Creative Grace

Be Unique

Hello friends - I have one more shark week post to share with you today.  It was my goal to get one in every day this week, and I nearly succeeded, but the end of my work week was a whopper!  I'm only now getting to post yesterday's card.  Hopefully you will forgive me? :) 

This particular card is special to me.  I embrace diversity and I embrace uniqueness.  I do think that it is both of those things that make this world a beautiful place and allow not only us, but all of life to thrive.  I will fiercly stand up for that - always :)

No question, our oceans are healthier places because of sharks.  Despite any uncertainty or fear some people may hold, sharks are unique in the role they play in their environment and, as a result, their importance is undeniable.  Thanks to the research efforts of several organizations, we are learning more and more about sharks every day.  Here are some of my favorites:

Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology Shark Research Group

Monterey Bay Aquarium Sharks & Rays Research (which includes a very cool great white study!)

National Shark Research Consortium

I hope you have all had a truly wonderful Shark Week!  Don't forget to "be unique" :)

When in a sea of sharks...

...just keep swimming!  You can do it!

This is a good reminder for me after the last few days.  At least there is another Shark Week episode tonight to cheer me up :)  

Are you enjoying these shark posts?  Will try to get another one in tomorrow, pending how the day goes!

{wild} about sharks

Yup - it's that time again!  More jawsome shark goodness!  Today I have a card that I made for my Hubby for our anniversary last week.  

 

He thinks it's totally normal to get a shark card :)  Especially around shark week!  

 

More shark goodness

I hope you are all having a wonderful Shark Week!  I do have another special card for all my CHUMS out there (haha... had to do that Tracy!)

I do believe this is my first time ever using this diver stamp and I'm quite pleased.  I'm pretty happy with how this card turned out.  Could be the diver.  Could also be the fabulous mica glitter... or maybe that cute shark...  Or maybe that I would seriously dive to see sharks.  Goodness all around :)

More fin-tastic shark week goodness awaits you... check back later!

Happy Place Shark

Hello friends!  Are you ready for more Shark Week goodness????

I saw these super fun cards that my friend Glenda made for this week's Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge - Designer Drafts and I KNEW I had to play along! :)

I've never played before, and only recently acquired my very own Paper Smooches stamp sets (happy happy!).  The challenge is to make a card based on this sketch:

Um, HELLO shark fin!!! :)  I love that Glenda and I see eye to eye on this one! LOL  I'll admit that I had already peeked at Glenda's post, so I had to think different on this one.  I remembered seeing this fun photo on Pinterest with a little fish all dressed up like a shark... and viola! My card was born :)

Oh, if only we could all be as jawsome as a shark!

Hope you are enjoying Shark Week! Check back later for more sharktastic cards!

{Shark Week}

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Happy Shark Week everyone!  In case you've been living under some kelp or something for the past 25 years and weren't aware, Discovery channel features a week of shark goodness that premiers tonight at 9pm (Eastern).  I got {hooked} on shark week many years ago when I was teaching at a local aquarium. Now, I'll admit I'm not really a fan of the drama-hyped episodes that occasionally get aired, but some of their shows are interesting with stellar footage and some good educational twists - and that's what I love.  Most sharks are not the big "bad boys" that first pop into our minds, and ALL serve critical ecological roles in their environments.  Sharks really could give a rats-pattotie about us, they aren't "out to get us", and yet many people have this twisted vendetta against them - I've even worked with very young children say that sharks are bad (astonishing).  As a human population, we have decimated sharks (some by as much as 90%). Tragic!  There is still so much we do not understand about sharks - but one thing that is painfully obvious is that these population declines are having negative consequences beyond what we could have imagined.  We have lots to learn and, at least for a week, Discovery helps bring attention to sharks.

I feel grateful that I have some wonderful friends with open minds (who support the geeky marine bio nerd in me) and have a great sense of humor!  I threw out a crazy challenge to them and they have agreed to help me kick off Shark Week with a Shark Week blog hop!  As an added twist, I challeneged them to use two of three elements in their card (1. a turqoise washi tape, 2. a stamped image of a little shark, 3. the phrase "jawsome")

Here is my card, with all three elements (and still getting used to the new camera...):

Hop on over to their blogs and give them some jawsome love! 

• Cheiron Brandon {My Crafty Life}
• Dawn Stein {Lavender Giraffe}
• Glenda Wyatt {Paper Scissors Rocks}
• Jenn Shurkus {Creative Chick}
• Stacy Koscielniak {Stacy Cakes}
• Tracy Falco {Crafty Insomnia}

I'll be back again this week with more shark goodness!  Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boris Birthday

Ah... Boris...

For those of you new to his charms, Boris is an old A Muse "mad scientist" image.  He's quite the guy, if I do say so myself.  I'm completely smitten with him.

I was reminiscing with a friend recently about how much we loved Boris.  I knew I had to make her a fun Boris card for her birthday.  

Since she is a big fan of a nice martini, I knew the regular test tube and flask wouldn't do, so I fashioned Boris a nice shaker to go along wih a tiny martini glass (althogh it appears to be quite the ample size for him).  

Cheers to all you Boris lovers out there!

(sorry for the slightly blurry image... getting use to my new camera!)