11/20/2008
Incredible Blog Candy Giveaway!
Debbie is giving away a wonderful stash of goodies to celebrate all the hits on her blog. (Well over 10,000 now). Pop on over and leave her a comment for a chance to win! Blessings, Becky
11/19/2008
Busy Days . . . Busy, Busy Days!
Hi Friends! I just wanted to post to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I'm just too busy with other things go get much playing done! We leave on Saturday for our week long camping and canoeing, eating and sleeping, sight-seeing and relaxing trip to Savannah, Georgia. When we go camping, well, it takes me several days to get everything ready to go! I get all the food, linens, dogs stuff, my clothes ready, and hubby gets his clothes ready (takes him like 10 minutes!) and that's about it!
So today I've done all the pre-vacation laundry, started packing my clothes, checked all the towels, etc. are ready in the camper, and put clean, thick, warm flannel sheets on our bed. Once we get there and get the camper up (unfolded) all I'll have to do is throw on the pillows and blankets and we're ready to relax! Tomorrow I check out the staples (sugar, coffee, oil, tea, etc.), make some cookies to take with us, and finish packing. Friday it's off to WalMart to buy lunch stuff - bread, sandwich meat, chips, and good old fashioned camping junk food!
Hubby is coming home a couple of hours early on Friday so we can close up the camper, get the canoe strapped on top, and then hook it up to the truck. We'll pull out of here around 5 am (or earlier) on Saturday.
So, as you can see, there's too much to do to be making cards, and I've decided not to take ANY scrapping supplies on this trip, so there won't be any until after our return. I will be taking my needlework bags and 'bed' (see my other BLOG for explanation) so I hope to get some pins and ornaments made.
I'll be without the internet the whole week, so you probably won't hear from me, although I did find a Barnes and Noble about 20 minutes from the campground that has wifi, so if I have the chance I'll stop by and say "HI".
Have a wonderful, blessed, happy Thanksgiving, and I'll talk to you soon as I can! Blessings friends! Becky
So today I've done all the pre-vacation laundry, started packing my clothes, checked all the towels, etc. are ready in the camper, and put clean, thick, warm flannel sheets on our bed. Once we get there and get the camper up (unfolded) all I'll have to do is throw on the pillows and blankets and we're ready to relax! Tomorrow I check out the staples (sugar, coffee, oil, tea, etc.), make some cookies to take with us, and finish packing. Friday it's off to WalMart to buy lunch stuff - bread, sandwich meat, chips, and good old fashioned camping junk food!
Hubby is coming home a couple of hours early on Friday so we can close up the camper, get the canoe strapped on top, and then hook it up to the truck. We'll pull out of here around 5 am (or earlier) on Saturday.
So, as you can see, there's too much to do to be making cards, and I've decided not to take ANY scrapping supplies on this trip, so there won't be any until after our return. I will be taking my needlework bags and 'bed' (see my other BLOG for explanation) so I hope to get some pins and ornaments made.
I'll be without the internet the whole week, so you probably won't hear from me, although I did find a Barnes and Noble about 20 minutes from the campground that has wifi, so if I have the chance I'll stop by and say "HI".
Have a wonderful, blessed, happy Thanksgiving, and I'll talk to you soon as I can! Blessings friends! Becky
11/15/2008
Tag You're It - Red and Green
Another quick post to share my tag for the 'Tag You're It" challenge this week. Kath set the challenge to use the colors of red and green. Here's my tag >>>
I used Bazzill cardstock for the base, and some old K & Co. 'Holly Vine Printed Embossed' paper. I touched the red berries with a little stickles to brighten it up a bit.
I printed the sheet music to "Joy to the World" from the link you can find to the left or HERE using the 6 images per sheet option. I inked it with brown and backed it with red cardstock. The JOY chipboard was ugly brown, but I inked it with gold ink and used red Ranger embossing powder to heat emboss them. I think it looks like candy apples!
The white dove is from a bag of confetti that a friend bought and shared with me. The hanger is brass wire twisted and curled and embellished with red glass star beads and Christmas 'lampwork' beads and tied with remnants of an ages old roll of Christmas ribbon. The finishing touch is a golden bell fastened in center.
I think I'll hang this tag on my kitchen door during the holidays so each time I put the girls (dogs) in and out I'll hear the bell! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it! Blessings, Friends! Becky
I used Bazzill cardstock for the base, and some old K & Co. 'Holly Vine Printed Embossed' paper. I touched the red berries with a little stickles to brighten it up a bit.
I printed the sheet music to "Joy to the World" from the link you can find to the left or HERE using the 6 images per sheet option. I inked it with brown and backed it with red cardstock. The JOY chipboard was ugly brown, but I inked it with gold ink and used red Ranger embossing powder to heat emboss them. I think it looks like candy apples!
The white dove is from a bag of confetti that a friend bought and shared with me. The hanger is brass wire twisted and curled and embellished with red glass star beads and Christmas 'lampwork' beads and tied with remnants of an ages old roll of Christmas ribbon. The finishing touch is a golden bell fastened in center.
I think I'll hang this tag on my kitchen door during the holidays so each time I put the girls (dogs) in and out I'll hear the bell! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it! Blessings, Friends! Becky
Daring Cardmakers "Birds"
Just a quick post to share the card I made for Daring Card Makers 'dare' this week. The challenge was to put a bird or birds on your card. Here's my entry >>>
I've made this card for a special friend, and it's a special card! The birdie is actually a pin (brooch) that I made for her. It's felt and embroidery floss with a safety pin back.
The papers are my favorite My Minds Eye 'Be Merry' line on Bazzill cardstock. The dark green stitching was done on my machine. There's a snowflake Christmas Ornament behind the bird that can be removed as well.
Crazy Good Blog Candy!
Hi Folks! Terri Conrad (of Websters Pages fame) is having a great giveaway. You can find her HERE if you are interested!
11/13/2008
Christmas Goodies Up For Grabs . . .
. . . . . over on the blog Creative Antics. If you are interested, you'd better click on over there because it ends soon! Blessings, Becky
Kristine's Blogoversary!
Kristine in Norway is celebrating her first blogoversary by giving away some incredible goodies - there are two goodie bags to be given to two people, and there are some incredible vintage papers in there! If you are interested, please pay her blog a visit! Blessings, Becky
11/12/2008
Giving Credit Where It's Due
Yes it's me again, and yes I'm going on some more about gratitude!
First, I want to say a huge, hearty thank you to Leah at South Breeze Farm in Iowa. She's the one who got me on this gratitude train, and I am most thankful for that. Since I've started looking for things in my life for which I should be (and am) grateful, it's literally changed my days, what I do, and how I go about doing it. So thank you, Leah!
But now for the other reason for this post - gifts! I am usually so bogged down in thinking about what I don't have (craft-wise), that I don't even see what I do have! My inspiration has been at a low ebb in recent weeks because all I could see was what I could do if I had this, that, or the other latest, greatest thing. But thanks in part to Leah's Giving Thanks Challenge, and in part to my new stash of goodies that arrived today, that's changing for the better!
Before I start this story, I must say Thank You to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks - Miki and the design team, thank you from the bottom of my heart! My goodies came today and I've had so much fun already!
While I was working on a card with my new goodies, I started thinking about all the wonderful people who have given me gifts of craft supplies, just in the last few months.
First there was Nancy (Ladybug) who has a heart the size of her home state of Tennessee, and it's made of purest gold! She sees the good in everyone and everything, and gives of herself continuously! Even though she is disabled and in a scooter chair, she goes and does and gives to others of herself whenever she can. I've never met Nancy in person; we've talked on the phone, and we've e-mailed probably hundreds of times, and I know I love her and that huge heart of hers more than she will ever know! We met on a recipe forum and formed a fast friendship. A few months ago I got up early on a Sunday morning and was reading my e-mails and there was one from her. She wanted my address. She had cleared out my wish-list on scrapbook.com and I should be looking for a package soon. I was blown away, moved to tears by her generosity. And I still am.
Then there's Linda, my friend in New York, and another friend I've never met in person. We have gotten to know each other through Scrapbook.com's cardmaking forums, and I think she's just one of the sweetest people around! We almost lost her a few months ago, but now she's back stronger and better than ever. When she moved a couple of months ago, and was downsizing her craft supplies, she sent me a big envelope full of all kinds of goodies. Another random act of kindness that moved me beyond measure.
Next came my new friend, Tish. I saw her screen name on Scrapbook.com a few weeks ago, and knew that I had to find out where in the Georgia mountains she lived, because I live there, too! I sent her a private message, and before long I had a reply. We started pm'ing each other back and forth and before long I had a new friend. She only lives about 20 to 25 minutes from here, and works only about 5 miles from my home - it truly IS a small world! We arranged for our first meeting to be at my local scrapbooking store and play a while there. It was kind of tough to play because there was shopping to do, and talking to Susan, the store owner, and other visitors to the store, but I liked her a lot! A few weeks later she came to my home for a play-date, but we didn't get much playing done because we were talking too much! But she's coming back this Friday and we're going to try to actually get some scrapping done this time. But when she came that first time to my home, she handed me a little zipper plastic bag full of goodies, mostly from her late grandmother's crafting stash. Now, I'm one of those people who will throw or give away something new to make room for something older and with sentimental value, so that meant so much to me!
So, when I was working on a card to post as a 'thank you' to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks, I decided I should add my other three giving friends to the mix, so I pulled out some goodies from all the things they had given me, and you know, everything just went together like God intended it that way! Here's the card >>>
And I thank you for reading through all this long story, and listening to my 'Thank Yous'. I am one very blessed, and very grateful girlie, I can tell you that!
Blessings, Friends! Becky
First, I want to say a huge, hearty thank you to Leah at South Breeze Farm in Iowa. She's the one who got me on this gratitude train, and I am most thankful for that. Since I've started looking for things in my life for which I should be (and am) grateful, it's literally changed my days, what I do, and how I go about doing it. So thank you, Leah!
But now for the other reason for this post - gifts! I am usually so bogged down in thinking about what I don't have (craft-wise), that I don't even see what I do have! My inspiration has been at a low ebb in recent weeks because all I could see was what I could do if I had this, that, or the other latest, greatest thing. But thanks in part to Leah's Giving Thanks Challenge, and in part to my new stash of goodies that arrived today, that's changing for the better!
Before I start this story, I must say Thank You to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks - Miki and the design team, thank you from the bottom of my heart! My goodies came today and I've had so much fun already!
While I was working on a card with my new goodies, I started thinking about all the wonderful people who have given me gifts of craft supplies, just in the last few months.
First there was Nancy (Ladybug) who has a heart the size of her home state of Tennessee, and it's made of purest gold! She sees the good in everyone and everything, and gives of herself continuously! Even though she is disabled and in a scooter chair, she goes and does and gives to others of herself whenever she can. I've never met Nancy in person; we've talked on the phone, and we've e-mailed probably hundreds of times, and I know I love her and that huge heart of hers more than she will ever know! We met on a recipe forum and formed a fast friendship. A few months ago I got up early on a Sunday morning and was reading my e-mails and there was one from her. She wanted my address. She had cleared out my wish-list on scrapbook.com and I should be looking for a package soon. I was blown away, moved to tears by her generosity. And I still am.
Then there's Linda, my friend in New York, and another friend I've never met in person. We have gotten to know each other through Scrapbook.com's cardmaking forums, and I think she's just one of the sweetest people around! We almost lost her a few months ago, but now she's back stronger and better than ever. When she moved a couple of months ago, and was downsizing her craft supplies, she sent me a big envelope full of all kinds of goodies. Another random act of kindness that moved me beyond measure.
Next came my new friend, Tish. I saw her screen name on Scrapbook.com a few weeks ago, and knew that I had to find out where in the Georgia mountains she lived, because I live there, too! I sent her a private message, and before long I had a reply. We started pm'ing each other back and forth and before long I had a new friend. She only lives about 20 to 25 minutes from here, and works only about 5 miles from my home - it truly IS a small world! We arranged for our first meeting to be at my local scrapbooking store and play a while there. It was kind of tough to play because there was shopping to do, and talking to Susan, the store owner, and other visitors to the store, but I liked her a lot! A few weeks later she came to my home for a play-date, but we didn't get much playing done because we were talking too much! But she's coming back this Friday and we're going to try to actually get some scrapping done this time. But when she came that first time to my home, she handed me a little zipper plastic bag full of goodies, mostly from her late grandmother's crafting stash. Now, I'm one of those people who will throw or give away something new to make room for something older and with sentimental value, so that meant so much to me!
So, when I was working on a card to post as a 'thank you' to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks, I decided I should add my other three giving friends to the mix, so I pulled out some goodies from all the things they had given me, and you know, everything just went together like God intended it that way! Here's the card >>>
(Sorry for the bad picture, no sunshine here today!)
The only things on the card that are from my stash are the cardstock, the copper silk ribbon, the inks used with the stamps, the copper embossing powder and the glues and adhesives. Everything else was given to me by my 'giving angels'. So, instead of telling you who made all the components, I'm going to share with you who gave me what!
The tag, felt leaves, stamps, brown flower and green gem are from my blog candy from Pursuit of Craftyness. Thank You!
The polka-dotted flower, the stickles (barely visible - sorry) and the ink I used to edge the tag are from Nancy. Thank You!
The blue beads and square acrylic 'pebbles' are from Linda. Thank You!
The blue lace and the very blingy button on the bow are from Tish. Thank You!
And I thank you for reading through all this long story, and listening to my 'Thank Yous'. I am one very blessed, and very grateful girlie, I can tell you that!
Blessings, Friends! Becky
"give thanks in all circumstances (for all things) for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
2 Sketches 4 You - Kazan's Sketch 13
Hello friends! It's a cool, windy and cloudy day here, just perfect for staying inside and playing with paper! This card is for the 2 Sketches 4 You challenge this week, using Kazan's Sketch 13. Here's the sketch:
And here's my take on it. Please excuse the pictures, as I said there's no sun shining through the clouds today and I had to take them inside.
The sentiment was printed on my printer, trimmed, inked with brown, and matted on a scrap of shiny pink cardstock. The lace is a scrap of vintage lace my friend Tish gave me - it came from her grandmother's craft stash - how sweet is that! The green velvet ribbon is from one of my favorite online stores, One Hundred Wishes. I made the blingy flourish by using one of the Autumn Leaves Rhonda Farrer stamps from the Flourishes 2 set and stamping it onto cardstock, trimming it, glueing and adding some 'Fairy Dust' glitter.
And my pride and joy is the flower - I love how it came out! I printed the Christmas Carol 'Silent Night' our on my inkjet printer from the website you can find to the left. I decided on the petal shape I wanted, freehand cut a template out on a piece of scrap cardstock, and then traced it 5 times onto the sheet music. After I cut out each of the 5 petals I fitted them into my Cuttlebug 'Textile' embossing folder and embossed them. Next I inked them with brown ink, added a small bead of glue around the outer edges, glittered them with more of the Fairy Dust glitter and set them aside to dry. While the glitter was drying I took a chipboard flower shape and traced it onto pink felt and cut that out, and then looked for a pretty button. Once the glitter was dry I took a round piece of scrap cardstock, glued each petal into place, then glued on the felt flower and the button. I love how the whole card turned out, but especially the flower!
I have to tell you, I just love making my own components for cards! I don't have the budget to go out and buy all the latest and greatest things that all the magazines, websites and blogs are always telling us about, and even if I did, I'm not sure I would spend it all on craft stuff! But! If I use my creativity (and after all, what is crafting but being creative and using what we've got on hand!) and put some time and effort into it, I can come up with something just as pretty as all the ready made stuff. Maybe even prettier!
What are your cost-cutting craft tips? Would you be interested in a blog where we shared our tips and ideas for saving money by creating our own things and how to use them? Let me know what you think; I'd love to hear your comments! Blessings friends! Becky
And here's my take on it. Please excuse the pictures, as I said there's no sun shining through the clouds today and I had to take them inside.The base is Bazzill white burlap textured cardstock. The striped paper is from the My Minds Eye Be Merry line, and is called Candy Stripes. I machine stitched around the perimeter with a dark green thread for a little added interest.
The sentiment was printed on my printer, trimmed, inked with brown, and matted on a scrap of shiny pink cardstock. The lace is a scrap of vintage lace my friend Tish gave me - it came from her grandmother's craft stash - how sweet is that! The green velvet ribbon is from one of my favorite online stores, One Hundred Wishes. I made the blingy flourish by using one of the Autumn Leaves Rhonda Farrer stamps from the Flourishes 2 set and stamping it onto cardstock, trimming it, glueing and adding some 'Fairy Dust' glitter.
And my pride and joy is the flower - I love how it came out! I printed the Christmas Carol 'Silent Night' our on my inkjet printer from the website you can find to the left. I decided on the petal shape I wanted, freehand cut a template out on a piece of scrap cardstock, and then traced it 5 times onto the sheet music. After I cut out each of the 5 petals I fitted them into my Cuttlebug 'Textile' embossing folder and embossed them. Next I inked them with brown ink, added a small bead of glue around the outer edges, glittered them with more of the Fairy Dust glitter and set them aside to dry. While the glitter was drying I took a chipboard flower shape and traced it onto pink felt and cut that out, and then looked for a pretty button. Once the glitter was dry I took a round piece of scrap cardstock, glued each petal into place, then glued on the felt flower and the button. I love how the whole card turned out, but especially the flower!
I have to tell you, I just love making my own components for cards! I don't have the budget to go out and buy all the latest and greatest things that all the magazines, websites and blogs are always telling us about, and even if I did, I'm not sure I would spend it all on craft stuff! But! If I use my creativity (and after all, what is crafting but being creative and using what we've got on hand!) and put some time and effort into it, I can come up with something just as pretty as all the ready made stuff. Maybe even prettier!
What are your cost-cutting craft tips? Would you be interested in a blog where we shared our tips and ideas for saving money by creating our own things and how to use them? Let me know what you think; I'd love to hear your comments! Blessings friends! Becky
11/11/2008
I Give Thanks, O Lord, This Day
When I got up this morning one of the first thoughts I had was 'hmmmm, what to be thankful for today', and from that moment on I have been so abundantly blessed by things for which to be thankful that I am overwhelmed! So much so that I had to write a whole post to tell you about them!
First, sleep! Sound, restful, restoring SLEEP! I remember changing the channel at the end of Dancing With The Stars last night, but I don't remember what I changed it to! I remember getting up once to go potty and realizing hubby was in the bed, but I dont' know what time it was! Next thing I knew I was waking up, the bedroom was somewhat light (our bedroom is on the west end of the house, so the sun has to be up and at'em for the room to be very light), and I was instantly awake and up within 2-3 minutes of stretching and thinking over my day. It's so nice to get a nice, long, cozy nights sleep!
Second was knowing I don't have to leave this house today. I'm doing laundry, I've got to pick up the house and get ready for my friend coming for a play date on Friday, and I'll have to make dinner for hubby and I tonight, but I am here for the day, and that makes me happy.
My first official 'action' for EVERY day is to rouse the girls from their slumber and make them go outside. Then I go out, check the temp on my deck and stand and look out on 'our' woods. They aren't actually 'ours', but they reach down as far as you can see, and right now there are so many golds, yellows and oranges down in there that I had to stand there in the chill and give thanks for my home and the view behind it!
Then I grabbed my wake-up glass of OJ and headed for my play room. First off, check e-mails. One of my e-mails was from Deena, with a teaser saying she had a surprise for me on her blog, so I went to her blog and was so surprised (and extremely happy and thankful) to find she had given me my very first Blog Award - the Kreativ Blogger Award!!!!!
And one of the conditions of receiving this award is that you give it to 5 bloggers who inspire you and who have creative blogs, so here goes to my five:
First, sleep! Sound, restful, restoring SLEEP! I remember changing the channel at the end of Dancing With The Stars last night, but I don't remember what I changed it to! I remember getting up once to go potty and realizing hubby was in the bed, but I dont' know what time it was! Next thing I knew I was waking up, the bedroom was somewhat light (our bedroom is on the west end of the house, so the sun has to be up and at'em for the room to be very light), and I was instantly awake and up within 2-3 minutes of stretching and thinking over my day. It's so nice to get a nice, long, cozy nights sleep!
Second was knowing I don't have to leave this house today. I'm doing laundry, I've got to pick up the house and get ready for my friend coming for a play date on Friday, and I'll have to make dinner for hubby and I tonight, but I am here for the day, and that makes me happy.
My first official 'action' for EVERY day is to rouse the girls from their slumber and make them go outside. Then I go out, check the temp on my deck and stand and look out on 'our' woods. They aren't actually 'ours', but they reach down as far as you can see, and right now there are so many golds, yellows and oranges down in there that I had to stand there in the chill and give thanks for my home and the view behind it!
Then I grabbed my wake-up glass of OJ and headed for my play room. First off, check e-mails. One of my e-mails was from Deena, with a teaser saying she had a surprise for me on her blog, so I went to her blog and was so surprised (and extremely happy and thankful) to find she had given me my very first Blog Award - the Kreativ Blogger Award!!!!!
And one of the conditions of receiving this award is that you give it to 5 bloggers who inspire you and who have creative blogs, so here goes to my five:
I just love all the colors and textures she uses!
Her blog is 3 Dimensional Me, and her creations are so incredible, especially the multi-layered flowers!
Her creativity and enterprising spirit simply put, blow me away!
I first met Irene on Scrapbook.com where we shared our cards, but since then, she has become my teacher and friend! Follow the link and you will soon find out what an artist this young woman from Malaysia really is!
Her cards just amaze me, but then so does her wit and great outlook on life!
Ladies, please share this award with 5 of your favorite, most creative blogger friends!
Okay, back to the gratitude thing! Another thing I'm thankful for today is only 4 loads of laundry. Most week there are at least 5 or 6, but today it's just 4 - a special day!
And one last thing that I am grateful for - YOU! Whether you are a faithful follower, dearest friend, or just stumbled here via the web, I am most grateful that you made it here today and chose to read this long, rambling post.
Have a gratitude filled day my friends! Blessings, Becky
11/10/2008
Merry and Bright for CPS # 90!!!
No, it's not snowing in northern Georgia, and that isn't a Christmas tree the snowflake is hanging on! In fact it is one of my rosemary bushes, and my hands still smell great from handling it, even though I've washed them a few times since then - I love rosemary in the garden!This plastic snowflake, one from a set of 6 that I got for $1 at Dollar Tree, was my inspiration for this week's card for CPS #90.
I started on this card yesterday and it just wouldn't come together. Then this morning I found the snowflake and the wreath shaped chipboard, and knew what I was going to do. And I LOVE this card - I think it came out beautifully!!!
The base is Bazzill 'burlap' textured cardstock, and once again, those precious Be Merry papers from My Minds Eye. These are Sweet Sprinkles and Twas the Night Before Christmas. I rounded the corners on the 'open' ends, stitched them with red thread, and inked them with brown ink. Then I used black and white dimensional paint to outline the blocks of paper.
Excuse the fuzzy pic, but I couldn't get a better one of this for some reason. The sentiment is from a set of clear stamps I bought from the Christmas Aisle at WalMart over the weekend. I used clear versamark ink and then heat embossed it with red Ranger embossing powder. I inked the edges with brown, backed it with more of the green cardstock and popped it off the paper with foam squares. The tinsel around the edges is from that snowflake I showed you above. I think it looks much better around the sentiment!
The bling came in a free sample baggie I got when I ordered some Prima flowers from a shop on eBay. But do you see the shine on that tinsel? It's not a light, just the reflection from the sun, so that should give you an idea how festive that tinsel is!
The chipboard 'wreath' is from Scenic Route Bleached Bare Naked Chipboard. It was white, so I inked it with green ink, used Ranger Evergreen embossing powder, and heat embossed it (twice for good coverage) to get a nice green color. Then I slightly sanded it and used a clear glue and some more of that very fine crystal glitter to give it a real blingy shine! The white 'limbs' are pieces of the same snowflake the tinsel came from, I just cut them off the snowflake and glued them on under the holly leaf. The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby (their brand, I believe) and the holly, flower and red berries are from a pick that's so old I couldn't begin to tell you where it came from.
So, I hope the folks at CPS like my take on their sketch this week - did I happen to mention I really, REALLY love this card, lol! Everyone have a great day! Blessings, Becky
Another Great "BC" Alert!
Nikki is paying it forward! She recently won some blog candy, and a condition of winning was that she gave away something she loved in her own blog candy! She's got some great stuff, and you can find it HERE.
Happy Monday and Blog Candy
Happy Monday Friends! Now that I'm no longer working outside the home, I actually like Mondays. It usually means that hubby is back at work and the day is mine. My normal Monday activities are laundry, pick up the house, laundry, play a little while, laundry, cook dinner, laundry, play a little while longer, laundry and go to bed.
Today, however is 'parents day', and I have to drive the 25 +/- miles to my parents house, take them on a couple of errands, take them home and drive the same 25 +/- miles back home. It'll be a long day; it always is when I have them both in my car at the same time - can you say 3 year olds! They bicker and argue and in general drive me crazy. But, I try to be a dutiful daughter and take care of them best I can.
On a much brighter note, many thanks to Miki and the folks over at The Pursuit of Craftyness Blog!!!! I got home last night, checked my e-mail and had a note from Miki asking for my address so she could send me a huge bunch of, you guessed it, BLOG CANDY!!! It's my first win, and just made my day! Thank you so much folks, AND to Tyler for drawing my name! Here's a pic of the goodies I'll soon be receiving >>>
Also, more blog candy can be found HERE at Frans blog. She's celebrating her Blogoversary! She's got some pretty special goodies, too!
Everyone have a great Monday, and hopefully I'll have that CPS card finished and can share it with you! Blessings! Becky
11/09/2008
Still More Blog Candy - It Must Be The Giving Season!!!
Okay, so I've gone Blog Candy Crazy, but I'm gonna stay that way until I actually get a package in the mail from someone, lol!
Helena is celebrating her birthday with a HUGE bundle of goodies, and you can find her blog HERE, if you are interested!
Bernie at CraftyBe is celebrating almost 20,00 hits on her blog with some sweet goodies that you can find HERE.
Creative Necessity has some great goodies up for grabs as well, which you can find HERE.
Good luck to all you sweet toothies out there!!! Becky
Helena is celebrating her birthday with a HUGE bundle of goodies, and you can find her blog HERE, if you are interested!
Bernie at CraftyBe is celebrating almost 20,00 hits on her blog with some sweet goodies that you can find HERE.
Creative Necessity has some great goodies up for grabs as well, which you can find HERE.
Good luck to all you sweet toothies out there!!! Becky
11/07/2008
Even More Blog Candy!
Suzanne over at Scrap Bitz is celebrating having over 50,000 hits on her blog, and is giving away some great goodies! All she asks is you tell her about your favorite holiday song and why, and if you have a blog to post a link to her blog. Easy Peasy! Blessings y'all! Becky
Christmas Blessings
I must admit, the old card-making mojo, or inspiration, or whatever you call it has deserted me of late. It just hasn't been there! But today it's raised it's lazy head and let me make a card for not one, but two challenges! This one card fits the bill for both the 2 Sketches 4 You challenge this week for Laura's Sketch 12, and for Daring Card Makers challenge to make a card with 'bling'! Here's my one entry for both challenges.
I used Bazzill 'orange peel' textured cardstock for the base, and my current favorite My Minds Eye Be Merry papers. This one is the Snowball Fun paper. I used some 'diamond' Stickles on some of the snowflakes to add some extra bling.
The chipboard bird is inked with a soft green ink, then liberally coated with some very fine 'crystal' glitter. The eye is a pink rhinestone, and he's wearing a pretty pink organza bow around his neck.
The flowers are Prima hydrangeas that I coated with a clear glue and covered with the same fine glitter, and added another pink rhinestone for the center.
The greeting is simple, and printed on my printer, inked with brown, backed with some more of the cardstock. The gorgeous green velvet ribbon came from One Hundred Wishes - a wonderful online shop that you can find in my links to the left.
So, that's my card, and evidence that maybe the card-making mojo is back for a while. Now, which challenge do I try next??? Have a blessed weekend everyone! Becky
Tic Toc - Tag You're It Challenge
This week's Tag You're It Challenge has the theme of "Tic Toc", or anything doing with time. My tag for this challenge started out lovely, then took a sordid turn when the clock I had stamped onto shrink film pretty much melted before my eyes! But I took the melted clock and made it work anyway! Thus the title of my tag this week is "Life is a journey through time . . . sometimes time has a meltdown".
I used a ready-made tag, inked it with varying colors of pink, lavender and purple inks for a cloudy effect. Next I used clear ink and a Heidi Swapp clock stamp set to randomly stamp some clocks on the tag, and heat embossed them with clear ink. I used some Melissa Frances wings, crown and swirl rub-ons, a metal 'journey' tag, and the ill-fated 'melted' clock with a silver brad. Oh, and some OLD fibers from an Anna Griffin kit to top it off.
I love this tag, because it really shows how we (I) let time get out of hand sometimes! I personally give it free reign all too often and don't take it in hand and take advantage of it as I should. Anyone else feel that way???
Have a wonderful, blessed, happy weekend, friends! Becky
I used a ready-made tag, inked it with varying colors of pink, lavender and purple inks for a cloudy effect. Next I used clear ink and a Heidi Swapp clock stamp set to randomly stamp some clocks on the tag, and heat embossed them with clear ink. I used some Melissa Frances wings, crown and swirl rub-ons, a metal 'journey' tag, and the ill-fated 'melted' clock with a silver brad. Oh, and some OLD fibers from an Anna Griffin kit to top it off.
I love this tag, because it really shows how we (I) let time get out of hand sometimes! I personally give it free reign all too often and don't take it in hand and take advantage of it as I should. Anyone else feel that way???
Have a wonderful, blessed, happy weekend, friends! Becky
11/06/2008
More Blog Candy!!!
Craft Stamper Magazine (I think it's a UK mag) has started a new blog, and to celebrate they are giving away the Penny Black Stamps 12 Days of Christmas stamp set. You can find out more HERE, and good luck!
11/05/2008
Some Serious Blog Candy!!!
11/04/2008
Handmade from the Heart!
It's another lovely fall day, and I've been sitting here at the computer most of it, lol! I did go out to vote and then to get gas in the car on the way home, and I've done a few loads of laundry, so I guess I haven't been sitting here all day after all - it just feels like it!
But I did get something fun accomplished! I got four things up for sale on MY ETSY shop. They are all pins (or maybe brooches is the better word) and they are all handmade using felt, lace, buttons, ribbons, you know, all the stuff I've got tons of around here! I'm just going to show you pics, but you are welcome to go check them out on Etsy.
So, laundry duty calls again! Have a great day! Blessings, Becky
But I did get something fun accomplished! I got four things up for sale on MY ETSY shop. They are all pins (or maybe brooches is the better word) and they are all handmade using felt, lace, buttons, ribbons, you know, all the stuff I've got tons of around here! I'm just going to show you pics, but you are welcome to go check them out on Etsy.
I don't have any patterns for these, just made them up myself. I did use two of the Nestabilities dies to make two circles, and glued them together to get the snowman shape.
I've decided that when we go to Savannah for Thanksgiving week, I'm only taking my bags (2) full of stuff to make these kinds of things, and leave all the paper crafting stuff at home. This will keep my hands busy, and that's what it's all about for me anyway.So, laundry duty calls again! Have a great day! Blessings, Becky
11/02/2008
Being Thankful Every Day
Some of you may not know I have another BLOG besides this one. It's about cooking and household stuff mostly. Between the two of them, I have tons of 'favorites' listed. There are a few that, because of their content, I have them listed on BOTH my blogs. Roseanne in Canada (Bits of Life, Scrapbooking and Cooking) is one of those. As I was visiting her blog today, as I often do, I visited a few of the blogs in HER list.
That's how I came upon South Breeze Farm blog, hosted by Leah in Iowa. She's holding a 'Giving Thanks Challenge' for November, and I've posted her challenge in the column to the left to remind me to post something for which I am thankful each day this month. Now, life is crazy, so I may not make it every day, but I'm going to do my very best.
Today hubby and I, as we often do, got out early this morning and headed out to see what we could find. And we took a LONG ride today. We started out to go to DeSoto Falls State Park in northeast Alabama, and that's not a bad ride for us, but then hubby decided he wanted to go to Huntsville, Alabama - because we'd never been there - good reason, right? I was working on some felt snowman pins (I'll post them later) and needed some black beads, so he agreed to stop at a WalMart in Huntsville. I wasn't in there very long at all, but when I got back to the car he had been looking at the map, which is never a good thing! (I love you honey!)
So he wanted to go up to Fayetteville, TN and back east to Chattanooga, and south and east back home. That was a LONG day's riding! But we went through some gorgeous country! My favorite was between Fayetteville and Chattanooga on Hwy 64. There are miles and miles of farmland, much of it white with cotton, and huge farmhouses and barns (you might not know that I'm a barn fanatic, lol!) But the backdrop for all the farmland and barns and cotton were rolling hills bright with the oranges, yellows, reds and golds of autumn.
It was such a great day, and very re-energizing and refreshing to get out and see some of the world.So today, I must say I am grateful for God's gorgeous creation! I believe He knew we needed a re-charge, He led us on that route, and He put on quite a show for our benefit. Everyone else who passed that way also benefitted from the show!
As we have traveled over the years, and we've traveled a good bit, in places of extreme beauty, I've often caught myself humming or singing to myself one of my favorite choruses - the Doxology. According to my google search, this hymn (written by Thomas Ken) will be three hundred (300) years old next year, and yet the words are as timeless and relevant today as they were back then. You can find a website here where you can hear the music. I'll leave you with those words in the hopes you'll sing them along with me with a grateful heart. Blessings to all who visit, Becky
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
AMEN!!!
That's how I came upon South Breeze Farm blog, hosted by Leah in Iowa. She's holding a 'Giving Thanks Challenge' for November, and I've posted her challenge in the column to the left to remind me to post something for which I am thankful each day this month. Now, life is crazy, so I may not make it every day, but I'm going to do my very best.
Today hubby and I, as we often do, got out early this morning and headed out to see what we could find. And we took a LONG ride today. We started out to go to DeSoto Falls State Park in northeast Alabama, and that's not a bad ride for us, but then hubby decided he wanted to go to Huntsville, Alabama - because we'd never been there - good reason, right? I was working on some felt snowman pins (I'll post them later) and needed some black beads, so he agreed to stop at a WalMart in Huntsville. I wasn't in there very long at all, but when I got back to the car he had been looking at the map, which is never a good thing! (I love you honey!)
So he wanted to go up to Fayetteville, TN and back east to Chattanooga, and south and east back home. That was a LONG day's riding! But we went through some gorgeous country! My favorite was between Fayetteville and Chattanooga on Hwy 64. There are miles and miles of farmland, much of it white with cotton, and huge farmhouses and barns (you might not know that I'm a barn fanatic, lol!) But the backdrop for all the farmland and barns and cotton were rolling hills bright with the oranges, yellows, reds and golds of autumn.
It was such a great day, and very re-energizing and refreshing to get out and see some of the world.So today, I must say I am grateful for God's gorgeous creation! I believe He knew we needed a re-charge, He led us on that route, and He put on quite a show for our benefit. Everyone else who passed that way also benefitted from the show!
As we have traveled over the years, and we've traveled a good bit, in places of extreme beauty, I've often caught myself humming or singing to myself one of my favorite choruses - the Doxology. According to my google search, this hymn (written by Thomas Ken) will be three hundred (300) years old next year, and yet the words are as timeless and relevant today as they were back then. You can find a website here where you can hear the music. I'll leave you with those words in the hopes you'll sing them along with me with a grateful heart. Blessings to all who visit, Becky
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
AMEN!!!
11/01/2008
Grateful For Our Blessings!
Happy November Everyone! In my opinion November marks the beginning of the best of the holiday seasons. There's Thanksgiving which makes us aware of and grateful for the many blessings God bestows on us. Next comes Christmas when we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, as well as spending time and sharing gifts with our loved ones. And then there's the New Year, full of promise and opportunities.
One of the things I'm newly grateful for this year is a great bunch of folks I've gotten to know online over at Scrapbook.com! I regularly participate in the card challenges and the tag challenges, and have met some wonderful folks over there. I've even had the joy of meeting a couple of the ladies I've met there, and one of them (Hi Tish!!!) came to my home yesterday for a card making play date except, we talked more than we played, lol!
With the holidays coming up as well as Ash's upcoming wedding, we had a hard time deciding whether or not to do a November Tag Challenge, but we had the interest, so I volunteered to host for a month or two, until the first of the year. You can find the November Tag Challenge HERE.
So, that brings me to my tag for November. Here's my example tag.
The theme this month is "I am grateful for . . . ", and everyone who makes a tag needs to show or tell about someone or something for which they are grateful. You don't have to put a picture like I did - instead you could make a list, write a poem, share a paragraph, whatever you want to do.
The technique twist is one that should be very easy for scrappers - just put as many elements on that tag as you can without it being just TOO gaudy! In my minds eye, a lot of elements on this tag shows how aware I am of all the bounty of blessings God bestows on me every day.
The picture I put on this tag is one I took of my hubby and I a couple of weeks ago up on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
I added fall leaf stickers, flowers cut with the cuttlebug, buttons, rhinestones, ribbons and a little ink distressing. The hanger is jute twine, and one of the buttons is threaded with more of the twine.
For the challenge, you can do any colors, any products, any 'theme' that you want, as long it tells something for which you are grateful, and has a LOT of elements or embellishments.
The chipboard letters were a horrible light green plaid, but I inked them with brown ink and used green embossing powder to heat emboss them. I love the pop of color they add to the tag.
So, enough about my tag - isn't it about time you got in that scrap space and made one of your own??? Have a great weekend, and a very blessed November! Becky
One of the things I'm newly grateful for this year is a great bunch of folks I've gotten to know online over at Scrapbook.com! I regularly participate in the card challenges and the tag challenges, and have met some wonderful folks over there. I've even had the joy of meeting a couple of the ladies I've met there, and one of them (Hi Tish!!!) came to my home yesterday for a card making play date except, we talked more than we played, lol!
With the holidays coming up as well as Ash's upcoming wedding, we had a hard time deciding whether or not to do a November Tag Challenge, but we had the interest, so I volunteered to host for a month or two, until the first of the year. You can find the November Tag Challenge HERE.
So, that brings me to my tag for November. Here's my example tag.The theme this month is "I am grateful for . . . ", and everyone who makes a tag needs to show or tell about someone or something for which they are grateful. You don't have to put a picture like I did - instead you could make a list, write a poem, share a paragraph, whatever you want to do.
The technique twist is one that should be very easy for scrappers - just put as many elements on that tag as you can without it being just TOO gaudy! In my minds eye, a lot of elements on this tag shows how aware I am of all the bounty of blessings God bestows on me every day.
The picture I put on this tag is one I took of my hubby and I a couple of weeks ago up on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
I added fall leaf stickers, flowers cut with the cuttlebug, buttons, rhinestones, ribbons and a little ink distressing. The hanger is jute twine, and one of the buttons is threaded with more of the twine.
For the challenge, you can do any colors, any products, any 'theme' that you want, as long it tells something for which you are grateful, and has a LOT of elements or embellishments.
The chipboard letters were a horrible light green plaid, but I inked them with brown ink and used green embossing powder to heat emboss them. I love the pop of color they add to the tag.
So, enough about my tag - isn't it about time you got in that scrap space and made one of your own??? Have a great weekend, and a very blessed November! Becky
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