This and That

I'm not sure where to start. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

• Good news: The roofers are finally here. I should have a real roof by the end of the week.
• Bad news: Because my house has a pitched roof with literally no barrier between the roof and the inner ceiling, all the banging and walking around up there is sending a shower of dirt and debris into my house.  It's EVERYWHERE.  I'm trying to see if insurance will help cover some of the clean up.  If not, clean up is going to be an icky, sticky job.
• Good news: I get to travel to Texas soon for a writing conference and meet honest-to-goodness writers and real-live editors. I've been off the blogging because I'm racing against a deadline to get 30 pages of polished work submitted by Feb. 1.  I should be working now, but the banging and shower of junk makes it impossible.

Just glad I have more good news than bad.

Until next time,
Becca

Spring is(n't) Here

 When you make cards for Operation Write Home, you always have to be at least one season ahead.  Time for Easter, Spring and even Mother's Day.  Today's cards are entered in the OWH Sketch Challenge 52 (and 34).

I used marking pens to add a little color onto the egg, but you can see the color isn't precise.  That's one of the things I love about stamping...the ability to fudge a little and still make it look good.

I've been having fun with beads lately.  However, some of my small beads won't always slide up the hat pins, so I have to do something else with them.  Love how the little clusters add some punch to this lace.

A couple days ago I went through the inspiration gallery at OWH and noticed how many cards are feminine.  I planned to do some more masculine looking ones.  You see how well I achieved that!  Maybe next time.  What I DID do was use stamps and supplies which have not seen the light of day for...hmmm...years!!  Which means this can also be part of OWH's Unloved Unused Supplies and Can You Say Addicted to Stamps: Forgotten Friday.

Now, can I make some Spring/Easter cards with a masculine feel?

Until next time,

Becca

Blue Tarp Covering

For two weeks a blue tarp has been the only thing protecting my roof from snow, sleet, rain and hail.  A windstorm sheared off the entire roofing layer.  I still have the wood, but the actual roofing is lying in my yard.  Every day I check each room upstairs for leaks.  So far so good, but I never know how much longer that flimsy blue tarp will keep out water.  It's nerve wracking waiting for possible but not certain destruction.

The insurance company assures me the tarp is good.  Sorry...that doesn't make me feel any better.  They should be here "soon" or "when the weather clears up."  Uh, excuse me.  That's precisely my point.  Bad weather + blue tarp = ???

Did the Israelites feel like this?  Was every year a wait and see if disaster befell them before they could have their sins covered by the temple sacrifice?  Were the sins they committed too much to be covered?

I've only been living with this tarp thing hanging over my head - literally - for two weeks.  Imagine years just waiting for doom.  Year after year, offering sacrifices, waiting for the Messiah to come and offer a permanent solution.  To cover them with a full and final protection.

I will be very grateful when the last contractor leaves and my home is restored.  I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice of Christ Jesus for paying the full price for my sin so I never, ever have to wonder if what I've done has ripped a hole in His covering over me.

Exciting News

I've been PUBLISHED.  Sortof.  Enough to get me excited .  I have the devotional over at Faith Writers today.  It's one of my "Random Thoughts" from last February.  I hope you will go check it out and leave a comment there.  Maybe if it generates enough comments, I'll get to publish another one.  Wouldn't that be fun?

Twofer

I was busy today getting some projects done for upcoming events.

First up is a card for general occasions.  It is entered in the following contests:
Mojo Monday #173
Heart 2 Heart

 

The shoe is new from CTMH and I'm absolutely in love with it...as you will see in a moment.  I stamped it in Pear and then used my sponge brayer to add the Sky color.  I added the beads and tacked the green ribbon on top of the blue one with Liquid Glass.  What did I ever do before Liquid Glass came along?  BTW, a trick I learned for storing it is to make sure you lid is on tight and keep it upside down.

I think I like the proportions on this next one better, though.  What do you think?

Now for the added bonus...

See...told you I loved the shoe.  I made 14 of these pillow boxes today for an upcoming baby shower.  For those of you wondering where the "BABY GIRL" came from, it's CTMH "Express Postage" but I just inked the last word from "IT'S A GIRL" and "NEW BABY."  Pretty clever, if I do say so myself.

So there you are, two for the price of one...a "twofer.

And in case you are wondering, the blue tarp covering my roof seems to be protecting well enough.  No water has leaked through.  Yeah!

Until next time,
Becca

The Roof Over My Head

I literally have lost the roof over my head...in a manner of speaking.  I came home from my trip to WA, called my neighbor to ask her to have my keys ready, and she says, "Did your landlord call you about your roof?"  Uh...no?  There was a severe wind storm on Christmas Eve which sheared the roofing layer off.  I still have the wood, which is covered with a blue tarp right now, but the ENTIRE length of the actual protective layer is lying in my side yard.  And now it's snowing.  Sure hope that blue tarp keeps the water out!

Anyway...here's my card today.  It comes from OWH Sketch #51.

Everything except the sentiment stamp (Great Impressions), the Cuttlebug dots folder, and the Nestabilities square and circle, are from Close To My Heart.

While in the Pacific NW, I got the chance to have coffee with my CTMH consultant, Shannon Buck.  I bought a bunch of retired papers off her, including this Cherry-O paper.

I also had a chance to meet the head of Operation Write Home, the lovely Sandy Allnock.  Rather eye-opening to see behind the scenes.

Okay...off to do...something:  unpack, clean the kitchen, do laundry, or maybe I'll just make another card.

Until next time,
Becca

For Girls Only

When I told my daughter I wanted to write a book, the first thing she thought of was a compilation of the letters I've written to her over the years offering bits of advice.  The vast majority of those reading this are not going to be my daughter, and she's already married, but I'm going to stick my nose in and offer dating advice anyway.  Males need to tune out now...don't want to give away feminine secrets.

Dating 101 for Girls:

1. Guys are never going to be more motivated to learn what makes you tick than when you are dating.  Your job is to teach him.  After marriage, the motivation will wane but, if you've done your job, he will at least have the knowledge. 
2. In order to accomplish the above, you must know yourself well.  To quote the famous Dolly Parton, "Find out who you are, and do it on purpose."
3. You must learn what makes your guy tick. 
4. In order to accomplish the above, you have to get past the "mushy, gushy" time when anything you want to do is great with him.  Of course, this also assumes he knows himself well (see #2) so he can tell you or show you what that is.
5. Now you can find out if there are at least a few things he loves to do which you also enjoy so, when you suggest a date night (because - face it, girls - after your married you have to do a lot more date night planning), it will be something you both will have a good time doing. This is what your parents mean when they say it's important that you have some things in common. 
6. Pre-marital sex short circuits the whole process.  You become too attached too quickly and aren't willing or able to rationally assess any of the above.

That's it...at least for the 101 course. 

The 201 course will go into things like what to do if he has no interests of his own and always needs to be with you (run away), or his interest wanes after a couple months and he's not really making an effort to pursue you anymore (run away faster), or he's only after sex (run away fastest).  Hmmm.  Guess I spilled that lesson.

There's a  301 course and a 401 course, but I'll save them for another day. 

Until next time,
Becca