Retirement and Adventure

 

My brother-in-law told us that he was retiring as of January 1st, after 49 years with one company. Unbelievable! Doug is not one to sit around and do nothing. He is always packing his RV and his dog and heading off on some adventure. And when he's not traveling, he's volunteering. 

So often, people retire with no plan for how they will fill their days. It can lead to a lack of purpose. It's good to have a plan.

I had a plan for this card!

I started this card with the stamp set, then picked the paper pad to help me with color choices.

Big Cups of Coffee

 

Isn't this image tres chic? I love this beret-clad girl. She looks like a fun person to spend a day with, doesn't she?

I've been watching a lot of Penny Black YouTube videos and tutorials lately. That Jill Foster is a rock star. Her painting techniques are stunning, and I'm learning a lot. You will probably see a lot of PB-themed projects popping up here at the café soon.

I attempted to stamp this card on watercolor card stock, using Memento ink. And for some reason, the ink blurred and it became a mess. I'll have to try with different products next time.

So instead, I stamped on regular card stock and used COPIC markers, with much better results.

{Today's Brew: Penny Black stamp, sentiment from MFT stamps, CP sequins, COPICs, C and 9th card stock}

I have two story assignments to finish today. It looks like big cups of coffee are in my future!

A Pickle Ball Get Well

 

Can you imagine walking into a Hallmark store and asking "Can you please point me to your 'pickle ball get well' cards?"

Granted, pickle ball is very popular now, but maybe not THAT popular yet!

That's why I love stamping and card making. So many unique, personalized options!

I made this for a gentleman at our church who heads up our Sunday night pickle ball games with his wife. He just had surgery, and I wanted him to know we are thinking of him.

I started with the paper pack from Catherine Pooler and pulled my colors from there. Easy!

And I found the perfect sentiment for the inside, too.

A bright, cheery card that's sure to make him smile.

Winter Clean-Up Sale!

 Time for a craft room clean out! Priced 30-50% off! Paypal, US, shipping extra. Will combine for best deals! Magnet sheets not included.

Posting here first, but will also cross post to FB. Happy shopping!

Lawn Fawn

Stamps and partial paper pack, $7

$15

$15

$25

$25

$7

$25

$23

$15

$15

$15

$20

$20

$20

$12

$3

$5

Papertrey Ink

$8

$10

Simon Says Stamp

$5

Momenta

$5

$5

Hero Arts Oct. 2017 Kit

One stamp missing. $10

Echo Park

$5

Creative Time: From Noel to Love

 

It's Creative Time! Time to think outside the box and expand the usefulness of my craft stash.

Today's card turns this NOEL into LOVE.

I was inspired by Concord and 9th's new release this month (available today!) that features a LOVE die and enamel heart shapes to embellish. It's very similar to this Nordic Noel die set that I used over the holidays.

And that's what got me thinking.

Could I possibly rearrange the letters, do a little creative cutting, and spell the word "LOVE" instead?

Yes, yes I can!

And here's the finished card, made into a slimline size.

{Today's Brew: Nordic Noel die and enamel shapes (Concord and 9th), Catherine Pooler slimline die, CP Notes of Love sentiment and die, PTI heart die, C and 9th cardstock}

The newest LOVE dies set differs, as the inserts are enamel hearts and not flowers. But with the right colors, this very easily becomes a Love/Valentine themed card.

Pretty clever, eh?

Stretching myself creatively!

Stay tuned: I'm doing a craft room cleanout this week, and will post lots of products soon. Lawn Fawn, Simon Says Stamp, Papertrey Ink and more!

Yeti Thanks

 

I didn't know I needed a Yeti stamp set...until my friend, Amy, was selling her Hello Bluebird stamp set. And then I knew I had to have it.

After all, I do have a Yeti at my house who loves the snow!

I made a stack of Yeti cards to send some holiday thank you's.

I used the CP snowflake cover plate, and turned it in different orientations for each card. And look at that gorgeous snowflake embossing folder background! That's from Penny Black.

One of my goals is to think creatively in my card making and combine items from multiple companies. 

Oh, and to remember to stamp inside the card, too.

Great big hugs!

Times and Seasons: Epiphany

 

Happy Epiphany!

Today is the first day of the season of Epiphany. It seemed like a good time to ponder what I hope to focus on this year.

Last year, the Year of Plenty, gave me a lot of times to stop and ponder "How does this fit with the Y of P?" There were many times when I passed on my plenty to others. And then there were times when I should have given more. There were times when I made do with what I had, and other times when I caved and acquired something new. 

The tail end of 2024 had me thinking a lot about the passing of time. I want to be a better steward of my time, my talents, and my treasures.

So in 2025, I'm going to think about times and seasons. There will be celebrations of the four seasons, but also remembrance of the church seasons. I will challenge myself to use time wisely. Less scrolling on the internet, more reading books. Less mindless television, more dulcimer practice. More creative time. More family time. More connecting time. More thankfulness. More telling people how much they mean to me. More living in the present with hope for the future.

I received a card from a childhood friend on Christmas Eve. He informed me that he'd moved, and gave me his new address. Well, he's going to get an Epiphany card this year instead. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. This was an old design I'd used a few years ago, and I still love it. Simple.

This book is helping me to stop and ponder the seasons each week. So helpful.

More tea time in 2025!