It's been way tooo long...

It's almost Christmas! I'm a last minute crafter... I'm not sure that you'd be shocked by that admission... : ) Let's get real for a minute. It's more fun and artsy to craft for Christmas with your favorite Christmas music playing while you're wearing fuzzy slippers because your toes are actually cold and your favorite hoodie or sweatshirt is keeping you warm. It's a sense of urgency that motivates us to finish that project when get to a part that is fairly tedious. Only boring people make Christmas stuff in the summer and still know where it is by December. Am I right? Can I get a witness??

Today, I'm re-arranging flowers. I revived two arrangements that needed some new life breathed into them. Here is one of them. This vase entered my house as an unfinished vase from the craft store. I painted it with black craft paint and then and interference purple pearly powder mixed with the paint medium that Biblical Impressions used to sell. I like how the flowers (which were in a different container) look in it.

We are just trying to spruce up the family room as we decorate. You are going to notice a color theme in a second. I don't want you thinking this woman is absolutely so purple crazy that she's torturing those poor people with all that purple with even her Christmas decorating...

I want you to know the purple was all "Christmas Boy's" idea. [FYI, my oldest son, lovingly referred to as "The Boy" becomes "Christmas Boy" during the holidays.] Decorating had always been a chore for me. I do it because I like to make it festive, but it wasn't on my top ten list of favorite activities. On the other hand, a few years ago I was too busy and didn't get around to decorating fast enough for him (he was around 9) and he asked to do it. He not only put up the tree by himself, but he really got into adding decorations to other areas. including lights around his bedroom doorpost.

Last year I found some purple lights at Lowe's and decorated The Card Castle. Remember >this

This year, Christmas Boy chose to use those lights on the tree. And then he said he wanted a purple and silver and gold tree. ( gasp! I think I hyperventilated at this point) Who am I to stop Christmas Boy? I'm helping him by making the bows he wants at the top of the tree. The next few pictures are some of our decorating 'ingredients'. We are going to get busy here and I'll be back (eventually... let's be real here, I don't promise anymore! LOL ) with the pictures of the decorated house, OK?

On a personal note:

I've got a few cards to make this week for special birthdays. ( note the silence)

There is also a big blog hopping party next Saturday. I'm participating in Hero Arts' New Catalog Release Blog Hop next Saturday!! I'm pretty excited about it. Have you seen the previews this week on the blog? But for today, it's back to organizing and decorating. We are preparing to have a big family Christmas with my husband's family. I'm am soooooo ready for Christmas, but soooooooo not prepared. Christmas shopping?? I've only purchased one gift, and it was for me. Shhh don't tell my offspring.

The exercising is going well. I haven't been on a scale in a couple of weeks, but I need a belt all of a sudden. I'm off the meds except the one I take weekly for Lupus. It's all good. : ) I choose to look at life that way anyway. Be blessed as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. I don't have to join a group or don a t-shirt with the slogan, Christ will always be my Christmas.

In The Birth of a Child...

Inside reads "the hope of the world."
Here is another with The hands from Heart and Soul.
...and a repeat of the how to in case you missed that the other day.

I stamped the hands(Heart and Soul Rubber Stamps) on cream colored card stock with brown ink. Using the reverse masking technique, I stamped the Baby Jesus (Biblical Impressions) inside the hands. I colored this with Prismacolor pencils and a little blending with the colorless blending pencil. The Names of Jesus background is a Eureka Stamp. The "In the birth of" is also a Biblical Impressions stamp the other line says " the hope of the world".
It's a little dark and cloudy here this morning but if we get a little sun, I'll take a better picture and replace it later today.



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Can you believe Christmas is next week? I'm still asleep at the wheel when it comes to Christmas cards and gifts. I'm not sure we are going to do too much this year. My daughter volunteered to do the Christmas newsletter because I'm not going to have time to do it without extreme stress. I can't wait to see what she's come up with. I'm still planning to finish my hand made cards if nothing else as a stress reliever. Two school Christmas parties in the next two days and then the kids are home for two weeks. I cut out stuff every year and it still seems to be too much. I'm really trying to be conscious of the real meaning of Christmas and not the stuff.
I hope you have a blessed (and not stressed) day as you prepare for Christmas celebrations.
I discovered this on thought provoking video clip on Facebook this morning and I thought I would share it. The Advent Conspiracy.

Thinking of You With Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving card... You must think I'm organized and planning ahead. I'm going to let you keep on thinking that. LOL. Seriously, I was inspired by this one when I was looking through my collection of colored images. I thought it was time to go ahead and do something with it.

I'm not really sure what all those buttons are doing. I'm thinking I might even take this apart and redo this card. Or maybe not.

I only blended the colors with the pencils themselves if I remember correctly. This is a really fun image to color. I made a card with this image last year that has become one of my all time favorites with it last year. I submitted it for publication... and it wasn't chosen. So I'll use it to decorate during the thanksgiving holiday, unless my friends send me cards... and that's not a hint... OK, I guess it is. LOL.

Stamps by Eureka Stamps.

(Outside) When I think of all the incredible blessings God has given me...
(inside) I think of you with thanksgiving.

My big project this week is to get rid of the 300+ cards I have sitting around this house. I'm in the process of categorizing and identifying them. Most of them are already pictured in my gallery, but I need to makes sure I've identified the ones in the gallery that are still here in my possession. I've been meaning to and planning to do this project for a couple of years. This week, I'm determined. OK, I said it out loud. You know what that means right?

The cards are sorted in these drawers by theme.

The contents of the "Any Occasion" drawer.

Most of these cards were made in the last few months or at least the last year. They aren't filed for one reason or another.

Oh, one last thing. I took the kids to see High School Musical on Saturday. I was totally planning to take a $10 nap. The only reason I was planning to stay was because it wouldn't have been worth the trip back home in time or gas. I was pleasantly surprised! Although I feel like I know HSM 1 and 2, I don't think I've ever seen either of them all the way thru in one sitting. I mean they are good, but they definitely didn't hold my attention. It's obvious that they put a lot more money and effort into HSM3. The music is wonderful, the dances are fabulous. It was awesome. OK, I've told you something embarrassing, it's your turn to tell me something. :) I hope you are enjoying your life this weekend. I am! Happy Birthday Debbie and Susan!

Three Easy Steps...

This card is for someone God prompted me to bless this morning, but you can read more about that later.
The saying in the set, actually says, May God's presence bring you peace. But I stamped a lot of words inside-- love, peace, inspiration, joy, etc... (Edited post to add inside of this card-- see below)

Stamps:Background is Flourish Borders (Hero Arts), Bleeding Heart (smARTworks)
Ink: Memories Artptint Brown(Stewart Superior),Blue Bayou (SU), Versifine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)Other: Circle Punches, Prismacolor Pencils.

Thanks for all your suggestions on the classes. I'll develop some classes in my mind and let you know what I'm thinking.
I had to chuckle when I read Beth's comment on the previous post. She wants me to teach "how to be awesome in three easy steps". I'm afraid I'm going to burst her bubble, because I was planning to tell you how much of a dork I am.

Before I do that, let me say that if you think agree with Mary and Beth that I could teach a class on being awesome, it's only because what you see is a great work of the Holy Spirit (over the course of many years). In three easy steps, I can tell you how to be awesome... for free.

Step One: Love God with all your heart.

When you concentrate on loving God, your focus is on pleasing him and not the people who see you. What does loving God mean? John 14:15 says " if you love me, keep my commandments." The book of 1 John has a lot of practical verses about showing your love for God, by loving our brothers. If you read the chapter in 1st Corinthians often referred to as the Love chapter you will see that Love is a verb. Loving God is shown by loving our brothers and neighbors. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? ( Luke 10; 25-37) There is a lot of help in the Bible... which brings me to the next point.

Step Two: Learn God with all your mind.

I was just talking to my daughter about a very intelligent famous person who is an avid reader who also denounces the God of the Bible. I wondered if she's ever read the Bible with an open heart. A lot of us are turned off by "organized religion" when we go through that stage in our lives when we are supposed to question what we were taught, when the folks who taught us don't seem worthy. -- Or at times when we see church leaders in the news who have gone wrong. For me it was reading the Bible from the beginning, understanding that God never intended for us to live on our own. None of us are worthy and can't be worthy. He intended to walk with us and at times carry us. Realizing that, we redirect our focus from the people and to God. Read the Bible for yourself. Start wherever you'd like. I remember reading about Abraham on the mountain and wondering how he got to that point of faith in his life, so I started from the Beginning.

Step Three: Listen to God with all your soul.

Once you know Him and how He speaks to you, it's important to obey. After all obeying Him or keeping his commandments is how we love Him right? One of my favorite Christian singers, Babbie Mason, wrote a song where she talked about being so close to God that she could hear Him whisper... not a shout, but a whisper. I heard that song in the early '90s and it had a life changing impact on me. I'm listening... Am I perfect, nope. But as the bumper sticker reads, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven". I would love to have better habits when it comes to reading my Bible. But just this morning, I felt God prompting me to bless somebody and I thought, "Oh my goodness. My little deed won't make a difference. Surely someone who knows her better will take care of it." And I was quickly reminded of my own words... Never underestimate your small part in someone else's blessing.... So I listened and obeyed and I am excited to be used by God in even the smallest way to bless somebody else. I remember a time several years ago when I didn't listen, but instead listened to that voice of doubt. Months later, that friend told me about how God sent someone at the last minute to do something special for her as she prepared for a missions trip and how much it meant to her ( It was exactly what He'd told me to do, down to the dollar). I'm glad she didn't miss out on God's provision because of me, but I missed my blessing, my chance to love God. I try to do better now. It's not about perfection, but it's all about growth.
So there you have it, Beth, for free! How to be Awesome in Three Easy Steps.

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I almost don't want to ruin the mood by telling you how dorky I am. But I will anyway. You can always come back and read the rest later.

Yesterday, I wanted to take a picture of a card I made and I didn't have my camera. I didn't want to go back and forth up and down the steps so I sent the boy. "Look in the basement for my camera", I said. He came back without it. "I can't find it, mom", he said. I assumed he "looked" for it like all kids look for something that is of no importance to them personally. Eventually, I made my way down that evening. By now it's dark so there's no taking pictures anyway and I couldn't find it either! I was starting to wonder, but I haven't taken it out of the house, so where in the world could it be? I headed back up to my room for bed and as I entered my room, there it was, right behind the chair I was sitting in when I sent the boy off to look for it in the first place. I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere.... Yes, I'm a dork!
That reminds me of a good movie I rented a couple of weeks ago, Sydney White. Although it's based on Snow White and the seven dwarfs, I wouldn't allow my younger kids to see it unless you plan to have discussions afterwards. Here is a trailer for the movie.
So tomorrow I'll show you the card I wanted to photograph yesterday, OK? Have a blessed day, and be a blessing!


Here is the inside of the card... crooked stamping and all...

You made my day!

I was a little sad when Debbie and Holly left yesterday. We had such a blast that I forgot my to do list for a few hours. My card for today, was made for one of them. I'm not telling which.

This background was done with shaving cream and reinkers 4 years ago. When I do techniques like this, I tend to do several and store them until I need them. I think this is the last one of the shaving cream backgrounds, so I'm going to need to buy some shaving cream and make more! The tulip, another favorite, is a Eureka stamp. The saying is Hero Arts.

Details of the day yesterday.
Miraculously, even with Atlanta traffic, they both arrived around the same time. After we chatted for a while, we had our first "class", Blogger 101. Both of them needed a few pointers on their blogs. Holly's is called Today's Creations, and Deb's for now is called Inky Fingers. Deb doesn't really have anything on it yet, but in a few days when she gets back home, she's going to load it up with all kinds of her fabulous paper crafts. Holly on the other hand has been loading her blog with great pictures for a couple of weeks at least.



Oh, so you want to know who these ladies are?


This is Debbie Singleton from Kentucky. Debbie is someone I met thru the Gingerwood stamping board, and thru this blog. She posts as Kentucky Deb or Deb in Kentucky on Gingerwood. ( help me Deb) She is one of my friends who helped me thru the situation with my son's teacher back in the fall. ( She is a teacher) and this is the same Debbie who sent me the CD holder. She was in town for the week and decided she just had to spend a day with me.


This is Holly Craft. I first met her thru The Rubber Stamper ( let's pause for a moment of silence). We were on the design team together, but I actually met her in person at a stamp convention in Greenville, SC a few of years ago. We've talked about getting together since I arrived in ATL last summer, but this is the first time we actually made it happen.

After Blogger 101 we had lunch and then we played with all of Debbie's new stamp acquisitions. Now every stamper I know has been to that stamp store in Marietta, except for me! I'm going to try to go on Saturday, if I get a few more things done around here.

Speaking of my to do list, before I get a lecture, I'm not stressing myself out. I've let go of all non essential things, I'm not trying to organize the entire house, or clean it, for that matter. I'm trying to do just enough so that my mom will be comfortable. My kids have received their assignments. I am actually pretty good at delegating. Whether or not they actually do what I delegate is story for another day!

I'm making cards and getting myself together. I chose to accept assignments from Hero Arts for the month of April with the intention of getting them done early. I just have a little more to do and then, I'm finished all the way up to the end of April. I should be done with everything on my list by tomorrow. That leaves the weekend for straightening up.
Monday, I'll do all the pre-op stuff at the doctors office and the hospital-- which is all conveniently located near the Hobby Lobby. My mom arrives Tuesday mid-day and I have to be at the Hospital bright and early Wednesday morning. I don't know how much I'm going to feel like or have time for blogging in the next few days. Just a warning so that you aren't popping in to check over the next few days. I will probably do at least one more post. I have the Hero card photos and one more with purple tulips. I'm praying for a sunny afternoon so that I can take better pictures of them.

One last thing, I think I'm going to get my daughter to do a post next Wednesday evening to let you know how the surgery went. I don't think my husband bought the ole -"Doctor"-says-I-need-a-laptop-after-the-surgery-bit. I've never had surgery before so I don't know if I'm going to feel like coming all the way down to the basement when I get home either. We'll see. I'm sure I'll be back before you miss me too much.
Listen, have a blessed day!
Choosing Joy! Jacki

RAK with JOY!

This is from Sara Kornhaus better known as Sarosa. I love the dark and light concept. All stamps by Eureka. Her blog motto is "Encouraging the habit of encouragment". I like that! Thanks Sara! Click on her name above to go to her blog.

Just Because

Finished Card Size: 5.5 x 4.25
Stamps: Potted Tulip(Biblical Impressions), Just Because(Eureka Stamps), Background Swirl(Inkadinkado* )
Card Stock: White card(Georgia Pacific), Green( Bazzill), Purple(SU)
Ink:Brilliance Graphite Black(Tsukenko), Whisper White Craft(SU)
Coloring Medium: Prismacolor Pencils

*I get Inkadinkado at The StampBuzz

Sweet Freedom

Happy Fourth of July!


This is a scrapbook page I did a couple years ago for the former owners of Biblical Impressions. The stamps are still available through Eureka Stamps and Biblical Impressions. After 12+ years of scrapbooking, I think this is still one of my favorite pages.

The background was stamped with the patriotic Christian fish in three sizes on red textured cardstock in blue dye ink. The apple pie in the title was also inked in the Midnight Blue and colored with Prismacolor pencils hen covered with a clear dimensional glue like Glossy Accents or Dimensional Magic or Diamond Glaze. ( I don't remember which one I used on this page) The fish border and accents on the top right side of the page were done with Zig Markers. The text was computer generated.

Page Size: 12" x 12"
Stamps: Patriotic Sheet ( Eureka Stamps)
Cardstock: Red and Blue (Die Cuts with a View),White (Georgia Pacific)
Ink: Memories Midnight Blue , Zig Markers
Other: Prismacolor Pencils, clear dimensional glue, sheer ribbon, tag punch

Happy Birthday, America!

I colored this image from Biblical Impressions last week. Last night, I picked out the ribbon and paper, in case there was a slim chance I would get to make a card in the next week. But that's all I had. No coordinating card stock or other embellishments.
I made this after my nap this afternoon (see post below) right in the middle of the family room floor. I already have the perfect recipient in mind. I will sent it to my neighbor who did a favor for me this afternoon. She lives just outside of the neighborhood and happens to own horses and it's just in time for the holiday.

Finished Card Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Stamps: Rodeo Queen (Biblical Impressions) 1/2 price until July 8th.
Printed Paper: Blue (Keeping Memories Alive) red and white( unknown)
Cardstock: White card(Georgia Pacific)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukenko)
Other: gingham ribbon

Graduation Cards

Lots going on here as we wind down to our last days in Michigan. And on top of that we are still dealing with graduation and end of school year stuff . My daughter has a few Graduation Open houses to go to in the next few days. I made several cards for her and several for us to send a little something to the graduates we know. I had to go to my default design for making multiples.


Stamps: Congratulations(Stampabilities) Background Graduation Stamp and Cap and Gown Stamp (Eureka Stamps)
Cardstock: Blues(SU),White card(Georgia Pacific)
Ink:Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukenko), Not Quite Navy and Bordering Blue (SU)
Other: Ticket Corner Punch (SU), Notched Corner Punch (SU)



Additional Stamps: Grad Cap and Diploma (Penny Black), Congratulations (Stampabilities)

Faux Mosiac Technique

I made this 5 x 6 1/2" card this morning using my Faux Mosaic Technique. This is a technique I came up with last year (I think) as a way to color a open image without actually having to color. Some people are intimidated by coloring and others love it. Even if you are one of the latter folks like me,you know it is very time consuming.

This Single Cone Flower image is from Cornish Heritage Farms. Drawn by Asela Hopkins. I saw the stamp on her blog. Blog surfing is going to cost me a fortune!
The saying stamp was also purchased from Cornish Heritage Farms, and is Sonlight Stamps.
I love that saying and try to live it. We don't always have control over where we end up, but we can make the best of it while we are there.
I'm encouraged by the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. With God's help, if he could be successful as a slave and in prison, surely I can bloom in whatever state I land.

How did I make this card?: I used a small square piece of rubber left over from trimming a stamp set. The main image was stamped with a permanent ink on white glossy paper. I inked it with Lavender Lace, Old Olive, and Creamy Carmel (all dye inks) to do the different parts of the design. The purple cardstock is Lavender Lace from SU and the green textured is Bazzill Ivy. I picked up on the mosaic theme in the background by embossing it using a Big Shot texture plate.


Here are two more examples and the inspiration for this technique:

This particular line of stamps, called Tender Thoughts ,is from Eureka Stamps. They are complete card designs. There is a main image that pretty much fills the front of an A2 card. There is also a verse for the inside and an accent stamp for the inside or the envelope or wherever you want to put it. I got these stamps because the pictures are beautiful and the verses are so appropriate. The only downside is it takes a while to color it normally. I was trying to come up with a way to complete a card fairly quickly with these large stamps.
The Get Well card was covered with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

The Rubber Stamper Design Team Challenge

Of course the day I need to get my bills in the mail, the mailman comes at early! I was frantically trying to get everything ready that would need to be mailed when I saw the mailman at 9:30. His usual time anywhere from 11:30 -1:30, but usually closer to noon. Now I have to add Post Office to my list of today's errands.

But on a happy note, the mailman brought me a copy of the Rubber Stamper this morning. My last Design Team submission was published. Here are my pictures of the cards. Again, I obviously like the cards but they are not my favorites of the bunch. I'll give them a call next week to see if it's ok to show you pictures of the ones they didn't publish. I guess they could use them at a later day, but they probably won't...


The first one features a skeleton stamp by Eureka.


And this one features a stamp from a SU set called Lovely as a Tree.

I am almost finished my sister's BD card, but I probably won't blog about it until Monday. I need to make her two cards anyway. I'll let the kids sign the "nice" one and I'll sign the funny one. I bought a Limerink stamp from Hambo for the inside of the funny one. Click on Hambo and check out "Better Than Dead". I'm going to have to add the first Birthday stamp to my next order. That one is cute too!

I am running out of time! Have a blessed weekend!!