Valentine Blog Candy

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

I know it may seem early to be thinking about Valentine's Day, but I want to give plenty of time for this blog candy to run and then get delivered.

You can sign up for this candy by entering your information in the Mr. Blue Froggy Linky thingy below. you do not have to be a follower of my blog or enter this information anywhere else. it's pretty simple really. ;)

This blog candy contains almost a dozen sheets of 12x12 papers from K & Co. and other companies. You can pretty much count on this being a PINK candy, too! grins! you're not surprised, are you?! One lucky winner will receive several Shirley's 2 Girls clear stamps as well as some Snag 'Em stamps. I'll add LOTS of other fun embellies like a roll of washi tape, lace & ribbons, tags, doilies, and other goodies. retail value will be a minimum of $25.

Blog candy contest will be open through Monday, December 31 at midnight EST. have fun and good luck to you!

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

Another Anything Goes at Paper Makeup Stamps

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake (yep, it's as yummy as it sounds!)

Happy Monday to you! and Happy New Year's Eve as well! it's been so quiet around my house these past few days. Winter Camp has been going on, so all of my family has been out at Camp working and playing in the snow. actually, this is the first year in quite a few that we actually have snow at Winter Camp! grins! and boy, do we have snow! probably a bit more than a foot on the ground. temps in the teens and twenties. I just love it!

so it's been just me and the dogs here at home. I've been spending most of my time trying to keep Mocha out of the brown butter choco chip and bacon cookies. that dog has come up with the most creative ways to snatch the plate of cookies and drag it to the floor. I don't blame her though - ever since we tried the recipe last year, this has quickly become our family fave cookie recipe. I make lots of batches for gifts, too, since everyone who tries them, falls in love with the cookies. Finally gave up and put the last few cookies in a ziploc bag on top of the refrigerator. if she climbs up there and gets into them, she deserves to eat those last few! ;)  I also tried a few of the cookie ball recipes that I found online. good golly, miss molly, they are decadent! gave some of those as gifties as well.

okay, can you tell I've missed being away from my beloved compy?! His name (my compy) is Sheldor the Conqueror in case you ever wonder..... if you watch The Big Bang Theory you will understand why I named him that. ;) yep, Revenge of the Nerds and I'm the Princess! :)

anyhoooooooowwwwww.........
today is another Anything Goes with a digi challenge over at Paper Makeup Stamps. The DT is still on break so we get to show one of our past creations. This is a card I actually made while on the Party Time Tuesday  team for a challenge sponsored by Paper Makeup. I sooooo love the way it turned out. :)

I combined several images from the Faith, Hope, Love set. Coloring was done with distress stains and then sprayed with glimmer mist (I think.... the card was long ago given to someone - def a shimmer spray though). pretty Spellbinders & Tim Holtz dies, vintage buttons, pearls, washi tape, satin ribbon, and a prima flower complete the card. oh yes, paper is from Prima as well.

Be careful if you are going out to celebrate this evening. We tend to spend New Year's Eve watching the various shows on television if we even manage to stay awake that long. must say I'll be glad to say farewell to 2012. I've learned a lot about myself, but sure don't wanna have to do it again! tee hee!

love to all of you! Jennifer

edited to add ------> today is the final day of operation for a very special store, Paper Cupcakes. I was privileged to be a part of Nina's DT, but most especially to get to know this kind and amazing woman. She has such a heart of gold! Stop by and pick up a few of her images if you get a chance. and tell her hello for me!!! :)

Z is for Zoo Animals at ABC Christmas Challenges

I'm kinda a 'midway to the midway' post for my ABC Christmas Challenge card..... y'all are probably tired of holiday cards by now, but this is the first one I've made in several months. it really felt good to craft last week when I was still feeling okay. as always, had to wait on stickles to dry! ;)

anyhow, lots of big news on the ABC challenge blog, so be sure to check it out. we're saying goodbye to some very talented DT members, so please stop by to wish them well. There is also a DT call-out going on, so submit your name if you are interested. it's a very friendly group of people, I can say that with confidence!  they are so patient and understanding of my health situation. so loving and supportive!

anyhow, the challenge for this fortnight is 'Z is for Zoo Animals' and is sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps. I fell head over heels for this cutie Edward the Elephant and his birdie buddy! The senti comes from Flonz Stamps and date stamp is from K & Co. Smash. sticker at the top of the card is one I made from notebook paper. thought it went well with this image.

papers are Basic Grey Nordic Holiday, ornaments are covered in rock candy distress stickles while hat, pom pom, and card edge are covered in regular white sparkly stickles. (sorry, the bottle is in my craft room - I don't have the name in front of me) I lightly covered the Studio Calico wood veneer snowflakes in white craft ink. poinsettia is from Michael's $1 bin. I had high hopes of getting back over there to pick up some more while they hopefully still had these, but never made it. also wanted to get some of their grey Copic markers before the prices increase and I had 50% off coupons, but that didn't happen either. oh well. win some, lose some. no real biggie in the scheme of things though.

buttons are from my stash. I've been sorting ALL of my buttons into Mason jars. yep, just throwing them all in together - willy  nilly. not much is being sorted by mfg. any longer. it just takes up tooooo much space that way. and gosh oh golly, do those buttons look so pretty in the different sizes of jars sitting on the mantle in my craft room! I'm slowly getting it sorted out still, but will certainly get photos taken when it's finished. I must add that my vintage buttons ARE in jars of their own. no way I could mix those with the regular buttons.

okay, my  head is woooooozy and I'm probably starting to communicate with alien species or drabble on and on, so had best go. love to all of you!

Will Be Back Later...

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Hello and belated Merry Christmas greetings to all of you!
I have been sick in bed since Christmas day, so haven't been around much at all. wanted to do a quick pop onto my blog to let you know I have a card to post for the ABC Christmas DT, but will have to get to it a bit later. just don't have much energy and seem to sleep most of my days away....
my family is even considering moving my bedroom downstairs since climbing stairs takes me forever now and hurts like the dickens. I'm really becoming THAT sick old lady now..... poo! I told them all that as long as they carry me down on my bed Cleopatra style, I don't care one way or the other. ;)  hey, I have to maintain my princess attitude even if I do feel icky-poo yuck! tee hee!

anyhow, hope to see all of you back here later. I'm off to bed again.... even coffee doesn't taste good these days, so that tells you something right there.....

Anything Goes at Paper Makeup Stamps

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Butter Rum

Today is an easy peasy challenge over at Paper Makeup Stamps - Anything Goes with a digi! The DT is on a bit of a break for these next 2 weeks and were allowed to pick from their favorite projects from the past. Since I am just starting to get back to crafting, I sure appreciated that! Be sure to pop by the challenge blog to see what everyone else on the team has chosen. Some of my team mates have made some new projects, too.

This card of mine featuring Pete Penguin always makes me smile! it isn't very complicated, but it sure is full of Christmas cheer! Some fun paper piecing, big satin ribbon, quirky tag, and yummy soft yarn with a big red button just make it ready to bring a bit of holiday love to someone.......

New Blog Candy Winner Drawn......

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

image from 2 Crazy Crafters

Well I never heard from the winner of the 'Craft Room Clean-out' blog candy, so I chose another winner.

SUZIE McFLOOZY, you will need to send me you address so I can get this package of goodies in the mail to you! :)  congratulations!!!!!
The other packages were mailed out earlier this week. I sure hope everyone enjoys the fun tucked inside!

it is snowing like crazy here, and we are tucked in like snug little bugs. oh I am so loving it! :)  my soul & heart are happy even though my poor body isn't doing so well. but that is okay because I am Blessed with a capital B!!!

love to all of you! Jennifer

Blog Candy Winners!

Coffee of the Day - Texas Turtle (pecan, caramel, and chocolate)

Happy Monday! Mr. Blue Froggy has hop hop hopped along and chosen winners for the 3 blog candies I had going. if you weren't chosen this time, be sure to enter the Valentine candy that is going through the end of this month. who knows, I may still add another one or two before this is all over....... ;)

Winners, please contact me at: jenscull at yahoo dot com just as soon as possible with your mailing information so I can get these out to you. If I haven't heard from you by the end of this week, I will choose another winner. You should have received an email as well from inklinz.

Rosettes Bigz Shot Pro Die - Marji

Christmas Goodies - Victoria

Craft Room Clean Out - Sharon P

Congratulations to each of you! Thank you to everyone who played along! :) I sure wish I could send a  great big package of fun to everyone! maybe if the big lotto win or a Mysterious Benefactor come along that will happen one day! grins! :)

Blog Candy for December!

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Hello! I am following in the footsteps of my friend, Joan, and doing something nice (well, hopefully you think it's nice!) every day all this month.

To start things off, I am doing several blog candies this month. they will be easy to enter, just add your info to the following Mr. Blue Froggy Linky thingies.... you can enter all of them if you would like. you  do NOT have to be a follower of my blog or post it anywhere to enter.

I also need to add that if you are expecting packages from me, I have finally been feeling well enough to get those together and they will be mailed out on Monday! hooray! I've added a few extras inside to say thank you for being so patient. :)

first blog candy up for grabs is a repeat..... I still have this fabby fun Rosettes Bigz Pro Die

that is available to any one who owns a Sizzix BIGZ PRO machine and lives ONLY in the USA. sorry, but this puppy is big & heavy and is pretty expensive to ship. it has a retail value of $59.99 and is absolutely wonderful looking. a new machine just isn't possible for me this year, no matter how much I love this die. ;) so I would love to pass it along to someone who can use it. the die is a LARGE 12" x 12 3/4". pooey on that online store that didn't label it properly. grins!

Next up is a blog candy that is Christmas themed. This will include a selection of Webster's Pages 12x12 papers from both the Winter Wonderland and Ting-A-Ling collections. both of these collections are now discontinued. I'm adding some vintage trims, tags, doilies, crushed olive Distress Marker, and Shirley's 2 Girls clear stamps. plus you never know what else I will throw in the package! ;)

Lastly will be what I am calling my 'Craft Room Clean Out' blog candy. This is a hodge podge of various 12x12 papers from Prima and other companies. Clear stamps from Shirleys 2 Girls and Basic Grey minis will be included, as will a HUGE assortment of ribbons & other embellies.

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

All blog candies will run through Sunday, Dec. 16 at midnight EST and have a retail value of at least $25. ONLY the Bigz Pro die is limited to a winner from the USA. winners will be announced on my blog within a few days following so that I can hopefully have prizes mailed prior to Christmas. thank you for stopping by and I wish you all the best of luck! :) I'll have a Valentine collection blog candy starting up the middle of the month, so be sure to stop back for that one, too.

hugs to everyone! Jennifer

God is Still Good...

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Before you read any further, remember that God is still and always will be good. He does not change because terrible things happen in this world in which we live. His nature is ALWAYS one of love. He can turn horrible circumstances into those which shine brighter, although in our human-ness we can not possibly comprehend how or why.  People mess up all the time, but He does not.

On Friday my family and I had gone to see one of the first showings of 'The Hobbit.' As we were still in the theatre, but walking toward the exit, Ryan turned on his phone. A text message from his girlfriend appeared telling of the toll of the Connecticut school shootings. We were already aware the shootings had taken place, just none of the details. I stopped before we had even reached the theatre doors and broke down crying. David was telling me to move - that I was blocking people from leaving. I couldn't even move. As word reached back to others, everyone was simply stunned. We gradually made our way out into the lobby and began talking. The boys were calling people to find out details. We knew then and there that we had to pray.  People were calling on God in the lobby.

In my front yard still stands a sign that reads, 'We will never forget.' It hasn't even been a full year since the shootings at our high school here in Chardon. Families here in our small village will be having Christmas without their children for the first time, too. It's hard to describe what it is like to see yet another community hit by a tragedy of this sort. Counselors are already gathering to bring comfort to people here as wounds we thought were healing are torn open once again. Students who just a few months ago were seniors at our high school, (like my son) and now are home from college break are re-living all of the memories again of an armed gunman walking school halls.

But God's arms are big enough to hold the families of precious tender kindergarten souls, the families of a respected Principal, the families of high school students just blooming into adulthood. He can hold onto each one of us as we try to understand the senseless tragedy and know our head's can never wrap around the horror. He is pure love and peace and light in a world that is sometimes dark. Cry if you need to. Scream and rant if you need to. God can take it. But then rest in His arms of love and find His peace. Listen as He tells you to "..........."

You are truly, deeply loved! :)

Blog Candy Reminder

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

Happy 12-12-12 to all of you! :)

Just wanted to remind all of you that the current blog candies close on Sunday. A Valentine themed one will start up on Monday. As for craft supplies, I am still boxing up things to give away as I am able. crossing fingers I will still be able to meet my own goal of being back to crafting at the start of 2013.......

Thank you so much for the kind comments all of you have left for me, as well as the many wonderful, supportive emails. You lift my heart more than you can know! :)

I'm still resting quite a bit and not quite feeling human yet. I swear I'm becoming a zombie, but my family is too kind to tell me. wait a second. I live in a house full of men. too kind? yeah right! they gave me grief last night because I was talking skateboard, and had to text Mick to get him to prove that I knew what I was talking about. turns out they knew all along that I had a clue, but just wanted to mess with me! ;) those rascals! so yep, zombiefied I am!

Dave and I are supposed to attend a Christmas party next week, and I think this is the first year I won't have enough handmade cards to give to everyone. it's pretty traumatic, actually. but I can only do what I can do. and right now just doing for my family is top of my priority list. not sure I'll be feeling up to even attending, much less the worry over what to put on this zombie body. some things just don't seem to really matter that much right now. and then it makes me think why I should stress so much about them in the first place.

anyhow, enjoy this 12th day. it's a special day, but then every day is! :) and so are YOU!

these are pix of us getting our tree last year. thought I would share with all of you. we'll hopefully go this coming weekend to get ours for this year. we have to wait until Mick comes home from school, as it is part of the tradition that EVERYONE picks out the tree before we cut it down. in the top photo, yes that IS a mini snowball coming at me!!!!

oh my guys are all soooooo handsome! :)

In the Blink of an Eye....

Coffee of the Day - Christmas Blend

An entire perspective, an entire life - all of that can change in the blink of an eye. it only takes one brief moment and what seemed solid & under your feet one moment becomes nothing more than thin air & a flimsy rope 5000 feet off the ground.

This has been a week. One of THOSE weeks. I can't begin to put it all into words, and there are things I won't ever share here as they are far too personal to my family at this point in time.

image from The Graphics Fairy

But this I will tell you - God is good. in the worst of circumstances, He is faithful and never leaves our side. When the world is crashing down around you, He is there to spread His wings over each one of us - to love and protect us because we are His. When all seems dark and lost, He is the light to shine as a beacon home.

I have had my priorities set straight once again. Blogging can go away, crafting can go away, oh so many 'things' can go away. what matters most is that I have a precious family that means more to me than any other thing in this world. Friends who support us gather near.

We all need to feel loved. We need to tell the people we love that we love them EVERY DAY! We need to surround ourselves with people who encourage us, who lift us up above the muck and grime of this world. if you have toxic people in your life - walk away from them. you don't need that. if you have toxic situations in your life, do whatever it takes to remove yourself from those circumstances and make things clean & healthy again. YOU matter. you matter to someone. you matter to God whether you know Him or not. He knows you. and He loves you with all that He is.

I don't know how much I'll be blogging through the end of the year. the blog candy contests will still stay open. but right now my focus must be elsewhere.

I pray for each of you the most blessed and beautiful holiday season. YOU are loved, more than you can possibly know. by me! :)
Jennifer

p.s. this week I did drop off 2 big boxes of craft supplies to some friends who will pass along what they don't want to their church and 2 more boxes of cards to the chemo center at my oncologist's office when I went in for my appt. yesterday. The acts of kindness for December continue.....

The Grinch Game!

oh my goodness, THE Grinch, you know the one I mean..... is out there in Whoville ALREADY!!!  he is going to try to put a stop to Christmas, and we have to stop him!

I for one and teaming up with the other folks here to try and capture that Grinch. when I find him I am going to make him a BIG cup of white chocolate mousse coffee or maybe eggnog coffee (I'll decide what seems to suit his mood better), set out a plate of yummy peppermint cookies, and then give his poor little reindeer a rawhide bone - because I must say he seems to look a bit more dog-like to me. ;)  then I'm gonna wrap that Grinchy-poo up in my warmest slippers and blanket to get him all snug-a-bug warm so he will start to feel the love of Christmas envelope him..... finally I'm gonna give him a hugey huge hug and sloppy smoohies just so his heart can grow and grow and grow and GROW!!!!

want to join me in the hunt? click here for the fun! :)

Post your thoughts on seasonal blog candy....

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Sunday! I woke up this morning, came downstairs, looked out  my front window, and there was my little baby squirrel friend sitting on the front porch rafters eating some of the peanuts that we have been setting out for him. gosh, what a most amazing way to begin my day! :) he just makes me smile so big every time I see him out there! yep, it's pretty goofy, but I love it anyway!

when Tyler was home over Thanksgiving, I asked him to run to the store and grab just a little bag of peanuts so I could leave a small treat for our squirrel friend. well Tyler being the guy he is grabbed a big bottle of fancy peanuts and said, "Hey, it's Thanksgiving. he deserves a special treat, too!" So they guys all help me to make sure the rafter stays stocked with peanuts. The birds enjoy them as well. I can't reach up there - it is much too high for me and you certainly don't want me standing on a chair or stool these days. lawsie, I can't even stand on my own 2 feet without tipping over like a cow, much let put me on something a foot or two off the ground. tee hee!

then I was taking the dogs out the back door a bit later this morning and the bushes & little portico that cover our porch were FULL of birds. I felt like a Disney Princess with all of them flying around my head! isn't nature and each precious creation God put there just such a delight? oh how He can speak to me through the sound of a bird's wing or call..... how I can see His love for all of us as I watch how He cares for even a little baby squirrel.....

so anyhow, on to the purpose of my posting today -
I have been going through all of my old crafting supplies these past 2 weeks. will be doing it through the end of the month I would imagine as I start feeling a wee bit better every day and try to prepare to re-enter the crafting world again at the start of the new world. I am finding so many craft supplies that I had  purchased but never used.

here is where I need your thoughts and opinions. I am not much for selling my stuff. I'll probably end up selling a few of my old SU! sets, but otherwise I am more of a 'giving away' or 'passing it forward' kind of person. I've never had a garage sale and probably never will. what I am finding is that I have enough craft supplies to qualify for some seasonal blog candy giveaways if y'all would be interested. almost everything would be brand new, and would be sorted into separate categories like Valentine (like I mentioned in the other post), Fall/Halloween, Summer, and Spring/Easter. they will all contain papers, stamps, and embellies with a value of at least $25.

post what you think in the comments section. I would put these up as soon as the current candies finish and have the new giveaways end this month so everyone could get their stuff soon.

Love to all of you! Jennifer

editing to add - I have a TON of craft supplies that I am donating to my local library as well as to some of the local schools. thanks for the suggestion about the senior center, too. I'll give them a call and see if they would like some of these. :)