Saturday, August 6, 2011

ESAD Retired List Blog Hop

Welcome to the ESAD Retiring Products Blog Hop, whether you have arrived from Sherylee Tutt's Stampin' Up! Blog or are starting out here, please enjoy this blog hop by following the links at the bottom of each post.


This is a very exciting time of year for Stampin' Up! as the release of the new Idea Book & Catalogue is just around the corner, and to clear room for some amazing new products a number of products in the current IB&C are retired.  This is a bitter sweet time as often we have to say good bye to some old favourites for ever - Yes forever.  Once they are gone they are gone :-(  I know there are a few sets going this year that I will really miss.  A number of us over at ESAD wanted to do a blog hop as a chance to showcase some of these retiring items before they are gone for good.  If you would like to order any make sure you get in quick as once they are sold out they won't be restocking.

What is ESAD?
ESAD stands for "Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators" and it is an on-line group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! demonstrators.
We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors, but we share our love for what we do with each other as demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know-how, and cyberstamps, and we are always there to help and support each other when it is needed.
So if you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand, then please fee free to click here to join our wonderful group


I chose to base my blog entry around Eastern Blooms, this was one of the stamps I got in my starter kit when I joined up as a demonstrator, and I have to say it was my favourite set for a long time.  I did a card similar to this when I first got the set, so thought I would do a farewell version now.  I chose Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso and Regal Rose as my base colours, I just love how the pinks go so well with the Espresso. I used a rock n roll technique on the big flowers, with the small ones on the background I inked up the stamp on the stamp pad and then coloured the centre of the flowers with my Stampin' Write Marker.  The sentiment is from Basic Phrases, another set I got in my starter kit, and another that is retiring at the end of the month. I also used a couple of 5/8" Jumbo Brads in the centre of the main flowers (but they aren't retiring thank goodness!).

For this next card I was inspired to team Eastern Blooms with the Elegant Soiree DSP, making a feature panel from stamps in the set and then stamping the main flower in VersaMark and then embossing with Gold Embossing Powder straight onto Soft Suede card stock.  3/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon gives it a more feminine feel and this ribbon, along with many others, is also on the retiring products list.  Again the sentiment is done using Basic Phrases.

My final card was a bit of a fun one to do, I started off with a concept in my head but then it took on a life of it's own as I kept finding more retiring products to use on this card!  Firstly the Designer Label Punch is about to leave us, this one has always reminded me of trains - I am not sure if the shape of it reminds me of the front of a train or the station signs across London!!!  I have stamped the small flowers and punched them out with the 1" Circle Punch (not retiring), I used small metal eyelets (retiring) to attach them to the punch out shapes.  I wanted a band of colour along the bottom so used the 5/8" Certainly Celery Grosgrain ribbon (retiring) over a strip of Soft Suede.  Another retiring product is the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, now 40% off, and I have used this to frame the sentiment from the Great Friends set, which is another favourite of mine and also retiring.  To tie in the Certainly Celery I stamped over the sentiment with the large stamp in the Fresh Cuts retiring stamp set, this is easier to see if you enlarge the picture of the card. 

I hope you have enjoyed my creations as much as I did making them. From here visit Juliette Chapman's Blog - Jules Krafti Krafts - to see what she has created.  Don't forget to leave some comments as you pop around visiting the blogs, we all love to hear what you think of our creations.

Just in case there are any missing posts, or issues with links here is a list of all the participants.

2. Michelle Martin – http://www.ministamper.com/
4. Sharlene Meyer – http://www.magpiecreates.com/
5. Karen Southwell – http://kareniescrafts.blogspot.com/
6. Carole Stedman – http://www.carolestamping.com/
12. Karen Rogers – http://www.karenstampz.co.nz/
14. Cathy Clark – http://www.cathyclark.com.au/
15. Tanya Bell – http://www.stampingt.com.au/
17. Sharlene Torres – http://www.stampwithsharlene.com/
22. Clare McIlhatton – http://www.crafty-cow.com/
23. Michelle Halling – http://michellehcreations.blogspot.com/
24. Nicole VanSteelandt Derendorf –

Happy Stamping

14 comments:

  1. Monique, your cards are just gorgeous! I haven't had this stamp set out for ages, but will make sure I have at least one final play before it goes. TFS xxx

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  2. Gorgeous Cards Monique a set which made my cupboard very early in when I signed up, so will be sadly missed. Great use of the designer label punch.

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  3. Lovely cards Monique - I'll miss this stamp set!TFS

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  4. Gorgeous Monique. Love what you have done with this set.

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  5. Love your cards Monique. Those are two of my fave DSP. Thanks for sharing

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  6. Oooh, this is one of my favourite sets too! I specially like your first one as I have a soft spot for pink and brown together - so chic!

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  7. Hi Mon, great work on three cards from the one set all so different. I don't care if a set retires, if I own it, I can still use it! the problem comes when I don't own it, then I'm scouring blogs for retired sales.
    Cheers,
    Kasey ~ in Oz

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  8. Wow! I am so impressed! I love this set ... but never seemed to master it! Hugs xxaxx

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  9. My fav is the first card!!!! I just might have to case that one! I haven't tried the pinks with early espresso but it looks fabulous! And I just haven't used this set enough!

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  10. EB is one of my fave sets...but sadly so neglected. Must get it out again. Love the cards....just beautiful.

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  11. love the different looks you've created by pairing this set with different DSPs, lovely!

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I love reading your comments, thanks for taking the time to write them.