Monday, December 30, 2024

Snow

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37:4-5



 I will try to commit next year to the Lord about everything including whether or not I post, or how often.  However, I thought I have been on sabbatical from Blogging long enough, so I will end the year with one last post.  I have decided to join in at **Art*Journal*Journey for Sharon's (Sharon from That Girl Friday Fritchey) Snow Challenge for January. This made me get out an old stencil that I haven't used in years.  I stenciled with Blueprint Sketch Oxide Distress ink over a Aspen Trees stencil.  I spattered with White India Ink and used a Uniquely Creative clear Sparkle Brush for the glittery look of ice.  I die cut and stamped the deer from a very old Fun Stampers Journey set.  They are not even in business anymore.  The snowflake dies are an unknown source, but I die cut from silver.  I added gems, Nuvo drops and Washi tape for interest, and just to use stash!  I did this in my 7x10 Canson XL Mix Media book.  98 lb paper.  My stencil is only 6x6. so had to move it to fill the page.  As you can see, it isn't really lined up, but oh, well.  I am just playing with all my stuff! LOL


Maybe a closer view will show the glittery trees:


Here is my ticket to the tea party over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's at Altered Book Lover.  I have missed so many, they may not know who I am.  I prepared this little hot chocolate station next to my tea station for when our family were here.  We all enjoyed it; in fact, I am still enjoying it.  Who knew that mini chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows and candy canes could make something so good ever better?



Well, I hope you all had a blessed Christmas, and I wish you Happy New Year.  Who know what it will bring?  Maybe I will see you next year.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, September 2, 2024

Today & Anything Goes


“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8 


 Hello, I am still here!  I had a great morning today because it finally cooled down and I was able to go walking!  I decided to join in with TSFT and with Aimeslee's Anything Goes Challenge over at **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY*.    I did this page inspired by her challenge, my walk and using prompts from my Mixed Media Joy Challenge over at SplitcoastStampers. 

Use 3 or more of the following:
Napkin
Recycled household item
Blue or teal
sequins
Book page
Washi
Suggested Technique: anything using water

I did a page in my 7x10 art journal today. I water colored the base with different colors and some scribbling. Then I added washi (the stamps & the today and leaf), napkin, and book page. Then stamped birds, date, and some journaling that inspired my page. I wish my napkin had been woodsy but was I matching the color. I was just having fun, so doesn't matter, anything goes!


I almost forgot (because it has been so long!)  that I need a drink reference of some kind in order to join TSFT with Bleubeard & Elizabeth over at Altered Book Lover.  So, here is my favorite to go mug.  I will be taking it with me this weekend to a Ladies Bible Conference Retreat.


Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day!  

Monday, July 1, 2024

My June 2024 Post

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"



 Maybe I can post once a month.  Do you think?  Hello everyone, I am back....  I am anxious to see what everyone is doing. It is a hot Summer already here, in the 90s and even 100s F.  I have been out to Panera with friends this morning, so didn't walk early and now it is too hot.  Maybe tomorrow.  I have been trying to be out the door by 6:30 and home by 8:00 to beat the heat.  Usually, 75 already then.  I thought I would do a post to my blog, but not a planner, and not sure what you might be interested in.

Here is a page I did over the weekend:


I think I have mentioned before that I like to take photos of dogs I see on the trail.  This was also for a Becky Fleck sketch on ACOT, A Cherry on Top.

I spilled my full cup of tea, so don't have that in here now.  What a mess that was!  I spilled it on my current journal:

Below is the result:  On left you are seeing bleed through of digital I printed on other side of my chart:


Below is front of other and is the digital that bled through.


I don't know about you, but I kind of like the result! LOL Maybe I have created a new technique!

Spilled tea probably doesn't qualify for my ticket to the tea party (TSFT) at Altered Book Lover hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth.

So, here is a photo of one of times we went out to eat recently:  I think it was at Cracker Barrel.  We always choose the fried apples as one of our sides and count it as dessert.  Mine came with two pieces of Grilled chicken tenderloins, so brought one home and next night we split it and made a meal out of it for two.  And there is our water with lemon. 


Happy T Day everyone, and Happy July!

Thanks for stopping by.  I really will try to post more often.  I can't wait to stop by and see what you all have been up to.  Me, I am just staying in because it is 96 degrees F and feels like 104!  I have a fan blowing on me and it feels pretty good.  Bye for now.



Monday, May 13, 2024

Results from NSD

 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:  therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.    Psalms 28:7


In the last post I was getting ready to participate in National Scrapbooking Day, which lasts all of May here. :)  I did get 14 layouts done and I think as many cards.   Some of the cards have already been mailed , so they didn’t get in the photo.  But May isn't over, so fully intend to get more done.  Below, is a photo I took on our stairs of everything so far.  I scrapped layouts of photos taken in 2021, 22, 23 and 2024.  I don't scrap in order,  but should.  It took me a half hour to get all these layouts into the proper albums!



I hope the ones who celebrate had a nice Mother's Day, Sunday.  I had a lovely, relaxing day.  Below are photos of my gift from our church Sunday for Mother's Day.  They gifted all the ladies these lovely travel mugs.  Good thing because I left my other old scratched up one at the Junk Journaling retreat last month.  I will just have to remember not to take it to Bible study, because all of our cups are the same! LOL



It even came in a pretty box.  This is also my ticket to the tea party over at Altered Book Lover where Bleubeard & Elizabeth host the Tea Stands For Tuesday event each Tuesday.




Thanks for stopping by to see what I have been doing.  I hope to see what some of you have been doing.  See you next time.


Monday, April 29, 2024

Getting Ready for NSD

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"


 For those that don't know May 4th is National Scrapbooking Day, celebrated every year the first Saturday in May.  This year you notice it is also on Star Wars Day: "May the 4th be with you."  I celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, though while our grandchildren may celebrate the other.  I have been preparing by putting away all my junk journal supplies, and cleaning my desk, so I can now be in scrap mode instead of junk mode.

Below is the finished Julie, Dear Julie April Challenge journal.  It is actually two journals.  The topper or cover to the journal is a stacked journal with a tie.  


And here is my desk after putting all the "junk" away.




I am ready to begin scrapbooking!  Oh, and there is my tea for my ticket to Bleubeard & Elizabeth's T Stands for Tuesday party over at Altered Book Lover.  Get yourself a beverage and come join us.


I can't leave without showing you some cards I made for my Challenge Your Stash Challenge this month at SplitcoastStampers.  My challenge was to use ignored DSP for one or more cards.  I love to follow Crafty Al's Sheetload of Cards sketches, because you get more than one card, and all different.  This sketch was a revisit of August 2020, and she just made it for 3 cards.  This is how mine turned out.


This designer paper series was actually a 6x6 collection, "Memories & More", Flowers for Every Season from Stampin' Up.  I used three sheets of 6x6 and cut according to the directions, then put it together, and each card turns out different.  I used also used a Stampin' Up die and stamp for the sentiments.  This paper has been in my stash for years!  Our motto for our challenge is "hoarders no more".  The object of the challenge is to use up your stash.  BTW that was why I started junk journaling, to use up stash and scraps, but it seems, I am just making more scraps and stash!  What about you?  If you are a paper crafter, how do you cope with your growing collection of products, paper and miscellaneous items?  Do you purge, regularly, or does it just keep growing?  I watched a Craft Organization Summit recently on dealing with all our "stuff".  It did inspire me or re-organize, somewhat.  At least I found some treasures, I forgot I had!



Thanks for stopping by.  Please let me know you were here.  I love reading your comments. See you next time!

Monday, April 22, 2024

Almost TSFT!

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"


I have been really lazy about posting to my Blog lately.  It just seems like so much other stuff is going on, you know, like life! LOL   However, I thought I would try to post today.  Since I posted last time, I have been to a week-long junk journaling retreat where I met some wonderful ladies from all over the country.  Many of the ladies were taking part in the challenges with Julie, Dear Julie.  In fact, she was there also.  Most of us follow Julie on her You Tube channel. We had so much fun and swapped junk.  I didn't think to take a photo of everything I brought home or of the 4 boxes I took to give away.  But just now, I got some out some so you could see maybe an 8th of what I brought home.  And below is a hand sewn journal that one of the retreat planners gifted each one of us.  Each one was different, too.  I loved this fabric and the button / key closure.  Inside are wonderful paper pages.  She left undecorated so we could use it for writing or decorate ourselves as we like.  The binding is an elastic chord, so we can put more pages in or use again.  Just lovely; she made over 20 of them for us.



Below are a few things of my haul from the retreat.  One lady had rolled up the prettiest fabric rolls for each of us.  Another gifted us hand painted and dyed pages.  Beautiful!  I came home with wallpaper, fabric, ledger papers and so much more for my future junk journaling projects.  Everyone was so gracious and generous at the retreat.  Most of all our wonderful hostess was so gracious opening her home to all of us.


Among the items I took were Kansas post cards from Elizabeth for each one of them.  BTW Happy Birthday to Elizabeth our hostess with the mostess!  Here is a link over to the TSFT / birthday party over at Altered Book lover!

Besides the retreat my hubby and I did another painting class!  And in one of the photos below is my ticket to the party; blueberry water.

The man below is an artist from the Art Park.  He told us how to draw and paint a sunflower. My husband said he never saw a purple sunflower, but that is how we did it.






Last week was our kickoff brunch at church for our Bible Study.  I sewed together 25 journals so they could take notes or write down prayer requests.  I took them to the retreat to work on while I was there.  When the ladies found out what I was doing, it became everyone's project!  Our lovely hostess made 25 rosettes for the covers.  Two ladies made 25 pockets each for the journals so they could each have pockets on the inside both front and back.  A couple of the ladies made tags.  Several made fancy paper clips for each one.  Another lady was in charge of quality control.  We all worked on them, decorating with stickers, doilies and stamping of Bible verses.  Our Bible Study ladies received them last week and were thankful and so amazed that so many took part in making their journals.   After that I made another 60-page journal for a precious friend at church for her birthday.  Whew!  Yes, I have been busy!
Now, it is time to post this, go over and wish Elizabeth a Happy Birthday, and study my Bible study lesson.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Wishing you all a wonderful day!  See you next time!





Monday, March 25, 2024

Tea & Scrapping

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


It is time to post for T Stands for Tuesday, our party held over at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.  First I will show you my submission for **Art Journal* Journey* for Chris's On All Fours Challenge.  I meet dogs on my walk and decided to do a layout about the one I met Friday. 









I am still having fun playing Calvinball.  I received 43 points for this layout, Using items like Washi, a stamp, heart, punch, camera, tag, bird, flower, flowered paper, sticker, aqua, brads, arrow, multiple photos, word phrases, button, twine, bow, label, date, handwritten journaling, birdhouse, bee, yellow, tree, stitching, stripes, dog, and more.  There aren't any prizes for this challenge; it just gets you out of your box and inspires you to use your stash!

Here is the information!  And Chris, the photo is an avocado, not a pear.



Now my ticket to the party! We went out to eat Friday, and oh, my goodness!  I think it had been years since we went to Red Robin.  SOOOO good!  We didn't need to eat for over a day!  Luckily, I noticed the smaller hamburgers on the menu.  I didn't know they bring you fries, like they bring chips and salsa at Mexican Restaurants, then you get another side with you burger.  We got salads, and they were huge!  The fries were hot, and the sauce was wonderful, and that is our second batch of fries, because it is endless fries.  What you see on my plate is what I had left and I was already full.  But being the glutton I am, I ate everything except the rest of the fries.  If you ever go, go hungry!  LOL


I received a gift from one of our bloggers this week.  I will show it next week.

Thanks for stopping by, and for your comments, letting me know you came.  I will see you next time!

Monday, March 11, 2024

Playing CMSS & CalvinBall!

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


I just have so much crafting I want to do, sometimes something has to give.  Tell me in the comments, do you get all the crafting done you want to do?  I watched some of the videos on the Card Makers for Success Summit last weekend, and tried some of them, while still trying to keep up with making at least one project for CalvinBall per day.  Oh, and junk journaling, and SplitcoastStampers daily challenges, our blog challenges.  I have to just confess; I can't do it all!  And then there is this blog to keep up with.  And life!  Tomorrow I am headed to a wedding, so no crafting tomorrow.

I will share with you the project I made following Jess Crafts on the summit.  I liked this because you can use a lot of stash.  I really kept these cards from this sketch clean and simple, because I entered them in today's Clean and Simple daily challenge at SplitcoastStampers to be monochromatic.

The Jess Crafts sketch uses a whole sheet of 12x12 patterned paper, three pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock for the bases, and 3 more pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 of colored cardstock for the panels.  My dsp was two sided so I could varry the cards. On 5 of the cards I used some of my hundreds of Project Life Cards.  Stash Buster!!!


And the 6th one, I stamped and colored a Stampendous Bird Image with Copics.  I submitted this one for the challenge at CalvinBall.  I got points for it being a card, for sharing it at two sites, blogging about it, polka dot paper, stamp, stripe paper, sketch, fussy cutting, banner, flower, aqua, gold, sticker, orange. 15 points out of a possible 70 points.  They add points every day.  It is wild.  The points don't mean anything, just using as much as possible of your stash!





Here is the info about CalvinBall:




I am also on my way to the tea party over at TSFT at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.
Here is my ticket:  A card I made several years ago.  I no longer have the image stamp, but I do have the sentiment.  Happy T day.



Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Playing Calvinball

   6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7



It is March and I am playing Calvinball with Alice Boll.  It is a crazy time with lots of inspiration.  No one wins anything except the glory, and just getting some scrapping done.  So, I actually have done two pages.  Just will show you one, for which I got about 17 points for anything from a star, a heart, a flower, handwritten journaling, date, etc, whatever the rules were as of today!  They change every day!






Watch the video on how you can play: How to Play Calvinball | Scrapbooking Challenge (youtube.com)



I think I will stop over at the Tea Party that happens every Tuesday over at Altered Book Lover with hostess Elizabeth and co-host Bleubeard.  Come on over, just be sure to include something drink related in your blog post.

Here is mine:




My favorite tea cup.  Have a great week!  See you next time.  Maybe I will come back with more Calvinball entries.  They can be cards, journal pages, scrapbook layouts, tags, even non paper projects.

Happy T Day.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Playing in my Craft room!

 Hello readers!  Yes, it is me again.  I will post once in a while, I guess.  Right now, the only reason there will be a post for Tuesday Tea Party, is I am actually scheduling it ahead of time.  It is Saturday afternoon, and I am playing in my craft room.  I was inspired by a mixed media challenge on SplitcoastStampers and by Viki Parson's Keep it Light February Challenge over at **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY*

Actually, it all began with me earlier in the week looking at my mixed media supplies and finding some had dried up.  I had a large jar Teresa Collins modeling paste, but it was hard as brick.  That took me down a rabbit hole on You Tube looking for how to restore it.  I really couldn't find anything but decided it would not hurt to put water in it and try.  So, water, mix with popsicle stick, twist, still hard; added more water and did it some more.  I did this off and on for a couple of days.  Finally, I got it so I could use it.  

When researching on You Tube, I did find some good advice: Buy smaller jars, and when you use it, make a lot of tags, papers, whatever, while you got it out.  Next time it might be dry!  I thought that was very good advice.  It might be more expensive buying smaller jars, but in the long run cheaper, because you aren't throwing out the jar of hardened stuff!

Once I got the paste workable, I began playing with my favorite colors of TH oxides, and fun stencils.  Since the challenge I was doing called for a napkin, I then looked through my napkins that I have received in swaps.  Imagine my surprise and joy when I found a napkin with not only the colors I used, but some same shapes that I used from my stencil! I used some various TH stamps, faces, & Bible Verse stamp.  I sprayed the whole thing with some white glitter mist.  I added the punched dove by the Bible verse.  I dated it, because that is what Elizabeth taught me to do!  

 Here is my art journal page in an 7x10 Canson 98 lb mix media book.







Now for my ticket to the tea party:


This is a photo from 2018 when we visited Maine.


My view of Penobscot Bay from where we stayed in Belfast, Maine.



Remembering a wonderful day, when looking at this.  Right now, it is beautiful here.  I walked outside and got hot today.  It is 69 and on Tuesday will be 80!  For crying out loud, this is February, but I am loving it.  Our normal temps are 50s for February.

I look forward to hearing what you think about the mixed media pastes.  Any advice?  Does it ever happen to you?  Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, January 22, 2024

T Stands for Time to Blog Again!

 I thought it was time to start blogging again, as I haven't since August of 2023!  Mia, even reached out to me and ask where I had been!  I just am always so busy it seems.  I have taken a trip to Canada and been to Banff, and other sights in Alberta & British Columbia.  I am sure I will share photos.  Then it was the time of the year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the festivities that go along with that.  Also, we have had family come and visit, for which we are so thankful!  Just wish our family wasn't spread all over the place!  I have been leading a Bible study, and also have been hostessing regular challenges on SplitcoastStampers.   And I am crafting quite a bit.  I will share some travel photos as well some of my photos of the junk journal travel journals I made for my traveling companions.

But first here is my ticket to the tea party.  I have missed you all!  I even see new ones.  I will have to go around and visit and get to know you.  Elizabeth introduced me to Bagatelles when I first started reading her blog, and that is where we had lunch last week.  They always have great specials, but you have to get there early!  So we were there shortly after 11.  It was a great day, to go because they were passing out complimentary pieces of Black Forrest cake to everyone!  Wow, everything was so good.  Thank you, Elizabeth!  They are also so reasonable, $7.99 or $8.99 each I think.

Here is where the tea party is: T Stands For Tuesday


We had the enchilada casserole, with roll and soup.  Hubby had pork and Beans soup, (I had never heard of that, but he said it was delicious.)  I had chicken tortilla soup, scrumptious!

Here are some photos of my trip to Alberta & British Columbia.  Gorgeous country!

Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia.


Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta.



Lake Louise again




Emerald Lake, in British Columbia, Yoho National Park



Me, at foot of  Takakkaw Falls, British Columbia, Yoho National Park. 

I will show you what I made for the group of girls I went with:  I made each a travel notebook size junk journal.  Each journal was in their favorite colors and each one completely different.  I really had fun creating them.













Waving to all the T-Gang and all my other followers.  I hope to begin to blog more often, but we will see.   Thank you all for stopping by.  Happy 2024!