Weekend Cards

This weekend I wanted to use up some paper scraps on my desk and clear it off before my next Stampin' Up! order arrives.

I used a the Mojo Monday sketch to make a father's day card for my husband.

Here are some of the other cards that I made:

Some of the supplies I used recently retired from Stampin' Up!, but I also used supplies that you can currently order. I am so glad that I ordered the Lovely as a Tree stamp set and may use it even more this fall. Baked Brown Sugar is one of my current favorite colors. You can order these and other supplies on my Stampin' Up! website.

What were you up to this weekend?

Inaugural Fun n' Crafty Stampers Blog Hop

Welcome to the first blog hop with the Fun n' Crafty Stampers! Thank you for stopping by my blog, where I have been sharing my crafty creations, pictures, and stories since 2007. Make sure to check the bottom of my post so that you do not miss any stops on the hop!

The Fun n' Crafty group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators decided to kick-off our first blog hop with inspiration from the brand new 2014-2015 catalog and idea book. There are many inspiring projects in the catalog, and I decided to go to page 173 to find a new way to use my Lovely as a Tree stamp set. This set has been around for many years, and a watercolor background adds a nice touch to the set. It is also a great way to make a one or two layer card that will be easy to mail. For my card, I decided to wait and add a sentiment on the inside of the card to make it more versatile.

Supplies Used:
Watercolor Paper & Aqua Painters
Ink: Soft Sky, Costal Cabana, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, & Chocolate Chip
Markers: Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, & Chocolate Chip
Stamp Set: Lovely as a Tree

You next stop on the hop is my wonderful upline, Pamela.

Make sure that you check out all of the fabulous creations for today's blog hop and stop by for next month's blog hop.
Blog Hop Participants:
Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper
Rose B. of RoxyRose44
Tobe B. of The Craft Sea
Sara G of 1200 Some Miles
Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
Annie L. of Love Me Cards

This Week

It has been a while since I did a crafty blog post, so I will have one ready this week for the Fun n' Crafty Stampers Blog Hop. Please visit again on Wednesday, June 4 to see my card and link to other great blogs featuring creations from the new Stampin' Up! catalog. Here is a sneak peek at my card:

The new Stampin' Up! catalog goes live at noon Mountain time on Monday, June 2, and you can still order from the 2013-2014 catalog through June 4th. This is a great time to place an order. You can order online at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/saragrafton/. If you would like a copy of the new catalog, you can email me at stampacrossthemiles(at)gmail(dot)com.

Have a great week!

Maker Faire 2014

As usual, we had a great time at Maker Faire. This was our third time attending the big Bay Area Maker Faire. Taking the Caltrain and wearing good sun hats helped the event go smoothly for us. This year, we stayed from about 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM. Even though we could not see the entire event during that time, we still saw lots of neat stuff. I think that we also saw lots of different things from last year.


One of our first stops was to see the robots made by Pasadena City College students from their engineering club. There was a walking robot made from cardboard.


John is standing in a 100 square foot space that can be built in only 4 hours.


It's bikes to pull the dog sled.


Alex made his own rocket with John's help and launched it 3 times.


John and Alex made a magin wand at the Intel booth.


Alex made a circuit with some magnetic tiles.


The robots squirting water were a hit.


And then there was the scary clown robot...


Ice cream time!


The light-up water fountain was really cool.


Alex really liked all of the hands-on booths.


Towards the end of our day, Alex played with Legos and we found some chairs to sit down.


I managed to find a new craft product. Cricut just came out with the new Explore electronic cutter that cuts everything from paper to fabric to balsa wood. It does not need cartridges with is a benefit in my opinion. It will cut SVG files, which I have on the My Digital Studio software or you can design your own things to cut.

There are Maker Faire events all over the world and they are so fun! We attended our first Maker Faire in Austin, Texas before Alex was born.

Easter Pics

We had quiet weekend and a nice Easter.

Most of pictures are from our egg hunt around the yard. Even Paddy wanted to look for the Easter Bunny. The last photo was taken at our Las Madres group egg hunt the weekend before Easter.

Free Shipping, Washi Tape, & More

I have a few things to share, so let's start with a card. I love using washi tape on cards! I made this card for the Paper Players Challenge and for a card swap with the Fun 'n Crafty group of demonstrators.

After I finished this card, I found out the the Delightful Dozen stamp set that I used here and on other recent cards is retiring. You can shop the "retiring" stamp sets and accessories here. The good news is that Stampin' Up! is offering FREE shipping through Friday, April 25th.

If you are a paper crafter, please leave me a comment with what items you are sad to see "retire."

Introducing Project Life by Stampin' Up!

If you have read my blog long enough, you may have seen some scrapbook layouts here. I started scrapbooking in 2005 and blogging in 2007. In 2008, I started stamping and making cards. Even though I have not scrapbooked much in the last couple of years, I have tried some Project Life products. Recently, I was rethinking about how to preserve our photos, stories, and memories. It was like Stampin' Up! read my mind...



I am really excited that Stampin' Up! will be offering this simple scrapbooking solution! You can begin ordering some Project Life products on May 1 with more products coming on June 2. I will share updates here and on Facebook.

Thanks for Sharing

Last week I went to hear The Minimalist speak at a local Barnes & Noble. We sat front and center since the other seats were "Reserved." I had heard of The Minimalists before 2014, probably because they were two guys from my hometown with a growing blog. I had also heard of some other minimalists bloggers (Courtney Carver, Joshua Becker, and Leo Babauta), but I did not begin to regularly follow them until the beginning of this year.

I think that a turning point for me literally was January 1. We had a very long travel day from Dayton, Ohio to San Francisco. We were rerouted due to snow in Chicago (shocking!), so I wanted a book to read. I chose You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap) by Tammy Strobel. I think that the title spoke to me.

My journey towards simplicity and minimalism kicked off as we returned from our holiday travels. I started regularly reading some minimalism blogs and read two books by The Minimalists. I enjoyed them both, and Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life really resonated with me.

At the beginning of February I got our free tickets for The Minimalists Tour. At that time, the event seemed far in the future, but now it has come and gone. At the end, they sign books and give hugs. My friend had her new book signed, and we got a group picture. In briefly meeting Joshua and Ryan, I said, "Thanks for sharing." At first it sounded silly, but I realized that it expressed my gratitude for those who share their imperfect journeys with the world.

A few months into 2014, I can see the focus on simplicity and minimalism starting to have a positive influence on my life. I am more willing to part with extra stuff and clutter. I am focusing on my priorities, goals, and living a meaningful life. I know that I still have a ways to go on this journey.