Friendship Preserves Banded Brayer Background Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Drink In Positive Words

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. 

- Shel Silverstein

For today's card I used the banded brayer technique I shared earlier in the week to create the background panel.  I used Old Olive ink on the brayer.  I stamped the sentiment from Friendship Preserves with Soft Suede and then die cut it, and a piece of Soft Suede card stock, using the Window Frames Framelits.  A piece of Very Vanilla seam binding was sponged with Soft suede ink and knotted around the card.  Brads were added to give a touch of ruggedness :)  I hope you like it and I hope you have an inspiring and creative weekend!!! Today is the last day to enter to win a free subscription to the month of June for Craft Project Central!  Please leave a comment on my blog on my post from Monday of this week for your chance to win!!!!

CREATE Sign by Monika Davis

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone
I am not sure who originally said this quote, but I heard it the other day and it really resonated with me.  It can be so easy to get set in your ways - to not stretch yourself beyond the place where things are "known" and comfortable.  We have been dealing with this very thought as we go about our home search and weigh the pros and cons and analyze things to death!  What keeps you from moving forward is fear and comfort - fear of the unknown, comfort in the known.  Yes, life really begins at the end of your comfort zone...are you willing to stretch beyond it?
Today I am sharing a gorgeous project by Monika Davis that is the new project that is up at Craft Paper Central!  You can learn more about the project and about Monika on her blog HERE.  This project is a wonderful way to add creative home decor to your living space!  of course, it would make a wonderful gift as well!  To get instructions for how to make this wonderful project and many more to come, subscribe to Craft Project Central for the month of June.  Or, leave a comment on my post from Monday of this week to be entered to win a FREE subscription to June!!!!  You can enter through Friday of this week!  Good luck!!!!

Banded Brayer Technique: A Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I can't help but wonder, what's the cost of becoming our "edited" selves instead of our authentic selves? We shouldn't share just gumdrops and butterflies, because the hearty and rocky parts are what help us find our authentic selves. - Phil Hansen
I've been feeling all kinds of hearty and rocky lately!  This whole exploration about moving, about changing my lifestyle, about making art more of a priority in my life - has had me happy, sad, depressed, anxious, excited - you name it.  Definitely not all butterflies and gumdrops (although maybe eating a whole bunch of gumdrops would help me feel better...don't tell the dentist!).  I guess there are times I edit myself on this blog - times when I am lower than I let on.  I, like many of us, am on a search for my authentic self - for a life that will allow my soul to sing more and sorrow less.  I keep wondering if what I want more is a change of place or a change of pace.  Maybe it's that I feel that a change of place could lead to a change of pace, but right now some of the "place" possibilities that we are exploring might not allow as drastic a change of pace that I might be looking for.  Oh if only you could snap your fingers and have an answer!  I guess it's like art - whether we stay or whether we go, it's not about the outcome, it's about the journey we take to decide.
Today I want to share a fun and easy technique that can help you create fun and interesting backgrounds with just some ink, a brayer, and some rubber bands!  The card I created incorporated some Naturals Trim and an image from the From My Heart stamp set.  Enjoy!

Sugar Scrub Gift Set by Julie Beltramo & Bouncing Brayer Technique: A Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  The More You Put Yourself Into It, The More You See Yourself Smiling Back At You!
We have been a bit late in all of our planting this year.  Here in Denver, Mother's Day is usually the day you can begin planting without fear of frost.  But with all of our house hunting distraction, we didn't get around to planting or flowers until Memorial Day weekend and our tomatoes just went in this past weekend.  We haven't even gotten to the vegetable beds yet...though a small kale plant is making it's way through the dirt - a comeback from last year!  There is dirt under my nails and my eyes itch a bit, but all of the planting has been a wonderful way to put myself into my home - the place that supports me and provides me pleasure and shelter.  Michael and I enjoy transforming our yard into a secret garden every year and now, each time we walk into the yard, we see it smiling back at us - reflecting the beauty and love that we have invested in it.  The more you put yourself into it, the more you see yourself smiling back at you :)
Today I finally want to share with you the technique I used to create some of the card backgrounds that I shared with you last week.  The technique is the bouncing brayer technique - or what I like to call the "put and push" technique.  Enjoy!

 I also want to share this gorgeous project from Julie Beltramo with you!  It is a wonderful Gingham Garden Sugar Scrub Gift Set!  You can learn more about Julie and her pretty project on her blog HERE.  This is the second June project on Craft Project Central.  To get all the instructions for this project and all the other June projects, just purchase a subscription for the month of June to Craft Project Central HERE!  You could also enter to win a FREE subscription for June to Craft Project Central by visiting my post from this past Sunday and leaving a comment in the comments section.  Deadline for entry is this Friday!!!!