Life's Simple Pleasures

It has been a busy last couple of weeks as I am sure it is for all of you as well!  Planting the garden, and filling the flower pots, my personal favorite part of the beginning of Summer.  Life seems to roll forward-I have been reorganizing and cataloging (of course) and I have found some of my favorite stamps that I haven't used in a while.  I have a lot of stamps and sometimes I don't have a problem giving them away (to a good home of course) but I will always have my favorites that I just can't part with!  I have collected quite a few of flowers and I love sayings.  It goes along with loving fonts-so needless to say I have many thank you, happy birthday, thinking of you, and more in lots of different little fonts.  I really like this 'just a note' it is small enough to fit in many places and a great sentiment for so many cards!  This butterfly card is one of my new patterns, and I have had so much fun with different fabrics!  Spring and Summer bring out beautiful fabric and every year there is new and exciting patterns and colors.  I used this cream card with a corduroy texture and a recessed front panel  which adds a great dimension to this card.  Too little time and so many fun cards to make!

Small in the world

Do you ever feel insulated and small?  I watch the news sometimes and feel like where have I been?  I have been watching the Olympics and thinking to myself, wow I have never been driven to compete like that in my entire life.  I wonder what that feels like.  I listen to the stories about the parents who gave up literally everything so that their child could go and live a dream.  Their home countries, jobs, sacrificing so much.  It has really caused me to reflect on desire and commitment.  Sometimes I wonder about the smallness of my life, the small circle that I travel in.  I have never had any desire to travel the world.  I have been in several other countries but I have never wanted to plant myself there.  I have always been glad to get back to the states and see the familiar countryside. I am settled and happy.  But sometimes I wonder about that drive...I like this quote that is next to my computer, I am all about quotes-Live with intention and every day matters.  Some days it feels like I work all day and there is nothing to show for it?  Then I think to myself, what am I looking for to "show for it"  Sometimes a made bed and some answered email just has to be it.  Designing takes a lot of time and Me the list maker needs to be patient with that process and accept that fact that some days it is just going to take me longer to get done what I think needs to be done!

It doesn't feel like Spring

I have been busy making bunnies and Spring time cards but the snow has been flying and it has been cold. I can't really complain because our winter has been so mild compared to the East. Talk about being blasted.  I have really enjoyed watching the Olympics.  All the athletes are so talented.  My friend has gotten addicted to curling?  Have you ever watched curling?  I guess it is on in the middle of the night and in the afternoons.  To each his own I say.  The next big card making opportunity-like we need an excuse, is St. Patrick's Day.  There is something about the wearing of the green that makes this a fun day to send cards especially to kids of all ages.  I finished this stitching card-after I learned this new technique at InkBlots.  It made a beautiful card and I can't just sit around watching TV I always like to keep my hands busy-usually on several projects at once.  I am knitting a scarf to match a hat I was given for Christmas, cutting and pasting bunnies as well crocheting.  Keeps me out of trouble to say the least.  But I really enjoyed this stitching, there are so many colors that can be used and they come together really fast, once you get the technique down!  So back to work I go!

Been busy stamping and glittering my way through a few fairy's courtesy of Our Craft Lounge.  I think that they turned out pretty cute!  It was fun putting the sparkly fluff and glitter on them as well coloring them with some fun colors of Copic.

Snow day

Snowing here always makes me want to settle onto the couch with a comfy blanket, some hot cocoa, and a good book.  It makes the outside quiet, frosty, and calm.  I enjoy watching the snowflakes landing softly. It is nicer then having a heavy Spring snow that smooshes all the tulips and daffodils!  We haven't had a lot of snow so it has been a treat to spend a little time just watching.  Then the reality of getting back to work- Spring on the brain!

I love the movie You've got mail.  Just the way she loves to check her email and the sweet communication that they share..  I wish that it were always that way for me!  Checking my email is always like @*(*$&*%&,  I have 300 messages-mostly junk email. So it always takes a lot longer time for me to weed through the stuff to reach what is really important.  Isn't that the way life is?  We all get up every day with choices-what to prioritize where.  Some days things go well and we get things done the way we plan and someday's it didn't matter what was written down on our to do list-except maybe big HA HA written on top! I wonder how these ladies stay on top of the super highway?  Do they do dishes? Or make dinner?  I don't have a household of children or a busy husband that I support-I have a getting older black cat who really could care less what I do as long as it isn't vacuum. One part of my day that I always look forward to is getting into my craft "studio" I like that official title.  Looking around at my stamp collection and all the fantastic embellishments that I have been organizing steadily into an easier way to use!  I love patterned paper and have decided that, of course, like most crafters I have too much of it, but I sure do love it!  I enjoy deciding on a project picking out the stamps, ink, paper, buttons, ribbon, diecuts.  I love having my big shot and QuicKutz at my fingertips.  I create in ciaos.

Stuff everywhere-I get it all out so that I can see what I have and what I need- of course being a creator like that takes a lot of work to get my space back into shape.  I wish I were as organized as some of these fantastic creative spaces I see!  I am not sure how they work, because I realize that when you see peoples creative working spaces they are always being photographed for magazines, so of course they are clean. My family says I create better under pressure-but really I like the peace of time.  I love that ideas pop into my head at all different times of the day, even in those to do things that we HAVE to do.  So even though the snow is flying my mind has wondered to fresh green buds and a sparkling blue sky, Spring.  Here are a few of my Springtime inspirations..

Condiments anyone?

Do you ever find yourself looking in your fridge for dinner, let's see lemon juice, salsa, a half jar of hot fudge sauce? Hmmm.  A new month and the get organized approach is still moving forward slowly but surely. Part of the goal is to get my meal planning done (in theory) a few months out. I should just had ha ha, after that statement.  My card making supplies are a lot like condiments-a pinch of glitter fluff, stamp pads, ribbon.  I have a well stocked craft pantry and it sure makes life a lot easier when I sit down to create. Now if I could just get my kitchen pantry to equal my crafting pantry I would be in good shape!