Doodle Art!

Need a quick card?  Why not give the Doodle paper from Bo-Bunny a try?  We used two different patterns to create this whimsical card.  The flower is actually cut out from a 12x12 sheet of floral paper (what a great idea if you have paper that you think is too "busy" - just use parts of it!!!) and then colored with Copic markers.  The sentiment is from a new clear set from Mama Elephant - one of our new companies here at the shop!  Stop in Thursday between 10 & 8 and make a quick card to let someone know you care.  Love it!

Creative Closures!

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for "normal".  I like to switch things up and create cards that are not simply folded in half.  This Tuesday, join me for the Learn at Lunch FREE demo between 12 & 2, and we'll talk about different design elements to create closures that may have you looking at your stash of stamps in an entirely new way!  And, we'll create a "blackboard" card using self-adhesive Velcro for the closure. 

What a great way to re-enter the routine after a 3-day weekend!  Just remember, we are CLOSED today - Monday, May 26.  Happy Memorial Day!

It's Time for a Paper Party!

Did you know that Bo Bunny has some gorgeous new paper collections?  We got them all and for the holiday weekend, we set them out in our classroom for easy viewing.

The Somewhere in Time collection looks like it will be popular with people who enjoy vintage designs or want to make some cards for Fathers Day.  

Enchanted Garden has soft greens and purples and combines whimsical fairies with botanical elements.  The mushroom paper in particular is fantastic!

Does anything scream "summer" more than Lemonade Stand?  It has bright, vibrant colors as well as fun summer images.

For all the collections, we received the 12" x 12" individual sheets of paper as well as the 6" x 6" paper packs.

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Crafty Weekend?

Greetings stampers!  Can you believe that it is already Memorial Day weekend?  I hope you have something good planned, whether it is a trip to the beach, a barbeque, or a weekend of stamping.  We are open Saturday and Sunday if you need some new "toys" to play with this weekend, but we are closed Monday for the holiday.

If you want a place to craft and be messy, we don't have classes scheduled this weekend, so the classroom is free if you want to bring your stuff to the store and work on your projects.

I saw a couple of videos lately that I want to share with you.  The first one is a new video by Ranger and their designer Dina Wakley.  The video shows how to use her new paints to create a mixed-media tag.  What I really liked was her explanation of how to incorporate the white paint for highlights and why she uses a dark blue instead of black for shadows. If you want to see the video on YouTube, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHT1d4Esoxg  If you are interested in the products, we have the paints, brushes, and stamps at the store.




Another video I want to share is an introduction to the Peerless Watercolor packs.  They are a hot item right now, and we are anxiously awaiting them at the store.  If you are interested in any of the packs, we hope you will consider buying them from us.  Call the store and let us know if you want us to hold any of the packs for you.  What makes these watercolors special is the intense, vibrant color you can get and the amazing blendability of the paints.  If you want to see the video directly on YouTube, you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L2ledcLdcU

May Showers bring May Flowers :-)

I was away last week during the torrential rain showers, and I came home to a garden in full bloom.  What a welcome!  Celebrate with us that, perhaps, spring has actually arrived!  Our FREE Thursday make-and-take card features new stamps from Impression Obsession and a simply but effective stamp coloring technique.  The sentiment is lovely and can be used as a thank you card.  But you could also stamp something else on the inside, like Happy Birthday, and "multi-task" your card.    Join us anytime between 10 & 8 to make one for yourself.  Feel free to stop and smell our flowers (or bring your camera) on your way in.  Breathtaking!

A Look Inside- Monthly Theme Night

There are so many classes offered at the Happy Stamper, but one is rather special. Once a month (usually the last Wednesday of the Month), Angela offers a "Theme Night" from 6-9pm. Angela provides the makings for two cards that fit a specific theme and then encourages students to bring their own supplies with that theme so that they can work on their own cards during the evening. The theme night is a mix of class instruction and a "girls night out." Angela always provides light snacks and offers private shopping for the class. It is a great opportunity for people to meet new friends, be part of a stamping community and to build up a supply of cards. Theme Night is only $10, so it is also a very affordable. We hope you will think about signing up soon!

May Theme Night (pictured above)- Congratulations Cards

Wednesday, May 28 6-9pm

June Theme Night- Birthday

Wednesday, June 25 6-9pm

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Brilliance on Vellum - dare I say it's Brilliant???

 In my Beginning Stamping class, I talk about the difference between pigment inks and dye inks.  A "general statement" is that pigment inks won't dry on coated cardstock, like vellum.  But, of course, there are exceptions to every "rule", and Brilliance ink is one of this brilliant exceptions :-)  It is absolutely the perfect ink for stamping on that stunning translucent surface.  I also love to use it to create beautiful backgrounds. 

Join me Tuesday between 12 & 2 to find out more about this quick drying, metallic ink pad. 

Brand New from Pink Ink

Super cute new samples from Pink Ink arrived. The coloring on the samples is phenomenal, and you will definitely want to take a closer look!

 

Angela's Happy Stamper 11411 Sunset Hills Rd A Reston, Virginia 20190

 

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New Company and New Products

We are very happy to announce that we have started carrying Avery Elle at the store. They have really cute images that are perfect for coloring or layering. Deb is using some of their images in an upcoming class, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

New images arrived from Impression Obsession such as flowers, cupcakes, ships, and images for the 4th of July.

 

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Spring - it's not just a "coily thing"

Honestly - doesn't spring seem like the forgotten season?  I say we celebrate spring regardless of the uncooperative weather!  Spring is a state of mind!!!!

Hahaha - can you tell I was stuck in a blizzard in Denver earlier this week? 

Anyway, join us Thursday for our FREE make-and-take card celebrating Spring!  We're using the cutest die cuts and stamps from Impression Obsession, and also a fabulous pre-punched card from Paper Cut.  We've had so much fun recently with the unique shapes and interactivity of Paper Cut cards, and we are well stocked at the moment.  You can get these 3-hole punched cards, slider cards, stair-step cards.  The possibilities are endless!  Join us Thursday between 10 & 8 and celebrate spring - who cares what the thermometer says!

Demo today

We're giving Angela a break today after all her travels.  I'm going to be sharing some of the fun facts and good information that I learned while at the Dreamweaver training I was at in MA last week.  Demo is 12-2 and free.  Come join the fun.

Getting Ready for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this weekend, and as a reminder, the store will be closed on Sunday. If you need a present or want to pick up a gift card, you will have to stop by the store on Saturday. Luckily, there are tons of new items that are sure to please your mom (or yourself).

Spellbinders introduced their new Tool n' One at CHA, but they just now started shipping.  The tool is perfect for those of you who use a lot of metal dies because it helps to remove the paper from the die as well as all the tiny little pieces of paper that get stuck in the die. 

We once posted a video about how to use the tool and the foam, but if you need a reminder, this video is a great introduction.  You can also view the video directly on YouTube here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uIN8AZwbE0&feature=youtu.be


Next, we have all twelve colors of the new Dina Wakley acrylic paints as well as a cute bird sample and a color chart to help you select your colors.  

If you would like to hear about the paints and other Dina Wakley products directly from the source, here is another video, or you can view it directly here-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2LDj39DxaA

Her brushes are absolutely amazing!

Are you a fan of Dyan Reavely?  We have all of her new line of cling stamps:

Are you a fan of Memento inks?  Check out the the texture sprays and Pico Embellishers that match the Memento ink colors.

irRESISTible Texture Spray

• Adds fabulous texture and vibrant, fade-resistant color to a variety of surfaces
• Can be sprayed, brushed, dabbed or stamped
• Colors are mixable for your own custom hues
• Use with water for a unique watercolor effect or with dye/pigment inks for a high-impact resist effect
• Available in 23 complementary Memento colors, plus white and 4 metallic colors (gold, silver, copper and bronze)
• 2 ounce spray bottle

Pico Embellisher

• Featuring a fine-tipped applicator great for writing, doodling, Zentangle and other embellishing techniques
• Non-clog feature is built right into the tip
• Available in 23 complementary Memento colors, plus Clear, Shimmer and 4 metallic colors
• 1 ounce bottle

FYI- we had to move some of the Memory Box stencils to the back.  They are on the back of the display across from the bathroom.  One side of the display:

Front side of the display:

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April Showers have brought May Flowers!

Wow, that downpour last week was quite a statement in the April Showers rhyme, don't you think???  Here's hoping that you are now surrounded by flowers (and that your allergies are behaving!)

This Thursday's FREE make-and-take card features a new set from Hero Arts.  This clear set makes coloring the flowers so easy as it includes outline as well as solid petal flowers. But first, we will create a foundation of color on the card with three new pastel color daubers and an inking technique using an acrylic block and a mister.  We'll finish out the card with a touch of Liquid Applique. 

The make-and-take is available from 10 to 8 on Thursday, and no registration is required.  See you then!

A Look Around

If you have been interested in the Memory Box stencils, now is the time to visit the store. We have pretty much all of them in stock.

 

The new Stampendous board is here and looks so cute! We have all the stamps and embellishments needed to recreate the cards.

Just some of the new Penny Black that arrived at the store. The Penny Black section looks so full right now, so you won't want to miss it!

We absolutely love the Pearl Pens, Glitter Liners, 3D Stamping Paint, and Inka Gold from Viva Decor. Unfortunately, they closed their USA operations. If you want any of these products, you need to get them now, because we won't be able to get any more.

FYI...we moved the Faber-Castell products so they are all together and much easier to find.

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A MultiMedia Paradise!

Join "guest demo-er" Marilynn and GET MESSY!  (We let Marilynn do that, because Angela isn't able to let herself get messy). 

This Tuesday's FREE Learn at Lunch demo (from 12-2) features all kinds of fun, new products like stamps from Dina Wakley, Dylusions sprays from Dyan Reaveley and stencils from The Crafter's Workshop.  You'll learn how to layer and layer and layer until you get that perfect, collaged look!

Stop in and have a ball!  No reservations are required.