What a great weekend!

I had 2 workshops this past weekend and they were both great! (Pictures to follow this evening).  Friday night was pajama night and we had a great time jamming to some 80's music.  I think comfort and creativity go well together!

Sunday I had a mom and daughter (12) over for another workshop...the other mom and daughter pair scheduled to come had to cancel due to illness.  It was fun to see a "younger" point of view on the kit we were working with.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well!!

Getting Prepared...

There is so much I still need to finish up for my workshops coming up this weekend.  I will have pictures afterwards, but probably nothing before then. :(  We will be doing the Wings Workshop on the Go scrapbook layouts and probably a few cards if there is time.  Can't wait to see it all come together (hopefully that will be this evening...I hate to be so behind on my prep work this close to the workshop...it stresses me out!)

I am excited to have 9 participants signed up for this weekend!!  I hold workshops in my apartment, so space is limited to about 4 per session and this is the most I've had for one weekend...how fabulous is that?

Stay tuned for pictures!

Oohh, I found some more creations!

I've been so bad about taking pictures of my work and posting it, but I came across these pictures today of some cards I made pretty early on in my card making career and thought I'd get them posted before I lose them again!  (I really need to do some picture organizing soon).  I am REALLY bad at keeping track of what supplies I've used...but I'll do my best to note them if I can remember! 

Supplies: Card base-DCWV textured cards, Everything else-I have no recollection!!

All supplies from one of SEI's club kits.

Supplies: Paper-DCWV, Ribbon-??, Stickers-from Wal-Mart

Supplies - Again, I have no idea...I know that the stamp was one I bought out of the dollar bin at Michael's and I cut some of the flowers on my Cricut.  I think the paper might be from K&Company back in the day.

Supplies: Card base is out of DCWV cardstock, Patterned Paper-SEI, Ribbon-???

Supplies: I think this paper is from a pack I bought at Wal-Mart a very long time ago.  I know I cut the letters and the flowers on the Cricut.

This paper is from SEI and the 'love' cut is from the Cricut.

This paper is also SEI (Mimosa).  I printed the sentiment out on vellum and used sheer ribbon scraps behind the brad.

All of the supplies for this card were from SEI except for the sentiment that I printed out on vellum.  I think the paper line from SEI is Dill Blossom.

I think that's all for now...enjoy!

A not so BLAH Wednesday!

Usually Wednesdays are hard for me to get through.  I just want the week to be over already!  But today, I had lunch with some of my pals from when I worked at the Boot Camp and it was GREAT to catch up a bit and be with some incredible women.  Sometimes I think we all just need to reconnect with people from our past.  It was refreshing and fun.

Until the next time...

Sad Ending...

The person responsible for the murder of Officer David Crawford has been arrested...a 16 year old boy.  Sixteen.  What were you doing at sixteen?  I was hanging out with my girlfriends, had mad crushes on a few boys, went to football and basketball games and cheered for my school.  I was in show choir and the band.  I went to church with my family and had family meals around the dinner table.  We had curfews, chores and lots of rules. 

I didn't run around with a bad crowd...I think my teen rebellion took me so far as to sneak out to a movie or a school dance.  I didn't play with guns and I certainly wasn't walking the streets on a Monday night with one in my pocket, and shooting a law enforcement officer NEVER would have crossed my mind.  What is this world coming to? 

Our communities are broken...but I feel with all my heart the answer to this mayhem is Jesus.  Society has tried to remove Him from all that we do and all that we are exposed to and now we are surely suffering for it.  I feel for the family of this 16 year old boy and it saddens me to know that this boys life is over too; but he should spend the rest of his life in prison for this crime. 

My heart aches for the family of Officer Crawford and all the members of the LEO community tonight.  May they begin the healing process knowing a killer is off the streets.  God please comfort and protect those out tonight protecting us.

Not again...

Another officer in St. Petersburg has been killed in the line of duty.  I heard about the shooting before going to bed last night, prayed that this officer would pull through, but woke up this morning to hear that he had not survived.  This is the third, yes, the THIRD officer from the St. Pete PD killed in less than a month.

What is wrong with people today?  Is there no respect for human life?  People often make comments about why officers killed in the line of duty get so much coverage, when murders happen every day.  I think the reason is simple...if a piece of garbage is willing to kill a law enforcement officer to avoid arrest or just because they see the opportunity to do so, what makes you think they value your life or that they wouldn't think twice to kill you? 

In today's society, there are unfortunately those individuals who feel that killing a cop gives them "street cred" or elevates their status among their peers...this is the world we are living in, whether you want to believe it or not.  These shootings and killing anger me, not just because they are police officers and I work in a law enforcement agency, but because of the lack of regard for human life.  Do not get me wrong, I am angered when I read about anyone being murdered or abused, these types of incidents just take it to a whole different level.

Please pray for Officer Crawford's family during this unbearably difficult time, he was a married father of one daughter.  I pray for the officers still looking for the person responsible for this brutal crime that they may stay safe and unharmed. 

Operation Write Home

I came across information about Operation Write Home a couple of weeks ago through the Discussion Boards for CTMH consultants.  I haven't been able to shut my brain down since.  http://www.operationwritehome.org/

I would encourage anyone reading this blog to check it out.  They will take any amount of handmade cards you can send...and donations too that will help them with the hundreds of dollars a week they spend on shipping these cards to our troops.  I've been so impressed with the website and even have exchanged emails with Sandy & Dixie last week and everyone seems so kind and genuine.

More to come on this topic...I've got some plans I need to figure out first!

Yes, I am a slacker...

I have not posted anything on my blog in FOREVER, but I have been super busy I promise.  Here are a few of the goodies I've made the past few months...there's more to post, but I'm only working with the pics I've uploaded to my work computer...sshhh...don't tell!

This card uses paper from the Miracle paper pack (CTMH), bamboo and colonial white cardstock (CTMH) and the Miracle Stickease (CTMH).  I also used itty bitty sparkles and colonial white buttons from CTMH.  The blue rhinestone and sheer cream ribbon was from my stash.  The pattern for this card was cased from a fellow CTMH consultant.

This card uses paper from the Topstictch paper pack, baby pink and colonial white cardstock from CTMH.  The stamp image and sentiment is from a CTMH stamp set called Childhood Portrait (D1373).  I also used itty bitty brads from CTMH and the stamping was done in Chocolate ink from CTMH.

Ok, ok, so some of these cards are ones I did a long time ago...but they still need to be seen, right?  I don't know why it's so hard for me to remember to take pictures of the things I create, but I will try to do better.