Thank you from my heart

This card was very simple to make, but I love the clean look of it. The patterned paper is two different pieces from the Phoebe line by Basic Grey. In case you didn't know yet, Basic Grey has added scaled down versions their newer patterns to make 6 x 6 sheets perfect for card making! I bought the Phoebe 6 x 6 pad from Eclectic Paperie a while back and I have made a lot of cards with it...so worth it! The stamp is another one from Pollen Dust by Fancy Pants--I know I have used the set a lot lately...I just can't help it, the set is so versatile!!! I stamped right on the green patterned paper with Chocolate Chip ink. Now I just need to figure out who to send this card to. I am way behind on thanking people!

Movie Monday

I am starting a new thing called Movie Mondays. Each Monday I am going to try to share a You-Tube video/movie. Some might be funny, some might make you tear up, some might make you think, some might make you mad...just depends on my mood ;)
Todays Movie is a the Song "Does Anybody Hear Her" by Casting Crowns. Casting Crowns is one of my favorite Christian bands. I love how they share so much through the words in their songs. The video fits this song perfectly in my opinion. So sit back, watch, and enjoy!

"Dutch Girl"

When I first saw the Dutch Girl paper line from Cosmo Cricket I knew that I had to have it! Not only do I love the colors and style of the line, but being a "Dutch girl" myself I had to represent. ;) To start, I cut a square out of the Sofie Dutch Girl paper. On top of the sqare I cut out a circle from the same piece of paper. I stamped a large flower in red, a smaller flower in blue (both stamps from Pollen Dust). I cut them out, put a black brad in the center and layered them on top of the "doily". The doily pattern worked perfectly for the large flower! Finished card 5 x 5.

Give Thanks

"In everything give thanks." It is easy to give thanks when things in life are going well. It is a lot harder to give thanks when you feel things in life are going rotten. When life is rotten it is so much easier to give a list of the things that have gone wrong. A couple of years ago I was miserable where I worked, but I had given a one year commitment to the place. I was so sick of complaining and crying about all the ways I hated the place so I came up with a list of things about the job that I was thankful for (#1 it paid my rent!). Each day I would try to come up with one thing that I was thankful for--it actually made my job just a little more bearable until I could quit.

I once heard a story (I tried to look it up, but I can't find it anywhere) about a girl that was in a concentration camp during WW II and in those awful circumstances found things to be thankful for. One example was that she was thankful for the gnats/fleas/lice that were all over them and their barracks (making life even more miserable) because they were so bad that the guards wouldn't go in the barracks; therefore, the guards didn't find the Bible she had and didn't know she was reading the Bible to the other ladies. Can you imagine being thankful for fleas and lice???
Giving thanks to God takes the focus off of us and gives it back. If we take the time to think about it God has given us so much. And most importantly He sent his son to die for our sins!
So what in life are you thankful for today?

Edited: Thanks to my SIL who let me know it was Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie that this story was about.__________________________________________________

stamps: Fancy Pants set "Pollen Dust." Verse is from Happy Harmony (Stampin' Up)
paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Basic Black
ink: Black, markers: Bashful Blue, Real Red, So Saffron, Certainly Celery
other: brad-SU!

Scattergories Blog style!

While I am waiting for my brother to e-mail me the digital pictures I took of some recent cards I made I thought I would share this fun scattergories game. For each question your answer has to start with the same letter that your first name starts with. For boy/girl names the name can't be the same as your own. I challenge you to try this out with YOUR name.

Your Name: Jen
Famous Artist/Band/Musician: Jeremy Camp
4 letter word: Joke
Vehicle: Jeep
TV SHOW: Judge Judy
City/Town: Jackson
Boy Name: Josiah
Girl Name: Janelle
Occupation: Jailer
Something you wear: Jellies (well I don't wear them anymore, but in the 80's...)
Celebrity: Jessica Alba
Food: Jello
Something found in a kitchen: Juicer
Reason for Being Late: January snow
Cartoon Character: JackJack (The Incredibles)
Something You Shout: Jerk! (I yell this when I get cut off in traffic ;) )

Capture the moment

When you live far away from people you love, you cherish the moments you get to spend with them all the more. I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with my family while on a trip. It was short, but oh so sweet to give some hugs, eat some great food (thanks mom!), and laugh a little with family. This picture is of a moment with my niece while saying goodbye. Sometimes it is hard to live so far away because it takes her a while to get used to me each time I see her. To add to that the poor girl has all of us shoving cameras in her face trying to capture the sweet/cute moments. I was so happy to catch this short moment and get a hug from my sweet babygirl (who isn't so much a baby anymore!)