April 2011 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

It's blog hop time!!  If you came here from Katy's Blog, you're on the right path...but don't worry... you can start anywhere on the loop and work your way around!

This month we are featuring D1455 Blessed (Set of 12).  

One of the fun things about this stamp set is that it features several base and shade stamps.  On the card below I stamped the outline of the bird/swirl and then stamped the solid bird inside the outline.  To add more variety to the bird, I inked it up in blush, rolled some of the edges in hollyhock and then sponged a little goldrush on the belly.

Products Used:

X7131B Sophia Level 2 Paper Pack

Z1370 Pink Assortment Buttons

Inks: Hollyhock, Blush, Goldrush, Chocolate and Pear Marker

Now hop on over to Shirley's Blog to see how she used the Blessed Stamp Set.

Got Scraps?

Once I was done cutting paper for last month's projects, I was left with a ton of little strips of paper, so I had to find something to do with all those little pieces and now I am obsessed!

Here's a little sampling of what I started out with.  I ended up cutting them into 1.25 x 1.25 inch squares.

I started out making the card at the top of the post, but I had a "million" little squares so I had to find something that used a few more than 4 per card... so I started making some "faux tile" cards.  I kept making them and making them and my stack of scraps didn't seem to get any smaller... so I decided to whip up some kits for a craft show I'm doing in a few weeks...  I changed the design on those a bit to be more make and take friendly...

Hope for Japan

I was struck by a few things when the Earthquake hit Japan.  First it was amazement.  There have been many large quakes around the earth, and there have been other tsunamis, but this was the first time I recall being aware of how the two go together.  It broke my heart to see how quickly everything was broken and washed away.  Of course some of my first thoughts were with my cousin and her family.  I was so grateful that they were no longer stationed in Japan, but I was sure that it had to be hard for them to see the places they had lived and visited ravaged so badly.

As the news came in and the stories about how the Japanese people were coping with the devastation, I was struck by the grace of the Japanese people.  There were no riots.  There was no whining or complaining.  On NPR radio I heard about a store owner that didn't have a cashier, so to make it easier on his customers, he sold everything for $1, not $10, not $100... just $1.  There have been stories of small communities working together to get things done.  Men gathered water so the women could heat it up and wash the clothes. 

There are many opportunities to show your love and concern for the Japanese people.  You can contribute to the Japanese Red Cross or you can research and find other worthwhile charities to contribute to.  My family and I contribute regularly to the Latter-Day Saint Humanitarian Fund with cash donations and by fulfilling the requests for items such as hygiene kits, school supplies, quilts.... 

And now I am proud to say that you can also contribute by purchasing an exclusive stamp set from Close To My Heart. 

From now until April 30, purchase the exclusive, non-commissionable “Hope for Japan” A-size stamp set for the special price of only $5 (retail value $7.95 US) and Close To My Heart will donate 100% of the profits to the American Red Cross’ efforts in Japan. This beautifully designed stamp set reminds us of how our hearts are hopeful for those who are in need.

"Non-commissionable" means that consultants do not receive their commission on these sales!  That money will be contributed to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan....

So check out the stamp set....  Love it?  Be sure to add it to your next order, or hop on over to my website and order it now... Send a little Hope to Japan and share a little love with others as you create fun projects using this great set.

Video Tutorials are Back!!

I promised I would start making videos again now that I got my own little Macbook Pro!!  So far I have recorded three new videos and I have edited two of them.  I cannot tell you how much quicker and easier this is.  Why oh why did I wait so long? 

Want videos?  Tell me what you'd like me to show and I'll add it to my list.

Today I'm posting my video featuring the Canvas Badge Buttons.

Coming Soon -

New Monthly Feature!! - Wall Hangings

I'm starting to get quite a few people ordering my wall hanging kits by mail so I thought I'd start doing a little video to share some tips/tricks for assembly.  Miss the workshop?  Order by Mail?  Now you can get a quick overview of the kit to get you started.

Easter Baskets

Again... I got a lot of mail orders for my cute easter basket so I created a quick little video to show you how to put your kit together.

Both videos are fun to watch, even if you haven't ordered the kits.  You can still get some tips and ideas to use for your own projects.

And now... here's the badge button video...

Two New Purchases

I went shopping at lunch and found a couple of goodies I'd like to share...

Artist's Loft - Colored Pencils

I'm using colored pencils at my workshop tomorrow so I decided to see about purchasing a couple of extra pencils so that people won't have to wait too long to color their images.  I love, love, love, my prismacolor pencils, but at $2 each, buying duplicates can add up quickly.  I noticed the Artist's Loft brand also sold a blending pen so I thought "maybe these will work with the odorless turpenoid..." 

I pulled the pencils out while I was in my car and gave them a try during lunch and.... they work pretty well!!  I still love my rich and creamy Prismacolor's the best, but the Artist's Loft pencils do blend.  I think it's a great alternative for the budget concious. 

CardMaker - The Perfect Sentiments

I love making cards but I have a hard time deciding what to write inside.  I have a couple of great stamp sets with sayings, but after a while you've used them all up.  This magazine is full of great quotes and sayings for all occasions.  I've only skimmed it so far, but it is definately worth it.



A little of this, a little of that....

Oh what a neglectful blogger I have been.  Here's a little catch-up post to get things rolling again...

I've been stamping....

Here's this month's wall hanging.  I used the Mayberry papers and the March Stamp of the Month. 

And here's a couple of bonus projects I'm featuring at my workshop this weekend.

I've been shopping....

A Macbook pro is on it's way to my house.  This is only exciting to you because it means I'll be making videos again!  Woo Hoo!!!

And I've been hooping....

I'm taking part in a 30 day challenge at Hooping.Org.  March 1st-March 30th we are hooping 30 minutes a day for 30 days.  What do I have to say for my first 8 days?  "Ouch" and "I'm exhausted."  Ok, maybe that's what I said for the first 6 days, I'm feeling better now. 

Now hopefully I can start adding....

I've been blogging....