Sheetload of cards April 2008 Sketch

I love the ease of these cards! These were just so easy to put together. More of a scrappy card than stamped card.

Sheetload of Cards May 2008 Sketch

Sparkle shared some Fix-A-Fella cards made with this sketch. I loved them and thought to try them out myself. I love how this bella turned out! I used DCWV Designer Paper and CTMH CS in Goldrush, Lilac Mist, and Vanilla Cream. Stamps by Stamping Bella, and CTMH. Prima Flowers, Bitty Brad (Non CTMH), and buttons in Purple and Redish Purple. Let me see what you do with this sketch! Enjoy!

TLC169 The Best Way

I participated in a swap a while ago where we swapped tags/ATC size and I decided how much easier would it be to make a card than to use the Tag/ATC as the focal point. So that is what I did for the Double Pocket Bag card for the TLC169 over at SCS. The Tag/ATC is from J. McBain and the paper is Chatterbox! Thanks for looking!

What do you do at 3 AM?

CREATE! I made these cards this morning as I was wide awake at 3 AM! Enjoy!

The first card is for my MIL for her birthday using the InkyDoodle Sketch for the weekend. A little different but the basics are the same.

The second card is my version of the card puzzler card for this month. I added the scrap paper for a leaf, ribbon, safety pin, and the stamped image and sentiment. I like how it turned out! Hopefully Jennifer M will too!

The third Card is the for the Stamping Bella SCS Challenge #28 both the sketch and Color Challenges. I love this card!

The fourth card is also a Stamping Bella SCS challenge #27 both the sketch and the color challenges. Colors are a bit wild but pretty and for my aunt for her birthday!

The last card is for Beates Weekend challenge. Again my sentiment is not the right size but I loved this paper and sentiment from Cosmo Cricket!

Leave me a comment and tell me which is your favorite!

Monkey Encouragement

Here is my card for the July Stamp of the Month Team swap. The colors/papers are from the Expedition Paper Kits from CTMH. 2 more spots are available suing either the Expedition or Boom-Di-Ada Kits! Enjoy!

June Stamp of Month Swap Results

This is the results of the Stamping Tweekers Unit Stamp of the Month Swap for June 2008. This is fun stamp set with lots of possibilities. Just wanted to share the wonderful talent of all the ladies who participated. We have 2 spots open still for the July Stamp of the Month. I will mail to where ever if you want a spot the cards are too cute! Email me for more details.

Participants in no particular order were Shannon, Kara, Alicia, Mary, Crystal, Sonja, Tony and I.

Did you know?

The Close To My Heart Corperate Website is offering helpful tips for scrapbooking, card making, and paper crafting for National Scrapbooking Month. There is a new tip/technique every day! Check it out! I will be back with more artwork later today. Another swap is complete and ready to be posted for all to see using the June Stamp of the Month! Enjoy!

http://www.closetomyheart.com/nsm08/calendar.aspx?ru=gerriannarmstrong.myctmh.com&ai=7255899&cn=Gerriann+Armstrong

Happy Monday!

2 new cards

Here are my creations for this weekend. The frog card is CTMH Fun Times using the Simple Green Spritz Technique from TJ newsletter. The second card uses the CTMH Solo 8. I love those fish! Enjoy!

Happy Everything Card

This card is 5X7 for the Team Swap using the Whoops-a-Daisy colors. I love how it turned out. Happy Friday Everyone!

May Card Class Project

The cards are not too special but the book was a huge hit. I recently got a Bind-It-All and have been dying to do a book. Another CTMH consultant inspired the book theme. My ladies loved it! Hope you are inspired to try one..provide a link for me to see your creation!

This is the remaining items!

These are the remaining cards that are from the post yesterday.

If you have questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you everyone for participating and making this a great display board swap! Go Team!!!

If you like what you see and want to order the wonderful paper or stamp sets showcased here contact your Close to My Heart consultant or see my website!

www.gerriannarmstrong.myctmh.com

Stamping Tweekers Unit Display Board Swap Results

This Slide Show is 50 pieces of artwork that was done by Close To My Heart Consultants to showcase the new paper and stamp sets that are set to be released tommorrow. I feel privilaged to be part of an amazing group of artists! More artwork will be up later today or tomorrow. Enjoy!

Chcek out your consultants CTMH website to order these wonderful stamp sets and paper packs starting May 1st!

Giant Step Forward!

Have you ever felt like you had to prove to the world that you were not crazy or being unrealistic about your child's abilities? That is exactly how we have been feeling this past month, thus the long blog break!

We have been working on kindergarten placement for Harrison for next year. Our IEP Team was not on the same page as we are about the reasons for wanting Harrison in an integrated or regular kindergarten class. They believed because of their "testing" and "observations" that Harrison was not "ready" and would get so far behind, then get frustrated, and finally become a behavior problem. Let me tell you I saw red when that came out! My son has never been a behavior problem (he is the most compliant-overly at times- child that many have worked with).

Yesterday we had our transition meeting from pre-school to kindergarten. The feel of the meeting was that the school was right and we were just over stretching Harrison abilities. The teachers and team did say some positive things however the "can't do, and the wont performs" were a much longer list. At one point in the meeting I started doubting what I knew to be true about my son.

The format of the meeting went something like this: (a good way to work one in my opinion)
1. The Team Arrives: Bring a man with you, the tone of the meeting really does change when you have a man with you even if they are only there for support. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!

2. Introductions-who is everyone, and how are they connected to your child, how are they talking to you. What does your gut say about this person, you know your child best does it appear to be the type of person who your child will respond to?

3. Where is the child currently and how did they get there-If you are paying or participating in private therapy then make sure that you get it out at that time. My son can do many things in private therapy that the team was saying that he could not because of his short attention span and focus issue (That is called Autism right?). This is where the discussion regarding the distracting environment came in-his disability makes it hard to focus and what better place to learn to focus than in that type of environment with peers. This really opened the door for a regular general ed kindergarten for us.

The team also stated that they did not consider the transition to this program and his progress successful and tried to blame it on me that I pushed and the district complied with my request. I reminded them that I am a member of the team and that the entire team from our previous placement felt it was a good move for him.

Do not let the district pin something on you that you asked for that they feel is not working. Do not take TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY for the decision you asked and the TEAM AGREED. Stand up and lay the blame right back in the entire teams lap!

4. Overview of IEP Goals and Objectives-this is hard but just let the team talk and tell you what is happening currently. If you don't have your child in regular ed or with typical developing peers and want that to happen make sure that the communication goals and the learning goals include the words "typical distracting classroom" or something similar. How do you practice these skills if you are not around a bit of distracting and interesting things?

5. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT ONE: Make a list of what type of Environment your child needs to learn in! Make sure to include thing that are important to you and you feel will make a difference in his learning.

Our list looked something like this:
A Class Placement that Includes:
-Small Group instruction-Environment that provides opportunities to practice new skills
-Typical Developing Peers
-Strong Teacher with a solid, set routine
-One to One support as needed
(OK you get the idea these were the ones that were the most important to us but there were 7-8 on the list)

6. After this is done then talk about placement. Because we have a district that has pilot project that provides opportunities for children with IEP's who may be right on the edge an opportunity to be placed in regular general education we felt that this was the best opportunity for our son. We made a comparison between the current preschool placement (which we view as extremely successful socially-academically they are right not so much- but that was not what we were looking for when we moved him) and that because the district had a program similar for kindergarten we would like to continue that environment.

They tried everything they could to "make us see" that we were setting up Harrison to "fail" however when everything that was said and done they could not make a good case as to why Harrison could not be successful in the program we felt would benefit him most.

7 Finally only sign off on the placement if you are really willing to accept that decision. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN IT AT ALL!!! The district has to provide you with a letter stating where placement will be within 10 business days (in our district) and then you have to start the paper trail process for requesting a reconsideration of that decision and go through "Due Process" and use your "Procedureal Safeguards" to make sure that your child gets what they need to make education progress.

Just a few more details : I started voiceing my desire for kindergarten placement in January of this year and did get the run around. I did get a chance to visit the intergrated kindergarten classroom and talk to the teacher about her style and how well students do in this environment. I asked her questions about her background in working with children with autism and she was able to tell me about the accomidations that she had made for some of the children with picture schedules right on the desks in the beginning of the year.

My GUT (yes listen to yours too) said this is the place that my son could be successful and a teacher like this could tell me when to step back and what she needed me do or have done in private therapy to help Harrison be successful!

I finally feel like we can now finish up this school year and enjoy the excitement with all the other families who have children going to kindergarten this fall. It will be amazing, adventous, scary, exciting, and nerve racking but at least it will be our journey and one that we are ready to go on-well informed and supported.

If you or someone you know needs more information about IEP's or Speical Education Services in Eastern WA send an email to either me at davearmie@comcast.net or Families Together for People with Disabilities FTPd@familiestogether.org . The Special Education Ombudsman at OSPI (Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction) from your state should be able to help you in providing information that may be relevant to you. If you need that information for Washington State send me an email and I will get it to you.

Families Together for People with Disabilites is a private Non-profit agency who helps to strengthen families through support and encouragement. Do you have a little extra to give? Please consider them. Donations are tax deductable! See their website at www.familiestogether.org

So Sorry-Blog Break

Wow it is amazing how quickly time gets away from you. It is spring break here and getting my son settled for Kindergarten has taken most of my time the past few weeks. For those who may not understand, when you have a disabled child then sometimes it feels like all you do is put out fires and when you learn that someone is not being honest about what is available or your idea is not what "they" think is best boy people can drag thier feet.

Anyway... April is Autism Awareness Month. I will have an auction set up on Ebay by the end of the weekend to Benefit Families Together (www.familiestogether.com) which includes 20+ one page layouts featuring a CARS Theme. These are perfect for the little guys in your life that love the little cars and the movie. I will post a link once I get everything photographed and the auction listed on Ebay.

FACT: Families Together spends over $1500 per family in thier family enrichment program, when you consider that this includes a hotel room, meals and supplies for the weekend and, home visits, advocacy and information in a box, they really know how to stretch a dollar! Make a donation to them today or Purchase Eustacia Cutlers Book from them as over 50% of the cost stays with the non-profit!

I love my Husband!-Kitchen Story

I just wanted to say that I really, really, really love him!

For Christmas this year my parents decided to help with the remodel of the kitchen. We live in a 1940's built home with little remodeling done to it. The story starts that my wonderful son smashed a overipe avacado into the super horrible carpet (yes carpet in the kitchen in September 2007) and since we were trying to decided on the best way to get the floor redone my husband started ripping up the carpet just in the spot where the avacodo was. That did not last. The entire carpet came out and oh the smells....

So fast forward a bit and my dad comes by and sees the kitchen and asks when we are going to get going on it. Anyone with a special needs child will tell you that there are just so many other expenses that you do without for quite a while.

So for our Christmas Presents this year our parents both chipped in to help with the kitchen remodel. My parents provided the floor, countertop and dishwasher (yes a built in one) and my husbands parents provided the brand new sink and faucet and plumbing stuff!

Our previous sink had the faucet off on one side coming out of the wall and it did not even reach the second sink. Now we have an extra deep stainless steele sink and faucet that reaches both of the sinks! It was a dream come true. The counter, sink and dishwasher went in before Christmas with the promise of the floor to go in after we painted.

We did that about 3 weeks ago. We did it too- we did not make Harrison do it all but he really wanted to help and why not in your jammies?

So today was the day for the floor. My husband did an amazing job. Even the transition pieces are in... We still have to finish painting the trim and get wooden baseboard but I can finally after months of not being able to walk into the kitchen barefoot or without slippers without hard soles I have the most gorgous floor to walk barefoot of if I want to! Just see! If you got this far make sure to leave a message for my husband to tell him what a great job he did! I am on top of the world.

The flu is behind me just now working on getting rid of the cough and the runny nose! But I feel so much better! I am glad that I have a doctor who listens! Yeah!

Love the Doctor!

My Dh took my DS and I to the doctor this morning and I am relieved that he was able to give me something to help my immune system deal with this flu. The cough is the worst -just hurts to breathe deeply cause a cough will come- but some RX cough medicinewill help to loosen everything and moisten the tissue to make it easier to cough in the next few days. He checked out my son and said yep hes got it to and started him on some medicine to shorten its life in him. I hope to see my craft room by the end of the weekend but I need to be so much better before next monday! Have a good weekend!

Gerriann

Someday I'll fell better!

But when? I am so tired and I can hardly keep my eyes open very long! Luckly DH took the day off from work as DS is starting to get sick too in order to take us to the doctor-I am not a sit on the couch kind of person and boy does my house show it. I just want to sleep again! Hopefully the dr will have some magic pills to make me feel better and semi normal again!

I miss those creative juices!

Feeling Cruddy!

I guess the crude that the kids have had all winter (and I have avoided) has finally caught up with me! I feel crappy and I am sure that I will not get anything created and posted for a few days. The couch is calling my name! See you in a few days when the energy returns!

Tulips and Handwriting

This cute and simple card is for the LSC157 and LSC156 over at SCS! Have a great weekend!

How much is that Doggie in the Window?

Today over at SCS the Ways to Use it Challenge was to use music as your inspiration.

This has been the song in our house since Monster Jam only it is sung: "How Much is that 'Taz'zy in the Window?" after the Taz monster truck. So in honor of the tune I made this card. This is the Valance Card from the Origionals Program by CTMH.

If you have a hard time coming up with card ideas be sure to check out Close To My Hearts Card Confidence Program on my website here: http://gerriannarmstrong.myctmh.com/WebSites/Templates/MyCTMH/Template1.aspx?PageID=39411&CatalogID=178

It is perfect for the beginner card maker and stamper!

Mail Call! What a RAK!

I love the TJ newsletter and its techniques but nothing compares to the 1-4-1 swap that we do each month. OH MY! I got my card from Suzann and I want to be her partner every month! Isnt is simply Wonderful! I am lucky to have her as my partner this month too-we swapped last month too! Enjoy!

Suzann's blog can be found at www.suzannssmallworld.blogspot.com

Anyone interested in a Stamping Bella image Swap? I have 2 different stamsps but would love a few more. I am willling to swap my images for yours-I have giftabella w/hat and emmybella! Let me know and I will get something worked out on this. Just cost you a stamp and a few stamped images! Thanks!

More Challenge Cards!

I love the stamping bellas and also the CTMH Silhouette Paper! Perfect for both the CC155 and TLC157 challenges over at SCS. I got these done to share today! Let me know what you think!

The card below is for the i {heart} 2 Stamp sketch challenge. Check out www.iheart2stamp.com if you need some inspiration!

I love the cards there!

SNS Sketch Challenge

This is the card I made for Korin's sketch challenge over at Sweet N' Sassy Stamps! I love this little guy and the water is made with liquid glass and stickles glitter.

Thanks for the inspiration Korin!

Love You to Pieces

I finally finished the Featured Stamper Challnge over at SCS. My card is a remake of her MFT card in her gallery for Breast Cancer Awareness. This is my card using Gina K.'s stamp set for autism awareness. I changed the stamps and the saying but the rest of the card is pretty much the same as Mary Jo Albrights! Let me know what you think!

Mary Jo's Blog is Beauty Lies Within on my sidebar. Check out her work!

How Many have your name?

Interesting little thing to check out if your interested. I am always interested if others have my first name. I have only heard of a few and no one spells it the same. Interesting.....

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

New stuff!

One should never feel guilty about spending 2 weekends in a row papercrafting (scrapbooking, stamping, card marking etc) and not posting any of the wonderful new creations on your blog- YEAH Right!

I had a great time making some great cards. I made a mini album 9X9 that I will post once the photos are in it and also a 6X6 that is going to my sister-in-law who lost her bewloved kitty this weekend.

I will bore you no longer here is the goodies! Lots of SCS challenges and inspiration! Thanks everyone for sharing your lovely artwork. If I have recreated or taken your idea as a starting point consider yourself a master cardmaker because I loved your card so much I had to have one too!

New Blog-Growing Up Harrison

I am so excited that I was asked to start a blog regarding our adventure of raising a child on the Autism Spectrum by the agency we have been working with.

This blog address is: www.harrisongrowsup.blogspot.com

I decided that it was a great idea and after chatting with my husband we decided it was a go. On that site we are hoping to get the word out about Autism and its effects on the immediate family as well as extended family and the community.

Did you know that the minimum out of pocket cost for the very basic of services and necessities of life is about $500 per month? I am excited to be sharing our experience so that others who are overwhelmed, stressed out, fed-up, and plain out of ideas on what to do next can be inspired! Hopefully you will drop by and take a little bit of information to others out there! Thanks everyone!

SBDD13 Oh Happy Day!

The scrapbook Designer Diva challenge at SCS was to do a progressive page. This was a bit of a challenge because I have never scrapbooked in the 8.5X11 size.

In a progressive page you start with a 6X6 layout: The little frog is 3-d in that it has 3 layers. It is so cute!

Then create an 8.5x11 page using the 6X6 page:

Then finally to create a 12X12 page with both the 8.5X 11 and 6X6 pages: (with hidden tag)

Layout with tag out:

Stamp Set: Pond Pals (Sweet N' Sassy Stamps)

Paper: CTMH CS Clover Meadow, White Daisy, Sunkiss Yellow, Crystal Blue

Ink: CMTH Archival Black (love it)

Markers: CTMH Kiwi, Clover Meadow, Crystal Blue, Key Lime, Black

Embellishments: Black Designer Ribbon Rounds Gingham Pattern, SEI button, green staple, Cowboy dew Drops, Pop Dots

Layout inspiration from Cherish-CTMH page 116!

I Won Again!

I need to buy a lotto ticket! I never win anything but 2 things in a weekend is amazing!

I won a great prize package from Lisa at http://lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com/ Thanks Lisa!

Card Puzzler Swap Results Jan 2008

I was the hostess for Round #1 of the Card Puzzler Swap on the CTMH Consultant BB. For those of you who do not know what that means is the hostess makes a card and then only sends the pieces (no bases) of the card including stamped images to the other players. Each player gets enough pieces to make a card for the hostess and one for themselves and trys to complete the card very similar to the hostesses. I loved this card layout when I saw it on a stampers blog so the sketch for this card is not mine! (Sorry cant remember who you were)

Here is my sample:

Here are the cards from 4 of the 6 players:

From B Gorton:

From J Coleman

From J Schlangen

From J Macke

I won!

I am so excited that I won a stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps from Dee Jackson's blog http://stampincuziluv2.blogspot.com/. I cant wait to try out the 3 part rose stamp! Thanks again Dee and Maria at Kitchen Sink Stamps! I am still doing a happy dance!