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Someone recently asked me how I ever got into stamping. Since I had introduced her to it 8-9 years ago (and a slew of many others over the years) she was curious as to who hooked me. I would love to hear everyone's stories about their "first time," I will start with my story.
When my son was 1, (he is now 16) my friend was watching him. I went to pick him up early for we had a 1st birthday party to go to and I had forgotten to buy a card to go with the gift. When I got to her house, she asked why I was early. When I explained to her, she said "Well I will just make you one then" I thought she was going to print something off on the computer and I said to myself "Yuk, I can't give a computer card to this person I will just throw it away and stop at the store anyway" She did not go to the computer but to her laundry room. She pulled out a box of stamps, got out a darling, simple sheep and stamped it in black. Then she added some amazing "puff" stuff, heated it and added the sentiment underneath. I was stunned. I remember saying to her that I could never do anything like that. She responded by saying that I could and would probably enjoy it too! Famous last words. I was so hooked. I knew I had to try it.
The card was a hit and my friend couldn't believe how cute it was. I expained to her how it was made and she wanted to try stamping too. The pyramid grows from there but that was my first exposure to stamping. It has been a great 15 years since. I have learned what that "puffy stuff" is, spent mega money on supplies, turned too many others on to this wonderful hobby and have made so many new friends because of it. It has helped me through good times, not so good times, sleepless nights, 2 babies, 2 teens, 3 dogs, a cat and everything else. I love my hobby.
So what was your very first exposure to stamping? The first time you had ever heard of it? I want to hear!
About 5 years ago I was invited to a Rubber Stamp Party (SU!). I had no idea what rubber stamping was, but I went to the party anyway. Well, the rest is history, I was hooked and have spent a bundle!
A lady (whom I've never met) got my mother hooked. I visited on vacation one year, stamped with my mom and was hooked. I, like many others, have now spent a bundle and hooked a few others along the way.
__________________ "You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
My mother got me hooked. My dd was in the hospital having spinal surgery. Mom thought dd could do stamping to pass the time. She hooked me istead! That was over 10 years, and many $$$ ago!!!
I was pretty new in town, on the search for a hobby that would keep me busy. Never heard of stamping before. While cruising Joann's I found a foam-mounted Teddy Bear stamp set and a "Cat in the Hat" set too, bought a package of white CS . The stamp sets came with a black ink spot. The cards were very simple (like the instructions on the back of the stamp set boxes). I didn't really get hooked until a new co-worker brought in one of the SU catalogs. I was just oohh and aahhing. I could not believe the things I saw in that book. This was over 5 years ago...
Ha!! I had never been a crafter, but I was shopping in the * trendy / artsy * area of my city called Granville Island. In a big building which housed many childrens stores and games stores etc was a shop called " I'm Impressed * - and this was about maybe 13 years ago. They were a stamping store, and had examples of cards up on their walls. I thought that they were kind of pretty - just an embossed , marker coloured card was pretty fab then - so I thought - I'll SAVE MONEY by making my own cards.............LOL!! I didn't really get HOOKED til about 4 years ago when I started stamping with a couple of friends.... many $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and years later - I am hooked. And certainly not saving money by making cards! ;)
My friend, Beth, got me started on scrapbooking while my husband was deployed to Iraq. That was in June 2006. In January 2007, she had her first Stampin' Up party. Neither of us had done a whole lot with rubber stamps, we had bought some at Michael's and Joann's, but didn't use them. Well, let me say that I made Beth's and the demo's day! I spent $800 at that first party one-year-ago, and it has just snowballed from there. I am FINALLY signing up as a Stampin' Up demo on February 1st, and all I can say is that it is about time!
__________________ Dorothy- Stamping keeps me sane!
When my FIL passed away from brain cancer in 2006, a friend sent me a beautiful handmade sympathy card. I asked her how she made it, and she showed me, and that was it! She invited me to a SU! party, and I bought 2 sets. It has now become a hobby that is enjoyable, and brings happiness to others when I hear that people like the card I made for them.
I've played with stamps & ink pads since my Mom brought home some display stamps from the stationary store she worked at, I was about 12. I did my first embossing by holding the paper over the toaster...my Mom actually endorsed this?
I did a little again when I was 21 for my wedding programs and then went crazy in 04 when I made a scrapbook for my Mom's 50th. Someone showed me a SU catalog and let me play with the stamps and I used the demo locator to find my upline. I called and said I want to be a demo. I still have never been to anyone elses classes, workshops or anything.
I consider myself completely self and SCS taught!
__________________ Sarah CAS Challenge Spring 2013 Design Team Member Visit my blog
Sometime in the early '90 I had started a new job at a mfg company and the woman beside me was working on some cards during a break. Being the original Curious George when it comes to crafts I asked her what she was doing. Pam gave me the directions to a stamp store in Easley, SC (I live in Gainesville, GA 1.5 hour drive one way) and the next Saturday I went. Fortunately for me a wonderful employee took me under her wing and got me started w/all the basics, heat gun, basic inks and paper. In the next couple of weeks I took my mom w/me to the store and that's when things got out of control! LOL! She saw the possibilities and went crazy w/my money! I started out making lots of bookmarks as agape for my mom's (and later mine) Walk to Emmaus Community, Mountain Top Emmaus in Western, NC. Started making cards for myself, everything was hand painted using water color pencils and TomBow markers and one of kind cards. Coloring the back side of vellum was as about as exotic as it got. I remember using ribbon on cards back then, and foam tape (pop dots weren't invented yet). I mean using embossing powder was top drawer!
Anyway, over the years, I've made thousands of bookmarks which have gone to the 4 corners of the earth as agape and thousands of cards which have been given away to whoever wants them.
__________________ McFadden/MacHappy Ho /Kash So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.1 Cor 10:31
I had a friend introduce me to stamping about 4 years ago.. Right after my DD was born. After she showed me some tricks of stamping I got hooked and have been sharing it with others..
I have always been somewhat crafty. Not necessarily good but wanted to do something different for Christmas wrap one year. Bought brown paper and brown bags and stamped green, red, and gold stars all over. After that, my sister-in-law bought me some stamps and stamp pads. I played a little but didn't really like it or wasn't happy with the results. Kept the stuff for years. THEN I got invited to a SU party. Became very interested then. Played with the sets I bought but only did it here and there. Decided to make my own Christmas cards 3 years ago and started stamping more after that. 2007 was my first year to make all my own cards. No more Halmark. I have 6 nieces and nephews and they love to get my cards. I send out cards for holidays and birthdays to all family members and my 3 closest friends. Keeps me pretty busy! I have turned 2 people on to stamping so it makes it more fun to do it with someone!
Is that a long enough answer? Great question to start!
I have been crafting for years. I learned to sew and knit in 4H when I was a kid.
I always loved art class in school. So, a few years ago when a friend gave me a hand stamped B-day card I thought to myself "I can do that too". Many $$$$$ later I'm hooked.
I started about 27 years ago....We were poor and couldn't afford the "Nice" high school graduation invitations for my graduation. (They cost over $50 for 25 of them...
(My folks were teachers/principals in the public schools in West Virginia....Teachers, back then, didn't make very much.)
I was helping out in the office one afternoon and asked if I could borrow the school's stamp- (You know, one of those nasty "office type" and the secretary grinned and said," Yep, and the SEAL too!"
I went home and MADE my own paper out of old grocery bags and school TRASH! (I rigged up a window screen and dish tub on our back porch!) I used an ENORMOUS cutter from the school office and cut down my homemade paper, stamped it with the secretary's school stamp and HAND wrote the invitation. I used the seal on the front along with a black satin ribbon-that I removed from my "formal dress from Homecoming, and the school stamp....I thought, "Well, it's better than nothing...." The school secretary was really impressed. She showed it to so many teachers and parents, that I had over 30 orders for those invitations! I made enough money to cover my books for my first 3 semesters of college! WOW!
I was hooked back then, and still am, 27 years laters!
When I was in nursing school a friend of mine said his wife wanted him to hand out invites to her open house for her business. I had never heard of SU and thought I'll go and spend $20 to be nice. I was about 6-7 mos. pregnant at the time. I walked out about $100 lighter and had awesome handmade birth announcements to boot! And I've been going ever since. I think I'm more Cindy's friend than Dave's now. I was even her top-buying customer last year. (much to DH's chagrin!) I've gotten a couple others hooked since then, too! Most recently my friend Jenn. I invited her to a SU workshop. I said ok, ladies, I need $300 in sales to get the hostess set I want. Jenn handed me her calculator and said how's this for you? Her total was $288! And she's been going ever since!
My friend, that I worked with, started me on stamping.. We now call them our "Kindergarten Cards". She had an SU Party in Dec. 2005, and became an SU Demo after that. Since then, my cards have greatly approved. BUT, I still have a long, long, way to go. I have spent more money on stamps, paper, punches, etc, then I thought I would ever spend. I have now sucked in my Mom, my Aunt, my SIL, and my MIL. Whatever I can do to help the economy.
Last edited by jcg; 01-27-2008 at 11:52 AM..
Reason: added some info..
Back in winter 2000 I was invited to a SU patry. I did not stamp and did not know what to buy. My 3 yr old dd loved to color lots so I decided to order a small Christmas set so she could "decorate" the outside of Christmas envolepes. Needless to say "WE" are still Stampin. Sometimes I think she stamps better than me!LOL
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
In 1994 I was doing my remote tour in Korea and I was given a roomate who had a tub of stamping supplies. She showed me what to do and I made cards to send to my son who was staying with my mom. When I got back to the states, I signed up at the local community club and took some stamping classes. I have loved it ever since!
about 4 years ago I would go pick my boys up from school. I always got there a bit early as did other moms and we would sit and chat until the bell rang. One of the moms was an SU demo and I always heard her talking about stamping. Then another mom had a party and invited me. I went to it to be nice. I was NOT planning on buying anything at all. Well... at the party I place a 75.00 order and booked my own party! I was hooked!
I was sent a beautiful hand-stamped "Thinking of you " card and actually called the person who sent it to me......and asked her ......
"How'd you do that".......she was a SU demo....so I booked a workshop with her and right then and there I was hooked ......that was 10 years ago!!!
Well, you see...my friend gave me a whole box of Stampin' Up stamp sets. Around 20 or so sets that she'd never ever used. I left them on the shelf for a long time...maybe 2 or more years...and then recently (a few weeks ago) I stumbled across someone's blog (I'm a blogger and blog designer) and I saw that she was making these AMAZING cards and paper crafts with OMG..Stamps! So I thought to myself, I have stamps and I have scrapbooking supplies. I have lots of stuff that I could try this! So I bought some ink pads and started trying my hand at stamping! I'm having so much fun with it! Yeah, okay so I've probably bought more stuff than I need but I like to have everything when I take on a new hobby. (Probably why my craft closet has exploded and is taking over 2 other closets but they are nice and neat..LOL)
Anyway, so that was how I am starting. :mrgreen: I need to find someone to order SU! stuff from now. LOL I don't want to have a party or anything because I don't know anyone really in my area so it would be sort of pitiful with just me as the guest. haha! So when I find someone to order from, I'll place my order and get some more stuff! :mrgreen:
My neighbor invited me to a SU! party. I had no interest at all, but felt obligated to go. As soon as I walked in and the demo started showing us the cards we were going to make, I covered my eyes and said, "I need to go home now because I know I am going to be in so much trouble." Well, needless to say I didn't go home, and I am so hooked. I think that was about 6 years ago.
I have had lots of hobbies over the years. I think that scrapbooking is something to be enjoyed by my family - I do it for me, but they enjoy looking at the books. Stamping is also something I do for me, but it is a way to share with others. I have had lots of health issues over the years, and I know that cards mean so much to me - I try to send out several cards each week.
I came into stamping kicking and screaming, "I don’t need another hobby!" I was already busy with knitting, handspinning, quilting, photography and raising sheep here on the farm. Over the years several of my friends tried to get me hooked and I resisted with a vengeance. It was learning to emboss from my Amish neighbors, however, that turned me into a total rubber stamp addict.
__________________ Pegg Thomas Socialism is trickle up poverty.
I was given an end of the year gift by a parent of a student in my classroom five years ago. It was a simple one-layer set of monogramed notecards. I took one look at them and said, "Hey! I could do that!" And I have been ever since!
I was introduced to scrapbooking by my youngest sister in 2000. I made a scrapbook to highlight my kindergarten students through that year. I had never heard of stamping until a neighbor had an SU party and invited me, knowing that I could make an easy transition from one craft to another....and I absolutely love it. I actually use the stamps and related techniques more than my scrapbook things!
About 5 years ago I was invited to a Rubber Stamp Party (SU!). I had no idea what rubber stamping was, but I went to the party anyway. Well, the rest is history, I was hooked and have spent a bundle!
The same exact thing happened to me except that it was 10 years ago or more.
My sister called me one afternoon about four years ago. She was so tired but had to tell me about this rubber stamping party that she went to the night before. She said the catalog was amazing ...she couldn't put it down. She said she did not sleep that night as she has all these rubber stamps running through her head!! She said I would love it and it was called Stampin Up. Well I asked her to send me a catalog which she did. I then called to find a local demonstrator and signed up!! Well many many stamp sets later I am hooked as is my sister and all my neices. Along with that addiction came SCS which i cannot live a day without logging on and checking out all the wonderful samples and the forums. Thank you all for sharing your creativity.
I went to a party...figured up how much it would cost me to buy the supplies to make one card... page 171 of the 1999 SU! catty (if you care to know ;) Whispered to my friend that I could not afford to do stamping AND scrapbooking. I left the party without purchasing a thing. Then a few months later, another friend signed up to demo for SU! I haven't hardly scrapbooked since. :mrgreen:
My whole family (mom and sisters) has always been crafty - knitting, sewing, crocheting, cross stitching, quilting, beading, you name it... Well, for a long time I wanted to start stamping, but didn't want to start investing in another hobby.
Well, my life went haywire for a while and I didn't craft for a long time, until one day I picked up my daughter from her friend's house, and the mom was stamping. That's all it took - one look at the SU catalog and I was a goner. A few weeks later, she had a party, I placed (what I thought then) was a HUGE order, and it's exploded from there. That first $110 order turned out to be just a drop in the bucket, but I still love it. I only wish I had more time to stamp!
I purchased a rubber stamp set from a LSS about 20 years ago. Used it a few times to do some VERY basic cards. Didn't think too much about stamping again until a few years after that when I was invited to a D.O.T.S. (now Close to My Heart) party. I really enjoyed the idea of all of the creativeness of this hobby. I now get together with a couple of cousins and friends about 6x per year or more with our SU! demo, then we have lunch and then do some more stamping (on our own after our demo leaves) sharing each other's supplies and having a blast! At one such gathering we were told by one of the gal's neices about this great website that gives all kinds of ideas using SU! stamps. She didn't have the name exactly right when she told us and I went crazy looking for it on the web until I called the aunt to get the name - Splitcoaststampers! Love stamping AND this great website!
I have some friends from my church who said they were going to invest in a rubber stamp business, making and selling stamps. I just thought, yeah, who buys rubber stamps these days? Well, I got curious and went to my LSS for some supplies, 1 stamp, ink and gold embossing powder. Well, I was amazed at the effect of the embossing, and asked to look at my friends catalogue. Ordered some things from there and haven't looked back. They have a business called Rubbadubbadoo, check it out, it has some awesome stamps.
Well, I knew this gal in my exercise class, you see. Her name was Milette. Milette and I chatted for about 15 seconds between songs several times a week in class. She did Stampin' Up! and I was with a different direct sales company at the time. We both tried to sell each other things from time to time, but not very seriously.
One day, though, Milette emailed me an invitation to come to her house and make coasters, and she included photos. They were gorgeous, of course. So I signed up. We made coasters with the fabulous butterflies in the Wonderful Wings set, along with the French Script background. Wow! Easy and so beautiful. I didn't buy anything that night, though.
The next month, Milette asked if I wanted to come over and make a whole lot of Christmas cards. Of course I did. We made a huge batch of cards with a Simply Scrappin' kit. Again, easy and beautiful. This time, I took home a catalog. The end was near.
I dog-eared that poor catalog so badly. I made lists. I made more lists. I rationalized how much money I was going to spend. I narrowed it down to $150. I was no dummy - I had direct sales experience and knew that I should make it a party, even if it was just my personal order. Little did I know that I would be ordering during Sell-a-bration. Even more free stuff than I expected! So I got lots of great stuff, but still wanted more. So I had a little party with a few friends before Sell-a-bration ended so that I could get more free things.
When I tried to order even more after that party, Milette wisely counseled me to go ahead and sign up to be a demonstrator. So now, she's my upline, and I've been my own best customer for almost three years.
So I was hooked by a combination of Milette's lovely personality and those fabulous butterflies. And no, I won't sell my Wonderful Wings, so don't ask!
This is so fun to hear everyone's story. Almost 10 years ago, my Mom invited me to a SU party. She was having one as a favor to a friend who was a demo. I said I'd come, but "I'm not buying anything!" Grumble, grumble!!! Famous last words! My first set was Cuddles and Tickles---I was pregnant with my first and I decided to make the birth anouncements. It is so fun to look back at my first efforts---I started with paper (not cardstock), black ink, and crayons! LOL This was the start of my addiction, although I prefer to call it "therapeautic recreation"!!!
I decided after my kids were born I needed a new hobby. I started scrapbooking in 2002. My sister-in-law stamped but at that time I decided I didn't want to use stamps in my scrapbooks because when I looked at the stamps at Michael's and the prices...well you understand. During the summer of 2003 a woman in my MOPS group said she was having a Stampin Up party and that the demonstrator would show us how to use stamps in our scrapbooks. I'd never even heard of Stampin Up then. Well, I went, bought 3 stamps sets and 6 ink pads and haven't looked back since. And now, I always, always use stamps on my scrapbook pages (except when I'm using one of SU's scrappin kits!)
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
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