weekly planner - week 23

week 23 prompt - what do you like about being with your friends?

this week's prompt is about friends.  over the course of time friends come and go but when you are blessed to have close friends that stay near and dear to your heart forever, well, that is a true gift. 

by nature i keep things closed off, only allowing a few people in.  i am not sure why that is, but i am secretative by nature.  i've always been that way.  while my exterior may say one thing and present itself in a certain way, i could have feelings inside of something exactly the opposite. 

behavior is based on wanting to be loved and accepted and not judged.
fitting in is a learned skill the minute you are in the presence of others.  you are told by your parents, schools, law officials, bosses, etc. what is appropriate behavior in various situations.  you learn early on that only good behavior is rewarded and bad behavior is punishable by all measures deemed appropriate by the people in control of doling it out.

when i find a person that allows me to be who i am as a whole being; the good and not so good, and they still love for who i am, inspite of my flaws, i cherish that individual. they are rare gems that are meant to be held in high esteem.

true and loyal friendship doesn't come often in one's life but i have several friends that have seen me through thick and thin and still love me.  i am most fortunate and thank god every day for them.  i love spending time with them and being inspired by their qualities that make me want to be a better person.  i love them for that opportunity every time we get together.

what do you enjoy about your friends?

the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post

today the roc nicholas rubber stamp design post is brought to you by design team member, cathy parmelee.  don't you just love how she used the daisy head stamp as part of her trio of flowers?  i love it.  she also used my flying bird stamp.  i'd love to know how you mix up the stamps to create something new.  please feel free to share on my rubber stamp page on fb by clicking here.

to see the rubber stamps used above, or all my stamps sold through stampotique.com please click here.

tumble fish studio new digital kit release

marsha, aka tumblefish studio, over at mischief circus, has a new digital kit being released today.  it is called sirens of the deep.  she did a collaboration with nancy from crowabout studio. 

this is the journal page i did from tumble fish studio's kit.

all images from tumble fish studio's sirens of the deep kit

 this is the journal page i made from crowabout studio's kit.

i hope you see something that makes you want to grab these large digital kits for yourself.

weekly planner - week 22

week 22 prompt - recall a time you really lived in the moment

living in the moment is something i strive for.  just being.  i practice at it daily but haven't mastered it by any stretch of the imagination.   there was, however,  a time i was so caught up in the lives of two birds outside my window that i swore i could understand what they were saying to one another.  nature has a way of slowing us down and making us appreciate god's beauty. 

during my bird watching i was truly lost in just being.  it was a precious gift and one that still brings about a joyful smile as i recall it.  have you ever had a moment of being fully present in the moment?

the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team project

today the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team project is brought to you by karen hayselden.  aren't her little three dimensional flying pigs adorable? 

to create this she has used my flying pig rubber stamp as well as my when pigs fly text stamp and my scalloped lace border rubber stamp.  to see more about this piece please fly on over to karen's blog.

to see these rubber stamps, and all of my stamp line sold through stampotique. com please click here.

tumble fish studio new kit release

tumble fish studio new kit - melange mash up

today over at mischief circus, tumble fish studio has a new kit being released called melange mash up.  it is a wonderfully HUGE kit filled with lots of imagery and i've created a journal page with it.  please check it out by clicking here.

weekly planner - week 21

week 21 prompt - what is something that annoys you?

today my page was done because i was feeling especially annoyed by a rude secretary at a medical office.  she was wanting me to do something i really did not want to do or felt the need to do,  but i lost in that conversation and ended up doing it her way. 

it always makes me wonder there are some things that get me so wound up and other things just roll off my back.  i really would love to be "un-annoyable".  it hasn't happened yet in my 55 years so i'm guessing i need to be expecting a miracle.

what about you?  what is something that annoys you?  come on...i can't be the only one, can i?

the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post

today the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post is being brought to you by samantha read.  don't you just love her piece of art she has created today?  it's such a happy piece.  sam has used my dog rubber stamp, my church stamp and my flying heart rubber stamp.  if you would like to see more about this piece, or more of samantha's work please visit her blog by clicking here.  

if you want to see my line of rubber stamp sold through stampotique.com including the ones sam has used please click here.

get a free magazine

The first 36 people to contact RubberStampMadness Magazine get a free sample copy. Send your name and address along with this blog name to kendra@rsmadness.com to be eligible. Good luck!

commissioned journal making

i have been working on some commissioned art journals.  here is a small stack that is being shipped out very soon.

there are lots of folded pages throughout the journals.

one of the journals has lots of tabs among the pages.

one of the journals has lots of pockets.

one of the journals has a variety of bits and bobs.

but all of the journals have an assortment of pages that fold in various ways.

these journals vary in size from approximately 4 x6 to 5 x 7 inches.

 

if you'd like to order a journal, or journals, for yourself please send me an email for more information.

 

look what i got.........

....in the mail today!  a wonderful handmade journal from the amazing artist, robin mead!!  i was blessed to win this journal as a give away.  thanks robin! i love it!

weekly planner - week 20

week 20 prompt - who are the men who shaped your life?

the prompt this week came about because of a death of someone very, very close to me.   i loved my cousin, kim, like my brother.  he went far too young and was one of the very best people i knew.  i grew up with him.  i spent so much time with him - camping, holidays, summers, weekends and rode the bus to school with him.  he lived next to me.  our kids were the same ages and went to school together.  i saw him nearly every day, even if it was only as he drove by my house. 

death is hard to understand.  we lose the tangibility of the person.  we miss their voice, their laugh, and being in their presence.  death, and the finality of it,  is a very hard concept to deal with.  i've never know my life without him in it and undoubetedly my life will never be the same without him  here on earth. there isn't a day that doesn't go by that i don't think of him.

so, because of his untimely passing,  i decided to make a little ode to the men that crossed my path that changed me in some way.  most are family members, but some are not.  most are positive memories, some are not.  but all of these experiences, good or not so good, are part of the sum total of who i am today.

what about you?  who are the men who helped shape you?

the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post

today the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post is brought to you by claudine criner.  isn't this wonderful?!  a truly inspiring message.  claudine used my stamps:  stand tall, scalloped lace border and heart vine to create this piece.  to see more about this head on over to claudine's blog by clicking here.

to see these stamps, as well as all my rubber stamps sold through stampotique.com please click here.

and the winner.........

.....of one of my cards is..........

Corrie HerrimanApril 27, 2015 at 10:49 AM

They are all fabulous ! I think WISH is my favourite !
Corrie x

congratulations corrie!

weekly prompt - week 19

week 19 prompt - how would you describe your life?

this week's prompt was brought about circumstances happening that were beyond my control.  there seems to be cycles in my life when outside events with those i love cause turmoil and chaos deep within my soul.  i am always quick to pray about it, but being human, there are times i feel great sorrow and have feelings of helplessness.   it is hard to watch people you care about suffer.

i have learned that we truly cannot help anyone that doesn't want to be helped.  manipulation, deception,  and half truths can cause havoc if you allow it.  prayer is the solution for me.  letting go and letting god is difficult at best sometimes,  but in the end,   the only journey that is our business is our very own.

i pray daily to be a blessing in other people's lives.  sometimes the greatest blessing we can be is to love and pray for  people from a far,  and just skip the three-ring circus all together.

the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team post

today the roc nicholas rubber stamp design team member, corrie herriman, has made such a beautifully vibrant piece of art using my horse rubber stamp in such a creative way!  don't you just love her giraffe?!  i know i do!   to see more of corrie's art please scoot on over to her blog by clicking here.  to see my rubber stamps sold through stampotique, please click here.