StampinUp

Friends Found – Ain’t it Good to Know You’ve Got a Friend

/ Jodi / 5 Comments

Tranquil thinking of you SU Lovely as a TreeAs I was contemplating what I would share on my blog today, I was emailing with a dear friend.
Always the multi-tasker, I was doing three or four things at once, but got stuck on a thought she put in my head.

Friends Found

Do you ever think about all the ways people come into your life?
How you decide who will be your “friend?”
Is it a conscious decision?
Does it take consideration?
For some, it takes time…
it takes proof,
it takes evidence,

But for me…… (and as niave as it may sound)
You are my friend…
right away…
unless or until you prove otherwise.

I fall in love quickly.
(and not in an inappropriate way)
But I simply love people.
I love their differences, their uniqueness, their similiarities…
their stories, their history, their traditions…

I love it all –
and consider you my friend
unless you prove otherwise.

No “proving” of friendship with me.
Only proving you’re not… my friend – if that is to be.

Otherwise I’ll love ya.
Because what is life about if not for that?
Call me naïve
Call me gullible
Call me a dreamer…

Whatever

I’d rather love and lose
than never love at all.

and that reminds me…
like just about everything 🙂 …
of a song…

(and here is my favorite version of Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend” from Divas Live – which I had on CD years ago – and now must search for! – but practically wore out listening to – and shamefully sang out VERY loud to from my car many, many a times…)

You’ve Got a Friend:

You know…
I had a bit of a vagabond lifestyle growing up
with lots of change and many different homes and schools and situations…
but I don’t regret a minute of it – because it shaped me into what and who I am today.

And I think I am ok.

Life throws us a lot of curve balls,
but the fun part is figuring out how to hit them!
And though I started out with a bit of a rocky road,
I have found so many friends along the way that have more than made up for it!

Yep –
I’ve got a friend – in fact quite a few friends – and I am so grateful…
for
Friends Found
at Life in Between.

Thank you for being a friend. (teehee – another song!)

Cheers and Hugs,
Jodi

Cheers! (or in our case John’s Bar!) – There ARE good people in this world!

/ Jodi / 13 Comments

images

This past Thursday evening, Marty and I went on our regular weekly “date” to John’s Bar.
John’s Bar is our CHEERS.
It’s our “where everybody knows your name.”
It’s an everyone-gets-a-hug-when-you-leave kinda place.
It’s NOT classy.
It’s NOT fancy.
Dare I say it is a bit of a “dive” (in the most flattering way you can call something a dive).

Don’t ask for a Cosmo at John’s Bar.
Brad (the bartender) laughed when I asked for Bombay Gin instead of Tangueray.
No frozen fru fru drinks.
Appetizers are packs of saltine crackers (if you’re lucky!)
The menu never changes – as many times as I ask to look at it – and even when I try writing something different on the menu pad, like Belgium waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream or a chicken quesadilla.
But you can always count on a grilled chicken salad (with French fries),
Or a bowl of cheeseburger mac soup,
Or some pretty darn good wings.

10444566_673875846027896_3689720837522772713_n
Our bill for the evening rarely exceeds $30 – for dinner and drinks!
And we have made lifetime friends we would have never known if not for our regular Thursday evenings at John’s bar.
We get invited to pig roasts and picnics and parties.
We celebrate birthdays and weddings and anniversaries.
We laugh – and laugh – and laugh.
Sometimes we talk politics… and even though my views are a bit more liberal than most at John’s on Thursday nights – they love me anyway.

Well – When we got home this past Thursday evening from our “date,” I realized I had lost my debit card.

ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
(Dang that Marty for having me pay this week!)

Nick said I looked distraught…
I felt like I lost my left arm (I’m a leftie – so right arm does ME NO good!)…
I called our friends that were still there.
They checked the bar, the bathroom, the parking lot….
No luck.

So Friday morning I called the bank, cancelled the debit card, and ordered a new one.
What a long 5-7 days it will be waiting!  (seriously Mars Bank!?)

Then about an hour later, the bank called me.
Someone had returned my debit card TO THE BANK!
They told the nice lady on the phone that called me that they found it in a – ahem – bar (or maybe restaurant she said kindly) parking lot.

So see! There are good, kind people in the world!
Everywhere!
Doing kind little random things every day.
If you just pay attention.

Thank you to whoever was so kind to return my debit card to the bank! I appreciate you!
(even though the bank doesn’t – ahem – trust – and said they have to destroy it since “someone else touched it!” and issue me a new one)

YOU tried, and I love ya!

pink hello doiley victorian thank you

Hello Doily SU Stamp on Distressed Victorian Thank You Note

Cheers and Hugs,
Jodi

You Overwhelm Me with your Awesomeness

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic

I had SOOO much fun making this card.

I stamped

and I punched out

and I glued

and embellished

and got a bit carried away…

A little overwhelming???….

I think the sentiment matches the card perfectly – a little overwhelming…

a little awesome….

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic 3 inside

I can’t wait to share this card with someone who deserves to know how awesome and BeYouTiful they are.

Happy #FreebieFriday!  Hope you have an overwhelmingly awesome weekend!

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic 2

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

PS   For my SU friends, I used the new Flower Patch and Kinda Eclectic stamp sets for this card, and it was inspired and CASE’d from Nance Leedy.

A Bevy of Butterflies – Sheer & White or Bold & Bright

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

sheer white flourishes and butterflies

I’ve been trying to capture some photos of butterflies lately, but have not had much success – – – YET that is – stay tuned!

So instead, I decided to create some butterfly cards..

I think this sheer white one might make a pretty wedding card.  (And it is that  time of year!)

It is done with white paper stock and white embossed SU Flowering Flourishes on clear vellum and vellum-punched out butterflies. with some pearl accents.

I think it is sheer and delicate and dainty.

sheer white flourishes and butterflies closeup2

And this is one of Nick’s favorites that I’ve ever made (he tells me).  I’m kinda partial to it too.

Though I made it months ago, I haven’t mailed it to anyone yet.  This one is made using SU’s Best of Butterflies with a water coloring technique.

best of butterflies

These butterflies are bold and bright and glittery and sparkly.  The colors just spoke “JOY” to me.  I’m saving it for something and someone special someday.

best of butterflies close up

Which one do you like better?

Sheer & White?

or

Bold & Bright?

 

Wishing you a day filled with Joy – – – and maybe a few beautiful butterflies too.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

Hello Friday! Friday the 13th

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

Hi There Gorgeous Grunge and Kinda Eclectic

Oh Friday – How we look forward to you each week – so Hello!

Hello Friday!

And it’s Friday the 13th!

And it’s a Full Moon!  (also called the Strawberry Moon and the Honey Moon – which is not supposed to occur again for 5 years – so check it out!)

Woooohooo – what excitement may come our way?!

Friday is #FreebieFriday in the StampinUp Where the Rubber Hits the Road Group I belong to.  It’s the day we all share a card we made this week to inspire each other.

I love seeing all the creativity and crafty, artistic inspiration from my fellow stampers.

This week, I’m sharing this Kinda Eclectic/Hi There/Gorgeous Grunge Card  (those are the names of the three stamp sets I used, but funny how they “kinda” name the card!)

I had a BLAST making and seeing how this turned out.  A little off my usual path, but I just kept adding…

Lots of bright colors combined with the contrast of black inked on vellum….

A silver embossed ray of sunshine…

A cut-out starburst cog to go under it and lift it off the paper….

Some gold cord swirled under that and on top of the sliver sunburst…

Then topped it off with some sequins.

I saw something done with some similar techniques on Pinterest and couldn’t wait to try.

I hope it made you smile…

Or brightened your day…

Hello to you – and Hello Friday!

Wishing you all a wonderful Father’s Day weekend ahead.

Enjoy doing all the things you love to do…

with the people you love…

at Life in Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

A little Kindness goes a Long Way

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

Kinda Eclectic Kindness CASEd ilina crouseBack in January (could that really be six months ago!?), I was all gung ho on participating in the One Little Word project.

“Kindness” was the word I had chosen.

Then I decided to take it a little “deeper” and changed my word to “Accept.” (but that is probably for another day…. another blog….)

I followed the project for a couple months, but for some reason, I just didn’t stick with it.  (I applaud a few friends who I know are sticking to their “reflections,” “choices,” and “moxie!”)

Well – Even though I changed my “one little word”…. and didn’t stick with the program, I am still reminded of my original and “gut instinct” word when I look at something I wrote on the chalkboard in my home office:

“A Hug is a Blanket of Kindness”

Do you ever stop and think how SIMPLE it is to make a difference in someone’s life?

An impact on the world?

Have you thought about how much a real, genuine, T I G H T, last-to-let-go hug means to someone?

I held a training session at work yesterday for one of our teams on one of my favorite topics:  Customer Service – and specifically – how a Complaint is a Gift!  No matter how many times I talk about it, or how many times I present the same topic, I get excited….   I get energized…  I get downright giddy about the endless opportunities at our fingertips and on the tip of our tongues – both personally and professionally – when we simply display kindness.

You see – customer service, handling complaints, and simple acts of kindness – are really such basic concepts.

Why do we try to complicate things so?

Why do we look for magic bullets?

Miracle creams?

Quick fixes?

What happened to the simple act of kindness?

The simple gesture of a genuine hug?

Do you let the world around you affect your day or do you make an impact on others?

I make it my daily goal, even if it is simply with the teenage boy or middle-aged woman working the cash register at the local grocery store, to share KINDNESS with everyone I interact with.

Do you let that “grouchy” checkout lady ruin your day or your shopping experience or your moment? Or do you make it your personal challenge, like I try to do, to make that person smile…? leave them with a positive, kind thought?

It’s kinda fun really.

It’s kinda eclectic.

Hmmm…  That is the name of the new stamp set I used from StampinUp to make this card:  Kinda eclectic

Can’t wait to decide who to send it to and share a little kindness.

Don’t underestimate the power of simple kindness, random acts of kindness, and the value of a TIGHT, last-to-let-go hug.

A little act of kindness goes a LONG way!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

PS   For my stampin’ friends, this card was made using the new in colors, Kinda Eclectic stamp set, and Gorgeous Grunge Stamp set.

the joys of a handwritten note or a homemade card…

/ Jodi / 1 Comment

en francais and thoughts and prayers

Oh the joys of receiving a handwritten note!  Don’t you love it when you go to the mailbox and there is an actual card or note or letter instead of the usual junk mail, advertisements, catalogues and bills?

In fact….. as I type this… I am trying to remember the last time I actually received a “letter.”     Hmmmm……  Does anyone write letters anymore?  I honestly can’t recall the last time I received one.

I know I am thrilled when I get an actual note or card.   Especially a handwritten note or card!

In our current day and age of emails, texts, and instant messages, a LONG Thank You Note is:   TYVM (instead of just TY  or THX).

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Remember when we used to pass “notes” in class?  (before cell phones and texts and snap chat)   Boy am I sounding O L D !   

I recently discovered a couple of great treasures I had boxed in the attic with some old photo albums.

This first one is a book of “notes” from my 9th grade  BFF Sara that we passed back and forth during class.  She made this as a gift for me when her Dad got transferred for work (to China!) and she had to move away.  How funny it is to remember the “important” things we had to write about – almost always boys!
sara notes

And then there is this little gem that brought tears to my eyes as I remembered receiving this “good-bye” friendship gift when I was moving away to a new town from a very sweet girl (the same one who I boiled worms with in Grandma’s kitchen from my Stella Star post).  She had to have spent HOURS typing (on a TYPEWRITER) and drawing and writing a book of poems on friendship for me!

janet book

And guess what?!  We are still friends.  In fact, she is one of my BFFs!

So, my dear sweet Janet (SURPRISE!) – do you remember making me this wonderful gift?  We are “Friends Forever!”

I can’t wait to share this with her tomorrow evening when she comes over for dinner – with a glass of wine for me and a “Zach Special” for her!   (Oh Zach – see how we remember you!)

FF Jan

And then – the piece de resistance – those wonderful handmade cards from our children or that we ourselves made as children?   I’ll bet many of us have a stack in a shoebox, folder or special drawer.  We get them out and go through them every once in a while and smile and reminisce.cards

Aren’t they the best!?!

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So I made this card and wrote a note inside and put it in the mail today for someone special.

en francais and thoughts and prayers

I hope they enjoy receiving it as much as I enjoyed making it.  They deserve it.  They did something very special, and I wanted to thank them, from the heart, and with lots of love.

Those are the kinds of things I think about and are important to me (and I hope you) at Life In Between.

Cheers and hugs,

Jodi

(P.S. for my stampin’ friends, this card features the SU En Francais and Thoughts and Prayers stamps)

You are a Fabulous Work of Art

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Easel Work of Art Jill Birthday 2014This week was my BFF Jill’s birthday, and I had so much fun making this card for her.

Jill is one of the most creative people I know.  She is one of the most generous and giving people also, so a special card was in order.  

Goal was to embody creativity, artistic expression, use primary colors (Jill’s faves), and show lots of love.  I like how it turned out.

For my crafting, card-making, and StampinUp friends, this card featured the following SU stamps: Hardwood, Work of Art, Banner Blast.
The chalkboard sentiment is white heat embossed.

This might also make a great teacher appreciation or end of school year card.

Here are a couple more featuring the new “Work of Art” stamp. It’s a little more abstract than I am used to working with, but fun to break out of the usual.

For this one below, I used some of the new muted shades of Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, and Hello Honey stamped in a masked circle, then heat embossed the new blended bloom flower stamp with gold, dabbed with Gorgeous Grunge and added a few sequins.

Work of art and gold embossed blended bloom with gorgeous grunge dots

For this chevron and heart one, I added some blackberry bliss and tangelo twist and blinged it up with a couple of rhinestones.

work of art chevron and hearts

And finally, I love the brushstroke look of the Work of Art stamp and how simple yet unique it can make a card.  Gold embossing “glammed” it up.

fabulous work of art card

That’s some playing around in my craft room at … Life In Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Rockslides and Coloring

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

bloom with hope watercolor 2Marty was on the tractor last night working in the yard.

He makes me sooooo nervous on that thing that I cannot watch.   I seriously have anxiety attacks watching him.  It’s me – not him!  Such a Nervous Norman I am!  He is so handy and talented and such a hard worker, but the older we get, the more I worry about him.  Oh that little Marty McKinney!

He was moving some rocks around, and….  err… well… not to give it away… but…  if you read the title  – ’nuff said!  Tractor and driver in tact though, so all good – THIS time!

So to distract myself, I decided to color.

I have always loved coloring (and swinging).  I’d say they were two of my favorite childhood past times.  So I’ve been having fun lately playing with alcohol markers and amazed at how they blend and you can create so many effects.

Here is the card I created last night trying out a little watercolor background technique with one of the new Bloom with Hope flower stamps that I find simplistically stunning.

Here are a couple other flowers I had fun coloring and creating cards with.

blended bloomThis one is the SU Blended Bloom Stamp and I love the orange and purple together.

blended bloom hello honeyFor this one, I used the same Blended Bloom Stamp but made it in shades of yellow and blinged it up a little with liquid crystal effects and some dazzling diamonds glitter.  The ribbon is the new Hello Honey color I just love.

 

blended bloom in cloudsAnd another twist on it here.

A seriously addictive stamp to color.

And a GREAT stress reliever…

Just something to do in –  life in between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

Happy Birthday Colleen!

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Happy Birthday Colleen!

Every Special Birthday Girl Deserves a Special Card. I loved making this one with StampinUp’s “Petal Parade” and “Gorgeous Grunge” Stamp Sets and the new “SoSocial”. I even broke out the sewing machine to stitch in a little extra love.