Stamping "The Rock" with Lynda

Simply Adorned

Here's a hint as to why I haven't been posting much recently; I've been immersed in a multi-faceted project. More photos to follow - hopefully within a few days.

Have you ordered everything you want during Sale-a-Bration?

As Sale-a-Bration winds down for 2010, I wanted to remind you to review whether you've had a chance to collect all the Sale-a-Bration rewards you want?  Remember we've got over 80 items to choose from this year, and you can pick one free reward item with every $50 order you place, and another with every $300 in total workshop sales you may have!  While time's drawing kinda short for scheduling a workshop during Sale-a-Bration, there's still time to ask a few friends if they'd like to combine orders with you - and turn in a catalog party where you can still earn the hostess benefits!

Or - for the quickest way to make your selections, shop at my online store.  It's open 24/7, you'll get the Sale-a-Bration items you prefer, and you can have your order shipped direct to your home!  How easy is that?!?

If you don't already have a Sale-a-Bration brochure, take a look at all your reward choices here. But don't dilly-dally, 'cuz Sale-a-Bration ends on March 31st!

5 more tips for using your Clear-Mount stamps

After a really fun trip to see my new grandson in Idaho, I am home and trying to catch up from where I left off.  One of those things was to post my remaining 5 tips to help you love your clear-mount stamps!  (See my initial 5 tips here.)  So here are those next 5 tips:

1. Don't use Stazon Cleaner on your clear-mount stamps...... or at least not while they're still mounted to the block.  The Stazon Cleaner can cause damage to the acrylic block.
2. Trying to decide which blocks to order?  I recommend beginning your block collection by purchasing the entire bundle of 9 blocks (item #118491).  This will give you one each of any block size you may need - while saving more than 10% of the cost of acquiring them individually.  But if you tend to work with a lot of stamps going at the same time (like I do), then you may eventually want to add another of each of the 4 smaller sizes, too.
3. Have you noticed the thumbnail images on the spines of your clear-mount storage cases?  This clever and useful feature will help you keep track of the images you have in your collection - whether you stack or stand the cases on a shelf, or line them up in a deep drawer.
4. Your Stampin' Up!® clear-mount stamps arrive die cut, as do today's wood-mount stamps.  While this is just fine for the majority of stampers, if you happen to be fussy like I am, you may prefer to trim them closer yet.  If so, be sure to do your trimming AFTER you've applied the labels - being careful not to undercut the supporting foam.  The foam layer must remain the same size - if not larger than - the rubber layer.
5. Don't leave your clear-mount stamps on their blocks for long, long periods of time.  I once left a stamp on its block for a couple of weeks, and when I was ready to remove it, the label came right off the stamp and stayed on the block!  Talk about "cling" power, lol!

If you still have any remaining questions about Stampin' Up!'s Clear-Mount stamps, please click the comment link (below), and just ask!

5 tips for using your Stampin' Up!® Clear Mount stamps

Today I thought I'd share some tips for using your new Stampin' Up!® Clear Mount Stamps:

1. Press the stamp firmly onto the acrylic block for a few moments to give the cling backing a chance to adhere.  (Remember the stamp has a "cling" surface, NOT "adhesive", so you must press it into place.)  Also, do the same when you return the stamps to their storage container so they'll adhere to the inner surface of the case and not tumble all over inside - or worse yet, fly out at you when you open it!
2. When you clean these stamps on your Stampin' Scrub, be careful not to over-saturate the pad with Stampin' Mist.  If you work up a foam, it may interfere with the cling properties.
3. Take it easy with the "scrubbing" action.  If you've developed a strong-arm scrubbing technique over time with your wood-mount stamps, remember this temporary cling will require developing a more gentle habit; intense scrubbing will pop the stamp right off the block!  And for those really tiny stamps that will hardly tolerate ANY scrubbing, it's probably just easier to remove them from the block altogether before cleaning 'em.
4. Grease from your fingers, or dust, glitter, or pet hair may eventually interfere with the clingability of these stamps.  But a quick gentle bath with some dishwashing liquid (such as Dawn®), followed by a good rinse and drying with a lint-free towel should fix that right up.
5. Your Clear Mount stamps come ready to mount and use as soon as you punch them out from the rubber sheet and pull off the protective tab from the back.  But most people like to add their optional labels, too.  If you choose to put the included optional labels on your Clear Mount stamps don't handle the label with your fingers as you apply it.  Instead, remove the protective cover from the label, but leave the label itself ON THE LABEL SHEET.  Then after you've removed the protective cover from the back of the stamp, lay the stamp down onto the label, matching the shape of the stamp to the outer shape of the label. (Additional tip:  if you have trouble getting the protective cover off the label while it's still on the sheet, carefully work the tip of your Paper Snips into the slit in the middle of the protective cover, then make a little snip to the edge of one end of that slit. This will make it easier to grab 'hold of that protective cover to remove it.)

Stay tuned for 5 more tips to follow.......

Hearts for Haiti - final results

Just got the final results of Stampin' Up!®'s campaign to generate funds for the Red Cross to support the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. In total during the run of the campaign, you and stampers around the world purchased over 13,500 "I {Heart} Hearts" stamp sets - generating over $27,000 in donated funds.

Thank you to all who participated by purchasing that stamp set!  (And thank you to Stampin' Up! for donating the money from each set purchased.!)

ALL Simply Adorned products are available as of today!

Woo Hoo!!!  I'm excited to share that our 1-1/2" x 2" Simply Adorned charm becomes available for ordering today!

This means that now ALL the Simply Adorned products can be ordered.  Here's a pricelist, or........

....... view the entire Simply Adorned line at my online store.  To get there, visit http://StamptheRock.StampinUp.net .  From my home page, click the SHOP NOW button and then enter "Simply Adorned" in the search box.

What will you do with YOUR Simply Adorned charms and chains?  Do you have a unique, creative idea?  Share your ideas in the comments section below!