Solemnity of St. Joseph at 8:30 AM Mass

Celebrating this mass today was special.

After our studies last year on the Consecration to St. Joseph I truly learned how special he is to us, still today. I look forward to the times I can honor him.

Our Music Director led a choir beautifully. Such spirit-filled music!

Following the Mass we were lead in a possession to the Parish Center, accompanied by our Knights.

We took part in a prayerful litany before departing and another in the Parish Center at the “Table” that was prepared beautifully by a parishioner and her team in the tradition of how it was first celebrated in Sicily. It is like have a Father’s Day for St. Joseph. He is.of course, the foster father of our savior Jesus. Our priest, Fr. Jeremiah said the blessing. I, then, had to take pictures!

Last October I took the challenge to study “Consecration to St. Joseph” by Donald H. Calloway, MIC. I learned so much! My eyes were opened to the fact that St. Joseph is a father to me, actually the only one. When I fully understand the role he played as foster father to our Lord and what he still is working for all us children of God, I was overwhelmed with peace.

I pray to St. Joseph just about every day, I say a prayer to him after praying the Rosary. I hope you will come to know and love St. Joseph.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed day!

And pray!

Thanks, Joyce Ann

Adventure Awaits Layout for Sketches in Thyme

http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/

My little guy willingly posed for me. We had made the half hour drive from the housing base to the main base in Yokosuka for shopping at the commissary. When Sketches in Thyme posted this sketch I know exactly which pictures would be a joy to use.

Being a believer in sticking close to the sketch I didn’t deviate. My dot pattern base paper is by Graphic 45, the solid strips are Bazzill. I stamped images, some are heat embossed, then fussy cut.

Thanks for stopping in, hope you scrappers out there take a look at the Sketches in Thyme blog and find a sketch that inspires you.

Hugs, Joyce Ann

Enjoy! And be Awesome

I was challenged to use some word stamps on my scrapbook layout. We often overlook those stamps and use them strictly for card making. This page utilizes lots of words and I applied a couple of my favorite techniques for adding them to scrapbooking.

Love the challenges at “Lasting Memories Scrapbook Challenges Blog” this month. We have had some interesting challenges for using our stamps so far. Hope you have been playing along, too!

I often do not have many, if any, of the pre-packaged cutouts of cute words, so this challenge was for me since what I do have is lots of stamps! I even used some swirly stamps on the base. After using my Fiskars circle cutter and templates for the circles, I used some spatters before pasting down the photos. That’s a nice plus for me since I usually forget to do the spatters BEFORE and have to cover the photos with some scrap paper.

Did you notice the techniques I used for the stamped words? Some are simply cut to shape or a punch was used. I’m kinda fond of the pen work idea where I make a loose ring and then fussy cut it out. Recently I discovered the line work where the word is boxed that I think is fun.

These are some older photos of my princess taken by a friend of her mother’s. I thought it was so nice of the young woman to take the series of shots for her friend, and, to share them with me too. It’s just proof that doing something loving for each other is always worth the effort. Kat may never know how much enjoyment her time has brought to me and others. Seems that has been the ‘message’ this weekend – “Love others as Jesus loves us”. So, my love to you for stopping by; do something creative and loving!

Layout Sketch Challenge in Gray

For these photos I was with my granddaughter and little Jovy to go to Leia’s school to pick her up.  Being with this one and a half year old is always a new adventure of discovery.  On every turn so much to see.  Mommy is ever ready for a sudden flight of fancy from her explorer.

Sketches in Thyme sketch #353 fit these photos well. 

There was no need to get too fancy with the great, basic flow of this design, so I went with it.  Scrappin’ Peeps offered a December color challenge earlier this month to use gray.  I was looking forward to finding gray in with my stash of pretty papers but came up short.  I did find the base print in a very old pack of Stampin’ Up! paper. Then, one scrap of this pretty print from Fun Stampers Journey to which I added a coordinating solid gray.  Because of the aqua in the pattern I used some Nuvo Embellishment Mousse over a Tim Holtz stencil for my cross flow on the base.  A title just didn’t seem important to me, so I used stickers from my very ageing supply.

What is really important is the taking of random photos of our loved ones.  Time is fleeting and even the tiny moments prove to make my heart happy.  That’s what is great about scrappbooking those photos.  It makes my heart happy to play and create with paper and other media, and all the while I am establishing a lock on a moment in time to be revisited again another day.

I really like this sketch.  I’ll likely find myself using it again.  Also, the gray.  Nice cool neutral that allows the photos to be noticed.

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your valuable on-line time to stop in and read about my scrapping.  I wish you time to find your happy place with what ever art or creative play lifts your spirit.

Hugs,

Joyce Ann

First Color T.V. – 1959

My grandparents bought their first color television set for Christmas in 1959.  There were only 3 channels on which we could view a show, and not all of them were in color yet either.  I had insisted they give each other a kiss over the TV so I could take a photo.

A challenge came up on “Lasting Memories Layout Challenges” blog.  The December line up is going to be about Holiday Traditions and the first challenge is “Old Time Photo”.  We are asked to scrap a photo from our youth.  Well, for me, that goes way back!

Although color TVs were becoming more wide spread by 1956, we didn’t buy until 1959.  Even back then I was a avid photographer.  Most of my first years of photos did not survive, but I’m grateful for the ones I do have.

To make this softer and more vintage for the time, I painted the base patterned paper with acrylic paint before pasting down the kraft piece.  The photos are mounted and cut with some old scissors that remind me of some prints from the past.  The title letters are cut on my Cricut Explore Air, the ampersand is a die. The title sticker “Tis the Season” is from G45.  The other stickers are from some old Tim Holtz idea-ology sticker pads.  I used rubber stamps for the date.  My poinsettias were cut with a die, sprayed and shaped with a tool and brushed with some paints.

I hope you like my layout.  Perhaps you will be inspired to play along with your own childhood photo.

Hazy Celestial Moment

We were not in the “Totality” area but I was determined to document it nevertheless.

I didn’t have any special glasses, nor did I make a pin-hole box; I really didn’t care if I could actually look into the sun or not.  I was just basking in the excitement of the moment and I have Internet for live feeds of locations where the view was spectacular.

 

My set-up shot was the pre-eclipse of the sun brightly shining through the tree. Then a broad view of the sky.  The next two shots show a little bit of haze, that is all we got.

It was an odd realization, the slight haze, not sure if it really was from the eclipse or my tired, staring eyes, too hopeful for something to happen.  But, as time passed, it was clear again and I was convinced I had witnessed the haze left by the moon blocking some sun.  Pretty special, as minor as our area experienced, it was real!

As you can see from my backyard, we sure had the perfect weather for viewing, if only we had been directly in the path.  But, alas, I experienced an event closer than I ever will again.

Not to let a perfect day be wasted, we jumped into our swimsuits and drove to the beach.  The water was a bit choppy.  The shore was full of life.  Not many people, just a covering of tiny crabs who reacted to the waves that rushed over them.  There were birds.  Little ones who pecked in the sand and must have been feeding on whatever the tiny crabs were, but there were larger birds who were feeding on the crabs.  There is always a cycle of life going on.

It is pleasing when the temperatures come down at least a little.  I’m tired of the mid nineties.  In fact, the heat during the day does make me tired for real.  We are planning to hit the beach a couple times a week now.  At least for a while.  We can plan a longer stay than we did for “eclipse day”.

All this large scale event experience makes me feel insignificant on the grand scheme of creation.  But, then, I, too, am a creation of God!  This makes me feel very loved.

Thanks for checking in on me today, have a light filled day basking in God’s love everyone!

Smile!

Joyce Ann

Courtyard Photo Practice

Today has started beautifully.  Everything outside is so clean and green from the drenching rain yesterday.  It would be a gorgeous day to stroll along the beach, it will not reach 90 degrees today either.  But first, let me share my latest scrapbook layout and the card I promised I’d make after a layout.

I was following a design from Splitcoast, a layout made by a scrapper “mrupple” here.  Selecting papers I thought worked with the photos, I cut them, matted the photos and placed everything close to what she had on her design. When it came to to adding the title and journaling I went with computer generated work.  I used the Envelope Punch Board to punch in the shape of the title, added a sticker and strip of reverse side paper to it.  It took me a while to dig through my stash to find these embellishments to use.  The left piece with the 2 children gardening is a real postage stamp from Greece.  I had recently been given a sheet of rub-ons and used a flower on the green paper, added some buttons around it.  The Picture Perfect strip was a sticker.  The doily with the green brad was sent to me by a lady, made with glitter glue she tells me.  It is so lovely and delicate, I was careful to use Glue Dots rather than applying any wet adhesive.  The flower under that is a sticker that has two layers, also from a recent gift sheet.

This is the card made with some of the scraps from the layout.  I followed the Brick Wall tutorial from Splitcoaststampers.com.  I felt the floral background would be interesting for my brick but too dark, so I brushed on some white gesso.  When dried, I heat embossed the Fun Stampers Journey image with black powder.  The sentiment is from the same set but it is stamped in black on a square self piercing die, added a square rhinestone brad and popped it up.

I want to show you this one as well.  I made it with all Fun Stampers Journey product, except the candy dots on the balloon.  The edges were sponged with Distress Oxide inks because I had the colors I wanted for these papers.  I made it for two challenges, actually.  One challenge was the sketch the other was the elements/subject.  (If interested in any of the Fun Stampers product, just email my daughter kldeyette@yahoo.com, she will send you a link to the new catalogue.)

Glad you stopped by.  Have a beautiful day.  Be crafty and let the Light of Christ shine through you!

Sweet Dreams Layout

Created with the Fan-tasy Lea France stencil:

After selecting this stencil because of the ovals I was able to whip it out last night rather quickly.  Following lunch I spent a happy afternoon yesterday showing a friend how to use these Lea France stencils.  It wasn’t until the evening came that I couldn’t get the urge out of my system to make myself a page so I pulled this batch of photos out and played.

My granddaughter set up this photo shoot on her bed, mainly to get a photo to share with the ladies who gave the blanket to them.  The ladies who make and give baby blankets to the military families in their area request one thing in return – a photo of baby with the blanket if possible.  So, the photo session was staged with my two great grand babies.

Not needing the full shot of the blanket, I focused here on the precious baby boy by showcasing him in the ovals.  I think the two accent pics create a nice balance showing them together.  The title was cut with the Cricut, using “Cuttin Up” cartridge.  The sub-title came from a sticker sheet.  As soon as this title had come to me I know just the embellishment that I needed.  I stamped the cute sheep with the same ink color (Huckleberry Fusion) as the darker card stock.  Some glitter paper and hand doodling and I called it done.

Outside the Professional’s Studio

While waiting for the photographer we took some shots of our own.  Here are some scrapbook pages made with those photos.

This was a quick and easy page because I followed a layout from Splitcoast Stampers.  The papers and ribbon are from Fun Stampers Journey – gotta love the quality of their CS and DSP.

A smaller format here, 6 X 8, is for the Simple Stories album. I pulled some chipboard out for the embellishments and title.  Using this small format is more challenging for two photos.  The princess anticipated the flash, she nearly closed her eyes before the lens did its job.  I do love the shot of them smiling at each other.

The center photo shows how the photographer was posing our baby boy in the studio, I just had to sneak a shot myself.  The other two were taken back home in the den with his long pants off.  He is just so cuddly looking, makes me want to pick him up and hug him!  As for the building of the page, I followed a challenge from Splitcoast stampers again, this time to create the bars on the sides and have everything at the top – raising the bar, so to speak.  I cut 2 inch red strips, scored them, ran liner tape and added glitter.  The eagle is a digi from TLC that I printed with blue ink and then used a red gel pen on the inside, mounted on a circle of red.  I looked for quotes and found this one by Perciles.  “Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.”  Whether our little man follows his father into the Navy or not isn’t important, what is important is that he understands his choice to honor and protect freedom.

Many words have been written about the concept of what freedom means.  It isn’t just about the military who stand for the freedom of a country.  What does it take for one to be truly free?  It all starts from inside the individual.  My struggle has been to be free from the sadness in my life.  How many of us run around seeking happiness only to find we never quite achieve it or it all too swiftly vanishes?  The freedom to be happy is right here in this moment if we just stop and let it be!  All the good there is to be found is already ours, right within each of us, waiting to be accepted.  Let go of the past – it’s gone, over, done with, and can’t be changed.  That’s a hard one, for sure, and I will admit I struggle still, but when I stop fretting and just “be” I find the peace and joy I seek.  How can that be ?  Sounds too easy.  It isn’t easy to stop thinking about the past and future, it’s necessary to be free, though.  I forget, sometimes, that I have a helper within, a source of strength, the giver of freedom to just be.  The truth is within each of us because God, the Creator of everything, the Source, if you will, built it in us.  It’s helpful if you study the wise words of the Bible and learn the teachings of Jesus to understand how we already have the ultimate power to be free right here within us.  I’m going to throw this pitch for attending Church regularly out there.  Really.  It will help.  It helps me stay focused on the now.  There is something to be said for how freeing your own happiness can be when you are involved in helping someone else in need.  That’s what a good church group can do for you, give you the field in which to work for the greater good.  That’s one of our freedoms in the USA.  We should be thankful for it.  Some say they can do good for others on their own, I say “good for them”, not everyone can.  I work better when I’m focused on the Source of the power that is in me.  Sunday morning is my recharging station, my one on one with God.  So, I hope you will find your happiness and protect the freedom of others with the help of the power of our Creator in you.  It’s really okay to stop and just be, just to feel the freedom from worry, stress and fear.  You are not alone.

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77 and Sunny

I’m enjoying a beautiful day today!  While out back with the fur babies I noticed the sky was so clear I could see the moon.

This one taken about 11:30 am.  What hint of clouds there were then are all gone now.

This is how good I have it and will be a reminder for the times to come when I forget it.  With new goals planned, I truly do see more clearly today.

It’s hard to set a goal when I really wasn’t sure how to form one.  What do I want, I asked myself.  What does anyone really want?  One desire high on the list for most people, I guess, is happiness.  That’s a broad topic so I decided to write about it and came up with this.

Goal: Find my inner strength, for there is my peace.

Steps to Take: *See the world as it is, not as it should be. *Live in the present, for there is nothing else. *Be active in health issues.

Once these goals and steps are down on paper, how do I go about making it work in real life?  Here are some of the things I knew I needed to start with.  *Stop over analyzing and just do.  *Do what is right whether I like it or not.  *Develop a bedtime routine that includes reading instead of TV.

I have also put together an eating plan.  For the last few days I have cut back on sugar.  My biggest intake of sugar was with my coffee.  I love those powdered coffees, and yes, I actually put spoonfuls in my brewed cup.  Choosing the right foods is important so I can prepare decent meals all the time.  I will have breakfast and lunch at the standard times.  Normally when I think I’m hungry I wander into the kitchen for something.  No more.  I will get a glass of water instead.  I had read a while back that sometimes when we think we are hungry we are really just thirsty.  So far that theory is playing true for me.  It’s easier to not snack when my stomach is full, even when it is only water.  I truly believe that taking in sugar multiplies the desire for more sugar.  If I were English I would say I’m having “tea” around 4 or so in the afternoon.  But these past two days I’ve had a cup of black decaf coffee and a little something to eat.  Notice I used the word “little” and that is the key.  Supper will be around 7pm because when I was cooking supper between 5 and 6 pm, we were then eating stuff we shouldn’t have later in the evening.  I’m trying this out, good so far.

I am off to bed at 10 pm with any book I choose.  Last night I passed over a couple and settled on Deepak Chopra’s “The Way of the Wizard”.  Wonderful food for thought.  It is to be re-read and pondered, I suggest.  I have often wanted to get back to writing morning pages and so I did.  First thing this morning I wrote an essay of over 500 words.  Then a few pages in my journal after that.  I recommend anyone should write to clear and form your thoughts in the morning if at all possible.  Writing a 500 word essay isn’t required! This practice isn’t just for writers or journalists, it’s good for your soul.

Here is a shot of the divider I made and the goal sheet I cut down from a large size page for my planner.  I love my Fun Stampers Journey planner, so cute to keep my thoughts as well as appointments in.  I can make short notes that can be expounded upon in larger journaling format – or Morning Pages. {smile}  It’s nice to have one place to keep track of everything in life as I live it.  I got the original “Goal” sheet from StudioSukiOnline.com if you need a place to start like I did.  This quote comes with it, “Dreams may be imaginable but goals are actionable.” ~Michael Hyatt.