Keepin' It Real

It dawned on me the other day that part of my impulse to make clean-and-simple cards stems from my desire--deep-seated and not entirely healthy--to control my environment. I am so NOT in control of much in my life, and lately things have felt particularly chaotic. Several friends are fighting cancer, another friendship has fallen apart, I'm having issues with one of my son's teachers...so much unexpected chaos and anxiety!

Sitting at my craft desk focuses me, helps me escape temporarily the stress of these real and hard things, and darn it, I want that time to be peaceful and clean, serene and confident. No matter how hard I try to achieve that peace and serenity, however, this is what really happens.

When I sat down this afternoon, here's what I saw. Working left to right (sort of), here we go:

1. Cutter-Bee scissors not in their cup with the other scissors.
2. Peanut M&Ms. Because chocolate makes everything better, and it goes so well with peanuts.
3. A couple of blank cards.
4. The wine cork that protects me from unintended punctures from my awl, The awl itself is in the back center of the desk next to the cork I use to protect me from unintended cuts from my craft knife, which is on the right side of the picture. My goodness, there's dangerous stuff on my desk!
5. A pine tree green ink pad from Memories (Hero Arts) that makes me mad because it's too dull and dark. Where, oh where will I find good dark green inks?!?!?
6. A few random Christmas sets of clear stamps. Probably by Hero Arts and Papertrey, but who knows for sure?
7. The neutral ink pads (black, gray, brown) that stay on my desk at all times for handy access.
8. The white cups and mail sorters that are full of stuff, including a legal pad with a list of cards I need to make, acrylic blocks, and post-it notes.
9. The SU real red ink pad because it's the best red. Ever.
10. A new order from Ellen Hutson, stacked on top of the latest issue of Take Ten.
11. Acrylic block with a Hero Arts sentiment stuck on it.
12. A stipple brush used with the Kaleidacolor ink pad under my Nook HD+. I use the Nook to surf Pinterest at my desk.

Off-camera are a steaming cup of coffee, more stamp sets, and a couple more magazines.

No matter how neat and tidy I try to be, chaos happens. I clean up, put everything away, and then it reverts to this.

Like life.

But at least the cards come out clean.

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts
ink: Hero Arts lime green, SU real red
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: SU corner punch, dimensionals