Day 31 :: Gratitude

When I stop and think a bit there is so much in life to be Grateful for... Some big things ...
Life and breath,
a place to live, 
family and friends,
a great job,
and so much more....

sometimes in day to day life, when things are a bit hard it's easy to FORGET just how blessed I am! 
Praying God would instill in me a heart of gratitude!!

I'm grateful to Sunday for running the blog every day in May challenge which has helped me get back into blogging! I'm thankful also to Kellie who I found Sunday's challenge through.

I'm thankful for great weather and being able to hang sheets out on the line to dry... I'm popping out now to see if they are dry :) See you tomorrow as I attempt to keep blogging every day!! :D 

Day 30 :: Advice and my June schedule

Wow... the blogeverydayinMay challenge with Sunday is almost complete... May is almost gone! How did that happen? Well I'm happy that I managed to keep the blog posts coming each day.. even if some were no doubt better than others. Today's prompt is "Best advice you’ve received lately", ok I've got two to share ...

ADVICE for life is to keep Trusting God and his good plans. I don't know why I need this reminder but it seems that again and again in the midst of living I need to hear this!!

ADVICE for blogging regularly  is to have a schedule... which is why I've found this month and Sunday's challenge so helpful. Even though I had not pre-written my posts I had scheduled them with just the prompt for the month... so that I knew what was coming up... This was great... but the last few days I've been looking and worrying about what I will be once the challenge ends... I'd like to keep blogging regularly...and so I need to follow that "schedule advice" To that end I've created myself a list for blogging prompts in June.

If you want to use these prompts.. feel free to use any or all of them alongside me - if you do I'd love to read what you write so make sure you share :D 

My question for you today is ...Do you blog every day?? Why, Why not??

Day 29

Day 28 :: Family

I love my family!!! I thought it would be fun to show you (IN LEGO character form)  all my closest family.... 

so there's Guy and I ...

then there are my wonderful parents and three lovely sisters...

and my in-laws... Br-i-l and his beautiful wife and their sons.. our two awesome nephews...

Here's the whole picture....Guy and I had a lot of fun trying to find all his mini-figs and put ones together that worked/ looked like us all! This is as close as we could get with what we had :) 

We've seen a guy who takes photos of a lego minifig and Instagrams them in different locations.. it's such a great idea .. have seen a few other take offs too... would be fun to do something like that :)

DAY 27 : A Project ...

I thought I would share a couple of things I've been working on lately...

#1 - I've been working on some drawings .. inspired by the characters in Mortal Instruments... here's the Instagram I took of them QUITE some time ago now... the very rough sketches...

I have now turned the main girl one into a digi - Here's what she looks like ...

I had a coloured version BUT I CAN'T FIND IT!! :o so I will look for it and post it later once I've made it into a card .. or whatever I decide to do with it... MEANWHILE. It's been a while since I've shared a finished creation / card here, in fact it's been a while since I have created a card.. so I thought I would do so.

#2 I've made this fun little card using my Elva Dolphinsinger mermaid image

coloured with Copics of course :D Thought I'd try something different for the background.. what do you think??

Are you currently working on any projects? BIG or small?

Day 26 : Would YOU like to guest post here??

I love the idea of having a guest to do a post on my blog.. I do enjoy reading guest posts on other people's blogs. 

When I first signed up to do the blogeverydayinmay challenge with Sunday I had good intentions of asking someone to be my guest poster FOR TODAY and then the days went along and I had not asked anyone and it was too close to the date to ask and I suddenly realised that I could use this post to see if anyone would like to be a guest poster on my blog... Would you??

If you are interested please send me an email!!!
If more than one person is interested we can spread out a few guest posts :D

Day 25 :: A list for the week ahead.

1. mail someone a handwritten letter. 
2. get cracking at achieving my unfinished May goals
3. do a new M4M order
4. draw some images
5. work out what to cook for Growth group and do so
6. go see the new x-men movie with Guy
7. do some more work in the garden
8. move cupboards around
9. Clean the bathroom
10. Vacuum
11. clean UP / reorganise? that craft area
12. make some MORE new dolls to send to Nic's shop
13. refill and clean markers
14. set up heart journal course
15. Be joyful

That's  just a start... I thought 15 was a good number :) the First thing I really should have on the list is to get up and go to work tomorrow. tee hee. What's on your to-do list this week??

If I could have 3 people to dinner tonight, I would invite...

My three sisters!!! We are so spread out these days and have been for years... it's rare that we are all in the one place at the one time... I  do miss them so I would definitely love for them to come to dinner tonight... PLEASE girls - Hurry up! Girls night :) lol! 

- I might get in trouble for sharing this photo here - hopefully it's old enough to be ok to post hehe! 

comments, comments, comments

Hello!!! I'm getting earlier with these posts... I'm hoping to schedule my posts to appear a bit more regularly.. and just trying to work out the best time for that.... Still got to organise myself a bit more though hehe!! anyway....

Today's BlogeverydayinMay prompt is to Write a post about a particularly good or controversial comment someone left you. I don't have a particular comment in mind either way but I wanted to write about how leaving one comment on one blog post can lead on to some great chats back and forward and some great friendships built online. I have a number of wonderful friendships that have started off that way :)

I don't think recently my comments settings have been set up particularly well... I just worked out that I had to change some settings to allow reply comments... so I "should" be able to do this now... I am not great at replying to comments left... I've never really worked out the best way to do this...
1. Go visit the commenters blog and leave a reply there...
2. Send off an email reply... although sometimes thats not possible as you don't have an address.
3. reply in your own blog comments - I can try this now :)

So my question is ... what do you think the best way to reply to blog comments is????

Before I go I thought I'd share my latest Instagram pic.... pics taken of the "sockyragdoll" I made last night for our Friends' new baby girl!! I'm quite liking the sewn eyes as opposed to buttons and bought eyes at the moment! 

I do love this youtube ...

Day 22, Thursday: Share a video clip that you are loving at the moment.  It could be as simple as a song on YouTube or an inspirational speaker on TED Talks.

I don't have an absolute favourite video... but I do LOVE watching Mark Crilley's "How to Draw" youtube videos .. I have certainly learnt a lot from them and I really enjoyed watching this video today on "Comparing yourself to other artists" It is pretty long but great content and I love seeing those sketches as he talks :D






I find I sometimes do compare myself to other artists and think why do I bother? but then other times I am inspired to practise more and get better. I like the idea of comparing myself to myself... ie looking at older drawings compared to newer drawings.. which shows that I have actually improved :)

Loved this quote - "Comparison is the thief of Joy" - Theodore Roosevelt

Oh... and yes this is still part of Sunday's blog every day in May challenge... so glad I'm managing to get them done.. it's lots of fun! By the way... LOVE Sunday's video today... go check it out... It's about LOVE LETTERS I think I need to send out some Love Letters myself actually... if you want a handwritten letter send me an email and I'll see what I can do!!

Day 21: On my plate tonight...

Tonight for dinner we had sausages (mostly because we didn't cook them all for GG last night) and I had rice and salad (Guy had some pasta instead of rice).

I thought about writing an extra post about what's "figuratively" on my plate but thought I'd just stick to the literal today :)

Day Twenty :: Who Inspires You?

Mmm... let me think about that....  It's another hard prompt from Sunday today!
OK, well I actually think that there are lots of people who inspire me ... but firstly let's look at what "inspire" means? I've gone to dictionary.com to help me out ...

... in thinking about this topic and in looking at the different meanings of inspire I guess there are a few different levels to this question. Who inspires me??

Firstly I am inspired by God. 

His love inspires me.

I am inspired by people who trust in God and share their struggles and how they overcome their struggles. 

I am inspired when I hear people sharing their joys.

I am inspired by friends and family.

I am inspired by many people who blog, when I read their posts and hear about their lives.

I am inspired by a people who create artworks/ craft/ take great photos. 

There is a great big long list of individuals who inspire me and I am thankful for them all!

Day Nineteen :: Dream job?

mmm, tough one today... the prompt is what is your dream job??

I've had a little trouble with this one... as I really don't know what my dream job is.... When I think of job I think YUK.. I don't want to have to work!! Who wants to work??

But then there was a time that I was not working and I became bored and needed something to do :)
 ... and it came about that I started working for myself, running my online store Mad for Markers
selling Copic markers and teaching people how to colour with them, which ticked some of these boxes...

• Creative,
• working for myself but able to work with others too, 
• teaching/ helping others, 
• enabling others to create / relax, 
• meeting like-minded people,  
• having fun!!

 

I could say that running Mad for Markers is as close to a dream job as I've got so far, so I'm pretty excited that I am trying to get it going again. (I had stopped as I was caring for my MIL full time, she is now in a nursing home).

 I needed a steady job that would pay our bills, mortgage in the meantime and had a yukky time looking for jobs recently but once again I learn that god is in control and provides good things....  I am so thankful to God for the job that he provided me with ... For the next 9 months or so,  I am working 3 days a week as an Admin assistant in an office that provides administration for Evangelical campus groups at various universities around Australia ... it's a great privilege to be a part of this team.

So for now, I am quite content juggling these jobs :) Oh, and there's a third job too - along with my good friend Bec I am running The Spire Market which has been a lot of fun so far!!

When thinking about work my mind goes to this bible passage....
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

Thanks for stopping by... Do you have a  Dream job???

Day Eighteen

TEN things that make me HAPPY:

1. Knowing God and his love for me.
2. My wonderful husband.
3. Family.
4. Good Friends.
5. Nice Coffee.
6. Escaping into a good book.
7. Looking at pretty things.
8. Colouring in.
9. Making Stuff.
10. Flowers in our garden.

Photo journal of today

Here's a look at my day today in photo form ....

 

created on my iphone with two of my favourite apps.... Instagram of course AND Frametastic :)

A little explanation... I'm sick... silly old cold or flu or something that I just can't seem to shake... hence the box of tissues following me around all day. I sat out in the sun this morning to soak up some Vitamin D, and was reading on my ipad, whilst my lovely hubby did the washing up. We cleaned up our computer desk today.. although I piked halfway through and went back to the lounge as the dust got too much for me! I ate eggs and avocado on cruskits for lunch.... and then I digitised a picture I sketched the other day (using my WACOM)... I've started re-reading The Mortal Instruments... just finished book 1 today and that top image is what I picture Clary to look like, from my re-reading book 1 anyway. Of course the day has also involved a bit of computer play... and there's Guy playing LOTRO. And an afternoon coffee :D Not a hugely exciting day but a necessary restful day I guess. 

What has your day looked like??

Some favourite blogs

Today is about sharing the blog love... to tell about 5 blogs I love reading regularly...

Well... I've not been GREAT at regular blog reading lately... just like I hadn't been blogging much I also hadn't been reading much.. except for when I pop over from Facebook... I miss Google reader and  I wish I had more time to sit and read blogs :) Having said that I do spend time reading facebook posts and Instagram too... so I guess it's more about about making the time??

I've really been enjoying participating in Sunday's blogeveryday in May challenge and have loved finding new blogs through this. A reminder that one of my "goals" was to update my blog sidebar with a reading list... I will DO THAT THIS WEEKEND... but for now here's some of my old favourites....

I always love checking out what creations Jac has been making... she always has fun cards!

I love Amy's style of cardmaking!!

Alyce makes the most amazing cards.. 

Her colouring is so lovely and every card is an exceptional work of art.

Bec writes great stories & shares her life honestly, I love seeing her amazing bags, 

lately I've been loving reading her Gratitude posts!!

Yum! This blog/ website shows that Gluten free is not necessarily taste free :D

Leave me a comment and let me know what your blog address is??

 I'd love to come read your blog!! 

Day 15

Today's prompt from Sunday is to Create or share a poster, card or artwork that shares a message that inspires you.

So funny you snort

Today is Day 14 and Sunday says Make us laugh.  Share a funny story or picture.

Don't you just love Photobooth - so many funny pictures can be taken with your face gets warped into alien shapes.... I've had many fun times with adults & kids alike, sitting & laughing at the results... 

This photo is of me and 3 great friends for life... kinda "thescream"ed* into one!

We don't see each other often.. but when we do.. we are able to have fun together... we can be serious too.. but we always laugh together ... and someone usually ends up laughing so much they "accidentally" snort. I do recall that was the case in this picture.. way back in about 2008!

*this photobooth effect really reminds me of that famous artwork "The Scream"

Day 13: Write a poem or piece of creative prose.

mmmm.... I cannot write a poem.. that's been my thought about this topic of Sunday's blogeveryday in May prompt for today.. but so far I've managed to keep up to the challenge OK so here goes...

I nearly chickened out now and thought I'd just link up Psalm 96 which we read in our staff meeting today - It's AWESOME! .. but I decided to give poem writing another go.. here's my poem .... Needs a bit of work but it's a start :)


O Lord, you are amazing!
You made the heavens, you made the earth
Of your power and greatness I sing
how of all creation, you did birth.

Oh Lord you are most awesome,
Father, Son and Spirit, three
compared to you I'm just a crumb
Thankyou Lord for saving me!

Day 12 :: How my blog got it's name

Good evening everyone, Today in Blogging every day in May with Sunday the topic is to talk about how your blog got it's name (and tagline).

I started this blog back in 2008... at that time I wanted to share my cardmaking creations... and so I thought that "Stuff by Sammi"  would make a good name... "stuff" being all the "cards" I made. It has evolved a little and now "Stuff" includes other creations I make, things I do and write" It's actually quite appropriate for my latest hobby of making socky rag dolls... which I fill with "stuffing" tee hee, they are "stuffed by Sammi" Oh... In case you were unsure... my name is "Sammi" ;)

As for a tagline ... It's changed a little from time to time.. at the moment I have
 Sammi's little Bit of blogland  and I have added my description... in which I share my creations, thoughts and life!!  which I guess is pretty self explanatory :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Sammi

xoxo