Saturday morning...

Wow...this week really got away from me.  Work has been really busy and by the time I got home I was in cruise mode, plus a couple of my favorite shows were season finales...

I did manage to make a couple of cards for challenges this week...

A Father's Day Card for the Crooked Path Challenge over at Crafty Secrets...

I had the most wonderful visit with my parents yesterday.  Such a leisurely day...a long conversation with my youngest on the hour drive to my folks...a little shopping with my mom...some t.v. with my dad...a nice chat with my niece and a fun phone visit with my sister in South Texas, (she says they're in the 90's and humid already)...homemade Mexican food for dinner (yummo)...peppered in with my grandson entertaining us all! 

A Paris themed card for City Crafter Challeng Blog CCCB, which also fits the bill for the color challenge over at The Playdate Cafe Challenge PDCC30...I love when that happens!

I have plenty of housework to catch up on today and then tomorrow hubby and I are spending the day at a park on the coast.  Better get going!

How about you?   Any plans?

Have a wonderful weekend,

Patty

Easter greetings...

I don’t know where our beautiful spring weather is hiding…It’s cold and dreary here again…Luckily I have a few sunny Easter cards to share…

I am not the best mass quantity producer because I tend to get bored quickly…so for a holiday like Easter when I know that I want to send blessings to my friends and family, I will choose a simple card layout like this one from CardPatterns Sketch 57-- and use a different image to change it up a bit.

All these adorable images are from Crafty Secrets…the paper is Spring by Dear Lizzy - American Crafts.

I’m planning to make a coconut cake for our Easter dessert based on a recipe from this month’s Better Homes and Garden magazine. I’m not the worlds best cook… but I think (fingers crossed) I can follow the recipe…I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Unless it rains, I’m sure we’ll hide some eggs for the grandbabies…

What about you?

Anything special planned?

Blessings,

Patty

daydreamin...

Don't have long, just wanted to pop in and let you know my dad's surgery was a success.  Praise God!  The doctor was able to remove all signs of cancer without removing too much of the tongue.  Our biggest problem has been trying to keep my dad from talking and breaking the stitches.  Thank you all for your prayers.

This sweet little daydreamin' birthday card was for my nieces daughters first birthday...

It fits my heart perfectly right now...forever looking up with a thankful heart.

Blessings,

Patty

butterfly wishes...

One of my Tuesday night ladies is having a birthday this month.  She is a woman who just epitomizes love of family, friends and Jesus, so it was such fun to make her a small butterfly photo album for her to fill up with memories of her beautiful family.

Sweet birthday wishes...

All paper is from daisyd's...the sweet bird image is from Crafty Secrets...ribbon and pearls are from my stash. 

Blessings,

Patty

hop on in... {D}

Isn't amazing how different things can look in the morning?  We had a lovely downpour last night, which left us with the most beautiful, green morning.  Kind of like life...Sometimes in the darkness of the storm we can lose sight of the promise of the sunshine. 

This adorable image is from Crafty Secrets...the paper is October Afternoon...the sketch is CPS156.

Sometimes when the future is uncertain it can be scary to trust and jump in...but our hope and strength is not in ourselves but in a God who loves us and is mighty to save. 

"But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!"  My future is in your hands..." Psalm 31:14-15

Don't lose hope mom.  Everything will be okay.

Blessings and peace,

Patty

simple pleasures...

It looks like February is going out the same way it came...it's pouring, again.  It's kind of fitting for the month I've had...some seasons are just like that...downpour after downpour with a day or two of sunshine thrown in just to keep your hope alive.  The weatherman is promising some sunshine tomorrow so...I can wait...and just try to learn to love the rain...to find nourishment for my soul just as the soil finds nourishment for the flowers of Spring.

Okay, enough of my melancholy mood...

This is my card for this week's inspiration challenge over at Melissa Phillips blog.  The colors were a little difficult for me at first but...now they're growing on me.

I glittered up the beautiful butterfly from Crafty Secrets...just love their images...and the papers were pulled from my stash.

It's good to stretch your creative wings once in a while.  No pun intended.

Have a springlike day,

Patty

Please come for coffee...

I love my morning coffee...the sound of it perking...the smell...the soft shade of brown when you stir in the milk and oh, that first sip!  Add a sweet (preferably with chocolate in it) and I'm a happy girl.

This was such a fun card to make.  I've had this cute 50's diner paper from PJK Designs called Mom's Diner, for a while now and planned on using it to make a cute scrap or recipe book.  When I saw this week's Crafty Secret's "Pink"challenge over at Splitcoast I knew it would work "perk"fectly.

I used this weeks sketch from CPS and combined it with this adorable Coffee and Tea stamp set from Crafty Secrets...added a little button and bow...so simple and sweet.

In case your wondering about my quilting progress...I have cut the strips and squares for the main blocks, have assembled one block and will assemble another one tonight during Comedy Wednesday (love that Modern Family).  I will post my progress tomorrow night.

Have a blessed day,

Patty

life trials... (D)

Without going into too much detail, this week has been one of those weeks where you realize that you are really not in control of life. I fussed and fretted over something that was not mine to fuss and fret over. Now that I’m on the other side of it…I am thankful for the many things this situation reminded me of.

First…that I had the wisdom to have many prayer warriors pray over the situation and even pray me through the event. Second…I am thankful that in God’s Word I find comfort and peace… Third…I am not God and this is a GOOD THING…but mostly, I am thankful for a God who cares, understands and advises if you but quiet the fussing and fretting in your head for a moment and listen.

I created this heart box  based on this weeks inspiration challenge over at Melissa Phillips blog Lilybean Paperie.  I love the pleated ribbon...I seem to have a thing right now for clusters of vintage buttons and of course tea stained lace and ribbon.

The beautiful bird image is from Crafty Secrets...

I just had to share the amazing way that God “spoke” to me the last two mornings. Wednesday morning (the day of this life trial) he showed me Psalm 35, the whole Psalm is beautiful but what especially spoke to me were these verses…

"Oh Lord, oppose those who oppose me.  Fight those who fight against me.  Put on your armor, take up your shield.  Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.(vs 1-2)...Malicious witnesses testify against me.  They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.  They repay me evil for good.  I am sick with despair.(vs 11-12)...Oh Lord, you know all about this.  Do not stay silent.  Do not abandon me now, Oh Lord.  Wake up! Rise to my defense!  Take up my case, my God and my Lord. (vs.22-23)"

That got me through the actual event and then this morning (the day after) he gave me Psalm 103:1-6.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart I will praise his holy name.  Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  My youth is renewed like the eagle's!  The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.""

Isn’t His Word amazing?

Thank you isn’t enough to those who prayed for me...God has truly blessed me with all of you.

Glad not to be in control,

Patty

for the birds...

I wish you could hear the rain right now.  Most of the time I would rather have sunshine but today inside it's quiet and peaceful except for the sound of the rain.  I can see some small hills from my craftroom window and they are so lush and green against the backdrop of the gray clouds. 

Last month I had the good fortune of meeting Vicki Chrisman.  She is an amazing woman and a beautiful artist.  She was kind enough to give me a couple of these wonderful shadow box templates that she designed, to play with.  It's always intimidating for me to look at a blank slate and know where to get started but once I got going I had so much fun with this.

I know that Vicki likes birds so I used that as my theme.  I don't know if you can tell from this picture but the center box is three dimensional.

I used Martha Stewart clear microbeads for the bird...it was my first time using them, they add a nice shimmer in real life...I can't wait to use them again.

The little bird image is from Crafty Secrets...the key, stamp, clip and crown are from Making Memories...the red and white bakers twine is from Martha Stewart.

This bird image is also from Crafty Secrets, the white flowers are from Prima...the little red ones are from a 99 cent bush from Michaels.  The moss and ribbon are from my stash.

Vicki has the information on her templates available on her blogsite,  This Art Makes Me Happy along with a helpful video on assembly.  I am already planning out my next one as an Easter decoration.  I would love to see what you come up with for yours.

Enjoying the day,

Patty

hello sweetie...

Boy, what a week it's been...but I've finally had a good nights sleep and God's faithfulness is more evident in my thoughts today.  I have been trying to orchestrate a solution to a major issue without Him.  I have played out every conversation...doing the dialogue for both parties...in my head.  Do you ever do that?  Thankfully, this morning in my quiet time with Him,  I was gently reminded not to force what I want, but to ask Him what is right.  Hmmmm...such a sweet peace is over me right now.  Thank you, Jesus.

This adorable little guy was made for the Crafty Secret challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers.  Our challenge was to make a masculine card...well, this is as masculine as I could muster.

Isn't he adorable?  Both the cute little image and the sweet sentiment are from Crafty Secrets.  The paper is Basic Grey Marrakech, the buttons and brad are from my stash.

Looks like we're in for a couple more days of rain...but oh, what a beautiful, green Spring is promised.  That's the thing about rainy days, they make the sunny ones even more special.

His peace and blessings on all of you,

Patty

wishing...

One of my most favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon is perusing Melissa Phillips beautiful blog.  She issued an inspirational challenge this weekend that I couldn't resist giving a whirl...She offered this beautiful photo from A Creative Mint as the starting point in creating a card to share.

What a breathtaking, dreamlike photo.  The beautiful slippers seem to be floating on a cloud of dainty flowers.

Here is my take...I was inspired by the lavenderish tones and the open white spaces and of course, the beautiful hydrangeas.

The sweet birthday sentiment is a new one for me from Crafty Secrets that I picked up on Friday along with the Prima flowers and the pearl flourish.  The paper is Basic Grey's Wisteria...it's one I've had in my stash for a while...so you see, I am still using what I already have on hand, too.

Wishing you blessings,

Patty

surrender... (D)

My devotional for this year is Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. It is a wonderful, old classic book just full of wisdom and spiritual truths. Right now he is talking about surrendering all to give your utmost to Jesus. He says it takes..."a surrender of will...without reasoning, just out of pure obedience...shut out every other consideration...not the good of others, not the pain or sacrifice, not the embarrassment...only my utmost for His highest." So that has become my word for this year...Surrender...of my children...my grandchildren...my husband...my parents health...my finances...my very life.

"For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And trust that my life will bring honor to Christ whether I live or die." Philippians 1:20


Something sweet and full of love...
The beautiful image on this card is from Heartwarming Vintage...the paper is by Pink Paislee...the cute pick is from Michael's...the flower is EK Success and the ribbon is PTI.

I've read somewhere that envelopes are highly overrated and since my cards keep getting thicker and thicker I can certainly see why. Guess this will just have to be hand delivered!

Blessings,
Patty

making spirits bright...

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic tonight...Every year the holiday season comes with so much anticipation and expectation. I always envision slowing down and really enjoying every aspect of the Christmas season...then life rushes in and somehow those plans seem to get steamrolled over and replaced by the hustle, bustle and chaos of the everyday.

Sometimes my life seems as busy as these little mice, scurrying from here to there...

I guess it's not too late to slow down...to enjoy a quiet evening...to sip hot chocolate...to bake a batch or two of cookies...to curl up with my favorite movie...to start a new book...to browse through a magazine.

Well...a girl can dream can't she.

Blessings,

Patty

the day after...

Just wanted to pop in and wish you all a Happy Day After Thanksgiving. I pray that your time spent with family was enjoyable...that you are all still feeling completely full and satisfied...and that you will be able to wear clothes without an elastic waistband before Christmas so that we can do this all over again...

joy...wonder...delight

Now that it's officially the holiday season...I am off to start bringing down the Christmas totes from the attic, break out the Christmas music and begin to transform our house into a Christmas wonderland. Have a beautiful, long weekend.

Patty