Bowties, Bojangles, and Bears on Bikes

I lied.  There aren't actually any bojangles in this post.  But there are some adorable little bow ties.

And even a bear on a bike.  Okay, so that's really a trike, but you know, close enough.

The bowties are from a SU Workshop that I did not attend this past Monday.  They were sweet enough to make me a card from the workshop though.  They were trying out the new bowtie punch from Stampin' Up.  The bear is from my deceased friend's stash.

The Fine Print: It's Friday, who cares about anything else!  Top card: everything by Stampin' Up; bottom card: nothing by Stampin' Up.  Yeah, that's all I got for you.

Friend to Friend

A recent friends card posted over in Pixie's Crafty Workshop encouraged me to break out some friendly stamps and make a friends card too.  I can't join in the friends challenge because it is hosted by Less is More which is all about clean lines, simplicity, and less.  I'm all about more is more with lots of this and that.  That's why I own all those embellishments, you know.

The flowers on this designer paper are sparkly and glittery. I thought about glittering the paper flowers too but decided that was overkill.  See, I know that more is more does have a limit!

The Fine Print: Friends stamp by Stampin' Up, scallop die by Spellbinders sponged with Marvy light green ink, paper flowers by Prima, paper flowers, designer paper and ribbon from my stash.

Workdesk Wednesday with a Question

Howdy, Workdesk Wednesday Folks and Passersby!  Just to prove to y'all that I do indeed know how to make a mess, here it my desk from Monday afternoon.  Monday was a holiday for me so I got to play all afternoon.

I was going to leave it messy for you until Wednesday but I have these evil cats that will throw things on the floor, hide things under the sofa, and break things (like that big glass jar of flowers, they'd love to see that shatter). So here is the real Wednesday desk:

Look! The glass jar of flowers shrank-lol.  I have some things here that I might play with after work this week.  The stamps in a baggie were given to me by a coworker.  I love unexpected presents!  The Brilliance inkpads are from a friend's storage so I was going to see if they had any life left.  The Hello Fall stamp set is all leaves that if you do in light green makes them springlike.

For my question, if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness and given roughly six months to live what would you do in reference to your crafty stash?  Would you keep it as is, leave it to your survivors to sort through?  Would you add to it hoping to beat the odds?  Would you make sure certain items had loving homes?  Would you discreetly start downsizing so your relatives wouldn't know the extent of it? Or something else completely?  Tell me in the comments!

I'll leave you with this sweet House Mouse card I received from a swapping friend.  I love that it is wintery, glittery, and cold looking but the promise of spring is there with the pink and the red berries.

The Fine Print: No, I've not been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  The ink pads and small jar of flowers came from a friend's crafting estate (which has been in storage for awhile).  It was bittersweet looking through her stuff, so many of her stamps I recall her using, sharing with us and enjoying yet it was sad too. She had so many wonderful things! I wondered what she would have done with her stash if she had known she was going to pass away soon.  That got me wondering what anyone would do.

Bugging Me

This is a scheduled post because it is the first day of school so I have to be on the front lines listening to all those stupid questions that people who don't work in customer service insist don't exist.  I have the mantra at the ready: this may be the one thousandth time you've been asked this question but it is the first time asking it for the person speaking.  What the heck, it's a living.  And it is fun... in slow down to look at the car wreck kind of way.

Meanwhile, in preparation I got all crazy with dots and made this love bug notecard.  Pink and black together always make me smile.

The Fine Print:  All products by A Muse Studio, My Punny Valentine stamps and matching dies, stitched tag die, Valentine and tuxedo washi tape, blush, grapefruit and onyx polka dot cardstock, and onyx and white baker's twine.  You know what Mister Garrison in South Park says. Feel free to put what he says in the comments.  There is a prize involved if you know it.

Butterfly Snippets

I haven't done too well with getting more Valentine's cards made so I decided the least I could do was use up some of these VD themed snippets I have:

I puttered around with them and came up with this simple card.  I had a hard time getting a good shot of this card.  Either the glitter heart or the butterfly's shadow was insisting on being a problem so I finally took it outside and held it into the sun.

I really wanted you to see that the butterfly had a brad for a head.  That way I could enter him into Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge where you were to use a butterfly (of course) and a brad. I know that isn't a very exciting use of a brad, but it is there.

After making the first card I thought that design would make a nice sympathy card so I made this second card.  The papers I used were all snippets so I'm going to trot over to the Snippet Playground for the second week in a row.  Probably the world is going to end or something.

The Fine Print: Designer papers from my stash, butterfly die by PoppyStamps "Theo," love greeting by DeNami and sympathy greeting by Endless Creations. Amount of dent put into my Valentine stash: not a bit.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

You know how it goes, just when you think things are one way, Mama Nature comes along to set you straight.  I was just thinking to myself the other day that we seemed to have a bit of extra money this month.

Since Nature abhors a vacuum she promptly kicked an unexpected household expense my way.  And apparently Mama N really hates vacuums, because she made mine roll over and die.

And I didn't just have any vacuum either. I had one of those high end Dyson machines that start with a large one digit number and then has a couple zeros after it.  I don't know what Nature was thinking because I didn't have that much of a surplus this month.

I'm linking up with the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge this week because Anything Goes and my vacuum cleaner sure up and went.

The Fine Print: They say it isn't nice to fool Mother Nature, but She sure has no problems messing with us!  Stamps by Paper Smooches "Squeaky Clean," designer paper by My Mind's Eye, dies by Spellbinders, ribbon and glitter brad from my stash.

Frilly Scrollwork Heart

I pulled out my drawer of hearts and Valentine's stamps today.  I decided it was time to get serious about making Valentine's cards.  Right after that I realized that it was a beautiful day so I ran outside to play.

Afterwards I came in and made this card.  I've always thought bright green and pink looked fun together so this card made me very happy.  The stamp is an oldie and I admire it every year, but do I actually use it?  Honestly I'm not sure if I've used it before now, but here it is.

I've commented to several people lately that I discovered a huge stash of vellum in the closet and that vellum needs to make a comeback so I can use it up. I guess it is up to me to start the trend, so look!  Vellum!  Now run to your stash and gets yours out so you can be on the cutting edge of this return trend.

The Fine Print: Rosebud Heart stamp by Hero Arts, Liquid Pearl dots by Ranger, designer paper, vellum, and ribbon from my stash.  I was worried about the scrollwork ribbon over the patterned paper but embraced my inner Janeen and went with it. She combines patterns and elements so well!