As long as I have breath...

A dear friend lost her husband this week several decades too soon, so I've been frequently praying for her. Another family at our church lost a sister/daughter/aunt this week.  I seem to need sympathy-type cards frequently. Here is the first. It simply started with this blue and kraft colored image from Graphic 45's Botanical Tea, which I've nearly used up. I had wanted to make it for this week's Color Throwdown challenge using light blue, kraft, and white, but of course mine also has the neutral cream color so much a part of Graphic 45. I added white glitter tape, white sequins, and white for the sentiment and card base.

I  chose two Psalms about prayer for this card from Verve's Scripture Medley Five: "Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath." Psalm 116:2 and "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22. The truths in these verses will be needed for life's challenges to come. I'm so glad the Lord listens, cares, and is always near to help those who take their cares to Him. 

I embossed the Sky blue cardstock with the CTMH Rose embossing folder. I used a PTI border die to cut the kraft border and added the leftover inside. Some burlap twine seemed to go with all the kraft.

Thank you for visiting. May you, too, take your cares to the Lord who wants to sustain you if you'll only ask.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks #386 - with Sympathy

Aud Sentiments Challenge #195 - anything goes

Color Throwdown Challenge #476 - kraft, light blue, white

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Birds of a feather

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - add a sentiment

Word Art Wednesday 318-319 -  anything goes.

Jolly Christmas Cards

When I was a teacher, every classroom had a steady crescendo of noise and excitement in the month of December until Christmas vacation arrived. I'm not sure who was happier to see the vacation, the kids or the teachers. This year four of my grandkids have been out of school since last Friday the 16th. Christmas generates an excitement unmatched by any other holiday. 
I loved this inspiration photo of kids singing at Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenge #2  and interpreted it with this first card of kids possibly singing as they danced around the Christmas tree.

 The image came from my oldest, long hoarded Graphic 45 Christmas paper collection, Christmas Emporium.

 To make several other cards quickly I used a similar design with other tags and images from Graphic 45, a strip across the top with fiber, and a few sequins.

 Thanks for visiting. May this season of God's love and joy spill over from your heart to all those around you.

I'm sharing the first card with the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create #192 - anything goes with option Holiday Happiness
Alphabet Challenge - U for Use something red (card base, background, ribbon)
Christmas Card Challenge #2 - picture inspiration
Come and Get It - Christmas Challenge #2
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #312 - cute or anything Christmas
Dream Valley Challenge #146 - Christmas
Pile It On #123 - Celebrations any holiday
The Ribbon Girl- December Challenge - any image
Use Your Stuff - Merry Christmas

Simple 12 Days of Christmas Mini-Album

I've been spending all of my time crafting or scrapbooking. I just finished a scrapbook of high school years for one dear lady and lots of craft items for a local store that's having an open house today.  Here's  one of the mini-albums I made using Graphic 45's Twelve Days of Christmas ephemera cards and background paper. It's  a 7" x 5" accordion album made from Kraft cardstock with black cardstock "hinges." All of the pages have either a mat for photos or some type of pocket or partially adhered fussy cut image that serves as a pocket. Two of the pages have fold out flaps to include more photos.

I tried to keep it simple and it took me most of one morning between breakfast and lunch. Not bad since I'm usually slow. Here are lots of photos:

 Days 4 (Four calling birds) and 7 (Seven geese a-laying) have the fold-out features.

Here's the back side. It unfortunately received too much sunlight when I took the photos.

The last page included the entire song. If you grew up singing this like I did, it's a great reminder of Christmas past that is lovely to pass on to the next generations.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you as you craft and bless the recipients of your work!

I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:
Allsorts week #391- anything Christmas
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #391 - Not a card
Crafter's Café Challenge #161 - Christmas comes early
Crafty Girls Creations #30 - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons #177 - Christmas
Moving Along with the Times #34 - anything goes with Christmas
PDE Linky Party #148 - anything but a card
Scrap from your Heart #3 - Christmas
Simply Papercraft #41 - anything goes

Flowery Get Well Scripture Card

One of the sad things about being sick is that it usually takes us out of fellowship with our friends, family, and co-workers while we recuperate.  Yet it can be a time when we especially need the uplifting care and prayers from those we know. I'm constantly reminded that I need to have a lot more get well cards to share the message of my loving concern and God's care and healing. I also believe that much of the time when I have inconvenient illness, God wants me to learn something through it all and share with someone else who is ill.

This week the Shining the Light challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs is to make a card with scripture. I chose one of their scripture stamps from their "Get Well" stamp set that says:

"I will restore you to health . . .declares the Lord."  
Jeremiah 30:17

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Card and Scrap #102 - use flowers
Crafty Ribbons #125 - butterflies or birds with ribbon
Our Daily Bread Designs SLC #252 - anything with scripture
Polkadoodles #35 - things with wings
Really Reasonable Ribbon #125 - things with wings
Scrap & Craft #13 - butterflies
Stampavie and More #245 - bows
Word Art Wednesday #199 - anything uplifting

Recipe 6.5" x 5" Card:
Papers - Graphic 45 "Botanical Tea,"CTMH blush cardstock; unknown green cardstock
Stamp - Our Daily Bread Designs "Get Well"
Ink - CTMH Black ink
Accessories and Tools - Petaloo (and Recollections) butterfly and flowers, CTMH retired organdy ribbon, lace from stash, CTMH mocha opaques (pearls), pink tag from stash, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Thank you for visiting! May God bless and heal your illnesses that you may encourage others!

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

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?

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