Virtual Blog Tour

It is Monday. As I am preparing myself to start this new week, no matter what we will go through this week I am reminded by the Lord that He is faithful and there is hope only in Him for those who depend on Him and to those who search for Him:

The faithful love of the  lord  never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The  lord  is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The  lord  is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the  lord . (Lamentations 3:22-26)

A few weeks ago, my blogging friend, Ramona, invited me to join this Virtual Blog Tour. She is one awesome lady I met on blogging world who inspires a lot of her readers through link ups, reviews, inspirational posts, crafts and giveaways! Check out her blog here to see what she has shared with her readers.

Virtual Blog Tour is one fun blog-hopping to get to know each other and they have been doing. Each participant of this Virtual Blog Tour has to answer these 4 questions. And today I would like to share a little bit about me with you all 🙂

What am I working on?

As a stay home wife and mom who has a kindergarten aged daughter and a pre-schooler aged girl, I am busy with them every single day 🙂 Right now, I am working on a lesson plan for my preschooler while the oldest at school.

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this picture was taken a few months ago… just a glimpse of what is happening in our loft almost every day 🙂

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I am also one of Wycliffe Associates volunteers working on a project for Pacific Area ministry. And I am a volunteer translator at YouVersion Bible App.

On my spare time, I blog, do scrapbook layouts, make cards, DIY, crafts with my girls and crafting with friends.

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How does my work differ from others of its genre?

In the last few months, I have been taking some times to seek God and reevaluate what I do and how it aligns with what He has called me to do. Couple weeks ago, when I attended a women blogging conference, Declare Conference, God confirmed me what and why. I know that God has given me the ability to do what I do to make his name known among to others through my role as a wife, a mom and a paper crafter.

What makes it different is that I do this as a servant to my Lord, a ministry to others. That brings joy and satisfaction in my heart, not only because it is my hobby or just because I can do it.

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Why do I write/create what I do?

I realize that through all of these what I am doing here is a preparation for me and my family to go serving the Lord overseas, among the people in SEA*.

I write because God has called me to share the stories He is writing in and through my life and my family. I write because of my hope more people to know the needs of the Good News to be heard in the languages of the people in SEA*. I write because I want more and more people to stand in the gap between these people and God, to intercede for them because they cannot.

I write because I am their voices to you.

I am writing and creating with a mission for a mission.

taken by Daniel B., Wycliffe Vision Trip 2005

taken by Daniel B., Wycliffe Vision Trip 2005

How does your writing/creating process work?

I am inspired by a lot of people and learn from a lot of people. My writing process is not as easy as I write in my first language, but I am thankful for many times God helps me through a lot of friends and teachers, especially with my husband who has been a great help for me to improve my English, written and spoken.

First, I write my first draft which come from a lot of resources, for instance my quite time with the Lord, reading the Bible or reading a book, even every day life is full of inspirations to write 🙂 Then after I get my first draft, I will go back to read it again and write more. Sometimes, I post after editing my second draft, but sometimes, I need to go back and edit again for the third or fourth time.

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And for my crafting process, I like to work with sketches. First, I will make plan. Right now, I am working with my daughters’ first year scrapbook albums. So I gather all of their pictures I want to put on the albums. Second, I will  find sketches or templates (for digital scrapbooking), then work on them as I can. For digital scrapbook layouts I created,  I want to make memory books for us to remember.

I love making handmade gifts and cards for family and friends. I make list what I want to make for who, search for inspirations and tutorials (from Pinterest, most of the time :D) and then I will work on them, sometimes I will ask extra time on the weekend to work on projects while my husband spend time with our daughters.

My church friends and I love to get together for craft night once in a while, for sure we always get together around October or early November to make hairbows and hairclips for Operation Christmas Child Show Boxes project.

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When I can, I take pictures of steps how I create my project to share here on my blog 🙂

Next stop of this Virtual Blog Tour is my creative friend, Padni. We met at Stuck On U Sketches Design Team. And the most amazing thing is that we come from the same country! She is a scrapbook maker and teacher, loves handmade craft, home living stuff and photography. Check out her blog on September 1 to get to know her and to see what she’s been up to 🙂

THANK YOU for visiting my blog today. Your visits brighten my day 🙂

Hip Pic Album: New School Year Album

CTMH 2014-2015 Annual Inspirations Book | Helen Gullett | http://creatingjoyfully.ctmh.com/ #closetomyheart #ctmh #annualinspirationsbook #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking #diy

Today is the day! Close To My Heart 2014 – 2015 Annual Inspiration Book Reveal Day! I am so super excited and cannot wait to show you all the new pretty products in this new Annual Inspiration Book. You can download PDF File here today and start making wish list 😀

Now… my project… My oldest daughter is going to Kindergarten this year! She is super excited about this going to school, and this Momma? I have mix feelings: thankful, excited, and sad at the same time… I don’t know if I am as ready as she is. We’ll find out in 2 weeks!

So, I am making her first Kindergarten album using My Creations™ Hip Pics Album and Workshops On The Go™ Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit.

Hip Pic Album: New School Year Album| CTMH 2014-2015 Annual Inspirations Book | Helen Gullett | http://creatingjoyfully.ctmh.com/ #closetomyheart #ctmh #annualinspirationsbook #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking #diy

This Workshops On The Go™ Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit (G1081) comes with Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit stamp set (D-size), Chalk It Up paper packet, matching color card stocks (1 Flaxen, 1 Lagon, 1 White Daisy), Chalk It Up ComplementsChalk It Up Assortment, 1 spool Striped Twill Ribbon and an instructional brochure. You can create at least 4 – 12×12 scrapbook layouts with this kit.

The number background I created by stamping the numbers from the Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit stamp set on a piece 5″ x 6″ Flaxen Cardstock with Whisper Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad. This ink is great for shadowing and light stamping.

Every CTMH duo-papers come with a little surprise, matching color and pattern borders. The lagoon dots and Sorbet swirl pattern borders are 2 of the 3 borders from Chalk It Up paper packet. I used my Scallop Border Punch to created the scallop border and added it on the page using adhesive runner, then I added the Sorbet swirl pattern border on top of it.

I used Liquid Glass to add the word YEAR chipboard from Chalk It Up Complements and 3D Foam Tape to add the arrow word on top of the Year word for some dimensional effect.

Do you see those washi tapes??? Aren’t they cute? They are Black Arrow Washi Tape and Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape. And that Sorbet puffy heart is my new favorite assortment from Chalk It Up Assortment.

Hip Pic Album: New School Year Album| CTMH 2014-2015 Annual Inspirations Book | Helen Gullett | http://creatingjoyfully.ctmh.com/ #closetomyheart #ctmh #annualinspirationsbook #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking #diy

This ribbon flower I made using Base & Bling Adhesive Dots and Striped Twill Ribbon that comes in the Workshops On The Go™ Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit. I added the cute smiley face chipboard in the middle of the flower.

This is just the cover! I cannot wait to fill up all the pages in this week, so come back tomorrow for the sneak peak the pages 😀
And today I join CTMH New Product Blog Hop. I hope you will enjoy this hop and all inspirations that CTMH Independent Consultants have for you on their blogs 🙂

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SOUS Die Cut Challenge: Food & Beverage

I cannot believe that Summer is almost done!!! But I cannot complain, we just have been having so much fun this Summer. July is a month full of fun for us that we had awesome cook out on the fourth of July, fantastic weather for playing outside though we had some cloudy and rainy days, road trip, camping and next week we will have VBS at our church. We are thankful for Summer!

Every single moment is worth to remember. One way of remembering our memories is scrapbooking. I have been scrapbooking since 2009 after our first baby girl was born. Now she loves seeing her baby book 🙂 I am working on our second baby girl’s book and hoping when she is bigger, she’ll love it too. Then I thought, well… I don’t have yet book about me and my husband. So, I started our first scrapbook album that record our first year memories as husband and wife. That is just the beginning 🙂

Today I would like to share with you one of the page I made for SOUS Die Cut Challenge this week.

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This is one of our stories when we went to my hometown and had these local “must eat food” That was Dave’s second time visiting actually, but our first time visiting my family. Scrapping these pictures made me hungry and miss those food 😀 LOL!!!

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For our album I used My Crush™ Bluebird Book and Memory Assortment from Close To My Heart. I added some of the Color-Ready Trinkets Wooden Shapes, Chocolate Woodgrain Washi Tape, Honey Triangles Washi Tape, and Silver Geometric Washi Tape.

The banner I embossed a piece of White Daisy Cardstock with Chevron Embossing Folder using my WRMK Evolution Advanced. I cut Cocoa Cardstock for the title using my Silhouette Cameo. I used this free font, Bira font worked well with die cut machine! Do you see that fork, spoon and knife? I found them at Silhouette Online Store designed by Megan Hardy. After I resized them, I cut them from a piece of Champagne Cardstock to match the color with the book page.

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So, I have 6 pictures for this limited space and the solution is this awesome Memory Protectors™ Flip Flaps™ Small Assortment! They are Slide photos or other artwork into the pocket and attach the Flip Flap with its adhesive strip. 4 each of 2″ × 2″, 3″ × 3″, 3″ × 4″, and 4″ × 4″.

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On this page I use only 2 of the 4″ x 4″ that holds 4 pictures and I added one more picture on the page, there I have 6 pictures on this 10″x7″ page! I added Bronze Shimmer Trim on to cover on the flip flap. I love this Flip Flaps pockets! 😀

Hope to see your project link up with us at SOUS Die Cut Challenge and other challenges until the end of the month, you can win the blog candy!

Have a fun weekend with your love ones!

I Am Doing 31 Days Too!

It is already Day 7 of the 31 Days… I almost forgot to share with you all that I AM DOING IT, too! It is over my crafting blog HERE.

Autumn is here already. We have halloween and Thanksgiving coming up.

Winter is following it. Then we are be having fun preparation for Christmas and New Year.

Over my crafting blog, I have been sharing what we did for 31 Days of creating memories, gifts and decoration joyfully.

I hope you will visit my crafty blog and will enjoy it, too! I’ll see you there!

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made with Picmonkey.

Why Memory Keeping Matters

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Every one has hobby. I have some hobbies, or I call them fun things I love to do as family or just by myself. Two of them are scrapbooking and making cards. I am still learning and exploring my style. So, I join Close To My Heart as an Independent Consultant 3 months ago because they supply what I need for my hobby: papers, kits, stamps, inks, markers, embellishments, tools, etc.

As an Independent Consultant, I am free to manage my own time to do it. I still have the Quite Time with my God on top of my priority, followed by my family, ministry, then my hobby and business. When I joined my friend, Elizabeth’s (she is a wonderful friend and paper crafter!) team, I pray God will bless this not for my own needs, but also use this to bless others, too.

Why Close To My HeartThis is why I choose this paper crafting company and love their products 🙂 I hope after you watch this video, you’ll know why and will love it too!

If you have any questions about Close To My Heart, or anything, please feel free to send me email or leave a comment on this post. I will get back to you as soon as possible 🙂

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You are welcome to visit my Close To My Heart website and shop with me :D

Close To My Heart is retiring some of their product this month. You can check the Retiring Product List Here  available until July 31 while supply last!

Join and like my Facebook fan page for more updates, inspirations and great deals. Grab this free printable tag to share the Happiness with others!  It is available from now through July 31. Attach them to a gift or hide them around the house and watch the happy happen!

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Have a happy crafty day!