I love days that hold a little surprise.  I agreed to take a job today at the elementary school for a friend.  I knew I'd be moving from class to class covering for teachers who had meetings to attend.  It's fun to travel around to different classrooms all day hanging out with the little people.  I like the little people best of all, they have a special place in my heart.  So, today I got to attend an assembly with the little people.    The local arts association provided a very interesting Korean dance group for the little people.  They performed a beautiful fan dance and used drums in interesting ways.  It was a real treat. I'm thankful for days with little surprises.

I hope your day holds a special surprise, too.  Thanks for stopping by.

The time is flying by me faster than I can count.  This is the card I made for our last card swap of the year with my stamping group.  We meet during the school year and take time off in the summer.  We'll get back to it in September.  The theme was sympathy and this single layer card was a personal challenge for me.  I'm trying to get back to a simpler way of stamping.  The grey block behind the image is direct to paper with a grey inkpad.  It didn't cover completely which was a happy accident.  I stamped the silhouette over it with versafine ink and the same ink with the butterfly which is fussy cut out and the sentiment.  A few gems finish off this simple design.  I think it works for sympathy or even for illness or other losses.  

In other news around here.  One month left of the school year.  I'm teaching bunches.  I was at the high school all week and even taught a couple of Kyle's classes this week and we both survived.

I've been having a blast making plans for CHA and creating class samples.  So many exciting things happening this summer.  I'll share my schedule when it's complete.  I hope to meet up with lots of artsy  friends while I'm in Chicago.  It's my first time there and I'm hoping to sneak in a few fun Chicago snacks and sites before all the CHA fun begins.  If you have any suggestions or tips, please share them.  

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Mother's Day.  Mom and I celebrated our mother's day by going out for a proper tea.  I'd love to show you the photos, but they're so blurry they made me dizzy.  Darn it all.  I didn't have my regular camera and took a newer one that I don't know how to use well.  I couldn't figure out how to review the photos that we asked the girl at the next table over to take.  Just imagine that we were smiling, happy, and wearing the most adorable flowered hats.  Our server, Lady Betty, brought out the tea leaf blends of the day for us to smell as she explained each one.  I chose a lavender earl grey and Mom chose a peach ginger.  We each got our own little pot of delicious tea.  The plates of food seemed to go on and on and each bite was even better than the last one.  If you're in Temecula, call the Truffles and Lace Tea Parlor for a reservation. You don't even have to bring a hat, she has a wonderful selection for you to put on when you get there.  It was a real treat.

We stopped in an adorable quilt shop and stamp shop after our tea and oohed and aahed over all the pretty fabrics and stamps before heading back home.  It was a grand girls' day out and we had the best time.  It feels like it's been forever since we've gone on adventures together.  The best mother's day gift of all is that my mom is finally getting well after being sick for over 2 years.  We found out last week that the disease is finally waning and that the surgery and medications are working.

The guys spoiled me yesterday with breakfast, flowers, a massage certificate and the most beautiful letter from my sweet taller than me teenager.  We rounded out the day with a trip to see Iron Man 2, which was so much fun.  Of course with a teen boy, I had to go see an action flick.  Having a boy has been an adventure that I never imagined.  Being his mom is one of the greatest joys of my life.  It was a beautiful mother's day and I'm thankful in so many ways.

Thank you for stopping by today.

It's teacher appreciation week.  Please take the time to thank your children's teachers sincerely.  A kind note or kind word is as appreciated as any gift you could make or give.  This year we have the ability to make a difference with our voices, and it doesn't cost a dime. Across the nation our teachers are receiving pink slips in record numbers.  You can sign a petition with pink hearts not pink slips online.   The goal is 300,000 signatures; one for each teacher getting a pink slip.  It's not only the teachers receiving pink slips who are suffering, it's the teachers who don't receive pink slips.  They're being asked to do more work, and teach more students while giving up pay and benefits.  I'm a substitute teacher.  Each day I work I hear the stories of these dedicated teachers and how hard they're working to maintain quality education with such little funds, time, and appreciation.  It's taking a toll on them. Something has to give, and this is a simple act we can do to help.

supplies: large shipping tag, distress ink, fiskars my funny valentine punch, stampin up sentiment stamp, penny black background stamp, dictionary page, button, satin ribbon.  Video tutorial link for the flower is over there on the right, called punch crazy flower.


Thanks for stopping by today.  And a huge huge thank you for all the kind words of support for my new role as Lead Fiskateer.  July can't come soon enough for me!

I'm honored to be hosting the gothic arch challenge this week.  Our theme is Mona Lisa.  I have a funny story to share about the first time I ever saw the actual painting almost 25 years ago.  I was in Europe with three friends and a backpack, staying in hostels and riding trains to get around.  We were in a dimly lit room at the Louvre for our viewing of the Mona Lisa.  She really is much larger than I imagined with a richness of color beyond my dreams.  I was enjoying the splendor of it all when a flash of light nearly blinded us.  Somebody in the crowd took a flash photograph of the painting.  Pow, the lights all went off and it was totally dark in the room and they covered the painting.  That was it, our moment was over.  No more Mona Lisa for us.  We had to move along.  Life is like that, you have to enjoy the moments as they happen.  I'm glad I got to see her.  I hope to see her again someday.  Thanks for stopping by today.

supplies: glossy cardstock; ink potion #9; distress ink; stampers anonymous mona lisa stamp; wordsworth quote stamp; vintage postage stamps; bingo marker.