by Jackie Bultje | Mar 2, 2020 | punch, saleabration, starter kit, Under My Umbrella |
Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. I am a hopeless romantic. Under My Umbrella appeals to my romantic side…so much. It is totally unrealistic, but the image of a man in a suit and a woman in a fifties style dress together under an umbrella with a classic city scape in the background just makes me swoon. The reality is probably quite different. Bumping each other, trying to stay dry under the umbrella. The wind catching the umbrella and turning it inside out, no one really staying dry.
Under My Umbrella
I am going to cling to my romantic notions of the umbrella, and while I create with this set my heart will be very happy indeed. Of course any time there is a coordinating punch with a stamp set, that also makes my heart happy. It means that I don’t have to get up to go and use a die with the Big Shot, I can stay right where I am and punch out my image very quickly. Do you love that too? I have a pair of bright red rubber boots and a black and red umbrella that make me feel very light hearted in the rain. Everyone should have them I think. Don’t let the rain keep you inside!
Adorable Rubber Boots
What makes Under My Umbrella so charming is the cute rubber boots that also come in this set. The Pleased as Punch make the stamp and set and coordinating punch even more appealing. Here is the card that I made with it. I would love to make more, right now in fact, but then I will never get this blog post finished. What I will do instead for you is give you the link for my Google search which will show you ALL the creative things that Stampin’Up! demonstrators have done with this bundle all around the world. Just click here.
Do you see that pretty pink gingham background? That is also paper from the Pleased as Punch pack. I am going to be making this card tomorrow at coffee and a card class and again during my Facebook live video Tuesday night at 7pm EST. Here are all three cards so you can see what to expect. It is raining today, so these cards are a perfect harbinger for spring.
Tomorrow I will blog about the Healing Hugs card and maybe one more if I find the time. I am thinking I need someone to do all the other things in life so that I can just stamp and share all day long. Hmmmm, nice dream right?
Free Tutorial
Every month I offer a different free tutorial as part of the Demo Design Dream Team. You can get it for free by ordering from me ($50 minimum) by joining my team or my training group. Here is a sneak peek of this sixteen project beauty.
A Personal Story
I promised you on Friday that I would share a story with you about why I love winter so much. The biggest reason I think for this is that I grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario near Elora. Winters are cozy on the farm with all the animals in the barn, a haymow full of straw and hay and adorable kittens and coffee, tea and hot chocolate in the kitchen. Our farm was also situated on a fantastic tobogganing hill which was a magnet for local kids. Every year right before Christmas the entire elementary school would walk down the road to go sledding on our hill. My mom would make huge pans of hot cocoa in our farmhouse basement for all the kids and I am sure there were cookies to go with it too. After everyone left there was a great tobogganing track for us to use for the rest of the Christmas vacation.
A Farm Kid
You see, there were lots of great winter memories for me as a kid. Winter meant fun and gezelligheid (a great Dutch word for coziness, comfort, ambiance and community) Summer on the other hand meant hard work. It meant picking stones, baling hay and straw, milking cows in a hot barn with lots of pesky flies. Summer meant weeding the garden, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, picking strawberries and raspberries and beans. It did NOT mean beaches and camping. I didn’t learn to swim until I was 12!! Summer also meant a hot upstairs bedroom with no air conditioning. You can see why this season was not my favourite.
Contrast Inspired by Muskoka
I was reminded of this contrast when reading a coffee table book about Muskoka which contrasted the experience of the farm kids and the cottage kids. It’s all a matter of perspective! When summer means swimming, campfires and hanging out with friends it is idyllic. When it means hard work, sweat and staying home, it’s a different situation entirely. The first time I got to go camping for a week with a friend totally changed my perspective on what summer could be like. Oh the joy!!
We used to go swimming at Elora Gorge Conservation Area once in a while with my mom. When we were done swimming mom would drive through the campground so that we could see the tents and the campers and smell the smoke from the campfires. It was so nice to dream of doing that one day. After I was married we camped all the time and my parents were even able to join us a few times, so Mom’s dream of camping finally came true!
I am thankful for growing up on a farm though. It meant sharing every meal around the kitchen table. We didn’t always have a lot of money, but we always had lots of fresh food and I learned the value of hard work. My parents taught me that you can have big dreams that can come true if you put in the effort. They taught me to start the day with God and end the day with Him. Another lesson was to never have a naked cup of coffee and to always make soup with bones for a good broth. Both were shared with whoever had business on the farm. Mom was known for her amazing soup and her unbeatable coffee and I hope to carry on this tradition.
Thanks
Thanks for joining me on this walk through memory lane. I am so happy to be a Canadian where we can enjoy all four seasons. Find the joy in each one. I am learning to embrace summer. Air conditioning helps a lot with that, so does my brother’s humble cottage in Point Clark. Stamping and paper crafting is also a great way to make it through the seasons we don’t like as much.
Happy Mail in Canada Contest
Please don’t forget about the happy mail in Canada contest where we want to shower Gerard with some love when he comes to Canada. If you send a masculine card for him by March 29 I will enter your name into a contest for a masculine stamp set of your choice from the mini catalog and I will blog about your card. I will also video Gerard opening all his cards so we can all enjoy his surprise and delight. Here is the address: Gerard van der Sar, c/o Jackie Bultje, 81 Delaware Avenue, Chatham, Ontario N7L 2W3 Canada
Saleabration
Tomorrow there will be some new offerings for saleabration including Well Dressed a fantastic retro-feel masculine stamp set; So Very Vellum specialty designer series paper, Flowering Foils specialty designer series paper, Rise & Shine a reversible stamp set that coordinates with the Cup of Cheer dies and Tags in Bloom a 19 piece photopolymer set that coordinates with the Label Me Lovely punch. You can see them on the website tomorrow here.
Starter Kit
Don’t forget about the amazing deal on the starter kit. It really is the best deal in the catalog and you can put whatever you want into it. Read more about that in this blog post here. I don’t want to repeat myself and this way if you don’t want to hear about it you don’t have to! If you would like to order any of the supplies used today, just click on the images below in the supply list. It is also super helpful if you use the current host code on the sidebar of the blog.
Honour and Remember
Tomorrow I will be blogging about this amazing community project to honour and remember our World War 2 veterans. I am planning a huge event on Saturday April 25 from 10am till noon with a possible second time slot if we need it. More details and photos tomorrow. Have a super day and thanks for joining me.
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by Jackie Bultje | Feb 28, 2020 | Pleased as Punch, punch, sale-a-bration, saleabration |
Hello stampers and happy Friday to you. Does the title Pleased as Punch have you intrigued? Well, of course I am pleased as punch that my private class last night with a group of newbies was such a success, but this post is about some pretty awesome paper. The reason it is called Pleased as Punch is that it coordinates with four, yes four! different punches and stamp sets. I love that! It is also fresh and bright and oozes springtime, which is just what we are starting to love for at the end of February.
Pleased as Punch
Yesterday I did a short video showing you all the coordination that is possible with this beautiful Pleased as Punch paper. You can see it here if you missed it on my Facebook page The Pampered Stamper. This paper coordinates with the following bundles:
- Timeless Tulips
- Heartfelt
- Under My Umbrella
- Thoughtful Blooms (a free saleabration offering)
Timeless Tulips Card
Here is my first card (no time to make the rest yet) that you can also make at coffee and a card on Tuesday, or you can watch me make it during my Facebook live Tuesday night. This is NOT a Jackie original. I totally cased this beauty from Lynn Dunn, and you can see her card and lots of other great ones here. I rarely case cards for my blog but this one was perfect for my needs and sometimes life happens.
All the sentiments come from Timeless Tulips and I love them all. Great font and also perfect for the banners that I think work so well on so many cards. Sentiments were stamped in pear pizzazz. The tulips and the leaves are simply punched out of the paper. I think the polka dot tulle ribbon is an ideal match for this card, it reminds me of spring and pretty girls’ dresses and hair bows. Nostalgia!
Stitched Nested Labels
I figured I better put the name of those great dies in big letters so you don’t miss it! That is what I used for the background behind these tulips. This is a fantastic product that I think every stamper should own. If you want to see another great use for these dies, check out this popular blog post for a very unique card.
Did you know that you can do a search on my blog? If you want to see more cards that I have made with the stitched nested labels, just type it in the search box and hit enter. What a great feature to help you in your creativity.
Happy Mail Contest
You might get sick of me, but I am going to keep asking for cards for Gerard! The last happy mail contest was so much fun and I am even more excited about this one, because it will be such a surprise for him. There is something in it for you too of course. Everyone who sends him a card will get a chance to win a masculine stamp set of your choice out of the mini catalog. I will also blog about your card and do a video of Gerard opening all of them. How much fun is that?
Here’s the address: Gerard van der Sar, c/o Jackie Bultje 81 Delaware Avenue, Chatham, Ontario N7L 2W3.
Next Week
Thanks so much for joining me today. On Monday I am going to tell you a story about why I love winter so much, I think it might resonate with some of you! Have a super day and a lovely weekend. If you need any supplies, click on the links below and you can shop with me. Don’t forget that the Paper Pumpkin for next month comes with a bonus stamp set, so now is the time to subscribe! A three month Paper Pumpkin subscription will also get you a free saleabration item and the Golden Honey paper is back in stock. Click here if you want to subscribe now. You won’t regret it!
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by Jackie Bultje | Oct 22, 2019 | Christmas, Perfectly Plaid, punch |
Happy Tuesday stampers! Perfectly Plaid is the star of today’s blog post. This great stamp set comes with a coordinating tree punch and the most gorgeous Wrapped In Plaid designer series paper. If you love traditional Christmas you will love this bundle!
The Perfectly Plaid Cards
This card measures 5 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ and is scored at 2 1/8″ and 4 1/4″ along the long side. I did a Facebook live video showing how to make this card and two others from start to finish. You can see it here.
Always Better in Person
Although a picture is worth a thousand words, real life is always better. Just like when you are photographing spectacular scenery on a vacation, photos can never really capture the true beauty you see with your eyes. Once again at class this morning people were saying, wow, these cards are so much nicer in real life.
If you love making Christmas cards and you love plaid, pine trees and a little bling, then this suite is for you. I also love the font in this set and the sayings. There are four different pine tree images to choose from that all fit in the punch. The paper also has trees that can be cut out using the punch.
One Day Sale and Online Bonus from me
Tomorrow there is a 24 hour sale with quite a list of stamp sets that are 15% off. I took some screenshots of the list to help you out a bit. Anyone ordering online will get a bonus from me of Holiday rhinestones! Of course they will be tucked into a Perfectly Plaid card.
If you want to save even more money you can add these discounted sets to your starter kit as well. Click here to get started on that adventure!
Thanks!
Once again, thanks for joining me on my little blog. I hope that in a small way I am making a difference in your life with some creative inspiration and a little entertainment now and then. Happy stamping and remember to bless others with your hobby! Have a super day.
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by Jackie Bultje | Aug 6, 2019 | Happy Tails, My Tribe, punch |
Can you really do it all?
Hello stampers. Sometimes we really think we can do it all. Until life happens and suddenly you realize that, no, you can’t. I had that happen last week when I got a call from my brother that my Pap had to go to the hospital because he couldn’t breathe. I have learned not to overreact in such situations. Taking a deep breath I asked them to keep me updated and let me know if the situation really was critical. Trusting that he would do so I carried on with my day knowing full well that I would head to Fergus to see him early the next morning.
Why not drop everything and go?
You may be wondering what could be so important that I wouldn’t rush off right away. The first thing was my beginner class that was due to start an hour after my brother called. When new people take the plunge to come to a class it really is a big deal and I didn’t want to disappoint them. The second thing was a big team party that was happening that evening to celebrate some milestones. You know how difficult it can be to get a large group of people together especially in the summer! As women our gifts and achievements are not celebrated enough. We tend to be competitive more than cooperative and I truly believe in the importance of recognition. I wasn’t going to postpone this needlessly. I also know that with proper medical attention a situation can improve dramatically and quickly and that my Pap was in good hands for one more day.
The importance of a tribe
It is both in good circumstances and bad that a tribe is very important. This is the urban definition of tribe: A group of friends that becomes your family. The people that will be there for you no matter what and who you’re guaranteed to have a good time with.
My team is my tribe. At our team party one of the girls who was being celebrated for her ten year anniversary brought her stash of cards from the last month. That helped me out enormously because I didn’t have to design my own cards for my next class. My tribe is also my fellow demonstrators from all around the world. In my Pap’s hometown I discovered a fellow demonstrator who used to be his bank teller. Joanne Mactavish asked me to drop in the next time I visited my parents. So, between visits to the hospital, I stopped in to see Joanne. It was such a stress reliever to be able to just chat about card making and to take some pictures of her cards and be inspired. I am sharing some of those in my blog post today!
I hope that you have found your own tribe as well, but know that there is always room in my tribe for you. My customers are also a part of my tribe and they are an important part of each other’s tribe. I see the bonds that are being formed in my classes and I am so thankful that I can provide that community for them.
The cards
I love how the dog from Happy Tails comes with a coordinating punch, but did you know that there is a trick so that you can punch him out and have him facing the other way? You can check out my video here.
This card has a great fold! If you look at the next picture you can better visualize what I am talking about. I might have to do these cards in a class soon. Let me know if you are interested.
The last picture is not very clear, but I decided to include it anyways since it is such a cute card. I am loving all the stitched framelits that were used on these cards. Thanks so much Joanne for letting me take some pictures of your cards. I know that they might also be from your team members; you also have a great tribe and are a great tribe leader.
Host Code
Thanks so much for joining me today. My heart is thankful to all my team members, customers and fellow demonstrators for being such an important part of my tribe. My Pap was touched by all your heartfelt comments concerning his health. I am blessed!
If you live in Canada and need any supplies, just click on the images below and you will be taken straight to my online store. I would very much appreciate it if you also use the host code: XBTQ47UR If your order is close to $100 then do yourself a huge favour and get the starter kit. You can choose $205 worth of products and pay only $135 with no additional shipping or tax (at least not in Ontario) Here is the link if you should choose that option. Just click “no” when asked if you have a host code to use. You would only have this code if you hosted a workshop and wanted to use your host rewards towards getting a starter kit.
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