StampScrapArtTour

Blog Candy Winners

2011-01-21T16:20:00.002-06:00

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!

2011-01-07T13:39:00.008-06:00

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

2010-10-11T15:19:00.005-05:00

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

2010-10-11T14:37:00.012-05:00

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

2010-09-08T19:49:00.008-05:00

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

2010-09-03T01:05:00.008-05:00

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

2010-08-01T13:56:00.004-05:00

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!

Projects & Prizes in Pittsburgh

2010-07-13T14:15:00.003-05:00

We had a full house on Friday evening at the Make It/Take It Project Night:

Stacy from StacyStamps happily explained to this group from our 72 total guests how to create their cards at her table:

These three ladies at another table stopped briefly for a photo-op with their completed creations:

With all that stamping, it took LOTS of desserts to provide some "sugar energy":

On Saturday morning, Barbara Bott received the winning Treasure Chest key and got $100 in Tour Bucks to spend at the show:

Jessica Tamburino's name was drawn as the lucky recipient of the Charity Raffle Basket on Saturday:

And Hope Angotti won Sunday's huge prize basket:

Many thanks to our Pittsburgh customers for attending! We had a "bunch" of fun with you, as depicted here by Wendy from Repeat Impessions:

Do YOU want to participate in these exciting activities and have the chance to win, too? Please join us this weekend at the Winston-Salem convention (or another SSAT show later this year). We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

Heading to Pennsylvania

2010-07-07T11:11:00.006-05:00

It's been a while since our last post since we didn't have any SSAT shows scheduled during June. But the brief hiatus is over and we'll be ready to rock in Pittsburgh/Monroeville this weekend!

There will be lots going on, starting with several classes on Friday afternoon and the Make It/Take It Project Night that evening.

We'll kick off Saturday morning by handing out treasure chest keys to the first 100 people in line. The person with the key that opens the chest will receive $100.00 in Tour Bucks to be spent at the show. Speaking of Tour Bucks, hundreds more dollars' worth will be given away in door prizes on both Saturday and Sunday.

Of course, the best part...there will be lots of shopping, demos galore, booth make it/take its, and visiting with fellow stampers and scrappers!

And don't forget about the charity raffle. We received this very nice letter from The Al Koran Shriners this spring:

Take a closer look:

Yup, StampScrapArtTour was able to donate $800 to the Shriners Children's Hospital Transportation Fund with ticket money from our charity basket raffle, which is held at every show. One hundred percent of the proceeds are given, and we're so glad to have this opportunity...which wouldn't be possible without your support. Thank YOU for your enthusiastic participation!

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend or at a future SSAT convention.

Stampin' & Scrappin' in Southfield

2010-05-19T20:41:00.004-05:00

It was great returning to Southfield last weekend and seeing all the smiling faces, starting with the Make It/Take It Project Night on Friday:

Some of our vendors were from Michigan, such as My Craft Room (not pictured) and The Paper Hollow:

Other vendors came from out of state but were staffed by friends from the area, such as at the Lost Coast Designs booth:

Cee Cee, who worked at Stamp Camp, practiced her best "princess on a parade float" wave:

As always with SSAT shows, there were a ton of demonstrations going on. Berty at Stamps N' More paused briefly for this photo:

Christine from Artful Legacy was also busy sharing ideas:

And in the middle of everything, we drew names for the Charity Basket Raffle. We could hardly believe it when Renee Drew won again this year on Saturday:

What are the chances of that happening! Congratulations to Gerrie Campbell, too, who was Sunday's winner:

And thank you to EVERYONE who came to visit with us. We sure appreciate your patronage and hope you had a terrific time!

From Rockford to Southfield

2010-05-11T15:15:00.001-05:00

We hope our customers enjoyed the Rockford show as much as we did! It was great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Things were hopping everywhere, so I waited until after we closed on Saturday to snap this photo of the Polkadots booth:

On Sunday morning, I stopped by the Peddler's Den and Pretzel City Paper booths:

Stamplajolla.com, Bugawumps, and StampitCrazy were in Rockford...and they're just a few of the companies from that show who will also be in Southfield this weekend:

If you're joining us in Southfield, here's a cool stamping idea you might want to try:

It's a memory book to commemorate the show! Three of our customers in Philadelphia made them. Here's another:

Rick took pictures of the first two so I didn't get to peek inside, but I had the opportunity to look at this one in person:

It included all sorts of handy pockets for storing lists and other notes:

In fact, the bound pages themselves were envelopes that held memorabilia:

And each envelope page had a hook & loop closure:

I'm always amazed by our customers' creativity. Thanks to these ladies for sharing their projects with us, and we look forward to seeing YOU in Michigan!

Blog Candy Congrats

2010-04-28T15:11:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Jessica for referring her two friends to the blog. And congrats to Nora and Sheila, as well. Nora wins prize pack #2 for being Jessica's friend whose name was drawn. Sheila wins prize pack #3 as our random winner from the rest of the names.

Jessica, Nora, and Sheila, please contact me via email with your mailing info. Thanks also to Barbs and Chrisd for playing. We appreciate your interest in SSAT, and please keep checking back for more news, ideas, and giveaways in the future! :-)

A Visit with Repeat Impressions & Blog Candy

2010-04-15T11:28:00.005-05:00

Last month, we highlighted three fun projects from Wendy at Repeat Impressions. We thought you might like to get to know Wendy and Bill, Repeat Impressions' owners, a little better:

1. Where do you live? We live Freeport, Maine. Freeport is a lovely little coastal town most widely known as the home of L.L. Bean.

2. Tell us about your family. My husband, Bill, and I have been together for 27 years and will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this summer. We currently have two "sons" of the feline persuasion.

3. What do you do during your spare time? We usually work seven days a week, so spare time is a rarity. I do always make time to read everyday though, and I've also become addicted to Scrabble on Facebook. Before we started this business we used to do a lot of hiking, but those adventures are far and few between now.

4. What is something people may not know about you? I think when you own a stamp company, most people just assume you are (or were) a stamper. But truth be told, I am an artist first and a stamper by necessity. I create all the pen and ink illustrations that become Repeat Impressions' designs. Except when I need to make new card samples, I actually spend very little time using the stamps we manufacture...mostly because there's just not time. Instead I get a lot of enjoyment seeing all the great things people create with my designs.

5. How did you learn to stamp? I am a self-taught stamper.

6. How long have you been in business? 15 years

7. Why did you start your company? Years ago, my mother took a stamping class and quickly became a rubber stamping addict. She then began to encourage me to turn my collection of illustrations into rubber stamps. I think she had ulterior motives ;-) As an artist, I was always open to new ways to market my work. And Bill, who was looking to make a career change at that time, jumped at the idea of learning a new skill and the opportunity to play with power tools on a daily basis. And so Repeat Impressions was born and rubber stamps took over our lives.

8. How many conventions do you attend each year? About 18

9. Name one of the things you like most about SSAT's shows. We always offer a nice variety of vendors. Our shows are large enough to offer plenty of new things to discover and learn but not so big as to be overwhelming. I think you will find a lot of fun and excitement at our shows, too.

10. What is your best-selling stamp? #7201-W, Birthday Cake Flip Stamp

11. What is your personal all-time favorite stamp? #8301-U, Little Birdie Swing Stamp Set

12. What is your best stamping tip? We have a collection of photo image stamps that have a lot of fine detail. To get the best results, be sure you are starting with a very clean stamp. I like to run a piece of packing tape over the rubber to pick up any stray dust and fibers. Then you should apply ink to the stamp with a brayer. This should keep you from over-inking the stamp and clogging up the fine details.

You can stamp the image onto any paper, but you will get the most crisp result by stamping onto glossy card stock. Once you apply your stamp to the paper, you should take your hands off the stamp and let the stamp rest there on the paper for a few seconds. This will allow the stamp to release from the paper naturally and not suck the ink back off the paper causing a muddy image.

13. What is your current favorite stamping accessory? Any of our precut card stocks or paper kits. I don't have a lot of time to stamp, so when I do I really appreciate that we always have Flip Card Kits, Swing Cards, etc. ready to go. This allows me to spend more time on the fun stuff, like coloring and embellishments.

14. What is the most recent stamping or scrapbook project you made? I'm almost ashamed to say it...but it was the Christmas cards I stamped during Thanksgiving week. It's time to dig out the ink pads again, though, since I need to make samples of my latest Flip Stamp designs.

15. Is there anything else you'd like to tell our blog readers? We have an email newsletter that we send out monthly. When you sign up for our eList, we will let you know about any new stamp designs we may have, updates to our monthly online specials, notices of upcoming stamp conventions, and more. We also often include a coupon or special that is only available to our newsletter subscribers. If you would like to take advantage of these special notices please click here.

* * *

As a special treat, Wendy and Bill have donated three great prize packs to give away to our blog readers!

Prize #1 contains stamps and supplies to make Spinner Cards:

Prize #2 is the Swing Cards set:

And prize #3 is for creating Flip Cards:

For the chance to win one of these prize packs, we're asking if you could please refer your friends to the SSAT blog. To enter, leave a comment at the end of this post stating who you referred to the blog (list your friend's name). Then ask your friend to leave a comment, 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 Tuesday, April 27th, at midnight Central Time. We'll give away prize pack #1 to the person who refers the most people to our blog. Prize pack #2 will go to one of the top referrer's friends. Then we'll randomly choose another winner from all the comments for prize pack #3. (Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the United States, please.)

I'll post the winners on Wednesday, April 28th. If you post anonymously (in other words, without signing in), be sure to add your name or we won't be able to include you in our drawing.

Are you ready to get started? Let's see how many comments, followers, and friends we can gather!

Fun in Philly

2010-04-05T15:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much to our wonderful customers who joined us at the Philadelphia/Oaks show at the end of last month! Congratulations to the Treasure Chest winner, Shandra Fisher, who snagged $100 in Tour Bucks. She was one of the first 100 customers through the door on Saturday and received the "magic" key that opened it:

Cathy Williams participated in the Charity Basket Raffle, and her name was drawn on Saturday afternoon:

Sunday's prize basket went to Carole Mahon:

And, of course, everybody had a chance for lots of shopping and learning! Artful Legacy hosted a make & take project at their booth:

So did Debby at Just For Fun:

There were tons of demonstrations going on, too! One was at SweetStamps.com:

Another was at Stamp On It:

I caught Kathy at Rubber Cottage first thing on Sunday morning before she got busy:

Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink was already explaining some techniques by the time I reached her booth:

JP from Stamplajolla.com kindly honored my request to pose for a quick photo while MaryAnn was at the demo table:

But I didn't want to disturb Mary Kay at Stamp Camp while she was assisting a customer:

Same with Berty at Stamps N' More, who visited with a fellow papercrafter:

There was lots more to see, as you'll discover at all the SSAT conventions. We still have eight additional shows this year, and we look forward to meeting YOU soon!

Philly Show & FLIP Cards

2010-03-23T10:12:00.006-05:00

We're looking forward to the Philadelphia/Oaks show this weekend, and we'll have lots for you to see and do! It's not too late to purchase a discounted ticket online, sign up for classes, or register for the Make It/Take It Project Night by clicking here. You can also buy your ticket on Saturday or Sunday at the door; same with the classes and Make It/Take It on Friday as long as we still have space available.

As with all SSAT conventions, there will be demonstrations galore from many of the vendors! For example, this FLIP Card is just one of the projects that Wendy will be showing at the Repeat Impressions booth:

Repeat Impressions has a collection of FLIP Stamp Sets that are made especially for creating these fun cards:

Wendy has instructions for the FLIP Card posted on her website, but we also wanted to show you step-by-step photos.

Start by stamping your four images on white cardstock and coloring if desired. Punch out each image using a 1 1/4" square punch. Mat each square onto a colored cardstock square punched with a 1 9/16" punch. Then mat each square again onto a white cardstock square punched with a 1 7/8" punch:

If you don't have the punches, you can also cut out all the squares by hand. (Or save time cutting and scoring by using a FLIP Card Kit, which is available in 11 different colors.) Set aside your matted squares...we'll get back to those in just a moment.

Now you're ready to create the spine, which is the mechanism that will allow your matted squares to flip up and down. Here's the one from the FLIP Card Kit:

The spine isn't really gray on the bottom half; please excuse the shadows. But you can see the four score marks o the lower portion of the spine.

If you don't have a kit and want to make your own spine, cut a piece of cardstock to 1 7/8" wide x 8 1/4" long. Score at 1 7/8" from the bottom edge. From that score mark, measure and score at 5/8". From that second score mark, measure and score at 5/8". And from that third score mark, measure and score at 5/8". You should now have a strip that is scored into four sections, three that are 5/8" apart and one at the bottom that is 1 7/8" square.

At this point, you're ready to begin assembling the spine. Fold all the score marks in the same direction. Place the spine on your work surface so the 1 7/8" square panel faces up. Then open the folded strip to reveal the long 4 1/2" portion. Stamp your verse in the center of this 4 1/2" area:

Take the matted square image that you want to show last, and glue it to the 1 7/8" panel. Next, glue the matted square image that you want to show second to last onto the 5/8" portion of the strip immediately above:

Here's a little tip: When applying the glue, make sure to put it on the spine portion rather than the matted square so you don't get any extra adhesive on spots that might hinder the card movement:

Here Wendy attaches the matted square so it's nice and even with the score mark:

Glue the matted square you want to show third to last onto the next 5/8" portion of the spine immediately above the previous one. Then glue the final matted square (this is the image that will show first in your series) to the last 5/8" portion of the spine:

Your assembled spine should look like this:

Next we'll glue on the anchor strip. Apply adhesive to the bottom half of the 1 7/8" panel on the reverse (wrong) side:

Pull out the anchor strip from your FLIP Card Kit, or cut one from colored cardstock so it measures 4" wide x 1" tall. Place the anchor strip onto the adhesive so it's centered:

When you turn over the assembled spine, this is what it'll look like:

Now for my favorite part, putting it all together! Set aside the spine while you make your card base. This is an A-2 size card with a 4" x 5 1/4" colored panel on the front:

Fold the spine so that the 4 1/2" verse portion is on the inside, and position it on your card front so the folded and matted square images are centered:

Apply glue to both outer ends of the anchor strip on the reverse (wrong) side where Wendy is pointing in the photo, and adhere to card front:

You'll want to make sure that the 4 1/2" portion of the stacked spine moves freely under the anchor strip:

Finish the card by adding a ribbon pull to the bottom:

And that's it! These may look complicated to make, but they're really quite easy. We hope you'll stop by to visit Repeat Impressions (along with all our other terrific vendors, of course) for even more ideas and inspiration.

Swing Card

2010-03-08T13:13:00.004-06:00

Happy Monday! Here's another great card idea from Repeat Impressions:

It's called a Swing Card. I think this one is especially good for a laugh:

Wendy has designed an entire series of stamps that are perfect for creating the Swing Card:

And want to hear something even better? This is lightning fast to make! It takes literally just a few minutes using the Repeat Impressions pre-cut and pre-scored Swing Card Packs:

Just start by stamping a design around all four "borders" on both sides of the card. Then stamp your inside verse and/or images directly in the center panel on one side:

Turn the card over, and stamp the verse and/or image that you want to appear on the front of the finished card. If you align your image a bit closer to the right-hand edge of the center panel, this will allow more of the image to show once the card has been folded:

To fold the card, take the right-hand edge and fold it to the left on the score marks:

Now take the left-hand edge and fold it behind and to the right on the score marks. See how it kind of looks like a zig zag from the top view:

And that's all there is to it...you're done! When the card is opened and closed, the front and inside panels will swing back and forth just like in the video.

Thanks to Wendy for sharing this project with us. Tune in again for more to come!

Spinner Card

2010-03-02T15:45:00.006-06:00

At a convention recently, I stopped by the Repeat Impressions booth to check out what Wendy was demonstrating:

Take a look at this fun Spinner Card she'd made earlier:

Want to know the secret behind it? She used their Die-Cut Spinner Card Fronts:

They make it super quick and easy to create these little gems! Just pull one out of the package:

And stamp your images:

Set aside the die-cut card.

Now stamp the outside and inside of a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of cardstock folded in half (supplied from your own stash) to form your card base:

Make the spinner mechanism by sticking a self-adhesive foam dot in between two pennies so that you've got a "penny sandwich":

Insert the penny sandwich into the slot of the card front:

The penny sandwich should roll freely back and forth in the slot:

Attach a foam dot to all four corners on the back side of the die-cut card:

Place the die-cut card onto your card base, and press on the corners to adhere:

On a separate piece of cardstock, stamp the small image you'd like to make spin. (In this case, it was one of those funny #7120-L Underpants Frogs shown on the front of the card.) Cut out the image, trimming loosely around its contours. Attach the cut image to the top of the penny sandwich with a glue dot or another foam dot, and that's all there is to it!

Duh, I forgot to take a picture of the finished project. But here's another version of the frog card:

This one is oriented vertically; each package of Die-Cut Spinner Card Fronts allows you to make both landscape and portrait style cards. Even better, they're available in both Brights or Pastels variety packs.

For more information or to order Spinner Card Fronts and foam dots, please visit Wendy's website. And thanks to Wendy for her great tutorial. Stop by again for more ideas from Repeat Impressions coming soon!

Snowy South Carolina

2010-02-17T10:42:00.006-06:00

Hey there, SSAT blog readers! We're back from the Columbia show, which was held at the Jamil Shrine Temple:

As you may know, we always begin setting up the booths on Friday. Curious to see what it's like "behind the scenes"? Well, it all starts with the empty hall:

Not much going on yet, but Bill and Rick get busy taping out the floor plan:

Then the vendors start unloading. Sometimes we haul everything in by hand. In Columbia, we were able to drive the vehicles right into the room:

As the afternoon progresses, the booths really begin taking shape:

We like to make the kids do most of the setting up:

Just kidding! We're respectful of child labor laws, LOL. But everyone pitches in, and soon we're ready for the show:

Last weekend, it started snowing on Friday:

Hey, what happened to the warm weather? This looks more like the Midwest instead of South Carolina:

Not to worry, though...it all melted away by Saturday afternoon, and things got hopping! Andrea Fulmer was one of the first 100 customers that morning, and she received the winning key to the Treasure Chest:

Dot Long won the charity basket raffle on Saturday:

And Ted Litz received Sunday's prize basket, which he gave to his wife, Colleen:

As with every show, 100% of the proceeds from our charity raffles are donated to a great cause. Here Bill and Ted (who also happen to be Shriners themselves) presented Potentate Joe Hilton with a check for more than $600 made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children:

Thanks to everyone who came out to the show. We hope you had a great time!

Coming to Columbia

2010-02-11T09:00:00.006-06:00

We're on the road today and tomorrow, headed for this weekend's show in South Carolina! We've got a great lineup of companies, including Stamp La Jolla. Please stop by and say hello to JP:

MaryAnn will also be there, of course, showing their fun products and offering helpful advice as always:

We're pleased to welcome back Sarah from The Paper Cut:

Can't forget about Ron, either, who always has a friendly smile for everyone:

They'll be bringing their vast array of cardstock products:

Speaking of cardstock (and other goodies), don't forget to check out Stamp On It, where you'll be greeted by Sam:

Deb has a cool demonstration featuring the Core'dinations cardstock:

Here she tore a sample piece in half so you could see the dark outside compared to the lighter inner core:

She ran it through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder:

And then she gently swiped a sanding pad across the embossed paper:

Look how the pretty inside color is revealed:

Just a little sneak peek at what you can look forward to seeing at the show. It's even better watching the demos in person, where you'll learn handy tips and techniques from ALL our terrific vendors. We're excited to visit with you soon!

Merriment in Mesquite

2010-02-02T10:51:00.003-06:00

What a great time we had kicking off the new convention season with the Mesquite show! Every seat in Friday evening's popular Make It/Take It Project Night was sold out:

In addition to creating lots of fun projects, of course we had to take our usual intermission to enjoy the dessert buffet:

On Saturday morning, everyone was rarin' to go and ready for the shopping, project demonstrations, and giveaways:

Although we were able to convince these lovely ladies to pause for a quick camera moment before they headed into the show:

Elaine Sink was delighted to receive $100 in Tour Bucks when she opened the Treasure Chest with her winning key:

Lourdes Carson won the Charity Raffle Basket on Saturday:

And Kelli Samons was excited when her name was drawn for Sunday's basket:

Thanks so much to ALL our customers and friends for attending. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

Gearing Up For Fun

2010-01-07T01:02:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year wishes, everyone! We hope your holidays were most enjoyable, and welcome back to the SSAT blog. We're excited to kick off 2010 with our annual convention in Mesquite, Texas. It will be held again at the Southwest Rodeo Mesquite Convention Center on January 16-17, and we've got a wonderful bunch of vendors who will be exhibiting all kinds of great stamping and scrapping products!

Don't forget about the Make It/Take It Project Night on Friday evening, which is always lots of fun. And if you're available during the late afternoon, we'd love to have you also join us for the Clearly Creative with Inky Antics class:

It's going to be a terrific time, and "we're chomping at the bit" to see you in just 1 1/2 weeks. (Sorry, couldn't resist the horse pun...it's TEXAS, after all.) Looking forward to catching up with you soon!

Winter Hibernation

2009-11-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our 2009 convention season has ended, so we're putting our blog to bed for the rest of this year. But we'll be back again in early January with lots more to share! Please join us then for breaking news, special offers, project ideas, and other goodies.

Thank you for visiting, and we'll see you in a couple of months. In the meantime, we hope you have a very happy, safe holiday season!

Happy in Hampton

2009-11-03T09:24:00.005-06:00

What a fantastic time at the Hampton show in Virginia last month! Friday's Make It/Take It Project night was a smashing success, and we had a whopping 90 people who participated:

It's hard to tell which they enjoyed more, all the wonderful projects or the yummy treats at the dessert table:

On Saturday morning, the excited customers kept pouring in:

Congratulations to Penny Belanger, who won $100 in Tour Bucks by opening the Treasure Chest with her "magic key":

Marilyn Goff was the lucky winner of the Charity Raffle Basket on Saturday:

With your support, we've been fortunate enough to raise more than $30,000 since StampScrapArtTour's inception. One hundred percent of the proceeds from each show are given to charity...including the ticket money from Debbie Carlton, who won Sunday's prize basket.

Thanks so much to ALL our Hampton customers for joining us at the show. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

Blog Candy Congrats

2009-10-22T00:10:00.001-05:00

Here are your random numbers:

9 1 8

Timestamp: 2009-10-22 05:02 UTC

* * *
Congratulations to n2myscrap Theresa, Debbie Ivester, and Barb S., who each won a stamp & tag kit donated by Rubber Cottage. Theresa and Barb, please see Jackie from Inky Antics on Friday or Saturday to claim your prize! Debbie, if you'll contact me via email with your mailing info, I'll put your package into the mail next week after I return from the Hampton convention.

Thank you to everyone who played! Keep checking back with us regularly...we've got more news, inspiring ideas, and giveaways coming again soon. :-)

Giveaway & Coupon

2009-10-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

Joe and Kathy from Rubber Cottage have kindly donated three great prize packs so we can offer you a chance to win some HOLIDAY BLOG CANDY! Here are the goodies:

How do you enter? Sign up for the StampScrapArtTour email newsletter (the link is on the upper right side of this page), and leave a note in the comments section of this post telling us that you've done so. If you're already a subscriber, you can still enter to win...simply indicate that in your comment.

We'll accept entries until next Wednesday, October 21st, at midnight Central time. I'll randomly choose three lucky winners on Thursday morning and let you know their names here. The first number drawn will receive 203HA Seasons Greetings w/Trees and a pack of tags, the second number drawn will receive 308FB Large Horn and a pack of tags, and the third number drawn will receive 921F Candy Cane and a pack of tags.

If you post anonymously (in other words, without signing in), be sure to add your name or we won't be able to include you in our drawing. This particular blog candy is limited to U.S. residents only. Finally, it will be the winners' responsibility to contact me via email no later than October 31st. If we don't hear from a winner, we won't be re-drawing...so please remember to come back and check.

* * *

And, as a special treat for those of you who will be attending the SSAT show in Hampton, VA on October 24-25, Joe and Kathy are offering a special discount to our blog readers who shop at the Rubber Cottage booth. Just download the coupon and present it before you check out at the register.

A Visit with Rubber Cottage

2009-10-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

In September, you read about Joe and Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink. Did you know our StampScrapArtTour group of member companies also consists of another Joe and Kathy? Yup, funny but true! This J&K pair is from Rubber Cottage, and we recently had the opportunity to e-chat with Kathy:

1. Where do you live? Medina, OH

2. Tell us about your family. We have two daughters and four grandchildren.

3. What do you like to do during your spare time? Read, sew, and enjoy many other crafts.

4. What is something people may not know about you? I enjoy hanging out at home.

5. How did you learn to stamp? I am self-taught from many years ago.

6. How long have you been in business? 14 years

7. Why did you start Rubber Cottage? We had our own rubber stamp store and it started from there.

8. How many conventions do you attend each year? About 19

9. Name one of the things you like most about SSAT’s shows. The energy and the excitement of the shows.

10. What is your best-selling Rubber Cottage stamp? Our 149J Large Giraffe.

11. What is your personal all-time favorite Rubber Cottage stamp? Our 149J Large Giraffe.

12. What is your best stamping tip? Clean your stipple brushes with mild soap and water. Be careful to only get water up to the stained area of the brush and wipe dry with a paper towel. Do not submerge the entire brush in water, as it will affect the glue holding the brush together.

13. What is your current favorite stamping accessory? Stipple brush

14. What is the most recent stamping or scrapbook project you made? Christmas ornaments using Rubber Cottage holiday stamps. I stamped them on shrink plastic, shrunk with a heat gun, attached a ribbon, and hung them on the tree.

Editor's Note: The photo below is a close-up showing one of Kathy's lovely ornaments, which was made using 190J Snowmen & Trees.

* * *

Speaking of holiday stamps, 'tis that time of year! Please come back here tomorrow for a chance to win some seasonal BLOG CANDY! We'll be waiting for you!

Tag Time

2009-10-13T12:39:00.011-05:00

Last week's post showed how you can spritz and sponge with dye ink. Kathy from Rubber Cottage recently demonstrated how she uses those same Adirondack pads for stippling. She started with a blank glossy tag:

She loaded up her stipple brush with Slate ink and dabbed it evenly over the tag:

Then she added a layer of Denim Ink:

Using the same Denim pad, she stamped 932G Church/Trees onto the tag:

And added 813BA M. Christmas 2 for her saying, along with 1007B Tiny Snowflake #1 repeated to fill out the background:

Edging with a silver Krylon Leafing Pen was the perfect finishing touch:

Check out the completed tag:

So fast and simple...and the results are fantastic!

Dabbling With Dye Inks

2009-10-09T16:01:00.006-05:00

Dye inks are a staple in any stamper's arsenal, and Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink recently showed me how to use them to make an easy, elegant card. She started by spraying a piece of glossy cardstock using a Mini Spritzer filled with rubbing alcohol and a few drops of Adirondack reinker in Espresso:

She waved the cardstock partially dry to separate the color:

Once it was completely dry, she stamped H-1236 Santa, K-1230 Silent Night, D-1333 Believe, and the branch tips of G-1496 Tree onto the cardstock with an Espresso pad:

Then she sponged around the edges with an Adirondack ink pad in Butterscotch:

To add depth, she layered Latte ink on top:

Ginger ink added an even richer look:

And a bit of Espresso provided the finishing touch:

Here are the beautiful results:

Resist Technique

2009-09-30T19:02:00.006-05:00

Earlier this month, Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink showed us how to create unique backgrounds that formed the basis for some great cards. At the Westminster show, she also demonstrated a cool resist technique. She started by stamping a fern from her DaVinci Theme Acrylic Mount Stamp Set with a Ranger Perfect Medium Pad:

As it dried, she loaded a felt stomper from her Mini Spritzer Combo Kit with a few drops of dye reinker in various colors:

She used a mini spritzer filled with rubbing alcohol to spray the stomper:

And she swiped the stomper across a piece of glossy cardstock:

See how the resist pad did its job and, well, resisted the ink so the stamped images stood out:

Once this had dried, she used a black dye ink to stamp Mona Lisa's face onto the card:

She cut out a post-it note mask and placed it over the image:

So she could use additional images to fill the card without marring the face:

A silver Krylon Leafing Pen made an instant border:

And she lifted off the mask to reveal the finished card:

How simple was that? And the results are beautiful! Let us know if you try out this technique...we'd love to hear from you!

Wonderful Westminster

2009-09-25T11:39:00.004-05:00

We had such a good time meeting everyone who attended the Westminster convention at the Carroll County Agricultural Center earlier this month. Thank you so much for coming!

While on our way to the venue Friday morning, we spotted our billboard advertisement. Check out that gorgeous blue sky, too:

During set-up, we took a short break to celebrate with Bill & Wendy from Repeat Impressions. It was Bill's 29th birthday (again):

That evening's Make It/Take It Project Night event was a lot of fun:

This festive card was created at the table hosted by PhotoScraps, a local store that offers tons of classes and crops every week:

Can't forget about that lavish dessert buffet during the Make It/Take It intermission:

When you attend any of the SSAT shows, you'll be greeted by Pat at the front table:

On Saturday morning, you'll want to get there early for a chance to win $100 in Tour Bucks from our Treasure Chest (the first 100 customers through the door each receive a key):

You'll also get the best selection of hundreds of stamping and scrapping products:

Besides giving away more than $1,300 in Tour Bucks via door prize drawings, for which everyone is eligible, you can also purchase raffle tickets for chances to win a beautiful gift basket stuffed with goodies and valued at over $600. All of the proceeds are always donated to a local charity.

In Westminster, Mary Fox was Saturday's winner:

And Lisa Woodley won the basket on Sunday:

Looking forward to seeing YOU at a future SSAT show. Next year's schedule will be posted soon, so please check back to see the list!

Congratulations

2009-09-16T00:03:00.001-05:00

Here are your random numbers:

3

Timestamp: 2009-09-16 04:02:56 UTC

* * *
Congratulations to Thebug415, who won the "Beach Stories Too" Set and Mini Spritzer Combo Kit donated by Seaside Stampin' Ink. Could the winner please contact me via email with your mailing info to claim your prize.

And thank you to everyone who played! Keep checking back with us regularly...we've got more news, inspiring ideas, and giveaway coming again soon. :-)

Polished Stone & Textured Backgrounds

2009-09-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

In the previous post, you saw how to create the Poor Man's Polished Stone background demonstrated by Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink. Here is the same technique, but the streaks of color and stamped images are placed differently on the card:

Isn't it neat how she completely changed the perspective by applying the ink diagonally instead of horizontally for the beach and adding the water? The DD-295 Water stamp really gives movement to the waves, and this unique image also doubles as tree bark when used vertically.

Kathy showed me another, completely different way to use the Mini Combo Spritzer Kit. She filled a spritzer with rubbing alcohol again, but this time she added 8-10 drops of dye reinker right into the bottle:

The she sprayed it onto glossy cardstock:

Actually, she did this with a few more colors:

Until it looked like this:

She laid a piece of kitchen plastic wrap right on top of the wet surface:

And then she crinkled it:

Kathy set this piece aside to allow it to dry. But she happened to have another one she'd started earlier, from which she simply lifted the plastic wrap:

And this is what she got:

What a soft, pretty background! All it took to finish was a sentiment stamped in black and some edging with a Krylon Leafing Pen. Look at the gorgeous finished examples:

Thanks, Kathy, for sharing yet another great technique with our SSAT blog readers!

And while it's always nice to read about stamping ideas online, there's just no substitute for seeing the real thing "live" and in person! So, we invite you to join us at a StampScrapArtTour convention this fall...we have three shows left in 2009, which will be in Westminster, MD (this weekend!); Rhinebeck, NY; and Hampton, VA. We'd love to have you join us!

Poor Man's Polished Stone Technique

2009-09-08T09:00:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about how Kathy from Seaside Stampin' Ink demonstrates a variety of ways to use their Mini Spritzer Combo Kit:

Here's a terrific technique she shared with us, which she calls Poor Man's Polished Stone. Load the felt stompers (included in the kit) with a few drops of dye reinker:

Let the stompers sit for a moment while you make "blobs" of color on a piece of glossy cardstock with a Krylon Leafing Pen:

Immediately spray the cardstock using a spritzer filled with rubbing alcohol:

Smear your inked-up stompers, one at a time, across the cardstock:

Look how the dye ink mixes with the Krylon Leafing Pen to create lovely striations of color for this beach scene:

Want to add a full moon? Just use your pinky finger to lift off a circle of color (how clever is that!):

Give the cardstock a few minutes to dry, and then stamp your images in black right over the background:

Seaside Stampin' Ink carries many stamps that are perfect for creating wonderful scenic art, which you can find by clicking here.

Add a finishing touch to your card by lining the edges with the Krylon Leafing Pen:

And that's it, you're done! Check out the beautiful results:

* * *

Would you like a chance to win some BLOG CANDY? Kathy and Joe have generously donated this gift pack, which consists of their new "Beach Stories Too" Acrylic Mount Image Set and a Mini Spritzer Combo Kit:

Just sign up for the StampScrapArtTour email newsletter (the link is on the upper right side of this page), and leave a note in the comments section of this post telling us that you've done so. If you're already a subscriber, you can still enter to win...simply indicate that in your comment.

We'll accept entries until next Tuesday, September 15th, at midnight Central time. I'll randomly choose the lucky winner on Wednesday morning and let you know here.

If you post anonymously (in other words, without signing in), be sure to add your name or we won't be able to include you in our drawing. This particular blog candy is limited to U.S. residents only. Finally, it will be the winners' responsibility to contact me via email no later than September 21st. If we don't hear from a winner, we won't be re-drawing...so please remember to come back and check. Good luck, and please tell your stamping and scrapping friends to visit the SSAT blog, too!

A Visit with Seaside Stampin' Ink

2009-09-07T16:11:00.011-05:00

At the Hamburg show last weekend, I stopped by Seaside Stampin' Ink booth:

Kathy was demonstrating some cool techniques using their Mini Spritzer Combo Kit:

I didn't realize they could be used to acheive so many varied effects, but Kathy has experimented with them quite a bit and discovered TONS of different looks you can create with these handy little guys:

More on this later, but first I asked Kathy to tell us about her, Joe, and Seaside Stampin' Ink. Here's what she said:

1. Where do you live? We live in Ocean City, Maryland.

Editor’s Note: Ocean City is a charming resort town right on the Atlantic coast. It’s been a family vacation destination for years, and I can see why. When we were there in May for the Stamping By The Sea convention, I saw a school of whales wave-hopping just past the shoreline. It was amazing!

2. Tell us about your family. I’ve been married to Joe for 31 years. We have two daughters, Kelly and Danielle (Danielle draws some of our stamps) and a menagerie of birds, dogs, and cats.

3. What do you like to do during your spare time? Spare time? We work seven days a week so spare time is a rarity. I do like to take one of the birds and go to the boardwalk for a stroll. I think that has only happened twice in 2009!

4. What is something people may not know about you? I ride a Harley.

5. How did you learn to stamp? Just learned by experimenting. I still experiment to this day, which is how a lot of our original techniques are born.

6. How long have you been in business? Seaside started in 1995. I opened a store in 1997 and then we began manufacturing stamps ourselves.

7. Why did you start Seaside Stampin’ Ink? Our area lacked any kind of craft activity, and I thought it was a good time to introduce the community to stamping.

8. How many conventions do you attend each year? We attend about 26 shows a year, in addition to sponsoring our own in Ocean City during May. It is called Stamping by the Sea, and 2010 will be our 10th year!

9. Name one of the things you like most about SSAT’s shows. The giveaways. No other promoter can compete with the amount of prizes and $$$ that SSAT gives away!

10. What is your best-selling Seaside Stampin’ Ink stamp? G-228 Sand Dune Hills. I only wish I had kept count when we started making it!

11. What is your personal all-time favorite Seaside Stampin’ Ink stamp? G-228 Sand Dune Hills. I use it on everything!

12. What is your best stamping tip? Look around your house. You have things in the cupboard, drawers, and garage that you can use to stamp with. Of course, you could always stop by our booth to see what concoction I am demonstrating.

13. What is your current favorite stamping accessory? The spritzers are my all-time favorite, even though they have been copied by others. I get some of the most creative backgrounds with them. Really takes your stamping to another level!

14. What is the most recent stamping or scrapbook project you made? A frame for a gift.

15. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our blog readers? If you haven’t seen us before, please check out our booth or our website. There are all sorts of innovative projects you can do. Many of our products come with instruction sheets so you can repeat what I am demonstrating at home. We get a lot of positive comments for offering that.

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Earlier I mentioned the Mini Spritzer Combo Kit and their versatility. Are you curious yet? Then please return here tomorrow for a complete tutorial plus a chance to win some exciting blog candy! You'll be glad you did, I promise!

The Early Bird...

2009-08-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

...gets the worm. Or, at least at the SSAT shows, the early bird gets a key.

What do I mean by that? Well, on Saturday morning at each of our conventions, the first 100 people through the door receive a key to our Treasure Chest. If your key unlocks the chest, you win $100 in Tour Bucks to spend at the show!

There's only a week and a half left before we come to Hamburg, NY. You can order your ticket online or purchase it at Buffalo Stamps & Stuff.

Or we'd love to see you at one of our other shows remaining in 2009: Rhinebeck, NY; Westminster, MD; or Hampton, VA. Looking forward to having you join us!

Smiles From Winston-Salem

2009-08-13T15:46:00.005-05:00

I was sorry that I couldn't personally make it to the Winston-Salem show a few weekends ago, but I heard from some reliable sources that a very good time was had by all. I also received some photos to share with you:

The ladies above were our charity raffle gift basket winners. (Just imagine if that were you standing there. It's completely possible, you know!)

And this lucky customer was one of many whose program ticket number was drawn for door prizes, entitling her to win mucho dinero in SSAT Tour Bucks:

Of course, there were also demonstrations and make & takes at the vendors' booths during the entire weekend. Learning. Shopping. Oh, and let's not forget about my favorites, Stamping & Eating:

Check out that buffet table! Want to see a close-up? Get ready to drool:

These last few shots were taken on Friday's Make It/Take It Project Night. If you're going to the Hamburg convention at the end of August, you can still register online for this event, which takes place prior to the actual show itself. But don't wait...it's just a few weeks away and sometimes we do sell out. We wouldn't want you to miss it!

Make It/Take It Fun in Pittsburgh

2009-07-21T19:34:00.004-05:00

What a blast at the Make It/Take It Project Night in Pittsburgh! Here's an overhead view showing some of the tables:

Our Make It/Take It events are always held on Friday night before the show. During the evening, you complete 7-9 different projects. It may be a card, as these ladies made at the Repeat Impressions table:

Or you might do a tag or 3-D item, such as this cute hanging treat ornament at the Purrs & Pants table:

You spend about 15 minutes at each table and rotate through all the "stations" as a group. Everything you need is provided, although some participants choose to bring their own scissors and adhesive (but that's completely optional).

And to keep you revved up, we take a break halfway through the evening to enjoy a yummy dessert buffet:

Oh, and let's not forget about the door prizes! There are a bunch of them given away to spread the smiles far and wide:

There's still time to sign up for this Friday's Make It/Take It Project Night in Winston-Salem. Online registration will close tomorrow, but you can also purchase a ticket directly at the Make It/Take It event on Friday. (If you choose the latter option, you may wish to call us at 727-644-0590 to make sure space is still available before you drive to the Fairgrounds Agri Center. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early so you can get your ticket in plenty of time prior to the start.)

And if you've already got your ticket, we look forward to seeing you there. Thanks again to our Pittsburgh customers. Winston-Salem, see you in a few days!

A Visit with Stamp La Jolla

2009-07-15T15:54:00.008-05:00

At the Pittsburgh show last weekend, I stopped by the Stamp La Jolla booth to say hello to MaryAnn and JP:

I wanted to take a few photos so I could share them with you for our latest guest vendor “e-talk.” We're delighted that MaryAnn spent a few minutes to visit with us and tell us more about herself and Stamp La Jolla:

1. Where do you live? We live in Ashville, Ohio. It’s a small farming town about twenty miles south of Columbus and very different from San Diego, where we lived for 26 years.

2. Tell us about your family: We have been married for forty years this month. We are blessed with two incredible sons, two fantastic daughters-in-law, two granddaughters, and one grandson.

3. What do you like to do during your spare time? JP likes computers. Fixing them, playing on them…he does our website. I love to quilt. Lately I’ve been doing more fabric collecting than quilting, but if I could just find some more spare time…

4. What is something people may not know about you? We both love to sing and have been in choirs our entire life.

5. How did you learn to stamp? My friend (who was not a stamper) sent me a little angel stamp. At the time, I had quite a collection of angels and I started adding this little angel stamp to my letters, return address, etc. When I went in search of other angel stamps, I discovered the world of stamping, embossing, stamp pads, and card making. I quickly became addicted!

6. How long have you been in business? 16 years

7. Why did you start Stamp La Jolla? As I mentioned above, I became addicted to stamping and I wanted it ALL! I thought having a rubber stamp store would help me feed my addiction.

8. How many conventions do you attend each year? About 18 to 20. In 2003, we did 26 shows…but that was just too many for us.

9. Name one of the things you like most about SSAT’s shows: I like the positive atmosphere, the oldies music playing [in the background], the incredible amount of money SSAT gives back to the attendees, and the gift basket raffle proceeds that go to support a local charity.

10. What is your best-selling Stamp La Jolla stamp? H602 Square Frame and D633 Spiral Dragonfly are our top-selling images, and B005 It May Be Late and F002 Here’s the Card are our top-selling word stamps.

11. What is your personal all-time favorite Stamp La Jolla stamp? The ones I use the most are our Scripture Bookmark stamps, but I really love our new Stained Glass Images and have been using them a lot lately.

12. What is your best stamping tip? Always use Static Magic before embossing so you don’t have an “oversprayed” look around your embossed image, and use Detail Embossing Powder for the sharpest embossed image.

13. What is your current favorite stamping accessory? Glitter! We added our own line of ultra-fine glitter in 2008. All 95 colors are shown on our website.

14. What is the most recent stamping or scrapbook project you made? A card using our Eagle and Flag Circle Stamp with our Stained Glass Technique

15. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our blog readers? We have an email newsletter that we send out about eight times a year. It announces our new images and often has a coupon special that is only available through our newsletter. You can sign up on our website to receive it.

* * *

MaryAnn is also offering our SSAT blog readers a special downloadable CONVENTION COUPON to redeem in her booth at the Winston-Salem show next weekend! Look at the eye-catching pieces she made with Stamp La Jolla's glitter and glue:

Wouldn't they make fantastic focal points on cards? And check out these gorgeous cards:

They're created with Stamp La Jolla's Glittering Stained Glass Kits, so the materials you need are right at your fingertips:

Just position the cling-mount stamp on your acrylic block and stamp onto the vinyl sheet with StazOn (acrylic block and ink sold separately). Fill in an area of the image with Stamp La Jolla Glittering Glue (which is made especially for use with glitter so it doesn't show through when dry), and cover the glue with glitter. Repeat for each area and glitter color. When the glue dries, all you'll see is the beautiful glittery goodness!

Be sure to stop by MaryAnn's booth in Winston-Salem for a live demonstration of this technique and to scope out all the glitter colors you'll want to have for your own collection!

A Visit with Stamps N' More

2009-07-06T12:50:00.005-05:00

Recently we had a chance to “e-talk” with Berty via the wonders of email technology to hear more about her company, Stamps N’ More:

If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Berty yet (pictured here with her husband, Paul, and youngest son Dalton when he was only three weeks old), you're in for a treat. She’s a genuinely sweet, kind person.

I asked Berty several questions about her company and stamping background. Here’s the scoop:

1. Where do you live? Schuylkill Haven, PA

2. Tell us about your family: Paul and I have 6 beautiful children (3 boys and 3 girls), ranging in age from 3 months to 9 years old. Their names and ages are Dalton Kennedy (3 mos.), Daniella Parker (2 yrs.), Leigh-Anne Rebekka (4 yrs.), Mikayla Brianna (5½ yrs.), Cody James (7½ yrs.), and Ty Moody (9 yrs.).

3. What do you like to do during your spare time? What’s that? :-) If I have any, I like to read.

4. What is something people may not know about you? My husband and I served in the Air Force. He’s still serving in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and I’m thinking about rejoining.

5. How did you learn to stamp? My first stamping experience was when my soon-to-be husband and I stamped our initials on our wedding favors. We went into a shop in Las Vegas, NV, and I must say I almost “died” when I saw all of the stamps. After that, I started attending Stampin’ Up! workshops with my sisters and got hooked very fast.

6. How long have you been in business? 5 years

7. Why did you start Stamps N’ More? I always wanted to own a “craft store.” Our store is more geared toward rubber stamping, but we also carry some scrapbooking supplies. Shortly after opening, we purchased our first stamp press and a photopolymer machine. Well, after not mastering the photopolymer process, we gave up and instead concentrated on rubber stamps. In the spring of 2005, God blessed us with the opportunity to purchase a rubber stamp line (Ann-ticipations) that had been in business for more than 15 years. With our newborn Leigh-Anne and the three older children, we traveled across the country to pick up our new purchase...at the end of July, in the summer. WOW, what a trip that was!

8. How many conventions do you attend each year? About 15

9. Name one of the things you like most about SSAT’s shows: They have a fun and relaxed, family-like atmosphere. We also like how they give back to the local community and charity organizations.

10. What is your best-selling Stamps N’ More image? Lately it has been 9424-G Praying Rabbit and 1285-G Street Umbrella, but overall it is 9843-J Lg. Sour Puss.

Editor's Note: Here's 9424-G Praying Rabbit incorporated into an adorable card that one of Berty’s sons made!

11. What is your personal all-time favorite Stamps N’ More stamp? I can’t narrow down to just one stamp, but I can narrow down to a category of stamps that I personally love. I love our Patriotic stamps. I guess that’s just the former military American in me!

12. What is your best stamping tip? If you make a stamping mistake, before you start all over, try incorporating your “mistake” into your design. If all else fails, flip it over and start over. Only you and God ever have to know. :-)

13. What is your current favorite stamping accessory? The Niji Pearlescent Watercolor Palette because the end results look like you’ve worked for hours when it really takes only minutes to accomplish. So simple!

14. What is the most recent stamping or scrapbook project you made? Birth announcements

15. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our blog readers? We just started a monthly card making contest where our customers can win $25 in free stamps. We’ll also be starting a stamp club in the not to distant future. If you’re interested, email Berty for details or visit the Stamps N’ More website.

* * *

Berty is also offering our SSAT blog readers a special downloadable CONVENTION COUPON to redeem in her booth at the Pittsburgh show this weekend! And in case you’re wondering what you might “need” to get at Stamps N’ More, check out these fun Rolled Candy Wrapper Stamps:

And take a look at their Tin Top Medicinals & Rounds collection:

Thanks to Berty for chatting with us and to YOU for reading!

Pittsburgh & Winston-Salem, Here We Come!

2009-07-03T23:49:00.003-05:00

The StampScrapArtTour conventions in Pittsburgh, PA and Winston-Salem, NC are only one and three weeks away, respectively. Just wanted to let you know that there is still time to purchase tickets, register online for the classes, and sign up for the Friday evening Make & Take events at both shows.

In Pittsburgh, Stacy Stamps will be offering her class The Virtues of Vellum, Art Gone Wild! will host two fun classes, and Inky Antics will be teaching one as well.

For the Winston-Salem convention, we've just added the Inky-active Cards: Surprising Sliders class to the lineup. Don't forget about Cards With Clever Cutts and Cards That Are JustRite, both of which have open spots left.

If you're able to visit us in either Pennsylvania or North Carolina, we'd love to see you there!

Demo Mania

2009-06-24T12:00:00.005-05:00

Last week I mentioned that SSAT conventions are loaded with demonstrations. In Southfield, Mary from Tessler Stamps/Stencils Co. was explaining how to use their brass stencils with embossing paste:

The results were lovely:

And The Paper Hollow was showing a new product called FlowerSoft:

Our Pittsburgh show is right around the corner, and we can't wait for you to discover all the goodies our vendors will be bringing! We're pleased to welcome Purple Daisy Designs (who will also be at the Rhinebeck, NY convention), Scrapbook Super Station, and Dr. Phil from Close To My Heart.

Our Daily Bread designs, Purrs and Pants, Sparkle N Sprinkle, Stacy Stamps, Stamp Camp, Stamp LaJolla, Stamps N' More, and The Stencil Collection will also be joining SSAT again in Pittsburgh. And, of course, StampScrapArtTour's eight member companies are also coming. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Make & Take with Our Daily Bread designs

2009-06-18T00:20:00.000-05:00

One thing you can always count on at StampScrapArtTour shows is being able to watch lots of interesting demonstrations and participate in make & takes that occur all weekend long:

For example, Our Daily Bread designs was at the Southfield show and their booth was buzzing with excitement:

What was going on over there in the left part of the photo? Why, it was a special project customers enjoyed creating on Sunday afternoon. Here's a close-up of this lovely card:

It featured their Scripture Collection 2 stamp set, the Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge and 3-in-1 Butterfly punches, and paper from Basic Grey's Porcelain series. Beautiful, don't you think? We especially love the folded wings of the butterfly and its Small Accent Pearl, which gives the card a neat dimensional touch.

If you'd like to check out Our Daily Bread designs in person, they'll also be exhibiting in Pittsburgh, PA on July 11-12 and Westminster, MD on September 12-13. We hope you'll be able to visit them, along with all of our other great vendors, at either or both shows!

Prizes Galore!

2009-06-15T23:55:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Renee Drew, who won this fantastic prize basket from the Saturday drawing at our Southfield, Michigan show:

Claire Johnson was Sunday's lucky winner:

Raffle tickets for chances to win the prize baskets are available for purchase at every StampScrapArtTour show, and all of the proceeds are always donated to a local charity.

In addition to the basket raffles, SSAT gives away more than $1,300 in Tour Bucks at each of our conventions:

Door prize drawings for Tour Bucks are held several times throughout the weekend. Among the many winners in Southfield was Richard Pavlak, who received $250 in Tour Bucks:

We'd love to see YOU have a chance to win the raffle basket or Tour Bucks at an upcoming StampScrapArtTour show! There are still six more SSAT conventions that will be held this year. Click here for a complete listing of dates and locations.

More Philly Fun

2009-04-10T13:52:00.008-05:00

The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, where we had our show, publishes a calendar to advertise all of the events there:

It was fun to see our name in print:

What you couldn't see in the brochure, of course, were the individual booths at the convention. Of course, we always list them on the SSAT website. In addition to our member companies, who attend nearly every show, there were several wonderful vendors in Philly who brought their "latest and greatest" products. For example, Stamps N' More had a great selection of both mounted stamps and unmounted dies:

Sparkle N Sprinkle offered their fabulous array of glitter and embossing powders:

Susan demonstrated several fun ways to use them:

MorningStar brought their new spring collection:

Check out this neat "treat card" using L41 Birthday Background:

Mary Kay from Stamp Camp was also there:

Her new SS020 Build A Bird Set was a hit:

And we loved the SS014 Make A Tree Set, which was used to create these pretty cards:

Our customers enjoyed visiting the booths of these guest companies, as well:
Altered Arts
Close To My Heart
GlueFilm & GlueFOIL
Purrs And Pants
Scrap With Shelby
Stamp On It
Starving Artistamps
Tessler Stamps
The StampSmith

We're still finalizing the vendor lineup for our next show, which will be in Michigan. You can view the current list and check out the updates as the date draws near by clicking here.

Parchment Crafting in Philly

2009-04-02T11:56:00.005-05:00

On Sunday morning at the show, I stopped by the Sweet Impressions booth to find out how Stacy making her lovely sample cards:

She was demonstrating a technique called parchment crafting. First, she stamped and heat embossed her 7044 Dresden Rose Circle stamp with gold powder on vellum:

To prepare the surface, she turned the sheet over and rubbed wax paper across the non-embossed side:

With an Embossing & Perforating Pad under the vellum, she used an Empressor Stylus to dry emboss the border of her stamped image:

You can see how it turned the translucent vellum into an opaque white color with a raised finish when you look at the "right" side of the paper:

Then she used the stylus with their Regular Mesh Easy Grid (which is a metal plate with little holes in it that fits over the Perforating & Embossing Pad) to create a cool textured pattern:

Next, she used a Four Split Perforating Tool with the same grid in place to create tiny holes in selected areas of the stamped design. Notice how she also started piercing holes around the scalloped edges:

Those pierced holes along the outside allowed her to gently tear off the excess vellum, similar to a perforated coupon or postage stamp:

The last step was to color the image with a water-based marker and Dove Blender Pen:

Here's her sample shown next to a finished piece and also a completed card:

How beautiful is that! If you'd like to see Stacy demonstrate this in person, she'll be at the SSAT Southfield show next month, along with all our other terrific vendors. (And you can create MaryAnn's make & take shown in yesterday's post, too!)

Philly Follow-Up

2009-04-01T10:29:00.005-05:00

What a great time we had with our Philadelphia area customers last weekend! I'll be reporting with the full scoop on the show in this week's blog entries, starting today with a great project idea from Stamp La Jolla. Here's MaryAnn arranging the materials:

Many of the vendors offered demonstrations and make & takes in their booths. Stamp La Jolla's make & take featured a cool technique using Sugar Beads and Beadable Embossing Tape:

Their H602 Square Frame was used with various image stamps to create a clean border. Below it's shown paired with D633 Spiral Dragonfly, and you can see the same frame with G104 Gathered Flowers cropped on the right:

These ladies began their projects by coloring their stamped images with Twinkling H2Os:

Next, they placed a piece of Beadable Embossing Tape over the colored image, as MaryAnn did here:

After pressing down to remove any air bubbles, the blue liner was peeled off:

Then Sugar Beads were poured on the sticky tape surface:

The excess beads were shaken off so they could be reused...and, tada! A beautiful panel ready for mounting onto a card or other project:

Isn't that pretty? And it was so easy to do!

Philadelphia, Here We Come!

2009-03-23T17:36:00.003-05:00

If you're attending our convention in Philadelphia/Oaks this weekend, we're looking forward to seeing you on Saturday and Sunday! Also, you've still got time to register for classes on Friday or the Make It/Take It Project Night that night.

The Make It/Take It event consists of 7-9 different projects...it may be a card, tag, or 3-D item. You'll spend approximately 15 minutes at each table and rotate through all the "stations" as a group. It's a great way to get new ideas and experiment with different techniques. Halfway through the evening, there's a lovely dessert buffet with cakes, cookies, and other yummy refreshments. (Gotta keep up that energy level, you know!) And did we mention door prizes? Yup, lots of 'em! No need to bring any supplies, either, as those are all provided for you (although some folks choose to have their own scissors and adhesive, but that's totally optional).

Stamping, prizes, and food...the perfect combination for a fun evening, where you're sure to have a blast!

Blog Candy Follow-Up

2009-03-17T11:43:00.002-05:00

We received this lovely note from Gina, who was one of our blog candy winners, and she kindly gave us permission to share it with you:

"Thank you so much for this. I have been interested in learning how to do the faux postage. The stamps will be put to good use, I donate a lot of the cards I make to a Meals on Wheels program and the ladies especially love stamps with flowers.

I also want to pass along a thanks for the fund raiser portion of your tour. My mom grew up in SC and the Shriners provided her orthopaedic medical care, including four surgeries to correct her scoliosis."

* * *

We're still waiting to hear from a couple more winners, so please be sure to contact me with your mailing information by tomorrow! :-)

Congratulations!

2009-03-12T01:50:00.002-05:00

Here are your random numbers:

8 14 19 15 2

Timestamp: 2009-03-12 06:49:11 UTC

* * *

After allowing for any duplicate comments, the Random Number Generator has chosen our Grand Opening Blog Candy winners. Congrats to Marie, Gina, Debbie Kaste, Shirley from Minnesota, and Lesley in Georgia! Please email me at inkyantics@aol.com no later than next Wednesday with your full name and address so we can get your prizes sent out to you.

Thanks so much to everyone who played, and please keep returning here regularly for additional ideas & tips, info about SSAT, and more blog candy in upcoming posts!

Did You Know?

2009-03-11T13:37:00.009-05:00

When you attend SSAT conventions, you can purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win a fantastic gift basket. It's crammed full of stamps and other terrific goodies with a retail value of more than $600. Here's the lucky winner from our show in Columbia, South Carolina:

And perhaps the best part? One hundred percent of the proceeds are donated to a local charity! Last month's convention was held at the Jamil Shrine Temple:

We were so pleased to be able to donate $750 to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The check was presented the Potentate, Cleo Gleaton, on Sunday afternoon:

Thanks so much to our wonderful customers for your enthusiastic participation in these charity raffles! Through your generosity, we can give back to the communities in which SSAT shows are held and help make a difference in others' lives.

Just For Fun Technique Sheets

2009-03-06T11:12:00.002-06:00

At the Just For Fun booth, Rick & Debby provide these free handouts:

In case you missed them, we've made them available for downloading in .PDF files here! Just click on the links for the ones you'd like to view:

How To Create Faux Postage
How To Work With a Batik Technique
How To Stipple Like a Pro
How To Work With a Waterbrush

Enjoy!

Welcome to the StampScrapArtTour Blog!

2009-03-01T12:14:00.000-06:00

We're so glad you have joined us here! This is a place where we'll be reporting on the SSAT shows, giving you the "inside scoop" on your favorite vendors, sharing creative ideas, and more...including fun surprises (such as blog candy, so keep reading until the end of this post!).

Last week we had a convention in Columbia, South Carolina. Many booths had demonstrations, and Debby from Just For Fun was showing how to make a really neat project featuring their Faux Post stamps and coordinating templates:

She started by stamping G2479 3+1 Faux Post on a piece of white cardstock. Then she placed G2479T Faux Post Template on top of the cardstock, lining up the template with the stamped image. Using a stippling brush, she applied color from an Adirondack Dye Ink Pad in Butterscotch onto the cardstock, going right up to the inside edges of the template:

Keeping the template in place, she then stippled Cranberry ink right over the Butterscotch:

We peeked under the template, and here's what it looked like at this point:

Next, with the template still in position, she stamped F2714 Wildflower Silhouette in Pesto and F2716 Queen Anne's Lace in Wild Plum a couple of times:

After removing the template, D2995 Happy Birthday was stamped with Denim ink near the top of the card.

With a Fiskars Paper Edger (this particular design is called Stamp), she cut along the edges of the 3+1 Faux Post image:

Adhering it to a folded card was the final step:

Isn't that too cool? Even better, we've got some faux post BLOG CANDY to kick off our blog's grand opening! Just leave a note in the comments section of this post telling us which StampScrapArtTour conventions you've attended in the past and/or are planning to attend this year.

We'll accept entries until Wednesday, March 11th, at midnight Central time. I'll randomly choose five lucky winners on Thursday morning, who will each receive this terrific prize package generously donated by Just For Fun:

Now for the fine print: If you post anonymously (in other words, without signing in), be sure to add your name or we won't be able to include you in our drawing. This particular blog candy is limited to U.S. residents only. Finally, it will be the winners' responsibility to contact me via email no later than March 18th. If I don't hear from a winner, I won't be re-drawing...so please remember to come back and check. We don't want you to miss out!

Good luck, everyone! We hope you'll tell your stamping and scrapping friends to visit us, too.

StampScrapArtTour

Blog Candy Winners

It's Convention Time Again!

One Left in 2010 & More to Come in 2011

Rhinebeck & Westminster

Remaining 2010 Shows & Vendor Demo

Home From Hamburg

Winners in Winston-Salem

Projects & Prizes in Pittsburgh

Heading to Pennsylvania

Stampin' & Scrappin' in Southfield

From Rockford to Southfield

Blog Candy Congrats

A Visit with Repeat Impressions & Blog Candy

Fun in Philly

Philly Show & FLIP Cards

Swing Card

Spinner Card

Snowy South Carolina

Coming to Columbia

Merriment in Mesquite

Gearing Up For Fun

Winter Hibernation

Happy in Hampton

Blog Candy Congrats

Giveaway & Coupon

A Visit with Rubber Cottage

Tag Time

Dabbling With Dye Inks

Resist Technique

Wonderful Westminster

Congratulations

Polished Stone & Textured Backgrounds

Poor Man's Polished Stone Technique

A Visit with Seaside Stampin' Ink

The Early Bird...

Smiles From Winston-Salem

Make It/Take It Fun in Pittsburgh

A Visit with Stamp La Jolla

A Visit with Stamps N' More

Pittsburgh & Winston-Salem, Here We Come!

Demo Mania

Make & Take with Our Daily Bread designs

Prizes Galore!

More Philly Fun

Parchment Crafting in Philly

Philly Follow-Up

Philadelphia, Here We Come!

Blog Candy Follow-Up

Congratulations!

Did You Know?

Just For Fun Technique Sheets

More Faux Post Art

Welcome to the StampScrapArtTour Blog!