yet what will be on the retirement list, but I do know the 2013-15 in colours will be replaced by new in colours. I also know from past years that if you love a retiring in colour, you NEED to make sure you order it NOW, because some always sell out prior to the retirement list being released. Here's a handy list to remind you of the in colour products that will disappear - don't forget the ink refill if you have the ink pad! The pictures will take you straight to my online store. Product List