Time to Say Goodbye

Hello talented stampers, fabulous followers and my beloved lurkers,

It is time to say good bye to many fabulous products and incredible stamp sets. Their official retirement date is June 3rd so you only have days left to order. While it is admittedly hard to see some of these items go, Stampin' Up! needs to make room for all the amazing new stamp sets.

This post is a nod to all things retired. The projects featured here are all my own designs but I encourage you to copy them, alter them if you like, and make them your own. If you have any questions about these creations, feel free to ask. I am always happy help.

The first project (and one of my all time personal favourites) features 3 retiring sets: Foxy Friends & the Fox Builder Punch, Pick A Pennant & the Playful Pennants Framelit Dies and the Labeler Alphabet & Large Letters Framelit Dies. While I'm gong to miss all these, the Large Letter Framelits was one of my go to sets. It is an incredible tool to have in your repitoire. Many of you know I sell my retired products. However, the Large Letter Framelits will continue to enjoy a place on my shelf. It was also a lot of fun crafting a great Canadian Beaver from the Fox Builder punch. In fact, I loved him so much, he showed up on several cards.

I had so much fun with this hostess set, Hand Delivered, especially making 3x3s. These cards were created when I was a Display Board Artist for the now retiring Annual Catalogue. It was such an incredible learning experience and opportunity. The creation process was so much fun! No one had ever used or seen these sets before. There were no Pinterest, Instagram or Google searches. This was an aha moment for me and now the majority of my cards are created out of my head. People sometimes asked me about my "why." Why do I do this?  Now, I can answer... it's two things. The opportunity to create something from scratch and making friends.

My Display Board.

The Gingham Gala DSP made my heart skip a beat and I will miss it so. (The good news is the Buffalo Check Stamp stays! We can make our own gingham.) These samples feature the Humming Along Stamp set. Since they're native to my island, I really loved the humming bird. These cards were created when a fellow demo was too sick to participate in a local team swap she had arranged. It was the first time I used this beautiful and timeless set.

Brusho bows out! I had so much fun creating backgrounds with Brusho. Happily, this wildly versatile stamp set, Rooted in Nature, is carrying over. This is just a sample of what magic one can create with Brusho. Spoiler alert: I'm excited to announce Stampin' Up! has a new amazing product coming - stay tuned!

Thank you Bella & Friends and Pretty Kitty for so many amazing cards. Most of the cards I made with this set were commissioned by a local pet store. 100% of funds raised went to a local animal rescue. (The Christmas cards pictured here used some previously retired items and some of the greetings were done on my computer.) These two adorable sets are a must have for any animal lovers on your list.

As a complete coffee addict, it's hard to say good bye to the lovely Coffee Cafe. This set was featured in many of my classes over the past couple years. In addition to being fabulous for coffee aficionados, this set is perfect for craft fairs. So many gift card holders!

and finally...

After 18 years in the catalogue, the incredible Lovely as a Tree set has decided it's time to say goodbye. Used year round, this is one of the most versatile stamps sets I've been lucky enough to lay my hands on. I've made birthday cards, thank you cards, sympathy cards, and much more. Here are the very first and last cards I made with the same iconic stamp from this set.

Writing this post made me realize I need to start taking photographs of ALL my cards. I have made so many cards and projects with these sets but they're no longer in my possession. Even with the latest technology, I haven't quite figured out how to download my memory of a card into my blog. Henceforth, every card will be subjected to a photo shoot before being sold to the highest bidder or given away. I even bought a proper photo light box. This is going to be fun!

Remember, June 3rd is your last chance to get these and many other fabulous retiring products. For all your stamping and scrapbooking needs, my shop is here. On orders under 200 remember to use the current host code, located on right side of my blog, underneath the image of the catalogue. You will be entered into my monthly draw to win a fabulous prize.*

UPDATE: As of May 30th, many of the retired items are now 30% off!!!

Until next time.

Cheers,
Adrienne

* In order to comply with Federal Regulations, potential winners need to first correctly answer a skill testing questions before being declared a winner. Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received. Without giving too much away, the prize will be a retired Stampin' Up! item, not a new car.