Jake's thank yous

The weekend after jake's 5th party, I sat him down at his table next to mine and let him work on his own thank-you cards. I wanted it to be very basic. He was bored with glueing the papers on pretty quickly, so we just concentrated on the stamping. For each person he picked the stamp they would get, stamp it himself, and color if necessary. Then, he would write his name on the back under the "handmade by". I finished them off for him.

We had a great time together!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Mojo 71 sketch

I finally got a chance to play after putting the kids to bed on our "go home early with wet roads day" (haha- no ice around here!).

The sketch is the Verve Mojo Monday 71. I hadn't played since the beginning of the months, so it was fun...

I wanted something pretty and springy... this comes close don't you think??

I used this paper from HL (used in Emma's 2nd bday lo), with Verve stamp and Doodlebug sentiment and small butterfly stamp. I double stamped the butterfly in CTMH Hollyhock (cut out the inside) and Garden Green. Nesties for the square scallop and embossed panel.

Cute sketch!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Blog Award!!

Teresa nominated me for this award! This is the 1st time I've gotten an award... yea!

Now I am supposed to write about 7 of my favorite things.

1. I love to travel... it is a blast to see new places.

2. I am a TOTAL homebody. You'd think that would cause a problem with #1, but it doesn't. I love my house and love being here.

3. A tall Mocha with extra whip cream is wonderful... don't have them often.

4. Most friends and family will tell you that I love mexican food... it is very true.

5. Hearing my kids giggle- awesome!

6. Visiting with old friends

7. Scrapping, cardmaking, stamping, and my husband (had to put him in this in case he reads it!) :-)

Thanks Teresa!

Enjoy!

Kristin

I've been challenged...

Holly has sent me a challenge. Here are the rules:





Go to where you store your photos on your computer. Go to the SIXTH folder and pick the SIXTH photo. Post that photo on your blog along with a SHORT story about it. Tag SIX people and leave a comment on their blog or email them letting them know you chose them.



This is Jake (my son who is NOW 5 years) eating his "first" bite of baby cereal. Around May 2004...If you remember back to when your first child (roughly within the last 3 to 10 years) got to eat that first bite (of essentially a teaspoon of baby cereal in a cup of formula or breastmilk) of food, it was SUCH a big deal!! Pictures, fanfare, etc. (we even videotaped it!!). (Most people around my age were fed baby cereal practically at birth, so I don't think it was as big a deal).

Anyway, what's funny is I could not WAIT to be able to feed him "real" food... as soon as I got the go ahead, we did it. With my 2nd child, I think I "got around to it" when she was 6 months or older! I definitely have a few pics, but it was nothing like feediing my first! :-)

Enjoy!

Kristin

Here are the 6 I am tagging:

Teresa
Melanie
Melissa
Shelly
Sarah
Angela

Happy Birthday #2

There was another boy turning 4 and I wanted to make him a "truck/car" card. I used Design Studio software with my cricut and New Arrival cart for the truck. I cut it out on blue cs, then got some DCWV glitter pp and cut just the "upper" part of the truck. Finally, I got one of those old #4 stickers (remember stickers??) out and outlined it in grey/black pen. done!

Enjoy!


Kristin

Happy Birthday!

This was another Verve sketch from a couple of weeks ago that I used for a 1 year old boy's birthday. The lion and pp are CTMH. I cut out a star, inked it, and popped it up. There was supposed to be a scalloped edge, but it's a boy card... no scallops!

Enjoy!

Kristin

I'm back!

Hi everyone (if you are still out there reading this!)...

I prepost A LOT so the last 8 posts were done almost 2 weeks ago. Then, I sorta just lost my Mojo! Don't know where it went. Then, last Monday we found out my grandmother had passed away.

Her funeral was yesterday and we drove 5 hours in the morning to get there, then drove home last night (and it took 6 hours!). We are beat for sure!

The nice thing is we just celebrated her life. She was 95 when she died, had been missing my grandfather since he died 17 years ago, and had lived a wonderful life.

I've got some cards to show you starting tomorrow (need to upload them) and hopefully a scrapbook page or two.

PLUS, the 2nd week of His Holy Name came out last Sunday and I haven't even read the post! So, I'll try to do that too.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Verve sketch #2

Here is the other sketch challenge card I did about 10 days or so ago (man, I've had lots of posts lately!).

I don't have a punch or label dies to make the image panel and mat. I just measured and cut off the same amount on both papers to create the look (what do you think??).

I stamped the image in CTMH Holiday Red and the sentiment in black. I needed red brads, didn't have them, so I "made" them with red stickles.

The pp is scraps I've had leftover for about 2 years (a lo I did for Jake's book) and because I recently organized my scraps I found them!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Vote on challeng card

Hi all!

We're not doing a survey this time, it is a poll instead.

Go to this link... scroll down and you will click on each name to view her card. (I can't remember if it opens a new window or not).

After you view each card, then just click who's card you like the best and hit submit (or enter?) and the results will pop up. This will be open for another 6 days or so for lots of people to vote!

Thanks!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Verve sketch card 1

I really liked how this card came out. It was a Verve sketch challenge from last week (before their new products came out). I pulled out a piece of CTMH textured Crystal Blue cs for the base. Then, I used Emporium paper (from their newest book). The stamp came from the CTMH set "With Love". I stamped it in Sweet Leaf, then stamped 2 small flowers in Buttercup, cut out and glued on, and finally stamped the little dots in Cocoa. I cut it out and matted it on the same cs. Had to stamp "Happy Everything" of course! lol!

Finally, those are some Bella baubles in "popcorn" that I picked up ages ago... they were perfect!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Blogging Challenge #5 Challenge rules & example

My blogging group is ready for the next challenge... and I am the host!! The cards must be posted on January 31, 2009 to their blogs and voting should begin on February 1st. I am excited because we are past snow and winter wonderland stamping and images. Our next challenge is to create a VALENTINE's day card for the one you love (whether it is your spouse, your child, your parent, your significant other... whoever it is!).

These are the rules:

1. You must use at least TWO (2) hearts on your card (more is fine, and they don't have to match).
2. You must use at least TWO (2) shades of red OR a red and a pink.
3. There must be some type of bling or glitter.


This is my example and I'll repost it on the 31st. I used a sheet of patterned paper I have had for YEARS. The hearts on the pp are embossed and covered in glitter. I used a sketch from Lauren Meader. The heart stamp and Love sentiment are actually from a cheap set I got (don't know where) that is really for mother's day, father's day, etc. I used bazzill red cs for the strip and white paper I had embossed with my cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folders. Then, I stamped the hearts in CTMH Holiday Red, cut and matted on bazzill red cs and popped them up.

I stamped the sentiment in Staz-on black ink b/c the pp was VERY slick. I even had to go back and heat set it later.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Blogger 3 Challenge 4

This was a double trouble challenge...

2 colors plus a neutral (brown in this case)
2 stamps only (flower from image swap & sentiment)
2 embellishments (flower & bella baubles)

I used Taylor's sketch from around Christmas, random pp.

At different times I didn't like the card, then would change my mind and like it, then back again.

What do YOU think?

The voting will start within the next 24-48 hours... I'll post a link here.

enjoy!

Kristin

Verve color card

This is the care I made for the Verve Color challenge last week. I made all my cards up in a few hours of playtime over the course of the week. I had to use CTMH colors instead of SU colors, and I used an SCS sketch (that I can't find the # too... sorry). I did Swiss Dots on the background panel, and lots of distressing (again!)

Enjoy!

Kristin

Wow!

A blogging sister is selling some amazing creations!! She is a fabulous crafter...

to check it out go here

Enjoy!

Kristin

Miss you already...

Our wonderful friends left last week after spending several days with us. They live up north and we haven't seen them in a little over a year.

I made this up within the hour. It is the SCS209 sketch, with CTMH Notebook paper and DCWV cs. Lots of sponging and distressing... love it!

Hope she gets it soon...

now, skip the rest if uninterested in personal stuff...

They are *that* couple... do you have one in your life? The wives are best friends, the husbands are best friends, and all 4 of us just love to hang out together. If I call to talk to her, and her husband answers (or he calls to talk to my husband, and I answer) we can chat about anything (and vice versa). I feel so blessed to have them in my life and so does my husband. God truly "arranged" this friendship and I hope that all of us tend to it and treat it lovingly over the next 50+ years we might have!

We met over 10 years ago- almost 11. We had all been married a short time (my dh and I less than a year; they'd been married for less than 3 years). God truly blessed us and our friendship. When their daughter was born a few years later, I know my friend thought we wouldn't have anything in common anymore- just drift apart. So not true! In fact, one of our favorite stories ever is how I got her out of the house when her daughter was about 2 weeks old (or less?) and it was their first outing. We went to the mall... her daughter ended up needing changing, and I still crack up at the memory of us (BOTH of us) trying to change this wiggling, crying baby... who'd made a mess everywhere!! Now, the youngest of all the kids is my daughter who's over 2 years... we've come a long way baby!!

They moved north over 6 years ago to serve as college ministers. I sooo enjoy hearing stories of their students, praying for them as they lead, and watching these wonderful relationships emerge. I miss living 2 minutes away from them. We are all super busy so we never talk as much as we should. I miss seeing their daughters grow and become young ladies on a *regular* basis... pictures and videos don't do them justice! I miss the kids not getting an opportunity to watch the 4 grown ups act like kids when we play the Wii, cook together, laugh together, and parent each other's kids (even though we have different styles and different ways). There is no one else in the world I would trust my children with, and I love their daughters like they are my own.

Say thanks to God today for that special friendship you have... far or near.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Holy Name Challenge #1

This was my "take" on the first Holy Name Challenge...

Patter @ Triple the Scraps will list a name or attribute of God every other Sunday.

Then, we find a verse or song lyrics that speak to us personally about that name or attribute.

Holy was the first attribute.

God is Holy- he is pure, unblemished, blameless.

After praying and looking around, I came (pretty quickly) about this verse in 1 Peter.

1Peter 1:16 "for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

It's very simple and straigtforward. After deciding that I would do a series of tags, I printed off the verse onto photo paper, brayered some ink over it, matted it, and put it on a piece of CM pp. the flowers are random..

On the back of the tag I've dated it and written out what I feel like is important about this verse.

You call us to *be* holy- don't try, attempt, or even succeed. Just *be*. As You are... to do that, I must *be* Christlike, be filled with the fruits of the spirit, be known as a follower of Jesus. Be Holy!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Mojo 68

I wanted to participate in the Monday Mojo Madness last week b/c it moved to it's own blog.

You can check it out here

I changed around the sketch a bit, by moving the butterfly to the other side, and eliminating the buttons/brads/whatever embellies next to the oval on each side.

I used DCWV pp and cs, CTMH stamp and sentiment.

Check out the next challenge and try to join in the fun!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Happy Birthday son...

So, if anyone can tell me how my firstborn is now 5 years old, you let me know!

I used the TechnoStamper sketch from before Christmas. CTMH school zone stamp (paper pieced) with CTMH It's a guy paper (i think?). Lots of distressing, of course. Hopefully in a few years he'll appreciate it (or his wife, or kids, or maybe grandkids??.... hmmm)

so, here is the personal part (but it's a good story!)

The passage of time has been surreal. I distinctly remember my pregnancy (developed preclampsia at 30 weeks and went downhill from there). His birth, and life, are a miracle from God.

I woke up early one morning (still too early to have a baby safely) with a headache. Took Tylenol and headed to the OB's (went a lot b/c of the preclampsia and bedrest). Told the nurse it wasn't better, so could I take some more... within a few minutes my OB walked into the room and said, "Okay, we're having a baby!" I was kinda shocked (and excited, not realizing that a headache that wouldn't go away was a HUGE danger sign for my life and my baby) but called dh and off we went to the hospital. I had to be induced b/c I wasn't far enough along. We didn't know what we were having, so there was some concern b/c boys lungs aren't as developed at that stage, but I tried to keep calm.

The next morning the induction was in full swing. Lots of labor pain, lots of waiting. My water broke around 4:30pm and I dialated a little quicker and finally was able to get my epidural after 5:30. This is where things went vastly wrong...

The doc doing the epi knew something was wrong immediately. My bp that had been high all day (preeclampsia) dropped suddenly. I told my nurse something was wrong. There was no baby movement or heartbeat and my bp was dropping. She rolled me around and got things (and the baby) stabalized. Normal bp is 100-120/70-80. My bp HAd been 140-150/100, and it had dropped to 80/50.

The doc left, the nurse didn't. The epi was completely in effect and I looked at my nurse (her name was Lisa) and said, I am not okay. No baby movement, heartbeat, and my bp was 70/50 and dropping (everytime she took it, it dropped). The on-call OB and a million nurses were in the room immediately. I don't remember much at that point, except her walking to my bed and saying, "I would like to do a c-section, okay?" I nodded, or said okay. I was REALLY going quickly.

I had the fastest c-section on record at that time. From her saying, okay, to my son out of my body was only 11 minutes. It was a 2-minute "skin to skin" (scalpel starting to cut to her touching my son). SUPER fast! The doc who did the epi wouldn't let my dh into the OR. He kept saying "I'm losing her, he can't come in"... at the time I was vaguely aware that he meant me, but was much too worried about my baby and if it was a girl or boy!

Jake had an Apgar of 1/3. Most babies are a 9/9. He was born not breathing, the cord had wrapped around his shoulder like a purse strap and everytime I had a contraction it cut off blood flow and oxygen. To shorten this part... the neonatologist (newborn specialist) told us about 48 hours after he was born that he should have been dead, severely brain damaged, in a coma.

None of those things were the case... he was in the NICU for 10 days. He was only on a ventilator for 12 hours, and had to stay so long b/c he wouldn't eat! (little did we know he'd be picky forever!)

But, he IS a miracle. Had I not been preeclampsic, had the headache that wouldn't go away, the induction that lead to my bp plummeting, no c-section would have been done so quickly and yet the cord being tangled would still have happened. The docs and nurses told us we were "blessed parents" b/c he shouldn't have lived.

Thanks for sticking through to the end (if you did)... We are blessed to have him in our lives... he's a mini-me for my husband- sweet spirit, loving, rambuctious when he wants to be, and always inquistive.

happy birthday kiddo!

Whoops a Daisy box

I was in a super crafting mood the other day and decided I'd try my hand at this cute little box. I saw the design on No time to stamp? a few months ago.

I took 2 6x6 sheets of Whoops a Daisy from CTMH and cut one of the 1/8 inch smaller. Then, just scored, cut, glued and done.

I think it turned out cute, but since it wasn't cardstock or heavyweight paper I don't know what it could actually hold!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Merry Christmas Nettie!

My best friend and her family (the hubbies are best friends as well), arrived on Monday to spend the week with us. We haven't seen them since December of last year. They have already left, and I'm ready to plan the next visit. Our kids all have a blast together and play so well that we can go quite a long time just talking and hanging out before anyone needs "Mom"...

I really hadn't planned to get anything for her, but the day before their arrival, I sat down and started quickly working on a project I saw on the scor-pal website. Even without a scor-pal you can do some of their projects.

This is a card caddy. I used Hot off the Press double sided cs I got off of HSN when I was on maternity leave 2 years ago. I still have so much left... I am so not hoarding anymore!!

I used my Doodlecharms cricut cart for the flower, CTMH garden green brads, and some "scrapbooking floss" I got at an LSS in Colleyville about 18 mos ago... that I have never touched! Again, no hoarding!

Inside I made her a few monogramed note cards that she can give to her college students, or girls in her bible studies. I made 2 different coordinating envelopes (since the cards were larger than normal). One of the envies had the pattern on the inside and 1 had the pattern on the outside.

Overall this was super easy and I was completely done within an hour and a half. Gotta love naptime!

Enjoy!

Kristin

His Holy Name Challenge

Hi all! I am going to *try* to participate in a challenge this year hosted by Triple the Scraps blogger: Patter Cross.

It starts today- January 4th on her blog. It is called His Holy Name.

Every other week she will issue a new name and/or attribute of God. I'm not sure what we'll be doing, but if you'd like to join in, please do!

I've got a blinkie/badge on the sidebar of my blog that will link to the study in addition to the link in this post.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Quilted Gate Fold Card

Gate cards are pretty popular, but I rarely do them... mostly b/c they are hard to keep closed.

I decided I wanted to try one with a new technique I read about- quilted card.

Essentially, you score your cs every inch on the diagonal and then rotate the card and do again. It creates a pretty diamond "quilt" pattern and the dry embossing gives a cool texture.

I also used adjustable scallop oval from Okie. The image is Hero Arts, which I stamped in dark brown, then used the blender pen with CTMH Buttercup and Sunflower inks. The pink heart was also done with a blender pen and a cheap inkpad from J's. Lots of sponging, and done!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Voting for Card Challenge

Hey all.... this is the 2nd post for today, so scroll down!

Here's the link to vote for our most recent blogging challenge

VOTE

Enjoy!

Kristin

Christmas Gift from Lisa... CTMH Card Set

Lisa bought me a CTMH card set from my friend Melissa for Christmas. I feel bad that I didn't get her anything... but now that she has her own cricut, hopefully all my tips will pay off for her!

I sat down to make one of the cards. I absolutely love the stamp set that came with it and 2 of the inks are some of my faves: Garden Green & Hollyhock.

So bright and cheery!

Enjoy!

Kristin