Beautiful Soul

Love is in the air...

and on some of my greeting cards ♥

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I like art.... I like heart art... I like ♥ ... I like heART.... however you say it... I have great fun and satisfaction creating. And I try to create EVERY day!

I've created lots of cards over the years... and I love to LEARN new 'stuff'.  That's part of who I am this year, in creating the YEAR OF mySELF.... seeking, exploring, learning and finding.   And I'm LEARNING collage art.... I'm painting!  I'm taking art classes (on line through Brave Girls) and I'm learning from great bloggers who share their talent.

I got the idea for this card from Stephanie at Homegrown Hospitality

This type of card and tag seem like  a new version of  country crafting that I did over 15 years ago.  Freshing up the heART ♥ a bit.

Come back and visit me again real soon...

I'd like to brighten your day!!!

Home Made Heart

Hmmm, I heart today..... ♥

.... yet I'm very confused....

I'm on overload.... so much is happening, tried to vote early... the place we went to was open, but not ready to take early voters.... the weather is changing, but some are experiencing major darkness.... I'm trying to learn new computer programs, new terminology... cell phones, apps, instructions, printers... argh but it takes me longer to remember... I want to really love this day... but it's 8:30pm and I'm ready to go to bed.... will my mind stop turning??

Card of the Month

This year's Card of the Month Club is coming to a close.  Here is the 2nd to the last special delivery!

I try to make even(if that is even possible) a MORE unique creative each month for the five who a recipients of this exclusive club.  They get FuN MaiL with a one of a kind card that relates to the holiday or season that might relate to the month.  Of course November.... we're talkin' pumpkins and Happy Thanksgiving wishes!

Here are the extraordinarily 'cute' thanks tags (2) that come along with each greeting.

Gotta love this day, and give thanks!

Pretty Girl heART

 Hi blogger friends!

  I'm still here and I'm still creating

 ... just can't do as much with this darn real job that I have.  Not making any excuses... when you lose 30+ hours a week outside the home, it's just a bit harder to create doodles and write exceptionally fun stuff.... but I still do, just less often than I'd like...here is my latest entry into my 2012 Art Journal....

I doodled the girl's face a few weeks ago and wanted to use it for something...didn't know what... but that's the good thing about art... you don't always have to make something right away... who would know when I designed her???  and I did the background piece on the journal page also, a few weeks ago,  and then sat down one night and combined the two to come up with this sort of 'country' girl with a Peter Pan collar and exotic flowers in her hair. There is pink lace trim on her sleeves and a lovely butterfly soaring it's wings up to the sky...

Beautiful... seek goodness today...

is the vibe I got from this!

Go Pack Go!

Although these pictures are from two weekends ago.... they must be shared!!!! 

Fall, football and family.... fun!!!!!

Strawberry Red

Who would have ever thought that taking pictures of your food would be exciting and mouth watering! 

With the ease of technology and a camera on my phone, I can take pictures pretty much where ever I go. (Better watch out!!) And with my 'own' blog... I can post yummy goodness, fun and whimsical creative greeting cards, totally interesting family up dates and what ever the heck is out my picture on the world! 

We often pick 12-15 lbs of strawberries early summer time and I cut them and add sugar to then freeze for later in the year.  I can't think of any better way to eat this yummy goodness but on some pipping hot pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning...powder sugar makes you go.... awww come on... that is heaven!!!

Movie Review: Went and saw Argo (with Ben Affleck) yesterday.... excellent movie and we highly recommend it!!

Life: Just Be

 Okay... I admit it...  I am more of a 'creative' thinker in the morning than I am after 10pm at night. 

For years I have written my blog before 9 am most mornings... but now that I'm working outside the home... I just can't manage my creative time... for writing, cardmaking, crafting, decorating.... learning! 

So, being a Brave Girl... I'm learning a new 'craft' of  making painted and etched leather bracelets.  You can see another one I made... above.... for my friend BE!  I just love finding things that relate to her name.....it's like a secret code between us.  Now I want to make more of these leather 'things'... but the tools to do this right, will co$t me.... not sure I want to invest in yet another crafty craft... I need to find 'cheaper'... more frugal tools somewhere....

And, here is another 'truth' card.  I am so loving funky flowers and meaningful quotes and then adding the colors I'm feeling that day... and then collaging everything together... all of this in a 4" x 6" card front.

So excited to get a text from my college student today.... some of the presidential candidates supporters are making their rounds at the University of Iowa and the boy is really getting into helping make a difference in his life and future. BE a fact checker!! Make 'informed' decisions.

Fuzzy

You'd never guess

... but many times when I write this post to my blog I have a special fuzzy lap warmer with me.  Found a new name for him.... Fuzz Lightyear... our Fuzzy Bear... lil Tuck Tuck is nicely tucked in my lap. I'm so lucky!! Our Pomeranian,Tucker!

Speaking of Fuzzy.... look at these addorable little slippers I stitched together and added to these fun pj party cards. The slippers match the background paper, or visa versa!

  The invite doesn't open, but paper and cardstock are machine zigzag stitched together... the party invite info was all computer generated. I added some fun 'fuzzy' fiber to make the slippers seem extra comfy cozy!

My fall mantle

 Staying true to my SELF or my Year of SELF.... I am learning. Every day I'm trying to Seek out and LEARN something new!!!!

I looked at my fire place mantle yesterday and said to my SELF...Yuck!!!  although I dust it... I hadn't changed it for awhile.  That my friends is BORING!!! Staying the same day in and day out... is boring to my type 4 personality.  I like changes... controlled changes that I'm in charge of....

I had all of my fall stuff out anyways to decorate the front porch... it's all placed in my Type 4 special orange and black storage bin... I visit Pinterest so much I thought.... you just have to put things together and get some color going... so I used all my own old 'stuff' and put this little vignette together in less than 10 minutes... and I'm so liking it! It's perfect to brighten up our family room!

It has been a very long time since I felt the need to make some adjustments and changesin my life, in my style, in my art... everywhere....about me... mySELF... and I'm learning from seeing so many cool ideas on Pinterest just how much I miss frugally decorating my house. Making an extra effort truly makes it more like a cozy warm home... and then on the cheap when you re-use stuff you just had laying around in a bin in the crawl space!

I'm working at it, my SELF... S-seeking, E-exploring, L-learning and F-finding!!!

Spooky

Boo! I'm a little sad today.... it's the day job.  Things are a little slow... but this card and being creative makes me very, very happy!

This is a card I made at stamp camp a few weeks ago and I recently sent it to some college kid who got it with a $pecial treat inside.

Weekends go so quickly now... I have to do the regular house stuff and then I try to create during daylight hours... at times I miss how things used to be... now I need to manage my time better.  I believe there are good things to come.... lurking behind the creep creaking door!!!

Peaceful Thinking

I am working on multiple projects at one time. 

In a way, it's a good thing because I can use the same layout in multiple ways.  But then, it's a bad thing because my creative space is a disaster area and I can't find a thing! 

My room is a MESS in capital letters.

 I am so excited about these two cards!!

This gives you an idea how you can use the same layout...but there are so many different ways you can go once you use a particular color scheme to match a season.... or create the effects of peace using soothing floral images and a cute yoga stick figure.

Thanks for stopping by on my creative greeting journey!!

Welcome Mat

There are a lot of things I love about my house.  One of my favorite things is our front porch.  It wraps around and I can decorate it for the seasons.

I love re-using things I already have, and then I just freshen them up. 

I have an old milk can.  I think I got it from my mom who grew up on a farm.  I bet some 'older' folk can't believe what's old is new... that we have all the 'new' houses, but we want to decorate them with antiques.... things people tossed around the barn! I've painted the can numerous times... I think at one point is was red.

There is a small garden center up the road from our house and I feel I always get great flowers at a good price (for Illinois standards).... It's so fun to have the resources to decorate our home.  Of course, I love to go to Pinterest to get inspiration!

Happy Fall!

The Eyes Have It!

Here is a fun 'spooky' card to send to a friend you have your 'eye' on. 

Sometimes I think it's so much easier to communicate with a card... it's cute and fun... and you can write a simple message on the inside.

I can't imagine being in a debate to get my opinion across. At work I'm constantly repeating what I say over the phone from one person to another trying to convey a message.  It's all in how you say things and who your audience is.

I've had it easy the past few years.  I could just create cards to brighten someone's day... now I have to be careful....what I say.... that's a lot of work. 

Eyes are windows to your soul.

BE You

 I had so much fun with my most recent heArt Journal Entry. 

 Look at all of these fun,  fun, fun houses!!

With all the inspiration I'm getting from my on-line Brave Girl Art school class, I can't help but think all of the time....painting, paper piecing, inking, doodling, using mod podge, and mixing all kinds of media. 

Then my thoughts wonder and I'm off ... and I'm also going to some of my favorite places like Christy's here.

She had a great tutorial to create something similar to this.

If you can 'imagine it'... you can create it.

And all you have to do now.... is BE YOU... who else could you be???

Match Your Pumps

 Always match your pumps to your broom!!!! 

Brew ha ha! 

That's what it says on the inside of these cards.  This is the October Card of the Month.... just perfect to send a happy halloween wish....  oh, I know, not everyone celebrates "Halloween"... but you could send this card to any b-witching girlfriend!

I got this witch stamp years ago from the $1 bin at Michaels.... she is so cute..... and simple.  Saw this layout while blurfing and then found extra 'scrap' paper in my stash to create the fun and whimsy.  Orange and blue and yellow.... zig zag ribbon...even her nose pops out from the card with glossy accents.  These cards are all in the s*p*i*r*i*t of fun!!!

Along with the card, the four members of this years' card of the month get two tags... cute witchipoo shoes!!!  These tags can be used on a gift or just taped to a grande size candy bar.... or anything hauntingly fantastic!

It was a beautiful weekend in the midwest!  Sunshine and perfect fall temperatures!  The leaves are changing colors.  We got so much done around the house.  Life is good and we are so blessed!  Here's to a good first week in October!!