It's that time again...

I have been sitting at my computer for the last hour, hot cup of coffee in hand, waiting semi-patiently for the new 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! catalog to be avaiable online. Of course there is some technical error and it keeps telling me to check back in 30 minutes, of course that was at least 2 - 30 minutes ago...come on already!!!

I am feeling as stale as a week old loaf of bread with the current selection of stamps. Preparing for this last stamp camp took way more effort than it typically does, but every time I looked at these stamps all I could visualize were card ideas I had already done. While each stamp set is coordinated so really the possibilities are endless, I find that for me - there is a shelf life. I am limited, it seems, to a set few ideas per set. It's probably becuase I tend to not have enought time to sit and allow my creativity to flow as much as I should, and there are limits to what ideas are actually useable for stamp camp, but I'm ok with that. What keeps me going is the excitement of getting the new stamps and accessories, because with those new fun treats come new ideas!

I have been branching out slowly into other brands of stamps and discovering that there are endless 'cottage' stamp stores out there. Some very creative people have turned their own images into stamps and they sell just a few sets sometimes and you can find a lot more variety if you are willing to seek it out. I think at some point I'd love to turn my own drawings into stamps - but of course that requires time to sit down and draw and at this point in life my creativity gets funneled into cards instead!

Here are a few links I thought I would share for some of the stamp sites I've found. If you come to stamp camps and find one that you would love to make cards with, let me know! If it sparks my creativity I will be happy to purchase it and work it into stamp camp.

Stampin' Up - http://www.stampinup.com

Our Craft Lounge - http://www.ourcraftlounge.net

Gina K. Designs - http://www.ginakdesigns.com

Amuse Art Stamps - http://www.amuseartstamps.com

Impress - http://impressrubberstamps.com

Inkadinkadoo - http://www.inkadinkado.com


There are tons more but these are the ones I've been frequenting lately. Often the Split Coast Stampers site ( http://www.splitcoaststampers.com ) features many small companies on their banner ads.

I hope to post some pictures soon of the most recent cards, it just requires finding my memory stick which I haven't a clue where it has escaped. Now that summer is here I am finally able to finish settling into the new house and hopefully it will turn up as I get things put away and organized.

Enjoy the links and see you at stamp camp!