Stellar Stamps

MacKay Christmas Eve photo

Our tradition on Christmas Eve is to go to 4 PM Mass at the Catholic church we belong to (and where my two younger children attend school) then we come home for a traditional Polish meal. I took this photo using the self-timer on my camera just as we were leaving for church. It's in our new home in the living room in front of the main fireplace (there's another fireplace right behind it in our dining room). Can you believe those gorgeous hardwood floors were covered for over 30 years with carpet? They're happy to be out in the open again ;-) I had the living room (and the whole house) painted before we moved in in October - it's a mossy green in this room.

Christmas gifts from downline and friends Sarah and Amy

Boy how I love unexpected gifts! Downline Sarah in Texas and Amy in Wisconsin both surprised me and both of their gifts arrived the same day. I tucked them under the tree and opened them on Christmas Day. I had to share with you as they are both SO cool!

Sarah sent me a box full of treasures! There is a chapstick holder (the folded diecut with the snowman on it). She included "Snowman Soup" (round container to the right), a darling handmade spinner card and a variety of candy. Lucky, lucky me!!!!

Inside the Snowman Soup container.

Chapstick holder opened up.

Amy sent me something very unique and that I am not even sure how she did it. Amy took the regular sized photo that was on my annual Christmas card, shrunk it and turned one into a brooch and one of my daughters into a magnet! She included a lovely card and even the mug holding all the treasures had handmade confetti in it! Who doesn't love something featuring their children!?

THANK YOU AMY AND SARAH!

A customer comments on online ordering

Today is the deadline for the 10% off retiring sets promotion plus free shipping over $70 and the start of the Love You Much Bundle. I emailed customers and encouraged everyone to order online through my website. My new customer, Rita, did so and here are her exact words in response to my asking her to place her $70-80 order online rather than having me manually do it just to see how it worked:

"Thanks, It was easy....Just never did it before and didn't really know it worked like that....Thanks for the help..."

So, my point is. It IS easy!

Order Stampin' Up! 24/7 in your jammies by clicking HERE: SHOP NOW WITH STELLA - CLICK HERE

I also invite you to put my SU website into your Favorites:

www.StellarStamps.StampinUp.net and order when it is convenient for YOU!

Promotion: "Love You Much" Discounted Bundle on sale TODAY

Dates: December 23, 2008 - January 31, 2009

Flyer: Download Valentines_Bundle_1208US

Promotion details:

Get ready for Valentine's Day with the exclusive Love You Much Bundle (item 115405). The Love You Much Bundle includes the following:

Description	Retail Value
Love You Much stamp set	$25.95
Candy Lane Designer Series paper (Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla)	$9.95
Heart To Heart punch	$15.95
Bundle Retail Value	$51.85
Love You Much Bundle (20% off; item 115405)	$41.48

My favorite time of year = ANY time a stamper sends me a card!

As I've been receiving holiday cards, I began holding the hand-made ones aside and sharing them in a special location in our home. All the other cards go into a little card box thing with a holiday decor that sits on one of my end tables in our family room. The hand-made ones get displayed. I wanted to share what I've received so far - all works of art AND works of heart! NOTE: I will add to this post with every new card I receive so check back for more new cards!

From my downline Linda in Minnesota. See her other masterpieces on her SCS gallery. Her SCS name is "Doodledop"

From customer Marcia in Connecticut

From customer Gail in Washington (her surname is Cardinal... get it??)

From customer Joanne in Washington

From downline Margaret in Arkansas

From sorority sister, Karen, in California who hand paints her cards every year!

From downline Cathy in California

 

From fellow demonstrator friend Lori in Maryland (check out her amazing blog here Lori Tecler's blog "Inking Aloud")

 

From downline Joanna in Florida

 

From one of my very oldest friends who I met via a chain letter when I was about 9. Cindy lives in Ohio and was the very first person who exposed me to stamping. Cindy loves flamingos and collects them!

From fellow demonstrator Kay in Wyoming

You would have to be a cat person to understand and appreciate this

http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php

I took the quiz. There's a 93% chance one of our 3 cats is trying to kill us, LOL!

Technique: Chalking - Traditional

Directions:

1) Apply pastel color to your card stock or paper with a sponge-tip applicator, cotton swab, sponge dauber, stiff paintbrush, or blender pen.

2) Blend the colors as desired with the applicators or a blender pen.

3) Use a matte fixative to seal chalks, if desired.

Tips:

1) To avoid smearing, gently dab the chalk rather than rubbing it across the image. 

2) Don't worry if your Stampin' Pastels break. That is normal and doesn't affect use.

Funny summaries of forwarded emails

You know how I am just not a fan of forwarded emails and how I delete them without opening (may contain viruses)? Well, a friend sent this to me and I actually read it this morning and laughed out loud since, over the years, I've seen so many of these forwarded emails. This is how it starts ...

I just want to thank all of you for your educational emails over the past year.

 

Thanks to you, I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the channels.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I can't enjoy lemon slices in my tea or on my seafood anymore because lemon peels have been found to contain all kinds of nasty germs including feces.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking your nose.

Eating a Little Debbie sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I must send my special thanks to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money , but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program .

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St.Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I' m pumping gas.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for or which I will get a phone bill with calls to  Jamaica  , Uganda  ,  Singapore  and  Uzbekistan  .

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman-Marcus since I now have their recipe.

Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a rapist waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician...

Don't forget that your toothbrush needs to be kept in a separate room (or at least 6 feet away from the toilet) to protect you from getting germs from 'the flush'!!!

Have a wonderful day...

Our Christmas tree WITH the pickle!

When my son, Michael (10) was almost done helping decorate, he found the glass pickle. We're not German but I think it's a German tradition where I hide the pickle on Christmas Eve when the kids go to bed and, on Christmas morning, whoever finds it first (hanging on the tree), gets to open the first gift. Kendall (13) said "oh, Mom, the rest of us don't care about the pickle, just let Michael open the first gift." I said "no! we have to follow tradition!" Kendall rolled her eyes. The pickle stays!

I added a photo album of recently received, hand-made cards

I am so behind on posting photos. My daughter's camera, which is awesome and which I have been using for 3-4 months, got lost at an outing 4-6 weeks ago. I've been so handicapped and I cannot afford to replace the camera. Had to rely on my old one that just does not work as well for me. Sorry. This is the 2nd time I've tried to photograph these cards.

My birthday is in November and I received some lovely hand-made cards. Additionally, Thanksgiving was soon thereafter which also inspired some hand-made cards from stamping friends. There's even a thank you card in there which came in at that time. Please go to the column on the left and the album I just uploaded should be on the top of the album list. It says "2008 Birthday, Thanksgiving, Thank You cards".

I named the card using the designer's name :). Thanks!

Promotions-at-a-glance (including retiring stamp set list)

BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR: Become a demonstrator right now and get the inside peek and the ability to order (right this minute) anything I get to order (but a customer cannot).

Right now, I can order 10 different brand new products during our internal "sneak peek" at 20% off PLUS my demonstrator discount of 20% (stamps, wheel, Designer Series Paper, hardware, exclusive and darling die cut) that will be in the upcoming Spring-Summer 2009 catalog. (I cannot show them to you before the catalog comes out, sorry, but you can see it all today if you sign up!)

AND, right now I can order, at 20% off, one future Level-2 and one future Level-3 hostess stamp sets (choice of 7) PLUS my 20% demo discount. (Sign up to see a selection of the upcoming hostess sets!)

AND, right now, I can order a bundle for Valentine's that I cannot share any details about (per Stampin' Up!) except to say that it's also discounted 20% PLUS my demo discount of 20% on top of that and you will know about it in late December. (Sign up today to see the secret bundle!) Seeing a pattern of deep discounts & sneak peeks just for being a demonstrator???

The Starter Kit is $199 + tax (ships free). It has $335 worth of product in it. See flyer here: Download US_starterkit_flyer_0708

Unique timing: this is only one of two times per year where a new recruit (you?) gets a $28 bonus with the kit because every recruit who signs up now gets one case of 8 of the current catalogs PLUS one case of 8 of the upcoming catalog free when that is released in mid-January!

What is the requirement for being a demonstrator? There is only one = sell $300 per quarter BUT this quarter is waived which means you have until March 31 to sell $300. Your kit does not count towards sales but THE biggest sales times are now (retiring set list) and Sale-A-Bration which begins February 1. I think it'd be "easy peasy" to sell $300 between now and then. I sold $12,000 last quarter! Yes, you can join just to buy for yourself and friends and family! No one says you have to do this as a business. Do it for the discount. That's how I started ;-)

To sign up now and to be a demonstrator before you can finish singing the "Twelve Days of Christmas", simply go to my web site, click on "Join Now" and enter using the password "stellarstamps". One hint: unless you want your significant other as a partner demonstrator, do not complete the section asking for information about a supporting demonstrator. That seems to throw people and it just will not allow you to continue in the application process if you think that's info about you. It's not. It's if you want your spouse, for example, to be able to transact for you in your absence. Leave it blank if you do not want that and it will be a snap to become a demonstrator in minutes! The moment you complete the form and pay online, you have ALL the inside access I do and you can begin ordering immediately!

One extra perk: every new demonstrator gets an additional 10% off her first $150+ order placed in the first 45 days. If you combine every sneak peek and every promotion right now, you get 30% off that total plus you add hostess benefits. Sheesh, it's a HUGE combination and that does not come around often. Sound too good to be true? It's really true!

Now, here are all the other promotions that you can get an added 20% off as a demonstrator!

FALL-WINTER SAMPLER PROMOTION: December 1 - January 18, when you spend $20, you'll receive 20% off any stamp set in the catalog sampler.

Item #	Description	Retail	20% Off
111564	Flight of the Butterfly	$31.95	$25.56 Sample demo discount: Stella gets this set for $20.45
112911	Vuelo de la mariposa (Spanish Flight of the Butterfly)	$31.95	$25.56
111676	Puns from the Past	$27.95	$22.36
111660	Just Jawing	$25.95	$20.76
111624	Dreams du Juor	$18.95	$15.16
111700	Thank You Kindly	$13.95	$11.16
111714	Wow Flowers	$12.95	$10.36
112955	Flores llamativas (Spanish Wow Flowers)	$12.95	$10.36
111600	Bella's Bloom	$12.95	$10.36

RETIRING STAMP SETS: December 9-23, 10% off all retiring stamps AND free shipping on all orders of $70+ (yes, if you order $150+, your order qualifies for all the Hostess benefits or if you order online thru my web site, they're called Rewards).

The retiring stamps listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER here Download Retired_Lists_Alpha 2008

The retiring stamps listed BY PAGE NUMBER in the catalog here: Download Retired_Lists_By Page Number 2008

Retiring set list by Alpha in Word: Download Retired List Alpha 2008 WORD

Retiring set list by Page Number in Word: Download Retired Lists By Page Number 2008 WORD

The sale price of the retiring stamps is found here: Download Retired List 2008 10 percent off SALE

Note: all retiring stamps are available through January 18, 2009. After the sale (Dec. 24), they just revert to their normal catalog price.

COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAY COLLECTION KIT: On sale now through December 31 or while supplies last. See flyer here plus see older post with details of all kit contents Download Country_living_US

HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG:  You may order from the Holiday Mini Catalog from now through January 18. Holiday Mini link here

STELLA'S CATALOG PRE-ORDER PROMOTION: Place a $150+ order between today and December 31 and earn one FREE upcoming Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog which will be released mid-January (you pay $4.75 Priority shipping but you get the catalog FREE). Catalog value is $9.95! Contact me for details.

DORMANT LIST:  Don't forget that there is a sizeable list of stamp sets NOT in the current catalog yet still available for purchase through January 18. Some may make it into the next catalog but we won't know which ahead of time. Some are on the new retiring list. See list here: Download Dormant_List_US

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!

Are you not receiving my emails?

If you are a regular customer of mine, I sent the information about catalog pre-order via an email. I suspect that my emails go into some customer's Junk folders. To receive my emails, you must "white list" me. Just add me to your "safe" senders. If you do not know how to do that, please let me help you.

Email me at StellarStamps@comcast.net.

Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog pre-order starts NOW!

Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog Pre-order

 

It’s that time again! (TELL A FRIEND!)

 

The next catalog will be released in mid-January. As always, the day I receive them, I turn them around and ship them out. The catalog price is still the same and I am still selling them below my cost. There will be 2 ways to get a catalog and I urge you to read these instructions carefully.

 

• Catalog price = $3.95 (I pay $4.15 for each one)
• Shipping = $4.75 via Flat Rate Priority Mail (if you pay me via Pay Pal that will include free Delivery Confirmation)
• Total for one idea book & catalog = $8.70 (that is 2 ½ lattes at Starbucks or less than one stamping magazine nowadays which is much skimpier than our beefy idea book).
• Multiple catalogs: Each catalog remains the same price ($3.95) but the more you order, the less shipping is so the overall cost gets lower. I can fit up to 7 catalogs into one Flat Rate Priority Box which costs $9.30 to ship. To calculate multiple catalog purchases just multiply # of catalogs x $3.95 and add $9.30. If you want more than 7, please email me.

 

1. First time ever – you can earn a catalog FREE (+ shipping). For every $150+ order (that also qualifies for all the freebies relating to a workshop order), placed between today and December 31 you earn one FREE catalog! You will pay shipping for the one catalog ($4.75) and I will bill you for that in early January or you may ask me to add it to your $150+ order (though it does not count towards your purchase total for the purpose of earning hostess benefits – a catalog from me is totally separate from a product order). Order on my web site at www.StellarStamps.StampinUp.net (NOT StampinUp.com) or email me your order.

 

2. If you would like to pre-order one, please use the Pay Pal storefront that links within my blog in the upper right of the page as you open it (has Snoopy on it!) at www.StellarStamps.TypePad.com or use the Send Money feature on Pay Pal and send the appropriate amount to my email = StellarStamps@comcast.net and please put “Catalog” in the subject line. If you do not see the storefront on my blog (a few of you could not last time though over ¾ could see it), it’s just that your computer settings are somehow incompatible. No worries whatsoever! Just Send Money via Pay Pal per the instructions a couple sentences earlier.

 

3. If you would like more than one catalog and no more than 7, simply use the Send Money feature on Pay Pal (to StellarStamps@comcast.net) and send $3.95 per catalog plus $9.30 shipping.

 

4. Ordering by mail. I will accept payment by mail but I discourage it as the Pay Pal system allows me to print shipping labels with free Delivery Confirmation when the time comes while ordering by mail does not. If you do not want to use Pay Pal, please send a check or money order, in the appropriate amount as outlined above, to:

 

Stella MacKay

5953 Ranger Way

Carmichael CA 95608-1834

 

Deadline for order-by-mail is December 31.

 

Please ask any questions by phone or email.

 

StellarStamps@comcast.net

(916) 903-7713