Do Something Creative Everyday

I have been very busy the last week or two. It has been a couple of days since I've been in my craft room, and I've really missed it. You know we paper crafters need those regular doses of "paper therapy" to keep us sane!!

We are having a scrapbook and stamp donation drive for charity at work, so I spent time going through my things and saying goodbye to many items I just don't need to hang on to. The donations from our store are going to a shelter for domestically abused women, and I can't think of a better place. When I was in my early 20's, I was married for 3 years to a man that physically, emotionally, and verbally abused me. I am so grateful that God never took His hands from me, helped me free myself of that situation, and then later saw fit to give me Jerry and Shane. I know firsthand that working with paper, scissors, stamps, and colors brings healing within us. I firmly believe that even if we think we can't create, that voice inside of us will not be still until we do. Every woman is an artist!

After I was done, I sat down to create this card front to hang on my bulletin board. No matter how busy it gets, I want to remember to create every day. I picked up this Crystal Kluge stamp at the Paper Source, and all the other supplies are from CTMH.

I hope you all are having a great weekend. I teach a big class Valentine's Day class tomorrow at work - 17 people! Afterwards, it's football time here in Minnesota. Be sure to be cheering on Brett Favre and the Vikings!!

Penny's Sketch

This sketch on Penny's Challenge was so wonderful, that I made two cards using it! I loved the simplicity of the sketch that gave so much room for creativity and what you can do with it. For the first card, I used some beautiful Heidi Grace paper, CTMH rub-on, Prima flower, and a pin from JoAnn's.

The next card is made from paper I picked up at Paper Source. I was you could see it and touch it in person! These two papers were made in India. I added some ribbon I picked up at Paper Source, Prima flowers, and CTMH rub-ons. I created the card this way because I just didn't want to cover up that beautiful paper!

Some Fine Italian Paper

First of all, this is my third post for the day, so be sure to scroll down if you'd like to see some more new artwork!

Ok, on to this beautiful Italian paper. Right across from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, there is a wonderful paper shop. I regret everyday that I didn't buy masses of this handmade paper. It is so beautiful, and it is so much fun to work with! I took a small take out box from the Paper Source, and I covered it with pieces of marbled paper. The other elements used are ribbon, brads, and a pin from my from my stash. The large flower is from Prima Naturals - isn't it gorgeous and perfect?

We were visiting Shane in Uptown today, and it's like a little world over there. So many shops and fun things to see! That is where I found the Paper Source. They have handmade papers from many places in the world, and I was able to find some from Italy. I found treasures that are not found in "regular" stores, and it was wonderful to lay my hands on new and unusual things. I'll use some some of these new papers in the weeks to come so that you can see just how beautiful they are!

Paper crafting takes us down so many roads, doesn't it? I absolutely love it!