700th Find

Ft Branch Cemetery

The weather this weekend was very nice and I spent most of Saturday out letterboxing & geocaching.  I started off the day planting a box in Ft Branch.  This town is about 30 minutes north of me.  I planted the stamp that I am using for the "Extravagant Cultural Attire"  LTC swap.  I am almost finished with the cards and I will post a pic later.

Sculpture at the Azalea Path

The next stop off the day was at Azalea Path Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.  This place is about 30 minutes north of Ft Branch (1 hr from home).  They were closed for the season but I thought the web site said you could walk the ground year round.  I guess not because the owner tracked me down after seeing my car.  He was nice but made sure to let me know they were closed.  I got a geocache an heading out.  I will come back when the flowers are blooming and see about hiding a letterbox. 

On the way home, I stopped to get another geocache.  I am thinking about hiding a letterbox in the same cemetery for PAL Day and wanted to check it out.  Yes, I am thinking about PAL Day.  I didn't plant anything last year but I may plant 2-3 this year.

Me & the princess at my 700th LB

Then I got the princess.  She had stayed the night at a friends house.  We went out and found 4 hybrids (planted by a geocacher) and 1 regular cache that we had looked for before but could not find.  We ran into some real geocachers while we were out.  We told them that we were really letterboxers and they encouraged us to join their Facebook group and I did.  We were going to try another cache but the phone died. 

The 4 hybrids pushed me up to 700.  I will probably be stuck here a while.  We are going on a family vacation this summer so no LB events for me.  Which means very few boxes to find :(

Oops!

Daddy's Favorite Princess has been asking a lot lately to make cards.  She participated in the kids Valentines and wanted to make more.   We searched thru the open trackers and she wanted to do the "Gift Card" swap.  You were supposed to make cards like regular cards that were blank on the inside so people could write a message and sign their name.

I asked the host if she could participate (being a kid) and she said yes.  We both signed up and made our cards.  I had gotten a free lolly pop stamp when I purchased a stamp on Etsy and she used it on her cards.  I carved up something Valentine-ish because the cards were due late January and I played with the "old school" label maker.

We finished our cards and mailed them off.  When I get the cards back I see that we didn't read/follow the directions!  The cards were supposed to be 4.5"x 5.5".  Oops, I totally didn't read that part of the tracker!  I guess I better read them more carefully in the future :/

Kids Valentines LTCs

Kids Valentines: BB-8 & Roses

Daddy's Favorite Princess and Lil Ewok are participating in the Kids Valentines LTC swap.

DFP's cards are simply called, "Roses."  She carved the stamp herself, punched the corners of the paper, and added the rind stones.  I did help her stamp the stamp.  I colored the red and she colored the green.  DFP is 7.

Lil Ewok just turned 4 and I did most of his card for him.  I gave him the heart stamp and let him go to town on the backgrounds.  After a while he got tired and I finished them off.  I thought I had an old school label maker but couldn't find it.  I ordered another one knowing if I had one I would use it on cards.  His card is "BB-8."

They had to make 15 cards for this swap and I think they did a good job.  I really enjoy these kids swaps because I want to see what all the kids came up with.  

Happy New Year :)

First plant of the new year :)

I spent part of the first day of the new year out boxing and caching.  I planted a new box in Santa Claus, In and did maintenance on 3 boxes.  I also found 3 geocaches while I was out.  I have a feeling that I will find more geocaches than letterboxes in 2016 :(

I will be participating in Box of the Month again in 2016.  I know, I said I wouldn't do it again but I love getting the stamps.  I have already had one finder on my 2016 BOTM.  The last stop for my 2015 BOTM was St Louis.  I hope it didn't wash away in the floods.

Lumpy Cards: Peacock Plumage

I am using my 2016 BOTM stamp for an LTC swap. These are my cards for the "Lumpy Card Lovers" swap.  They are called "Peacock Plumage."  Fun name.  They have cardboard, encyclopedia & music pages, paint chip, burlap, twine, and a rind stone.  I really enjoyed making these.

The Peanuts Gang: Typical Linus

I guess 2016 will be the year of the postal.  I am already signed up for 3 (counting BOTM).  I am in "The Peanuts Gang" and "Star Wars Characters."   My Linus is ready to go and I have my Ray image transferred and ready to carve.

I have been carving a lot of Etsy stamps lately.  Last year it slowed down around the holidays but not this year.

I hope everyone has a happy & safe 2016 :)

Christmas Carols LTC

Christmas Carols: Go Tell it on the Mountain 

This my card for the "Christmas Carols" LTC swap.  It is a little plainer than I had planned.  I was going to layer the paper but the stamp is just to big.  It is hard to tell from this pic but the paper has music notes on it.  It didn't work out like I planned but I like it :)

Pre-Thanksgiving Leftovers and Secret Santa

I know I am a little late getting this post out.  I participated in TAP's Pre-Thanksgiving Leftover LTC swap.  I was hoping that she would do a "post" swap too and I would do one blog for both.  But my husband had a hunting accident the day before Thanksgiving, we spent 3 days in the hospital that was an hour from home, and there is no way I could have worked on cards if she did two swaps.  But I took pics to make a blog post so here it is.

The background for this card was really fun to make :)  I got the idea on Pinterest, of course.  I made a stencil out of hot glue on my fancy craft mat.  I stuck half of a sheet of paper behind the mat so I knew how big to make my stencil.

You let the glue dry/harden and pull it up.  I tried this with regular and glossy card stock.  I sprayed fall colored alcohol inks on.  For the regular card stock I also sprayed a little water.  I liked the regular card stock best.

Pre-Thanksgiving Leftovers-
Proud Pumpkin

For these "left over" swaps you are supposed to use only materials that you have on hand.  So, I can't tell you what colors I used because they were already in the spray bottles.  I ran out of hot glue making my stencil but lucky my husband had some in his garage.

I just got a new sewing machine and I wanted to try it out on this project.  I played around with it a few different ways.  I wanted to do a zig zag stitch but thought it was to busy.  I still think it needs something...

Secret Santa stamp from Porras Posse 

I got my stamp from my AQ Secret Santa!  Porras Posse sent me this cute gingerbread man, stamp pouch, and logbook.  I think I am going to send him off as a Hitchhiker.  I love Hitchhikers :)

Christmas Ornament Swap

Christmas Ornament 2015:
Poinsettia 

This was my first year to participate in the Christmas Ornament swap on AQ.  I had an idea and carved my stamp right away.  But I got distracted and didn't make my ornaments until the last minute.

The great stuff I got :D

I was really surprised by all the cool ornaments that I got from the swap.  I thought I would wait until I got my ornaments to sign up for next year.  Well, that was a mistake because now the swap is full for next year :(  I guess I could make something and hope that someone drops out.

Anyway, this is a fun swap.  If you haven't participated (and are able to get in) you should give it a try :)