Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Just curious, but how did everyone get involved in stamping, especially in Stampin' Up! products? Robyn Kuritz (a new member here) got me started just over a year ago. I declined the first time she invited me to a SU! party to spend the evening with my husband, but went to the next party and was hooked right away, even regretted not going the first time! :oops: I keep all the cards I've made at these parties (especially from the first one, for sentimental reasons, of course!) for inspiration for future projects. It would be interesting to hear about the first experiences in stamping by other members. How about it?
Location: Living the good life in Westcliffe Colorado
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stampin Starts
I live in Florida and I am in the Air Force. In 2000 I unfortunately drew an assignement to Korea....un-accompanied! Well it all worked out and my Husband and I handled the distance with the help of God and some really good friends here and in Korea!! One of those friends was my neighbor, who while I was gone became hooked on Stampin Up. She couldn't wait till I got back so I could go to a demonstration and sure enough I was hooked after that. I haven't created to many amazing cards on my own but I do appreciate sites like this one and the many others out there to get ideas. I don't buy greeting cards anymore which at Christmas can be a challenge since I want all the cards I send out to be different. This past year I made around 30 unique cards! It is alot of fun and a good way to manage stress for me. I am thinking of joining as a demo just for the discount to save money on the stuff I want!! Well that's how I got started! I love it and am so glad my friend got me started! Happy stampin to all! Renee' :lol:
In 2001 my dear friend had a neighbor who was a demonstrator with SU, and had a party...and I loved it, it was so much fun. I have to admit I was very hesitant to even go the party, much less start my stamping hobby, because I thought I would never have the time with two small children and a very busy life as a stay-at-home Mom. But I have found that it relaxes me, and helps nurture my creativity. Plus I have always enjoyed working with crafts & paper...so stamping is a natural. I just haven't done scrapbooking....too much of a committment at this time. I consider being a demonstrator...but worry that it would suck the fun out of it for me. I was a sales rep before I became a Mom and want to keep stamping a special, creative time for me.
Janice: As your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, thank you for not blaming me! It seems that as a demonstrator, I get blamed a lot for people's addictions to stamping.
Doris: I was afraid of the same thing--that I would get sucked in and be so busy working projects for other people and preparing for workshops that all the fun would disappear. But I have to say the opposite has happened. I too am a full time mom with 2 children (10 and 3), work full-time outside the home, and my husband is serving a 1-year tour in Korea (been gone for 7 months). It's been hard--but I always make time for myself (usually after the kids have gone to bed). I have learned a lot from my customers and hope that I can continue to teach them new, exciting techniques and ideas.
Location: hanging' with all the other sassy sistahs!
Posts: 5,152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
stamping starts
Okay ladies, I believe that I am probably the most pathetic of all of us SU! demos out there! I have actually had to go to work to support my stamping habit! I started out as a stay at home mom who went to a friend's party. I soon became so addicted that I would have my own personal orders qualify for hostess benefits (levels 2 & 3) :shock: ! Well, it just went downhill from there! I decided to become a demo when my husband was laid off from his job, and we needed the extra income to supplement his severance. He soon found another job, but by then there was absolutely no way that I could give up my business! I had been a substitue for our local school district for several years. I just recently started working full time just so that I could afford to get all of the stamps and supplies that I want!
Oh my goodness am I such a stamping addict! But please don't offer me a recovery program - I don't want it!
Honestly though, I have found stamping and scrapping to be so therapeutic. If I can't sleep at night, I go stamp and it relaxes me. The cards that you come up with at 3am can get quite interesting! Another friend of mine has a father with Alzheimer's. Sadly he is going through some very violent stages and has had to be placed in a special home. Stamping has brought her through some very rough times. (you should see the card she made for him after a bad day - vultures were circling the greeting inside! I laughed so hard!) She and her very understanding hubby say that stamping has literally kept her from completely losing it on some days.
I am so hooked on SU! because it is such an amazing company to be affiliated with! I truly believe that the products are far superior to anything else you can find. And I bought lots before I became a demo! As the company grows (quickly I might add), they have to adjust to the different demands aand institute policies that might not make sense to the rest of us, but I couldn't ask for a better company to work with! :lol:
While I was working full-time, several of my friends would get together and stamp and I was SOOOO envious. Then when I retired, a different friend in another state was a rep for CTMH and she actually got me started; now I've gravitated to other stamping companies. Best thing, other than my DH, that ever happened to me:>)
I am sooooo new = ) Actually - they're still processing my application. I've been a customer for about 2 months and am completely HOOKED, much to my husband's dismay. I have always loved the hobby and just fell in love with SU!'s products. My original goal was just to use it to support my hobby, but it seems that I have found a couple of customers that I'm 'taking down with me'.
Well, I am an old and crusty veteran, stamp-wise! I've been rubberstamping since 1996!
At that time, in my MOPS group I belong to, someone brought in their rubber stamps so that we could make Christmas cards for our craft that meeting. I had a rubber stamp that I had bought a number of years before; it was a Mary Engelbreit stamp and I just used it to stamp the back of my envelopes for Christmas cards...I never thought of making anything with it!
Well, I sat and thought as I stamped and colored in that this was something that I could definitely do. I have a degree in art, but with little children, it was hard to find time to do "real" art and at the time I had really no place to set up to do it.
So my friend and I decided we'd make our Christmas cards that year. We attended a DOTS party and also went out to a stamping store in a far flung suburb to buy supplies to make our cards. All my stuff fit in a little shoe box at that time! I remember I decided to do heat embossing, so I bought a stamp that I stamped and embossed in gold, then colored it in with markers. I was pregnant and caught the stomach flu and it gave me a headache to do all that coloring in, so I stopped making the cards after 15 were done. But by then I was completely hooked and started buying more stamps, stamping magazines, etc.
Segue forward a few years. I met another mom in my MOPS group who was a demonstrator for Stampin' Up! She showed me the catalog and asked me if I'd have a workshop for her to help her out. So I said okay. I got 3 people to come, but I put in the biggest order myself, LOL!
I went to a few more workshops for her, but she ended up deciding to drop out. She found another demonstrator to take over her customer base and threw one last workshop to introduce the other demonstrator to her customers. I didn't make it to that workshop, but she lent me a catalog. The workshop was on 9/10/01. I had planned on calling the next day to put in my order, but, as you can imagine, the next day stamps did not seem at all important. I ended up keeping the catalog however, and would pour over it looking at all the neat stuff I wanted to buy.
So, for a while there after I started scrapbooking, I wasn't really into doing cards as much. Then I got a job as the secretary of our church. One of the things you end up doing is sending cards to people, so I started making them again. I got reinfected! I joined a board up on the Women of Faith site on rubberstamping and got into a swap. One of the other women up there was a SU! demonstrator. She tried to recruit me. I had thought about it before; I had never thought I could be a direct sales rep because I am a nervous person and I don't like pushing things on people. But SU! was different, somehow. I loved the products and it seemed to me if that was true, it wouldn't seem like pushing but "offering". As my three children have gotten older, I have found that the disposable income that used to be available to me to fund my hobbies has been rapidly shrinking. I figured as a demonstrator, I could at least earn enough to supply my obsession!
However, I didn't want to recruit under the demo on the WOF board because I really wanted to find someone locally. I looked at my old catalog and called the demonstrator that my original friend had turned her customers over to and signed up right away! And I lucked out! My upline is really great and I have enjoyed being on her team! We were talking recently about places we had taken craft classes and it turned out we might have even taken the same ones together...we had the same teacher at a craft store I used to hang out in all the time!
My business has brought me nothing but joy (well, except the tax part, LOL!) I've made some great friends that I never would have gotten to know, learned all sorts of new things, and have been able to support my habit quite well.
Well, the first SU! show I went too I was interested but not terribly excited. She showed us how to stamp with black ink on white card stock and color it in with pencils. I looked through the catty and thought wow there must be more to it than that so I booked a workshop. She showed the same thing! I decided that I would skip stamping and stick to scrapbooking. Then I met my upline. She had a Stamp Camp and it sounded interesting so I went to it. She had colored paper and inks! I was amazed at all of the things she showed me. I was a consultant with CM at the time but it didn't take me long to see that SU! was the company for me. So I quit CM and signed up with SU! a year and a half ago and I love it!
How embarassing! I totally forgot to mention my demonstrator, Tiffany, when I started this forum! I can't say I "blame" Tiffany for my habit, on the contrary, I thank her for some of the wonderful ideas she shows at her parties, the many great purchasing opportunities and especially for telling me about this site!
I am a mom with five kids between the ages of 11 and 2. I have thought of doing different in home sales such as Party Lite or Tupperware but never thought that it was right for me. Then my younger sister joined SU and needed me to host a workshop. I was amazed that within one hour she made over $80. :o Now, my husband lost his job and went back to school and I was trying my hardest to stay home with the kids and stay sane. Believe me it was getting hard. So when I saw my sister have fun and make money at the same time, I decided that it was something that I could do.
I am naturally a shy person so it was a surprise when my first workshop came around and I did great!
So on top of enjoying the great products and color coordinated items that SU has, it has also helped my depression. Yes, I did say that dredded "D" word. Living in raining and some times sunny WA doesn't help much, especially in the winter time. SU has given me something besides kids, dishes, laundry and bedtime to concentrate on. It definatley has helped me get through this last winter.
My kids also love to stamp. My 7 year old even had a stamping birthday party with her friends. They loved it!
So if you think about it, being a SU demonstrator has both health and family togetherness benefits.
I am on my third year as a SU demo. I can't imagine my life without stamping. I had never stamped before going to a friend's daughter's first stamping workshop. I was a gonner and told her to sign me up. Since then I have taken over the whole down stairs of our home. I never thought I would be addicted to paper, ink and stamps but I am a stamper addict. Just recently my sister and I went to the ocean for 10 days and I loaded up my suburban with stampin stuff and we set up a stamping studio at the beach. For three days we never even got dressed and didn't go shopping other than for food and wine the whole time. It's our second year and can't wait until next year....maybe we'll do it twice a year :lol:
What I enjoy the most about stamping is the never ending ideas. I have been a crafter since birth and always changing to do different things....hasn't happened with stamping, it just keeps going on. I just started scrapbooking and it is so incredible.
I have stamp camps at my home and have met the most amazing women through my stamping. I always dreamed of being an art teacher and SU has made that possible. Thanks to everyone for creating this awesome site and all of you for keeping those creative ideas coming. Happy Stamping, Rebecca :lol:
about a year ago I saw a signature line with Stampin' Up! So I asked the lady about it. Took me about 2 weeks to decide I wanted to make my own christmas cards.....that started me on my quest to own everything I could lay my hands on.
Once I started getting SU inks to go with the stamps, I needed the paper etc. etc etc
Good for you....you will just love it and have so much fun sharing it will friends and family and most of all meet such awesome ladies and make new friends. You won't regret taking the plunge just make room for lots of stuff to come!!! Welcome!! Rebecca Goeres
I started with a DOTS stamping party in 1992! For three years I had just enough stuff to keep in a pizza box but was addicted none the less. In 1996 I attended a home decorating party and overheard a couple of ladies talk about SU. One was a demonstrator. I immediately begged to do a party for her. So since then I have had numerous parties. In the last year and a half I have joined a monthly group workshop and a monthly card swap group. My craft room is my sanctuary! I have 6 kids and my sweet husband that keep me very busy. I also burn the midnight oil stamping. It definitely keeps me sane. I have been toying with the idea of becoming a demonstrator but am having a hard time convincing my husband that it could be a lucrative business. Also I'm worried about saturation living here in Utah. I have three friends who live in the same town who are SU demonstrators. Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks....Keep on stamping!
I was invited to a co-workers stamping up party. I never heard of the company, didn't know what a stampin up party was, and honestly had no desire to drive the 45 minutes to her house on a work night and be obligated to buy SOMETHING I didn't want.
Allow me to give you a brief history of myself. I am going to be 33 on 4/23, happily married going on 9 years. I have a degree in Fine Art (my true love) but have been in Finance the last 15 years! Have to pay the bills!
As we made the "party card" I felt very restricted and frustrated. This was NOT for me. I am an artist and it was just too easy, but I had to buy something! Needless to say, I am hooked! It has only been about 6 months and I just love it. I found a creative outlet that has been put aside for a long time.
I am not a SU Demonstrator because I do not have the "connections" and feel I would never be able to make the quarterly sales or be able to book the parties. I would love to give it a go but I am very hesitant. I have an extremely demanding , stressful job and often travel so it would be difficult to commit. BUT I WISH I COULD.
I have found this site to be the best with the nicest group of people and have enjoyed hosting my NO STRESS SWAP and organizing the HUGE RAK list! This has become more than a hobby but has made me feel as though I was part of making someone smile because they received a RAK instead of a bill!!
I have a friend(Carita) who does not make cards or scrapbook. She always decorates her envelopes before they leave the house with stamps and stickers. Even on her bills. At one time one of her bills was lost. She went to the utility company to find out how much her bill was and to pay it. She had gotten a little tired of decorating because it was so time consumming. When they asked her her name, they were all in amazement. They pulled out a file that had all of her envelopes. They were so blessed they had started a collection. It was then that I started doing the same. You never know who's day you can make. There is a lot of people that handle the mail beside the receipent. My husband liked the idea too. We happened to be in Michael's one day and he bought me my first little set of stamps. Not knowing 6 years and 2100 stamps later I have to have a whole room to store and stamp in. He's very supportive and has even made me a few cards for special occasions. They may not be the most beautiful to some but they are to me.
My friend Carita also invited me to go to a Stampin Up workshop at a lady's house, she was in the homemakers with. I bought a few stamps then. That was in the day of the foam mounted kind. Still have them. I Love SU products. I think I have approx. 75 sets.
I actually met my SU demonstrator through a yard sale that she has every year to sell her retired sets to be able to by the new ones. She's the best. She has tried to talk me into joining the team too. However, I work a very stressful job. I'm involved in my church and I also feel it would be to hard to make the quota each quarter. I'm also not getting any younger. I'm 47 with degenerative back diease and fibromaylia. My music ministry serving God and my stamping keeps me going. Being able to encourage another person is the greatest feeling there is. That's the reason for my member name: stampingsinger
By the way Gina-YOU ARE A BLESSING to have started a RAK. It's a lot of work but well worth it in the end!!! YOU WILL BE BLESSED!
I started stamping last July & became a demo in Jan. I signed my kids up for a scrapbooking class & the person who taught that was aCM consultant. She had a friend who became a SU demo so she hosted her first party. I went & was one of only 2 guests but I became totally hooked!
I agree with what Tricia2 said about stamping beats depression, it is pretty gloomy here too(Rochester NY) about 9 months out of the year as well. The funny thing is, when I got hooked, it was July. I went through a period of insommnia & edidn't have my stamps yet but I used to go over the SU catalog repeatedly.
Anyway, still new at this & trying to make a go of it, not real comfortable with the "selling" aspects yet but getting there.
Love it anyway.
I bought my first stamp set (Button Bear) and a couple of ink pads in 1996, but, with so little to work with, I didn't enjoy it much. I continued to buy stamp sets for my daughter for birthdays, Christmas, etc.
Last year my daughter set up a stamping room in one of my un-used upstairs bedrooms, because she had no room for it at her house. Needless to say, with the stuff so close at hand, I got hooked. Now I can't get enough of it, and you can find me stamping at all hours.
I'm not a demonstrator, but I do invite friends and co-workers over from time to time for impromptu stamping sessions. I love to share ideas and techniques with them.
Button Bear now has the company of over 100 stamp sets and every imaginable tool!
Stamping starts
