52-Card Pickup

So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehn, Goodbye...

2011-01-01T08:34:00.004-05:00

Since only four responses have been logged for the survey, I'm guessing that this blog has run its course and I won't be continuing this year. I'm not sad about it, though - it was a good exercise for me and I learned a lot through this experience! Among the things I've learned is that I am better at participating in challenges than I am at hosting them...

I appreciate each and every one of you that stopped by even once, and am especially appreciative of those who took the time to participate in the challenges now and then. I realize how limited everyone's time is, so I'm so grateful that you ever took a snippet of that time to turn your attention here!

I wish you love and light and all good things this year! May your resolutions be within reach (except at least one or two that require some stretching on your part), and your day-to-day activities be blissful!

If you want to see what I'm up to this year, feel free to stop by my other blog, Random On Purpose, which is currently idle because of a re-thinking and overhaul, but which will become active again sometime in the coming week...

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Sue

52CP52: Hello, Goodbye

2010-12-26T13:56:00.012-05:00

Hello again, and welcome to the final inspiration/challenge of the year! I've learned a lot this year coming up with things to share with you (and about regularly-scheduled posts - that weren't always as regular as I'd hoped) and I hope that some of what has been shared here has been helpful and/or inspirational for you, as well...

This coming week will be a time of reflection, evaluation, and mapping out of the coming year for me, and probably for many of you, as well. I've found several useful tools in my Internet wanderings that you might want to implement, too, so here are a couple of links for you:

Susannah Conway shared her "Unravelling 2011" worksheet in her newsletter this week - which, of course, I can't find now - but you can find last year's (which I'm fairly confident is much the same except for the dates) HERE.

She also shared a link to Reverb 10, which is " an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead." Susannah shares her responses to the prompts on her blog, starting HERE, and working back through the newer posts to see all of them.

Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art of Nonconformity, takes some time at the end of each year to reflect on the past year and map out the new one, as well. He shares his process HERE.

I also tripped over this blog post about "Planner Hacking" that looked interesting...

Now that I've shared a few directions to maybe take your thoughts for the reflection/planning process, I'd like to share a tidbit of inspiration from the ever-brilliant Seth Godin (you really should sign up for his updates - SO worth it!):

What are you working on?

If someone asks you that, are you excited to tell them the answer?

I hope so. If not, you're wasting away.

No matter what your job is, no matter where you work, there's a way to create a project (on your own, on weekends if necessary), where the excitement is palpable, where something that might make a difference is right around the corner.

Hurry, go do that.

That little blurb is my motivation/mantra for the coming year...

Stamps: Stampin'Up! Holidays and Wishes; Ink: SU! True Thyme, Ranger Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain; Paper: SU! Naturals Ivory and Holiday Thyme dp; Accessories/tools: SU! decorative label punch, Nestabilities Labels four, Close to My Heart stubble tool

Lastly, I'd very much appreciate if you could participate in a very quick survey (completely anonymous, no way to track who answers what), so I can decide whether or not to continue on with this blog in the coming year:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://polldaddy.com/s/2CD0D542EF8E25CB"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;View Survey&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Thanks for a great year! I hope 2011 is everything you intend it to be!

52CP51: Everyday Heroes

2010-12-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

It had been a rough year. Divorce, losing her custody battle, relocating for a new job only to have it fall through after traveling over 3,000 miles - not a lot of bright spots... Her fifteen year-old son had recently come to live with her - that was a good thing.

Of course, she didn't have a lot to offer him. A mattress on the floor in his room, a mattress on the floor in hers, two beach chairs in the living room with the leaf from the borrowed kitchen table propped on a crate between them serving as a coffee table - "spartan" was an overstatement for her apartment, to be sure!

At least he had found a nice girl from school and spent most of his time there. They fed him, fortunately, since there was rarely food at home. Her job as a waitress allowed her to buy a meal at half-price either before or after her shift, so a kid's meal every couple of days was pretty much the norm...

Christmas was coming soon. Her son had requested gloves and a red baseball cap to wear, as he had to walk to school through the snow every morning, and home again every afternoon. She'd found some gloves on a great sale, and those were ready to go, along with a cheap chess set she'd picked up at the drug store. The cap was another matter altogether. It was difficult to find a red one, and they were usually a licensed product and, therefore, out of her price range.

Well, the guy she'd just met had promised to take her to find one after her shift on Christmas Eve. Maybe she'd still be able to come through for her son.

Christmas Eve came and she got off later than she'd hoped. By the time they were able to get to any stores, everyone was literally locking the doors in their faces. Despair was looming...

"What kind of hat does he want?" her new friend asked.

"He just said he wanted a baseball cap, and he'd prefer red," she replied.

"I have a lot of baseball caps back at my apartment, if you want to come and check it out."

A little voice in the back of her head warned to be wary of ulterior motives. This was, after all, only the second time she'd spent any time with this guy. Of course, the first time they'd sat in Denny's and talked - literally - all night until he had to go to work. There was a glimmer of something possible... She decided to take a chance and go with him to his apartment.

He wasn't kidding, either. There was a rack on one wall of his apartment (a true bachelor's apartment, complete with weight bench and bar lights) that held at least thirty or forty caps. He pulled a brand new red cap from the rack and asked if it would work. She looked at it - San Francisco Forty-Niners. Her son's team! Hard to get more perfect than that!

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You've never even worn it."

"I probably never will, either. You need it - take it."

The little voice in her head not only decided to stop warning her, but had actually switched sides. "This could be someone we could love," became the new idea, and there was an unexpected, but very pleasant, warmth in her chest...

Thus began the love affair I've had with my husband for nineteen years now. We celebrated our seventeenth wedding anniversary yesterday. While this story may not seem heroic to many, trust me - "The Saving of Christmas" for my son was the only happy thing that season. My five daughters were still across the continent, and I wouldn't be able to scrape enough of anything together to send them until Valentine's Day. Greg was definitely my hero that holiday. He's done even more heroic things since then, but that was when I really started paying attention to who I'd met and what he was about. Here's the anniversary card I made for him:

I think that we have a tendency to consider heroes only in the context of 9/11 or war or some other equally epic event. I would propose that any time anyone fills a deep need for someone else, that they are a hero. I would further propose that any time you push through fear or self-doubt to do something that you feel strongly about, that you are a hero, too.

Mariah Carey agrees with me, too, I might add. As evidence, please view this video:

Who's your hero? Whose hero are you? What will you create this week to share with us? Here's Mr. Linky: Oh - and have a wonderful Christmas!

52CP50 Featured Artists

2010-12-18T17:10:00.007-05:00

Hooooly! Where did this week go? I spent the first half sick and snow-bound and the rest playing catch-up , and the whole thing is just a blur! You, too? How pathetic is it that I forgot to post my creation for my own challenge - doh! Good thing we had a couple of other players!

Mary made two beautiful cards to wish special people in her life a good Christmas and a good 2011. Make sure you click on the links to see all the gorgeous details on her cards:

Stephanie made a stunning sympathy card with - of course - the BEST sentiment ever! Just lovely...

And I made a semi-fancy envelope for someone special. I'm planning to write a letter that tells them how much they mean to me and send it off. I've left the to/from portions unembellished and unfinished for now:

And that's all for this week! See you tomorrow for our next-to-last challenge for the year (can you believe it?)!

52CP50: The List

2010-12-12T14:39:00.002-05:00

I've been trying for two days to finish my project for this week's inspiration and haven't managed it yet (which is ridiculous, since it's not very involved - I just keep having other things come up that pull me away), and I don't want to delay this post any longer, so I'll just add it later when it's done, okay? Oh - and if you're wondering where yesterday's "Featured Artists" post was, there were no participants last week, so there was nothing to post...

This story was not written by me. I have no idea who wrote it. I received it in an email a couple of years ago and saved it to my computer, where I found it a few days ago while looking for something else:

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling.
"Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much" were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk
Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."
"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

And that is your inspiration for this week... Have a good one!

52CP49: Miracles

2010-12-05T21:23:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the late post - I wasn't quite prepared to schedule it last night, and I've been away from home (and my computer) all day today!

Miracles have been on my mind quite a bit of late. Earlier this week I read a very interesting article on finding miracles by Martha Beck (I know, I know...) that triggered quite a reaction for me. I blogged about it, if you're interested. Among the interesting things she had to say, she included this:

If you need help taming your inner skeptic, think of psychologist Abraham Maslow: He warned against coming under the sway of "the antirational, the antiempirical, the antiscientific," but he also wrote, "To be looking elsewhere for miracles is to me a sure sign of ignorance that everything is miraculous." A rigorously trained social scientist, he found that seeing everything as miraculous was only logical.

This time of year ("the most wonderful time of the year") is a celebration of miracles.

Those of the Christian faith celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ - a two-fold miracle: the (virgin) birth of the literal son of God, and the entry into the world of the Saviour of mankind.

Those of Jewish persuasion celebrate Hanukkah. According to Wikipedia:

From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (Second Temple) after its desecration by the forces of the King of Syria Antiochus IV Epiphanes and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.

There are many other festivals and celebrations of a non-miraculous origin - and non-religious origin - as well, such as the Winter Solstice and Kwanzaa, and I want to include reference to these here, as well, because I feel that the true miracle of this season is that, for a brief moment or two, the whole world sets aside their differences to acknowledge a desire for "peace on earth, good will toward men". For the short holiday season, "love and joy come to you" is more sincere and heartfelt a greeting than at any other time. Whether we share the belief - or non-belief - of our friends or neighbors, we still wish them well and celebrate the season and the bonds of love and friendship that we share.

For my project this week, I chose to make a non-specific holiday ornament. It could be used to decorate for any of the occasions discussed here, and encompasses all nationalities and beliefs:

Stamps: Stampin'Up! The World Over and Many Merry Messages; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark; Paper: Paperbilities black, Georgia Pacific white, coaster donated by bar owner friend, Wilton doily; Accessories/tools: Lion Trellis ribbon yarn, "bangle bling" from Michael's, detail white embossing powder, Crop-a-dile, Bic and Prismacolor markers

Here's Mr. Linky so you can link up your creations:

52CP48 Featured Artists

2010-12-04T19:28:00.003-05:00

Good Saturday evening to you! I hope your December is going well so far! I've been decorating trees all day, but wanted to take a quick minute to share the two lovely cards submitted for the "small things" challenge.

Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends at the holidays and made this card that says, "Snowflakes are like friends, each unique and each a gift to treasure." 'Nuff said...

Very fun stair-step layout, too, eh? Thanks, Lisa!

The other card was from Steph, who says that the things she remembers about the holidays "aren't the decorations or gifts ... it's the time spent laughing with family and friends that are the moments I remember and treasure", which the sentiment on her card sums up, as well:

She used a wonderful double-embossing technique on her card - click over to her blog for more details!

Thank you both for your wonderful contributions, ladies! See the rest of you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP48: All the Small Things

2010-11-28T07:26:00.005-05:00

"All the small things,
true care, truth brings..."

So begins a song by Blink 182 that I hear every time I think of the phrase "small things"... Other "small things" quotes, poems, etc.:

Good things come in small packages.

Little drops of water, tiny grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land.

From the tiny acorn grows the mighty oak.

We can do no great things,
only small things with great love.

There are many, many more, but that's enough to start with today... Why am I discussing small things?

As we move into the holiday season we are bombarded with - and possibly overwhelmed by - ad campaigns and commercials and store displays that try to make us believe that our holiday must include the most elaborate decorations, the most extravagant gifts, the most sumptuous dinners, the most over-the-top parties, etc.

I don't know about you, but when I take my trips down memory lane none of my memories are tied to "bigger, better" anything! Here are some standouts for me:

Looking out my window at the Christmas lights reflected in the wet street (rain is Christmas weather in southern California, where I grew up)
The smell of bayberry candles and balsam Christmas trees
Swedish spritz cookies that my mother made with a cookie press and that we decorated with tiny red icing bows and silver dragees
Driving around town in the family station wagon to look at the Christmas lights
Going to the Christmas tree lot run by my brother's Boy Scout troop and watching them flock the trees in a big tent
The row of ornaments my mother hung from tinsel garland in the front windows of our family room
My mother playing piano while we sang Christmas carols
Opening our one gift (new pajamas) on Christmas Eve - the rest were for Christmas morning

Nothing on that list cost a lot of money or required a huge effort on anyone's part, yet those are the memories nearest and dearest to my heart. I have to believe that the same is true for you...

Do you remember the decorations at the parties you went to, or what was on the menu? Or do you remember the warmth of friendship and good times shared? Aside from one or two memorable gifts, do you remember the rest of the pile, or just the anticipation and excitement of Christmas morning?

We've all heard the phrase "We do not remember days, we remember moments." What moments will you create this holiday season that will be happy memories later? When your loved ones reflect back on this Christmas - or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you celebrate - what will they remember?

I made a card with one of the truest sentiments I know to remind me that "it's the little things that make life BIG":

Stamps: Stampin'Up! Happy Harmony; Ink: SU! Purely Pomegranate; Papers: SU! Raspberry Tart dsp, Purely Pomegranate; Accessories/tools: Nestabilities Labels Four, Martha Stewart border punch, ribbon, vintage button

The "Featured Artist" post for last week's challenge is below this one - please scroll down to view it - thanks!

Here's Mr. Linky for your creations for this week:

52PC47 Featured Artist

2010-11-28T07:23:00.003-05:00

Apparently all of you have had as busy a week as I have! Erica was our sole participant this week! Here's her adorable card for "the most wonderful time of the year":

Is that snowflake paper the cutest, or what? Love the card - thanks, Erica!

52PC47: Time

2010-11-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Good Sunday Morning To You!

I hope that things are going well for all of you! I'm making progress on the get-a-handle-on-my-life front, I'm happy to report! I've decided that my issues of late are part of a learning curve while I adapt to increased demands on the parental front (they are, after all, very old), and increased demands on the work/career front.

That being said, the biggest issue in all of it has been TIME - as in, not enough of it to go around! As usually happens in Sue-land, once I identify an issue or a trend or what-have-you, I start seeing all kinds of tie-ins in the people and things around me. No exception on this: I got a handy little post from Chris Guillebeau in my inbox this week. The theme? Killing Time! Here are a couple of excerpts from it:

"We all have to make judgment calls on where we should spend our time. I am an advocate for spending it deliberately: if you’ve got a spare hour, put it to good use. Or enjoy it by deliberately choosing to chill out. But don’t waste it, and don’t kill it. “Killing time”… what an unfortunate phrase.

Sometimes it helps to put things in perspective: what one thing will you get done today? If nothing else happens, how will you help others while pursuing your own dreams? (These goals are not mutually exclusive.)

When you find yourself with time to spare, don’t kill it. Respect it."

I also referred back this week to a post by Leo Babauta that Stephanie alerted me to regarding procrastination which, as I've told you before, is something I struggle with and that eats up waaaay more time than is even remotely allowable! He begins the article with this:

"Procrastination is one of those topics that, it seems, I can’t write enough about. There isn’t a person among us who doesn’t procrastinate, and that’s a fact of life.
It’s deep within us. We think we’re going to do something later, or read that classic novel later, or learn French later. But we always overestimate how much we can do later, and we overestimate the ability of our later selves to beat procrastination.

If our current self can’t beat procrastination, why will our future self do it?"

He then outlines the "why" of procrastination and some very practical steps to take to overcome it. VERY worthwhile article, as all of Mr. Babauta's articles are! (Thanks again, Steph!)

For my project this week I decided a clock was in order! I up-cycled a freebie CD to make it (there's a tutorial coming Monday on my other blog), and serendipity dropped a fun thing in my path for it, too! The clock hands that I had were too long for this small clock, so I headed out to Michael's to buy new, shorter ones with my 40% off coupon. Know what was on clearance? Oh yeah, a set of "Time Flies" stamps (Recollections)! I used them with a piece of paper from Basic Grey's Sugared collection and some distress inks to make the face for this:

That's one of my favorite "time" quotes, typed up on the computer in Pegasus font (bold). The clock hands were brass (not my fave) and I tried to spray-paint them, but the paint didn't stick. I hit them with some alcohol-ink markers, but they're still not right. Good enough to share for now - I'll fix them later! I don't need an excuse to stall on this post, right?

And that's it for me! Here's hoping we'll get a few more participants in the last few challenges of the year. I canNOT believe we're in single digits with how many weeks are left! Hopefully Mr. Linky won't be quite so lonely this week:

52CP46 Featured Artist

2010-11-20T15:58:00.004-05:00

Stephanie is our sole participant again this week! Here's her oh-so-fun card:I love the bright colors and goofy monsters (Steph thinks the one in the lower right corner represents her, by the way...) Fun sentiment, too! Thanks, Steph for giving us a genuine smile!

I've actually been able to get back to some semblance of "normal" this week, so I have a post AND a project ready to roll for tomorrow! Amazed? Me, too! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what that's all about! Oh - and thanks for stopping by today! Buh-bye!

52CP46: Genuine Smiles

2010-11-15T19:01:00.005-05:00

Hi, all! Sorry about the looooong silence here. I'm inundated, overwhelmed, burnt out, and have no better excuse than that I haven't been anywhere near my studio or my computer for the past five days. I am trying - again - to turn things around, and have a most excellent blog post that I will send you over to check out in a quick minute, but first I want to thank the ever-faithful Stephanie for her contribution to last week's challenge:

She wrote:

"This card is also for Sue's 52-Card Pick-up Challenge where she talks about the lyrics to the Jewel song My Hands, which begins with:

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these

That's one of the best things about having a sister who is also your best friend ... no matter what the world tries to pound me down with, I knew a few minutes talking with my sister will always help me see things through clearer eyes ... and remind me that we're all OK."

Thank you, Stephanie, for your thoughts and for always, always joining in (also for sharing your talents in the beautiful-card-making-field)!

On to this week: One of the bloggers I follow, Marta Dansie, has been hosting a series of "How-to" guest posts on her blog, and I found this one to be extremely fitting and inspiring: How-to Carry a Genuine Smile Every Day.

Since I've been unable to create anything new this week, I'm bringing back a card I originally created for one of Stephanie's Inspiration challenges (she hosts them every Saturday over on Splitcoast Stampers):

Stamp: Heidi Grace Quotes; Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: Close to My Heart Pink Carnation, white, black; Accessories/tools: Stencil (hand), Close to My Heart Stubble tool, Marvy corner punch

Here's Mr. Linky for this week:

52CP45: My Hands

2010-11-07T13:55:00.003-05:00

Good Sunday afternoon to you all! I hope it's been a pleasant day for you! This week I have a video for you. It's an older song, but I still love it. Embedding has been disabled, so you'll have to click through to YouTube, unfortunately. Here's the link: Jewel, Hands

Back again? Beautiful song, isn't it? I especially love the refrain at the end: "We are God's eyes, God's hands, God's heart..." I have long held the belief that we answer each others' prayers - that people are placed in our path, and we in theirs - to help each other through this life.

With that thought in mind, I decided to acknowledge that I am ready and willing to take on whatever is next in my role as a kindness-sharer, joy-giver, or prayer-answerer:

Stamp: Inkadinkado Maison Frames; Ink: Close to My Heart Garden Green; Paper: DCWV Mariposa Mat Stack, black, Stampin'Up! Naturals Ivory; Accessories/tools: Stampin'Up! Decorative Label punch, ribbon, computer-generated sentiment (Amazone BT font)

Here's Mr. Linky so you can link up your creations:

52CP44 Featured Artists

2010-11-06T20:03:00.005-04:00

Good Saturday evening to you! Kind of quiet again this week... We did have a couple of cards for the empathy challenge, though:

Stephanie used the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, who felt like he needed a brain to matter:

I love the colors and papers she used (I pretty much always do!) and her take on the challenge.

Erica made a great red-and-black card:

Fabulous classic color combo, and the textured background is perfectt!

Anne made a card for last week's Count Your Blessings challenge, but linked it up this week (thanks for adding this to our small gallery!):

I love the sentiment-stamped leaf - so pretty (and clever)!

Thank you, ladies, for your contributions!

I have a favor to ask all of you (well, a couple of favors, actually). I would be ever so grateful if, when you link up a card, you could take a quick sec to also leave a comment. That's the only way I get alerted to the fact that there are cards linked up (I get an email for comments, nothing for Mr. Linky), and it would also be nice to give some feedback to the author/creator of whatever inspiration I post.

The second favor is: please add a brief comment (either on your post on your blog or in a comment here) on how/why the card relates to the inspiration. It's totally awesome to see different takes on the same information, and I like looking at things from different perspectives, which is what that info would provide. Thanks so much!

See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP44: Empathy

2010-10-31T17:39:00.005-04:00

Good things come to those who wait - that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! We won't even discuss needy, elderly in-laws or husbands who need assistance with a home-improvement project (my kitchen floor - perfectly willing to assist, since I NEED that room frequently, and it NEEDED a new floor). Suffice it to say that the delay will more than be compensated, in my opinion...

A recently-discovered inspirational source is I Dance I Write. The author (and dancer) is Megan, and she has graciously granted permission for me to share an entire post from her website here. She originally posted this on her website on October 21st, with the title I Am Somebody. I Am Safe:

The reason. The skinny. The WHY.

Everything we do, the good, the bad, the embarrassing, the brilliant, we do to accomplish one of two things.

TO FEEL SAFE. Or. TO MATTER.

Once I let this sink in, I began to have more empathy. It blossomed inside of me. Empathy for myself and for….YOU.

I return to the people, the places, that make me feel one of these two things. Safe. Important.

I go to the studio, my legal pad, my computer, because this is where I MATTER.

I attach to my family and friends for the blanket of safety they wrap me in.
Are you doing something that you think is less than stellar? (Join everyone else on the planet.) What’s at the bottom of it? Comfort. Or for the need to feel important? We all, in varying degrees, sometimes miss the mark of loving ourselves in the best way possible. I will try never to judge someone else’s choices.
I don’t think the serial do-gooder gives unselfishly because she is better than you and me. I think she is generous with her love because what she’s doing makes her FEEL IMPORTANT. She found a place, an environment, an action, that fills this need for her. It gives her the I Am Somebody feeling. (We, as a society, like her choice.)

But other choices don’t look as good. The pregnant teenager on welfare? No- She should not get pregnant. But take a moment to step into her life. Her heart. She will hold her baby and feel IMPORTANT. I can feel her yearning to matter.

Or. The man with the gun. He doesn’t feel safe. (He can’t trust anyone to keep him safe.) And his human desire, his desperation to find importance, is heartbreaking. Wrong. But I feel for him.

When you wake up, and it’s a BRAVE kind of day. Ask yourself why you do the things you do. The LESS THAN STELLAR things.

The eating of crap.

The extra drinks.

Keeping yourself SMALL.
That thing you did yesterday? The one that felt good when you did it, but now makes you feel bad? Ask yourself WHY. You need to feel SAFE and IMPORTANT. Don’t beat yourself up, but wrap yourself in something soft, and imagine a better way.
Change your life with love.

Thank you so much, Megan, for sharing your insights with us!

One of my teachers (Reiki, Rapid Eye Therapy) used to say that - when we are faced with an issue of some sort - we should ask, "How does this teach me love?" Megan turns that question both outward and inward in her post, and delineates it brilliantly. When we come from a place of love, it is difficult to be too harsh or judgmental, and we are far more likely to treat ourselves and others with kindness and empathy.

Because I like to have reminders around me of what matters and where I want to focus my life, I decided that I wanted to make something that just said "Love". I had some very small antique brass-looking frames and some sheer black ribbon and some gold embossing powder and black paper and pretty alphabet stamps, so I made this:

Looking at the picture I can see that I might want to move the bow higher so there is a bit of ribbon showing between it and the first frame, but I'm still relatively pleased with it... Here's Mr. Linky so you can share what you make this week:

52CP43 Featured Artists

2010-10-30T15:17:00.010-04:00

EIGHT participants this week - woo hoo! I appreciate all of you "Counting Your Blessings" along with me. I certainly did need a mood-changer last week, and it worked!

Shannon incorporated our challenge with a card drive for deployed Marines to make this fabulous patriotic card:

Kate is apparently grateful for birthdays (or little boys - or both!), and made this fun card:

Stephanie was back again this week with a card "that celebrates the many blessings that come with creating" - well said, and a beautiful card, too -love the flourishes!Sarah incorporated fun textures and shapes into a beautiful Thanksgiving card:
Erica is thankful for birthdays, too (and long life)! Fun brads and borders on her bright card:

Jackie joins us from Nairobi (welcome)! She did some time-consuming quilling and added some bright butterflies to a card expressing thanks. She is especially grateful for her loved ones:
Beverly's back again this week with one of the prettiest color combos I've seen in a while! Lots going on here (sewing, diecuts, etc.), including the sentiment I had in mind when I posted the challenge: "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings":
And, lastly, Jan created an oh-so-cute gift bag to be presented to her Thanksgiving hostess:
I love it! Thanks again, all of you wonderful ladies, for supporting my challenge this past week! I also want to thank those who drop by to read and/or comment, but don't have time to make anything, as well - you're certainly welcome and appreciated!

Be sure to stop by again tomorrow for a wonderful new inspiration! 'Ta!

52CP43: Count Your Blessings

2010-10-24T13:01:00.003-04:00

I'm not even going to apologize for the lateness of this post, just 'splain...

I'm very much of the "everything happens for a reason" school. I fell asleep last night before I scheduled this week's post. My usual Sunday routine got TOTALLY thrown for a loop with various family issues. I've been emotional and weird and need to turn things around today. I was planning on using this video closer to Thanksgiving, but I need the reminder NOW, so here it is:

I made this card last year, but I'm putting it here because - obviously - I didn't plan to have THIS post today, in the first place!

I will post the supplies used later, along with a new creation for the week, but I have an obligation that I will be late for if I don't run NOW, so I am!

Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP42 Featured Artist

2010-10-23T21:04:00.003-04:00

Hello again! I held off posting the submissions for this week's challenge a bit longer than usual, because last week - just after I finished the post - Beverly linked up her card and I missed it, as I didn't go back and look until I was scheduling the next inspiration/challenge. I guess that's why she gets the spotlight all to herself this week!

Pretty card, eh? I really like the colors and the whole concept! Thank you, Beverly!

Either the rest of you are waaaay better on following through on things than I am, and didn't need to create a reminder of any kind, or you're as bad or worse, and never got around to it :)

Regardless, I hope you'll come back tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP42: Follow Through

2010-10-17T00:01:00.006-04:00

I've mentioned Danielle LaPorte here and on my other blog before, but I'm mentioning her again this week because in my trying to be more authentic, I increasingly find more and more wisdom in what she has to say.

I've also mentioned that I have a life-long habit of procrastination, which causes disappointments along the way, and I've fallen short of the mark several times this year here on this blog. All of which brings me to the point of this week's inspiration and challenge: Follow Through.

Danielle sent out her White Hot Truth on August 10th of this year with THE secret to success. this is IT. for reals..., which she identifies as:

DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO

If we all just did what we said we're going to do, we'd experience an evolutionary leap in consciousness more brilliant than solar power and the invention of the wheel.

She continues by outlining ways to follow through and be accountable and all the rest of it, then eloquently ends with this:

Of course you can't always do what you said you would. Minds change and some prerogatives need their exercise. Batteries die, tragedies happen, the best intentions can get rained out. When you can't or choose not to honour your word, then say so.

Tell the truth, tell it fast, deliver it with sincerity and care.
Words are arrows.
Aim.
You can't always hit the impeccability bull's eye, but even if you're off a smidge, your words will land on integrity.

Please click on the link above to the full article - well worth the read!

Because of my procrastination issues, some of what I say I want to do/will do falls by the wayside. I am making a concerted effort to change things and to be careful about what I say I will do.

One area that has been the source of dismay/distress is my well-intentioned efforts to be more in touch with my children and grandchildren - all of whom live many miles away from me. I often find myself putting off what I want to do for them "until I finish this job" (deadline issues) or "until I get paid" (financial issues) or "until I finish what I have to do for Greg's parents" (obligation issues). The true thing is that there will ALWAYS be these - and other - issues, and I need to prioritize and work around them. I'm finding that as I do this, nothing really gets "traded off". Somehow, when I make authenticity and integrity the priority, the other things fall into place.

One thing I said I would do this year is to make pillowcases for my grandchildren for Halloween. Evidence that I actually did it:

Not only that, but I've even created a tutorial for them, in case you'd like to make your own! It's on my other blog, and is titled - what else? - "Tutorial: Pillowcases"

One last thought: Did you notice that this post went "live" just after midnight, like they did when I first started this blog? Yeah - I didn't procrastinate this week, thank you very much! I'll try to continue the trend and be more consistent. Thanks for joining me again this week!

What do you need to follow through on? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP41 Featured Artists

2010-10-16T17:57:00.008-04:00

Four players this week - woo hoo! Apparently more of us can identify with being "perfectly imperfect"!

Erica started us off with a thank you card because "no matter what, you can't do everything alone". She also 'fessed up that she messed up the stem... I wouldn't have noticed, would you?

Steph was back again this week with another one of her wonderful cards:

Her take on the challenge was that "if we all tried to embrace the joy of Playing Hard that we had when we were five years old, we would care much less about perfection". Well said! Very fun card, too!

Sarah made a two-page layout celebrating relationships in all their imperfection:

Beautiful colors and accents (the kids are pretty great-looking, too) Nice change to have a scrapbook layout - thanks Sarah!

Anne went back a bit in her blog archives for this fun card:

The inside says "ONE OF THOSE DAYS!" 'Nuff said, right? Cute, colorful card!

Thanks to all four of you ladies for participating in the Perfectly Imperfect challenge! A new post tomorrow with a new inspiration - see you there!

52CP41: Perfectly Imperfect

2010-10-09T20:39:00.003-04:00

Brene Brown recently held a week-long "Perfect Protest". She encouraged anyone with a blog to post a picture of themselves with a protest sign, and had Mr. Linky for the participants to add their links. 192 participants! That's a whole lot of folks protesting perfectionism. Brene wrote:

Being our best selves is about cultivating the courage to be vulnerable, authentic, and imperfect. Perfectionism, on the other hand, is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame. It's that simple. Perfection is not about healthy striving or being our best, it's how we protect ourselves.

In the new book, I write, "Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from taking flight."

The book she's referring to is "The Gifts of Imperfection: How to Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Really Are", which I am currently reading, and which is right on the money!

Lauren Bergold posted a link - again - on her blog to Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Personal Growth", which reminded me to re-read it. He encourages us to take risks, make mistakes, capture accidents and so on - in other words, to be imperfect. That's where the learning and growth are...

If I had participated in Brene's protest, my sign would have read "I'm too curious to be perfect!" I am not afraid to delve into things that interest me - new educational opportunities, new artistic mediums or techniques, new sports, etc. - and it's a fairly safe bet that I'm not going to nail everything on the first try. I'm okay with imperfect - even outright failure - so I'm not afraid to give it a go.

For my project this week, I made a card with my husband in mind. It might have more pink than he's comfortable with, but I kinda sorta don't care. Inside it says, "We're the perfect couple - warts and all..."

Stamps: The Cat's Pajamas Puppy Love and I Love Mew; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Paper: Basic Grey Urban Prairie dp, DCWV white and pink textured cardstock; Accessories/tools: Colored pencils and Prismacolor colorless blending pen, Stampin'Up! decorative label punch, Fiskars threading water border punch, Marvy dimple corner punch, Corner Chomper, Michael's ribbon, Bon Bon turquoise glitter fingernail polish, unknown gems

You can barely see it in the photo, but the frog and his lady have sparkly turquoise "gems" on the crown and whatever-the-heck-you-call-her-hat. I made them by dipping a toothpick into sparkly nail polish and touching it onto the image where I wanted it. Tricky, tricky!

How do you embrace being perfectly imperfect? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP39 & 52CP40 Featured Artists

2010-10-09T16:12:00.004-04:00

Hello again! We seem to be consistently having two artists joining us each week! This week it's Beverly and Stephanie, who have been our most consistent contributors right along - thank you, girls!

Bev made another red-and-white creation with another of my faves - hearts! (I have way too many in every available form - stamps, stencils, dies, punches, stickers, etc.)

I love the variety of patterns on the hearts - so fun! Bev says she keeps this stamp above her desk for inspiration, and on her "down" days, the one with that says "8-ball, corner pocket" inspires her to visualize sinking that ball with confidence, and it helps her creativity spark again. Great idea, that!

Steph did a cool monochromatic card this week, using a great layout, some beautiful shimmery paper and some pretty snowflake punches:

Steph says that the snowman and snowflakes take her back in memory to when she was a child and playing in the snow sparked all kinds of imaginative ideas - building snowmen that they imagined could come to life like Frosty, sliding around on patches of ice pretending to be Olympic skaters and other fun imaginings. What great memories!

Well done, ladies - beauty abounds! Hopefully we'll have more players this week... A new challenge tomorrow - don't miss it!

PS: This weekend on my other blog I'm giving away a free ghostie digital stamp to anyone who wants it. If you're interested, click HERE.

52CP 39: Imagination and 52CP40: Creativity

2010-10-03T11:54:00.009-04:00

I've been wanting to do this double post for several weeks now, but "life" keeps happening and, if you've been following this blog recently, you know that other things have preempted planned posts and been replaced by other ones...

Back in 52CP35 where we discussed creative problem-solving, it triggered a few thoughts on creativity in general, and I've been wanting to do a double post to get us back on track with the actual weeks in the year, so when we hit the final challenge, it will actually be a true #52! Since I consider imagination and creativity to be pretty compatible bedfellows, it followed fairly easily to combine the two for a double post.

Back in July 2009, I wrote a post on my other blog about imagination and play. It was triggered by a video clip from Oprah's visit to a second-grade class at the Yearning for Zion polygamist ranch (the one that was raided and over 400 children removed). You can watch the clip HERE. This video reduced me to tears, and this is what I wrote on my other blog:

...not because the subject matter was particularly sad, but because the overall effect is tragic! Several things came to mind, but the overriding tragedy is that these children do not get to use their imagination AT ALL! They've never even heard of Cinderella or the Little Mermaid or Humpty Dumpty or Shrek, let alone pretended to be one of these characters! They claim that work is fun, and they never play ("it's not fun", claimed one little boy), and the very meaning of the word 'play' {in their society} is synonymous with 'goofing off'!

Why do I consider this tragic - beyond the obvious these-children-are-missing-their-childhood scenario? Because the underlying tenet - that everything they do serves the purpose of becoming like God - is self-contradicting, for starters. If, in fact, there is a God, and if, in fact, He is perfect, would he not have a perfect imagination? Didn't He (or She or They or whatever) dream up flowers and clouds and hummingbirds and the platypus and all the rest of it? If these people are aspiring to become gods themselves, won't they need imagination when they start creating their own "worlds without end"?
Every single thing you see around you - NO exceptions - was a thought before it was a thing, whether in man's mind or God's. Have you ever, ever in your entire life created something with no thought behind it? With no imagining the end result? Yes, things evolve in the making, and the finished product may turn out different from the original thought, but the original thought at the very least initiated the making!

Einstein - brilliant man that he was - referred to imagination as "a preview of coming attractions". It just pulls at my heartstrings to see this entire generation of children growing up without a preview, and with no concept of play!

Moving on to the creativity aspect of things, my thoughts went to all the people I've heard in my life lamenting, "I wish I could (fill in with some artsy endeavor here) - I don't have a creative bone in my body." I would propose that unless they are a gelatinous mass with no bones whatsoever, that they are also big, fat, floppin' liars!

The problem - as I see it - is that somewhere along the line, "creative" became synonymous with "artistic", and - admittedly - not everyone is artistic. Let's define creative properly, though (from Merriam-Webster):

Marked by the ability or power to create: given to creating
Having the quality of something created rather than imitated
Managed so as to get around legal or conventional limits

Synonyms include: clever, imaginative, ingenious, innovative, inventive, original.

I didn't see anything in the definition that precluded originality outside of the arts, did you? Mathematicians do creative things with numbers, accountants have been known to get creative with dollars (especially at tax time), engineers come up with creative solutions to the problem at hand - be it electrical, mechanical, what have you!

My mother was the most creative mother I know! She managed to keep five children not only occupied, but engaged, and made memories for us that I will always treasure! (I'm actually one of six, but since I was 16 when my baby brother was born, my "childhood" was essentially over by then. Hmmm...come to think of it, producing that baby brother was a pretty creative act, too...)

Creative cooks are very much in the forefront - Rachel Ray, Paula Deen and others - and there is evidence all around us in the everyday conveniences we enjoy of someone's creativity! Computers, appliances, transportation - all came about because someone approached a need creatively. My point is that creativity extends to ALL areas of our lives!

Look around your little corner of the world and identify where your strengths lie. Odds are incredibly high that you use creativity every day without identifying that that is what you are doing. I hereby issue you a "cease and desist" order if you've been complaining about your lack of creativity up 'til now! Identify where you are creative and celebrate it!

Edited Monday morning to add: I just got an email from Amazon.com alerting me to this new book: Creative is a Verb: If You're Alive, You're Creative by Patti Digh Serendipity, yes?

This picture is of a "project in progress". It includes both challenges ("dream" for the imagination challenge, and "create" for the creativity challenge), but is nowhere close to being done. These panels still need embellishing and attaching to the actual project before I can say "it's done", but I have ZERO idea when that will actually be accomplished, since this is as far as I've gotten in four or five weeks of delay and re-gear and all. I promise my most excellent promise that I will post the final product when that time comes, though!

For your project this week, you can do something for each challenge or combine the two - the choice is yours! Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP38 Featured Artists

2010-10-02T13:59:00.005-04:00

Happy World Cardmaking Day! Not related to this blog, technically speaking, but still wanted to acknowledge it, since it's a big part of what we do here... Three submissions this week - thank you ladies!

First off, Steph made a gorgeous card in my all-time fave color combo (red and white) and used another of her fabulous sentiment stamps, too. I love the bits of the flower that extend past the oval - so pretty!

Next up is Lawren, with a fun card to remind us to "be still". You know how I feel about that concept, since we've used it in a few variations here! Cute image, great coloring, fun layout:

And our third and final contribution to the simplify challenge is this simply beautiful card from Rachel:
Great texture, fun addition of buttons to the wreath - great card!

Thanks again to these three for contributing their talents, and thanks to all of you, too, for continuing to stop by this blog! See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP38: Simplify

2010-09-26T12:01:00.004-04:00

Again this week, the inspiration I'm posting is not the one I planned on when I started my day... I don't believe in coincidence, but I do very much believe in serendipity and the Law of Attraction, so I think the convergence is where the last couple of posts have come from. It actually works out better this way for several reasons:

The theme for this week is the theme of my paradigm shift and new focus in my life the past several weeks
There's a great segue from "white space" to "simplify"
This post is going to be SIMPLE - short and sweet

I went up to my ("blowed up real good") workroom/studio this morning to add the sentiment to my project and take a picture of it to post here. I was sure I had the quote that I had in mind somewhere in my stamp collection, but as I flipped through my stamp index to find it, I realized that I was mistaken (I must have seen it on one of Steph's cards - she has all the best sentiment stamps!) As Plan B I pulled out my quote books and started flipping through them, but tripped over several excellent quotes on simplifying/simplicity and changed immediately to Plan C.

I've been attracting blogs and books and quotes and all the rest of it that have resonated deeply with me and pulled me a direction I never saw coming but that now looks like the road home. It started HERE and then went HERE and on to HERE and the momentum and resources have continued to build, and what can I tell you? "Simplify" is my new mantra and - soon! - my new lifestyle. It's been a long time coming, but here we go!

Since different people are at different stages of their lives - and even in different lives! - I realize that this is NOT the path that everyone will take, but it does resonate with me, so I'm going there. Simplifying is a valid concept for everyone to a degree, however, so I'll leave you with this thought from Danielle LaPorte's guest post (the first link above): "You're giving sacred space to something that isn't sacred to you." What is it in your life that fits that description? Eliminate it (or all of the 'its') and move on freer and more engaged in what is sacred to you...

Instead of making-a-something, I created three versions of a quote file for you - all with the "simplify" theme. It's a half-page and available to you as a Word document, a PDF file, and a JPEG file (or just click on the pic below to enlarge it, then right-click and select "save" or "save as"):

I typed them in basic black, but you can play around with them in Word or Photoshop or whatever program you use to do what you will with them! I didn't crop the picture above so you can see what you're getting.

And I'm done for today! Off to finish the purge/reorg of the studio so I can function in it! Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP37 Featured Artists

2010-09-26T07:53:00.005-04:00

Sorry I'm late posting this! I had another not-as-I-planned-it week, and then ended up doing a major studio re-org yesterday and just plain forgot! Here are the beauties submitted this week:

Steph made this amazing card - notice the oh-so-cool border treatment (my fave color combo, too...):

Shannon made a gorgeous monochromatic card:

Sarah gave us a beautiful head-start for the Christmas season, too, with this fabulous card (again with the red-and-white, too!):

I just love all three - thanks, ladies!

Once I clear a tiny spot on my worktable (the room is still in "blow-up" phase) I'll take a pic of my project and post this week's challenge. Stay tuned!

52CP37: White Space

2010-09-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned last night, this has been quite a week. Last week was quite a week. There seems to be a developing/recurring pattern. The Universe is trying to tell me something. Stephanie (bless her forever!) has been the "messenger of the angels" this week, and has sent me exactly the information I needed to hear!

In 52CP26 (July 4th), I discussed "The Space Between", and included the concept of "white space" as part of that discussion. The information Steph sent was a link to the perfect article expanding on the idea of "white space" in our lives, why it's important, and how to go about achieving it.

I'm particularly grateful for this article because my life is not really my own in some aspects right now. Anyone who has been a caretaker for elderly and/or invalid individuals knows that "me" time is at a high premium. Add in full-time employment and domestic duties, and there you have it! Mulling over and implementing the ideas in this article will be helpful - possibly life- (or at least sanity-) saving! Thank you, Steph! Here's the link: Life's Missing White Space.

For my project, I chose to go very literal with the idea of white space:

Stamp: Close To My Heart For Every Occasion; Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: Close To My Heart White Daisy; Accessories: Prima and unknown flowers, ribbon, bling brad, Cuttlebug floral fantasy embossing folder

That's a thank you card for all of you! You really have no idea how much I appreciate each of you! Have a great week, and try to carve out some white space for yourself! I'm gonna give it a shot, and then I'll report back, k? Meanwhile, here's Mr. Linky:

52CP36 Featured Artists

2010-09-18T21:32:00.007-04:00

Whew - what a week it's been! Apparently for you all, too - two contributions to the challenge this week! First up, Beverly reminds us to "step out with confidence" with this pretty-in-pink confection:

And Stephanie has some sage advice for us, too - straight from the lips of an 8 year-old!

My thanks to both of these ladies for their contributions and support, and my APOLOGIES, as well - I looked at both of their cards soon after they added them to Mr. Linky, but have yet to leave comments on either blog - bad, bad hostess and bad, bad friend! I'll try to be better...

I also need to thank Stephanie for her help on another front - more info on that tomorrow in the new challenge! See you there!

52CP36: Change Your Mind

2010-09-12T13:22:00.003-04:00

This post is later than I planned on, because this is NOT the post I'd planned... I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a headache and an ATTITUDE, and my whole week has gone wonky, it seems, so I needed an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!!!

A friend of mine in California has three daughters, and when they were cranky/sullen/whatever, she'd say, "You need an attitude adjustment!" and then tackle them and tickle them until they were laughing instead.

This morning on the way to breakfast (a Sunday morning ritual - I thought about bowing out, but we go Greg's parents' afterward to make their breakfast and fill their pill boxes for the week, too) we passed Webster's Pond like we do every week. Geese and ducks live there year-round, and often hang out near the road, and frequently stop traffic to cross it. This particular morning there was one lone goose resting at the side of the road, and Greg and I were tossing around ideas on why it was alone. Was it a "lone wolf" type of goose? Did it piss off the rest of the gaggle? Greg proposed that maybe it had a "quack impediment", but we had to modify it to "honk impediment" since it was a goose, not a duck. For the rest of our drive to the diner Greg tested out various ways to honk like a goose with an impediment - very funny stuff! Needless to say, by the time we arrived at our destination I was feeling much better physically, mentally and emotionally.

This got me to thinking about attitudes and how important they are in so many aspects of our lives. Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't - either way, you are right." When I was pregnant I learned the truth of focusing on what you can do as opposed to what you can't. If I sat around doing not much, I noticed every ache, pain and discomfort. If I got up and moved around and just did, I felt much, much better! That's true regardless of what ails you!

The Secret is all about attitude as applied to the Law of Attraction. The premise - and truth - is that like attracts like, so if you have a bad attitude or are angry, you will attract more events, circumstances and people who will reinforce those attitudes. If you have a positive outlook, you will attract positive events, circumstances and people. It was noted, too, that you can change your attitude. One suggestion was to put on a piece of music and sing. I was mulling over that suggestion and remembered this song (sorry about the non-video, but I just wanted you to listen to the lyrics, and this is all I could find):

I love that whole idea of "changing your mind" to be someone else - as in a new and improved you - so true! I wanted to make something a little lighthearted for my project, so I altered a wooden block and made this:

Stamp: Inkadinkado; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Paper: Cosmo Cricket Early Bird; Accessories/tools: Bic and Prismacolor markers, Fiskars Ladybug Kidzsors, Martha Stewart baker's twine, button from stash, computer (Space Toaster font)

I hope you're able to maintain a great attitude this week (or change a bad one)! Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP35 Featured Artist

2010-09-11T19:27:00.003-04:00

One sole player this week - our most consistent contributor, Stephanie! She's nailed it again with this fabulous card, which she says is to remind her to "not get so stuck in the 'black and white' of the rules when trying to solve a problem...and to remember, there are always other more creative options."

Fun, huh? I love it!

See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP35: Problem Solving

2010-09-05T13:16:00.008-04:00

Edited 9/06/10 @ 10:37 pm: I'm feeling somewhat better today, and managed to pull a teensy bit of mojo out and finish a card. It's at the end of the post, along with a couple of other things. You can ignore the next paragraph now, but I'm leaving it here, anyway...

NOTE: I have apparently caught some sort of stomach bug, and am not feeling well at all. I was stalling on this post in order to finish my project and upload a picture of it. It doesn't appear that this will be accomplished any time soon, so I'm posting without any pics. When I can be a "normal" person again, I'll add my pic. Thanks for understanding...

A few weeks ago one of our regular contributors, Stephanie Severin, sent me a link to a wonderful post from The Kitchen. Here's an excerpt:

I heard a wonderful story on WNYC's Radiolab the other day. It was about how Alzheimer's patients who live in nursing homes can sometimes get disorientated and agitated. They want to leave the nursing facility and go 'home' - occasionally, home can even mean the home of their childhood. This is a very stressful situation and can lead to the patient being locked behind closed doors in order to keep them from wandering off and getting lost, or worse.

No one is happy with having to lock them in, so an elder care facility in Germany came up with a plan: they built a fake bus stop on the street outside their front door, complete with a bench and a sign. If a resident acted up about leaving, instead of trying to talk them out of it, the staff would help them pack a bag, put on their coat, and take them to the bus stop. And there they would be left to wait for the bus to take them home. Which of course never comes.

"Isn't that kind of cruel?" asked the Radiolab hosts. "Isn't it a lie?" But the nursing staff reported that after sitting there for a period of time, the elder would begin to calm down and eventually forget about their agitation to get back home. A nurse would then come out and have a conversation with them and if they were ready, the resident would happily walk back into the facility.

To me, this story is about a very difficult situation that was solved through acceptance and a playful, compassionate solution. Until the bus stop solution came along, everyone involved was fighting against reality. The patients, seized by their disease and against their will, can't help themselves. To them, their delusions are very real and must be obeyed. And the staff, by trying to force the elders into a conventional response, were frustrated and unhappy, too. So why not find a solution within the difficulty? Instead of trying to fix the problem, why not accept it and from that acceptance be guided toward a solution? How elegant, and civilized, and, ultimately, respectful.

The author then goes on to relate how this same kind of approach can be applied to other problems in other scenarios - for this article, specifically kitchen-related issues (fallen souffle, lack of an ingredient, the extra dinner party guest), but it applies across the board. Followers of my other blog are familiar with my philosophy that everything is The Same Subject, so it's not difficult for me at all to see the tie-in here. I especially like this comment from the article:

When something is giving me trouble, can I first not fight against it? Can I just see it as an opportunity to stop, take a look around and find the graceful, if occasionally wacky, response?

I found this to be a very creative and practical approach to problem-solving. It also ties in with one of my overriding Life Philosophies: What would be for the greatest and highest good of all involved? Answer that question, and you've pretty much got a solution, too!

Edited to add: This morning when I opened my email, there was a link in a newsletter to an excellent article on - who knew? - problem solving! Step-by-step for those of us who get overwhelmed and try to eat the whole elephant in one bite...

I managed to make a card with a quote from Frederick R. Koppel that I've always liked:

Stamps: Fiskars Vintage Farmhouse, Stampabilities Ornate Icons; Ink: Ranger Old Paper Distress Ink, Close to My Heart Cranberry, Stampin'Up! Brocade Blue; Paper: Stampin'Up! Brocade Blue, Basic Grey Boxer dp; Accessories/tools: Tattered Angels chipboard frame, Offray ribbon, unknown gems

My thanks to Steph for alerting me to such a great article (also for the link to the tutorial that reminded me about this great ribbon technique), and thanks to all of you for allowing me to get to feeling better before I get artsy and all.

And yet again, here's Mr. Linky:

52CP34 Featured Artists

2010-09-04T16:07:00.005-04:00

Three people who weren't afraid to join the challenge this week! Thanks, ladies, for your contributions:

Steph

Tina

Erica

Sorry about the short post, but I'm "typing on the fly", so to speak. See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP34: No Fear

2010-08-29T14:54:00.007-04:00

Have I kept you in suspense long enough? Sorry about the delay - I had some things to take care of this morning before I could get back home to post this.

It would seem that FEAR is a big topic lately. Several blogs, emails, articles, etc., this week have dealt with the topic. I'm going to share just a few of the things I've come across here, and then add a tidbit of my own.

Martha Beck, life coach and prolific writer, had a wonderful article this week regarding life's peaks and valleys. She specifically discusses what to do when everything seems to be going wrong. What would that be? Nothing. Yup - nothing at all:

When things fall apart, your urge is to do something - anything - to put them back together. but what if you can't do that right now?

If you're going into a valley, do what you did as a small kid on the big shiny playground slide: Let go and ride it down. Accept that what is happening is happening. Then immediately implement {the following step}.

Every traditional wisdom culture has metaphors for the ups and downs of life. In the Good Book there's a particular reference to difficult times as "the valley of the shadow of death". The Psalmist who coined the term promptly recommends the best way to travel through it: Fear no evil.

She goes on to relate a personal experience she had, and then wrote what was - to me - the essence of overcoming fear:

Psychologists have found our brains can't simultaneously experience fear and appreciation. That's why it's so helpful to make a list of things that bring you comfort, support, and hope. When things keep going wrong and fear returns, lengthen your list. As this practice trains your brain not to fear, you'll notice there are wonderful things to be found in the valleys between your so-called peak experiences.

She also addresses when it seems that everything is going wrong - like it's a conspiracy or something. Coincidence? Not so much - nature is trying to tell you something: Rest. As a t-shirt that one of her friends wears says: "Do nothing when nothing works."

She outlines how to go about resting, too. Follow this link for more on resting.

I also really, really loved what Carmen Torbus had to say about "the F-word" (fear, not that other one). It's a short post on her blog, but packed with meaning.

All of this incubated in my brain this week, and I also began baby-stepping into something I have been fearful about for the past several years, so I came up with a personal "No Fear Manifesto". I printed it off and added it to the cover of a composition book where I write plans and projects and other ideas:

Stamp: Inkadinkado Bold Damask; Ink: Stampin'Up! Kiwi Kiss; Paper: Stampin'Up! Riding Hood Red, Rockabilly dsp; Accessories/tools: Composition book, ribbon, skull charm

The ribbon I used to decorate the cover is also long enough to use as a bookmark. I've created a
.jpeg file and a .pdf file of the manifesto for you, if you'd care to use either/or for yourself. I can't figure out how to get them here on Blogger, but if you click over to my other blog, you can grab the appropriate link there. And that's it for me this week! Do you have a No Fear Manifesto of your own? What will you create this week? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP33 Featured Artists

2010-08-28T14:59:00.004-04:00

I'm a bit more on the ball this week, so I'm posting this week's Featured Artists on time for a change! End-of-summer, start-of-school, life-as-we-know-it has everyone very busy, I'm sure, and there are more important things to focus attention on than making something for my challenges, but I so appreciate when any of you do! This week we had two submissions:

Stephanie pulled out another one of her wonderful sentiment stamps to make a very joyful card - it completely captures the essence of the challenge! Click over to her blog to see all of the serendipitous inspirations for her card:

Ira altered a wine bottle - or gift-wrapped it, whichever way you choose to look at it - as a nod to being fully present with dinner guests and focusing attention on them and on the delicious meal:

Isn't that pretty? I love all the vintage touches. Click over to her blog to see a couple of other views - the ribbon corset lacing on the back is especially pretty...

And that is all we have for this week, although these two are DEFINITELY view-worthy! Thanks, Ira and Stephanie!

I'm working on tomorrow's challenge, so check back in the morning for that! Have a good night!

52CP33: Be Here Now

2010-08-22T15:27:00.004-04:00

Good afternoon! I finally have a minute to post this week's challenge and share my (simple) project with you!

This week I had occasion to go to Hobby Lobby and I was struck (and mildly annoyed) by the HUGE amount of Christmas items on display, some of them already on sale. It's still SUMMER, isn't it? I realize that crafters (myself included) like to get a jump on creating for the holidays, but come on! Can we at least have Labor Day and possibly Halloween before we move into "fa la la" and "ho ho ho"?!

I discussed this a bit with my dear friend Sherry, and we agreed that it's a shame that we can't enjoy the seasons and holidays in their proper order and at the proper time because of so much commercialism and bottom-line thinking. I started thinking about the bigger picture and realized that there are many scenarios that play out to keep us from being fully "present in the moment".

Many of us are in a constant state of hurry, hurry, hurry. We do everything on the run and multi-task as much as possible. A couple of reasons to stop doing this include the findings of a study that concluded that when we multitask, instead of doing one thing at a time and doing it well, we're dividing our attention among several things and doing all of them with some mediocrity. It's also been demonstrated that when we focus on the food we're eating - as opposed to eating on the run - it actually increases the amount of nutrition that we assimilate into our systems.

Other aspects of not focusing on the present moment might include deeper meanings of conversations that we miss because we're only half-listening, or missing non-verbal cues like facial expression or body language because we're not really paying attention. Missing a turn because we're not paying attention as we drive, forgetting information that we didn't tune into well enough for it to imprint on our brains, simple pleasures that escape us because we're in go-go-go mode - all of these are negative aspects of lack of focus and attention in the present moment.

We're all familiar with phrases like, "Take time to stop and smell the roses" or, as Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't slow down once in a while, you could miss it." All of our tomorrows - even our next minutes or hours - are possibilities, not definites. All we know for sure that we have is this present moment. One quote that I've seen quite a bit in the scrapbooking/cardmaking world is, "We do not remember days, we remember moments". I would propose that we can't really remember moments if we don't take the time to fully appreciate them as they are happening. Why not create meaningful moments for ourselves and BE HERE NOW?

I made a very simple little hanging item to include in my craft/work room to remind me of my intention to do just that:

Stamps: Hampton Art Postscript Alphabet, Plaid Hannah Montana Alphabet; Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: Stampin'Up! Riding Hood Red cardstock and Bella Rose designer papers; Accessories/tools: Nestabilities Labels One, Offray ribbon, detail clear embossing powder

Here's Mr. Linky for this week:

52CP32 Featured Artist

2010-08-22T11:20:00.002-04:00

Good Sunday Morning (almost afternoon) to you! Apparently all of you have had a week like mine, and had many other things to do besides make cards! I didn't even get to posting the one gorgeous contribution to the challenge, which is definitely worth featuring! Ira made this beautiful piece of altered art for her niece:

I love how creative this is, and the colors are so pretty!

In other news, one of our regular contributors, Stephanie, is under the weather and could probably use some love. Maybe we could drop by her blog and leave a comment or something...

I'll be back in an hour or two with this week's challenge (still finishing that up, too - like I said, crazy week!) See you in a bit!

52CP32: Metamorphosis

2010-08-15T13:15:00.002-04:00

Hello again! This is a few (13) hours later than I'd hoped, but here's this week's challenge:

A month or two ago I read an article by life coach Martha Beck regarding human metamorphosis. She states that when we undergo major life transitions we do psychologically what insects do physically, and went on to outline four phases and how to cope with them. Follow the link to read the entire article (well worth it!), but here's a brief rundown:

Dissolving: "When real metamorphosis has begun...we may feel that everything is falling apart, that we're losing everyone and everything. Dissolving feels like death, because it is - it's the demise of the person you've been." She then goes on to say that at this stage you should focus on the immediate - the present moment, nurturing yourself in small, immediate ways, and allowing yourself to grieve - and recognizing that this is a relatively passive phase - it's not something you do, but rather something that happens to you.
Imagining: "You'll know you're entering Phase 2 when your mind's eye starts seeing images of the life you are about to create... The old order simply seems wrong, and you'll begin reordering your outer situation to reflect your inner rebirth. Phase 2 is all about images: making them up, making them clear, making them possible. Moving through this stage, you'll start to feel an impulse to go from dreaming (imagining possibilities) to scheming (planning to bring your vision to fruition). Write down both dreams and schemes, then gather information about how you might create them."
Re-forming: "As your dreams become schemes, you'll begin itching to make them come true. You'll be motivated to do real, physical things to build a new life. And then...you'll fail. Repeatedly." Martha then goes on to say that she's never seen a significant scheme succeed on the first try, and that you will briefly re-visit the previous phases as you continue to build your dream and tweak as necessary.
Flying: "Phase 4 is the payoff, the time when your new identity is fully formed and able to fly."

I have obviously scaled-down and simplified the process and what to do at each stage. Again - I recommend following the link to read the full article, but hopefully you glean enough information from my synopsis to get the idea.

For my card this week, I had in mind a quote from Alice in Wonderland, where Alice is conversing with the caterpillar. She asks him how you become a butterfly, and he responds, "You must want to fly so badly that you are willing to cease being a caterpillar." Often (at least in my case), we cling to what we know - whether it's working or not - because the unknown is scarier than whatever it is we're clinging to. I'm reminding myself ( and - by default - all of you) to let go of the fear and embrace the change!

Stamp: Inkadinkado Patterned Bugs; Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: DCWV Mariposa mat stack, DCWV Photoreal, vellum, black; Accessories/tools: Detail clear embossing powder, Martha Stewart and Fiskars butterfly punches, Prima flowers, Offray ribbon

I hope your week is amazing, and here's Mr. Linky for you:

52CP31 Featured Artists

2010-08-14T22:44:00.006-04:00

Good Saturday night to you! So, I'm clicking along on tomorrow's challenge when it hits me: I haven't posted this week's submissions for the challenge! I still hadn't left comments on two of the blogs, even! Geesh - what a ninny! Anyway, despite the delay, here they are:

Sarah started us off with a beautiful scripture-based card. "Be still" is one of my very most favorite phrases - I wish I was better at making time to actually do it! Anyway, her card is just lovely...

Stephanie's card has a great vintage look and feel, and includes an affirmation we all can use:

Beverly's card makes me want to trade places with this li'l guy - he looks so peaceful... I'd love to have a lazy afternoon like that!

Thanks ladies, for your contributions this week! Thanks to all of the rest of you, too, for dropping by! See you in a few hours with a new challenge! G'night!

52CP31: Solitude

2010-08-08T00:01:00.003-04:00

Good Sunday morning to you! I hope you've had a great week! Today I want to share a totally awesome video that I discovered on Susannah Conway's blog:

Is that the coolest or what? We've been talking about being okay with ourselves and loving ourselves and being comfortable in our own skin, and being okay with being alone is HUGE on that particular front!

Here's my card:
Stamps: Scrappy Cat Sparkle Flourish; Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: Strathmore Sketch pad, black; Accessories/tools: Prismacolor colored pencils, Gamsol, blending stumps, Bic black marker

I lightly traced a circle and drew a heart in it, then colored everything with colored pencils blended with Gamsol. After that, I stamped a couple of flourishes and doodled a bit on the heart. I wanted the sentiment on the outside but just couldn't get happy with it, so it's inside instead. It says, "Within you there is a solitude and peace, to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself." It's a quote that's been in my head since junior high, but I don't know who said it...

Here's Mr. Linky so you can show me your creations!

52CP30 Featured Artists

2010-08-07T20:53:00.005-04:00

A little better this week - we had three submissions for the challenge - one of them all the way from the Netherlands! Welcome, Ira, and thanks for joining us!

Stephanie pulled out another of her wonderful sentiment stamps to make this beautiful card:

I love the flourish-y paper and the fun button treatment on the ribbon! Steph says her Idea Fairy visits most often when she's already doing something creative, or at least "leaves enough room" for that. A hands-on approach to inspiration does make sense...

Beverly gets inspiration from discovering new "card tricks" (as she calls them) online, and made this fun card to illustrate that thought:

I love that she added a fairly stamp to the image - so fun!

Newcomer Ira made a beautiful, bling-y fairy card:

Great colors and oh-so-sparkly! Isn't that a gorgeous image? Love it!

Thanks, ladies, for your wonderful contributions! See you all tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP30: Fairies and Dreams

2010-07-31T23:42:00.005-04:00

Not daily, but often, I get White Hot Truth email updates from Danielle LaPorte ("because self-realization rocks", as her tagline says...). The most recent one had a link to this article in it:

Richard Bach, author of the metaphysical classics, Jonathon Livingston Seagull and Bridge Across Forever, noticed that the Idea Fairy came to him when he was gardening, or flying in a plane. That's when he'd get his storyline ideas and life solutions.

Call it what you want: the zone, the flow, the magical gap, the illuminating silence...there is a place in space and time where we tend to think and feel most clearly. And in that place, ahaas, creative genius, strategies, and revelations tend to flow our way.

Notice when and where the Idea Fairy likes to visit you. Notice how solutions enter your being. Maybe it's when you're talking to a particular friend or associate (interaction). When you're cruising down the highway or walking to work (movement). Or in the bathtub or washing the dishes (water). Some people's Idea Fairies show up after a good meal or great sex, first thing in the morning, or just as they're drifting off to sleep.

The Idea Fairy can be slightly unpredictable. She won't always show up when you're in the zone. But she really appreciates being invited.

For my project this week, I made what could become a card front, or the cover of a Dreams/Ideas journal to record the inspirations of the Idea Fairy, or a framed piece for my studio - the jury's still out...

Stamps: About Art Accents fairy tree silhouette, Inkadinkado/Brenda Walton Flourishes; Ink: Ranger Faded Blue Jeans distress ink, Versamark; Paper: Close to My Heart Outdoor Denim, DCWV Luxury and Metallic 8" x 8" stacks, unknown blue parchment; Accessories/tools: Stampin'Up! Hodgepodge Hardware ribbon slides, detail clear embossing powder, stardust embossing powder

Where/when does your Idea Fairy visit? I'm pretty much in the zone when I'm driving by myself. I even blogged about it once... Anyway, here's Mr. Linky (with any luck at all, he won't be quite so lonely this week...)

52CP29: Featured Artists?

2010-07-31T15:24:00.002-04:00

You all must have had a week like mine - not one submission for this challenge! That's okay - I soooo totally understand! I've been guilty in the past of not making anything, and they're MY challenges! Tune in tomorrow for a new one!

52CP29:Patriotism

2010-07-27T10:54:00.005-04:00

As the month of July comes to a close, my thoughts have turned to patriotism and all that it entails. We celebrated Independence Day here in the states, and our neighbors to the north recently celebrated Canada Day. The World Cup of soccer recently grabbed everyone's attention. Here in the Northeast, recent headlines focused on the controversy over the United Kingdom refusing to honor the Iriquois sovereign nation passports in lieu of American passports to attend the international la crosse tournament. Pride in our nation has been very much in the forefront of late.

And yet, I can't help but wonder about the apathy that seems to have crept into our patriotism over the generations. World Wars I and II saw huge support for our soldiers and tremendous displays of patriotism, not just in the displays of flags and such, but in tire drives and newspaper drives and more. Part of me wonders if it's because the current wars are "over there" and don't really affect daily life "over here". Regardless, a focus on and appreciation for our nation and those who defend it would be a wonderful thing, so this week I'm doing just that.

The following article appeared in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion in July 2002, which was soon enough after 9/11 for people to still be paying attention. I think it bears repeating:

For Old Glory and Uncle Zozzie
by Kathryn Renner

Today, against a sky the color of a pale blue finch's breast, we will unfurl our flag and secure it near the front door just high enough so Old Glory will not brush the petunias below. As we look down our street, we will see other flags on fence posts, miniature versions stuck in flower buckets, and bright bunting swagged across mullioned windows. They symbolize pride and honor, and some stand for loved ones, their faces imprinted on our hearts. In our home, that face is Uncle Zozzie. The flag we display was draped over his casket when he died at the age of 99.

Uncle Zozzie, my great uncle, was the longest-surviving World War I veteran in Russellville, Kentucky. He was born Raleigh Thacker, but his boyhood nickname stuck, stubborn as the roots of a morning glory. His longevity made him a hero in Logan County. In one of our family scrapbooks, handed down to me, clippings from the News-Democrat & Leader and the Daily News relate how Zozzie shipped out on the U.S.S. Maine, then, after our victory, crossed the Atlantic six times aboard the passenger ship Troy to bring home war-torn soldiers. The sight of a devastated Europe made him feel hollow inside, he said.

But my memories of him are not of a soldier. I knew a genteel man with a soft Southern purr, full of "pleases" and "thank you, ma'ams" and eyes that twinkled when he described the glacial peaks of meringue on his wife's coconut cream pie.

As I watch his flag stir in the breeze, I wonder how his quiet soul would have dealt with the recent assaults on our freedom. Then, in my heart, I know. He would roll up his sleeves and take his station, whatever that might be, just like he did before. For me, Uncle Zozzie personifies that American spirit - a heart ferocious in its kindness, as well as its strength. I see it in his face in the news photo where he stands by a flag on the 75th anniversary of the WWI armistice, a commemorative medal pinned to the lapel of his gentlemanly white suit. He stares into the camera, a little awkward and shy - a feeble man now - but his veteran's pride shines through, sharp as a boot camp salute.

The photo of Zozzie that I love best is a close-up of his face inches from the cheek of my toddler son in 1985. He had traveled cross-country for what turned out to be his last visit with us. Haley's Comet shot through the sky that year; we watched together from our California patio, my son cozy on the lap of this old man who said, "Give me some sugar" instead of "Give me a kiss". Zozzie talked about lying on the grass near the Gaspar River in1910, his sisters nearby, pointing to the comet's blazing tail as it rocketed across the Kentucky heavens. "Never thought I'd see that again," he said.

But he did see it again. And our soldiers have been called again. So flags wave with renewed vigor, buffeted by wind, bleached by sun, yet steadfast as patriots. Ours flies in Uncle Zozzie's name - a name that brings honor to those who served and to those who fell like stars in a star-spangled sky.

What wonderful sentiments, and what a wonderful view of soldiers and flags and where our thoughts should turn - at least on the days set aside for such veneration: Flag Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day for those of us in the states. All nations have such days, and all citizens could and should take part in celebrating not just the day, but those whose lives and works and sacrifices are the reasons for the day! Perhaps this week we could make a card and send it to a soldier or someone who is working to defend our freedom and/or make our lives better here at home...

Stamps: Close to My Heart Three Cheers; Ink: CTMHHoliday Red, Outdoor Denim, Ranger Tea Dye; Papers: CTMH Colonial White, Holiday Red, Outdoor Denim, Black; Accessories/tools: Stampin'Up! ticket corner punch

Here's Mr. Linky for this week:

52CP28 Featured Artists

2010-07-25T20:51:00.004-04:00

It's been a majorly hectic week here at the Culotti household and, as a result, I'm a day late with this post, and will also be a day late with the new challenge. Greg's dad has been in the hospital for two weeks (he's almost 92 years old) and we're wading through paperwork and financial mazes and making sure his mom is okay at home. Her 90th birthday was yesterday and today I hosted her dinner/party at our home. Add in the usual work and running the household and other "normal" stuff, and WHEW! I hope you'll bear with me here...

Anyway, we had three great cards this week! First up we have Sarah again this week with this fun card:

She showed herself some love this week by doing what she loves - being creative and using images that reflect her love of the wildlife that visit her yard, as well as an "enjoy" tag (so cute!) to re-emphasize the joy! I love the colors she used here - so bright, cheery and summery!

Next up was Bev with what she loves - art supplies, of course! Things that make us happy... I love her borders and the fun contrast of pastels with red!

Finally, Steph brought out one of her many, many (apparently endless) sentiment stamps to make this gorgeous card:

I love the pop of yellow with the green and black - so pretty!

Thank you, ladies, for your continued support! I hope the rest of you will click over to their blogs and check out the rest of the details on these cards, as well as to see what other fabulous creations they come up with! Also, be sure to check back tomorrow for a new challenge! Have a great night!

52CP28: Me First

2010-07-18T20:07:00.008-04:00

One of the little adages most - if not all - of us have heard repeatedly in our lives comes from the Ten Commandments: "Love thy neighbor as thyself." But how often do we stop to think about what that means really, truly and practically?

I was watching the video The Secret, and a line in it grabbed my attention. The gentleman on the screen was saying, "...because you're going to get to love yourself, and as you love yourself, you'll love others." A-ha! There's a little key there - did you catch it? You have to love yourself first, and then you are able to come from that place and love others!

Part of an article by Valerie Monroe that I read this past week discussed this very issue:

Why is it hard for many of us to do things for ourselves before we do for others? Maybe we believe the "good" woman sacrifices herself for her family and, increasingly, for her work. "In terms of our relationships, women often feel they're responsible for everything - which is not a complete misperception," says nationally syndicated columnist and life coach Harriette Cole. "We are the ones who usually lead the way. But somehow we get from there to the idea that the world won't work unless we help it along."

Taking on responsibilities that might be well or even better handled by others is one of the ways we begin to lose our balance and slide down the slippery slope from generosity to martyrdom. Because women are likely to be the primary caretakers for husbands and children as well as aging parents, we have ample opportunity to fall into the pattern of serving the people we love before we serve ourselves. But there are good reasons to be judicious about that. "If you always put someone else first, there's a tendency for others to depreciate you, to lose respect, because respect comes from an understanding that that person has her own wishes, dreams, and desires," says Ethel S. Person, MD, author of Feeling Strong: The Achievement of Authentic Power.

Determining boundaries and standing firm in your expectation that they will be respected is key. Being available when needed is not the same thing as being on call 24/7. Moving from being supportive to being a crutch is not helpful on either side. Resentments can build and fray nerves and relationships. Conversely, avoiding this by taking care of ourselves first is beneficial to both parties, as mutual respect and loving attitudes are maintained.

Going back to The Secret: "...so you become the solution for you. Take time for yourself. In a sense, to fill yourself up to fullness and then you can come from there, and give it out."

Treating ourselves as kindly and generously and lovingly as we would hope to treat those we love is the best way to ensure that we are able to do exactly that. If we look at those that we admire as loving and kind (Mother Theresa comes to mind), it is evident that they are quite comfortable in their own skin and serene within themselves. It is possible for us to emulate them.

Getting to know yourself and to accept yourself wholeheartedly - warts and all - is, in my mind, how we begin to move into this loving space. We make allowances for the quirks and foibles of others - we need to do the same for ourselves. Carving out a space just for us - to be still, as we've already discussed, to do those things that renew us and recharge our batteries, to truly come to love ourselves - these things are crucial to enhancing our ability to truly love others.

Stamps: Inkadinkado/Kathy Davis Expressions; Ink: Stampin'Up! Kiwi Kiss and Rose Red; Paper: Stampin'Up! Raspberry Tart dp, Kiwi Kiss; Accessories/Tools: Nestabilities Labels Eight, K & Company Smitten chipboard hearts, Prima flowers (altered), redline tape, Studio G glitter, unknown bling

The card I made reinforces the concept that all things do, indeed, grow with love - our self-esteem, our relationships, our happiness, etc. Here's to a week of finding ways to be kind to ourselves and grow in love - for ourselves and others!

52CP27 Featured Artists

2010-07-18T07:41:00.005-04:00

Good Sunday Morning! Yeah, I know - this post should have been up yesterday... It's been an "interesting" week, so I hope it's okay with you all that I'm posting it now. Summer is notorious for too much to do in too little time, so I'm going with the thought that this is the reason for less participation in the challenges of late.

Still - we did have three submissions and they deserve viewing! Stephanie was first up with a tribute to friends gone too soon:

I love the technique she used to create the background for her sentiment! Check out the link to her blog for more details on this beauty! Next up was Erica's fun card:

Great pattern mix and a cute, cute image! Finally, Beverly played again this week, with a card reflecting the influence of the strong women who came before her and influenced her:
Her cute heart dp is DIY - random stamping - love it! That's it for this week! Thank you, ladies, for your contributions this week - love them all!

I'm still tying up a few loose ends from my "interesting" week, so the new challenge won't be up for a few hours. Be sure to check back later, though! Have a great day!

52CP27: She's Amazing

2010-07-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

I found this most amazing video on Brene Brown's blog earlier this week and knew it needed to be here, too:

You can read the backstory to the video HERE, and nominate an amazing person HERE. My amazing person is my mother and, rather than make something new this week, I'm posting a card I made for a Splitcoast Stampers challenge a couple of years ago:

Stamps: Close to My Heart My Mom and Soul Mates Word Puzzle; Ink: CTMH Holiday Red, Versamark; Paper: CTMH Holiday Red, White; Accessories/tools: Cuttlebug with Top Note die and textile embossing folder, white embossing powder, ribbon, decorative-edge scissors, computer (For part of the sentiment - Amazone BT font)

Here's what I said about the above picture:

For the "Feeling a Little Nostalgic" challenge for the Holiday Challenge Extravaganza. This card is dedicated to the memory of my mother. She raised womanhood in general - and motherhood in particular - to a high art. She fostered a love of reading, music, creativity and learning, among other things. I've traced my love - bordering on passion - for the color red to the shaker on the right. My mother used it for cinnamon and sugar to put on our toast, and to sprinkle on leftover pastry bits when she made pies before she baked them... To me it represents all that is joyful, comforting, encouraging, and "home". How can you not love that?

And there you have it! Who is your amazing person? Your challenge this week is to create something to honor her. Hopefully we'll have a very full, very amazing gallery this week!

Thank You, Sarah T. and Stephanie

2010-07-10T15:25:00.004-04:00

Hello again, all! I'm not quite sure what the dealie-o is/was this week, but Sarah was the only one to submit anything for the challenge, so she gets the spotlight all to herself this week! No - correction - Steph added a card, too! Here they are:

Great layout and ribbon treatment, and I'll always, always love Americana colors - the good ol' red, white and blue! Thank you so much, Sarah!

Gorgeous color combo, gorgeous silk ribbon (check the pinking shear action on the tails), beautiful card! Thanks for adding your card, too, Steph!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a new challenge - we have a video this week!

Hello? Is This Thing Working?

2010-07-08T09:30:00.002-04:00

Hi All! I'm a tad bit concerned that you all think I neglected to post this week's challenge... I remembered the "featured artists" post after I'd already posted the challenge, and couldn't find any way on Blogger to switch them around, so the challenge is in the post following the featured artists one. I said so in that post, too, but maybe you were all so distracted by the great artwork that you didn't actually read anything...!

At any rate, I hope you'll click HERE now, and play along... Have a great (what's left of it) week!

52CP25 Featured Artists

2010-07-04T20:51:00.009-04:00

Oops! I forgot about this post before I posted this week's challenge - doh! Ah well, it's probably okay, since we had some last-minute entries that wouldn't have been included if I'd been more on the ball. Everything happens for a reason, right? This week's challenge is below this one, so keep reading after you get to the end of the great artwork, k?

I'm not going to add commentary on these, just thank you so much for adding to our gallery, ladies, and thank you for looking, those who just drop by to see what's what! Click on the name under the pic to go to the blog post where there are details on each card:

Sarah

Beverly

Lawren

Stephanie

Kristen

And there you have it! Please scroll down for this week's challenge!

52CP26: The Space Between

2010-07-04T16:17:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! I'm posting a little later in the day than usual because Friday was my birthday and we had a party last night and I've been a little sidetracked there...

One of the things that I've become increasingly aware of lately is how busy all of our lives are and how full our schedules are and how easy it is to just be on the go - usually at full throttle - all of the time. I've also been getting more and more frustrated with my lack of focus and my inability to pinpoint exactly what it is that I could be doing to lead a more fulfilling life that resonates with my values and belief system on a deeper level. Right now I feel like I'm "going through the motions", and I know many others who feel the same way. Because of this, our focus this week is on "the space between".

We've all heard the phrase "reading between the lines", and understand it to mean that there is as much - if not more - information in what is not said, as there is in what has been vocalized. Paying closer attention is indicated and necessary to catch that information.

I've been watching "So You Think You Can Dance" this season, and one of the recurring criticisms/suggestions from the judges to the dancers is to do something with the space between the steps that the choreographer has given them - a space to put their emotions and creativity.

In music there are notes - quarter notes, whole notes, half notes, etc. - but there is also a symbol called a "rest". It indicates exactly that - rest, or "leave a space" in the music. This makes a much more interesting musical composition and is useful in creating mood, as well.

In design, "white space" is a valuable tool. In interior design it is necessary to have spaces that are not filled with decorative items. If there is too much, the eye doesn't know where to look first because everything is competing with everything else; creating vignettes with space between leads the eye around the room, enhancing individual elements and giving a pleasing overall effect. The same principle applies across all artistic/design disciplines.

In "life", it is necessary to carve out space in our days to be still - be it through meditation, prayer, pondering - whatever. If we allow ourselves this stillness, we will be amazed at the rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit. I further believe that this space is where inspiration lives. Unless we are able to shut out the "chatter" of the outside world, we cannot possibly hear our intuition and the still, small voice that reveals to us our highest, best selves and the next step(s) in our journey here. It is a way to "pay closer attention" and get new information (or remember what we already know but forgot about). Besides, we all need a rest... Make it a priority to take time to Be Still.

Paper:Unknown; Accessories/tools: Cuttlebug with bird and branch embossing folder and Nestabilities Labels Four and Eight dies, Offray ribbon, Stampin'Up! Word Window punch, computer (Flinglet font), pearls

52CP25: Don't Look Back

2010-06-27T00:51:00.005-04:00

Hello again! Technically, this is the halfway point of the year, and this should be challenge # 26, but you already know the deal there...

This week I want to feature artwork from Mary Engelbreit. She's one of my favorites, and I have quite a few of her things - calendars, mugs, bookmarks, cards, etc. My mother sent me this card a couple of decades ago:I apologize that the picture is a bit blurry. I couldn't find the card itself, so I found a poster online and the only image I could save was small, so when I enlarged it here, it didn't retain clarity. Regardless, you can get the idea...
The reason my mother felt I needed this particular card was because I was going through a difficult time in my life, and doing the "woulda/coulda/shoulda" regret wallow. She was trying to point out the uselessness of that particular project. On this card, the sign on the left says "Your Life", and the one on the rights says, "No Longer an Option".

What? No longer an option? What a freeing concept! And yet, we seldom - if ever - stop to consider such a thing! There really, truly is not a single, solitary thing we can do - or undo - from our past. There may be some tidying up to do, as in making amends and the like, but what's done is done. Turn the page, close the door, whatever metaphor you care to use - it's over and it's over - on to the next thing!

When someone close to me was going through a similar regret phase last year, I made her this card:The sentiment says, "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." I thought that it summed up the concept perfectly. I used the Faux Burnt Edges technique behind the flower to signify "rising from the ashes".

I also happen to hold the belief that everything happens for a reason. We're all on a journey here, and we're all learning all the time (at least, we are if we're paying attention). The people we meet, the books we read, the conversations we have and those we hear, the things around us - all are being attracted to us to teach us what we need to know to move along our path. With that thought in mind, this is what I made this week:

Stamp: Close to My Heart Goodness of Life; Ink: CTMH Olive; Papers: K & Company Hannah collection, Basic Grey Sugared collection; Accessories/tools: Sizzix Top Note die, K & Company/Brenda Walton Brianna Flowers stickers

Again, I apologize for the not-so-great picture. I'll see if I can manage a less murky one in daylight tomorrow to replace it...

Here's Mr. Linky for you to link up your creations. Please leave a comment after you add your link - that way I get an email, so I know to check... Thank you so much!

Anybody There?

2010-06-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

I'm so sorry about never getting around to posting this week's challenge! I've been playing catch-up with work and playing out drama in other areas since I got back from vacation, so the time has just escaped me! Let's just skip this week (sorry!), since we're already on Thursday and I have yet to do anything remotely creative...

I promise we'll have a challenge (and project) up this Sunday! Thanks for hanging in there with me! If you want to see a few pics of family from the trip, you can check out my other blog HERE. Have a good one, and I'll see you Sunday!

52CP24 Featured Artists

2010-06-20T12:08:00.004-04:00

I'm back from my family reunion! It was great to see everyone and get reacquainted, but I'm really glad to be back to my bed and my shower, among other things. We had a few players this week, and here they are:

Erica started us off with an appreciation of partnerships:

I just recently acquired that oh-so-cute birdie stamp in a set I got on clearance - yay me! I love her use of fibers and the mix of patterned papers. Deb continued the red/white/blue theme on her card:

I love the deep blue with the bright red, and the sentiment includes appreciation for the little things, yes? Bev joined us again with this pretty card:

I love the folded corners and stitching details... Thanks, ladies, for your contributions this week!

I didn't get in until midnight last night, so this week's challenge won't be up until tomorrow, but I wanted to acknowledge this week's players and say hi to all! Off to do the Father's Day stuff now - have a good one!

52CP24: Appreciation

2010-06-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

As you read this, I am either en route to Carpinteria State Beach (CA) or already setting up camp! This is a scheduled post, and I won't be able to read comments or check out links until Sunday, June 20th, when I get back. I hope that doesn't dissuade any of you from participating, though!

This week I wanted to take a little bit of a closer look at one aspect of “saying” that I touched on last Saturday. I mentioned the importance of expressing appreciation, and would like to expand a bit on that.

While it is a great thing to express general gratitude, showing appreciation for something specific is that much more meaningful. On occasion my husband is mystified when I say “thank you”, and will ask “for what?” Then I will tell him specifically what he did that I appreciated. It could be something as trivial as taking out the garbage or something more meaningful like working all weekend on a home improvement project, but I don’t want him to think that I don’t notice and/or that I take him for granted.

Often we will compliment someone, “Oh, you look so pretty today!” And that is a great thing, and you probably don’t need to go beyond that. However, I personally would like to know why, so I can do it again. Is it my hair? The color I’m wearing? The cut of the dress that’s flattering? The way I did my makeup? Again – probably not necessary, but so much more helpful and personal!

I apparently am The Giver of Overly Specific and Therefore Odd Compliments. The best example of this is from my college days: One of the girls in my dorm had the most beautiful complexion and, one afternoon when we were all just sort of hanging around, I told her something to the effect that “the colors on her face were all in exactly the right places”, which made way more sense in my head than it did out loud! I was thinking that the pink in her cheeks was exactly where they taught you to apply blush, etc. Oh well, at least I said…

Along those same lines – I believe that “constructive appreciation” is a valuable tool in helping to grow – in our jobs, in our creative pursuits, in our relationships. What am I doing right? Tell me, so I can keep going that direction. I somehow tend to think that this is more helpful than “constructive criticism”, although that does have its place, too…

In our day-to-day routines and mundane duties, how often do we take the time to stop and appreciate anything? A sunrise, the taste of your favorite beverage, the sound of the birds singing, the freshness of the breeze… How much are we missing out on because we’re not being appreciative, and how much richer and more blessed would our lives be if we switched gears and made that a habit?

My thought too is that, as we are being more appreciative, we are also becoming more aware – of our surroundings, of the ones we love – even of ourselves! I’m going to strive to make this a habit, and watch myself be dazzled by the abundance of things in my life that I can truly appreciate! You, too?

Here's what I'm proposing this week for our challenge: Do something specific to show someone what you appreciate specifically about him/her, then report back. It doesn't matter if you make something, say something, write something, or do something, just let us know how it went! Alternately, if you want to take time out some day to really notice and appreciate your surroundings, then do that and tell us about it! I just really want this week to be about testing what happens when we do something like this...

I'll report back on my own personal experiment when I return next Sunday. Have a great week!

52CP23 Featured Artists

2010-06-12T14:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday! This is a scheduled post, and by the time you read it, I will be on my way to CALIFORNIA!!! I'm headed to a family reunion, which includes my brothers and sisters and their spouses and their children and grandchildren, and my children and grandchildren - woo hoo! If you posted a link after I composed this, I apologize for missing you, and will add you next go 'round, k?

We had a few more players this week - thank you all very much - and some great cards to view! Lawren started us off with a bang (ha - so punny, I am...):

Great patriotic flair, and a heartfelt sentiment, too!

Next up was Penny, who tailor-made a couple of birthday cards for her mother-in-law. Her MIL prefers humorous to the sentimental/mushy cards, so Penny made these two:

Pretty fun, huh? The second one says, "What's one more friggin' candle?" on the inside. Go to Penny's blog to see a picture of it (there's also one of the inside of the first card - too cute!)

Deb used one of my favorite sayings on her card, and made THE cutest button flowers EVER!

I love the color combo, too - so summery and bright!

Bev was back with us this week with "a smile for Sue", she says:

It did make me smile, too! What a gorgeous color combo, and that ruffled/pleated ribbon is perfect! Thanks, Bev!

Finally, Ann made an elegantly simple card for her sister:

I'm sure it will brighten her day! Just lovely...

That's it for this week's lovely creations! Check back tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP23: Whatever You Say

2010-06-06T00:00:00.004-04:00

True confessions: I love Martina McBride. I love her lyrics – so thought-provoking and dead-on. One of the first songs that caught my attention was Whatever You Say, and – for whatever reason – that song has been running in my head this past week.

Another true confession: I’m a “blurfer” (blog surfer) and a blog lurker. I regularly read quite a few blogs that I’ve subscribed to in Google Reader, but rarely make comments (no time, usually – I’m on the fly). One reason I have no time is that it frequently happens that the blog I’m reading references something interesting on another blog, so I go there, and so on and so on. I’ve found some amazing things that way! What does this have to do with “whatever you say”? Well, one of my regular blogs referenced this post on Marion Williams-Bennett's blog, so I read it, and it reminded me of this post on Gina's blog.

All of this song-running and blog surfing and all has culminated in a brew of thoughts on the importance of choosing our words carefully:

Growing up, we all heard the little playground adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. While this is helpful against playground insults, it is not true as we get older. The suicides recently of two young girls who were the targets of unkind words is proof. The lyrics from the INXS song The Devil Inside (yeah, I’m old) include the line “words are weapons sharper than knives”. Anyone who has been at the receiving end of truly harsh words can testify to the truthfulness of that, as well.

Abuse in all of its forms is abhorrent and not to be tolerated, but verbal abuse is especially insidious because it can take longer to recognize as there are no outer, visible wounds, and because the scars are also not visible – they are carried in the psyche and subconscious and wreak havoc with the lives carrying them. Often professional intervention is required to heal.

On the flip side, a kind word goes a long, long way. I completely agree with the above-referenced blogger who states that it takes only a second to thank someone, give them a smile, whatever, but that it could totally make someone’s day! Mark Twain stated that he “could live two months on a good compliment”.

Florence Scovel Shinn was a metaphysician and author who wrote several books in the 1920’s. She had much to say about the power of the spoken word, and even declared that “your word is your wand”, creating your reality for good or bad, so it was in your best interest to carefully choose only positive things to say for yourself and to (and about) others.

In an earlier challenge (52CP19: Have I Done Any Good?), I mentioned how important it is to SAY something to those who are hurting or going through a rough patch in their lives. Even the awkward phrase transmits the caring behind it if it is heartfelt and sincere. An excellent quote comes from the TV show (now canceled, sadly) My So-Called Life: ”Sometimes someone says something really small, and it just fits right into this empty place in your heart.”

Finally, I’d also like to mention how important it is that we SAY in our relationships – especially with our significant others. Silence – while it may keep the surface waters calm – does not bring resolution to any problem, but rather festers into defeat and/or resentment. Those you love cannot meet your expectations if they don’t know what they are!

It is also important to verbalize what we love and appreciate about those who share our lives, in whatever capacity. We may think that they know by our actions, and we shouldn’t have to say, but you know how much better you feel when someone tells you, so why not take the time to make them feel that way?

With that thought in mind, let me take this moment to let those of you who read this little blog – as disappointing as it can be on my “off” weeks – and most especially to those who participate in the challenges: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Even the lurkers are much, much appreciated and I love that you take the time to drop by!

Oh, the kind words we give shall in memory live
And sunshine forever impart.
Let us oft speak kind words to each other;
Kind words are sweet tones of the heart.

~Joseph L. Townsend

Paper: Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie dp, DCWV red textured cardstock; Accessories/tools: Nestabilities scalloped heart dies, Martha Stewart doily heart border punch, Fiskars butterfly punch, Primas, ribbon, computer (Home Sweet Home and CAC Pinafore fonts)

Here's Mr. Linky so you can share your creations with us:

Be kind to each other this week, and thank you again for joining me here!

52CP22 Featured Artists

2010-06-05T14:23:00.003-04:00

Whoa - this week totally got away from me! Sadly, I never did come to a conclusion on my project, but - lucky for us all - two fine followers managed to create some pretties for your viewing pleasure:

Kristen used the actual inspiration photo to create this beautiful card:

And Wintam was inspired by the colors, which she used on this fun mini-album she created as a gift:

Thanks for sharing your talents with us, ladies! See you tomorrow for another challenge! (And yes, my project for this one is already finished and photographed...)

52CP22 Update

2010-06-01T20:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I've started and stopped and re-geared a few times on my project for this week's challenge, and still have nothing worthy of sharing, so I just went back and added Mr. Linky to the original post... Hopefully you're having a more successful creating session, and can share with us! Thanks!

I'll be sure to add my finished project (if/when that ever happens!) to Mr. Linky, too...

52CP22

2010-05-30T06:48:00.007-04:00

Good morning! I decided to not be all wordy this week, and just give you some visual inspiration:

You can choose to be inspired by the feelings this picture evokes, by the colors/shapes/patterns, by the theme - totally up to you! I love this picture enough that I've made it the desktop wallpaper on my computer...

My project isn't quite finished (sorry), so I'll post it a bit later, along with Mr. Linky. Have a wonderful day, and I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Edited to add: Still not finished with my project, but here's Mr. Linky, anyway:

52CP21 Featured Artists

2010-05-29T16:34:00.002-04:00

Happy Saturday to you! I hope your long weekend is off to a good start! We went to the regional market and bought some annuals this morning, came home and planted them in the front yard, and Greg has a good start on a retaining wall around the space that will be a small patio off the deck, so we're going, going, going over here!

I'm guessing that everyone is as busy as we are, too, and that's one of the reasons only two people joined the challenge this week. We're heading into vacation/softball/Little League/summer camp, etc., so I'm sure it'll be hit-and-miss all summer long! In fact, I'm going to have to have a couple of scheduled posts, because I'll be out West for two Sundays in June! More on that later... Meanwhile, here are the two cards submitted for this week:

Kristen took a cue from Stewart Smalley (old SNL) for her quote on this cute card:

And Steph created this beautiful card to reflect the thoughts that occurred to her as she mulled over the importance of not only saying good things, but also of just being there when there are no words:

And she's right - often a touch or simple gesture speaks volumes, sometimes just a physical presence is enough...

And that's all we have for you this week! Certainly worthwhile viewing, though, for sure - thanks, ladies! See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP21: Affirmation

2010-05-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

Good Sunday morning to you! Are you ready to be inspired? On Friday the post on my other blog discussed a blog post by Brene Brown that I loved and linked to, and I decided it was worthy of sharing here, too, for sure! Go check it out - pay special attention to the video - and then come on back here...

Isn't that the best?! There were several reasons I love this post: I love the concept of the twinkle lights as a metaphor for joy, I love Brene's version of TGIF, and I adore Jessica's affirmation! One thing that caught my attention was the double meaning of her phrase, "I can do anything good". She might be saying "I can do anything well" in a childish way (likely), or she could be saying that she can do anything that is good, as in beneficial, uplifting, etc. Either way, worth repeating and acting on...

The other thing from this video that I wanted to bring to your attention is that she listed all the things she liked: she liked her hair, she liked her cousins, she liked her dad, she liked her pajamas, etc. It is a very true principle that what we focus on expands, so why not list what we like and put the focus there? The Law of Attraction kicks in and we get more of what we like, because we're already appreciative of what we have! This brought to mind an item that another favorite blogger, Marta Dansie, sells in her online shop. It is a mini diary that is designed so that you just have one word entries in it, five per day - one for each of the senses. I loved that idea, too, so I made one for my project this week:

Papers: Stampin'Up! Summer Picnic; Accessories/tools: SU! large flower and 5-petal flower punches, EK Success retro flower punch, red gel pen, button, sewing machine

I purposely kept it simple and flat so I could tote it around without too much trouble and/or not destroy it in the chaos that my nightstand can become. Here's a peek at the inside:

I stitched the pages to the cover down the inside fold, and that's all there was to the construction. The diary measures 3" x 4 1/2" (cover), with the inside pages being slightly smaller (8 1/2" x 11" paper cut into quarters, then folded in half).

And that's it for this week! What will you affirm this week? What will you create? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP20 Featured Artists

2010-05-22T16:22:00.005-04:00

Happy Saturday! We had three beautiful creations linked this week - thanks, ladies! First up was Bev, with a cool color combo on her card "...to let someone know that you care about them no matter what has gone before":

Next up was Erica with a Versamark-stamped Edward to show that while he may be physically gone, he's still very much with Bella - cool idea! Her card represents "love and forgiveness for choices made", which is apparently the theme of the Twilight story (I'm clueless, sorry...):
And last - but never, ever least! - Steph with THE most perfect quote of all time:
I'm sure most - if not all - of us can relate! Wonderful cards - thanks again! See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP20: Forgiveness

2010-05-16T09:31:00.001-04:00

As often happens, my inspiration this week is derived from thoughts going on in my "real life". I've been made aware - again - of the need to stay out of judgement to begin with, and - alternately - to forgive, if staying out of judgement is not possible. No, I am not the one judging - someone I know is hurting because of the judgements passed on them.

This post will be a collection of thoughts on the subject, and may or may not follow a cohesive pattern. Consider it "stream of consciousness", if you will, and join me in my canoe as we paddle downstream...

As we go about our daily-ness and our busy-ness, it often happens that something or someone will cross our path that trips us up in some way, or that causes less-than-positive thoughts to enter our heads. When this occurs, we are at choice: We can choose to be offended/hurt/angry/whatever or we can realize that we are being given an opportunity for growth. If we look at the "why" behind the negative reaction we will most likely find that the occurrence is a mirror for us to see some aspect of ourselves. How, then, do we pass judgement on the "other" without passing it on ourselves as well? Recognize the lesson, bless the "other" for providing it, and carry on...

An analogy regarding someone offending you: You are driving down the road and someone cuts you off or blocks you in or takes your turn at the stop sign or something equally offensive and annoying. They aren't even thinking about you (obviously), so how can you take their offensive action personally? They're already well down the road not giving you a second thought (since they never gave you a first one, anyway), so if you're sitting there stewing and fuming and all of that, who is paying the price? Not Mr/Ms La-La-Land - they're already gone! Yup - that would be you. How does it serve you to let someone else's inconsiderate behavior ruin your day? Extrapolate this out to a broad view and realize that most of the offensive behaviors you encounter are equally not about you! More likely, the offending party is just: a) having a bad day, b) always offensive to everyone, c) oblivious, d) all of the above.

Moving on to the possibility that we truly can be hurt by those we love: harboring resentment against them does not serve you. Harboring any negative emotion causes your body to release negative substances into your system, and sooner or later they will impact your health negatively. Emotional festering leads to physical festering, guaranteed! Again - the object of your resentment is not paying any price for that resentment - you're footing the bill all by yourself...

A poem by Carol Lynn Pearson on the subject:

THE FORGIVING

Forgive?
Will I forgive,
You cry.
But
What is the gift,
The favor?

You would lift
Me from
My poor place
To stand beside
The Savior.
You would have
Me see with
His eyes,
Smile,
And with Him
Reach out to
Salve
A sorrowing heart -
For one small
Moment
To share in
Christ's great art.

Will I forgive,
You cry.
Oh,
May I -
May I?

Even those who do not subscribe to Christianity can take away the essence of the poem, which is that we are taking a higher path and following a higher power when we forgive.

On judgement: We do not judge others by how they are, we judge them by how we are. Whatever our background/education/life experience/religious training, etc., has been colors our perceptions. What we perceive to be one way may, in fact, be something completely different. The old adage of "Until you walk a mile..." comes into play. Two people doing the exact same thing do not have the exact same motivation for doing it, and unless you are in their heart and mind with them, you do not know what it is. How can you judge?

Likewise, those who would sit in judgement on you do not have all of the information necessary to make that judgement, so it's in your best interest not to let their opinion impact you too much, if at all! I once came across a magazine article that has since become something of a mantra for me. Well, actually just the title of the article - I never read the article because the title was all I needed: "Your Opinion Of Me Is None Of My Business". Yes, we want people to think well of us, but ultimately it comes down to you being okay with who you are without input from outside sources, so time spent fretting about it is wasted, futile energy.

Which leads me to the aspect of forgiveness where most of us could use improvement: forgiving ourselves. I've used this analogy many, many times over the years in conversations with my children and others, and I'm using it again now: We are not born knowing how to walk, talk, read, tie our shoes or anything else. It takes time, teaching and experience to be able to do any of those things. Do we ever, ever beat ourselves up because we couldn't talk when we were born? Or because nobody taught us to tie our shoes until we were four or five? No, we do not - that's the expected pattern and so we don't give it any thought.

Why, then, do we beat ourselves up over choices we make before we learned better? It's my considered opinion that we make the best choice we can with the information available to us at the time. Just because we may gain better information later does not mean we could have done it differently "back then". Sure, it's natural to have regrets and wish that we "knew then what we know now", but recognize that you didn't know then, and forgive yourself! Lesson learned, carry on!

As a last little tidbit, I'd like to serve up part of the lyrics to Don Henderson's song, "The Heart of the Matter":

There are people in your life
Who've come and gone.
They let you down,
You know they hurt your pride.
Better put it all behind you,
'Cuz life goes on.
You keep carrying that anger,
It'll eat you up inside.

I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter,
But my will gets weak,
And my thoughts seem to scatter,
But I think it's about forgiveness...

Stamps: Close to My Heart Love Quotes; Ink: Stampin'Up! Close to Cocoa; Paper: SU! Close to Cocoa, Bella's Birds dp; Accessories/tools: Nestabilities Labels Four, Fiskars decorative-edge scissors, ribbon rosebud, sewing machine

For my card I went with the idea that following forgiveness there is an increase in love or, alternately, that if we "look with the eyes of love", i.e., look for the good, put ourselves in their place, etc., we will realize that judgement/negativity need not happen.

Thank you for joining me here again today! Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP19 Featured Artists

2010-05-15T20:13:00.009-04:00

Definitely more participation this week than last - thank you! And such great cards, too! Steph started things out with this creation in one of my favorite color combos:

Deb added this gorgeous card to the challenge:

I just love that fussy-cut top edge! Next up, Kristen made three cards to have on hand for several different occasions:

I just love the variety and her use of color! Beverly added another gorgeous card to her "gallery" here on 52CP:

And my dear friend Sherry finally got a chance to play along:

Isn't that a great monochromatic card? Just beautiful! I made a few more cards that would work well for the challenge myself, but you'll have to click over to my other blog to see them...

And that's this week's lineup! My thanks again to all who've participated and shared their talents with us - truly inspiring! See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP19: Have I Done Any Good?

2010-05-09T12:44:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to you! Whether you're honoring your mother, being honored as a mother, or both - I hope your day is the best ever!

This week's inspiration is a hymn that's been rolling around in my head for weeks now:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad,
And made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed, indeed!

Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by,
Saying, "Sometime I'll try",
But go and do something today.

'Tis noble of man to work and to give,
Love's labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something is worthy to live,
The world has no use for the drone.

Then wake up, and do something more
Than dream of your mansions above;
Doing good is a pleasure,
A joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

~ Will L. Thompson

This hymn represents a message often delivered from the pulpit of the church I grew up in, along with the exhortation to "be anxiously engaged in a good cause". I particularly like that phrase "anxiously engaged" - it sounds so proactive and motivating!

Oftentimes we fail to reach out to others who are hurting or otherwise going through a difficult time because we don't know what to do or say. I can tell you from personal experience - on the giving and the receiving end - that even saying something awkward or a bit "off the mark" is better than silence. It shows that you care and are standing ready to help, if need be.

Silence feels like apathy and/or being shunned - not what we would wish to convey, I'm sure. This is one reason I so appreciate Kristen and Steph and Bev commenting on last week's no-show challenge - I feel less sad and more validated than if no one had said anything!

Sometimes we want to do or say something, but "life" moves in and the time gets longer and we feel like it's too late to say anything. I know that this is particularly true for me.

My project this week is something that may (I'm hoping) help with that a bit. I made a set of note cards but left the sentiment off. I've also stamped and punched several sentiments to add to the card of my choice if/when the need arises that I need to send something off quickly. With the work already done, I'm much more likely to respond in a timely manner...

So far I only have two sentiments ready to go, but I plan to add "I'm sorry", "I'm here for you", and whatever other encouraging sentiments I can drum up. These will at least give you an idea of what I'm doing, right?

I started with some "Love Notes" from Stampin'Up! and added strips of paper from their "Bella's Birds" and "Afternoon Tea" designer papers. The frames are a Sizzix die from the "Lots of Tags" set, and I used a wide oval punch on the sentiments, which are from "Sincere Salutations".

Yesterday I made a couple of cards that would also apply for this challenge, so I'm adding them to Mr. Linky:

52CP17 & 52CP18 Featured Artists

2010-05-08T14:23:00.010-04:00

Here - at long last - are the submissions for 52CP17: Times and Purposes:

Beverly:

Dawn:

Kris ten:

Deb:

Thanks for sharing your talents with us, ladies!

And here are the submissions for 52CP18: Invisible Mom:

.....

.....

.....

Oh...yeah...there aren't any...

I thought it would be an easy one, too, since everybody would be making cards for Mother's Day and all they'd have to do is link 'em up - I guess I was mistaken.

Okay, I'm officially sad...

I'll try again tomorrow, and see how we do this week - see you then (I hope)!

52CP18: Invisible Mom?

2010-05-02T00:07:00.015-04:00

It just occurred to me that I didn't post the cards for last week's challenge - I'm so sorry! I will add them later this week, for sure! Meanwhile, here's this week's inspiration, which came to me in an email a few months ago:

I'm Invisible

"It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for Me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime, because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.

I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."
-- author unknown

I thought that this passage would be a great thing to include with a card for my daughters and daughter-in-law for Mother's Day, so that's what I'm doing. I couldn't get into my studio to make a card for this challenge (long story - won't bore you with it), so instead I'm offering a digital image that I created for you to download:

It still needs a bit of cleaning up, but I didn't want you to think I didn't do anything for the challenge.

Edited to add: I've been playing with the solid image for hours - with and without help from better minds than my Odd Brain - and apparently the limitations of my photo-editing software will not allow me to accomplish the task. I've added the outline-only image in (hopefully) compensation. Maybe your software will let you do what mine won't... To save these to your computer, just right-click and select "save image" or "save image as" from the drop-down menu. You can also print directly from here by selecting the "print picture" option.

Edited again on Tuesday: I've played around with my limited software again and got a couple of the "issues" cleaned up. I've replaced the images with the cleaner versions. I've also made a card for this challenge - it's the first one in the Mr. Linky below...

Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP17: Times & Purposes

2010-04-25T00:00:00.004-04:00

We're all familiar with the verse from the Bible: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Today I'd like to turn this a little sideways and suggest the following: To every time there is a purpose, as well. Let me illustrate...

Quite a few years ago now, when my children were still young, I was lamenting to my mother about something I couldn't do that I wanted to, specifically because my children (and I have six) were still young. My mother - wise woman that she was - responded with the thought that I would play many different roles in my life - daughter, sister, friend, wife, etc. - and that my role at the present time was "Mother". That instantly changed my perspective, and I realized that whatever it was that I was wanting to do (which I can't even remember now) would still be available to me when my Mother role was less demanding.

Several years later I went through a divorce, which is never a happy thing, but events took several unforeseen and completely unexpected turns, and did not turn out in any way as I would have imagined or hoped. One of the outcomes was that my children lived with their father, for the most part, instead of with me. In the following years I had many experiences - some good and some truly horrific - and learned A LOT! Had my children been with me through these times, they would have had to share the horror with me, and I would not have been in a position to learn what I learned.

Now, as they are adults and going through their own "stuff", I have tools to help them and (hopefully) ease their way a bit. Even if they have to do their own "hard knock lessons", I've "been there, done that" and can have empathy and know (at least a little) the right things to say to help them through.

One of my favorite people in the whole wide world is a recovering alcoholic, and I've watched her struggles to overcome her disease. She has had many ups and downs (and the downs were really down!), and had several sponsors come and go as she worked the AA program. At this point, bless her, she is a sponsor herself! She is finding that those who come to her and ask if she will sponsor them are those who have had similar backgrounds and/or issues to the ones she dealt with. It is very validating for her to realize that the horrible experiences she had served a purpose, and she has something to offer to others as a result.

One of my most deeply-held beliefs is that THERE IS A REASON FOR EVERYTHING. Things have to go the way they go in order for us to learn what it is we need to learn to move us on to the next thing, and - hopefully - for us to help each other along the way...

Stamps: Stampin'Up! Hope Happens; Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; Paper: SU! Purely Pomegranate, Berry Bliss dp; Accessories/tools: Sizzix Top Note die, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, dewdrops, flower from my stash

Note that my card is pretty much all diecuts and punches, which I can accomplish with one hand - for the most part - so there was limited additional damage/pain... I also need to credit Becky Roberts for the idea I used on the Top Note die.

Here's Mr. Linky for you:

52CP16 Featured Artist

2010-04-24T15:38:00.005-04:00

I suppose I should apologize for never, ever finishing my project for this week's challenge, but I'm just not going to. I still haven't been to the doctor - he doesn't have any openings until May, but they were going to fit me in Friday or this coming Tuesday. Since - obviously - Friday didn't happen, I'm hoping against hope that Tuesday does! If I could lop off my right arm just above the shoulder I'd feel significantly better but, as it is, I'm just dealing (barely).

Apparently all of you had issues this week, as well, because the ever-faithful Beverly was our sole player! Just for that, I'm showing you the outside and the inside of her card!

Outside

Inside

Thanks, Bev, for being so diligent with these challenges! I really appreciate it!

Just so you're all aware, I've already finished my project for tomorrow's challenge, and I'm going to go upload it right now, and schedule the post for midnight tonight! See you tomorrow!

An Update

2010-04-20T19:57:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to bring to your attention that I've edited the post for this week's challenge. No, my project is not there, sadly. I'm typing this one-handed, and can't finish my project because of my shoulder (again). So sorry to be such a bad challenge hostess, but it can't be helped, I'm afraid...

52CP16: What's Inside

2010-04-18T11:47:00.004-04:00

Edited on Tuesday: I apologize that I still don't have my project up. My shoulder is acting up again with a vengeance and cutting/stamping/coloring/painting/writing is painful beyond belief. I have a tentative appointment Friday with the orthopedic (if he can squeeze me in, otherwise it won't be until Tuesday) to see exactly what's going on. Everyone seems to think it's a torn rotator cuff, but they're gonna do an MRI to see. If the pain abates soon, I'll see if I can finish my project. Otherwise, please make something for me to see, k? Thanks!

Good Sunday morning to you! I'm just a bit later than usual with this post, and I'm still working on my project - it turned out to be a bit more finicky and time-consuming than I thought - so I'll be adding to this later, but wanted to get the inspiration up for you. I was looking around the Keep Calm gallery and came across this:

'Nuff said...

Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP15 Featured Artists

2010-04-17T17:16:00.006-04:00

Happy Saturday! Here are the submissions for our "Just Be" challenge:

Kristen

Deb

Beverly

Aren't they great? I love seeing how the inspirations get interpreted each week - so inspiring for me! Thank you, ladies, and a special thank you to Deb for the amusing story I discovered when I went to her blog for a closer look at her card... See you all tomorrow for a new challenge!

52CP15: Just Be

2010-04-11T00:01:00.004-04:00

This past week I was going through some boxes (still unpacking from the move...) and came across some things I'd written several years ago. I decided to use one little piece of one of these writings for our challenge this week:

If you want to be, then take the actions you would take if you already were. I want to be a writer, so I take pen in hand and move it across the page, filling it with the words that come into my mind. Will they all be published? Are they all lucid and valid? Probably not, but that can't be my concern. I'm not attached to being a published writer - I'm only taking the action that defines being a writer - writing.

What do you want to be? A dancer? Then dance. Does this mean that you'll be in a rock video or starring in a ballet? Maybe, maybe not. That's not the focus. The focus is to dance.

Do you want to be a teacher? Then teach. If you have children, teach them. If you're in a church group, teach them. Be a mentor, volunteer at a community center, discover other options, but teach!

Do you want to be a speaker? Take a course in public speaking, join the Toastmasters - take an action!

It is only through performing the actions of being what we want to be that we become exactly that...

Here's my creation for this challenge to start things off:

I wanted to try something different calligraphy/penmanship-wise and just do a wonky, but hopefully still sort of cool freehand sentiment with a white gel pen on black paper. The flowers are from who-knows-where, since they've been in my stash forever (except the small one - it's a Prima), and the paper is from DCWV's Old World Stack. A little stitching, a touch of ribbon - done!

What do you want to be? What actions will you take? What will you create for this challenge? Here's Mr. Linky so you can share:

52CP14 Featured Artists

2010-04-10T12:20:00.004-04:00

Only two players this week! Is it because it was a tough challenge, or because I didn't get the challenge posted until Monday, or is it because it was a crazy/busy week for all of you? Anyway - here are the two cards submitted for the challenge by our two most committed players - Beverly and Stephanie:

Beverly

Stephanie

Thank you so much, ladies! Beautiful, as always! Good news, too - my project and post are ALL FINISHED and scheduled to be published at midnight tonight - woo hoo! See you tomorrow!

52CP14: Honoring Faith

2010-04-05T22:16:00.003-04:00

First I must apologize for how late I am in posting this week's challenge - frantic week, out of town yesterday, and my day deteriorated rapidly today, causing delays all around. I'm so sorry!

As I was mulling over what I wanted to post, I thought maybe something to do with Easter, but then I thought that this might exclude those who do not follow the Christian faith. This time of year is also when those of the Jewish tradition observe Passover, and Spring has traditionally been a time of celebration for pagans in regards to fertility and renewal. Seeing as there are so many diverse celebrations, I thought it fitting to expand a bit.

My thoughts turned to religion/faith in general, and how many different paths there are to find spiritual enlightenment. Some consider Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior, some follow the teachings of Buddha, some choose Mother Earth as their deity, some choose to omit any kind of "god" from their beliefs. A few things came to mind as I was mulling this over.

I have - and love - a remarkable book about a remarkable young girl named Anna. The book is "Mister God, This is Anna", written by Fynn. Anna had the amazing ability to take something she had learned in one area and apply it to other, seemingly unrelated, things. One such instance is an observation she made about religion after learning about music theory. She stopped in the middle of a game of hopscotch to tell Fynn, "We're all playing the same chord."

In music, the name of the chord you're playing depends on where you started, as in which key you're in. There are several different names for the same placement of fingers on a keyboard, for example. As Anna saw it, those who took the evidence of God and arranged it one way called themselves Protestants, those who took the same evidence and arranged it a different way called themselves Muslims, and so on, but it was the same evidence and the same deity, just a different label for the same "chord".

I had a similar "a-ha" moment one afternoon while watching leaves swirl by me on a little stream. One leaf went around a rock protruding from the water on the side nearer to me, one leaf went around the rock on the farther side, but they both ended up at the same place downstream.

One thing I found to be alarmingly inaccurate was a billboard that proclaimed, "A world at prayer is a world at peace." How many crusades, jihads, or other "holy wars" have been waged, with each side convinced that God was on their side?

My hope this week is to introduce the thought that there is room enough for all beliefs, and we need to honor those who follow a different path than our chosen one. I think it is beneficial - and even advisable - to discuss various theological questions with those of another faith in order to flesh out our own belief and come to an understanding of theirs. A poem that I found expresses this:

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

I would not interfere
with any creed of yours,
or want to appear
that I have all the cures.

There is so much to know,
so many things are true...
The way my feet must go
may not be best for you.

And so I give this spark
of what is light to me,
to guide you through the dark,
but not to tell you what to see.

Author Unknown

Another thought I wanted to share with you is the concept of "Namaste". This is a word of Sanskrit origin used as a greeting between Hindus. They place their palms facing together and bow their heads as they greet each other with the spoken greeting, as "a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility", as Subhamoy Das relates. He also defines it as a recognition "that the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all," and states that the real meeting of people is the meeting of their minds. In one of my trainings years ago, my Reiki master explained it as "The God in me sees the God in you. When I come from that place, and you come from that place, you and I are one."

As another addition to my inspiration board, and a reminder to keep an open mind and heart regarding my beliefs and those of others, I opted to make a little "Namaste" plaque:

I printed out the word on my computer (Mystic Prophet font), then cut a frame from a DCWV Old World stack and a mat from cardstock. I used my Krylon gold-leafing pen to outline the letters and edge the frame.

And that's our "pickup" for this week! What will you create to honor where others might be on their path? How will you gain tolerance, understanding and acceptance of beliefs that differ from your own? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP13 Featured Artists

2010-04-03T20:06:00.006-04:00

Thanks to our three players this week! I love seeing different takes on the same information...
Stephanie used a great kid's quote for her encouraging (and very cool) card:

Linda made this gorgeous confection with one of my all-time favorite poems:

And Beverly upped the "cute factor" with this fun reminder:

Thanks, girls! For those of you who haven't played along yet, we'd certainly love to have you jump in any time! See you tomorrow for another challenge!

52CP13: Don't Quit

2010-03-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hello again! Thanks for stopping by to see what our challenge will be this week! I have a poem for you this week, written by that famous author, Anonymous! I swear, that guy (girl?) writes everything! Anyway, here it is:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out.
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out ~
The silver lining in clouds of doubt ~
And you never can tell how close you are;
It might be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worse that you must not quit.

That poem was part of a mural in the clinic my mother had to go to when she needed transfusions as part of her palliative care for leukemia (she opted for hospice as opposed to chemo, etc.) I thought it was a great poem and wrote it down so I could remember it.

It came to mind again a few weeks ago when the prompt for week ten of Gina's "Heart the Art" was "keep going", and then again when Cindy Motherway's Teapot Tuesday challenge incorporated making cards for Lindsay - the daughter of one of her friends who is pregnant and undergoing chemo for her just-diagnosed lymphoma. I printed the poem out for her to frame, and also made this card:

Stamps: Stampin'Up! Messages for Mom, Close to My Heart Springtime Possibilities; Ink: SU! Melon Mambo, Versafine Onyx Black; Paper: SU! Bashful Blue, Melon Mambo; Accessories/Tools: Detail clear embossing powder, Cuttlebug w/swiss dot embossing folder, sewing machine, doilies, flower, ribbon, gem, border punches

I wanted to focus on the possibilities, rather than the down side of what she's going through, so I just made a general encouragement card for her. What will you make this week to reinforce the theme? Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP12 Featured Artists

2010-03-27T15:27:00.016-04:00

Happy Saturday to you! We had more players this week than ever, and multiple cards from two of them! Thanks, all! See you tomorrow for a new challenge!

Erica

Lawren

Beverly

Kristen

Margie

Shirley

Yvonne

52CP12: Smile

2010-03-21T08:23:00.008-04:00

If you chance to meet a frown,
Do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it upside-down
And smile that frown away!

No one likes a frowning face -
Change it for a smile!
Make the world a better place
By smiling all the while!

That's a little song from my childhood... Smiles are very, very contagious - how often do you smile at someone and they fail to smile back? They're also memorable. When my mother passed away several years ago almost every single person that spoke with me about her mentioned her smile.

I've tried to carry on that legacy and smile at everyone I see throughout the course of my day. It's amazing how much better I feel when I make a point of making eye contact with and smiling at everyone I encounter! I've had several people comment that "you're always smiling" when they see me, so maybe that's one thing I'm actually getting right... I joke that "if I'm going to be cranky, I just keep my sorry self home", because why should I inflict myself on others?

Yes, smiling is an important behavior, in my humble opinion - it "improves your face value", as they say, and it alters your own mood, as well! With that thought in mind, I made two - almost cheater - projects. Why "almost cheating"? Well, since my shoulder is still most unhappy (although I'm smiling through the pain!), I'm trying to limit how much strain I put on it, so I used some almost-done items to create this week's card and ATC.

First up is a card made with a page from DCWV's "Green Stack" mounted onto a red card base:

All I added to it was the stamped sentiment (Heidi Grace). I love the Green Stack, but the papers don't photograph well at all. The colors are so much nicer in real life, but this was the best pic I could get - sorry! I didn't do much more than stamp a sentiment for my ATC, either:

I did mat it and I also added a punched flower with a smiley face drawn on the brad center with a Bic MarkIt pen. The card itself is from a pack of "Groovy Playing Cards" that I unearthed this past week. I think I bought it at the dollar store a couple of years ago.

So, that's my contribution to making the world a happier place this week - what will yours be? Here's Mr. Linky (there's more to this post, too, so scroll down past Mr. Linky to keep reading):

I also wanted to give a special "thank you" to Stephanie for being our sole contributor for last week's challenge. She hasn't missed a week yet - bless her! - and here's the amazingly wonderful art journal page she created:

Too cool, eh? She's always so colorful and imaginative and inspiring! Thanks, Steph!

Okay, kiddoes, that's it for this week for me! Hope your week is fantastic, and don't forget to SMILE!!!

52CP11: Enough

2010-03-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

As many of you also do, I'm sure, I discover new and wonderful blogs from links on the blogs that I already follow. One recent discovery is Susannah Conway's blog, which has especially impressed me, and I'm linking to one of her posts for our challenge this week: Because We ARE Worth It. While you're there, look around a bit...every post is link-worthy, I'm thinking!

Also, please excuse me for not making anything (yet) this week. I have a shoulder injury that has been aggravated by the goings-on of the past week, and my poor arm is in a sling and I'm typing one-handed, and left-handed (which I'm not) at that! I will make something later in the week when the pain subsides and my mojo (hopefully) returns. Right now all of my attention is consumed with "ow...ow...ow...ow..."

Here's Mr. Linky for you:

52CP10 Featured Artists

2010-03-13T19:09:00.008-05:00

We had a couple of new players this week - welcome! Here are their creations for your viewing pleasure:

Stephanie

Dawn

Wintam

Beverly

That's all of the lovelies for this week! A new challenge tomorrow! (Don't forget to set your clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time...)

52CP10: Spring Cleaning

2010-03-05T07:07:00.006-05:00

Wow! We're in double-digits now! Still not too many players, but this thinking and planning and trying to be more disciplined is good for me, so I intend to carry on! Maybe others will join us, eventually...

As the seasons start to change from dreary winter over to sunshine-y spring, it seems that we all get a yen to freshen up our space. I know I've been rarin' to get into the unfinished side of my attic and dig through the boxes that have been there since we moved in back in September so I can see what's what and what needs to go where - ditto with the stuff in the basement! I'm also constantly looking at the rooms that we've "semi-completed" to see what I can do to finish them and make them prettier, instead of just functional. And don't even get me started on the windows! Yes, spring cleaning time is upon us...

Oprah's magazine this month focuses on de-cluttering, which is a major part of most spring cleaning projects, and she has some interesting thoughts on applying that theory beyond our living quarters. She acknowledges that she has too many shoes (and skirts and tank tops and tee shirts and...) , and suggests that we look at our relationship with our "things": "Do they promote joy, beauty and usefulness, or are they burdensome?" She also states that she and her friends have opted for "lifestyle changes" - as opposed to diets - and are choosing "foods that give you real energy and love you back". She goes on to say:

This principle alone eliminates a lot of clutter. And once you get that far, you want other areas of your life decluttered as well. In case you're looking for inspiration, here's my list:
Relationship to self - good riddance to decisions that don't support self-care, self-value, and self-worth.

Relationship to others - do the people in your life give you energy and encourage your personal growth, or do they block that growth with dysfunctional dynamics and outdated scripts? If they don't support you as a loving, open, free and spontaneous being: Goodbye!

Relationship to emotional life - out with stagnant patterns that no longer serve you.

Relationship to work - not only reducing the "clutter" of paperwork, inefficiency, and overcommunication, but also striving to create a balanced workload and make your work invigorating, inspiring, collaborative, and empowering to others.

Relationship to nature and play - seeing these as expressions of love and opportunities to fill your life with truth and joy.
To me, all of this is the real deal of de-cluttering, a process that's ever-evolving as you move closer to the self you were meant to be.
And saying goodbye to too many shoes is a darn good start.

Ah yes, many places to declutter - all of them very worthwhile! I mentioned last week that time gets away from me and I end up feeling scattered and ineffective, so my relationships to work and play get totally out of whack. I decided that it would be in my best interest to make myself a schedule. That way, when it's time to work I can put my attention and focus there, and when it's time to play, I can do it guilt-free.

Because my life is what it is and includes factors that throw a wrench in the works and throw my intended schedule off on a fairly regular basis, I realize that this schedule is subject to change. I am allowing myself to not be so attached to it that my psyche suffers when this happens - I'm looking at it as a time-management tool and a place to start the decluttering process. Since that's not very interesting (or inspiring) to look at, I also made this:

Stamps: Inkadinkado/Brenda Walton Flourishes, Hampton Art Friendship, Close to My Heart Hugs and Kisses; Ink: Close to My Heart Blush, Hollyhock, Olive and Sweet Leaf, Versafine Onyx Black; Other: Wood blocks, butterfly charm

I decided that I wanted to put a little more emphasis on the relationship to others, so I made a couple of blocks to put in my space. This was a really fast, easy, fun project, and free, to boot! Since I don't mount my rubber stamps, I have many, many, many of them ready and waiting to be altered, and - of course - the ink and stamps were already there, as well. The charm is one of those "had to have" purchases that I've dragged around with me on move after move and never used ('til now...).

What will you create this week? Here's Mr. Linky so you can show me:

52CP09: Start Now

2010-02-28T12:27:00.006-05:00

So, it's not quite as late as I thought I might be! I try to schedule the challenge to post at midnight (my time), and it's just after noon, so not too bad...

This week's challenge is - again - based on events in My Life. Those who follow my other blog know that I've been dithering for months - if not years - about a career change, figuring out what I want to be when I grow up, etc., etc. They also know - and I'm sure you all have figured out - that time has a tendency to get away from me, and my intentions don't always come to fruition as a result. This is a long-standing issue with me. In fifth and sixth grade I was intelligent enough to be in a pilot program for accelerated students that our school district was testing, but I consistently got "B" and "C" marks on essays, etc., because I turned them in late. If I had a nickel for every time a teacher told me, "This would have been an "A" if you'd turned it in on time", I'd have been a rich young girl, for sure! And the trend continues...

I've been mulling over the whole procrastination issue and what stops me from just moving ahead and, while I still don't have solid answers, I have a couple of helpful tidbits that I'm sharing with you for our challenge:

I came across this quote a week or two ago, and it made me think - again - about the possible "why" behind my action (or, more accurately here, my inaction):

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.

- Frank Tibolt

I also thought that it would be helpful to have a reminder in my space that I need to plow ahead, regardless of any doubts or hesitations I may have, so I altered a luggage tag (I thought it a fitting metaphor) to put on my "inspiration board", which is a project in the works that I will share a different day when it's complete. Here it is:

I purposely kept it simple, because I wanted it to be something that would be a quick glance-and-be-reminded thing. Here's a better look at the stamped images:

The bird reminds me to soar, the red stamp reminds me what I want to be about, and the black stamp with the gold behind it is the main reason I made this (also the reason I bought this particular stamp set, but that's a different story). The words behind everything say "because you're worth it", to remind me that forging ahead with what I want to do and becoming what I want to be is what I deserve! I also added a clock charm to remind me that time is of the essence, and not something to be squandered and/or wasted:

It is - fittingly - from K & Co's "Life's Journey" collection... I sanded a white mini binder clip and wiped it with some gold to make it more closely match the charm.

Other deets: the tag is from JoAnn's $1 bin, the stamps are from K & Co Madeline (red), Heidi Grace Cherrywood Ln (green), Close to My Heart Vintage Postcard (blue, gray, and black), Inkadinkado Flourishes (bird) and "because you're worth it" from a single Inka stamp.

And that's my story! Something along the lines of the old Nike ads: "Just do it" (swoosh)! Here's Mr. Linky so you can share your fab creations:

52CP08 Featured Artists

2010-02-27T23:22:00.007-05:00

Maybe there's hope for us yet - there are a few players this week, and a double dose from one of them! Deena made this adorable card (definitely a unique perspective here):

Deena #1

And then she made another beautiful card with a completely different point of view:

Deena #2

Beverly joined us again with another of her beautiful creations (check the link to see the equally cool inside of the card):

Beverly

And Tina was able to join us this week, too! Here's her oh-so-pretty card:

Tina

And there you have them! This week's challenge will be posted a bit late, as things got seriously thrown off schedule this weekend and I'm seriously tired! I will have the inspiration AND the artwork, though - promise! See you sometime tomorrow!

If Brains Were Dynamite...

2010-02-24T12:16:00.003-05:00

...I couldn't blow my nose! I'm cruisin' through my week, chatting with Sherry on the phone, and we get on the subject of this blog. Then it hits me upside my Odd Brain - I haven't posted my ATC for this week's challenge! DOH!!! I'm so sorry! Here it is:

I went looking for a digital stamp of a kid upside-down like this but was unsuccessful, so I sketched out my own... Good thing this is an ATC so I could draw small - I have trouble keeping proportions and such when things get bigger, for some reason! A little coloring with Bic and Prismacolor markers, a little stitching on the machine, a little scribbling with a journaling marker...all she wrote! I hope you all are coming up with something to share, too! Have a great rest-of-the-week (Hump Day - hooray!), and I'll see you this weekend! Ta!

52CP08: Perspective

2010-02-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

This week's post is a bit different, driven by the goings-on in the World of Sue. I'm sharing two of my favorite poems that I've saved that I think are of great worth for those going through a hard time for various reasons, and most especially those grieving the loss of a loved one. My sister's boyfriend has a very, very close circle of friends (they've known each other for forty years), and one of the women committed suicide Thursday night while her husband was out of town (yes, that's what he came home to) and the entire group is reeling, needless to say. I've been finding things to send to my sister and decided it was a good multi-tasking opportunity to apply here, as well. I'm not going to post artwork of any kind with these bits of wisdom - just let them speak to you however they do, and go from there...

POINT OF VIEW

Sun and mountain meet.
"Look," I say.
"Sunset!"

But I forget
That far away
An islander
Wipes morning
From his eyes
And watches
The same sun
Rise.

What's birth?
And death?
What's near
Or far?
It all depends
On where you are.

~ Carol Lynn Pearson

GOD SPEAKS

Death is ugly?
Oh, my children,
No.

If you knew
The beauty
That begins where
Your sight fails,
You would run,
Run, run,
And leap
With open arms
Into eternity.

But sad
Is a harvest
Of green wheat.

And,
So you would
Feverishly
Cling to earth
And finish
Your mortal task,
I merely gave
Death
An ugly mask.

~ Carol Lynn Pearson

I will post my creation later this afternoon or tomorrow sometime. Understand that this challenge is NOT limited to grieving/death/etc. - it can be broadened to include anything that could use a different perspective than the one that stops us in our tracks, or just causes us frustration...

Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP07 Featured Artist

2010-02-20T12:25:00.004-05:00

Apparently last week's inspiration was quite the stumper - only one player! Steph made this amazing card:

Pretty cool, eh? Okay - tomorrow's post will hopefully be an easier one to come up with something for (I really should learn the proper grammar for that last sentence...) See you then!

52CP07: Five for Fighting

2010-02-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

I've seen two versions of the video for this week's inspiration - the "regular" music video, and a version made to raise awareness for autism. HERE's the link for the "regular" one, and HERE'S the link for the autism one. Watch either - or both - to provide inspiration for this week!

I viewed this as a "call to arms" of sorts to improve the world - or at least our corner of it - and found this quote that reinforces that idea:

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do
something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can
do.

~ Edward Everett Hale

For my project this week, I completed a few things I'd been mulling over but hadn't quite gotten around to:

What you're looking at here are several eco-friendly items. The beige thing is a "bag" to hold plastic bags from the grocery store that I re-purpose as waste basket liners in my kitchen. It has an elasticized top opening and bottom opening and a loop for hanging. You stuff the bags into the top as you acquire them, and pull them out from the bottom as you need them. It will hang inside my pantry.

The black thing is one of those draft stoppers that "slide onto any door" like you see on TV. I made it with some fabric I had hanging around and those insulating tubey things that you're supposed to wrap around pipes to keep them from freezing. It's going on the door that goes down to the basement because the girl that lived here before us lopped off about 2" at the bottom of the door, and all the cold air from the basement comes up, and all the warm air from our house goes down. This will hopefully solve that problem.

The little colorful thing is a re-purposed almond can. I needed a place to put dead batteries until I have enough to make it worthwhile to take them to a place that will recycle them or ecologically dispose of them or whatever it is they do (all I know is it's illegal to just throw them in the trash to go into a landfill). Here's a better look at that:

I used papers from Stampin'Up!'s "Good Morning Sunshine" paper pack, and stamps from The Paper Company Studio's "Eco-Friendly" stamp set. The ribbon is from Michael's. And there you have it! Here's Mr. Linky:

52CP06 Featured Artists

2010-02-13T14:41:00.010-05:00

We had a couple of players this week (thank you!), and here are their wonderful creations:

Dorothy

Beverly

See you tomorrow for our next challenge!

At Last...

2010-02-09T20:37:00.006-05:00

I should've known better than to promise I'd do anything on a Monday - they're notoriously bad days to do anything on my list! Mondays always seem to be trouble-shooting, chasing types of days, and yesterday was no different. I did manage to get my project finished and photographed, so here you go:

I love the quote, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye", so I made a little hanging thing in the colors I'm incorporating into my creative space using said quote, and I also love the concept of "being responsible for {my} rose", so my ATC incorporates that. Here are shots of each individually:

The paper rose on the ATC actually matches in real life - the camera didn't like it, apparently... I used Stampin'Up!'s Bella Rose papers for both, along with Nestabilities and computer-generated sentiments.

Okay - that's my contribution this week! I hope you're all playing along, too, but just haven't linked up yet! The Mr. Linky is in this post. Have a great night, and thanks for stopping by!

52CP06: The Little Prince

2010-02-07T00:01:00.004-05:00

"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery is one of my all-time favorite books, and our inspiration this week is one of the chapters from it. I found a site online that has the entire book available to read, so if you enjoy this chapter, you may want to check out the rest of the book! Basically, the Little Prince travels the solar system from his own tiny planet, leaving behind his beloved Rose, and visits Earth as part of his travels. That's all the backstory you need for the chapter to make sense. You can read it HERE. I'm not sure which page it will link you to, but you want Chapter 21, if you have to choose.

I spent the last three days digging out my creative space, which is also my work space, and that included from about 5:30 this morning until 10:30 tonight, so I'm too tired to finish my project now that I've made space to work. I'll finish it tomorrow afternoon and post it, I promise! Just in case, though, here's this week's Mr. Linky (edited to add - please remember to use tag/label 52CP06 when you upload to SCS or another online gallery - thanks!):

52CP05 Featured Artist

2010-02-06T22:19:00.005-05:00

So - we had ONE sole player this week! Beverly made this adorable card:

If I give you all hugs, am I forgiven? On to a better week, right? Back in a bit with new inspiration for you!

Irony

2010-02-06T09:11:00.006-05:00

I guess it's true that you get what you intend, whether it's conscious or subconscious - my week has borne out the "mistake" inspiration with a vengeance! I've made many of them, and have been paying for them dearly. Unfortunately, you've indirectly had to pay for them, too - I'm so sorry!

Just so you don't think I'm a total and complete slacker, I offer the following as evidence that I didn't just sit and eat bonbons all week (I'm not sure I even know what a bonbon is, actually):

This is one place setting in a set of four - accompanied by a platter - that I etched as a birthday gift for my friend Jackie last Saturday when I woulda/shoulda been doing my inspiration project. I would have done this earlier in the week, but couldn't find the pieces I needed to etch until Friday. It also took me longer to execute the project than I scheduled for it because - oh yeah - mistakes galore! I even made a mistake taking the picture on my way out the door to the party! See that little sticker marking the center of the plate for me? Yeah, forgot to remove it to take the pic, and I even wrapped it up with the sticker still on it!

This is: a) an invoice for a partial work week, sans pricing and with my phone number blocked out - there was more, but this is all I printed; b) a paint stirring stick that I was attempting to create a "Listen and Learn" thingie to hang up in my workroom. I dug out my woodburning tool that I haven't used for decades to give it a go. That was your first clue as to why the darn thing never got finished - not as easy as I remembered, much more time-consuming, and I lost patience and mojo and ran out of paint stirring sticks before I got anything even remotely worthy to share...

Greg was home most of the week, which always throws my schedule WAY off (How does this happen? He doesn't expect me to entertain him and he finds things to do, but somehow I seem to hear "Can you come here a minute?" quite a bit during the day...) Add in two doctor appointments (one for my father-in-law and one for me) and a bout of pinkeye (why I had a doctor appointment), and you have my week in a nutshell! Like I said - MANY mistakes were made, and MANY trains were derailed! Did I learn anything? You betcha! (with a nod to Caribou Barbie):

Plan - and execute - farther ahead in case things don't go as planned
I need waaaay more practice with my woodburning tool
If I'm not going to be able to get my project posted, I should at least have the consideration to post Mr. Linky for those of you who want to post yours
I need to invest some time in getting more organized
I need to get a bit more disciplined

I'm sure there are more lessons learned this week, but that's enough to share for now, yes? When I fired up the computer this morning to post this, I saw that Beverly had added a comment and a link to her project, so I'm starting off the Mr. Linky with hers, and if any of you were more on the ball than me this week and created something, please feel free to share! I'll check back later this afternoon to do the "Featured Artists" dealie-o, and I'm well on my way to being on schedule for tomorrow's post, so check back, k?

Thanks for putting up with my learning curve on doing a weekly challenge - I promise my most excellent promise that I will do my darndest to be more consistent! Have a great day!

52CP05: Mistakes

2010-01-31T06:24:00.003-05:00

I'm starting this post with apologies, which bothers me a bit, but it is what it is... I didn't post the players for the week - again - yesterday, and this post is later than usual, for starters. Life happens, and so I am posting the inspiration, but my project and/or ATC will be posted later today, rather than with the inspiration. I may make that the norm, actually, because it has occurred to me several times that my take on the inspiration may be completely different from what you got out of it, and my project may be an inhibitive influence. So - those are things I'm sorry for this morning...

This week I re-discovered a book, "Notes to Myself" by Hugh Prather, and found several passages that were thought-provoking and/or inspiring. I landed on this one:

Perfectionism is slow death. If everything turned out just like I want it to, just like I would plan it to, then I would never experience anything new; my life would be an endless repetition of stale successes. When I make a mistake I experience something unexpected.
I sometimes react to making a mistake as if I have betrayed myself. My fear of making a mistake seems to be based on the assumption that I am potentially perfect and that if I am very careful I will not fall from heaven. But a "mistake" is a declaration of the way I am, a jolt to the way I intend, a reminder that I am not dealing with the facts. When I have listened to my mistakes I have grown.

And there you have it! I will add the Mr. Linky to the next post, along with my project(s). Enjoy your Sunday and your week!