From Kristal: Dying To Meet You...a Little Hope

Let Your Heart Take Flight by K Andrew

Inspiration: A Book (Dying to Meet You)

Materials: Winged Flight stamp set (K Andrew Designs), Heritage Lace, Stamped Girl Image, White Crinkle Ribbon, Paper Flower, Sequin Flower (Creative Charms), Bling (Creative Charms), Ink (Memento & ColorBox)

HI everyone..I'm sitting here on a school night, finally with a little bit of time to myself, after putting my boys to bed. All is quiet, and I thought I would take the chance to post a collage I made this weekend after reading a book called "I'm Dying to Meet You" by Kate Klise. This is a children's book. This is the book--it's delightful!

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE books--I devour them like a dessert! I can read quickly and my bed is filled with a stack of books instead of a husband! At one time I did have one of those, but I don't seem to keep one of those too well..but a book? Ahhh...they never let you down..you can read one and it's like a very close friend...and you get to decide when to read it, when to lay it down, and when the story is over....sometimes a story never really leaves you...because it touched a part of your soul and heart...and we carry it with us always..
This is one of those books...I happen to pick it up, and being a children's book, it was quite easy and quick to read..however it is a wonderful them about starting over, not seeing with your eyes...but instead your heart...how love can come from unlikely places--and not just romantic love--a true love that extends to everyone around us...and about endings and beginnings...they are one in the same...
With this said, swing by the library and pick it up and read it. It will take you an hour at the most...

My Collaged Card

I hope you enjoy my project for tonight, and hope that you will remember what a great friend a book is, and that you will write your own story in your own heart, but also on the heart of those you love. That you will be "mindful" and live in the moment. So often we are not living in the present moment..our minds are everywhere (at work, on an email, on problems, millions of ideas, thoughts running thru our head) and therefore we are ABSENT from our own lives. It's quite easy to do in today's world...everything is quite busy...because we are connected all the time with a cell phone, a computer, a telephone and with everyone around the world...but what is missing is communication within a family...communication between partners, between parent and child, and family.

"And so, we end with a beginning. Because every ending is really a beginning. All you need is a house that's old and creaky (boy do I have one!)

 It is a growing problem...we are so connected with everyone around us but disconnected from our own present life. I encourage you to be MINDFUL today...mindful in your thoughts--are you noticing your environment as you are walking? Or are you just rushing through thinking many thoughts, and can't even remember how you got to work or to the next office? Are you really compassionately listening to the person speaking to you? Or are you thinking of your next sentence and spitting out words that really are not truly helpful to the other person? Are you mindful of the words that come out of your mouth...to only speak words that are absolutely necessary? Or are you saying every thought that comes to your mind?

"Filled with lots of books...a cat..." (I have both of these!)

I know that I have been guilty of being completely NON present in my life and thoughtless in my actions and words. It has taken me months of meditation, prayer, and practice to still myself long enough to practice compassionate listening (listening ONLY to understand the suffering of another person--not to give advice...to practice vows of silence (communicating only when necessary), and to not get caught up in my "dream" but instead to focus on the present moment...

"A person who's willing to try again...someone who promises to never leave..and most important of all..."

I wish each of you to let your HEART take flight...to still your mind, and to love deeply in the PRESENT moment.

"A little hope. The End...or is it?"

I would love to hear about your weekend, your thoughts today. You are valuable to me, and I cherish the ability to write to you and reach out to you each day. It is a privilege that you read my blog, use my stamps, and share your dreams, your artwork, and your life with me.THANK YOU. I recognize the beauty of you reading my blog and sharing your life with me. It is an honor and privilege.

Love to each of you,
Kristal

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Tutorial: Make your Own Buttons with Christi Hicks

I hope each of you are having a MARVELOUS MONDAY! Life is great--even when we have bumps in the road, we can choose to keep going! I love thinking about the childhood story..The Little Engine that Could...reminds me that no matter what, we can choose to keep going and doing our best!
I want to introduce you to one of my favorite people: Christi Hicks--she is a very long time friend of mine, and was the first person on my team when I made digital stamps so many years ago! Make sure to love on her and leave her a comment at her blog! She is fabulous!

Hi everyone! This is Christi Hicks.  I am so very pleased to be asked to be a guest designer for Kristal. She is after all the person who got me to make my first card and to start my blog. She literally walked me through it step by step.
 I love her stamps and the one I am featuring is her Fall-O-Ween stamp set. I know I know you say well its spring, I dont need fall or Halloween stamps, but thats what I love about her stamps, they are so versatile. I used the Blessings stamp on a baby card, I have used the wings in a mini book for my mom. Today I am making a friendship card, and I am going to give you a short tutorial on how to make the buttons.

First I stamped Sweet, Fun, Friend onto watercolor paper, its thicker and sturdier, but I have used regular cardstock for this also. I  cut a bunch of blanks and the stamped words with my 1 in circle punch.

I used tea dye distress ink around the edges, also of the blanks so color would carry through.

I added tombow aqua glue, any fast drying glue would work, and stacked them, three blanks then a word circle. 

You can see the thickness here

I used my craft pick to poke four holes.

I used coordinating twines to put thread in the holes. I then added glossy accents. You can do this before you put in the thread but then you gotta be careful not to get it into the holes. 

This is my card. Check my blog and you can see more things I made this way, except instead of buttons I made them into charms. 

Thank you so much Kristal for letting me do this, it was so much fun. 

Don't forget to leave Christi a comment--she has lots of great projects on her blog to spark your imagination!

Don't forget about our Simply Sunday Challenge and my BIG 500 Wobble Giveaway!

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Today is your Day from Shawn

Hi Everyone!
We have another installment of some fantastic DT creativity. Check out this beautiful card.




Hello!  This is Shawn from Crafty Chics Blog.  I want to share a quick and cute birthday card for my sister-in-law with all of you. I had some of these bright fun colored flowers already punched out and left over from a different project, and I knew I wanted to use them on this card.

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Home of the Free

Hello Everyone!  It’s Miranda from Nana’s Scrap Spot  and today is my day to post at Getting Cricky with K Andrew!  I am so super excited to be here with you guys today.  For my project today, I am using the Stand and Salute Cricut Cartridge along with K Andrew’s “Freedom Isn’t Free” stamp set.  As far as I’m concerned, we don’t give enough credit to Our Armed Forces!  

 As you can see, I am all about simple!  My Liberty Bell was cut at 3 ½ inches on Recollections Precious Metals paper pack from Michael’s.  My white base is Georgia Pacific card stock from Wal-Mart and was cut at 5 ½ X 8 ½ and scored at 4 ¼ to form an A2 card.  My red layer is cut at 5 ¼ X 4 and the blue layer is cut at 5 X 3 ¾.  My red and blue paper is from my scrap box.  For my sentiment box, I cut the white at 3 X ½ and the red at 2 ¾ X 9/8.  My ribbon is from Michael’s.  The awesome sentiment is from Freedom Isn’t Free:

Click HERE to purchase this awesome set!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Until Next time, Happy Craftin’!

Miranda J

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