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Sunday, February 27, 2011


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Today is our dear design team sisters Rebekka's turn for a verse and she selected this one from Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." Our sponsor is Whiff of Joy and they are donating an image to one lucky winner. Rebekka's challenge is to create a card with things that secure, using three buttons in your creation.

You can click on the link above to read Rebekka's thoughts on her chosen verse and to see the creations from the rest of the design team.

I am just going to leave you with the thought that true security is not found in buttons, or hobbies or anything or anyone in the world around us. The chaos in the world news lately, or at any time for that matter, proves that out. Our true security is found in the Lord and the verse Rebekka selected is a wonderful one to memorize.

Thanks for looking. Hope you find a chance to play along this week.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

February VSN at SCS


It is virtual stamp night weekend at splitcoaststampers and if you've never played, you should give it a whirl! I had the challenge posted at 4:00 P.M. EST for today, but you have all weekend to play in any or all of the challenges and can post your creation up until 8:00 P.M. Monday night.

For my challenge, I asked people to create a card or project showing their 'first love' from way back in their childhood, or their child's first love, that stuffed animal, blanket, whatever, that they couldn't live without!

My oldest DD carried around a stuffed bunny. That bunny has traveled all over the world, literally and is now 23 years old! The bunny from the Mark's Finest Papers set, In the Forest, worked perfectly, so soft and fuzzy! Thanks for looking and hope you can come play along on SCS.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Blogaversary Candy Winner

Good morning!!!

Using random.org, from 35 comments on that post, it chose number 31, or Terri!

Terri I'll be contacting you to get out the blog candy to your address!!!

I so enjoyed reading everyone's comments, thanks for sharing your stories of those you love.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 77...frogs


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week I'm the hostess and my chosen verse for this Sunday is from Exodus 8:9-11 " Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God.

11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

Our sponsor this week is Doodle Pantry and my challenge is for you to use the color green somewhere in your creation.

Most people are familiar with the story of Moses and Pharaoh and the ten plagues the Lord placed on Egypt and its people. The idea I had for my challenge is something the pastor at our last church pointed out, and you might be familiar with this but it was new to me.

If you look at the passage above very carefully, one word pops out. That's the word 'tomorrow.' If you read back a bit to the beginning of chapter eight in Exodus, this particular plague meant there were frogs everywhere, they 'covered the earth' and were in kneading troughs, in ovens, in beds, on tables, chairs...you couldn't get away from them if you tried. There wasn't just one frog quietly croaking in a corner, they were pestilential!

Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses for him to pray to God to remove the frogs, but when Moses asked Pharaoh when he should pray for their removal Pharaoh answered "tomorrow."

Why tomorrow? Why wait? We can raise endless speculation as to Pharaoh's reasons for that answer, but instead of speculating about Pharaoh, its much more helpful point that scripture at ourselves.

The general gist of the message in church that day related to this passage was that we can be clinging to some secret sin and like Pharaoh, stubbornly refuse to let it go. Part of us wants to, but maybe our pride gets involved and we insist we can handle the problem ourselves and don't need any help. Or maybe, just maybe, that secret sin is too enticing, too . . .secretly enjoyable and we really don't want to let it go. We want just 'one more night with the frogs.' One more night with that sin. I'll give it up tomorrow. . . tomorrow.

In my own life, I would have to point to one frog that give me consistent problems. Its food . . . I have celiac disease which means among other ingredients, I have to avoid wheat in my diet. When I eat it, it makes me sick. I can be sick for three days. When the doctors first diagnosed this disease, with all of their thorough testing and experience I refused to believe them, or believe the situation was serious. "Oh no, they can't possibly be right, it won't hurt me to eat this . . . cookie, bread, cracker, pretzel." It took more than one bout of being sick to admit that maybe they were right. Even now, almost ten years after diagnosis, I still very occasionally give in to temptation. Really? I want to spend a night with THAT frog? (or three nights) Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is yes. And I pay for it dearly.

I have a choice of what I put in my mouth and it directly affects my health, future and happiness. For me, it IS a sin to eat that which I know I cannot. All sin is the same in that we have a choice. Pharaoh had free will. You have free will. I have free will. The question is, will I use my will to be wise, and when I'm struggling to take my problem to God in prayer and ask Him to help me conquer it, to help take away that frog? Or give in and suffer the consequences? Believe me, I know it isn't easy! I mean, I eat every day! This sin of mine is always lurking around the corner with every meal, every snack. So if I have to pray for God to help me each and every day, that's the best solution, rather than stare that frog in the face once again.

Thanks for looking and hope you can play along.

Papertrey Ink has a new challenge on Mondays, mojo Mondays. Last week's was to use a vellum strip across your card, neat technique, I like it.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Mark's Finest Papers

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

My Valentine


Just sharing my Valentine! This is the card my husband drew for me, I think its very sweet! And he certainly has a lot more skill than I do with prismacolor pencils, I think I could do this if I had a color by number.
Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day and you're having a good day today!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge 76 . . . K.I.S.S.


Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is Patii!!! Our sponsor is Simon Says stamp and you can read all about them and read Patti's devotional on our home page here. Her chosen verse for this week is from Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have, because God has said 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'" For Valentine's week she is challenging us to make a one layer card, Keep It Simple Sisters!

That verse is so rich in content. Keep your lives free from the love of money. As Valentine's Day approaches, think about it . . . can money buy you love? And if your primary love in life is money, will it bring you happiness?

I remember many years ago when my middle child was a toddler and I was a single parent, a group of us from church went on a 4th of July camping trip. It was great to be outdoors and the camaraderie and fellowship helped soothe our aching hearts; all of us had been abandoned by a spouse who sought greener pastures elsewhere. As we were having a devotional service and the kids were playing, my daughter, about three at the time, wandered through the field nearby and unprompted, carefully selected and picked individual flowers, one at a time. Then she would look at the group, come dancing back, and one by one, present a single stem to each of the people participating in the impromptu service. She didn't talk or interrupt, just presented her flower, then skipped back to find another.

It was a sweet touch of the Holy Spirit during that time and many in the group told me they kept those flowers pressed in their bibles for years afterwards. This card I made in remembrance of that day. You can't buy spontaneous acts of affection.

So what comfort to know that you don't have to buy the greatest love of all, in fact, that bill has been paid for you. Jesus Christ paid for it all on the cross and when you accept that gift, from that day forward you can carry those words in your heart at all times. "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

The world can reject you or forsake you. I've experienced that first hand. I'm sure there isn't a single person reading this post who hasn't been betrayed or rejected by someone, whether parent, spouse, coworker or friend. And no amount of money can fix those relational problems. No amount can buy a friend or the love of a spouse. But you can content yourself with God's wonderful promises and know that His love never fails.

Thanks for looking. Hope you can play along this week!

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Greet the Day with Gerber
Ink: black craft
Paper: white
Other: cuttlebug embossing folder, MFP yellow gingham ribbon, prismacolor pencils, gamsol, chalk, dew drops

Friday, February 11, 2011

Mark's Finest Papers . . . He is the Lamb

Welcome to the MFP February Blog Hop! This month, we are releasing 4 NEW SETS!

Our New Sets are: Greet the Day with Gerber, Big Cats, Spring Has Sprung and He is the Lamb.For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!
We have a BRAND NEW Blog Candy Contest! BE A GUEST DESIGER!

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY!


All Blog Hop participants will have the chance to win a Month Long GUEST DESIGNER position on our Senior Design team! That’s right! ONE lucky winner will receive a Guest Designer package that will include March 2011’s Four New Release sets, a selection of Premium Papers, and beautiful embellishments. The winner will also receive a Guest Designer Watermark, Blog Button and have the choice to participate in the March 2011 Blog Hop!
What do you need to do to qualify? Just comment on the Design Team blogs during the blog hop. EACH DAY that participants comment on all the Design Team blogs, their name will be entered once in the random drawing. Each participant has the opportunity to have his/her name entered up to four times. (There are four days of the blog hop, so there are up to four entries per person.) The winner will be announced on the Mark’s Finest Papers blog on Saturday, February 12, 2011



I have to tell you what I did. I took a photo of this card about a week ago but I didn't like the way it turned out, so I resolved to take a new one. Then I'm checking my post at 11:30 to see if its all lined up and . . . no photo. I had forgotten. I need to make myself create one of those homemade lightboxes before the next hop; taking photos at night just doesn't work out well. Anyway, this set has a bunch of great images, if I hadn't been fussing with DD's wedding invites I would have used them all! Happy hopping and best of luck.


FRIDAY, February 11, 2011-He is the Lamb
Emily-
Karen-
Patty-
Roxie-
Vicki-
Liz:
Claudine-
Dawn-
Joanne T-
Nicole -
Marilynn-
Peggysue-
Connie –
Emily N.-
Neva
Silvia Mabie
Mark’s Finest Papers

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Mark's Finest Papers . . . Spring Has Sprung

Hi everyone~ I am not in the blog hop list today, but you can find my cards and the rest of the designers who ARE in the hop and those on the main page, by clicking that little link below.

Mark’s Finest Papers

I tried another CAS card and then reached for that fluffy duckling. Have a great hop! See you again tomorrow!






Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mark's Finest Papers. . . Big Cats

*For a chance at some blog candy celebrating my second blogaversary, check the post two down from this one*

Welcome to the MFP February Blog Hop! This month, we are releasing 4 NEW SETS!

Our New Sets are: Greet the Day with Gerber, Big Cats, Spring Has Sprung and He is the Lamb.For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!
We have a BRAND NEW Blog Candy Contest! BE A GUEST DESIGER!

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY!


All Blog Hop participants will have the chance to win a Month Long GUEST DESIGNER position on our Senior Design team! That’s right! ONE lucky winner will receive a Guest Designer package that will include March 2011’s Four New Release sets, a selection of Premium Papers, and beautiful embellishments. The winner will also receive a Guest Designer Watermark, Blog Button and have the choice to participate in the March 2011 Blog Hop!
What do you need to do to qualify? Just comment on the Design Team blogs during the blog hop. EACH DAY that participants comment on all the Design Team blogs, their name will be entered once in the random drawing. Each participant has the opportunity to have his/her name entered up to four times. (There are four days of the blog hop, so there are up to four entries per person.) The winner will be announced on the Mark’s Finest Papers blog on Saturday, February 12, 2011

I am having such a time trying to get a decent image of this card, but this will have to do. My thoughts here were twofold; leopards strike me as such elegant, graceful felines, yet mysterious and exotic and also . . dangerous and earthy at the same time! I took some patterned paper with these wonderful stripes that reminded me of decorations from India and I cute around the design on the paper to make my paper 'ribbon' on the side. I embossed the cat's eyes in copper on black . . . its peering at you from the dark! And I used an elegant cuttlebug embossing folder in the background because of the big cat's elegance and grace, but rough twine between the image and sentiment--the mixture of the qualities in this large animal. Sort of an elegant/masculine card if such a thing is possible? Anyway, that's what I was aiming for. Happy hopping and good luck!



WEDNESDAY, February 9, 2011- Big Cats
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Dawn L.
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Claudine
Dawn M.
Joanne T
Nicole
Marilynn
Geri
Lynn
Emily N.
Mark’s Finest Papers

Mark's Finest Papers . . . Greet the Day with Gerber

*I have a personal blog candy giveaway one post down from this one.*

Welcome to the MFP February Blog Hop! This month, we are releasing 4 NEW SETS!


Our New Sets are: Greet the Day with Gerber, Big Cats, Spring Has Sprung and He is the Lamb.For your convenience, all 4 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!
We have a BRAND NEW Blog Candy Contest! BE A GUEST DESIGER!

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY!


All Blog Hop participants will have the chance to win a Month Long GUEST DESIGNER position on our Senior Design team! That’s right! ONE lucky winner will receive a Guest Designer package that will include March 2011’s Four New Release sets, a selection of Premium Papers, and beautiful embellishments. The winner will also receive a Guest Designer Watermark, Blog Button and have the choice to participate in the March 2011 Blog Hop!
What do you need to do to qualify? Just comment on the Design Team blogs during the blog hop. EACH DAY that participants comment on all the Design Team blogs, their name will be entered once in the random drawing. Each participant has the opportunity to have his/her name entered up to four times. (There are four days of the blog hop, so there are up to four entries per person.) The winner will be announced on the Mark’s Finest Papers blog on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

I went with a CAS version of this set, there are so many things you can do with it and daisies are just happy flowers! I embossed the daisies in black, then misted the paper with water and using a brush, moved colors around in the water on the paper. Cut it out, mount it up and voila!

I added this one a bit late, I couldn't get a decent shot of it yesterday, had to wait for sun. I need to make one of those light boxes everyone seems to have for taking photos at night! I wanted to have the image of daisies growing along a fence line. Thanks for looking and happy hopping!

TUESDAY February 8, 2011- Greet the Day with Gerber
Nancyruth
Lois
Vicky
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Emily N.
Neva
Silvia Mabie
Mark’s Finest Papers

Monday, February 7, 2011

Second Blogaversary and candy . . .




Approximately two years ago my dad died. When he passed away, I did two things: first, I went out and got a puppy (DH had nothing he could say in defense, it lived in my lap for at least two solid weeks). Second, I also started a blog as a method of additional stamping therapy and what a great experience it has been to date. Who knew you could 'meet' such great people through the internet? Although I have to admit, I met my DH through an internet dating site. (shhhh!!! don't tell anyone!)

I love blog hopping and seeing everyone else's fabulous artwork and enjoy sharing my projects online here as well.

So to thank those who wander across this space once in a while I'm offering some blog candy that will end one week after my blogaversary. I'll choose one person at random (you know the drill) and what I have here is a yard each of ribbon roses in pink and cream, a pack of Frost 6x6 DP from Memory Box, a deep edge Martha Stewart punch Garden Gate and a stamp set I have never used from Close to my Heart called Seed Packets and it has, of course, a rose stamp inside it.

To win my blog candy simply tell me about someone in your life who you love or have loved . . .

Instead of talking about my dad, I'm just going to say a few words about my grandmother. I only saw her once a year when she flew to visit us but I looked forward to those visits all year long. She was the quintessential grandmother, big lap to sit in to hear stories or songs, arms always ready to hug you, a constant smile, a great cook and unconditional love radiating from every fiber of her being. I treasured my time with her and miss her still, but she taught me my very first lessons in life about love and what it looks like in one of its best forms.

Now its your turn.

Blog candy ends midnight on February 21st.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge 75 . . . without words




Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! This week's hostess is my dear sister in Christ in Florida Miesje! She selected this verse from 1 John 3:18 "Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Our sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps and one lucky winner will receive $15 in a gift card to their store. Miesje's challenge is to create a card or project that uses no words on the front yet signifies love.

For my project you see a trifold or gatefold card; these are two samples I am going to send to my oldest daughter for her to help decide on a wedding invitation. My oldest baby is getting married in June and her colors are . . . anyone want to guess? :)

I was working with white, silver and brilliant or royal blue. Love without words . . . since my thoughts are focused on marriage this week I have been thinking of the different love languages that speak to each individual. Have you ever read Gary Chapman's book on the Five Love Languages? For someone whose language is acts of service or physical touch, you can use words, words, words all day long to very little effect. Studying your marriage partner, your children and other family members and learning their love language, then putting it into action, can have marvelous effects on helping a relationship blossom and grow.

For Miesje's thought on this bible passage and to see the phenomenally amazing creations of the other design team members, you can click on the home page for Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

So . . . opinions solicited here . . . which one do you like better? As you can see from the way it unfolds (see directions on Sharon Johnson's blog here), the back panel on the interior that is now solid blue would have the actual invitation panel and on the left there is a handy pocket to hold the response card. I was thinking on the narrow panel on the right I would place my daughter's and future SIL's life verses from the bible. And I'll let you know which my daughter selects once she sees them. Anyone want to come over and help me make 125 of these before April??? Have a blessed Sunday and hope you can play along this week.

For the top card, that also qualifies for the Mark's Finest Papers challenge #41 from yesterday to use a handmade flower on your card. I made a chiffon flower, one of the few times that a stamper gets to play with fire!
Allsorts Challenge #89: Love, love, love
Crafty Calendar Challenge #17: Love
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #29: Valentine with no red or pink
Polkadoodle #5: With hearts
Claudia & Co. #73: Unique fold . . . I used a tri-gate fold with a pocket
Stamping Vacation February challenge: Pick 3 . . . I chose a border punch, vellum and heart (top card)
Crazy4Challenges #73: Valentine . . . the top card would make a lovely valentine

Card One --
Stamps: SU Belle Toile background, MFP Hearts, Hearts, Hearts, PTI Alphabet, WM flourish
Paper: Co'ordinations blue, white, vellum, silver
Ink: SU Brilliant Blue, silver craft, white craft
Other: MS edge punch, white EP, twinkling silver EP, chiffon, blue reinker, waterfall stickles, pearl beads, pearl embellishments

Card Two--
Stamps: SU Belle Toile background, PTI Fancy Flourishes and year two anniversary set (butterflies)
Paper: Co'ordinations blue, white
Ink: SU Brilliant Blue, white craft, bashful blue
Ohter: MS edge punch, irridescent ice EP, silver pencil, dazzling diamonds glitter, charm, pearls, clear rhinestones.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Glance at the Past PTI anniversary contest


Papertrey Ink is celebrating their fourth anniversary and asked their customers to choose one of their favorite projects from the past year using their stamps. I was deciding between one with very bold, bright colors but then thought I'd pick this one instead as when I stamp with their products, for me, the bolder colors come more naturally, but in this case I went with a softer look. This card Uses Giga Guidelines and the smaller guidelines stamp sets in the background. Thanks for looking.