Bugawumps Newest Arrivals

Matt and his boys.

On Sunday, April 15th at 9:18a our son Matt and his wife Abra were surprised with the early arrival of their twin boys, Ryan Emerson (on the left) and Colin Patrick (on the right).

What a wonderful blessing(s)!  Both boys are a bit small but a good weight for twins and Mom is doing well considering she is sleep deprived as I write this. Dad is holding his own with a big smile and a good sense of humor!

Grandma Laura, the head Bugawump, is happy it happened before she heads out for the Akron Convention the last weekend in April so she can rest easy and give all you wonderful ladies her complete attention.

This is a huge week for the new mom and dad and their boys.  They are slowly trying to get on a schedule as they get to know one another and figure out how to be the parents they want to be.  They are all "new bees"!

The learning curve is a "happening", just like when you and I started stamping and creating works of art.  Remember the struggles?  Which ink to use? (Which diaper brand?) What do I do next? (What do I do when they cry?)  Should I use Copics, markers, pencils...? (Should I breast feed, formula, schedule feedings or on demand?)

You found your way through the maze of stamping options until you found "your" style.  They will find their groove as well as the four of them become a strong family unit.

I love this time - the new "bees" - the struggles make it "the best of times and the worst of times".  The human spirit is amazing as it works it way through the problems and finds its way to a solution.  Creativity and parenting go hand in hand.  

Color it magenta, aqua, or neon green.  Make it bright and happy and fun.  Stay away from the dark side and know that by the end of the hour, the day, month or year, you will have grown as an artist, a parent, or a grandparent! The struggle makes the goodness all the more worthwhile.

I love my grandboys, I love my children and their spouses, I love my stamps and I love my ability to see all the options. Open your eyes. Open your heart. Keep it light.  Keep it bright. Make it happy. It is yours to make whatever you wish!

  

May today be as bright as your favorite ink box and tomorrow even brighter.

Bugs and Kisses!

Laura Anne and Bella Boo

Words to Live By...

"Be Yourself...after all, everyone else is taken."

Have you ever wondered who you would be if you were born under a different star?  I used to wonder that all the time.  

What if...what if...what if...

I think that I wasted a lot of time wondering about all the "what ifs" and not accepting who I was as that given moment.  I realized as I got older that life is truly a journey and that sometimes I carried more baggage with me than I needed and at other times I didn't carry enough.

As we await the precious little ones and watch their parents struggle with the questions faced by all new parents I hope that I have been a good example of parenting and that it will come easy for them.  I hope they will be themselves as they are incredible adults just as they are and not get lost in the competition of parenting that may have them questioning who they are.


I used to try to be like all the ladies in the neighborhood - it is a fancy neighborhood and if anything, I am not a fancy lady.  I am just a lady that likes to make fancy things.  With that being said, my hands are always playing in the garden dirt planting flowers, digging up grass for a new garden, painting walls, painting windows, painting cards, painting my soul with colors that are bight and happy and shiny.  It is who I am.


I am rarely bored but find these fancy ladies and their painted finger nails and immaculate houses boring.  I would rather be on my bike with the wind in my hair than playing a game of bridge.  I have a clean house, but don't obsess over what the cleaning lady cleans with as I am my own cleaning lady...after all, who knows my house and my likes and dislikes better than myself.  Besides I am cheap and very capable of doing it myself!


So as I watch my children build their homes, have their babies, and build their lives, I hope they never spend as much time as I did wondering "what if..." but instead say "Thank heavens my parents were who they were so I could be what I am today....strong, capable, funny, creative, smart, athletic, or whatever they want to be that will make their lives as wonderful as I realize mine is and has been.

I hope that you have found a place inside yourself today that makes you feel good about all your accomplishments; that you can enjoy who you are, your likes, dislikes, and make friends with those who appreciate you just the way you are.

You are perfect just the way you are so get out there and be different!  Make the change in the world that you live in just by being yourself...that is more than enough!


Happy bugday!


Laura Anne and Bella Boo

 

 

This may not be the view from my front porch but it could be with the warmest March on record in the Chicagoland area. 

We are rockin' low to mid 80's for the past week with bright blue skies and sunshine every day with promises of another 5 days of this awesome weather to come.

This my friends, is a gift!  This card made with Pan Pastels is also a gift.  Every color in the rainbow as bright as can be that lays down perfectly smooth that can be stamped and embossed on without missing a beat. 

Now that I have your attention - let's get this card started!

Here's what you will need: Large Post-It Note Pad, 1 1/2" or 2" Jumbo Punch, Cardstock - 4.25" x 5.5" - white, non glossy, die based ink pad - black, violet, or navy blue, Pan Pastel Colors, Dairylide Yellow, Orange, Red or Magenta, Pthalo Blue, and Violet (that's only 5 colors for those of you who need to purchase them!) Large Oval or Square Angled sponges - guess what, we sell those too!  If your purse strings are a hurtin', wedge make-up sponges are an option but the results may not be as spectacular.

Punch out a large (and I mean large - like 2" in diameter) circle with your largest punch in two pieces of Post it Note paper. The reason I punch out two is because I get a cleaner cut and have and extra to spare when I am ready to make another card.  Make sure that you get that hole punched in some of the sticky stuff at the top to make the job easier!

Place the punched out Post-It note on top of the cardstock covering the entire piece with extra Post-It note paper to keep it clean.

NOw - here's the trick - Put the Dairylide yellow on one end of the sponge.  Drag the yellow across the bottom of the circle about 2/3's of the way up. Clean the sponge lightly on a paper towel - no water please! Put some of the orange, red, or magenta on the edge of the sponge and repeat only this time start at the top and drag the color into the yellow working your way across and down the circle.

Place the Hole part of the Post-It note over your sun.  Load up the sponge with Pthalo Blue and go over the rest of the card.  Using violet and starting at the top of your card, pulling across and down add some violet.

Stamp in a dye base or pigment your silhouette florals, tree, birds, etc. around the bottom of the card as shown above.  If you want to add more dimension, now is a good time to emboss on top of what you have already stamped.

Using the sharp edge of your sponge, add those wonderful fine lines across the sun and into the sky.

This card takes a maximum of 5 to 8 minutes to make.  The colors are wonderful. Your effort, minimal.

How's that for a St. Paddy's Day Gift kissed by the leprachaun's?!

Hoping you have a pot of gold or at least a friend or two who are worth their weight in gold on this glorious warm sunny March Day!

May the Luck 'o the Irish be with you,

Laura Anne and Bella 'O Boo

PS.  We are both wondering when the snow storm will hit - after all it is March in Chicago ...

"Hold on to your Dreams"

Spring is just around the corner and the sun is shining bright here in the mid-west.  The temps are in the mid 50's which is unheard of on this last day in February, a leap year on top of it all.  

                     

While the grass is not green and there are no leaves on the trees, the birds are chirping and dancing around my back yard.  If nothing else, I am sure that they are delighting in the momentary glory of this wonderfully unexpected warm day while I am busy baking cupcakes for the ladies who will attend our daughter-in-law's baby shower (The twins are due in May!), I am reminded of dreams come true, untold miracles, and the wonder of life.

Matt and Abra have waited  a long time for these two little babies and are anxious for the day when they will arrive and greet the world with furrowed brows, wrinkled toes and fingers, along with cries of joy - at least that is what I call it.  These two babies will be loved, nurtured, and encouraged to grow into strong wonderful men ...someday...for today, we will just love the babies for who they are at this moment. 

I dream of a wonderful family made up of my son, his wife and for right now, two little boys.

I dream of Abra holding them and singing to them in the wee evening hours with crickets seranading her and her baby boys as she rocks them to sleep with milky smiles and large yawns.. 

I dream of my son holding them up high in the air over his head and making them giggle and drool all over his shirt and shoulders.

I remember my own dreams when my children were young.  I remember the laughter, the tears, the chubby hands holding my own and most of all, I remember how good it was that my dream came true and continues to do so as the generations move forward.

These days are good ones.  The dreams we had waaaay back when are dreams that were worth chasing and are now worth holding onto.

As you enter your day, your week, and a new month, Bella and I wish you wonderful dreams both past and present to draw upon when the mood to be creative hits you. 

Next week - another card will be on display for your to make so hang onto your stars today and stamp until the sandman cometh!

Laura Anne and Bella Boo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Let's make a card for "The One I Bug"!


Stamps Used:  346G - The Great Vine
                           105F - Birthday Bug
                           102F - Sweetie Pi
                           706D - To The One I Bug
                            any small star stamp


Inks:  All dye based Vivid Black and Sky Blue

Colored markers, colored pencils, sponge or stipple brush

Let's Go!  

Stamp "The Great Vine" off to the left hand side of the card on a 3.75" x 5" pice of white cardstock ( 60 to 80 lbs flat) stamping 1/2 the image off the side of the card and the other 1/2 on the card.


Stamp "Birthday Bug" and "Sweetie Pi" so that they are under the vine and facing one another.

Color all the images in with Copic Markers and highlight and shade with colored pencils. Shade under the tree with various greens in colored pencil.
***** A good trick here is to use water colored pencils and then use your Copic Blending marker to blend the pencil color into the marker.  Works like a dream!

Using a stipple brush or a sponge, start sponging the blue ( I use Vivid's Sky Blue) around the bugs and the tree. Build your color up so that the color around the images is lighter than the edges of the cardstock.


Stamp your stars with the same Vivid Sky Blue pad you used for stippling or sponging.


Layer, Layer, Layer your card and stamp on the inside "To the One I Bug"  and sign it with Love!


Easy to make; easy to color, easy to love!


Happy Valentine's Day everyone!


Laura Anne and Bella Boo