Make a Difference

We have a wedding this weekend, and we’re all pretty excited about it, well the girls and I are pretty excited about it. Wes doesn’t get excited about much except for Disney World! I used Lizzie Anne’s Say it in Script and Beate’s sketch to put together a pretty fast card. The paper is Lily Kate by Basic Grey, the ribbon is sheer blue from one of TexasJodyLynn’s awesome bulk buys. The border punch was just stitched on my machine with no thread.

The flower from Lizzie Anne’s Jolies Fleurs is colored with Copics and highlighted with a Spica Glitter pen. I used Nestabilities to cut the panel. You can see lots of inspiration if you visit Beate Johns, Cambria Turnbow, Charmaine Ikach, Jenn Balcer, Laurie Schmidlin, Mary Jo Albright and Sharon Harnist.

And just because I haven’t made you look at my cute kids in a while (and their grandma reads this blog!) Here is a shot from our first swim meet of the summer taken last night.

Last spring we built a fire pit at the back of our property. It was the best thing we have done for a long time. We enjoy going back there at least once a week to roast marshmellows or a hot dog. Lots of times it’s just the 4 of us and there’s no phone or computer. We really do enjoy being together. Sometimes we are fortunate to share the hour or so with friends or family. This was our first fire of the spring Saturday night, and it was good!

And to the Elvis winners. Stampin_Melissa and Dr. Fine - send me an email, and we’ll get your favorite Elvis stamp out to you! Thanks to everyone who participated. I’ve got lots of stuff stashed around here, and I’ll try another blog giveaway soon. This was fun!

What does any sane person do when they’ve laid awake for almost an hour at 2:00 a.m.? They get up and stamp. There is a new Rummage Bin release this week, and Lesley has blown me away with these stamps. This one is called Little People. The little girl resembles someone we are close to in our family, and I can’t wait to make something just for her. For now, you can oogle my mid-night card. The sentiment (also from the Rummage Bin says “to love with all your heart”. You can see other fabulous samples on the blogs of the CHF team: Alli, Lesley (Rummage Bin Artist), Lisa Silver, Lisa Strahl, Kristine and Sherrie. 

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a very special family weekend here at our house. We are celebrating my parent’s 40th Anniversary today! And a sweet new baby girl for my brother & SIL! I can’t even talk about it….I’d get all sappy on you, and some of you don’t like that…LOL. So, I’ll leave this here for you to look at while we spend some quality family time today. I don’t know what took me so long to use this Pretty Pattern backgrounder. I love the scale of the pattern…perfect for cards. 

• Stamps: Pretty Pattern Backgrounder, Silhouette Blooms II (Kim Hughes Collection) - Cornish Heritage Farms

• Cardstock: Ivory and Herbal Garden Light - Prism

• Ink: Juniper Mist and Espresso Adirondack Dye, Blue China Distress - Ranger

• Accs: Faux Pearls - Mark Richards, Ivory Ribbon - May Arts and Button - Paper Studio

Here’s our sweet Leap Day baby!

My church as been without a senior pastor for over a year. We have been blessed with a few great interim pastors over that time, but it’s not quite the same. This past week our congregation called a man who will be a wonderful addition to our church family. The new pastor and his wife will be here Palm Sunday, and we are THRILLED! Tomorrow’s his birthday so the church family is showering him with cards. Mine is a Thomas Kinkaid, the Forest Chapel.  Kinkaid stamps combined with shimmery cardstock, inks and ribbons make for an instant classy card. The sentiment is a new CHF release Script Essentials by Mona Lisa. Full supply list at the bottom of the post.  

So that’s my good news….here is what made me cry:

See that huge, gaping hole where the cutest little toothy grin used to be? It’s the end of the baby face, and since this is my youngest…it’s the end of all baby faces, isn’t it? Not really, I still have a few year’s with my brother’s precious children. But somehow, it’s not the same… So, my girlfriend laughed at me (in love, I’m sure…) and you can too, but I am sappy like this. . . almost all the time. 

I’m off to run Meals on Wheels. Tomorrow is Beate’s Sketch challenge…I can’t believe I’ve made everyday this week! See you tomorrow!

Read the rest of this entry »

And there came a voice to him, saying, ‘Rise up, Peter, kill and eat’. ~ Acts 10:13

Sound the trumpet! Fire the first shot! It’s Opening Day! Back in September, I shared this quick CHF project with you that I would give Wes today, Opening Day of deer season. (Capitalized because it is a national holiday here. ) You just didn’t know it was Biblical, did you? Check it out, tis true. 

This is Wes and Ashley as they went to ’scout’ last weekend. It’s one of their favorite father~dauther activities. Ashley has been scouting with her daddy for deer, duck and geese since she was still in diapers, seriously. It brings them both great joy. And while, hunting season gets a little long for mom on the home-front, that bond brings me greater joy.

Praying for safety for all of our hunters, big and small.

He changes times and seasons ~ Daniel 2:21

I live in a historic, victorian home surrounded by large trees. I’ve complained (to anyone who will listen) all summer that the lighting is less than ideal for blog fodder photo sessions. The best light in the house is in my 2nd story bathroom. As I was photographing some projects to share, I couldn’t help be struck by the view today.  Thank you, Lord for the gifts you give us in every season.

Until 2004, I was blessed to have a relationship with and love all 4 of my natural grandparents. That February, I lost my grandpa…. Baling and hauling hay are part of  my earliest memories of my grandpa’s life. His hay hook now hangs on a shelf in my ’studio’ (term used loosely). It reminds me of hard work and love.

When I saw this Anna Wight Whipper Snapper stamp, I knew it would be mine. Though my grandpa produced square bales, the image takes me back to young summers at the farm. I would stand on a chair at the kitchen window to catch a glimpse of the tractor & hay wagon on the hill, the smell of alfalfa in the air… I miss my grandpa.

This came to me when I was thinking about the Queen’s Fan Club challenges this month. The theme is Autumn Harvest. If the link doesn’t work for you, you need to sign up for the Fan Club by clicking here first! So timely, since corn was harvested about a month ago, and now our fields in Central Missouri are littered with large round bales. It’s so pretty to see the changing seasons from a field’s perspective. Back to the card….the sentiment is hand written.

• Stamps: Hay Bale by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs
• CS: Daisy D, watercolor paper, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip & Ruby Red
• Ink: Palette Burnt Umber - various dye inks for watercolor
• Accs: linen thread, aged copper brads, Prima flowers, sponge daubers, aqua painters (various sizes)

Can I just say that y’all are going to be blown away with the big CHF release next week? I don’t even know how many sets they are going to release…all created by the incredibly talented, amazing scrapbook and card queen, Kim Hughes. I’d say more, but she’s so modest…I’d hate to make her uncomfortable. Anywho (or is it hoot?) ~ These are 3 of more than 25 adorable images and sayings in a set called Pretty Birds! Liz has posted some of the details, but make sure you stay tuned to the Cornish Heritage Farms Blog next week ~ there will be big, big things going on. Did I say prizes?

The real deal here is a tweaked and modified attempt at Beate’s Weekend Sketch challenge this weekend. I love how you can add or take away from her sketches and still have an adorable project for someone you care about! This one would be perfect for sharing silly party pictures! I can’t wait to see what Beate, Sharon, Charmaine and Laurie came up with! This is such a cute spring-board for ideas!

I’m off to the Great Stamp Harvest show in Kansas City. I am working at the RubberNecker Stamps booth tonight. Make sure you stop by and say hi if you are in the area! Tomorrow I am going to load a few of the projects that we did at my class this week.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! It’s Pirate Day and the Corn Husking Festival in our small town. Both at the same time, I know!!? Here’s a picture of my two favorite pirates as they headed off to school this morning! Ahoy me mateys!

Wonderful family weekend! We have had a blast, and I am beat! I have been tagged this week by my friends Jami and Beate…Since I am going to see both of them live, in person in Portland in less than 3 weeks (as Jami gently reminded me! 3 WEEKS!). I will answer…At some point that weekend, I will need to sleep, and I don’t want them taking revenge. I am not tagging anyone else, but if you so inclined to share your  Nascar or stripper name, comment here…

Read the rest of this entry »