crafters together As a labor floor nurse, Karen Przybyszewski of Brockport has what she calls a "real career." And although she finds nursing incredibly satisfying, she really loves her "fun career," her part-time job as a demonstrator showing others how to make homemade cards and gifts using rubber stamps, special papers, and a little creativity. "There's something really special about a homemade card," said Przybyszewski. "People really respond to them, they say something unique and personal." According to Pam Danzinger, author of Why People Buy Things They Don't Need and president of a market research firm, Przybyszewski's right on the money. "Consumers are focusing on enhancing their relationships with others," Danzinger said. "Writing and receiving a beautiful note is the ultimate expression of luxury communication." In fact, products like that which Przybyszewski enjoys and sells are part of the fast growing segment of the stationery market. That explains why Przybyszewski and other demonstrators were able to draw 60 crafters from as far away as Pavilion and Macedon to last weekend's Stamp Camp, an event organized by Maureen Longobardi of Ogden. "Stamp campers" spent the day learning new stamping techniques and creating projects. "Stamping lets you be creative without having to be artistic," said Longobardi, a manager for Stampin' Up!, a Salt Lake City-based company that produces rubber stamp sets, specialty papers and loads of accessories and distributes them through direct sales. Although greeting cards are the most frequently stamped project, stamping fans are using their tools on everything from gift bags to clothing. The projects are often of keepsake quality, but Longobardi says the real appeal of stamping is the camaraderie it builds. Indeed, the atmosphere at Stamp Camp was somewhat like a quilting bee - everyone's hands were busy but talk and laughter filled the church hall in which it was held. Amid the scraps of paper, glue and ever-present rubber stamps, Rachael and Kathy Roberts, mother- and daughter-in-law, enjoyed some time together without their husbands, co-workers from Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES found new common ground and old friends re-established ties. "I am definitely not crafty," said Kathy Rumery of Pavilion who came with friends, "but this is my second time at Stamp Camp. Everyone has a lot of fun and you'd be surprised at the cute things you can make." There's more than fun going on, however. In addition to planning her own demonstrations, Longobardi supervises 28 other Stampin' Up! demonstrators, including Przybyszewski, and they all earn a percentage of the stamping products that they sell. It's part-time work with some exciting benefits - Longobardi earned a cruise in Alaska this year, one of her demonstrators will be going to the Caribbean next year. "I got started demonstrating to support my stamping and scrap booking habit," laughed Przybyszewski. "This way I can keep up with my hobby without dipping into the household fund." Longobardi hosts monthly demonstrator meetings at her house to support her team and introduce new products. "The networking of ideas is part of what makes this such fun work," said Przybyszewski. But work aside, both Longobardi and Przybyszewski enjoy stamping for the creative projects it enables them to complete. Longobardi's current passion is gift boxes, little boxes of all shapes and sizes that can be decorated in uncountable ways. She has converted one entire bedroom of her house into a stamping supply room; countertops line all four walls of the room and she stores more than 200 sets of stamps and masses of paper. Przybyszewski is particularly proud of the coordinating birthday party invitations and thank you notes that she and her 8-year-old daughter Julia just completed together. "You can spend a lot of money on stuff like that and then they just get tossed in the trash," she said. "Lots of the moms said they were keeping the homemade invitations hanging on the refrigerator because they looked so nice. And we had so much fun making them as a team." |
