It's been a long time

It's been a long time since I posted.  I didn't realize it had been so long.  This past year and a half has been a whirl wind of activity and changes.  I am still a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and still love their products and still get to create, just not as much as I use to before. At least not yet, but changes keep happening, so hopefully I'll get more time soon.  

This past year I encountered a ton of health issues and at times found it difficult just to keep up with life.  Battling cancer takes a toll not only on your health, your time, but also on your family and your life. But like many others I am a survivor.  By the grace of God, and love and encouragement of friends and family, I have made it through. Forever changed, but able to spend another day loving and caring for my family and sharing with my friends. God has definitely blessed me many times throughout the battle.

Having a major illness has made me re-think some things and honestly I'm still processing some possible changes.  I have been debating whether or not to restart this blog  back.  Before it was mainly just Stampin' Up! ideas and information, which I may still continue to do that way.  I've also been considering making it a compilation of all the different things I'm interested in at the moment. Both creative and items pertaining to life.  Sometimes it's just fun to share things you learn along the way.  I'm not sure how many who use to read this will check it out again or if you all have an opinion of things you'd to see or read about but I'm open to suggestions.  Do I keep it strictly Stampin' Up! or make it a mixture? 

Right now, besides crafting, I check out biblical items (bible studies, devotions, etc), organizing ideas (as I'm trying to re-vamp and catch up in my home), recipe ideas (to make my family healthier) and things that just overall improve life.   If I can combine those and be creative at the same time, it's even better.

One very, very basic organizing tip I learned recently was to put like things together.  Now I know that sounds very basic, but not having grown up being organized, it was a new concept.  I am one of those people who have a junk drawer in every room. I never thought about having one place for all like things. So I started going through some things and found multiples of some items I didn't know I had.

 For instance, Scotch tape.  When I started cleaning out and organizing some things in my home, I started collecting the tape in a box to put into one area.  I didn't realize how much tape I had collected and had until I did that. I had a shoe box full of Scotch tape and refills.   The same went for my Snail refills and other adhesives.  I made a box just for them and they are now nicely labeled on a box in my shelf and I realized I won't have to buy any for several months (smile).  So the other day when I ran out of mono adhesive, I walked over to my cabinet, pulled out my nicely labeled adhesive box and found a new one. Didn't have to go digging for one.  So basic and yet so refreshing at the same time.

So is there anything in your life that you have a "lot" of that's spread around at your house?  When I started looking around and thinking about how some of my items were laid out, I realized I have a lot of work to do.  It's refreshing though, to not have to keep up with where they are all at.  As soon as our schedule slows down a bit, I'm hoping to do even more organizing.  I can't wait until I can get into my craft room and organize it.  Maybe I'll be brave and  post some pictures. It has become our catchall room where we throw everything when we need to clean up quickly. Maybe some of you have an area like that too?  If so, you'll have to share. Maybe we can encourage each other. I definitely want to make mine usable again. Just have to work out the right timing of it all.

So give your thoughts?  Do you want just Stampin' Up! ideas or variety of ideas?  Leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.
Blessings,
Lisa

cd holder gift

A friend of mine got married this year. One of the things I did for her was make a slide show using the My Digital Studio. It's cool that you can not only create a scrapbook, print it out, but also add music to it and create a slideshow of it on a DVD. I created the slide show, and burned it to a DVD. Then I started thinking about how to package it. This is what I came up with. The very top has a notch cut out of it so she can pull the DVD out. You just untie the ribbon to remove it. I almost used a belly band, but I thought this was prettier this time. It's hard to see but I also stamped the background too. I colored the flower using a blender pen. The main colors I used are concord, pear and olive. I also added a touch of daffodil (for flower center) and suede for the branches.
It was actually pretty quick to make.
I just measured the width of the cd added a little to the cardstock so I could fold up the side edges to glue together. I then punched half a circle in the top, tied the pear ribbon around it all and then added on the top sections.
I hope you enjoyed my packaging idea. I thought it turned out pretty and was really happy with it.
Hope you have a great day today.

scrapbooking your faith - winter

This was my January SYF. We discussed having winters in our life. Times when things aren't always going right or are "darker" so to speak. Winter with it's starkness and lack of light can feel that way at times. It's during those times that we need to focus more of our time and energy on God and his wisdom. If we rely on him, he can direct our paths and help us through the harder times. He can help us focus on the beauty that winter brings into our lives. I know I love to look at an area (especially a wooded area) after a fresh batch of snow has fallen. Sometimes it's almost magical and extremely beautiful. What we have to remember is that the winter times help strengthen us and helps us persevere.

I know it's not really the time to think about winter in the middle of a hot spell of our summer. I apologize for being so far behind. I guess you could say at this time, I'm still going through a winter of sorts with trials. I know though through it all God will remain faithful and I will persevere.


These pages mainly use the Big Shot, but it also uses the Snow Swirled stamp set.

thoughts and prayer sympathy

We had a friend of ours who had a close family member die recently. I had to make them a card letting them know that I was thinking of them. One of my favorite sets to use for this type of card is the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set. I just stamped it on glossy cardstock with Staz On ink. I then used a post it note as a mask and then inked up my card using a dauber. I used various scallop punches to make the clouds at the top. It's also hard to see in this picture but I also added little blades of grass with a marker. The saying is punched out with the large oval and matted with the scallop oval. It is raised up on dimensionals.

I hope you enjoyed the card today. I thought it was somewhat clean and simple, but also very nice for the occasion.

toddler birthday card

We got invited to a friend of ours child's 2nd birthday party. She likes stamping and scrapping too, so of course, I had to make him a card to celebrate the occasion.

I saw how to make this giraffe on our Stampin' Connection site that demonstrators have access to. I first saw this giraffe on a card made by Maureen Albert. Her card was different, but I just thought it was the cutest thing. I like punch art in general, but I thought this one was especially fun because our gift included lots of animals, including zoo animals.
This little card is basically lots of punches. I used mainly current ones but I did use at least one retired one. I used the five petal flower for the ears. The owl punch for the eyes, nose and top of the little things on his head. I used the slot punch (retired) for the little things on his head too. You could cut little strips instead. I used 1 3/8" circle and scallop circle punches. The large and small oval and the 1/2" and 3/4" circles. I inked the edges in the respective colors and the head is actually popped up with dimensionals. I stamped the saying from Teeny Tiny wishes and added some 1/8" espresso ribbon. Except for trying to figure out the right sizes to put where it was really an easy and fun card to make I think.
So I hope you enjoy my share today.
Have a great day.
Lisa

second fathers day card.

I made this somewhat cute and fun card for my husband from the kids. They kind of remind me of raccoons or at least the ones that use to visit my grandmother's house. The ones that visited her were always wanting food or attention, which my kids always seem to want one or the other at our house. Her raccoons constantly made a chattering noise because there were so many and my kids always seem to talk or make noise. They are quietest when they sleep. :)
They are good and creative kids for the most part, but they are definitely busy. I just couldn't resist making this card like this because of that.

I do only have one raccoon stamp and yes its nose faces left, which would be the one on the right side. So how did I get the other one? Well you can't tell in this picture, but I cheated. I stamped the raccoon on a piece of transparency and cut him out and flipped him over. I tried to put the glue under the darker parts of him, but you can still see a little near the bottom. So that's how I cheated. I did watercolor the bear with my blender pen and ink pads. The star is stamped on daffodil paper and then cut out.
So I hope you like my idea. It too could be used for other events - camping, birthday etc. Hopefully it inspires you to come up with some other creative options when things don't work exactly like you want them too. Have a great day.

the open sea fathers day card

I like this set and I'm sad it didn't make it into the regular catalog. It is only available through the end of August. It's a good manly set. It's also great for some travel pics and even boat or beach scenes.
I used it for one of my 2 father's days cards. Even though I made a Father's day card, it could also make a cool birthday card or thinking of you, miss you etc. The saying could be interchanged.
For this card I aged the log sheet with my soft suede ink and my spiral punch, which I'm really sad to see this punch retire. Stampin' Up! is the only company that I have personally seen that type of punch in and it was one of my first favorite punches for the style. It was different and I liked that.
I stamped the boat on Whisper white and then colored it in using my blender pen and my ink pads. I also added some cherry seam binding which I love and am glad they are continuing. I got the saying from Teeny Tiny wishes. It's hard to see in this picture, but the Baja is also Versa Marked with both the anchor and the other directional symbol in the set.
Overall a nice and manly type of card, which I have to say is hard for me. I do prefer flowers and butterflies. I hope you enjoy this card idea today. Have a great day.