Wooo-hooo! Did I have a great weekend at the Great Yosemite Stamp Escape! The StampGrrlz and I traveled together on Friday, after filling my Camry and Bessie's SUV with all of Katy's stuff! (Running joke: Katy really does take the kitchen sink--or at least it's weight in stamps and supplies!) Here's a picture of the grrlz at The Cat's Meow stamping and scrapbooking store. From left to right: Lorraine, Katy, Sharon and Bessie:
Someone gave us "bunny ears" through the window!
At the store, we all had a little nosh and joined the feeding frenzy in an Artist Trading Cards (ATC) exchange. You can see that all the ladies have little boxes or bags or baskets on the table in front of them. They are full of cards to exchange.
Here's Sharon scanning the crowd for someone who hasn't already exchanged with her.
Spreading out over half the table, Katy counts her loot.
Fortunately, my trading cards got a warm reception. I admit, since I didn't do any new techniques or really elaborate assembly, I was apprehensive. However, thanks to the great images I got from Brandy at loosetooth.com people were coming to find me, saying, "I just had to have one of your cute cards!" and Mike Strong, one of the teachers, said, "That's just the kind of thing I really like!"
We got a really pretty sunset that night.
Afterwards, we went back to our chalet at The Pines Resort on Bass Lake.
Staying in the chalet is one of the treats of the weekend. We really enjoy everything about them-- the big windows overlooking the lake, the little kitchenette, the living space where we pull out all our new stuff and play and the loft. This year, I got to sleep in the loft. It was like my own little treehouse!
Bass Lake is really pretty and we have a great view of it from the classrooms. This year it was rainy and overcast, but still beautiful. 
Classes. Ohhhh, the classes! We had such wonderful classes and teachers this year. The grrlz and I took Zana Clark's "Luna Moth Quilt" class first. I have been an admirer of Zana's Stamp Zia images for a long time and I have looked at her class examples and books with longing for years. But this was my first opportunity to take a class from her. First, what a great teacher she is and how gracious and positive! Second, what a wonderful class for learning new techniques and tricks. My favorite was the "Metallic Flows." Finally, what a great project! All of us went home with a work of art. Here's mine, and I am going to hang it in my living room.
From the big colorwash class, we went to Mike Strong's "White on White" class. (You can believe we washed our hands first!) Mike has taught several classes nearby, but I have never made it a point to take one. But every time one of the grrlz comes back from his class and shows off her projects, I have to get a towel to wipe off the drool! Shame on me. Mike is a great teacher and his ideas are fantastic. Here's a class sample using his cloisonne butterfly image and a bunch of flower punches.
Glitter makes everything better. Here's Sharon applying glitter to one of her cards.
Mike and his Wife, Carla, came out to dinner with us after class. We went to my favorite restaurant near Bass Lake, called, Mountain House. They have an extensive menu, wonderful food, excellent service... I cannot recommend it enough!
Rumor has it that Mike and Carla went back the next night as well!
Loretta Axt and Ming Kwong taught our next class. It was a "Blitz" class, meaning that we were to make ten cards in three hours. That's a lot! Ming and Loretta were both representatives for DeNami stamps for many years, but now they are independents and used a line from Canada called Gel-a-tins. Cute images and, as always, beautiful cards. I didn't learn any new techniques in this class, but I got a million little design and layout ideas that I will use today. Here's two favorite cards from the class.
Here's Stampgrrl Jan and her sister Cathy, who came all the way from Kentucky for the Stamp Escape. Don't they look like they're having fun? (Cathy sticks her tongue out when she is working, just like me.) 
Last but never least, we took a metal art class from the lovely and charming Michele Charles. Michele introduced me to a new favorite word. You know, when you see or do smething really wonderful/beautiful/creative/crazy/cool and you say, "oh oh oh oh oh?" Well, that's an ARTGASM. Ahhh.
Anyhoo, Michele's class was all about the artgasm and full of technique and a little daunting at first because the metal work can have a million little steps and refinements and a hundred specialized tools and metal is a bit unforgiving, but... I got a really good result and lots of compliments on my little journal. Michele even asked me to send a photo so she could post it on her website. Wasn't that nice?
When it was all over, we were utterly exhausted, but still found a reason to stop in at The Cat's Meow before we left. At the very least, we needed to visit the store's two resident cats. (I just love shops with resident animals-- ever since I worked at Recollections Antiques with the darling Emily the dog.) Here's Peachy and Mittens. Guess who is who!
Look at Mitten's mittens. She has a thumb!
Also, a highlight of the trip home was a visit to the Sun Maid raisin world headquarters. Apparently, raisins have a big fan base, as in this excerpt:
I'm SO hot for the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl. She's a cross between Melissa Gilbert as Half-Pint Ingalls and Jane Seymour as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Wait, no... I mean, they're a healthy snack. Especially covered in chocolate! Not on this products page, we bought Dark Chocolate covered Muscat raisins. Ohhhhh, mommy! Those are good! Here's me, dressed like a chocolate-covered raisin.
Aaaaaand, the World's Largest Box of Raisins. You saw it here!
Ummmmmmm, I'm not sure if I want to know if those 16,000 pounds of raisins are still inside the box or not. Bleah.
Aaaaaaah, I'm tired and happy and I have nearly one hundred new ATCs and four new classes to inspire me. And lots of happy raisin snacks to eat. And some new underwear from the Tulare Outlet Mall, but I won't post pictures of that. Ever.
Tomorrow, or later today, pictures of puppies.
