Friday, February 27, 2015

So long, farewell


So long, farewell.  (The Sound of Music is perhaps my fav movie of all time.)  

It's our last day today and I just want to take a minute to say how grateful I am for all of you who have supported my little store for 6-1/2 years. I'm thankful to call many of you my friends as a result of opening this store. I'm also so thankful to have had the support and friendship of so many amazing women on my design team over the years, including many talented guests. Each of you played a part and I'm so glad to have you in my life. Once I get my doggie business up and running I will post here, in case you're interested in following me there. And of course, redline tape will continue to be available over on Etsy so I hope you'll follow me there as well. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It's been an incredible journey but it's time to move on. heart emoticon

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Monday, February 23, 2015

Last week!

We are beginning our final week at i {heart} papers - when February comes to an end, we will close our doors for good. Shop now using code BYEIHP to receive 65% off your order. We still have great brands like Technique TuesdayHero ArtsPaper SmoochesWinnie & Walter and Avery Elle left, among others. Please help us go out with a bang!



COUPON VALID UNTIL FEB. 28th NOON EST.

And remember, our redline tap, i {stick} papers will continue to be for sale in our ETSY store, even after we close.  SHOP HERE FOR REDLINE.

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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

DT Day: Sheri

Hello IHP fans!  It's Sheri here.   I thought I would create a THANK YOU card in appreciation to Kate for having me apart of her wonderful design team this past last year.  I'm super sad to see the store close but wish Kate all the best!!  Thank you, Kate!

I struggle with CAS (clean and Simple) cards and have been challenging myself to create more.  I still have lots of layers but have kept everything to a minimum as I wanted the raised die cut to be the focal point.  What do you think?

 Supplies:
Paper: White CS (Recollections), Vellum, Tangerine Jubilee 6x6 Pad (My Minds Eye); Stamps: Hand Lettered Thanks (WPlus9); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento Luxe); Tools: Hand Lettered Thanks Die (WPlus9), Corner Rounder, Scor-Buddy; Other: Twine (My Minds Eye), Enamel Dots (My Minds Eye), Accents (Ranger), ATG Tape, Foam Tape

Thanks so much for stopping By!  Have a wonderful day! 



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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

DT Day: Tracy


Here's a great way to re-use holiday themed paper or any fun prints sitting in your stash. I simply layered a few strips of paper that I cut from Lawn Fawn's Snow Day pad, then pointed the edges using a ruler, pencil, and scissors.


On top of the layers, I showcased a fun scene from one of the paper stacks using dimensionals. Then added a wood veneer snowflake and some twine. Easy and fun!

Remember, the closing coupon is 65% off now.  Use code BYEIHP at checkout!

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Monday, February 9, 2015

Coupon now 65% off everything storewide!

We're nearing the end of our inventory!  The BYEIHP closeout coupon is now worth 65% off everything remaining in the store. (Applies only to the store and not to Etsy.)  All by the yard ribbon has been removed and is being sold in Flat Rate Regional B boxes full of our remaing spools.  It is mostly May Arts ribbon and each box is valued at least at $200 worth of ribbon.  What a steal!  Order a mystery box of ribbon here.


REMEMBER, our exclusive redline tape i {stick} papers is STILL AVAILABLE but is being sold on our Etsy store.  You can buy it here.


Thank you for your continued support!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

DT Day: Lori

Hi, IHP fans!  It's Lori with today's DT post.  I thought a thank you card would be appropriate today, as I can't thank Kate enough for having me as a part of the IHP family since the very start!


I stamped the "sending my thanks" sentiment from Avery Elle's Sending You set in gray pigment ink on a blue panel.  The paper airplane was stamped on a scrap of white paper using black ink and cut out, then adhered to the panel using a dimensional dot.  A trio of tiny hearts were stamped just above the airplane in red pigment ink.  The Sending You set is now sold out, but if you love the paper airplane theme, you could use the Air Mail set instead.  I edged the panel with a narrow strip of multicolored striped patterned paper, then added a blue strip.  The panel was adhered on an angle to a red card base.


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Monday, January 26, 2015

Sale coupon now 50% off!

We are really trying to clean things up and finish closing the store as soon as possible.  So in an effort to expedite this process we've increased the closing sale coupon to 50% off storewide.



PLEASE NOTE (because we've been asked this A LOT):  You will notice i {stick} papers is no longer available in the store.  I will be selling this product over at my store on Etsy since this is the only item exclusive to us.  That's good news since it is our best selling item and there's always a demand for it.  So you will still be able to purchase our best selling, exclusive tape there!


We've increased the discount to 50% as of today.  Use coupon code BYEIHP at checkout. Everything in the store is 50% off using this code. You receive the discount that is in place at the time of your order, even if the discount amount increases later on in the sale. We are down to less than 650 unique items in the store so hurry!

Due to the steep discounts, free shipping is not being offered any longer.  Shipping will be calculated at checkout.


Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  

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Friday, January 16, 2015

Liquidation sale coupon increased!


PLEASE NOTE (because we've been asked this A LOT):  You will notice i {stick} papers is no longer available in the store.  I will be selling this product over at my store on Etsy since this is the only item exclusive to us.  That's good news since it is our best selling item and there's always a demand for it.  So you will still be able to purchase our best selling, exclusive tape there!

We've increased the discount to 40% as of today.  Use coupon code BYEIHP at checkout.  Everything in the store is 40% off using this code. As inventory dwindles, the amount of the coupon may change to help move things along.  You receive the discount that is in place at the time of your order, even if the discount amount increases later on in the sale. You will get the best selection early on, so don't wait.  If you wait, items will sell out!

Due to the steep discounts, free shipping is not being offered any longer.  Shipping will be calculated at checkout.


Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  

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Thursday, January 15, 2015

DT Day: Sheri

Hello IHP fans!  It's Sheri here.  With Valentine's Day less than a month away I thought that I would share a fun kids project with you.


I created  3 1/2 x 3 1/2 Valentine Cards.  They are the perfect size to tuck in a childs lunch box or back pack.  They are easy enough for your child to make for their classmates for their classroom parties.



Supplies:

Thanks so much for stopping By!  Have a wonderful day! 
Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

DT Day: Lindsay

Hello faithful i {heart} papers fans! Before I get to my card, I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed bringing you inspiration during my time with i {heart} papers.  The store closing was a huge shock for me personally, and to many other crafters as well.  Kate did such an amazing job of providing fabulous customer service and lightening fast shipping.  I certainly wish her all of the best in all that she does.  Thank you, Kate! My card is super clean and simple, using an ombre or gradient color scheme.  I chose the Backgrounds and Borders 1 stamp set from Wplus9, and stamped one of the patterns in a variety of blue inks from Hero Arts and Wplus9.
I stamped a simple sentiment, and added a few gems to finish it.  The store still has a plethora of sentiment stamps, as well as bling, and of course it's thirty percent off right now!  Go, and shop!
There you have it, a super clean and simple card.  Thanks for stopping by today, and I am sure we will see you around the crafty sphere!
Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  

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Friday, January 9, 2015

New year, new directions


Hello IHP fans!  This is probably the most important post I will make on this blog, so please read it carefully. It's going to be long and a little sappy, so you've been warned!

It's a new year and it's time for changes. It's with a heavy heart and teary eyes that I am posting to let you know I've decided to close the store. It's no surprise that we're in an evolving industry.  Many stores have closed before us - both online and retail giants like Archivers.  Paper Crafts Magazine just closed.  It's an ever changing industry and it's incredibly difficult to manage inventory expectations, trends, customer requests, increased overhead costs like postage and stay profitable and SANE.

A little background, if you care to indulge me.  If not, skip to the bottom to the sale image for the nitty gritty details.  :)

As you know, we moved into a new home over the past summer and our activity in dog rescue has increased exponentially.  Early last year I also was accepted into The Academy for Dog Trainers (the "standard for dog training excellence worldwide" and called "the Harvard of dog training") and have been pursuing my studies there.  It's a difficult and challenging program, based in science and on the science of animal learning (none of that "your dog is trying to dominate you" stuff).  When I graduate, I will be amongst the company of the best trainers in the world.  But, I need to graduate first.  And that will take a lot of time and work. And I know that ultimately, that is where my heart is. And that is where I need to focus my time and energy.

So that, coupled with declining sales, Facebook's algorithm tweaking making it harder to reach our customers and a whole laundry list of other reasons, I've decided that it is time to close.

Honestly, it's been quite a struggle to make this decision.  I'm not one to quit.  I'm one to pile lots of things on an overflowing plate and just balance it.  I am a multi-tasking queen.  But, I've learned that it doesn't have to be that way.  I recently re-listened to a favorite podcast of mine, Freakonomics and one specific episode called The Upside To Quitting.  (Find it here if you'd like to have a listen.)  It really helped me work through the idea that quitting is OK. It helped me realize that quitting something doesn't have to be bad - it can be the door to a new opportunity.  Economically speaking it is "sunk cost and opportunity cost. Sunk cost is about the past – it’s the time or money or sweat equity you’ve put into a job or relationship or a project, and which makes quitting hard. Opportunity cost is about the future. It means that for every hour or dollar you spend on one thing, you’re giving up the opportunity to spend that hour or dollar on something else – something that might make your life better. If only you weren’t so worried about the sunk cost. If only you could …. quit."

So I'm quitting, in the best sense of the word. I'm quitting to pursue a greater dream - a dream of helping save more dogs' lives by making them more adoptable, by helping ones with behavior issues that might otherwise cause them to be rehomed or euthanized and by helping people be happier with their canine companions, which makes the humans happier and healthier. (Did you know that petting a dog increases your oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine levels, which calm and relax both you and the dog, making you both healthier and happier?)

I'm a little sad right now because it is raw and new but I know there's a bright future ahead. It's just hard to close a door that has been open for so long. I'm incredibly thankful for so much.  I'm thankful for my design team members, both current and ones who came before them.  I'm thankful for my support staff (social media, newsletter, graphic designers, my husband, etc.) over the years but especially to Tracy and Lori, who have stuck with me since before day one. They're my confidants, my advisors and now, my friends.  I'm thankful for the independent company owners I've met along the way and supported as we mutually grew our businesses.  I'm thankful for the designers, Kimberly, Jannie and Tracy, who worked with me to launch their stamp lines.  I'm thankful for all the guest designers who shared their talents with us for a few months at a time.  And I'm thankful for the loyal customers I've gotten to know and a few that I count as good friends now.  And it is these relationships and friendships that I've made during this journey will last forever and that my friends, is better than any profit I would have ever made.

So yes, I'm quitting, but incredibly proud of the business I ran and the success we had.  I am proud of the exclusive stamp lines we launched and the opportunities new designers had.  I am proud of the amazing support and fundraising effort we accomplished together with so many other companies and customers and individuals to help support Katie Renz and her family during her cancer and in the aftermath of her death through Swimming For Katie.  I'm proud that I upheld the highest business ethics and refused to align with or carry certain products because I felt they stole other artists' work or were too heavily "inspired by" them.  I am proud of the service I provided to almost 5000 customers and the over 9000 orders that were filled (with less than a dozen mistakes filling them in total). So, there's a lot to be proud of.  And I'm certainly not the first small stamping company to close its doors and likely won't be the last. It's been happening like wildfire lately and things continue to change.

It's been a fun ride but it's time to get off.  I can do more good in the world by training and rescuing dogs than I can selling paper and stamps and ribbon!


So with that being said (thank you to those who indulged me and read it!), now for the nitty gritty.  Use coupon code BYEIHP at checkout.  Everything is 30% off using this code. As inventory dwindles, the amount of the coupon may change to help move things along.  You receive the discount that is in place at the time of your order, even if the discount amount increases later on in the sale. You will get the best selection early on, so don't wait.  If you wait, items will sell out!

Due to the steep discounts, free shipping is not being offered any longer.  Shipping will be calculated at checkout.

You will notice i {stick} papers is no longer available in the store.  I will be selling this product over at my store on Etsy since this is the only item exclusive to us.  That's good news since it is our best selling item and there's always a demand for it.  So you will still be able to purchase our best selling, exclusive tape there!

Gift certificates must be redeemed by Jan 31, 2015.  New gift certificates are no longer for sale.

And obviously, all sales are final.

Make sure you check in on our Facebook page!  We will be sharing news and updates as we go into the final days.


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Thursday, January 8, 2015

DT Day: Tracy


Hi IHP fans! It's Tracy bringing you a simple and cute wintery scene card you can make. I used Lawn Fawn's snow day paper paired with this little penguin.


To make my scene, I just layered the decorative paper, then my penguin, and lastly a wintery hill I cut out using Lawn Fawn's stitched hillside border die. I finished my card off with a snippet of coordinating paper from the pad, a wooden snowflake, and some twine from Hemptique.


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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

DT Day: Vera

Hi everyone. Happy 2015. Vera here.

For my post today I decided to give some love to some older sets. Every months there are tons of new sets come out in the market and so often we end up playing with all the new sets and the old ones end up sitting on the shelf gathering dust.

Let's fix that, shall we? Let's dust those older sets and take them out to play. :)

 

I used Avery Elle Fill In The Blank and Storybook set to create this simple but adorable birthday card. Simply fussy cut the bunny and the balloon and adhere both with pop-dots. For the word Happy I used Avery Elle Aqua Marine & Lemon Grass ink pad. Love, love these colors. Add some festive finish by adding a few spotlight/disco gold sequins.

Hope you enjoy today's card and hopefully it inspires you to play with some of your older sets. Or maybe mix it up with the new sets. Need some more new stamp? Don't forget to check out i {heart} papers store. Thank you all for stopping by here.

Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  We share news, updates, inspiration, and the occasional giveaway!

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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

DT Day: Guest Mariana

Hello!  Happy New Year!

Today we're sharing a card from our guest Mariana.

This is another simple card using a pretty stamp set called Lucille Sew Perfect by Hero Arts/Basic Grey. I stamped the image and then the sentiment on a strip of patterned paper that belongs to a 6×6 pad collection called Sweater Weather by Lawn Fawn. I used Hero Arts Shadow Ink Mint Julep and Memento Tuxedo Black. I added decorative tape and stitches along two sides of the patterned paper. Finally, I just added three white hearts with KaiserCraft Basics Rhinestones Gems and then, I tied Earthy Hemp Twine around front panel. Very easy to make.
Well, that’s all from me right now, I will be back soon to share another project!
Thanks for stopping by :) Have a wonderful crafty week!

Products:
  




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Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Year! New Guest!

Happy New Year!  It's a new year, full of new challenges and opportunities and a new guest designer for us!

Please help us welcome Amy Tsuruta!  Here's her first project a little about her!


Hello, it's ~amy~ from Tsuruta Designs!  I'm super thrilled to be the Guest Designer here at, i {heart} papers.  I live in the beautiful state of Washington.  I work part time at a start up biotech company in Seattle.  I'm a lucky Mom to 2 fabulous kids.  My son is in his senior year of high school and my daughter is in her 2nd year at the University of Washington.  I'm engaged to a great guy, who is crafty too!  He's building a RV-9.  

I've been blogging since 2007 and continue to enjoy the journey.  I'm super grateful to be a part of this awesome papercrafting community.  I love to inspire AND to be inspired.


Happy New Years!


I'm super excited to announce that I'm the Guest Designer over at 



I wanted to design a festive card for today in celebration of 2015!

Nothing says celebration like balloons:


Avery Elle Balloon Die
Avery Elle Balloons























I teamed up the balloons with

Fancy Pants Everyday Circus
Fancy Pants Everyday Circus

The mini "Let the Show begin" die cut has not been adhered to the patterned panel so there's movement in the card.  

This skinny card measures 3 x 5.50 inches.

The string is embroidery thread that I colored with my black copic. 

I'm spending the day with my family celebrating New Years in our traditional Japanese way, eating!

Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  We share news, updates, inspiration, and the occasional giveaway!

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