Country Liv's Cottage Art

Hellooooooo!

2012-01-19T02:35:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all,

Life has been full of ups and downs these past three months. This week is definitely a down time but I need to try and get back to the things I love. One of the things I love is visiting my friends blogs. I have become very attached to some of my online buddies and my most favorite and beloved lost her Mom this week. Such a sweet, sweet person and I felt as if I 'knew' her and have been so sad since finding it out. The ironic thing about the timing of her death is that it was the anniversary of my Mom's death. Twenty years ago if someone had told me that I would have 'pen pals' throughout the world that I would keep up with, I would have told them they don't know me very well because I am a 'hands on' type of person. Well, I certainly was wrong!

Another online buddy of mine has begun a small 'Challenges & Triumphs' group. We discuss what we need to do, what we wish we could do, and what we actually do. The point is to give each other a reality check and point out the triumphs that we seem to never see for ourselves. This gives us a boost and keeps us on track with those things we know we MUST do. I feel it is working and it has only been two days! So, if you have a hard time with challenges in your daily life, write them down and be sure and lists all the things that you did do so you can be in a positive mood. If you'd like to bounce anything off me, give it a go as I am always interested in my fellow bloggers, scrappers, and designers.

I finished another page kit this week. I am really a slow designer and I thought I wasn't doing too good but I have been told it is because I make almost every items in my kits from scratch. In other words, I very seldom use what other designers have made to sell for commercial use; not always but not very often. I digress. The new kit is called 'A Lady's Boudoir.' Ifeel really good about this one and think you will enjoy using it and willreturn to it time and time again because it depicts all things feminine in ALady’s Boudoir. Here are the previews Imade to display it and HERE is the link to my shop at Southern Comfort Scraps ifyou’d like to purchase it. In fact, I amtrying to learn how to make a coupon for my products and if you email me atcountryliv@yahoo.com it will prod me to learn and I will send you one for 50% off the ‘A Lady’s Boudoir’ kit! Nota bad deal for a couple minutes of your time, huh? My newsletter subscribers are getting a Cluster Frame Freebie made with 'A Lady's Boudoir' so I though I would post a Quickpage Freebie for my blog followers. If you'd like to get in on the freebies from my newsletter, you must sign up first. (the sign up is over to your right at the top)

Here is the quickpage I made for you with my Tabba as the 'Princess!'

You can download the quickpage at 4Shared: HERE

Unless otherwise stated most all of my freebies are for personal use only.

Well, it's going on 2:30 and I still have to write my newsletter before I go to bed. So I'll bid you adieu until I get back or you send me an email!

International Digital Scrapbooking Day Sale

2011-11-03T21:28:00.001-04:00

Just to let you know that I am having a special sale:

This sale includes everything in my shop, even the bundles!

Liv

November Collaboration has arrived!

2011-11-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

Stop by Southern Comfort Scraps to pick up our newest collaboration, 'Grandmother's House.' available for $5.99! 7 designers have contributed. There are 87 full size papers and 230 full size elements. A wonderful combination of things you might find in your grandmothers house. A lot of our designers are up in age so you will find that the kit has a vintage feel to it. Colors are greens, purples, pinks and burgundy. A lovely lot of mix and match items.

Click here to go to the store!

This month Echo has an extra special gift for you when you purchase the collab: A coupon for 50% 0ff your next collab purchase!

Enjoy!

Liv

Hello!

2011-10-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

Stopping in to say hello and to ask you to please email me again if I haven't answered your last email or comment. I seem to be missing some email and addresses at YaHoo! so please be patient with me and I promise to get back to you as soon as possible.

My friend, Jan, is a couple weeks into her radiation and chemo and it is making her very tired but she seems to be responding favorably! Her speech seems to have improved in the last 3 to 4 days too. We really appreciate all the good wishes and prayers offered up for her and hope you continue to keep her on your prayer lists.

As for my shops, I am putting some pompom bows in for this week's Southern Comfort Scrap's Freaky Friday for $1 which makes them 20 cents a piece!

Hope you have a great week.

Freaky Friday

2011-10-13T19:57:00.002-04:00

http://southerncomfortscraps.com/

Hey Y'all,

This little ad is to tell you about the Freaky Friday at Southern Comfort Scraps but I couldn't read it so I guess you can't either! What it says is that every Friday there will be a catagory available at SCS named Freaky Friday and everything in that category is only $1; these are for 24 hours only and then they go back to regular prices. We are going to change them every Friday so drop in often to see what is available.

Sorry to be MIA but things are not so good around here. I will be back ASAP! Okay? Thanks for your prayers for my friend Jan.

Hugs,
Liv

October Collaboration is Up at SCS

2011-09-30T18:08:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all,
The collaboration kit for October, Halloween Happiness, is up at Southern Comfort Scraps.
Come on by and take a look.

Things are pretty rocky for me right now. Jan is deteriorating and my heart is breaking.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Freebie and News

2011-09-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

I forget whether I have updated you on my friend's, Jan, health progress. The doctors said 2 months unless she does radiation and chemo; she opted for both so she could be here for her family through the holidays. This is such a blow to all her family and friends.

Jan isn't the only friend with brain tumors. Our mutual friends, Karla and Sarah both have brain tumors and we lost another friend several years ago to a malignant brain tumor. How many people do you call friends that have cancer of some sort? What do you think causes these 'cluster' malignancies? I feel it is the air quality, the food pesticide contaminants, the meat and dairy hormone additives, and things like shampoo and antiperspirants which have harmful parabens and aluminums that we have been exposed to for our whole lives. My grandparents lived to be quiet old (90's) and they ate fats, sugars, and flours; smoked without restraint and generally did what we would consider suicide today! What type of lifespan are my grandchildren looking at?

Made a commercial use item last night: Embossing Overlays. While making the preview, I decided to give away the papers I made. The Overlays are gong to be at my Whisprd Designz shop today and my shop at Southern Comfort Scraps tomorrow. You can buy them at either shop for only $1!

This is the preview

You can download the freebie papers at 4Shared or MediaFire. The papers are for person use only.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Mid-September Check-in and Freebie!

2011-09-18T17:51:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Just a quick update on things around here.

Joshua's soccer team won the match yesterday 2-1! It was an exciting game as the teams were well matched and in more ways than 1! Both teams were dressed in purple and it made for some funny confusion when passing, scoring, and making sideline kicks!

Saw my friend Jan. She happily showed me her stapled scalp where the biopsy and fluid removal of the tumors took place on Wednesday. She goes this coming Wednesday to have the staples out, to discuss Radiation and to discuss Chemo-therapy; this will happen in three separate doctors appointments spread out from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Jan is such a dear, sweet, person and I appreciate the prayers and good wishes offered up on her behalf.

It has finally cooled off down here in the Southern US and it is wonderful to sleep with some covers on! I just hope this cool weather system stays around for a while.

I have added my new kit, 'Good Morning, Sunshine!' to my shop at Whisprd Designz and, of course, it is in my original store at Southern Comfort Scraps. Go by and take a closer look at the previews when you have a chance.

I have made a quickpage for you from the Good Morning, Sunshine! kit. Here it is featuring my Joshua.

You may download it from either 4SHARED or MEDIA FIRE.

Have a great week!

September Check-In

2011-09-15T17:12:00.001-04:00

Hey Y’all!

I wanted to let you know about some of the things that havebeen happening around here.

On the home front I have been on pins and needles andtotally sadden by the fact that my good friend’s brain tumor turned into 2tumors that are both malignant and inoperable. Her speech, appetite, and equilibrium have been getting worse and worsebut she didn’t seem to be plagued by the seizures as she had been in prioryears and one of her physicians felt that it was her thyroid becominghyper. After he put her on numerous medsand things did not improve, an appointment was made to see her neurologist. That turned into several trips to have MRI’sand the like, which led to the diagnosis of the development of cancer in herbrain. I really don’t understand whysome doctors feel it’s necessary to put patients through unnecessary pain andsuffering. The tumors have reached rootsway down into Jan’s brain and cannot be excised and there seems to be no hopeof recovery but her surgeon felt the need to put her in the hospital and do abiopsy on the tumors to find out what kind of cancer they are! Hello . . . theyare growing so fast that chemo and/or radiation cannot possibly help so why puther through that surgery? Why not lether quality of life be better, even if the quantity is less? I guess these arequestions I will never have answered but I can tell you that I hate to see my friendgo through all this pain and suffering.

While waiting for Jan to come home, I have been working onseveral projects; I have two new kits in the works and have joined anotherScrapbooking Store. During the wee hoursof this morning, I uploaded a few of my small elements into that shop atgreatly reduced prices. I think what Iwill do is introduce products at Southern Comfort Scraps and then move them toWhisprd Designz after they have aged and sell them at reduced prices. Sounds like a plan to me! The design is linked to Whisprd Designz.

I have so much to do and I just cannot seem to get my bodyto do what my mind knows that needs to be done! Joshua’s birthday is coming up and so is my friend Vicki’s mom. I need to get busy with their cards and Ithink Vic’s birthday is just around the corner and Jan’s is in Novembertoo. I also have a cyber friend that iscoming to visit me in October, and I have been diligently trying to get allthis Social Security and Medicare stuff done. Whew! I make myself tired justthinking of it! For you youngsters, whenyou get up into your sixties, things that use to be just drops in the bucketnow take on enormous porportions that are really hard to accomplish, at leastfor me!

I hope to get everything accomplished and make up a coupleof freebie quickpages soon. Y’all take care of yourselves and pray for my Jan.

Hugs,

Operation Smile Campaign!

2011-09-02T20:51:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Please take a few minutes of your time and read about this wonderful campaign:

September is Craniofacial Awareness Month. So, help us, help Doctors, give children with cleft lips and palates and other craniofacial issues, in underdeveloped countries, new smiles. All proceeds from the sale of this collab go to Operation Smile. The poster is self explanatory (but you can get a better look at the shop) and when you make a donation you actually receive something in return besides the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping young people all over the world.

Just click HERE to be taken to the Southern Comfort Store to donate! Thanks in advance for your participation in this worthwhile cause.

Hugs,

September's Store Collaboration's Here!

2011-09-02T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Southern Comfort Scraps September Collab 'Rainy Days & Monday's is now available in the Store:

This month's collab is brought to you by four of our great designers. They got together to make this lovely kit of blues and golds. Some things you might think of on those rainy Mondays from whimsical to Victorian, frogs and umbrellas, or even going up into the attic and digging through some of those old treasures you have stored! Who knows what you might want to do on those rainy days? Over 45 papers and over 50 elements. PU

Spend $8 anywhere in SCS and get this collab free. CODE: sept_2011_collab_free

Hugs,

Updates, New Kit, and a Freebie

2011-08-31T03:55:00.003-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Well, Irene (the Hurricane) missed us almost completely; we suffered no ills from her in our part of North Carolina but, man, so many other folks weren't so lucky. Up in Virginia, my old stomping grounds have been decimated by the earth quake but especially Irene. Some of my friends haven't had any power for days and it will be Friday before they might see any relief. My heart and prayers go out to all the people who fell in the path of such destruction.

Around here we have been having problems of a different sort. Kim saw the nephrologist again yesterday and it was confirmed that she is in stage 3 renal failure/kidney disease. Everything about the diabetes interferes with the treatment for the kidneys so nothing is being done. They will just wait until she has to be on dialysis then on the transplant list and by then she will probably be too sick to withstand and qualify for the surgery. Rock? Hard place? Oh well, at least she has been enjoying her life for the past year. She went to the Baptist University Hospital in Winston-Salem this morning to see her endocrinologist to have her insulin adjusted. She no longer qualifies for the gasteoparesis study because her gastroenterologist had her have that awful surgery last February(*See below); he didn't think about the fact that it would disqualify her in the study. The docs up there are doing their best to try and keep her supplied with insulin.

My grandson, Kim's son, has started middle school and needs our prayers for freedom from teasing and bullies. He will be 12 on October 1 but he has not grown much in 4 years; he weighs 62 pounds. He was put on ADHD meds a couple years ago and it has stunted his growth and made him anxiety ridden which causes problems for him at school.

Enough about troubles already! I wanted you to know that I finally finished my favorite kit! It has been a labor of love even though it was nerve racking too. I kept going back and changing or improving some element and it was getting to be ridiculous so I had to put my pen down and bundle and box it up for sale. I think I will probably go back and add other things to it in the future; it has so many directions it can go in! I named it 'Good Morning, Sunshine!' because I had my grandson in my mind when he was a toddler and always woke up with a huge smile and a hug for everyone. The descriptions I entered in the Southern Comfort Scrap shop give you a little more insight into me and my childhood. Anyway, I hope you will take a look and consider purchasing some or all of it and let me know what you think. I made a gift for you of 'stacked' papers from the kit; all you need to do is add a photo or two and some journaling and viola! you are done! Here are the previews of my new kit and also of the freebie; choose which site you want to download from and enjoy!

The Kit

A layout I made using some of the items from my kit. Isn't he adorable?

The preview of your gift:

4 Shared Here MediaFire Here

Hope you all have a great week!

Hugs,

*For those who aren't familiar with the facts, Kim had major reconstructive surgery on the bottom of her stomach and the top of her intestines in February in order for her food to flow into her intestines better as her stomach no longer works and all her food must be digested only in her intestines which are over 50% necrotic. She had a feeding tube in her stomach for almost two years but it really didn't help-it made matters worse so the hole was allowed to close up last autumn.

Quake?

2011-08-23T17:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, we did have an earthquake! My youngest daughter lives not far from the epicenter of Mineral Virginia, the site of a 5.9 earthquake. They are all okay, for now, and are just hoping that the phone and electrical lines stay operational. According to Suzi, the Richmond area is acting like business as usual with no closed bridges or businesses closing, yet hundreds of miles away people are being evacuated from their buildings. Really weird, huh? Suzi works for a bank in Richmond and they refused to let their employees evacuate the building during or after the quake! There was also a quake in Colorado of 5.3 on the Richter scale just prior to the one near Richmond. And now we are expecting a hurricane to sweep in and up the Eastern Seaboard. I hope that when the news starts pouring in about the quake that there were no fatalities or major property damage. Also any prayers offered for those in the path of the oncoming hurricane will be appreciated. Think we may be living life on the edge?

Sorry I have been MIA lately; I haven't been well and a lot has been going on around here that takes my attention. Hope to get back soon.

Hugs,
Liv

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-30T17:25:00.001-04:00

Hello All!
It's been way too hot in North Carolina to do much of anything for the entire month of July! Temperatures have been over 100 degrees most days and the heat indexs have been unbelievable for July; August is usually the hottest month in the Southern United States. I am just wondering what August will bring this year . . . I don't know how long my air conditioner can run without overload and breakdown.
Ms. Echo, owner of Southern Comfort Scraps, has put the August Store Collab, Summer Sun, up a wee bit early this month. It is full of fun summer elements to answer any need you might have to scrap those vacation and hot summer days of the Northern Hemisphere and last summer's photo for you of the Southern hemisphere! It is a very large kit so make room on your XHD for these goodies which are free with just a $10 purchase from the store or $5.99 outright. Check out the preview:

Click HERE to go to the collab in the store!

I am currently working on a special kit called 'Good Morning, Sunshine!' which contains some unique furnishing items to scrap your child's morning. Everything is offered in masculine and feminine versions! i will post a sneak peak soon along with a Freebie to whet your whistle.

Y'all stay cool now!

Too Hot Tuesday!

2011-07-13T16:37:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'All,

Too hot is right! It is 98.2 degrees in the shade here today and it truly is not helping with my sinus problems. If it's not mold from too much rain it's dust/pollen from too much heat. At least my eyes have begun to feel better from the pressure the sinuses were causing. I can read now, Yay! I was suppose to go and visit a friend of mine today that I haven't seen in a few weeks (she's been at the beach and I've been sick) but it is just too hot to go out. I have really missed her though because when she's at the beach she gets lousy cell phone reception so we lose touch. I'm going to stay in today, do my grocery shopping tonight when it's cooler, and visit Jan on Thursday when the weatherman says it will be 'cooler.'

Kim and Joshua were down yesterday and we sat in the dining room working on our latest puzzle. Joshua is such a sweetheart and I enjoy him so much. They left this morning for Virginia where they will pick up Tabitha and head to Washington, D.C. tomorrow. Joshua has been wanting to go to the Smithsonian for a while now and Kim says she is up to it, so off they go. Kim has a Mini-Cooper so the gas prices don't really keep them at home like having a gas guzzler like mine does.

Have you gone by the store, Southern Comfort Scraps, and checked out that July collaboration I was telling you about? You don't want to miss it because after this month each of the designers will take their contribution and put it in their respective shops at a price of around $4 each! You can get it All for Free with a $6 purchase now or just buy it outright for $6 and you are still getting a major bargain!

Next month is 'Summer Sun' and I thought I'd give you a sneak peak at what I will be adding and a small freebie of stickers that will match the August theme. The stickers are on one .png file so you need to lasso or select and paste into your new document.

Downloads:

4Shared HERE or MediaFire HERE

Oh, one more thing before I go! Southern Comfort Scraps needs some store Creative Team members. Nothing much is required, I think maybe two layouts a month and you get to choose the kit you want to use from some of the designers and you keep it for yourself. Not bad for a couple hours work; let me know if you are interested by leaving a comment. I'd like to have another CT member for myself if you are interested; you'll have access to anything in my store and only one layout a month is required. Also the store and I are very understanding, if life gets in the way, you just have to let us know ASAP and we will get someone else to take your turn.

Y'All Stay Cool!

Freebie Quick Page!

2011-07-04T21:16:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all!
I forgot to tell you that I made a quick page freebie using my True Blue Add-On kit and my part of the July 2011 Collaboration freebie. Please enjoy (PU/S4H/S4O-Only)! Come and check out my other products at the Shop. Southern Comfort Scraps

Download @ 4Shared -OR- Download @ MediaFire

Hugs,

My Cutie Pie Has Left The Premises!

2011-07-04T18:00:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Well my Tabitha went home on Friday evening and it has taken me these last three days to come to terms with it. She says she wants to come back and visit during her Christmas break but I kind of doubt she will be allowed to. This past week, that she spent with me, was wonderful! We laughed, talked, hugged and just enjoyed each other so much; it was the first time I have seen her in five years (she was 12 at the time). She is a happy and loving teenager and a joy to be around. She brought some of her graphic artwork for me to see and I am really impressed with her quick conquering of PhotoShop.

Isn't she a cutie!? She's just as beautiful on the inside too!

Here is some of her artwork:

My Tabitha

The street is a creek!

I have been trying to get over impacted sinuses and now a painful and swollen eye. My daughter says they are probably connected. I have been using Dr. Oz's remedy of salt water nose washes and I almost drowned myself this morning! I know too much information! I'm a sad looking momma though and if I wasn't so vain I'd post a photo of my distorted pitiful face!

I've finished another kit; it is an add-on to the True Blue Free Collaboration that's available this month at Southern Comfort Scraps. I previously said it was with a $5 purchase but it's with a $6 purchase because it is so Huge! This add-on includes some great fireworks (if I do say so myself); they look great on dark backgrounds.

I certainly hope you all are enjoying your long 4th of July weekend in the States and are having a better Monday than I am throughout the world!

Sale at Southern Comfort Scraps

2011-06-29T05:12:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all!
Just a quick note to let you know that we are all okay and I will be back to update you on the 'Ya Ya Teenhood' visit! We are having such a great time together.

We are having a 4th of July sale at Southern Comfort Scraps plus a new collab 'True Blue' which all starts on July 1st and runs through July 5th. The sale is almost storewide and is 50% Off! Check out the collab which is free if you spend $5 in the store or you can purchase this extra large kit for $5:

Have a wonderful Independence Day in the USA and great weekend for the rest of the world! I will get back to you ASAP.

Hugs,

Just when you think . . .

2011-06-17T15:12:00.004-04:00

. . . that things are getting better, the bottom drops out of your bucket. My mom used to tell me it is because you are not supposed to count your chickens before they hatch. Kim’s divorce is final, Joshua has graduated with honors from elementary school, Tabitha is coming to visit, I have a shop in which to sell my designs, and most of all: Kim’s health has been really good for the past 8 months (relatively speaking). Well that is what we thought. She went to Wake Forest on Monday to participate in the gasteoparesis study and they had her drink too many carbs and she wound up in the hospital and went through ten hours of diarrhea, nausea, and out of whack blood sugar counts. While she was there they ran some routine tests of her blood and urine which showed some cause for alarm because her creatin level in the blood was too high, and they wanted her to see a specialist about her kidneys immediately. It just so happened that she already had an appointment for today with a specialist because when she had to have that blood transfusion a couple of weeks ago her primary doctor didn’t like her lab results either. Kim just called with the results of her specialist appointment. On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the worst and dialysis is needed, Kim’s creatin levels in the blood and urine put her at a 3. She is anemic (thus the transfusion) because the kidneys are not doing their job of supplying whatever it is you need to make blood in your bone marrow. What they are going to do for the present is put her on high blood pressure meds (she is already on low blood pressure meds) and hormone therapy to try and combat the kidney failure. She first has to do one of those 24 hour collection cycles and get them to the lab and the specialist will take it from there and figure out what type of meds and how much she should be taking. Then we will pray even harder (if that’s possible) that things will get better or at least not get worse.

I know that I am a pessimist, always have been because every time I start to feel comfortable and maybe even happy about something, things go bad. That’s my experience with everything from husbands and lovers, to home purchases, to missing a sale at the grocery store, to picking the wrong line at MacDonald’s, and my children’s’ health; every single time, things go bad. I pray, I plead my case(s) to whomever is in charge, I try and be optimistic but I end up divorced, then finding and losing the love of my life, living in a house that wasn’t built correctly and causes all kinds of problems and expenses, and having my children suffer ill health to the point of it wrecking their lives and the lives of those who care about them. And I know I am whining, but damn, does everything have to go bad for Kim? Can she not have some peace for a little while? She was just told this week, by her ex-husband, that he’s not going to pay for Joshua’s meds for the summer; he needs to have some spending money so he can ‘have a life.’ Enough! Do you see why I periodically feel like not living anymore? It is just so hard to face the day sometimes and the nights are a bitch. I have friends to talk this over with but they cannot solve the problems or even make me or Kim feel better. What’s the use?

This and That

2011-06-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

Hello Y’All. Well I am back from a week of non-stop drama!

First, my granddaughter, Suzy, was in labor from early Monday morning until late afternoon Friday when she finally delivered my great grandson Gavin Bentlee Marlin. We were all counting the contractions, worrying that Gavin was in distress because he had been in ‘position’ for so very long, and wondering why the doctors didn’t think Suzy should be hospitalized in case of major complications. She went to the ER at least 3 times and they sent her home; frustration seemed to be her major problem as the contractions didn’t seem to bother her-ever! When the little fellow showed up he weighed in at 7 pounds 2 ounces and 19 ¾ inches long, which is a pretty good size for such a young mother. Both he and Suzy are doing fine, in fact she has gone back and finished her final exams and is home for the summer. Gavin has lots of dark brown hair and right now his eyes seem to be grey (but I know they will change soon) and he has the sweetest little round head. I thought for sure that his head would be misshapen because of the long labor but he’s perfect.

Gavin Bentlee Marlin

Not yet 24 hours old!

While Suzy was having Gavin, I was in a dental surgery suite having a tooth removed. It went really well and I felt that I was going to do much better than I ever did when I had out my wisdom teeth. Not! It turns out that I was allergic or sensitive to the antibiotic I was given. At first I thought I was having a heart attack because my jaw, chest, back, and arms went into some sort of spasm that mimicked a heart attack! When I realized that swallowing, even my own saliva, was causing the pain and that it wasn’t my heart I was somewhat relieved but honestly the pain just wouldn’t go away since swallowing is an involuntary reaction to moisture in the mouth. This went on for days, which seemed like weeks since I was not eating or drinking, before we checked out the side effects of the antibiotic which proved to be the culprit; I thought it was my acid reflux going into high gear and it never occurred to me that an antibiotic could cause so much pain. For those of you who are sensitive to medication the name of the medicine is Clindamycin.

When I started feeling better I had to get right to work on my digital designs since my shop hardly has anything in it at all so I was working at least ten hours a day. This past Thursday my grandson, Joshua, graduated from grade school! It seems like just yesterday he was an infant and now he is going into middle school. Be still my heart . . . I think I am going to suffer empty nest syndrome worst than my daughter will. Joshua has got to be the sweetest, most loving, grandson anyone could ever have. You should see him with his new nephew, he cannot leave him alone for any length of time and is constantly kissing and baby talking to him.

Here is the preview for some frames I finished late last night; I hope to have more done by tonight. I want to finish up on the July store collaboration so I can complete a kit I began last month that is called ‘Good morning, Sunshine!’

Purchase Here!

Here is a preview of my Doodle Bug Brushes:

I hope y’all continue to have a wonderful weekend and pray for all the animals and people who have been displaced by the wild fires in the western United States and for all those folks around the world who are suffering from the warfare that seems to be popping up all over the globe.

Quick Page Freebie!

2011-06-02T00:24:00.000-04:00

Here's the freebie I promised, a quick page I made with my OceanSide kit; personal use only. Hope you like it!

Click HERE for 4Shared or HERE for MediaFire

If you'd like the kit just drop by my shop at Southern Comfort Scraps.

Hugs,
Liv

PS: Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss any of my freebies and new products!

Newsletters, Sales, etc!

2011-05-31T23:13:00.003-04:00

Hey Y'All!

I am going to do a newsletter! It won't be a naggy every day kind of newsletter (I don't like those kind), I'm just going to send one out whenever I have something new to say or show so I hope y'all will sign up to receive them (look to your right, top of blog page).

Southern Comfort Scraps has just put the June Collab Ice Cream Social in the shop. It is brought to you by 5 of the designers; each has contributed a wide variety of papers and elements. There are 13 zips with over 230 MB of goodies. PU Only. All you need to do is spend $5 anywhere in the shop and you get it for free! Awesome! I didn't contribute anything to this one as I just signed on but I will be in on the July one.


Click on the preview and it will scroll through the previews for you.

Blogger doesn't take gif like it use to :(

I have to get started on next month's collab but I will have a quickpage freebie for you soon. A friend of mine says she schedules her freebies the same day of each week-sounds good and if I get to going good I think that's what I will do. I'll let you know when the freebie is available in the newsletter!
Come visit me in the shop!

New Products In My Shop!

2011-05-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! Well after more than 36 hours straight of packaging, uploading, description writing, and all the technical stuff you have to do to get your products in a shop, I have finally finished with my first new kit! It is called OceanSide and it includes a full kit (50 elements, 1 alpha, and 12 papers), a 12 glitter style add-on, a frame cluster and photo mask add-on, and a complete bundle of them all! I need to get some rest now but my plan is to make a quick page or specialty cluster freebie for all my loyal fans. Speaking of which, I need to hear from more of you about being on my CT; don't think you have to put out a lot. Just be willing to download (for free) at least one kit or product per month, make a layout, a hybrid project, or the like, photograph them and post to a minimum of 3 forums, i.e.: DigiShopTalk, My Scrapbook Art, and one other of your choice. Here are some previews of OceanSide:

Thanks for checking in with me!

Just A Little Note About My Freebies

2011-05-23T05:11:00.000-04:00

Hello my faithfuls! I wanted you to know that I had to lock some of my freebies for the time being. This doesn't mean that I will not be offering freebies, just that some of them are so intricate that they need to be revamped and put in my shop for sale. Sorry if you missed any that were previously free. From this point on, I will offer freebies that will stay free and the links will stay active. Hope you all will stick by me and check out my shop when you get a chance. I promise to get some freebies on here as soon as I load my shop up!
Thanks for hanging in with me!

It's Open!

2011-05-19T16:59:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

Well, my shop has finally opened even if there is only one product in it! The reveal of the shop:

Southern Comfort Scraps

My one and only product is some doodles and brushes. Yes, I have been working on stuff but you would not believe how complicated and mind numbing it is to learn a whole bunch of new things at one time as in Zen Carts, ftp upload sites, preview loading, description, and attribute links. Whew! Can't say I did a good job on putting this little product in my shop; it ended up that the shop owner (kudos to Echo) fixed my Zen Cart for me. Duh . . . can you say dunce?

Anyway, the doodles are clean and large and can be used in many different ways; I colored one and included it in the download. It is really simple to color them. Jut put a layer Under the doodle (Cntrl and click on the new layer icon and a new layer goes under your current layer) and color on this layer with your brush, simple! You can also use a clipping mask above a doodle and use color or designs (papers) for clipping and also styles work beautifully. Another option is to use the brushes in your color of choice using the color picker and even coloring these after stamping. You can set the brush attributes so that you can get random sizes, random amounts, and directions or even dual brush attributes; have fun and experiment!

Please drop by my shop HERE and have a look. I am planning on having a lot of kits and elements in there soon. Don't forget that I will need a Creative Team so if you would like to get my products free by joining me send me an email to me at: countryliv at yahoo!

Hugs and thanks for being here!

Working-Working-Working!

2011-05-17T16:34:00.000-04:00

Big mix up! They liked me, they really liked me! LOL! I am still going to design for the shop that I thought dissed me! Seems that my email got lost on the way with my acceptance and after 10 days a friend of mine thought she'd check in with me and Woo Hoo! I'm on my way!

Actually my trade name is already up in the shop but I have nothing for you to buy, so . . . I'm keeping it to myself until I can 'hit' you with it! I'm so excited, that I just can't hide it . . .

I'm off to prepare some product! Just a heads up for you: Some of my freebies will be revamped and put in my shop for sale so if you were wanting them just the way they are, grab them now because I will soon lock the links! This doesn't mean I won't be adding freebies for you as I go, just that some of the more intricate designs will no longer be available for free.

Wish me luck guys!

Hugs,
Liv

PS: I will soon be looking for a couple of lovely people to make up my Creative Team so keep me in mind if you are interested. I think I will be asking for layouts made with the Summertime kit.

Freebie and News

2011-05-10T19:32:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Well, I guess you thought I got a job or something! Nope. My 'good' news that I wanted to share was that I was asked to join a shop as a designer. I was so excited . . . but, alas, no. Everything seemed to be going fine and then . . . nothing. I guess they decided that they didn't need me after all. Oh well, if it was meant to happen it would have.

Looks like Carolina is about to suffer through some more storms in the next few days. My front garden was just recently designed and planted and I hope I don't lose it to bad weather. Once it gets established, I will take some photos to share.

Went to Winston-Salem last week with Kim; she had to have one of those nuclear digestive test. She is 10% better than she was last year which is remarkable! The surgery she had in February didn't work. She is doing well otherwise though this stomach thing gives her a fit sometimes. She also became a dog mommy for the 5th time! She has a little toy Brindle Manchester that looks exactly like a Hyena to me! Never seen a Brindle in any dog breed except boxer. One day I'll get photos of her too. So the count is: 5 dogs, 3 cats, 2 children, and a grandchild on the way. Yes, I am formally becoming a great grandmother (I think I already am and no one has bothered to tell me).

Joshua is doing great with his baseball; he is such a jock. The biggest problem he faces now is his anxiety; divorce plays havoc with children's psyche. He is doing really great in school though.

Okay, so I made a frame cluster with some pieces of my Summertime kit. I love these colors and hope you like them too!

No longer available!
Look for it in my shop soon!

Please leave me a comment; I love reading what you have to say about my work.

Thanks! Have a great week.

Take a look!

2011-04-27T17:09:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this beautiful card that my friend Vicki C had on her blog the other day (the image should be 'clickable' for a close up). She is a paper scrapper and does such a lovely job that sometimes she makes me forget my arthritic hands and do some paper work. Sigh . . . she rocks!

Be sure and check out her Blog 'This Art That Makes Me Happy'

I will have some good news for you soon (maybe good news for me and not you?) . . . something is going right for me and I will share as soon as I can!

Hugs!

Summertime Digital Kit

2011-04-22T00:43:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Well, I finally finished the Summertime kit. I got the bright idea of adding bubbles and for some reason the technique eluded me! But I got them and it is all ready for you to download. This is the first kit I have made in two years; I have made some elements and word art but not an entire kit. I love the color pallet so much and will probably use it again for some add-ons and such.

Sorry, this kit is no longer available :( Please watch for a revamped kit in my store!

Hugh Quickpage Album Freebie

2011-04-20T11:45:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that you can follow the link in the previous post to the CoolscrapsDigital, April QP challenge contest and pick up a hugh QP album for free. I counted 34 registered participants! So head on over and get yours!

Quick Page Entry for CoolScraps Digital

2011-04-19T19:53:00.002-04:00

I am entering a challenge at Cool Scraps Digital along with a bunch of other people. Here is my entry:

If you would like to get this one as well as many, many more to make a wonderful QP Album please visit the Cool Scraps Forum and go to the April QP Monthly Contest thread. You can find the forum HERE
I think you will be allowed to vote for your favorite QP, so pick me please!

Hope you enjoy!

Here is a preview without the banner so you can see it all:

Sneak Peek!

2011-04-19T03:22:00.000-04:00

I know, I Know! Two post in one night? Record for me huh? Well the reason is I have been working on this bright and happy kit for you and it just isn't ready yet but I wanted to at least give you a peek at it.

I am having so much fun with this one and I hope you will come back to pick it up when it's all finished!

Hugs!

Looky!

2011-04-19T02:32:00.000-04:00

Oh, looky, looky! There have been two (yes, that's 2!) people who have used my designs on their crafting blogs this week! I am so excited to have someone actually let me know how much they liked my designs.

The first one was by Golden at the Gold Dust blog HERE. She used my Easter frame in a tutorial that turned out simply marvelous.

The second one was Diane of Pittypat Paperie who has a great crafting blog HERE. Diane used my Easter eggs from year before last to make some hybrid covers for lollipops! So outrageously cute you just have to check them out.

Please drop by these blogs and let these ladies know what a great job they are doing!

Just A Note

2011-04-15T02:11:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all,
Just wanted to let you know that I am working on a mini-kit with bright summer colors and will post it as soon as it's finished!

April Love

2011-04-08T00:29:00.000-04:00

Remember that lovely tune by Pat Boone? No? I'm not surprised as most people who are interested in blogs and digital scrapbooking are much younger than me and have no idea who Pat Boone is or what April Love is! Don't know where the thought came from and why I am rambling but hey! its my blog. LOL!

My Tabba called tonight. I haven't heard from her in a week and I was just starting to get concerned about her when she called. I know how busy 16 (almost 17) year olds can be so I tell myself not to start to panic until it has been at least 10 days! Very, very difficult sometimes. She has been getting up and going to bed early and applying herself more to her school work than her social life . . . not completely true but close. She has a new love interest (April Love?) and she needed to tell me about him. She's so good about sharing her life with me; my other, older, grandchildren don't contact me at all! Tabitha is a sweet, kind, caring, and thoughtful young lady-most of the time. Her mother is very lucky to have such a child as Tabba and she wasn't that type of child at all! :)

Here's the main reason for my post: A Freebie! Yep, I made another because it struck me that I have never made a frame cluster freebie before; I've made them for myself but not for my followers. So I have now remedied that!

I made this one because I remembered that we sometimes have portraits made for Easter and it would be nice to add them to our scrapbooks as well as to our walls. I hope you can use this one; all parts were designed and made by me except the flowers but I took the photos and extracted them!

Go HERE for 4Shared Go HERE for Media Fire

I hope you have an awesome April weekend, whether it is the beginning of Spring or Fall in your part of the world. We are expecting temperatures in the 80's down here in Carolina!

Hugs

Another Free Doodle Gift

2011-04-04T00:12:00.001-04:00

Hi Y'all!

Hope you've been having a super weekend. The weather here in North Carolina was totally awesome today with lots of sunshine and warm temps! Yesterday I went to Concord to watch my grandson, Joshua, play his first baseball game of the season and it was so windy and cool up there that I had on a quilted vest and a coat! The weird thing is that Concord is only 45 minutes away from my house. I still enjoyed watching that little fellow play; he is such a 'hot dogger' at any ball game but especially baseball which is his greatest love. He plays in the catcher position and does it with such style and precision for an eleven year old that it is amazing! I forgot my camera so Kim took one photo with her cell for me-now if she can just figure out how to download it to her PC and email it to me :)

The doodles I made this time are for borders and corners and can be used for layout pages or frames on those pages or even on your hybrid digital projects. I colored most of those on the preview so that you could get an idea of how they can look if you want to color them. I colored mine by making a blank layer above the doodle I wanted to color and used either a solid brush or a gradient to color where I wanted to (it helps to temporarily lesson the fill percentage so you can see the doodled through the colors). I then hovered my cursor between the two layers and Alt clicked to make a clipping mask after which I then applied the mask if I liked the results. I know this works in PS CS and up but I am not real sure about how to go about it in PSE though I know it can be done! The doodles are in .psd and .png so you may use them in most scrapbooking software. This preview is clickable so that you may get a closer look.

The link for: 4shared The link for: MediaFire

Enjoy and check back with me soon for more freebies!

Hugs!

Doodle Freebie

2011-03-27T01:54:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all,
Have you noticed how popular doodles have become to embellish scrapbooking pages with lately? Have you also noticed the prices? Well, I was thinking that it would be a breeze to make up a doodle freebie for you and it would be el cheapo . . . free! Imagine my surprise when I began designing and making my doodle elements to find that They Are NOT A Breeze To Make! LOL! The lines need to be smooth, accurate, and of the correct weight and you also have to make masking templates for the color fills in case there is someone out there that doesn't know how to color in a doodle and there are numerous layers to flowers. Anyway . . . I made mine and have uploaded them for you at Media Fire HERE and 4Shared HERE.

Here's the preview:

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, it is cold and rainy down here in God's Country.

Final Installment of 2011 Calendar

2011-03-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Evening, friends!
Here are the links for Part 3 of my 2011 Calendar freebie that I promised. If you do not have parts 1 & 2, those are still available. The link for Part 1 is in the December 14 post and the link for Part 2 is in the January 20 post. I very seldom close a link so if you see anything else you would like to have just click the links!

The 4Shared link is HERE

The Media Fire link is HERE

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Hybrid Freebie!

2011-03-07T19:19:00.000-05:00

Hey there fellow scrappers! Here are the hybrid items I told you about: Spring Fold Easter Cards. Choose pink or blue, with pyramids or not, back printed or not. I took photos of my finished sample but they are truly lousy! Either I need a new camera or new, non-shaky hands!

Go HERE for Media Fire

Go HERE for 4Shared

Have tested both links and they are working.

Have fun and leave me some comments!

Hello!

2011-03-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

Just dropping by to let you know I'm working on an Easter Hybrid Freebie! Come back soon . . .

Valentine Gift!

2011-02-12T00:14:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is some Valentine or Love word art. I made layered PSD files and PNG files for use with most software. I love this quote and keep it on my desk to remind me, when I am down, just how many flowers I have in my imaginary garden! I’ve included Terms of Use for Commercial Use also. Hope you are able to use a version of my gift. Please let me know how you like it and if there is anything you particularly need that I might be able to design for you.

Go HERE for 4Shared or HERE for MediaFire

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Hugs!

Hello Y'all

2011-02-10T02:36:00.000-05:00

I am trying my hand at some word art and wanted to let you know that I will be posting it as soon as it's finished. It is 'love' themed so I better get a move on!
Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers for Kimberli!
Hugs!

Kim/Liv Update

2011-02-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Y’All,

We are all home again. It has been a very rough week, especially for Kim, but things are getting better. We went to church yesterday morning to see Joshua Baptized, a very joyful and moving experience. Today was the first day I was able to have a regular morning; relaxing with a delicious cup of Constant Comment Tea and returning phone call messages from last week. [I did get some more bad news but that’s a whole different story and one I am not ready to talk about yet.]

As far as the success of the surgery for Kim went: we don’t know! The head of her surgical team says we won’t know until all the swelling goes down, about 3 weeks from now, to see if she can eat regular foods. She is still on a full liquid diet for the time being. While in hospital we had a very big scare, Kim stopped breathing and turned blue! It was the day after surgery and she and I were dozing after a sleepless night and Kim must have made some kind of sound that stirred me and when I looked over at her, her lips were dark blue and her face was blue tinted! I jumped up and did the knuckle rub on her chest and shaking her to get a response; I connected her to the oxygen feed and she started moving and regaining her color. I had punched the button for the nurse but didn’t get the response I was hoping for so I ran down the hall to get one. When a bunch of them came down to the room, Kim was still a little blue but obviously breathing again. She never said a thing for the next three hours and the care givers didn’t even do a vitals check! I insisted they put her back on the oxygen and respiration monitor so that I could keep an eye on her vitals myself. Later in the evening Kim told me she remembered everyone standing around her but not much else. As a mother watching over her child after surgery I can tell you that after that incident I wasn’t able to settle down and rest until last night. I never want to go through anything like that again and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Kim seems much better today, though still very sore, and we are able to breathe a little easier now.

When I got home from the hospital, I was all ready to take a long hot shower and relax only to find that the water heater had busted during the night, flooding the garage, and generally wrecking havoc with my home and my plans. Over $700 and 24 hours later I was able to take that long needed shower! The roof was replaced last week, the water heater just a few days later, what next? LOL ‘When it rains, it pours!’

Here’s hoping you all have had a much better week than I!

Hugs

It's Done

2011-02-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

We just saw the surgeon and he said the surgery went well and they made an ultra large opening in the stomach. She will have a drainage tube in her nose for a few days in order to keep the stomach empty so it can begin to heal. They first told us it would be 5 ½ hours but it only took 1 hour and 45 minutes! She responded well and we should be able to see her in about 90 minutes. Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!

We are here

2011-02-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am sitting in the waiting area at Wake-Forrest University Hospital. Kim was just called to go back to the surgical area; she is understandably scared. Me too. I need to let it go and let God do my worrying for me-how many times do I have to remind myself of that. I just keep hanging on to it. We are both already tired; neither of us got any sleep last night. I arrived at her place around 5:30am and we left around 6:15. Ron, Kim's boyfriend, and a couple of their friends came up with us. I don't like to talk in the mornings (a silly quirk) and especially to people I don't know. I want to be left alone with my worries, for now. I'm sure I will be grateful for the company later in the day. I am trying hard to not be ill tempered.

Had to go back and give her hugs and kisses prior to the anesthesia. She was crying and shaking as she was wheeled into the operating room. I'll say this much: they keep to their schedules here! Now the wait.

Quick Update

2011-01-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Things have been hectic around here for a while, we had a new roof installed! Loud banging is not my cuppa tea! The roof was damaged from 3 hail storms this past year and our insurance company picked up the cost of a new roof (even though the one on there was 20 years old)! We used Roof911.com if anyone is interested in using a great company.

The main reason for my post: Kim (my oldest daughter) is to have major surgery on Tuesday. They are removing the bottom of her stomach and reattaching the large intestine. The surgery has only been performed 5 times in the whole world and it was successful three out of the 5. The end result we are hoping for is that the food can pass, unobstructed, from the stomach to the intestine by gravity feed so it may be digested as her stomach does not function at all. Otherwise she will have to continue to have the 'enlarging' surgery every 80 to 90 days.

She is worried about the recoup in the hospital that could be as long as 8 days so I will be staying in Winston with her. I'm worried about the surgery itself as it took the surgeon over six hours to make the opening in her intestine for the feeding tube, so how long is this major surgery going to really take?

The last time she was hospitalized, up there at Baptist Hospital, she found out (the hard way) that you have to make sure you are lucid enough after surgery to call the cafeteria and order your food for the next meal! I have never been to a hospital that didn't feed you automatically, three times a day. You have to schedule your liquids too! I will be making sure she is getting what she needs and that we are keeping her sugar levels within the accepted range. I hope there is a reclining chair in her room or a pull out cot so I have somewhere to sleep! Don't know what I am going to do about food because I am riding up to Winston-Salem with Kim and her boyfriend and will not be able to leave. There are food sources at the hospital but it will probably cost in excess of $25 a day and that is pretty expensive when you have a set income. So . . . prayers, please! We need them for Kim for surgical success and a short stay and for Joshua (her young son) while she is in the hospital. This is bound to be a very stressful time for him to not even be in the same town as his mom.

Well, thanks for your prayers and your concern. Hope you are having a great January! It's suppose to be sixty something down here in the South today!

Hugs . . .

Part 2 of my Christmas gift to you

2011-01-20T16:43:00.000-05:00

Hello folks. Just dropping by to post the links for the months of July and August 2011 calendar Freebie. For those of you who do not have January through June please see the previous post for the links. I hope to finish up with the remainder of 2011 soon.

4Shared Link-click here

MediaFire - click this:

http://www.mediafire.com/?g6h5wrlcfbciz0l

Hope all is well with you; I am doing pretty good though I am so busy that I haven't even had time to talk on the phone with my friends and family! That's a 'good thing' since staying busy is suppose to add to your longevity!

Hugs,
Liv

Christmas Gift for You!

2010-12-14T00:12:00.003-05:00

Hello my faithful blog friends.

It’s been many months since I have had the time or inclination to update my blog or to even make any graphics to share with you. A lot has happened, some good, some bad, but I am thankful that I am able to wake up each morning looking forward to the day. That has not always been the case, with me, and life is a joy when the future looks promising. No, we still do not have gainful employment in our house but we are doing our best to make the most of what we have.

My daughter, Kim, is doing much better now than she has in years; praise God! The feeding tube was removed from her abdomen and she is doing well with the surgery to widen the stomach opening every 90 days. She has become stronger, has a new love interest, and looks forward to her days too. My granddaughter, Suzy, has moved back to North Carolina from her bio-Mom’s in South Carolina. My grandson Joshua is doing wonderful in school and we are so proud of the young man he is, as he has had some tough things to overcome in his eleven years! He remains a very bright spot in my life!

My daughter, Suzi, still lives in Virginia with her husband and children. My grandson, Timothy, is now 21 and I expect to hear that he will be getting married soon. My granddaughter, Tabitha, is having some problems with school but remains positive about it and her future. She stays in close contact with me, much to my surprise (she is sixteen!) and delight.

As I was coming up to this age, I never saw myself as someone’s grandmother; I certainly never thought I would enjoy being one either! Surprise, surprise! Grandchildren are wonderful.

I sincerely hope you all have not forgotten me or think that I have forgotten you either. Who would have thought I would be able to make you a small graphics gift at this time of year? It has taken me over a month to make six months worth of an 8.5 x 11 inch calendar! I am calling this Part 1 with the hope that the last six months, Part 2, will be finished by the end of January 2011. I like this size calendar page because I print one out each month and hang it on the back wall of my computer desk where it is available ‘at a glance.’ This size is also great for resizing to wallet size. Hope you enjoy using it.

MEDIA FIRE DOWNLOAD HERE

4SHARED DOWNLOAD HERE

Merry Christmas to all of you and may God grant you peace and joy for 2011.

Hello and Happy Fall!

2010-09-17T16:01:00.000-04:00

Hope all of you who are lucky enough to live in a cooler climate are enjoying the beginning of fall! I know it will arrive here eventually because I see all the little hints, i.e., school buses making their rounds, geese flying to the southern end of our neighborhood ;-), soccer and football practices, and winter clothes for sale at the malls. Weather wise, not so much; we are still having 95 degree days though it is a little cooler during the night.

I have been working on an album for a friend of mine . . . it is taking me way too long. I have to stop being so anal about things and just let them flow. I'm also working on a poster for my youngest grandson's room for his birthday; he will be eleven on October 1! So hard for me to face the fact that he is no longer a little boy and will soon be turning into a young man. I already have one grown grandson, Timothy who is 20!

I have been hearing from some of my online and blog friends lately and it has been a treat. I guess all of us slow down for the summer. Some of you have noticed my new hairstyle . . . thanks to my friend Jan for making me update my look!

Hope to speak with you all again soon!

Hi

2010-09-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

I guess you thought I had left forever. Things have been good/bad/horrible/wonderful and my emotions have run the gamut from elation to complete despair. I haven't been creating any digital elements and the closest I've come to PhotoShop is to work on an album for a friend of mine.

I have missed my online buddies as well as my real time friends; it seems as if I have been a hermit since my job with Libby was completed.

Kim has been becoming more healthy by leaps and bounds! Since separating from her husband and joining the gasteoparesis study, her diabetes has become much more manageable. In fact, the feeding tube she had to have surgically implanted in her intestines so she could get enough nutrients to sustain life has been removed!!!!!!!!!! The opening closed up completely in about 30 days. She still has to have the opening in the bottom of her stomach surgically widened every 80 to 90 days so she can digest her food, via gravity, in the intestines, but life for her has become so much better.

My heart has been aching with the loss of one of the dearest and closest people in my life; my cousin, S. Kent Moran, passed away from oral cancer on August 17. Kent was part of my support system during all the tribulation of my father's last months. Our families spent our free time together so we were raised more like siblings than cousins. Some of my earliest and most cherished memories are of our times together playing in the creek, skipping rocks in the cow pond, or telling fantastic stories to each other and making plans for our adult selves while we hid out in the hay loft gazing at the blue skies of summer in Chesterfield, Virginia. Our bond was one of those that held no matter how much time or distance separated us and I will miss him for the rest of my days.

So, you see, the happy and sad, highs and lows that have beset me since April. I'm sure there are those of you who have had much more interesting and/or difficult lives these past few months but everything is relative so my experiences have been center stage for me. As we finish out this calendar year, it is my intention to try and be a better friend whether online or in person.


Kent

I so want to get back to this again!

2010-05-18T01:18:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Sorry about this last few months; I just haven't been able to either A) use my computer due to major software problems; 2) because I did have a job that kept me extra busy, or C0 because anything I had to report wasn't something I wanted to talk about. KWIM?

I am currently out of work but I am working on a digital album for a friend of mine whose husband is a landscaper; I am bartering my services for his services! Now is I could just convince the bank that I could do something in lieu of the mortgage payment! LOL!

I have been so remiss about staying in touch with my online friends that I am ashamed of myself. I really do love <3 you guys . . . you patiently wait to hear from me and never give me any grief. I have had so much grief going on in my life this year, that it is a breath of fresh air just to think about y'all!!

I will be back with some freebies. Any special requests? Leave a note in the comments section or email me at countryliv at g mail dot com.

Hugs & Kisses!
Liv

I'm Alive!

2010-04-04T18:36:00.000-04:00

Hey All,
Just a quick note to let you know that the last month has been unbelievable in it's problems. Everything isn't hunky dory yet but I do have access to my email accounts and the computer is slowly being put back together since the fiasco with Microsoft Office. MS has actually been pretty special during all of this; they have had numerous techs contact me over and over to help with my PC problems. We finally (after 4 weeks!) decided that a new clean install would be the only thing that would correct the problems. So here I sit trying to put everything back on which should take me about 6 months if I'm lucky! LOL! All those gigs of digital papers and elements and layouts have all got to be re-cataloged and entered into the system (we are talking over 70 gigs worth). Photoshop will be the last thing I load, but I will get back to making you some freebies soon.

To all my well wishers and followers: I love y'all! Thanks so much for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers and sending good thoughts my way.

Hugs,
Liv

PS: I am working full time now! WooHoo! Food on the table again!

Workin'

2010-02-19T08:20:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all!
Guess what?! Yep, I have a bona fied job! I told you that I have been doing some 'odd' jobs since the design position with Hoorray fell through; I now have an everyday job. Not designing but still using the computer. This means I will be around even less than usual but I do intend on continuing to design digital art for my followers. So wish me luck, take care, and know that I'm thinking of you!
Hugs,
Liv

Snow!

2010-02-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

Yep, we got snow, about 4 inches I guess. But it is almost gone 6 hours later. Thought I'd share some photos from this morning.

Have a great weekend!
Liv

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-12T14:58:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say 'Happy Valentines Day! You are special to me.' Here is a whimsical cluster for you valentines layouts:

4Shared is HERE and the password is peaches

MediaFire is HERE and the password is kisses

Enjoy!
Hugs,
Liv

Here's the Freebie I Promised!

2010-02-09T19:28:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Dark, damp, and dismal day here in the Carolinas. No matter, I'm feeling pretty good considering what wet weather does to these old bones. I finally got the photo pockets page shadowed, previewed, zipped, and uploaded:

4Shared is HERE and the password is peaches.

MediaFire is HERE and the password is clear.

I made you four versions: 1 without any shadows and 3 with various shadows. The reason I did this is because it is not an easy procedure to add a shadow to a clear item, you sometimes get a huge dark blob! Just slip your photos and trinkets behind the photo pocket layer, be sure and make an appropriate shadow for each of your inserts. If you find you do not like the shadowing on one version just open another one and shift drag it above your trinkets and delete the other one. Be sure and rename your pocket page file so you don't overwrite the original.

Please let me know what you think of them.

Have a nice evening!

Liv

Happy Monday . . . ?

2010-02-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all,

I've been busy keeping up with TFS by Ashalee Wall for 5 weeks now! It is giving me more confidence in myself and helping me cope with problems. Ashalee really does have a great penchant for talking us through some sticky situations. I haven't done everything we are supposed to do as it would probably take up my entire day, each and every day; I am slow!

Well, my friend Vic has gotten her 'groove' back and is posting some pretties on her blog This Art That Makes Me Happy! Please go by and see what's up with her. I am positive you will love her site and she does give-a-ways a lot!

Well, football season is over but it went out on a 'super' note: The New Orleans Saints won! As my team, Panthers, are in the National Football Conference with the Saints I was glad to see them win.

Kimberli has been up and on her feet for a couple of weeks now and I'm very happy for her and Joshua. They have been busy doing all sorts of fun things together from attending the circus to going to the movies and watching the SuperBowl with friends.

My granddaughter Tabitha hasn't been to school much in the last two weeks, she lives in central Virginia and has been snowed in with the rest of the mid and Northeast. She's been having a lot of sledding fun and get togethers with her friends so she hasn't had any regrets about the cancellations.

I am going to set up and up load a 'clear envelope album page' for you, just give me a little while to make a preview and it will be up!

Hey Y'all

2010-02-05T00:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm still not doing too well in the posting but my intentions are good. (what's that they say about intentions and a paved road?) I understand that my last post wasn't anything but gobbledegoop to y'all-sorry. It was a blurb about an upcoming scrapbooking show being held here in Charlotte, NC by Creative Memories. It's on the 13th of this month and if you want me to send you the info via email just email me through the comments section.

Kimberli is doing pretty good, she came down for a visit today. She brought some photos of Joshua at the circus that I am going to scrap but I don't quite have the time right now. We are having more snow and sleet tonight and tomorrow so visiting this weekend is out. I'm staying in and watching the super bowl anyway and trying to catch up on some of my recorded TV programs.

I'm working on The Fulfilled Soul with Ashalee Wall and I might see if I can squeeze in enough time to enter a design contest. I'm not sure about it because with the work I am supposed to be doing for my girlfriend, the TFS, daily chores, and of course my TV time, well . . . (I think maybe I'm afraid that I will not qualify, anyway)

Did I mention I was making a purse for my granddaughter? I took some photos of it but they aren't that good, no natural light to take them in but I might see if I can put up a couple. She wanted a purse made with John Deere fabric! Too, funny! Well, I made it and she loves it so I guess it's all good!

This is a shot of the interior in the first stages:

Then of the little cell or iPod carrier:

Then the finished:

Y'all have a great weekend!

Hugs,
Liv

Charlotte Area Scrapbooking Event

2010-02-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all,

I just received this info about a Creative Memories event to be held in the Charlotte/Concord area:

CREATIVE MEMORIES HOLDS HANDS-ON EVENT TO INTRODUCE CHARLOTTE RESIDENTS TO THE LATEST TOOLS AND TIPS IN SCRAPBOOKING

WHAT: Creative Memories is holding a one-day event on February 13 in Charlotte to show off its latest products and innovations. Event-goers will get hands-on time with new products and complete fun projects they can take home and share with friends and family. In addition, attendees can learn about the latest tips for taking digital photos and suggestions on how to organize and scrapbook digital pictures.

Activities throughout the day include:

Digital photography tips and solutions

Instruction on how to share stories and celebrate memories using photos

The opportunity to make and take hand-made crafted cards

Information on how to join the Creative Memories team

Everyone who attends will receive a Creative Memories gift bag, valued at $25 and a chance to win some fabulous prizes.

WHEN: The 2010 Creative Memories Premier Events takes place on:

February 13

1-5:30 p.m.

Embassy Suites Hotel Charlotte-Concord (5400 John Q Hammons Dr. NW
Concord, NC 28027)

REGISTER: To register visit www.creativememories.com

COST: Registration is $10 and includes a gift bag valued at $25.

$2 from every registration will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation®

CONTACT: Allison Checco

612.791.2014

allisonc@fasthorseinc.com

This is all the info I have but you may contact Allison Checco if you need any further info.

OK! So . . . It's Not Tomorrow!

2010-01-30T13:54:00.001-05:00

I was pretty sure of myself when I said I'd be back to post on Wednesday, but 'best laid plans' and all that. I had errands to run and Kim's PC was acting up, so . . . no posts.

Guess what we woke up to this morning? What makes this even more amazing is that it is after 1:00 in the afternoon and nothing has melted! This is mostly ice; Kim's town got 4 inches of snow but they often get an inch or so during the winter months as they live closer to the mountains than I do. The lake isn't even frozen! These photos are so dark because I believe it is getting ready to snow again! What is so funny about this is that if there is even a hint of snow or ice left on the ground on Monday morning-school will be closed! You have to remember this is considered the 'Deep South' and unless you snow ski in our mountains these guys aren't use to driving in this type of weather.

I am going to use today to catch up on my digi files and try and sort my hard drives.
Hugs,
Liv
PS: I made a digital album page of clear pockets. If any of you are interested, leave me a comment on this post and if I get enough interest I will upload it for you.

Not Following Through

2010-01-26T17:53:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all. Yes, it is me, here at last. My goal to post on my blog everyday has gone bust. I have the best intentions but cannot find the time that I want to use for that purpose. I have time to do the things that have to be done, I just don't make the time that is needed for me. That having been said: I did a layout with some Soul Art that Ashalee Wall shared with us (The Fulfilled Soul group) about time:

The image should be clickable so you can read the poem.

Today is a wonderful friend of mine's birthday! Happy, Happy Birthday Rose! May the coming year be all that you want it to be. Rose is a special person that goes out of her way to be kind and loving to anyone who needs it. She resides in the United Kingdom and has a beautiful blog that you should visit.

I also want to send a shout out to my friend Vic; she has been at CHA way too long! We need some words and photos from you dear soul! I certainly hope you are not exhausting yourself out there in CA!

Alrighty then! I've made some progress. Have a great Tuesday everyone. Hope to be back tomorrow.
Hugs,
Liv

Happy Birthday Suzy!

2010-01-21T01:22:00.000-05:00

Today is Suzy's sixteenth birthday!

Best wishes for many more to come! Love you. Your cousin Tabitha asked me to tell you Happy Birthday too. Don't have your cell number so I hope you see this.

I did a layout tonight and just wanted to share it with you.

O'Scraps-AshaleeWall http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=23765&cat=307&page=1: The Fulfilled Soul-Paper and SoulArt ; http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=23764&cat=307&page=1 Feistuff: Something Pop Paper http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=22492&cat=0&page=1; CreatWings: Creation23 Journal WA (discontinued); CatherineDesigns: C23-Butterfly2 (discontinued); ScrapGirls-Jan Hicks: Curled Edges; Bow by Mary; MyStock: Wooden Frame; Background paper in frame; dark bg paper; paper clips; staples; pushpins; binder clip; frame string; fern; note paper

This is one I did the other day of my little Joshua:

All papers and elements from Outside The Lines by Ashalee Wall and Taylormade available at O'Scraps. Some slightly altered and/or recolored

Blogger has made some improvements that I'm not use to yet so bear with me.

I want to send a shout out to my friend Rose, her birthday is coming up next week! Hope you have a wonderful and lovely day Rose!

Hugs,
Liv

The Last of the Vicki Chrisman 2009 Eye Candy

2010-01-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Well, I'm finally back on line and ready to present my favorites of Vic's November and December 2009 projects. I think I've probably listed all of these months projects because they are all so awesome! Don't forget to go to her blog, and click on the month you need to get the supply lists and instructions for these beautiful items! Some of the photos are clickable for closer views.

This little album is so cute and Vicki put so much into it, amazing!

This is a shadowbox frame of Vic's Sweet Mamma and her Daddy, so sweet!

Check out these gorgeous Christmas Ornaments:

I have to tell you a secret and hope it doesn't make anyone too envious . . . Vic sent them to me for Christmas! Oh . . . . lovely, lovely, lovely! They are so gorgeous on my little tree. I tried to take photos but, alas, I'm no photographer and they were back-lit too much!

******

I love these little gift tag/ornaments too:

Check out this beautiful container and album pages:

Wouldn't you love to have this trinket box? So feminine and dainty!

Another little trinket/album box:

How about this beautiful hanging!

Last, but certainly not least, is this lovely little wooden trinket box:

Can you imagine someone going to all this trouble over absolutely everything they do? Vic does everything by hand. She cooks, paints, scrapbooks, alters, organizes, entertains, house-keeps, and much more plus she teaches and demos and her art is published in so many mags you wouldn't believe! She is my idol and a wonder woman! And she is just as kind and genuine as anyone could possibly be. Please be sure and go by her blog and leave her a nice comment!

Hope you all have enjoyed the 2009 tour of Vicki Chrisman's blog 'This Art That Makes Me Happy!'

Hugs,
Liv

Look Who Was In My Yard This Morning

2010-01-12T14:55:00.004-05:00

I just had to share this with you. We have ponds and lakes all around us so we have a lot of water birds in our town. This is a Great Blue Heron that usually sits atop our roof (and leaves great gobs of poop!) to watch for fish in our pond. I think it was a little too cold for him up there this morning so he sat in my defunct flower garden. You can really see his beautiful ruffled chest all displayed; I just wish he had his neck extended so you could see how tall he is. Sitting like this he is about 36 inches tall.

I won't be posting any of Vic's treasures today-I need to get off of here and get some work done. I promise to finish up 2009 soon. My Virginia granddaughter has me making her a purse and I need to start straightening the studio so I can get in there to sew.

Have a wonderful day!
Liv

More From Vic!

2010-01-11T23:40:00.001-05:00

Here are some more art projects that I love of Vicki's.

These little postcard hangings turned out so cute!

This little brass box is gorgeous; wouldn't you like to have one?

This glass one is lovely too!
Wouldn't you like to receive this treasure in snail mail?!

September and October were slow creative months for Vic since she spent most of her time at Craft shows teaching others how to do paper arts ( Mall of America or up in Canada)!

I'll be back soon with more for you. Be sure and visit Vic's blog for all the supply lists and techniques!

Hugs,
Liv

More Eye Candy from Vic's Blog

2010-01-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry to take so long to get back and post some more of Vic's art. It is all so lovely; these are from July and August 2009. I am loading the larger photos this time so they should be 'clickable' for you to see them up close. Don't forget to go to Vic's blog, This Art That Makes Me Happy, yourself and bookmark it to enjoy this year's art!

I would love to have created these great cards:

This box and the Christmas cards it contains showcases some of Vicki's great techniques!

Some favorite layouts:

Vicki's photography skills aren't lacking either!

This frame for the photo of our friend Deb's granddaughter is perfect!

This last piece of art is so super and I am going to try and scraplift it for my journal for the O'Scraps Ashalee Wall Fulfilled Soul project. If any of you are looking to make (and keep) some meaningful New Year's resolutions, please sign up for Ashalee's The Fulfilled Soul project. The password protected forum alone is already making my thoughts and feelings mean more to me! The tools Ashalee is sharing are awesome and the tool kit is very low in cost, only $2.99 and is only a small part of the total project! We are getting support from fellow scrappers as well as from Ashalee on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Please check it out!
I will be back soon with my September and October 2009 Vicki Chrisman favorites!
Have a great week!

Christmas BragBook-Page 10

2010-01-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

Hey Y'all,
Before I get back to sharing my favorite eye candy of Vicki's I thought I would finally upload page 10 of the Christmas BragBook. I still want to make a couple more 'formal' type pages before I quit.

4Shared-------------------------------MediaFire
Password: yuletide

Hope you enjoy this one too!

Kimberli was feeling good today so she went to Joshua's school to help out. She amazes me! They can hardly get the well SAH Moms to come in!

Hugs,
Liv

Some of my favorite 'Vic' things-continued!

2010-01-06T19:19:00.006-05:00

These are the ones I love of Vicki's from May and June of 2009!

A sweet greeting card:
A lovely altered frame layout:
A heritage layout:
Another gorgeous layout:
Look at these yummy colors!
Now, this last one is so involved that I have the link for you to go directly to her post with this album in it! This is just the cover and it is so beautifully done; these were made up and sold as kits at The Scrappy Gourmet!

I need to go eat some dinner so have fun with this eye candy and I'll get back to post some more later!
Hugs,
Liv

Do y'all ever have trouble with Blogger not entering the text as you want? Why the heck it makes some sentences a link is beyond my understanding!

Some of my favorite 'Vicki' things!

2010-01-05T18:15:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all,
My friend Vicki Chrisman did a post with her 10 favorite layouts of 2009 and it made me realize how much I love her art, so . . . I'm going to show you just some of projects that are my favs. These are not in any particular order and it isn't all of them! This is just January thru April of 2009! If you are interested in scraplifting any of her art, please go to her blog and get the materials list for each item! Here goes:

Don't you just love her color schemes!

It seems folks in the west have a whole lot of talent!

This card is so simple but so lovely!

Vic's crafting room is so comfy, cozy, and beautiful and it reflects Vicki's loving heart!

A sweet little tag:

Look at this Easter album!

A garden journal!

One of my absolute favorite layouts!
Signage anyone?
Easter card:

I think this might be my favorite item (but I have so many favs that I'm not sure):

So yummy!

I will post some more of my favorites of hers soon, so please come back and see them. Again, if you want to see closeups or the material lists please go to Vicki's blog! I'm sure you will find it as inspiring as I do.
Hugs,
Liv

Page 9 of the Christmas BragBook

2010-01-04T21:49:00.006-05:00

Hey y'all,
I haven't had the time to finish page 10 yet so I thought I'd upload page 9 for you separately.

4Shared ----------------------------- MediaFire
password: yuletide

Kim seems more 'up' and feeling better today, though she did have some trouble with the feeding tube again but she took care of it herself. My sweet little granddaughter in Virginia got herself in trouble today (I never would have thought she would be the one but . . . hey, stuff happens!)

Hugs,
Liv

Ring In The New Year!

2009-12-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you all but I'm ready for a brand new year. This past one has been very hard to live and I am hoping for an easier time in 2010. I know, 'count your blessings' should be my mantra and most of the time it is but my family could use some happier times and better health.

Kim has been sick in bed since Christmas Eve. She called and said she has started to feel better and is sitting up and watching a movie with Joshua. She needs to have surgery for the stomach opening to be enlarged again and the bezores removed. They said this is an every 60 to 90 day procedure that she has to have so the stomach can empty.

I want to thank all of you for keeping up with me this past year as I haven't been the best blog host. Also thank you so much for the prayers and blessings sent for Kimberli. You guys have been great and I wish you all the very best for 2010.

I have finished two more pages for the Christmas Brag Book. These were more complicated and I was trying some new techniques so they took much longer than usual. I hope you enjoy using them. I am going to try and add a few more so that you have more pages to choose from.

4Shared ------------------------ MediaFire

Password is yuletide

Let me know what you think of these latest pages. For those of you who are finding my blog for the first time, if you browse my previous post you will find the links to the rest of the pages and the Christmas alpha too.

Everyone have a wonderful time ringing in the New Year!

Hugs,

LivPS: the teddy bears were Created By FABA Scrapdesign and are available from the HMScrapShop.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T11:11:00.003-05:00

This card was animated but blogger wouldn't cooperate!

Pages 5 and 6 of Christmas Brag Book

2009-12-20T00:54:00.004-05:00

Hey Y'all,
I've finished and uploaded pages 5 and 6 of my free Christmas Brag Book!

Media Fire: http://www.mediafire.com/?mmmdtmmlo0d

4Shared

Password is yuletide.

Hope you like them!

Kim had a good day except for a heart stopping scare. While she was out with friends today, Joshua's father told him to start the car for him and it went into gear and crashed into a chain link fence and had the back end hanging over a 15 foot retaining wall! This is so terrible because Joshua is only 10 years old and had no idea what he was doing and if the car had plunged over the retaining wall he would have been severely injured. As Joshua wasn't tall enough to touch the gas pedal the car went slowly downhill; God was looking out for him! Why must men do such things without thinking of the consequences of their actions! Joshua's father had this to say, "at least the car wasn't damaged!" Can you read my mind?

Merry Christmas!

Pages 3 & 4 of Christmas BragBook

2009-12-14T17:38:00.005-05:00

Hey Y'all!

I've completed and uploaded pages 3 & 4 of my Christmas BragBook freebie.

4Shared

MediaFire:http://www.mediafire.com/?am5zteq1yud

Password is yuletide.

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. Kim is doing pretty good these last few days-thanks for the prayers! Hugs,
Liv

First Two Pages of the Brag Book

2009-12-11T17:58:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Here are the first two pages and the accompanying alpha of my Christmas Brag Book.

The password is yuletide.

Download from 4Shared
or
Download from MediaFire

Hope you like them-check back with me soon for another couple of pages.

Hugs,
Liv

Update

2009-12-10T19:37:00.002-05:00

Kim got out of the hospital on Sunday but I'm afraid she will be going back in tomorrow as she's been vomiting all day. I left her around 5pm but am calling every hour to hour and a half to check on her.

I have finished two pages of the Christmas BragBook and an alphabet to match; I will post them as soon as I get a chance.

Hugs,
Liv

Happy Holidays

2009-12-06T23:57:00.003-05:00

Here's to all my cyber family: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry December to all.

Kim is out of the hospital and I will be going up there to be with her tomorrow morning.

Here is a photo of this year's tiny but pretty tree. Personally, I think it is much better than last year's!

Hugs,
Liv

Oh December!

2009-12-03T18:07:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'All,

Thought December was going to be a better month but Kim's feeding tube sight has become infected again and she had to be hospitalized last night. She had been on antibiotics since last Friday but they weren't working so they are double whammying her system with another type through an IV. Her sugar levels have been too high to register on the hospital's glucose meter and they will probably move her into the CCU tonight. She is keeping a good outlook (as usual) on life and trying to be positive about her healthcare. I don't know how she does it.

I have been doing little odds and ends for her new apartment, like a decorated lampshade; toss pillow covers; placemats, kitchen curtains, tablecloth and cover. After all my years at the sewing machine I had my first mishap: I stitched into my finger. Ouch! It is still very, very sore. That's what I get for trying to finish up the placemats too fast. We still need to do the bedrooms but the Living Room and Kitchen are almost finished. We are carrying sunshine yellow throughout, for continuity, and using black/white in the living room, navy/white in the kitchen, pastel blue/white in the master bedroom and bath, and primary colors in Joshua's room.

I'm off to fix some supper. Hope all is well for all of you!

Hugs,
Liv

PS: I started working on a Christmas Brag Book and when I get some of it finished I will begin to post the links.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T18:27:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all,
Long time, no post! Sorry about that but I have been busy helping to get my Kim settled in her new apartment. I haven't moved in so long that I didn't remember what a hassle it can be! It really is a nice apartment though with loads of young boys that little Joshua can 'hang out' with and has a playground that Kim can see from her windows. BB the cat isn't very happy about the move; he stays in a closet behind the hot water heater! He will be fine once we get everything in it's place and things settle down to a normal everyday pace. We are decorating the living room in black, white, and yellow! So pretty with the wrought iron decor I found at Hobby Lobby. When we get it all finished I will take some photos before the 'little man' can mess it all up again. His room is going to be a sports theme of course and Kim wants her bedroom to be more girlish and frilly! I can't wait to see what she comes up with for it; she loves the navy, yellow, and white color combo. They are staying more than warm and toasty since they are on the second floor-I just start stripping off clothes after being there five minutes. LOL! I went up today to carry the tablecloth and topper I made for the living room. While Kim was making a really yummy fish, potatoes, and butter beans lunch for us, Joshua and I played Scrabble. It was a nice treat for me and Kim seemed to enjoy cooking for us. She is having a lot of pain with the tube site in her abdomen but she doesn't want to take the pain meds because they just put her to sleep. After lunch we went to cruise Target. As the mother of two girls I always thought that they were jabber mouths but I had never experienced a child like Joshua! He talks, talks, and talks some more and if he isn't talking he's making car sounds or singing! My ears need a rest after a few hours with him!

I hope to start back making some digital elements and kits pretty soon.

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you have a happy, delicious, and loving one.

Hugs,
Liv

Another Choice for December

2009-11-11T19:18:00.004-05:00

Hey Y'all,
I felt I needed to give y'all the choice to have a December 2010 Business Card Quickie Calendar with a menorah on it. At 4 Shared, password is business. Hope I made it correctly.

Hope you all in the eastern US are finding high ground!

Hugs,
Liv

File Fixed!

2009-11-11T10:17:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys. I was in such a hurry that I zipped the wrong file! New, same password:

4Shared

MediaFire

November/December Calendar Freebie

2009-11-10T15:57:00.001-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Things have continued to be topsy/turvey around here but I hope to be able to impart some good news soon! In the mean time I have the November/December Business Card Calendar Quickies ready for you. I am also working on a Jewish December calendar for those of you who would like to have it and will upload it as soon as it's finished. Here is the preview of today's freebie. (these links have been fixed and are also in the next post)

Your may download from 4Shared or MediaFire and the password is business. For those of you visiting for the first time, the rest of the calendar year 2010 links are still active and you can locate them in previous posts. I hope you enjoy these little gifts!

Hugs,
Liv

September/October 2010 Calendar Freebie

2009-11-03T18:13:00.003-05:00

Hey Y'all,

I have uploaded the Sept/Oct Business Card Calendar freebies to 4Shared and to MediaFire.

The password is business.

I have certainly enjoyed your comments about this group of freebies and it makes me happy to know that my art is appreciated! If all goes well, I will have the last two months ready next week and I will keep the download links active until January 1, 2010. Tell your friends to come by and download theirs please!

Hugs,
Liv

PS: Don't forget to vote for me at Wacom(link in previous post) and to keep checking by to see when the new DVD is going to be ready for sale at DigiScrapDepot.

Penscrappers

2009-10-31T23:08:00.004-04:00

Hey Y'all,

I've entered a digital scrapbook page on the Wacom site so if you would vote for me that would be great!

We had to use Nicole Young's beautiful kit 'Storybook Dreams.' This is Kim's little kitty Cutie Pie.

Kim, Joshua, and I had a great day together yesterday and this morning! She has been doing so good this week it has done my heart good too. Thanks for your prayers!

Hugs,
Liv

Something Interesting That Interests Me!

2009-10-29T18:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know you all get pushed and pulled from one blog to another all the time but I just have to share this one post with you. It's from Createwings Designs' (Dawn's) blog and it really spoke to me and made me want to DARE! She, Dawn, has started a new idea sharing on her blog called Mixing It Up and this is the first post in that series. Please do go and read it, (it is very short) maybe it will strike a cord with you too! Createwings! I wish I could write my feelings out like some of the people I admire. Have you ever read anything Ro at ScrapGirls has written? She's one of my favorites and keeps me motivated and laughing out loud at some of her muses. Sign up for a newsletter and you will never regret it!

Kim has been having some unprecedented good days in a row this past week! I'm afraid she tries to pack too many activities in her schedule when this happens but she has to live while she can! Good for you honey; keep it up!

Seems both of my Granddaughters have caught the H1N1 virus. I'm praying for them as well as everyone else who has contracted this thing.

Joshua is looking forward to Halloween-not me, for it is definitely my least favorite holiday. I remember the fun I had as a child but all my experiences with it since childhood have been horrible. Hope you all have a good one!

Hugs,
Liv

July/August Business Card Calendar Freebie

2009-10-27T13:50:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Just finished uploading the zip files for the July/August Business Card Calendar Freebie to 4shared and mediafire. The file password is business.

4SHARED MEDIAFIRE

I am going to wait on printing mine out until after all the months have been completed. That way all of them can be printed at one time on one piece of stock or photo paper. I have also thought about leaving some extra leading space so that I can add an eyelet then string the cards on a small ball-chain. I'm going to make several for family and friends as stocking stuffers too.

Kim had been doing really good up until yesterday; she was sick with stomach problems all day. I only spoke with her less than 5 minutes because she was feeling so rotten. I hope to catch up with her more today.

My granddaughter, Tabitha, caught the H1N1 virus along with Mono and tonsillitis! I have been beside myself with worry but she is much better now. One child died in her middle school so they have closed the school for this week. I am so thankful that Tabba overcame it even with the other underlying illnesses. She was out all last week and with being out this week too it is really going to be a long catching up period.

Rain, rain, rain! It seems like we are either in drought or flood; this week is flooding time and my old joints are aching from it. At least it's not cold too.

Gotta go and work on Sept/Oct card.

Hugs,
Liv

May/June Business Card Calendars

2009-10-20T17:51:00.004-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Here are the May/June Business Card Calendar freebies.

4Shared
MediaFire

Password: business

Liv
------------------------------------------

March/April Business Calendars

2009-10-13T16:04:00.005-04:00

Hey,
I've been busy running back and forth to Concord for the last week so I haven't had a minute to share anything with you ;( Kimberli was hospitalized last Wednesday with terrible pain that was caused by an infection in her intestines. She was released on Saturday afternoon with anti-biotics and pain meds and the admonition to rest and recoup so she could go back and have her feeding tube replaced. The problems for Kim just never end and at this point I don't even pray for that any more. Thanks for all your prayers, well wishes, and inquiries.
I just stopped by to upload the March and April Business Calendar Quickies. The 4shared link is HERE and the MediaFire link is HERE. The password for both is business. Enjoy. (The links for Jan/Feb are still active, just link up from my previous post)

Hope you have a wonderful week.
Hugs,
Liv
PS: Let me know if the link(s) don't work!

Calendar Freebie

2009-10-06T14:20:00.006-04:00

Hey Y'All!

Have you seen the little business card calendars? I think they are so perfect to carry in your wallet or laminate and attach to your keychain; they also make great inexpensive personalized gifts. I am doing a 2010 business card calendar in .png format that I want to share with you. You can drop in your photo, print them out on any type of printing medium you like and enjoy! Today you can download my January and February 2010 Freebies from 4shared or media fire the password is business. Here is a preview of what you'll be getting today:

Links are in above sentence.

Things have been so upside down in my life lately that I really can't tell what I should do or think. Please just bear with me for a little while longer and I promise to get back to you very, very soon. Thanks for all your prayers; they are so appreciated!
Hugs,
Liv

PS: something must be up with Blogger-I had a heck of a time getting this posted!
4Shared Link fixed!

Some New Developments

2009-09-28T17:15:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'All,

Well, I'm not sure the Hoorray.com site is going to continue with the Designer Line after Christmas. I was hoping the albums were going to be very popular and I would make some very much needed funds. I have put in so many long hours on the albums I submitted and am very dissappointed that my Beach album didn't get put on the site before the talking heads dissed the whole concept. If you are interested in ordering an album, be it mine or one of the other designers', please go to the site and do it now.

I have started making some kits and elements to be included in a CD that is going to be offered at DigiScrapShop. The Halloween CD will probably be ready for orders by the beginning of November and there are plans to do Thanksgiving and Christmas CD too. If you go to the site via my blog and purchase a CD, I will make a commission from it! This could be lucrative for me and a great buy for you as there are going to be oodles of designers products included on each themed CD. When the CD is ready I will post the link for you to follow. Below is a preview of one of the items that will be available exclusively on this CD.

About Kim. Nothing good to report but I do have a favor to ask: Would you please pray for Kimberli's children for an unnamed mercy? I am not able to disclose the problems facing the children but God knows and every plea helps to let him know how important this is. Please, please, please! Their future depends on divine intervention.

Joshua's Tenth Birthday is October 1!!!! Seems like he was born just a little bit ago. I am so glad his Mom is still alive to celebrate with him. She is planning to take him and 3 friends to Nascar Speed Park, Saturday, for the day (she has been saving for this for a while) and he is sure to have a wonderful time. Her husband is still out of work (and I personally don't think he is planning on ever looking for a job). Just because the adults aren't holding up their end of the bargain shouldn't mean the children have to do without!

Take care everyone.
Hugs,
Liv

Talent Alert!

2009-09-22T18:03:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,

My friend Vicki is the proud aunt to an up and coming singer named Neely who is part of the band Tilly and the Wall! She sent out an announcement today and I just wanted to pass it on to my readers:

"I was so excited I had to share with you guys. Just found out that Tilly and the Wall ( my niece Neely's band) music will be on "Ellen" soon, also in the new Drew Barrymore movie that is coming out and on a Target commercial (Song... Pot kettle black). The commercial ran last night during "Gossip Girls" and will be played during that show every Monday night for a while."

Here are some links you can follow to get a sample of Neely's talent!

Pot kettle black song

(Neely is the one with the long blonde hair)

On Sesame Street

on Gossip Girl

Drew Barrymore movie "Whip it"

Hope you enjoy!
Hugs,
Liv

Hello!

2009-09-21T17:00:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Well, I've been too, too busy lately. Being a homeowner is not an easy thing to do after the home is 15 years old or more. Plumbing, electrical, painting, you name it I've had the problems with it. I have spent the last several days just trying to repair the inlet pipe on my toilet. Finally seem to be successful today, thank goodness.

Kimberli accidentally pulled out her feeding tube last night! Ow! It bled and Bart and Kim decided to put it back in themselves instead of the ER docs because the last time they almost killed her! After several tries with no luck, he remembered they had a new kind that Wake Forest sent to them so he tried that and was successful! It's a good thing he was because Daisy (the pup) snatched the old tubing off the bed and chewed it in half before they realized it was gone! That puppy has been a constant source of entertainment and love for Kim and her family. I wasn't too happy about her getting it because they already had 3 dogs and two cats outside and 2 cats inside along with various fish. Daisy is persona non gratta at my house since she likes to piddle on my carpet and chew my furniture but I think she has been a wonderful addition to Kim's menagerie! The other night Joshua was taking a bubble bath and Daisy jumped in and played in the bubbles with him! Kim called me up just laughing and happy. Made my heart swell.

I took my camera with me to Joshua's soccer game Saturday but even though Joshua played great (as usual) the camera wouldn't cooperate! So . . . no photos to share ;(

Have you ever been to DigiScrapDepot? It's a great site that has all the usual forum, challenges, etc. but the one thing it has that you won't find other places is loads of designer freebies! I upload mine there and so do hundreds of other designers. Today I uploaded some Halloween that Vicky is going to put on a CD along with a lot of other designer Halloween and offer it for sale! Super idea and it just might help me pay for the scanner I just had to replace. Check them out! I really had no idea that there was even a shop attached to the freebie site but she has some great designers listed and I'm getting ready to go back over there and check them out.

Need to get!
Hugs,
Liv

Apology to Hoorray!

2009-09-15T14:55:00.003-04:00

Well, what do I know? Obviously nothing! The layouts I was so ticked about not being in the 'Our Family Heritage' album are . . . they just aren't in the 'original' lineup of layouts. The layouts are available if you click on 'change background' after you open the album up! Is my face red? Yep! Also, my 'baby' albums have different covers too, that I didn't know about. I made an assumption and it was wrong, I am sorry for the rant!

Kim's a little shaky today, her sugars dropped during the night. She says she will be fine in an hour or two and is planning on helping out a friend. That's my girl!

Oh, and my friend Brenda is vacationing in North Myrtle Beach, wish her a happy one please!

Gotta go!
Hugs,
Liv

My Heritage Album is up!

2009-09-14T15:26:00.005-04:00

Hey Y'all,
I just checked in at Hoorray.com and they have posted my Family Heritage Album! I wish the photos were larger so you could see the backgrounds better; I'm really proud of this design. I made it while going through my Dad's photo albums and odds and ends that had been packed up when he went into the nursing home. Bittersweet memories for sure; I miss him. They left out the pages I worked hardest on, something about photo placement but I don't get it- photos don't have to be rotated to look good on a page of this kind. Here are the pages they left out:

Here is a layout of Dad with the masculine one.
Very disappointing for me. I guess they don't follow how scrappers do their layouts. Anyhow, don't forget that you can get FREE SHIPPING when you use the link on the right to purchase one of the designer albums (hopefully mine!).

Have a great week!
Hugs,
Liv

Halloween Freebie!

2009-09-08T01:15:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all!

I finished the Halloween Mini Kit for you. Hope you have a use for it. You can make the elements into stickers for your pages if you like. You can also print these graphics out and use them for hybrid scrapping.

4 Shared

Media Fire
Elements
Papers

The password for all Halloweenies is pumpkin

Hope y'all have a great week! Don't forget to let me know if you like this or not in the 'comments' section! Thanks!

Liv

PS: Think I should make a Halloween album for Hoorray?

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T13:58:00.004-04:00

Hey Y'all! Happy Labor Day to all of the United States! Happy day to all the rest of the world too!

I have been so busy trying to design that little Halloween kit, and exchanging wonderful emails with a long lost girlfriend, that I forgot to update y'all on Kimberli's condition.

She was released from the hospital Saturday evening with the understanding that she wasn't to be left alone. Her blood gasses, strength, sinuses, and headache were still not right, but they don't like to keep you hospitalized if you can be helped at home. Bart picked her up after soccer practice and before his stint at the stockcar races. I had planned to stay with her while he and the children went to the racetrack, but she refused to let me come up there, saying she was fine on her own. Seems that Suzy and Joshua stayed together in the stands while their dad was in the pits and did very good together. Joshua idolizes his sister, and any time she gives him these days he cherishes. I kept in close contact with Kim the whole time they were gone; she seemed to do fine. She was under strict orders to call me every time she was getting ready to move out of her bed for a drink or potty break so I could keep tabs on her. She actually went to church Sunday morning! She told me she managed to stand every time the congregation did and even sang some of the hymns. She also did some cooking last night; this from a girl who was at death's door (literally!) on Wednesday. She never ceases to amaze me with her determination to be a contributing member of her family.

I have almost finished with the Halloween kit I have been working on. Yes, it turned into a mini-kit instead of just doodles. I sit and complain about not having time to do what needs to be done and then I go and spend extra time on Freebies! Can't help it because once the muse kicks in you have to go with it! Check back later today or tomorrow to see if I have posted it!

Thanks for keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers!

Hugs,
Liv

PS: Don't forget to check out my albums at the Hoorray.com site (link on your right)! Remember, FREE shipping on each album!

Updates

2009-09-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Well, my visit with Kimberli and Joshua was the pits. Ended up that she took a turn for the worse Wednesday morning and I had to send her back to Northeast Medical in an ambulance. All the usual symptoms but worse than usual and I couldn't handle them on my own; vomiting, diarrhea, chest pains, headache, difficulty breathing, incoherent, dehydrated, and in keytoacidosis. They still had not 'stabilized' her 24 hours later but the nurses assured me that she is going to pull through this too. As of this morning she is doing much, much better! PTL! Her blood counts are all out of whack and sending the wrong signals to her brain for help, so she will have to remain in ICU until they can get a handle on what's causing the wrong signals (something about the body still thinks its in DKA when it isn't). Thought I'd let y'all know; thanks to all of you for your well wishes.

I'm trying to get a little Halloween Doodle page together to give to you, so bear with me for a little while longer.
Smiles,
Liv

PS: Don't forget to click on the Hoorray link on the right to get your free shipping on top of the 20% off the site is now offering! I'm hoping they will get my Heritage album up for you to see soon.

It's Up!

2009-09-01T18:13:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,
The link to the Hoorray Designer Line FREE SHIPPING is up (find it on the right column)! You can only get the free shipping on the Designer Line and only when you link from one of our blogs. Check it out ASAP as it's starting now and ending the end of September. I just know you'll love the convenience of online albums!

Kim and Joshua (and Daisy) are down here-things are rough all over.

Hugs,
Liv

The Latest Word . . .

2009-08-31T18:18:00.003-04:00

Hey Y'all,

The latest word on the Hoorray.com promotion on the Designer Line is it begins on September 2 and runs through September 30! WooHoo! That's a lot longer than I had anticipated and the discount is larger too; it will consist of FREE SHIPPING! I love free shipping. It makes the difference on whether I buy or not every time I go shopping online. The discount link from here to there should be ready for 12:00am on 9/2. So get prepared to shop and scrap up at Hoorray.com with the Designer Line. You will be doing us both a favor, i.e., you'll get a great keepsake and I will make a little commission and possibly keep my position as designer with them. I don't want to be let go before I actually get in the hang of this designing thing! (I'm beginning a new album tonight, I'm thinking wedding, anniversary maybe even a little Halloween thrown in at some point!

Kim is feeling better today . . . she's pushing herself again in trying to be useful to the family. Her headache has not subsided one bit from before the surgery! I get so worried, I know that I get on her nerves, but I so want her to take care of herself.

Hope all is well with all of my friends and family. Stay close.

Love,
Liv