Continue to Bloom Where You Are Planted

It amazes me how quickly time is flying!

Is it just me,

or am I getting to be an old lady.

Don't answer that. ;)

Lately the term "relevant" is in my head...

how to be RELEVANT to this generation that I'm still "kicking" in.

I don't want to become outdated or unusable to these younguns that need our

 "I've lived-long-enough-to-realize" witness.

Not that I'm all that bright or wise...

 

but I've experienced a thing or two in my 45 years of life on this earth.

I've had even more to say since becoming a Christian.

I need to remember to continue growing and blooming~

not refusing to extend beyond the generation comfortable for me 

(up until 3 years ago...ha ha ha ;)  )

.

(stamp: Papertrey Ink Teach & Inspire, Flourishes Tiny Flowers & Tags,  Waltzingmouse Stamps Paris Nouveau, die: Spellbinders, ink: Versafine Onyx, Hero Arts (Soft Pool, Wet Cement), Memento Lilac Posies)

I pulled out stamp sets you can't find today ....

(one which comes from a company that I hope resurfaces)...

and combined with a current set...

hence, the nostalgia and deep thoughts...

sorry, I'm rambling...

Here are the challenges...

Simon Says (Wednesday): Die Crazy

Word Art Wednesday #201:Anything Goes

 

 

All this being rambled....

 

 

I'm so grateful for the creative world.

 

 

It's one venue that I can experiment in, with trends such as 

 

black and white accents (ME LOVES!).

 

 

Thanks for listening to an older lady carry on....  

 

 

cuz "back in my day.......

 

 

*RUN. WHILE. YOU. CAN....*

 

 

hee!!!

Grace

Ooooh, I'm so grateful for grace~

(stamp: Verve Grace/Treasured Words rectangle, dies: Papertrey Ink In the Meadow, Verve Rounded Rectangle, Sizzix star)

aren't you????

I felt this paper was apropos for Virginia's challenge.

Whenever I use my deer dies....

happy sigh. ;)

Simon Says (Wednesday): Die Crazy

Well, I've accomplished alllll I had hoped to today~got errands done and within 15 min of the house it hit me that I'm sooooo TIRED....

Now I'm wiped.

I'm sure you are too.

A woman's work is never done, right?!

Hope to get some crafty time in (hubby says I'm so different when I craft-I'm nicer! ha!)

Hope you get to create too...

for you. ;)

Have a great day friends.

Paper & Die Do the Work

Sometimes the paper and fancy die do most of the work~

 

 (stamp: Verve Poppy Birthday,ink: Versafine Onyx, die: Spellbinders Shapeabilities D-Lites Ornamental Tags, paper: Fancy Pants Designs Swagger)

I'm so down with that. ;)

I went with fall colors for

Simon Says (Wednesday): Die Crazy

Word Art Wednesday #201:Anything Goes

Gotta run errands...be back soon I hope~

Musical Centerpiece and My Crimper

Although I've been MIA for many gatherings, (details here in case you wanna catch up)

I have been so blessed to participate in the ways that I can.

I didn't attend the musical event that our homeschool classes hosted but I supplied six centerpieces.

They looked like this.

I used my Cameo for the musical flourish, a straw to hold up the design (tacked down by a glue dot)...and gorgeous jars and rocks.

I adapted this idea I found 

Pinterest 

by making the musical strips fillers, instead of the focal point.

Since I didn't have musical paper, I stamped the music with Our Daily Bread's It is Well With My Soul Hymn.

I also crimped each strip.

Adding texture to my designs with a crimper is one of my oldest and favoritist techniques.

I'm entering this in Simon Says (Monday) Challenge: Love this Technique

cuz I doooo looooovvvvee  my crimper. ;) 

I'm also submitting this to

Word Art Wednesday #201:Anything Goes

stamp: Our Daily Bread It is Well With My Soul Hymn

ink: Versafine Onyx

die: Silhouette Cameo Snapdragon Snippets Flourish Musical Notes

other: Fiskar's Crimper, straw

Mod Fall Celebration

I brought out my orange background and moderny leaves for this fall bday card.

I'm entering it in the following challenge.

I adhered this never-before-used Silhouette image and inked sentiment and leaves from Verve's Poppy Birthday for the first time for Darnell's 5th challenge.

My nail polish is appearing again...

~I was on a nail polish kick back before summer~

  I spread some gray behind the sentiment panel.

Painting nail polish on my cards is one of my favorite techniques~I'm much better at it than painting my wittle, brittle, nails. ;)

I'm entering this in Simon Says (Monday) Challenge: Love this Technique

Well, it's the middle of the week...how you holding up????

stamps: Verve Poppy Birthday

die: Silhouette Cameo Modkid Paper Dolls

other: gray nail polish

Life is Good Dear

Life IS good dear!

It really really is.

I've got a confession.

  

I'll share this card and the challenges and then I'll fess up at the end of the post for whoever cares to read on. ;)

Don't feel bad if you don't...life is CRAZY BUSY~totally understand guys.

(Technique Tuesday Ordinary Days,Simon Says Stamp Greeting Blocks dies,Papertrey Ink In the Meadow dies, Sizzix die)

Word Art Wednesday #201:Anything Goes

My word, the verse from Word Art Wednesday this week couldn't be more timely...

1 Chronicles 16:11

ok I HAVE to open up now...here we go for whoever cares to read on...

I've been "not well" since Feb...hence the MIA action.

I've been through all sorts of scans...even a diagnostic laproscopic surgery to try to find the culprit of this mysterious pain I've got going on...

but it's still unexplainable.

Everything looks good on paper...that's great

...but there is still a nagging pain for which there is zero reason.

I was even treated for INTERNAL SHINGLES cuz the pain was so bad.

Yah, it's a thing.

I took the meds just in case..couldn't hurt, right?

 

Only God knows what this is.

For now...I'm ok with that.

The miracle is, He has given me peace through all of this.

I'm usually such a wimp guys...you don't even know.

It's fair to say I've bordered on being a hypochondriac throughout my life.

But this time, it's different.

I've faced scans, several doctors and surgery with zero fear of death...

I know it's God.

He has seriously given me strength to endure serious pain for which there is no explanation.

It's not constant, mind you..but it strikes without warning.

As a result...I've missed church, grad parties...and I've had to take it 

one day.

at.

a time.

I'm grateful for each day He gives me.

It could be serious.

It could be nothing (I might live 'til I'm 80!)

Either way, God holds my future. 

I'm not sure why I feel led to "put my biz" out there...I'm not asking for sympathy or even attention...

I just feel like someone needs to know that they aren't alone in pain...

hey...I'm waiting in a hallway too, guys.

Somehow, some way...God can use this.

We aren't forgotten, even when we feel that way.

I may not be the old me 

but this is a new me...

and I have to say...

I'm OK.

 I'm at peace.

 ~as long as God is there with me~

That is all.

Life is good dear.