First Cover on The Stamper's Sampler

The card on the cover at the top left was my first submission to The Stamper's Sampler. At the time, I only owned about five stamp pads and 20 stamps, most of which were dregs purchased at a local Joann's that was closing. I submitted the card, which was a template challenge, in June of 2004 for consideration in the Dec/Jan issue. I was just dying to see if my card had made it into the magazine, so I drove to a local stamp shop as soon as it hit the stands, picked up the magazine, and screamed with delight. My first submission had made it onto the cover! It was an especially meaningful moment, as the card featured my mother-in-law and her sister as little girls, and her sister had passed away a month earlier.