Featured Stamper Inspiration

The featured stamper in tonight's featured stamper challenge on SCS was HamiltonGal and I chose this card as my inspiration.  For the challenge we are required to change at least 2 things about the card.  I changed the greeting, ribbon color, type of bow, butterfly color and embellishments. This card was so simple to make - I fell in love with the inspiration piece the minute I saw it! This 2-layer faux bow is really easy to make and it mails easily too. You can check out the video for how to make a single-layer faux bow on an earlier post in my blog or on my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/mwecksler.  I hope you like the card!  Thanks HamiltonGal!

stamps:  Well Scripted
card stock:  Very Vanilla, Basic Black
ink:  basic black
accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, scor-it board, 5/8" black satin ribbon, metal gems

Bitty Box Valentine

We have friends coming over for dinner tonight to share Valentine's Day with us.  I thought it would be sweet to prepare a treat for each one of them and the Bitty Box die was the perfect solution!  You can make this little box with just half a sheet of standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper - something that I love about this die since so many of them use odd sizes of paper.  I added a 2x2 square of Sweet Pea designer paper and a few punches (scallop circle, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches).  The ribbon is our yummy Pretty In Pink satin ribbon.  The cute owl is from the Love Bandits stamp set - I'm in love with this little guy :)  Now I just need to decide what to fill the boxes with...candy hearts, pink M&M's...The bigger challenge will be to not eat what I end up putting inside of them :)  Happy Valentine's Day to you and the ones you love!!!  (P.S.  This box was inspired by a swap I received from Chi Nguyen at Leadership - thanks Chi!!!)

Houses In A Grid

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Say "Hello!"

I walk Buddy every day and I am now making a conscious effort to greet everyone that we pass.  It can be so easy to keep my head down, watch my feet, and just walk by.  What if our "hello" made someone's day?  What if our "hello" was the only sense of connection that person felt all day?  What if our "hello" made us smile inside?  I find that saying "hello" to the people (and furry friends) that I pass, puts a smile on my face.  It also lets someone else know that you acknowledge them.  Hello! :)

Today's inspiration challenge was to find inspiration in the work of Geninne D. Zlatkis.  What a talented woman!  This was my inspiration piece .  I used the Little Shapes set to create the background squares and then stamped the images from Good Neighbors.  I attached a piece of linen thread to the center square by piercing 2 holes and running the thread through.  I hope you like it! :)

stamps:  Good Neighbors (Sale-A-Bration set), Tiny Tags, Little Shapes (retired)
card stock:  Whisper White
ink:  basic black, pumpkin pie, summer sun, creamy caramel, ruby red, cameo coral, so saffron, old olive, garden green, really rust, not quite navy
accessories: linen thread, tiny tag punch

Negative/Positive

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Appreciate The Struggle

I sure had a hard time in the craft room today.  Nothing was coming easily and nothing looked right.  But I kept going...I know there is something to take away from today's struggle - that I need to appreciate it and recognize it is part of the creative process and that I will get through it and have another easy time soon!  Sometimes you just need to appreciate the struggle and recognize it is only temporary.  As my mother has told me, "This too shall pass."

Today's challenge on SCS was to be inspired by the presidents.  Anything from cherry trees to dollars :)  This card was brought about by the thought of change and the idea that each new president believes that they will make a difference - that change will come.  I thought that using the negative/positive image would reflect this theme of change.  I hope you like it!  The flowers were just circle punched pieces of whisper white card stock that I snipped and then "fluffed!"  So easy to make and they add quite a bit of dimension to a card.

So Sweet!

I woke up this morning to a message from my friend, fellow blogger and amazing crafter, Judi!  She had passed along a blog award to me (you can see the cupcake in the left-hand column)!!!!  This is my first blog award ever!  Thank you Judi!!!!!  You can stop by Judi's blog HERE.  I am to list 10 of my favorite things and then share this award with 2 other people.  Here are my favorite things...it's hard to just list 10!

1.  Sharing my life with Michael
2.  Sharing my life with my amazing four-legged family members!
3.  Waking up to such sweet surprises as this morning
4.  Being given the gift of a new day
5.  Have such precious and amazing friends
6.  The opportunity and gift of creativity
7.  Balsamic vinegar from O&C...along with other favorite foods
8.  Watching the birds, squirrels and fox in the backyard
9.  The beauty of nature
10.  The sound of silence

I'll be back later today to let you know who I'm passing the award on to!  Hope you have a sweet day!

Stenciling With Folk Flowers

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Have Fun With Something New!

I had my Folk Flowers stencils still in their packaging - it's been over a month!  So today I decided to open them up for today's SCS challenge - to use an odd number of things.  It was a lot of fun trying something new :)  What "something new" did you try today????

I used my daubers to sponge the stencil with both pretty in pink and soft suede ink.  I spritzed some soft suede with the spritzer tool and then sponged the edge of the very vanilla card stock with soft suede.  I sponged my 1 (odd number) pretty in pink corduroy button with a little soft suede too (seems like nothing is safe from sponging today!).  I adhered the 3 (odd number) pearls.  Finally I stamped my vintage label frame - I actually inked it up with pretty in pink and then used my soft suede sponge dauber to dab a little soft suede so that I would get a variegated look.  I punched it out with the large oval punch and yes, you guessed it, sponged the edges!  Hope you like it!

Rub-Ons and Accessories - A Quick Card!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes Your Energy Will Find You!

I had an exhausting day yesterday.  I woke up early in a hotel and then proceeded to do 5 iterations of a 90-minute training program, then went to the airport, boarded a plane and flew home.  I'm tired just recounting the day!  Today I had planned to go to the gym and I must admit it was on my "last places I want to go today" list when I woke up!  However, I got in the car and drove myself there and somehow, once I started working out, my energy found me.  I have no idea where that energy came from, but I left the gym after an hour and I felt great (although I seem to be ready to fall asleep now and it's the middle of the afternoon)!  Sometimes you just never know when your energy will find you!

Today's card came together quickly - and no ink or stamping!  I pulled out the rub-ons, the designer paper, the hodgepodge hardware and the pretties kit!  I was the accessory queen :)  Hope you like it!

Companion

Today's Lesson From Far Away From The Craft Room:  Sometimes It Is Nice To Have A Companion

I left Denver and flew to San Diego today for work.  I have to admit it was nice to leave the snow and come to the palm trees :)  So far though, the highlight of my trip was my dining companion this afternoon :)  I stopped at a small Greek cafe to grab some lunch.  The weather was so nice out that I decided to sit outside and this little guy decided that I looked lonely :)  He made himself my dining companion and I have to say we really connected :)  Sometimes it's just nice to have a companion!  It was also great to watch how many people stopped to laugh and smile at the odd couple we were :)  Looking forward to being back in the craft room on Wednesday morning!  Happy creating until then!

Wow!!! I'm So Excited!!!!

I was just about to go to bed and checked my email and WOW!!!!  I just found out that I was one of the winners of the challenge on Shelli's blog!!!  Yippppeeeeeeee!!!!!!  You can check out all the contest winners here!  What amazing news to end my wonderful day!!!!!!  Thank you!!!! :)

Tri-Shutter Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Try A New Technique!

This weekend I've done a bit of exploring.  On Friday night I tried a new chocolate cake technique - baking a mug of chocolate cake in the microwave!  It was crazy and yummy :)  (Here's the link if you want to give it a try)!  I also decided to try a new technique in the craft room: the Tri-Shutter card...here's the result!  This card was a ton of fun to create and really not that complicated at all.  I found the directions at SCS, got out my supplies and went to town!  What do you think?  Here is a picture of the card when it is closed...

I think I need to head back into the craft room to make a second one!  I may even have to put together a video so you can see how easy this card is to make!  Is there a new technique you have tried that you'd like to share?  Please leave me a note in the comments - I'd love to hear about it!

stamps:  Cheep Talk, Happy Everything, Whimsical Words
card stock:  Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Welcome Neighbor dsp
ink:  Dusty Durango, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry
accessories: xacto blade, scallop circle punch, 1 1/2", 1 1/4", 1", 1/2" circle punches, dazzling diamonds