Gift for the Work Husband

I am a little late in posting this...my little shop has been buzzing.  My Idea Bulb Journal was recently featured in Huffington Post's  Work Husband Holiday Gift Guide!  Talk about exciting!  And I could not agree more...this little journal would make the perfect small gift to give to the guy in the next cubicle, the one that never fails to bring a little humor to the work day! 

The better view

What goes better with a notebook when you are out exploring the wilderness (aside from trail mix and water)?  You got it...binoculars!  And what do we usually forget when head out for our little treks?  You got it...binoculars!

Well, this handy little notebook will help you to remember to add those binoculars to your pack!  What a great gift this will make for anyone who enjoys the outdoors!

Hemingway in the shop

Here is the newest design in the shop...Ernest Hemingway. 

This one was a fun one to carve!  Look at the beard!  I listened to one of my favorite groups, Mumford and Sons, while I carved out this stamp.  Turns out, this was the perfect music to carve Hemingway.  It took a little time to get it right, but I think that this little stamp will make some folks happy.  :)

Be not simply good, be good for something.

Even after 200 years, Thoreau still stirs thoughts and imaginations in all who read his writings.  You can hardly go a sentence without stopping to think about what he has said and apply his words to your own life.  Not only was Thoreau a writer, he was a naturalist, an abolitionist, a surveyor, and a philosopher to list just a few of his many passions.  His words also greatly influenced the Transcendentalist movement in the 1830s and 1840s.

This hand carved stamp is my homage to one of America's finest thinkers.

Card Set 

 Moleskine Cahier Journal

Oh, these dogs...

I would venture to bet that most dogs are like mine...they don't know any tricks, they make messes and don't clean up after themselves, and they rarely give themselves a proper bath.  Yet, they always want a treat as if they have done all of those things.  And we relent, give them the treat.  Why?  Because they are just too dang funny for words!  My two dogs, Punky and Scout, are constantly play fighting with each other, making more noise than their little sizes should be able to make, and are always, always, always tracking in dirt, mud, grass, leaves, bugs, sticks, etc., etc., etc...  But they have one quality that outshines all of these terrible habits - they always make us smile. 

So here is my latest item in the Etsy shop...a begging dog journal!  You need one of these, right?  :)

Butterflies!!

Another new design has hit my shop...BUTTERFLIES!  I hand carved this new little stamp yesterday and was so excited to get this into my shop!  I love it!  Take a look...

Single Butterfly Card

Wraparound Butterfly Card

Butterfly Journal


And here is the carved stamp.

So many new things!

Yay!  Fresh items are now sitting in my shop just waiting to be shipped!  Take a peek at them when you get a chance...you know back to school is just around the corner!  Also, these would make terrific stocking stuffers!

Idea Bulb on Black Moleskine

  Exploring Bear on Red Moleskine 

Chalkboard Scissors on Black Moleskine

Sometimes you just gotta dive in...

You know how it is to come upon something in life that, though a little scary maybe, you know deep down you just have to do it.  You start thinking about all that could go wrong if you do it, all that could go wrong if you don't.  But the more you think about it, maybe the biggest that thing that could go wrong if you don't do it is that you will regret not giving it a try.

So...just dive in!  Make the leap...move to that faraway town, take the dream job that means a pay cut but a happier life, say yes to him or her!

And...while you are at it, take a look at my latest card and journal!  :)

New...Camera Cards and Journals

I am with the school of thought that old school film cameras should never be entirely replaced by digital cameras.  But, when was the last time you scouted for some film?  I remember the days of an entire aisle being devoted just to film, being confused as to which speed I would need and wondering if the lighting would would be sufficient to have my photos turn out well.  And do you remember having to buy those flash cubes for your camera?  Remember waiting a week to get your pictures back, hoping that they all turned out okay?  I am showing my age here. Those were the days of no do-overs.  You had one chance to get the picture right, and all of your hits and misses were forever recorded on film.  In the present digital age, we just snap a photo, view it on the camera, and make any adjustments we need (no blinking this time! turn the flash off! adjust for the shade!) and try, try again until we get it right.  Don't get me wrong, I love my digital camera and would never part ways with it.  But there is just something about film cameras that, even though they can be a pain to work with,  I will always love.

I crafted my newest stamp based on a camera from the film age.  The stamped cards and journals would be perfect for just about anyone I think.  My hubby spends a lot of time outside for his job in search of wetlands and he remarked how he would love to use one of the journals to keep track of the many photos he takes.  Of course, he will have to pay for one I told him.  ;)

New goodies in the Etsy shop

Today was a good day to post a few new journals to my shop.

This is my Loblolly Pine design, a stamp I hand carved in honor of the trees that surround my home.  When I was a little kid, I would spend hours making pine needle houses, which basically consisted of crafting a 3-inch tall outline of a home floor plan. I was also convinced that if I buried a whole pine cone and watered it every now and then, I would be able to grow a gigantic pine tree.  Needless to say, that never worked.

The rocket in this picture is a bank that once belonged to my husband's grandfather.  As a child, my husband loved launching pennies into the rocket using that little slide and red button. It still works, but I have no idea how to get the money out, which I guess makes it a fairly secure penny bank.  Given that the original design for this light bulb was for my sweet husband, I thought that the rocket bank would be a perfect pairing for this journal.

I have always loved koala bears, and would be very disappointed to find out that they are not as cute and cuddly as they appear.  I just cannot imagine them being anything but impeccably sweet.