Stacked Stones Studio!

These beautiful and sophisticated flower have been created for several hundreds of year by "ladies in the know." They used them to create personalized jewlry that coordinated with their lovely gowns....or as one story tell to signal to a particular beau that she was open to his proposal of marriage. Now, it is time for that knowledge to be passed on to the next generation. Prepare well, ladies...for the burden is great to bear...and the cost...oh the cost... -- well it is actually almost non existent -- but that doesn't go very well with our line about burdens and costs now does it?!??! Few simple supplies 1.Quarter yard of organza fabrics in 2-3 coordinated colors. I chose to brilliant blues (one dark, one light) a pale pink and an off white. Lots of combinations available for those. 2. A drafters circle template to draw out the multi-tudenous number of circles you will need. Three sizes 1.75 " 1.5" amd 1". Make as many of each as you want to end up with ...

Well folks...those of you that have been doing the One Little Word blog challenge know that this week's word is MY. Two letters...inspiring lots of thought. Since I have been reading a lot lately about collage and altered art...and have been beginning an album on scrapping my faith -- I decided to do a combined challenge that would work for all three...(nothing like piling it on huh?!?!) Soooooooo....my "MY" layout is called...My Point of View. The journaling reads: I think there is a reason that God has us start out in this world as small children. As a child, we can't help but look up for ansers. We don't think we know it all. Children lift their arms up to be picked up and comforted. They know that things will be better in the arms of their parents. As we grow, we seem to outgrow that knowledge. We begin to think that we somehow have to figure out the answer to all of life's questions ourselves...when our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to raise our ha...

Cover of the book that I did for my niece to record all the things she loved when she was eight. The cover was made by ironing velvet squares over rubber stamps (fluffy side toward stamp) -- you really want to use a fairly simple design stamp to do this as detail doesn't show up well. This is the next two pages...more color correct that the next two...used the Love, Elsie fabric paper with adhesive back to make flower petals with wire in them. Page 3 and four (love the journaling cards from Jenni Bowlin) Back cover...

You know I love words...I am a writer at heart....so you KNOW I love the One Little Word blog with its challenges to use single words as a starting point for a layout. But I was totally surprised today when they announced their "favorites" for the last challenge word -- STOP...and my layout was on the list. Wow. cool. Fun challenge -- try it. There will be a new word on Wednesday!

Well...I guess posting about them inspired me to get on the stick and finish this layout about my guys. It was fun...spray painting, wax and transparencies...all rolled into one!

Have I mentioned how blessed I feel to have these two men in my life, lately? Well -- it's about time doncha think? *smile* I don't know if you all know this -- but guys aren't like girls...not at all...nope -- not even a smidge like us. And I think that is a good thing. It certainly keeps things interesting...and me on my toes. I snapped this picture the other day when they were working on some Royal Ranger stuff...mano a mano. They were out there building fires. Lashing sticks together to make a table. Throwing a tomahawk at the trees and just having a hee-ho time. I loved watching them working on it all together. Just being guys. What a blessing to have a teenager that enjoys spending time with his Dad. I hope that means that their relationship will only get stronger from here -- and they will have years to do "guy" things together. Major cleaning going on at my house. My sister and nephew and niece are coming for a visit and bring the rest of the stuff f...

Ok...I had to keep playing with Jenni's kit...and then remembered the one little word challenge going on...so I decided to try and combine both...here is what I ended up with. Don't we as adults want time to slow down -- but when we were kids we couldn't wait for the hands to spin on the clock so we would be OLDER!?!?!?! What was up with that...boy talk about 20/20 hindsight! *smile*

I rewarded myself today...and boy did I deserve a BIG reward! Some of you may know that my sewer backed up in my house...for the second time. Let's leave it at ICK! Anyway, once it got fixed, there was a HUGE mess to clean up...and it was not a fun job. So I promised myself that I could open my Jenni Kit from May if and when I got it done. It was just the "carrot" I needed. I did my "office work" this morning...cleaned, cleaned, cleaned after lunch and then let myself PLAY! Oh I love this kit...so sweet...have so many ideas -- and I plan to keep on playing until every scrap is used! This is one of the lo's I got done -- several others in the works. Have a great weekend.

I so rarely do this...but I have taken today as a TOTAL day off. I don't even feel guilty! Royce called and made breakfast -- so I went over to his house for awhile...watched the Sopranos marathon. Then I came back to the house, turned on the Law and Order Criminal Intent marathon and went into my studio. I have created quite the mess! Paint, stamps, transparencies, watercolors, rubons, glitter, ink, paper, scissors, glue and of course PHOTOs. They are everywhere. It was total play. Trying new techniques...not trying to accomplish anything...just PLAY! I did actually complete one lo...this one about my nephew. I have plans to go back into the studio in a while and use some of my new things on some other los. I will keep you posted...unless of course you are on a play day of your own -- which means you won't be showing up here anytime soon. Enjoy your day -- wherever you may play!

I have found that not sitting down to my scrapbooking table for several days leads to two things. 1. Almost a hunger to touch paper and get my hands busy on creating SOMETHING. 2. Not always the best results. However, the satisfaction of just getting to get back to it is worth not totally LOVING the results...I still managed to capture what was in my heart...and while they won't win any prizes...they are qn expression both of creativity and the love I have for the process of journaling and capturing my thoughts about life, faith and the people I love. So here are the three I have done yesterday and today. I did really enjoy working on this one about my grandfather. While I was away, I was doing a lot of journaling about following your dreams...and trusting God with them. That got me thinking about my grandpa -- GRAMPS. One of the wisest men I have ever known...smart as all get out -- deeply in love with God, a great father husband, provider, grandparent, lover of life and histo...

Hello my dear friends... For the first time during a cruise, I had a room that had a porthole in it and I LOVED it! Every time I would walk into the room I had to go see what I could see. During the daytime when we were in port -- I had views like this----> At night, the ship would have lights shining down on the water and I could see the blue and white waves as the ship sailed to our next port of call. It was really quite intriguing and fun to see. The conference went really well -- and what a blessing to get to work with Royce. We had great worship leaders (Tommy Walker, Ross Parsley, Rita Springer and Jeff Deyo) and the conferees were superb. There are some inherent challenges in organizing a conference on a ship rather than at a hotel (since there isn't a Staples just down the road to grab what you forgot)...but the benefits of relaxation and visiting different cities while staying unpacked in one room far out weigh the challenges. (OK, perhaps I should mention that that who...

I find myself fascinated with transparency these days. The kind you use on layouts like Hambly or ones I make myself...and the kind of transparency that we need in our lives with our friends and families. Perhaps it is a good thing that my fascination with the first -- led to me hearing God speak to me about the second. This layout above is one that I did to teach a class for a group of ladies whose husbands and/or sons went on the Pathfinder trip with Royce and Weston. I created a transparency to frame the picture and to make a place for the journaling. As I was working on it, I began to focus on why I liked the transparency....ok....so maybe I am becoming a bit overly analytical -- and not to take an analogy to its dying breath -- but I realized that transparency is good when it enhances the object/picture/person that you are viewing it through. Not that it makes it better...but it lends understanding or more texture or .....something. I want to be that kind of transparent perso...

Ok...first, I realize I have been a bad blogger and have been gone for two weeks and then I show up and make two posts in one day. Secondly, I KNOW this is the worst scan in the world....but it was the best my scanner would do. Thirdly, this lo owes a HUGE nod to Jenni Bowlin and Ali Edwards. Jenni has a WONDERFUL kit that she has created for National Scrapbookers' Day on Saturday -- and I couldn't help but steal her concept for my frame. Ali has a new kit called Beautiful which is sold out from Creating Keepsakes...I had to get it for the STAMPS alone...what "beautiful" handwriting her word stamps had. So together...with a little thought of my own -- I came up with this lo to honor my mom...wasn't she beautiful at 17?

Do you remember being 15? I kind of do...seems so long ago. I worked on this page for a friend of mine whose daughter made Varsity Setter this year. She is so young and althletic -- and bright and full of spark and promise. I loved this picture -- caught in mid-flight like a butterfly... with her whole life ahead of her and learning some valuable life lessons now. Time flies....

Royce and I just got back from Miami and our site survey for our worship conference we are hosting in May onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Liner Majesty of the Seas. We had a wonderful time and got all the things arranged we needed to (we were a little nervous because the ship had been refitted and rooms were not as we have used before). The weather was just beautiful -- and while we did LOTS of work (really!) it was also just a lovely time for us personally as well. With everything that has been going on with the business and life in general we needed some "us" time really badly and we got it. On another note, there was a scrapbooking class on board...so of course I had to go check it out..there were TONS of people there -- but I really think that some of us girls from the Nashville area need to go and take over...it was just a little sad what they all "scrapbooking!" Finally, we found out that we have some extra staterooms available. I asked Royce if I could o...

Well...the announcement about 2007 Hall of Fame winners has been made, and I was not on the "list" this year...*drats* I will say I learned a lot about my style while creating entries for this year's competition...and I also loved creating the layouts. So -- now since there is no prohibition against sharing...I thought I would show you a couple of the layouts I sent. Hope you all are having a great week.

Aloha! I am missing you guys like crazy -- but I must admit that if you have to miss people -- this isn't a bad place to do it. The bible tells us to be content in whatever state we are in...and Hawaii is one of the BEST states I have ever been content in! *smile* Seriously, the conference is going well. Thank you for your prayers for my neck. I made the trip over went quite well...and also did well during my speaking sessions. I have some general sessions to go still and am stuggling a bit with pain in my neck now (strangely after all the "hard" stuff is done). God was so gracious to keep me mostly pain free during the time that pain would have distracted me from teaching -- so please hear that I have no complaints -- I feel very blessed. I am here until Monday and then travel home -- arriving on Tuesday. I can't wait to catch up with you then. Again -- thank you for your prayers. Have a blessed weekend.

Hello friends...Thought I would introduce you to a couple of new things in my life... I have a new "thing" for miniature dress forms. Found these two recently. The wire one is supposed to be used to make a paper mache dress form -- but I like it how it is. The other one is flat...and I added some 7 gypsies paper to it -- some tulle and vintage ribbon to :dress it up a bit. Fun fun. The other thing here is my new idea to make embellishments. I had challenged myself to do at least 25 layouts with just the things that I had in my scrapbook room...so coming up with new and exciting embellishments required a little extra creativity. I have a TON of this plastic table covering...and decided to try something new with it. I used STAZON ink and stamped a couple of images onto it...waited for it to dry -- and then used acrylic paints on the back...loved the results and the possibilities are ENDLESS....now I have a whole new lease on life for my rubber and acrylic stamps...I am looking...

Well...it's true...I officially have a pain in the neck! Several of them actually -- and they have nothing to do with people, places or things! I had been feeling a lot of pain in my neck, shoulder and arm -- but just thought it was stress...but last Friday it was confirmed that I have 7 bulging discs and one herniated disc that is pressing on my spinal column and leaking fluid into it. The neurologist scared me to death -- mentioning words like "quadraplegic and paralyzed," but fortunately he sent me directly to a neuro-surgeon and he was much more optimistic -- and at least wants to try some non-surgical treatment prior to resorting to surgery. Always love it when a surgeon isn't scalpel happy! I have been going to physical therapy and using a cervical traction device at home...and I really have come to love that little machine. I feel so blessed to live in a day and age that we have so much more medical knowledge than previous generations have been privy t...

Thought I would share a Design Team assignment I have been working on for Scrap'n Memories over on Nolensville Road. These are the new Creative Imaginations Bare Essentials cutouts. I think they have several different ones: Baby, Family, Love, Faith, Create, Imagaine and obviously, Travel to name a few. It was a fun home decore project. Hope everyone has had a good weekend. Be safe and have a good week.