Stamp Camp!

My dear friend--and the mother of my son's best friend--is named Tammy, and Tammy is a stamper. She loves all things paper, which of course is a different medium than the one I work in. Tammy has scrapbooked for many years, even making all the boys in her cubscout troop individual scrapbooks that document their early years in scouting. Such treasures they are!

Now she is more seriously into exploring the realm of card-making and papercraft in general. To support her habit she sells products by the company Stampin' Up. One of the ways she does this is to host a "Stamp Camp" every month, where people pay a nominal fee to come make the cards she has designed using the Stampin' Up products (and you would not believe the products, every little gizmo, tool, supply, paper stock, ink, ribbon, stamp, etc.). While there of course we campers are free to buy the products, too....but for our use at camp, she has all the materials laid out at different stations, one station per card, with written directions, the sample card, everything one would need to create that card for oneself (variations are encouraged, too.)

I find this to be highly enjoyable. It is like talking in a foreign language without having to really learn it. (I don't speak paper.) I love not having to think about design for a change; using the specific paper tools, like corner trimmers or circle cutter-outers, is really a kick (the folks at Stampin Up think of EVERYTHING); the finished cards are great and useful; and Tammy takes such good care of us while we work, with music, snacks, lots of how-to tips and many smiles.
So here are a few shots from last night's Stamp Camp....

Tammy is getting us started. We are in the Camas Community Center, so there are lots of old group photos on the wall.

Here is a "station". You can see that Tammy has pre-cut all the different sizes of paper we need for the card; the supplies are all in the basket; the directions are written out plainly for us to follow. She wants this to be fun and easy for us, and it is.

I am almost done with one of my cards here. That tool in the lower right is called "wordmaker". I have stamped "merci" and that little tool will punch it out in the exact shape it needs to be to add it to the card. There is also a 1/16" hole punch for the little brads that go on either side of "merci", and glue dots for affixing it to the card...all these little tools and supplies are extremely satisfying to use. Don't ask me why, but they are!!!

With all our talking and working Tammy knows we get thirsty...here she is handing out water bottles, and yes, writing our initials on the caps so we can keep track of them! (This proved quite helpful to me later in the evening.)

You can see here, we are all happy and busy. Tammy believes that women need to get together and have fun being creative....Stamp Camp is her own private ministry, and we love her for it.

Tammy my dear, we thank YOU!