Try it!

HI all!

Just wanted to let you know of an opportunity to win a gift from Clear Artistic Stamps! You will be totally BLESSED if you win...Belinda is so generous and wonderful and the projects and cards her Design Team comes up with will inspire you!

Head over to the Cottage studio blog and CAS's site as well...Two chances to win!! The odds are good and you will love the store and the blog! Trust me ;) Here's the links to the STORE and BLOG Be blessed and win!

Love ya!
Kim Marie

So busy, so crazy, so tired.....but so GRATEFUL!

Hi all my faithful friends!
I am here! Living life for sure, multiply blessed and trying to find a good time for stamping!!

You have all heard about my crazy days, so you know that I would be here every day if I could, devouring all your wonderful blogs and cards and such....I long for more time to just BE.

I am involved in so many wonderful things, but I am getting tired, so I have promised my family and God that I am going to scale back on my very sincere "Yes! Sure! What a great idea; I 'd love to!" and start saying, "Oh, wow, what a great idea! I just can't right now...." That way I will have time to just hang out and chat or actually create something with my favorite hobby! (Or spend time with my hubby! imagine THAT! LOL!) A friend to whom I was lamenting the difficulty of saying no to things I really love to do said this to me, "Kim, it is your daughter's senior year. You should have the time to spend it doing things that you will also love to do." She is right! Thanks, Mary Angela!

So, I am choosing not to teach a class next semester, I am not taking a student teacher, I won't be signing any songs (not a typo, I mean sign language) at church unless God directs me to and I'm not adding any new projects...oh, I don't mean crafts...I mean PROJECTS. I'll still coordinate our thanksgiving dinner deliveries...can't change all my traditions! But really, I know God wants me to stop being so busy busy, so I can find time to sit down and chat with Him more! A car cannot go without filling up on fuel, and I can't go without filling up on God. And in this crazy crazy world there is just so much to PRAY for! I want to give it my best effort...and I will be blessed!

Of course, you all are not on my "no more" list....in fact, this moves all of you up on my "gotta do it for my sanity" list!! Isn't that GOOD? And I may even open up some of those stamps I've had for awhile and actually ink them up. Isn't that GREAT??

I want encourage YOU to reassess your busyness, too....and to take more time out of the chaos to chat with God...He's waiting so patiently to share Himself with you!
I'm so grateful for you!

And the winner is!

These are cards from my Amazing and Creative SBS sisters...check out their blogs under the SBS9 banner over there----> Scroll down for the winner!!

Suzanne's card (with an E)

Lulu's card

Louise's card

Alex's card :)

Manna's Entry #2

Natty K's Entry

Manna's Entry #1

Debbie Y's Entry

Aren't they fabulous??

By random drawing, the winner is Manna! Congrats, girl!

And thanks for all the entries! Quite a variety of fun and color!

Whew. Now my challenge making days are done for awhile! Gotta go do the next bunch from our SBS group! Blessings!

Happy week!

Hi everyone! Happy week! We had a fabulous family weekend. Here's a snap of my girls that we took at Niagara Falls in their snazzy raincoats you wear on the Maid of the Mist boatride...aren't they so cute??

School started today and besides the headache I've had since 8 am, it was a good day! Scheduling therapy services are a BEAR, especially once you get out the high schooler's schedules! I work with ages 4-18! I think, with God's help, I almost got it down today...til tomorrow! LOL! Honestly, relying on God is the only way this thing comes together, and I pray a lot in these first days. Especially when I see which kids make it back for another year and which ones don't. One of "my kids" who is 16 didn't come back. I am so sad. He has a tough life and I can see why he might give up on school...I mean, should he really have to worry about homework when he barely has a home life?? I continue to pray for him.

Hey, do any of you read the comic strip, For Better or for Worse? I've been reading it for years and years...since just after I had my first baby, oh, 22 years ago. The strip is drawn by Lynn Johnston, a Canadian artist. One of the things I've always loved about the strip is that the characters grew up in real time...and the life of her characters were so real, I sometimes thought she must have hidden cameras in my house! So why am I telling you all this? Well, Lynn has decided to end the strip as far as the growth of her characters, so really the last chapter of the life of the Pattersons has just ended and the book is finished....I am so happy for her, but sad for me! She will continue to publish some of her original strips with a more modern look, and I will enjoy those, but I will miss checking out the new and exciting things....isn't it funny how wrapped up we can become in something so simple? If you have a chance, check out some of her strips...her site is really interactive and you can look at months of the strip at a time to follow a story line. My personal favorite story was when her teenaged character April befriended a girl with learning disabilities....see all that storyline here. The last strip on the first page is my absolute favorite of the story.

I also wanted to share the cards I am making to send to our Church sponsored missionaries this Christmas. We are putting cards made by a few of our stamping crew on a table in church so everyone can sign them during our mission emphasis month. Then we will send the cards to them with a gift for the families. Mine will go to Egypt, the Middle East (an undisclosed location) and locally to a missionary that helps international students. I chose to make all three of mine the same as I had only a little time, but check out these cards made by one of my stamping cult buddies, {as my DD likes to call my friends}.

Blessings!

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~