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