Kami's Paper Trail

20 Things I Love About Him

2012-02-14T22:23:00.007-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

and

Thanks for stopping by...

So, it's LOVER'S DAY all around the country and I wonder if you've told that special someone that you love them? You know we shouldn't wait until a designated day to show our affection and to say "I appreciate you", but I just love Valentine's Day. I love the cards and flowers and date night and of course....THE CHOCOLATE!

Isayah and I enjoyed a fantastic lunch at a little Indian restaurant called Passport to India, here in Charlotte, while the boys were in school. The food was absolutely delish and the price was awesome too. My favorite parts of the lunch were the okra, tomato and onion stew, the Naan and the Masala Tea. I'm going to try and make that tea at home. It was too good to only have once!

I wanted to remind my loving, sweet husband how much I love him so I made a mini-scrapbook for him called "20 Things I Love About You". It took some doing to surprise him, because he is quite the nosey one. But when I finally revealed it, he said it was THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY card he every received!! Wow! That says a lot (even though, technically, it's not a card...it's a mini-scrapbook...but that's a guy for ya...)

I wanted to share my mini scrapbook that I made for my DH. This is going to be a bit photo heavy so bear with me. I just think it turned out super cute.

I made this mini-book from cardboard cereal boxes...can you believe?? I'm being all "recycl-ish"

It wasn't hard coming up with 20 things...I love sooo many things about my husband and I thank God for allowing me to be a part of his life.

One of the things I really adore about Isayah is the fact that he is so romantic and so funny. I am a relatively serious person. He really balances me out and helps me not take life so seriously all the time.

I found these cute little kissy lips at Big Lots, of all places. I couldn't wait to use them on this scrapbook. Mmwah!

I think one of the things that really got my husband's attention about this mini-book was the fact that I used so many random pictures of him. I really don't like lots of posed pics. I like actions shots of our life...unscripted. The pic above on the right is of my DH working on the family mini-van. He really can fix just about ANYTHING.

I was able to complete this mini-book, just using my stash. I'll admit, I have quite a large stash, but I didn't go out to the scrapbook shop AT ALL to complete this book. I think that might be a record for me. I feel kinda proud of myself for that. (hold the applause)

I found this green speech bubble paper in one of my many paper packs. I was able to write all the things I wanted to remind him of like "I've got his back" and "You've got my support". Sometimes hubbies just need to be reminded.

Oh, I should probably tell you where I got the idea for this mini-book. It came from Heidi Swapp's website. I love how she included the pop-up type heart pages inside. It gave me lots of room to documents all the ways I love my man.

I love this "sealed with a kiss" envelope embellishment....so cute!

Overall, I thought this mini-book was a great way to show my everlasting love for the most important man in my life. He is so amazing and I didn't want another day to go by without me telling him so. Don't forget to tell that special someone in your life, how much they mean to you. It doesn't matter if it's Valentine's Day or not. Just say the words they want to hear. You'll both feel better.

See you next time...

Finish Line Scrapbooking Rocks!

2011-12-26T12:24:00.012-05:00

Happy Monday and Thanks for Stopping By!

I received Finish Line Scrapbooking as a gift from Big Picture Classes, about a week ago and I have to be honest, I wasn't too excited about it when I first thought about taking yet another scrapbooking class. I pictured more stuff I'll be encouraged to rush out and get! That was just not my cup of tea, right now. But boy was I WRONG!

Finish Line Scrapbooking was so amazing; easy, simple and fun! All I had to do was shop my very own scrap stash and get to the finish line. This class is taught by Stacy Julian over at Big Picture Classes and it is now my favorite way to create a 6x6 or 8x8 scrapbook. She teaches 4-5 simple steps to get to the finish line of scrapbooking your family memories. I encourage you to take this class and put the FUN back into scrapbooking, without the pressure of trying to keep up with trends and fads.

I felt so CREATIVE putting this scrapbook together. I actually finished it in about 2 hours.

If you feel overwhelmed in your journey to scrapbook your family memories give Finish Line Scrapbooking a try. I think you'll like it!

Project Life!

2011-05-12T13:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday and Thanks for stopping by!

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog but I've been creating. I wanted to share some of my recent layouts with you. I have been using my Project Life Kit and LOVING every minute of it. It has made my scrapbooking time so much easier and so much FUN!!! Hope you like...

My mother's day was spectacular! It started with breakfast in bed. I got lots of lovely gifts; shoes, perfume, balloons and cards. I got my Mother's Day praise on in church (halleluyer! LOL) and my DH took me out for a romantic dinner just for two at the end of day..Perfect! Hope your Mother's Day was as beautiful as you are!

We had never been to Savannah Georgia or Tybee Island and let me tell you it was fantastic. They planned perfect weather for us for Spring Break. About 85-87 degrees every day.

I scraplifted the layout below from my "May with May" class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I love the simplicity of this layout and the fact that I was able to use almost all 4x6 photos. Not much cropping.

I'm a history buff and I used the same basic layout for my pages on the African American heritage tour we took while in Savannah. This tour guide was very knowledgable and a fantastic storyteller. Absolutely worth the time and money if you're ever in Savannah!

Well, thanks for looking...See you next time!!

Metamorphosis

2011-03-26T21:39:00.003-04:00

Hey ya'll!

Let me update you on what's been going on with my weight loss. Today I weighed in at 177.6!! Woo-hoo! I'm down another pound! I only have 3 more pounds to go to meet my ScrapNFit challenge goal of losin 25 pounds in 90 days. I'm so close I can smell it!

I have been a bit lethargic in my exercise, lately so I decided to ramp up my workout with something I saw on an informercial while I was on a business trip in Wilson, N.C. It's called Metamorphosis by Tracy Anderson. I started it today and let me tell you, it is NO JOKE! In this plan you are supposed to do 30 minutes of Dance Cardio and 30 minutes of strength training/floor work. Okay, I confess, I couldn't get through the whole work out, but I'm definitely proud of what I was able to accomplish. I completed 20 minutes of Dance Cardio and 20 minutes of the strength training and floor work. Woo-wee, I was seriously sweating by the time I finished this workout, but....I can't wait to do it again tomorrow!

With this work out I am focused on how each excercise is going to help reshape my body and help me git rid of these thunder thighs!

The most AWESOME thing about this workout DVD is that the workout are customized for your problem areas:
Here are the options:
Abcentric - for those with problems in the stomach area
Hipcentric - for those like me who want to slim down the hips and thighs
Glutecentric - for those with a little bit more junk in the trunk than they would like
Omnicentric - for those who need a little help all over.

I thought this was absolutely ingenius! A workout that actually targets that areas that you want to get in shape! So I've just started today, but I'll keep you posted on how things are going.

Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast - Oats and Strawberry cereal
Lunch - Chobani Blueberry Greek Yogurt and an Gala apple
Dinner - Qdoba Salad with grilled chicken, corn and black bean salsa, a little queso and pico de gallo

Beverages - Water and a Diet Coke

See you next time!

Live Long and Live Strong!

Nine Pictures of Purpose

2011-03-17T08:22:00.004-04:00

Happy Thursday and thanks for stopping by...

So by now you know that I am on a One Little Word journey with Ali Edwards and I am enjoying the experience. I have been far more focused and determined the last few months to walk in my purpose and complete a very large assignment that I believe will be life changing for me and my family. I'm so excited about the possibilities!

I want to share my photographic images that represent my life's purpose:

I want to tell you why I chose these pics to represent PURPOSE in my life. I'll go from left to right starting on the top row.

Reach: I want to reach for my highest potential in life; strive for excellence in every area. This photo also reminds me of God. Without God's help I won't be able to fulfill my PURPOSE.
Give: It is my PURPOSE to be a giver; give my time, talents, energy, creativity and love everywhere I go.
Stability. That's something I've been lacking for quite some time. I start tasks and then let them go. Get totally geeked about something for a short season and then lose interest; never really completing long term assignments. I am leaving that in my past and walking in stability. Be Stable just like these pillars; serving as the support beams.
Write, etc.....to me the photo of me writing says so much. This represents for me all of my create expressions; completing the play, planning for events and performances and just telling my story and the stories of my culture with authenticity and joy. Write!
Create. As long as I live I want to be just like my Father; creative. He's such a great painter and sculptor. If you need proof just look at a sunset or the human body. Wow! It doesn't get any better than that!
Observe: Okay, the picture of the plant has a very unusual back story. We had to take our seven year old to the emergency room one Saturday morning. I took my camera, of course, and while we were sitting in the waiting room I started looking around. I began to notice how beautiful the designers had decided to make the waiting area. A place that would normally evoke drab, dreary feelings looked absolutely lovely and calming. So that's my purpose; to find beauty in unusual places. Whether that's in people who others have given up on, schools that the community has deemed a lost cause, or in physical locations where no one else dares to tread. My PURPOSE is to see each situation the God sees it; and Observe the beauty in it.
Supportive: I'm going to be totally transparent here. I have not always been the model wife. I don't always support my husband the way he would like or in the way that I know I should. Sometimes it is very hard for me; being raised by a divorced, single mom. I have always been very independent and I guess I expect my husband to be the same, but the truth of the matter is that I was designed to support him and lift him up so that he can reach his full potential. I know I am his help from the sanctuary of God. I just need to remember that when I am going throughout my days. I really love him and he needs to know it, see it and feel it...more.
Forward. I've been stagnant for a while, or working on things that don't really have anything to with my ultimate PURPOSE. Wasting time. So I am determined to move forward. Each task that I take on needs to get me closer to my PURPOSE ...period.
Love: My husband and I have two awesome sons. They are both very different and require different types of parenting skills and strategies. I know that we were given these children for a very specific PURPOSE and I want to LOVE them just the way they need to be loved so that they too can walk in their life's PURPOSE.

I'm telling you, this One Little Word project has become quite spiritual and introspective for me. This is a year long project, so I hope you'll decide to join us. One Little Word can change you year.

Thanks for looking. Peace & Blessing to you.

See you next time!

Happy March!

2011-03-10T16:04:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday and Thanks for stopping by...

Wow! It's been a long time since I posted on my blog. I want to catch you up on what I've been doing with my One Little Word project and something new that I'm working on too...Project Life!! This scrapbooking system is so amazing! You should look it up on line and get one too. If you like to scrap, you'll love it!

Here's my March prompt. This prompt has helped me do one little thing toward completing my play. Just one little action every day can create a ripple effect in your life! I have experience joyous bursts of creativity and I'm really living and walking in my PURPOSE more and more each day.

Thanks for stopping by...Peace & Blessings to you.

One Little Word - Purpose

2011-02-21T00:39:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Totally by accident, I ran across this year long scrapbook project called One Little Word hosted by Ali Edwards, while visiting someone else's blog. It sounded like such a fantastic idea, I decided to embark on this journey of focusing on just one little word for an entire year and discover what this word has to teach me or bring to my life in 2011.

My word for 2011 is purpose.

Here is my cover page and my cover photo.

Part of the January Prompt was to find a quote that includes my one little word, definitions, synonyms and what I invite into my life this year while I am exploring this word in my world. I really love this project. I would encourage everybody to join in. It's a year long experience. You can join at any time this year.

Each month we will be given a simple prompt to follow and some ideas and inspiration to help us become more connected with the word that we chose. I'll share more with you soon.

Thanks for stopping by...Peace & Blessings to you.

Confessions of a Colored Girl...Part 2

2011-01-10T09:56:00.005-05:00

My Love Is Too...Music

I'm continuing my series Confessions of a Colored Girl based on the 1975 Choreopoem/Play by Ntozake Shange recently brought to the big screen by Tyler Perry. This theatrical piece explores the complexities of relationships, discovering self worth and courage to face life and it's many challenges. I must confess I enjoyed the live theater versions I've seen far more than the movie, but I give Tyler "props" and kudos for bringing this work to a wider audience. I was actually shocked to find out so many African American women had never even heard of the play, actually thinking this was a brand new work. So I'm glad more people had a chance to experience his version of things.

The music in my world...

My husband has an amazing testimony and he shares it in his Christian Rap music ministry. There is always uplifting, upbeat or atmosphere changing worship music going on in our home. We love all genres of music from Raggae to Rap, Jazz, R&B and Pop. You can find all of these genres in the Christian music industry. My son's are very musical too. (wonder where they got it from???) I'll tell you about them later. For now, I want to celebrate the man I love; the man with the Holy Spirit and music running through his veins.

The digital stamp image is from Michelle Perkett Studio. I think it's called Val and Vinnie Valentine. Aren't they the cutest? I colored them with Copic and drew the music notes myself. Now that took some doin'. LOL

Thanks for stopping by! See you next time...

Confessions of a Colored Girl...Part 1

2011-01-07T15:09:00.007-05:00

My Love is Too......Sanctified

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf is one of my favorite plays. Well, actually it's a choreopoem; a totally new genre created by Ntozake Shange herself. I had the honor of performing in a production of "Colored Girls" in college at North Carolina Central University in 1991 as the Lady in Orange. Later in 1996 I produced a performance of Colored Girls with a good friend Shelby at the Afro American Cultural Center to a sold out house every night.

This piece is so powerful and raw and in your face; even though it was written more than 30 years ago young women (and men) can still relate to the women who are known in the play only by their names. Except for Crystal. Who can forget Crystal and Bo Willie Brown??

I was proud of Tyler Perry's effort to bring For Colored Girls into the new millenium and onto the big screen. Because Tyler is most widely known for his comedy I was afraid that he would turn my favorite play into some sort of comedic farce but he definitely did not. He selected an incredible cast of amazing women and I went to see it the day it came out.

So, having said all that; I have been thinking about creating a series called "My Love is Too..." (some of the most memorable lines from the choreopoem) where I explain in my own way what my love is "too" of. This is part one in that series. I'm just doing reflection and introspection. Yeah, a colored girl let's you inside her head and heart for a moment..

photography by Jasiatic

When I think about SANCTIFIED love I think about how I struggled to accept God's love for me. I spent so many years not recognizing how much God truly loves me and the fact that He wants to give me such great blessings and healing and peace, and joy. I thought I could create it on my own. And He I was created, before I ever had one disappointment or struggle or failure or experienced on hurt; God had already placed IN me the tools and gifts I needed to make it through each situation. When I took hold of this I was liberated and cleansed; SANCTIFIED.

Happy New Year Resolutions

2011-01-01T19:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Saturday and thanks for stopping by...

I cannot believe 2010 is gone!!! Wow! That was FAST! So on to 2011; bigger and better and stronger and (hopefully) wiser and sweeter and all the other "ers" I could add. Hope your new year's eve was happy and blessed and hope your first 2011 kiss was sweet....

So here's my first card creation for 2011. She was a little freebie from the Greeting Farm blog and I think she is just perfect. She's festive, joyful and cute; all the things you want to be as a new year begins. I added the hourglass and balloons.I used my cricut to create the large scalloped circle and in the spirit of "using stash"; I pulled out some old numbers from one of my scrap drawers and added them for the count down. Crystal lacquer made the hourglass pop and look so real I could almost see the sand descending. You may not be able to tell from this picture but I added some Star Dust Stickles to her headband, beauty queen sash and her starry earrings. She is colored with Copic Sketch markers.

As I spent some time reflecting today; the last day of the Kwanzaa celebration; Imani (Faith), I began to think about all those things I left undone in 2010 and the things I need to do (some immediately) in 2011.

Sorry to say I may not be crafting as often as I would like because I have some projects that I have put on the back burner that really require my attention. However, I will create as often as time permits because crafting is my little piece of quiet "me time" that invigorates me and calms my mind from some of the hectic-ness that occurs from day to day. So in addition to getting some things done, here are a few of my other new year's resolutions.

Pray and read my Bible more
Spend more time with my side of the family. I spend a lot of time with my husband's family, but I really need to spend more time with my mom and dad's family.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse for my upcoming "one-woman" show.
Lose 40 lbs before my 40th birthday(July13th). I'm a little nervous about turning 40. I almost feel like I am officially old when I hit 40. But I know and know "of" many beautiful, strong, creative and happy women who are 40 and beyond (Jada Pinkett Smith, J Lo, my friends Alicia and Candace, Halle Berry...I could go on) So I need to get over my fear and embrace this new chapter with grace, creativity, courage, wisdom and some POW. I am only old if I feel and act old.
Adjacent to losing 40lbs is getting off of these blood pressure pills. I hate taking medicine and I believe if I lose the weight I can come off of the little buggers.
I am going to get the African Ancestry test done, so I can find out what African country my family comes from. This is so important to me. Most people can trace their heritage back for many generations. This is quite difficult for most African Americans. I just believe that knowing more about my ancestors may unlock some doors and connect me to something so ancient and significant....I can't wait. I'm definitely going to blog about that.

I guess that's it for now....Whew...That's alot. LOL

Happy 2011!!!!

Thanks for stopping by....See you next time!

Habari Gani......Ujamaa!

2010-12-29T13:23:00.016-05:00

Happy Wednesday and Thanks for stopping by...

Today is the fourth day of Kwanzaa, Ujamaa (000-jah-mah'). Ujamaa is Swahili for Cooperative Economics; "to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together". In this economic climate it has never been more important to support the little "Mom & Pop" stores in our own neighborhoods. The dress shops, natural food stores, hardware stores, restaurants, and yes SCRAPBOOK STORES!

Did you know that African Americans make up about 13.4 percent of the American population yet we only own about 5 percent of American businesses? Now something is wrong with this picture, especially since we spend so much of our money on the clothes, shoes and entertainment that make other people filthy RICH!!.....Okay, I'm not going to preach but we really need to consider starting our own businesses and teaching our children to do the same...I'm just saying...

I started running my storytelling & drama programs as a business about four years ago and I am constantly talking to my sons about what types of businesses they might consider operating, some day. I show them examples of kids who are running businesses and actually making some serious money too!

Anywho, in honor of the Kwanzaa celebration I wanted to share a craft that I created for the Scraps of Color E:spire Great Kwanzaa Giveaway. So here goes.....

This was so much fun to make! I used a bunch of leftovers from my Christmas cards and some free clipart I found online, my copics and my embossing tool to create this Kwanzaa Tag Book. there are seven pockets; one for each day of Kwanzaa. Here are some close up shots.

I used many African and Kwanzaa symbols in this craft.

The Lion represents wisdom and strength in most traditional African stories.
The Kinara is the candle holder for the Mishuma Saba (seven candles)
The Kikumbe Cha Umoja is the Unity cup. During the Kwanzaa celebration, in your home each family member should take a sip of juice or water from the cup (from oldest to youngest) symbolizing unity.
The Djembe drum is a symbol of freedom and the original cell phone (haha) for communication in the village.
The dashiki represents African clothing and custom.
Finally, the bandera is the African American flag displaying the colors black (the people), red (sacrifice), and green (the land or success)

And here are the tags. I used my Rubbernecker stamps for these little cuties. Each tag has the Swahili principle and the meaning. I think I might make a few more of these Tag Books for some of my friends who also celebrate Kwanzaa....

Thanks for stopping by! See you next time...

Habari Gani?......Umoja!

2010-12-26T19:31:00.009-05:00

Happy Sunday and Thanks for stopping by...

One of my favorite sites Scraps of Color E:spire is having a Seven days of Kwanzaa GREAT KWANZAA GIVE AWAY! If you want to win some cool crafting papers, embellishments or stamps just visit the Scraps of color E:spire site and follow the instructions. The contest runs for seven days, so don't miss out. You never know, you could be a big Kwanzaa WINNER!

In addition to celebrating Christmas, our family celebrates the African American holiday, Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a seven day celebration that does not focus on any one religion or any one hero, but on our culture and community as a whole. Kwanzaa is centered around seven principles that we can live by to make our families, communities and selves stronger and better. The seven principles are given to us in Swahili; Umoja (ooo-moe'-jah) "Unity" is the first principle. Umoja means "to strive for unity in our family, community, nation and race". Unity is truly the first step in making any lasting changes.

When we greet each other during the seven days of Kwanzaa we say "Habari gani"? (hah-bar-ee-gahn-nee) which means "What's the news"? or "What's going on"? We respond by saying the principle for that day. Since today is day one we would respond by saying......you guessed it....UMOJA!

My family has been celebrating Kwanzaa for over 12 years. For several years my husband and I hosted a Kuumba (Creativity) Cultural Arts Camp for children. The camp would run for two weeks, during the Christmas break. We taught the seven principles through dance, dance, music and visual arts crafts. Each year the children from our camp were invited to present what they learned at the city-wide Kwanzaa celebration. It was such an honor to work with such beautiful, intelligent young people. My husband and I didn't really do anything for the program except show up. The young people did everything. They set the Kwanzaa table, lit the candles, danced, sang all the songs, and performed the short plays. It was amazing! Some of our former campers are grown-ups now, with their own families; celebrating Kwanzaa in their own way.

We didn't get to go to the Kwanzaa celebration tonight because the weather is quite snowy and frosty here in Charlotte. But we still lit our first candle at home and talked about ways we could work together with more unity in our family and the community....good stuff!

I'll be making some Kwanzaa crafts with my boys, this week. I'll share them soon!

Thanks for stopping by!
See you next time...

Christmas Fairy Holly is Ready for Christmas!

2010-12-21T08:08:00.013-05:00

Happy Tuesday and thanks for stopping by...

Christmas is so close, I can taste it! My son's are sooo excited and today is the last day of school before the Christmas break so now it's on to baking and more decorating with them. We have to have our Christmas cookies. YUM!

I'm going to enter a few more challenges before Christmas. Here's my entry for Mo's Digital Pencil Design Team Fantasies and Fairies Challenge. Hope you like it...

She is colored with Copic Sketch and I'm still using my Ellen Snowflake Christmas Paper Pad. I used just a touch or two of Crystal lacquer for her snow globe and used a very simple card sketch. It was so simple, in fact, that I made four cards before 10 A.M. !! Wow! Now that's easy peasy.

I'm also entering this card into a few more challenges: Fab 'N Funky Quick and Easy Does It, Friday Sketchers Challenge #133, Stamping for the Weekend "Christmas" Challenge and
Cute Card Thursday "One for the Kids" Challenge

I hope your holidays are blessed and beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by...See you next time!

Michelle Perkett "Holiday Magic" Blog Hop

2010-12-17T21:01:00.014-05:00

Happy Weekend and Thanks for stopping by...

Welcome to the Michelle Perkett Studio Holiday Magic Blog Hop! The blog hop is Saturday and Sunday. If you just happened to visit my page and don't know about the MPS blog hop, you're in for a treat! Michelle has so many fabulous images to choose from. They're so much fun to color and make the most amazing cards. Stop by her blog page and to see the creations from her design team and fans like me! You can find her digital images in her Etsy shop.

Here's my latest creation with the lovely Christmas Blessing Angel.

I'm entering this little card in the "Have a Merry Little Christmas" Challenge this week. She is colored with Copic Sketch (of course) and I used lots of Stickles (Christmas Red, Green and Frosted Lace) to add some shimmer. You know an angel has to have her sparkle. I used my trusty Creative Memories circle cutter and Recollections paper flowers; also colored with Copics. The ornaments are from Stampendous and they are covered in Stickles as well. It's the holidays. Why not??? Finally, I have really been enjoying my Ellen Snowflake Christmas Paper Pad, this season. That's where this mixture of paper comes from. This card makes me feel very festive! Pass the eggnog!

Your next stop on the Michelle Perkett Studio "Holiday Magic" Blog Hop is ....

Rhonda

so hop on over and check our her fabulous creation!

Thanks for stopping by! See you next time...

On the Second Day of Christmas

2010-12-14T19:32:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday and thanks for stopping by...

For twelve days I am revealing the hidden messages for Christians in the song "The Twelve day of Christmas. We're on day two.

{Card image from Mo's Digital Pencil Too "Dani with Gifts"- colored with Copic Sketch markers}

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

{Two Turtle Doves}

What's the hidden meaning?
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

Hope your holiday season is blessed and beautiful...

See you next time!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2010-12-13T08:35:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday and thanks for stopping by...

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...." You've heard the song, maybe you've tried to remember all the words; searching the corners of your mind with a flashlight. Well I was surprised to find, a few years ago, that there is some hidden meaning to this little nonsense ditty (or so they say). And technically, the FIRST day of Christmas is December 25 and the twelfth night is January5th, but I'm not going to stretch my holiday out that far, so I thought I'd share the hidden meaning of the song that teaches the basic principles of the Christian faith, with you on the twelve days leading up to Christmas and of course a Christmas card for each day. So here we go.....

"On the first Day of Christmas my true love gave to me....."

{A Partridge in a Pear Tree}
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

Card image from "A Day for Daisies". Colored with Copic Sketch.

Thanks for stopping by. See you next time!!

Once Upon A Time

2010-12-10T09:27:00.007-05:00

Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by...

I want to tell you a story and this is no fairy tale. Once Upon a time in a land not so far away a man and a woman met. The woman was a mess and had been hurt many times. She was afraid to give her heart to anyone ever again. The man was a true prince, but not yet a king. Despite the fact that they were quite different they became great friends. They laughed and spent hours on the phone sharing secrets and even more hours walking by the lake and singing love songs to each other under the moonlight.

When the storms began to rise up they learned to love each other through good times and bad. Learning to forgive each other's shortcoming was a challenge but they learned to do that too. One day the prince asked the woman, "have you ever been in love"? The woman thought about it for a moment, remembering all the times she thought she had experienced real love only to find she had been deceived, hoodwinked, tricked and she replied "No. I don't think I ever have". The prince gently replied, "If I had time, I would take you there". In time they became husband and wife and God blessed them with two handsome and intelligent sons, who are on their way to becoming princes themselves. And they are living happily ever after...

This is my challenge entry to the Michelle Perkett Studio Once Upon A Time challenge. Hope you like it. The digital stamp image is called Soulmates and I just love them. I didn't color them to look exactly like my husband and I but the passion is a perfect match...

Colored with copics...

Have a creative Friday!
See you next time!

Christmas Is On Its Way

2010-12-08T20:10:00.005-05:00

Happy Wednesday
and thanks for stopping by...

Brrrrr! Hope you're staying warm, wherever you are! I was off work today so I spent the morning doing the breakfast dishes, some laundry, general straightening up to prepare to put up our Christmas tree. Tee hee! I'm so excited about that! This is truly the "MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!" After all my chores were done I rewarded myself by creating a card for a few challenges, with an image from one of my favorite stamp designers...(drum roll please!)...hahaha...here she is...

This is Snowbunnybella by, you guessed it, Stamping Bella. She is colored with Copics (E35, E13, R29, R27, C1). The sentiment comes from Inkadinkadoo's Warm Holiday Wishes clear stamp set. The DP snowflake paper is by Anna Griffin. The Christmas tree paper is from my favorite Christmas paper pad, this year; the Ellen Snowflake Christmas Paper Pad. I used silver and Christmas red Stickles to add a little bling and the Christmas PRESENTS are from The Paper Studio.

I entering this card into four challenges this week:

Bellarrific Friday
Stamping for the Weekend
Friday Sketches
and
Stamp Something

Hope you like it....Thanks for stopping by! See you next time...

Oh Baby!

2010-12-06T19:53:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday
and thanks for stopping by...

I interrupt your regularly scheduled Christmas-ness for this very important announcement...Babies are coming! Babies are coming! So, on Thursday night, after dinner, my husband says to me "Do you have any baby shower cards"? THREE ladies that he works with are having little ones very soon. My husband works in a school, so this is not too surprising. After his question began to sink in, I kicked myself because I always intend to make some "various occasions" cards just to have on hand, but I keep putting it off. And because I put it off "various occasions" come up and I HAVE NO CARD READY!!

I rolled up my sleeves and began the mad dash to make three quick and beautiful, baby shower cards. You know, coloring, cutting, pasting, die cutting, cuttlebugging, more pasting...Until....

My scanner was casting a great deal of shadows late that night, oh around 1 A.M. when I finished, but I thought I'd just share my gift to the moms-to-be at the middle school. Even though it's nearly winter I stayed with the pastel "baby" color scheme. Maybe one day I'll step out of that pink and blue box, but it's just so stinkin' cute...LOL

Card recipe:
(This really is difficult because all of this stuff came from my stash)
Image from Stamping Bella (Pregabella I think)
Recollections Craftable Paper flower colored with copics
Sentiment created on MS Word Art (something I just recently learned...wooo hoo!)

Hope you like it.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled Christmas Festivities!
But don't forget....babies ARE coming!!!

Mo's Swirls & Flourishes Challenge

2010-11-30T22:52:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday
and Thanks for stopping by!

Here's my entry to the Mo's Challenge Blog "Swirls and Flourishes" challenge. I love Mo's digital images and I was so excited to participate in this week's challenge. So here we go.....

Card recipe:

Mo's Digis
"Nicholas Bearing Gifts"
"Noelle Bearing Gifts"
"Christmas Tree Decorated"
colored with Copics
Kris Kringle Peppermint Swirl (red DP)
Swirls "fussy cut" from Ellen's Snowflake Christmas Paper Pad
Martha Stewart's Snowflake glitter
Sentiment from Amy Rysavy's Merry & Bright collection

Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!
See you next time...

Magnolia-licious "Home Sweet Home" Challenge

2010-11-29T07:32:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday Everyone...

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope your weekend was as awesome as mine! We went to see Tangled on Friday morning (Yes, even the boys went!!) And it was soooooo cute. I laughed a whole lot. Saturday, we went to a church in Concord, NC where they were filming a YouTube videomercial for a new Christian initiative for a new 3D movie coming out; Lion of Judah. Can't wait to see the videomercial and movie. No, I DID NOT do any "Black Friday" shopping. I truly dislike the ginormous crowds and jam packed parking lots and the pushing and shoving and all the hype. I'd rather shop online.

Anywho, here's my entry for this week's Magnolia-licious "Home Sweet Home" challenge. Hope you like it....

The challenge was to create an item for home decor using a Magnolia stamp image. I thought this would be great to add to my holiday decor and I'm putting her on the mantel.

Here's the recipe:

colored with Copic Sketch markers
paper from Me & My Big Ideas; Ellen Snowflake Paper Pad
fussy cutting some candy canes from that collection as well
Poinsettias from Imaginisce.
painted the wood panel block with Forest Green acrylic paint
sentiment comes from Amy Rysavy's Holiday Greeting stamp set

Now, all I have to do is dig the tree and other decorations out of our storage unit. ;) Yay! It's finally Christmas time!!!! The MOST wonderful time of the year....

Thanks for stopping by...
See you next time!!!

Michelle Perkett Studio Happy Holidays Challenge

2010-11-27T09:04:00.007-05:00

Happy Saturday...
and thanks for stopping by!!

Hope your Turkey day was fabulous or your Tofurkey day (for all my vegetarian friends)!! Ours was beautiful. My mother-in-law's turkey was extra, extra juicy this year. When I asked her how she did it she revealed a Cooking Network secret (shhhh!)....butter and herbs under the skin. Who knew??? I'll have to use that little tip for my Christmas turkey.

By far, the most beautiful part of the day was when our entire family gathered in the den and stated what we're thankful for. There were about forty of us gathered together with tears in our eyes, grateful for everything from loving relationships with parents, to children graduating from college soon, to trusting in God to provide while between jobs, to staying cancer free for more than five years!! After it was all said and done (and captured on video by my history keeping husband), my cousin-in-laws broke out in a good old foot stomping choir medley...I'm serious!! This really happens in real life! And it always makes me so glad to be a part of this family.

So, with a few days off from work I was determined not to miss the Michelle Perkett Studio challenge this week!!! So here's my Happy Holiday Challenge entry. Hope you like it...

This is Holly the Christmas Friendship Fairy and I think she is just gorgeous!! I colored her with Copic Sketch markers and added some Christmas Red Stickles to her coat and wings. I'm crazy about Stampendous Fun Flock so I added just a touch to her coat trim and a little more Frosted Lace Stickles to add a snowy feel to the image background. I am really lovin' the Me & My Big Ideas Ellen Snowflake Christmas Paper Pad. It has so many adorable papers including the blue and white snowflake here. That beautiful swirly, shimmery red is from s-e-i. It's from the Kris Kringle collection; Peppermint Swirl. I did some fussy cutting with paper called Falala Christmas from Best Creation Inc. Those hollies add a extra pop to the card. I even used a few for the inside of the card...

I'm going to try to remember to post what Copic Sketch colors I'm using on images in the future. Just in case you're interested. Here's what I used this time.

I can't tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this time of year. I'm looking forward to all the Christmas-ey card and scrapbook challenges coming up in the next month!! Woo hoo!

Thanks for stopping by...
See you next time!

The Art of Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T17:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone...
I'm grateful that you stopped by!!

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving and fortunately I do not have to cook an entire meal. My husband is making macaroni and cheese and I'm making a pineapple cream cheese pie that was a hit at the Thanksgiving dinner last year. We're having dinner at the usual spot; my saintly mother-in-law's house. I truly hit the jackpot when it comes to mother-in-laws. She is always cooking Sunday dinners and inviting our two sons over to spend the night so my husband and I can have a Friday date night. She's the BEST!!

As I'm reflecting on dinner and the whole meaning behind this time of year I began to think about all the things I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for so much. Here's my abbreviated list...

I thank God for my health. I had cancer two years ago. So I'm glad to be alive, in great health and cancer free!

I thank God for my husband. He is such an amazing man and a strong Christian. I admire his walk with God and his ability to talk to anybody about our Faith. Let me tell you something; if anybody is going to heaven, my husband is going!!!...LOL

I thank God for my sons. They are both very different and have such unique qualities that I love. One is very musical and artistic the other is very athletic and comical. They both are very intelligent and always make me laugh.

I'm grateful for my job. I am so blessed to have a career that I LOVE. I enjoy going to work and crawling around on the floor with four year olds, singing songs, dancing, using props, costumes and puppets!! I'm still in shock that they pay me to do this stuff! They are learning the whole time and they brighten up my day.

Finally, I'm grateful for my hobby; paper crafting. It gives me a chance to work with my hands and share a piece of myself with family, friends and even perfect strangers.

In other words, Life is Sweet....
and I thank God for it!

Here's my latest creation. I actually designed it for a Michelle Perkett challenge. I missed the deadline. But I'll share it with you anyway...

She's colored with copics and I was feeling a little stickle-ish the day I made this card so EVERYTHING is covered in stickles....LOL

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving
and remember to give thanks....
EVERYDAY!

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!

Scraps of Color Magazine

2010-11-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Here's a little something for you!

Get your FREE subscription to Scraps of Color Scrapbook Magazine today! All you need to do is visit their site at http://www.scrapsofcolor.com and sign up! That's it, no strings attached! They have a SUPER Creative Team ready to thrill and delight you throughout 2011! First, issue arrives February 2011!

How cool is that! I'm already signed up!

Stay tuned for their page call announcement and a wonderful December filled with ideas and inspiration by the fabulous SOC Girls and a super BIG BLOG GIVEAWAY! Don't miss a minute of the scrappy inspiration!

A Day for Daisies Challenge: "Please Pass the Traditions"

2010-11-19T07:57:00.003-05:00

TGIF!...
and Thanks for stopping by...

My Grandma, Lucy was a Domestic Diva. Her house was always immaculate, filled with warm yummy smells. And when it came down to Friday nights you could always find a game of Spades going on around her kitchen table and all our teenage friends were welcomed. The game just wasn't complete without her sassy poetic recitations ("the same thing that makes you laugh can make you cry" was her favorite) or her delicious pound cake. I can taste it now, all warm and tender and sweeeeeet.

When I found a "Pass the Traditions" challenge on A Day for Daisies' site I instantly thought of Grandma Lucy and all those holidays and regular days that she made so special to our family. The challenge was to use an ADFD image and a traditional family recipe on a card. So on this Friday I give this tribute to my funny, sassy, Diva, Grandma Lucy. I put a little twist on her pound cake 'cause I'm a girl who can't live without her chocolate. And maybe we'll play a game of trash talkin' Spades tonight in her honor...LOL

Have a Fun Friday!!!...See you next time.

Scraps of Color Blog Challenge: What's on Your Scrappy Wish List?

2010-11-18T10:22:00.006-05:00

Happy Thursday!!
Thanks for stopping by....

Tis the season for Black Friday deals galore, shopping, coupon clipping, making lists and checking them twice. Typically we're all thinking about the children. I have two boys who have already written out their Christmas lists. When it comes to Christmas shopping, I believe in starting and finishing early.. Although the little ones are always at the top of our list, my favorite "ning" group Scraps of Color challenged us to post our own personal wish list.

Mine is pretty simple, you see my husband, our two sons and I currently live in a two bedroom apartment. Yeah, it's pretty cramped but I feel blessed to have a beautiful roof over our heads and very friendly neighbors. But we're talking about wishes, right?? So my wish is to move back into a house and have my very own "Paper Trail Studio"...LOL...aka a Scrapbook and Crafting room. I want it bad!!!!! I have so much stuff. Every drawer and closet has traces of cardmaking or scrapbooking in it. I have purchased so many rubber maid tubs I should own some stock in the company! Right now I'm crafting wherever I can; at the kitchen table, on the floor, in the sunroom; on a cheap table I bought from Wally World. :-)...but my wish is something like this...

Ahhhhhh, yes! Now this is paradise. I love the light streaming in through the window and the clean fresh decor. Yeah, I think I could make this work!! Trust me, I have enough stuff to fill every cabinet, drawer and bin. I might even put myself on a buying freeze (@ least for a few months) if I could have a room like this.

I've already hinted to my sweet husband that I need this space and we've been house hunting for the past few weeks so.....Let's hope dreams and wishes still come true for grown up little girls.....

Here's hoping you get your wish today!!!
Thanks for stopping by....See you next time.

Winter Wishes

2010-11-16T23:02:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday and...
Thanks for stopping by!!

I decided to start entering some blog challenges to brush up on my skills in card making and Copic coloring. My first challenge I'm taking on is with Platinum Scraps; the November Card Sketch challenge. Here's the original sketch...

and here's my take on the original sketch...

I tried some new techniques on this card and I absolutely love the layered look of this card. I used Stampendous White Flock on her muffs and pop dots for the sentiment. I added a little fussy cutting on the holly and colored with Copics. I used a lighter skin tone this time; E35, E13 and E11. You know I like my mocha girls, but I like how this turned out also. She kinda looks likes she's ready for a winter wedding. Oh, by the way this is also a digital image. I'm really starting to dig digis (hahaha). They're very easy to print, don't smudge with the Copics and don't take up ANY additional space in my crafting storage closet. This digital image is called Snow Goddess and she's from the Michelle Perkett collection. You can find her on Etsy.

For my next challenge I think I'll try my hand at a Magnolia. I just bought one from my favorite scrapbook store; Family Memories. I'll post my final project real soon.

Have a creative week and...
Thanks for stopping by. See you next time.

Sweet Christmas Wishes

2010-11-13T16:16:00.007-05:00

Happy Saturday!
And Thanks for stopping by...

We just took the boys to see the animated film MegaMind and it was terrific! It had a great message and lots of humor. I love spending time with my sweet husband and our sons on Saturday. Since the boys did such a great job on their report cards we also made a trip to the bookstore (which they love). So Origami and Teacher From the Black Lagoon were on the book menu for today. I didn't get a book this time, but I did stop by Starbucks for a Peppermint Frappacino...yummy!

I couldn't wait to get to a place where I could take a little reprieve and update the blog so you can see what I've been up to in the wonderful world of card making and crafting. So here it is...

A Sweet Christmas Wish...

This is another Mo's Digital Pencil digital stamp creation and I think she is a cutie pie. She's called Candy Cane Fairy (I think). I colored her with copics (of course) and added Frosted Lace stickles to her skirt details and her fairy wings. Check out her hair. I'm really trying to perfect the lights and shading when it comes to hair, skin and clothes. I'm practicing and will probably take an online class very soon. I'll let you know how that all turns out...LOL

Here's a close up of her...

I have lots more; actually about 10, more Christmas card creations coming soon. I truly over do it when it comes to Christmas. I just can't help myself. It's my favorite time of year. I'll keep you posted so you can check them all out.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you get to spend some quality time with the ones you love today.
See you next time!!!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

2010-11-05T07:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by!!

....Okay, so you know the rest of the words to the song, right?? It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS! Well, the stores are certainly stocking up on everything with a CHRISTmas theme. And when I stepped outside this morning, I started to feel the cold nip of "Old Man Winter". He's just around the corner. So get those coats out of storage...LOL...This is my absolute favorite time of year. Spending time visiting family and friends, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, baking, crafting and MAKING CHRISTMAS CARDS!!! I absolutely love every moment of it. So I thought I'd give you a little view of the Christmas Cards I made last year before I make the NEW ones for 2010. Woo hoo! Enjoy... And don't forget...

Follow me on this site and you could be the WINNER OF 10 HANDMADE CARDS. These normally sell for $15 but I'm having a 100 blog followers BLOG CANDY SPECIAL...AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER COULD BE Y.O.U.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY...SEE YOU NEXT TIME

Love Those Bellas

2010-11-03T21:37:00.002-04:00

Did I mention I Love Stamping Bellas! Thanks for stopping by!!!

These are some cards I created with some of my favorite Bellas. So here we go...

(1) Javabellas: I used this image to create invitations for a Bible Study at our house.

(2) Cuppacakeabella: I used water color crayons to color her and Frosty Pink stickles on her cupcake.

(3) Hippiechickabella: I love this stamp to make thinking of you cards for my Sistah Friends. Isn't she lovely? I THINK she kinda looks like me! LOL...

(4) Meldabella: I have several friends who are shoe freaks, so this card comes in quite handy....Did I mention I LOVE STAMPING BELLAS???... Hope you like.

Don't forget to "follow" me on this creative blog journey and leave a comment. You just might be the winner of my "Blog Candy", TEN, that's right, 10 handmade cards. But first I've got to get 100 blog followers. Then I will randomly select the winner. It just might be Y.O.U.

See you NEXT TIME...

Latest Creations Slide Show

2010-11-03T15:07:00.001-04:00

Give Thanks

2010-11-01T15:01:00.000-04:00

I love Autumn so I really get into Thanksgiving cards, decorations and of course the FOOD!! This time of year always makes me start thinking about how much God has done for me and for my family. I am truly grateful to be alive and to have such a wonderful husband and children. I believe the more we celebrate the blessings in our lives the less time we'll spend complaining about what we don't have...

These cornucopia images come from the Sarah Phelps Collection at Impression Obsession, Inc. Although I usually use stamp images of people I thought I'd try something a bit different.

Of course I colored the images with Copics. I'm still having so much fun playing with them. I used my Cuttlebug and the D'vine Swirl folder to emboss the paper, Quick Quotes Amaretto Powder Puffs and Adirondack Butterscotch for the sentiments.

I'm taking the time to embellish the inside of every card I create and not just the outside. This extra step gives hand made cards a unique flair.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. See you next time!...Peace & Blessings

Thanksgiving Cards Almost Done

2010-10-30T12:21:00.000-04:00

Isn't she the cutest??? Here's my second Copic Sketch marker coloring image. I just adore Mo's Digital Pencil Too images. This little girl is called Sadie with Apples. Mo's images are mostly digital and are a breeze to work with. I didn't have any trouble with ink bleeding (which was my initial hesitation with using Copics). I think she turned out really cute. I feel really proud of myself, knowing that all of my Thanksgiving cards are almost finished. So far I'm ahead of the game.

This is actually my first attempt at an easel card. It was so easy, I may do lots more of this style in the future. I'm also thinking about trying one more Thanksgiving card style. I'll post my results. Have a great Saturday!!!

New Copic Sketch Markers

2010-10-30T11:27:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I took a card making class at my local scrapbook store and discovered water color brush pens. I used them with great success for a while, but I kept coming across fantastic cards that were colored with Copics. So I saved up my pennies and pranced into the art supply store ready to make a major Copic purchase. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The Copics were waaaaay out of my price range! I opted for the Prismacolors instead. These seemed to work out fairly well, but I was still coming across images online that looked so much more vibrant and layered than the work I was creating; each one done with Copics. So finally, a few months ago, I decided to search YouTube and find out if anyone was demonstrating Copics, so I could find out what was so great about them; the secret that was obviously alluding me. I found tons of tutorials and I watched them over and over; fascinated by the techniques and results. But the price still just wasn't right.

I scoured the internet searching for the best price on Copic Sketch markers and I discovered www.carpediemstore.com. They had a GREAT sale on Copics and I bought a good batch to get started. I've been playing around with them all week and I wanted to share my results with you. I'm just getting started so I know my work needs improvement, but I'm on my way and I am officially HOOKED ON COPICS!!!