LETTING SOMEONE ELSE LOVE IT: Parting With Beloved Items

Here it is, literally ready to go out the door.

Ever since my kids moved out, stuff seems to have moved in. Since my mom and I love yard sales and thrift stores, I'm always facing wonderful things to buy. Not just any things, but one-of-a-kind treasures that, if I don't buy them on the spot, I will never see the likes of them ever again. Yikes, that's a lot of pressure, and I usually buckle under it.

But recently I'm trying something new. I'm enjoying items for a period of time, but then I'm learning to pass them on to someone else who will love them just as much as I do.

This week a friend just spent the night to seek shelter from Hurricane Idalia. Then my son is coming home for a week in September and will be back again in October. My daughter will be here in October as well.  After that it's Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I want to make sure that each of my guests always has a nice guest room to stay in. And getting rid of clutter-albeit valuable, vintage clutter-is essential.

The hard part is emotionally parting with our beloved items. When we donate something, we often think of it as the end of the life of that object. It will be gone from our presence and we'll never see it again. But if we can realize that the object still lives on but is just making someone else happy somewhere, it's easier to part with things.

A great example is this cherished paper rack (a cheapie from Michaels that my mom gave me). I finished the top of it with vintage yardsticks that are local to the St. Petersburg, Florida area. One of them is from Jay's Fabric Center in Pasadena. My grandmother lived just a few blocks from there and was a frequent customer of theirs for decades. So it's kind of hard to part with this. But since I moved my crafts back into the garage, there just isn't room for it. I'm hoping the right person will stumble upon this at the Salvation Army, and perhaps their grandmother also shopped at Jay's Fabric Center!

It's really a win-win. I make room for things that matter most, like a proper guest room. And I am giving someone else the opportunity to love things as much as I do. And perhaps they'll do the same in a few years too. Imagine how happy we make so many people when we donate the things that we love!

A Christmas Barn Door

Do you ever close your eyes and randomly grab a stamp set to work with? It's kind of a personal challenge that I sometimes do. Such was the case this morning, and I grabbed the set "Barn Door" from Stampin' Up!.

Although it's not a Christmas set, I made it into a Christmas card. Tomorrow is September 1 already, and we all know how quickly time goes by. I'll be needing those Christmas cards very soon.

My complete supply list is:

• Stampin' Up! Barn Door Stamp Set
• SU! Cherry Cobbler & Garden Green Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• SU! Baked Brown Sugar Ink
• SU! Early Espresso Ink
• Memento Love Letter Ink
• Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink
• Copic E34
• Simon Says Stamp Embossing Powder
• Patterned Paper from Graphic 45

It was kind of fun making the barn door open and then stamping the second part of the saying inside that. The card still opens, and I stamped Merry Christmas and Happy New Year inside there using the same stamp that's on the envelope.

I bought this as part of a huge stash, and I do love it, but I have to admit that this one wasn't super easy for me to use. I keep thinking I need a horse for the inside. I'll definitely have to go on Pinterest or over to Splitcoast Stampers to get some better ideas for this one.

Well that's it for today. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Retro Rubber Challenge #214

I'm so excited because today I'm the guest designer over at Retro Rubber's 214th Challenge, (RRCB214). It's a fun sketch challenge, which really means anything goes as far as stamping, as long as the stamp is at least one year old or older as always.

Well it's still summer and it's still hot, but I'm getting into the fall mood. I'm one of those "I love everything pumpkin" people that some people can't stand. I'm first in line for Pumpkin Spice Coffee, and do we really need Pumpkin Cheerios? Yes indeed! :)

Anyway, with fall just around the corner, I decided to create something special just for the season. This whimsical card seemed to be a bridge between summer (with its bright colors) and fall (with it's whimsical leaves). I used Stampin' Up!'s Lighthearted Leaves which dates back to 2015. It's so hard to believe this set is that old. Time goes by way too fast!

My complete supply list is:

• Stampin' Up! Lighthearted Leaves & Leaflet Dies (2015)
• SU! Old Olive Card Stock and Ink
• SU! Dotted Pumpkin Pie Paper
• SU! Crushed Curry Card Stock
• SU! Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Misc. Dotted Dark Green Paper (Hobby Lobby?)
• Copics R08, YR18, E35, YG11, Y15, YG61
• Hero Arts Sentiment CL342 (2014)

This set, along with it's more serious sister, Vintage Leaves, is one of my all-time favorite sets, and it was a joy to be able to use it in this challenge!

Thanks so much to Jane and everyone over at Retro Rubber for choosing my card earlier this summer and allowing me the honor of being a guest designer this time!

Retro Rubber Challenge #213

Well here's my entry for this week's Retro Rubber Challenge, RRCB213, which is to use the colors of the rainbow on a card. I just finished it and I'm not too sure it was what I was going for. Does that every happen to anyone else? I think I was looking for more genuine rainbow colors that were more evenly distributed on the card. I used them all, red, yellow, blue, green, orange and purple. But The green is a little lighter than normal and there's a lot more purple, yellow and blue. 

Either way, I think it's cute and I think it will make someone really happy, and that's the end goal for all cards anyway.

My complete supply list is:

• Stampin' Up! Balloon Bash Stamps (2015)
• SU! Pineapple Punch Card Stock
• 
  SU! Pacific Point Card Stock
• White Card Stock
• Gingham from My Favorite Things
• Memento Love Letter Ink
• Memento Grape Jelly Ink
• Memento New Sprout Ink
  
• Memento Tangelo Ink
• Doodle Bug Enamel Dots
• Spellbinders Labels Four Die
• Sizzix Tickets Die
• Hemptique Bakers Twine
• Nuvo Crystal Drops in Red Berry

I had a lot of fun making this card, and it's one I never would have made without the inspiration of a challenge. Thanks so much to Jane and everyone over at Retro Rubber. If you haven't checked out their site, be sure to. All you have to do is to follow the theme and use a stamp that's at least 1 year old. It's so much fun playing along, and it's great to get a lot of good use from our older stamp sets!

A Note From Grandma's Hands

Nowadays "we" are everywhere. If we have social media, it's not unusual to have pictures of ourselves online everyday. We often write our own words too, making it so easy to look back upon our memories. I love how Facebook and sometimes Shutterfly and Google Photos will send me a message saying "your memories from ___ years ago." I always click on them and love to reminisce.

But recently, while working on reviving some old scrapbooks, I stumbled upon these: the Wings my dad got while flying in World War 2. I knew I had them. They've been in my possession for decades. But what I didn't know (or at least remember) was that my grandmother Hilda had written me a note inside. When I read it anew this past week, my heart was full.  

And it makes me wonder, while hopefully future generations will be able to get to know us and see our lives online, could we do little things that would make personal and more meaningful connection with them decades from now? 

There are many little ways we could do that. One other post that is similar to this is The Legacy of Recipe Cards. I love those so much. Or perhaps we could make a special scrapbook, handmade greeting card, or simply a handwritten letter. They even have "grandparent books" that ask you questions and you fill in the answers. You could even think about creating a personal blog. The content there is what is known as "evergreen," meaning that it will always be online. Perfect for future generations wherever they may be.

How precious to have a little note in my grandmother's handwriting just to me.

I was a very little girl when my grandmother wrote me these words, and I'm now in my early 60's. Time doesn't really matter. What does is that she was thinking of me and which Wings I would like to have. I really appreciate that so very much. 

I'll bet she had no idea when she penned these words that they would come to mean more to me than the Wings themselves. I want to leave that kind of legacy to those who follow me as well.

Art Gallery Card & Coloring Tutorial

I bought this set from Stampin' Up! because it was a great deal, and they had the dies to go with it too.  Plus I love 2-step stamping. It's so easy and gives a great look. But this particular stamp in the set isn't a 2-step and I didn't think I'd use it too much. But on the spur of the moment I pulled it out and decided to play around with painting the ink in individual colors and see how that came out, and I decided to film it.

For the details about what I used and how I did this, you can watch the video right here:

It's my goal to get some basic videos uploaded for those who may want to start stamping but are very new to it. I hope that this video will help others in their stamping/card making journey.

I really like the finished products. And I love how the die cut looks so professional. So glad I was able to get this set at such a great price!

Word Art Wednesday #607-608

A close up look at the window.

If you haven't checked out the current challenge over at Word Art Wednesday, I really think you'll love the scripture this time. All their scriptures are wonderful, but this one really spoke to me as far as sending an encouraging card to someone.

How blessed would someone be to get this as an encouraging verse on a card. I like it so much that I'm planning on making a second card with it, but with the verse larger. However I really wanted to use this new (to me) stamp set and it seemed like putting the verse inside the window was a good idea.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Word Art Wednesday Scripture
• Stampin' Up! Cottage Window
• Stampin' Up! Brick Embossing Folder
• Memento Rich Cocoa Ink
• White Card Stock
• SU! Smoky Slate Card Stock
• Papertrey Lovely Lady Card Stock
• Copics Y15, G82, B23, R63, B00, C1 E35 & RV14

Thanks again to Karen and everyone over at Word Art Wednesday for providing us with a beautiful Bible verse that's sure to give a lot of comfort to those who need it. 

Celebrate Today Birthday Card

I'm dipping into my haul again today and I pulled out this older set called "Celebrate Today" from Stampin' Up! It's a really fun set to use, but it's not without its challenges. The big balloons are a lot of fun, but you definitely need a stamping platform because one impression doesn't seem to get enough coverage. I stamped these 2-3 times each. But once you get past that, it's pretty easy.

I pulled out some background paper from my stash, so I'm not sure what company it's from, but I love the bright colors and tried to match the balloons to that. My complete supply list is:

• Stampin' Up! Celebrate Today
• White Card Stock
• Misc. Patterned Paper
• SU! Blueberry Bushel Ink
• SU! Cucumber Crush Ink
• SU! Poppy Parade Ink
• SU! Pineapple Punch Ink
• SU! Bashful Blue Ink
• Versa Mark Ink
• Michaels Snow White Embossing Powder
• Doodlebug Designs Enamel Dots

The way most of my cards look
on the back.

I didn't think I'd like this card while I was making it. I had some difficulty with the embossing powder sticking to the balloons the second time. I should have used my embossing buddy, but I didn't need it the first time, but I felt the white dots on the balloons could be brighter and when I embossed them again, the static really showed. I decided to leave them that way, because sometimes balloons aren't perfect in real life. Plus, it will most likely be a young person who gets this card, and I'm sure they won't mind!

Another fun thing about this card is that it's the first one that I used my new "Snail Mail Studio" rubber stamp on the back. It matches the logo on my blog, and I thought it would be fun for people to see where there card came from. I may include some card making videos on the blog too, so new people may find that card making is a hobby they may enjoy too! It's fun to share out passions and spread more love too! We can never have too many card makers and card senders!

A Huge Haul & 2 Challenges

God blesses each of us in different ways and at different times. Yesterday was my day! I was looking for a mannequin on Facebook Marketplace when I saw an ad for a LOT of Stampin' Up! rubber stamp sets for $1.00 each. You had to buy 20 minimum, but that's not a problem! 

It looked like they were in a large, business room somewhere, so I messaged the owner. Turns out someone had donated them to a nursing home, and the sales were helping them buy a new organ for the residents. 

I drove almost an hour to check out the situation and boy was it worth it! This is what I came home with for $120.00. And there were still many, many stamps still left for sale!

I shopped fairly quickly but was still there for about an hour, picking out sets. When I came home I organized them on my shelves, and just grabbed the first one, which was a set called Elements of Style. I actually think it wound up in my pile by mistake. It wasn't one that I probably would have normally selected from the catalog, and I really struggled with it. These are the first two cards I made:

I accidentally dipped my blending brush in the darker brown ink rather than the lighter brown one, and I just hate the results. The one on the left isn't too bad, but the one on the right reminds me of Weird Barbie. Did anyone else see and love that movie!?  I was trying for a vintage, lacy look and got "yuck." It's going in the trash after I salvage the back.

So I went to Pinterest and found some inspiration there. I found that stamping the image in a darker background really made it pop more. My complete supply list for the first card is:

• Stampin' Up! Elements of Style (2013)
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Black Card Stock
• Lawn Fawn Ballet Slipper Cardk Stock
• Graphic 45 Patterned Paper
• Copics YG61, Y02 & R81
• Sentiment Strip from Simon Says Stamp

I'll probably keep this set, using it for weddings, anniversaries and sympathy cards. It's not easy for me to make it look good, but perhaps that's part of the fun on being a card maker.

The nice one in black and cream is being entered in two different challenges: Retro Rubber #212 and NBUS #53. 

It's been so much fun going through all these old sets. I'm ready for a lot more challenges both at Retro Rubber and at NBUS as a result of this haul! Keep your eyes peeled for craft supplies for sale. You never know what kind of amazing bargains you'll find! 

Collecting (and Using) Vintage Metal Frogs

Long before I found this collection of metal "frogs", I saw people using them to display their handmade cards for photo shoots. I loved the idea and kept my my eyes open for them. I hit the jackpot when, at a yard sale, I came across all of these for only $1.00 each. I was thrilled!

Next to the amazing price, what I loved about finding this collection was the variety that I got. The different sizes, shapes, colors and conditions of these frogs makes them so interesting to display.

But first, what are frogs? Well, they're small metal  discs with pins sticking out of them. They're original use was for flower arranging. But they have so many other uses too.

One of the first things I did with mine was to display sepia toned  family photographs in them. I carefully chose each photo, then submitted them to my local Walgreens store and ordered them to be printed on the calming brown tint. I had to trim some down, but I really like how they look.

You can also use them for displaying your cards too. I also thought it would be nice some Thanksgiving or Christmas to use them around the table as place cards. This can be done either using a just the person's name, or you could use a picture of them as shown above. With the right table settings, it could be a really cute idea.

If you look closely at the photograph in the front on the left, you can see that my mom looks like she has a beard! Just one little thing to watch out for when using these guys!

You can also buy them new too. I found this one over at Michaels for $6.99. That's a great place to start if you just want one or two. And searching on Etsy or eBay will be a blast. But your best bet is going to be at a yard sale for the best prices.

In all my years of combing thrift stores, I've never seen them for sale there. Perhaps they get picked up right away. Or possible it's because they're sharp and potentially dangerous to put out on the shelves.

So keep your eyes open for these cute display pieces as your out thrifting. Having a couple on hand is always a good thing!

Handmade cards look so cute in frogs! And you can even stick things
like feathers in them to add to the interest.

Poppies In Pink

This is a little set from Concord & 9th that really packs a punch. Here I used it to make my poppies pink and had a little fun by making the sky out of blue hearts. The grass is just the smaller leaf stamped many time.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Concord & 9th Petite Poppies
• Papertrey Hibiscus Burst Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Light Blue DSP
• SU! Night of Navy Card Stock & Ink
• White Card Stock
• SU! Polished Pink Ink
• SU! Bashful Blue Ink
• SU! Cucumber Crush Ink
• Memento Black Ink

As of this writing, this little 3 x 4 set was on their website for $2.40. It's worth every penny! 

I have my eye on a sun die, and if I do pick it up, I hope to put it on the top of this card. I think Pineapple Punch will look so cheery. If not, it's still cute and will hopefully will put a smile on someone's face soon!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and have a wonderful day!