I have several fundraising events coming up, and would like to invite you to join me in helping to raise some money. These cardmaking fundraisers are going to be open-house style events. I will have all of my supplies on hand, along with ideas, tips, and helpful advice so that you can just play with the supplies and make as many cards as you like.
There will be a requested donation of $3 per card that you make, although additional donations are welcome as well.
The first fundraiser will be held to raise money for my sister-in-law Kristen Leichty. She will be raising money for her 11 month long mission trip which begins September 6th. Kristen will be traveling to Europe with Radical Journey, a program of the Mennonite Missions Network:
http://www.mennonitemission.net/Work/Service/RAD/Default.aspSo if you would like to be a part of the fundraiser, the information is below:
The Venetian Theatre
Albany, OR
Monday, August 25th from
5-9pm*the cafe will be open with coffee drinks and soda available
if you are interested in attending this event, please shoot me an email at
valonda1@juno.com
This is my little niece, Dominic. Dominic will be 4 years old in November.
Dominic had a g-tube placed when she was 14 days old due to urgent need of complete nutrition that would help her overcome all the challenges she presented at birth. These challenges included low birth weight (4.6 lb. at 39 weeks gestation), small head, an area of damage in her brain, two small holes in her heart and a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate.
She has received surgery to repair her palate and lip, but has been receiving 99% of her nutrition from her g-tube (a small apparatus surgically placed in the stomach allowing food to be deposited there directly, bypassing the mouth and esophagus). Dominic doesn’t experience food like you and I. She has oral sensitivities, poor oral motor skills, fear, and negative associations (like vomit or pain) with food that she needs to overcome. For Dominic moving food in her mouth in a way that is necessary to eat is not natural, it is hard work.
Dominic is medically ready to wean from her g-tube to oral feeding, but she needs some help. There is a therapy available in Washington called Rapid Wean directed especially for kid just like Dominic that could have her eating significant amounts of food orally in a matter of 14 days. (to learn more visit
http://tofthouse.com/ )
Dominic will be entering this therapy in October, but does not have insurance that will cover the costs of this therapy. God has already been blessing Dominic and her family, and much of the money has already been raised, but as the time draws nearer, there is more that I want to do to ensure that Dominic gets the therapy she needs in order to continue growing and developing into the sweet little girl that God made her to be.
This fundraiser will be the same type of open-house style event as the previous one. If you are interested in attending this fun event, you can RSVP by emailing me (
valonda1@juno.com).
The event will be held:
Friday, September 26th from
3-9pm
at
Scrap-a-Latte in McMinnville, OR
Hope to see you there!
These are 2 of the 4 cards we will be completing in the Fabulous Fall class coming up. This class includes the Fabulous Fall cling mounted stamp set by Art Impressions. This set includes 4 different leaf images, an acorn, and 3 sayings. It is a very beautiful and versatile set. 
I wish you could see the shine on these cards. I believe I counted 5 or more different metallic mediums that we will be using in this class.
Dominic's fundraiser is coming right up. If you are not a regular on my blog you can read more details about my niece Dominic below. These details were previously posted on my blog so if you have already read this you can just skip down to the next photo.
Dominic feeding her baby.
Ever need more ribbon storage? I made this ribbon holder by cutting thick chipboard in varying lengths and punching holes in both ends with my Bind-It-All Machine. I made it pretty by spraying each piece with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, running them through the Cuttlebug, then embellishing the spine with ribbon. I cut out the sections between some of the holes to make wide spaces enough to accomodate all widths of ribbon without wrinkling them. Oh, and I bent one of the wire sections upward to use it as a hanger.
This one was made much the same as the previous one with a few exceptions. 
These are some card sets that I made for the retreat this weekend. Each set comes with four cards and envelopes and this neat little holder for them.
Supplies:
I had lots of things to do today that didn't get done. Guess what I did instead...played with some new supplies that I've had sitting here for a couple of weeks tempting me. Now lest you think that all I did all day was play, I only sat down long enough to make one card then got back to the business of my day, but it was still a good feeling to create something without a deadline or an agenda driving me. Sometimes I have to make things just for me, not for a class or a submission.
My little girl is now a first grader. Her first full day of school was a little rough on her. She came home exhausted and starving. But she loves her new teacher, and was glad that she gets to see one of her very good friends on the playground even though she is in a different class.
It's time for a reminder that time is running out to sign up for the Fall Quilt and Scrapbook Retreat at Drift Creek Camp. 
I have several fundraising events coming up, and would like to invite you to join me in helping to raise some money. These cardmaking fundraisers are going to be open-house style events. I will have all of my supplies on hand, along with ideas, tips, and helpful advice so that you can just play with the supplies and make as many cards as you like.
Do you remember the posts awhile back about the fun I had teaching middle schoolers about stamping? Well, lucky for us, Bethany read the post where I was commenting about her card, wishing I had taken a close up picture of it, and she sent me this picture. I just love the whole idea of this card, and I think she did an amazing job. She created the beautiful Alcohol Ink background that she cut the flower petals out of , and added Stickles to the centers of the flowers to add a little sparkle. Thanks for sharing your card with us Bethany!
Don't you love this stamp? As soon as I saw it I loved it. I can't help but think of my sister Birdie when I look at this stamp. She loves nostalgic things, and she has light brown hair while mine is very dark, and she is taller than me(even though she is younger). I don't get to see my sister very often because she lives in Mexico City with her husband and two kids. BUT I will get to see her soon! They will be coming in October for about a month and a half. We are very excited to see them and to hug them all...especially her little guy Damien who we have not met in person yet. Anyway, its not all vacation, they are coming for. My niece Dominic is coming to have some intensive therapy. Dominic was born with a cleft lip and palette. She has already had surgery to repair those, but she will be receiving therapy to learn to eat without her feeding tube. This is going to be huge for Dominic and for their family. We are just waiting to see what God is going to do through this therapy. 
