Sketch Challenge Winners!

Earlier this month I introduced a sketch challenge for my SBS 29 sisters and any non-SBS crafter that was interested in joining in the fun. (1 SBS29 prize and 1 non-SBS prize was available). Here are the entries that I received. Hope I didn't miss anyone! Thanks for playing along ladies!! The winners are announced at the end of this post!!

First SBS29 Challenge winner: Rhonda!!
Non-SBS challenge winner: Cheryl's daughter!

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!

LOOK FOR A PACKAGE COMING YOUR WAY!! ;)

Ryan and His Mom

Hello, Frog Faithfuls!

I have missed you! Please forgive my absence! I had an event that rocked my world just a bit last week! It's a sad event, unfortunately. :( A friend of mine called and told me that one of the "children of my heart" had passed away. He was 16!

You see, I work with children who have many many physical and communication needs...the more needs that they have, the more I love working with them! I do love them all, please note, but every once in a while God places special children on my heart and my love for these children is unimaginably deeper than I can really express. They become "my children" in a different way than all the others. Ryan was just such a boy. I was his speech pathologist when he was just 2-1/2 years old. He could not verbally talk or physically walk, but he had eyes that were chocolate brown, a 10,000 watt smile and a mischievious glint in his eyes that you knew held great humor and love of life. He was wonderful to work with, but challenging too...his amazing mom always said he knew so much, but had no way to tell us. Ryan was very patient with me as we explored different ways to find a voice for him.

The only physical control that Ryan had consistently was head and neck control...after many trials and many errors, he finally let me try something crazy! I used velcro to strap a little flashlight to his temple, taped pictures up in our small speech room and turned off the lights. Then I asked him to point his "head light" to different pictures on the wall....he got them right 100%!!! From there it was all uphill! I could prove that he knew what he knew....within 6 months, we had a dynamic communication device for him (Dynavox) and the rest is HISTORY! He became an avid communicator, writer, poet and all around kid, who could keep up with the best of them. He was also a gold medalist in the special olympics for racing his electric wheelchair, controlled with several switches mounted behind and beside his head. His amazing mom continued to be Ryan's greatest advocate, his greatest asset and his greatest champion. When Ryan stopped breathing in the middle of the night last weekend, all efforts were made to revive him. But the Lord called him home.

As sad as it is to lose Ryan on this earth, when I went to the services and saw and heard from all those whose lives were touched by Ryan's life, I realize that he fulfilled his purpose here while we had him with us. He made us all better people, all around. Ryan's dad said, "God wanted Ryan the day he was born, but then He changed His mind and kept him here so we could all experience him in our lives." Nothing more true could be said.

I made this card for Ryan's mom, because I believe God gives these children just the right parents and I knew that more than any other identity or "character" trait she had, being Ryan's mom was the most important identity to her. When God places these children in my heart, he also gives me a special relationship with their mothers. And I cherish that relationship as much as the connection I have with their children. And I keep in contact with them throughout their children's lives. So I dedicate this post to all special children and their moms. Love ya!

Bless you all!

Valentine Hugs

Hi all! Hope your day is bright! Just wanted to share this with you! I sent a Valentine's Day package to my daughter at college. These little conversational heart sayings are from Pam at Fire Cracker Designs blog...aren't they darling? I used my friend Kathy's classic and scalloped heart Nestability sets and I think they turned out precious! This card is a little 3x3. I included the inside view too so you could see more sayings. Pam from FCD actually designed the page so there are something like 20 different sayings and they could be punched out or cut out easily.

Now, I'm sure many of you probably think that I would put cholocoate in this package...but you don't know my girl! Since she was little, she always preferred sugary candy over chocolate...she only gets one chocolate bunny in her Easter basket (my idea!) the rest of her candy is things like Skittles, Nerds, Ring Pops, etc....So for this package, I bought a few "movie theater" type boxes of sour Skittles and Lemonheads and covered them in SU Designer Paper.

Also, when she was little, my DD had this way with fluffy animals in the store...You know how the big dept stores have a "deal" at Christmas...buy $50. worth of their stuff and get this big Christmas bear/moose/bunny/etc for only $10.? And how they would have a million of them scattered throughout the store?? Well, Kelsey NEVER missed the opportunity to hug

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!!

It took hours to shop every Christmas. So I saw this guy with the saying "Hug me" and I couldn't resist!! Tee hee!! Every college girl needs a teddy in her bed at college, right? Aw c'mon, it'll match that big fluffy duck she took when she went! :) Love our girl!

Have a wonderful Valentine's weekend my friends! God Bless you all!

A Simple Challenge

Happy Day, all! I am so grateful for a little bit of snow today, instead of what the rest of the northeast is getting! Yippee!!
This simple little sketch is the first challenge for my sisters of the SBS29 Group! I kept it simple 'cause it's our first and we are all very busy women! We are going to have a little prize chosen to a randomly chosen sister who makes a card and posts it on her blog by February 20. There are no color specifications as part of the challenge; I only included color in the sketch to give it contrast! And as you can see with my sample card, taken from my archives, the sketch can be creatively changed--as in changing shapes or orientation :) Just have fun!

Although this challenge is specific to the SBS29 sisters, I'd like to offer a little prize for a randomly chosen NON-SBS29 sister who wants to make a card following the sketch, too. If you would like to enter, comment in this post with a link to your card. How's that for a thrill!
Have a fabulous weekend! If I can, I'm going to post a WishRAK I received that brightened my entire week! Be blessed, my friends!