Stampin' Things Organizers Update!

I just wanted to take a quick moment to update you on the Stampin' Things sale, contest, and the Punches and More Organizer.

First, I misquoted the size of the new Punches and More Organizer. Sue caught it, and I did change it late Friday in the original post; however, I wanted you to be aware that it was wrong in my original post most of the day on Friday. Here are the correct dimensions (18" high, 14" wide, and 12 1/2" deep), and the original post is fixed also. I am SO, SO sorry about that!

Also, the 10% discount on all Stampin' Things units ENDS TODAY! You don't want to miss it! For the coupon code, be sure to see Friday's post here. My Stampin' Things units are two of my top three crafting purchases EVER in the past 10 years! You will not be disappointed! This would be the perfect sale for your family members to go ahead and pick up your Christmas, birthday, or anniversary gift early! :)

And lastly, the contest continues until Thursday night for your chance to win a Punches and More Organizer! We have a few entries in already, and I would love to see a TON more! :) For all details of the contest, please see my post here.

If you have purchased ANY Stampin' Things organizer, I would LOVE to hear your feedback, and I know Sue would too! Please leave your comments below for all to see! Have a blessed and joyous Sunday everyone! In Him,

Organizational {Friday} New Punch Unit, Giveaway & Sale!

Many of you know that I LOVE Sue Nagel's products at Stampin' Things. Well, she has come out with yet another new unit! It is called the Punches and More Organizer. This is a picture from Sue's site: And here is what Sue says about her new organizer:
You can custom fit the 'Punches and More' to your needs. This NEW organizer will hold every size punch (small, medium and large). This organizer has a tray at the top for additional storage, a lazy susan base, and spins for easy use. The Punches and More Organizer will hold up to:

**30 Large Punches (or) 30 Medium Punches (or) a combination of both
**24 Large or Medium Punches with 22 Small Punches
**Additional storage on top tray for hand punches, other manufacturer's punches, and more!

Notice how she has all of her Creative Memories punches stacked on end to give her even more storage space on top! And look at the little bucket on top containing all of her small hand-held punches. Tons of room! The dimensions of this unit are: 18" high, 14" wide, and 12 1/2" deep, and it is stackable as are her other units!

Now for the BIG news!
Sue is very generously giving this unit away to ONE of my AMAZING subscribers!!!!! Yes, that means YOU could receive this awesome unit! What do you need to do to possibly win this unit? You must create a card, tag, layout, or altered item using PUNCHES (not die cuts)!! It must be a NEW creation, and you must post it to an online gallery or blog with a link to this contest. Your gallery post or blog post MUST contain a list of the punch or punches you used. You then need to come back to this post and leave a link to your creation by Thursday, June 4th, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time! One lucky winner will be announced next Friday!!

Sue is also offering a 10% off SALE this weekend ONLY (Fri., Sat., Sun.), not including shipping, for my subscribers! First, go to her site, Stampin Things, and look at ALL of her amazing units! Find what you would like, then click on the Place An Order tab on the left. You can either e-mail Sue your order or call her (651-462-2348). In your e-mail or on your phone call, you MUST tell her you saw the sale on my site and give her this coupon code:

PATTERSITE

This is an exciting sale! I have two of her units and LOVE them!!!!!! I have the Elite Unit and the Topper. If you don't remember seeing them, here are pictures of my two units: Please feel free to ask questions in the comment section here but leave your e-mail address so that I can get back to you. Also, this comment section is where you will post the link to your creation. So, get shopping and ready to organize!!! Have fun everyone!! And a HUGE thank you to Sue for such an amazing giveaway and sale! Blessings everyone!

Tuesday's {Tip} Stickles Product Review

I haven't posted my articles here in a while but I thought some of you might enjoy my product review on Stickles. In my article, I talk about the different kinds of Stickles and explain the differences between them. There are several photos that might be helpful to you too. You can see my article here on Scrapbook.com or here on Scrapjazz.com. I hope this is helpful and that I haven't enabled you too much! LOL! Have a joyous Tuesday! :)

His Holy Name {Challenge 11, Shepherd}

Challenge Word 11: Shepherd
God’s Attribute: The Lord is my Shepherd. He is my Jehovah-rohi or YHWH-Ra’ah. He protects, provides, leads, and cares for us. He gathers us into His arms and comforts us. Isaiah 40:11 says “He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those that have young.”

How does this affect my daily life? Most of you have probably heard that sheep are not the smartest animals on the block. But Mary Foxwell Loeks describes them as “willful creatures, often straying, searching for something better, somewhere else.” Wow, that sounds a lot like us, and the Bible does refer to us as sheep over and over again. Sheep need a shepherd to guide them. If they do not have a shepherd, they will go astray. We too need a shepherd to guide us. If we do not put our trust in Him, our Good Shepherd, then our willfulness, our selfishness, our fear, and our drive to be 'the best we can be' can cause us to make bad decisions and choices.

For those of us that keep our eyes on Him, we should be growing more like Him; therefore, we want His will and not our own. By following Him, we are not led astray. Mary Foxwell Loeks continues saying “The Good Shepherd is indeed gentle and patient, a loving provider of care and nourishment. He is also strong and able and will push or pull hard when love for His sheep dictates the He do so.”

Kay Arthur said “Even though we do dumb things, even though we are not perfect, even though we all stumble in many ways (James 3:2), we can succeed because the Lord is our Shepherd. God designed us as we are so that we would see our need of Him. In Him, we find all that we need. Thus we can say with total confidence and conviction, ‘The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Psalm 23:1).”

For my page this week, I really wanted to focus on the scripture again. There were so many great ones to use, and I wanted to choose verses other than Psalm 23. Here is what I created for todays name: Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria
Alpha: Lil' Davis Designs chipboard 's', Dymo labeler
Stamps: Just Rite dater
Stamp Ink: VersaFine vintage sepia
Embellishments: hemp from Hobby Lobby, misc. ribbon, Basicy Grey buttons, Fancy Pants flower

Do you know His voice? Do you trust Him and follow Him? Do you respond to His call? I hope you will pray about that this week and seek Him for everything.

Remember to use the Keyword HHN09 when posting in online galleries, and to chat about the challenge, join us in this thread here on Splitcoaststampers! I pray that you will listen for His voice and follow Him daily. Blessings, and I will see you for our next study on June 7th! In Him,

Scripture Challenge 2009 {Weeks 21 & 22}

Welcome to another week of study! I pray that you are still enjoying these challenges and that you are growing in your walk with our precious Lord! Today's studies are:

Week 21: Wisdom
Week 22: Time

Please enjoy the time that you spend in His Word, and remember to use Scripture Challenge Keyword: SCRC209 when posting to online galleries. Also, please join us in this thread here on Splitcoaststampers for links to your pages and general discussion about the challenge words! I will see you again on June 7th with two new words! In Him,

My New Signature & Some {Memory Box} Creations!

Yesterday, I was asked about my new signature here on my blog. It's beautiful, isn't it? :) Nina, one of our amazing members at Christian Paper Crafts Magazine, makes them. All she asks is for a donation to their church in Croatia. Nina's design earnings help pay for specific needs in their women's ministry. Isn't that awesome? I am going to even order another one. :) I just love them and want to be able to switch them out. Now, it would be great if she could turn these into personalized stamps too. Hey Nina, are you listening? LOL! :) Anyway, to get more information and see Nina's samples, look at the post on her blog here.

I also wanted to share a few other creations from my Memory Box blog that I don't think I have shared here yet.
I am loving all of the newest releases of bird stamps in the Sparkly Bird Bonanza release! I will be playing a lot more with those stamps in the coming weeks ahead! :) Well, have a blessed Wednesday, and thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday's {Tip} Tsukineko Ink Potion

Okay, so Dave of Memory Box Co. got to play with this new bottle of fun--Tsukineko's Ink Potion. Oh goodness, it looks amazing! The Tsukineko site says that it can be used to:

• Spray on projects to encourage migration of any water-based ink
• Spray on inked stamp for watercolor effects
• Mix with water-based ink and then spray on project for wonderful background effects
• Use with Tsukineko's Fantastix™ applicators to encourage blending

And if you look at this post here, you can see what Dave did with it! Isn't it awesome! Okay, now to get some in my hot little hands! Have a blessed Tuesday!

Organizational {Friday} Stamp Storage Cont. & a Coupon!

If you remember my post from March where I shared my new unmounted stamp storage, it has been working GREAT. I love it, and I know this is going to work well for me for a long time to come. However, as I have used my unmounted stamps, I found that sometimes the sentiment and scripture stamps are hard to see. Or should I say, it is hard to read the stamps "backwards" and know what stamp I want to use. So, here is what I have "added" to my current system.

I decided to take the sheet that comes with most stamp sets and adhere it to the back of the page with the stamps. That way, I can easily look at the printed samples to see which stamp I want to use. Here is a sample of my binder containing some of my Our Daily Bread Designs stamps. Now which is easier to read--the printed sheet on the left or the backwards scriptures on the right? :) I can also refer to my inventory binder but sometimes I just grab a stamp binder, and these sheets will help for sure! And just to be clear, I am not doing this will all of my zillions of stamps. I am only doing this for the sentiment and scripture stamp sets. They are really the only stamps I need to do this for. I hope this makes sense and that it helps some of you.

And for those of you that are now buying the same binder I use, Univenture has a 15% off coupon available. Here is what I received in my e-mail:

Save 15% on your next order!
Coupon Code: MY843NB
Coupon only valid for online orders - Offer expires at midnight on 5/28/09

I hope this is helpful to you as you continue to find the best unmounted stamp storage for you! And if you missed my original post in March, you can see it here. Enjoy, and have a blessed Friday!

A Few Memory Box Creations!

I thought I would share a few of my latest creations for Memory Box Co. All of these use the Glitterati 6x6 papers. They are bright and fun, and they would be great on teen scrapbook pages! Hmmm, I wonder if I have any teens at my house? :) And remember, if you ever want step-by-step instructions for my Memory Box creations, just visit my Memory Box blog. I try to include tutorials for everything I create there. :) Have a great evening everyone! Blessings,

Christian Paper Crafts Magazine {Winter Call} Due 7/1/09

Do you want to be printed in a print magazine? Here is your chance! Look here for our Winter and upcoming calls for Christian Paper Crafts Magazine! We are looking for scrapbook pages, cards, tags, altered art, everything! Get those submissions in!!! :) We can't wait to see your work!

And remember, to come and check out our new message board and gallery! Look here, and then select "Community." May is a free month to come and see what we are all about. To read about the different membership levels and how to get access to the online or print magazine, look at this thread here. We have lots of fun challenges, discussions, etc., going on so come on over! We would love to have you join in. Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Tying Bows

I don't know about you but I love to use bows on my cards and altered creations. Sometimes I use them on my layouts but not quite as much. Well, I ran across a few instructional sites for bow tying. I thought I would pass them along to you so that you too can have fun with bows!

Here is a video by Gina K. on tying "Cheater's Bows." Gina actually does the EXACT same thing I do for tying my bows but now I won't have to try to create a video. :) Thanks Gina! One difference is that I tear my Glue Dots on the perferrated line instead of cutting them off of the sheet. Otherwise, I too love using my Glue Dots for my ribbon!

And here is a tutorial by Diana Gibbs. She shows you how to tie a ribbon with a fork! Now I have never seen such a thing but it looks very cool! I can't wait to try it!

And here Kristina Werner shows you how to tie a knot in a ribbon.

I hope these are helpful as you create those bows and knots! Enjoy, and have a blessed Tuesday!

His Holy Name {Challenge 10, Lord}

Challenge Word 10: Lord
God’s Attribute: God is Lord. Ann Spangler says “Adon is a Hebrew word that means ‘lord’ in the sense of an owner, master, or superior. It is frequently used as a term of respect and always refers to people. Adonay (a-do-NAI) is the plural form of ‘adon’ and always refers to God as Lord or Master.” LORD in all capital letters is translated from the Hebrew ‘Jehovah’. Lord in upper and lowercase letters refers to ‘Adonai’.

How does this affect my daily life? God is our Lord, and as our Lord we are to have a relationship with Him. He is our Master, and we are His servants. Today, that is not a popular statement. People want to rule their own lives and can’t imagine being a servant to anyone. His title of Lord demands our total obedience, and He has the right to rule over us and expect our obedience. Do you treat Him as Lord over your entire life or just over the things you want “help” with? If we fear what He controls, it will lead to bad decisions. Kay Arthur says “Our Lord—our Adonai—is our Jehovah, YHWH. As Jehovah He is to be obeyed. He is God; we are human. He is the Creator; we are the created. Therefore, every knee should bow.”

Do you ask Him to show you what His will is for you? Do you follow His will as He calls or do you question it for six months or so before following through? If we delay His call for our lives, it is not obedience but disobedience. In Exodus 4:10-12, we see Moses called Him Lord but he was not willing to obey immediately. When He calls us, He will enable us. He provides us everything we need to do whatever He calls us to do for Him. As our BSF teaching leader said “Serve with God-confidence not self-confidence.”

In choosing scripture for today’s attribute, it was a bit tough. My search on Biblegateway came up with 6,477 scriptures for Lord. Wow! I ended up finding Psalm 135 which is full of wonderful verses. I used Psalm 135: 1, 5, and 13 here on my page. Papers: Bazzill, Crate Paper, Basic Grey Porcelain
Alpha: Making Memories tiny alpha
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Hope, Provo Craft Circa 12 pt. and 18 pt., Just Rite dater
Stamp Ink: VersaFine vintage sepia, Tim Holtz Distress Ink old paper
Embellishments: hemp from Hobby Lobby, misc. ribbon, Basicy Grey buttons

Remember to use the Keyword HHN09 when posting in online galleries, and to chat about the challenge, join us in this thread here on Splitcoaststampers! I pray that you will seek His will for you and serve Him completely because He is our Lord and Master. Blessings, and I will see you for our next study on May 24th! In Him,

Scripture Challenge 2009 {Weeks 19 & 20}

Wow, have we hit May already? The time sure flies but praise God we have Him to guide us each day. Your two new words for the next studies are:

Week 19: Desire
Week 20: Creator

Enjoy your study time, and please remember to use Scripture Challenge Keyword: SCRC209 when posting to online galleries. Also, please join us in this thread here on Splitcoaststampers for links to your pages and general discussion about the challenge words! I will see you again on May 24th with two new words! In Him,

Organizational {Friday} Chipboard

Today I wanted to share my chipboard storage with you. I haven't shared it before because it is nothing spectacular but I decided that it still might help someone out there so here it is. :) I actually keep my chipboard in 3 different areas depending on what it is. Let's look at my Deluxe Designs chipboard first.

For those of you that have never heard of Deluxe Designs, they had GREAT chipboard. Well, they went out of business in 2008 or 2007. I can't remember when. Anyway, before they closed, I bought a lot of their chipboard because it was on a great sale, and it is such wonderful, heavy chipboard. I have all of it in one of my Scrap 'n Cube drawers. It works great for me because I like to sort things by manufacturer. It is also easy for me to find what I want in this drawer. My Maya Road chipboard and a few other types of chipboard are stored in my open bin storage. If you have never seen that storage piece, look here. I always reuse the Maya Road tins because they are such a great organizational tool. They also fit perfectly in my bins. I label the tins and store them in the open bins. You can see them here: Don't they fit in there nicely? I love it!

For chipboard that is sold in flat packages such as Basic Grey, Scenic Route, Heidi Swapp, etc., I store them in a canvas basket that I got very inexpensively at Wal-Mart. It slides underneath my desk, and it is very handy when I need to grab something. Alphabets such as American Crafts Thickers, hang on my Clip-it Up. I hope this has been helpful to some of you. And remember, you can find a list of all of my organizational posts here. Have a great Friday!

$100 Product Contest & the new CPCM Message Board!

Wow, is it really Thursday already? I need my clock to slow down! :) I am SO behind from our trip, I don't see myself ever catching up. Plus not to mention my "May" is filled, literally! We have two orchestra concerts this weekend and next weekend that we are performing in, Mother's Day, a few day trips, lots of DT work due, etc. I am ready for things to slow down in June! Whew! But like our pastor said--"Everyone is given the same 24 hours. We don't need more time. We need to use what God gives us more efficiently." I've gotta remember that one!

Anyway, I wanted to update you on a few things just in case you haven't seen them. First, Memory Box is having another $100 Memory Box Bucks contest. We will now be holding this EVERY month. Each month a different Memory Box designer will host the contest. This month Jean is hosting! You don't want to miss out on this prize because if you win, YOU get to pick the store where you order your $100 worth of product, and YOU get to pick the product you win!!!!!! You can see Jean's requirements for this month's contest here. And if you sign up for our mailing list here, you will be notified of each contest each month!!!!! Memory Box goodies are AMAZING if you haven't tried them. Come on over and play. I sure would love to see one of my subscribers win! :)

And have you seen our new message board and gallery at Christian Paper Crafts Magazine? Look here, and then select "Community." May is a free month to come and see what we are all about. To read about the different membership levels and how to get access to the online or print magazine, look at this thread here. We have lots of fun challenges, discussions, etc., going on so come on over! We would love to have you join in!

And lastly, I will leave you with a fun card I created for Memory Box. For details on how I created this card, look here. :) I pray you have a blessed Thursday. Today is our music day so we will be off to private lessons and orchestra rehearsals! :) Blessings everyone!

Tuesday's {Tip} Flowers!

I don't know about you but I LOVE flowers! I love paper flowers, crocheted flowers, stamped flowers, metal flowers, flowers in nature, everything FLOWERS! :) Well, here are a few pictures of flowers I took in Maui last week: I can't wait to scrap those beauties! I also found a very fun article titled "40 Ways to Scrap with Flowers" on scrapbook.com. This article is worth printing and putting in your inspiration notebook! I hope you enjoy it, and have fun with those flowers! Have a great Tuesday!

I am Alive! :) A Little Bit About Where I've Been!

Hi dear friends!!! Oh, and my precious family too! I haven't fallen off of the face of the earth. I was on vacation! Several of you have e-mailed asking if I was okay since I have been "quiet." Well, for the first time in a long time, I didn't take my laptop of vacation with me. Shock, I know! But I came home to 1,246 e-mail messages. It will take me a bit to respond and catch up but I will (eventually). :)

As you know, I don't share much personal stuff on my blog but I had to share a bit about our vacation. We went to Maui, and we stayed in Kapalua! We took the kids 6 years ago but this trip was even MORE amazing! We did all sorts of fun things we didn't do last time, and our condo was beyond spectacular. Let me share a few photos for those of you that wish to see. Oh but before I share, I must say something about my camera. After talking to my dearest aunt and uncle, I decided NOT to take my Canon 50D. Now don't faint! I thought I would not be able to get good photos but they recommended the Canon G9. Canon doesn't make that camera anymore so I bought the newer version, the Canon G10 right before we left. This little thing is PEFECT for a trip where you don't want to lug all of your camera gear! It fits in my purse, and as you will see, it took spectacular pictures. NONE of these photos have been edited except to add my watermark. That's it. Thanks SO much Aunt Joanne and Uncle Gregg! You were right, it was the perfect camera for the trip! We love you!

Okay, so let's look at some photos. First, our condo. This condo had three walls of windows on the backside overlooking the beach. We could look from the bedrooms on both floors, from the dining room, the kitchen, the sitting room, everywhere and always see and hear the ocean. It was amazing. The second picture shows the view from one of the balconies. And yes, the beach was crowded in this picture! It was always empty!And here are my husband and two of our girls on the beach. Can you see what one of the girls wrote in the sand?Yes, it says "Jesus is Lord." I watched her write it from the balcony, and I cried and cried! I prayed many would see it from their own condos that day!

Every morning and every night, this is the sunrise and sunset we got to see. I just could not get over God's beautiful creation! Isn't it stunning!!!! We also went horseback riding. We made ti leaf leis. We picked pineapples in the field. We watched the humpback whales from our balcony everyday. And two brave souls went zip lining. And you can bet it was NOT me! :)And for the final picture for today, I will leave you with this guy:He is a Red Crested Cardinal. These guys were on our balcony everyday. And they were not afraid of us. That's how I was able to get this picture. We could literally go right up to them. Isn't he beautiful? :)

Now, I have truly spared you because I took 526 pictures on this trip! Whew! I think I have enough scrappy pictures to last a long time! I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of the things we did. And please remember to bear with me as I catch back up. I also have a VERY busy month ahead but I will be posting my normal posts as I can. Have a blessed evening everyone!