Welcome To My Stamping Blog

From my earliest childhood memories I have always enjoyed arts and crafts and even when I was working full time in the finance field I used my free time to pursue my art interests. I've always embraced the idea and pursuit of lifetime learning. My mantra is to learn something new every day and be grateful for the opportunity.
A few years back I retired from my professional career and pursued a degree in Textiles, specifically weaving. I enjoyed learning all about the medium and designing and creating my own work. I developed a healthy appreciation, though limited experience for sewing and related tasks. When immersed in learning and creating textiles and fiber materials to use, I discovered something about myself that I had not picked up on beforehand. The design aspect and development process was really where I thrived regardless of the artistic medium. As I thought about my previous pursuits in pottery, stained glass, oil and acrylic painting and the process involved it finally made sense to me.
So you may ask, okay Tony, that's interesting, but why Stampin Up! ? For a few years I contemplated making cards because I was mostly unhappy with the choices available to me in the traditional card shops. As often happens, other things distracted me so it wasn't until this past year that I took the plunge. I knew that my cousin was with Stampin Up! for a long time, but it didn't really click with me as something I would enjoy. I was curious, so I contacted her and asked about it. I started out subscribing to Paper Pumpkin because it's so convenient and includes everything. I was hooked, and when I got Stampin Up! catalogs, I quickly found lots of things that I "needed". She talked to me about the option of demo or hobbyist demo and the discount. The starter kit is a no-brainer...gotta do it! Though I am truly an introvert and need a lot of down time to recover, I am blessed with the gift of gab, especially when I am passionate about something.
So I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about me and I hope you'll enjoy looking through my website. Please contact me with any questions. If you think you would like to join my team, I'd love to talk to you about it.
Happy Stamping and God Bless!
Tony
The Gentleman Crafters Design Group - January 2021 Blog Hop!
Welcome fellow Stampers and friends~
Wow, time is moving along, and it's already a New Year -- 2021! As a member of The Gentleman Crafters Design Team, I look forward to sharing a new project with you each month and hoping it will inspire you to try something new.
I decided to play around with the Curvy Dies, featured in our Jan-Jun 2021 mini catalog and I came up with what (I think) is a cute card for lots of different ocassions. For this card I am only using one of the dies, it's the one with the row of holes across it. It reminds me of rolling hills across a horizon, and I thought it might be fun to try layering them with different patterns and textures.
Before joining Stampin'Up! , I was a weaver, textile artist/designer. I am naturally drawn to the many patterns and textures in our Designer Series Papers (DSP). So I decided to feature the Boho Indigo DSP in this project.
The Gentleman Crafters Design Team - November Blog Hop!
Welcome fellow Stampers and friends~
It's so hard to believe that we are already into November and in some areas snow has already been falling and accumulating. Thankfully, actual snow isn't a given during Winter here in Eastern North Carolina. I tell my friends, that I have experienced snow and I am completely satisfied seeing pictures of it these days. So feel free to share your snow pictures with me!
I am very happy to be a member of The Gentleman Crafters Design Team, and my contribution this month, is guess what? A snow themed card!

It's so hard to believe that we are already into November and in some areas snow has already been falling and accumulating. Thankfully, actual snow isn't a given during Winter here in Eastern North Carolina. I tell my friends, that I have experienced snow and I am completely satisfied seeing pictures of it these days. So feel free to share your snow pictures with me!
I am very happy to be a member of The Gentleman Crafters Design Team, and my contribution this month, is guess what? A snow themed card!
The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team - October Blog Hop
Dear Fellow Stampers and Friends~
Welcome to the October Inspirational Blog Hop of The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team (TGCDT). Each month we come together from across the globe to share some of our designs and hopefully inspire you to re-create them for yourself.
This month I decided to do a "Step Panel card" using a returning favorite Christmas Bundle, Christmas Gleaming. The paper is just exquisite and really shows off well on the finished card. Of course you can use this design with many different holiday and other occasions just as well. I hope you will enjoy creating this card, and I would love to see photos, so please leave comments. The finished card folds nicely to fit into a regular A2 envelope. I've included some photos to help with the dimensions and assembling the card.

The photo below shows all the different products and dimensions, but there is another photo
below with a closer look at the dimensions.

This photo includes the card stock, dimensions and scoring details.

Welcome to the October Inspirational Blog Hop of The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team (TGCDT). Each month we come together from across the globe to share some of our designs and hopefully inspire you to re-create them for yourself.
This month I decided to do a "Step Panel card" using a returning favorite Christmas Bundle, Christmas Gleaming. The paper is just exquisite and really shows off well on the finished card. Of course you can use this design with many different holiday and other occasions just as well. I hope you will enjoy creating this card, and I would love to see photos, so please leave comments. The finished card folds nicely to fit into a regular A2 envelope. I've included some photos to help with the dimensions and assembling the card.

The photo below shows all the different products and dimensions, but there is another photo
below with a closer look at the dimensions.

This photo includes the card stock, dimensions and scoring details.

TGCDT: A Trio of Wreaths
Dear Fellow Stampers and Friends~
Welcome to the September Blog Hop of The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team. Each month we come together from across the globe to share some of our designs and hopefully inspire you to re-create them for yourself. Recently I have been working to design frameable pieces. The hobby stores seem to be filled with an abundance of little framed sayings and popular phrases. I picked up three smaller inexpensive square frames that I thought would work well for a makeover! This month my entry for the blog hop is a trio of wreaths. I hope you will enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the project. Thank you and Happy Stamping!
Best-Tony - New Bern, North Carolina, USA

Welcome to the September Blog Hop of The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team. Each month we come together from across the globe to share some of our designs and hopefully inspire you to re-create them for yourself. Recently I have been working to design frameable pieces. The hobby stores seem to be filled with an abundance of little framed sayings and popular phrases. I picked up three smaller inexpensive square frames that I thought would work well for a makeover! This month my entry for the blog hop is a trio of wreaths. I hope you will enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the project. Thank you and Happy Stamping!
Best-Tony - New Bern, North Carolina, USA
Tuesday Stampin' Tips with Tony ~ More projects using Glycerine as a medium with ink
I did my regular Tuesday Stampin' Tips with Tony, earlier today because I have another engagement tonight. In this tutorial I re-visited working with Glycerin as a medium with stamp ink. There are so many different ways of using the medium in card making, and I hope you are inspired to try this technique.
Happy Stampin' and God Bless!
Tony
Holiday Stamping Palooza - Online Event

Join myself and Kevin Estey of Stamping Just For Fun - Nova Scotia, Canada as we co-host six weeks of LIVE and exclusive holiday themed crafting. One project presented each day for a full forty two days leading up to the holidays. Let us show you how to get the most from six fantastic new August—December Mini Catalogue product bundles.
Each week one of us will present you with seven fun, hands on projects based on a new product bundle or suite – one fun project revealed and instructed LIVE each day on an interactive Facebook Live event. Printable instructions and measurements included each week. If you miss a night, or a whole week, that's OK - we will keep all the videos up, and access to the FB Groups open for replay at your leisure right through to the end of 2020.
GET FREE ACCESS to each week’s exclusive online event by purchasing the product bundle that goes with that week (or an equivalent value order) or buy the LIGHT version access to each week’s online event for just $20. Choose the weeks and bundles that suit your taste and budget, then tune in and have your supplies ready to follow along and craft.

Wind Down Wednesday, stamping with Tony - A Halloween fun fold card!
Hello fellow stampers and friends!
If you missed my facebook live event, no worries, because all the instructions, photos and a video tutorial are here!
I'm personally not a huge fan of Halloween, but I just had to come up with a few different projects for my fans! LOL
Follow along and you will find the supplies needed, cutting and assembly instructions and of course the video.
God Bless and Happy Stamping!
Tony



Supplies needed:
Card Stock Black 8 1/2" x 11"
Card Stock Whisper White 8 1/2" x 11"
Card Stock Smoky Slate 8 1/2" x 11"
scrap of Mango Melody Card Stock for Moon
Woodland Embossing Folder
Playful Alphabet dies
Layering Circles dies
optional: (or use what you have)
Banner Year stamp set
Festive Corners stamp set
Festive Post stamp set
Everything Essential stamp set
Pumpkin pie stamp pad
Mango Melody stamp pad
Memento Black stamp pad
If you missed my facebook live event, no worries, because all the instructions, photos and a video tutorial are here!
I'm personally not a huge fan of Halloween, but I just had to come up with a few different projects for my fans! LOL
Follow along and you will find the supplies needed, cutting and assembly instructions and of course the video.
God Bless and Happy Stamping!
Tony
Supplies needed:
Card Stock Black 8 1/2" x 11"
Card Stock Whisper White 8 1/2" x 11"
Card Stock Smoky Slate 8 1/2" x 11"
scrap of Mango Melody Card Stock for Moon
Woodland Embossing Folder
Playful Alphabet dies
Layering Circles dies
optional: (or use what you have)
Banner Year stamp set
Festive Corners stamp set
Festive Post stamp set
Everything Essential stamp set
Pumpkin pie stamp pad
Mango Melody stamp pad
Memento Black stamp pad
Tuesday stampin' tips with Tony - a cute Halloween themed candy favor box
Hello fellow stampers and friends~
For tonight's Tuesday stampin' tips with Tony tutorial, I demonstrated how to create a cute Halloween Themed candy box favor! It's getting to be that time of year so this project seems very appropriate and I hope you will enjoy making it!

For tonight's Tuesday stampin' tips with Tony tutorial, I demonstrated how to create a cute Halloween Themed candy box favor! It's getting to be that time of year so this project seems very appropriate and I hope you will enjoy making it!
TGCDT: It's almost Fall Ya'll - A SlimLine Card
Hello fellow stampers and friends!
Thank you for checking out our August blog hop! The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team Blog Hop occurs monthly on the second Friday. Once you've checked out my project, I hope you will click on a link at the bottom of this post and go to the next Gentleman's creation.
My blog post features a returning favorite stamp and die bundle, "Gather Together". Summer is winding down and Fall is just around the corner! If you haven't had an opportunity to make a slimline card, I hope you will give it a go!
Happy Stampin'!
all the best-
Tony

Thank you for checking out our August blog hop! The Gentlemen Crafters Design Team Blog Hop occurs monthly on the second Friday. Once you've checked out my project, I hope you will click on a link at the bottom of this post and go to the next Gentleman's creation.
My blog post features a returning favorite stamp and die bundle, "Gather Together". Summer is winding down and Fall is just around the corner! If you haven't had an opportunity to make a slimline card, I hope you will give it a go!
Happy Stampin'!
all the best-
Tony
Beautiful Autumn -Wreath Thank You card Tutorial
Hello fellow stampers and friends~
It's Saturday Night - Stampin' with Tony time. Tonight I am featuring the Stampin' Up! "Beautiful Autumn" photopolymer stamp set and Autumn Punch Pack. I cased a card that is in our Current Mini Catalog, but of course I am giving it my 'touch' and stepping it up a bit. I hope you will enjoy watching my video tutorial and making this card. Happy Stampin' and God Bless!
Tony