  Hi there blog friends!! You’d be so happy for me, I’m with several generations of women in my family and we are on a mission!! My mom, my sister and daughter and me decided to get together. Part of the reason is that I’ve had to learn the hard way that sometimes “someday” never comes. There are a couple of things we’ve been putting off and because none of us are getting younger, we decided to actively pursue one of the items on our list. Our family history is long and so much of it has been passed down by word of mouth. My great grandfather lived to be 108 and my great grandmother lived to be 104. Because they were around so long, they invested their stories in their grandchildren and my mother is the only surviving member of her family. So, we literally sat down at the table with computers on several sides and started to document names, dates and stories so that they can be preserved. Sometimes these are the tidbits that don’t get onto the scrapbook page. You can even know how relieved I am. Every time I hear the stories again there is always a new detail that I’ve never heard before. What a priceless event. Since we all live in different places, I’m very much focused on this instant in time and making the best of it. That leads me to my card for the day. Take time to savor the beauty of each day . . .
My card today is a reminder to me to be in the present. A simple medallion using Spellbinders Picot Edge Circles topped by Spellbinders Standard Circles LG and Spellbinders Labels Twenty Two. The sentiment is stamped with Versafine Black ink and sponged around the edges with Tattered Rose. I was sooo lucky because my seam binding matches that color so well. A band of lace and a bow finish it up. It was a great feeling to finally ink up my sentiment from American Art Stamps.
Family time like this is so scarce, it seems to be just what I needed. I’ll be back up and running when I’m through the visit. Take care dear friends and thanks for stopping by.
“Our Daily Bread Designs is having a special middle-of-the-month stamp set release! If you remember, back in March, Kelley was looking for favorite scriptures for a new ODBD set. She launched a Customer’s Favorite Contest, and now it’s time to reveal the winners. Welcome two new sets called Scripture Series 2 and Scrolly Borders. For the card made using the two sets I created a medallion with Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three and layered on top Spellbinders Lacey Ovals and Spellbinders Classic Ovals LG. On the side I layered Spellbinders Classic Scallops with lace and finished up with Spellbinders Lace Doily Accents.
The design team got together and cooked up some wonderful creations to celebrate the new sets and the customers that shared their Favorite. The cards are breathtaking – I hope you’ll pop in and see what the other DT members created. To see the full release, as well as samples made by the winners of the contest whose verses were chosen, and to hear their stories of why they chose the verse they did, please visit the Our Daily Bread designs Blog! There’s special incentive to have a look around – there are THREE $20.00 Gift Certificate prizes hidden amongst the design team members that can be won by leaving a comment on their blog! Winners will be announced Wednesday, August 17, on the ODBD blog so be sure to check back!
| SUPPLIES I USED |
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs – Scripture Series 2, Scrolly Borders
Paper: My Minds Eye – Lost and Found, Bazzill
Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Lacey Ovals, Spellbinders Classic Scallops, Spellbinders Classic Ovals LG, Spellbinders Labels Twenty Three, Spellbinders Lace Doily Accents, Paper Studio Flower Brad, Pearls, Seam Binding, Lace
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Big hugs to all my readers!! Your words were strong, comforting and encouraging. I’ll let you know how it turns out!! In the meantime, thanks so much for lifting me up. I’m in awe of your ever flowing kindness!! In the meantime check out all the beautiful cards the ODBD DT have ready today!
Thank you so much for stopping by friends! Yesterday so many of you left comments as a testimony, of a friend or a loved one stricken with cancer. My heart goes out to you, God bless you! It seems as though no one is untouched by this dreadful disease. I’m so proud to participate with JustRite Stampers in JustRite Crafting for a Cause.
JustRite Crafting For a Cause
In an effort to find an early diagnostic test or screening tool for Ovarian Cancer, JustRite Crafting For a Cause will donate 20% of the sales from Be Strong and Courage and Strength in 2011 to Ovarian Cancer Research. To learn more about the symptoms of this “silent killer “ visit www.OvarianCancer.org.
The second of the two Crafting for a Cause sets, that I’m showing today is called Be Strong. As I mentioned yesterday, it is JustRite’s first set of clear stamps. This set, like most you’ve seen over the past years was designed by JustRite’s stamp illustrator, Amy Tedder. This cause is near and dear to her heart as she is a six year Ovarian Cancer survivor. I hope you’ll take a second and read her story HERE.
I designed a card today around the teal ribbon which corresponds with ovarian cancer. One of my favorite new dies is Spellbinders Postage Stamp; used along with Spellbinders Classic Squares LG, I think it makes such a unique frame. I know I’ll get emails about this, so I’ll whisper what I did if you promise not to tell, lol! The frilly, lacey die inside the postage stamp is really Spellbinders Holly Motif – I simply cut off the small holly leaves to show you that it’s going to be a dazzling holiday die cut but with use of your handy, dandy exacto knife you’ll be able to to put it other uses too. On top of those two elements I cut/embossed Spellbinders Classic Ovals LG for my focal stamped element. Along the bottom of the card I had what I thought to be an unlikely pairing however once they were cut (using Spellbinders Classic Scallop and Classic Petal Edgeabilities) I simply loved the combination. Although I already had a lot of edge treatments, I couldn’t resist one more so I added in a panel of scallops that seemed like a great place to lay a row of lace. Whew!! Although today I used teal and yesterday pink, take a gander at all the list of ribbon colors below
| SUPPLIES I USED |
Stamps: JustRite Stampers – Be Strong
Paper: The Girls Paperie, The Paper Company, Pink Paislee
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Ink – Prussian Blue, Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Accessories: Spellbinders Holly Motif, Spellbinders Postage Stamps, Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities, Spellbinder Classic Petal Edgeabilities, Spellbinders Classic Squares LG, Spellbinders Classic Ovals LG, Eggshell seam binding, lace, pearls,
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Thanks so much for stopping by!! I have some Becca Bits in the works so stop by again soon. In the meantime, please stop by and see what the rest of the Design Team have created!
JustRite Inspiration
Becca Feeken
Kellie Fortin
Mona Pendleton
Sharon Harnist
Heidi Blankenship
Michele Kovack
Kathy Jones
Stephanie Kraft
Angela Barkhouse
Barb Schram
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Wonderful card Becca…love the colours and such a great sentiment.
What a wonderful age your grandparents lived to and it must be great to sit with your Mum and go through all the great memorie and iformation you gather together.
Love Sheila xx
What a wonderful card Becca, and so true. I can only agree to these words there.
Have a wonderful time with your family and just enjoy every minute of it hun, That´s all that matters right now, and as you said, it´s something we really do to rare, but ought to do a lot more often. HAve a wonderful time and lots of fun hun.
Another beautiful ard Becca. I agree it’s important to make time for family. I get so exasperated with some of mine they have no time to stop and visit for even a short time. We are all getting together next weekend to celebrate DH’s and my Ruby Wedding Anniversary – so lots of catching up to do with some of them. Enjoy your time with your family. Anne x
Becca love your card, You are so right history is lost when things are not written down. Good luck with this.
Hugs Trish.
ooh, love the colors on your card today. we were just down in san diego last week spending time with my dm-i-l who is 88 and we were talking about her childhood and family so my kids will get her story. it is so important not to lose these things. thanx.
It’s always great to get information about the family tree. Your card is lovely. Great colors used. Love the picot trim die-cut used. How true the sentiment. As always Becca, TFS!!! :-D
my sister and i videoed our parents talking about their growing up and family stories. my mom and i did some geneological work until we got stuck, need to start again. at least you are in the moment and cherishing each second.
Becca, enjoy your visit and this precious time dearly as I know you will! My sister sat down with my parents (before we lost my mother a year and a half ago) and documented as much of their family histories as they could recall and captured it all along with photos into hardover books she bound for each family member. They are truly treasures for each of us, as this history is something that is forgotten if it is not documented somehow. It does not need to be fancy, but precious stories, and histories of your wonderful family will be treasures for generations to come. And your card is perfect, as usual!!! You are an absolute treasure to all of us, as we learn so much from you, and not just about papercrafts, that’s for sure. -Stacy
Hello Becca. As usual beautiful work. We all miss you when we don’t see a new blog everyday but we all understand and thankyou for sharing with all of us over the last couple of weeks or so. You have been in my prayers. And it’s so precious that you have spent time with your family, I know what you mean…if you don’t take and make the time it does not happen. The older I get the more I get that.
Blessings, EllenaElizabeth
I am so glad you are doing this. On my grandmother’s 80th birthday we secretly videotaped her and asked her about her life as she grew up. Boy, do we have it easy. She was working in the fields as a very young girl and was lucky to have meat a couple times a year! There were 12 children in her family. Whew!
Hello Becca ~ The card this morning is very pretty in the soft color combination. Coincidentally, I also have started recording my own family history a few days ago after chatting with a friend who is doing the same. Good luck with your project and it must be such fun with your Mom, sister and daughter working on that together. As always Becca, thank you for the inspiration in your beautiful cards and for sharing. Blessings.
Beautiful card Becca. How precious is our time with our family’s. I remember my great great grandmother Priscillia, she used to love to tell us about our family, she was the first born free slave and used to take us to the cabin where she was born, she didn’t want us to take our freedoms lightly. When we all get together each one of us has a different story she has told us.
Beautiful card and sentiment. Like the ‘dusting’ of the Tattered Rose ink near the sentiment. Sitting down with your family now is a wonderful idea. My mother passed away this past March. While we were with her, I had brought along a photo album that was gifted to me by my father. We went through it and all the old photos from the 1920’s now have names and places written next to them. Yes, getting the history and stories written regarding one’s family is invaluable. Hope you are enjoying the travels through time.
very pretty card. so good to hear the joy in your voice from this time with your family. you will treasure it always.
Becca…Your sentiment on the card and your story behind it did indeed mean more to me than you can ever imagine. My Mom was the historian and we didn’t sit down and put it to paper. God bless you and your family. You ARE truly blessed as you’ve often told us. Thank you so much for sharing this important time in your life and for all the sharing you’ve lovingly given us.
Carol
You are so wise to get those family stories written down. Videotaping your mom telling the stories and making a DVD of them is another good idea. Years from now, the great-great-grandkids can watch and it will be just as if she’s sitting there telling the stories to them live.
Enjoy that time together..before my Mom passed away my sister bought a small book that said Mother, tell me about….then there would be questions like your first date, your favorite toy etc….things we would never have known. Our family history is a very important part of our lives and what your family is doing together will be a treasure. Enjoy. And it is ok to take time for yourself and do something you want to do. You constantly bless me with your creations. Have fun.
What a lovely card. Such wonderful colors and I love how you cut and layered the sentiment layer.
I learned last night my uncle passed away. My father was one of eight and now there are only two of his brothers left. I was very close to my uncle as a child but health, finances and distance has kept us apart for many years. I am happy you have been blessed to have this time with your family. Enjoy!
Blessings Bernie
You bet I’m happy for you! I’ve got a big smile on my face and it’s for you and yours. Have a wonderful time, Becca. You could not have picked a more fitting sentiment for the occasion. It’s perfectly showcased on your lovely card.
What a beautiful card! It’s wonderful that you are having this quality time
with your family, it’s something to treasure! Enjoy!!
What a great experience with your mother, sister and daughter! I only wish I had been more diligent in getting family stories while my grandmother was still alive. I hope you are able to create a wonderful geneology record of your family.
Oh Becca, I am so happy you are getting to do this! Blessing to you all!
Have a WONDERFUL time with your family Becca! When you have a close family, IT IS A RARE THING!!!!!!!! ENJOY!!!!!! LOVELY CARD!!!!! :)
What a wonderful opportunity to be with your family to preserve some of those priceless stories. How I wish I’d done that with my own dear mother and grandmother. I’ve missed your regular posts, but am so glad you’re having this time with your family. Enjoy and savor every precious moment with them.
How wonderful that your mother and family is with you and you are recording family history. you are building beautiful memories. Also I love your card. I really like that sentiment!
Family history is very important and it is a shame that most of us are not interested until our loved ones with most of the information are gone. I wish that I had ask more questions and recorded the information when I was younger. I do have a question for you about todays BEAUTIFUL card. How did you cut the labels twenty two with the flower on the edge? I understand how you put it with the circle but it looks as though the flower is stamped on the labels along with the sentiment. Thank you for your lovely cards and I look forward to seeing them each day.
Beautiful card and sentiment Becca! It is so true!! How wonderful that you are spending this precious time with your Mom, sister and daughter – you will all treasure the memories for years to come.
Becca: I just came into a cache of photos, newspaper articles, albums etc of my mother’s side of the family. My son love genealogy research and we feel so fortunate to have inherited these treasures. I finally have really good pictures of my great grandparents, their actual marriage license, etc and it’s wonderful. I’m glad your family got the time to get these facts down. And records some voices too. That’s very special when loved ones are gone! Good luck.
Mary
Beautiful card, Becca, and most importantly – the memories and family history that are being shared and preserved.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
hugs
What a FABULOUS thing to do, Becca. My mom has been doing that for our family. She has written many things about her parents, and grandparents as well as my dad, and his family. They lived through so much with the wars, immigration etc. etc. that is is always fascinating to read about as it is such a part of who you are :) Way to keep the family history alive!! Love the sentiment on the card and the card too :)
Beautiful card and a truly important sentiment. I am so happy you got together with your family to work on your family genealogy and memories. These are so important to have, as you stated, once your mother is gone so will be all those wonderful pieces of your family history. I am the genealogist of my family and I am so glad my paternal grandfather gave me what information he had. I am slowly getting my husband interested as I have been collecting his family history and genealogy. I will be celebrating my father’s family on Saturday at a family reunion with my cousins and am looking forward to our time together and to meet the newest members!
Becca, love the card. Enjoy your time with family. I am so glad you can do this.
Becca, so glad to hear you took the time to record your family’s stories. I know what you mean about finding new details you didn’t know when stories are repeated. I definitely regret not recording some of my parents and grandparents stories while they were still fresh. Your children and your children’s children will definitely appreciate this family history someday!
Awesome card too. Love the sentiment and I need to take it to heart! Thanks!!!
Love how you silhouetted this card!
Becca, This is such a touching card. Beautiful work as always.
Beautiful…
Memorable and meaningful… a powerful combo. It’s a lovely card, Becca.
Wonderful card and message, Becca! Family time is absolutely the most precious! So glad you took the plunge and are getting the info down now! Enjoy the time together!
Beautiful and love the story behind the card!
Savor every minute of your visit!! A lovely card to salute the day!
That is so beautiful and I love the saying on it.
And it is so true.
thanks for sharing and inspiring
Becca, you will be so glad you spent this time recording history with your family. There are so many questions I have now that my mother and grandmothers are no longer around to ask. I wish we had had the foresight to do something like you’ve done. Invaluable!
What an incredibly important thing to do. My grandparents had the MOST wonderful stories and songs that had been passed down through the family. Now everyone says “do you remember how that story went” and “wish we’d taken the time to write it down” – the majority of the stories have been lost. Your grand children and great-gand children wont be saying that – they’ll have everything in print. Wonderful!!
Oh – one other comment – I sure miss the quotes that you used to put at the bottom of the comment area. Just saying…..
What a great idea! I find there are often things I wish now that I would have like to ask my grandmother or even my mother about family. They both lived into their 90s and were very sharp mentally. If I would have only thought to ask and write it down!
After a recent visit with grandchildren, my husband decided to start a “Grampa” blog. He is 81 so his history goes back a bit. I think he is enjoying reliving those old memories as much as the kids are enjoying reading them!
A wonderful card with a sentiment full of thought for all of us. Thanks for sharing your beautiful creations as well as bits and pieces of your life that remind us many times of what is important and special. You “teach” and “encourage” us all in many ways. Thanks! and enjoy your very special time with your family.
What an extra-special time you must be having Becca. Enjoy every minute with these precious people in your life.
Your card is beautiful and the sentiment is one we all need to take to heart.
Enjoy documenting your family stories!
Oh, what a lovely time you must be having with your family! I can’t imagine the stories you must be hearing, and finally getting down in writing to document for those in the future. My great-grandmother, at 98 wrote a book about all of her experiences from childhood to her old age. Her mind was still sharp, remembering such detail most of us would never recall. That book has been copied over and over for each new family in the generations ahead. And their children will share the book at school show-and-tells and use for class projects. What a priceless family treasure!!!!
What an amazing thing to do! 108 and 104 – wow!
Enjoy your visit together – it will be added to your list of precious times :o)
Hugs
Anne (UK) x
It is a wonderful thing you and your family have done. Believe me, generations to come will read that and be thankful you took the time to do it. I compiled my family history on both sides as well as my husband’s families. I learned so much from doing this and met so many wonderful people along the way. Then I started scrap booking all the photos and history and that led to stamping and making cards and here we are today!! Love your card and sentiment. Great colors!
Becca Do you realize how lucky you are to be able to sit down with everyone
and put all your stories and history on paper. My parents, aunts and uncles have all passed away and now we can’t get the info you have. Treasure it
and enjoy reading it. Its very special just as your card is. As usual, your card
is just beautiful. You are lucky two ways, treasured info and the ability to come
up with a new idea every day and beautiful as well.
cynthia
Enjoy this time, it’s precious. I wish that I’d been able to record some of my Grandparents stories, but I was to young to be thinking of that sort of thing. It’s marvelous that you are doing that. 108 and 104, wow you come from good genes! We’ll be here when you get back, don’t worry about that! Glad to know that you are having such a good time with family. I want to thank you, again, for your Becca bow segments…my bows have improved 1,000% since you posted them, especially your Peg Bow segments!! Thank you, Becca!
R/
That is truly a special time, Becca. Next week, my sister and I are taking our 90 year old aunt to South Carolina to see her only remaining sibling. I’m sure we will hear lots of stories too–I can’t wait! Thanks for the reminder.
You are so smart to take this time to get to know your past. Fortunately I was able to do the same for my family history, and also for my hubbies family history before it was to late. It is a good thing that I made notes and copied lot’s of old photos of my family and didn’t count on my Mom to pass it down. She is a middle child of 8 siblings. In the last couple of years we lost 4 of them. Longevity runs in Mom’s side. My grandparents lived into their 90’s and my Aunt’s and Uncle’s were all in their late 80’s. Mom is 84, and lives with hubby and me. She is physically very healthy, but I am afraid old age dimensia has over taken her. She very seldom remembers anything very clearly these days. It is hard to watch. It really is like living with a total stranger. We lost my husbands Mom a few months ago at the age of 86. Her health was poor, but her mind was as sharpe as a pin till the day she passed. Fortunately I had been taking notes and tapeing conversations of stories about their family for several years now. She was always a wealth of information. I think I know more about hubbies family history then he does.
So my point is not only is it wise to take notes, but taping the conversations is really important too. I am so glad I was able to do it before it was to late.
Marcie
Becca, That is wonderful to get all the stories of your family together.
Most of my family history is lost when my grandmother died when i was about 16.
Vicky S
Yes, Becca, time marches on and sometimes too quickly. I did my life story about ten years ago and hope to redo it one day. I am the oldest living in my family and the nieces and my grandchild and great grandson want to know the family history. Take time to share with your loved ones. It is all so precious and when lost, it is gone forever. Your card is the usual beauty you so graciously create and share. Do have a blessed time with your family. We miss you but these moments in your life are so precious.
Hugs,
Jeanielou in PA
Becca,
What a precious gift for your daughter! You have heard the stories before but I bet that some of them she has never heard. Enjoy every moment with your sibling, mom and daughter. What a gift! Thanks for the beautiful card. I love the sentiment and the card is beautiful as always!
Dear Becca:
Thank you for always sharing a smile with all your wonderful creations. I know you’ve been through trying times and, as one who has had some of her own, I can appreciate the difficulty of making mere baby steps.
You’ve inspired me in many ways. I am just now getting my groove back –
oh, how I’ve missed my creative side! – and I have you to thank for that.
I wish you a fabulous w/e and I can’t wait to see what you’re up to next.
Thank YOU for always being there!
Warmly,
Heather
That’s fabulous!!! My Grandmother has been writing her Memoirs and emailing them to us as she writes them. I have an ongoing file with her childhood memories!
Becca you are such an inspiration to me! I hope to get to meet you one day. God has truly blessed you with creativity. I wish that I’d taken the time to cronicle stories when my mom and grandma were alive. I’m the only child,so its too late.
Hi Becca,
I can relate to your enjoyment of family history. My grandmother told me that when she married, she and grandpa lived in a tent in the NoDakota badlands, dug a pit for their meat, and only took the buggy to the nearest town twice a year for supplies … she told me this when I once complained that my air conditioner was on the fritz!
Becca, I miss you. Where are you? I hope and pray everything is okay with you. Can’t wait to see what you will do next.
Hi Becca, worried about not seeing you on your blog for days. I pray all is well. I miss you and your talent.
Beautiful, love the soft tan and brown colors used and the stamp is just perfect.
Becca – you have it right! Nothing is like famiy. Have a great time.
PS Love all your work.
OK, now I am worried. Not like you to not post for so many days. Praying you are just busy and having a good time. Praying also for you no matter what! Miss your posts.
I’m glad you were able to get family stories recorded. After my grandpa died I started hearing stories I hadn’t heard before. I wish I had known before so I could have asked Grandpa. What’s worse is having two different stories about the same thing.
Love the card and the sentiment is perfect.
Becca, I love the time we spend with the different generations, usually at a party and usually in my house! but all the stories that starts off with “Do you remember?” are cherished. The youngest now is our little grandaughter aged 2 who’s mum is Japanese and Dad is Scottish, and the eldest are now my husband and myself. These get togethers are priceless.
Love the card and the sentiment.
LOL Eileen
How true!….my sister and I have no older relatives left and much of the family information was never written down…I am so sorry that I didn’t understand that all the Aunts, grands and cousins were not going to live forever; I would have surely asked more questions and written things down. How fortunate that your wise forebears passed so much down to you all. And how smart you are to get together and write it all down before it is irretrievably lost. Enjoy yourselves! and TFS!