Christmas Angel - O Come Let Us Adore Him

We finally finished celebrating Christmas with three of our children's families this week, including eight grandchildren. It's heartwarming to see how they're approaching gifts this year now that they're a year older. The youngest two are in second grade and the oldest is 13. They're now old enough to be patient watching others open their gifts and the oldest let everyone know he didn't need much, didn't want his parents to spend much. And, hopefully, they're growing in their understanding that we're celebrating the birth of our Savior who came to earth to live as a man so that He could someday die in our place to pay for our sins.

As a cardmaker, I was still racing this year to finish Christmas cards and still didn't make enough. While my supplies aren't all put away I've determined to get an early start on next year so this doesn't happen again. Here's a multicultural card I've made for families in my grandsons' Christian school. I used the digi image, "In the Manger," from Mo's Digital Pencil. The sentiment is from a Close To My Heart retired stamp set.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Snowflake's Promise #13 - Christmas
Cards und More #148 - Christmas
Creative Card Crew #103 - anything Christmas goes
Creative Moments #83 - Anything Goes/Optional Traditional Christmas
Holly Jolly Christmas - anything goes that's Christmas
The Crafty Addicts #5 - Anything Goes/Celebration
Word Art Wednesday #216 - anything uplifting

Cammy's Christmas Stocking

Here's another multi-cultural Christmas card I made for someone at my grandson's school. I used an adorable digi from Mo's  Digital Pencil colored with Copics. Her face truly reflects the delight of a child with her gifts.

Thank you for visiting during this busy season. May God bless you as you spread Christmas cheer to those around you, especially to those of different nationalities or cultures!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
A Snowflake's Promise #11 - anything Christmas themed
ABC Christmas Challenge - Y for Youngsters
Cards 4 Galz #11- Cute Christmas
Craft for the Craic - Christmas cheer
Crafty Creations #304 - Happy Holiday
Crafty Gals Corner #49 - anything goes
Creative Moments #83 - anything goes/traditional Christmas option
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - anything Christmas

Decorating the Tree

This week I'm sharing some multi-cultural Christmas cards I made for families at my grandsons' school. I was really glad to find some digital image companies This first one is Jada with Bauble from Pink Gem Designs. I loved the fact I could use their colored image to help me make cards faster. With the stars and snowflake designs included in the design I thought it should have glittery papers and blue shimmer trim.

Thank you for stopping by. May God bless and keep you as you prepare for this lovely Christmas season!


I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge #159 - anything Christmas goes
Brown Sugar Challenge #175 - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #258 - Time to Decorate
Crazy 4 Challenges #318 - O Christmas Tree lyric inspiration
Creative Corner Challenge - Sparkle and Shine
Dream Valley Challenge #121 - die cuts (2) and punches (snowflakes)
Eclectic Ellapu Purple Team Challenge - one or more dies (2 - white rectangle and tree)

Much Happiness Card with Chinese Lanterns

(We're having heavy snow today. Being snowed in is a great time for papercrafting. But it also gives me a headache making it hard to think what to write. It's amazing that brain fog can allow creativity, but not words. I believe it has to do with my headache being on the left side, language side of the brain.)

Here is an Asian card using a sketch from Mark's Finest Paper SpeedyTV Oriental Sketch Challenge, paper lanterns from Graphic 45 "Bird Song" paper, and a long-retired CTMH stamp called "Kanji Phrases." The glitter gems are also from CTMH. I loved using the Marvelous Squares and Splendid Circles Spellbinders dies. The background designer paper is from an old DCWV paper pad, "Far East."

Thank you for visiting! May you be blessed as you craft and share your blessings with others!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cards Galore Encore #2 - add gems/bling
Crafting from the Heart #6 - Anything goes/Use Red
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper challenge - anything goes with patterned paper
Crafts 4 Eternity #161 - Oriental Theme
Cuttlebug Mania - A Touch of Red
MFP SpeedyTV Oriental Sketch Challenge #22 - sketch
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Penny Black and More February Challenge - Make It Sparkle
Polkadoodles wk. 5 - Anything Goes/Oriental

Blessings for Chinese New Year

Today is the beginning of Chinese New Year. This year is called the year of the horse. I mentioned before that my son, his wife, and I have a passion for all things Asian. I'm so glad that China has opened its door to the west. I've met many from China and have been fascinated by their story. My favorite was a nurse who told me that whenever they would build or repair roads, they'd have so many people working on the road it took only one day. I wish our six month road repairs in Missouri took the same approach. I've met some who have worked in China setting up businesses or factories. They've come back with a love for the Chinese people.  So I made this card in honor of these lovely people, praying that God will bless them.  I used a digital image from Digital Things. The inside sentiment is one I typed in Word.

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 2

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Guyz - Chinese New Year - Year of the Horse
Crafts for Eternity #161 - Oriental theme
Polkadodles #5 - Anything goes/Oriental
Southern Girls - It's all new (New Year)
Winter Wonderland - Digi days (horse and sentiment)

Bird Song Love and Honor Valentine Card

Chinese New Year is later this week. This is another chance for me to make an Asian card using Graphic 45's Bird Song collection. I think the papers are beautiful and easy to use. The two birds in the picture I chose remind me of LOVE BIRDS, so I stamped the words "Love" and "Honor" to go with the illustration. I designed this card to be a masculine valentine (no pink, lace or hearts).

I used the design I found at Mark's Finest Papers Oriental Sketch Challenge #21:

I used a 3" circle punch to cut the bird picture. I have a few Asian stamps that I've collected since my son and his wife like to decorate with all things Chinese. I stamped the two squares with words from the Technique Tuesday Far East stamp set. I tied black crochet thread around the striped panel. The black doily is glittery, so I matted the two words on black and then gold metallic cardstock. You might be able to see the black glitter and gold shine in this photo:

You can find many Chinese card sentiments with a google search. Here is the Valentine sentiment I chose from a set that included the English translation. This is from Chinese Phrases for Greeting Cards by Hongyang in this pdf file.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Hiding in My Craft Room #134 - For a loved one
Oriental Sketch Challenge #21 (mfpspeedytv) - Sketch used
Pile It On #4 - Animals
Ruby's Rainbow #71- use a Doily (black Wilton doily)
Sentimental Sundays #191 - Lovey Dovey
Simply Create Too #53 - Valentines or hearts
Stamplorations January Challenge - Feathers (bird pictures) and stamping (Chinese & English words)
Word Art Wednesday #116 - anything goes with uplifting verse

Boy Praying Step Card

Before I made today's card I had been finding so many reasons to pray: for direction, for strength, for health, for blessings for  family, thankful for His grace and so many blessings he's given me. The older I am, the more prayer has become this frequent small conversation that goes on throughout the day between me and my "Abba, Father." I can't imagine going through the day without my thoughts turning to Him often in thankfulness or appeal. He knows I'm not perfect and never will be. This relationship is so closely tied to knowing how much He loves me anyway, enough to send His own Son to take my place, dying for my own sins. I wanted to make a card of encouragement for someone else to remember how much we have to talk to our Heavenly Father about.

Earlier this week I mentioned that I wanted to make more multicultural cards. I found some adorable images at Mo's Digital Pencil. Here's one called "Cal" that I couldn't resist. He reminded me of friends that each of my grandsons have at Grandview Christian School. I combined the image with a verse from Word Art Wednesday and the larger sentiment from Our Daily Bread Designs, "Thank God."  The trickier part was combining them into a step card that I'd been wanting to create. I'm still not sure I know ways to keep it standing, but I combined it with some extra support in places and here's the result:

As a masculine card, I kept it simple, without embellishments besides the paper. I didn't want it to be any thicker than it already is.  Now I'm looking at it and wonder if a few buttons would fit the theme and design.  Having a lot of layers is the challenge at Mo's Bronte and Bella's Challenge #218 this week. Here's the side view of the layers.

I planned the back panel and the blue facing part on the middle panel to be the "inside" part of the card where a message can be written on the blue piece:

Here's what the verse on the first panel says:

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

In case you can't read the back panel from Our Daily Bread Designs, this beautiful sentiment says:

Happy Moments,

Praise God.

Difficult Moments,

Seek God.

Quiet Moments,

Worship God.

Painful Moments,

Trust God.

Every Moment,

Thank God.

Thank you for visiting. May God fill your moments with awareness of His presence in your daily life and conversation that goes both ways.

I'm sharing this card with the additional challenges:


A Gem of a Challenge #111 - For the Boys
Brown Sugar #78 - Embossing (used Medium Polka Dots folder from the Paper Studio)





Charisma Cardz Challenge #2 - It's a Boy Thing
Digitally Sweet Challenge #72 - Anything Goes (with digi)
Frosted Designs Friday Challenge - Polka Dots (Orange panel - Medium Polka Dots embossing folder from the Paper Studio)
Graph It Color Challenge #4 - Anything Goes/Dark Skin Tones
My Sheri Crafts #125 - Use a Digi
Paper Creator's Crafts #19 - Anything Goes
Totally PaperCrafts #203 - One for the Boys
Word Art Wednesday #116 - Anything Goes with uplifting sentiment

Bird Song Birthday Card

I spent Martin Luther King Day with my three oldest grandsons. We had a great adventure visiting our planetarium and the Imax theater in our old Union Station. We had a lot of time to talk about the history of Civil Rights in our country and Martin Luther King Jr.'s contribution. It also made me realize I needed to make more multi-cultural cards which I hope to start this week.

I saw Time 4 Scrap that it's time for the Chinese New Year. That inspired me to make some Asian cards. My son, his wife, and I have always had a fascination with all things Asian, so when Our Daily Bread Designs had an inspiration photo of cherry blossoms in a blue jar, I knew that my Graphic 45 Bird Song paper would be perfect for this challenge. My grandchildren go to school with many Asian children. I hope this card will be enjoyed by one of their mothers.

The left side is CTMH Crystal Blue cs embossed with bamboo. The black sparkle flourish is also from CTMH.

Here is the inspiration from Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #187. I used the colors and flowers on the right as my inspiration.

The sketch from Everybody Art Challenge #262 gave me more inspiration:

I used three stamp sets from Our Daily Bread Designs. The pink flowers were fussy cut from an image from "Grow in Grace" and matted on black. The outside "Blessings" banner is from "Sweet William-Small." The inside sentiment is from "Birthday Blessings."

Thank you for visiting. May God strengthen you with wisdom and bless your days in this new year!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks #178 - Bling (black sparkle flourishes and gold flower centers)
Crafting By Designs - Girly Girl
Crafting for All Seasons #69 - Girly
Crafty Sentiments - Birthdays
Deep Ocean #69 - Birthday
Everybody Art Challenge #262 - sketch
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #187 - photo inspiration
Time 4 Scrap #32 - Chinese New Year
Word Art Wednesday #116 - anything goes with uplifting verse