Friday, June 01, 2018

{Special Event} STAMPlorations is FIVE! ~ A Birthday Linky Party aka CASE the STAMPgirls Challenge!


{Check out our $5 Birthday Bash Surprise Bags here!}

Hey, hey! Are you guys ready to party? We sure have tons in store because every single day this month -- all 30 days! -- the STAMPlorations girls will be out in full force celebrating our fifth birthday! Yep, STAMPlorations' fifth year.


I swear it wasn't that long ago when I was designing our first stamp set and getting it ready for production. Then a couple of months later, not really knowing anything about having or running a design team (not knowing what I was doing really), I put out a design team call on Facebook and had zilch response. To top it off, I had approached someone and asked about possibly offering my first stamps as a prize for her players. I won't bore you with the details but that experience gave me a not-so-positive impression of crafters/cardmakers and almost made me give up on STAMPlorations when I barely had gotten it off the ground. 

Then it wasn't too long after that I "met" someone who helped me get my act together and believe that my products had value (and change my initial impression about the online crafting/cardmaking community). (She'll never fully know just how much her encouragement and guidance meant to me.) Many of you are likely familiar with her because she's quite a figure in the realm of CAS cards: Nonni of Nonni's Handmade Cards. (Before that, she blogged at Runaway Cards.) Long story short, Nonni helped me set up this blog, explained to me how challenges work, and was basically STAMPlorations' first design team member.

With Nonni's help, I made another go at a design team call and this time there was a response! Some design team members have come and gone, but I am so proud to say that five of the originals (Monika, Shirley, Vicki, Maria, and Cornelia here, here, and here) and the "youngest" among the veterans (Deepti here) are still with STAMPlorations. And folks, I'll say it here and now: I am forever indebted to these ladies because without them, there would really be no STAMPlorations. And if any one of them ever decides it's time to move on, I would be heartbroken (but happy for them!) because I wouldn't just be losing a design team member, I'd be losing a huge part of the STAMPlorations family.

Okay, enough about waxing nostalgia...the point of all this is that today's post is truly a STAMPlorations superstar line-up because the STAMPvets (except for Cornelia, who'll be joining us later in the month) and Nonni have come together to share their amazing projects featuring our brand new stamps (Birthday Bash, Celebrate Big, and Happy Everything) and phrase dies (Birthday Bash, Celebrate Big, Happy Everything, Make A Wish, and Birthday Wishes).

Then starting tomorrow, each post will feature a STAMPgirl and her projects -- there's 39 of us! :o)

And we would certainly want YOU to celebrate with us throughout this month! There are 3 ways:
  • Link up your wishlist here for a chance to be one of five winners of $25 worth of products in your wishlist
  • Leave comments on this blog and on the designers' blogs throughout the month for a chance to be one of five winners of a $25 gift certificate
  • CASE any of the STAMPgirls' projects (in this post and all the posts we'll be publishing this month) and link up below for a chance to be one of five winners of a $50 gift certificate
There'll likely be a few surprise prizes here and there as well :o)

All in all, we're giving away at least $500 worth of prizes! Winners will be announced on July 10 in the June Winners post.

So without further ado, here are today's awesome designers and their projects! Enjoy and happy fifth birthday to all of us! :o)

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MONIKA


  

  









SHIRLEY


  




VICKI


  


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Pretty amazing line-up of designers and cards, right? Now here's your chance at a $50 gift certificate (we'll randomly pick five winners!):
  • CASE any of the projects in today's post (or in all the posts we'll publish this month) -- all kinds of projects (cards, ATCs, tags, layout, art journal, etc.) in any theme (not just birthday/celebration) are welcome.
  • When CASEing a project, you can CASE the layout, the color combination, a particular element, or anything that jumps at you. The key is to use the projects you see here as your springboard.
  • Use whatever products/supplies you have. STAMPlorations products are not required, but it always makes us extra tingly when we see our products used! ;o)
  • Link up as many projects as you want as long as they are in separate blog posts.
  • Display our birthday graphic below in your post and link back to this post (not just the main blog) and mention the designer/card you CASEd.
  • Link up by July 3, 11:55 p.m. Pacific time
Link back:

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When you're done visiting the STAMPgirls' blogs and linking up your project(s), check out our Wishlist Linky Party post. Create and share your wishlist for a chance to win up to $25 worth of products in your wishlist! You could be one of five lucky crafters!

See you tomorrow at 9 p.m. Pacific -- I'll be leading off the STAMPgirl feature posts that you'll be seeing for the rest of the month. 


37 comments:

  1. awesome projects ladies - you have started the celebrations off with a BANG!!!

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  2. What a fabulous launch of the birthday celebrations, with a bedazzling set of showcases and inspiration! I'm predicting a *very* full gallery! I'm seeing ideas I want to case!
    Hugs~carol

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  3. Congrats on five years! I'm fairly new to STAMPlorations, but I'm glad Nonni helped you get it off the ground so I can enjoy the beautiful stamps/dies you have available today! So many wonderful products in your store, my wish list could be a mile long!

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  4. Congratulations on an amazing 5 years, it has been so inspiring for me

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  5. All of the designers did a fab job - I did my posting on each blog and casing Vicki D. Coffee card layout! Whoot Whoot Thanks for this monthly event - it is going to be a grand celebration! Happy 5th Birthday and many more! Your story was interesting read - happy that Nonni gave you encouragement and you are doing well - have a blessed week

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  6. Happy Birthday and many more to come x Marvellous inspiration and what a marvellous team you have x

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  7. Wow 6 years! A real milestone for a company! And a good and growing and so creative company! Glad that you went on with all! And glad we are both in the DT of TIME OUT and you are so generously sponsoring the challenges there, but more for all the oppertunities you give us to use the beautiful STAMPlorations stamps, stencils and dies! Wish you and STAMPlorations many more creative years!! HUgs, Gerrina

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  8. Woohoo, Shery! Congratulations on 5 years of STAMPlorations! I read your story with interest and I'm so glad you persevered when it wasn't easy at the beginning. What a blessing Nonni has been for you! I teared up when I read about your team and how much they mean to you. This is going to be an awesome celebration and I will join in as much as I can! I can't remember when I discovered STAMPlorations but it was a few years ago. Thank you so much for all of your generosity with prizes and sponsorships over the years! Wishing you many more years of success with STAMPlorations!

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  9. Happy 5th birthday, Shery and DT girls! All your cards and projects are so inspiring. Thank you Shery for sharing your story. I have loved your products from almost the beginning and am so happy you had Nonni and friends to encourage your creative journey! Hugs to you all....

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  10. Happy 5th! That's awesome, not sure I have been with you since the beginning but pretty soon afterwords. I have loved your work for a while and your design team is fantastic! I am always inspired and it makes me want more Stamplorations!

    Alicia

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  11. Happy 5th Birthday! What an awesome company you have grown into! It’s a good thing that you persevered, otherwise we would be missing all of your fabulous products :-D
    Thanks to Shery and all of the STAMPgirls for all of the fun, inspiration and for challenging us all to get creative! Cheers!

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    1. And thanks to Nonni for encouraging Shery to stick with her dream!

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  12. Congratulations Shery. Great products and customer service! Here's to at least 5 more years.

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  13. Happy 5th Birthday! You have some wonderful products, but I don't own any yet. Not been a consistent blogger or crafter, but the hop has greatly inspired me to create. The designers did a marvellous job.

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  14. Happy 5th Birthday !!!May you get more and more success with each passing year..Awesome cards by design team..L Lov each one of style..so unique with each other..Hugsxx

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  15. Happy Happy Birthday!!!! Awesome work from the designers!

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  16. Thrilled to know the Collaboration with your talented Design Team more than 5 years! Happy Happy 5th Birthday Shery! I continuously love Stamplorations when I found you, love to participate in all of your different challenges, always so inspiring! And each and every creations are so beautiful and unique! Would love to participate!

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  17. Congrats to all the Stamploration gals!! I love your products, and these cards today are SO fun!!

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  18. Lovey recap on your story. Congrats on 5 years. May there be many more. Hugz

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  19. Happy 5th Birthday! I love Stamplorations and the variety of product and inspiration from the wonderful team! Keep up the great work!!!

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  20. Congratulations on 5 years of fabulous products and inspiration. It's hard to imagine the STAMPlorations had such a rocky start. I suppose we should all be thankful that Nonni crossed your path back then.
    And fabulous projects by the DT, as always!
    Marianne x

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  21. Happy 5th Birthday! Buon Compleanno from Italy!!!
    That's a great and funny way to celebrate! Can't wait to see all the beautiful projects! <3

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  22. Happy Birthday Stamplorations!! I love hearing how someone got started and am so grateful that you hung in there. I always love your products and your DT is awesome!

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  23. Thanks for the big birthday celebration Shery! We are all happy that Stamplorations hung in there and I always love your products! Happy 5th to you!

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  24. Congrats on 5 years! Awesome! Enjoying the big celebration and all the inspiration!

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  25. yay! happy birthday :) loving all the celebrations ! xoxo

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  26. 5 years of awesomeness. Congratulations. Thanks to all who have helped you on the way. May you continue to be blessed by people who support you and love you and are committed to you.
    Shery, You are a blessing in my life and I am so happy to have you as a friend.

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  27. Happy Birthday! I love your success story and have had fun CASEing some of the StampGirls!

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  28. Happy Birthday to STAMPlorations. All the DT Members' cards are so much fun. It was hard to pick just one to case. I chose to use the lovely pastel colors from Deepti's first card to create my card.
    Thanks for the fun challenge.
    Blessings,
    Karen Letchworth

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  29. Happy Birthday Stamplorations !! What a party this is gonna be all month long !!
    [margessw(at)icloud(dot)com]

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  30. Happy Birthday! So happy to have managed to join in with the celebrations! xxx

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  31. Oooh, it's still open!! Might get another card made yet. Hugz

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  32. Congrats. I am always inspired by the projects on your blog/ DT blogs.

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  33. Happy 5th Birthday!
    You are always such an inspiration for me and I CASEd many cards in June.
    hugs xx
    treebug

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Spammers have been in full force lately so I had to turn comment moderation on. We love hearing from fellow crafters (not spammers), so your comment will be approved as soon as possible. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us :o)