The Stamp Lady

Wow!  It is hard to believe that it has been five months since my last posting.   So much has been happening that the blog got pushed to the background for way too long.

This winter was tough.  The weather in January was terrible and it forced me to reschedule then cancel the Stampers Club gathering.  I then tried twice to offer a New Catalog Open House with only one person attending each event.

In February one of our cats, Rascal, got sick, again.  With the first round of this illness last November, we learned that the cat weighed 26.5 pounds, making him severely overweight.  He has been on a diet for months, and trust me, cats don’t understand diets, making it quite challenging to deal with feeding time for him and the other two cats.   Thankfully, the illness is not too serious and very treatable.   However, it caused a lot of disruption for several weeks, especially after the cat peed on the bed (due to the illness) ruining an electric blanket and a foam mattress topper.   My husband and I didn’t sleep well for weeks while I searched local stores and online for replacements.  All of the cats are now banned from the bedroom, permanently.

During March and April there were many shows at Chenery Auditorium that I needed to work.  More recently, we have been preparing the Auditorium for the next phase of major renovations.  If you drive by, you can see the construction company preparing outside for the huge transformation that will take place inside.  The work begins 2 days after the last program in June and will continue through the fall programs until sometime next March.  I truly enjoy my continued involvement in theatre but during some months it takes up a lot of my time and energy.

This winter I also got more proactive in trying to improve my health.   I went through a few months of physical therapy for both my neck and my knees to try to live more pain-free and drug-free.  Over a year ago, I started going to an aqua aerobics class and continue to be pretty consistent with participating three times per week.

Then in May, Rascal had round three of his illness.  Ugh!  On the bright side, he has lost 2 pounds.  With a few more pounds gone, we shouldn’t have to worry about him getting sick again.  We hope!

I realize this spring that my husband and I have not done any real home improvement projects in about three years.  Some of them are way overdue.  One of my priority changes is to spend more time on the house and with my hubby.

WHEW!  No wonder I haven’t found much time for all my stamp-related activities!  But don’t fret, I still love stamping and sharing.

The Stampers Club has met each month and is scheduled  to continue through this November (new folks are welcome to join anytime, hint, hint).  With this group of ladies I share tons of techniques and ideas, they make many fun projects, and each gal gets a turn as hostess, earning lots of free goodies.  One of my favorites new toys, I mean tools, is the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine which I have featured in several projects.   I plan to share pictures of past club projects in upcoming postings.

What about classes and other stamping events?  Between the weather (a big factor), working at Chenery Auditorium, and my continuing limited energy, it was too difficult during the past few months to add any more activities.  But as the season at Chenery ends for the summer and the weather continues to improve, I am excited to offer more events.

I also decided several months ago that I will not be attending the Stampin’ Up! Convention this summer.  After eight conventions in a row, I need a break financially and time-wise.  While I know that I will miss out on many cool things, I also won’t need to spend weeks preparing swaps and planning the trip.  This should leave more time for planning events for you.

Since I am just getting back into the blog, I have a lot of updating to do on the Special page, adding samples and events, and more.  It will take some time but I hope to stay more in touch throughout the summer.

While you may not hear from me often, I am around and always happy to hear from you.  As always, you are welcome to call or email me with questions.

Happy Stamping!

Shannon

There is a great, very short-term sale going on now!

I sent out an e-card on Wednesday from my web site announcing the sale.  Since I don’t always have enough time to do a full posting here at The Stamp Lady I try to get the word out through the e-cards.  However, only 1 out of every 3 cards have been viewed.  To keep these messages from heading straight to the Spam or Junk Mail folder, please take a moment right now to add this address to your address book – no-reply@stampinup.info

I have also noticed that some email programs will block the e-cards and you may need to click something in order to allow the message to load.  If you have any question about this please contact me.

Emails
I have recently changed computers and I’m still working to sort out all my programs and files.  In an attempt to simplify, I have merged my two email accounts.  So, it does not matter which email address you use to communicate with me.  I am checking them both a couple of times a day.
sclemens@ameritech.net
merfner@yahoo.com

Holiday Extravaganza Sale!
As for the great sale, it is almost over!  Check out all the details on the flyer.

I have updated and added pages at The Stamp Lady site.

The Ordering Page now includes updated information for ordering Stampin’ Up! products directly from me or ordering online through my web site.

Catalogs and Products now have their own page (a sub page under Ordering), with links to all the current catalogs.  It also lists additional product lines, Decor Elements and Sixxiz, as well as special offers of products (currently empty tins that you can decorate).

Sales and Specials now have their own page (a sub page under Ordering), with links to flyers.  I will be adding more details on special and/or links to postings with the details in the upcoming days.

I hope these are useful references for you in planning purchases.  Please let me know if there is additional information you would like to see.  Thanks!

It has been quiet here at the blog but it has certainly been a busy month for me!

At Chenery Auditorium, it was pretty stressful the week leading up to the first show, with tons of final installations, several inspections, and painters working on every last nook and cranny.

One of the changes with this renovation is that we will now open up the lobby area early and take tickets at each auditorium entrance doors.  This change requires more than tripled the front-of-house staff than we previously needed.  So, we hired Staffing Inc to provide ticket takers, ushers, and area managers.  I did the majority of the training for all these new folks. (By the way, while we have enough staff at the moment, we are still open for some more people.  You can email Katie at Staffing Inc to apply.)

We had three successful events in just over the first week of the season!  The new personnel is doing a great job and we have gotten many compliments on the new additions inside the seating area.  There are a few new pictures at the web site.

I now have a couple weeks before the next show that I need to work. Now, I’m catching up on life! I am also preparing posts on the current specials and upcoming classes.   Plus, I have lots of samples to share!

More coming soon!

I hate being a sheep.

I’m not one to hop on the bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it.  If everybody was jumping off a cliff, I would stand to the side and yell “You’re all nuts!”

However, after months of folks talking about sharing photos and sending invites through Facebook I was intrigued.  Then my husband signed up and is now “in the loop.”  So, it’s really his fault that I have taken the plunge.

Baa, baa

You can now find me on Facebook.  Feel free to invite me to be a Friend.

I had added new pictures to the About Me page. I have changed my photo to one from this year’s Convention. You can also see my husband, Dave, and our three crazy cats.

In June, I celebrated my eight-year anniversary as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. These years have been a great time of creating cards & gifts, meeting new people, sharing many fun techniques, and reaching various goals, both business and personal.

Thanks to your great support and love of stamping through the years, in June I achieved my first Milestone Award with Stampin’ Up! With this award, I receive a special bonus from Stampin’ Up! and, will get to walk across stage and be recognized at the SU! Convention. Woo Hoo!

BIG THANK YOU SPECIAL!

To thank you for my successes, I am offering you the Big Thank You Special! Now through August 10, purchase any 2 stamp sets, and receive Free Shipping on your entire order!

While I encourage you to select stamp sets from the Retiring List before they are gone, this special applies to any stamp sets ordered from the 2008 Spring/Summer Collection Catalog. This special is good at all events, including the Stampers Club. This special can also be combined with the Preferred Customer Card redemption.

I wanted to start the next round of goals with a big bang!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

SAVE THE RECEIPTS!

Starting July 1, I am offering a new incentive program for my customers called Save the Receipts! Here’s how it works:

Hang onto your receipts. When the merchandise total (from Line A) accumulates to $500, you can redeem the receipts for $25 off your next order. The discount is taken off before shipping and tax are figured, saving you even more!

This new incentive applies to all catalog orders placed beginning July 1, 2008. Whether it takes a few months or a couple years, when you reach the goal, you can redeem your discount!

Calling All Preferred Customers!

What about those Preferred Customer Cards that you have been collecting stamps on for the past couple of years? Redeem them now!

During July, August, and September, place an order of at least $20 in catalog products and redeem your Preferred Customer Card, receiving $1 off for each filled square. This discount is also applied before shipping and tax are figured.

These cards are redeemable at all events during the next three months, including Stampers Club, Classes, and Open Houses. They can be applied toward any products ordered from the current catalogs. You can choose whether to use your savings for items retiring from the Spring/Summer Catalog or on new goodies from the Fall/Winter Catalog.

But, don’t wait for an event! You can contact me anytime to place your order. Just be sure to dig out your Preferred Customer Card and cash in!

I have a few extra copies of the current 2008 Spring/Summer Collection Catalog. While supplies last, I am giving them away for Free!

The catalogs are a great resource for ideas such as layouts, color combinations, use of accessories, and more.

While you can view the catalog online, it is nice to have your own copy to reference, mark favorites, and create wish lists.

Get your copy now. Contact me to make arrangements.