Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover

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79 Cards!

79 cards, friends. 79. Not my best total after a weekend of stamping, but nothing to sneeze at either. 😉

I took up residence with my stamping buddy and her kitties over the summer and we got it done! Between the kitty help (all 3 of them), the walks, the meals, the outings, the visits, the Olympics, the rain (yes, glorious rain), I still managed to create 79 cards. My card stash (housed in those cute picture storage boxes) was getting low. Whew.

Here are the styles I worked on. Many of them are different from the top card, but have the same theme. We love to use up our “crafting stuff,” and no scrap is too small, no tidbit too uninspiring to be included for consideration.

I LOVE creating French-themed cards. One of my goals was to use up some of my French decorative paper. Check. [Hint: Even in rubber stamping, setting goals is a good thing to do!]

Another goal was to use up some tropical decorative paper. Plus, such cute pineapples!

A surprise entry to the card collection took place when Alyson started using this interesting, location-specific stamp. Old thesaurus, patterned paper, solid cardstock. This stamp represents Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico! I’ve never been there, but it looks like I should put that on the list.

This was a cute card to put together. Layers are how it works best, and you’ll notice that old thesaurus pages are one of my favorites to include. Actually, any aged pages from old books work. Though one must be careful to notice which words show up on the card.

I love these stamps! The background paper worked very well. Alas, this card was a lesson in which ink pad NOT to use! The ink never dried, so I had to carefully place scraps of paper between each card to bring them home. And then it still wouldn’t dry! I finally had to peel off the fronts, remove the backings, and re-ink the edges. Sigh. I just need to toss that ink pad. Black ink. Everywhere.

After the gloom and doom of black smeary ink, this summer card was quick, easy, and light!

A little music is good for the soul. It took a bit of time to cut out the guitars to pop on top, but the card was worth it!

Fun stamp, fun text, fun colors! We all need something to celebrate, and this card works for so many special occasions.

I LOVE stamping! It works much better with a buddy (or two or three) so you can share supplies, ideas, thoughts, and suggestions. Of course, the mess multiplies by number of creators. LOL

Can we count the kitties? Yes. I’ll leave you with one of our co-creators. This one loved the trash bag.


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Let’s Talk Hobbies

Hey, friends. If you’ve been checking out my blog for any length of time, you may know a few of my hobbies. Gardening. Photography. Books. Reading. Cats. Tote bags. Grands (though they are not this far down the actual list, were I naming things in order of importance). Bible. More books. Art. Chocolate. Travel. Exploring. Seahawks. Oh, wait. I don’t post about the Hawks. But I LOVE watching them. (And it’s a LONG time until football season.) RV living. Hiking. Heart rocks. Beach time. Food. Thrifting. Reading. And books.

Let’s not forget-rubber stamping-the topic of this post.

Last year was an anomaly for rubber stamping. Because of surgeries (2), planning for and enjoying a lovely trip to Europe, taking my grand to the beach when he turned 10 (a Nana tradition for the grands), work, writing, and so many other things, my rubber stamping time was cut to the quick. My stash of handmade greeting cards is in the red. My creative muscles did not get much exercise.

Friends, it’s already the middle of February! This year will probably go as fast as last year, but I hope to exercise those creative muscles much more in 2024. Time to get this hobby in shape!

To kick off the year, I spent a part of last Saturday making a huge mess with my stamping supplies. Those rubber stamping muscles are so rusty! It took me quite a bit to get going. And I have to admit, I create better in the company of fellow creatives-the stamping buddies. Hobbies with friends is best.

But I persevered. I managed to make 8 cards. The struggle was real!

We watched the Super Bowl. I continued my personal Super Bowl of stamping by creating as I watched the game. Ended up with another 20 cards. All one basic design, but I will count each one as a win. My honey uses my cards in his job as chaplain and celebrant. Due to lack of rubber stamping exercise last year, even HIS stash is super low!

I wasn’t going to make valentines. But then I was inspired with one more idea as I was playing with a set of stamps I recently found at a thrift store (see above list of hobbies: thrifting). For one, I’m so proud of myself for actually USING a new/old set! For two, I made 12 more cards!

The mess is real. It’s still spread hither and yon. All worth it.

What hobbies do you enjoy? Let’s hear about it. Maybe I will find a new hobby!


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Stamping with Friends: Friends and Hobbies Rock!

Oh, yes. Loads of stamping fun!

Finally, the weather cooperated enough (barely) to allow me to get over Snoqualmie Pass and hit up my college roomie and longtime friend for some stamping fun! The Pass (Cascade Mountains) played it a bit dodgy at first, as workers decided to close it for avalanche control at the very time I needed to be crossing over. And then the road between my city and the next one up north (which crosses three humps and is often awful) closed for semi-truck slide outs due to icy slick roads. EEK!

One of the new kitties, Honey, LOVED sitting on top of my 3-drawer organizer…also in the open drawer…which then tipped precariously and nearly went over.

But we have “The Canyon” road. It’s lovely, slow going, windy, and beautiful. So off I went through The Canyon and hit a white out! Sheesh. I nearly cancelled the whole trip, but my honey said just keep going to see how it was in Ellensburg.

Jubilee, another new kitty, LOVED mama snuggles and serving her stamping internship by tromping across our projects and hauling my shoes down the stairs. Waves at Alyson and her kitty baby.

And whew. Roads were fine. I made it. We stamped. We had extra new kitty help (oh, my). I lost things (socks) and found my shoes downstairs when they used to be upstairs. Lots of loves, fur, and excitement. “Incoming!!!” (which means a cat has jumped in the middle of our resources-strewn work surface).

I was even able to connect with 3 other college-met longtime friends on two different nights for dinner and quick catch-ups. Waves at Ann, Roxan, and Renee!

59 cards later, success at using up certain stamping supplies, frustration at the clock moving so fast, and it was time for me to pack up my little white “truck” (actually a Mazda front-wheel drive car) with all my stuff and head back over The Pass to our little home in the pasture.

Yummy meals, lots of chatting, creative messes, staying in jammies until late, walks to the Village . . .

Per the additional cat scents and floating bits of fur, Monet (our cat) was MOST interested in every single thing that came home with me, cards included. Apparently the cards are a great place to sit, stand, and walk.

can’t wait for the next trip!


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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, dear ones!

May peace and joy fill your hearts and homes.

Thinking of you and praying for a new year overflowing with God’s blessings.

xo


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Rubber Stamping in the Time of COVID

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I know I’m not the only-NOT EVEN CLOSE-person who has had plans and lives totally disrupted, cancelled, or ruined by COVID-19. It is a pandemic, and many people around the world have suffered, lost family members and friends, or even lost the battle themselves. When you consider those staggering losses, the tiny little loss of my regularly scheduled stamping weekends seems trite and uncaring.

But I do care. This pandemic has challenged us all in many different (yet similar) ways. I pray for our city, state, nation, and world to be healed. So I mask up when I go out. And I stay home.

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Having a hobby is necessary as we are staying at home, working from home, eating at home, recreating at home . . . everything at home. I’ve recently noticed that I am even getting bored of reading! I can’t believe I said that! Please. Libraries. Please open! (On a side note, I was able to visit my local bookstore for 15 minutes-that’s the time limit-to pick up my 2021 planner. Thank you, Inklings, for being open enough to allow us to request and do curbside pick up.)

I digress. Rubber stamping. My hobby. Usually, by this time of year, I’ve made between 3-5 trips across the Cascades to set up rubber stamp shop with my stamping buddy. These trips come with assorted college friends’ get-togethers, meals out, shopping, walking, exploring. And Stamping. With a capital S.

The total this year? 1.

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ONE. This occurred in February, before most of us had even caught on to the seriousness of COVID. Even before the winter snowy weather was complete. My trip required my honey to drive and pick me up. Too early, as my friend and I popped awake to the pre-dawn sound of studded snow tires. Rats.

I am thankful that we risked life and limb, slick roads and storms, to kick off the year of stamping. We all know how life came to a screeching halt shortly thereafter.

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We finally realized we could, like everything else anyone does, enjoy short times of virtual rubber stamping. I think it took so long because of school duties (she is a teacher, and I was helping homeschool my grands) and we thought things would open up sooner rather than later.

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So. Later. We use the Messenger app and call each other and visit while we stamp. With my phone, I have to wear ear plugs, so my phone sits in a measuring cup, tipped up but able to hold the ear plug jack. She props hers up on something. Actually, I can’t see it, so I don’t know. We stamp, chat, show and tell our projects, offer advice, and generally try to enjoy our hobby. If I have to move, she goes with me in the measuring cup. If she goes, I wait on the table (I’m on the phone after all, heh-heh) or she hauls me along and I try not to get seasick.

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It works. I have a tiny cat food can box tray of projects in process. Just looking at the box brings me joy and hope. And I know I can pick it up and work on my nearly finished creations at any time.

How about you? What hobbies do you enjoy? How have you adjusted to the pandemic? Have you tried virtual hobbies? I’d love to hear how you are filling the time. Besides snacking, which has turned into another unfortunate hobby.

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Hang in there, friends. We will get through this!