Everything She Says is TRUE

I just had a stamp made... I know. You can go anywhere and have one made with just what you want it to say... most "custom" sites let you choose the words, and a cute little graphic from their line up, and Voila! There you have it! A stamp that says everything you want it to, and a picture you've chosen yourself!

BUT

I really really really wanted more.... I wanted something that said handmade by Rachel.
I wanted something that was MINE...
In my own writing.
With my own graphics.
and it took me a while....

BUT

I found villageimpressions.com, and not ONLY is she everything her homepage says she is, this gal makes CLEAR stamps.
Mounted
Unmounted
YOU NAME IT
It's yours in a week.
Really.
I sent my image into her through email on the WEEKEND, and she replied, and gave me a quote, ($12.00 if you are wondering) and I paid her through paypal on the 19th, and it came in the mail TODAY!!! A week. And I love it! It's my own handwriting, and I love it. LOVE it.
Here is the image I sent in...

I wrote out what I wanted to have the stamp say and I wrote it out about 10 times.... Then I took scissors and cut the best parts of each section, and glued them to a white paper. So the pieces of it are the words
from the
and then a sparate one for the heart shape,
and then one for of
and then my first name
and then the last name
THEN I taped over the top of it,
and THEN I took my White Sharpie poster pen, and scribbled all the edges of the cut papers... I also cleaned up a few of the lines by CAREFULLY covering some areas with the Sharpie.
THEN I scanned the image into my computer, and cleaned it up even FURTHER with the contrast and shadowing on my scanner and THEN also in Picasa. THEN I sent the final product!! So, I didn't actually GET that final product by just WRITING what I wanted and tada, there it was... It took a bit more than that!

BUT

Here is what the stamp looks like!!!


I love it.
And FYI
That's NOT how I sign my last name...
What a neat idea for a kid's signature or drawing... I'm thinking I might make a stamp for cards out of a Holiday drawing of Macs or Josh's next year...

Weeks 44, 45, AND 46 Deck of ME

Week 44 was HOME....


Week 45 was Self Realization...


Week 46 was rejuvenation...


Thanks, Emily!! I love this journal so much! I can't BELIEVE there are only 6 weeks left. Can't wait to see what December has to hold!!

Last year....

Josh was missing his two front teeth

Macs was still a LITTLE bit a baby...

Ian... he was still a boy....

This last year was so full of change for our family. I'm so happy with my boys. I love everyone of them so much. It never amazes me how you can love one child with ALL your heart, and then when another child comes, your heart suddenly grows, and your love overflows. I'm so Thankful for the blessings that God has given me in my boys. They are beautiful in every way, from my not so little "baby" who is FOUR, to my not so toothless Boy who is the ONLY person in our family to be both a BIG brother, AND a little one, to My YOUNG MAN... who is ever changing before my eyes, into a young adult. I'm so thankful for the conversations that I have with each of them... they are so funny, and their humor makes me laugh. And I'm thankful too, for the BIG boy in my life... He provides for our family without ANY complaint. He is my shoulder, and my life line. He is my best friend. I can't IMAGINE life any other way....


So much happens in one little year... I'm trying not to miss too much of it. I hope you have a wonderful, and family filled Thanksgiving...

Epiphany

I had an Epiphany... It might not seem like much to you, but it's HUGE for me.
I am an artist.
A
REAL
Artist.
I don't know HOW to say it...
if I don't create,
I feel it.
FEEL
it.
In my soul.
I have ideas, and THINGS in my heart and in my head...
and if I don't let them OUT
it's like there isn't room to make MORE.
and then my soul feels weary.
It was this box that made me realize this.

You can look at it, and you can TELL
I
made
it.
I created the THING that makes it MINE...

The best part?
I didn't even really KNOW what I wanted to do...
lately, I've been able to have a BASIC plan, a source of inspiration...
and then I've just worked with what FELT good.
I worked UNTIL it felt good.
and then I was DONE.
It happened on this layout too...

and I can't explain it right.
I'm free.
I am free to FEEL my art.
I'm free to experiment HOWEVER I choose.
I'm free to dabble in whatever FEELS right.
In the end, it will be ME.
and you will see a bit of my soul.
and it will be shiny.
because I gave it freedom and space for MORE...
I want MORE.

Are you SHOPPING for my Christmas Gift?

I thought you might be....
and I really
really
r
e
a
l
l
y
want one of THESE...
I think those gals are kindred spirits.
I found them, because one of the blogs I STALK has a tiny feature on the Visual Chronicles BLOG.
I think that's totally COOL! Jill and I MET through art journals.
I also want one of THESE

Because then I could make all the yummy journals I want!!

Scrapping Fool!

This is my Scrapping the MUSIC Page! Hope you like it! Be sure to visit the blog! And post a comment with a link to your page! There are TWO prizes to be given away this week!

TallyScrapper.com is having a cyber Crop this weekend! It's our last day today! Buzz over! 777 points for you to give away! Good luck getting rid of them! They will be awarded to your layouts faster than you can say TallyPoints! The LO above was for two challenges. One to use Wallet sized photos, and the other to create a LO with sparkle. Preferably a masculine one.

This LO was for a challenge to use a quote, and MIS quote it. I thought up this quote, and then couldn't think of any OTHERS so I had to run with it. It ended up pretty cool, and I actually love it!

This is a card for a challenge to use the scraps of pages that we made for other challenges this weekend. I have two more pages... blogger is having issues. not sure I will be able to get them up here!

Got this LO done for two challenges on Tally also. I rolled the dice, and got a one. So I had to use one ribbon, one photo, one flower, one arrow, and one button. The second challenge was to write a thank you letter to someone you never got to thank. I wrote a thank you to my gramma.

I issued a challenge to use LACE. I've gotten a BUNCH of good lace finds lately at the thrift store, and I used some of it here on this card.

Cyber Cropage!

Head on over to TallyScrapper.com this weekend! 777 points to give away, Challenges, games, it's gonna be FUN! Hope to see you there!

Scrapping the Music Week 10

I hope you have a moment to make it over to Scrapping the MUSIC to see the OTHER great layouts done for this week's song BEST DAYS!! It's a great one! Being on this team has been so cool! I love it. Used the OCTOBER KIT from TallyScrapper.com for this page! My focal photo is printed on a transparency, and I laid it over two wallets of Travis and I. Had so much fun working on this one. I love the way it came out!

Fall Face

My new Avatar... My fall face if you will!