August Mark's Finest Papers Blog Hop- Day 4

Hello! Welcome to the August 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are:Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement, Butterflies and Wisteria, Forest Gifts, Fun on the Farm .For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set:Fun On The Farm? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Fun On The Farm. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Silvia
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn ***** This is me*****
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Markie
Mark’s Finest Papers

When, my daughter, Kristina, saw this set she squealed and jumped up and down. She said it was the cutest set she had ever seen. She had to stamp the little piggy onto her hand. She wore it to the band party that she went to last week, and showed it off to her friends.

Since today's featured set is called Fun on the Farm, I decided to really have FUN with this set. The first card is very whimsical. I stamped the little piggy and then I masked him. I then stamped the butterfly -(my favorite one) from Mark's Finest Papers set called Daffodil and Anise. I then cut the image out, glued a rhinestone to center of wings and added cotton candy stickles to the wings. The rest of the card was fairly simple. I embossed with the dotted swiss folder, added pearls for the pig's flight trail. The sentiment I printed on my computer. I don't know if you can see it or not in the photo, but the pink paper behind the dotted swiss is really sparkly.

I didn't have any red cardstock that was stiff enough for this next card so I made it out of white cardstock and glued the red to the top and then cut it out barn shaped. I got the barn shape by stamping the barn image from the set and scanning it into my computer. I then enlarged it and used that as my pattern. I placed the top of the barn on the fold. I scored the barn to make it look like wood. I took a red marker and outlined the barn and the doors. I then took a white prisma colored pencil and drew in the white lines.

The inside of my card is a pop up card. The sentiment and animals each have their own pop up mechanism. The sentiment panel pops up sideways, while the animals pop up vertically.

Each animal also has additional dimension. The tip of the horses' nose was stamped twice and cut out. I have craft foam behind his nose. The cow has the whole head stamped twice and cut out with craft foam behind the head. The pig has his head and his nose dimensional with craft foam.

I hope you had as much FUN looking at my cards as I did making them. Have a blessed day!

Mark's Finest Papers Blog hop day 3

Hello! Welcome to the August 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are:Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement, Butterflies and Wisteria, Forest Gifts, Fun on the Farm .For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set:Forest Gifts? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Forest Gifts. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn ****This is me****
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Markie
Mark’s Finest Papers


This set shows the picture of a few of my neighbors. I live on a bluff above the Mississippi river in Iowa. I can see the river from my kitchen, and familyroom windows. Living that close to the river means that a lot of wild life comes by my windows too. Last week at the crack of dawn, a doe and her two fawns were less than 5 feet from my kitchen window. The fawns were frolicking while mother ate. It is that last part that makes them kinda a nuisance. I can't grow any garden or flowers without the deer eating them. I had roses planted and they ate even the branches of the bushes. Within the last month, we have had a raccoon and a possum in our garage at night. When I go on my evening walks with my husband Derek, we often see owls in the trees right by our house.

Mark's Finest Paper August Blog Hop Day 2

Hello! Welcome to the August 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are:Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement, Butterflies and Wisteria, Forest Gifts, Fun on the Farm .For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Butterflies and Wisteria? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Butterflies and Wisteria. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers

I stamped the butterfly twice and cut one of them out. I curved the wings of the top butterfly and glued it to the bottom butterfly.

Mark's Finest Papers August blog hop day 1

Hello! Welcome to the August 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are:Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement, Butterflies and Wisteria, Forest Gifts, Fun on the Farm .For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers

There are just some sets that become favorites the minute you see them. This black eyed susan set is one of those sets. You can see from my examples how awesome it is. I know you are going to want this set too.

This last card combined the flowers from other "FAVORITE" sets. I made it for a co-worker's wedding card. I used these other Mark's Finest Papers sets: Just Dandy, Poppies,poppies, poppies, and my favorite butterfly from Daffodil and Anise. For this card. I used burnt glue for the centers of the poppies and I added glitter and ground up styrofoam for the dandylions, and the black eyed susans have several layers. The petals are cut out everyother one and curled. I placed piece of craft foam between the layers to add to the dimension.

Linda choose this scripture for this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge.

Lam 3:22 -23 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning

Don't you just love NEW things? NEW car smell, NEW hairstyle, NEW clothes... How about new craft supplies? I do. I love getting new things, but after awhile they aren't new anymore. NEW babies grow up to be teenagers. NEW cars get old. NEW clothes go out of fashion. The amazing thing about this passage that Linda choose is that God's mercies are new every morning. His love, his compassion, his care for us doesn't get old.

Thank you God for renewing your mercies to me every day!!!


Clear Dollar Stamps is our wonderful sponsor this week.

Here is Linda's Challenge:

Dig deep into your craft cupboard and use something from your stash that you 'just had to have' cause you would use it everyday....but have forgotten about...


I struggled with this challenge because, I don't have a lot from my stash that I just had to have... I have been on a very limited craft budget, so I usually only buy what I will use. I ended up choosing to use this dp. I was going to make a card using my craft chalks, then after several attempts, I remembered why I don't use them much anymore. I had two cards done and smeared the chalk... This flower is from a set that will be released this week during the Mark's Finest Papers blog hop. It is called BLACK EYED SUSANS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created:

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Teresa Traci

Praise the Lord

***********For this week's post, I have shared some songs. To listen to them, scroll to the bottom and pause or turn of radio worship.********


Psalm 148:7-10
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds.

That is the wonderful scripture that my Sister in Christ, Peggysue picked for this week. Just because my name wasn't specifically mentioned, doesn't mean that I'm not included, and the same goes for you. We ALL must Praise the Lord. In good times and in bad times! Last week my boys and I were having to work outside in one of our trailers, cleaning up a mess. It was extremely hot and boring work. To get their minds off of the "Trouble" I started singing praise songs at the top of my lungs. This song was one that I was having fun singing:





The funny thing about singing praises, it not only lifted our spirits, but it made the work go faster.

This song came to my mind this week as I was studying this scripture. (I really like how David Crowder does this song.)







This scripture in Luke 19:38-40 also came to my mind.

“BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

This song goes along with the second scripture:




Peggysue's challenge to the Stampin' Sisters in Christ this week was to make a card with a creature on it. It could be as SMALL as an ant or as LARGE as a whale. I went with ants. This adorable ant digi is from Doodle Pantry, this week's sponsor.

These digi's of the falling ants made me think of this old song.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Several of the Design Team Sisters are taking a short break. While they are gone, we have Teresa and Traci to fill in as guest Designers.

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Teresa Traci

Sing to the Lord

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


This is the wonderful scripture that my Stampin' Sister in Christ, Grace choose for this week.

When my kids were little they went through the "WHY" stage. Where every couple of minutes they would ask WHY? At first it was cute then it got a little annoying having to explain WHY all the time. I wonder if that is how God feels when we ask why.

It seems to me I ask WHY? more when bad things happen then when good things happen. When I see bad circumstances, I think "Why did God allow that to happen?" Are you like me? I think the verse Grace picks explains the reasons I can't understand. His thoughts and his ways are so different from mine.

I love this song by Laura Story called Blessings. This scripture goes along so well with this song. I hope you will go listen to it.

Blessings



The challenge for Stampin' Sisters in Christ was to make a card that shows contrast of black and white. Our Sponsor this week is Layers of Color. I just love Layers of Color images. I used a Layers of Color set to make my card. This music set called Joyful Noise, from the moment I saw it, made me happy. I have a very musical family and this is one of my all time favorite sets.
This card is very CAS for me, but I felt that the musical flourish needed nothing more. I printed the scripture on my computer.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris Grace Kris Linda Lisa Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Sabrina

Color block MOJO 200 cards

This is the scripture that my Christian Sister Kris picked for today's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge.
2 Samuel 6:14 And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.

David was dancing to celebrate the Ark of God coming to his city. There were sacrifices and trumpet music and shouting. The really interesting part to me is what happens next. Michal, King David's wife see's him dancing and gets really embarrased and angry at him. She says to him...

" How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 2 Samuel 6:20.

She was critical of the way David was worshiping God. When he was dancing, I don't think he even took notice of those around him, it was just God and him. He told her...

"It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD." 2 Samuel 6:21

When it comes to dancing, I'll admit that I am not the most graceful person. I never had dance lessons, and the congregation that I grew up in didn't even say the "D" word. Dancing was of the devil. Now, I know that there are some suggestive types of dancing and I don't think they are appropriate, but I have experienced seeing pure joy expressed in dancing. I have a teenaged daughter, to whom dancing is just a natural part of her. When she was little and was happy, she would just dance around the room. When she and her friends would meet, she would do a happy dance and clap her hands. She is a senior in High School now, and still will have moments of joy dancing. She will be walking along and all of a sudden do a grand jete, which is a jump in the air with the splits. My sister has a little girl who is physcially challenged, however she expresses her happiness by dancing as well. I think it was this kind of joy dancing that David was doing.

It made me think of this quote...

Dance like no one is watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like no one is listening, Live like it's heaven on earth.

Wouldn't it be great if we all worshipped God without caring about what others around us were thinking?

The challenge from Kris was to make a "Dancing" card: a card that moves. I chose to make a waterfall card.

This week's sponsor is Designed2Delight. One winner will win $10 to use at her store.

Check out what other dancing cards that my Stampin' Sisters have made...

Chris Grace Kris Linda Lisa Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Sabrina

MFP July hop day 4

Hello! Welcome to the July 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are: Little Birds With Big Mouths, Planted with Love, Lilacs in the Summer, and Adirondack Summer.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.



So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Adirondack Summer? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Adirondack Summer. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Silvia
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Mark’s Finest Papers

I added the sheet music In the garden with this adorable set. I added the two flowers and lace. The image was stamped with black stazon and colored with prisma colored pencils.

Mark's Finest Papers July hop day 3 LILACS IN THE SUMMER

Hello! Welcome to the July 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are: Little Birds With Big Mouths, Planted with Love, Lilacs in the Summer, and Adirondack Summer.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Lilacs in the Summer? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Lilacs in the Summer. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Silvia
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn (This is me!)
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Mark’s Finest Papers



These are a few cards that I have made using this fabulous set. I love these lilacs, don't you?

Mark's Finest Papers July blog hop day 2

Hello! Welcome to the July 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are: Little Birds With Big Mouths, Planted with Love, Lilacs in the Summer, and Adirondack Summer.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Planted With Love? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Planted With Love. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers

I made a card last week with this set and tried using the ink-spray-smash technique to make the background look like the outside of the watermelon. I think this one turned out even better. Usually when I do that technique I try to smash the colors together so that there aren't stripes or blotches of one color, but this time I tried to be extra careful so that there would be distinct stripes. I also embossed some vertical lines on the base.

I love the title of this set... planted with love. So many times we need to plant love to see it grow and bloom. It may start out as a little seed and with care and nuturing grow to a big love.

This set made me think of my first time planting a garden. My family had just moved to Illinois and we had the opportunity to start a garden. My kids were all giving input to what we should grow. Pumpkins and watermelons were on their list. In my inexperience I did't know that pumpkins and watermelons shouldn't be planted near eachother because the cross pollinate. We ended up with watery pumpkins and really gross tasting watermelons.

July MFP blog hop day 1

Hello! Welcome to the July 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are: Little Birds With Big Mouths, Planted with Love, Lilacs in the Summer, and Adirondack Summer.For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Little Birds With Big Mouths? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Little Birds With Big Mouths. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers


The office building where my husband and I run our trucking company has a hole in the siding that some little birds had gone through the siding to the attic to build their nest. This last week one of the baby birds fell out of the nest and was sitting on the dropped ceiling of the office. On Friday, it was calling so loudly to it's mom that I swear it had a BIG MOUTH. My oldest son went to the shop and put on hearing protectors to block out the bird. As I was finishing this card for the hop, the baby bird dropped through the ceiling and started trying to fly around the office. I was screaming while trying to shoo it out the door. Too bad I didn't have anyone video tapping it so I could show you.

Check out this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge.

James 2:18,19 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.

What a great reminder to not just SAY you have faith, but to back up what we SAY with what we DO. It made me think of David. I can imagine that if we could ask the Isrealite army if they believed in God, they would have said "Of course we do!" But when the giant Goliath came, they were afraid and trembled and let it go on for 40 days. Then along came David, who backed up his faith, by taking stones, and a sling (not really battle equipment) and went out to battle the trained, giant warrior. He knew that God would defend him and that he would be victorious.

I think is was interesting that King Saul tried to PROTECT David by giving him his bronze helmet, shield and sword (more along the lines of what I would call battle equipment) But David turned him down and put his whole trust in God. What might have happened if David had tried to put that trust in his own abilities and that armor? I don't think he would have had the victory.

Another thing that I find interesting about this story is that after David put works to his faith, that it encouraged the Isrealite army, who picked up their equipment and went to battle with the Philistines.


I am praying that this week as I come up against the GIANTS in my life, that I will put my whole trust in God, and that I will put works to my faith, so that when others look at me they will be encouraged like the Isrealite army.


This is Rebekka's challenge:

"What works for you use your favorite item for stamping, it could be a stamp, embossing folder, favorite spellbinder shape."

I choose to go with my favorite technique... Ink-Spray-Smash, my favorite colors blue and green, my favorite butterfly (Mark's Finest Papers).

Simon Says Stamp is our sponsor this week.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris Grace Kris Linda Lisa Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Sabrina

Sneak Peek - Watermelon card.

This is for Splitcoast Free for all challenge to make a card that represented SUMMER to us. When I was little I remember eating watermelon at my grandma's house in the summer. She would cut us pieces and give us knives to eat the watermelons with. My great grandma, who lived to be 99 years old would always cut out the heart of the watermelon. She always said, when you have lived as long as I have you can do what you want. This watermelon stamp is a sneak peek at a set that will be released next week, by Mark's Finest Papers, called Planted with Love. I combined it with the checkerboard strip from another Mark's Finest Papers set called Snowman Country. The green panel, I ink spray smashed. I tried to get it to look like the outside of a watermelon. The checked paper I made using Excel. I made the cells square and colored them in a checkerboard pattern.

1" circle punch. Red and Green

Star punch for "BITE"

I put glue on back of red piece and glued off center to green piece.

I used a MS border punch as a mask for the seeds.

See how the leaves of the flowers kinda look like seeds?

I placed the mask over the watermelon.

I colored in the leaf area with black colored pencil.

What is missing?

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.

What a great reminder to be still and spend time with God. I know that my summer has been BUSY! Some of that business is just wasted time, and some of it is doing good things, but even good things if they keep me too busy to spend time with God are not good. Lord help me to make spending time with you this week a priority!

Outside

Inside

The challenge this week was to make a CAS card. I really struggled with this. I tend to make life more complicated than it needs to be. I used my Layers of Color creative flourish stamp on some ink spray and smashed paper and used my puzzle die cut to make the card. The sentiments were made using my computer.
This last week we had VBS at our Church. We shared the gospel simply with the kids.

1. We are all sinners.

2.We deserved death.

3. God loves us.

4.God sent Jesus to live a perfect life.

5. Jesus took our punishment by dying for us.

6. God brought Jesus back to life.

7. We can have salvation by asking Jesus to be our Savior.

8. Live for God.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris Grace Kris Linda Lisa Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Sabrina

Great Spangled Fritillary- I think

The butterfly at the top of this post, was dead when it fluttered next to my daughter's feet. She was fueling her truck up at the gas station when she noticed it. She picked it up and brought it home to me. It is gorgeous with it's little spots of silver on the wing. Wow, what a wonderful creation that God made. I spent a lot of time looking at butterfly images trying to determine what kind of butterfly. I narrowed it down to a couple of choices and my son Joshua and I thought it most resembled the Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. I really wish I knew an entemologist so I could know for sure. I made two cards using my Mark's Finest Papers butterfly from the set DAFFODIL AND ANISE. I tried to mimic the real thing. I really like how both of these cards turned out. The top card used SC339 sketch and the second one used MOJO197.

Thank you Sunflowers

Miesje picked this verse for this week’s devotional.

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. "

What a wonderful blessing to be free. I love THIS song by the Newsboys. We sing it often at our church. What an admonition to stand firm and not become slaves again. I spent sometime thinking about ways that we can be slaves.
To me it seems that as a society we prefer the word addiction to slavery. I have a friend and coworker who is a slave to smoking. Just this last week we had a conversation about how she would like to quit, but how her addiction controls her life. I have another friend who is a slave to alcohol. She knows that it is bad for her, but she still drinks. I’ll admit it is easier to see other’s slavery than it is to see my own. It made me think of the following scripture from Matthew 7:1-5 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
So I asked God to show me my plank. What are my addictions? As hard as it is to admit it, I struggle with my slavery to food and my slavery to my computer. As soon as I wake up I think about food. I think about food all day long. This slavery to food has added extra weight and health problems like high blood pressure.
My addiction to my computer became evident to me the other day when we lost internet all day because a cable was cut. I found myself going to the computer to check several times to see if it was back.
It seems that I justify my addictions by comparing them to others. I want to think that mine aren’t as bad as others, because:
1. I have to eat, everyone has to eat.
2. I need my computer to get my work done.
When does something that we need become our master? When it takes priority in our lives to the will of God. My prayer this week is that Christ will take first place in my life, and that the Holy Spirit is the controlling force for my days.

The challenge this week is to make a red white and blue thank you card. The winner will get 3 digis from Ginger Loft. Tami gave me this digi to make my card. I love butterflies and sunflowers so I had a lot of fun making this card. Last year my kids and I saw some red sunflowers growing by a barn.

This is a close up of one of the sunflowers.

I used burnt Aleene's tacky glue technique for the center of my flowers.
Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris

Grace

Kris

Linda

Lisa

Miesje

Pegggysue

Rebekka

Sabrina