ICAD Starts Tomorrow!!!

Yeah!!! So excited... it's my first time participating in the ,

but I am looking forward to it! Please click on the image above to go directly to the site and learn everything!

Basically, in a nut shell, what it is, is that all participants (regardless of skill level!!!) create one index card a day out of any medium, be it pen, paint, heck, even mud, although I don't know if anyone's done THAT yet ;) The reason? Simply to spark and encourage your creativity!

Here are some backgrounds I've begun already, in preparation for tomorrow... many I'm going to do "off the cuff," but I did prep several, just to see where my creative bug takes me :)

I'm even going to have Kyle and Jubilee create some cards with me! I'll post some as I make them. This is going to be a blast. Have an awesome weekend, everyone!

Illustration Friday: Tension

Here is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday:"Tension"... it was something I'd worked on in the past, and someone just today brought it back to my memory by showing it on their Facebook :) Funny how time goes by and you forget things, but I think the look on her face shows tension...

Keepin' Up

Right now, my two little children (ages 2 and 4) are up from their "nap"... the 4 year old never even fell asleep. It is approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, and after I finish typing this up, we'll go to the beach. Or the playground. Or the farm. Somewhere, other than in front of my computer screen.

Which brings up a very interesting point... I don't have a lot of free time in my daily life (I am NOT complaining), but I wonder... how does everyone manage to keep up with everything?

Jubilee at Staples this morning... happily eating munchkins...

I mean, there is so much to do in the virtual world. There are groups that you are a part of... Etsy groups or Flickr groups. People are always posting things for you to check out. And, of course, it's imperative for you to check them out if you'd like them to check yours out. Seems the rules of the proverbial game. Then there's Twitter... don't get me started on Twitter. How on earth are you supposed to keep up with everything that everyone posts? It'd take forever.

Stand advertising Sharpies at Staples. I like how everyone's decorated it :)

I don't even know what Tumblr is. Nor Instagram. I haven't touched Pintrest in a long time. But, it seems that all of these sites are almost... dare I say, "mandatory" to being someone online. To getting your work seen. To getting "noticed" or "appreciated".

A Staples set up for Post It notes that I thought was cool.

I simply haven't the time to do everything. I will not hinder my real life in favor of my virtual one, for lack of a better way to say it. My children want to go outside. I am not going to say, "wait until later, I've got to do such and such on the computer first." But it does seem that many have to do that. Am I alone, or is that the direction we seem to be spiraling in?

Illustration Friday

This week's Illustration Friday: "Liquid." Mixed media original illustration on watercolor paper.

And So It Begins...

Hello! Well, I have been quite busy lately, creatively. I'm having a blast learning and creating! Keeping in mind what many other people are doing (and after a lot of support from you guys), I decided to make a short youtube video showing my latest endeavor. There is no fancy music or editing; it is just a standard video that I created in one take. My daughter makes a special guest appearance because she always wants to be on camera :) Anyway, without further adieu, here we go! PLEASE let me know how it came out...

My Scrapy Journal!

Here is the link I mention in the video.

Oh, and here's a little extra for my friend Pam... can you see the woodpecker? And this is WITH the zoom on! Sheesh :)

The Epitome of Love

There is no trouble that God can't see you through. Many people seem to feel that the trouble they are going through is their own fault. And many times they are right. However, that does not make God love them or care for them any less. He IS love. And there is no way that we could ever "earn" His love... if we were able to earn it, that would make it attainable by "being good"... but none of us are good. We TRY to be good, but we make mistakes. Every day. The Bible says that "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Romans 3:22, 23.

What does THAT mean? It means we all do things wrong, and none of us could ever be good enough, because God is perfect. We aren't. That is why He sent His only Son Jesus, to die once for us, a sacrifice to make atonement for all of our sins. He was crucified upon a cross, a willing sacrifice, to die for us because He loves us so very much... and then He rose again 3 days later!

Hard to believe? Not if you get to know Him :) The more you read His Word (the Bible), the more you learn, and the closer you grow to Him. He longs to know you... He loves you! Isn't it worth it to get to know Him, too? I can firmly tell you without hesitation... it most certainly is :)