How long have YOU been stamping?

[Stampalotsue]

I got my first rubber stamps in 1989... they were a little set from All Night Media... the Teddy Bear Picnic. Foam mounted stamps, and my friend also gave me a couple of stamp pads, some glitter glue and some glossy book marks. It was her graduation (from college) present to me. (Yes, I still have them, for sentimental reasons!)

A year or so later, I went to my first DOTS party...and I was HOOKED. Bought a bunch, and made my own Christmas cards. However, I wasn't thrilled with the cute-sie type stamps... all sheep and bears and ragdolls.... but discovered a cool store in Houston (Iconography...now out of business), and began to expand my collection.

Around 1995, I got on the internet, and made some new stamping friends... some even local! We would travel every year to Dallas to attend the stamp convention there... and it has escalated from there.

Here I am, 18 years later. I have 1000's and 1000's of stamps, inks, powders and more. In 1997, I went back to college and began my Master's degree in Art History, which led me to a class in the "History of Arts and Crafts". I got to know much about different Art and Craft mediums (it was a hands-on class, and I got to do mixed media collage), and my Modern Art and Contemporary Arts classes exposed me to people such as Robert Rauschenberg and Joseph Cornell. And I was off and running into the world of paper arts, mixed media, and more.

How about you?

[XrayAmy]

I think it was 1989 too (maybe 88). A friend gave me a stamp of a parrot. I thought it was cool that she could find a stamp like that. I did Hawaiian dance then and I wanted a stamp of a hula dancer. A girl at work saw an ad for a rubber stamp show in San Jose and showed it too me. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) went with me. I went from booth to booth asking "do you have a hula dancer?" I found quite a few along with palm trees and sand and other stuff to go with them. I spent $400 at that show. The next day I was looking up stamp stores in the area...back in the days when there were lots of stamp stores.

Amy

[stampin stacy]

For me it would depend on how you look at it.

Sometime in the early 80's I was on an annual weekend family reunion trip when we went decided to go to Branson Mo. for the day. We were at a crafts mall called Engler's (sp?) and there was a stamp store there and the lady was making cards with embossing powders. I was fascinated :shock: and kept thinking what I saw all the next year. When everybody decided to stop in Branson again the next year I was so excited :clap: . My first purchase was a lighthouse from PSX at that store.

Now speed ahead to 1990, my mom has passed away and my sister and I are going through her effects. Up in the attic in the bottom of a trunk we find a set of Hanna Barbera character stamps. They were mine and I vaguely remember using them when I was very young. I wanted to stamp on everything, probably why they got packed away.

So I guess you could say I became addicted as a youngster, was forced into "rehab" :p and them fell off the wagon again as a adult. :laugh:

[XrayAmy]

They were mine and I vaguely remember using them when I was very young. I wanted to stamp on everything, probably why they got packed away.


:laugh:

[inkieroo]

My stamping started at a Quilt store! I was big into quilting and cut and pierced lampshades at that time. It was the late 80's and in the store they had a small display board of 5 or 6 PSX stamps that were embossed. They were offering a class that sat so I took it with my then best friend. We got to make a book mark, and emboss a piece of ribbon and try it on paper. We never even got to make a whole card. The whole class had to share one heat gun, a bottle of embossing powder and the embossing pad. They did not have us color anything. The next day I went seeking out stamp stores and by the end of the week had spent a couple hundred dollars on stamps and supplies. By 1993 I would had researched how to start a stamp business and by 1994 our first catty was out and we did our first "craft show", in 1995 we did our first convention and the rest is a blurr! LOL

[StampingSpud]

My addiction started in the early 80's too. I had a few rubber stamps (I clearly remember a paw and a tic-tac-toe board). They were orange plastic handled, with clear polymer rubber permanently attached.... from HALLMARK of all places. Each of the inks were scented. I had orange, grape... oh boy. Anyway, so I had a pencil box full of those. (I think I was in middle school at the time.)

Then fast-forward about 20 years... I was invited to a stamping workshop at a friends' house in July of 2003. The new catalog had JUST come out. Most of the ladies there were very experienced stampers, and I was the only newbie.

The demonstrator showed us how to make three cards, one of which was made with the Fish from the Little Layers set (which was in the Summer quarterly flyer at the time). I LOVED THAT FLIPPIN FISH. I bought the set, but because money was tight, nothing else. Not even ink. It amazed me at the demonstration that, even with the same stamps and the same colors, everyone's creation turned out different.

So it's going on four years of stamping, and I'm still loving every minute of it. I work a lot more hours than I did when I started, so I create fewer projects.

KR

[XrayAmy]

I LOVED THAT FLIPPIN FISH. I bought the set, but because money was tight, nothing else. Not even ink. It amazed me at the demonstration that, even with the same stamps and the same colors, everyone's creation turned out different.



That always amazes me too. How people can take the same tools in whatever art form they are working in, and everyone comes up with something very different.

[Susi]

It's interesting to read the very different stories, how you all began to play with your rubber stamps and for what a long time you do this hobby. Since I have children I paint window colors. In the www I tried to find a sample of a Lucky Luke picture, because my son want it so much. So I got to know a woman which is living about 5km from my home and I went together with her to my first handicraft show (I hope you understand my poor english). One year later I went to the same show together with my boyfriend and we found some rubber stamps to create our wedding- and his birthday invitation (at the same day) I was fascinated by the things you can do with such a stamp and after marriage I surfed through the Internet and find other stampers and also stamping companies. Since that time my purse is always empty but my cupboards brim over with stamps, papers, embellishment....:laugh:

[Stampalotsue]

Since that time my purse is always empty but my cupboards brim over with stamps, papers, embellishment....:laugh:

If only we could eat the stamps...LOL! I understand completely. I had a friend over the other day, a lady who is interested in doing ATC's with me (waahooo!) and she was just mesmerized about my stamp area! and how many stamps I had! She just sat, for hours, staring and looking through things. Anyway, my dh walked in and we got to talking... he said he didn't think much about how many I had until a few months ago.... he walked in there and thought "where did all this stuff come from? When did she get it all?" And I thought he never noticed!! He's not mad, but amazed. He loves me!!

BTW, you can see pics of my stampin' area on my blog... stampartspot.blogspot.com

Susan

[Taniwolf]

I think i got started in the late 80s.
I began stamping paper for stationary to penpals.
I did that until my mid twenties. then i took a break
and now i am addicted to collecting rubberstamps.
I have been trying to make cards to submit to
a magazine.

[Rubberstampjunklady]

Stampalotsue checked out your blog, nice stamping area, much bigger than mine. Nice organization, the key to all this stuff we have to have. :laugh:
I've think I started stamping about 20 years ago. Maybe 18, the girls were little rug rats then and needed lots of watching and play, so I don't think I did too much for lack of time. Now I have more time but stamp less...:confusion:

[gunvor]

Compared to you other guys I´m a newbie. I started stamping in July 2000 when I made a bad search on the web and ended up (for hours) on a Swedish stamper´s website. I emailed her a few questions and a couple of days later I bought my first stamp and a black inkpad. And the rest is - as yoy say - history ;)

[Sherry]

I also am a somewhat newbie to stamping. Although I have used stamps at school I do not count that as stamping. I have been scrapbooking for 11 years and around 3 years ago ran into a site for stamping. They were new and offered free unmounteds off a list in exchange for a card tag etc made from each stamp that they could use at shows. Well now I am truly hooked and use stamping in my pages and make all my own cards. I swap ATCs all over. But I need a bigger room:confusion:

[purplepaint]

Reading all of your stories, I never realized rubber stamps were that big back in the 80s. I was doing fine art for over 20 years and then started beading and then quilting.... I kept seeing the rubber stamps and thinking "on no, I'm not going to get into that". And I did pretty good, I held off until a few years ago, I bought the fish puckering up that says "sealed with a fish". Then I started making ATCs last year and that was it. I started buying rubber stamps and now I am a rubberholic or stampaholic. One of these days my family is going to start smelling rubber on me! LOL! :laugh: purplepaint

[stampin stacy]

"One of these days my family is going to start smelling rubber on me! LOL! purplepaint"

It's in our soul, so why shouldn't it be our Perfume of choice too! :lol:

[susankling1]

I'm a late starter. I didn't get into rubberstamping until 1995 and have been doing so ever since. I love to buy from ebay, Addicted To Rubberstamping and other online companies. :clap: I now have a large number of mounted and unmounted stamps. I like to use them to make cards, jewelry, and altered art. I no longer buy cards, but hand make them for all occasions for family and friends. As I have benn "retired" for many years, I have the time to do so.

[The Kiwi]

Never picked up a stamp in NZ unless it was the licking posting variety. Then came to America before Y2K and nowwwwwwwwwwww
ug...got so many stamps that we decided that that was that. The Kiwi and the Yank went into biz and YanKiwi.com was born.
So newbies....watch out, not only is the art of rubber stamping completely and wholly addictive. It is also mind and life altering. Maybe I just sniffed one too many good smelling ink pens hahahaha. Buyers beware:lol: !

[Inky Whiskers]

My first stamp was of the sign Aquarius that I found in a lil card shop in the early 80's followed soon after by a Garfield image & a paw print. Those 3 stamps & a cheap green ink pad got used all over my book covers & notebook paper for close to a year. I was in junior high & had no idea what else I could do with ink & rubber. I still have all 3 stamps tho' the ink pad is long gone.

Fast forward to 2000. I had discovered scrapbooking a few years earlier and had bought a few Hero Arts stamps that came w/ink, but still had pretty much no idea what to do with them. Then a neighbor invited me to an in-home workshop. I was immediately hooked & had it BAD! I even booked a workshop that same day because I needed to keep the catalog. I had literally drooled all over it and as they say "I licked it, it's MINE! A few months later I discovered eBay and met inkieroo. (OH!!! The stories she could tell!!!) My rubber addiction became so bad I had to become a dealer to support my habit.

At least stamping burns calories!
Inky Whiskers (w/7 cats, somebody always has inky whiskers or glitter in their fur)

[Unicornsherry]

I also started stamping in the early 80's. I went to the Los Angeles Fair, and saw a man demonstrating his embossing powder. I was entranced. I bought a few of his stamps and a set of embossing powder. After trying to emboss with light bulbs and irons (don't laugh, that's what they recommended:lol:) I finally stumbled on an embossing gun, and that was that. I continued stamping the occasional card and or envelope, until I started reading RubberStamp Madness a few years ago. I've since collected many back issues and have been inspired to create and send in several entries...some of which have been printed. What a thrill.

[XrayAmy]

I bought a few of his stamps and a set of embossing powder. After trying to emboss with light bulbs and irons (don't laugh, that's what they recommended:lol:)

:laugh: Sorry, but that is funny! Bet that guy went out of business fast!

Amy

And Welcome too Unicornsherry!

[stampin stacy]

;) unicornsherry don't let them give you a hard time! I was told the same thing. :laugh:

I do as a matter of fact have in my hand right now, the how to print outs I got with my first stamp and embossing powder purchase. Just had to go find it when I saw your post.

It lists as alternate heat sources: hot plate - I tried my coffee maker one; holding over a toaster; oven set at 300 degrees; electric burner on your stove set at medium or an inverted frying pan over the burner; electric frying pan or griddle; toaster oven; holding over an iron set on the cotton setting; and the light bulb method. It does say that the light bult is the least effective and "could be hard on your eyes". LOL :noway: (I sure hope people were smart enough to not try some of these and start a fire.)

It also says that putting powders in the microwave could cause them to explode :shock: and that a hair dryer doesn't get hot enough and would just blow the powder off of the paper.

Needless to say it didn't take long when I got home to realize I would need to purchase one of those "thingys" the lady at the stamp store had used if I was going to emboss.

[inkieroo]

Isn't it wild how we end up collecting so many stamps over the years! I don't even want to count how many I own. I thought of selling my early stamps as I don't want or use them, but got as far as listing two of them and gave it up. I am seriously considering it though as they are things that no longer even interest me. My problem is that I love the way they look on wood--boy is this an addiction or what!

[Inky Whiskers]

No kidding about how fast those rubber darlings pile up! How does that saying go?

"It started out with just one stamp,
which led to two then three!
Now I'm a stamp-a-holic
and don't want recovery!

or maybe this one:
"There ain't no cure for the rubber time blues!"

How about:
"Take time to smell the rubber!" Oh wait...that's one of yours! <LOL>

Inky Whiskers

[CatStamper]

I also remember some of those "alternate" directions for embossing without a heat gun... I think they were just trying to sell the powder to get you hooked, knowing that if you really wanted to emboss you'd come back for the (much more expensive than the powder) heat gun. ;-)

But this little gem really made me laugh out loud, almost got a snort out of me instead of a giggle:


It also says that putting powders in the microwave could cause them to explode :shock:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Thanks for sharing those directions with us, stampin stacy!

Kate

[stampin stacy]

Hey Kate, hope you weren't sipping your morning coffee at the time :)) .

I thought we'd all get a kick out of being reminded of some of the early days (dark ages) of stamping. Good thing I'm such a pack rat, or is that a sign of our "addiction". lol

[glossie]

It was the early 80's. Stamp stores did not exist in the area. One had to order tacky little images of generic shapes or words but at the time it did dress up a letter but you had to use office type stamp pads which only came in four basic colors. At that time people who embossed had to use light bulbs for the normal heat gun was too hot. We sure have come a long way since then! And I am so glad that they did!:clap:

[inky fingers]

I really am a Newbie to the world of ink and rubber... I think it was 2002 DD#1stored a big bag of stamps with me as she was moving and didn't want to leave them in a "storage" unit.

Never thought too much about them as I was newly hooked on scrapbooking and had lots to learn with it. But when cleaning up the "closet' i just had to look inside that bag she left=2003 now. Sure enough there was a ton of stamps and ink pads. And I had just read a challenge to use stamping on a layout.

The rest is history.. I still have her bag of stamps..probly 50 stamps or more. I used them rather badly at first. But I've gotten a few lessons from her and others as I travel around the web sites picking up tips, tricks and how to's.

I placed my first order with an online rep who was also a friend- Stamping Up in 2003. I told her I was in her hands, I had $200 to spend and had nothing.
Sweetie that she is sent me my first heat gun, embossing powders and a complete set of Sketches 2003 stamps with the rest in stamp pads... I was in heaven. Now I am Lost in the Land of Ink & Rubber...totally addicted.

[stampwilly]

I have been stamping about 15 years! I am a technique stamper, but have recently fallen in love with the cuttlebug embossing folders and all the pretty scrapbook papers out there!:D

Stampwilly

[Glomom23]

I started stamping back in 1993. Went to a SU party and it's just histroy from there. I also moved on from the cutesy stuff and use mostly unmounted stuff, Asian, Celtic, Eqyptian, Collage.... I would say I'm not so much of a "collector" of stamps but a "collector" of all the other fun stuff which comes along with it!!!