Easter Photos

Thank you, Easter Bunny! Bok! Bok!


Cousins at the Church Easter Egg Hunt



Yummy! Church Easter Feast
(Don't you love the deviled egg bunny?)

The four of us

Our sweet girls

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from my family to yours! Today is indeed a most blessed day.

(I dug into the archives to find some artwork to share for today. This card from last year uses the Eastertime stamp set and

the emerging color technique. The layout shows our Easter '06 celebration and traditions, many of which we will relive today.)

Happy birthday, BJ!

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday, and we celebrated with her at the lovely (and delicious) Brasstown Valley Resort. Here you can (hopefully) see the girls giving her a Cherokee basket that we bought on our trip. JC thought it was very funny that a "Longaberger Lady" would give a basket of a different sort, but with BJ's Cherokee heritage and her efforts at educating others about Native peoples, we thought it was quite the thing. Happy birthday, BJ! We love you!

Home again!

We are back home from a busy camping trip in Pigeon Forge! We left in the rain, drove through the sleet and snow, found out how good our heater is, and all in all had a great time. I will post pictures tomorrow.

Memory Box Workshop

Last Saturday was my Memory Box workshop. Participants received a My Creations Memory Keeper Box and a sheet of Fresh Shapes Dimensional Elements (chipboard) and had the option of adding on a 9"x9" My Creations Memory Showcase accordian album.

My great customers graciously allowed me to take pictures of them with their gorgeous creations. Ann plans to finish hers with a few Just Blooms flowers in the center and will stamp "For everyday" on the tag.

Joy plans to use her box to hold keepsakes from her daughter's wedding (though I hear she's changed the cover a bit). Can you see how she used pieces of a large pink Just Blooms flower to create butterfly wings? She used pieces of the Fresh Shapes Dimensional Elements to construct the butterfly body. Nancy (at right) stamped a design along the edges of her box. I love how she incorporated a tag from one of our classes last year into her box top!

Here are a few shots of my box, which will be a gift for my little monkey on her birthday later this month. She picked the Good Times paper pack as her favorite and has no idea how I've used it for her. (I have plenty of paper left over for her scrapbook.)

Can you tell that I sponged the Dimensional Elements frame and flourish in Sweet Leaf with my foam texture tool and then used the black stubble tool to add specks of Twilight? Also, I paper-pieced the monkeys but first stamping them on Chocolate textured cardstock that I lightly sanded first and then stamping them onto Colonial White cardstock. I ended up sponging a little Chocolate ink onto the Colonial White faces because they were too stark. Before I give her the box, I will adhere the two flaps shown in the last photo, but until I do it will lie flat.

View from My Window

Snow showers are expected for today, so I am glad that I snapped these photos before the freezing cold! The first is the view from my living room window this time of year: the tulip magnolia in the foreground and the weeping cherry in the background both bloom in gorgeous shades of orchid.

The girls and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching a pair of blue jays build a nest in the evergreen by our front door. They both perch often on the tulip tree on their way to or from their nest, with bits of building material in their beaks. Unfortunately they are too quick for me to capture with the camera!

The second view is standing under the weeping cherry looking up into its frothy branches. The bees and eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies think it is a glorious haven.

Enjoy this little glimpse of beauty. Take time to smell the flowers and to relish the simple pleasures in life.

On the Road Again

And we're off! The camper's packed, we have our coats and gloves, and we're headed north. What were we thinking? Seriously though, I'd rather be cold in the mountains than cold at the beach! I might have snow pictures to post when we return- and my family and friends back at home may also have snow pictures to share. Brr!

Palm Sunday

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day in the mountains! Here the girls posed (and hammed it up) under our weeping cherry tree, which is absolutely spectacular this time of year. (I am worried that tomorrow's frost may zap the blooms, so look for an upcoming post in all its glory.)

Ansley did a great job as assistant acolyte at church. She was a little nervous this first time but things went well. (I haven't shared some of my acolyte mistakes with her yet, but I will. I never got fired or ruined a service so there's hope.)

The camper's almost packed for us to head out today. Too bad snow is expected tonight and tomorrow! Not exactly how we had planned to spend the break, but we'll have fun regardless.

Sadness

Yesterday my Mom and I went to the memorial service for my dear friend Traci's sister. (Traci and I have taught together for MANY years, and for the past 3 we have been co-teachers together in the same classroom.) It has been a long difficult month, but now Terry is in a much, much better place. As hard as it is to lose a loved one, it is some comfort to know that their suffering is over. My heart goes out to Traci and her family as they learn to live with this hole in their lives, and I pray that God will give them comfort and peace.

Scatter Sunshine card

May you scatter sunshine wherever you go!

Normally I do not create 6"x6" cards because they require extra postage to mail, but I just had to play with my April World Puzzle stamp set to commemorate the new month. This card follows the "Simple & Sweet" sketch from Originals. I used Creme Brulee cardstock, ink, and ribbon, Hollyhock ink and ribbon, Blush ink, and some scraps from my Daydream paper pack. The sunshine stamp fit perfectly on the metal-rim tag. Happy April!

April Stamp of the Month: World's Best Dad

The CTMH April stamp of the month, the World's Best Dad, has a playful fishing motif, making this set perfect for any man (or woman) who loves tossing out a line. Available April 1-30, 2009, only.

My card features the Stardust paper pack and the World's Best Dad set without the fishing motif. To achieve the effect of a rainbow pad, I first inked up the World's Best Dad stamp in Bamboo, then inked the top of the saying in Topiary, inked the bottom in Moonstruck, and then stamped it on the square. I embellished w/the Chocolate Mini-Medley My Accents and tan hemp. (The sketch for this card also came from Originals. I LOVE this book, and hear that a second card-making book, Wishes, will be available in June. Woohoo!)

You can see more of the World's Best Dad under My Art. Each month, I host a "virtual" stamp of the month swap for CTMH consultants. If you're a consultant and would like to learn more, contact me because we're starting a new swap for the Summer SOMs. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled blog. :)

No Fooling: Fantastic Special TODAY

Today is April Fool's Day (as if you didn't know that), but no, this isn't a prank on you. I haven't ever been big on this day and its pranks anyway. I can't wait to see what my school kiddos will try- we haven't been in school on this day for several years.

Today only, Longaberger is offering a fantastic special on the wrought iron magazine rack- only $15 today ONLY (over 50%)! Check it out at my Longaberger site.


It's not just a magazine rack! Use it to
-organize jewelry
-organize belts and scarves
-hold kitchen towels
-keep your phone book close at hand
-and much more!