the ocean is calling

It's 26 degrees. It's March 26th. Strange, no? It's officially spring! But my backyard is covered in snow and ice. We try go south for February break, but that didn't happen this year. I have been dealing with snow since December. December through March with nothing but snow, and ice, and cold, and wind. Four very, extremely, agonizingly slow months.

I dreamed of the ocean last night. Of sandy shores, seagulls, surf, salty air, and sunshine. Sunshine! Imagine that! And I dreamed in color, because I couldn't wait to get to my craft table and make a card with yellows and blues and greens. And so I did. I even used a tropical looking flower as the focal point.

Could someone please send me a one way ticket to Florida? I'd like to set my eyes upon this view for real. Paper versions don't smell salty. And they don't radiate sunshine. I need some of that. Don't you?

Happy stamping!

reclaimed trash

I got a new stamp set called Chalk Talk by Stampin' Up. It has a coordinating Framelit set that I wanted to play with yesterdat. So I set about making a card based on tag. Let's just say that things didn't go well. Ever have one of those crafting days? I must have worked on this tag for three hours. First I played with the colors. Then I had trouble stamping the flower image with white embossing powder. Once I had it kind of working, I still wasn't happy with it, so I crumpled it all up threw it away. I felt pretty dejected. Not very creative. I vowed to start something new with the set tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and I decided that my crafting space was too messy to be creative in! So I set out to straighten up a bit. I put away my stamp pads. I organized my scrap bits into color families. I put all of my tools back where they belong. And I gathered up all the paper bits that had fallen on the floor to toss them into the trash. That's when I spied my tag from yesterday, all crumpled up and sad. I rescued it, pressed it out flat, and decided that it wasn't so bad after all! I kind of liked the double embossed look of the flower. Yesterday, what had frustrated me had now become a happy accident!). I even loved the distressed effect! (Behind the scenes look: I just had to google effect vs. affect to keep all of my grammar nazi friends happy). Lesson learned? Sometime when crafting and things just aren't clicking, walk away. It just might look better in the morning!

Happy stamping!

just wing it

Sometimes when I sit down to make a card, I can get wrapped up in the creative process. I might have a layout that I really want to try. I may have a stamp set that I've been meaning to work with. Or I might want to try out a new color combination. Lots of people can work like that. I usually end up spending more time frustrated and annoyed when I try to force myself into a preconceived idea of what I want to create. For me things flow best when I just wing it.

Recently, my mother-in-law passed away. I loved her dearly. She always treated me like her daughter. Not a transplant. It has been a testament to her life to see how many people have poured out love and help to my family over the past month. Prayers, and meals, and flowers, and kindness has been lavished on us all. So lately, the only creative constraint that I have put on myself is the making of "thank you" cards. It's been therapeutic thinking of the wonderful people that loved my mother-in-law as I create each card. And the only rule I have for myself when I make the cards is that I use a "thank you" stamp of some sort. Simple. Easy. I've been winging it. 

A little patterned paper, some texture from an embossing folder, a unique use of a woodgrain stamp, and voila!

Happy stamping!