Hello stampers. I thought it would be interesting for me to share my perspective about stamping and creating in a different country. This oldie sure did feel like a newbie!! I am currently in the Netherlands for four weeks to spend time with the love of my life, Gerard. Contrary to popular belief this is not a holiday. He will still be working and so will I. My goal is to be able to work from anywhere in the world as we will gradually be spending more and more time together. This means taking my business more online and in another way this too will be a story of when an oldie becomes a newbie.

The Challenges

The number one challenge for me has been transitioning from a very well-equipped stamp room to working from a large portable table with things I have taken from home. That has certainly made this oldie feel like a newbie. It was good to be reminded of what it is like to create when you have limited supplies on hand. Now I need to remind you that I still have far, far more than most newbies. I have a Big Shot, a stamparatus, a paper trimmer 25 ink pads and at least six stamp sets, some of them with framelits and one with a coordinating punch.

The second challenge is that cardstock is a different size in the European market. That means that all the measurements that I have in my head that make creating a card very quick and easy are no longer valid. I actually have to math and figure things out. Just like a newbie! I understand now why people enjoy coming to my classes where everything has already been measured and cut and scored.

The Realization

I realize the importance of certain key products that I would not want to live without. The most basic essentials are a good tape runner, glue dots and dimensionals. You need basic framelits. I would include the stitched shape framelits, the stitched rectangles, stitched nested labels, as well as the layering circle and oval thinlets. That is a lot of stuff isn’t it? Well, to me that means everyone really needs the starter kit. You may as well get all these things at a discount with no shipping and tax. After that you can get the rest of your needs met with a continual discount. Seriously, doesn’t everyone see the logic in this?

With a global market and with creating videos both here in the Netherlands and back home in Canada, it will be good for me to figure out how to work well with both sizes of card stock. In October it will be my fourteenth anniversary with Stampin’Up! so I think I might be due for a new challenge.

A Card

While it may be interesting for you to read about my experience with card making internationally, I think you would probably appreciate seeing a card as well. Here is a swap card that I received just before I left Canada. If my memory serves me correctly it was created by Debbie Duval from Ottawa using the stamp set God’s Peace. I think it is gorgeous and I don’t have that stamp set yet so that makes it even better. Debbie embossed the image in gold and then coloured it and added crystal effects for even more lovely detail.

I took this photo with my phone and then saved it in Google photos and it is a much smaller version than what I am used to. Sorry about that!! I guess when you are working from another country on another computer you just have to make some compromises. Here is another photo that shows you some of the gorgeous detail.

Even though I don’t hvae this stamp set yet, I can see the beautiful possibilities with this set. Thanks Debbie Duval for this great card.

Thanks for joining me today, you have been part of a very historical moment. This is the first blog post I have written in the Netherlands!! The times they are a changin’. I hope you have a super day and I also hope that if you live in Canada and don’t already have a demonstrator that you would consider shopping with me or even better yet, joining my team and getting your very own discount. You can do that right here! For shopping you will find the host code in the sidebar on the right. Using the host code ensures that no free products go to waste. One more thing before I let you go. Be sure to check out the clearance rack, there are great deals that have been added there this week that I think you might appreciate very much.

Product List