Gingham Birthday Card

Sketch and Stash Challenges require you to tell what is your new/neglected stash that you used on your card. I know honesty is always the best policy. I told my kids to tell the truth even if it hurt. I am truly a paper hoarder. I have paper that is really old. Some of my friends would give away paper they hadn't used. I kept it in case I was asked to teach more stamp camps for kids or Girl Scouts like I have in the past. In my school district I'd have 70 to 90 kids each afternoon from different schools, so I needed lots of supplies. But now that I'm retired, I'm using it to make cards!!

My neglected stash is the gingham and pink cardstock that I know I bought in 2006 in Salt Lake City. Close To My Heart was getting rid of old surplus and sold my friend and I many packages of 24 sheets for $1.00 each package. Unfortunately, she had an emergency and had to fly to New York City so that my hubby and I packed her luggage and paper along with mine and his in my car as we left the convention to go on vacation in Wyoming. My husband said it would never fit, but I learned I was really good at packing a car - tight. I'm sure our gas mileage back to Kansas City, Missouri, wasn't too great with all that weight.

Here's the sketch for this week:

CCEE Stampers asked us to use Gingham in this week's challenge - my very neglected paper. I also had some newer paper I hadn't used yet - Basic Grey's Hello Luscious - the aqua pattern. I made the card with the color palette from CR84FN - pink, aqua, and neutral, I used white and black as neutrals.

The button is really the same shade of aqua as the leafy flourish, but the shadows hide the color. I used white satin ribbon for the horizontal strip in the sketch. I liked the way the black jute bow almost matches the black stamped flourish under the sentiment. Overall, I think mixing old patterns with new can have a nice effect. I hope it helps give you ideas about using up your stash!

Challenges:

CCEE Stampers - CCEE1218 Gingham

CR84FN Color Challenge #53 - pink, aqua, neutral

Sketch N Stash Challenge #87 - sketch and tell what was neglected stash

5" x 5" Birthday Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Hello Luscious;" Close To My Heart retired gingham and shell pink cardstock, White Daisy, Juniper, Black cardstock

Stamp - CTMH "4 My Friend"

Inks - CTMH Black, Baby Pink

Other - Cheery Lynne "Tropical Flourish" die; CTMH Juniper button, Black Jute; Cuttlebug embossing folder; White satin ribbon unknown

Psalm 46:1 for Mojo Monday 239

I've been a Christian for 56 years. Now that I'm at the "grandma age" with its aches and pains or sleepless nights, I find that the first thing I'm saying to the Lord at those times is this, "You are my refuge and my strength." I take comfort in those words but I'm also acknowledging to Him that I trust Him to see me through the difficulty. King David must have cried out those words many times. I'm hoping that Psalm 46:1 will bring encouragement to someone with this card.

Abby has a lovely devotional at her blog, Little Birdie Blessings, that includes the words to one of my favorite Hymns, Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Her springtime images and this hymn remind us that no matter how long the winter, His mercies are new every morning. Springtime always follows winter. If He can do that for the seasons, I know He can do that for me after a night of little sleep or in any other of life's problems.

I used the sketch from Mojo Monday 239, but, like the circular example, I added the scalloped border to the square card.

I used the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the card and its two frames using the scalloped square key. The black frame was cut with the Layer key and the orangish frame was cut with the Decorative Layer key. All three of those were cut at 5.25" to fit in my 5.5" envelopes. The white card was random stamped with the medium flower from Hope Blooms using Cotton Candy and Sorbet inks first and second generation. The black scalloped mat for the sentiment has three black buttons, but they're really hard to see in the photos. I added the scallops, flowers, and buttons for the challenge #1217 at CCEE Stampers this week.

May you find refuge and comfort in the Lord. May you experience His strength when the day's burdens increase and your own strength seems inadequate.

Challenges:

CCEE Stampers Challenge 1217 - scallops, flowers, and buttons

Little Birdie Blessings Linking Party

Mojo Monday 239 sketch

5.25" Square Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" Close To MY Heart White Daisy, Black, and Sweet Leaf cardstock

Stamps - Verve "Psalm 46:1" Plain Jane, "Hope Blooms"

Ink - CTMH Cotton Candy, Sorbet, Black

Other - CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, black buttons, Colonial White waxy flax; Spellbinders Nestabilities Lattice Rectangle; Cheery Lynn Designs tropical flourish dye; Recollections floral embellishment; ribbon unknown

April Viva La Verve Sketch for Mother's Day

This month I'm making some Mother's Day cards for Send A Smile 4 Kids Challenge - cards that kids in the hospital can give to their moms. They are due by April 30th. You can find the details on their blog. I used the Viva La Verve April sketch for Week 1. 

The front of the card base was embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The layers were added. The flower/sentiment was first stamped with Sunflower ink, then colored with a Y13 Copic marker, then stamped with stamps from two CTMH sets. I made an identical card with a sentiment stamped with Verve sentiment plus the letters M-o-m. Send a Smile 4 Kids requests that you don't send religious cards since the nursing staff wouldn't know a family's beliefs.

Besides the papers used, I used three embellishments for the challenge1215 at CCEE Stampers -- velvet ribbon, a button, thin twine.  I folded a piece of red velvet ribbon, adhering it together with two small glue dots. I threaded the yellow button with the fine natural twine with the ends protruding from the back of the button. I used a glue dot to attach the threaded button to the ribbon then tied a bow with the twine on the back of the ribbon. I usually like to leave it a little loopy so it shows up behind the ribbon bow. This type of bow lays a little flatter than a tied bow when you're using thick ribbon like this velvet ribbon.

I hope you'll consider sending some Mother's Day cards to Send a Smile 4 Kids this month. And may God bless You!

5.5" x 4.25" Mother's Day Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "June Bug," (floral); Graphic45 "Fashionista" (blue/yellow dots), Close To My Heart cardstock

Stamps - retired CTMH (1st card); Verve Hope Blooms and Joy for the Journey

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; CTMH Sunflower

Other - Cuttlebug 5x7 embossing folder; Copics Y13; Martha Stewart border punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities "Lacey Circle;" 2" circle punch; Papertrey Ink natural jute twine; CTMH red collection ribbon and button from my stash.



A Friend Who Touches Your Heart

With the arrival of Spring, our yard has become a whole rainbow of colors, so this card is representative of some of these. When I was younger I planted lots of bulbs, especially daffodils, and many flowering trees and shrubs. The many blossoms have attracted a wide variety of butterflies already. I wanted this card to be bright and cheerful with its Spring palette.

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #132 today used Romans 8:31b-32 "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”  Miesje has a lovely, brief devotion you would enjoy reading. God is here for us in every situation and gave us the greatest gift of all, His Son, Jesus. Part of the challenge was to think about what is the greatest gift we can give to others.   I think showing appreciation for the little things in a relationship is important. I made this card for a friend to let her know how she touches my heart as a good friend. Another part of the challenge was to make a project that uses everything.

My card has several layers, the white is embossed, there are buttons, metal, felt roses, butterfly, sparkles, velvet ribbon, a doily, punched boder, a pennant, and lots of colors. The way I clustered everything around the sentiment, I'm trying to still keep the message the focus.

I chose a sentiment that I love to be the main focus of my card, which was the challenge this week from CCEE Stampers. I used a piece of special red velvet ribbon to go with the red doily, so I'm also entering this card in the Spring theme challenge at Really Reasonable Ribbon.

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe"
Paper - CTMH patterned paper (retired gingham), Blush, White Daisy, Crystal Blue Cardstock
Stamp - CTMH "Friendship" "A Huge Thanks"
Ink - CTMH Black
Other - CTMH Just Blooms butterfly, Foundry Pin clips, Red/Pink Sparkles, Winter buttons, glitter buttons; 3/8" red velvet ribbon, K & Co felt roses, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Wilton doily

MOJO Monday 232 Sketch for Our Daily Bread Designs 4th Anniversary

This week Our Daily Bread Designs is celebrating its 4th Anniversary. There are extra opportunities to be in drawings for gift certificates to their store. Each day there is something special, so be sure to check it out.  I'm using the MOJO Monday 232 Sketch for this week. Every time I see it I say a prayer for Julee Tilman who is having twin boys this month. Two of our daughters had twins, so I know she'll need prayers and an extra set of hands (or more)! Here's the sketch:

For the 4th Anniversary of Our Daily Bread Designs, the Shining the Light Challenge #100, they wanted us to use Aqua or Topaz colors and one of their scripture or sentiments. One of my aqua papers had a touch of black on the edge so I used just a few black highlights.

I really love what that verse says for a birthday. I have so many friends that have shown wisdom throughout their lives. This will be a wonderful blessing to give them, the promise of God's blessing.

I tried to lightly stamp the tea cup of flowers from the Birthday Blessings set before stamping the scripture. Then I put the diecut  back into the die so I could lightly sponge ink over it, leaving the edges white where the die masked it. The textured cardstock on top is actually shiny, but lighting at night in my house doesn't usually bring out the shine. The flower and ribbon came from the bridal section at Michaels. The flower is bigger than I usually put on cards, but it makes it really special. This card will be hand delivered. I'm linking it to the CCEE Stampers Challenge1210 to add flowers.

May God bless you with wisdom and many years with loving friends!

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:
Paper - Bazzill aqua shiny cardstock; Glitz "Laced with Grace" patterned paper (on bottom); Close To My Heart Crystal Blue, Colonial White, Black cardstock, Topstitch patterned paper
Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs "Birthday Blessings"
Ink - CTMH Crystal Blue; Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - CTMH black jute; Spellbinders Nestabilities Label Nine, Lacey Circle; Michaels aqua wired ribbon and white flower

Zoology Birthday Card

I love taking grandkids to the zoo. We've had lots of good times there. It's a perfect birthday spot. So Here's a card I made for a grandson following the challenge at CCEE Stampers to make a card with a favorite zoo animal.

I cut out elephants from Basic Grey's Marrekech paper and mounted it on Close To My Heart paper. Then I stamped and layered several elements from three stamp sets the way I do when scrapbooking. I call it clustering. I stamp several things that I think would look good together using different colors. Then I "play" with them until I have a good combination.  Thanks, ladies, for the great inspiration. I probably wouldn't have made a card like this if it wasn't for your ideas.

5" x 6.5" Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Marrekech" Close To My Heart "Mayberry," Colonial White, Garden Green, Dutch Blue, Vanilla cardstock
Stamps - CTMH - "Zoology" (elephant, ticket), Limited Edition (large tag, good times), "Heartfelt Treasures"(leaves)
Inks - Dutch Blue, Moonstruck, Olive
Other - CTMH Pewter Badge Button, Outdoor Denim Twill (retired)

MOJO Monday and CCEE - Truly, Madly, Deeply

I'm so busy making cards and crafts for a Valentine's Craft Fair this weekend that I will share two photos but not write much. These two cards use some of the same papers, the Bamboo floral, black and white dots, and black and white flowers are CTMH "Silhouette" (retired). I had tons of it and will soon run out. The red strip is from My Mind's Eye Lost and Found "Union Square." This first card is for MOJO Monday 224:

The 2nd card uses the sketch from CCEEStampers Sketch1202.  

The red sparkles and black floral ribbon that matches the paper barely show up in the photo.