by Jackie Bultje | Dec 24, 2016 | Masking |
Christmas is always a good time to reflect on your blessings and to be thankful for family and friends. This is also a difficult time for people who have either lost loved ones or who have strained or estranged relationships. Remember that you are loved. That is what we are celebrating after all. God sent his son Jesus to be born into this world so that he would grow up and save us from our sins!
I do love the Christmas season. Getting together with family and friends that you don’t see often is especially wonderful. Gathering to share food and gifts is all a part of it.
I just want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for your love and support this past year, also with this brand new venture for me, the world of blogging!! I decided that a blog would be another way I could share with the world what I love to do, to brighten people’s lives with the joy of creativity and also with the surprise of a handmade card. I am looking forward to sharing many tips and tricks and card ideas with you in the coming year. If you did not get a card in the mail or with your order, here is a favourite vintage card that I made (sometimes I wish our stamps would never retire!!)
I did take a few minutes today to do a video on the masking technique. The card I made uses two new stamp sets from the Occasions catalog that I truly love: Beautiful You and Mediterranean Moments. Thanks to Randi Collins for the card idea!! Here is the card (my girl had to be in red as it is my favourite colour and it is Christmas after all!)
Here is the video showing how I made this card. The whisper white card front is 3 1/2″ by 4 3/4″ and the real red mat is 4″ by 5 1/4″. I distressed the white with our old distressing tool. I really want that to come back. If you do too, be sure to call Stampin’Up and let them know.You could also use the edge of your scissors or even your finger nail to do it, but this tool is way better!
I will probably talk to you again in a few days, in the meantime, enjoy your Christmas holidays with your family and friends. Cherish every moment. Hugs, Jackie
by Jackie Bultje | Dec 23, 2016 | bingo, Vintage |
Hello stampers. Just two days before Christmas and if you still have shopping to do, be ready to brave the crowds. Most likely I will be one of them. Now if you have teenagers in the house you have probably been mocked for how you shop. I have been rightly accused of being a lazy shopper. My ideal way to shop is to walk in the store and see what I want on the mannequin. Then I buy the whole outfit. Easy. Fast. But then my girls would say, “But, mom, you don’t have to wear it together all the time, you can mix it up a bit.”
Well, the same thing goes for stamping. We have gorgeous suites now that make coordinating your projects very easy. Everything matches and coordinates. So I was pretty proud of myself when I decided that the Sprinkles Embellishments from the Cool Treats Suite (aka birthday confetti) would pair very well with the Carousel suite. In fact I wanted to make a shaker card with it. So yes, I can mix it up and it is actually a lot of fun. So here you go, what do you think of my card??
I also used the coordinating paper pack to make a very simple card. This card also used the Cupcakes and Carousels embellishment kit.
Here is the ultimate simple card, one that we will be making at the Bingo Party on Friday January 13 at 7pm. It is a notecard size and uses the paper pack from the suite as well as the embellishment kit.
Here you have all three projects and I also scattered the pieces from the embellishment kit in front of the cards so you can get a better look at them. I made myself a promise to not hoard these kits but to use them in classes. Usually they are just so darn cute that I can’t bring myself to use them in a class. Also there are limited pieces in a kit so I have to plan ahead to make sure I have ordered enough…not my strong suit.
I am going to finish off this post by sharing the video I made on how my bingo parties work. I meant to put in yesterday’s post but I got so excited I hit “publish” before I realized my mistake.
That’s all for today, wishing you happy last minute preparations for Christmas. Remember, I offer gift certificates in any denomination and I also have some stocking stuffers on hand including the no longer available 2 1/2 inch circle punch!
by Jackie Bultje | Dec 22, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Hello stampers! How are your Christmas preparations going? I have finished with classes but now the baking, the cooking and the catching up with friends begins. Not to mention last minute gift buying. Yes, I cram it all into the week before Christmas.
Yesterday I had lunch with a very good friend and she surprised me with the most thoughtful gift. It totally captures the essence of who I am and what I do. I also love pillows, so this was truly perfect. It will have a place of honour in my home forever.
The word on the pillow is “gezellig”. It is a Dutch word that is hard to define in the English language, in fact it made the list of most difficult to define words! In essence it means a feeling of coziness, of comfort of being warm and welcome. When a place is gezellig you want to be there. It also includes having fun and enjoying camaraderie.
Even though we are only days away from Christmas, take a moment to listen to what is going on in January. Clubs start right away and the dates for those were in the last newsletter. A new club is also going to start and if you usually get three sale-a-bration items between January and March then you will want to join this club to maximize your benefits. The club is called “Sale-a-bration Club on Steroids”. The reason? There are only three people in this club, you meet three times and you make three free cards each time. You also commit to spending $66.66 but this will also give you a free sale-a-bration item. Each member gets a turn to receive hostess benefits so you can also get those great hostess sets or put your hostess benefits towards the purchase of the best kit ever, the starter kit!!
The other fun event in January is the Bingo Party on Friday January 13 at 7pm. Tickets to this event are $25. Everyone, yes, everyone wins a prize. We also make four fun and very easy stamping projects. You will get to play with brand new product and the prizes are also all from the new Occasions and Sale-a-bration catalogs. Space is limited to 22 people and 6 of those spots are already gone.
The projects that we make at the Bingo Party are totally stress free and they give you a chance to get your hands on brand new product. What a great way to find out what you love. Here is the second of four projects:
One last word about the starter kit. There is always so much confusion about this amazing deal and I would like to clarify. The starter kit costs $135. No tax, no shipping. You get to pick out whatever products you want in this kit. Stampin’Up! and I both hope that you will want to share your love of stamping with others once your kit arrives and so they include a box of eight catalogs, eight Occasions catalogs and 50 order forms. But you can also just get the kit for your own discount. Yes, by getting the kit you also get the privilege of a 20% discount on all your purchases and you can get hostess benefits if your own order is over $200. AND starting January 4 you get to pick out two free stamp sets as a bonus, any price!! I am also offering a day of crafting at a beautiful cottage if you join my team. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I LOVE telling people about this great opportunity. Disclaimer: be prepared to have this ordinary looking cardboard box totally change your life. My life has become so much richer and exciting in so many ways. I have met all of you! I have met and become friends with demonstrators all over the world and I have traveled to so many beautiful places, for free. Wow. And I get to do what I love. Every day. And I get paid for doing it. Yes, I love my job.
Well, my kitchen is a disaster, so I should get back to it, but I wanted to take a moment to connect with you. Have a super rest of your day.
by Jackie Bultje | Dec 16, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Hello stampers. Today in southwestern Ontario is is very cold and crisp. When I woke up this morning it was -25C with the windchill factor. On days like that I enjoy the woodstove in the kitchen and my gas fireplace in the stamp room. It also made me think with some longing to the retreats I will be offering in the next few months. The first retreat will actually be a local winter retreat in a beautiful cottage on Lake Erie. I wanted to be able to offer a retreat that is close to home for my customers and for fellow Ontario demonstrators so that they don’t have to spend a lot of money or time on travel. The first retreat is a creative retreat from Tuesday February 21 till Thursday February 23. We will be doing a lot of stamping, socializing and eating great food. Yes, I also love to cook and bake and I know what a treat it is to have someone do that for you. You will be pampered indeed! The second retreat is a professional retreat built around the theme of “Work Smarter not Harder”. I was inspired when I attended my first retreat hosted by Lisa Pretto in Minnesota. It was truly life-changing for me. It really changed how I run my business and I also made life-long friends there. In my training I will share with you what was successful for me, but more importantly I will help you discover your own inner strengths and talents and help you find what you are truly passionate about. All meals and snacks and accommodation are included in the price of $495 for each session. If you are interested in both sessions you will save $100.
The second retreat I am offering will be in the spring in beautiful Tennessee. The cabin I have rented is just outside Smoky Mountains National Park and is not in the fire zone at all. The date for this one is March 19-26. The cost for this one is in US dollars since I also had to rent the cottage in US dollars and this just makes it easier. The format is the same as the one in February. Early arrival is possible on Sunday after 3pm. The creative retreat will begin on Monday afternoon and go till Wednesday morning. Wednesday is the “bridge” day and there will be an option to go to Biltmore Estates. On Thursday the professional retreat will begin and it will go till Sunday morning. The cost is $495US and includes luxury accommodations and all food and some wine and chocolate of course!
It is really quite wonderful to get together with a group of women to share food and to make nice things in a beautiful, relaxing environment and I am really happy that I can offer you this experience. I hope that one of these will work for you. If you want to come with a friend that is even better.
Taking the time to invest in yourself and your business is always a good thing. If you would like to take your business to the next level or if you are tired of being a slave to your work, this retreat is for you. I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned in my 11 years as a demonstrator and what has helped me to become the number ten demonstrator in Canada. What a wonderful surprise that was for me and what a validation. I am not a “big fish” so I just think that if this can happen to little old me, then it can also happen for you and I would love to help you.
by Jackie Bultje | Dec 15, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Wow. The day has finally come. I am writing my first official blog post. This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while as it is definitely the right “next step” in my business. Many of you already follow me on my business Facebook page “The Pampered Stamper”. For that I am very thankful, but this will be another way to connect with stampers who are not on social media and who just want a little more. I hope that you will interact with me here and please let me know if there are topics you want me to cover and projects you would like me to share. My favourite thing is sharing little tips and tricks that make your stamping experience easier and less frustrating. Saving time and money are important and having fun is the ultimate priority!
Christmas is almost here so I am now thinking about the new year and I already have my first class planned for you! When I first saw the stamp set Beautiful You in the Occasions catalog, I knew I had to have it. The images are classic and the words that go with it are beautiful. This class will be perfect for beginner stampers and seasoned stampers alike. If you want to make a stack of twenty cards and feel like an amazing artist with no stress at all, this class is for you. There are two options: you can come to my class or you can pick a date and have your own private class with a group of friends. If you choose the second option you will get free product because the class supplies that need to be ordered will qualify as a party and you will get hostess rewards. The class includes the following supplies:
- Beautiful You stamp set.
- Watercolour Pencils.
- archival black ink pad
- soft sky ink pad
- 20 notecards and envelopes
- blender pen
- free item of your choice from the sale-a-bration catalog
The cost is $95 including tax and shipping. I know it is not cheap, but when you go home you will have twenty finished cards and you will have all the supplies to keep stamping and make many more beautiful things. The date for this class is Wednesday January 25 at 10am and 7pm. Pre-payment is required. If you would like to schedule your own private class, please let me know. Minimum of four people required for that.
You can see how the girls all look so different with the different colours chosen. The key difference with our new watercolour pencils is that they come in true Stampin’Up colours and they also blend beautifully, like warm butter!! Years ago we had watercolour pencils and they were not nearly as nice as these AND they were not in our true Stampin’Up colours. This new product gets my wholehearted endorsement and I can’t wait for you to try them yourself! If you choose not to watercolour, you can also add a stamped swoosh to the dress for a modern look.
I have also made a video showing you how I made these cards. If you are interested in that check it out here:
I did take a few minutes today to do a video on the masking technique. The card I made uses two new stamp sets from the Occasions catalog that I truly love: Beautiful You and Mediterranean Moments. Thanks to Randi Collins for the card idea!! Here is the card (my girl had to be in red as it is my favourite colour and it is Christmas after all!)
Here is the video showing how I made this card. The whisper white card front is 3 1/2″ by 4 3/4″ and the real red mat is 4″ by 5 1/4″. I distressed the white with our old distressing tool. I really want that to come back. If you do too, be sure to call Stampin’Up and let them know.You could also use the edge of your scissors or even your finger nail to do it, but this tool is way better!
