January Newsletter-EDITED 1/3/11

Just a note...if a class you have signed up for and prepaid is canceled you will OF COURSE receive a full refund immediately!

Christmas is over, the new year is upon us, and I am ready to get back into things now that Rosalie is 6 weeks old! Some important dates to take note of: 1. The new Occasions Mini Catalog begins on January 4.  I had a VERY hard time picking what to order from this catalog....there are a lot of fun things that I will be highlighting on my blog in the weeks to come! Start regularly checking my blog (http://katrinakraftsalatte.blogspot.com) or better yet, subscribe to my blog in the upper corner so that you are emailed everytime I post something new! 2.  Sale-A-Bration begins January 25! This is my favorite time of year (second only to Christmas).  If you are new to SU, during this time, for every $50 you spend you get to pick something free from the Sale-A-Bration (SAB) catalog! There are also extra benefits for hostesses of parties and benefits to signing up as a demonstrator.  It is fantastic!  Start plotting your workshop soon, as I hope to fill up my calendar with parties....don't miss your chance! I am working out the details to offer a couple of "product clubs" during SAB so stay tuned! I have blocked off Friday nights and Saturday early afternoons January 25 through March 31 to schedule in home workshops/parties. You host your friends for a fun time of making a card, learning about Stampin Up, and hopefully earning some great hostess benefits in free products! These are not the only dates available, so if there is another date you are thinking of, check with me! A catalog party is also an option! I also want to take this moment to let you know about some new "policies" that I will be implementing and actually enforcing beginning in January.  The first change is in regard to adhesive.  In order to continue to offer my classes and clubs at what I feel is a reasonable fee for you, I will no longer be providing mono adhesive.  I will provide glue sticks and double sided permanent scotch tape  which are both more cost effective but will do the job equally as well.  If you prefer to use the mono adhsive/tape runner, please feel more than welcome to bring your own! The second change is in regard to payment of classes.  In order to protect myself from being "stuck" with supplies and pre cut projects that do not get used due to someone backing out of a class, I am now going to REQUIRE pre-payment for all classes.  When you sign up you can pay by paypal, pop a check in the mail, or drop one off at my house. I hope that you all understand and realize it is only to protect myself from wasting both supplies and money on "no shows."  Finally, since I have so many little children and it takes some significant "pre-planning" with my husband's schedule to hold my classes, I will cancel any classes that have fewer than 2 people signed up to attend. I have allowed for ample time between the RSVP date and the date of the class to give you plenty of notice if a class is going to be canceled. On to the super fun stuff!  The schedule of classes for January! Stamp Club-January 12 at 6:30pm (Linda is hostess!) Make A Monster Card Class-January 18 at 6:30pm.  Cost is $10.  We will make 8 cards that highlight the stamp set Make A Monster on page 95 of the Idea Book and Catalog.  If you choose to purchase the stamp set BEFORE the class to use at the class, the class fee will be waived for you! (FREE class!).  I have been having a ton of fun using this stamp set! You must RSVP and pay for your class (and place your order if doing so) by Januray 7. Chicks and Chocolate-January 27 at 6:30pm. Cost is $25.  I am SO excited for this class! We will make projects that are Valentine's Day themed, and each project will incorporate CHOCOLATE!!!! Stay tuned for samples, but reserve your spot NOW! Sneak peek-1 project will involve a decorated tin containing Hershey's nuggets! RSVP and pay by January 14. Wild Card Class-January 29 at 6:00pm. Choose from any of the 3 classes being offered in January and take this time to "make up" the class.  The purpose of this is to give you the chance to take a class you want to take but that you can't make it to the scheduled class time.  Cost will be whatever is listed for the class you are choosing to make up...RSVP and pay by January 7. Build A Card Kit-January 31 at 6:30pm. Cost is $25. RSVP and pay by January 14. Imagine that you are having one of those moments when you realize you need a card and you don’t have one. What do you do? Panic, pretend to forget the occasion and deal with the guilt, or make a midnight run to the store? Instead, imagine the lack of stress when you simply open your Build-a-Card kit and select and add a pre-made card, a pre-stamped greeting tag, and a card candy embellishment. Done! Add postage and send or hand-deliver your special handmade card for any occasion at a moments notice. Avoid stress and frustration by having great cards ready to customize in an instant! In this class we will make:  • 8 Cards • 12 Coordinating Greeting Tags • 12 Coordinating Card Candy Accents • 1 Coordinating Card File Purse As always, I can make the projects in any of these classes for you for an additional $5 fee. And as always, you are encouraged to forward this email to your friends/neighbors/coworkers/family...anyone who would like to join us in our stamping addiction! Sign up for a class and bring a friend along too! It's a great evening out! I hope to see you soon!

An Early Christmas Present!

Stampin Up has given  me an early Christmas present! The Shimmer Paint will remain available even after the mini catalog ends in January!  Yay! here's what they had to say:

Due to the popularity of our shimmer paint offered in the Mini Catalog, we will continue to offer it as a catalog write-in after the Holiday Mini sales period ends. Starting January 5, 2010, you can order the following products as catalog write-ins:

116806	Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint	$5.95
116854	Frost White Shimmer Paint	$5.95
116807	Platinum Shimmer Paint	$5.95

  

New Punch Design Announced

Stampin Up made this big announcement as well:
Starting with the new 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and continuing with all new punch designs going forward, Stampin' Up! has adopted a new body style for our punches!

A few features of the new punch style:

• Low-profile, rectangular punch body allows for easier stacking and storing
• Punches lock shut for easier storage and transport
• Dual labels on top and end allow for easy identification and selection when stored
• Available in three sizes: small, medium, and extra-large
• New punches allow for larger punched images and more intricate designs while providing greater ease of use.
• Extra -large punch images also allow for two-step designs like the Two-Step Bird punch in the Occasions Mini Catalog
• Corner punches allow you to punch a corner design along the inside edges of a page, not just corners
• larger, whole-hand handle design provides better leverage for easier use
• Available in an exclusive Stampin' Up! color

Part of Stampin' Up!'s commitment to providing demonstrators and customers with the very best crafting tools includes the belief in what we call continuous improvement. Essentially what this means is that even if something works very well, but we see a chance to improve it, we will work to make it even better. While new punch designs will be in the new body style, existing designs will remain in the existing body style for now.

Clear Mount Stamp Sets are COMING!

Stampin Up announced this to us demonstrators a few days ago:

Over the past few years, there has been enormous demand from demonstrators and customers alike for a line of repositionable clear-mount rubber stamps. Well, you asked for it, and now you have it! Starting with stamps in the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and the 2010 Sale-A-Bration Brochure, Stampin' Up! now offers our exclusive stamp art in both traditional wood-mount, and the new clear-mount option. (Remember-Stampin Up is NOT discontinuing the traditional wood-mount stamps, just adding the clear mount option)

Our new clear-mount rubber stamps are the result of extensive research with the intent to maintain the very best image quality in the stamping industry, while at the same time offering the ease-of-use and storability inherent in repositionable clear-mount rubber stamps.

Clear-Mount Rubber Stamp Features

• Nine different sizes of clear blocks available individually or as a discounted bundle.
• Blocks have ergonomic grooves on all four sides for easy grip and traditional wood-mount feel.
• Stamps and blocks are durable and easy to clean with your Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist.
• Optional image labels on stamp backs let you decide if you want to see the image through the block or not.
• Tight die-cutting for easy image positioning.
• Large clear blocks can be used to create collages or spell words with alphabet sets.
• Stamps store easily in standard, DVD-type cases with artwork on front and spine, making organization easy.