any paper crafters?

i'm new here so i suppose i ought to introduce myself..

My name is Nancyjean, though i go by Nj (far quicker to type) and i live in Seattle

crafting interests include most needlework--but not knitting or crochet--and lots of papercrafting--making cards, calendars, accordian books and collages with papers, found objects, and, of course my collection of over 2000 rubber stamps.

are there any other paper crafters here or am i in the wrong place?

looking forward to getting to know y'all

Hi Nancyjean!

I am a papercrafter/ scrapbooker. There used to be a fairly regular thread with a few of us but I guess life took over as it sometimes does. I love to make cards. With the cost of them these days it's far more economical to use my scraps from my scrapbook pages. I love to make pages for my family of things we do. WOW! 2000 rubber stamps! I'd love to share with you! LOL I also make notecards for gifts for teachers and friends.

I live outside Tampa - couldn't get much farther from you than that! LOL I used to teach scrapbooking at Michael's but to much BS. 3 store managers and 3 CEM's in less than a year. Didn't need the drama. I've worked for better companies too.

I also like needlework - needlepoint and counted cross stich. I usually pick up $1 kits at Michael's and make a new ornament for my kids each year. I have 2 boys that I adore!

Are you working on any new projects?

Nice to meet you,

Ellen

thanks for responding!

I'm always working on stuff--since i sent out about 150 Christmas cards each year, i work on them year round.  despite my determination to not turn the crafting into a business until i retire, i keep getting orders from friends and co-workers. This morning i was asked to make a card for a nursing school graduate who likes skulls--very much my style! :) and i've got a bunch of baby cards and general note cards i'm working on as well.

i've got a couple of really large needlework projects going--one in crewel and one in counted cross stitch that i've been working on for years (i tend to have a bunch of projects going on at once and 'rotate' through them) as well as several smaller projects including the new Mill Hill  cross stitch and beaded Santa ornaments (i've got the entire set of 36 or however many there are),  the new Mill Hill cross stitch and beaded trilogy sets, a sampler i'm designing for an arts competition and a number of cross stitch baby bib birth 'announcements'  

of course it takes me forever to complete anything since i work a full time job at the VA, but my cat doesn't mind the clutter :)

leftover scraps? what are those? any paper too small to use on a card or collage project isn't disposed of until i've used my smallest punch on it and gotten as many shapes out of it as i possibly can.

This sounds like an interesting site and I am new to it also.  I love to make cards and other paper crafts.  Have done very little scrap-booking but would like to do more but haven't got the hang of it.  My needle work is mostly just that. I do some quilting, mostly helping others and I do a lot of patching and making simple crafts on the machine or by hand.  Nancy I have several rubber stamps and wonder how you keep yours all organized.  I am always digging through my pile to find one.  Stamp'n Up parties used to be big around here but it has kind of died out.  I really enjoyed the parties and getting together to stamp.  I live in Illinois and have 4 boys and 4 gc and we live on a small grain farm and both of us work in town.  Nancy

is your name Nancy?  i actually never go by that as Nancyjean is actually a single word (hence the Nj)

when i did Stampin' Up, i collected a LOT of those boxes the stamp sets come in and after giving away all of the stamps i didn't like (teddy bears, hearts, angels, cutesy stuff like that) i reorganized all of my stamps grouping them in the boxes by type (words, sayings, nature, animals, people, artsy stuff, etc) and have five of those large rolling storage bins (one per each one or two categories) and within each bin, i've got a book that has all of the images in that bin stamped in it (did that make sense?) this is really useful because i can just bring out the books when someone wants to order a card or calendar and they put little posty thingies on the images they like which gives me a feel for what to design. it also helps my friends when they come over for a 'play date' and want to sue the stamps. i actually have a pretty good idea as to where each of my stamps is and almost never refer to my books unless i'm looking for new ideas.

my clear/unmounted stamps are cataloged in a similar fashion except they're in a large file box separated by dividers.  while i know many people are going to unmounted stamps to save space, i still like all of my wood mounted ones and don't plan on changing them over any time soon even though i live in a rather small (600 sq feet) apartment that is currently overrun by my craft supplies

Nancy--the best way to get into scrapbooking is to buy a few magazines that have layouts you like and use those as a starting point. My personal favorite is Somerset Memories because it's not the cutesy teddy bears and hearts stuff that i'm not fond of. my personal style tends to be a little non-traditional--depressed crows, manic cats, skulls, etc

Hi, Nancyjean.

I came to the thread that ELLEN mentioned. But, it just sort of fizzled out. I don't do much scrappin', but I enjoy making cards. I have lots of stamps, but not a collection like yours. I bought my IL DD a Cricut and she does well with it and is an excellent card maker. When I need some things, she sends them to me.

ELLEN, good to see you. BTW, the stamping classes at my Michaels are no more. How's your family doing? Russell and I just celebrated our 54th anniversary.

NANRON, several ladies at my church are stampers and we get together once in a while. I do have two good SU ladies I can take classes from. Two different styles, but both make pretty and neat cards. I am learning some new techniques. My DD lives just west of Chicago and I am guessing you live farther south. I am in SE WI.

And, guess what my name is?

Nancy Z.

Just had to say hello back to you Nancy Z because you will never guess what my last name starts with?  Would you believe a Z also.  We live in the southern third of Illinois close to the IN border.  It would be a 5 or 6 hr drive to Chicago for us and congratulation on 54 years of marriage.   One of my nieces came over to make some cards for her 4-H project so I did several cards while I was visiting with her.  The time goes fast when I am making cards but even faster when I have a fellow stamper to visit with.        Nancy

Nancy Z. so nice to see you and CONGRATS on your anniversary! Doesn't surprise me about Michael's. I've not been into my store since April. The store I taught at does not have a scrapbook instructor yet. When I've needed something I go to JoAnn's or use what I have since I have so much! LOL A friend asked me to make 12 sympathy/ thank you cards and I needed paper for that. JoAnn has a friendlier coupon and return policy. I think the stores are cleaner too. I love Hobby Lobby but it's kind of far from me. Thinking about going up there soon though.

Just got back from 10 days in Idaho, Montana, Yellowstone and Salt Lake (visiting my DB). I have LOTS of photos to sort through and scrap! I took lots of photos of beautiful wildflowers that I want to turn into cards and put in my etsy shop. I got a new camera before the trip and it's awesome. We saw herds of buffalo and elk, a black wolf, moose, antelope, fox and deer. The boys loved it. We panned for gold and garnets and dug for trilobite fossils. It was a great trip and not one day did my allergies kick up. Today, our first day home, I am absolutely miserable! Can't seem to stop sneezing.

Anyone seen the new Fiskars FUSE machine? I am very intrigued by it as it does letterpress too, in addition to dies. I think it's pretty pricy though.

It's unfortunate that none of my friends close to me scrapbook so I'm on my own!

Hope everyone has a great Sat. night!

Ellen

Nj,

I'm a card maker and scrapbooker, mini albums and also a stampin' up demostrator. My stamp collection is growing by the day but not nearly like yours yet (haha)  Love playing with paper, also do a little quilting, sewing and needle crafts.  You name I've done it. Just need to keep my hands busy in something.  I use to follow this group a couple of years ago but it kind of fizzled out. would love to see it come alive again. I live in central Florida.

Mother of 4 2-girls and 2-boys............ all have left the nest.  Married to a wonderful guy for 23 years now.  He enclosed our garage for me to use as my crafting room.  Even ran a/c and heat to it I think he did it so I would stay out of his hair.  I work full time as a residential construction estimator.  I can hardly wait to retire to do what I love. 

Hopefully we bring some life back to this thread.

Create, Share and Inspire

Happy Stamping

Lisa

Hi!  I'm new here too!  I live in New York and have been Paper Crafting for 15 years.  I love all things Stamping and Scrapbooking and love baking too!  

I'm in awe of your 2000 rubber stamps!  LOL!  I have lots and lots but I think - if I don't count them - I won't feel like I have too many! ;-)

I'd love to see your blogs if any of you have them.  Will you share the addresses?

Thanks for "being here!"

:-D

Cathy

StampsAndScrapbooks.com

Am looking for suggestions for a baby shower.  We have a gift for my niece but would like to give her a scrapebook and/or pages to complete.  Since she knows it is going to be a boy and they like JDeere things should I go ahead and do a couple of pages so all she has to do is insert pictures?  I don't think she does scrapbooking, anyone have other ideas?         Nancy 

I think that's a GREAT idea!  i've done that and everyone loves it!  We just did one for the Cheerleading Coach's baby shower.  Each group did a two page layout with baby firsts - First bath, first tooth, first Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.  She LOVED it!

Thanks for the ideas about doing the 1st thing.  My DL is coming this weekend and we can work on pages for scrapebook this is a great idea.  Wasn't sure how to make up the book           Nancy

so cool to see all of your responses!

Nancy Z, congrats on your anniversary!

around here, Michael's and JoAnn are pretty much the same and maybe slightly different assortments. i go there for 'basic' supplies like X-acto blades, adhesives, some embellishments, paint brushes, etc. for my papers, stamps, and other 'specialty' items, i go to a couple of independent stamping stores in my area.  one of them, Impress, offers classes on various techniques and papercrafted items (cards, accordian books, banners, etc) that i take when i get the opportunity. one of the instructors' style is very much like mine--a little steampunk, a little vintage, a little creepy--and i take as many of her classes as i can because we have so much fun--she's the type of instructor who encourages us to take whatever we're doing in the class and make it more personal--to add things and embellish whatever project we're doing.  my least favorite instructor is the type of person who wants everyone to pretty much replicate whatever design/project s/he is teaching. i take classes to learn techniques and be inspired to create new art, so you know i'm not going to just copy what's in front of me LOL

i sold Stampin' Up for about 3 years, mainly to support my own habit because i certainly didn't have many customers, but gave it up onve i had a full stash of card stock and dye inks along with the stamp boxes and some stamps that i liked. the first thing i did once i was done with SU! was to take apart most of the sets, donate the stamps in each set that i didn't like (We have a women's trauma & recovery center here at the VA so i brought them in to work for our female vets to use), and reorganize the stamps that made sense to me.

it looks like this won't let me post hyperlinks because i was going to post links to pictures of my stuff that i have on my facebook page.  my card/art albums are all for public viewing, so if you look up Nancyjean Tripp (Seattle)  and check my photo albums, you should be able to check out my cards and such

i add new pics about once a month

Looks like I am not the only new one on the block. Glad to see scrappers are here also. I started with scrapbooking when my children got married and then all those little bits started adding up and that is how I found my way into cards. I really save a bundle making my own and the people love to get them. I have a small group that I get together with once or twice a year but out in the country there is not a lot of card makers. I have thought of selling them but seems now that I make them I send them and have very few left over in the end. I guess I could dedicate more time to it but that would cut into some of the other things that I love as well. I end up ordering a lot of my stuff online because it is just quicker than waiting until I get shopping. Cheaper too. online I can always see the total upfront. lol

I have a supply of books and magazines that I get ideas from but funny how the finished card is always so unique and at times it is even hard to see what the inspiration was in the first place.

I have often thought of joining splitcoast stampers and upload cards but every time I go on the site I get inspired and then I am way to busy crafting to do much else.

I have to locate my craft space in a better spot in our house, but not sure where is the best place yet. I have moved it around a couple times but seems I always have a better idea later or we need the space for extra sleeping space when the grandchildren come home. Now that they no longer sleep in cribs they all need more space.