Penny Lane "Free Bird" by MME

"Free Bird" arrived at the LSS on my last day working there and I was thrilled to snag it, and all the new collections by My Mind's Eye! The "Free Bird" collection took me on an immediate flashback to highschool dances in the late '70s - seems every dance closed with "Freebird" by Lynard Skynard. Anyone else share this HS memory?

I immediately set out to create a layout using the Free Bird collection - starting on Monday, and not finishing until Saturday. With my new job I found only a bit of time to scrap this past week, but I plan to remedy that somehow. Inspired by the die-cut sentiment “every day deserves celebration” I immediately had thoughts of the annual birding day Jesse and I take each October to celebrate our anniversary.



For the look on the Magistical Memories “Happy Tree” I painted a base coat of gecko green, and while the paint was wet added drops of alcohol ink, which fanned out into circles -the wet paint prevented them from spreading out too much.


To make the "brad" I punched a bird shape from the PP, glued it to a chipboard circle and edged with brown marker and topped with dimensional glaze. The circle pattern on the tree ties in with the PP design to the right.


For the Magistical Memories “Bird” by Toni Rivera, part of the NEW release, I applied a base coat of acrylic to it and put a top coat of Duncan iridescent paint over the top - the shimmer does not show so well in the photo. I have been on a kick lately of using our parrot's molted feathers on my LOs vs. putting them in the trash. Just so happens these layered green feathers match the green in the paper perfectly. (LOL)

So, back to the song lyrics...anyone swaying to the music in their head yet? I actually had to look up the lyrics - it's been too long! This phrase, I thought, was interesting:
"... cause Im as free as a bird now,
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I cant change."

Well, how ill-worded is that? Because I KNOW from personal experience that a person CAN CHANGE with the Lord's help. I've not always trodden the straight and narrow path, but thankfully, because of God's grace and forgiveness, I have been set FREE as a bird to live a new life in Christ. Life is all about the choices we make. We can make all the excuses in the world and claim that we cannot change who we are, but we can with God's help, and sometimes that is the ONLY way we can be changed. If there is something about yourself, an activity or habit that you are not proud of, ask God to set you free from the darkness and He will be by your side. There is no greater feeling than to feel "free as a bird" when your old life/sin dies and you become new again in the Spirit! God bless!

First Day on the New Job!

I haven't had a chance to email everyone so thought I would post a job update here first. My first day on the new job went well, although somewhat uninteresting. The gal at St Louis HQ had written down that I start on Weds. so I was not yet entered in the system to have access. I did lots of drawer cleaning (as in sort small and large paperclips) LOL, dusted nuks and crannies on my paper trays - that kind of stuff. While doing all this I rather realized where Kyle gets that OCD from...(LOL)

Once I have access tomorrow I can begin my on-line training. Keith (the Financial Advisor I work with) sent me home at 3. We chatted earlier in the morning and it turns out I did not have to cancel the every other Friday morning bible study group I led at the coffeehouse. I met with some gals from 8:30-9:30 - and he said I could have just come in later on those Fridays. Go figure... not paid of course, but the fact that he was that flexible. I already rescheduled the group to a Thursday evening, but will still meet our daycare person/one of my very good friends, probably once a month as Friday is the only day she doesn't watch kids and was available.

I suspect I am going to love my job and it is going to be one of the best things that has happened to me - good pay, excellent benefits, understanding and flexible boss, kids can come hang out and visit me... totally loved being able to "run" home to snag a book to read when it was obvious the day was going to be slow. I think this is my payback for being very tolerant and enduring the less desireable aspects of my last two jobs. (LOL)

No art to share today - just wanted to post before going to bed. The greatest adjustment may be the less than an hour on the home PC each day. Wow!

Digi Share Time

Woo hoo! Managed to whip out two digi layouts this evening to complete my February CT assignments for Kjoi Studios. I used Lori Imel's – Be in Prayer Collection from Kjoi Studio, as well as a few extra digi elements from Kjoi and Faithsisters designers.

It feels good to have this off my to do list, as I am about ready to BURST forth into a new career on Tuesday as an Edward Jones Branch Office Administrator. I am excited to begin yet another new career, excited to meet new people, and EXCITED to be home with my family on weeknights and weekends!



Here is another layout featuring a scene from a favorite park Jesse and I like to visit on our anniversary day out in October. Each year we take a day off to celebrate our anniversary while the kids are in school. If it is nice we go hiking and enjoy the fall views. Brigham Park is almost always a stop. From a bench, just beyond these trees, we typically can watch bluebirds flitting around on a farm field fence below. It is also a great place to lay on the ground and try to catch that leaf falling in mid air on the camera...have not yet been successful, but someday! (LOL)

Have you created a layout of your favorite place to go, either alone or with a friend or family member? I would love to see it - please share a link in the comment section below.

Tomorrow is President's Day. I am off as the office is closed on this holiday. I am thrilled not to have to go into Madison to shop for pants for our growing boy. My good friend Brenda dropped off a large bag of pants this evening containing size 14 slim, or adjustable, pants and jeans! What a help!! A trip to the chiropractor in early morning to ensure my back is up to my new job (sitting at a desk can really take a toll if I am not conscience of posture) - a couple of spasms this past week has me wanting to nip things in the bud as I don't feel I can take time off for appointments once at a new job.

I hope to get a lot accomplished on Monday, and need to gather up my papers and such to report to work Tuesday. I also have a lot of cardstock scraps to file and ensure my workspace is cleared off. I need to try to do a better job of cleaning as I go so that my space is ready for creating when I have a moment of time.

Lincoln is still my favorite president of all time. The more I learn about the man the more I wish he were president right now. (LOL) Happy President's Day - and remember to find joy in the journey!

Enough....Unconventional...Eye Candy

What do those three words have in common? Nothing, other than they are used somewhere in this blog post. (LOL)

Today's shared creation was inspired by a song called "Enough", which I hope you will listen to while reading this blog. (Please click on the Chris Tomlin track #2 in the right sidebar.) It is a powerful song to remind us that through our trials and tribulations, through times of despair and feelings of hopelessness, God is ENOUGH, and He will provide for our needs.

I created this layout for the Journaling Contest at ACOT. So, of course I have to share the journaling with you:
On January 16th my position at the store was eliminated due to declining sales. The owner had no other option, but to eliminate management from the payroll; I actually felt worse for her than myself. I had a sense of peace, and thought, “if this is happening God must have a reason - He is in control.”
The second week into my job search Jesse and I sat down to make out a grocery list. We discussed foods that could make a meal to last days. We dug deep into the pantry and cupboards to see what we had that could stretch the grocery dollar - we had to give serious thought on how to make ends meet should we have to make it on one income. The next day we sang "Enough" during worship, and the words spoke to my heart. Yes, our food might become rationed, we might end up eating PBJs, but no matter - God is more than ENOUGH and He satisfies every need. “Enough” is about TRUST, and the lyrics were a reminder to trust the Provider through all trials. As I sang, much of it through tears, I felt so blessed to feel and know God's presence in my life. He is and will be more than...



The layout itself is a hybrid. I used Photoshop to add grunge overlays to the photo and mat. The overlay, designed by Kara Jones at Kjoi Studios, had a yellow overlay placed on top, and the design itself was flipped to create a torn/distressed frame around the photo. I also used the original black grunge overlay to add texture to the photo mat and carry over onto the photo. The stressed image is a reflection of the stressed time that this layout represents.

I had actually been considering doing this layout in grays and black to reflect the feelings of the journaling, and adding a bright splash of color to represent the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ. When Cath Evaldson issued a challenge this past week "dreaming in gray and yellow", it was all I needed to drop everything and get this layout created, which has been on my mind for several weeks.

There is symbolism throughout this layout.

The bird which reminds me of the passage in Matthew 6 where God tells us not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear. He feeds the birds of the air, and are we not more important than they? I even added a feather, courtesy of our lovebird, as a reminder of the passage where God knows the number of hairs on our head, and He keeps His eye on the sparrow.


There is a family of four created with Magistical Memories Potty People, representing four mouths to feed.


I rummaged through our cupboards, much like we did a few weeks ago, seeking box labels sporting yellow, and a bread bag tag in yellow to date the layout. Ohter unconventional items include a grocery receipt and expired coupon.

And just in case you don't have ENOUGH stuff...check out Melissa's blog. She is sharing great eye candy made with new DCWV and has a great giveaway. Be sure to check in by Feb. 19th for a chance to win!

In these hard economic times I know we are all thinking twice about using our stash. This layout sports some pretty old papers. Note the KI Memories from several years ago, Scenic Route that is so old I don't even know when Scenic Route paper ever looked like that (the sun design paper), and some scraps of the newer Basic Grey release from last year. If times are tough and you cannot afford new scrap supplies...look through your stash. You will be amazed how you can make the old look fresh and new again by mixing and cutting it up!

Enjoy the journey...and remember that God is enough for every thirst, every need, He satisfies...

Yellow, Gray and what...?

I think I am almost out of yellow and gray in my stash. (LOL) Cath Evaldson posted a FB challenge to use yellow and gray for a project, so I pulled out everything I could find in that scheme - not a whole lot in my stash.

However, the first LO I created is primarily yellow and gray with a few accents of red. I created it for the ACOT Journaling Contest, but once done I really liked it - it uses unconventional project and is really about the times we are living in. So rather than share it on line I decided to send it to Memory Makers Skylimit open submission - and of course they only accept unseen work. Of course I am:


But if one doesn't dream life would be dull, right? Seriously, if MM likes it they have to respond in 48 hrs as I am for sure posting it to ACOT, and I already submitted it to some other magazines as well. Fat chance anyone will bite on it, which means I can share with all of you soon.

As soon as I finished Cath's challenge a similar color scheme challenge was posted at Scrap4Life - using yellow, gray and pink. Whoa...I still had product out and dug a little deeper into my Basic Grey stash. How ancient is some of the papers in "Dream Big" eh? I stayed up WAY too late - 1 a.m. to get this challenge done. The hardest part of my new job will be changing my late night scrapping habit. I love to scrap in the quiet of the night, and never feel tired as long as the mojo is flowing. BUT I will need to be sharp at my new job so I can learn, thus I think I will be going through creative withdrawal. I don't dare start a project at 9 pm as time just flies away unnoticed when I am creating.

I also made to cute cards with the yellow and gray combo - will save them for tomorrow so you less to read today, and I have something to post tomorrow. Thanks for coming by!

Life is full of IFs

Another not so new layout, but a favorite still and worth sharing this time of year. Inspired by the MetLife commercials while watching Charlie Brown specials - lIFe is full of IFs - what if this and what if that...

Life is full of choices. What if I had done this or taken up that job offer...where would I be today... These are questions one might ask oneself, and the journaling in this layout reflects upon the "what IFs" in my life. I do believe everything happens for a reason, and as I look back I can see how God has orchestrated my life and brought me to where I am today.

What are the IFs in your life? I spend little time wondering what and where I would be now IF I had taken a job offer upon graduating from college that would have been filled with travel and excitement. It is in my past and a mute point...all I know is what really matters is where I am at, the people I love, and knowing God.

I will say I have no regrets in working 6 short months at the Scrapbook Superstore. I have met wonderful people... and although our paths may be parting I am sure we will be brought back together again by our love for papercrafting...I have no doubt I will see you in and amongst the paper aisles! (LOL)

Sweet Talks

Wow -feel like the weekend was too short! I have two more nights later this coming week to work at the LSS. Here are some key things I learned working in retail these past 6 months.
- DO be kind to the person behind the counter, they are doing their best.
- If a cashier doesn't make eye contact or chat, maybe they have a really bad cold or are not feeling well, but had no choice but to show up for work - give them the benefit of doubt
- DO NOT cruise into the store minutes before closing and stay past closing - retail workers have families, too - and many have little ones who are trying to stay awake until mommy or daddy comes home
- If you try on clothes, don't leave a changing stall full of unhung clothing - how would you like to be the person who has to clean up after one person after another?
- If you shop with your small child, put them in a shopping cart in order to keep tabs on them, and prevent them from pulling items off the shelf - children can injure themselves easily
- If you have been given the wrong change and know it - be honest (remember God sees everything)
- If you really like your store and want it to remain in business, do not shoplift. Likely products most often shoplifted will no longer be carried in the store, and if it becomes too bad the store may just have to close. NEVER think "I am the only person doing it" - shoplifting is really a common thing - which is shocking (did I mention God sees everything?)

I have also learned that:
- people who love to papercraft are a delight to work with and a delight to serve as they enter the store.
- nothing is better than inspiring the mojo of others and helping them come up with a project plan
- Talking about scrapbooking...what could be better?

Today's layout is not new (featuring Around the Block papers) - but as we near Valentine's I am reflecting on things I love most. For me, chatting with my daughter is high on my list. This layout is about enjoying the conversations I have with my daughter, in this case as her chaperone from pre-school. Transporting kids to and from activities is a great time to talk, and connect as a parent. I treasure these conversations, and hope to have many more "sweet talks" with my daughter. Enjoy your journey - even if it is in large part spent on the road as a chaperone. Talk to those sharing the ride, and if you are alone, "turn up the music" and learn how to live.

How are you all today? I just have to say that I saw the Piggy Tales tote bag at the LSS - the store owner got one at CHA - and it is in the same color combo as the Itsy Bitsy Spider line - I LOVE that green! So, I just wanted you to know.... in case you are interested in participating in the Piggy Tales "Bag A Friend" promotion.

Oh, and I will have to say again how VERY detailed the instructions are for the March kit. I used to make a living doing that kind of thing... so I would like to think a complete novice can follow my March kit instructions and recreate the projects with little effort. Above is a sneak peek - a frugal project using a peanut butter jar!

Here are details about the "Bag-A-Friend" promo direct from the Piggy Tales blog:

As usual, you had some great suggestions for our promo, so we are going with it!! We have tweaked our promo just a bit as we SpRead the loVe in FebRuary! Piggy Tales is excited to announce that we will have our first ever "Bag-a-Friend" event for our PTA (Piggy Tales Academy) kit club members! We have gotten such amazing feedback from our members about how much they love our kits, designed by well published guest designers each month, and the generous amounts of products/projects- all for $24.99 a month! We love hearing that you think that this is the best kit club eVer SOOOO we thought it would be fun to spread that love around! Invite your friends to become a PTA member from now until Valentine's Day and we will send you one of Piggy Tales fabulous new canvas 15 x15 crop bags with your March kit!! ..And that is not all- we are gonna spread a little more love too! Your bag will be stuffed with product making your total gift worth $30.00!! WOW!

HERE IS WHERE WE ARE ADDING TO THE PROMO... AND WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

NEW MEMBERSHIPS:
ANY new member between now and February 14th (or until we run out of bags) will get one of our fabulous Piggy Tales Bags. If you are a new member and you bag a friend before the deadline, you will get your bag AND it will be *stuffed with product too!! Your friend will get a bag only, until they "Bag a Friend" (once they do, then they will get product stuffed in their bag!)

CURRENT MEMBERS:
You will get a bag *stuffed with product and your friend will get a bag too!! Once they "Bag a Friend", then they will earn the product that will be stuffed in it!!

Don't forget to remind your friends of all the other AWESOME benefits of joining the PTA! Each month you will receive at least $40 worth of Piggy Tales products (you only pay$24.99+ S/H) . Each kit will include all materials needed to complete the monthly projects including detailed colored copies and instructions.

AND...
$50 in FREE Piggy Tales products after 3 months of membership
10% discount on all Piggy Tales purchases online
Exclusive promotional discounts
Exclusive Sneak Peeks on all new Piggy Tales products

***When your friend(s) sign(s) up, they MUST write in the comment box on the registration form "My friend (YOUR FULL NAME) bagged me for the PTA!" They must do this for you to receive your stuffed bag at the time they register- and there is no limit on how many bags you can earn! :) This promotion is only good on new memberships from today until February 14, 2009 ...or until we run out of bags, so hurry!! THE PROMO STARTS....... NOW!!!!!!!!!

To view the exclusive Piggy Tales 15x15 tote back click here.

To find out more about the PTA click here.

Here is another peek at one of the projects in the March kit - and did I mention there will be on-line bonus projects, and maybe even a card PDF file to download?


I really had fun working with the March Piggy Tales kit. The new releases are so much fun - you won't want to miss out, so sign up today for the PTA!

Kiss Kiss! Valentine

Not for the kids, but your significant other! This is a great card to announce a pre-arranged date for your sweetheart on Valentine’s, or any occasion. Featured for this project is Making Memories Noteworthy Valentine Collection. I used the Patterned Papers, Journal Cards, and adorable tickets; and the CUTEST lovebirds chipboard shape from Magistical Memories.

When I saw the paper design on kraft stock I knew it would make a perfect card for the man in my life. Not too "valentiney" - yet romantic. The journaling card pack is so versatile - and have much more uses than just journal cards. In this design I stitched it on the cardstock backing, and it actually became the front of my card.



In a small Ranger mister I mixed a few drops of Fire Brick distress ink with a smidgen of Perfect Pearls, filled the mister to the top with water, shook well, and misted the chipboard shape. I then took a nub and smeared a little more red ink on the wings and breast areas of the bird to make these areas pop a bit more. The wings are propped up with a glue dot. To ensure your heart shape is symmetrical in design be sure to flip your punch over and position it as you wish before punching.



I created a little itinerary on the inside with plans for our date night. One of my favorite free fonts is Social Animal, and I thought its distressed look went well with the Making Memories tickets. Can you see how this card goes beyond Valentine's Day for any date night invitation?

Another Valentine made using the Making Memories Noteworthy collection is this one:


Again, using the journaling sheet as the front of the card. I matted the kraft patterned paper onto red cardstock for durability. A ticket and chipboard heart by Doodlebug decorates the front of the card.


Open it up and a Quickutz tag pocket is adhered under the journaling sheet with a tag invitation for date night. These cards are so easy to make with the Noteworthy collection. I hope you make some time for romance in your journey - too often we take our husbands for granted - they need love, too!

Kid's Valentines w/ Piggy Tales

Today I created for a couple of challenges, including a non-traditional Valentine card challenge at ACOT. I just happened to have scraps of paper left from Piggy Tales "Ants Go Marching In" March kit collection, and whipped out two cards.

The first, for Abby, has the crypted message on the front "Buggy Over You" -did you get that? Well, I am sure our kindergartner will need help, but I know she will be quite amazed by it once I help her decipher. (LOL) Of course she is our "little bug", one of our nicknames for her, so the card is a great fit.



Kyle's card uses one of the adorable bee rub-ons I had left, and a small chipboard frame to make it stand out on the front of the card. I know the sentiment "bee my Valentine" is overused - but who could resist with these cute bees? The card is quite simple, and I criss-crossed two rows of stitching around the outside for a touch of whimsical fun.

The clock is ticking away - Abby and I still need to sit down and make Valentine's for the 24 kids in her class. I will literally be pulling out all the Valetine leftovers in my stash - papers from previous DT gigs, and all the red and pinks that I have had for too long. This is my plan for Sunday - unless I uncover a batch of leftover store bought Valentine's in my cleaning frenzy, and I just might! Next year at this time I fully plan to have a Cuttlebug - and oh how much fun Abby and I will have making Valentine's for her classmates. This year, however, I am thinking fast and easy! (LOL)

Just a note about the Piggy Tales March kit - there is a lot of buggy paper in the kit - and one could really make LOTS of similar cards. I know there are some March kits left -snag yours now!

Can You Hear Me Now?

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

I started downloading the “Can You Hear Me Now?” weekly prayer prompts from our church web-site this week. We are in week three of the series, and I wonder why I didn’t check it out sooner. Life, I suppose... Prayer is a part of every day in our home, and in my personal time with God – but it is interesting to have direction or themed subjects for prayer time.

Today’s word is “DO” and the reading of Psalm 37. The verses that jumped out at me are 3 and 4, “Trust in the Lord and DO good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The latter part of this verse actually came to mind upon my job loss – despite the loss I continued to delight myself in the Lord and trust in Him as my provider. My prayer was big – asking God to provide a new job that would in turn, provide for my family. As I reflect on how quickly I was hired by a new company in a rocky economy, can there be any doubt in your mind that all of this was divinely orchestrated? I have this vision of God putting everything into place. The timing of my job loss with the new posting of the Edward Jones position, the job being offered before I had a chance to interview elsewhere… um, yeah…this is a God thing. He is DOING on my behalf and I praise Him for that!
Now that He has fulfilled His “end of the bargain” it is my turn to DO. I want to shout it out to everyone that God provided me this new job! He is so POWERFUL and AWESOME! Can you hear me now? (LOL)

Have you questioned why God has placed you in a certain situation and you ask “why?” I have lost count of how many times that has happened to me, ESPECIALLY in the past two years. But one thing I was certain of, I had a job to DO. I am not talking about the day to day tasks of an employee’s job, but the task of going about the Great Commission. We are all called to plant seeds for the Kingdom, no matter where we go, no matter how temporary we may be in one place. I am positive that if more Christians depicted love on the outside, versus judgement and haughtiness, that the harvest would be that much greater to reap on the day of Jesus’ return. What are you DOING for the kingdom? Are you planting seeds, or are your words and actions met with disdain and falling upon hardened ground? Life situations and experiences cause hardened hearts, and only love can soften them so that a person may receive Jesus. As the song playing in the background speaks, “Let Jesus live through you and me!”

Today’s digital layout is a late one for Ivorys Designs – I apologize for being late! In the month of January I only managed one layout from her wonderful Loopy Lime collection. I guess I have been spending a lot of time these past few weeks with the job search…it couldn’t be helped. I love the color and I love the elements in her collection. One of the greatest digi tricks I learned from a Kjoi Studios tutorial recently was how to merge patterned paper onto a shape in the layer below. This is what I did with the film strip by Majula Designs – I “grouped” the filmstrip with Ivorys Designs wonderful patterned paper so that it has a circle design to pick up the roundness of a dandelions.

“Planting Seeds” meets both the February ad challenge at ACOT, and the element challenge by mITSYBELLE at Kjoi Studios – although you may think I am stretching it a bit. For the element challenge my flowers come from the photos (rules didn’t say they could not), the journaling is matted in essence with a vignette border, and the triangle shapes are actually stitched patterns in the ribbon hangers. Is that pushing it a bit, or simply thinking outside the box? (LOL)

The journaling in the layout provides an answer to a question I have asked many times, “why am I here Lord?” As I soon begin a new career, I am sure the answer will be revealed in time. God’s time, that is. I will close with verse 7 from Psalm 37, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, DO not fret...” Many of you may be waiting for an answer. Let your prayers be heartfelt, honest and offered up with humility…and always Trust, no matter the circumstances. I plan to continue scattering seeds wherever I am planted, and hope you will, too!

Thank You - I'm A B.O.A. Trainee!

Prayers have been answered. Praise God - I got the job! Today I had my second interview with the Finanacial Advisor (herein known as FA) at the Edward Jones office right here in town, walking distance from home. The more I have been reading about Edward Jones Investments on-line this week the more I wanted to work for the company. No. 2 company in Fortune 500s top 100 companies to work for, Smart Money magazine's No. 1 pick for best brokerage firm based on client satisfaction, stock picks and whatever else they go on (I have a lot to learn about investing!); a company founded on integrity and just treatment of its associates - I seriously became more impressed the more I read.

Today was all about compatability. I needed to like the FA if we were going to be a team - as a branch office consists of a BOA (branch office administrator) and FA. The more I talked to Keith the more I liked him - we definitely share the same values on how people should be treated and how our behavior can reflect favorably or unfavorably on a person or organization. He seems to be an honest man of integrity, just in his treatment of others, is a family man, and I just really liked him - I knew we would make a good team.

He must have thought the same, as I wasn't home for even two hours when St. Louis HQ called and offered me the job. The pay is better than I had asked for, the benefits are awesome and I already have met the woman who will be my mentor and like her a lot. The training for BOAs at Edward Jones is awesome - St. Louis HQ has all the answers and are 3 touch pad taps away, and the computer program itself is chock full of answers, plus you have a mentor and a group of BOAs who help each other out.

I know my family is very happy, especially my husband, that I will be working in town again and home at night. I can soon return to putting Abby to bed at night. The job is full time so we will have to make some arrangements with "little miss" care. There are just a few more pending details, but I should be able to start work in a little more than 2 weeks!

I admit I do feel bad for the great consultant I have been meeting with at Addecco staffing agency - he was really going to bat for me and I am sure has some prospective interviews lined up for me next week. I will have to call him tomorrow - I never really expected the EJ prospect to move so quickly, and figured I would size up a few places, but there was absolutely nothing I did not like about the EJ opportunity - so I seized the moment and accepted without thought to what else might be out there for me. I had totally given this up to God, and asked him not to place the job before me if it was something too left-brained, or not intended for my greater purpose. Now that I am a BOA trainee I know God has placed me at EJ for a reason.

We have another month ahead of things being tight, but God has shown a great big light at the end of the tunnel. From the very first moment I was told my job was eliminated I had a sense of peace that God was in control. I trusted that He would take care of us and be our Provider, and He has. I am so thankful for a God who is very much alive, very much listens, and very much loves His children. I thank ALL OF YOU who have been praying - Jesus said, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." The Lord has definitely been with us through this difficult time.

On a note of difficult time, could you all please lift up my friend Elaine who learned her cancer is back today? Thank you. She's a wonderful woman and I pray it is God's will to heal her. Through all trials I know Elaine is of strong faith. II pray that through all of the trials you face that you find joy and peace in knowing that God sent His Son to die for you, so that you can spend eternity with Him. I love you all - celebrate the life God has given you and take time to dance in your journey!

68 Words A Minute!

Who knew? I had no idea. Yesterday afternoon I went into Addecco – you know, the world leader in workplace solutions. I think the solutions are their people, aka employees, and now, me. Yep – filled out all the paperwork, took a few tests…found out I can type 68 words a minute! Much faster than high school – which seems was only 55. I had 4 errors which brought my score to 64, but you know what…they make you double space at end of sentences! I was surprised. You DON’T do that on a computer. Back in the days of typewriters, yes, but it is one of the first things they teach you in typography. So here I am, trying to not do what has been ingrained into my head for 20+ years. In my effort to remember to double space (I agree with my husband…if they want us to double space after a sentence then keyboards would have a double space key – makes sense, right?) I know I triple spaced at least once – fingers move faster than I can count sometimes. (LOL)

Today I have to take the Office assessments for Word and Excel. My Excel is limited to charting business expenditures, income, gross, net, etc. I can manage a few formulas, but hey – have not done any of the merging stuff… ah well.

I had my first interview with Edward Jones yesterday. The branch office here in town is looking for a BOA. I admit - investments…skipped over this the first time I read it because hey, I know very little about investing! But the more I read about EJ on line and their awesome training program, well, it caught my interest. I also learned they are a top company to work for, and hey…I could walk to work! There is a lot of growth potential, and I know God won’t put me there unless He is confident in my abilities to learn about investing. That would be a strong push to the left for my creative little brain! (LOL)

Addecco also has some possible options for me and is sending out my resume…so I shall wait and see what the Lord has in store! Not to sit on my laurels… I have a WALL!
A what? Yes, I caved and joined Facebook. My mother, bless her heart, scanned a newspaper article about job hunting and it said Facebook was a good place to network. So there I am…connecting with a number of familiar faces and hopefully getting the word out that I am looking! It was great to reconnect with my favorite DVM – Dr. Tom Curro, best exotics vet I know and lover of all things rhinoceros!

So hey – if you are on facebook look me up – Rita Shimniok. I am there, still figuring out how to sort and create my wall. Oh, and I have a 2nd interview with EJ Thursday – so please lift a prayer if this is to be God’s will for me as I search for yet my 4th career in the journey…(whatever made me think I would retire as a church admin.? God must be having a chuckle and thinking how very silly I was to think my journey would end there.)

Trusting Through The Storm

So often I go to church and I feel like the Lord has guided the worship leaders to plan the service just for me. Today was one of those days as each, and every, praise and worship song spoke to my heart and brought me to tears. The first song we sang is “YOU NEVER LET GO” by Matt Redman – a favorite I had playing on this blog shortly after I first heard it. I had a vision of God holding my hand through the current storm, and yet I see a light that is coming as I have hope in an interview lined up for Tuesday (please pray for me Tuesday morning).

Yesterday Jesse and I took inventory of our pantry and cupboards. Should a new job be some time off we have to figure out especially how we can stretch our food dollar, and looked at things like rice and pastas already here to make casseroles that can feed our family for three days or more. We had Kyle’s input for things he would eat, meatless dishes, and popping our own corn with the old hot air popper vs. microwave corn. This morning as we sang “ENOUGH” by Chris Tomlin I am reminded that the Lord is our supply, He satisfies every thirst and every need. This song has always hit a chord with me, but today more so than ever. I envision a layout with photos of our pantry and a reminder that God is enough through tough times.

The third song in the opening praise and worship set was “BLESSED BY YOUR NAME”. I have not sang this song in what seems like a long time, but through my tears I could still raise my hands and give praise to God for all He is and all He has done. He gave me a new job last September, and He can and is taking it away. It is and was one of the most challenging positions I had ever undertaken, yet it was fun. The hardest part of my position at the scrapbook store was not being home at night to put our daughter to bed. Some of you may recall the “Week in My Life” album created earlier in 2008 documenting my favorite time of day – which is putting our daughter to bed. I have also been unable to attend events and activities at church that take place at night or on weekends when I am working, and it has made my heart sad. Does the Lord know what He is doing? I know He does, and if He takes away it is for a good reason yet unknown to me.

Today’s message revolved around Hannah’s story (Book of 1 Samuel), a woman from the Old Testament whose words and example I turned to when I so badly wanted a daughter. Hannah taught me the importance of steady prayer and pouring one’s heart out to God. As many of you reading this blog already know, the Lord answered my prayer with a beautiful daughter. I am so grateful every day that God listens – He hears our heart, feels our pain, and holds us through troubled times. I know He hears me when I ask Him to open a new door of opportunity that will benefit my family.

If you would like to hear the message and Hannah’s story, explained so well by a great teacher, Pastor Chris – click here to listen to or download the message.

For those of you hoping to see a new layout or creation today – my apologies. Today I simply wanted to blog and journal about the thoughts going through my head this morning. The post is filled with layout ideas – that someday I hope to share (so you will have to come back again Hollis!).

I know and trust that the Father has something even better in store for me. The path may take me down yet a fourth career change, and I can actually chuckle at the rollercoaster the past six months of my life have encountered. (I have such a great vision for a layout or mini album with this thought!) What a ride it has been, but I am ready to get off and find stability in my work life, our family’s financial situation, and develop a routine that works for all of us and allows each of us to grow in our spiritual walk. The Lord is so GOOD TO ME, His promise never fails, and my desire is to follow Him wherever this journey takes me. I pray that you also will be able to TRUST God through the storms in your life, and PRAISE Him in times of trouble. Peace in the journey.

Smiles During Challenging Times

I seriously cannot imagine my life without the joy our children bring. It warms my heart to hear my son say, "help mom find a new job" during family prayer time. Abby, rather oblivious to the situation, may have her wish come true - as she has not been fond of my working nights. Last night I got home earlier than usual from work and she was not fully asleep, so the sound of the garage door woke her up. I went in to give her a hug, and she asked me to snuggle. So we did, and had lots of silliness in our conversation and giggles. That girl can sure make me smile!

Above I am sharing one of those layouts that makes me smile, as I think about how silly she was being that day the photos were taken. The paper is by Piggy Tales, and the layout was going to be one of my submissions for the design team before I reassessed my priorities and decided that I needed to step back from commitments. I want to be sure I have time to spend with my kids, and scrapbook WITH my daughter rather than always about her. It was tough to make that decision, as the PT/3M joint DT would have been a super opportunity. All the best to those who tried -especially to my wonderful friends: Dawne, Deanna, Jen and Debbie!

Here is a close up of the flowers I cut from the patterned paper, and a little tip... When coating your cut out flowers with sparkle mod podge, or similar product, bend the edges upward a little bit while it is wet. The edges will dry in that position and you have added a little dimension to your layout with no extra effort.


On a bright note - I have an interview Tuesday morning for a job right in town here. It would be full-time (less time to scrap - and therefore how wise that I did not take on another commitment in case I should get it), I could walk to work, and it deals with the public. Full-time would mean I would not have time to continue at the store part-time, but I may return to teaching classes as I want to keep in touch with everyone I have come to know at the store.

As a matter of fact, off to work I go! Please keep my in prayer Tuesday for a successful interview. I meet with an employment agency Tuesday afternoon, and hope to hear back from at least one other job that I mailed a resume out to. I pray you give thanks to God for the smiles in your life - I know I do!

Change is In the Wind Once Again

Yes, it is Inaugeration Day and many are anticipating great changes and hope for the economy. I sure hope so as I find myself looking for a new job. Retail has not been kind to the local LSS, so people I IMPLORE you – if you love your store shop there! If you love a certain manufacturer and cannot get it locally – buy it on line! Specifically I am thinking of my favorite chipboard company – Magistical Memories. I have seen the sneak peeks and they are awesome! I only hope I have an income that can buy the new products!

So yes, I am searching again, management is always the first place to make budget cuts. I know God is SOVEREIGN (this week’s word for the Faith Sisters Scripture Challenge) and in complete control. I know He wants only the best for me. I have to trust in Him to get us through this and put food on the table. I really enjoyed my almost 6 months as a supervisor for the store, and will continue on as a sales associate for now, but it won’t pay the bills. My family is so supportive and wonderful - I am blessed to be able to do the things on my list in my layout above. Have you thought about that? Consider making a layout about the things you do for your family.

I hope that I can find a new job that will still allow me to put in some time working at the store. I volunteered to take on the BoBunny section and create projects for display and help market product – a strategy the entire staff is undertaking in hopes of increasing sales. The new releases for BoBunny are so awesome! Be sure to check it out!

My not so good news is mixed with HAPPY news!! I had two layouts requested by Memory Makers for the July/August 2009 release of Scrapbook Idea Gallery edition. I know many of you say you don’t subscribe to magazines because you have seen the layouts on line, but don’t forget that Memory Makers publishes only never-before-seen projects. If we don’t buy the magazines soon there won’t be any, and how sad would it be if we have to have a PC to get inspiration. Personally, I prefer curling up on the couch with a cup of tea or hot chocolate to enjoy the magazines, and there is no better read for a long trip in the car!

One of my layouts is digital, mixing products from both Faithsisters and Kjoi Studios, and the photo is a self-portrait I took while driving. Seriously! I promise I did not run over anything while doing that, and yep – it took a number of shots before I actually had my whole face in the viewfinder, because I was driving afterall – albeit SLOWLY. What a crazy and dangerous scrapbooker, eh? But ya know how it is …you get an idea and just have to do what it takes to make it come to life. The second layout is a traditional created with one of my favorite Cosmo Cricket lines, Be Happy. It is quite innovative and uses something very old from my stash in a quite brilliant manner, if I do say so myself. So be sure you don’t miss the summer release of the Making Memories Scrapbooking Idea Gallery!

I also learned yesterday that one of my layouts is to be featured on Thursday at A Cherry On Top. The artists whose projects are chosen are sent a congratulatory note, but the project chosen remains a mystery even to me. Could it be the “fear” layout that mixes a Halloween web with Christmas paper? That is my theory – let’s see if I am right. (LOL)

If that’s not all, I was honored to learn that my layout titled, Blue Plaid, featuring The Paper Element’s Blue Flannel Collection, is the only project to be on display at their CHA booth in Annaheim. Apparently The Paper Element is sharing a booth with the awesome Core’dinations Cardstock and they figure they will have limited space, so even though I am not an official DT member Lisa and Beth are taking my layout. Wow – how cool is that?!

I am working with Piggy Tales this week for their March kit release. I am trying to update my resume and such while still trying to meet the PT deadline. I have my first project done and it is SO cute and original, and frugal, I might add - a perfect gift for a young one, should you know of children with a birthday coming up. I can’t share it with you yet - but look forward to the day I can!

Please pray for our nation this day, for our military and for all families who are struggling with reduced or no incomes, and please pray for our economy that it will thrive once again. Most of all find PEACE in the journey, even through the hardships and struggles, for God is SOVEREIGN and in control.

Color it Green!

Today I want to share a mini album, 6x6 in size, that I created for the 2009 Faith Sisters "His Holy Name" scripture challenges. What could be better than a Magistical Memories Crown Journaling Box for a project about the King of Kings? I have decided to use LIME green as the dominant color for the entire project, with wonderful warm brown, cream and teal as accents. So far I have used October Afternoon and Making Memories, but I trust that manufacturers will be releasing product in this color throughout the year, because afterall - it is my favorite color as it is for many!


The project is a hybrid - mixing traditional with digital scrapbooking. In this close up you can see how I printed text as a background on kraft cardstock, distressing with ink.



A short while ago I showed the design above in yellows and reds, but once I decided to create my album with a focus on lime green and teal, I changed up the colors. This image was printed to be the inside of the front cover, featuring one of my favorite scriptures about God's holy name. It is almost entirely created digitally, but for the GOD letters, key words highlighted with a clear glaze pen, stamped parenthesis and distressing with chalk ink.

The first scripture challenge issued revolves around the word Holy. I created my own patterned paper, by utilizing a crown design that I painstakingly created in Photoshop. The crown motif ties in well with the chipboard shape on the cover. You cannot see the crown details in the little photo, but there are many. With all time I spent in designing one crown, I SO TOTALLY admire digital designers and all the time they put into their products!



My plan is to add 1-2 scripture verses to each page per the challenges issued by Patter at Faithsisters.com Then, on the back side of each page I will hand journal about what God has put upon my heart for the specific challenge. I did not take a photo, but I have printed lines on the backside of each 6x6 kraft cardstock page to allow me to write in a straight line. By having the prep work done, and keeping my "green supplies" together, I am hoping that the remaining 25 scripture challenge pages for the year will come together rather quickly.

On a chilly note... Brrrrr!! Baby it is COLD outside! Schools are being closed all over due to the forecasted -40 degree temps tomorrow. Our district is still holding out, as always, but I know there are two kids hoping for that cancellation!

Today was a long 12.5 hour work day. I started out right behind the bus, driving ever so slowly to the east side of Madison today to speak with the Madison Christian Women's Connection. Cars were in the ditch here and there...salt just does not work when temps are as cold as they were this morning! I went about 15-20 miles per hour for 2/3 or more of my journey! But I made it safely, and God was watching out for me.

I met a delightful group of ladies and loved sharing about the importance of preserving memories. The keynote speaker, LeeAnn gave a wonderful talk, sharing about her struggles and how Jesus can rescue you from the deepest of pits. If you are experiencing a low in your life, struggle in your journey, or doubt that you are worthy of His love - KNOW that God loves you and wants to reach down and pick you up out of the mire of pain, sadness, addictions and self-doubt. Trust in Him, give your life to Jesus - and discover the joy that withstands all hardships as we journey this earth toward the heavenly prize!

Whipping Up for Bella Blvd.!

Oh my – how the time flies!! Since I read the call for Bella Artista’s for Bella Blvd. I knew I wanted to apply. I have been working on getting my other design team commitments finished before Piggy Tales product showed up on my doorstep. Did I mention I am the guest designer for Piggy Tales “Ants Go Marching In” March kit? I have so many fun ideas and cannot wait to get started, and ultimately share them with you.

Tomorrow I am gone from the time the kids hop on the bus until after 9 p.m. It is also the Guest Artista deadline, so it was today or never as far as getting some layouts done. First, however, I wanted to finish my Scripture Challenge Mini Album for Faithsisters “His Holy Name” project so I could display it tomorrow when I talk to the Madison Christian Women’s Connection about scrapbooking. The album colors are lime, teal, brown and cream – and is gorgeous so far, using Making Memories and October Afternoon products. Basically I plan to work in any mfr. that has the right colors, as this is a year long project!

That finished, I had one hour before the kids got home from school and literally whipped out TWO layouts for the Bella Blvd. Artista call. Looking at the time I do believe I actually finished both layouts in less than 2 hours. I worked fast for sure, BUT I have to say if the Bella Blvd products did not come together so easily this would not have been possible. I have used mixed products from both the “Family Tree” and “Pack Your Bags” collections.

What do you think of the photo in “Song”? I confess, I loved the photo but it seemed a little blurry – so I added an art filter to it in Photoshop. I love how it looks like a painting. I have done similar things before, but this is by far my favorite – I think it is the obvious joy in Abby’s face and the bright colors of the layout, and of course the bling…gosh, I am such a bling addict!


I love how the Pack Your Bags collection is so versatile - certainly worthy of layouts beyond traveling experiences! Here is my second layout for the call - "Destination Mexico".

You may have noticed in the past 6 months that I have a “thing” for dimensional adhesive dots – I just love popping things off my page. I always have, but I do believe everything I create these days is popped up!

Pop-dotted World:

Pop-dotted Trees:

Pop-dotted Titles:

Recognize those orange letters from Bella Blvd? Probably not - but they are Bella stickers! I needed orange lettering to balance the layout, and figured the fastest resolution was to get out the orange paint. But it did not cover the coated cardstock stickers real well, so I put my letters on wax paper and dragged an orange Staz-On pad over the top, letting some of the paint show through for a two-toned look. I think they are pretty cool and the paint adds texture.

Oh, want to know one of my latest tricks for defining edges? Ink pads don't always get into the nooks and crannies, and I recently discovered that if I take the chisel point of my Zig Writer and drag it around the edges of my chipboard pieces that I get a nice edge, more defined than any ink pad could deliver. Go slowly though - so you don't get the marker where it is not intended to go.

I have made my submission and now cross my fingers. Be sure to check out Stephanie's blog for the latest in Bella Blvd. sneak peeks!

And guess what showed up on my doorstep today? Yeppers – ANTS!! We are experiencing dangerously cold temperatures outside, but leave it to Piggy Tales to bring ants into my house this time of year! (LOL) I already have ideas swimming in my head – so it will be tough to work the next five days and not be able to do a whole lot. This is why I carry a note pad around to jot down the mojo when it comes. Happy scrapping all!

Piggy Tales Releases Best YET!

Perhaps I am biased when I say the new releases by Piggy Tales are the best yet!! Why, might you ask?

Well, some of you may recall that back in September Piggy Tales asked its blog readers to send in suggestions for new spring themes and ideas. Since my brain tends to go a mile a minute my document was almost 1,000 words long! You bet…. I just brainstormed until my fingers could type no more, well honestly, I thought Debbie might think me crazed if I kept on going.

Today the sneak peeks were released on the Piggy Tales blog.
Hmmm, bugs – INCLUDING ants. Umbrellas – and yep, there are the rain boots! Garden trowels and watering cans. Gosh – all sounding so familiar. So I went digging in my “sent items” folder…ya know, that Outlook folder you are supposed to clean out often, and I am embarrassed to say has sent emails from 2007 in it! (I promise to empty it this weekend hon!)


I offered five theme ideas, and lo and behold THREE of my ideas made it into the spring releases – no wonder I am loving the new collections!! The collection title for my gardening them suggestion is even in the line up –"Mary Mary Quite Contrary How does your garden grow?" - I had given a link to each nursery rhyme found for my ideas. Here is http://www.love-poems.me.uk/childrens_nursery_rhymes_mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm
The collection includes garden trowels and watering cans, as I had hoped – AND just the other day I came across photos of Abby discovering the fun in watering the outdoor plants with a sprayer attachment on the hose – I need to get my hands on this collection!

The bug collection has marching ants…. I relayed to Debbie my woes of not finding bug paper with ants included…and gosh – my kids are ALL about watching the ant hills in the summer. You may have gathered that from my last post! (LOL)


The third collection that is a must have is the “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” collection. Woo hoo – I have my umbrellas and rainboots. The little yellow duckies are missing, but oh well – I threw those in the line up for the benefit of my friend Deb, who loves yellow ducks. (LOL)



And although I did not offer any brainstorming whatsoever on the La Belle collection – the colors are fantastic and the line is OH so pretty! I am looking forward to scrapping with Piggy Tales for sure!

Did you know that Piggy Tales has a design team open call? You have until January 16th to get your entry in. You can find info on their blog. I will say that for those of you worried about the exclusivity clause, Brandon put my mind to ease as she explained that to me today. Primarily with a partnership with 3M, the DT members need to use exclusive 3M adhesives in their projects. They fully expect their DT members to have commitments to other mfrs. and such – afterall, the scrapbooking industry really does have one very common goal – preserving those memories for future generations!

Fisk-a-Links Fridays

As CHA nears sneak peeks are everywhere! Today I got a glimpse of some new releases by Fiskars. I am such a border punch fan - I just love how you can dress up a page so easily with these punches.
My TOP TWO of the new releases are Apron Lace


and Upper Crest.


I highly suspect Apron Strings is going to be one of those most sought after, and hard to find punches. What do you think? The bracket shape is so HOT right now, one of my favorites, which is why I think Upper Crest is also going to be a huge seller.

ALSO Fiskars is releasing some adorable spring themed squeeze punches. I just love the little chickie punch! And the packaging is delightfully spring, too! Can it get any better? YES!!!!

Summer punch releases have just been glimpsed...and OMG there is an ANT!! My kids seriously spend hours taking scraps of food and candy out to the ant hills in the front yard to watch the busy little critters carry it down under. The ant punch is a must for me!



Case in point, this layout using Around the Block papers is about 2? years old. The photos are even older, but this is a scene that is repeated every summer in our front yard. Ants fascinate children from about age 2 up to....??? Don't know what it is, and I am even learning to appreciate the workings of an ant colony as explained by our son. As long as they stay out of the house...


As I mentioned, the peeks are starting to happen...and already I am noticing a color trend... PURPLE! I am not sure what to think about that. Although my daughter LOVES purple, she has so little clothing in it. I have a closet full of plum, yet it is rare that I have any photos of people wearing purple. We will have to see ... some of the papers are so gorgeous it is worth turning photos to black and white just to use the paper! What do you think...do you scrap purple papers?

Just a reminder that you still have time to reserve a spot at the Madison Christian Women Connection brunch this coming Wednesday at the Eastside Club off Monona Drive in Madison. In addition to myself speaking about scrapbooking and leaving a legacy of faith - you may hear tale of some childhood memories that will make you wonder how I turned out. I don't have my speech written, rehearsed or anything... it's been playing in my head though. My problem...15 min. to talk. I could probably talk for 30 min. easy when it comes to my story and how scrapbooking has become such a passion in my life! There is a second guest speaker as well, who is going to share how she overcame an eating disorder and now makes jewelry as her therapy. The brunch is $11.50 and it is being held at the East Side Club, 3735 Monona Drive. For reservations you can call Pat 838-3461, Lois 846-4823, or Alice at 271-3816. Reservations must be made by Sunday, January 11th. Would love to see some fellow Fiskateers and other friends there!