T Stands for Thunderstorms

   23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

Haha! I always like it when I can say T stands for something that actually begins with T!  We did finally get some much-needed rain over night, at least an inch.  We will take it as we are very dry here.  We even had tornado warnings last night late but didn't hear of any developments around here. That is good. We had lots of wind and thunder.  We were already in bed when it all started. It didn't bother us enough even to get up and look out the window.  And today was nice enough to go walk for as long as I could stand the wind.  It is supposed to get up to 67 degrees F.  

On to more important things, like crafting.  I watched several videos presented by the Card Maker Success Summit.  I saw lots of fun techniques, and new products.  I did not purchase the VIP which gives you unlimited access to the videos, just watched while available for 24 hours for free.  I also did not purchase any new products.  I am in the mode to use up what I have, which is considerable! The individual designers did provide us with free worksheets on how to make their projects, and I downloaded some of those.

Here is a card that I made for the Challenge Your Stash group on SplitcoastStampers for a monochromatic red card.  I used stash for sure!  I have hoarded this SU! designer paper for over 10 years, and I only used a little 4x5 piece of a 12x12 sheet for this card.   I used SU! Real Red cardstock for the base, and also die cut the sentiment from the Real Red.  I added prima flowers and a brad from my stash.  Now, I only have 199 more prima flowers and 999 more brads!  I die cut the little flowers for the upper corner.  I think I nailed the challenge!

It is time for my ticket to the TSFT over at Bleubeard & Elizabeth's at Altered Book Lover.  I will share some photos I don't believe I have ever shared from when we ate at a place called Jimmy's Egg.  It was the first time we had been there.  They had some WSU (Wichita State University) type decorations on their walls, so I took photos. 

I do not know why some of my post looks wonky with white around it.  I even cut and re-typed.  Blogger has a mind of it's own!

Happy T Day to the T Gang!  Thank you for stopping by.

T Stands for Second Valentine Post

  23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

Hello Readers! As promised last week, I will show you our Valentine meals. Yes, we actually had two special Valentine meals last week. That is good because we always celebrate Valentines Day, not just because it is a special day, but because my husband proposed to me on Valentine's Day exactly 56 years ago.  My husband always remembers this because it is also happens to be the 56th Super Bowl.  So as long as he knows which Super Bowl it is, he knows how many years ago he proposed and how long we have been married.  Yes, he is a football fan!

 The first one was at our favorite Italian restaurant, where we had wonderful lasagna & manicotti.   I already ate some of my meal before remembering to take a photo.

  The second one was a special event we were invited to at a local Senior Living facility where we attended a Sweetheart dinner & movie.  It was the most wonderful food, and my photos won't do it justice!  

Our wonderful salad with the most scrumptious raspberry dressing.

Filet Oscar:  the tenderest filet, with crab meat on top and served with asparagus & hollandaise sauce.

Chocolate Mouse

The tables before we were seated:  The ones who wanted it were served wine.  We declined.

We even had music while we were eating.

We sat in front of the fire with our drinks, my tea, while waiting to be seated.

 The craft I will share this week is the technique by Crafty Al on you tube. She shares a sketch every month for what she calls Sheetload of Cards.  This week I got a head start on my Christmas cards using one of her sketches. 

It takes three sheets of 12x12 patterned paper and three sheets of colored cardstock, as well as white cardstock cut and folded for bases.  This sketch made 9 cards.  I added sentiments and ornaments that I already had on hand.  So with this 9, I now have 17 completed Christmas cards done, including stamped sentiments on the inside and envelopes with a little decoration stamped on the outside. Not bad for February 20th.  So if I go for same amount I needed last year, I only have 47 more to go.   I might need more next year, to.  So it won't hurt to make extra.  I have set a goal of 5 a month, but I am ahead.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hi to the T Gang.  Be sure and visit Bleubeard and Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover.  That is where we all meet up for T Stands for Tuesday.  We just share a drink related post on our blogs, so if you have a blog and share something related to some kind of drink you can link to our party, too. 

Stay warm.

See you next time.

T Stands for Happy Valentine's Day

 I will tell you happy Valentine's Day, but will have to show you photos of that meal next week.  This week I will show photos of last week's out to eat meal.

We went to Carriage House, in an Amish community in Yoder, Ks.  It was like a mini road trip as it is out of town about an hour away. We were hungry for their wonderful homemade comfort food. I didn't take photos of our actual meal, but of our water for TSFT and of their menu and store.  

The bread is honey wheat, I think and so soft, fresh, and warm!  The butter is cinnamon butter.  So good! Yum!  This is my ticket to TSFT over at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.

The front of their menu; I was amazed that this restaurant had only been around since 1994.  

This tells you about Yoder.  We usually see buggies on the road in the town or in the parking lot, but we didn't see any this time.

My husband had the smoked sausage, (something they are famous for), and I had the roast turkey.  Then, I was totally bad and got fried sweet potatoes!  Oh, my goodness! 

I loved the old photos on their walls and on their menu.

Then we brought home this cinnamon roll.  I compared it to a pie shell so you could see how big one cinnamon roll was.  We had that for breakfast the next day.

And since I love sunflowers, I had to take photos of their sunflowers displays.

I walked today as it was a gorgeous day of over 60!

I met this doggy named Poppy.  She is a Great Pyrenees.  First one of that breed that I have met on the trail.

And there were hearts on the trail!

I leave you with this card.  This is one I made for our granddaughter and sent in a package with goodies for Valentine's Day.

Have a great week.  Thank you for stopping by.  A special shout out to the T gang!  See you next time.

T for Free Pie

 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

Good afternoon!  It really is Tuesday, and we already went for our 20% off and free pie at Livingstons.  So, here is my photo for my ticket to T Stands for Tuesday, which is held over at Altered Book Lover and hosted by Bleubeard & Elizabeth.  Come join us for TSFT!

Also, here is another mural for Elizabeth.  We sat further back in the diner, and here is one I had never seen.  I didn't go up and touch it, but, I think the frame is painted on the wall.  My husband thought it was a rug.  I was going to find out before we left but forgot.  I took it from a distance and then cropped it, and it is blurry.  Sorry.

I started with two junk mail envelopes, opening them up, gluing them together.  I cut off the top and bottom flaps.

I put them together so they were a full page, then covered the front with a napkin, which might or might not be from our TSFT napkin swap because I did at least one other swap and I put them all together. 

When you open it, then the envelopes made a natural double tuck when glued down the middle.  I decorated by stamping with B Line Designs stamps. (Hemisphere cube)  I decorated the other with a used softener sheet and postage stamps.  That is a pocket, and you will be able to see through the window what you put in the pocket.

I glued the back side into a double tuck, also. This ensemble will be sewn into a journal and tags and journaling cards made to insert in the tucks and pockets.  I will try to remember to show you when it is sewn into a journal and decorated and filled with items.

Thank you all for stopping by, and Happy Tuesday!  

T Stands for Technique

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

I thought I would share a technique I used today.  Our technique challenge on Splitcoaststampers was to watch a tutorial on 5 techniques to use up scraps.  I chose the one to cut up hexagons out of several of your scraps.  Even if your scrap was too little for the whole hexagon, you could use it around the edges.  I was happy with the scraps I found and how well they went together.   I even die cut the Happy Birthday three times and stacked it on here.  That was another technique, to die cut something more than twice and put on the card.  I need to get this in the mail tomorrow, because it is going overseas and is for a late January birthday.  Last time I mailed to this country it got there quicker than my Christmas card to Elizabeth one year; it took three weeks to across town!

I also posted VSBN (Virtual Scrapbook Night) Challenges on Splitcoaststampers this month.  They won't be for just one night though, they will be for all of January.  The challenges are all about the new as in the New Year.  One of the challenges was to scrap something about something new.  I chose to scrap about my new craft items from the swap.  As I showed you the gift last week, I thought you might like to see the scrap layout about the gift.

You might notice that I used the paper that was the wrapping on one of the gifts.  She had wrapped it in 12x12 scrapbook paper.  I used two tags on here that were in a package of tags 75% off at Hobby Lobby before Christmas.  I didn't need tags but for 2.53, they make great embellishments for Christmas themed layouts, and cards or junk journals. There were 60, with 4 of each of 15 designs.

My ticket is on my scrap layout!  Yes, it is time for TSFT party over at Altered Book Lover with Bleubeard & Elizabeth.  I hope you will check it out.  We really have fun every week visiting each other over a beverage. 

I hope you have a great week!  It is starting nice here, as I got in an hour's walk this afternoon.  It is windy, but nice, and sunny. Happy T Day!

 Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

T Stands for Christmas in January

 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Ps. 51:10 KJV 

Yes, it is Christmas again today!  In today's mail I received a gift from my holiday gift swap on Splitcoaststampers.  So many goodies!  Here are some photos of my gift plus my ticket to TSFT!  I will be linking to the tea party over at Altered Book Lover, joining our hostess Elizabeth and the rest of the T gang.

Before I opened anything.  It all came out of a gold padded envelope mailer, which I will soon make a cover out of for a junk journal!  Two packages to open and little plastic envelopes with goodies, and handmade accordion holders for the tea and chocolate.

I really hated messing up the bows on the little gift holders, but wanted to get to the chocolate & Tea!

The gold envelopes, and one of the gifts before unwrapping.

Here is everything, including stamps, dies, papers.  The generous giver knows I like teals and blues.  Look at that beautiful paper and vellums.

She covered a book and put pockets in it and filled them.  And a peek at the gems she sent.

I hope you enjoyed a look at my Christmas in January gift.  I can't wait to craft with all the goodies.  I already ate the chocolate with help of my husband.  Thank you, Kim!  You are so generous and kind.  You have made my day! 

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great T Day and a wonderful week!

T Stands for Reflections from 2022

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Ps. 51:10 KJV 

I am posting this early for TSFT because I wanted to reach 50 posts for 2022!    I tried reading 50 books for 2022, but only read 45, none in December.  I also had a goal of 60 pages scrapped in 2022, but I only finished 53.   I am also, reflecting on a positive in 2022 and that is how I was blessed when  the Lord stirred my spirit to be serving him more and I was burdened to begin a Bible study that the older women in our church, like myself, would be able to attend in the daytime.  Some of us at this age are not comfortable driving at night.  God helped me to do this, and now I am looking forward to starting up again in the Spring.  Again, we are not comfortable driving in or getting out in bad weather. I was really blessed by the great response and encouragement of the ladies.  

 I journaled a weekly page for the end of the year:  We had a wonderful week with our family, and I just thought I would try to journal it.  I am still new at art journaling.  At least when I get around to scrapping the photos, I can look back and see what we did. :)

I plan to link with Elizabeth over at Altered Book Lover for TSFT, so here is my drink reference, a photo at one of our Christmas events at church.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!  Thank you for stopping by and reading my reflections.  See you next time.