“There is nothing better than getting mail that isn’t junk.”

There's something so intimate about receiving a tangible letter or a card.

♥ We keep letters and cards....we treasure them. ♥

 Think about this:

Every single thing we say, think and feel, is being documented in social media with absolutely no foundation for preservation.  By choosing to put everything into text, email, Facebook, twitter, snap chat, etc… there will be absolutely no record of our relationships. No history of friendships, love, heartbreak, loss, gain....nothing to show for our lives or to tell the story to the next generations of our family. And that is a very sad thing.

Put pen to paper and tell someone how you feel about them. Spread love, encouragement, support and put some plain old good vibes out into the world.

stamps, gel prints and doodles...oh my!

Look at this background on the envelope art. Wowzers, thats really cool and a bit scary! LOVE my 5x7" Gel Press® plate and distress paints, I think I've said this a couple hundred times now but I am in serious infatuation with this combination!

And then there is the cartoonist in me ( that's what I wanted to become when I grew up, not a doctor, or an astronaut...a cartoonist! ) so I get my fix by drawing fun characters instead: using PITT pens, Paper Craft crayons, and Tombow markers. 

...or by adding small doodle people and stuff along with stamps like I did here with the Tumbleweed house stamp set.

Why Smile?

Sundays with Sandee video for making the envelope art

is HERE

Smiling can make you happy (even when you're not).

Smiling can make others happy.

Smiling makes you more attractive.

Smiling can help you de-stress.

Smiling can help you land a job.

Smiling can lead to laughter.

Smiling just feels good.

Isn't it time you turn that frown upside down?

Sparkpeople.com

Revamping

re·vamp

verb

gerund or present participle: revamping

rēˈvamp/

1. give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to.

I am currently pulling out my old Halloween cards from last year and revamping them a little before making any new ones. Sometimes I see mistakes that I missed and maybe that's why they didn't sell? Maybe the people saw what I missed, in this case there was a little tiny glue shine around the edge of the moon, so I took out my gelato and PITT pen and made some intentional moon glow instead!

I also made some envelope art...using my awesome 5x7" Gel Press® plate and some distress paints. Seriously cannot get enough of this combination!

I love sprays, I really do but sometimes it's so darn hard to control the amount or the direction of the spray blast. In this case it was spray drips, 2 of them as you can see in the photo on the left....and maybe that's why it didn't sell....maybe it looks unintentionally messy which is never a good thing...sooooo...I made them into 2 tiny little jack-o'lanterns instead, PITT pen to the rescue again!

and..some envelope art to go with this one too! A little Jack doodle using my PITT pen and a little stamping and I have an adorable spooktackular envelope!

Now on to revamp some more cards!

my cutie patootie card!

I knew...I just knew I was going to get a little carried away with the envelope art for this one so I actually started with my Envelope Sentiment stamp and drew the car around it. I just had so much fun making this beach car for my penguin, he is waving hi and singing to the music...hmm..maybe I should add some music notes? What do you think?

entering this cutie patootie in

Simon Says: Photo Inspiration

And here he is with his coordinating card ♥

Now wouldn't this combination just make you smile all day if you got this in the mail?

Ooops...just notice his umbrella doesn't match, lol

Oh well, that's what I get for getting so excited and not slowing down and paying attention to the details!

And this set will be winging it's way to Yvonne in Canada :)
What's Up Gnomey? stamp set

penguin love

Oh my beachy stars, this stamp set; Summer Grumplings ( even the name is adorable! ) is sooooo cute!!

Simon Says: Photo Inspiration

 To get a truly flat card, but with loads of dimension; I made masks of the sun, penguin stamps and an umbrella which I drew. I laid them down on my 3x5" Gel Press® plate in reverse and then applied my distress paint on the plate and "stamped" it onto the front of the card. Then it was super easy to go back in with my DMC PITT pens and color everything.

Totally crushing on this size plate for my card making! It rocks!

Wait until you see the envelope art I made to go with this card.

Come back tomorrow!

Published!

I love being published, I really do. There is nothing better than seeing your name and what you created being deemed worthy enough to print. I began back in 2010 and have been published 31 times. I have saved each issue too, and when I am old and grey...wait, I'm already old and grey....OK, when I am put away in a nursing home I will bring all the magazines with me...they might as well plan on burying them with me too!

I also love making paper and pressing leaves and flowers. This card uses paper I made from my Arnold Grummer Papermill kit and a Maple leaf I dried in my Arnold Grummer Microfluer press.

If you get the Cardmaker magazine I hope you check out my card on p. 87, but you can always find me on the Arnold Grummer Facebook page along with the other members of our creative design team.