Remember this . . .

time well spent.  

That is a wonderful memory that makes you feel warm, loved, and truly happy.  The kind of happy that evokes a smile inside out.  Few things in life give me this.  My children/grandchildren are the first things that come to mind.  I believe that it is their innocence.  Their thirst to experience life.  My dog, Sasha, is a running second.  I have to admit, its this 'unconditional love', that feeds my soul.  It gives me a feeling of calm and the courage to 'spread my wings'.  It's from this passion that motivates and inspires me to create. 

With Mother's Day right around the corner, ok, tomorrow.  I'm sure you have a memory that makes you happy, proud to be a parent.  Whether its the first time your child rode their bike without training wheels, their first ballet recital, their first time in a T-ball uniform, their first 'A' on a spelling test, or any other wonderfully sweet exhibit of their independence.  These milestones are actually stepping stone in parenthood.  Because your love started when their first breath took yours away!  Now, you need to nurture their desires, their interests, their passions, their independence.  Help them become responsible, loving, mature people, who have a passion, an interest, a goal.

The talented ladies over @ the Shabby Tea Room have a beautiful challenge this week.  The inspirational photo has a collection of stacked soft, neutral blankets in a wicker basket.  They ask that you also use some dry embossing and stitching to help add some texture.

Here is their inspirational photo:

This inspirational photo, stirred these parental feelings in me.  The different textures, the ruffles, the stripes, the crispness of the wicker, the contrast of the white numbers.  A collection of 'life', so to speak. 

This photo brought memories of my daughter.  I know that just sounds crazy.  But, this stack of blankets are 'her'.  She is a warm and compassionate woman to her friends.  A loving and patient mother to her children (she has 3, with one on the way).  A best friend and partner to her husband.  And a wonderfully warm, kind, and funny person to everyone who interacts with her.  She values her family, and is grateful for her blessings.  So, her Mother's Day card was made with this inspirational photo.  

here is what I made:

This collage is the result of the inspiration photo.  All the different elements make me think of her, my daughter.  The dry embossing comes from the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder by Stampin' Up!.  I sewn a border around the card front with my sewing machine.  I find the hum of the machine soothing.

I used two different neutral floral pattern papers: the rectangle with the glitter photo corner, and the matt behind the black pattern paper on the doily.  The floral pattern paper shows how she isn't exactly a girly-girl, but still very much a woman.  

The mini post card is actually a digital download, from Ephemera's Vintage Garden: little blackbirds, found here.  It represents her love for keeping in touch with family and friends.

The clock image, is hand-stamped onto a piece of a balsa wood sheet.  The stamp comes from Hero Arts: Keeping Time.  The clock represents how time flys!

The 2 cent stamp and the ticket stub, are stamps from Stampin' Up!: Postage Due and That's the Ticket.  These two pieces represent the memorabilia from different family vacations.

The white shabby resin lock, is from Melissa Frances.  The lock with bow represents home.  My daughter does everything that she can to keep a clean, comfortable, and loving home for her family.  

The white paper doily is from Martha Stewart: Doily Tags.  This soft, sweet addition, reminds me of the softer side of this  adventurist mom.

The black and white text paper, is from Prima: Printery Collection.  This is the contrast to the doily.  My daughter is a strict but fair parent.

The butterfly is made with a grey puffy fabric.  The center of the butterfly is made with a floral shape of glimmer paper and a fabric blossom; both by Stampin' Up!  I love the butterfly.  To me, it represents 'change'.  Life is full of change.  So embrace it.  Or it'll run you over.  The fabric blossom represents growth.  My daughter's growth as a young woman, wife, and mother.  This collection is for the sweeter side of her.  She is a strong person, but also tender-hearted.

The two trims across the card front were selected because of the inspiration photo. The mix of textures, fabrics, and neutrals. I added the trio of buttons to represent the way a mother 'holds her family together' with love, praise, and support.

Also, I just love this grey-ish polka dot distressed pattern paper by Glitz.  It looks like fabric, to me.  I thought it paired nicely with the over-all look of the card.

Finally, the sentiment says it all!  This sentiment comes from the Everyday Moments stamp set by Teresa Collins.  'I want to always Remember...'.  I believe that this sentiment is very personal to each person who reads it.  And I didn't want to add a generic sentiment. But rather an unique sentiment to go with an unique, special card, to celebrate Mother's Day!  

Thank you for looking.  I hope I have inspired you to play along with the latest challenge over @ the Shabby Tea Room.  Let the photo help you create something wonderfully beautiful and personal {smile}.

Happy Mother's Day, to all of you who have 'children', whether they are human, canine, bovine, etc.  When we nurture, love and support another, we in turn help ourselves grow.  

~stop-by tomorrow, for a chance to win some blog candy~

retro Kitchen

Thank you for stopping by my blog, to see what I've been creating.  I know that I have been a bit late on a few posts and I apologize.  I know that I am in the same boat as a lot of other folks, with life being too busy.  I think I have a new 'schedule' to get more accomplished.  So, let's see if my new time management schedule does actually work.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It's Saturday, and that means that its time for another challenge over @ Our Creative Corner.  Meihsia, is our hostess again this week.  If you haven't seen her work, she does shabby chic/vintage very well.  She has a great eye for soft and delicate!  Just wonderfully inspiring creations.  Anyways, she would like us to make a Clean and Simple card featuring something you would find in a kitchen.  Ok, here is my problem, I have a very hard time creating clean and simple.  I don't know if it is all the white space, or the fact that I can't load the card with embellishments.

Here is what I created:

When I sat down to create this card, I knew that I wanted to use pattern paper that looks like something from a kitchen; wall paper, table cloth (Domestic Goddess DSP).  You get the idea.  I also knew the stamp set I was going to use: Compliments to the Chef .  So, I sat down at my craft table and got to work.  I stamped the flatware in VersaMark, and used silver embossing powder to heat emboss that image.  I just love the detail in the flatware.  So, I made sure to use fine embossing powder.  There is nothing worse than a blob of embossing powder to ruin your image. I had a very had time restraining myself from adding layers and embellishments.  I really wanted to add a button somewhere.  But, I restrained myself and created a CAS card for Meihsia's challenge {smile}.

When I finished, I just had to create another card.  Same products, just not CAS.  Here is that card:

I hope that you play along with us @ Our Creative Corner.  We would love to see what you make, and I'm sure you'd love to share your work with the rest of us in blogland!

Thank you for looking, and have a wonderful weekend!

Box Set #129

The weather here, this weekend, is warm and sunny!  It's a great change from snow and cold winds.  It gave me a chance to run some errands, and not wear a jacket or close toe shoes.  It is a t-shirt and flip flop weekend!

So, with the change of weather, I decided to change it up a bit.  The talented ladies over @ Just Us GirlS, have a great challenge this week: make a boxed note card set, with choose your own sentiment tags.  Now, doesn't that sound fun and creative?  And why not change it  up a bit!  So, I went shopping.  I did some looking through the paper crafting products at home, and then went to a local paper craft store, to see what I could purchase for about $5 that would help me complete this challenge.

If you have seen the videos and sneak peaks of CHA 2012, you have probably falling love with some gorgeous new products out there.  I knew what I was looking for, but I always keep my options open.  

I have my products picked out, some new pattern papers from Prima, and some gorgeous dimensional 'ribbon'.    But now I need a sketch to help me put these products together and look great.  So, I headed over to i {heart} 2 stamp and fell in love with this months sketch.  The sketch let me really show off the great graphics in these new Prima papers and that gorgeous new 'ribbon' I purchased.  I used two different pattern papers for the black and grey rectangles.  As for the circle, I used a butterfly shape.  The white rectangle was replaced with a tag.  The long grey rectangle, is where I added a strip of cream lace.  As for my sentiment tags, I actually stamped 5 different sentiments twice, and added foam tape to the backs, so all you need to do is adhere the sentiment circle to the text circle on top of the white doily tag.

Here is my box set:  

This box set contains 6 cards.  The cards are similar, but not exact.  The tags are all different and the white doily tags have three different designs.  But other than that, they are all the same.  With this box set, I have included two sheets of the sentiment circles: Here for You, for you, Heartfelt Thanks, thinking of you, Birthday wishes.  I used my butterfly die to cut those butterflies out of the gorgeous petal ribbon.  I used white bakers twine, when I hand sewn the kraft buttons onto the butterfly bodies.  I used my hot glue gun to adhere the butterflies to the card fronts.  The cards remain blank inside, so you can add your own hand-written message.

Here is a look at the whole set:

  

Thank you for looking.  This card set will be for sale at my Etsy shop soon.  I hope you have a chance to play along in a challenge this weekend!  Remember, have fun, and make something you really love!

My Style

It's Saturday!  That means its time for a new challenge @ Our Creative Corner challenge blog.  This is a new and different challenge this week.  It's a Design Team call!  So, the challenge is to create a new card showcasing your abilities and talents!  So, use whatever colors inspire you, and use any layout that showcases your talent!  This design team call challenge closes July 8th.  So, what are you waiting for?

here is my style

If you look at my blog posts from previous challenges, you will see that my style is generally vintage/shabby chic.  I love to stamp on pattern papers, if I'm not making my own.   My two favorite card additions are a button and soft ribbon/crochet trim.  I really enjoy using those doily tags, too.  I generally make my own flowers out of cardstock or synthetic fabric.  If I add a corsage pin, I usually make my own, and that is what I did this time, too!

I cut two pieces of pattern paper to fit off-set onto my card front.  I added a piece of First Edition DSP as the matt.  I made a wide scallop trim border from a coordinating pattern paper.  I added a slim strip of crochet trim over the scallops.  I stamped 'ADORE' in Jet Black Staz-On onto the bottom pattern paper.  I punched a 1 3/8" circle from the First Edition DSP, and added it to the center of the doily tag.  I punched 4 scallop circles from River Rock cardstock, sprayed them with my home-made white shimmer mist, crumpled them, and hot glued a button to the center of the flower.  I distressed the edges of the paper flower with white paint, and gave them a few spritz of vanilla shimmer mist by Smooch.  I made my own push pin, and stuck it behind the flower.  I punched some leaves with the 2-step bird punch.  I cut the butterflies from the same blue pattern paper I used for the scallop trim, and added some faux half-pearls for their bodies.

Thank you for looking.  Now, its your turn!  Create something that showcases your style, and submit it to us @ Our Creative Corner.  As part of the design team, you will need to submit an entry weekly to for our challenges.  You will also need to take a turn at hosting a challenge during your 6 month term.