just for fun 2

Oh, Carol, you come up with the best questions - thank you for stimulating the conversation.

Let's see ... I bought a single stamp - a Unicorn - from a store called Unicorn City in NYC back in, um ... 1972 or '73. It came with a purple office-supply type ink pad. For the next three decades or so, I used it often to decorate correspondence.

Then, sometime in around 1993 or '94, I went to a fund-raiser for Calyx, a wonderful journal of women's art and writing

and they were having a silent auction featuring all kinds of items and services donated by local businesses. I started writing bids on all the items nobody else was bidding for, and wound up winning a year's subscription to Rubberstampmadness ( ), which is also published locally. I had no idea what it was, but it looked cool, and when I got the first issue my brain about exploded. It took me about five minutes of browsing through it to pick up the phone, call their office and ask "so, where the heck can I buy some of these stamp things around here?" The rest is history.My style has ... evolved. I started out doing a lot of stamping with black ink and coloring-in, moved on to masking and other techniques picked up from RSM ... and gradually developed a loose, even sloppy style that works well with collage, overpainting and other techniques I've been using as a closet artist most of my adult life. Back then I did Stamping Projects, mostly on paper. These days I consider stamps, inks, etc. to be one more medium for making art, and I tend to do very few "just stamping" pieces.

-- Pat Kight snipped-for-privacy@peak.org

I have been stamping for 6 + years now. I started out with a more cutesy style and now I learn more to the artistic style. I just started scrapbooking not long ago and I find I use just about any style to go along with the subject of the pictures.

~Donna~ SAHM Val Gal 16, Wendy Woo 14, Seany 10 6 years of Stamping Bliss

Make that "two decades or so." Nubmers are not my strong suit. (-:

-- Pat snipped-for-privacy@peak.org

I started about 7 years ago and bought my "first stamps" at Custer's Last Stamp in Traverse City Michigan. When I got home to Cleveland, I realized that I already had a lot of stamps I'd bought for a small decoration on an envelope etc., but that I hadn't cleaned them or kept them properly. I used to wonder when I saw stamp sellers at craft shows with large crowds all around them what the big deal was. My sister & I got started at the same time thinking that we would SAVE money by making our own cards. I laugh now that I can't afford Hallmark because of my rubber addiction! My style fluctuates from season to season and I like to try out a new style when I see it in Rubber Stamper or a stamping store. I also try to go "back to the start" and use my older stamps in new ways or revisit a style I've tried before. I make all my own cards - including Christmas and I do some artwork project too!

I've been stamping for almost 20 years. I didn't really think about until you posted this question. (good question btw!). I know it's been a long time but I didn't realize how long! I bought my first stamp when I was 13 - it was a little frog and a green stamp pad. Like Pat, I too decorated correspondence and did little things with my one stamp. Then I discovered AC Moore and Michaels (Craft Stores) many years later and fell in love! There were so many stamps I was overwhelmed!

Two years ago a family member introduced me to Stampin' Up! and again, I was hooked. Since then I've stamped cards, glass, candles, clothing, albums - everything. I recently started scrapbooking - another awesome stamp and paper craft. Great outlet for me. I almost like it better than stamping cards because I get to keep the finished product!

Brandi

Judy,

I'm glad to hear that someone else out there makes all their own cards--I have been making cards using stamps for about 5 years now and I absolutely love it! I get so many comments on my cards and things as well.

I got married just over a year ago...I made all my own cards for the Wedding invitations (about 130) and then I also made all my own Thank You cards after the wedding. I also made my own Thank you cards for gifts received at 2 separate Bridal showers.

My husband and I are expecting our first child in October 2003; I have already had a Baby Shower and made my own Thank you cards for gifts received at it. I've also got the Birth Announcement Postcards nearly finished (there's only so much information I could fill in before the Baby arrives). I'll finish these after I get home from the hospital and then have them mailed.

I'm currently working on Fall/Winter cards because I know I won't have much time once Baby arrives. I'm hoping that I can get a good number of Christmas cards finished within the next month and I plan to get all the Birthday/Anniversary cards and such finished for the rest of the year.

I've got a lot going on right now with childbirth and preparation for Baby classes, but I have a good process going for card making also (I don't work right now, so I'm home most of the time).

Carol,

In response to the original question for this posting...

I've been stamping for about 5 years. I first got started when I was Student Teaching in a Kindergarten classroom in the Fall of 1998. The Mother of one of the boys in the class was/is a Stampin Up (SU) demonstrator. She held a workshop at the school, after school, for any and all teachers that were (or thought they might be) interested. I had heard of SU before, but was not sure exactly what it was all about, so I went to the workshop and had a lot of fun. I've been hooked since that day!

As far as how my style has changed over the years...I've gained lots of new ideas from this particular SU demonstrator; I've also seen about 4-5 other SU demonstrators do workshops/parties. I've also been to a couple of demonstrations from other stamping companies and I've gotten some good ideas from them as well.

Mainly, I have just learned to experiment with different things...I have been involved in a card exchange and I'm always surfing and looking for new ideas on the web. Sometimes I'll see something I like and try "copying" it...but I end up with something somewhat different, though similar. Sometimes I like my new "creation" and sometimes I don't. I've just learned that even though I may not like something, does not necessarily mean that someone else won't like it, so I often use it anyway.

I guess in short, my style has become more relaxed than when I first started. I look at stamping more as "Art" now than anything else.

Anna

I've done baby announcements for several friends as a baby gift. I stamp, color & cut out all the little baby objects and then once the baby arrives, I get the info from the parents, print it on my computer and use the stamped images around the announcement. This is especially appreciated by parents of second & third children as they often don't have the time (or energy) to do announcements the way they did for the first. Also, they generally don't need lots of new baby things like they did for the first child. Good luck with you new one!