The new 2018-19 Annual Catalog was unveiled to demos this weekend at OnStage. As always it’s filled with SO many wonderful new products! But this year’s catalog announced an EXTRA exciting new change…a Color Revamp!

Since the Stampin’ Up! ink pads were being redesigned & improved upon, this was a great time to revamp our colors, bring out some fresh, trendy hues and reorganize our color collections. These fun shades are bound to inspire even MORE creativity!

DEPARTING COLORS

Because we brought in new colors, we had to get rid of a few. So if you have a close relationship with any of these, be sure to stock up on any coordinating retiring products you may need.

Many of you already knew of the retiring 2016-2018 In Colors:

***Flirty Flamingo is retiring as an In Color, but it is also a returning color and will be available as part of our core color collection!

Then there are also 13 colors from the main color line that are retiring:

INCOMING COLORS

Here are the 21 incoming colors that will be available to all of us June 1, 2018.

COLORS TO KICK OFF THE 2018-19 ANNUAL CATALOG

There are 18 colors leaving with this Color Revamp. But there are 21 colors being added, because Stampin’ Up! is taking 3 hues (Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Whisper White) and pulling them aside from the Neutrals to put into their own “Basics” group. In addition there are some shifts to maintain balance and variety in our updated collections. Here are how the colors will now be organized.

CLICK HERE for a printable Color Revamp Summary.

COMPARISONS

And here are some quick color comparisons in case you are interested.
With photography the colors may be a little “off.” But these comparison photos at least give you an idea on how the colors compare even if certain ones aren’t as accurately shown in the photos.

I also shared these comparisons in my video below in a Facebook Live broadcast earlier this afternoon. I record it, and then uploaded it to my YouTube channel (since I know not everyone is ON Facebook). Be sure to watch the video, and then let me know if you have any questions. If you ARE on Facebook, I invite you to “like” then “follow” my page so you can get updates when I share and when I go live.

OH! Ands here’s what my desk looked like after the broadcast. LOL!

NEW INK PADS

Because the mold for the ink pad cases was about to expire, Stampin’ Up! took this opportunity to make improvements to the case design, the labels and the ink formula itself. So when you invest in the new colors, you are getting all the improvements at once.

Here are a few comparison photos.

What’s better about our new case?

• It’s less confusing to open. Opening the new ink pad case is now more simple and intuitive—just insert your thumb in the lip at the front of the case and lift it to open.
• It has a tighter fit between the lid and the base. With the new design, the lid doesn’t accidentally become disconnected, which was a common problem with the old case style. With use, the lid will be easier to slide open and close.
• It is stackable. The ability to stack the cases makes them easier to store and transport. We designed a nub in each bottom corner that fits nicely into the dimple on the top of another case. Tip: Removing the label stickers from the bottom of the case (after applying the needed labels to the case) also makes the ink pads stack a little better.
• It includes improved labels and stickers. Here are a few of the ways we’ve done that:
  • The top label now has a cleaner, bolder design and a larger color swatch, making it easier to see the ink’s color.
  • The stickers include a new In Color icon.
  • We’ve continued to provide color stickers that can be placed on the end of each case to easily identify the ink’s color at a glance.
  • We’re introducing a new color sticker you can place on the inside of the case, so you can easily distinguish the ink’s color when the case is open.

What’s better about the ink?

We noticed that the old ink would sometimes bubble, especially on new pads and with lighter colors. When this happened, the ink wasn’t as even and smooth when stamped as we’d like to see it. The improved ink formula includes a de-foaming agent and will reduce ink bubbles, help you get a smooth coating of ink on the stamp, and help lay down the ink better.

Beginning with the 2018–2019 Annual Catalog, all ink refills will have the improved ink formula. Also, if you recently received an ink refill and it has the new branding label, it contains the improved ink formula.

And guess what?! You can use an old ink refill on a new ink pad or a new ink refill on an old ink pad – with the exception of the Basic Gray Archival and Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ inks. Archival and Classic inks should not be mixed. All other Classic Stampin’ inks will work fine.

Archival ink will no longer be part of our ink offering. Basic Gray will now be part of the Classic Stampin’ ink family. Please note that you cannot use an archival ink refill on the new Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ Pad, as this will ruin the new ink pad. Only use Classic Stampin’ ink refills on Classic Stampin’ pads. Your best options for black ink pads are the Tuxedo Black Memento Pad, to use with Blends and general black stamping needs, and the Jet Black StāzOn Pad, to use for watercolor and nonporous surface stamping. Both will be part of our ink offering.

I hope you found this information helpful. Let me know if you have questions.

New Paper Pumpkin Subscribers get 50% Off!

NEW subscribers who join Paper Pumpkin between now and May 10 will get 50% off their first 2 months. Enter this promotion code to get in on the special: SAVEFIFTY0418 Be sure to enter that code by the end of the day today if you want in on the April kit. (Click here if you wish to see a sneak peek image showing the April kit AND a little peek of the May kit.)