I’m writing this post on the very last day of school…. just counting the minutes until I can leave… Glorious summer. Every Teacher’s dream. 🙂
Needless to say, I’m excited. And I have a cheery happy flower to share, that matches my current mood.
This comes from the stamp set called In Symmetry, and I just love how easy it is to use. I sponged petal pink and flamingo on the stamp to give it the ombre look and then stamped it right on. Super easy and fast!
Here’s wishing you a fantastic summer! I hope you get to spend some time with people you love and have a chance to stamp!
In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day (I think we’ve discussed this before…). And, you may be looking at the picture and wondering how in the world is she going to make a Lei theme off THAT–
Well, it’s all about what May represents to ME. May– Lei Day, Mother’s Day, Graduation—these are 3 very FLORAL holidays packed into one month (still, you must be thinking–there are no florals there….)
Well, we have helped out with graduation at our school for nearly 20 years now. That’s a long time. And, every year of those 20 years we’ve been responsible for helping to collect and then decorate with any greenery that we can come up with. And, I’m talking it’s raid all the yards–aunty, neighbor, grandma… if they have green it’s up for grabs for graduation. And, all these people are SO WILLING to let us have! (Hey, it’s also a free landscaping service… hahaha)
Because this is how important these holidays are. And, how much aloha is shared by giving these greens and flowers. The below stamps (from a retired stamp set called Tranquil Thoughts, and I used Garden Green and Old Olive) remind me of the banana leaves that we can use to cover podiums, stairs, put in LARGE, like human size, flower arrangements.
This is all to make this day special. And, the lei.. All to make lei day special. It’s the flowers that represent the aloha behind the gift to the other person. The greens– the passing to another that says–“I see you and you are special so here is a little reminder that God made you in his image and that is good.”
So, that’s what these leaves, this month, and this time of celebration means to me!
I hope you have a wonderful May Day! Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you this day!
I love celebrating. And I love flowers. So, I knew this Celebrate With Flowers stamp set needed to be part of my collection.
I mean, just look how happy it is! I was attracted to the simple line art and the quirkiness of it when I saw it, and I just love the variety of ways you can make it work. I also love that it lends itself to a unique style of card (think slim-line) as well. The inclusion of the vertical Happy Birthday is also what attracted me to this set–different than the norm, and unexpected! (I will include a pic of the images below).
So, for April, I hope you can find something to celebrate! And, while doing so, make some pretty flowers to go along with the celebration!
Go check out what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!
PS: This stamp set is currently available, but it will NOT be available for much longer! It’s being retired at the end of this month (but, will only be around while supplies last!) So, if you want to own one, you better snatch it up FAST! If you message me, I can help you do that!
It’s time again to turn the page for a new year! 2022 had been much anticipated with the ever elusive dream of returning to normal. Perhaps with that page turn, it’s time to consider a new dream:
We can look to the beautiful bamboo plant for some lessons– or more appropriately– use it as a guide for how we approach this new year.
In Asian cultures, bamboo is symbolic of good luck, longevity, strength, health… all the things we would wish for in the new year. I felt it fitting to be the January for 2022.
One of the prominent characteristics of bamboo is that it is strongly rooted, yet flexible. This allows it to bend in the wind without breaking. I think this is good advice… Though we are all weary of the last couple of years, it’s difficult to think about approaching this coming year with this type of advice. However, if we’ve learned anything is how resilient we can be. If we can approach this new year as one with the wishes of luck and long life, however with the understanding that winds come and things change… however those things mold us and shape us into who we are meant to be. We can bend without breaking because we are rooted in the foundation of our faith, family, and friends.
For this calendar, I used Soft Suede as the backing and the bamboo stalks. I stamped off so that it would be a little lighter to see over the numbers of the calendar. I made a stencil with a scrap card stock and punched out a circle. I lined it up with my calendar and used the blender brushes to create the sun (so saffron, mango melody). Super easy but creates a nice sunset.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2022. Also wishing that you are able to remain rooted and established when the trials do come.
Anne and Cheryl have also created 2022 calendars to help ring in the New Year!!
Christmas brings such JOY to me! I love this stamp set with the bold declaration of “JOY”!
All the images come from the stamp set Peace and Joy. And, they’re great for mixing and matching–and adding the large script with a small block print. It works perfectly here and would be great on a Christmas card too! I used real red and old olive for the images. Expresso is used for the block text. Super simple, super easy, but a striking declaration of the season!
I can’t believe we are at the end of the year! It has come so quickly! I pray that you can know the Joy that has been declared to the world through the birth of our Savior! We celebrate Him this season!
If you happen to be on Maui, stop by our street! Come shop local makers and small businesses to finish up your Christmas lists! As an added treat, the Maui High School Choir will be caroling through the streets! Hope to see you!
Have a wonderful Christmas! And head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have in store for you today!
If you’ve been with us for this year, you will notice that this stamp set looks familiar….
Forever Fern!! It is what we used for the cover of our calendar this year. This set is amazingly versatile. You can change up the colors and have a completely different feel. For this month, I used the blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze, Bumblee, and Pumpkin Pie to create the bundle of fall stems.
For me, November is when we start turning our focus to the holiday season. Our schedules ramp up and we get lost in the shuffle of trying to CREATE a holiday. Lets slow our focus and pause to think about the things for which we are thankful. And, let’s be forever thankful for those we love.
Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you.
Happy October! It’s here! Officially fall and sweater weather (well, I can dream, right??) I currently am diffusing a harvest blend so that I can pretend I’m enjoying fall while I am sweating away in my office…
SU released a set called Harvest Hello (now retired) and it had a coordinating ‘apple’ punch to go with it. But, you could use that apple to also make pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns! I love using punches that coordinate with stamps… Makes it super easy to create cute projects. This little pumpkin would be a cute bag topper. It would even be cute just dimmensionaled (like how I turned the SU product into a verb??) to one of the snack size candy bars! And, because it’s so easy to make, you can make DOZENS in no time at all!
With the page turn to October, it makes my mind start thinking about the upcoming holiday crafting. And, then the panic that always comes with the ‘…I haven’t started my holiday crafting’ realization. So, if you need me, that is what I will be doing this month… 🙂 Namely starting on the 2022 easel calendar! See you next month!!
Check out what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!
If you have followed me for ANY length of time, you will know that I CANNOT turn down a beautiful sunflower. I positively love sunflowers. In fact, I believe they are my favorite flower. Something about…. you can take the girl out of Kansas, but can’t take Kansas out of the girl…
Imagine my delight when we got a sunflower farm on Maui:
I cannot believe I get to live HERE. So many blessings…
When Stampin’ Up released Celebrate Sunflower, I just knew I had to have it. And, I knew it would be a lot of fun to use with our stampin’ blends. The blends make coloring a true joy…
September is the month that turns our minds towards fall and the anticipation of all the excitement that will be coming. I love the fall colors and pumpkins and cozy sweaters (except, the sweaters are not so good for where I live).
I used crumb cake as a good neutral background to this flower. And, used a variety of blends (including daffodil, mango, crumb cake, bronze, and soft suede. There are many ways to accomplish a variety of looks. Play around with coloring! You will find your favorite.
Head on over to check out what Anne and Cheryl has for you today!
AAAAAHhhhhhhhh…. August. The month that is both full of excitement and trepidation…. Funny how the ONE event can have both feelings…. but, alas, school is starting again.
I am very excited to go back to school. I have missed students! But, I’m also anxious about it because it means getting back to the busy. I am trying to find a way to keep the ‘slowness’ of the shutdown alive a little longer…
This beautiful stamp set is called Thoughtful Blooms. And, it was an Sale-A-Bration offering from last year. (No longer available) It also had the coordinating flower punch which makes this set really pop!
I love paring smoky slate and flirty flamingo together. They are such a good combination… the peacefulness of the gray with the excitement of the pink. Kind of the balance I am searching to create in my own busy.
Thanks for stopping by! Happy back to school! Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!
I write while I am basking in the glory days of summer. The days are lazy and glorious, but we are SPEEDING through the weeks. And, I know that I will be returning to school in a few short weeks….. sigh.
Anyway, That’s what this bee means to me. Now, I know that bees are stereotypically busy… But, the serenity in these images and the feeling that I get to stop and actually notice the bees… That is what the glory days of summer are to me.
ANYAY…. I digress. This stamp set, (now retired) Is Honey Bee. It had a fantastic set of coordinating dies. The simplicity in the images and designs make for a fantastic calendar (and card). They are the epitome of simple stamping. Which is perfect for summer so that there is still time left over to sit and enjoy the world around you…and truly celebrate every moment.
The yellow I selected for this month is Bumble Bee (obviously) and it makes a simple monochromatic layout and image.
Hope you are able to slow down and enjoy summer. Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!
hanniejoy&co 