What a great day . . .

we had yesterday! Our church joined several others to participate in Serve Day - a day where we volunteered at projects around the city in a concerted effort to "be the church" rather than "go to church" - a day where we focused on "demonstrating God's love through acts of kindness".

Our group worked at our neighbour's helping them get the first layer of bricks laid for three retaining walls that they were installing.

We had 7 adults working on our team; we divided up into 3 smaller teams, each team working on one of the walls. We worked for 3 1/2 hours before we had to quit because we ran out of bricks.

1st wall:






2nd wall:








3rd wall:









Because we ran out of bricks, we couldn't finish the 3rd wall, but at least the hard work of digging the trench and filling with gravel as a foundation for the bricks got done!!

But what a great day! Later in the afternoon, our church hosted a BBQ and then we held a short worship service, celebrating the kingdom work that we were involved in during the day. Some great stories were shared... and my prayer is that our efforts to demonstrate God's love to those around us are just tiny tiny seeds that were planted... seeds that will germinate and grow into something beautiful - something that will bring joy to the heart of God!!

two more days...

and two more exams and we're officially done with school for this year!!!! I can hardly wait!!

It's be wonderful to put away the books... to empty the binders.... to recycle the reams of paper that have accumulated over the year... to lighten up LOL

Unfortunately, it won't mean that life slows down for us - we'll just head in a slightly different direction and keep the engines running at full throttle!! I almost don't even want to think about it...

but it's all good stuff!! Two of our kids are serving at the Bible Camp for at least part of the summer. Our 2nd oldest has been working there since mid-May and just loves it! Our youngest goes out on Friday just as soon as the last final exam is written and she's counting down the hours before she's out there with her brother!!

Our oldest daughter plans to work in the church as a summer intern, helping with all the various Childrens' programs & camps that will be offered this summer.

How blessed we are to have our kids looking forward to serving Christ in all these various ways... what a great way to start the summer!!!!

blog candy . . .

and more!!!!

On the devotional blog for women, (Woman to Woman) there's a great interview with Lori McCroskey from Clear Dollar Stamps.

Not only did I find it inspiring, but it made my heart smile as I read Lori's story because it is always such a joy to find women who strive to keep their love for Jesus "front & centre" - women who continually strive to bring glory to God in all they say & do, whether it's running after toddlers, in their business practices, or in the conversations that take place in their homes.

May you be encouraged & blessed as you read an interview with Lori.


p.s. about the blog candy.... Lori has been very generous in offering 4 stamp sets.... if you think you'd like the opportunity to be on the receiving end of her generosity, find out here.

graduation . . .

is just a couple of days away for DD. All grads will be recognized in the worship service on Sunday so I've been working on cards for DDs friends.

Here are a couple of them:



I'm praying for a great day of celebration on Saturday. We woke this morning to a less-than-stellar weather forecast for the day: rain (maybe mixed with a little snow) and a grand high of 7C!!! Oh my... I may have to re-think what I will wear...

a challenge...

and chance to win....

Sue from Stampin Things is giving this unit away to ONE of Patter's blog subscribers!!!!!

What do you need to do to possibly win this unit? You must create a card, tag, layout, or altered item using PUNCHES (not die cuts)!! It must be a NEW creation, and you must post it to an online gallery or blog with a link to the contest over here. Your gallery post or blog post MUST contain a list of the punch or punches you used"


Although I don't own very many punches, I thought it would be fun to try to create a card. If nothing else, I might find my missing mojo!! I looked through the SCS gallery for Clean & Simple cards (keyword CAS) for some inspiration.

I came up with this card using these punches:

Marvy 1 1/2" sqaure
Marvy corner rounder
Fiskars lace border
1/8" hole punch



I don't know if I quite like it, but it was fun to try something a little different. If I happen to win the punch storage unit, it'll be a bonus. And if not, then I'll be thrilled for the one who does!!!

we're celebating....

26 years!!! In some ways it seems like the years have just flown by and I just don't know to where the time has gone. In other ways... wow, it's hard to believe that we've been married this long... I sure don't feel this old!!! LOL

My dear dear husband went out Wednesday (he knew that I had a worship team practice last night) and when he came back, he had this for me. What a sweetheart! Two dozen beautiful red roses "for what they mean"... and then 4 Strelitzia (bird of paradise) "for something extra pretty". He told me later that "I had to get them today because if I got them tomorrow (the day of our anniversary) I'd have to arrange them and I don't do that so very well" .... what a guy... gotta love him!!!!

So, I've been enjoying this bouquet for a couple of days... reveling in it's stunning beauty... isn't it just gorgeous?

it's cold outside. . .

and we're having rain mixed with snow. It's the long weekend in May and we had hoped to use it to really tackle several projects outside. Oh well. Since this was exactly what was in the forecast, I'm glad we took Saturday to work in the yard and get a few things done when we had the opportunity.

As it's not conducive at all to work outside today, I decided to use the icky weather to my advantage and spend some time today at my desk. I needed to make a birthday card for a friend of ours - that was my goal for today.

He loves coke so I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into his card:



My oldest son helped me today by taking the picture and tweaking it in PSP. Thanks J for doing for me that which you do so very well!!

a second card today. . .

made with the free sentiment offered by Digiments.

I used an SCS card sketch as my starting point. From there I reflected on the sentiment, "wheresoever you go...".

I did some searching for just the right image and as I was in that process, a book I read also came to mind. In The Way is Made By Walking, Paul Boers records his experiences as he walked the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain. I decided to try to incorporate that into the final design.

I found a photograph that I thought depicted well the journey that we are on, a spacious field with unforetold opportunities.


Having now the basic elements, it didn't take long to put them together. The sentiment was sized to accommodate the placement on the Brocade Blue (SU) cardstock. The photograph was printed and slightly offset on a smaller white background panel. Ribbon & gem dots added the finishing touches and the whole panel was then adhered to a white card.


As I gaze upon the endless field I feel compelled to go... to go with complete abandon... to go with all my heart.

a rainy day . . .

perfect for spending some much needed time at my desk. Today I focused on using a free digital image from digiments. They are have their first ever release tomorrow with a whopping 25 images and a chance to win the entire set!!! (contest details can be found here)

I downloaded the free image and then began to have fun with it. I love this sentiment!! It's perfect for a graduation card.

Because I wanted to use my daughter's school colours, I copied the image into my photo editing program (I use PaintShop Pro) and then changed the black type to a deep blue.

The Brilliant Blue (SU) background panel is embossed with Diamonds in the Rough (Cuttlebug); a scrap of yellow print from a spring craft kit is layered on Brocade Blue (SU). The card base is Xerox ivory cover stock. Square gold brads were turned to accent the diamonds.

I made the Grad cap using Inkscape & SCAL on my cricut. It's a scrap piece of shimmery blue - I love the sparkle it adds!! The tassle is made from lengths of gold sewing thread, braided to give it extra dimension.

But now that I've spent the afternoon having so much fun it is time to head out (in the rain) to get my daughter from work.

I've been alone this evening

and I've quite enjoyed my time! I found a few cards to CASE and then spent the last 1 1/2 hours on the phone with a friend. Woohoo for uninterrupted phone conversations!!!


This first card I actually made yesterday. I made two. The one was delivered this evening as my husband took his Mom shopping for groceries. The 2nd will wait until Saturday when I'll have the opportunity to hand deliver it to my Mom. It's a CASE from luvmyboys&stampin. You can see her card here. The sentiment is computer generated; I used my Cricut to cut the butterfly and scalloped oval.

Last night I had some time so I kept working in my stamp room. I needed to make a birthday card for my Dad. I'll be seeing him this weekend also and even though it's a few days early, I'll give it to him then. I found an awesome card by Wendy Janson on SCS (2nd card to CASE). I used a CD to trace the larger circle and cut it by hand; the star was made using my Cricut. I have a whole bin of buttons that I got from my Mom so I looked through it to find one that I thought would work. I secured it using hemp. The sentiment is computer generated.


And my third card... I CASEd this one made by Korin (Sweet n Sassy Stamps). I had won a digital image from Sweet n Sassy a few weeks ago. I chose to step way out of my comfort zone and picked Sweet Birthday as my free image. For my first try at using it and making a 'cute' card, I relied on CASE-ing Korin's card. I coloured the image using Prismacolor Markers & Odorless Mineral Spirits. The ric-rac ribbon is some really old ribbon that my Mom found in her sewing supplies and gave to me. The sentiment is computer generated; the ovals are nestibilities used in my Big Kick.

I have a few more birthday cards to make this month; I'm thankful for cards that I can CASE as my mojo up and disappeared quite some time ago. I'm thankful for the stamping community that willingly share their works of art. Thank you SO much! I would have given up my stamps years ago if it weren't for each of you!

a drive . . . a conversation . . . and . . .

a few things to consider. . .

Yesterday Florian & I took the day to drive down across the border. There was a package waiting to be picked up in Eureka so we took the day to go get it rather than pay extra shipping costs.

Spending 11 hours in the car gave us lots of opportunity to talk.

One of the conversations we had was prompted by thoughts of 'life after high school'. What do I want my life to look like once our youngest graduates and moves to post-secondary education? What do I want to do? What do I want to be when I grow up?

We didn't come up with any great plan, but it was a starting point. I have a few ideas that I will let simmer.

It's was great to have the uninterrupted time to talk. That alone made the trip immeasurably valuable!!

One of my friends belongs in London...

another in New York...

I couldn't resist finding out just where "they" think I belong LOL

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Wouldn't it be fun to check it out to see whether it's true? LOL

it's past Easter...

but I only got to this yesterday. Patter Cross (Triple the Scraps) has been posting these His Holy Name Challenges every two weeks on Splitcoaststampers and the latest one (from April 12) was "Lamb".

As I was reading some of the verses that speak of a lamb, it struck me that Abraham confidently said to his son, Isaac, "God Himself will provide the lamb".... (Gen 22:8) and He did. Not only did He provide a substitute then, but He also provided the ultimate & final substitute in His Son, His only Son, when Jesus died on the cross for us - for our sins. John the Baptist declared, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29 NASB)

On the back page, I journalled some of comments Patter included when she posted the challenge:

Salvation requires the shedding of blood.

• One lamb for one person (Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:21)
• One lamb for one family (at the time of Passover, one lamb could stand for one family, Exodus 12:3)
• One lamb for a nation (at the Day of Atonement at Sinai, Leviticus 16:34)
• One lamb for the world (blood of Jesus alone atones for all; no salvation apart from Him, John 1:29) **
  

and a final quote from "He Chose the Nails" by Max Lucado:

"Between His hand and the wood there was a list: our mistakes, our lusts and lies and greedy moments. A list of our sins. The list God has made, however, cannot be read. The mistakes are covered. The sins are hidden. Those at the top are hidden by His hand; those down the list are covered by His blood . . . What kept Him from resisting? He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since He couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, He chose the nails. Jesus Himself chose the nails."

I can only respond by bowing my head and saying, "Thank you, Jesus"

** (taken from a Bible Study Fellowship lesson)

spring in Calgary. . .

looks like this:


These are some of the verses that have come to mind today:

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years (Gen 1:14)
He changes times and seasons (Daniel 2:21)
The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.(Ps 104:19)

So, with those in mind, I can look out the window and rejoice in knowing that we will get to warmer temperatures again... if not today, well.... maybe tomorrow? or the day after??? At any rate, spring with its warmth WILL one day be here to stay ... or maybe we'll move straight into summer!?!?!

while DD is away...

I have been playing :) She is on a school tour this week so while she's been away, I re-painted her bedroom. When we first moved in the walls were brown with a leopard print wallpaper - just not suitable for an 8 yr old girl.

We brainstormed ideas and her favourite colour at that time was orange... so yes, you guessed right. We transformed her room back then to walls of orange & blue. White shelves went up on the dividing line.

Now, that she's grown up and nearly an adult, the colour scheme was less than appealing to her. I brought home piles of paint chips for her to look at and she chose a colour scheme that I quite like.... 3 colours of varying shades of .... brown LOL









I sure hope she likes it!!! because I don't think I want to painting her room again for at least another 8 years!!!

Chrissy is offering blog candy

in celebration of Holy Week. Isn't this the greatest stamp set? I just love Sweet 'n Sassy stamps:




You can find out more about it on her blog, Creating with Chrissy

a sketch challenge. . .

I decided that I needed to take a little break today and stamp 'just for fun'. It helped that was also today's Stamp Room mission on the SCS Flybaby forum!!!

I started bloghopping for a while this morning and stumbled across this Sweet 'n Sassy sketch challenge. It was just what I needed!!

The sketch:


and my first take on it:


and then an Easter card:



I think this may have been just what the doctor ordered as it appears that perhaps I've found some mojo!!! LOL

it's time . . .

for spring to arrive... and for spring to stay! It can't still be winter, can it? As a friend looked out the window on Sunday (we were in the middle of a spring snow storm), she said with a sigh, "It's a never-ending winter!"

Looking outside, I see the snow, but I'm anxiously awaiting the first signs of spring: trees budding, grass showing a little green, perhaps even a flower or two poking its head through the dirt.

Inside I'm waiting just as anxiously as I want to through open the shudders and let in the warm rays of sun and take in deep breaths of fresh air!!

Until then, I need to find my mojo as I've received another order for 25 cards!! Yikes!! I need to get these started before it gets really nice outside . . . I know for certain that it will be even more of a challenge to work on these inside when every part of me will be itching to get outside to enjoy the fresh air!!!

It's time . . . I find that mojo!!! LOL!!!

another order complete...

The company DH works for emailed me two weeks ago asking for another 2 sets of cards. What started out as just some general "thank you" cards like these"













has now morphed into thank you cards PLUS something like these:













I'm thankful for the motivation it gives me to actually spend time creating... but my Christmas cards have once again been delayed.

Oh well. I still have this week, right?!?!

and they're done!

The company that Florian works for has been giving Thank You cards as recognition / incentive awards.

A long story... but I've been making these cards for them, along with cards that they can use when anyone leaves. A few weeks ago, I received a request for another 12 cards. I've been slowly working away at them and today finished the last two.

They're now packaged and ready for Florian to take into the office in the morning. It feels great to have them done!

Now I can focus on other fun projects like my Christmas Cards!! LOL