A Passion for Stamps

2009 Stampin' Up! RETIRED Lists are here!

THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG UNTIL JUNE 30. Please scroll down for new June posts.

RETIRED ACCESSORIES LIST-MOST RECENT UPDATE: June 11 5:00 p.m. (Remember to CHECK THIS LINK DAILY for current availability and order online HERE asap to be assured product is still available)

MY JUNE SPECIAL: ORDER ANY DISCONTINUING STAMPS/ACCESSORIES & HOME DECOR ELEMENTS FROM ME IN JUNE, AND RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT ON YOUR TOTAL (before tax & shipping) TO SPEND IN JULY (with a minimum $50 purchase) From the NEW 2009/2010 IDEA BOOK & CATALOG!

Stampin' UP has released the retired lists for the Spring/Summer Catalog-and many are discounted! But these items sell FAST, so be sure to check out these items right away and place your order asap. The Accessories list will be updated DAILY as items are sold...so check back each day for product availability.

Last Chance Accessories up to 50% off! These are limited time only...while supplies last! Each day, check back here for an updated list to see what is still available. The quickest way to be assured of receiving these items before they sell out is to order online HERE and click SHOP NOW.

Last Chance for select accessories & Home Decor items at up to 25% off!  Click HERE and click SHOP NOW to order online.

To view the other individual Last Chance Lists, click on the following:

RETIRED STAMPS (alphabetical)

RETIRED STAMPS (numerical)

RETIRED DECOR ELEMENTS

CURRENT DORMANT LIST (these are not in current catalogs but ARE available thru June 30, 2009)

You can also email me with questions or to place an order: dvanstamp@embarqmail.com

Here is the Retiring Stamps & Hostess Sets List in case you cannot open the above links:

PLEASE NOTE: Last Chance Stamp List Updated
June 6, 2009

We have updated the Last Chance Stamp List. Spanish stamp sets have been added, and we have removed the following stamp sets from the list:

113732: Central Park  
113688: Wonderful Watercolors  
 
These two sets will appear on the Dormant List which will post July 1.

Retirement List

List of all Retiring Stamp Sets:

ABC Alphabet Lower
ABC Alphabet Upper
ABC Images
Absolutely Fabulous
Acuarelas maravillosas
All Scallops
Always In My Thoughts
Baroque
Beautiful Baby
Beautiful Borders
Bella Blossoms
Best Bee Four-Line
Best Bee Three-Line
Best Kind Of Friend
Big Birthday Candle
Big Bold Birthday
Big Deal Alphabet
Big Deal Numbers
Big Flowers                                                                                                 Birthday Counts
Birthday Wish
Blooming with Love
Boatloads of Love
Celebrations
Classic Four-Line
Classic One-Line
Classic Stripes
Classic Three-Line
Classic Two-Line
Contemporary Four-Line
Contemporary One-Line
Contemporary Three-Line
Contemporary Two-Line
Decorative Design
Doodle This
Elegant Cheer
Elegant Flower Four-Line
Elegant Flower Three-Line
Felices fiestas
Flowers in Silhouette
Forever
Frames with a Flourish
Free & The Brave, The
Fun Flowers
Glad Friends
God Is Love
Great Grads
Happiness Is a Journey
Happy Heart Day
Heartfelt Thanks
Heritage Holiday
Holiday Trinkets
Holidays & Wishes
Hugs & Wishes
If the Halo Fits
Illuminations
In Everything Give Thanks
In Good Form
Independence Day
It’s a Sign
Just B
Kindred Spirits
Large Text-Only Simple Serif One-Line
Large Text-Only Simple Serif Two-Line
Life’s a Breeze
Little Birdie Told Me, A
Lovely Labels
Many Happy Returns
Morning Soft                                                                                                   Note of Thanks
One Smart Cookie
Organic Outlines
Outlined for Fun
Perfect Princess
Pinch Proof
Prehistoric Pals
Pretty Amazing
Say It with Scallops
Seaside
Seeing Spots
Short Order Alphabet
Short Order Numbers
Simple Serif Mini Alphabet & Numbers
Snow Burst
Something New to Love
Stitched Exotics
Sweet Celebrations
Sweet Sampler
Sweet Serendipity
Tableau of Terror
Tag It
Thoughts of Father
Ticker Tape Alphabet
Time to Party
To Have and to Hold
To You & Yours
Wild about You
Wonderful You
Zoofari

2009 Hostess Sets:

Comfort Food
Darling Dots
Dear Friend
Dream a Little
Echoes of Kindness
God’s Beauty
Goody-Goody Gumdrops
Itty Bitty Buds
Little Somethin’, A
Rustic Rooster
Sweet Little Sentiments
Puntos primorosos
Querida amiga
Sueña un poco
Ecos de bondad
La belleza de Dios
Dulce expresiones
Un regalito
Sentimientos de dulzura

List of all Retiring Stamp Sets:

ABC Alphabet Lower
ABC Alphabet Upper
ABC Images
Absolutely Fabulous
Acuarelas maravillosas
All Scallops
Always In My Thoughts
Baroque
Beautiful Baby
Beautiful Borders
Bella Blossoms
Best Bee Four-Line
Best Bee Three-Line
Best Kind Of Friend
Big Birthday Candle
Big Bold Birthday
Big Deal Alphabet
Big Deal Numbers
Big Flowers                                                                                                 Birthday Counts
Birthday Wish
Blooming with Love
Boatloads of Love
Celebrations
Classic Four-Line
Classic One-Line
Classic Stripes
Classic Three-Line
Classic Two-Line
Contemporary Four-Line
Contemporary One-Line
Contemporary Three-Line
Contemporary Two-Line
Decorative Design
Doodle This
Elegant Cheer
Elegant Flower Four-Line
Elegant Flower Three-Line
Felices fiestas
Flowers in Silhouette
Forever
Frames with a Flourish
Free & The Brave, The
Fun Flowers
Glad Friends
God Is Love
Great Grads
Happiness Is a Journey
Happy Heart Day
Heartfelt Thanks
Heritage Holiday
Holiday Trinkets
Holidays & Wishes
Hugs & Wishes
If the Halo Fits
Illuminations
In Everything Give Thanks
In Good Form
Independence Day
It’s a Sign
Just B
Kindred Spirits
Large Text-Only Simple Serif One-Line
Large Text-Only Simple Serif Two-Line
Life’s a Breeze
Little Birdie Told Me, A
Lovely Labels
Many Happy Returns
Morning Soft                                                                                                   Note of Thanks
One Smart Cookie
Organic Outlines
Outlined for Fun
Perfect Princess
Pinch Proof
Prehistoric Pals
Pretty Amazing
Say It with Scallops
Seaside
Seeing Spots
Short Order Alphabet
Short Order Numbers
Simple Serif Mini Alphabet & Numbers
Snow Burst
Something New to Love
Stitched Exotics
Sweet Celebrations
Sweet Sampler
Sweet Serendipity
Tableau of Terror
Tag It
Thoughts of Father
Ticker Tape Alphabet
Time to Party
To Have and to Hold
To You & Yours
Wild about You
Wonderful You
Zoofari

2009 Hostess Sets:

Comfort Food
Darling Dots
Dear Friend
Dream a Little
Echoes of Kindness
God’s Beauty
Goody-Goody Gumdrops
Itty Bitty Buds
Little Somethin’, A
Rustic Rooster
Sweet Little Sentiments
Puntos primorosos
Querida amiga
Sueña un poco
Ecos de bondad
La belleza de Dios
Dulce expresiones
Un regalito
Sentimientos de dulzura

Stampin' Up! Hostess-June Special for you!

Are you ready to host a Stampin' Up! workshop? If so, June is a great month to do so! Stampin' Up! has a Summer Fun Hostess Bonus for you-check it out:

1. Hostesses in June who have sales of $250-$399.99 will receive an ADDITIONAL $20 in hostess free merchandise from any current SU! catalogs!
2. Hostesses in June who have sales of $400+ receive an ADDITIONAL $40 in hostess free merchandise from any current SU! catalogs!

If you would like to host a party this month, just email me @dvanstamp@embarqmail.com.

Passionstamper

a PASSION for stamps

Welcome to my little stamping corner of the world... I became a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator because I have had a passion for the art of rubber stamping ever since I discovered it in 1989, when I first embossed and used stamps to make invitations for my son's first birthday party! I love to experiment with the endless ways to create with rubber stamps and appreciate the versatility of this fun craft.  I was thrilled to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator in 1996 and am so fortunate to love what I do and do what I love-because this has been my fun "job" ever since!  I invite you to peruse the artwork on this site, sign up to receive newsletter updates from me and visit my "other" Stampin' Up! website for information about various stamping and scrapbooking events, happenings and opportunities! Sharing my passion for stamping,

Big Change-Unexpected News for our Family!

I hope you are well and had a lovely holiday! We had the busiest holiday season and found myself totally overwhelmed! Ufortunately, blogging took a back seat for the past two months! (gasp! can't believe it has been that long!) I didn't work on my craft fair projects until mid fall, which really set me back in preparing for them, and also doing all the regular holiday things.  We also had some unexpected news-our twenty-year old son Mike decided to leave college and join the U.S. Coast Guard! This was totally a shock not only to us, but also to our friends and families too.

When he was a kid, Mike and his best friend Chris used to run around the neighborhood in cammoflage uniforms playing "war games"-he said he was going to join the Army one day. As a freshman in h.s. he had a burning desire to become a Navy Seal and was interested in anything having to do with the CIA or FBI-I guess we should have known that some part of him was drawn to a higher calling of military service.

When he graduated from High School in 2007, then enrolled in college, we had no idea he was still considering joining the the military. He has been pursuing a degree in law enforcement, so he felt the Coast Guard would best provide him with extensive knowledge, training and experience as he furthers his education in criminal justice.  He became an EMT in his junior year of High School, then took the training to become a dispatcher for our local police department, so joining the Coast Guard is right up his alley! 

Prior to his involvement, we had no idea it was so difficult to get into the Coast Guard. After many trips to East Orange, and overnights for him at Fort Harrison NY for physical endurance, fitness and scholastic testing, he has finally been accepted and sworn in, and leaves for basic training camp in Cape May NJ early February, followed by a guarantee of at least one year on the northeast coast. He signed up for 6 years active duty (2 inactive) so the sooner we all accept it--the better! We are incredibly proud of him for making such a decision, especially during a time of war. The Coast Guard comes under Homeland Security and the majority of their responsibility is protecting the US.

This Christmas was especially memorable and we have been visiting friends and out-of-state family since we don't know how long it may be before he can visit them again. These next few weeks will fly by and before we know it, he will be leaving. Six years is a long time-Mike's sister will be 22 when he get's out! No one knows what the future holds, but Mike is on his way to a future that will provide him with incredible experiences as he joins the ranks of the military, following in the footsteps of other family members who have served a tour of duty for our country: his father (Army), uncle (Navy), and his Grandfathers (Marines and Army).   I will give updates from time to time. As for now, I am anxious to get back to some kind of normalcy and routines again. If you are a coastie wife or mom, I'd love to hear from you!

It seems strange that I wasn't able to post holiday projects, but I will do that briefly in a separate post, along with some of my craft fair items.

With only one more week of the Fall-Winter Catalog and then the release of the new Spring-Summer Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog on January 19, there is alot to tell you about!  Guess it's back to blogging, stamping and scrapbooking for me! 

Have a great weekend!

PASSIONSTAMPER

Thanksgiving Stamped Hostess Gift

Thanksgiving is approaching and it's one of my favorite times of the year! It's a day when our family members are all home together to share in the holiday feast. It conjures up scents of turkey & stuffing roasting in the oven, and the house is filled with the aroma of baked pies and other goodies...I can feel the warmth of the kitchen with candles lit just thinking about it! It happens to be my son's favorite day too....all the food, relatives, followed by football game. (This year, my birthday also happens to fall on Thanksgiving-November 27th!)

It may be the last Thanksgiving we can all be together--as our son is seriously considering joining the Coast Guard, so he can follow up on his education in the Law Enforcement field, as well as obtain knowledge and experience while serving his country. He is currently in college but this will probably be his last semester, as he will most likely be going to Boot Camp next year. Thanksgiving is my son's favorite holiday-so this one will be very special for us all, as we may not be able to all be together for the next one.

This time of year also brings to mind the many blessings we have to be thankful for. As I work on projects for craft fairs this fall, I make sure I also have a few for Thanksgiving. I love the concept of a Thanksgiving Blessing Mix which makes an excellent little gift to bring to the hostess when you visit family on Thanksgiving Day! Two years ago, Stampin' Up! partnered with Country Living magazine which featured a spread in their magazine for Thanksgiving decorating. I loved the stamp set that was featured that year, and even used one of the sayings in this year's blessing mix that I put together for Thanksgiving. Last time I made the blessing mix with everything in a cello bag and topper. This time I wanted to do something a little different, so I found this cute little jar to decorate and fill:

If you follow my blog, you know I am sucker for punch art, so I knew I wanted to use punches to make my turkey. I got the idea for the turkey design from a card I saw (made by Cynthia Stember) mentioned here on Patty Bennett's blog and just expanded on it. The feathers were made with half a scallop punch on various colored cardstocks, then sponged around the edges. I used dimensionals between every layer so the turkey really pops out and attached the whole thing with Pop Up Glue Dots. (the dimension is hard to see in this photo-but the turkey really stands out nicely!)  I made the pumpkin with three small punched ovals and pumpkin pie cardstock and attached with dimensionals...

I hand drew the cornucopia on cocoa cardstock that I first stamped with Aida Cloth (a retired SU background stamp) and added a 1 3/4" chocolate chip circle behind the turkey for dimension. The bow was added with a glue dot to the top of the cornucopia.

I used the Coluzzle to make the large circle behind it all with More Mustard cardstock.

I cut a strip of Autumn Vine Designer Series paper and attached that to the jar.
This paper is so pretty and is double-sided, so it shows on the inside of the jar, too!

I printed the Thanksgiving Blessing Mix from my computer onto mustard cardstock, then used the slot punch to attach it to the back of the jar with (retired) SU ribbon.

This is the Thanksgiving Blessing Mix-I added all these ingredients to cello bags which were then sealed and placed inside the jar.

I cut a circle for the top of the jar, again using the Coluzzle, and added the saying. and sponged the edges.

I finished off with a ribbon around the top.

Here is the same designer series paper used in the above jar, but in reverse.  It was fun to change the papers and accessories for a different look.

These jars were a good seller at the Misteltoe Market Craft Event at the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin NJ that I just participated in this past weekend. (I've been busy for awhile getting ready for this fair-that's why I haven't been posting to the blog lately). I had some half-finished jars that I didn't bring with me, that I wished I had completed!  I am offering those I have left for sale to my local customers or to anyone who is willing to pick them up. Contact me at 973-827-2893 if you are interested in purchasing this lovely Thanksgiving hostess gift. The jars make a great home decor item that can be refilled every year! Offer good only while supplies last....

This year, Country living is partnering with Stampin' Up! once again-not for Thanksgiving projects, but for Christmas ones! I'll save that for my next post!

TURKEY POOP

Another project I offered at the Mistletoe Market Craft Fair this year was Turkey Poop-very similar to what I did last year, but simplified:

Do you really want to put a smile on a loved one's face? I highly recommend this humorous alternative to the more serious hostess gift above-it really makes a great gag gift! These are quick and easy to throw together and would be adorable at the place setting of your guests this Thanksgiving...

At the craft fair, two elderly ladies stopped by my table; this item caught their eye-and as they read it they suddenly burst out laughing and just kept looking at each other, laughed some more until tears were running down their faces!

Sometimes the simplest things bring the most pleasure....let me know if you would like to purchase any!

CUSTOM MESSAGE TILES

I wished I had made more of this cook serving up the turkey...but all the tiles my daughter and I have made so far, are "one of a kind".  I knew this one would be snatched up...and I was right! (there was a glare when I took the picture)

I will not be making more of this design this year, but next fall I plan to make a bunch of these.

I will be selling Message Tiles all year long in my online store...soon! My daughter Kelley helps me make these and has come up with some adorable ones! Each set includes the frame and Dry Erase Marker which is conveniently attached to the top of the tile for easy accessibility.

I have a few of these that we use around the house. When I first put one in the foyer, my nineteen year old son left me a note on it that said: "Mom-this is stupid". Well for something so stupid, need I tell you who now uses these more than any other family member to leave us messages? You guessed it! I have one in the foyer and one in the kitchen-they really come in handy...and it's easy to use-just erase with a tissue!

If you have any particular themes you are interested in, please let me know and I will try to accomodate your personal interests. I also make these up as wedding gifts. If you are in the Hardyston NJ area, come and visit me at the Wallkill Valley High School annual Booster Club Holiday Craft Fair on December 6 if you would like to purchase these as Christmas gifts, as I will have some there for sale.

Thanks for visiting!