As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I try to use current products only on my stamping projects because that's all I can sell. If I show something that is retired, then people usually want to buy that exact item and I go searching among my fellow demonstrators to see if anybody has that retired item for sale. If I only show current stuff and somebody wants to buy it, I just input the order into the computer and I'm done.
Why am I bringing this up? Because I finished sending out my Christmas cards and I used retired products to make them! I've been debating whether to post them to my blog............and I'm gonna do it!
Truth be told, most of my blog readers are other Stampin' Up! demonstrators. If you're anything like me, then your stamp area is full of retired products that you can't seem to part with either. Why sell off beautiful DSP that still has good use? Part with beautiful ribbon? How could I?
You may remember my Christmas card that I posted before that used all current product. Well, I just took that same card and used all retired products. I came up with three different designs because I only had 2 sheets of each kind of paper.
I used my retired Holiday Thyme Designer Series Paper that I bought months ago (okay, maybe it was even a year ago) and never used. Back then I only bought DSP, I never used it. I would just stash it for "later." Now I use it all the time and wonder how I could ever create a card without it.
I also broke out my retired In Color card stock from last year. I used both Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme. I bought several packs of each color before they retired "just in case" I might need them in the future. I'm beginning to realize that I need to use this stuff up before my stamp room is too full.
My cards wouldn't be complete without some retired Cranberry Crisp Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon. I bought a few rolls of that before it was gone too. The only current items on this card are the stamp sets, the rhinestone brad, the shimmery white paper, and the punches.
Yes, I hoard stuff. Yes, I bought too much of this stuff before it retired (don't tell my DH). Yes, it feels good to use this stuff up and send it out of my house. And yes, I feel much better after this confessional.
Now that I got this all off my chest, I will go back to being a good demonstrator and only showing current stuff. I thought my Christmas cards turned out really nice and I just wanted to show them to you.
Now go in your stamp rooms and start using up all that retired stuff that you have stashed too!
Stamps: The Snowflake Spot, Warm Words
Paper: Shimmery White, Cranberry Crisp, True Thyme, Holiday Thyme DSP
Ink: Cranberry Crisp
Accessories: Sponge, Both Oval Punches, Ticket Corner Punch, Dimensionals, Rhinestone Brad, Cranberry Crisp Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
