What is Stampin' Up! doing to "go green?"

In the January edition of Stampin' Success, we learned of Stampin' Up!'s efforts to "go green" during this time of eco-conscious practices. Here is how they contribute:
RUBBER
Rather than dumping our excess rubber in a landfill, we donate itto Courage Reins, a nonprofit organization that provides horsebackriding therapy for physically or mentally challenged children. Theytake our ground rubber and sell it to groups and individuals for usein playgrounds and horse stables. The money they receive from thesale of this rubber goes to fund their programs. You can find more information about Courage Reins at http://www.couragereins.org/

WOOD BLOCKS
Our wood blocks are not only created from a renewable resource,we engage in a sustainable practice to get those wood blocks. We work with a tree farm in which the maple trees are grown specifically for the purpose of harvesting wood!

CARD STOCK & PAPER
You’re probably already aware that the paper we use for shipping is100 percent recycled. But did you know that our card stock includes recycled material? It’s true! Our card stock includes recycled paper that’s left over from other paper runs, which would otherwise end up in a landfill. The darker the color of card stock, the more recycled material is in the card stock. (Who would have thought that Basic Black was our greenest color?) In addition, we work with a paper broker who ensures that the mills we use for our Designer Series paper and card stock engage in environmentally friendly practices. Our broker is even certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the ForestStewardship Council (FSC), and the Program for the Endorsement ofForestry Certification (PEFC). These certifications help us know thatour paper comes from sustainably managed forests and mills that are taking steps to lessen their carbon footprint. One of our mills even generates its own power.

OUR BUILDINGS
We are very fortunate to have wonderful facilities at Stampin’ Up! that help us reduce our environmental impact. First, systems in both the Riverton and Kanab buildings filter any pollutants that may result from stamp production. Second, our buildings were designed with energy conservation in mind. Both buildings have geothermal wells, which help us maintain building temperature, cutting down on our use of heating oil or natural gas. In addition, all lights are on sensors and timers, so we don’t waste electricity when employees are away from the office. In our desert climate here in Utah, it’s also extremely important that we watch our water use. For this reason, we’ve incorporated native, water-wise plants in our landscaping. If you’ve visited the home office, you may have noticed that we have wildflowers growing in front of our
building instead of grass! Our sprinkler system is timed to minimize evaporation, which helps reduce the amount of water we use to maintain our landscape. Indoors, artificial plants mingle in with the live ones in the area around our atrium water feature. This allows us to have a lush garden while minimizing the amount of water we use.

CARBON FOOTPRINT
At Stampin’ Up!, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. This means that we try to engage in shipping practices that will require fewer greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, to be released into the atmosphere. First, UPS picks up shipments from our Distribution Center each day during nonpeak traffic hours. This cuts down the amount of gasoline UPS needs to use to get our orders out the door. You can learn about what UPS is doing to make their practices more eco-friendly at http://sustainability.ups.com/. For stamp shipments from Kanab to Riverton, we “carpool” with companies who are sending shipments from the Salt Lake City area to Kanab. For example, Sysco delivers food to Kanab and surrounding towns and, normally, their trucks would return empty to Salt Lake City. Instead of driving back without cargo, Sysco trucks bring stamps from Kanab to Riverton! As you know, one of our guiding principles at Stampin’ Up! is Change, and with that principle in mind, we are always looking for ways to improve our business practices to do what’s right for our demonstrators, employees, community, and environment.

Spring Stamp-a-stack

Having stamp-a-stacks are a lot of work! I know how much time I put into planning, cutting, prepping and organizing the "ingredients" to make each card. I am absolutely POSITIVE I am not alone in this! For me, each card has to be just right...call it being picky. I NEVER want my customers leaving my house feeling as if they got ripped off, that my cards don't look thought out, or the class was just thrown together. SO, below you will find the four designs I created, with one being a repeat from a previous class. Why re-invent the wheel, right? (card from swap minus the twill)
Stamp set: Thoughts & Prayers
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Kraft, Sage Shadow
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Gold Brads, Boho Blossoms Punch

(Recycled card from One Sheet Wonder class)

Stamp set: True Friend, Celebrate Everything

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Confetti White, Vellum

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red, Garden Green

Accessories: Silver Brads

Stamp set: Say It with Scallops

Paper: Apricot Appeal, Tempting Turquoise, Rainbow Sherbet DSP

Ink: Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: Turquoise Grosgrain, Scallop Punch

Stamp set: Pun Fun

Paper: Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Versamark

Accessories: Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel, Blender Pen, Pacific Point Striped Ribbon

First Holy Communion Invitation

My son's First Holy Communion is coming up, and I wanted to make the invitations. Unfortunately, I don't have any cross-shaped stamps, so I had to improvise. I just added a little bit of stamping using Baroque Motifs. It's kind of hard to tell, but the card is backed in Night of Navy cardstock and I used the same color organdy ribbon.

Happy 50th anniversary!

Recently, my Aunt and Uncle celebrated 50 years together! They had an anniversary dinner that was equivalent to a wedding reception complete with the original wedding topper and all! It was truly amazing to see their last 50 years together in a scrapbook compiled by their daughter. It sure makes you realize how quickly time goes. The card I made them HAD to incorporate gold since it is the "Golden" anniversary. It was a one take card, which is rare for me! I used Baroque Motifs and embossed in gold. The colors used were, black, gold and white.