My Pink Christmas Tree

HEY YALL!!!! Wow time flies when you are insanely busy. It has been a while since I wrote anything so let me update you and you will see why. Family is great. Daughter just finished her 3rd semester of nursing school {doing really good, keep praying for her, please}, oldest son doing great with his job, and little buddy just being little buddy--the greatest little kid I know. Hubby has not been working as much as usual--always slow this time of year, but slower than normal this year. Being that his work is slow means he is home. He usually works on the road 4-5 days a week, and home on the weekends, well he has been home about 6 weeks. This has been quite an adjustment. Less stamping and creating---more cooking, cleaning, and washing. Life is good though and I hope all of you are the same.

Last post I wrote about my friends grandbabies, well Landon and Logan entered the world at 29 weeks. They are in the NICU in Jackson { which is about 1 1/2 hours from here} but doing great. Landon weighed 2 lbs 5 oz. and Logan weighed 3 lbs. 5 oz. They were born here in our hometown. I was at a soccer tournament with my phone on silent--you have to know me to know I never do this--when it all went down. I had 5 missed calls and numerous missed texts when I realized my phone was off. I finally got my daughter on the phone and went to the hospital. They were already born, but I got to see them before the ambulance arrived to take them to Jackson. Dawn {the actual granny} and I got to take Mary Beth {the mommy} to the hospital 5 days after they were born to see, touch, and spend time with her babies for the first time. It was awesome!!!! She was not supposed to travel yet, but seeing that her mother and I are both long time nurses we talked theOB doc into letting us take her. Great Day folks!! You just should have been there. As of yesterday, Landon weighs 4 lbs. 7 oz. and Logan weighs 6 lb. 3 oz. Keep praying for them. I do not think they will make it home by Christmas, but you never know. Miracles happen everyday. Now with all that said, I did have time to decorate my PINK Christmas tree that I have in my office at home. I even made a lot of the ornaments with my cardstock and designer paper. I will take a close up pic and post on another day. I also have been sewing a lot. Making Christmas presents and smocking for the babies. I started a new sewing blog, but I have only made 2 entries. If you would like to visit the address is http://sewblessed3.blogspot.com/ . My fingers are tired. I have not been use to all this typing. Going to Jackson tomorrow to wrap up my shopping and to see the babies. Plan on starting to cook this weekend. Yall don't give up on me now. I am fixing to get back in the swing of things and start writing and showing my creations on a regular basis. Be safe, healthy, loved and God bless yall!!

We're Fine!!!!

Thank you for all the concerned comments and emails. I am fine and so are the family. We had a wonderful vacation in Florida, and when we got back school started and things got hectic. I have not been able to get motivated to stamp. I think my mind was spinning too fast. This week though I got back into the groove. Simon started the fourth grade--wow time flies!! Carre started her second of year of nursing school. This time next year she should be done and working. Doss started his job and is really likeing it. Everybody is here most of the time now and it is really neat. I have more to do, but I love the nights when everybody is here for supper. I have been reading a lot and doing a lot more cooking that normal. I started reading while on vacation, and have been using this for my escape from reality. I have just about read all the books I had stock piled, so I see more stamping in the future. Lots of things going on here. My best friend came over before I left and told me she was going to be a grandmother again. Last year her oldest had a little girl, and this year her youngest is going to have twin boys. We have been going through the smocking books getting ready for Christmas. She has not picked out just which patterns she wants done, but as soon as she does I will start on them. She is so calm, I would be nuts!! Her daughter is doing fine, but one of the babies is not growing as much as the other. Please include them in your prayers. My family is great at the moment, and I thank God everyday for this. You never know what can happen in an instant these days. The card above is made with Brazzil card stock and Ki designer paper--grasshopper. The stamp is from Unity Stamps and the felt butterflies are from Heidi Swapp. The fibers are some I have had for ever. Ya'll take care. Be safe, be happy, and be healthier. Please pray for my dad, he is having some medical problems also. God bless ya'll!!!!

Taylor's Thallenge

This is my take on Taylor's Cupcake Challenge for this week. The sketch and her blog are here: http://www.tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/ This is always great challenges, and if you have never entered you should. The Cp is from CTMH and the DP is from Junkitz. It is the Teresa Collins Shabby Chic Collection. I have had this paper for sometime. The eyelets are from CTMH-Baby Pink. The ric rac ribbon is from my stash. The sentiment and image are from My Favorite Things, and is called Hey Cupcake!!

There are lots of blog candy give aways out there in blogland today. I am going to list some links, and ya'll go see:

http://yingandrubberstamping.blogspot.com/2008/07/high-hopes-new-release-blog-candy.html Ying Pang's blog

http://spiralwhisper.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-candy-giveaway.html Spiral Whisper's blog

http://donaldas.blogspot.com/2008/07/challenge-blog-for-children.html Donalda's blog

http://andreabrownjohn.blogspot.com/2008/07/magnolia-blog-candy-pauline-from.html Andrea's blog

http://mariascards.blogspot.com/2008/07/5000-hits-blog-candy.html Maria's blog

Ya'll go see and join in the fun!! Be safe, be happy, be healthy and God bless ya'll!!

Blog Hopping

Hey ya'll!! I have been lost at work all week, and this is the first day I have had to create or talk. With vacations and pregnancies, I may never get my weekly day offs again until winter. No really, I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it does not shine until mid August!! It's ok in some ways though because most of this work is overtime!! Great vacation money.

Back to the important things--as ya'll know, I am on the design challenge team of Nina's Purple Fairie Paper Crafts http://www.purplefaeriepapercrafts.com/. The above card was the July challenge. She sent us a stamp from her store and teh challenge was to use a quilting technique. This was mine. The cardstock is from Bazzill and the designer paper is from Pink Paislee's Spring collection. The stamp is Purple Fairie's Star Quilt. The sentiment and faux stitching is from CTMH's Simple Stitches. Ribbon is mine from my stash. Technique used is paper piecing. This was so much fun to do!!

While blog hopping this morning and sipping my coffee (I slept in!!) I found the neatest blog. The artwork is fantastic and the creativity is awesome. Not only that, she is offering blog candy now that rocks!! Her name is Maya http://mayas-hobbyblogg.blogspot.com/. Please go see. You will be glad you did. I believe this is one of the best blogs I have seen in a while. I am going to start creating and finish my coffee. Take care. Be safe, be happy, be healthy and God bless ya'll!!

iheart2stamp challenge-070508

This is my entry for the Sketch for You to Try at http://www.iheart2stamp.com/. The stamp is one I received this week from Lisbet at Scrapmagasinet http://scrapmagasinet.blogspot.com/ She was having blog candy and I won. This stamp line is so cute. It is called the Rakle Collection and there are lots of stamps. Go take a look at the cute creations she has as well as the stamps. The cardstock and designer paper are CTMH. The brads are a long time item of mine and I have no idea where I got them. The sentiment is printed on the computer, and the flower is from Petaloo. Layering and paper piecing are the techniques I used.

I am really trying to catch up on lots of things I have neglected this weekend. I was given an award this week from Bev at "All the Things I Love" http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/ but I am not computer savvy and my big kids are out of town so I cannot get the award symbol to tranfer to my blog. It was "The Brilliante Weblog Premio 2008" award and I was so honored to be chosen by her for this. I am to nominate 7 more people, but until I can show the award, I think it best to wait.

My encouragement for today is:

"Creativity is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God"-- ---Bob Moawad

I found two new blogs this week and I want ya'll to go look and let them know how well they are doing. The first is Christie's http://www.blessingsonpaper.com/ It is awesome. The next is http://polkadotmoon.blogspot.com/ Ya'll stop by and comment and give them encouragement. Comments are always a good incentive booster and can get those artist juices flowing.

I have a few more challenges to complete and I will see ya'll back this week. As always---be safe, be happy, be healthy--hug those you love, an extra hug or two won't hurt--and the most important, God Bless Ya'll!!!

Great Blog Candy!!

While blog hopping this am before going to work, I came across a wonderful blog with great candy. This is the link to the candy:
http://rosaswelt.blogspot.com/2008/06/de-licous-candy.html
She has great artwork and this candy is sthe bomb!! She is giving away a Magnolia stamp as well as a great altered book to keep your images in and images also. Go check it out!! God bless ya'll!!

Catch Up Time!!

I have been trying to find the time to thank all these people for the wonderful RAK's I received on Bella RAK Day last month. These cards are great!! The one with the horse and tag was received from Donna and it was about Florida. Thanks Donna. I am heading your way in about 2 1/2 weeks. The Beach Bella was from Melissa and it was all about Louisiana. My hubby will be your way in about 1 month. He works there about 1/2 the year. Thank you!! The Wineabella card is from Denise and it was all about Indiana. Hopefully, I will make it there someday. Thanks!! The last card was Javabella and it was from Mary and all about Montana. My oldest son has been there and said it was absolutely gorgeous. Hope I make that trip someday also. Thank you for thinking of me!! Due to the increase cost of gas and everything else, a lot of family vacations have been cancelled this year, so an idea was made on Bellaholics Anonymouse to send RAK's showcasing your state. Lots of the girls did it and everyone enjoyed all the wonderful cards and postcards along with descriptions of important places. Really good idea!!!

The Shopabella card is one I received from Jen as a PIF. Her blog is :

http://inking-obsessions.blogspot.com/ I entered her Pay It Forward contest and she picked me as one of the people to receive her gifts. The idea is to receive, then post on your blog and pick 3 and you PIF them. So, I will pick 3 people who comment on this post and they will receive some goodies from me. I received some great stamped images!! They were by Stampin Bella and House Mouse. Please comment so you have the chance to win. I have some great things ready to go out.

Hope everyone had a great 4th. I ended up working, but my family was able to do the fun things. Take care. Be happy, be healthy, be safe, and God bless ya'll!!!

OCC Challenge-6/28/2008

Our Creative Corner http://www.ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ has a weekly challenge they issue on Saturdays. Last weeks challenge was to use Basic Grey paper on your card. This is my entry. The card base is white cardstock. The designer paper is "Two Scoops" from Basic Grey. The ribbon is from Papertrey Ink, and the stamp set is an old one from Stampin Up. It is called "Sweet Herbs". The image and sentiment are from this set. The image is colored with CTMH markers. Oh yea, the bauble is from Stampin Bella. Hope you enjoy!! I am on my way to the grocery store. I will see ya'll later. Take care. Be healthy, happy, safe, and God bless ya'll!!!!

What a Week!!!

What a week. I have been so busy at work, that I was not able to stamp until today. This card is for Jen's Sketch For You To Try from Saturday over on her blog http://www.iheart2stamp.com/ This is one challenge I try to do every week. The cardstock is Bazzill and the designer paper is from Making Memories. The ribbon is from Stampin Up and so is the image. The set I used is called Peace and Hope. It is an older set, but I use it a lot. The baubles are from Stampin Bella. The techniques I used were layering and masking. I colored the image with my chalks. I have not done this in quite a while. I had forgotten how much fun the chalks were.



The two newbies I would like to spotlight today are: Jami's blog
http://jamiscrazedthoughts.blogspot.com/ Her kids are precious and her artwork is neat. She has been blogging for a while, but I just found her. The other is a new stampin store fixing to get going. It is called Spiral Whisper and the stamp sets they are showing are great. The address is http://spiralwhisper.blogspot.com/ Go give them a look and let them know what a good job they are doing.



I am including all my weekly usuals in today's post. Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow, but we are short handed at work due to vacations and people on maternity leave, so you never know. This week we had 2-3 other people calling in sick each day, so that killed us. I even had to work on my day off. I hope this week will be better.



This week's encouragement is:
"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley



I hope ya'll have a great week. Enjoy the Fourth, but be safe. Take care of all your friends and family. Be healthy and happy. Hug all those you love, and God bless ya'll!!!

Painted Cross

A little something different today. I painted this cross for my daughter the other day. She has been having a little difficulty in her personal life lately and I thought this would help cheer her up. It did!! She loves crosses, and has several throughout her house, so I made this one for her bedroom. I have done some of these for gifts lately and love doing them.

I am on call again this weekend, so I do not know if I will have time to post a lot, but I will try. Ya'll have a great time this weekend. Be safe, be happy, be healthy. Hug those loved ones, and God bless ya'll!!

Color Challenge Entry

While blog hopping this evening, I saw this color challenge on Bela's blog
http://belascreatingplace.blogspot.com/. There were three different challenges--sheet challenge, hammock challenge, and outdoor party challenge. They are all color challenges. The winners will get a High Hopes stamp. I submitted this for the outdoor party color challenge. I made the card using Bazzill CS. The DP is from Pink Paislee and K &Co. The stamped image and sentiment are from MFT. The flower embellishment and the ribbon are random from my stash. The image is paper pieced except for the skin and it was colored with my CTMH markers. This challenge closes out tomorrow at midnight. It is a great challenge and her blog is wonderful. She is really creative. Go look and see. Hope ya'll have a good evening and God bless ya'll!!!!

Today's card is one I made a couple of days ago. I saw a card similar to this while browsing, with the basic brown and off white cs and background and then a hint of color added. I am so sorry, but I cannot remember where I saw it, but I did comment to the person about how much I loved this. If the technique is cased from you, please let me know so I can go back and give you credit. The CS is from Bazzill and the Dp is from Jenni Bowlin Studio. The ribbon is from my stash and the sentiment and stamp are from the Stampin Up set "Thanks from the Heart". The baubles were used as an accent embellishment. The fibers are also some scraps from my stash.

This week's encouragement is: "Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others"---------Plato

I would also like to let you know about two newbies today also: the first is not brand new, but I think it is a good one that should be highlighted. It is

http://fortheartofit.blogspot.com/... The other is not brand new either, but deserves some recognition. It is http://inking-obsessions.blogspot.com/ Both ladies have awesome talent and neat life conversations. Time has come for me to get ready for work. Take care! Be healthy, be happy, be safe and hug those loved ones. May God bless ya'll!!!

The Wild Bunch

The weather held off and we had a great birthday!! This is the wild bunch. Really they were great. The drive was 1 hour 45 minutes each way, and they were real angels. The water park is so neat. We will be going back before summer ends. Simon had a blast. The first two pics are from the water park, which I do not have a lot of because I left the water proof camera here and only had my digital. The last pic was when we got home. They rolled out of the car and started wrestling in the front yard. I think they bottled up all their energy until we got home. We did the cake and ice cream thing after we got back home. Thanks for all the prayers for great weather and the birthday well wishes. He thought that was so neat that people he did not know where wishing him happy birthday. I will be back later to post a card, but I have to get to work now. Take care, be healthy, be happy, and be safe. God bless ya'll, and have a great day!!

Beate's Challenge #52

I am on vacation today and tomorrow, because my little one turns 10 tomorrow. The plan is to take 4 or 5 of his friends to the water park. We are leaving here at 8:30 in the am--park opens at 10:30, and it is a 2 hour drive--stay all day and come here late tomorrow for cake and ice cream. He is so excited. We have run into a few kinks though. #1-his best friends are off at camp, #2- it may rain, #3- baseball games. I hope it all works out for him. He is so excited. I am fixing to go and finish making his cake. I did have time this a.m. to make this card for Beate's Challenge. It is a very simple design. The only hard part was the water coloring. If you visit my blog much, you know I am a paper piecer, not a colorer. It turned out better than I thought. The cardstock is from Bazzill and the DP is from Daisy D's. The image is from an old Stampin Up set called "Friends". I used my CTMH inks to color. Ya'll have a great day. I close with my usual--Be safe, be healthy, be happy--Hug your loved ones--and by far the most important--God bless ya'll!!!!

Jen's Sketch Challenge-June 14th

Ok, this will probably be my last card for today. This is for Jen del Muro's weekly sketch challenge. I used Brazzill cardstock, and my DP is from Doodlebug Designs. The image and sentiment are from MFT-Think Pink. The flowers are from Petaloo, and the brads are some I have had for a while. I love her sketch challenges. They always get your brain working. I will chat with ya'll later. God bless ya'll!!!!

Our Creative Corner Challenge #1

This is my take on the Our Creative Corner Challenge for this week. This is a new group of very talented ladies who have begun their own corner of blog land. They will be posting challenges weekly. Todays challenge was designed my Cindy Haffner http://cindyhaffnerscorner.blogspot.com/ I used Bazzill cardstock with Ki Memories DP. The brads are from Heidi Grace. The image is Savvyshoppabella from Stampin Bella. The flower is from Doodlebugs. All the image was paper pieced except the face and hair, and I used my CTMH markers for this. Go check out their site for the sketch and more inspirations http://www.ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ I am going to work on some of the weekend challenges today and wait on hubby. God bless ya'll!!!

Father's Day

This is the card I made for hubby. I got the shirt pattern off Lil Scrapper's http://www.lilscrappers.ca/catalog/index.php This site has great ideas and help with projects. They also have a neat store. This DP is from CTMH as well as the brads. It was real easy to make. The second pic is the insert that slips inside the shirt. We got him several pairs of new shorts for the summer and gave them to him yesterday because he needed them to wear somewhere, but we are saving the card for today. He is going to love it. I think he has already seen the card because I saw where he had been snooping around my craft desk and the computer, but I did not do the insert until now, so he will be surprised. Hope ya'll have a great day with your family. We have very little planned. Take care, be safe, be happy, be healthy. Hug your loved ones! God bless ya'll!!

Happy Birthday!!

I was playing with my bellas today, and realized I had never inked this one. The stamp is "Partygirlabella" Isn't she cute and happy? The card stock and designer paper came in my new monthly kit from Paper Posies

http://www.paperposies.com/ It is full of fun things to use. The DP is from K&Co., and the cardstock is from Bazzill. The fibers I used on this card are from the Two Scoops Collection from Basic Grey. The eyelets are watermelon from CTMH. Other embellishments I used are Cotton Candy Stickles and Baubles. Just a little happy card.

Today is the day I highlight 2 new blogsites I have found while browsing. The first one is: http://craftingforsanity.blogspot.com/ Kimmie is doing a great job. She is real creative. The other one is :

http://lil-bittacreativity.blogspot.com/ Theresa is also very creative, and doing an awesome job with her blog. Go give these girls some comments and let them know how good they are.

I woke up this am to hubby saying that the air conditioning was off when he got up!! He cleaned the coils and washed out the grass thrown from the lawnmower on the grates. So far everything has been fine today, and it is 93 degrees outside. I have do have the repair man on speed dial if it goes bad. Hope everyone has a great day filled with love and laughter. Be healthy, be happy, be safe. Hug those you love and God bless ya'll!!

Sick Friend

Happy Tuesday. I did not get to post my encouragments on Sunday because I was on call and had to go in to work. Then when I got home, I had to cook for a party yesterday at work. One of our employees turned 60 yesterday, and we had a little party. He is one of my dearest co-workers and friend. He has just found out that he is sick, and I wanted this birthday to be special. He lives at home and takes care of his 98 y/o mother. Please include him in your prayers. We go to the doctor tomorrow to schedule some more treatments he is going to have to have. He does not have anyone to take care of him, so I am his caregiver. I go with him to his appointments when I can, so I can help him better understand what is going on. I got several of the other people at work to cook something also--you know those that you can always depend on. He really enjoyed it and he had a great happy day.

The encouragement I picked for this week is simple---

Be aware of wonder-Live a balanced life-Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some-------Robert Fulgham

The card is one I threw together this weekend. The cardstock is from Bazzill. The DP is from Pink Paislee. The sentiment is from Sweet N Sassy Stamps--Trust in the Lord. The ribbon is some I won in a blog candy give away. The cross is one I use for my pottery and I decided to use it on my card. I hope ya'll have had a great day. Be safe, happy healthy. Hug your loved ones, and God bless ya'll!!!!!

Jen's Sketch Challenge-June 7th

Jen del Muro's sketch challenge for this week was a little tricky for me. It needed a big circle or oval and I do not have any real large punches. I did have this one from my Sizzix, but it is really a frame punch. Oh well, I think it came out ok. This entire project is from Paper Trey Ink except the baubles, and they are from Stampin Bella. The card stock colors are Sweet Blush and Berry Sorbet. The stamp set is Out On a Limb. The ribbon is sweet blush dot swiss, and the baubles are a Squeeze of Lime. Fun! Fun! Fun! These challenges are getting my mojo back. See ya'll later, and God bless ya'll.

Beate's Sketch Challenge # 51

Beate's sketch challenge for this week was really neat. I received this paper in the mail today. It was the March Paper Pretties box. Cannot tell you why it came today, but I was glad it did. I was working on another challenge when the mailman came, and I immediately started on this. Love this paper. The cardstock is Bazzill. The DP is from The Paper Company Studio--Multidot and Floral Stripe. The ribbon also came from here. The baubles are from Stampin Bella, and if you have not looked lately, there were some new bellas released this week. Hope ya'll are having a great weekend. Be safe, be happy, be healthy and hug your loved ones. God bless ya'll!!

Another MFT card!

I love MFT stamps. I have had this one for a while, but never inked until the other day. The DP and cardstock are scraps from a page I did for my daughter's senior year scrapbook about 3 years ago. I have no idea where I got them, or what company makes them. Sorry!!! The stamped images and sentiment are from the "By The Seashore" stamp set by MFT--they have some really neat new stamps just out. If you have not seen them you should go look http://www.mftstamps.com/home/homepage.html I paper pieced the main image--imagine that!! I used my corner rounder to scallop the edges of the DP. I hope you enjoy looking!! Not much going on today. Oh, my daughter started her first IV today at work. In nursing this is a biggie. I will be back tomorrow with some new stuff I have done. Be safe, be happy, and be healthy. Hug those you love--maybe an extra time! God bless ya'll!!

Newbies!!

I finished my day stamping. We just finished supper, and I am getting ready to go to bed. I get up on the days I go to work at 4:30, this is my quiet time to drink my coffee, check my email, and just enjoy the silence. They called me from work earlier and told me tomorrow was bad--lots of cases, so I am going to bed soon. I hope ya'lls day has been as pleasent as mine. I did forget to do something earlier when I posted, and that was to highlight 2 new blogs. The first one I have chosen is:
http://simplybeautifulcreations.blogspot.com/ I found it today while scoping blogworld. She has some cute, cute stuff. Let her know how good she is doing. Comments are an inspiration!! The next one I chose is:
http://cardsandcreationsbychristine.blogspot.com/ Awesome artwork and creativity. Please go visit and let them know you have been there. I better get going. Take care, be healthy, happy and safe. God bless ya'll!!

Jen's Sketch Challenge

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!! The sun is shining here, which is great since lately we have had lots of rain. I started that new shift about 3 weeks ago, and today is the first day that I really did not have to do anything but play. I am working 4- 10 hour days and am off one day a week. I have done this shift before and it is the best for my life. Boy did I ever play. I have made several cards that I will show over the next few days. This card is for Jen's Sketch for You to Try from Saturday. This is the link to this challenge:
http://iheart2stamp.com/2008/05/31/special-edition-of-sketch-for-you-to-try/ She and all the girls used Bellas or a stamp from Stampin Bella. I have been needing to ink this one, so I chose it. The cardstock is from Bazzill, the designer paper is from K & Co. The image is "Sweetybellas". The saying is from Studio G. The eyelets are Garden Green from CTMH, and the only coloring that was done was with CTMH markers-Garden Green, Cranberry, and Flesh. The buttons are from S.E.I.-Wiinnie's Walls Collection. I used the paper piecing and layering techniques. The fibers are some scraps I had in my fiber drawer. Guess I will get back to my cardmaking. See ya'll soon. Be safe, happy, healthy. Hug your loved ones, and God bless ya'll!!!!!!!!

Great Blog Candies

No artwork ready to post, but I did want to let ya'll know about these great blog candy giveaways. The first is over at Lil Deb's Happy Place
http://lildebstampscrap.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-candy.html and the other is over at Lisbet's Scrapmagasinet and the link to her's is
http://scrapmagasinet.blogspot.com/2008/06/blogcandy.html Both these women are extremely talented. Go see how creative they are. I will be back tomorrow with artwork and new blogs to visit. Take care, hug those you love, and God bless ya'll. Have a great day!!

Wow, June 1st!

Wow, I cannot believe today is June 1st. My baby will be 10 in a few weeks. Time is going by too fast. Today has been quiet for me and the weekend call. Jack and Simon went to church, the end of VBS program was today. I don't usually go when on call, because of the need to take two cars and beepers. I hate to have to get up in the middle of something and leave. I picked up lunch for us at my favorite restaurent, and I plan on doing nothing the rest of the day, hopefully. When I finally got home yesterday, and sat down, I crashed. We ended up working 8 1/2 hours.



The card above is one I did this a.m., while everyone was gone. I may use it for a challenge I have been given this month, but not sure yet. The cardstock is from Archivers. My good friend and bella sistah, LeAnne,
http://milehighstampandscrap.blogspot.com/ sent this papercrafting kit to me not to long ago, and I could not wait to use it. I love the papers and colors. The DP is from Daisy D's Chasing Butterflies Collection. The stamps are from MFT www.mftstamps.com and it is called "Say Charge". The ribbon is from my stash, and the flower and button brads are from Bazzill "imaginisce"---Crotched Flowers and Evening Surf Button Brads. I used the paper piercing technique on the main stamped image. It is like playing with paper dolls again. Everything on the image is pp except the shoes, and they are colored with my CTMH markers-Cranberry, Moonstruck, and New England Ivy. The other technique I used is layering. I combined all three primary colors from the DP to make the layering.

One last thing for today is my Sunday Encouragement---------------
"I have learned from experience that the greater part of our
happiness or misery, depends on our dispositions and not our
circumstances---------Martha Washington"
Take care, hug your loved ones, and God bless ya'll!!!

Confusion Challenge

Just a quick post today because I am on call this weekend. Worked 15 1/2 hours yesterday, and today already has 4 cases, so I am looking at around 8 hours today. VACATION MONEY!!!!! I saw this color challenge on Toni's http://toniarmstrong.blogspot.com/2008/05/tcp-tuesday_26.html blog and decided to try it. Airhead me, did not pay a lot of attention to where it originated and just saw the cat--Thinking I have some cute stamps from this company, excuse me, wrong company. The origination is from The Cat's Pajamas--whichI love their stamps, but only have Christmas ones at this time. Making a long story short, I used the cat stamps I had from Pink Cat Studio with the color challenge and was unable to submit to this challenge, but I did submit to the PCS gallery. Sorry for the short choppy sentences today, but in a hurry. Gotta go! Be safe, be healthy, hug your loved ones, and God bless ya'll!!!

B Happy

Good Morning. It is the beginning of a beautiful day here. The past couple of days it has rained, but the sun is shining today. My daughter started her externship at the hospital today. She came by this a.m. at 5:30 to see if I thought she looked ok. She reminded me of when she was little and always had to have a model show to see what she looked like before going anywhere. She is really nervous. She is going to work in the ER doing 12 hour shifts. It is really a good program. They have a preceptor that works with them, and basicly they do all normal nursing skills. I am real excited for her. The little one is in Vacation Bible School in the mornings this week and football camp in the afternoons. I let him ride his bike today to the church. It is about 8 blocks from our house. Last night was family night. I did not know about it until I got home from work, and we had about 30 minutes to get there. My husband came in as we were going out the door. He only had about 10 minutes. Bless his heart. He just went in his work clothes. He is real picky about looking good before he leaves the house, and it was funny to see him not all together. Once he ate though, he was like who cares what we look like. My oldest son is working on catfish boxes for the hand grabbing season. If you are a regular, you will remember that pic of the big catfish last year. If you did not see it, it is very impressive. Go to older posts and look. September 17, 2007 He goes back to school this weekend to finish his degrees. There are two courses he can take to get a 2nd degree, and he decided to do that before he leaves and gets a job. He will be gone for 3 weeks. It looks like he may have a lead on a job. The place he had thought about applying to is laying off people, not in his field, but still it made him uncertain about the future, so he is going a different route. I hope it works out for him. His idea is really a good one.

The card above was so much fun to make. I love paper piercing. It takes a lot of time, but I am truely addicted to it. The cardstock and designer paper came in my new monthly kit from Paper Posies. The designer paper and the chipboard letter are from Prima Marketing-Just Corina, the Dude Collection. The stamped image is from Stampin Bella-Ipodabella. The "HAPPY" stamp is one I won at a Stampin Up home party years ago. I believe it was the first time I was introduced to stamping. The ribbon is from my personal stash. I plan on stampin this a.m., and going to pottery this afternoon, so maybe I will have some new projects tomorrow. Ya'll have a great day. Be safe, hug your loved ones, , and God bless ya'll. See ya later!!

Birthday Card

This card was a fun project. I used the paper piercing technique. This is somewhat time consuming, but I love doing it. The stamps are from Pink Cat Studio, the ribbon is from American Crafts Elements, the card stock and designer paper is from Ki Memories-the surprise edition.

I would like to start showcasing new blogs. Today I want to mention 2 that are just getting started. The first is by Nicky http://www.creationsbynicky.blogspot.com/ She has some great cards already on her blog. Go take a look at tell her what a great job she is doing. The other is by Jaqueline http://sparklescharmsandbows.blogspot.com/ She has some great artwork and neat family photos. Both of these ladies are doing wonderful and I know they would love some comments and encouragements.

I said a while back that I was going to start Sunday Encouragements. Well this week it is going to be on Tuesday. I received this from a friend a while back and I loved it and wanted to share:
Life Is a Gift
Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren. Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.


I hope you have had a wonderful day filled with many blessings. Take card, hug your loved ones, be safe, and may God bless ya'll!!!

Hope

Today is a day to reflect on our lives and to take honor in the lives of all the sodiers that have defended our country. Freedom is a gift, and one that has cost this world greatly. The lives of men and women that have been lost and are still being lost daily should always be remembered, not just today. These brave, young people are the reason you and I can sleep at night, and have the freedoms that we do. I have been fortunate to not have lost a family member to any war. My grandfather, father, and other family members have fought in wars, but by the grace of God they have all come home. The families of all soldiers should be remembered, because they are rocks. I cannot imagine one of my children being off at war. I am proud to be an American, and proud to be a brother or sister to each and everyone that has made this country proud. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL OUR SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!

I am planning to cook out this afternoon. Barbeque, potato salad, beans all the bad stuff. Heard this am on the news that an average plate of the above would run about 2000 calories---well, I just cannot go through Memorial Day without a cookout. The big kids are going to the lake with friends. They will be in dark thirty with usually an extra or two. Jack and Simon are going to the pool. They will be back around 5. It will be me ,the cats and dogs home cooking, which is just the way I like it. I hope ya'll enjoy your holiday. Hug your loved ones, and remember those whose loved ones are not here.

The cardstock, designer paper, stamp, ribbon are all from Papertrey Ink. I love there stuff. The saying is from the Hope and Peace stamp set by Stampin Up. Take care and God bless ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beate and Taylor's Challenge's

These are the other two challenges I have done this weekend. This first is Beate's http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ The cardstock is from Paper Posies and the designer paper is form Scenic Route. The baubles are from Stampin Bella. The stamped image is from the Peace and Comfort set by Stampin Up. The ribbon is from my stash. It is challenge WSC49 on SCS.

The second photo is for Taylor's challenge. It is her weekly Friday Cupcake challenge http://www.tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/ The cardstock/designer paper is from CTMH. The stamped images are from several different stamped sets, the girl is from CTMH's Sleepover, the cupcake is from SweetnSassy's Chocoholic, and the saying is from Hanna Stamps. Everything is colored with CTMH markers, and I used glitter and stickles for embellishments. This challenge is TECC17 on SCS.

Quiet on the homefront today. Everyone great here. I plan on spending the entire day cooking for tomorrow and stamping. May not get out of my pj's. Enjoy time with your family and take care of yourself!! Hug your loved ones and my God bless ya'll!!!

Jen's Sketch Challenge

Jen at http://www.iheart2stamp.com/ gave a sketch challenge Friday. Go see!! She is such an inspiration with her work. This is the card I did. The cardstock and designer paper is from Lil Red Scrapbook Co. http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/ They have great monthly kits. The stamped images are from Stampin Up-Very Punny, and the saying is from this set but printed on the computer. The baubles are from Stampin Bella, and the ribbon/threads are from my unknown random stash. Unknown as to where it came from. I tried to download to SCS, but I can only get it to go to my gallery. Again just starting to get the hang of this computer stuff. I will be posting later in the day some more weekend challenges I have done. Take care of yourself, hug those you love, and be safe. God bless ya'll!!!

Unknown Challenge

This is the card I made for a Wednesday Challenge on SCS, but I cannot remember the challenge number. Crazy me!! I have been working all day on challenges thinking it might get me back into the card making. I did 4 and I will post them throughout the holiday weekend. For this one I used cardstock and designer paper from CTMH. The dp is discontinued, but I had some scraps left over from kit. The stamped images are from 2 different companies. The girl is from Hanna Stamps. I paper-pierced the image with paper from the kit. The saying is from Studio G stamps. The ribbon is from my stash of unknowns. See ya later!! God bless ya'll!!

Inchie Challenge

Boy, have I been slacking on blogging lately!!! I am going to get better!! I AM!!!! I AM!!!! I AM!!! School is out for little one and middle one. Big one gets out in about 3 weeks. Things should slow down. I have been spending most of my downtime lately cleaning and working in the yard. I did get my paper crafting mojo going this week some. The pics are from an inchie challenge I was given from Nina Perrin at Purple Faerie Blog http://purplefaeriepc.blogspot.com/ I am a member of her challenge team and there is some great work over there. You should take a peek! The cardstock is from a monthly kit I get from Paper Posies. http://www.paperposies.com/ The designer paper is from cherryArte. The brads are random from my stash, and the stamps are from My Favorite Things http://www.mftstamps.com/home/homepage.html It is called Can Ya Dig It. We were to make 3-7 inches--if you do not know what they are, they are squares, circles, or whatever shape that can be no larger than 1 inch. You create on this inch an item that can be used on larger projects as embellishments. The second part of our challenge was to use these in a project, which leads to the last pic. The tin is from Creative Express and the papers are the same. The stamped images were colored with CTMH markers.

I have had a very bad week with internet people. I belong to several yahoo groups, and unfortunately I belong to one that does not follow there name. I am not going to slam them by name, but I will say that there name is _____________friends, but that is not who they really are. I am not a great internet-computer user. I work most of my waking hours, so when I do come home , I like to read and see creations by people who have more time to create than I do. Unfortunately this week, someone had some extra things on this group they wanted to sell, and I needed what they were selling. I hit reply and not paying attention as well as some of these people seemed to think I should, the reply went to the group instead of the individual. This caused a major uproar. I did not respond because I was so mad at what they said to me and the other person involved. I thought these groups were for friends to share things. I do understand that some times 15 people reply to the same comment and it does get a little tiring reading the same things over and over, but me for one--remember a not so computer savy person--has enough sense to delete those repititions. I swear it does not cause calluses on your fingertips to hit the delete buttons. Now, I feel better!! I have decided to delete that group from my list, and only hang out with real friends.

Sorry for the soapbox, but it really hurt my feelings to see the things that were said. I hope ya'll have a great holiday weekend. Be safe and healthy!! God bless ya'll!!!!

How is everyone? We are fine and dandy. The school year is coming to a close, and dreams are coming true. My oldest called me tonight to tell me he finished his Management Finance course today. It has really been giving him a hard time, but it looks like he will come out great. He has really had to study hard this semester, but he will graduate from Mississippi State in a few weeks and I am so proud of him. He is going to graduate with two degrees!!! Whoo Hoo!!!! My daughter got her acceptance letter Saturday for an externship at our hospital this summer. She is finishing up her second semester of nursing school, and she has done great!!! I confirmed our vacation plans for this summer today. I cannot wait. We always go to Florida for a week. Fun in the sun. We will go in late summer, same time we go every year.

The card above is one I made last week. The CS and DP are from Heidi Grace. The stamp is from Everyday Blessings by Papertrey Ink. The brads are also from Heidi Grace. The flower was made with the Stampin Up flower punch. The baubles are "goldfish" from Stampin Bella. The scalloped punch is by Marvy, and I would not have it if it wasn't for my great bella sistah Leanne. I hope ya'll have a great day, and may God bless all!! Take care and I will be back soon.

Sunshine

Hope everyone is fine. I have come down with a cold. Really have felt yucky the past 2 days, but I started on some medicine last night. I hope it kicks in soon!! The weather is beautiful. We have had so much rain lately, that it is a blessing to see the sunshine. This card is one I made from some old paper I found while cleaning my craft room. The cardstock and designer paper are from SEI--Winnies Walls; the buttons are also from this same collection; the stamp is from Verve Visual--Serenity: the ribbon is from American Crafts Elements. I love these colors. Got to go get ready for work. Everyone have a great day and God bless ya'll!!!

I'm Back!!!!

HEY YA'LL!!!! I did not turn 51 and disappear! Life has been crazy. All the family is fine, and we are living life to the fullest. All the things that have kept me from blogging are just to many to go into. Do know though, they have all been good. The one thing I will go into is that my youngest was baptized on Easter Sunday. It was awesome!!

I cannot wait to get back into posting and card making. The card above is for Jen's card sketch at http://www.iheart2stamp.com/. She does one every weekend and they are so much fun. This card is made with cardstock and designer paper from my newest packet from Paper Posies. The designer paper is from Pink Paislee www.pinkpaislee.com It is the Spring Fling Collection. All the stamps are from My Favorite Things --The Happy Mothers Day set www.mftstamps.com The ribbon and brad are from my stash.

Today's encouragemint is quite simple:

“To excel is to reach your own highest dreams, but you must also help others, when you can, to reach theirs. Personal gain is empty if you do not feel you have positively touched another’s life.” - Barbara Walters.

I hope I have touched lives along the way. It is really easy to do this. Sometimes it is something powerful, and other times it is just a smile. Let's try this week to touch lives. I would love to hear about them. I will be back soon. Ya'll take care and may God bless ya'll!!

What A Great Day!!!!!!!!

It has been an overwhelming day for me. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I did not know I had so many friends. First I received some stamped images, brads and eyelets from Jennifer. She made me the cutest card. Next, I got a $20.00 gift certificate to Stampin Bella, a scalloped circle punch (which I have been dying to get), and some neat paper and cardstock from LeAnne (my bella sister). She also made me a beautiful card. Then the florist called and my best friend (who now lives in Atlanta) sent me some bath gel and a candle. My kids got me a double boiler (mine has come up missing) and a wind chime. Last, a friend stopped by from work and gave me some more bath gel. This has benn the best day, I have had in a long while.

The bag tag above is something I made for a challenge, but now that I have submitted it, it is going in the mail tomorrow for someone for a RAK. Everything on the bag tag is from my stash, and most are scraps except the brayered paper that is layered over the cardstock. I have the best time making these, and on the back is the name or initial of who gets it. I will post the cards from my friends tomorrow on my post. hope ya'll are fine, and may God bless all!!!

Encouragemints

Here's a little card I made for a friend. She needed something she could have and send for any occasion plus thank you's. I cased this card from Brenda Harmless at Inked Art. Everything is CTMH except the ribbon, and it is from Stampin Up. This is a very quick and easy card to make. The paper and cardstock are from the "Life's Delights" paper packet, the stamped letter is from the "Baroque Alphabet" set. I used my corner rounder to scallop the edges of the strip of chocolate cardstock.

Today's encouragemint is:

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Swiss psychiatrist, author (1926-2004)

I believe we all have a light from within, although sometimes we let it dim. I myself have decided this year to let my light shine, and hope that I can encourage others to do the same by my actions. Enjoy your week and my God bless ya'll!!!

Janmuary Bella Babe Entry & I'm Tagged

This was my entry in the January Bella Babe contest on Bellaholicsanonymouse on Yahoo this month. The challenge was to use red, grey or black, and white. I used artistabella from Stampin Bella and random paper scraps I had from other projects. I combined two different ribbons from my stash and started layering. Thflowers are also some I had in my stash. Sorry, but all this is scraps, and I do not know where they came from. I paper pierced the clothes, and colored the rest with my CTMH markers. The brads are from CTMH.

I have been tagged by Heidi from Heartfelt Blessings. Here is the questionaire I am to fill out:
1. Name your 2 favorite Scrapbooking topics: My children are number 1, and the kids on the pages I do for others would be #2.
2. What are the 2 best places you've been to? Destin, Florida--the prettiest beaches I have ever seen, and Washington, D. C.--went there with Carre, aka middle child, on a school trip when she was in the 8th grade
3. Name 2 things you do every day: try to talk to each of my kids and make sure they are ok, and one of my cats and I drink coffee each morning with him in my lap while I check my email.
4. Name 2 things that pretty much everyone knows about you: My family is #1 in my life, and I love helping others.
5. What are your 2 favorite stores? at this moment in my like, Stampin Bella and My Favorite Things stamps
6. What are your 2 favorite accessories to stamp/scrap with? Ribbon, and flowers
7. What are your two favorite occasions to make cards for?Friendship and happies just to make someone smile.
8. What two things do alot of people NOT know about me? I cry when I get mad and them I get madder at myself and cry more; #2- I really do not have anything else--I am me everyday of my life, no holding back, and if you see or talk with me today, tomorrow that same person will be there.
I am supposed to tag two people: let's see--------Lynn Put of the Queen's Scene http://thequeensscene.blogspot.com and Jennifer Hodge
http://craftyfingers.typepad.com/

Ya'll have a blessed day and I will see ya tomorrow!!!!

New Year

My new year began with a lot of work. I was on call 5 out of the six days prior to and on New Years Day. It will lead to a nice paycheck, but it was tiring. I have taken this weekend to recover and get back to normal. I started finally painting Simon's room, and should finish most of it today. My creative juices started flowing last night and I finally did some stamping and card making. I looked up a lot of the challenges that have come out for this month, and started working. I love challenges, because it makes my brain work. I have decided to start a new years tradition on the blog. I belong to a yahoo group called CraftersforChrist and one of the ladies does a daily post of encourgemints. These are quotes and sayings that lift up your spirits, sometimes when you do not even know they are down. I have decided to start a Weekly Encouragemint here. Every Sunday I will add a quote or saying that I feel has given me encouragement this week.

Today's Encouragemint is:

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone." -- Audrey Hepburn, Adacemnt Award winning actress, humanitarian

Sometimes I feel that I get frustated with people, and give up on them. I am experiencing this at work now with a new person. I forget to look deep into someone's personality. There is always good somewhere, you just may have to wait---patience!!!!

The card is for the CTMH Friends monthly color challenge on yahoo. The colors were Cranberry, Black and Bamboo. The base of the card is black. The cranberry layer I ran through my Cuttlebug "Stylized Flowers" embossing folder and touched up the raised areas with black ink.. The stamps are done in black on Bamboo paper--the scripture is from the "Come Unto Me" stamp set and the flower is from the "Rustic Flowers" stamp set. The ribbon and button are things from my random stash.

I would also like to thank everyone for all the wonderful cards and happies I received over the last few weeks. I will be posting some later this week. Sorry for the long ramblings, but I wanted to catch up with ya'll. I wish for all a great 2008 filled with many blessings of love, happiness, health, wealth, and joy!!! God bless ya'll!!!!