Leftovers

I hope I am not the only one with this affliction, as it seems to carry over from my crafting life to my work life.  I have discovered about myself the inability to throw things away.  In my classroom this means I have a file cabinet full of past assignments, or potential projects.  In my craft room this means I have all sorts of paper scraps and trinkets that I have collected from various projects and treasures.  I convince myself that I MAY need these things one day and my neurosis is occasionally vindicated when I find myself in need of some object I have recently disposed of. 
In an effort to rid myself of some of this clutter, I recently sat down at my craft table with one goal in mind: make cards using only leftover scraps from my pile.  It turns out this can be quite a challenge and scraps of paper go a long way.  Here are a couple of the cards that I made trying to use up scraps of paper:

 

However, here is the pile of paper scraps that I still have left to use:

I suppose I have plenty of scrappy crafting left to do! Until next time....

New opportunities to join the journey

During my Spring break from school I got to join the Journey Crew in Anaheim and help share the Journey.  It was three days of crafting, meeting new people, and spreading the word.  It was so fun to see people fall in love with the product over and over again.  The weekend ended with our first ever opportunity night.  This was also an amazing event.  (If I only had a smart phone, I could have included photos of all the excited people here)  Journey Blooms is going MLM!  The event room was full and the excitement was contagious as Richard Garay shared about the opportunity to join the company as a Journey Coach.  He shared the amazing new sign up kit and what it would include, your very own Journey Grand!  (Look here for a photo:  https://www.facebook.com/FunStampersJourney/photos/a.541236392591043.1073741827.310489605665724/693198617394819/?type=1&theater )
There are so many new things in the works like, buttons, ribbon, and fun new accessories and I can't wait to play with them all.  It is so amazing to think that not more that 2 years ago we only had about 5 stamp sets and the idea of a color line.  Richard has certainly brought his dream to life and it is so exciting to get to ride it out alongside him.  If you are interested in joining or just learning more, contact me and I can share  more details with you. 

Valentine treats

I was inspired by having a three day weekend to make a special Valentine's gift for my students.  I usually just give my students a pencil, because they always need one of those, but this year they will get their pencil with a handcrafted valentine.  First step, do some stamping....

I used an adorable stamp set called, 'With Love' for the birds and greeting.  I also used one of the hearts from a recent Kit of the Month set called 'Only You'.  I thought they fit together perfectly, what do you think?

Next I layered some paper to match the stamps:

It is so much easier to coordinate when you have matching inks and paper....no thinking necessary!

 

Finally, I folded the base card to create a pencil flag valentine card. Thirty cards down....and my attempt at a healthier version of a Valentine treat.  Here is a picture of the final product.

Posted cards on Splitcoaststampers.com

Feeling productive.  After a lazy morning on my couch I can say I accomplished something.  I uploaded my first ever cards on to Splitcoast Stampers.  If you have never heard of it, Splitcoast Stampers is a great website full of inspiration and creativity.  You can find forums, tutorials, and thousands of cards for ideas.  You can search for cards with a variety of keywords.  Maybe someday soon 'Fun Stampers Journey' will have it's own gallery full of cards made just with our amazing stamps.  I spent the morning adding seven cards that I have created in the last year.  It is so  much fun to see something out there where it could possibly inspire someone else.  Now on to getting some sunshine on this beautiful Saturday, and maybe later I can actually create some new projects.  Goal for the weekend: valentines for my class....I will keep you posted.

Wine label cards

The New Year has been off to a busy start.  I recently found the opportunity to get some crafting done.  I was able to combine two of my favorite things, wine tasting and card making.  Over the years I have collected wine labels from the wineries of my favorite wineries.  Using these labels as the focus for my cards creates the perfect gift for friends and memory of good times together.  Here are a couple of my most recent samples.

New Cards

I just love this stamp set from the August kit of the month (Loads of Fun).  I had to use it when I was creating cards as Christmas gifts for my co-workers.  I was able to make 24 cards in two days, that's a first for me, it helped that I just made six of each card. 

Here is a card I just finished for a friends wedding.  I absolutely love the quality of the circle bliss background stamp.  It looks like printed paper, and there are so many options on how to use it. 

Winter Retreat

I had a wonderful time last weekend in Arizona being pampered by the generosity of Richard Garay.  I was privileged to be one of his first house guest in his gorgeous new home.  We enjoyed the fabulous views from his back porch and the opportunity to watch a movie under snugly blankets while eating fresh popcorn in his amazing movie theater.  In addition we created some amazing projects and of course ate and ate and ate.
All in all it was a wonderful time and I left refreshed and inspired.  There are amazing things in store with the company and I can't wait to be a part of all that is soon to come.  I look forward to an amazing new year and the opportunity to craft with new and old friends.