Lily Friendship Card for Mojo Monday 243

When I was teaching, most of my friends were fellow employees in my school or somewhere in our large district. I was afraid that when I retired I would no longer have as many friends because I live on a farm 30 miles away. How surprised I am that my retirement for the last six years has actually brought me more friends despite "isolation." Maybe there was more time to cultivate friendships or maybe it's because some of my friends also retired and shared the same interests that I have.

But one thing is certain. As we get older, we stay younger if we maintain social interactions.  I'm still friends with the "girls" from my high school even though we live an hour or more apart.  I grew up with the Scripture admonition that "a man who hath friends must show himself friendly." The challenge to make friendship cards at Paper Playtime also inspired me to keep in touch with a friend I don't see often. The card I made today is "mail friendly" with only slight dimension so that it can travel safely in the mail.

This is the last Mojo Monday challenge of the month, so it's either a circle or square. Here's sketch #243.

I was attracted to the color palette at CR84FN Color Challenge for this card.

 I used an image I won in a challenge called Lily Circle from Floppy Latte's Digital Designs from Stitchy Bear Stamps. I met my husband when I worked one summer at Lily Industries where he was a chemist, so I have this thing about lilies.

My square card is lightly embossed with large dots. I used a lavender strip from a scrap I've had for a long time from Basic Grey "Oh, Baby." I followed the dots on the green banner strip to cut the triangle shape. I hadn't thought of doing that before, but it works. The lily was colored with Copic markers. The sentiment is matted with gray and the baker's twine around the green banner is also gray, although the poor lighting in my house at night always seems to distort some colors. 

Here are the challenges that inspired me:

CR84FN Color Challenge #55 - lavender, celery, & gray

I Brake 4 Challenges - I Brake 4 Florals

Mojo Monday #243 Sketch

Paper Playtime Challenge #75 - Say It With Sentiments - Friendship Card

Wishcraft: Waste Not Wednesday Week #20 - use up neglected or unused stash (BG Oh, Baby paper!)

5.5" Square Friendship Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Oh, Baby" (girl); Close To My Heart "Dotty For You," Gray Wool, White Daisy Cardstock

Stamps - Verve "Hope Blooms"

Digital image - Floppy Latte's Digital Designs "Lily Circle" at Stitchy Bear Stamps

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Other - Copic markers, Wilton doily, CTMH Baker's Twine Neutral Collection

May God bless you richly with friends and show you new ways to be a friend!

Our Daily Bread Designs Get Well

This week the challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs for Shining the Light is a color challenge. Pink and black/gray can be such an elegant color combination, maybe too elegant for my get well card, but maybe not if it's also a wish that God bless you. I've become a firm believer that we should bless our children and family members as well as our friends. Great men of the Bible blessed others which serves as an example for us. Here's a great article from Focus on the Family about blessing your children.

I think it's like a prayer for God's blessing for them.  I like to handwrite blessings inside my cards when I give them. I don't worry about the fact that I hate my handwriting. I've finally come to the conclusion that it's part of me so that makes it even more personal. (Of course I never told my students that messy was OK when I was teaching handwriting!)

I used the elegant sketch from the Try Stampin' On Tuesday Challenge 67. 

I used the stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs in the Get Well set. I stamped the butterfly corner swirls/flourishes twice, in opposite corners.  I stamped again on a scrap of the Baby Pink cardstock in black to cut out a butterfly to put on the corner flower embellishment. The fun part was tracing over the dotted swirls and end point dots with a glitter gel pen and adding bitty pearls to the bodies of the butterflies. The white background was embossed to go with the black patterned paper.

May God bless you as you bless others with words of encouragement!

Here are the challenges I used for this card:
Crafty Calender Challenge - Things with Wings
Deep Ocean Challenge #26 - Swirls
Divas By Design #36 - Flourishes
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #110 - colors pink, black and/or grey and white/vanilla
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes
Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #67 - Sketch

6.5" x 5" Get Well Card Recipe:
Paper - Bo Bunny "Enchanted Collection;" Close To My Heart Baby Pink, Cotton Candy, White Daisy, Black cardstock
Stamps - Our Daily Bread "Get Well"
Inks - Close To My Heart Cotton Candy, Black
Accents - Cuttlebug embossing folder "Kassie's Brocade;" Close To My Heart Bitty Pearls; Spellbinder's Nestabilities Labels Ten; Martha Stewart boder punch; Recollections floral embellishments, Sakura Jelly Roll glitter gel pen




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Jingle All the Way Christmas Card

Life has been so busy the past week I missed my craft room and haven't made many Christmas cards lately. Here's a fun card I made by combining several challenges with this whimsical horse named Charlie dressed up as a reindeer from Clear Dollar Stamps. I was looking for an image using jingle bells for the ABC Christmas Challenge, J - Jingle Bells, when I found this delightful horse.  It's from a set called Charlie Reindeer Games.  I used this sketch #88 from Sketch N Stash. The item from my stash that has been long overlooked is the red shiny ribbon which had always seemed to stiff for making a bow, but was perfect for this design.

I modified the small circle at the bottom and put Santa's pack there instead. It also had jingle bells. I chose the soft blue snowflake paper for the Christmas Card Challenges Week 26 today--to use bling-- so I covered the jingle bell images and the center of the snowflakes with Sakura Gelly Roll glitter gel. It's subltle and shiny. I also chose a shiny red ribbon.  52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge #5 for this month was to use embossing, which I used on the white circle behind Charlie to look like snow.

Here's a close up of the glitter gell on the snowflakes and jingle bells.

The last challenge I used was one I recently found, Holly Jolly Christmas, Anything Goes with Ribbon.

4.25" x 5.5" Christmas Card Recipe:
Paper - My Mind's Eye "12 Days of Christmas;" Close To My Heart White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock
Image - Clear Dollar Stamps digital "Charlie Reindeer Games"
Copic Markers - Grays (N0, N2, N4, N6, N8) Crimson RV29, Pea Green YG63, Mint Green BG13, Yellowish Skin Pink YR61, E00
Accents - Cuttlebug embossing folder "Swiss Dots," red shiny ribbon unknown from my stash, Sakura Gelly Roll glitter gel pen, pop dots

Fabulous Dahlia for Tuesday Morning Sketches 147

Here's a belated birthday card I made with the fabulous Dahlia digital design from Clear Dollar Stamps. I chose a paper from Basic Grey's Hello Luscious that I thought had the colors of the challenge this week from The Color Throwdown, although my green Copics may not have been as dark.

I used this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, Challenge 147.

The digital design had dahlia buds included, so I used three of them for the three flower embellishments on the design. I wanted the main dahlia to stand out so I printed it twice and pop dotted the center portion for dimension. This is a fun technique to use on multi-petaled flowers. I'm also using this card for the Fabulous Flowers challenge at Crafts and Me.

I have two friends who love very bright cards. The patterned paper is a little much for me with the busy dahlia, so I think next time I'll try making it again with white or green embossed paper in its place. Thank you for looking!

Miss You Like Crazy - Viva La Verve card

I was remembering our men and women who serve our country and all the sacrifices they make when I made a card for the Viva La Verve challenge for May, week 4. This will be one of the cards I give to Operation Write Home. They send the cards overseas and our service men and women can select cards free of charge to write home. I thought the Verve sentiment "Miss You Like Crazy" was a great one for expressing their feelings of love (and maybe loneliness). This week Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Midweek Challenge is to make cards that express love. I'm thankful for the opportunity to make cards for them and to keep them in my prayers as well.

Here is the sketch from Verve:

Challenges:

Basic Grey Challenge #68 - Anything Goes using Basic Grey

Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Midweek Challenge - Love You Theme

Viva La Verve - May 2012 Week 4 Sketch

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Hello Luscious" and "Ambrosia;" Close To My Heart White Daisy and Breeze (retired) cardstock

Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Accents - 2" circle punch; Spellbinders Nestabilities Heart Circles; CTMH White Daisy grosgrain ribbon

iSpy Sketches #16 - You're One in a Million

Two people who are dear to me just ended relationships and I've been praying for them not to hurt so much and to know how valuable they are. The sentiment I chose for my card has double meaning. They are truly each "One in a million," but I also hope they'll meet that special "One in a Million Guy" that God has for them. Love to Create Challenge #16 is to make your card inspired by a song. So I'm using Hannah Montana's song titled "One in a Million." Here are the last lyrics:

They say that good things take time
But really great things happen
In the blink of an eye

Thought the chances to meet somebody
Like you were a million to one
I cannot believe it, you're one in a million, yeah

One in a million, yeah
You're one in a million.

(That's exactly how I have felt about my hubby ever since I met him! I hope the same for my friends!)

Here's a sketch from iSpy Sketches that I used.

I love this Basic Grey "Hello Luscious" paper. I love the bright, tropical flower colors. For the aqua semicircle shape, I simply traced half of a spool of ribbon. I made an accordian flower for my center circle accent by scoring a 1 x 11 piece of cardstock every 1/4." After I folded it accordian style, I overlapped one inch of it using glue. Then I attached it to the magenta heart circle with a Gluber, adding a flower sparkle for the center.

I'm adding this to the following challenges:
Basic Grey Challenge #68 - Anything Goes using Basic Grey
iSpy Sketches #16
Love to Create Challenge #16 - Song Inspired
Paper Playtime Challenge #75 - Say It With Sentiments - Friendship Card
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #80 - Anything Goes

5" x 6.5" Friendship Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Hello Luscious;" Close To My Heart Sunkiss Yellow, Sweet Leaf, White Daisy cardstock
Stamp - My Favorite Things
Ink - CTMH Lagoon
Accents - CTMH retired flower sparkle; Sizzix embossing folder "Tropical Flourishes;" Spellbinders Nestabilities Heart Circles

Philippians 4:8 for MOJO Monday 242

When I was in my thirties and early forties, life had many challenges that often discouraged me. One of the verses I quoted to myself frequently was Philippians 4:8. I also reminded my children of this verse and it's importance to their mental well-being from their teenage years to the present. I find that there are many beautiful, positive things in life that we can put our focus on when times are difficult. Dwelling on the problems is exhausting as well as discouraging. When I saw this verse in the newly-released May digi image collection called Value Verses from Clear Dollar Stamps, I wanted to use it for my cards of encouragement. The fonts and arrangement of the phrases make it attractive and memorable. I like the way the key words are on the right margin. It also perfectly fit the sketch from MOJO Monday #242 this week.

I had fun making the flower by using a Verve stamp and winding seam binding around the middle. You just add some very sticky glue dots to the center of any flower, start the twisted seam binding in the center and twist and adhere as you go around the circle. Love it! The leaves were slightly creased in the middle, then folded up for more dimension.

May God bless you today as you focus your thoughts on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and praiseworthy.

Challenges:
Basic Grey Challenge #68 - Anything Goes, using Basic Grey
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes (use up your stash - the ancient yellow patterned paper!)
Little Birdie Blessings Linky Party - anything using scripture
MOJO Monday - Sketch #242
Ribbon Carousel Challenge #54 - Fancy Flowers - make flowers out of ribbon, fabric, felt or burlap
Scrap-Creations- Bingo (I used the middle row going down)

6.5" x 5" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Image: Value Verses (Philippians 4:8)
Stamp: flower from Verve Hope Blooms
Ink: Close To My Heart Sorbet
Papers: Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" CTMH "Sweetheart"(pink), retired Buttercup patterned paper, Colonial White, Topiary, and Sorbet cardstock; Bazzill maroon cardstock
Accents: Martha Stewart border punch; Hug Snug seam binding
Technique: twisted seam binding for flower center

Building Up Others with Kind Words

One of my goals in making cards is to encourage or build up others. When I hear of a prayer request they have, I've always tried to pray for them, but I've become even more concerned that the individual, not just God, hears my words to build them up. This morning my son called before work with a request for prayer about a job that their new company needed that seemed to be in limbo. I shared Jeremiah 29:11 with him that God knows the plans He has for them, plans to prosper them, not to harm them. I told him to go in to work today, look up the scripture on his computer and share it with the other young guys in his company. He called later to thank me that the job came through and that he had shared it with two other young men. God's Word is so powerful for building up others!

For my card I used the Colour Create Challenge #96 to use green, brown, white, and a touch of lavendar and purple. When I read that I envisioned flowering trees that recently bloomed in our area. The challenge this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ used this verse with a wonderful devotional:

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

The card challenge was to build up our card using layers, paper tole,  paper piecing, or stacking flowers, etc.  I made a get well card by using an embossing folder to make branches, embossing it again on brown and green to cut out branches and a few of the leaves to stack for even more dimension. I even overlapped two of those leaves over the ribbon. I stacked brown velvet ric rac on top of brown gingham ribbon. I stacked flowers putting white punched flowers on top of a lavendar ones and putting a lavendar brad in the middle. My verse from Jeremiah 30:17 was stamped with pansy purple ink and double matted with brown and lavendar. With the embossing, paper piecing, stacking and pop dots, my card also fits the challenge at Creative Card Crew for using Dimension, one of my favorite things to do.

 May God build you up and bless your heart each time you hear or read His word and may He use you to encourage others the same way!

Challenges:
Colour Create Challenge Blog: #96 Green, brown, white and a touch of lavendar or purple
Creative Card Crew #11 - use Dimension
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #140: build up our card using layers, paper tole, paper piecing, or stacking flowers, etc

5" x 6.5" Get Well card recipe:
Paper - Bazzill brown cardstock; Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf, Amethyst, and White Daisy cardstock
Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs "Get Well"
Ink - CTMH Pansy Purple
Accents - Cuttlebug embossing folder; CTMH Petal brads; flower punch; Offray gingham ribbon; velvet ric rac unknown from my stash

Something with Wings Blog Hop

Clear Dollar Stamps Blog is having the Monthly Blog Hop with the theme: "Something with Wings." If you came here first, you'll want to leave a comment and go back to the starting point at Clear Dollar Stamps Blog.

PRIZES: One lucky winner will receive a $25 Clear Dollar Stamps gift certificate for digital images!

WINNERS: A winner will be randomly chosen from comments received on a DT member's blog. The winner will be announced on the CDS blog Thursday, May 24th.

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I chose the adorable "New Butterfly" digital image with it's wing spread open.  I printed it twice, first on white cardstock, then on the Sunset patterned cardstock. I colored the outer edges of the white print and the body with a black marker. I cut out the larger inner portion of the wings and paper pieced the two parts. I then pop dotted the outer part of each wing when I attached the butterfly to the card.

The bottom mat of the card is the reverse side of the patterned paper used for the wings. It reminds me of the scale pattern on a butterflies wing. I used a 4" x 6" White Daisy cardstock piece in order to print the chosen sentiment from that set. Only the top 2/3 of the white mat was embossed with the Sizzix folder. Then I trimmed it to fit the card.

Thanks for stopping by and may you have a beautiful Lord's Day!! Linda is next on or blog hop! Have fun hopping!

Images: CDS digital New Butterfly
Papers: Close To My Heart "Stella" paper pack, White, Black cs
Accents: CTMH Sweet Leaf Ribbon, Just Blooms, Black brad, black marker; Recollections floral embellishment; Sizzix Floral Flourish embossing folder
Technique: paper piecing
BLOG ROLL LIST:
LORI
JERUSHA
KATHY
BARB
SARAH
DEONNA
LISA
JEN Y.
CASSIE
JENNIFER D.
KRIS
VICKIE (you're here)
LINDA
ANGELA

Hope Blooms

When I was a teenager, I spent three years working as a Candy Striper at Baptist Memorial Hospital. My first two years, one of my jobs was to deliver flowers to patients. People were always so pleased to receive a vase of flowers. It was obvious that flowers were given to cheer up those who were recuperating. There's something bright and happy about looking at flowers.

My husband and I spent Mother's Day with a group of family at a Botanical Garden. The flowers and trees were amazing and inspired this shaped card along with these lovely challenges: The Shabby Tea Room Week #114 inspiration photo and request to make Shaped Cards. Dutch Dare Card Challenge #165 is also for shaped cards. I used the Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #52 Bingo, the column under "G" - patterned paper, blue, sentiment, ribbon, and tag. (They are celebrating their birthday so you can enter as many times as you like!)

This is a really fun shape to make. I traced a template making sure that the front of the card is higher, revealing the inside of the card where a strip of patterned paper will show. The top was embossed after using a brayer with ink on the raised leaf portion, so that the colored debossed side shows on the front. My intent was to decorate the leaves as if they were a bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon and tag like the ones I used to deliver.

I'm hoping that this card with it's flowers and verse will bring loving cheer to someone who needs to encouragment that God is with them in their time of need and will help them.

Challenges:
Basic Grey Challenge #58 - Anything Goes with Baisc Grey paper (I used Sweet Threads)
Dutch Dare Card Challenge#165 - shaped cards
Shopping Our Stash Weekly #52 - Bingo
The Shabby Tea Room #114 - Inspiration photo and shaped card

4.25: x 5.5" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" Close To My Heart White Daisy, Hollyhock cardstock
Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"
Inks - CTMH Sweet Leaf, Hollyhock
Accents/Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder; brayer; CTMH Pearl Opaques; Michaels silver cord, Recollections floral embellishments; white satin ribbon

1 Corinthians 13 Anniversary Card

When my husband and I were married the minister used 1 Corinthians 13 as his text. I had memorized it when I was about 13 years old and always loved the guidance that it gives. Even though I'm a grandma now, I still need the truths in this chapter to keep me on course. I hope it will inspire someone as an anniversary Scripture. This card is for the challenge at Fashionista Challenge Week 3 is for a wedding, wedding shower or anniversary card.

I was inspired by the color combo at Just Add Ink. Their sample cards were so CAS, Clean and Simple, that I wanted to do the same. Today's challenge at Shopping Our Stash Weekly had an amazing BINGO chart with so many options. I chose to use the top row across to make my card. Here are the inspiration charts from both of those challenges

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The pale yellow colors that I have are Buttercup and Creme Brulee. I rolled Buttercup ink on my embossing folder on the side that has the writing on the front. I lined up the front of the card on the other half, closed the folder carefully and embossed. Ink doesn't always stick perfectly to the folders, but I always think that adds to the character of the design. This embossing folder has been in my stash the longest - since it first came out.

I stamped a 3/4" strip of buttercup with a lace pattern. The verse is mounted on buttercup and a creme brulee patterned paper. The 4 year-old Buttercup buttons,  are topped with flower-shaped bling that I've had for several years. (The bitty sparkles are much newer.) I love combining old supplies from my stash with the new. This digital verse is the newest. It just came out today. I'm linking it with Little Birdie Blessings Scripture Thursday Linking Party.

I hope this verse blesses you as it does me.

Challenges:
Fashionista Challenge Week #3 - Wedding, Anniversary, Wedding Shower
Just Add Ink Challenge #117 - color challenge
Shopping Our Stash Weekly #52 - Bingo: yellow, bling, buttons, patterned paper, embossing

6.5" x 5" Anniversary Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Florentine" patterned paper, Buttercup, Colonial White cardstock
Digital Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Value Verses"
Stamps - CTMH Florentine Workshop (lace border stamp)
Ink - CTMH Buttercup
Accessories - Cuttlebug Heart blocks embossing folder, CTMH buttons, sparkle flowers (both retired)
Bitty Sparkles

Isaiah 41:13 for Word Art Wednesday

I love this verse from Word Art Wednesday.  I believe God wants to comfort and encourage us no matter what types of trials we may encounter. There are so many Scriptures to remind us that He is with us to help and strengthen us if we'll only let Him. This verse today talks about fear, but I think there are many types of worries that we have that we personally wouldn't label as "fear." I just read this verse to my daughter as she was driving from work to pick up her boys and her mother-in-law, race home for a speedy supper, drive everyone to Christian's baseball game and hour early so she could set up the records to be the scorekeeper. She just started keeping the score and found out she has to attend to every detail of the game and rely on someone else to watch her own kids during the game. I reminded her that God will help her. She reminded me that she wasn't "afraid," to which I responded that she just needed to remember God will help her with the "busy-ness."

I used a pre-cut, shaped card to highlight this verse. I had printed it on Colonial White to go with the Florentine paper pack I planned to use, but then decided that I'd always wanted to try the creamy white color with the pure white. I embossed the card front, adhered a strip of patterned paper on the inside of the card, and stamped a pattern on the Twilight blue strip. The rest was pretty straight forward and simple.

4.25" x 5.5" Encouragement card recipe:
paper: Close To My Heart "Florentine" paper pack, white daisy card
Image: Word Art Wednesday
Stamp: Close To My Heart "Florentine Workshop" stamp set
Ink: CTMH Brown Bag, Twilight
Accents: Sizzix Tropical Paisley embossing folder; SU ticket corner punch; Close To My Heart Color Ready Seam Binding, Goldrush button, Juniper Waxy Flax

Clear Dollar Stamps New May Release

Today Clear Dollar Stamps released new digital stamp sets for May. I've had fun playing with two of them so far. The first one has both colored images or outlined images. It was designed by Lauri Wilson.

I live on a farm, but we rent out much of our pasture land. My only farming is my organic orchard. My husband works in the city, but spends a lot of time on the tractor mowing hay or conservation land in the summer. When he was young he used to compete in tractor pulls. This card was made with my hubby and his other tractor-loving friends in mind. It's so masculine that I'm entering it in the Lollipop Crafts Challenge #80 - Just For Him . With it's masculine twill ribbon, I'm also entering it in the masculine challenge at Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I colored my image with a variety of brown and gray Copic markers, sometimes blending the two. It also comes with a "John Deere Green" colored image along with papers that match and a variety of sentiments.

Images: Clear Dollar Stamps digital "Got Tractor"

Papers: The Paper Studio "Farm Fresh;" Close To My Heart "Bliss" paper pack, Colonial White, Black cs
Ink: CTMH Chocolate
Markers: Copics Light Suntan E13, Dark Suntan E15, Copper E18, Sand E33, Chamois E35, Neutral Grays N4, N6, N8
Accents: CTMH twill ribbon, antique copper brads; Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Ten, 3" circle punch

The second one I used is called Lost in Space.

My second card was made with my many grandsons in mind. They seem to love outer space movies, so the humorous "Lost in Space" characters may be their favorites. (They made their valentines using monster stamps.)

The first image didn't show the glitter on the stars, planets, space ship, or alien so I used a flashlight to highlight those details in the second photo. Cool trick!

Images: CDS digital "Lost in Space"

Papers: Close To My Heart "Fanfare" and "Hooligans" paper packs, White Daisy, Black cs
Markers: Copics Wax White G20, Mint Green BG13
Accents: CTMH Sweet Leaf Ribbon, Milepost Shapes (stars); Sakura Gelly Roll glitter gel pen

You can see all of the new stamps at the Clear Dollar Stamps store. There's an Extreme Inventory Makeover Sale going on with great prices. Check out the blog at Clearly iStamp for more artwork illustrating the rest of the new images being released today for May.

Thanks for stopping by. May God bless you!

Christ takes us as we are . . .

After church on Mother's Daymy family and some friends and I are going to celebrate by going to a beautiful arboretum and botanical garden. One of my friends feels sad sometimes because she was a horrible mother when her kids were young. She improved at least in the ten years I've known her. She became a Christian and turned away from so many problems. Now she's a wonderful grandmother, so I want her to know the message of this card - that Christ takes us as we are, buries our sins in the deepest sea, and molds us into His image.

I used a little symbolism in the materials of this card. I used black hemp, a natural product, for me representing the natural man. I wrapped it around the paper on the left and wove it through the outer holes of the frame. Then below the text I used red sparkles, representing rubies, and white satin ribbon, symbolizing purity. Inside I'm including a portion of Proverbs 31 so that she can see how far she's really come. "Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies. . . "

I used a verse from Clear Dollar Stamps, from the digital set "Become New." The sketch was CPS #264. The idea for the hemp was from the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #138, to use something real or natural. I used the middle panel for the large sentiment so that it would be the focal point, as suggested by Challenge #10 at Creative Card Crew.  Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge to use Lacing deserves credit for that idea that I incorporated.

I'll add more details after our Mother's Day Celebrations!

Belated Birthday Card

I realized the other day that I missed a friend's birthday. That made me realize two things - I need to update my birthday calendar and check it! Also, I need to keep a supply of belated birthday cards on hand. I got the idea for this card when I was looking through the digital stamps that were released in April at Clear Dollar Stamps.  I was initially drawn to their store because of the Bible verses and Christian stamps. I also like their fresh designs that look like they'd be great to send to children.

I chose to use two stamps from their set Bless My Bloomers.  I thought that Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #158 this week at The Sweetest Thing was great for this image. I also immediately matched it up with the color palette at ColourQ Challenge #136.

As soon as I colored my image, I thought it would great on Kraft Cardstock and it was definitely feminine, so I'm linking it up with The Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge to make a card For Her.

I colored the image with Copic markers but added shadows or traced lines in the flowers with Watercolor Pencils and CTMHmarkers. I used three different patterned papers and a darker green cardstock to mat two of them. Using three or more designer papers was the challenge this week at Shopping Our Stash Weekly. These papers were all from more than 2 years ago. ( I love using up "old" papers!) The dotted Sunset background paper was used to make a matching button. I just took a clear button and glued it to the paper with Liquid Glass. It only took a couple of minutes to dry sufficiently so I could punch out the two holes and tie with baker's twine that matched the Kraft cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by and may God bless you tomorrow on Mother's Day.

Challenges:
ColourQ Challenge #136
Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #51- Use three or more designer papers
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #158
The Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge - Cards for Her

5.5" x 4.25" Belated Birthday Card Recipe:
Images- Clear Dollar Stamps " Bless My Bloomers"
Papers - Close To My Heart "Emporium" (2009-light green floral), "Grace" (2009-sunflower design), "Hooligans" (2010-sunset dotted), New England Ivy, White Daisy cs &  textured cs, Kraft cardstock
Markers - Copics Orange YR68 with Blush R20; Pea Green YG63, Neutral Gray N0, Lemon Yellow Y13 with CTMH Sunflower highlights, CTMH Olive watercolor pencil for shading
Accents/Tools - CTMH button and Basic baker's twine; Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lacey Circles;" 3" circle punch,flower unknown

Ahoy Matey Birthday Card

I can't believe my oldest grandson is turning 10 this month. I made this card to celebrate the great kid he is. Just a couple of years ago he got an outdoor play set with swings, etc., that had a pirate's tower. He also wanted to watch pirate movies when he came to my house. He definitely got his youngest brother into dressing up like a pirate. This has definitely been a hobby of his, so this card is also for Here Come the Boys Challenge #26, Hobbies. I also wanted to scissor distress the edges, making them rough and more masculine. Craft Your Passion Challenge #109 is for torn or distressed edges.

I chose the colors for this card with the great masculine palette at The Play Date Cafe, Challenge #131: Seaweed, Algae, Goldfish, and a touch of Black.

The sketch came from My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club #71. The main image was made with a clear stamp that is also from My Favorite Things, Claire Keay's Ahoy Matey.

I added some additional sandpaper distressing on the lighter green piece that was embossed with the woodgrain pattern. The Kraft corrugated shapes are neutral and don't interfere with the intended color scheme. All three pieces were connected, but I punched them apart. Cut the one on the upper right in half and mounted the stamped sentiment under it. The ones on the bottom right came from inside that frame. I turned the inner circle upside down so I could stamp the number 10 then reinserted it and pop dotted both pieces over the arrow using two layers of pop dots on the bottom. It's hard to see in this photo but the black strip has the word "ha ha" over and over again. I tied 2 pieces of black hemp around it and tied two more pieces into knots on the right side and trimmed.

I enjoyed making this card using these challenges. That part was fun. But the number 10 makes me a little sad knowing he's just growing up too fast. I'm so glad he's a Christian and goes to a great Christian school, Sunday School, church, and Awanas. Being the oldest of four kids, he's very nurturing of the younger ones. At least I know he'll grow up to be a sweet pirate, but please, Lord, not too soon!

6.5" x 5" Masculine Birthday Card:
Paper - Basic Grey Sultry; Close To My Heart "Hooligans" (black),  "Olivia" (sunset dotted), White Daisy and old retired green cardstock
Stamps - My Favorite Things Claire Keay's "Ahoy Matey;" CTMH numbers "Friendship Alphabet" and sentiment retired
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - Copic markers; CTMH sanding block, black hemp, Milepost Shapes; Sizzix woodgrain embossing folder

Two of the pirate brothers. Dressing up as pirates or super heroes is definitely a big thing at their house!

Icy Christmas Ornaments

This week I had read through all of the Christmas challenges to see what I should make and as I created, I eventually realized I had combined five challenges for a change. The Jingle Belles challenged us to emboss so I planned on using both dry and heat embossing. This lovely photo at Winter Wonderland was my inspiration for heat embossing some ornaments in shades of purple and silver.

After I embossed three ornaments and cut them out, I looked for an appropriate sketch. The best sketch was actually the one from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week, although I flipped it vertically.

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge was to use stripes, so I selected a remnant of some My Mind's Eye paper from several years ago that went well with the purple and snow theme. The last challenge was ABC Christmas Challenge - I for Icy. Besides embossing three of the papers with different Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folders, I stamped icy drips with Versamark and embossed with silver powder, cut them out, attached portions in three places the way icicles form, and covered them with glitter gel. My thanks goes out to all of the lovely ladies who inspired my card with their challenge ideas and artwork!

Challenges:
Jingle Belles - Embossing around the Christmas tree
Winter Wonderland - photo inspiration (used pruple colors, ornaments, overlapping, and silver)
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch 5
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #71 - Stripes
ABC Christmas Challenge - I for Icy

6.5" x 5" Christmas Card Recipe:
Paper - My Mind's Eye; Close To My Heart Petal, Colonial White, Plum Mist, and Smoky Plum cardstocks
Stamps - Close To My Heart  Tannenbaum (sentiment), Holiday Trinkets, Adorn-able (ornaments), (wooden ornament stamp from LSS unknown)
Ink - Versamark,  Pansy Purple
Other - CTMH Pansy Purple and Silver embossing powders, Glitz glitter gel; Cuttlebug Snow Dots embossing folder and two others unknown, silver cord and ribbon from Michaels

Sweet Moments Mother's Day Card

When my son was a young adolescent, he gave me a gift of blue and white cameo earrings. I was allergic to the posts, but I've kept them for 20 years because he gave them to me. This Mother's Day card is for his wife in remembrance of those earrings and because she's a beautiful mom, like a cameo. Because I used all Close To My Heart products, I'm enterring it in the Heart 2 Heart Challenge for Mother's Day. I used the Deconstructed Sketch 50 for my design. I'm also linking it to The Blogger's Challenge for Celebrating Mom.

Because this card will go in the mail tomorrow, I avoided most dimenion except for pop dotting the cameo. The strips of Emporium paper are quite decorative in themselves. I added detail by embossing the dotted lines (Circle Around stamp set), as well as the cameo (Sweet Moments stamp set), using Crystal Blue embossing powder. The Buttercup diamond shape was square 7 on the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and it's Vineyard Berry frame was the same shape with the Decorative layer feature. The cameo was also cut with that cartridge (oval 4) before stamping. If you're not familiar with that cartridge, it coordinates with stamp sets that we sell in Close To My Heart. The stamps that go with Cricut shapes are marked with the measurement they need to be cut before stamping.

Feel Better Soon

Here's a bright, cheery get well card inspired by the following three challenges. Perfect Sentiments Challenge today wants us to make a get well card using words other than "get well." DYSU Challenge is "Circles," so I used the paper from Lime Rickey and made some circle embossed paper, too. The wonderful sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, #34, incorporates a circle so it was the perfect choice.

I inked a brayer with Cranberry Ink and rolled it over the side of the Cuttlebug folder that has writing. (I call it the top.) Then I embossed the Sunflower paper as usual, being careful not to shift the paper against the ink. The rest of the papers and the row of stickers come from the Basic Grey Lime Rickey collection. The flower is from CTMH. The stamp is from Verve. Thanks for looking!