Ink in the Name of Love

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

I hope that each and every one of you had or is having a very loving day and that you got all of the hugs and kisses you ever wanted. If you did not, I am sending a virtual hug your way!!! Just wanted to do a quick post to share the corner bookmarks I made for my team and for my son's team of teachers. Let me apologize for the horrible lighting. I used one of those foam things and snapped these next to the window this morning before dashing off to work.

These are soooo much fun to make that I could crank them out in record time. I think I will make up a huge batch and decorate as needed.

I forgot to enroll my kids into the Book-It Program through Pizza Hut. Once they reach their reading goal, they get a certificate for a personal pizza. Well, I can't do a pizza, but I can give them a bookmark for each goal. I would have loved to have a set as a kid. I had so many books going at once. Since I do have some kid friendly carts, I will make those more personal to the student.

Until Then.

Whitney Houston dead at 48

2012-02-11T22:26:00.005-05:00

My heart is heavy. One of my favorite singers, Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 48. Again, my heart is heavy. I was truly rooting for her comeback. But her voice on her last album fell short.

Given that, I still wanted her to climb her way back to the top where she rightfully belonged. This song Million Dollar Bill let her fans know that she still had it going on.

With this post I just want to say that Whitney, I loved you and your instrument. Yours was truly a gift from God and your rendition of The Star Spangled Banner set the standard.

Most of all Ms. Houston, please know that we will always Love YOU!!!!

I could post more along the religious aspect and how we take the talents God give to us and use and/or abuse them, but I won't. I just want to revel in the moment and remember the Whitney Houston that I admired on the covers of the Teen Magazines. I saved my dimes and nickles to purchase it because she was a model appearing within the pages. Can you imagine seeing someone who looks like you getting top billing as a model. It was a proud Black American moment for me.

I know that Whitney was a Christian and believed in the Lord. But it is in our deepest and darkest hour that we forget to call on his precious and holy name to have mercy on us.

Rest in peace, Whitney.

Until Then.

Valentine's Corner Bookmarks

2012-02-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it is February already? Glad I got a jump start on making some Valentine's Day gifts. I made a set of corner bookmarks for my students and for my son's classmates. He picked up some paper last week to make some for his teachers--a pack of the MME 6x6.

Here are a couple of up close and personal pics of the boy and girl reading. They are from the A Child's Year cartridge. I cut the top layer and put it through the cuttlebug then inked and spritzed it with Glimmer Mist.The border punch on this one is from Recollections.

The Spellbinder Lacey Circle anchors the image. I used my Sakura black gel pen to stitch an outline. On this one I actually inked around the circle prior to removing it from the die. I cut the bottom using the Scalloped Spellbinder heart.

The bookmark itself is cut from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper to measure 4 1/2 x 4 1/2. The leftover 2 inch strip is what I used to emboss the hearts border (cut down to one inch). Waste not want not.

I cut the initials using the Zooballoo font and placed them inside a heart from the Love Struck cart. I stamped the paper using a candies heart rubber stamp. You can find all of the complete information on the YouTube Vee-dio.

I truly enjoyed making these for my students and my son's classmates. I know that they will enjoy having their own personalized bookmark and lucky for me that the two kids with the same initials were a boy and a girl. No way to confuse those bookmarks. LOL

It's not too late to crank out a set for your co-workers or for your own family. Give those folks with a Nook or Kindle something to envy!!!

Until then.

Fleece Scarves

2012-01-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone. In an effort not to ignore my blog, I am posting some scarves that I made and gave to my students this past Christmas. The idea came from my good friend Kathy. She told me that one of her son's teachers gave her students these as gifts. I hurriedly ran to JoAnn's and picked up some of the no pill fleece fabric. It was 50% off and I got enough to make 20 scarves and this extra bit for my model.

Can't you see how thrilled he was to pose? I like to wrap back to front and to the back again for the kids. This way the ends are inside the jacket and does not get in the way of playing.

I cannot recall the width of the fabric but I cut the scarves to 8 inches wide and kept the length but just removed the selvage. It is the white piece just under the fringes. To keep it simple I did a sports theme for the boys and a floral motif for the girls.

Aren't these flowers pretty? Love the solid white background. These looked so cute on the girls.

Once I cut the fabric, I used these really cool Fiskars ergonomic scissors to cut it. I tried doing two layers at a time and it was slow going. I elected to cut each layer separately and let me tell you that the fabric cut like butter baby.

Next I tied off each fringe into a small knot.

Initially, I was unsure of whether I wanted to leave them as is or tie them off. I decided to tie them off. I think it makes them look more finished.

A final picture of my model. He really liked it tied this way as it made him resemble a Ninja. I really like this one and tie it that way for my students. Their nose, mouth, ears and neck are covered. Gotta keep out the cold that is now warm. LOL. Mother Nature is being fickle at best. I will take these warm days we have been having. We will be in the low 60s next week.

So, if you are still looking for a cute Valentine's Day idea. Pick up some cute no pill fleece from your local fabric store and crank out about 20 in one night. Pretty and practical.

Until Then.

Happy Birthday Dr. King

2012-01-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday To You!!!!

Today we celebrate and reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Such an emotional day for me. I think back to when I was a little girl and what life was like for me growing up in Alabama. Living under segregation and the still very present Jim Crow Laws, you often wonder how you got over.

I remember when the county integrated the high schools. My sister cried for days. She wanted to stay at her old high school with her friends and teachers who loved and cared for her.

The elementary schools were already integrated. There was a huge furor and push back on both sides. This is a picture of the Little Rock 9--Tennessee, just north of us.

We have come a long way since those days but we still have yet a long way to go. In Dr. King's Drum Major for Justice Instincts he speaks about his living not being in vain. From my viewpoint it has not been in vain.

There are so many people out today seeking justice for all. Although many have been kicked out and groups disbanned, the DC government is presently allowing the Occupy DC protestors in Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square to remain where they are. Just what are they protesting against while enduring the frigid temperatures and rat infestations? Wall Street, Corporate greed and Income Inequality. Like Dr. King says if we don't stand up for the disenfranchised, who will?

Remember the Woolworth sit-ins?

The more things change the more they remain the same.

It is hard to soften a man's heart that has turned to stone. Notice I say hard not impossible. Paul, one of God's greatest apostles, was once one of his ardent enemies. If God can change the heart of Saul/Paul nothing is impossible.

As a matter of fact the Bible tells us that all things are possible with God. Matthew 19:26.

Although Dr. King is no longer walking with us, his legacy is. It is easy to say what we would have, could have done were we with him in Washington, Montgomery and Memphis. The question is, what will you do now? Do you say, I am going to mind my own business? Let everyone fend for themselves? It wasn't me. On which side will you stand?

Joshua says it better than I ever could. 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Donnie McClurkin sings, I've got my mind made up and I won't turn back. As we go forward let's keep the main thing the main thing. I agree with Suze Orman's people first, then money, then things.

Zachary's father shares the same birthday as Dr. King. Like Dr. King, he also was gone too soon. Happy Birthday Ian!!!

Until then.

Welcome Home

2011-12-29T21:13:00.001-05:00

Now that I have had a time to catch my breath, I wanted to share with you a card and gift that I received from fellow crafter and friend Laura at scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com .

She sent this to me just prior to Thanksgiving and I wanted to wait and post it when I had time to give it justice. Don't you just love this card? Laura has appeared as guest designer on the websites and blogs of a lot of companies and you can see why.

As you may know I moved over the summer and Laura made this sweet mini for me. Don't know what paper she used--she will let me know and I will post it here (the Echo Park Life is Good collection--love me some EP Paper!!!).

The cover is acrylic and she expertly covered it with this luscious paper line.

These are two of the inside pages.

I love the great detail work that she put into the pages.

The color combinations are fantastic and again that attention to detail .

I thought this paper was fabulous especially with the numbers and then the journaling to go with it. Again, FABULOUS!!!!

This is the companion page to the previous one. Didn't she do a great job.

These are the final two pages of this sweet mini album.

I love how she incorporated the twine. The color is just perfect.

And this is the back of the house mini. I cannot say thank you enough to Laura. She is a very talented crafter and extremely creative. Thank you Laura for thinking of me and creating this spectacular mini to commemorate my new home.

Until then.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Well, on Christmas Eve I found myself out running errands late into the evening. On one of my shortcuts through the neighborhood, I came across this magnificently decorated home.

This is what I saw as I drove up to the stop sign. This home sits on the corner. As I drove past I was able to get a view of the side.

All I had was my camera phone and I got busy snapping photos, attempting to drive and avoid other cars. We were all being looky loos. I went to the cul de sac turned around came back and was able to see the decked out deck and backyard.

Can we all say professionally done? I don't think I would have attempted to put up lights were I one of their neighbors. Many of the houses were beautifully adorned, but the white and clearness of this home just caught my eye.

This is the final view I got as we drove away.

Absolutely love that blue sky and it is the one I tried to capture on my Christmas cards. There is nothing like the real thing.

Here's to a happy and prosperous New Year!!!

Until then.

2011 Christmas Card Reveal

2011-12-14T11:57:00.001-05:00

Teasing Time is OVER!!! It is finally here--- the 2011 Christmas Card Reveal. It took a bit of doing but I was able to pull it off and get them into the mail in a timely manner.

This is just a small sample of the outside of the cards. As you can see each panel is a bit different. I initially wanted the panels to cover the entire front. Since this is a 6x6 card it was going to be increments of 1/4 inches. So I took what was left over and used it on the other cards but adjusted them so that they sat towards the bottom of the card leaving room for those gorgeous pearls on top. Therefore, not a lot of scraps. I used them . lol Here is another one.

Ok, now I get to admit to my error. On a couple of my musical ones, I glued the insides so that it was upside down. I used the "It's Christmas Time" to cover the print. tee-hee. I think it is more noticeable on this one. Will most likely try to do the same by covering the 'fine'. I was able to lift up the middle piece but I used the Scotch quick dry adhesive on the side panels and once down it was down. So had to improvise.

Hey, we can't all be perfect and I am first in that line. lol. So ready for the inside? Well, here it is. All of my inking punching and paper piecing came out to be this.

Can we say labor of love? That is certainly what this one was. I will use all of that valuable real estate on the back of the card to write and mat my handwritten message.

I think they turned out well and will definitely do something super simple for next year. Every now and again I do love to go with the flow.

Terri asked what punches I used. Here is a pic.

They are all MS border punches: gingerbread, holly and ivy, pine needles, skyland snowflake, and presents.

Ok. So I snapped a few pictures. Here is another view.

When you untie the ribbon and open the card the steps move forward and sits beautifully. Every side is decorated. Now that I have had a chance to see T!m's Lamppost die, I definitely want it. This one is an Inkadinkado stamp colored in with Sakura glaze gel pens.

Oh, the ribbon is Anna Griffin...gorgeous.

Thanks for coming back to have a final peek at my 2011 Cards.

Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 4

2011-12-11T11:59:00.001-05:00

It's almost time to begin the ten day countdown to Christmas. Hope you are ready!!! Could not resist one more teaser before the final reveal. I am sure you will be able to put two and two together to come up with the finished project. So, here goes. This is the stamp set that I used to create santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer. I stamped him over the moon into the darkened sky.

I added some snow dots and some of the Martha Stewart chunky glitter for a snowy effect to the base of the house.

These are my completed paper pieced friends. They are from the Joys of the Season's Cart--the Carolers and the Girl with Presents. Again, paper piecing is not my thing, but I think they turned out pretty well. What do you think?

This will be the outside of card. I decided to use as little ornamentation as possible.

Now, just trying to decide on what to put on the cover and how to close the card. Have a couple of options up my sleeve.

Someone asked about left over scraps that I have. As you can see, I maximize all of my paper to the fullest. If it means altering the design a bit, that is what I do so that I don't end up with a lot of scraps.

Come back in a day or so and I should have the finished card posted. Thanks for stopping by and always remember to get inky in the Name of Love.

Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 3

2011-12-10T07:26:00.014-05:00

Have you cried, 'Uncle"? I know enough with the teasing already. Wanted to pop in and quickly give you something to drool over. This cute little house almost drove me to the nut house. I mean how many can you put together before you go batty? I am still counting but the wings are getting in the way. lol

I must admit that these cards are a labor of love. I am only making 12 of them. Yup, anymore than that, I would be having a miserable Christmas season. The card just kept morphing and taking on a mind of its own. I kept trying to follow my muse, but finally had to stuff him in a closet until I regained my sanity. Maybe one more teaser before the final card.

Check back to see. Ummm...did I mention this house is only 3.50 inches? Yeah. Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 2

2011-12-09T07:04:00.004-05:00

Just cannot resist teasing you a bit more. So what did the white piece of paper turn into? This lovely backdrop for my cards. The yellow sticky was punched from a one inch circle.

I used Adirondack Stonewashed and Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire to get the color depth. Kinda like it. Used some stickles for my drops of precipitation. lol. The layers are punched, embossed and inked using the Ballerina paper pad.

This one was my original and thought the sky much too light to be night time thus the addition of the Chipped Sapphire. Huge difference.

Also nixed the glitter snow. Too chunky. Hope I can find my flower soft to sprinkle some on my bottom step and the ...ooops. About to give away too much. Check back later for that. lol

This cute little guy is part of a pair (Joys of the Season) and will occupy a step on this stepper card. Off to do some more paper piecing. Let me just say that PP is not my forte. Aaarrggghhh.

Getting my fingers inky...is. Until then.

2011 Christmas Card Teaser

2011-12-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the wonderful, mind boggling, giddy season known as Christmas. I have been busily working on my Christmas cards and neglecting my poor blog. What do you think of these colors? They are from the Recollections Ballerina paper pad.

Wanted to let you know that I am still active and creating. So, to whet your appetite I will post some of the papers and items made for my Christmas Cards this year.

Keep checking back to note my progress and give shoves as needed. Tee-hee. Mmmm. Wonder what this is going to turn into? While I am steadily getting my fingers inky, I hope you are too. Until then.

Just a Few More

2011-10-21T16:37:00.000-04:00

Just a few more of the cards from my Vee-dio. I had a blast making these and hope they give you a bit of inspiration for your card making and scrapbooking endeavors.

Remember to keep thinking and inking in the name of LOVE.

Until then.

Officially Fall

2011-10-20T05:47:00.013-04:00

There is nothing like a leaf covered lawn to signal the arrival of fall. As my son and I sat on our deck, we truly realized the meaning of fall as many of the trees in our yard shared their bounty with us by falling to the ground.

After awhile I asked him to get the push broom to clear the deck while I prepared lunch. He came to the kitchen door to tell me that it was a losing battle. He said, "Mom, that tree is fighting against me." As soon as he had one half cleared, the other became covered again. I made him keep going anyway.

I got an awesome Fiskars rake at Tuesday Morning along with one of the leaf collection thingy...it is GREAT. If I can find some pics I will post them. Makes raking and bagging leaves a breeze.

The next day we filled about 5 bags of leaves and called it a day. The wind and rain has since brought more leaves our way. The lawn is now a jeweled splendor of nature's hues. I just love it. Here are a couple of more variations of the cards I made in my YT Vee-dio.

Keep inking in the name of love.

Until then.

Falling Into Fall

2011-10-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Fall EVERYONE!!!! I know it has been awhile, but I have posted some vids on my YouTube channel so be sure to check them out: The Couture Crafter.

On to some of the cards I shared in my latest Vee-dio. This way you will get a chance to see them up close. The stamp is an Inkadinkado cling and the leaf punch is from EK Success. The embossing is the CB folder Musical Flourish. (i think)

These were done solely by using distress inks as the medium. If you see a bit of sparkliness, that is from my Sakura stardust pens. Love those.

The one leaf on this one was covered with some of the Martha Stewart clear glitter. Really like it as an accent. As always, thanks for stopping by and keep inking.

Until then.

Slimline Cards

2011-08-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
I know it has been a long time between posts, but I have been active. I recently moved and finally have my own dedicated craftroom. In my excitement the majority of my time has been spent in there painting, decorating and organizing. If you want to check on my progress please visit my YouTube Channel and take the journey with me. In the meantime here are some of the cards I created using the bases from the Slimline video. I simply added a sentiment and a few other embellishments.

These were sent with a thank you gift for the ladies in my Yahoo group who entered the June challenge which was to use an embossing technique that I shared in some previous Vee-dios. The entries were great and provided me with more ideas and scraplifting opportunities.

Wanted to find something to share so you all would not think that I had fallen from the face of the Earth. I made some great progress on my room today and hope to finish by the weekend. Stay tuned.

Until then.

Masculine Thank You

2011-06-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I have been busy these past few days. Closing out school and getting ready for summer takes so much out of me. I still have school things in my trunk...I will get them out one day. lol

With that said, my son selected a Pet Smart gift card for his teacher for the end of the year appreciation. Of course, I had to make a thank you card and this is what I created.

He wrote his own personal message on the inside. I really like the way it turned out. I attempted to create the look of several layers of print without adding bulk. I used a variety of Distress Stains and then over stamped with a script font. I jazzed up the bottom with the Martha Stewart Cherish border punch and inked all of the edges with Vintage Photo. The ribbon is American Crafts. Hope you enjoy it and that it gives you ideas for crafting your own slimline cards.

This creation has definitely been inked with a lot of love. One thing led to another and I created several others along this same line and wanted to see how much I could make each unique. Will share those in another post.

Until then.

Fulfilling Your Dreams

2011-06-23T13:33:00.002-04:00

So many of you have emailed me thanking me for the Bob Proctor videos I have sent you. I'm so glad you're enjoying them and today I have one more for you...
This one is a little different though...

Here's the scoop:
Bob's just made some updates to Six Minutes to Success and he'd like to offer you a preview membership before he officially releases it.

Six Minutes to Success is a way for you to get videos just like the ones I've been sending you Every-day, and use them to massively increase the results in every area of your life. He giving you access for just $1 USD. Really? Yes, one buck to change your future and put you on the road to success. You have nothing to lose--except $1 and the chance to totally revamp your life.

He shares all the details for you in this video: This one is so powerful it has a warning label on it.
Click here to learn how to achieve your dreams

Until then,
Veronica

P.S. There are only a limited number of preview memberships available. If you want one you should get it here today:
Fulfilling My Dreams

TNT```This one will blow you away

2011-06-20T07:45:00.024-04:00

Hello everyone,
Well, so many people wrote in after Friday's video that Bob figured he'd send you *another* one today.

This video is about you, and you can see it here:
Video about Me!!!

In this video he covers:

The one thing that stops 95% of people from reaching their goals
The process to massively increase the results in every area of your life
What is dictating your bank account, relationships, appearance and opportunities.
The missing piece between good intentions and incredible results.

This video is critical for your success!
I want to be successful!!!!
Take a look and apply the lessons to achieve success.
Until then.

P.S. This is the same info that helped an Olympic gold medalist. Pretty cool. Help me Too!!!

Paradigms

2011-06-17T05:42:00.004-04:00

Just what are they and how do they impact/control our lives?

In the last video, Bob Proctor talked about two bicycle mechanics, the Wright brothers, and how they introduced us to a new kingdom.

They were two ordinary guys who did what people had been trying centuries to do, get a motored object in the air.

They didn't know HOW to do what they did, they just know that they were going to do it. That thinking is what has made it possible for us to fly anywhere in the world today.

I'm sure you have big ideas and great things you want to accomplish, and haven't yet made it happen because you don't know how or where to start.

Good news is, you don't have to know how.
In this brand new video, Bob lets you inside his head and tells you exactly how to get past this huge objection.

Tune in to Bob's newest video as he shares what is holding us back from success and what to do about it.

I love his teachings; they are simple and easy to apply.

Don't miss out on your chance to reshape your Paradigms and thereby change your Life!

Until then.

Achieving Success

2011-06-15T09:22:00.004-04:00

Hi Blogger,
If you landed here today, you are in for a super treat. Without knowing it, this could be the best day ever for you. On my YouTube channel I share a lot of crafting and scrap-booking techniques with viewers. By far this is the most important video I'll share with you that I did not create. If you feel like you are stuck in any area of your life you really need to watch Total Success Techniques.
This is presented by none other than the awesome Bob Proctor. I have watched, read, and learned from Bob for many years now. When I put his advice into action, I can see the results. Bob explains what the secret to life is and how to specifically achieve your goals. If you feel you already know what it is, see how yours stacks up against what one of the greatest teachers on success has to say by watching Bob's Video.

No Charge :)

Vee

P.S. If you've ever bought a personal-success product or book, only to have it gather dust on your shelf, this will really help you. I have seen a number of people teach these principles but to date this rates as the #1 Vee's Pick.

CropChocolate Design Team June Layout

2011-05-21T13:38:00.001-04:00

This month's theme is 'All About Me'. I needed that since this is the one person I rarely focus on in my pages. Here is my take shown on this two page layout. I decided to go with the musical notes and took liberty with the ME.

All papers and alphas are from Fancy Pants. The music notes are Recollections and the flowers --I can't recall.

This is the base paper used and I tried to mimic the lines of a staff although they get buried under the photos. I used the Martha Stewart Crown border punch.

Next, I added the photos after matting them to white card embossed with the TH Music Texture Fade Folder.

Both of the larger photos are cards with space underneath for hidden journaling and/or personal photos. I die cut the center and turned it around and glued it back into place to add a decorative element. The butterflies and leaves are from Mrs. Elizabeth's line. One opens to the left and the other to the right.

The remaining elements were added. The 'All About' are Making Memories flat sticker alphas and I matted them to black to bring them out a bit. Wanted to use my white Thickers but had packed them away.

These are photos of me over the years. Many taken at school and I never know quite what to do with the leftovers. Well, here they are!!! There are more small ones that will go inside the card...So how many looks can one person have? If you are judging by me....MANY!!! I love changing my look. The most recent photo is the one under the word Smart. It was taken in Feb/March of this year.

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to keep inking in the name of LOVE.
Until then.

CropChocolate Design Team May Layout

2011-05-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I wanted to share with you the project I created for CropChocolate. I had purchased one of their Basic Grey grab bags and grabbed the Obscure Collection. Can I say that this is the one I did NOT want? I had to find a way to be creative with it and make the collection work for me. This is what resulted.

I started by preparing my photos and their mats. I cut using the largest label and then drew around the outside of the die to get the layering mat. I roughed up the edges and used Walnut Stain Distress ink.

Three different Martha Stewart punches were used to add accents to the layout.

This is what it looked like prior to adding in the torn black cardstock. All of the other paper is Basic Grey.

The photos were layered on top of the black. I used a white pen to add stitch lines around the bottom of the photos and to write the date.

The letters are also from the collection and I added dots to one side of them just for a little bit of pizazz since it was sitting on the black and looking a bit dull.

I used the arrow on the right with the dots on the opposite side to push your eye back to the finished design.

This was definitely work for me on this one. I wanted to only feature the collection. On that note Mission Possible and Accomplished. I was so jazzed that I pulled five more photos that I plan to use for 2 two-page layouts using Obscure.

Until then.

An Empty Tomb

2011-04-24T10:50:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening to all and Happy Easter. Today is the day that we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. My son and I spent the evening last night watching the Ten Commandments. That has been a tradition of my family for many, many years. As each year passed and I watched again and again, I understood more and more about Jesus, suffering, and having the faith of a mustard seed.

Wanted to share with you a portion of a story that I lifted from Awesome Stories.com. If you do not subscribe to them you really should. Each month you are sent stories, clips, and video links from history. It is an Awesome resource. lol. The hot links will take you to photos, paintings, definitions, maps or video clips. Enjoy.

This chapter is An Empty Tomb

AN EMPTY TOMB

After Jesus was buried, religious leaders wanted to make sure no one stole his body. They went to Pilate and said:

We remember that while he was still alive the deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.

Pilate agreed to their demands.

"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

On Sunday morning, the first day of the week, some of the women went to look at the tomb. They found it empty, with the stone rolled away. The guards had been frightened "and became like dead men."
Calling some of the disciples, the women returned to the tomb. Mary Magdalene stayed behind when the others went back to their homes. Looking inside the tomb, she:

...saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’

Never expecting to see Jesus again, Mary Magdalene responds:

‘They have taken my Lord away...and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus.

Jesus asked her:

Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?

Thinking he was the gardener, she asked Him to tell her where the body was so she could retrieve it. Not until Jesus said,

"Mary,"

did she realize who He was.
Trying to touch Jesus, Mary Magdalene reached out for him. Jesus reproached her:

Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.

Further reading helps me to understand that Jesus had to ascend to Heaven so that the Comforter could come, The Holy Spirit. This is a day of rejoicing and celebration. If you are a believer, praise God, if not search your heart to find what it has to show you. If you invite God to enter into your life, He will. There is no way that you will be able to come in contact with the Lord, and remain the same.

Happy Easter and all praises unto the Risen King.

Until then.

More Simple and Easy Cards

2011-04-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone. I think I am on a roll here. I have been cranking out the cards lately. Made up a slew of them for Operation Write Home. I will share about that in a later post. This one will be a quickie.

Aren't they luscious? More of the American Crafts Cardstock and white embossed papers. I hit the one in the center with some Mustard Seed Distress Ink. Used some dew drops (solid colors) in the centers of the flowers. The musical ribbon is from Prima. Love these!!!!
Ok, here is another view.

I will add greetings as needed. These cards are still cute and machinable--- without having to be charged extra postage. The paper hiding out in the background is the Springtime Collection from Echo Park that I picked up from CropChololate.com.
Have fun making your own quick cards to have on hand for just about any occasion.
Until then.

Easter

2011-04-19T08:00:00.013-04:00

Easter this year will be a bit hard for me. It comes the day after my mother's birthday. For those of you new to my blog, my mom passed away in August of 2010 and my emotions are still very raw. I have been filling my time by crafting and learning more than I ever wanted to know about animals--dinosaurs in particular. My son went to see the Circus on Sunday with friends. He said that he wished they would have more entertainment and less animal acts. He said that way they won't have to take them from the wild where they belong. He has such a kind spirit and reminds me so much of my mom.

I sent out the following cards to family and friends for Easter. Written inside was a personal sentiment from me with the MS family Corner punch to give it a bit of pizazz. And a Spring picture of my son and me. I had six more that still needed to be assembled and they missed the photo shoot. One managed to sneak in without a tag.

These cards were a joy to create. Lots of layers and textures. The bunny is from Give a Hoot and the grass from Walk in My Garden. The animal print paper is American Crafts.

Had to incorporate some of my Martha Stewart punches and my Sakura stardust pens. The bunnies are all very sparkly.

Thanks for stopping by and don't be a stranger.
Until then.

Simple Cards

2011-04-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

This will be quick. Just wanted to share some cards that I made to have on hand for any occasion. I plan to stamp out lots of sentiments and cut them using some of my Spellbinder dies and attach the sentiment as needed.

The paper bottom is from American Crafts. The white pieces have made nice with a Sizzix folder. The fiber is Prima and the flowers and buttons are Making Memories Great Escape set. I did ink the flower petals just a bit.
Keep inking in the name of love.
Until then.

Using what you have

2011-04-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

This post is dedicated to using up what you have. I realized that I had been in a shopping frenzy...a bit of self imposed retail therapy if you will. Then I saw a video of a woman who was out of control with her shopping and placed myself on a strict diet: Use up what you have.

These are the result of my marbling technique. Love the Martha Stewart punch used on this one. Isn't that background awesome. All it took was a few different colors of Distress Inks and a fabulous embossing folder.

I love the way these turned out. I decided to stamp the same image on the background paper and spritzed with a bit of Glimmer Mist. I cut out the flowers, put them through various embossing folders, inked them and popped them up on foam dots. I used the Fiskars Threading Water punch on the bottom. Cute.

Keep on inking.

Until then.

Yes, Finally Spring

2011-04-14T21:54:00.000-04:00

Or at least I hope so. We had a day of 80ish stormy degrees and immediately dropped back to 59 and have been riding the low 60s all week. I am ever hopeful that Spring will spring. So to help me celebrate and get into the mood I made these two cards.

Nothing super complicated. I used an embossed background and swiped it with a variety of Distress Inks. I attempted a Roman Shade fold on the side panel using paper from the Echo Park Springtime collection. Need a bit more practice on that one. The birds are from a McGill punch and out of the EP paper and the ribbon is????? All of this is mounted to a brown card base.

This is another variation on the same card, except this time I used the stickers (bird, butterflies, and flower and leaves) from the EP Collection. I mounted the pieces on black paper and left a faint border around them to give them a bit of presence. Another inked embossed background and the same Fiskars punch. I felt that the flower was too heavy for the card and thought about removing it and adding a tree, but once down it stayed down. lol

All in all, I am still happy with it. It looks like Spring. Who wouldn't love it?

Until then.

Hello Spring

2011-04-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

I really hope to be able to earnestly say that in a few days. We are still below average temps for this time of year. I know the heat will be here soon enough, but I have had enough of old man winter.

Wanted to share with you a project I did for CropChocolate.com. It is the new Echo Park Springtime collection. I am falling deeply in love with the Echo Park papers. If you have not tried any of them, you are surely missing out.

This is the other side of the basket.

On the left are some of the papers I used. The template for this box is from a scrapping book. The original design required stitching but I used my Sakura glitter pen for that instead.

Next I cut some embellishments using the Easter 2010 Cricut Cart. I think the grass is from Walk in my Garden and not sure about the Bunny. I used my Gypsy so keeping track of what was used can be quite difficult. You can clearly see the difference in leaving them plain and using some embossing folders and ink to bring them to life. I used glossy accents on the Happy Easter.

The next are views from the side. I am planning on making a number of these to fill with Spring treats for visitors.

This was fun. Hope you enjoy my peek into Easter and into Spring. Have fun getting your fingers inky. In the Name of Love of course.
Until then.

Winner Giveaway #13

2011-03-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Thank you big time for playing along and leaving your comments. I feel like I have gotten to know most of you. lol

And a big congrats goes to comment number 4:

marla said...: What an awesome giveaway!! It would be great for using with layouts of my son and nephew!!; March 17, 2011 7:35 PM

Please send a shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com..

One more to post and then that is it until next year.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #8

2011-03-18T19:03:00.000-04:00

EDITED POST!!!!!EDITED POST!!!!!EDITED POST!!!!!EDITED POST!!!!!EDITED POST!!!!!

Since I did not hear from Atticelf by the deadline, giveaway #8 has been awarded to comment # 1 and she is numero uno too (lol):

Laney said...: Your giveaways just keep getting better what a wonderful Anniversary I hope you have had. Thanks for so many chances to win. Later Tater, Laneylaneyhollo@yahoo.com; February 27, 2011 12:30 AM

Laney, congratulations lady and thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. Please send a shipping addy to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com and your goodies will be on their way.

Thanks again everyone. Keep leaving those comments to win.
Until then.

**********************+++++++++++++++**************+++++++++++++++

Ok, I have gotten back my mo-jo...yeah, right...and was able to do two posts in ONE night. Yippee. So without any further blabbering, the Winner of Giveaway #8 is comment number SEVEN (as generated by Random.org):

Atticelf said...: I just found you via YouTube. Fantastic stuff! Thanks for sharing your creativity.; March 1, 2011 10:08 AM

So....send a shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com and I will get your goodies out to you without too much delay. lol

That's it for now...Gotta feed the kid. We just got in from Odyssey rehearsal. Afterward I am going to take some photos so that I can post the rest of the giveaways and do a bit of crafting. Yikes...can you believe it? I so feel like creating something.

I want to try the Water Marbling technique that Heather at The Paper Castle did on her YT vid. You can find all of the materials she used on her blog. Heather says she will try to post once a week so that we can learn right along with her.

Don't know about you but I plan to jump in with both feet. I am a technique junkie!!!!!

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #13--Closes 3/20

2011-03-17T12:00:00.003-04:00

This is sure to be a very lucky number for some one. Open to US Residents Only.

Here it is!!!! Quick and dirty and definitely for the boys!!!

I won't go into a lot of detail but the goodies runneth over. Check out the fabulous stamps, terrific 3-D stickers and fantastic fibers.

More stickers and embossed papers. I also put in some vellum quotes and black and white mat stacks.

So enter to win.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #12

2011-03-17T06:00:00.006-04:00

Happy St Patrick's Day!!! Hope you are wearing green!!!!

Ok, everyone, your comments have been absolutely awesome and I appreciate each and every one of you. I must say that I was over-joyed to have this number come up for this lovely comment. It was #2:

Teri "Terrific" said...: Thank you for yet another opportunity to win some fabulous products! You really know how to put a gift pkg together :D Happy Anniversary!; March 14, 2011 3:43 PM

Congratulations Terri--you are Terrific!!! Please send your shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com.

There is a new giveaway posted so check it out and please keep leaving those comments.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #11

2011-03-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

This is definitely Where the Boys Are...well, scraping stuff for them anyway. Again, thanks to everyone who left a comment. The winner this time was comment #2:

gardener said...: Love the giveaways. Have been into black and white lately, so this would fit in quite well. I usually agonize over masculine anything and this would really help. Thanks; March 11, 2011 2:13 PM

Congratulations!!! Please send a shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com. There is still a giveaway open with two more to go. The final one...for the girls, will be posted by this weekend.

A big thank you to all of you. I love doing this and plan to have at least one a month starting in April. Keep the comments rolling for your chance to win.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #10

2011-03-15T08:04:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all. Meant to get this posted last night but after getting in from a scouts meeting, I was all tuckered out. Plus I filmed some more Veedios and decided to break them down into three short ones. If you have not checked out the latest one, you can see it here.

On to the winner. It was comment number #6:

SlomoMom said...: Would love this giveaway, have 2 granddaughters graduations still to scrap, would really come in handy. Thanks for the opportunity to win.; March 12, 2011 12:19 AM

Congratulations!!!! Have fun creating those graduation pages. I get knots in the pit of my belly just thinking about that. Those kids do grow up pretty quickly. Which is why I am trying to savor and preserve every memory that I can.

Please send a shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com and I will get your treats into the post by the weekend.

I am hoping that I can hear from everyone who won by then, so that one trip will suffice. Please remember to leave comments on the remaining open giveways.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #12--Closes 3/16

2011-03-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Yup, men rule, women drool. Oh, c'mon, don't hate 'cuz we know who's in charge the other 364. So, let them have their day. With that said, I must add the official disclaimer. Open to US Residents only.

Here is today's eye candy.

Doesn't this look yummy. I won't go into all of the details, just click on the image to make it larger.

There is a two minute memory for Dad and some male embellies.A few black and white mats and some blank cards and envies.

The soccer stickers are 3-D and there is a set of bowling stickers.

Some more awesome journaling tags, fiber, and a set of those ornament hooks.

Leave a comment and yours just might be the lucky one. Do it for the boys...
Until then.

Winner Giveaway #9

2011-03-13T13:09:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am on top of my game today. I arose with the chickens this morning and have been a busy bee since then. Thanks to everyone who left a comment to win this giveaway. Normally, I will drop the numbers into Random.org, but after reading through them all I can tell you I was tickled pink with this comment:

vera said...: Why you have got to pick me: We both have the nickname "Vee", we both have a son on whom we dote, we both love to paper craft, this giveaway is the perfect set to make something special for my husband for our 40th anniversary this year, and I love your work and tutorials so much that I've downloaded most of them for later viewing! LOL.; March 12, 2011 7:19 AM

So, I took creative license and awarded this giveaway to Ms. Vera--I am sure you all understand.

Congratulations, Vee!!! You know the drill. Send a shipping address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com.

I still have three more to post and one will be a girly, girl set to make up for not using Random on this one. Also, if you won one of the past giveaways, everything went postal on Saturday.

Still waiting to hear from Atticelf. If she does not claim her prize by Wednesday 3/17 I will draw another winner.
Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #11--Closes 3/14

2011-03-10T20:15:00.005-05:00

It's raining stuff for men and you can get yours here. Only thing is you gotta leave a comment. Before we start scooping I must add the Official Disclaimer: Open to US residents only.

What's pouring down for the guys you ask? Feast your peepers on these goodies.

A few of my favorite things have been included in this set. Fibers, stickers, chipboard stickers, two wooden stamps, an acrylic one, some oval metal pieces, and the clear frame overlays.

I had a lot of these black and white journaling tags purchased for a black and white swap and decided to include some. They come on a 12x12 sheet so I have punched them out. You will need to cut or file off the little nibs they leave behind. Buried underneath everything are some of the Making Memories mat stacks in black and white.

Please leave your comment to win.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #10--Closes 3/13

2011-03-09T20:05:00.008-05:00

Don't let the 13 fool you, today could be your lucky day. But you have to be in it to win it. Another official disclaimer: Open to US residents only, sorry.

On to the good stuff.

This one pays homage to Grads. You will find some more of the acetate overlays, a small car punch and a blue mini with ribbons, tags, quotes, etc., and a few fibers.

Let me just say that this set of Graduation stamps is very versatile. You will also find some vellum character quotes and a Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress Ink Pad.

It is hard photographing white paper so I hope this picture does it justice.

Please leave your comment for a chance to win.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #9--Closes 3/12

2011-03-08T20:04:00.002-05:00

Let's hear it for the boys...the men in our lives that is. As promised I am back with another giveaway. This one will be quick and short. One disclaimer though. This giveaway will only be open to US Residents. With that said here are the goodies.

There are 3-D stickers and chipboard pieces. Also a craft knife in yellow and a doggy stamp.

Lots of yummy goodness in this one featuring some fabulous acetate overlays in brown. A handful of fibers including some hemp cording and vellum character quotes included.

As has been my habit I have thrown in a few sheets of embossed white Wausau papers. Please leave your comment to be eligible to win.
Until then.

Vacation/Travel Project

2011-03-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I know...I know... I found and lost my Mo-Jo all on the same day. Seriously, my DS was in Odyssey of the Mind and because of the closings for snow, they had to have some marathon rehearsals last week--some as long as three hours. His team presented on Saturday (all day affair) and was quite good. Then there were big Boy Scout doings. To say that I am bit tired is an understatement.

Through it all I did manage to get my Design Team project completed for CropChocolate.com. The theme was Vacation/Travel. I went through my stash and found these pictures from 2006. It is harder scrapping pages for showing since I try not to include anyone else who might have been with us. Not everyone wants their faces splashed out for the world to see. The same goes for my journaling. On the public pages I usually won't put it in plain site. Mostly I save it for the companion page or hide it behind a photo. Please note that I do record some memories of the event.

I submitted this page using the Basic Grey Lime Rickey collection and from Making Memories-Great Escape and Travel.

Papers used:

A few of the embellishments:

Views from a few other angles:

Here I used the highway sign but only inked the edges of the stamp so that I could write on the inside. The buttons are tied with hemp cording.

I used the Martha Stewart loops PATP, Spellbinders oval and beaded oval dies. The alphas are from the BG set. This was quick and I did not load all of the photos nor explanations that I wanted to. This will have to do it justice for now.

Please check back later tonight or tomorrow morning. I have not forsaken my giveaways, I think I have 3-4 more. Pictures are taken and I just need to get them posted.

As always thanks for stopping by and keep inking, in the name of love.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #7

2011-03-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I have been a bit slow at getting it together on my end. Life just kept popping up in the most unexpected of places. Thanks to all of you eagle eyes out there on my Feb. 29th. See how much help I need from all of you...I cannot keep the days straight. lol

On to what you have been waiting to find out....the winner of Giveaway #7 is comment numero Uno:

Tcee said...: You put together the most fantastic sets..!!! and if I have not told you lately..you! are one fantastic lady.; February 24, 2011 9:11 AM

Thank you Tcee for that awesome comment and right back at you!!!

You know the drill. Send an email to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com and I will get your prize package out to you asap.

If you have not won to date, no worries, I have 3-4 more giveaways to post. I was out shopping this past weekend and went a bit overboard. I am excited to share this treasure trove with you.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #8--Closes 3/1

2011-02-26T20:00:00.001-05:00

Only a couple of more days left in the month. You still have a few more chances to have your number come up. Try your luck on this one.

It is a smorgasbord of goodies. I've broken this one down to three pics for easier viewing.

Another cute mini with ribbons, buttons, tags, eyelets, quotes, etc. This one is in brown and perfect for the man in your life. The paper to is all from the Bo Bunny collections. Some more of those ornament hooks and a box of chipboard. I have this also (surprise, surprise) and I LOVE it!

Next up are some clear stamps and that fabulous corner punch that I used on my Postcard Challenge entry. I got the bird one for a special project, but it is on the back burner for now. He just looks like Spring to me.

Finally, some vellum quotes, adhesive flowers and a small bag o' minis. Oh, yes, some more white embossed papers. Lots of T!m Holtz and Basic Grey ones. Picked up a few weekend before last and thought I would share. Please leave a comment and expect to see two more posts to win.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #6

2011-02-26T19:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has left such lovely comments. The men in our lives are coming up so stay tuned.

A big congratulations to our newest winner. This stash of goodies goes to comment #3:

gardener said...: Wow, you've done it again. Really great blog candy. Thanks for the chance to win.; February 21, 2011 8:32 PM

Please send a snail mail address to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com so that you can get into the fling of Spring.

Another giveaway should post next hour. Good Luck everyone.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #5

2011-02-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. I know I have been a bit tardy in posting the winner of #5 Anniversary Candy. When I went to upload more pics for numbers 9 & 10 I was informed by blogger that I had reached my storage limit. Huh? You mean there is one. Well, I was thinking that I do a lot of pictures, but no way I have reached 1GB. I can purchase a storage upgrade for $5 a year.

Thinking back, I do recall hitting a button and it downloaded all of my pictures (the ones in that folder to Picasa). Now, I am over in Picasa (pics not public) trying to delete those not found on my blog. Once I delete them, they are gone unless I upload them again. Tedious at best, but has to be done.

While considering and researching other avenues for my blog, I did not get a chance to post the winner. Here is the lucky comment generated by Random.org:

jperr said...: Great giveway.Please pick me.Jocelan; February 19, 2011 8:29 PM

You know the drill. Send a snail mail addy to bouchee2003 @ gmail dot com, and I will get that right out to you.

Please keep commenting and checking back through the end of the month.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #7--Closes 2/27

2011-02-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone. We are in the homestretch now. Here again with another anniversary blog giveaway. I think you are going to like this one, too.

This is a great idea book from Memory Makers. If you are like me Quick & Easy is right up my alley.

The book will give you all kinds of examples for using this GIRL acrylic album and the Heidi Grace stamps, rub-on stitches and some adhesive flowers.

I could not resist throwing in this handful of fibers. I don't get to use fibers much but do love them a lot. There are also some Vellum Baby Girl and Character quotes included.

As always, I have added a smattering of embossed papers on Wausau white card stock. Several of them are the Tim Holtz Postcards and Musical Notes folders. Some from Basic Grey also. I am just loving the new folders. It is difficult to photograph white. I just could not seem to get the angle right. Trust me--they are gorgeous even though the postcard one is upside down on my picture.

Please be sure to check back to see if you are a winner and keep leaving a comment on any open giveaway.
Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #6--closes 2/25

2011-02-21T12:00:00.007-05:00

We are coming into the home stretch. I want to take this chance to say thanks again to everyone who visits my blog. I try to keep it interesting, informative, creative and a fun place to hang out. Thank you so much for the Anniversary wishes. It is my prayer that we can do this again next year. As you know I drop the number of comments into Random.org and have it generate a winner. That is why I say that you can win again. If your number comes up...it is a Good thing...lol.

On to today's treat. This one honors Moms and Grand moms. The snowpersons are there because the punch was at my elbow and well you know paper and punch and there you are. I will also include some heralding angels and trees...all done on white Wausau cardstock. These will be perfect for spritzing/stamping on or putting through an embossing folder and distressing the raised edges with ink.

I have included another 2 minute memory of 10 things I love about...(grandma) and some adhesive-backed flowers.
This is some of the luxurious Anna Griffin Ribbon. Two of each color is included.

Mother's Day will be upon us before we know it. The stamp set is one that I used on a four-sided card that I made for my Mom. You can see it HERE. I've also included some sweet vellum sayings to use for letting the Moms in our lives know how special they truly are to us.

I've also put in some more embossed papers and some rain dots.

Good luck to everyone and keep checking back through the end of the month.
Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #5--closes 2/23

2011-02-19T17:00:00.001-05:00

Hello my friends. I am at it again. Had a minor setback mid-week and was not able to post the next giveaway on the 17th as planned. I will make up for that. Someone is going to be very lucky out there.

On to this giveaway. Feast your eyes on the prize.

So here's the breakdown of what is included. Of course there are some embossed papers and an assortment of card blanks and envies...hidden just above the papers is a Sakura (Flamingo Pink) pen.

On to this awesome set of acrylic stamps that are just perfect for spring cards and layouts.

Next is this cute little 10 Things I love about my....mini booklet (daughter). The pages count down to the end and are blank and ready for your embellishing.

I've also included some fibers and metal art plates.

Finally, some flowers and butterflies. Can you tell that I am so ready for Spring?

We are experiencing huge wind gusts today--as much as 50 mph. I want it out of the way so that when those first tender shoots start to force their way through the soil, they will stand a chance of survival.

Aaah Spring and Summer: My most favorite times of the year.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #4

2011-02-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

And the lucky comment was #6...

Laura {aka scrapaddict} said...: Vee, another fun bunch of goodies!! It all looks like some fun playtime!!....lol!; February 16, 2011 12:07 AM

Congratulations, Laura. Hit me up at bouchee2003@gmail dot com to let me know where to ship your treats.

Please keep commenting on every open Giveaway post. You can win more than once.

A new giveaway will be posted later today (Saturday) and again on Monday...through the end of February....so stay tuned.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #3

2011-02-17T08:24:00.001-05:00

Ladies, this is fabulous!!! We have a new winner of the gorgeous Orange set and the winner is comment #2.

Susan B. said...

love the bright colored flowers and funky fibers.
February 12, 2011 11:59 AM

Congratulations, Susan. Please send your shipping address to bouchee2003@ gmail dot com.

Please continue to leave comments for the giveaways. There are at least four more to come.
Until then.

Postcard Challenge

2011-02-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I know this has absolutely nothing to do with my anniversary or the giveaways, but I wanted to share my entry for Kathy's February Postcard Challenge.

I am not a real shabby-chic kind of person, so admittedly this was a challenge for me. I wanted her to be soft and floaty. This was about as close to that as I could get. The image is from Inkadinkado and stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and heat embossed. The rest was done using Distress Inks and a water pen.

After finishing the card I felt that she needed stickles, bling or something. I added one rhinestone and stickled the straps of the luggage and the scarf on her hat. I did have some awesome fibers to use but could not see where I could have put them.

Anyway, this was my entry. I will try her again but with some different techniques. What those will be at the moment, I don't know. Oh, by the way, the corner punch that I used on this card is in one of the future giveaways. I love it!!!

It is lovingly inked.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #2 Announced

2011-02-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who left comments. The winner for Giveaway #2 is comment #10

Virginia Schuyler Waddy said...

Would love to be a winner the giveaways are really great. vswaddy620@yahoo.com

February 12, 2011 4:56 PM

Congratulations Schuyler, please send your shipping address to bouchee2003@ gmail dot com.

I made cards to send out to the winners and thought that I would share a few of them here. They are all on the same theme but with a different twist. I only used four sheets of paper DCWV mat stacks --made 9 cards and still have lots left over.

The base is some brown card that I picked up at Mike's after Christmas. Some open book style and some open as a lift up. It is the Recollections paper and from what I understand, the red packs are on sale for close to a buck.

Just wanted to share these quick cards with you. Have a few more to make as there are still other giveaways open and more to come. Please be sure to leave a comment on each one.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #4--Closes 2/18

2011-02-14T05:00:00.062-05:00

I feel like we are on a roll. We are rolling right up to Giveaway #4. Can I just say that I am having a blast. It was fun putting these together and trying to send a variety of items your way. While looking for things I kept seeing this box just sitting there. I removed the lid to see what was inside and wouldn't you know it. Treasures. Ready? Here goes.

I might as well confess that I love this book. I have always admired people who were able to do this and make it look so effortless. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it and grabbed one as a gift for a fellow crafter.

Here are a few of the inside pages. Once I master the technique, I hope to make a couple of Vee-dios showcasing some of her awesome designs.

I absolutely love these acrylic albums. You can purchase the papers that go with them, but if you are like me, you have more than enough paper to do the trick.

I have also added in some more embossed papers in white so that you can ink and spritz to your hearts desire.

These flowers are adorable and I have included six of them. Can we say luscious? Yes.

Additionally some more card blanks and envelopes. Finally, I could not send this off without some vellum quotes and an acrylic stamp.

Thanks for visiting and commenting to win. This giveaway closes on February 18th. Remember to check back for the next giveway.

Until then.

Winner Giveaway #1 Announced

2011-02-13T11:57:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read correctly, we have a winner and it was comment #11:

Love to scrap Lyndra said...
: Copngratulation on your anniversary. Those are great giveaways. Thanks for the chance to win. dbjb1519 at yahoo dot com; February 10, 2011 8:02 AM

Congratulations, Lyndra. Please send an email to--bouchee2003@gmail dot com letting me know where to ship your goodies.

There are still other giveaways open and more to come. Please be sure to leave a comment on each one.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #3--Closes 2/16

2011-02-12T05:00:00.003-05:00

First, I want to say thank you again for visiting my blog and second, for your well wishes for my son and me. I still have an every now and then cough. His was a bit more serious. The cold led to an inner ear infection. The doctor thought he heard a bit of crackling in his left lung so a round of antibiotics for him. I knew when his cough went from dry to wet and running a slight fever that it was serious. We went in on Friday morning and working to get him back to one hundred percent. He has definitely gotten back his appetite and energy--as if he could lose that.

Without further ado, on to Giveaway #3. This one is mostly about the primary colors. When I was pulling for this all of the items jumped out at me at once; it struck me how they all somehow just went together.

Let's start with the orange acco bound mini album with buttons, ribbons, tags, etc. Isn't the Fiskars orange craft blade cute?

There are also some primary funky fibers and a darling little acrylic beach stamp set.

Of course I had to add some embossed sheets of paper. It is a variety of Cuttlebug and Sizzix folders.

I am including a smattering of flowers. The metal charms are Kimberly Hodges--no longer available from K&Co. but you can win them here.

Please leave a comment to win this cute little bundle and check back for another Anniversary Giveaway #4!!! You still have time to enter giveaway # 2, it closes February 14th. Please see the previous post.

Until then.

Anniversary Giveaway #2--Closes 2/14

2011-02-10T05:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone and thank you for all of your awesome comments. It is that time again. Anniversary Blog Candy Giveaway #2. Please leave a comment to have this lovely little stash delivered to you.

This giveaway offers a pop-up tree punch from EK Success, a cute dog in the stocking rubber stamp, and a sample of Studio G cards and envelopes.

There are three acrylic stamps--Thanks Cornucopia, Trick or Treat, and a Good Morning Beach Shell. A sheet of raindrops and five sheets of Vellum sayings from Studio 112.

I have also added some embossed papers on Wassau. They are Sizzix and Give a Hoot.

The yellow packet is a mini album with ribbons, tags, brads, buttons and eyelets.

This giveaway will close on February 14th. Please leave your comment. And as always thanks for visiting. You still have time to enter the giveaway that ends on February 12th so please see the previous post.

Until then.

Anniversay Giveaway #1--Closes 2/12

2011-02-08T12:38:00.002-05:00

Hello Bloggers. Thanks for visiting with me again. I really had some special plans for the second anniversary of my blog. Alas, I was ill and then my son became ill and there you go. The best intentions and all of that. I had wanted to do something at my 100 followers mark, but it came and went in a flash. Thank you for that.

I do want to thank those of you who do follow my blog and leave your lovely comments. It really means a lot. Initially, I was going to do a huge blog candy giveaway. Changed my mind and have decided to spread the love around by doing a few smaller giveaways.

Here is the first giveaway.

So please be sure to check back and leave a comment on all of the giveaways to increase your chances of winning. I will put the numbers in Random.org to pick winners.

A closer view of some of the goodies. I embossed some Wassau white cardstock using the Provo Craft Cuttlebug folder that matches Give a Hoot. The one with the animals embosses so deeply that I had to place a piece of copy paper in with the folder to keep from tearing the design.

That did happen on the first two I did, so I will simply cut those apart and use them as separate embellishments on a page or card.

Here is a close up of some of the fun clear stamps I put in this one. I want a variety of items in each set. The Life's journey discs are metal. K&Co. no longer sells these and I love them. I am also including some of the ornament hooks that Yoliebean from YouTubeLast but not least is the Snowflake border punch from Fiskars. If you have seen any of my Vee-dios had us all go and purchase. I need to check back to see what was done with them. In case you like it, here are some for you. using the border punches, you are going to have fun with this one.

Also included is one of the 10 things I love about my....family member. This one is Son and is a mini book. The pages inside are blank. I used to sell this as a kit and might offer the leftovers I have here on my blog and make a special Vee-dio showing how I put mine together. There are some boy charms and three card and envelope samples from Studio G.

Please leave a comment. I want to give away these things. I have containers of items that are duplicates or that were purchased especially for giveaways. Help me pare down my space. For now, this is only open to US residents--due to high shipping costs. This giveaway ends on February12th.

Until then.

Grow Love

2011-02-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

Happy February Everyone.

How many more months until spring? Mmmm. Maybe a countdown to Spring calendar with the days going from winter designs to spring ones? I think I will leave that for next year.

Well, this will be a quick post as I have been under the weather for the better part of last week. As a member of the CropChocolate.com design team, our February Challenge was a love theme. This is what I produced.

I had wanted to glitter and stickle the hearts and just bling it up. Most of the prep was done before I got ill. It was assembling the entire thing that proved most daunting.

The paper line is from one of my favorites: Fancy Pants.
I cut a number of hearts from various Cricut Cartridges. Some were stamped on and some left blank. Glimmer Mist was spritzed for a bit of sparkle and shine.

I used the Spellbinder Scalloped hearts die and cut them on white paper. They were inked with Distress Inks and hole punched on each scallop with a 1/16th inch punch. On the back of some of the white ones, I wrote love notes to my son.

I cut and tied miniature bows for the hearts and the branches.

The hearts below were backed with one of the chocolate pieces and the hanging ribbon enclosed on the inside.

Next step was to decorate the bucket. I used a Recollections border punch. Adhered the bottom paper layer and then added a layer of lacey ribbon.

Two love pieces were cut and used to hide the seams where the sides joined.

The final step was to decorate the tree. I printed out my own Vee-sim for one side of the topper and 1 Corinthians 13:12.

Thanks for stopping by. Sorry that I was unable to go into more detail. It took a lot of energy for me to post this, but I wanted to share my project.

Trying to get myself well.
Until then.

Soups On!!!

2011-01-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

Well, Chicken Pot Pie anyway. You know what I mean. Dinner is ready. Since my darling, wonderful son will eat chicken sparingly, I try to ply him with as much as I can with one of his favorites: Pot Pie!!! Not the grocery store ones; he won't touch those. Only the ones made by mommy and that has the delicious crust. Doesn't it look yummy?

I thought I would share my preparations with you for my semi-homemade Chicken Pot Pie. I take a lot of help from the grocery store. These are some of the ingredients:

Here is how it all came together. I start out by heating my Crockpot and putting in about three tablespoons of butter. (If you are using boned chicken with the skin on--use only 1 tablespoon of butter.) Mine is set to high, I normally do low and allow the meat to simmer for a few hours and I don't have to turn it.

Then I add some salt and pepper to the bottom of the pot.

Next I add in the fresh veggies and another layer of seasonings. This will allow all of that goodness to cook up into the chicken taking lots of flavoring with it.

My seasonings are simple...a bit of Kosher salt and this time Lemon/ Pepper seasoning. Two large skinless and boneless chicken breast are laid atop the seasonings and more salt and pepper is added to the top.

Depending on how fast your pot cooks, put the lid on and set the timer for one hour. Prick the breast with the tines of a fork and turn so that the other side can get a nice bath in the liquid that has accumulated.

The aroma is intoxicating and the combination of the butter, onions and peppers makes it smell like you really know what you are doing. Basically, it gives support to the term comfort food.

Now is the time to prep your frozen Vegetables. I take my help where I can get it.

Since I do not want to drastically lower the temp of the pot by adding ice cold veggies, I pour them up in a plate to allow them to thaw a bit. You could cook them in the Cream of and add it hot, but I prefer not to. I like for my veggies to soak up the broth from the chicken so that everything is nicely flavored.

After the chicken has cooked through-- this is about another 60-90 minutes depending on your Crock pot--and created more liquid, remove the breast and allow to cool enough to dice. Make sure you replace the lid to keep the temperature of the pot hot while you prep the chicken.

Return the chopped meat back to the crock pot and add in the semi-thawed vegetables. Mix well and allow the flavors to blend for about 15 minutes.

Now you are ready for what I call the real goodness. The Cream of...I am using some leftover Cream of Mushroom that I had from another pasta dish and adding to it the Cream of Chicken. I prefer the Campbell's brand but this one was on sale. You can tell the difference by color of the cream. Mix well using gentle turning motions of the spatula or large spoon.

Allow that to meld together for as long as you like. I wait until mine starts to bubble--which in this pot does not take long. We need to get ready to fill our pies. I am using a store brand but prefer the Pet Ritz Deep Dish pies as the crust is flakier and really simulates homemade. I have made my own before, but when pressed for time, I take help from others. You will need one egg to create a wash for the top crust. Go ahead and preheat your oven and cookie sheet to 400 degrees.

Take one of the pies and remove the rim with a sharp knife. Lay it to the side as you will use it on the topping.

For the other crust, fill it with your chicken mixture. Be careful not to overfill. My two breasts created enough for two pies.

Take the shaved crust and turn it face down on top of your pie.

The heat from the mixture will cause the dough to soften and fall. Of course I let mine get too soft because I had to get the camera. Doesn't hurt it a bit. Just makes it look more homemade. Press it down onto your pie and add the cut off strip.

Next comes the egg wash. Reserve just the whites from one egg and add a couple of drops of water. Whisk together but not hard enough to form peaks.

Brush this all over the exposed crusts of your pie.

Wrap the edges in foil to prevent the crust from burning or browning too quickly. Place a few slits into the top of the crust to allow the steam and heat to escape.

Place your pie on the cookie sheet and bake for about an hour and a half or until the pie bubbles and the crust browns.

That is how I prepare my semi-homemade Chicken Pot Pie. You can cut down the steps by cooking the meat for one hour and adding the veggies for the second hour. Then add your Cream of and spoon it into your pie crust and bake. Also makes a great make ahead meal. It will require a bit longer in the oven for the filling to become piping hot.

My son loves it and will eat two slices. I pair it with a fruit salad and some ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert. The ultimate home cooked meal that does not keep me in the kitchen all day.

Enjoy!!!

Until then.

It's Really Cold Outside

2011-01-26T18:38:00.004-05:00

Chilly is an understatement. It is really cold outside and with the snow swirling around is also very beautiful. This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

We had school off today as a snow day. The better part of the day was not too bad. Then around 3:00pm I heard the sleet start to hit the window panes. Shortly thereafter it turned to the fluffy white stuff.

I cleaned snow from my car twice but it was a losing battle so I grabbed my camera instead and snapped a few snowy photos.

Hope to be back later this week with some fun projects for you.

Until then.

Winter Challenge

2011-01-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. Just wanted to drop in to post a very late entry I did for my group's Winter Challenge. The base for the card has been done since like July...Yikes!!! I stamped it prior to sending off a set of acrylic stamps for our stamp swap. I knew that I wanted to do something with the stamp set but wasn't sure what it would be. This is an extra that was stamped using Momento Dew Drops.

Here is the finished card.

I used colored pencils and wanted to blend using some Sansodor but could not find my stumps. Funny thing is I had them three days prior. That is what happens once you organize yourself; you cannot find any of your things. lol. The background was created using some DCWV paper and a Cuttlebug folder. I like that the DCWV paper has a white core. Since the folder embossed deeply the white gives it a nice wintry look. If I were to do this card again, I would stamp some more branches along the edge of the page to give the illusion of a tree by not inking the owl.

I used enamel accents on the owl and a few of the snowflakes. The berries are Liquid Pearls. I hear that there is a new and improved version. How can the best get better? Don't you just love technology?

In case you have not heard, I am coming up on my second blog anniversary. Would love to give away some blog candy so be sure to check back often.

Until then.

Punch and Acetate Projects

2011-01-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I hope your day went well and that your evening will only get better. As promised here are a couple of mock-ups that I did using the techniques from the past few Vee-dios. These won't go out to anyone as each has its own flaw, but they make great samples to work from.

This first one uses the Martha Stewart Corner punch to go around an oval or circle. I just adore the Iron Gate. The quote is from a set of Miss Elizabeth's stickers from the Dollar Tree and is mounted onto one of the Nestability labels cut from watercolor paper. The floral stamp is from Heidi Swapp, I think.

The next two cards combine the border punch with the alcohol acetate technique. I did put the piece through the Cuttlebug with a Sizzix die and then swiped the raised portions with Purple Staz-On.The journaling circle is from 3 Birds Sticky Sparkly letters and shapes.

The final one is using the alcohol inked acetate to make some flowers from a Sizzix die. I layered one on white and two on black. It totally changes the look of the flowers. I attempted to use Perfect Pearls around the center, but even after setting them, it still pulled away from the acetate. I should look for some heat embossable acetate. Anyway, I like how they turned out. The stamp is from Hero Arts and the brads are Hot Off the Press and the punch is Martha Stewart Daisy border punch. As for the paper, did you have to ask? Fancy Pants of course.

Thanks again for stopping by. I realized last night that my two year blog anniversary is fast approaching. Watch this space for some exciting events.
Until then.

Acetate and Alcohol Inks

2011-01-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

I feel my mojo coming back. My crafting has been up and down as of late. The motivation is there but the energy has been lacking. I realized that I had not been taking my multivitamins. If you are of a certain age…you really cannot go without doing that for long. If you are of that certain age and are not taking any…GET SOME. It will feel like a new lease on life.

Once you get that energy, you might want to give this technique a try.

Heather at The Paper Castle posted a challenge to our group to use Alcohol Inks and Acetate. Since I had already done a lot of that on my Zentangle Reloaded, I needed to push the envelope a bit further.

Tim Holtz did this technique with glossy paper, alcohol, inks and canned air. I thought why not acetate? That is exactly what I did. I am showing the results here but the Vee-dio is embedded at the end of the post.

Materials needed:

Alcohol Inks

Cut down your acetate if desired.

Blending solution is great to have on hand for over sprays as this is a great cleaner for Alcohol Inks.

The madness in progress.

This is how the piece came together while using the Pearl Mixative. I am sure that against a dark background those pearlized lightened inks will really pop.

I have great ideas for these pieces and the others I made once I stopped filming. I mean how many times do you want to see someone spritzing a sheet of acetate? I promise that I will post the finished results.That is also added to my to do list.

I will use the embossing folders/texture plates and then Heather suggested hitting the high spots with a bit of Staz On. I like how she thinks.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I have been up to lately. I had a blast doing what I love most---playing around with inks. If you have not explored the many uses for your inks, what are you waiting on? Crack them open and get inky.

Until then.

Corner Punch TKO

2011-01-16T11:50:00.005-05:00

This was to be my final bout with the punches--hence the TKO. Just as I finished uploading that Vee-dio another idea popped into my head. I am hoping I can get it done. In all fairness I had to place it on my list because there were a few things ahead of it. Vee-dio is embedded below if you have not seen it.

Below are just a few examples of some of the things I did with the corner punches on the 4 ¼ x 5 ½ pieces of paper.

I went into my container of folders and just randomly selected a few. As you will notice, several of them were done without getting the embossing on the punched pieces. I will share how to do that at a later date. I did not think to show that while doing the Vee-dio and then it came to me later. Again, I had to put it on the list.

Now on to making the strips. This same method would work on a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock cut into strips. It takes just a small amount of measuring to ensure that your punches are even and accurate.

This was cut at 2 inches wide with 1 inch spacing.

This strip was cut at 2 ¼ inches wide with 1 inch spacing.

Here you can compare them side by side. It still amazes me how much difference a quarter of an inch makes. Lol.

The same treatment was done with the Double Loops corner punch. The measurements are 2 ¼ inches wide and punched every 1 inch.

Another comparison between two strips both cut at 2 inch widths. The one on the left was eyeballed and you can clearly see what happened. Whereas, the strip to the right was measured for one inch spacing.

By simply putting in a bit of work in the beginning you will certainly reap the rewards in the end. If you know you want to do a lot of strips, mark your paper first and then cut it to the desired widths. I love how the Layered Arch punch turned out. Cool.

My final punch was the new Heartbeat from Martha Stewart. I can really see using the strip technique on this one and wrapping it around a box of chocolates. That strip along with the leftover confetti sprinkled on would be awesome.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope I was able to help you look at your punches in a new way. I love punching and embossing in white because I can make it whatever color I want it to be. Try this same technique on patterned paper and I am sure you will be just as pleased. Do me a favor and add a bit of ink here and there.

Until then.

Corner Punched Borders

2011-01-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone. I promise that this might be my last punches post. I have gotten carried away with the concepts. After filming the circle grid Vee-dio I used the scraps and started punching lines.

Here is the finished result.

When I saw what was resulting from it, I fell in love with my punches all over again.

Below is a comparison of the regular border punch vs the corner punch.

If you would like to see the brief Vee-dio, I have posted it here.

This would look great on patterned paper also. Just think about all of those awesome lovingly inked edges. My only word of caution would be to ink the paper prior to punching.

Until then.

Those blasted punches again

2011-01-06T19:54:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. I just cannot seem to let it go. Once I got started with the corner and border punches, I was like a dog with a bone. In my quest to punch the perfect circle I went searching for a template.******note the original template has been removed. Paprluvr on YT found this one. It is from Florida's Educational Technology Clearing house ****** I found this one at the CDC. My search also resulted in many illustrations of the Arctic Circle showing lines of latitude and longitude. This was perfect for what I wanted to do. After resizing the template using the format picture--I printed out a few copies on 8.5 x 11 paper.

The next thing was to place my circle on the grid to note the size. I punched a template for myself and noted the number of degrees it covered by pacing it on the cut circle's outer circumference.

That determined how many times I could punch around the circle.

I made about an inch and a half mark around the circle on the correct number of degrees and then punched. (Please forgive my typo that I did not catch!)

I was expecting great results but was still surprised with the outcome. Even the extra bits are symmetrical.

I am sure other corner punches would work just as well. So long as you are able to see through the punch for alignment.

Here are a few more stills of my punches.

If you have not seen the Vee-dio; you can watch it here.

Don't forget to pull out your stamps and ink and shade with love to your heart's desire. Until then.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T19:41:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Wow, it is officially 2011. Way back in the late nineteen hundreds (sounds like eons ago) Prince was singing about 1999-2000. Well, we hit and surpassed that mark by 11 years.

Do you recall the fears that were spread during that time: Computer crashes and glitches, ATM machines unable to process requests, widespread blackouts, water shortage, etc., simply because of the 00 digits.

I know several people who purchased generators and tanks of water and stockpiled food. Me, I went out and brought the New Year in right. God says, I have not given you the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

So, last night I was ringing in 2011 by playing around with the Tim Holtz Distress Inks while watching Laura’s UStream –Following the Paper Trail. Guess what? We had a special visitor…T!m himself. He only stayed for about 10 minutes, but it was great having him pop in. There I was busily working with his inks, serendipitous for sure. With that in mind, I thought I’d provide a bit of eye candy for you.

Aren’t they luscious? I could just eat them. Please keep in mind that this is just a sampling of the colors. Sadly, I do not own all of them.

I really love using these inks, but sometimes it is hard to ascertain which colors are needed for a particular project, especially with the Blues.

I finally broke down and made some color swatches for myself. I am going to punch out some of my corner punches to help with my record keeping. I used the Black Soot on this Holly Leaves corner bunch. Why? Because it was at my elbow. lol. I did three of them trying to see how dark I could go with the saturation. Holly Leaves--light, square to the left--medium and the one on top of the pad--darker.

Don’t ask me how, but somehow I would up with two Scattered Straw pads. I am glad as I like that color.

Each piece started life as a white 2x2 card and I used the Inkssentials tool and blending foam to color them.

The Tattered Rose and Milled Lavender are probably the lowest on my list of well-liked colors followed closely by Shabby Shutters, too soft for me.

My faves: Vintage Photo, Chipped Sapphire, Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Stormy Sky, and Peeled Paint. Yum-O!!! Can I sneak in Antique Linen and Old Paper? Really liking it with the Martha Stewart Iron Gate Punch. The two marry well.

Just wanted to pop in and help you ruin your resolve to not shop as much this year…lol. If I told you about my last year purchases I would have to take you hostage. Keep inking and thinking with love.

Until then.

Happy Almost New Year's Eve

2010-12-30T16:44:00.002-05:00

Can you believe that we are just a few days away from 2011? Ouch, kinda hurts to type that. The years are zooming past. I think I want time to move a little slower or somehow add more hours to the day. How about a thirty hour day? I would LOVE that. Now, that would make the years move a bit slower.

I am pretty sure you are not impressed by my time challenges since we all face them. I do have something that just might impress you, and it is the Martha Stewart corner and border punches--but used on circles and ovals. Now I can have more than four shapes on a piece. Yippee!!!

Here is a quick look at what I was able to accomplish using just a corner punch.

Family

You can see the complete Vee-dio here. Caution, it is LONG, but I did cut out about 10 minutes worth. lol

For your enjoyment I have also posted a tutorial on using the border punches and making small snips to place them on an arc --Circles and Ovals--which results in breathtaking pieces. Vee-dio below these pics. Just a bit shorter but not by much.

Tulips

Double Arches

I know that 2011 will bring new and exciting changes and challenges to our lives. Hold tight to your faith. I don’t know how people who do not believe in a power higher than themselves manage. It is ONLY through the grace of God, that I am lucid and able to function on a daily basis. It is not my purpose to preach to you or anyone else, this is an expression of my faith in God. The Bible says that if we don’t spread the Good News and acknowledge God, the very rocks will cry out. Luke 19:40. I am not giving the rocks a chance.

Thank you for stopping by. Although the tutorials were about the punches, you know I had to throw in a bit of ink. Love the Tim Holtz Distress ones.

Until then.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T18:44:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone. If you have finished dinner, polished off a second helping of pie, played with the little ones (if there are any) or just simply relaxing, thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog. While waiting for my pie to finish cooling (the ice cream will melt completely if I don't), I figured it was the perfect time to make good on my promise to post a past Christmas Card greeting.

Before doing that I would like to share this Crafter's Poem that was posted to one of my Yahoo Groups a few years ago. Don't know the author, but if I find out I will post it.

Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
Or a Cricut, I said, with a smile on my face.
And that's when I heard him, "Hi Santa, " I said
"You know....good little girls should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa, and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited to see what you brought."
"Well, let's take a look in this room where you work."
He shook his head quickly and left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear.
"You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!"

Each year, I would take something that I have learned from my life and share it with my friends and family in my Christmas Card. The following is from my 2005 greeting. It is my prayer that you will be Blessed also.

For the past five years it has been my custom to share thoughts and memories of Christmas’ past in hopes that it would inspire you, uplift your spirit and edify God. This year the Lord laid something different on my heart. Here is my story.

On this dreary, rainy evening I was on my way to class. There was limited visibility and the traffic was a bear. At any rate I was going to be about 15 minutes late which would be considered an absence.

I turned off the road looking for a shortcut through a neighborhood and became lost. I got the bright idea to follow the other cars. After all, they looked like they knew where they were headed. They did. All four turned into their respective driveways. I tried several more roads with each turn causing me to become more confused and hopelessly lost.

Feeling stressed, agitated, and not able to read any street signs I was ready to throw in the towel. In desperation I finally prayed, ‘Lord, show me the way’. I could hear His voice saying turn here. A right here. Go left. Another left. Now keep straight. I came out at the stop sign across from the parking lot of the school. I had five minutes to spare.

Why do I tell this story? As we approach a new year we try to change the course of our lives with a promise and a shortcut. Like me, you get off the right road and get lost because you think you know better than God.

‘Trust the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

Let me encourage you to stay on the right road. We can not see what is ahead of us. 0nly God can and He wants to show us the way. He is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

Additionally, we attempt to follow others because they must know what they are doing and where they are going. Unless their eyes are on God, we just might end up following them straight to Hell. Besides God has His own unique plan for our lives. We just have to stay on the right road.

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Oftentimes, we bear right or left when we should stay straight.

When we try to do things under our own power, failure is the reward.

I've said all of that to say this. Once you realize you’ve gotten on the wrong road just pray ‘Lord, show me the way’.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14:14

Praying the Lord’s will for your life: from our hearts to yours.

Until then.

Last Minute, Lucy

2010-12-21T17:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, that would be me. I know that every year around this time Christmas cards should have been in the mail at least a week before I get them there. True to style, this year was no different. I waited until the last minute to do my cards and had to quickly throw something together. I only made enough for my immediate family and a couple of close childhood friends for a whopping total of 12 cards.

The base card is white with a layer of DCWV blue print paper weight and the top layer is Fancy Pants Frosted line. I spritzed the FP layer with Glacier Glimmer mist and dried using the heat gun. Next, I over stamped with two snowflake stamps --Sizzix and HOTP Christmas Swirls. I then put the top piece through the Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder and used the TH Distress Blue line to bring out the embossing.

The snowflake is from the cartridge, When It's Cold Outside. I chose the bottom layer to image #17. It was cut at 4 inches from the American Crafts foil paper. This was also used to cut the Spellbinders Fancy Labels tag. Some of the snowflakes received pearls some rhinestones. Remember that this is the last minute and I am using what is in my stash. Found the blue ribbon and tied a knot...don't know why. I even offset some of them. This was before I knew how my greeting would be attached. See how well I thought out this card? lol.

Could not get the lighting just right but the snowflake and the tag are cut from the same paper. You can see halfway down where the color adjusts itself.

I stamped the greeting on some of the leftover paper from the bottom layer--from which I removed the insides--you can't see it anyway. I placed the Fancy Labels die over the image and traced out the oval. I cut on the outside of the pencil lines and then erased them. I do have a few vanishing pens but where are they when you need them? Again, it is all about proper planning...lol.

The circle behind the snowflake is some of the Making Memories metallic paper. And can I say that it embosses like butter baby? It does. I placed that circle on an offset on the Cuttlebug folder. The rest of the discs were centered over a snowflake. I still like this one, just looks off, which is why it got to stay home with me. I cut the circles using the Cricut Mini monograms cart at 2 1/2 inches I think. You can really see the white that is the back of the paper, but that is because my camera was on super magnification. In real life, it all blends together. Both images were raised using Zots.

The inside greeting is from the bottom portion of a stamp that contained the image of Mary and baby Jesus. I only wanted the quote. It is by Kathy Davis and Inkadinkado-- part of a Tuesday Morning haul where they were all 99 cents. The other quote I stamped was Joy to the World also Inkadinkado.

I must admit that in the past my cards would be completed by the first week of December. I would usually share a remembrance from a Christmas past. I have not done that for the last three years. In honor of that tradition, I will dig through my files and find one to share with you over the weekend.

Keep thinking and inking with love.

Until then.