West Philly Stamper

Three 3D Cards

In May I offered a "3d cards" class. Two groups of stampers requested these cards again, so I brought it to them in June, and earlier this week. (My classes are portable - if you have 4-5 friends who also want to take the class, I will bring the projects to you!)

I had so much fun designing these. They are such versatile designs, out of the ordinary, and all fit in an A2 envelope. The first one is a shadow box card, then a stair step card, and finally, an easel card. On the first one, you can see our new rhinestones! $4.95 for a whole sheet. Stamps: Card 1: Herb Expressions, Card 2: Elements of Style, (also available in clear mount), Card 3: Bouquet Bunch - only available until Aug. 31! (and also available in clear mount)

Never Ending Mini Technique Book

At each Philly Inkers (my team of demonstrators) meeting, we make a page using Stampin' Up!'s Top Note die as the base, to add to our technique books. The Top Note is the perfect size to feature a stamping technique, with instructions on the back. Technique books are great, because you can flip through them if you ever find yourself in a creative rut, and they are sure to inspire you to think outside the box.

Guests are always welcome at the Philly Inkers group meetings - come visit us sometime! We meet second Mondays at alternating houses in the Ambler/Ft. Washington area for now. We swap cards, do a make and take, technique page, and there is also some shop talk, snacks, and chatting.

I sure love these...

And I love spending them too! That's because I typically spend them on stamps and other goodies from the Stampin' Up! catalog, which means an increase in my sales/cruise points that particular month, for which I didn't have to dip into my bank account:0) "These" are debit cards, that Stampin' Up! gives me based on my quarterly sales. I get them at least a few times a year through Stampin' Up!'s "Great Rewards" program for us demonstrators. The prizes in Great Rewards range from adhesive and embellishment packages all the way up to a hefty gift card. Want more info on being a demonstrator for a hobby or business or both? Leave me a comment or send me an email.

And don't worry, I'm not worried about anyone taking the number and using it - it's already spent:0)

Proud Stampin' "Mom"

Thursday night I stayed up past my bedtime. Why was that? You see, I had to catch the "Awards." What? You say, Claire, the Academy Awards were over a long time ago? No, not those awards - I'm talking about something much more exciting - the Stampin' Up 2010 Demonstrator Awards!!! I waited with baited breath (in front of my email, at home) to hear from any of my 4 Philly Inkers attending the convention this week, in Salt Lake City. We already knew Kristin Kortonick made it into the top 100 (she got the special bag which all "Founders Circle" achievers get, when she checked in on Wed.). But we did not know where she was in the top 100.

So the awards ceremony started, and the yahoo group messages started pouring in, providing all the juicy details. First we had a fun discovery - Ilina Crouse, another Philly Inker, was a finalist for the Artisan Awards!! What an honor! We weren't too surprised. Her creations are amazing. Check out her blog by clicking on her name above. You will be in awe. 

Picture 1: Here is Kristin on stage (far right), after they announced that she was #30 (out of 40,000+ demos). That picture is followed by one of her with her downline (Kristin version 2). Ilina and I were wide awake, following the online forum, to which Kristin (version 2) was giving us the blow by blow of the entire ceremony, from her phone. (She had taken over when Kristin K was getting ready to walk on stage for her moment.) 
The last picture shows Ilina and I, a while back, when she still lived in Philly. 

What a week! I wish I had been there to see it!

Summer Stamp Camp

A week ago, my friend and Philly Inker Heather Yates and I had our Summer Stamp Camp, in Mt. Airy. It was a shorter version than our other stamp camps, because it was on a Friday night. The campers made this card tote and 3 mini notes, plus a post-it note holder, using the Island Oasis DSP, and the Tropical Party stamp set. Heather found these adorable matching pens online, which completed the ensemble. We also made another card, plus the card below, featuring the Friends Never Fade stamp set (I got this one free on the Southern Caribbean cruise in April, and now I get to use it!) We stamped on the white Top Note first, and then embossed with the Square Lattice folder, to give the piece some texture.

Stay tuned for more samples with Friends Never Fade set. I've been using it a lot. I try to do that with my stamps to get the most mileage out of a set that I can:0) So what stamps have you been using lately?

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