*you're the bestest friend ever!*

I'm back again with another one of those cute bunnies by The Cat's Pajamas. I made this for my bestest friend, Jess, who bought me lunch at Applebee's earlier this week. Wasn't that sweet?

*tea for two*

I'm about to dart out the door to pick up the kiddos from school, but wanted to share another vintage-y card I snuck into my stamping room to create this morning. Embossing folders are such a great way to add a bit of texture. This one's called vintage wallpaper, and it's made by Stampin' Up.

Thanks for stopping by!

*friends*

Every once in a while, a person makes a happy little discovery quite by accident. I recently stumbled upon Julie Marshall's blog, Stamping Impressions, and I was inspired to create this card after staring for quite some time at this delightfully, wonderful creation of hers! I'm always tickled when stampers are so generous about sharing their creativity. I'm also humbled by their incredible talent!

I love new stamps, but it's surprises me how quickly I get tired of what I already have and think I need to buy something new. So it's good for me to see other stampers using their retired stamps. It helps me to appreciate that while new is always nice, it isn't necessarily better. All of us have stamping supplies sitting around that haven't been used in ages, and it makes my heart happy when I'm able to find a good reason to pull out some of those old items and put them to good use. So here's a big thanks to Julie for helping me do just that!

Thanks for stopping by!

*butterfly cards*

I can't think of a better way to use up the left over scraps on my desk than to punch out a bunch of wonderful little butterlies! There is just something so sweet and cheery about butterflies. They make my heart happy.

For the second card, I made my own background paper by stamping on top of ledger paper with a clear set by Pink Paislee called Butterfly Garden. It reminds me a lot of something made by Webster's Pages. What a happy discovery!

Thanks for stopping by!

*just floatin'*

Don't these sweet little mice look like the best of friends? They're from a retired Stampin' Up set I've had for quite a while. It took me a while to dig through my stamps and find them, but I knew they were just what I wanted for a card for a dear friend of mine.

I think much of the time we worry about making cards for special occasions, but once in a while it's nice to give a card for no particular reason other than to say "I'm glad we're friends."

Thanks for stopping by! Have a beautiful day!

*friends*

I am blessed to have the sweetest neighbors. They are a retired couple who are truly some of the kindest people I have ever met. They are the kind of people who love it when you stop over for no particular reason other than to visit. Livi and I dropped in on them the other day, and Marilyn gave me a candle. Then she sent Jerry over with the coolest set of candlesticks just because she had a few extras stored in the basement and she thought I would like them! How sweet is that? They have the cutest home. Everything is in it's place, but it is so warm, cozy, and inviting. They remind me of what true neighbors really are. Years ago, everyone knew everyone that lived on their street. They were like a big family who looked out for each other. I am so very blessed to have neighbors like that. I made this card for Marilyn, and she is the kind of person who will appreciate that it was handmade just for her.

*congratulations, A Muse!*

It's one BIG party at A Muse this week! To celebrate their 9th year in business, A Muse is releasing two new clear sets, Happy and Vintage A Muse. Vintage A Muse is a fun collection of retired images with all new sentiments. I used the kite and sentiment from the vintage set for this card.

One of my cards showcasing the Happy set is featured over at the A Muse blog today. See if you can tell which one's mine! ;)

*all ears*

There's nothing like a good mail day, and yesterday I hit the jackpot. Two packages in one day!!! I got two new Puddle Jumpers stamps AND some yummy new paper pads by October Afternoon. I couldn't resist this cute little girl, Emma, and her darling little bunny friend. And I'm completely smitten with October Afternoon's new Fly a Kite and Thrift Shop papers... especially the polka dot ones! They are so vintage-y and fun!

And while we're talking about things I love... how cute is this A Muse sentiment? It's perfect for this card! For those of you who visit often, you know how much I talk about things that make my heart happy. Well, A Muse sentiments make my heart happy! I reach for them all the time. I'm kind of funny about sentiments. In fact, I'm down right picky. A Muse fonts come in all sorts of fun styles. Some are created with fonts. Others are handwritten. I especially love the handwritten ones like the one I used for this card. It amazes me that anyone can write that perfectly!

It's going to be a beautiful day here in Iowa. I'd love to take a nice long walk, but I've managed to mess up my foot. I hope it's lovely in your neck of the woods and that you're able to get outside to enjoy it!

*sweet friend*

I've always loved these sweet little mice... and to think that I nearly forgot that I had them! I'm so glad I picked up Martha Stewart's grass border punch the last time I was at Michaels. It has become one of my favorite punches, and I love pairing it up with A Muse's wonderful green gingham.

I hope it's sunny and warm where you are. It's snowing here in Iowa!

*friends are flowers...*

Today I finally found a little time to try the brick wall technique that was featured in last week's Weekly Inkling. It's always fun to try something new, and although it was a bit time consuming, it was definitely worth it. Sure, it's not one of those techniques that lend themselves to mass production or quick cards, but it's certainly eye-catching and probably a bit addictive too. I dug out some beautiful stamps that have been sorely neglected, AND I was able to use some papers that have been hoarded away in my collection for way too long. This technique is perfect for a shabby and distressed look. Right up my alley!