Thoughts of a Cardmaking Scrapbooker!: 8/31/14

Saturday, September 6, 2014

JustRite's September Release

Good morning and happy weekend to you! I am slowly getting back into a routine with work, kids' schedules, and my crafting. It is sometimes difficult to balance my "crafty work" with my "regular" life. But little by little I am finding a new routine that fits.

This month, I was able to take a bit of time off from JustRite's September release to focus on the other areas of my life. So I missed the beginning days of the release. Be sure to check out JustRite's blog to see my talented friends and their crafty handiwork. ;)

I used two brand new sets today, Modern Lattice background stamp and Extra Grand Sentiments.

The background was stamped in Versamark and embossed in silver. I gave it a bit of color with my Inktense Pencils. The sentiment was embossed in pink and given a watercolor wash for some soft color. I also created a watercolor background for my embossed panel. I used my Silhouette for the flower and glittery leaves from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. A bit of silver twine and pink thread pulled it all together.

JustRite's catalog is out and available here!

Be sure to pop on by the other gals' blogs!

J ustRite Inspiration

Have a great day my friends!!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Absolutely Amazing....

Many of you who follow me on Facebook have already seen many of Cortney's Runway LOUD pictures.

But you may not know the story behind the scenes.

Let me share a bit.....

For the longest time Cortney's life was a struggle.

People stared, gawked, and shared their ignorance on more than one occasion.

This mama fought for healthcare, disagreed with doctors, teachers, and IEP's.

I was told over and over how severe my daughter was.

How "low" she was.

Seeing the numbers year after year was devastating.

And yet, I continued to fight, adapt, and expose Cort to as many things as possible.

Who else would take their kid hiking in the mountains of Tenessee in a wheelchair? ;)

My family and friends thought I was nuts for pursuing such a crazy, crazy dream.

There were many naysayers.

They often reminded me that Cort couldn't "pose" like a typical teen.

They reminded me that she was in a wheelchair.

And yet, she was given the opportunity to "walk" the runway with models. "Real" models, who were kind to Cortney and showered her with love and attention. Everyone involved in the show was so incredibly kind to her.

I can't begin to describe the feeling her dad and I had when Cort went out on stage.

The audience jumped to their feet, clapping, cheering, videoing, and taking pictures.

Of Cortney.

Our daughter.

The one that people wrote off 19 years ago.

It took everything in my power not to cry from sheer happiness at this magical moment.

So instead I smiled.

And smiled.

And clapped for this angel that was given to us.

She has touched people's lives.

I can't help but think that maybe she has helped to change a few perspectives on having a disability, no matter how "severe."

I am glad I didn't listen to other people.

I am glad I have been able to create opportunities for her.

I hope this doesn't end her journey, but that it is only the beginning.

Cortney's story was shared in the Chicago Southtown if you would like to view the article.

SouthtownStar Newspaper.

Thank you for letting me share and bombard you with pictures of my girl!

Have a great day friends!

Monday, September 1, 2014

Crafty Secrets Design Team Challenge and Linky Party!

Did you miss me?

I have certainly missed all of you!

Not only did our family have the adventure of a lifetime in Branson, MO, but my computer has been in the shop for the past two weeks! I finally got it back Saturday, and am now trying to play, "catch up!" I have 550 pictures to edit from the last several weeks and I am trying to prioritize what's most important. On top of that, school started, and now much of my time is spent writing lesson plans, and completing computer modules.

But that is not why you are here.

You have stopped by, I am sure, to see something crafty, not to listen to me ramble about how busy life is!

Today is the start of a new month. (almost) Which means it is time for our fall challenge over at Crafty Secrets.

I decided on a Halloween shaker card. I used Crafty Secret's vintage cuts. Just a few punches, some sequins, and a few embellishments and you can make a card fun and interactive!

I have a full step by step tutorial below to show you the process I took to create this card.

First grab an image from the Halloween Creative Scraps collection, a few circle punches, and punch various sized holes into your image.

You will need some type of tacky glue.....

And a piece of acetate.

I spread glue around the back of the tag. (Yes, there is an image on this side as well....the beauty of the creative scraps!) ;)

Place the acetate over the glue and use something to hold it in place.....like clothespins!

Take dimensional foam tape (Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L) and surround each of circles. This prevents your sequins from leaking out. As you can see, I am the furthest thing from OCD! HA! I am seriously the messiest crafter ever! No rhyme or reason...just surround those punched holes!