Hodgepodge Happiness Note

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Asking "What If?"

I find that there are times when I am afraid to experiment and take chances in the craft room.  I get so worried about how ugly my creation might turn out if I try something out of the ordinary!  It is during these times that I realize I am too focused on the outcome as opposed to the process of creating.  If we are not willing to take risks, it is difficult to grow and move our art (and our life) in new directions.  One way to keep ourselves growing in our art is to continue asking the question "What if?"  For instance, "What if I combined these two ink colors when they are still wet?," "What if I try to reheat my embossing powder and add glitter while it is all melty?", "What if I combine frost white shimmer paint with Bashful Blue ink?"
It is this last question that led to today's 3"x3" card!  I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have shimmer paint in colors other than champagne and frost white and I asked myself "What if I combined the shimmer paint with my inks?"  I took out a tiny little paint cup (you could do this on a palette or piece of freezer paper as well) and combined a bit of frost white shimmer paint with some Bashful Blue ink (about 3 drops of ink) and then stirred it with a wooden skewer.  I then painted a piece of watercolor paper with the mixture.  The result was a beautiful, shimmery piece of light blue paper that inspired this card!  I tore a small piece of text out of an old book and adhered it to the Whisper White card with glue.  I added the shimmery square on top of it.  The sentiment is from Hodgepodge Happiness, stamped with Basic Black ink and then punched out with the 3/4" circle punch.  I made the little flower from a scrap of the old book paper and adhered it to the card with glue as well.  (I will try to make a video to share these quick and easy flowers with you).  Allow yourself to keep asking, "What if?"  It may lead you to new discoveries and awesome adventures in your art and life!!!! :)

Retiring Stamps & Accessories!

It's time to Say Goodbye to retiring stamp sets and accessories in order to make room for all of the new products coming out in our new catalog in July!  Click HERE to find out what items are retiring and to shop to get your favorites before they disappear by June 30th!  A few things I'm really going to miss include our 1 1/4" striped ribbon in some yummy colors and a few of my favorite stamp sets including:  Define Your Life, Friends 24-7, and Cheep Talk.

Altered Tin Can

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Best Gold In The World Is Of The Feathered Variety!

I'm still dealing with this cold that has decided to visit my body for a bit.  I spent my time today in the craft room instead of on the couch - it was a nice change of scene...especially when I looked out the window of the craft room and saw this:

It's rare for us to see such colorful birds in the city.  We have our share of blue jays, but the goldfinches usually stay in the mountains.  Today this gorgeous guy decided to brighten my day - it worked!!!!  Sometimes the best gold in the world is of the feathered variety!!!!
I was reading a past issue of Somerset Studio (Jan/Feb 2006) and I came across an article about Tinnies by Lisa Kaus.  I loved how she recycled tin cans and turned them into gorgeous knick-knack holders!  I was inspired so I dug a can out of the recycling bin and got to work!  I painted the can with 2 layers of latex house paint and then sanded it to let some of the silver shine through.  I cut, scalloped and tore some old book pages and then colored them with ink and acrylic glaze.  I adhered them to the can with gel medium and then added letters cut with the Big Shot and my Alphabet Simple Letters dies.  The paper flower was made using various layers of the scallop circle punch.  I hope you like it!  I can't wait to dig more cans out of the recycling bin!!! :)  Thanks for the inspiration Lisa!

Every Little Bit Brrrthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Create Through The Crud!

I woke up Sunday morning and was feeling fine and then, as the day progressed, the crud started to take over :(  Ugh!  Headache, runny nose, stuffy head and achy body - yuck!  So I went to bed early and woke up feeling like I had been run over by a truck.  I stayed on the couch and watched a lot of the Law & Order marathon and then, by the afternoon, I picked myself and my tea cup up and went into the craft room.  I did a bit of cleaning and then decided to take my mind off my sickness and create!  I hadn't used the Every Little Bit stamp set in forever, so I pulled it down and all of a sudden this pun came to my mind :)  Sometimes it helps to create through the crud! :)
I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the penguin image repeatedly using jet black Staz-On ink.  I then colored the beaks and feet with my Tangerine Tango marker.  The stamp-a-ma-jig came in really handy again for the greeting!  The "happy" is from Fabulous Phrases, the "Brrr" from the Defining Alphabet, and the "thday" from Curly Cute.  I added a touch of Frost White shimmer paint for snow.  I hope you like it!!!!

Medallion & Nature Walk Gesso Background

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Don't Throw Worms

I was talking to a friend the other day about a woman she has been friends with since she was small.  That was over 30 years ago and the friendship has devolved to a place where it no longer feels supportive or nurturing.  I asked my friend what had changed and she started to recount a tale from when she was young and this friend used to throw worms at her.  This was 30 years ago and it was as real today as it ever was.  My friend had asked the girl to not throw the worms and the girl didn't listen - she thought it was funny to watch my friend scream and cower at the worms.  And here we are 30 years later and the memory is just as real and the nature of the friendship never really did change.  Back then it was about not begin supportive and causing pain to someone close.  Today it seems the same.  The benefit is that now my friend is able to see this relationship for what it is and make choices about letting go of a relationship that is harmful to her.  What is in our past has happened.  Today is the present - the gift of new choices that support and treasure who we are.  What choices can you make for yourself today?
Today's card is what I'm calling an exploration :)  I have been playing with more art supplies and figuring out how to incorporate them into my cards.  This card uses gesso, iridescent medium (champagne shimmer paint creates a similar effect), ink, stamps, smooch ink and more!  The background has many layers - stamp, then gesso, then sponge with ink, then gesso, then dry brush, then spray, then stamp - you get the picture - a bunch of playing and experimentation.  I guess in making the card I am living the life I've imagined - the life of an artist - free to explore and experiment as I try to express myself.  I have a feeling more experimentation is on the way! :)

Four Ways Friday #51 - Ribbon or Twill (and some videos!!!)

For this week's Four Ways Friday I decided to share a few ways to use your ribbons or twill!  Feel free to play with the size, color and type of ribbon that you use - these techniques are fun with any ribbon or twill!

I love using my ribbon to create the tops of bookmarks!  Here I created a "pocket" on the front of the card using unbleached waxed paper.  I stamped the bee image from Nature Walk onto the card base and then sewed the pocket onto the front of the card.  I stamped the Define Your Life "wish" definition onto the wax paper with Staz-On.  The bookmark was created using a cracked glass embossing technique.  I will try to do a video next week so you can see how it was done!  Here is a picture of the card without the bookmark in the pocket as well as a reverse side of the bookmark.

I kept things simple for this second card!  I love to add ribbon to my card fronts.

For this one, you don't even need to know how to tie your ribbon!  Instead, you can adhere the ribbon to the back of the front panel and then use a small piece of crochet thread to tie the end :)  I used a glue dot, hidden behind the crochet thread, to secure the ribbon to the front of the card.  The lion is from the Fox & Friends stamp set and the words from Fabulous Phrases.  I ran the Soft Suede panel through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

This third card was all about solving a mystery!  How do you tie a corner knot?  Seems like an easy question to answer...until you actually try doing it :)  If you have your doubts and think it should be easy, feel free to stop reading this post and go give it a try :)  Once you get too frustrated, come back, and I'll solve the riddle for you ;)  Here is a video to show you how to tie this corner knot and make this fun card with the Cheep Talk stamp set.

This last card offers a solution to a problem that I have in my craft room - a problem that you might experience too!  I have a tendency to hold onto little scraps and bits of ribbon and hadn't really found a great way to use them....until I found fusible web/iron-on adhesive!!!!!  Here is a video to show you how to use some of your twill, ribbon and fabric scraps to make this adorable nest.  Next week I'll share with you some more advanced techniques using this wonderful iron-on adhesive!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  Have a wonderfully creative weekend!!!!

Nature Walk Journal

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Put Your Whole Body Into It!

On our walk the other day, Buddy and I saw a huge crow standing on the top of a light post.  As we got close, the bird puffed up his entire body (he about doubled in size!) and then let out the loudest caw we had ever heard!!!!  He put his whole body into creating that amazing sound and it was impressive!!!!  I wonder how often I put that much commitment into my art?  When I am creating, do I put my whole body into it?  Or, are there times when my heart and hands are into it and my head is somewhere else?  I aspire to put my whole body into every piece that I create - to be there 100% - head, heart, body, spirit.  I long to be like that crow - so fully committed to the sound he released into the world!
I continue to make these handmade journals to carry with me so that I can record thoughts, observations, questions and lessons.  Have you tried stamping with bubble wrap?  If not, you're missing out on a lot of fun :)  I stamped the Soft Suede base with bubble wrap until I liked the look.  I then sewed the edge of the cover with my sewing machine.  The bird was stamped on a Sahara Sand panel and then colored in with Stampin' pastels.  I used my music notes wheel to add a bit of additional interest to the panel and then cut out words from an old book.  The words were sponged and then adhered to the panel.  Here is a close up of the panel:

 I then sewed around the panel and adhered it to the front cover.  I used string to bind the book and scrap paper for the pages.  I hope you like it!

Nature Walk Stamped Masking Tape Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Very Best Surprises Are In Your Own Backyard!

We can get trapped in a negative thought process that focuses on the "anywhere is better than here" theme...or the "nothing new and exciting ever happens here" theme.  I strongly believe that what we think is what we see - if we don't believe the place we are is wonderful, then it won't be.  If we don't believe in backyard surprises, then we will likely miss them when they do happen.  I am so glad I didn't miss the surprises in the backyard this past weekend!!!!!  I was in the craft room and looked out the window since I saw some motion out of the corner of my eye.  Look at what I saw!!!!!!

I had never seen a single Cedar Waxwing, let alone a whole group of them...let alone in our very own backyard!!!!!!  It was an amazing surprise and I couldn't stop watching them!  They stayed for the afternoon, enjoyed the water and the seeds in the nearby trees.  And then, as if they had never been here at all, they vanished!  I am so glad I made it outside to listen to them.  They have a very high-pitched song - almost cricket-like.  Sometimes the very best surprises are in your own backyard....here's another one I found that same day...Willow thinks she is a tomato plant :)

For today's card I had some extra stamped masking tape from yesterday's card and I decided to put it to good use :)  I've really been enjoying using my Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set to create whatever saying/greeting/sentiment I want!  I love this Rumi quote...it seems to go with the bird theme of the day :)  I hope you like the card and the quote...and the animal watching in the backyard :)

Artistic Etchings Card & Stamped Masking Tape Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes All You Need Is A Makeover :)

I can get captivated every once in awhile by the show What Not To Wear.  Have you seen it?  The hosts of the show work with someone to give them a total makeover - clothes, hair, makeup - it is pretty amazing to watch the recipient of the makeover transform before your eyes - not just externally, but internally as well.  You can see their confidence build with the outer transformation.  I must confess that I am not very into makeup and clothing.  There was a time when I wore a ton of makeup and then I grew out of it.  I decided that other than a touch of lipstick on special days, I didn't want to tug and pull on my face.  So you will usually find me sans face paint and in clothing that I'm sure does not make my mom very proud :)  I have my reasons - mostly craft related.  If you play in the craft room as much as I do your clothing definitely becomes a part of the creative process :)  And, okay, maybe I also like to hide in schlumpy clothes...but that's another story for another day....maybe I need to see how I can make myself over - to build my confidence and feel as good on the outside as I do on the inside and vice versa.  How 'bout you?
I decided my poor masking tape needed a makeover too!  Not that there is anything wrong with the lovely vanilla tinted tape as it is...I just thought it might want a little boost :)  So, off I went with my roll of masking tape, my Jet Black Staz-On ink and the En Francais background stamp...and the rest is history :)  Here is a video to show you how I made this card.  I hope you like it!

Embossing Folder Candle Wax Resist Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Is So Much Going On Under The Surface That We Cannot See!

It's that time of year here again!  The warmer weather is arriving and with it, the promise of a new garden filled with healthy, homegrown vegetables!  We finally planted all our seeds this past week and the rain decided to show up and help the little seeds out!  I love walking outside and staring at the fresh dirt wondering when I will begin to see the tiny seedlings break through!  I know there is so much going on under the ground that I cannot see!  The same is true for the people around us and for ourselves.  What we often see and focus on is the surface.  Sometimes we fail to recognize that for them and for us there is so much going on under the surface that we cannot see.  Next time you find yourself ready to release your anger on them or ready to react, step back and wonder to yourself what might be going on for them, under the surface.  Just like you, they are deeper than what we see.  Shifting your perspective  might help you release the need to react as strongly and may change the way you relate to the person in front of you.
Today's card uses the wax candle resist technique from last week.  This time, however, I chose to use an embossing folder instead of the texturz plate to show you another way to achieve this beautiful effect.  Here is a video to show you how!  Enjoy!

Four Ways Friday #50 - Baker's Twine

In this week's Four Ways Friday I wanted to share with you four different ways to use Baker's Twine in your papercrafting projects!  This week's Four Ways Friday was actually inspired by a recent call for submissions for PaperCrafts Magazine.  The challenge was to use baker's twine in creative ways.  I submitted three cards that were not accepted...although they were perfect to serve as this week's examples!!!! :)

Somehow the red and white twist of the baker's twine made me think of peppermint candies and large lollipops!  That thinking was the inspiration behind this card!  I used a 1 1/4" circle punch to punch a piece of white chipboard and then coated it with glue.  I then started by adhered the twine in the center of the glue and round it around and around until I filled the whole circle.  I attached it to a real lollipop stick using glue and added a knot of Real Red grosgrain ribbon.  With the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the word "sweet" from Fabulous Phrases onto the Crumb Cake card stock with Crumb Cake ink.  I cut three 3" x 1 1/2" strips of card stock and scalloped the edges with the scallop border punch.  I layered them one on top of the other and adhered them to the bottom of the card.  The banner greeting was stamped with On Your Birthday and attached to the card with glue.  A button finishes the look.

Baker's twine also makes the perfect accent for packages that are begging to be tied up with string!  Here I cut a small rectangle out of Sahara Sand card stock and sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink.  I tied the ribbon around the package and added a tag using the small jewelry tag and a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I sponged the edge of the tag before adding it to the present.  The greeting, stamped onto the Blushing Bride card using Chocolate Chip ink, is from Define Your Life.

I know it's early for Christmas and I couldn't stop myself from making a holiday card!  The red and white color combination of the twine just made me think of Christmas!  I cut slits in the bottom of the Whisper White card stock and 1/4" intervals.  I also punched a hole toward the top of the Whisper White card stock.  I wound the twine around and around the card stock - catching it in a slit and then passing it through the top hole, until all the slits were filled.  I added some plastic jewels as ornaments.  the small star punch from Brushed Gold card stock added the perfect tree topper and the rhinestone brad added some bling!  I stamped the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes and adhered it to a piece of Hodgepodge hardware.  The hardware was attached to the card with a combination of dimensionals and Real Red satin ribbon.

When I see twine/string, I am often reminded of wrapping yarn around my fingers, tying it off in the middle, and then cutting all the loops to create a pom-pom.  So, what the heck, I thought I would try it with the twine and it created this fun bow!!!!  I thought the bow would look cute on the 2-way owl punch.  I added a beak and some Pumpkin Pie feet.  The sentiment is from Fundamental Phrases.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  Have fun playing with your baker's twine - I'm sure you can come up with a zillion ways to use it!!!!  Have a creative and wonderful weekend!!!!!

Notably Ornate Mini Journal

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Listen For Your Heart Whisper

Amidst the clamor of life - the ring tones and beeping, the buzzing and honking - there is a whisper inside of you.  If we stop long enough to listen, we will hear the faint sound of that whisper - the whisper of our dreams - our desires - our truth.  One way I try to quiet the noise inside of me and around me is to journal.  At times I will journal in the morning - trying to capture the random thoughts that race around my head.  Journaling gives them a place to land so they don't have to keep buzzing around in my head, trying to grab my attention.  Although I have not been consistent with my morning journal, I have tried to remain consistent with my evening gratitude journal.  I make it a before-bed ritual - to record at least 10 things I am grateful for - the gratitude I have found - in the day I have just lived.  I have a small red journal on my nightstand where I record these lists of gratefulness.  When I travel, I take a handmade journal with me and I record my thoughts and my gratitude list in the journal.  By taking time to stop and capture these thoughts I open myself up to hearing the whispers of my heart.
I created this journal using 1/2 a piece of Sahara Sand card stock.  I inked bubble wrap using my Whisper White craft ink pad and stamped onto the surface of the card stock.  I also stamped using Perfect Plum ink and the tip of the Crystal Effects container.  The Sahara Sand panel in the middle was run through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and then sponged with Sahara Sand ink.  I sewed around the edge of the book with my sewing machine.  I also sewed a piece of Victoria crochet trim to the embossed panel and then sewed the panel to the front cover.  I stamped the bird from Notably Ornate onto Whisper White card stock with Perfect Plum ink and cut it out and adhered it to the card using dimensionals.  The word "Discover" is from Handbill Headlines (retired) and was stamped in black onto Sahara Sand card stock and punched out with the extra large oval punch.  The words came from an old book.  I cut them out of the book, sponged the, and adhered them to the cover.  A few rhinestone jewels add some sparkle!  The inside of the journal has pages made from scrap paper.  I used string along with decorative threads/yarns to create the binding.  I hope you like it!

Fancy Flower Extra Large Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Rainy Days Are Great Days To Color!

This past weekend we had quite a bit of rain here in Denver - gray skies, chilly air...the perfect time to head into the craft room.  It was also the perfect time to pull out the markers and bring some bright colors into an otherwise gray day!!!!!  Rainy days are definitely great days to color...as are sunny days, snowy days, perfect days :)  Coloring makes me happy :)
I punched out 3 flowers using the fancy flower extra large punch and Whisper White card stock.  I then went crazy outlining, coloring, dotting - anything that I felt would bring these flowers to life and make me smile :)  I then cut a piece of Sahara Sand card stock into the shape of a pot and ran it through the Big Shot with the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  I used a marker to add a bit of shadow to the right side of the pot and used my white gel pen to add some pot dots!  The leaves were created by cutting the petals from the 5-petal flower punch and then scoring them down the middle with a bone folder.  I also cut a few very thin strips of Old Olive card stock and curled them around an embroidery needle to create the little tendrils.  I put the pot of flowers together onto the Very Vanilla card base using dimensionals and glue.  The greeting is from Short & Sweet and was punched out using the 1 3/4" oval punch.  I hope you like it!

Wax Resist Season Of Friendship Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  "Growth Itself Contains The Germ Of Happiness" -Pearl S. Buck

When I saw this quote it really spoke to me!  We always seem to be searching for happiness.  Looking for that "thing" that will finally make us ultimately happy.  The truth we learn is that there is no "thing" that brings us happiness.  Happiness is something that we find within ourselves.  Growth is one way to ensure that the germ of happiness is always taking root inside of us.  When we stop growing or stop changing, we can get stuck in a rut and happiness feels so far away.  If we keep pushing ourselves to grow; if we keep facing the opportunities presented to us for change, we find that we are planing the seeds of happiness to continue to grow inside of us.  What are you doing today to grow?
Today's card was born out of my own growth - trying a new technique!  Yesterday's video showed how to do the technique and I couldn't stop myself from playing some more :)  I created the background using a wax resist and the Backgrounds 1 texturz plates (flourish).  I then sponged with Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, and Chocolate Chip.  The wax was removed with an iron and a piece of scrap paper and then I stamped the tree and leaves from Season of Friendship.  The quote was stamped in Early Espresso using the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I hope you like it!

Card Play Episode #16 - Wax Candle Resist Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Commit Yourself To The Work Of Your Heart!

What does it mean to commit yourself to the work of your heart?  I don't know that it means stopping whatever work you are currently doing and diving fully into the work that your heart desires.  It also does not mean ignoring the whispers of your heart.  What it does mean is becoming aware of the work your heart is guiding you towards and taking steps, each and every day, to pursue that work.  Making that commitment means that you take moments out of your current life to listen to your heart.  If sharing your creativity with others is part of the work of your heart, how can you commit to that in some way today - right now?  Sharing a handmade gift; helping someone else explore their creativity; allowing yourself time today to express your creativity - all of these are ways to fulfill your commitment to yourself.  Your heart is waiting - make the commitment!
Today's card was inspired by a video by Marie-Josée Trudel that I watched.  I had never tried doing a resist technique with wax and her video inspired me to give it a try!  (Thanks Marie-Josée!).  I was also inspired to share how I made this card with you...maybe you'll want to give it a try too :)

Four Ways Friday #49 - En Francais Background Stamp

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about the En Francais Background stamp.  This stamp is so versatile it was hard for me to limit myself to Four Ways! :)

This first card using the background stamp in a very traditional way.  I inked up the background stamp with various shades of blue (baja breeze, marina mist, and bashful blue) using markers.  I then applied the Very Vanilla card stock onto the stamp to transfer the image.  I find that bringing the card stock to the stamp, as opposed to bringing the stamp to the card stock, transfers the image more completely.  I then crumpled the paper and sponged the creases and the edges with baja breeze.  The panel was sewn to a Sahara Sand card stock piece and then adhered to the card base.  The flower is two scrunched up scallop circle punches with a rhinestone brad in the center.  The leaves are the petals from the 5 petal flower punch.  The sentiment is from Sincere Salutations, stamped in Chocolate Chip and punched out with the decorative label punch.

You can punch out pieces that you stamp with the En Francais background stamp!  Here I stamped onto Marina Mist card stock with Early Espresso ink and then punched out the bird with the 2-step bird punch.  I sponged the edges of the bird with the same ink.  I then masked the Soft Suede card base and stamped the En Francais again.  Here is what the masked card looked like:

I then stamped images from Lovely As A Tree using Chocolate Chip and Soft Suede ink.  The greeting is from Curvy Verses and was stamped using VersaMark and heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

You are definitely not limited to stamping on card stock!  Here I stamped the En Francais stamp onto twill ribbon using Staz-On ink and then knotted the ribbon.  The Rich Razzleberry card base was run through the Big Shot with the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  The greeting from Sincere Salutations was stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink onto Natural Ivory card stock and punched out with the extra large oval punch.  The ribbon was attached to the card using glue dots.

I love creating items other than cards and this stamp lends itself well to stamping on fabric!  Here I stamped the background stamp onto white cotton (and old duvet that we no longer use) and then sewed the two pieces of white cotton together to form a bookmark.  The sentiment was added using Staz-On ink and the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I added some Basic Black ribbon and a felt butterfly that I cut out using the Beautiful Butterflies die.
Thanks for joining me for this week's Four Ways Friday.  I hope these examples inspire you to try to use your background stamps in new and exciting ways!!!!  Have a wonderfully creative weekend!!!!

Vintage Vogue Friend Card With CitraSolv Transfer

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Infuse A New Technique Into Your Repertoire!

I like to spend some time every week reading crafting/art magazines or watching art videos on YouTube or other on-line sites.  I really enjoy watching other people create and seeing the different techniques they employ to create their works of art.  I am sometimes inspired enough to actually give some of the techniques a try.  Sometimes I only try once and that is enough :)  Other times I find techniques that get incorporated into my art repertoire - techniques I turn to again and again when the mood strikes.  What new techniques have you tried recently?
Here I turned to a technique that I've been playing with lately - CitraSolv transfers.  I laser printed this vintage photo of a woman and transferred it onto a piece of muslin using CitraSolv and burnishing with a spoon.  I then colored her a bit using Stampin' pastels.  I sewed the fabric to a piece of More Mustard card stock and then got crazy with stamping!  I used images from Vintage Vogue and stamped over and over until the card stock itself started to look like a piece of floral fabric.  I then stamped the "quality" image from My Favorite Things and cut it out and adhered it to the card with dimensionals.  The pearls mark those qualities that this person has as a true friend - quality, strength and durability.  She is definitely someone I can rely on!  I finished the card by machine sewing around the edges and rounding the two bottom corners.  I hope you like it!

Greetings Earthling Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Turn Right And Walk One Extra Block!

We ran into one of Buddy's dog friends the other day on our morning walk, so we decided to walk together.  We were going our usual way when Buddy's friend took a right where we normally go straight.  We decided that was okay with us so we walked one block to the right and it was AMAZING how different the walk was!  There were some new rolling hills, new sights and sounds...and of course, new smells!!!!  Sometimes all it takes is turning right and walking one extra block to have a whole new experience!  We can do this in our cars, on our bikes, when we walk - all kinds of surprises await!!!  Where can you turn right?
Today's card was made to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday!  His wife planned a surprise party for him and it came off without a hitch!  He was shocked!!!!  The look on his face was priceless :)  I used the Greetings Earthling stamp set and did a lot of coloring, cutting and glittering :)  The sign was created with a toothpick and I stamped the word "happy" from one of the greetings in Teeny Tiny Wishes.  The "40" was stamped using the Collage Numbers (retired) and versamark and then heat embossing with gold embossing powder and cutting them out.  The planet is just a piece of Sahara Sand card stock that I sponged and sponged and sponged - both on the edges and then using a little template I created by punching different sized holes out of a piece of card stock.  I can use the template over and over again whenever the mood to create a planet strikes :)  I hope you like it!

Stamped & Soldered Jewelry

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Your Awareness In The Present Moment
Oftentimes I feel like I am not living in the moment.  I find myself either living in the future or living in the past.  Living in the future seems to happen to me a lot when I travel for work.  No sooner do I get home than I am already anxious about the next trip that will take me away from my family and my craft room.  What I find is that rather than enjoy every moment that I am here I am anxious and sad at the prospect of leaving again and that puts a huge damper on enjoying the present moment!  When I am creating it seems that I can focus and remain in the present - time seems to become unimportant and not worth noticing.  Now the trick is to figure out how I can bring this same sense of being to the times when I am not creating - whether I'm driving in the car, walking outside, typing on the computer.  I want to be present.  I want to experience all that this very moment is offering me.  To be real and now.  This is something I am working on.  Here I am, right now!
Today's stamping project is a graduation gift I made for a friend who just got a Master's degree!  I'm so proud of her!!!!  I decided to make her a necklace with her initial and a word that I feel describes her - "unique!"  I stamped the bird from the Nature Walk stamp set (I LOVE this bird!!!!) onto Very Vanilla card stock and colored him in using a cotton swab and Stampin' Pastels.  The word is from a retired stamp set - I think it's called Everyday Flexible Phrases.  Up in the corner you can see a tiny bit of a floral image from Tiny Tags stamped in Crumb Cake ink at half strength.  Here is the other side of the necklace:

I cut a piece of paper from an old book and stamped it with the floral image from Tiny Tags using Crumb Cake ink at half strength.  The edges were also sponged.  Then I did what I'm not supposed to do!  I ran some thin copper foil through the Big Shot with one of my sizzlits - Timeless Type alphabet.  This can damage your sizzlits - they are not designed to be used with foil...but I'm not one for always following the rules :)  Since I was nervous, I ran it through on Tab 2, so the letter did not get cut out of the foil.  Instead, it left deep lines and I was able to take a hobby blade and cut through the foil to cut out the letter.  I used microscope glass, copper tape, flux, and solder to put everything together.  I hope you like it! :)

Enjoy Life Colored Transparency

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There's Nothing That Makes Me Feel More Like An Artist Than Inky Fingers!

Getting messy was all the rage when I was young!  How fun to play with mud pies and stomp in puddles!  Dripping paint on t-shirts and rubbing glue between your palms just to peel it off - those were amazing days!  Then we grew up and somewhere along the way we decided that our hands needed to be spotless and our clothes sans stains.  What's up with that?!  On days that I have the most fun in the craft room it seems that my clothes and my skin are the least of my worries!  Getting my fingers stained with ink and paint, having glitter all over my clothes and face, wiping my aqua painter off on my jeans - that's what makes me feel like an artist!!!!!  I will do my best to not wear my best clothes in the craft room.  At the same time, I will do my best to allow the stains and drips to fall as they may :)

For today's card I continued with playing with transparencies/window sheets.  Here I cut a small square of transparency and stamped on the transparency with black Staz-on and the flowers from the Punch Potpourri stamp set.  I then used a paint brush and painted shimmer paint onto the back of the transparency to "color" the flowers.  I sewed the transparency onto a piece of designer series paper and then adhered it to the crumpled Certainly Celery panel using dimensionals.  As you can see, I sewed the Certainly Celery panel to the Rich Razzleberry card.  The greeting is from Fabulous Phrases.  I then put some Crystal Effects around the panel and sprinkled on some beads.  Crystal Effects is a wonderful adhesive for small objects like beads, glitter and buttons.  I hope you like it!

I would also like to take a moment today to honor my father.  It was on this day back in 1986 that my father died suddenly.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of my father and feel his presence as if he were walking beside me.  Daddy, thank you for being all that you are.  I love you!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

For those of you who are mothers to children and/or animals, I want to wish you a very happy Mother's Day!!!!!  Here are my children :)  Obviously Willow is trying to tell me that since it is Mother's Day it is time to plant outdoors here in Colorado! :)  Enjoy your special day!!!!

Four Ways Friday #48 - Calendar Alphabet & Numbers

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I thought it would be too easy to use them for a calendar...so I decided to play a bit!

The color combination for this first card was inspired by a pillow I saw in a catalog - I loved the spring feel of the orange, pink and green together!  I stamped the flower from Fifth Avenue Floral with Jet Black Staz-on and then colored with a combination of markers and smooch ink (the gold dots are all smooch).  I made the banner by cutting the points off of small stars that I had punched using the star punch.  I then heat embossed the letters using white embossing powder and the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  The word "birthday" is from the "happy birthday" stamp in the Teeny Tiny Greetings stamp set.  A piece of thread was adhered to the card with glue and then the banner letters were adhered on top of it with glue.

 This second card is an easy way to make use of the alphabet letters.  Just stamp the letters onto card stock and cut them out individually.  Here I stamped the letters in Basic Black on Very Vanilla card stock, cut them out and sponged the edges with Basic Black ink before mounting them on the card with dimensionals.  The heart is from Paisley Prints (retired) and was stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed with silver embossing powder and punched out with the large heart punch.  I attached a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to the inside of the card so that writing in regular ink would show up inside.

Don't forget that you can stamp your letters onto surfaces other than paper!  Here I took a piece of white cotton fabric and sprayed it with ink mixed with water.  I also sprayed it with a mix of alcohol and champagne shimmer paint for some sparkle!  I let the fabric dry and then stamped the letters - you can use regular ink or Staz-On for this purpose.  Before adding the fabric to the card I masked off the card like this:

and sponged the area with Tangerine Tango ink.  I removed all of the masks, except for the bottom one and stamped the floral image from Always in Chocolate Chip ink across the colored area.  I also stamped the butterfly from Dreams Du Jour and added dazzling diamonds to the flowers and butterfly.  I added the fabric strip to the card using matte medium - I find that this works well for adhering fabric to card stock.

Last but not least I decided to make a tag.  I repeatedly stamped the letters in Pretty In Pink ink to form the word "yummy."  I sponged the edges of the tag with both Pretty In Pink and Chocolate Chip ink.  I punched the bottom edge of the tag with the lace border punch and then added strips of Pretty In Pink and Baja Breeze card stock.  I punched the Baja Breeze with the scallop border punch and used a hole punch to punch a hole in each of the scallops.  The monkeys are from Fox and Friends.  I stamped the monkeys in Chocolate Chip ink and cut them out using my paper snips.  I adhered them to the card with dimensionals and added a piece of chocolate chip ribbon for hanging.  A few rhinestone jewels finish the look.  I can't wait to find a yummy treat to put this tag on!!!! :)
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I am a big fan of alphabet sets - they are so versatile and allow you the freedom to create any greeting/saying you choose!  I hope you have a wonderful creative weekend and, if you are a mom, a very happy Mother's Day!!!!!! :)

Nature Walk Mother's Day Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Find A Rhythm In Repetition

We live in a world of constant change.  I am sometimes amazed by how many images get flashed across a tv screen in a second!  It's mind boggling!  It's no wonder that it can be challenging to hear your inner voice - the whispers of your internal wisdom - when change is going on all around you and distracting your attention.  Repetition is one way to calm the change and enable your inner voice to be heard.  Meditation takes advantage of this - the repetition of the awareness on your breath or the repetition of a mantra over and over again - a word or a sound - so that your mind is no longer distracted and your internal thoughts can rise to the surface.  I find that walking meditation works for me.  When I walk Buddy in the morning and just focus on my steps, my mind seems to open and I am much closer to my inner wisdom.  What repetition can you focus on today?
Today's card is the card I made for my mom for Mother's Day.  I decided that this special card for such a special woman really didn't need a lot of glitz and glamour - just simple and beautiful, just like her!  The card base is Very Vanilla.  I cut a small piece of Natural Ivory card stock and rounded one edge.  I stamped the floral image in Crumb Cake, multiple times, across the bottom.  The greeting is from Cause For Celebration (hostess) and was stamped in Early Espresso using the stamp-a-ma-jig.  The bird was stamped onto Whisper White using Jet Black Staz-On ink and then colored in using an aqua painter and Bashful Blue ink.  The beak is Soft Suede and the legs/feet a mix of Soft Suede and Going Gray (retired).  The bird and the panel were both mounted onto the card using dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

CitraSolv Transfer Together Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Unclutter
Is unclutter a word?  Or is it de-clutter?  Either way, I know it's something that I continually struggle with!  Some people are really good at letting go of things.  For some reason, it's one of those tough things for me to do.  No, I'm not someone who can be featured on the show Hoarders (and I really do feel so sorry for those individuals that have such a difficult time releasing things) and, at the same time, the psychological impact that clutter has on me is definitely not a positive one!  There are two spaces in particular that seem to get out of hand very quickly for me - the craft room and my office.  The office becomes a mass of pieces of paper everywhere - piles of paper, receipts, sticky notes.  The craft room gets overwhelmed at times by new supplies, remainders from completed projects, projects in process.  I know that some people work comfortably in the clutter around them.  I find that it just stimulates my inner critic to start telling me how cluttered my spaces are and I am so tired of that never-ending voice.  So I have begun to unclutter and I am doing my best to be supportive of myself in the process.  I know it will be a process and not an instant occurrence.  What I do know so far is that with each small step I am feeling better - lighter - more free.  My goal is to clean my space and clean my mind of the clutter of the messages of that inner critic!  Wish me luck!!!! :)
Today's card was also an attempt to unclutter - just simple ink and card stock.  The profile is of my wonderful companion, Buddy!  I decided to try transferring a laser printed image of him using Citra-Solv.  There are quite a few videos on how to do CitraSolv transfers on YouTube.  I found this video HERE particularly useful!  If you try this technique, you may want to do it outside - this stuff has a very strong citrus odor...the odor will eventually leave the card stock - it just takes a few days.  I transferred Buddy's image and then added the greeting from Define Your Life in Basic Black ink.  I hope you like it! :)  You will likely be seeing some more of these transfers soon!

Yippeee!!! An Honorable Mention!!!!

I had to share my excitement with you!  As you know, I have been trying to ignore my inner critic and continue to submit my work to try to get it published.  I decided to try and enter Stampin' Up!'s monthly Stampin' Success challenge for July - I actually sent it in quite early and was waiting to hear....and today look what was in my inbox:
"Congratulations! Your May Art Contest entry was selected for recognition with an honorable mention in our July issue."
I was so excited!!!!!  This means that my name will be listed in the honorable mention section in the July issue of Stampin' Success (Stampin' Up!'s magazine for demonstrators) and the projects will be posted in the on-line extras of the Stampin' Up! demonstrator website.  I also get to choose any stamp set I would like from the current catalog for free!!!! :)  Of course, I will share the projects with you once the Stampin' Success magazine comes out (which will be some time next month).  The theme for the contest was Land That I Love and features projects honoring the United States and Canada.  If you haven't tried to submit your work anywhere, why not give it a try????  Tell that inner critic to go take a hike! :)

Not Quite A One Stamp Wonder Robot :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  What Takes Your Attention?

Today I was wondering about the things that seem to attract my attention.  I wish I could say I am proud of all the things that attract my attention.  There are some that I feel great about:  my family (four-legged and two-legged members!), my art, nature.  There are also quite a few things that I attend to that I am not very pleased about:  this darn computer...when I'm just mindlessly checking news and compulsively checking email, idle thoughts, negative self-talk.  It seems that I let my attention be drawn to things that aren't constructive for me - that aren't helping me move forward on my journey.  And now the big question...what do I do about it?!  It seems the first step is noticing what I am attending to, then deciding if that is where I want to put my attention.  If the answer is "no," then the next step is to accept the challenge of stopping giving that thing my attention.  I know it will be a learning process and I am ready to learn.  There is an old saying that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.  So I am going to keep my eyes open for all of the "teachers" that will come my way to help me with this lesson.  I know my cat, Willow, is already one of those teachers.  It is amazing to watch her attend to what is of utmost importance to her - usually it's a mouse in the backyard by the bird feeders :)  I am inspired by her focus!
Today's card missed being a One Stamp Wonder by one stamp!  I just couldn't help myself!  This robot needed a cupcake! :)  I stamped the head by inking up an acrylic block.  The body is the lid from a stampin' spot.  The lines on his body are from the ridges on a snail holder.  His arms. his antennae, and the polka dots are a pencil eraser used as a stamp.  His eyes are a combination of stamping the end of a marker and then stamping the lid of a 2-way glue pen.  The cupcake is from the So Cute stamp set and the greeting is from On Your Birthday.  What kind of robot can you make with your supplies???? :)

National Scrapbooking Month Promotion!

 It's National Scrapbooking Month and Stampin' Up! is offering 30% off on select stamp sets!  Click HERE to find out more about this promotion!  The promotion runs until the end of the month.
The Summer Mini Catalog is also here!  You can click on the catalog icon in the right-hand column to view our great new products!

Bugs & Kisses Journal Art

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Make Some Honest Art

I have a confession to make...I have to admit that lately I have felt like I have not been honest in my art.  What do I mean by this?  Well, I often share cards with you that I would call "happy" cards - cards that are meant to make people smile or feel good.  However, inside of me, I know that I don't always want to smile and I don't always feel good and the card art I have been making was not letting me express the other emotions I feel.  So, I decided it was time to make and share some "honest" art.  Don't get me wrong, there are definitely times I am happy and smiling and feeling good...I am just more complex than that and my art needs to be too.
So off I went to explore some sorrow.  I mentioned Teesha Moore to you last week and this piece was inspired by her art journaling process.  It is a piece of art that I intend to frame.  I included some Stampin' Up! glossy card stock, ink and designer papers.  You may also recognize the dragonfly from Bugs & Kisses :)  I stamped him with Staz-On onto vellum, cut him out and colored the wings and body with markers.  I hope this piece speaks to you - it felt good to set some of my sorrow free.