Tuesday, January 31, 2012

NFL Experience in Indianapolis

Hello friends!
For those of you who do not know, Inspired Stamps is located in Indiana.  The Super Bowl is this weekend, but before it happens, the NFL has a LOT of fun for those who are in Indianapolis...one is the NFL Experience.  My husband and I went last night and had such a wonderful time!  Above is me with one of our Colts' players, Jarred Fayson (such a nice guy!) as he signs a couple of footballs for my nephews who LOVE the Colts! 
There will be more crafty posting coming your way later on Wednesday here, but I wanted you to know why there is none posting today and leave you with a few photos of some of the fun we are having here in town:

 This is the machine they use to MAKE footballs!  Incredible!! 

 Michael Irving shook my husband's hand, but I totally missed it taking photos of other things LOL
Here I am 'Tebowing' outside Tim's locker they had on display!  LOL

Thanks for stopping by and if it's still Tuesday when you get this you only have a few hours left to use your 40% off coupon over at the store:  www.inspiredstamps.com   
We'll be shipping all orders placed overnight.. early Wednesday morning!!
Blessings,
Antoinette

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Inspired Stamps is sponsoring a challenge!

Hello friends!
Inspired Stamps is so very excited to be sponsoring Challenge #124 over at the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge blog this week.  If you haven't been over there, you have to check them out...they are ALL about the Word of God and I have been a personal fan for a long time!!!  Today's Scripture challenge focuses on
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.." 

The challenge focuses on what it true...

 Challenge
Create a card/project true to your style - show us who you really are!
And the card I posted above would definitely be most representative of my style on the one hand.  It's a favorite color combination and overall card I like. It's so perfect that this is the verse for this challenge and I am using a form of it in an Art Journaling class I'm teaching later this week on lettering:
I have their site up on the left hand side of the blog so be sure to pop over and see them.  If you win their challenge, you'll have a  $15 gift to our Inspired Stamps online store!! 

Have a blessed day and I'll be back Tuesday!
Be the Blessing,
Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com  We ship most orders the SAME DAY as they are placed to get your stamps to you as fast as possible!!  Don't forget 40% off coupon (no minimum purchase required)  good only in January!!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Comfort Brayered Card plus 40%0ff coupon good for 4 more days!





Hello friends!  Today I have a quick card to share.  We've had a lot of people going through cancer or in the hospital lately at my church, so I sat down with my brayer, white paper, and blue ink and got the COMFORT and FIR TREE sets from the Inspired Stamps online store out to make some cards!
Don't forget to use the 40% off coupon that is good through Tuesday...no purchase minimum!

Have a beautiful weekend and I'll be back next week with some more artwork and organizational tips!
Blessings,
Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com   Most orders placed by Saturday noon ET are shipped the same day placed!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

LOVE cards to INSPIRE YOU! : DT THURSDAY

Hello friends!
I LOVE all the emails and comments I've received about how YOU are organizing your own craft space to be more organized and efficient so you have more time to CREATE!!  I will share more storage and organizing tips next week to show paper storage, pen/marker storage, etc that work for me! Thanks so much for all your feedback!! I'm learning from YOU too!!

Today, in preparation for Valentine's Day and all the other occasions we have to celebrate LOVE, the Design Team has prepared a really beautiful selection for you to be inspired by!  Up top we have the inside of Deneen's card, which is SO CLEVER...how about the full card followed by the rest of the DTs work?
Deneen used the BEARS ALL THINGS SET on both the inside and outside of her beautiful card...
Jamie also used this set and made her bear brown:
Chere used the Card Ministry Basic Set's largest heart to form a border around the 1 Corinthians 13:13 $3.99 single Scripture:

Belinda used the new Lovely Lace set with Winter Ruth: which comes with the 6 images below that fit right into her hands;

Kary also used the Winter Ruth set plus the 1.5 inch Circle Greetings set  in her gorgeous card:


Amber used the Card Ministry Basic set in a very clever way:

Jenn used the Labelmaker Alphabet to stamp the words in this card:

Next week we wish a couple of our Design Team well in their new endeavors, and welcome a couple new designers to our Design Team!!  

I'll be back tomorrow with some new artwork to share, so be sure to stop back by!
Blessings,
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com  We ship most orders out the same day they are placed!  Don't forget the 40% off coupon code which is found over at the store website (you can CLICK the store address and it will take you there)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Organizing your clear stamps, ribbon, and small colored embellishments

 
 And as a full-time stamper, and someone who has every stamp this company has made (and there are about 35 stamps on the stamp set Fruitful Flourishes I showed above!), I have found a solution that works for me and allows me to...
keep all my stamps in reach
keep them all organized and neat looking
makes it EASY to put them away (a big one for me!)
I keep a Clip-It system with a Clip-It top tier on one corner of a table in my studio.  It literally holds ALL of my clear Inspired Stamps--thousands of stamps!  I take out the paper backing that comes in the packaging shown above (you can leave them in if you have stamps from different companies; most companies use the clear baggies with the top slot so stores can hang them so they will work too;  I only use Inspired Stamps so I'm safe knowing where they came from and what they are called :o):

I sort them 2x2s (see left of this upper photo) which are next to Nature-focused stamps (right of the photo) and all my characters (3x4 size and the 2x3 His Little Ones) fit on the top tier in another third too.  The bottom has all the 4x6 Scripture-Focused sets in one section, and then Words, Shapes, Alphabets, and Sentiments are all in one section.  

To use the set, I open the bottom resealable baggie, take out the set use what I need, then slip it back in.  Inspired Stamps gets our clear baggies from clear bags. com if you every want to get replacements.  I find they are less likely to tear and the sticky back is very restick-able!

Ribbon can be just a mess, so I have learned to buy only the amount that will fit on my wall. I LOVE color so this makes a beautiful display in and of itself, but it's also functional.  You don't use what you can't see...and you don't know what you NEED more of if you don't know you're running low.  Here's my solution followed by the pint size canning jars I use to keep scraps in that won't fit on the wall.  Again, I only allow enough ribbon to fill ONE jar per color and then I have to make something to use some up and make room for new scraps (self-discipline...I'm good at saying 'no' to myself when it comes to ribbon.  Stamps, not so much LOL):


I used a Sharpie white paint marker on these pint sized canning jars to label them directly on the glass. 

Finally, one of my favorite places in my studio is the colored embellishment drawers.  Don't you just LOVE embellishments?!?  And then you take them home and they go in a big drawer and you forget you have them...sigh (been there, done that, got that t-shirt and it's well worn LOL)  This will change your life...your craft life anyway....and it is actually a fun organizational project to sort, too.  You get your drawers and mark them with the different colors:  white for one drawer (i include clear too in mine) , pink another drawer, etc.  
Ok, so you've got them all labeled.  Now you are doing a fun card and need a yellow or orange touch of color....GREAT!  You just go take out that drawer to your workspace and you have all your options before you...tada...
One recommendation for those of you who submit your artwork to card magazines (and you really should!), label the company & product name on each item...otherwise you can't use the item and give credit when you submit. 

Ok, another day and we'll do some more! I hope this post helps someone out there to meet an organizing goal or helps someone to find a new way to find and use their stash more easily! 
Enough cleaning for today, time to go MAKE something!!
Until next time don't forget about our 40% off coupon code to the online store:  www.inspiredstamps.com
blessings,
Antoinette
Shipping most orders the SAME DAY as they are placed (if not same, definitely the NEXT business day!)


Sunday, January 22, 2012

A January 40% off Coupon!

Hello friends!
Just a quick note here today to let you know that we have a new coupon that is good through January for you in the online store.  You'll be asked to sign in when you go to checkout and it will ask for any promo codes at that point.  Enter:   40JAN    and it will automatically take 40% off the highest priced stamp set in your cart!  And there are no minimums; you can just get one stamp if you like!  Stock up now for the cold nights of stamping ahead in February!!  *one time use per customer

I'll be back on Tuesday afternoon with my promised organizational tips post!  Only a few more days of struggling with your ribbons, papers and stamps...I'll show you what works for me and hopefully it will inspire you to give it a try!

Have a great Monday and be sure to stop by the store:  www.inspiredstamps.com
Blessings,
Antoinette
We ship out most orders the SAME DAY you place them!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Design Team Thursday: Scripture with Nature!

Hello friends!
I have not forgotten about the organization posts I promised, I just had forgotten how much TIME they take to accomplish!!  I am ALMOST finished with the organizational projects I planned to share, so next week...I PROMISE...I'll have them ready to go!  There is really no feeling like having your studio cleaned and organized and READY to create!!

Today, the Design Team has REALLY left me speechless with the creative designs they have blessed us with!  Seriously, I couldn't choose a favorite!!  Kary made this GORGEOUS calendar easel card which I will post the closed version to next, plus the rest of the AMAZING projects the Design Team made this week using a Scripture with Nature focus!
Kary used the ASK SEEK KNOCK set:
Amber used the Eye on the Sparrow set:
Belinda made a BUNCH of fabulous moleskine notebooks using the new 1 Inch Flower set plus various Scriptures:



Chere blessed us with a tutorial on stamping on tissue tape with the Card Ministry Basic Set  and the Bind and Stitch sets to create this dynamic look:


Deneen created this brick look using the Label Maker Alphabet set that I am posting below her card so you can see how...SO creative!!

Jamie 
created this beautiful card using the brand new Hope Transformed set (our biggest seller last week!)
Jenn was in a super creative mood with the tree stamp from the ASK SEEK KNOCK set...look at what she created:

 She created the background of her card like the above...using the stamp below!!  Genius!
How WONDERFUL are the creations this week?!?!

Rumor has it that the shipping prices are going up again this Sunday, so be sure to get your orders in by noon Saturday to take advantage of the $4.95 flat rate shipping in the US...it's going up to $5.15 as of Sunday!

Have a blessed weekend and the organizational posts will be up early next week!
Blessings,
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com  (Shipping most items the same day you place your order!)

Friday, January 13, 2012

6 new stamp sets LIVE at the online store!! Design Team Call ends Saturday midnight!

Hello friends!  ALL 6 of the new stamp sets are now available to order in the online store www.inspiredstamps.com 

Here are the full sets!  Be sure to go see each Sneak Peek Post we had this week with the Design Team's beautiful artwork with these!

1 inch flowers (each is around an inch or less in size)....$13.99

Draw Near.....$13.99



Hope Transformed...$13.99


Journal Shapes....$13.99


Label Maker Words....$13.99


Lovely Lace...$13.99 (congratulations is a separate stamp from the lace; the inside is clear so you can stamp your favorite 1.5 inch circle stamp in there or one of the sentiments included!)

Be sure to go back in the posts to see all the wonderful artwork this week using these stamps!  Every stamp set we sell is listed in the right hand side of this blog; click on any stamp name and you'll see all the artwork we've created with that stamp set!!

Don't forget, you have until Saturday at midnight (Jan 14th) to submit an email to us applying to be part of our Design Team!   
Finally, the winner of Sneak Peek #4's comments $10 store credit is...
Dawn Woolf Jan 12, 2012 06:04 PM who wrote...
can't wait til tomorrow to see the whole sets! Going to have a hard decision to make deciding which set I want to buy! It's my birthday present to myself! The cards and plaque are awesome!
Congratulations and be sure to email us at inspiredstamps@gmail.com to claim your prize!
Have a blessed weekend and I'll be back next week with more artwork plus
some organization ideas for your craft rooms!!
Blessings,
Antoinette
Shop the online store:  www.inspiredstamps.com  We ship most orders the same day they are placed!