Blog Candy Winners

Congratulations to Thebug415, Kristie Maynard, and Julie M., who each won a "secret prize pack" donated by the SSAT member companies. Ladies, please email me with your mailing address so I can put your packages into the mail.

And thanks to everyone who played! We've got another surprise for you coming up soon, so please check back for our next post and an exciting announcement. :-)

It's Convention Time Again!

Happy New Year, SSAT friends! After a brief winter hibernation, we're back and ready to start 2011 with our first show of the year in Mesquite, TX. We've got a great lineup of vendors coming your way, who will be bringing new products, fresh ideas, and lots of shopping fun! There is still time to purchase your discounted ticket online and/or sign up for Friday evening's Make It/Take It Project Night by visiting our website here.

Now is a good time to check out our upcoming schedule and plan which shows you'll be attending. In fact, we'd love for you to share this information not only with us, but also with your friends...and how about doing that for some BLOG CANDY?

To enter, leave a comment at the end of this post stating which show(s) you're coming to AND who you referred to the blog (list your friend's name). Then ask your friend to tell us the same thing, and have the friend mention YOUR name in the comment at the end of this post.

You can do this with as many friends as you want and as many times as you wish between now and Thursday, January 20th, at midnight Central Time. We'll give away a "secret prize pack" to the person who refers the most people to our blog. A second prize pack will go to one of the top referrer's friends. Then we'll randomly choose another winner from all the comments for a third prize pack. (Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the United States, please.)

I'll post the winners on Friday, January 21st. If you post anonymously (in other words, without signing in), be sure to add your name so we can include you in our drawing. And please remember to come back later and check to see if your name is drawn. If we don't hear from the winners, we won't be re-drawing...and we don't want you to miss out!

Ready to begin? Let's see how many comments, followers, and friends we can gather...and which SSAT shows y'all will be coming to this year!

One Left in 2010 & More to Come in 2011

We're wrapping up the 2010 StampScrapArtTour season with a "last hurrah" in Hampton, VA. As of this posting, there are still a few spots open for classes on Friday afternoon as well as the Make It/Take It event on Friday night.

During the rest of the weekend, we've got an exciting lineup of vendors for you to enjoy visiting! Please click here to purchase tickets or call 727-644-0590 to check on availability if online registration is closed.

And if you're wondering about 2011, our schedule for next year is posted in the right-hand column on this page and on the main SSAT website.

Looking forward to saying hello next weekend and/or next year!

Rhinebeck & Westminster

We had a great time seeing everyone in Rhinebeck, NY last month! On Friday night, the tables at the Make It/Take It project night were bustling. Joe from Seaside Stampin' Ink paused for a photo-op with the ladies at his table:


As did Darcie (from Darcie's, of course!) and her happy participants:


Everyone at Wendy's table had just finished their Repeat Impressions card here:


And then the whole group took a dessert break as Wendy's husband, Bill, helped dish up the goodies:


We had a brand new vendor join us in Rhinebeck, Central Perk Scrappers, who were so excited to exhibit at their first show ever:


On Saturday morning, Benice Pega received the lucky key that opened the Treasure Chest:


The winner of Saturday's Charity Raffle Basket was Elizabeth Romano, who was all smiles:


Similarly, Claudia Canessa was eager to dig into her prizes from the Charity Raffle Basket on Sunday:


The very next weekend, StampScrapArtTour traveled to Westminster, MD. At every SSAT show, we give away lots of door prizes at the Make It/Take It on Friday night (as well as during the rest of the weekend!):


This is in addition to making several projects, as everyone takes a turn at each table:


We always make sure to stop in between for--you guessed it--yummy treats at the dessert table:


In Westminster, Lydia Friedman was pleased to win $100 in Tour Bucks from the Treasure Chest:


Dianne Blithe and Kathy Brown (not pictured) won the Charity Raffle Baskets on Saturday and Sunday. Congratulations, ladies, and thanks to everyone for joining us at both of these shows!

Remaining 2010 Shows & Vendor Demo

We've only got a few StampScrapArtTour shows remaining this year, and we hope to see you at one of them! In addition to our member companies' booths at Hamburg, several of the vendors who exhibited at that show will be joining us again later this fall.

For example, you'll be able to visit Custom Wood by Dallas in Rhinebeck and Hampton:


ScrapDazzle was in Hamburg, and they'll also be at the Rhinebeck show:


Motivet will be returning for the Rhinebeck show, as well:


Speaking of Motivet, Greg and Stephanie brought their newest employee...ahem, I mean addition, to the family. Meet five-month-old Noëlle:


She was a real trooper throughout the weekend in Hamburg. I was only joking about Daddy and Mommy putting her to work (although it does take a lot of energy to sit back and watch all the goings-on at a show!). In between helping customers and running the register, Noëlle's parents showed how to turn their stamps into works of art.

It all starts with the stamps, of course. Here's one that looks nice when it's stamped with waterproof ink on watercolor paper:


But watch how things begin to transform when a bit of color with a Tombow marker is added:


And then a brush dampened with water is used to spread the color:


See how the beauty emerges as the watercoloring continues:


And once a few of the stamped images have been fully colored, you've got the building blocks for something really special:


Look at how it POPS (literally!) when portions of the image are layered with foam tape in a finished card:


So pretty! Here are a few more samples that were displayed in the Motivet booth. You can click on this photo for a close-up:


Doraline the squirrel is a recent addition to their line, and she's adorable:


For other inspiring projects and MUCH more, please plan to attend an SSAT convention soon. In fact, the Westminster, MD show is coming up this weekend. We look forward to seeing you!

Home From Hamburg

Last weekend's show in Hamburg was a blast! Everyone had a great time at the Make It/Take It Project Night on Friday.

These ladies were eager to show their creations from the Buffalo Stamps & Stuff table:


Next, I hopped over to the Stamps N' More table for another quick snapshot:


Our Treasure Chest winner on Saturday morning was Shirley Wutz:


Joanne Burg (and her helpful assistant) carried home Saturday's Charity Raffle Basket:


And Dolly Greenwald did the same on Sunday:


There were demonstrations and make & takes throughout the entire weekend. Debbie, who teaches classes at Buffalo Stamps & Stuff, helped customers make a fun envelope book:


Here's a closeup of it:


Speaking of make & takes, Becky O'Connell offered a special Sunday morning event, which featured six fabulous folding cards:


She plans to host this popular event again next year. If you'd like details, please email us with your contact information and we'll forward it to Becky so she can get in touch with you before the 2011 show.

Winners in Winston-Salem

Congratulations to Marilyn Bronson, who received the winning Treasure Chest key and got $100 in Tour Bucks to spend at our recent show in North Carolina:


Pat Howell won Saturday's drawing for the Charity Raffle Basket:


And Kathleen Burge's name was drawn on Sunday:


Plus there were lots of customers who won our door prize drawings throughout the weekend, totalling more than $1,300 in Tour Bucks!

There are only four SSAT shows remaining in 2010, and we'll be heading to Hamburg, NY next. Besides the numerous chances to win prizes, don't miss the opportunity to participate in the Make It/Take It Project Night on Friday:


Earlier in the day, you can take three different classes. Create unique quilted-style cards with Art Gone Wild:


Discover the fun of altered dominoes with Stamps N' More:


And make "terrifically transparent" projects with Inky Antics:


Get ready for Hamburg, folks...it's right around the corner!