One Little Stamp Set

I was thrilled to see the re-release of Close To My Heart's Word Puzzle stamp sets.
Let me tell 'ya a quick story .... {I'm not good at quick storytelling but I'll try!}

The December Word Puzzle was one of the first stamps sets I ever purchased.

At the time I hadn't even so much as inked anything ... ever! My purchase was prompted by:

• A desire to expand and improve my papercrafting skills.
• An online episode of Art & Soul with none other than Jeanette Lynton herself demonstrating how to make lovely Christmas cards using the December Word Puzzle.
• A wonderful CTMH consultant and teacher by the name of Brenda Rose whom I had met earlier in the year at a craft vendor event in St Paul, MN 

All I had to do was call Brenda, order the supplies I needed to recreate the cards I saw Jeanette make. Before I knew it, there I was in my basement {cellar dweller that I was} inking, stamping, and making my first ever cards! 

Over the course of the next year, I purchased Word Puzzles until I had all twelve. I have them to this day and they are used often for both cards and scrapbook pages. 

Just a little side note ... these Word Puzzle sets sold for $26.00 each back in the day! That was a lot of $$ for me to spend at the time but I was right in thinking they were worth it!

So that's my story about how one little stamp set, one acrylic block (it was 2x2), three ink pads (Cranberry was one of them), one paper pack (Everlasting), and some Colonial White cardstock opened up a whole new paper-love adventure for me!

Here's a simple card I made using the very same little trees that Jeanette showed me how to stamp all those years ago:

Heat Emboss those little trees, stars, and sentiment so they pop right off the paper!

{just one of the many tricks I've learned since that first Christmas card!}

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Brenda and I became quick friends after meeting up all those years ago. I joined her Rose Blossom Team six years ago and we've enjoyed crafting, planning, traveling, chatting over a Starbucks, and solving world problems into the wee hours of the night! It's the little things that make all the difference.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

FYI ...

The Word Puzzle Stamps are only available until July 31st

margvp.closetomyheart.com

Sold individually for $17.95 each ... buy two, get one FREE!

Buy the entire set of 12 for $143.60!

Papercrafting Meets the NFL

Question: What's a little friendly football smack-talk among fellow papercrafters ?

Answer: A whole lotta fun!

I've never met Tracey Pierce in person but this is what I know about her:

1. She has a really cool craft space

2. She's very creative {love her cards}

3. She loves her family and is a true country girl at heart

4. She's a die hard Seattle Seahawks fan!

I on the other hand  am an enthusiastic Minnesota Vikings fan. So, back in the 2015-2016 NFL season Tracey and I started some friendly online banter. That turned into a bit of a wager. When the Vikings and Seahawks play against each other, the losing team's fan had to create something using the winning team colors. That first year the Vikings let me down {go figure} and I made something for Tracey using a blue-green combo. 

This year however, the Seahawks lost to the Vikings and lookie-lookie what I scored:

Not only did she create with Vikings colors, but she included some wonderful treats

from her home state! How cool is that?

Super cute 6x6 card featuring Fundamentals paper and the exclusive 

Operation Smile Stamp Set

How about this 12x12 page!

I have the perfect photos in mind for this one.

And about the confetti sprinkles in the pics ... 

Tracey's green packaging didn't escape my notice!

Die-hard Hawks fan to the core I'm tellin' ya!

Thank you Tracey from the bottom of my Purple and Gold heart!

You can find Tracey and her creations here:

  Instagram

papercrafting_princess

Blog

papercraftingprincess.wordpress.com

Scrapbooker's Blog Tour

Happy Monday one and all! Welcome to the Scrappy Blog Tour. I was nominated by both Lynn Darda of "From My Bungalow" and Shelly Nemitz from "Just One Pretty Piece" to answer a few questions about the "hows and what-nots" that happen in my crafty life. {Thank you ladies!}

I met both these lovely ladies through my association with Close To My Heart. We've all had the pleasure of meeting in-person at group events. I admire both of them for their unique, individual styles and am always inspired by their art! {very cool they thought of me for this little interview}

So, without further ado, here's the first Q&A session ever held at The Tator Patch!


What am I working on right now?

I have several projects going on right now. With craft fair season upon us, I'm preparing gift items that involve candles, k-cups, cards, and tags. I do however, at this moment, have a layout on my desk that I'm putting the finishing touches on:

I've sorted through and picked some of my favorite summer photos and placed them on layouts I prepared in March. I call these my "photo-ready" layouts. I have six 2-page layouts in total that highlight some of my favorite photos of Summer 2014.

My next layouts will bring me into the Fall season with the cheering and football pics you see on my desk.  I don't have any sports related layouts at the ready. With five active g-kids I never know what they'll be up to next! I have the pics laying out on my desk in plain view so I can sort of roll a few ideas around in the back part of my brain {the creative part, NOT the part telling me I still need to get on the treadmill tonight}.

How long does it take me to create a project?

That is entirely dependent on the project itself. Generally, I complete a digital layout in less than 30 minutes. My traditional pages take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on if I'm trying a new technique or using a new tool for the first time. 

As for album projects, well that's a whole different story. I've spent the better part of the last 18 months creating childhood/school albums for my two sons {now ages 31 and 32}.  It will be nice to gift the finished projects to them this coming Christmas. Not to mention that "Whew! Thank goodness I finally got that done" feeling when I cross it off my "to-do" list!

What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?

Aside from my outrageous love for paper?  Baker's Twine has been a long standing favorite and isn't leaving my supply stash anytime soon. Washi Tape, the current Stamp of the Month from Close To My Heart, tiny clothes pins, and googlie eyes have all been hot commodities in recent weeks. Truth be told, googlie eyes are not seasonal in my world. They show up year 'round and are always good fun!

I'm looking forward to the coming weeks when glitter paper and Cricut cut snowflakes will move onto every horizontal surface in my craft space {and beyond}.

How does my process work?

I go at scrapbooking from two angles:

1. I feed my need for chronological memory keeping with digital scrapbooking. My "Year in Review" albums document family, friends, and milestones along with glimpses of everyday life, our home, and even a recipe or two. It's our story and I'm stickin' to it!

2. My traditional paper scrapbooking is devoted to very personal, dig-in-deep stuff. For instance, I have on-going albums for each of my g-kids. These albums contain pages that are specific to that particular grandchild. The layouts are almost never about an event, but rather about them. Most of the journaling is written directly to them, sort of like a letter. The purpose of these albums is to let them know how special and loved they are. 

I also enjoy creating paper layouts for blog challenges, and mini albums. I have the luxury of spending time on my paper layouts without feeling the pressure of trying to be "caught up" because I'm using digital technology {Studio J} to document family life in general.

Truly, paper scrapping is my first love and I'm enjoying it more than ever. I get to tell my chronological story via digital and share my heart with loved ones via personalized albums and gifts.



How do I become and stay inspired?

Any number of things can trigger a creative episode! It might be a magazine cover, music, patterned fabric, a fellow crafter's art, a walk around the block, chocolate, wine {did I actually just say that?} ..... you get the drift.

I'm often inspired by a photo that draws a strong emotional reaction. In other words, I love the photo, and it tells a story. The page idea and  journaling just seems to pop right up in my head.  

As for staying inspired:  I'm in the habit of surrounding myself with little bits of "happy". A happy scrapper is a productive scrapper ..... at least in my crafty brain! Inspiration comes when you least expect it and from some unusual sources. {ie Gumby and Pokey}

What is my signature style?

Okay. This is the tough question. I tend to prefer clean lines with small spurts of embellishments. However, I love going outside the box and think it's very important to do so from time to time. That's when I'll get adventurous with layers, embossing, a flash of bling, and a touch of grunge. I guess you could say that I'm sort of a party girl .... I work in my box most of the time but when I wander out, all bets are off!

So there you have it friends. Hope this was somewhat insightful, or at least left you just shaking your head in dismay!

I will confirm my nominees for the Scrapbooker's Blog Tour later on Tuesday and will update this post when I receive word from my three perfectly wonderful picks.

Enjoy your week and remember .... you can find inspiration in the most unusual places!

Crafty G-Kids!

I have a bin of scrap papers, a jar of ribbon and twine snippets, and another jar with misc embellies. I also happen to have grandkids who love to craft! Our Memorial weekend was chilly and rainy leaving us to stay indoors for the majority of the weekend. So .... up to "Nana's Art Room" we went!

Here's a couple of fun projects my 10 and 7 year old g-kids came up with:

I might be partial, but .... I think this little gal has some serious talent! She came up with this all on her own! We might be looking at a future Close To My Heart Consultant here!

My scrappy little g-daughter also reads my blog, so if you have time, I'm sure she'd love you to leave a comment!

This little guy wanted a sign for his bedroom door. Right now he's all about his scooter. I took some photos and printed them in wallet size on my home printer.

 

He made this collage and used items from the scrap stash to make it fun!

Again .... I might be (just a little) partial, but he did an excellent job of making his very own personalized door sign. There will be no doubt which bedroom belongs to him!

 

 

I have been blessed with five fabulous grandchildren. I love that I can share my hobby with them. As they get older I go from creating for them to creating with them. I want them to know it's important to have a hobby and do something they love. I hope as they grow, they find the time and a way to tell their story. Crafting is a great first step!

 

Share your love of crafting with someone you love today!

 

 

If you have time, could you leave a comment for the kids?

I'm sure they 'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 



Our Easter Sunday 2013

Sharing a couple of Studio J layouts a some photos from our Easter Sunday last week .....

We had funny bunnies and a bunny on a butt .......



We had a very special Easter Lily ........

 

 

We had beautiful flowers .......

 

 

We had egg hunt fun .....

 

 

We shared the blessings of food and wine .....

 

 



 

We had big kids, little kids, and fur-kids .....

 



 

We had sweets, treats, and surprises in the dryer ....

 



 

 

We shared hugs and smiles ....

 

 

We counted our blessings, looked to the Cross, and gave thanks ....

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by ....

 

Blessed Sunday to you and yours.



Peace on Earth

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was penned in December 1864. The country was in the midst of the Civil War. Longfellow was also dealing with the tragic death of his wife Fanny, and his son's crippling injury from wounds sustained in battle.

Needless to say, Longfellow had good reason to bah-humbug Christmas, hide away in despair, and question his faith. Yet he chose to move through his angst. Putting pen to paper, he created what would eventually become a piece of timeless Christmas magic.

Longfellow may have suffered a broken heart, but he was steadfast in his faith and knew the true nature of Christmas Spirit first hand.

If you are so inclined, I welcome you to take about four minutes to sit and contemplate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic words in this rendition of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" as performed by Casting Crowns



<sup>Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men. Now, more than ever.

Wishing each and everyone of you a Christmas of peace, kindness,
and comfort.

Marg Van Patten</sup>

"Share Your Space" Team Challenge

Team challenge time for the Rose Blossoms again! Our lovely and mondo-talented leader Brenda Rose challenged each of us to share our craft space through photos or videos. Love this challenge for two reasons. One, it forced me to clean up my act. Secondly, I've been wanting to create a mini album that features my creative space and now, I have the photos!

I spent the first 18 plus years of my papercrafting journey in the basement. I was the family cellar dweller .... really! Two years ago we purchased our empty-nester home. The first room to get finished was my new upper level craftroom! That's right ... I moved up two whole floors and have discovered that natural light and fresh air actually enhance creativity! No more cellar dwelling for me!

Will I be rewarded for my cleaning and sharing efforts? You bet I will. Each team member who participates in the challnge will receive one of Brenda's handcrafted cards. Well worth the effort!

So ... here's my space:

 Welcome ... Come on in!!

 

 

This is my craft table. It's a hand-me-down from my little sister.

Love my OTT Lights, magnetic cutting mat,

and fun containers for the supplies I need handy at all times

Across from my craft table I have an old desk that is used for cutting and stamping.

The smooth glass surface is easy to work on and easy to clean.

My trimmer, printer and various related supplies are stored underneath.

Every stampers best friends are kept nearby ... paper towels and baby wipes!

I used the dishpan to catch all my large scraps. I sort that all out when the bin gets about half full. The little orange basket is for my throw-away stuff.

 

I am a huge fan of Target's ITSO storage system. I built this over the course of about 18 months. Waiting for these to go on sale is well worth it!

I'm an even bigger fan of my labeler. In order to make the most of my craft time, I need to be organized. I have to be able to put my hands on supplies quickly. I get frustrated if I have to dig for something. Labeling my bins helps to locate supplies as well as put them away.

 

My utility shelving from my cellar dwelling days came with me when I made my move up.

This is where all my paper and books are stored.

I use cookie jars and vintage containers to store ribbon snippets, extra die-cuts, and small items I can recycle or repurpose. The 3-ring binders contain class materials, my stamp catalog, cricut cartridge catalog, pre-cut AP and Artiste shapes, and ideas I clip from magazines.

 

My papers are organized by color palette in 12x12 flats. I keep the color chart handy for quick reference until I have the new palette memorized.

• Adventure
• Enchantment
• Whimsy
• Black/Gray
• Neutral/Kraft
• Colonial White
• White Daisy
• Scraps

Again, utility shelving was used to create this"stamping" storage station.

I recently found those floral storage cubes at Target. They store 60 Close To My Heart stamp sets.

. No more overflowing waste basket for me .... I use a shredder to handle my paper waste. Shredded paper comes in handy as gift basket filler too!

 

 

It's important for me to be surrounded by the art other people create.

 

I am inspired by gifts I've received, color, music, and sometimes a movie.

 

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed my space today as much as I've enjoyed sharing it.

 

 Thanks for stopping by!

 



Fall 2012 Open House Tour

I held my first full blown official Close To My Heart Open House last week! For those of you who couldn't be there or are long distance friends and customers, here's a little photo tour:

I love Close To My Heart paper!

Clementine on the left.
Flirty on the right.
These are two of the layouts we created at the Dallas Convention in July.

This is the Spellbound Workshop on the Go
Everything you need to create a spooktacular party!
Treat bags, cupcake holders and toppers, soda wrappers, banner, and more!

Great new and some not-so-new product for sale!
I still have stamp pads, and reinkers available in the discontinued colors
$5.00 per set, includes gently used pad and reinker, shipping is free
Contact me via email at theparge@gmail.com

Lots of cards!
Display board left; Cards created using supplies from the Dallas Convention
Display board right; Cards created using the Avonlea Card Workshop on the Go

My September Card Kit
Available now for $6.00
Shipping is Free!
Go to the "Kits for Sale" tab at the top.

My daughter was there to help. She also worked on Baby Lily's first scrapbook!
Baby Lily is expected to arrive anytime now!

You still have a chance to place an Open House order and qualify for the remaining prize drawings. Simply visit my website, join the Fall 2012 Open House Gathering and take a look at all the exciting product Close To My Heart has to offer.

Thanks for stopping by the Tator Patch!

 

Lisa and the Liebster

I've never met Lisa Fowler in person. We don't live anywhere remotely close to each other. We don't email, text, facebook, or twitter each other. But that's not to say we're not connected. Lisa has been following my blog for awhile now and I caught on to hers in recent months as well. We know each other simply through blogging and the art of papercrafting.

I received a comment from Lisa on a recent blog post instructing me to visit her blog because she "had a little something" for me. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw that I was one of the recipients of a Liebster Award!

Liebster means favorite or dearest. The award is passed to bloggers with less than 200 followers to help showcase their blog. Lisa was passing her award along to blogs that inspired her as a crafter. I am honored and grateful for being included as one of Lisa's "liebsters"!

I am also honored to be part of a worldwide community of bloggers and crafters who share and inspire each other daily. We create, play, challenge, experiment, challenge, share, and inspire.
Through our art and the occasional personal story, we grow together as crafters and friends. For that, I am ever thankful. Thanks so much Lisa. You're pretty special too!

So without further ado, I would like to pass the Liebster along to the following small blogs who have inspired, motivated, and challenged me to become a better crafter: {in no particular order}

Lynn at http://frommybungalow.blogspot.com/
Jennifer at http://midwestscrapgarden.blogspot.com/
Tamytha at http://www.paperheartist.com/
Kristine at http://merryheartcreations.blogspot.com/
Crystal at http://craftinginlove.blogspot.com/

Please pay these talented and friendly gals a visit ... you're gonna like what you see!

Alrighty then, here are the {rules}:
1. This award is meant to highlight small blogs. Less than 200 followers is my understanding.
2. The blogger receiving the award links back to the blogger who awarded him/her, and tags 3-5 other small bloggers.
3. For those I have awarded, I should also point out there is no obligation to continue this award. If this is not your cup of tea, don’t worry.

Have a super wonderful day!
Thanks for visiting the Tator Patch!

Spring Training 2012: Window Light

Day 5 at Ella's Spring Training was all about "using the light"! Erin Cobb taught 3 ways to use natural window light to take great photos.

With these photos, given the time of day I shot them, I had the best results using Erin's "Flat Lighting" and "Back Lighting" methods. Again, practice will make perfect and learning more about the manual settings on my camera will help me advance my skills.

Flat Lighting

Back Lighting

Here's an Ella blog post with more tips on using window lighting for better photos:
http://www.ellapublishing.com/blog/melissa-shanhun/three-ways-use-window-light-day-5

Again, thanks so much for stopping by!

Spring Training 2012: Shooting in Low Light

Another session with photographer Erin Cobb on Day 6 of Spring Training at Ella. Super awesome tips on taking photos in low light conditions. I'm even willing (a little) to venture away from the "auto" mode on my new camera!

While I didn't have the chance to photograph a person in low light, I did practice Erins' tips on using my own stance or body position as a tripod to stabilize the photo (somewhat ... I still need practice).

I took advantage of the lovely view I had on "Super Moon" night and snapped tons of photos. This is one of the better shots. While far from perfect, this is a huge improvement over my past attempts at similar photos:

Thanks to Erin, I have a much better understanding of shutter speed and some manual adjustments. I'll keep practicing and watch for gradual improvements with these types of photos.

Here's a great post from Elizabeth Dillow with more great tips:
http://www.ellapublishing.com/blog/elizabeth-dillow/what-do-when-lights-aint-bright-day-6

Thanks for dropping by ... 
Comments are always welcome and appreciated!

Spring Training 2012: Shooting for Expression

Photography coach Erin Cobb ran us through 3 sessions during Ella Publishing's Spring Training. I recently upgraded my camera and these sessions with Erin could not have come at a more perfect time!

This first exercise: Today I want you grab a kid in the 10-and-under crowd (with parental permission of course...ha!) and give yourself a 5-minute time limit. In fact, just go ahead and set a timer. I want you to challenge yourself to get as many different expressions in those 5 minutes as you possibly can.

Just so happens that I have an adorable 3 1/2 year old granddaughter who tends to be a squirmy bug in front of a camera. Using Erins' tips, I was able to get the squirmy-bug to cooperate for a few minutes. Of the 30 plus photos I shot, here are two of my favorites:

There was, of course, a bribe involved!

As with most things, practice make perfect. I'll be using this lesson many times over in the coming summer months. I can't wait to see what I get next time!

Thanks for stopping by the Tator Patch!

A Joyous Blessing

Joyous. Amazing. Humbling.

I was blessed with a fourth grandchild last week.

Connor Levi

April 13th

8 pounds 8 ounces

My Halloween birthday son welcomed his Friday the 13th son!

Initially, big sister didn't know what to make of all this .....

..... but once this kind hearted little soul held her new brother, she wasn't letting go!

Mommy has her arms full.

He's healthy and handsome.

We are all so very, very blessed.

"Loving God, thank you for the gift of life and for bringing Connor Levi safely into this world. May You bless him and keep him, helping him to grow loving, strong, and healthy in Your love, now and always. Amen."

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

Thanks for stopping by the Tator Patch

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated!