Watercolor Paper Embossed Background

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I Get In My Own Way

It's easy to place the blame in so many different places.  To say that the reason we don't create is because we are too busy, or have to cook dinner, or have to work, or have to ______ (fill in the blank).  Well, today I realized another huge reason - the reason I don't create is because of me.  Today (I'm writing this on Monday) I had a day that was wide open.  I had one conference call that I needed to be on and then my list of responsibilities was pretty empty.  So today was the perfect day for me to sit and create.  I did some creating - I worked on painting layers of paint on wooden and chipboard pieces to use on my can projects.  And then I found myself getting up from the craft table and wandering around - checking email, looking at my blog to see if anyone else had looked at it, walking into the kitchen to grab yet another snack.  You name it, I was finding ways to distract myself and here I had a whole day open to my creativity.  So now the big question is why?  Why am I getting in my own way?  Am I afraid to spend a whole day creating?  Am I afraid I'm going to like it too much and not want to do anything else?  Or am I afraid that it won't be all that I believe it can be - that the ideas will not flow or the results won't be what I want?  Maybe it's a combination of both.  The bottom line is I am responsible for my time and what I do with it.  I can get in my way or I can get out of my way and create - the choice is mine.
I got out of my way a bit to create this card.  I began with a piece of watercolor paper and used the direct to paper technique to apply a layer of Certainly Celery ink and then a layer of Tempting Turquoise ink right over it.  Then I ran the piece through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  I then did direct to paper again with River Rock ink to bring out the textured pattern.  Next I used my finger to rub Champagne Shimmer Mist paint over the raised areas of the design - this card has great shimmer in person!  The piece was then adhered to a piece of Whisper White card stock and then adhered to the River Rock card base using glue.  I die cut two butterflies using the Beautiful Wings embosslit and Crumb Cake card stock.  I sponged them with River Rock ink and then applied some Champagne Shimmer paint using my finger.  I then punched a piece of River Rock card stock with the decorative label punch and stamped the piece with the birthday greeting from Sincere Salutations using Early Espresso ink.  The edges were then sponged with River Rock ink.  I then applied three pearls and dabbed them lightly with the paint as well.  The butterflies were attached to the label using glue and the label was attached to the card using dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Rust Takes Time!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I disappeared on Friday - sorry about that - I just couldn't get my act together to get my posting done in time.  But this is a new week...so we'll see what happens :)  What I have already begun to learn this week is that rust takes time!  I have found a new product (non-Stampin' Up!) that really intrigues me!  I had to run out and buy it and give it a try!  I got together a few cans and began my journey toward rust.  First I used black gesso to coat the cans (I should have used some sandpaper to scratch up the surface a bit before adding the gesso - I'll make a note for next time!).

Of course I had to show some patience and allow the time for that to dry.  Next came two coats of the  base for the rusting process - and allowing the coats to dry in between.

And then came the rusting solution!

 I've got one coat on now...and I can add another coat in another 24 hours...this really is a true test of my patience ;)  Of course, it is also a test of your patience since I can't share a finished product with you until the can is ready to decorate and stamp! :)  I guess that means we're both learning...rust takes time!
Ooh - look!  I woke up this morning and put another coat of the rusting solution on the surface and here is what the cans look like now:

Glad I've been patient - I really LOVE how these are turning out!  Hopefully I'll be able to share more progress with you tomorrow :)

Crimped Background Thanksgiving Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Going!

I've really been enjoying the P90X program!  Well, maybe "enjoying" is a strong word - it is a really tough workout!  Every time I finish a workout though, I feel really good about what I've just accomplished - it's a great feeling.  As you likely know by now, I travel a bit for work and it can be tricky to keep going with a regular workout or eating schedule.  But I'm doing it!  I have brought the dvd's with me on the road and since so little equipment is needed for the workouts, it's working for me so far.  It makes me realize, yet again, that when you are really committed to something you can keep going, even in the face of potential obstacles or roadblocks.  This lesson is true with our creativity as well - if you are really committed to expressing the creativity that lives inside of you, you will find the time to make it happen!  Just keep going!!!!!
Today's card began with my crimper and a piece of Soft Suede card stock.  I crimped the paper and then used the direct to paper technique to apply Whisper White craft ink.  I used the heat tool to speed up the drying process.  I then wrapped a piece of Victoria crochet trim around the piece and knotted it.  The panel was then attached to a Soft Suede card base with dimensionals.  I took a small cello bag (I think that's what they are called - it's the bakery type bag that you would put a cookie in - it's make of a wax paper) and ran it through the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty embossing folder.  I then tore a piece of the bag and adhered it to the crimped layer using glue.  Next I stamped the leaf image from Lovely As A Tree with Early Espresso ink and colored it in with Stampin' Pastels.  I then cut it out and adhered it to the card using dimensionals.  The final piece was to add the greeting that was stamped from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out with the Modern Label punch.  I sponged the edges of the greeting, added a few adhesive pearls, and then adhered it to the card using dimensionals.  I hope you like it!Victoria crochet trim.

Nature Walk & Fabulous Phrases Muslin Bookmark

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Don't Have To Know What You Are Doing!

As I was making this bookmark - particularly when it came time for sewing on the beads, I kept thinking to myself, "I have no idea what I'm doing!  I really don't know how to hand-sew, let alone sew on beads!"  My next thought, however, kept me going..."Who cares!  Just keep sewing and see what happens!"  And I did.  I'm not sure where I came to believe that unless I knew how to do something I shouldn't even bother trying - after all, how am I going to learn anything if I don't just try?  I know that there are some activities that might benefit from a little learning at the outset - I don't think I'd jump into the cockpit of an airplane and just give it a whirl if I didn't have a bit of a clue as to what I needed to do :)  However, most of the things I encounter in the craft room don't have the potential to crash and burn! :)  So just do it!  You don't have to know what you are doing!!!!!
Today's inspiration was my laundry :)  I'm serious!  I took my one-millionth dryer sheet out of the dryer and thought to myself, "there's gotta be something I can do with this as opposed to just throwing it away!"  I had also recently looked at the cover of the Jul/Aug/Sept 2011 issue of Somerset Life which featured Pillows & Pouches by Becky Shander that incorporated dryer sheets!  Off to the craft room I went!!!!  I began by die cutting a dryer sheet and a piece of muslin with the clear Circle die.  I then machine sewed them together using gold metallic thread.  I left an opening so that I could put in some small pieces of lace and some Confetti card stock stamped with words from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set.  I stamped the words using Marina Mist ink and sponged the edges before added them to the pouch.  I then finished machine sewing the pouch closed.  Next I stamped the bird from Nature Walk using Basic Black ink onto Sahara Sand card stock.  I cut him out and then covered him with versamark and clear embossing powder and heat embossed.  I did this step about 3 times.  I then, with a bit of pushing, sewed him onto the circle with the gold metallic thread (I should have used another foot on my sewing machine - it didn't like the thickness of the bird).  I made small cuts around the edge of the circle just to fray the edge a bit.  Next I tore a piece of muslin and then sewed a piece of Marina Mist seam binding to it using gold metallic thread.  I added a bit more stitching on the edges for embellishment and then sewed the circle to the bookmark in two places.  Finally, I got out a needle with the gold metallic thread and did some hand-sewing for the gold beads.  I hope you like it!  Remember, you don't have to know what you're doing :)

Large Scale Creativity!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take Your Creativity On A Large-Scale Experience!

I decided to share my latest large-scale creative experience with you today!  We have decided to paint the outside of our house - we figure it's cheaper than buying a new one :)  We want to give ourselves a bit of a home makeover - something fresh and cheerful.  So back and forth to the paint store we go...making our house into a bit of a color quilt with all of the sample colors!  This picture is after our latest paint color choices - we have already painted over a few of the "nope - can't live with a house that color!" colors :)  Today we started playing around with a few browner undertones, however I'm finding myself drawn to some of the yellow colors - something I would have found surprising had you asked me if I thought we would end up going in a yellow direction.  We are wanting to create an adobe-style look - maybe even with a bright blue or purple door!  It's fun...and a little frightening - to take your creativity on a large-scale experience!  Unlike a card or small canvas, which I can put aside if I decide it just didn't work - the house is a whole different story!  I'm hoping we'll find the color that speaks to our hearts and avoid the effort of having to repaint something that doesn't work!  Wish us luck!!!!!  I'll be sure to share our final choice and the "after" photos...although painting is going to take us a bit of time so you'll have to be patient ;)  How can you take your creativity on a large-scale experience?????  p.s. - that large window to the left of the ladder is the window to the craft room :)

Flower Folds and Paper Flowers Altered Tin Can

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Mozart did not compose, he copied.  He copied what was already written on his soul. - Marc Chagall

When I read this quote it really spoke to me; how art is so much about getting in touch with what is written on your soul.  On days that I struggle to create I feel it is because my soul is buried under so many layers of day-to-day trivialities - thoughts, fears, overloaded with external stimulus.  It is at these times that I need to become still - to allow space and time for quiet to settle in and for my soul to be visible again.  How do you get it touch with what is written on your soul?  If I just begin to create - to sit down in the craft room and just begin - no matter what is going on in my day - I often find that my soul will start to dig through the grit of everyday life and begin to breathe - begin to share with me what is written within.
Today's altered can began with some leftover paint on a brush :)  We are starting to play around with new paint colors for the exterior of our home and of course I couldn't let any of that paint on the brush go to waste!  So I ran inside and grabbed a can that I had sitting in the craft room and painted it with a base layer of the paint.  Once that dried I sponged on a few other colors - metallic acrylic paints.  After this second coat was dry I did a bit of sanding to give the can a distressed look and reveal some of the silver metal.  I then punched 2 holes in the can using my crop-a-dile (I love that it can punch through metal!!!!).  I thread wire through the holes and wrapped it to create the handle.  Next I made the "dreams" tag using the Loads of Tags sizzlit and the stamp from Fabulous Phrases and Cajun Craze ink.  I attached the tag to the can with wire after sponging it with metallic acrylic paint and Cajun Craze ink.  Next came the hot glue gun!  I used it to attach a variety of fabric and paper flowers that I had saved from projects over the past few months.  The base flowers were made using the Flower Folds die and some scrap fabric.  One of the flower centers was made using the Vintage Springtime fabric.  The other two flowers were made from card stock and designer paper.  A few adhesive pearls were added to complete the altered can.  I hope you like it :)  I think these cans are adorable as holders for special little house gifts - maybe a small plant or a bunch of fresh herbs from your garden! :)

Four Ways Friday #65 - Bigz Clear Large Scallop Square

Thanks for your patience in waiting for this week's Four Ways Friday!  This week's Four Ways Friday is all about the Large Scallop Square die!  I had a lot of fun coming up with four different ways to put this die to great use!

I began by making a card :)  But it's the only one you'll see for this Four Ways Friday!  I cut a piece of vellum and ran it through the Big Shot with the scallop square die and then ran it through the Big Shot again with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder.  I adhered the panel to a 5"x5" Soft Suede card using glue in the corners.  I then added the adhesive pearls to the corners to cover the glue.  I stamped the greeting from Upsy Daisy using Soft Suede ink onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out with the 1 3/4" circle punch.  I punched a piece of Soft Suede using the large scallop circle punch and then layered the greeting on top using glue.  I added a few adhesive pearls and a knot of Victoria trim.  Finally I attached the greeting to the card using dimensionals.

This second project is so easy to make and soooo cute :)  I just ran a piece of cork through the Big Shot with the square scallop die to make this small cork board!  Next I took some standard push pins and added some flowers that were punched using the Boho Blossoms punch.  I punched holes in the center of the flowers using the crop-a-dile and stretched them a bit to fit them over the push pins.  I reinforced the 3 layers of flowers using glue and then tied a small bow using crochet thread.  Finally I added a few adhesive rhinestones for bling!

The scallop square die lends itself really well to being a box top!  For this project I die cut two of the squares from Perfect Plum card stock.  I sprayed the top piece with some Champagne Shimmer Mist paint mixed with alcohol and also with a bit of Basic Black (using my spritzer tool) and Elegant Eggplant (mixed with water in a small spray bottle).  I sponged the edges of the top and bottom squares using Basic Black ink.  Next I created the scrunchy flower by punching five scallop squares from Basic Black card stock, spraying them with water, and scrunching them.  Once they were dry I piled them one on top of the other and used the paper piercing tool to punch through the flowers and the top square and attached a rhinestone brad.  The cat was stamped from the Batty For You stamp set and punched out and mounted on a Pumpkin Pie circle.  The label is from the Lots of Tags sizzlits and was die cut from Very Vanilla card stock and then stamped with images from Baroque Motifs using Perfect Plum and Basic Black ink.  I then stamped the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes using Basic Black ink onto watercolor paper and cut it out to make the banner.  The banner was adhered to the tag using dimensionals.  I then sponged a piece of watercolor paper using Pumpkin Pie ink and stamped the "boo" from Tiny Tags and punched it out with a 1" circle punch.  I added an adhesive rhinestone and pierced a tiny hole before attaching the tag to the larger tag with crochet thread.  Finally, I decorated the top with a couple of pieces of ribbon adhered with sticky strip and the embellished with a small Pumpkin Pie button.  Here is a close up of the top:

I created a template to make the box itself (I'll try to film a video next week so you can see how I did it!  Here is a view of the side of the box...I can't wait to fill it with candy!!!!

For this last project I turned to fabric!!!!  Don't forget that your Bigz dies can easily cut through fabric!  I used the Deck The Halls designer fabric and cut two squares (you can cut through quite a few layers easily with this die).  I then took the top square and embellished it with a layer of unbleached muslin, a piece of Very Vanilla satin ribbon, a large button and a small muslin piece that I stamped with the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set and some Staz-On ink.  I then sewed the squares together using my sewing machine and some gold metallic thread.  I left a small opening so I could stuff this mini pillow with fiber fill and then hand-sewed the opening closed with the same gold metallic thread.  Finally, I cut each of the scallops with a scissor to give the edges a bit of a rough finish.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I thank you again for your patience - these projects took me a bit longer than my standard cards and, I feel, were well worth the effort!  I hope you have a beautiful and creative weekend!!!!!!

Four Ways Friday Coming A Bit Later Today!

Hi!  Thanks for stopping by!  I am running a little late with posting Four Ways Friday today.  I will be posting the projects later today - please check back in a little while!  Thanks!!!!

DTP Dry Emboss Sanded Technique Dasher Merry Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  How Can You Take It Up A Notch?

When I create I often ask myself, "How can I take it up a notch?"  This card was a result of that question!  I began by using the technique I shared with you on Monday - the Direct To Paper (DTP) Dry Emboss Sanded Technique (maybe I should call it the DTPDES technique instead?  It would be easier to type :)  I took a piece of Naturals Ivory card stock and covered it with Garden Green ink using the DTP technique.  I then ran the piece through the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty embossing folder.  Next, I sanded the heck out of the raised portions using my sanding block.  Now here comes the "taking it up a notch!"  I used my sponge and Rose Red ink to sponge the raised portions that I had just sanded.  This allowed me to create this dual-color effect for this technique!  Yeah! :)  I then adhered the panel to a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Rose Red card base.  Dasher was then stamped onto a piece of Naturals Ivory card stock using Rose Red ink.  I punched it out using the square scallop punch and then stamped the sentiment from Tiny Tags repeatedly using Garden Green ink.  I also sponged the edges with the Garden Green ink.  I attached the square to the card front using dimensionals.  Finally, I knotted a small piece of gold elastic through the Rose Red button and attached it to the square using mini glue dots.  I hope you like it!  I wonder how I can take it up one more notch???  Any ideas??? :)

DTP Dry Emboss Sanded Technique On Your Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Jot It Down!

I don't know about you, but I have random thoughts that come to me during my waking and sleeping hours.  And, even though they are my thoughts and you would think I would remember them, I know that if I don't jot my ideas down they risk being lost forever.  So I try my best to have a small notebook handy - in my purse, beside my bed - so that when these thoughts and ideas come to me, I can catch them, like bubbles floating in the air - so that I can refer to them later and bring the ideas into reality.  The idea for this background (the video of which I shared with you yesterday) was one such thought and I'm so glad I captured it!  Remember to jot it down - you never know when you'll decide to act on it!
Today's card began with a piece of Naturals Ivory card stock and a Not Quite Navy ink pad.  I did the direct to paper (DTP) technique and covered the card stock with the ink.  I then ran the small piece through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  Next I took my sanding block and sanded the heck out of the card stock - removing the raised layer of ink.  I then adhered the panel to a Naturals Ivory card base with glue.  Next I stamped the hand from On Your Birthday using Early Espresso ink on Naturals Ivory card stock and punched it out using the decorative label punch.  I then sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink.  I used the same punch to punch a half punch of designer series paper and adhered the paper to the edge of the embossed panel.  The sentiment was then adhered using dimensionals and a small clip was added to the corner.  Finally, I knotted a small piece of Early Espresso ribbon to the corner.  I hope you like it! :)

Direct To Paper Dry Emboss Sanded Technique Card & Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Keep Track Of Your Progress - It Can Really Motivate You!!!!

Whether you are growing, day by day, in your creative endeavors or making progress on other goals in your life, keeping track of that progress can be a real motivator!!!!  I know that when I look back on my early paper crafting pictures and projects I am amazed by how far I have come and the amount of creative energy I have released into the Universe!!!  With my latest exercise endeavor - the P90X videos - I have been equally amazed by my progress so far!  I know it has only been 6 workouts, but in that time I did 3 of the ab workouts.  In just those 3 times I went from not being able to do the first ab exercise AT ALL to being able to do 20 reps of that particular exercise!!!!!  It makes me realize that although my start may be slow, I can make progress and move forward!  Keep track of your progress - no matter how small - it can really motivate you!!!!!
Today's card employs a technique that popped into my head on one of my morning walks!  I really love how it turned out!  Since Stampin' Up! does not make white-core card stock, I decided to add color to a light color card stock and then sand away the color to get a similar effect.  Here is a video to show you how I created the card!  I hope you like it!

Just Hanging Out

Buddy and I have decided to relax and take a day off :)  It was a busy weekend and my body is exhausted.  My P90X update is that I have done 5 workouts so far (I missed a day since I was not feeling well one day last week).  I also took a 2-hour bike ride as well as a hike over the past few days and my body is a bit sore (which is a little bit of an understatement!).  I am feeling good though - like I am doing something great for my body (even if it doesn't appreciate it quite yet).  So, today is a day off - a rest day - and I plan to be back tomorrow with renewed energy :)  Hope you have a wonderful day!!!!!

Four Ways Friday #64 - Flower Burst Embosslit

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about using the Flower Burst embosslit in four different ways!  You'll have to pardon the overuse of brown colors in this Four Ways Friday - for some reason I was all about the brown this week!

For this first card I just took a piece of designer paper (Neutrals Pattern Stack) and ran it through the Big Shot with the Flower Burst embosslit.  Then I took a sanding block and sanded the raised side of the flower - this allowed the white core of the paper to come through.  I added a touch of gold and silver smooch ink to the center of the flower.  I attached a piece of 5/8" grosgrain ribbon across the card by making a small slit along the seam of the card, running the ribbon through, and tying it in a knot.  The flower was adhered with glue dots.  I stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations with Early Espresso ink and the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig.  So simple!

Vellum is a lot of fun to emboss since the texture turns quite opaque!  Here I ran three different pieces of vellum through the Big Shot with the embosslit.  I then tied a piece of Chantilly lace ribbon around the card and knotted it.  Next I adhered the vellum flowers using glue.

 I then took a small vintage tag and stamped the floral image and greeting from Tiny Tags using Early Espresso ink.  I removed the string from the vintage tag and covered the hole with an adhesive rhinestone and then tied the string around the center of the ribbon knot and knotted it as well.  I also trimmed the length of the string.  Finally, I adhered some adhesive pearls to the center of the flowers.

Finally, a card that isn't brown! (although I'm not done with that brown yet!).  For this small 3" x 3" card I embossed a piece of watercolor paper in the sizzlit.  I then sprayed the flower with a combination of inks and champagne shimmer mist paint mixed alcohol.   Being the impatient person that I am, I dried the flower using my heat tool and then sponged the flower with both Early Espresso and Melon Mambo ink.  The Rich Razzleberry card stock base was then layered with a small square of watercolor paper that was stamped with a few words from Fabulous Phrases in Rich Razzleberry ink.  I tied a piece of dotted Rich Razzleberry ribbon around the card and knotted it and then added a small piece of Cajun Craze card stock that I had punched with the scallop edge punch.  The flower was finally added to the card using dimensionals.

Don't forget that your embosslits will work with a few materials other than card stock!  Here I ran transparency/window sheet through the Big Shot with the embosslit.  I then "painted" the back side of the flowers with gold smooch ink and let it dry.  I punched a number of flowers using the Boho Blossoms punch and brushed gold card stock.  I adhered the flowers to the Early Espresso (yes, I know, it's brown :) card base using a variety of adhesives - glue dots, glue and dimensionals - after adding some adhesive rhinestones, pearls and a few brads.  Finally, I stamped a piece of Confetti card stock with the greeting from Sincere Salutations and punched it out using the decorative label punch (one of my favorites!).
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I wish you a peaceful, rewarding and creative weekend!!!!

Sense of Time and Elements of Style Gift Card

 

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Gotta Do What You Can With What You've Got

I had a really rough night :(  For some reason I had these terrible pains in my tummy that kept me up for over 3 hours.  I still haven't figured out the cause (maybe it was that first P90X workout?!?) :)  As I write this (Wednesday afternoon), I am feeling a bit better, but still not 100%.  But I had a lot to do today, so I  had to put my head down and go to it!  Sometimes you gotta do what you can with what you've got.  That goes for today's card too.  I took what I had - a few leftover pieces - an embossed clock from the retired set Sense of Time; a small piece of card stock sitting on my craft table (finished card size 4 1/4" x 3"); and a stamp from Sense of Time.  I put it all together and here's what I came up with!  I know it won't fit in a standard envelope, but it would make an adorable card for a gift (maybe even a bottle of wine or a house plant?).  I like the idea of going over the edge of the card and not being limited by the rectangular shape of the card front...I'll have to play with that idea a bit more.  I hope you like it...I did what I could with what I had :)  For those of you that are celebrating the Jewish New Year - I wish you a healthy, happy, prosperous and creative new year!!!!!

On Your Birthday Torn Scrap Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Oh To Be Like The Snail!

We usually think of snails when we think of going slow.  But the other day, when I took Buddy for his morning walk, I thought of the snail in a different way.  I saw the sun dance off of the trail that a snail had left behind.  It was glittering in the sun - sparkling and shining after the snail had long gone.  I envy the snail its trail.  Oh to be like the snail - to leave a glittering impression long after you have gone.  To leave something behind that catches someone's eye or heart or soul.  To still be there when you are no longer around.  I need to think of that snail as I go through my days - challenging myself to leave something wonderful behind.  Making a lasting impression.
Today's card is a wonderful way to use up designer paper and card stock scraps!  I tore bits of scraps from Soft Suede, Brushed Gold and Early Espresso card stock as well as a piece of the Neutrals Designer Paper stack.  I then sewed the pieces together on my sewing machine using gold metallic thread.  You can just as easily adhere the pieces together with glue.  I then stamped the greeting from On Your Birthday with Early Espresso ink and the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig.  The paper panel was then adhered to the card front using dimensionals.  Finally, I stamped an additional greeting from On Your Birthday to the inside of the card that says "wishing you the happiest birthday yet!"  I hope you like it :)

Change Is In The Air!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  A Change Is Gonna Do Me Good!

No, your not seeing things.  That's not a card in the photo.  That's my first attempt at making my own veggie burger :)  I have been making a few changes in my life lately and this burger is a part of it.  For many years I have been a vegetarian - eating eggs and cheese, but staying away from anything with a face or a mom.  Well, my cholesterol levels have never made me happy and I began to worry that I was headed toward needing some type of medication at some point in my future.  It seems that high cholesterol runs in my family and I decided it was time to do something healthy about it.  So, I bought a copy of Dr. Esselstyn's book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease and read it.  Wow!  I was incredibly impacted by the book and immediately decided that it was the program for me.  So, for about a month now, I have adopted a vegan diet with no vegetable oil.  It was hard to give up my olive oil - I was quite the addict.  However, now that I am a month into it, I find that I really don't miss it!  I am excited to continue to eat well and treat my body with respect.  I will go back to the doctor in about 2 months to get blood work done again and that will be the true test - to see what the levels are.  I will definitely keep you posted!  I also began another change today - I did my first P90X workout!  A girlfriend had purchased the exercise program and found that she didn't use it, so she lent it to me.  Well, it sat gathering dust for a few months and I finally decided the time was right.  I may be sore tomorrow, but I got through workout number 1 and I am ready to attack workout #2.  Yes, I do believe, a change is gonna do me good!  As the seasons change, what changes can you make for the better in your own life?

 Ooh - had to share this photo with you too.  I made this cake Sunday night and it was AMAZING!  Moist, lemony!  Hard to believe there was no shortening in it!  The cake recipe and the veggie burger recipe are both from the Esselstyn book.  So far, so yummy :)  Sorry there is no card today - just wanted to share all the change I'm going through and figured changing up my post for the day fit with the theme :)  I plan to be back tomorrow with more creative inspiration!!!! :)

Four Ways Friday #63 - Just Believe

Sorry that I am so late posting this week's Four Ways Friday!  I had a hectic week and needed a few days to regroup :)  But here it is - at last!  Four Ways Friday is all about the Just Believe stamp set this week.

This stamp set is one of those sets that is complete all by itself!  It has greetings and images that combine beautifully!  Here I simply stamped the leaf background onto a piece of Whisper White card stock with Pear Pizzazz ink.  I then stamped the greeting right over the image using Basic Black ink (and the stamp-a-ma-jig to make sure it was straight).  I adhered the panel to a piece of Basic Black card stock and then attached it to the Whisper White card base using dimensionals.  So simple!

For this second card I just took things up one notch by adding a touch of embossing.  I ran the Very Vanilla card base through the Big Shot with the Embossed Tulips embossing folder.  I then stamped the focal image using Bravo Burgundy ink.  The greeting was then stamped using Early Espresso ink with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig to keep everything straight :)  You could easily add a touch of dazzling diamonds to this card to give it a bit of sparkle!

Stamping and cutting are the focus of this card.  I stamped the frame image using Basic Black ink on Very Vanilla card stock and cut it out.  I then stamped the greeting onto another scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out with the modern label punch.  I punched a designer label out of Basic Black card stock and then started to layer the pieces on a Crumb Cake card base.  First the Basic Black decorative label punch was attached with glue.  Then a small piece of striped ribbon was adhered with glue.  Next I attached the cut out image using dimensionals.  Finally, the modern label was added using a combination of glue and dimensionals.  A few adhesive rhinestone jewels were added for a bit of bling :)

Punches and stamping are a great combination for this stamp set!  Here I began by stamping the large grassy image, using Pear Pizzazz ink, on a Very Vanilla card base.  Next I stamped the greeting onto a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock using Basic Black ink and punched it out with a 1 3/4" circle punch.  I then punched a 2 3/4" scallop circle from Rich Razzleberry and layered the punched greeting on top of it using glue.  A small flower button was added to this flower using a mini glue dot.  Next I stamped the round floral image onto Very Vanilla card stock using both Melon Mambo and Pear Pizzazz ink.  I then punched the images out with the 1 1/4" circle punch.  I layered them onto 1 1/2" circles punched from Rich Razzleberry and Pear Pizzazz card stock.  I also punched scalloped circles out of Basic Black and Regal Rose card stock.  These smaller flowers were layered with a combination of glue and dimensionals and adhered to the card base.
I hope this week's Four Ways Friday inspires you to play with the Just Believe stamp set!  Or maybe the ideas here will trigger some creativity with another stamp set!  Either way, I hope you take something away that you can put to use in your own creations!  Have a beautiful rest of your Sunday!  I wish you a wonderfully creative week ahead!!!!!

Four Ways Friday Will Be Back When We Get Back From Our Walk :)

Hi!  My name is Buddy!  I know you stopped by today expecting to see this week's Four Ways Friday.  However, I had something else in mind.  I sat outside on the porch and gave my mom this look - you know the one.  The "don't you want to skip doing Four Ways Friday right now and come and take your adorable best friend for a nice long walk?!" look.  Well, she found me irresistible (as always), so we are off on a long walk.  My mom says she still plans to get Four Ways Friday done today...I'm not so sure since I can give her this same look when we get back home - the look that says, "Don't you want to come inside and help me chew on and play with my favorite toys?!".  But she says she is going to try to resist me later today and get Four Ways Friday done.  If she doesn't get it posted today, I know she'll get it posted no later than tomorrow.  After all, at some point I will want to curl up and take a nap and then she'll have nothing else to do other than to work on her cards for you :)  Please don't be upset with her.  After all - this is definitely a face you cannot resist! :)

Matchbox Die Television Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Seasons Are Changing

It seems my mood changes with the seasons.  I can feel the chill in the air in the morning.  The small birds seem so active now - anticipating the changing weather and eating more seeds and singing more songs.  There is a different energy in my step and I can feel my anticipation for cold breezy stays spent snuggly warm in the craft room creating.  I am looking forward to this change of seasons - to sit at home with my creativity and see what happens!  I wonder if my creations will take on more layers as I find myself layering more clothes on my body to keep warm.  Will I shed some old colors and try some new ones?  Will I venture into new mediums as the grass turns to ground?  The seasons are changing - and so too am I.
Today's card began when I found a Baja Breeze matchbox die cut bottom that was leftover from another project I  had done.  I adhered the box bottom together and for some reason it made me think of an old fashioned television.  So, I cut a triangle of Basic Black card stock and punched out an extra large oval from the center.  I then stamped the birthday cake from Bring On The Cake onto Whisper White card stock using Basic Black ink.  I colored in the image with markers and cut it out.  I added a bit of glitter glue for some bling.  Next I cut a small piece of wire and paper pierced a few holes in the top of the tv.  I ran the wire through the holes to create an antennae.  I also paper pierced a few holes on the Basic Black card stock and added a few silver brads for tv knobs (you remember when tv's had knobs, don't you?!).  The front of the tv was then adhered to the box using glue and the cake adhered to the box using about 3 layers of dimensionals to make it stand out.  Here is a close up of the tv.

Finally, I stamped the greeting using Calendar Alphabet & Numbers and Basic Black ink.  I hope you like it!  FYI, this card can't fit in an envelope - it's got A LOT of dimension due to the matchbox! :)

Lovely Letters and Nature Walk "Fly" Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Do What You Like, Even For A Little Bit!

I had a pretty tight day scheduled earlier in the week and yet I really wanted to be able to get out on my bike and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  We decided to fit in an hour-long bike ride, in between other appointments and chores and I am sooooo glad we did!  We went for just 53 minutes, but in that 53 minutes we were able to enjoy the glorious sunshine, get some exercise, and disconnect from the day-to-day requirements.  I have to remember that not every ride has to be an "epic" ride.  I don't have to reserve doing the things I love to do for only those situations where I have a substantial chunk of time to do them.  Do what you like - even for a little bit!  You'll be glad you did! :)
I began today's card by stamping the Lovely Letters onto a Crumb Cake card stock base using my stamp-a-ma-jig and Crumb Cake ink.  I then masked the edges of the card and sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink.  Using the color spritzer tool, I spritzed the card with Crumb Cake marker.  I then adhered a vintage paper doily to the card base using glue (I knew I would find something fun to do with those doilies!).  I made a small slit in the edge of the card and threaded through a piece of Victoria Lace ribbon and knotted it.  Next I stamped the letters for "fly" onto Very Vanilla card stock using Crumb Cake ink.  I then cut the letters out into rectangles and adhered glass glitter to the edges using Crystal Effects.  I attached the letters to the card with dimensionals.  I then stamped the images from Nature Walk with Basic Black ink onto Very Vanilla card stock and colored them in using stampin' pastels.  Finally, I cut out the colored images and  adhered them to the card with dimensionals.  Supplies Card Stock:  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla Ink:  Crumb Cake, Basic Black Stamps:  Nature Walk, Lovely Letters Alphabet Accessories:  Victoria Lace Ribbon, Champagne Glass Glitter, color spritzer tool, stampin' pastels, vintage paper doily

Kaleidoscope Circle Punch Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Help When You Can And Ask For Help If You Need To
When Buddy and I were walking through park on our way home, we watched as a woman pulled up to the curb at the park, opened her car door and a kitten jumped out.  The woman then got out of the car, put down an open can of food, got back in her car and drove away - leaving the kitty and the open can in the park.  It is hard for me to watch as someone abandons an animal.  I don't understand why she didn't just take the kitty to a shelter if she could no longer care for it.  It was an adorable kitty and I know someone would have loved to give her a good home.  I can't sit by and watch things like this happen without doing something, so Buddy and I retrieved the little kitty and brought her home.  We called Animal Control and they said they could come by and pick her up and that she would get her shots and tests and then be put up for adoption at the shelter.  Well, by the time Animal Control got to the house my heart was already being tested.  The Animal Control officer could not have been nicer - he said I could hold onto her for a bit if I wanted to think about keeping her.  So off he went, and there I was, holding the kitty and beginning to fall in love.  When Michael got home we talked a bit about it.  Willow, our senior cat, has been dealing with lymphoma for over a year now and she is about 17 years old.  We decided that trying to introduce a frisky young kitty into the house might not be the best for Willow - that the change and adjustment may cause a bit too much stress on her.  It was a very tough decision, but I called the Animal Control officer back and he came to pick up the little kitty.  I made him promise me that if there was ANY chance that she did not get adopted and might be euthanized to call me immediately!  That I would not allow for that to happen and would find her a home.  Sometimes you just need to be willing to help when you can and to ask for help when you need it.

Today's card was a lot of fun to make - just circles punches and card stock!  I punched out cirlces from card stock in rainbow colors.  I then layered the circles one on top of the other and adhered them together with glue.  I attached a rectangle of Basic Black card stock to the 5" x 5" Whisper White card base and then adhered the rainbow circles to the card stock using dimensionals.  I hope you like it!

Supplies:

Card stock:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories:  Circle punches 1 ¾”, 1 ½”, 1 ¼”, 1”, ¾”, ½”; Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack

Mixed Letters Celebrate Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Move Things Around

I find that sometimes all I need to do to try to bust out of a "funk" is to move things around.  This past weekend we decided to change around what was hanging on the walls in our different rooms.  It's amazing how the same pieces can look totally different against a different wall or how different a room can feel with different art on the walls.  If you are feeling down in the dumps or just in the mood for some change, trying moving things around on your walls - it may be just what you need!
Today's card is a mix of letters and rectangles that I moved around a lot until I found the design that I liked.  I started with a bigger than usual card base (Finished Size:  8” x 3 3/4”).  I die cut some letters from multiple colors of card stock.  I stamped the largest die cut letter with the Sanded background stamp.  The letters were adhered to different colored cardstock backgrounds using glue.  I sponged the  edges of the letter blocks with Early Espresso ink.  I also stamped a variety of letters and cut them out.  I then popped them up onto various rectangles of colored card stock and sponged the edges.  For one of the letters I adhered an old book page to a piece of chip board and die cut the piece.  I then used die cut “negative” and sponged it with ink, then adhered a piece of card stock behind thedie cut negative.  Finally, I arranged all letters on the card base and adhered them with glue.

Supplies:

Card stock:  Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight; Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, Rose Red, Early Espresso

Stamps:  Calendar Alphabet & Numbers, Broadsheet Alphabet, Sanded Background

Accessories:  Serif Essentials dies (Sizzix), Simple Alphabet dies (Sizzix), ½” circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack; book page, chipboard

Four Ways Friday #62 - Itty Bitty Bits

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about the adorable stamp set Itty Bitty Bits!

You can create very simple cards just by stamping a single Itty Bitty Bits stamp!  Here I drew a few lines onto a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and then, with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the little bird in Basic Black and Tempting Turquoise ink.  The greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes was inked with markers and then stamped using the stamp-a-ma-jig.  The panel was adhered to a Basic Black panel and then dimensionals were used to pop the panel up on the Very Vanilla card base.

The Itty Bitty Bits images pair perfectly with the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack.  For this card I stamped the heart image onto a scrap of Whisper White card stock using Real Red ink.  I then punched them all out using the circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack.  The heart circles were then all adhered to a Real Red panel using pieces of dimensionals.  The heart panel was then adhered to a Whisper White panel using glue and then adhered to the Real Red card base using dimensionals.  Finally, the greeting from Short & Sweet was added with the stamp-a-ma-jig in Basic Black ink, with a rhinestone for some bling :)

These adorable images are wonderful accents for word cards!  Here I stamped the letters using the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp set and Basic Black ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.  I then punched out the letters with the jewelry tag punch and sponged each tag with various colors of ink.  Next I did a bit of additional stamping onto the tags with images from the Tiny Tags stamp set.  I then stamped the Itty Bitty Bits images onto scraps of Very Vanilla card stock, punched them out with the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, and then adhered the bits to the jewelry tags.  The tags were then attached to the card base using a combination of dimensional pieces and glue.  Finally, I added a bit of bling with adhesive pearls and rhinestones.

For the final card I used the adorable cupcake image to create a background paper.  I cut a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock in a cupcake bottom shape and then stamped the cupcake image multiple times using Real Red ink.  I ran the shape through the crimper and sponged it using Rose Red ink.  I then punched a cupcake top using the 2 3/4" scallop circle punch and a piece of textured Soft Suede card stock.  I glued the top to the bottom and sponged the top, just a bit, with Chocolate Chip ink.  Next I added a few "chocolate" bugle beads using crystal effects.  I also added a paper-pieced candle and added a little glitter to make it sparkle.  The cupcake was adhered to the Rose Red panel with dimensionals.  Next I stamped the letters for "cake" onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched them out using the jewelry tag punch.  I then sponged the tags with Chocolate Chip ink.  I used my paper piercing tool to adhere the tags to the card stock with silver brads.  Next I adhered the Rose Red panel to a Chocolate Chip panel with dimensionals.  The card base is Crumb Cake card stock that was stamped with the Wonderfully Worn background stamp and Soft Suede ink.  I attached the cupcake panels with glue and then attached a piece of Melon Mango pompom trim using glue.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  Thank you for your patience today :)  I was on a trip this week and got home very late on Thursday evening...it was actually Friday morning already :)  Hope you have a wonderful, peaceful and creative weekend!!!!!

Four Ways Friday coming later today :)

Hope you'll check back later today...I'm a little late getting to Four Ways Friday :)

Fused Fiber Always Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes You Need To Push The Flight Attendant Call Button

I have to warn you - today I'm going to vent a bit.  I travel on planes quite a bit for work and I have become increasingly frustrated by passengers that don't follow the instructions given by the flight crew.  One of the things that really irks me is when people do not turn off their electronic devices after being instructed to do so 1, 2 or even 3 times!  I know there are conflicting reports out there about how much interference the devices can actually cause on take-off and landing...and, I must say, I don't want the flight that I am on to be the test case for whether or not a cell phone, or combination of numerous cell phones, can interfere enough with airplane communication systems to cause issues.  Nor do I appreciate other passengers making that decision for me when they are told to turn off their devices.  On one of my small flights the other day I watched as the woman across the aisle from me turned her cell phone back on as we were just about to go down the runway for take-off.  It was too late to get the flight attendant to do something before take off, but on our approach for landing, when the woman turned her phone back on and starting tapping away on the keypad, I turned to her and reminded her that electronic devices needed to be turned off for landing.  She replied, "It's in airplane mode."  I responded that based on the regulation if it had an on/off switch it needed to be turned off.  She ignored me and kept typing away so I pushed my flight attendant call button (much to her surprise!).  The flight attendant arrived immediately and instructed the woman to turn off her phone.  Sometimes you just need to push the flight attendant call button...and stick up for your own safety as well.  Until the regulation changes, I have a feeling I might push that button a number more times - at least if my experience of people around me not turning off their devices continues to happen.  Thanks for sticking with me while I vented :)  I appreciate it :)  You can push your flight attendant call button if you want to turn my venting off :)
Today's card was an experiment I did with fusing fibers (and glitter and other scraps) and I'm really happy with how it turned out!  I'm going to try to put together a video on how I did it (after I try to recreate how I did it!).  I combined the background with some stamping from the Always stamp set and the Sincere Salutations stamp set.  Pear Pizazz and Marina Mist are the predominant colors.  Here's a close up of the fused fiber background - I hope you like it!

Framed Tulips Mini Journal

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Read The Above Quote :)

When I had dinner with a friend a couple of week's ago, she shared with me that she was going through a challenging time in her life.  She also shared with me that the above quote from Anais Nin really spoke to her.  I will be seeing this special friend again this week and I decided she needed a special handmade gift :)  I looked up the quote on line (just to make sure I got it right).  This quote really spoke to me too.  I have definitely been through times in my life where the risk of remaining tight in the bud became much more painful than actually taking the risk to bloom - it's at these moments where we really show our strength and courage and faith.  Are you holding yourself back?  How painful is it?  Are you ready to bloom?
This mini journal began with a piece of 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" Bashful Blue card stock that I folded in half and sponged with Early Espresso ink.  I then stamped it with the delicate floral image from Tiny Tags.  I sewed on a piece of Chocolate Chip ribbon to act as a closure.  Next I took a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder.  I than sponged it with Early Espresso ink and sewed it to the journal front with my sewing machine and gold metallic thread.  Next I used a combination of alphabet and word stamp sets to stamp the entire quote using Early Espresso ink.  Each piece was sponged and then adhered to the card using either glue or dimensionals.  I then made the inside pages from recycled paper and stamped the inside using a retired stamp set called Bella's Bloom.  Here are a few photos of the inside cover and the inside pages.  I hope you like it :)

Happiness For You Note Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Will Be In Exactly The Right Place At The Right Time

Yesterday was a reminder to me of how we end up exactly where we need to be at exactly the right moment.  Two particular incidents stick out in my mind from yesterday.  The first was when I was in the craft room, doing my own thing, when Buddy started going bonkers.  Turned out one of our dog-walking friends was at the front door to say hello.  I invited her out onto the back porch and we sat and chatted and caught up on what had been going on for each of us.  Being on the back porch had not been a part of plan, and I'm so glad it was where I was...because along came a hummingbird!!!!  That is a very rare happening for us - we have seen two since we have lived here.  Had I not been outside at that precise moment, I would not have seen the fleeting bird.  Later in the day I was in the exact right place again.  We were walking Buddy and came across another dog-walking friend.  We began chatting about bike riding and ended up exchanging numbers so we can plan a ride together this weekend!  These unplanned meetings - with nature and friends - remind me yet again that I will always be in exactly the place I need to be at exactly the right time - whether I plan it or not :)
Today's 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" little card will be accompanying a gift that I will be giving to a friend this week.  I will share the little gift with you tomorrow :)  The colors I used are Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip and Early Espresso.  I love using the stamps from Fabulous Phrases to create my own greetings.  Here I stamped the words on two separate decorate label punches, cut them in half and then adhered them under the ribbon on the card.  I did a lot of sponging on this card - no surface was safe :)  I also used the delicate floral stamp from Tiny Tags to add some flowers to the tag.  I ran a scrap of Bashful Blue card stock through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder and then sewed it to the card with my sewing machine and gold metallic thread.  I used a piece of retired Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon - I still love it :)  Finally, I added a few tiny adhesive pearls.  Hope you like it :)

Nature Walk Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Face The Big Hills!

Yesterday I went for a bike ride and I faced the biggest hill yet on my exploration into the sport of road biking.  It's funny - I had ridden down the hill at the beginning of the ride and it felt so simple :)  I had forgotten about it when, about an hour and ten minutes later, there it was, staring me down.  I decided I had to face it and up I went.  Push by push; pedal by pedal - trying to keep some kind of rhythm.  I have to admit that I had a tinge of disappointed when I realized I was in my easiest gear possible and still had hill to climb.  But I decided then and there that I wasn't going to give up - I was going to face that big hill - just keep going my own pace - riding my own ride - up, up, up...I stayed seated the whole time - not wanting to expend the extra energy it would take to stomp on those pedals standing up.  I sat and...I made it!!!!!  What an amazing feeling - to face the big hill and make it up and over!  The next hill I came to actually felt like a downhill!  I had slayed the dragon and everything else was less frightening :)  I hope I can approach my life with this same determination - face the big hills and recognize that once I get over them, everything else will feel like a breeze :)
Today's card was inspired by bits and pieces on the craft table.  I spent time this weekend working on submissions for a magazine (I am keeping my hopes up!) and as I was putting things away, off of the craft table, I decided to put these items together to make a card.  The Very Vanilla card base is 5: x 5: square.  I added a strip of Marina Mist card stock and a piece of Victoria Lace ribbon, tied with a piece of hemp twine.  The bee from Nature Walk was stamped with Basic Black ink and cut out and then colored in using stampin' pastels.  I attached it to the card with dimensionals.  Finally I stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations using Basic Black ink.  I hope you like it!  Now go face that big hill!