by Jackie Bultje | Jun 22, 2020 | beginner stamping, newbie, notecards and envelopes |
Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. Today is going to be a philosophical post called “Never Assume”. What am I talking about? Let’s find out.
Never Assume
Of course on a stamping blog my topic of “never assume” is going to be card related. I was inspired by a picture I had saved on my desktop. The picture is of my very active grandson Leo making a card. We had assumed that Leo would not be the slightest interested in sitting down to stamp. Boy were we wrong. Here he is eagerly making a birthday card for his cousin Ana.
The Magic of Stamps, Ink and Paper
Deep down we all yearn to be creative. We want to express ourselves in art but there is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of not being able to accomplish what we can do in our heads. Then came stamps! The art is already done. All we have to do is ink up that stamp and put it to paper and we already have beauty. Everything that happens after that is just icing on the cake. I challenge you to introduce someone new to stamping. Invite a friend over and bring out the paper, ink and stamps. Start with plain white computer paper so that there is no stress about ruining your “good stuff”. See where that takes you.
Stamping With Children
When stamping with children stick to using just one colour of ink. Put out some grid paper or butcher paper or even newspaper to protect your table. Show them you to put the stamp on the ink pad and then on the paper and let them have at it. Suppress the urge to control the outcome. Marvel at their joy! Here is another blog post using note cards and envelopes. Coincidentally it is also a blog post about children!!
Stamping Yourself
When you get a new stamp set take the time to stamp each image on whisper white cardstock. Stamp them in different colours; do “generational” stamping where you stamp off several times so that you get different shades. In other words, just play a bit. This will give you the feel of the stamp set and will remove any pressure to create something amazing right away. A pack of notecards and envelopes is a very economical investment to allow you to play with the simple stamping technique. You can get twenty note cards and envelopes for only $9.50. That’s cheaper than a movie ticket and will keep you occupied just as long.
Thanks!
Thanks for joining me today for this little ramble. Just think what could happen when you stop deciding for others whether they will enjoy stamping or not. You might find yourself a whole new group of stamping buddies. I can’t wait to hear your stories! Be sure to tell your new people about the great deal on the starter kit that ends at the end of June. What a great way to get started on a fantastic hobby.
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by Jackie Bultje | Sep 24, 2019 | Christmas, newbie |
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.
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