Christmas, blabber, and blog candy!!!

I made this for the My Favorite Challenge this week. We were to create a Christmas decoration. I had this chalkboard in my alterables drawer and decided to make a countdown calendar. I love Advent calendars and countdown calendars. I must have 5 that I put up with our Christmas decorations. So I decided to make one for my son's room - he loves activities like this - and it's an opportunity to practice numbers in a fun way!
After much playing around, I decided to selectively ink the Peppermint Cats stamp and stamp the stars only repeatedly across the top. Then I inked the cats, omitting the frame, and stamped them. I used Palette New Canvas ink and heat set it - it worked beautifully! I pulled out my Bling bet again (I use that alphabet a ton!) and stamped it in Riding Hood red and used silver stickles to fill in the holes. I also used the stickles in the stars across the top. The paper is Basic Grey Figgy Pudding, left over from last year. I used my Karen Foster snap stamps to create the banner at the bottom, which reads "to chill till Christmas". As of Tuesday there were 115 days left until Christmas - crazy!!

I've been feeling a little down lately. In fact, today was a cr@ppy day! Can I pour my heart out here? There's lots going on, but the one thing I can talk about is stamping related.

I started stamping after my 2nd child was born and I was struggling to find my place. I had given up my position at work and felt like I had no identity other than being a mom. Stamping gave me back my sanity and forced me to take some time for myself. I find creating rewarding - I enjoy the feeling I get when I finish something that I love. But lately, I have this longing to be more or do more, or truthfully, maybe it's just to be recognized more. Does that sound lame?

I would love to be on a design team. At one time I thought I was good enough, now I'm not so sure. Part of my problem is that I love to play the comparison game. I'll look at so and so's work and think that my work looks to be the same quality - and she's on 2 design teams. But when I look at the design team calls, they just don't appeal to me. I'll look at the online stores for the design team calls, and I'll like some of the images... but I don't love them, and some of them I don't even like. I can't bring myself to apply for them. Blah - I don't even know what my point is! I just want to improve, be better, get better, enjoy the process and have fun. But I get caught up in the hype I guess. Do you ever feel that way?

Well if you've stuck with me this long - you deserve a big reward! I wish I could give you all something (all 3 of you that are reading this - tee hee!) - but I only have one package and I thought I'd offer up some blog candy. I have 4 sets of clear stamps from AdornIt.

Fun Flowers
Swirly Stitches
Sophisticated Tags
Stitch Alphabet
I'll throw some other fun stuff into the package as well!

So... leave me a comment and if you don't have a blog, make sure I have some way to contact you. Sorry - US and Canadian residents only. I would love it if you would consider becoming a follower - but I'm not going to make that a condition of entering. I'll use random.org to choose a winner on the evening of Sept. 12th.

Thanks for reading friends! Good luck!!