Blog Stalking on Friday - Mama Elephant Blog

Today I am sharing another blog that I stalk on a regular basis.  Mama Elephant Blog has very visually appealing cards.  She just celebrated being in the business of creating stamps for a year.  Although I haven't personally purchased any of her merchandise, yet, I am always inspired when I visit her blog.  Check her out.

I am very excited today.  I am throwing my parents a 50th Wedding Anniversary party.  This is a truly a milestone that I am excited to celebrate.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind;  love does not envy or boast;  it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way;  it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things.    

WOYWW 229 - Project Life and A Book Signed by Tim Holtz

Time flies when you're having fun, right?  So I must be having a BLAST!  It is once again Wednesday which means it is time to take a picture of your work space and link up with Julia's Blog.

This is where I am doing the majority of my work:

This is where I would like to sit:

And this is where I am supposed to be working, but it isn't working out that way because Ms. Gracie wants to sit in the chair with me.

Note the Tim Holtz signature.  My daughter won this book and gave it to me.  Yay!

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

John 3:16  For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whomever believes in him shall have everlasting life.

Gratitude

At the beginning of the year I chose my word of the year.  My word is Gratitude.  Although I sometimes forget that I am supposed to be grateful for everything, I have been working towards accepting all that I have been given with gratitude.

Sometimes I am presented with situations in life that it is easy to be grateful for (I know this is a dangling participle).  I am grateful for all the flowers and wildlife along the side of the road that I can enjoy while the girls (the dogs) and I take our morning walks.  I am grateful for my church, my family and my friends.  I am grateful for my job and that I am able to work from home.

Then I am also presented with situations in life that I find harder to be grateful for.  And that is where the work truly comes in.  Maybe there are things my family does that interrupt my plans.  I try to be grateful for the fact that I have a family to disrupt my life.  Maybe there is someone at work that challenges my patience.  I try to be grateful for my job and the fact that I am able to help that person.

As someone who believes that everything happens for a reason - being grateful should come naturally.  And even though it doesn't always come easily - I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the One Word 365 Blog Challenge.  I guess I need to be thinking about next year's word - you know since I've got this year's word conquered.  ;-)

Here is my picture share for the week:

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

2 Timothy 3:14-15  You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about.  You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdowm for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Friday Stalking - Mamo Mo Stamps

I do not think I have ever had an original idea.  I could spend hours just surfing and watching youtube and repinning on Pinterest.  And hours going from one blog to another to find great new card and scrapbook layout ideas.  I sometimes spend all my time finding ideas, but never actually putting them into action!

One of the blogs that I stalk and pin cards from on a regular basis is Mama Mo Stamps.  She does such unique cards and I am always inspired when I visit her blog.  Please check her out.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Phillipians 2:1-2  Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

WOYWW 228 - Project Life and the Silhouette Stamp Kit

It is once again Wednesday which means it is time to post a picture of your workdesk.  If you want more information go to Julia's Blog - The Stamping Ground.  You can snoop or join in or both.  :-)

Here is my desk - I am working on my 'Project Life' album.

Here is my normal scrapbooking desk.  Unfortunately, Gracie wants to sit in my chair behind me while I am working.  The chairs that I have at this table are not condusive to a dog and a human booty.

This is the side of my desk on which I did my Silhouette stamp test.

The Silhouette cut out the stamp from the stamp making material.  It is quite thin.  You can see the arrow on the acrylic block.

Below is a piece of Neenah solar white cardstock.  I used various types of inks that I had lying around and including the Silhouette ink that came with the stamping kit.  I wasn't very pleased with the results.  I think pignment ink is going to be your best bet.  I watched the following video by Kristina Werner and she found

that the stamping material worked best with Versamark ink:

Here are the samples of my stamping and the type of ink I used above the image:

I hope Silhouette comes up with a better material for the stamps because the idea of making my own stamps is awesome!  Just a note, if you don't read directions like me, take the protective cover off the stamping mat before you place the stamping material on the mat.  That's all I'm going to say.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Daniel 6:16-18  Then the king commanded and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.  The king declared to Daniel, May your God whom you serve continually deliver you.  The king then went back to his palace.  He refused supper.  He couldn't sleep.  He spent the night fasting.

Greetings for Fall - A Card and A Video

I had a very productive weekend.  I did laundry and cleaned a bathroom.  I straightened up my craft room.  I took a bunch of cards that came from work that had magnets on the back part of the card.  They are all hand made cards, but they were examples at the craft store I work at.  The store generously donated them to me to be repurposed for OWH.  I went through the box of cards and cut the fronts off.  Those with glitter or that were too thick for OWH can be used for other church projects.  All those that could be used for OWH, I put on new card bases and secured anything that was loose.  I stamped Operation Write Home on the back and tucked them into envelopes.  I also wrote some any Hero notes in some note cards that I had.  My box is packed and ready to go.  Shew!

And I made a video.



I used my Unity Stamp of the Week, Spectrum Noir Pens to color the owl, googly eyes, embossing powder, a heat gun and some paper to create a fall card.

Here is a picture of the finished product:

I neglected to mention in the video that I used alcohol markers to color the owl.  The paper is from a 6x6 paper pack by Simple Stories.  I hope you can find some inspiration in my card.

Have a great day and be inspired.

1 Peter 2:4-6  So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in God's sight, you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spirtual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For it says in scripture, 'Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.'

God on the Side of the Road Sunday - The Fall

Every day the girls and I take a walk up and down our road.  We pass this flower that grows on a fence that surrounds a pasture for our neighborhood cows.  Since I walk in the morning I am often able to catch the dew forming on the flowers when I take their pictures.  I am amazed at the quality of the picture from my iPhone.  Sometimes.  Sometimes - when I try to get the deer who stand farther back - I get frustrated.

This is a pod of some sort - just another one of those beauties of nature I see every morning.

And the first signs of fall - this leaf is beginning to turn red - my favorite color.

Take a moment each day to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us.  It is there for us to just enjoy.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Psalms 8:3-4  When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?  Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them.

WOYWW 227 - The Thinking Chair Had to Go

It is Wednesday again.  It seems like it was Wednesday just yesterday!  But Wednesday means it is time to take a picture of my desk (or multiple pictures of my pets) and share them with lots of other desk hoppers. To nose around go to Julia's Blog.

Evidently, Molly wanted her picture taken because she wouldn't stop getting in front of the camera.

My desk hasn't changed much.  I ran across some pictures when I was looking for some other paper work. 

The thinking chair had to go.  I didn't use the chair and it took up way too much space.  So I replaced it with a chest of drawers that is one of my favorite pieces.  I've already filled up all the drawers.  :-)

I received my stamp making kit from Silhouette - yay!  Now if I will just go downstairs and use it.

So that's my desk share for the week.  I'm off to see yours now.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Hebrews 1:1-2 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.

God on the side of the road Sunday

Everyday the girls (my dogs) and I take a walk.  I live on a one lane road in the country so there are wild flowers growing along the road.  There is also wild life we run across but I am often times not quick enough to catch that on film (or iphone).  :-)  But I am always amazed at how much beauty there is along our walks. It just reminds me that God is present everywhere.

There is a subdivision that sits behind our house and it backs up to our road.  There is a pond that we see along our walk.  I love the reflection of the sky in the pond.

My favorite color is red.  It seems that naturally growing red flowers are very unusual.  I have found some red in the seeds from some flowers though.  This is our magnolia tree after a bloom has died.

And here are some sweet little flowers that just pop up along the side of the road.

I hope you take time to admire the beauty that is all around us.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

John 14:3 And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself that where I am you may be also.

World Card Making Day OWH Blog Hop - Thank You

WCMD Bloghop

Today is World Card Making Day and I am participating in the OWH WCMD Blog Hop.  Click here to go see all the other blogs that are participating.  But before you go take a peek at my contribution:

I used Operation Write Home Sketch 159 to create my card:

The card in the foreground is more true to the sketch.  I used patriotic card stock from Paper Studio.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up and is the Bitty Banner set.  I cut out the stars using a Lawn Fawn die set.  The base of my card is kraft card stock from Recollections.  I used seam binding instead of ribbon.

And I did a little sewing.

Go get some inspiration - http://operationwritehome.org/starsandstamps.  And then make some cards for our troops.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.

Friday Stalking - Kerri Bradford Studios

Scrapbooking is my first love as far as paper crafting.  As my children have gotten older and they no longer participate in school functions or extra curricular activities to which I am invited - I decided I needed to expand my horizons.  Then I discovered www.operationwritehome.org.  This gave me a reason to make cards.  And you might assume that since I now divide my time between scrapbooking and card making that I am caught up on scrapbooking.  Never assume!  LOL  I am easily side tracked.

That being said - I really enjoy going to Kerri Bradford Studio.  She focuses on scrapbooking and I really like her style.  Even though my style is different I get ideas on color combinations and photography from her blog.  She also does some digital scrapbooking which is what I use for scrapbooking church functions.  If you're a scrapbooker - check out her blog - you will be glad you did.

Have a great day and be inspired.

April

Psalms 23:4 - Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.

WOYWW 226 - Peanut and Gracie say Hi

It is once again Wednesday and it is October.  Hard to believe we are in the last 3 months of 2013.  But I digress.  Being Wednesday means it is time to go by The Stamping Ground so that you can see work desks from around the world.

And here is my work desk:

Peanut wanted to say hi.

 And Gracie also wanted to say hi.  How cute is that face?

And here is where the work happens, but not this week.  I have a new stamp, an RAK gift and a stack of pages I am working on for my Washington D.C. scrapbook.

That's it for me today.  I am off to look at other desks.

Have a great day and be inspired.