I tell ya.. I really can’t get enough of this Melon Mambo color from Stampin Up! And, I think the circle circus is my new favorite stamp set.. it’s so versatile. For this stamp, I used Bermuda Bay for the card and stamped Melon Mambo ink on Melon Mambo paper using Papertrey Ink’s Polka Dot Basics. I stamped the same stamp in Circle Circus a few times over, cut it out, & layered it using pop dots. Not sure who the lucky receiver of this card will be … maybe a birthday?
Stampin Up’s In Color, Melon Mambo, is my favorite color ever, I think. I can’t stop using it!
This first card uses Hero Arts background stamp in Melon Mambo on white paper and brushed with Chocolate Chip ink. I used an older Stampin Up set for the flower and “Thanks So Much”. To get the words aligned on the paper, I used a stamp-a-ma-jig – a must have tool if stamping words.
The second card uses the left overs from the above card. I simply stamped the flower on Melon Mambo (again!), added twine, and poked a few holes for an all occasion simple card.
I hope your Valentine’s Day is a special day for you! Mine came a little early this year.. yesterday my boyfriend headed to Costco and a few other stores. While he was out, I went out and brushed the remaining snow off my car so I could finally get out. While taking a shower he came home and tried to move my car so the snow in my parking spot would melt. Well, the battery was dead. He tried to jump start it to no avail. After bringing in the groceries, he handed me a huge basket of rose plants, which are beautiful by the way! Then he headed out to the auto store to buy and install a new battery!
I know some of you would rather have a special gift on Valentine’s Day, or any other celebrated holiday, but I am happy as a peach when he buys things for my car. Really, I am. One year he gave me floor mats, another an air pump for tires, then car seat covers.. These are things I will never buy for myself, so he gets them for me. He’s like my protector in many ways.
Anyways.. to make his day special, I came up with the card below. I’m making a special sweet treat (recipe to be posted later) for him while indulging in the NASCAR Daytona 500 race with 15 of our best friends. Now that’s love!
This card uses Stampin Up’s gray paper for the background, Melon Mambo & bright white paper stamped with Papertrey Ink’s Polka Dot Basics in melon mambo .. topped off with the 4 letter word for the one I love!
Found more creative inspiration today in the craft room. Here are two orange-y cards I came up with as thank you notes for Oriole’s peeps!
This first card uses Stampin Up Tangerine Tango ink & Baroque background. I threw in a hint of Kiwi Kiss to break up the monotone and finished it off with a few Stampin Up Brads.
Papertrey Ink has the best khaki colored paper. Ever. And it’s totally affordable. I used Stampin Up’s Circle Circus stamp in tangerine tango as the accent. The “Thanks So Much” is in Chocolate Chip, and I forget what the stamp set is called.. finished it off with a little bit of twine and poked holes.
Check back this week for a few other creations from my day in the craft room!
As some of you know, I enjoy scrapbooking and making cards in my free time, which is a high-priced commodity in my life! I decided to take a break from school this semester, leaving space to reconnect with my crafty creative side. After doing a little blizzard-cleaning (like spring cleaning, only a little early and during a blizzard!) my craft space was ready for destruction! I spent 4 hours creating tonight and here’s what came out..
Lots of lovin’, as you can see! I can’t wait to get back to my space for more therapy… oh, and to clean up!
Which one is your favorite?
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Where do you do your best imagining?
Me? I find arts and crafts time for imagination and creation. I can play with a number of different tools not sure of my direction and eventually end up with something pretty creative.
Some may say my imagination in the kitchen is good, too. I am the type of person who can start with one thing – meat, vegetable, seasoning, desired taste, and end up creating a great meal without a recipe.
“Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
– Nathaniel Hawthorne
Here’s a recipe I haven’t made in sometime, but it’s always a Superbowl Party hit!
BLT DIP
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup torn lettuce
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp Old Bay *optional
Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay in small bowl. Spread onto serving plate. Top with lettuce, cooked bacon, plum tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Chill until serving. Serve with bagel chips,
tortilla chips, breadsticks, or crackers for dipping.
*I throw in the Old Bay for an extra little kick! Add as much as you like.
I was in communications training this past week where we discussed concepts in Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. To start off the training day, we were asked what our favorite childhood toy was, why it was our favorite, and how we are like the toy. We had only a few minutes to think about this, but I didn’t need long..
“Fishing Pole”
Quickly I thought of my childhood memories with my grandfather out on the Chesapeake Bay, fishing until the sun set and motoring back to the boat ramp. He taught me how to hold a fishing pole, how to thread one, when to reel in, how to read the water, and so much more. Not only did we have a good time on the water with the wind in our face, telling stories, and soaking up the sun, I learned some of life’s greatest lessons, only I didn’t realize it until later in life.
When I began to think about how I am like a fishing pole, I thought about the mechanics of a fishing pole.
To this day, fishing is one of my favorite hobbies. As a kid I either went out with my grandfather fishing, or my brother and I would walk down to the pier, throw a line over, and try until we caught something. I was always so proud of whatever we caught – even if it was only a 2″ white perch. And my mother always took a picture and fried it up to help me feel like I made a contribution to the family. Sometimes we would use a seine net or cast net.. and silversides, perch, grass shrimp.. you name it, we always enjoyed celebrating our “catch”.
So that gets me thinking … what is your favorite childhood toy, why, and how are you like the toy?
I can’t wait to hear your stories!
Just Another Day 