Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Think about the message they might receive, not just the one you intend to send

I realized today that in my tired state (too much business travel over the last few weeks) the emails I have been sending to my colleagues have been a bit shorter and have included fewer smiley faces than my norm. I'm glad I recognized it because it made me realize that while my reason for sending shorter and less smiley emails is because I'm tired, the folks receiving them might be thinking that I'm angry or frustrated or upset with them. So today I made sure to check in with the people I've been emailing to let them know that I recognize my emails have been a bit different this week and to explain why. It's a good practice I need to remind myself of - that sometimes the messages we are sending may be received in a very different way than we intend.

I had fun stamping this big flower with many of the images from the Cheep Talk stamp set (so cute!!!). I sponged the edges of the flower with rose red. The rose red strip in the background was run through the Big Shot with the daisies texturz plate (hard to see the texture in the photo). I added a "pinch" of paper piercing and a "dash" of ribbon :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Wait 5 Minutes...

It's been awhile since I've dine an SC challenge so today I decided to give the gesso resist technique challenge a try!

It seems that lately I'm learning that if I just wait 5 minutes things can change. Especially if I'm angry or sad or frustrated...most of those emotions that I really don't enjoy feeling for extended periods of time...if I just wait 5 minutes I'm usually amazed at how things improve, how my mind starts to focus on all that I am grateful for. This project reminded me of that...since to let that gesso dry, you really need to wait 5 minutes :)

I applied gesso to a page from an old dictionary. I stamped the butterflies in versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. I then sponged with lots of different colors - they all blended together quite beautifully - reminds me of a Monet painting. I used white embossing powder on vellum for the wings of the center butterfly. I hope you enjoy it...and if you're feeling blue, or frustrated or just out of sorts, wait 5 minutes...you may be surprised at how things change!

hmmm, seems i'm taking today's lesson from the craft room to heart - the importance of balance...i'm finally trying to play as much as i've been working lately - just to even myself out :)

this card was made using the cracked glass technique (see card below for instructions). i used the Cheap Talk stamp set by Stampin' Up! (it is soooo cute!). The outer flower and two of the inner flowers were dies for the Big Shot and the inner circle and scalloped circle are punches. Hope you like it!

another lesson from the craft room today... run with your inspiration!

I'm having fun in the craft room today so I thought I would share another card with you. Today I'm feeling like I just need to run with my inspiration and keep creating! :) This card was made using the cracked glass technique. In case that is not familiar to you, you stamp on a piece of cardstock (in this case the cardstock frame that I die cut with the Big Shot). Then you smoosh (that's a technical term...at least it is now!) Versamark ink all over the stamped cardstock and coat it with glassy glaze enamel embossing powder. Then you heat until the embossing powder melts. Repeat the smoosh, emboss and heat steps two more times (for a total of 3 times). The embossing will look thick and glassy. Next, put your embossed piece of cardstock in the freezer to let it chill. Once cold, remove the cardstock from the freezer and you will be able to bend the cardstock and the enamel will crack! It's quite fun and it looks really cool (no pun intended :)! All of the flower images are from the Eastern Blooms stamp set and the message (inspire) is from one of my favorite sets, Define Your Life. (all stamp sets by Stampin' Up!) Enjoy!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Balance

rest, play, work...it seems I find myself a bit out of whack a bit too often. As Spring arrives and everything starts blooming and growing I once again realize that the seasons have so much to teach us. A time to bloom, a time to rest...so today I encourage you (and me) to ask ourselves if we are living the right balance between work, rest and play. If not, today is a great day to begin to rebalance ourselves.

This color combination has just become a favorite - chocolate chip and taken with teal. The stamp set is Fall Flair from SU! - i imagine any type of lined flower image will do. I just stamped it in taken with teal a few times and chocolate chip a few times and then used a second stamp in the set to add a bit more detail. The greeting and the white flowers were made using my big shot. The letters are from the billboard letters decorative strip die and the flowers from the SU! exclusive birds and blooms sizzlits. Enjoy!

the snow is melting and i can imagine butterflies taking flight...

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Cherish...

I have come to believe that there really are no coincidences in life and today reaffirms that for me. Yesterday I made this card. I wasn't sure what moved me to create a card that said "cherish." When I created it it looked to me like a card you might give to a couple on their wedding day. And yet, when I went to take photos of the card a strange thing happened. I took photos and then came to my computer and the photos were nowhere to be found on the compact flash card from my camera. So off I went again to take another set of photos and once again I could not load them - it was as if they had never been taken.

This morning I decided to try again and I was more successful. Somehow, overnight, the camera decided that taking photos of this card was now okay and now I know why...

My phone rang this morning at 8:09 a.m. I was asleep in my room so I waited until I was showered and dressed and in the kitchen to find out who called. I figured if it was really important then whoever called would have tried on the home phone after not reaching me on my cell. It turned out it was my mom and she was calling to let me know that my Aunt Esther had passed away overnight. Aunt Esther was 95 years old and one of the most amazing women I have ever known. And this is why today was the day my card that says "cherish" decided to let me take its picture. To remind me today that we all need to cherish those we love - when they are with us and when they are gone. I will carry Aunt Esther with me, in my heart - I will cherish her - all the days of my life. And I offer you this card to remind you to cherish those in your life who are important to you - whether they are sitting beside you or have gone to their resting place. We all have so much to cherish...

I'M HOME!!!!! :) After 28 hours of travel and getting to relive Thursday (crossing over the international date line is quite a crazy experience), I am soooo happy to say that I am home. And yes, I will be headed into the craft room shortly...and I am sure to learn a lesson in there :)

the view outside my hotel window in kuala lumpur...and i'm on the 28th floor! This is the Petronas Tower - you might recognize it from a movie with Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery :)

Today's Lesson From As Far Away As I Have Ever Been From The Craft Room: Take It In...

Here I am in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...so bizarre to be here. In some ways it feels like being in New York...except that my body can't seem to decide what time it is :) Right now it is 7:32 a.m. on Wednesday in Denver and 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur. When the morning comes it will be night in Denver and I will be on my way back home...yeah! Usually when I travel I do not have time or energy to take in the sights and sounds of where I am. Since I traveled so far this time I decided I could not leave here without having taken in a little bit of the local flavor so I asked my body to work with me and go on two outtings. One was to a shop and dinner last night with a group of people from my training. Tonight was dinner out at a local restaurant. I'm really glad I left the hotel and saw something. The bottom photo is of a batik shirt that I am bringing home to Michael (shhh) and the top photo was my "bed" from Los Angeles to Hong Kong...for all 15 hours of that flight! I am anticipating a similar bed, for a similar length of time for that part of the trip home. I have to say I am sooooo grateful to be able to fly business class on these international trips - it makes it a lot easier on my body :)

I can't wait to get back to the craft room and create! I miss it sooooo much!!!!! Ooh - I'll have to load another photo for you - I can see the Petronas Tower out my window - you might recognize it from the movie with Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery - where they are bank robbers...the building is one and the same :) If you find yourself somewhere new - whether it's around the block or around the world, don't forget to take it in!!!! :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Open Your Wings and Fly...

I made this card a number of years ago - before I even knew what Stampin' Up! was. Back in the day when I felt simplicity and a clear message was all a card needed and I wasn't concerned with techniques and embellishments and the latest doo-dad. This card is still as powerful to me today as it was when I created it. It is no wonder I have kept it...the message is one I need and love to hear.

It's funny that this is the card that drew me in today. For tomorrow I will be flying once again - this time to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am trying to look at it as an adventure rather than a burden. I have to say it is difficult to leave home again after having just arrived. With Spring in the air and my beautiful family surrounding me, the last thing I want to do is leave. However, leave I will, and on my trip I will continue to ponder what it means to open my wings and fly...If I could fly anywhere in my life, where would I go? If my wings could be any color or size or shape, what would they look like? I feel that change is coming in my life...I feel as if I am in the cocoon and soon I will be breaking through that shell and emerging into a new life...the unknown...a place I am supposed to be. Maybe you are emerging too - into a new place in your life - or back to an old place where you felt comfortable and at peace. So together we will open our wings and fly...

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Live With Passion!

Everyday I am challenged to remember to live my life with passion. It can be easy to allow ourselves to get into a rut and feel everything but passion in what we do. When we find ourselves in that place we need to ask ourselves, "What do I need to do to bring passion back into my day to day life?" When I see the word "passion" I think "joy," "wonder," "excitement." For some of us passion can be found by taking the time to create something. For others it might mean feeling the earth in our hands as we plant something in the garden. For others, a bungee jump might be in order. Life is too short to remain in a place where we live with stress, anger, sadness, or boredom. Look for it - your passion is waiting for you!!!!

Today's photo is of a small sign I created using a Sizzix frame die with my Big Shot. I also used the adorable Stampin' Up! Birds & Blooms Sizzlit - I LOVE that bird!!!! These signs are a great way to post reminders all over your house - in your kitchen, closet, bedroom, laundry room - it's amazing how powerful words can be when you see them and read them every day!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: You Are Precious And Unique!

Taking the leap of faith required when you want to change your life can be quite challenging. I spoke with a friend today about a change she is wanting to make - the desire to quit her job and go in a new direction - and yet actually doing it is proving to be more challenging than she thought. I can definitely relate! Sometimes I feel like our leaps of faith would be easier for us if we were surrounded by people who tell us how precious and unique we are and encourage us to follow our heart wherever it may take us. Instead it feels at times like we are surrounded by naysayers and negativity. Something that can make us step back from the edge and hesitate to leap.

So today, I will tell you: You are precious and unique. Whatever decisions you make for yourself, I will support you because you know what is best for you and what I want is your happiness.

ps...(this is my second paper flower....the addiction has begun :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Follow Your Course Wherever It May Take You

I am finally home...ahhhhhhhhh. There's nothing like the feel of your own sheets, the smell of your own towel, the growth that has appeared so delicately in the yard. It is a blessing to be here.

I have a story of incredible synchronicity to share, although it seems like the story could fill its own book. My first business trip to a hotel that was behind a store that had an awning with a message that said "Create Something Every Day." I made multiple trips to that same hotel and could never get closer to the store than peering in through the windows at night since I worked during the hours it was open. Yesterday I made it through the doors in a strange (or maybe not strange at all) twist of fate - or appearance of synchronicity. I was at an event with my cousin and she wanted to go to her favorite store. I put the address in my gps and told her I would meet her there. And where did that gps lead me...right to the store with the awning! Here I was, months later, in the same place and finally able to know it for the very first time!
I walked inside and met a woman by the flower kits. She overheard my cousin and I talking about how our time spent creating is time that is invaluable to us. The woman shared that she is currently in law school - in her second year - and making paper flowers has become her sacred space in the midst of the pressure and challenge of school. So, how could I resist. I bought a paper flower kit and put together my first paper poppy to share with you :)

What started out as a routine drive, turned into a message from the universe that I am headed in the right direction as I pursue my creative dreams. So follow your course, you never know where it might take you!

If you like the poppy and would like to learn how to make one yourself, you can find a flower kit at www.paper-source.com. Of course, I am not responsible for any addictions you develop as a result of giving it a try :)

This Morning's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From The Craft Room: Be Kind To Your Body

It is 5:08 a.m. Denver time, 7:08 a.m. Boston time, 12:08 p.m. London time...and my poor body is quite confused! I went to sleep at 7 p.m. thursday evening and slept for 11 hours! I awoke with a cold and then developed a headache a bit later in the morning...and I pushed - I went to lunch with colleagues, to dinner at a friend's house and then back to the hotel to see family members. I finally went to bed last night at midnight and was WIDE AWAKE by 5:30 a.m. There is only so much my body will tolerate from me before it says "If you are not going to take care of me, then I am going to get involved and start taking care of myself!" I have to say that for this, I am grateful - when my body says "No!" and tells me that it has had "Enough!" I wish it was easier for me to say "no" and "enough" - that I would have already learned the lesson to be kind to my body and follow its rhythms and needs. So today, I will do my best - to rest when I feel tired, to eat when I feel hungry, to be still when my energy is low.

This is a simple card from my archives. I used the scalloped edge punch and some stickles to make everything glittery. Sometimes it is the simple cards that really make me smile. Subtle touches, clean lines. I hope you like it! Today, simply be kind to your body. I know I will :)

Today's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From The Craft Room: Take Care Of You!!!

I am finally back in the United States, but still not back in the craft room. I flew in from London and am absolutely exhausted. My trip finally caught up with me - as these trips always seem to do. My throat starting bothering me last night and my voice is fading a bit today. By now you would think I would have taken my own lesson to heart - that we each need to take care of ourselves. Somehow I don't care for myself as well as I could and my body reacts and let's me know that it's not happy. So tonight I am finally going to turn off this computer and go to bed (and will hope to sleep for at least 10 hours!). Hopefully if I start taking care of myself now my body will recognize that I am finally ready to listen. My hope is that next time I will be open to listening when the sounds of being tired start to whisper quietly to me. So, don't forget, take care of you - after all, you are the only you you've got! :)

Today's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From The Craft Room: Wake Up And Smile!

Today I am starting my day with a big smile! It is not because I'm about to work all day. It is because I have awoken to another day. And, I have to admit, because I fly closer to home tomorrow - the return journey will begin...although there will be one more stop along the way. No matter what your reason, today, wake up and smile! It will set the entire mood for your day!

This card set is another set that I made for a friend to give as a gift. In the upper right-hand corner you will see the "folder" that holds all of the cards and then all of the other cards and matching envelopes fit neatly inside. I love the color combination of black, pink and white - it's fun and elegant at the same time! Enjoy....and don't forget to wake up and smile :)

Today's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From The Craft Room: There Is So Much To Learn!

As I travel and meet people from all around the world, I am once again amazed by how much there is to learn from one another! On the weekend I was having a discussion with a man from France about the expression "you're welcome" and how this did not seem to make logical sense to him since "welcome" means "hello." I had never even considered this! Today a group of women were talking about German culture and the value that the German culture has traditionally placed on women being at home to raise the children and how school is only in the morning for children. I also learned how incredibly expensive child care is in Germany because traditionally, this was not a service that was used a lot so there were few babysitters and they are quite expensive. I realize that I would never have heard about any of this if I wasn't curious and if I never left my own home. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about how life is seen and lived by people from different places than my own. If you get a chance to talk with someone from another culture or another place, I encourage you to talk to them about their view of life and the world and to share your own. There is so much to learn from one another!

I made this simple card awhile back. I used a number of different thank you stamps and stamped them on whisper white card stock. I also stamped them on sahara sand and then tore the edge and added a ribbon. The greeting was made with oval punches. Thanks for looking!

Today's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From The Craft Room: Take A Walk In Nature

Today was a long day and an enjoyable one. I woke to the sound of birds singing...quite loudly...and since I don't have a clock in my room I had no idea what time it was. I knew it was morning of some kind :) Work went well and after the workshop I decided to take a walk around the property. There is a path that winds around a golf course - it was empty and a bit cloudy and chilly outside and it felt incredibly invigorating! The highlight were quite a number of bunny rabbits chasing each other wildly around the golf course! I had never seen such a thing! They didn't like seeing me, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching them!!!! It seems like no matter what is going on in my day, taking the time to take a walk in nature really grounds me. It opens my mind and my lungs and makes me take in what is truly beautiful...I highly recommend it!

This card set was made a few months ago. All of the leaves and flowers and birds make me think about being outdoors. The upper right-hand corner is the card holder for the set. The other cards fit neatly into the holder and it makes a wonderful gift! When I get home I will try to take some inside photos of this type of holder so you can see how it's made. Enjoy...and go take a walk in nature :)

Today's Lesson From Much Too Far Away From the Craft Room: Grow At Your Own Pace

This photo was taken last year, around this same time of year - as snow started to give way to Spring and all sorts of green started to push up through the dirt in the back yard. I'm on the road - in England - right now and am intrigued by the seasons and how London is experiencing the first signs of Spring as much as Denver is right now. Everything is starting to get green - there's an excitement in the air as plants come out of their resting places and start to grow. And so it is with us - a gradual growth process. It's funny how we use the expression "she is really green" when we are describing someone who is new at what they do - fresh, inexperienced. If anything, being green says something different to me. It says that we are willing to take a chance. To come out of that comfortable dark place in the ground and say, "I'm here!" We are saying that we are open to growth and learning.

I am also amazed at how some plants seem to appear overnight and others take their time, showing themselves, little by little. As it is with us, in different parts of our lives. We grow at different paces in different areas at different times in our lives. And so it is with what we create. Some things come to us quickly - others take shape more slowly. However it happens, let yourself grow at your own pace. A book I was reading described a tale of a farmer standing over the young shoots of his crop, trying to yank them up further out of the ground - trying to force them to grow. Of course, this was not successful. The plants were going to grow at their own pace. And trying to hurry them was not going to help them or the farmer.

Today, allow yourself to grow at your own pace. Recognize there is a perfect rhythm to your growth and it will all happen when it is meant to.