Published: September 22, 2007 09:00 pm      

Group puts their ‘stamp’ on business

World Card Making Day comes to Edmond

EDMOND — To Jan McCollom of Edmond, nothing says “love” like a handmade greeting card or craft project.

“Nobody says, ‘Oh, I will always cherish that e-mail,’” McCollom said. “They do say how excited they are to receive a handmade card.”

McCollom is one of 40,000 Stampin’ Up! demonstrators from the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia who teach the craft of rubber stamping, card making, scrapbooking and other paper arts.

On Thursday, McCollom and five other demonstrators gathered in Edmond to prepare for Stampin’ Up! World Card Making Day coming up in October.

The six area demonstrators say the job offers the perfect way to make money while having fun.

Cathy Scheihing of Edmond is one of the newest representatives. She had been attending Stampin’ Up! classes for two years when she decided to become a demonstrator herself.

“I’m sort of craft challenged,” she said. “I’m a really good example of how you can learn to do this. Now it’s like therapy to me.”

People who want to become Stampin’ Up! demonstrators pay $199 for a starter kit that includes catalogs, stamps, supplies, accessories and all the materials needed to get started in the business.

Some of them are full-time demonstrators, while others are employed in other fields.

“One of the best perks is the creativity and versatility,” McCollom said. “You can stamp on scrapbooks, cards, clothing, walls, anything you want. You don’t have to be an artist. With the right tools and techniques, anybody can access their creativity.”

Stampin’ Up! was started in 1988 by two sisters who created a home-based business selling rubber stamps. The company now has a 55-acre campus in Riverton, Utah, and credits its success to a commitment to eight principles: integrity, relationships, balance, personal development, positive environment, growth, efficiency and change.

Change has been a big factor in the company’s growth, McCollom said, with new papers, stamps, accessories and ideas introduced frequently.

And Stampin’ Up! workshops provide an ideal outlet for men and women to express their creativity and enjoy new friendships.

“It’s kind of like the current day quilting bees — you’re making something and you have the fellowship,” said Leslie Bumgarner of Norman.

Connie Stewart of Oklahoma City said it’s exciting to help people express their creativity through rubber stamping and paper arts.

“Everyone needs a creative outlet,” she said. “I think our brains will explode if we don’t use that creative side.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Stampin’ Up!, visit www.stampinup.com.



THE DETAILS

What you need to know



One day isn’t enough for the local Stampin’ Up! representatives to observe World Card Making Day; they’re having a two-day card-making event from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 5 and from 9 a.m. to noon and 2-5 p.m. Oct. 6 at 3601 N. Broadway, Suite 100, in the Mid-Con Center.

At World Card Making Day, participants will hand stamp 20 all-occasion greeting cards. All supplies and instructions are provided for the $25 registration fee.

For more information about the event, call Jann McCollom at 396-2552. Registration deadline is Tuesday.