I don’t know if it’s jet lag or the medicines I’m taking but my sleep schedule has been way off since returning from Europe. It’s been okay though, since most of my time in recent weeks has been spent home where I am resting and waiting for a diagnosis or miraculous recovery!

On Saturday morning, I woke up feeling strong and I just wanted to go for a walk. So Derek and I jumped out of bed, threw on our workout clothes and drove less than 10 minutes to the Lagoons in Ko’Olina. One of my favorite places on the island.

It was a BEAUTIFUL morning. As we walked, I tried to just take deep breaths and appreciate the fresh oxygen flowing through my lungs. When we passed this corner on the trail, I stopped to take a picture. You would think I was a tourist because I always stop and pull out my phone to capture the beauty I see around me here in Hawaii. I have probably taken this same photo 100 times before, it never grows old.

I felt peace as we walked. Earlier that morning I had been reading the Bible and was reminded of God’s miraculous power. I was filled with hope and confidence in Him that in his timing, He can heal me of this sickness, if it is a part of his plan for me. Until then, I am grateful that my situation causes me to have a greater dependance on Him and focus on being still to hear what He wants me to do.

We picked up breakfast at our favorite little local restuarant in Kapolei called My Cafe and came home to eat and then went for a swim in our pool. It was such a relaxing morning!

One thing that has been on my mind is stamping. Since I haven’t felt myself, its been tough to do the work I normally do to design cards for classes and events. I also am having an issue with the ac unit in my studio so I only work out there during the cooler parts of the day. Since Derek was going to wash his car and I was enjoying spending time with him, I decided to open up the garage door on my studio and let the fresh air in. That way I could stamp and talk to Derek while he worked.

I recently purchased our brand new all inclusive card kit called, Looking Up. It was sitting on my counter and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to open it up and sae what was inside!

I opened up the cute box to reveal everything I needed to make 15 cards. This kit is all inclusive and it is AWESOME!!!. It has the stamp set, the ink pad, pretty printed cards with adorable matching envelopes, shiny embellishments and a clear block. It also has glue dots and dimensionals. You don’t need anything else. This makes a perfect gift for a new stamper or for someone who loves to create without having to come up with designs.

Let’s take a closer look at the cards.

The first is a birthday hot air balloon card.

To assemble this card you just add the shiny metallic strip of circles above the pre printed black and white stripe line. There are three balloons pre printed on the card. I then punched out the same images from a separate sheet and added a dimensional on two of the balloons. I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment on a small tag and adhered it to the card with a dimensional.

The next card is a favorite of many who have seen it here in my studio. I think its because of the Palm trees that remind us of home, here in Hawaii.

This card has a fun metallic triangle strip you adhere and extra palm trees you can use to add dimension. I placed two palm trees to the side of the tag so they would frame the Thankful sentiment.

This next card is really different. I love the city skyline and the park.

There is a really pretty metallic frame with leaves that I adhered to the bottom right corner of the card. I also added a little punched out tree image with a dimensional. The black and white ribbon looks like it was glued on but it is actually pre printed on the card along with the park and buildings scene.

The next card is a Get Well card. I actually received this very card from some thoughtful people at the Stampin’ Up! Home office a few weeks ago. They had heard I wasn’t feeling well and sent this card to me. That was such a pleasant surprise!!

This card has a really pretty shiny piece with leaves that frames the circle with the sentiment, “Feel Better Soon”. I know receiving a pretty card like this did make me feel better!

I think this last card is my favorite. I LOVE the airplane.

I can just imagine a plane writing a message of congratulations in the sky! As you can see this card has a square shiny strip that is added under the sentiment. The shiny copper elements in this kit give each card just the perfect amount of bling that really makes them stand out!

Speaking of standing out! JUST LOOK AT THE ENVELOPE! Isn’t it adorable? Each card has a matching envelope that is so cute!

This kit makes a great gift for a friend, or even just for yourself. I know for me it was a gift to have time to sit and stamp on Saturday and just take a break to do something creative and fun for myself.

It took me less than an hour to make all 15 cards. This would also be a fun kit to purchase and have a get together with five of your besties. You can open up one kit and each make a set of cards while enjoying quality time together!

I will have these samples on display at my house this weekend as I am having a special THREE FOR FREE event. This event will take place on Saturday, July 27th from 10 am till 12pm OR on Sunday, July 28th from 10 am til 12pm. Drop by my house and you can create 3 cards for FREE using the latest products from Stampin’ Up! In addition you can pick up a copy of our newest catalog, see over 50 new card samples from my recent incentive trip swaps and you can see other things on display such as this adorable Looking Up Kit.

This FREE event will take the place of my July Stamp A Stack class. I am doing this for two reasons. One, I am still going through some health issues that is making it difficult for me to prep for a larger class at this time. Second, on July 19th I celebrated 20 years with Stampin’ Up! so I plan on having several specials from now till the end of the year as a part of my celebrating reaching this milestone! This is a milestone I wouldn’t have reached without so many of you, which is why I chose to offer this event for FREE this month.

If you would like to help me by placing an order for this kit or any other supplies you need, you can do so using hostess code P2R2T7FD. Anyone placing an order of any size from now till the end of the month will receive my THREE FOR FREE cards in the mail as a THANK YOU! Just make sure I have your name and address!

I think with all I’ve been going through this kit was a great distraction. It provided me with a really fun creative break and even the name of the kit reminds me of what I need to do during this season and always and that is to not look down but to Keep Looking Up!

Looking Up

Happy Dance

On To Adventure

Stamped With Aloha