A Muse or Bust...

Today Mark and I are traveling to Washington state to visit family and friends (Mark is on business). We lived on Whidbey Island for almost 10 years, so going back is always bittersweet. I really miss my family and my wonderful friends, but the time I've been in Illinois has really settled my spirit.

This photo is the only photo I could find of Whidbey Island. (It is a couple of years old, as can be seen from the sweet little faces.) To get to Whidbey, you take a ferry from the south (Seattle) or cross beautiful Deception Pass Bridge to the north. This is a view looking over the bridge. Whidbey is a very magical place.

We'll spend half of our time on Whidbey; have a quick visit with the girls who are spending the summer with their dad; then I'll have a couple of days in Seattle with my husband and my little nephew Ayden. He's two. I can't wait to see him.

We rarely spent time in Seattle when we lived there, so next week I'm going to hit Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks, and the A Muse shop. I don't know how I will be able to choose from the entire line of A Muse stamps in front of me. I hope Ayden doesn't get me kicked out!

I'll post a few photos (of the A Muse store) and bring back souvenirs (also from the A Muse store). Happy Fourth of July!

Merci!

When my dad was in town he fixed my table that is the center of my stamping room. It is a beautiful, sturdy butcher block table that he made for me a long time ago. (When I lived with just my two girls in a little apartment it was our dining room table.) My table suffered a little when we moved to Illinois and it has been wobbly ever since. So, while on vacation, my dad rebuilt the part of the table that keeps it all together. I am so happy it is no longer wobbly and would now survive a hurricane, uh...or a tornado.

I made this quick card to send to my dad to thank him for taking care of this silly project for me. This photo is not that great, but what I wanted to share was my little tab punch. I love how it looks like a file folder. File this one under "Merci!"

Bugs!

As I mentioned before, I love this new set of bugs from Inkadinkadoo. (This link is not the exact same set, but it is quite similar.) I decided to try working in the Inchie style using my bugs. I love the way this card turned out. I don't love bugs, but I realize that they have a job to do in this world, just like everyone else. That's why I used the verse, "Each of us will be a blessing to the other." Romans 1:12.

Black & White and Red All Over

These cards remind me of the childhood joke, "What's black and white and read all over?" A newspaper of course!

Tonight I decided to focus on a palette of black, white and red.

I just picked up a set of sentiments from which I used the word "Rejoice" at Archivers. It is a set called Everyday Sentiments from Autumn Leaves. I also used the large butterfly from a set by Inkadinkadoo. I absolutely love this set because it is full of bugs--lady bug, ants, butterflies, dragon fly, firefly, and a bee.

I think this card looks a little busy with all of the polka dots, but I like its intensity nonetheless.

My second Rejoice card in the same palette is a tulip stamp I picked up from Michaels. It is an Anna Griffin stamp. Tulips have a special place in my heart, since I lived in a Dutch town in Washington state. I especially love parrot tulips, rather than the perfectly formed traditional tulips. Although difficult to see, I added red glitter around the word and also along the petals of the tulip.

I think I'll take a moment tonight to Rejoice in all of the blessings God has given me. Hope you take a moment to Rejoice too!

Designs by Mom

My mom and dad came for a visit from Washington state and we were able to spend a little time in my messy, but colorful basement craft room.

My mom is just recovering from chemo treatments for Lymphoma, which is now in remission -- Praise God. So this was the first time in over 9 months that she had a chance to paper craft.

She made these fabulous journals for the ladies in her Bible study.

The top is using DP from Archivers that was in the Girl Scouts section. Although it is difficult to see, she cut out many of the flowers and mounted them on top to give a little pop.


The next one uses one of my favorite Bellas "sweetybellas" -- MWAH!










This journal highlights a new Magenta stamp that I bought at the Cottage Stamper. It is a beautiful image of a bird inside a frame. I love that this image doesn't need to be colored.




Finally, for this journal she used my scalloped circle Nestabilities. She also used a new Inkadinkadoo stamp with these fabulous butterflies.

I think we've now officially made journals for everyone!

M. Joy Jewels

My daughters have been making beaded creations for the last few months with their friend Sarah (click here to see some of Sarah's designs).

Macie's business name is M. Joy Jewels. (M for Macie and Joy is her middle name.) She and Sarah are quite the entrepreneurs; practically all of their teachers and also their principal are sporting their jewels.

Macie made this very cool watch a couple of weeks ago and I just ran across her image of it. She used green circular beads that she filled in with gold seed beads. She picked up this watch head for about $6 at JoAnns.

Macie is also my photographer and my sidekick stamper. She is in Washington state for the summer with her dad. I already miss her smile (and her sister's too)!