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My DD was a 7th Grade Cheerleader and each mom took turns making goodie bags for each girl. I went to Franks Nursery and Crafts (no longer in business) .
I found a double Paw print stamp. Our team is the Wildcats. I bought glossy white gift bags and Forest green ink. I stamped all the bags and left them to dry. The next day the ink was still wet and smudged. The next day I checked
Them...still wet. I loaded everything up and went back to Franks. I complained to the customer service Lady that the ink wouldn't dry. Lucky for me a lady behind me overheard the conversation. She was a rubber Stamper. She asked to see the bags and ink. Craft Ink, Glossy paper. She took me over to the craft department and got me a heat gun and embossing powder. She told me what to
do. I bought new bags. Stamped and heat embossed the cutest treat bags
__________________ Bev
Organized People are just too lazy to hunt for things!!!
When I was in first grade (a very long time ago) my mom ordered a set of Chilly Willy cartoon character stamps that came with tiny red and black ink pads from a cereal box offer. I stamped everything in site with those little stamps. Got back into it in 1992 when I bought a few stamps and pads from a vendor at a mall craft fair. The rest is history.
Mary Beth
My friend and I were at a craft show and saw the most gorgeous shimmery cards. The ladies at the booth said they used Pearl-Ex. We asked if they did home demonstrations and invited them and our friends to see this marvelous product. That was probably 15 years ago.
After that (and the well-attended but poor-in-sales party), I bought lots of cheap inks and paper locally. The inks smeared for me as well (yup, craft inks, who knew?) but then we found some local classes which shed lots of light on the subject.
That demonstrator is now my team leader. Thanks, Kathi and thanks also to Sherry who got us thinking about it.
I was already scrapbooking and had tons of supplies for that WHEN I got invited to a Stampin up party. I thought I would go just to see what it was like. WELL...20 some years later I believe I have it all...LOL. I went from a small dresser of supplies to a large space in the basement full of supplies. I've had lots of crafty hobbies but this has stuck for years. Love it!
My friend was invited to a stampin up party and was told she could bring a friend. I was mesmerized by the ten cards we made. On the way home I asked her if she thought we were allowed to go back next month. She wasn't sure, but we were. That was 2009 and my friend and I still go every month, and that SU demo is one of my best friends now! We've gotten closer than the friend who took me!
I started out as a scrapbooker (creative memories) and loved it. I also worked at Michael's and resisted the stamp section, never took the courses offered--stayed away from the demos. Then one day I bought my first SU set to make some hockey cards for a few young players. fast forward to today I make and sell sarcastically affectionate cards at two farmers markets during the season. Last year I did over 1800. I think I am obsessed with card making now. lol.
I started scrapbooking before I stamped. My SIL was a crafter so I took my scrapbook stuff over one weekend to scrapbook together. She showed me how to stamp on my layouts and I was so amazed at all the titles and embellishments and backgrounds I could make. She was a CTMH consultant then (all of this happened about 15 years ago). About a year or two later, a friend had a SU! party and I was hooked on their stamps. I am now a hobby demo for SU! and I truly love paper crafting.
March 2004. My sister in law invited me to a StampinUp workshop that her daughter was then demoing for. Although I had just been recovering from a back injury and it hurt to sit or change positions, I figured I better go or she would think I was putting her off and be upset. The 2 cards and gift bag intrigued me and I thought this "I could get one versatile all occasion stamp set, an ink pad and an ink roller and NEVER NEED ANYTHING AGAIN !!! Oh hahahahaha
And that is the beginnings of my longest run of a single craft ever!
I used to be a leader at a girl's camp every summer for years and years. One year (somewhere between 1982-87) I was in charge of the crafts and bought some rubber stamps, ink pads and markers at a stationery store (that's where they used to sell them "back in the day", lol). We made little ATC-sized autograph books decorated with the stamps, so they could write little mementos to each other to take home after camp. I still have a few of those stamps...
I owned a few stamps, but didn't really know what to do with them, so I took a class that Michaels offered. The instructor of this class invited me to come to her stamp club meeting, so I convinced a friend to go with me. They would look at a stamped image and think they knew which company manufactured the stamp. I was amazed, but continued to learn from these wonderful ladies and was introduced to SU. I never dreamed that my tub of materials would blossom into a whole craft room 5 years later.I have inspired several other friends to learn about stamping and we enjoy sharing our craft with each other.
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I was teaching kindergarten and two of my student's moms started a monthly SU class. Five cards for $5.00 @ 5:00! The minute she showed me the catalog I was mesmerized!
I don't remember what cards we made in that first class.
I've never looked back. I still miss the old group! We got together for about five years and then the mom who was still doing the classes "retired" from SU.
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
A friend showed me a card she had made with a gold embossed image. I was mesmerized by the embossing and asked her to show me the process. This was about 20 years ago and my friend didn't even have a heat gun to melt the powder .... just used her toaster oven. I was hooked from that point on. Soon I was looking at stamp catalogs, attending SU parties and shopping at local stamp stores. Sadly, many of those stores are closed, but I'm so glad that there are many online vendors to choose from.
__________________ Rita
God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ... being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:8 & 9
My memory is bad, but I know I attended something once and I bought embossing powder and a foam stamp many many years ago. It never took off with me back then. Rita's toaster comment brought the partial memory back because I think I expected to use the toaster to emboss and didn't follow through. I know where this function was, I just can't remember what it was! Its possible it was a class during a christian ladies retreat but I just can't remember!
My first stamps came from Walmart. I came across them in a Christmas aisle. I recall how fun that it would be to decorate my Christmas card envelopes. A couple of months after that I came across a vendor at a local mall that sold rubberstamps. After a few questions and a couple of demostrations, I was completely hooked.
My mum's best friend became a SU demonstrator...I went along to her first party as a 'fill in' and was instantly hooked, albeit that as a broke uni student I relied on Mum's purchases more than my own. I've dropped in and out of the hobby for a few years, until we moved into our new house and I was able to set up a permanent craft room.
As a child, played with alphabet stamps. (I was fortunate - my parents didn't mind a bit of a mess and I had a chance to be creative in many ways.)
As an adult, I got started in papercrafts as a scrapbooker. I belonged to a monthly scrapbook kit club. In the on line galleries, I noticed others using stamps on scrapbook pages, became acquainted with another kit member on the club's message boards who was a Stampin' UP demo. I drifted away from the scrapbooking into mostly cardmaking...a goal is to add back more scrapbooking this year.
I started stamping and card making indirectly upon advice from our family physician. To put it simply, my high stress profession had played havoc with my health. He found painting helped him decrease his stress. His paintings that hung in his office and our hospital gallery were spectacular. My father was an artist, and tried countless times to get me interested in art. He left me his art supplies when he passed. Among his supplies were sable brushes, today they're 40 years old and like new! I'll get back to the brushes later. I purchased a basic set of oil paints, and soon discovered I had not inherited any of his talent! I found painting just stressed me out more! I needed to find another hobby!
I happened upon Kathleen Warner's YouTube channel on card making, almost a year later, and found my hobby! Card making was a whole lot quicker than oil painting, and I didn't have to draw! I wasn't very good at stamping either! I messed up tons of projects in the beginning. I remember feeling like a complete failure, because even my stamping stunk! I finally got the hang of it, and I've been stamping ever since.
Today I have expanded my interests, and now enjoy watercolor. I tried on my own, but finally took a couple of classes given at our local college. I absolutely love watercolor, finding it not as time consuming as oils. I do some acrylic painting, but watercolor is my passion. I am no artist and will never be, but I do find it relaxing. Getting back to my Father's sable brushes, he'd be proud I'm finally using them. I bet he's smiling up there. Colors made him happy, and they make me happy too!
I went into an LSS - not knowing what an LSS was - to find some kind of cool stamp I could stamp by my signature on a chart I'd snail mail to clients. I couldn't get a good impression so didn't use it.
Fast forward many many years later. I went to the same LSS, though they had moved, and took a beginning stamping class with the owner. I was the only student. The magic happened and my world opened up when we got to heat embossing.
I still have that first little stamp, and I can stamp an impression just fine.
Bought an SU set thinking that black ink and colored pencils would be the cheapest way to make some really nice things since I was on a tight budget. Learned really quickly that I do NOT like to color! I still have that set, and have used it more with markers, but still don't like to color!
Summer 2003. The mother of my elementary school aged daughter had a Stampin' Up party & my daughter BEGGED me to go so she could play with her friend. The cards we made were cute and the Mono Adhesive applicator blew my mind - seriously, I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I went home and bought all of the ink pads from e-bay. I excitedly told a woman at work about it the next day - she "yelled" at me for going to e-bay and missing out on the free Hostess goodies. I ordered a few times from her until she showed me how much I spent with her & I signed up to be her down line
The guest speaker at a hospital volunteer luncheon was a demo from CTMH (called DOTS way back then). She made a few cards and had catalogs on the tables for us to look at.
My twin and I loved her and loved the cards and booked a party.
Been stamping ever since. I love to make cards and little goodies. My twin is more of a scrapper than a stamper. She's been making scrapbooks of my DS who is now 13. Works out good since she can do most of the journaling too :p
And that CTMH demo is still a great friend to this day and she is part owner of this fun place we go to once a year with a bunch of friends to stamp and do crafty stuff:
The guest speaker at a hospital volunteer luncheon was a demo from CTMH (called DOTS way back then). She made a few cards and had catalogs on the tables for us to look at.
My twin and I loved her and loved the cards and booked a party.
Been stamping ever since. I love to make cards and little goodies. My twin is more of a scrapper than a stamper. She's been making scrapbooks of my DS who is now 13. Works out good since she can do most of the journaling too :p
And that CTMH demo is still a great friend to this day and she is part owner of this fun place we go to once a year with a bunch of friends to stamp and do crafty stuff:
DH has gotten used to our dining room table being constantly covered with stamp stuff and projects :p It only gets cleared off for family dinners.;)
I went to a DOTS party, too, in 2000, but the styles were to cutesy for me. Signed up with SU the next month. I enjoyed seeing San Diego Scrap Inn, a friend who sold CM used to host retreats there, always fun.
MaryBeth
Was invited to a Stampin Up party in 1998 and fell in love with stamping. First efforts with cheap stamps, inks and paper (not SU) were not great but I have evolved in 19 years to pretty good and am a lot smarter with the products I buy and use. I kept one of the first cards I made just to remind me how far I have come. The hobby is relaxing (for the most part LOL) AND I can send out cards and give to charity.
A co-worker recycled bought cards she'd received into new cards and I liked that idea so started doing it. I needed a sentiment for the inside so bought a Merry Christmas stamp and ink pad. Then I saw a demo of heat embossing at a craft fair and was hooked. It snowballed from there and when I retired 7 years ago, it became one of my major hobbies.
__________________ Susan
My SCS gallery is here should you care to look! Or please visit my blog, Cardmaker's Garret.
I was watching tv, Aleene I believe, when they used to have craft shows. I saw someone stamp and heat emboss a rose in gold! I was amazed and that's how I got hooked!! I didn't buy a heat gun at first either, used an electric fry pan! When I did get a heat gun, went with Milwaukee from the hardware store and still use the same one to this day!
It's amazing how many of us were captivated by the magic of heat embossing! I was too, not initially but the first time I saw it done, I had to have it!
It's amazing how many of us were captivated by the magic of heat embossing! I was too, not initially but the first time I saw it done, I had to have it!
The owner of the LSS who taught me said heat embossing is often the wow moment. : ) I love so many technqiues, but if I only could pick one... ; )
I love everyone's stories, but the $200. Birthday card cracked me up!!! I thought making my own cards would SAVE me money! I saw this on Facebook " why buy something for $8.99 when you can make it yourself for $98.00 and 12 hours of your time " ��
__________________ Bev
Organized People are just too lazy to hunt for things!!!
I wanted snowflakes on the outside back flaps of my store bought Christmas cards envelopes, waltzed into Joann's Fabrics ( with the emphasis on fabrics in those days) and bought a colorbox pigment silver pad... along with a single snowflake stamp. (which I still own)
those snowflakes never dried.
it took many years before I was willing to be drug
( almost kicking and screaming) to a SU party... :mrgreen:
About 12 years ago, I stumbled on the idea of making some cards because I had a hard time finding cards I liked inside and out and balked at the $5 price tag of the pretty ones! LOL I saw some stamps and ink in a store and thought I would try them; especially because I can't draw a stick figure convincingly! There were two stores in town and they were both far enough to make it difficult for me to get there with my Toddlers.
An intern at my husband's job had become a friend of mine while she was here (Fl) for the summer. When she went back to college in Arizona, she got invited to a Stampin' Up! Party and called to tell me all about it. I still remember her saying, "Dude, your going to love it!" I signed up under her friend and have been learning and loving it ever since!
Like many of you, I was introduced to the world of stamping via SU! My BFF was invited to a stamping party by her hospital co-worker who was also a SU! demo. Bestie invited my mom and me to come along. I [very] reluctantly went, even saying to her, "I'll go but I'm not buying anything. I'm a scrapbooker - stamping is so remedial." Well, I fast learned that stamping was much more than just stamping an image on a piece of paper. It was crafty, artistic, and actually fun! I liked all the colors, the tools, the catalogs, the card examples. I loved how everything matched and coordinated together. Yes, I was converted that very day. I did end up buying something...my first stamp set was SU! Hedgehog Happiness. To top it off...I ended up winning a giant gift basket full of SU! goodies (CS, ink, scrubber, cleaner, VM pens, dimensionals, a stampin' wheel, eyelets, and more). Sometimes, I think that that demo saw dollar signs when she looked at me and used the basket to lure me in. If that was the case, it worked.
Fast forward:
My cards have won multiple prize ribbons, including 1st Place, at the NC State Fair
I became a SU! demonstrator and introduced many others to the world of stamping
I'm still actively stamping today and have an obscene amount of stamps, dies, and supplies
Like many of you, I was introduced to the world of stamping via SU! My BFF was invited to a stamping party by her hospital co-worker who was also a SU! demo. Bestie invited my mom and me to come along. I [very] reluctantly went, even saying to her, "I'll go but I'm not buying anything. I'm a scrapbooker - stamping is so remedial." Well, I fast learned that stamping was much more than just stamping an image on a piece of paper. It was crafty, artistic, and actually fun! I liked all the colors, the tools, the catalogs, the card examples. I loved how everything matched and coordinated together. Yes, I was converted that very day. I did end up buying something...my first stamp set was SU! Hedgehog Happiness. To top it off...I ended up winning a giant gift basket full of SU! goodies (CS, ink, scrubber, cleaner, VM pens, dimensionals, a stampin' wheel, eyelets, and more). Sometimes, I think that that demo saw dollar signs when she looked at me and used the basket to lure me in. If that was the case, it worked.
Fast forward:
My cards have won multiple prize ribbons, including 1st Place, at the NC State Fair
I became a SU! demonstrator and introduced many others to the world of stamping
I'm still actively stamping today and have an obscene amount of stamps, dies, and supplies
I do very little scrapbooking nowadays
I love SU too! I'm a hobby demonstrator, and couldn't be happier. Maybe someday I'll win an award, that would make my day, month, year, and actually a lifetime! The State Fair award you won is something I'll absolutely never be able to accomplish. A huge congratulations from me to you! Those are awesome accomplishments that's worth sharing!!!
Tell about your first stamping experience
