Sweet Heart

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Some friends visited last week and brought along their 20 month old daughter.  We were enchanted with Kendall and marveled at how quickly we have forgotten the intense energy that is a toddler.  Kendall was bright, funny and very busy, and we enjoyed her immensely.  We were also grateful that the days of parenting toddlers are behind us.

I created a little something for Kendall and her mom and dad just for the fun of it.  I have to admit that I miss having little girls around – it’s such fun to craft for and with them.

A Sweet Heart for Kendall

  • On Board Heart Book
  • Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper (SAB)
  • Bermuda Bay, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink and Old Olive card stock
  • Heart to Heart punch and Sanding blocks
  • Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslit and Naturally Serif Sizzlit Decorative Strip die
  • Old Olive 5/8″ Satin ribbon, Jumbo Eyelets and Crop-a-dile

And here’s the other side:

A Big K for Kendall

All the above plus the XL Two-Step Bird Punch, Serif Essentials Bigz dies and Sweet Pea Stitched felt.  Oh, and I sponged the edges of the bird!

Love You Much

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In my humble opinion, the Medallion stamp is one of the best values in the Stampin’ Up! catalog.  It can be a background or a focal point, it can be a single image or multiple layers, and it works in any color you can imagine.  Not only that, but it is really fun to dress up – kind of a Stamper’s Barbie doll.

Love You Medallion

  • Medallion, Well Scripted and Vintage Labels (SAB) stamp sets
  • Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White card stock
  • Bashful Blue and Tempting Turquoise Classic Ink pads
  • 3/4″ and Scallop Circle punches, Bashful Blue Satin ribbon, and Pretties kit
  • Stampin’ Sponge and brayer

I inked the Medallion stamp with Bashful Blue ink using a brayer.  Larger stamps with anything bolder than line art really need to be inked with the brayer to get even converage.

(I place the stamp rubber-side-up and roll the brayer on the ink pad and then on the stamp, repeating until I’m sure my coverage is complete.  I carefully position the cardstock on the inked rubber and put a large piece of scrap paper on top.  You need a steady hand to keep from moving that cardstock!  I use a separate brayer to run across the scrap paper, transferring the ink to my cardstock.  You can use the same brayer if you like, but I like to use a clean one when I’m creating multiple images because it doesn’t waste the ink.)

Back to this image – once I applied the Bashful Blue ink with the brayer, I used a Stampin’ Sponge to add Tempting Turquoise ink all the way around the outside of the Medallion.  I used a heavy hand since there isn’t a huge contrast between the two colors.  When I had both colors applied, I put the cardstock onto the stamp, layered the scratch paper on and used the brayer across the top.

The Vintage Labels image is stamped with Tempting Turquoise on Whisper White and punched with the Scallop Circle.  The last layer is the center of the Medallion inked with Bashful Blue, stamped on Bashful Blue cardstock and cut out with the 3/4″ circle.  A half pearl from the Pretties Kit is the finishing touch.

I think this is sort of a Wedding Barbie kind of Medallion.  One of these days I’m going to sit down and make this same card in a variety of color schemes.  The possibilities are endless.

Vintage Style

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I’ve always liked old things, whether they qualify as genuine antiques or not.  My grandmother had a house full of vintage furniture and glassware, and I inherited her appreciation for old things.   I have some of her furniture in my home now, and it makes me feel connected with her.

Her Victorian love seat is in my living room, and after Christmas as I was putting away decorations,  I remembered how we were never allowed to sit on it.  She had three straw hats that she would place across the seat to keep us from sitting  – I’m not sure if that was just for the summer when my sister and I would visit, or if she kept them there year round – but I’m sure that she was convinced they looked chic sitting there.  Of course, we weren’t fooled, but the memory makes me smile either way.

These hearts have nothing to do with those hats, but the kraft card base and the softer shades of red and pink give this card a look of comfortable age:

Vintage Style Valentine Hearts

  • I {Heart} Hearts, Bella Toile and Always stamp sets
  • Sahara Sand, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa and Pretty in Pink Classic ink pads
  • Kraft, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa and Naturals Ivory card stock
  • Stampin’ Sponges, Heart to Heart  and Scallop Trim punches and Kraft Taffeta ribbon

I think my grandmother would have liked this card.

My favorite feathered friend

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I’ve always had a fondness for birds.  Well, most birds – I’m not so fond of the ones that swoop down and scold me (or my ‘fraidy cat).  One of my absolute favorites is the cardinal.  Growing up in California, we seldom saw them, but here in Hawaii we have both the North and South American cardinals.  (The North American male is all red with a black mask, the South American male is grey and white with a scarlet hood, just in case you were wondering.)

It’s the North American Cardinal I enjoy the most.  Early in the morning, the male is usually the first bird to greet the sunrise.  He has a long, low call that begins when the sky is light but the sun has yet to peak over Haleakala.  It’s a lovely thing to hear as you’re lying in bed, trying to decide if you really do have to get up.

Watching my daughter go through her cupboards and closets has inspired me to do a little sorting of my own, and the other day I came across a bunch of tiny wreaths made from vines.  I’m sure they’ve been in my craft cupboard for years, and they were clearly waiting for This Moment.  As soon as I saw them, I visualized this:

My Maui Cardinal

  • Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip,  and Pretty in Pink card stock
  • Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write marker, Signo White Gel pen
  • XL Two Step Bird punch and Pop-Up Glue dot
  • Heart to Heart punch, Tombo adhesive and Linen Thread
  • Real Red narrow grosgrain ribbon and LSS vine wreath

Yes, I know the real deal doesn’t have a brown wing, and yes, I realize I left off his mask.  But that’s ok because this is MY bird.  You can make YOUR bird however you like!

The Red Bird is attached to the wreath with one ginormous, super-sticky Pop-Up Glue dot, and the little hearts are stuck to the medium sized hearts with Tombo, the wonder-adhesive.  I stuck the green leafy bits to the Red Bird with Tombo before I put the glue dot on his backside.

I am very, very sorry to tell you that the XL Bird punch is currently back-ordered through Stampin’ Up!  Clearly this item was a big hit!  It’s currently set to ship the week of March 8 (I know!!).  You’ll just have to look at this one until then.

Cheery little birds

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We’re staying positive here…working with cheery colors and cheery subjects!  I spent the afternoon with my oldest daughter on Saturday culling through heaps of papers, books, photos, and other accumulated mementos.  I also ended up with the challenge of reuniting a huge box of cd cases with the discs that belong inside.  It’s amazing how many cd’s have nothing more than a photo on the front – no band, no songs, no disc title.  I did very well, all things considered.

OK – now on to a card!  These chubby little birds really sing in bright colors.  I don’t think either one of them has met a shocking hue they didn’t love.

Bright Little Birdies

  • Cheep Talk stamp set
  • Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and Whisper White card stock
  • Garden Green Prints Pack 6×6 Designer Series Paper
  • Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and Garden Green Classic ink pads
  • Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry markers and a Blender Pen
  • Crushed Curry Polka Dot ribbon

I was feeling oh-so-confident and I stamped this WITHOUT the Stamp-a-ma-jig.  I know.  Can you believe it???  That Crushed Curry bird is floating a little, but if it was any closer to the branch those leaves would be tickling its tail feathers. And we wouldn’t want that now, would we??

Following your heart

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There’s a big transition looming on my horizon.  My oldest daughter is moving.  To Australia.  In about one week.

We’ve known about this for a long time.  She spent a semester abroad in Perth her junior year at Notre Dame, and met someone.   These two have maintained a long distance relationship for two years, seeing each other a couple of times a year and making do with Skype, instant messaging, email and the occasional card.  Our daughter graduated in May and came home to work for a few months.  Her goal was to earn enough money to convince the Australian government to grant her a visa, and a couple of months ago, she got the good word that she could enter the country.  Her Someone has just finished law school and needs to get work experience in his field before he can apply to work in the U.S.  They assure me that living in the U.S., specifically in Hawaii, is their long term goal.

As her departure grows closer, the distance seems to grow greater.  It’s not all that much farther than she was when she was at Notre Dame, but it’s another country.  Not so easy (or so cheap!) to pick up the cell phone and push her speed-dial.  And it’s West of us instead of East, which makes the time zone coordination a little more complicated.

Her dad and I support her decision, but it’s still hard.  When I saw this sentiment in the Sale-a-bration catalog, I knew it was meant for her.

Follow Your Heart Beautiful Wings

  • Whimsical Words SAB Clear Mount stamps and Baroque Motifs stamp set
  • Whisper White, Bordering Blue, So Saffron, and Pale Plum card stock
  • Certainly Celery and Bordering Blue Classic ink pads
  • Big Shot and Beautiful Wings Embosslit
  • Ticket corner punch, Gold brads, and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint

The butterflies seem appropriate too, though butterflies aren’t really her favorites.  They represent change and taking flight and letting go.  I’m working on accepting all three.

Layers are a girl’s best friend

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Well, maybe layers aren’t my BFF, but I know they’re a big part of my style.  The more the merrier, and I really have to hold myself back sometimes.  I could have easily added two or three more layers to this card, but I held the urge in check.  I’m very proud that I could be so self-disciplined.

A Bouquet of Happy Moments

  • Happy Moments (Sale-a-bration) stamp set
  • Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery and Barely Banana card stock
  • Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Melon Mambo and Barely Banana Classic ink pads
  • Scallop trim border punch, piercing tool and template, and Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Elementary Ribbon originals, hand-held rectangle punch (retired) and Aquapainter
  • Big Shot with Perfect Details texture plate and Perfect Polka Dots impressions folder

I stamped the little focal image for this card the same time I stamped the image for yesterday’s card.  I wanted to use that open Scallop Trim punch to complement the feminine aspect of the flowers, so a straight color block wouldn’t work.  These mats are larger and more of a design element than an accent.

Take a closer look at the long white accent panel.  I stamped the same little floral image in Barely Banana since I wanted some subtle color and texture, but the Banana color didn’t stand out enough.  I stamped right over the Banana images with Certainly Celery ink – and it was easy with the Clear Mount stamps on their beautiful crystal-clear blocks – and then used the Aquapainter to smudge a little more Barely Banana color around the images.   It looks tied together without being too same-same, if you know what I mean.  Sometimes you get the best results when you don’t have the “perfect” solution for a problem and are forced to improvise and innovate.

Sharing Happy Moments

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When I first saw the Sale-a-bration mini catalog, I looked at the Happy Moments set and thought “Cute, but not me”.   After getting my hands on it, I’ve changed my mind.

Color Block Happy Moments

  • Happy Moments and Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Barely Banana card stock
  • Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Summer Sun Classic ink pads
  • Very Vanilla Craft ink pad
  • Aquapainter and Old Olive Wide Striped grosgrain ribbon

I’ve seen a lot of cards lately using color block sketches.  Color block is a perfect layout for a smaller image – it gives plenty of pop without distracting your eye from the image.  The line art in these images is perfect for watercoloring with the aquapainter.  The rough edges mean you don’t have to color perfectly inside the lines, either!

Malama `aina: to care for the land

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One of the fundamental concepts of Hawaiian culture is to care for the land.   On Saturday, a diverse group of people joined forces to malama `aina,  care for the land.

We met early in the morning at Papahana Kuaola in Waipao, O`ahu.   This area was once rich farmland growing crops like taro and sweet potato, but invasive species have crowded the stream and made the area impassible.  Previous work crews had cut down the thick growth,   so our task for the day was simple.  We would  create a human chain that would move the debris from one side of the Ha`iku river to the other.

Surveying our task

We began with a pule, or prayer, and then moved to form three lines across the river.  We stood side by side, and piece by piece, the wood was passed from hand to hand down the bank, over the stream, and up the other side to form a pile that could be accessed by a truck with a wood chipper.  It was easy to imagine this same task taking place hundreds of years ago.

Line across the stream

It wasn’t long before the jokes and stories started up, and the time passed quickly.  After our mid-morning break, the large group split into two.  Some continued to pass the debris across the stream, while others moved to the lo`i, or traditional planting beds for taro.  They had been shaped and the soil turned, but there was still much to do before they could be planted.

working in the lo`i

We were inspired by the sight of the lo`i already planted:

Taro flourishing in the lo`i

Our diligence in clearing the stream bed created a very gratifying pile of debris on the hill above the stream bank.

No wheel barrows, no heavy machinery, just human hands

Our entertainment for the day was Lili.  She leaped up and down the stream, more nimble than a mountain goat.  Her priority was rocks, and her preference was for enormous rocks.  She would paw and push under the water to loosen a huge rock, then stick her whole snout into the water to attempt to pick it up.  If you were standing nearby, you were guaranteed a shower!

Lili

We finished the morning with a sense of accomplishment and community.  Working side by side with a diverse group of people, some from around the world, we made a small contribution to the land and enriched our own lives immeasurably.

Haitian Disaster Relief, Stampin’ Up! Style

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Stampin’ Up! customers and demonstrators are coming together to make a difference in Haiti.  From now until February 28, Stampin’ Up! will donate $2.00 from the sale of every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount, Item #118571, $18.95

I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount, Item # 117010, $26.95
Many small efforts joined together make a big difference.  However you choose to support the relief efforts in Haiti, do it today.