happy spring!

This winter has been arduous to say the least. I am so over cold, and snow, and 6 foot snowbanks. I find myself, more often than not, Dreaming of sunshine, and digging in the dirt, and green things. I know that spring is on its way. We've had a few days where I could almost smell it. But I needed to see a little bit of spring. The easiest way to do that, was to make a card!

I absolutely love this card. The colors make me smile, remind me of the promise of sunshine, and lift my spirits. 

I used a simple technique that I had almost entirely forgotten about. I inked the edges of the So Saffron card stock with Pumpkin Pie ink. It gives the look of an extra layer without adding the bulk. 

Happy sping and happy stamping!

let earth receive her king!

It has been a very busy pre-holiday season for me! I've been crafting like crazy getting ready for a craft fair, and I've been coming up with projects for three (three!!!) Stamp Camps! I have my traditional Christmas Stamp Camp, complete with Christmas music, Christmas cookies, the Cocomotion full of frothy hot chocolate, and ten Christmas projects. I've got one for my co-workers featuring nine cards and a sock snowman filled with rice. And I'm doing a special mini camp for some friends in their home. A first for me, so I'm getting excited!

My friend sent me a link to a card that she loved. 

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2463311

I loved it too! So I set to work figuring out how to pull it off. Imagine my surprise, and frustration, when I discovered that there was no "recipe" online for the punch art. Gasp!!! Unbelievable that no one has taken the time to write it up. Punch art is not my forte, so for a few days, I just let the idea of doing this card die. But I really do love it. And I didn't want to disappoint my friend. So I dug in for a day (literally) of playing with my punches. Here is the result!

I'm so very proud of myself for figuring out how to make this card happen! It's something that I could never do for my traditional Stamp Camp because of the enormous time involved in cutting the card kit. But for a smaller, in home session, it's perfect! I can't wait to gather with my friend's group of ladies to put this together. 

My sample is sitting on my mantle right now. Every time I walk by it I smile inside. Not only am I psyched that "I made that!", but it's a great reminder for me of why our family celebrates Christmas. It's not about the buying of gifts, the making of cards, the baking of cookies, or the hustle and bustle. It's all about the humongous love that God has for us. About his willingness to send his one and only son to the earth to live among us, Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus came to us as a baby, and would die for us as a sacrifice for our sin. I'm so incredibly thankful. Joy to the world, indeed!

Happy stamping!

getting older

I'm always looking for paper to jot down something. A phone number. A grocery list. A scheduling reminder. A to-do list. And pretty little things make me smile. So I combined my practical need for paper, and my aesthetic need for beauty, into one sweet little covered note pad. 

Now I can leave one of these by the phone, and have a little eye candy around, hiding all the details that my aging brain can no longer hold by itself. 

I have just six of these, all with different designs, for sale at the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar on 11/8/14, from 10:00-3:00, at the RCS Middle School. Come on out for it!

Happy stamping!

ho ho ho!

A Of all of the items that I made for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar, this has got to be my favorite! It's the swirls on Santa's beard that just puts it over the top for me. So super cute! It is hinged with a brad so that it swings open to reveal a gift card.

Gift cards are such a practical gift to give at the holidays. Putting one into a handmade holder makes it feel personal too! I've got a dozen of them made up to sell at the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar. Hope to see you there on November 8th between 10:00 and 3:00 at the RCS Middle School!

Happy stamping!

mini sweet treats

Some things just make me happy inside. Snail mail with a hand written address. Freshly washed sheets, still warm from the dryer. Days when there is no bickering between my girls. These things cause little bubbles of joy inside that put a smile on my face.

And these little cuties do the same thing! Every time I see them, I grin from ear to ear. Rudolph hides snack sized Hershy bars. And Santa's coat conceals snack sized Kit Kats!

Now that they are all finished, I can enjoy them. But putting them together required tweezers. And tiny dots of glue. And precision. Ugh!!! Any craft that requires a pair of tweezers can drive me nuts! 

But the end results were sure worth all the frustration, and sticky fingers, and the fact that, for days, I was finding tiny black circles all over the floor. 

But look how sweet they look all ready for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar! I'd make a bunch of them again, in a heartbeat!

Happy stamping!

it's what they want

I am the mother of two teenaged girls. When they were little, Christmas gift buying was so very easy! A couple of Barbies, some frilly dresses, Polly Pocket sets, and a game, and I was done! Fast forward ten years and who knows what to get them?! They want big ticket items, like laptops and musical instruments. I can't even dream of picking out clothes for them, because apparently, Mom had no fashion sense. When relatives ask me what they want for Christmas, I always answer, "Gift cards!" 

Of course they say, "But that's so impersonal." I take those teens to the mall and see how much fun they have spending those gift cards! There's nothing impersonal about it! They know whose hard earned cash they are spending, and they are grateful! And careful. They turn into bargain hunters when armed with a gift card. 

But still, I know I feel like I'm taking the easy way out when giving a gift card. So I make adorable gift card holders! This one features Rudolph on the front, and a pocket for the card on the back. 

I think that these will fly right off of my table at the RC PTO Holiday Bazaar!

Happy stamping!

didn't know note taking could be cute

Oh the joys of chipboard coaster crafting! So many ways to use them! I decided to make Post It Note clip boards. The binder clips hold a pad of Post It Notes and can easily be removed when the pad has dwindled down to nothing and needs to be replaced. 

I have one of these sitting by my computer, and it comes in handy for jotting down notes. I use it every day!

They are ready for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar that I am doing on 11/8/14 at the RCS Middle School from 10:00-3:00. If you are in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Happy stamping!