God is good...all the time.....

....so....the memorial service was really good. I remember thinking to myself while we were playing "what IS that sound"????? and then I realized....it's PEOPLE CLAPPING to the beat! ( we're still learning this in my own congregation...heheheh) so it is do-able....I was so blessed to be a part of it...with my beautiful daughter standing in front playing her heart out too :) and the family said they were blessed too. So God is good...all the time....and I only started to 'tear up' once when we played the part of the song...'the God who gives and takes away'......I AM the designated cryer at our church :) Have a great Valentine's Day....and remember the ULTIMATE VALENTINE: John 3:16 <><

a 'mixed blessing'

...so....Valentine's Day brings a couple of 'firsts' for me this year....I've been asked to play on the worship team for a memorial service (the 'first' first ) for a young woman who tragically passed away last week- and her parents requested 'upbeat' music ( as compared to the beautiful pipe organ that usually accompanies such occasions) because that's what she liked best! ( me too ) and the songs they chose are probably the same ones I would choose for my own homegoing...I am honored to be asked, and I just love to play- so there will be a real mixture of heartbreak and joy at the same time. Heartbreak for her family- joy for her and that they'll be reunited again some day. The 'second' first is- a memorial service on Valentine's Day! I guess the more I think about it- it's the perfect day to celebrate God's love for His children of all ages and circumstances. So if any of you wanted to send up a prayer for me Saturday- to play my best with the Joy of the Lord in my heart- that would be awesome! ...and what I DIDN'T tell you is....I belong to a Lutheran church, where, bless our hearts, some people have trouble with drums in church on a good day :) let alone a more somber, serious, respectful event like a memorial service. Lord, have mercy!

a friend indeed...

This is the card I made for my 'bestests' this year...again using more scraps- this time I got wise and punched them out :) (the scraps...not my friends....heheheh) You can't see it very well in the pic but the words are stamped with StazOn on a piece of transparency film (courtesy of Goodwill !)and attached with a folded over punch and heart brad (Oriental Trading Co.) The image is Inkadinkado- and of course the card comes with a little bit of chocolate tucked inside! There's a little 'bling' on the right corner- some teeny holographic heart stickers I found at Michael's. Of course I added some beautiful yarn with gold streaks throughout. Looking out the window today at another "skiff" of snow....the weather man is getting clever again with naming things :) <><

old and new...

Things have been a little 'on the fritz' around here....mostly computer-wise which trickles down to my being a little 'fritzed' myself :( so I've lost my favorite photo editing program, hopefully temporarily, but in the meantime I wanted to post a coupla more valentines cards....this was one I made last year for my bestest buds...I used a lot of scraps up, and the image is watercolored (Heart & Soul) then I sat with a chopstick and made the "you" out of some red wire a friend gave me...

Scrappy Valentine's...

So I'm going to a card swap tomorrow- everyone brings 1 or 2 kits for us all, we go home with some great cards and good fellowship along the way. My offering for this month is made from my scrap paper drawer...I used a Heart & Soul stamp called 'heart swirls' for the ....well...swirly heart background. Then I used my square and heart punches to make the pieces from background paper scraps. The tiny heart in the right corner is another punch from some red holographic paper I had been saving...just for the occasion apparently :) I drew around different parts of the hearts with a glitter gel pen ( one of my best finds of last year) and topped it all off with some beautiful yarn with strands of gold in it. The sentiment inside says "You make my heart happy". That's all there was to it <><

Valentine's...

This project falls under the 'this woman has way too much time on her hands' category....I made a cover for the new sized packages of gum! Looks like a little square box, I know, but when you open it up it's got gum in it....I took apart one box to use as a template, then I used some background paper I had left over- another good way to use up scrappage...The stamp is a Heart & Soul one called Heart flowers....I'm feeling rather accomplished at using up some stuff...another 99 years ought to about do it :) <>< and sorry it's a little fuzzy...

a little 'slow on the draw' as they say...

well sometimes things 'register' a little late and this qualifies: mamadina is doing a great birthday celebration/card challenge thingy on her blog- see link at left- it's too late to enter for most of it but you can see the other entries and get some new ideas....I didn't enter anything because Heart & Soul is part of the 'prize package' and it just felt like a conflict of interest...plus you ladie's artwork is sooo out of my league :) ahhhh...the truth comes out! I hope you have a blessed week and Dina, if you're listening....you are going to have some tough choices to make :) <><