Birthday request

Happy Monday, Earlier in the month, my mother requested that I make a birthday card for a friend of hers for his 80th birthday. I was so excited to do a specific request that I began asking my mother all kinds of questions about the friend. She told me he was a very distinguished gentleman well known and liked in the community with quite a philanthropic heart. Trying to find out more about what kind of card he might like, I discovered he was a wine connoisseur with a flair for life. I put my supplies to work and created the Wine Bottle Card which I thought would be a perfect fit. I mailed it off to my mother with great anticipation and felt quite pleased with myself. When I didn't hear anything back, I called my mom to confirm she had received the card for her friend. "Yes, honey, I received it and it is pretty, BUT, it wasn't what I had in mind. " I tried not to be too disappointed but when she said she would just go out and buy a card I knew I had to take a different perspective.

This time I asked her what SHE wanted, and as she spoke, I began to see my error. I had tried to make something for the birthday recipient but what I should have done is focused on the person giving the card. On my second effort, I incorporated all her suggestions...Red because it is her favorite color, the numbers 80 because an 80th birthday card should have numbers, gold and silver because that is "fancy", and lots of sparkle for the special event. You can see that my second attempt has a much different look and feel. I will mail it off today and hope this one hits the mark.

As I pondered this situation, I couldn't help but remember some wise words from my father before he passed away last year... "If you love what you give to others it means all the more in the giving."I think my dad had it right. My mom wanted to give a little piece of herself to her very dear friend and God love her for the giving. I hope I can do the same through Stamp to Cope, Inc.

Blessings,
Jeannette

Hearts and Mouse

Happy Friday!  For my final post as part of the new stamp introduction, the projects used the Cascading Hearts, LoveU, Thank You, and Mouse stamps. Hearts are timeless and we are still in February :). I stamped the Cascading Heart stamp 3 times using pink ink and red ink.  I then embossed the squares, inked around the edges with light green, and glued them onto printed paper.  The bow was a rescue from a Christmas candy cane.  A fun and quick card to make and receive.

For the Mouse card, I used a bleaching technique.  I stamped the Mouse using VersaMark ink onto black paper.  I then used white embossing powder so it would stand out.  Using a little bleach on a small paint brush, I covered the Mouse's body to lighten it to match the gray diamonds on the patterned paper. The surprise with using the bleaching technique on colored card stock is discovering what shade the paper will turn. The technique is really cool on Fall cards when painting in leaves or pumpkins.

I have certainly enjoyed sharing our new stamp set, techniques, and ideas this week.  Thank you for following along.  If you are a Breast Cancer Survivor or a supporter interested in finding out more about our mission, please contact me at info@stamptocope.org. Have a safe and wonderful weekend. 
Blessings, Jeannette

Get Well Flowers and Patterned Balloons

Happy Thursday!  A special surprise for today and tomorrow, I will be sharing two cards each post--I was having so much fun creating that I kept on going :). Enjoy!

One of my colleagues was newly diagnosed so I wanted to send something that would be fun and cheery. By selecting bright bold colors and the Solid Flower Stamp I was able to use the emboss/resist technique.  First, I stamped the Get Well Soon stamp randomly on a piece of bright yellow card stock.  Then, I stamped the Solid Flower with VersaMark ink and clear embossed.  I then covered the whole piece with green ink.  After I inked the piece, I rubbed over the embossed flower portion with a paper towel to collect the extra ink and POP the words show through.  Adding the orange brads and pink ribbon seemed to bring it all together with the matching paper. 

I have always like balloons and loved how the movie UP seemed to bring them back in style and purpose.  By adding the Balloon Cluster stamp to our kit, the potential of balloons to bring joy and happiness has expanded even further.  For this card, I used two fun techniques.  If you look closely on the blue background, you will see the Party Hats stamp from the set embossed in the same color.  This is called tone-on-tone embossing and adds a little shin and shimmer to the card.  The tone-on-tone technique is wonderful for wedding, shower, and baby cards as well.  The second technique I used involved stamping the Balloon Cluster on the white card stock (in this case two times) and then stamping it again on printed paper (in this case two different printed papers).  By cutting out the balloon shape on the printed paper (not the string portion) and then gluing it onto the card stock, it gives the balloons a variety of colors.  This technique is also great for stamps that include clothing, animals, and other open images.  The Happy Birthday stamp is also part of the set and it is used here as a label.

Hope you enjoyed today's selection.  Check back tomorrow for the final set of samples.
Blessings, Jeannette

"Let's Go Fly A Kite"

After reading the title of this blog post, did you find yourself singing the song from Mary Poppins? My fond memories of my sister and I singing that song on long trips and the fun of flying kites as children were the visions in my head as this stamp was created.  A kite is such a multi-use image and seems to inspire a feeling of lift to any day and for any occasion.  By simply changing the color and background focus, you can reflect different seasons, events, and audiences. Try using the leaf stamp, also in this new set, as a background for a more fall experience or gray inks for a cloudy day.  For this sample, I also incorporated one of the first techniques I share with Survivors at our workshops...making clouds.  I love this look and it is so easy. For more depth to the card, I embossed striped paper with an argyle pattern to give the look of smaller kites in rows. I then colored the kite with Copic Markers to match the paper.  Since I like bling, by adding Stickles glitter glue to the frame and tail of the kite, it gives the impression that the sun is reflecting off the ribbon.

Whatever the need, a kite flying in the sky just seems to bring a sense of wonder.  Enjoy the small wonders in your day and remember, the winds of March are just around the corner...Let's go fly a kite!
Blessings,
Jeannette

Sunshine Victorian

Now that the set itself is available to view as a reference, please join me during the week for a journey into possible creations.  This card, features a Friendly Sun set off by a hand stamped Victorian Style background.  I first drew this sun when I was in 7th grade (no, you do not want to know how many many years ago) for the  basis of a copper necklace I was making for art class.  At the time, I loved the little Raisin Bran sun in commercials and wanted one of my own.  The fun memory is that my necklace won a regional award and my art teacher, Mrs. Boone, displayed it in the school trophy case the rest of the year.  I gave the necklace to my mother as a gift but have no idea where it is today.  However, I continued to draw the sun on all my book covers, notes, and soon it became my trademark throughout school.  The sun here is colored with Copic Markers and then an inked accent was added around the circle.

To make the Victoria background, I used the Open Flower Stamp from the kit, inking it randomly first in a light color ink and then a darker color ink.  I then blended in a light blue distress ink which took on a green tint once it was absorbed by the yellow paper.  To find out more about this technique, check out www.stamptv.com.

The final stamp used from the kit was the Hello stamp which I added at the last moment. I hope this card adds a little sunshine to your day.  Tune in tomorrow for another project.  Blessings, Jeannette

New Set Prototype and sample sheet

Good afternoon all.  As promised, today I want to share with you the first card creation from our new Stamp to Cope, Inc. exclusive stamp set we will be giving out to Survivors.  However, I realized this morning that I was remiss in sharing a picture of the set itself. Easy to correct... Thanks Jeannette

New Stamp Set Release Week

Greetings all,  Exciting things are happening here at Stamp to Cope, Inc. and I am so thrilled to share them with you. Last week we received a prototype of the new stamp set we will begin putting in our Survivor give-away stamping resources bags.  This set of 28 (yes 28) stamps was designed exclusively for Stamp to Cope, Inc. by yours truly and my daughter Carly. The intent was to allow Survivors to be able to stamp throughout the year with only one set of supplies. Once we designed the stamps, Mark from Stamp-a-mania http://www.stampamania.com was willing to put them to mold and produce the set. (You may have seen my Facebook and Twitter posts with picture).  I couldn't be more pleased and I know our Survivors will LOVE them. I wanted to do something here in the Blog to celebrate this great event. So, beginning tomorrow and through Friday, I will create and share projects that demonstrate the versatility of these wonderful stamps. I hope you will stop by and check them out. If you would like more information about the stamp set, please feel free to email me directly at info@stamptocope.org

MORE great news!  I found out this evening, that Stamp to Cope, Inc. will be expanding our outreach during March and April by teaming up with the Madison County Breast Cancer Survivor's Group for a special project. The two organizations will be putting together Survivors Baskets for the local Reach to Recovery program.  What a wonderful way to share our mission.   

See you tomorrow!!!! Jeannette

Valentine's Greeting

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! What would a holiday be without cards...especially Valentine's Day? So, as you might expect, I stamped happily for days creating special heart greetings to share. Needless to say, when it came time to write this blog, I had quite a difficult time choosing just one that reflected the excitement of the day. (Hey, that rhymes, maybe I should consider adding inside greetings too ...only kidding ;)) In the end, it all became about the message and this one said it all, "You make my heart squeak!" This little mouse with her festive heart balloons has joy to share. Sometimes, as a survivor, I am so humbled by this second chance and the love I receive from my God, my family, my friends, and people I meet everyday through Stamp to Cope, Inc. that my heart is so full it seems ready to burst. It certainly "squeaks". For that wonderful full feeling, as inadequate as it seems, I say Thank You to all! Enjoy this time to share your heart with others. Blessings, Jeannette

Winter Wonders

At the time of this blog creation it is snowing again here in Berea, KY. It is an understatement to say that I am not a big fan of winter, snow, or the cold that comes with them, but even I must admit that they certainly inspire beautiful stamps and crafting ideas. There is just something about the delicate and unique characteristics of a snowflake that reflect such depth of superior design. Much like a survivor, the snowflake can look frail, alone, and guided by forces out of its control. Yet, bring those individual snowflakes (survivors) together, let them land on something solid, and watch powerful things happen!! So while those shimmering flakes are coming down I will celebrate their potential. As for me, the survivor, I made this card for my husband to thank him for being my solid landing and to remind me that EVERY snowflake is a miracle! Have a glorious week. Blessings, Jeannette

Early Valentines Greeting

Wow, where did January go? It must have slipped by while I was trying to juggle being cold, fighting colds, watching snow, sloshing through snow, children home on snow days, and a dog pulling me through the snow. So as February arrives, I am going to focus on family, warm hearts, lovely greetings, dark chocolate, and wishful Valentines. In keeping with that idea, I made this special Valentine greeting for my sister, Shirley (Cookie), who also happens to have a February birthday.... Happy Birthday Sis!! Notice that the color focus is not the traditional Red but rather Breast Cancer Pink.

Family is very important to all of us but they take on extra special burdons when Cancer strikes. Sending a warm Valentine greeting to our special support members is a nice way to express gratitude. Each person in the family may play a variety of roles during the Cancer adventure unique to the dynamics of the family, geographic distance, and the needs of the survivor. Every contribution is sincerely appreciated. As an example, some of the things my sister did for me was research, set up possible treatment alternative locations, actively participated in Walks, Runs, and Awareness events in her area in my honor, sent packages/greetings, and started one of my most active prayer chains (in my mind a very critical survival tool :)). However, whether she realizes it or not, the best gift I received from her was knowing my journey, no matter how yukky, encouraged her to take better care of her own breast health as well as sharing awareness with others. Thanks Cookie!!! Let's continue to spread the word of awareness, early detection, and treatment/survivor options together!

More Valentines to come.... Blessings, Jeannette