Almost 10 years ago, the doors to Stamping Family officially opened and almost 10 years later, the doors are open again!
While I have a sign up page that I can, and will, link to, I wanted to share from my heart what I feel are the wins for our members.
Over the last 10 years, we have stamped together in a unique environment that focused on members rather than numbers. We focus on creativity, fun, sharing, laughing, a few tears here and there, and just a great passion for coming together in a virtual space.
We have very active members, and we have very active lurkers. We love them both! Some of our most active members join our zooms, and some of most active members have never joined a zoom.
I think that's the beauty of Stamping Family. You get to use the site exactly as you would like. If you want to join in a part of it, you can. If you just want to watch videos, you can. If you just like the card gallery and spend all your time there, you can.
There's no one size fits all way to use Stamping Family!
This Saturday, we have our upcoming Stamping Family Crafternoon event. So I wanted to make sure we re-opened the doors before that takes place.
I do get asked a lot why I close registration and only have it open to new registrations 1-2x a year. It's a great question!
People used to be able to join at any point. And that was swell! We loved having new people join and flow in. But we also found that some were too shy to say hi when it was just them. When they came in in a group, we found that members connected on a different level, and we loved that even more.
Also, when a new member joins, I have my checklist of tech things I go through to make sure everything is set up. And I'm sure you can guess, that takes time. So maybe 2-3x a week, I would drop everything to run through those checklists and make sure all was lined up. These time intensive drop everything I was working on, just kept throwing me so out of rhythm, I was getting frustrated, they were getting frustrated.
Instead, I opted to block off a week of time when I open and I really get to focus on them, I can focus on the checklists, answer questions, do all the techy behind the scenes stuff I need to do, and it works much better!
So this week, we have our doors open, we are welcoming new members, and can't wait to get to know each and everyone better!
Our community is unique in that there isn't any pressure on anything! As I said above, you can be as active as you choose to be. We have some members that log in once a month, watch what they want to watch, upload a few images to the gallery, and then they come back the next month.
We have others that are on almost all our live challenges and fellowship times, they watch every video, go through every class, comment on everyone's projects in the gallery – they jump in with both feet!
Both types of members are completely welcome!
When I get the question of my ideal Stamping Family member, here's what I answer…
A card maker that wants ideas and inspiration, and they are overwhelmed by even their own pinterest boards. They like my teaching style and my card making style, and want to spend time improving their own skills. They have questions they don't want to leave on my blog, so they join our group where their questions can be answered. They feel comfortable using the site and the opportunities in the way that's best for them! Together we have fun, we laugh, we create!
On our last Zoom, we had questions ranging from adhesive sheets to starting over with an ink pad that had crystalized. Sometimes we have 15 questions and sometimes we have none. Both are perfect, organic, and just as they should be.
So these are my heartfelt feelings about Stamping Family.
More importantly, here are things our members say about it:
Here is what Jen says about Stamping Family:
I love Stamping Family so much. The members really are like a family to me. When I first joined, I wasn’t sure the minimal monthly fee would be worth it; I had to pinch pennies to make it work. I have not been disappointed! I have made lifelong friends, which is a bonus.
There is so much to see and do on the website. The gallery is full of all kinds of creativity from all levels of experience. The zoom gatherings are great fun to catch up on each other’s lives or just create; your choice.
Meg is super patient and kind, and is an excellent teacher from whom I have learned so much. Her videos are so informative and fun to watch. Plus, they’re short and sweet. Everyone’s time is valuable and she is able to teach a new technique or show how to make a new card in just 10 or 15 minutes in most cases.
I don’t really have a favorite part of the website, but if I really had to pick just one, it would be all the teaching videos available. The zooms are a ton of fun too!
I have never regretted joining SF and I have included it in my budget along with my other necessities like the mortgage, utilities, and food. It’s food for my heart!!
Jen
Here's what Patty says about Stamping Family:
I started out a few years ago watching Meg on I Teach Stamping and was impressed with her professional and yet fun approach to card making. After a while membership was opened and I was able to join the Stamping Family…. and that's exactly what it was and is, “A FAMILY”. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging and answered my many questions graciously.
I enjoy the friendship and fellowship with the other members, have made many friends and love the willingness of everyone to share and help each other. Zoom meetings are fun, creating or just visiting. It's fun because we each work at our own level and speed as some have been stamping for a long time, and others are relatively new to the craft. Sharing ideas on the Media page is another BIG plus, so great to see what everyone is doing and how they approach stamping and creating. Meg is a great leader and is so good at showing us new techniques, ideas and encouraging each one of us. She has always been open to any and all questions, and often asks us what things we would like to see on the program or what we're having difficulty with. I've learned a lot under Meg's leadership and enjoy her “use what you have” motto. Thanks for letting me be a part of Stamping Family!
Patty B
Here's what Deb says about Stamping Family:
Stamping Family helps with my creativity. There is more than one way to make a card, there is no wrong way to make a card. There is so much to look at on the site which you can do at any time that is convenient for you. It is fun being part of stamping family.
Thanks for all you do Meg. I am enjoying it.
Deb
Doors to registration close on June 2nd at 9pm central. And they won't open back up for months and months! So don't miss the opportunity to see what Jen, Patty, and Deb are talking about. It truly is a special place with special people!
