Creative Grace

Summer!

I've slept in for 2 DAYS STRAIGHT!!!! Hello summer break - I'm a happy girl (well, at least for a couple weeks until the summer jobs kick in).  I've been busy tackling some projects around the house I've been meaning to get to since about {forever ago} which also feels great.  

Before school got out, however, I was in a frantic state trying to acknowledge all those awesome folks who make my job a million times easier.  Besides my fabulous 8th grade TA's (see their card here) I wanted to give a huge shout out to a few other amazing people too.  I did a variation of the TA card for my awesome custodians:

I also made several thank you's for the awesome teachers and awesome volunteer Mom's who helped me run our character building program this year:

I just printed our logo onto cardstock (designed by our student's with the help of a volunteer graphic designer), added some washi and bling, piece-o-cake!

Finally, I made some personalized stationary card sets for our fabulous office staff:

Again, I kept it REALLY EASY {thank you washi tape} so it didn't take me too long, but yes, I've appreciated the extra sleep these past couple days :)

For all my friends still teaching - I do feel your pain.  I've felt it all year long when you got that extra few days at Thanksgiving or that extra Spring Break week or those snow days.  It's all a wash in the end right? A break from the norm at any time of the year is appreciated.  I wish you a speedy race to the end and students who take mercy on you in your fragile-almost-summer state.  

Inspired Thank You

Amidst the craziness of life and the constant roller coaster we all get pulled on (whether we want to be or not), I'm constantly in awe over the little, yet so big, acts of kindness from those around me.  These remind me that no matter how challenging the day may be, there is goodness and good people all around.  

I love that I've found myself in the position lately where I have felt compelled to say thank you so some truly wonderful people who, in just doing what they do, have made a difference in making my day so much better.

I had the opportunity to take my students on an amazing field trip to the very same aquarium I started teaching at so many years ago while I was still in college.  There's no question it was a fabulous day and I am grateful for the team of teachers who came out to work with the kids and had no problem getting their hands dirty.  I found a small little trinket for each and had fun making a cute little bag and tag to say thank you to them.

I had so much fun watching the kids apply their knowledge and see the animals we had been studying in their "natural" environment.  

I must admit, though, I had just as much fun watching the teachers!  I love that our wonderful school counselor was just as curious as the kids, getting on his belly to check out the awesome animals living under the dock :)

And I love how amazed this teacher was looking at plankton for the first time.

It was an awesome day! :)

I also wanted to do something nice to my wonderful 8th grade TA's who worked their tooshies off helping with the organizational prep for the field trip.  I fell in love with the sparkly great white shark (YES!  It was sparkly!) and knew that they *needed* it - since, you know, I totally love sharks :)  I also found them a sweet little twine bracelet I thought they would love.

While sitting there making these little gifts, I also got inspired to whip together a few cards.  I loved the look of the sand dollars (which are available in two new A•Muse|Studio stamp sets - click here for info).  I went with purple since our local sand dollars have small purple spines on them when they are alive.  

(photo courtesy of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)

The color purple and the sand dollar made me think of my friend Dawn (a total purple fan) who was kind enough to pick up some sand from her vacation for my classroom sand collection.  I knew I needed to make a card for her :)  I also had a few other people who I needed a thank you card for, so I turned the design around into a card.

So there you have it, a week that blurred by so fast with several great opportunities to say thank you to some wonderful people.  I wish you all a beautiful weekend!

Up to {a lotta} goodness - part {3}

Wow!  I really thought I'd get to this post a lot sooner - last week was a blur!  

I was so honored to be asked to teach a card class to a fabulous group of K-12 Alliance teachers (see previous post).  A couple weeks before the class, I got a text asking me for suggestions for a title for the class.  I admit, I was useless! I had my brain in *thesis land* and came up with a couple boring ideas.  So, apparently the team planning the professional development weekend proceeded to throw out random words, with two words being chosen as the title:  Scale and Design.  

Perfect for a bunch of math and science peeps!  

For the class itself, I had to take on the premise that no one would have any stamping or card-making experience, which led me to keep the cards very straightforward as I really wanted everyone to just have fun.  The most important thing to me was teaching everyone to properly ink the stamps (we all chanted, "don't squish!", LOL).

Soooo... without further ado, the cards:

I was really challenged to make a card that was "math" oriented, so after a few attempts this was what I ended up with.  I figured it would suit our math teachers well, and would be a cute valentine that the teachers could give to a loved one :)

This card might look familiar - it's one of my favorite designs I did a while back (click here).  I love it and I think it's so much fun to stamp on the maple cards. The sentiment, "you make a difference", would be the perfect card to give to a friend or teaching colleague.  It's amazing how just one person saying something positive can make a difference to a teacher.

I *HAD* to make a card with the sub!!! *HAD TO* :)  I love how this "Swiss Cheese" border punch from EK is the perfect bubbly companion.  Speaking of sub, did you know that Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute now has an Alvin Cam!!!!!  Alvin, the first "manned" Deep Submergence Vehicle - the first to discover living things at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and famed for discovering the Titanic wreck, is undergoing a multimillion dollar "facelift", enhancing the submersible's ability to explore the ocean depths, and you can peek in on the journey (click here).  Because I'm so in love with Alvin, and am a huge advocate of innovative scientific exploration and research, I'll also let you know that you can find out more about the project and even make a donation to this non-profit institution to support oceanographic research (click here).  

The final card is this cutie - I love this rocket and *really love* the sentiment.  Again, I figured this would make a great valentine.  The orange Washi Tape is a nice substitute for ribbon. 

So, what do you think?  I have to admit, I had a ton of fun designing cards for teachers!

Thanks for your patience in waiting for these cards to get uploaded and thanks to those of you who take a little time to leave comments on my posts - I appreciate hearing from you! :)  I'll be back in a few days to share a very special card for my *paper ho's* (I didn't get a chance to mail them until yesterday - and I figure they get first dibs on seeing them! LOL)

Have a great week everyone!

 

Up to {a lotta} goodness - part {2}

I had a great weekend! 

I had the immense pleasure of introducing card-making to a fabulous group of educators!

Last fall, I was approached by the K12 Alliance  to be their "Saturday night speaker" at their annual staff developer training.  (This is the grant-funded program I'm proud to be a part of where we work alongside math and science teachers, bringing best-teaching practices to classroom across California).  I immediately jumped at the opportunity!  The team of teachers and administrators who participate in the program work so hard all day on leadership practices, pedagogy, and unit design - an action packed day leading to inevitable brain exhaustion.  To help everyone recoup, the coordinators schedule something different on Saturday evening - something to hopefully help everyone recharge their battery.  Boy - were they in for a surprise! LOL

I was asked to develop a 90-minute card class for about 70 math and science educators!  

Yes, I said 70! Eek!

Following the initial excitement of the prospect, I'll admit I did freak out a teeny-tiny bit.  Fortunately, I was able to get a jump start on everything during my winter break since I'm so busy once school starts.  I started with the premise that no one had any paper crafting experience, so the cards had to really straight forward in their design.  I could expect people to make about 4 cards in the 90-minute time frame - but with so many attendees, I'd need two kits for each card to accommodate everyone. (Enter Jenn Shurkus of Colorful Creations in Cape Cod, MA to the rescue!!!  Jenn saved the day by loaning me an extra set of stamps! Jenn - you are a goddess!)  

The next challenge was all the prep - the hours and hours of prep! LOL  I was so lucky to get help from my hubby (the punch master) who makes punching 70 pieces of paper seem effortless, and my friend and fellow K12 Alliance peep, Susan for helping me cut paper.

The next challenge would be the ability to help everyone who needed it.  I made photographic directions for how to assemble the cards - you know, "scaffolding" - teacher lingo :)  I also expected that many people would need one-on-one assistance.  Enter the Paper Ho team!

Both Susan and Laura were generous enough to lend a helping hand.  These ladies are not only my professional mentors, but wonderful friends with crafty experience under their belts.  Perfect!

The end result was a really fun time!  I imagine it helped that everyone *needed* some time to play, be creative, and just laugh.  It also probably helped a lot that wine was served with dinner and somehow, most of those wine glasses followed several people back to the room.  

I think this was their first time handling such a large stamp! (you did fabulous ladies!)

I love how he raised his glass and card for the camera! LOL

A Paper Ho in action!

Touching a Copic for the first time *ooooohhhh!!!!*

I loved the creative *twist* so many put on their cards :)  I have a feeling some spouses will be getting some fun valentines.  I can't share all of them with you though, we had some creative guys in the audience, LOL

Everyone was completely fabulous and had a great time!

I want to express my gratitude to this fantastic group of educators who are a true inspiration, working tirelessly to transform math and science education in California.  It was a joy being able to give my time to bring them a little, much needed, play time!

I'll share close-up photos of the *teacher* cards made in the class in my next post - stay tuned!  

For a friend

Well, looks like I survived the return to work from winter break relatively unscathed.  I'll admit that the toughest thing for me is actually motivating myself to get out of bed in the morning.  I don't think I'll ever acclimate to waking up early.  I even changed my alarm wake-up "tone" to the submarine sound (you know, since I love sub's so much)... nope, didn't help one little bit! LOL  

This week brought the start of what is sure to be some very difficult discussions at the school I teach.  It seems like every year we have less and less of a budget to work with and I totally see quality suffering as a result.  One colleague of mine, in particular, is fighting hard for a population of students that really need an adult voice to advocate for them.  I respect the heck out of this colleague for this - so, since I'm enjoying my homework-free evenings (at least until the semester starts in a couple weeks), I made this card:

School colors to boot! :)

I can't make money magically appear in our school to help alleviate the problem, and I recognize that my voice of support will only go so far, but hopefully this made that persons day a little brighter. 

Teacher appreciation *inspiring* idea

With the end of the school fear fast approaching (thank goodness! LOL), I have a lot of friends looking for ideas for teacher appreciation gifts.  I thought this would be a cute way to dress up a gift card.

 

 

I simply wrapped the card in paper and tied the ribbon around it.  Easy peasy.

 

 

 

 

I will admit, though, that my favorite things from students have always been thoughtful notes.  I fact, I even got one last week from a former student - that was a big surprise and so sweet.  Makes all the long days and hard work worth it :)

Card Recipe:

Stamps: solid apple and for a special teacher by A Muse.  

Paper: cranberry, green, and grass petite gingham by A Muse

ink: A Muse black dye ink, Colorbox magenta

Other: black polka dot sheer ribbon by A Muse, pink colored pencil (I didn't ink the middle left side of the stamp so I would have that white space, and just went over the edges with a little pink colored pencil).

For A Muse products click here 

TA Appreciation!

So, some of the A Muse girls have been sharing fun posts all week of special goodies for teacher appreciation week.  This inspired me to share something too, only my goodies are for my awesome 8th grade TA's that work their booties off in my 7th grade classroom! :)  

I'm very lucky to have a couple of wonderful girls assigned to my room this year.  They work so hard and are such a HUGE help to me!  There's no way I'd be able to pull off all of my labs and activities without them.  So every once in a while, I try to do something special for them.

We start our State assessment testing tomorrow, which is pretty stressful on the kids.  The girls have been instructed to report to my classroom first thing in the morning, before going to their testing room, so I can surprise them with a little testing survival kit:

 

Inside are all kinds of goodies that will hopefully help the girls get through these intense 4-days

 

I thought sketching might help with relaxing after the test! :)  I got them these adorable fabric colored pencil rolls that are hand-made by Vi (Vi is the amazing mother of Linda, owner of A Muse).  They are so adorable!!! I also had to get them these fun mushroom pencil sharpener/erasers!

A little inspiring reading and a special bookmark should help! ;)

 

 (I'm trying to convince them that Edward is WAY better than Jacob... he he)

I also tossed in some pencils, water, granola bar, and smarties.  Smarites are MANDATORY!

 

Hopefully this will help them ace their tests! ;)

Amuse-bouche Teen Scene

Well, when I think of teens, school, and lockers, I think of a 6th grader (where I teach) that decided one day to listen to a bunch of nuckleheads daring him to, well, I'll let you see if you can figure it out by the end of my post!  

I love these lockers and thought it would be fun to pair it up with the fun new "2-4-6-8" sentiment by A Muse.  

Who do we appreciate?  Hmmm... well, there's someone by A Muse I really appreciate...

I think he's up to a little mischief...

Oh yes, it's my favorite guy...

I totally appreciate Boris! :)

So... did you figure out where we found the 6th grader??? LOL  Although, it wasn't as cute as this, and I'm pretty sure he got into big trouble by the Principal!  Ah... kids!

You just gotta love Boris, this crazy cute sentiment, and this fun new locker stamp by A Muse!  Be sure to visit your local stamp shop to get your hands on these stamps and the others in this newest release.  

Card details:

Stamps: Boris, 2-4-6-8, Lockers by A Muse

Paper: A Muse papaya 4-bar note card, black card stock, white card stock

ink: A Muse black dye ink

Copics: y15, 110, r29, e13, Spica Melon and Lemon

Other: A Muse red polka dot sheer ribbon

Amuse-bouche High School Sports

When I saw it, 

               it was an instant 

                            *epiphany*

I just couldn't resist...

It's from the fabulous new Sports Words Mini Clear Set from A Muse!

How could I *not* make a sneaker!

The "tongue" is an insert...  I thought it would be perfect to write a note to the champion in your life on the back!

I know a few kids (young and old alike) who I think would enjoy this.  The problem is... do I tie the shoe laces or not???

I'm telling ya, you NEED this new set!  Be sure to stop by your local stamp store to find these awesome new stamps.  

Card details:

Stamps: "All Star" from Sports Words Mini Clear Set by A Muse

Paper: Blueberry 4-bar note cards (2), white card stock

Ink: Color box chalk (french blue)

Other: Large silver brads, black gingham ribbon by A Muse, small strip of white paper for ends of shoe laces.

Amuse-bouche Teacher Appreciation

Today I have another back-to-school amuse-bouche for you!

This was made using the fabulous new School Time clear set by A Muse.  This set is perfect for making cards for educators and students alike!  Needless to say, I'll be making tons with this :)

Card details:

Stamps: School Time clear set by A Muse

Paper: Swiss red and black kitchen 4-bar note cards by A Muse

Ink: A Muse black dye ink, Memento lady bug dye ink

Other: A Muse red gingham, white sheer, and red polka dot sheer ribbons