Day 13--{Belief}

"Belief"

The card says it all...

Products Used: Adobe Photoshop, Digital Papers included with Digi-Scrappin' 101

Day 12--{Sincere}

"Sincere"

I'm more prone to recognize my personal failings than I am to highlight my strengths. Sincerity, though, is something I don't feel like I have to work at. It comes naturally to me. That makes it a strength. These are my others.

Products Used: Adobe Photoshop, Jessica Sprague's Echoes of Asia Kit, SU Quick (font)

Day 11--{Thrill}

"Thrill"

My husband has become a more fantastic partner with each passing year of our relationship. Honestly, I see so much personal growth in him that it inspires me to keep trying to be better. That's the best part, the substance of our relationship, the "cake", so to speak. However, there is icing on top of that... Do you see these eyes?????

Products Used: Adobe Photoshop, scanned piece of patterned paper (Bohemia), SU font Carefree

I'm a little beside myself with excitement over my first ever digital scrapbooking. Wow is there a lot to learn, but I'm really pleased with this little project. I've been just waiting for a chance to use this extreme close-up picture! Plus, I love what I was able to do with a scanned piece of paper.

Day 10-King of Clubs {Rise}

"Rise"

When I first read the expression, "A contrary wind raises the kite," I was ticked off. It was on a billboard of sorts and it was put there following a meeting in my community that questioned some questionable leadership. It seemed to me the apogee of arrogance on the part of this unnamed leader who came out of that meeting unscathed and self-righteous.


Well, it is several months later and, now, I'm hoping to use that expression in the best way I can. Our church may be facing an imminent split (worst case) or a long, possibly painful process of healing and reconciliation (best case). The winds are definitely contrary, but we as a family need to get the kite in the air. Well, more exactly, God needs to get the kite in the air because it is emblazoned with His Name. Our congregation's testimony is tarnished because of the circumstances that have led up to now. My prayer is that the healing can happen--between brothers in Christ and between our little church and the community we say we love.

Products Used: [CTMH] black, watermelon and citrus leaf textured CS, heavenly blue EP, Roughin' It, Kindred Spirits [Other] satin cord, blue patterned paper, black EP, stardust EP

Day 9 -- 2 of Diamonds {Tag}

"Tag"

Mark and I have three children, ages 6, 5, and 2. We have been married almost 8 years. The last six years have been a long season of playing "tag." (You're It!) Mark gets up early, gives the kids breakfast and heads off to work. Tag. I spend a long day dressing up, feeding, running after, disciplining, etc. the kids. I make dinner and Mark comes home. Tag. And so on through the week.

I know it won't last forever, but I'm sick of this game. I'd rather "play" at romance and marriage once in a while.

Products used: [CTMH] spring B&T, topiary CS, Let's Get Together B&T (breeze), chocolate ink, pivot-point stapler, chocolate organdy ribbon,Spunky Alphabet, Calendar, Simple Stitches, All My Love [Other] SU tab and spiral punches, Sharpie white poster paint

Day 8--8 of Spades {Scraps}

" Scraps"

Ever feel like you're piecing your life together from the "scraps?" Of time? Of money? Of dreams? I guess I feel that way most all the time. Sometimes my scrapbook projects are such a clear reflection of my life...I start with something that looks interesting to me (yes, it is usually a scrap!), I layer something weird on top, something planned doesn't work out and I punt, I put it away and start over the next day, and...every once it awhile, something amazing comes of it.

Products used: [CTMH] colonial white, vineyard berry, chocolate CS, amethyst, blush, desert sand, vineyard berry inks, prisma glitter, chocolate eyelet, silver photo clip, Roughin' It, Versamark Ink [Other] Stamp-n-stuff Stardust Embossing Powder, Brown Organdy Ribbon (?)

Day 7--3 of Diamonds {Strong}

"Strong"

My dad always says, "When you're dumb, you gotta be tough!" These words ring in my ears A LOT. (Not that he called me dumb, just that he said it a lot.) It applies to so much that I see myself do and, ...sorry everyone, but so much I see everyone around me do. You KNOW what I'm talking about...those things we know will make us miserable and still we plow headlong into the behavior. It's when I stay up too late scrapbooking or blogging and it hurts to get up and face my kids in the morning. It's my friend who, for some time, would grab a handful of nuts and/or chocolate to console herself, all the while knowing that her stomach would make her pay dearly for the indiscretion. It's a whole list of even more "dumb" behaviors with even graver consequences.
I've taken on "TOUGH" as a sort of badge of honor throughout my adult life. (Never mind how dumb I had to be to get that tough!) I am strong. I am independent. That's what makes me survive. And then I am faced with the counterintuitive statement from the Apostle Paul, "When I am weak, then I am strong." And my strength is nothing compared with that of my Savior! At the end of the day and the end of our lives, we are weak, but HE IS STRONG. (Millions of Sunday Schoolers through the years could not possibly be wrong!)

Products Used: [CTMH] white daisy, key lime textured CS, acrylic paint mixed with sweet leaf and buttercup reinker, kiwi, holiday red cranberry and black inks [Other] Clipease, clear button (Creating Keepsakes), black satin ribbon (Offray)

By-the-by...I'm so bummed at how this card turned out. In my head it was so much cuter! There is some serious "distressing gone awry" and the two colors of red didn't work well together. Humpff!

Day 6--7 of Hearts {Dare}

"Dare"

Each Friday morning, I meet with two girlfriends for a 6 a.m. breakfast at Panera. We always order the same thing: 2 cinnamon crunch bagels with honey walnut cream cheese, 2 small pops, a whole wheat bagel with plain cream cheese and a coffee. Then we bless the food and share our lives. We count on this time together...sometimes it is just the thing that gets us all the way to the end of the week. Today as we parted, we just couldn't seem to get out of the parking lot. We stood there and talked some more, shed a few tears, hugged (it was a hard week for each of us!)

If you don't have people like this in your life, you need to get brave. DARE to offer your friendship and then DARE to lay your soul bare. It is a gift in both directions.

Products Used: [CTMH] groovy blossoms B&T, sweet leaf CS, cocoa, hollyhock, bubblegum and sweet leaf inks, pivot-point stapler, cocoa grossgrain ribbon, silver hinges, waterbrush, sea sponge distressing tool, Free Spirit, Kindred Spirits, Boutique Alphabet, Sans Small Lowercase, Liquid Glass

Day 5--Ace of Diamonds {Energy}

"Energy"

I don't come by it naturally, so I drink my energy. And I love my drink. First thing each morning, I pull out a dewey can from the fridge and smile.

Products Used: [CTMH] rough and tumble B&T, black distressing ink, white grosgrain dyed with re-inker...took 2 months to dry, reverse side of gold foil sheet, liquid glass, red sparkle, pivot-head stapler, Sans Small Lowercase, Little Girls (stamped crown image and then outlined with stylus on foil)

I printed my photo on an adhesive Avery label and then cut out the silouhette of the can to create my sticker.

Day 4- 8 of Hearts {Nest}

"Nest"

Ironically, the cheerful colors of this card do not reflect my thoughts on the topics. This was the longest it has taken me to think what I wanted to create and write about during this challenge. At first I thought about pregnancy "nesting", but I didn't do that intensely.

As I pondered the idea of "nest" in my life, I kept coming back to my house. I live in a modest Cape Cod with pretty good "bones." I want to love it because I know that I am blessed to have the home I have. But the place drives me crazy! I get so weird about it. I'll pull up entire rooms of carpet while my husband is at work. I've painted the basement FIVE TIMES in six years. I mess with one particular flower bed every single year (and I'm talking new shape, different perennials, strange summer bulbs...) Whenever I have to deep clean my living room...I rearrange all the furniture. This place stresses me out and it is all about control. (I don't have any real control, so I do all this dumb stuff in an effort to dominate my environment.) Why, when I know this about myself, can't I stop?

Products used: [CTMH] watermelon, citrus leaf textured CS, desert sand CS, cranberry, vineyard berry, holiday red, baby pink, chocolate inks, sweet leaf reinker, delta ceramcoat, distressing kit, chocolate bigger brad, Free Spirit, Amore Lowercase

Heart nest inspired by Beth Ranney-Thomas, CTMH consultant =)

More on the Farm

Just yesterday, my 6 year-old said to me, "Mom, do you remember when we went to that Great Great Great Great Grandma's house?" I thought for a moment and asked, "The one with the peas?" And she said, "Yeah, the one with the peas...when are we going to visit her again?"

Ahhh...it is so sweet to me. I think it was 2 summers ago already when we stopped to visit Grandma Nola on a trip up north. While we were chatting, she mentioned that she needed to get out and pick her beans. I jumped right up and said, "I'll do it!" Katie traipsed out with me and insisted on helping. We finished the beans and went on to the peas. Grandma sent a pail of "spoils" along with us to share with my dad. Katie ate most of them right out of the bucket on the drive back to Grandpa Steve's house.

After the many, many hours I spent in Grandma Nola's gardens over the years, it was deeply touching that my daughter had an opportunity to pick vegetables in the little garden that she (in her 80's) still keeps.

Day 3 --Queen of Spades {Childhood}

"Childhood"

Childhood evokes very mixed emotions in me. I'm happy to report, though, that the first thing that came to mind was fantastically positive...and I had just the right stamp for the project. The memories bring tears to my eyes.My mom was still in high school when I was born, so my paternal grandparents took care of me during the day. Grandpa Ted would drive 15 miles into town each morning to bring milk to the creamery and my folks would meet him there with me. Imagine the crusty farmer in the red pick-up with the six month-old baby on his lap (way before car seats were in vogue!) Imagine my days on the farm, in the garden,in the flower beds, in the sewing basket with my doting Grandma Nola.

Products Used: [CTMH] desert sand, colonial white CS, chipboard parenthesis, heavenly blue sassy strands, garden green my accents, heavenly blue and sweet leaf inks, My Farm, Sans Small Lowercase, Calendar, my newly arrived distressing kit!, liquid glass, sponge, versamark [other] white patterned paper (?), blue patterned paper in background that I am obsessed with! (?), custom embossing powder mix of white and silver (custom=2 year-old poured them out and this is what I salvaged!)

Day 2 -- Jack of Spades {Confession}

"Confession"

The challenge prompt is confusing for today since there are a number of us getting in on it. One gal used "summer", another used "childhood" and I just went ahead and did "confession."

My confession...I want to get off my meds! Since March of 2006, I have been taking antidepressants...or should I say 4 different prescriptions at a variety of dosages. I'm so sick of it! They seem to work o.k. for a while and then, around month three, they quit. In the meantime, they have various unpleasant side effects. The latest is restless leg syndrome and I CANNOT take medication that messes with my sleep. (If you know me, you understand the weightiness of this issue!) Oh yeah, and did I mention that I just passed month three?

Products Used: [CTMH] colonial white CS, desert sand CS, ocean, cranberry and desert sand inks, summer sassy strands, cranberry my accents, Boutique Alphabet, Sans Small Lowercase, The Works Alphabet, Calendar, Playful Flourishes [Other] Sharpie White Paint Marker

Day 1 -- 7 of Diamonds {Seek}

"SEEK"

On 8/19, Craig Case preached on a number of different Proverbs at Emmaus Road Church. He challenged us to "claim" one for ourselves in the next couple of weeks...memorize it, reflect on it, make it our own. I decided to follow the path of King Solomon and "seek wisdom." The verse I chose was Proverbs 10:25.

Products Used: [CTMH] dutch blue textured CS, just blooms, chocolate ink, Amore Lowercase, Calendar, pivot-head stapler, EKSuccess corner rounder, liquid glass [Other] Prima flowers, craft beads, Micron Pigma marker, green patterned paper (?)

Deck of Discovery

Here's the real reason that I'm creating the new blog. A challenge was posted on the Close to My Heart consultant bulletin board: Alter a playing card a day for 52 days with the theme of "Discovery." It is supposed to be about self-reflection (and couldn't we all use a little time for that!) Mine will have as much faith-reflection as I can muster!

Here is the blog that inspired the challenge...it's definitely worth a look!

http://sj.blogs.com/dailycard/

New Blog

Here comes my second attempt at a blog. Honestly, I liked the name of the other host a lot better, but it was pretty convoluted to use. So, I'm trying again. You'll tell me what you think!