Stamped in His image

The 'Jiffy' Girls are at it Again!

2009-11-30T08:50:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! Today's Jiffy Challenge was not much of a challenge at all. When you've got such CUTE products to work with... it all just comes together easily. :) Just to re-cap... JiFFy stands for "Just For Fun". Each month, one girl sends everyone patterned paper & anther girl chooses a stamp. Then... we all make something using the same product and see what everyone comes up with.

This month, Michele chose THE cutest image from My Favorite Things. (This little sweetie is from the Snow Day set in the new Pure Innocence collection.) And... to make it even sweeter, Kim from MFT sent each of us a set of our own! Thank you Kim!!!! :)

Lori chose some paper from Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg line (a collection that I've been DYING to get my hands on)..... so that was just icing on the cake!

Here's the card I came up with, using the latest sketch from CPS:

I added sparkly glitter accents (although you'd have to click on the pic to get it enlarged enough to tell)... and added a heart from one of Kim Hughes' sets to the sentiment.

Make sure to check out the other FABULOUS girls' projects! I can't wait to see them myself! :)

Alli Miles
Carole Burrage
Lori Craig
Kim Hughes
& Michele Boyer

Season of Blessings

2009-11-26T13:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Hopefully most of you are out spending time with family & friends today. :) We have so much to be thankful for & I'm so glad that we have a day set aside to just think about those things.

Earlier this week, our family delivered some food to another family who needed some help this year. They were watching for us from the door and came out to meet us and take the bags of food inside. I couldn't help but overhear two of the boys as they ran inside with a bag of food. They were yelling excitedly, "We have food! We have food!". It made my heart break. I wonder how long it had been since they had a good meal.... or any food at all. Our family has had it tough this year, but after witnessing that... I felt like a millionaire. No matter how rough it's been... we have been SO blessed and are so fortunate to have so many of our needs met. My heart is definitely filled with thanksgiving this year.

My little guy invited me to his preschool's Thanksgiving feast yesterday. I had to show you this picture. Is he not the CUTEST pilgrim you've ever seen? LOL!

Here is a card that I gave to the family that we delivered food to earlier this week. I used the frame from November's KOM and cut an opening for the sentiment to peek through.

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you have a wonderful holiday! :)

Stamps: (frame: Nov. KOM); (sentiment: Sept. KOM); (fall flourish: Simple Blessings set) Unity Stamp Company

Christmas In the Old Country

2009-11-22T22:18:00.004-05:00

Have you seen the latest Moxie Fab World challenge?!? I am a sucker when it comes to folk design. There's just something about it that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I found this AWESOME paper collection months ago by Kaiser Crafts (Mumma Bushka) and have been waiting for the perfect time to cut into it. One of the pages is full of large Matryoshka dolls and I wanted to use one of them for my focal point.

This project started out as a card... but then I spotted this cute packaging from Making Memories & I knew I had to utilize it. So... I dumped out the embellishments that it held and 'recycled' it to become a neat Christmas gift box.

I did a lot of work to my doll to make her look Christmas-y and festive. First, I cut some patterned paper to fit her belly... and then I used Copics to change the color of the rest of her outfit. I wanted to try my hand at the latest Embellish challenge too... so I added eyelets to her belly. Jillibean Soup makes some really cute felt flower embellishments... so I used one to create a poinsettia for her head wrap. All of my patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Fa La La collection. The sentiment is from the Vintage Christmas Expressions set by CHF.

Thanks for checking out my 'Old Country' Christmas box! I hope you have a great Monday!!! :)

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

2009-11-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

Good morning!!! I woke up today feeling all crafty and motivated to get creative. Tonight, my Crafty Chicks class meets for our monthly get-together and I have all kinds of Christmas projects up my sleeve! So... I'm putting last minute touches together for that and also made this card using November's Kit of the Month from Unity!

As soon as I saw this kit, my heart started pumping a little bit harder because I LOVE to use game pieces on my paper crafting projects. I think this crossword has so much potential! You could use it for any occasion and fill it in with words to match your theme. But... today, I decided to leave it blank and pair it with a sentiment block from the set. Once again, I think the sentiment could be used for so many things... but I'm in the holiday spirit and went with a Christmas theme.

I found this great sketch from Everything But the Kitchen Sink & wanted to utilize it on my card. I just cut up the striped paper and altered the angles to create my pattern. I found these tiny jingle bells at JoAnn's the other day and thought they would look festive tied up on my card. The star is a chipboard piece from Cosmo Cricket that I inked and antiqued a bit to coordinate. All in all... I think I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! It almost makes me want to put up my Christmas tree right now! ;)

Make sure to check out the Unity Blog today! They're having a Garage Sale & you've got to love a bargain! :) Have a good one!!!

Supplies:
Stamps: (crossword, sentiment block: Simply Magical kit) Unity Stamp Co.
Ink: (Dark Brown & Burnt Sienna chalk ink) Clearsnap; (Stonewashed Adirondack ink; Antique Linen & Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink) Ranger
Cardstock: (Birchtone Dark) Prism; (Rustic Cream) PTI
Patterned Paper: ("Toy Soldier Parade": Playtimes Past Collection) Graphic 45
Accessories: (Star: Buck Naked Chipboard Buttons) Cosmo Cricket; (brown gingham ribbon) May Arts; brown twine; jingle bells

Unity Tuesday

2009-11-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I have a couple of projects to share with you today using some of my yummy Unity stamps! I had several of these wooden blocks left over from a project waaaaaay back and thought it would be fun to decoupage them to create something cute for my house. The letters I used are stamps from Unity's Playing Cards Alpha set. If you look at the set, you'll notice that they have a border around each letter (which I love... but wouldn't fit on my blocks) --- so, I just inked up the letters by themselves. I love how they all have a different font. It makes for an interesting, homespun feel. I used several scraps of Early Bird paper and stickers... and then inked the edges & finished it with a coat of Modge Podge.

And... here is a fun little turkey card I made using the Build a Turkey set. I just stamped the feathers onto scraps of paper (mostly Cosmo Cricket) and cut them out. It made for a super quick card. The sentiment is from the set too. I know some of you flip out when you see 'Happy Turkey Day'... thinking that we've forgotten to be thankful... yada yada yada. But... if you read my blog, you know I am completely thankful for so many things in life. And, for those of you who can't believe that someone would mind the sentiment... I am just telling you the way it is. Some people take serious offense to the turkey line. I'm not even kidding! :) Personally, I'm thankful for the turkey and everything that it stands for... so I'm all for having a Happy Turkey Day. Moving on... the 'gobble... gobble' at the top of my card is a rub-on from Melissa Frances. I'm pretty sure that sentiment is safe ;)

Thanks for coming for a visit! :)

Happy Fall

2009-11-15T12:21:00.004-05:00

This weekend, I had a chance to get together with a few friends and get crafty! This is one of the cards I made using this adorable scarecrow image from Whipper Snapper. It was nice to just sit and color... and chat with the girls (even with a house-full of screaming kids). ;) I hope we can do it again sometime!

Stamp: Fall Scarecrow (Whipper Snapper)
Paper: ??? Sassafras I think ???
Copic Markers
Fiskars' Apron Lace punch
Rub-on: Melissa Frances

Snowbody... and I mean Snowbody!

2009-11-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

(This is post #2 today (I know! What's up!?!), so if you want to see more, scroll down)

Today, the Unity girls are showcasing the November Store Kit - Believe in Fairytales!

This kit is packed full of images that you can use all year through! I think this snowman image is just adorable! I love the different patterns in the stamp... and decided to play off of them just a bit with my paper. I tied a piece of string around his twig and 'dangled' a gold heart from the end. I bought these heart brads about a year ago and had no idea what to do with them (hate it when I do that!)... but thought this worked out pretty well! Now I just have to find a use for the other 50. ;) The sentiment is just perfect (and is part of the set too!).

Thanks for coming over! Now... I'd better go feed my children before Social Services comes after me. ;)

I've Gone Plum Crazy!!!

2009-11-14T09:15:00.003-05:00

If someone would have told me six months ago that I was going to fall in love with the color purple, I would have probably thrown up a little in my mouth. (Sorry, but it's true. Hated the color.) I don't know what happened, but I have to say --- there are certain shades of the color that I can't get enough of. That yummy, hint-of-red beet color is EVERYWHERE these days. I had to compliment Freda, the 90 year old lady at church, because she had the perfect shade on last week. She's still got it, I tell you! (Maybe it's because she's got a crush on my 30 year old brother and wants to stay on top of the fads. I don't know.)

Anyway... this month's Moxie Fab Challenge was to use this popular color on our paper crafted projects. If you're coming to my local card class this month, this is one of the projects you'll be making, btw! :) I love the unconventional colors for Christmas. Fun stuff! Thanks for the little push, Cath!

The snowflake was an ugly chipboard gray color initially. But... with a little ink and Glitter Mist... it turned into a vibrant, shimmery focal point. The ribbon and cardstock are 'Beet' from the Paper Source and the patterned paper is an older Stampin' Up design.

The Artist in You

2009-11-12T10:41:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! Today I have a card to share with you using Unity's newest set - The Artist in You by Donna Downey. This is such a beautiful set! I love the silhouette images and the sentiments are fantastic. The mix of handwritten and old type fonts is really cool too. :)

This card was super simple to make. These images just do the work for you. I inked up my stamp in dark brown and then highlighted with a warm red. Stamp and go. Easy peasy.

Make sure to check out Donna's set in it's entirety and take a peek at the HUGE sales going on today -- which can all be found on the Unity Blog! :)

Have a great one!

JIFFY Girls Post

2009-11-09T08:50:00.001-05:00

Morning! :) Today I get to share a card I made with my JIFFY (Just For Fun) buddies. This month, I got to chose the image and used Papertrey Ink's Autumn Abundance set. I LOVE fall. The warm but vibrant colors... the smells... the crispness in the air -- I just wish it could stay like this forever. This is also the season of thankfulness -- and I have SO much to be thankful for! :) I made this card for one of my blog readers (you know who you are) who has the most amazing heart. Makes me all teary just thinking about it. This card reads, "Thanks just doesn't seem like enough"'.... and it is so true. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!

I'm so thankful for my boys & their amazing & pure hearts. I'm completely grateful that my husband has a job... and one that he LOVES! I'm thankful for my extended family & all that they've done for us to help us make it through tough times. I'm thankful for true friends... both locally and those I've met through blogging. Your encouragement has meant so much. And... I'm thankful for a God who has never left my side through it all. No matter what the day holds... life is good! :)

Alli picked our paper this month. I was a little nervous when I found out that it was from My Mind's Eye's Colorful CHRISTMAS collection. Yikes! --- fall + winter??? But... thank goodness it was double sided. I really love the orange and aqua together!

Several weeks ago, I bought this roll of thin, adhesive backed cork & knew it would come in handy one day! I used one of my dies and cut out a panel using my Cuttlebug. Worked like a charm! And... it takes ink pretty well too! I stamped my sentiment using chalk ink & made 'stitches' with a fine tipped marker.

Want to see what the other girls made using the SAME image & paper??? Check them out here:

Alli Miles
Lori Craig
Kim Hughes
& Michele Boyer

An Encouraging Message

2009-11-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Today, I have a fun little card using an image from Unity's November Kit of the Month - Simply Magical! Tanis designed this adorable retro typewriter & I just think it's the cutest thing ever! (Thanks, Tanis!) :) Make sure to check out the Unity Blog to see all the sales & specials going on today!!!

The paper in the typewriter is actually blank when you stamp it... which makes it really easy to customize! I used a Melissa Frances rub-on for my sentiment... but you could even hand-write a little message if you wanted to. (my handwriting stinks!) There's also a super cute sentiment in the set that's made to coordinate with the typewriter. Lots of options. :)

The sketch is from this week's Mojo Monday Challenge.

I used black sticky-backed felt to layer behind my typewriter image. I bought a sheet of it to make Emery's Luigi mustache for his Halloween costume... which turned out so cute! (I'll have to post pics later!) It's great to use on craft projects - but... just so you know, the adhesive on this type of felt is made out of some NASA-like, super-glue derivative. I'm not kidding! I just about peeled my son's face off trying to take of his mustache. It was not a pretty sight. And... his face was pink and gooey for about 24 hours. What a wax job! LOL! Mustache #2 was covered in a layer of baby powder on the sticky side. Worked like a charm. ;)

Stamp: Simply Magical set - Unity
Paper: Sweet Marmalade 6x6 pad - Sassafras Lass
Cardstock: Curry, Red - The Paper Source; blue Core'dinations
Rub-on: Vintage Transfers - Melissa Frances
Markers: Copic
Tools: Apron Lace Punch - Fiskars; sewing machine & thread
Embellishment: flower - Sassafras Lass; button & string - craft supply

A Hodgepodge of Cards

2009-11-02T18:38:00.005-05:00

These past few weeks have been a blur! For some reason, I feel like I've been playing catch-up for awhile now. So.... this is going to be a long post, but I wanted to show you some of the things I've been working on & haven't yet had a chance to blog. :) You can find a supply list & instructions at the bottom of the post for each card.

#1 - You're One of a Kind

#2 - You're Rad
#3 - Feel Better
#4 - Chicks Rule
#5 - Christmas Wishes

And... #6 - 100% Happy

#1:
Clear Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Teacher's Apple set)
Ink: Ranger (Denim Adirondack); Papertrey Ink (Fresh Snow); Tsukineko (Versamark)
Cardstock: The Paper Source (Night, Pool, Curry)
Accessories: Ranger (clear embossing powder); Prismacolor (cream pencil); Creative Impressions (Tape Measure twill); Copic (markers)
Tools: sewing machine & thread; hole punch (craft supply)
Computer Generated Font: “Penmanship Print” from dafont.com

1. Stamp apple outline image repeatedly onto aqua cardstock using navy ink. Stamp center of apples using watermark ink. Emboss with clear embossing powder. Ink edges of aqua panel with white ink.
2. Stamp one apple outline image onto curry cardstock. Trim. Use colored pencil to add detail. Adhere onto aqua panel. Color stem and leaf with markers.
3. Adhere twill to top corner of card.
4. Machine stitch around aqua panel. Adhere panel to navy cardstock base.
5. Print sentiment from computer. Punch hole in one corner and trim with scissors to give the appearance of notebook paper. Adhere sentiment to card front using dimensional adhesive.

#2:
Cardstock: The Paper Source (Chartreuse, Beet, Red)
Printed Paper: Cosmo Cricket (The Boyfriend, “Borders”)
Computer Generated Font: (Madonna, from fontriver.com)
Accessories: Cosmo Cricket (The Boyfriend, Ready Set Chipboard)

1. Create card base from red cardstock.
2. Trim purple cardstock to create card front.
3. Trim slightly smaller piece of green cardstock. Print computer generated sentiment. Adhere to card.
4. Trim cassette tape paper and layer onto red cardstock. Adhere to card.
5. Adhere chipboard boom box to card.

#3:
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms (bandages, sentiment – Comforting Hugs set)
Ink: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black); Clearsnap (Blackbird chalk ink)
Cardstock: Memory Box (Paprika, Eggshell); Papertrey Ink (Kraft)
Printed Paper: Graphic 45 (Playtimes Past, “Dollie’s Teaparty”)
Accessories: Copic (markers); Spellbinders (Scalloped Square Nestabilities die); sewing machine & thread, sandpaper

1. Cut square from Paprika cardstock. Sand edges and layer onto die cut patterned paper. Stitch in place.
2. Adhere die cut panel onto kraft card base.
3. Stamp two bandage images onto Eggshell cardstock. Color with makers and trim. Adhere onto card front using dimensional adhesive.
4. Stamp sentiment.

#4:
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Chicks Rule sentiment – “Everything Extraordinary” set)
Ink: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black)
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (True Black); Memory Box (Persimmon)
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey (June Bug “Crazy Quilt”); Daisy D’s (Gazette); Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird Elements)
Accessories: Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird chipboard); Sakura (glitter pen); denim fabric; sewing machine & thread

1. Create card front using black cardstock.
2. Trim & adhere slightly smaller piece of blue patterned paper.
3. Adhere square of ‘newsprint’ patterned paper to center of card.
4. Cut square ‘frame’ from denim and stitch in place.
5. Stamp sentiment onto word balloon panel. Add color with glitter pen. Adhere chipboard flower. Layer stamped panel onto Persimmon cardstock and adhere to cardfront using dimensional foam adhesive.
6. Adhere bird image onto card front.

#5:
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms (Night Before Christmas)
Ink: Clearsnap (Dark Brown chalk ink); Ranger (Brushed Corduroy, Antique Linen Distress Inks); Tsukineko (Versamark ink)
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics (Honey); Papertrey Ink (Pure Poppy); Prism (Suede Brown Dark, Simply Smooth Natural)
Accessories: Ranger (Clear Embossing Powder); Fiskars (Apron Lace border punch); Copic (makers); craft supply (pom-poms, string); sewing machine & thread

1. Create card base from brown cardstock.
2. Adhere slightly smaller piece of red cardstock in place.
3. Trim small strip of yellow cardstock and adhere to top of card. Punch border along bottom edge of another piece of yellow cardstock and adhere to bottom of card. Ink edges and stitch in place.
4. Thread string through two pom-poms. Tie ends to secure and adhere between the two yellow cardstock panels.
5. Stamp vintage Christmas image onto cream cardstock. Color with markers and layer onto brown cardstock.
6. Ink entire stamped image with Versamark ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.
7. Adhere onto card front using dimensional adhesive.

#6:
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co. (100% Happy set)
Cardstock: Prism (Birchtone Dark); Martha Stewart Crafts (green decorative card base); The Paper Source (Papaya)
Printed Paper: Sassafras (Faund of You Too, “In Love”); The Paper Source (Papaya Flower Circle)
Ink: Clearsnap (Dark Brown Colorbox chalk ink)
Accessories: Kaiser Crafts (pearls); October Afternoon (Cherry Hill cardstock sticker)
Tools: EK Success (large corner rounder)

1. Trim dear image from patterned paper. Adhere onto papaya cardstock. Round top left corner and layer onto dark brown cardstock. Round same corner of brown cardstock.
2. Adhere pearls to the back of deer.
3. Stamp sentiment onto cardstock sticker. Adhere to deer panel using dimensional adhesive.
4. Adhere deer panel onto floral patterned paper using dimensional adhesive. Mat patterned paper with brown cardstock. Adhere to green card base.

It's November?!? Seriously???

2009-11-01T14:18:00.003-05:00

Wow! Where does the time go? I can't believe it's November already! (But... I did thoroughly enjoy having the extra hour to sleep in today!!!) My husband has my camera, so I can't show you any projects or pics yet... but I did want to show you the newest Kit Club set from Unity! I think this one is my favorite one yet!!! Whoo Hooo!

And... I JUST saw the newest incentive set & I'm DYING HERE! I HAVE to have this set! :)

Want to know why?????........................ (Here's a pic of my hubster & I 10+ years ago on our wedding day!)

Hopefully I'll be back with some projects. But... until then... have a FANTASTIC day!!!

Unity is SO Spooktacular!

2009-10-29T10:45:00.004-04:00

Eek! Have you heard about the HUGE sales going on today @ Unity?!? If not, make sure you make your way over to the Unity Blog to read all about the Halloween "31" sale, where you can get exclusive sets for only $3.10... and that's just part of the fun going on today!

One of these sets just called my name & I HAD to have it! Isn't this retro oven adorable??? It's from the new release called 'Kitchen Logic'. I paired it with some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper (the 6x6 pad) and used a sentiment from the same line. And... I had this scrap of denim sitting on my desk begging to be used, so I made a tiny tab with him. :)

Today is going to be a BUSY day... starting with H1N1 vaccines for the boys (an me too if there are enough available). Fun, fun, fun! ;) And then.... I have to come home and sew Emery's Halloween costume and head off for a fun night of 'Trunk or Treating" at his preschool. Hope you all have a good one!

Crazy For Daisies

2009-10-28T10:04:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! :) Today, I have a quick little card for you using Unity's newest incentive set - Crazy for Daisies!

I love how you can mix and match flowers and stems! I used a Sassafras fabric brad to embellish the center of my daisy & got to break out some of my new Basic Grey Nook & Pantry paper. Mmmm! I added a little 'stitching' with a brown fine-tip marker. The sentiment is a rub-on by Melissa Frances. It's a quote by Oprah & anther very pertinent thought for my life right now. :)

"Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." ---Oprah

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2009-10-25T23:24:00.002-04:00

Well... I have about 30 minutes left of my birthday & I thought I'd make a quick post to my blogging friends. I turned 32 today. It's still kind of hard for me to believe. In my mind, I feel like I'm still in my mid-twenties. It's weird.

I had a nice weekend full of good food and family. And... I had to show you something that has changed my life. Oh yeah, baby! This coffee machine is like heaven in a cup. I'm telling you -- the people at Keurig are brilliant! There's nothing like having a perfect cup of coffee in less than 30 seconds.

For those of you who have one of these... what's the best way to flavor it? I'm NOT a black coffee kind of girl. I'm more of a coffee shop - load me up with sugar - latte lover. I have some fun flavored coffee... but it still needs some help.

Well... I've got to hit the hay. I'm not as young as I use to be. ;)

Choose Your Attitude

2009-10-22T11:09:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! After 'talking' to you last night, I decided to make a quick little card. I really love this sentiment from the latest Kit of the Month by Unity {Wherever You Go}. It's all about choosing your attitude in any situation -- and I thought it was pertinent for me today. :)

Also - Unity is having a Garage Sale today! You can read all about it on the Unity Blog! Fun stuff! :)

I love how the cloud image is separate from the sentiment... which made it really easy to stamp. I added a little shimmer to the sunshine with my Copic glitter pen... and bits of 'diamond' sparkle with rhinestones by Zva. The paper is by Chatterbox (Fabulous Glitter Gingham) and it's really fabulous in my book! I love the color and the shimmery finish on it.

Thanks so much for all of your e-mails and messages! You guys are so encouraging & you lifted my spirit this morning! Have a fantastic day!!! :)

Update on Life :)

2009-10-21T16:44:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I apologize for not keeping my blog updated much these past couple of weeks. Life has been busy... and honestly, I've been too exhausted to take the extra time to post. My husband has been working through a temp agency & has had some crazy hours. I don't really see him much except for the weekends. He works until late into the night and sleeps through the morning a lot. And... on the days I work, I'm up and gone before he wakes up... and he's gone by the time I get home. He usually wakes me up enough in the middle of the night to let me know he's make it home safely... and then I'm back to sleep in about 15 seconds. :) So... I've been a 'single parent' lately... and the hospital where I work has been crazy & busy. I need a nap in a bad way. ;)

BUT... for those of you who read about what's been going on in my family (THIS POST)... I have some great news! My husband finally got an interview and we found out a few days ago that he got the job!!! He's completely thrilled and can't wait to start a new career. Financially.... it's not great... but after going through what we've been through... anything is a step up! ;) So... we're just going to take it a day at a time and trust that God will continue to take care of us.

I don't know about you... but being put in tough situations has really made me evaluate my attitudes and character. Sometimes things are brought to the surface that I didn't even know existed. I've noticed lately that I've really got to keep a check on being envious. I hear people talking about going on vacations, remodeling their homes, or buying new clothes... and honestly - sometimes it's hard to take! I just want to BE that person for once! LOL! I walked in the mall the other day to meet someone and realized that I hadn't stepped foot in one for over a year. I look at my house and see the million and one things that need fixed. And... oh my! Could I use a vacation! But... I keep telling myself that those things are just 'things' and in the whole scheme of things... they don't matter much. But... it's still a struggle and a battle... and I know I need to work on my attitude. :)

Thank you all for continuing to read my blog even though I'm a slacker! :) I promise to have more for you soon! And thank you so much for your prayers! It means the world to me!

{Who Does That!?!} Thursday

2009-10-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

Wow! Where has the week gone?!? Ugh! Well... it's Thursday, and that means that the Unity peeps have some fun stuff up their sleeves! :) Make sure to check it all out - beginning on the Unity Blog!!! I've heard about the specials... and they're B-I-G!!! :)

Today, I have a card for you combining a couple of new sets from Unity!

I begged and pleaded for a church image and look at how CUTE this one turned out! (It's part of October's Kit of the month.) I'm so excited! I like having an image like this to use for weddings, baptisms, pastor appreciation, etc.. We also like to welcome new members to our church with a little card (which reminds me -- I'm WAY behind on making those!).

I decided against a sentiment on this one so that I'd have a card ready for any of the above occasions. :) I really like this frame image from October's Scrapbooking/Collage collection. This collection is SO cool because it comes with everything you need to get crafty! (stamps, yummy patterned paper, & ink!!!) But, there are only limited quantities & last month they sold out fast. So... if you like this kit, you might want to check it out! :)

I actually pulled out my Stickles for the first time in probably 9 months. :) I'd forgotten how handy they were!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Stuck On You!

2009-10-10T10:50:00.000-04:00

Morning! :) (Actually, it's late Friday night & I'm pre-posting... but we'll just pretend that it's morning and I've had a great night's sleep. I need one in a bad way!!!) ;)

I just finished a project using Unity's October Store Kit, Wonderful You, and wanted to share it with you! If you're lucky enough to live by a scrapbooking store that sells this kit, you should go check it out! (And if you live out in the middle of nowhere like I do, there are some great online shops that carry these exclusive 'Store Only' sets!) Just click here to find out the deets!

The whole Unity crew will be showcasing this set today, so make sure to take a look! You can always find out more of what's going on today by visiting the Unity Blog.

Check out all of these stamps! Whoo Hoo! --- 23 great images in so many styles! Gotta love it! But... today, I wanted to try out lucky #19. Isn't this pin cushion adorable?!? I love the sentiment too. I think I'll try another card with the sentiment "I Love You Sew Much" next time. Or... wouldn't this be cute stamped on the top of a homemade sewing kit?!? There are a lot of possibilities with this one! :)

Whoever designed this image must have known that I had THE perfect embellishment to go with it! Fancy Pants makes these cute shaped pins (which are on sale right now - enable alert! enable alert!) & I think they were MADE for this stamp! :) I just added a little Glossy Accents to my stamped image to mimic the real deal.

Thanks for taking a peek! I'm off to catch some zzzzz's! :)

Unity Meets Elle's Studio

2009-10-08T09:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday!!! Today I get to use some of my newest goodies from two great stores! This month, Unity's Kit of the Month is called {wonderful... you} & it's packed full of wonderful images!!! Today I'm using the dragonfly image. I think it's a perfect mix of elegant and cute all wrapped up into one.

One of my stops throughout the day on World Cardmaking Day was Elle's Studio. And... amazingly enough... I won a prize package off of their blog!!! I was SO shocked and excited because (A) - I am not lucky at all & (B) - I LOVE their stuff!!! Oh my goodness is it ever cute!!! So... thank you, Elle's Studio! You made my day!!! :)

I stamped my dragonfly image directly onto one of Elle's Holiday Journaling Tags and sponged the edges with Distress Ink to give it a vintage flair. The sentiment is from Unity's Thank You Words stamp set... and is stamped onto Elle's Holiday Vintage Labels. I really like the colors and designs of Elle's products! It makes everything look like you've worked harder than you actually did. ;)

Thanks for coming to check out my card! I'm sure I'll be posting more from Unity's October KOM & Elle's Studios goodies soon! :)

WFTL Card Recipient!!!

2009-10-08T09:19:00.003-04:00

First of all... I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart! Your encouragement and support was overwhelming! And to know that complete strangers are willing to pray for me and my family.... it brings tears to my eyes. So... thank you so, SO much! :) It meant more than you know!

Random.org picked a recipient for my WFTL card..... #46!

Angelartistok said...: What a terrific card and verse and a wonderful testimony to God's work in your life through this verse. Extra prayers heading your way!

Big Hugs,
Ruth C
Angelartistok

So... Ruth, if you could e-mail me your info, I can get this card right out to you. Hopefully you or someone you know can be encouraged by it! :)

julie_stamps@hotmail.com

WFTL Cards - When I Pray

2009-10-07T08:55:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited today to be a part of something really special. Something that I believe can really touch the lives of people across the globe. Today's post is going to be a little wordy, so I'm just warning you now. :) I hope that you'll stick with me though, because I'm speaking from the heart.

I was approached a while ago from a friend that I've met through stamping, asking if I would be interested in helping spread the word about something that's very near and dear to her heart. Chelsea Cook is the sweetest, most genuine, most GIVING person ever... and she felt led to start a ministry through card making. Wait For the Lord (WFTL) Cards is all about sharing Jesus' love to others. You can read more about WFTL Cards by clicking HERE.

There are several girls participating in a blog hop today... and all of us have created a card that we would like to send to someone who could use a little lift! If you or someone you know could use some encouragement, just leave a comment on this post. One random commenter off of EACH blog post will be selected to receive a card. ALSO... one commenter selected from the combined posts will win a stamp set of their choice from the sponsor this week - Our Daily Bread!!!

I have a lot more to say below... but I wanted to let you know that when you're done reading my novel... I mean post... make sure to hop over to the next blogger --- Patter Cross!!! If you came to my post out of order, you can start your hop on the WFTL blog.

I've known for weeks that I wanted to focus my card today based on this verse:

"When I pray, you answer me! You encourage me by giving me the strength that I need" Psalm 138:3

If someone wrote a story about my life this past year, this verse could be the title! I've learned that sometimes the truth from God's Word is not an easy lesson to learn. Sometimes I could quote this verse out of wonder and amazement because God worked in amazing and wonderful ways. But... other times, I had to quote this verse out of faith because it felt like my prayers weren't going anywhere.

I've debated numerous times if I should talk about what's been going on lately with my family. I'm a pretty private person... and most people that I work side-by-side with every day have no idea what's been going on in my life. But... I've decided to share a little bit right now... and hopefully it will bring someone some encouragement in their own lives.

The story began about 9 months ago. To make a long story short, my husband lost his job. I wish I could say that it was an effect of our lousy economy... but it was much worse. My husband was a HS teacher/coach and cared about his 'kids' with all of his heart. About a year ago, one of my husband's students/players made a really poor decision and was expelled from school. We knew his family... and they were/are great people. It was devastating to them. Their son lost his college scholarship, didn't get to graduate, and was in legal trouble. So.. one evening, my husband decided to visit the family and try to offer some encouragement... and just wanted to let them know that he still cared about them and was there if they needed him. The leadership of the school found out and didn't like the fact that my husband was giving them any support.

A little while after that, my husband was called down to the office. He was presented with documentation and told he had two choices. He could sign it and post date a resignation and they would allow him to teach for the rest of the year... or he could fight it and lose his job/paycheck/benefits effective immediately. The document was basically a list of accusations against him. The #1 accusation was that my husband visited this student's home and had a 'drinking party' with students that night. The rest of the list was just as absurd and completely twisted. Anyone who knows me or my husband know that we don't drink. I think I've had a total of 3 drinks in my entire life... and he's had less. We were just raised very conservatively and it's just not something that we do.

When my husband came home and told me what had happened... I told him to please tell me he didn't resign. He said... at that moment, he felt like he had a gun to his head... all he could see was his family & he couldn't imagine telling me that we would lose everything in an instant. --- So he signed it. After that, he found out that he could contact union representation... and they tried to get the school to take back the resignation. Late that night, we were awakened to a telephone call from my husband's principle... telling him that he was no longer employed and would not be allowed to work the next day. I guess the pressure from the union upset them enough to submit his resignation immediately... instead of waiting for the end of the year as promised.

The administration spread terrible rumors about my family. That's not easy to deal with in any circumstance, but when you live in a small town... it's even more devastating.

So.... life has been a challenge --- financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I've come to rely on God in ways that I've never had to before. There have been long stretches of time where I've questioned whether or not my prayers have even been heard. I've wanted to scream and cry... and have a big fit (and sometimes I have). :) And... sometimes so much time passes and so many things keep going wrong that you just wonder where God is sometimes.

But... just at that point where I felt like I couldn't make it one more day... God stepped in and reminded me that He's always here... and never leaves my side.

About a month after the news of my husband's job... things went from bad to worse. In about a two week period, my car broke down and needed $1500 of repairs. Then... our basement flooded, destroying our furnace... and causing us to need to replace all of our exterior plumbing. It was the hottest day of the year, and we had no air conditioning. Then, a couple days later, my husbands car broke down. After that, our washing machine suddenly stopped working. I started to feel like Job from the Bible... and just waited for the boils to start growing on my skin. ;) I decided to take a bike ride to just vent a little... and discovered that my tire was flat. It was almost comical.

So... we prayed. It was one of those situations where you can't do anything else BUT pray. We had enough money from our tax return to pay most of the bill for my car (which was essential b/c I was the only one working at the time). My husband looked on Craig's list and found that someone in our tiny town had just listed a washing machine for sale... which we got for $25. He got online again and found someone in town who had just listed that they were looking to do auto repairs on the side... but didn't want to be paid. Instead, they wanted a laptop in exchange (I know... strange.) That day, my MIL called and mentioned that she just so happened to have a laptop at home that she had forgotten about & didn't need... and wondered if we could use it. So, my husband's $1K car repair was paid for with a 'free' computer. My brother came over and worked with my husband for 3 solid days... and they were able to replace over an acre of plumbing by themselves, saving us over $3-4K. My cousin, who hadn't been to my house in years, came over and was able to fix my air conditioning... free of charge!

"When I pray, you answer me! You encourage me by giving me the strength that I need"

I knew at that point that everything that had been done for us could only have happened through the work of God. And... even though we are still facing HUGE obstacles, I know that God is in control. Out of the billions of people on earth, God heard me pray and ask for a washing machine! LOL! And if He could provide me with a washing machine, He can provide for my family in the big things too.

I hope that my story gives you a little hope. There are a lot of people who are struggling in different areas in their lives. Maybe it's financial troubles... or health issues... or marital problems --- or maybe you just wonder deep inside if there really is a God out there -- and if He's there, does He even know what you're going through. I can speak through experience and say, Yes. Without a doubt, I KNOW that there's a God, and I know He cares about each and every one of us. And... even when it feels like all is silent and no one hears you in the middle of the night when you cry out... He hears. He really does. And, if you ask Him to prove it to you... watch out! --- because He will! :)

I hope to have a new message to send to you one day soon. Through all of the struggles we've gone through, I have to believe that there is a plan... and God is in control. I don't know why my husband was allowed to lose his job... and I don't know why my stinking bike tire had to go flat. ;) But... maybe one day I'll understand it all and can tell you all about the wonderful things God has done in our lives once again.

For those of you who made it this far... thanks for listening. I appreciate you guys! :)

Card Info:
paper & chipboard frame: Basic Grey's June Bug collection; computer generated sentiment; Zva Creative pearl flourish; Martha Stewart ribbon; the Paper Source cardstock; PTI white ink

Happy WCMD!!!

2009-10-03T09:36:00.004-04:00

Happy World Card Making Day everyone!!!! I'm pretty excited b/c the plans I had sort of fell through... leaving me some extra time to hopefully make a card or two!!! :)

Make sure to check out the COUPON CODE on the right side of my blog! It's good for 25% off anything in the Paper Crafts store! How fun is that?!?

Now onto today's card! I love these Wild Cards from October Afternoon and decided to try out this vintage looking bicycling pair. I thought this sentiment by Unity was just meant to be paired with it! ;)

Motor Wheeling Supplies:
Stamps:
- sentiment: Remember Happiness kit (Unity Stamp Company)
Ink:
- Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
- Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)
Cardstock:
- Suede Brown Dark, Kraft (Prism)
Printed Paper:
- Road Map Shapes (October Afternoon)
- "Hotel Lobby" (Jenni Bowlin)
Accessories:
- Road Map Wild Card (October Afternoon)
- white flower (Kaiser Crafts); red flower (Bazzill Basics)
- brown twine (May Arts)
- Ocean Tides stitches ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
- button (craft supply)
- brown glitter pen (Copic)

Instructions:
(Ink edges of cardstock, patterned paper, flowers, & Wild Card)
1. Create card front using brown cardstock.
2. Trim slightly smaller panel of Kraft cardstock and adhere.
3. Stamp sentiment in red. Color in the word "REMEMBER" with brown glitter pen.
4. Apply red floral paper to bottom of card.
5. Back road map strip with brown cardstock and adhere to card front.
6. Wrap ribbon and twine around middle of card.
7. Layer 'Motor Wheeling' Wild Card onto brown cardstock. Adhere to card front using dimensional adhesive.
8. Adhere flowers and tie twine through button.

Love Makes it Home

2009-10-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday!!! I've got another fun card for you today (or at least I think so). ;) I love this Hambly paper & thought it would be fun to pair it with one of my Melissa Frances rub-ons.

If you look closely, you'll see the definition of love stamped lightly on the bottom of my card. I love Unity's "Giving it all Meaning" background stamp because it's full of dictionary definitions that you'll want to reach for over & over again.

And... since it's Friday, make sure you check out the Unity Blog for 50+ inspiring ideas with our Friends With Flair! There are always prizes to be had... so you don't want to miss it! :)

Supplies:
Stamps:
- Giving It All Meaning Background (Unity Stamp Company)
Ink:
- Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)
- Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock:
- Kraft, Suede Brown Dark (Prism)
Patterned Paper:
- Home Decor Screen Prints (Hambly)
Accessories:
- Together Felt Stickers (Chatterbox)
- Aqua Mist button (Papertrey Ink)
- brown twine (May Arts)
- rub-on (Melissa Frances)
- red marker (Copic)

Instructions:
1. Create card front using Kraft cardstock. Ink edges with white ink.
2. Stamp love definition using Distress ink onto card front.
3. Trim square of printed paper and layer onto brown cardstock. Adhere to card.
4. Layer red felt border strip onto brown cardstock. Adhere to card.
5. Adhere heart felt sticker. Thread twine through button and adhere to heart with glue dot.
6. Apply rub-on sentiment. Color heart with marker.