Why I do....

WHY I DO...
IS TO SHARE WITH YOU
EVER SMALL AS IT MAY BE
A GLIMPSE OF ME. 

I am creative.  I am by no means the most creative person in the world. In fact, often after I spend only a few moments on Pintrest and am quickly humbled at the amazing ideas that float out there in the creative space of this universe.

I was thinking yesterday, Why do I do this?  Is it because I am a collector?  Am I an artist? Am I creative?  Then the questions that always finds a way into my thinking...  AM I an artist? Am I good enough?  WHY do I torture myself? WHY do I think I even have a chance at being an artist?  WHY do you do this Erika?  

Last night my husband and son went to play racquetball and I sat at my table cutting paper, embossing card front, creating a card to send to a friend in a heated battle with cancer, and I realized why I do...

I do because my art no matter if someone sees it, as campy or amazing is a part of me I can share with a big ugly dark world.  I have a little light (it's really a rainbow of my collections)  that I can cast onto the life of another.  I may not be and "artist" I am okay with that.  I know that my "crafting"  is a part of WHO I am not just something I do.  

I had a downline over yesterday, we worked very hard prepping for her upcoming workshop.  She is new to the business.  She works hard!  I am excited for her.  We spent a good 5 hours designing and practicing for her workshop.  I love sharing with my team.  I love seeing them come up with different takes on techniques, to see them discover something that excites them.   That is WHY I DO... I do because in my deepest places, I have a heart for art. I want to share it with the world

I get scared sometimes, I don't think I am good enough. I really struggle with that lie.   I put myself out there a lot.  I have overheard both good and bad.  I have felt my heart break when someone tosses my little part of me in the trash can. I have felt my heart overflow with warmth when I walk into someones home and see a bit of me still watching over them. I love the idea of one day making my art my sole financial source, and know that that only will happen if I keep myself working hard to better myself.  I am a fighter.  I believe I can do that.  I work very hard in many aspects of my life, wife, mom, bookkeeper, artist, friend whatever it takes to be the best me.  So while some don't see what I do as "artistic"  I choose to see myself as what I pray I CAN be.   I want to encourage you today. You are good enough, you are a blessing in my life, you are what you work hard to be.  You don't have to be the best in the world, just be the best you can be!  

Blessings

Erika

Make someones day!

Hello my thoughtful friends!

Today I want to share an idea.  It may seem far fetched at first, you may say. Erika you're a nut.  Well that has already been established. I am indeed a macadamia nut. Okay back on the subject-- Many of you know I love to surprise people with little notes of encouragement. In fact, every year at Christmas time I take a part of our gift giving budget and purchase about 20 or 30 gift cards from different places and simply write-- "I hope you have a great day today"  Blessings from Santa's elves and I leave them on tables in restaurants or have a store employee give them away.  It is my joy to watch as people look around trying to figure out WHO gave them this gift... I love to remain anonymous because my theory works like this:  If you don't know which person gave you the gift card, you must assume it was any one of the people there-- this fosters a better day not just for the receiver, but it also makes him/her react more kindly to others. It is after all possible that the lady standing in front of the drink dispersing talking on the phone gave that away.  

I also am very fond of this method because I often target civil servants -- firemen/women, police women/men  etc.  I learned once that they are not allowed to take those from people, it could be seen as a bribe-- therefore if I am unknown to them there is no way they can get in trouble for accepting a free lunch/coffee on me!

I really love to see people get an unexpected joy so I was thinking, what can I do?  How can I encourage others?  So I devised a new plan.  As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I have all these great stamps with beautiful sayings and images that can really make people happy.  I have decided to create what I am calling "tip cards"  What I do, is I make these cards up they are about 4 1/2 x 2 1/4 for fast food, bank teller, postal official etc and they just are a note thanking them (in handwriting)  for the great job they are doing.  I then make a few larger ones for sit down restaurants that I put my card in when I am paying the tab etc.  NOW this in no way replaces the monetary tip, but it is just a way to leave a little nice around.

If you would like to learn more about how I make these or Stampin' Up! products I used let me know, or visit my website www.mpt.stampinup.net   ALSO.. keep checking back, I will have videos up for you soon.  My ATV guy begins work after the launch date of the new catalog! June 2

Thank you all and be blessed!

Here are a few samples
 (OH happy day by Sandra Goforth www.sgoforth.stampinup,net)

Erika!  

Now Go MakePrettyThings! 

  

Color Color Color

I think the part I love most about making things is color.  A quilt, a card,  a scrapbook page anything even when I write. I love to have pretty colors surrounding me.  When I went to work for my husband, I implemented the use of colored file folders why?  not only does it make it easy to distinguish one type of file from another, but it also is just nice to not have ugly boring manila everywhere.
You are wondering, what does that have to do with anything e?  Here is the thing, I was working on a card last night  and I only had a little time so I was trying to hurry and just make something pretty for the day. I tried three times and felt.. BLAH. I stamped an image even colored it but still nothing. I decided the reason was I had not picked my color scheme!  I am a fan of color scheme!  just check out my Pintrest  "Seed" Board to see that. I call it "seeds" because I believe that is what really starts a project.  I think we need to know what we are going to make and have colors in mind.

I broke my BLAHs by stopping and reaching in my scrap cardstock and pulling out some colors.  I piddled around until I found this combo.

I did not end up using yellow cardstock but I loved the pop of yellow so I used yellow as the ribbon.  

Then the card just fell into place... I love when that happens.

The finished product. I used Red Rubber stamps and clear polymer stamps.  The dots are put on with VersaMark ink to get just the right shade of Grey.. (haha)

HERE is a boo-boo tip for you.

My original layout did not work with the size of grey scrap I had, so I simply cut it and made it appear to be an entire block.  It saved me from cutting into a brand new sheet and looked fine.

You would never know looking at the finished card that the light grey was not a full strip.  Even a miscut can be salvaged. 

That was my fun last night. I have an actual project working tonight hope to get it done tonight or tomorrow!  Please share if you like what you see.. Pin it, Facebook, Twitter, Google+  I appreciate your support.  

Please get out there and Make Pretty Things! 

Blessings 

e

Good Things Ahead...

It's rent week, which means I am busy as a bee.   I was working until about 7:00 pm.  I realized it was that late ran to the kitchen threw together some dinner then slipped away into my craft space.

I had some sort of bad news last week and it really put me in a sad spot.  I was thinking how I need to send out more cards.  I like to encourage people and I think it is important to not just send an email or text but to actually send something in the mail to someone that could just use a little something pretty in their day.  So I turned my blues around and made a few cards last night.

This is a red rubber stamp image.  Copic Markers the background is a polymer stamp with VersaMark Ink.
The hello on the tea bag tag, polymer stamp with stamping off technique on the blue circle. 

Stamps are all polymer.  Copic Markers.

Now for the Good News I am considering going into business for myself.  So please keep that in your thoughts and prayers.  The business end of things my hubby is looking into and it is in the infancy state...but it may actually happen.  Lots of great things on the horizon-- When God closes one door, He throws wide another.  The door that closed last week may be the beginning of a new journey for me!

Get out there and Make Pretty Things!

Blessings
e

New Card Creations

 Busy working on Making Pretty Things (MPT)  here are a few examples of some new cards I have made.  I hope you like them.  I hope to have more and more up soon!

A card that can be made in less than 10 minutes!  

Mix and match stamp sets for fun results

Made with a simple stamp and Inktense Color Pencils

Copic Markers. I just love them. I hope to be presenting many more with my Copics

A little fussy cutting with some Copic markers added up to a fun pretty card.

I hope you have enjoyed this sampling of cards.  I will be putting up some how-to PDFs in future postings.  Please introduce your friends to my blog!  I am going to be working hard to bring you a lot of projects for you to MPT!  

Blessings

just e.

Loving Lettering

I have always loved to "make" fonts. As a kid, when I was in class I was forever doodling and changing my "signature".  I was excellent at forging my parents signatures-- Uh wait, no that wasn't me, they really signed that permission slip that I forgot to give them for the last two weeks.

 It was not until I grew up that I learned that writing in different styles was a thing AKA "lettering" . As you know I love to zenthangle/doodle. Well I was on Pinterest (which I have now made a lettering board) the other day and I noticed a few beautiful quotes and I said, hey I can do that. So I tried.  I made this, and realized how helpful a rule might be.

Never really thought about how much I like letters! 

 So I got a ruler.. and it helped a lot!  :)

RULERS are good!  Nice to see some straight lines!  

While cruzin' the net I ran across Fun Stamper's Journey post about giving away stamps at the Scrapbook EXPO so then made another one inspired by the Fun Stamper's Journey post about blooms.  I really enjoy the lettering with color.  I then had a moment of AH-HA...This inspires me. I love to make pretty things, so be prepared, I have yet ANOTHER thing I really like doing.  Lettering.  If you have any ideas or great resources please share them in the comments!  Oh hey, Go Make Something!

Inspired by Fun Stamper's Journey Blooms

Its a Zen-Thang

Again!  I admit it!  School absorbs me.  Finally I am off class and will not be back in the classroom next semester.  I am going to try and spend more time on my blog and my creativity. The last semester in school taught me something very valuable.  I need to create.  I hate getting lost.  That is how it felt.  Sixteen weeks of NO and I mean NO creativity. It almost killed me.  I was sad, depressed angry and just not happy. I began to obsess over my grades and overall became consumed.  I don't like that side of me.  

Tonight I am awake. It is 1:35am and I am writing this post and not sleeping.  I started zenthangling a few hours ago and I had some realizations.  I need to create. It really is a part of my make-up. Some kind of creativity... scrapbooking, writing,  quilting, crocheting (which I am still terrible at), drawing, painting, zenthangling or something else I must create to be happy. It is a nice place when one discovers and admits the importance of creating.  I did tonight. I long for it. 

 For weeks I studied and suffered. I love school. I love learning, but I need to create.  Did I say that already?  Hear me my fellow creative souls, don't stop.  It will eat away at you.  It is okay to want to create something beautiful.  A pretty scrapbook layout, a lovely story, a carefully planned quilt.. it is a part of you. I for one appreciate the beauty that you make.  Don't stop, life will forever attempt to get in the way of the creative process, promise yourself heck promise me you will find balance and continue to make the whispering of your spirit!  Your talents are valuable and perfect!  

This is what I love about Zenthangling, it allows you to just create and think. 

Keep creating friends!  

xoxo 

e