Announcements
Holy Heck, it’s a Blog Redesign!
A fresh new year means a fresh new look for The Sunset House! 
I have been majorly MIA, but for good reason. My blog received a head-to-toe overhaul. A makeover. New threads. Spring cleaning. The works! I even redesigned my bloggie mascot–the tiny birdie favicon on your browser tab. And, despite the fact that I know next to nothing about CSS, JavaScript, or Adobe Illustrator, I’m content with the way everything turned out. Well, despite the fact that the site spacing looks all funkdafied in different versions of IE. If you use something other than Firefox, you’re only allowed to check the site through a reader!
I kid.
I’ve just had my fair share of CSS nightmares over the last few days. Semicolons were chasing me in my dreams and pounding me with angry open brackets. I’m done messing with the site for now… or at least until the perfectionist voice inside my head starts nagging me about why I picked a hard-to-read font in my design. I also noticed that this new wordpress theme throws off all the line spacing on my blog when I use happy faces. Grrr. I guess I’ll have to start spelling out all my happy faces. Colon, close parenthesis. (Hmm. Not the same effect.)
After all the Wordpress coding headaches, can I tell you how much I appreciate all you computery codey people, now? It is so stinkin’ annoying, trying to get a site to look the same in IE, Firefox, and the various other billion versions of browsers. Yes, all you code people are seriously under appreciated. Thank you for making my online shopping experiences seamless, whether I’m at my computer at work or at home.
Despite the trouble shooting, I learned a few neat tricks (like the image swap when someone does a mouse-over on the links my right sidebar). I also got to use the Wacom Bamboo tablet that Hubs gave me to draw the clothesline illustration in my header image. I looooove Adobe Illustrator. I’m no artist, but with that program, I can fake the funk. Hooray for no eraser marks!
Anyway, I hope you like the look! With the hours I spent scouring the internet for coding resources, I haven’t had much crafty time, so I don’t have many new projects to share. I still have quite a bit of blog tweaking to do too, so hopefully the construction dust will be cleaned up soon. Next week, I should be back to my regularly scheduled posting.
Happy 2009, everyone!
Love You Much Bundle and Combined Promotions!
Yippee! I just got wind of a new Valentine promotion and I wanted to share with ya’ll.
Beginning December 23rd and running through January 31st, Stampin’ Up! is offering a Love You Much Valentine Promotion bundle. The bundle includes a set of stamps, a coordinating punch, and a package of designer paper, 20% off when purchased in the bundle. It’s a sneak peak of the products that will be offered in the spring/summer catalog that will be released in January.
Also, the two promotions for free shipping ($70+ orders) and 10% off retiring stamps will be offered until the 23rd of December. And, SU is still offering 20% off all stamp sets in the Fall/Winter Sampler Brochure with a $20 purchase (ends January 18th). So, for one day, on December 23rd, you can actually combine all four promotions on one order:
- Love You Much Valentine Bundle (20% off list prices when purchased in the bundle)
- 10% off retiring stamps
- Free shipping on orders $70+
- 20% off all stamp sets in the Fall/Winter Sampler (with a purchase of $20)
Happy holidays!
To shop, click here and select shop now in the top right corner.
SU Retired List Released & Two Awesome Promotions!
In preparation for the upcoming spring/summer catalog, Stampin’ Up has released a list of stamps that will be retired out of the current catalog/dormant list (stamps not in the catalog, but still active). *Sniffle.* Parting is such sweet sorrow. These stamps will be available through January 18, 2009. However, SU has also released a surprise promotion that I’ve never seen before in my time as a demonstrator: 10% off retired stamps and free shipping on orders $70 and over! Whoa, double deal!
This deal surprised me, since SU doesn’t have promotions very often. Once in a while, they do aBuy $20, get 20% off type deal, but 10% off all retired stamps plus free shipping? Now, that’s something new.
To find out which stamp sets are being retired:
- Click here to download an Excel spreadsheet with all the retired sets and the 10% off promo price. A PDF version is also available here.
- To find out what the set actually looks like, go here: http:/www.thesunsethouse.stampinup.net and click on shop now in the top right corner. Then, click on the “time to retire” promo. All the stamp sets are listed with their respective images.
- Visit the catalog PDF online and look up the page number from the retired list for ideas on how you can use the sets, or to view the sets in true size.
To showcase some of the retiring stamps, here are a few cards from my archives made using a couple of the sets on the list:
This was one of the very, very first cards I made when I discovered Stampin’ Up. The thank you sentiment is from Take Three, one of the sets that will be retiring next year.
Above is another card made with Take Three. My card making has progressed quite a bit from when I first started!
And lastly, the friendship sentiment on the card above is from the set, Wonderful Words, a lovely set that includes three other stamps: thank you, love, and celebrate. I’m really sad this set is retiring. I think it’s one of the most versatile sets I own.
So, in summary, the 10% off retiring sets and free shipping over $70 promotions end December 23rd. The retiring sets will be available until January 18th, and then it’s bye bye forever. Now, I’m off to buy some stamps. Happy shopping!
Stampin’ Up Sale Bundles Announced!
Click above picture to open the PDF document or click here to view the large JPEG)
Whoo hoo, the Stampin’ Up sales bundles were announced!
I posted a link to the PDF above (click the picture). The document notes the page numbers of the items in the catalog. You can also view all the items by going to http://www.thesunsethouse.stampinup.net and selecting “SHOP NOW.” Pictures of all the sale bundles will appear. The sale prices are good from 11/26-12/1, or until the limited supplies last. Note: I noticed that one of the bundles has the wrong price (Curly Label Punch Bundle). When added to the shopping cart, the price decreases to $23.77. Also, the shopping site S-L-O-W right now because of heavy traffic, so if its acting up for you, be sure to check back later!
Did you know I stayed up until 12am last night to ensure that I got to the goods in time? Yes, I kept refreshing my browser over and over until the sale went live. I am stamp obsessed and crazy. When I get old, instead of a crazy cat lady, I’m going to be a crazy stamp lady. But, my persistence paid off: I got some nice goodies, including a ribbon storage bundle for the insane amount of ribbon spools on my desk. I also ordered an adorable stick figure stamp bundle at 50% off (All in the Family Bundle, originally $63.40 and now $31.70!). I love me a great deal.
I was disappointed to find out that a stamp/punch set that I purchased recently was listed on the sale bundles. Dangit. Me and my impulsive shopping habits. If only I had waited! Oh well. I guess I can’t win ‘em all. The set I’m speaking of is the Curly Label Punch Bundle, a super fun punch with coordinating stamps that fit perfectly inside. They are so cute, I could hug them.
In fact, below I’ve posted a project I made a few weeks ago with the Curly Label Punch Bundle. Apparently, it’s on sale now for 30% off. Lucky for you, but bad for me because I bought it already!
The project I made is a gift card holder. The thank you stamp in the middle, plus the punch that cut the image out, are both part of the Curly Label Punch Bundle. I tried sewing the edges of the paper with el cheap-o $9 mini sewing machine from Michaels. If know which sewing machine I’m talking about, don’t buy it. As you can tell above, it sucks. Stitches are falling out everywhere! El cheap-o machine is el suck-o machine. Oh well.
Isn’t the gift card idea so stinkin’ cute? I found the tutorial here, at Stamping with Roxy’s blog. Lots of inspiration there too! The gift card holder is super quick to make. You can create one with a few easy steps:
- Take a regular 8.5×11″ paper and cut it in half lengthwise, so you have have two 4.25×11″ sheets.
- Score one of the sheets at 3″, 5.5″, and 8″ and fold the paper into a “W”.
- Adhere the edges together (the bottom and sides of the “W”) and cut a slit in the middle for the gift card.
- Decorate the holder and add a tiny piece of Velcro inside to keep it shut. I purchased inexpensive sticky Velcro strips at Walmart and snip bits of them off for my projects. Very handy! You can also use ribbon to keep it closed also.
Well, happy Turkey Day, everyone! Eat lots, good luck with the shopping crowds, and don’t charge up your credit cards too much!
On second thought, go spend some money (responsibly) and get us out of this recession.
Project Recipe (all supplies Stampin’ Up unless noted): Curly Label Punch Bundle (item 112966), Priceless stamp set (109260), card stock and ink in chocolate chip and baja breeze, light pink felt flower from Flower Fusions 2 kit (112006), corner rounder, hobby blade to cut slit, bright pink flower by Making Memories, Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder, pink rick rack from Walmart, crappy sewing machine by Provo Craft
Stampin’ Up Holiday Sale!
Calling all stampers! (Especially the ones who like a good bargain )
Stampin’ Up is having a holiday sale that is such a big secret, demonstrators don’t even know what’s going to be on sale. On Wednesday, 11/26, Stampin’ Up will announce special product bundles marked down from 20%-50% that will only be available for a very short time and only until the limited quantities run out. These bundles will be available for purchase online through demonstrator websites. Just go to http://www.thesunsethouse.stampinup.net and click “SHOP NOW” in the upper right hand corner. Then, shop your heart away (that is, if I don’t snatch the goods all up for myself! )
I’ve been waiting for SU to announce the bundles for months, but alas, no inside scoop. You can bet I’ll be tapping my fingers impatiently until the 26th.
Once I find out more details, I’ll post them on my blog. See you on Wednesday!
Stampin’ Up Rub-Ons Promotion
Hot off the press: Stampin’ Up just released a promotion for Rub-Ons for the month of November. Spend $20 and get any Rub-Ons package for 20% off (click the image above for the official flyer).
I love Rub-Ons because they can be applied on almost any surface. I use them to decorate clipboards, plastic containers, transparency sheets, and more. I even use them for card making, since they also transfer easily onto paper. Official details below!
Rub-Ons Promotion
Dates: November 10-30, 2008
Promotion Details:
Spend $20 and qualify to purchase any Rub-Ons assortment at 20 percent off ($8.76 per package; regularly $10.95):
| Item # | Page # | Rub-Ons Description |
| 111416 | 178 | Chateau Bella |
| 111417 | 178 | Word Flurries |
| 111414 | 178 | Hidden Garden |
| 111277 | 178 | A Perfect Day |
| 110283 | 179 | Take Note |
| 111806 | 179 | Chills & Thrills |
| 111804 | 179 | Chit Chat |
| 111415 | 179 | Greatest Moments |
| 111805 | 179 | School Days |
| 110282 | 179 | Anchored |
| 112844 | 11* | Old Saint Nick |
| 112843 | 17* | Season of Cheer |
*From Holiday 2008 Mini Catalog
Twitter Me This
I’m not really an online social networking kinda gal (ironic, since I’ve been blogging all my conscious life). I don’t even have a Facebook account. But, Hubs coerced me into joining suggested that I join Twitter. Since I can’t access my blog from work (because it’s too sexually explicit), at least I can Twitter! I admit, I don’t really get Twitter or the whole micro blogging thing yet, but hopefully I’ll catch on soon!
I also added a Twitter badge to the left sidebar. I’m officially Twitted.
The question is: who else is on Twitter? None of my real life friends are bloggers, much less Twitter-ers. Any readers out there want to follow a new Twitter pal? Follow me on Twitter here! http://twitter.com/thesunsethouse
