I was in the eight grade when I first found rubber stamping. I always loved paper and school supplies and played with any office supplies Mom and Dad brought home. I loved notebooks and Trapper Keepers and stationary, but it wasn’t until Mom took my brothers and me on a family getaway in the mountains of South Carolina (I grew up on the coast of South Carolina) that I encountered a little shop that had all sorts of stamping supplies. As I watched the lady behind the counter heat emboss an image over a portable stove eye, I thought my heart had melted along with the embossing powder. That was love.
This is the first stamp I bought with some money I had saved up for our trip. Please pay close attention to the enormous size of this stamp.
I used the stamp on everything. It gave me an excuse to send Grandma a letter – I’d stamp this big front in the top, left corner of a piece of stationary and then write my words around him. I wrote to friends and family – any excuse to stamp that frog.
I decided to give this happy frog new life by featuring him in a project that uses current, up-to-date products from Stampin’ Up! Blendabilities, photopolymers and punches weren’t “the norm” back then, but they sure are hot now. Here’s the 5″ x 5″ card I made:
I used Old Olive Blendabilities to color Mr. Happy Frog and then stamped the sentiment from Bravo! photopolymer set. “Hip-Hip” was as close to “hop” as I could get without being too over-the-top. Add some confetti from the Cupcake Builder Punch, and my creating was complete…almost.
I added a sentiment inside from Big News to complete the project:
Storing Your Blendabilities. Last week, I shared a video and some tips for storing Blendabilities and Washi Tape. Did you miss it? If so, you can check it out here.
Stamp Sets: Bravo!, Big News Papers: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Blendabilities (Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Color Lifter) Accessories: Cupcake Builder Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals
Do you remember your first stamp set? Do you still have it?
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my stroll down memory lane.
Brian
I love the frog , I remember my first stamps from Kindergarten , our first year of school, a hen and chickens. I have purchased a similar image for my animal loving grandson Harry.
Love your frog!!! Did you name him?
This is SO FREAKING COOL that you still have your first stamp!!!!!!!!! I love how you incorporated him, he’s a natural there!!!
I think it’s wonderful you still have your first stamp, Brian, and he’s so cute! Love this card.
That is way too CUTE, Brian!!! 🙂 And I loved your story! I too remember my first stamp and what it felt like to go in a store that carried nothing but stamps and ink… 😉 I wasn’t introduced to heat embossing until way, way later though and it’s still one of the things that awes me the most.
Hope you’re having a great time at founder’s Day!
Thank you for sharing…and the trip down memory lane!
Crafty hugs,
Jennifer
Partridgelu at yahoo dot com
You are NOT going to believe this Brian but I have owned that very same frog stamp for years. I bought it because I had a bunch of googly eyes I wanted to use and when I saw that frog I knew I had the perfect place for them. Too funny. You have the patience of a Saint to place each of those pieces of cupcake confetti one at a time on your card. It was definitely worth the effort! Enjoy your stay at founders!
That is one sweet trip down memory lane Brian and your card is fabulous!!! I love this very happy and very enthusiastic Frog, it sure put a smile on my face on this kind of chilly Saturday morning.
Thank you for sharing this very special rubber stamp with us.
I still have all my old stamps, and the memories of learning the magic of stamping. I’ve been addicted since 1994! It’s gotten me through some really difficult times in my life….. I think I have that same frog, he’s so happy.
Love the card! Mr. Frog and the confetti dots are very nice. Of course the sentiment is perfect too. My first stamp was of a dove with the word peace. I stamped that on every envelope I could. My husband teases me because I don’t have/use a Macy’s, Sears or JCPenny card . . . buy my Staples charge is almost out of control!
🙂
This was one of my first stamps, too! I have to look and see if I still have him! I do remember my first stamps – a simple “thank you” and birthday and my mom still has one of the first cards I made – with one of those tricolor rainbow ink pads! We have come a long way in the stamping world! Love your ideas! 🙂
OMG! Brian, I have that stamp also ans like you have not used it in a very long time. Had even forgotten I had it until now. Will find and use now that you reminded me of this cute frog.
Love the way you used modern Stampin’Up! Supplies. Great card as usual.
I bought my first set from stampin up. Don’t remember the name but has the bench, flower wagon, and a pocket fence with a saying about friends. Geesh that was 25 yrs ago!
I am very indebted to that frog. I love that you love to stamp. I can’t imagine how ordinary life would be without “The King!”
What a GREAT card made with an ADORABLE stamp! Such a sweet story too:-) I don’t remember my first stamp, but I do remember watching the librarian stamp the date on the library cards and wishing I could do it:-). Now they just scan the barcode- how boring!
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing! Love the frog!
I have that stamp too. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your stamp story. I like hearing how stampers were first initiated into our craft. It starts a long way back for some. Who would’ve ever thought that little stamp would turn you into the SU megastar that you are today? YAY for the frog stamp! (I think it’s cool you’ve kept it all this time, too).
Hi Brian. What a great card! I remember my first stamp set too. It was a beautiful Christmas Stamp set from another company about 15 years ago. I sold it last year since SU! Has so many beautiful sets. :-).
How awesome that you could incorporate your stamp from the past in with current SU products. The result is adorable and I enjoyed your story. He’s such a happy lil froggy.
You card is adorable! My first stamp was a little kitten….possibly bought in the very same shop as you bought yours! Was it the stamp shop in Saluda SC??
I can not believe you still have your first stamp from soooo long ago (LOL). I used to play secretary, office, and school with my best friend and would use my allowance money to buy supplies from Kmart. I loved the rotary date stamp and bought all 3 colors of stamp pads back then (red, black, blue). So glad SU has such a variety!! Thanks for sharing your story. Made me take my own trip down memory lane! 🙂
Ooooo I am so glad you brought Froggy out to play! He is a cutie! Fun card!
Loved your story and your card! TFS!!
I can totally identify with your love story, Brian. When I was young (way younger!) My Nana and I corresponded weekly. I was always looking for cool stationery. I got into scrapbooking about 17 years ago. Thought I’d died and gone to heaven when my SIL walked me through the doors of a scrapbook store. I knew I had been sticker deprived! Then in 1999 I got introduced to stamping by a very nice and generous woman, Phyllis Shephard, when she sent me my first SU catalog (I saw an ad in a scrapbooking magazine and thought, hmmm, it might be nice to stamp on my scrap pages), in response to my online inquiry. And I’ve been in love ever since! My Nana passed away before I got into stamping. But she did save the first greeting card I made with crayons when I was in about 4th grade. It came back to me after she passed.
Great card and story! And love those confetti dots, it make the card so cheerful! Your Nana would be so proud!
Love the card and the story!
I loved reading your story Brian, and when I got to the card I loved it even more. What a great way to put that well-loved frog to use. It’s perfect!
Love it, love it, love it!! What a great way to combine the old with the new. And kinda funny your first stamp was a frog, don’t ya think???
Brian, love the story behind your first stamp! Any idea who the manufacturer of the stamp is? Have fun at Founders Circle. Stamp On!!!
What a cute fella he is. If you need someone to send him to for their birthday, I would be glad to share my birth date . I can just picture you in that store and having to pick just one thing to buy with your vacation money and then to have kept him all these years.
Your cards always have so much thought and detail put into them.
Too cute …he looks like he is expecting to get kissed by a princess so he can turn into a handsome prince . My first introduction into stamping was at The Southern Living Christmas Show . There was someone there that was demonstrating Heat Embossing ….magic …just amazing how that powder could turn into making that stamp shiny GOLD !!! Loved your story and I hope that frog stamp has his special place ! My first stamp was a butterfly !
I loved your story and can totally understand why this stamp would be the one to go with (although I am sure it was a very difficult decision). Your explanation of seeing embossing powder in action is exactly how I felt when I first saw it demonstrated. I still love the ‘tricks of the trade’ – embossing powders and embossing folders to make something go from nice to wow. I am ashamed to admit to the number of stamps I have, but it sure is nice to read about other ‘addicts’ who don’t judge. TFS
I too have the Frog stamp! He was one of my first stamps and he is a well loved part of my stamp collection. He is a great pointer for any sentiment, such as Happy Birthday (purchased with Frog) 😉
Soon after found stamp that said “Don’t you wish you could eat what bugs you?” Lol!
I have and LOVE this little frog! I don’t exactly remember my first stamp, but one of the first few was a little plastic yellow Garfield. Probably a kids stamp. The stamp was in the lid on the bottom with it’s own ink pad. I still have it WITH my stamps; however, the ink is dried up, and the stamp rubber has ‘melted’ into the pad. I don’t even remember what the stamp image was, but I love Garfield. This was also many, many years before I became a cardmaker!
What a great story and what an adorable card. I love them both.
I remember you talking about your first stamp before. Too cute and pretty amazing that you still have him on your stamping shelf.
Lynn
I have a frog stamp from the same series, same pose only he is holding a graduation cap. I bought it years ago because I loved the expression on the frog’s face. I mask out the grad cap and use it for all kinds of cards, for example I put a little sign in his hand with Happy Birthday. I actually used him this spring with the grad cap to make cards for my son to give out cards to 55 of his graduating friends(I made a different card to give to my son). I am glad this cute frog inspired you into a love of stamping
As a matter of fact I DO! I think I was about 12 and we went to the Del Mar Fair in San Diego. I got a tiny conch shell and yes I still have it. I was AMAZED that there were so many different colored ink pads. In my 20’s I was invited to a DOTS party and just about wet my pants seeing all the cool cards the stamp lady had made. She put a quarter on a glossy piece of folded white cardstock and sponged blue (sky) all around it to make a moon. MIND BLOWN! I was later introduced to Stampin’ Up. I joined because my demonstrator had 100’s of card fronts she got at Convention… I just HAD to get my own swaps! Now I am hooked on SU’s products because they all match and the cards just POP! Thanks for sharing all your cool cards Brian, so fun to see them~
Wow! After all these years and you still have Mr. Froggie!
Love the card you made–hop! hop! hooray! There, I said it for you, and it’s over the top! Hahaha
I do remember my first. It was Merry Minstrels from SU. I don’t have it anymore. I admire that you still have your first! Cute card.
What a hoppy hoppy card!!! (Sorry, couldn’t help my self…) Brian, that is so sweet that you still have your very first stamp, and he is adorable! This card really does make me happy. Thank you so much for sharing it and the lovely story that goes with it!
It’s great to see you use an old stamp in a new way. Your card is very colorful and no one but you knows the stamp isn’t from the current catalog!! Shhh! I won’t tell!!
Great story! I have that same stamp only in a smaller size. I’m going to have to dust that little guy off and give him a new lease on life!
I have this stamp too…used it for a baby shower 3 years ago!
What a great stamp and story.
I too have this stamp one of my first, but not my very first. Until about a month ago I had all the stamps that I had ever purchased or received, but due to no more room in the craft room, I downsized and kept mostly SU stamps with a few exceptions. I would make this frog look like he was jumping up by stamping again, again and again without re-inking and moving him down slightly from the stamped image above. I also remember my first experience of seeing heat embossing in a store in Branson, MO hers was a butterfly and I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. Love the card and glad you brought him out again.
I remember my first stamp well. I think it was 1988. A stamp store opened in Dallas (there was an article about it in the Dallas Morning News. I read the article to my husband and said something like “Isn’t this the dumbest thing you have ever heard of.” The next week I went by the store and stopped in and bought a long-stemmed rose stamp and one green marker and one red marker and some card stock. It was love at first impression of that stamp on paper. The rest is history! Love your frog and I probably know the store you went to. Was it at Table Rock and owned by a woman named Eleanor? We lived in Easley, SC, for 8 years and after retiring I ended up working for Eleanor at her store the Stamp Asylum in Powdersville.
I think this is my all time favorite card of yours, love the story behind it. That frog is adorable, and calls for an immediate smile. Bravo!
I think this is my all time favorite card of yours, love the story behind it. That frog is adorable, and calls for an immediate smile. Bravo!
Ohhhh how cute!!!! I want that stamp!!!! Can you please ask at your next pajama party with the founders to bring it back !!!!! Lol so cute.
Brenda, This stamp was purchased in a craft store in South Carolina – it’s not a Stampin’ Up! image. 🙁 Sounds like lots of people have it, though (from the comments left on this post). I hope you can find it.