Kindred Stampers: My Story

Hello and welcome! My name is Angela and I live in Lake County which is located north of the Napa Valley wine country in Northern California.

I attended my first Stampin' Up Workshop in September 2010. I still remember making my first card. It was a totally new experience for me. And so much fun!

My first card

After my first class, I decided to get my feet wet and try to make cards on my own. I purchased some supplies at local craft store. At that time, I felt Stampin' Up! products were out of my price range. Later, I discovered that using Stampin' Up! products is actually more economical because everything coordinates together. I can plan my projects with confidence knowing Stampn' Up! never fails to provide me with beautiful and inspiring products.

So, on with my story.

Basically, I kept going to local Stampin' Up! classes and became more familiar using the basics of card making. I soon became "addicted" to watching YouTube tutorials on card making and learned to be a proficient "copier." In the world of papercrafting, this is called CASEing - Copy And Share Everything. I learned that in the world of papercrafting, there is no shame in copying.

Before Valentine's Day came, I bought my first stamp set, ink and paper with the plan of making a card created by Angie Juda of Chic'nScratch. It came out better than I imagined and I got amazing compliments from people I gave my cards to. To be perfectly honest, the best thing was that I was actually able to finish a project that I felt proud to share!

Here's the first card I made on my own using a design by Angie Juda.

In 2011, I signed up as a "Hobby Demonstrator" so I could get the Starter Kit and a 20% discount on supplies. A Hobby Demonstrator is someone who joins Stampin' Up without the intention of making a business out of it. I stayed a demonstrator for awhile, then dropped out, and rejoined in May 2012.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm so "obsessed" with stamping. I really love it! I love all the Stampin' Up! products and enjoy the community of stampers that I've developed both in-person and online.

In July 2012 I went to the Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake City. It was a very emotional experience for me. I felt like I was an integral part of a community of people that all shared the special love I have for stamping.

Here I am at my first Stampn' Up! Convention.

I enjoy blogging and sharing my projects with others. I love bringing people together to enjoy a fun time of creating and sharing. I think cards are made to be shared. So blogging is a perfect way to share with all of you, and especially to share with other Kindred Stampers.

Here's a picture of me with my husband Kevin at New Year's 2013.