Card-Making Workshop Draws Crafty Crowd

Card-Making Workshop Draws Crafty Crowd:

Hobbyist Nicki Shopis 

demonstrates techniques

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 1/30)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

1/29/11

Fairfield, CT – They were rock and rolling, stamping, punching and fiddling with their stampa ma jigs, activities you would think wouldn’t be permitted in a library environment. But it was all above board and part of a craft-oriented workshop Saturday afternoon.

The craft was card-making and the workshop was led by hobbyist and Fairfielder Nicki Shopis at Fairfield Public Library Woods Branch at 1147 Fairfield Woods Road. Conducted in the library’s Down Under Teen Space, the program attracted 15 people that came to learn how to make their own creative greeting cards.

Shopis bills herself as an Independent Stampin’ Up Demonstrator and explained that Stampin’ Up is a stamp and paper crafting company that sells stamps and paper crafts through demonstrators like herself.

“I took a class back in August and started buying the materials and felt I could get cost efficiencies by joining and becoming a demonstrator,” said Shopis.

She explained that she’s been a hobbyist and scrapbooker for the past 12 years and that she’s a former sixth grade teacher in Fairfield. It was an activity connected with a class trip that spurred her interest in arts and crafts. “We took our class to Nature’s Classroom in Silver Bay, NY to expose them to nature,” she said. “When we came back to school, we created a scrapbook about the experience, which really got me excited about and into scrapbooking. Card-making evolved from that. I make all my own cards now for family and friends, for every occasion.”

Deputy Librarian Nancy Coriaty was glad to have Shopis present the class. “Nicki is part of the knitting club that we hold here on Thursday mornings. She was telling us about her card-making and I asked her to come conduct a workshop. The program is all about learning and curiosity.”

Coriaty says the program fills a void. “There are so many people in the Baby Boom range that were curious about certain things that weren’t able to enjoy them when they were working that we are now beginning to offer. Card-making is very unique, and handmade and homemade items have become very popular.”

Shopis distributed packets of materials to each workshop attendee and provided instruction and hands-on guidance as each participant worked on a technique.

Fairfielder Judy Weiss, busy folding a card, said, “This is something different and I like to do creative projects. I work in the school system and might suggest this for my kindergarten class.”

Pat Jankovsky, also from Fairfield, said, “I enjoy doing crafty things as a former Girl Scouts leader. I landed here by accident – my daughter was supposed to be here. There’s something about handmade cards – you can’t throw them away.”