I am so blessed to be nominated.........

What a great weekend, I was nominated for the Kreativ Blogger Award by my new CE friends Debbie and Michelle. Thank you so much for nominating me. It is quite an honor

Here are the rules :)
1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.....Thank you so much Debbie and Michelle
2) Copy the Logo onto your blog....done
3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award. http://www.sandalloons44.typepad.com/ and http://debseclecticthoughts.blogspot.com/


4) Share 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

1. I had my work published in the new Zutter book : "Bind It All Through the World"
2. I am a convention junkie, been to 3 CKU's and multiple Scrapbook Expo's. I love to learn great techniques.
3. I love to create shaped scrapbooks
4. I was an Early Childhood Director for almost 15 years. When working for the YMCA I ran 4 sites in 2 different states
5. I have Lupus and work to encourage and support others with this nasty disease
6. I am involved with a group of Christian women who get together once a month to scrapbook. We have fun
7. I rely on God each and everyday to see me through. He is the only way.


5. Nominate 6 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to their blogs.
1. http://stitchnscrap.blogspot.com/
2. http://crazytsblog.blogspot.com/
3. http://adventuresinstamping.blogspot.com/
4. http://cantergrovegal.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.twinmommyscrapper.blogspot.com/
6. http://stmpnshellsworld.blogspot.com/

6. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated. All done !!!!

CE Charm Swap take one

Well, my good idea is going to work but not on black. Glossy accents are great with acrylic but..........with black paper, it shows every flaw,,,,,,ugh

Now to recreate on white

What am I going to do with 90+ acrylic inchies LOL?

Awesome CE Secret Sister

I am so lucky to have an awesome secret sister. I just received this great gift yesterday and LOVE everything in it. Can't wait to meet you SS, you are awesome.

God is in control .......AMEN

There are days, that you wish you didn't get up or at least open your email. Life is not always fair but one thing I am sure of is that God is in charge of my life and He will not forsake me. Day to day life is a struggle but when you put your faith in Him then it does make it a bit easier to deal with whatever comes your way.
Tonight these 2 verses spoke to my heart and affirmed that I was doing the right thing. That being said, it is important to pray for those who are hurting and somehow, someway God's light will shine through. Having a disease like Lupus, stress is not an option so it is with great faith and abandon that I turn it all over to God and trust that He alone can make things right.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.—Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.—James 1:19-20

My prayer for all who read this is that it brings comfort and hope in the knowledge that God is ever with each of us and only wants the best for all involved.

Still by Reuben Morgan

Zutter Club will soon have a new face

Hi all my friends who have followed Zutter Club. Just wanted to let you know that Zutter Club will be missing for the summer but watch my blog as I will be starting it in my home and will look forward to lots of fun.
Can't wait to make Zutterific projects with you.
I am selling my patterns, click on the box to the right that is titled Doggone Cute Creations.
More info soon, Zutter is alive and well and relocating
Happy Memorial Day
Faye

Ribbon Ribbon Ribbon

I love Ribbon and ribbon swaps are some of my favorite. The ribbon swap at CE will be a blast. Since we are traveling to Washington this week, I will have lots of time to wrap my ribbon around my popsicle sticks. (humm did I use popsicle sticks or something else that is equally fun?)

I thought it may be fun to go ahead and make the safety pins to wear so we know who is swapping ribbon. Here is a RAK opportunity, the first 18 who leave a comment below will get a Gold Pin with pink and white ribbon. The next 20 will get a silver pin with ribbon. Going to make this while we are driving. Will put in the mail as soon as I get back. Come join the fun. Ribbon on a Stick instructions are listed in the group files section. Good luck to all........

My CE Secret Sister ROCKS!!!

Check this out, my secret sister sent me lots of goodies and I love them all.
THank You SS, it was a great blessing and brought a smile to my face.
Can't wait to meet you in August

Really Cool RAK's

One of the best things about going to special events like Creative Escape is receiving great RAK's (Random Acts of Kindness) from my scrapping friends.
This is a RAK from my buddy Carol, she added some Heidi Swap stickers :0)

My friend Stacy sent this one, it is actually a photo album, so clever and creative. Stacy is my official CE buddy, we are going to have a blast, it is the first time for Stacy, Carol and myself

Keely sent me this wonderful RAK because we both have May birthdays. I am a bit behind but all my May buddies have RAK's coming. Watch your mail

Check this out, I received this awesome package from Marie C. It is a Pay It Forward RAK. This was such a cool blessing. Marie watch your mail next week, something is coming back your way.


So after scouring the address database it was my turn to Pay It Forward. Someone will be getting this fun package. Hope they like it.

Thanks everyone for blessing my life and since I will sitting in the car for almost 20 hours this weekend, watch your mail cause RAK's are leaving Nevada sometime soon.

I have Lupus......Lupus doesn't have me!!!

To all my facebook friends,
In an effort to answer your questions and not bog down Facebook, I am bringing it to my blog.
To be honest, I am in a much better place now than I have been in years. Not sure what is happening but my body is settling down and the pain is now minimal. This is huge.
In 1997, I was diagnosed with Lupus. The journey this disease has taken me on has never been easy and some days darn near impossible. Then the doctors and the drugs, the cure is sometimes harder than the disease. Drugs to kill my immune system, drugs to boost my adreneline, drugs to bring down the inflammation, drugs to elevate my mood so I will have a high pain tolerence and then the narcotics for pain because somehow Tylenol ceased to work.
4 years into the disease I was deemed disabled and my world just kept going on. The lupus caused inflammation in my veins, vasculitis which would make blood vessels pop and I would bleed out, caused inflammation in my nerves......neuropathy which is an excruciating pain in my legs. It left me unable to walk somedays.
The reality of killing my white blood cells left me open to various infections and the lupus attacked my lungs and kidneys.
To say it has been a rough ride would be an understatement. Epideral steroid shots were a God send and I know He has brought me through many valleys with this illness.
Last October, bloodwork showed that my Vitamin D level was dangerously low due to long term steroid use. I could sneeze and break a rib. I have officially broke everyone of my ribs throughout the past 6 years. Actually broke 3 in one shot, that is a record I don't care to beat. Anyhow, while getting ready for bed a felt a sharp pain in my foot and I broke my heal. No other damage just a broken heal. 15 weeks of cast and boot, it finally healed. I can do it again without any provocation, so I have to be very careful. Blood work this week showed Vitamin D is still low, it needs to still get higher.
With the broken heal, I finally hit a wall and pleaded with God for this all to stop. Well He had mercy on me and the neuropathy pain has settled down, I was able to achieve another steriod deduction (need to get off of those) with very little consequence. This is a major miracle.
I wonder sometimes "why me" and then I hear "why not you" God has seen me through many hard times with this darn disease but He has not let go of me. I believe in the power of prayer and know that only with Him by my side will I survive this trial and He will be glorified.
If on Facebook, I ask for prayer or make a comment, you will all know now what is happening and can say a prayer to see me through.
I will say on a positive note this is the best I have felt in 5 years and each day when I wake up I praise God because I do remember how truly bad it was.
Thank you all my friends for caring and for praying
Love and Hugs
Faye

Bring it on........

I feel like lately I have been in a creative slump. Working on things that weren't meaningful to me and not sure I was happy with the process or the outcome. My heart is yearing to create and make it matter at least to me. Nothing brings me more joy then making things for my friends and family, so I am going to get back to that. Creating should not be a competition, it should be about who you are and what you want offer the world.
Project this week to make my craft room usable and then watch out world, the creations will be coming and I will be happy to share.

I have put all my patterns of my Zutter shaped books on their own blog. Doggone Cute Creations. If you want to recreate any of these books, patterns are for sale and hope they bring you as much enjoyment as they bring me.

Happy Week
Faye

Who Me?

Today I went to lunch with my friend Debbie. When she met me in the parking lot, she had a surprise for me. She had received her personal copy of the Zutter Idea Book "Bind It All Around the World" She proudly stated, "you need to sign your pages"
"Who Me?" That is what I thought. My sweet hubby keeps telling me that I am going be signing many of these great books and I giggle. I really am no one special. I am just someone who created a few fun projects and put herself out there in a contest. Two of my projects were chosen and now I am published.
Though I am proud of my work, I get sort of embarrased by the attention. But I have to remember that I enjoy what I do and this is my moment. It is also my moment to let me friends gush a bit, just a bit hee hee hee.
Don't get me wrong, I have squeeled with excitement and love the fact that I am published but at the end of the day, I am still me and Hollywood hasn't come calling yet LOL.
Hope you all get a copy of the book. It really is full of great ideas and patterns.