St. Jude Cards & The Sweater

Hey everyone! I just wanted to check in and let you know I'm still here! I have been really busy and I don't see it slowing down much for awhile! I have lots of stuff to do before vacation gets here next month! :)

My kids played there first basketball game of the season today! Chace had one game and Autumn had 2, so we stayed at the gym for about 4 hrs today. They did SO good and their teams won every game, I was very proud of them! :)

I did want to mention that I got the first set of cards in today, (the picture above)! Woo Hoo! I received 29! :) That's a great start! I really feel like we are going to make the goal, and it never would have been possible if it wasn't for all of you, who took the time out to make cards and send them to me! Thank you all so much for the help! I really want the kids to get the cards on Valentine's Day, so I don't think I will be able to pass them out personally to the kids. I will be in Memphis the day before and bringing the cards, so we will have to see! As long as I know they are getting them, that's all I care about! I really believe it is all about God, and Him allowing us to spread His love to those children, through cards, from all over the world! What an awesome opportunity! As some of the 'donators' for prizes want to stay anonymous, in a way, I want to stay anonymous to to the kids and parents too! If that makes since to anyone?! :)

I will be adding some more prizes soon! So check back for that and I will be posting some challenge cards soon too! :)

I wanted to share a picture of our dog 'Tucker' in his sweater! We have had like record breaking temperatures the last couple of days, so we have had to bring our outside dog in. We had to bathe him and put his sweater on. :) We put him outside most of the day, because it gets warmer and the sun is shining, but we don't keep his sweater on outside. I know that's what it is for, but he will rip it off and tear it up! So in the evening, we bring him in and put him in the kennel. Tonight I told him, "Come on lets put your sweater on". I opened his kennel and he came toward the door with his head out, like he knew, and I slipped it on his head. Then he lifted his paw, like so I could slip it through the arm hole! It was SO cute! We laugh at him every time we look at him! I think it is a little to small, but it was the biggest size I could find! And the colors match our school colors and the Longhorns! Yes, we got beat the other night. :( but they sure played a great game! :) Anyway, I had to get a picture of him in his sweater, and he just turned to the side, like to get a 'good shot'! :) Anyway, it's 1:00 am and I have church tomorrow, so I better get to bed!

Have a Blessed night!

KWerner Color Challenge #57 & St. Jude Cards

Hey everybody! I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, like I said I would! I have been really busy with St. Jude cards, card calls, color challenges, and lots of changes in our lives! So I am finally posting in between basketball practice and the BIG UT game tonight! HOOK'EM HORNS!! :)
Anyway, I made a couple of cards for Kristina's color challenge yesterday! I wasn't real sure about the colors at first, but I guess you can tell, I ended up liking them and made two cards! :) I made them both for the St. Jude card drive. If you are interested in helping out with the card drive, go here for all the details.
I got the idea for the first card here. I really like the grid look and it kind of reminds me of a quilt, and Kristina's Mom is making here a quilt with these fabrics! :)

Then I made this card. Polka dot hearts sure make me happy! :)And here are the prizes I have added to these prizes, for the card drive. There will be several winners and I will separate the prizes, after all of the prizes are collected throughout the month!

* (Maya Road) 2 ring heart Chipboard book

* (Jenni Bowlin) Heart Bingo card
* (Jenni Bowlin) XOXO Bingo card

* (American Crafts) Love Letter I Heart You Letter Stickers

* (Fancy Pants) Pink ball trim (1 yard)

* (Maya Road) Hearts Trinket Pins (30)

I really appreciate all of the support! I ask the Lord sometimes, if He is sure He wants me to do this card drive. And then...I get this comment and then I have NO doubt!

Lisa said...
I will be making cards tomorrow!! I saw this through a friend's blog and just had to come check it out. My son is a St. Jude patient (now almost five years cancer free - praise God) so I can honestly tell you how wonderful it is that you are others are doing this. It means so much for those kids to get something that puts a smile on their face!!! We will actually be in Memphis on Valentine's Day and the week after for his anniversary check up!! I hope the smiles I see while I'm there are from your cards!! THANKS SO SO MUCH!!! God Bless!!!
January 4, 2010 5:34 PM

ETA: Here is another comment I got tonight! Praise God! :)

OneMomTwojs - Dawn said...
Winter - this is a wonderful ministry! Please put me down for 40 cards! All are coming from snowy Rochester, NY!Dawn DiPasquale

Supplies

{Be My Valentine card}

Cardstock- (PTI) pure poppy, berry sorbet, spring rain, summer sunrise, lemon tart

Stamps- (PTI) polka dot bascis II, tiny treats Valentine, meaga mixed messages

Ink- (Versamark) watermark, (ColorBox) warm red & rouge chalk

Other- (Cricut) cut hearts, (PTI) buttons, crocheting thread, (Jelly Roll) gel pen, (American Crafts) clear embossing powder, (EK Success) square punch

{Love card}

Cardstock- (PTI) pure poppy, berry sorbet, spring rain, summer sunrise, lemon tart

Stamps- (PTI) polka dot basics II, mega mixed messages

Ink- (ColorBox) warm red chalk

Other- (Cricut) cut hearts, (EK Success) square punch

Have a Blessed night!

Practicing Creativity- Key To My Heart Stamp Release

Good morning! I am so excited to help introduce Practicing Creativity's Key To My Heart stamp set. Courtney has done such a great job on designing these stamps! And they stamp SO good! She designed them for Valentine's Day, but I see so many other things you can use them for! They really are so versatile! She will be giving away 2 sets of stamps to one commenter on her blog, how amazing is that?! You can also pick up a little blinky for your side bar, over at her blog too. The stamps are a great price and shipping is reasonable too! You can get all the info over at Courtney's blog. I think everyone would LOVE these stamps! :)

My first card is a Valentine card. I love all of these different keys!
Here is a card I made for a friend's daughter. She turned 16 on Sunday. The key made me think of driving! :)
I will be back tomorrow, with another St. Jude card and adding more prizes! :) Thank you all SO much for the support! WOW, Ya'll are amazing! :)

Supplies:
{You are the key to my heart card}
Cardstock- (PTI) pure poppy & true black, (Georgia Pacific) white
Stamp- Practicing Creativity- Key to my heart :)
Ink- (StazOn) jet black, (Versamark) watermark, (ColorBox) warm red chalk
Other- (American Crafts) Zing clear embossing powder, crocheting thread, (Fiskars) threading water punch

{Sweet 16}
Cardstock-(PTI) raspberry fizz, (Georgia Pacific) white, (ColorBok) green
Patterned paper- (American Crafts) teen line
Stamp- Practicing Creativity- Key to my heart :), (PTI) mega mixed messages, (Stamp Craft) stone
Ink- (StazOn) jet black
Other- (EK Success) upper crest punch, crocheting thread, (Offray) pink grosgrain ribbon, wire to make key ring, black marker

Have a very Blessed day!

Card- you make me Hoppy

Hey everyone! Well yesterday was our first day visiting churches. Going to church is very important to our family, so we didn't want to wait to start looking! It was very weird to go to a different church, but we knew that it would be! The church we visited had a singing group there, so we didn't get to experience the regular service. So we will visit again next week! We thought about our old church family all day, we miss them already! Thank you for all of the prayers for my family, it means so much! :)

Well I have another card for St. Jude's, I have made lots of Valentine cards the weekend! I really love the new tiny treats:Valentine from PTI! I did want to clear a question up though. Someone asked that if they left the card blank, could the child give it to their loved ones. Although it was a great idea, we are focusing on just the kids for this drive. So please sign them. And I will be adding more prizes soon! :)
I have put the St. Jude heart on my side bar to link to the original post with all the St. Jude card drive info. & I also put the St. Jude badge for anyone who would like to make a cash donation, it will go directly to their site.
I want to Thank EVERYONE for the support of the card drive! I have read all of the comments and have tried to respond to everyone, if I haven't emailed you, it's because Blogger didn't send it to my email, but I will try and email you with a Thank you! Reading the comments has brought so many emotions to me, happy, tears, chills, it's just AMAZING! Thank you all again!
I also wanted to say Thank you to the ladies over at Embellish Magazine Blog, they choose my tag for the 'Hot List" last week! WooHoo! :) Don't forget about the Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge too! Supplies:
Cardstock- (PTI) red (Georgia Pacific) white
Patterned paper- (PTI) text style- Simple Valentine
Stamp- (PTI) tiny treats:Valentine, (Inkadinkado) hearts
Ink- (StazOn) jet black, (ColorBox) warm red chalk
Other- (EK Success) corner rounder, (cricut) cut circle & heart, buttons from stash, crocheting thread

Have a very Blessed day!

St. Jude Card

Hey everybody! Well I hope the word is getting out about the card drive and everyone is starting to make some sweet Valentines for the kids! Click here for the original post with all the details and Mr. Linky.
I have been BUSY making Valentine cards and trying not to make them too girly! I LOVE ribbon, so it has been a little hard for me! Here is another card I made for the card drive, I found a download for this cute library card from Heather Nichols blog. Pretty simple, but I like it! Sorry to cut it short, we are taking the kids to a museum today, it's about a 2 hour drive, so I think it's going to be a long day. This will be our last 'free' weekend, until vacation, because they have already started basketball practice, they have games every weekend starting next weekend! Thanks again, for all of the support & prayers for the card drive & for my family's new adventure, it truly means so much!Supplies

Cardstock- (PTI) pure poppy, (Georgia Pacific) white

Patterned paper- (PTI) text-style- Simple Valentine

Stamp- (PTI) tiny treats: valentine

Ink- (StazOn) jet black, (ColorBox) warm red chalk

Other- library card (download), hearts cut from (cricut), corner rounder (EK Success), white thread (machine)

Have a Blessed day!

Cards For St. Jude

*HAPPY NEW YEAR!*

I am so excited to tell you about the project I have been working on the last couple of months!

A year ago this January 14, I started my blog. So for my 'blogversary', I decided to celebrate the whole month of January, and do something for others. My family and I are going on vacation in February and as I was making plans for that, the Lord showed me that St. Jude Hospital was right on our way and He laid on my heart to do what I love and make cards for the patients there! I felt a little overwhelmed at first, because they see about 200 patients a day, but I soon felt that the Lord will provide the cards. I believe if we all pull together, we can make this happen. It is so sad to think of all the sick children there. So I am hoping that it will bring a smile to their face and a little more love in their hearts, when they receive their card on Valentine's Day. My family and I will be dropping off all of the cards to St. Jude Hospital in Tennessee, so please send them to me at the address below.

We have been supporters of St. Jude's for many years, so I am really excited about this experience, and trying to help them even more! I already feel having this card drive is right. Everywhere I look, on TV, online, I see St. Jude advertisement! I guess it's just a confirmation from the Lord! :) I hope you will join me too!
Here are some of the guidelines from St. Jude hospital and a few of mine.

* Cards need to be a Valentine theme.
* Cards can't have anything about 'Get Well Soon', 'Feel Better', or anything reminding them of being sick. (Only Valentine Cards)
* Please make cards that can be used for any gender or age. (This could be a little tricky, but I think you can handle it!) :)
* Cards must be able to fit into a 4 1/2 X 5 3/4 envelope. (I will provide clear envelopes for each card, so there is no need to send one with your card.)
* Please send all cards to me at:
Winter Sims
Cards for St. Jude
P.O. Box 754
Warren, TX 77664
* You can include a message in the inside, but please remember, nothing reminding them of being sick. (Maybe just a Valentine sentiment.) You can also sign your name and where you are from.
* I will be excepting cards for the whole month of January. At the end of the month, I will pick random winners for prizes. I will be adding more prizes, often. The more cards you send, the more times your name goes into the drawing. Let your kids get involved too! :)
* Please send a piece of paper with your name, address, email address, and the amount of cards you sent. (It will help, when I have the drawing.)
* If anyone wants to donate a prize for the drawings, please email me with the details at marcussim@aol.com .

You are welcome to use the St. Jude logo on your blog to spread the word, just remember to save it to your computer first.

Here are some of the prizes thus far:

PTI- Tiny Treats: Valentine
PTI-Simple Valentine Patterned Paper
4) Inkadinkado Valentine stamps
1) Inkadinkado mini clear stamp
5) Inkadinkado heart shaped puzzle cards
Inkadinkado Morphic Bugs stamp set
EK Success vellum sweetheart stickers
(I will be adding prizes often!)

I wanted to post a Mr. Linky so we can see all the cards created for it and to keep track of the number of cards sent. Please only post your card, if you are sending it to me. (Posting it does not put you in the drawings, you must send the cards to me, to put your name in!)

I want to Thank everyone for your support in this card drive, I really think, the patients will love the cards! :)

If you would like to donate to St. Jude's Hospital, please go here. They are an AMAZING foundation! They help so many children and families there! They NEVER turn patients away, which is such a Blessing to so many!

I want to Thank the EBTKS ladies who are helping me out on this project. I couldn't have done it without them! :)
Courtney (Thanks for the cute St. Jude logo too!)
Kelley
Lynnette
Ann
Kelly Marie

And Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for all of her help and great ideas for Card Drives. Stop by her blog too, she is having a card drive going on right now.


I hope you all can join me in the card drive and have a very Blessed day & New Year!
Winter

Heavy Heart & A New Road

Hey everyone! I am here today with a heavy heart and I will tell you why. We have resigned at our church after 5 yrs., we are not leaving because of any problem, we just feel the Lord is moving us, to bring someone else there to reach the community and grow the church. We have been there 5 yrs and the Lord grew it spirit and numbers. When we first started, there was 7 people there and it grew to over 100 every Sunday! That is alot for a little country church and a town that is not big at all! We have seen so many AMAZING things there in 5 yrs. and we will NEVER forget it! But about 1 1/2 yr, we have noticed a drop in numbers, we have tried to reach the community, but most don't want to hear. We are not from there, so they don't know us and I don't think they want to! So we feel God, is going to bring someone there, that can reach them.
This was a very hard decision to make, but after LOTS of prayer, we know that it is the right one! We are not going to pastor another church right now, we will just visit around and try to find a church to attend for now. You never know what God has for you, all we can do is believe in Him and let Him lead us, and that's what we plan to do! I'm not going to lie, it will be hard for awhile, but He will see us through it!
Our church family was very upset to hear we were leaving, but they trust that our decision was from the Lord. They had us a going away dinner last night, it was great! Bitter sweet...but great!
So please pray for our family and the new road we are about to go down. And please pray for our church family, that they don't lose heart and pray that the Lord will send the right person to pastor there. Thank You all for listening and for any prayers you can give.


I don't have a card to share today, but please come back tomorrow. I have a project that I have been working really hard on, the last couple of month's! I can't wait! :)

Have a very Blessed day & be safe tonight!