Hand Sanitizers for Stocking Stuffers

I've been busy getting last minute cards and projects finished for stocking stuffers and haven't been participating in any challenges while I try to stay focused on the work at hand, but in the new year will resume my weekly challenge posts.  I also plan to post an array of cards I've made this past year. What fun it is to look back on projects!    

But right now, here's a look at some of the hand sanitizers I've been making and packaging for stocking stuffers this year.  I used a variety of winter and Christmas themed papers and stamp sets to decorate these hand sanitizer holders. My motto when doing these kind of projects is to just let your imagination go wild and see what you come up with.  It usually works quite well.  

This is the fun little bunny on skis from the Freezin' Fun (#153341) stamp set by Stampin' Up! This stamp set coordinates with the Freezin' Fun dies. This bundle will be retiring on January 4, 2021.  What a shame it's such a fun combination of dies and stamps.  I love the snowbank die in this die set.  Takes the guess work out of making snow drifts.

For this hand sanitizer cover, I used Snowflake Splendor DSP for the backdrop and have featured one of the cute little gnomes from Gnome for the Holiday (#153322) stamp set from Stampin' Up!  This cute little set will be retiring on January 4, 2021.  

Both of the covers on these hand sanitizers have cut little images from retired stamp sets and Christmas DSP. The dog is a Hero Arts stamp called Winter Pup (D4840) that I came across at a garage sale years ago, fell in love with it.  Since the arrival of Stampin' Blends I've had a lot of fun colouring this image and using it for all kinds of projects.  The elf is cut from the retired Santa's Workshop DSP.

Mrs. Claus is also a fussy cut image from the Santa's Workshop DSP.  

For this cover I used paper scraps from the retired Let It Snow DSP that was out last year.    

The "Hand Sanitizer" bottles I purchased from Costco are approximately 4 inches tall and hold 2 fl. oz of sanitizer.  Most of the templates I found for Hand Sanitizer Covers on Pinterest are designed for smaller bottles or different shaped bottles.  Since nothing worked for my bottles, I grabbed my ruler and created my own.  I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  I'm sorry my template picture is so dark, it's winter in Canada and the days are longer and darker.  I'm hoping Santa gets my "wish list" and brings me some better lighting for my stamp cave.  

Here's my template:

Click on the pictures to enlarge it so you can see the measurements clearly.

Instructions:

1. Cut a strip of card stock 2 1/4" x 11" for the base. 
2. Score at 1/2", 1 3/4", 5 1/4", and 6 1/4" crease all score lines with bone folder so they are flexible.  
3. Center a 1" circle punch in space between 1/2"  and 1 3/4" score lines and punch.  This is where the bottle neck /cap goes through.
4. Cut coordinating DSP 
• 2 1/8" x 3 3/8" for front panel (cut 1)
• Cut 2 pieces 4 5/8" x 2 1/8" for the back and inside back panels
• Glue all the panels in place

5.  Stand sanitizer bottle in space between 5 1/4" and 6 1/4" score lines and fit top through the punched out hole.

6.  Bend half inch piece so it faces toward back panel and attach with score tape or liquid adhesive, to back panel making sure it sits level over bottle. 

To finish your hand sanitizer decorate with labels and embellishments of your choice. I always have a supply on hand so I can mix and match embellishments for my projects. I store them in the plastic sleeves that die cuts come in and keep them close to my work station.

Happy Stamping!

Pennytokens Stampin' Spot

Penny Hanuszak Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SRMEMX7U

If you're placing an order this month please apply the Hostess Code at the end of your order if it's less than $200.00 before S&H and sales tax. You will receive a gift and a thank you card from me.  If you are placing an order of more than $200 your Stampin' Up! rewards will automatically be given to you based on your order total, and a thank you card from me.   Thanks so much for choosing me as your Stampin' Up Demonstrator.  

Click here to go to my 24/7 Online Shopping site 

Win a Stamperatus in December:

As a Christmas bonus, anyone placing an order of $50 or more during the month of December with me, will have their name entered into my "Win a Stamperatus" draw to be held on December 25th.  Hope you'll play along!

We're Late! We're Late! We're Late!

It's just three days before Christmas and if your Stampin' Up! order hasn't been shipped or arrived yet, I just want to bring you an update and reassure you it will come.

Stampin' Ups! North American distribution center is currently shipping several days behind their normal time frames. With the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching, Stampin' Up! is expecting that delays may continue and/or even increase. Rest assured they are doing all they can to get orders out as close as possible to the order date, including exceeding their own records for the number of products picked and shipped in one day. Get this, they've been picking and sending out over 90,000 products each day for multiple days in a row now and they still haven't been able to catch up and get back to normal shipping time frames possibly until the end of the month.

Why is this happening? Whether you blame the time of year or COVID restrictions, this is not unique to Stampin' Up! So many people are ordering on line this season that the delays are everywhere. To top it off, UPS have placed daily limits on how much can be picked up from businesses.

Now, and for the rest of December, Stampin' Up! can only have one trailer picked up each day. They may be restricted but they're making maximum use of that one trailer and packing it as full as possible and so far haven't left anything behind.

However, as the month continues, there's a possibility they may not be able to include all packages on the trailer every day. To be fair, delays are also caused by packages having to spend more time in transit than normal as UPS deals with their increased workload from other suppliers. So, if you're planning on placing an order, please account for more delays than normal this month.

Other factors adding to delays is the increased congestion at each of the ports that Stampin' Up! ships to around the world. There are at least one to two-week delays in receiving items at ports, leading to delays in receiving products at Stampin' Ups! distribution centers. 

If you have an order pending and aren't seeing tracking information from USPS, Stampin' Up! suggests you visit their website and explore the Service Impacts section for more information. On last check, UPS has suspended all shipping guarantees and FedEx has extended their shipping times. This means you may not receive your packages on the days you expect. Even expedited shipments are seeing a one- to two-day delay.

The good news for Canadian deliveries is that Stampin' Up! because of the longer transit times for Canadian shipping has been up to now prioritizing Canadian orders. All orders may experience shipping delays based on the COVID-19 situation, however, they are doing everything we can to get shipments out in a timely manner. With the increased volume of packages being shipped around the world (especially this month), there are delays in getting packages through Canadian customs and from there to their intended destination. Ask me, my last order sat at customs an additional three days before it was cleared to Richmond.

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot
Penny Hanuszak, Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator

SAY FAREWELL TO WHISPER WHITE

 WHISPER WHITE CARDSTOCK WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE

Stampin' Up! has just announced that the supplier’s mill that produces their Whisper White cardstock has been permanently closed due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Stampin' Up! didn't receive much notice on this mill closure, and with the technology unique to this particular supplier no longer being available they are no longer able to offer Whisper White cardstock and related products, such as Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes. Please note this change doesn't affect any of their other cardstocks, it only affects Whisper White.

Whisper White has a huge fan base and Stampin' Up! along with many, many demonstrators and customers are crushed with this news.  However, after finding out this news, Stampin' Up jumped right into action to find the best replacement paper possible. They've dedicated many hours to source and test alternative cardstock options from several suppliers to find the perfect fit that still maintains the Stampin’ Up! quality you know and trust. Stampin' Up is happy to share that they've found a winner for their new replacement cardstock and it's called "Basic White"!

The quality of the new Basic White was thoroughly tested by Stampin' Ups! quality assurance and product teams, as well as with demonstrators and concept artists who gave it a huge thumbs up. Stampin' Up! believes in the quality of the new "Basic White" cardstock and knows it will become everyone's new crafting staple!

What does this mean for you?

With Whisper White going out of production, this means a number of Whisper White products will be affected. Below is a list of all products that will be replaced with the new Basic White cardstock. These items are now available while supplies last with an order limit of 2 per item per order.

Whisper White 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Cardstock (124302)

Assorted Memories & More Cards & Envelopes (149710)

Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (131527)

Whisper White 3" x 3" (7.6 x 7.6 cm) Envelopes (145829)

Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Cardstock (100730)

Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Thick Cardstock (140272)

Whisper White Medium Envelopes (107301)

Stampin' Up!s new Basic White products will become available to purchase as soon as they have them in stock. This means that some Whisper White and Basic White products may be available at the same time. Additionally, due to the nature of sourcing, some Basic White products may not be available before the Whisper White products sell out. Stampin' Up! is working on getting these products available to you as fast as possible.  Since this change is outside of Stampin' Up!s control, they haven’t been able to tackle all necessary alterations at once. You may still see the name Whisper White on some of their non-card stock product labels, catalog, and marketing material for a while. They  will be working on a rolling change to address this.

While this may have come as a complete surprise to demonstrators and customers alike, Stampin' Up! is hoping that this transition to their new Basic White products will be an exciting change for everyone!  

Here is a link to a flyer with all the new Basic White product information in one place. 

If you have any questions about the replacement stock please don't hesitate to contact me.  

Well, it’s always hard to say goodbye, but I am excited about the new Basic White product line and I encourage you to try it out! 

HAPPY STAMPING!
PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator 

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SRMEMX7U

If you're placing an order in my shop in the month of December and it's under $200 before s&h and taxes, you will receive a gift and thank you card from me.  If your planning on placing a larger order (over $200), you automatically qualify for Stampin' Rewards based on the total of your order and I'll send you a thank you card for your order. 

Click here for my 24/7 Online Shop

FREE DRAW FOR A STAMPERATUS PLATFORM:

As a Christmas bonus, anyone placing an order of $50 or more during the month of December with me, will have their name entered into my "Win a Stamperatus" draw to be held on December 25th.  Hope you'll play along!

Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle

Hi Stampers!  I've been stamping and working on Christmas projects this week, and having  a great time playing with some of the stamps I purchased from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.  

I set a goal to make at least five projects with each one.  Today I'm going to showcase a card I made using stamps from the "Don't Stop Believin'" set for Judy's Freshly Made Sketches #464 challenge.     

Here's the Sketch Challenge: 

Freshly Made Sketches 464

Here's My Card: 

This is the first time I've stamped with the Elf image in this set.  I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by all the lights and colouring on this image, and so I left it until the last.  All the fear disappeared though as soon as I began colouring in this sweet little guy's face.  It's magical!   

These are my Elf Labels I made several of them.  As you can see the colouring in each one is a bit different as I experimented.  

Here's how it came together:

1.  I stamped the image in Momento Black ink on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and then I cut it out using the Stitched Nested Labels dies.

2. I began by colouring the Elf's face, ears, and hands with Ivory Stampin' Blends, and I added some sweet rosy cheeks with Light Flirty Flamingo. To make sure they didn't look too harsh I coloured over his cheeks again with Ivory.

3. Next I started colouring his clothes. I began colouring his leggings and hat with Light and Dark Garden Green Stampin' Blends. Then, I coloured his shirt with Dark and Light Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends. The boots were coloured with Light and Dark Cinnamon Cider Stampin' Blends.

4. I wasn't sure what to do with his hair, so I made him a blonde using Mango Melody. I like multi-coloured lights at Christmas time, so I coloured the lights with Misty Moonlight, Poppy Parade and Mango Melody Stampin' Blends.

5. The card base was an 8 1/2 x 5 1/2" piece of Garden Green card stock and it was scored at 4 1/4". The first layer is a piece of 5 1/4" x 4" Gold Foil. Note, before adhering this layer I cut out the largest label in the Tasteful Labels die from the center of the layer and embossed it with the Winter Snowflakes Embossing Folder.

6. The second layer was cut from a piece of retired plaid designer paper. This layer measures 3 3/4" x 5".

7. To finish the card I adhered the Gold Foil label to the center top of the card. This label represents the bottom square in the sketch. Next I added dimensionals to the back of the Elf label and attached that to the left of the gold foil label. I added three coloured rhinestones in the top right hand corner of the Elf label to represent the coloured lights. 

In this photo you can see the beautifully embossed snowflakes on the Gold Foil label.  

8. I stamped the sentiment "Don't get your tinsel in a tangle" on a scrap piece of Whisper White and then cut it out with the label die from the All Dressed Up die collection. I glued this label to a scrap of Garden Green card stock and fussy cut around the label. Four rhinestones were added to the center of the label.

9. The inside of the card has a 5 1/4" x 4" panel of of Whisper White card stock that was stamped with one of my favourite sentiments and the small Elf from last year's Elfie stamp set. He's so cute.

I hope you enjoyed today's card and were able to follow the steps I took to create it. I'm glad I was able to overcome my intimidation of this Elf stamp as it is so darned cute.  I know I'll be using this stamp again and again. 

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Penny Hanuszak, Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SRMEMX7U

Click Here to Shop in My 24/7 Online Shop 

Planning on placing an order in December?  If so, and your order is less than $200 before s&h/tax and you apply my December Hostess Code at the end of your order, you'll receive a special gift and a thank you card from me. 

If you're planning on placing an order over $200.00 you'll receive a thank you card from me and you'll receive Stampin' Up Rewards for free product, based on the total of your order. 

December Contest - Win a Stamperatus Platform

Click here to view the Stamperatus - 

I'm having a draw for a brand new Stamperatus Platform during the month of December.  To be eligible to win just place a minimum $50.00(before s&h and tax) order and your name will be entered in my Christmas Day draw. Winner will be notified on Christmas Day!  What a great present!  Value $67.00.  Note:  Canadian orders only.  

Giant End Of Year Sale Coming December 8th, 2020

IT’S THE GIANT YEAR-END CLOSEOUT EVENT!

If you love great deals, Stampin' Ups! Giant Year-End Closeout event is the perfect time to shop. You’ll get deep discounts on your favorite products from the August–December 2020 Mini Catalog—and as an extra bonus—you’ll get a peek at the list of items carrying over to the new annual catalog. The Year-End Closeout happens only once a year, so don’t delay.

Stampin' Up! is kicking off Christmas a little early this year with their Giant Year-End Closeout event.  From 8 December 2020–4 January 2021, you can grab your favorite retiring August–December 2020 Mini Catalog items at a deep discount. This offer is valid while supplies last only. 

To view a PDF Copy Click Here:

Details:

• No minimum purchase required.
• Retiring items are available only while supplies last.
• Items and discounts may vary by market (depending on inventory levels).
• Exclusions apply: Carryover items will not be discounted.
• Due to increased shipping times and possible shipping delays during the month of December, we can’t guarantee delivery before Christmas.

Carry Over List: 

Some items will carry over to the 2021/22 Annual Catalogue so Stampin' Up! has provided an Excel Spreadsheet Listing of all the products for sale. It's important to remember that all bundles in the Holiday catalogue are retiring, but some bundle items may carry over.  Carried over items are not discounted further as they are already reduced by 15% in the catalogue.

When they carry over to the next Annual Catalogue they're no longer offered as a bundle or for a discount price, you have to purchase them as separate items at full value.  So keep in mind, if there's something you have your heart set on and don't want to pay more for it when it's carried over, now is the time to take advantage of the savings at the bundle price.

Ordering Deadlines:

Phone: 4 January 2021; 6:50 PM (MT)

OEX/Online: 4 January 2021; 11:50 PM (MT)

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Penny Hanuszak Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator 

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SRMEMX7IU

CLICK HERE to shop in my Online Shopping Store 247

Planning on placing an order in December?  If so, and your order is less than $200 before s&h/tax and you apply my December Hostess Code at the end of your order, you'll receive a special gift and a thank you card from me. 

If you're planning on placing an order over $200.00 you'll receive a thank you card from me and you'll receive Stampin' Up Rewards for free product, based on the total of your order. 

December Contest - Win a Stamperatus Platform

I'm having a draw for a brand new Stamperatus Platform during the month of December.  To be eligible to win just place a minimum $50.00(before s&h and tax) order and your name will be entered in my Christmas Day draw. Winner will be notified on Christmas Day!  What a great present!  Value $67.00.  Note:  Canadian orders only.  

Sending Out Some Christmas Cheer

I've been busy making Christmas cards and getting them ready to send off in the mail.  Although for some this may be a chore, I love it and when I'm finally ready to sit down and address the cards and write my notes, I try to make a fun time of it.  

When I have a lot of cards to make I like to come up with a few designs that are mail able. Cards with a lot of layers and embellishments need extra care when mailing and all the extra weight can make a difference in the postage stamp price.  For example I just sent some cards to the United Kingdom and they cost me $3.40 CDN for each card.  Something to consider if you're on a budget.  The same card mailed in Canada was $1.24 and to the US was $1.60.  Haven't got my Australian ones off yet, but I'm assuming they'll be the same as UK.  

Once I've decided on the stamp sets, colours and designs I'm making, I stamp, cut, colour, embellish and assemble all the bits and pieces. This might take me an entire evening dependent on how many cards I'm making, but having everything pre-prepped, is the difference between making 4 or 5 cards at one sitting as opposed to making 20 cards.  I like the 20 cards all at once.  

Once my cards are assembled I pair them up with an addressed and sometimes decorated envelope and then sit down and personalize each card with my own messaging.  This is the part I love the most, even though the card making itself is fun and special.  There's nothing like writing a note to my friends and relatives, to let them know how we've been and what we're up to for Christmas.   

This year sending a personalized card was even more meaningful as there are so many of our friends and family that we haven't seen or won't be seeing for some time.  Snail mail may be time consuming and expensive, but when those cards start coming in it makes you feel remembered and loved.

Here are some of the cards I sent out this week:

  

I'll be providing some detail and pictures for these cards in upcoming posts. Hope you enjoyed my process for sending out my Christmas cards.  I still have a few more to do (there's always a few more) and then I'll be working on Christmas tags, and other treats for family and friends.  

In the meantime......

HAPPY STAMPING
PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT
Penny Hanuszak, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SREMEMX7U

If you are placing an order for $200.00 or less before s&h and sales tax, and you apply the December Hostess Code you will receive a special gift from me.  If you're placing an order over $200.00 you'll receive a thank you card from me and you'll receive Stampin' Up Rewards for free product, based on the total of  your order.  

Click here to visit my Online Shop 24/7

December Contest - Win a Stamperatus Platform

I'm having a draw for a brand new Stamperatus Platform during the month of December.  To be eligible to win just place a minimum $50.00(before s&h and tax) order and your name will be entered in my Christmas Day draw. Winner will be notified on Christmas Day!  What a great present!  Value $67.00.  Note:  Canadian orders only.  

Toasty & Warm Wishes - Using Up Scraps

Happy December!  It's hard to believe December 1st has arrived and we're still under COVID restrictions.  For us that means no mixing and mingling, but I'm not letting that get my spirits down.  My house is now decorated from top to bottom, I'm playing Christmas tunes while I stamp and admiring my treasured Christmas ornaments and lights.  All my neighbors have hung their lights too so I'm definitely getting in the Christmas mood. 

Yesterday I posted a card for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge #463 featuring the Polar Bear from Toasty & Warm, and I promised to show you a second card I made using the same sketch.

Freshly Made Sketches - by Amy #463

Here is my card:

For this version I used the Snowflake Splendor Designer paper but I flipped it over and used Pool Party and Shaded Spruce as my main colours for card stock, inks and blends.   The snowflake design and softly muted colours of this paper are beautiful.  

Snowflake Splendor Designer Series Paper.

I dry embossed the Designer Series paper with the snowflakes from the Winter Snow Embossing Folder.  The strips were cut from scraps of Pool Party and Shaded Spruce card stock I had on hand.  All the measurements and details are in yesterday's post which you can see here. 

I changed up the platform that the bear is on from an oval to one of the medium sizes Stitched Nested Labels dies and cut it from a piece of Gold Glimmer paper I had in my stash.  

The Stitched Nested Shapes Dies are great for layering sentiments and images.   

I also changed up the inside of the card a bit by simply changing the side the paper strip was attached to.  I used the same sentiment "warm and toasty wishes to you" and stamped it in Shaded Spruce ink.  

I'm happy with both of the cards I made using the FMS design. But this card isn't only for Christmas, it could easily be rejigged by changing the sentiments for winter birthday or friendship cards. Either way, it's sure to put a smile on the receiver's face when they see their card. Love it!

Thanks for dropping by and viewing my projects.  I'd love to hear what you think of these cards.  Which is your favourite colour combination?  Would you use this layout?  

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Penny Hanuszak, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator 

DECEMBER HOSTESS CODE:  SRMEMX7U

If you're planning on placing an order in December please apply my Hostess Code at the end of your order "SRMEMX7U" if your order is less than $200 before s/h& tax, and you will receive a special gift from me.  If your order is over $200 don't apply the code, because you'll receive Stampin' Rewards based on your order total.  Thank you.

December Contest - Win a Stamperatus Platform

I'm having a draw for a brand new Stamperatus Platform during the month of December.  To be eligible to win just place a minimum $50.00(before s&h and tax) order and your name will be entered in my Christmas Day draw. 

Winner will be notified on Christmas Day!  What a great present!  Value $67.00.  Note:  Canadian orders only.