Stamping Challenge - The First Set

As I mentioned in this post at the beginning of the month, I challenged myself to create three projects with each of ten stamp sets in the 30 days of September.

Here is the first set, Butterfly Basics by Stampin' Up!:

And here are the projects I created:

1. Happy Layout

For this layout featuring my adorable mother, I used three of the stamps. One butterfly to create an embellishment, one as a border on the left side of the page and for the top and bottom of the photo, and the small butterfly as an embellishment and to add some pops of color. The rest of the supplies were from kits, and I used a set of die cuts by Maggie Holmes to cut the large flower and leaves.

2. Happy Birthday Card

While it is not a total "scrap lift," the inspiration for this card came from one I saw on SplitCoastStampers, and I liked the color scheme so much I used it on the second layout, too.

3. That Smile Layout

First, I created two 3x4 cards to pair with the photo, using three of the stamps in the set. I then created a butterfly embellishment by embossing with clear and just a pinch of glittery powder. (Unfortunately, that shimmer doesn't show in the photo, but in person, it looks awesome!) I added letter stickers for the title, some buttons, one small enamel dot, a little touch of pen work, and a sprinkling of gold mist.

Next up, set number two.

30 in 30 Stamping - A Personal Challenge

30 in 30 Scrapbooking was a challenge I used to run that involved creating 30 Scrapbook layouts in 30 days, with no daily requirement. This was my own answer to daily scrapbooking challenges that, because of my specific circumstances, I had no chance of completing, leaving me feeling frustrated and defeated.

I could still complete a lot of pages in a month's time, but without trying to scrape together enough time and energy and daylight each day to complete a whole page. I could do 3 pages on 10 days or 5 pages on 6 days or even 15 pages in a weekend, and taking decent photos wasn't as hard to navigate--even the cloudy state of Michigan has a few days of sunshine in a month's time.

I haven't done that challenge in quite awhile, but recently, I decided it might be a good time to do it again, just for me. See, I love stamping, and I have a lot of stamps. I'm part of a Stampin' Up! hostess club, which means I typically order at least one stamp set each month, and I don't love those stamps just sitting on a shelf, not being used.

Recently, as I was going through my stash of supplies to sell the things I didn't want at a local scrapbook store garage sale, I was amazed at just how many wonderful stamps I have, and I was motivated to work on getting more of those stamps used in my paper-crafting projects.

So, I decided that this September, I'm going to personally challenge myself to select 10 stamp sets and use each one on three different paper-crafting projects. There's no per day requirement, just that I complete those thirty projects in the thirty days of September.

Think I can do it?

I'm pretty sure I can, and I am excited to give it a try.

Here are the 10 stamp sets I've chosen for my own personal 30 in 30 Stamping Challenge, September 2015:

1. Thinking of You by Penny Black - I bought this set when I visited a brand new (to me) local scrapbook store. I kept walking away and kept walking back, intrigued by how I could use those appealing images on my scrapbook pages.

2. Watercolor by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous - I love the variety in this set, and while I have used it a little bit, I want to use it a whole lot more.

3. Carte Postale by Stampin' Up! - I've had this set, an old one, for a long time, and I've used it a lot for cards and little details on scrapbook pages. For me, this is a stamp set that sparks joy. I love it, and I want to use it even more.

4. Mixed Bouquet by Stampin' Up! - At that same LSS garage sale I mentioned, I found this set, only lightly used, and I think it was maybe $4.00. I remember liking it when it originally appeared in the Stampin' Up! catalog, but somehow, I never got around to purchasing it before it was retired. Now, I can't wait to play and explore the many, many possibilities! (That scribbly rose?? Adorbs!)

5. Butterfly Basics by Stampin' Up! - Just beautiful images and textures. I'm thinking pages about my sweet little Mommy would be a good place to use these.

6. Flower Patch by Stampin' Up! - I've seen some awesome things done with this set, and to add another level to the creativity, I also have the matching dies to make cutting out pieces and layering easy peasy!

7. For All Things by Stampin' Up! - The watercolor look appeals to me so much, and my favorite season is fall, so I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with this one.

8. Morning Cup by Stampin' Up! - No secret that I am a long time coffee lover. I bought this set because one of the sentiments made me laugh out loud. Literally. I don't think I've used it more than once, so I'm going to remedy that.

9. Work of Art by Stampin' Up! - Another set I've seen used in many creative ways, and I'm inspired to see how I can make it work.

10. Sheltering Tree by Stampin' Up! - As soon as I saw this set, I wanted it. Needed it. Still, it hasn't gotten much play in my paper-crafting life, so that's why it made the list.

I can hardly wait to get out the blocks and the ink and the paper and get started. I'll be sharing my projects as I complete them throughout the month of September.

Goodbye, August 2015

While July seemed to linger much longer than its thirty-one days, August seemed to fly by. I took a few minutes today to review the photos from the month and select some favorites.

1. On a trip to one of my favorite local parks, I saw this tattered red leaf lying on the ground. It reminded me how soon all the leaves will be turning as my favorite season arrives.

2. That same day, at a different park, I caught the dizzying spectacle of a monarch chasing flowers and captured several poses of her perched on a purple coneflower.

3. Just outside the office building where my husband works, this delectable hydrangea bloomed.

4. All the Legos! Throughout the month of August, I worked on a huge Lego-cleaning project. My nephew's Legos from his childhood needed to be cleaned and disinfected so that it's safe for him to handle them with his current health concerns. The goal was to get all of them clean and into his gigantic Lego bin by the end of August, and although that didn't happen, I did make a great deal of progress.

5. I'm often captivated by the play of light in the world around me. Here, sunlight shining through a tree, casting a lacy shadow on the cement walk.

6. In our house, it's almost an ongoing joke: we have too many cups. But when my husband and I were on date night, browsing through shops at our local mall, I saw this cup at Papyrus, and it had to come home with me. Already, it's become a new favorite.

7. A few minutes relaxing on the deck in the back yard, enjoying the cool summer morning. Sick with a virus that I did not want my nephew to catch, I wore the mask whenever I was going to be in close contact with him, taking it off when I was outside.

8. My husband and I were out for a drive in a lovely little rain shower, treated to a rainbow afterward.

9. In July I signed up for an online e-course/challenge called Write Yourself Alive. Not only did I write every day in August, I renewed my commitment to writing as practice and discovered truths about myself as a writer that will help me keep that commitment going forward.

10. Apples at Joe's Produce. I love apples, and I love the light bathing them. I love the implicit promise of apple picking in the orchard very soon.

11. On one of my evening walks around the neighborhood, I saw a whole lotta frogs! Little tiny frogs, one as little as a peanut shell, hanging out on the sidewalk. I had to be a little mindful not to step on them. Curious.

12. Us. Time together. Even just watching TV. Utter bliss. Always.

13. This letter I discovered in a box of my mother's greeting cards was written by her father to her when she was away for a week or so. She was 11. Discovered treasures like this make me so happy.

14. Goldenrod in our back yard. Up close. Every year, I see these bright yellow blossoms and know that summer is drawing to a close, and fall will be here soon.

The Month of June - A Recap

That sound you hear is another month of 2015 flying by, and me trying to catch my breath!

In the beginning of this month, our nephew was discharged from the hospital after a successful bone marrow transplant, his second. Most of my days have been filled with caregiving tasks, though I have been able to find time to do some catching up on my memory keeping. I don't have photos, but I have completed several spreads in my pocket page album for 2015, and I have all the photos in pockets up to right now.

I celebrated my birthday this month, a quiet day doing what I wanted to do, including some paper-crafting:

My husband brought home this absolutely stunning bouquet of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen in so many different shades of my favorite color:

He also got takeout, one of my favorite meals from one of our favorite places, since we were a bit grounded with our nephew being in recovery and unable to go out with us.

It was a good day that made me very happy.

Michigan has been a lot warmer this summer than usual, and we've had so much rain!

Thunderstorms and showers throughout whole days, and last week, it cooled off and felt a lot like fall. Crazy weather in MittenLand!

Earlier this month, I took the plunge and joined Ali Edwards stamp club, committing to six months. I like how Ali expands the meaning of the theme in so many different directions. I haven't had the chance to play with my first stamp set just yet, but I definitely will soon.

I treated myself to a couple of kits from Paper Camellia, too, and they arrived in such a lovely package:

(I know, blurry...but it was evening, and the lighting wasn't good, so I just went with it...)

One of my favorite things about June was getting to work in our garage and start the project of cleaning out that has been on hold for--literally--years. I discovered something very special among my mother's things I did not know existed, and I'm saving that for another blog post. I will say that I jumped up and down--again...literally. I was that excited.

Unfortunately, my nephew had to go back to the hospital for a bit, due to some common complications of the procedure he had, but he's in good hands and will likely be back home within a couple of days.

My husband and I went to visit him last Saturday afternoon, and on the way home, we stopped at a new (to me) restaurant called Beans and Cornbread. Oh...the food!

Here in the North, it's rare to find a place that serves real southern food, like catfish and fried okra, and it was so tasty I was basking in the bliss of it hours afterward.

And so, another month is (just about) done.

Returning from Hiatus Again

A long time since my last post, and a lot has happened. While the snow is gone from the ground, life has felt like a snow globe heavily shaken the past few months.

It likely will until autumn, maybe longer.

I'm beyond ready for rest and peace, but circumstances require my strength and stamina for another several months of pretty high stress.

Here's hoping I can make time for creativity because creating is a really good antidote for stress.

Creating makes me happy.

Kindness From Next Door

Snow. About 14 inches total. The most I've ever seen at one time in Michigan, and we were pretty well buried.

Looking at all that snow from inside the house, I knew it would take me awhile to dig out. A long while. But I didn't realize just how much there was until I ventured out and got up close and personal with the sheer volume of all that frozen precipitation piled up everywhere.

I worked on the car first, getting all the snow off the top, the windows, the hood. I had to dig out around it first, and I was already tiring out. I took breaks. I went back out, and I came back in. The rest of my body was toasty warm all bundled up, but my toes kept getting cold, my socks, even doubled up, getting soaked with cold, melted snow seeping into my boots.

Ah...winter.

I worked hard, but 14 inches of snow covering our long, long driveway was starting to defeat me. Then, our neighbors next door got home from grocery shopping and offered to help with their snow blower. I offered to do something nice for them in return or give them money for gas for the blower, but they declined. They just wanted to help.

It's not usually easy for me to receive, but today, I needed to do just that. I'm just getting over a virus, and Daniel's just getting over a knee injury, and while we would've coped without getting out today, it was really awesome to stand there and watch that miracle machine cut through the snow like it was nothing.

Thank you to the kind-hearted people next door for noticing that we were in need and pitching in to help. So often, I'm disgusted in the way people treat each other, the crazy, petty mean spirit I so often encounter in daily life. Today, though? I'm thoroughly encouraged and so very grateful.

Sick Day, Snow Day

Snow falls. Hour after hour, inch after inch. Altogether, the forecast is calling for a possible total of 11-14 inches. That is a lot of snow, even for Michigan.

In fact, I don't remember the last time it snowed this much in a relatively short period of time. Then again, last winter is a bit of a blur...

Normally, I would be out in it, doing the shoveling in stages because half the amount we're forecast to get is heavy. I can't imagine shoveling it all at once!

Or, if shoveling chores were done, I'd be visiting my little Mommy or papercrafting the wintry day away, probably keeping laundry going in between.

Instead, I am doing more sitting than anything, more sitting than I'd like to do because I am sick. Not so miserably sick I can't even fathom doing anything but lie in the bed and wish the next 48 hours away in the blissful oblivion of Ny-Quil induced slumber.

But sick enough that my energy levels do not match my motivation levels. Every time I get up out of the chair, I get weak, and my headache surges, and I get a little lightheaded.

I don't like it.

And I'm not the most patient person when I'm sick.

So, I'm cooped up on a winter day, trying not to hate the situation, trying to accept the moment that is, trying to find an illness-appropriate activity to counteract the boredom.

And watching the endless snow fill up the world on this cold, wintry first day of February.