Everyone has a story to tell, here's mine sprinkled with some creative projects along the way.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you come back again.



Friday, November 29, 2013

Sunday Family Walks

Hi there friends. I hope my American friends all had a great Thanksgiving day yesterday. I'm stuffed after having a wonderful turkey meal with friends and I have been eyeing all the deals for today. But before I go and "shop till I drop", I wanted to share with you an activity that our family recently started doing on Sundays.....family walk.

Because we believe that Sundays need to be a time for rest and worship, we do not allow the kids to watch TV or play video games. Apart from attending our church meetings, each member of the family also writes in our individual journals. As you can imagine, it's a bit of a challenge for the kids to enjoy the day because they get "stir crazy" not being able to do the same things they do on the other days of the week. This affects us, the parents as well because they play inside the house and it gets really loud that we can't feel the peace and it just makes everyone a bit on the edge. 

So to remedy the brewing contention (and also to get some exercise) we have been trying to go on afternoon walks with the kids. This has been a refreshing activity that the whole family seem to enjoy. Plus the time together makes it easy for us to catch up with each other. Here are some images I captured from one of our Sunday walks....
 The route we take is a trail that leads to one of the nearby parks. It takes us about an hour to leisurely walk the trail and I believe it's about 2 miles.



and here's the lovely view of Pikes Peak that we get to take in every time....
 I'm sure that we will need to find an alternative activity once the winter season hits. There might be days where there are snow on the ground and bitterly cold weather. We will see. But for now, we are enjoying our Sunday family walks.

What about you, what are your favorite family activities to do on Sundays?

Till next time,
Grace

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving


I wanted to take a quick moment to greet everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope you all have a great one. {insert smiley face}

till next time,
Grace

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Happy Birthday card using scraps *Inspired by Stamping*

Hi there fellow crafters and blog friends. Today I'm sharing a card I was able to put together by rummaging through my scrap pile and a sentiment stamp from Inspired By Stamping...

I love using my scraps for card making. Don't you? I like how the sizes are small enough that I can have fun layering papers and patterns on top of each other. So how do I make it look cohesive? I always try to pull colors from one paper in the mix, in this case, I used the striped paper. You can notice that I took the purple, fuchsia pink, green and blue.

I incorporated the hearts in the "arrow and hearts" paper as my central accent, which is a chipboard heart that I happened to have painted that color a long time ago. This just shows you that sometimes, it's good to keep things and not throw them right away, even if you don't have any use for them at that very moment.

thanks for stopping by.

Till next time,
Grace

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Faith and Courage Cards *Paper House*

Faith and Courage card set
Card sizes: (2) 4 ¼ x 5 ½” and (1) 5 ½ x 4 ¼”

Some of my favorite cards to create are ones that have some encouraging or faith based sentiment on it. I know personally, that I enjoy getting inspirational cards as much as making them. I am planning on giving some of these cards to friends and family that needs that little boost of inspiration and courage.

Supplies Used:
Papers- Summer Fun paper pack (PP-0034E); Faith (P-0670E); Crown of Thorns (P-0669E); Cross (P-0668E)
Stickers- Strong and Courageous (STDM-0137E); He Loves Me (STDM-0132E)
Others- Cardstock, Border punch, Pearls, Rhinestones, Tag punch, Twine, Adhesive

Be Strong and Courageous card

Instructions:
1. Create your card base from white cardstock.
2. Cut a piece from the Faith paper that is 1/8” smaller than the card base. Adhere to the center of the card front. Add machine stitching around the inside edge of the paper.
3. Cut a piece from the Cross paper that is 5 ½ x 2” in size. Adhere to the yellow/orange paper. Punch the edges into a scallop border and adhere to the center of the card, horizontally.
4. Cut out a piece of dot paper that is 5 ½ x ¾” in size. Cut the ends into notches and adhere to the center of the card. Add the “be strong and courageous” sticker over it.
5. Add strips of small pearls on the top and bottom parts of the sticker.

 The Lord your God will be with you card

Instructions:
1. Create the card base from the white cardstock.
2. Trim a piece of brown/green dot paper that is slightly smaller than the card base. Adhere to the card front.
3. Cut a 2” strip from the Crowns of Thorns paper and adhere to the center of the card, vertically. Cut a piece from the orange/yellow paper measuring 1 ¾” in width. Cut the top into a notch and adhere over the previous strip of paper.
4. Punch a tag shape from the Cross paper and adhere to the bottom of the card. Adhere the dimensional stickers.
5. Add some rhinestone accents on each of the four corners of the card.

 Believe in Him card

Instructions:
1. Create the card base from white cardstock.
2. cut a piece of Faith paper that is slightly smaller than the card base; Round the bottom corners. Adhere to the center of the card.
3. Cut a piece of Cross paper that measures about 2” x 5 1/3”, round the bottom corners and adhere to the bottom of the card.
4. Cut a piece of faith paper that is 2 ½” in width. Add a scallop punched border on the right side and adhere to the card, trimming off excess on the bottom. Cut a piece of striped multicolored paper that will fit over the piece with the scalloped edge and adhere over it.
5. Cut a strip of green plaid paper measuring about 5 ¾ x ½” in size. Cut the long ends into notches. Wrap the twine around it a couple of times, threading through the inside of the card and secure the ends into a bow.
6. Add the cross and sentiment sticker.
7. Add a cluster of three pearls on the top left and bottom right edges of the card.

To learn more about these and other Paper House products, please click here

Thanks for stopping by.

Till next time,
Grace


Monday, November 25, 2013

Family Field Trip *Cabela's store*

I know that I've neglected sharing family stories in this blog for a while. In all honesty, I'm learning that juggling many things is NOT one of my strong suits. School, work and being a mom really takes a lot on me and I am definitely jotting down things that I will do different next year so I can make sure to have time (and focus) to what really matters in my life. 

With that being said, I went through my camera SD card lately and found some images that I've taken during this month. Here are a few images of my family's trip to Cabela's. If you have not heard of them, they are an outdoor supply store. The are very similar to Bass Pro Shop. They opened one a few months ago in Denver and since Mitch and I have never been to one, we thought it would be fun to take a special trip up north and check it out. 

We have enjoyed our "field trips" to Bass Pro Shop when we were in Southern California and everytime we pass by the one in Las Vegas that we had high expectations for this Cabela's store. We were looking forward to seeing a big aquarium with interesting (and sometimes) humongous fishes or a fun interactive display of animals. 

Sadly it was not what we had thought of. It was still pretty interesting though, especially the different animals they have in display.  








and here's the family....

and someone was kind enough to offer to photograph us... 

But this visit was not without a purpose. Mitch and I are starting to re-evaluate our emergency kits and there were a few things in our list that we wanted to price out in the store. They are a bit pricey for our budget but I have to say that I'm impressed at what they carry. They pretty much have everything anyone needs that is looking for an outdoor adventure. 

So there you have it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to share more family stories in the near future. 

Till next time,
Grace


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Best Wishes card *Inspired By Stamping*

Hi there friends. I'm sharing a card I recently made for Inspired by Stamping....

I love pulling colors for my card from pattern papers. In this one, I used the scallop pattern paper as my foundation. As you can see, I used some white and green in my card to coordinate with the paper. Pulling colors from a piece that I would be using in a card makes the process so much more efficient for me.

I created the sentiment with this stamp and this sentiment. I also used these flowers. All from the Inspired by Stamping store.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Till next time,
Grace

Friday, November 22, 2013

Christmas mini album *Epiphany Crafts and Heidi Swapp*

Happy Friday friends. Epiphany Crafts recently teamed up with Heidi Swapp and the whole team got papers, embellishments and mists from the "Believe" collection. These set is truly amazing and I enjoyed playing with as I prepped my December Daily album this year. Here's a look at the front cover....


and here's a close up peek...

You can read more about what I used here and how I made it in this blog post at the Epiphany Crafts blog. I'm excited to add holiday stories and memories in this book as I document what our December would look like this year. 

How will you document your holidays this year? 

Thanks for stopping by.

Till next time,
Grace

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Happy Birthday card *Inspired by Stamping/ Fab N Funky challenge*

Hi there dear friends. Today I'm sharing a card I created with Inspired by Stamping digital papers and stamps. IBS is honored to be sponsoring Fab N Funky's latest challenge which is "anything goes."

Happy Birthday card
I wanted to show off the dainty feel of the papers so I made my accents very simple. I used inked the edges of the paper with red copper ink to make them stand out more against the white background. I also added some buttons and lace for more texture. 

Make sure you stop by the Fab N Funky challenge to learn more about this specific theme and ways you can play along.

Have a great day.

Till next time,
Grace

Monday, November 18, 2013

Fall Beauty layout *Paper Secrets*

Hello blog friends and happy Monday. 

Today's share is a layout I created for Paper Secrets. I'm honored to be their guest designer this month and I was asked to use this sketch to create my layout...

and here's my take on it...

Fall Beauty Layout
I used the In The Woods line from Lawn Fawn. I love how the colors and patterns really scream fall. It was definitely the perfect backdrop for these photos of my daughter with her pumpkin and fall colored outfits. 

You can see more details of this layout along with how to join Paper Secrets in their latest sketch challenge in this blog post

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day. 

Till next time,
Grace

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Birthday Hop for Joanna

Happy Friday dear friends. Today I am participating in a special hop for Joanna Munster which is the Inspired By Stamping owner/designer. We, her design team, deeply appreciate her and all that she does to make this crafty world a better place that we thought it would be fitting to have a birthday hop in honor of her. 

Here's a card I whipped up using this stamp set for my sentiment and some washi tape in the back. I'm inlove with those right now *wink*

Best Wishes Today and Always card

If you came here because you are one of my blog readers/friends, please hop on to the following ladies' blogs to see more inspirations...


Thank you again for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic weekend. :)

Till next time,
Grace

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

20/20 Handmade Glue Dots blog hop

Hi there friends. Today I'm participating in this fun blog hop presented by Glue Dots. We are nearing the official start of the "Holiday" season and what better way to prepare for it than creating some handmade gifts. I love Glue Dot's idea of creating gifts that is less than $20 and in to be completed in about 20 minutes. I for one, do not have a lot of time in my hands to create gifts for family and friends but I also know that giving something that is handmade makes this season of gift giving extra special. 

For my take on this challenge, I decided to show you how I created these beautiful flower clips with a handful of supplies and my favorite adhesive...Glue Dots!



Supplies Used:
Pre-made flowers ($5)
Felt ($1/sheet)
Alligator clips ($4 for a pack of 25)
Pinking shears
Marker
Circle or plate to make round marks on felt
Glue Dots adhesive

Instructions:
1. First thing you'll do is mark a couple of circles on the felt (make sure your marker doesn't bleed through the felt). Cut out the circles using your pinking shears.

2. Adhere the felt circle on the back of the pre-made flower using some Glue Dots adhesive. Note: The adhesive might not stick quickly to your fabric so just be patient. I sometimes use a needle to transfer the adhesive to my fabric instead of my finger.

3. After you've attached the felt to the back of the flower, add a few more adhesive on the back of the felt and add the alligator clip.

and voila.....you now have some super fantastic flower hair clips to package up and give as gifts.

Here's my daughter modeling the flower clips...


She doesn't know it yet, but this will be part of her stocking stuffer this year. *wink*

Here's the full list of hoppers today...

Glue Dots Blog -  http://www.gluedots.com/glue-dots-blog/entry/homemade-gift-ideas-for-the-holidays

Danielle - http://ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com/2013/11/gifts-for-20-in-20-minutes-blog-hop.html

Dawn -  http://dawnmercedes.blogspot.com/2013/11/2020-gifts-with-glue-dots.html

Donna - http://memesartplace.blogspot.com/2013/11/glue-dots-2020-blog-hop.html

Erin - http://deeplyrootedlife.blogspot.com/2013/11/glue-dots-2020-blog-hop.html

Grace - YOU ARE HERE

Jessica - http://canyoupixelthis.com/2013/11/13/handmade-gifts-for-the-holidays

Joy - http://joyslife.com/handmade-gifts-under-20-dollars-in-less-than-20-minutes

Samantha - http://taylorstamped.blogspot.com/2013/11/little-lotion-bars-in-pretty-tins.html

Smitha - http://www.smilingcolors.com/2013/11/2020-handmade/


Prize:  Our prize will be a supply of Glue Dots products again and the winner will be announced on Friday, Nov. 22nd  at the Glue Dots blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for hopping along with us and I hope you have  fantastic Holiday season.

till next time,
Grace

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Fall Drive layout *Epiphany Crafts*

Hi there friends. First off, I hope you all had a great Veteran's day yesterday. I am grateful for all the men and women that have sacrificed so that my family and I can experience a life with security and peace. THANK YOU!

So today's share is a Fall themed layout I created for Epiphany Crafts

Fall Drive layout
I used the heart punch to create my leaves. I love it when I can use some tools in a different and unique way. 

You can see more images of this layout along with supplies and instructions here. 

Thank you for stopping by and hope you have an inspirational day. :)

Till next time,
Grace

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Inspired By Stamping November Catalog

Hi friends. It's that time of the month again where Inspired by Stamping releases it's online catalog. 

Each page provides details of our stamp set! Plus, inspiration from our designers! This new
catalog was designed to give you even more inspiration and interaction than ever before with Inspired by Stamping products.Cool Features:- Browse the catalog with ease on your tablet or computer.- Get the entire release in one spot! Plus, zoom in on your favorite products, projects and cards.- Watch video tutorials from our YouTube channel right inside the catalog!- SHOP ONLINE! Order products by clicking on the stamp set which takes you directly to our online store. Here’s a few peek at what is inside!


View the design team cards and projects that they used with each stamp set!
Where can you find our Online Catalog?
You can download it here, today.
All future catalogs will be available for download at our Store. Click Here!
We’d LOVE to hear what you think! After flipping through our catalog, leave a comment below or at Joanna's bloghere.
We hope you enjoy our new inspiration catalog!

Till next time,
Grace

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Garden Seed Packets Card Share *Inspired By Stamping November Release*

Hi there. Today's the last day of the Inspired By Stamping blog "party" and I hope you've enjoyed all of the ideas and inspirations so far. Here's my take on the Garden Seed Packets set...

Birthday Blossoms card
I used some color pencils to add some rich red and oranges on my flower images before hand cutting them and adhering to the card. 


Packaged with Love card
With this card, I wanted to utilize all of my printed IBS papers. I combined the ones from this month and last month's designs. I found that handcutting my circle accents plus adhering them on another piece of IBS before and then adding a scallop epoxy sticker over them creates a unique and oh so lovely handmade embellishment. 

Come hop along with us today...

Joanna - http://wp.me/p3QhWl-3X7
and don't forget some cool shipping info..
Everyday with the sneak peek posts, Joanna will be giving away the stamp sets that are being featured on that day. Prizes everyday.Joanna will be announcing the winners on the following day's post.
All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec 1st. 
For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.


Till next time,
Grace

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Vintage Pieces Card share *Inspired By Stamping November Release*

Hello Friends. Today I'm joining the Inspired By Stamping team in sharing our creations with the latest IBS stamp release. 

Just a Note card
I used some digital papers created by IBS as my backgrounds and added the stamps from the Vintage Pieces stamp set on vellum before adhering them on the card. I love how the vellum makes them look even more vintage. :)


Sweet Birthday Wishes To You Card
The colors of the IBS digital papers are very soft and subtle so I opted to use dark inks to enhance them and make the stamped images pop up against the background.

Hop along with us today...

  • Grace- YOU ARE HERE

Some more info...
Everyday with the sneak peek posts, Joanna will be giving away the stamp sets that are being featured on that day. Prizes everyday.Joanna will be announcing the winners on the following day's post.
All stamp sets will be offered at a 10% discount until Dec 1st.
For our Australian customers, Free Shipping for orders over $25. All International Customers, Free Shipping over $50. No code needed. Sale will be for 48 hours ONLY and will end Tuesday, November 12th, 11:59PM AEST (Brisbane Time) No exceptions.

Till next time,
Grace