Masculine Birthday Cards with ODBD Anchor

This week I began caring for three grandsons for their summer vacation. We took amazing "field trips" this week that will result in some great photos and layouts. What I've learned so far is how tiring it is for grandmas, so creativity hit a low this week. I did find one day to stamp and try different techniques with my artistic eight-year-old grandson. He learned the basics and stamped away.  I enjoyed seeing his delight with his new skills.
Spending time with these young grandsons makes this a good time for making masculine cards. Here's a set I made using some older retired CTMH blue, red, and gold papers with Our Daily Bread Design's "Anchor" stamp set and a birthday sentiment heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I was trying to vary the design so I could use up the scraps of the paper.





Here's a closer look at each one. The image was heat embossed with white embossing powder on CTMH Moonstruck cardstock which had a white core and was great to tear. The blue check was also retired Moonstruck patterned paper. I used heavy baking twine from Bed Bath and Beyond to represent the rope. I also used a variety of older CTMH brads, photo turns, and metallic durables to complete the masculine look.





Inside, each one is slightly different:

I left the ODBD sentiment I wanted to use from this set at my daughter's so I printed Hebrews 6:19 from Karen Murray at Paper Craft Memories that you can find here. I also put this week's verse from Word Art Wednesday which talks about God creating and preserving the sea and all of creation. If He could speak all of creation into existence, I know He is capapble of safely seeing me through all of the storms of life.

Each one also has a simple birthday verse I made as the sentiment and Nehemiah 8:10a, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."

Thank you for visiting.  May you find the anchor for your own soul through the storms of life in Christ Jesus, just as I have.

^"This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven,  Hebrews 6:19, Living Bible"

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:

Brown Sugar #96 - Birthday
Cardz 4 Guyz - Recipe: 1, 2, 3 ( last card: 1 image, 2 patterned papers, 3 knots/3 metal square durables)

Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards #66 - embossing
Going Grey with Scrap Relations - Celebrations
Inky Chicks #30 - use a metal embellishment

Jo's Scrap Shack #52 - Happy Birthday (It really is their birthday!)
Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #93 - Birthdays
Ruby's Rainbow #80 - One for the Boys

Simply Create Too #62 -(Father's day) or For a Male
Word Art Wednesday #134 - anything with uplifting sentiment (I used their scripture inside one)



Paris Layout with Doodle Pantry Salutations Francaises



Parlez vous francais?? A few years ago my oldest daughter was asked to speak at an international conference in Paris. She and her husband were treated to an all-expenses-paid trip. Friends there took her on a whirlwind tour of the sights. I made her an entire scrapbook of the lovely photos they took. I had started one layout for myself, adhering the photos to pink dotted and notebook paper, and put it aside without finishing it. I found the unfinished layout this week and knew why I'd postponed finishing it. I now had the perfect title, words, and paper to finish it. Laurie Wilson at Doodle Pantry had created a great set of phrases and fleur de lis papers in the May set called "Salutations Francaises." I printed them on the blue designer paper from CTMH, "Balloon Ride." This Doodle Pantry set includes a wide variety of French phrases perfect for nearly any card and any occasion. I found several that worked with my layout as well.


For those of you who don't know French, "je t'aime" means "I love you" and the other phrases have to do with having a good vacation or a beautiful day, all perfect for their trip.

Here's a close-up of some of the Doodle Pantry paper design and sentiments. I love the fonts Laurie chose for these!



I made my own simple chipboard embellishments this way: I inked chipboard scalloped circles with bamboo ink, stamped a black design on desert sand cardstock, punched it out with a circle punch, attached that to the chipboard , and placed a black pearl in the center. I folded the double sided paper, cut a V-shape on the front and used the sewing machine to stitch it into a pocket for the journaling card that has the Doodle Pantry fleur de lis paper on top. I used the CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge to cut out the Eiffel Tower and the fleur de lis charm tied to the ribbon on the pocket.




I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:


4 Crafty Girls #18 - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #96 - Anything Goes
All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card
Alphabet Challenge - H for Handmade Embellishment (chipboard scalloped circles)
MilkCoffee Challenge - Anything but a card
Pattie's Creations #92 - No, No, No Cards (I used several CTMH image stamps for the flourishes and circular elements)
Penny's Paper -Crafty Challeng #178 - Spots (and/or stripes) My pink paper and black ribbons
Scrapping4Fun Challenge #17 - Techinique challenge (used inking chipboard, sponging edges, scissor distressing, stitching)
Simon Says Stamp - vacation/travel

Summer Song Birdies Birthday Card

I always adore Laurie Wilson's fun "Birdie" images. Here is a card made with her most recent addition at Doodle Pantry.

I just thought these adorable birds were celebrating the summer the way my grandkids would like to celebrate. This week we had two kindergarten graduations and the last day of school for the other six grandchildren. One has his birthday next week, so I decided to make this one a birthday card. I digressed from the sets adorable sentiments this time. Here is the jpg of the silly sentiment I designed for this card. Yes, it's misspelled, but is meant to be punny:

Here are the fun sentiments that Laurie included with this image set. You can see more card ideas and get the set for yourself here at Doodle Pantry.



I used three papers from My Mind's Eye Lost and Found2 "Breeze" collection matted with CTMH Lagoon and chocolate cardstock. The pewter and hemp are also CTMH. The two feathers are from The Paper Studio Spare Parts. The colored image was die cut after printing using a Spellbinders Nestabilities die, then embossed and sponged with CTMH Crystal Blue ink.

To all my teacher friends who are ending school this week, may God give you much needed rest and renewal and direct your time toward many blessings.

Sweet Summer Wishes!!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Always Something Creative #75 - Birthday

Animal Friends Challenge #14 - Birthday

Aud Sentiments #107 - Bingo (die cut, embossing, 2 word sentiment)

Crafting for All Seasons #77 - Things with Wings

Deep Ocean Challenge #78 - Wings

Die Cut Divas May Challenge - die cut and at least one embellishment (feather, ribbon slide, hemp)

Little Red Wagon #238 - Use a Feather

Shopping Our Stash #152 - Birthday (stash=pewter ribbon slide, hemp, paper, feathers)

The Crafting Café May Challenge - Creatures



Shabby Chic G45 Journal

I love to make altered composition books as gifts, gratitude or prayer journals. Here's one  I made with the vintage Graphic45 papers from the "Couture" collection. This paper would seem too busy for some projects, but I think it's perfect for a journal. I used to add flowers and such. Now I try to make them as flat as I can so that it's not difficult for the recipient to write on the left page.

I like to put pockets inside the covers. I kept the insides fairly simple. Here's a quote I stamped inside the front:

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them FEEL."

Inside the back cover I made a double pocket by adhering a black envelope just around the sides and bottom so things can be filed behind the envelope as well as inside. So that the envelope flap won't accidentally get "stuck," I adhered a piece of red cardstock inside the envelope to cover the adhesive. Here's the back quote that I stamped:

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson"





The back is covered with the black patterned paper that's on the left of the front cover. (Sorry I didn't take a photo!)

I'm sharing this book with the following challenges:

All Crafts Challenge April/May - anything but a card
Card and Scrap #76 - shabby chic
Crafting at the Weekend #1 - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Feeling Crafty #28 - one for the girls/ladies
Pile It On #20 - shabby chic
Simply Create Too #61 - anything but a card
SunflowerField May challenge - Vintage, shabby chic, rustic
That Craft Place - alter a can or alter it





Light in the Darkness

Life has seasons where problems, trials, or challenges seem to pile on top of each other. They surround us with darkness and maybe even despair. Sometimes we can't seem to find our way out. Job loss, health problems, financial worries, death of a loved one all take a toll on our happiness and well-being. What a blessing it is to be reminded that the Lord will be our light and lead us through those dark times! What a special promise we have in scripture to know that if we fall we will arise! If I do something I regret or fail to do the best that I should, I have the assurance that I can get back up and get on track again. What precious promises that shows how much God loves us! Those are the blessed messages given in this verse from Word Art Wednesday, which was beautifully designed in color. You can find it here in color and in black. 


"When I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me. " Micah 7:8

I used this sketch from Stamplorations:



I loved the flow of the Basic Grey paper. It seemed to represent falling and getting back up. I used black cardstock and black glitter paper to represent the darkness and silver glitter paper to represent the light. They were anchored with enamel aqua dots. 

May the message of this verse bless and sustain you in trials and troubles!

I'm sharing this verse with the following challenges:

2 Cute Ink - Challenge #106 - glitter

Digi Chooseday Challenge #11 - embellish it

Digi Makeover Challenge #140 - sparkle

Stamplorations Sketch Challenge #11 - above sketch

Word Art Wednesday #131 - anything goes with uplifting message

The Miracle of Motherhood

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers and to my friends who have taught or cared for others like a mother would. I remember how excited I was to find out that I was going to be a mother many years ago. It was something I'd dreamed about for eight years of marriage with no children. I was the oldest of six children, much older than most of them, so mothering the younger ones seemed so natural. That was a big part of the reason I became a teacher. It was embarrassing and tiresome to frequently answer the well-meant comments and questions of older friends like, "When are you going to start a family?"


I had started my career teaching older children, mostly nine- to twelve-year-olds. When I switched from public school to teaching in a Christian school, I was assigned to teach first graders. I totally fell in love with these little people. By the end of the year I remember telling God that if He wanted these little ones to be "my children," I was perfectly happy to have them instead of my own. I turned my desire to have a baby over to Him. That was the time that I finally, surprisingly got pregnant. My oldest daughter became my miracle! She was given to me in God's timing, not mine. It's amazing how many ladies I have met with similar stories!


I decided to make several congratulations cards for new mothers in a combination of colors using the Doodle Pantry image from the set called "Miracle from Above."

As you can see, I flipped the mother horizontally in order to have her face into the design instead of away from it. That's part of the beauty of digital designs! I used the patterned paper from the digi set and embossed cardstock with dots to match. I liked having the brown pearls and the protruding corner of the square of the paper in front of the mother, rather imitating her rounded form.



I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this past week.



May God bless you as you mother your children, young or old,  and share your love with those around you!


I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:


2 Sisters Challenge #176 - baby or expectant mother
Charisma Cardz #10 - Mother's Day
Crafter's Café #62 - mom or special lady
Digitally Sweet #87 - Mothers
Mojo Monday #344 - sketch
Sweet Stamps #168 - for mom
Tuesday Throwdown #194 - for Special Lady

Mother's Day Bookmarks with G45 Ladies' Diary

I was looking at a bookmark I had in a devotional book I read before bed at night. It made me think of making bookmarks for Mother's Day that we celebrate this Sunday. I decided to make some that are feminine and some that are nature related. Here's my first set. I wanted them to have a special scripture verse on the back, so I chose Philippians 4:8, which I've often quoted to my kids, myself, and friends when negative thoughts trouble the mind. Here's the version I stamped using an Our Daily Bread Designs stamp:


"Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." Philippians 4:8


This is the back of each bookmark:



I cut out the tag shape using Cricut Artiste and very heavy cardstock. For the stampers visiting my blog, I used 2nd generation Bamboo ink to random stamp a design onto the backs of the bookmarks. I used a CTMH stamp from the set "In the Moment." It added a definite vintage feel.  Then I stamped the verse with black ink and inked the edges with Saddle Ink.


I cut out the same tag shape using the heavy graphic45 paper. I glued the top to the stamped cardstock. Because I was using the Cricut Explore Design Space, I was able to set the width at 3". I love the way you can control the dimensions in Design Space. I cut the three tags from one sheet of paper and mixed which side showed according to which set of images I cut out. I inked the edges to maintain the vintage look.

I used approximately the same design on all three with minor variations. Here's a close-up of each one:

I added some bronze glitter gel to the center of the flower and a gold trimmed organdy ribbon on this one.

Thank you for looking. May God bless you as you focus your thoughts on things that are noble, pure, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy!

I'm sharing these bookmarks with the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations #90 - all for mom, anything goes

Crafter's Café #62 - for special mom or lady

Crafty Creations #262 - anything but a card

Creating in Faith, Hope, and Love - anything goes with Scripture

Creative Moments #42 - anything goes and bingo - flower, punch and die cut, ribbons

D.L.Art Thankful Thursday #132 - anything feminine

It's All About the Vintage - anything goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #176 - two or more patterned papers (I used one for background and three others for ladies and stamps, plus borders)

Tuesday Throwdown #194 - Special Lady

Word Art Wednesday #131 - anything goes with uplifting message







Two Doodle Pantry Cards - May Release

I always enjoy playing with the new images from Doodle Pantry. This first card is a special one for a friend who is going to the CTMH convention in California this year. For many years I went to all of the fun conventions each summer. Food allergies and a muscle condition have become a big issue for me. I had to take all of my own food the last times I went. That's not easy when you fly and California is a long drive! So I'm sending this card to my friend so she'll know that I'll miss being with her in California.

"California" - from the 50 states series

The inside message is from the Doodle Pantry set of digis called "With Heart."



This time I used the CTMH Sarita paper pack for this card because I knew she'd love the way they coordinated. I used the colored version of this image because Laurie Wilson's coloring of these golden poppies is so amazing. They'd be perfect for Mother's Day or birthday cards, too.



I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:


Come and Get It - Spring flowers
Crafty Sentiments Design - Anything Goes
Created With Love Challenge #80 - In the Garden
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations - Anything Goes
Stamp and Create - Spring Flowers
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes




My second card uses a set of "Classic Cars 1" images, which are perfect for my hubby who likes to build antique cars. So naturally this card is for him! He has an old pickup waiting for new life. Maybe this image will inspire him! I used a Spellbinder's M-Bossabilities embossing folder called "Kickin' Rubber" to emboss the gray and blue cardstocks. I robbed a Slate inkpad directly on the embossing to bring out the details. The metal and corrugated embellishments are from a CTMH Proplayer assortment.







I'm sharing this second card with the following challenges:
Crafting By Designs - Anything
Dragonfly Dreams #4 - Make it for the Boys
Inky Chicks #28 - from the heart
Lexi's Creations #115 - for the man/boy in your life
Repeat Impressions DCC#423 - for the guys


Another great set for masculine or outdoors is the free special with any purchase May 1 -24:

Buffalo and Caribou

The other freebie for May is

Classic Cars 2

Enter DPDC46 per the guidelines using a
Doodle Pantry illustration and get this free!