Geneva's Stamping Designs

Shark Tank thought for the day

Last night during the TV episode of "Shark Tank" I was driving grandchildren down a dark and dreary road to my house.  Watching TV didn't seem like the thing to do at the time!  However, this morning I had several tweets from a Twitter Shark Tank Party that a friend of mine held.  (He LOVES to review the entrepreneurs on that show and try to predict what the sharks will do and why!)

One of his Twitter posts said this: "Tough question these days.  Can a business manufacture product in U.S. if Americans won't pay higher price for U.S. manufacturing?"

I've thought about this today.  Much of the product Stampin' Up! sells is manufactured here in the United States and I'm proud of that fact.  I feel that the quality of our paper and inks and rubber stamps is outstanding.  They are one of the main reasons I sell this product.  By selling this in packages, Stampin' Up! has kept the prices competitive.  Most scrapbook  paper sold in stores is priced by the sheet.  When you break our packages down to price per sheet, they are competitive and still, in my opinion, much better quality to the touch.

In all fairness, I must say that not all of Stampin' Up!'s products are made in the U.S.  I'm sure they have accountable reasons for this, I've never asked.  These are often the products you can purchase elsewhere in at least similar form.  I'm sure competitive pricing plays an important role in this decision.

What about you?  How hard do you try to buy "Made in America" products?  Do you think that if more of us made more of an effort to buy that way that prices would go down (supply and demand and all that???)  Do you think it would affect our economy? put people to work? cause the end of the world??? (just kidding!)

Leave a comment and let me know what you think on this subject. 

Meanwhile, to relief the headache it's causing, remember that creating is a good relaxing activity and go stamp something cute - you'll know that it will be "made in America" - you made it! (assuming you live in America.....I assume most of my reader's do....if not, let me know! I'd love to know where you're from!)  Then leave a comment and let me know what you created!  Don't forget Sale-a-Bration is going on now!  If you need (or just want!) more product - just click on the shop now button to the left!

Happy Stamping!

Send me Soaring

This is the second card we made at Stampin' Up! Regionals last weekend.  It uses the same stamp set, Send Me Soaring, and the same mini-heart punch.  WIth the addition of a couple of more punches, change in colors and some different Designer Series Paper, this card gives this stamp set a completely different look and feel.  I LOVE that about stamping and paper crafting.  It's so fun to "think outside the box" and see new looks!

Have a great weekend and spend some time looking outside YOUR box and see new looks!  Of course, if you ALSO need new supplies, let me know or go straight to my 24/7 online shopping by clicking to the left.

Happy Stamping!

Come Soar with Me!

This is one of the cards we made at last weekend's Stampin' Up! Regional Event.  First, notice the mini hearts punched out from the bottom of the Old Olive card stock.  These appear on the envelope flap with brads to close the flap!

The stamp set is Send Me Soaring from the new Occasions Mini Catalog.  Notice the little round extension of the right.  Simply "twirl" this and you get this:

Twirl it again and get this:

With 6 different "kites" in the set, the choices are multiple!  Won't this be a cute card to send a friend or loved one?  And you don't have to wait for the windy month of March to make it!

In fact, if you purchase this set and the Getting Started Starter Pack of Card Stock plus the Getting Started Stampin' Spots, you qualify for a FREE item from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  Great way to get started!  If I can help, let me know.

Happy Stamping!

New Demonstrator Sale-a-Bration Benefits

Yesterday I told you about the wonderful FREE things one can get with a $50.00 (US) purchase during Sale-a-Bration.  If you sign up to join the Stampin' Up! family you can get even more!  In addition to the special rate of only $125.00 to join (that's $50.00 Off the regular price which is already over 50% savings off retail prices!) you'll get your choice of either a Digital Download or Designer Series Paper EACH MONTH for  the rest of 2012!  Sign up in January and get 11, wait until March and you only get 9--- you do the math.  It's a great time to take the plunge - whether as an income or just to get the discount and save money on your supplies!

To join my team, just contact me:  geneva@genevachapin.com with "I want to join Stampin' UP!" in the subject line!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Stamping!

It's HERE! Sale-a-Bration starts today!

Sale-a-Bration is Stampin' Up!'s annual chance to get some fantastic, limited time only items for FREE and it starts TODAY!

Leave me a comment below, email me or call me to get your SAB items as soon as you can.  It's a great time to hold a workshop of inhome party, invite some friends and I'll provide the entertainment and relaxation for the bunch!  Stamping IS cheaper than therapy!  lol!  I'll post the catalog on the sidebar as soon as I get the code!

Happy Stamping!

 

 

Stamping 411 Challenge # 239

This is my interpretation of Stamping 411's challenge this week.  The Tempting Turquoise card is accentuated with Daffodil Yellow, Peach Parfait, and Poppy Parade card stock and inks. I used the Cupcake Builder Punch along with the Create a Cupcake stamp set and the Crazy for Cupcake Stamp Set.

On the stamped cupcake platter, I used the Blender Pen and the Classic Stampin' Ink Pads to create the watercolor image.  The Blender Pen is one of those tools that I sometimes forget to use!  We used it on one of the projects we did at the Stampin' Up! Regional I went to last Saturday.  It reminded me of how much I enjoy using it.  This stamp seemed to call for it here, so there you are!

Here's the Stamping 411 challenge design:

Now, go have some fun for yourself and create a card to play along.  It's a lot of fun!  Leave me a comment here if you do, so I'll know to check it out!

Happy Stamping!

Sale-A-Bration 2012 is coming!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012, marks the start of Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-a-Bration where for every $50.00 (US) that you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you get something for FREE from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. This year's SAB catalog has been expanded to include a variety of embellishments and some of the cutest Designer Series Paper I've seen!

Hostesses get even more FREE product based on sales AND the regular Hostess benefits. This is a great time of the year to hostess a Stampin' Up! party! Contact me (call or leave a comment below or email), set a date, and invite some friends over for a couple of hours of FUN!

I'm looking forward to sharing good times this year with all of you!

Happy Stamping!

Friends

If you look closely, you'll see that the colors in this card are the same as yesterday's card, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.  They are Stamping 411's latest color challenge and 4 of the 5 newest In-Colors for Stampin' Up!  I sat down to create a card with the Friends Never Fade stamp set, planning to do something "Valentine-y."  These pieces were on the table and just called to me.  I think Island Indigo is my new favorite color ink to use! -- At least this week!

Gotta run.  If you want more details on this card, leave a comment below and I'll get back to you!

Happy Stamping!

Publish

Stamping 411 Challenge # 238

This card uses some of my favorite Stampin' Up! products that I never really know how to use!  The letters are the Lovely Letters stamp set.  They are great for scrapbooking, but so pretty they should be utilized on other projects, but I often wonder "how?"  The image and the "always" are from the Always Elegant stamp set.  Again, a beautiful, scrolly, wonderful to look at image, but not bold enough to stand alone on most projects.

The Elegant Lines Embossing Folder is one of my favorite, EXCEPT it cuts very deeply, so needs to used against something and is difficult to know what to cover it with.  I don't want to cover any of it most of the time, so I find it hard to work with even though I love the look.

This month's Stamping 411 Color Challenge was to use this year's IN COLORS, Island Indigo (the main card and the ink used), Pool Party (the piece the Always Elegant image is stamped on) and Lucky Limeade and Calypso Corral (used as background pieces).  This week's challenge was this design:

When I looked at my supplies, this card just kind of put itself together to meet that challenge!  I also used Rhinestone Brads to attach the letters to their Postage Stamp Punched backgrounds

I've decided I like this color combo.  You may see it again!  Go create something for your pleasure and enjoy the day!

Happy Stamping!

SOPA and PIPA

This is a creative site.  My goal here is to provide you with creative ideas to use as starting points for your own creative processes, whether that be stamping, sewing, painting or whatever.  I am also interested in selling you Stampin' Up! materials to help you create those masterpieces of course!

HOWEVER, today I'm going to post something different.  Most of my readers live in the United States and this proposed plans in Congress (SOPA in the House and PIPA in the Senate) will affect how we in the USA use the internet.  It will also affect how others around the world see things.  So, please go to this site for more information on this: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

If you would like, please go to this site to find out how to contact your congressional representatives:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Let me say that I would NEVER condone breaking copyrighting laws!  Just ask my children and now my grandchildren, how many times I've said, "You CAN NOT just copy that resource. That's PLAGIARISM and it's not right!  Put it in your own words!"   I feel that the intent of these bills is probably good.  However, the way they are written currently it appears that it will interfere with much of what is currently being done through blogs, etc. and since I have one, I'll be affected and you, the reader, may suffer.  Thus, it is necessary to protect our rights by utilizing our rights to speak out!

Tomorrow I will return to my original creative intent for this site.  Today I felt this was too important to ignore.  Check this space early in the morning for my idea on Stamping 411's latest challenge and this month's color challenge!

Happy Stamping!