Oh my goodness. That's all I have to say. January is finally over and what a month it was for me. I'm terribly sorry about my blog absence for the second half of January. When I last posted on Tuesday, January 13, I shared a sample of an album made out of a soda can that we had done up at my last Big Shot class. I was planning for my clubs and workshops and WHAM! the bottom was kicked out from under me!
We had been smelling oil in our house off and on for the whole heating season. On Thursday, January 15, we finally had a furnace man come to clean and inspect the furnace. I sent him downstairs, and five minutes later he was calling me down with grim news. We had a cracked something or other (very bad) which was causing emissions (also very bad) and the bottom line was that we would need to replace our furnace. He then proceeded to whip out is carbon monoxide meter and told me that he was detecting low levels of CO in our house and we probably shouldn't be there until the furnace was replaced. We had a forty year old furnace, so this really didn't come as a major surprise. Actually, this past summer when oil prices were topping $4.00 a gallon we talked about replacing the furnace to try to save on oil, but we couldn't stomach the expense. We decided to try to make it through another winter. I guess we got our answer (in the middle of a frigid cold snap...Friday, January 16, was the day the temperatures bottomed out!). We opted to convert our heating system from forced hot air to hot water baseboard, which meant that not only was it going to be more expensive, but it would be a full week before we could move back into our house. We were able to come back late on Thursday, January 22, and while I had every intention of posting an update all of last week, it frankly took me the whole week to feel like I got my mojo back!
Anyhoo....I'm back, comfortably warm in my office and there is something really sweet about knowing that you're not breathing in poisonous gasses!
Now....onto the stamping news! I've got lots to share in that angle as well! Sale-a-bration has arrived! For every $50 that you spend, you can select a free item from the Sale-a-bration brochure. Hostesses benefit during Sale-a-bration in that for every $300 in workshop sales, they get to choose something for free as well. You can view the Sale-a-bration brochure here. And, finally, if you've ever considered joining the Stampin' Up family whether to simply support your hobby or to add a little to your family budget, now is a fantastic time! During Sale-a-bration, you can choose any additional stamp set from the catalog to add to your kit for free. And speaking of the kit, until March 31, the starter kit is 15% off. You will receive $335 worth of products for only $169!
Also, I wanted to tell you about a Big Shot Club that I will be holding. I am totally loving my new Big Shot, and I want you to have one and love it too! With our new catalog now out, Stampin' Up has even more exciting products to use with the Big Shot and I can't wait to show you how to use them. However, I do realize that the Big Shot does represent a significant investement. I have therefore decided to offer a Big Shot Club that will allow you to purchase a Big Shot over three payments. I will host three classes that will teach you how to use the Big Shot. The classes will be free, but your payments for the Big Shot will be due at those classes. The first one will be held on Friday, February 13 and you have until then to tell me if you would like to participate. You can either choose just the machine which is three payments of $38.48 or you can choose the Big Shot Starter Set which is three payments of $75.44. I will be ordering the machines on March 31, which means you will also get to choose two free sale-a-bration sets with the machine only or four with the starter set and you will receive your Big Shot at the last club night. Don't forget, you have until February 13 to tell me if you'd like to particpate.
Finally, I want to share with you one of my new favorite products from the catalog as well as a sample to go with it. With this new catalog we are now carrying a product called Circle Scissors. This is what it looks like:
The Circle Scissors will cut any number of circles from 1" to 6" across. It also comes with a drawing tool so that you can insert a pencil or a marker and easily draw a circle. You can also cut out circle frames by cutting the inner circle and then, without moving the circle scissors, adjusting the size of the circle bigger and cutting it again. While not strictly necessary, Stampin' Up is now carrying a glass mat to use with the circle scissors. You may use a self-healing mat if you prefer, but, the glass mat makes it so that the circle scissors glide around and not drag when you are cutting. The Circle Scissors Plus is $29.95 and the glass mat is $19.95. During Sale-a-bration, if you choose to purchase them both, you need only add another small item and you will get a Sale-a-bration set as well.
Here is the sample we made at my open house this weekend using the Circle Scissors Plus.
Materials: Polka Dot Punches (Sale-a-bration) and Thankful Thinking
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla
Ink: Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Scissors Plus and Glass Mat, Word Window Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Corduroy brads, Kraft Taffeta ribbon
Happy Stamping and I hope to see you soon!
Michelle
