A Passion for Stamps

a PASSION for stamps

Welcome to my little stamping corner of the world... I became a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator because I have had a passion for the art of rubber stamping ever since I discovered it in 1989, when I first embossed and used stamps to make invitations for my son's first birthday party! I love to experiment with the endless ways to create with rubber stamps and appreciate the versatility of this fun craft.  I was thrilled to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator in 1996 and am so fortunate to love what I do and do what I love-because this has been my fun "job" ever since!  I invite you to peruse the artwork on this site, sign up to receive newsletter updates from me and visit my "other" Stampin' Up! website for information about various stamping and scrapbooking events, happenings and opportunities! Sharing my passion for stamping,

Sign up for Holiday Classes now from A Passion For Stamps Blog!

What a busy week this has been! I was working on updating my class schedule, my blog, finishing my Customer Newsletter and so on, so I didn't get a post in!

I'm in holiday mode now, as Thanksgiving is only 3 short weeks away, and Christmas always comes right on the heels of Thanksgiving-very quickly!

If you are in the Northwest New Jersey area, and are looking for some holiday stamping classes/camps to attend, you can now view them here from my blog! Just click on the calendar on the right sidebar, and you will be able to find out:

• what classes/camps I'm offering
• the dates and times classes/camps are offered
• the Class Fee
• how to register and prepay-right now, from here!

My Passion for Stamps Studio is located in my Hardyston, Sussex County, NJ home where I conduct the classes. Each class/camp session is limited to twelve people. For the upcoming holidays, I'm offering four sessions to make Christmas cards at a Stamp-A-Stack camp, and other classes where you can make stamped gifts for the holidays, boxes, bags, embellishments, tags and stocking stuffers!

It's a great way to prepare for the holidays STRESS-FREE! Get some of your friends to come along with you and turn it into a Girl's time out! What could be more FUN than spending some quality time with friends/family doing something you enjoy, AND getting your holiday preparations done at the same time!

If you have any questions or suggestions for future classes/camps- email me!

Have a great stampin' day!

My Holiday Big Shot Class Projects

I held my Holiday Big Shot class the other night and it was alot of fun! I provided attendees with a list of the 50 Materials that can safely be used with the Big Shot die cut machine...pretty impressive stuff! I also provided individual Instruction Sheets for each project, with the Supply list of stamps and acccessories PLUS the Big Shot Sandwich for each, as it can be confusing at first. Also included was a template for the Bigz #2 die showing how to fold, apply adhesive (only in one place-and it holds the box together) and assemble the box.

Here are the projects we made:

This card was made using the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder and the lovely Delightful Ornaments stamp set from the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog. The Bermuda Bay cardstock is one of this year's new IN Colors-one of my favorites! Another favorite paper of mine is the Specialty Bride Paper found in Stampin' Up!'s main Idea Book & Catalog. The shimmer paint gives dimension to the ornament and compliments the specialty paper as well.

The next project we made was this adorable SNOWFLAKE EMBELLISHMENT...no stamps needed for this! We used the Originals Snowflake #2 Die with On Board Book Basics and FELT-one of the Fifty accepted materials to use with the Big Shot machine. I accented the center with a clear Rhinestone brad and a Filagree Designer brad (love these!)

Next we made a double Handled Gift Box (shared by stamping sister Diana Gibbs). We used Box #2 Die, and Christmas Cocoa Designer Series Paper and Grateful Greetings tag (both from the Holiday Mini Catalog). Can you tell I just adore this new mini catalog? In my opinion, it is the BEST one Stampin' Up! has produced yet!

Of course this box looks kind of empty, so we adorned it with the Snowflake Embellishment previously shown above! Doesn't this just dress up the box and make you want to fill it with goodies?

Using the Movers & Shapers Curly Label Die here, we stamped the poinsettia from Season of Joy and then added Crystal Effects to the petals...this really accentuates the flower! The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig assures exact placement of the flower-critical for this design!

Here is the grand finale: Dasher using Texturz Plate with Foil! Oh my goodness..how absolutely STUNNING it is to pair up foil and the Harlequin Texturz Plate! Just one more of the accepted materials that can be used with the Big Shot machine! 

There you have it...a great class showing various materials and dies with this incredibly versatile die cut machine! To learn more about the Big Shot machine and dies, and see some wonderful samples of projects, click HERE, click on SHOP NOW, then select DIE CUTS from the menu. I hope you can join us at other classes. I am going to be offering the Big Shot class regularly, because there are so many wonderful dies to try, and with up to 50 materials to try them with, we will never run out of projects to make!

Don't forget to check my Events Calendar for other upcoming classes-it will be updated tomorrow with classes for the rest of the year.  The next class will be a Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack making 20 cards with matching envelopes! I'll post more about that tomorrow, so see you then! Thanks for stopping by,

DEALS OF THE WEEK-4TH AND FINAL WEEK!

A day late...sorry about that! (Guess I messed up my post a day challenge!)

This is the fourth and final week for Stampin' Up!'s Deals of the Week Promotion. Here are this week's deals being offered at a special price from Monday October 26 through Saturday October 31, 2009:

Week 4 Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
116214	Princess Party Kit	$9.99
116213	Pirate Party Kit	$9.99

   These kid's party kits are WONDERFUL & fun and will make party planning for your little princess or pirate a snap!  For only $9.99 each kit includes:

• die cut pieces to create 8 party invitations and envelopes!
• 8 purse or treasure chest boxes!
• 8 crowns or eye patches!
• 24 food toppers with picks!
• 20 paper pennants!
• ribbon or cord!

 

These kits are regularly $15.95! To order these or any other products online click HERE

What's really cool is you can have Personalized Name Stamps made up with "Captain" or "Princess" followed by your child's name! Wouldn't they love that? 

There are also coordinating stamp sets called Pirate Time and Princess Time that would make great gifts for your child! These are located on pages 74 & 75 of the Idea Book & Catalog.

I SO wish they had these when I did these parties for my son and daughter years ago!

But remember, special pricing of $9.95 for the kits lasts ONLINE only till 1:50 AM EST on October 31! Then the magical price reverts back to its regular price! To order online now, click HERE then click on the SHOP NOW button under my contact information! If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Happy Shopping,

SPOOKY SKYLINE: Awesome Halloween Votives!

 I'm working frantically to get those last minute projects done for the Mistletoe Market Craft Fair which is TOMORROW! Thought I would make some votive candle holders I made while ago for the show...I used a retired wheel that Stampin' Up! NEVER should have been retired-it's called Spooky Skyline and it was the best wheel ever for halloween projects! I still use it in this project which is a favorite of mine. I don't remember where I originally CASED the card from but thank you to the creator for a great technique for this wheel! I decided to create other projects and this votive cup holder idea was born! I used the Brayered Spectrum & Embossed Vellum Technique to make this outstanding background-it just makes the wheel image POP, don't you think? I will do a tutorial for this later, but for now here are some photos (click on images to enlarge).

This is the front of my technique card I created from the card I made:

The background is made with the Pumpkin Patch Spectrum Pad (retired rainbow pad). The wheel image is embossed in black so it's striking against the colorful "spooky" background.

 

I created two votive holders-one with bows for the ladies and another with Silver Brads for the gents:

 

These votive cups are the perfect size, so I opted NOT to make the top & bottom edges jagged, as pictured on my technique card. I also used Grateful Greetings-a TERRIFIC new set from set from the new Holiday Mini Catalog 

            

Here they are pictured together:      

                                                                                                                                                

...and here it is how the votive holder looks when lit-SPOOKY!  

 

                      

                                                           

I made twelve of these for the Craft Fair...I really enjoy making them-they are fun and easy and sooooooooo cool!  So-what do YOU think of them?

I will post a tutorial for these next week...but for now I have to get back to creating-I have some "SPOOKY"  Peanut Butter Cup HALLOWEEN Treat Boxes I'm finishing up too, but that's for another post!

Don't forget to stop by the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin (Sussex County) NJ and spend some time perusing ALL the holiday goodies and crafts you will find at MISTLETOE MARKET Craft Fair 2009!

Have a great stampin' day! Look for tomorrow's post later in the evening-AFTER the Craft Fair.

NOTE: I tried to fix the formatting of this post, but can't get it right...(don't know html) so...sorry it looks kind of strange...no time for this-I'm going BACK TO CRAFTING! :)

Thanks for dropping by,

DEALS OF THE WEEK! week 2...and my Holiday Big Shot Class!

I apologize that I'm a bit late in posting this to my blog. Our son was home for the past two weeks on leave from the USCG...he was out on a cutter in the Caribbean for a few months and hasn't been home since May. Two weeks just FLEW by...Today we drove him to the airport and he is leaving for CA where he will be training for a new job with the Coast Guard as Operations Specialist so we won't see him for at least five months-unless he is able to come home around Christmas...(hoping).

So... as you can imagine, it has been a hectic time and I've gotten behind in my postings. I will do better-I promise! I am signing up for a blog-posting contest for National Blog Posting Month in November-with my Stamping Coach John Sanpietro and I have to pledge to post to my blog every single day for a month! (do you think I can do it????)  This is definitely a challenge for me...as I've been so inconsistent up until now with this, so cheer me on! I need to hear those encouraging comments from you so I know someone out there is actually reading these posts, and looking forward to 30 posts in 30 days!!!!

I still have time before the contest starts, but I wanted to start getting into the posting mode by giving you an update on some Stampin' Up! deals being offered each week this month...

Dates: October 1-31, 2009

Promotion Details:

During the month of October, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as "Deals of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required.

Customer Weekly Deal Announcements:

   

    * Deal #1: Thursday, October 1, 2009; 2:01 AM

    * Deal #2: Monday, October 12, 2009; 12:00 PM

    * Deal #3: Monday, October 19, 2009; 12:00 PM

    * Deal #4: Monday, October 26, 2009; 12:00 PM

We are now in week 2 of the DEALS OF THE WEEK! Here are the specials good till Monday October 19:

Item                    Description                                     Special Price

115961                 Perfect Setting Bigz XL die                $25.99

114515                 Flower Burst Embosslits die                $ 5.99

116760                 Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die     $25.49

If you would like to place an order for these specials and/or order other products,click HERE then click on SHOP NOW under my Contact information.

To learn more about Stampin' Up!'s awesome Big Shot machine and to use some of Stampin' Up's exlusive dies, gather a few friends together and sign up for my Holiday Big Shot Class

This class is being offered on three different dates and times for your convenience! If you sign up now, you will get the earlybird price and save $3! 

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Holiday Big Shot Class $23 thru 10/26

Session I Thursday 10/29 10-12 p.m. $23.00 Session II Thursday 10/29 7-9 p.m. $23.00 Session III Sunday 11/1 1-3 p.m. $23.00

Have a great stampin' day!