Stamp With Lisa

SNOW DAYS

There is nothing better than a spontaneous vacation day which is exactly what a snow day is!  It doesn't matter that the kids have to make up all those days, it is the spontaneity that makes it so awesome.  I'm just like a kid...(hope my husband doesn't read this since that is the line reserved for him, not me.  I'm supposed to be the adult in this family.)  With these pages, I only had three decent pictures which left me a little chanllenged.  But, I think it turned out OK by just adding a large journaling block and the scallop on the bottom.  

 

WHY DO I SCRAPBOOK?

As I created these pages this evening, I thought about why I scrapbook.  I'd like to say it is so that I can document our lives for future generations.  But if that were truly the case, I would spend more time journaling than I do.  Some pages I haven't even noted a year...so that certainly blows that theory.  I used to say that I scrapbook because my kids are at that preteen and teenage mouthy stage and I want to see them but not hear them for a little bit.  (Love you Emily and Matthew!)  :-)  But, I think the truth of it is that I scrapbook for purely selfish reasons...time goes by SO quickly and it scares me at how much I lose the ability to truly remember 'the little things'.   When I sit down at my stamp table and work on pages, it takes me back in time and I get to see those little things again.  Tonight I looked at some photos of my sixteen year old daughter when she was a toddler.  I saw her face in some of those pictures and I had a whole new perspective on 'what she was thinking at that moment in time'.  When I looked at baby pictures of my son, I was reminded again of what a truly "happy" baby he was...and that made me happy all over again.  If you have never scrapbooked, I encourage you do so...even if it is simply for those selfish reasons.  :-)  Here is one set of pages that I got done tonight.

 

What a season...

Well, things are starting to get back to a routine around here.  The Christmas season was extremely busy for me with Sweetbriar Designs.  So, I didn't get much stamping done because I was too busy filling those orders.  January is always crazy the first couple of weeks.  I attend a 'buying show' in Atlanta to hunt new products for Sweetbriar Designs.  Seems like an easy enough task, right?  Think again.  There are three buildings and two of the three have almost 20 floors.  I equate each floor to be about the size of a small mall.  We try to see all the showrooms in three days.  As you can tell, it is quite a task...but I love it.  It is like one big treasure hunt for me to seek the latest and greatest.  Here is a photo of building three which is the smallest with only 13 floors.  I find the sterling silver jewelry that we engrave from manufacturers in this building.  

 

One of the decisions I made after the Christmas season was to branch out into apparel printing.  We are currently receiving all the new machines and samples to print on t-shirts and sweatshirts, along with totes, bags, mugs, coasters, mousepads, picture frames...so many things!  Printing is an ideal extension to our embroidery operations as it gives our customers yet another option for personalization.  The picture below is 'colorprint' on a black quilted microfiber tote.  I love how the printing looks like part of the tote...it doesn't compromise the quilted look in any way.  How cool is that?  Not only is this tote one of our best selling, it is one of my personal favorites.  I can fit quite a bit of stamping supplies in there when I 'stamp on the go'!  

 

Now that I am through with the buying show and have ordered the new machines, I can get back to stamping!  I had ladies over this evening to stamp Valentine's cards.  Here is one that we did...I love the black and white, crisp look to this card!  But the real WOWZER for me is the glitter paper!  Love, love and super love glitter paper because there is NO mess!  Ahhhhh....a mother's dream!  :-)