Sweet 'n Sassy Sneak Peek

How about one last sneak peek before the Sweet 'n Sassy February release tomorrow...This sweet little guy is part of the Benjamin Bunny stamp set, which also includes a number of sentiments (even a Happy Easter one!) I colored little Ben with Copics and keep my card design fairly simple, adding just a hint of designer paper (from Cosmo Cricket). Wouldn't this be a sweet Valentine's Day card for the little kiddies in your life? Be sure to check back to the Sweet 'n Sassy web site tomorrow to see the full release!!

The Long Lost Winner!

I think I might be the one who is long lost! My goodness I can't believe it's been four days since I last posted...that might be some kind of record! I guess life just got busy last week...hopefully I'll be in better shape this week! I do have some great class projects to share so I'll post those this week but in the meantime...I completely forgot to announce the winner of the blog candy that I posted about in my St. Jude card drive post. The winner is...

Sara

Sara, please contact me at ksdm@comcast.net with your shipping address and I'll get a box of goodies out to you next week!!

Thanks to everyone for their comments, they are always greatly appreciated!

Tiffany Doodles Sneak Peek

It is a week for sneak peeks and today is no excpetion!! For today's card, I'm excited to tell you about some new floral digi images that Tiffany created for the Tiffany Doodles web site...These new images will be available for download on January 28!

My card features the new Nicotiana image and the really fun thing about these new images is that they were made to perfectly fit a set of Nestibilities dies! The Nicotiana image fits the classic large oval die set. I also love the way Tiffany included a little frame around the image (you can download the image with or without the frame). I paired the image with shabby designer paper from Ruby Rock-it...six months in and I'm still in love with this paper! I colored the flowers with Copics (and I confess that I'm not entirely sure what color a Nicotiana flower is but I'm diggin the blue!!) and cut out one of the flowers to pop up with foam tape. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy. Be sure to check the sparkly new Tiffany Doodles site on January 28 to see all of the new digis! Enjoy!

Sweet 'n Sassy Sneak Peek

Whose itching for some new rubba? I am I'm always super excited when new stamp sets arrive in the mail and yesterday was no different when this darling stamp made an appearance in my mailbox! This sweet image is from the brand new "Let it Rain" set from Sweet 'n Sassy, which will be released on February 1! My image is colored with Copics (and I added some polka dots to the dress...just for fun!), the designer paper is from Bo Bunny, ribbon is from American Crafts, and my layout is loosely based on last weeks Sweet Stop sketch! Enjoy!

Keep it Simple Monday

Today's Tip: Create card with pre-colored digi images!

Have you checked out the new pre-colored digis from Sweet 'n Sassy? They are just wonderful and the perfect solution for quick and easy creating! This darling owl image is actually part of an image that includes two owls but for today's card...I wanted just the one, dressed in blue, which was a perfect match for my wintery-themed designer paper. The name of this image is Winter Love Owls and as I said it includes a girlie owl, who only has eyes for Mr. Handsome. This image is now available for download for only $4.00! Download, print, and finish a card in less than a half hour! How divine...

Tiffany Doodles Sneak Peek

Tiffany Doodles is planning to release some brand new, make you think of Spring, digi images on Friday, January 29!! Sneak Peeks will begin on Monday!!

SALT Challenge - The Valley of Death

It's time for another SALT Challenge! And I know...one heck of a title, huh? :-) Lythan, due to her work in the ministry and needing to deal with these weighty issues on a regular basis, suggested this week's topic. And even though death is a difficult topic to discuss, it is necessary from time to time, not only so we can minster to others in a time of grief but to also to consider our own mortality. (You can read Lythan's write up on the SALT blog but I also want to mention the Scripture verses she provided; Romans 8:38-38 and Psalm 23, since I used a different one on my layout).

What's that saying, "only two things are certain in life; death and taxes." No matter how healthy you are right now, how many vitamins you take, how much you exercise, or how much you try to avoid thinking about it...death is inevitable. The Bible clearly states that "it is appointed upon all men once to die." The London Baptist Confession of Faith has this to say about the state of man after death, "The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ." This is the glorious promise for those who are trusting in Christ and so while death is difficult for those left without their loved ones on earth, we can have a hope that we will be with them again one day. This can bring great comfort in times of grief. If you hold to the believe that there is no God, or that when we die our bodies simply go in to the ground, or that there is no such thing as heaven and hell, I encourage you to search the Bible to see what it has to say...even if you think the Bible is just another book or that it holds no truth that can make a difference in anyone's life...read anyway. A good place to start is The Shorter Catechism, which includes basic Biblical truths. The one that I've linked to also includes Scripture texts as proof of the statements made. Read through what it has to say and then pray that God might reveal the truth to you. Certainly, anyone would rather know the truth now, before it's too late. A family member once said, "if there is no God and no judgement what do I have to lose by trusting in Him? But if there is a God and a judgement, I lose everything by denying His existence."

As for my layout, it features a photo of my Mom when she was a teenager, taken just seven years before I was born. Fifteen years after my birth, my Mother passed away when she was just 37; my brother was barely 10. It is a difficult thing to lose a parent, maybe even more so when you are very young. And even though I miss her and so wish she was alive now to see her grandchildren and meet my wonderful hubby, I believe that my Mom was a Christian and I have great hope that I will see her again. Products used on my layout include new paper from Basic Gray, verse stamp by Verve, ribbon by American Crafts, Tissue Tape and Film Strip by Tim Holtz, rhinestones from Prima, and butterfly punch by Martha Stewart. I pray that today's challenge, even though it was on a difficult topic, was a blessing. If you're feeling inspired to create based on this week's challenge, please stop by the SALT blog and leave us a comment with a link back to your blog or online gallery. We'd love to see what you've made!