The first couple of years I simply attended the convention, took advantage of as many demos as I could, and shopped, shopped, shopped. Most of my card business is centered around iris paper folding, not rubber stamping. But embossing began to intrigue me and I now use my rubber stamps mainly for embossing and have a few embossed cards in my greeting card line -- Kards by Kathleen.
I discovered at my first convention that each year there is a card contest -- with three prizes each in two different categories. At first I had no interest in participating in the contests because all the entries had such high cute factors (lots of pastels, itty bitty little mice, sweet sayings, etc.) -- not my style -- but then I decided, why couldn't I simply do what I wanted to do, and enter my quirky cards in the contests.
So, here for a few grins and giggles for you are my card entries from the past four years -- the only years I've participated in the contests. And, I'll have to brag -- I won prizes in three out of the four years! There are two categories each year, but if you win in one category, you can't be a winner in the other category.
I buy a lot of unmounted stamps, and over the years have failed to keep track of which stamps I bought from whom -- but where I remember from whence the stamps have been purchased, I will so note.
None of these cards have been incorporated into my card line -- they were created for the pure pleasure of designing.
And, if you want to see card entries other than mine, you can go to the rubber stamp event website and view slideshows of the cards.
2010
Category: Birds and Blooms
This bluebird was rubber stamped and embossed with a dark blue embossing powder -- thus -- the bluebird of happiness. Some of the punched flowers that form my bluebird's nest are spaced away from the card with dimensional adhesive dots. And -- drum roll please -- I won a second place prize for this card. Quite the treat to win a prize my first year of entry!
Category 2 - Up, Up and Away
Since Albuquerque is host to the International Balloon Festival in October of each year (yet another blog post I'll have to get around to . . . ), my idea for this category indeed had to be related to hot air balloons. My reading lady who is oblivious to the balloons outside her window was purchased from www.iloverubberstamps.com (one of the show vendors). I purchased the used window rubber stamp from an Etsy vendor, and the set of 5 itty bitty hot air balloon rubber stamps on eBay.
2011
Category 1 - Bring on the Clowns
I currently can't find the crazy little clown baby rubber stamp -- but I am pretty sure it is a Stampington rubber stamp. The itty bitty little milk bottles in his knock-down game came in one of those packages of embellislhment buttons.
Category 2 - Wash Day
I think this card is my absolute favorite contest card I've made -- and 2011 was not a prize-winning year for me. However, this lady is having one good old time on wash day -- having a martini with one itty bitty little olive, balancing her box of Tide on her knee, her hair is up in rollers made from rolled paper beads, and her cat is scared to death! I can tell you that I remember purchasing the washer on eBay -- it came in a washer/dryer set -- and the set was available in three different sizes. The arms and legs are part of a set from Elaine Madrid's shop (one of my favorite vendors at the show) Carmen's Veranda http://carmensverandarubberstamps.com/
2012
Category 1- The Long and the Short of It
This category had me puzzled for quite awhile -- hmmm -- long and short -- short and tall, hair length, hemline length, long and short stories. I decided I would go with long and short hemlines and found a great rubber stamp on eBay from Flonz -- a vintage pattern cover with the long and short version of culottes from the 1930's. Here's that card:
THEN, I had an even better idea. Since you can enter two cards in each contest I decided to go ahead and make the second card -- and -- good thing I did -- because it won first place in the category. Happy Dance, Happy Dance! What is the quintessential personification of long and short -- a dachshund!! Even Webster's dictionary agrees!
The dachshund rubber stamp came from an eBay vendor and the swirly frame rubber stamp is from Stampamania stampamania.com (another of the show's vendors).
Category 2 - Friendship
I entered two cards in the Friendship category -- because I had two ideas and couldn't decide which card I liked best:
This card uses three rubber stamps -- the sun-hugging goddess, the wing, and the words. I sliced open the cardstock along the shoulder-line of the goddess so that I could insert the dimensional wing.
Goddess: Sun Hug 473H Stamp Oasis 1997
Wing: Dawn Houser Uptown Rubber Stamps (comes in right and left)
Words: Penny Black 2701F angels
Here's the return of Elaine Madrid's arms and legs; the face is 94106-M Tin Can Mail. The gold-embossed wings were purchased unmounted and I don't remember from where. The "air beneath my wings" rubber stamp was purchased used and is identified on the end of the wood mounting as "SG 1995 683G."
2013
Category 1 - The Early Bird
Category 2 - I'm Sorry
The first place card in this category was of course a much sweeter, nicer card than mine. But, once again, my card speaks to my left-field sense of humor -- and I did win third prize!
I hope that my card contest entries have given you a few belly laughs and maybe even a few ideas!
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