CHA 2014, Days 2 and 3

W-O-W-Z-A. There has been so much to see and do here at CHA — amazingly talented people, wonderful new products, and the artistry, creativity and down-right cleverness that's literally around each and every corner? It's all truly inspiring! Vanna White was here yesterday, promoting her yarn brand and hosting a cute fashion show (look closely at the photos in this post and you'll catch a glimpse of her). Today I was in a small group chatting with the super-talented Tim Holtz, where he reminded us that we are all (every one of us) artists and to never stop being creative and expressing ourselves. He is such a good guy, so humble, so inspiring, and so, SO nice! Here are a few of my favorite photos from today and yesterday. The show ends tomorrow — we are exhausted and we miss our families, but we're happy (other than the first-world problem of a super-slow internet connection in our hotel room tonight... but we survived). Good night all!

"Everything you can imagine is real."  —Pablo Picasso

CHA 2014, Day 1

Greetings! I'm in Anaheim, CA with my pal Diane, at the big CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) Mega-Show. Yesterday was a day of classes and workshops, and today was the first day that the show floor was open. We went through the first few rows of booths, meeting lots of nice people and seeing some inspiring new products and beautifully decorated displays. Now we're back in our hotel after doing a little shopping, resting up for another big day tomorrow. Here are a few photos of some of my favorite sights of day number one. More to follow. Good night! 

 "Art is the voice of the heart."  —unknown

"Watch with glittering eyes."  —Roald Dalh

"Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers..."  —unknown

2014... What?

Well. Welcome world to a brand-new year! The year just passed was, honestly, a difficult one for me on a personal level. I lost both of my grandmothers, my husband lost his job of 18 years (and was unemployed for over six months), Our son moved away, our daughter had some challenges, and there were some other things that just seemed to complicate everything else and make life, well, HARD! But here we are at a new beginning of sorts. My husband has a new job, I have some new opportunities, our children are doing well, and we are looking forward with anticipation of what life will bring us in 2014 and beyond.

This is an exciting time in that it's "new release" time over at Impression Obsession. I have lots of new stamp designs that I am thrilled for the world to see! And our design team has been doing some amazing things with them that make me so happy! Pictured here are just a couple samples of their work. First card is by Jeanne Streiff, and the second card is by Vicki Garrett.

This is also an exciting time because later this week I'm heading down to Anaheim, CA for the big, huge, awesome CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) Mega-Show & Convention. I cannot wait to get there and see all the new exciting products, ideas and techniques to be had in the paper crafting and rubber stamping industries! Yay! I'll be taking lots of photos and will post some here later.

All right now, it's time for me to run. Lots to do! Let's all go be good to one another, and make the new year wonderful!

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come..."  —Alfred Tennyson

Thankful...

Well, this year has gotten away from me. Life is just a blur these days! I just can't get it all done, and that's why this poor blog has been on the back burner for so long. 

Anyway, I wanted to pop in today because next week is Thanksgiving and it's my absolute favorite time of year. And I needed to share this card by the talented Jeanne Streiff, that uses two of the stamps from one of my newer sets from Impression Obsession, CL405 - I am Thankful. Isn't this the cutest card? Love-love-love it. And there are several other word stamps in the set that are also very appropriate for this wonderful time of year. Get yours today! :-)

Tomorrow happens to be my birthday, and last night a few of my amazing gal-friends threw me a surprise party, wherein was served several kinds of pie. They sent me home with some and I had some of my friend Diane's amazing apple pie for breakfast this morning. What can I say, it's a wonderful life!

Okay, it's time for me to run. Remember to be thankful today!

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice."  —Meister Eckhart

New Halloween Stamps!

Hey there! I'm just popping in to share some of my brand new stamps, available now for pre-order from Impression Obsession. Summer is quickly winding down and the Holiday Season will soon be upon us, so I thought today I'd feature my three new Halloween Clear Sets. These were SO FUN to create, and the design team has done some great things with them so far! This card, from IO design team member Jeanne Strieff, uses my spider and my "poisonous potions" images on a spooky and splotchy Halloween- green background. I love it! The three new Halloween sets are CL488 "Have Broom Will Travel" (which includes the "poisonous potions" stamp), CL489 "Lose Your Head," and CL490 "Tangled Web" (which includes the spider stamp). And as always, in addition to the clear sets, all of these stamps are also available from Impression Obsession as individual rubber cling or wood-mounted stamps. Order yours today, and let the holiday stamping begin! :)

Okay, time for me to run, as the hubs and I are headed out tomorrow for a week of R&R. Yay! Hope you all are enjoying the last of Summer. Take care, friends.

"From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!"
                       —Scottish Saying

CHA Sneak Peek

Hi All - It's been a while. I'm not yet quite ready to get back to blogging regularly, but I wanted to pop in today and post a fun sneak peek. The big CHA semi-annual convention is coming up in a couple weeks in Las Vegas, and with that comes the big new Summer releases of NEW STAMPS, including the new Fall & Winter holiday stamps! I have lots of sweet new designs coming out from Impression Obsession and I can't wait for you to see them. Here's a photo of one of them - it's an A2-size background stamp called "Christmas Words." Mitra from IO just sent me this sample photo and it really got me in the Christmas mood, here in my house in Northern California, where the temperature outside today is predicted to rise over 110 degrees! Not very Christmas-y out there, but I am sure feeling Christmas here inside. Anyhoo, there will be lots of new, fun, creative and inspiring stamps of all kinds coming out real soon and I'll share them as I can. In the meantime, I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Later, dudes! 

"Summertime is always the best of what might be."  —Charles Bowden

"Ah, Summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it!"  —Russell Baker

Break Time...

Having some life stuff happen that I need to focus on, so it's time for another blogging break. Be back soon...


Go be happy!

My Stamps in the Archivers Store!

While in Utah this past week I wandered into an Archiver's store and saw some of my clear stamp sets for sale! I've seen my stamps in stores before but it never fails to give me a thrill. The Archiver's company made a large buy of some of my stamp sets from Impression Obsession earlier this year and it's actually a pretty big deal, so it was of course exciting to see them in the store with my own eyes! Here are a few photos for your enjoyment. FYI, the sets they're selling are some fun word sets. Here's a list with links so you can have a closer look and maybe get some for your very own!

You are Amazing (CL424)
Family Reunion (CL440)
Going Postal (CL438)
Oz Collection II (CL432)
You are Beautiful (CL423)
Thank You (CL427)
Life is Good (CL436)
Love Never Fails (CL434) 


We just got home from our Utah trip late last night, so today is rest, laundry, hug my kids, etc. day. Have I mentioned before that the drive (11 hours) between here at Salt Lake City is not so fun? The Sierra Nevada mountains in California are beautiful, but I have to say that Interstate 80 across Nevada is boooor-ing! Good thing I had my sweet hubby to keep me company. We had a nice time visiting friends and family (Julie & Mike, you are the best hosts ever and always make us feel so welcome!), but of course it's oh-so-nice to be home! Okay, time to run. Go do something today that makes you happy!

"Believe in yourself! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."  —Norman Vincent Peale

Die Storage Idea

Hey all. I made this magnetic board for storing my dies, and it's working really well for me! I will need to make another (or more) as my die collection grows, but they're inexpensive to make and I think they look pretty good! Here are the supplies needed:

8x10 picture frame of your choice, and
2 (each) self-adhesive magnetic sheets, 5x8 inches (I got mine in the craft department at WalMart for just a couple dollars)

Simply adhere the magnet sheets to the backing board of your fame, and replace it in to the frame. Hang it on the wall, add your dies and you're done! Easy as that. I'm all for simple and inexpensive ways to get organized. If you give it a try let me know how it works for you.

Okay, time to run. Have a wonderful day!

"Rules for Happiness: Something to do, someone to love, something to hope for."  —Immanuel Kant

Finalist!!!

Oh boy, oh baby, yes sir, and no kidding... I made it! I am a FINALIST in the 2013 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest! I will travel to Las Vegas this November and compete against 99 other lucky and talented cooks for the chance to win a cool million dollars! To say I am excited would be a bit of an understatement... believe me there are no words to express how I feel about this. The Bake-Off starts seven months from TODAY - November 10, 2013. It's gonna be a long wait! But that's ok, right?

I had the exciting opportunity of being interviewed and demonstrating my Bake-off recipe this past Saturday morning on the local Sacramento ABC news station. Here's a link to that if you'd like to take a look:

Okay, time to run. Gotta go spend some quality time with my boys! Hugs to all.

www.bakeoff.com

"I've got nothing to do today but smile."  —Paul Simon

He is Risen.

Greetings. What a blessed time of year this is, as we remember what is without a doubt the single most important thing that has ever happened on this earth. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, paid the price for the sins of each one of us, was crucified, and rose again on the third day. He won the victory over death so we all can live again. Happy Easter.

"Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let Earth her song begin:
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein—
Invisible and visible, 
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen,
Our joy that hath no end."
    —Saint John of Damascus

The Word is: HOME

Home. The meaning of this word has been changing a bit for me over the recent past. It is now much more a feeling than a place, and it feels like security, comfort, safety, acceptance, trust and love. This is home to me. What feels like home to you?

Today I'm sharing another of my new stamp sets, HOME SWEET HOME, which will be released later this year by Impression Obsession. This is another of my hand-sketched and hand-lettered collections. They're "perfectly imperfect" on purpose. Try them with one of the new chalkboard techniques - so fun! My hope is that when you look at these images you will feel the feelings of home. Enjoy!

"Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go."  —Sarah Dessen 

Getting a Little Sketchy...

On this beautiful SPRING morning (yay springtime!) I thought I'd share one of my newest designs, which will be released as both clear and rubber stamps this summer by Impression Obsession. While I sill love the words and many of my designs are still text-based, I am branching out more and doing more hand-sketched pieces. This is one of a collection of two botanical sets that I've done, and there are lots of other new things to come this summer as well. Can't wait for you to see them, and I myself can't wait to get my hands on the new stamps! What fun.

It's an amazing, gorgeous spring day here in NorCal - it rained a little yesterday, but today is crisp and clear, the sky is stunningly blue, flowers are blooming, and the blossoms are falling from the trees like snow. Other than my headache, sneezing and allergy eyes, it's all good! What a big beautiful world. Does God love us, or what?

Okay, let's all go make someone happy today!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'let's party!.'"  —Robin Williams

The Word is: JOURNEY

Doesn't this picture make you wonder where these stairs lead? Don't you want to climb them to find out? Isn't the journey of life an interesting adventure? My answers to these questions are yes, yes... and yes.

"The road of life twists and turns, and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons often come from the journey, not necessarily the destination."  —Don Williams, Jr.

"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world... close your eyes and let your spirit soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before."  —Erich Fromm

"To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we need to keep stepping."  —Chinese Proverb

"Not I, nor anyone else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself."  —Walt Whitman

I Have a BIG Announcement!

...and no, I am not pregnant, but this is something almost as good! I have been chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest! I've been trying for several years now, and this time they liked me! My recipe, BALSAMIC CHICKEN CRANBERRY PANZANELLA, is in their "Amazing Doable Dinners" category and it will be posted at bakeoff.com for two weeks starting today, where the world gets to choose their favorites. If I'm one of the 33 top vote-getters, I will get to go to Las Vegas in November for a chance to win a million bucks! No lie! Needless to say I am super excited and kinda nervous. And I would LOVE YOU if you went online and voted for my recipe! You can only vote for each recipe one time, so it's easy for you and each vote is very important to me. So tell you friends via email, facebook, twitter, or what-have-you. I wanna win! Thanks for your support! Love ya! Here's an easy link that takes you right to the voting page:

http://www.pillsbury.com/BakeOff/Voting-Home/Voting-Gallery

Remember These?

oosh. Blogger is being retarded today. Can a girl not edit a blog post up in here?? Oh well...  

Remember these Subway-art Easter eggs, that I tried to make last year and failed miserably? Well, not gonna even try this year. I'm sticking to the second kind pictured below. Give me chocolate, baby! I'm too old and too busy to even think about doing something fancy this time around (and I must tell you that this photo is definitely NOT my handiwork - it's from Lil Luna, and you can go HERE to get the full scoop on how she created these beautiful eggs).

It's sure looking like Spring out my window and life is mostly lovely, not counting the allergies, but we press on, right? Happy happy! The Easter season is a joyous one.

So, my dear friends, let's all go and make someone happy today!

"The sun has come out, and the air is vivid with spring light."  —Byron Caldwell Smith
 

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."  —unknown

I Guess I Should Mention...

Warning: this is a personal post. I have hesitated talking about this on my blog because life has been completely crazy for the past several months, but I guess I really should tell y'all that we have moved. Yep. We sold our Rocklin home this past November and are temporarily renting in my childhood home-town a few miles down the road in Loomis. We were fortunate to make a nice profit on the Rocklin place and are going to patiently wait out the roller coaster that is the current real estate market here in NorCal before we buy our next place. 

The reasons for the home sale and move were many-fold. Suffice it to say that both of our children left the nest this past year, and for that and other reasons we decided that we really needed to downsize and plan for our future in a more conservative fashion. So that's what we're doing. The part above where I said we were patiently waiting to purchase our next home? Well, I'm not very good at being patient and this home we're currently renting is just about half the size of the one we just sold and I am missing our big gorgeous remodeled kitchen and all the space we had in our old place and I am learning to be more humble and grateful and will sure as heck appreciate it lots and lots when the time comes to make a new place ours again. Life really is good, and I am not complaining. I have a WONDERFUL husband who loves me and does everything in his power to make me happy. Love you sweetie! I have two amazing, healthy and talented children who are working hard to make their own way in the world, and I am so thankful to be their mama. And I have my work, which is taking me in new directions this year that I am very excited about, and some new incredible opportunities have also come along that may turn into something great for our family, fingers crossed...

So where will this next year take us? We shall see. But I know that everything will work out for the best, and life will go on as it should. No worries. Life is good.

"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."  —Gordon B. Hinckley
 
"Get busy living."  —Stephen King

Bring on the Spring...

Oh my, February was a tough month. I was sick, then Rich got sick, and we had lots going on and life was just kicking our fannies. So I am happy to turn the calendar today to a fresh new month. Hello March! Sweet March gives us the beginning of Spring, and Easter, and lots of things to look forward to. Bring on the Spring! 
 
Today I'm sharing my SPRING design from my "Seasons in Verse" clear stamp set that you can get from Impression Obsession. It's becoming a big favorite - lots of fun and very versatile. Go HERE to get yours today!

"Spring is the time of plans and projects."  —Leo Tolstoy

"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world."  —Virgil Kraft 

"In the spring-time,
The only pretty ring time,
Birds sing, hey ding a-ding ding,
Sweet lovers love the spring!
—William Shakespeare 

More Simplifying...

Life seems to get more and more busy. I thought as I got older I would have more time, but these days the opposite is true. I've decided to occasionally post simple inspirations here on my blog, with little or sometimes no added editorial content from me. Oh look, here's one now. 

I wish you all a wonderful day. Let's go be happy and do good.

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."  —Frank Zappa

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, more and more successful."  —Mark Victor Hansen

"Be an opener of doors."  —Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Word Is: LOVE

Feeling lots of love for my family these days. My kids are doing their best to find their way in life (I am doing my best to let them), and my sweet hubby works so hard every day for all of us. Oh, how I love them! Everything I do is for them. 

So in honor of Valentine's Day this week, here is another 5x7 printable for y'all. Rich, you truly ARE the love of my life, and forever & ever after this life ends. Thanks for loving me!

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that."  —Michael Leunig

"Who, being loved, is poor?"  —Oscar Wilde

"Will you love me in December as you do in May,
Will you love me in the good old-fashioned way,
When my hair has all turned gray?"  —James J. Walker