Letting go and finding a way....

to keep me and my family prepared for what other financial setbacks might occur in the midst of this global recession, I decided to *resign from ALL of my creative teams*. Times are definitely not easy for us right now and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Will it bring devastating news or will it bring us a financial miracle? I hope it will be the latter. So, in hopes that I may try to focus more time in graduating school or possibly looking for a job outside of home, I had to make the heartbreaking, yet honest approach to step down from my teams and focus on the more important issues at hand. I have wrote my emails/PM's with tears and left my sincere appreciations to all for having me join them. It was not an easy thing for me to do since scrapbooking is such a huge passion that I have and I know that it is not something that I take lightly. I've had some good times with these teams, even if it was for a short while. This has been such a humbling experience for me, to deny my wants and desires to fulfill the need to do what is best for me and my family. I absolutely have gained such a tremendous appreciation for the scrapbook community and the inspiration that I've received from so many talented and amazing people. I also know I will greatly miss the friendships I've built and being able to work closely with those who have inspired me a great deal. However, I know that someday I will join them again and will still see them around every now and then.

So, you can still be kept updated through my blog and please feel free to leave me any comments or just say hello. After having such an emotional week, I'm finally starting to feel some peace knowing that I can begin moving forward and start the journey to accomplish what needs to be done. Thank you for reading and allowing me to share this with you. May God continue to bless you and enrich you with His abundant blessings....

Trying to do the right thing.....

For the past week, I have been STUCK with this voice inside of me, that was really hard for me to ignore. And finally, after discovering that my husband has taken a pay cut and hearing of company lay-offs due to this economy crisis, has left me without a choice to step up my game and prioritize my time to prepare for the worst in case, God forbid, my husband loses his job. So, today I had to face the facts and listen to this voice, to let go of some of my creative teams which was difficult, but in doing so I hope to focus on finishing up my graphic design program and if I have to, work part-time evenings and/or weekends. I definitely loved working with Fee Jardine and Julie Billingsley, both @ SSD. Julie was the one designer who took a chance on me and introduced me to SSD and all the lovely people there. Fee, will always be my favorite when it comes to handrawn doodles and alphas. Both these ladies were such a wonderful source of inspiration to me and has played such a big part in my journey as a scrapper. So, even though I was sad to leave, I know I have to do what I have to do that's best for me and my family.... Hopefully, when this economy crisis is finally over and I'm done with school, then maybe I'll have more time to join other teams, but for now four is enough. :)

Support a Dream....

Help me in supporting a Faith Sister to realize her dream of expanding her family. Click the banner below to purchase this beautiful collaboration kit!

Dream A Little Dream

Layout by me...

"Little Angel"

Totally forgot...

...to mention that my ::Forever:: layout was chosen for LAYOUT OF THE WEEK last week and that I was also selected for this week's SPIN-A-LIFT challenge @ SSD! I'm so flattered and thankful that I was chosen to be featured, it is such a reward after putting all my heart and soul into creating pages about special moments and people in my life. This just makes me love what I do even more! So, if you want to join in on getting some sweet rewards for the Sweet Shoppe, come play and lift any one of my layouts found in my gallery here.



















Also, I was surprised to receive a PM from Joyce over at Funky Playground Designs that my layout, ::I'll Stand By You:: , using ::HOOTENANNY:: by Libby Weifenbach and ChereKaye, was selected for their first Featured Layout Friday debut! Wow, it was such a good week for me... Hope it continues! So far, I'm feeling low on my scrapping mojo this week, just taking time to catch my breath and remembering to find balance in life. Without balance, life can turn into chaos and that is definitely not something I can afford to happen. So far, life is good and I'm enjoying the things that I've been so blessed with--family and preserving memories!

It's beginning.....

to look a lot like CHRISTMAS! hehe...I don't know but, I'm getting that giddy feeling I have whenever I think of the holidays. Maybe because I've been waking up to colder mornings and the sun is starting to lay lower on the horizon throughout the day, making the skies look hazy. My husband who spends a lot of time in his greenhouse, shared with me that his plants are preparing to go dormant for the winter season and soon our flower garden will stop blooming. *Sigh* If only flowers could bloom all year long, right? Right now, I'm even listening to my favorite Christmas music collection while my little boy sits besides me, eating zucchini bread. Yum, another favorite dessert during the holidays that we would enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider. Well, only a few short months and that special time of the year will be here to spend time celebrating with our friends and families and taking time to rejoice for the precious gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Anyways, I've got some digi news to share about all that's going on in my little world and the cool sales that are happening right now with Little Dreamer Designs and Faith Sisters. And maybe this is partially why I'm feeling like it's Christmas....

First of all, Little Dreamer Designs is having there Semi-Annual Sale where everything is 40% off!!!! You don't want miss this sale... I know before I was blessed to become a part of their CT, I was always excited about stocking up on a lot of their amazing stuff. Hurry before the sale ends on Sept. 21st! And you want to know what else is exciting??!! C.D. Muckosky is our guest designer! She's got some awesome talent and will be selling some of her designs @ LDD! :)


Next at Faith Sisters, a celebration is going on to mark their ONE year anniversary! In one year, this amazing site has grown and changed to become such a thriving community of scrapbookers who share the same passion for Jesus Christ and who ultimately love to scrapbook whether it be traditional, digital, or hybrid. Faith Sisters has a special place in my heart because for me, this is where it all began. It was the open door that led me to a whole new adventure in discovering who I am and what God has called me to be. And I'm forever thankful for the ladies behind Faith Sisters who made it possible by trusting and following God's will to take that step of faith and create a place for those who love the Lord and want to honor Him with their creations. Happy Birthday Faith Sisters! Visit the blog to stay updated on all the great things that are going on!

If you purchase $10 or more in the shop, you'll get this BIRTHDAY BASH collab FREE!!

And last but, not least... I have a lil' announcement regarding moi'! heheh....

I've admired Misty Cato for a long time now... And it's a blessing to have this chance to work with her. She is another extremely talented designer coming from SSD and I look forward to playing with her designs. Her blog is always filled with so much inspiration, tutorials, and freebies every now and then. Whatever she comes out with is always amazing... I'm so thankful to be part of her team!

Each and every designer that I create for are all wonderful and I appreciate them so much. They all bring something different to the table which allows me to grow and challenge myself to be as creative as possible. I've been totally surprised at the pages I create, sometimes hard to believe that my imagination can manifest into something wonderful. I feel I've come so far, yet I know I still have a lot to learn and I just want to enjoy the ride....

Thanks for reading this far!! I know I can sometimes write such long novels! LOL! I'll be back to share layouts and other good stuff! Take care and may you have a blessed week!

Faith Discovery Challenges Returns.....

If anyone reads my blog, you know how I love sharing my faith and what it truly means to me as a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister and most of all as a person. My journey through life as had it's shares of trials and tribulations which has molded me to become one who is less reliant on myself and more and more dependent on God each and every day. I'm a work in progress and hope that one day, I can be made perfect in His image and likeness. But, while I'm going through these challenges in life, I find it to be my purpose that I share my faith with others through scrapbooking and allow my life experiences hopefully be an inspiration and encouragement to others. So, please be praying for me as I restart the Faith Discovery Challenges at Faith Sisters... Next week, Wednesday - August 27th - is the next challenge. I will be hosting it once a month, every last Wednesday. These challenges are for everyone who wish to gain greater insight into their faith or would simply like to leave a legacy of faith for their family. Whatever the reason may be, I pray that it will be a blessing to your heart and help draw you closer to the Lord.... Hope to see you there!

Also, Faith Sisters is looking for new Designers to join the Design Team for our shop. The deadline to apply is August 29th, so if you're interested, please find more details about it here.

And last but, not least... I have new layouts that I'd like to share! It's been a great month of creativity for me and have had so much inspiration and motivation through the talented designers I create for and all the wonderful people out there in the scrap community.

So first off, I'd like to showcase a collaboration @ Little Dreamer Designs, ::HOPE for Ryleigh::, a charity kit that will help a wonderful little girl, Ryleigh, who is battling with a bone marrow abnormality called myelodysplasia. Because she has to live 3 hours from home for at least 4 months as she undergoes chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. The profits from this charity kit will go towards this family to cover medical costs and living expenses. If you'd like to hear more about what you can do to help this family, please visit Ryleigh's personal website here. This kit is jam packed with lots of yummy goodies to play with! You will not be disappointed!

{You Are My Hope}

{Little Dreamer}

And there have been some recent collaborations between some designers at LDD with other talented artists in the digi community!

{Climb} using ::Camp Out::
by Jackie Eckles and Amy Martin

{First Love} using ::{FALL}ing For Retro::
by Leora Sanford and Paislee Press

Today, at our LDD blog will be the Scrap A Moment Challenge - Behind the Scenes @ Birthday Parties

{Pin The Nose On Elmo} using almost everything from
::Candy Pop:: by Lisa Sisneros @ LDD

On to SSD layouts....

{Perfect Love} using ::Retro Boy:: sampler by Fee Jardine
for the Sweet Shoppe Quarterly Assortment Vol.3 @ SSD

{Sweet Gift} using ::Little Miss:: by Fee Jardine @ SSD

{Little Toes} using ::Hey Hey Baby::,
a Perfect Pairs Kit By Libby Weifenbach & Amanda Heimann @ SSD.

{No Doubt} using ::Caught Thinking:: , a Two Scoops kit
by Julie Billingsley & Eva Kipler @ SSD.

{Live Your Dreams} using ::Atomic Bounce::
by Melissa Bennett @ SSD
*For the August Treat of the Month challenge, lifting Amanda Resende's ::Smile:: *

{Last Time} using ::Natural Beauty::
by Kristin Cronin-Barrow @ SSD
*For the SWTSB #33 challenge - Tell Me Your Time*

Okay...whew! These designers are always cranking up new stuff each week so, I'll be working it like crazy! Keep checking back because I have a little gift that I want to share, it's been a while!
Thanks for looking and God bless you!

If only....

I had more hours in a day... If only I knew how to keep track of time... If only I could just share a little bit of my life on this blog every day... July was such a crazy month for me and a lot of it has to do with me being so caught up with the challenges of life, challenges of being a mom, challenges of keeping a marriage strong and healthy, and of course challenges of living a life that honors God. On the other side of things, I'm very aware of how blessed my life is at the moment and even though I have no clue what tomorrow will bring, whether it be poverty or fortune, I can honestly be at peace that God has it all under control. I have to trust in His promises and KNOW and not just think, that He will take care of me and my family during these difficult financial times. In my son's Junior Church last Sunday, they spoke about Isaiah during the famine and how God provided food and water for him out in the wilderness. God will provide because His word says that He our PROVIDER. It's been pretty amazing that the last few weeks, even though we had nothing in the bank, God still led people to us to give us money or food without us even saying a word. Little miracles like that give me big reasons to believe that God is with us throughout our circumstances. I hope that encourages you all to put faith in the Lord and not on money. Money is definitely important for our survival, but it's God who opens doors and has inifite resources to bring wealth into our lives.

Anyways, back to the scrappy side of things.... I'm a little late in announcing some news that I've recently joined another CT for a designer at Sweet Shoppe Designs--Fee Jardine. She is wonderful to work with as with all the other designers that I create for. Her style is so unique with her flair for doodles and paint effects that I just love. Her recent release is called ::Lil Bit Cuckoo:: which the colors are totally yummy.

*Click on images for full credits*

Also, new from Julie Billingsley @ SSD -- ::Shebang::

*Click on images for full credits*

And ::Lights Camera Action::

*Click on images for full credits*

And new from Libby Weifenbach @ SSD -- ::The One That I Want::

*Click on images for full credits*

Another new kit from Libby (she's been really workin it!) that I forgot to post about -- ::You're So Tween::

*Click on images for full credits*

Using one of Libby's first kits -- ::Marco::

*Click on images for full credits*

And last but, not least---some fun layouts I created for Little Dreamer Designs... Remember every Wednesday, they have selected items on sale for only $1!! And even though that sounds cheap, the designs are sooooo worth it!




Well, that's a wrap!! wheww! I'm also going to be back @ Faith Sisters very soon with the Faith Discovery Challenges which I've been working on. So, if you want to be encouraged and share your faith in your pages, this is the one place you'll want to visit! So stop by and get acquainted with all the wonderful people at Faith Sisters. And they also have some awesome new products in their shop.

I've got more scrapping to do once I take some photos of my son, Lucas, this Saturday for his 2nd birthday! We're keeping it small with just close relatives but, it's going to be fun. The theme is going to be "Elmo's World" since that is such a favorite of his right now... So, thanks for stopping by and I'll be back with more scrap goodness...

Sweet Treats

Okay, I'm so blown away by these awesome kits that you just have to get a hold of! These are some of the newest releases that has been put out there that I know is going to tickle you with sweetness! And I have some layouts to share using these kits! Here they are! Click on the images to go directly to the shop or gallery for credits... TFL! :)

::LITTLE DREAMER::

Summer Time Collab kit!! This is huge!

Under The Sun

Beyond the Horizon

::JULIE BILLINGSLEY @ SSD::

I created two layouts showing how versatile it is!

Grow 2 Love

First Wheels

LIBBY WEIFENBACH @ SSD -
Grand Opening of her new store!! Here's just a few of her fun & funky products!

Here's The Story



Isn't She Lovely


and here's a little peek at what Libby is putting out in the shop
tomorrow!! You gotta visit Sweet Shoppe tomorrow to find out what it is!

Have a nice weekend everybody!!!

:: SWEET NEWS - TOOT !::

Just wanted to share this announcement with you :) Julie Billingsley is a super SWEET and TALENTED designer at SWEET SHOPPE DESIGNS and it's definitely a pleasure to be a part of her team and I'm so thrilled to meet so many other gifted scrappers. Doors have been opening for me left and right and I really don't know why except that it's because I love to create beautiful pages of my family and the blessings that make life SWEET... I also thank my heavenly Father above for His favor and provision to be able to enjoy my hobby without having to keep spending all my money to buy digital goodies :D What a super duper privilege and I'm so grateful. I love being creative, it's so fulfilling and satisfies me in a way that I can't explain... anyone feel me?