I left my heart in … Minnesota

and at Stamp Junkie Fest 2018!

The last week of July, I headed out to attend “Stamp” Junkie Fest 2018, for their annual get together. Stamp Junkies is a Facebook group that started in the spring of 2015 and formed the common LOVE of stamping with the MISTI. In 3 short years, the group has grown to just under 30k members! As more and more members ask (in my case… I pleaded!) Chris Dalton, the organizer of the event, if they too can join the annual “get-together” … the Stamp Junkie gathering could no longer be held at someone’s home or a local craft store… so this year 122 Stamp Junkies (plus teachers, Stamp Junkie admins & business owners) took over the Embassy Suites in Minneapolis, MN for 3 inky fun-filled days!

Stamps used to create card: Cabin by the Lake Multi-Step Clear Stamps, Pine Trees Multi-Step Clear Stamps, Lighthouse Multi-Step Clear Stamps (rocks), Ocean Waters Lake Multi-Step Clear Stamps (sneak-peak), and the special limited edition stamps for Stamp Junkie Fest 2018 – Minnesota Loon Multi-Step Clear Stamps and Tiny Norway Pine Multi-Step Clear Stamps.

When I saw a post for Junkie Fest 2018 in its planning stage, I did something that is quite out of character … I asked Chris Dayton if I could invite myself! Are you asking why? Well, besides sounding like it would be a LOT of fun … I thought this would be a fabulous chance to design a special Make & Take for an awesome crowd of stampers. Plus, as I have written in the past posts, I spent my childhood summers on Lake Vermillion in northern MN, so when I find a chance to go back and see family … I jump at it … and this time dragging my KSS traveling and stamping workshop buddy, Traci, along too! I was so excited when Chris said there was room for me to do 2 M&Ts! So I got busy! These are the 2 finished Make & Takes I created just for JunkieFest 2018. A Minnesota Loon coaster chipboard luggage tag and a Norway Pine Christmas wood disk ornament. Below are the Limited Edition stamp sets that each make & taker received to take home when they finished.

There is a little story behind the Christmas ornament M&T that I would like to share. While I was thinking about what sort of M&T I would create for this special event, this spring, my husband cut down a small pine tree that had to come down. It was growing under a huge oak tree in our front yard… the pine never had a chance. It was while I was searching to purchase more 4″x4″ coasters (to cut in half to create the luggage tags) I ran across some images of wood disk drink coasters … (lightbulb moment!).

I didn’t want to buy 125-150 wooden coasters for a Christmas ornament M&T … especially since I had been staring at a stack of small pine logs stacked on the edge of our driveway for the past month! My M&T idea quickly became a family project. My husband cut 150 + 2.5″ to 3″ dia. wood disks at 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick (perfect thickness to stamp on when using the Misti after removing the insert foam pad). Our oldest son sanded both sides (they had to be smooth to stamp on) and drilled all the holes at the top! Our youngest son lucked out this time! LOL

I decided to use the Misti and conduct our M&T as an “assembly line”. This strategy would allow me to align each stamp step ahead of time on a separate Misti. Those partaking in our M&T wouldn’t have to worry about aligning any stamps… just ink up, stamp and then move to the next Misti. One problem. How to stamp on a circular object using the Misti??? Answer: attach the disk to a square piece of cardstock. I have to admit (humble toot), it worked like a dream!

JunkieFest 2018 was a huge success, meeting lovely ladies (members, admins, and company owners) and tons of creativity swirling around … I am not even going into the amazing swag bag or door prizes for the those attending (it was beyond words)!

Here are some of the beautiful and thought cards I received while at JunkieFest!

I hope you will consider clearing your calendar for next year and join Stamp Junkies in Minn. next year for JunkieFest 2019… I can hardly wait!

Oh… and if you were wondering about the water in this card … it is the first sneak peek to KSS next stamp release, available early next week! Will have 3 more sneak peeks for you later this week.

Please check out what the KS Crew has cooked up for you this week.

Lynn – Confessions of a Left-Brained Stamper

Jeanne – Nana Loves Stamping

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(MN Cabin at the Lake Card)

Stamps: Cabin by the Lake Multi-Step Clear Stamps, Pine Trees Multi-Step Clear Stamps, Lighthouse Multi-Step Clear Stamps (rocks), Ocean Waters Lake Multi-Step Clear Stamps (sneak-peak), and the limited edition stamps for Stamp Junkie Fest 2018 – Minnesota Loon Multi-Step Clear Stamps and Tiny Norway Pine Multi-Step Clear Stamps.

Paper: Solar White Classic Crest from Neenah, and Blue Bayou from SU!

Inks: (all Memento Inks unless noted)

Cabin: Step #4 – Espresso Truffle, Step #3 – Rich Cocoa, Step # 2 – cabin area – Potter’s Clay, roof area – Toffee Crunch, and chimney area – Gray Flannel, Step #1 – (roof & chimney area only) – London Fog.
Pine Trees: for variations, see Pine Trees Color Recipe.
Tall Norway Pines: Step #2 – Rich Cocoa 2x’s, Step #2 – Olive Grove, Step #1 – Pistachio.
Loon: Step #3 – Onyx Black (VersaFine), Step #2 Spruce (Catherine Pooler), Step #1 – London Fog.
Rock: Step # 3 – Espresso Truffle, Step # 2 – Gray Flannel, Step #1 London Fog, Step #4 – Espresso Truffle.
Water: Step #2 – Paris Dusk, Step #1 – Danube Blue and then sponge Summer Sky in the water foreground.
Flying birds: Toffee Crunch
Island in distance: (mask off using one side of Tiny Norway Pine) Step #2 – Olive Grove, Step #1 – Pistachio.
Sky: sponged with Summer Sky and a scrap of cardstock cut with Puffy Cloud Borders metal die from Lawn Fawn
Sentiment: Paris Dusk.

Embellishments: pop dots, Christmas Red Stickles (Loon’s eye), Wink of Stella clear from Zig (water highlights).

•••

(MN Loon Luggage Tag)

Stamps: Stamp-Junkie Fest 2018 – Minnesota Loon Multi-Step Clear Stamps

Paper: 4″x4″ chipboard coaster, cut in half and slot punched at one end (with Ribbon Slot Punch Tool from Making Memories).

Inks: (all Memento Inks):

Loon: Step #3 – Onyx Black (VersaFine), Step #2 Spruce (Catherine Pooler), Step #1 – London Fog.
Sentiment: Spruce (Catherine Pooler)
Address Lines on back: London Fog 2x’s

Embellishments: 1-1/4″ wide grosgrain ribbon & plastic snaps

•••

(MN Norway Pine Christmas wood disk ornament)

Stamps: Stamp-Junkie Fest 2018 – Tiny Norway Pine Multi-Step Clear Stamps

Paper: 3.5″x3.5″ cardstock for temporarily adhering to wooden disc when stamping with Misiti.

Inks: (all Memento Inks):

Tree: Step #3 – Burnt Sienna (Palette), Step #2 – Grass Green (GinaK), #1 – Landscape (Palette)
Sentiment: Lipstick (GinaK)
Flying birds: Gray Flannel

KSS Make and Take Fun at Stamp Junkie Fest

I left my heart in … Minnesota