New Found Tools

I had fun sewing a zig zag stitch around the border. But I realized you could barely see it because of the metallic champagne colored acrylic paint I used. So, I just inked the edges to make the stitching pop out more. Problem solved. It all worked out in the end.
I really love this quote! Makes your heart melt. I enjoyed hand-sewing the wool felt ( left overs from Fiona's hair clips) leaves on the tree. It really added another layer of texture. I think I'm getting a little carried away on the ink edging though. I'm not even sure what you call it. But it's addicting.
Here, I used Abby's butterfly template with Jenny's yellow mist. Then I used the aged mahogany distress ink around the edges. Just to think I started off with a creme colored cardstock. Very cool.

I'm trying out new tools: mists, paint, distressed ink and sewing machine. Who would have thought sewing on paper would be so much fun?! The possibilities are endless. My brain is spitting out ideas faster than I can jot down.

Oldie but Goodie

I found an old card from Alicia, Boo, and Ruby. The letterpressed love birds inspired this layout.

Also found our announcements and save the date cards tucked away in a box. Such a waste not to display them somehow.

This paper, on the other hand, along with the embellishments, are all brand new goodies from a scrap book store in Berkeley and the scrap expo in Del Mar. The funny thing is I dragged Gail with me but she ended up spending more than I did!

Believe it or not, cleaning my so-called craft room, sparked my ideas for these new layouts. I found tons of photos, papers, old invitations, receipts, and a plethora of memorabilia which are all boxed up into different containers. Just a pile of inspiration that I could not part with (a huge problem of mine...saving things). There's no place to store all this junk. I really do need to purge. But it's too adorable to toss. So, I scrapped some of it. I plan to use all of these old goodies and make lovely art and gift tags for future use. Let's reuse and recycle, I say!

Fascination With Fountains

Whenever we go to the mall or any place that has a fountain we have to stop and let Fiona have her free fun and giggles. She LOVES watching the water trickle down. If we're lucky, sometimes there's goldfish or koi swimming under the lily pads. We love how the simple things in life make her smile. At the moment, she has such a fascination with fountains.

We let her use up our pennies and make wishes (we should be teaching her how to save money and put it in a piggy bank or something). But that will come sooner or later. I think it's adorable when she sits at the edge of the fountain and slowly drops the coins in one at a time. Then when she runs out, she asks, "Money?" Too funny!

12 X 12 Layouts

This was my first attempt using a 12 x 12 layout. I thought for sure there was going to be some empty space. But I kept adding sticker after rub-on, then some ribbon. And in no time, the space started to fill itself. Thank goodness there are no rules. Or are there? Just go with the flow and let the design take its course. I had a whole lot of fun!

I could see why this is addicting. The papers, the ribbon, and all of the embellishments are so darn cute! Plus, it's always nice to reminisce while looking at old photos.

A Surprise Visit

The other day a former student came to visit me during class. As soon as she walked in I recognized her, first name and last. Believe it or not, I'm really good with memorizing names. I know, it's crazy. But luckily, we were just getting ready to have P.E. So, I was able to have a little time to sit and chat with her. I thought, "Oh, my goodness! Vanessa, Vanessa! " She was from my very first class back in the year 2000.

I was their fourth substitute teacher. Apparently, this class had ran off the other teachers before me. Believe me, that fifth grade class was notorious! There were some unforgettable characters. They actually bragged for making the other teachers cry or flip out! I don't know what possesed me to stay and stick it out. I told myself, if I could work here, I could work anywhere. And I still work here.

This part of our conversation stood out and left my heart feeling warm and fuzzy all day long. She said that she wanted to visit her FAVORITE teacher in elementary school. Whoa! That's heavy! I needed a Kleenex. To think, me, having an impact on kids. I've had many, many days, where I've told myself, this is TOO much work and all my efforts are thankless. But when students come around and say they're in college and doing wonderful things, well, I rethink it all. That passion and purpose somehow recharges itself.