Friday, March 27, 2009

This is a little note card I made last year. Since I'm on the road, I thought I'd share some cards that had not yet made it to the blog. Hope you like it :) I crimped the corner using the crimper and added a felt fusion flower. Have you figured out that you can buy inexpensive felt sheets (they don't have to be the stiff felt either) at the craft store and run them through your Big Shot too? When I get home I'll share some of my new felt creations with you :)

Today's Lesson from Much Too Far Away from the Craft Room: Play With Some Crayons!!!

My posts for the next week or so are going to be lessons from much too far away from the Craft Room since I am on a work trip. I will share with you some thoughts from the road...and maybe some art that I have stored on my computer.

I ate dinner tonight at O'Hare Airport at the Macaroni Grill. They have the butcher paper on the table and a few crayons to play with. I took full advantage :) I may be out of the craft room, but the craft room is not out of me!!! :) The photo is of my drawing - taken with the little camera on my cell phone. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

So if you find yourself out of your craft room, don't worry - the craft room is still inside of you...you just need to find some crayons or the closest creative tool around :)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Let the Well Replenish

I was supposed to leave on a trip today, but Mother Nature had other plans in mind for me. This is the view out my window earlier today. The amount of white in backyard just increased as the day went on. One might think that today was a perfect day to stay inside and head into the craft room to create. Yet I found myself without the urge to create. Instead my inner well seemed to just want to rest and replenish itself. Maybe it was the peaceful snowfall, or the contemplation of leaving on a trip...whatever reason, I chose to respect my need to rest and replenish. So today I share with you a picture of peace and hope that it provides you a moment to stop and rest and replenish.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Something Simple Can Say So Much!

Most of the people I work with on a day-to-day basis do not sit beside me. They are located in Boston, MA and we do most of our communicating by email. I had to send a FedEx package with some documents to the Boston office the other day and I thought it provided me a wonderful opportunity to create a card and send a heartfelt thanks to everyone who is working so hard on this particular project. I put the card together very quickly (since I had to run out to get the package to FedEx on time). It was simple...but the emails I received once the card arrived in Boston were amazing! Something simple can really say so much and make someone's day!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

This journal is a birthday present for my sister-in-law. I used micro beads on the monogram (they are hard to see since they are so tiny). I hope she likes it!!!
Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Challenge Yourself To Finish What You Started

Believe it or not, this card started about 12 hours ago! No, it didn't take me 12 hours to make, I just kept getting distracted by work, errands, chores...It got to a point where I thought I would never get myself back into the craft room to finish what I started. So I challenged myself. I told myself that after the dog was walked and the dishes put away, I needed to get myself back into the craft room to finish what I started. Here's the result (along with a healthy dose of a feeling of accomplishment - something you can't see in the picture :)

I ran the whisper white through a cb embossing folder. The letters were made by running some designer series paper (Urban Garden) through the Big Shot with my billboard alphabet die. I really like this color combo (pretty in pink, baja breeze, and kiwi kiss)!

So the next time you find yourself starting something and walking away, challenge yourself to finish what you started. You may be surprised by both the result and the wonderful feeling you get when you complete something!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Thought I would share another book I made today by using the following ingredients: felt, Big Shot (and dies), computer greeting, CuttleBug embossing folder, punches, bind-it-all. I made this one bold and bright since it's such a beautiful Spring day here in Denver! :)
Today's Lesson from the Craft Room: Try Some New Ingredients!

Michael and I went to a soft-service ice cream place awhile ago. I had grown quite fond of caramel mixed with Heath bar (yummy) and was trying to decide if I should go for the same ol' same ol' or try something new. So, Michael went first and he said, "I'll have caramel, Heath and banana." WHAT??!!! screamed the voice inside my head. BANANA with Heath and caramel??!!! How GROSS! Well, that little voice was SOOOO wrong! Caramel, Heath and Banana is AMAZING!!! (If you're thinking it sounds gross, I encourage you to try it...I think you'll be surprised! I was!).

So, as I sat in my craft room pondering today's project (a birthday gift for my niece) I decided to mix up some new ingredients. To run some felt through my Big Shot and to play around with fonts on my computer and to combine my new love for the bind-it-all....and vioila!!!! A bright pink and black diary was born :) If you haven't tried running felt (stiff or regular) or fun foam through your Big Shot, give it a try - it adds a lot of dimension and fun to projects! A whole new horizon for crafting recipes has just been opened for me!!!!! Yummmy!!!!!