My Catalog Coupon Book

I offer a free catalog coupon book to my customers who preorder a catalog. For this year's version, I used the new Circle Circus stamp set, the newer Statement of the Heart stamp set, and some of the 2009-2010 In Colors. I really like how this year's book looks!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 2nd

Tonight I held my December Technique Tuesday class. I adore these ladies - they are the core of my business and are fabulous and fun to be around.

One of the techniques I taught tonight was Faux Quilting. This is a great technique to use with bits and pieces of your Designer Series Paper. Many samples I found online used the larger square punches. For the card below, I actually used the 3/4" square punch. It made a smaller quilt, but it was easier to plan a card around this size. Here it is:

To make the quilt - punch out 6 squares. Take one square and cut in half diagonally and then cut each of those again diagonally. The Old Olive piece is 2.5" x 2.5" for the 3/4" punch quilt. Start and ahdere one full square, and then use one of the squares as your spacer. Get the four corners done this way (using the spacer square really helps line it up). Then use those four cut pieces in between the full squares. Finally adhere the spacer square in the middle. It is hard to see, but there is some paper piercing on the upper right and lower left of the More Mustard piece.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My customers are really important to me. Many of them I see more than my family and long-time friends. They share my love of stamping, and they look to me for ideas and inspiration.

Just a few weeks ago, I was blessed with a wonderfully happy moment. I was dropping off some items to one of my customers. She was not home, and her husband answered the door. I had called before I came so he was expecting me.

After I gave him the bag, he said "Jane, thanks for all you do." I must have look a bit puzzled. He went on, "My wife and her friends just love coming to your house. They look forward to it and always have such a great time. I hope you know how much fun they have!"

He said a few more kind words, and I told him how much I enjoyed having them stamp with me. There are some fabulous women in my customer circle!

I am so blessed in my life - wonderful husband and kids, family and friends, and a job and other interests which I am passionate about. My customers are a special blessing - and I am truly grateful for their friendship, loyalty, and inspiration.

Happy Thanksgiving - may your blessings be many!

A Stamper's Christmas Wish List

If you're a stamper, there is always something on your wish list. Why not make it easy for Santa this year? Here's a link to my Stamper's Christmas Wish List ~ hopefully, you'll get what you want for Christmas this year!

Stamping (and Laughing) With My Customers

This week, I held my third Technique Tuesday event. I had the techniques picked out for quite a while. I was actually surprised at how much I had prepared ahead of time. Thank goodness because it was one of those days when the to-do list was much too long (volunteering, cleaning, homework help, baking...).

I have three great boys and a husband who do help when it comes time to preparing the house for company. With my stamping business, that translates to about four or five evenings a month. There are jobs they love to do, and of course, some they don't like to do (you can include me in that one!).

Well, I was cutting out some of the pieces for a project and having to run a little interference in the household chores and the homework battle. I must have been pretty distracted because when my stampers got to the project later that evening, the pieces were not evenly cut. I wanted to just cry...I really love to pamper my stampers and try very hard to have projects all ready.

Leave it to my customers - they just laughed, took it in stride, and kept reminding ME that these were just samples for them. They totally understood and made me feel so much better.

Well, November is I Am So Thankful Month...and to all my customers...I am so thankful for you!