Fishing

We had a home bible study group tonight, it was interesting and a lot of fun.  Our church has these groups one Sunday a month. Our home with Steve teaching is one of the designated groups.  We talk, pray, read and discuss. Then we have soup, brownies and talk and discuss some more, the talking and discussing latter segment generally lasts as long as the food does.  It is a casual comfortable environment.  The topic was from the book of acts and sharing our faith.   After when everyone was left I went into my  stamp room, I always try to make a card with a key verse to send a thank you to the folks who come.  This one was fun, I played with fish, using T H distress inks:

 

 

Here's the school:

 I thought about adding more bling, but these are for the guys and I know they aren't going to like the girly glitter, so I just put a dab on the eyeballs.  The verse is

And Jesus saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Mt 4:19

These cards were a lot of fun to make, I love the way the distress inks just slide on and blend!!

 

 

I am working on another set of nature cards and was playing around with one image.  I blacked out the background and I really like how it came out.  I will post the card  tomorrow when I finish the first one.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have an awesome week!

Ginny M

Choices

Today became an unexpected day home!  It's gray and rainy, I've got lots of things to do.  Ever have one of those days, Just not sure where to start?  The laundry is done, the food is prepared and ready, the house is  clean and no place to go in a hurry It all boils down to Stamp time!!!  Just not sure where to start.  When I begin a project I write it down, keep track of the progress.  Right now I have 3 swaps to make 15 cards for and then tonight I have a stamp till you cramp get together.  For the get together I am supposed to be doing my Christmas cards.  I am hoping to get 60 more panels embossed this afternoon so I can bring the stuff to work on.  I don't feel the unction for the swaps, and I wanted to star a new project so I went looking for a stamp:

I couldn't decide, too many choices.  I do better at 2am than 10am!!!  So What I did decide to do was finish some of my "scrap cards" these are cards using left over pieces of paper.  This happened to be a set from graphic 45's bird song.  So far from 6 sheets of paper, I have made 16 cards.  Here are the cards I ended up finishing.

One thing I wanted to share today, I do a lot of embossing, So thanks the the frugal crafter http://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/  I discovered that regular old glycerin makes an excellent embossing ink!!!  I just add it to my old versa mark pad and I have along time supply!  for a few dollars
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have o wonderful Friday!!
Ginny

Ahhh Thursday!

I'm not sure what it is about Thursdays, but I have always loved them!  The week is almost past and the weekend not yet here, it is kind of a pause day.  When I was younger and a single parent, the weekdays were so hectic and full of demands, it seemed like I was perpetually treading water till the weekends.  I realized one day how unhealthy this was, how totally stressing Monday thru Friday was in my life.  I decided to make a change, reorder a few things so that I could feel like I could breath during the week.  The biggest change however happened with my perspective, I applied something I had been saying/thinking/singing for years "This is the Day that the Lord hath made and I will rejoice and be glad it is!"  I wasn't enjoying each day as it came, I was letting the cares of life steamroll me.  We all know what that feeling is like, and it isn't good.  So I made a change in my thinking, it was that simple.  What I had no control of I let go of and just committed it to God. What I could do I did the very best I could do and I gave the margins to God.  But the most important thing was gave myself to his loving care. Yea there were still more bills than paycheck, still kids wanting me to be Judge Judy the minute I walked in the door from work, I still went through two New England winters with out heat or hot water in our apartment (we were that poor!).  But what changed was me, I was content, I knew the struggles wouldn't last forever, the bills would get paid and the kids would quit bickering.  We boiled water on the stove and set up space heaters, we ate spaghetti 3 nights a week, we were happy.  At the end of that chapter in my life came Steve, and then a whole new volume began, that volume started out "An this is how they lived happily ever after"  We're still writing that chapter, Someday I will have to post a picture of the first Card I made and sent to Steve, He still has all of them, they even survived a house fire! That first card took me 4 hours to make, what a great investment!!  Ya might not be able to get a man with a gun, but ya can with a card!!!
I'm posting cards that I made for my Maxam Made Studio shop, they were on my WOYWW#172:

This is my nature series #1 I really need to get some help with my photo manager!  I'll have to ask Steve when he gets home....

 

 

 

 

These have blank interiors, great cards to encourage.

Made on 90# bases A6 size.

 

Lastly a peek at a temporary storage solution for my TH distress inks and reinkers.  I wanted these on my desk.  I am going to ask one of my Steves to make a wood box for me to make this a more permanent solution!

 

 

When I purchase an ink pad of any type I purchase the reinker too.  If I can't find a reinker easily, I don't purchase the pad. It just gets too costly to keep buying new pads.

I make all my own reinkers for my pigment and chalk pads using gauche, glycerin and h2o, it is easy and cheap and the colors are limitless.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great Thursday!

Ginny M.

WOYWW#173

Another WOYWW blog hop!  The event starts here at Julias' blog and goes all the way around the world!! http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  Join in the fun!  Busy week for me, I'm still working on the MMStudio blog and the stuff to put in it, so I haven't been blogging much here.  I should be back on track this coming week.  I have missed my daily posting.  I have got lots of on my desk (s) for this hop! I started all of these projects on Monday!!

 First stop, my Christmas cards I'm making 90 this year and hope that will be enough. 

I'll post a picture of the completed card.  That center panel is an old magenta stamp I just love it, I am embossing it with the Gold powder I am selling in my studio ( www.maxammadestudio.blogspot.com) It is very fine and captures the detail beautifully!  - yes shameless plug!

 

BirdSong Graphic 45 paper in the 8x8 pad

 

So far I have made 4 A6 size cards and then with the scraps from those I made these:

 I am having a problem with my computer photo handler, I apologize for the poor quality photos.  I made these using the scrap from the first cards and a 6x6 separate piece of paper to make the frames.  I will add stamped images and sentiments. I cut the frames on my eCraft machine:

This is the start of an Orinetal Stamp Art swap "Cranes" also using the Birdsong paper and a traditional Asian embossing pattern.

 

 

And lastly on my last work desk, A scrappy quilt I am making for a neighbor who is in need of a little cheer!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the hop!

Ginny M

WOYWW #172

I think most of us on the WoYWW say this every week, Where did the week go??

 

I've been working on Cooking, and Card Making , Womens' Ministries and my just week flew by.  I am making my parents dinners freezing them and bringing them over a weeks worth when I visit , I am enjoying this very much, I have joined the sandwich generation, still have kids at home and helping to take care of parents.  Busy, Busy Busy!  I have a new blog that I have set up to sell papers, supplies and cards.  Nothing extravagant, just trying to keep my supplies rolling in!  I have been working on a card series to put into the studio (www.maxammadestudio.blogspot.com) so that is what is on my  desk plus a new toy!  Thank you Steve!!

 

I am having problems with the photo editor in my lap top, My PC crashed a month ago Steve set up my laptop with my big screen, then I picked up a malware virus _ UGH, He's pretty much restored everything but there are a few things still not working, working on those.  He is also in the process of rebuilding a really nice dell for me.
So we've got something on every desk space in the house!
Head on over to Julia's for the world wide work desk hop!! http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Thanks for stopping by!
Ginny

WOYWW #171

Nothing to exciting going on on my desk today.  The room looks like a mess, papers everywhere and the cat seems to need to walk through everything  five times over.
I'm Making lots and lots and lots of label tags for my cards, I'm also working on two batches of cards that I hope to get finished tomorrow, to put in Maxam Made Studio.
So for the peek at my work desk, just lots of cutting:

I am working on making a few of these too, they will become christmas gifts.  Each letter is one tile and hand painted, and has crystal accents on them, they just aren't showing up.  I have been making this design for about 13 years and I actually receive a lot of orders for them.

Hope you have time to hop over to http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  Julia Dunnit's site where she host what must be the biggest blog hop around the globe!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ginny M

High Tea

I went to a high tea tonight, hosted my a life long friend, Lori U.  What a magnificent event she treated us to.  This was her 6th party.  6 parties over the course of about 25 years.  I have been to all of them.  Lori is one of those friends that know how to make everyone comfortable, she has a gift for hospitality.  I can't count how many time she has made me have fun!!

this shot is so blurry, but here she is welcoming us:

The decoration  theme was Shoes, and she had at least a hundred of them all spray painted Aqua, tied with ribbons and lit with a candle!   There were many faces I knew spanning the 25 years.  And then Some new ones:

These were my dinner partners, Jan, Bev (Bev I have know for at least 20 years and don't ever get to spend enough time with her) Kyla and Gail.    These gals were just the best dinner partners, we had so much fun during the night!!
After a wonderful 4 course meal we listen to a dynamic message by

Author Ruth Harvey
Ruth is a Minister and author residing in CT with Her Pastoring husband and daughters.

after all was eaten, said and done. our table favor had this beautiful message:

Cause me to know they way, Wherein I should walk.  Teach me to do thy will for thou
art my God. Psalm 143:8+10

Thank you Lori!

Thanks for stopping by,
Ginny M

Labeling

Today I have a day off, so it will be a catch up day and with any luck I won't be going anywhere, Just staying home and doing home stuff!
Last night I was working on a project and had a hard time finding a color of liquid pearl stuff in the dimensional paint drawer. So I decided the day had come for me to remove the labels so I could see the colors inside.
Before you think it, Yes I do have a life,  but for what ever reason labels and branding bothers me, it has since I was in my early twenties.  A med rep would come into the office and give the staff beautiful pens and leather padded folios and it would have a giant purple Viagra logo plastered across it.  yeah right, I found acetone would take care of that in seconds and I would have the beautiful pad and pens sans VIAGRA written across the whole thing.  I don't use purses that have huge label brands on them real or knock off - I don't want to be a part of branding, I know this is going to an extreme, but I think 500.00 for a handbag is shameful and a knock-off has the same spirit of self indulgence.  I have lots of friends and family that have these bags and things of that nature,  it is just not for me, it isn't who I am or want to be and I feel kind of strong about it.  My husband say hooray on that very softly because while I wouldn't spend 500.00 on an handbag I sure would on a sewing machine!!! 

I think labels hide beautiful things, and keeps us from seeing.  I take the labels off my spice jars and that at times makes Steve nuts.   I know what it is by sight and smell. I take my nuts and dried fruits out their store packages and put them in to glass bell canning jars to store in the cabinets.

Sometimes Labels do this to people too.  The label can hide beauty and talent.  We see so much of that in the world today.  People can choose labels and some times they are inflicted.  I try to find the person under the label.  In this world of tattoo's and piercings and pancake makeup that can be daunting.  Ever seen a older teenager that scares you? I have, lots of them and sometimes a simple conversation reveals the unexpected.

But back to my craft room  and the labels there that are stuck on with 200 year lifespan adhesives !  I have about 50 of these crammed in a small drawer where the light isn't great.

I soaked them in hot soapy water, used goo gone, used naphtha, used denatured alcohol, finally after I stopped wheezing from the fumes I found a can of WD40 and sprayed the bottles with that and that worked!  so it went like this:

Soak in hot water - some of the labels will come off - adhesive left behind
Spray with wd-40, wipe the adhesive  off with a rough towel
Wash The wd-40 off with hot really soapy water.
Towel dry
the whole process took about 90 minutes, I know seems like a lot of time but the end result was worth it  - I can see what is really in the bottle!

Now the question remains, should I keep going?

I thought of this verse while i was scrubbing these little bottles. 

"Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5 NAV

As adults we work very hard creating our own "label" or work at undoing one slapped on us. But the Love and mercy of God, removes that label and brings to light the beauty He placed in us from the beginning.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have a great day!
Ginny M

l`Chaim!

This was a little project I put together this afternoon.  I made them for Gerry my Mothers' Beaux.  Gerry is one of those rare individuals over 80 that still enjoys writing letters.  With the holidays coming up I thought he might enjoy this set of Cards.  When I give them to him he will tell me stories from his parents and grandparents times and I will learn a few more Yiddish words.  I love hearing peoples histories, and since Gerry is one of the most enthusiastic persons I know, it will be a real treat for me!

I used my computer to print out the  Chaim symbol, I used a punch to punch the symbol and then I used my eCraft to make the rest of the squares. A Very easy project!

 

Made on 100# linen paper.  I love the way they came out.

 

I received this in the mail today!!  A totally surprise!!

 

a really nice pair of scissors from Fiskar!  With my "Fiskateeer" number engraved on it!  They are terrific, so sharp and fits my hand so nice!!   I will have to send them a thank you note!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a great day!
Ginny M

WOYWW #170

Another Week has gone by and now it is time for the international blog hop starting at Julia Dunnit's site :    http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  I am almost finished with last weeks hop, it usually takes me the week.  I just love seeing what everyone else is doing and how they are doing it!  The week's peek at my desk has a "tag" being made for a Oriental Stamp Arts group swap..  This is my first art tag, I've never made one and I've never received one.  I guess saying I don't get around much would be an understatement!  I was hoping this would be make 12 tags get 12 tags deal, but I guess I was the over eager newbie on this one!  Any way here is my Tag, I actually made two and they are two pages.  The guideline was to make either a tea tag or a silk label tag 3"x6" and it had to say silk or tea on it. 

First desk top is my desk top, using the Ecraft to cut my tags out of 130 cold pressed black paper.

Next on to the tag partially assembled:

I used my Epiphany crafts bubble capper, in the face of the geisha.  I love that little gizmo! I amp'd up the color using h2o twinkles.  Copper embossing on the tag background.

not painted in this picture, but the bubble cap is in place.

Inside of the tag.

back of the tag

Adding interest



The finished product!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of the Hop!
Ginny