VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS

Hi friends.  Sorry I haven’t blogged in a few days.  Running the store is more than a full time job!  I am even working on Mondays which is supposed to be my day off!  Many of you may not know that I also run another full time business from my tiny office at The Stamp Act.  For my advertising business, called Hello Polly, I write and produce message-on-hold advertising for businesses nationwide.  These are the advertising messages you hear playing when you call a doctor or a travel agency and are put on hold.  I have had this business for more than 18 years and have two people working for me, a professional sound engineer with a studio and a professional voice talent.  In addition to the advertising end of things, we also record the messages that we all hate to hear when we call a business and are told “press 1 for this and press 2 for that.”  It’s an interestng business, and one that demands its share of attention!

Classes … Classes … Classes

            I want to take a minute and invite all of you to come to a class soon.  Last weekend we were happy to have Ann from Minnesota come to our Penny Black Critters class.  Denise, an experienced stamper and lover of ATC’s, learned a new way to apply rub-on’s in the Basic Grey Card Kit class.  In the same class, Maumi learned a new way to distress papers.  Classes are fun and informative, inspiring and creative.  Take a couple hours out of your weekend or evening and join us!

Valentines Classes Coming Up this Weekend

Don’t miss our classes this weekend as we continue to make cards that are perfect for sending warm greetings to loved ones for Valentine’s Day or throughout the year.  For the morning class I designed three elegant cards that feature decorative papers, pretty embellishments and unique stamping techniques.

 

Hidden inside the layers of this beautiful “card-within-a-card” are a pair of Basic Grey magnet discs which magically close the smaller heart-shaped card into the larger card.  This lets you stamp a secret message inside to someone you love with all your heart.

“You are in my Heart” uses bold and beautiful Basic Grey Bittersweet paper as a background for a lacy punched border (Fiskars) and several die cut hearts (Spellbinders).  Chocolate pearls (KaiserCraft) and a Penny Black sentiment complete this handsome card.

For the “LOVE” card I turned the Just Rite rectangular stamper on its end (so to speak) as I stamped the “Love” vertically using the 50 point Brayton font alphabet.  Next to it I stamped the Memory Box swish border and added some pale pink crystal hearts (A Muse).  The tiny tag was die cut (Spellbinders) and stamped with the same Brayton alphabet this time using the 25 point type.

 

Felicity has created three colorful cards using new stamps from Outlines Rubber stamps for her afternoon class.    For “Sparkle Love” card she decided to “color” the stamp in a unique way, and she continued this treatment inside with the “Sparkle To You” stamp.  And aren’t these “Courting Snails” darling?  Not only are they colored beautifully, but Felicity also used the Just Rite rectangular stamper to create her own sentiment.  Isn’t she clever?  Her third card features a library pocket with a “Valentine” bee flying over lots of pink and red hearts.  We can’t do all three in the class but Felicity can tell you how to complete the ones she doesn’t have time to teach.  Join us for the fun and learn some new techniques too!

 

 

Basic Grey Card Kit Class

 I am repeating the Basic Grey Card Kit class this Wednesday evening from 6 to 8pm.  You will make 8 cards using the new Bittersweet papers, chipstickers, die cuts and rub-on’s.  Don’t miss it!

 

 

 

What’s Coming to The Stamp Act this Week?

            A lot!  A huge Hero Arts order from their brand new catalogue will arrive Wednesday chock full of their new designs as well as the catalogue itself.  Wait until you see all their new clear stamp sets – they are wonderful!

 

            Wednesday UPS will also deliver an order from one of our largest distributors.  It will include a beautiful array of Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers – very shabby chic pretty!  I’ve reordered many of the perennial favorite Cuttlebug embossing folders so if you don’t have Swiss Dot, Textile Texture, Congratulations, Bird and Swirl, Floral Fantasy, Divine Swirl or Stylized Flower, stop in.  You never know when these will be discontinued, so don’t put off getting them.  I also reordered the Border Set “With Love” which is perfect for the season of love stamping!

 

            Among the new products coming are Dew Drops in a wide array of colors from Robin’s Nest.  These small acrylic rounded “drops” are perfect for adding a touch of dimension to cards.  I also ordered some fabric scrap panels from Crafty Secrets.  These are like clip are on homespun cotton fabric and are often featured on the blogs.

 

            Call me at 915-833-9500 or email me at [email protected] to register for our classes this weekend or the Inchie class on February 7.  We would love to see you!  Happy Stamping, scrapping and paper crafting!