An honor, a challenge and a post...finally, a post!

Thank you all my fans for continuing in your patience...I know we are all so so busy, but this blog has been yelling my name ever since I got back! It is a jealous blog and kept saying, "Where are you???" "Why aren't you stamping?!" "You even missed my anniversary!!" Hoo boy. So sorry! I have been overwhelmed with projects to finish before school, but it's all good. Really!



First...I received an award while I've been 'gone'. This one is so cute and school-like! Thanks, Rox! I love your blog, too! My friend Roxanne sent this award my way and I'm so glad to know her.

Also I do have a card that should have been posted two weeks ago!

Gasp! My SBS9 green and purple card challenge began mid August and here I am just posting now...hoo boy. SBS9 sisters, please comment here and link your challenge card in the comment. I will add all your cards to my blog and on the last day of the first week of school (Friday, September 5th) I will randomly choose an SBS9 sister winner! Here's my card to get you inspired!! {Gina K stamps, JOY sticker from creative memories and my SBS secret sister, Lulu and the new kiwi color from SU as well as PTI's purple paper and ribbon; and two OTC brads} :)

Also, I want to share this little booklet that I made for my trip to Mozambique...you see, I have both prayer and financial partners who support my trip when I go...and because they commit to pray for me the whole month...I pray for them, too. This is the way I kept track of who to pray for while I was on my trip. The stamp set is Clear Artistic stamp's Delicate moments. I stamped a piece of vellum for the cover, cuttlebugged it, glued it to a covered piece of piece of CS with SU's Winter designer paper, and used Nestabilities oval diecut to make the book and pages with the same DP. I attached the vellum piece with a glue stick. Then I calligraphered the name(s) of those individuals who supported my trip on each page. I originally had ribbon on the ring, but they kept falling in the dirt floors in Africa, so I put them as markers in my bible instead! :)

Me? Oh, I am working on my report from Mozambique, editing a friend's book, stamping thank you's for my mission supporters, prepping my lectures for my college class, organizing for school stuff {for both me and my girls! Our exchange daughter, Em, arrived from Denmark two weeks ago today! See her below?} Oh, and I'm coodinating a mission month for church with new speakers every week in September. Oh, and getting ready for that cruise I told you about last spring. Yes, six more weeks to go for that and boy, will I need it!



I am so missing blogging, stamping and hanging out with all of you! Know that you are all on my mind, but God has been so good to me with all of my 'projects', how can I complain?! And for those who continue to keep my mom in prayer...she remains in the hospital (she was out for a few weeks while I was gone, but back in a few days after I returned!)...so continue to keep her in prayer, please! A lot going on there too! I am longing for the routine of school just so there is a routine. I'll post more soon! Blessings to you all and happy fall!

You've all been so patient!! and a Mystery solved!

My randomly chosen winners of my sketch challenge for July are here! (My daughter randomly chose numbers with no idea who was who) You will receive a prize from me soon!

Now, for the Winners names!

Roxanne S (nonSBS9)

Natty K (SBS9 Sistah!)

Congrats! And thanks everyone for playing along!!

Also, I have the color challenge for this month for my SBS9 sisters, so look for my green and purple card soon! Any one can feel free to play along, and I will post all your cards, even though a prize will only be awarded to an SBS9 sister!

I also have a special announcement! Three of my very very talented stamping friends have started their own blogs:

Kathy

Roxanne

Becky

Visit their blogs, drool over their creations and leave a comment or two...we've all been at the starting gate in blogland before, haven't we?? They'd love to hear from you!

And!! Mystery solved!! Remember this post?? Well, it turns out that my mystery blessing is none other than Becky R whose new blog I mentioned above!!! She told me the day before I left for Africa that she had a little something for me...well, it was a big something!! When I checked out this post on her new shiny blog, the mystery was solved...so fun!!! Isn't it??!!

So much!

I'm home!! And so much to say...but not a ton of time to say it...I am still reeling from the time change...it took 30 hours of travel to get home...and my body is still 7 hours ahead time wise....up at 2:30 am two nights in a row! Then suddenly around 8 pm, I feel exhausted and my eyes droop!!

Our Team from the church...our team leaders were Bill and Carolyn...the man on the end of the row and the woman kneeling. We were joined by Bill's sister Penny (to Bill's left). Doug and Will, Bill's Cousin and Uncle had already left when this pic was snapped, but they were part of our team as well. I am in the shade behind John and next to Jeff and our Pastor Matt stands next to Penny. Don't we look so enthusiastic?!

Our Mozambique Team for the week....see me in the second row third from the right?

The trip in a nutshell: we were able to build A LOT of the church we were working on...we were the middle team, so there is a final team there now finishing the church to ready it for its dedication the first week in September. It was an exciting time full of blessing (the church services were amazing musical services) and adventure (one of our team killed a rat in the dining building and four of our team fell 12' from the scaffolding when our first attempt at putting up the roof trusses collapsed) But God was in control of it all and we all are safe, sound and home. The days were long (10-11 hours) and we were exhausted and filthy from all the construction dust and such, but thankfully there were showers (slightly warmer than cold) and our hosts prepared good food, so we were ready to go again by 6 am every morning. Sadly, the opportunity for using my puppets with the kids did not present itself this time. School was in session during the day so we were not around too many kids. I did meet a few at the bible school where we stayed as their families were up late grinding corn...my puppet Pedro made a new friend, Dominga. There were also a few kids at the house where we prepared and ate our lunch, so I did get to hang out with them a few days. Mostly though, it was all about the building of the church. I can now say I have been a carpenter, mason and all around menial laborer! And it was fun and very rewarding. The church members were there working alongside us and it was a blessing to toil together for the Lord! We are all healthy, if a bit sore of muscle, and no one missed a day of ministry. How Good God is! Oh, we didn't really see animals on this trip as we were in a city all the time, but here is a termite hill just a stick's throw from my tourquoise tent! (Matt is 6' tall, btw)

Now begins the real whirlwind here at home...getting ready for our exchange student from Denmark, starting the teaching of my college class (a week from Monday! Eek!) and Missions emphasis month in church through September (guess who heads that up!?) I am crazy! But God is so good and I will be blessed! Thank you for all so much your support and love of me and my mission! I want to leave you today with a video I took with my camera at the church service in Mozambique. This scene was played out over and over again throughout the services as each group of people (young adults, fathers, mothers, and even visitors--that meant us on our second week there!) stood up and sang praises to God. Just incredible.

Back tomorrow with my sketch challenge winners! Blessings!

Blog Challenge Entries!!

My amazing friend Manna's card #1

My friend Manna's card #2

My friend Kathy G's entry
SBS sister Debbie Yates entry

My friend Wendy's challenge card for her DH b'day!

Wendy's DH, Eric's challenge card using Wendy's card as inspiration!

my friend Deby's Entry!

My friend Roxanne's challenge Entry!

SBS9 Sister Alex's Entry

SBS9 Sister Natty K's #2 Entry :)

SBS9 Sister Natalie K's #1 Entry

My sweet and funny friend Holly made these twin cards for the challenge.

Going, going...gone!

Gone for a few weeks!

Don't forget the blog challenge! Can't wait to see your entries when I return!

Love ya!

CHA the end :)

These are my final CHA uploads....CHA was a lot of things: meeting inspirational people, learning new techniques and trying new products and being enveloped by creativity and even getting some "freebees". The above pix are some things we received in classes or at different booths throughout the convention. Sometimes you'd get a shirt or apron and if you wore it throughout the event, you might be chosen to win a prize! One thing you will never need to bring should you get to a CHA event....tote bags!!! Everyone is giving one away and I came home with nine of them (two of which I decorated as a make and take!)

The second photo above was all the stuff we were given at the Tim Holtz workshop...besides the 8 different products and techniques we tried in the two hours it took to make the tag book you see in the picture, we also learned a few AMAZING things...like, um, (close your ears SU demos!!) we learned that ink, being a suspended medium, does not need to be stored upside down! Gasp! I know, right! And another kernel of wisdom...the best vellum adhesive?? A glue stick!! It's true! We tried it...dried clear! So much for all those adhesives we've been buying up!! I am free! Honestly, Tim's workshop was the highlight of our trip. He is funny, charming and knows and loves his craft...and he was EVERYWHERE at the show. I have a TON of respect for him and his products! Wow. I shook his hand but stopped short of getting a "stalker picture"...this time! ;)

These next pix show another highlight of the show for me...this is Heidi Grace (who doesn't know Heidi Grace designs....check her out online!) She sat in that chair for HOURS taking requests and making little sketches for each person who waited in line! We were actually there at 5 pm when she took our requests....I asked for a frog....and she said she'd never made one before!! I "sketched" two big eyes and she took off from there.

Here he is....my original Heidi Grace frog....first edition!!

And I can now say with confidence that I have been part of Heidi's design consultant team ;) Well, not really, but almost....


Finally, here is one of the biggest pluses for a guest like me....ideas! I had so many different kinds of ideas come rushing to me during this weekend it was overwhelming....here are a few booths that inspired....too many to post, but this will give you a taste :)

Thanks for living vicariously through me these last few posts. I am almost all packed for Africa, so my next post will be after I come back! Be blessed everyone! I'll miss you!!

Love ya!



PS Forgive the spacing issues...more pix, more problems...I finally gave up on the edits! K~

CHA part TWO!

Now some sights and sounds from my favorite new to me vendors at CHA....all the designer paper was absolutely scrumptious, the colors of all the design lines FAB and the atmosphere so "Pink Cotton candy"! {if you know what I mean} Just all Yummy!

This is My Mind's Eye's: "Laundry Line" line and Make and Take. It was so neat to see the booth set up with ironing boards. Their glittery paper was so gorgeous, I just wanted to stand there all day! They have coordinating paper, ink, buttons and all! The people at this booth were super nice!

Here is the line to go into the exhibit hall! There were Bagpipers playing for us. So funny!

Another favorite neat product I saw was "Core' dinations". This neat stuff has a color core that you can get to by sanding the outside of the cardstock to reveal a coordinating color inside the cardstock. Here was a "cake and candy" display showing off the ability to cuttlebug a design onto the cardstock, sand it to reveal the inner color and make a beautiful project. It was SOOOOOOO cool to play with this stuff!!

Here is another company that caught my eye in a big way. I just love retro school related stuff and all of Jenni Bowlin's stuff was retro....with a wonderful habit of miniaturizing everything she designs! Here is her logo and some products and a snap of Betty looking at all the cool cool stuff....I will definitely be on the lookout for Jenni Bowlin everywhere!!

Isn't it all so thrilling!? If only pictures could do the atmosphere justice!!

This was one of the products Jenni was displaying! She has an entire line of these Bingo boards as well as a set of miniatures! Check out her site (http://www.jennibowlin.com/) ....so so ADORABLE!!

Hope you enjoyed this little taste! I'm still packing....can you believe I leave soon!!??

CHA part ONE!

Have you ever seen one of those, what I call, "Sports miracle movies"?? You know the kind; the small town team struggling to win any games at all (you name the sport) and a coach comes along and makes such a radical change in attitude/skill of the team that they go on to the BIG GAME in some GIGANTIC, impressive stadium/court/field?? And as the team enters "the arena" there is a big 'hush' of awe and one team member whispers to another something like, "We made it! We're really here!"

That was CHA for me. The road trip with my friend Betty was priceless as we talked for hours and hours! The staying at Betty's friend's Sandy's house in Milwaukee was a great blessing as I felt like family there (and brushed up a bit on my rusty Spanish!) And then...the arena...wow! Pictures CANNOT do it justice, but here's a few...I'll post several times so you don't have to take it all in at once....it was HUGE and that's an understatement. We had classes on Thursday and familiarized ourselves with the convention center. I think I can safely say I saw about half of the show on Friday and Saturday. Then we left on Sunday. Still, wow.

One of the most exciting things was meeting some of the people I've come to know online (and are, like, my stamping mentors of a sort!) Okay, maybe it was the most exciting thing!

First!

This is me with some of the Cornish Heritage Farms designers and amazing creative artists! Me, Lori Craig, Julie Campbell and Lisa Silver. They had been training on Copic markers all day, but were gracious enough to stand in for a picture. I also met Becky Olson, but didn't get a photo with her. What a blessing to meet everyone! I love these ladies over at CHF!Lisa and I were able to talk a little bit during the show which was so nice! (everyone was very busy, but 'connecting' was a great pleasure, even for a bit!) I was also able to meet Richard Pomeroy, one of the CHF owners....he was great! I got a picture with him, but he is sticking out his tongue...so I won't post that one! Tee hee... ;)

This is me with Lisa Johnson! She designs for Papertrey Ink, but I also follow her Poppy Paperie blog. She also just released her first stamp set under PTI. She is a sweetheart

Finally......big drumroll!!! One of my very favorite people in the stamping industry....yes, I was (and AM) beside myself in wonder that we connected......I finally got to meet GINA K!!!! AHHHH! Oh my! Gina is one of the most generous and wonderful people and she was just the sweetest thing! Here we are in a now famous photo op: (famous in my house that is!!)

I also got to meet Deb Olsen, and Tim Holtz...two people whom I respect greatly in their creativity and craft. Deb and I shared a hug and Tim and I a handshake. More about Tim's workshop later....

There were a lot of other people I admire but didn't connect with during CHA...including Kim Hughes from CHF, Nichole Heady at Papertrey Ink, Em of Stamping Bella fame and Kurtis A (Stampin' Kub). I didn't really see them in the three days I was there, but I wished I had.

Oh, there's one more 'meet and greet' I never in a lifetime dreamed would happen....
Yes of course....it's Me, Cuttlebug, Betty and Cricut! Now that's a dream come true!! Til next time!