Get a Head Start!

Christmas is right around the corner. Need a card idea? Stop in Thursday between 10 and 8 to make this little stunner featuring stamps from Hero Arts. I love that it uses a slightly different color combo from the traditional red & green. And, I LOVE adding Baker's twin to virtually anything - it feels so pepperminty (I think that should be a word, if it isn't).

Sew Ribbon!

We've had a lot of fun with the Sew Easy products from We R Memory keepers - so we were excited to try their latest product: Sew Ribbon! Like the Sew Easy, which creates holes for sewing thread in a variety of shapes and designs, the Sew Ribbon creates unique patterns for sewing 1/4" ribbon. The design shown is the leaf pattern, but there are 5 other designs as well. I like the scallop pattern for creating a bunting look. You'll love adding borders and texture to your project, and it really couldn't be easier! Stop in between 12 and 2 on Tuesday and give it a try. Fun!

And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who voted in the first ever "staff smack down". In case you didn't know, the staff each decorated one of the Tubes from SRM Designs. Some of us decorated the original tube, some of us chose the Mini tube, and some re-imagined the Magic Wand. And the winner was Melinda with her adorable Reindeer Food project! Congratulations, Melinda! We have all of the tubes still available for your inspiration at the shop, along with the list of who made what - because I know several of you were curious. Stop by and see - and snag some tubes to create your own. These are great gifts at this time of year!

Flocking made easy!

If you've never played with Design Adhesives before, you are missing out on one of the easiest ways to add texture to your projects! They are basically a double-sided adhesive rub-on. You can apply them to virtually any surface, and then cover them with almost anything - flocking, glitter or even gold leaf! They come in a wide variety of designs, so the possibilities are virtually endless! Join Jenn Tuesday between 12 & 2 and give them a try!

The View through the Window

Window cards are so elegant! They look so professionally finished! Join us Thursday for our FREE card make-and-take where we'll be layering 2 different cover-a-card backgrounds (from Impression Obsession) to create the clouds and trees. We'll be adding texture with Flower Soft and finishing it off with this lovely poem - also by Impression Obsession. The window layers are already cut (from Paper Cut). How easy is that?

No disguise!

Maybe because it's just past Halloween, but when I think of masks - well, I think of disguises. And, in a way, that's what masking is. It's a trick of perspective - you stamp things first that you want to appear on top, then you hide that image (or mask it) while you stamp over the top the images that you want to appear in the back. Magic! If it sounds complicated, it is a little hard to describe. But it's actually quite easy to do - especially with Eclipse masking tape! Join Jenn for our FREE demo on Tuesday between 12 and 2 and find out all the different ways you can use masking tape. Jenn even ran the tape through her die-cutting machine to create a detailed mask without all the cutting. Snappy!

Shari Carroll of Hero Arts

One of the greatest thrills and advantages of having a local stamp store is the opportunity to take classes, not only with talented local instructors on a regular basis, but also with the most recognizable talents in the industry! Shari Carroll has been designing for Hero Arts for 22 years, and she brought that wealth of knowledge to us this weekend! Each card project was just packed with tips, techniques and ideas.

Plus, I love her organization. All of her projects were "housed" in little bags so we could concentrate on the things she was teaching us! Fun! Hero Arts will be releasing the new 2012 catalog on Saturday, December 10. This is always a fun event at the Happy Stamper as we will be seeing the new stamps for the first time as well. We buy the boxes sight unseen - and we have never been disappointed! This year, Hero is sending sample boards with the new release - and most of the cards were designed by Shari! Mark your calendars and plan to come check it out! And, if you'd like us to reserve a copy of the catalog for you, please just let us know!

Get Inspired!

The November Board of the Month from Inky Antics features several inspirational clear stamp sets (make sure you bring your camera as the card samples are incredible)! We are using one of the sets to create this wonderful all-occasion card. We're also using the new embossed card stock from Bazzill. This paper is printed on white core card stock, so you can scruff off the embossed images to really make them stand out! Come see the different colors and embossed designs! This card is available for you to make FREE between 10 and 8 on Thursday. See you then!

More GlazOn to Love!

Tsukineko introduced the original GlazOn earlier this year. This amazing sealant allows you to layer StazOn inks without them becoming muddy or bleeding into each other. This is great news for all of your projects on non-porous surfaces! Leave it to Tsukineko to triple the fun with two new finishes of GlazOn - Vintage and Matte. Stop by Tuesday between 12 and 2 and let Jenn show you how to work with these amazing glazes!

Christmas Joy!

It's November! Which means Christmas isn't far away. YIKES! Join us Thursday for our FREE make-and-take Christmas card featuring whimsical stamps from Inky Antics. In this card, we'll play with Copic markers, Stardust pens and Flocking! The flocking adds just the right amount of fuzzy texture to the Santa jacket which makes this card extra fun! Stop in any time between 10 and 8 to make one for yourself!