Good Morning.....I knew I had to have this Stampin'Up set the minute I saw it...the serene setting of an old dock in the water, whether lake, pond or ocean, brings back memories and thoughts of fun summers as a child.  

I have always loved to be by the water........ the sounds, smells and freshness of nature is a natural de-stressor, with the only side effect being.....a desire to always return.

This is the first of my creations from this set...I look forward to sharing more as they evolve......until then,

I wish each of you a Blessed New Year with the joy of creating memories with loved ones.

As always, I leave you with my reflections from the woods.

jo

The Great Outdoors.....so many options, so much fun!

The two cards on the outside are created using the By the Bay Stampin'Up! set (CASED from Barry and Jay of Mitosu Crafts, UK).  This technique of masking and sponging creates a unique night sky with light effects on the house and water that make you feel as if you are right there soaking up the beauty of the night time coastal wonders.

The center card is my creation from the SU set, Let it Ride.  Over the past few years I have developed an avid love of horses and their majestic beauty and grace.  This is my first attempt with this set and I am loving it.  Again I utilized the masking technique to create the background.  I wrestled with the decision of whether or not to color the horse, but somehow leaving it white enhances the mystery of his freedom to run with the wind.

On a more personal note: re my love of horses.....
Each year my cousin, Lee and I vacation with our husbands, usually in an area that is abundant with Fly Fishing resources for their adventures.  Then she and I always find a stable and venture out on an amazing ride.  Each place has been so unique and challenging in it's own way....but, the most amazing ride was in Alaska in 2016.

Here we are on the very top of a mountain overlooking the clouds and the lake below.  It is a very good thing that these horses had posed here before as we are on the very edge of that ledge and it is a LONG way down.  The beauty from that elevation was extraordinary.  The smiles on our faces illustrate the pride in ourselves for being so brave and accomplishing this challenging ride of a lifetime.
So ends my post for today, leaving you with smiles and Blessings from the woods!

Thinking About a Peaceful Place

Finding a stamp set that serves a dual purpose is a real deal....the ones I am referring to are the ones that take us to a special place with a special memory and inspire our creativity....

As a child, my happy place was playing around the brooks in the woods behind our house...I guess you could say that I was a Tomboy at heart.  When I saw this stamp set in the Stampin'Up catalog, rightfully named Peaceful Place, I knew I just had to have it.  It can be used for so many occasions and has the option of using just the inked background effect or water coloring for a real outdoorsy effect.  Combining it with different greetings and other sets, opens the door for a wide variety of projects.

You can find this set on page 59 of the 2018-2019 Annual Catalog

I hope that you have a Blessed Day and Happy Stamping Adventures.

Gingham and Fable Friends

The new Occasions Catalog from Stampin'Up showcases some wonderful new products and stamp sets that will be available January 3rd thru June 3rd, 2019.  And the added bonus is that between January 3rd and March 31st...for every $50 you spend, you can choose a free item from the Sale*A*Bration catalog... like the set Part of My Story, used for the sentiments in the above cards. 

These cards are made with the new set Fable Friends on page 30 of the Occasions Catalog along with the 6x6 Designer Series paper, Gingham Gala, and Whisper White Flax Ribbon, found on page 35. 

Sometimes the simplest of cards create smiles of love.

Each year when the weather turns "cold" and uninviting to play outside.... I retreat to my craft room to get a head start on making cards for my stash....to be able to grab and send out a card when a need occurs quickly.
While I am busy creating cards and paper crafts, my hubby is in his man cave working on his hobby tying fishing flys...all is well with the world....

I wish each of you a very Blessed Holiday Season filled with love, family, friends and peace.

Blessings from the woods,

jo 

Good Day!

Wow, the time has flown since last posting and our lives are totally on a different path since then.

On May 1st of last year, we sold our lovely and precious lakehouse that we remodeled and have lived in for over 25 years.  And if that wasn't enough to adjust to, we also gave our notices to our employer and retired.  All of this was supposed to take possibly 6 months to a year, but the Dear Lord had another plan for us.  Our house went on the market on a Sunday morning and was sold on Monday morning...whew, that meant a very quick pack up and move with no plan having been established.  To say the least, we had to move quickly and come up with a plan.  As always, I believe the Lord knew what he wanted us to do.  We both had worked in the Hospice, Ministry and Mental Health field for most of our lives.....we were burned out to say the least.............so.......  

We gave our notices and retired on May 20th.  

Now for the "where do we go and what do we do?"

Maitland (my husband of 50 years) is a member of a great Hunting Club in South Georgia and it just so happened that the house on the property was empty and for lease.  What could be better for us to rejuvenate.....peaceful woodlands, privacy and a place to put "all our stuff".......so now to pack and move it all....

On June 1st, we moved in and began to nest a little bit before embarking on the first journey of our "Bucket List"

On July 7th we packed up our RV for a four month excursion which included travel to Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Alaska, Illinois, Indianna, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Virginia and back to Georgia at the end of October.

We stuck around Georgia through hunting season, of course......then in January and February we began some short trips to Jekyll Island in Georgia and several trips to Florida.

Our retirement has been exciting and as most retirees say,

 "How did I ever have to time to keep a job?"

My crafting and stamping came to a full halt from May to November, but I now have my craft space in order and have delved into my hobby whenever we are not on the road.

I hope to begin posting more frequently with some of my creations.

My closing to you in the past has always been:

"I leave you now with my Reflections from the Lake"

My new closing will now be:

I leave you now with my Reflections from the Woods!

Blessings,

jo

The Beauty of Serenity

Good Morning!  My husband and I have just returned from Colorado, our favorite vacation destination.  One of the reasons is the Majesty of the mountains and the pure clarity of the waters flowing down from peaks thousands of feet above us.  Mait loves to Fly Fish and I love to absorb the beauty and the peace that always brings me back to an appreciation of God's Creation.

During our stay with family we shared many memories of loved ones who have passed and the lessons they left behind....My cousin Lee and I love to talk of the adventures we had with those loved ones when we were little children and so innocent to the complications of adulthood.

It is during these visits that I get my inspiration to artistically create.

Thankful Thoughts

This morning the temperature is a cool 38 degrees and the steam is lifting off the Lake here in Georgia with the sun rising in the background and the shadows reflecting trees that are ready to shed their leaves....no color to speak of yet, but you always know that when the temperatures begin to dip, the color is not far off....therefore the inspiration for my card today...

We are entering the Season of Giving Thanks.....thanks for many things that we sometimes take for granted, thanks for the little things in life that bring a smile to our face, thanks for the freedom to be able to live in this great Country, thanks to our brave Military for keeping us safe and most of all.....Thanks to God for the Beauty of his creation and his abounding Love.

May your day be filled with peace, love, understanding, and forgiveness as I leave you with my reflections from the Lake.......

jo

October Halloween Goodies

I love the Fall months because the colors are amazingly bright, the air is much cooler, and everyone begins to get into the upcoming Fall Celebrations.....Craft Festivals, Halloween celebrations, Thanksgiving......

This month I had a blast with the Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin'Up.

We don't get trick or treaters in our neighborhood anymore and I really miss seeing the kids and passing out the goodies.....but I know that it is much better and safer for them to go to organized events....so I decided that I would make these for the grandchildren of a friend of mine......the bags are full of "chocolate" of course and the cards will have McDonald's or Chick Fil A gift cards.

Have a fun and safe October, as I leave you with reflections from the Lake as the leaves, acorns and hickory nuts begin to fall....

jo

 

The Swallowtail Butterfly by Stampin'Up! is one of my all time favorite stamps.

Here I have combined it with the Watercolor Wonder DSP from Stampin'Up! and it really brings out the beauty of the stamp.  This makes a wonderful gift set as note cards or Occasion cards.

A New Beginning

In 2007 I began a new adventure of stamping and scrapbooking.

An adventure that has brought me much pleasure, peace and sense of accomplishment.

Our hobbies are not only a reflection of talent, but also of creativity and sense of self.

I will graciously admit that I am "technically challenged", when it comes to computer stuff, so in my attempt to be savvy, in 2010, I created Lakeside Reflections.  It was fun and a great way to connect my thoughts with those I love and share this crafting addiction.  However, somewhere in that journey, I never learned the art of renewing a blog and it disappeared (still don't know exactly what happened).  

So, here I am again, beginning a new adventure of blogging, hoping not to forget or mess up the process of keeping it alive and well. 

My new adventure will include reflections, projects and adventures of crafting with others.

One never has enough Manly Cards on hand for 
those special guys in our life. 

In a recent challenge with some friends, we decided to dig deep into our creativity and begin a new stash of Manly Cards.  
Above are the two that I made for the challenge.  The one on the left, I cased from Laura Erickson on Kay Kalthoff's Blog (see original www.stampingtoshare.com ).  I didn't stray from the original design because I just loved it the way it was designed.... 
so way to go Laura and Kay!!!
(Inks, paper and stamps used for the card on the left are from Stampin'Up! The Open Sea, Gorgeous Grunge and Work of Art)

As I receive the others from my fellow crafters, I will post for your enjoyment.

One of the most wonderful aspects of sharing our work on blogs and websites is that it gives inspiration to other stampers and scrapbookers who may be having an "artist's block".  To see what others are doing can open up that block and wonderful other inspirations evolve.