Saturday, October 8, 2011

Taking Chances, Inspiration from Steve Jobs

Memorable Quote From Steve Jobs




"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."



— Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

New Shop Items for Halloween

Hope you're enjoying a good weekend!  I just added a few new items to my shop (no small feat with my sweet little newborn).






I love this pic - my first little one and his very first pumpkin. Priceless!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Finding Moments Photography and Ice Cream Cone Cards

Hello Friends!

Last week my wonderful friend Tammi, the owner of Finding Moments Photography,  took the most incredible family photos for me.  We haven't had real family photos (and by real I mean Sears) in two years which makes these photos especially special.  I've never had professional photos like these and the whole experience was AMAZING!  We met at a local park and she had such fun ideas for different backdrops and poses.  Because she's such a sweetheart it was really fun and posing felt natural somehow.  If you're in the Seattle/Tacoma area and looking for a talented photographer who's great to work with check her out! 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/findingmoments

Tammi generously agreed to accept some custom made cards for her amazing work so I've been busy working on ice cream themed thank you cards for her daughter's upcoming 3rd birthday.  These cards definitely have a childlike charm and sweet shoppe feeling to them.  I hope she likes them! 





All the shapes are cut by hand and I made my own templates.  The overall look is simple, fun and being perfectly imperfect definitely handmade. Do you think it works?  I have such a hard time deciding what looks better - the perfection of exact measurements or the free flow of completely handmade stuff.  What do you gravitate towards?  Do you think it depends on the project at hand?

Thank you for your feedback!

xoxo - Marcia aka BeMyBee

Saturday, August 13, 2011

A few new items from my etsy shop bemybee.etsy.com

New larger size matchbook style mini journal set measures 4x5.5 inches


3x3 Christmas mini cards, great for attaching to gifts or sending with orders


Created for a custom order - I love these colors, made these notebooks to match a fabric swatch a customer sent me.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Pink and Red Mini Notebooks

Perfect for the Back-to-School season (is it really that time of year already?) is a sweet mini notebook gift set. 

The colors are inspired by a custom order I finished for a little girls birthday party favors. 





The colors and "mininess" of it remind me a bit of Sanrio's Hello Kitty stationary.  Oh how I LOVED Hello Kitty as a kid, did you?  Do you remember her little bunny friend Melody and Chococat (I think) that came on the scene later on?  Too cute!

Wouldn't you have loved to see a little gift like this in your back pack on the first day of school?  I know I would have.

Hope the week has been kind to you.  Take care!

xoxo Marcia aka BeMyBee

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Halloween on my mind

Sure, it's the middle of summer, but I've got Halloween on my mind.  Blame it on the shops, blame it on etsy, blame it on my love of ravens but no matter what the reason I just LOVE how this little notebook turned out.

I'm so excited to work on more orange and black theme cards and decorations. With a few months of planning and creating time I'm excited to beat the October 30th rush to be ready for the 31st, that's usually the day I start planning for Halloween.  :)

Do you have Halloween on the brain too?   Are you an early planner or a holiday procrastinator?

We have a joke in my family regarding our typical procrastion with holidays..."oh, is Christmas on the 25th this year?"  Doh! 

4 x5.5" Handmade mini notebook
Hope you're having a great day whatever you're up to....swimming in a lake on a hot day or writing your Christmas wish list.  Enjoy!

xoxo Marcia  aka BeMyBee

Friday, August 5, 2011

Safari Chic Cards

Ready for the weekend everyone?  

I just finished a beautiful custom order for a client - they wanted to use these larger 5.5" x  4.25" animal print cards for their daughter's birthday invitations.   I love animal print and would love to see how they carry the theme throughout the birthday decor.

I made a large giraffe print pouch with jute cord to package the cards, I love how well it coordinates with the theme.  I'm so excited to use my sewing machine again!  I love simple projects that make me feel like I actually know how to use a sewing machine.  :)


Soft flannel giraffe print fabric.



Have a great weekend!

xoxo Marcia  aka BeMyBee

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dinosaurs at the Woodland Park Zoo Seattle, Washington

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Hope you're having a great day. 

Today's topic is geared towards those of you living in the Seattle/Tacoma area (or who plan on visiting the area).

Summer is here and the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle http://www.zoo.org/  is a great place to visit.


FUN TIPS:

Wear comfortable shoes!  You'll be walking Alot!
Pack a lunch.  There are plenty of concessions at the zoo, but they are pricey and the food really isn't spectacular. 
Bring sunscreen!  I know it's Seattle, the city infamous for rain and cloud cover but there's not too much shade on the walking paths. 
Bring your stroller or other type of child carrier for your little ones.  You can rent a stroller at the zoo, but again it's pricey.  My 2-1/2 year old welcomes a ride in the stroller after an hour or two of exploring.

Frugal tip - Kids under 3 are free, and a single membership is $42 so if you visit 3 times during the peak season the membership pays for itself.  You can also get half price admission for 2 guests with the membership. 
MUST SEE:

Dinosaurs!  This exhibit is open daily now through September 5, 2011.  Cost $3 (in addition to regular admission)

This little guy spits!
Fantastic and frightening animatronic dinosaurs in a natural setting.  My two year old son was in a state of awe, amusement and mild terror all at once.  I noticed most kids admired the dinosaurs with at least a little trepidation and I did see one little girl, about 5, in tears so....prep your kiddos beforehand about what they're going to see.  In all fairness the T-Rex at the finale is definitely scary, I had immediate flashbacks to watching Jurassic Park.
Safely watching the dinosaurs from behind the stroller.

Willawong Station - For $1 you can purchase a birdseed stick and let those sweet budies and cockatiels


Carousel - $2 per ride - You need dollar bills to exchange for tokens to ride.  Visit the nearby gift shop to make change if you need it.

This is a beautiful zoo with so many different animals and wonderful exhibits.  Everything is really a must see...like the petting zoo, the komodo dragon, the penguins....I could go on and on, but it really is a great place to visit.  Hope you're able to make it and check out those dinosaurs!

May 1 to Sept. 30
Oct. 1 to Apr. 30
Adult (13 to 64)
$17.50
$11.50
Child
(3 to 12)
$11.50
$8.50

xoxo Marcia aka BeMyBee

Monday, July 25, 2011

A few of my favorite things..

T-square ruler, Martha Steward bone folder and hole punch, Fiskars corner rounder punch.

Paper cutter

My beautiful buttons! 

Stamp pads and inks

Microfine glitter and microbeads from Martha Stewart - look for these in the fall line of cards!

My trusty die cut machine - it's the old manual version

Xyron Creative Station - the absolute best way to apply permanent adhesive

Sunday, July 24, 2011

BeMyBee Cards

Working on some new sizes and styles of cards. Here is a custom order I made for a bride-to-be.  Each card is hanstitched with bamboo twine, measures approximately 5 -1/4" x 4- 1/4".