Hello Spring!

Good morning everyone! T.G.I.F!

Sorry for the big delay in posting.  It's been a busy week--I had to shop quite a bit to get ready for Easter.  We had a mid-week concert at church (well, I didn't, but the boys did).  Eldest Son came home from school for the night and then drove back the next day.  

I am having about 20 people here for Easter Sunday!  And they're all big people.  No more little ones, all the grandkids have grown up!  It has been GORGEOUS here this week, and I am praying it's nice on Sunday, so we can use the deck as part of our entertaining area.  Otherwise, the house gets mighty small awfully quick with so many people.  But I love it and can't wait to see everyone!  We are having ham and all the fixin's.  I am also going to try this brisket recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Doesn't it look delish?  Even though it's a Passover Brisket, I can still cook it for Easter, can't I???

The card I'm sharing with you today is one I made at the retreat I went to a few weeks ago......I quick snapped a picture of it before it got snatched away from me by someone wanting to buy it.  I love the colors and all the polka dot paper, which is from Bo Bunny.  It's my favorite paper of all time!  I buy it by the pound-ful because I use it constantly.  The colors make me happy....lime green, bright pink, orange and yellow! Can you say  Hello Spring????!!!

What do the rest of you have planned for Easter Weekened?  I hope it's special! 

Hugs,

Amy

Week 13-Dramatic B & W Photos

This week's photo challenge over at I Heart Faces is B&W photos that are dramatic, emotional or moody.  

I didn't need to look much further than this picture of my son, taken a few years ago.  To me, it evokes emotion and is really moody too.  He was about 14 at the time, and come on, what's moodier than a teenager?????  LOL.  It was taken with a flash, which is sort of weird, but I have loved it since the moment I saw it.  He looks absolutely gorgeous, all snuggled up on the big new comfy chair we had just purchased.  

Hope you all have a great day.  Embrace the good in all things!

Hugs,

Amy

A Tip For You

 

Just a little tip for you today when you are using those beautiful sheets of designer paper.  Do you see that strip of pink paper at the top of my card?  That is actually the strip of contrasting color/pattern often found on double sided designer papers at the bottom of the sheet.  To me, it's way too pretty to throw away, I mean, come on--why not use every single piece of that paper that you can in order to maximize your dollars?  I usually just cut it off and throw it in my scrap drawer to use at a later date.  This pink was not a part of the blue polka dot paper, it was from other designer sheet.  The reason I used it on this card was because I cut my blue polka dot paper too short and needed something to fill in the space....genius, uh?

I absolutely adore this birdy stamp from SU!  It's part of a set called Of The Earth.  It's perfect for making simple, uncomplicated cards, which, you can see that my card is!

I couldn't let today go without sharing a picture I took yesterday of our poodle named Copper.  Copper will be 11 years old in May and is the love of our lives.  He's such a wonderful dog.  He was captured here sunning himself in front of the door yesterday afternoon.  He LOVES sunshine and if he sees some streaming through a window or door, he'll snuggle in for a snooze!

I am enjoying my morning off today, I think I'll try and craft a little bit before I go into work.

Doug has a phone interview for a job this afternoon, so keep us in your prayers.  There are a few full time opportunities in the works right now, so we are hopeful something will work out soon.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated!  What a journey it's been for 2 years.  Never in a million years would I have expected him to be out of full time work for so long after he got let go.  A new job would put our anxious hearts at ease.

Hoping you have a glorious day.  Embrace it.

Hugs,
Amy

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

• I use 7 different products on my hair every morning when I get ready.   I'd list them here, but I'm embarrassed to admit it!

• I can't stand using a kleenex or paper towel that is ripped. I toss it in the garbage if that's what happens when I grab one.

• I am a terrible housekeeper.  A great fear of mine is unexpectedly dying and having someone come into my home to pack up my things and have them mumble under their breath about what a slob I was.  You'd think this fear would make me do a better job keeping things clean, but I'm sorry to say that's not been the case!

• I love to read, mostly meaningless, frivolous novels that I can get lost in.  Reading serious, depressing stories (like all of Oprah's book selections) is a waste of time, IMHO.

• I love photography and am obsessed with trying to capture the emotion of any given situation.  

• My parents are still married, my husbands parents were still married up until his mom died a few years ago, all my brothers are still married, and my hubby and I will celebrate 24 years next month!  Our parents set a wonderful example for us.

• I don't like conflict, and I care about what people think of me. Vain, I know. 

• I could eat pizza every day.

• I am not much of an alcohol drinker.  I'd rather eat the calories!

• I love to create beautiful things with my hands.

I'm guessing you knew #10, but I just couldn't let the list go by without expressing it!  Hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better today, have a wonderful day!!!

Hugs,

Amy

Blue & Black Scrap Card

Happy Monday morning everyone!

It turned out to be a gorgeous, albeit cool weekend here in MN.  I'm telling ya, it's better than the alternative I heard the weatherman talking about earlier this week.  I'm fairly certain he mentioned the "s" word at least once or twice, and as far as I'm concerned, once it's officially spring, there is no "s" allowed anymore!  I think this week's weather calls for 50's, and that's just fine by me!

I made today's card at the end of January. The image, from PTI, was a "mistake"  I had stamped on a piece of polka dot textured designer paper a very long time ago and then threw in to my scrap drawer thinking someday, maybe, I would be able to salvage it into a card if I was ever so inclined.  Well, that day finally came.  I love blue with black, so this card was born.  All paper came from the scrap drawer.  Every last stitch of it!   I'm really not much of a blue person, but I'm loving how this one turned out!

Today is my busy day....work at 645am, then staff meeting at 115p, then I get to work out with my personal trainer at 2p.  Before ya'll think I have a zillion dollars just waiting to throw at the feet of a personal trainer, know that I share her with another co-worker, so it's mighty affordable.  And its the only thing that gets me off my fat butt and working out.  She pushes me in a way I would never push myself!  When I'm by myself and it starts to hurt, I stop.  With Beth, she doesn't let me stop--she just pushes harder!  Sometimes I call her evil, but she finds that a term of endearment!!

I pray you have a wonderfully productive day today!

Hugs,
Amy

I Heart Face Constructive Feedback Friday!

Today is Constructive Feedback Friday over at I Heart Faces!  The first 50 readers have the chance to have the professionals over there help us fix up one of our own photos and get advice on how to make it look even better!  Exciting!

The picture I need help with is one I took this ;past summer.  It was taken with my Nikon D40.  It was bright and sunny out.  I edited it in PSE 7.0.  As you can tell, I'm not a pro in PSE.  Well, I not really a pro in anything, but I do realize there is potential for this photo, and I'll take all the help I can get!!!  Here are the details for those wonderful people who might stop by today to help me with my photo:  ISO 200, Exposure 1/4000 sec, f/1.6, focal length 50mm.

What's bothering me about my photo?  For one, half of his head is way overexposed!!  I tried and tried, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. I think the photo evokes so much emotion, and I would like that to be expressed in the editing.

This is the SOOC shot:

And here are my attempts to edit it:

I didn't do much, as you can tell, because I really didn't know how to tone down that BRIGHT WHITE HAIR that's overexposed!

Help!!!

And one final note, to my regular readers....one of the reasons I am participating in this event is so I can learn from those who know so much more than I do.  If you should happen to read a comment that might appear critical, remember, that's how I hope to learn how to edit better.  No one is leaving a comment to hurt my feelings.  The purpose of this is to gain constructive knowledge from those who know way more than me!  I am so hopeful I am one of the first 50!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kindred Spirits

I just found this card that I never shared with you.  I think I made it this past summer!  Unfortunately, I haven't had time yet to photograph any of the cards I made last weekend at the Crafty Ladies retreat I went to.

Must do that soon!

I focused on making my quilt squares look like the Basic Grey quilt themed paper I used for the background. It's a little busy, but heck, I love busy.  I don't love BEING busy though;0)!

It's been nice having Eldest Son home from college for spring break.  Youngest Son gets to travel to Chicago for the weekend.  The Cathedral Choir will be taking a little mini trip there to sing at a church on Sunday.  Any of you from the Chicago area?  If you are, and would be interested in seeing this amazing choir, drop me a line and I can let you know where they are singing at!

Lots to do on the agenda today.  First of which is working.  Second of which is getting a massage (we have massage therapists at our clinic and employees get a great deal on massages....YES!).  And thirdly (is that even a word?), run lots of errands to get ready for St. Patty's Day at work.  We like to have fun theme days at work, complete with dress up, and I am usually the one the heads them up and organizes them.  It's fun.  I have been working on a few limericks to share with everyone at work tomorrow!

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Amy

God's Special Purpose For Us

Happy Saturday morning!  Is anyone out there?  If you are, ya'll have been awfully quiet these last few weeks!

I'm so glad it's Saturday--today we go pick up Eldest Son from school for spring break. The hubby is working the Big Ten basketball tournament in Indianapolis, so it will be just me and Youngest Son making the road trip! Scratch that, Youngest Son just informed me he is NOT going with me to pick up Eldest Son, so it will be just be Me, Myself and I making the trip.  Fine by me, I will relish the peace and quiet!

I thought I'd start out my post today with a special thought for you.  If you reflect on the words long enough, you might realize for yourself just how special your walk here on earth really, truly is.  Where we are and what we are experiencing is all part of our journey toward discovering His purpose for us.

Each of us, you and me, have been purposely placed exactly where God wants us to be.  If we are in the middle of a bad relationship, I truly believe He has us there for a reason.  If we are in the middle of great suffering, there is purpose in that suffering as well.  If you're like me, you might ask the question "WHY" quite often.  Why me.  Why us.  Why now.  Why, why, why.  Honestly, I have yet to hear God's answer to my question.  Truthfully, I think I haven't been listening carefully enough for His whisper.  Sometimes, I'm too busy bemoaning my lot in life.  Thankfully, many friends have answered the question for me.  "Why NOT you?", they say.  Why not me, indeed.  God did not promise me a life free of pain and heartache.  Far, far from it.  But He did promise me He would be with me every step of the way.  Whether I invite Him on the walk or not.  When I realize I can't make the walk alone, He will be there to lift me up.   If you're any bit as stubborn as I am, you might still be walking that lonely path alone.  But how far can we possibly go it by ourselves?  It gets tiring walking alone, doesn't it?


I'm starting to realize that.  I feel like I'm walking in circles sometimes looking for answers.  I am desperate to figure out what my purpose is in this world really is.  What His purpose is for me.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm on the cusp of figuring it out, and other times, I'm so far from it I make myself laugh.  I probably make God laugh too!!  Secretly, I have to think I am fulfilling God's purpose for me every time I help a friend in need; bringing a meal over to a friend who finds herself with extra houseguests because her brother-in-law is dying, or when  I send an encouraging note to a devastated niece experiencing her first true-love breakup.  I'm sure you do these sorts of things too.  Perhaps God's great purpose for us here on earth is to simply help and love those in need, those whose suffering is greater than our own.  Lifting up those unable to lift themselves.  Extending love to those feeling unloved.  It all seems so insignificant, doesn't it?  I mean, God's purpose for us HAS TO BE bigger than this, doesn't it?  


Do me a favor.  Stop for a moment and think, "what if this is exactly what God had in mind when he created me?"  Maybe His purpose for us is to simply live our days loving others.  Live our days helping to lighten the load of someone else.  Live our days loving others for the sake of Him.  Perhaps if we realize this, then we could stop all the searching, all the longing for something more, something bigger, something better than what we have.  One thing I do know, His purpose will be revealed to us at a time and place He has specifically chosen.  In the meantime, I am going to keep re-reading my words so they sink in.  There is no greater purpose for me right now than to live my days loving and helping others.  It's that simple I guess.  If God has some bigger purpose for me planned, which I don't know about right now, I suppose all I can do is strap on my seatbelt and get ready for the ride.  For now though, join me in loving and helping others for His sake.  Be confident and at peace knowing that if there's more He wants to use you for, He will make it clear to you.  


Honestly, I'm not sure why I wrote about this subject today.  The words just sort of started flowing.   As I am getting ready to wrap this post up and hit "publish", I'm worried that by doing so, I'll be getting some "unsubscribing" notices in my email box soon.  But deep inside I feel like God wanted me to write this today.  Maybe someone really needed to read these words.  I have no idea.  Maybe I myself needed to read these words and absorb their deeper meaning for me.  Whatever it is, I'm going to move forward and hit "publish post" anyways.  If my words touched you today, I'm happy!  If you feel you want to unsubscribe to my blog after reading them, that's cool too and I understand.  In the end, I hope my sharing these words at the very least will cause you to think a little bit, help a little bit, and love....a lot.  


Hugs,
Amy

Gracie 2

First things first....have you ever seen anything so weird as a ground full of snow yet it's raining and thundering?? I'm a little nervous to even be on the computer typing today's post cuz it's lightening so much!  Really, really, weird!

Ok, so.  It's good to be back.  A full week since I last posted.  I'm happy to report my mom is doing well after her surgery, but once again, she had us nervous for a while!  That woman, she and narcotics DON'T mix!  She ended up having another full knee replacement--this would be her second on the same knee in less than 5 years. The first has been giving her fits since she first got it.  It was a very difficult surgery for her doctor.  I just hope this one works!  Since she wasn't ready to go home yet, they transfered her to a rehab facility on Sunday.  We are hoping she'll be out by this weekend???  Time will only tell.  If she stops torturing the help and eats her meals like a good girl, she must might do it!

So, do you remember me telling you I joined a stamp group?  My friend Deb has been in one for a few years and she's been inviting me to join them for a little while now.  Since my mojo had been lacking so badly, I felt that it was time for me to do something about it or I would have to start selling all my stuff {GASP!!!}.  Joining this group was the answer.  I'm finally enjoying stamping again!  We meet once a month, and this past Monday was the night we met this month.  Our challenge was to make a card using the Acrylic Smash technique.  I wouldn't be lying if I told you I was not thrilled about this challenge.  I do not like to do complicated techniques (translate: messy) when it comes to making cards.  The simpler the better is my motto!  Anyway, being the trooper that I am, I gave it my best shot.  Suffice it to say, there were many attempts, but crap was all I was managing to create!  I started to panic.  What the heck was I going to bring for my swap card?  Finally, I designed something that wouldn't embarrass me too badly.  I made sure that my acrylic smash image was AS SMALL AS I COULD MAKE IT to simply things.  Anything bigger and I would have gone bonkers!

Here how my swap card turned out.  That little birdie image?  My new SU! favorite!  I love, love, love it! It's from the Of The Earth set.

We also had a group project Monday night.  It was a little photo album that was so adorable and easy. Turns out, that very day, I had some pictures developed of my mom's new kitten whom is being called Gracie.  Now, the thing is, this is the second kitty my mom has had who's name is Gracie.  About a month ago, my mom's little 7-month old kitty named Gracie died in her arms due to an infection.  It turns out, Gracie had no immune system, so she was unable to fight off the infection. My mom was devastated to say the least. Before she went in for surgery last Thursday, she found another orange kitten via a local pet adoption service, although she had never seen her, only pictures via a cell phone.  I had to drive over there last Sunday to drop off a down payment so I took some pictures of the new little kitty to bring my mom  in the hospital.  So, I was really excited to see our group project Monday night was this little photo album! I just added a few puffy letters to the front to spell GRACIE2 (Gracie Squared), and tucked the new photos inside to give to my mom when I saw her Tuesday afternoon.  Here's a picture of the new little darlin'.....isn't she sweet?

I wish I wasn't allergic to cats, because I'd have one if I could!

Have a great day everyone!

Hugs,
Amy

Prayers Needed!

I am off to the hospital to sit with my dad while Mom has knee surgery again.  Would greatly appreciate prayers for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.  She has been in pain for a very long time, and we are praying this surgery will end much of her pain.

Will check in tomorrow with a card before I head out for a Crafty Ladies retreat.  Can't wait!!

Hugs,

Amy

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

Today is Hilarious Outtakes Day over at I Heart Faces, so I thought I'd search through all my photos and try and come up with five (yes, you could enter up to five photos for this challenge....usually you can only submit one photo) funny photos that might have gotten snapped through the years.

Now, I'm not sure any of them are what you'd call "hilarious", but they all bring a smile to my face for one reason or another, so I thought I'd share them with you today to see what you thought.

And FYI, I promise this isn't becoming a photography blog....it's just a passion of mine right now.  Tomorrow or Wednesday it's back to cards, I promise...

This shot of my two boys was taken almost three years ago!  My time flies when you're having fun.  I took them out to our church retreat center one beautiful summer day to take some photos, and as usual, they were being very uncooperative, but at least they were having a good time doing it, LOL!  I have about a million of these two like this, laughing, laughing, laughing.  At one point, I told them to put their heads together (meaning move them together while looking at me) and they looked at each other, bent their heads down and put them together top to top!  Smart alecs!

This second shot was taken a few summers ago.  It is my eldest son and his two cousins.  They were all going to be seniors in the coming school year, so we wanted to do a photo shoot with all of them together (we were at my other nieces grad party, so they were really squirrely).  Since all three of them are a bunch of goofballs, they decided to strike the iconic Charlie's Angels pose simultaneously for me--it just makes me laugh!!!

This third picture brings back sweet memories!  I look at this picture and think, man, I sure do miss those long summer days, sitting at the baseball fields, hootin' and hollerin' for my son.  On this particular day, the boys had just won a tournament championship, and my husband snuck up on them (he was their coach that summer) just as I was taking their picture.  My son is the one farthest on the right.  Seriously, did I did this kid right or what????  He's still looking directly at the camera, smiling!  That's my boy!

And finally, I smile a lot at this shot too-- it makes me giggle when I look at how funny her hair looks when she was dancing up at storm last summer up at COP!  She was having such a blast she was oblivious to my taking her picture.  
So, that's it today girlfriends.  Thanks for sticking with me through today's trip down memory lane.  Be sure and come back in the next day or two to see some of the cards I've been creating lately!
Hugs,Amy

Don't Let The Eyes Fool Ya.

Uh-huh.  This is the adorable little face that woke me up this morning at 4:10am by throwing up on my bed sheets and leg!  Don't let his beautiful, soulful little eyes fool you, he's a stinker.  Thank heavens the Hubster is traveling this weekend, or I would have had to go sleep on the couch for the remainder of the night (morning) since my sheets were covered with the bodily fluids of said dog!

It's been a good week.  I managed to work AND get a little bit of crafting done.  Gotta love that.

I just adore this paper by Cosmo Cricket paper (Early Bird).  I used both sides of the paper (the red polka dot and the floral).  The sentiment is from SU! and is called Hard To Say.

I was just watching the horrible news about the earthquake in Chile. It is frightening watching all these natural disasters take place, isn't it?  I am amazed that the death toll so far only stands at only 80-something.  I'm sure there will be more, but apparently the cities in Chile were built to withstand earthquakes to some degree.  The largest one ever recorded was in Chile nearly 50 years ago at over 9.0 on the richter scale.  My thoughts and prayers are with them as they begin the search and recovery phase. My prayers will also be with the people of Hawaii as we await word on a possible tsunami hitting them late this morning, as a result of the earthquake in Chile.  Apparently, CA might possibly have to be on alert as well!  

Please join me in prayer for all these precious people!  Let's pray for God's mercy, his comfort and grace as the day moves forward.

Hugs,

Amy

Fix It Friday

Remember that photography website I told you about the other day?  I Heart Faces?  Well, today is Fix It Friday, which is where you can edit a photograph they give you in any way you like using your photo editing software.  It was such a fun photo today so I decided to play along!

Here is the original shot....


And here is my version, edited using Photshop Elements 7.0!

Doesn't isolating the color to just her dress really make the photo pop???  I love how it turned out!  Not only is it fun to participate in challenges like this, it really helps fine-tune your editing skills.  I am hoping it gets me more familiar with and proficient in PSE 7.0.

So sorry I don't have a card for you today.  I need to get some photos taken of the cards I have managed to make this week....the good news is I've been creating, the bad news is I haven't been photographing anything!  Hopefully, since I don't work tomorrow (can I hear a collective YAY! from the audience??), I can craft AND photograph this weekend!  

Here's hoping you have a wonderfully joyous weekend to unwind, enjoy your family, and do something creative!

Hugs,
Amy

The Hands Have It

I was surfing the internet the other day and came across a blog called I Heart Faces Photography.  It's a photography site that's dedicated to everything FACES!  They hold weekly challenges but this week they switched it up a bit and instead of having us take pictures of faces, they want us to photograph hands instead!  

Seeing as I live in a household full of male creatures great and small, my attempt at photographing hands this afternoon did not go as well as I had hoped!  Jeepers, can no one work with me here?  My hubby was trying, but his staged hand poses were dorky!  And Youngest Son's hands were a mess, as he uses them as his daily planner, writing his homework on them so he doesn't forget it!  Ahhh, why didn't his parents teach him they actually MAKE daily planners you can write in with a pen or pencil--oh wait, I DID teach him about daily planners--he just decided they don't work and he thinks that writing on his hands works much better for him!  Grrrrr.......

So, I had to search through the 10,000 pictures I've already taken to see if I could find some cool ones that contain hands!  Here are a few that I found that fit the bill perfectly.  I don't think I'll get around to uploading any of them for this weeks challenge, but rest assured, I WILL be participating in future challenges.  It is my goal this year to step up my commitment to improving as an amatuer photographer, maybe even taking even further and taking some classes at a local college.  That's a stretch, but I tell ya, I'm giving it some serious thought.  I love, love, love taking pictures and want to create a future for myself in this field.  

So let's get started!  This fun b & w shot is of Vinny, the resident dog up at COP (Cathedral of the Pines).  He's an absolutely gorgeous golden retriever who loves to fetch his sticks.  I'm not sure whose hand this is that I captured ready and willing to play along, but I loved it!

This lip smacking photo was taken at the end of January at Dr. Tom's home.  We had

 our Christmas party there and we made pizzas in their brick fireplace pizza oven!  Yes, they have a pizza oven in their home and it is beautiful!  We had such a great time, and the pizzas were delicious!  Every couple got to make their own, and as you can see, they had every topping known to mankind for us to use!

Finally, I took this last shot of the chalk board pantry door in Dr. Tom's kitchen because it showcases the important rules the family lives by daily. I think this is my co-worker Jeff's hand pointing at the most important rule of all when you have a household full of four children...OBEY!  This wasn't a planned shot, I just got lucky!  

I'm glad I got to share with you today some of my favorite photos.  I plan on doing this on a weekly basis, since photography is so much a part of of who I am.  I feel this is something I really want to pursue in greater capacity!

Have a wonderful day, and don't forget to follow Rule #7...be thankful!

Hugs,
Amy

You're A Star

Here's a simple card I threw together a few weeks ago, in an attempt to use up scraps and other supplies I have in my stash.  I have, like, a million scrapbook chipboard letters that I don't think I'll ever get into an album, so I'll try to use them up on some cards.  Truely, nothing special, just something simple and easy.  Gotta love that when life is crazy.

It's been a difficult week for me, let's just suffice it to say, I'm getting tired of crazy broadcast executives that make stupid decisions.  Broadcast executives that make hiring decisions.  This is the first week that I've literally, seriously, questioned my faith and if God is really listening to my prayers.  I'm really thinking His promises don't include me.  I know, I know, foolish thinking.  And I think the rational, intelligent side of me knows that, but boy, have the two of us been having some words this week. Add onto all this working what feels like 24/7, my thinking is irrational at best, LOL.  Faith is a journey, and right now, my faith journey is off-course and out-of-whack.  He knows it, I've confessed it, and I'm dealing with it.  Thank you for your understanding and love in the meantime!

I don't have any time to chat more than I already have.  I have to work again this morning, and I need to get my head wrapped around it.  I've invited my parents over for a turkey dinner later today, so I've got much to do. And one of these hours I've got to say hello to Eldest Son who got home late last night.  I hope I get to see him before tomorrow when he has to go back.  That's why my head isn't in the mood to work today.  It would be wonderful to spend some time with him instead of working again.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,
Amy

Mustard Seeds

For as much as you guys love Scrap Stash Saturday cards, I sure didn't hear from many of you after I posted Saturday's card.

That tells me one of two things....

1. you never saw it.

or....

2. you hated it!

I'm holding out that it was because you never saw it, cuz the latter would be a bummer, LOL!

So, moving on.

How's it going? The sun is finally shining here and it's in the 30's! That's like spring weather, folks! Only in MN would you see people breaking out the shorts and tanks in 35 degree weather!

I called in my reservation today for a March Crafty Ladies retreat that my church is putting on. Woo-hoo! I can't wait to get away--never mind that its less than 10 miles from my home, LOL. My friend Lue is coming with me and the both of us are so excited to just get away and craft. Lue lives even closer to the retreat center than I do! But when you're there, it feels like you're a million miles away from all the troubles and woes of your daily life. Can't wait!

The card I'm sharing with you today was the one I made for the stamp group that I am now a part of. My friend and co-worker Deb (hi Deb!) finally convinced me to join, and honestly, I'm glad I did. I figured it would help me get out of the crafting funk I was in and kick start my mojo. The challenge for this swap was that we had to use at least TWO of the following SU! colors...Bravo Burgandy, Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow (do you see me sticking my finger down my throat in protest), Brocade Blue and Creamy Caramel. Well, if you know me at all, you know that MOST of these colors are like nails on a chalkboard for me, they give me the heeby-geebies! Especially Sage Shadow. So, do you see the colors I ended up using? Bravo Burgandy and Pretty In Pink. Pretty In Pink is the only color I use with any regularity! Oh, I used a tiny bit of Creamy Caramel.

The designer paper is from Basic Grey, and it's a stretch in the color category, that's for sure. The only color that matches is the pink! But I picked it out quickly one day, and so I had to make due. The sentiment is from Unity, and it's the first Unity stamp I've ever owned! I know, I'm behind the times. I don't buy much online and the only store that carries them in my area are over an hour from my house. I really, really love this sentiment, so maybe someday I'll buy a few more Unity Stamp when I get to the St. Cloud area. Can you say ROAD TRIP????

Well, it's time to run. We're heading out for an early bite to eat with my FIL, and then we're off to Ash Wednesday services at church. Son #2 is singing tonight.

Hugs,

Amy

Ugly Scraps Unite!

Welcome to a Scrap Stash Saturday! Can I just tell you it felt so good to make a Scrap Stash Saturday card? It was almost like I had never stopped doing them, it was that easy for me.

This is not a joke! The papers you just glanced at are REAL and have not been altered in any way! Will you just look at these papers together! Polka dots, school etchings, flowers and quilt squares-you could look through thousands of blogs and NEVER see anyone else attempt to put together papers like these to make a card. I am the only sadist around crazy enough to give it a try!

Before I could start, I had to decide which paper to use as my primary focus. Can you figure out why I chose the quilted paper as my primary? If you look closely, it has the most colors in it that are found on all the other papers. It's got blue, which is the primary color of the polka dot paper. It's got reddish-Burgundy, a strong color on the school paper, and it's got pink, the primary color of the floral paper.

Ok, so where did I end up using all the papers? Well, first off, I used the pink floral paper as a mat under the quilt paper as well as for the heart on the left. The school paper was used to created the scalloped border that the white embossed paper is mounted on, as well as for the center heart. And finally, the polka dot paper was just used for the heart on the right. A pink button was centered on each of the hearts to tie it all together!

So, what do you think? Can you believe that you CAN take all those scraps you have lying around and use them to create something beautiful??? Will you take this challenge with me today? Will you grab a few unlikely characters yourself and put them together on one of your cards? It's not hard if you remember to use one of the papers as your focus and build around that with the remaining papers. If you decide to give it a try, please leave a link to your card in the comment section of this post and I will feature some of them next week! Step out of your comfort zone today and give this a try--you will be so glad you did!

Hugs,

Amy

Is It About That Time?

I think I should re-name my blog to something pertaining to scraps, 'cuz you, my friends, LOVE when I do scrap cards. I think I must be on to something here, because it really resonates with my readers when I make something using my scraps! I'm thinking everyone's stamping spaces are being overrun by beautiful, annoying little pieces of designer paper that no one knows what to do with! If you're anything like me, it's hard to throw away such beautiful pieces of paper. I guess that's why I make so many scrap cards, hmmmm???? I'm wondering if it's time to do a Scrap Stash Saturday card one of these weekends...for those of you who don't know what Scrap Stash Saturday is, it's when I blindly (yes, my eyes are truly closed) pull out four different scraps from my drawer and try and create a beautiful card with them. Sometimes it works (check out this card, and this card, and this frame), and sometimes....not so much (check out this card that I didn't like so much!). What do you think...do you want a Scrap Stash Saturday card this coming Saturday???? Leave a comment of you want me to! The only catch is, I want some of you to try one too, and then post your link. I'll feature your cards later on next week. Scrap cards are something everyone can do, not just me, so give it some thought and join me, ok?

Well, it's time for me to run. I've got some quiet time left to stamp before I have to get ready for work. I want to make at least a FEW cards before I go. Be sure and let me know if you want a Scrap Stash Saturday card this weekend, ok????

Hugs,

Amy

Mix It Up

Here's another scrap card for you....I just love giving all these little castoff scrap pieces new life!

I count four different pieces and patterns here, none are made to "go" with each other.

Have you ever given this a try? It's so easy, not as hard as you may think. Just find papers with like colors, and you should be good to go.

If you're feeling particulary brave this weekend, why don't you case this card and make one for yourself?

If you do, be sure to upload a link so I can see it, ok?

Not much going on here this weekend. The hubby travels for a game (to Philly), so that leaves me and Youngest Son home to fend for ourselves

Not that I don't love fending for myself sometimes! I work on Saturday too, and it's looking like it will be a busy day at the clinic. On Sunday, the Cathedral Choir sings with famed recording artist Robert Robinson, and after that, we'll head to UWRF to take Oldest Son out for brunch. He forgot some clothes here over break, so it's best that we get them to him pronto!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Three Hours Gone...like THAT!

Funny story last night. The hubby and son left about 6pm for church choir and I stayed home to languish in the peacefulness of our humble abode.

On the dining room table sits a very, very, very difficult puzzle that's been sitting there since Christmas break. I bought it so my boys and I could work on it together, you know, sharing some special one-on-one time over the holidays.

Well, Son #2 wasn't interested and/or swayed by the opportunity to hang with Mom, even though he says he loves me dearly. And Son #2 left to go back to college before it was complete. So it was up to me to see if I could finish the crazy puzzle myself. It's based on the book I SPY, and the puzzle has a million, gazillion, bajillion little beads and baubles on it. It has been a slow, piece-by-miserable-piece process figuring out where each piece was supposed to go in the puzzle. Seriously, I kid you not.

So anyways, they leave for church, and I sit down at the puzzle. A bit later, the phone rings and it's Son #2 calling to ask me to go onto the parent portal to check to see if his final grades are posted yet. Once I tell him that no, they are not, I check the time at the bottom of the computer and it says 8:48pm!!!!!!! Say what? It was almost 9 o'clock?!!!! Yikes, I was so in the zone trying to finish the puzzle I completely whittled away nearly three hours of my life! Putting a dang crazy puzzle together! As if I couldn't have been/shouldn't have been in my stamp room instead! That has NEVER happened to me before-I can honestly say I have never, ever completely lost track of time like I did last night! I was/am completely flabbergasted how that happened. Have any of you had something similar happen? I would love to hear about it if you did!

Lucky for you, that's not all I have to share today. Here's a card I made last weekend with my scraps. I've been crazy into card making using nothing but scraps and stuff I have never used before (like scrapbook letters). It feels so good to use up what I have instead of buying new. I just can't justify buying much new stuff since I'm not making cards as much as I did in the past.

And finally, last weekend I was a cooking dervish. I made braised short ribs (delish, from Simply Recipes), Pioneer Woman's buttered rosemary rolls baked in a cast iron skillet (amazing), and last but not least, Pioneer Woman's restaurant style salsa. Let me tell you, the salsa was absolutely delicious, easy, etc! Here's a picture of it once I had in my bowl alongside a few cheesy nacho's. My, oh my, oh my. I think I'm going to go have a bite of it right this very minute. It's almost lunch time, isn't it?????

Hugs,

Amy