I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discovery. It's a journey of recovery. It's a journey of uncovering your own inner nature. It's already there.
I have found that I can make new discoveries every day. To discover is to find something unexpectedly or in the course of a search.
In LEARNING to become Geocachers, Jeff and I have discovered new parks in our county that we never knew existed.
Are we on the right path?
Mistakes are the portals of discovery - James Joyce
Mistakes are also 'creative opportunities' in the card making world. Oops, ha ha... my favorite picture above, I realized (discovered) I typed my watermark signature wrong... I'm ptdesogms2013.
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
Story of my LIFE, I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.
Week #42 LIFE'Ssimple pleasures - things in the shape of a circle
Yesterday, after I posted to my blog, I couldn't help but see things in the shape of a circle. The lid to my favorite beverage, my lunch plate, the cover to my contact case, the wheels on my lawnmower. All things I greatly appreciate for what they do! And yes, I a stretching my topic this week, but the point I'm trying to make is, when we notice the things around us, we can certainly take a moment appreciate them, how they were conceived, why they were made and what simple pleasures they can bring us.
Today, I remembered I had these super cute lollipop brads. Lollipops are also known as suckers, sticky pops, lollies and dum dums. Often, banks and barber shops would give them out to the little customers.
Speaking of little... the Munchkins in the Wizard of Oz were members of the Lollipop Guild.
There are a ton of pictures on the Internet with lollipops. Bright colorful and swirly!! Big and little kids holding and licking huge flat round hardened candy that is flavored sierose with corn syrup at the end of a stick. When's the last time you had a fun candy lick???
I took a hop, To the shop.
To buy my sweet lollipop, See the big stick, And the orange top,
I'll put in my mouth, And eat it plop, plop, plop.
Since all great journeys start with a single step, you should probably have on a cute pair of shoes.
Week #41 LIFE'Ssimple pleasure - shoes
"Oh, I don't need another pair of shoes" said no woman ever!
This week on my blog I'm going to talk about shoes. Although it's not a FREE simple pleasure, I'll bet most woman think that getting a new pair of shoes brings them a lot of joy, happiness and pleasure.
I think I have started a new tradition buying myself a NEW pair of shoes for my birthday. Instead of a birthday cake and some flowers... just help me pay for a new pair of shoes. Check out this post from a couple of years ago Birthday Shoes.
Shoes: item of foot wear intended to protect the human foot while doing various activities.
Fun fact: the foot contains more bones than any other part of the body.
When you finally go back to your old home, you find it wasn't the old home you missed but your childhood ~ Sam Ewing
Echo Lane
If you are new to my blog, welcome!
'Old' friends and family, thanks for taking the time to stop by!!!
I hope that you come back again. I also hope that you will scroll down through my blog posts and see what I'm all about. I'm a recent empty nester and am going through the changes and stages of this new twist on my LIFE.
In 2013 I set a goal for myself to find LIFE'Ssimple pleasures and to document them each of the 52 weeks of this year. A simple pleasure is something that we tend to forget about and yet it is mostly free. It is something that brings a smile to your face and good feelings of great memories to your heart.
Week #40 LIFE'Ssimple pleasure - home
Home is the place where it feels right to walk around without shoes.
As you can see, I can put a twist on my topic and I even have a creative greeting card for most every one of LIFE'ssimple pleasures. I love pretty things and clever words!
Home: It is generally a place to provide safety and is used as a center from which people or animals base their daily activities
The picture on the top of this post is my childhood home. Isn't it cute?
In discovering LIFE'Ssimple pleasures, I found that it is important to sprinkle these simple and favorite things throughout my day, and I try to almost EVERY day.
LIFE is too short.
Shouldn't we all sip a favorite beverage, raise our face to the sun shine, look forward to a FuN MaiL day, smell the roses, honor our country, sit and swing a spell, go on an adventure, listen to the sounds that are around us, and enjoy our home?
Week #34 LIFE'Ssimple pleasures - stage of change LIFE happens
We are approximately 238 days into this year!! I'm looking back... slightly... but also embracing these new stages of my life. And you know what.... I'm seeing the signs everywhere that LIFE happens. We can try to stop it.... and hold on for the moment... but it keeps moving... and I'm happy to say there have been more good days than bad!!!
How timely I found this video posted on Facebook.... this mom says EVERYTHING I'm feeling.
And so.... LIFE after raising my children goes on! And I get to continue... for the moment... I am truly blessed that I can't use up creativity, the more I use the more I have!
Sometimes when things are falling apart, the may actually be falling into place.
Can that be?
If the simple things in life don't put a smile on your face, then you will never be truly happy!
So, I will make a point to do this as often as a can.... sending smiles ... if I can't be in person to give them, freely!!
Do you see a theme going on here? Not only in my quotes, but also my cards? I am happy to incorporate my whimsical cards with a twist on LIFE!
If you find yourself out on a limb have a seat, enjoy the view!!
Life is simple when you live simply!
And so, we have choices!
Learn
Grow
make mistakes
(it'll all be okay)
Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things it will come and sit softly on your shoulder - Thoreau
Just so you know friends out there in blog land.... today's post was not planned at all... it all just came to me as I was typing. All of my cards were made over the past two weeks and some how *wink it all just came together as the stage of LIFE that I am right now, at this very moment!!
Some day everything will all make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason!
*Bold and italicized text are quotes I have found over the past years
If you are a child of the '70s like me, you either had one of these, or you wanted one of these... a bubble umbrella.
It was so cool to walk to school with your best friend and stay dry. We could actually see where we were going, together. Look up to the sky and watch it rain and not get wet!
It does seem what's old is new again. Many 'kids' from the Millennial Generation laugh hysterically at pictures of the Fashions of the '70s, but television shows like Gossip Girl and Sex in the City bring back the style and now... it's retro!
google image
Wouldn't it be fun in a huge crowd to stand together under this umbrella?
Going around under an umbrella interferes with ones looking up at the sky - Jerzy Kosinski
A lightweight umbrella to shield you from the sun is called a parasol.
Para = to shield
Sole = sun
Week #30 LIFE'Ssimple pleasures - umbrella
During the French Impressionist era, portraits of women carrying parasols was a popular theme.
On the left is Claude Monet's Woman with a Parasol 1875. On the right is one of my most favorite paintings, Post Impressionist George Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte 1884
The women in these paintings carry a parasol, a canopy designed to protect against the sunlight.
I found someone is trying to create a new term for the parasol.... a sunnybrella! I like that!
A Parasol of Light
Once upon an autumn’s dream She walked through falling sun Barefoot in a sea of yesterdays Where dreams catch up to run A parasol full of guardian light Paving paths that break ahead Stepping into shores of leaves A fragrance of orange and red Golden wings on gentle waves Breaking over the calm of day Carrying psalms into her heart Listening to God along the way
I only drink to make other people seem interesting - George Jean Nathan
I could say: I only drink exotic fruity cocktails on the sandy beach garnished with bright parasols. It makes the people I'm with, seem more interesting!!!
LIFE'Ssimple pleasures - umbrellas
Around 1932 a Polynesian themed restaurant, Trader Vic's in California introduced the first decorative umbrella in one of their exotic Mai Tai cocktails.
A paper cocktail umbrella just makes the drink more fun! Simple.
I didn't realize until I started my Year of : LIFE'Ssimple pleasures... our American English language can mean and be defined in so many different ways. You'll have to stay tuned to my blog this week and see how many ways I can add my little whimsical twist on something as simple as an umbrella!
We might get rained on or we can dance in the rain, or the sun might beat down and make us perspire or we can look up to the sky and see the clouds.... or I can make my drink just that much better by adding a little paper decoration.... come join me under this tiny umbrella.... I'll make room!
What's even better than just getting an awesome creative greeting in the mail? Getting a card and a special gift too!!!
I went to a mini stamp camp last week, where I learn something new every time! Here is super cute card that holds a tea bag!
It could hold ... a gift card, hot chococolate, tiny flat candy bar or a instant soup packet..... it could be anything to 'warm' somebodies day. I'd be careful about mailing the 'bigger' individual packets (or the chocolate)... but a small tea bag like this..... I think it could be sent FIRST CLASS.
Any of the other things can be added to the card if you were hand delivering this on top of a pretty gift! So many choices to make!
Another great thing about going to a class, now I tons of ideas and I could make any variety of cards with this same theme, just change the patterned paper (and or sentiment) out for he season. Couldn't you see this as hostess gifts, or a card sending get well wishes, or even a specialChristmas treat.... (yikes, who said Christmas??)
Anyway... I love to learn! I love to go to stamp classes to learn about making cards. I love to make cards with new tips and techniques. Then, I can
Brighten Someone's Day
with even more unique and whimsical creative greetings!!!
Just like an inked thumb print, every little button has it's own story!
This is an actual tag that can be pulled off the card and used separately, or the message can be put on the back and then tucked back into the card front!
A few weeks ago I showed you a little character card made with a simple thumb print.
Then of course on Pinterest I found a sample like I created above... Change the ink out, add a few doodles and anything can be created from inky fingers.... from wild animals to people, from simple hearts to an entire picture of fall leaf thumb prints. Amazing!
I love cardmaking designs with buttons!
I would do more because I have a tin full of (mostly used... old) buttons. The thing that stops me from creating more with this 'do-dad', is sending them through the mail.
Buttons are bulky.
You know me, I follow the rules.... you are supposed to add additional postage and somewhere put on the envelope, hand sort (or something like that). I heard that postal workers don't always like crafters because we send things that can get caught up in their sorting machines.
I understand that! I don't want one of my friends to receive a ripped envelope... it mars the beauty!
I think the one button on this card is okay. It's a cute little birdie with a wing and then a few doodles for beak and feet! How much of a problem could he be???
I'm continuing to work through some of my copying issues and according to Steal Like an Artist... I'm copying because I'm going to fake it until I MAKE it!
Although I have plenty to keep me busy, I like to find a good challenge.
Lately I have been participating in the Mojo Monday challenge. (I haven't submitted my card, but I take on the challenge of creating with the design sketch given on the Monday) They give you a sketch of a card, and you see what you can come up with.
This was actually last weeks challenge. But you wouldn't know that unless I told you now, would you???
Things I like best about this card? The color combination with the argyle patterned paper. And that, is a doodle of my trusty furry friend Cooper. He's always curious!!!
There is a certain happiness in being silly and ridiculous!
Sometimes it takes a moment, maybe a little longer than that to realize a theme, or a pattern, or even something coming back to me in full circle!
And then that 'aha' moment... it clicks, like it was meant to be, or I find the right spin to make it seem like it works. (insert evil laugh! ba ha ha)
Although not intentional, the last two cards in my picture cue for this weeks posting were summer bugs. Cute and whimsical Miss Lady Bug out on a limb... and serious and simple Butterfly birthday wish.
The instant gratification of creativity that I get from making cards is awesome!
We had another aha moment in our house recently. There was a small chance we would be moving, so we took some time to re-evaluate A LOT of things. One thing was, we were hoarding paint cans in our basement work shop, for that possible moment we needed to touch up a wall in our house ... in Wisconsin? (we currently live in Illinois)
We moved paint down here 6 years ago from our old house. The previous owners hid paint beneath the basement stairwell.... I kept paint from painted chairs of 4 years ago... big cans, small cans, full cans.. almost empty cans!!! Crazy... I don't want to contribute to the land fills... what to do if the city isn't have a used paint drive... so during this heat... we have had 32 cans of paint open in our back forty... trying to dry out!!! Can I just say.... don't hoard paint for a rainy day! Don't move paint from one house to the other....
go ahead
Brighten Someone's Day!!
This Mojo Monday is my layout inspiration for the top card. I used the square one on the right!
Two different cards with the same layout. Lots of delightful color mixes and all different kinds of shapes, and scrumptious layers!
These are not my 'simple' layered cards! That is the best part of my little card making business... I guarantee, unless I HAVE to... no two cards are alike!!!! Similar, yet different!
I am totally having fun looking at the layouts of cards on other great blogs and through card challenges... and then I amaze myself when flipping through my stash to find things that work, that really work to make a fun and whimsical card.
Oh sure! These cards take a bit more time to put together, but the results are worth it.
If you have some extraordinary people in your life that you want to recognize, think a bit ahead and send me a note... I'll will create some fun creative greetings for you... or even pull a card or two from my wide variety stash of paper goodness!!! I'll work you a deal... most cards are $2.50 (USA), which includes shipping... it's always the right time to Brighten Someone's Day!
Here's a sweet treat to look at! Ever have a Lollipop Moment?
I wanted this creative greeting card to be bright and colorful and full of fun things to catch your eye. Swirls and stripes, glitter and pop ups!
So many words mean so many different things these days. A bird used to tweet, but now that's what you do while texting 140 characters on Twitter. A mouse is something a cat would chase, now you use it to guide your cursor on the computer screen.
And a Lollipop Moment is when somewhere in time, someone entered your life and made a difference. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading...
I'm willing to give it a try... spread a little SH!NE, Brighten Someone's Day... help create a Lollipop Moment.... what about you?
Oh, I just love how this card turned out! (I guess I wouldn't really be showing you cards that I didn't like how they turned out now, would I?)
The title should be O's ( the circle indicates arms around someone for a hug) and X's (which where the two points meet together in the middle are lips kissing) But it hugs and kisses not kisses and hugs!!!
Not that it's the end all solution to my dilemma, (artistic and life) but I think sometimes I get overwhelmed with too many ideas. Let's say I visit 5 blogs regularly, every day. I get ideas, I'm inspired, I'm roped into the bloggers life and aha moments occur when new ways to use old things arise. But some days, those 5 blogs lead me to at least two more new blogs (each and so on and so on) , then I happen to be at Splitcoast Stampers, then Pinterest comes my way, then I happen upon Ustream... do you see where I'm going?
No, no... not that the whole day is wasted, but the whole time I'm inspired, and then that stimulates me too much.... all these creative people I have come into contact with (via the computer) and they are all giving us their best.... wow!! That, is a lot of pressure!
This card was inspired by a Mojo Monday sketch. I try not to 'cheat' and look at the other entries before hand. Some creative soul gives us a card layout with circles and squares, and all kinds of shapes, and then we are supposed get our Mojo to get creative.
Here is a close up view of the area where 3 of something were to be put. Lately, I've been on a kick of wanting to create 'flat' cards so that they don't have a problem going through the postal service. So, instead of buttons. I adhered matching card stock to tag board and then embossed it to give it dimension, circle punched them and then used them like buttons.
I'm only one person comparing myself to hundreds... the competition is stiff... but I have to give myself a break... I wasn't born to fit in, I was born to stand out! ~ Dr. Suess
Every day I'm trying to be true to my Year of SELF (both in life and my creative adventures) and I am LEARNING, how to be a free-er and more creative crafter/cardmaker, FINDING ways to take better pictures, SEEKING out help from others who have more experience and are willing to teach, and I'm EXPLORING new things that I have the resources for, just didn't know what to do with it!
This week: challenge to learn more about Photoshop Elements, picture taking, watermarks and whatever else comes my way! :0)
I got a new stamp set from Tim Holz's Stampers Anonymous set and it has these way cool 2" x 4" rubber stamps with grungy honeycombs shapes, distressed dots and funky shapes. So, I actually started backwards with the card, doing the background first and then finding a bee image that I could doodle for the top layer to frame. I had gotten a mix of the colored twine and thought the yellow/green was just the right amount! It would be perfect to stamp a few layers of the honey comb, cut them out and pop dot them up for even more dimension. Bright and fun.... something great to send as FuN MaiL... to Brighten Someone's Day!
Sissy loves Pinterest, we all love Pinterest, don't you?? Although my children have been around an Artsy Fartsy mom their entire life, unless they have to... they don't do crafts... very much. But she wanted to make a special friend a special gift. Quotes, signs, canvas, paint... all the rage... so she got everything she needed, found the quote, one day sat on the porch in the sweltering summer heat .. and voila`... She believed she could, so she did!
