Swapping is so addictive!

I love swapping! It's one of the best parts of being a stamper...sharing ideas for new projects and getting samples done with stamp sets that I don't have. Yet! Yes, believe it or not, there are still a few in the catalogue that I don't already own. But the best thing about swapping is getting a different perspective on how to use a stamp set. I have done swaps with groups of stampers where we all used the exact same set yet not one of the cards looked alike. That's what I love about swapping! That and the thrill of getting the swaps in the mail when you participate in a "long distance" swap.

Right now I am eagerly awaiting a packet of great swap cards from a New Catalogue stamp set swap hosted by Lyssa, one of my cyber stamper buddies. This card was my submission for our swap. This type of card is called a "shadowbox" card and it's different than most cards I make because it will stay upright on your desk all alone, plus you get the depth of the inside and outside of the card. That way the lucky recipient of your card can easily leave it out on display to enjoy long term instead of (gasp!) throwing it away!

To stamp this card, I used Fifth Ave Floral (item # 113734 $24.95) on page 106 of the new catalogue. I LOVE the saying used in that set...and if you look very closely (zoom in on the photo by double clicking on the picture) you can see a beautiful rose image in full bloom stamped "tone on tone" on the So Saffron cardstock. Can you keep a little secret? On March 1st, Stampin' UP! will release a Sizzix embossing folder using the same image as on that beautiful rose in full bloom stamp image. Can't wait to get my hands on that one! They showed us a "sneak peek" of it at Leadership and wow, is it beautiful! I took a photo of it so maybe I can dig that up and share it later this week....no promises but I will try.

Now back to my swap card...on the outside layer, I stamped another of the floral images using Whisper White craft ink, just to give it a little subtle background interest. If you enlarge the photo you can probably see the textured pattern I got after I ran the Always Artichoke layer through the harlequin style Sizzix texture plate pg 203, item 114512)on my Big Shot. Yes, in addition to stamping and swapping, I seem to be growing quite fond of the Big Shot as well...I also used the Simple Flower embosslit to make the yellow flower embellishment. This is a cool little accessory that takes a scrap of leftover cardstock and like magic, turns it into a fully embossed and cut out flower...all in one crank of the Big Shot! (it's item 114514 for $11.95 on page 202 of the new catty if you want a closer look). I am not fond of cutting out small images (or even large ones!) so these embosslits are the easy solution for me. I wanted to splurge and use the half back pearls from the Pretties Kit on these cards but since I had to make a dozen of them, I didn't have enough pearls. Instead I made a big dot of Crystal Effects and then sparingly sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds glitter over it while still wet. It has some dimension from the Crystal Effects so I liked the way it came out.

Now the sad part of swapping...I have to wait for my cards to be mailed back to me! But that's ok because I am visiting my sister (yes, my OLDER sister...just in case you were wondering) in the Chicago area this week to be her "helping hand" while she recovers from bilateral total knee replacement surgery. OUCH! She is doing just great but I am determined to go home and take very good care of my knees! Because of that, my swap cards will have to wait until I get back home to have a look at them. Sure hope my husband puts the mail up high enough that the dog can't eat my swaps...sometimes she gets bored and she seems to have a paper fetish. That would be tragic indeed! Jan