My Stampin' Up Story

My Stampin' Up Story


It all started at work in North Carolina with a simple invitation for my son's 11th birthday pool party in May of 2007.  I had a coworker who helped me create a fabulous beach inspired invitation with Stampin' Up products. The card stock was so heavy and had color all the way through! I printed the information on the back with my home computer then stamped the front. I wanted more color so I bought some ribbon from a local craft store.  I believe I even used a glue stick to adhere everything.  I was (and still am) proud of my first project.
I had always been creative, but never considered myself artistic.  With the help of Stampin' Up products I was able to create beautiful cards and projects.
A candy tree I made for my nephew.

A shadow box I created for a friend's birthday.

Stamp sets, ink pads and embellishments started to collect and I had to find a place to put them all. A craft room began to form in the housing we were assigned to at Ft. Bragg, NC.  I had a few parties with coworkers creating some fun cards. My friend, Becky, was such a fun person and had the most fabulous ideas and passion for Stampin' Up.  My husband got deployment orders and I decided to take a job in Texas. So the Army packed us up and I moved to the Ft. Hood, TX area with my three kids.  We had a house with two living rooms and four bedrooms, I could dedicate one of the living rooms to a craft room. I became a Stampin' Up demonstrator in February 2012.  The discount was great, I didn't have many younger friends and I was extremely busy with work, so I did not host any events, but my stamps and ink collections were growing.  I was able to meet my quarterly minimums by being a hobby demonstrator.
My upline, Becky, passed away and life became too demanding. So unfortunately I let my demonstrator status end.  I still loved to stamp. My sister's husband got stationed at Ft. Hood too and we became stamping buddies.  We joined a Stampin' Up Club and we had so much fun.  I met some great new stamping friends and soon joined a scrapbook club too.
I decided to become a demonstrator again in 2014 and here I am. I have created some fantastic cards and crafts with my Stampin' Up products.  Hence, my blog name Cards and Crafts with Melissa.  Welcome to my blog...and I hope you enjoy my creations and tips.
-Mel


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