Last fall I was very fortunate to be invited for a wonderful weekend at the beach by a very generous stamping friend (Thank you, Sue!!!).  Knowing that the plan was to do some stamping together, I gave some thought to the question of how to stamp away from home.

The challenge, of course, is to bring enough supplies to be productive, but not so many supplies that you require a U-Haul to transport them!  Here is the list of basic supplies that I recommend.

• Compact paper trimmer such as Fiskars Portable Paper Trimmer, 12 Inch
• Rubber stamp markers for inking stamps and coloring images
• Black ink pad
• Scissors
• Adhesive of choice (I like Scotch Double Sided tape)
• Rubber stamps
• Stamp cleaning supplies (or make do with wet and dry paper towels)
• Card stock
• Storage case such as Iris 12×12″ Scrapbook Case (if you can get everything in a smaller case, even better!)

These items are fairly basic and obvious.  The real question that I struggle with is what stamps and card stock to bring.

One option is to choose a pack of decorative papers (DP), then bring card stock that coordinates, and one or two stamp sets to use with these.  Depending on space available, you may then want to bring ink pads to match the card stock chosen.  You could also do this without DP, just select one or two stamp sets, then choose three to five card stock colors to use with the stamp sets.

This still leaves me anxious that I’ll be making a card with these limited supplies and wish I had a certain die, punch, ribbon, etc.

Coloring Images

One option is to stamp images at home and just bring Copics, colored pencils (my favorites are Sanford Prismacolor), or another coloring medium of choice.  Coloring can be very relaxing and the colored images can be made into cards when you get home.

Card Kits

A great solution that was proposed by my recent hostess was that each of us design a card and create card kits for the other three stampers to make five of the same card.  We all then took turns assembling the card kits with each others’ supplies.

In addition to all the supplies needed to assemble the cards, we prepared our card kits by pre-cutting the card stock and DP needed and in some cases stamping the images for the cards so that everything could be packed more compactly. This reduced the need for large sheets of card stock, stamps, ink pads and stamp cleaner.  Finally each stamper brought her own adhesive of choice to use in assembling her card kits.

The card kits had several great advantages.

• All the supplies needed to make the card were planned out ahead and provided.
• Assembling the cards was really easy, so we were able to socialize at the same time.
• We learned techniques from each other such as coloring with Copics and how to use a paper tearing tool.
• Sometimes we made slight changes to the card design and the card designer gained new ideas.
• We each went home with fifteen finished cards!

The card kit method worked great in a group, but it would also work well for an individual stamper.  Plan out one or more cards, then bring the supplies you’ll need to complete the cards.

I’m excited to try this idea for stamping while enjoying the beautiful weather from my porch as opposed to my windowless basement stamp room this summer.

I’m interested to hear other suggestions for stamping away from home.  How do you stamp away from home?

Happy Stamping!

Stacy

This post was originally on my previous blog December 2013.

I have challenged myself for the next year to create simple greeting cards.

Now this may sound odd since most people challenge themselves to do things that are harder or more advanced than they have done before.  But for me, this will be quite a challenge.

I have long admired rubber stampers and paper crafters who make very simple cards, such as the beautiful cards of Susan’s Simplicity blog.  But having made cards that usually have multiple layers of card stock and embellishments for over 18 years, it’s hard for me to feel that one layer cards are “good enough.”  I am also a member of a wonderful local rubber stamp club which I helped start and continue to coordinate.  So when I make cards for these ladies, I feel guilty giving a simple card.

Yet when I make a simple card, I often find much satisfaction with the result and especially enjoy the reduced anxiety over creating a “masterpiece.”  Furthermore, making a great clean and simple card can sometimes be more challenging than one that is elaborate since you have fewer elements to arrange in an artistically pleasing design.

With three kids aged almost 13 down to 6, time for stamping is limited and it’s my hope that removing the burden of creating a time consuming, elaborate card will help to fuel my creative inspiration.

So starting now, through this coming year, I give myself permission to make and give simple cards without guilt.  I hope to learn whether my family and friends will be just as enthusiastic about the simple cards as my elaborate cards of the past.  I also hope to discover whether making clean and simple cards helps me find my lost stamping mojo.  (More about finding inspiration in the future.)

I would very much enjoy hearing my readers’ thoughts on simple vs. elaborate cards.

I start my Year of Simplicity with the following cards.

Happy Stamping!

Stacy

Butterfly and Ferns Wish Supplies: Natural card stock with fibers, Hero Arts Butterfly with Ferns stamp colored with Berol Spectracolor pencils (love these art pencils!), Stampin’ Up! wish stamp in Not Quite Navy ink, navy ribbon.

Snowflakes Thank You Supplies: Stampin‘ Up! Snowflakes in Baja Breeze ink and script thank you stamp in Not Quite Navy ink.

This post was originally on my previous blog December 2013.

My kids don’t always choose the same Christmas stockings each year, so I made stocking tags to help Santa.  The tags have a loop of ribbon on them so that they can be switched to a different stocking if needed.  I added the kids’ names to their tags after taking the photo.

Happy Stamping and Happy Holidays!

Stacy

Supplies:  Each has a circle and scallop circle made with Spellbinders Nestibilities circle dies, names written with Sanford or Zig felt tip calligraphy pen;
Stampin’ Up! Snowflake stamp in SU Ballet Blue ink, layered on SU Bliss Blue card stock;
PSX Carousel Horse stamp colored with Copic markers, layered on SU Raspberry Ripple card stock;
Snoopy and Wood “Snow Sledding” stamp colored with Copic markers, layered on SU Handsome Hunter card stock;
Stampendous Holy Night nativity silhouette stamp in SU Handsome Hunter, layered on SU Raspberry Ripple card stock;
Delafield Santa rabbit stamp G619 colored with Copic markers, layered on SU Handsome Hunter card stock.

This post was originally on my previous blog December 2012.

With the Stampin’ Up! annual Sale-A-Bration (SAB) promotion coming up soon, I thought it was a good time to share my ideas for making your SAB party a fundraiser!

A couple of years ago, I really didn’t want all the hostess gifts that I earned with each workshop. (Hard to believe, I know, but I’d been stamping and collecting for over 10 years.)  I decided instead to share the hostess gifts with my guests in exchange for them helping me raise money for a charity.

Over the next couple of years my demonstrator, Amy, and I developed a plan that worked well for us.

Each guest who placed an order of $50 or more AND made a $10 donation to my chosen charity would receive one of the hostess gifts from the workshop.  I found that all my guests were quite willing to make a $10 donation and it seemed reasonable for a chance at a hostess gift that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get without hosting a large SU party.  Several friends consistently gave much more than I asked.

I made a Hostess Gift Preference Form so that each person could let me know their preference for the various types of hostess gifts (see below).  I required that each person send me their preference form a couple of days before the workshop so that I could have the hostess gifts mostly planned out ahead of time.  I spread them out and then try to honor as many first choices as possible, then second choices.  Usually I can give most guests their first choices.

I also encouraged my guests to send their orders ahead of time even if they were attending so that I could have the hostess gifts partly planned out ahead of time.  Anyone ordering but not attending was asked to email their order and Hostess Gift Preference Form two days ahead so that we could make final hostess gift choices at the party.

I don’t include an option for Level 3 hostess gifts in order to maximize the number of gifts available for my guests.

I ask each guest to write a check for their donation separate from their order payment so that they can receive the tax write-off for it, and to simplify order processing.

We found that those who received the free merchandise needed to choose an item not exceeding the amount they were given.  If it exceeded, it really complicated the processing of the order for the demonstrator.  (I don’t recall the issue exactly, but it involved requiring the hostess to pay any amount over the free merchandise credit.  While that doesn’t seem so complicated, for some reason the way the orders are submitted, it was.)

My hostess gift preference form says that free merchandise “will be at least $5; hopefully $10 or more.”  The “at least $5” is included primarily as a disclaimer.  I think it was always $10 or more, but if you don’t get a lot of orders, then you’re covered.

It’s up to the hostess how to award the hostess gifts to her guests.  As I mentioned above, I disregarded how much my guest spent since they all fulfilled my base requirement of $50 order and $10 donation. But as long as you state it ahead of time, you could use the order amount as a factor if you wanted.  You could also auction off the gifts (payments going to the charity).  Originally, I drew the forms from a bowl as in a raffle, but I found that I could satisfy most of the first and second choices much better by just comparing and planning them out.