Davy and Duke Birthday Card

Here's the second birthday card I made today with a friend of a grandson in mind. Little Davy from Mo's Magic Pencil reminds me of all five of my grandsons who sit on the floor with video games in their hands, dogs (or a cat for one) at their sides. Such an image should stir joy in any of our birthday boys! I used this week's ColourQ palette for this card, too, along with the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketch #289:

I used the debossed side of the purple panel after embossing. It seemed more masculine.  Thank you for visiting! May God bless you as you bless others with your crafting!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Bronte and Bella challenge #248 - anything goes with Mo image with option - animals

ColourQ #281 - above palette

Craft for the Craic - birthday

Crafts4Eternity #218 - emboss it

DL.Art Thankful Thursday #151 - for a boy or man

Scrap & Craft #3 - birthday

Seize the birthday - birthday with optional masculine theme

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #69 - anything with optional twist- embossing

Tuesday Morning Sketches #289

6.5" x 5" Birthday Card Recipe:

Paper - CTMH Heavenly Blue cardstock, Basic Grey"Hey Boy" chevron cs, unknown green and purple cardstocks

Digital Image - Davy and Duke from Mo's Magic Pencil

Our Daily Bread Designs stamp for sentiment "Little Boys"

CTMH black ink

Copic markers; CTMH Heavenly blue ink for star

Embellishments - unknown chipboard white star from stash, retired CTMH orange bigger brads,

Tools - printer, CTMH Diamond embossing folder

For the Birthday Boy!

Three of my five grandsons love to fish, so I used this first silhouette image from Our Daily Bread Designs to make a simple birthday card. I chose colors from this week's ColourQ:

Unfortunately, it's snowing again today so the lighting is poor and my aqua doesn't look true. I embossed that piece with a spellbinder's M-Bossibilities "Kick-in Rubber." I love the footprints for masculine cards!

Thank you for visiting! My next post is another masculine card with this color theme.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges;
A Gem of a Challenge #139 - Clean and Simple
ColourQ Challenge #281 - above
Craft for the Craic February challenge - birthday
Crafts 4 Eternity #215 - emboss it
DL.Art Thankful Thursday #151 - for a boy or man
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #228 - No coloring
Scrap & Craft challenge #3 - birthday
Seize the Birthday - birthday theme with masculine option
ShowCASe your style #9 - birthday
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #69 - anything, with optional twist - embossing

6.5" x 5" Card recipe:
Papers - CTMH Heavenly Blue, Spring Iris, Olive and White Daisy Cardstock; Basic Grey "Hey, Boy"orange chevron and light green (unknown scrap)
Image - Our Daily Bread Designs - "Little Boys"
Ink - CTMH Black
Embellishment - Button brad - from my ancient stash
Tools - 2.5" & 3" circle punches, Spellbinder's M-Bossibilities "Kickin' Rubber   

Asian Hummingbird Card

Every spring hummingbirds return to our yard here in northern Missouri. I can't wait!  Here is my interpretation of the most recent Oriental Sketch Challenge at Mark's Finest Papers. I kept it rather CAS and altered it to make a horizontal instead of a vertical cards. I have one of their clear acrylic stamps with this hummingbird and wanted it to "fit inside" one of the die cut scalloped circle halves. I chose a DCWV Asian paper with red flowers, which I heard that hummingbirds are attracted to. I planted many red flowers in my yard, but found that hummingbirds here will get nectar out of other flowers as well, especially if they're shaped with a deep center.

The middle strip of my card had a gold flower right near the tip of the hummingbird's beak. I intensified the color by going over it with gold rub-on. I colored the hummingbird with chalk and went over the green head and red throat with matching green and red metallic rub-on. In real life it actually has that shine you often see on hummingbirds - that is, if they remain still more than a split second.

Thank you for visiting. I'm writing this while the weather man on TV is predicting six more inches of snow coming. May God keep you warm with happy thoughts about friends, family, and spring! (Philippians 4:8 - ... whatever is lovely...think on these things!)

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Chalk N Stock February Challenge - always anything goes with chalk
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Clean and Simple
Cute as a Button #6 - die (scalloped circle) and birds/bees/spring theme
Oriental Sketch Challenge #66 - sketch
PaperMinutes #372 - birds
PDE Linky Party - animals
Scrapbooker PhD #20 - CAS and use a stamp
The Corrosive Challenge #218 - things with wings

Viva La Verve February Sketch 2

In my younger gardening days I would start planning what flowers, trees, and vegetables I would grow as early as January. I would begin growing flats of annual and perennial flowers under ultraviolet lights. Stores and garden centers would usually start selling seed packets in January.

Perhaps that will explain why I chose these Graphic45 papers with flowers and seed packets to go with this scripture stamp from Verve. Most of us make plans of some type. Sometimes life's details upset our best plans, but our loving God can direct our steps along the path that is best for us. When I had an accident that tore three tendons and injured my back, my consuming hobby changed from gardening to papercrafting. May God direct your steps along life's way!

 The background was embossed with a CTMH Scallops embossing folder. Here's the sketch I used from the Viva la Verve challenge:

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Craft-Dee BowZ February Challenge - anything goes with a handmade bow
Crafting from the Heart #48 - anything goes
Craft It Up Link It Up (Craftin' Desert Diva's) - use ribbon
Crafty Boots Challenge - use a sentiment
Get Creative Challenge #9 - embossing
Loves Rubber Stamps #140 - use ribbon and/or lace
Love to Scrap #48 - anything goes
Monday Morning Challenge #4 - Spring
Vintage Stamping Challenge #29 - Spring colors
Viva la Verve February Sketch 2

Viva la Verve February Sketch 1

I'm still playing with spring-inspired papers to make these Viva La Verve encouragement cards. This one uses the sketch from week 1 for February.

On this card I used circle punch, Cricut Art Philosophy  for additional circle, and the Spellbinder's Nestabilities die, Lacey Circles. The butterfly was hand cut and has three black gems on the body and head. The first one above had soft spring colors, so I used more of my scraps and made one with slightly bolder accent colors.  The scalloped circle die cut was from Cricut Art Philosophy.

I used this fun sketch:

The Verve butterfly goes well with the butterflies on the Graphic45 paper.

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:
Crafting for All Seasons #96 - dies and/or punches (I used both.)
Crafts 4 Eternity R#214 - circles
Die Cut Divas February Challenge - words, quotes, sentiments (my die cut from Cricut Art Philosophy)
Mod Squad Challenge - Spring
Monday Morning Challenge #4 - Spring
The Corrosive Challenge #218 - things with wings
Viva la Verve February Sketch 1

Mojo Monday 386 Encouragement Card

Here in northern Missouri we've had two incredible warmer days, but we're getting rain and snow right now with the prediction of below zero temps again tonight. But in this brief respite I noticed trees and flowering bushes with swelling buds, the promise that spring really will come soon. So I've been using spring papers, feasting my eyes on their refreshing colors after all the monotonous grays and browns of winter. So I have several posts with these amazing Graphic45 papers, Verve sentiment, and a little Close To My Heart paper and embellishments.

Here's my Mojo Monday Tall and Skinny card for this week with this Verve sentiment:

"Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

 

I used a CTMH woodgrain embossing folder to represent the wood in the trees and shrubs in my yard swelling to bloom, hopefully soon! For you who have been overwhelmed with snow lately, like the verse says, "take heart all you who hope in the Lord," spring will soon be here!

 I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Come and Get It - lots of layers

Crafter's Cafe Challenge #105 - Lots of Layers

Get Creative Challenge #9 - embossing

Inspiration Destination #22 - anything goes

Mojo Monday #386 sketch

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #216 - lots of layers

Tuesday Throwdown #233 - anything goes

Vintage Stamping Challenge #29 - Spring colors

Word Art Wednesday #172 - anything uplifting

Violet Birthday Blessing

Tomorrow is my oldest daughter's birthday celebration. It will be the warmest day this week, above freezing! We're taking her out to her favorite place for lunch near her work, Sweet Tomatoes. Her birthday is actually Thursday when we're expecting another snow storm, too far for driving 100 miles in the snow to see her.

I know she won't see this card on my blog because with end-of-the-month accounting duties at her job, four children, basketball practice in the evenings, she has very little personal time. I chose these shades of lilac and purple for her card since her February birthstone is the amethyst.

I used CTMH cardstock and diamond embossing folder, Graphic 45 paper, and a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs. I die cut a Spellbinder's label, but cut off the top portion.

Winter will soon be over! I'm so tired of seeing white, gray, and shades of brown outside. I can't wait for spring when we have wild violets growing in our yard!

Thank you for visiting. May God bless you and your family.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create #112 - anything goes with optional twist - birthday
addicted to stamps #98- embossing dry or heat
Allsorts Challenge #299 - the color purple
Crafty Catz #267 - for a special lady
One Stitch at a Time #231 - anything goes with birthdays
Really Reasonable Ribbon #112 - purple and green with ribbon
Scrap & Craft Challenge #3 - Birthday

Mojo Monday 385 Asian Peace Card

With Chinese New Year celebrations lasting two weeks, I'm making more Asian cards for the families from China whose children attend school with my grandchildren. I loved this Graphic 45 image of the young lady and her dog. I thought it looked so peaceful, so I chose the theme of "Peace."

The background paper is very old CTMH called "Asian Chic." The diagonal piece and the mats from DCWV and the  pink print and image are from Graphic 45 "Bird Song." The stamp is from a retired CTMH stamp, "Wisdom." I stamped it with Versamark and embossed it with CTMH gold embossing powder and dry embossed the lower portion of that pink panel using a Spellbinder's M-Bossibilities "Asian" embossing folder. The inside is stamped with this verse stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 7:

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 25:3"

I used this week's lovely sketch from Mojo Monday. Check out my second card below and how I used this sketch.

I'm sharing this first card with the following challenges:

Blogger's Challenge - Metal - gold metallic embossing powder

Love to Scrap #48 - anything goes

Fantasy Stampers Challenge #30 - pretty in pink

Fussy and Fancy #133 - Tic Tac Toe (bottom row - sentiment, wet emboss, sparkle in center of flower)

Mojo Monday #385 - sketch

Simply Create Too #79 - anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #94 anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #171 - anything uplifting

When I finished the first card, I decided to flip the sketch and modify it a little, using additional Bird Song images and papers. Here's the result:

I used another set of stamps from my retired CTMH "Wisdom" stamp set. This one I embossed with black embossing powder and used a larger card size. The papers came from the same sets as those above.

Thank you for visiting. May God bless you this year with His peace and loving friendships!



Much Happiness for Chinese New Year!

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year 2015. Here's my card wishing friends around the world much happiness this year!  My son and his wife both love all things Chinese. His best friend of 25 years - since grade school - is from Korea. It was amazing that he married someone who also loved anything Asian. Since Chinese New Year celebration can last 15 days, I hope to share some more Chinese New Year's creations here in the next two weeks.

 I used this week's Oriental Sketch challenge #65 from Mark's Finest Papers Speedy TV. You do have to sign up to see their challenges, but it's painless and  it's fun to see the design team's creations!

The patterned papers are from DCWV "Far East-Mat Stack"(background) and Graphic45 "Birdsong" (right panel). The gold embossing powder is my new favorite for it's fine detail and brilliance from Close To My Heart. The stamps are old: Technique Tuesday's "Far East collection" (dragon) and CTMH "Kanji Phrases."


Thank you for visiting! May God bless you with much happiness this year!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
ABC Challenge - D for Die cuts
Cardz 4 Guyz #58 - Oriental
Clear It Out - theme-holiday (Chinese new year) stash-gold (embossing)
Crafting for All Seasons #96 - dies and/or punches (I used both)
Cuttin' and Stampin' #8 - anything goes (die cut scalloped circle)
Oriental Sketch Challenge #65
The Paper Shelter #191 - Animal Magic (Chinese dragon)

Hearts of Cork

I always wish I could make more cards and do it faster so I could use up all my hoarded papers, stamps, and scraps. I still have out lots of heart papers and pink embellishments, but I settled on a pink and brown theme with these scraps. All of the papers used were from my scrap drawers.

I used the inspiration image above from The House that Stamps Built Repeat Impressions "What If Wednesday Challenge" and used the colors pink and brown, the heart shape and some cork, which comes from trees. 

I wanted to use Kraft cardstock on this first card to go with the cork heart. I chose a scripture stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs. I only wanted the first two lines for the front, so I taped the bottom portion of the stamp, inked it with Versamark, removed the tape and stamped - such a simple way to mask!

 I decided to make a second card while these scraps were out. I took a close-up of the wonderful texture of the cork heart.

Thank you for visiting. May God bless you as you craft your love for those you love!

I'm sharing this first card with the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps #98 - embossing (I used heat and dry)

Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards #84 - Love Is In the Air

Craft Hoarders Anonymous February challenge - How I Love Thee-(& my hoarded cork hearts)

Deep Ocean #97 - Love is all around

House of Cards - Love

Simon Says Stamp - add texture

Stamp and Create February challenge - all you need is love

The House that Stamps Built WIW Challenge F1815 - photo inspiration above

Whimsy Inspiration #80 - use a sentiment

Word Art Wednesday #171 - anything uplifting

Mojo Monday 384 Card

I'm playing with scraps this week. I'm always amazed how many cards I can make with the papers in my scrap drawers. I have two systems for dealing with scraps. I generally put odd scraps in a small 14" x 14" box. Periodically I sort those scraps into drawers designated for each color. Scraps of current Close To My Heart papers go back in their labeled bag so that matching ones stay together. The bags go into labeled 14" x 14" boxes by year so that I can find them again. But I especially enjoy learning to mix papers from other collections, so some of them go into my scrap drawers.

Here's a card I made for this week's Mojo Monday #384 Sketch. This one uses scraps from retired CTMH Lollydoodle from last spring and a favorite sentiment stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs called "Thank God." I love the focus of this sentiment stamp because most of our days are filled with moments that vary from happy to difficult to quiet to painful. It emphasizes our response to the differing emotions that accompany a day. We're to praise, seek, worship, trust, and thank God. I like using this stamp so that it reminds me of its truths.

I'll be posting several cards that I'm making mixing scraps from different collections and companies. (So much paper, so little time!) Please check back to see more if that interests you.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless the moments of your day!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting When We Can #87 - favorite quote or saying



Crafty Gals Corner #6 - anything goes
Mojo Monday #384 - sketch
Red Rubber Inspirationals #207 - So Sentimental - use sentiment stamp
Word Art Wednesday #170 - anything uplifting

Patient in Affliction . . .

Have you ever made a card because the message was just perfect for you, yourself? I started having one muscle spasm while I was scrapbooking with friends. By the time I left the church six hours later, the spasms were all the way up my back to my neck. By this morning they were all over my body, which meant it was time to take muscle relaxers. So I began selecting appropriate scripture sentiments that would encourage someone with such ailments. I like the idea of being "joyful in hope" because I hope tomorrow is a better day without the grogginess of muscle relaxers!


Here's the verse I chose from Our Daily Bread Designs stamp set "HOPE" :


"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

I used the color challenge from ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #225:

I used the sketch from Mojo Monday Challenge #383 Contest:

I'm also sharing this card of encouragement with Word Art Wednesday #169.

Thank you for visiting! May God fill your heart with hope and patience whenever you experience times of affliction. May you find a closer relationship with Him through prayer when difficulty arises!



Love Ya Silly Valentine

I've been wondering what color combo would be best for the valentines I'm making for five grandsons. I recently got some monster stamps with great sentiments that I planned to use for the boys. Pink and red didn't seem right, at least not alone. When I saw the combo at ColorQ this week, I knew that adding that pumpkin pie orange to the pinks and reds would be more masculine. I had some pieces of reversible Black and Sunset with the tiny words "ha ha ha" all over.  Here's their color swatch:



I used this sketch from Deconstructed Sketch 187:

Here's my card. I cut the hearts on the Cricut.

I had fun stamping the little monster. I used Sunset ink then rolled the top edges in my oldest ink, Holiday Red, the style used by CTMH before they made acrylic stamps. After I cut him out, I used a 0.3 pigment pen to outline his heart and a few features. All of the materials are from CTMH except the red glitter paper, which is unknown. All of the papers are old, mostly VERY old (the boys don't mind!). I've cut multiple hearts and paper strips so I can make the other four "boy" cards when I scrapbook with friends this weekend. The other images and sentiments can be seen at the end of this post. Along with their sentiments, they're a hoot!

Thank you for visiting.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

colorQ #278 - above

Crafting for all Seasons #95 - Have a heart

Creative Moments #61 - anything goes with option Love

Cuttin and Stampin #7 - Masculine

Deconstructed Sketch #187

Dream Valley #99 - Valentine's Day

Just Inspirational February Challenge - Love

Shopping Our Stash #187 - use your oldest ink (Holiday Red, oldest style)

The Male Room #3 - Valentine (for a boy)

Tuesday Throwdown #230 - monster mash

Love Ya Silly stamp set



"May God be with you" Card with A Happy Hello SOTM

I grew up in a church where we sang so many different old hymns. Those timeless songs left an indelible mark on my life. They play inside my head at different times throughout the day.  I wonder if everyone else learned countless truths from the repetition and repertoire. One we often sang at the end of a service was "God Be With You." Of course God is with us, but it's so important to focus on that fact - that although He's unseen, He's still there. Being aware of His presence helps me through many difficult times. I especially liked the part that says "'neath His wings securely hide you," whether it's from danger or the stresses of life. But as an adult I've also come to realize there are so many dear friends that I've lost through the years or will never cross paths with again. This sentiment in the chorus ends with ..."till we meet again." I'm looking forward to seeing them in heaven some day.

That's why I chose this sentiment as a favorite saying to go with the challenge at Crafting When We Can.

This card uses the CTMH Hopscotch paper and the February Stamp of the Month for the flower. I'm posting some of the other cards made with that paper and stamp set below.

 Thank you for visiting and May God be with you and bless you!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting When We Can #87 - favorite quote/saying



Everybody-Art-Challenge #310 - sentiment as the focus
Loves Rubber Stamps #137 - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #169 - anything uplifting

*******************************************************************************
More Cards using the February Stamp of the Month (A Happy Hello):

The last two are my CASED versions of the cards shown in the idea book for this stamp set. I cut the blue scalloped circle using Cricut Artfully Sent and the butterflies using Cricut Art Philosophy.

I cut this last one at 6.5" instead of 5.5," which better fit the added stamped circle flowers. It was cut using Cricut Artfully Sent. Links to the supplies are give below.

Hopscotch Paper Pack

A Happy Hello (available only through February)







5" x 7" Vine Embossing Folder

Green and Blue Epoxy Bubbles

Aqua Dots

 Cricut Artfully Sent

Glory Art - Trust

GLORY and TRUST DETAILS:
Patter at Triple the Scraps started a new year-long challenge titled Glory Art. She shares a thorough Bible study of one quality twice a month, like "TRUST," along with her lovely artistic creations. I won't reproduce her study because you can find it here.  She also has a link to her Glory Art facebook page where so many artists are sharing a wide variety of projects to glorify God in their art.  I'll post my cover at the top of my posts.

I thought trust was a great concept to begin with. It includes the earliest beginnings of our relationship with God and the daily process we go through as we follow His Word and His leading.

I searched through the lovely Word Art Wednesday scriptures about TRUST for some to share. I chose Psalm 91:1-2 for my first page:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the MOST HIGH will abide in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, MY GOD in whom I trust!"

I shared two more Word Art Wednesday verses on the tag that came on the album.

When I was contemplating what to make, God kept bringing the hymn "Trusting Jesus" to my mind. He always seems to "play hymns inside my head" when I first wake up in the morning.  I've learned to listen and ask what is it will I need for this day from these precious verses? I'm thankful for His gentle reminders. I know He will lead me in the right direction for the day and only hope and pray I won't ignore His leading! The other two hymns I added to the little book are "Only Trust Him" and "Trust and Obey."

I also handwrote three more scriptures on trust wherever there was extra room. I wanted them to remind me I can take His hand in times of trouble and He'll lead me through. Also, I want to trust Him to help me be a blessing to someone that needs it each day.

Psalm 37:3a: " Trust in the Lord and do good..."
Psalm 62:8:  "Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before Him."
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."



ART DETAILS:
I decided to join this challenge using a mini-album that I had begun in a K&Co class a few years ago. This album had over 60 pages and we covered about 14 of them with their subtle background paper and a handful of embellishments in class. I'm adding a lot of stamping on the background and my own scrapbooking embellishments. I used four CTMH background stamps with different inks to build the background. I did a lot of sponging on anything white.

The background of the cover is "old."  It originally had background paper, white canvas and a white chipboard palette that we added in the class a few years ago. This week I stamped the palette with paint blots and embossed the title in shiny black. I cut the word "glory" using Cricut Inspired Hearts out of gold cardstock. I added more glitz with new supplies to signify glory using gold sequins,  sparkles, gold dotted washii tape, and black glitter tape.

In the class we painted a metal  pocket to hold a booklet. I wrote the words of the three hymns  I mentioned that God brought to my mind on the pages of the little book. I also handwrote three more scriptures on trust wherever there was extra room.

The album stands upright for display.  Here's the side view and both sides of the tag that came with it. I added a Word Art Wednesday scripture to each side with mat mod podge.

I'm sharing this with the following challenges:
Come and Get It - Texture (My cover has canvas, cork, shimmer tape, chipboard, ribbon, sequins and sparkles)
Country View February Challenge - Drips/drops - on my palette on the cover
Crafty Creations - Something old/something new (journal cover details above)
D.L.Art February Linky Challenge - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - anything goes
Stamping Sensations - anything goes with stamping
Triple the Scraps Glory Art #1 - Trust
Word Art Wednesday #168 - anything uplifting


Stamps used:
Marquee Alphabet

Geometric Backgrounds

Instant Memories
Baroque Borders
Dreamer