Word Art Wednesday Challenge

I recently discovered a website that gives you a challenge every week with a corresponding verse to use in a creation.  It doesn't have to be a card, but that's what I chose to do this week.  We read Proverbs 31 today in our OwnIt365 plan, so this week's verse seemed most appropriate for me. 

I would love to hear how you like to incorporate Scripture in your crafting.  What have you found that pumps those creative juices, like this website did for me?  

Mother's Day Prep

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!  This email contains pictures from the children's event held at our church last Saturday.  If your child attended please do not read this post!  It will spoil your Mother's Day Surprise!





I had the privilege of working with some amazing crafters this past week.  Since Mother's Day is this  Sunday, everyone is preparing...and I got to help with those preparations.

On Thursday I visited an assisted living facility and worked with the residents on a stamping project.  We created invitations for their Mother's Day Tea that will be held this week.  These sweet ladies did a FABULOUS job of stamping and punching.  I really enjoyed my visit there and look forward to stamping with them again next month.

On Saturday, our Children's Ministry hosted an event for the children to come and make a gift and a card for their moms.  Here are a couple of pics from our fun day.  They were all very excited about their gifts and I  am sure the moms will treasure them.  Although I only took pictures of two, all the children put thought and creativity into their gifts.

One of the things I love about stamping is that it is a craft you can enjoy at any age.  I love to stamp with my sister and my best friend, but I also love to stamp with my college age son & daughter.  And you can bet that someday when grandkids come into the picture I will be sharing my craft room with them too!

Thank You!

My daughter's roommate was headed to Walmart this week to buy a thank you card.  Of course Christina told her not to go because she knew her mom would gladly provide a card for her...and she was right. I was happy to head to my craft room and play with some new toys!

The card turned out just as girly and blingy as I hoped it would.  It needed to be a money holder so I made it with a pocket inside to hold the cash...

The card was being given to a friend who had helped her secure a dress for a recent event. This was the perfect occasion to play with the dress framelits and bitty banner framelits.  I will be using this die again to create some wonderful Mother's Day cards.  Join us at the April card class to create yours!

Please be watching for information regarding my updated mailing list.  Sign ups will begin very soon and you don't want to miss out on the free gift you get for signing up.  Even if you have been on my list before, you will need to sign up again to receive the free gift and to continue to get email updates.  I will send out information as soon as that is set up and ready to go.

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

What a great game last night between the Louisville Cardinals and Michigan.  I said at the beginning of the year that the Broncos were going to win the Super Bowl, then Louisville was going to win the NCAA and then Jesus was going to come back!  Much to my disappointment, the Broncos were out of the playoffs pretty quick.  But the Cards came through for me last night and there was much rejoicing! (Not like when Jesus does actually return, but like when YOUR team wins the BIG game.)  I was too excited to sleep so I decided to craft instead.  Here's the celebration card I made...

It really isn't hard to make that cute little cardinal with the Bird Builder Punch (117191).  You just punch an extra wing to make the feathers for the top of his head.

Tonight the Lady Cards play for the women's NCAA basketball title.  If they win I am going to craft again...maybe using some pink...we'll see.

My husband thinks I need to send this card to Rick Pitino...and I just might do that.

Last Day to Save!

Today is the last day of the FREE SHIPPING offer from Stampin' Up!  If you haven't taken advantage of this, be sure to contact me today or place an order on line here.  Just click on the 'shop now' tab.

FREE SHIPPING!

This weekend Stampin Up' is offering free shipping on all orders!  You can place an order online by visiting www.joanngraham.stampinup.com and clicking on the 'shop now' tab.

Stampin' Up has also announced a color refresh coming with the new catalog.  Some of the current colors will be discontinued to make room for new ones.  All product in these discontinued colors is available while supplies last!  Use this free shipping offer to stock up before they are gone!  I will be updating my Facebook Page this weekend to let you know about colors that sell out.  If you haven't already, go to my FB and like it, so you will receive these updates!

DISCONTINUED COLORS:   Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Bravo Burgundy, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, River Rock

Call or email me if you would like to place an order directly through me.  I will be placing an order before the free shipping expires!

2013 A Blessing A Day {Day 2}

I think today's blessing was as much for me as for the recipient!  We took a little road trip to Jackson, TN to see our son and to deliver needed items that were left at home last weekend (the most important of which was the current license plate for his car, since the old one expired Thurs...yikes!)  What a blessing to visit Andrew even for just a short time.  :)  Tomorrow is Sunday and I am expecting many opportunities to bless those around me.  Hope you will too!

2013 Blessing a Day!!! {Day 1}

Each day during February, I will be working on something that will bless someone else.  I will share my progress on here so you all can help keep me accountable, and maybe get some ideas on blessing those around you.

Today's project is a hybrid scrapbook page.  One of my friends is putting together a scrapbook for a pastor that has been influential in her life, and many others.  She is gathering pictures and testimonies from people all over the country, and I have the honor of putting it all in a book.  On this page I used this pastor's favorite verse...

Although this will be a traditional scrapbook, there will still be plenty of opportunities to use My Digital Studio for designing and making page elements.  Since I don't have a 12 X 12 printer, I designed the main elements in My Digital Studio, printed it on 8 1/2 X 11 paper, then trimmed it, embellished it and attached it to a piece of 12 X 12 scrapbook paper.  I would LOVE to have an opportunity to show you how easy it is to create a page like this using your computer and some basic crafting supplies.  Let me know if you are interested! :)

The month has just begun, I hope you will consider joining me in this adventure of being intentional about blessing the people around me everyday in February!

God Is Love

Since my house looked so empty after packing up the Christmas decorations, I decided to make some Valentines decor to fill the space.  Thought I would share my heart wreath with you today.

It is made from a styrofoam heart that I covered with strips of Stampin' Up fabric.  Then I used my punches to make different sized hearts from red glimmer paper to add some sparkle.  I thought it still looked like it was missing something, so I added the cute Stampin' Up buttons.  Finally, I decide to attach the small heart in the middle with "God is Love" from the Trust God stamp set.  I thought it would help remind me (and anyone else that sees it) that love is really all about God and not about a holiday in Feb.

Hope this inspires you to make something fun for your house that will also remind others of God's love for them!

2013...Here We Go!

Half of January is already gone!  Have you started thinking about Valentines Day yet?  I have made some decorations for my house and worked on some cards.  I have had sympathy cards and birthday cards to make this month as well.

My parents have lived in the same house for about 35 years.  Until a few months ago they had neighbors who had lived there longer than that.  As health problems increased, their friends moved in with one of their children and last week the father passed away.  I wanted to make a special card for these longtime friends.

I will once again be taking on the "Blessing A Day" challenge in February.  I hope some of you will consider joining me.  The challenge is to do something intentional to be a blessing to someone every day of the month. Sometimes I make a card, other times I fix a special meal for my family.  It can be ANYTHING.  The point is that you are focusing on others, just as our Lord taught us to.

Please leave a comment and let me know if you want to take the challenge with me.  We can encourage one another and hold each other accountable...which is always a good thing! :)

Have a great day in the Lord today!

Simply Scored Tote

Hope you all had a wonderful celebration of our Lord's birth yesterday.  We enjoyed a very peaceful day at home.  And then came the snow...what a wonderful Christmas gift to us!  I LOVE SNOW!  :)

On Dec. 20th I got together with fellow demonstrators for our annual Christmas Party.  We ate really good food, made adorable projects and exchanged handmade gifts.  The gift that I made was a tote for the Simply Scored tool.  Here's a pic of the finished project.

Several years ago my dear hubby bought me a new sewing machine for my birthday.  It does all kinds of fancy stitches and stuff.  I have used it a lot since I got it, but never really used the fancy stuff, just for regular sewing.  I got brave for this project and used the fancy stitches to embellish the top of the tote and the handles.

I used Stampin' Up fabric for the bottom of the tote.  It has pockets inside and out to store all the little extras.  In the Spring Catalog (coming soon) there is an additional plate that you can get to use with the Simply Scored Tool.  We already have the diagonal plate and I figured a bag to hold it all would be a great gift idea...plus I had to practice, so I made one for myself too. :)  If you are interested in having one of these made for you,  let me know...

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {the Winners!}

1st Prize    Toni Baker

2nd Prize   Ginger Bales

Hand Sanitizer    Lisa Tarry  aka anonymous :)

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who participated!

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 12}

Our final day of the Christmas Blitz.  That means tomorrow is Christmas Eve!  And it is also the day I will draw for the winners of the stamp sets!  Here are our final projects...

This tag was created from a FREE download from Stampin' Up!  I printed it out using My Digital Studio, but you do not have to have that program to use this download.  Most of my MDS projects are printed in photoshop.  If you are interested in downloading this go here  and click on the shop now button at the top or bottom of the page.  It is item #132810.  There is no shipping for downloaded items.  Even though you go through the ordering process, you will not have to pay anything for it.  I love the chalkboard look of this tag.  :)

The final project, sadly, has been inspired by my dear daughter...

First of all, she loves all things owls...

Secondly, she is sick and I have been using lots of this item this weekend!

Finally, she works at Bath and Body Works, which happens to be where this wonderful Winter Cranberry sanitizer was purchased.  Here's what it looks like from the side...

If you would like a chance to win FREE STAMPS be sure to leave me a comment and I will add your name to the box.  Also, since it is our last day of the blitz, I am giving away this cute little hand sanitizer too.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to see who our winners are!!!

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 11}

I started my day at the Urgent Care Center with my daughter who woke up with a temperature of 102.3.  She tested positive for the flu...yuck!  Not really something we wanted for Christmas.  Fortunately they caught it pretty quick and the doctor was optimistic that the medicine would prevent her from suffering too much.  Praying hard that no one else in our house comes down with it!

Project #1 today is a votive candle that I embellished with some designer series paper, a shimmery snowflake and a paper button.  This will look so cute in my bathroom!

Project #2 is a gift tag made with a circle treat cup.  I used some styrofoam fake snow balls to add to the snow globe look.

On the back I simply punched an additional white circle to write my recipient's name.  Love this little tag!!!

Tomorrow is our final day of the 12 Days of Christmas Blitz.  Can you believe December has gone so fast?  Looking forward to celebrating my Lord's birth with my church family tomorrow!  Hope you have an opportunity to celebrate it also.

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 10}

I LOVE fuzzy socks and wear them almost every day in the winter.  They make a great gift because you don't have to worry about getting the correct size, they come in lots of fun colors, and they aren't real expensive.  Here's a fun way to package them...

It is really simple to roll the socks up so they look like a yummy drink in the mug.  I included a hot cocoa packet and punched a cute tag.  I also made some with tags created on My Digital Studio...

Wouldn't that be a great item to put in a gift basket along with this?!  :)

Since I am way behind on my posts this week, I am going to double up on projects to finish off our 12 Days of Christmas.  This one turned out so cute!  It is made using the Two Tags Die.  I just cut 2 of them out of the Be of Good Cheer designer series paper.  I scored 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of each tag.  I glued these "flaps" together to create the bottom.  Then I punched holes at the scalloped end and tied together with  gumball green ribbon.  Simple and cute.  I just added some snowflakes and a shimmery brad to dress up the front.

And of course it needed to hold a little prize so I chose chocolate!

There will be two more posts for the 12 Days of Christmas Blitz.  I will draw for the winners on Monday.  Be sure to leave a message so your name will be in the drawing!

On Monday I promised to give away a cute green stamped plate.  My dear hubby did the honors of drawing.  And the winner is......drum roll.....Vickie Kunau!  I was really excited that he drew her, because I knew she would be excited about winning!

Hope you have an amazing and blessed weekend.  I will be back with 2 more projects tomorrow!

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 6}

I enjoy looking around at thrift stores and flea markets just to see what treasures I might find.  Last month I found these plates at the thrift store.

They were very cheap and I wanted to play around with them, so I bought the ones that weren't chipped or missing any embellishments.  I have stamped on glossy tiles before, but never on glass so I wasn't sure if my experiment was going to work.  In the end I was very pleased.

It did take a long while to emboss because glass doesn't heat up as quick as paper.  I was worried also, that my embossing powder was going to stick all over the plate, even though I used the embossing buddy on it.  In the end, though, the embossing powder only stayed where it was supposed to.

If you leave a comment I will put your name in the drawing for free stamps.  As a bonus today, I am giving away one of these stamped plates also.  So get your name in the drawing!!!

Finally, I want to wish my hubby a very happy 24th anniversary.  I spent some time in my craft room making something special for him also...

Have an awesome Monday!

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 5}

Sorry for the late post.  Had an awesome time worshiping the Lord at church this morning though!  Now I am about to enjoy some Sunday relaxation (including Broncos football)!  But first our project for today...

A while back I bought some cute ornaments at the craft store that looked like Christmas lights.  They were clear and I used reinkers and glitter to make them sparkle.  I thought they would make a cute tag, because they are small, so I used Stampin' Up's silver pen to write my daughter's name on one and attached it to the bag with some curling ribbon.  I like this idea because the tag is now a bonus gift for the recipient.  

I enjoy shopping, but I enjoy wrapping the gifts too and would love to hear what unique ideas you are using as you prep your packages this season.  Remember, each day you share a comment your name gets added to the drawing for FREE STAMPS!

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 4}

I felt so accomplished when I began a Christmas Card Club in July and got a head start on my cards for the year.  Now it is December 15 and, although they are made, they have not been addressed and mailed...ugh! I am going to work on that today, but our project for today comes first.

One of the cards for our club had snowflakes on it, and I ended up with lots of strips of paper that looked like this...

Not wanting to waste any of that precious paper, or all that work punching them out, I came up with some ideas to use these "scraps."  I made a tag and a card that were very simple, but cute.

Today I worked on another tag using the snowflake images that were left over.  It is a little more involved...

I put a small square of the champagne glimmer paper behind the snowflake cut out to add some bling.  Hope you get some inspiration for your packages this year!  Now I am off to address cards...

Don't forget to leave a comment and I will put your name in the drawing for free stamps!  You can see exactly what stamps are up for grabs here.

12 Days of Christmas Blitz {Day 3}

This day has been greatly anticipated by my family.  We are big Lord of the Rings fans and have anxiously awaited the opening day of  The Hobbit.  If you are a Tolkien fan, you might catch some Hobbit humor in this post. ; )

I am so excited about the fun project for today.  I haven't made one of these in a while, but they always turn out so cute!  There are lots of pictures, so you will be able to try this project on your own.

Box In A Bag(gins) 

First, take a 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 piece of cardstock and score it at 1 inch on all sides.  In the four corners score a diagonal line in the little one inch squares

Fold your box bottom on the score lines.

Then use sticky strip to adhere the sides of the box bottom together.

Next you will need an 11 X 5 inch piece of Designer Series Paper.  Attach sticky strip along one long end [aka Bag End] which will be the bottom, and also on one side.

Remove the red liner from the bottom edge of the DSP and begin adhering it to the box bottom.  Start it in the middle of the back panel.  Keep edges of the paper even as you work around.  

When you have 3 1/2 sides attached, go ahead and peel the red liner from the side edge of the DSP.  Then finish wrapping it around the box bottom.

This is what it will look like when you're finished.  Now the fun begins, because we get to dress it up :)

I used a piece of real red cardstock that was 1 X 11 inches and punched one edge with the scallop border punch.

I jazzed it up with the white gel pen...

and added strips of sticky strip "there and back again" to the back side.

Then I added it to the bottom edge of my box, like I did with the DSP .

I punched a couple tags and used the white gel pen to make them festive also.

1/2 inch white circles were punched and added to the middle, then I used my crop-a-dile to punch a hole through all the layers of each tag.  I used sticky strip to adhere the tags to the top of the bag.

I added a fun embellishment to the front of the bag and used silver cord to tie it closed [with a "Bilbo(w)", of course]... almost done...

And here is the finished product ready to go under the tree!

This cute Box in a Bag could hold a small bottle of lotion, a candle, or maybe some chocolate for elevensies and afternoon tea.  I can't tell you what I'm putting inside mine because it might be used to hold your gift and I don't want to ruin the surprise!  :)

Hope you have a chance to give this a try.  Leave a comment and I will enter your name in a drawing for FREE STAMPS (see post on 12-12-12 for details).