All good things must come to an end...

There were a lot of hugs goin' on at Christmas Club this week, when we realized that not only did we need to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to each other as we left, but "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year," too! We're done now until January, when we'll start back up with regular all-occasion cards. I've been truly touched at the friendships that have developed through the past year of club.

I kept coming home and telling my husband, "they actually really like each other." I know it might seem odd, but this group of 18 special women, spanning multiple decades and coming from all walks and stages of life, have managed to become fast friends. And it goes beyond a superficial love of papercrafting, to a deeper level of kinship and celebration. Baby pictures get passed around.... new grandmas get advice... vacation stories are shared... homemade goodies are brought... glad greetings welcome the last to arrive. I find that very dear.

Good grief, I'm gonna cry! I'm such a GIRL sometimes : ) It's just really cool to feel like I facilitated something special, know what I mean? Some of these women might have met each other another way, or known one another before club, but stamps and ink brought them all together in one place for one fun night out of our ordinary crazy lives.

Anyhoo... It's been a ball, and now it's done for the year. I wanted to share a couple of designs from club for those of you who have been playing along at home. I hope you get warm fuzzies thinking about your friends and family that are going to be lucky enough to get a handmade card from you, and your long-distance stampin' buddy up here in chilly Wisconsin. Wish we could get together and stamp!

We used Cherry Cobbler Core'Dinations cardstock on two of the three cards this time around, because it's on the Clearance Rack for just $2.79 a pack right now--aka DIRT CHEAP! It's only while supplies last, so if you want in on this bargain, don't wait... the ladies enjoyed sanding it on this Special Season Christmas card, and embossing it and then sanding it for a different look on the Calm Christmas dove card. We had red paper dust EVERYWHERE! That's a job for the Dust Buddy! That's a new tool everybody needs--a sticky cloth that wipes up dust and glitter with one pass. Hey, maybe I should use it in the living room!

 Supplies used:

• Core'dinations Dust Buddy
• Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations Card Stock (Clearance)
• Stampin' Sanding Block
• Stampin' Sanding Block Refills
• Calm Christmas Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• Special Season Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• Cherry Cobbler 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon
• Very Vintage Designer Buttons
• Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Embossing Folders
• Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
• Top Note Stampin' Up! Bigz Die

Comments

[Kristine John]

Ha! I'd need far more than one Dust Buddy for my house here in the desert! That's one thing I have never been on top of…

I love that your group has bonded in such a significant way. I love the friendships that stamping and creating together can create. It really is a gift to facilitate that.

[Nicole Steele]

Wow, I wish I lived closer to stamp with you all! It sounds like a group of beautiful, touching friendships. Amazing what papercrafting can foster. My mom and I had a rough and argumentative relationship while I was growing up. Despite that, we bought our home just a mile from my parents when we got married. That made it easy to stamp together once I discovered it and shared it with my mom. Stamping has made us closer ( as have the granddaughters!). Thanks for sharing your story, Lyssa, and those beautiful cards.

[Chris R. from Iowa]

What a wonderful group and so glad you shared this with us. Oh, how I wish I lived closer so we could get together. We had a little snow last night but I think you will have more than I care to see (than us). This card is gorgeous. Love the little touch of pearls too. Maybe I need to ask Santa to let me participate in a group like yours as I have no close friends since we moved here. Have a great weekend! I need to get my dust buddy out and get some glitter taken care of! Thanks for the reminder of using it!