Wordless Wednesday

My March Winnings

This month, I was very privileged to win this from Ellie at  One Crafy Mother:

Isn't this gorgeous?? It is called the Tree of Life necklace.

Ellie made this, and she has an Etsy store here. She has some really pretty stuff, and every two weeks she hosts a giveaway on her blog.

Ellie is also a phenomenal writer. I cannot read her posts without feeling and seeing what she is writing about. That is such a gift!

And this from BrendaLea at The Purple Lady's Art and Life

BrendaLea hosted 29 Days of Giving, and this was the giveaway for Day 9. I'm so excited!

I also won a $25.00 Gift Certificate to use at Reading Glasses Corner. I won this from the contest at Nanbon's Corner.

And today I found out that I won this from Sally's Creative Corner:

Yippee!! I'm so excited!! :-)

Sweet Shot Tuesday

If you're new here, I try to link up every Tuesday with Sweet Shot Tuesday. 

 

 It is hosted by Darcy at my3boybarians. 

Here's my shot for this week:

Motivate Me Monday

Well, I am happy to report that I had a wonderful week of Spring Break, and we accomplished so much!! YAY!

So here are my goals for this week:

1. I need to exercise every day.  The weather is warming up, bathing suit season is coming...enough said.

2. I need to work on school stuff--for this year and next.

3. I need to spend more time studying my bible, instead of just reading it.

4. I need to use my time more wisely (i.e., stop procrastinating!!).

I hope you are all setting and achieving goals. I am super excited about what I was able to accomplish this past week (check out my pillow here, my cards here and here, and my necklace here.), and I am hoping this week will be even better.

Until next week...Happy goal-setting!

*smiles*
debbi

My Three-Year Pillow

Okay, Okay! So maybe this pillow didn't take me three years to make, but I have been thinking about it...and I've had the materials *gasp* for three years. Can anyone say procrastinator??

So here is what I did:

This is the fabric I chose. I love the "chunky" feel to it and the neutral color. And the fact that it was on the clearance rack for only $1. 

First, I laid the fabric out and cut around my pillow form. A seamstress I am not...

Then I stitched up three sides, reinforcing the corners by back-stitching.

I turned my pillow right side out and then (insert pillow form here) stitched up the end. Since my "blind stitch" stinks (it is never actually blind), I opted for the slip stitch using some really cool floss-sort-of-stuff (my name for it, lol) that I picked up at the local consignment for $.19.  It is a rich brown color that adds just a little bit of color. (I liked it so much that I actually continued it on the other side of the pillow, lol.)

Next, I cut out three large and three small circles from the same fabric. (Three=one circle for each year.)

I laid them out on my pillow to see what they would look like...

Here's a closeup.

I continued my fabulous slip-stitch around the edges of the large and small circles. See how nice the brown thready stuff works? 

And here's the finished project!  I. love. it. (Might I add that my ds's response was "WOAH!" *smiles*)

But there's a problem...

I can't decide if it should go here...

 

Or maybe here...

Or what about here?  

It will probably take me three years to decide....

 

An Easter Card

Okay, another quick post...last one today, I promise. :-)\

Here's an Easter card that I started a while ago, and finally finished tonight. I might even get it in the mail in time for Easter wishes. :-)

I used So Saffron (Stampin'Up!) CS, ribbon, DP and ink. The image is masked and inked using So Saffron, Only Orange and Rose Red. The sentiment is stamped in brown ink.

Since I used the glossy paper, the sunrise was a little difficult to capture on film.

The cross is a charm. The brads are really just punched pieces of Rose Red paper coated with Crystal Effects.

I hope you have a Blessed Easter!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Paper Play Challenges -- Easter
Stampin for the Weekend -- Easter
Fussy and Fancy Challenge -- Easter
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge -- Easter

A birthday card

Just a quick post...wanted to show you the birthday card I worked up for my sister-in-law's birthday. I got to play with some of my new Stampin'Up! stuff--too fun!

I embossed the white card using Swirls embossing folder. I used the label punch from SU! for the tag, and the Top Note punch for the blue (SU! dp). The flower is a rub-on from JoAnn's. I added some sparkles on the tag and used my Pearl Stickles in the corner.

Here's a closeup of the tag:

I'm entering this in the following challenge:

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Another birthday

Another Giveaway!

Okay, I really have not been surfing the web all day looking for giveaways...HONEST!  (Actually, I have been working on homeschool curriculum for next year, and I've found what I have been looking for!!!YAY!! Double YAY!!)

But, somewhere along the way, I came across this giveaway...and it was also too good not to share! :-)  

You'll thank me if ya' win, you know you will. 


H-Mama over at Family Team is giving away a choice of four different Spring related items. I can't decide, but my choice is narrowed down to one of these two:

Decisions...decisions...

H-Mama is offering two other choices, which you can check out here. 

Well, what are you waiting for? Go check it out!!

Pamela's Week-Long Giveaways

I just had to share about this awesome giveaway from Pamela's World of Scrap.

She is giving away this today:

Okay, OKAY, I KNOW I have a lot of designer paper already, but one can never have TOO much, right??
I mean really!

And this is not just any dp...this is "over 200 sheets of patterned paper from Rusty Pickle"! WOO-HOOO!!

So, if you like card making or scrapbooking, and/or (like me) you are just a DP ADDICT, go over and check out Pamela's blog.

Check out the other giveaways, too. This is day 4, and I can't wait to see what she's giving away tomorrow....

Thank You Thursday

Time for Thank You Thursday! If you are new to my blog, check out the details at Our Imperfect Life and join in!

Thank You, God for the sweet birds that are singing outside the window and for the sunshine! They are a much needed reminder that Your "mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness"!!

Thank You to Ellie at One Crafty Mother for the beautiful necklace she gave away...and sent to me. YAY!

Thank You to my blog friend Emily at Too Blessed to Stress. Your posts give me great ideas, inspire my creativity, and most of all, make me laugh! :-D Thanks, too, for featuring me this week...what an honor!

Thank You to the dust bunnies, and the laundry heaps, and the dish piles, and the dirt monsters (I could go on) for always being there. I can always count on you to keep me busy, to make me feel needed, to be a constant reminder of responsibility and example to my children. You are, also (and more importantly!), a reminder of the wonderful blessings I have been given...the authors of the dust bunnies...and laundry heaps...and dish piles...and the dirt monsters. I am SO blessed to have such a wonderful (and active!) family.

Thank You to our Founding Fathers. You gave everything to achieve the freedom that we have enjoyed for so long in our great America. Thank You for making the ultimate sacrifice to allow us freedom of religion and to establish a Democracy. You are true American Heroes.

Thank You to our wonderful Congress and President for forgetting our Founding Fathers, for taking all that America stands for and flushing it down the toilet. Please remember that you are elected BY the people, and FOR the people. Thank you, too, for forgetting the lessons we have learned in history. It is always beneficial, I'm sure, to repeat past mistakes, right?


Thank You to the Americans that still fight for freedom...our Armed Forces, the few leaders that take a stand and still speak for the public, and those citizens who still speak up to defend things like Right to Life, Freedom of Religion, and other things that so many of us take for granted.

Thank You, God, that we can rest in the knowledge that You are still in control, that our economy and our politicians are not a surprise to You, and that You can bring good out of even this seemingly impossible situation. YOU are amazing!

Wordless Wednesday...on Thursday (OOPS!)

My Necklace Made From Paper

Do you ever get one of those ideas...you know, the ones you just have to try?

Typically, I get one of those ideas about once a week, but they usually end up with a lot of wasted time and materials and something I'm not happy with, lol. But, for once, my idea actually turned out! YAY!

Here's how I did it:

 

First, I cut a circle out of DP using my 1-3/8" punch.

   

Next, I glued the circle unto a metal tag (Creative Impressions).

Then I covered the entire tag with Versamark Ink.

   

I covered the Versamarked circle with Clear Deep Impression (Stampendous) embossing powder. (Hint: I do this over a coffee filter. Nothing sticks to it, which makes it a breeze to pour the extra embossing powder back into the bottle. This works for glitter, too!)

 

And heat embossed it several times (recoating it each time), letting it dry and cool between coatings.

 

Notice the heat sheet (Stampendous)? I bought this after I burnt a black spot on our rug (yep, I did!)

A word of warning: Let it sit for a few minutes before you try picking it up. This allows the coating to dry and keeps you from burning your fingers!

And here's the finished product!

 

I added a pretty bead from my stash. I love it! It looks great with a white t-shirt and jeans.

And here's the one my dd made today. She came up with the flower punch idea--great ha?

We added a rinestone to the center. After all, every girl needs a little bling, right?

I have a feeling we are going to be making a few more of these before we're done...

*smiles*
debbi

Sweet Shot Tuesday

Today is Sweet Shot Day over at Life With My 3 Boybarians.  

 

I decided to post some funny pics I took at a fun day the local college hosted. My dh works there, and we took the kids over for a while. It was a lot of fun, and the pics make me smile. I hope they make you smile, too!

 

   

 

Here's my dd and dh enjoying the slide. :-D

*smiles*

debbi

Motivate Me Monday-A little late--sorry!

Well, this week is our Spring Break, and my dh is home!! YAY!!

We have been busy just being together, which is SO wonderful. So, that is my goal for this week....to spend quality time as a family. I'm so excited!!

I am hoping to accomplish a few other things this week, (provided it won't take time away from dh). 

I am really wanting to post about several things--our Japan celebration, some cards I've made recently, and this really cool necklace I made...from paper!

Here's a pic of the necklace...

I also would really like to make a pillow for our livingroom couch. I know exactly how I want to make it and I have all the materials, but I just need the time. :-)

I hope you all reached your goals for this past week.

Happy planning...and Happy Spring!

*smiles*
debbi

Thank You Thursday

Another week has gone by...SO fast...and it's already time for another Thank You Thursday. This is hosted each week by Our Imperfect Life.

Thank You, God, for the be-yoo-ti-ful weather you gave us this week! I have loved every minute of the Spring-Teaser, and I promise not to complain (too much) when it snows this weekend.

Thank You to Lisa Swifka, the creator of One World One Heart.  If it wasn't for her, I would not have begun seriously blogging, and I LOVE BLOGGING! It has changed my life by rekindling the creative side of me that has been buried for far too long!

Thank You to my wonderful dh for doing such wonderful things...like cleaning out the silverware drawer and ironing his own dress shirts (I hate ironing!). You are too wonderful (but don't stop!)!

Thank You to my Homeschool Mom friends, Linda and Carmen. You are such an inspiration to me! You give advise and help me along my homeschooling way just by being who you are.

Thank You to the Bookworm for the wonderful package of goodies that she sent to us all the way from Japan. My children and I had a wonderful week studying and celebrating Japan (will post about that soon). It was all so much fun, and your blog candy started it all!

Thank You to Stampin'Up! (no, really!) for making such great stuff that is so fun to play with. However, I do wish you included a housecleaner with each order...(I need more time to play!)

Thank YOU for reading my blog! And a special thanks to all of you who are kind enough to leave a comment or crazy, er, wonderful enough to actually follow my blog!

Have a thankful week!
*smiles*
debbi

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet Shot Day

Today is the first Sweet Shot Day sponsored by Life With My 3 Boybarians.  The objective is to post your best picture from this week.

Since all of my pics this week have been of cards, lol, I am posting an "oldie but goodie."  Hope you like it!

These were pictures I took of our rose bushes out front. They were full of gorgeous roses, and I just had to take some pics.

I just love flowers, don't you?