DOING LIFE

I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF MY VERY FIRST HOUSE MOUSE STAMPS

{DT Project for DDCC #73: A colour inspiration}

The challenge over at Dutch Dare Card Challenge this week is a colour inspiration (see photo below):

... and here is the card I created which showcases my very first House Mouse stamp. I am sure you will agree that these little mice really creeps into one's heart with their lovable warmness. Once again I did some iris folding to create the backdrop to the little mice. The sentiment is a Doing Life Rub-on which is also available over at Doing Life's Online Shoppe and you will find it under Products/Rub-ons/Quotes.

I am also entering this card for the following challenges:

• Crafty Cardmakers #16: A Feminine Celebration
• Creative Card Crew: Celebrations
• Paperplay Challenges #10: Just Because
• Saturday Challenge #73: Shades of Grey
• Stamp Something: Something Girly

Please visit these challenge sites and feast your eyes on the DT's beautiful creations.

And all this proudness is owed to the lovely and very talented Maya Stenshagen from Maya's Hobbyblogg. Its quite a lengthy tale, but in short here goes. Maya commissioned a necklace and bracelet set from me at the beginning of 2009. Which I duly created and posted to her. She duly received it through the post and was very thrilled with it. Unfortunately South Africa can't receive payment through Paypal, which we only discovered later and Maya wanted to send me some craft products which I really would like.

So, without hesitation I mentioned that I would love to own a house mouse stamp as I am always admiring the beautiful creations out there in blogland, being adorned with the lovable little mice. Maya promptly purchased some of the cute little mice stamps for me and posted it off.

But after several months I still did not receive them and it seemed like the parcel got missing in the post. Maya did not hesitate at all and re-purchased the stamps for me and posted it via registered mail this time. And still I waited for months on end and it did not arrive. At least I had a tracking number this time round and could attempt tracking it here in South Africa.

After literally hundreds of calls and visits to my local post office and being informed that it has been sent back to Norway and then been told again, no - it is actually on a ship to Cape Town (apart from tens of other stories). I have also been told that it has been sent to a local depot in our area, about 3 times and returned to Johannesburg International Airport depot on 3 occassions. Well all I can say is that all these stories just don't add up and someone really blemished the SA post office's reputation. But, after nearly a year I could jump with joy receiving my little mice. And you won't believe it the address on the parcel was absolutely correct with no spelling mistakes or anything ... so there was really no excuse. All I can think is that someone at the SA Post Office held onto this parcel trying to get to know whats inside, just in case its something valuable they could intercept.

And below is a photo of all the yummylicious crafty goodness that Maya lovingly sent to me in this long lost/found parcel. Not to mention the beautiful card she has also made me. Thank you, Maya.