Happiness Blooms Suite

It’s been some time since I have posted and I am excited to be back sharing some projects with you!  I finally had some time to play this weekend and once I got started with this suite it was hard to stop!!

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Cards made using the stamp sets Bloom by Bloom from the 2019 Occasions catalog and Part of My Story from the 2019 Sale-A-Bration Catalog

The minute I saw this suite at OnStage in Orlando I knew I had to have it. I just love the bold images and bright colors, it just makes me happy looking at it!  But I think my favorite thing about this set has to be how all the products work so well together, the possibilities are bound only by your imagination.

This suite not only contains a 17 piece photopolymer set and 4 mini punches, but there is coordinating Designer Series Paper (DSP), satin ribbon, enamel dots, a textured inpressions embossing folder, cardstock pack, and a Memories & More card pack with matching cards and envelopes!  This suite has so many pieces it takes up a full three pages in the 2019 Occasions Catalog.  Although the set doesn’t have any sayings, I found the exclusive Sale-A-Bration set, Part of My Story worked really well.  As a bonus, during Sale-A-Bration (SAB) spend $50 and you can get the Part of My Story set for free!

Lets get started!

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First up I used a sheet of Happiness Blooms DSP, matching Night of Navy and Pineapple Punch cardstock, Pineapple Punch 1/8″ grosgrain ribbon, Happiness Blooms enamel dots in Pineapple Punch and my go to Layering Oval framelits.  The saying is stamped using Call Me Clover ink.

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This card shows some versatility to the set.  I started with another sheet of the DSP, this time in stripes. Night of Navy is the card base and a layer behind the Whisper White piece making the stamped images really pop.   For the butterfly I used the smallest flower and Calypso Coral ink to make wings.  For the body I used the Dark Night of Navy blend and drew it freehand, adding little antennae.  A little epoxy heart was placed over the inked heart to give it a little shine. This card is very easy to make and doesn’t require any special tools, perfect for a beginning stamper.

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This card is stunning in person, since it showcases the Grapefruit Grove Foil Sheet, available only during SAB with a $50 purchase.  It has a holographic look and is a must have for one of your free SAB items! I wish I could have really captured the beautiful colors in the photo.

The foil sheet is embossed with the Dot to Dot Textured Impressions Embossing folder and paired with some DSP. A piece of Calypso Coral 3/8″ Satin Ribbon covers the seam and adds another layer of sheen to the card. Call Me Clover and Calypso Coral are the cardsock colors used along with Whisper White.  Inks used were Grapefruit Grove for the flower, Call Me Clover for the stem and Night of Navy for the little dots to match the DSP.

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Cards made using the Happiness Blooms Memories & More card pack and matching Memories & More Cards & Envelopes

After I played only with the the set and some of the products from the suite I really wanted to dive into the whole suite. You can make some really simple notecards and full sized cards using the Happiness Blooms Memories & Blooms Card Pack and the coordinating Happiness Blooms Memories and More Cards & Envelopes.

If you aren’t sure what a card pack is, the pack contains 50 double sided cards (2 each of 25 designs) in 3″ x 4″ and 4″ x 6″ sizes, 6 single sided 4″ x 6″ specialty cards (the designs are all embossed!!) and 4 coordinating sticker sheets.  The matching cards and envelopes  have small and large cards that fit the 3″ x 4″ and 4″ x 6″ cards perfectly.  One side is Night of Navy and the inside is white.  The envelopes are white and have Night of Navy stripes along the inside flap.

These are perfect for when you need a card but are short on time or just starting out with paper crafting and have limited supplies.  There is no stamping needed just attach one of the pre-printed cards to the front of the matching card and voila, a card ready to use!!  You can leave them as is or step them up a notch adding some embellishments such as stickers from the card pack or from the suite.

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This is a perfect example of just attaching the card to the front of a little notecard like the card on the left.  It looks great as it is, the saying is already pre-printed and has a coordinating border.  If you have a few more minutes go ahead and step it up a bit.  I added a few enamel dots to the center of several flowers,  then I punched a matching flower using one of the Bitty Blooms mini punches and Lovely Lipstick cardstock.  I added an enamel dot to match the ones on the card and raised it with a mini dimensional.

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For these two I added “Time to Celebrate”, one of the stickers from the card pack, to the Congratulations card with mini dimesionals and a few enamel dots here and there.  On the little Love and Laughter notecard, I kept it simple with just a small Pineapple Punch 1/8″ grosgrain ribbon bow.

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On these two I added stickers from the card pack to both cards.  Everything is so beautifully coordinated it really makes these cards easy.  To give them a little dimension the flowers were raised with mini dimensionals.

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These two were very simple.  Since the backgrounds were so pretty I only wanted add a small embellishment.  To each I added flower stickers from the card pack and to make them pop some a little enamel dot in the center.

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To the Thinking of You card on the left I added the little strand of  circles, another sticker from the pack and three sizes of enamel dots.  To the Love & Happiness card I colored two of the small Epoxy Heart Droplets with a Dark Flirty Flamingo Blend.  Since the marker is alcohol based you can color these embellishments to match your project or leave as is and it won’t wipe off.

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These two cards I stepped up a little bit more.  For the Happy Birthday card I punched the small flowers from a sheet in the Happiness Blooms DSP pack and added enamel dots to the center of each.  Then each was attached to the card with a mini dimensional and I  added a bow made from two pieces of Night of Navy Baker’s Twine.  The notecard on the right uses stickers from the pack including “Thank You”, flowers and leaves.  Again they were attached to the card using mini dimensionals.

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This last card really steps it up.  I used one of the specialty cards from the pack that is embossed.  It’s really hard to see the embossed flowers in this picture but the one below really shows how shiny they are.

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Instead of using the coordinating cards from the suite I used a Lovely Lipstick cardbase and a layer of Night of Navy behind the embossed flower card. I cut an oval piece from the center of the floral panel before attaching to the Night of Navy panel since this will be covered by the saying. This really gives you more out of your specialty paper. From the piece I cut out, I punched the little flowers out using one of the Bitty Blooms punches.  To get the leaves I cut a small narrow strip from one of the other specialty cards that had embossed Call Me Clover circles and punched little leaves using the leaf punch from the Bitty Blooms punch pack. The saying is from Part of My Story and I stamped it in Night of Navy ink on a large scallop of Whisper White cardstock.   This was mounted to an oval of Night of Navy and attached to the card using dimensionals.

I hope you have as much fun with this set as I did this weekend!

If you purchase the entire suite, add a pack of mini dimensionals and a roll of ribbon you will get to $100.00 giving you both the Foil Sheets and the Part of My Story stamp set for FREE!

To learn about Sale-A-Bration and see other products you can earn CLICK HERE.

Products Used:

 

If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!

As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!!!

Time for a change – Part 1 – The Color Revamp

“Don’t be afraid of change. You may lose something good  but you may gain something even better.”                                                                                                      ~ Unknown

I love change, whether a new hair style or color, moving furniture in my house or reorganizing things in my office or house.  But I know some people are resistant to change they like things to always stay the same.  No matter which category you are in,  I guarantee you are going to LOVE the new colors that Stampin’ Up! is introducing in the new 2018-2019 catalog!  I know I will miss a few of the retiring colors but the new fresh colors taking their place are so stunning I cannot wait to start creating with them!!  And not only are we getting new colors but the ink pads have been redesigned!!

First off let me explain what is happening with our exclusive color collection.  Each year five In-Colors are introduced and five In-Colors are retired.  These colors are around for two years so this year the colors from the 2016-2018 grouping will leave us and the 2018-2020 colors will be introduced.  That is usually it, but this year Stampin’ Up is doing a complete color revamp!  They are retiring thirteen colors and not only bringing back six previously retired colors but they are introducing ten brand new colors, for a total of sixteen new colors!!!  The collections have been reconfigured and they have added a Basics collection consisting of Whisper White, Very Vanilla and Basic Black.  The last time a complete color overhaul took place like this was in 2010!  We did have a refresh in 2013 where several retired colors were brought back but there were no new colors  (other than the In Colors) introduced.

Now for the ink pad redesign.  We are all used to the push and flip method of opening the pads, now all you have to do is open the pad like a compact and slide the lid into place.  In addition to this the ink has been reformulated to reduce bubbles so you will get exceptional ink coverage.  All this in a flatter pad that stacks to save space and a sticker that gets placed inside so you can always see the color at a glance!

Since there is so much information I want to share with you, this post will be two-parts.  Be sure check back later this week for Part 2, an up close look at the new ink pad design, including several tips on using them!

And without further ado, let’s see the retiring In-Colors, the new group and the five from 2017-2019 that are staying for one more year!

2018 In Colors

And here are the thirteen retiring colors and sixteen new colors…..

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As I mentioned there are now 5 color collections to choose from they are:

Basics – the foundation for your projects:

  • Whisper White
  • Very Vanilla
  • Basic Black

Neutrals – colors designed to go well with everything:

  • Merry Merlot **
  • Early Espresso
  • Soft Suede
  • Crumb Cake
  • Sahara Sand
  • Gray Granite **
  • Smoky Slate
  • Basic Gray
  • Mossy Meadow *
  • Night of Navy

Brights – vibrant happy colors:

  • Poppy Parade *
  • Melon Mambo
  • Flirty Flamingo *
  • Mango Melody **
  • Daffodil Delight
  • Granny Apple Green **
  • Coastal Cabana *
  • Bermuda Bay
  • Pacific Point
  • Gorgeous Grape **

Subtles – soft soothing colors:

  • Blushing Bride
  • Calypso Coral
  • Petal Pink **
  • So Saffron
  • Soft Sea Foam **
  • Pear Pizzaz
  • Mint Macaron *
  • Pool Party
  • Balmy Blue **
  • Highland Heather **

Regals – rich deep jewel tone colors:

  • Real Red
  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Cajun Craze
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Crushed Curry
  • Old Olive
  • Garden Green
  • Shaded Spruce **
  • Blackberry Bliss *
  • Rich Razzleberry

* denotes a retired color returning      ** denotes a BRAND new color

I hope you are as excited about this color change as I am!!

If you want to stock up on the retiring colors don’t delay, once the stock has been depleted they will be gone forever!!!  If buying ink pads don’t forget a reinker!

SHOP NOW FOR RETIRING COLORS

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As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook! If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

 

 

It’s Never Too Early to Plan for the Holidays!

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I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, enjoying time with family and friends and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Even though summer is in full swing, before you know it will be time to start creating your holiday cards.  And Stampin’ Up! is helping you by releasing a gorgeous set, Carols of Christmas along with the coordinating thinlits Card Front Builder ahead of the unveiling of the 2017 Holiday catalog!  It can be purchased separately or save 10% by buying the bundle!

I have just started playing with these and I am really having a great time!  There is so much that can be done with this bundle, from a complex card to something quite simple. I think this set will appeal to almost everyone and I put it as a must have for your holiday crafting.  You can get a lot of mileage out of the thinlits, they can be used well after the holidays, especially the beautiful frame cut out.

I created this card for our Annual Christmas in July Card Buffet and it was a huge hit!  It has a great traditional Christmas look plus it is super easy to put together and replicate in large quantities.  Enjoy!

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Step by Step Directions and Card Dimensions

For more ideas using this set check out this video from Stampin’ Up!

Supplies Used:

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If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!

 As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook!

If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo

Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

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August Specials

From Stampin’ Up!:

Time to redeem those coupons earned during Bonus Days!

Between August 1st and 31st you can redeem your coupons. Just enter the coupon codes sent to you by Stampin’ Up!.  If you earned more than one, make sure you enter each one separately and watch your saving add up!

Early Release Bundle – Carols of Christmas and Card Front Builder Thinlits

Between August 1st and 31st be one of the first to own a stamp set from the 2017 Holiday  catalog!  The Carols of Christmas set and coordinating thinlits Card Front Builder are a perfect addition to your stamp collection!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE PROMOTIONS

From Me:

Everyone loves surprises!  As a thank you for supporting my business, with any order of $35 or more (before shipping and tax) you will receive a FREE surprise gift bag share!

Just enter Hostess Code JB7TVAUR when you place your order online. I will send your gift to the address used for your order. If your order is $150 or more DO NOT enter the code. If you enter the code you won’t get your Stampin’ Rewards for FREE goodies and I wouldn’t want you to lose out on those! I will automatically send your gift when the order is placed.

This offer is only available only through Joanne Mulligan, an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  Gifts ship at the end of the month and are sent via USPS.  At this time I can only accept orders in the United States.  

SHOP WITH JO

Featured Stamp Set – Coffee Cafe

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Anyone who knows me really well, knows that I LOVE coffee!  There is nothing like the first sip in the morning it makes me instantly happy.  I do have a few coffee rules; only hot coffee in the morning no matter the weather and in the afternoon hot if the temperature is below 50 and iced if it is over. There is a slight variation on this if it is raining I have hot in the afternoon no matter the temperature.  I know it’s a little quirky but that’s how I roll in the coffee department.

It was no surprise that as soon as I saw the Coffee Cafe stamp set, and the entire Coffee Break Suite it was a must have for me! I really like the sayings as well as the Designer Series Paper (“DSP”) and the super adorable Corrugated Elements.

The colors are very earthy which play nicely on the coffee theme.

Coffee Break Suite

It was the first set I chose to really play with when my first order arrived.  Here is what I came up with.

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First up a little gate fold card.  The card base is Pear Pizzazz cardstock 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ score at 2 1/8″ and 6 3/8″).  I used the polka dot DSP on the front of each panel (1 7/8 x 5 1/4″).  Then I stamped the large cup and lid using Early Espresso and the oval saying with Pear Pizzazz on Whisper White cardstock, then each image was cut out using the Coffee Cups Framelits.  I also cut the coffee collar from Early Espresso cardstock using the fluted framelit. Next I attached the lid and coffee collar to the cup with a small amount of Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  The oval saying was adhered to the oval Corrugated Element and attached using a dimensional.  I tied a strand of linen thread around the top then into a small bow.  The coffee cup gets attached to the left side only, make sure you only apply adhesive to that side so the card can open and close.

I will be having a video how to on this card once my editor can help me with it.  And by editor I mean my daughter.  She is a tad busy the next few weeks moving into her first house, they closed on it this past week and are busy cleaning and painting.  They thought it best to get this done before all the furniture was moved in.  So production is on hold for a little while until she is settled in .

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Next I wanted to continue with the polka dot DSP but add a few new elements.  The Coffee Cups Framelits come with a teeny tiny coffee cup that fits perfectly on the cups of another sheet paper from the Coffee Break DSP pack.  I thought it would be fun having them stacked on top of one anther going along the inside of the card.  The card front is slightly smaller than the back allowing the cups to peek through.  The Soft Sky card base is 5 1/2″ x 7 1/2″, score at 4 1/4″.  I added a strip of the polka dots to the front panel (3″ x 5 1/4″.  Next I stamped the cup and lid in Early Espresso on Whisper White cardstock and the saying in Soft Sky, it fits perfectly in the cup! They were cut out using the framelits and attached as in the first card.  I took a small strip of burlap ribbon and attached using Tear & Tape adhesive, then the cup was attached on top using dimensionals.  Next I cut 5 little cups from the DSP and glued along inside of the card using Multipurpose Liquid Glue. I always try to use odd numbers in my “works of heart”. In high school my art teacher always told us odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye and that rule has stuck with me all these years.

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I decided to change-up the DSP for this card.  This time I used Early Espresso for the card base (5 1/2 x 8 1/2″ score at 4 1/4), with a Crumb Cake panel (4″ x 5 1/4″) on top of this.  I cut the DSP into 2 strips 1 3/4″ x 5″ with a small Early Espresso Strip 1/4″ x 5″, these were attached to the Crumb Cake panel then attached to the card base.  I stamped the cup and lid again in Early Espresso but this time on Soft Sky cardstock and cut out with the framelits. The coffee collar was cut this time using the plain framelit not the fluted one. The cup was assembled  as done previously and the heart Corrugated Element was added with a dimensional.  I stamped the saying on Whisper White cardstock in Crumb Cake then stamped the hearts in Soft Sky using the outline heart stamp and coloring in with the matching Stampin’ Write marker.  I added a touch of clear Wink of Stella for some sheen.  This was cut out using the Layering Ovals framelits and I cut a matching oval the next size up in Early Espresso,  then attached to the card using dimensionals.

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I do love the occasional iced latte with whipped cream so that is what inspired this card.  I used Garden Green for the card base, standard size 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ score at 4 1/4″.  I took a Crumb Cake panel (4″ x 5 1/4″) and stamped it using the Burlap Background Stamp in Crumb Cake ink then attached to the card base.  Then I took a 2 1/2″ x 4″ piece of DSP and tore the edges.  To get the white inside to show tear the paper toward you not away.  This was attached to the Crumb Cake panel.  Next I stamped the saying on Whisper White using Garden Green ink.  I tore the saying out then using a sponge dauber I inked the edges with Soft Suede, this was attached to the DSP using dimensionals.  The cup was cut from Crumb Cake and sponged with Soft Suede.  I stamped the straw using the small striped stamp on a scrap of Whisper White using Garden Green.  With the photopolymer stamps you can line up each section with ease to create one long strip which was then cut with the framelit.  The whipped cream was stamped using Crumb Cake and cut out along with the coffee collar in the matching DSP.  To give the whipped cream a little something extra I added a little Wink of Stella in clear. After assembling the coffee cup, it was attached to the card with dimensionals.

This card will be featured in a video, as it has many elements that people always ask me about such as getting a clear image with a background stamp and tearing to get those nice feathered edges.

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Now to show you the versatility of this set, I made a birthday card with a cupcake using the coffee collar and whipped cream.  I also played with my other must have the Embossing Paste! The card base is Early Espresso, 4 1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5 1/2″, on top of this I added a Pear Pizzazz panel (4″ x 5 1/4″). I took a piece of striped DSP (3 3/4″ x 5″) and cut the center using the largest oval framelit from Layering Ovals.  I cut another oval from the polka dot DSP, (I told you I loved the polka dot DSP!) and inserted it in the center of the striped panel.  Now comes the fun part….I cut whipped cream out of a piece of thick Whisper White cardstock.  I took a small amount of the Embossing Paste and put it on my Silicone Craft Sheet with a palette knife. I added a few drops of Early Espresso reinker and mixed it up to make the yummy chocolate frosting, I swear it looked just like real frosting I was very impressed! Then I frosted the little whipped cream piece, just like a real cupcake. While the embossing paste dries pretty quick when used in a thin layer, since this was so thick I hit it with a hairdryer on low to speed drying time. Then using Crumb Cake card stock I cut my cupcake using the fluted coffee collar.  I found it a little large so I trimmed it down with my Paper Snips to a perfect cupcake size.  The edges were sponged with Soft Suede and a dauber.  I cut out the banners using the Duet Banner punch after I stamped the sayings from the Happy Birthday Gorgeous set in Early Espresso ink.  These edges were also sponged with Soft Suede ink.  Then the banners and cupcake were attached with dimensionals.

Supplies Used:

I hope you enjoyed these projects using the Coffee Break Suite.  If you have any questions about any of the featured cards, please let me know I would be happy to help!

If you would like to get a notification each time I post a project share, specials from Stampin’ Up! or myself, class schedules or video tutorials, please make sure you click “Follow By Email” at the top of this post.  That way you won’t miss a thing!  As always, please feel free to share any post on Pinterest or Facebook!

If you are interested in attending classes or any of my all day events be sure to visit my events page for a current schedule.

Happy Stamping!

~Jo
Making the world a happier place, one card at a time!

June Specials

From Stampin’ Up!:

Earn an Extra $35 in Stampin’ Rewards with a Qualifying Workshop or Order!

From June 1 – June 30, 2017 earn an extra $35 in Stampin Rewards with a workshop or order totaling $350 or more! Call me to book your workshop now before my calendar fills up!!  This is a perfect chance to get some of items on your Wish List from the new catalog for FREE!!

For more information [CLICK HERE]

From Me:

As a thank you for supporting my business, with any order of $35 or more (before shipping and tax) you will receive a FREE Sampler of Assorted Ribbons, Embellishments and Designer Series Paper !

Just enter Hostess Code 9KXHCYBD when you place your order online. I will send your gift to the address used for your order. If your order is $150 or more DO NOT enter the code. If you enter the code you won’t get your Stampin’ Rewards for FREE goodies and I wouldn’t want you to lose out on those! I will automatically send your gift when the order is placed.

This offer is only available only through Joanne Mulligan, an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  At this time I can only accept orders in the United States.  

To shop with me [CLICK HERE]

Let’s Get Creative!

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The other day I was reading an article about strategies to charge up your memory in AARP Magazine, yes I am in the 50+ age bracket, and one of the tips was to live creatively.  It goes on to state that “having an artistic hobby in both middle and old age made older adults in a Mayo study 73 percent less likely to experience cognitive decline.”  Now that made me really take notice.  For years I have touted the benefits of stamping to help reduce stress and now a study shows that having a creative hobby can help maintain brain function.  Now another great reason to stamp!

I know many of you reading this have been stamping for a while but some may be new to this wonderful hobby. I am doing a series of articles and videos titled “Let’s Get Stamping” to help new stampers as they begin their stamping journey.  Even though they are geared for beginners there may be a few tips sprinkled in that you didn’t know or may have forgotten.  I want to reach every stamper no matter what your level because I really believe this is wonderful hobby that not only benefits you but all those who receive your creations and works of heart!

Each article will build off the one before so you can progress from novice to pro in no time! I started with a list of basic supplies every stamper should have in their arsenal.  For the next one I go into different types of stamps and care with a video showing how to mount each one for use.

I hope you enjoy the series and as always thank you for visiting!

Take me to Let’s Get Stamping!

Take me a video tutorial on How to Mount my Stamps

Happy Stamping!

~Jo