By The Shore Stamping with Jen Pitta

  As soon as I saw these adorable little gnomes in the Stampin’  Up August-December Mini Catalog, I knew I had to own them. And I’ve been playing with this set ever since, really. In fact, I designed my October Stamp Club Class around it because I loved it so much. (Registration for that class is open for just one more day!). But, it is so much more than Christmas… I paired it with a sentiment from the Dino Days stamp set, and we have a super fun and festive Valentine’s Day card (I know, I know — I’m super early — but this is really the only time you can say that about me!). But what I want you to pay close attention to on this card is actually the detailed heart dies that are in the background.  That die is amazing, and adds such pizzazz to a card, but if you’ve ever fussed with trying to glue a detailed die-cut down using liquid adhesive, you know that it can be a real challenge. Enter in the Stampin’  Up Self-Adhesive sheets! I’m sharing a video on this below — but let me just tell you these little beauties are

I love to scrapbook, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at this mess. If I’m honest, I think the reason why I haven’t scrapbooked my own photos in ages, is because I’m overwhelmed. Do you ever feel that way? But I’m committed to fixing this process for myself, and I have a feeling that you may be struggling with this issue, too. Whether it is physical photos like mine, or perhaps a web of digital pictures that could span the earth – or both – I’m determined to develop a process for tackling my photo storage so that I can find photos when I need/want them, and keep track of the ones I want to scrap. So I’d love to know, if you like to scrapbook, what are YOUR struggles around scrapbooking? Why don’t you do it more often? What would make it easier for you? What do you enjoy about scrapbooking? Why do you think it is important? As I work through this struggle myself, I’d like to think about ways I can streamline the process and potentially help you, too! I’ve literally shared a deep dark secret from my closet today (ha!) – so let me know

Let me first start this post by saying “thanks” to you for showing up here on this sad, neglected blog. It has been a long time since I have visited, even though I’ve been thinking about revamping it for well over a year! Anyway, I thought I’d share a few “crafty” ways to say thanks to those people in your life that always seem to go above and beyond.  Idea #1 is Treat Them to some Coffee. Of course, you’ll want to present it in a fun way. Check out THIS By the Shore Stamping YouTube tutorial for a really fun (and easy!) gift card holder featuring the Merry Moose bundle (which is still available!). You could pair it with the Plaid Tidings Designer series paper for a very similar look.  Merry Moose Three Panel Gift Card Holder Another great way to say “thanks” is a little treat box filled with goodies: I’ll be doing a You Tube video on how to make these super cute boxes real soon — so head on over to my You Tube Channel and subscribe so you don’t miss it! The third way to say “thanks” in a “crafty” way is, of course, A CARD!

Can I tell you something I’ve been struggling with lately? I’ve been wanting to revitalize this blog for months now. Months. But I’m struggling with perfectionism. What’s funny is if you were to ask me if I am a perfectionist, I would tell you no. But it literally just became clear to me this morning that everything I’m holding myself back from is due to perfectionism. There, I said it. “You should wait until you have something important to say.”“You should start eating better on a day when you haven’t already overshot your calorie goal.”“You should go shopping because nothing you own right now looks good on you.” All things I’ve told myself within the last 24 hours. I didn’t realize what has been holding me back both personally and professionally has been a major case of not being “up to par.” I’m telling you here because, well, I think calling it out is the first step in making a change. And I suspect, I’m not the only one that talks to herself so negatively – and I hope by admitting it here that perhaps it may help you see that you’re not being kind to yourself either. So here