Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Why I Started Paper Crafting….

Two years ago I thought a stamp was something you put on a letter, and I thought scrapping was some kind of fight. Then two of my dear friends asked me to come with them to a workshop held by a friend of theirs…I believe my first response was “ scrap booking? doesn’t that cost a TON of money?”

Finally I decided to join them…..just to get ‘away’ and have some ‘me’ time. WELL….thanks to my friends Jessica and Janice and the CTMH consultant Candi, whose house we were at, I was hooked. I remember going down into her basement and thinking WOW that’s a lot of stuff. I was totally enthralled by all the things she created and loved the time with my good friends.

I bought some basic starter supplies and earned my first SOTM  Snow Friends (Nov 2007) and I was off and running. At the start I could fit all my goodies in a small plastic tote that slid under a chair (LOL). I decided to make all my Christmas cards that year!!! I was so proud.

I am going to be brave and post my first ever stamped cards here….I know you all had to start somewhere too..are you brave enough to post your first cards/LO’s, do you still have them?

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I found these at the bottom of my card box and decided to take some pics. At first I was kind of embarrassed to post them….then I thought what the heck …..we all had to have a ‘first’ card!

By July of 2008 I decided to become a CTMH consultant and my plastic tote that fit under the chair now wouldn’t hold all the stamps I own ha ha! My basement  looks like Candi’s and my friends laugh at how fast and how deeply I became an  addict.

I LOVE to create with paper. I have always loved art but was never good enough to be a true ’artist’. This medium gives me a way to create art and satisfy my high standards for myself. I am so happy to be in my space making something.015 016 

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My messy spot pics! OK I have cleaned this up since these photos LOL. I didn’t realize it looked so bad.

The conclusion to my little story is that I started blogging my work in Feb of this year, a WHOLE other addiction.

I have met THE most talented and wonderful people through blogging and have not looked back.

I have recently joined a group for stampers and bloggers, started my Mary over at On Life and Creating,  and she challenged us to post about why we started stamping and this was my story! Hopefully I didn’t bore the socks off you. If you have made it this far here is a little card for you to look at :-)

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This is a 4x4 card using kraft cardstock, a couple of Martha Stewart punched butterflies and a  wooden (gasp!) stamp I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I believe the sentiment is from CTMH fringed Phrases set. I made this at the Girl Scout camp, so being sleep deprived, the details are a little fuzzy!

Thanks for reading this. I hope you are having a great Wednesday!

Enjoy!

17 comments:

Kelly said...

Way to go!! I remember my first shoebox sized plastic tote....that was a LOT of stamps ago! LOL

Mary said...

Fabulous story and fun artwork! Love the look back at where you started (I wish I had my first cards but no luck).Thanks for playing along!

Anonymous said...

Great story:) I to got started scrapbooking and using CTMH from one of my really good friends also. She kept asking and I kept turning her down...thank goodness for her persistence though b/c I would really be missing out on so much fun!:)
I also left you a little something on mu blog:)

Robin Gibson said...

Sarah! What an AWESOME post!!! You've inspired me, yet again! I might actually do a similar post, if it's ok! It's great to reminisce about how this all started, and what it means to us now, isn't it? LOVE your first cards! They are adorable!!! Love that new card too! I have that same punch....LOVE IT! Beautiful card!
Thanks for the inspiration!

Kathi Carlson said...

Great story, Sarah! As for your first cards, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. There's only so much one can do without piles of "stuff." LOL. Nonetheless, you've come a long way in two years - both in technique and the amassing of the stuff of make 'em. I'm glad you're here!!

Caryl P said...

I love your story! It is addicting and I feel the same way about being an artist...I never felt I had the talent but I can certainly cut and create. I'm jealous of your stamp area, mine is in the basement, and not the best layout though I'm working on it. Someday we'll have more than one bedroom......

Marie said...

Hey Girl,
Loved reading about your "start" and may just have to check out the "play along." Your cards are great! I'm always impressed. To answer your question about how I have sold 300 cards in 2 and a half months...first I sent out a letter introducing my "new business" and held an open house. We had blizzard warnings for that day, but I still managed to sell about a hundred cards. Then people have just continued to ask for them - maybe 30 here and 2 or 3 there...it has all added up. The biggest thing for me, was to overcome my fear. I hope to have a website up and running in the not-too-distant future.
Marie with a :-)

Keri Lee Sereika said...

Hey Sarah...your story and mine are VERY similar...only for me it was six years ago..and I had NO CLUE what a rubber stamp was! LOL how far I have come...how much more I own... ;)

Jo said...

A great story. Loved seeing your first card. I don't think I have my first one anywhere.
Think I will have to find time soon to play Mary's challenge too.
T.F.S.

Carla said...

Sarah -
Sounds like we have a very similar story!! My first CTMH purchase (and first SOTM) was also in Nov07 with Snow Friends! I became a consultant in Oct08 - not long after you!
Anyway - thanks for sharing your story & for the inspiration - I think I'll share my story in a post one day soon!!

Carla Harrah said...

I don't know if I have my first card, but I'll take a pic of my first LO and put it up on my blog. I didn't become a card maker until after I was and addicted Scrapper! I'll have something for you soon. Great Story.

Unknown said...

this was great, thanks for sharing!

Jeanne said...

Sarah, I'm so glad you took the plunge! Your first cards are so nice and it's great to look back and see where you started. And look at how much you've learned and grown. Love the pictures of your happy place. I love that yellow on your walls. As much as I love seeing the dolled up rooms, yours is much more like the everyday rooms that the majority of us have, I'm sure. It looks lived in, loved and a place where your creativity flows.

Again, I'm so glad you took the plunge and started creating and sharing yourself!

Mary said...

Sarah -

I hope you'll stop by my blog - I have something for you there!

http://mbryt1.blogspot.com

scrap your heart out with Jen said...

Love how you posted your first cards. Isn't is amazing how we thought our first creations were so COOL, only to discover later that, well, you know. My first layout was a triangle in each corner and 4 pictures on the page. I thought I rocked! How naive I was. Never even knew what a stamp was. Ha Ha. Love your work.

Meredith said...

Great post! Now I want to do one of these. Congrats on the DT--that is awesome!!

Haley D. said...

How could you bore us? Glad to hear your story, and I love your "old" cards. Isn't cool to see how far we've come? I LOVE this hobby/addiction! LOL

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