Stamp With Mary

Calendar of events...

September 23, 2:00 pm - Monthly technique class.  Adorable projects, light snacks, lots of fun!  $5

And then, October 6th is WORLD CARD MAKING DAY.  Did you know there was such a thing?  Well, in honor, I will have two separate offerings to fit your schedule and appeal to your interests...each is different, so please read on...

The a.m. session will be a Stamp-a-stack session, beginning at 9:30 a.m.  I will have five different cards, and you will make two of each.  Four of the designs will be made featuring the Simply Sent Kits (you can see them on pgs. 12-14 of the Fall-Winter Collection). These will be "Happy Day" and "Sending Happy Thoughts" plus I am planning one other card with a similar theme using Pick a Petal Stamp Set.  This promises to be a ton of fun, and who doesn't love to have a few cards on hand for giving?  PLUS, Stampin' Up! is offering a fantastic promotion to celebrate...20% off any Simply Sent Kit purchased between 10/4 and 10/8.  If you are not able to attend, you can e-mail or call your order for a kit at this great savings! 

Lunch will be "on your own" though light snacks will be served at both sessions.

The afternoon session will begin at 1:30, and will be a Halloween Creations Class.  These will all be 3-D items with a Halloween theme.  I am still working out logistics to determine whether this is to be five or six projects...but will be absolutely AWESOME!  I'm very excited about this one...it has been a ton of fun putting together each of these! 

These are to be held at my home.  Due to the required preparation, I will require advanced registration to be sure I have enough product and supplies, so please RSVP by e-mail or phone (314-363-8415) no later than Friday, September 28th.  I'll have room for 10 folks at each session, so be sure to let me know which you want to register for (or BOTH!!!). 

Cost for the a.m. class will be $15. 

Cost for the p.m. class will be $20.

I look forward to hearing from you all!

No lotto winnings here...

Well, I didn't win the 300 million last night.  I had so hoped...I could order stamps until my heart was content (which, I think, is never, so I'm sure I'd need a financial counselor to be sure I didn't overspend - ha ha).

I did, however, spend some time looking at blogs, and samples across the fabulous world wide web.  There are some absolutely terrific artists out there, and I'm always amazed by their talent...yet I do find lots of inspiration and since there is no requirement about originality (one of my very favorite things about stamping) I continue to see myself as a success in my own right.

In late July we created some fabulous projects. I was very fortunate to have some good friends get together and share some ideas that provided inspiration - Sally, Karen and Sarah, thank you!    One of the cards featured a technique...I'd call it patchwork (and that may be official, or I may have just taken creative license with the name...I can't really remember).  While surfing Sally's website today, I noticed another example of that technique!  This is a bit more complicated than what we did at camp...fetures watercoloring, a scalloped edge...but isn't it adorable? 

So, what we made featured the patchwork...this is just multiple punched squares of the new Prints designer series paper (soft sky) pieced together on a backing of soft sky cardstock.  The trick was to use that same color as a backing before the whole ensemble is mounted on the card.  This masks any little gaps.  Paper piercing and a white gel pen were used for faux stitching.  And the Year after Year and Holidays & Wishes stamp sets were used.  I thought this was too cute for words when I saw it.

Some other samples Sally created (and generously allowed me to copy) were done in Old Olive and Rose Red...

I added some little rhinestones I had left from a prior project, but the fire or ice brads would have been absolutely adorable!  I think the Rose Red is my fav - it shows the patchwork the best!  These are fun and quick cards and would be a breeze to mass produce!  I had squares for 20 folks and only used about 1/4 of a package of the designer paper...this one stretches the resources so might be something to consider as (yes, I'm going to say it) Christmas is approaching (four months from YESTERDAY!!!).  Just add a greeting on the front and tah-dah!

I'm going to keep trying to get posts up a couple times a week!  Thanks for being patient, and we'll chat soon!  I'm still looking for your comments on Halloween camp, Christmas creations, etc...what would you like to see???  I have to go now...really.  I have the whole day to stamp and I'm not going to spend it on the computer!!!!

Another promise broken...

Well, I didn't get my pics posted as promised.  Again. 

I tried, really I did.  My camera battery was dead when I got it out, and it had to be placed on the charger (which takes several hours). 

I've been surfing some blogs and thinking about what I want to do and what I need to do next.  I have to commit to a class schedule and plan the projects.  I have an upcoming home workshop to plan for as well!

And, I need to do lots and lots of personal projects...thank you cards, baby announcements for Nichole and Bailee, and I probably have enough pictures of her to complete a scrapbook already!   (I had to put this picture in...isn't she the cutest baby ever?  These are premie clothes, and she doesn't weigh quite five pounds here - about 4# 12 oz. so her outfit is too big).

So...back to stamping!  As I mentioned, I've been thinking about classes...I'm looking for your comments back.  Any interest in a Stamp-a-Stack club? (This would be a commitment to attend, can be set up with or without purchase requirements, and would probably be 10 cards each time we stamped - either monthly or every other month - except I'm thinking about the first month creating fewer cards and making a storage container).

I also thought that since the holidays are barreling down full force...I could do a class to make all our gift tags (thinking 30 or 40 for an evening).  I want to do some scrapbooking, and I want to do a class using the Simply Scrappin' Kits...they are too awesome and we can get plenty of cards from one kit (I've heard up to 60...I'm not sure I can be quite that thrifty, but I'd love to give it a shot!) - maybe the Christmas kit and a mass production of Christmas cards one night?  So, I'd love to hear your feedback...tell me what you think about these ideas or any others you'd like to see.  Also any techniques you'd like to see posted here or used in my monthly technique class.

I'll try to get my pictures done an posted sometime today, because once I go to work tomorrow, it will be tough to get much posting done!  Check back soon!

I owe you a post...

Well, again, true to form, I've been a bit distracted and haven't posted for awhile.  I think I've said it before, but life just seems to keep happening.  It all starts very innocently.  First I'm exhausted from what was probably the BEST EVER stamp camp, shadowed only slightly by the fact that my car was broken into the night before and discovered only as I was preparing to leave for the camp which then required I file a police report and arrived later than planned to the venue. Such an ordeal surely warrants a convalescence!

Then, for a couple of days, since I had to take John's truck to the BEST EVER stamp camp and was too exhausted to take everything out of the truck...only removing what would melt, I couldn't get to my samples...they went to work with John.  Finally, I retrieved them, but don't have the pics yet.  Since I'm posting in the wee hours, I still don't have the pics to post of the projects we did ready for upload.  But I decided I'd better check in so you would know I hadn't fallen off the earth.

Tonight, I'll post pics and write more...I promise!

Thinking of you

I mailed a couple of these cards this week...I make cards and design them, but I rarely send them.  Its one of those things...I always mean to, but don't get around to it.  So, this week, I decided:  I will mail five cards.  Well, they're in the mail!  And, I'm going to try to continue to mail cards every week - a minimum of five cards each month!  Its part of my "consistent" approach to reaching my goals, and ultimately earning that trip to Hawaii!

I used certainly celery and apricot appeal cs and ink, and retired Sarah designer paper, with the Looks like Spring ss.  The sentiment is a retired set...its time I either use them or get rid of them (boy would that be quite a garage sale). 

Be sure to e-mail me at stampwithmary@yahoo.com if you plan to attend next Sunday...there are four fabulous projects...I'll post them in a day or two.  There will be drawings for prizes, gifts for purchases, for scheduling a workshop or an appointment to learn more about the SU! opportunity, and for bringing a guest! Its sure to be tons of fun...you won't want to miss!  By the way, we are not in room 1 - it is room 4...I misstated in my previous post.

STAMP CAMP - July 29th

You won't want to miss this...it is the new catalog kick off!   This will be my third or fourth year hosting this event! 

Where:  Maryland Heights Centre, Maryland Heights, Room 1

When:  Sunday, July 29th at 2:00

There will be prizes and four 'FABULOUS'  projects!  We will use new sets and new colors! Light refreshments will be served...and of course there will be time for shopping! 

RSVP required this week to assure I have enough supplies.  Cost is $15 with $5 off any order of at least $25 in product.  You can e-mail me at stampwithmary@yahoo.com or post your comments here to reserve your spot....space is limited as we have a smaller room this time, so don't wait!

Bailee is here!

It's been a few days since I've posted...things have been crazy and wonderful and hectic.  My oldest daughter, Nichole, had her baby 4 1/2 weeks early...on Monday, July 9th.  So, from Monday to Friday, almost every waking minute that wasn't already committed to something else was spent with them at the hospital. 

Her shower was Tuesday night, and we had to have it without her...though when she came over Friday she opened everything and got to oooh and ahhh over all the gifts. 

I made the party favors...these candles were too cute to pass up.  A friend from work found the poem and I customized it...

Here is what it said on the inside:

Aloha!

I want to post some goals so I can be accountable for them.  If I just keep them in my head and no one knows what I hope to acheive, then actually executing to accomplish that goal is not terribly pressing. So, I thought I would share a few thoughts about where I hope to go regarding stamping...of course, I have goals and aspirations outside of stamping too...weight loss, down time, etc., but this is a blog about stamping and while my personal life does sneak in now and then, I'm trying to stay on topic (not easy for me!).

Every year Stampin' Up! has an incentive trip...usually this is a cruise to some wonderful place.  For demos who work their business like a business or even a consistent part time job, the trip is very attainable.  I have never been able to get there, for two reasons.  One, I've always viewed this as a hobby.  I love what I do - teaching classes, introducing creativity (and testing my own), and collecting tons of product!  The second obstacle I've had is a lack of consistency.  I have so much else in my full life that stamping has at times been put on hold.  That's the great part about this whole arrangement...you can make it whatever you want to make it! 

This year, SU! has announced the trip to work toward, and it is not a cruise, but instead a trip to Hawaii.  I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, and this seems like a great way to do it.  So, I've set my sights on earning this trip.

Now, I know some of you who've been with me for awhile remember that a couple years ago I had a similar aspiration and didn't accomplish the task.  I've changed a few things to help me get there....I have a support network of other demo's who are on the same path.  And, I thought I'd just put it out there (here) so y'all would know what I'm trying to do too...and if any of you have been thinking about clubs or hosting events, give me a call...if you call me before I call you I'll have an extra special something for you...sshhhh, its a secret! 

So, now that that is outof the way....here is today's sample:

This is simple, clean and adorable.  Love the color too.  I'd love to tell you that I designed this terrific card, but I didn't.  I found it on Splitcoast, and the creator was Barb Dean.

I will also be posting a new album...which are pictures of an album (how cute is that???).  I can't do it at the same time as this post, so it will take a little bit.  I have to give credit to my friend, Sally, who designed a similar one, and I case'd, using the retired I'm Here Simply Scrappin' Kit - boy.  This was an album I made for a coworker's baby shower...look for the album called Hayden!

Finally...

Well, tomorrow came and went, and it took me a little longer to get this photo uploaded than I expected.  Life is like that sometimes!

Without prolonging your anticipation....here it is.

This is Jake's thank you card for his graduation gifts...assuming he sits down to write them soon (and I KNOW he will, if you get my drift). 

I used Old Olive, Real Red, More Mustard, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White card stock.  I fell in love with this color combination last winter when I went to Regionals.  The background on the Real Red is a new jumbo wheel called All About Gratitude.  It is available in a "bundle" - something new that peeks at you in a couple places in the new Fall Collection...anyhoo...this one is available (with another Jumbo wheel and a coordinating stamp set) as a level three hostess set.  I fell in love with the wheels and had to have it!  The focal point is a retired (former Sell-a-bration) set called Alphabet Soup.  Tempting Turquoise ink...mustard grosgrain ribbon, and real red brads to finish! 

Now, normally I wouldn't feature a retired set here...and the feature truly is the wheel...but I thought about how many of my sets are now retired, and how that happens to all of us.  If we like the set, we don't want to get rid of it, so we should use it...right?  Well, I think so.  Otherwise I'd have to cave to the pressures of getting rid of some of my older stuff....and I don't think I can do that just yet!

I'm working on another posting...in fact I should have a few this week.  It will be a full and busy week...Nichole's shower is Tuesday and I have some things in store there.  Check back soon!

It's HERE!

Yes, it finally came!  I didn't think I would make it...all the waiting and anticipation, but FINALLY, on Thursday, my box of the Fall-Winter Collection (a.k.a. the new catalog) arrived!  Of course, Thursdays are my busy days, and I normally don't make it home until around 10 pm but somehow I managed to juggle things a little to get a peek!

You will love many things...it is a little smaller (about 20 pages) so not so overwhelming.  It is organized really well...especially the accessories.  There are some of the cutest new stamp sets, and the pattern paper - WOW!  I am completely excited (as if you can't tell).  They've added a crop-a-dile!  Big eyelets.  Rhinestone brads.  Flowers (in a tin with pearls and beads called "pretties").  Taffeta ribbon. A couple new punches.  TEXTURED CARDSTOCK!  So many things...you'll have fun pouring over the pages. 

I've scheduled my next camp at the Maryland Heights Center on 7/29...check out my website for details.  www.stampwithmary.stampinup.net We will use lots of NEW NEW NEW stuff!  I'll definately need reservations to plan for supplies! 

I will be making a card later today, so I'll have another post tomorrow...check back!