FUN WITH STAMP-N-DOODLE - IT'S A BLOG PARTY! THE SEARCH FOR PUZZLE PIECES IS ON....

Just thought I'd start the party off right with an image from STAMP-N-DOODLE!

...HMMM  Now, where to start?

Well, here is a clue for those of you paying attention...

for a piece of the puzzle you will have to "RIDE 'EM COWBOY" like they did in the WESTERN movies...hmmm. I wonder what type of hint that could mean?

Remember...you are playing with STAMP-N-DOODLE!  That gives you a bit of a double hint!!!

Now, hop on over to VICKIE'S BLOG at Vickie's Scrapbooking and Tidbits for the next clue and some more Stamp-n-doodle image inspiration!

HEE HAW COWGIRL!!

NAUGHTY OR NICE......."N"........BINGO

ENJOY AND HAVE FUN!

LOVING GOD

Samara

THE NEW TAYLOR.....ALL IN THE NAME OF LOVE

THE BRAVE HAIRCUT FOR CANCER FOR MY 12 YEAR OLD BOY TAYLOR!

WELL 12" OF HAIR WAS LOPPED OFF FOR CANCER....

and my brave 12 year old Taylor raised $400.00 in the name of his hairdresser Lucy, who is a survivor.

Lord come alive within my experience,

within my sorrows and disappointments and doubts

and within the ordinary moments of my life.

Come alive as the peace and the joy and the assurance that is

stronger than the locked doors within, and which we

try to shut out life.

Come alive as the peace and joy and assurance that

nothing in life or death can kill.

CONGRATULATIONS TAYLOR ON YOUR SELFLESS ACT OF 1 FULL YEAR OF BEING RIDICULED AND TAUNTED AT SCHOOL FOR GROWING YOUR HAIR SO LONG FOR CANCER.

YOUR PARENTAL UNITS AND ALL YOUR SPONSORS ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND SO WILL YOUR NEW WEARER OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL HAIR!!

MAKE YOURSELF PROUD MY LOVE CHILD!

SCROLL DOWN FOR A LOOK AT THIS CHILD'S PREVIOUSLY VERY BEAUTIFUL AND VERY LONG HAIR!!

LOVING GOD

Samara

FRIENDSHIPS AT STAMP-N-DOODLE!

WHAT BETTER WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS THAN TO BE ON A DESIGN TEAM!

Well STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM is just like that.  Their stamps are fantastic, their owner is fantastic and their DT is fantastic!

So in honor of THEM, I dedicate this post.

May the God of love

who is the source of all our affection

for each other formed here on earth

take our friendships into his keeping,

that they may continue and increase

throughout life and beyond it,

in God's name, our Lord.

Lovingly made with...

Stamps:  Digi:  STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM

Non Digi: Gina K, Stampin'Up!

Ribbon:  CTMH, Wavy Ribbon: Basic Grey

Metal: CTMH

Paper: Papertrey

Inks: Copics

Bling:  Basic Grey

LOVING GOD

Samara

STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM IS SUCH A HOOT!

please double click to enlarge image to read the top of the BIKINI babe's sentiment!  It is too funny.

You have to pop over and visit Lynne's site...STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM!

I'm on the design team there and will show you a few of the cards I've done for Lynne...God has been watching over me and blessing me with a wonderful team leader and a wonderful Stamp site to design for and equally cool design team members.  So check it out!...STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM

This is a challenge that is currently running over at the site.  The COWBOY is the digi Lynne has and you can design it any way your little heart desires.  My comment was "who doesn't love a cowboy in chaps!!"

This is a card that all of us on the Design Team will do and it is Lynne's OLD MILL picture.  For my design, I decided to look up what exactly a Mill's definition was, and use that as part of my card.

STAMP-N-DOODLE.COM HAS A BLOG PARTY COMING UP

THEY HAVE A BINGO CHALLENGE COMING UP

and lots of other treats in the works!

SO BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT!

LOVING GOD

Samara

Stamp-n-Doodle's BLOG-A-DOODLE PARTY!

FRIDAY MAY 28TH - 30TH

COME JOIN THE FUN!

IT IS NEARLY TIME....

FOR THE BIG CANCER DONATION HAIRCUT!

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT...THIS IS MY 12 YEAR OLD -  BOY - TAYLOR!

This picture was taken about a month ago...

Taylor has grown his hair for one year, being ridiculed at school, told to "move those bangs out of his eyes" by his parents, as they were growing in, to put it in a ponytail when he comes to the table (which he absolutely refused to do), and to let me braid and play with it, which he ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to do! lol

But in 3 days, he will donate 12 inches of hair, in the name of Cancer, so that others may have hair.

God is watching!

LOVING GOD

Samara

LOVINGLY MADE WITH...

Taylor's Picture

May 14, 2010 - ORIGINS AND INSPIRATIONS...

THE TAJ MAHAL

taken from Wikapedia

My 12 year old Taylor and I were talking and he came up with the fact that Jordan, Ayla and Taylor = TAJ.  This lead us to the topic of The Taj Mahal, which my older two have visited (pictured above.)  Taylor and I researched the internet before he went to school, because we each knew bits and pieces of the story, and this is a synopsis of what we found.  The research articles elaborate on these basic points, for those who are interested (just type Taj Mahal into your Google Search Engine.)

Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal -"Shah jahan on a globe" from the Smithsonian Institution Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, one year after her death. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief, illustrates the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:

Should guilty seek asylum here,

Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,

All his past sins are to be washed away.

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.

In this world this edifice has been made;

To display thereby the creator's glory.

I found this story, this dedication to love and grieving the loss of love so reassuring.  I hope it touches your heart in someway...

Lovingly made with...

Paper - Kraft (Stampin' Up!)

Ribbon - (Stampin' Up!)

Large Birdie on Front (Garage Sale ?)

Inside of card (Bo Bunny - Everything)

A Blessing Writing -  (Mine)

Punch on Birdie on Front -  (EK Success)

Bling - (Basic Grey and Garage Sale?)

FAITH - Cricut "Home Accents" Cartridge at 5 "

Wooden Garden - (Taylored Expressions Monthly Subscription Kit) - Highly Recommended!!!

"You Know my Heart God" - (Mine)

LOVING GOD

Samara

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - FOLLOW YOUR HEART ...

IT KNOWS THE WAY!

You may have noticed that my posts are sporadic lately...I am taking some time to foster some other areas of my life - enriching my Spiritual Life, and in particular, my relationship with Jesus.  Then there is my Jordan - my soon to be 25 yr old son is off for the summer, to Israel to explore his roots, then have his partner join him in Israel and they will trek to Egypt and Turkey, then Jordan heads off to Spain for a month - before starting his M.A. -  for a second musician's workshop, the first being one he really enjoyed last year.  It has been a  rich family time to be sure...all the cubs are carving out new territory for themselves, Ayla working full time for an ad agency, Taylor about to cut 12" off his hair in a week and a half for cancer...all as mommy watches with great pride and joy in the 3 cublettes!

And my own personal/relational life appears to be blossoming folks - yes, you heard that right!  And I must admit...it all began with Jesus...who has been appearing in this Jewish Womyn's life in wild and wonderful ways, in the last month.  Jesus is leading me into directions that are joyful and celebratory!  Who knows, I may yet be taking time to "smell the roses" as they say this summer! *wink*wink*

In the meantime, it behooved me to dedicate a card to Jesus and His work in my life, and the lives of those I am working directly with at this time, and of course those beyond.  I hope you enjoy my card.  Please pop over to STAMP-N-DOODLES BLOG, where I am a designer, to see today's post (by me.)  It too will elaborate on this card and on the Digi Image of the Church, from Stamp-n-Doodles.

For today, I say "Thank you Jesus...your message to me is loud and clear...I'm not missing it this time!"  Thanks for sharing Jesus!  hee hee (don't you love when we say this to each other when we share our cards with each other?)  Well, I feel like that right now with Jesus...and how cool is that!

Lovingly made with....

Please pop over to http://www.stamp-n-doodle.blogspot.com/ for all the details.

LOVING GOD

Samara

Sunday, May 2, 2010 - A METAPHOR IN A BOX....

"FIELD GUIDE" 
By:  How to be HAPPY dammit, a cynics's guide to spiritual happiness by salmansohn

You are like a tiny fish surrounded by a field of water

but unable to see this water.  What's going on in this

field around you sends out waves that affect you.

Likewise, what you do  -  and think  -  sends out

waves into this field around you.  This includes your

negative thoughts  -  which can create distracting

tidal waves that block you from seeing how to best

get to your goal.

RULE # 26
You must show more RESPECT for the invisible world, because often what you don't see is what you get!

Does this resonate with you at all?  I sure know it does with me, especially in the recent weeks!
 
What I would add to the above passage from the book, it is vital to FORGIVE the person, place or thing from which this negativity emminates.  This does NOT mean spending time with or in the presence of the negativity...but it does mean to forgive the circumstance, and yourself, if you find forgiving yourself is part of carrying on productively and healthfully. 

Fortunately some of us were "born forgivers."  For others, it is a very difficult, defensive, and crazy-making challenge.  What is important though, no matter what your particular strength or weakness is, is the INTENTION to forgive. 

God doesn't care which comes first, the thought to forgive or the action of forgiveness....God knows we are on the right track to all that is important in this world, which is LOVE FOR ALL...AND THE ADMISSION TO SELF THAT ALL ARE ONE IN GOD'S EYES.  This is OUR challenge to strive for this same belief AND experience of LOVE daily!

lovingly made with...

Paper:  Stampin' Up!

Ink:  Stampin' Up!

Trinkets/Charms:  A gift from my daughter when she was 12

Punch:  Fiskars

Stamps: Clear Stamps - Gypsy Pattern

Tags:  K & Co.

Ribbon: Purple and Cranberry from Michael's, Green from Stampin' Up!

LOVING GOD

Samara