Well hello stampers! It has been way too long since I have posted and I am truly sorry about that. However, “Life is full of healing and people who are there to help you find it.” This is an apt title for my blog post, not only because it is one of the sayings in the beautiful stamp set that I will be featuring, but it also really applies to my life right now.

Big Changes Up Ahead for Me

One of my favourite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11 where God says “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Some of you may know that besides being a mom to five kids, a mother-in-law to two and an oma to one, I have also been married to Jeff for 29 years. The sad truth is that my marriage is now ending. The good news is that the decision is mutual and that we are supported by our children. There is no denying that this will be a tough chapter in my life with many difficult decisions to make.

The one thing that will most likely change is that I will be moving away from Chatham next year when Rachel is done high school. I am trusting that doors will open and that my path will be led as to where I should live. My Stampin’Up! business will be even more important to me than it already is because I will be the only one “bringing home the bacon”. I want to be able to provide good service to my current customers but I also want to build up my online business as well as my team.

I would love to have YOU join my team

That being said, today is the last day to get in on an amazing deal on the starter kit. It is called Christmas in July and basically you get a bonus kit worth $94 if you join. The good news is that if you join now you have until January to get your business going! Wow!! Fall is the best time of year for sales because everyone is gearing up for Christmas. Deciding to get the starter kit can seem like a really big deal. It took me a long time to take the plunge and that is most likely because no one told me that it is risk free. Not only is it an amazing deal, it also comes with no strings attached. If you decide that you cannot afford to keep up the minimum requirement of $400 every three month just for your own discount, or that the business you had hoped would take off just isn’t, it really doesn’t matter. You will not get a nasty phone call or email from me or from Stampin’Up! They just want to give you an opportunity to use the kit in the way you want to, either to fund your own hobby or to build a thriving business or anything in between. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that my Stampin’Up! family has been such a blessing to me, especially in the last few weeks when they were among the first to know about my family situation. I hope that if this resonates with you, that you will have the courage to take this step and just go for it. I would LOVE to help you succeed.

Today is also the last day to earn “bonus bucks”. With every $60 purchase you will receive 6 bonus bucks to use in August. With the new catalog still very fresh in our minds, it should be easy to decide what to get!

Let’s take a look now at the beautiful stamp set So Many Shells. Especially with what I am going through right now, this set really speaks to me with its many lovely and heartfelt sayings. Shells are also a timeless and comforting image that work well not only for many different types of cards, but also for both men and women. The shell images are two step stamps but they also work well on their own. Since it is a photopolymer set it is easy to line the images up for a beautiful detailed and artistic look.

One of things I like most about these cards is the copper trim that can be made to look like netting. A huge thanks to Jini Merck whose card I cased (the one on the far right) and who featured this ribbon trick. So clever. Here is the link to her blog post:  http://stampwithjini.com/so-many-shells-tutorial/

We now have a background stamp called Marbled. I don’t have it yet, but I still had some designer series paper from two years ago that was a sale-a-bration freebie. I just had to use it even though it is no longer available. I just love the look but am super happy that there is now a background stamp that you can use over and over and not worry about running out of just the right paper. I used a different background stamp, Watercolor Wash (yes, it is killing me to spell it the American way rather than the Canadian way “watercolour”) on this next card along with the gorgeous saying “Life is full of healing and people who are there to help you find it.” I am finding that to be so true with my church family, my Stampin’Up! family, my Beyond Pampered Team, my friends and my family. It is always true that when we make ourselves vulnerable and share truth it opens the door to more meaningful conversations and relationships.

I used crumb cake and powder pink on the shells as well as marina mist for the background and early espresso for the words.

I try to get into the habit of finishing my cards in the inside as well. Taking that extra step really finishes it off beautifully and if you don’t do it right away you just know you are going to have to dig out that stamp set, figure out the coordinating ink pads and make a mess all over again before you can give the card away. Not my idea of fun stamping. Too much like work.

I just love the simplicity of this next card. No fussy cutting, just inking up an acrylic block, stamping off, misting and then stamping some shells and a saying on top. I got this particular idea from my good friend and mentor Lisa Pretto. Check out her blog post:  https://inkbigacademystamps.com/2017/06/5-way-friday-many-shells-stamp-set.html

I just wound some copper thread around the bottom of the top panel multiple times to give it a nautical look. Colours are bermuda bay for the background and island indigo for the shells. The long skinny shell has an overlay of crumb cake.

Well, I hope I have inspired you with So Many Shells, and do remember that whatever you are going through, life is full of healing and people who are there to help you find it. I wish you the courage to make tough choices and also the bravery to have vulnerable and honest conversations with your loved ones.

On a brighter note, it feels really good to be back here again. Stamping is great therapy and I am so glad to have you in my life.

Warm hugs, Jackie aka The Pampered Stamper