Hero Arts weekly challenge - Manly

I have been so busy making cards for the blog day in June at Hero Arts with Shari that I was 'done' for the rest of the week.
I can't post cards now either that would hint at the stamps and papers I used for that day, so I have to manoeurve very carefully at the moment.



We are having beautiful weather here at last. I am seeing snakes again in the garden and am enjoying the beautiful lightfall over the mountains in the evenings as I watch the sun go down. So peaceful and peace giving!

Just sharing a card I made for the weekly challenge at Hero Arts. It is for my DH. I never tire of this butterfly stamp. I made it dimensional with two different patterned papers. As my DH René and I are opposites, I made the butterflies opposities too.

Have a great weekend and I hope to be back with MM on Monday.

Go green - Hero Arts weekly challenge

It felt so good to join in a challenge again on the Hero arts website. I have been very busy preparing, designing and making cards for my Blog Day with Shari Carroll and that did not go without pressure!! The date is 19th of June.

So, these tags are made from the remaining packaging of a paper punch and an embellishment sheet I got hold of at Michaels in the USA. I love the wire holder on the first one at the top, which held a Martha Stewart paper punch. I used parts of a Friends Collage stamp for this one.



I always love using the butterfly stamp too. Stamped it on a background which has been stamped with the HA Shadow screen stamp.


Just want to share what I discovered today. A lady from church had heard that I had problems with the menopause and gave me a bunch of sage to use as a tea. It is delicious! I just put one branch of leaves into the teapot, add hot water (no sugar) and voila the tea is ready - apparently it has some very good medicinal qualities!
Have a great sunday!

Back home again..

Last Monday afternoon we arrived home in France.. We had a very smooth journey, luckily with some leg room as my DH is very tall.
Hope you are all well and I hope to be visiting your beautiful artwork etc. gradually again. I feel like I have been in another world and have to adapt being back home again.
It is an official holiday today so I thought I would use up some of the accumulating scraps - I just cannot throw a small piece of patterned paper away, I have to use it! There is a tiny butterfly from Hero Arts in the right hand corner which is from a big stamp - I have kept it for weeks and finally found it a home.

A quick hello from Miami!

Adding a picture of our son Joël here, who turned 17 on the 14th of May! He was in Romania at the time and we are so thankful that his life has found meaning and hope in Jesus Christ!


Arrived Sunday afternoon at our Hotel on Miami beach after a 12 hours journey - three of those hours we were waiting in queues just to get into the U.S.!! Security is huge these days and quite a strain! I still feel I have jet-lag after four days! Pure determination got me to a Michael's and I found the beautiful craft things I was so longing for!! Some girls from the Hero Art's group had sent me some coupons for craft shops but I couldn't get the Michael's coupon printed out, it was invalid - so I thought well I will ask for it..... well they refused to give it to me.. until my DH came to pick me up and flashed a smile at the lady at the cash register and I got 40 percent off of a paper punch!!



(Me and Marabel)

We have had contact with Marabel Morgen - you remember the lady who wrote the book 'The Total Woman'? She lives here with her DH in Miami - they have a beautiful home and took us out to dinner at Joey's Stone Crab - that is apparently a very famous restaurant - it was such an experience!!
We have a beautiful room looking out over the Ocean and only hear the waves as we fall asleep!
I find the USA always a bit overwhelming! It takes me days to get used to everything! But it is SO GOOD to have a TOTAL BREAK with DH - brings alot of tiredness and other 'stuff' to the surface which you don't always know is there!

VERY happy news!

I have to share some very 'happy' news before I leave for Miami tomorrow. Today I got completely shocked to hear that I had won a Day on the Blog with Shari Carroll, a Hero Arts artist! I feel so honored to be able to work with her!
Here is the link.

The above card is one of the cards she highlighted and I can't remember if I ever posted this on my blog.

Tag tuesday

Louise has a new challenge for the tuesday - you can check it out here. This challenge could win one person a prize, so go take a look, BUT you have to upload your tag and pass her the link before midnight tonight. I started yesterday but boy did I have problems with it - just can't seem to get the vintage feel I want anymore. So hope to be more inspired after a little break next week!
I like your initiative Louise!

Challenge Caardvarks Don't quote me, but...

Here is a card challenge blog that I discovered via Hero Arts.
The challenge is: Create a ***NEW*** card incorporating a verse or quote.

As I had a stamp quote I thought I would join in this week, just give it a go.



I used the new paper from Basic Grey called Wisteria, which I love. The birdcage from Hero Arts has been stamped twice, one of the images cut out and raised with craft dimensional tape. I did the same with the birdie in the cage.

Meditation Monday - Seeing yourself the right way

Hi there! Seeing yourself the right way - OH - that is one of my biggest problems - and I think it is something alot of you will have problems with too! I found a very nice devotional message from Bob Gass about this that I will share with you:

Quote:

'Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?...' Galatians 1:10
Too many of us have made it our life's work to change someone else's opinion of us. We're determined to prove to them that we're valuable. Now, you can't be like the guy who quipped, 'I like talking to myself, because I like dealing with a better class of people.' But neither can you base your worth on the opinions of those who put you down. When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, took him aside and said, 'You're going to have lots of people around you. And they will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't.' As it turned out, Truman became a truly great president. Until you quit agreeing with those who've mistreated you, or bowing to the events that crippled you emotionally, you'll remain locked in a prison of your own making. When your critic's opinion becomes your opinion, you've built a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner; you. Are you prepared to accept that some of the people you've spent your life trying to impress, may never be impressed? And can you accept that from God's perspective; it doesn't matter? To succeed in life you must be able to work alongside people without allowing yourself to be controlled by their moods or governed by their opinions. This is what Paul was talking about when he said, 'Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.'

Unquote

We have to believe what the Bible says about our worth for Him! Sometimes we feel we are seperated from God because we feel bad about ourselves - well even if we feel good about ourselves - neither will justify us before God - our only righteousness is IN CHRIST and we live by faith!

I am not feeling too good at the moment - I have menopausal problems and feel extremely tired. My DH is feeling alot better - thanks so much for the well wishes for him.
For our 22nd wedding anniversary we are going to the south Miami beaches for a week! So I have alot to prepare and think about before then.. I know we both need a change of scene and a good rest!