Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Going Green for Get Well Card

I've been absent more than a week thanks to a construction crew being at our house repairing our basement. I spent time moving most of my bulbs, but the perennials are now buried in many inches of clay. Amid all of the disruptions, I also made decorations and enlarged her two scrapbooks for my mother-in-law's 90th birthday party Sunday. Her birthday was March 16th and my grandmother's birthday was March 17th, today, if she was still living. She was born 101 years ago today. 

I made this card with my grandmother in mind. Although she had gotten tired of getting everything green on her birthday, it was complementary to her sometimes auburn hair. She was amazingly creative and had to constantly be making things, especially our clothes and quilts. She loved to cook, can foods from the garden, and play the piano. She was an avid reader. She was very down-to-earth and loved doing things for neighbors and family. I could say much more, but the last factor helped inspire the subject of this card - her health was very poor and she died much too early in her sixties.


I used the Cricut Pagoda cartridge to cut the bamboo and sentiment. The colors are Sweet Leaf and New England Ivy with black mats. The ribbon is my really old hoarded CTMH Ponderosa Pine organdy. The white background was embossed with a 5" x 7" Cuttlebug folder of bamboo.

Thank you for visiting. May God bless you and yours with good health!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Craft Hoarders Anonymous March Challenge - Go Green (hoarded item ribbon and never used embossing folder.
Eclectic Ellapu Purple Team Challenge - Go green
Eureka Stamps Challenge #132 - the color green
Get Creative Challenge #10 - use green
Top 3 Badge
The Pink Elephant Challenge 290 - use green
The Ribbon Girl - going green

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Pastel Easter Card

All day my mind has been singing a scripture song of Galatians 2:20 - "I've been crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. . ." So I took out a stamp set from Our Daily Bread Designs, "He Is Risen." Here's the Easter card that uses one of the verses in that set. The one related to the song I'm singing is stamped inside.


I used papers from Graphic45 to match the color challenge this week at Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge


I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create #114 - anything goes with optional aquamarine color
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #229 - colors above
Robyn's Fetish #254 - pearls or gems
Sister Act Challenge #96 - anything goes

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Warm Wishes for Travel Card

One February we left the snowy airport of Kansas City at 10 degrees F. and landed in 70 degree Florida with trees and flowers in full bloom. It wasn't a trip for pleasure, but we took pleasure in every warm and colorful moment. I made these cards thinking of others who are tired of snow upon snow. I hope the warm colors and tropical birds are a feast for their eyes.

 The mat on the first card was cut with a Spellbinder's die. The papers are from Graphic45 "Tropical Travelogue" and the travel postmark and "tropical" stamps are very old retired ones from Close To My Heart, "Post Card-Travel Series." The warm wishes sentiment from "Happy Hexagons" is a current hostess reward. I thought large wooden buttons and hemp were perfectly natural for the rainforest theme.


I cut the gold flower with Cricut Art Philosophy.

Thank you for visiting. May God bless you with warm thoughts to share with others who have lost theirs! And if you're one of the lucky ones going somewhere tropical, Warm Wishes!

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

Blogger's Challenge - Travel
CCEE Stampers #1510 - wild animals (mine are tropical birds)
FHL - Throwback Thursday - used a stamp set retired for many years!
Frilly and Funky - It's time for a vacation
Little Red Wagon #279 - Birds of a feather
Opus Gluei #203 - Need a little vacation?

Brushed Mojo Monday 387





Here's a quick post of a birthday card I just made using the Brushed paper pack, Cricut-cut frame with the CTMH Stamp of the Month for March and the great sketch from Mojo Monday. I colored the frame with ShinHan alcohol ink markers.  I also used an alcohol ink marker to color the clear glitter gems in the flower centers yellow.


I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge#126 - Bingo bottom row-two patterned papers (background and flowers), glitter gems for bling, and embossing,
Come and Get It - Emboss it
Inky Impressions #199 - dots (or stripes)
Make My Monday -  Girly Birthday
The Crazy Challenge #192 - Happy Birthday


Recipe for 6,5" x 5" Birthday card:
Paper - CTMH Brushed paper pack
Embellishments - all CTMH pink thicker twine, glitter gems
Tools - CTMH dots embossing folder, Cricut Artiste (scalloped oval), Martha Stewart border punch, ShinHan markers
Stamps sets used:




Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Light in the Soul Asian Card

I love the simplicity of Asian cards. I've also always enjoyed the wisdom of Chinese proverbs. Today I combined the sketch from Mark's Finest Papers Speedy TV Oriental Card Challenge #67 with a CTMH stamp I have about light in the soul which is the beginning of this Chinese proverb:


If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.

If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world. 


 
The paper lanterns paper is from the Graphic45 "Bird Song" collection. The gold glitter paper and retired stamp are from Close To My Heart.

Thank you for visiting! May your light shine for all to see and your world be blessed with peace!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting By Designs March - anything goes
Craft Your Passion #251 - anything goes
Cuttin and Stampin #9 - gold
Inspiration Destination #23 - anything goes
MFP Speedy TV Oriental Sketch Challenge #67
Papertake Weekly - -anything goes
Scrapper's Delights #42 - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #173 - anything uplifting

Viva la Verve February Sketch 4

One of my friends is getting ready to have back surgery this week. She's never had surgery before, and I've had plenty, so I've tried to share the good things that help me get through it all. The best idea I've ever heard came from a pastor's wife. She said that we are all body, soul, and spirit and that our soul is made of mind, will, and emotions. If we focus on Scripture, it ministers to our mind and spirit. Music ministers to our emotions. So scripture songs and hymns can ease the nervousness and fears that plague us before surgery or any other serious event.

I was worried before the birth of my son because he was supposed to be breech and I'd need to deliver him by c-section. A week later I focused on a couple of scripture songs while I was in labor . With no pain medication, I delivered him in two hours, simply, without a c-section, with controllable discomfort and no pushing!

Another time I took a hymnal and my Bible to the hospital the night before I was to have serious surgery. I read through many hymns and Psalms that night. The next day after surgery, I could hear words and verses of assurance playing in my head while I slept off the anesthesia and initial pain.

Here's the card I made with this in mind. I used this sketch from the Viva la Verve challenge, February Week 4and a Verve stamp. I was able to use the following palette from The Color Sisters by using some of my old Basic Grey papers. The pearls, rosette ribbon, leaf zip strip, and sweet leaf ribbon are all from Close To My Heart.

 
 Thank you for visiting.!  May the Lord bless you through the hard times.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Bastel-Traum #26 - health, get well
C.R.A.F.T. #300 - get well, sympathy, sorry
Crafting Musketeers #23 - ribbon and pearls
Paper Creator's Crafts - ribbon, lace, pearls
Paperminutes #373 - Get Well soon 
Try It On Tuesday - Pearls for girls
Whoopsi Daisy - add a sentiment 
Word Art Wednesday #173 - anything uplifting





Sunday, March 1, 2015

Viva la Verve February Sketch 3

My Sheri Crafts had the right idea for a challenge this week - "Think Spring!!" Our ground is covered with more white stuff today and those of us with snow are so very ready for warmer weather and the buds of spring. Here's another card with spring colors and seed packet images from Graphic45. The wonderful sentiment is a Plain Jane from Verve, "All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today." It's not just talking about flowers, but refers to all the good things in life. I hope I can help teach this concept to my grandchildren. Simply, the little things they do now will make a difference in their lives tomorrow.


I used this sketch from Viva la Verve and Bingo (sentiment plus ribbon, flowers, embossing) from Aud Sentiments Challenge:

Thank you for visiting! May you be blessed with the fruits of good seeds planted earlier in life!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge #126 - Bingo (ribbon, flowers, embossing) plus sentiment
Crafter's Cafe #105 - lots of layers
My Sheri Crafts #151 - Think Spring
Really Reasonable Ribbon #112 - ribbon plus purple and green
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #69 - anything goes with twist - embossing
The Stamping Boutique - more than one layer
Viva la Verve February Week 3 sketch
Word Art Wednesday #172 -  anything uplifting