Our Daily Bread Design's "Scene It" Card

The challenge this week at Our Daily Bread Designs was to create a scene. I wasn't sure I could, but one of the ODBD stamps that I have spoke to me about a "sheltering place" where my husband and I have enjoyed hiking and I knew I had enough stamps to try. I used a total of five stamps to create the scene. I stamped with Versamark and colored the images with chalk (chalk popping technique). I stamped the verse from the ODBD Scripture Collection 2 with Ranger ink. The couple didn't show up too well stamped in chalk so I stamped them with Black ink on dark brown Bazzill cardstock and cut them out. They are so much darker it reminds me of someone at the edge of the shady woods who is backlit by the bright sunshine. The final image was so big it nearly filled my 6" x 6" card, so the overall design is quite simple.

This scene reminds me of hikes we've taken in the Tetons on the trail to Swan Lake and Heron Pond. We'd walk at least a mile past Jackson Lake, through tall trees that would creak and sway when it was windy. Of course, we eventually learned to watch for bears, but most of the time, alone in the woods, there's the awesome closeness to God that I enjoy in those remote places. It reminds me of Bible camp in the summers as a child when we'd have a devotional time in the woods.  I always wish I had paper and pencil to record the hymns that play in my head as I soak it all in. It's an amazing place to give thanks. Then when you step out of the woods beside the lake and walk toward the view of the Tetons, there is the evidence of the power of the Creator who made such majestic beauty. As an occasional couple or family pass by, you can almost read the same awareness on each of their faces. You can't go there and remain unchanged. It's been a year and a half since I walked that trail, but part of that place, that worshipful experience, resides in a corner of my heart and mind forever. The important thing is realizing every day, in every ordinary experience, that Christ is in me and also practicing His presence. That's a way He is the shelter from the storms of life and that's one way He gives me peace.

6" x 6" card recipe:

Paper - CTMH Colonial White CS; Basic Grey "Origins"

Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs "Scripture Collection 2;" CTMH "Bliss" (couple), "Beautiful Things" (scenery elements)

Ink - Versamark, Ranger, Memento Tuxedo Black

Other - Pebbles Ink chalk -Earth Tones; CTMH jute, wooden buttons; Papertrey Ink - thin twine in buttons



Rainbow Colored Get Well with Sweet Sketch 141

This morning  I saw the Colors & Swirls Challenge on the Ribbon Carousel Challenge #41 and knew that it matched the colors of some candy on the paper pack I'm trying to use up. They reminded me of pills, so I knew a get well card was in the works.

Adding little squares of the "pills" seemed like a good option, so I'm using the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

This one is dedicated to our daughter, Christine, who's a nurse and busy mom of three. (Sorry, Christine, I didn't make her blonde.) I used the oval Spellbinder's die as a "mat" and stippled Crystal Blue ink inside around the edges, then sponged Cranberry Ink on the edges.

(DP is DCWV The Sweet Stack and CS is CTMH. Heart buttons and red organdy ribbon from my stash. CTMH -stamp set retired, black hemp, Moonstruck, Cranberry and White Daisy CS)

The Deconstructed Sketch#39 with Word Art Wednesday

Today I was inspired to use the verse from Word Art Wednesday to make a card for my daughter who leads such a busy life but still values God's Word and considers it to be a most important aspect of her life and her family's. I had been wanting to make a card with the pink and brown palette (with lace) suggested by Really Reasonable Ribbon's Challenge #42 and the sketch from the deconstructed sketch #39 was perfect.

I printed the Word Art with a width of 2" and punched out the circle with a 2.5" punch. I knew I had some ladies' shoes, but when I looked for the stamp sets I also saw the "'girl" from my new Fashionista stamp set and knew these had to go together. She took the place of two elements on the left side. I stamped her skirt and one of the shoes in Blush and used paper piecing. I lightly stamped her bag on the same patterned paper that I used. For my friends who get that stamp set I wanted to remind them that when you cut out something thin like this girl you can always leave a white margin around the image. I think it actually looks better that way.   And, Lisa, my dear super thin daughter who's had 3 boys and two sets of large twins), she reminds me of you.

5.5" brocade textured square card:
Paper - My Mind's Eye; CTMH White Daisy Blush CS; Bazzill (brown cs)
Stamps - CTMH Fashionista, (Let's Shop, Totally Chick both retired)
Ink - Ranger Vintage Photo, CTMH Blush
Other - CTMH lace from Pink Ribbon collection, pearls, and pink sparkles, 2.75" circle form Cricut Art Philosophy; Spellbinder's LaceyCircles; 1", 1.25", 2.5" circle punches

The Ribbon Carousel Challenge 40 with Aqua, Green, Lilac and Buttercup

I loved my box of 64 crayons when I was a kid. I'd pull out several colors to use together. This is the only color combination that I remember being a favorite. I had that childlike glee when I saw Just Add Ink's Colour Challenge 105.

This sketch by The Ribbon Carousel Challenge Blog was perfect for using some spring flowers and generous dose of ribbon.



On the stamped image, I stamped the sentiment first in Spring Iris ink, then stamped the planter with the same ink. The flowers were stamped four times with Brown Stazon ink, twice above the pot and twice on a scrap of white. The pot was colored with a blender pen and the Spring Iris ink pad. The flowers were colored with Buttercup and Sweet Leaf markers, then with Spring Iris in the middle. I cut out the extra flowers and pop-dotted one in the middle above the main image and adhered two halves of the other, one on each side. I wanted the flowers to be full and spilling over the sides. Then I colored with a bluegreen Copic around the main image and used a Copic blender to lighten it. The green patterned paper has a slight paisley design, but it was so faint that I wanted to emboss it with the Cuttlebug "Mary Ann" folder. I am thrilled that they made another that fits my 6.5" x 5" cards!  Can't wait for spring! (We're having a thunderstorm here tonight, but that means tornado season is just around the corner, too!)

6.5" x 5" card recipe:

Paper - DCWV "The Sweet Stack;" CTMH White Daisy CS

Stamps - CTMH "Spring Equinox," "Flower Pot" (both retired)

Inks - CTMH Spring Iris, Stazon Brown

Other - CTMH  - Blender Pen, Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, Spring Iris markers; Sweet Leaf stitched grosgrain, Buttercup grosgrain ribbons, heavenly Blue organdy; Petals Paper flowers; retired Spring Iris brads; Cuttlebug "Mary Ann" embossing folder

MOJO Monday 229 in Pinks and Brown

I love making layouts with multiple strips of paper like this sketch from MOJO Monday #229. I paired it up with the color challenge from from Fashionable Stamping #15,  "Monochromatic plus one other colour." I used pinks and brown.

I chose to make today's MOJO Monday card by cutting out some of the stripes from one sheet of patterned paper. I chose the fattest ones. I decided to match them up with a really dark brown from Bazzil scrap that I've had a while. I used a Cuttlebug folder, Mary Ann, to emboss that brown piece. 

This stamp set from Verve has one of my favorite verses. I hope it will encourage a friend who needs to know this truth.  God wants to prosper us in so many areas - financially, emotionally, physically, and in relationsips. What a hopeful thought!  The 2nd sentiment is also from Verve, "Joy for the Journey."

5" x 6" Card:

Paper - DCWV "The Sweet Stack" ; CTMH White Daisy CS; Bazzil (brown)) CS

Stamps - Jeremiah 29:11, Joy for the Journey

Ink - Ranger Vintage Photo, CTMH Hollyhock

Other - CTMH Mocha adhesive pearls, dotted organdy ribbon from Chocolate Collection (retired); Cuttlebug "Mary Jane" embossing folder

Frosted Designs Sketch with Just Us Girls Palette

Today started out sunny but quickly the skies turned gray. This time of year I get so tired of seeing the colors outside my window. I'm so ready to see something besides shades of brown and gray. So I'm making bright, springtime-colored cards today from a paper pack I got on a huge discount. Since this is the third week of the month, Just Us Girls Challenge #124 is the following set of colors:

The sketch I used is from Frosted Designs Card Sketch #12.  Frosted Designs always has three challenges goin on at the same time. Besides the card challenge, they have a scrapbook challenge and a Fabulous Friday challenge. This week it's to use brads or eyelets. I accepted that challenge, too, and used both.  I haven't used eyelets much lately and I really enjoy running the baker's twine through the eyelets, so I was glad for that reminder in this challenge. Here's their card sketch:

 Here's my card for the three challenges:

I don't ordinarily get glittered paper packs in girly colors (I have 5 grandsons!), but after several months of winter, my eyes are ready for spring!

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:
Paper - DCWV "The Sweet Stack"
Stamp - Close To My Heart "Treasure Life"
Ink - CTMH Twilight
Other - CTMH Just Blooms, (Spring Assortment brads and Breeze eyelets, both retired), Baker's twine "Paradise Assortment"

CPS Day 15 Sketch with CR84FN Colors

CPS (Card Positioning System) Card Sketches is celebrating their 5th Anniversary with a challenge to make card using the previous patterns they select over 15 days. This is the last day and it uses Sketch #231. Kim Moreno from Flower Soft made a sample card with a cute image you have to see. I chose to use the color palette from CR84FN Color Challenge #48 - gray, chartreuse, and lavendar. I would never thought of using those colors together, but I certainly will again.

 The butterfly and sentiment were stamped with CTMH Gray Flannel, their lighter gray. The sentiment could have been darker to show up better in a photo. I used a very old CTMH stamp set, "To Love More." The tulip tops were inked with Tim Holtz Milled Lavendar and rock and rolled in Dusty Concord. I used Peeled Paint on the stems thinking it was my lightest green but it was really too dark.  The sentiment is also an old CTMH stamp called Thoughtful Scripts. I added some CTMH Licorice Opaques which look like gray pearls to the butterfly. I'm glad they come in graduated sizes.