CTMH June Card Class: Why should you attend?

We have been enjoying the sun and the warm weather here which inspired some summer/outdoorsy cards. This month you'll be making cards that are perfect for the guys in your life (of course they also work for the women too). Scroll down to see the cards for June's card class.

If you have not attended a card class before, I'd like to share why you should try out a class:

Learn New Techniques: Each month you'll learn new techniques or a spin on technique's you already know. For scrapbookers, these techniques will lend themselves well to your scrapbook pages - use them to make "wowie" pages. 

Save Money: Cost of class is just $7.50 for 3 cards.  That is just $2.50 per adorable, handmade card.  Want to see just what a great deal this is? Check out the prices on cards at a local Hallmark store...eegads, who has $4 or more to purchase a plain 'ol card.  

Save Even MORE Money: Submit a $20 order at card class and you'll receive your card class for FREE - a $7.50 savings! It's a win, win situation. You get the supplies you love, free cards to go with them, new techniques to try and a great couple hours of fun!

Make Friends/Enjoy Some Personal Time: This is a great chance to get out and have some relaxing fun with close friends. We often don't make time for the important people in our lives. Card club is a way that you and your friends can get together at least once a month - invite them to come with you! Don't have friends who are crafty? That's okay too, join us and you'll soon find friendships blossom.

Regulars are Rewarded - Besides our regular nightly drawing (everyone who attends is entered), regulars have the opportunity to earn $25 in Hostess Rewards.  Interested, ask me for more details (CreatewithChristine@msn.com). 

Supplies: Moon Doggie My Reflections paper packet, August Word Puzzle stamp set, Twill Ribbon, Edge Anchors, Sunflower Exclusive Inks, Black Exclusive Inks, Indian Corn Blue Exclusive Inks, Desert Sand Exclusive Inks, Sponge, Piercing Tool

Supplies: Moon Doggie My Reflections paper packet, Extreme Happiness stamp set, Cranberry Brads, Paper Piercer, Cranberry Exclusive Inks, Desert Sand Exclusive Inks, Crochet Colonial White Ribbon, Coluzzle Circle Cutter, White Gel Pen, Sponge

Supplies: Back Country My Reflections paper packet, Treetop stamp set, Outdoor Denim Twill Ribbon, Pewter Brads, Paper Trimmer, Embossing Stylus, Chocolate Exclusive Inks, Olive Exclusive Inks, Sponge, Paper Piercer, Microtip Scissors, Distressing Kit: Sander

Thank you!

What a blessing it has been to share my sweet baby with you all! I am thankful for all the posts and emails. You are all wonderful! (To view the comments you can click comments under the original post.)

A few asked, so I'll share...I named my little guy Athan, which meant my immortal. It was important that I picked a name that meant something special to me and this one did. Athan never joined us mortals, instead he waits in heaven for the rest of us to join him.

Athan's stone is resting beneath the Japenese Maple in our front yard. The decorative stone's on top catch the light every time I pass by the tree and make me smile. Several times I have found Conner sitting beneath the tree running his hands over the stone. While I have never told him what it is, I feel that he may just know.

Thank you again for your support!

Much love, Christine

May 15th

I am sharing something today that I didn't think I would. But over the last couple of days prior to today I felt lead to do so in greater strength each day.

This photo to the left is a photo of my little angel baby that would have been two years old today (granted if he had come on his anticipated due date).  I have shared these photos with a relatively few number of people and will share no more than this photo of his perfect little hand.

I hope that this post will be of comfort to others who have experienced a loss, those who are still grieving while the world goes on.

Before we were blessed with Blake, I lost this little one. We went for a routine ultrasound at 11 weeks and received the horrible news that our baby's heart was no longer beating. This was my third m/c, but the first this far along.  We were crushed and they immediately wanted to schedule me for a d & c to remove my child.  Instead I needed some time to adjust to this news and chose to go natural at home.  Two weeks after that apt. my body finally let go. I'll save the details (it was not pretty), but it was so worth it. After the worst was over, I was overcome by such an overwhelming peace. 

In quiet, I sat with my precious child. He (or she) was perfect in every sense. At no more than 10 weeks old, he was beautifully formed with slender legs and arms and all 10 toes/fingers.  I feel blessed that I had these moments with him to love and wonder over him as I would if he had joined our lives on his due date.

Today I will lay his stone in a safe spot, now that the construction is over and I need not fear that it will be harmed.  I will celebrate today that he spent those 13 weeks with us and that I was given a gift beyond all others: the ability to marvel at God's work of my child in the very beginning moments of his life.

I hope by sharing this story that if you have experienced a loss that you grant yourself to be in the moment feeling what feelings may come. And if you personally have not lost a child, I hope that you will be able to better love someone else who has lost a child - I believe that my deepest desire was to know that my baby mattered to more than just me. 

Lessons Learned: Hair

We are entering a new phase of childhood/parenthood.  Up until this point we were blissfully unaware of the many lessons that we'd be facing as our children grow up. This lesson is probably not a biggie, but it did teach Conner about having to accept consequences.  

As most children do, Conner cut his hair by himself.  I discovered it as we were heading out the door to preschool. It struck me as rather funny, so I had to refrain from giggling in his present and instead explain that we only let Grandma cut our hair.  We talked about how we would have to shave it all off when we got back home.  Most likely I could have done something far less drastic with his hair, but I wanted the lesson to stick.  He was not thrilled about having his hair shaved off and was rather upset when it was done.  Momma never even had to get mad about the situation and I think he'll think twice about cutting his hair again.

The funny thing is that we have all sort of gotten used to him with no hair and like it. He has such a perfectly shaped head [you can see that he was held all the time as a baby, lol].

I have another lesson we learned just this weekend, but I'll save that for another day.

Abra Cadabra, Make Christine Reappear

Bet you all were thinking that I had disappeared. I really haven't.  Between prepping for the National Scrapbook Day Crop, switching over to my Mac and all in all dealing with the kiddos, I just haven't had much chance to be on the computer.  Once upon a time, I used to stay up all hours of the night working. Don't ask me how I did it with a newborn...but lately, I am ready to head to bed when Blake and Conner go down for the night.  That seriously limits my time to get things done :)

I have some things in the works that I look forward to sharing.  Cross your fingers I'll find the quiet time and the energy soon ;)  Until then this is a memo board I made for my mom for Mother's Day.  This is before I picked up the photos that will go on the three boxes on the left hand side.  I think she really liked it!