Gosh! Has it really been a week?

I cant believe that I actually let a week pass by without me posting here! YIPES! It has been such an eventful week though. We had a wonderful holiday. It was great to be together. Everyone was happily surprised by their gifts and all in all it was just good.

The decorations are all put up now. The evidence of Christmas is slowly disappearing and things are returning back to normal.

We celebrated Hannah's 6th Birthday at Chuckee Cheese's yesterday and it was great fun! She of course had a blast and I gotta admit...I kind of had fun too! It didnt appear to be as much torture as I had remembered.

I hope that each of you are counting your blessings. Remember to thank God for them and also tell those you love that you love them. Even if it is in a 3 word email. You never know...those 3 words might be just the right words to turn someones frown into a smile.

I leave 2007 with this:

This is a drawing that I had done for Ronnie. Is it not perfect? Rick Green is a gentleman from Oregon that agreed to draw it. I just love every aspect of it. It was also finally ONE gift that I could get for Ronnie that he couldnt guess. And as hoped, he was overwhelmed with joy. He just sat there and laughed and of course could not wait to share it with everyone he knew. Go check out Rick's blog...he has some GREAT drawings and his talent is amazing!!!!! I know you'll want to bookmark him and check back often. Maybe YOU need one of his drawings for someone you know???

Enjoy the holiday. Be blessed and be safe!

Merry Christmas Friends

I havent had much time to create anything these last few days. But several of you have emailed a wondering where on earth I am. So I thought Id post. Christmas has nestled into our home for the night and we are all glad to be home. The visit with the family this past weekend was awesome and as always it was fabulous to see everyone. But we are glad to be back home. Well spend the night playing games and watching movies and just hanging out. We'll play the nativity game and say a prayer for Jesus. Of course it will be an early to bed night so that we are sure Santa doesnt miss our house in his stops. Its such a joy watching the girls eye's light up with all of the magic of Christmas.

I hope each of you enjoy the magical time of year as well. Be blessed with peace.

God Bless & Merry Christmas to all.
--B

Its almost here!

I was just playing around yesterday with some paper I received as a gift. My MOJO is still struggling a bit so I am desperately trying to create ANYTHING.

And look at THIS card. Is it not gorgeous????? Jan (aka FarNorth) sent this too me. It is sooo simple and

I just love it.

She said it was just using a white colored pencil to add snow to a black image. I LOVE IT! Thank you Jan for thinking of me!

I am busy busy busy today. The girls get out half a day and I havent wrapped the first thing. YIPES!! I have a few more things to throw in the oven and my house...well...thats a story within itself. I was so hoping a maid would get lost in my neighborhood and magically land in my livingroom. But since it doesnt appear that that will happen any time soon, I guess I will add that to my to-do list.

I am anxious for the celebrations to start. Tomorrow the first of the family will start coming in and I am so excited to spend time with them.

Enjoy your time together this holdiay. Where ever you are--take time to take in the lights, smell the cookies and hear the bells ring!

Merry Christmas dear friends! --B

RIBBON!!!

Gosh, can you believe that we are on the final countdown of Christmas. Seems like it has just crept up on me. I think this is why I work so well in panic mode. If I get too much done ahead of time then I think I can slack off and not do anything else. Before you know it...the time has come and I am no where NEAR ready.




Isnt this ribbon on these two Bella's scrumptious!!!?? I just got it in yesterday and was so excited to use it. Its from Stampin Up! and I am sooooo glad Lori talked me in to ordering it! I am still playing with my camera on how to get good pictures of my cards. SOME day I am gonna get it right. For now you all just have to struggle with me!


On Noah's (yeah the one with the Ark) epitaph, I think that his wife would have had engraved: He did all that God asked him to do. Now I wonder....could you put that on yours?? Could you say that honestly? I know that I fall short of this, daily. Praise God that He understands this and loves me anyway. But I wonder, if we were to have to preorder our stones now...like right here today--what would God have them to say? Is that different from your wishes? Ponder that.

And now. GO! Create something! Make today count! Many blessings---B

An Incredible Beginning:

Nothing says "Thank you for being my on-line friend" like Clickabella does!! Isnt she just sooo cute!! I got this fabulous paper yesterday at Jo Ann's too. NEATO isnt it?? I looove my Bellas!

The inside I printed off on the computer. It says: I'm so glad you clicked into my life!


Heather's very first band concert was yesterday! They sounded magnificant! I am sooo proud of her! This is her with her best friend, Darion. Dont they look so studious??

As most of you know, I live to humiliate my animals. HAHAHA! Doesnt Twinkle look thrilled with her holiday horns?? I tried to put them on Jenny, though since she has been around me so long, she doesnt even humor my attempts to make her look stupid. She just burried her head deeper into the blanket she was resting on.

I definitely think I was sposed to be a cat. Wasn't I? I mean...look at them. Their life is so difficult. Hmmm...shall I eat? Shall I sleep? Or shall I sleep then eat??

Now I leave you with one other thing that I have struggled with lately....In Genesis 2:18 it states that we, as women are to be HELPERS to our husbands. We are not only to stand at his side, but we are also supposed to be an advocate ON his side. YIPES!!!! (NO ONE TOLD ME THAT! DIDNT I OMIT THAT PART FROM MY VOWS???)

God created woman to enhance men. Not to overpower, not to be equal. WOW! What an amazing statement. Even though it does mean that we seem to get the dirty work of the relationship...it is a breath of fresh air to know that men NEED us. They cant do what they do without us. Now I am not just talking about laundry and cooking dinner, making sure their briefcases have some sort of order, or that they have the perfect tie to go with that freshly ironed shirt...I am talking about what we give to them emotionally, spiritually and physically. All of that is also all a part of the chemical formula that makes them be who they are.

Are you acting as a beautiful model of God's handiwork of the women in this world? One of the greatest parts of this season of time is that we are embarking on a new year. A great new beginning. What do you have in store? Need a makeover of the womanly spirit?

Go...create something! Bless the men in your life!!

B

I think there is a bug!

I think the internet has a flu bug that is being transmitted through its many pages to innocent surfers. I have done my daily blog run and it seems that there are many bloggers who are either sick themselves or have a whole family of sickies. I am afraid that I now have fallen into that category. Heather is now home sick with a stomach bug. I feel so sorry for her. She is really not feeling good at all.


Don't you just looove this stamp!? The pic doesnt do this card justice. As it is decorative dark paper and then vellum over silver metalic striped paper.

And then onto my latest attempt at a new technique. Its not new to the market, but I had never tried it and since I just got the FISHY FRIENDS (SU!) set I HAD to try it. Its using hair gel in a baggie (I sealed it with the fresh sealer.) Its sposed to look like water. Not crazy bout the card itself. But it was fun to try the new stuff out on!




I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Take in the lights and enjoy your family and friends. Love B

Mouses!

I got the "jo" back!! I decided to pull out my mouses that my dear friend Nancy Profitt sent me in our last Secret Sister Swap. I have had a lot of fun with them!!!!

I looooove these images cause you really dont have to do a lot with them. They kind of speak for themselves. I mean, after all...arent they just adorable?!?

This little one has mints pop-dotted on top. Its from a sketch challenge over at Gina K Designs.

I of course love House Mouse stamps cause you get to color them and I just LOOOVE to color. I have found that the best thing to use to color them is the Copics. They just blend just right. I then of course always add some BLING with my GellyRoll Sakura pens.

I still have a little bit of this paper left, but I was really trying to just work with what I had here on my desk. I know...not the traditional green and red colors. But I think that is kinda why I like em. I am a little burnt out on Christmas colors.

I then realized that I dont have a single TAG ready. YIPES! I whipped out these two. Thought the kids would like to use them.

Things are all ok here for me. Doing lots of CONSTRUCTION here.

For one, my computer is freaking out. It wont let me open certain files and its telling me that I dont have permission. Then it is saying other files are there but when I click to open them. Nothing happens. I am also working on house chores and as you can see...I am working with Chelsey to do some rearranging here on the blog too.

Have a great day. Enjoy the season & go create something!

My MOJO Cup is broken!

I am pulling my hair out here. I have the juices flowing. But they arent the creative ones. I think my MOJO (Creative Juices) has been replaced with Orange Juice or something. I just cant seem to get it together.

The first attempt at creativity last night was with this SIP card. Yes...this is 100% ink, stamps & paper baby! AND....its single layer. Its all done on ONE pc of cardstock. I am NOT thrilled with it at all though. I like the technique and I think it could be worked with...but THIS card is not getting it. Anyways...the idea is to mask a lot. Color with different colors. The bottom was brayered and then the snowflakes are stamped with white over that. The so called tag was also masked and I just went around the outside of it with different markers. The ribbons were also just different markers and the top was chalked after it was put through the crimper for a textured look. I stamped Fa-la-la...in green and it came out looking more like dishwater than green. I used the glitter gel pens to add a little dimension. I dont know..its SOOO not doing it for me.

Then moving on to the next mishap. Stamp images onto tissue paper...color lightly with markers...not perfectly as the colors WILL run and this is ok. Cut out each image. Spray a styrofoam ball lightly with spray starch. Then gently tap the images down onto the ball. Sealing the edges, adding starch in areas that need a little more wetness. Again this is a cool technique...once your images are on...the edges are pushed down---gently sprinkle with glitter. Did you hear me? GENTLY!! Do not cover the entire thing in glitter. For then you will have a glittlered blob. See...doesnt it look cool? BEFORE glitter?

Then you add a nice bow at the top and you have a great Christmas ornament.

But since I messed mine up, both the card and ornament went into File 13. UGH!

But on a happier note I did have ONE success! These are little glass bulbs that I had bought for a project with the girls. That project didnt work and so here I had these bulbs hanging out here. Well I pulled out the white StaZon and looky what I did!!

I also stamped the blue ribbon with the snowflakes. I thought it was a cute little thing. And I was so excited that it actually WORKED that I just had to post it!

I am hoping that today is a little better. Yesterday seemed to be quite hairy with Hannah home sick, Heathers endo appt in Knoxville and all else that goes on during a normal Peterson day.

I have to give a huge shout out to Linda P. & Michelle R. for rescuing me and helping me out with Hannah yesterday. They were able to go get her and take care of her until I was able to get back to town from Heathers appt.

THANK GOD FOR FRIENDS!! THANK GOD FOR YOU!!!

So go today...tell a friend how much they mean to you. Better yet, create something especially for them!

Love B

Are you dressed?

WE WISK YOU A MERRY KISSMAS! This is the gifts that I made for Heather's teachers. Since she is in Middle School and its kind of not cool to give teacher's gifts we decided to do something little and descrete.

I had fun with Hannah's teachers gift as I got this great little Pooh Bear cookie jar off the net and filled it with a TEACHER'S SURVIVAL KIT. This kit includes:

CRAYONS: To color your day bright & cheerful

CANDLE: For when you are up late grading papers.

HUGS & KISSES: For when you just need some.

RUBBER BANDS: To remind you to be flexible.

ERASER: Everyone makes mistakes, but they can be erased.

MARBLES: To replace the ones you've lost

LIFESAVERS: You are a lifesaver to many of your students.

JEWEL: Because you are as valuable as a precious stone.

PAPERCLIPS: To hold it all together (I got some neato Pooh Bear ones).

MOUNDS BAR: For the mounds of confidence you give your students.

EAR PLUGS: For when you have just had enough.

STARBURST: Giving you a BURST of energy when you need it.

MINTS: Because you are worth a MINT to the kids.

TISSUES: To wipe away the tears...Yours AND theirs.

MAGNET: To help your class stick together (again, I got a cool Tigger one).

BAND-AID: To help fix any hurt feelings.

I put most of the items in baggies with toppers...then ever so lightly stamped snowflakes on the tags. I had a loooot of fun and I hope that it is a SPECIAL gift for her. More than just a coffee cup that says NUMBER ONE TEACHER. The fact that it is POOH --I know she will LOVE it! She is a major POOH freak!

On a different note. Its been a huge topic of discussion here regarding the GOLDEN COMPASS movie that my family and I went to see this weekend. Now mind you I had not heard ANY of the uproar about the movie prior to going. Now that I have both seen the movie AND read all of the articles regarding the intent of the author I have to ask you --are you prepared to battle off all temptations of Satan even though they LOOK nice? Cause see...I saw the movie. I thought it was an EXCELLENT movie. The girls both loved it and it was just good entertainment. I didnt see anything God or UnGod about it. I talked it over with the girls and Hannah gave me the normal 5 year old response...WHAT MOVIE?? Heather and I talked about it more in depth and she too was a little disturbed that Satan would stoop that low to get to kids and unsuspecting parents. She also is very confident in her faith to know that God IS all that there is. I explained that we probly wouldnt be going to the next movies, that we cant take part in things like this knowing that the authors main intent is to make children into unbelievers. She was ok with that. But how many other things are disguised to be FABULOUS. How many other things do we take part in each and every day that are meant for our harm. Are you fully dressed with armour today?

Ever feel like youve been on vacation?

But not a vacation that contained sand between your toes or even snow powder in your face. Rather just a vacation from your life. You wake up one morning...thinkin----what the heck? Where did the time go?

I am busy. I am creating. But sorry to disclose I have nothing to share with you today. So how bout you send me a copy of your Christmas card and I will post how fabulous it is???

Have a blessed day friends.
B

Im up! Im up!

Though the last couple of days have proven it difficult, I am up and going again. I have no idea which bus hit me, but boy it sure did a good job. All of my energy was zapped from me and I barely got off the couch. Though I seem to be alright today and I am back in the kitchen with my apron on.

The girls and I are going to see the Christmas Parade tonight in Knoxville. I am so anxious! They are too! Our first real celebration of the season. 18 days left til the big day and I gotta say...this is the first year ever that I think I will be all prepared and able to enjoy it. The house just needs a few finishing touches of decorating and then I can stow away all of the boxes and do a good cleaning. Now mind you...there hasnt been a day that has gone by that I havent had to remove the cat from the tree at least once. ~sigh~ I truly believe she thinks I put all of this cool stuff out just for her benefit.

Anyways. Its truffle day in the kitchen. I loooove truffles but they take forever to make and I always seem to save them for last cause well...they take forever! But my baking is coming along well. And my freezer is happy to be full of sweets. Ya know...funniest thing though. There has been a mouse getting into my white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. They are slowly disappearing 2 at a time. Hmmm...wonder if I have a trap big enough to catch him. Or maybe I should just make some more.

This card is one I did to break out of the red and green thing for a bit. I am hoping to use it as a nice spring RAK after the holidays. Lately with all of my cards I have been trying to incorporate more of the design on the inside. Since I write letters most often in my cards I tend not to put sentiments. But these little flowers in the corner add just a hint of color and they dont take up too much WRITING room.

Have a fantastic day. Create something fabulous today! Bec

DUH.

Do you ever have days where you simply spend the whole day saying DUH and remarkably enough you are the only person there? I will be the first one to admit that most of my days are made up of dumb moves on my part, but today in particular seems to be over flowing with them.

A few days ago I read Dawns Blog (Nov 27th post) and laughed out loud because her son had turned on the mixer full of flour, on high. It sprayed her kitchen with a nice dust and remarkably she kept her cool through all of it and her 3 year old lived to enjoy the pumpkin bread too. OK...but what do you do when it is YOU that does the idiotic act and you DO know better? This morning as I was so excited to try this new recipe for almond sand dollars I poured not just one...but 3 cups of powdered sugar into a moving mixer. ME, covered. Cupboards, covered. Red mixer, now white. All I could say...was DUH.

I havent put ink to paper yet today but I promise to be back with something fabulous this afternoon. Right now I am half scared to touch anything for fear that I will sit on an ink pad or something.

Enjoy your day. Whether it be covered in sunshine, rain or snow (the cold stuff or the white fluffy stuff that comes out of the mixer)--enjoy!

Bec

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And when I say CHRISTMAS, I mean just that. Jesus is the center of this holiday for me. When setting up our holiday decorations I always save the Nativity for last. The girls and I then pray over each member of the scene and thank God for all we have. Might be a silly tradition, but one that no one in our house seems to question. Its as natuaral as topping the tree with the angel.

Things are wonderful here today! As I am caught up on all of my swaps and commitments and I have already been to the grocery store to buy the STUFF to start baking treats. Its been a few years since I have done a whole lot of baking and I am so anxious to be up to my elbows in flour and sugar.

This is Tinkabella! Isnt she sweet? Not the traditional colors I would pic for a fairy, but I wanted her to be DIFFERENT. The photo is not real great at capturing the glittered cardstock that I matted it on. And of course she is dusted with pixie dust too.

This is a great card I did recently for a Christmas card swap. Neat huh? This is Flowahbella. Yes, she normally has a pot full of spring like flowers. But I thought switching those flowers out for some poinsettias would be alright! She is matted onto acetate. Its hard to explain and my pic doesnt show real well. But its a card that is done in layers. Bella is stamped on white..shes then matted to the red and then the scalloped green. The Christmas stripe is matted behind the acetate shell of the card. So its on the inside of the card peeking out. Then the next mat is a smaller white pc of cardstock. You cant see this one when the card is closed, but it gives and nice place for a sentiment. Then behind the back side of the card/acetate is a larger red pc of cardstock. This is visible all of the way through to the front of the card. The acetate was stamped with snowflakes in white stazon and then I added brads and ribbon. I quilled the flowers and tacked em on with glue dots. Clear as mud right?

See this nice basket? Beautiful size. Nice fluffy towel. Lots of room for a little kitty to stretch out in the comfort of her own space.

BUT! Where is her furry hiney? ON MY PAPER!! I wonder if this is anything like the lettuce that is in my fridge. Its there. Its pretty. Its good for me. But I think I will eat the bag of chips in the pantry instead. Hmmm....

So today. Go on this note. Look around you. What are YOU blessed with that you are ignoring? Are you so wrapped up in your daily schedule that you dont even notice a blessing God has given you to enjoy? Are you so busy with the holiday craziness that you have forgotten why we are celebrating in the first place. For me...its family. Its the fact that we are all together.

In Love

B