With Stampin’ Up!’s announcement of their new entirely customizable Starter Kit, I wanted to share with you my Stampin’ Up! story.  

I was NOT a stamper at all when I purchased my first set of Stampin’ Up! stamps in December of 2008.  It was at one of those December garage sales, where people were trying to earn a little extra money for the holidays.  I saw the pink sign stapled to a signpost on the way home from grocery shopping.  On a whim, I decided stop in, hoping to find a stocking stuffer or two or maybe some toys for Missy the Boxer.  To my surprise, stashed among the usual collection of sundry household items, was a delightful set of animal stamps.  They were priced at $5.00, which is usually more than what I spend on items at garage sales.  But I was drawn to the stylized, tribal looking drawings.  So I plunked my $5.00 down on the table, and headed home with “In the Wild” safely in hand.  Later that afternoon, I tucked the set into my Christmas stocking.  It was a gift to myself.


The stamps mesmorized me.  I loved the feel of the wood in my hands.  I had an old black ink pad which I had purchased with some art items for Brady when he was younger.  I stamped lots of black elephants and zebras and giraffes that month…all on white typing paper.  I was hooked! I was curious as to what else this “Stampin’ Up!” company made, so off to the computer I headed to google Stampin’ Up!.  First on the list was the Stampin’ Up! website, followed by Mary Fish’s Stampin’ Pretty blog.  I clicked on the latter…and pretty it was!


I loved her cards and tutorials.  I thought to myself, “I like this Mary Fish lady”.  So I splurged and bought a set of the Earth Elements ink pads.  In a few days…or maybe it was a few weeks…I revisited her site and ordered the “Keep Christmas” stamp set.  On my next visit to her blog, Mary was talking about a Starter Kit.  “There is no obligation to hold workshops.” Hmmm…I had no desire to hold workshops, so this intrigued me.  “You can quit at any time without penalty.”  Wow…that sounded great to me!  “Earn a discount on the products you purchase.”  OK…now I was hooked.  Since this all sounded too good to be true, I emailed Mary to make sure that it really was OK if I just bought the kit and then dropped. She assured me that it was fine.  On February 1, 2009 I took the plunge…and I have never looked back.

My skill and expertise have developed over the last three years. I still have “In the Wild”, and I always will.  But I have expanded my collection of goodies.  I discovered that I like parties.  And the teacher in me loves teaching others how to do what I do through my classes and stamp camps.  But you know what I love the most about being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator?  It’s the relationships and friendships that I have formed with my fellow stampers!  After three years, I have found my niche.  I love creating, teaching and socializing…and getting my product at a discount.  I am currently a manager, with a downline of my own.  I have a fabulous family of customers, both on-line and local.  And I am honored to have my wonderful blogging friends.


If you think you would like to join my Stampin’ Up! family, please email me. I would love to talk with you about customizing the $99 kit.  Until next time…

It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players.  This week the talented Lesley has an awesome Anything Goes Tic-Tac-Toe challenge for us.

My card actually completes several of the rows.  It is square, uses ribbon, and uses Designer Series Paper.  But, it also has flowers, is blue, and springy! Of course, the center square can be anything you wish! In my case, it could be glitter…or butterflies…or pearls!  You get the picture! I hope you have as much fun as I did selecting my squares…and I hope that you enjoy today’s feminine and shabby chic card!

The finished card measures 5-1/4″ x 5-1/4″. 

• Fabby and shabby! With feminine and shabby cards, select patterns and colors carefully.  Soft colors, along with florals and flourishes, set the stage for a fabulously feminine card.  These patterns were all selected from the Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper collection.  Even the adorable border was punched from this collection using the retiring Doily Triple Layer Punch!

• Butterflies and pearls! Beautiful Wings Embosslit Butterflies, cut from Marina Mist card stock and Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper, are layered and embellished with Basic Pearls for a delightfully feminine touch!

• All that glitters! The Floral image from Elements of Style was stamped onto a Very Vanilla Framelits Label.  It was lightly tinted with Blender Pens and Pink Pirouette, Marina Mist, and Always Artichoke inks.  Dazzling Diamonds glitter was then adhered to the centers of certain flowers for sparkle a-plenty! 

 

• Beau and bow! A Marina Mist satin bow, crafted from retired ribbon, is the perfect compliment to Beau Chateau paper.  No Marina Mist?  No problem! Very Vanilla would look just as lovely!

• I’m a Fan of the Ban-ner! I love the look of a banner sentiment! Happiest Birthday, from Apothecary Art was inked in Soft Suede and stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock.  As for the yummy curl, I used the Round File from the Distressing Essentials Kit.  Tip:  Keep it soft! Soft Suede ink is perfect for inking a shabby sentiment, while Crumb Cake ink and the Waterspot image from French Foliage (stamped off once) is perfect for distressing!

I hope you enjoyed today’s card! Remember, when creating a feminine and shabby card softness is crucial, in terms of patterns, colors, and inks!  And don’t forget those special touches like glitter, pearls, and a yummy bow!

Let me know what you think of my feminine and shabby card in today’s comment.  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one. Of course, I am always available to answer any questions that you may have about the cards that I create and the techniques that I use! Until next time…

((Numbers in Red indicate Retiring or Reconfiguring product))Stamp Sets: Elements of Style (W 118611, C 120045), Apothecary Art (Occasions Mini W 125525, C 125527), French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166); Inks:  Soft Suede (115657), Crumb Cake (121030), Marina Mist (119668), Pink Pirouette (111838), Always Artichoke (105219);  Designer Series Paper:  Beau Chateau (122357);  Card Stock:  Very Vanilla (101650), Marina Mist (119682);  Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Ovals Originals Die (114525), Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (115963), Doily Triple Layer Punch (122465),  Distressing Essentials Kit (118762), Sponge Daubers (102892), Blender Pens (102845); Glitz and Glam:  Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter (102023), Basic Pearls (119247), Marina Mist 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (Retired)

It’s Saturday, and time to take a quick peek at this week’s The Paper Players Design Team card.  It’s feminine and shabby-vintage, with just a touch of glitter! I hope you will join me for its reveal on Sunday!

A big thank you is going out to all who left comments and birthday wishes these past two days! I truly appreciated them and the cards which many of you sent.  One of the things I wanted to do for my birthday this year was to share some blingy blog candy with one lucky reader.  This year, the randomly selected winner is #97 Vicki Dutcher.  Here is what Vicki said: 

 

The Stampin’ Up! Retiring Accessories List is now available…with discounts on some items! Can you believe the savings!  Don’t be disappointed! Order these items today, since they are only available while supplies last!  Just click this link to view the list:  Stampin’ Up! Retiring Accessories List.  Some items are now sold out!

The Retiring Stamps are available until May 31st. Just click this link to view the list of stamps which will be leaving us:  Stampin’ Up! Retiring Stamp List

And don’t miss out on the Definitely Decoratively items which are being discontinued.  Time is of the essence since they are only available while supplies last:  Retiring Definitely Decorative List