Make way for the Spring-Summer Collection - Retiring Stamp Sets are 20% off

Stampin' Up just announced the List of Retiring stamp sets from the Fall-Winter Collection. Follow the link for the list in alphabetical order or listed by page number. I will be offering 20% off any retiring stamp sets until December 23. Stamp sets make great Christmas gifts! If you have stamp sets on your holiday wish list, fill out a Shiloh Stamps Wish List. Your loved ones can then contact me to place an order. Contact me at alison@shilohstamps.com if you would like to start a wish list or place an order.

Shiloh Stamps Early Christmas Special

Get started on Christmas cards this summer!

So I've gotten inspired by reading The Martha Rules. Since I'm starting a new crafty business, my mom gave me Martha Stewart's rulebook about starting a new business. I admit, I was skeptical, but the lady has sure made some dough with all her cooking/cleaning/crafty tips. Much to my chagrin, the book opens by Martha talking about doing time. She says that while she was locked up, lots of women approached her with business ideas. You see, when people do time, they have lots of time to think and dream about what can happen on the outside. At the minimum-security facility where Martha paid her debt to society, many of the women had aspirations about starting businesses. Martha described one pair of ladies who had drawn up a business plan with lots of specifics and concrete plans. Martha decided that she could help others with entrepreneurial spirits by putting some of her lessons learned into a book.

In the chapter entitled "Teach so you can Learn", she tells how business owners should 'think like a customer'. So I started thinking about what my customers have told me. Many have said that they would like to make birthday cards and they have trouble keeping up with birthdays. So I knew I was on track with planning my birthday calendar workshop I hosted earlier this week. Many others told me they would like to make homemade Christmas cards. Then I thought about what challenges people face in trying to make Christmas and birthday cards. I addressed all of these challenges by designing the Shiloh Stamps Early Christmas Special. For many stampers, the first challenge after choosing the perfect stamp set is getting those darn stamps mounted. This was a pain for me for 3 years until I got the Craft and Rubber Scissors as part of my new demonstrator kit. Now it takes me minutes to mount a stamp set. Another barrier to making cards is not having all the right supplies, so I will pledge to help my stampers inventory their supplies and order the proper quantities. The next challenge is cutting all that cardstock, which can be difficult if you don't have a paper trimmer. Finally, I decided it would be helpful to make each stamper a page of address labels. So here's the Shiloh Stamps early Christmas Special, inspired by The Martha Rules.

Many of you have told me that you would like to start on your Christmas cards early this year, or perhaps make handmade Christmas cards for the first time this year. I would love to help you make that happen. I have designed a special to help you bypass some of the challenges that can keep you from getting your cards done in a timely manner. I will help you by mounting your stamps, cutting your cardstock, and making return address labels if you follow the steps below:

1. I can help you design a card that suits your style and schedule, whether simple or complex, modern or classic, bold or subtle; I would love to help you design your cards. I am hosting a Christmas in August Stamp Camp to help people design their Christmas cards.

2. You take a look at your address book and decide how many home-made cards you would like to send.

3. I will help you inventory what supplies and quantities you will need to complete your cards.

4. You place an order by August 29 that includes:
page numbers refer to the Fall-Winter Collection 2007
a. A stamp set –or- wheel and handle
b. Ink (pp. 165-167, 186)
c. Cardstock (pp. 165-167, 170-179) - colors, neutrals, designer paper included
d. Adhesive(p.185) - includes SNAIL, glue dots, etc.
e. Embellishments (pp.178, 187-191) - ribbon, brads, eyelets, etc.
f. Envelopes (p. 169)

5. When your order arrives, I will
a. Cut and mount your stamps
b. Cut your cardstock into cards
c. Print a page of custom address labels for you

For all those who take advantage of this promotion, I will schedule a special Christmas card assembly session in September. We will meet at my home and work on our cards together, and maybe even listen to Christmas music.

Remember – this offer ends August 29, so contact me soon and we can start designing your Christmas cards together.

alison@shilohstamps.com

What brown can do for you...

Over the past few days, I've gotten two UPS packages and a FedEx package. I love getting mail! The two UPS packages were from Stampin' Up, and you can see their contents in the picture here - sorry for the glare. I got 4 stamp sets, 6 packets of papers, a set of brads, 8 catalogs, a cool white gel pen, 3 markers, a roll of a black and white gingham ribbon, a coordinated scrapbook set, a paper piercing template, and the Aqua Painters. This order included my new catalog "preview" items. As a Stampin Up demonstrator, I get to order new products about a month before everyone else and I get a discount- woohoo! I'm having fun getting my new stamping business off the ground. The discount is great, and this was all a 'business expense'!

The FedEx package was tickets to a Phillies/Pirates game. We're going to a game in July with our friends Andy and Tracy. Our seats aren't bad. Should be a grand time!

Fall/Winter Collection 2007 is here!

My box of new Stampin' Up catalogs arrived today! Here's a picture of the cover. I'll try to post some of the pages soon. I can start accepting orders for the new catalog on July 1st.

Here's a quick look at some of the highlights:

• 208 pages


• the beginning of the catalog includes 3 "style watch" collections, where they showcase coordinating stamp sets, colors, papers, punches, etc. My favorite is called "tapestry". You can find it on pages 6&7 of the catalog. It has a baroque background stamp, designer papers, taffeta ribbon, and chipboard script letters that coordinate with it.


• there are 5 simply sent kits. These are kits that include a stamp set, mini stamp pads, ribbon, adhesives - everything you need to make at least 10 cards!


• the next section shows all the hostess benefits. These are the stamp sets and supplies that you can earn for free by hosting a Stampin' Up workshop.


• the page with all the ink, papers, markers, refills has pictures of the product at the top of each column - very helpful! See pages 166-167.


• going gray isn't gone, but there'a new gray, too - basic gray. it's a little darker.


• there are more chipboard simon things - capital alphabet and clipboards


• more accents and elements - make cardmaking fast!


• there's a new punch - a scalloped circle - this will be the first thing I order! It coordinates perfectly with a stamp from the In the Spotlight hostess set.


• they've organized the accessories better - adhesives, tools, applications, etc.


• there's beautiful new ribbon - taffeta, a big 5/8" grosgrain, double-stictched

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Open House invitations - 3 versions

So I'm having an Open House at our new house on June 30. We'll be celebrating the launch of my new stamping business by making cards, winning door prizes, and checking out the new catalog. If you'd more details, e-mail me using the Contact Me button at the right.

Which card do you like best? I always make a few versions to have my options open. It's interesting how a card design evolves after you work with it a while.

Supplies:

• Right at Home stamp set - (retiring June 30!)
• Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp set
• buckaroo blue cardstock
• so saffron cardstock
• barely banana cardstock
• chocolate chip cardstock
• whisper white cardstock
• basic black classic stamp pad
• real red classic stamp pad
• buckaroo blue classic stamp pad
• chocolate chip classic stamp pad
• so saffron classic stamp pad
• blender pens
• AquaPainter
• mellow moss marker
• hemp twine