A Moment of Silence

October 15, 2010 under Updates

This isn’t stamping related but I’m taking a day’s break today from my typical stamping projects and having a virtual moment of silence for my grandfather. 

My grandfather had been struggling with Alzheimers for the last almost 10 years and had reached the point this year of requiring around the clock care and management.  Admirably, my grandmother stood by and supported and cared for him in their home that whole time until late this summer when she realized she needed more help and he moved into a hospice care home.  Sadly, last week he passed away and today is the funeral.  So, I am in Arizona to spend time with family and remember the man that could be stern and spunky all at the same time.

So, with that – I am taking today to remember my lost loved one and hoping all of you are surrounded by family and friends who love and support you.  Our cards, scrapbook pages, and other projects are neat to look at, but they are special because of the love and care we put into them that can be felt by those who view and receive them.  So, here is to family and friends and the love and support we can share with each other.

And to Grandpa, we love you and will miss you.  JAW 1925 – 2010

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Making stamping and crafting your business

October 9, 2010 under Updates

Hi all!  I received some fun news yesterday that I just had to share with someone who would understand my excitement; and so I hope you all don’t mind me sharing with you. Smile

So, some quick background on me.
I joined Stampin’ Up! three years ago because I loved crafting, teaching others, and I liked the idea of the business opportunity.  Fast forward to this summer and I had spent my time as a demo working on my business here and there but mostly acted as a hobby demo and liberally took advantage of the 20% or more commission and sneak peeks/preorders.  So I decided that after convention this year, I was going to focus on making this really be a business for me.  And that’s what I’ve done the last few months.


My fun news?
I was told yesterday that my sales for this year (July 1 to now) are only $10 short of my sales for the entire last year (July 2009- June 2010)! Wow!! I had no idea!


So, I wanted to thank all of you for your support as friends, blog readers, and customers!  I absolutely love what I do and I love sharing it with you all.

I thought I would share a card I made almost two years ago but I still think it is a fun little card.

Now, I’m still building my business but it feels great to know that if you really decide and commit to making stamping and crafting your business, it can work!

If you’ve thought about becoming a demo, I’d love to answer any questions you have and share information about the business opportunities and the benefits of being a demonstrator.  I know that I’m so glad I did!

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A Handmade Wedding Book and Card

September 27, 2010 under Cards, Updates

I’m back!  I had such a blast in Vegas. This was my first vacation since having my son, and though I missed him, it was great to have adult time and he got some quality time with Grandma. We also lucked in to a crazy room upgrade – we got a room on the “50”th floor looking at the Bellagio fountains! Amazing!

vegas hotel room view

We were there for our friends wedding and so I had made them a book to save the photos and memories of this trip.  I got the supplies and learned the binding technique at a store demonstration when visiting my mom.  Now that I get how it works, I’m going to see if I can replicate it with Stampin’ Up! supplies.

I had the book all ready to go, but still needed to make a card, so I took my supplies with me and planned to put it together in Vegas.  Well, I discovered when unpacking that I completely forgot my clear mounts!  So I had to get a little creative so I could mount my sentiment. Smile Turns out, if you are desperate, you can use the stamp case as a mount.  It doesn’t work as well as a clear block, but it will work!

But in the end, I was able to pull together a card that I love and was so happy to give to them while celebrating this awesome time for them.

Wedding Card Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Occasional Quotes
Ink: Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Whisper White CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Blushing Bride CS
Accessories: Adhesive Back Pearls, Victoria Crochet Trim Ribbon, Small Heart Punch

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Northwest Stamper Blog Candy Winners!

September 10, 2010 under Promotions, Updates

I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for stopping by my blog and leaving all the great comments for me.  I really appreciate hearing from you and am glad you like my projects.

When I moved this blog from my old site to here at www.nwstamper.com I announced blog candy with two drawings (original post here).  One drawing for anyone who left me a comment and one for folks who became a fan on facebook.  Well, I did the drawing with some help from my son:

Niko_drawing Niko_drawing2

This is a family business, right?  Got to keep them involved. Smile Well, even at 8 months old, he managed to successfully draw a name for each drawing:

Niko_drawing3

And so the winners are:

Brenda Hugar

and

Yvonne Russell!

Ladies, please send me your contact information and that’s again to everyone for entering!  I’m sure there will be more candy opportunities in the future!

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The Holiday Mini is here! Plus a new ribbon share available

August 31, 2010 under Promotions, Shares, Updates

I know its only September but are you ready for the new Holiday mini? Well it is ready for you! :) It launched today and in it are tons of cute stamps, paper, and accessories to get you through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even get a head start on Valentine’s day. Some highlights:

  • New embossing folders – a spiderweb and snowflakes
  • New punches – extra large 2 1/2″ circle punch, decorative label, and a new medium size oval (many of which go with the new holiday tags stamp set!)
  • New BigShot dies including extra long trim – perfect for scrapbooking or using with the new fabric, snowflakes, and a 3D candy wrapper
  • Fabric that matches SU colors and the new designer paper!
  • Recordable Sound cards
  • Tons of new accessories including big buttons, glitter, ribbon, and more!
  • And of course, lots of cute stamp sets

A Holiday Mini Ribbon Share!

In the new mini, there are a few new ribbons and trim for you to enjoy and experiment with.  So I am offering a ribbon share for $12 shipped to you.  In this share, you will receive 2 yds of the following ribbon:

  • 1/2″ Black lace trim – Raven
  • Tinsel Trim – Clear
  • Tinsel Trim – Silver
  • 1/2″ Seam Binding – Very Vanilla
  • 1/2″ Seam Binding – Cherry Cobbler
  • 1/2″ Seam Binding – Always Artichoke

So, that is 12 yds of ribbon for $12 including shipping!   Sign up using the secure Paypal button below or drop me a line in email.  Enjoy the new mini!


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Introducing Northwest Stamper and some Blog Candy!

August 29, 2010 under Cards, Updates

I’ve been working for a while on setting up my own website and all the related things like email addresses, facebook, etc.  Finally last night I got the last few pieces changes and flipped the switch. 

So welcome to my new home – Northwest Stamper at www.nwstamper.com

THANK YOU for stopping by today.  Here is a card I made using some scraps and a some images I stamped before having a card layout in mind.  This is a great stamp set and I know it will be missed when it retires in 3 days.

 

And as another thank you, I am offering some BLOG CANDY!  Woo hoo! 
This card reminded me of the stamp set Botanical Blooms, which I had an extra set and thought it would be a fun way to say thanks.  Then in looking in my stash, I found the Sweet Pea Felt that I sadly never used but thought would be great to share.  So, here are the details:

There are two drawings, so you have two chances to win -

1.  Leave me a comment telling me what types of posts or topics you would be interested in seeing on this blog; or what you like seeing on other blogs.  Botanical Blooms Stamp Set - Blog Candy drawing 1
2.  Become a fan of NW Stamper on Facebook then leave me a comment here to let me know.  If you suggest my page to a friend and they become a fan, you’ll get an extra entry for each friend – just let me know who you invited so I can give you credit. Sweet Pea Felt - Blog Candy drawing 2

Entries for the Blog Candy close on 9/5/2010 at 9pm PST.

Watercolor Trio Recipe:
Stamps:  Watercolor Trio
Ink:  Perfect Plum
Paper:  Perfect Plum CS, Whisper White CS, Basic Grey CS, Old Olive CS
Accessories:  Adhesive Pearls, Scallop Square punch, Glue dots, Old Olive marker, More Mustard marker, Perfect Plum marker

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My new Facebook page – SU display boards and a Fan Special deal

August 13, 2010 under Promotions, Updates

While I work on writing up blog posts for some projects I’ve done recently, I wanted to share my recent labor of love – a new Facebook page.  I’ve set up a page on facebook at a place to share pictures, promotions, and make it easy for others to share their projects as well.  I’d love for you to check it out.  Right now it has a couple photos posted that will be making their way onto the blog soon but you can get an early look by visiting my Facebook page.   I’ve also posted photos of more convention display boards on the page as well.

While you are there, become a fan to be eligible for special deals and get samples and information as it comes out.  Once I have 25 fans, I can make the web address for this page much easier to find; so I’d love it if you were willing to be my fan. 

Visit me on Facebook!

Facebook Fan Special

To thank folks for helping me get to 25+ fans, I’m offering a special from now until 8/19.  I’m offering this special to anyone who has become a fan of my facebook page.  Simply place an order of $25 or more and receive the new Antique Brads FREE!  That’s a $5.95 value for free just for becoming a fan.  For example, love the vintage look – try the new Crochet Trim ribbon and the Distressing Kit and get Antique Brads FREE!  Thats a $33 value for $27.  Email me to take advantage of this special offer!

Crochet Trim

Distressing Essentials Kit

Free Antique Brads

 

See a sample using some of these items in this post -  http://www.nwstamper.com/stampin-up-convention-2010-punch-happy-swaps/

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Organizing my craft room

August 8, 2010 under Tools, Updates

Between the big color renovation, the old catalog retirement, and getting ready for convention, my craft area had become a disaster zone.  You know the feeling… table buried under paper scraps, adhesive backing, ribbon, stamps, half completed projects.

IMG_1103Well, I decided it was time to dig out and get organized so I can start using all the cute and fun new stuff that I’ve gotten recently.  Now I’ve gotten everything put away and it is definitely more motivating to craft.

If you have any tips or tricks for organizing, I’d love to hear about them.  Please leave a comment and/or a link to a photo of your creative organizational techniques.

For me, I love this bookshelf I got at IKEA (its called Besta).  It is very strong, which I need for all the paper I’ve accumulated. Smile I have a shelf for retired stamps, ribbon, current stamps, cardstock, 12×12 paper, ink, wheels, and misc other stuff.  Plus the doors keep it out of the sun and away from little baby fingers.

Tip: Turn you paper holders (the mazagine file style) on their backs so what is normally the top is pointed to the front.  This makes it really easy to see what paper you have and you can grab and go without pulling out the whole container.

IMG_1102

I also have a smaller bookcase where I store my catalogs, magazines, small albums and my stack and store spinners.  Let me tell you, I LOVE these spinners and for some reason it just makes me so happy and ready to embellish when I see them sitting out in a row.

Tip: Use a magnetic board (again, I found this one at IKEA) to put up cards or projects that inspire you.  Hang embellishments that you want to use but don’t have an easy storage space with magnetic clips so that they are in front of you (so you remember to use them) and easy to grab and then put away.  You can also get magnetic spice containers with clear lids to store small items like die cuts, brads, or gems.IMG_1106

Finally, I have my punch storage.  These rods work perfectly for the old style of punches and I recently found that the hanging wire baskets that you can get to go with them are just the right size for the new slim style of punches.  It’s the perfect system for a punch junkie like me.  These rods were in the kitchen section of IKEA and are the Bygel collection.  They are something like $1.99 per rod and $1.99 per basket, I love cheap and super functional!IMG_1107So that is my craft space.  Hopefully you saw some new idea or at least a reminder for one of your own projects.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on what organization solution you like or if you have some new ideas for me!  Until next time, I’m off to make a mess again!

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Stampin’ Up! Convention 2010 – Swaps, Parties, and a Baby!

August 2, 2010 under Big Shot, Cards, Events, Updates

I’m back from a trip to Salt Lake City for the 2010 Stampin’ Up! convention with my Mom and upline, Kathy, my dad, and my son.  I love the chance to go meet other demonstrators, including folks whose names I’ve seen on emails but now I got to meet in person, hang out with friends, get super cute stuff, swap gorgeous cards, and generally get pumped about Stampin’ Up!  I have way too many photos to share all of them in one post so I’ll be posting pictures in future posts as well.  But for now, here are some of my highlights.

Before convention even got started, mom and I participated in two days of preconvention stamp camps and swaps with Late Night Stampers. 

IMG_0819 Then came Wednesday – Check in day.  This is the day that everyone lines up in the early morning for a chance to be one of the first to get into Memento Mall (the SU convention gift shop).   My dad was kind enough to go get in line when he got up around 6:15am and he wasn’t the first in line!  By 7:30 the line was around the block. :)   checkin day line photoBut unlike Disneyland, its fun to stand in line at convention.  Everyone is swapping and I even saw a friend of mine from Portland (Hi, Liz!) and got a chance to introduce her to Nicholas. IMG_0856

After we swapped, checked in and got our free stamps and bag, we relaxed before meeting up for a group photo and swap with our upline group – the SBStampers.  It was there that Nicholas got his very first swap.   He loved playing with this fabric squeaky toy made by Charity Lawson using the Scallop Square die for the BigShot and a squeak toy from a pet supply store.IMG_0871IMG_0873 

Later we got dressed up in our grooviest attire for the Flower Power party.  Sadly, I missed getting my face painted by SU illustrators but I did participate in some fun games.

IMG_0876

That was only the beginning of a fun weekend.  Here is one of the swaps I created to trade with folks over the course of the weekend.  The flower is made using the Flower Fusion sizzlit that in one tiny little die cuts out 3 flowers of different sizes.  I then folded up the petals and stacked them using glue dots.  It really does pop off the page, which I thought was fun and cool.  I think you could step it up a notch even more by adding a pearl or rhinestone to the center of the flower.  I would have done it but I ran out of time.  But still, i like how it turned out and folks seemed to as well. Flower Fusion Swap Card

I have to say, I love all the cards I got swapped and will be showcasing come of my favorites in a future post so you can see these great ideas too.  More photos and swaps to come!  Until then… Happy Stamping!

Convention 2010 Thank You swap card:
Stamps: Because I Care (hostess set)
Inks:  Concord Crush classic ink
Paper:  Basic Black CS, Whisper White CS, Pear Pizzazz CS, Concord Crush CS, Play Date DSP
Accessories:  Polka Dot Impression Folder, Flower Fusion sizzlit, Little Leaves sizzlit, glue dots.

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The Stampin' Up! Last Chance list is here!

June 1, 2010 under Promotions, Updates

Its that time of year again when we have to bid a fond farewell to many favorite stamps and accessories.  This year is even bigger than ever with the big Color Renovation happening, lots of accessories, paper, and ink are retiring to make way for the exciting new colors coming on July 1st. 

Check out to see if your favorites are soon to be retiring and remember – All items on the retiring accessories list are while supplies last!  So, if your favorites are retiring, order fast to be sure you can stock up.

Last Chance Stamps –

see the full retiring stamp list here

 

Last Chance Accessories –
Notice that some items are 25-50% off!

see the full retiring accessory list here

Order online today to get all your favorites before they are gone forever!

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