Game On

This is the first card I've made in a long time. :) I'm afraid it took all the creative energy I had.  I tried to make two, and it just didn't work. :(  This is my entry for the Hambo Hoedown. Especially with all that I have going on,  I'm looking forward to at least making one card a week... but hopefully more.

Football Girl- Hambo Stamps, Football- Hero Arts, Message-computer generated, paper-Basic Grey, colored with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. 


BUT, I am doing great in my class despite the move and and the unpacking etc... I'm already in week 6 of 8. I'm still waiting on my grade for week 5, but my cumulative grade after week 4 was 98.5... just sayin'. I hope to finish just as strong. I'm working on "the Big Excel Project" this week. We don't get step by step instructions, but we have to put together all that we've learned so far.
The unpacking is going a lot slower than in previous moves because this is the first house we've moved into over the last 20 years that was actually smaller than the last. I'm also in a major purging mode. I've finally decided to get rid of stuff we don't use. I am going to have a massive garage sale as soon as spring arrives and whatever doesn't sell is going to leave via donations or dumpster. I'm even getting rid of most of my stamping/scrapping stuff and selling it. I want my room to be as uncluttered as Colleen Schaan's. She definitely inspired me. I don't know if I mentioned it before but she moved two doors down from me last year and I was sooo sad to leave her behind in GA.

Anyway, I must return to my school project. I hope you go to the Hambo Challenge blog and participare in the challenges. The first image is free to start and then you get a new free image just for participating each week.

Choosing Joy...  Jacki Marie

Soaking up the Joy

This image is another treasure found on my desk while I was cleaning last week. It was actually the first one I colored of this image. I couldn't find it when it was time for my daughter's birthday so I had to color another. I LOVE the coloring possibilities with the digital "stamps". I also love being able to adjust the size. This one is a lot smaller than the first one I showed back in September.

It's Friday and I can't believe another week is gone! I would appreciate your prayer for me if you don't mind. I'm dealing with side effects from the medication I'm on. I'm headed back to the doctor today (with backup--I'm taking my husband with me this time) I want off this medicine. There will be some withdrawal effects that I'm concerned about. Please be in prayer for me as I go thru this process.

And on a sad note. I received word earlier this week that Marcia D passed away of a couple of weeks ago. Please pray for her daughter and the family. She was a frequent visitor to The Card Castle and always, always left encouraging comments. A wonderful stamping cyber friend. I regret never having met her in person but I was so blessed by her friendship online.

I hope your weekend is blessed. Be a blessing to someone today. Life is short, don't put it off.

Basketball Jones

Hahaha... I like how I said BRB or be right back on my last post... and that was TWO weeks ago!

Today is The Boy's birthday. That's the good news. My first son entered this world 14 years ago in the wee hours of the morning. It was my most relaxing delivery (except for the excruciating pain... remember no drugs- totally natural) I actually had a nurse midwife ( with a doctor observing) for the delivery. Re

mind me to show you the scrapbook with the long version of the story when you stop over for a visit. Anyway, The Boy has been working hard all summer to earn enough money to buy an Xbox, and we are going to get it this afternoon.

I'm very proud of his work ethic. He has a good attitude and loves to earn money. I know he's going to be very successful at whatever he does in life because he is diligent. The bad news is ( you knew there was going to be bad news when I said "that's the good news, didn't you?) ... The bad news is, he hit his head in PE today and I had to go and pick him up from school. He's here at home now with a bad headache. I'm keeping a close eye on him but hopefully it's not worse than just that. He'll get a nap and maybe we can still go out to get his Xbox today. Did I mention that he was playing Football when he hit his head?? You know that very same sport he was playing last year this time when he was hit and had to go get stitches just under his eyebrow. This is my very athletic all-around sports guy, who can play anything. This mom is going to encourage him to stick to basketball where he seems to excel and not get injured quite so much. Although to be fair to Football,the sport I now abhor, if he were playing for real

and on a team, he'd have the proper gear which would include a helmet. This PE football stuff is dangerous.

So this explains the card. Basketball Boy is having a birthday today. Basketball is to MJ is like colored pencils is to Jacki. He really LOVES basketball.

This particular image was purchased from Mo's Digital Pencil. There's nothing like instant gratification. I saw it I loved it, I ordered it, and started coloring it--all within a half hour.

The Happy Birthday is from Del Rose Stamping... I'm not sure if that image is available anymore.

Happy Birthday to my "Baby Boy" which was his original name before he became "The Boy". I can say that here because he won't read this. LOL

Have a blessed day! And if you haven't already been to the Hero Club Blog today, you need to go and see some of my best work. I even impressed myself with this one. :) I did a coloring video tutorial on this pumpkin card. This whole week has been inspiring so far. I love the fall color schemes. I'm blessed to be counted amongst such talented people.

ETA: My daughter helped me edit the video. She has more experience and knows a lot more about it than I do. So, thanks Jillana for your sweet editing skills. And to my assistant, Melissa aka Lali Hyde. Thank for handing me stuff and letting me hand you stuff. You were magnificent. :)

Another update. The boy was feeling good enough to go and get his Xbox, so he's a happy camper right now.

How Old Would You Be...

you didn't know how old you are? Satchel Page. That's what the words in the background say. (Stamp by Penny Black)

I finally finished this card whose components have been sitting on my desk for a week or so.

I'm still organizing. Is it just me or is organizing never ending?

Here is the second card I did. I was just about to put this card together when I realized the purple card needed a background design. I love that these DesignBlock stamps totally fill an A2 size card because it only took me a few second to add this image to the card.

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The images are digital downloads (Sarah Kay) colored with Prismacolor pencils.

Busy, but productive week. I'm taking classes at the Apple Store. I just haven't taken the time to really figure out how to use my computer beyond basic stuff. You can't tell this ( I don't think) but this is the first post I've done totally on the mac. Until today, I was uploading the photos on the PC because I didn't know how to edit the photos on here. A small victory that no one would notice if I didn't tell them :)

My oldest daughter has been here from MI just for the week. She's in between Spring and Summer sessions at college. She'll be back sometime in June for the rest of the summer.

Daughter number 2 moved back home for the summer today. The third one is knee deep in Spring musical practices( and shopping for the performance). Needless to say, we've been busy. We're always busy, but I was very productive this week too. Besides watching movies (Monday and Tuesday) with my girl ( our favorite thing to do) I spent a lot of time on the computer. I managed to get my Flicker account organized and tagged with cards I'd like to sell. I'm tagging them as I actually have my hands on them and I know exactly where they are.

Wednesday, I went back to the dermatologist. I hadn't been in 6 or 8 weeks. You know, it doesn't matter how many times I've had it done, having tiny little needles injected into my face is something I'll never get used to.

I've been to malls more times this week than I normally go in a month. Almost everybody has new sneakers and upgraded cell phones.

Speaking of digital images and coloring, did I mention that I've done a lot of coloring too? ( I color while I watch movies.)

Hambo Stamps has begun offering digital images in this Etsy store. It's actually pretty exciting if you're a fan of Tim's artwork. He's created images that they weren't going to use for stamps for various reasons. Some are backgrounds that go with the stamp images already available. Follow this link to the Talk to the Ham blog where you'll be able to read what they say about the images and get a free digital download. I'm working on a card with the Cool Cat( the free image). I'm not saying when I'll post it and I'm not even going to think it too loud near the computer--because that automatically means it won't happen, but just know that a Cool Cat card or two is coming.

This particular one, Cupcake Rain, is not a card yet. As soon as I find it, it will become a card. :)

I guess I'll go to bed now. I hope your weekend is blessed! I'm feeling pretty content right now. The Lord had reminded me over and over again of how blessed I am this week.

It's May 1st and I will be updating the prayer post tomorrow. Please email me if you have a request.

Choosing JOY!!! Jacki. :)