Dapper Father's Day Card

When my hubby and I each retired we found ourselves still working hard, just without the usual salary and doing other work than before. The sentiments on this paper caught my attention for a fun Father's Day card for my busy, hard-working husband. Summer is his busiest time on the farm where we live, even though he doesn't farm the land like his father.

I used this sketch from Sketch Saturday Challenge #516:

 My hubby should like the additional sentiment: "Handsome and hardworking. Yes, that sounds about right." The paper is from Authentique's  "Dapper" and Basic Grey and the Father's Day Stamp is retired from CTMH.

I used leftover pieces to make the inside more interesting!

Thank you for visiting! May you also find ways to bless the guys in your life as we celebrate Father's Day this month.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crafting by Designs - for the boys

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper June Challenge - anything goes

Pile It On Challenge #143 - All sorts of holidays
Simply Create Too #139 - for a male
Sketch Saturday Challenge #516 - sketch above

Isaiah 55:10-11 (WEB)

10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

365 Promises of God - Promise #154: My Word will not return to me until it accomplishes what I intended.

Mojo 456 Prayers for France

We have friends in Paris who have two little boys. They've been on my heart today along with the many families who lost someone or witnessed the tragedy in Nice. That influenced the colors of my card I had been planning for today, the blue, white, and red, the colors of the French flag. I chose a message of prayer: The Lord will see you through this tough time.

 and inside the message says: "God is never far away, His love is always near. And with God by your side you will get through this!" (from Our Daily Bread Designs' "Faith Card Sentiments")

I used a Cuttlebug Fleur de Lis embossing folder, Simon Says "prayers" die,  MFT double stitched circle Die-Namics, papers from BoBunny Anthem Collection, CTMH twine, Champagne and Black ink, blue background and cardstock, and this sketch for the front;

Thank you for visiting! May God keep you and yours in His loving watch care!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cut It Up #100 - anything goes with a die cut
Fab 'n' Funky #313 - add a sentiment
Mojo Monday 456 - sketch
Simply Create Too Challenge #113 - Red, White, or Blue (I chose all three)
Word Art Wednesday #238-239 -  anything goes family friendly

More Regatta Cards

Here is a simple post of the cards I made for my April workshop. If you're unfamiliar with CTMH Workshops Your Way, you have directions to make 4 layouts and a collection of cards, using most of the paper in the paper packet. I used the direction for cutting the cards for my friends and myself, but I changed the way they were embellished with images, sentiments, and I added Kraft cardstock for the bases.

Here's a link to the pdf cutting guide for three of the layouts and the card patterns. I should have posted this link earlier this month for my customers, but illness and muscle spasms slowed my blogging. (The Regatta paper pack, workshop, and embellishments are only available until the last day of April.)

If you didn't see my Regatta card that I made yesterday, you can find it HERE.

Thanks for visiting!

Mojo #445 Let Your Light Shine with Regatta

Today I kept thinking about my grandson who is about to turn 14. I remembered how much trouble he kept getting into in Kindergarten compared to what a model student he is now. He's very serious about getting his work finished and has really nice friends.  Of course, as his grandma, I'm quite proud of the way he helps everyone with their work, inside or outside. He recently helped me dig up perennials around my yard to transplant then used the trimmer to help his dad with mowing.


As the oldest of four kids, he is an example for his younger siblings. I've watched him fix them each different lunches in the summer. I'm sure he'll be a good dad some day. He's not only been growing taller than me, but also growing mighty in spirit.  As I get ready to stay with them this summer when school is out, I hope to encourage him to "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."


Here's the card I made to write a special message to him, using this week's Mojo Monday sketch #445 and the CTMH Regatta paper pack. He loved our trip to the ocean, so I knew he'd like this paper.

 

The lovely ladies at Mojo Monday say you can use the round or square or whatever size you need, so I made mine 4.25" x 5.5" so the sentiment would fit.

The Regatta paper has two 12" x 12" sheets with a variety of Picture my Life cards that can be used in pocket scrapbooking - or on cards! I used one of the 4" x 3" paper sections for the fenced square. I stamped the lighthouse with the My Anchor stamp set (after cutting it with the coordinating die) using Flaxen ink for the bottom rocks and Pomegranate for the top. (The Sapphire stamped sentiment is from a very old CTMH stamp set that was called Treasures of the Heart.) Sparkles and some hemp twine finished my card.

Thank you for visiting. I'll have more Regatta cards here tomorrow.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting By Designs - For boys and men
Heart 2 Heart Challenge - use Regatta
Inky Impressions Challenge - About the boys
Mojo Monday #445 - sketch
Stampotique Designers Challenge #242 - Masculine
Word Art Wednesday #228-229 - anything uplifting

Use It Up! - Mojo 417 Tinkerin' Card

I was inspired by the current and previous sketches from Mojo Monday and used the Tinkerin' paper I was trying to use up today. The first one I interpreted the gear circles as flower circles instead. I used this week's Mojo Monday 417 sketch:

I chose the Verve sentiment, a Scripture for a friend I've been praying for. She was nursing her husband who had a serious emergency surgery when her mother also became sick, then passed away. The verse says:
Be strong and take heart all you who HOPE in the Lord. Psalm 31:24.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Come and Get It - Clear it Out - use an old stash item (2009 Tinkerin' background paper and white daisies (9 years old-why do I save things so long??)
Eclectic Ellapu September Challenge - Purple team - use something in stash 6 mo. old or more (6+ years)
Mojo Monday #417 - sketch
Word Art Wednesday #202 - anything uplifting

Here's the other card I made using the front side of the paper showing the circle gears. I used last week's Mojo Monday sketch which was perfect for gears. I was inspired yesterday by the challenge at Addicted to CAS to make a card with the word DREAMS. My card isn't CAS so I didn't share it in their challenge, but I have a grandson who was in Robotics and two that should become architects or engineers, so I thought gears and robots would go along with the idea of them following their dreams.

 

 I used the shiny side of the Cranberry, Sunset, Canary, and Slate Paper Fundamentals. They have a shiny pattern that doesn't show up unless the light reveals it. Here's a close-up turned toward the light: 

It's a little distracting in this photo, but compare it to the photo above it and maybe you get the idea. All of these shiny papers are the retired patterns. CTMH released some new patterns this year. The sentiment stamp is retired from National Stamping Month set several years ago. The inside, which I forgot to photograph while it was still light,  has a message for one of my grandsons:

"for as you dream you shall become."

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Daring Cardmakers - Creative Kids (for my grandson)

For more ideas using up the Tinkerin' paper see these two posts:

-- a card and layout made today

-- a Christmas card made with the back side of the paper

Love Ya Silly Valentine

I've been wondering what color combo would be best for the valentines I'm making for five grandsons. I recently got some monster stamps with great sentiments that I planned to use for the boys. Pink and red didn't seem right, at least not alone. When I saw the combo at ColorQ this week, I knew that adding that pumpkin pie orange to the pinks and reds would be more masculine. I had some pieces of reversible Black and Sunset with the tiny words "ha ha ha" all over.  Here's their color swatch:



I used this sketch from Deconstructed Sketch 187:

Here's my card. I cut the hearts on the Cricut.

I had fun stamping the little monster. I used Sunset ink then rolled the top edges in my oldest ink, Holiday Red, the style used by CTMH before they made acrylic stamps. After I cut him out, I used a 0.3 pigment pen to outline his heart and a few features. All of the materials are from CTMH except the red glitter paper, which is unknown. All of the papers are old, mostly VERY old (the boys don't mind!). I've cut multiple hearts and paper strips so I can make the other four "boy" cards when I scrapbook with friends this weekend. The other images and sentiments can be seen at the end of this post. Along with their sentiments, they're a hoot!

Thank you for visiting.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

colorQ #278 - above

Crafting for all Seasons #95 - Have a heart

Creative Moments #61 - anything goes with option Love

Cuttin and Stampin #7 - Masculine

Deconstructed Sketch #187

Dream Valley #99 - Valentine's Day

Just Inspirational February Challenge - Love

Shopping Our Stash #187 - use your oldest ink (Holiday Red, oldest style)

The Male Room #3 - Valentine (for a boy)

Tuesday Throwdown #230 - monster mash

Love Ya Silly stamp set



Doodle Pantry "Glory Days" Cards - September New Release

I grew up next to an airbase with the sound of jet engines nearby. Like many others, I worked there as a civilian  two summers after high school. When I was a teacher, we could see planes and jets practicing for air shows right outside our classroom windows. When my son was an adolescent he joined the Civil Air Patrol there with dreams of being a jet pilot someday. We saw the Blue Angels fly overhead many times. My son had his photo taken with them one year. Times changed, the air base closed. Now there's a Christian School and Bible College in the buildings and we go there for soccer games.

Today is my son's birthday and he loved this card made using Doodle Pantry's new "Glory Days" and shared memories of his adolescent dreams of "Glory Days" flying a jet. I used the image of the F-18 because it is one of the jets used by the Blue Angels, painted blue, of course. I left mine with the original colors used by Laurie Wilson. Both of mine were designed using a sketch from Operation Write Home. They have a treasure trove of sketches for those interested, including measurements.



I repeated the stars in the digi paper by using three star sparkles on the left and by embossing the background cardstock with stars. My son liked the sparkle vapor trail. I liked the sentiment that gave me the chance to tell him how proud I am that he has soared in his education and career. I also tied in the title and one of the gifts I gave him, a book on praying scripture over his son, so that his prayers may soar as well. (Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most by Brooke McGlothlin)

My second version is similar but I used older Outdoor Denim patterned paper and a retired corrugated star from a retired embellishment set.

Here are the other images in the "Glory Days" set:

You can get this or other images with this week's Labor Day Sale:

AUGUST  29 - SEPT 6 ONLY

30% OFF cart total!  (excludes gift certificates AND bundles) ($2.00 minimum)

COUPON:    LABORDAY14

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you and help you "soar like no other" in His Word, in prayer, and in life!



I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:


Come and Get It - Things with Wings
Crafts 4 Eternity#191 - Tic Tac Toe (below) the diagonal: something old (blue corrugated star), color blue, and something new ( image and digi papers)
Sister Act Card Challenge #72 - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge #207 - For the Boys
The Male Room - Stars
Word Art Wednesday #147 - anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Doodle Pantry New Release - Classic Clunkers

With five grandsons and a hubby who loves cars, I was drawn to this new set just released from Doodle Pantry. Since it's called Classic Clunkers 1, I knew the cars would be somewhat older. When I mixed up the names, hubby still knew which ones they were. Good work, Laurie! I'm also intrigued to see which clunkers she'll offer next. I plan to make a whole set for some car lovers I know. Please check out the other new release samples here.

I chose the outlines and colored them with Copic markers similar to cars we owned in the past, like dark olive green. I never would buy that color again! Gold and yellow weren't too bad. I'm not sure the color of the photos turned out exactly. Trees have shaded my windows so that very little light comes inside, so I tried outside photos for a change. I hoped it would show the detail of the Spellbinder's "Kickin' Rubber" M-bossabilities. I rubbed some slate ink over the raised embossing. I love the look of the "tire tread" for these masculine cards.

The patterned papers are from Basic Grey and My Mind's Eye. The black hemp, black sparkle flourishes, and the triangle durables are all from Close To My Heart.

We hope you'll also join the July challenge at Doodle Pantry. Remember, you can use images from any source. There are two themes you can choose from:  a choice of either Christmas or Make a Splash (water). Also, until July 24th you can get the Happy Trails Camper free with any purchase!

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:
4 Crafty Girls #21 - anything goes
Brown Sugar #101 - anything goes
ScrapbookerPhD  #12 - add texture
Sister Act Card challenge #64 - anything goes
Stempelsonnen #118 - Anything with wheels
SweetPea Stampers - for the boys/men

Vintage Gentleman Card with Doodle Pantry June Release

It's nearly Father's Day where we live. That's such a great time to honor the men in our lives, even if they're not our own fathers. I was attracted to this lovely image set that Laurie made for Doodle Pantry this month. The men are quite classy, but one of the sentiments was the main attraction for me. It talks about having character:


"The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he'd never be found out."




I'm so fortunate to have a husband who would do right whether anyone was watching or not. I'm hoping I can teach a little of that to my grandsons as I care for them this summer!  Here's the card I made using Laurie's images, sentiments, and papers. (If you look closely at the lighter designer paper you can see tiny shapes that look like mustaches.)

 

I die cut the sentiment using a Spellbinder's Shapeabilities "Fancy Tags Two" die. I trimmed off the top flourishes and inked it with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The ribbon was a very old scrap that seemed masculine. The pewter embellishments were from a retired CTMH collection.

I wanted this card to be appropriate for either Father's Day or a birthday, so I added an additional sentiment from one of the sets last May, "Buffalo and Caribou."

You can find the following images and other card designs here. Be sure to check out the other new releases for this month.

I'd also like to invite you to join the Doodle Pantry Challenge #47. The theme is "Make It Manly." You can use any image from any source. There will be three $15 random winners.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you as you honor the men who are or have been part of your life.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:




Crafting for All Seasons #78 - Boys will be boys
Creative Card Crew #62 - Shabby chic/Vintage
Die Cuttin' Divas #167 - For the boys
Inky Chicks #30 - Use a metal embellishment
Paper Pretties Wednesday #312 - Father's Day/ Masculine
The Paper Shelter #160 - Make it manly
Ruby's Rainbow #80 - One for the Boys
Word Art Wednesday #134 - anything goes with uplifting sentiment

New April Release at Doodle Pantry

Have you ever hiked through the woods and suddenly come across a couple of deer? You freeze in place, quiet, ready to take in their graceful beauty. They, too, freeze in place, quiet, wondering if there is danger. I've caught their fleeting image with my camera just before they'd bound away. I made this card with the animal lovers in mind. I used Laurie Wilson's outline image of a whitetail deer from her set called Deer Trio that you can find here. I used Photoshop to flip the image to make the second deer face the first deer.

I used the outline image and colored the deer and open spaced with Copic markers and inked the edges with CTMH Heavenly Blue dye ink\. The Kraft cardstock on front was embossed with a woodgrain pattern and inked with CTMH Chocolate. The black mat on the front lifts up to reveal one of the quotes from the set. When it's closed, the birthday sentiment from Celebrations stands out. I cropped it (removing "for you") to fit the space I had. The fiber is baker's twine made with hemp.

Then the card opens on the side to reveal the birthday sentiment from DP Endearing Sentiments.

Here's the new set of Deer Trio stamps that I used:

 

I plan to use these images for a host of masculine cards for the nature lovers I know. Thanks for visiting.  I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Blogger's challenge - Animals

Challenges and Candies #30 - embossing

Craftitude Challenge #61 - anything goes/ add a brad (or eyelet)

Crafty Calendar Challenge March - Animal antics

Crafty Catz Challenge #224 - anything goes

Creative Knockouts #30 - Texturize it

Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenge #7 - animal antics

Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge #83 - Make your own background (mine is embossed and inked)

New March Release at Doodle Pantry

My computer finally returned home this evening after seeing the "virus doctor" for four days. I missed the official release on March 1st of the new Doodle Pantry images, but maybe you haven't seen them yet. Better late than never.


With a hubby who loves the wilderness and the mountains, a son and two son-in-laws who love camping, and five grandsons, I chose two great images to work with. I used the four Grunge Wood Papers for the background and the moose image and frames from the North Woods SVG set. This image brings back great memories of moose we've seen up close in the Tetons in Wyoming. Now I just have to decide which of the outdoorsmen in the family will get this one.

Here are the previews and links to these two sets at Doodle Pantry. Grunge Wood:

:

I used the png files shown below in photoshop to print my images and cut out manually. That's easy to do with this set. I changed the colors using Color Balance. I  flipped the moose horizontally so he faced the right side opening of my card.  (I typed the sentiment in Word. The triangle studs and jute ribbon are from CTMH.)  Here's the link:

I

This month, March 1st - 24th, you can get the following set, Critter Tales, free with any purchase:

In addition, if you enter the Doodle Pantry challenge this month using a Doodle Pantry image, you will receive the following set of Carousel Pig free.

Thank you for visiting. I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Anyone for Anya March Challenge - Masculine or grungy
The Corrosive Challenge #194 - Animals
Craftin' Desert Diva's  Craft It Up Link It Up Party #26- Birthday theme
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper March Challenge - anything goes with patterned paper
Craft Your Passion Challenge  #203- Birthday theme
Papercrafting Journey - manly or boyish
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #18 - Masculine
The Pink Elephant Theme Challenge #240 - Birthdays
Through the Purple Haze #31 - use a digi
Totally Gorjus Challenge #225 - Happy Birthday

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

Glory To God Masculine Christmas Card

The blackboard/chalkboard look has been pretty popular. I was glad to find a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs, "Glory to God," that has a Christmas message with this look. I decided to make a masculine card that uses simplicity and glorifies God with the artistic Scripture verse and the images. I especially liked the way the image includes a cross, reminding us that Christ didn't just come as a baby, but was the perfect sacrifice that could take our place, paying for our sins - the perfect Christmas gift for all eternity!

The image is scissor distressed and matted with kraft cardstock that I debossed on the edges to make it frame-like. I used some long-retired red plaid paper and black button brads from Close To My Heart. The corrugated Kraft star is also retired from CTMH and has a current cork star on top of it. The large striped black and white grosgrain ribbon seemed perfect for a masculine card, especially when knotted.

Thank you for visiting. For my friends in the U. S., Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks #170 - Christmas
Charisma Cardz #46 - Christmas
Crafty Ribbons #72 - Anything Goes with ribbon
Holly Jolly Christmas - One for the Boys
Inspired by Stamping - use ribbon or crochet trim
Oldie But a Goodie Challenge - ribbon and/or lace (button brads over a year old and paper several years old)
Ribbon Carousel Challenge #87 - Holidays & Celebrations
Shopping Our Stash #121 - Holiday or winter
Word Art Wednesday #108 - Anything goes with Scripture or uplifting verse

Clearly Digi Stamps Sheltering Light Cards

****IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT****

Lori McCrosky, owner of  Clearly Digi Stamps, just made the difficult announcement that her store will be closing September 30. You can see her post here. I will show cards using some of my favorite CDS stamps for the rest of this month so that you can see if there are any you must have before they close. Also, come back on Sunday morning to see our last BLOG HOP.

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

Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING

Looking through my card stash made me realize I need a lot more masculine cards. Here are two masculine cards I made with images from Clearly Digi Stamps using Laurie Wilson's set called "Sheltering Light." (Laurie will gradually be adding her CDS stamps to her store, "Doodle Pantry.")

I chose this week's challenge sketch and photo inspiration at Fusion for both cards. I rotated the sketch 90 degrees and used the octopus inspiration for a sea scene.

I also used this boat scene from Challenges and Candies for color inspiration emphasizing blue, green, red and white.

 

My first card uses two of the sentiments and one of the lighthouse stamps in this set. It's made using the Close To My Heart papers and canvas oar sticker from the "Tommy" collection and the CTMH black button brads and hemp. I used the pre-colored image, then re-colored parts of it for shadows on the lighthouse and grass and darker sky. I altered the image in Photoshop by using the ellipse tool to make it an oval for the sketch used. The sentiment was a one line row of words. I used Photoshop to copy and paste a new document with the words in two lines so I could punch it out with a 1.75" circle punch. The Outdoor Denim scalloped circle behind it was cut with the Spellbinder's Scalloped Circle Nestabilities.

 

 

The inside of the card uses a Scripture from the set:

I believe I shared another time about one of my friends who lived in Brazil with her husband and baby. One night when she was home alone with the baby, a man broke into her home with a machete. She had her baby in her arms when she saw him come into the hallway where she was standing. She cried out, "Dear Jesus, help me!" The man looked above her head and had a frightened look in his eyes. He turned and ran out. She and I were sure he must have seen God's angels protecting her.  His name IS A STRONG TOWER OF SAFETY.

My second card was inspired by the Card Crafters Challenge to use checks and tartan plaids. I used the same sketch and this time didn't shade the colored image from Clearly Digi Stamps.

The papers are from The Paper Studio and some very old blue plaid from Close To My Heart. The sentiment is a Scripture from Close To My Heart's new set called "Look to the Light."

Here's the list of challenges for these cards:
Card Crafters Challenge #92 - checks and tartans - for second card
Challenges and Candies #16 - photo of boats color inspiration



Chocolate Coffee and Cards #48 - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz #198 - cards for Men and Boys
Fusion #17 - octopus picture theme inspiration and sketch
Kitty Bee Designs #8 - Water
Polka Doodles #137 - One for the Boys
Ruby's Rainbow #62 - It's a Male Thing
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use a digi
Word Art Wednesday #97 - Anything goes with Encouraging verse or Scripture