Catching Up

Hi Everyone!

Oh my goodness it has been a while once again, hasn't it? I have been so very busy working on crafting things and I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post lately. What's been keeping me busy? Well, for one thing I submitted some cards for Paper Craft Magazines World Card Making Day contest. As you probably know, if you are submitting cards for potential publication, you can't have them posted anywhere online prior. In addition, I am teaching my first stamping class at my LSS. How excited am I about that?!! YAY!! So, I've also been making samples, cutting materials and prepping for that. I have 2 more classes already lined up as well.
I am super busy today again; but I wanted to at least check in and share a quick card with you. This is my card for Mojo Monday.
Be sure to come back tomorrow as well, I have fun news to share with you.

All About Verve

Hi Everyone!

Sorry about the lack of posting the past few days. I have been busy in my little craft room, just haven't had a chance to get things posted. So, to make it up to you, I actually have two cards to show you.
It's been forever since I've participated in a full session of Verve's VLV sketch challenges. This month, however, I am determined to do all the sketches. This card is for week one. I am also using this card to send to Kristina Werner for her October "Mail Call" for Thank you cards. I used more papers from my Simon Says Stamp October Card kit. I built the flower in the middle using Verve's "Sunny Days". I added some glossy accents and stickles to bling it all up a bit too. The "Thank You" sentiment is also from Verve. The base of the card is actually Dark Chocolate from PTI; but it does look a little black in the picture, doesn't it? I think I finally found a way to take pictures that I think works pretty well. Outside on the front porch. I think the background adds a nice soft touch. Some of the coloring is a little off still; but that's ok. Obviously, it's a little dependent on the weather, which I hope will continue to cooperate.

Ok, now on to the second card for today. This is for this week's "Mojo Monday" sketch. Again, it's been a while since I've made a Mojo card, so this was fun to do. I really liked the simplicity of this sketch also. This will also be sent to Kristina for mail call. In total, I'm sending three cards to her. I can't wait to see if she'll show one on camera! Again, I used papers for the October card kit. I decided when I signed up for the kit every month that I was going to make sure I used up as much as I could in the kit. The butterfly is from Verve's "Blue Skies" set. I stamped them in Certainly Celery ink and Tumbled Glass Distress ink. I added some stickles and sequins to each one as well. The sentiment is from "Handwritten Greetings" and I stamped it using Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.  I also used "Lots of Dots" to stamp the circles behind the butterflies








Challenges for card 1:

ABC Challenges: Three or more pattern papers
Card Mania: Use at least 1 button
Get Inky: Fall Colors
Sparkle N Sprinkle: Glitter, emboss or flock
Loves Rubber Stamps: Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown: Fall Colors


Challenges for card 2:

Craftin Desert Divas: Anything goes with a sentiment
Crafty Bloggers: Things with Wings
Incy Wincy designs: Give Thanks
Creative Craft Challenges: Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes

That's all for me today. Thanks for visiting with me! Until next time....

Giving Thanks: October Card Kit

Hi Everyone!

Just popping in quickly today to share a card I made using my Simon Says Stamp October Card Kit. So many adorable papers and fun items in this kit. I can't wait to do lots more with this kit. A couple of minor notes about this card. First, the picture is horrible...and I apologize for that. I just haven't quite perfected the photography skills yet. Also, I was hoping to be able to take a picture of the card standing up, so that you can see it's actually a window card. The tree image sits in the inside of the card with the window frame around around it on the front of the card. I stamped the tree using ColorBox Chalk ink in Chestnut Roan, and the leaves on the tree with Stampin Up! Old Olive and Certainly Celery. I used a bit of Tumbled Glass distress ink in the background of the image just to cut down on the bright white background. I colored the chipboard banner piece with the acrylic paint included in the kit. I stamped the sentiment in the Chestnut Roan ink and the "for you" underneath in Tumbled Glass. I used distress markers for the birds before cutting them out and adhering them to the tree. I am linking this card to the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp Challenge and a few others as well, which I've listed at the end of the post.
That's all for me today. Thanks so much for visiting with me. Have a great weekend! Until next time....

Challenges:

1. Crafter's Cafe: Dies and Punches
2 .Crafting by Design: Anything Goes
3. Creative Moments: Anything Goes/Frame it
4. Inklings and Yarns: Anything Goes
5. 4 KraftyGirlz: Anything Goes
6. Crafty Little Fairies: Autumn Colors

Book Review: Rose Flower Creek by Jackie Lee Miles

Roseflower Creek is the beautiful, stunning and tragic story of a 10 year old girl who suffers greatly the consequences of events that happened long before she was born. The story is told through the eyes of Lori Jean, who we find out, has died from the very beginning of the story. The first line of the book is "The morning I died, it rained" and with that once sentence you know this is going to be an emotional story.
It has a very similar set up as "The Lovely Bones" with the exception that  Lori Jean isn't trying to steer her parents or the authorities to figure out who killed her. She simply wants to understand why the person killed her. Through Lori Jean's eyes we take the journey back through all the events that led up to the moment the "rain washed the blood off my face." As the spirit in the story, Lori Jean is also able to observe conversations and guarded moments while unseen, and during these times, she discovers things that help her to not only understand the people around her; but that also allow her to forgive them.
Lori Jean is a beautiful character. She is innocence in it's purest form. She is dirt poor, abused, on the verge of being unwanted by her own mother; and yet she has a huge heart. She finds the good in everyone. She truly believes that in spite of everything that has happened to her and around her that there is goodness in the world. She is a child, who despite dying at such a tragically young age, was truly wise beyond her years. She never gave up hoping that the next day would bring something better for her and her family.
It is a story that will stay with you long after you finish it. Lori Jean is a character you won't want to let go of and it will make you sad that you can't fix the wrongs in her world. For as sad as it is, however, I still highly recommend this book. The opportunity to learn the lessons of forgiveness and understanding that Lori Jean teaches through out the story are just too important to miss.