And the winner is. . .

Every other month we have a demonstrator shoebox swap. We get together with each other and we make each other’s card that we’ve brought to share and swap. It started out with about a dozen of us and we’d all make a sample of the card or 3-D item to make and then we’d bring enough supplies cut and ready to put together to recreate that same project. Then we’d all sit down and just start swapping boxes around till we had one of everything there. Since then our swaps have grown. Last night was the biggest one so far. We had 25 fabulous projects to make. We are all very talented so you could imagine my surprise when my card was picked by my peers as the best sample of the night.

Here it is:

I decided to make an easel card. They’re fairly simple to do once you’ve got the basics down. I struggled with color combinations for a few days but ultimately Kathy helped me to decide which color craft ink to use and with that I knew which color satin ribbon I’d be using. For the part that the card catches, or helps to keep it standing up, I wanted to keep it simple enough but yet still elegant. I remembered I’d picked up bulk orders of our very vanilla hodge podge ribbon slides. Since I tend to hoard a lot of accessories I decided I'd better use them. I settled with a greeting from the new Messages for Mom stamp set to tie the entire card together.

I almost gave up on trying to complete this card. Not because I didn’t want to do it and couldn’t figure out what to do. Earlier that afternoon I’d received a phone call from my aunt letting me know that both of my grandparents and another aunt had been a car accident. I really couldn’t focus and Kathy was going to come over. I knew I needed a friend who’d be able to help me make my final decisions and to help keep me motivated to get these done. By the time Kathy left I’d cut everything already and I just needed to sit down and stamp everything. When I finally knew everyone was out of the ER then I was able to really get some work done. I got 10 of them stamped before bed that night and I finished the rest of them Sunday morning when I woke up. I also completed a slew of other cards and projects throughout the day and then yesterday I woke with a mission to stamp even more, and so I did.

After Kimberly had counted all the votes she declares “It’s a landslide!” I wasn’t paying attention to who’s card she’d grabbed when she was asking who’s card she was holding up. Kathy looks at me and says “Hey Kimberly has your card.” I was very shocked and also very honored at the same time, I still am.

I hope my card inspires you to create something today.

Tune in next time. I promise, I’ll upload the easel cards I made on Sunday. I mailed those off today. I’ll also upload a few other things I came up with as well.