My Little Man!

I cannot believe my little guy turned three this year!!! I think I still have this baby face of his ingrained in my mind. He is sooo beary sweet! :)

... This is another layout with no sketch - again because it was professional photos with almost no room for cropping. I usually never than to work with 2- 8x10's but one of these was free from Kiddie Kandids and the other was free from Picture People, lol! It worked out quite well.

I broke out my acrylic paint for this layout... I noticed I tend to do that a lot more when it is for my son's albums. I even used my old Making Memories foam stamps :).

Once again I was so blessed to be scrapping with my best, good friend Jenn. She gave me this polka-dot paper, this striped paper, and this chipboard arrow that I totally love! Thanks hunny!

The twill here was from some old Pottery Barn packaging that I just flipped over and inked :).

Where did the time go between one and three!!!!???

Oh and this was the idea for the title. This paper pieced bear dates back to my beginning scrap days when I used to participate in swaps on about.com's scrapbooking forums! This bear was from a Precious Moments paper piecing swap that I organized probably 7 years ago!!! And I finally found the perfect use for it :).

Oh and I cannot forget to mention the wonderful punches Jenn lets me borrow also! She's got this great one that looks like the torn-out edge of notebook paper upon others like a holed scallop and and laced scallop that I tOtALLy love!!!

My Walk Monday

This week I was really super blessed at the Friday night youth study. I am always really happy to have "my kids" over, and am blessed to be going through God's word with them in our home, but there was something different about this week that really just blessed me.

It could have been the fact that I have changed so much. Even just to be walking in obedience by learning to play the guitar... I am always happy to show Deserie (our youth worship leader) what I have practiced.

But I think it was that and the scripture this week was particularly AWESOME! It was the second half of Ephesians chapter four.

God told me flat out on Friday... "Carolyn, don't CHOOSE to walk any longer just as the Gentiles walk... don't exclude yourself from the life you have in Me... stop making your heart calloused and hard... stop being caught up with yourself in greediness with impurity and sensuality... you did not learn Christ is this way hunny... you are to lay that woman aside... put her to death and leave her in the grave... renew your spirit in Me and keep this new woman on... I called you to be set apart from the world... lay aside the falsehood and be real with Me... do not give the devil an opportunity my dear... don't act on things that would cause My Spirit to be grieved within you... walk in a manner worthy of what I have purposed for you to be... be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving just as I have been to you, I love you... you need to fight my love, fight against yourself and fight again satan who is happy for you to fall and waits there to destroy you... don't be self pleasing any longer, but minister to others... put away all the things you do that are against other people, I love them and want to use you to minister to them... I have a plan for you, a plan of peace and not evil, a beautiful plan with a future and a hope, I love you Carolyn."

It was beautiful, when my husband was reading and teaching God was throwing other scriptures in my head in between and it was all just so encouraging and loving... I hope you would be blessed by it also.

Walk and talk with Him ladies for He loves you and is for you more than you know!

Scrappin' Sunday

Alright Ladies! Since I have been sharing layouts a lot and this one falls on a Sunday I thought I should use it as a TA-DA and set some t0-dos from Scrappin' Sunday!

If you want you can view all the other layouts I have been sharing by clicking the word "layouts" on my sidebar cloud :)

The previous five layouts I have shared have all had a sketch to follow, but since these photos were professional and there wouldn't be much room for cropping I chose to wing it! :)

The title here was a GREAT idea, but I still think I might go back and make it say "Wild thing - you make my heart sing" instead :) It just has a better ring :)

The idea for the title came from the Rhino on my son's little outfit... I loved that outfit! And of coarse I had to find a Rhino of some sorts!... so I cricuted one! :)

And still I am forcing myself to use products that have been lying around... I have a slew of these buckles!

And since I was throwing around the metal look I decided to use a pewter brad to keep the end of my ribbon down... I stole this knotted ribbon and brad idea from another layout of someone's I saw at the weekend crop :). It is so nice to scrapbook with others to function around all that creativity! Instead when I scrap at home "alone" I scrap with friends blogs open for ideas and "fellowship" :).

Now onto my TO-DO list...

1. Scrapbook just once - sometime this week.
2. Possibly plan a Close to My Heart party for next month?
3. Hang ledge for black and white photos in my room.
4. Hang my new Ikea lighthouse photo :)

I'm diggin the Mosaic Styles!

Here is another "Mosaic Style" (I call it) sketch from PageMaps, from this year January... maybe that's why I love it because it is still popular? I don't know.

This is the one layouts I got done of my youngest daughter's baby album, she was brand new in these photos!!! So precious!!! I still have to journal that on the strip of white paper down the right side.

This layout was nice a simple but very sweet. I loved the purple paper with that tone on tone distressing. The big bloom with the grommets and rhinestone brads, with some pop-dots under the little baby photo.

I know, I know, I said simple then I name off all these things that I not :) My friend was saying that I am not capable of simple :) I love her!

Yeah simple... with the sewing machine :)!!!!!!!!!!

It really DOES add I nice (simple) touch :).

I Heart CTMH Paper!!!

Yes - yet another PageMaps sketch, this one from April '08. The mosaic style here with the centered title and the twist with a frame it totally beautiful!

And MMMM this paper Pack from CTMH is TOTALLY one of my new favorites... they really hit me on the nail with this one! It's called Emporium, yum!

Fun with the title - again trying to use up some of my older products that sit around too much... blue jewels, the wooden letters (an old fav) and some of the MANY rub-ons I have!

I brought my sewing machine with me on my weekend getaway and am sooo glad I did, it really bumped up the yum factor of this layout!!! Not to mention some felt! - yet another product that tends to sit unused.

I am so glad I made myself obedient to this sketch and find a frame for this layout, I loved it! (I really am working on obedience in all things Lord :).

Oh and one thing that sits around that REALLY shouldn't, that I TOTALLY have always loved! The vellum sticker here with the scripture verse on it, ""I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 4" B-E-A-U-tiful! And even more pretty embellished with some Emporium paper from CTMH!!! :)

Picture a Day

May 8: This little notebook used to be for my Bible study stuff but I have now adopted it to help me journal for my scrapbook pages :) it's so cute I could resist... and it did help, I journaled!

May 9: Saturday night my hubby and I went to a late movie after the bebes were in their beds for the night :) It was a fun little date and I was very blessed!

May 10: Sometimes I cannot believe how much better I am getting at holding the camera out in front of me to shoot a picture (I used to stink at this!). I also cannot believe that God has blessed me so tremendously with my three adorable little kiddos! It WAS a happy Mother's Day.

May 11: We have had a toy bench that has been threatening death for I while now... but I think it has finally given in... literally - there is a big hole of wood that is all pushed in. The poor stuft animals in there now often get stuck! Darn... time for something new! :)

May 12: This was my two older kids pretending to be Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker :)... their Daddy would be proud :).

May 13: Even better... this is them pretending to be Ewoks! TOO CUTE!!!

May 14: And I think (just maybe) this is a small sign of what I might be getting myself into for this little man's teen years!!!!! LOL!!! (He did this himself too, I just happened to have the camera out!)

Internet still a "Growing" Problem :)

Sorry I have not posted another scrap thing since Saturday - I did say that I would get as much in as possible with the Internet up and down and down and up... well I going to get a lot in tonight too I hope. (My hubby called our service provider and they said we don't exist - well - that could be a problem! :)

Here is my next layout to share... and yes it is another PageMaps sketch, my newest Scrap-Fetish :) I even put a blinkie button on my sidebar because I am so happy with them!

This particular sketch is from their January 'o7 archives. I really liked this one just for the different look in general and all the tilting going on... I have issues tilting things on my own (I tend to put them back straight up and down) unless I am obeying a sketch :)

I even added three more tilted photos off to the right of the main photo. I thought this was nice because with my plan of 2 layouts a year I always have more photos. I also knew I wouldn't be journalling a lot on this page.

The title I find a little cheesy, but I am so proud of my big girl and I just loved that photo of her with the sour grass weeds!!!... so I just HAD to play off on it!!! :)

Oh and when I was doing this layout, I was just so blessed to be next to a fellow Close to My Heart Consultant that had like EVERY one of their ink colors... I have fallen in love with a more subtle way of distressing with a tone on tone look... I TOTALLY want more inks!!! (Thanks Jenn!)

Oh and she let me borrow her new journalling stamp too :). And of coarse I had to jazz the journal spot up with some large CTMH blooms and the lovely brown (my favorite color) crystal flourish from Prima.
I also forgot to mention I had a great time adding some liquid glass (also from CTMH) to the paper circles on my buttons and the chipboard in my title :)

Not by Might - Nor by Power

This morning I was praying and feeling pretty sad about my Jesus suffering through MY sins, and how I hate myself for lacking the self-discipline to choose better. I do not want to be this woman of the flesh and I was letting God know that... He put Romans 12 : 2 on my heart - which says... "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

I went to read it and it was a reminder from the Lord because verses 1 and 2 were circled with the date "1/2009!" written next to them. Verse 1 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

After my praying and finding that in Romans I was reading in Ezekiel 37 and verse 23 was amazing to me! So perfectly encouraging!!! "(Carolyn you) will no longer defile yourself with your idols, or with your detestable things, or with any of your transgressions; but I will deliver you from all your dwelling places in which you have sinned, and will cleanse you. And you will be Mine, and I will be your God."

On top of how perfect that Word was I also read this...

"... have NO confidence in the flesh." Philippians 3:3b

"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

"When you are walking in the Spirit , you will find that Jesus is at the center of EVERYTHING in your life. You'll recognize that your old nature is totally useless to God and for that reason you'll need to daily crucify the flesh. Make a conscious choice to give Him your rebellious, stubborn, unforgiving and selfish ways."

The way to not put your confidence in the flesh is to "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

"When you rejoice, you're choosing to put your trust in the Lord. This allows Him to determine the outcome of things."

Lord, I see that I am useless to You without Your Holy Spirit working and living inside of me. Please fill me brand new, right now, transform my mind so I may be good and acceptable and perfect in You. Take me as a handmaiden for Your kingdom. I sacrifice all I am and ever will be to You my God and my King. May my entire life be a song in worship to You Jesus. Please take the woman who chooses to defile herself with the things of this world, I am done with her. Deliver me Lord and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I am yours. Teach me to put no confidence in my flesh, teach me to walk in the Spirit. Be the center of my life. I trust You Abba and I love You!

Lovin the Circle!

Yes circles in scrapbooking is an older trend, and I am not a trendy scrapper, but I don't think I completely missed it??? THIS STETCH is only five months old :) I scrap as I see what would fit with my photos and this one was pretty much perfect. (To get the circle that big - without a circle cutter - I traced a paper plate.)

I liked the flowery accents on the sketch, but I chose to go with a more "manly" approach :)... buttons, brads, and some clear accents from Close to My Heart.

The title was a cute one, but I do often find myself very repetitive saying "I love you" in a ton of different ways in my kids books :) I REALLY DO love them! :)

I did make sure part of the we was Jesus though :) since He is the most important part! :)

Oh and though the accents were "manly" I did use a flowery print paper! But I did grunge it up by crumpling it and inking it! I have a "tutorial" here of a previous time I did that. (Sorry if the photos scroll too fast - I just noticed I should fix that!)

Oh and I did distress some more with distress inks by Tim Holtz and some brown acrylic paint on the photos and the clear accent pieces... I think I like acrylic paint better than regular inks, it's just more work.

But I do have an artistic outlook on scrapbooking, so what ever looks good is what I take the time to do... I am also a social scrapbooker which means I am really REALLY slow :)!!!

Picture a Day

May 1: This is the "Diva" crown that was in my goodie bag from my Scrappin' Diva Weekend, LOL! Funny - it'll make a perfect Princess crown for my four year old :)

May 2: And this is the Diva Duckie that showed up on our crop tables on Saturday morning :) Now that's just too cute.

May 3: I didn't want to pack up my scrap stuff on Sunday, I still had 19 layouts planned that I could have finished, LOL - yeah right! I am WAY too slow for that! Now I just have pictures printed and layouts planned for upcoming crops at church :)!!!

May 4: When I finally got back online after my fun weekend, this photo of me was up on Facebook, and no I wasn't posing I just love how relaxing that chair is! :)

May 5: My wrist was hurting the week previously and it made it through my scrapbooking weekend, but now it is too mad and needs a rest and a brace :( Praise the Lord my sis-in-law had one I could borrow :)

May 6: My kids had their first dentist visit on Wednesday! They loved it, they were so good. I think they thought it was fun, JJ cannot wait to go back.

May 7: Oh - silly son!... those are my husband's slippers :)!!!