Creative Expressions

100 posts today, this is 101!

I just realized with the last post, I've posted one hundred times to this blog!  I feel like I should win a prize, but then why?

One thing I'm reflecting on right now is that even though I may have made so many things, most are usually rushed to meet the deadlines.  One thing I hope to change by post 200 is to try not to be so rushed and enjoy the detail of creating much more. 

Maybe I can actually take time just to "create," instead of doing swaps and meeting deadlines all the time.  I'll have to think on this more!  One thing I WILL do it to invite more friends over just for the sake of spending a day to create and letting the imagination flow!  Another group I'm in calls them Migraine parties (an excuse to call into work sick and go stamp all day.).  I don't want to do that but I do know that by having friends over who are creating along side you, it is very encouraging and fun!

Hummmm....I'll have to work on this one and see where I am for the next 100 posts!  ;)

Happy Camping with Stamping Friends!

I just wanted to share with you some pictures from our great campout weekend!  It was with a group of stamping friends that I went with to get them out in a different setting.  It's a great way to get closer to them by sharing a cabin, a tent, or a campfire!    Here's a some pictures, our cabins are in the background.

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And the food was Scrumtious!!!!!!  Here a few of the mouth watering meals we had!

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Of course there were desserts too!  I had to make them my Dutch oven desserts, can't go on a campout with out that!  And Banana Boats in the campfire, YUM!!!

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Of course, being that we are a stamping group, we can go without for too long!  We got in shopping trips to the local rubberstamping stores.....

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And some impronto demos and stamping time at camp!

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All in all, it was a great time for building friendships!  Can't wait for next year!

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I'm in there somewhere, with this pictures, I'm the one taking them!  ;)  This was the second time I got them outside camping, hope they all come with me again next year!

Checked out yet again!

This has been one crazy wild summer for me!  Everytime I turn around, I'm taking off for a camp trip or hike.  And lots of it to do with stamping too!  Last weekend I took 12 other stamping buddies on a camping trip. It was so much fun, being in charge of the group, there were a couple hiccups I had to take care of but all in all, it wasn't nearly as bad as most women's groups I've been with.  (That's why I like this group so much, none of that caddy stuff I hate so much!)  We eat, shopped at rubber stamp stores, explored the area, crafted, sat around the campfire and talked story.  And being the stamping group they are, there was even an impronto demo here and there!  Just a really good time!

Some aren't as avid a camper as others but they all had a great time.  And I must be rubbing off on some of them because several have written me to say how much they enjoyed the camping and they never knew it could be so much fun.  One really tickled me because she was telling me how she had started to go camping on her own and had learned from me to keep the camp tidy and leave it better than when you find it.    And was asking for camping recipes to do.  My Daddy's lessons do carry on!

One more weekend of adventure fun and then it's back to the grind (the day job) for awhile.  But only until the next stamping get together!  I've got a few SWAPS to complete and also my next stamp camp to plan for.  And I'm hosting a Shoebox Party at my house for a group of friends next month.  And in October, I'll be going to the Stampin Up Regionals at Portland, Or; and to a friends house for another shoebox party in San Francisco later in the month.  Plus somewhere I'll be planning for a Christmas/ Holiday Stamp a Stack at my house.  All before Novemeber!  So you'll be seeing pictures and activity very soon. 

The night before my camping trip, I decided I wanted to do something special for my fellow campers so I made these boxes with candy and special tag.  Nothing big, just a little something, I'm not sure anyone noticed them but a couple people commented.  But they are so easy to do!  Tomorrow I'll give a quick online lesson on folding this little box.  Very simple and quick for a quicky gift!

Quote for inspiration...

I had a marvelous weekend!  I was away for a Women's Ministry Leadership Planning retreat (say that three times fast!).  That's what the last few projects I shard with you here were for.  And where we were was so inspiring, we stayed in one of the Ladies Parent's home on a lagoon off the Puget Sound (Washington State).  There was a deck that looked out over the water, and we were entertained by wildlife and birds all weekend.  Raccoons, Eagle, Hawk, and lots of little birds (Finches, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and others)that came into the many birdfeeders about the house.  Even entertained by their cat who really wanted a kitty snack but we just wouldn't let him out!

And her parents were very good arists themselves.  They hung many of their own artwork pieces about the house.  The father does chipcarving and had beautiful pieces of Northwest Native American art all about the house.  The mother paints wonderfully and there were corners of inspiration too.  A chicken here, a field of daisies there and few few children poses here and there.  ;) And what they didn't do their own parents also had pieces hanging like a picture of Alaska and a dog sleg with team and driver.  All displayed in a beautiful home that the father designed and built hemself (with help from friends).  Wow!

With the "wild outdoors" around us and the inspirations of art inside, it was such a peaceful and encouraging house to be in!  And I felt God all about me!  It may well be a stepping stone to how I do my house from here on out!  I wish I took more pictures of their house.  Anyway, even if it wasn't a stamping retreat, I still am very revived to do more stamping and creating and very soon! 

Meanwhile, here is a quote of inspiration I saw recently to keep us going:

- Life is what happens when you are waiting for take-out...why not paint while waiting?  Kathy Yu

So I say, why not stamp while your waiting!

More projects and art pieces soon!  ;)

A "must have" for your scrapbook caddy!

Okay, now I unloaded my scrapbook caddy so I can repack for this weekend.  I got it emptied and left the room, for five minutes...only FIVE MINUTES!  Then I look in in box and there is something very furry!  LOL  My Cat, Stormy, decided it made a good sleeping spot! 
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Then I waited five more minutes by taking pictures and look what she does!
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Now what do I do!?!?!?  LOL  Remind me who's the human in this house.  ;)

Just had to share!  Guess I can pack around her until she wakes up!

Catching Up!

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything here, I've been away on vacation this last couple weeks with my teenage boys (Thank God they are good boys!).  But I'm ready to hit the ground running as I prepare for a Women's Ministry Leadership Retreat this weekend (of course I hope to make lots of things for them too!) and then finishing up on some Swaps and more playing with my stamping toys!  Plus I'll have a Stamp Camp in August and a special class project from my Hostess Club members.  And I hope to "just create" over the next month while my boys are gone with their Dad, something I never get to do!

So stay tuned, don't give up on me yet!  Very soon, you will see more stamping projects here.  And I've been thinking about adding some tutorials here too.  Still working out the details but I think it would be good for all of us!  ;)

So, I certainly hope you're relaxing and enjoying your lazy days of summer!  I will be posting very soon!

Tribute to a friend, Lynn Jennings

Please indulge me as I pay my respects to my friend Lynn Jennings.  She went home with the Lord two nights ago in her sleep.  She suffered from cancer for some time but it still was a shock to hear that she is gone.  I got the call yesterday about her passing and I've been tearful ever since.  But God was good by not letting Lynn suffer very long with her earthly body.  She was carried home early Monday Morning July 9th and is at her heavenly home now, happy and free of pain.  And if I know Lynn, she's infecting heaven with her smile and her happy spirit!

She was and is a gracious, wonderful human being.  It was an honor to have known her.  As a fellow Christian Sister, she shown brightly for Jesus Christ!  She was so gracious and so giving of herself.  I remember a time when she was asked to drive a group of people somewhere.  She was abit nervous about it because she didn't know the area she was driving but she never told anyone about it.  She just jumped in and did the task.  She was like that with everything, always giving and never taking!

One of the last times I got to spend with her was when we attended the stamping retreat in April.  She was in alot of pain but she told me that there was no way she wanted to miss being with her stamping buddies.  She was abit more quiet than usual but you could see her taking it all in.  and it was very rare to look over at Lynn and not see her beautiful smile and bright eyes.  The first retreat I attended in 2005, she was the first person to sit with me and talk with me.  She found out I had three boys and she started sending me some surprises int eh mail for my boys like stickers and things.  Small things but it came packed with lots of care and love.  I also attended a Shoebox PArty (SBP) with her recently and I got to sit next to her.  I will now treasure those moments I had with her. ( I think I will be holding one to her project just abit longer too)

She loved to be with the party too.  I can't think of any SBP or retreat or stamping event she missed!  Suzanne, our list owner, posted a tribute of pictures of Lynn and their was one thing in common in every single picture....her smile.  She was ALWAYS smiling!!!!  And it was a warm sincere smile that spoke to your very heart.  I swear is was Jesus shining through!

She was a bit of a jokester too.  She had a dry sense of humor that would just catch you off your feet sometimes.  She'd say something that just would make you stop, then she'd flash that smile of hers and have you laughing with her.   And she was very tall, like 6 foot 4 inches, or something close.  Her body was very tall but her soul was at least 60 feet taller!  The Lord did very good with this soul, I pray I'm half what Lynn was here on earth! 

As a friend and stamping buddy, she was so talented and giving.  She loved to share whatever she had with someone else, never asking for herself.  Even in the last 6 weeks, she keep her sickness to herself and didn't want the attention on her.  We got wind that she was sick but I had no idea is was this serious.  Or maybe I just didn't want to think about it.  I remember about one event she wanted to be with her friends so much that she stayed int eh van while the party came to her!  I wasn't there but I understand it was a blessing to see her doing so well at the time.

It just goes to show you that your time here on earth can be very long or very short.  But it's what you do with "the dash" that counts. In other words, between your born date and your death date on your tombstone, there's a dash, what does that mean in your life?  For Lynn, it spoke volumes!

The world dimmed abit Monday morning because Lynn is now longer on earth but heaven just got a whole lot brighter because she's up there dancing with the angels......and flashing her beautiful smile without pain!!!

If you'd like to leave comment below, you are welcome to do so.  She was loved by many but she shined with love ever more so!

What a week I had!

...and it was all about stamping and creating!  Wednesday night I went to help a friend do a test run on her class for a project.  I'll be helping her witht he class too.  I don't want to post a picture of it until after the class is held but wow, what a cool box I made!

Thursday was supposed to be about stamping with a couple friends at my house.  But one of my friends had emergency eye surgery and couldn't come.  (Her retina popped out!  Pray for her, she's healing now).  So the other friend and I decided to go to diner instead and "just catch up."  ;)  That was nice.

Friday, I spend an evening with a group of ladies and a Art Coach.  The focus was about "word play, words about me."  We made some word wands that focused on ourselves and visuals about those thoughts.  I made a couple, one focused on my faith and spiritual side, and one one my side for fun and adventure.  I was slow, didn't get very far, we were to make five wands that evening.  Most of the evening was getting in touch with ourselves and how we feel about ourself and those around us.    It was a different kind of evening, I'm still trying to get my head around it to see if it will be a good thing for me to continue or not.  The coach is just learning too, so I know she'll get better as time goes along too.  Not that she was bad, but the meanings she presents will be deeper I think.  And being a friends, I want to encourage her to keep doing it.  I know with more experience she will be really good!  She likes to help people "get in touch" and she has lots of good listening skills.  She's got an ease about her that makes you feel good to share but on the same token, she knows how to ask the "deep" thought provoking questions too and to draw the answers out of you.  When she gets really experienced, then I won't be able to afford her!  But it did make for an interesting evening.

Saturday, I spend with a group of friends, partly in celebration of one of their birthdays and partly just to encourage each other and keep each other company while we each were working on our own projects.  I was working on my GTKY SWAP for July.  It's not complete yet, but I make great progress.  Also, one of the ladies on our online group invented a new way to use microbeads and make actual beads.  So during this day, we got a couple melting pots out, some head pins and microbeads and started to experiment.  It actually was quite addicting!  I ended up making 30 beads that day!  A friend of mine took them to make a bracelet for me but then I suggested that maybe I could meet with her too and learn how myself!  (Yeh, another playdate!)

Yesterday, Sunday, a group of us hopped in a car and drove 2 1/2 hours to visit a friend. Her health hasn't been very good and she isn't able to come over on a whem like she used to.  So we "surprised her" (we actually gave her warning we were coming but brought he party to her!) with a Shoebox party.  My project was a simple little lunch tin.  We had lots of fun and frolic as we did our little crafting projects together.  But most of all, I think it cheered this one woman up just by us letting her know she's cared for!

So, I owe you a couple of pictures tonight.  But I just wanted to sure this great busy week with you and to say, go have some fun too!

Good "Migraine" Vacation day!

Last Wednesday, one of my friends held a "migriane party" for us.  It's where a stamping day is set aside for a group of friends but it's during the work week.  So the idea is that you call in with a "migraine."  (But I think everyone is so honest in this group, we all took a real vacation day (or had the day off) to come!)

Anyway, we just get together and work on our individual stamping projects (well I guess it doesn't "have to be" stamping!)  There just is something nicer about getting your production done when you're sitting with a group of your buddies!  I sat next to one person who was making the cutest little teddy bears out of liquid applique and flock for ATCs, and another who was working with a pile of paper and just "creating!"  Yet another was doing a new technique invented in our group for her ATCs.  Some others who were working on ATCs, cards, and lots of goodies.  One had brought her sewing machine and was really sewing on her projects.

It was also a day of friends, frolic, food and fun.  Which is fun to do once in awhile to break up the day to day routine.  I also like to go because even just watching others at work, I always learn new ways to do things.  Even if it's in using a basic tool.  Isn't it funny how we get set in doing something one way and then you see in in a different light when someone else is doing it!  That's how I learn.  We also have a few impronto demos and quite a few oohs and aahs as you saw people working!  Just a really fun day! 

I took 4 projects, hoping ot get my SWAP commitments done. However, I only accomplished one!  But that's okay, one thing good about it is that I have all the parts ready to go -and together!  And it was one done anyway!  I think I'm too detailed sometimes with my work.  I like the natural detail in things and I tend to be a perfectionist too.  But as I learn of other cool tools to use, my ability is broadening.  I tend to struggle with the hard way until I see something easier to do! 

Anyway I just wanted to share my really good day. And between tonight and this weekend, I'll get some pictures posted!  May your weekend be productive and mine I hope will be! 

Just for fun - My first roses this year

Would you like ot see me first roses of the year?  It's so fun to wake up and see all this bright color on my deck! I have 6 rose bushes on my deck and five out of 6 are blooming!  Summer is here!

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