Sharing What You Love
Happy Friday stampers! Sharing what you love is a huge concept. Some people have an advantage in this department. If you have an outgoing personality then it probably comes naturally to you to share what you love, but if you are more shy then it might not be the case. Today I want to talk about why this is so very important to me.
Why you should share what you love
We naturally make many assumptions. That can really get in the way of great happiness. Take for example the assumption that your spouse or your kids or your friends should simply know what you are feeling or thinking. It should be obvious right? No. That is why communication is so very important. The same principle applies to your stamping hobby. If you are like me, stamps ink and paper make you very happy. Yet when I encourage my customers to invite a friend to a class they are quick to say that they don’t know anyone who stamps. Think about that for a moment.
Were you always a stamper?
When you say that you don’t know anyone who stamps you need to remember that you weren’t born a stamper either. Before you were introduced to the joy of stamping you had no idea what you were missing out on. Now you know what fun it has brought to your life in the form of a meaningful hobby, with all the new people you have met at classes and events and with discovering your creativity you really should share! Simply tell your friends that you have found something and some people that make you very happy and you would like to share that experience with them. You have nothing to lose, neither do they and you might be opening a whole new world for them.
Not a bother
I think the main thing to remember is that you are not bothering your friends when you invite them to stamp with you. Use your stash to bless others in your community. Everyone could use happy mail, or even a note of encouragement passed to someone in the grocery store. Life can be overwhelming at times and it can be a huge encouragement to a complete stranger that someone actually cares. Keep some random cards in your purse in a clear stamp case to keep them from getting bent and damaged. Then be prepared to share!
Most of us have no problem sharing a good sale at the grocery store or a fantastic deal at our favourite shoe store or clothing store. What makes sharing about our hobby so different? If you had the cure for cancer you would definitely share that right? Well, I think stamping is a cure for loneliness and for boredom. What do you think?
A story
This morning I went to play pickleball but it was canceled. I was chatting to the staff while they were all eating my cookies warm from the oven to find out why there was no pickleball. They told me there was a craft show this weekend. My comment: I should probably be at this show since I make cards for a living. The manager says, “I know, here is a card you gave us. We show it to someone when they are having a bad day and need some encouragement.” I had given that card back in February during sale-a-bration. It was a froggie card saying “You can do anything.” That really touched me and reminded me of the power of affirmation with a hand made card.
The challenge
My challenge to you is to share what you love with others. Invite a friend to come and stamp with you. Make some cards for your local women’s shelter with notes of encouragement. Drop off some thank you cards at your local hospice, family there will need them soon. Bring some cards to your local nursing home to cheer up residents who hardly ever get company. The list is endless. Invite a neighbour to come to coffee and a card class. Some people have very few friends. Some people are exhausted caregivers and they could really use a break. It may not be about card making, but that could be the vehicle to give someone meaning and joy in their lives.
A card
Besides a sermon, you would probably like to see what I have been up to in my stamp room. You are in luck! Yesterday I made a fun card using the snow globe dies and the woodland embossing folder. I used a technique called “tarnished foil”. I have an old video that I did and I will share it here, but I promise I will make a new and better one very soon.
I had some other pictures with my good camera but the photos on my computer seem to be frozen. I think it may be time for me to get my Mac cleaned up. It has been super slow lately, I should never have updated it with the latest version. Technology is really not my strong suit. This will have to do for now, I hope to do a video on this card this weekend.
I was finally able to access my photos this morning so I thought I would edit this post to add this one. It shows how I swiped the StāzOn before embossing. The next step is swiping Versamark on the embossing folder, running it through the Big Shot and then sprinkling on silver embossing powder and heat embossing it with the heat tool.
Now I need to get ready for my Fab Four card making event tonight. Have a super day and thanks so much for stopping by. If you want to see the products I used, just scroll down for a complete list. Click on them and you will be taken to my online store which is quite handy if you are a Canadian and like to shop online. Remember, $200 will get you free host products too. Questions? I am only an email or a phone call away.
Product List
