Shapes, Shapes and More Shapes

Man I just love to play with shapes. :) If you look at the stuff I do, a lot of them have a bunch of shapes on them, especially lately.

This next card, I took 2 1/2 inch squares and turned them so they were overlapping diamonds.

I made the card for The ScrapCake's blog post for Teacher's Day. Apparently World Teacher's Day is October 5th, but many countries celebrate the day on different dates. In Poland, they celebrate Teachers Day on October 14th. In the US it is May 5th. It was interesting looking at all the different dates that countries celebrated it. Anyways...happy Teacher's Day to all the teachers out there, whether you celebrate it now or 7 months from now. This world could not survive without it's teachers, so I honor you!

My Teachers Day card uses some of the more solid colors from the Summer At The Seaside collection from The ScrapCake. The apple and school house were cut using my Slice. The card is pretty simple, but I like it. :)

And I do have another card to share with you too...

Before you ask...NO. I am NOT pregnant. I know this looks like it could be an announcement but I was actually thinking of using it differently. My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby...a little girl. I couldn't be more excited for them. So I made this card to send after she is born. I figure I will say something like "we haven't met you yet, but we love you" in it.

Notice all the shapes again? I got out my faithful heart punch and punched them all and created a background for my card. :) This card uses the Little Monsters collection from The ScrapCake.

Hope you have enjoyed my somewhat funky cards today. :)

Have an AWESOME day!

On My Playlist

Back with some more meaningful songs from my playlist...

It's Your Life sung by Francesca Battistelli

This is the moment

It's on the line

Which way you gonna fall?

In the middle between

wrong and right?

But you know afterall...

It's your life

Whatcha gonna do

The world is watching you

Everyday the choices you make

Say what you are and who

your heart beats for

It's an open door

It's your life

Are you who you always said you would be?

With a sinking feeling in your chest

Always waiting on someone else to fix you?

Tell me when do you forget...

It's your life

Whatcha gonna do

The world is watching you

Everyday the choices you make

Say what you are and who

your heart beats for

It's an open door

It's your life

You can live the way you believe

This is your opportunity

To let your life be one that lights the way

And I just love singing this one...

Amazing Grace sung by Jars of Clay

I grew this heart into a drifter

I never felt the roots I bare

I sold my sight, oh brother, sister

For a mountain of fool's gold, it's gone

Only God knows, God knows where

My soul was restless for redemption

My feet were lookin' for a place to stand

Well, I ain't got no life

And you know I ain't got no money

Just the faith of an empty hand

Amazing grace, I feel you coming up slowly now

Like the sun is risin', heat on my face

Oh love that keeps on shinin', don't let the shadow come

Ya know I gotta feel your healin' rays

I hitched a ride, I was a beggar

I had murder on my hands

I needed water to rinse these stains

But only blood could remove what's spillin'

And pardon me the blame

Amazing grace, I feel you coming up slowly now

Like the sun is risin', heat on my face

Oh love that keeps on shinin', don't let the shadow come

Ya know I gotta feel your healin' rays

Life's a Climb

There ought to be a song called that...Life's a Climb. Oh wait, there is. :) I have another layout to share with you today. It uses the fabulous The Bright Side of Life collection from The ScrapCake. I love how this gorgeous, flowery collection also has papers that you can use for boys in it. This line really is very versatile.

Here's my layout:

Notice how the diamonds are arranged in a way as if they were climbing up the page. :)

That chipboard piece is from Magistical Memories and is from the Deputy Star pieces. Those letters are from Fancy Pants.

Here are some close up's:

I really am very happy with the way this layout turned out. :)

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY TODAY!!!

A New Love

Yesterday I shared a layout with you that wasn't my favorite. But today I am sharing a layout with you that I just LOVE! :) It incorporates some of my favorite things...stamping, scraps, chipboard (especially negative chipboard) and BasicGrey! It uses their awesome Little Black Dress collection. I am really enjoying playing with this line. You will see more of it soon.

Here's my layout:

I guess I should have included stitching and journaling on my list of favorites from above.

This layout is about my new love for lighthouses. Here's what the journaling says:

"I don't know how it happened. I used to be one of those people who didn't "get" all the fascination with lighthouses [I live in Colorado after all!] but after our trip to Maine I fell in love with them! They were all so beautiful and peaceful."

I love this particular picture because of all the fog around the lighthouse. It looked like a Thomas Kinkade painting or something. :)

Here are some close up's of my layout:

Those stamps I used are a collaboration between BasicGrey and Hero Arts. I love them! You can find the stamp set I used here.

Hope you have enjoyed my layout today...it's so nice when things turn out the way you want them too. :)

Have a wonderful day!!!

Help.

So keep in mind as I tell you this story that my daughter is two.

This morning we arrived back to the house and she needed to take her coat off. She started to struggle and I asked her if she needed help. She yelled "no", she wanted to do it. She struggled more and more and got the zipper down to the bottom but couldn't get it to come apart. She started to throw a fit. She was screaming and crying, yelling that her coat wouldn't come off. Again I asked if I could help and she told me no, she wanted to do it.

As I watched her throw a fit, I was struck with the idea that this is how God sometimes sees us. Trying so hard to do things on our own, getting so upset when it doesn't work, but never asking for help from the One who can give it. Even when we are throwing a fit because it is not working...we still want to be able to do it (whatever it may be) on our own. We don't want help. We don't ask for help.

It seems so silly. Like a 2 year old throwing a fit because she can't get her coat off but refusing to accept help from her mother.

Real Scrapbookers...

make layouts that they don't love...from time to time.

Here's a layout I made last night:

I am just not too happy with it. I feel like it looks cluttered and busy. I think I personally would have liked it better if those two bird's (rub-on's) on the large orange heart were in the bottom left hand corner instead. Oh well.

The layout uses the awesome Summer's End collection from Fancy Pants Designs. That cardstock in the back is a collaboration between Fancy Pants and Core'dinations.

Here are some close up's:

Just thought I'd keep it real today. :) I know we all do it...make layouts we are not entirely happy with.

Hope you have a FANTASTIC day!!!

Capable?

The devil likes to get us where it hurts most--our self worth. He tries to convince us that we are not good enough to do this or educated enough to do that. He tries to convince us to let other people do things because we are not capable or good enough.

And he's right!

We are all sinners. NONE of us are good enough. Only God is true goodness. Only God is capable. Only God is reliable. Only God is perfect. Only God is God.

BUT...

God created us in HIS likeness! He gives us the strength and the wisdom we need! We can do all things through Him. And if He's calling us to do something we just have to depend on Him to give us the strength and skills to do it at the exact moment that we need them.

For a couple of years I have been feeling God's nudging to do a certain "project". But I do not feel capable. I feel like people wouldn't take me seriously because I do not have the credentials. I make excuses. Can you imagine all the excuses that God has heard! Doesn't it make you sad to think of all the excuses you've given God? It does for me. And the truth is, it's an insult to God. If He wants us to do something, who are we to argue with that? Don't we know that God will ALWAYS give us what we need when we need it?

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." Psalm 29:10-11.

The kind of "qualified, capable" people God can use:

Moses had a speech problem.

David's armor didn't fit.

Noah got drunk.

Jacob was a liar.

David had an affair and a husband killed.

Abraham was too old.

David was too young.

Naomi was a widow.

Paul was a persecutor of the church.

Moses was a murderer.

Jonah ran from God.

Aaron and Miriam was gossipers.

Gideon and Thomas both doubted.

Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.

Elijah was burned out.

And Martha was a worry-wart.