by Jackie Bultje | Dec 13, 2019 | Christmas, Most Wonderful Time |
Hello stampers! Happy Friday to you all. I’m a big fan of the little things. It is often the little things that can make the biggest difference. Little things can bring great joy, they can also irritate if you let them. Finding joy is often closely connected with appreciating and showing gratitude for the little things in our lives. What little things are you thankful for?
Little Things with Stamping
Little things can really make people feel special. They also don’t have to cost much. For example, bake some of your favourite cookies and then put each into a small cello bag. Tie on some festive ribbon and then add a simple stamped tag. This little extra step of the bag and the tag is enough to make a person feel very special and loved. Now take a small batch of these specially packaged cookies and go spread some love. Not into baking? Love to shop? It can be fun to find cute and festive things to put in a little cello bag as well. The point is to just make some adorable tags and add them to a little package and make someone’s day.
The Hobby that Keeps on Giving
I like to remind people that stamping is hobby that just keeps on giving and blessing people. First it blesses the person who has the hobby. It makes you happy to stamp, it helps with your mental and physical well-being. Second, it blesses your family. It gives you a great activity to share with your kids, their friends, your in-laws and whoever drops by. Have you ever gathered around the kitchen table to make Christmas cards or tags? Such fun! Even if they don’t enjoy stamping with you, they will often come and ask if you have a card for them to give to someone for any number of occasions! Third, you bless and bring joy to the person receiving your creation. How wonderful is that?
The Gift of Time
Have you noticed that Christmas time is SUPPOSED to be about spending time with your family and friends but that is more often spend rushing around doing and buying stuff? Slow down and gather with your family or friends or a combination thereof and share the gift of creativity. It is such a great feeling letting time slow down and enjoying each others company while you chat and create. You will find it to be a completely different experienced compared to just having a cup of coffee together somewhere. I know that as demonstrators we often forget to share our hobby with those we love the most. We forget to enjoy it the way we did before it became our business.
Our First Card
Before I left for Holland I got an envelope clearly marked for “Jackie and Gerard” so it had to come with me unopened so we could open it together. I’m not sure if Janis realized the significance of this seemingly little thing! Our first Christmas card together! We were very touched. Janis used the Most Wonderful Time product medley to make this pretty card. Thank you!!
Here is Gerard opening the card in his office.
You can see that I took this picture in the greenhouse with the amaryllis in the background. Gerard did say that this card should go back to the house to be displayed. I agree.
Make your Hobby your Gift
If you are like me and you love to make cards you may forget how special they really are. Did you know that most people would be thrilled to get a package of your handmade cards with some envelopes so that they can give your cards to their loved ones? That’s right! No need to go shopping on Amazon or stand in long lines at the mall or peruse all the gift ideas at the store. Just package up some of your pretty cards, tie on some ribbon and add a tag and you will be making a gift of your hobby. You can check out the cute tags I made with the November Paper Pumpkin here.
Thanks
Thanks so much for joining me today, I would love to hear your stories of how you incorporate stamping into your Christmas season. Do you have traditions with your family that include your hobby? What are your favourite little things? I hope you have a super day. This is my first blog post from Holland! I will be sharing more photos and videos from here on my Pampered Stamper Facebook page.
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by Jackie Bultje | Dec 10, 2019 | Christmas, Framelits, Snowman Season, Toile Christmas |
Hello stampers! It is my last day here in Canada so I thought happy mail would be a great topic. Happy mail is a handmade card between the bills and flyers and it is always appreciated. When you see that special sized envelope in the mail with handwriting on the front of it, you just know you are in for a happy surprise. I received happy mail yesterday so I thought I would share those cards with you today.
The Cards
I got this lovely card from my team member Karen Gardner. The snowmen are vintage, from many years ago. She told me it was one of the first sets she got. I love that!! This card has so much sparkle in real life.
This stunning cardinal card is from team member Jean Burke. I think the paper might be contraband but the cardinal is from Toile Christmas. Her idea of putting the sentiment on an angle like that is really great!
This last beauty is from fellow demonstrator Marion Greenlund. I love how she combined the trees from Winter Woods with the Feels Like Frost paper and the stitched rectangles framelits. The foil is from the Peacock suite.
A Great Idea
I had a great idea this morning. SInce happy mail is so wonderful I was wondering if you would like to send ME happy mail in Holland! I would then blog about the cards that I get in the mail and at the end of my stay in Holland I will choose one lucky winner to get the Poppy framelits from the new catalog. Here is my mailing address:
Jackie Bultje c/o Gerard van der Sar
Bloemenlaan 6,
2691 JC ‘s-Gravenzande,
Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands
Free Shipping Tomorrow
Just a reminder that tomorrow there is free shipping on orders of $65 or more. This will be the perfect opportunity to try ordering online and have your products delivered straight to your door. Please do use the current host code as that is a great help to me. Do NOT use the code if you are placing an order of $200 or more, then you will get your own host benefits.
Thanks for dropping by, I am now off to my parents and then on to the plane tomorrow at 6pm. Yay!!!
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by Jackie Bultje | Dec 9, 2019 | Christmas, collage stamping, So Many Stars |
Hello stampers and happy Monday! Have you ever used words as a collage? It is such a cool thing to do and I have to admit I don’t do it often enough. Take a look at this great swap card that I got from Mary Louise Hamill and you will agree. She used words as a collage on this So Many Stars card
The Card
The words on this card are from Itty BItty Christmas and the stars are from the So Many Stars bundle as is the word JOY. Let’s take a closer look.
Collage Stamping With Words
I just love how Mary Louise used the star dies in this card. The words are stamped on a white panel that gets adhered behind the card front. The words are stamped in basic grey and offset to make the collage stamping more interesting. You could trace the star lightly in pencil so that you can have just the words you want showing through the “window”. A stitched star opening is cut in the card front and then a smaller sparkle glimmer star is layered behind it before adhering the white panel on the inside of the card front. Simple but stunning!
I’m so happy that I could share this card with you today! Swap cards are great for busy times when you don’t have time to create from scratch yourself. It’s also a great way to shine the spotlight on someone else’s talent. Hopefully I will remember to use this great collage stamping with words technique for other cards too. It would be great for birthday cards, graduation and Valentine’s Day.
Free Shipping on Wednesday
I just found out that Stampin’Up! is offering free shipping on Wednesday only for orders of $65 or more. That is the same day that I am flying to Holland! How awesome is that? Be sure to use the host code and order online so that your order goes straight to your house. My orders have been arriving in ten days or less, so you should get your order before Christmas is you order with the free shipping on Wednesday. Happy shopping! You can click on the images below in the product list or you can click here to shop online with me. This is the current host code: 6KVMESQ6
A Personal Note
My suitcases are almost all packed and my excitement is building. I had a wonderful weekend with the kids and grandkids and we got a great picture of me and the kids with Leo sneaking in. It was simply not possible to get one with everyone so this is it for now!
Here are the three grandchildren, Leo, 2 1/2, Ana, 1 1/2 and Clementine 1 month. My heart is full, I am so, so blessed. It was the perfect weekend to have before I leave for my other blessings in Holland. Modern technology is wonderful, I will be able to Facetime or Skype with them while I’m away. That is what I love about my Facebook live videos too. It is a great way to stay connected with all of YOU!! There will be official Facebook live on Tuesday as I will be on my way to my parents place for a last visit with them before I leave. I do hope to do a short video from there is Pap is up to it.
Thanks so much for joining me today. I will do the draw for the free stamp set Holiday Haul tomorrow at noon. Anyone who has commented and shared on my blog post or Instagram will be entered.
P.S. If you are looking for a very special gift for yourself, sign up for my retreat in February. Idyllic surroundings, no cooking, lots of stamping and relaxing in nature or shopping in lovely boutiques and bakeries. Did I mention snuggling by the wood stove? Read more about it here.
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by Jackie Bultje | Dec 4, 2019 | Christmas, Holiday Haul, simple stamping |
Hello stampers. I am feeling philosophical again today. Simple gratitude. That is what is on my mind. My heart is overflowing with gratitude today. Pap is finally on the mend. His appetite is back, his pain is under control and he is scheduled to go home from the hospital tomorrow. This lovely 93 year old man will be home for Christmas with the love of his life and he will celebrate simply. I am also grateful for simple cards and that is what I am going to share today!
The Joy of Simplicity
It can be so very refreshing to make a simple card. Clean lines. Simple elements. Just some pretty paper and ink put together to express your love. How awesome is that? Sometimes we can make things too complicated and the frustration of it can suck our joy. With the busy season upon us, maybe you are also ready for some simple inspiration. Don’t be afraid to extend this simplicity to your food prep and your decorating. Take time for what really matters! You, your family and your friends. And of course God.
The Cards
I am grateful for swap cards like this one that I received from Cheryl De Souza from Markham, Ontario at OnStage in Toronto. Such a pretty card with lovely clean lines and elements. the jingle bell actually rings when you shake the card. My inner child really likes that.
This card is also a swap card from OnStage and I am so grateful for them during this busy season. It was wonderful to have some extra cards on hand to share with you on this blog. This weekend I am celebrating an early Christmas with all the kids and grandkids before I leave for Holland, so this is a happening place at 81 Delaware. Michelle Sturgeon from Long Sault, Ontario made this card and you can see more of her wonderful work on her blog here. I called Michelle to see if there was a framelit for the tree. There is not. But she dusted off her Brother Scan-n-Cut and it did a fine job cutting these for her!
This last card is my own design. I love using paper strips to make a big present. Each strip is 1″ by 3″. That means you can get 12 strips out of one 6″ x 6″ piece of patterned paper. This card uses Wrapped in Plaid paper and the saying is from Snowman Season using the Stamparatus of course to get it nice and dark and perfectly straight. A card like this would be perfect for a family card making night. You could have all the strips cut out and put in little baskets so people could mix and match to make their own unique “presents”. It’s also a great way to use up paper scraps.
Gratitude Made Simple
It truly is amazing what simple gratitude can do for you. Take a few moments to think about what you are grateful for. Not just big things, but especially little ones. Your whole day will change! Add a few deep breaths (yes, it is amazing that we forget to breathe meaningfully!) and your spirit will feel lighter. I am ever so thankful for each one of you, for your loyal following, for taking the time to comment, for the surprise online orders, for buying my tutorial, the list goes on!
Giving Back
I would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude and to offer some blog candy. It’s been a while and it is fun to give away a present to “my people”. If you take the time to comment on my blog and share it either on Facebook or Pinterest, then you will be in a draw to win Holiday Haul. The stamp set will be mailed out on Tuesday. I will do the draw at noon on Tuesday, so any comments and shares done by then will be included. Good luck!!
Thanks for dropping by. If you need anything and you live in Canada, you can order from me online, just be sure to use the host code posted on the right side of this blog on the home page. Orders placed by December 10 should arrive in time for Christmas.
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by Jackie Bultje | Dec 2, 2019 | card kits, Christmas, Paper Pumpkin, vulnerability |
Hello stampers! Have you heard about the power of vulnerability? I stumbled across this Ted talk by Brené Brown a few years ago and it really made a lot of sense to me. Brene is actually a shame researcher and this talk was just a happy accident that went viral. If you haven’t heard it, you can check it out here.
One of the basic premises is that in order to truly connect with people you need to allow yourself to be vulnerable. Be real. Take the mask off and get rid of shame. I find that the older I get the easier that gets as well. Once again, this has nothing to do with card making but it does have a lot to do with life so I thought I would share it with you.
Sharing What I Love
Stampin’Up! is all about sharing what we love and loving what we do and in that making a difference. That is why I share not only my love of card making, but my love of life, my love of God and my love for people. How awesome is that? It sure makes me happy and I hope some of that rubs off on you. Happiness is not something that you wait for, it is something you create. Something you choose. Today I also want to share more about Paper Pumpkin.
Vulnerability and Blogging
When I finally sat down to blog today I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about and show you. I wasn’t sure if I would bore you by sharing more Paper Pumpkin creations. As a blogger there can be pressure to create THE post that is just going to be so amazing that everyone will share it and you will get a record number of visitors to your blog. In short, your blog could become your idol. Not a good thing.
By telling you what was going through my mind before writing this, I am being vulnerable! The bottom line is though that these cards are pretty awesome and it was a lot of fun to make them AND it shows how well the last two Paper Pumpkin kits can work together as they were intended to.
The Cards
If you are on Facebook and on the Paper Pumpkin Fan Club, then maybe you have already seen that I shared these cards there. You see, I wanted some feedback as to whether there should be a bow or no bow. Now I am curious as to what you think. I will show the final version that I was most happy with. It really is interesting to see how a card can change dramatically just by changing one small detail.
For these cards I used the tree die cut and the deer die cut from the November Winter Gifts tag kit and the card base and birch tree layer from the October Winter Woods kit. I simply cut off one of the sets of birch trees to make room for the other tree and the deer. So lovely to have this easy option for card making at this busy time of the year.
The saying is from Itty Bitty Christmas and I used the Stamparatus to stamp it several times on the glimmer paper so it would be crisp, bright and clear. What a great tool the Stamparatus is!!
I wanted to add a pop of red so I tied a knot with the curly red ribbon from the Let it Snow suite. This ribbon is more like yarn, so I fluffed it up and cut it at an angle. Reviews on Facebook were mixed, some loved it, others not so much.
This final card was my compromise. Still has a small pop of red but the linen thread bow tones it down a little and has more finesse as well. Which one is your favourite?
Another little detail: I turned the deer over so that it is white and not silver. Both are nice and give you lots of options. I also think this deer would look great with our Wrapped in Plaid paper. Here is one more card using the Winter Gifts Paper Pumpkin tags.
The paper behind the tag is from Pressed Petals specialty designer series paper. I love the woodsy feel of this card. I used a few glue dots to adhere the red cardinal to some black cardstock and then I fussy cut him. This little trick makes him stand out a little more and gives him a little attitude, just like in real life!
The Gift of Paper Pumpkin
Paper Pumpkin is truly a great gift. It is a paper crafting subscription that comes in the mail once a month right to your door. Why not make it a new family tradition? With Paper Pumpkin you can spend time together at least once a month with no social media or devices and get creative. After the blessing of quality family time together you can then bless other people with what you have made. When all the creating is done you will still have a stamp set and a mini ink pad left to begin your own collection of craft items for the family to use over and over.
If you want the easiest way to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, just click here.
Thank You
Thanks so much for joining me today, I hope you have been inspired to create and to share. Be sure to take a listen to the Ted Talk about vulnerability by Brene Brown as well, I know you won’t regret it and I would love to hear what you think.
Year-End Sale
Tomorrow there is supposed to be an epic sale, so be sure to tune in to my Facebook page here. That is the first place I share the latest and greatest about Stampin’Up! I do not know ahead of time what will be on sale or by how much, but I do know that sometimes things sell out very quickly, so if you really want it shop online using the current host code 6KVMESQ6. If your order is more than $200 then please do NOT use this code, you will be entitled to your own host benefits.
This is what I was told on the SU website:
Stampin’ Up!’s Year-End Closeout is almost here! Beginning December 3 and while supplies last, you and your customers can save big on a selection of retiring and surplus items including holiday catalog items, stamp sets, and Paper Pumpkin past kits. Remind your customers to shop early to avoid missing out! Supplies are limited and popular items will sell out quickly. This amazing sale ends on January 2. Visit the promotion page on December 3 to learn more.
Have a super day!! Only two more coffee and a card classes until I leave to go to Holland again.
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by Jackie Bultje | Nov 29, 2019 | Christmas, sketch challenge cards, Snowman Season |
Hello stampers! I’m curious. Where do you find your inspiration? Today I’m talking about finding inspiration, mainly for card making but perhaps on a grander, deeper scale as well. A very simple way for finding inspiration for your card making if you want to create your own design without copying someone else’s work is a card sketch.
A Card Sketch
What is a card sketch? It is simply a line drawing of a layout for a card, a guideline of what shapes to use and how to place them. I find it rewarding to participate in a sketch challenge so that I can see how other people have created their cards. The reality is that I don’t participate in these nearly enough , but I am working on making this a regular habit. This week I participated in the Splitcoaststampers weekly sketch challenge: SC777
My Card
Here is the card that I made using this sketch. As soon as I saw the sketch I knew that I wanted to use the Snowman Season bundle. I love snowmen and it was time to use some of the snowman found on the coordinating paper as well as the cute embellishment kit. What do you think?
I cut apart the sentiment to create three mini banners to comply with the sketch challenge. Doesn’t this card just make you smile? All the snowmen come from the paper that coordinates with this suite, the bottom snowman is punched out and adorned with the embellishment kit felt pieces. The top snowman has a carrot nose from the embellishment kit.
Deeper Inspiration
I find my greatest inspiration in nature. God’s creation speaks to me deeply and inspires worship and gratitude. As a Christian I know I should be spending more time in the Word, but to be truthful, this waxes and wanes. For months I read my Bible faithfully and then I go through a drought. This makes me so thankful for Sunday worship which grounds me and feeds my faith.
Other people also inspire me through their words, their actions and their creativity. I am so thankful for everyone in my life. We do not walk through this life alone and it is truly incredible how small actions, words and deeds and touch us deeply and can really change our lives.
Take some time to get outside, breathe deeply and think about everything that you are grateful for. I am always amazed at how much better I feel when I do this. Small things, small things. Have a wonderful day and know that you are loved. Thanks for dropping by.
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