Hold On! A New Post!

Well, it has been quite awhile since I checked in.  I haven't really been too crafty or creative lately, but it is a new year so....
I have been working on trying to use up the scraps and left overs from my desk.  You know the extra flowers that I didn't need for that one project or the paper scraps that haven't been put away yet, those kind of things.  I've also been trying to work with one set of stamps and find multiple ways to use it.  Not having so much luck with that one, but I will keep trying!
So here are two cards I made the other day using some scraps from my work surface.  I hope to get back out the Creative Cave in the next couple of days so I will have more to share.

 I'm not totally pleased with the placements and such with this card.  But I do like the little rhinestone on the flower.  I was playing with some color combinations here, not sure what I think of them.

Here is another card, in the same color family, using the same punched flowers and stamp set.

I like to ass a little surprise inside the card too.  You can also see that I used some pop dots that pop up the Thanks sentiment here as well.
So what have you been making in your creative endeavors lately?

Creative...gardening? Yes!

Well, I have been busy with my garden this spring/summer.  My sons and husband have helped me to make some raised beds this year and I LOVE  them!

Here are my beauties all in a nice neat line.  My first bed has a trellis down the middle.  We planted peas in the middle, then on the left side we planted two rows of carrots and on the right, a row of radishes and butter lettuce.  I pulled all the peas and butter lettuce this morning.  They were done.  I want to try some winter crops and see how they do.  I'm thinking kale, chard, maybe some more radishes.  I will have to play with it a bit.  

This is my potato bed.  I'm going to have so many potatoes!  Yum!  We planted Yukon golds.  Can't wait to dig them up.

And here are some of my beautiful tomatoes!  I can't wait until they turn red.  I have had no problems with disfigured tomatoes this year and no blossom end rot.  They are just lovely.
I have one more bed of strawberries.  The runners are taking over, so that is my next project.  How to move them somewhere else (Oh boys!  Mama needs another bed....).  I have 6 plants that are ever bearing, so I can go out and have a strawberry every now and then through the season.  The other 12-18 plants are June bearing, so next year I will get large harvests all within a window of time, for putting away.
The weeding has been almost non-exsistant with this type of gardening.  We put newspaper on the bottom of two of the beds and nothing on the others, I can't really tell the difference.  We filled the beds with peat moss, composted manure, and just some dirt (high clay concentration) from my dad's farm.  The soil is absolutely beautiful now!
I love my raised beds... have I told you that already?  :)  They are amazing and a great way to garden if you are short on space or don't have the power tools to use.  Give it a try!  Nothing beats fresh!

A Valentine's Preview

Hello Friends!  Seems like forever since we have chatted.  One of my favorite holidays is coming up!  I just LOVE (tee hee) Valentine's Day!  I think it is a totally under-celebrated holiday.  What cultural holdiday could be more important than the one where we tell others how much we love them?  There just isn't enough of that in the world today! 
I want to share a Valentine's card with you.  I am calling this a masculine card!  I made this with my dear husband in mind.  He is such a sweetie and does so much for me and our 4 kiddos! 

 

 

Here's the "recipe"!  All products are Stampin' Up! unless noted. 

Card base is Pink Pirouette.  The designer series paper I used is called Love Impressions.  It is a few years old, but I am trying to use up old stock (so I can buy more!).  The colors of ink and card stock used are Real Red, Basic Gray, and Whisper White.  I used Whisper White satin ribbon.  I just love working with this satin ribbon.  It is so nice to work with.   I use a textured embossing folder, I'm not real sure if it was from SU or from a craft store.  I used a Bigz die to cut the gray hearts and then I just fussy cut around the stamped heart in Real Red.  I used the stamp set Filled with Love and a random red brad to set off the little banner. 

Well, I hope you enjoy this card.  I hope to spend more time with you this year!  Enjoy your Valentine's day and remember to tell your loved ones that they mean the world to you. 

 

 



 

More Birthday Cards...

As promised... here are the cards for adult birthdays that I did for a recent swap. This first one is for a man. I love doing cards for guys, probably because I have 3 boys! This is my favorite stamp set, "Lovely As A Tree" from Stampin' Up! Gorgeous. I have used it for some many different types of cards. Very versitile. I love the colors of this challenge, too!


The next set is for a woman. I was really hoping for spring when I did this one! LOL I love these colors as well. I'm really trying to stretch myself in my color choices. I look in a lot of different places for color combinations: I have the Stampin' Up! Color Coach, I use magazines, and my biggest inspiration is nature. I love looking at the colors that God has used, can't go wrong with those combinations.

I hope you enjoy these card and challenge yourself to be creative today!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Here are a couple of teen birthday cards that I recently finished for a swap. They were a lot of fun to do and I hope the ladies I swapped with enjoyed them. I know I sure enjoyed what they sent me!



My teen girl card was bright and fun. Lots of gorgeous colors and the lacy edge hints at the girliness that lurks! I don't think you can see it, but there is a colored sheet behind the lace that really makes it pop. Couldn't get my camera to show that!

This card for the boys was lots of fun. What teen boy doesn't love things with motors? LOL I know my sons sure do. Thanks to my wonderful daughter, Olivia who helped me color all these little quads!

I hope you enjoy these cards. I have more to share so stay tuned!

Looking For a Great Read?

I want to share with you a great young adult book I just finished! It is called Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans (publisher Simon Pulse, Simon and Schuster). What an amazing story! Michael is an average 14 year old with an average 14 years old's problems, except that he has a special power. He is electric! Michael finds out that he isn't alone and becomes hunted and captured. When tempted with worldly goods and the safety of loved ones, Michael had to make some serious choices. Check this book out and let me know what you think. You can get more information at www.MichaelVey.com

Looking Forward

As the year wraps up my thinking goes to setting goals. I can't help it. It drives my family CRAZY! but I just love a fresh start! I'm pretty much the same way with a new month or week! I guess we all have our little quirks. Any way...
I was reading Joshua 1 the other day and I was struck with a new thought. I am really good at making all these plans - I have the formula down! But I really lack in the follow through department.
In Joshua ! the children of Israel are getting ready to enter the Promised Land, after wandering forty years in the wilderness. God delivers some words of wisdom to the band's leader. And even though I have read this passage several times, God showed me a new meaning. Isn't He wonderful like that? He shows you just what you need, when you need it!
Joshua 1:7-9New International Version (NIV) 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
God tells us to be strong and very courageous. This tells me that this path will be difficult and scary at times. BUT God is good enough to give us the antidote for being afraid to take that next step. In verse 8 He tells us not to let the Book of the Law depart from our mouths, to meditate on it day and night, and finally, to do everything in the Book of the Law. GULP! Yep, it says everything. Oh, but there is a promise... God promises that we will be successful and prosperous!
So with his promise ringing in my ears, I put pen to paper to set out my map for 2012. I invite you to come along on this journey with me! It's going to be an amazing ride!

I'm Still Here...

Have you ever experienced life at such a speed that you don't know which end is up? That is how life has been for me lately. The more I try to slow it down the faster it seems to go. I have been dealing with a son going to college, bringing my other 3 teenagers home to school and several health issues. Throw in a couple of new jobs for my husband and myself and you have a mixture for my life. Now, I wouldn't trade a thing about it, God has really been teaching me a lot these past months, funny thing is I always thought by this age, I would be done with learning! I'll bet God had a good laugh at that one. Well, I am doing my best to wait at His feet for instruction and direction. I will be taking this blog in a different direction and I hope that all of you will join me on this journey. I will be including some crafty things that I am working on, but will also be including a lot more about my life and the lessons that God is teaching me. I hope you will come along on the journey with me.

Check out this SU promo!!!

This is such a great package! I can't wait to get it and make some Valentines. I think Valentines is my favorite holiday...weird, huh? Look at these great projects! I love each of them.



This page shows everything that comes with this package! Call me to order!

OOPS! I forgot...

Here are a few Christmas cards that I made this year. Some of them use retired Stampin' Up! supplies. I had an itch to use them up! I made these for a class that got snowed out, so I am planning on adding a Christmas card each month to our regular card classes. I hope you will join us for one real soon.

I like this card, it is bright and cheerful. It was a little labor intensive because of all the coloring. I used the huffing method to moisten the colors on the stamps.

This card is my favorite. It is so like nature, simple! I sprayed it with the Vanilla shimmer spray, which you can't really see here, but it looks pretty in real life. Just enough glimmer to keep it from being plain!

Gearing Up for a New Year

Just wanted to share a picture of my wonderful kids with everyone. They are the light of my life and I thank God for them daily.

I was reading a bible verse the other day. It was Matthew 7:24. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock." It is my goal in 2011 to build my house on the solid rock of God's love and more importantly his word. Doing this will prevent me from stumbling and my house from crashing down around my ears as the world's wind blow. I am looking forward to resting in Jesus as the year advances.

What are your goals for 2011?

Opening Day

In Michigan, today was a major holiday. It was opening day of deer season. We got the day off of school and all! The boys went out hunting. Jake shot us a nice doe, so there will be some tender juicy venison to add to the freezer. Damion missed one, but he has a couple more weeks to get another. Josh shot one and is in the process of looking for it right now. He really wants to find it before the coyotes make off with it. It is supposed to be a "monster". I am so blessed to have wildlife and family members that enjoy hunting. It really helps out with my grocery budget.
This leads me to my next point that I wanted to bring up. I have been really feeling the conviction to stock up on provisions. I think our world is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. I would love to hear your ideas on keeping a well supplied pantry. Mine seems so unorganized right now and it all just haphazard. I don't like haphazard...lol. I always dream of this uber organized life, but the real life shows up instead. That's ok, God has given me a good life.
I am reading A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George right now. Actually, I am rereading it. I love her writing, it is so down to earth and practical. The one point that really stuck out today is that I really want to begin living each second, minute, hour, day for my Lord and Savior. There are a lot of fears that come up when I make that statement, but I am trusting God to give me the strength that I need to follow Him.
Well, it is getting late and I am going to go relax with my wonderful family.
Take care!

Hello Again!

Sorry for the absence! I have been working on a lot of things in my life, mainly getting to know me and my family a little better. It has been quite the journey and I am no where near the end. I want to change the direction of this blog a little bit and use it to kind of chronical this journey that I am on. I'm kind of nervous, but feel it is the direction to go in.

I am working on facing some fears and living my life without them. For so long, I have held on to them, but it is time to let go now. Time to move on.

I hope that you will enjoy this journey with me. I will still be posting my paper arts and other creative pursuits, but will be delving into some other areas as well. I pray that you will continue on this journey with me.

Creatively Yours!

June Card Class

Hi~ I just wanted to shoot out a quick post to show you what we will be doing at our card class this month! Card class will be the 22nd of June (Tuesday) at 6:30 PM at my house. Hope to see you there!


Here is a cute birthday card. I love the colors and the buttons!

I call this my Livy card, because it is wild and crazy and reminds me of my wild and crazy daughter, Olivia.

I love the simplicity and versatility of this card.

How cute is this hula bear?!

A very pretty card for any occasion.
Don't forget that we will have our new catalog going LIVE the first of July!

Hope to see you on the 22nd!

Really cool technique

Check out this site for a really cool technique using the watercolor crayons. Try it~ you will love it! See her January 8th post!

www.zgrandmakaren.blogspot.com

Let me know what you think!

Help Earthquake Victims in Haiti with Stamps

http://www.stampinup.com/us/images/Haiti_Relief_0110_US.pdf

Check this out for a wonderful way to help out the people of Haiti. Call me to order this fabulous stamp set and I will put 10 tickets into the monthly drawing with your name on them!

Squeeze it in Saturday

If your Saturdays are as packed full as mine, a quick card is just what you need! Here's what I came up with... What will you do?

Don't forget to post a link in the comments section! I'd love to see what you're up to!

Color Challenge

Ok, here's the challenge... create something using the colors Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, Night of Navy and Real Red. Have fun with it, and post a link in the comments section so we can all see what you have done!

Here's my creation. I LOVE this set! Have fun!

Scrappy Thursday

Just a page I did using some retired papers and stickers. So here's the question... do you have pictures? How about a pile of scrapbooking stuff? Why not get it out and do a page today? You'll be one page closer to your goal!

Have a great day.

Wacky Wednesday

How's this for wacky? My mom used her Big Shot to make a patch for her jeans! She is so creative!