PPA3 -Off to School

Time for this weeks PPA (Pals Paper Arts) Challenge3. The team at PPA's challenge this week was an inspiration photo found here. I know, I know, lot's of room for interpretation and directions to go with this, but I found it to be a struggle.

In the end, here's what I came up with. I was immediately grabbed by the bright blue striped rug. Knew those were the focal colors for me. Then I saw the 2 children at the table in maybe a playroom or preschool. That made me think of my now 5 year old who finished her preschool in May and will be starting Kindergarten in {sniff} 2 days. This led me to thinking about getting her school supplies all ready in her pride and joy: her Tinkerbell backpack! So, in conclusion, bright blue, light blue, backpack!

You can find a really great tutorial for these little backpacks on SCS. I also found inspiration from Nancy Riley at Istamp. They are little, about 4 inches high and about 1 1/2 inches at the bottom. Perfect for a small handful of wrapped chocolates, or even tucked in with a gift card.

Stamps: None

Paper: Retired SU Pacific Point and DP (using up my stuff--woohoo)

Other: Retired SU corduroy buttons, lots of redline tape, ribbon, eyelets.

I actually made two as my older daughter wanted to give one to her BFF, and my youngest daughter can give one to her Kindergarten teacher.

So, in conclusion for me: 5 year old, Kindergarten, tissues.

Blessings,

Colleen

Warm Fuzzies

Little story here.

A few months ago, I wanted to make something nice for my sister D. She absolutely loves the fun animals and quirky sentiments of Kim Hughes stamps at Cornish Heritage Farms, so I knew I wanted to make her a set using those stamps. I thought she might like a set of little cards to carry in her purse, to have on hand. One thing led to another and I did a set of business card size mini cards. You can see they are very simple, but fun and colorful. I also made a little envelope to put them in and give to her. My thought was she could give them out when she ran into old friends, or as a pick-me-up for someone.

When I was teaching, our school had a promotion where students/teachers could give each other "warm fuzzies". Don't laugh...it sounds goofy, but when you received a really nice little note from a student and on it was stuck one of those little furball people with googlie eyes...it made your day.

So that was where I was going with this. I think she liked it, but I found out a few days after I gave them to her, that she had given them to her daughter who is a Speech Therapist at a large nursing home. A month later, my sister asks me to make another set. I was like, "What did she do with all of them?" And she told me my niece had been leaving them in her patient's room when they needed a pick-me-up, or warm fuzzy, or congrats for a good therapy session. She went on further to say how those little, simple, colorful business cards were making her patient's day and ended being posted on their bulletin boards, shown to their children, etc. She liked them so much she wanted to have another set to keep on hand.

So in the long run, I didn't make these for my sister. I didn't make these for my niece. They were made for people I will probably never meet. People who are thrilled and uplifted by them. And the good Lord orchestrated it all!

Now, I take zero credit in this you know. I was merely an instrument. But I am humbled at the positive effect these are having. God is amazing!

Stamps: Kim Hughes stamps and Paisley backgrounder at CHF

Ink: Momento

Paper: Papertrey white cs

Tools: Copics

Other: Mini envelope, ric-rac ribbon.

May you create something small and let the Master's hand make into something Grand!

Blessings,

Colleen