Bird Basics

A new stamp set from Close To My Heart, "Bird Basics" has 22 stamps in the set and retails for $22.95. Love it! As soon as I saw it I thought about stamping on patterned paper so the wing spot could act as a peek thru to the pattern. Off to create a scrapbook page with a few 'birdies'.
have a great day!

Bird Basics

National PaperCrafting Month!

Did I ever mention that January is my favorite month of the year? Besides the chance to start over with new resolutions, this month has been designated National PaperCrafting Month-yay!! My favorite creative company Close To My Heart always has a WONDEFUL paper and stamp offer, and this year beats all offers ever seen! Take a look at the Key to My Heart kit which includes twelve 12" × 12" B&T Duos™ paper and ten 12" × 12" coordinating cardstock in the new colors of Crème Brulee, Tulip, Sorbet, and Juniper as well as a coordinating E-size Key to My Heart stamp set available at a discount or even FREE! See details on my web site www.laurabohall.myctmh.com

Now that I finally have a chance to play with this beautiful paper and amazing stamp set, I plan on ordering more while I have the chance!

Offer expires 1/31/09 so HURRY and contact me or order straight from my website! ENJOY!!

This is the new My Creations Cube from Close To My Heart which I covered with "Emporium" paper-also new from CTMH! Each side uses a piece of 5x5 cardstock or printed paper, so it's easy to decorate 2 cubes at a time with 12x12 paper. The calendar images are from the CTMH Jan Stamp of the Month which I have used non-stop since I received it. Works great on cards, desktop calendars, photocubes and more-love it! The pic with the F is the top of the cube and that stamp is from CTMH Alpha Solo acrylic set and the frame behind it is from the CTMH Noteworthy acrylic stamp set. Also used chocolate mini-brads, some ctmh hemp and Liquid Glass on the inside to seal the seams-worked beautifully! All of these products mentioned are available on my website (yes, shameless plug!) at www.laurabohall.myctmh.com

Come by the crop this weekend and take a look at this cube plus a raw one that I haven't started yet.
Hope to see you there!

I found the following post on a wonderful blog, and I wanted to share it with you. Although I have seen this recently, I didn't record it when I had the chance. Now is the time and I give 100% credit to Becca Feeken and her blog www.amazingpapergrace.com
thank you Becca, for bringing this back into my life.......

Tips for an Exceptional, Superb and Powerful Life:

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a DVR. Tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to__________ _ today."
5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie (not you guys.) Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give it time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. Do the right thing!
37. Call your family often.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for __________." Today I accomplished _________.
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!

papercraftplanet

Country Gurl

stamp set - "Country Girl" by Oxford Impressions, cardstock & ink - Close To My Heart, paper - unknown, fence, ribbon and frame - all JoAnn's

stamp set - "Country Girl" by Oxford Impressions, paper - Daisy D (retired), ink & cardstock - Close To My Heart, frame - Michael's Necessaties, charm & rickrack - source unknown

I have fallen in love with vintage photo reproduction stamps!

www.OxfordImpressions.com has some of my most favorite photo stamps and the owner/creator Suzane is wonderful to work with. I recently purchased "Country Girl" and love it to pieces. I created similar artwork to this one for a dear friend to give her daughters for Christmas. I must give credit to artist Shelly Hickox of Olive Branch, MS as her art inspired my "Baby Chicks" piece. Shelly's art can be seen in Stampers Sampler, Autumn 2008 in Spotlight:Oxford Impressions.