Ah...it's good to be Queen! 
Having people bowing...
Putting tribute at my feet!
My friends are crazy, aren't they?
But...even though we all know how wonderful and talented I really am, (YILM!) we all start from somewhere. Even ME. I didn't stamp all that well when I was just a wee demonstrator fresh out of the egg. I, too, made cards I would rather forget. And in fact, did forget all about this one, until I was clearing some boxes of old cardfronts out of my storage area:
Ingredients - Who he heck remembers because I made this card 6 years ago!!! Well, actually, it has all the info on the back, because I put a label on it! Stamps - All Year Cheer II, Perfect Party, Itty Bitty Backgrounds; Paper - Tempting Turquoise, Yoyo Yellow, Glossy White; Ink - Spectrum Parfait, Yoyo Yellow, Night of Navy, Versamark; Other - there is no other because I had NOTHING.
Can you believe this came from the QUEEN?!?!? I do, only because I remember making it. And it has my name on the back, kind of a dead giveaway.
I made it for my very first swap with my upline's group. I had to borrow the birthday stamp because I didn't have that set, I only had what came in the kit. This swap was probably from May 2003.
It's not that this card is all that bad. But there are none of the hallmarks that mark a JanTink creation these days, are there? THERE IS NO SPONGING!!! OMGosh, how can I do without sponging?
Er...well, actually, sometimes I do do (hee heee...DOODOO) without sponging, but not very often!
And there are no brads! None! Or ribbon! I have a hard time making a card now without those two very essential embellishments.
And look at the fiendishly wide reveal on the matte!!! When I can't stand anything over 1/8" now!
It is heartlessly plain and way too symmetrical for my taste these days. But even back then, I can remember thinking I wasn't all that happy with it.
It always makes me a bit sad, to say the least, when someone sees my latest creations and they say, "oh, I could NEVER stamp as well as that!" 
Well, lookie here, I didn't used to stamp like that either! It took YEARS of practice, total dedication to neglecting the housework, forgoing new clothing for myself so that I could buy more stamps, and taking the risk of alienating my husband by spending hours in the basement stamping rather than watching FASCINATING sports on television with him. Telling my children that Mommy can't play 'cause she has to stamp instead, probably setting them up for all kinds of problems in the future, where they will sob broken-heartedly to their therapist, "All I wanted was for her to play Candyland with me one more time! But all she thought about was RUBBER!!!!" 
It's that kind of dedication and commitment (or the need thereof) that makes a so-so stamper into a STAMPIN' QUEEN!!!!
You, too, can have what I have! Just be willing to overlook the dust on the mini blinds, turn a blind eye to the ooginess lurking in the refridgerator, proudly wear those 5 for $10 t-shirts from Michael's, resist pleas to play Snakes 'n' Ladders or watch curling on television and You Too Can Be Queen!
Just sayin'!
So, now that I have gotten THAT out of the way, let's look at a much better card, shall we?
Ingredients: stamps - Flight of the Butterfly; Paper - Vellum cardstock, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White; Ink - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Crushed Curry marker; Other - Filigree brad, Crushed Curry dotted grosgrain, 3/16" corner rounding punch, Butterfly punch, SU! Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Yes, it's STINKIN' GOJUS!!! (coudn't make my mind up between STINKIN' CUTE and GOJUS! SO I combined the two! Oh, and YILM!) It was inspired by a swap I got at convention by Kris Sanders. I added the colored centers, substituted vellum for the wings, rounded the corners added the brad, changed the colors...in short, did everything we stampers do to make a design into something of our own.
And you missed it. Yes, this is the card that was the make and take at my open house on the 16th. Do you wish now that you had come so you could have made it too? Do ya? Do ya?
I'm sorry, I've upset you haven't I? Well, there is one way to make sure it never happens again and that next time you get an invite from me for an open house, you clear your calendar, tell your relatives that you can't make the baby shower, tell your boss that you can't work that day, tell your children that you will have to miss their recital/ball game/wedding, tell your husband that you can go out for your anniversary some other time, tell your doctor that you need to reschedule your surgery, and plan on coming to my open house and then SHOW UP!
That wasn't so hard, was it? 
Now, somebody did ask what was on my t-shirts at convention, yet more of my favorite 5 for $10 t-shirts from Michael's. Here's what was on them:
Tuesday's shirt:
Wednesday's shirt:
Thursday's shirt:
Friday's shirt:
And lastly, Saturday's shirt:
Just more of my warped sense of humor. I seriously confused one lady on Wednesday, who looked at my shirt and said, "You're not? (jantink)" I said, "Er...yeah, I am...it's a bit of a joke, ya know!"
Okay, must dash, enjoy the rest of your day and remember to keep your pants dry and your ink pads wet! Ta!
funny and inspiring!! Long stamp the QUEEN!!
Posted by: jackie | August 24, 2009 at 02:09 PM
You are hilarious, girl! Love those t-shirts!
Posted by: Shannan Teubner | August 24, 2009 at 02:30 PM
Ok, your post was funny, but your parting remark made me ROTFL!!! Too funny! Love the M&T for the open house.
Posted by: Julie | August 24, 2009 at 02:32 PM
hee hee hee I was bowing to you in the pic Janine!! (turq t-shirt)..but are you ALLOWED to post my pic on the whole wide internet????????????????snort!!!!
Im bragging to say how fun it was to sit shoulder to shoulder with the queen for a few days! lol
LOVED the T-shirts you made!
And, heres a challenge- Why dont you do a JanTInk-style RE-DO on that first B-day card you show???
Make it 2009 worthy?? lol
I still have a FUlL BOARD of my cards from 10 years ago....gag me with a sponge dauber..hahaha
HUGS!
Posted by: Tandra Boyer | August 24, 2009 at 03:06 PM
It's nice to know someone else has a twisted sense of humor like I do
Posted by: Sara | August 24, 2009 at 03:32 PM
Love the shirts! Yes, you truly did make me feel bad/guilty for not attending your open houst, but seriously... I would have to spend STAMP money for an airplane ticket!... I knew you'd understand!
Posted by: Peggy Maier | August 24, 2009 at 04:14 PM
You are hysterical and keep me coming back for more! Thanks for sharing your humble beginnings. It is good to know we can be a Goddess one day, with lots of effort.
Posted by: Ann | August 24, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Jan, you are always inspiring and I love visiting your blog every day. Your sense of humour tickles me so much I feel I know you! I have a little award for you on my blog if you'd care to visit.
Posted by: Kez | August 25, 2009 at 03:31 AM
omgosh, you're killing me. i soooo wish i was at convention to be near your royalness.
love your first card and your "gojus" card now. "you've come a long way, baby."
i would love to duplicate your greatness in your stamp room, but alas, i wasn't invited. :(
thanx again for your talent, humor and amusing smileys. you never cease to bring me a smile or a laugh.
xoxo
Posted by: carol marbach (udi) | August 25, 2009 at 05:52 AM
BOWING DOWN?? Are you SERIOUS?? How much did you have to PAY those people to pose for that photo, girl???? SHEESH!!
I DO have to say that I LOVE that old card!! It sooo validates us all, baby!! I may even get brave enough to post one of my old "uglies" at some point!!
I particularly love the last t-shirt . . . who IS that MAHVELOUS-lookin' woman with the MUI-FABO stamp room, anyway??? ;)
Posted by: Wendy W. | August 25, 2009 at 06:24 AM
Well Jan, I haven't heard from you yet girlfriend!! Yes, it's me again -- are you coming to join us at retreat? You just gotta, gotta, gotta! And yes, you put that smile on my face today with your post (and your card IS FABULOUS). I'm only going to ask one more time. Sandi
Posted by: Sandi Dailey | August 25, 2009 at 06:53 AM
you bring a smile to my face every time I read your blog :) thank you :)
Posted by: Jenny | August 25, 2009 at 06:56 AM
OMGosh Jan I didn't have the HONOR of meeting you in person I tried several times but you were always with large groups of groupies and I couldn't get close enough to you! Loved your t-shirts and I so wanted to swap with you. It would have made my LIFE! I got to swap with Mary Polcin and then to have swapped with you....I wouldn't need anything more in my life!
I so love your blog! If I am in a down mood I just have to read your blog and I forget all about my troubles. You missed your calling you should have been a WRITER!!! Nah! then we wouldn't have your AWESOME, STINKIN' GOJUS projects/cards etc etc.
I want to be you when I GROW UP!
Posted by: Terry Molineux | August 25, 2009 at 08:10 AM
you have me rollin' lady! oh gosh, my son keeps looking over here at me on the compy wondering why his ol' ma is laughing hysterically with tears running down her face. how could he possibly understand?!
so do you sell copies of those tees?! if so, you could make enough to finance next year's convention trip!!! :)
and yes, we all have cards like that lurking in the dark recesses of our closets. I'm just not brave enough to pull mine out yet. I think I need a therapy session first - stamping therapy! love your butterfly card, by the way!!! gorgeous!
Posted by: Jennifer Scull | August 25, 2009 at 08:59 AM
OK, so I admit, I'm the one you seriously confused. ...But in my defense, I had been standing in line to shop at Memento Mall for 3 hours and only had 2 hours sleep the night before. I feel famous to have made it to your blog AND have a Jan Tink "original" in my collection! My friends are going to be SO jealous!! Thanks for swapping - you're the BEST!
Posted by: Sharon | August 25, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Oh Jan - what to comment on first. For starters - thank you for cracking me up every day. Sometimes I think you are secretly living in my house & spying at all my lack of housework-doing, etc!
Second, thanks for giving me hope. Although clearly it's taking me longer to achieve Queen status. I've been stamping since 2003 also & I have not achieved your levels of GOJUSNESS yet - but then again, my first card looked much more - shall we say - "basic" than the one you've posted! LOL
I'll keep plugging along...trying to get to the point where I can at least say I'm in your shadow :-)
Love live the Queen!
Posted by: Nan Goerlitz | August 25, 2009 at 11:12 AM
narf!
LOVE the Saturday shirt!
Hi, Jan! Hi, Wendy!
Posted by: Trina Caraway | August 25, 2009 at 12:55 PM
OMG it's a good thing I wasn't drinking something when I read this post as I'm sure I would have spewed it all over the computer. You just crack me up. Those shirts were hilarious.
It's great to see how far you've come in the stamping world. Occasionally I revisit some of my oldies too. Always good for a laugh or two.
Posted by: Ida | August 25, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Thanks for such an inspiring post, just goes to show there is hope for me yet *snort* I am well on my way, the washing is waiting to be folded and put away and I am trying to convince my husband that we really need to get the dishwasher installed cos washing and drying dishes takes up too much Stamping time LOL Oh yeah and sleep vs stamping? Stamping wins everytime! ;)
Posted by: Trina Leeson | August 25, 2009 at 06:33 PM
What do I love more? Your creations or your humor?!! Or your creative humor on your t-shirts?!!
What a great way to start the day (giggling!)
Posted by: Starla(star) | August 26, 2009 at 10:08 AM
OMG! Jan, these are FAB!!!
Posted by: Michelle Laycock | August 26, 2009 at 10:26 AM
LOL, I'm the one (maybe there were more) that asked what your shirt said. Those are priceless!! Laughing about the person confused about you not being Jan Tink. At 2008's convention my friends and I all wore shirts that said "Hi I'm Betty and I'm a stampaholic" and at the bottom it said "Hi Betty". Well one woman walked up to us and said "you mean you're *ALL* named Betty"? LOL.
Posted by: Simmy | August 26, 2009 at 09:43 PM
You are a stitch...and a tease. Hahaha I did catch a glimse of some cool ribbon on your card- you did a magnificant queenlike job on your card! Love it. TFS
Posted by: Shelly Schmidt | August 26, 2009 at 10:24 PM
I snorted at a blog post - lol - too funny
Posted by: Rachel | August 28, 2009 at 08:21 AM
loved the t-shirts and love that you showed one of your earlier 'works'... and I loved the butterfly card so much I had to CASE it! You can see mine here (if you want to): http://lgoldhawk.blogspot.com/2009/08/butterfly-case.html
Posted by: Liz | August 30, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Oh, my stars! I am sitting here (supposed to be working)laughing my head off at your blog. I am so glad I found your site, it is hilarious! Thank you for the laugh and for the beautiful card and for the tutorial - I needed both!!
Posted by: Lenoria | September 09, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Jan, how do you do the shirts? They look great!
Posted by: Amy | March 17, 2010 at 11:18 PM