Winners and watercolors :)

Hello Frog Faithfuls!

Well, my week as a GROWING IN UNITY Gal is over and I have two winners of the Unity Prize Pack of 25 stamps! Thank you ALL for your super encouraging comments! They blessed me!! Congrats to these two lucky ladies!

                          Donna Rakestraw

Joan Nadeau

Message me on FB with your snail mail addresses and I will forward them to Unity so you can stalk your mailman!

I had so many ideas on what to post last week, but they didn't all make the cut. Here are some watercolored Unity images I did a while back.

We've had more snow on this President's Day, surprise, surprise, but I hope these images warm your heart as much as they do mine!

Have a blessed week! Thanks again for visiting my blog! I hope you'll keep checking in now and again!

Kim Marie

GROWING IN UINTY DAY 5: You warm my heart

What?! My GIU week is over already?! :) Time flew this week! Thanks for hanging in there and for all your lovely comments thus far!  So encouraging! :)

I LOVED all the Wood slice Christmas ornaments made during the holiday season, but after I put those stamps away in January, I STILL itched to make gifts using the wood slices I had left over!! So here are a few of them!

With all this talk of my SON and his fiance, you may wonder if he's my only kid! He isn't! I have an amazing and beautiful daughter who lives in Texas! This day's project starts with something for her! We've had an old fashioned Western NY winter here...BRRR! The weather in  parts of Texas hasn't been all that warm this last month though...40 degrees on some days! Cold for Texas! So I decided I'd use my daughter's favorite animal to make and send her a cheerful gift. This is one of my FAVORITE Unity sets Scarf in Winter....so fun and so adorable! I love the sentiment, too, as my daughter and I both wear scarves a lot and she warms my heart! I added a lot of bright colors so the gift didn't get mistaken for a Christmas ornament. (Yes, at times I procrastinate in sending holiday gifts, LOL!)  I wanted her to think of SPRING (I have faith it will come!)

I used Gina K's Amalgam ink for stamping and I colored the images with colored pencils...no particular brand as I use many: Koorinor, Crayola, RoseArt, Prismacolors, etc. It's so easy that anyone can do it!

This next wood project is for a friend of mine who had a heck of a 2018....and 2019 isn’t starting so great for her either! I thought of her right away when I saw this sentiment while I was creating. Although I don't smoke or like the habit, I thought she could use a laugh! I used the set Your Fairy Godmother! For those of you new to Unity, they have a line of girl/guy images called Angie Girl/Guy stamps for which there are no faces. I personally LOVE this line, but some people prefer faces. That's cool! Unity has a bunch of gorgeous girl and guy stamps with faces, as well as a few faces you can purchase separately, so be sure to check them out!

These won't be my last two wood slice gifts by far...I have a dozen or so slices left, LOL! And Unity stamps are the perfect complement for them! Their deep etched rubber stamps stamp perfectly on the first try 99.999% of the time!  There's no room for error on wood...especially when you want to use both sides! And the images...SWOON!

So that's a wrap! REMEMBER! Make a comment on all of my GIU posts this week for a chance to win some UNITY RUBBAH! May Spring come early to your neck of the woods! We here in NY are waiting ever soooooo impatiently in our parkas, sweaters, high boots, mittens and scarves!!

 Wishing you warm blessings and sunny weather where ever you are!

Kim Marie

GROWING IN UNITY DAY 4: HAPPY HEART DAY!

I was so thrilled to have my GIU week during Valentine's Day! The first project that came to my creative mind was a set of tiny love notes that my son's fiance could give to my son on any old occasion! They are such lovebirds and UNITY has soooo many fun and adorable love note images in their Itty Bitty line!! (See bottom of the post for names of the itty bitty stamp sets I used).  I chose a few sets from my top 10 favorites and BOOM....adorableness x a million! Here's a picture of the set, as well as a tote I made to put them in! I hand made the envelopes to fit, as the cards ended up different sizes, but they all nestled well in the little tote! I used an acrylic card box made for 3x3's (which I love to make!), cut the top flaps off and lined it with designer paper, adding a "handle" and another UNITY image to finish it off. I can't wait to give it to her! To see the little details, be sure to zoom into the pictures!

My next project was also a gift for the engaged couple! I used the bride and groom and the sentiment from the set Cherished Moments. I stamped the images on vellum, embossed it in white, added it to a tall vase, put in a fake candle and BOOM. Pretty! Can you tell "wedding" is on my mind, like only....a BILLION times a day?! :)

I trust you are being blessed by someone you love today, whether it be a sweetheart, a child, a sibling, a family member, a friend or the Lord Himself!

Don't forget to comment on this post as well as my earlier posts from the entire week! Your name will be entered into the mix and may be one of two chosen to win 25 Random Unity stamps! You are LOVED!

Kim Marie
Unity Itty Bitty sets used: Hotter than Sriracha, Great PEAR, Pitcher Us Together, Rain or Shine, We Go Together

GROWING IN UINITY DAY 3: Challenged and Blessed!

I love a creative challenge! A friend at church asked if I could possibly make a recipe card to give as a gift for her sister, using a recipe that she loved. Of course, I said YES! I also remembered that I had a UNITY stamp measuring cup that would work PERFECTLY for it (that's how I find their images to be....the littlest touch to make a project SHINE)! It was from a Unity Stampin' Store Kit that I got many years ago called 100% Happy...my first big Unity set. There's nothing like a differently sized canvas to get the creative juices flowing! Not saying it was too much work, but it took me a while to make it all fit the way I envisioned it.  She was happy with it though....hope you like it too! ;)

A second project for today was a card for a friend whom I have known for over 30 years! We lived in the same dorm in college and although we live 5 hours apart, we have stayed in touch for all these years! We went to a show recently to see and meet a movie star whose movies we had obsessed over in college (can you say Lloyd Dobler??). This snapshot of us was taken at the event! We had such a great time and I wanted her to remember it, so I made this shaker card! She told me it now sits on her desk at work! Mission accomplished!

The background stamp is in the set Faith Sees Beauty (8/18 KOTM) and the sentiment is from Blessed Fall (9/18 KOTM). The photo frame is from another Unity set, Inta-Live, Love, Dream and I used Unity's Aurora sequins for the shaker...they are sooooo  beautiful!

Be blessed and willing to challenge yourself today! Try a new papercraft technique or yummy recipe! You are AMAZING!

Don't forget to make a comment on my posts all week to win some UNITY booty! See you tomorrow!!

Kim Marie

GROWING IN UNITY DAY 2: Celebrate in Living Color

Hello again and welcome to GIU Day 2!

2019 is going to be an amazing year for us! My son became engaged to a WONDERFUL and AMAZING girl and they are getting married this summer! What's funny about this couple is that they have the same birthday!! I made this card for my future Daughter in Law's 33rd birthday! I LOVE LOVE LOVE color changing cards...and Unity's fairy Godmother stamp set is PERFECT for this technique! It's a favorite! Also, I'm partial to turquoise and silver, and I think it fits the stamp well! I use Copic markers for much of my coloring as it helps with shadowing and blending.  Enjoy!

I cannot wait to celebrate at their wedding! Joy is sure to permeate the place! I pray God's peace and joy to you, as you go through these long winter months! May splashes of color surprise you and bring you moments of JOY!

Oh! I want to show off the new personalized stamp my son gave me this Christmas! Made by Magnuson Custom Stamps of Unity especially for me! I love it!

And hey! Don't forget to leave a comment on my posts ALL WEEK to be included in the chance to win a Unity Grab bag! I'll draw two names next weekend!
Blessings!

Kim Marie

GROWING IN UNITY DAY 1: Influences

Hello there and welcome to my Day One of my week for Growing in Unity! I'm excited that you are here! My project for my first post is a set I made for my Aunt's birthday! She is a very special woman in my life....she helped raise my brother and sisters and me with my grandmother early on in my life! I honor her for sacrificing so much for us at only 19 years of age, working and supporting all of us! She will forever be one of my favorite people...and I wanted her to know it! The honey was locally grown and included in this sweet set is a spoon I bought from a girl raising $$ for a mission trip to Haiti! 

As you can see, I used several Unity stamps from the April 2018 Kit of the Month, Eyes of the Beholder. I don't like bees in real life, but for some reason, I ADORE them in stamped images. And I love honey! It reminds me of the scripture in Proverbs 16:24: 

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

The encouraging words my Aunt and Grandmother spoke over us as children were sweet and healing as well! I pray that you all have influencers in your lives that make a difference!

Ready to win some UNITY Stamps? GREAT!  Be sure to comment on each post this week and I will choose TWO of you to win a Unity Grab bag! I'd love some encouragement! For great inspiration, also check out the Unity blog, FB pages and Growing in Unity page! Blessings!

Kim Marie

So sweet a sister!

I received a card from my sister Kelly today! It was so sweet I wanted to share it! I invited her to a Stamp camp that I helped organize several years ago and got her hooked on card making! She continues to develop her stash for paper crafting with my help, haha!  She also dabbles in cupcake and cookie decor, which she does as part of a business, so I make out every time! :) We're such crafty kids! :)
Here's the card!

Thanks, Kelly! I LOVE it! 

See you all soon!

Kim Marie

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!

Hello to any Frog Faithful still hanging out in blogger land! My blog has been quietly patiently waiting for my return and HERE I AM!

Where have I been and what has life sent my way these years? I've been LIVING and JOYFULLY so! As I'm guessing you have! :)  My family is doing well, my husband retires in June and WE HAVE A WEDDING coming up! God has been continuously faithful and we continue to fall on his amazing grace!

So why am I back now? Weeellllll.....good question! Let me explain! Since my last post, of course, I have continued stamping and card making and all that goes with it. My favorite stamp companies remain my favorites, including Stampin Up, Gina K Designs and Unity stamps (and a new favorite, Kindred Stamps!). My frog faithfuls know how I have always loved techniques and tools and that tradition continues as well with some cool new inks from Versamark, Tim Holtz and Gina K.  Although I haven't been blogging like I used to, I do spend time on some crafting FB pages, including one for Unity Stamps. One of their pages features the crafters themselves, for a week, including their creations! I am blessed to say, I am going to be one of those crafters!

GROWING IN UNITY & A CHANCE TO WIN!!

The Unity Stamp Company calls this feature GROWING IN UNITY for which they have a blog. If you follow the week-long posts, and comment on them, you will be entered to win a grab bag of 25 Unity stamps! My week will start February 11th and although the posts will be featured on their pages and blog, I wanted to 'resurrect' my posts here as well! Win-Win! :) So if you've been here all along waiting for me, HERE I AM! Can't wait to see how God uses me and this blog, even as we share in our favorite hobby! Bless you all!

Kim Marie

CHF will always have my {crafty} heart!

Hello, Frog Faithfuls!

Once again I am checking in with a project I wanted to post. Many of you know that Cornish Heritage Farms stamps has reopened under new owners since Liz and Richard moved farther west and the new owners are continuing the quality stamping image tradition, classy-style. CHF have a challenge going on and I decided to enter it with my Christmas cracker boxes! :) I created them for a Christmas Stamp Camp I am doing with my 'stamping buddies'. They are 3 of 6 different styles, and they will be the centerpieces that the 'campers' can take home with them at the end of the day! CHF images have always been one of my go-to's and these projects were no different! Here they are! The images are from the Vintage Winter Signage and Mary and Jesus stamp sets.

 I will try my best to post the card projects I made for the camp (we have 27 registrants) after camp is over (I want the cards to be a surprise! :) but if I don't see you sometime soon, MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!!! HUGS!!!

Cornish Heritage Farms is back and I'm a winner :)

Hello Frog Faithfuls ;) Happy Thanksgiving week!

It is a week of blessings and thankgiving to a mighty God who loves and blesses His children daily! I have been doubly blessed by happenings of late, including the return of Cornish Heritage Farms Rubber stamps! Yay! Those who know me and my crafting habits know that CHF images are my favorite...I think I have more of them than any other. When Liz and Richard opened a different business, CHF closed its doors...and "dyed-in-the-wool-there-from-the-beginning" groupies like me were super sad! But the latest news? CHF Stamps has a new owner! Tanya, has reopened the website this week,  at www.cornishheritagefarms.com! At this time, the CHF images are all digital, but she has grand plans to include rubber images in the new year, including THOMAS KINKADE images! Exciting! Not only am I happy about THAT development, but this week, CHF held a blog hop for commenting and I AM A WINNER :) YAY! I won a $10 gift certificate from Dawn Lusk's blog! Wow! Is God good or WHAT?! :)

In honor of their grand reopening (and winning!), I am posting a card that I made using CHF images for a swap I was involved in this summer. The swap theme was FALL, SCHOOL and EMBOSSING. Here it is! Forgive the slight blurriness of the photo...it was taken by my cell phone and looked fine in a 2x2 image, LOL :)

May God bless you and your family richly on this week of Thanksgiving and always. You are loved!

Sometimes it is about the candy :)

Frog Faithfuls!

I'm among the living! Really! If you're still out there in blogland, Hello! In spite of all my best intention several times this year, l haven't been in the zone when it comes to blogging my crafts or my life...I blame it a little on the "microwave" mentality of Facebook, where it only takes a second to connect with others and poof! You are done! but FB doesn't give me quite the same connection as blogging and connecting with those who love crafting with stamps, so my heart remains here, albeit dormant! So...THANK YOU CHERYL, one of my SBS29 sistahs, who has blog candy up on her blog which requires posting on my blog! If you are interested in GREAT candy, check out her blog here:

http://shestamps.blogspot.com/

I am on summer vacation now, although my plate is FULL of things to do and places to be, l do plan to blog as much as I'm able...it will inspire me to stamp more and visit more with all of your blogs too! Heck, I may even post my posts to my Facebook page. Why not?!
Love to you all and be blessed this weekend!

Thank you, CHF!!

Sadly, I have learned that one of my first and favorite stamp companies OF ALL TIME is shutting it's doors (at least for the Pomeroy family, the business is for sale). Cornish Heritage Farms has continually blessed me as a company and as a family! The Pomeroys have shared their lives with those who followed their farm and family blog. We have been through their adventures raising an ever growing family on a Montana Farm. We have voted for names for the newborn animals, guessed at how many goose/chicken/duck eggs would hatch successfully, and shared the joys and heartaches  of raising teenagers and babies!  Their company has shown EXCELLENCE in their images, their customer service and, goodness sakes, their faithful and FAST shipping!! But alas, they are moving their farm and decided that the stamping chapter of their lives is done.....AND WE ARE SO SAD

But all things change and we must change with them. God has a plan for us all and I am proud of this family for seeking His face and following what they feel God is leading them to do next. So really this is a GOOD thing and I wish them all the best in their new venture. To bless us, they have begun to discount their stamps and stuff, now at 20-40% off. Their images are--bar none--the best of their kind. Keep checking in...I'm hoping their Thomas Kinkade line will show up on the sale shelf soon...til then I will leave you will a few CHF cards and project (above) I'd done with some of my favorite images of theirs...aren't they just SO GREAT??

They ROCK! Congratulations CHF! We will miss you!


 and 

Babies everywhere!

There seems to be babies being born at a wonderful rate all around me! I love it! I sit in church waiting to begin our preschool ministry class and look around at all the moms and dads holding their little ones :) I think we shall be busy in the 3 and 4 year old room for years to come, it seems!! :) I love babies!!

My friend has asked me to make a few of my 6x6 albums for some special events in her family. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite images from the baby book. Keep in mind that these are scrapbooks waiting to happen. I don't deal with the pictures (thankfully...the pressure would be too much! lol!) but I create the background. Most pages have some kind of stamped image or sentiment, but not all! Each book takes between 10-15 hours to complete (slow creative process!), so it is a labor of love to be sure ;) I don't really scrapbook, but whenI consider these pages as twenty cardfronts, life is good!

How fun are these? Once I "deliver" the next one--haha, I'll post pictures :)

Thanks for stopping in!

Summer!!! Woo hoo!! So sweet!

Hey there! Did you think I had fallen into the pond and sunk??

No, just been too too crazy busy living to stop, even for a moment, to post or blog hop. Life is like that, isn't it? I have been crafting all along, but not recreationally really. More like, "Oh no! I need a card/gift/little something, like, NOW. Quickly, I must whip one up!!!" Am I speaking to the right crowd, here? Or does this not happen to you?! I know, right.

But good news looms! I am now officially on summer break! I hesitate to call it a vacation, as I have a LIST of things to do this summer, but I look forward to doing them on my time (translation: after having my morning coffee and breakfast actually SITTING DOWN in the living room and not while driving in the car!) In the list, which includes rewriting my lecture packet for the fall grad course I teach, restructuring our preschool ministry with new curriculum and learning a new communication device inside and out, I also WILL BE ORGANIZING MY HOUSE BETTER. There, I said it, now it will be true. Any volunteers?! You are welcome to help!! LOL!

And, by His grace I will also find time to stamp. I am working on some projects there too....a swap or two, a few special "albums" for a friend and reorganizing my stamping area. So for now, I will leave you with a pic of one of my "whip it up" cards.

Here's to great summer weather and sweet days of joy for you!!! Love you all! So sweet of you to stop in!

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Easter my friends! Today is a beautiful day here in NY...sunny and delightful!

More importantly, it is a day to celebrate the resurrection of the King!! Rejoice!!

Oh! And enjoy a chocolate bunny ear...or two!!

Happy 98th Birthday, Gram!

Happy April Fool's day! The sun is finally matching the warmth here and it's supposed to get to the 80's by tomorrow!!! No foolin'! Today also marks my grandmother Arietta Lucinda's birthday. She went to be with Jesus many years ago on April 16, which happens to be my birthday. That was hard at first, but not anymore....because we were always "birthday buddies" and that connection between the two of us has always been a joy and comfort to me! So since she always wanted me to be a writer, I always write about her on her birthday! If you follow my blog you'll remember the stories, so today I will just suffice it to say, Happy birthday Gram! You ride in the pocket of my heart! (an inside joke...she will get it! LOL!)