I would LOVE your thoughts! I would love for you to keep coming back to this blog - especially if it inspires you and makes you smile! So, I'm looking for your opinion and would love to hear from you what you would like to see on this blog. I have set up a survey - please take a moment to share your thoughts (the survey is on the first page of this blog on the right hand side). Also, if you would like to provide additional comments, please comment on this post. I appreciate your feedback and hope that this blog can continue to be a resource for you and help inspire your own creativity! Thank you!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Find your peace :)

After a work trip this week, I was ACHING to get back to the craft room. It is the place where I have found my peace - my stillness - where everything becomes pure joy and focus.

Today's challenge was to get inspired by Hunkydory Home! I chose the following retro owl clock - http://www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk/hunkycat/retro-clock-p-336.html - he just stared at me and said, "I'm your inspiration!"

I ran the background through a cb embossing folder and sponged the very vanilla card stock with chocolate chip. The leaves were die cut with vellum and chocolate chip and then I outlined with an SU marker. The branch was cut by hand and then run through a cb folder. The owl is a combination of freehand cutting and some punches.

Enjoy! And may you always find your peace!

Today's Lesson from much too far away from the Craft Room: Take a Risk - Try Something New!!!

I'm still on the road in California today - I'll be heading home tomorrow (Yeah!!!). It's always a little lonely traveling to new places on my own. I know some folks are huge fans of getting to spend a night in a hotel - away from their normal routines and responsibilities, but I have to say that having spent a lot of nights in hotels all over the place, I would much prefer to be covered in my own sheets and surrounded by everything familiar - I sleep a whole lot better!

One plus of being on the road though is having new experiences and trying new things! Tonight I decided to try a vegetarian restaurant (Merit Vegetarian in Sunnyvale), recommended by a fellow vegetarian that I met today. I finally found the place (after entering the wrong city into my gps and ending up in the middle of a block without any restaurants in sight...that kind of clued me in that I had messed up somehow). The service was great and the seaweed salad was quite delicious. (If you haven't tried seaweed salad, I would recommend it...unless the thought of green gummy-worm-like bits in your food turns you off...then you might want to try something else :) My main course was interesting - I don't think I'd order it again, but at least I tried something new! A little risk-taking a day helps build bravery for those bigger risks that I think about taking (and hope to take) in life!

So whether you find yourself in a new place or find yourself in the same place you usually are, take a risk and try something new! You never know what you'll discover!!!!

Today's Lesson from much too far away from the Craft Room: Stay connected to your passion!

I left home today for a work trip and it is always difficult, not only to leave home, but to leave the craft room behind. So when I travel, it's important for me to stay connected to my passion in whatever way I can. I wish I could pack a huge "to go" bag with all of my stamping essentials, but I'm not sure I could get through security with all the scissors, punches and embellishments! :) So I do my best by carrying some eye candy - like the new Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. I figure if I can't create, at least I can drool! :)

I also stay connected by getting on-line and visiting some favorite sites - like SCS. I am happy to say that I also am staying connected today by stopping at IKEA to buy a few more essential storage items for the craft room!

So, if you find yourself on the road or somewhere much too far away from your creative materials, find a way to stay connected to your passion!!!! (I wonder if I could make a card from the security card in the seat-back pocket????)

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: It's amazing how much you can do in a minute!!!!

So today I had quite the busy day and thought I would not have time to create. But the urge was too strong to resist so I found a spare minute here and another one there and I am AMAZED by what you can accomplish in a minute when you really want to get something done (ok - the card didn't take me one minute, but it still amazed me :)

I cb embossed the die cut circles and used my chit chat rub ons for the greeting.

Hope you enjoy! And remember, never underestimate what you can achieve in a minute!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Everything old is new again!

Today I looked through some vintage photo albums that I found in the house (my significant other is an antique dealer, so you never know what he'll bring home next!). I decided that the images might be fun to use in cards and today's SCS challenge was to make a recessed window card. What a great opportunity to make something old new again!

I scanned a bunch of the vintage photos and this little guy really grabbed my heart! I printed the scanned photo onto whisper white card stock. I used the sanded background stamp with tea dye ink to age the card base and used a buckle punch to make the front mimic a suitcase. The greeting was printed on the computer. For some reason this card reminds me of an old Little Rascals episode where Spanky was totally in love with Miss Crabtree :) (yes, I know I'm dating myself :)

So look around your house and see if you've got something old that you might make new again! You never know what might grab your heart :)

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Share what you love!

Caitlin and her sister Anna came over to make Valentine's cards for their family today. I have still been feeling not quite myself and I have to say that sharing what you love is GREAT medicine! They learned how to emboss and how to use the Sizzix Big Shot. It was incredibly satisfying to watch them both enjoy exploring their own creativity and having fun!

So, if you're looking for a little pick-me-up, go ahead, share what you love!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Be Inspired!

Today I decided to take a break from SCS and find inspiration elsewhere. I opened an auction catalog last night and inspiration was EVERYWHERE!!!! These three cards were all inspired by amazing antique glass vases. I am so grateful to the original artists who created the vases. Without them, I would not have been inspired in the way that I was today and these three cards would never have become a part of my reality.

So today, and everyday, be inspired! You never know what you might bring into the world on the wings of your inspiration!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Take a moment to notice the small and simple things and be grateful for them.

Today's challenge began with the following instructions: "for those of us who don't do techniques that require anything like "talent" or "skill," who don't layer our cards into inch-thick confections of pure gorgeousness, who don't have all the latest nesties or copics, who don't have coloring skills above kindergarten level, and who do love to make clean and simple and, most of all, EASY cards...please post your favorites from your own gallery, the ones that make you happy"

Seemed that using the "simple" stamp for my first card was the simple thing to do :) I did run the card through a cb embossing folder and ran some pink felt through the Sizzix with a sizzlit - (both required the ability to turn a crank - something that seemed simple). And yet, turning the crank on the Sizzix machine is one of those small and simple things to take notice of and be grateful for - the ability to turn the crank on the Sizzix machine. The ability to have a warm and cozy space to create. The opportunity to share creativity with a community such as SCS. All so simple and yet so meaningful!

And then I simply got more creative and decided to make two more cards - one for love and one for luck. I hope you enjoy them and I hope that today and always we notice the small and simple things and take a moment to be grateful for them!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Try it, you'll like it!

Today's challenge on SCS involved using alcohol in your creation. No, I don't mean drinking alcohol and creating - you had to use some type of alcohol product - markers, rubbing alcohol with ink, or some type of alcohol-related image. I had never tried playing with rubbing alcohol and ink so I tried it and I liked it!!!!

I dripped some gold ink on a piece of glossy card stock and then soaked a cotton makeup pad (didn't have any cotton balls) with rubbing alcohol and put some drops of brilliant blue and kiwi kiss on the makeup pad and then pounced all over the gold ink and glossy card stock. I felt like I was getting some arm exercises done in the craft room :) I let it dry and cut out some of the flowers from the Urban Garden paper. Also did a little embossing and ta-da...my first alcohol creation...and no, I don't mean I was tipsy while playing the craft room :)

So next time something new comes along, try it...you may just like it! :)

Hi! My name is Punch the Magic Dragon! Thanks for checking me out! I came to life for the WW088 challenge on SCS. My "mom" wanted to create something original, so here I am! I was made out of a bunch of punches. There's a lot of magic in those punches!

My horns and spikes are all cut from the large and small star punches. My eyes are horizontal slot punches on top of oval punches. My neck is a key tag punch. My teeth are the ends of oval punches. My head is a circle punch and my nose and mouth areas are different sized oval punches. My "mom" added a few spots to make me more unique :)

Tonight's Lesson from the Craft Room: You never know where you'll find a little magic!

I am sooo happy about this card. Mostly because I am feeling like a truck ran over me today and I didn't think I even had it in me to get out of bed, let alone create something! It is also amazing to me how being in the act of creation can take your mind and body away from focusing on feeling ill - something for which I am very grateful!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Go at your own pace.

Walking into the craft room, sitting down and deciding to go at my own pace today was a blessing. No hurry, no rush, just step by step, piece by piece. Calling this card Thankful Blooms is no coincidence - I am so very thankful that I was able to go at my own pace and make this card bloom! I'm feeling better already!

Hope you enjoy! Thanks so much for looking!

Here's my card from today's color challenge on SplitCoast - baja breeze, pacific point and garden green. So calling this a challenge really hit the nail on the head for me today (can I blame it on the antibiotics I'm taking for bronchitis?!). Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Do not operate crafting material while under the influence of antibiotics! Just kidding :) The real lesson from today is K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stamper)!

If you could only see what this poor card went through. It started out beautifully - with my new found sewing passion. Then I embossed a cb folder of leaves/branches and inked them with pacific point and embossed them. Then I stamped and cut out the A Little Bit of Happiness images and coated those with Crystal Effects and also added beads and embroidery floss. And then things went haywire...I tried to put the poor card together and at some point had a FOREST of those cb branches all over the card - it looked like a tornado had gone through my card! So then I tried to fix it up...and do you know what it's like to tear something off of a card once you have adhered it with mono adhesive?! Ugh! So then came the sanding block and the adhesive remover which gunked up the embossed and sewn panels so I just kept sanding so that my pacific point panel looked like faux snake skin suede (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). So I finally brought it back to a place where I felt it was presentable...and a little bit of stickles never hurts :)

So, here you go! And if you're ever on antibiotics and find yourself wanting to create...remember to K.I.S.S....keep it simple stamper :) Enjoy!

ps I am always so weary of medication. The doctor prescribed a Z-pack and mucinex - which I obediently took last night and I woke up feeling worse today! Aargh! I think my body and medicine don't mix. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon - I am so grateful to have art in my life - it really is the best medicine!

Tonight's Lesson from the Craft Room: One stamper's trash is another stamper's treasure :) (Well, in this case it's the same stamper...)

Today I learned how to use my sewing machine! Yeah!!! Of course that also means that every piece of paper is now calling out to me to be sewn on! And so one piece of what might have been "trash" became a "treasure." I took a piece of kiwi kiss card stock that I had run through my sizzix and used the negative image to sew and play! So watch your trash, there might be buried treasure in there!

Hope you enjoy!

ps I went to the doctor today and turns out I have bronchitis :( So I'm now on antibiotics and taking things very slowly. Just running out to the doctor and the pharmacy was enough to wear me out. I am so grateful for the craft room - it is a place where my mind and body can rest and be joyful at the same time. Just what the doctor ordered!

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Boldly go where you have never gone before!!!

OK, so today's lesson may require a little explanation so here goes...I was gifted a used sewing machine about 4 years ago and it has sat in the craft room, gathering WAY too much dust for the last 4 years. And along comes Fern (THANK YOU SO MUCH) on SplitCoast and challenges us to do some pleating. So I decided to boldly go where I had NEVER gone before! I took down the sewing machine, got out the instruction manual and threaded my first bobbin and sewed my first paper pleats!!!!!

If you've ever taken a look at the book Simple Abundance you may know that on one of the days Sarah Ban Breathnach says, "Some mornings you wake up not knowing what to expect and you get to ride an elephant!" Well, today, I got to ride my elephant!!!! Well, ok, maybe not quite an elephant, but I learned how to use a sewing machine and make pleats and I sure feel like I got to ride an elephant!!!!!

Hope you enjoy!!!! Now go ride your elephant! :)

ps I'm finally going to the doctor today to see about dealing with this everlasting cold. I could have spent the day in bed, but decided better of it and got to ride an elephant instead :) I feel better already :)

Today's Lesson From the Craft Room (hmmm - this might be today's lesson and yesterday's lesson!): Don't Give Up! (fyi, you may notice that this lesson comes up a lot for me! Guess it's one I really need to learn :)

It's funny to me how facing a blank 5.5 x 4.25" front of a card - waiting to begin - can be such an adventure...(and, at times, invoke quite a bit of fear). It's peering at the unknown - wondering what will emerge. And, yes, at times what begins to emerge gets your inner critic all up in arms! (I don't know if I'm allowed to repeat what my inner critic says here - I want to keep my blog rated PG!). And when my inner critic has her panties in a bunch I keep telling myself, "Don't Give Up!" It is so important to see your creation through to the end, whatever that end looks like. And, if you get to the end and you aren't pleased you can keep going - change something - or recognize that there was learning in the journey and decide to go on another new adventure.

This card began yesterday and it did not feel complete to me. So I took a break overnight and, sure enough, as I was drifting off to sleep, I knew this card needed a "meow." When I woke up this morning I gave these cats their "meow" and the card came together. I was so glad I didn't give up! Enjoy!

It's been a busy day in the craft room today! I have been dealing with a cold for way too long and it seems I feel best when I am making art! This card is for my cousin Mia's birthday at the end of the month. I knew it had to have at least one black kitty since she lives with an amazing cat named Spock (and yes, he's the cutest black kitty!). The greeting was written with a versamark marker and then embossed with white embossing powder. I hope she likes it!

Today's challenge on SplitCoast was to take a card made by stamper Vicky Gould and change at least 2 things to create your own card. I chose the card you see on top, with the 2 little black birds. As you can see, I changed the color scheme, the greeting, the birds, the branches and the ribbon. Thank you Vicky for the wonderful inspiration!

So I couldn't resist doing another challenge card tonight! This one was inspired by the Lang calendar here http://www.lang.com/product/1001247. Most of the card was paper-pieced together. The only stamp I used on this one was for the greeting.

Sitting and creating is a great thing to do when you're sick - it beats lying in bed and feeling sorry for yourself! :) (This darn cold can go away anytime now...I won't miss it!)

Enjoy!

Today's challenge was to find inspiration from a Lang Calendar. This is the link to the calendar that inspired me: http://www.lang.com/product/1001174

Today I worked with lots of tiny pieces - tiny hearts, tiny stars, tiny wand handles :) It's amazing how much fun there is in the details! Today's lesson from the craft room: Find pleasure in the little things...(even if they require tweezers :)

I sponged the background after masking a circle in the middle. Also sponged the edges of the white moon with Summer Sun ink. I did my best attempt at sewing a little tutu skirt out of ribbon and made the crown from a boho blossom punch flower.

Enjoy and don't forget to find pleasure in the little things!