Running With Scissors…

Hello, stamper friends!  Today I have a little announcement about something fun coming up on Saturday, the 19th of this month.  I’m participating in a blog hop (my very first), and if you’re familiar with blog hops, you know there’s a prize at the end.  This one’s a biggie!

Claudia Rosa (aka ClaudiafromGermany) is spearheading this event, having gathered together a team of designers who, in turn, have contacted some of their favorite companies to sponsor the hop.  The purpose of the hop is to introduce you to a stamper(s) you’ve never visited before and, therefore, had no idea what you were missing.  This has already been an eye opener for me because, in creating the following links, I visited some pretty amazing designers.  Sheesh!  I had no idea… where have I been?  As a group, we’re called Stampers United.  Individually, here’s the line up:

Broni - Splashes of Watercolor

Carole - Stardust Gems and Ribbon

Claudia - Pretty Pressings

Elaine - Quixotic Cards

Jaqueline - Creja Kaarten

Leslie - Running With Scissors (that’s me!)

Marlene - A Lil Bit Of Me

Priscilla - “priscillastyles”

Sherry - Walkin’ On The BAD Side!

Vicki - Stamped Smiles

You’ll find prizes here and there along the blog hop, and a grand prize at the end — something from each of our generous sponsors:

7 Kids College Fund

Aud Design

Crop Stop

Cute Card And Stamps

eclectic Paperie

Flourishes

Funky Kits Sugar Nellie

Motivet Rubberstamps

priscillastyles

Quixotic Paperie

Shimmerz Paints

Simon Says Stamp

Sweet And Sassy Stamps

Whimsy Stamps

Hope you can join us then — Saturday, Sept. 19th.  It’s going to be great!

Just a little reminder to check the Flourishes Newsletter here to read up on the latest…  It’s their way of saying “thank you”.

Happy birthday, Flourishes!

You may be familiar with the now world famous (probably) Blogging Without Obligation post — more likely so if you’re a blogger.  Well…I think I’ll give that a try for a while.  I’ve imposed upon myself an ever-present “need” to get something on the blog on a somewhat regular basis.  I’m thinking along the lines of slowing the pace and allowing a little more spontaneity.  Can there be such a thing as slow spontaneity?  I think so… we’ll see.  So, I’m throwing out the schedules and plans and just going with the flow.  I’ll still do my Flourishes posts, of course, since that’s really more a privilege than an obligation, and it’s the one group activity I’m involved in but, for the most part, it’ll be come what may…when it may come.

Today’s card is the result of one of those slow, spontaneous stamping interludes.  I got the notion in my head that I wanted to gather up all my bird stamps and slowly work my way through them, as a way of ensuring I spread the love throughout my many stamps.  But… oh, no!  I have way too many bird stamps!  I had no idea!  Yet how often do I stamp birds?  Hardly ever.  Well, if I manage to make my way through all those bird stamps it’ll be very slowly and certainly not one right after the other.

I took my time watercoloring this, and then spent forever trying to photograph it.  It was brutal.  I finally changed my backdrop from white to dark gray and came up with a photo which is tolerably close to the original.  I apologize if it looks awful on your computer screen.

This is one of my old stamps which is probably no longer available anywhere.  The image is by Sherry Nelson and the stamp bears a copyright date of 2003.  This line of images, called Whispers, was sold under the Anita’s vendor on Addicted to Rubber Stamps.  That’s every bit of information I have about the stamp.  I Googled the line and came up with nothing.  I did find this, though.  You really must go take a look!  It’s Sherry Nelson’s website.  Oh, my goodness!  Sherry Nelson, I sincerely appreciate that you allowed your art to be turned into stamps, but I apologize profusely that I haven’t done you justice.  Ms. Nelson’s oil paintings are breathtaking!  The rubber of the stamp is not etched quite like the original painting — that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.  You know, I’m thinking… Cornish Heritage Farms could do for Sherry Nelson’s art what they did for Thomas Kinkade’s…  Hello?  Cornish Heritage Farms?  These images would probably be easier to color, too.  Not as intricate.  Oh, I’m dreaming!

I’ll leave you now with the card recipe.  I’m going to take another look at my bird stamps and see if anything strikes my fancy.  I’ll be back as soon as I can comfortably find the time.  I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day!

Stamps:  Unknown, but art by Sherry Nelson  Paper:  Brocade Blue, watercolor  Ink:  Palette Noir, various SU! inks (pads, reinkers, markers) for watercoloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, pearls, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

I don’t have a card to share today, but I wanted to be sure and let you know about something interesting and worthwhile on the Flourishes Newsletter.  Please see it here, and then have yourself a wonderful day!

 Thank you!

    Many of you have become familiar with Marvin, since he was always such a good sport and didn’t mind if I told the occasional story about him.  On Thursday, February 5th, we buried him right here in one of his favorite garden spots.  I can hardly begin to tell you how sad I am about that.

I’m telling myself all the usual things, like “he had a good life; he was well loved; we had many sweet years together.”  But I miss him.  I miss him, soft and purring, curled in the crook of my arm when I go to sleep at night.  If Marvin had to choose between his next meal and his next hug, he’d take the hug.  He loved to be hugged.  Poor Marvin.  I loved him and I miss him terribly.

I’m just checking in to let you know I’m having internet connection problems at home (as in NO internet).  There should be a sad and aggravated face inserted here.

I’ve got an inadequate browser at work that won’t let me do much of anything, including blogging, which I don’t have time for, anyway. Oddly, it won’t let me post a comment on Blogger sites. I can’t access my email. If you don’t hear from me for a while, either here or in answer to any email you may have sent — that’s why. I’ll contact my ISP tonight (cable) and see if I can get the problem fixed.

Now…I hope this posts… Thanks for bearing with me!

(Tears and sobs…)

— Leslie

Hello!  I’ve been enjoying your comments on yesterday’s blog candy post.  The general consensus is that most of us do send Christmas cards but receive fewer every year in return.  As stampers, I think we’re more likely to hold onto this tradition for the pleasure of our craft, but some have curtailed the practice, at least temporarily, with the most frequently cited reason being that of time constraints.  It seems the modern world has given us freedom in some areas and constricted us in others.

When I say “modern world”, yes, I’m thinking about washing machines, electric or gas ranges, vacuum cleaners, supermarkets, air travel . . .  We don’t spend from dawn till dusk scrubbing on a washboard.  A trip to town and back is no longer a day’s journey.  Families can be spread across the country, yet it’s within the realm of possibility to be together from time to time.  We shop for pleasure, go on vacation, take the kids to the park.  And how about those craft shows, stamp clubs, parties, movies, dinners, concerts?  We’re “free” to work outside the home or further our educations.  We dash in and out of each other’s lives through high speed electronics.  These are good things . . . right?

We’re fortunate to have these options — the opportunity to make choices within the scope of our circumstances, and that’s a very individual matter.  As long as we know what fits within our boundaries and don’t willfully cross them . . .

Today, I came home from work, caught my second wind and made four of these exceedingly simple cards.  I layered white on white, with only a stamped sentiment (Flourishes’ Holiday Greetings), 2″ of designer paper, and a glittery snowflake embellishment.  The snowflake center is a ribbon slide.  I threaded the ribbon through the slide, then the ribbon ends through a hole in the center of the snowflake - front to back, and taped the ribbon ends behind the card-stock layer.  The snowflake is held snugly flat against the card with the aid of Alene’s Tacky Glue.  The card requires only 42¢  postage and can be machine cancelled with a crimped card-stock sheet protecting the front.

The 2″ of designer paper was inspired by Sharon Johnson’s challenge here.  Thank you, Sharon!  I needed that!

Tomorrow, my first priority will be to address and mail the 40+ cards I’ve made thus far.  I was surprised to find I have so many, but it’s not nearly enough.

Thank you so much for visiting with me today!  Have a happy holiday season!

• Stamps:  Holiday Greetings (Flourishes)
• Paper:  Neenah Classic Solar White, Diane’s Daughters Green Snowflake designer paper
• Ink:  Bravo Burgundy
• Accessories:  Ribbon, glittered snowflake, SU! ribbon slide

I hope this day finds you happy and well.  Many of us will be spending it with family and friends — chatter and clatter and promising scents wafting from the kitchen, each ring of the doorbell welcoming another soul into our home.  Maybe you’re spending the day quietly, or even alone.  If so, perhaps it’s time for quiet reflection and now, more than ever, is the time to count your blessings. 

For a while I kept a journal — a daily reminder of ten gifts I’d received that day, ten blessings to be thankful for.  I know this may sound corny, but I went to bed with a peaceful heart every night when I kept that journal.  It may have been a tough day.  Maybe I got my feelings hurt or everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  Those days I’d have to really reach for those ten blessings, but I always found them.  I’d write that I awoke to birdsong so beautiful it seemed to echo in the trees, and that I was treated to a glorious winter sunset as I drove home from work.  I’d be thankful to hear the rain pouring outside while I sat warm and cozy by the fire.  Or my heart might have been warmed by the smile of a stranger.  I’d write about the scent of a candle, the feel of my cat’s fur, or knowing that my family was safe at home with me.  I’d think and think until I’d come up with ten blessings for my journal.

These days I often find myself “too busy” to count my blessings.  Here I am, worrying about finding time to write a blog post with everything else going on in Life . . . silly.  Of all the things to worry about!  Today, I realize one of the things I’m grateful for is the opportunity to connect with so many of you through this venue called a “blog”.  Every day, though this blog, I experience the joy of giving and the kindness of strangers.  Now, that’s something to be thankful for!

So, thank you for being nice enough to visit with me and say such nice things so often.  Thank you for putting up with my sometimes erratic posting.  Thank you for everything because without you, this blog just wouldn’t be, and that would make me sad.

The card I’m sharing is one from the past which I hope is okay with you.  What it says is what I’m saying to you.  Thanks for your friendship — cyber, though it is, it’s very important to me.  Happy Thanksgiving!

• Stamps:  Fall Whimsey, Love Ya Bunches, Flannel Plaid, Linen (all SU!, some retired)
• Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Cranberry Crisp
• Ink:  Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Cranberry Crisp, markers for coloring
• Accessories:  Ribbon, linen thread, eyelets, 1 3/8″ square punch

We did a little thing like buying some new furniture and it turned into a HUGE thing.  I sure didn’t expect to have my whole house turned upside down during the process of moving out the old pieces and moving in the new.  We emptied out two desks and a large wall unit.  A sofa and love seat were sold this weekend and a computer desk, another small desk and loads of other items went to Goodwill on Monday.  More furniture is waiting to be sold and another load goes to Goodwill today.  Piles of “stuff” still need to be put back in place.  I haven’t been in my stamp room since Friday night and, gosh, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. . .

You can imagine where my focus is right about now.  I’m longing for some relaxing stamping time, but it will have to wait.  So. . . I’ll be back with stamping as soon as I can.  I’ll be thinking of you!  I hope you’re having a wonderful week!

  Just in case you may not have seen the link I edited in for the gift bag I posted yesterday:  Monica found some wonderful instructions here where Paula wrote a detailed and easy to follow tutorial.  Thank you, Monica and Paula!  These bags are a fabulous way to use up some of your double sided or cardstock weight designer papers.  It took less time to make this bag than I usually spend on a card and the cool thing about a gift bag is that it will be reused, being passed on from one person to the next.

Also, Deb found this helpful PDF file.  Thanks, girls!  I get by with a little help from my friends!  Have a great day!