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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sympathy gladiolus


Yesterday I had a bright yellow and orange PTI gladiolus as a thank you card for a special blog hop, today I'm showing that same image used in a sympathy card. Yesterday I used copics for a really bright look, today I wanted soft tones so I shaded this in using my SU chalks.

I think if I did this type of layout next time I would straighten out the sentiment. It is lined up with the image, but then when I decided on the layout after stamping and coloring, I liked the gladiolus tipped to the side, but would have preferred a straight sentiment . . .I wasn't going to redo it after all the coloring though!

This is a large image so the card is longer than an A2 . . . anyone know where you get middle of the road envelopes? Shorter than business size, longer than A2.

Stickles in the center of the gladiolus, sentiment from Clear Dollar Stamps, border on the bottom PTI Botanicals. Thanks for looking!

Monday, August 30, 2010

A Glad-iola Thank you!



Are't you glad that gladiolus comes in so many different colors? Even if they didn't, we could just make some up and I'm sure it would turn out just as well. I chose yellow to help create some blog sunshine! And gladiolus DO come in yellow for real.

Some of the PTI forum members organized a little appreciation hop for Nichole and all the hard working and inspiring ladies who keep Papertrey Ink running like a well oiled . . . or well inked . . . stamping machine!

I cannot imagine all the behind the scenes work that takes place in any stamp company! And as stampers we can get so demanding sometimes, forgetting that these are almost all small family businesses, not huge corporations with enormous teams of employees, or people get bent and forget that we're talking about ink and rubbah here, not food, air, water or shelter.

Thanks Nichole and Jenn and all the rest who help us with our playtime! I thought I'd use the gladiolus stamp because I am 'glad' I found stamping and found Papertrey Ink.

Muchas Smoochas!!! As I like to say to my kids.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Background Basics Botanicals, Giga Guidelines, YOF Gladiolus
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU apricot (sponging, SU Pumpkin PIe
Paper: Vellum, Lemon Tart, dotted DP, white
Other: button, copics, PTI guidelines impression plate, random orange ribbon

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge 54. . . As Iron Sharpens Iron



Happy Sunday stampers! Its time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is Lovely Linda! She selected this verse from Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Her challenge is to use some form of metal on your card.

I found this layout in the new Stampin' Up holiday mini. I used a combination of two sets from Mark's Finest Papers, then I have two brads for the metal on the card.

I know that on our main blog Linda will have some wonderful thoughts to share and you can see the rest of the design team creations here.

You ever notice sometimes too how wisdom can 'skip a layer?' I don't have that wise layer above me, there is no older person to turn to for good counsel. And that's where wise and caring friends can make a huge difference.

I am thankful for friends who have come alongside me during a difficult time. I have had them lend encouragement, give me scripture verses and help me remember that regardless of what we're facing, God already has the victory. No one is meant to walk through this life alone and I'm very grateful for all of my friends. I'm grateful for my children too, who themselves are getting older, to the point where we can pray with and for each other as well and that is a huge blessing in my life also.

Thanks for looking, hope you can play along.

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Southwest Cowboy and Ferns and Chickadees
Ink: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo
Paper: cranberry, kraft, some kind of blue, cream
Other: cuttlebug vintage corner die, PTI tintypes impression plate, copper brads, copper cord, twine

Friday, August 27, 2010

Virtual Stamp Night on SCS



Good evening! Hey, in case you didn't know, it is time for virtual stamp night on Splitcoast Stampers.

What is VSN? Its crazy fun, a series of challenges that pop up every hour on the hour, this evening and tomorrow afternoon and evening, and under the honor system you have 45 minutes to complete your card!

The card you see here is for a challenge I hosted this evening to make a card with some sort of window on it! Mine is a shadowbox card and I must say it did come together rather quickly. Just a few colors of cardstock and I'm previewing a new set being released next month by Mark's Finest Papers.

You have all weekend to play along, you don't have to do the challenges in order or even post your cards until Monday evening. So, hope you can stop on by and play too!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Papertrey Ink August Blog Hop


Whew! Cannot believe another month has gone by! However I CAN believe school finally started today because this was the first day of a quiet house since the beginning of May.

I must admit, I don't often play with brown paper bags, the theme for this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop and now, I was wishing I had the leaf dies, BUT I am looking forward to seeing all the lovely creations on the hop.

Briefly, I made one bag for Halloween that I will duplicate and send to my kids in college in October, a little treat bag. Because kids of all ages like treats! And then I thought the new guidelines impression plate and guidelines stamps could make a nice picnic bag. I decorated it with one of the flowers from Autumn Abundance and sans leaves, put a few squares from the quilt set at the bottom.

Thanks for looking! Have a great hop!




Halloween Treat Bag:
Papertrey Tiny Treats Halloween
Cuttlebug folder 'Seeing Spots'
Copic markers, glitter, orange ribbon

Picnic Bag:
Papertrey Ink Quilter's Sampler, Guidelines one and two, Autumn Abundance, Background Basics Botanicals
copic markers, ribbon, punch, gold gel pen

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge 53 . . . where is your trust?

Happy Sunday stampers! Welcome to another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is Cindy who selected this verse from Psalm 56:3 . . . "When I am afraid I will trust in thee."

Her challenge is the following: I would like you to make something that representing what could be your life verse, a place where God has revealed to you that you can trust in him, something representing a turning point in your life, or just focusing on Psalm 56:3. This is more of an open challenge, something that only you understand. I want you to be encouraged and remember those special "Jesus and me" moments when the Lord truly revealed Himself to you and praise Him for it.

Our sponsor this week is Sassy Studio Designs, which is donating four digis to the winner.

There were so many directions I could have gone with Cindy's challenge, and decided to focus on the verse from Psalms about being afraid and trust. I chose to use this image from Sassy Studio Designs, a young person sitting comfortably reading in her colorfully decorated dorm room--in my imagination, reading the bible--because young people are much on my mind the past few weeks. This week in rapid succession we helped get my three older children to three respective colleges in three different states. Yes, this is the only stamping I've done all week!

If worrying were an Olympic sport I'd win the gold medal. Although I have had many lessons in letting my children go over the years, it is still difficult for me. Yet as moms, we do it, don't we?

I can remember my oldest daughter traveling to South Africa for a missions trip her junior year of high school. We had no contact whatsoever the entire time she was gone; it felt as though the continent of Africa had swallowed her up. My two middle children, and my husband, separately, have taken five or six trips total to go to New Orleans to help with cleanup after Hurricane Katrina. My son is now seriously considering a career in the missions field.

Someone has to stay home to hold down the fort . . . I am always the sender, never the one who goes. Sometimes I think it is worse to stay home than to go, because my fertile imagination can concoct a million and one ways my loved ones can get sick or hurt while on these trips.

And sometimes kids are just kids and they do such amazingly dangerous or thoughtless things it can make you almost sick with worry. We had an incident like that just this past week, before they set out for school. So what do you do when it feels like worry is a tsunami that is going to overwhelm your emotions?

Lean on the Lord. I wish I could say I was perfect at this, that I have learned worrying is foolish and I can trust in the Father, but each time something happens it is as though I am learning this lesson afresh.

And that is so silly because I know what works for me!!! When I sit and read my bible and pray, pray, pray--that trust in the Father, that peace washes over me. I have had many 'Jesus and me' moments when I've come to the end of my rope of worry and finally handed the problem over to Him.

So there is a dual representation in my card of my interpretation of Cindy's challenge . . . reading the bible reminds me of all of the promises God has fulfilled and reminds me that I can trust Him. And the young person in the image represents one of those things I need to hand over to the Lord . . . my family, specifically my children. They are the roses in my window, the title of my blog, and I have to remind myself that as precious as they are to me, they are yet more precious in His sight.

I hope that by being transparent about my struggles it might help someone else out there realize that this life is a journey, not a destination. That these scripture based challenges are to let you know the bible is God's love letter to you and much comfort, wisdom and hope can be found therein if we just sit and read it.

Thanks for looking. Hope you can play along this week. We look forward to reading your thoughts and seeing your creations.

Owlie birthday


I picked up this owl stamp at CHA and when I brought it home my middle daughter specifically requested I use it to make a card for her, she thinks owls are cute! I do too . . .

Her birthday is Wednesday and its funny, while I searched on the Denami Designs web site for ideas, I saw their current blog challenge is a birthday card! Then I found a sketch that might work on Card Positioning Systems. This card is a bit simpler than I usually make, but in some cases simple can be good, I can get a bit too fussy.

Thank for looking! Have a great day!

Stamps: DeNami Designs, sentiments from Papertrey Ink Everyday Button Bits
Ink: archival black
Paper: doodlebug designs, white
Other: PTI buttons, copic markers, rhinestone

Thursday, August 19, 2010

We have a winner!

Blogger
I want to thank each one of you who participated in the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog hop and especially those who took the time to stop by my blog. I enjoyed reading your thoughts and your comments.

I made a physical list of every person who entered, in the order in which you did so, eliminating the design team members who were ineligible, or the accidental double entries. I took that list and using random.org, the number that came up was 69, which turned out to be this comment:


Diane Jaquay said...

Beautiful card and scripture! I'm so grateful for the salvation that the Lord offers us.

August 16, 2010 9:29 PM


Thank you Diane! Please contact me within 48 hours so I can get your address and send you your goodies!

Delete

Monday, August 16, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Special Blogaversary Hop!!!!



Lamentations 3:25-26
"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."




Yayyyyyy!!!! I love birthdays! And it is time to celebrate the first blogaversary/birthday of the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog! It has hosted scripture based challenges for a whole year. So today we're hosting a special hop featuring ALL of the original and current designers.

Our Birthday Blog Hop starts at the Stampin' Sisters In Christ blog! You'll want to start there and follow along. There are many blessings along the way and chances to win prizes, so we hope you'll join us! All of the blog links will also be there on the home page in case there's a break along the way.

What is a birthday without treats? There is a $5o gift certificate worth of blog candy on the main page on Stampin' Sisters in Christ for any one of the companies that have sponsored us in the past year! Your choice! And some of our DT members are featuring surprise blog candy of their own . . . like right here. I am giving away as personal blog candy during this hop, the limited edition CHA set from Papertrey Ink--brand spankin' new--along with a little mystery bag of PTI goodies!

Now for my thoughts on that scripture:

I chose that particular scripture from Lamentations because of all things, I am impatient. Unfortunately I've passed that trait down to my children.

I hate waiting! Yet I have learned through hard lessons and multiple examples that things run so much more smoothly when I wait on the Lord. That is where I find true peace, that is where I can rest, that is where I can have assurance that because the Father loves me, whatever His plan that is what is best for my life. It might not feel like it at the time, but in an eternal sense, His program works out a lot better than mine.

And that word 'quietly' . . .let's just say I'm no stranger to whining either! Why is it better to wait quietly? Consider what happens when we don't . . . we get fretful and fussy or impatient, our blood pressure begins to rise . . .the peace and rest we can find in the Lord disappears. Also in I Kings it tells us the Lord speaks to us in a small, still voice. How will we hear His voice unless we're being quiet?


For my project I printed out that verse on the computer, choosing different fonts to help emphasize the words in that verse that popped out when I read it.

Now for the blog candy! Here's a photo of the PTI set, plus I'm including a mystery bag of PTI goodies for that same lucky winner. Leave a comment here on my blog answering this question . . . which single word in my selected verse resonates with you and why? Is it the word 'hope,' 'seeks,' 'soul' . . . you get to pick!



I look forward to reading your thoughts! For the next stop on the hop, you will visit Miesje's blog here. Again if you get lost during the hop, check the main blog page for Stampin' Sisters in Christ! The hop will officially conclude on Wednesday August 18th at 11:59 pm Pacific, and the prize winner(s) will be announced on Thursday. Have fun!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 52 . . . make 'em laugh


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ!
And just a reminder, tomorrow is the Stampin' Sisters in Christ one year bloggaversary! We're having a special hop with fun prizes, so be sure to stop in again tomorrow.

This week's hostess is thankful Randi, who has selected this verse from Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (NIV)

Her challenge is to make a clean humorous card, let's see some laughter!

You can check on the home page to see the wonderful creations by the DT, one of them did make me laugh out loud! And our sponsor this week is DeeDee's Digis http://deedeesdigis.blogspot.com/. She has some very cute stuff!

This week was far from humorous in our house, in fact we had a lot of tears, lots of hugs, lots of upheaval. I was not feeling humorous at all this week. BUT we have a funny movie out from the library, a family favorite, that we intend to watch tomorrow night and I do know that smiling and laughing a cheerful heart, can help cure a lot of ills or ill feelings. So my card doesn't exactly qualify as humorous, its meant for someone who was going through stuff with us this week and could use a pick me up.

Won't you join us though? Pull out your funny stamps or funny sayings and help us laugh!

We hope you do, blessings to all of you for a good week, and please do stop in tomorrow!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Mark's Finest Papers August Release: Owl Be There

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members to inspire you, this is going to be a really fun-packed Hop!

We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Tweet Blessings, Flourished Sea Creatures, Regal & Proud, and Owl Be Here. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the following design team members' blogs on August 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2010. On Saturday, (August 14, 2010), a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day.)

THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE OTHER CHANCES WIN! And, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

Now for my projects. The owl image in this set made me think of camping trips we made when we were younger . . . of girl scout camp in those musty cabins, of sleeping bags with plaid lining . . . anyone else remember going to a pine lodge in Wisconsin? Anyway, I so wanted to make a luminary the minute I saw the owl and I found a piece of plaid paper in my stash that reminds me of the lining in a sleeping bag we once owned. I had tons of fun with it. First shot is in the daytime and I took a picture of it lit up in the dark.




Next I wanted to try my hand at a CAS card. Now here is where I have to thank my children for being so very helpful . . . we have our house for sale and when we have a showing they all run around and 'put things away.' The problem is, they just stuff things into any nook and cranny they can find. I've lost the electric bill and found out later someone put it in the Betty Crocker cookbook, the phone bill, my address book . . .and someone mislaid this stamp set that I had out. I inTENDED to use that cute little swirly owl stamp on this card but poof! Someone has put the stamp set away who knows where. You know when I'll find the stamps . . . some time next week long after the hop is over! Anyway, I had washed this stamp after making the luminary and still had it, thank goodness, so I used it on this card, which took almost no time to make. Just a little pop of color, a sentiment, and I have something ready to put in the mail. Thanks for looking. Happy hopping and good luck!


Here then is the hop order. Friday, August 13-Owl Be There
August Guest Designer ~ Wendy
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue . . . that's me!
Faith
Susan
Judi
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Julia
Claudine
Joanne T
Joanne G
Mark’s Finest Papers

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Mark's Finest Papers August Release: Regal and Proud

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members to inspire you, this is going to be a really fun-packed Hop!

We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Tweet Blessings, Flourished Sea Creatures, Regal & Proud, and Owl Be Here. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the following design team members' blogs on August 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2010. On Saturday, (August 14, 2010), a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day.)

THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE OTHER CHANCES WIN! And, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

For this first card I was trying for a landscape effect. I had a specific person in mind when I made it too, my son, who is making good decisions even when he knows that some of the adults in his life will not agree . . . in short, he's becoming an adult and I'm very proud of him. For the landscape I stamped the image in brown stazon and then used watercolors to blend in a sky and the purple for the mountains. I do enjoy the color purple but don't use it enough.


For this second card I made a polished stone background. I elongated the stamped image a bit by coloring in with a black copic marker, it just seemed to fit the circle frame a bit better . . . I think I still need more practice with my copics! Thanks for looking, enjoy hopping and good luck!


Here is the order for Thursday, August 12-Regal and Proud
August Guest Designer- Wendy
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue . . . that's me
Faith
Susan
Judi
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Julia
Liz
Claudine
Joanne T
Dawn
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers - http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Mark's Finest Papers August Release: Flourished Sea Creatures

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members to inspire you, this is going to be a really fun-packed Hop!

We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Tweet Blessings, Flourished Sea Creatures, Regal & Proud, and Owl Be Here. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the following design team members' blogs on August 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2010. On Saturday, (August 14, 2010), a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day.)

THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE OTHER CHANCES WIN! And, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

For this card I chose the sea horse image and made a simple card using a piece of designer paper I'd been hoarding for a long time. I stamped the seahorse directly onto the paper and colored it in with prismacolor pencils to match the paper tones, so this came together pretty quickly. Dressed it up with some ribbon and a fabulously cute charm. Mark's Finest Papers has a great selection of charms to go along with so many projects, I always have fun with charms!



Here is the hop for Wednesday, August 11- Flourished Sea Creatures
August Guest Designer- Wendy
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue . . . that's me
Faith
Susan
Judi
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Julia
Claudine
Dawn
Lynn
Joanne G
Geri
Joanne T
Mark’s Finest Papers

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Mark's Finest Papers August Release: Tweet Blessings

Mark's Finest Papers' Design Teams are celebrating our NEWEST STAMP RELEASE with a Blog Hop. Our very talented Design Teams have created exciting paper crafts for your inspiration. With the addition of New Design Team members to inspire you, this is going to be a really fun-packed Hop!

We have 4 New Stamp Sets Released today: Tweet Blessings, Flourished Sea Creatures, Regal & Proud, and Owl Be Here. For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the following design team members' blogs on August 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2010. On Saturday, (August 14, 2010), a winner will be chosen FOR EACH DAY from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for that day. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day.)

THAT MEANS IF YOU MISSED A DAY, YOU STILL HAVE OTHER CHANCES WIN! And, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

For this first set we're showcasing today I just fell in love with the little birdhouse image. It reminds me of so many things; the cuckoo clock my grandmother bought me when I was little that hung on my bedroom wall, the elaborately decorated sugar cookies we make each Christmas.

For this first card I used the cookie image because stamped in white on brown paper it reminds me so much of a frosted cookie, especially when you pair it up with a bit of liquid pearls for extra dollops of 'frosting.'



For this next card, this is one I previewed for a technique lover's challenge on splitcoast stampers, but hadn't yet posted it on my blog. This is a t-slide card and once again, the birdhouse image reminds me so much of a cuckoo clock. For this card I paper pieced the image and then put the sentiment on the inside of the slider.



Hope you enjoy hopping! Here is the hop order for this release, for Tuesday, August 10-Tweet Blessings

August Guest Designer~Wendy
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Jeanne
Anne
Debbie
Peggysue . . . that's me
Faith
Susan
Judi
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Julia
Liz
Julia
Claudine
Joanne T
Mark’s Finest Papers

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 51 . . . a timely word


Happy Sunday stampers! Its time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is the talented Lisa Hjulberg who selected this verse: Philippians 3:13-14 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Her challenge is to make a card of apology or one reaching out to someone and encouraging them to put the past behind them and move forward.

Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp which carries a huge selection of items in their store, including the MFT line, or My Favorite Things. I saw this stamp at CHA last week and with Lisa's challenge in mind, thought it would be a good one to add to my collection.

Please check the home page of our blog to see the rest of the design team's creations and to read Lisa's thoughts on her chosen verse.

A word, fitly spoken is like apples of gold in frames of silver . . . from Proverbs. That's what this challenge made me think about . . . that word sorry is such a powerful one. How often do we need to use it but we're embarrassed or proud or feel the timeframe for saying it has passed? Yet that pair of words, I'm sorry, fitly spoken can provide an immense amount of healing or restoration.

More than likely there is no statute of limitations on that word 'sorry.' But the rest of the verse Lisa selected is so important to remember, particularly for me, personally. That once the apology is spoken, when repentance is in full swing, that we need to let the past go and move forward with our tasks, to keep marching on our walk. I find it harder to forgive myself than others. That only makes me a doormat for satan. How he enjoys making us relive over and over in our minds those times we've failed!

Just as we need to exhibit forgiveness and kindness towards those who have wronged us, so we need to extend the same to ourselves when we've fallen and repented.

Hope you find the time to play along with us this week, we look forward to seeing your creations.

Stamps: My Favorite Things
Ink: black memento
Paper: Basic Grey Kioshi, lavendar, ocean tides, moss green, white
Other: prismas and gamsol, ribbon

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge 50


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! This week's hostess is the devoted Rebekka, who selected this verse, from Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint."

Her challenge is to use an image of a bird or birds of any kind.

Our sponsor this week is the Digi Doodle shop and she had several bird images to choose from, if you look at the original post on Stampin' Sisters in Christ you can see the other lovely cards by our design team.

I chose this image from a new Northwoods stamp I bought while shopping with my friend Karen. The store had only the one stamp of this image and we both liked it and were politely trying not to buy it in case the other person wanted it. But she insisted I get it.

And I wanted to use this stamp to mention how friends can lift each other up. She surprised me that day with a gluten free cheesecake she made herself. That is the first bite of cheesecake I've had in ten years. It involved a lot of research on her part for the recipe, and purchasing special, expensive flour to make it. Her thoughtfulness and kindness buoyed me up for at least a week.

Two, this is the only stamping I fit in all week. I know everyone is super busy with summer activities, here is no exception. Although mine could be an all-season activity really, I have been painting trim because we are trying to spruce up the house. We have it for sale and are waiting for a buyer.

A house sale is such a tiny thing compared to what a lot of my friends are facing. Just this week we talked with relatives or friends who are facing cancer, death threats, a wayward child in a gang, long standing illness, job loss . . . I know you have a list like that at your house too. If not yourself, people you know. And you've experienced how the weight of these things can wear you down. There are days you might feel like you're carrying a fifty pound sack on your back, mentally.

The only refreshment, the only help we can find is in the Lord. Think about having those mental weights lifted off, about having the kind of strength that allows you to run and not be weary! Turn to the Lord and He can provide that rest, that peace, that strength for you regardless of what you're facing, to help you continue to carry on. And not just carry on trudging one step at a time, but running! Joyfully! Wishing you that joy, strength and peace this week.

Stamps: Northwoods, sentiment by PTI
Ink: black, kaleidacolor green set
Paper: aqua mist, new leaf, white
Other: a ton o' prismacolor penciles, gamsol, stickles, aqua mist ribbon, new leaf buttons, scoring tool