Seongsook's Stampers turns 1!

I can't believe it's been a whole year already of crafting fun and getting to know a wonderful group of talented ladies on FB in our crafting group, Seongsook's Stampers.  A whole lot of talent, love, encouragement, sharing and fun.  I feel like I have a whole new set of sisters.

One of the great things has been the challenges.  Someone would suggest something, a theme, a color, use a particular embellishment or technique, and then many of us would make a card and post the pics on FB.  Great fun and inspiration, and a chance to ooh and ah over pretty cards.  What's not to like?  And since it's more fun to get a card in the mail and actually see it in real life and handle it, and cherish it, it was decided early on that we should do just that and share a special card with one person in the group.  Thus began the Swap Challenge.

Our beloved Cora has been handling them since early on.  Yay Cora!  Every 6 weeks, a new theme is posted and we put our names on a list.  The list is randomized and we make a card with that theme and send to the name below us on the list.  It's been fun, stretches our talents and gets us to try something new every month or so.  I don't think I ever would have attempted a "screen card" if it hadn't been one of the challenges.  We've had great fun and I've posted some of the swap cards in previous posts here on the blog.  I particularly liked the "What my State is Famous For" and love looking at the lovely one from Minnesota that I got from Linda Jackson.  Gorgeous.

Anyway, Cora has decided she wanted to pass the reins on, so Seongsook asked for volunteers.  After a day or two and no one had been nominated or offered, I thought, heck, why not me?  So I said I would gladly try it for the next go around.  Seongsook said great and I was crowned.  (LOL)

I look forward to making a list of possible themes, and a couple of the ladies have already given me some great ideas.  It will be fun to post them and see what everyone comes up with.

Seongsook suggested our first challenge, would be a Happy Birthday Card to celebrate SS 1st Birthday, so I'm going to get to work on that.

Then Challenge #2 would be a TY card for Cora for her organization on this, this past year.

Stay Tuned for the Swap Challenge List to be posted soon.  It's going to be another great year of fun ahead.  <3

~~~

Here's my TY card for Cora.

The sentiment stamp is a gift from Madelyn Taylor that I got in the mail the other day, SUPER!

And the embossing folder I got recently and just HAD to use it on a card for Cora.

The little coffee cup charm I've had for ages in my stash.

Cora, we have to get together soon and have a cuppa together!

I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling....

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Here are the awesome cards I've gotten this year for my birthday.  I LOVE having a group of crafty friends.  <3

My first birthday card came from Sherry Varga.

I love the embossing and there is even embossing on the flower petals and leaves.

Just lovely.

This gorgeous card is from Peggy Biggs.  

Look at the luscious chipboard image, the lovely washi tape and the gorgeous rose sticker and transparency leaves and butterfly.  

Pretty pretty card from Ann Merkins.  

She used sparkly Mod Podge on the napkin image.  

Yeah, I got some and now want to try it.

This one is from Bonnie Clark.  

I love the shiny photo corners and there is a gold butterfly inside next to the verse.  Such a nice card.  

There were a couple of birthday napkins inside as well to add to the napkin/Mod Podge craze we've been going through this summer.  I'll be up to my elbows in MP for months.

Connie Griffin sent this one.  So lovely.  

Inside it says life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint on it you can.

From my dear friend Cora Johnson, a super Vera Lane image.  

A cat, my favorite.  And I love the collage look of this.  Great use of Magic Mesh.

I guess they no longer make this stuff,  but I have a small stash of it.  

I should use more of it on my cards too.

Linda Jackson and I are both cat-a-holics, so she had to send one with a cat.

The second image is from the inside.  Such a great card.

She said that Cora has told her you CANNOT send a naked button, so she tied the baker's twin on these two buttons and it took her 45 minutes, so she would never use buttons on cards again. I guess I broke Linda.  (hangs head) I will treasure this always, it's surely going to be worth a lot of money one day.

Pam Tetrealt sent me this one.  I love this sketch and will probably CASE it.  She told me she is moving to WA one of these days, so perhaps we can meet up IRL soon.  Cupcakes, my favorite.

From Raeanna Smith with a lovely decorated enveloped done on her Gelli Plate by her son.  Colorful confetti was included.  Whee! 

 (I was forewarned by another card sent to someone else, so I opened this one very carefully.)

This one is from Cindy Rapson.  

She said she didn't actually make this one herself, she got it in a swap, but she really liked it and hoped I would too.  Yeah, pretty card!  I have got to try one of these easel cards!

And of course, in one of HER wonderfully decorated envelopes too.

This is from Seongsook Duncan.  I love these colors

She is a SU! demonstrator and I wish we were closer so I could take classes from her.

Maybe next time we're down in Sacramento I'll get a chance to meet her in person too.

And yum, another cupcake.

Sherry Hickey sent me this one. She says us former hippies have to stick together.

Former hippies?  LOL

I think this is a Vera Lane image too.  I have to go cyber shopping...

Sherry's ribbons are just delicious.

From Annie Frazer.  So stinkin' cute!  

Happy freakin birthday, inside.

Cats in Hats!

From Cheryl Baker.  She told me she saw this image (or stamp?) at Craft Warehouse and it screamed

TK TK TK TK.

Yeah, my friends know me.

Deb Fisher sent me this one.  LOVE.

The balloons have glittery highlights on them.  So cute.

Debbie Caldwell sent me this one.  

She said she made it a long time ago and has been saving it just for me!

The cat was made with punched circles.  Look at that cat's nose!

From Joanne Masury.

She got a Misti and posted this one a couple of months ago showing how nice the repeated images stamp using that.  I told her how lovely I thought it was, so she sent me this one.  Love it.

From Paula Spagnuola.

I love all the happy colors and patterns on this one.  You'd think it would be too busy with all those patterns together, but it's lovely.  I love this one.

Here's one I got from Vikki Baucom.

Oh yeah, this is us...Perfect!

Ronni Unger sent this one.

 Such a great card, along with several sheets of embossed card stock and coordinating pieces for my crafting pleasure. 

Then a day later, a box arrived from Ronni with all these goodies in it!

Insulated tie dye lunchbox FULL of stickers, napkins, some stamps, embellishments, buttons and twine.  Holy cow!  I was all verklempt.

And it's only my birthday today.  I can imagine there will be a few more cards in the mail this week.  I am truly blessed.  Thank you all so much.

~~~

And my favorite today was this post on FB by Trev.

Trevor Kieser‎TK Kieser

13 hrs ·

Happy Birthday Mom! I know it's only a little past midnight for you. Sorry I can't be there in person, but I'm doing my best here to make you proud of me. Have a great birthday and do some fun things! I love you!!

~~

Squee!  the birthday cards keep coming.  I love my FB friends.

~~

Maxine Mann sent this one.  The colored panel was done with different colored inks and Perfect Pearls.  I have to find these now.  I love the embossing and vellum sentiment with heat embossing.  Just Lovely.

Inside is says:
"The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly & lie about your age.

 -Lucille Ball"

I got this one from Joyce Streeter-Rogeau.

Just a gorgeous card.  Layered and popped up, the pic doesn't do it justice.  The ribbon had cotton balls in it to keep it from getting smashed flat in the mail.  Also included was a lovely piece of card stock and design paper to I can make one myself! 

Cindy McNeil sent me this adorable tag card.  SO cute.  I love Whipper Snapper images too.

Just all kinds of gorgeous on this one.  From Ann Ullery.  I love the shiny gold embossing on the image panel and the butterflies have sparkly on them too.  Enclosed were additional fall themed napkins too.  I should have bought that gallon of Mod Podge I found last month at Blicks.

Adele Silverman sent me this one.  I know some are getting tired of Minions, but I think they are a hoot.  And she enclosed a hand crocheted bookmark.  I always need a new bookmark.  She said I could use it as a torture tickle device too.  Hmmmm, don't give me ideas.

This one is from Kris and Greg.  LMAO.

And from Uncle Jack and Aunt Annie, they're such a crack up.

I've always loved my Uncle's sense of humor since I was a little girl.

~~

Then I got this in the mail on the 18th!  I'm so spoiled

Lily Pak makes the loveliest Asian inspired cards.  This scan doesn't do it justice.
She included a couple more napkins for the MP pile.

Thank you Kelly!

A former co-worker and former Amy's CTMH Stamp Club member told me she was getting rid of a bunch of her crafting stuff and thought I might like to have some of it. She knows I still craft because who can miss all the crafting stuff I post on FB, right?  Well, and I brought up a box of encouragement cards to BOEC recently.  I don't know if she's seen those or not, but I'm sure Debbie Judd Hussey has said something about it, and they are both on day shift.  AND I'm sure I'm the topic of conversation frequently.  (Just kidding!)

Anyway, she said she would bring it to work and if I wanted it, I could come up.  So yesterday we had a date for me to swing by and get it.  HOLY COW....there were four cloth handled grocery size bags of goodies!  I should have brought a hand truck!

I wanted to share the haul with my friends, but didn't want to post ALL the pictures on FB, so here are some snaps of the goodies I brought home yesterday.  KELLY...you are going to keep us old gals out of the taverns for many night.  (snicker)

Inks, embellishments, frames, stickers, a stamp placement do-hickey, a stencil and LOTS of stickers.

A girlie girl set, some outdoorsy stamps, flowers and a pretty frame with paw prints and mouses.

A coffee set (you know I'm going to keep that one myself) and this great Southwest design set.  (Yeah, I'm keeping that one too.  I have friends and family that live in NV and other SW states, after all.  Ooooh, the ideas I'm getting for cards.)

Birthday flamingos!  And a set of background stamps.

Who doesn't love House Mouse?

Of all the stamps in this haul, this lovely daisy themed friendship set is only one of two sets that I already had.  And those cute tool stamps...wish I'd had these when there was a call for so many masculine cards on OWH.  I'll still use them!

A bunch of fun sentiments and cute images.  I think that doggie and the fire hydrant are my favorites!

So many fun stamps.  Are you getting card ideas yet?

Moons, stars, frames.  Dreaming of days and nights of crafting...

And two sets of acrylic stamps!  The one on the right even comes with an acrylic block, still in it's original glassine envelope.  I don't think some of these were ever used.  I see a peace symbol!  Far out!

 And now the card stock haul!

There are packs of CTMH design paper in here as well that match some of the card stock.

I didn't get a snapshot of all the embossing powder, there were at least 8 jars of that, 2 were big jumbo size.  And the box of roller stamps with handle, a crimper, a brayer, a couple rolls of ribbon and lots of raffia in a bunch of colors.  

There will be craftiness for countless months of fun here.  

Kelly, you rock.

July ODBD Challenge - Thank You

This month ODBD is asking for thank you cards.  I think this will be the last one where they send in funds to support OWH, since August 1st is the deadline for all the rest of our cards to be to Sandy.  Such bittersweet feelings about OWH declaring Mission Accomplished.  Let's pray more and more come home from overseas until no one is left in a combat zone!

Here's one I copied from an on line stamping friend, Cherie Caldwell. Hers used a stencil, but I had this hexagonal stamp set from SU! and figured I could make do with that.  I think it turned out pretty good.  Five more for my last box for OWH.

July, back from vacation and I sure missed my craft table. And the infamous Purple Bra story.

Trying to finish up big with OWH and stuffing in some more cards for my box to Sandy.  I think I'll probably finish up this week and send it off.  I'm going to miss this, but think I might try out Operation Gratitude.  My friend on Seongsook's Stampers, Adele, makes cards and crochets scarves for this group.  She also volunteers with a local group down in her area (she lives in southern CA).  I must check and see if there is a local group up here.   I know I'll find something else.  In any event, I can sent my stuff to her to donate there if nothing else.

And meanwhile, I'm filling up my stash of cards to have on hand so no one is missed on their birthdays or other events ever again!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I hadn't used this set yet, but thought it would be perfect for a birthday card.

One of the napkins used as the underlaying mat on this coffee themed card.

SU! images, sentiment, paper and inks.  

The flourishes under the flowers are Hero Arts.

Cora asked for a Salty Dog, so I found this image on the inter webs and couldn't resist making a card for her.

I CASE'd Tracy's card from the SU! card party last month and used some of my own Washi tape.  I need to make more, I have a bazillion rolls of the stuff.  :)

Some quick cards for my OWH box.  Great baseball paper, huh?  The line of baseballs on the kraft strip is a sticker.

LOVE the boys of summer, Go Mariners!

This is some great paper I found in my stash and the beach ball image is from an old CTMH set.  The sentiment is from an OWH fund raising set by Hero Arts "Dude".  Ribbon is SU!

Who says you can't mix lines?  I do it all the time.

~~~

And the piece de resistance:

The famous purple bra.  In our stamping group, one of the ladies mentioned how when she was at her computer, a spider swung down right in front of her screen and rather than panic, she smooshed it with her purple bra that was handy.  LMAO.  Of course, that has generated at least 2 bra cards in our group so far.  I made this one and sent it out to several friends. The sentiment is computer generated.

 I mean, what's a friend for if not to smoosh spiders for you, huh?  Or at least offer a bra.

I'd do it for you.  OXOX