Please welcome Shelli Gardner, Cofounder and CEO of Stampin’ Up!

To love what we do and share what we love—that’s part of our Statement of the Heart at Stampin’ Up! Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the opportunity I have to work every day with people and things that I love. What a great blessing!

Helping others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments is another part of our Statement of the Heart, and creativity is definitely one of the things I LOVE most about what I do. I mean, how many of us get to stamp and craft and create for a career?

Sitting down at my craft table and creating something from a stack of stamps, ink, and paper is something I look forward to. I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like, but I guess that just makes it more enjoyable when it happens. With music playing quietly in the background and either by myself or with a small group of family or friends (love it when my daughters can join me), I’m in the creative zone. I could spend hours playing and creating. . . .

People often ask what kinds of projects I create, and that’s an easy one: I almost always create projects to give to others. Cards (birthday, thank you, congratulations, thinking of you, etc.), gifts, home décor. . . anything that I know someone will appreciate and use, or that will brighten someone’s day.

I mentioned that I start with stamps, ink, and paper (what else is there, right?), and then I add a few things. Anyone who knows me knows that I love textures, dimensions, and layers. I dress in layers, I decorate in layers, and I create in layers. So my projects usually have an added embellishment or ribbon, as well as (almost always!) an embossed or die-cut layer.

Here are a few projects that show exactly what I’m talking about—you can see that it’s all about layers and dimensions with me!

The Big Shot is one of my go-to creating tools—so easy to add texture or dimension with a die cut, embossing folder, or framelit or thinlit or edgelit (check out all those ‘lits). Just tuck the die cut or embossing tool in between the pads, run it through the Big Shot, and you’ve got exactly what you need to complete your project to perfection!

These projects were all made with the Big Shot, and feature products that are part of our August Big Shot promotion.  If you don’t have a Big Shot, this is the month to get your hands on one.  And if you’ve already got one, then check out our discounted Big Shot bundles.  I’m pretty sure if you’re not already a Big Shot fan,  you’ll be joining our ranks as soon as you turn the Big Shot handle for the first time!

–Shelli Gardner