Trick or Treat????

Hello, Everyone!
No " Tricks" just "Treats" for all our customers this Holiday Season! We are kicking off Fall with a "Special treat" this Saturday, October 27, 2007.
Our class instructors have been combining all their talents, and have come up with something special for our customers. It is so special in fact, that is is different than anything we have done before. You MUST come by the store to see what we are "revealing" this Saturday!

Also, entries for our 2007 Halloween Challenge are due in by closing time, 6:00 PM on Saturday.

Our friend and artist, Beverly Seymour, owner of B Line Designs will be here, instore for classes Friday, November 2nd, Saturday, November 3rd, and Sunday, November 4th, 2007. She will be teaching five "Art" inspiring classes, and bringing along a trunk show full of her rubber stamps. Be sure to call the store at (210)342-6217 to sign up and reserve your space for her awesome classes, or log on to our website; http://www.stampantonio.com/ go to the November Calendar and click on "Beverly Seymour" to view samples and read the descriptions of all the classes.

We hope to see you all this weekend for our "reveal", or hear from you concerning Beverly's classes.
Until then take care,
Mindy, and the Gals at Stamp Antonio Arts

PS. For your information, our store will return to our Winter Store Hours, November 1st, 2007; Monday through Saturday 10:oo- 6:00, Wednesday, 10:00- 9:00, and closed Sunday's.

Hi, Everyone!

Last Saturday was World Card Making Day, and all of us at Stamp Antonio want to take this opportunity to Thank You! for making it a successful one. Although this is only the second year it was celebrated, and our First Year, It was a great success on the whole. It was a busy day for many of us; I had an Accordian Card Class in the morning, and helped with the Christmas Make-N-Takes in the afternoon.



Several of our "regulars" came in and dropped off multiple cards For the Troops! You can come by the store this week and see some of the ones we made, or drop off more if you have some extra's at home that you might want to donate! We will be packing them up, and sending them off next week.



Preparing for World Card Making Day, postponed many of my regular tasks, such as writing my Blog! I got way behind in informing everyone about our "You Be the Stamp Buyer" program. We are now on week #5, and the vendor for this week is : Stampington & Co.

Stampington carries many collections by stamp artists such as, Maureen Blackman, Christine Adolph, Lynne Perrella, and Sandra Evertson. If one of these is YOUR favorite, be sure to come by the store and place a Special Order this week, through October 14, 2007. We just require that you pay in advance for any you order, and we will place the order next Monday.

Before you know it, we will be telephoning you to let you know they have arrived! It's just as simple as that!



I hope you are all preparing for our Halloween Challenge! We have started accepting submissions as of this past Monday, so get your thinking caps on, and start CREATING! The deadline is right around the corner, and will be here in no time. For more information on the Halloween Challenge, check this blog, or stop by the store for a printed version. We have a good supply of Stickles, and glitter, along with color washes and embossing powders! Even more of the NEW Stampendous Fun Flock is ordered and On the Way!



Well, that is about all I can think of for now. I also wanted to thank those of you who voted on my "POLL" located on this blog. I hope you will continue to give me feedback, of anything you might want to see, or have me discuss on this blog in the future. I always appreciate hearing from each and everyone of you. So, until next time, Take care and KEEP STAMPING!



Mindy

Halloween Challenge 2007

The Halloween Challenge is off and running at Stamp Antonio Arts! The contest this year is a little different. . . . . .

This year entrants must "think outside of the CARD!" We are looking for projects that can be made for Halloween, using our stamps, papers, or embellishments. Whether they be party decorations, or a part of your costume, wearables, gifts, or jewelry, we want them in our Challenge!

Be Creative and think "Outside the Box!"

There will be several catagories of winners, (to be announced at a later time) and each entry will be judged on;
1. Initial impact,
2. Creativity,
3. Originality, and
4. Use of materials.

Please make sure your entry doesn't infringe on any patent, copyright, trademark, or property rights, or is obscene or otherwise against the law.

Entries need to be submitted between October 8, and October 27, 2007. Judging will be on "All Hallows Eve" October 31st, along with a special "S-P-O-O-O-O-K-Y Celebration" to be held Wednesday evening between 6:ooPM and 9:00PM here at the store.

Mark your calendars now to join us for this frightful & delightful evening!( AND start designing something awesome for the contest!)

World Card Making Day; October 6, 2007

WHAT: World Card Making Day is a holiday especially for card makers around the world to:
*Celebrate the creativity of handmade cards and the personal connection that they create between
friends and family.
*Kick-Off (and get a head start on) the holiday card making season.
WHEN: The first Saturday of each October.
WHO: The card making community worldwide, including hobbyists, beginning card makers, manufacturers
of card making products, retail sellers of products, educators, and press are invited to come together
to celebrate this holiday and creative passion.
WHY: It is a day to connect with fellow card makers, both near and far, to applaud the creativity that powers
the craft, and to provide an opportunity for card makers to connect and find resources that will
empower, inspire, and encourage them in their card making.
(courtesy of http://www.worldcardmakingday.com/)


WHERE: Stamp Antonio Arts 2211 N.W. Military Hwy. ste.118
San Antonio, Texas 78213 (210) 342-6217 Saturday hours: 10:00-6:00

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

We have several things planned for this Wonderful Day!

Morning Activities: Cards for Troops
We will have our Art Bar at the front of the store set up to make cards that will be sent overseas to men and women who serve our country in the military. Come lend your talents in card making to help us complete a variety of cards to send to them. Even in the remotest areas of the world, people enjoy sending and receiving cards. What a blessing for us to do such a small thing- to make handmade cards to pass on to our soldiers so they may have cards to send home to their families and friends. We will also have a donation jar available so we can raise enough money to send along postage stamps to help defer the cost of postage for the soldiers.
Mid-day Activities: FREE Demo using New Products!
Between 12:30 and 1:30 we will have a free demo on using the New Stamp-N-Stick black Palette stamp pad and the New Castaway Bleach pad. We will be using the Interference Pearl-Ex powders and the Castaway pad on dark card stock- a new technique you may have never seen before.
Afternoon Activities: MAKE-N-TAKES for the Holidays!
About 2:00 PM we will start make-n-takes on the sales floor of Christmas Holiday cards. We will have samples of many holiday themed cards that you may try your hand at. We will have a table set where you can stamp a Christmas card and take it home with you. You will discover how simple it can be to make your own Holiday cards, and we will be able to answer all of your questions on how different ones are made.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

We hope all out there can join us for this day of Fun and Friendship! We also have two regularly scheduled card classes going on in our classroom on this day. There are still openings available in
both classes, (see the class page on our web site for more information) so sign up for one or both of the classes for a full day of EXTREME Card Making!

Mindy

You Be the Stamp Buyer!

Good Evening, Everyone!
This is just a short note to let you know that this week's "You Be the Stamp Buyer" Vendor is Hero Arts Stamps.(September 17- September 23,2007)

I am also happy to announce that there was an amazing turn-out this past week for the AMuse Artstamps catalog, and premier of our "You Be the Stamp Buyer" program. We were able to place a large order on Monday morning, and hope the popularity of this program continues, thanks to YOU, our wonderful customers.

The following week's vendor will be Stampendous! Stamps, and the first week in October's vendor will be Memory Box Stamps!

Be sure to check out our schedule of classes for the rest of September and October. We have some New and Fun classes coming up, along with Make-n-Takes and Demo's. We are still working on finalizing the details on the upcoming World Card Day challenge on October 6th, and Halloween contest, so stay tuned to this blog for the latest details as they become available.

Have a Great Week, and stop by and see us soon! We have new stamps arriving daily along with a giant shipment of Marvy Uchida lever punches! Check them out!

Mindy

Book Nook

Here it is, everyone! Our Book Nook at Stamp Antonio! A roomy relaxing area where you can sit and rest, look at a magazine or book, or just collect your thoughts while contemplating your next stamping or paper art project. It is also where we are displaying our "You Be the Stamp Buyer" catalogs weekly by vendor. You may come in and sit, browse through the selected vendor catalog, and even write an order if you so choose. The vendor for the week of September 10 through September 16, 2007 is AMuse Artstamps.

It is also a great area to collect product while you are deciding what items you need for your next project. This past weekend we had a family come in, who were designing invitations for another family member's get-together. They asked our opinion on several colors and paper combinations, and we helped by showing them embossing effects, and paper tearing effects using different papers that we carry at the store. It was a great place, where we could stand around together and discuss various options, and see how the different techniques looked together. Also, since this area is right inside the front windows of the store, we could see how the effects would appear in natural daylight, which is important to some artists.

We are very pleased with how this area turned out, and our customers seem to be pleased also! Why not come in, and see for yourself?
We will be happy to show you around, and answer any questions you have. (And even give you our "two cents worth.")

Hope to see you soon!

Mindy and the Gals at Stamp Antonio

Greetings, Everyone!

Hello, everyone!
We are always trying to come up with ways to make your shopping even more enjoyable at Stamp Antonio.
We spent our Labor Day holiday re-arranging the merchandise in the store, grouping it together so it is easier to find, and easier to shop . We have also added a new sitting area at the front of the store. This area may be used for your comfort, or the comfort of your guests while you are shopping.
It will also be used for our newest service, "You Be the Stamp Buyer!" Each week we will feature one of our many vendor's catalogs, starting with AMuse Stamps. You can come into the store any day during the week, and browse through their catalog, fill out an order form, and your order will be placed on the following Monday! We just require you to pay in advance for the stamps YOU order. There are no minimum quantities required, you may order as many as you like. Just remember, the order must be paid for the day you place the order. We will start our list with the Top 20 vendors we order from on a regular basis. I will publish this list as it becomes available to me, so you can make plans to visit and view the catalogs of your favorites.
We are still working out the details of our upcoming card challenges; The World Card Day Challenge, and the Halloween Card Contest! Stay tuned for information coming this next week!

If you require any further information on a topic covered in this blog, you may write to me at www.stampantonio.com or call the store during regular business hours Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. The phone number is (210)342-6217.

Until next time,
Mindy

P.S. The van pictured above, parked in front of our store one evening. The owner/artist, is a psychiatric nurse at a local hospital, and decorated his van with all types of fun and interesting items. I've heard of "Altered Art" before, but that was the largest piece of art I have seen in awhile!

September/October Newsletter is on the Web Site

Hi Everyone!
We have been very busy this past week, working on the next installment of the newsletter, and ordering new merchandise for the store.
Erin has started back to school, and I have been trying to help her at the store by writing up the Special Orders for September.

The Newsletter for September/October is on the web site, and the link to the descriptions is up, also. There are still some photos of the class samples that need to be added, but these should be taken care of by next week. We have also trimmed down our newsletter mailing list, quite a bit. If you don't receive your newsletter within a couple of weeks, be sure to add your name to the subscription list on the web site, or come by the store to update your information in our log, at the register. We are trying to conserve the forrest's by cutting back on paper usage. If you could help us by receiving yours via the Internet, we would appreciate it greatly. Plus, the postal increases lately have taken a big chunk out of our expenses.

There are several Events and Contests coming this Fall, and I will have more information on them in a future blog, so stay tuned. . . . . . . . .

Until then, have a GREAT Labor Day Weekend; And be safe out there!
Mindy

Oriental Brush Painting Demo at Stamp Antonio!

Hello, one and all!
We had a wonderful Sunday afternoon demonstration at Stamp Antonio. Amy Fleming, owner of Stamp Antonio, gave a Oriental Brush Painting Demo in our classroom. This was a first for the store, and she gave us a very interesting history of the "Ancient Art form" and how she became interested in it years ago. We had a nice turnout, and everyone seemed to be interested in seeing and hearing about all of her supplies that she uses, including all of the different brushes, papers, inks, and stones.
Most of us in attendance, are paper artists in our own right, but were very excited to learn about a "new"art form; new to us, but one that has been around for many, many, decades.

Thank you, Amy, for introducing us to YOUR passion!

More Brush Painting demo. . . . .

Amy showed us how she uses her brush painting supplies to make beautiful drawings and works of art. She is a very talented artist, and some of us who witnessed her demonstration are very interested in having her teach some classes at Stamp Antonio. She mentioned that she may start with a card class, where we could learn some basic brush strokes to decorate cards. We could then see if we were interested in continuing our study into the ancient art of Sumi-E'.

Even Amy's daughter, Zoe, (age 71/2) wrote her name for us in Chinese.

Well Done, ladies!