The Stamping Critique......

"Merry Christmas To You All!"

Now that all of the handmade Christmas cards are made and mailed, I had to sit back and think about our list of card receivers to ensure that we didn't miss anyone. It was at this time that I realized how many people have been blessings to our family over this past year and we had not sent them a card!! Realistically, if we sent a card to ever person though, we would be making cards for an entire year and the postage to send them would create a need for Mark to take on yet another job!

Thanks to the world of technology, we can deliver our Christmas greeting to each of you via the internet! This card, although just a single one, is being sent electronically to all of you that have brought happiness and joy into our lives with a very strong "Merry Christmas" to you message!!

This year has been one of great blessing for our family. A few highlights come to mind that I would like to share with you.

My husband Mark has been a strength in our family this year, as he has been in many years past. He's been working as a Fireman/Paramedic in Sarasota County, and also teaching at two local institutes for Fireman and paramedics. He participated in our churches Christmas production which just had 5 shows and was a great success! Mark was blessed with a new motorcycle this year which has been a dream come true for him! During his spare time he’s been studying hard as he’ll be taking the Lieutenant’s test for the fire department in January, 2010!

Our two daughters, Michele and Ashlee have been blessed (and have blessed our family!) with the birth of their first children. Michele gave birth to Giavonna on July 27th and Ashlee gave birth to Adam on October 3rd. Can you imagine the excitement in becoming grandparents for two babies within one year? Our family loves our new additions and their parents very much!

Ryan turned 16 this year and as entered young adulthood. He is in the 11th grade and is doing extremely well with his studies. We have to recognize that he's a charmer with the girls but his most beautiful quality is his simple love for people and for life. He is thinking about being a history teacher or a psychologist which means college is definitely in his future!

Jessica entered into the 9th grade this year at 15 years old. She's joined the JROTC and has excelled with this. She can spin that rifle so good that you can't help but sit and watch her talent in action! She participated in the Veterans Day Memorial program as well as a JROTC competition in which they came in first place! Yeah! Jessica is doing well in school and talks about attending college one day, entering the military and possibly becoming a Sheriff. She has tall dreams but with her drive and determinations, we don't question her ability to be all that she can be!

2009 has been a year of great change for me. I had the opportunity to work with wonderful people and to make new friends. I obtained my Associates degree and am continuing on in school to obtain my degree in Psychology! My family has been such a blessing to me, each and every day I thank God for each of them. I've had the opportunity to spend considerable time examining my life and how I can become a stronger servant for God's ministry. One of my biggest and most wonderful blessings just came to life, although i can't just yet share with you all what this is!! Don't worry; I'm sure I'll be sharing with you more about this exciting opportunity in the upcoming days! I continue to craft, as you can see by the postings on this website. I've also begun another blog (look to the left column, its listed there) which allows me further opportunity to share one of my other great passions which is writing. Life is good, and continues to get better by the day!

How blessed we are with all the advantages that life has provided to us as well as the gift of friends and families. Each of you has been a blessing to us and we want to thank you for all of your support and love during this past year. We look forward to keeping in touch with all of you and sharing in many more get-togethers and communications in the upcoming year. Thank you for all that you do and for being such wonderful people! We love you all!

It is by the grace of God that we are so blessed and must never forget that it is because of God's love for us that we have all that we do. God has shown is love and grace for our family, many times reminding us of how much he loves us through the kindnesses of many of you. May God's love shine on you this Christmas season, the season that is in place to remind us of the gift of Christ's Son Jesus who was sent to earth so many years ago as the one who would ultimately deliver us from our sins and provide to us the opportunity for eternal life. To God be the glory, great things He has done!!

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! A Happy New year blessing for 2010!

Theresa, Mark, Ryan, Jessica, Ashlee, Adam, Michele and Giavonna

"I Had A Bad Tool Day!"

Have you ever had one of those days when your tools seemed to work against you? I'm speaking of crafting tools, and today was one of those days for me!

I was inspired to make an all white card with a simple colored image, not a tall order, so I thought! I cut my base sheet of card stock and broke my blade, of course I hadn't replaced the last one so I had to go to the store and get a new one! Back to cutting my base piece of card stock, I've done this thousands of times and it's quite simple....put in the sheet of paper and move the blade...the one thing every card-maker can do in their sleep right? Not me...at least not today. It took three sheets of paper to get my mind focused enough to cut the right size! Once that's done, it should be easy to move along to step two.....

Of course it's not that easy! I place my top sheet of white paper in my Cuttlebug and it's not embossing! {note to self, two "B" plates will NOT emboss in the Cuttlebug!!} Boy, I'm really showing my mastery of this craft aren't I? Next, it's on to cutting a window frame to place over my image {{we won't even speak to the number of images I had to stamp to get it right!} I cut four windows from my Nesites die cut....it wasn't the nesties fault.....you guessed it....I'm having a tough day....

Can you imagine what it would have been like if I had chosen to use more than one color of paper?? Holy calamity!!! I think I'll go do some baking....what could possibly go wrong in the kitchen???  {{hehe}}

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

"What's Your Christmas All About?"

It's here!!! Christmas season and the countdown has finally begun! For the majority of us, we begin getting into the festive holiday mood when December begins. There is that "special" group of individuals who begin the countdown in the summer {{oh come on, you know who you are...}}.

For those of us that see Christmas as another reason to get crafty, we get to pull out the Christmas craft supplies, purchase a few new things and start making gifts, decorations and yes...Christmas cards! Every year presents the challenge of making Christmas cards that exceed the creativity levels of years gone by right? I love making cards and this years is no different!

My first batch is basic but oh so adorable!!! Can you have an ugly Christmas card if Santa is on it? I think not!! This collection is made from red and white card stock, the white has been embossed with my CB snowflake folder. The Santa image is from my new set from Inkadinkado. I stamped Santa with stazon and added just a smidgen of color to his face. Around the hat and beard I used some lace stickles just to give some sparkle. I placed Santa on top of a scalloped circle {spellbinders} and set this on top of the ribbon with dimensional. I added some red stickles around the snowflakes, made my bows using the bow easy { here's where I got mine from- it has a great tutorial and chart for sizes!}

I've got 11 of these ready to mail out....now it's time to focus on the Poinsettia cards using my new "His Gift" stamp set from ODBD{love it!!!} I think I may also try to squeeze out a few gift sets as an excuse to make more of these!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

"A Card and Gift All In One!"

I love sending Christmas cards and when they are able to double as the gift, I love them even more! I decided to try out a few new techniques on this one and must say, I'm pleasantly pleased with the results! it always feels good to follow a tutorial and end up completing it successfully doesn't it?? {hehe}

 
This is a 5 1/2" squared card using a weave technique. I cannot for the life of me locate where I learned this from. As soon as I do, I'll come back and give credits where they're due! I used 1/2" strips of various Christmas papers and alternated them on the card. This is a great way to use those leftovers that you just don't want to part with!

The ribbon idea came from Carolina's Create Pad {{Love her!!}}. She provides an excellent tutorial to assemble the bow for people like me that need the visual instructions! {{Thanks Carolina!}}  Once the bow is assembles, I put a brad on the top and wrapped up my card! A simple Christmas verse on the inside and my card {slash} gift are ready to be mailed!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

"It's Snowing....Fleur De Lis Ornaments!"

Christmas time is a gift for anyone who is a crafter as it's a time that we can get inspired and create, create, create! I'm leaning towards ornaments for family and friends this year and had to get busy deciding what type of ornaments would be best. This took all of a few short seconds, since I got the Nesties Fleur De Lis pendentdie cuts!!

If you're going to get this set, I recommend setting aside a few hours and some scrap paper to get the hang of these beauties. They are so intricate it takes a bit of practice to get the paper out of the die cut, but once you do, you're good to go!

Splitcoast Stampers has a great tutorial for using this die cut for ornaments. The center piece for this (it's decorated on both sides), is an empty ribbon spool covered in white card stock. I used whisper white and a burgundy card stock for this because I wanted to be able to use my burgundy ribbon which is so elegant and rich! Once assembled, I added pearl drops on the tips of the snowflake and tied on the bow.

I'm going to get single ornament hangers to accompany these because they deserve being displayed on their own. I definitely recommend you try these out, they are pretty simple to make and would make a great gift to someone special for Christmas!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa 

"Back in the Crafting Saddle Again!"

I feel like I've been away from the crafting scene for eons, although it's only been a few short months! I've had several significant life blessings that kept me away....for starters...I'm a grandmother!!    
 
{{Yeah}} Little Adam was born on October 3rd and is an absolute gift from God! My daughter, Adam and Adams father Nick were staying with us as they became acclimated to the world of parenthood. our challenge was being able to provide them with the space and privacy they needed which meant that the craft studio had to go into hibernation for a while!

Well, they've moved into their new home and yesterday, I began to unpack my crafting supplies. It was like Christmas all day long! Things I forgot I had, things I had hidden away so hubby would find them (oh, please...you all know you do this form time to time!) hehe

The room isn't quite how it should be, it's enough to start crafting again! Whoot, Whoot!!! Just in time to get Christmas cards and gifts made and time to continue with a special project I'm starting up....more to come on this!!

Although I've not been able to craft, I've been following all my friends on their blogs and boy to I have some crafty online buddies!!! Thanks for keeping me inspired!

Until next time,

Theresa

Flight Of The Butterfly......

I was sitting on my front steps yesterday willing myself to enter into a state of calm contemplation. I find that taking an occasional break from the chaos of the day to sit and ponder life to be very relaxing. I live in sunny {humid} Florida and although the weather right now is sticky, hot and even somewhat unbearable, it fosters an environment of beauty that is free for all to participate in.

During my quite time, I spotted several butterflies resting on the leaves of a hedge....what a beautiful sight! Have you ever gotten really close to a butterfly? The colors are absolutely breathtaking! Deep fiery oranges and yellows, one had what looked to be streaks of blue through it's wings and they appeared to be as soft as angels wings. Just as gracefully as they rested on the hedge, they rose up into the air and flew around, moving on to another bush to rest. My entrance fee for a front row seat to watch this beauty was free, not a dime was spent. My only cost was to slow down and enjoy. I believe I got the good end of the deal on this one!

Fast forward to last night......sitting in my studio the image of those butterflies entered into my head and inspired this card. Although difficult to capture in a photo, I used the cracked glass technique on my main image. Do you see the little butterfly over on the left? {It's really small so look close!}

 I wanted one more butterfly image to place on top of the cracked glass image but didn't have anything tiny. guess what you do when you need something small and only have larger images? You shrinky dink it!! I stamped an extra image of the bigger butterfly from the main image onto shrinky dink paper, colored it and then heated. I'm now officially in love with shrinky dink again!!

I hope you get a few minutes to meander outside and enjoy the beautiful world around you that God has blessed us with. Even if you don't happen to see a butterfly, there is plenty more wondrous images to take in!

 

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

"Tic Tac Treat!"

Tic Tacs have come a long way haven't they? It use to be that you could purchase the mint ones but now they've evolved, having all kinds of yummy flavors that are so sweet! My downfall is that I can't eat just one or two tic tacs, I have to pop a half dozen or so into my mouth at a time because they taste so good!

I often visit people or places and like to give them a little treat to say thank you. I don't like carrying around cards to give away in my purse because they get all bent up so these little treat gifts work wonderfully! I think we often forget to let people know they're appreciated and this shouldn't be the case! We should let people know when they take time out of their busy schedules to see us that we appreciate them for this!

These are really simple to make {I like using the big tic tac containers....those little ones just don't hold enough!} The red paper is cut 3" X 5" ans scored on the 5" side {do one side then turn around and do the other side} at 2 7/8". Round all of your corners {optional - but it does make it look better}. White paper {frontt} is cut 2/3/4" X 1 7/8" {round corners}. I added a piece of printed paper on top of the white but you don't have to do this} Punch your hold in the bottom of the white paper {get as close to the bottom as you can} then added ribbon. I like my ribbon towards the middle which is why it's important to punch your hold close to the bottom. Adhere the white later onto your bottom card stock {mine is red} and then punch the red card stock {by doing it this way, you have a nice alignment for the hole!} Decorate the front as you would like! The tic tacs are held inside on the side facing the inside {similar to the binding of book pages}. I like to use Wacky Tack for this but you can use a strong adhesive or other glue dots. Tie up your ribbon and you've got a special treat to give someone!

A rule of candy etiquette:::don't sample the tic tacs prior to giving them away!!! Buy an extra box for yourself and there's no need to share!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

"His Commitment to Family..."

SCC is having a challenge to make a card for the hubby showing appreciation for them. When I thought about this, I of course wanted to participate because every significant other deserves a little appreciation every now and again right? I read a few passages in the bible about Husbands and my eyes kept wandering over to other ones that spoke about fathers.I thought about the connection between the two roles and the importance of each within a family.The Christ entered relationship that Mark and I share is blessed in so many ways because of who he is. I firmly believe that if we did not have a strong marriage, his ability to be the very best model of a father would be lost to some degree.

So....I headed to the studio and started browsing my stamps and colors when I happened upon this stamp made by inkadinkadoo which says "Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him Father"  and I knew that this would be the focal point of my card for Mark. I love Mark and appreciate him, not only for who he is as a husband but also because he is such a wonderful father.

Thanks for the challenge SCC! {{If you haven't been to the SCC site, please visit them!! Wonderful stuff going on!}}

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

Recipe:

Stamps: Inkadinkadoo

Inks: Next to Navy, Worn Lipstick Distress Ink

Papers:SU Next to Navy, Giggle Stripes - Kelly Panacci, Bazzill Yellow

Tools: Spellbinders Oval Scallop, Oval, SU Window Punch

Embellishments: SU Brads, K&C Company Flowers, Martha Stewart Ribbon 

"Get Excited About Every Moment!"

I'm participating in the challenge put out by the OCC Team and love how this turned out!

This quote holds special meaning for me for two reasons. My father shared this quote with me over a year ago and I went on a search to find it. If my father brings up a quote, it has to be a good one and if it's a good one, there must be a stamp made for it! It didn't take me long to locate this one because it was more popular than I realized! I've used this on several cards and gifts and am still in love with its meaning.

My second reason for liking this quote is also because of my father but for a different reason. He was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. No disease is a good one, and when it happens to your Dad, it's heart wrenching to even think about. Many of you know that last year, my Dad went through a bout of cancer and had surgery. he's done well with that and today, remains cancer free. Less than a year later and we have a new disease to think about. This one is a little different because there is no cure. Sure, lots of treatments to help delay the progression but it doesn't really matter because it's happening to my Dad.

The words on this quote remind me of my Fathers philosophy on life. Be in awe of everything that takes your breath away and remember and cherish those moments. Even today, he's not slowing down or complaining about the deck of cards he's been dealt. Rather, he's looking for those sweet moments that will awe him and bring him happiness.

If you haven't been looking for those things in life that can take your breath away....don't you think you should? Once the last breath is taken, no more memories will follow. Today is the day to go find your awe!!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.
Theresa

"When We Believe What The Words Are Saying...."

John Whittier wrote "God is. And all is well." Quite a large statement for so few words don't you think? I like to take quotes such as this and use them in my work but there's more to it than just that. I like to understand their meaning as I find it important to be able to take words and make them applicable to my own life whenever I can. For this quote, the words weren't very difficult to understand, simple in their meaning, yet the message the words are sending is enormous....if we let it be.

I've recently found myself at the end of another road and needing to discover the next path on my journey through life. One job finished and I need to discover where I'm needed next. Being out of work can be very overwhelming, lots of questions as to what should be done next, is enough being done and where will I end up? Mix into this all the other parts of life that continue to go on and it can create a time of challenge and uncertainty. That's where these words, for me, have the most meaning. "God is. And all is Well."

My faith is such that the "God is" part is not hard to grasp and believe. God is in everything we do, leading us to new opportunities and providing support during the time it takes to get us there. "All is well."....Now there's a tough one to swallow. When I first read this quote, I separated the phrases, feeling that they had two messages but they really don't. Because God is, we can believe that all is well and will be well. Does the quote say "it's going to be easy....sit back and relax, things will come together"? No, they don't say that. But they offer a simple promise that because God is involved, it will all work out.....in his time. I've got to do the leg work, being wise to the choices I make and open to new opportunities, even if there is some fear with this. In the end, as part of God's plan for my life, it will all work out and all will be well.

"God is. And all is well." I can understand this, fell it and yes, believe it. After all, it's worked out up to this point hasn't it?

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa