Dearly Beloved

Greetings all. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Our family was truly blessed with family and good cheer. I am double rewarded because it is also the time I get to celebrate the anniversary of marrying my best friend. My card today was created for my loving and devoted husband and my number one support partner. I continue to thrive and survive because is his dedication...thank you deerly :)

This card used masking techniques to create the hills with a little glitter to make it look like snow. I used copic markers to color the deer and add depth by cutting them out and using deminsional tape to attach them to the card front. By using brown tones it added a masculine touch.

Try these fun approaches on your next creations. Have a happy and safe New Year.  Blessings to all. Jeannette

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Guiding Star

Hi all,  Hard to believe that the week of Christmas is upon us. For many, the rush to finish shopping and complete last minute preparations will be on. Be sure to take an extra moment to focus on the purpose of the holiday...

I had one final task to complete today and it required me to pick up a large item at my local Walmart. There were not many shoppers at the time I went, but the staff were quite busy stocking shelves and carting things back and forth in preparation for final Christmas sales. Since I was in no hurry and the store was not crowded, I spent some time walking around the various departments. What I experienced was quite a reality check. The employees, while helpful if needed, were far from jolly and a sense of dreaded anticipation was noticeable in each department.

As I waited for my item to be located and loaded, I struck up conversations with several employees. It was quite depressing to hear how much they wished the week was already over. A few long timers even began to share Christmas customer "war" stories (rudeness, impatience, entitlement, threatening) that gave me an idea of exactly why they were not looking forward to the week. I left the store thinking how very sad and the exact opposite of what Christmas is suppose to represent.

So, in all the hustle, bustle, anticipation, anxiety, and stress of the week, please remember the love, joy, and ultimate reason for the season.  May the Christmas "Star" be our guiding light so that we reflect the true meaning of the holiday!  Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus.  Jeannette

Christmas Surprise Card

Greetings Bloggers, Hope this post finds you enjoying the preparations of the Season. As promised last week, I wanted to share this Christmas Card that has a surprise...the inside.  While I always try to create on the outside, I do not usually add more than the greeting to the inside.  However, as I pondered the Advent of the Christ, I was compelled to reflect on my internal preparation and Thanksgiving. Somehow, that reflection took on a whole new meaning in this creation....the message and guiding light inside :). See the surprise ....

 Enjoy and have a great week.

Jeannette

A Folded Christmas

Happy December Everyone!

It is now officially Christmas card making season and always a fun time for holiday crafting. So to inspire myself, I spent last week searching for some new techniques.  I had hoped seeing what others were doing would help me decide what type of family card to make this year.  However, the idea took a most unusual turn....instead of helping me come up with one card, it encouraged me to make a variety.  The first technique I tried was a folded tree.

The tree requires paper that has a pattern on both sides. Cut or punch a circle that is 5 1/4 and cut it in half. Then basically accordion fold so that the patterns alternate.  I used a gold brad for the tree topper but a sticker or a button would also look nice. The trunk of the tree is a piece of scrap brown card stock.  I stamped the sentiment in green ink and mounted it on a red piece of cardstock so it would match the card base which is also red. I added a white piece of card stock, embossed with dots for a little texture.  Next time I may try to emboss with snow flakes to see how it looks. For a little horizontal color and to bring everything together, a thin strip of coordinating paper was used.

The great thing about this card is the amount of depth without the bulk so mailing is easy.  Stay tuned next week for a "surprise inside" technique.  Happy stamping.... Jeannette

Thanksgiving Card?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  You may be reading this blog and thinking...if this is a Thanksgiving themed post, why is there a Christmas Card feel to the image?  Well, here is the deal....

You may have noticed I missed posting last week. I have been traveling for work and simply ran out of time.  The ripple impact was that I also did not get a chance to make Thanksgiving invites for the family or special Thanksgiving greetings.  I thought that surely when I returned home I would still have time. But, when I called my mother to "check in", she made a rush order card request.  Since the final product has to be mailed to her so she can mail it to someone else (I know pretty crazy :)) I went right to work. So what had planned to be an evening of making Thanksgiving cards actually turned into an evening of creating cards that give thanks.  Seemed like the true meaning of the holiday to me! :)

The unique thing about this card was the request that it hold a gift card.

I have never worked with gift cards but this was a lot of fun.  I took a regular 8 1/2 x 11 piece of green card stock and scored it 4 1/2 from each end of the length and then right down the middle (5 1/2).  I "W" folded on the score lines and glued around the fold so that the center crease popped up inside the card and the backs of the cards stayed together. Think of putting glue at the bottom of the W so the two points stick together.  Be sure the glue is only around the edges.  I then cut a slit the size of a gift card and inserted a playing card to hold the space so my mother would see how it works.

Since she requested a Christmas theme and likes bling (you may remember this from a previous post), I stamped the holly leaves with a high shine ink and glittered up the berries. The Thank You is from one of her Bridge Clubs so I thought the theme of Hearts on a regular card would be a nice touch.  By adding red glitter to the hearts and letters gave the card additional sparkle.

Give a gift card holding card a try. With the holidays coming up it is a fun way to say Thanks!

May all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving.  Jeannette

Women's Wellness Table Helpers

Greetings everyone!  What an exciting weekend for Stamp to Cope, Inc.  We were asked to participate in the Women's Wellness Fun Day sponsored by the Madison County Breast Cancer Support Group and the Madison County Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition.  Over 200 women attended to learn about health issues facing women and enjoy some fun.  Breakfast and lunch were provided along with informative speakers, a style show, body recall, entertainment, and an ice cream social.  Health inspired vendor tables and door prizes rounded out the event. A big Thank You to my table helpers... Carly, Kasondra, and Tammy.  It was great to share our mission and outreach at such a high spirited event.

The highlight for me was the recognition of Breast Cancer Survivors at the end of the festivities.  Wow, how motivating to see so many of us on that stage as a reflection of hope and strength to all. I am reminded that every one of us can make a positive impact on others.  Thanks and have a great week! Jeannette

Boo to You

Happy Halloween everyone!  I know I am one day late but I am just not ready for my favorite time of year to end!  This has been such an inspirational year for Stamp to Cope, Inc. and I that I took the time to embrace, with extra thanksgiving, my big 50 birthday, my 9 year survival anniversary, a joyous celebration at DisneyWorld, and all the lovely trick or treat costumes and activities.

During this week of celebrations and awareness events, I was reminded that all survivors have a journey to embrace and share. They are all special and full of impact. For many of us, we pray our travels can provide new knowledge and hope for those that may have to follow in our path. My contribution to awareness surrounds my diagnosis..Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). I encourage you to share the information below with all of your loved ones.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a rare but very aggressive type of breast cancer in which the cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.  IBC accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States and is more likely to have spread to other areas of the body (metastasized) at the time of diagnosis than non-IBC cases.  IBC is known to occur in men, so any of you guys out there reading please take note.  Symptoms of IBC may include redness, swelling, and warmth in the breast, often without a distinct lump in the breast. Let me repeat this critical reality...WITHOUT A LUMP.  In other words, do not ignore the possibility of breast cancer just because there is no lump. With IBC, you MUST act fast. A common identifier is an area of the breast skin that has ridges or appears pitted and may have an orange tint, like the skin of an orange (called peau d'orange) which can be confused for a extremely fast growing rash. Other symptoms include heaviness, burning, aching, increase in breast size, tenderness, or a nipple that is inverted (facing inward). IBC is still relatively unknown so please share this information with EVERYONE on your social networking lists. 

So, as I wrap up the 2011 Breast Cancer Awareness month and all the wonderful events of October with what might seem a challenging message,  please remember that I am living proof (a miracle really) that there is love, hope, strength, and beauty along the IBC path as well.  My love, thanks, and sincere appreciation to all of you that give my life meaning!  Oh and one last thing..... The BEAST rules..I love Disney!

Blessings, Jeannette

A STAR Thank You

Greetings all,
There are so many individuals and organizations that have supported Stamp to Cope, Inc. over the year and we are extremely appreciative and thankful to all.  As an organization of Survivors, we then try to pay the support forward as part of our mission.  However, once in a while we get that wonderful chance to repay in kind and it is a true blessing.  At Stamp to Cope, Inc. we recently had such an opportunity and are delighted to serve.

One of our on-going supporters, Star Charities, asked me to create a dozen "Thank you" notes for them.  Star Charities is a group of volunteers that fundraise on behalf of specific causes.  The work is done strictly on a volunteer basis. They are particularly known for their fundraising efforts for Alzheimer's Research, Breast Cancer Awareness, Veterans, those serving in the military, and the Girl Scouts.  After they raise money through a variety of fundraising events, they present a check to the named organization and send thank yous to all the volunteers and contributors to the events. Using store purchased generic cards just didn't seem to be expressing  the unique message they had to share. Therefore, I was thrilled to make these Star Charities notes to help them spread their love.

Using white cardstock, I embossed a florish across the top.  On the bottom half I added patterned paper reflecting the stars and patriotic colors that represent their trademark.  Out of red and white cardstock I cut out stars and added their tag line...  Star Charities...Volunteers in Action.  I then added a piece of ribbon across the middle.  On the inside, I took the letters STAR and created a mnemonic.."Sending Thanks And Rejoicing..from the bottom of our hearts" and stamped a small red heart.  Stamp to Cope, Inc. and I hope these cards will spread resources and good cheer to many worthy organizations and individuals.  Try this technique to create a special message of  your own for a member on your support team.  Blessings, Jeannette

UK Markey Breast Cancer Workshop

Good afternoon... Apparently my blog from last week never posted. I tried to do it from my phone. So, I am reposting and will add an updated post later in the week... Thanks for your support......

Hi all, I am blogging on the go today coming live from the much awaited workshop at the University of Kentucky's Markey Breast Cancer Center. What great group of survivors! We are making a bookmark and a fall card using a spin on the white crayons resist technique. I will post final products next week. Have a happy Columbus Day! Blessings and happy stamping. Jeannette

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Academic Thank You

Happy October!!! We all know what that means...(Yes, my birthday and Halloween but that is not what I meant :)) Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  Stamp to Cope, Inc. has so many exciting ways we will be sharing in the spirit of awareness that this blog will be hopping. But, for today's post I thought I would share a story that shows how the art and crafting worlds really comes together for a cause...

Our son (pictured on the far left) is a member of his schools' Academic Team.  The school is new this year so has never had a presence in the Governor's Cup Rounds.  My husband is a fabulously talented wood artist so the team asked him if he would make them some name holders.  After he completed the holders, he reached out to a laser artist who then volunteered to put on the name of the school and mascot.  All of this happened in one day, and the team was presented with the holders and lamenated name tags that evening just before their competition. What a wonderful surprise for them all. I took pictures and even brought a piece of  cardstock for all the team members to sign as a way of sharing thanks, but really had no plans for their use. That evening, I checked my twitter account to see that StampTV (a free resource at Stamptv.com)  had uploaded a video on using photographs to make cards.  What a great idea ... right?  I watched the video and created my own interpretation using the cardstock the children had already signed as a thank you to the gentlemen for donating their time and talent. Truly an example of merging art, crafts, talent, and heart to support the new school and the team.

The reality that I find, is that this is just one example of how the local artists of Berea come together for something worthwhile.  Many of the same individuals will create and share Breast Cancer Awareness with us as well. So survivors, as we move into this very important month of awareness, take time to notice and be thankful for all of those arts and crafts individuals/organizations that contribute so much to support us!

Blessings,  Jeannette

Spread Your Wings

Hi Bloggers, I am back this week with much to share.  Some of you may have wondered why I did not post last week.  Well, I was traveling for work and had limited access to the Internet. However, I did take the opportunity to spread my wings in the area of stamping techniques through the wonderful world of videos that I downloaded before I left.  I was so inspired when I returned home that I made 13 cards over two days and about 20 focal pieces for future cards. This "spread your wings and fly" card is an example of a few of the techniques I learned.  The flowers are created to give a "fog" or "frozen" feeling. Using pigment ink (because it takes longer to dry) and doing one color at a time, I stamped the flower and then immediately stamped over it again in pigment white.  Taking my finger, I blended the white ink into the colored ink to give it a hazy/foggy look.  This could be used to reflect temperature or winter scenes, morning dew, or provide a soft pastel.

For the butterfly, I practiced using distress inks as a painting media.  I had not realized that distress inks reacted so well with water.  I embossed the butterfly in black to hold the color in place. Then, I stamped distress ink onto a craft sheet and misted each color with a little water.  The water reacted on the ink like water color paint so I was able to use a paint brush and fill in the wings. It made a much more realistic look then when I use markers or even aqua pencils. To give the butterfly depth, I inked only the antennae and body of the stamp in black and stamped it near the red flower where I thought it would look best.  I then cut out the embossed and painted piece, bent up the wings, and glued on the body portion to the stamped image of the same area I had already made on the card. This gave the butterfly the illusion of fluttering on the flower. A neat way to add animation to a static image.  Finally, I stamped the verse especially for my daughter who is just loving her first months in college.

As I looked back on the days immersed in videos and card making, I realized that it was wonderful to spread my wings and try something new and creative.  As survivor, I thank God every day for the gift of life and I do not want to waste any of the extra precious moments given me. But, in my rush to make every moment count, sometimes I forget that filling up every minute is not the same as fulfilling every minute. Learning something fun and new was a happy reminder.  So, I encourage all of you to spread your wings and SOAR.  Blessings and thanksgiving,  Jeannette

Fall Basics

Hi and welcome to my weekly blog thoughts.  As the weather cools down and the leaves begin to change, I am forced to accept that Summer is gone. While I am not looking forward to bringing out the jackets, I have to admit that I love the beautiful fall colors and the exciting events that mark this time of year.  In Berea, it means The Spoonbread Festival, the Walk With the Arts, the KY Guild of Artists Show, the 37th Annual Celebration of Traditional Music, and the Berea College Theatre Laboratory season.  For Stamp to Cope it means sharing our mission and message through updated web presence, expanded workshops, participating in group events, and adding techniques.

This week I am working with a group of scrapbookers (in an online environment) to see what ideas can crossover into card making.  I am also working on creating "sketch" cards to add to the Stamp to Cope bags.  A sketch card is basically a pattern that can be provided to survivors to give them a card idea.  The card featured on the blog today is made from my first sketch attempt.  The pattern uses three circles in a diagonal over some type of printed paper with a middle accent. Using fall colors ties it into the season but any color combination will work. This basic layout can be quite versatile by simply changing the elements on the circles to correspond with specific sentiments and events.  Why not give it a try and see how many combinations you can create?

Have a wonderful week.   Jeannette

Always Remember

Greetings and Happy Labor Day!  Here at Stamp to Cope, Inc. and for me personally the week has been full of emotions and activities.  We welcomed into the family our new granddaughter born yesterday.  Thanksgiving for all doing well. Our son had a headline in the newspaper for his participation in a junior National Leadership Conference...we are very proud.  We went to visit our college freshman daughter now that she is all settled in at school...so wonderful to see her sparkle with happiness! She will certainly make her mark on the campus and I look forward to watching her embrace the college experience. A week of roller coaster emotions for me :).

For Stamp to Cope, we have begun the process to align our Learnshops with the Kentucky Psychological Association.  Our hope is to be able to provide one workshop a year for medical professionals where they can earn their required continuing education credits in the area of coping options for their patients. I will keep you posted on our progress. We also received word that a donor will be sending us a large stamp donation for our survivor bags. Thank you!

As I pondered all the happenings of the week for card creation inspiration, it was clear that the sacrifices of others allow us to embrace these blessings and events. Are there ever enough ways to say Thank You? The upcoming anniversary of 9/11 is a potent reminder of those who gave all. I sincerely believe we must remember that our freedoms and opportunities come with a price. I know that I am in debt with gratitude to those who have and continue to pay that price now and in the future. My personal and Stamp to Cope blessings are a small part in a larger picture of inspiration. Therefore, my card creations this weekend became small but heartfelt tributes and creative reminders to "Always Remember".   God Bless America and all those who serve and support Her! Have a wonderful week and please take a moment on 9/11 to remember!

Blessings, Jeannette

Surprises

Greetings everyone! Before getting to the topic of this week's blog, I wanted to send out a huge prayer of thanksgiving that hurricane Irene did not live up to what was anticipated. Stamp to Cope, Inc. sends out continued well wishes to those who are still dealing with challenges left in the wake. To all of my East Coast family....thank God!

Already the last week of August and cooler weather turning up much to my dismay.  Where did the summer go? I am not ready to give up warm weather just yet :). However, with the arrival of Fall comes many new adventures for Stamp to Cope, Inc. In preparing for our upcoming events, we reviewed our supplier sponsors and received our first surprise and some very sad news...one of our wonderful supporters, The Angel Company (TAC) has closed its doors.  This was quite a surprise and shock to us as there were no apparent signs.  From an STC perspective, it impacts not only our ability to get supplies for our donation bags at a huge discount, but part of our fund raising aligns with commissions and donations from TAC independent consultants.  Over the years, TAC and the Angels associated with such a fine organization have been absolutely the best to Stamp to Cope.  TAC will be missed.  As a result of the announcement, we are trying to find a replacement stamping sponsor or a wholesaler and strategically planning future fundraising options...I will keep you posted. 

By Sunday, I was pondering areas of low donation bag supplies and looking at our immediate need for an upcoming workshop.  Imagine the blessed surprise I received at church that morning when the Lutheran Women's Missionary League along with matching funds from Thrivent Financial presented STC with 4 large bags FULL of supplies... colored pencils, card stock, ink, adhesives, patterned paper, pencil sharpeners, etc.Truly a literal answer to my prayers.  THANK YOU ladies and Thrivent for such generous and timely support.

So, as I pondered what type of card to make in appreciation for such blessings, I kept both of the surprises of the week in mind (and my unwillingness to give up summer just yet).  The butterfly reminds me that surprises (challenging or happy) can result in beauty and retrospection but certainly reflect a metamorphosis to embrace. I used products and techniques as a last dedication to the years of TAC service.  The butterfly on this card was stamped on heavy white card stock, embossed in black, colored in with metallic and glitter pens to give a stained glass look, and then cut out. The small rectangle base was covered with Angel Pink and the butterfly was attached using pop dots so it would appear to be hovering.  For the large rectangle base, I used a pink piece of card stock and created a butterfly watermark look.  This was created by using the same butterfly stamp but stamping it randomly over the pink paper using Angel Pink ink. The sentiment was stamped in black on a circle cut piece and taped behind.  All pieces were layered in black textured card stock for emphasis and placed on a white card base.

Try it for yourself and remember to embrace all of life's surprises.  Blessings, Jeannette

School Supplies and Dorm Rooms and Presentations...Oh My

Hello all! As you may have noticed I did not get a chance to blog last week.  I truly did not forget...I just ran out of time.  Wow what an amazing ride we have been on... Our son was selected to attend a Jr National Youth Leadership Conference in DC (he had a great time) and returned to a rush of school supplies and first day in the 6th grade excitement on the 15th. At the same time, our daughter was preparing for her college debut as we cleaned, sorted, packed and loaded.  We helped her move into her new dorm on the 19th.  In between, I had the most wonderful opportunity to share the Stamp to Cope mission with the Lexington Lioness Club as guest presenter on the 16th.  What a great group of women serving their community and it was an honor to be a part of their event!  To add an extra surprise to the week, I came home from the presentation to a HUGE box sent from Hero Arts Stamps and inside were stamp sets that they donated to STC to give away to survivors.  Then on Sunday when I arrived at church, the Lutheran Women's Missionary League of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church presented me with a large bag of stamping supplies to put in the survivor bags. Truly this world is full of loving, caring, and giving people.  I am so thankful for each one of them.

So, as a small but sincere tribute to all the fabulous folks who provided help, guidance, and support this most crazy but wonderful week, I created this card to send the heartfelt message... You are my Sunshine!  This card uses something called a thumping technique where water based markers are used to create the color on the stamps instead of ink. After I laid down the light color from the marker directly onto the rubber stamp, I then went back in with an accent color and thumped the tip of the marker randomly over the rubber stamp.  Since the markers dry fast, I had to "huff" breath over the stamp before putting it to the paper.  The moisture from the breath reactivates the color. For the background, I scored diagonal lines using my Scorepal and then inked directly to the paper to catch the raised surface.  Using accent colored layers and a pretty gingham ribbon added a little cheer.

Try these techniques on your next project and thanks again for the "rays" of support.  Blessings, Jeannette

Invitations

Greetings, Hope everyone had a great Monday.  Over the weekend I began work on Welcome Wagon membership invites for the Berea Woman's Club.  The Club's theme for the upcoming year is to focus on the unique and diverse interests every member brings to the organization. Yet, when they all come together there is a mutual bond.  While I was pondering what to make, it occurred to me that we survivors are no different.  We all have our unique experiences with our fight but we have all been blessed with a common gift..a second chance.  I hope you will take a moment to embrace the invitation of a new normal...celebrate your success.

For these invitations, I used the same flourish stamp but changed the ink colors and the random pattern of the stamp to provide similar yet unique card for each basket. By putting the "You're Invited" words stamp at the top, the card will stand out in a very full basket of goodies. Hopefully, it will inspire new members to the community to contact the Club for further information. On the back of each card, I have stamped STC contact information and a pretty pink ribbon for immediate identification of our focus. I hope that these cards inspire curiosity on both sides.  Thanks for the opportunity.  Have a wonderful week. 

Jeannette

Remembering Lynn Woodward

Good afternoon bloggers!

August is upon us and school starts are just around the corner. Before we move into upcoming events, I wanted to take one more opportunity to reflect on July with a special dedication to one of our sisters... Lynn Woodward. Stamp to Cope, Inc. received a most generous and appreciated donation on behalf of Lynn and all that she contributed toward the breast cancer fight.  Although Lynn is now in a better place, while on this earth she touched so many lives with her valiant struggle, positive message, and "never give up" outreach. It is with pride and pleasure that STC take a special moment to celebrate her life!  She was an inspiration to all who knew her.  Thanks Lynn, I know you are looking down on us with love and a smile.The funds provided will be earmarked for a special Survivor Event currently in the planning at the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center. More information coming soon. STC is blessed to have such caring support. Thank you!

Keeping in the spirit of looking down on us, I created this Hot Air Balloon Card to thank our donor.  I adapted a basket stamp (did not ink the apples that were inside), free handed the guide lines, and used a scalloped punch for the balloon.  Using two different colors of the same paper gave it a more festive look. I am going to continue refining this idea with a simple circle punch and solid colors to see how realistic I can get. Try adding sand bags with stickers or masking a cute animal in the basket. If you learned the cloud technique at one of our workshops, what a cool look that would make.  Enjoy being creative.

Have a wonderful week and stay strong.
Blessings,
Jeannette

Shading Bamboo

Greetings all!  I am excited to start off this blog message with some great news for Stamp To Cope (STC)... We have been asked to display sets of our cards in the Berea Art Gallery.  This is a wonderful opportunity for us to raise awareness of our organization and get the word out to Breast Cancer Survivors who visit the gallery.  In addition, anyone who donates to STC can take a card home with them.  Over the next weeks, I will be looking into display options and getting themed card sets completed. With the holidays just around the corner, this could be quite a spring board for us.

Another awareness project in the works is a request from the Berea Woman's Club for me to create invitations for the welcome baskets put out by the local Welcome Wagon organization. STC will be able to put our "hand made by" information, including website on each invite.  It is estimated that we could reach 200 new households with this effort.

These two wonderful opportunities inspired me to focus this week on trying something new...drawing and using a variety of color options. For the bamboo, I tried my hand at drawing my own version using a pencil to surface method and then going over the drawing with ink.  I then used only one shade of green but used a light or heavy hand for depth of color. I used a paint brush with a small tip to give me more control of the color. The shadow around the bamboo was made with a brown aqua crayon and then I inked a bright color around the edges.  Give using a variety of coloring options in one project a try...it was messy but lots of fun.

Have a great week! Blessings, Jeannette

Project Samples

Here are two samples of the projects from the Learnshop.  The Mouse is an example of layering, ribbon, paper embossing, and white crayon resist...Day 1

The Leaves include the techniques from Day 1 but add heat embossing, bleaching (in the leaves), and adding a focal accessory which was paper embossed. 

We had a GREAT time!  J

Learnshop Update

Hello everyone!  I am so happy to share an update of the Stamp to Cope, Inc. Art of Stamping learnshop held last week as part of the Berea Festival of Learnshops.  What a wonderful and exciting event.  This was the first time Berea Tourism tried anything of this type and it was a huge success.  Stamp to Cope, Inc. was so blessed to be a part of this great event.  Thank you to everyone who helped make it all come together for us.

Our workshop consisted of two full days of stamping techniques starting from the very basics all the way through to some advanced techniques.  Day 1 we reviewed the basic tools, indexed and mounted stamps, practiced basic inking, and created 5 projects. Some of the techniques we covered included layering, ribbons, white crayon resist, and masking.  Day 2 we incorporated what we learned on Day 1 (that constructivist educator in me) and added bleaching, embossing, and emboss resist.  We ended with a card sketch challenge and some magnificent cards were the result.

What a great way to share the art of stamping and Stamp to Cope's mission.  We have been asked to grow with the program for next year and I am so excited.  There are plans to bring in the local medical teams and spread the word further and earlier.  If you were unable to make it this year, maybe you will be able to join us in 2012.  Blessings, Jeannette

Learnshop Week

Happy Monday everyone!  The time has come for the much anticipated Stamp to Cope, Inc. sponsored Berea Festival Learnshop.  As you can see from the picture I have posted today, getting ready for a action packed two days has been my focus.   Here are the details....

The Art of Rubber Stamping  will be part of the Berea Festival Learnshops. The learnshop is a two-day immersion into the creative art and craft of stamping. Participants will learn scrapbook and card stamping techniques and create stunning take away projects. Stamping is a creative and versatile outlet for any skill level.

 All proceeds from the learnshop are being donated to Stamp to Cope, Inc, a 501c3 breast cancer support organization.  

The learnshop is scheduled for July 13 and 14 from 10:00am - 4:00pm at the Berea College Gear-up Building, 439 Walnut Meadow Road. 

Registration fee, which includes a set of 28 rubber stamps and acrylic block, canvas tote, art supplies, take away projects, and techniques, is $200.

Berea Learnshops will allow any breast cancer survivors to attend my stamping workshop for free 

Register today using the link provided  

http://www.berea.com/2011/05/the-art-of-rubber-stamping/

Hope to see you there!  I will tweet and blog during the event.  Stay tuned for updates.
Blessings, Jeannette

Proud to be an American!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I hope you and your loved ones are able to take time today to celebrate!.  I made this card for my very patriotic son as he celebrates a July birthday. I used a circle die cut to create the card base and sponged blue ink on the front while it was still in the die.  I then used a star shaped die for the center piece and stamped on the flag stamp distributed by The Angel Company.  I  colored the flag stamp using colored glitter pens so the flag sparkles when the card is moved.  As I took the picture of the card for this blog, it seemed to flutter when the flash reflected off the sparkles...it gave me goose bumps.  I am so proud to be an American and I sincerely appreciate the sacrifices made by those who founded our nation! God Bless America!!!  Blessings, Jeannette

Stamp To Cope: Fundraising Workshop in July - Register Today

Stamp To Cope: Fundraising Workshop in July - Register Today: "Happy Monday all, Hard to believe we are in the last week of June already! As we move into July, I wanted to share the news that Stamp to C..."

Fundraising Workshop in July - Register Today

Happy Monday all,  Hard to believe we are in the last week of June already! As we move into July, I wanted to share the news that Stamp to Cope, Inc. will be hosting a fundraising The Art of Stamping workshop through the Berea Festival Learnshop event.  All proceeds from my workshop on July 13 and 14 will go to Stamp to Cope, Inc. to further our mission of outreach and awareness of Breast Cancer Survivorship. Check out the link below and register today! Please share with others. 

http://www.berea.com/2011/05/the-art-of-rubber-stamping/

The card featured today was inspired by my dear friend and fellow cancer Survivor Tracy.  Happy Birthday! The card was shaped using a Nestibilities die set and taking the largest size first, cutting it twice to make the front and back of the card base.  Leaving it in the die, I sponged on pink ink. Then when I lifted the die it left a white border. I repeated the same technique with the next size die but stamped on the swan before sponging on the technique around the edges. I stamped the swan again on a scrap piece of white card stock, colored it for highlights, cut it out, and glued it onto the already stamped base. A fun way to add character to the card.

This technique as well as embossing, resist, layering and much more will be covered in our workshop.  Hope to see you there.  Have a great week. Blessings  Jeannette

Happy Father's Day

Welcome to my weekly blog! I waited until today to write because I wanted to try something new…. Creating a blog with more than one picture… so I needed to practice. Thanks for your patience.

Good fathers are such a wonderful gift which should be celebrated. Thank goodness there is a special day just for them. I have been truly blessed many times over… While my father was alive, he was a tremendous font of love, support, and compassion and every day I find myself reflecting some element of his care.

My father-in-law is also an amazing man who unselfishly helped raise his brothers and sisters, then his own family, and now shares his ideals with his grandchildren. It is a joy to watch my husband, truly the best of fathers, incorporate his wisdom and compassion with our children and grand children. When I look back on how these three pillars reflect the foundation of our family, I am awed and inspired.

For my husband, who has really gotten into gardening this year, I created this wood grain frame card. The wood grain piece was made by taking a yellow piece of card stock, embossing lines, and then rubbing brown ink directly from the pad onto the paper. I then cut out an oval center and stamped on the white card based.

My father-in-law is a great outdoorsman so I made this sailing card to reflect peaceful waters and tranquility. I sponged on various colors of ink to create the sky and water using post it notes to mask off areas for the land and horizon. The sail boat was stamped once on the card itself and then stamped again on another piece of cardstock, colored, cut out, and then glued over the first stamp to create depth. Grass was then stamped onto the base.

A BIG thank you to father’s every where! Have a great week. Jeannette