Daily Reflection

I'm still finding this difficult. It is the reflecting of my day that is getting to me. Wednesday was the beginning of Lent. Pastor had emailed me to tell me he was going to talk about Examen, so I promised I would be there. Well, I got a coughing spell and left for a few minutes, so I'm not sure what I missed, but it seemed as if he had just started talking about it when I got back. It helped me to become more motivated to practicing it, so I am going to try this again.

There are 5 basic questions dealing with your day.

1. what am I most grateful for today
2. what do I really want for myself today
3. what ways have I experienced God's love today
4. what choices did I make today that were inadequate
5. how will I let God lead me to a brighter tomorrow

As I was waking up today, I was thinking what I could write. I knew it was going to be cloudy, rainy and colder today. I knew I was going to sleep as late as possible. I knew that is was not necessarily healthy. On the other hand, I knew that I wanted to make plans for Friday. Because I chose only one day to hide from the world, does that not make it okay? Number 5 is about hope. Did I not have it with me today? I think I did. Maybe I succeeded. Maybe not. I don't know.

Pinch Proof

St Patricks Day is just around the corner. This is a card designed by Arla. Notice the textured white cs made by Stampin Up's new dies!

Love Like You Mean It

I think this is my last card from November & it's a good one. There was no name with it, so if this is yours, let me know. I like this little pickup from Loads of Love. It reminds me of my Grandfather's. I think we all have certain things from our loved one's life that remind us of them. My sister also shares this memory because she recently brought it up in a conversation we had.

I remember, a long time ago, I went to Omaha shopping for living room furniture. For some reason I was looking at LazyBoy rocker/recliners. When I found one I liked, and sat down in it, images of my Grandmother came instantly to my mind. I took it! Grandma, Grandpa & my Aunt Neva each had their certain place to sit in the evenings after dinner to watch tv, craft, or read. I hope each of you has such a comforting memory. If not, I am sure you are creating one for your family and I know that it will be cherished.

For The Men In Your Life

Purchase Totally Tool for $25.95 and receive 12 6"x6" pieces of To The Nines Specialty Designer Series Paper AND some fun manly card ideas in an exclusive file available only to those who purchase it.

Available till April 1, 2009.

ps: I would like to thank Heather S for this great idea!

For Him

Another swap from November, this one is done by Lisa. This stamp set reminds of home in western Kansas. Thanks for sharing this Lisa.

A Wonderful Evening

My church has just started it's first Christ Care group, they can be made up of 6 to 12 people. I would describe it as a Christian group that both shares their struggles and supports the others in theirs. The meetings are designed by the same person who started the Stephens Ministry, if I am remembering correctly. They are designed with a great structure and purpose. We also discuss the Bible & it's stories which can be easily seen in our daily lives. For those of you who know me well, you will recognize how this is a perfect fit for me. I felt very much at home in this group & I am looking forward to getting to know 11 other ladies from my church helping me turn this large church and my anonymity into a small church family like the one I group up in and have been searching for the last 30 years.

Thank You

I'm among the living again. Thanks for being patient. At our last meeting, I was given some swaps from our November meeting that I missed. The theme was a "manly card." This was done by Lily. I really like this card, the colors, the way it looks aged & the western them.

What's Going On

I have several projects that need to be scanned into my computer to share with you. I hope to have that done this week. Also, I just finished a scrapbook page that needs to be photographed. I was scheduled for a crop this Saturday for a fundraiser for the Topeka High School Band, but it is being rescheduled. Arla, a fellow demo, & I were planning several classes for greeting cards & my scrapbook page. Guess I will come up with another one at that time.

My scrapbook layout kit isn't ready yet. I usually order my photo prints thru Wolfe's and have them delivered to Jayhawk Pharmacy. When I went to pick them up, they didn't have them, they were still at Wolfe's. I'm not sure where the problem lies, it may be me. Hard to believe, huh? So, anyway, I will get those picked up tomorrow morning.

When I get home, I need to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies for a friend's birthday party tomorrow night. It's a stamping party! More projects to share - I
love it. She didn't want a cake, she wanted cookies. Can you believe it?

Friday, Arla & I getting together to make some punch art. I love punches in my paper crafting & Stampin Up has the best. Stay tuned for that, too.

Have a good day all!

Daily Reflection

Several of my friends have lost someone close to them recently. One lost her mother, two have lost their pet, and another lost her husband. The third anniversary of my parents passing is just around the corner. Although an anniversary can be very traumatic, as in a Vietnam Veteran who suffered many traumatic events and countless losses, I don't believe my anniversaries will be so painful.

Today's Daily Devotion is titled "Triumph in Death." It reads:

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57 RSV)

Today marks the anniversary of Martin Luther’s death. As he lay dying, Luther confidently confessed: "I pass away; Father, I yield up my spirit into Thy hands; Thou hast redeemed me, Lord, Thou faithful God."

I'm not sure how this will sound, but this speaks loudly to me. I can imagine great comfort at the time of my passing. The pain & suffering will be gone. I will be going to a place so beautiful that we don't have the words to describe it. The colors there are so much more than what we see here on Earth.

Today's prayer is particularly appropriate & reminds us how our faith can help us live, even during such sorrow.

Dear Lord, give us the faith not only to live but also to die confidently and victoriously. Amen.

To Bonnie, Lisa, Nancy & Sandy I wish you faith.

Happy Day

This is the scrapbook page I have been wanting to show you. It was my inspiration for the Merry & Bright card. I just love the texture that the burlap added to my page.

Recipe:

Basic Gray Decorative Paper

Riding Hood Red Textured CS

Other CS

Whisper White CS

Burlap

On Board Essentials (chipboard frames)

Hodgepodge Hardware Antique Brass (retired)

Happy Day Rub-ons (retired)

Chocolate Chip Stampin Write Marker

Thank You

I found this neat card on http://schwooo.blogspot.com/ and wanted to make it for a friend who has been so supportive & giving to me over the past many months.

Check out the blog as she is using some of the new stuff - the very very pretty Fleurettes, Sweet Always DSP, & Good Friends stamps. Enjoy!


Recipe:
Always Artichoke CS
Bravo Burgundy CS
Sahara Sand Text. CS
I Wish Simply Scrappin Kit (r)
Alpine Ribbon (r)
Punches: Round Tab & Scalloped Edge
On Board Accents Chipboard
Certainly Celery Craft Ink
White Craft Ink
Chocolate Chip Ink
Aqua Painters
Crop-a-dile
It's A Loop Stamp
Loop to Loop Rub-ons

Daily Reflection

I'm finding my daily reflections a little difficult partly because I have chosen a very public venue for them, on the other hand it is my blog. I went searching the internet. After a couple of clicks, I decided to go to the website for The Lutheran Church, LCMS.

Under Daily Devotion, I found the following verse "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33 KJV) Somebody in heaven is with me, because this is the verse that was given to me by my pastor when I was confirmed in Junior High School.

I also found a story about a couple on a Caribbean Cruise, who brought their own food, "junk" food, to eat instead of eating on the ship. On their last day, they found that the food was actually provided in their cost of the trip!

Life is more than things. We enjoy all the material blessings of life—TV, CD's, and hobbies. But such things cannot bring real happiness. It's not that we can't have and enjoy these things, it is more that we have a balance, that we not forget and rejoice in the hope that God gives us.

Friends

I finally have a photo for this beautiful frame that Kathy designed for Lisa & I to make when we got together recently. The two little girls are Zadie, on the left, and Carolina. Carolina is the daughter of Ale, who was a foreign exchange student from Brazil that lived with Tonya & her Mom when she was in high school. The two families recently got together in Las Vegas. The beauty of this photo is that the two had never met & instantly became friends.

We used the Stampin Up Top Note Die with the Big Shot die cutting machine

to cut the image of the frame, Bella Rose DSP, the Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Cream Grosgrain Ribbon and the Pretties Kit.

Daily Reflection

This morning Pastor brought to my attention something called Examen. I searched the internet & below is what I found.

St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Society of Jesus, was a very practical man when it came to prayer. He recommended to his brothers a daily method of examining their lives so that they might better serve the Lord. St. Ignatius taught that the key to a healthy spirituality was twofold: Find God in all things and constantly work to gain freedom to cooperate with God’s will. St. Ignatius proposed a daily exercise, which he called the Examen, that has been used by many Christians ever since. By praying the Examen twice daily, countless laypeople worldwide have joined the practice of Jesuits, other priests and religious—in hearing God’s voice in their hearts. Through this daily practice, they learn to discern God’s will and grow in the understanding of God’s beautiful creation. Now called the Examen of Consciousness, it is a simple practice that anyone can learn and benefit from.

Ths is my new challenge - a daily reflection. It is simply to ask myself how my day went & how did I encounter God today. It is more personal than creative, but I'm hoping it will help me get past the bad days and even help me with weight loss.

For those of you who are Oprah viewers, I think you will agree with me that she uses the basic principals of this practice, too.

I have done fairly well with my challenge of posting here on a daily basis & most of the time I have a project for you even!

Deck the Halls

This is the last Christmas page I have to share with you. Although I like it now, at least I think I do, it took me a couple of days looking at it to become okay with it. The problem? I used three different companies' papers. I'm not totally satisfied that they go together. Because I used the snowman paper 4 different places, I think it works. The layout was perfect for the pictures I wanted to showcase. I also like it because the pictures are a little askew, like me! The last element I added was the title. I knew it had to be small, but nothing was coming to me so I did a search on the internet for Christmas carols and started reading the lyrics. When I saw Deck the Halls, I knew that was what I wanted.

Recipe:

Chocolate Chip Text. CS

Baja Breeze Text. CS

Whisper White CS

Ruby Red Craft Ink

The Paper Studio Decorative Paper

Chatterbox Decorative Paper

Other Decorative Paper

Chocolate Chip Stampin Write Marker

Ruby Red Stampin Write Marker

On Board Accents

Season of Joy Stamps

Little Felt Flurries

Pretties Kit

Ribbon Originals Alpine

Punch Scalloped Edge

Paper Piecer

Scrapbooking Kits

I'll be offering scrapbooking kits soon on a regular basis. The kits will include all of the necessary supplies including written instructions with pictures. My first one will be available to look at some time this week. Supplies are due to arrive today! Hope you can stop in later to check it out. I'll have more info for you then, too.

Butter

This is the last of my Christmas pages! Yahoo! Denise is our family's version of Paula Deen, she loves to cook with butter. I remember when I helped her move into her new house, I found 6 boxes of butter in the fridge! That's 24 sticks!!! I may have mentioned this on another page I did with these papers, but this is one time I loved how the decorative papers from 2 companies go together!


Recipe:
Crate Paper Decorative Papers, Die Cuts
Basic Grey Decorative Paper
Merry Stamp Set
Ruby Red Classic Ink
Ruby Red Stampin Write Marker
Soft Subtles Brads
On Board Accents (r)
Certainly Celery Craft Ink
Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon

Proud Grandma

This is the 1st of the 2 pages I made the other night. I'm not sure I like it, but I loved the paper!

This is kind of unusual for me, but I started with photos, then the paper, then the template. I have found that when I buy decorative papers from other companies, I can usually find SU matching cs. I use to be very particular about matching colors of the paper to the cs, but now I try to work with differing hues of the same color. I hope it looks okay to you.

For those of you who have lost a loved one, I totally recommend scrapbooking pictures of them or if you don't have pictures, find something that represents something about them & scrapbook that. I am working on one of those now. It is taking me awhile, but I hope to have it for you soon.

Recipe:

Basic Grey Decorative Papers

Green Galore Textured CS

Almost Amethys CS

Gable Green CS

Bashful Blue CS

Pale Plum CS

Basic Grey Buttons

White Grosgrain Ribbon

Pretties Kit

Smile

Here's the second page I did the other night. I finally was able to go outside & take pictures. It was quite windy & my pages kept falling on the ground, but I persevered for you!

Recipe:

Barely Banana Textured CS

Certainly Celery CS

Anna Griffin Decorative Papers

Mini Envelope Template

Fresh Favorites 1 Buttons

Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon

Certainly Celery Craft Ink

Big Deal Alpha Stamps

Thoughts of the Day

I don't have any pictures ready to post tonight, so I took some time and added our new catalogs - you can click on the image & will start to download for you!

Sale-a-bration started Sunday so I got my first $50 order in. I ordered 3 new paper designs. Tangerine Tango (this is to finish a birthday card for my nephew and a scrapbook page), Rainbow Sherbet (for a layout using pics of Zadie from Mother's Day last year) & lastly Sweet Slumber. I loved the bright colors. Some of our papers this catalog have a new weight. They remind my of those from Crate Paper. I love their designs, too. Back to my order, I got the the filigree brads, they're not new, but I wanted them. I also got the 1-3/4" circle punch, I wanted it for one of the pages above. Last, but not least, I ordered the Sale-a-bration stamp set Polka Dot Punches. Now I need the full heart punch! Egads.

I want to start offering scrapook layout kits. You'll be able to order them from me & finish them at your leisure. The paper/cs will be pre-cut. The kit will include the embellishments & full instructions with pictures. I plan to use my new stamps and paper! Stay tuned for that one.

Did you all enjoy the Super Bowl? Lisa invited me to their family party & I had a lot of good food & fun. There was chili con queso, home-made salsa, her Super Bowl tradition Mexican Dip & chips, veggies & fruit

I really didn't have a favorite when the game started but about half time I was mostly rooting for the Cardinals. They lost in the last seconds. Wouldn't you know it? I was a good sport though and wished Chuck a "good game" with a handshake (he was for the Steelers). It was such fun discussing football with Chuck & Rob.

I also got to see Lisa's new Stampin stuff. Thanks Lisa.