Crafting Chaos!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I like "tidy". It's not always easy to achieve the required level of tidiness and create at the same time. So, from time to time, you have to go for the "it looks worse before it looks better" option! I really needed a good sort out in my craft cupboard, so yesterday was the chosen day. This is my cupboard before. It was really hard to get to things, of course, everything I wanted to use was always at the back.

I now have tidy shelves and a piece of Swedish flat pack furniture to house some of my vast collection of stamps.

 

Not the best photos but you get the idea.

Virtual Hostess Club

Would you like to take part in my next Virtual Hostess Club starting at the end of September? Please click the tab at the top of the page for more information or contact me at alison.langford@btinternet.com. A Virtual Hostess Club is a great way to spread the cost of your purchases and receive great benefits, while building up a collection of fantastic products.

Card Class

I thought I would share the pictures of the cards and gift box that we made at my recent class. It was a nice relaxed afternoon, with time for tea and scones (which is always good in my book!)

Christmas Ornament

My friend Jenny clearly couldn't wait to get her hands on her Ornament Keepsakes Bundle, when I delivered it on Saturday. She got to work straight away and made her version of the ornament on the front of the Autumn/Winter Catalogue.

I think she has done a  fabulous job, what do you think? Would you like to make one of these too?

Stampin' Up! have bundled the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and the Framelits Dies together saving you  15% on the individual prices. Please contact me for details or to place an order.

Changes to Stampin' Up! Ink Pads

With the introduction of the 2012-2013 annual catalogue, we have made a very big change to our Stampin’ Pads.
Introducing firm foam pads! They change your stamping experience for the better.
We know you’re going to love these new Stampin’ Pads--just look at all the exciting benefits listed below:

• Provide better ink coverage for your stamps!
• Light-tap stamping produces flawless images!  

In addition, our new Stampin’ Pads

• Create wonderfully solid images. The Firm Foam releases more ink onto your rubber stamp than the felt pads. When using the Firm Foam pad, your stamp will get an even, solid covering of ink that you may not have been able to achieve with the felt pads. Please note: if you are using the ink pad frequently you may need to re-ink your Firm Foam pad more often. We recommend that you purchase a refill at the time of your ink pad purchase.
• Have a crisply printed, glossy label on the top of the pad that is easier to read and that will not fade or chip off!
• Come with colour name labels in all four languages (English, Spanish, French, and German)—just choose your language, peel it off the back, and add it to the side of the pad for easy identification!
• Use the same patented flip-top case design that stores the inking surface upside down, so the pad surface stays moist!
• Are available in all colours, including our exclusive In Colors!

Let your customers know about these exciting changes to our Stampin’ Pads. Be sure to have at least one on hand so your customers can see and experience for themselves the improved quality of our Stampin’ Up! Stampin’ Pads.
Please note: Five ink colours have undergone formula changes to improve functionality and colour stability with the new firm foam pads. These colours are

• Basic Black
• Basic Gray
• Marina Mist
• Perfect Plum
• Tempting Turquoise

All five colours of the reformulated inks have been fully tested and approved. While using the new ink formula in the old Stampin’ Pads is fine, we do not recommend using the old ink formula in these five colours in the new firm foam pads.
We do not recommend using the Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad on Whisper White or Very Vanilla Card Stock. Instead, we recommend you use the StazOn Ink Pad

New Firm Foam Pads FAQs

 

Q: Why did we switch from felt pads to firm foam pads?
A: We have worked very hard to improve the functionality of our Classic Stampin’ Pads. The firm foam allows for better ink coverage; plus it stays juicer and lasts longer.
Q: Do old Classic Stampin’ Ink Refills work with the new firm foam pads?
A: Yes, with the exception of Basic Black, Basic Gray, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, and Tempting Turquoise, which have been reformulated to work with the new foam pad material. We do not recommend using old ink refills in these colours with the new firm foam pads.
Q: Before I use my firm foam pad, do I need to tap it and massage the ink around?
A:  No. The firm foam pads are ready for use immediately. The best stamping technique with the firm foam pad is light tapping.
Q: My pad is too wet. What should I do?
A: The closer to the manufacture date, the juicer the pad will be. As the pad ages, this problem will fade. In the meantime, very light tapping will reduce the extra ink on the stamp. You can also use a paper towel to blot the area of the stamp pad that you will be using.
Q: The firm foam on my lighter colour pads looks blotchy. Is this normal?
A: Yes. The blotchiness is caused by the characteristics of the pad material. It does not affect the stamped image.
Q: When I first stamp with certain colours, my images seem a lot darker. Why is this happening?
A: When stamping with your old pads, you had to work hard to get even ink coverage on your stamp. With the new firm foam pad, the stamp gets a lot more ink on it so when you stamp, your image will appear darker.  Once your stamped image dries, the colour will look normal.
Q: When I compare the firm foam pads to my felt pads, some of the colours don’t seem to match. Why is this?
A: The firm foam and felt will not match exactly. Ink reacts differently to different materials. We have quality checked each ink colour to ensure that the stamped ink colour is true. 
Q: How long will the pad last before I need to re-ink it?
A: The amount you use it will affect how often you need to re-ink. Please keep in mind that these pads release a lot more ink onto your stamp, resulting in a crisp, solid image. Since the pads release more ink, they will need to be refilled more often.
Q: What is the best way to remove the colour labels from the bottom of the ink pad?
A: Start at the right bottom corner (just above the barcode) and slowly peel the corner up by removing both layers.
Q: Which end of the case do you apply the label to?
A: The label goes on the end where you open the case.
Q: If the ink pad becomes saturated with ink or liquid, will it cause the label to fall off?
A: No, the label should not be affected. However, like most labels, if you pick at it or try and remove it, it may start to peel up.
Q: What are some additional features of the new firm foam pads that I can share with my customers?
A: See additional features below:

• The firm foam is nice and flat and will not become wavy.
• The firm foam material does not imprint on the stamp images like the felt pad sometimes did. However, because the firm foam material is a foam base material, the stamp image can momentarily leave an imprint on the pad, which can transfer to a second stamped image. By inking your stamp on different areas of the pad or waiting momentarily for the ink to rise back to the top, you can easily avoid this situation.
• The firm foam material is soft and has a nice bounce to it. It’s not hard like the felt is.
• The ink lay-down (how the ink is absorbed into the card stock) is even, not blotchy, and dries quickly. It has an increased opacity and stamps solid images beautifully.
• Please note: We do not recommend using the Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad on Whisper White or Very Vanilla Card Stock. Instead, we recommend you use the StazOn Ink Pad.

Q: Will Stampin’ Spots use the new firm foam pad?
A: No. Stampin’ Spots will remain the same.
Q: Can I use the reformulated ink with my Stampin’ Spots?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use the reformulated ink with my Stampin’ Around Wheels?
A: Yes.
Q: My ink pad needs re-inking during a stamp camp. Why?
A: There are several reasons for this:

• The ink level in the firm foam pads is less than it was in the felt pads because of the slight difference in material.
• The firm foam has a variation in thickness and density that requires the manufacturer to adjust the ink level.
• Heavy stamping techniques will use more ink than light stamping techniques.
• Larger stamped images will use more ink that smaller stamped images. 
• Large groups of people using the pad at the same time will result in the ink pads needing to be refilled more often.

Get It While You Can

Going, going…gone!

The list of stamp sets and accessories that are retiring from the 2011 - 2012 Idea Book and Catalogue at the end of September is now up. If you want any of these products, you need act now to avoid disappointment! They are only available while stocks last.

Click the images on the right to see the lists.

NEW! Autumn/Winter Catalogue

The Autumn/Winter catalogue launches today, click the link in the right hand column to have a browse online or contact me for your own copy or to purchase anything. It's full of lovely things for Christmas, Autumn, Halloween and ideas suitable for Valentines Day.