More on Common Courtesy

Another incident that makes me think common courtesy no longer exists is because of the experience I had during the Colorado Caucuses on March 1.

As required by caucus rules, my precinct members and I (approx. 50 of us) elected a caucus chairperson and secretary. Again, according to caucus rules, up to three people could speak on behalf of each candidate for the party after the initial vote. Individuals speak in an attempt to sway the other voters to vote for “their” candidate.

This is what happened.

We took the first vote after which a woman spoke on behalf of the candidate she was supporting. Next, a young man spoke his piece in favor of the opposite candidate. When he was finished, I raised my hand and asked the chairperson for permission to speak on behalf of the first candidate. After I took, my seat and second person spoke again for the second candidate. No one else seemed as if they had anything to say, so I again raised my hand and asked for permission to speak, and I did. Finally, a third individual spoke on behalf of the second candidate. Again, encouraged by the individuals who were in favor of the same person as I, I once again asked for the floor and again granted permission to speak. I ended with the rhetorical question, “I was just wondering how many of us are willing to vote for the party candidate, even if it isn’t the one we are presently supporting?”

At that moment, a young woman probably in her early thirties said rather rudely, “That isn’t any of your business!”

I looked at her and at the same moment as another member of the caucus, we both said to her, “You don’t have to answer.” In addition, I followed up with, “And you don’t have to be so rude.”

The young woman responded quite harshly, “Nobody wants to hear you talk all night. I have other things I need to do tonight as well.”

My response was, “This is the Democratic process at work. Apparently, you don’t know what a caucus is all about do you. If you are so busy, why did you even bother coming out tonight? I can’t help that I have a brain in my head that works.”

I probably shouldn’t have been so harsh with my words in return, but at that point, I’d had enough.

I later apologized to the group saying I hadn’t planned on being so long winded. As I did this, the mother of the young woman verbally attacked me again, by saying I was egging her daughter on. I ignored her.

At the end of the evening, an older man approached me and said I made a good point when I asked if we were willing to support each other’s candidates.

This is what I really think we need to do…

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Enough about that.  I have been pretty absent from my blog lately, and that is because I’ve been busy crocheting.  I didn’t stamp at all last week, because I had a sweater I wanted to get finished.  Well it is done so today was spent in my stamp room.  I came up with a few creations that I want to share with you.  I used the Birthday Blooms stamp set again.  I believe it is one of my favorites!

Here is the first thing I stamped today.

Watermelon Wonder Birthday BloomsI stamped the image for this set on a piece of 4″ x 4″ whisper white card stock.  I then measured 2″ from the bottom edge on either side of the flower.  Using the Stampin’ Trimmer I cut a straight line from the left and right edge at the 2″ mark just to the edge of the image.  I then used paper snips to fussy cut the top portion of the rose. I colored over the center of the rose with the gold colored Wink of Stella.  The remainder of the flower was colored over with silver Wink of Stella  The sentiment on this card comes from the Water Color Wings  set.

The second thing I stamped today was this set of 3″ x 2″ cards that can be used as gift tags and cellophane wrapped box for the tags.

Birthday Blooms 3x3 cards

Birthday Blooms 3 x 3 boxTo make the box, cut a piece of card stock to measure 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4″.  Score it on all four sides at 1/2″ and 1″.

I made the cellophane sleeve by cutting an overhead transparency to 3 1/4″ x 8 1/4″.  With the long edge of the clear sheet at the top of my scoring tool, I scored the transparency at 1/2″, 3 7/8″, 4 3/8″ and 7 3/4″.  I used two sided tape to assemble the box and to adhere the ends of the clear sleeve.  You can download a picture tutorial for the box here.  I’ve shared these instructions before.  BE AWARE…follow the measurements for the sleeve I’ve posted here vs. the ones in the downloadable link.  If you do, it will be less of a struggle to get the box into the sleeve.  I also used retired Pool Party Baker’s Twine to wrap around the box.

I hope you enjoyed your stop here today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

 

Josie2

Three Valentine Cards & Valentine Treat Tutorial

As I type this post, I realize that Valentine’s Day is only 2 days away and I haven’t shared any of my Valentine cards or my treat holder with you.  The cards were created over a month ago and put in the mail way in advance of the holiday, but I am very much overdue in posting about them.  I was busy this week in that I substitute taught one and a half days and I cleaned out two closets this week.  (I do feel I accomplished a lot.)

Anyway, here is the first card I made using the Bloomin’ Love stamp set, Bloomin’ Heart Thinlit Die, Sweetheart punch, and Love Blossoms Designer Series Paper.  When I cut out the heart with the thinlit, one heart was enough to make two cards since I only needed a small piece to peek through the punched out heart image.

Valentine-1

I made the second card with the Sky is the Limit stamp set from the Sale-a-bration catalog and the Happy Heart Embossing Folder.  Just a reminder that it will no longer be available beginning Monday, as new Sale-a-bration items will be replacing it.  If you aren’t familiar with Sale-a-bration, it is Stampin’ Up!’s biggest sale event of the year.  When you spend $50.00 on any Stampin’ Up! product you qualify for one free item.  This set is one of the free items until midnight on Feb. 14th.

I love this set because you could say it is quite masculine, and I thought this made a good card for my son.

Valentine-2

Finally, my last Valentine card happened quite by accident.  Someone once told me there were never any mistakes is stamping, just happy accidents.  So, this accident was a happy one.  I had cut out a vellum heart using the Bloomin’ Heart Thinlit intending to use it for a totally different purpose on a card, and this is what I ended up with.  🙂

Valentine-3

I hope you like the cards.

For the tutorial I promised, I have a cute little Valentine treat holder that takes only minutes to make.  I call it a Sweetheart Candy Slider Sleeve.  Isn’t it adorable?

Sweetheart Candy Sleeve-2

Sweetheart Candy Sleeve-3

Sweetheart Candy Sleeve-5

If you want the tutorial for the box, you can download it here.

Hope you enjoyed your visit here today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

Best Breakfast

Some of the best memories I have of my children are from when I was a single mom and struggling financially.  That’s because when you don’t have much money, you have to get creative in order to make $1.00 buy what normally would take $2.00 to get.  One way I used to save money was to use the ends of loaves of bread to make breadcrumbs.  The kids refused to eat the ends on a sandwich, and I wasn’t very crazy about them myself, so I used to set them on a cookie sheet in the oven and let them dry out.  Once dry, I’d crumble them, add seasoning, and I never had to buy breadcrumbs.   And, I didn’t waste those two perfectly good pieces of bread.  Now if it were homemade bread from my mom’s table, we would have fought over who got to eat those ends, but this was plain white sliced bread from the grocery store.  So, what does this have to do with the best breakfast I’ve ever eaten?  Let me tell you…

One of the best gifts I ever received from both my children was on Mother’s Day morning in 1993; my first Mother’s Day as a single mother.  It was breakfast in bed.  My daughter was 9 years old and my son was six.  In retrospect, my mind remembers my children as being much younger than nine and six, but still…they were pretty young. On their own, my two young children prepared and served me breakfast in bed.

I didn’t hear them that morning  as I slept soundly.  I awoke to their soft whispers of “Mom…wake up.  Happy Mother’s Day!”

As I opened my eyes, there stood my two beautiful bare-footed and sandy-haired babies in their pajamas holding a tray containing the breakfast they made for me.  On the cookie sheet that doubled as a serving tray, there was a cup of hot black (lukewarm and light brown) coffee, toast (bread that had been sitting on a cookie sheet drying out so I could make breadcrumbs) with butter and jelly, a bowl of instant oatmeal (made with a little too much water), and juice.  Everything “looked” delicious!  I made sure I ate every bite!  In addition, with each bite I told my children how much I love them. I also made sure I mentioned that this breakfast was the most delicious breakfast I had ever had.

That breakfast was 21 years ago.  Today my babies aren’t babies any more.  My daughter is 30 years old and my son will soon be 28.  We’ve celebrated many other Mother’s Day breakfasts together at some very fancy places, and I cherish those times.  I cherish any time I get to spend with my children. But, no coffee has ever tasted richer, no bread ever sweeter than that Mother’s Day breakfast in bed!

Today’s card is one I made using the leftovers from my Perpetual Birthday Calendar kit.

Perpetual Birthday Calendar Note CardAgain, this is a 3-1/2″ x 5″ notecard, but it can be easily turned into a regular size card.  Hope you enjoyed your visit today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

Place an order using hostess code FDHBZ7W9 in my online store and receive my Painted Petals & Blooms tutorial FREE.

Be My Valentine

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and I want to share with you two that I made; one for each of my children.  I used the stamp from January’s My Paper Pumpkin kit on each.  January’s kit was called Filled With Love.

Both cards were created using Stampin’ Up!’s  3-1/2″ x 5″ note cards which I think is the perfect size for a Valentine, especially if you are making a bunch for a classroom full of kids..

January Paper Pumpkin Valentine-1

For the first card, I cut a piece of designer series paper from the Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack.  It measures 2-3/4″ x 3-3/4″.   Then I slid one end all the way into the Sweetheart punch and punch out a heart.  I flipped over the punched out heart and adhered it to the notecard.  Then, using dimensionals, I adhered the punched piece to the notecard over it. Sooooo easy!

January Paper Pumpkin Valentine-2

On the second card, I used a piece of the same designer series paper, but it’s just a little narrower.  The black, white and red banners on both cards are about 3/4″ wide.  The silver banner on the second card is approx. 1″ wide.  Again, I used the Sweetheart punch on the second card.  These are two simple cards that probably took less than 30 minutes to make both.

Hope you enjoyed your visit here today.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie2

Remember, place an order with me and use hostess code FDHBZ7W9 and receive a free tutorial for the Painted Petals stamp set FREE. 

 

Decorated Card Box Drawer with Cards Figure 23