Sorry for the Delays and postponements!

I wanted to  publish a ver sincere apology to all of you who have been waiting on me to publish a few  tutorials that I'd had int he pipes.  I had a spell with my health that had me down down a week and when I started feeling better I took a fall at the bottom of our steps and cracked my head open., The next day my laptop was dropped and I've once again lost all of my data and am rebuilding a new laptop with a backup built on Backblaze.
If You hadn't read my previous post on Backblaze,  you should read it now.
If you use your computer for every part of your life as I do, then everything of importance is stored on that drive.

If you were to have a hard drive failure or lose your laptop, where would you be? Well I know where I would be.... LOST and CRYING.; Luckily I subscribe to a service by Backblacke who runs a realtime back-up of my workstation every minute of every day. I have had to use the restore options two times in two months to rebuild my machines and yeah, it's a pain to put all the apps back on my machine and to put all thedata back where it belongs but I'm not complianing because I have all the info and I have teh ability to restore. I am not lost and crying because all of my info is gone.On the sizebar of my blog you'll find a link to Backblaze, I hope you'll use it.

This about how valuable your data is, wehther it's pictures or data, class planning, etc.... things cannot be easily replaced if ever but with Backblaze you have it all at your fingertips. It is SOOOOO worth it.

I'll be back on track soon with my data all where it belongs and chugging along as if nothing happened. If I owe you some data, bear with me. I'm trying to get caught

Inky Hugs
Peg

My Tribute to My Japanese Family - Wishing Them All Well!

Growing up Japanese-American, my mom always put emphasis on me being American first.. She felt that since I was lucky enough to be born and live in the USA I should always honor the American side of me first. She taught me to always be proud of my Japanese heritage but to remember that I was American/Japanese.

I have always loved that I have the Japanese culture in my hertiage. I am proud of the people, the way they compose themselves and they way they live life and treat people. Japanese people are people of great honor and dignity and they take care of their own, always. They honor the elderly and hold them in high regard while also raising the young to  be respectful. The culture is just different... they take care of each other in ways that aren't embraced by many cultures.  It's just always been something I've been proud of and today, as I watch the news and see how they have reacted to the horrible earthquake and following tsunami, I am even more proud. The Japanese people are so proud and have such high regard for respectfulness that there isn't looting and rioting etc... instead, it's neighbor helping neighbor... they are really a credit to mankind and reflect the type of heart that God instills in each of us.

My card is simple. Cherry blossoms should be plentiful in Japan right now but many are probably unaware of their blossoms. They are too busy surviving. I hope one cherry blossom can give one person hope that tomorrow a new day, will also bring better times. The sentiment "arigato" is meant for everyone in the world who is helping these great people get back to their normal lives. The yellow ribbon is tied so each of those missing can find their way "home." 

My mothers family is in Yamagata. I pray they are all ok. I have never met them and they do not know of me but that doesn't mean they aren't in my hearts and my prayers.

Arigato to each of you for caring about the Japanese people. Please tie a yellow ribbon around your cherry blossom so that they can all find their way home too. So many are still missing and they need to find their way  "home."
Domo Arigato!

Twisted Card Tutorial

After posting my twisted windmill card I started receiving requests for the instructions to make the card. I've put together a tutorial for you which I hope is easily understood. This is only my 2nd tutorial and I'm still kind of nervous about how well they're written. If you have any questions or hit any areas that are questionable, email me and I'll be glad to help out.

If you decide to try one, I'd love to see your creations too!
 

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Stamping!

Quilted Card Trinket Box

For months I've been itchin' to make a trinket box using the matchbox die from Stampin' Up! but I couldn't find good instructions and when I did find some I found I lacked motivation.  FINALLY, I did muster up motivation and  then couldn't locate the instructions.
Well this week I had motivation and even without instructions I made the trinket box for my son's girlfriend.  I used the quilt card tutorial by Jenna Barber on Splitcoaststampers. The color combo's and actual trinket box were cased from another poster but I can't remember who. If it was you
and you're reading this posting, email me so I can give you proper credit.

I love how this came out so I'm sure I'll be making more. The matchbox die is so versatile, I just love making goodies with it!

In making this I've used Springtime Vintage DSP, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede and pink Pirouette cardstock. To give the top and base a little extra support I used the lightweight chipboard that comes with the DSP. It's the perfect weight for reinforcement on these projects.

Hope you enjoy looking at this project and will want to try one yourself. Happy Stamping!

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Layered Windmill

Ok... this will be my last windmill... for awhile. I really enjoyed this one because I started playing with layers and every time I would lay out a different print it just changed the look of the layer. Its been so great playing with all these layers and making all these different cards.

I am also enjoying the new lenses that my husband Eric purchased for our camera. Well, his camera. We bought him a Nikon D40 about 2 years ago. Up till now we haven't done too much with it other than the occasional family photo and taking pics of gatherings etc.... when I started trying to take pictures of cards I found my needs were more intense and that I needed the ability to get super-up-close and personal. I really thought my only option was to buy a new camera. From what I'd read I believed that I needed a new camera that had super-extra-great macro abilities but Eric tried to convince me that what I really needed were a lense or two for our Nikon. He found the lenses he felt we needed and purchased them. I have to admit I am camera-challenged and now he's made it even harder for me to get a good pic because I have to learn how to use these add-ons to our camera.

I think after playing with the camera and lenses for a few weeks now I'm getting the hang of it and I'm finding I can get great up-close pics.  I love attention to detail and I feel it's one of my strengths. Now that I can actually photograph these little tidbits, I'm happy.

This is my layered windmill. This is made with my flavorite of papers, Springtime Vintage DSP.  Such beautiful paper and so versatile.Really this is a simple card, made with few papers, one simple sentiment stamp and some pearls. I love the look, hope you do too!
Thanks for stopping by and happy stamping!

Twisted Windmill

This Card being entered in the 
CS24T Technique Challenge


OMG - Have you noticed that it is extremely difficult to make a card for another stamper but it's even more difficult to make a card for your Stampin' Up! upline! You know it has to be over the top, something special and unique.... it just has to be... it can't be your normal, run of the mill card...
While stewing over the card you need to make you are also nursing an obsession with a new design that you just love working with. You've already made one card with this design and you've posted it on your blog so you can't copy it and make another so you find yourself trying to find a way to make a card with this new design while also setting it apart and making it special.

Last Week I posted a card called Luxurious Pinwheel which I made from inspiration provided by Stephanie Uzee.  Making that card reminded me so much of making a quilt in that the print patterns and the arrangement of the pieces totally changes the look of the blocks.  The print patterns sometimes provide a 3D effect and the patterns along with texture provide depth.

As much as I loved working with that design I found I wasn't done with it because there were so many options in how to set it on the background. I've continued to play with different patterns and colors and have liked each new one better than the one before it.

I loved setting the card on a plain background but somehow I just felt that I could find a way to set it where it really popped and became even more visually stimulating. FINALLY, I came across a tutorial from a European stamp company for a twisted card that sat upright. I LOVED the way the card sat and immediately I thought of that pinwheel and how setting it on that twisted card would really set it off.
My other new obsession is marrying different labels and shapes to make some new and interesting shapes for sentiments. There are so many choices and it's fun to try them out!

Finally I married the pinwheel with the twisted card and came up with a card I thought was unique and something I'd be proud to give my upline.  

This card is totally freestanding. My card was made to fit inside a 6"x6" envelope. Even coming out of the envelope, it's interesting....

The card is made from some of my favorite papers. I love, love, love Baja Breeze which I used for the base and the windmill is made from  opposing patterns in Elegant Soiree'.   It's matted with Crumb Cake and Soft Suede.  The label is made from two decorative labels cut from Not Quite Navy. After cutting I sat them together one parallel and the other vertical. The white label is one from the matchbox die. I love the shapes together. The sentiment and butterfly are both from Sale-A-Bration set "So Happy For You." I love the layered, lacy edges provided by different shades cut from the Eyelet Border punch... another of my favorites.

Hope you enjoy the card.  Happy Stamping!

Tutorial for Origami Corner Bookmarks

This is the easiest bookmark you'll ever make but it's cute, it's functional and it's fast.

The basic bookmark requires only a 6x6 doube-sided piece of paper

 Fold in half

 Fold 1 coner back to half-way point

 Fold right corners up to half-way point and make sure to crease well.
Unfold the 2 corners you just folded up.  (the purpose of this step is only to crease the paper for the next step)

 Hold the bookmark in your hand and open the area between the corner that was folded down and the back,

While holding the bookmark, fold the 2 right corners up into the fold. The creases you made earlier should help in folding these up.  Now the back sheet will be a square but the other 3 corners will be folded up into a triangle.

When finished your bookmark should look like this.  It's useable as is, just side down over the corner of the page. If you like you can embellish.

Luxurious Pinwheel

I cannot believe that I actually have another post for today. I was inspired by a card posted by Stephanie Uzee for the Paper Pal Arts Color Challenge.  Its not rare that I love something so much that I will keep track of it so I can try to replicate it someday. It IS rare though for me love something so much that I just have to try it that same day and for me to complete it that same day.   This pinwheel really reminded me of the windmill type quilt block and I had to try my hand at it.
This week my shipment from Stampin' Up! included the Lap of Luxury DSP and I just LOVE the colors. Pink and purple are my hands-down flavorites and this paper just screams my name. The block didn't go together as easily as I had hoped but I figured it out and I'm happy with the outcome.
Thank you to Stephanie for the inspiration!

Easy Peasy Corner Bookmarks

I ran across an origami tutorial on these corner bookmark and fell in love with them for several reasons.... First of all they're easy as all get out, they require very little time, they require very few materials and mostly because they're cute and useful.

These are simply an origami corner bookmark which I've made from Stampin' Up! DSP and a few embellishments. Just too easy and you can easily make a few in 15 minute or so. My 10 year old daughter (who I use as the gauge on whether younger people will like something) thinks they're great.

 

Hope you like them and will make a few for a child you know that loves to read!
Thanks for stopping by!