stampingonthebackporch

We are sharing lots of tips from our followers in this episode. Hear how others organize their craft spaces including their patterned papers and stamp sets. What ideas do you have to share? Join the conversation over in our facebook group - the Back Porch Stampers!

On the last episode we toured our craft house with its many "make-do" items for our cardmaking supplies .... such as a spice rack on the wall for our ink refills and a small shelf laid sideways on the floor to hold our 12 x 12 papers. Today its fun to share many responses we got from our listeners as we continue this conversation about repurposing and using what we have. To see the actual tour visually - go here https://youtu.be/Dk7nc7_GFBo

We don't have a craft room - we live in a craft house. Today we will share how we have repurposed many items to use for storage for our many craft supplies. If you want to actually see the tour - this is the video tour: https://youtu.be/Dk7nc7_GFBo

Lots of great comments to share from all of you as we work together to try to take control of our craft room clutter. Join us the ideas and the laughs and then join the conversation over in the Back Porch Stampers group on Facebook. We would love to hear about your ideas for organizing your papers, stamp sets and supplies and how you keep it organized!

Time for spring cleaning your craft space? Join us as we talk decluttering and more! We all need space for all the new stuff! I share ideas on how to declutter your craft space - and a fun idea about what to do with all of that stuff! Then join us in the Back Porch Stampers group on facebook and share your tips and your stories with us. Lets work on this together.

Lets share Easter fun with simple ideas for paper baskets. Did you know you can make paper baskets with no measuring - or with not cutting and gluing?  Watch us make these three baskets here. Come share your baskets with us in the Back Porch Stampers group on Facebook.  

Many of us think of giving something up for Lent. How about using Lent also as a time to focus on giving? Lets get creative in who we sent cards to this month. I like the idea of making a list of 40 people during the 40 days of Lent because it will take us beyond the obvious. In this episode we talk about different ideas for making those 40 cards meaningful.

On a Facebook live I made eight quick and easy pocket cards and challenged my viewers to make and post one over in my Facebook group - the Back Porch Stampers. Over 200 pocket cards. Have been posted - how amazing is that!!! Then Jjlie Heitz, a team member and friend, called with an idea.  "The moment I stamped “sending healing hugs” my heart felt something. A quilt, a hug and I thought “this quilt could be the hug someone needs during these Times”. Then my mind started racing and I had to contact Karen with an idea that was put on my heart. “Would you be interested in collaborating with me on Project Pocket Quilt?” What if we could encourage our communities to send a Pocket Quilt to those we know who could use a hug? Karen said “yes!” and so here we are! We worked out the details, came up with a plan and now we need YOU! We may not be giving hugs in the way we are accustomed to but we can send a card because “a card is just a hug with a fold down the middle”. Now add a quilt and we can really bring some comfort! We did a live together where we shared the concept and Julie shared three easy patterns for making a quilt card.  We have several stories to share about pocket quilt cards and who they were made for.  Louise shared how she wrote a prayer of healing on the back of the quilt.  She asked her friend to take this card with her to the hospital and stand it upon her bed stand so she can see it as she recovers  and know that she was being prayed for. Then Jane suggested using the idea of the prayer shawls and calling it a prayer shawl quilt.  And then, Susan Boboch share the prayer she adapted to put on the back of these cards: May the grace of God be upon you, warming, comforting, enfolding, embracing, and sustaining you in good times as well as in difficult times.  This prayer has been prayed while the pieces have been put together.  Join us to see all of the pocket quilt cards:https://www.facebook.com/groups/backporchstampers See the show Julie & I did together here: https://youtu.be/mpGAtK0Xgl4 Get the pattern here: https://karentitus.com/how-to-make-quick-easy-pocket-cards-for-any-occasion/ Follow Julie and see a new quilt card idea every week here: https://www.facebook.com/Chirps2020

We had no idea what Galentine's Day was when we received a Galentine's Day card. I actually thought it was a misspelling - and Tim won this argument. There is a funny story about how this became a holiday - dating back to 2010 and an episode of Parks & Recreation - but what a great reminder to celebrate those platonic friendships! Those friendships we can count on though all of life's ups and downs - we are so grateful to have those. This is a reminder to thank those special people in our lives - and to share a story with them about how they have impacted our lives. We would love to hear your thoughts about this - do you celebrate Galentine's Day .... or does this inspire you to start celebrating - or even just to send a special card to a special person?  

Life is full of stories and we celebrate that today with some great stories about cardmaking.  Whether our stories are funny and bring a smile to the receiver - or whether they are thoughtful stories about experiences we have shared -- making a card just for that particular person about that particular event - makes a impact on our own lives as well as others.

25 years ago this month I started my papercrafting business. So much has changed in our lives since then! Tim's job had just ended, I was homeschooling our kids and I wanted to find something to bring in some money at least temporarily in the evenings until you found another job. I had never considered direct sales - never thought I could sell a thing - but I thought I could show how to make cards. I mean, after all, people wouldn’t even be looking at me - they would be watching my hands and what I was creating. Little did we know that 25 years later Tim would be working with me. We would be having a blast creating and connecting with wonderful people all over the country!!! Along the way I have met so many new friends and I have welcomed many people that have joined my business. I decided to ask a few of them why they joined and I’m going to share their responses later …. But first I just wanted to mention a couple of things first. Did you know that there are several different ways we can make money with a paper crafting business? But first —— Why Pay Full Price? If you are already buying stampin up products - why not get a discount? Starting with 20% off anything you buy ___no obligation —- never any pressure from me - this really is all about you! How do I make money? Of course, if you are just buying for yourself -  you are saving money - but what if you want to make money — or even just have your hobby pay for itself? Or plan a vacation for some day in the future when we can do that again Or maybe you want to build an online business. Make $ 6 ways. Three ways from Stampin' Up! - Commission on products, building a team, bonuses Other ways: Class fees, finished product sales (cards & gifts at craft fairs or online), special orders, designing projects & selling tutorials **Think you can’t teach? Have you ever stamped with a grandchild or a friend and shared an idea with them? You are already a teacher —— we all are!!! So much opportunity to hold classes over Zoom - a small group that looks forward to getting together each month The Fine Line Community!!!!—- This is my downline group - you get my online classes for free, weekly lives and encouragement and sharing from the team Get it first!     Get new catalogs first & order a month before customers Card Swaps From the home office —- SU website, conventions, Facebook groups and more So - Do you know what the best deal in the catalog is???? It is definitely the starter kit! For only $99 (and no shipping which saves your another 10%) you get to choose $125 of anything you want in the catalog - plus this month and next, you also get five new paper packs! Who is this for???? **For the beginner —— what an opportunity to get started with an awesome kit and a discount on everything else you need **For the avid stamper —- you know you want the latest products anyway!!! Let me know if you have any questions - and if you know someone that this might just be a good fit for, please send them this link. Message me here, email me at ktstamp@usinternet.com or call me at 612-929-1277.

2020 will be known as the year we stayed home This is the time of year where we look back over the past 12 months and ahead to the next 12. So here goes —- a few lessons we learned from this year! YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT I heard someone say …. Do you think Mick Jagger was singing about toilet paper? What have we always taken for granted? That there would be food in the stores, restaurants to go to, vacations to plan, schools.. The Flip Side - Appreciate What You Have!   FAMILY MATTERS We do what we can to provide for older members of our families - both for our mom and our kids for us - bringing meals More intentional about checking in - using zoom or phone calls WE NEED OUR FRIENDS We will never take for granted again being able to share a hug and just to be together over a shred meal, etc. We need to know we aren’t the only ones dealing with loneliness or fear or whatever - its important to check in on each share how we are really doing. Calling instead of texting can really help. Technology has helped! We can connect with family and friends into more ways today.   WE CAN LEARN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING SOBER   AA and the Serenity Prayer - taking it one day at a time and letting go of what we can’t change - Sober people already know this Everything really can change overnight -  people matter, not stuff   APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS Slower pace of life for many of us with empty social calendars Learning to go for walks or exercise at home instead of the gym Cook more meals at home instead of going out No more shopping - less eating out - ordering more online. So what are we doing with that extra time? Lots of deep cleaning  and cleaning out closets and home improvement projects! ****More time for being creative —- hobbies help depress stress levels - crafting   ESSENTIAL WORKERS ARE OUR HEROES From all of those that work in the medical field from the doctors to the housekeepers, the care staff at nursing homes, group homes and everywhere, delivery people, police and fire, grocery store employees —— everyone who has gone to work (all the jobs that couldn’t be done at home) to keep things running   HAVING FUN IS IMPORTANT - find ways to do that - laugh with your friends, watch funny movies —- laughter is good medicine - being playful *we love to laugh and fun in the classes I teach and in the Back Porch Stampers - we are just enjoying each other and being creative together Its important to have something to look forward to! FOR THE NEW YEAR We gave a 12th night gift to our family when the kids were growing up - it was always something new to learn in the new year. One gift that everyone could participate in - so magic tricks, art supplies, juggling.... Tim and I each will share one new thing we want to learn in 2021... What new thing will you learn for this year?

We made it to Christmas week —- Christmas 2020 will certainly be one to remember  and many of us will have have new story to tell about this year. Today I want to share stories of traditions that have been shared by some of our listeners. It all started with realizing that talk with my mom about christmases past had brought a lot of joy to both of us. She at 96 will be alone in her nursing home. One of the workers that was giving her a bath asked my mom if she knew what lefsa was (mom made it every year) and a great conversation was started! The worker's grandpa was Norwegian and they started talking about all kinds of Norwegian traditions. I shared this story on my facebook page and asked for other to share theirs. These are just a few! Cathy  - My dad didn’t cook in our growing up home, except when mom was in the hospital having our baby sister. But at Christmas, we would all be in the kitchen together making Christmas treats. Fudge, divinity, taffy (we’d butter our hands and dad would let us pull when the taffy had cooled enough that it wouldn’t burn us.)  We made quite a mess with all the different treats, but what fun we had! —— Les - When we were younger we would all take a different counter in the kitchen and make our favorite Christmas Cookies. KC - Cookie baking marathon on Christmas Eve. The kids and hubby have always helped and look forward to it every year and the Christmas meal: Colleen- We also had chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes... just a bit of starch Tina - My husband's family always has cinnamon rolls and chicken and noodles on Christmas day!! I'm sure this started because it was a way to feed a lot but now it's a tradition that we cherish!! Shari - Christmas eve..grandma always made stew with turnips & rutabagas ..I always thought it off but now that she is gone..I miss it terribly.. (don't we all relate to that?) Samantha - Family dinner!!!!!! We would start cooking the day before and always without fail we always forgot the corn in the microwave. Janice  - My earliest memories of Christmas in Queensland, Australia, is sweltering heat but sitting with Mum Dad,  my sister and Nana eating a roast dinner and Christmas pudding Church services: Candle light services were mentioned by many! Deb, Betty  & Cathy  - all talked about going to church on Christmas eve - maybe having a kids program - and going home with a sack with an apple or orange, nuts and some candy. I had forgotten that we did that too - so how fun to be reminded! Marsha- Church on Christmas Eve - this year it will be 15 minutes in the church parking lot singing Silent Night with candles. Hope we don't all cry. We won't be able to hug each other. We are be thankful to be alive! Other Traditions: Twila  - I don’t think my mother intended for this to be a tradition, but every year it seemed like she would forget where some of the presents were hid and through out Christmas Day more presents showed up as she would remember! Brenda- Still love filling a thermos with cocoa and driving around looking at Christmas lights in our jammies! Katherine Connors - Baking having my children open up one present on Christmas Eve when they were small that was always PJ's and now I continue that tradition and get PJ's for my grandchildren Jean - In New Zealand on Christmas eve we put a pillow case on the foot of our beds for Santa. When we woke we explored the pillowcase 1 big present and fresh fruit nuts lollies and balloons and other bits. Family gatherings: Barb - I have 8 younger siblings, 5 sisters and 3 brothers. I'm the oldest, both my parents are gone. Last years count was 148 people. We rent a hall. Will so miss this year not gathering, Heather - For the past 22 years my family has gathered at a roller skating rink where my mom and her siblings grew up. It turns out to be a pretty nice crowd... And a bunch of extended family comes as well. It's been hard knowing that I won't see these family members till next Christmas. Several shared about this is their first Christmas being spent along - or perhaps they have lost someone very important this year and will miss them terribly. I just want to say It OK if this is a hard Christmas - if you miss someone so very much, its also means you were blessed to have them in your life - and you have precious memories stored up! You can be grateful and sad and lonely - all of the things at the same time.  Christmas itself, is, after all the most important story of all.

We are now in advent - a time of waiting, a time of reflection. It got me thinking about all of the seasons -and celebrations - throughout the year and how even my crafting reflects that - and I’m sure it does for others as well. This is a time for a new catalog with SU! The autumn/holiday one is ending this month. As I was looking through it for a last time, I was already nostalgic about autumn ending ….truly, for me, I love fall most of all!!! Its my favorite time to be outside - with the vibrant colors of the leaves changing and of all the harvest vegetables - its a time of wanting that comfort food of soups and stews…. And back to card making  - nature becomes our inspiration. Give me any stamp set with leaves or trees and I am a happy stamper!!!  There are so many fun techniques to use with leaf stamps and tree stamps - and the abundance of earth tones to play with.  Add the autumn papers - and the plaids - all speak of “cozy” to me! The other thing about fall is that  feel a renewed interest in card making - because the days get shorter and I start spending more time inside. —-and of course its the time to start thinking about making those Christmas cards as well. ——————————————————————— Then comes winter - my favorite winter cards often include snow. There are so many stamp sets and so many techniques to make snow! Embossing folders, stamps, watercoloring, spritzing, an so much more. And the blues ….. love the blues of winter.  We can make the day fly by even when we are stuck inside. When the weather outside is frightful…. Our craft table is still delightful… —————————————————————- Now with the new catalog - we start thinking spring - this will be a very special spring I think with the pandemic improving - and getting to be with people again! I see nature blooming - with lots of flowers and soft pretty colors. ***Yes I’m ready for a new catalog!!! —————————————————————————— And summer - maybe be craft less since we are outside more - but maybe we have more time to craft with kids and grandkids since there is not school …. Or maybe we take our cardmaking along on vacation - perhaps bringing card kits or making our own —- but you know we are still collecting ideas in our minds!!! —————————————————- Isn’t it fun to think of card making as a seasonal activity along with other things during the year? I don’t think I would love to only make floral cards year round.  For all cardmakers, we do think and plan ahead. Right after Christmas we are planning our Valentines cards - because we need to plan them and get our supplies long before hand —— and creating while anticipating each event makes it even more special. We are also thinking of the birthdays coming up for our family and friends and planning for them. I love the turning of the seasons and I love how our crafting reflects that too. Every season is magical in its own way! Each season provides something great to look forward to, enjoy, and remember We get to celebrate the seasons with crafting.

Think about your happiest holiday memories. Most probably revolve around traditions. This  is a year to reinvent some of those traditions-or maybe even start new ones. Let’s call this traditions with a twist.  We all know the most precious gifts aren’t the ones under the tree in the pretty papers.  What traditions have you normally done together? Maybe you have always gotten together and made cookies with the grandkids - and this year you can’t. How about sending a package to them with the ingredients - and a container already addressed and stamped to send some cookies back to you? I guarantee they will be talking about you while they bake - and what a memory!!!! (Ask them to FaceTime you for a bit while they are cooking —- or take a photo to send) ——or the opposite —- you make the cookies and send them along with some photos of times you spent baking with them 0r sharing memories of that - and letting them know how much you are missing them! If you usually craft with your grandkids or nieces and nephews - send them a craft kit and plan a craft date over Zoom! Maybe its making paper chains or something for decorating for Christmas! Or send each family a gingerbread house kit and have a contest over Zoom! Have prizes for the fanciest, the one that never made it …. The most unusual ….. fun things so everyone gets a prize!!! If you are going to meet with your family over Zoom - make it a party. Send party hats and decorations, plan a game - make a party *** and get the kids involved in planning it  - when they are involved it makes their holiday even more special. One year when our kids were young, Tim’s sister Mary sent everyone a matching t-shirt - including the adults. Wouldn’t this be a fun year to do that (or matching pajamas) and then take a Zoom photo shoot of all of the families? Or maybe a virtual ugly sweater photo shoot? Send “love & care” packages!!! Send them early to set the stage for someone else’s Christmas. And especially those who will be alone. Make handmade ornaments or cookies and add something that connects to memories of them - photos, letter, a spice jar for someone you cook with, a craft item for someone you create with, a skein of yarn for that knitter Plan a Drive By Party! If you have kids, get them involved in decorating the front yard. Go beyond lights - think signs, anything they can come up with. If you don’t have kids living with you, plan some things in the front yard for them to “look for” —- make it fun. —-Invite your family and friends to drive by for some hot chocolate (or coffee) and cookies to go!!!! And whatever you do - however you spend Christmas - be sure to take some pictures!  Another of our podcasts last year was about the one scrapbook every family should have - one scrapbook with a two page spread of each Christmas. The value of this is that it comes out once a year with the Christmas decorations so it actually gets looked at. You see the changes each year as the kids get older (of course the adults all stay the same) - and you are reminded of the years a certain person was missing - or there was an extra guest - and the funny stories. The link to that podcast: https://stampingonthebackporch.libsyn.com/stamping-on-the-back-porch-2    This is a point in time that we have never seen the likes of before - and some day we will look back at this as a memory and hopefully we can say - we still made Christmas special.  

For many of us crafters —- making gifts for Christmas is a big part of what its all about and this year that just might be more important than ever. I think its all about the small gifts - those little things that say “I’m thankful for you - you matter to me”. While you are creating - you are thinking about the person you are making the gift for —- what a wonderful sense of gratitude comes with that. I think its all about the small gifts - those little things that say “I’m thankful for you - you matter to me”. ——————————————————— I have the “All Good Cards Club “ - where we have a little weekend retreat once a month to create together. This month we are focused on those “small gifts” —- I started calling them “gifties” years  ago and didn’t even know if gifts was even a word - but it is! I finally looked it up. —— These are the kind of thoughtful gifts to give….. or just to have an hand for an unexpected occasions - like when a friend drops off a gift for you! Now - you have something ready to give back. Probably my favorite gift in this class is a handmade calendar for 2021! It stands on the shelf so you can easily check a date - and its lovely to look at! A great gift for any adult. You get the pdf, the calendar and all of the instructions and then you get to decorate it however you like. In the group, many will share their finished calendars. - so you get not only my original idea, but lots of interpretations. (We are more creative together than we are separately). Here is the link to the class if you want to check it out: https://bit.ly/39uxhif In addition to making handmade gifts —- there is the fun of wrapping them - and the beauty of looking at pretty packages under the tree! So many years it seems people are complaining about not having enough time to slow down and enjoy the holiday season - with all of the events to go to and the shopping to get done. This year will be different. Most of us won’t need to think about we can strip down in our lives to enjoy Christmas. So —- make your home a place to enjoy this time. Play that Christmas music, watch those Christmas movies. Enjoy the lights on the tree, the candles .. whatever speak Christmas to you - and enjoy making those gifts.

Thanksgiving looks different this year.Today we will be talking about finding gratitude in difficult times. Being grateful doesn’t mean ignoring the difficulties - it does mean keeping hope and love and relationships the center of our lives. It means thinking about next year - the stories we will share about “getting through Thanksgiving of 2020” ITs OK to feel sad and angry and grateful all at the same time. So many are struggle with mental health issues - we aren’t talking about that. This year when we can’t be enjoying the traditions of being together celebrating - maybe we can focus on actively serving others in a different way. Studies have shown that expressing gratitude improves both mental and physical healthier —- isn’t it great that “expressing” is a part of that? Its active - and its meant to be shared! Here’s where all of us cardmakers have a great start - we have the beautiful things to send —— but I know many of use make way more cards than we send!!! Let's change that. What about the kids? We are their role models - and how we approach this Thanksgiving will leave a lasting impression on them. Lets explore different ways of doing that.

Most of us find winter to be too long, too cold and too dark! But when our Norwegian cousins came to visit, we learned some interesting things about they experience winter. Today we dive into to the concept of friluftsliv - meaning "free-air life" and we talk about different ideas of how we can incorporate this concept into our lives. Let's enjoy rather than endure winter this year.  Give winter a try!

More people are buying and sending cards this year than before! Birthday cards have always been the top seller  - but now sympathy cards are big sellers too. We can’t attend funerals like we used to and we can't give hugs - so mailing a card seems more important and necessary than ever. We want to send a heartfelt message - more than just a text or a facebook message - something tangible that can be held and read over and over again. Encouragement and thinking of you cards are increasing in sales too! We make a greater effort to connect with together —— this is an important time to do that Making a handmade card speaks to the effort the sender put into making it communicates along with the message - communicates how important that person is to you! Real cards are often saved for a long time —- how many of you have been going though boxes of parents belonging and come across cards & letters saved? Will you be doing that with a love ones Facebook in the future? Some say its because we engage different senses with a card - touch, smell, feel and sight -those make emotional triggers. You might put that card on display in your home too - and be reminded of that special relationship every time you see it.

Did you know that gift cards are actually the number one requested gift? 80% of people received at least one gift card last year. And this year,  in the land of COVID, people are doubling the number of gift cards they're buying. So today I thought we would talk about why gift cards are actually often the perfect gift - and also, how to make them special. And of course, you can certainly still wrap up those gift cards. . What I really love talking about is how to make giving a gift card personal because when you combine your lovely handmade gift card holder with the gift card, it's like a "gift within a gift".