So Grateful to be a Stamp Designer

Being able to wear a "stamp designer hat" now is simply beyond words. After Gina K and I struck up our partnership and as I planned my set, ideas for more sets came rushing over me like a wave, and I had the feeling that I'm finally doing what I was born to do(besides being awife and mother of course)! Some of the things I'm drawing now for my stamps are surprisingly images that are amazingly similar to characters I drew as a child, and it seems as though I'm rediscovering these ideas because they were meant to be used. Sappy, I know, but it's true! I have a long list of people I need to publicly recognize and thank who helped me to get to here, so here goes (skim for your name if short on time! LOL!) :

• God: Every good thing about me and in my life comes from You. I am so blessed to be gifted with something that brings me such joy that I can share with others. Thank you for all your gentle leadings that have helped me realize some of your plans for my life. Thank you for waiting so patiently thirty years for me to figure this out!



• Family: You've always believed in me and said I could do anything. I love you.



• Friends: if you are reading this line, you know who you are! Thank you for all your encouragement and always being genuinely excited for ME, even if there is nothing exciting to YOU about stamps! I am So blessed to have you in my life.



• Stampers: that's what this is all about. Do all hobbyists feel the same passion for their craft as we? I'm not sure! It's an amazing bond that only stampers truly understand! Thank you to every single person who has ever visited my gallery, left a comment, placed an order, sent me a RAK, swapped cards, shared ideas/techniques/brilliance/friendship etc! I am a better stamper/person for your kindness/contributions/interest in my art.



• Nichole Heady: Wow. When I discovered her site and work I was more inspired to stamp than I had in a long time, and more inspired to do something with it than I ever had. I just think this woman has it all. When she announced in her blog after I won her gueststarstamper contest that I was a "girl who is going places", I knew I had to prove her right. Thank you, Nichole, for saying just the right thing, at just the right time. When someone like THAT says you're going places, why then, you'd best get going!



• Barb Schram (I know you just fainted that I singled you out, please get back in your chair, I have something to tell you!): Barb is someone I met through "mutual admiration" pm's in the Papertrey forum after winning Nichole's contest, and after just a few messages she said she'd be the first in line when I released my own stamp set. I thought "huh? How does she even know I draw?? ...hmmmm....." So I feel like Barb was "The Messenger". Thank you Barb for making me believe I could do this. (What would the world be like without people who encourage us this way? What if we didn't listen?)



• Carolyn King and Gina K: So I was chewing on this idea of how I should be going somewhere... and ended up at GinaK Designs LOL!! I'd been enjoying her blog for sometime, but that particular day I was in her store and noticed a "Stamps by Friends" link I'd never seen before, and clicked. I instantly recognized the name "Carolyn King", a card designer whom I recently become familiar with through her amazing work being recognized again and again through Papertrey. And I thought "Carolyn has her own stamp set? Well, then, I want a stamp set! hmmmm...." and the rest is history, folks! The way Gina K and I connected later and so easily found a "meeting of the minds" if you will in putting together this set made our partnership seem truly serendipitous! I am so grateful for her belief in my work and her choice to support me! I can't wait to create more sets with her and get to know this fabulous, talented lady better!! (and Carolyn, too, it's been such a treat conspiring with her these last few weeks and receiving all her wisdom and encouragement through this process, thank you Carolyn, I just feel I've known you forever!)

So had I not found Papertrey, which led me to Barb, who led me to Carolyn, to Gina K to....do you see??! (Six degrees of Papertrey-HA!) it's all part of a big Plan :) And since then, Donna Baker: she is just an angel on earth, so supportive, secret-keeping, on hand blog support, card reviewer, etc!! I remember the day I met Donna at a shoebox swap, she came up to me and said "Hi, I'm Donna" and embraced me like an old friend!! Don't you just love people like that?!) Thanks for doing everything you possibly can to help make sure I make the most of this opportunity! I'm so glad to have someone "local" I can get together with who understands me so well, and is an expert at everything I'm not!!! LOL! I promise, I will make this up to you!!

Thanks for reading, more to come!!!