Wetlands Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I Create Art Because I Have To
Gotta love an inner critic that is constantly questioning why you are spending time in the craft room!  At times I let that voice pull me in...and I start to question myself about why I bother to create art if it doesn't support me or if there are so many other things I could be, need to be, doing.  I finally listened to my soul and it had the most obvious answer for my inner critic - I create art because I have to.  I realize that for me, art is like air.  If I do not breathe it in, I will no longer exist.  Art is my ritual, my grace, my sustenance, my healing, my gift to others.  I create art because I have to.
Today's card was a quick and easy to create.  I stamped the grass image from the Wetlands stamp set, multiple times, using Pistachio Pudding ink.  Next, I stamped the goose using Staz-On and then colored him in with an aqua painter and ink.  Since I was using Whisper White card stock as my base, the water soaked through the card stock a bit.  To cover that up, I adhered Crumb Cake panels to the inside of the card.  I stamped the sentiment from Wetlands with Staz-On as well.  The final touch was to poke a hole in the spine of the card using my paper piercing tool  I then threaded a piece of linen thread through the hole, wrapped it around the card twice, and tied it in a bow.  I hope you like it!  P.S. The art journal page that I will be sharing with you this week was inspired by today's lesson from the craft room!

Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #24

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Enjoy Your Hot Mess! :)
I decided to participate in the Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #24 over at Craft Project Central.  When I created this card I decided it was a hot mess!  At first I just didn't like it one bit!  It is quite different from my usual cleaner and simpler look.  I gotta admit though, the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me.  And, when I added the touch of washi tape, it won my heart over :)  I'm not sure if you'll like this card or not.  All I know is that I'm enjoying my hot mess! :)
I began with a Basic Black card base and added a piece of Modern Medley designer series paper.  Next, I cut a smaller strip of the designer paper and trimmed it to have a banner bottom.  It was added to the card with dimensionals.  The car from Postage Collection was stamped next onto Melon Mambo and then punched with the postage punch.  I then tore a piece of the designer paper and layered it onto the dotted designer paper.  Next came a bunch of stamping - some of the sentiment stamps from Postage Collection - stamped in black and punched out.  I actually used the decorative label punch (did you recognize it?) to punch out the word "friend."  You just have to be creative with placing card stock into your punches to create additional wonderful shapes for your layers!  A touch of washi tape and some adhesive rhinestones finished the look.  I hope you enjoy my hot mess as much as I do :)

Get Well Ensemble by Julie Wadlinger

Nobody likes getting a cold in the summer so here is a Get Well Ensemble with some Pool Party and Daffodil Delight colors for you to fancy things up a bit for your friends in need.  This beautiful project was created by Julie Wadlinger.  It makes for a fun class, club, or camp project!  You can learn more about Julie at her blog HERE.  If you like this project and the other Craft Project Central projects I've been posting during the month of June, you can subscribe to the month of June at Craft Project Central to have access to all the instructions for how to make these great projects!

Art Journal Pages

I hope you have a peaceful and creative weekend!  Please keep the people of Colorado who are being impacted by all of these fires in your thoughts and prayers.  It's been a difficult week so far for this beautiful state that I call home.

Mosaic Flip Flop Album by Christy Fulk

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  If you don't risk anything, you risk even more. - Linda Peterson
I read the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine and absolutely smiled when I saw the are created by Linda Peterson! You can learn more about Linda and her adorable Hazel art HERE.  Her character, Hazel, appears in her mixed media pieces - often with some wonderful words of wisdom.  Today's lesson came from a mixed media piece featuring Hazel standing on a diving board.  The words seems all the more fitting given our recent roller coaster ride of house hunting! Yes, not jumping in with both feet may actually be a bigger risk than going for it!  Thanks for the great advice Hazel :)
Today I am sharing yet another wonderful project from Craft Project Central for the month of June.  This album was created by Christy Fulk.  You can learn more about Christy on her blog HERE.  This album inluded eight 6” x 6” pages , along with eight half page flaps.  Everyone will love how the pages “flip flop” when looking through it.  The album features the new Mosaic Madness stamp set and the new Quatrefancy Specialty designer series paper.  This project would make a very fun scrapbooking class, too.  You can get instructions for this great album and for all the other June projects I've been sharing with you by subscribing to Craft Project Central for the month of June!

Gingham Garden Washi Tape Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It's Nice To Have Friends You Can Be Smelly With!
I had a pilates class the other day and decided not to shower when I got home since it was hot outside and I knew I'd be back outside to take the dog for his evening walk.  I'm not a big fan of taking more than one shower a day since my skin gets cranky and dry.  So off we went to the park and we ended up sitting on the hill with some of Buddy's park friends.  As I was sitting there I realized that I probably smelled like Pilates...and it didn't matter!  Because these are my friends and they don't care if I smell every once in awhile :)  It's nice to have friends you can be smelly with :)
Today's card is super simple to make!  Just use some washi tape!  I tore some piece of the Gingham Garden washi tape and adhered them to the Coastal Cabana card base.  I stamped the sentiment from Label Love with Melon Mambo ink and punched it out with the Artisan Label punch.  It was added to the card with dimensionals.  Finally, I punched some small flowers using the Boho Blossoms punch and Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay and Melon Mambo card stock.  Rhinestone jewels added the finishing touch!  I hope you like it!

By The Tide Father's Day Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:   I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. - Henry David Thoreau
In all of our thinking and searching around a move to the mountains, the words of Henry David Thoreau have been quite inspiring.  When it boils down to it, I believe this is what is driving our desire around the move - to front only the essential facts of life.  Somehow nature becomes the canvas upon which we paint our lives and we have been craving a closer look at the canvas.
For today's card I decided to play with some of the new In Colors for Father's Day!  I stamped images from the By The Tide stamp set using Pistachio Pudding (yum!) and Coastal Cabana.  Next, I stamped the fish with Staz-On and then colored the fish using a variety of markers and blender pen.  The sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes was stamped onto Coastal Cabana card stock and then punched out using the Word Window punch.  The sentiment was adhered with 1/2 dimensionals.  I hope you like this clean and simple card :)

Cupcake Box Gift Set by Amanda Corbet & A Winner!!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Taking A Leap Can Be Emotional!
For those of you following our house hunting journey, we actually took a leap and put in an offer this past week on a home in the mountains.  Don't get too excited because there was a counteroffer that we felt was too high for us.  So now things have stalled - or, I guess if you think about it legally, things have ended because both the offer and the counteroffer have expired.  I have to say that this whole process has been quite an emotional one for me.  I am learning a lot about myself and my emotions!  It was a major step for me to actually take the leap and for that I am so grateful.  I don't know where things will go now - I guess legally things are at an end, but that doesn't mean options don't continue to exist.  So we will see what happens.  For now I will just be proud for the actions I have taken and for the lessons I am learning!  Yes, taking a leap can be emotional!
Today I wanted to share the latest project available for June on Craft Project Central.  This beautiful Cupcake Box Gift Set was designed by Amanda Corbet.  You can learn more about Amanda and her lovely creation on her blog HERE.  Do you need a really bright and fun gift to celebrate someone’s birthday? Well this set has it all for you! There are instructions to create this fun pink card, gift bag, and cupcake box set that is sure to make anyone’s day!  You can receive the instructions when you subscribe to the month of June on Craft Project Central.
Thank you to Lorraine, Doris and Raquel for entering comments to win a June subscription for free to Craft Project Central!  I used random.org to choose a winner and the winner is...

Congratulations Raquel!!!!! 
raquelmason.stampinup.net said...Congrats on being chosen to be a guest designer. My hero is anybody that has a dream & achieves it. Thanks for the chance to win.
I will be reaching out to you for some information to set up your free subscription for June!!!!

Friendship Preserves Banded Brayer Background Card

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

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

- Shel Silverstein

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

CREATE Sign by Monika Davis

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

Banded Brayer Technique: A Video!!!!

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

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

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

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

Order From The New Catalog, A Sale & Wanderlust Photopolymer

The New Catalog is here!!!!  Click HERE to download your electronic copy or to view the catalog on-line!

Check out these 3 great greeting stamp sets that are ON SALE - 25% OFF!!!!

Dates: May 31-June 30, 2013

Sale Price	Retail Price	Description	Item
$17.96	$23.95	Sassy Salutations Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132070
$13.46	$17.95	Sassy Salutations Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126707
$14.96	$19.95	Sweet Essentials Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132085
$11.21	$14.95	Sweet Essentials Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126457
$21.71	$28.95	Petite Pairs Wood-Mount Stamp Set	128706
$15.71	$20.95	Petite Pairs Clear-Mount Stamp Set	122497

Also, a new photopolymer stamp set is available!  It is called Wanderlust (133452 for $13.95) :)  Isn't it cute?!

Pennant Parade Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Trim Away The Dead
It's a weird lesson, but I think it will make sense if I explain it.  We have a beautiful weeping birch tree in the backyard.  By now it is likely 80 years old and every year there seem to be limbs that die.  Today we had the tree trimmers come to trim away the parts that were dead.  I'm always nervous about trimming away what is dead - afraid too much will disappear and it will no longer be recognizable.  I know this is a lesson I need to learn about myself as well - the ability to trim away that which is dead - that which is no longer serving me or my soul.  And yes, I struggle with the same fear - that I won't recognize myself if I strip away that which I have come to believe about myself.  What if we changed where we live?  What if I changed what I do?  What if we changed our approach to each day - a new routine?  Maybe the tree is there to teach me.  She looked beautiful today after that trim - green and glorious - blowing in the breeze without a care.  She even looked more full with all of that dead weight gone.  Maybe it can be the same for me.
Today's card was made using the background technique that I keep teasing you with!  I had planned to make the video today, but the chainsaw noise in the background would not have made for a great video!  So, I will film the video over the weekend and get it to you by Monday!  I die cut some letters using the Typeset Alphabet dies and Pink Pirouette card stock.  The pennants are from Pennant Parade - stamped on Pink Pirouette with Melon Mambo ink and then punched with the Petite Pennants builder punch.  I used the Little Labels Punch Pack to punch the small stamp squares of Melon Mambo card stock that I glued to the pennants.  I used the Simply Serif Mini Alphabet set to create the letters for "wish" and punched them out using the circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack.  The "happy birthday" greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes - stamped onto Pink Pirouette card stock with Melon Mambo ink and partly punched out with the Ticket Duo Builder punch.  Of course, I had to add some dazzling diamonds for some bling!  Dazzling Diamonds is still one of my all time favorite things - just added with 2-way glue...even if the glitter ends up making me, the craft room and the pets sparkly :)  I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend!!!!!

Fine Feathers Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Let Your Mind Wander For A Day
All this thinking has made my brain hurt.  So today I decided to just let my mind wander.  No focusing on houses, moving, or the impermanence of all that is around you - let alone ourselves.  I just enjoyed the day - even my eye check up (I decided to be a little less conservative with my next pair of glasses...nothing crazy, but a bit outside the box for me).  It was nice.  Rain, thunder, sunshine, dinner with a neighbor.  A perfect day for an overtaxed mind :)
Today's card was made with some of the colors and images from yesterday's card.  I stamped the bird from Papaya Collage with Soft Suede.  The feathers from Fine Feathers were stamped in Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede and then cut out.  I created another background piece (and yes, I still need to get that video together so you can see how I created it!).  The sentiment is from Bitty Banners.  I hope you like the Pink Pirouette and Crumb Cake combination as much as I do :)

Papaya Collage Pursuit of Happiness Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There Is So Much To Consider...Or At Least That's What I'm Telling Myself
I apologize for having disappeared for a few days.  My brain has been hurting with thinking so much.  Yes, we are still contemplating the idea of purchasing a home and moving to a more rural area.  And yes, it makes my head hurt.  Who knew so much could be connected to the thought of moving.  I won't bore you with all the details, but somehow this potential move has made me consider my hopes and dreams.  The feeling that if you don't do something at a certain point in your life, the time will pass and you will never do it.  And yet not doing it may create a path of its own - a path that might be satisfying in its own right.  The thoughts have ranged from mortgages to fire danger to snow removal to bears in the backyard!  Not to mention altitude, amazing views, new adventures and sad goodbyes.  I wonder too if I am making it all too hard for myself.  Maybe so.  Or maybe I'm just being thorough in my decision making process and trying to align my head and my heart.  Yes, there is so much to consider...or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
Today's card highlights a message that I need to remember daily - especially with my head so full of thought :)  I stamped the sentiment from Pursuit of Happiness using Crumb Cake ink on Naturals Ivory card stock.  I used the Framelits Labels collection to cut it out and then sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink.  The bird from Papaya Collage was stamped with Sahara Sand on Naturals Ivory card stock and cut out too :)  Are you wondering how I made the panel that sits as the first layer on the card base?  I may put together a video before the week is out to show you how! :)  Next came a layer of Pink Pirouette card stock that was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then adhered to the layer beneath it with dimensionals.  A piece of Crochet trim was tied around these 2 layers.  The bird was added with dimensionals and the sentiment just adhered with glue.  For a final touch I added a Crumb Cake button with some linen thread tied through the holes.  I hope you like it :) (ps  Hi Doris!  I've missed having coffee with you these past few days :)

Lovely Little Labels Tiny Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Tending To Your Garden Tends To Your Soul
It was only about 10 minutes.  I walked out the front door to look at the new number sign that had been drilled into the brick of the house and I noticed the tall grass growing in between the emerging lilies.  I was only going to look at the sign and come back inside the house, but the grass had caught my attention and I started to pull as the grass tugged.  It was only about 10 minutes of pulling up the errant grasses, but after those 10 minutes I felt refreshed, calmed - I could breathe again.  Tending to your garden tends to your soul - whether it's planting a seed, pulling up grass or trimming whatever is growing around you.
Today's card is tiny!  Just 2"x2"!  I figure it will make a nice pillow message for Michael one day :)  I began with a Naturals Ivory card base and added a strip of Gumball Green dsp.  Next I punched a designer label and cut it in half and adhered it to the card.  I then used the mini curly label punch on some Gumball Green card stock, stamped it with a word from Lovely Little Labels and added that with a dimensional.  Then I stamped the frame and sentiments from Lovely Little Labels with Gumball Green ink and punched it out with the coordinating punch.  A few hearts were stamped as well.  I then folded a small piece of Natural Trim in half and added a Vintage Trinket safety pin.  This was then adhered to the card with glue dots.
For those of you following my blog this week, here is the current condition of one of my canvases.  I keep wondering if any of these stages will be recognizable by the time I am done....I guess we'll find out together :)

Pleasant Poppies Wonderful You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Money Is What We Make It
As you can imagine, as I continue to consider the possibility of purchasing a new home, money has become the focus of many of my thoughts.  After a book about money and work was recommended to me, I went searching on-line for the book and somehow found my way to the movie Money & Life.  I already want to watch it again because it was a lot to take in.  You can watch it on-line for free and choose whether or not to make a donation.  I would love to know what you think!  It's made me wonder about how we value ourselves and others.  It's made me question the power we have given these thin pieces of paper.  It's gotten me curious about other forms of currency that we can create.  Money is what we make it.  That is my mantra for today.
Today's card was simple and bold.  I just inked up the Pleasant Poppies background stamp with Tangerine Tango ink and stamped it onto a Very Vanilla card base.  Next, with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the sentiment from Loving Thoughts using Early Espresso ink.  A touch of dazzling diamonds on the small buds added a bit of sparkle to the card.  I hope you like it!  And, if you read my blog yesterday, you saw that I have begun playing around with some canvases.  I played a little bit more (and am trying to be patient with the drying process).  Here's what one of the canvases now looks like...

I cannot end this post without sending my thoughts and prayers to all of you impacted by the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma and other parts of the country.  You are in our hearts!!!!!

Canvases In Progress

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I Know Something Has Touched Me Deeply When I Am Brought To Tears.  It Is This Emotion I Must Pay Attention To.
I volunteer for a radio reading service.  Every week I record two programs that are then made available to the visually impaired.  One of the programs is a reading of a newspaper published in a mountain community here in Colorado.  The other program is the New York Times Travel Section.  I have 28 minutes of recording time, so usually I scroll through the articles and choose ones that speak to me in some way.  Little did I know how much one of the articles would impact me - it brought me to tears.  The article was titled innocently enough A Case for Getting Far, Far Away by Christopher Solomon.  It was when I was recording and got to the last paragraph that I had to stop because I started sobbing.  Here is what I read, "Gretel Ehrlich said of those yawning Wyoming spaces that she loves, "Its absolute indifference steadied me."  I know what she meant.  We spend our days trying to be big.  In the middle of nowhere, though, we can surrender to smallness again and instead find where we fit in the landscape.  Out there, where there's nothing, is where there's the most to learn."  I knew this had touched me deeply - speaking to that part of me that holds my truth - my wisdom.  I believe this is why I am drawn to the mountains and open spaces right now.  I must pay attention to this emotion and honor it.
As part of honoring my emotion, I was drawn to pull out some canvases yesterday and start painting.  I have continued the process today and am sharing these images with you.  Both of these are canvases "in progress" - I have no idea where they will take me.  I am enjoying the process of applying paint, sometimes spraying it with water, sometimes applying it with my fingers...and then letting it dry before applying the next color (so I don't end up with a canvas of mud!).  I may share what becomes of these canvases - not sure how long that might take.  But for now I will pay attention to what I am feeling and keep painting.

Scroll down for Thursday's post

I tried to use the blogger app this week to create my post for Thursday and unfortunately it posted Thursdays post earlier in the week when I hit publish! So if you would like to see Thursday's post, please scroll down to see the heat embossed river rocks! Enjoy! Hopefully I'll do a better job of figuring out this app!

Art Journal Pages

Mixed Bunch Gratitude Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Your Intuition Knows What Your Mind Does Not
It's been a bit of a whirlwind for me the past few weeks.  We went to a wedding in Tyler, TX and then went to visit my mother in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Go, go, go...and not just my body, my mind too.  We are still trying to figure out what, if any, changes we want to make in our lives.  Specifically, we continue to look at homes to determine if we want to move.  We've looked at a few horse properties and a few mountain properties...and a few hybrids.  All in an attempt to figure out what we want.  It's funny, if you begin to talk to city people about the mountains they say things like, "It's cold there!" or "It's so far away!" or "Won't you feel isolated?"  When you talk to mountain people they say things like, "I can't imagine living in the City again!  All those people!  All that pollution!  That fast pace!"  Everyone has something to say - a word of advice, a question to pose - my brain is spinning.  Not to mention all of the talking that Michael and I have been doing - trying to figure it all out.   At times I just want to laugh...because I truly don't believe the answer for us will come from all the talking and asking and reasoning.  I believe it will actually come from our intuition - that we will just "feel" what it is that is right for us.  The challenge is quieting all the other noise in order to focus on that inner voice - that intuition - that always points me in the direction.  Your intuition knows what your mind does not...I'll let you know what it says to me if I can still myself long enough to listen :)

 Today's card was made very simply using Naturals Ivory card stock and the Mixed Bunch stamp set.  I stamped the large floral image three times using Pretty In Pink ink.  Next I stamped the round image and punched it out with a 3/4" circle punch.  It was added to the card with a dimensional and then some dazzling diamonds and an adhesive rhinestone were added.  I finished the card with the sentiment from Apothecary Art.  I hope you like it!

Heat Embossed River Rocks

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Laughter feels awesome!

Michael and I decided on December 31st of this past year to go ahead and finally purchase iPhones. If you have read my blog before you may already know that we held out for just about as long as we could! I was very concerned about becoming very dependent on my phone and always having my head buried in my phone. What I hadn't considered was the amount of laughter I would experience as a result of Siri! Michael and I use Siri to send text messages to one another so that we don't have to type everything out with our thumbs :-) Of course this means that sometimes Siri interprets what we say incorrectly! It has led to some incredibly hysterical text messages that we send to each other even when they are incorrect :-) The other day I tried to tell him that I was going to our neighbors house - Greg and Ann's. Somehow Siri heard that as Grecken hands! And somehow that caused me to laugh hysterically :-). What Siri continues to remind me is that laughter is awesome and the more you can laugh on a daily basis the happier you will be! Can't wait to see what she misinterprets next!
I was playing with embossing powder the other day and somehow came up with the idea to emboss on river rocks! I wanted to have little rocks that I could put in my potted plants that would look fun and pretty! So I just used my embossing buddy to wipe off the rocks and then I used my Versa marker to apply the versamark ink and then added white embossing powder and heat embossed. If you try this yourself you should heat your rocks on a heat resistant surface like a tile and be very very careful! While the rocks will take awhile to heat up they also retain the heat quite well! So don't touch the rock right after heat embossing or you might burn yourself! How fun it would be to create a small rock garden with multicolored embossed rocks! Can't wait to hear if you play with this technique and what you create :-)

A Busy Pen!

From simple to intricate.  More of a need for an outpouring today vs. a simple flow.  My father passed away on this day many years ago.  I miss you Dad and I love you very much.

Yet Another Pen Meditation

Simpler this time...some forms still showing themselves again.  Just keep moving the pen on the paper - letting it flow...

Another Pen Meditation

This is my second pen meditation.  Some of the forms are reappearing - like a chant - from my hand.  More tomorrow....

Ramblings With My Pen

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Go On A Pen Meditation
Without providing details, let's just say that this past weekend was an emotional roller coaster!  I was considering just taking a break from the blog this week to try to get myself back on track, but then I thought it might be better to share with you one of the things I do to try to center myself and move forward after I've been on an emotional roller coaster!  Lately I've been enjoying going on pen meditations.  This first meditation happened on the inside back cover of my daily journal - somehow I needed to move to lines and mark-making after writing down my daily "wordy" pages.  This is what came out of me - I think it's magical :)  What was even more magical is what the focus on the drawing did for my mind and my soul.  It was an incredibly peaceful journey...except for the times when my inner critic would say things like, "What are you doodling like that for?  Isn't that a total waste of time?  Don't you have anything better today?"  I put a gag on that darn inner critic and just kept moving my pen across the page.  I highly recommend going on a pen meditation - it might actually clear your mind :)  Over the next few days I'll share a few more of my pen meditations - just taking a break from the traditional posts to give myself a recharge :)

Pleasant Poppies Thank You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Get Up And Walk Away
I was eating lunch the other day and fell into my usual habit of turning on the tv while I was eating.  Of course, even though there are hundreds of channels to watch, there was absolutely nothing worthwhile on!  But, unfortunately, that didn't stop me.  I chose some ridiculous dating show and let it blabber at me while I ate my salad and bowl of corn/beans/salsa.  Once I was done eating it was very tempting to just keep sitting there staring at the tv screen.  I even found myself getting up, grabbing a few squares of chocolate out of the pantry and heading back to the couch.  But once I sat down, reason took over and I turned off that dumb television show and got up and walked away!  I am very proud of myself!  Instead of letting my mind melt I actually started editing photos for my blog :)  Sometimes you need to get up and walk away in order to get yourself going!
Today's card was another scrap card as I begin to unearth the craft table (I know it's under there somewhere!).  I had stamped the Pleasant Poppies stamp onto watercolor paper with Staz-On and watercolored the image ages ago and now it turned into a perfect panel for this card.  I paired it with some designer paper (patterns stack) and a sentiment from Petite Pairs.  I hope you like it and I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with opportunities to get up and walk away and get yourself going!!!!!

Fine Feathers Thoughts Of You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Tend To It While It Is In Your Care
On our morning walk Buddy and I pass by a beautiful piece of land.  In the midst of house after house, there is a corner lot that is a beautiful iris garden.  We walk by every day and I always wondered whose garden it was.  This is no small piece of land - it is large and beautiful and visited by birds and rabbits.  Every once in awhile we would see bags stacked along the curb for pick up - bags of trimmings and clippings - evidence of someone tending to this beautiful place.  On Tuesday, Buddy and I were coming upon this wonderful place and there was a woman who looked like she was being eaten up by the ground!  She was on her knees and her whole torso was against the earth and her arm was reaching into the ground!  I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing!  As we came up closer we could see that there was a hole in the ground - the place where the controls for the irrigation system live - and we stopped to chat.  It turns out that the woman was one of the daughters who grew up in the home.  Sadly, her mother passed away in January and the family is not able to continue to support the home.  Someday soon, the property - including the 1940's house - will be put up for sale.  It was sad for her to share - and sad for me to hear.  Thinking about how much love her mother put into that garden.  Thinking about the likelihood that the land will be sold and the garden unearthed and new homes built in its stead.  She mentioned that they had thought about donating the land to the city, but really couldn't afford to do that.  It made me wonder what it would take to raise enough money to buy the land to preserve this piece of heaven in the midst of city sprawl.  And then a part of me wondered how long you can really control what happens to land.  For if I was able to raise the money and purchase it - what would happen to it when I was gone?  Maybe what we need to focus on is how we can tend to nature while nature is in our care.  Focusing on the present moment and our impact on what we appreciate.  We walked by the property again today - this time it was blanketed in fresh snow.  We looked even more carefully this time - realizing that what we love may one day no longer be there.
Today's card focused on colors that are retiring - only here until they are gone.  Bashful Blue and River Rock.  Funny how sometimes we begin to appreciate things only after they are disappearing - I don't think I had ever put these 2 colors together, but I love the way they look!  I stamped the feather from Fine Feathers and then added the sentiment from Loving Thoughts using Early Espresso ink.  So simple.  I hope you like it!

Pennant Parade Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Do
That's my word of the day..."do!"  I have been finding myself back in "if only" space.  Have you been there?  It's when your thoughts begin with the words "if only" and then you fill in the blank.  If only I had a barn as a studio.  If only there wasn't so much clutter around me.  If only I had a few million dollars (okay...maybe even one million)!  I find myself sitting there with my thoughts - pondering "if only" and what I realize is that while I am doing all of that pondering I am not DOING anything to get myself closer to having that million, getting my space uncluttered, or working toward having a barn as an art studio!  So today's word is "do" and I'm hoping tomorrow's word will be "do" too!  I need to start doing, even in the midst of all of my thoughts. There is a great quote by Pablo Picasso that says, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."  So off I go to work - to do those things that I keep thinking about...hopefully inspiration will notice me :)
Today's card began with a few of the designer label punch pieces that were lying on my craft table (or, more aptly stated, "buried" on my craft table!).  I took out a Marina Mist card base and tied a piece of stitched satin ribbon around it.  Next I added the designer label punched pieces using dimensionals and layered a few stamped pennants from Pennant Parade.  The sentiments from Pennant Parade, Fabulous Phrases and Mixed Medley were stamped and then punched with a 3/4" circle punch.  They were also added to the card with dimensionals.  A bright button with some linen thread and a spritz with Marina Mist and Chocolate Chip ink finishes the card.  I hope you like it!

Tyler, Texas

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Some Things Are Better Laughed At Than Eaten!!!!
Really?!  Instead of calling this a Chicken Fried Burger, I think they need to call it Heart Attack On A Plate!  The menu item above it - The Flatliner -is definitely named correctly :)  I do wonder how many of these items they sell...and hope that those who eat them have their legal and medical papers in order! :)
We were in Tyler, Texas over the weekend for a wedding and a quick visit with Michael's parents.  We left bare trees here in Colorado and flew into the warm, humid Spring in Tyler.  it was nice to see all of that green and some beautiful wildflowers along the side of the road.  Over the weekend Michael's dad took us for a little scenic boat ride along the Naches River.  I thought I would share a few of the photos - hopefully you can imagine the sound of the frogs and ducks that are hiding somewhere out of view :)  I hope to be back tomorrow with something crafty :)