Food/Dining : Sturgeon Bay

Door County Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking
751 Jefferson St.
Sturgeon Bay
920-746-9080

and

Stamped on Main
4188 Main St
Fish Creek

info@doorcountyrubberstamps.com

The purple store on Jefferson St. in Sturgeon Bay is hard to miss, and we mean that quite literally.  If you pass by this store, located in a 1920s vintage building on this shopping-friendly street, you also miss a special opportunity to discover your creative side.

And for your convenience, the partner store, called Stamped on Main, has reopened in Fish Creek (Memorial Day through Nov. 1).

Get Creative!  Men!  Women!  Kids!

One way to nourish your creative self is through the craft of scrapbooking.  You can embellish books with pretty papers, rubber stamp designs, custom ink colors and so much more—all found here.  

Come here with an open mind, and you will leave a new person.

“We are trying to focus more people—to let them know this is an art they can do,” says Oscar Hansen, owner of Door County Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking.

“This is something everyone can do. There is not one person who couldn’t take a rubber stamp and create something artful and not be successful. We have men, we have women, we have kids (come here).”

Hundreds of arty rubber stamps, on display at the Sturgeon Bay store (where we visited), were designed or inspired by Hansen.  The stamp designs celebrate Door County’s unique sites and experiences. They make for pretty additions to your vacation photo book or scrapbook. And the art materials, sold here, are perfect to have around during rainy days. The entire family is certain to find images to suit their fancy.

Take, for example, an entire room in the store filled with Door County Rubber Stamps’ original designs. Here you’ll find images of all the Peninsula’s lighthouses. These are among the best sellers and began with Hansen’s photos of the vintage beacons, which were detailed in ink by a graphic designer.   Other images are Door County snowmen, angels and kids.

Stamps also have diverse art and messages like “Join us in Door County”--ideal for an invitation. Others say ”Door County Holiday, “Sailing in Door County,“ “Golfing in Door County,” “Antiquing in Door County,” “Shopping in Door County,” “Strolling the Door County Shoreline,” “Celebrate Door County, USA”—you get the idea.

This is a place that celebrates Door County. That’s for sure.

“I draw off my experiences and favorite places in the County, where we take the kids and grandkids,” Hansen says.

The stamps are neatly displayed on racks and vary in price from $2 to $16—depending on the size of the art.  Wander to other rooms, which have graphics and greetings you need during holidays and to express your sentiments: “The magic of Christmas never ends.” “You are in my prayers,” “It’s a boy!” “Thank you”--the list goes on and on and on.  There are ink pads in every color you can imagine and scrapbooks in many sizes, too.

Don’t miss the rooms filled with custom-made papers, many coordinating with the rubber stamp designs and printed for the shop by an Appleton-based printer. 

We adored the black paper with red cherries. How Door County is that? Another whimsical design shows a fish escaping from a kettle. Some of the most popular paper designs are true to the colors and logos of Peninsula schools.

And this is a great place for couples planning their Door County wedding to come.  Hansen is working on a wedding line that will be fabulous—not just rubber stamp, but also scrapbooking paper from the designs for invitations.

Even if you only need to pick up a color marker in your favorite color, come here. The selection is a feast for the eyes.  The Red Hatters will enjoy a wide variety of gifts and accessories in a special section just for them.

“We are really another art store. We carry different ideas,” Hansen says.

And the website is really comprehensive, and includes collectible items like Harbor Lights™, Cat’s Meow™ and more.

Hansen, a Door County native who earned college degrees in interior design and marketing, established her business in 1988.  The business previously had locations in Appleton, where her husband worked in the school system. In 1995 she opened the Sturgeon Bay store.

Events!

Door County Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking also hosts the Door County Rubber Stamp/Scrapbook/Paper Escape in the spring and fall.  People can come for one, two or three days of classes and workshops.

The store is also the site for an annual convention at the end of July.  Vendors in the scrapbooking, rubber stamp and paper businesses bring in new products.

“A lot of companies do their own lines, and they are real special. I don’t carry everything,” Hansen says with a laugh. “The sky is the limit.”

If these event dates don’t suit your schedule, let Hansen know topics you are interested in and when you can attend a more intimate class (up to five people).

To Hansen, the purpose of such events and her store is educating others.

“I hope people leave the store with a warm feeling—we don’t hover over them or pressure them.  We try to show them and make sure they leave with more than what they came in with—not in a package but in their head and heart,” Hansen says.

“They may learn a new technique or have been shown a process of doing something. And they leave feeling good, like it was worth coming into our store.”

Indeed. A visit to Door County Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking just feels good. So do include this shop on your itinerary, and tell them DoorCountyNavigator.com encouraged you to get your creative juices going.

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