Rose Blossom Blog Hop

Welcome to the Rose Blossom Blog Hop. If you came here from Kristine's Blog surely you have just witnessed something wonderful!! If you're starting here, make sure to complete the full circle by clicking from one Rose Blossom to the next near the bottom of each post. Once you get back here you've seen it all!!

This is my first blog hop with the Rose Blossoms. It's all about Skylark and the wonderful things you can create with it. I tend to lean toward speed when I make something with paper. AND since my blog is called "Just One Pretty Piece" I did exactly that. I used a single piece of the lovely Skylark paper to make 9 unique cards in less than an hour ... with no scraps left over! Here's what they look like all together. (individually they don't look as crazy)

The cards are similar of course, but not at all the same.

You can see the Skylark paper pack HERE! You'll see the piece before I cut it up!

I cut this piece into 3 - 4 inch columns and then cut those strips into 9 pieces of 3x4 inch and 1x4 inch. There are NO scraps this way!!! I also used up the zip strip on these cards.

OK ... "WAIT" you say. There are other things going on here besides just one piece of paper. AND you're right. These cards really show off some of the items in the very generous new consultant kit.  I used ONLY items that come in that great big box of fun. And just think, I've only used just one of the papers in the box. You can create so much more with the rest of the paper. I'm sure you're getting lots of ideas on this blog hop.

I can't pick a FAVORITE card from these nine, but I do enjoy these because just one little (3x4) piece of that pretty paper stands alone ...

If you want to hop on you can go to Lynn's Bungalow now. She has something wonderful to inspire you.

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If you want to know more about the amazing consultant kit offer and see all of the cards read on ... 

Here's the supply list for these cards (in addition to paper) ... lagoon ink, slate ink, dessert sand ink, Believe in Yourself stamp set, WOTG stamp set, Skylark Assortment, teal shimmer trim, slate twist ties, & triangle studs. I was going to link you up to all of those items BUT ... if you decided to order all of that you might as well jump all in and buy the new consultant kit. You only pay $99 and get over $400 in items this month. When you place your order you get to add ANY of the Close To My Heart exclusive Cricut Cartridges to your order for FREEEEEEEE. (that's a $99 value)

I'm not sure why anyone would pass on this incredible offer. If you're ready to dive in all you have to do is fill out THIS screen and your box of goodies will come right to your door. Not only that ... you will become a member of my Pretty Pieces team AND you'll get a 22% discount on all of your CTMH orders. Do you have to start a business??? NOPE, not at all!! There are no obligations! $400 worth of product are yours for $99 ... just that!!

Here are the rest of the cards ...

Thanks for reading on. If you want to take a look at this "method" in two other places on this blog click HERE or HERE.

I've Said It Before But ...

... it's worth repeating over and over and over again.

Grab ahold of some paper ... any paper and jot a little note today. It WILL be a bright spot for the recipient no matter how small. You don't have to use some fancy stationary or flowery handmade card to bless someone right where she's at. (and in case you're wondering ... "he" will be blessed by a little note too) A simple sheet of notebook paper or a post it note will make a connection that means more than you can ever imagine. You can even tear it right out of the notebook with all those little loose ends and everything. Don't let a sense of wanting perfection stop you.

If you're wondering WHERE do I put a little note for someone? If it's someone you live with, how about the bathroom mirror? Even though it's tiny, this "You're the best" post it (from my daughter)  packs a big punch in the morning as the day is getting going.

stands out in the post shower fog

see how small?

Here's a note my daughter received from a youth group leader and chose to tape to her bathroom mirror as a daily reminder. Why did she do that? Because this note blesses her!! These things are so rare now that they are treasured. Plus, there's nothing like seeing an encouraging word early in the day, while you're doing the mundane tasks of hair and makeup.


These aren't WOW pictures to put on a blog. But they represent WOW moments that someone created with a simple piece of paper and a pen.

YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!!  Try it today. All it takes is Just One Piece of any size paper.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up ...

3x5 Inch Paper Delightfulness

So ..... all of the time I've been spending in the kitchen almost made me forget that I write a blog about paper.  The food traditions that I come from are almost frightening. I am wired to cook and bake my way through the next several weeks. It's seems impossible to avoid. Thankfully, I love it.

It's pretty certain that I probably won't be making many scrapbook pages in the days ahead BUT there are so many exciting paper things I can write about when it comes to Christmas. Here's a little paper something I'll be spending a lot of time with in the next few weeks ... recipe cards.

It's pretty amazing that this tiny piece of paper can turn into something that smells and tastes so delicious ...

It's just one piece of paper with my mom's handwriting on it. (and a little bit of mine because I can never seem to put the right amount of frosting on each cookie). Handwritten recipes are my favorite kind. I especially like the ones that have a little blob of this or that on them.

Did people ask you for a recipe when you were together at Thanksgiving?  Sit down with some index card and write out a few copies. It's surely tempting to type it up and send a mass email, but trust me ... a handwritten recipe is special. It's just another one of the disappearing paper "arts" that you can help to preserve. A recipe card is a little piece of you.

The only thing better than the recipe card is a recipe card that comes with a delicious sample attached.

Paper and Pencil Thanksgiving ...

This morning I took out a simple piece of notebook paper and numbered it from one to twenty-five. Next to each number I wrote something I am thankful for and why. It gets a little bit scary because when I was done with that I looked at my supply of paper and wanted to make 25 more lists. Each list would be 25 more specific things I'm thankful for in each of the first 25 categories. I'm sure I could do it too. AND if I made those lists it seems pretty certain that I'd come up with more lists after that.

My head and my heart are exploding with how amazingly blessed I am day in and day out.

Maybe it's a quirk or maybe it's a great technique, but there's something about writing things down. It's not the same as typing things up. It's more personal to look at your own handwriting ... mistakes and all. It seems more genuine than something typed up neatly on a computer using spell check.

It's the weekend, a great time to get your thankfulness all revved up for the coming week. Try this simple activity ... just one piece of paper, a pencil/pen, & a little bit of quiet time. You'll find yourself walking away more thankful AND you just might be more motivated to write those Thanksgiving cards I mentioned a few days ago : )

Early Morning Paper

One morning this summer I really did this ... poured the coffee grounds straight from the grinder to the cup ...  

The truth of the matter is that you can't fast forward the process. There's just one piece of amazingly humble paper involved. People love coffee, but the filter is sorely neglected.

Each and every day a new coffee filter lays it's life down to provide for me and anyone else who will share a pot of coffee with me. I appreciate that. The coffee gets all of the attention, but where would it be  without the filter?

If you pay attention there are always lessons to be learned. When I look at what the process does to change the filter it makes me question my own abilities. Can I consistently rise to the occasion of assisting others ... and never take any credit for it? Especially when I'm tossed aside once the goal is achieved? Am I as selfless as a coffee filter?  Not yet.  At this point in my life I get a little caught up on wondering if the coffee appreciates what the filter did for it.

It's a small gesture but I say thank you to that delicate little ruffly piece of paper every day.

John 15:13

Amplified Bible (AMP)

No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.

Notebook Paper Works

OK ... just in case you've been thinking that you have to use some sort of fancy hand made card to be an encouragement or a blessing ... get over it.  We all remember passing notes in school ... on notebook paper, with all of the ragged edges. Those kind of notes can be a blessing even today.

This morning I couldn't pull myself together.  I used a thesaurus to find a word to describe what I saw in the mirror and all of these seemed to apply ... unkempt, disheveled, rumpled, tousled, frowzy, unruly, uncombed, & ruffled. I changed my clothes so many times that you'd think I was headed for my first day of 7th grade. I ended up in a hoodie and a skirt ... comfort over cute is what I always choose.  My hair got very little attention because I burned my finger on the curling iron, which I blamed on my hair. I'm pretty sure I only put mascara on one my left eyelashes and I applied blush as I was brushing my teeth. There's probably a more accurate method. I forgot to put my contacts in.  AND my shoes didn't match my purse.  (gasp!!)

That was only the beginning of my haywire morning. I'll spare you any more details. I sat down at HomeMakers physically present but mentally things were a lot like my thesaurus words. I was having a few more junior high moments wondering if everyone was looking at me because I was late ... wearing who knows what ... probably with lipstick on my teeth. My thoughts were messy.

I love that it's not even folded straight : )

Everything eventually came together because ... someone handed me a note written on just one piece of notebook paper.  It was a few simple very kind words. Those hand written words calmed my brain and popped me back to reality.  Every single thing I was being distracted by was defused.  The last sentence of the note was "Be blessed". And of course I am.

You can do that for someone.  Look around you. Someone will be encouraged if you'll pull out any old piece of paper and write a little something on it.   Pass it over quietly just like in your school days.

We all know, "it's the thought that counts".  It's really a tiny bit more than the thought. It's the thought that moves you to action that especially counts. If you're thinking about writing a note
 ... do it!!!