November Reasons to Stamp

Like we NEED a reason, right? But here are some "important" dates in November to keep in mind when stamping. They might also work for reasons to head to Vegas. Do you know that commercial? LOL
Whatever you do, don't forget about November 27th. One of the most important days in the last 40 years! :o)
November 1 - Day of the Dead - find out more about the Day of the Dead celebrations and ideas for rubber stamping and crafts activities here - Day of the Dead Projects.
November 1 - The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel Unveiled - in 1512. While perhaps not on the Michelangelo scale, why not use rubber stamps to decorate your home. Stamps, in particular foam stamps, can be used to stamp decorations on walls. This can be a good way to give a room a makeover quickly and easily, as a low-cost.
November 1 - National Literacy Day - mark the day by reading a story to a young one and encouraging them to make a picture or collage using rubber stamps to illustrate the story. For more information see the National Literacy website.
November - 2 First Scheduled Radio Broadcast - in 1920. Today there are plenty of ways to listen to the radio, including listening to the radio over the Internet. Try listening to some craft related podcasts while you are stamping, it's a great way to find out more about different crafts. There are some great podcasts available. Here are some of my favorites:* Craft Magazine Podcasts* CraftSanity* CraftyPod
November 3 - Sandwich Day - this day marks the birth in 1718 of John Montague, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, who gave his name to the Sandwich. Mark the day by making your own special sandwiches and packing these in handmade and hand stamped packaging. If you don't fancy making your own packaging then why not make a hand stamped note and pop this in the lunch box to let someone know that you are thinking of them on Sandwich Day!
November 3 - Culture Day in Japan - this day is a day to celebrate Japanese culture. The Yamaha Motor Group have some scenes of Japan paper craft projects available on their website, these include free printable paper Plum Blossom and Japanese bush warbler models. For more information see the Yamaha Motor Group website.
November 4 - The Anniversary of the Discovery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb - celebrate the day with your own Egyptian themed project. If you don't have any Egyptian themed rubber stamps then how about making a pyramid gift box. These can be used in many ways and make great favors or decorations. See Pyramid Gift Box and Template for more information.
November 5 - Guy Fawkes Day And Bonfire Night - this marks the day when Guy Fawkes and other conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The day is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks displays. If you are going to the fireworks display and want to take photographs have a look at this useful article about firework photography - Firework Photos Basics. No firework party is complete without fudge and toffee apples, make some fudge for friends and package it in bags with hand stamped bag toppers. See this list of top 10 fudge recipes from About.com Candy.
November 6 - Anniversary of the birth of James Naismith - inventor of basketball, in 1861. There are many different types of basketball themed rubber stamps available, these range from images of a basketball through to rubber stamps showing well-known players. These can make a great gift for a basketball fan. Keep a look on online auction sites such as eBay for unusual or hard to find basketball themed used stamps. See Buying Rubber Stamps on eBay for more information.
November 7 - The Marie Celeste Sets Sail From New York - it was later found deserted. Make your own Marie Celeste paper boats to use to mark place settings or as party favors. See How to Make a Paper Boat for more information.
November 8 - Anniversary Of the Discovery of X-Ray - in 1895. Mark the day by incorporating a skeleton or two into a rubber stamping project. If you don't have a skeleton rubber stamp then how about carving a stamp using this skeleton template.
November 9 - Inventor's Day - this day is celebrated in some countries as a day to recognize inventors and the role that they play. This is the birth anniversary of the actress Hedy Lamarr whose invention, frequency hopping, is still in regular use. See the Inventor's Day website for more information. What would your invention be? Mine would be a little machine that cleaned rubber stamps after use and stores them correctly. In the absence of such a machine a proper stamp storage system is necessary. See Rubber Stamp storage for more information.
November 10 - Anniversary Of The Launch Of The Direct Dial Coast-To-Coast Telephone System - in 1952. Small note pads are useful for keeping by the telephone. Make pretty note pad covers to customize note pads. These also make great gifts. Make a few now ready for Christmas.
November 11 - Veterans Day And Remembrance Day - the Write Home Organization (formerly known as Cards for Heroes) sends handmade cards for troops to send home. There is a lot of information on the Write Home website about the initiative.
November 12 - Postman's Day in Mexico - a day to show appreciation for postal staff. In Mexico people leave gifts in mailboxes. Show your appreciation for postal staff by making sure that the addresses on envelopes can be clearly read. This is particularly important with handmade envelopes that may be on a patterned paper. See How to Make an Easy Folded Envelope for instructions.
November 13 - World Kindness Day - a random act of kindness is a wonderful way to bring a smile to someone's face. As a rubber stamper there are lots of ways that you can make small gifts or cards to give people. For more information about World Kindness Day, including lots of ideas and free downloads, see the Acts of Kindness website.
November 14 - Birth Anniversary Of Claude Monet - in 1840. For more information about Monet's work including a quiz, take a look at this article at About.com Painting - Claude Monet. If you fancy getting artistic results from your rubber stamping perhaps you should consider investing in artist quality materials such as watercolor pencils and watercolor paints.
November 14 - National American Teddy Bear Day.
November 15 - America Recycles Day - there are lots of ways that recycled products can be used in rubber stamping and crafts activities. Take a look at Green Crafts for more information and ideas. One great way of recycling paper is to make your own special handmade paper. A variation is to make seed paper and this makes an unusual 'green' gift. See How to Make Seed Paper for more information.
November 16 - 10 Days to Thanksgiving! - If you are looking for rubber stamping and craft activities for Thanksgiving then take a look at these articles for inspiration - Thanksgiving Craft Projects and Sentiments, Verses and Words for Thanksgiving Projects and Cards
November 17 - Patent Granted For First Computer Mouse - in 1970. While I haven't found any crafty uses for an unwanted computer mouse, mouse mats can be used in many ways. I use mouse mats to stamp on sometimes when using unmounted stamps as this gives a more consistent impression. Do you use mouse mats or other computer cast-offs in your stamping? If so, why not share your tip here - Best Rubber Stamping Tips.
November 18 - Birthday of Mickey Mouse - the Disney website has lots of activities for young and old Mickey Mouse fans alike! The 'create' pages, under the 'artist' heading have some interesting digital art features, including the opportunity to 'stamp' the page with Disney stamps. These can be saved and printed. More information can be found on the Disney website.
November 19 – Tele Monte Carlo is Launched – in 1954 by Prince Ranier III. This is Europe's oldest television station. While a private television station might be a nice idea, the Internet makes online videos on a wide range of subjects available to us in our own homes at the tough of a button. There are some great rubber stamping videos available and these are a good way to learn new techniques. Check out the videos on Stamp TV for some new ideas.November 20 – Anniversary of release of the film The Sheik - the silent film of 1921 starring Rudolph Valentino.. Silent film stars are popular subjects for many rubber stampers. Photo-quality rubber stamps are available featuring famous stars from the silent movie era. A good source of this type of rubber stamp is the Stampsmith. Velvet Ink Cafe has some video tutorials about using Stampsmith stamps.21 – Anniversary of the First Untethered Air Balloon Flight – in 1783. Air balloons make great subjects for rubber stamping projects. They can be used as a theme for both adults and children. Use this template to incorporate an air balloon in a project. Use your favorite character rubber stamps to add to the basket.
November 22 – Birth Anniversary of Thomas Cook – in 1808, the well known travel entrepreneur. Travel memorabilia can make an interesting addition to a rubber stamping project, whether it is a scrapbook marking a special holiday or a handmade card. If you don't have any travel memorabilia of your own then the Internet offers a wealth of ideas and inspiration or cut out images from magazines and newspapers.
November 23 – Birth Anniversary of Harpo Marx – what better reason could there be to include a Marx brother quote or two into a rubber stamping project. Here are some great quotes from Harpo's brother Groucho Marx - Marx Brother Quotes.
November 24- Start of the Ancient Roman festival of Brumalia - this was a feast of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Make wine glass decorations to help you and your guests recognise your own glasses during your own feasting. See How to Make Wine Glass Charms for a step by step guide.
November 25 - England Was Hit by a Great Windstorm - in 1073, which caused chaos with gusts upto 120mph. This rubber stamped windmill may not stand up to that kind of wind, but this is a fun quick project.
November 26 - Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Island of Maui - in 1778. These instructions for making an Hawaiian Lei on the Family Crafts site at About.com can be further enhanced by rubber stamping the flower shapes before putting it together.
November 26 - Thanksgiving! - take a moment to think about all the things that you are thankful for this Thanskgiving.
November 27 - The Nobel Prize Established - in 1875. Why not produce your own rubber stamped prize for someone you know who deserves recognition for being special.November 28 - William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway Receive their Marriage License – in 1582, in Stratford-upon-Avon. William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway pay a £40 bond for their marriage license. Great writers and poets from the past can offer great sources of text for greeting card sentiments. Why not use some words for a poem or a quotation as inspiration for a card for someone special - Poems and Verses for Greeting Cards.
November 27-Kimberly Johnson's 40th birthday!!!!
November 29 – Anniversary of Thomas Edison Demonstrating his Phonograph - in 1877. Things have moved on a long way from Edison's phonograph and now a lot of music is sold digitally without anything physical like a record or CD being purchased. If you've got some spare CD cases lying around, why not use them to make some CD case calendars. They'll be perfect presents with the new year around the corner - How to Make CD Case Calendars.
November 30 - One Month to the New Year! - If you are planning on making calendars as gifts then here are some templates that are perfect for decorating - 2010 Calendar Templates. Now is also a good time to start thinking about what New Year's Resolutions you are going to make. Here are some ideas for stamping resolutions for the new year - Stamping Resolutions.