A Little Bit of Sunshine . . . Pumpkin Vase

I've been honored to be on the design team of CDS. At first I was a customer because they had so many Scripture digis and other faith-related sentiments. They were initially named Clear Dollar Stamps. Earlier this year the name was changed to Clearly Digi Stamps. You may have seen the announcement that they will be closing on the last day of this month.

In honor of their closing, I thought I'd highlight some of their digis and give you a chance to consider getting some of their digis for the last time.

From now until the 30th of September all digis and SVG files will be 25% off!  Enjoy!

Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING

 

Shop Digi Stamps here!

Clearly Digi Stamps will be closing September 30th

Here's a card I made using one of the fall images by Austie Bost in a set called Decorative Flowers.
There is also a separate set of images that are all outline drawings for you to color here. I chose this because of the fall pumpkin holding the flowers.

 

I chose this verse for the inside on the left:

 

 

Here's a jpg file of the verse I typed in case you'd like to use it some time.

 

 

Here is the lovely photo from Basic Grey Challenges that I used for choosing fall colors:

 

I used this sketch from Papertake Weekly:

 

 

 

 

All of my designer papers are from Basic Grey (Origins and Nook & Pantry). The front sentiment is from a zip strip at the top of a retired CTMH Pemberly paper. I used Photoshop to lighten some of the colors on the colored image so that I could add colors with Copics: R01, R02, R21, R81; RV23; E00; Y13; G24, G85, N0, and the 0 blender.

Thank you for visiting. May you grow in God's grace and share your sunshine with the world around you!


I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Basic Grey Challenges - Autumn Colors
Crafty Little Fairies - Autumn Colors
Die Cuttin' Divas #134 - Fall Colors
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations - Fall
Papertake Weekly - sketch #83
Word Art Wednesday #99 - anything goes with Scripture or uplifting, encouraging verse

 

In God's Hands

When I was younger, I would easily become overcome with worrying about different things in life. One of my younger friends is going through that right now. We've been talking this week about leaving her burden in God's hands. She calls it putting it in her "God box" and I said if it doesn't stay in there, keep putting it back in until you have peace. I usually encourage her or my children to then focus on the truths in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, 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" instead of dwelling on the problem. Here's the card I made with this issue in mind.

I have enjoyed the new set, Loving Hands, from Clear Dollar Stamps. I love the sentiment I used today as an encouragement for a friend. I used Photoshop to combine the image of praying hands with a matching sentiment. I'll explain how I did it below in case you want to try combining.

I had seen a color challenge that asked for dark blue, pink, and gold, so I started making my card with those, but eventually changed out the blue to this aqua/CTMH Lagoon color. Here are two of the other challenges I used to make my card. The Sweet Sunday Sketch from The Sweetest Thing and Nutcrafters Bingo:

 

I chose to emboss the card front with a Cuttlebug 5" x 7" medium dots embossing folder so it would coordinate with the dotty paper. I made the scallop by cutting a piece of Prima "Madeline" stripes freehand, following the curve of the design. The pink mat is Spellbinders Nestabilities "Fleur de Lis." The Lagoon "Dotty for You" and gold glitter cardstock are from CTMH. I coordinated it with the gold edged white organdy. To make my image I opened the praying hands image and reduced the opacity to 50%. Then I copied and pasted the sentiment on top. 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

ABC #27 - Tic Tac Toe (ribbon, flowers, pink cardstock)

As You Like It #1 - die cuts and punches (fleur de lis rectangle)

Crafty Sentiments - Use a sentiment

Nutcrafters #42 - Bingo (embossing, blooms, ribbon)

Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes

Paper Playtime #9 - emboss

Penny's Paper-Crafty #126 - die cuts and/or punches

The Sweetest Thing - Sweet Sunday Sketch #183

Word Art Wednesday #79 - anything goes with scripture or uplifting/encouraging verse

 

 



 

Your Friendship is a Gift from God

The closer it gets to Mother's Day, the more I think about the many women I know who deserve a Mother's Day card for a variety of reasons. I know two mothers who may be sad on Mother's Day because their older children have reached that stage of independence where they've moved out of the house in rebellion and treat their mothers like dirt - so sad, but true. I know they won't be receiving cards from those children for Mother's Day. This card is for one of them. Most cards sing the praises of motherhood and most mothers love that. But when the pain is recent and deep, I fear that some of those platitudes only rub salt in the wound. So I'm sending a special friendship card for that day, because they can know that our friendship is true. I want the recipient of this card to know how glad I am to have her as a Christian friend and that God heals wounds.

I was attracted to the sketch this week at Sketchy Colors. I thought it would work well with my image from Clear Dollar Stamps that I colored with Copics.  The flower image comes from the set "Spring Trimmings" and the sentiment comes from "Christian Friendship." To accompany the flower basket, I used papers from Basic Grey's Oh, Baby Girl and Graphic 45's Secret Garden.

 

 

I used the following Copic markers to color the image:

E21, E34, E43

BV02, BV04, B95, BG78

YG23, YG63, Y21

N0 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

All Sorts #205 - sparkle (CTMH blue/green sparkle collection)

Clear It Out - anything goes / stash item: use two or more pattened papers

Cutie Pie Challenge #43 - lots of layers

Love to Create #64 - for a mom or special lady

Marker Pop #22 - May Flowers (colored with Copic markers)

Order of the Opus Gluei #156 - Bouquet for you

Sketchy Colors #162 - sketch

Whoopsi Daisy - for a special lady

2 Sisters #142 - Bingo (bottom row across: die cut, sentiment, flowers )

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Loving Hands of Friendship

Today I wanted to play with "Loving Hands," one of the new releases at Clear Dollar Stamps that was just introduced this week.  The sentiments and matching images are all so special. The first one I chose is about friendship, one of the most important aspects of life. God has blessed me with lifelong friends that I don't see often, but when we meet, it's like we've never been apart. I also carry the secure warmth of their friendships in my heart all the time. In the years that I lived in other states I believe those first friendships taught me how to begin friendships no matter where I lived.

Lawnscaping has a challenge this week to share what inspires your creation. I am often inspired by scraps of paper that I see together on my workspace. The MME floral paper was my main inspiration.This card started with three scraps of paper I had sitting out together (accidentally) on my workspace. The brown had been the inside cut-out of another shaped card's frame. The orange was the right size and color for a mat. The flowered piece gave me a color palette and an idea for making flowers. I punched three circles (1 1/4" and 1 1/8") out of Hollyhock and Indian Corn Blue cardstock. Then I cut wedges out, edged each "petal" with a matching Copic marker, topped it with a button tied with white crochet thread, and added some leaf sprigs cut using a Spellbinders die.

The image was colored with Copics and fussy cut. I mounted it on a white panel embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder. That white panel was mounted on a Hollyhock panel, both cut using Cricut Art Philosophy, oval5.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you as you share the gift of friendship.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew #34 - handmade flowers
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - lots of flowers (Flower Power)
Inky Impressions #105 - punches/dies
Love to Scrap #4- die cuts and/or punches
Paper Shelter #108 - Make it Bloom (at least 2 flowers)
Pause, Dream, Enjoy #8 - Friendship
Penny's Paper Crafty #123 - use a sentiment
Raise the Bar #140 - Friendship
Southern Girls - Buttons (badges or flair)
Stampin' for the Weekend - Friendship
Whimsical Designs - smell the flowers
Whoopsi Daisy - Not a square


 

Sending You Sunshine and Smiles

 When I saw the challenge at Can You Digi It to pick a season, I knew I'd need to pick SUMMER because it's the farthest one from Winter! We've finally had no snow this week, several days of sunshine, and my daffodils are blooming! The rebirth of my bulbs and fruit tree blossoms is always a reminder to me of God's promise of life after death.

I chose a sunflower digi from Clear Dollar Stamps that I love and paired it with Graphic45's French Country papers.

 Here's the great sketch I used from Bearly Mine:

6" Square Card Recipe:
Digi Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps "Sunshine and Smiles"
Papers - Graphic45 "French Country," Close To My Heart Sunflower and Colonial White cardstock
Copic Markers - B00, Y13, Y21,YR61, YR02, YG03, YG63, G85, E13, E18, E25, E35, 0 BLENDER
Ink - CTMH Garnet (sponged on edges)
Accents - American Crafts twill, CTMH flowers and accents, CTMH butterflies from retired chipboard accents
Tools - printer

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Bearly Mine - Sketch
Can You Digi It #32 - pick a season (mine is late summer when sunflowers bloom)
Card Crafter's Circle #69 - Bugs
CCEE1314 - Things with Wings
Crafting for All Seasons #49 - Floral Delight
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #42 - Anything goes with ribbon
Creative Moments #14 - Things with wings
Flutterby Wednesdays #234 - flowers (always with butterflies or fairies)
Happy Campers #14 - Flower power

Monster Mash Birthday Card

I took my three oldest grandsons to the library. The one in first grade chose books from the series of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He's quite an artist, so I showed him where to find "How to Draw" books. As soon as we got home, he went straight to the kitchen table and started drawing animals from that book. His mom said later that he liked the "Wimpy Kid" books because he could draw the illustrations. His birthday is coming up so I've made him a card that he'll probably try to draw. Laurie Wilson made these cute monsters for Clear Dollar Stamps.

I thought it would be fun to use the bright color palette from the Crazy Amigo Challenge. I also used this sketch from the Simon Says Stamp Challenge this week where we were given the choice of two sketches:

 

 

I used a textured card base that was embossed with squares, so I embossed the yellow panel with Cuttlebug's "Traffic Jam" embossing folder. The orange and red designer papers are some that came with the Monster Mash digital stamp set, although I changed the colors using Photoshop. Each of the images and the sentiment were all individual stamps that I copied and pasted into a new image. I also enlarged the sentiment while keeping the dpi at 300. That way it was bigger when I pasted it.

I had been inspired by Digital Tuesday and Catered Crop to make a frame for my monsters. I cut the black cardstock the same size as my image, then cut out the center 1/4th" from each edge. I pop dotted it over the image panel for more dimension and added the row of buttons in the blank area. Tying one with black crochet thread was the final, simple touch for a masculine card.

Can You Digi It #31 - Male Birthdays
Catered Crop - Framed
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Orange, Red, Yellow, Black, and White
Digital Tuesday Challenge #201 - Frame It
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - For the Boys
Simon Says Stamp: sketch
Whoopsi Daisy - Buttons or Bows

5.5" Square Birthday Card Recipe:
Images and Sentiment - Clear Dollar Stamps "Monster Mash" digi
Papers - CDS digi papers from Monster Mash, CTMH Sunkiss Yellow, Black and white cardstock, embossed card base
Accents - CTMH and My Mind's Eye buttons; black crochet thread
Tools - printer, Adobe Photoshop CS, Cuttlebug "Traffic Jam" embossing folder
 

PSC #66 - Furry Friendship Card

This week The Perfect Sentiments team has the following challenge for you:

CREATE A CARD THAT USES AN ANIMAL IMAGE AND FRIENDSHIP SENTIMENT.

Our challenge is being sponsored by 2 Cute Ink where this week's winner will be able to select 3 free digis.

A few months ago we were "adopted" by a really cute, young gray cat. Since we live in the country, cats are likely to show up because someone has "dumped" them. A nearby cousin also has a gray cat. Both of them purr so loudly and so much more than ordinary cats. So I chose a sentiment about friends singing the song in your heart and this image of a girl with three calico kitten friends. I imagine they are purring, singing the song in her heart.

I used this lovely sketch from Sketchy Colors #150 for the front of the card:

I found this free, vintage image at Clearly Vintage. It came from a thread advertisement. It was actually a rectangle that I cropped into an oval using the Elliptical Marquee Tool. Before printing it, I sized it to fit my oval Nestability die. A few words showed up on the edges, so I used the clone tool to "erase" those small portions.

The sentiment is a digi from Clear Dollar Stamps called Make a Joyful Noise. I divided it into two parts in Photoshop by selecting the top two lines, Edit/Copy, and select New, then Paste. There were a few pieces of the letters from the bottom part of the sentiment that were included when I pasted it into the new document, so I used the clone stamp to erase them. I repeated the same procedure to print just the bottom part of the sentiment that I put inside.

I hope you'll join our challenge with your own card showing Furry Friendship!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge #86 - Vintage/Shabby Chic
Forever Friends February Challenge - Animals and/or butterflies and/or birds
Happy Campers #10 - Shabby Chic
Sketchy Colors #150 - sketch
Stamps & Fun = Creativity #138 - Vintage
The Ribbon Reel #46 - Spring Roses - yellow, pink, ribbon, flowers, and lace/twine

6" x 6" Friendship Card Recipe:
Image - Clearly Vintage "thread 3"
Sentiment digi - Clear Dollar Stamps "Make a Joyful Noise"
Paper - Close To My Heart "Chantilly" paper pack; Kraft cardstock
Ink - CTMH Chocolate
Accents - CTMH blush ribbon, Mocha pearls; Recollections, CTMH, and Prima flowers, Kaiser Craft lace
Tools - printer; Photoshop CS; Martha Stewart border punch; Spellbinder's Nestabilities Lacey Oval die;
 

PSC62 - Encourage Me, with Ribbon

This week the challenge at The Perfect Sentiment is to make a card of encouragement and the twist is to add ribbon. It's exciting to announce that we have two sponsors:

 Pattie's Creations is offering 3 free digis to a lucky winner.

>
Crafty City is offering a $5.00 gift certificate to be used in their store.



Through all of life's difficulties I have found three sources of encouragement - kind friends, scripture, and prayer. So I wanted to make a masculine card of encouragement with a beautiful Psalm for the sentiment.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 

 



 

The Scripture on front and the inside sentiment both come from a digi stamp set from Clear Dollar Stamps called "Christian Sympathy."  I felt that the stylized flowers on the inside sentiment were not too girly to be in a masculine card.I lightly sponged the Psalm with ink to match. Instead of stamping an additional image, I used a chipboard bird that I've been saving for a while. It comes from Basic Grey's Curio line. I used to hold on to favorite embellishments for such a long time, until just the right moment or project. Now my motto is "use it up" before more comes to take it's place. I'd rather give it away in a card of encouragement than wait for just the right scrapbook layout.

 

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Embossing Folders

Creative Creations #1 - Anything Goes

Make It Monday #123- Anything Goes

Pause, Dream, Enjoy #1 - Use Ribbon

Top Tip #93 - Fur or Feathers (and my tip - use it up/give it away instead of saving it)

Twist of Faith #20 - For the Men or Boys with scripture or inspirational sentiment

Word Art Wednesday #62 - anything with encouraging scripture

 

6.5" x 5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Digital Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps "Christian Sympathy"

Ink - Close To My Heart Garnet

Paper - CTMH "Avonlea" paper pack and white cardstock, Bazzill (maroon colored cs)

Accents - Hobby Lobby ribbon, Basic Grey "Curio" chipboard bird, CTMH Green & Blue Epoxy Bubbles

Tools - Sizzix embossing folder "Swirly Vines with Hearts"

 

CDS January New Digi Release Zinnia

This is my fourth post showing some of the new digi images released today by Clear Dollar Stamps. To see the entire set, please visit the Clearly iStamp blog.

I love flowers and have raised so many varieties. My first flower to raise was zinnias when I was about 8 or 9 years old. My mom always bought me a variety pack of seeds with all different colors. I was always amazed at the variety.  I decided to color the zinnia for my card with several different colors, putting the lightest color on the outer petals and the darker colors nearer the yellow center. I enjoyed pairing peach and pink colors on this card with pale green. Because the flower design has heavy black lines, I gave the sentiment block a black mat and black opaques on the butterflies. One of the things I liked most about this set of images was the sentiment and the way it could wrap around the image. I think this will be a great valentine for one of my friends.

 I'm thinking about making another one and putting liquid glass/glossy accents on the black outlines.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing the new release samples. Thank you for visiting!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Moving Along with the Times - Floral Delights
My Heart Pieces - Gettin' Girly
Red Carpet Studio #19 - The Butterfly Effect

5" x 6.6" Friendship Card Recipe:
Digital Images - Zinnas
Markers and Ink - CTMH alcohol ink: Sorbet, Blush Dark, Honey Light, Sweet Leaf, Olive; CopicYR61 Yellowish Skin Pink; CTMH Cotton Candy ink (sponged butterfly)
Paper - My Mind's Eye "Totally Girl;" CTMH White Daisy, Black cardstock
Accents - CTMH Sorbet Ribbon, Baby Pink Organdy, Flutter Paper shapes, Licorice Opaques; button from stash; Wilton doily
Tools - printer

January Release at CDS - More Lovey Dovey

Here is my third post using digital images from January's new release at Clear Dollar Stamps. You can see all of the images and artwork at Clearly iStamp blog.

 

 

Everything about this card sparkles - the background paper, black sparkly doily, gold ribbon, gold border around the sentiment, and the aqua sparkles. The paper has silver and gold embossing which will make it perfect for an elegant wedding card, anniversary card, or even a masculine valentine.  I just really liked the flowing font of the sentiment and thought it went well with the silver and gold flourishes.

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

There She Goes #190 -  Love is in the air

Victorine Originals #50 - Sparkle and shine

Stamp and Create January - Love

 

5" x 6.5" Love Card Recipe:

Digital Image - Lovey Dovey

Markers - CTMH Gold Metallic marker
Papers - DCWV All Dressed Up Glitter stack; CTMH White Daisy cs
Accents - CTMH Blue/Green Sparkles; Wilton black glittered doily; Michaels gold metallic ribbon
Tools - printer, 2.5" circle punch

 

 

January Digi New Release at CDS

Today is the day for the new digi stamps to be released at Clear Dollar Stamps. I'm sharing 4 different posts with samples today. This is the first one using  two of the images from "Borders." If you didn't come here from the original post, you can find more samples and all the available images here at the Clearly iStamp Blog.

 



I wanted to combine two different borders for this romantic card. The borders I used came sized large, perfect for a picture to be framed. First I sized the line/dot border for a card. Then, I used the ribbon/bows on the inside, sizing it to fit. I printed them on a piece of 4" x 6" patterned paper in the photo tray of my printer.

I cut the formal couple silhouette using Cricut Artiste. Be sure and check out my other post using the borders on a scrapbook layout to frame a photo and a title. This set of images has so many possibilities! I made this card versatile by leaving it open-ended for either wedding or anniversary, depending on what I need first.

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Card Makin' Mamas - anything goes

Totally Gorjuss #166 - Spotty (my polka dot paper)

Simply Create Linky Party #17 - always anything goes for digital or paper creation

 

6.5" x 5" Love Card Recipe:

Digital Images - Borders

Paper - CTMH "Lucy" (pink), Black Cardstock; Bo-Bunny (dotted)
Accents - CTMH Black Tulle Ribbon, Black Hemp, Bitty Buds, Cricut Artiste couple diecut
Tools - printer, Photoshop CS, Cricut Artiste
Technique - stacked two borders using copy and paste

 

 

CIC59 - Leaves

This week Clearly Inspired Challenge #59 is Leaves, a little or a lot of leaves on your project. Here's the card I made with one of the adorable images designed by Lisa Lara at Clear Dollar Stamps. I used the outline version so I could color the little guy to look like my oldest grandson and to match my paper.

I hope this inspires you to create your own card with leaves and join us at the Clearly Inspired Challenge at Clear Dollar Stamps where you can also check out the cool cards made by the other members of the design team.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #233 - Autumn Gold
Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #137 - Colors of Autumn
Inspired By #40 -(photo of a stack of autumn colored blankets)

Card Recipe:
Digital Image - CDS Piles of Fun
Ink - CTMH Autumn Terracotta, Honey
Markers - CTMH Alcohol Honey, Autumn Terracotta, Autumn Terracotta Light, Twilight, Twilight Dark; Copics E35 Chamois, E18 Copper, E00 Skin White, E11 Barely Beige, 0 Blender
Paper - CTMH "Clementine," Colonial White, Chocolate cardstock
Accents - CTMH Chocolate grosgrain ribbon, Sorbet Waxy flax, retired button
Tools - Printer, CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (stacked leaves), large corner rounder
Technique - I traced the smallest leaf that I cut around the printed title and cut out. I inked the edges of the top leaf with the sponge and the bottom two with alcohol markers.

Autumn is Coming

The temperatures here are beginning to yo-yo. We still get the 90+degree days but a couple of days each week are much cooler and I actually saw a young maple with gold and red leaves yesterday. So I made a fun card in honor of beautiful autumn "when every leaf is a flower." Charlie is such an adorable horse character from Clear Dollar Stamps. I love this image ("Charlie Autumn") of frolicking in the leaves. It expresses what I'd do if I didn't have allergies and arthritis! Instead my hubby and I drive to scenic spots and take photos.

I used this sketch from Fetch a Sketch which worked great for adding decorative leaves.

I chose the colors for my card from Hiding in My Craft Room: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Garden Green. The Cricut cartridge I used was Art Philosophy to cut the leaves and their decorative accent overlay in contrasting colors.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Fetch a Sketch Challenge #32 - sketch
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #61 - More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Garden Green
Lexi's Creations Challenge #73 - Autumn Colours
Mema's Crafts September Challenge - Choose a Theme (#1 Fall Colors)
The Paper Players Challenge #111 - Leaves/Trees

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio "The Linen Door;" CTMH White Daisy, Honey, Goldrush cardstock
Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Charlie Autumn" digi
Markers - Close To My Heart alcohol markers: Autumn Terracotta, Autumn Terracotta Light, Honey, Topiary Light; Copics N00, N02, N04 neutral grays
Accents - CTMH Autumn Terracotta grosgrain ribbon (retired);
Tools - Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge - leaves, pop dots, edge distresser

 

Operation Write Home VCMP - Represent your state

I live on a farm in Missouri. My husband isn't a farmer like his dad was, so my mother-in-law rents our pasture land to a friend. His cattle do the grazing and he keeps fences mended, mows the hay, etc. Another friend is raising soybeans on some of our acreage. I personally think cows represent a large part of our state.  Except around the big cities, you can hardly drive without seeing pasture land or cattle. And, yes, I have looked at the cows in my back yard and I agree they don't have that shade of pink anywhere, but I used artistic license when I colored this cow.

I designed this card with several challenges in mind. The Virtual Card Making Party for Labor Day Weekend had this last challenge: Represent Your State, which I'm doing with this cute cow from Clear Dollar Digi Stamps, "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Paper Playtime suggested the gingham and Quirky Crafts asked for Farm + one recycled item. I took the plastic packaging from my new Tombo adhesive refill, Used a Sharpie to trace a star that I cut on the Cricut, and cut it out to glue over part of the title. I wanted a star to go with the title and it is so easy to see through the plastic star, I will definitely try this again. Sweet Stamps challenge this week has more ideas for using acetate on cards and layouts.

I also altered the title in Photoshop. I copied Udderly Terrific and hit "New" document/image. I doubled the size of the width suggested in the "New" drop down menu. Then I pasted Udderly Terrific and moved it to the right with the pointer. I copied "You're" from another sentiment in that set, pasted it and moved it to the left with the pointer. I went to Layers and Flattened the layers so I could save it as a jpg to print.

I used the bonus sketch for this week at Operation Write Home. Then I added two die cut scalloped circles - 3/25" and 3.5" to highlight the main image.

 

I'm sharing this card at the following challenges:

Stars and Stamps Operation Write Home - Bonus Sketch

No Matter Which Challenge #2 - Die Cuts and Punches

Paper Playtime Challenge #83 - Gingham and Punches

Quirky Crafts challenge #18 - Recycling on the Farm

Operation Write Home Virtual Card Making Party final challenge - home sweet home (Missouri)

Sweet Stamps Challenge #81 - Acetate

 

 

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart retired gingham, Black and White Daisy cardstock; The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance"

Digital Images - Clear Dollar Stamps  "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Markers - CTMH Cotton Candy Light Alcohol Marker; Copics N00, N02, N04 (grays)

Accents - unknown daisy chain ribbon from my stash; clear star made from "trash"

Tools - printer, Cricut Art Philosophy (scalloped circles, star), 3" circle punch; Adobe Photoshop, Sharpie permanent black marker, acetate cover packaging from Tombow adhesive refill

 



 

Sunshine and Smiles

While New Orleans is being flooded with too much rain, here in Missouri we're praying that there will be some rain left as it heads our way--and soon. The county where I live has missed most of the meager rainfalls that surrounding counties have had. I think that's why I've been looking for the usual wild sunflowers that bloom here in August and I don't see any.  So I decided to make my own sunflowers this week with cards. The image and sentiment for this one comes from Clear Dollar Stamps. It's called Sunshine and Smiles. I chose the words that say, "Sunflowers are God's way of saying "Chin up!" They really do turn their "heads' to face the sun as it moves across the sky. So do my daffodils in the spring. I thought that was a great analogy.

 

I used this great sketch from Fetch a Sketch, making it rectangular.

 

I scissor distressed the edges of my image, added one row of stitching with embroidery thread on the left side of the mat. (Wow, I actually could see the hole in the needle to thread it!!) I tied organdy around the punched border and topped the bow with a wooden button tied with embroidery thread.

 

Now I'm turning my head up like the sunflowers and praying for some of that rain!

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crafting for All Seasons  Challenge #34 - Stitching Real or Faux (mine are real)

Crafty Creations Challenge #185 - Summer Scene
Fetch a Sketch Challenge #31
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #154 - Punches, dies, or shapes

5.5" x 4.25" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance," Close To My Heart White Daisy, Olive, Honey cardstock
Image - Clear Dollar Stamps Digital "Sunshine and Smiles"
Markers - CopicsY17 (Golden Yellow), E33 (Sand), E25 (Caribe Cocoa), BG10 (Cool Shadow), N02; CTMH Alcohol markers Creme Brulee, Olive, Light Olive, Black
Accents - CTMH Goldrush organdy ribbon (retired), Chocolate wooden button; white embroidery thread
Tools - Martha Stewart border punch, CTMH ruler (with holes - to punch for sewing) needle for hand stitching, scissors for edge distressing


 

Another August Digi Release from Clear Dollar Stamps

Here is my second post for the August Digi Release. I used the color challenge from The Crazy Challenge #126 - Black and White with one other color (pink) and from The Crafty Blogger's Challenge #2 - Pink and Black.

The words come from the stamp set called "Faith." I wanted to use the quote about faith with the words "Have Faith" for a younger person, so I chose to case a simple design from the challenge at Crafting When We Can. I rotated and adapted this one from Crafting Vicky:

5" x 6.5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart very old dp, Black and White Daisy cardstock

Digital Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Faith"

Accents - Recollections flower collections; wide white grosgrain from my stash

Tools - printer, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Ten, sponge and black ink

August Digi Releases at Clear Dollar Stamps

I love to make cards of encouragement, so I chose these stamp sets for their wonderful verses and quotes.

I used Photoshop to make the 8.5 x 11 orange paper print to a 4x6 piece of cardstock. That made the design smaller for my card. The paper, black design, and sentiment come from Words of Sympathy.

I used the sketch from Seems a Little Sketchy for both of these cards.

I wanted to use the Clear Dollar Stamps elegant paper, but wanted it to match the colors in my Scarlet's Letter paper. So I used Photoshop to resize, recolor, combine and print images from the set "Christian Sympathy."  I resized the circular design, copied and pasted several times to print and cut out the tiny squares that are inked with brads in the middle.

6.5" x 5 " Sympathy card #1 Recipe:
Paper - Clear Dollar Stamps "Words of Sympathy" digi paper (orange pattern), Basic Grey "Ambrosia;" Close To My Heart Dotty for You (gray) and White Daisy and Black cardstock
Image and Sentiment - CDS "Words of Sympathy"
Accents - CTMH Petals Paper flowers, white brads, Sparkles Black Flourishes
Tools - printer

6.5" x 5" Sympathy card #2 Recipe:
Paper - Clear Dollar Stamps (geometric design);Basic Grey "Scarlet's Letter" (Ok, so I hoarded it); olive and white cardstock
Images and Sentiment CDS"Christian Sympathy"
Ink - Close To My Heart Barn Red
Accents - CTMH retired ribbon, clear button, Bitty Brads (antiqued copper); crochet thread
Tools - Adobe Photoshop, printer, sponge

Encouragement from Psalm 37:3-5

Some days I have big plans regarding things I want to accomplish that day. Now that I'm older and slower, that's really not very much. But on those days, it seems I get a lot of phone calls that take me away from those plans. I had two phone calls during breakfast that slowed the start of my day. There were two phone calls during the evening news. I seem to miss it every night. One of those was a long political survey. Yuck! Then there was another long call in the middle of supper. I had difficulty all day trying to open emails. Some I never could open or maybe I just didn't wait long enough. Living on a farm in the country doesn't give me the best connection with broadband.

So I found this scripture tonight that I've always loved. I truly delight in His Word and the faithful way He's always worked in my life. It speaks to me that even though the unexpected can seem to take over the day, I know I committed it to Him and thanked Him for guiding my life when I got up this morning. So I'm going to trust Him that He will help me do what I need to in His time and I have to think that each call was important (even the political one, Lord?) to someone else. I will keep on trusting His faithfulness to lead my life each day in the way He desires.

The verse is from Clear Dollar Stamps, "Value Verses 1" digital image. Because it was tall and narrow I thought the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches #157 was perfect. Since Clear Dollar Stamps is sponsoring their challenge this week, I'm not wanting to be a winner, just a "player." I used ColourQ Challenge #148 for my color inspiration for this card.

I pray that you will also delight in the Lord and see how He works in your life as you commit each day to His leading. The promise is that He will give you the desires of your heart, and He shall bring it to pass. May God richly bless you.

Challenges for this card:

ColourQ #148

Craft-room Challenge - Buttons and Bows

Divas by Design #46 - Flowers

Tuesday Morning Sketch #157

6.5" x 5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart Baby Pink, Holiday Red, White Daisy Cardstock and retired sunset orange dotted dp

Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Value Verses 1" digital (also comes as a clear stamp)

Accents - Recollections orange and pink flowers, Michaels ribbon; CTMH wide ribbon and sorbet waxy flax; unknown buttons from my stash

Tools - Cuttlebug 5x7 embossing folder