New, New, New!

Well, it seems as though another snowstorm is in the works.  Do you have craft goodies to keep you busy if you are stuck at home?  We have lots of great new products from Ranger in case you are in need of a new "toy."

First, we have all three packs of the new Distress Ink mini pads.  They have the same ink as the larger pads, but they are much more portable and stack on top of each other to save space.

Next,we have brand new cling stamps from Ranger's latest mixed media artist, Dina Wakley.  The middle "texture" set looks so practical for fans of mixed media as well as card artists.

Are you a fan of stencils?  Dyan Reavely's latest designs are here!  She has fantastic geometric designs.

Speaking of stencils.....if you are a fan of stencils and are looking for ways to take care of them, why not try the new Martha Stewart brush and stencil cleaner? 

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Stamps and Coordinating Dies

 

Impression Obsession has started to release stamps with coordinating dies, and we would like to show you how they work.   We have the Conversation Hearts stamp and coordinating die in the store, and we are anxiously awaiting the new insect images/die and cute animals/die to arrive.

To use the stamps with coordinating die, you first stamp the entire image onto paper with whatever ink you want.  The image includes a stamped box around it:

Next, get out the coordinating die.  The Conversation Hearts die has 9 hearts to match the 9 sayings:

Tape the die on top of the words.  Notice that the square die is the same size as the stamped block.  This allows for easy alignment.  Once you have the die on top of the sayings, use a little repositionable tape to hold it in place and then run it through a die cutting machine:

You will be left with 9 conversation hearts with the sayings stamped in the middle:

You could repeat the process using different colors of paper or cut them out of white paper and then color them (Copic Markers used here).

Conversation Hearts make a great Valentine card, but you can use them for any occasion including a general "hello" card or weddings or anniversaries.  We will let you know when the other stamp/die sets arrive.  We love them!

Oh How Sweet!

I just love Gelatos.  No - I'm not talking about the Italian ice cream, although I love that, too!!!  I'm talking about the highly pigmented, water-soluble coloring medium from Faber-Castell.  They are so easy to work with and you can use them in tons of ways!  Stop by the store on Tuesday between 12 & 2 and let me show you!  We'll create multicolor background washes in a couple of different ways; we'll stamp with them; and we'll use them to create a stunning resist. 

And now there's even more to love!!!!  Faber-Castell has released the Gelatos in "double-scoops" - individually packaged Gelatos with twice as much product inside.  Wahoo!!!!  Hope to see you Tuesday!

Coming Soon

We have several new products coming to the store that we would like to share with you.  The first is the Little B Perfect Postioner.  It is an adhesive mat that is designed to work with any die-cutting platform and with any thin metal dies.  It allows you to align your dies exactly where you want them on your paper.  Yeah!  This product was so popular at CHA that it was the winner of the "CHA Hot 20."  The video above will tell you more about the product, or you can view the video directly here.



The second product we are excited about is the new Spellbinders Tool-n-One. It is a portable tool that performs all kinds of functions such as piercing, folding, paper removal, inking, distressing, curling in more. We are particularly excited about being able to remove bits of paper from our intricate dies. The video above will show you how to use the tool, or you can view the video directly here.


Finally, we are thrilled that we will be getting the new Tim Holtz Distress Marker Spritzer that will allow you to get airbrush effects on your craft projects. The spritzer showed up briefly in a Ranger video we posted previously, but here is a new video that just focuses on the spritzer. You can also view the video directly on YouTube here.

If you are excited about any of these products and would like to have them, please call the store or email Angela (angela@ahappystamper.com), and we would be happy to save one for you when they arrive!

All in the Details

I spy with my own little eye.....

The detail in this Impression Obsession stamp is fantastic!  I love those hidden little bunnies.  You could make them pop out a little bit more if you colored the grass, but sometimes there just isn't time for that!  So, add contrast and interest with the scalloped card layer and the twine and voila - done!  Quick, cute and fabulous!  Join us Thursday between 10 and 8 to make one for yourself - FREE and no registration is required!

Did you miss the Open House?

Our winter Open House was a success, and we are glad so many of you could come!  Stamp communities are special, and we were really happy to see lots of our friends and family.

We also want to thank you for the enormous amount of donations you brought for our community outreach. You were incredibly generous, and the volunteers from Bright Spaces who picked up the donations couldn't believe how much was collected.  Thank you.

We introduced two new companies at the store over the weekend. The first is Repeat Impressions. They have such funny and quirky sayings as well as supplies to make your own waterfall cards. The nice thing about their kits is that everything you need is already cut and scored:

The second company we introduced is a clear stamp company called Jillian Vance Designs.  They have sets of clear stamps as well as sets that include coordinating dies.  Practical!  There are mustaches, purses, nautical, and more.  One of my favorite sets is the "Peeps" set, just in time for Spring and Easter.

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Sweet 'n Sassy Returns!

We are so excited to announce that Sweet 'n Sassy will be back, not only with a fabulous trunk show, but also with a brand new class featuring their latest stamp and die releases!  Start your weekend of fun with a workshop led by owner Korin and design team member Cathy.  You'll learn tips and techniques for layering color, images and dies to create stunningly detailed cards.  Lovely!  This class, on Friday evening, February 28, is sure to fill up quickly, so reserve your space today!

Then join us Saturday, March 1 between 10 - 4 for an incredible trunk show.  They bring their entire trade show booth and fill the classroom with card samples (bring your camera!!!!!) and product and their sunny, knowledgeable selves to talk you through how to recreate their cards.  The trunk show is free and no reservation is required.  See you there!

Delectible Daubers

Hero Arts daubers are such a fun way to add color to virtually any project.  They are a water-based paint in a very easy to use bottle.  You can use them on lots of surfaces, including glossy paper, and you can even stamp with them!  They come in colors to match the Hero Hues collection of ink pads, which is an added bonus, including the fun neon colors!  Recently, Hero Arts released a series of stamps to make use of the shape of the dauber - a very clever idea for quick and easy cards!  Stop in Tuesday between 12 & 2 and let Angela show you lots of ways to make use of this versatile paint.  Fun and FREE!

Stunning Silhouette

I love the look of the solid Silhouette stamps by Sweet N Sassy.  But sometimes I struggle thinking of how to "ground them" on my card.  Marilynn is a genius once again!!!  She simply flipped the acrylic block over (so you know it's the perfect size for your stamp, since the stamp is on the other side!!!) and inked the acrylic block with Memento dye ink pads.  The acrylic is a hard surface, so you'll see some "distressed imperfections", but that adds to the texture and interest of the card.  I think this is simply brilliant.  Stop in this Thursday between 10 and 8 and make one for yourself. 

Getting Ready for the Party

 Our Winter Open House is fast approaching, and we couldn't be more excited.  We hope that you can join us this Saturday, Feb 1 from 10am-5pm for demos, games, prizes, and more.  For more information, check out our website.

One of the demos we will be doing from 10:30am-12:30pm features the brand new Gift Bag Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers.  In this picture, you can see the boards (which are compact and portable) as well as two sizes of bags you can make.  Be sure to stop by and see how to use this versatile tool!

During our Open Houses, we also coordinate with a local charity.  This time our community outreach is with Bright Spaces in Vienna.  Here is a bit more information about this group:

Bright Spaces are cheerful play areas created in homeless shelters or other community agencies serving children, youth, and families in crisis. Along with being an inviting, safe, fun, educational environment for play, the Bright Space is also a portal to support the agency's services to the children and their families in their care.


Donation Items Requested
Individual Art Kits (example: sock puppet kit; beading kit)
Stamps of all shapes and sizes (letters, numbers, shapes, etc)
Card Stock or other heavy paper (but not construction paper)
Clay
Clay Tools
Decoupage
Collage Materials
Wood Scraps
Recycled Cardboard tubes of all sizes
Cotton Balls
Q-tips
Disposable Cups
Marbles (just a few for marble art)
Googlie Eyes
Pipe Cleaners (regular and fuzzy)
Popsicle Sticks
Print Making Rollers
Soap, Sponges, Paper towels
Smocks/Aprons - sizes toddlers to adult
Cookie Cutters
Stickers
Books on Artists

Please consider bringing some of these items with you.  They support a wonderful cause, and you will even earn extra door prize tickets!

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