Harvest of Gratitude

I realize it’s been a long while since I’ve updated my blog, but I have been busy crafting in my absence.  LOL!  I pray this holiday season finds you in good health and peace of mind.  Peace of mind for some of us crafters comes from paper, scissors, glue and our favorite snacks – LOL!!  I long for the day that I can do crafting full-time, while maintaining the lifestyle to which we have grown accustomed to having.  Until that great release, I am truly grateful (APPRECIATIVE) and thankful (JOYFUL) for all that I am able to do and experience each and every day! I am thankful for faith that will move mountains!  I am thankful for my immediate family, extended family, and my virtual crafting families!  It’s amazing how many of us have never met face to face, yet we “chat” as though we’ve known one another for years!  I am thankful for the talents that God has given me; and I pray that I will continue to use those talents to bless others.  What are you grateful and/or thankful for? 

Thank you for visiting my little slice of heaven.  Here are a few things I've worked on since my last post...

 Mini Paper Bag Album

 My first onesies (using t-shirt vinyl)

Easel Card Overflow

While partaking in the CTO Challenge #26, I caught the "easel card fever" and started making more cards.  The process is fairly simple, although I don't do all that well with measurements!  LOL!!  Nonetheless, here are 2 additional easel cards that I'm working on and hope to finish tomorrow.  These cards will accompany baskets, all of which I will post once completed.  TFL... again.

CTO Challenge #26

This week's challenge at Celebrate the Occasion was to create a birthday easel card.  I've never done one of these, so I decided to give it a try.  Tips and instructions are available on http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/.  Here's my entry for the challenge.  TFL.

Color Me Copic

In addition to helping out a friend with some wedding programs, I snuck a few minutes in to create this birthday card for a dear friend.  My crafting addiction has grown to include the wonderful world of Copic Markers (and digi stamps).  TFL.

CTO Challenge #23

Hello Fellow Crafters,

It has been a while since I've posted and since I've created anything.  This month I decided to complete a challenge over at Celebrate the Occasion.  The theme for this challenge was "Any Occasion (blue and white)".    Here's my entry for the challenge.  Be sure to visit CTO to see all the entries.

The layout for this card was inspired by a sketch from pagemaps.com over at Platinum Scraps.  

July Independence!!

Greetings crafters.   I hope everyone has had a great summer, thus far, and a wonderful 4^th of  July holiday.  It’s been a while since I’ve posted as I have been recuperating from a minor medical procedure.  It is my hope that this procedure will grant me my INDEPENDENCE from constant sinus infections and all the painful headaches that accompany them!  Although I’m still in a recuperative phase, I was asked to do a last-minute birthday card for a very special lady that I nicknamed “D.I.VA – Divinely Inspired, Victorious and Anointed”.  For a while, I struggled with my missing creative mojo, but I think things are turning around.   TFL

Father's Day

Hello Scrappers!

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day.  I was asked to cook some down-home favorites for the men at church in celebration of Father's Day; so I ended up cooking 10lbs of chicken and 3 medium sized pans of mac-n-cheese!  Can I say that there was nothing left over!!  OMG!  I am just thankful that I could contribute to the celebration. 

Now most scrappers/crafters I know feel compelled to make every card for every occasion, instead of giving money to the local card stores.  Well, I came up a little short this Father's Day, but I did manage to make 1 card for my DH.  I colored images for the kids' cards, but never finished the cards.  Well, I guess that means I'll have a head start for next year!  LOL.  I also made money holder cards for my godchildren (although so totally belated...).  Thanks for looking.

May/June Celebrations

It's been a while since I've posted, and I apologize to my followers and lurkers, alike.  I have been working really hard to do more challenges, and visit more blogs, but to no avail.  I have been blessed by a few customer requests for hand-crafted gifts, which have been keeping me busy. 

June seems to be a month full of celebrations of major milestones, mostly weddings (and anniversaries) and graduations.  Here are a few projects that I have completed since my last post in April.  Thanks for looking.

 Anniversary glasses - etched using the Cricut.

 Gift basket I made to include the etched anniversary glasses.

 Graduation card for SIL.

 Graduation card for nephew.

 Card that accompanied anniversary gift basket.

 Etched glasses for co-worker's "friend".

 Birthday gift basket for co-worker's "friend".

Robert Jackson wedding digi stamp that I colored using Copics and lots of stickles.

Tim Times Ten Challenge

This week, I’ve decided to take participate in a challenge over at Stampin’ Dymonz Creative Space.   The Stampin' Dymonz Scrap Shack is hosting a Grand Give-a-Way in celebration of their One Year Anniversary!!  The contest involves making 10 different tags over 10 days.  The challenge actually began yesterday, and the grand prize will be awarded on May 8.  Check it out...

Day 1:  Nostalgic Tag with tearing technique

      

Greetings bloggers!

I hope you have been enjoying your Spring, thus far.  It’s been a while since I’ve posted here due to a crazy work schedule… and life, in general.  Since my last post, I’ve attended a wonderful 4-day scrapbooking retreat in PA, and was able to get a few projects completed there.

I actually finished this card last week, and it’s usually hard for me to be able to work on things during the week.  So, I’m EXCITED!!!  It’s a simple card, and was fairly simple to make using SCAL, DCWV Natural and Shimmer Stacks and my Cricut.  TFL.

Also, my wonderful friend Croppin Cassie gave me my very first Stylish Blogger Award!  So, in response to that I must identify 7 random facts about myself, and pass the award forward.
1. My favorite color is purple.
2. I’m not as much of a phone person as I used to be, but will text or IM in a minute.
3. I love watching scrapbooking or crafting videos, but I’m not so quick to try the new projects.
4. I love, love, love to eat crabs.
5. I love line dancing.
6. I want to get back into roller skating.
7. I love crime-solving shows/mysteries.

Passing this award on to:

Treva - http://scrappint.blogspot.com

Nicole - http://creativedelightsbynicole.blogspot.com

Nubian - http://nubiancrafter.blogspot.com/

Hello fellow bloggers and blog-followers. I hope that those who celebrated Valentine’s had a rewarding day. Happy Birthday to all February celebrants out there. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything to my blog, but my family has been battling sicknesses. You know how that goes when you have kids – the germs are “shared” throughout the household; but the manifestation or outcome of the germs may vary between each individual. In fact, I’ve been fighting some cold/sinus infection for about 2 weeks! Nonetheless, I truly took advantage of the President’s Day holiday and the “snow/ice day” we had yesterday in the DMV area. I was able to complete at least 4 cards over the last 2 days, which is a world-record for me!! LOL!

Sympathy card: Mariposa Stack; EKSuccess Lace edge punch; Stampin Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp

Just because card: DCWV "All about Girls" mat stack

Birthday card: High heel shoe svg cut; DCWV Natural Stack; adhesive pearls; greeting was cut using SCAL

Wanna Celebrate card (adult): KennyK download digi stamp; DCWV Shimmer Stack & Rustic Stack; greeting/title was cut using SCAL

CHA CHA Check this Out!

Hello bloggers. Last year, Croppin Cassie and I decided to attend the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Super Craft Show in Rosemont, IL. What is CHA all about, you ask? CHA's vision is to create a vibrant industry by bringing vendors and consumers together, in an effort to expand the customer base and stimulate the sales growth in craft and hobby industry. At CHA, consumers like you and me, are able to get a "sneak peek" at some of the newest products that the manufacturers have not released to the general public or retailers. For example, Provo Craft showcased the Imagine at CHA 2010, so we were able to see the machine in action before it was released for retail!

Well, it appears that my love for this craft/hobby has caught up to me! It has been brought to my attention that my face (and the faces of Croppin Cassie, and many others who are passionate about the craft) can be seen as part of the marketing for CHA 2011! Check out this link: http://www.craftsupershow.com/. If you'd like to know more about CHA, feel free to visit: www.craftandhobby.org.

New Year Crop

Hi bloggers! I participated in my first crop of 2011 over at Cassie's Crop Corner on Jan. 15. As many of my closest scrappin' buddies know, it seems to take me forever to get started on a project. One of the hardest things for me is the paper selection. Another is image selection. Well, I sat at Cassie's for a while, trying to come up with an idea for dd's and dh's bday cards. OMGoodness, I felt like a total beginner, not like someone who has been scrappin for at least 5 years! Ok, I'm done with my pity party! LOL. I was able to at least put a dent in dh's bday card, but can't share the pics yet, as his bday is next month. Thanks to Cassie, I worked with vinyl for the first time, and it was G-O-O-D! I added my screen name to my purple E!

Well, the crop inspired me to keep creating, and not to be discouraged by the length of time it takes me to finish a project. With this in mind, I decided to revamp a birthday card to make it a belated card. TFL.

First Project of 2011

Well, this new year is off to an interesting start. DD had an incident with a sharp pencil, which required a trip to urgent care on Friday. Needless to say, this put a damper on my crafting mojo - which many of you know has been "skiddish" to say the least. LOL! After spending 3+ hours at urgent care, I returned home to try to pick up where I left off, but I couldn't do it. We went to church, had a fabulous time in the service, followed by food and fellowship. We got in around 3am, and I had an urge to finish the project I had started. I was coloring some digi stamps I purchased from Mo's Digital Pencil to use for birthday cards (twin boys). Though the cards are not 100% completed, the hardest part is done - paper and image selections! TFL