You Look Lovely

Hehehe, I didn't realize when I told my cousin and her Dad to get in a picture I did "the impossible" and awkwardly forced my Uncle Joe to be in a picture - apparently something he never does, but I had no idea, since I hadn't seen him for several years! Haha! You can tell my cousin is just thrilled and entertained by this!!

Anyway, the funny thing is the back of that main piece of paper is what everyone's after and why it's still sold out at Studio Calico. Even my friend Kara is on the "wait list" for this piece of paper, and I had to ask her not to kill me while I sat next to her (at the scrapbook retreat) and was just using the back of it haha!

I love those mini wooden letters! I cheated and used the ones I received in my December Daily kit, but then ordered more before they sold out!

HOW-TO:

• I used the Darling Dear collection by Studio Calico
• The cuts were made on the Silhouette, and from the Cut It Out class from Studio Calico

Romans 3:1-26

Here are most of the notes from last week's message "The Whole Shebang!" from Pastor Dave Tomasso!

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I used just a few items from the Sock Hop kit by Studio Calico and then there was a lot of writing to be done, so I changed it up, writing the Bible verses with my ultra precision pen - the Pigma Micron 005, aka 0.20mm line width.

Most importantly, here are a few golden nuggets:
* God's Word will stand
* In order to understand grace, I have to hear the ugly part that brings me under sin to appreciate the cross, the blood that was shed

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This next set of pages was a mostly blank page, then a weird page with a woman's face... so I tore it out, but the back was a top ten decoration, so I cut out part of it and adhered to the left side. I used my Silhouette to cut out the main verse we've been looking at the past couple weeks - Romans 3:24! I cut it out of that red polka dot paper and just used the leftover piece, and only had to lift the inner parts of the letters to adhere instead of working with every individual letter.

We got some awesome definitions last week for:
* JUSTIFIED - "Just as if" I never sinned (WOW!)
* FREELY - undeservedly; without cause
* GRACE - because of His grace, no strings attached
* REDEMPTION - a ransom that is paid

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"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" --Romans 3:24 (KJV)

Congrats Card

This is a card I made for a girlfriend who moved into her own apartment!! I just wanted to make something simple to say congrats and how cool it is for her :)

I used this card sketch from this month's sketch challenge over at Studio Calico that was based on some cards made by Stephanie Dagan!

I used my Silhouette to personalize the card and cut the main portion plus the word "awesome" by Ali Edwards.

I stamped with a stamp from the Sock Hop kit by Studio Calico and grabbed a wood veneer circle frame also by Studio Calico to use on top. The papers were from last year's Boardwalk kit!

Romans 2

Here are the past few weeks of Bible study notes - all of Romans Chapter 2! Yesterday, on my day off, I spent the afternoon and evening catching up and doing all these pages! The downside to this was that this morning Chris said he really missed me since we didn't hang out much last night. On the upside though, I got to rediscover Chapter 2 all in one shot and really brought it together for me! So maybe husband will just have to miss me for one day a month or so hehe! Here we go:

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Romans 2:1-4

Oh man, if this chapter doesn't convict you and make you look at your own heart, I don't know what will!

I was playing with the Silhouette so cut some simple shapes here, added some stamps and washi tape and mostly used the space for my notes!

Some points to think about:
* When we pass judgment, we think we have the ability to recognize the flaw in someone else
* Who are we to judge when we just want mercy
* We can only judge based on our perception, we don't know the heart

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Romans 2:5-16

I looked at my notes for this sermon and realized it would be a TON of writing... and since I still had 3 sermons to cover, I printed some of it out.

The other side I kept real simple and just added some stamps from the Sock Hop kit by Studio Calico so I could get the rest written down.

* A God of love gives His ONLY son to die in our place
* He doesn't send anyone to hell, man sends himself

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Romans 2:17-24

I guess I had Christmas subconsciously in my brain when I made these pages? Perhaps just a little? Oh well, we can't celebrate Christmas enough!

Chris randomly found me a typewriter on major clearance last week! I had been asking for one for awhile and he found a great deal!! I decided again, instead of writing all those verses out to try out my trusty new typewriter - I used the print feature, which just types as you type, so there were a few typos I had to white out - no wonder white out was so huge back in the day! I never knew I can't bring my fingers to type the word "thou" without turning it into the word "though" haha :)

* Knowledge isn't supposed to puff you up to look down at others, it's supposed to make you want to serve!
* Are you practicing what you preach?

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Romans 2:17-24 con't, Romans 2:25-29

So for message this past weekend on Romans 2:25-29, I missed the teaching because I was at the scrapbook retreat. In other words, to get notes for this message I went to the CC Westside website here and listened to it and typed it up instead of hand writing them, wherefore thou seeist my typed notes instead of wherein thou might seeist handwritten notes ;)

On the left side I stamped those pinked circles which was great because we were given all those examples in the Bible where people were judging others.

* You're professing more than you possess
* Man will judge God according to your behavior
* Christian, get before the Lord and ask God if there is any area in my life that I'm a stumbling block to? Is my witness a joke?

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Romans 2:25-29 con't

I clearly missed out on a great message, but there was so much content I'm glad I was able to listen back and type it out - and catch more than if I was handwriting furiously without a pause button to help me!

I kept this super simple with some washi tape on the left side and a Tim Holtz stamp on the right side since the page was already decorated.

* You have ordinances without obedience, you have rituals without reality
* Circumcise your hearts - the Lord is looking at the inward, He wants a true commitment
* Go in your prayer closet, get on your face, humble yourself before the Lord, pray to him to show your heart and brace for it, confess your sin
* Remove the deception that you're OK because you're religious

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There it is - all of Romans Chapter 2!! Have a nice day :)

Retreat Layouts!

Here are the layouts I completed this weekend at the Scrapbook Creations retreat!! So here we go...

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Hello Miami

Some pics from our Miami beach trip back in April - I am so thankful for my husband Chris who found us a non-tourist trap local Cuban cafe to fill my breaded chicken fix at: Puerto Sagua!! It was so delicious - crispy seasoned on the outside, juicy breaded chicken on the inside complemented by a side of rice and sweet plantains, I mean you just can't go wrong here!

This layout was lifted/inspired by Amy Tan's layout here! I loved the colors and splatters - so I actually prepped this one before the retreat and did the splatters at home! I'm so glad I did too because it took an overnight+ for them to dry!

I used the Roller Rink kit by Studio Calico to complete this layout and I cut the Hello banner from the Silhouette using a cut from Studio Calico! I wasn't sure if I should bring the Silhouette with me, but so glad I did - I used it for ALL but 1 of the layouts!! I am hooked for sure!!

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This is Awesome

I just had to make sure I finished these Miami pictures, so I printed my last 4 and put them on this layout! We had added an extra day to our trip when we got majorly delayed at the beginning of the week due to a SNOWSTORM IN APRIL leaving Rochester, but the reason this happened is so we could enjoy a burger (or 2) at Shake Shack on our last day!! A-MAZING!!!

I used the Sock Hop kit by Studio Calico for this, which included some incredible papers that I had to use, this was one of them! I couldn't cut it up so I used the whole thing here.

The awesome title was cut with the Silhouette using a cut from my Cut It Out class that is sponsored by Silhouette America and created by Ali Edwards! The planes were from the Transportation wood veneer by Studio Calico - I heart wood veneer!!

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Smile Girls

Finally, some pics from my trip to Indiana this past May to visit my cousins and family out there!! This was a pic of us girls eating lunch in downtown Indianapolis :)

Inspiration came from this layout by Maggie Holmes! So simple and easy to recreate!

I used the Silhouette to cut the Love this title, which was a cut from the Cut It Out class as well! Enamel dots are so awesome - they can so quickly complete your layout it's ridiculous, no wait, what's ridiculous is later peeling off an enamel dot from the bottom of your shoe after a long weekend haha!!

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Fortville, Indiana

These are my Mom and my Dad's houses where they lived around the corner from each other in small town Fortville, Indiana!! The little house on the left is where my Dad's hardworking parents raised their 4 children! My Dad grew up there and for many years we used to stay at that house when we visited my grandparents. My Mom was a transplant from Michigan, then Highland Indiana, and finally Forville where she started dating my Dad in high school!

I used the Roller Rink kit by Studio Calico. I just love those papers! The Good Life title was a cut in the Cut It Out class files and the hearts was a cut I got from Daniela Dobson's blog, both using the Silhouette!

I knew I wanted to take advantage of the Chevron pattern in the wood paper so I used the lines to add some sewing! Love how it turned out!

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Hello Today

Some more pics from Turkey Run State Park, where we went with all my cousins, aunts, and uncles! Me and my cousins would run through those trails and we loved trail 3, so we went back on it to hike around!

I used the Sock Hop kit for this one which included those wood veneer feathers!! The background arrows cut is from the Studio Calico digital store!

I used my white Signo pen to white out the sentiment on the die cut branch and fill in the date!

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Family

Sorry for the glare off the top picture. We drove out to the cemetery where my Dad's remains are buried with my Grandparents. It was hard to scrap this page but I'm glad I did. My cousins and my aunts (my Dad's twin sisters) were busy setting up the flowers and I just felt so loved and felt the love for my Dad. I can't wait to be reunited with them all someday in heaven.

The inspiration for this layout came from this layout by Celine Navarro. I used the Daydream Believer kit by Studio Calico.

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Together

We got a really nice picture of my Dad's twin sisters, my wonderful aunts, and my two cousins (one is one of my aunt's daughters, the other cousin is my Dad's brother's daughter)! Of course my aunt's dogs had to jump in there too!

I used the Sock Hop kit from Studio Calico and really just wanted to keep this layout very simple!

I bought the together cut from DesignerDigitals.com created by Ali Edwards and camera and people cuts from the Silhouette Store by American Crafts. I added the triangle wood veneer where I think the flash of the old school camera would be!

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Cobblestone Farm

This was a quick picture my husband Chris snapped when we went to buy a couple pumpkins for the specific purpose that we wanted to make and eat pumpkin seeds! I didn't carve any shapes this year, just a hole in the top to get the seeds!!

I just love the designs Geralyn Sy comes up with, so her layout here was my inspiration for this page! And I adore the Darling Dear collection that Studio Calico recently released!!

I bought the tree cut from the Silhouette Store by American Crafts. I used the wood veneer letters that came with the County Fair kit back in January by Studio Calico!

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That's all for today!! I am missing the retreat coming up in March 2013 because we will be heading to Israel and not getting back till a few days before it, so that's it till next November!