saturday flatterday with Julie Ranae Murray!

HEY HEY HEY!!!

i am BACK today to FLATTER our fabulous {ippity} blossoms CHICK O' THE WEEK...

JULIE RANAE MURRAY!

you met julie on tuesday...but i am back today with MANY MANY more fun details about this AWESOME WOMAN!

i am SERIOUS...you've got to read what she has to say - like the fact that she has OWNED her OWN HUGE rubber stamp store AND is writing an autobiography - okay i had to give away a few details...but go on, get to know our Julie BETTER!! :) 

julie's crafty blog

julie's {ippity} SALES blog

so with out further a do.....here is a bit  more about julie...in her own words....

Tell us about yourself
I come from The Forest City of Rockford, Illinois. I have been married to my husband Paul for nearly 20 years but it took me two additional years to 'import' him from the UK. I have a daughter and a son and thanks to them, I have 3 amazing grandsons.

I've spent my professional career as a marketing consultant in retail which eventually led me to opening Northern Illinois' largest rubber stamp store.

These days I no longer work in retail, but I do continue to teach workshops and organizes paper-crafting events.

I've recently become acquainted with Skype and can now be seen in front of the mirror, checking my makeup on an hourly basis...just in case someone calls!

I am the creator of two blogs...Julie's Open Window and The Play Date Cafe Challenge. I am known as JRMurray on SCS.

I serve on The Twinery Design Team and I am very proud to call myself an {Ippity} Chick!

How did I first get involved in stamping?

Shirt painting. Plain and simple. Actually, it was the fact that I was not very at it that lead me to look for something new to try.

I saw heat embossing for the first time on a crafting program and decided 'I can do that'...and the rest is history!

What is your stamping style?
I love dimension and texture, so embellishments are a must. Ribbon, baker's twine, brads and chipboard. I love the look of CAS, but find that before I know it, I've layered beyond CAS!

Tell us about your creative process:
I am highly inspired by reading creative magazines, whether they be papercrafting or home decorating. You can adapt anything to card-size.

What is your favorite {Ippity) stamp set and why?
It's tough to choose because within each set, they go beyond a 'theme', which makes them extremely versatile.

I loved playing with 'That's Creepy' and am now having lots of fun with 'Kissmas & Mistletoe'. Oh! 'Book It' is a must for any collection!


How often do you stamp?
Everyday! I serve on a variety of design teams and the deadlines vary, so I have a 'great excuse'!

How long does it take you to make a project you are happy with?
Because I have been stamping for nearly 15 years, I have found that it takes me longer to be satisfied with a project.

Of course, if a deadline is looming, it seems to take all the longer to be 'ok' with the end product.

What does your craft room look like?
It 'creatively' neat. Everything has a place, but within each place, there's a bit of chaos....but I CAN find everything!

What is the name of your Ippity sales blog?
My Ippity page can be found at Julie's Open Window (juliesopenwindow.blogspot.com/)

What made you decide to start selling Ippity?
Having owned a very successful rubber stamp store, I am sad at the fact that the independent stores are disappearing.

Back in the day, my store carried over 100 stamp lines, all old-school red rubber on wood blocks. Times have changed!

Retail and marketing will always be in my blood. Because I teach and organize events, it just made sense to hook up with a company that has gone from 'up and coming' to one of the hottest stamp lines in the country. There are many other lines out there to choose from, but I have to BELIEVE in it...and I BELIEVE in Ippity and it's parent company, Unity!

Tell us about your experience selling Ippity:
For me, Ippity sells itself. Of course, I do my own brand of marketing by using word of mouth, my blog and other social networking sites. I sell Ippity all over the world. The country outside of the US I sell most frequently to? Germany.

Just for Fun Questions...
What song best describes you?
Can I have two? 'I've Got a Feelin' by The Black-Eyed Peas & my second is a bit obscure, but it fits me to a tee..'Shadowfeet' by Brooke Frasier (link enclosed)

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring with you?
Because it's 'things' and not people...my laptop, my favorite pillow and chocolate
What is your favorite quote?
"You can be a better real you than a pretend anyone else" Maya Angelou by way of Oprah Winfrey

What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
leftover pizza from one of my favorite pizza joints
sour cream and cream cheese (they are my condiment of choice)
Sunkist Cherry-Limeade
cat food (for my 16 yr old Lucy cat)

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your super powers to be?
This one is easy. To be able to fly. With my mother-in-law AND my best friend living in the UK, it's a no-brainer!

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
I'm actually writing an autobiography and answering this would be TMI! : )

What would your dream vacation be?
A month in Provence with my husband. We would use the time to look for a country farm to purchase.
Have you read or seen the mini-series 'A Year in Provence'? Yep, that's us!


and then we couldn't end this post without a few of her creations...check these out: 

and one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE {ippity} cards.....

DON'T FORGET....

julie is running an {ippity} SALE!!

Currently all Ippity Sets are on sale......

see her Ippity Page for details

AND...

with every order of $65 or more,

you receive a free Ippity stamp!

 
 THANKS for stopping by!!