February Design Team Projects

Scrap Lifting Fun!

But first! I'VE BEEN TAGGED!! Here are the rules: I was tagged by Lisa to share some facts about me, based on my MIDDLE NAME!!! Here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).
3. After you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details).

A - Accepting – I try to be of others…

N - Nutty – a little crazy and quirky, I know this…

N - Nester – I like to bring a little bit of home wherever I might be for any length of time…

Now - I'll tag Adriann, Jackie Ann, and Dee. [Thanks Lisa - it's fun learning new little tidbits about my blogger friends!]

This week I've been working on the circle journals - and enjoying all the layouts that are in there before I get them - wow! Great work gals! I've finished the favorite scripture one and have it ready to mail - and here's the one with favorite recipes to share at church potlucks:
Hope it's okay that I'm sharing it! This was so much fun to do! When I saw this layout in Scrapbooks,etc [Feb/March, p 32] I loved the title on those tags. Here's how mine came together - saw the green / pink flower paper on my desk, found some pink card stock to go with it , pulled my pink embellishment container [LOVE this new system of having embellishments sorted by color btw!] and found the tags [from Creative Memories, perhaps a couple of years ago?] Searched for green paper for my title [cut with cricut]- then of course had to use it to complete my triangle of that color. Used Heidi Swap chipboard flowers that I got in a kit over a year ago, giant bling brads I got at Hobby Lobby in the after Christmas sale, and ribbon [kind of twine and ribbon mixed] that I got in the $1 bin at Michaels a few weeks ago. Love it - almost hate to send it off - that's why I had to take a photo and share it here!

At work

this is what my office looks like these days. Anyone who knows me well knows I'm happiest when everything is in its place. Truth be told - I'm in the middle of updating the training material [and thus the training manual] for APS workers in our state - hope to have a training session approved for this spring and we've got to get this baby ready for printing before the middle of February. Plan to get it cleaned up and organized section-by-section...but for now - it's EVERYWHERE!

So to relieve the stress of work I've been scrapping! Randomly -- with whatever happens to be on the desk - no real planning here! I've enjoyed putting together LOTS of scripture cards for "Beautiful" and "Wait" - what a great word! - and I found lots of good verses about how we should wait on the Lord - but even better about how our Loving Lord waits on us - He soo wants us all to come to Him. Wow! A good little mini - study there! I'll post photos sometime this week [hopefully.] It's so neat to see my Rolodex becoming full and 'fluffy!'

But, for now - remember my 'Gratitude' album? I'm loving it! VERY randomly thrown together inside an acrylic album and each week I'm putting together a little page of whatever is happening in my life [and again, using just whatever is on the desk at the time...] Each day I write down something I'm thankful for - small seemingly insignificant things and big awesome things. So - loving it and encourage everyone to give it a try with whatever you have on hand. It's fun...

Tonight is a stormy wintry night with LOTS of rain - much needed still in our area -- and sustained winds of 50+ mph[wow-] so we cooked up one of our favorite stay-in-and-get-cozy meals - Crab corn soup and Red Lobster chedder biscuits. YUM-mie! I'm stuffed! I keep hearing things like transformers blowing [they've predicted major power outages] - so I'm outta here! - Just don't think there's much rocket testing going on tonight... but who knows?

Yay! It's DONE!

I've shared with some that I'm entering the CK Hall of Fame Contest this year - why? I've asked myself that very question MANY many times this week...putting the layouts / projects [ten in all] together was a fun challenge that I enjoyed - A LOT - and I'm happy with all of it and will enjoy them all for years to come [win or not] but I'll have to say that getting the portfolio together was even more so - because, you know me - it had to look 'just right.' I'm pleased with how it turned out. The front is just for fun because the meat of the contest is all inside and as much as I really want to share - it's no sharing allowed.... for now anyway. Now that this is completed I can get on to some other fun things - like the weekly scripture cards I'm doing with FAITH SISTERS. This week's word is 'beautiful' and I've just started the Bible Study with 'The Preacher's Wife' and the lesson was on that very topic today. I love God's timing! And I look forward to working on the two circle journals that came my way this week - one is 'favorite scripture' and the other is 'favorite recipe for a pot luck at church'. And I'll be gearing up to work on some projects for the Faith Based Pages Yahoo Group's Page-a-Day Contest beginning in February. Last year I did an 8x8 album of 'A Month in Our Life' and took photos and did layouts of our ordinary life. This year I'm hoping to focus on heritage type pages. Should be fun! [Thanks Cindy Lee for getting this all together!] And still loving my Gratitude Album - randomly thrown together with bits and pieces of my life and each week completed with whatever happens to be on my desk. I'll share photos of it soon...

Our hearts continue to be heavy for those we know who are having struggles - so much heart ache in this 'ole world. Please pray with us for a young mom we've known for years as Ralphie whose baby boy has just been diagnosed with leukemia. She's had her struggles in the past - pray with us that she feels the absolute presence of God during this time in her life. And continue to lift the Burgess family up - they've made such a public statement of God's faithfulness this week after the sudden death of their two year old son. You can learn more here. And see Rick's [the dad's] message at the Life Celebration Service Here and Here and Here. [In three parts on You-Tube]

So why do I scrapbook? I've always said it was my therapy - and how much more so this last year! Entering contests? Well - Let me first say - I scrap book for me. In doing this contest I did the layouts / projects in my usual style and did things I enjoy and captured memories I wanted to pass on to my children and grandchildren one day, including several about how awesome our God is. If I should win [and with only ten being chosen this year that's a huge 'IF' and I'd be incredibly surprised!] my hope is that I would have the opportunity to share the joy of faith booking with even more scrappers like me. And I have to admit that the prize package would be pretty neat...So, it's been fun - putting together the portfolio a little stressful, but I've given it all to the Lord...and as I've said about so many things - you'll never know if it'll work out until you give it a try!

Joy in the midst of sorrow

I know that this JOY! is only a result of walking with God. How He is faithful to us! I want to direct you to a couple of gals who are dealing with great sorrow in their lives right now [-click on Nitty gritty & Angie - to the right, on the blog] and yet - they have wisdom and faith beyond their years! -It's a God-thing, for sure. And in the midst of their sorrow they are allowing Him to use them to touch me in such a special way. I encourage you to lift them in prayer, especially these next few days. And also others, my heart is heavy as I've friends facing illnesses, teenager issues, and impending death of loved ones. I know these are hard, difficult roads to walk down, but I also know that the Lord will carry us through. He is real, and walking along with us -- I'll always cherish the memory I have of my sister and I being at our parent's together during the summer [and you can see posts from that time earlier in the blog] and driving down the road - to mail the bills I believe - and the two of us just having a conversation with our Lord as if HE were sitting right there in the car with us -- and HE WAS. If you're going through a difficult time remember that He will ALWAYS be there for you and really is right beside you all the way. All you have to do is call... And I know that there's power when two or more join together so, again, I encourage you to stand with me as I lift these friends [named and un-named] up during these most difficult times...

Weekly Scripture Challenge

I have a goal to complete at least ONE card for each week! But I'd love to do three or more [that's 6 scriptures front and back.] This is a challenge on Faith Sisters [thanks Patter!!] and I'm determined to just have a little fun and do them up randomly with whatever is leftover on my work desk at the time. I have an old spiral notebook that I'm looking up and writing my favorite scriptures in before transferring them to the cards - some of the 'kindness' ones were a bit to long to get on there, but I may go back and try again... I'll try and share every week or so, but please keep in mind that VERY little thought is going into the creative process...
Faith [Not sure why all8 didn't transfer...]:And Kindness...

Monthly Kit News!

January [Godly Wisdom in the New Year] ships this week and it's just such a fun kit. It's the base for the calendar to the right and all of the Design Team submissions can be seen in the slide show below! Fun and wintery and full of snowmen as we begin our new year by focusing on God!

February [Love, of course] is wonderful as well with lots of Be Blessed papers and fairy-like flowers and chipboard letters! It can be seen on the website and there's already some DT submissions in the gallery there as well! Go take a look!

Today I've been working most of the day on inventory, updating the website, and getting the March [Girlfriends!] kit together for the DT. It's FABULOUS! and full of American Crafts double sided paper. LOVE IT! It also has the brightest red flower ever, clips, ribbon, a scripture / quote sticker sheet, and a bonus Daisyd's Purse Booklet!
Take a look [this is the fronts of the papers + embellishments]:And this is the back of the papers [can't wait to use them!] Remember, you can click on the photos for a larger image:I think this kit is so great that I've decided to have a little special -
Anyone who signs up for a six months subscription between February 1st and March 1st
will receive kits through the end of the year!
That's nine kits for the price of six!
There's also some
very good close-out deals on the 2006 kits and
good deals on the Jan - July 2007 kits.
I'm running out of storage and need to move this inventory!

January Devotion

January 2008 – Wisdom for the New Year

Luci Swindoll, Women’s Devotional Bible; "Real Wisdom"

“…There are two kinds of wisdom, the apostle James says: worldy widom that is contaminated, ambitious and envious; and heavenly wisdom that is pure, content, merciful, and submissive. So to be spiritually wise, a person must exhibit understanding, acceptance, and peace.

James also says that the one who is understanding and wise will show it by his ‘good life.’ It’s taken me over 50 years to learn that the good lfe is not attaining a college degree, succeeding in one’s career, owning an expensive car, having money in the bank, or vacationing in Hawaii. While that stuff is wonderful and sweet to my worldy tastes, it’s not the good life.

The good life is peace – knowing that I was considerate instead of crabby, that I stood by faiothfully when all the chhipswere down for the other guy, that I sacrificially gave toa worthy cause, that Is howed impartiality when I really wanted my preference, that I was REAL in the midst of phonies, that I was forgiving, that I had the courage to defer rewardfor something better down the road. Why couldn’t I have learned this when I was younger?”

James 3: 13 – 18 – “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. but the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The Polar Express

Happy New Year Everyone!!!


Christmas Eve Fun at Spring Park with C's family!