Bobbkat's Hobby Blog

Banner Day at the Bird Feeder!

2012-02-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

Today was a banner day at the bird feeder. Within about a 20 minute time span we saw chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, tufted tit-mouse, house finches, and sparrows. But best of all, for the first time ever we saw a little blue bird at our feeder!! He must have liked what he found as a few minutes later he came back and brought his family! What fun!

2012-02-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

So, just whose success are we speaking about here, will the bird get away? Or will the cat find dinner? I will leave that to your imagination! My friend loves cats and this creation was for her. Most of the stamps are Stampscapes except for the verse which is from Stampin UP.

Joanna and Chuza

2012-02-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

Meditation.

Sometimes I just get stuck on something...it may not have been the point that the author was trying to make, but it is just where my mind goes. And on waking up this morning I remembered yesterday's passage.

Lets go over that again,

It's that part about Joanna.

I was contemplating that Joanna is such a pretty name, and what a good namesake she would be for a child.

And then I saw it,
That next passage.

"the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household.....These women were helping to support them out of their own means."

Admirable women, yes, but what about.....

Yes, this would have been THAT Herod.
The one who married another man's wife.
The one who John the Baptist called out on it.
The one who had John the Baptist's head cut off and presented to his bride as a gift on a silver platter at the banquet.
That one.

Just how did she tell him? And, what was his reaction?

So, just how did Joanna tell her husband Chuza that she was supporting Jesus ministry. I am imagining that it could have gone something like this:

Joanna: "Chuza, you know that money I had set aside from my profits? The money I was planning to use toward that addition on the house?"

Chuza: "What do you mean you gave Jesus 6 months wages to support him and his followers? Are you trying to get me fired? Don't you know that Jesus is the leader of the group that John the Baptist followed. You know John, the one that stood in moral judgement over Herod and got his head lopped off! You were there. And you are giving him money?!! You will probably have a headless husband by this time tomorrow!"

But wait, there is more to explain these risk takers. It was stated earlier in the passage that the women who followed had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.

These women not only heard the good news Jesus was proclaiming, but they met Jehovah-Rapha, God, our healer face to face. There is speculation among Biblical scholars that Chuza was the officer with the dying son who was a member of Herod's household.

Jesus healed that son.

It is quite possible that Chuza was also a follower of Jesus and was in complete agreement with the giftings.

At any rate, it was a commitment that could have cost them a great deal. It was not a commitment without a risk.

And later it was Joann who was at the tomb with Mary. She was still there, rewarded in the good times and faithful in the hard times.

Joanna, yes, a very worthy name indeed.

LUKE 8:1-15

[1] After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, [2] and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; [3] Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Copic Storage idea 4

2011-12-05T19:51:00.000-05:00

Copic Storage 3

2011-12-05T19:43:00.001-05:00

This is another Copic storage idea that I found on ETSY

New AMAC Box Copic Storage

2011-12-04T08:37:00.001-05:00

Hello, Today I am showing the new Copic Storage that I designed for my Copic markers. I decided that I wanted to add to my Copic collection and that meant that I needed more storage. I thought that if the storage were square I could fit the old and new markers into the same space that the old took. I also felt that the PVC pipe was a liitle heavier than I wanted to carry when going to Paper Crafting gatherings with friends, so my goal was to find a lightweight clear rectangle box about 5 inches in length and 2 inches square at the opening. I found these little AMAC boxes with flush lids and they were just the right size to do the trick. My husband put this together for me using U-GLU clear strips. The AMAC boxes are available at The Container Store.

Copic Marker Storage

2011-11-04T14:32:00.003-04:00

Hello,
Today, I'm sharing how I store my Copic Markers.

I saw this idea online somewhere....am not sure who to give credit to. This is PVC pipe that my husband cut for me in segments of about 5 inches. I like having the marker sticking out a little so that it is easier to grasp.

My husband glued the pipes together with PVC glue.

I found a cute little plastic container with a lid at Target. It was just the right size with a little extra room on the sides for my Copic Marker Charts and Liners.

It fits nicely in the trunk or back seat when traveling.

The tubes are 2 inches in diameter (inside) and you can fit 11 Sketch Copics in one tube.

It is customizable as you can add tubes as you add markers to your collection.

Thanks for visiting!

No Greater Joy

2011-11-04T12:05:00.000-04:00

I love this passage of scripture as John so succinctly portrays the heart of all believers... that we are joyful and content in the knowledge that our earthly children and our spiritual children are walking in the path of truth. I also realize with sadness that not all of us have children currently walking in the truth. However, do not be weary in well doing, while there is life there is hope. Continue in the faith as a role model to those around you. I am reminded of my uncle who strayed away from the faith for many years. He fell so far.......and during that time his faithful praying parents passed away. They did not live to see in earthly time the glorious moment when their son was saved. He became such a solid and devout believer. All those years of faithful yet seemingly unfruitful teaching revealed themselves in his new life in Jesus years after the passing of his parents. I can only imagine the great rejoicing when they all finally met on the day of his passing. So, be encouraged parents and pray in faith believing for God knows what future glorious reunions await you and your earthly and spiritual families.

The oval die cut used to frame the picture of the children is from Cheery Lynn.

This die is a twofer....meaning you get two cuts with one die. This circle is cut from the middle of the die. You can see the intracacy of the die with the embossed lines and small dotted details.

I used the outside of the cut as a template to fussy cut a background for the die cut piece. This was Copic airbrushed to match the piece.

These are the rubber stamps used to create the picture. The upper three are from Stampscapes. The tree lined hill is Stampa Rosa.

Here are the Stampscape details. Many Stampscapes are also sold unmounted. I bought mine before those were available.

Copic Markers were used for coloring the picture of the children. The sky and grass were airbrushed. Airbrushing is soooo much fun! The lace is leftover from my son's wedding invitation. It was originally white, but I airbrushed it also using Green 82.

The sentiment stamp is from Purple Daisy. I used the Deckled Nestabilties rectangles to mat the sentiement.

Pumpkin Patch for Stampin Chix

2011-11-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

Stampin Chix had a card swap last Saturday. The theme was fall. I had previsouly posted a similar pumpkin patch card that I created for a blog hop. That card became the prototype for the swap card that I made for the swap. So today I thought I would share the final outcome. I decided to go with a little more contrast and not use the square behind the circle. I thought about trying this with Copics, but decided to stay with the Pan Pastels. I used VersaMark to stamp and then chalked over the image. I think it adds a nice effect on the pumpkin.

Butterfly Days

2011-11-03T15:36:00.002-04:00

Butterfly Days!

I made this card on Saturday at our Stampin Chix gathering. I know it is a little bit out of season, but I had just bought some new dies and couldn't wait to use them! I attended the Adventures in Stamping fall convention in Strongsville Ohio last Saturday. I spent quite a bit of time at the Our Daily Bread Designs booth. http://ourdailybreaddesigns.com/

Our Daily Bread Designs has been my favorite place to shop this year. They have a large selection of beautiful scripture stamps and their gallery contains the most beautiful cards I have ever seen! This is the place to shop if you want to give the gift of God's Word. You will find an array of Biblical passages in beautiful fonts and beautifully illustrated stamps to accompany them. ODBD also has stamps that frame the scriptures and are compatible with many of the Nestabilities dies. ODBD carry Nestabilities and Cheery Lynn die cuts.

Cheery Lynn die cuts are very intricate and beautiful. I used them for the Butterfly Days Card.

The vine and butterfly on this card are Cheery Lynn die cuts.

The Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish vine is in the middle.

The red flowers on the card are made with Cuttlebug Quilling Rose Carnation set. I cut them out with the Sizzix Big Kick. The center of the flower is a long strip of paper which you roll onto a quilling tool. The flower petals die cut cuts out a straight long series of petals that are connected. You cut them out and then roll them on a quilling tool around the center cut. I used Copics on red card stock to outline the edges and centers of the petals for added dimension to the flower.

Package with Directions

Die Cuts, Quilling Tool and Stems

Stack Acrylic bottom plate, then paper, the die cut.

Place acrylic mat on top and wind through Sizzix Big Kick

Cut out Flower Center

Long strip of flower petals and center flower strip with quilling tool.

Roll the Flower Center onto the Quilling tool.

Outlined edges of petals with Copic Markers R37 and R39.

Add Color with Copics around the edges and in the center of the petals.

McGill Tools are for molding, pinching and curling the leaves and flower petals. They are best used with the special foam mat that is made with just the right thickness for this task.

Using the medium size tool roll the ball in the center of the petal allowing the petal to curl.

Using the tweezers, grasp the flower petal at the center.

Pinch the petals around the tweezers.

Grab the petal and roll the sides toward the tweezers.

Fold down the edges of the petals.

Roll flower petals onto flower center, dab with a bit of glue.

Continue rolling flower petals onto petal center

Use a quick drying glue to dab a little on the edge of the final roll.

Peel the petals down from the flower.

Add leaf veins with stylus.

Glue Leaves to flower

Add Glimmer Mist

Martha Stewart Double Edge Linked Trim Punch

Paper woven through punched trim.

The border is a Martha Stewart Double Edge punch called "Linked Trim". I added color and interest by weaving a strip of turquoise paper through it. The die cuts are placed on a background of the swiss dot Cuttlegbug embossing folder with a turquoise mat.

Another Fun Day with the Stampin Chix!

2011-11-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

Mary, Pam and I had a great time making cards and Marianne worked on a beautiful scrapbook layout! Look for the next blog to see the instructions for the card with the red flowers. We had a very productive and enjoyable time.

Congratulations Tiffany and Steven

2011-10-15T20:05:00.002-04:00

Today's card was made for a wedding! The picture on the card is of my great grandparents who lived in Tennessee for most of their married life. This picture was taken on one of their anniversaries. They were married February 26, 1894 in Monroe County, TN. While gazing at this picture many years later, one of their 11 children stated, "you can still see how much dad loved mom". Tiffany and Steven, I pray God blesses you with just as many happy years together as He gave grandma and grandpa Bowers.
I colored this black and white photo with Copic Markers. Colors Used: G20, E00, E04, Y11, RV13, R20, R29, R35, ). Nestabilities die cuts were used.

Pumpkin Patch with Pan Pastels

2011-10-06T22:12:00.001-04:00

Welcome fall, it has been a long hot summer! Today's card was created with Pan Pastels and a variety of stamps. I began with Stampscapes "soft light" and my very favorite Stampscape stamp called "pebbles". I stamped with VersaMark and then blended several colors of Pan Pastels to create the background above and below the fenced area. The ivy background leaves is a stamp from All Night Media. The pumpkin isThe picket fence is a Martha Stewart punch. The pumpkin was also stamped with VersaMark with Pan Pastels blending and then I fussy cut around the pumpkin and leaves.The Fluorish is a Cricut cut out. This card follows the sketch posted on Lisa Somerville's Friday challenge.

Enjoy the Ride !

2011-09-24T11:39:00.005-04:00

Sentiment and embellishment are Cricut Cutouts Graphically Speaking and Street Sign
Ink is Memento and Copic Markers and Airbrushing
Cryogen white cardstock, with black and brown layering
Stamp vendor unknown, please let me know if you recognize it.

Enjoy the Ride, Bob!

A dear friend of our family has retired and I created this card to send him off on a joyful journey of fun and relaxation. Bob loves trains. He belongs to a train club in northeastern Ohio. He and his wife Linda have traveled the U.S. to see train exhibits, track engineering phenmonen through mountain passes and view other train memorabilia that exist in our countrysides. Bob is an industrious fellow and a few years of ingenuity, elbow grease and tender loving care with nuts, bolts and steel plates out in the family barn has resulted in a small scale model train that is large enough to ride. My husband and I have had the pleasure of a twilight train ride through the woods on a moonlit night on Bob's treasured train. Bob's wife Linda says that she finds the evening rides so restful. I would have to agree. Thanks Bob, we enjoyed the fruits of your hard work!

Happy 100th Birthday Aunt Mary!

2011-09-17T21:26:00.007-04:00

Memento Dye Ink
Copic Markers and Airbrushing
Cricut Cartridge "A Child's Year
Spellbinders Corner Die
Stampendous background stamp
Rubber Stamp Tapestry Butterfly
Sentiment -unknown
Black and White Photo

The card and 1st layer were cut with the Cricut cartridge then stamped with a roller (unknown) and a Stampendous Faux Finish Quad cube. I airbrushed the edges with Copics. The picture is edged I with the Making Memories Distress Edger The picture is a black and white of me that I colored and air brushed with Copic markers. This was my first attempt at coloring a black and white photo and I have to say it is an amazing experience. It is like coloring the best rubber stamp image ever created. I just couldn't believe the way the skin looked so natural. I do see where I could have done better, but all in all, I though it came out well. Copics blend so nicely. Another item worthy of note, is that I did this on regular cardstock that you buy for your computer printer.....the cheap stuff, and it blended and absorbed nicely, no blurring of computer ink (I have a Canon).

Copics used:

Card background and Layer E31, E55, E25, E27, E13 (love this one), E37, E55, E19
Skin E00, E02
Hair Y21, E00, E31, 0, E40
Butterfly stamped with Memento Tuxedo, E00, E13
Birthday Cake E00, E25, RV13, Y08, YR16
Wash Tub E40, C0, C2
Air Brushing edges and corners of card E13, E31, E35, E25, E27, E19

Happy Birthday Aunt Mary!

When I was a little girl, we used to go on vacation in July and frequently we would visit the Cook family who lived on a farm in Chattanooga TN. The Cooks had raised a very large family of 6 children who were married with children of their own by the time that I became one of their visitors. Their household was always active with lots of people around doing fun things. I tasted fresh cows milk there for the first time. OH! and chocolate gravy too! Those visits to the Cook farm were a highlight of my childhood. Theirs was a faithful Chrisitan family and spending time with them increased my faith as I noted the good examples that they modeled. It just so happened that my birthday fell in the middle of a few of our visits and one one particular visit, my loving Great Aunt Mary asked me what kind of cake I would like her to bake for me. Of course, there is only one kind of cake to my three year old mind (and yet today) and that is chocolate! Aunt Mary baked me a chocolate cake several times for my birthday. Part of the birthday ritual at the Cook household was to go outside in the yard and turn the wash tub upside down and set the toddler on it to take their birthday picture. This year it is now time for Aunt Mary's birthday and she is 100 years old!! Aunt Mary's heart will truly stay young because she has such a loving heart. And doesn't she look great too!

Button, Button, Whose Got the Button?

2011-09-16T17:42:00.001-04:00

Today's card is for Lisa Somerville's button blogger challenge. You too can participate in the blog hop ! (see instructions below)

Dye Inks: Memento
Chalks: Colorfin Pan Pastel
Stamps: Rubber Stamp Tapestry, Beeswax, Gray Wolf Graphics
Dies: Nestabilities

started with white cardstock and layered a light coat of pink Pan Pastel chalk over the white card front.
Stamped a square in the middle of the page with a lace stamp from Rubber Stamp Tapestry by repeating it four times in a green Memento ink.
Stamped around the edges of the square with the same lace stamp in a purple memento dye ink pad.
Stamped the dress makers form (Beeswax) and buttons (Rubber Stamp Tapestry) in black.
Stamped the dress maker's form with the ruffled dress (Beeswax) with purple Memento ink on a separate piece of white card stock chalked first with pink and then with purple Pan Pastels.
Fussy cut the dress form with the dress and placed it on the card with pop dots.
Colored whiet lace left over from son's wedding invitation with the Pan Pastels and secured it with adhesive.
Embossed sentiment with detailed black Color Riser embossing powder on a pink Pan Pastel chalked white cardstock.
Layered sentiment over purple cardstock cut with a Nestabilities die from Ribbon Tags.

Starry Starry Night and Air Brushing

2011-09-10T19:44:00.002-04:00

Today the Stampin Chix met for our monthly gathering. We had a good time stamping and scrapping with each other. The theme for Lisa Somerville's blog challenge this week is STARS. She left it open for interpretation, hollywood stars, or stars above, I suppose even starfish could qualify. I chose the kind you see at night. Starry, Starry Night was created with Stampscapes, Copic markers. I did some airbrushing on this one too. The ease of air brushing is one of the greatest things about Copic markers. I enjoy that it is not messy or smelly and you can get that "just right" look that you are by blending the colors with the airbrush. It is also fast and easy to change from color to color in the air brush gun. Air brushing is especially great for skies and grass.

Monochramatic Blues Blog Challenge

2011-09-05T19:00:00.006-04:00

This card was created for the Monochromatic Blues Blogger Challenge. I haven't worked very much with blue, so this was truly a challenge! The stamps are from Our Daily Bread Designs and are colored with Copic Markers. They are fussy cut and placed on the ovals cut from Nestabilities. The sentiment was embossed. I like the design of this stamp set as it seemed meant to frame an oval so nicely.

Christmas Advent Calendar

2011-09-03T22:46:00.000-04:00

I have been meeting with a group of ladies called Stampin Chix for quite a few years now. At Christmas time we have a secret gift exchange. We each list 3 Rubber Stamp sets that we would like to have and then exchange names. When you recieve the list of your partner you choose one or two sets (we set a $30 limit) and then you purchase those sets and make 3 items using the rubber stamp set. The purpose is to give the giftee some ideas of what can be done with the stamp set. Last Year I chose the Stampin Up set "Have a Seat" and "Aviary". I came up with the idea of an advent calendar with the title "Christmas Chair".

I used the Sizzix matchbook cover die and cut out 25 of them, then stamped the inside and placed them on a cute paper that I found. I apologize for the blurry pictures, I had not discovered the proper way of focusing with this camera yet and was having a difficult time. The rest of the pix are kind of fuzzy and maybe not for those of you with a queasy stomach, but maybe you can get the idea. This project was a lot of fun as I pulled out all of the tiny stamps that I owned and used the largest variety of stamps of any project that I have ever made. I used the Tim Holtz tiny attacher to staple the inside card to the matchbox cover. It was challenging to create little vignettes of the tiny chairs and come up with so many different Christmas scenes. All in all it was a very fun project and I used many stamps that I had not used before.

Love Card

2011-09-03T09:30:00.000-04:00

Last month Stampin Chix met and we made some awesome cards. So far, the only pictures I have are of the card that I made. I was trying the new Paper Blossom punches from McGill. These punches are designed to make three dimensional flowers. They were a big hit with me and I expect that you will be seeing many more of them adorning my paper crafts in the near future! The belly band was made with a Martha Stewart punch.

The word love was cut with a Cricut cartridge.

Be Faithful in the Little things

2011-08-27T21:10:00.002-04:00

Hello, thanks for stopping by. Today's post is a response to a Challenge posted on Lisa Somerville's blog for a Blog Hop ( you hop like a little green frog from blog to blog enjoying the cards made in answer to the challenge along the way). And if you're a spirited little blog frog who really feels like having fun, you create your own card and enter the challenge with us! (using the link below the cards in the blog)
The challenge is to make a card using the technique or media listed in a straight line of the Tic Tac Toe board.

For my design, I used the line starting in the lower bottom left corner, middle lower space and right lower corner. So my card is made with: Buttons, Die Cut Punches and Ribbon/Seam Binding.

The sentiment for today's card is from one of my favorite Stamp Companies which has just celebrated their third anniversary, Our Daily Bread Designs. The sentiment is embossed with Color Riser Embossing powder. The pink, purple, turquoise and sunflower hues were created with Pan Pastels on white card stock, The die cuts for the sentiment are Nestabilities label 10 and the matching stamps for the die cuts are from Waltzing Mouse and are called Vintage Labels 10. The turquoise label is embossed with Craft Essentials Embossing Powder. Waltzing Mouse is (for me) a newly discovered stamp line from Ireland! The purple label is embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot. The white background is embossed with the Cuttlebug Heritage folder. The cornice punch at the top is EK Success Flourish Scroll Edge and the Buterflies are punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

Have fun blog hopping along enjoying the beautiful sights at the other blogs.

Wide Eyed Fireworks Back to School Challenge

2011-08-12T21:24:00.004-04:00

WIDE EYED FIREWORKS

Back to School Challenge

When I was a little girl, school always started the day after Labor Day. The community that I lived in had a small lake in the center of town with a Gazebo and a little beach and grassy hill with a sidewalk all the way around it. You could walk around the whole lake in about a half hour if you walked slow. There were beautiful cherry trees all around the lake. The lake was very deep, in fact they said that they had never found the bottom of it. The night before the Labor Day holiday the city would put on a grand fireworks display. My mother would dress us up in our pajamas, pack a picnic quilt and off we would go to sit on the grassy hill. We would anxiously wait for darkness to arrive and the first ear piercing star of color would slowly rise to the highest heavens and then burst into a shower of colors. We watched with wide-eyed excitement as the fireworks burst agains the night sky for the next 45 minutes. The colors were spectacular. At the end they would show a ground display of fireworks on the other side of the lake. It looked like civil war cannons were shooting at each other.
I can remember walking to the car afterwords and being sooo tired I just couldn't walk another step and my dad would pick me up in his strong arms and carry me the rest of the way. The next day, school would start. I was always ready for school to start, we had played all the board games and worn ourselves out playing kickball in the scorching sun. The fall weather felt cool and good, I loved the colors of the leaves, seeing old friends and challenges for my brain that had grown lazy over the summer.

Todays card depicts those fond memories. The stamps are Stampscapes, Rubber Stamp Tapestries, Stampabilities, Cloud 9 Fiskars clear stamps. Color is from Pan Pastels, ink is Memento. I had a great time remembering those good old days.

This blog was created for the Back to School Bloggers Challenge. If you would like to post a link
Back to School Challenge Blog Hop Follow the link.
Thanks for stopping by!

Custom Cardstock Give Away

2011-08-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

Hello,
CustomCardstock.com is hosting a gift certificate give away for their fantastic cardstock. Their Curious Metallic Cryogen white is my favorite to use for Copic Marker and other cards. I must admit that I am "squirrelly" with it saving it for my "special" cards as it is such top quality card stock. Cryogen has a beautiful shimmery glaze that pops right through the inks.

Lat year I had the opportunity to stop by their warehouse on my way to Chicago. I had a great time picking out beatiful cardstock to try different techniques on. Their Curious Metallic and Stardream collections make exquisite cards.

Here is the announcement of the gift certificate give away. There isn't much time left...sorry, I just found it myself.

CutCardStock BLOG GIVEAWAY

CutCardStock.com will be giving away 3 Gift Certificates to our On-Line Store on Monday, August 8, 2011 Leave a comment or two to be entered and you could win one of the following prizes:

1st place: $30 Gift Certificate

2nd Place: $25 Gift Certificate

3rd Place: $20 Gift Certificate

Stampin Chix Having Fun!

2011-08-04T22:07:00.000-04:00

Saturday the Stampin Chix met at our local library. This is a group of very talented ladies who have been meeting to paper craft together for many years. We had a very productive day, Mary worked on a punch book, Marianne, Pam and Nina scrapbooked, and I played with my new Pan Pastels. My goal was just to learn about the pastels. I wasn't concerned with any fininshed cards, just exploring what I could do with the Pan Pastels. They are very vibrant chalks and I had a lot of fun. I tried them on different card stocks and with different applicators. I tried the Sofft knives and covers and shaped sponges. I liked those the best. Here is their website. http://www.sofftart.com/products.html

Follow the River and You Will Find the Sea

2011-08-04T22:00:00.004-04:00

Today I have two similar cards. Both of these cards are stamped with the same stamp (Gray Wolf Graphics, I think) and chalked with Pan Pastels with very different results. Can you guess what the difference is? I won't keep you in suspense, the first card is chalked on glossy card stock. That was an amazing journey. First I took some yellow and circled in the sun, that went well. I like to start with yellow on my grass, so next I chalked up the yellow tall grass the little boy is sitting in. Then I went to blend in the green over top, but the green just brushed right over the top and kept going right off the card. I must have gotten some yellow across the bottom, although it was so light that I couldn't see it as it would not accept any chalk at all and looked perfectly white. So, I just grabbed by Memento Dew Drop Dye and inked in some grass. At that point I set it aside and planned to put it in the circular file. The glossy cardstock does not have much "tooth" meaning it is a slick surface and not much sticks to it. It seemed that if you put one layer of chalk on there, that was it, it was saturated and would not allow any blending of any more color. I moved on to some plain card stock and created the scene with the puffy clouds. Then I picked up the glossy card and decided to experiment some more. I tore a paper towel's edge to create the cloud shapes and chalked across the edges creating the layered cloud look. No problems with the blue going down on the cardstock, so I kept going and finished the card. This was an interesting experiment with the Pan Pastels, in the end I actually liked the glossy card better.

Brushing Bunny!

2011-07-23T17:28:00.001-04:00

Today's card is a birthday card for my son who asked for an electronic toothbrush for his birthday! I couldn't believe that about a month ago I had purchased this Stampabilities House Mouse Card featuring Bumble and Hop-it in a stamp called "Bunny Lift". It is perfect for the occasion! I can't wait to give it to him.

Quilled Birthday Balloons!

2011-07-11T20:07:00.003-04:00

Celebrating birthdays with colorful balloons in the clouds today, completed Cuttlebug Embossing, with Pan Pastels, Provo Craft Stickout quilled balloons, and Nestabilities Labels #6 with pop dots. Sentiment is Cameo Ovations from Fiskars.

Chasing Dreams

2011-07-10T16:48:00.001-04:00

The Pan Pastels blend like a dream. I've used Memento Inks for the rubber stamping. One of the really nice effects that you can achieve are the mist of the clouds. We are always discussing how to accomplish the misting in the Stampscapes groups, I think Pan Pastels are a viable option.

Bottles of Beauty

2011-07-10T12:19:00.002-04:00

Shapely Bottles of Beautiful flowers adorn today's card. Pan Pastels have arrived on my doorstep! Thanks to my hubby for his golf winnings!! Chalk is a relatively new and different medium for me that will challenge my thinking. I think the the beauty of the Pan Pastels will lie in their vibrant colors. This particular card is subdued, but I see much brighter stamping in my future.

Ready, Set, Fire!

2011-07-02T20:48:00.003-04:00

Today's card was created with stamps from Stampscapes and Gray Wolf Graphics. Dyes are Distress Ink Pads used with Stipple Brushes and Copic Markers. Distressing with Memory Makers tools. The Stamps are a perfect 4th of July scene, but the secret is that this card was created to celebrate my son's graduation from college.

Wobble Card !

2011-06-20T20:21:00.002-04:00

My good friend Lisha gave me some Wobbles to try. Wobbles are little plastic springs that have adhesive to attach to your card and to an embellishment. When they are in place the embellishment wobbles sideways.

Here is my first wobbles card which is a Housemouse colored with Copic markers and Memento inks. I love this stamp as it is perfect for so many celebrations. I purchased it to make a theme card for "Celebrate Freedom!" Our camp theme this year, but I have already made that card and a Father's Day card and a graduation card. It is very versatile.

2011-06-05T16:35:00.001-04:00

Today I have been working with some new stamps that are from Clear Dollar Stamps and Our Daily Bread Designs. The theme for The Great Family Adventure this year is CELEBRATE FREEDOM! Freedom from sin, Freedom from fear, Freedom from sickness and Freedom from this world. I think it is going to be a great camp!

The inks are Memento with Copic markers.

Father's Day Card

2011-05-04T22:16:00.001-04:00

Here is a card that I created for Father's Day. Paper is "My Mind's Eye" , Rubber Stamp is Tim Holtz, Sentiment is Stampin Up.

Mounting Rubber Stamps on EZ Mount Stamp N Stor

2011-05-04T00:47:00.001-04:00

Rubber Stamping has changed in the 6 or 8 years since I started. Wood handled stamps are fast giving way to either clear stamps or traditional (usually red, but can be other colors) rubber stamps that can be mounted on clear plastic blocks (or any slick surface, I have even used a drinking glass as a block). The beauty of the clear block is that you can see through it a little better for your stamp placement.

They are also easier to store AND easier on the pocket book! The downside is that I tend to buy unmounteds and not get them mounted until I perform my annual evening of sitting down and mounting all the stamps that I bought this year. I kind of lose the momentum of inspiration that I had when I purchased the stamp if I don't use it shortly after I purchase it. However, due to the dollar savings I foresee many unmounteds in my future. I decided to show you how I mount them today with a few pictures. I use a hot knife. They can be purchase at any craft store. Be warned however that these things get really hot!!!!

I have used mine several times, but this past week I managed to burn myself

1. Assemble the knife.

2. Plug in the knife and let it heat up on its wire stand.
3. Place a self healing mat or several layers of paper or something that will keep the knife from scratching the work surface.
4. Trim your rubber close to the edge of the imprint.
5. Peel back the sticky adhesive side of the EZ Mount paper and place your stamps on the foam. Blank side of the stamp to the adhesive side of the foam.

6. On the other side of the foam, peel the white paper backing off of the foam. Slicing will be much easier as you are cutting through the foam without the attached white paper.
7. Begin slicing around the edge of the unmounted stamp.

Remembering How Much I Love Embossing

2011-03-27T23:24:00.002-04:00

The last Stampin Chix gathering we spent some time watercoloring embossed images. This was the first time that I had used a watercolor brush....the kind that holds the water in the brush. Marianne showed us how to use Distress Ink stamped onto a craft mat for our watercolor ink. The bottom three cards were completed by Marianne. Thanks for bringing me back to embossing, Marianne! This was SO MUCH FUN! We discussed how it had been a long time since we had embossed and how it used to be so popular. This technique is probably responsible more than any other for who started into a card making hobby. I know that it is what hooked me. There is something about the first time you see that image raised up before your eyes...and the thought rolling through your head of "I can do that?!" Above is some of our finished work. The images that we used to emboss are reverse images. They are embossed in white. Then the flowers are water-colored. Did, I say that we had FUN doing this? I can't wait to do some more! The images are Hero Arts Clings, sold at Archivers

More Flower Making with Stampin Chix

2011-03-27T22:14:00.001-04:00

This weekend I went to Memories Expo with the Stampin Chix. We all had a great time and bought lots of goodies.

Saturday I met with some friends and we made a few paper flowers. I truly enjoy watching these flowers come to life. These are made using punches from Punch Bunch and McGill. We used the book Paper Bouquet by Susan Tierney Cockburn as a guide. Here is our finished work.

These were made using the cupping, pinching, and bending/folding techniques as described in the book. As a final touch we spritzed with glimmer mist.

Embossed Lily watercolor

2011-03-13T16:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I finished a card that I started at the Stampin Chix Saturday meeting. Thanks Marianne for teaching us these card layouts and reminding me how much I enjoy embossing!

Photos worthy of our Paper Crafting Adventure!

2011-03-06T16:24:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much to Yen Yee and her skillful photographic eye for supplying the photos of our Stampin Chix Valentine Day activities in this blog. We had a great time that day as the pictures will reveal.

Love Card

2011-02-22T19:57:00.003-05:00

Stampin Chix met for our monthly card and scrapbooking event and we worked on several different cards. It was great to have new visitors from Malaysia! Our three new friends embraced paper crafting with a lot of talent and energy. Everyone enjoyed the day and had a great time.

I did more teaching than crafting on this particular day which was fun.

I made a card for my husband, it has a flower made using the new Petal Blossom Punches from McGill. These punches were a big hit and I expect to use them often.

Now and then, you get a paper combination that is just good enough to eat...I think this one could taste like black cherries!!!
The flower is coredinations gemstones pink diamond. Paper Pizazz Burgundy Suede and Pink Flouishes from Hot Off the Press.

The punches work best with two sided paper as the flowers are three dimensional and you can see the backside of the paper. I want to try some patterened paper next!

Family Camp will be coming in July and I am already thinking of fun projects for this year! Next post, I will announce the theme for camp and the speakers. I'm truly excited about our morning speaker. He is exceptional and I look forward to hearing him again.

Vote for my Birdhouse !

2010-10-05T20:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/app/voting/index.jsp?id=/templatedata/sbe/voting/data/1285360313106.xml

Hello,
My birdhouse was selected as one of 9 finalists for a contest at Inkadinkado.

The final selection will be selected by voting. You can vote once a day per email address until October 31.

Please vote for my birdhouse!

Sometimes life has surprises

2010-09-08T22:35:00.002-04:00

One never knows what a day holds...As I'm sure you've noticed, its been awhile since I've posted. Shortly after returning from family camp we heard from our son Chris that he still was having some stomache issues that had started several weeks before we went to Family Camp. Up to that time we had attributed his upsets to a virus, but it was clearly time to look a little deeper. Chris visited a physician who suspected that the culprit was his gallbladder. Gallbladder!? I said....your barely 23 years old! We need another opinion. Chris said that he didn't fit the four F's.....fat, forty, female and fertile. This was true, but further tests still pointed to the GB as the guilty party and so we found ourselves packed in the car and on our way to Missouri to be with Chris while he had surgery. All went well and he is feeling much better now and back to work. To keep ourselves occupied while Chris was recovering, Samantha and I painted a few birdhouses. IMy next blog I will tell you about the next trip that I took and show you some new cards that I made

Paper Casting Dragonfly

2010-07-11T22:13:00.003-04:00

I wanted to try paper casting. Here are the results! The technique is quite simple. I layered 8 layers of toilet paper squares, sprayed them with water and then mashed them into the mold. They were difficult to remove, so I went back to the instructions and learned that I can use a spray vegetable oil on the mold. The card you see is a result of the first method. The second method with the vegetable oil spray did come loose from the mold very easily and the paper did not have oil stains or feel oily. The mold is an Arthur Grummer mold. The dragonfly is chalked with Stencil Chalks. The paper is from My Mind's Eye 291132 ...something Mamas Curtains. The stamp is from Stampin Up. Ink is Tim Holtz, Spruce. I'm not sure where I bought the sparklies...probably Michaels or Archivers.

Presidential Posterity

2010-07-11T22:05:00.002-04:00

While I was busy at The Great Family Adventure and after this most patriotic of holidays, a friend of mine was digging in the genealogy garden and came up with a great find for me. It seems that my roots produced a President. What a surprise. For 25 years I have found only commoners and scallywags. Of course they are all very special to me. But, who knew? [smile]. It appears that my great great great grandfather Baldwin Harrel Taylor who lived in the remote Smokey Mountains mountains of Cherokee County North Carolina in the late 1800's was a second cousin to President Zachary Taylor....they share the same grandfather...or great grandfather, I'll have to look again to be sure...my...my... my... [tapping my finger pensively.]

The Great Family Adventure

2010-07-11T21:49:00.001-04:00

The last two days of The Great Family Adventure Paper Crafting Activity were spent making embellished mini birdhouses and bookmarks. I am always amazed at the creativity that God places within each one of us. This year was no exception. It was great to hear that some of my students went home last year and applied what they learned and made paper crafted gifts for their friends. Time passes and sometimes good things must come to an end. Paintbrushes were cleaned, boxes were packed and the car was loaded with good memories, friendships built and little treasures to help us remember and look forward to coming back. See you again next year.!

The Great Family Adventure

2010-07-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

A place to gather your wits and put pen to paper with words of encouragement, hope and loving thoughts. I had two books here to stimulate thinking...sometimes its hard to come up with just the right words to say what is on your heart. This area was complete with a writing blotter, ink pens, envelopes and postage so that you can get that card in the mail while it is freshly made and the recipient isn't kept waiting forever. You can't see the words on the little cups, but they are from the Cricut Cartridge "Just Because" and have words of encouragement such as "A Little Pick Up for You, Sunny Side Up!, I'm Pulling for You (wagon), In a Pickle? and Families are Forever."

The Great Family Adventure

2010-07-07T12:06:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the finished products from yesterdays class. We used all kinds of tools, Sizzix Big Kick with Cuttlebug folders, Copic markers for Airbrushing, Purple Daisy Stamps with punches, and chalks. Great work ladies! Today we will work on mini-birdhouses! I apologize for the blurry pictures. I have trouble holding the camera still sometimes.

2010-07-07T11:18:00.002-04:00

The second day we worked on crafts and used our home made paper. One of the nice things about paper crafting as a hobby is that it brings together ladies of all ages and it is an activity that mothers and daughters enjoy doing together. We had several mother and daughters in our classes this week. What a pleasure to see them working together creating ideas and helping each other make beautiful works of art.

The Great Family Adventure

2010-07-07T10:19:00.000-04:00

This week I have been teaching ladies classes in paper crafting. We've been having a great time. Many of the ladies are novice stampers and it is a great fun time to introduce them to my fun hobby. Our first day we spent making paper. Take a look at our beautiful paper. Paper making is truly an adventure, you never quite know how it will turn out until its finished.

My Favorite Sandwich

2010-07-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not a cook, but I've run into a great sandwich that I thought I would share. It is a very simple turkey sandwich on your bread of choice with mayonaise. Add chopped red pepper and snow peas...you know the sweet ones that taste like you just picked them out of the garden. This simple combination makes one of the best sandwiches I've had. Try it!

Birdhouse Blast! Honeymooners

2010-07-01T19:30:00.002-04:00

A honeymoon cottage for a couple of newlywed tweeties. Actually, it was inspired by a decorative full sized birdhouse that I saw in a new shop on High Street in Columbus called Found, Objects for the Home. The Grand Opening was last Sunday and while I was there I noticed this cute little birdhouse painted white with vintage metal trimmings. I should have taken a picture so I could have followed it more closely. Oh, wait, there is a picture on their website! http://www.objectsforthehome.com/ check out the inventory :) Congratulations to Kris and Chelsea on the opening of your store.

Birdhouse Blast! Gardner's Delight

2010-07-01T07:21:00.002-04:00

This mini-birdhouse was made as a gift for a friend who is retiring. She loves to garden and so that was the theme for this little birdie home. Stamps are from Stamping Up and Rubber Stamp Tapestry. Paper is Me and My Big Ideas. Painted with Joann's Essentials acrlics.

A Cup of Encouragement, Just for You.

2010-06-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

Gifts of Encouragement

2010-06-27T13:56:00.000-04:00

Does someone in your life need to be encouraged? I have been thinking for a long time about how I can be a better encourager. The first two cards that I made for someone elicited a very emotional response. The first person was in tears and the second gave me a hug. They were totally surprised that someone had their welfare in mind so much that they took the time to make a home made card. That was a long time and many cards ago. Today, sometimes I am better at making cards than I am at giving them. I'm working on that. :) Thoughts of encouragement are what inspired today's craft. This was made with a cup from Michaels and the Cricut cartridge "Just Because". A little styrofoam and a wooden skewer. I have a few more pictures to follow.

Glorious Words from Spurgeon

2010-06-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

I stopped cold in deep conviction at these words from the blog Faithfully Yours today. I could not refrain from sharing them.

Of course I see it now, why didn't I see this before? The analogy of Sarah's miracle Child in her feeble and aged body and the mystery of the miracle that Jesus resides in us on a daily basis. I am reminded again of how God takes the dead, the useless, the unusable and transforms it into life with honor and abundance.

Another gem from the Bible treasure chest. Spurgeon says it so well...

"It was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find grace to bear about in my soul the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus. I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was as dry, and withered, and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I have been made to bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surprising grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine for ever. This day will I lift up psalms of triumph unto the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for “my heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation.” I would have all those that hear of my great deliverance from hell, and my most blessed visitation from on high, laugh for joy with me."
~Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening.

These many years later I can take pause and still rejoice with him in his salvation and mine. God is so very good.

Friends of mine had the occasion to have some work done in their home by a contractor who turned out to be Charles Spurgeon's descendant. This spiritual orphan had no idea that his ancestor was such an important man in the history of Christianity and he listened carefully to this Pentecostal Pastor tell him of the greatness of this spiritual giant. God is faithful to watch over our families throught the generations.

My "other" hobby genealogy has shown me this. When I do interviews and query those who do remember their ancestors they are always very quick to tell me (unsolicited) of the character of their family member. I have heard how they were "very religous", "carried their Bible," "were faithful church attenders" as well as, "they were mean", "scandalous" and a "scoundrel". Be very sure that the reputation of your spiritual health will live well beyond your physical years.

2010-06-19T09:42:00.000-04:00

As the workday was coming to a close on Friday I was informed by a young knowledgable father that this was Father's Day WEEKEND, not just Father's Day! I'm not sure what he was expecting on his arrival home, but Fathers Rule! this weekend. I made this card with paper from My Mind's Eye. I love the colors and I especially like the white impressions on the paper. The shape stamps are Tim Holtz. The brad is a covered brad daddy made with an i*top brad maker from imagninisce. The border at the bottom is a Fiskars edge punch. To all Fathers everywhere we appreciate all that you are and all that you do and have done investing in your children's lives, enjoy your weekend!

2010-06-13T14:10:00.001-04:00

This card was created with Stampscapes, Tweety Jill and many other brands of stamps. I airbrushed the background with Copics, B02, B04 and B08. Greens are YG07 , YG 09 and Y 08. I used a little bottle cap to mask for the sun.

I have been on several excursions in the past couple of months some of which included a short jaunt to Dayton Ohio and another longer trip to Schaumburg Il. Of course when I travel I check out the local craft suppliers for Rubber Stamps, Cardstock and unusual items of interest.

While in Dayton, I made my first trip to Marco's Paper in the Kettering/Dayton area. I was interested in purchasing some Nina cardstock to use with the Copic markers alcohol ink.

Upon entering the store, I was pleasantly greeted by a display of Tweety Jill's Rubber Stamp Collection by TJ Designs. These are deeply etched red rubber stamps mounted on cling foam and made to use with acrylic blocks. These collections are sets of themed rubber stamps in clear cases. There are coordinating designed paper for each theme. The colors in these designs took my breath away. They are beautiful.

While on the Schaumburg trip I had a lot of free time in the evenings. I was very blessed on this trip as I was able to stay in a large room. The room was able to accomodate two banquet luncheon tables. I brought my stamping materials with me and so I was able to spend every evening and two weekends creating cards!

Rubber Stamped Mini Bird House

2010-06-12T19:39:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to try rubber stamping a mini birdhouse. First I painted it white . I used Joann's Essential Acrylics. Next I painted the base Leaf Green and the roof trim Lilac.

I used stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry. They are lovely realistic tiny foliage and flowers. They can be ordered online at www.rubberstamptapestry.com/

I used Versa Magic Chalk ink

I used the Cuttlebug swiss dot folder to give a very delicate texture to the roof. That is my favorite folder.

Loggin On

2010-06-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

We needed to send some birthday wishes across several states and I found just the team to do it. On this Copic airbrushed Sunny day with blue skies and green grass these ants are Loggin On to Missouri with love in their hearts and special birthday greetings. Happy Birthday Samantha!

2010-06-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

This card was made using Stampscapes for the landscape portions. The guitar player is from Ala Art. The inks are dye inks. First stamp the guitar player then stamp him separately on a piece of thin scrap paper and cut him out. Lay the cut out on top of the stamped image and then stamp your tree over top. Take off the paper and voila! He is leaning against the tree. Stamp in the extra trees and color your grass and images. I mounted this off center on black cardstock. Then I stamped a border with the tree boughs to finish it with a dimension look. If you really want to do this well, Eclipse paper makes the best paper for masking. Paper of a regular thickness tends to leave a halo.

Handmade Paper used in Card

2010-06-09T18:24:00.001-04:00

I used a piece of my handmade paper for the first layer on this card. This paper consisted of junk mail envelopes, parsley, potpourri, grape hyacinth, and peanut shells! It has a very natural look to it so I paired it up with greens and browns and used nature stamps and and a bird punch to keep the simple look. I inked the edges of the scallop square with Distress inks. The punch is a Martha Stewart stamp and punch. The square and scallop puncheds are Marvy. The paper was purchased at Joanns, but I do not have the name of the line or manufacturer.

2010-06-08T18:49:00.000-04:00

Today I'm featuring the work of another crafty Bobb, my husband! Larry has a natural talent for wood carving which he has now applied to a watermelon. He created this baby carriage for a shower that our Daughter-in-Love (she's too nice to be a Daughter-in-law) was having for a friend of hers. It's so cute! I especially like how he used the star fruit for the wheels and the scallops look like little ruffles. Beautiful work Larry !

Handmade Paper

2010-06-07T19:35:00.001-04:00

Recently, I have added a new craft to my list of things I enjoy. I have been making handmade paper. Each piece is a one of a kind, depending on what I find to put in it. My sister was visiting and we had been to a craft show where they demonstrated paper making. We bought our paper making accessories together. We came home and set up shop and went to work. The grape hyacinths were blooming. The little purple flowers that remind you of a grape bunch. My husband picked a handful and we threw them in the blender and poured the pulp into the frame to see what it would look like. They turned out like little purple dots, very pretty. Each concoction is a new treasure. We robbed the pantry of the parsley, we finely chopped peanut shells. We used glitter, paper towels, chopped up ribbon...anything that won't rot is fare game. Ii think the one with peanut shells is my favorite. We had quite a complex recipe for the last one we made that night, peanut shells, glitter, parsley, angel wings, potpourri and a little scrap of napkin for color we poured the pulp in the tray and my sister squealed with delight. "Ooooh, this one is going to be pretty!"

Shine like Stars in the Universe

2010-06-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

Here is another attempt at the photo. I should also add that I used Sakura gel pens and a white Galaxy marker for the background stars. The cardstock is Cryogen white.

2010-06-06T21:47:00.000-04:00

I have not mastered the use of the digital camera yet, but here is a graduation card that I made for a friend. Inside is a note referring to the scripture in Philipians 2:15 "shine like stars in the universe..." The saying is from Tim Holtz, the background is air brushed with Copics. Spiral and dot and dash stamps are from: Inkadinkadoo, Nikki Silva and one unknown .

2010-06-06T20:57:00.001-04:00

Mini Birdhouses

2010-06-06T20:45:00.001-04:00

More Mini Birdhouse photos

Birdhouse Blast

2010-06-06T19:47:00.002-04:00

You know those cute little birdhouses that you see at the Craft Stores for a dollar? I was in Michaels in Chicago and saw a basket full of them. They have such cute designs. I have always loved miniatures and these appealed to my sense of fun. I decided that I had a bookshelf that needed a little color and so I picked out five of them. This bookshelf holds a very large flower arrangement of orange tiger lilies and purple petunias and trailing green vines. I wanted to add another touch of those colors to the room. I began work on one of these birdhouses and was amazed at how fast that it was to complete and so I kept going and had all five of them finished before the day was out.

Here is a final picture of the birdhouses in their place on the shelf.

2009-09-21T15:27:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I was energized...perhaps I should start a blog, there is so much to say, do and talk about and I was feeling so very social. That was Sunday, and then Monday came and I went to work and came home, sat down at the computer and thought hmm.....I can't think of ANYTHING to say. Well, such is life :)

So, I suppose this is the part where I tell you about myself. I am 55 and happily married to the man of my dreams for 36 years....whoa, did I just say that? Time flies, yes 36 wonderful years to a man who spoils me. Let me tell you his latest version of spoiling me. We used to live near Barberton Ohio. Have you ever tasted Barberton chicken? I grew up going to the chicken houses in Barberton. They were started by Czechoslovakian (where is the spell check on this thing)...families and with the chicken they serve their own brand of cole slaw and hot rice. Since we have moved away I look forward to stopping by for Barberton chicken whever we are back in the area. And I especially look forward to the hot rice. Well, yesterday my husband mastered the hot rice recipe! The recipe has been in the newspaper before and we have tried it out, and it just didn't taste quite the same. But yesterday, he figured it out ! And there is a very large bowl of hot rice sitting in our fridge just waiting for the next mealtime. I'm feeling very spoiled :)

I am very passionate about the things that I enjoy. I love card making or paper crafting and genealogy. I intend to bring these hobbies together in a family album and keep collecting toward that endeavor, but am waiting for the right time to put it all down on paper. I would also like to incorporate faith booking into this combination hobby for you see these hobby's are really a reflection of my true roots in Christianity. "God put the lonely in families" cardmaking, scrapbooking and genealogy are activities that celebrate those families. I do love my family, the ones I know today, the ones who came before and the ones who will carry on. When describing me, people have told me that I tend to get the "big picture" and maybe it is that part of me that thinks like this, but recently, I have begun to include in my prayers the family who are yet to come.

Jesus did this, when he was in the garden of Gethsemane that fateful week, he prayed for those yet to come into His kingdom. He actually prayed for us who walk the earth today. I'm glad that He did and I pray that my family will serve him with all their heart, my present family and those yet to come.

The day my first son was born, I sat in the bed, propped him up on my knees and began to pray over him, his whole life and his future wife. When his brother came along, I did the same for him. Through the years as these children grew, God has answered those prayers in meany powerful ways and today I have two loving, capable and God-fearing daughters that I call my daughters-in-love. I see every reason to begin to pray for the next few generations now and watch God begin to work in their lives as they unfold.