Memorial Day

My son, Kevin, joined the Army in April of 2006. He served until August of 2009, including a year in Iraq. Memorial Day had always represented a day off of work or a family picnic . . . until Kevin became a soldier. When his unit returned from Iraq, his father and I drove to El Paso, Texas to welcome them back. It was the most magical and magnificent experience to see their plane land and watch the soldiers march to the building while the band played. It was a combination of relief that they returned safely and pride that they had served our country, to protect the freedoms that we tend to take for granted. I can't imagine the devastation felt by families whose sons and daughters give their lives and can never be hugged to welcome them back. So, Memorial Day definitely has a new meaning for me now and I hope it does for you as well.

A Second Try

Hi ! As you noticed, the photo of my cards did not appear on my last post. I received a message that something was "corrupt" or from an "unrecognized source". Whatever !! Being limited in my knowledge of new technology, I decided to use the old "try it again" approach. So, here goes . . . . .
Well, the same thing happened again, so bear with me and I'll try something different later today. Today is my day to demonstrate making the cards at the store, from 3:00-5:00. Stop by if you're in the area and see the cards in person !!

A Happy Day at Work !

Did you ever have a day at work that you really and truly enjoyed?? One of those days where you say, "Wow, this is the best job ever!" or "You mean I can do this and get paid too???"

Well, today was that day for me. One of my responsibilities is to prepare for Saturday demos or make & takes at the store. A couple of times a week, I will get a large bag of craft goodies with instructions on what to make with them as samples for the Saturday demo. This time I received a bag with the new Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Sizzix Die, a 4x6 DCWV mat stack (La Creme), a box of DCWV Solid Brights cards and envelopes, a bag of assorted buttons in red, grey, black and cream, and 3 Clearsnap Smooch Spritz sprayers (try to say that 5 times fast!) in gingersnap, deep turquoise and white. It was my "job" to make cards with layered die cut flowers, using buttons for the centers and spraying color onto some of them with the Smooch Spritz. For the next couple of hours, I was "lost in paradise" and before I knew it, I had completed 6 cards! Enjoy the cards and I hope that sometime soon you will have a really happy day at work!

Stamps by Penny Black

Hi ! I have a collection of stamps by Penny Black, which I just love. Her artwork seems to capture the greatest expressions on the faces of animals. This giraffe stamp is one of Penny Black's creations. The picture is a little too dark, but I made this card for my niece, who loves oranges and browns. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it in with markers, matching the giraffe to the colors in the background paper. My flower embellishment is a brown felt flower, topped by a paper punched flower and finally a yellow sparkly flower on top. Glue Dots are the greatest invention for attaching dimensional objects to cards or scrapbook pages. I hope you like this giraffe as much as I do !

Be nice to your cashier !!

A large part of my job at the store involves customer contact. Although crafters are usually happy people . . . . we all know that anyone can have a bad day now and then. Well, I recently witnessed a co-worker getting "blasted" by an angry customer, to the point that other customers in my checkout line suddenly became quiet and listened to see what was going to happen next. My co-worker had sort of a blank look on her face, as if she was standing in the path of a speeding train, while this was happening. She was truly shaken after the angry customer left, but I was amazed that she was able to keep her composure during this episode. I decided to make this card for her, remembering that I had this "excited chicken" stamp. The inside sentiment reads, "Don't let those nasty birds ruffle your feathers!"

So . . . if you should stop at a store today, try to think of something nice to say to your cashier. You never know what she might have experienced with the customer before you!

Pretty Pearls

Hi ! Since I named this blog Inks, Buttons & Beads, I thought it was about time to show off some bead projects. These are woven pearl bracelets, made with 6mm and 8mm pearls, and monofilament. It's fun to make these, and to experiment with different colors of pearls together. They are also very comfortable to wear, with only the smooth pearls against your wrist. It just so happens that I teach a class in making these at A.C. Moore in Ridgemont Plaza. The calendar is available each month online at acmoore.com or pick one up at the store. Be sure to stop in and say hello !

Hope You Like Sweets !!

Hi and thanks for stopping by. I love sweets, don't you? And I love to collect stamps and papers with cupcakes, ice cream cones, candy, you get the idea. I made this card for my son and his girlfriend, Emily. They are such a fun couple. Emily loves the color purple, and loves sweets, so I thought this card would be just right !

Happy Mother's Day !!

Happy Mother's Day !! I had to work today, but as I was driving out Elmgrove Road, the traffic stopped in all 4 lanes to allow a family of ducks to cross the road. It was our own personal Mother's Day parade, I decided, as 3 mother ducks proudly strutted across the road followed by their trail of offspring.
My own mother died almost 1-1/2 years ago, but I had a chance to reflect for a few minutes on motherhood in general---and how it has been my one favorite occupation. Motherhood has its proud and exciting moments and it can have its devastating moments, but I can't imagine anything more worthwhile.
So, whether you are a mother to children or to ducks, puppies or kittens, consider yourself loved---especially today.
Check back tomorrow for a craft creation that I think you will like !

Hang in There !

I made this card for my daughter, Jill. She works as a nurse and had recent shoulder surgery. With an active life and a family to take care of, she was feeling very frustrated at not being able to do the things she would normally be doing after her surgery. I felt that this brightly colored paper and Whipper Snapper turtle stamp would at least make her smile as she tried to follow the doctor's orders in her recovery. The paper actually has some glossy areas and sparkles that don't show up in the photo, but make it extra special against the chocolate brown background.

Welcome to Bonnie's Blog !!

Welcome to my very first post---on my very first blog!! How exciting!!
Let me explain how I came up with the Inks, Buttons & Beads name. I have always enjoyed a variety of crafts, and I needed a name for my blog that represented the crafts that I enjoy most. The Inks part of it stands for papercrafting---cardmaking, scrapbooking and sometimes a framed quote or shadow box type of item. The Buttons part of the name stands for button embellishments that I add to cards as well as fabric creations. And Beads, of course, represent my jewelrymaking projects.
With a little help from friends, I plan to photograph my projects and tell the story behind each one. I hope you will join me as I craft my way to oblivion---and write a comment now and then to let me know your thoughts.