CPS 113

I made several attempts at this sketch and think some days I'm better off not following a sketch! Still, I like the weekly challenges at CPS so here goes...

Marie with a :-)

Wedding Card

Whew. It has been a fun filled week but I am ready for things to return to a slower pace. I'm definitely a "homebody" and not keen on continuous activity...although I do make exceptions! Thursday night we attended an "Aurora Scholars" recognition ceremony. There are 57,000 students in the Aurora Public Schools (I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that number!) and 297 of them were honored in this ceremony for being exceptional. Matthew was one of those 297, and so was my friend Donna's daughter. Friday Scott was off for most of the day and we caught up on some household chores before heading out to Bluff Lake for a walk with the girls. (Really, it should be called Bluff Pond...) That evening we went to a beautiful wedding. Saturday was tea with a precious friend in the morning and then a short visit with Kyle. In the afternoon the girls and I attended a bridal shower and last night was filled with good, old fashioned family game time and belly aching laughter. After church today, Jay and his grandmother came for lunch and this evening Scott and I went to some friends' home for dessert (which I avoided...I'll write about that in another post...) and a great visit. Now I'm ready to head for bed so I can get up early and get caught up on all of the housework that I let slide this weekend.
Marie with a :-)

This tri-fold card uses Close To My Heart paper and various stamps. I'm disappointed the photo of the front came out so poorly but you can tell the colors from the second photo.

The girls love it when we walk at Bluff Lake...and Scott and I love hearing their animated conversations as they stroll along behind us. I did persuade them to pose for a picture :-)

Wedding Gift...LOTS of photos...

My last post showed the wedding keepsake box that I made for Joel and Jaclyn's wedding...which is tonight. (I am such a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl...) Inside of the box, is this accordian album that I JUST completed. (insert hand wiped across brow and sigh of relief here...) The top photo is the front of the album.

page one

page two

page three

Page four

Page five (back of album when closed)

page six

Page seven
.Note: The plastic sleeves are an incredible new product from CTMH. They are called Flip Flap Memory Protectors and a pack of 15 is only $3.95. I LOVE them. They can be lifted up to reveal another photo or hidden journaling.

open album, front pages showing
open album, back pages showing

And the very front.

I tend to be pretty nervous when giving a handmade gift because everyone has different tastes. I'm praying that they will like it.

And another note ... I will be offering custom made accordian albums and/or keepsake boxes on my website - which will be up and running in the very near future (I hope...) The box will sell for $25 and the album for $30. You provide the photos and give me an idea of theme/colors/patterns etc. and I do the rest. I can usually have it completed within 48 hours...if I have a box on hand. Otherwise it will take an additonal week for me to order and receive the box.

Have a fabulous weekend,

Marie with a :-)

Another Memory Box

Take 1: I once again tried to post last night but my internet went out after I uploaded photos. I will try again...

Take 2: Okay, I'm glad my favorite geek is coming over on Saturday. Hopefully Kyle will be able to explain to me why my internet keeps giving me fits. I tried again this morning to post and halfway through I lost my service :-(

(And finally success!) I thought I would finish this project today, but there were too many distactions: a trip to the library...text messages and fb messages, helping with school work, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, and MacGyver...not to mention dinner with my sweetie...I know - excuses. I really need to have this project done by Friday, though, since it is a wedding gift. I'm not happy with the way the pictures turned out but I'm too tired to go back and retake. (I used pictures of Alyssa and Jay so I could see how it looks with photos but obviously I will remove them before giving to Jaclyn and Joel!)

Top of box:

Inside of box:

side view of box:

Cover of accordian album to go inside:

And a graduation card:

A little note: when I make my memory boxes, I prefer to use spray adhesive (such as Elmer's) which are acid free. It takes a little work getting used to using it, but worth the time spent because it gives a much smoother finish than other glues or decoupage.

Marie with a :-)

The Christ Conjunction: Perspective

In his book, The Rest of the Gospel (When the partial Gospel has worn you out), Dan Stone refers to it as "the Holy But." I have been reading Stone's book for nearly 8 months. In a family where 2 or 3 books a week is the norm, it is highly unusual to linger so long on one book. Yet it isn't a book that I want to devour instantly and then forget - I want to asssimilate the truths before moving on. The book continues to remind me that this temporal, physical world that we live in is only part of the picture.
Stone speaks of how important it is to place our conjunction in the correct place, rather than allowing the circumstances of our lives to dictate our perspective. "The Holy But always changes your perspective on a situation from external to internal. Many of us want to escape our circumstances because we don't know how to operate the but. " pg. 187 Christ always comes after the but, not before. For example I could say "I know Christ is all sufficient but it has been a pretty tough year." OR I can say "It has been a pretty tough year, but I know that Christ is all sufficient." Our perspective, our dwelling place, tends to be AFTER the but, so Christ must always come after the conjunction. It changes our focus from the situation to Christ. "Just because we know the truth and live from the truth doesn't mean that the external circumstance is going to change. But we are changed. The Holy But moves you from the circumstance to the solution, and that solution is a person." (Jesus Christ) pg. 186
The truth is, I have been going through some pretty intense spiritual battles that have left me feeling tired and worn out. Someone commented to me the other day "You look sad." I was taken aback...that is NOT typically a statement made about me - I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of gal. That's when I realized that my internal struggles were taking a toll externally, and I was reminded to examine my conjunction. Was I thinking "I know You will reveal truth to me because You are truth but right now I am struggling?" It was time to flip it around. "I'm going through some spiritual gymnastics, but I know that You will reveal truth to me because You are truth." What a difference.

Marie with a :-)

Sister Album...Made Years Ago!

As I waded through the chaos that is supposed to be my craft room, I came across this mini (6 x 6) album that I made for my older sister a couple of years ago, when I first began scrapbooking. I had never put photos in it, so today I decided to scrounge up whatever pictures I could find and then get it in the mail to her. I'm posting a few pages, not because they are great artwork (have some compassion, I was just getting started!) but because some of the photos are pretty hilarious!

I'm guessing this was spirit week, sometime around 1982! I'm on the left, Val is in the middle, and younger sister Sam is on the right.

Awww, here are Val and I celebrating our birthdays - we are one year and a day apart so I think we just celebrated together when we were younger.

One year my sisters and I stayed with an Aunt for most of the summer. Sam is on the left in the front, I'm in the middle and Val is on the right in the front. Behind us are two cousins. Don't you love Val's pants...I mean WAAAYYYY cool! (LOL)

This is Val with my two younger sisters. They get to see each other pretty regularly but I don't venture back to the east coast very often. I'm hoping to visit Vermont in July.

In 2005, Sam, Jessie and I flew to Virginia to surprise Val for her 40th birthday. It was the first time we had all been together in many years. Left to right: me, Sam, Jessie, Val

And finally, here's one of Sam and Val...two precious sisters who indeed scatter sunshine!

Have a wonderful weekend and a very blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Marie with a :-)

Grateful Heart/New Logo

I am feeling grateful to so many folks right now. People like Marlies (who is giving me photography tips) and Donna (who is such a supportive friend), and my sister Val (who really believes in me and my work), my sister Sam (who always has an encouraging word) and JENN SANDERS, GRAPHIC DESIGNER who created my new logo as a gift. I've placed it as a header on my blog and hope to have Matthew create some labels for me, using it.