My house is haunted

Because that is the only explanation for this story.

Seeing as I had already done today's challenge (see post below), and was still in a stampin' mood, I decided to do Beate's weekend sketch challenge early. I've been seeing some very nice Xmas cards on SCS so I decided to also use this as an opportunity to start playing around and designing some cards for a stamp camp (or perhaps even for my own use! :o) ) Anyway, I don't own a lot of current Xmas sets - suppose I haven't gotten in the mood yet? - so I decided to use my tried and true Season of Joy.

I searched high, I searched low. I read and re-read the labels on the stacks of stamps on my shelves, I went through my box of Xmas sets AT LEAST a dozen times (I don't usually leave Xmas sets out until it's time to use them - besides, most of my faves are retired anyway...) I panicked and thought OMG! Did I SELL it (illegally) to someone?!? Went through my 'for sale' list as well as all the recent emails from people who have bought my retired sets - not there. Not in my boxes of retired stamps. Not in my hidden stash of retired sets in that old dresser in the basement. I recruited my daughter to have a look through all the sets on my shelves, thinking that maybe my eyes were deceiving me and I was looking at it all along - no luck for her either. I phoned and emailed some of my stamping buddies, asking if I had perhaps lent it to them and forgot to get it back from them? Nope.

We're talking, FULL FLEDGED PANIC ATTACK!!

Then I took a few deep breaths, looked forlornly at my shelves, and decided to put it behind me and pulled out Season of Friendship instead. I made this card:

In a way, the missing stamp set story was serendipidous, as I really like this card. It was partly inspired by this beauty from my friend Debi on SCS - I loved her tree in the snow! :o) But I gave mine a splash of Riding Hood Red for that Xmas feel. The paper is the new Ski Slope DP that will be available beginning Oct. 1 (in the Holiday Mini). And I thought that filigree brad kind of looked like a snowflake, so I used it also (I think we definitely need snowflake filigree brads though, don't you??) The sentiment is from the Best Yet hostess set and was punched out using the new large oval punch.

But here's where the story REALLY gets weird... As I am tidying up my table after I finish this card, guess what I find underneath my pack of DP? *insert Twilight Zone theme here*

THE SEASON OF JOY STAMP SET!!

There is no way on God's green earth that that stamp set was there all along - NO WAY!! I tell ya, I turned my stamping room UPSIDE DOWN looking for that durn set! There is a ghost in this house and it is playing a sick joke on me. NOBODY messes with my stamps.

Nobody.