In a Mess and Out of Ideas

Hello!

(I promise you two card ideas at the end of this blog post).

This is going to be a different type of blog post. I'm going to be real and I hope you'll forgive my ramblings. I also hope writing things out will help me and maybe help someone else who feels the way I do right now.

Sometimes I just hit a creative wall and have a hard time breaking through. Do you? Please say you do. Usually it doesn't last very long but the last part of April and the whole month of May so far have just been so darn hard for me! Sure, I've posted a few cards, but I just feel in a rut.  Here's what my craft room has looked like for a few weeks and these photos were taken after I cleaned up a little bit. My whole craft room has looked like a disaster and I have felt like a disaster!

See what I mean? I even got some new stamps to play with and haven't felt like breaking them open. I know. You're probably saying, "If you'd clean up, you'd feel like creating." Usually that's true! However, I cleaned up in April and still felt the same. Even the Youtube videos I usually watch and the Instagram feeds I follow aren't as inspiring to me as they normally are.

Am I depressed? Not at all! I feel like my life is pretty great!

I've been spending a lot more time out in my flower beds cleaning them up and planting new pretty flowers. Planting veggies in my garden and even harvesting lettuce and spinach which have been so delicious! I've enjoyed working in the soil again. Feeling the sun on my back. Hearing the birds sing in my trees and privet hedges. Seeing my yard come to life.

Gardening is a different kind of being creative isn't it? Maybe I just need to relax and let my brain be creative in the way it wants to right now. Life ebbs and flows.

School is almost out. Then I'll have more time. That'll help me feel less overwhelmed I think.

I hope my ramblings help someone. Do you experience creative slumps? Do you do anything specific to break free? Do you just let things happen until you feel inspired to create again? Leave me some advice in the comments. I'd love to hear!

I found this Tuesday Tidbit that I absolutely love:

"Creative dry spells are like white space. They help your artistic life to breathe and refocus." -- Unknown

If you're still reading thank you! I so appreciate you visiting me through the good and the not so good. ;)

As promised, here are two cards I made a year ago that I still love. And yay! The Lemon Zest stamp set will be in the new upcoming Annual Catalog!

Remember, you can't have a great day unless you make it a great day!

Rebecca :)

Lovely Wishes - Tropical Style

Hello!

I'm sharing a card today using the Lovely Wishes stamp set.

This has some beautiful soft images that can be used for lots of different types of cards. 

The card I made has kind of a Hawaiian vibe, doesn't it? It just shows how versatile this set can be!

Here are a couple of other ideas for this set from the Concept Artists at Stampin' Up! They are so pretty!

And that's it! This stamp set is retiring this month so get it before it's gone. Remember to use my May Hostess Code at the top of my blog to get a free thank you gift from me!

Here's Tuesday's Tidbit on a Wednesday:

"The essence of being human is being creative." --Joel Garreau

Thanks for visiting and remember to make it a great and crafty day!

Rebecca :)

Share What You Love!

Hello!

One thing I love about being a Demonstrator is the opportunity to purchase products well before the general public. And while the Share What You Love offering has been available for about a month now to Demonstrators, during the month of May you get the chance to purchase these amazing collection of products before they are available in the upcoming catalog starting June 1st!

I'm going to let Brandi from the Home Office tell you all about it. Make sure you watch out for the free gifts you can get with your purchase and also the exclusive stamp set that won't be available in the new catalog. You're going to want to order during this special pre-order period!

If you purchase any of the bundles, please you the May Hostess Code on the right side of my blog to receive my May thank you gift! If you choose to order $150 or more, don't use the Hostess Code because you'll get ALL of the Hostess Rewards for yourself!

I'd love to hear what your favorite product(s) are from this suite! I think mine is the Designer Series Paper and the Love What You Do stamp set but I really am wanting the Gotta Have It All bundle! I can't wait to start creating!

Make today a great and crafty day!

Rebecca :)

Combining Two Stamp Sets

Hello!

May is here already! The last month of spring and the last month of the 2017-2018 annual catalog. Time just needs to slow down! However, I've seen the 2018-2019 annual catalog and I can say that you're in for a treat.

I've decided, over the next few posts, to highlight the stamp sets I own that are retiring. First off I've combined two sets into one soft and pretty card.

I used Paisleys and Posies and Lots of Love stamp sets for a fun and whimsical design. At first glance, these two sets don't really look like they work together do they? But yet they do beautifully!

I stamped all of the images in Crumb Cake ink first onto Thick Whisper White card stock. Then I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Finally, I used my Watercolor Pencils to give the paisley images soft color.

You can see in the photo above, I added some Calypso Coral Enamel Shapes and some yellow sequins from the Tutti Frutti Sequin Pack. 

Inside I stamped another sentiment from the Lots of Love set and accented it with a Crumb Cake leaf cluster from that same set.  Here's another look.

And that's it! I really like how these two stamp sets came together to make a pretty card!

Look through your stamps and see what unlikely pairings you can combine to create a beautiful and unique look.

Today's Tuesday Tidbit:

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh the thinks you can think up if only you try!" -- Dr. Seuss

Thanks for stopping by and remember to make today a great and crafty day!

Rebecca :)