First DigiScrapped Page

Thanks to Terrie! I signed up for a trial version of PSE and digiscrapped my very first page in a "no paper" mode! It was quite a learning experience and I know I'll try it again and again.

This page commemorates and saves for posterity our recent wedding anniversary celebration--we had gone to lunch and DD2 snapped this photo in the restaurant's parking lot.

"For better and for worse ..." The words of our vows become more and more meaningful as we awake each morning, realizing the importance of commitment in marriage and the sincerety of married life. Did you know that our English word sincere comes from two Latin words that mean "without wax"? There's something for you to Google! We learned that in our pastor's excellent message this morning as he spoke of the many kinds of love.

God's agape (unconditional love) to you and yours because of what Jesus did for us all on the cross.

My Creative Space

I'm SO thankful for this newly created space for my small business paper crafting projects! I can't thank my DH enough for his help with the new floor & closet organizer.

To see photos larger with captions, just click on the slideshow.

We've been eating a lot of fresh garden produce, cold sandwiches, and salads this summer. But with the recent cooler Fall-like temperatures, it will be nice to keep the crock pot simmering with soups and stews. We thought the "Never trust a skinny cook!" saying was appropriate for our kitchen, as well as a great excuse. Maybe it's time to get the bread maker out again too.

Sweet! Juicy! Yummy!

We'll have to plant more tomatoes next year ... E says "eat 'em up!" The drippy, sticky juice rolls off her chin and down her elbows.

I scored the black cardstock background and gently sanded it to give some vertical lines to the paper. Other papers are Perfect Day (CTMH).

Yesterday I added a Thank-You prayer ending with E's "Amen!" to this page. (Click on the photo to see the added journaling.)

E has just begun to say "Thank You" and "Amen" with us. It warms my heart to hear her say "Jesus" and hug and kiss Him in her books. When she visits us, she always finds the Pieta in our curio cabinet and says, "Hi, Jesus!" I have to get a photo/video of that.

Winnie & Friend

"Let's Get Together" is the name of this cheerful, summery paper (CTMH). It seemed appropriate for the LO showing Ella and her very best plush friend, Winnie the Pooh, during a visit to a nearby animal farm. E is wearing her camo cap, a birthday gift from Auntie B, as she watches the roosters and chickens.

Relaxing

It was relaxing to create this LO showing the gorgeous sky & water on the summer day that DH and I got away to the lake. As we made our way back home after pontooning, we kept the tradition to get an ice cream cone. That always makes my ice cream lover very happy.

I used the soothing CTMH Caprice papers to go with the colors of the scenery.

We're so thankful for snippets of time to relax. Being on the water away from the pc & phones helps us focus on God's beautiful world and all His blessings to us.

Giggles & Grins

This two-page LO was simple, fun, & easy with Giggles & Grins papers & Stickease.

DD Emily captured Ella in her "Tax Deduction" onesie on April 15th.

Since the photo on the right, Ella has ditched Mickey for Pooh Bear as her FAVE plush buddy... and that means a whole new LO soon featuring Winnie and Friend.

Perfect Day Card

"One of a Kind" is the sentiment on the card front. Happy Birthday is inside this Perfect Day new CTMH paper. The colors are so soothing and peaceful! I used one of the Chocolate ribbon rounds, white eyelets, & Liquid Glass for added dimension.

I used Celebration Bouquet stamps with Sunflower, Ocean Blue, and Cranberry inks to random stamp the card inside and the envelope front.

Fantastic Friday

Here's the Whoops-A-Daisy page (CTMH) I finished this evening while watching some of the Olympic events. In May, I had marigolds ready to plant in plastic cups for the toddlers whom I teach in Sunday School. Ella has a great appreciation for flowers, insects, animals, and all of God's creation. At 11 months old in May, she was already so gentle with the flowers, smelling them, smiling, and then sneezing with me. I just had to use these colorful papers to coordinate with her lavender jumper and my green hoodie. W-A-D is one of my favorite paper packets because it's all so cheerful.

Today we watched two bucks in our backyard--one had 4 points, the other had 8. We've been seeing the does and their fawns all summer, but this is the first time in almost a year that the bucks came out of the woods for us to watch them. We were able to stand on our deck and talk to them without them being skittish and running away... DH says the deer are beginning to think that we're in THEIR territory. I've been able to photograph many pix of the does and fawns, but not one of the bucks yet. Hey--I'm not giving up. Maybe you'll see the bucks' pix on this blogspot yet this year. But don't hold your breath.

It was a fantastic Friday--we have so much to be thankful for--especially for the sweet, ripe tomatoes fresh from the garden that are so good in BLTs. We got an inch of rain last night, so maybe the tomatoes will keep a'comin' for a while.

And I'm thankful for the UPS delivery man, who has brought me such fun items to use to scrapbook layouts and make cards. Let's pray the big brown trucks never run out of gas.

Just Because

These are some of the 16 cards I made from the "Just Because" Card Kit today. (Close To My Heart product)

It was such an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon in my relaxing green room! I'm not one to follow cookie cutter patterns closely, so these are variations on the templates provided with the kit.

The tulip and cocoa ink colors, French style stamps (so girly-girly) and papers are reminiscent of the late 50's and early 60's--what a trip on memory lane!

I think the Sparkles embellishments are such fun additions! And the French-speaking members of my family and friends circle will love the "amore" and "merci" word stamps.

So Happy to Be Scrappin' Again!

I can't thank my DH enough for his sacrifice of time, effort, AND of his office space to help me get organized in ONE room, and to give me a scrapping place with daylight. It beats the "dungeon" I had been working in! It's wonderful! After we put up the long white shelf today, I enjoyed making the cover for our granddaughter's "first birthday" album.

It was so nice of CTMH's CEO Jeanette Lynton to design her new card program book, "Originals," to match my new studio! Wow! Love the colors, and what an inspiring book!

Back to page 2 now ... I'm lovin' it. I'm definitely going to need a big red EJECT button on my chair.

Creative Space

Scrappin' Friend N, I'm so glad that a month ago you commented, "What? A closet? That will never do!"

Here's the progress on the creative space my DH has been helping me with...this morning we hung the long white shelf. Now to get the wall art hung...and do what I love to do...create!

Blooms Abound

White blooms on the guacamole hosta

Pink impatiens flowers

A single Rose of Sharon flower

All men (people!) are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25

Of all God's creation, I enjoy His flowers and their beauty (next to people and dogs, of course)! And I like to photograph them, frame the art, and create nature-themed cards for special people.

The wet spring and summer have kept the yard and gardens a lush green with huge blooms to enjoy. Here are a few blooms from our garden this week. I thank God for all His creation--especially the blooms and the birds they attract. (I'm still trying to capture hummingbirds in pix.)

I especially thank Him for the living Word--Jesus--whose love and forgiveness is ours forever.

Wednesday = Progress!

In everything, give thanks! The heat of the day was very conducive to working inside in the A/C=progress in my studio!

Here's DH putting down the cherry oak laminate flooring. This afternoon we installed the white wooden baseboards. I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Another hot, humid day for sure! We have one more black countertop to install along an additional wall. It just could happen tomorrow...it has been fun saving the "before and after" pix to see the progress.

Change is good. I can only imagine how much I'll be able to accomplish when all my work items are in one room!

Between painting and nailing baseboards, I completed layouts using CTMH's Giggles & Grins, Rustic Trails, and Summer Days--all these are getting mailed to Alabama tomorrow to help put an album together for a special young boy whose father was killed recently in Iraq.