Card Class Project

I decided to do something a little different for Card Class this month. We will do 3 very simple cards, and focus our major brain power on creating a darling card keeper. This project will be a wonderful mother's day gift (especially for those "hard to shop for" moms).

The card keeper uses a template featured a few days ago on Kathi's blog - I just love her work, and check her blog every day. :) Thanks Kathi!

Some of the techniques I'll be teaching include stamping on sculpty foam, using a water brush to color stamped images, using arrow embellishments with brads, brayering carstock over foundry frames and then sanding, and using scalloped scissors.

This project uses the new Bella papers from the Summer Idea Book (released May 1st!), as well as the following stamp sets: Family Ties - Adults, Confidential, Tickled Pink (from the promo going on right now), Buttoned Together (*new), Thank You (*new), and Happy Birthday.



To see the images larger just click on the photo

Sammie's Hair

Last week Sammie decided she had had enough of the tangles, and asked if we could get her hair cut. Our cousin Chris does an amazing job, so I called her up and made the appointment. Sam was so excited! Here's a look at before and after:

(The after pics are a little blurry because she was so excited she couldn't stand still)

Crop Til Ya Drop Pictures

Sorry about the delay in getting these pictures up. In addition to the crop all day Saturday, I had church and scrapbook class on Sunday. Then in the midst of cleaning up and having a playdate Monday I started to feel sick. :( Yup - got a full blown cold now, and feel crummy. I guess I'm not as young as I used to be. This is the first time I can remember that I haven't just bounced back from not getting enough sleep! Crazy...

Anyway... here are the pictures from my crop/shop day. :) I had 4 tables set up upstairs for my croppers. A total of 15 ladies came, but not everyone stayed all day. So there was only one point during the day when all 12 chairs were filled.

The menu for the day included chips and salsa, fruit, coffee and soda for snacks (and everyone got m&ms in their goody bags). Lunch was Italian 3 bean soup (recipe to follow), sandwhich fixings, and strawberries. Dinner was pizza and caesar salad, and I served cookies for dessert.

Here are pics of the "cropping" area:



I had the Tickled Pink promo on display (with my completed pages), as well as a make and take table, and then a table full of items people could borrow (cherish, imagine, reflections books, inks and blocks) and tombo for purchase.



I also had all of my Scrapbook Class layouts done (WOTG for all Summer papers) so that people could RSVP for upcoming classes.



The make and take included two 12x12 pages from Reflections, and 3 cards from Originals. They both used the new Animal Cookies Creative Basics paper and the Sweet Baby stamps.



Here's a close up of my 4 Tickled Pink Promo pages:





Then downstairs (where I normally hold classes) I had a shop set up. I sold lots of CTMH goodies, and knitted items. My friend Deb generously donated some knitted items to sell, and my mom donated soaps to sell and necklaces to sell. I still have lots of items left over if anyone is interested! Just send me an email - nonapearl@myctmh.com

Crop a Success!!!

I'll have some pictures to post here tomorrow (if I'm recovered by then!), but just had to share that my Crop til ya Drop/New Catalog Release Party/Adoption fund raiser was a huge success today.

Thank you *SO* much to all of my croppers and shoppers. You helped raise over $1000 for our adoption fund today!!!

I'm in awe of your generosity and am thankful for the prayers and support. YOU ROCK!!!!

=) Nona - who is now going to drop

Shawl Progress

I'm making good progress on my shawl. It now measures about 3 1/2 feet across, I've finished the patterned sections, and am now working on the beaded sections!

At this point each row has 590 stitches, so I'm lucky to get more than 2 rows knit per night. Only 55 more to go and the shawl will be done!

Not sure why the color is so washed out on these first two pictures, but at least you can see my progress. The first one shows the shawl on 47" circular needles. It will be *so* lovely once it is blocked...

This photo is a smidge blurry, but it shows the outer leaf pattern so nicely.

This is a better look at the true color of the yarn. For the beading, you have to pre-string all the beads - all 5000 of them! I've strung 2 of 14 vials of beads onto this skein. They are so shimmery and lovely - in shades of purple, black and turquoise. :)

Go Disney!

Have you heard about Disney's upcoming movie "The Princess and the Frog"? I just heard about it today and I am so excited. This will be Disney's first animated film featuring an African American princess, and it so long overdue.

The movie is set in the 1920s in New Orleans, and the main character is Tiana. I've added the trailer below so you can see a little bit for yourself. It looks fantastic. Isn't that little frog a hoot? I love the music too.

Another reason I'm so excited about the film (and Princess Tiana) is because our new baby girl is African American. We are big Disney Princess fans, and I'm so happy that there will now be a princess that physically resembles our baby girl. Whether she picks Tiana as her favorite princess or not will be up to her, but getting to have that choice means a lot to our family.

My 300th post!

Wow - I can't believe this is post number 300! I wish I had something more interesting to talk about! LOL...

I had a very busy weekend. I was a vendor at a crop on Saturday and made some great new contacts! YAY! Saturday evening Dave and I had a date night as Sammie spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa. Sunday we filled out adoption paperwork and Dave did homework. Then I began prepping for my HUGE crop/open house/party/craft sale that will be happening this coming Saturday. This project has been occupying my time and thoughts, so not much brain power left for blogging. My apologies! :)

I did have a chance to work on some knitting however! I tried my very first pair of socks! I'm working through the "New Pathways for Sock Knitter" book by Cat Bordhi. It's a wonderful book - especially for virgin sock knitters (like I was!). She prefers to use 2 circs and I prefer doublepoints, but it all works out in the end.

These tiny, bitties were knit on size 2 needles with TOFUtsies yarn. Love the stuff with the bright pink, yellow and orange. And the sockies are just precious! They will be perfect for our baby girl, as they are newborn size. Gonna start sock #2 tonight with some knit picks yarn. :) You'll probably be seen many socks from me for the next few months - these guys are pretty addictive!

The sole is about the same size as my thumb! They are so tiny! :)

A Simple Hat

One of Dave's co-workers will soon be a papa for the first time (not counting his step-kids), so I whipped up this cute hat for his son. It was an experimental hat, and I just sort of made it up as I went along.

I used Cascade 220 Paints yarn, and size 7 doublepoints. CO 68. The edge is done in a 2x2 rib for 5 or 6 rows. I then decreased about 3 stitches ever 5 or 6 rows to make it rounded. The major decreasing was done by K2tog, k2 for 1 row, then K2tog, k1 for one row, k all for 2 rows, and finally k2tog all for 2 rows. Then I just pulled the tail through the remaining stitches and wove in the ends.



We don't have any baby models around here quite yet so I had to improvise with one of Sammie's dolls. She's a bit of a freaky one with a droopy eye. Her name is Overis - don't ask, I don't know why either!

Decorated Album Cover

I mentioned before that Dave let me scrap all day Saturday. One of the projects I worked on was getting Sammie's 2008 books caught up. Here is one of her new albums with a decorated cover. I used the new foam numbers that will be released in the Summer Idea Book. They are super fun to work with!



If you want to know how to decorate your linen album covers, scroll down my blog and look for my youtube videos on the left hand side. one of the videos is a tutorial on this very thing!

This is my disaster of a room after spending all day scrapping. For a while Dave was using the table across from my mess, so it isn't as bad as it could be (or as it is right now for that matter! LOL). Just thought I'd share so you could all feel better about your scrap messes too.

Saturday Crop

I know many of you who read my blog are long distance, but I thought I'd post this here too in case any of you are in the greater Seattle area the weekend of April 25th and want to come to my crop!

The photo features some great new product that will be released in the Summer CTMH Idea Book. Attendees will get to make the 2 page layout and the 3 cards pictured. The supplies (along with some other fun treats not shown) will be in their goodie bags.

You're Invited To:
Nona's New Summer Idea Book Party/Crop 'til ya
Drop/Adoption Fund Raising Craft Sale!!!

Saturday, April 25th, 10 am - 10 pm
Location: Nona's Home in Lynnwood.
(event is open house style - you may come and go throughout the day)

Cost is just $15* and includes:
- Snacks, lunch and dinner
- New Summer CTMH Idea Book

- Special discounts ONLY for attendees
- Goodie bag filled with new product - make the 3 cards and the two 12x12 pages pictured above.
- CTMH Bingo with awesome prizes (get a bingo stamp when you RSVP and pay, and another for bringing a new friend!)

- Opportunity to scrapbook or make card cards all day long and enjoy the company of crafty people!



CROP IS FULL NOW - no more registrations will be taken. :)

Also have you heard the news???
We've been picked by a birth mom and will soon have a baby girl
joining our family! She is due in July!

We have less than 2 months to finish raising ALL of our adoption funds! Even if you can't make it to the crop, please stop by my "Adoption Fund Raising Craft Sale" also on the 25th, from 10 am -10 pm. I'll have new/used stamp sets, cardstock, patterned paper, handmade cards and layouts, mini albums and more for sale! Bring your friends and help us raise that last bit of $$ we need to to bring our baby girl home. Thank you for the support, and most importantly, your prayers! We are *SO* excited.

WOWZERS! CHECK IT OUT!!!

I'm so excited! A few months back I designed and taught a scrapbook mini-album for the CTMH Consultant Album Retreat!

My design was just featured on CTMH TV by our founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton. She made the album her own by changing the papers, but it is still my design! WOOHOO!

To watch the video click here: http://nonapearl.myctmh.com/MyCTMH/CTMHTV.aspx. The segment I'm in is the last one, but you will learn lots of cool techniques if you watch all the way through!

If you want to see pictures of my album click here and here: It will take you back to my blog archives.

Also, if you like this little binder, you'll be so excited to see my May Workshop of the Month! It features this little album, and some incredible new papers and stickers - perfect for the baby in your life!

He Is RISEN!!!

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Matthew 28:9-10


HE IS RISEN!!!

Thank you!

Thank you all for your outpouring of support and love! We are so excited about our upcoming adoption! Thank you for the prayers too - we can feel them!

Dave was so amazing today - he watched Sammie so I could scrap. I felt the urge to "nest" down in my scrap room. I finished up a bunch of projects that have been on my list for months. I also got a few layouts ready for the upcoming Summer months (for my customers), and worked a bit on catching up on my 2008 book. I think it will be important to be as caught up on the scrapping as possible before the new baby comes. You all know how I love to take pictures, and nothing is more irresistable to photograph than a baby.

So... I have to get with the program and get some serious scrapping done! I think in all I finished 20 pages today. Some still need pictures, but I'm completely caught up through July 2008, with only about 15 layouts to go for the rest of the year.

Once I used up all of my printed photos I had on hand, I switched over to digi. These are the 2 pages I just finished up! I think they turned out so cute! I hope Katie doesn't mind me posting pics of her boys. If you do Katie just email me and I will take them down! Katie and I have been friends for 9 years (WOW - I can't believe it's been that long!) but her hubby is in the military so we don't get to see each other often. She did share the good news that they are finally moving home in May! YAY! I'm so excited... Anyway, here are the pages!





supplies: template by Mandy Scraps (slightly modified by me); papers/embellies: Carnival by Sweet Shoppe Designs; Fonts:Gloucester MT Extra Condensed, Gesso

Joyful

Today is Evan's first birthday. Above is a picture of Sammie holding Evan the day he was born.

For those that don't know our story, last year we were in the process of adopting a baby boy. Everything seemed to be going fine, and our birth mom sure about her decision. We took Evan home and spent five amazing days together. On that last day, however, his mom changed her mind and we had to give him back to her. You can read about it if you go back through my blog archives.

Today could have been a very difficult day - a very sad day. Today we could have focused on our loss, and disappointment, but we are not. We serve a God who is good, caring, loving, and a God who brings hope. Our God knows the desire that we have for more children, and He will soon fulfill that dream.

Yesterday we got a call from our social worker Liz. A birth mom in Texas saw our profile and picked us to parent her baby girl! She is due to give birth in July and we are so very thrilled! I'll share more as I can, but for now please keep us and this birth mom in your prayers! We are so excited and trust that God will continue to work just as he has this past year.

Psalm 30:11-12 - "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Knitting Progress and Easter Egg Coloring!

I'm making good progress on the shawl. I'm on row 63 now (photo was taken last night), and into the third section of pattern. I met with my good friend Deb today at the coffee shop and strung two vials of beads as well (two vials out of 14!).

Deb had a good point about knitting Pi shawls in the round this way - you take it on faith that they will turn out. Until you finish and block the piece, it jus tlooks like a big jumble of yarn. Here is the bleeding heart pattern of the shawl that I finished last night. You can barely see the shape when I stretch it out.


In other news, we began preparations for Easter. Today at Bible study we did a traditional Sader meal. It was really cool. I've not ever done a sader before, and it was such a beautiful depiction of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection through scripture and symbolic foods. I want to do it every year!

Continuing with the traditions at home tonight, Sam, Daddy and I colored eggs together. Sam has become quite the expert because she already colored eggs with her Grandma Leslie a few weeks ago. :) She enjoyed showing us how to do it.

More fun things to share tomorrow! Right now we are off to watch the Office - 2 new episodes tonight - and of course I'll be knitting.

Adventures in Knitting...

Last night my box of yarn came - FINALLY!!! =) That's the one drawback to knitpicks - it takes about 8 days for my goodies to arrive, and patience has NOT been a strong suit this week. But I won't get into that...


So the yarn arrives, and I dutifully finish the thumbs of those beaded gloves I keep tempting you guys with. But the call of new yarn was too strong, and I did not finish the cuffs. Meaning it will be a bit before I can post those - because I really, really want to show off FINISHED projects. If I show those now, they will NEVER get finished. Anyway....

I broke out the new yarn, wound a skein into a ball, and dove into the Shipwreck Shawl patten by Bethany Kok as seen here. It is now 12:30 am... (had a late start since I taught a card class last night).

Unfortunately, as soon as I went to cast on I discovered a daunting little ditty of a beginning... The "simple" ring cast-on as described here. Maybe it was the late hour or a tired brain, but this simple cast on took me an hour!!! Ack... After much muttering/cursing under my breath I had my "aha" moment, and broke into the Halleluiah chorus as I pulled my cast on tail, and the simple ring actually squished down into a ring shape!

I kept knitting and knitting into the night, pausing to chat with my friend Christine who was up late too. At 2:30 when I went to bed, this was my progress... not bad!

Sammie had school today, and a visit with her Grandma "Ree" so I had some time to work on my shawl today. Unfortunately my counting wasn't so great the night before, and I found a ton of mistakes. So at about 11:45 this was my attempt to take out just the rows with mistakes:

And this was what was left.... sigh. But at least I didn't have to redo the dumb ring cast on!

I continued knitting through the afternoon with the screen door open listening to the "ocean" sounds created by the freeway near our house. It was a gorgeous day and I *almost* felt guilty for not being outside. But, having stayed inside I'm now a few rows farther along than I was before ripping it out - and without any mistakes.

I'll post another picture of my progress in the next day or two. I just wanted to show you all that beautiful knitting is a process, and often you have to rip out the ugly bits before you can make something truly wonderful. So don't be afriad to rip out the ugly bits!

Spring Cards

We went to Great Grandma Yvonne's birthday party this weekend. I won't tell you how young she is because she wouldn't like that, but we had a blast. I made her a set of scripture cards using some leftover "Let's Get Together" paper from CTMH, and my Verve scripture stamps.