Order From The New Catalog, A Sale & Wanderlust Photopolymer

The New Catalog is here!!!!  Click HERE to download your electronic copy or to view the catalog on-line!

Check out these 3 great greeting stamp sets that are ON SALE - 25% OFF!!!!

Dates: May 31-June 30, 2013

Sale Price	Retail Price	Description	Item
$17.96	$23.95	Sassy Salutations Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132070
$13.46	$17.95	Sassy Salutations Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126707
$14.96	$19.95	Sweet Essentials Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132085
$11.21	$14.95	Sweet Essentials Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126457
$21.71	$28.95	Petite Pairs Wood-Mount Stamp Set	128706
$15.71	$20.95	Petite Pairs Clear-Mount Stamp Set	122497

Also, a new photopolymer stamp set is available!  It is called Wanderlust (133452 for $13.95) :)  Isn't it cute?!

Pennant Parade Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Trim Away The Dead
It's a weird lesson, but I think it will make sense if I explain it.  We have a beautiful weeping birch tree in the backyard.  By now it is likely 80 years old and every year there seem to be limbs that die.  Today we had the tree trimmers come to trim away the parts that were dead.  I'm always nervous about trimming away what is dead - afraid too much will disappear and it will no longer be recognizable.  I know this is a lesson I need to learn about myself as well - the ability to trim away that which is dead - that which is no longer serving me or my soul.  And yes, I struggle with the same fear - that I won't recognize myself if I strip away that which I have come to believe about myself.  What if we changed where we live?  What if I changed what I do?  What if we changed our approach to each day - a new routine?  Maybe the tree is there to teach me.  She looked beautiful today after that trim - green and glorious - blowing in the breeze without a care.  She even looked more full with all of that dead weight gone.  Maybe it can be the same for me.
Today's card was made using the background technique that I keep teasing you with!  I had planned to make the video today, but the chainsaw noise in the background would not have made for a great video!  So, I will film the video over the weekend and get it to you by Monday!  I die cut some letters using the Typeset Alphabet dies and Pink Pirouette card stock.  The pennants are from Pennant Parade - stamped on Pink Pirouette with Melon Mambo ink and then punched with the Petite Pennants builder punch.  I used the Little Labels Punch Pack to punch the small stamp squares of Melon Mambo card stock that I glued to the pennants.  I used the Simply Serif Mini Alphabet set to create the letters for "wish" and punched them out using the circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack.  The "happy birthday" greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes - stamped onto Pink Pirouette card stock with Melon Mambo ink and partly punched out with the Ticket Duo Builder punch.  Of course, I had to add some dazzling diamonds for some bling!  Dazzling Diamonds is still one of my all time favorite things - just added with 2-way glue...even if the glitter ends up making me, the craft room and the pets sparkly :)  I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend!!!!!

Fine Feathers Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Let Your Mind Wander For A Day
All this thinking has made my brain hurt.  So today I decided to just let my mind wander.  No focusing on houses, moving, or the impermanence of all that is around you - let alone ourselves.  I just enjoyed the day - even my eye check up (I decided to be a little less conservative with my next pair of glasses...nothing crazy, but a bit outside the box for me).  It was nice.  Rain, thunder, sunshine, dinner with a neighbor.  A perfect day for an overtaxed mind :)
Today's card was made with some of the colors and images from yesterday's card.  I stamped the bird from Papaya Collage with Soft Suede.  The feathers from Fine Feathers were stamped in Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede and then cut out.  I created another background piece (and yes, I still need to get that video together so you can see how I created it!).  The sentiment is from Bitty Banners.  I hope you like the Pink Pirouette and Crumb Cake combination as much as I do :)

Papaya Collage Pursuit of Happiness Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Is So Much To Consider...Or At Least That's What I'm Telling Myself
I apologize for having disappeared for a few days.  My brain has been hurting with thinking so much.  Yes, we are still contemplating the idea of purchasing a home and moving to a more rural area.  And yes, it makes my head hurt.  Who knew so much could be connected to the thought of moving.  I won't bore you with all the details, but somehow this potential move has made me consider my hopes and dreams.  The feeling that if you don't do something at a certain point in your life, the time will pass and you will never do it.  And yet not doing it may create a path of its own - a path that might be satisfying in its own right.  The thoughts have ranged from mortgages to fire danger to snow removal to bears in the backyard!  Not to mention altitude, amazing views, new adventures and sad goodbyes.  I wonder too if I am making it all too hard for myself.  Maybe so.  Or maybe I'm just being thorough in my decision making process and trying to align my head and my heart.  Yes, there is so much to consider...or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
Today's card highlights a message that I need to remember daily - especially with my head so full of thought :)  I stamped the sentiment from Pursuit of Happiness using Crumb Cake ink on Naturals Ivory card stock.  I used the Framelits Labels collection to cut it out and then sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink.  The bird from Papaya Collage was stamped with Sahara Sand on Naturals Ivory card stock and cut out too :)  Are you wondering how I made the panel that sits as the first layer on the card base?  I may put together a video before the week is out to show you how! :)  Next came a layer of Pink Pirouette card stock that was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then adhered to the layer beneath it with dimensionals.  A piece of Crochet trim was tied around these 2 layers.  The bird was added with dimensionals and the sentiment just adhered with glue.  For a final touch I added a Crumb Cake button with some linen thread tied through the holes.  I hope you like it :) (ps  Hi Doris!  I've missed having coffee with you these past few days :)