Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  My Dreams Are Trying To Tell Me Something...I Just Wish I Could Figure Out What!

There are some people who have the pleasure of having few or no nightmares.  I, unfortunately, am not one of them :(  There are a few recurring themes in my nightmares and the other day one showed up that had me waking up totally stressed out!  The short version is that I was being chased and trying my best to run away and hide and call for help all at the same time.  So now I'm wondering what it is that is chasing me and what is it that I am running from?  Maybe the fear of committing myself fully to a creative life?  Maybe I'm just trying to fit exercise into my sleep on those days where I don't fit it into my waking hours?  Next time the dream/nightmare shows up...and I anticipate it will...I need to stop running and turn around in my nightmare and ask the person why they are chasing me - maybe then I will have my answer.  I will keep you posted!  Hopefully I'll get some good hours of sleep in the meantime!  I wish for restful sleep for you as well :)
Today's card is another simple card that you can make in a matter of minutes.  I stamped the hummingbird from Elements Of Style using Marina Mist and then cut it out (that's the most time-intensive part of this card).  Then I took a strip of First Edition Specialty designer series paper and adhered it to the Whisper White card base using glue.  The "thank you" is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and was stamped in black with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig.  The bird was then popped up on the card using dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

Artistic Etchings Simply Stamping Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Patience Really Can Be A Choice!

I won't give you all the details - let's just say that I was just trying to reach customer service at a company and ended up being on hold, listening to that lovely "make my mind numb" music for enough time to have birthed a child!  Okay, maybe not that long...but it sure felt like it.  There were a few moments where I was ready to hang up.  A few moments where I was ready to shout profanities at the first human voice I would hear.  And a few moments where I teetered on the edge and chose to just relax and do some computer work while the muzak played in my ear.  I'm glad I chose not to react and rather to sit back and enjoy patience.  I didn't get worked up - I did get some computer work done - and, in the end, I believe my issue will be resolved to my satisfaction (they need to do some work on their end and get back to me tomorrow).  So yes, patience can really be a choice - if you breathe long enough to realize the choice is yours for the taking! :)
Today's card is all about simply stamping...ooh - and a little dazzling diamonds!  You really can make a quick and easy card that packs a punch!  I paired the crown image from Artistic Etchings with the greeting from Bring On The Cake.  Both were stamped with Jet Black Staz-On with a little help from the stamp-a-ma-jig on Whisper White card stock.  I added a touch of dazzling diamonds with a 2-way glue pen.  Can't wait to give this card to someone for their birthday!!!!!  Hope you like it!

Tie-Dye Friends 24-7 Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Watch And Learn

Every once in awhile I'll happen upon a video that inspires me to try a new technique!  That happened on Sunday when I came across this video by a woman named Rachel on YouTube.  She calls the technique the Bandanna Technique due to the use of black stamped images, application of vibrant colors, and the addition of a white gel pen.  To complete this card I used the following stamp sets:  Friends 24-7, En Francais, and Solid Stripes.  I'm not sure I'm 100% pleased with the outcome.  At the same time, I really enjoyed trying something new and getting my fingers inky :)  I may have to practice again!  Watch Rachel's video to learn how to put a card like this together....you might just learn something new and be inspired to give it a try!  Thanks Rachel! :)

A Bit Of A Break

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take Time Out To Take A Dip!

Look at the unexpected visitor that appeared outside my craft room window the other day!!!!  I'm sure I was the only one that was excited to see this Cooper's hawk - I think the small birds in the yard went to hide!  He started out on the edge of the birdbath, drank a bit of water, and then he decided it was time to walk in and take a bit of a dip!  I've decided to take a bit of a dip myself - to take a time out and dip into my thoughts and allow myself a week to not have any responsibility for posting to this blog.  That's not to say that I definitely will not post (see how hard it is for me to take a time out!?!) - I am just giving myself permission to not show up here for a week if that is what I choose.  I hope that you too will take a time out from visiting the blog for a week and spend those precious moments dipping into your heart or mind or soul and seeing what awaits you!  Enjoy your time out and I look forward to meeting with you again soon....next week...or possibly sooner :)  Enjoy!

Four Ways Friday #53 - Elements Of Style

This week's Four Ways Friday focuses on the gorgeous Elements Of Style stamp set!

Line images lend themselves really well to watercolor painting.  Here I stamped the floral image onto watercolor paper using Jet Black Staz-On ink.  I then used my aqua painter and made a palette using the lids of my Rose Red, Pretty In Pink, Certainly Celery, and Wild Wasabi classic ink pads.  I watercolored the flowers and then added a dash of dazzling diamonds with my 2-way glue pen.  I stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations using Staz-On as well and then mounted the panel onto a Wild Wasabi card base using glue.

 

Designer paper makes an excellent base for stamping too!  Here I took a piece from the Brights Pattern Stack and stamped the floral image using Chocolate Chip ink.  I then stamped the greeting using the same ink.  Next I stamped the bird onto a small piece of the same designer paper and then cut it out and popped it up on the card front using dimensionals.  The entire panel was then adhered to a Rose Red card base.

I love to create background papers using stamps and ink and this set is great for doing that!  I began with a piece of Sahara Sand card stock and then stamped the curvy line stamp (I'm not sure what to call it!) using Crumb Cake ink.  Then I stamped parts of it again using Chocolate Chip ink.  I added a few adhesive pearls and then sprayed the panel with a mixture of water and Chocolate Chip ink that I keep in a mini spray bottle.  I then distressed the edges of the panel using my fingernail (you can use a distressing tool too).  A piece of Very Vanilla seam binding was tied around the panel and knotted.  I stamped the greeting onto a piece of Naturals Ivory card stock using Chocolate Chip ink and then punched it out with a 1" circle punch.  I distressed the edges with my fingernail and then sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip ink.  I popped the circle up on the panel using dimensionals.  The bird was stamped using Marina Mist onto Very Vanilla card stock, cut out, and then adhered to the panel with dimensionals.  I ran the Sahara Sand card base through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder.  The panel was then adhered to the card base using dimensionals.

This final card is quick and simple!  I began with a Very Vanilla card base and stamped the curvy line image using Sahara Sand and the stamp-a-ma-jig to make a diagonal pattern across the card.  I then added a bit of dazzling diamonds for some sparkle!  The greeting was stamped using Sahara Sand ink on Very Vanilla card stock and punched out with a 1" circle punch.  I added a few adhesive pearls and then popped the circle up on the card with dimensionals.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a weekend filled with love, laughter, and creativity!!!!!!

One Stamp Wonder Thank You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Just Try It - You May Surprise Yourself!

I remember when my dad got his first computer and I decided I needed to give it a try.  I had no idea what I was doing, but somewhere I saw the command "init" in the book that came with the computer and I decided that would be a fun one to try.  As I just said, I had no idea what I was doing so I entered that command and hit "enter."  Well, what I did without intending to was initialize the disk that was in the drive - ie I wiped out everything that was on it.  Oops!  I didn't make anyone happy that day, but what I did do was get over my fear of computers.  I figured that as long as I didn't enter "init" there really wasn't anything I could do that could get me into big trouble!  It can be very rewarding to approach life in the craft room this same way - to realize that there really isn't a ton of damage you can cause and that if you just give things a try you may just surprise yourself!  Today, without any prior experience with free-motion embroidery, I decided to give it a shot.  No, I didn't create a masterpiece, but I did surprise myself!  I actually started to see what it was like to treat your needle like a writing instrument and began to enjoy the process (even if the product needs a lot more practice!).  So go ahead, whatever it is you've been longing to do in the craft room, just try it!   You may surprise yourself!
I decided to share a One Stamp Wonder card with you today.  The only true stamp I used was from the Thank You Kindly stamp set.  The other areas were created by masking and sponging; inking the edge of an expired gift card and running it across the card stock; and inking up a pencil eraser and using it as a circle stamp.  I did add a touch of sewing on the machine to add some texture, but it really isn't necessary when making this card.  Just the simple designs are enough.  I hope you like it!

Spanish Happy Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Watch A G-Rated Movie!

Call me silly, but I love a G-rated movie every once in awhile :)  We can get so inundated by sex, violence and horror that it can feel good to kick back and watch something easy.  Okay, I admit it - I watched Ramona and Beezus and I enjoyed it :)  Actually, I loved the message of Beverly Cleary's wonderful character Ramona.  She is a girl with an amazing imagination and she knows who she is, quirks and all.  Oh to be as wise as this 9-year old artist of life!
Today's card was a quick birthday card for a Spanish-speaking friend.  I spelled out the happy birthday sentiment using the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set plus a marker to add the punctuation.  I used the eyelet border punch to create some interest on the bottom and backed it with Old Olive card stock.  I added a flower I made with my scallop circle punch flower technique.  The leaves are retired Sweet Pea felt embellishments.  I hope you like it! :)

Die Cut Fabric Flowers Collage

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Get A Haircut :)

I am not big on getting haircuts.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe a part of it is feeling like I don't really have a hair "style" and that my hair can just grow and still work for me.  My hair is actually naturally curly and when I am at home I have a tendency to just throw it up in a bun and not worry about it (I am definitely not a walking fashion statement when I am at home and spending time in the craft room!).  When I travel for work my routine is to straighten my hair.  It's almost a part of the "costume" that I put on for my work.  When I'm home I'm in the most comfy clothes I can find (and clothes that I can get paint or ink on and not worry about it).  When I am away and working I put on the "professional" costume - and it feels like my hair needs to change to go with the "mask" of "professional me."  It is also a lot easier to deal with straight hair when I'm on the road since I can straighten it once and then go a few days without washing it and still have it look just fine.  Anyway, I finally reached the point of feeling like I had too many split ends and was just "over" my hair so I finally made my yearly haircut appointment...although I hazard to say it had been quite a bit over a year since my last one...you can imagine the split ends!  Today I am sitting here with shoulder-length curly hair and it feels sooooo good!  The spring is back in my hair and my step :)  Sometimes all it takes is a little haircut to feel refreshed and energized!  Hopefully I won't have to put my costume back on too soon :)
Today's collage is another fabric flower play piece :)  I took fabric, die cut it with the Big Shot, and then "dyed" it using all different colors of ink mixed with water and applied with small spray bottles.  I then combined the fabric flowers with paper flowers, some real twigs and some hand-cut and sewn designer paper leaves.  This collage makes me smile when I look at it :)  I hope you like it! :)

More Of My Collage Journey

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes I Need To Take A Break From Technology

When I find myself obsessively checking email or cnn.com, the local news or facebook, I KNOW that it is time to take a break from technology.  I get caught in these cycles of mindlessly going through a routine of checking a certain number of sites and I am literally numb while doing it.  It's just habitual and I don't walk away feeling like I've grown or used my time wisely.  So today (Monday), I am taking a technology break.  I am writing this post and the post for Tuesday on Sunday evening as I listen to the far off popping sounds from the 4th of July fireworks in the neighborhood.  Sometimes I just need to take a break from technology and try to find my center again.
Today's collage is a part of my continued journey with creating art that is not in the form of cards.  Here I combined old dictionary pages, paint, gesso, stencils, ribbon, die cut fabric, glitter, found objects.  If you look closely, you can probably identify the Stampin' Up! products (I am still in love with those adorable Sweet Pea felt embellishments :)  I hope my time off from cards is not disturbing for you if you tend to stop by here for card samples.  My hope is that these collages will provide you inspiration - whether that inspiration is how to translate an idea to a card or whether the collage makes you take out a canvas or a wooden board and give collage a try! :)  I hope you are inspired in some way and remember, the beauty is in the process :)

Work In Progress

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I, Like My Art, Am A Work In Progress!

Four Ways Friday will be back next week.  This week I've been trying to bust through the limits I have set for myself and my art.  Consequently, I have been spending time making art other than cards.  What I am learning through this experience is that I continue to be a work in progress - just like my art making! :)  I am learning to be patient with myself as I play with new and different materials; as I work with new and different shapes and sizes; as I work with a different rhythm and flow.  I have been enjoying the journey - it has taken me out of my comfort zone and into the unknown.  I am not a finished work of art and neither is this piece I am sharing with you today - we both have a long way to go! :)
Today's collage-in-the-making was inspired, once again, by my favorite place on earth - the backyard!  We have blue jays that come to visit almost every day.  They have trained us very well!  When they arrive in the afternoon, they announce their arrival with loud cawing and then wait for us to respond by going outside and bringing them peanuts and seed :)  I love that this gorgeous bird has been able to domesticate us! :)  I began with a primed canvas and added flexible modeling paste using sequin waste as a stencil.  I then added gesso and strips of paper to the background.  Next came some embossed foil that I ran through the Big Shot with the Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder.  I then painted the foil with gesso and sanded it and then snipped it into little strips and added it to the canvas using gel medium.  Next came the addition of the stick.  The flowers were made quite awhile back - I guess they knew better why I was making them!  The minute I looked around the craft room and saw them I knew they were meant to be on this canvas!  The flowers were made with die cut metal and bottle caps colored with alcohol ink.  They were attached to the canvas with gel medium.  The bird began as a laser printed picture of a blue jay.  I cut it out and then covered it with tissue paper and then a coating of gesso.  Next I used acrylic glaze to turn it blue and followed that with some charcoal pencil and black pan pastel to add details and dimension.  He was adhered to a plastic piece and then adhered to the canvas.  I am not sure what I will do next...in my own life or with respect to this piece! :)  It is the unknown that is actually welcoming me - inviting me to play!  I'll share the finished piece with you once it unfolds!  Have a beautiful, creative, fulfilling weekend!!!!!!  (p.s.  Don't forget!  You can start ordering from the new Stampin' Up! catalog today!!!!!  Yeah!!!!!)

'What's Left' Collage Inspired By Charlotte Lyons

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Present With What Is Unfolding.  - Merle Rosen

This piece was inspired by an article I read in a free ebook I downloaded from Cloth Paper Scissors.  The article was entitled "What's Left" Collages and featured collages by Charlotte Lyons.  The article was enough to send me running into the craft room to play!  This collage, like the others I am sharing with you this week, was not done in one sitting.  Rather, it has grown over the course of a number of days - sitting within sight on the craft table - and slowly built...little by little...until it reached a point where I felt it had unfolded.  Being present with what is unfolding can feel challenging at times.  Our inner critic pipes up and tries to discourage us.  Our own internal messages around time and productivity can strangle our creative freedom.  Allowing ourselves to leap these tall "buildings" - these obstacles that try to block our creative way - in a single bound is our way to be our own superhero!  Why not try being present with something as it unfolds - you may be surprised at your own super powers!!!! :)
This collage began with an 8"x10" canvas board and grew from there.  I added fluid acrylics, gesso, stenciling, fabric, and all kinds of bits and pieces that were hiding in the craft room!  Bottle caps, die cut letters, rub ons, keys, buttons, fortunes, tiny playing cards, cardboard, beads, designer paper, book pages, ribbon, string - oodles and oodles of fun!  I have a feeling I will be playing around with more of these collages in the future.  I love the challenge of being present and watching what unfolds!  Hope you like it!

Mourning Dove Mixed Media Collage

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Going!  You Can Always Paint Over It!

I am continuing my breaking of limits by working on collage and setting aside cards and most of my Stampin' Up! products for the week.  One of my favorite times of spring is when the mourning doves return to our backyard.  They have been coming back each year.  Sometimes they are fewer in number, sometimes greater.  I love their beautiful cooing sound and the sound made by the beating of their wings as they less-than-gracefully propel themselves into the air :)  This collage was all about honoring these gorgeous birds.
Would you believe this collage started out as a blue-painted canvas?!  Hard to believe, I know.  Yes, I decided I didn't like the color so instead of starting over I just kept on going - kept painting over layers - again and again until something seemed to emerge that I liked.  This is a lesson I continue to learn about art making.  The ability to keep going when the inner critic starts getting loud and obnoxious.  Just keep going!  You can always paint over it!!!!!
What did I use to make this collage?  A better question might be, "What didn't I use?!"  Let's see:  canvas, modeling paste, parchment paper, bird photo, sewing machine, parchment paper (which nothing will stick to!), feathers from walks and the backyard, sticks, beads, clock parts, burlap, paint, marker, charcoal, more paint, painted tissues, gel medium (matte), bubble wrap, sanded styrofoam colored with ink....I think that covers it....although I reserve the right to add more to the list at a later date!  How long did this collage take me?  Hard to say - I had to allow different stages of modeling paste and paint to dry.  I left the canvas on the craft table as I worked on it so that I could keep walking by it and continue to add to it as I was inspired to do so.  I guess it came together over the course of 3 or 4 days.  It's been really enjoyable busting out of my self-proclaimed limitations and now I'm just going to keep going!!!!!

Collaged Mirror

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Let Your Art Go Beyond The Limits You Have Set For It!

One of the struggles that I face as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the sense that I need to always be creating cards with the latest and greatest products we sell.  I realize that this is a limit that I have put on myself and I am ready to go beyond this limit!!!!!  So today I am sharing with you a project that uses very few current Stampin' Up! products and a whole lot of other miscellaneous craft and art supplies that I had in the craft room.  What a freeing experience!!!!!!!!  I am contemplating spending the rest of the week focusing on creating art that goes beyond the limits I have set for myself.  This may mean that I won't always be posting finished art pieces for you, since creating beyond my limits means allowing for art projects that don't happen in 10-30 minutes - they may take days or weeks...or, gasp!, even months! :)  What limits can you go beyond in your own art work????
So, what Stampin' Up! products did I use?  You can probably find the Staz-On ink used with the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set on fabric.  You can also see some old retired SU! sets hidden in there as well (look at the dresses on the angels).  Ooh - do you see the Baroque Motifs stamp?  And then there were all kinds of other art/craft supplies:  chipboard, bottle caps, rhinestones, fabric sprayed with SU! inks, alcohol inks, beads, Crystal Effects, paint, old book pages, a mirror and yes, some SU! card stock.  This mirror is by the back door of the house so that I can see it every time I head outside - a reminder to live in this very moment.  Maybe I need to make a second mirror to remind myself to continue to go beyond the limits I have set for myself in my art making! :)

Broadsheet Alphabet Bookmark

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Pay Attention To Your Natural Rhythm

I have been traveling quite a bit for work in these past few months and I find that when I travel my "pace" seems to be "full speed ahead!"  I am the one who is almost race-walking through the airport once I arrive at home, believing that moving a bit faster will get me home a bit faster...and every second counts when it comes to being home!  I have been home for just over a week now and my body is finally returning to what I believe is my natural rhythm.  When I am at home long enough to decompress I find that the rhythm I enjoy is one of slow contemplation - the ability to sit in the backyard and weed the garden slowly.  Walking the dog at a pace that is recognizable as slow and steady - not hurry and get it done.  I feel so much more at peace when I am attune to my natural rhythm.  I wonder how I can bring this peace to my pace when I travel.  I know it begins with my inner dialogue.  I wonder what I can whisper to myself that will remind me to just "be?"  To let myself flow at my own right pace.  To be respectful of my body and its rhythm.  What is your natural rhythm?  How do you encourage yourself to respect your own pace?

Today's project was one of a number of quick bookmarks that a friend came over to make for a family reunion she was going to over Father's Day.  We used card stock (in this case a combination of brushed silver, whisper white, early espresso and sage shadow- retired).  The white was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  The letters were stamped using the Broadsheet Alphabet and Chocolate Chip ink.  The ribbon was sewn on with the sewing machine.  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #52 - Pennant Parade SNEAK PEEK!

Wow!  It's amazing to think that I have been doing Four Ways Friday for 52 weeks!!!!  That's a big milestone for me!  I hope you've enjoyed Four Ways Friday as much as I have :)  This week's Four Ways is all about the new Pennant Parade stamp set!  I had a ton of fun coming up with ideas for how to use this adorable new set!

The idea for this first card came to me in the shower!  I seem to get ideas when I am totally relaxed - either on my morning walks or in the shower :)  I used one of the pennant stamps to create the "arms" of this star.  I stamped them with Riding Hood Red and Night Of Navy ink and cut them out and then scored them down the middle.  They were adhered to the card with glue.  I made the paper rosette by cutting strips of designer paper 3/4" x 6" each and then scoring them each 1/4" and then gluing the ends together before using hot glue to form the rosette circle.  I adhered the rosette to the card with pop-up glue dots.  A rhinestone brad finishes the center.  The small star stamp from the Pennant Parade set was perfect for this card!  I die cut the "4" using my Simple Numbers dies and the Big Shot.  The July is from the Full Calendar stamp set and the "happy" from Fabulous Phrases.  Finally, I sponged the edges of the Natural Ivory card base with Night of Navy ink.

This second card uses the pennants in a much more "traditional" way.  I stamped the pennant onto Pink Pirouette card stock with Basic Black ink and cut them out (I don't have the pennant punch yet, but I have a feeling I'll be ordering it!).  I then stamped the letters from the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers set in Chocolate Chip ink onto Baja Breeze card stock and punched them out with the 1/2" circle punch.  They were popped up using dimensionals.  The "hello" was stamped in Chocolate Chip and the card stock was cut to make a mini banner.  I adhered the crochet thread to the Natural Ivory card base and then adhered the pennants.  The bunny from Forest Friends was stamped using Chocolate Chip as well and then I used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges of this simple card.

Don't forget that you can cut up the triangle shape of the pennants to make other shapes!  Here I turned a pennant into the bottom of a cupcake and used the scallop circle punch to create the top of the cupcake.  I frosted the cupcake with faux frosting made of styrofoam (you can see my video on how to make this faux frosting HERE).  The background was stamped in Regal Rose using the A to Z stamp.  The "wish big" from the Pennant Parade set was stamped using Tempting Turquoise.

Of course, I couldn't waste the little piece I cut off of the pennant!  I decided it looked like an ice cream cone!  I created the scoop of ice cream using the scallop oval punch and the 3/4" circle punch.  I added sprinkles (tiny "waste" from my small hole punch) and covered them with crystal effects.  The greeting on the decorative label is a combination of two stamps from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set stamped with Melon Mambo.
I hope you've enjoyed this Sneak Peek at this adorable new Pennant Parade stamp set!  Thank you so much for stopping by and celebrating my 52nd Four Ways Friday with me! :)  I hope you have a wonderful and creative weekend!!!!!

Upsy Daisy 3x3 Stenciled Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Inspired By The Color That Surrounds You!

I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens today and was awe-struck by how gorgeous nature is!  The colors and textures, the types and varieties - just stunning.  I came home and all I wanted to do was try to replicate the bursts of color that I saw in the gardens.  Here is one scene that inspired me:

I used Melon Mambo, Pear Pizazz, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive to try to capture some of the color.  I sprayed the Pear Pizazz with mixtures of water and ink and frost white shimmer paint.  I sewed the panel to give it the texture of vines.  I sprayed the vintage stencil using Elegant Eggplant ink mixed with water.  The greeting was created using the ornament punch (I cut the top off of the ornament) and used the greeting from Upsy Daisy stamped with Rich Razzleberry.  I sponged the edges, added some rhinestones and popped it up on the card with dimensionals.  I hope you like it!  Here is another picture from the Gardens - maybe it will inspire you!  Isn't nature AMAZING?!?!

Artistic Etchings Altered CD

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  How About Signing Up For An Art Class?

I took what I consider to be a big step today.  I signed up for a 3-hour workshop on book binding!  I am really excited about it!  Somehow I had myself convinced that I could teach myself all I needed to know by reading books, watching videos, and experimenting.  I guess if that was my only option it would suffice.  However, what I realize I'm missing is the human interaction and the ability to have a teacher with me, watching me along the way, helping me in the moment.  I can't even remember when the last time was that I signed up for a workshop/class.  Now it is something I am committing to.  I'll let you know how it goes!  If it goes well, you will likely see some hand bound books in the not-too-distant future :)  What have you been yearning to learn?  Can you take one small step in that direction?  It might just be doing a search for classes in your area or asking artists in your life if they have taken a class on that subject.  Moving in the direction of your goal will take you closer to it! :)
Today's project is an altered CD.  I actually collect quite a few CDs in my work life.  I do a lot of training and I always have a disk with the presentation on it - just in case something crazy happens with the version on my laptop computer!  After the training concludes, the CD is no longer needed.  So, rather than throw it away, I save it and then give it a makeover! :)  Here I used designer paper with gel medium to cover the entire CD.  I embellished it with some paper flowers I made using my scallop circle punch.  (You can see a video of how to make these flowers HERE).  I heat embossed the Eiffel Tower image from Artistic Etchings using black embossing powder and then mounted it on black card stock and cut it out.  I added a bit of Melon Mambo pom-pom trim.  The letters are a combination of alphabet sets - one current one being the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  I used my crop-o-dile to create a hole at the top of the CD and then added a large eyelet and striped ribbon for hanging.  I hope you like it! :)

O Canada Scrap Rubber and Punch Art Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Use Your Rubber Scraps!!!!!

If you have ever bought Stampin' Up! stamps, you know that they are die cut from a larger sheet of rubber.  They used to not be die cut and you would have to cut them out yourself.  Now the process is a lot simpler - the hard work is done for you :)  There is still left over "scrap" rubber from these die cut sets and I have a habit of saving the scraps.  Why?  Well, do you see the maple leaf image on this card????  I created it using a piece of scrap rubber, a sketch of a maple leaf, my craft & rubber scissors, and a wood block from the craft store!  What can you make from your scraps????

This card won an Honorable Mention in Stampin' Up!s July contest!  I was so excited!!!!!  It is featured on the demonstrator portion of the Stampin' Up! website in the on-line extras for the Stampin' Success magazine.  The theme of the contest was Land That I Love and I made both a U.S. card and a Canada card to submit for the contest.  When I thought about making this card an image of the mounted police immediately came into my head!  Must have been those cartoons I watched as a child :)  I decided there had to be a way to make the Canadian Mountie using punches.  Here is a close up:

I used the round tab punch for his shirt and the ornament punch for his pants :)  His hat is a portion from a modern label punch....his nose is too!  His arms were made from an oval punch.  He was a ton of fun to make!  The background of the Crumb Cake card was stamped with the Wood Grain background stamp.  The letters are from the Timeless Type alphabet run through the Big Shot and then coated with Crystal Effects.  I made the maple leaf from a piece of scrap rubber and then stamped it onto Whisper White card stock, cut it out, and popped it up with dimensionals.  I hope you like it!!!!

America The Beautiful Broadsheet Alphabet Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It Is Amazing What Can Happen From A Passing Glance!

There are times when you just need to step away from you art.  You get to a place where you are unsure what your next move is.  You hesitate because you just don't know what to do.  It is at these times that I allow myself to walk away and do something else or I turn to another piece of art that I am working on.  I keep the original piece nearby so that I can keep glancing at it.  Sometimes I'll walk out of the craft room and every time I walk by the doorway I will give the art piece a passing glance.  It is these brief glances that keep my subconscious in "create mode."  Then, at a moment when I least expect it, it seems an idea will pop into my head for what the next step is!  Sometimes you just need to step away and then keep glancing.  It is amazing what can happen from a passing glance!
I had submitted this card for a Stampin' Up! contest focusing on the Land That I Love.  It didn't win...although it was a real winner to me :)  Tomorrow I will share the other card I submitted for which I received an Honorable Mention and won a free stamp set!  Yeah!!!!!!  I had a ton of fun making this card and it seems very appropriate as we near the 4th of July.  I masked off the Night Of Navy section and inked it up.  I then used the direct to paper method to create the flag stripes with my Real Red ink pad.  The stars are from the Extreme Elements stamp set and were heat embossed with white embossing powder.  The letters are from the Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set and they were stamped in alternating colors, cut out and then embellished with champagne glass glitter.  I added some twine and a tiny library clip as well :)  I hope you like it!

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there!!!!  May your day be sweet and filled with love!!!!!!

Four Ways To Be Present!

I decided to do something a little bit different this Friday!  Since this was a week about reflecting on retired stamp sets, I thought that I would not introduce a new Four Ways Friday with a stamp set today.  Instead, I want to share with you some thoughts and images about Four Ways to be present.

1.  Plant a seed, watch it grow, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
This is the first strawberry from our strawberry plants this year!  I am able to be present when I plant in the garden.  I also stay in the moment when I go outside and look at the plants in the garden - literally standing there and watching them grow.  I am also more present when I eat one strawberry that is homegrown as opposed to picking up a carton of berries at the store and eating them.  There is something about being a part of the entire process - from planting to eating - that becomes a part of the actual moment of enjoying the sweet flavor of the fruits of your labor.

2.  Stop to notice, and maybe even smell, the flowers!
I took my camera into the backyard the other day and began taking photographs of all of the different flowers that were growing.  It was amazing to look at them up close, rather than just walking by them and seeing them as dots of color on the landscape.  Being present is about really seeing that which is around you.  To do so, we may actually have to slow down a bit.

3.  Take a nap (outdoors)!
It may seem strange to say that one way to be present is to take a nap :)  Yet, giving your body exactly what it needs in the moment is all about being present.  It is about recognizing that now is all that matters because it is all that you have.  I learn the lesson of being present every day when I watch Willow.  She is the most present being that I know! :)

4.  Create!!!!!!
When I am in the craft room actually making something I am so in the moment!  For athletes it's called "being in the zone."  I guess we artists can call it the same thing :)  Time dissolves.  The here and now is all that matters as we devote our attention and energy to exactly what we are doing.  We experience a sense of timelessness.
It is in the present where we can find our sense of peace.  It is in the present where we can connect with one another.  It is in the present where we can be ourselves and be happy.  I wish you a beautiful now.  May you continue to bring your awareness to the gift of the present :)

Wanted Get Well Soon Card - An Ode To Retired Stamp Sets

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Presence Teaches That What You Do Today Is Important, Because You Are Trading A Day Of Your Life For It.  -Dan Millman

What if we actually stopped to consider this thought during each and every day?  That what you do today is important because you are actually trading a day of your life for it.  I teach workshops on topics such as negotiation, influence, and having difficult conversations and I am so conscious that the people that are in attendance at the workshops are trading a day, and sometimes two days, of their life for the experience of being at the workshop.  I know that some of them are told they need to be there by an employer.  Others are there because they decided they had a need that they felt the class could fulfill.  I usually start the morning by saying something like, "We are here together, in this room, for a period of time.  These are minutes of your life that you are not going to get back.  It is so important to me that when you leave this room you feel as if you did some of value with those precious moments of your life.  I want to feel the same way too."  I go on to ask them what their personal goals are for our time together so that I can be sure to do my best to help them reach the learning goals they have set for themselves.  I feel very similarly to the time you are spending with me now.  Please know that I so appreciate your stopping by my blog and reading these words and looking at these pieces of art that I share with you.  It does not go unnoticed that you are choosing to trade some of the precious moments of your life to spend a little bit of time with me.  I too, am trading precious moments of my life to capture these words and images, in the hopes that they will prove to be of value for both of us.  Thank you.
Today's card is an ode to the retired stamp set Wanted.  I used Chocolate Chip ink to stamp the images and a rub on for the greeting.  I love how the eyelets and the crimped card stock add texture and interest to the card!  I hope you like it! :)

Ancient Art Birthday Card - An Ode To Retired Stamp Sets

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Present

I am working hard, in this very moment, to keep myself present.  As I have shared with you, I find it so easy to lose myself in thoughts of the past or thoughts of the future and not experience the present moment fully.  This happens often for me and really gets highlighted whenever I am on an airplane...which is quite often these days.  I travel quite a bit for work and find myself on planes a lot.  Over time I have developed a pretty interesting fear of flying.  Interesting because I didn't used to have it.  My sense is that the fear is more related to the thought of not making it back home more than anything else.  So, as I sit on the plane, my mind starts to travel into thoughts of the future - particularly into thoughts of fear.  Will I make it?  Will the plane fly successfully?  Do the pilots know what they heck they are doing?  Where is my life vest if I need it?  What will it feel like if we fall out of the sky?  My heart starts to pound, I clench my fists, I am anything but relaxed and I am so in my fearful thoughts of the future that I fail to realize that in that very moment I am very safe, very alive, and the plane is flying perfectly.  I am continuing to remind myself to be present.  How about you?
Today's card is another ode to a retired stamp set (kind of ironic that in a post about being present I am paying homage to something from the past ;)  This stamp set was called Ancient Art.  I used my markers to color and stamp the images.  Do I get points for using one current set, Curly Cute, to stamp the word "birthday?!" A bit of stitching on the background adds some texture.  I hope you like it!

Fly Fishing Birthday Card - An Ode To Retired Stamp Sets

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Who Ever Said A Piece Of Art Needed To Be Made In A Day?!

The artist in me has been in growth mode lately!  I have wanted to stretch beyond the making of cards and delve into all kinds of other media again.  This is something I have always done - tried new techniques, played with different supplies.  Yet now, as I sit down to create, I find myself thinking in my head that you should be able to make your art in one day!  Where the heck did that thought come from?!  What happened to the days when I would spend days, weeks, or even months, working on an art project?  Picking it up.  Putting it back down again.  Just walking by it wondering what I would do or add next.  In the habit of making cards I somehow started to believe that art is quick.  That techniques that take time are somehow not worth pursuing.  I know that this is not true - really I do.  I am just amazed at how my inner critic seems to get very loud whenever I begin or want to begin to embark on some creating that isn't a 10-minute stint in the craft room.  So this past weekend, I went in the craft room and began making some flowers.  Flowers that began as fabric and then went through ink dying, fabric stiffening - all kinds of fun that required creating time, drying time, sit and wait time...and I LOVED IT!!!!!!  Art is made in the time it takes for it to be made.  Do we have the passion and commitment to allow it the time that it needs?
Today's card continues my ode to retired stamps.  This Fly Fishing set is a wonderful set for masculine cards!  I still love it!  I combined it with the Framed Tulips embossing folder and the decorative label punch as well as an antique brad.  I used both Chocolate Chip and Soft Suede ink on the Very Vanilla card stock.  I hope you like it!

Bella's Bloom Journal

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes I'm Unsure What To Do With The Inner Conflict

It's that time of year again for Stampin' Up!  Out with the old and in with the new.  As with any business, Stampin' Up! continues to introduce new products while discontinuing others.  This time of year always creates a bit of an inner battle for me.  Why?  Well, as a demonstrator it is important to share new products with you - to show you that we continue to bring new designs and new excitement into the crafting world.  Of course, as a demonstrator, selling is also a part of it.  If I only show you things that are no longer available for purchase from me, then I will likely not sell very much.  And here is the inner conflict - there is a part of me that is just fine with folks not buying anything at all (is it okay for me to say that?!).  As a matter of fact, I love my retired stamp sets and products and the idea of putting them on a shelf and not using them or even selling them just doesn't feel right to me.  I also don't want to encourage you to feel or think that you always need the newest product.  As a matter of fact, sometimes the most fun as an artist is making do with what you have on hand.
As a demonstrator it is in my sales interest to show you what is new.  For me as an artist it is important to not always need to newest thing - the next trend.  It is important for me to use that which inspires me, no matter what it's current "status" is as a commercial product.  Sometimes I am unsure what to do with this inner conflict.  Actually - maybe I'm quite sure - it's just a matter of admitting it...so here I go!  I am going to use whatever inspires me!!!!  If it is not something you can currently buy from me, so be it.  I hope that no matter what I share with you that what it will do is inspire you to create with whatever supplies you have!!!! :)  So this week is going to be an "Ode To Retired Stamps."  I am going to share project with you that mostly use those sets that have long since retired.  They still inspire me! :)  Here is a journal I recently made with Bella's Bloom, Days Gone By, some retired designer paper and yes, one current embossing folder - Elegant Lines.  I hope you like it! :)

Four Ways Friday #51 - Broadsheet Alphabet

This week's Four Ways Friday shows you four ways to use the Broadsheet Alphabet!  I love the versatility of alphabet stamp sets and this one is no exception!

Alphabet stamp sets are perfect for making monogram notes!  Here I stamped the "M" in Elegant Eggplant onto a piece of First Edition designer series paper and then punched it out with a 1 1/2" circle punch.  The Natural Ivory panel was stamped with the flower from the Charming stamp set and then a corner knot was added with Very Vanilla satin ribbon.  This panel was layered onto an Elegant Eggplant panel with dimensionals and then adhered to a Perfect Plum card base stamped with the Wonderfully Worn background stamp using Elegant Eggplant ink.

This little 3x3 Whisper White card was quick and easy to make.  I scalloped a piece of a page out of an old book using the horizontal slot punch (retired).  I then stamped the "B" using Crumb Cake ink and adhered the paper to the card base.  The greeting from Define Your Life (I can't believe this stamp set is retiring!  I love it!!!) was stamped on the card using Jet Black Staz-On ink.  The bird from Friends 24-7 (also retiring at the end of the month) was stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock, cut out and adhered to the card with dimensionals.  Finally, I added a button with some waxed twine and rounded two of the corners of the card.

With alphabet sets, you can spell out whatever word you want!  Here I used my markers to color the letters - half in Pacific Point and half in Pear Pizazz.  I then sewed them onto the cover of this handmade journal.  The journal was stamped using bubble wrap and dazzling diamonds was added for some bling!  The word "take" was stamped using the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers set (I told you I love alphabet sets!).  The Large Stipple Butterfly (retired) was heat embossed on vellum using black embossing powder and then colored in with markers and shimmer powder.  The journal was bound with various threads/yarns and twine.

For this final card I used the Broadsheet Alphabet in two distinct ways.  First I stamped the card base with Cherry Cobbler ink and the "X" and "O" multiple times.  The Whisper White panel was then stamped, with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig!  The panel was adhered to the card with dimensionals and then I used crystal effects to adhere Baja Breeze glass glitter around the edges of the panel.  The word "you" was stamped onto a round tab punched piece of Baja Breeze card stock using Early Espresso ink.  Finally, I added a thin piece of Marina Mist ribbon.  The finished card size is 4x4.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  It's hard to believe that next week will be Four Ways Friday #52!  That's a whole year of Four Ways Fridays!  Time sure does fly!!!!!  I hope you have a wonderful and abundantly creative weekend!

Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder Wax Resist Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  "Art is a way to sidestep time and feel timeless for awhile." - Theo Ellsworth

You know the feeling.  You are in the craft room, or at whatever space you use to create, and you get so focused and absorbed in what you are doing that time no longer exists.  When you finally do happen to notice the time you are amazed by how much time has passed and how you didn't even notice.  This is one of the most enjoyable experiences for me when I create - the ability to enjoy every single moment - time does not even come into the equation.  As Theo Ellsworth says - it is a way to feel timeless for awhile.
For today's card I used the wax resist technique that I shared with you a little while ago.  You can watch a video of the technique HERE.  I stamped over the embossed resist panel with the En Francais stamp set.  I punched out a label using the decorative label punch and then stamped the greeting with my Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  The bird was also created using emboss resist and then punched out using the 2-step bird punch.  I hope you like it! :)

Animal Stories Hello Baby Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Message We Intend To Send Is Not The One That Gets Received!

No, this card is not intended to tell the recipient that their baby looks like a whale!  Yet, once I completed this card that was all I could think about...I mean, what if I sent this to someone who had a new baby and, in their post-pregnancy haze, they thought I was calling their child a whale!?!  Yikes!  That would not be a good thing!  Sometimes the messages we intend to send are not the ones that get received!  I guess it's just important for us to think about not just what we are trying to say, but also how they might hear it.  This card may have to remain in my "box of experiments" - unless someone knows someone who recently had a baby and named them Whale?
I had a lot of fun creating this card (even if it may never get sent!).  I began with a small piece of Whisper White card stock and a piece of freezer paper.  I rubbed some Tempting Turquoise ink onto the freezer paper and then sprayed it with a bit of water and then a quick spritz of champagne shimmer paint mixed with alcohol.  Then I took the small piece of card stock and pressed it onto the ink mix and lifted it up!  I then waited impatiently for it to dry :)  The words were stamped using Basic Gray ink and the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set.  The die cut letters were ones I had saved from past project scraps.  I have a little hardware box where I keep all my leftover letters for just this type of occasion!  The whale from Animal Stories was stamped and cut out and a touch of dazzling diamonds was added to his spout.  I tore the bottom of the panel and then sponged the edges and mounted it to the card base with dimensionals.  Finally,  I stamped the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I hope you like it :)

Every Little Bit Happiness Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sharing Your Love Can Be So Simple!

Who knew that love would show up in the form of a large coffee tin can?  Well, that's how it showed up for me the other day!  I had been working on recycling small tin cans and Michael mentioned that he thought it would be cool for me to alter/decorate a large tin can.  I agreed!  Only problem...no large tin can.  At least until 2 days later!  He came home from an estate sale and presented me with a large coffee tin that used to hold coffee and now just holds possibility!!!!!  Sharing your love can be so simple...as simple as bringing home an empty tin can :) (I'll have to share the completed can with you once it goes through its transformation!).
Today's card is all about sharing your love in a simple way too!  I stamped the dog and heart from the Every Little Bit stamp set and then colored them in with markers.  I then coated the heart with Crystal Effects (difficult to see in the photo) to give it some shine and added the little wag marks around the dog's tail.  The sentiment was stamped using the Word By Word background stamp (retired) and Pacific Point ink.  I hope you like it :)

Just Believe White Craft Ink & Colored Pencils Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Reflect On The Gift Of Your Life

It's amazing how suddenly life can change.  A friend of Michael's was just moved to hospice today (Sunday).  It's hard to even take in.  Just a short time ago, this friend, an amazingly talented artist, was going about his life.  He started to experience some back pain, which was not too odd for him since he had had some trouble with his back before.  Well, a few weeks later, as they tried to figure out what was causing the back pain, they realized that the back pain was just a symptom for a much more serious illness.  Our friend had contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).  TSEs are a group of rare degenerative brain disorders characterized by tiny holes that basically give the brain a "spongy" appearance.  I am writing this and still cannot believe what I am writing.  I know that we will all die.  Yet I still find difficulty grappling with the realities of how and when each of us will pass.  I know that in our passing each of us lives on in the hearts of others.  That even when we die, we remain close to those we love.  I just reflect on this story and am reminded of the fragility of each and every moment we have - how precious the gift of our life is - how important it is to live our moments in ways that express love and our unique contribution to this gorgeous planet.  Please, reflect on the gift of your life - you are so precious and you have so much to give.
Today's card was made using a fun coloring technique.  I stamped the Just Believe floral image onto Marina Mist card stock using Whisper White Craft ink.  I then sped up the drying process with my heat tool.  I then colored over the white craft ink using colored pencils.  You can get very vibrant colors using this technique!  I then added a few tiny white dots using my white gel pen.  The greeting, from Vintage Labels (retired), was stamped with Rich Razzleberry and then punched using the small oval punch.  The card base was run through the Big Shot with the Elegant Lines embossing folder to create some fun texture.  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #50 - Easy Paper Flower!

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about how to make a simple paper flower!  I'll share with you how to make the flower and then show you four ways to use your new flower! :)
Let's begin with the video for how to make the flower!  Caution - these can be addicting to make! :)

You can add these flowers to your cards and they add a lot of impact!  Here I made a quick 3"x3" card and adhered the flower using glue.  I added a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes using the modern label punch and also punched out a small circle from a piece of Very Vanilla card stock that I stamped using the Dot, Dot, Dot stamp.

You can also adhere these flowers to a recycled tin can!  I made these flowers out of blank pages I tore out of an old book.  I adhered them to the can using matte gel medium.  I love that the flowers and the can were both made from recycled materials :)  The greeting is a combination of stamped letters (Rough Edges Alphabet - retired) and words cut out of an old book.

What about a whole bouquet?!  Here I glued the flowers to skewers and arranged them in a small pot.  Some of the flowers were made from old book pages and the sprayed with ink mixed with water in a small spray bottle.  The other flowers were made with designer series paper (Brights Pattern Stack).  There is a styrofoam ball adhered to the bottom of the pot and the skewers were pushed into the styrofoam.   I then scrunched up thin strips of Old Olive card stock and added it to the pot.  The welcome banner was stamped using the Fabulous Phrases stamp set onto Very Vanilla card stock which I then glued onto the skewer!  What a fun little gift or home decor item!

 

This easy flower does not have to stand alone :)  The flower can act as the center of a larger flower!  Here I used the Fun Flower Bigz die to create a multi-layer flower and placed the easy flower in the center.  The banner was hand cut and stamped with a greeting from Sincere Salutations in Early Espresso ink.  The Tulip embossing folder was used to create the frame around the card base.  A few pearl jewels finish the look!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  May you find joy in making these easy paper flowers and may you have a wonderful and creative weekend!!!!!