Rustic Christmas Joy

When I saw the sketch from Atlantic Hearts this week I envisioned a rustic, masculine Christmas card using the Fresh Air papers.

I cut a tag and vellum snowflake on the Cricut. I used the center cut-outs of several snowflakes as small ones in the corner. The gold glitter "JOY" was from CTMH letter dies.

I used woodgrain design papers and green and brown colors hoping to make this card masculine. I liked the birchwood panel which had an arrow already printed on it. It was one of the 4" x 6" pocket cards in the paper pack that I cut down to 4" x 5.25."  The tag was also one of the pocket cards with  a pattern of small evergreen trees. I leaned something important making this card: don't try to cut out vellum shapes on a new cricut mat!  I'm hoping this card will bring Christmas Joy to someone in December!

Thank you for visiting! May God fill your heart with  joy and blessings as you create cards for others!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #269 - sketch

Aud Sentiments Challenge #206 - anything goes with a sentiment

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' June Challenge - anything goes

Crimbo Crackers #161 - anything goes

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday June Challenge - Make it masculine

Happy Little Stampers June Christmas Challenge - anything goes with option: JOY

Moo-Mania & More Challenge #168 - arrows

Pile It On #143 - any holiday

The Merry Christmas Challenge #25 - anything Christmas goes

Matthew 5:9 (WEB)

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

365 Promises of God - Promise #173: I will bless the peacemakers and call them My children.

Comfort, Strength, and Courage

I keep needing cards for people I care about who are fighting cancer or other difficult battles. I used a set of sentiments about courage and strength that can apply to a lot of serious trials someone might face. What I'm wondering about this card is whether it sounds final, like they're facing death. My feeling is that it's for the health battle someone is facing, but someone else might think it sounds like I believe they're dying. What do you think?

 I stippled the white panel with Sweet Leaf ink, then stamped the parsley with Juniper. For the Retro Rubber challenge, I've had the stamp set "Good Thymes" since December 2016.) The first part of the PTI sentiment was stamped with New England Ivy. I die cut three of the word "courage" with black cardstock and adhered them together.   I used CTMH Fresh Air papers plus this sketch from Sketch-Tanten (The Sketch-Aunts):

Inside:

On the left side I used the stipple brush again with Sweet Leaf ink to help set off the white scripture die cut: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13" I think it was from Word Art Wednesday a couple of years ago.

 I used scraps to enhance the inside sentiment: "When you don't have the strength, may you find the courage."

Thank you for visiting! May you, too, have courage and strength for the battles you face!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge #220 - use three of something (3 papers, 3 black enamel dots)

Crafting from the Heart challenge #209 - anything goes

Crafty Calendar June Challenge - three of something (3 papers, 3 black enamel dots)

heARTful Stamping challenge - anything goes 

Retro Rubber challenge #88 - anything goes (CTMH Good Thymes purchased 12/16)

Sketch-Tanten #44 sketch

Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #336-337 - anything uplifting

"You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16 (WEB)

365 Promises (of God) - Promise #155:  When I open My hand, I provide for all that I have created.

Grand Canyon Adventure Layout

Last month my hubby left on a photo and graduation trip to the picturesque Southwest. Lizzy was graduating from Grand Canyon University with her doctorate in psychology. I was there in spirit. (Long auto trips and camping are too hard on my now.) We've taken decades of wonderful trips rich with memories for me. Now I get the pleasure of scrapbooking his photos. This layout is about hubby's camping in the Grand Canyon so he can get to the rim before sunrise for the best photos. He posted some of his favorites with technical details on his blog, Light through my Lens. Each time I've stood at the rim looking across layers and layers of canyons it was like standing in a great cathedral in nature and worshiping the amazing Creator of such wonders!

I was inspired to use the double page sketch from Stick It Down.

Here are close-ups.

In order to know what size I should cut my Cricut embellishments, I tried something new. I set up two 12 x 12 pages in Cricut Design Space and added photo sizes and pieces to be cut. I wondered why I hadn't tried this before?  This is what that planning file looked like:

When it was time to cut, I hid all of the rectangle/square pieces which didn't need to be cut with the Cricut. Feel free to use my cut file if it would help you.  I used papers from an old set of Fundamentals which had a shiny clear embossed pattern on one side. I thought the shine reminded me of sunrise. The green is from the Fresh Air paper pack. The mountains were cut from Nutmeg and Kraft cardstock. They were images from You Are Here, Flower Market, Artistry, and Camp Out cartridges. The other embellishments are my leftovers from the Fresh Air Complements in the workshop kit and an extra set of the wood Fresh Air Shapes. I also added some New England Ivy Burlap Ribbon under the mountains. The copperfoil trees, star and word banners are showing up as almost black, but here's a close-up showing all the textures:

Thanks for visiting! May you be blessed with sweet memories of your own adventures!

I'm sharing this layout with the following challenges:
Card Mania Challenge #104 - anything but a card
Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Scrapbooking

Lasting Memories Layout Challenge- photo layout with one or more hexagons
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Pause Dream Enjoy - Scrapbook layouts
Stick It Down - May Double Page Sketch

Psalm 30:5 (WEB)
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

365 Promises - Promise #144: My displeasure may last for a moment, but My favor is yours for life.