You're the Best

I got to take benefit of the recent organizing my stash of vintage buttons into a swivel spice rack. Today's Ways to Use challenge on SCS was buttons!!! I also wanted to make a card for the 365 Card Blog challenge which was to use purple and 5 circles on your card. Well, 5 buttons seemed to be just the circles I needed and with purple, it's hard to pass on this wonderful eggplant image (A Stamp in the Hand). I got to use 5 different hues of my favorite color. The way I see it, today's a winner all the way around! This is encouragement for a dear friend who is taking some time off to discover what she wants to do with the next half of her life! Not be defined by a job, I'd say!!!

It's gorgeous here in the PNW...whatever your weather, I hope you are blessed today.

Alleluia, HE is risen, HE is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter to all who celebrate this joyful day.  I've returned to the cyber world, the Mac is back, minus 10 years of digital pictures.  The computer technicians were not miracle workers.  I've cried my river of tears over the lost memories.  Been bolstered by my sweet boys, from "we'll make new memories, to let's take a picture every day".  I am saddest to loose my youngest son's pics...so please, please take my sorrow and BACK-UP everything! 

I am posting my KING 6x6 scrapbook page for the His Holy Name challenge on SCS.  I am proud of how it came together.  I had to start over when it was almost complete...due to operator error...however, the new and improved page has more depth, which when I am journaling is always welcome.

If you've got a few minutes, amble over to you tube, David Crowder Here is Our KING.  You'll be blessed, trust me!  Alleluia

remember the circus

I am remembering the circus today, both vintage (my girlhood) and contemporary!   All I have to do is close my eyes and I can be right back there in the stands under the big top.  Oh, the earthy smells of the animals mingled with popcorn and sticky, sugar lollipops!  I recall the flyers nailed to every telephone pole down the street...how about you?  There was a wonderful book called Toby Tyler or 10 Weeks with a Circus  written in 1881 which chronicled the story of a boy who runs away from home to join the circus...I must have read that book a half a dozen times as a young girl in the sixties!  And while the concepts of the circus have gotten more exotic, think Cirque du Soleil...there is still the romance of the big top.

Today's Ways to Use it Challenge on SCS was to include foil in your design... well, I'm still playing around with the 'Never-ending' card from Monday.  Dawn's template is  here.

I thought it would be fun to do a larger card, sort of like you ripped the flyer off the pole to carry to the circus!  I have used Artistic Outpost's wonderful sets, Vintage Circus and Clowns to create four vignettes for the circus of my memory!  K&CO's Daydreams  provided the cool doubled sides paper.  If you would like all the details, please click over to my gallery on SCS.

Now you tell me, what memories to you have of circuses?

Almighty

I just finished up the study I am doing with the His Holy Names challenge. These past two weeks we focused on the Almighty.  In Hebrew, it is EL SHADDI.  Roughly translated it means mountain GOD, apparently because the early writers of sacred text used the highest thing they could see to relate to God.  I lingered on the 84th Psalm as my scripture and chose to highlight it in my 6x6 page.  The Bible I use for my home study is well marked, highlighted, and underlined with dates, situations and prayer requests.  I can go back and find tangible evidence of God's hand on my life!  It makes it simple to fully trust HIM with what surrounds me now.

There are all the details of my design process in the commentary of my SCS gallery, if you would be interested.  One thing I will say, I wanted to use different fonts for the name El Shaddi...it reminded me that the Almighty loves all people and wants everyone to come to the knowledge of Jesus. Technique Tuesdays Calamity Jane large was the perfect mixed up alpha!

Have a blessed day, the sun is shining in the Pacific Northwest...always a blessing!

party gown

I fell in love with this adorable fairy girl in her party gown, compliments 'Instant Memories' Birthday clip art book.  It seemed perfect for the LSC challenge on SCS to use green designer paper and limit your layers and embellishments.  I also wanted to honor Darla Ryan in a Twisted Sistah Challenge to case a card from her gallery, plus it tis her b-day!

Tonight is VSN...got the day off, hubby is on a two day fishing weekend and DS, Andy is off to Scouting weekend.  It doesn't get any better than this...

Holy

Good Morning, friends, It's the middle of January and I am far behind in this blogging year! But right where the LORD wants me in terms of commitments! Our home is settling down after a rockin great visit from Sam. He's back in the swing of classes as is Andy. I hope the cycle of our calendar reminds you of fresh beginnings.

One beginning I am particularly excited about is the HIS HOLY NAMES CHALLENGE that Patter Cross is leading over on SCS. I had prayed about becoming involved with this and was blessed when the answer came with the closing of one door and the swinging wide open of another! It is an every other week challenge which gives me time to be in the Word and study, so I suppose you could say, this work is truly inspired.

The first challenge which was issued on January 4th, was the word HOLY. The format is 6x6 scrapbook pages. I have found this to be a perfect size for me to use. I will be putting this into a small box that will allow me to access the pages. I plan to have hidden pockets, hinged papers, pull outs where I can journal my study of the words as we go along. My first entry was done using traditional scrap booking and a bit of digital. As I studied, I selected two scriptures that especially spoke to me, 1 Samuel 2:2 and Exodus 15:11a. I love God's word for it is living and active and will speak to just where you are if you approach it with an open heart. God is indeed my ROCK! HE is HOLY, everything else in my life must be measured by HIM. I filter everything through what HE speaks to me.

Since my last post, pearl(S) of wisdom, I have some health issues I am facing...not life threatening, but significant just the same. I am so happy to have the LORD'S perspective and pray I will honor HIM in all my choices. If you would like to read the details of the creation of my first word, HOLY, please catch it in my gallery on SCS.

Blessings to you,

Susan

saving Santa

There's been a new volley in the war between naughty and nice over at SCS today. About 23 of us were somehow relegated to the naughty list of Santa and we've spent the last few weeks trying to change that situation.  Today, I offer an alternative...I know I've been practicing my nice skills on DH, just in case Santa doesn't stop at MY house this year. 

I remember being married just a few years and noticing my in laws didn't exchange gifts at Christmas time.  I thought how sad, and then my dear FIL told me, "If there's something we want, we just go get it."  Now with DH and I being so specialized in our hobbies, we've just about done the same! Gift cards are loving wrapped in huge boxes and placed under the tree...one size does fit all!  Which reminds me, I need to head over to Bass PRO.com.  Anyone else arrived at this place in their gift giving?

Yipee, Skipee!!! I learned something new!

I have to begin by saying I'm not sure about this blogging thing...the way I write and create is a bit like molasses  so I'm going to take the slow road...

But I am so proud of myself...I learned something new today in Photoshop!  I had wanted to make a vertical watermark for the longest time.  Well...though it took awhile, I created an alternative to my standard one.  Check it out on this card I uploaded to SCS yesterday for the Limited Supplies.  Funny thing...I had been unable to use my original watermark for some odd reason...and knowing so little about Photoshop, I couldn't figure out what my problem was!  Well somewhere in that grey matter a lightbulb flashed  'click on the drag' box...amazing it worked... 'all of a sudden'!  So girls, if there is any one left who doesn't know how to do this, I'd be happy to share!!!

Enjoy where you are today.

My header photo is out my kitchen window.  That is beauty berry...sets the berries beginning in August and last through the winter.  I have such a variety of the little birds who feast all through the cold.  My plaque is one of my favorite sentiments..."TODAY IS A GIFT that is why they call it the PRESENT!