Striving For Simplicity

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

It's a wonderful start to another year. I thank God that He continues to bless me, my family, and my friends. With the Lord's help, I survived 2011 through all of the twists and turns and I look forward to what 2012 has to offer.

I've decided to do a 21-day spiritual fast along with a small group of women. We're loosely following the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church (note the church link to the left leads to the site where an audio message automatically plays) 21 Days in God's Presence Corporate Prayer and Fasting. I say loosely because each person will fast according to what the Spirit leads her to do. However, we will all follow the same scriptures as listed in the 21 Days in God's Presence.

Our group decided to meet once a week, preferably in person, to share our revelations, discuss our experiences, and be accountable. Since all of us are full time workers, it is challenging to find a time to meet. But, with a tool like Doodle it makes it easier to identify a time that works for the majority of participants.

I've decided to follow a much stricter fasting regimen. It is similar to what is discussed on Susan Gregory's blog. Basicly, I've committed to a vegan eating plan with additional restrictions such as nothing deep fried, no artificial anything, and no added sugar. As this is my second year on this fast, I know what to expect and what are some potential pitfalls.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you and hope this can help someone else along the way.

Be Blessed,
Lela

Stampin' Up! SALE!

2011-12-15T13:01:00.002-05:00

Stampin' Up! is having a BIG sale right now with some products up to 80% off! Now's the time to stock up on ribbons, punches, brads, and much more. Check out the deals at my online store. I'm sure you'll see something you'll love. Plus, you can order it from my store and have it shipped directly to you!

Start shopping at the Clearance Rack Blitz here.

Happy Penguin Punch Art

2011-12-07T20:40:00.001-05:00

I was a vendor at a recent Scrapping for Soldiers crop in Lexington Park, Maryland. I had to teach a free make and take class. After weeks of fretting, I decided on making a penguin made from punched paper pieces. I wanted something that represented the season and could be used in several ways. This penguin could be used on a scrapbook page, a card, or on a gift tag or bag.

I made this penguin after seeing several ones on You Tube. It uses Stampin' Up! punches and paper. If you're interested in receiving instructions to make one, please email me.

Pencil Stocking Stuffers

2011-11-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have been busy making gifts and samples for an upcoming crop. Here are some pencil stocking stuffer gifts. I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

Paper

Soft Suede item #115318, Cherry Cobbler item #119685, Whisper White item #100730, Pacific Point item #111350, Old Olive item#100702, Real Red item #102482, More Mustard item #100946, Brights Patterns Designer Series item #117155

Stamps

Tags til Christmas item #121169/120847, Perfect Presentation (no longer available)

Tools

Lace Border punch #122362, Petite Pennant Builder punch #122361, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle punch #119854, Ornament punch #119847, 3/4" Circle punch #119873, Scallop Edge Border punch #119882, Double Circle punch (retired)

Inks/Markers

Island Indigo, Marina Mist, Real Red, Old Olive, Basic Gray

Embellishments

Old Olive 5/8" satin ribbon #117292, Hemp Twine #100982, Marina Mist 1/8" taffeta ribbon #119257

I hope you enjoy!

Lela

Ground Zero Museum picture

2011-09-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

I got this from the Thrifty Decor Chick's blog where she has several pictures from the Ground Zero Museum in NYC. This piece touched my heart the most.

Wow, they're all heart angels. Beautiful.

I'm a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

2011-09-09T02:35:00.001-04:00

(NOTE: This was a post I meant to publish in February 2011. Somehow, I forgot about it so the information about the Sale-A-Bration event is out-of-date and has ended. Sorry folks.)

I've come full circle. I first started using rubber "art" stamps in 1995. It gave me a way to express my creativity without knowing how to paint or draw. I progressed from being a stamping neophyte to becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. When Stampin' Up! added scrapbooking products, I resisted the urge to go in that direction. I was enjoying stamping by itself. However, my customers were asking about scrapbooking. I reluctantly started teaching scrapbooking techniques. After a while, I enjoyed preserving my photo memories so much I decided to focus on scrapbooking by becoming a Creative Memories Consultant. After a few years of scrapbooking with Creative Memories, other companies started offering more products and variety. I wanted to expand my creative potential and use the explosion of products coming on the market. I turned to Memory Works and became a representative. I immersed my self in scrapbooking, hosted crops, attended crops, and met many wonderful women along the way.

After a time, personal issues took center stage and my business was put on hold. I stopped hosting crops. I slowed down attending crops. Life was getting a little too crazy.

Fast forward a couple of years, I returned to rubber stamping as a creative and theraputic outlet. Stamping is easy, quick, and produces beautiful results with a minimum of deliberation needed. I started attending Stampin' Up! club meetings held by Monica Reynolds. She approached me a couple of times about becoming a demonstrator again. She knew that I was once one back when the company celebrated its 10th anniversary. Months passed and I sat on the fence, not really interested in becoming a demonstrator. After Monica returned from a Leadership conference held by the company, she shared an amazing opportunity that was being offered. I could sign up as a demonstrator risk free. WELL, if you put it that way......

Yes! I am now a Stampin' Up Demonstrator once again after a 15-year hiatus. Now, I need to kick off my "new" business by introducing our once-a-year Sale-A-Bration event. It's a great time to order Stampin' Up! products and get free products as well. For every $50 you order (pre-tax and pre-shipping & handling), you can receive free stamp sets, paper, or other products from a special selection.

August's Stamp Club Projects

2011-09-09T01:24:00.002-04:00

I taught three projects during my August stamp club meeting. The first one was inspired by a project done by Lorri Heiling.

I gave these, containing a gift card to Starbucks, to the camp counselors as a thank you for watching my little bit and all of the other little bits over the summer. Being the obsessive person that I am, I looked up the Starbucks logo to try to imitate it on my card. Wouldn't these make great way to present a gift card to teachers, co-workers, or other service providers in your life? Here are the ingredients to make this card:

Whisper White card stock #100730
Crumb Cake card stock #120953
Garden Green card stock #102584
Early Expresso card stock #119686 (inside to represent the coffee/tea)
Scallop Circle 1 3/4" punch #119854
Decorative Label punch #120907
Large Oval punch #119855
Round Tab punch #119864
Crimper #101618
Faith in Nature stamp set #122492
SNAIL Adhesive #104332
Glue Dots #103683
Early Expresso Classic Stampin' Pad #119670

If you want add the lips to the top of the cup, like Lorri did, you'll also need:

S.W.A.K. stamp #120861

If you'd like to order any of these items, please go here.

The next project was this baby card.

I tried to make it unisex except I didn't have the right color ribbon. Even so, I think it worked out okay. Here's what you'll need to make this card:

Crumb Cake card stock #120953
Whisper White card stock #100730
2011 - 2013 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack #122384 (I used the Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder colors from the pack)
Scallop Edge Border punch #119882
Corner punch #119871
Square Lattice Embossing Folder #119976
Two Tags Bigz Die #115954
Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon #11925
2011 - 2013 In Color Stampin' Write Markers #119801
Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Marker #119677
Easy Events stamp set #123225
SNAIL Adhesive #104332
Glue Dots #103683
Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad #100908

If you'd like to order any of these items, please go here.

Finally, we made a page out of this mini book:

Each person got to choose one of the inner pages (with the travel log and calendar) to make a single tag to use on a scrapbook page or other project of her own. To make this book you'll need:

Crumb Cake card stock #120953

Whisper White card stock #100730

2011 - 2013 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack #122384
Basic Black card stock #121045
Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad #100908
2011 - 2013 In Color Classic Stampin' Pads (Pool Party #122938, Calypso Coral #122939, Lucky Limeade #122935, Wisteria Wonder #122936, Island Indigo #122937)
2011 - 2013 In Color Stampin' Write Markers set #119801
Corner punch #119871
Scallop Oval punch #119856
Heart to Heart punch #119881
Modern Label punch #119849
3/4" Circle punch #119873
1/2" Circle punch #119869
Whisper White Satin ribbon #114616
Notes & Details stamp set #122060 or From the Kitchen of stamp set #114964 (For the lines on the first page, I used a retired SU stamp. These sets are alternatives that you can use instead.)
Travel Log stamp set (retired and I hoping Stampin' Up! will offer an alternative soon)
Simply Scored Scoring Tool #122334
Sizzix Tag, Super Traditional die (retired, or other tag shape)
SNAIL Adhesive #104332
Stampin' Dimensionals #104430

If you'd like to order any of these items, please go here.

If you're in the Washington, DC metro area and would like to attend one of my classes, please contact me. My next class will be on September 25 at 3:00 p.m. I would love to have you join us!

I love ratatouille in the summer.

2011-07-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Summer is the time to make big pots of ratatouille, when the veggies are fresh from the vines. I visited our cute little farmer's market on Friday night and picked up some tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant--all of which are used in ratatouille. If you don't know what ratatouille is, I describe it as an Italian vegetable stew. Here's the recipe I use to make it:

Ratatouille

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Show: The Essence of EmerilEpisode: Fresh From the Garden

Recipe categories: Vegetables, Peppers, Zucchini, Tomato, Eggplant,
more

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini squash
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions andgarlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers,zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

I hope you try ratatouille one day. It's delicious and full of nutrients to counteract all of the junk we usually call food.

On a different note, I was reading an article where a woman was threatened with fines and a possible jail term for growing a vegetable garden in her front yard. That's an extreme reaction from the city. I don't why she decided that her front yard was the best place for her vegetable garden (instead of the back or side yards). But, to serve jail time for this choice seems rather heavy handed. What do you think?

Trying some of Ms. Werner's designs

2011-07-25T17:28:00.002-04:00

I was inspired by several of Kristina Werner's YouTube tutorials on cards. Here are the results.

This scrap ribbon card was inspired by this video.

This get well card was inspired by this video.

And, finally this card was inspired by this video.

I hope you like them.

I like this ribbon ruffle.

2011-07-24T08:56:00.000-04:00

Check out this ribbon ruffle on this card. Too cute!

August and September 2011 calendar pages

2011-07-23T17:15:00.000-04:00

I just finished creating my August and September calendar pages. I hoped to have the whole year completed by now. But, that's not the case. At least these are done and ready to use.

Looking for something cool to spend $ on?

2011-07-10T10:25:00.001-04:00

Well, check these inventions out. I have a lot of favorites on this page. However, the Condometric, night light, and dog drinking dish just made me laugh.

Are the Cylons coming?

2011-07-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

This is so weird, scary, and yet fascinating. Scientists are able to create an electronic-organic brain-like thing. Is this the beginning of the birth of a Cylon? Sooo scary.

There are giant squids living in our oceans.

2011-07-06T14:23:00.001-04:00

Some Florida fishermen found a dying 25' squid floating in the coastal water. There are so many creatures we hardly ever see.

Mini scrapbook idea

2011-07-05T14:15:00.001-04:00

I think i may do something like this

for next year's vacation Bible school. This is soooo cute. It uses one sheet of 12" x 12" cardstock. Check it out on about.com.

A nice mix of colors, textures, and flow (scrapbook page)

2011-07-04T14:07:00.000-04:00

I like Laura Vegas' style. This two-page spread is an interesting way to mix colors and textures. I like how Laura uses flowers here. I have a ton of flowers that are waiting to be used.

Super cute baby scrapbook page.

2011-07-03T14:02:00.000-04:00

This page was on Laura Vegas blog.

I hope I die empty too.

2011-07-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

Here is an excerpt from the article "I Hope to Die Empty", ,,, a South African friend asked, “Do you know what the most valuable land in the world is?” ... our friend replied, “it’s the graveyard, because with all of those people are buried unfulfilled dreams, unwritten novels, masterpieces not created, businesses not started, relationships not reconciled. THAT is the most valuable land in the world.”

WOW.

The new Stampin' Up! catalog is now here.

2011-07-03T09:15:00.000-04:00

Come check it out.

Women be thankful you live in the USA.

2011-07-02T13:59:00.000-04:00

If you lived in Saudi Arabia, you would be arrested for driving.

Really? Justin Timberlake now owns MySpace?

2011-07-02T13:56:00.001-04:00

But why?

Oops for Mark Halperin at Time magazine

2011-07-01T13:13:00.000-04:00

He must have forgotten what his mother told him. If it's not nice, don't say it.

14-YEAR OLD DRIVES CAR 1,980 MILES ON ONE GALLON OF GAS

2011-07-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

This is amazing.

I love before and after pics of creative studios.

2011-06-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

Donna Downey posted before and after pictures of her creative studio. I love how open and honest she is about loving a messy space.

How to tie amazing bows for your craft projects

2011-06-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

Becca Feeken has video tutorials which show how to tie some amazing bows for your craft projects. Here are some samples of her bows. Go check her out.