Vintage Easter Wishes

This week the Basic Grey Challenge #65 was to make Easter cards using Basic Grey papers. I had this really cute vintage Easter card image that I thought would be perfect with the sketch from Unscripted Sketches Challenge #152.

I rotated the sketch 90 degrees counter-clockwise since my picture was vertically oriented. I used Basic Grey's "Sweet Threads for all of the papers. I wanted to use the large dots because they were reminiscent of colored eggs. I added a doily for the circle and a pink bow at the bottom of the pink strip. Now I only need a few more Easter cards by tomorrow night!

MOJO Monday 235 Green Spring

I am so late starting MOJO Monday Challenge this week, but life has been busy with three birthdays and lunch with friends, etc. I wasn't sure if the sketch would work with this image of lambs playing from A Day for Daisies, but when I added the shape on the left side, it was fine. Here's the great sketch this week:

 I thought that the lambs playing would go well with the challenge at Our Creative Corner this week to use Green as the main color using this beautiful photo inspiration:

The photo doesn't show the glittery details on the butterfly from Verve. I used a Sakura Jelly Roll glitter pen to color 4 small sections and outline the larger ones with the thin silvery line.

5" x 6.5" Easter Card Recipe
Paper - Basic Grey Sweet Threads & Indie Bloom; CTMH Sweet Leaf Textured CS, New England Ivy, Crystal Blue, Baby Pink cardstock
Stamps - Verve All Aflutter Plain Jane, Joy for the Journey
Ink - CTMH New England Ivy
Other - A Day for Daisies "Lambs Playing" digital stamp;Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lacey Circle, "Martha Stewart border punch, Recollections White rose,  Sizzix "Swirly Vines with Hearts" embossing folder, copic markers, Sakura Jelly Roll glitter gel pen

Happy Easter Daffodils

ColourQ has a lovely springtime color palette this week that inspired this Easter card for Sweet n Sassy Digi Challenge #48. I love the pastel colors I see in my yard this time of year. I have an abundance of daffodils. They range in color from almost white to a yellow and orange to a pinkish hue. A few are double daffodils.

My flowers inspired me to search for this digital image of daffodils. I am so amazed that God has created so many different flowers, so many different colors. That's what reassures me that He doesn't expect all of us to be exactly alike. May you have a blessed Easter as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and time with family or friends.

6.5" x 5" Easter Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart cardstock: Sweet Leaf textured, Taffy
Digital Image - Stitchy Bear Floral Frame
Stamp - CTMH March Word Puzzle (sentiment)
Ink - CTMH Blush
Other - CTMH Blush gingham ribbon, Mocha Pearls; Sizzix "Floral Flourishes" embossing folder; Recollections yellow rose; Wilton doily; pink flower from stash unknown; Copic markers

Chocolate Bunny for the Deconstructed Sketch No.45

I was inspired by this awesome photo at Paper Lovin' Gals to use a chocolate bunny and a green theme. I thought a monochromatic green Easter card would be appreciated by my older grandsons who think pastel colors are for girls. So this card is for Papertake Weekly Challenge, Anything Goes-Monochromatic except hair and skin. (Does the chocolate bunny count as having brown hair or skin?)

I used The Deconstructed Sketch #45 to design this card. I substituted two eggs for the smaller circle. I cut the chocolate bunny out using the Cricut Easter cartridge. It looks like a bite was taken out of the ears. The ribbon I chose reminded me of a basket weave but didn't look good cut at an angle. I still wanted it for the basket effect.

I hope you have a Blessed Easter Holiday celebrating with family and friends, remembering the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

6.25" x 4.75" Easter Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Indie Bloom;" CTMH New England Ivy, Garden Green, Sweet Leaf, Cocoa,(White Daisy Textured) cardstock

Stamp - CTMH retired "Egg.cited"

Ink - Sweet Leaf

Other - Ribbon from Michaels, Lime twist baker's twine, Cricut Easter Seasonal cartridge, Sizzix embossing folder, Spellbinder's Nestabilities

He Is Risen for Blogger's Challenge and Paper Sundaes

I'm adding more Easter cards to the ones I need to give this weekend. Easter was always a time we'd go to church then have a large dinner with family. My grandma made us Easter dresses and we had Easter hats to match. Even though my dad was a pastor when I was little, we'd have an Easter basket of "goodies" waiting for us when we'd wake up. My favorite basket included a live duck when I was six years old. And from the time I was a baby, my parents made sure there were Easter pictures taken of us outside before or after church. When I was eight my father pastored a small country church where they let me sing "He Arose" with the choir. Those Easter service hymns remained a big part of the enjoyable experience.

I will give several cards with a cross, but they will all be empty crosses. Over 500 witnesses saw Christ after he arose from the grave. His resurrection is His promise that we can also have life after death if we trust that He died to take our place so that we wouldn't have to take the punishment for our own sins. That's what really makes me happy at Easter!

This card also has a dove. Sometimes in Scripture a dove represents the Holy Spirit. In our culture it is also a symbol of peace. I made this Easter card for two challenges. Lisa Somerville's Blogger's Challenge is For the Birds. Paper Sundaes Challenge #114 is Easter. I used a waterbrush to lightly paint the dove blush on it's underside and heavenly blue around the rest of the outline. The cross was also colored with a waterbrush using a chocolate stamp pad. I press the middle of the closed inkpad lid, then open it. A small amount of ink is on the lid which lightly blends with the waterbrush. That way I don't have to dilute the ink on the inkpad.

The pink and chocolate papers are really the front and back of the same piece. I think they have an old fashioned appearance.

All materials used to make this card are from Close To My Heart, although some are retired.

6.5" x 5" Easter Card Recipe:
Paper - That's Amore, colonial White, Buttercup, Chocolate, Blush cardstock
Stamp - Beloved
Ink - Blush, Chocolate, Heavenly Blue (used with waterbrush on dove)
Other - Colonial White and Buttercup ribbon collections, wooden button, Baker's twine, waterbrush

Sweet Surprises Cards with Dots and Stripes

I have three birthday celebrations this week. Tomorrow one of my grandsons will turn six. So far, he's the most artistic one, the one who takes after his mom, my daughter. For the last year and a half he would rather have a marker or pencil in his hand with a stack of plain paper. He can look at something and quickly draw its main features so that it's very recognizable. I get to pick him up from kindergarten to go out for a grandma day by himself. When you have three siblings, it's great to be the center of attention.

I decided to make his card using a kraft card kit I just received that has cups for treats and stickers or chipboard embellishments to help hold the cup in place. I decided to make two while I was at it. This one is his birthday card. It has cherry jelly beans in the cup. I'll explain later how to make it.

I like the kraft envelopes that came with this card set. They are made from thick kraft cardstock and fold more like a box that is 1/2" thick. Here's the way I put a slider over the envelope/box to keep it shut while transporting. I scored a 12" x 3.5" strip at 3", 3.5," 9 3/8" and 9 7/8." That doesn't go all the way around, so on the back I added a 3.5" x 3.5" piece that attached to both ends. Then I decorated the front.

There are illustrations that come with the kit showing how to put it together, but I wanted to use my Dotty For You paper with the dots and stripes. Amazingly, the colors of those papers look really good with Kraft cardstock. The colors I chose are Lagoon and Smoothie dots and the striped paper in that pack. Because of these papers I'm entering this cards in the Craft Your Passion Challenge #104 - to use Dots and Stripes.

Here are directions for using patterned paper on cards with a hole for a treat cup.

Before adding the cup or treats, cut 2 different patterned papers 5" x 2.75." Cut a strip of paper 3/4" x 5" to go across the middle. Either use temporary adhesive of align the top paper in place, hold it carefully and turn it over so you can trace the hole onto the paper. Cut out the portion of the circle for the hole. Do the same for the other two papers. By using two or three different papers that line up across the hole, it's easier to cut out the circular portion.

Attach those papers then attach the cup. First peel the protective strip off of the cup to reveal the sticky portion. I used liquid glass around the edge of the circle cut-out on the inside of the card. Push the cup through the hole. Attach the sticker over it, but not the circle part of the sticker. Use liquid glass to attach the chipboard shape to the front of the card. Fill the cup with the treat, then use the circle that punched out of the chipboard shape to push into the opening of the cup inside the card. It's a tight fit.

To cover the bottom flap, place a 5" x 1.5" strip of paper approximately 1/4" up from the fold (closer to the decorative edge) and trace. After you cut out the decorative edge, you piece should be about 1/8" from the fold and the edge. If you want to cut through the patterned paper where the slits are for the ribbon, cut it before you glue an identical piece on the back of that flap, that way you see the holes.

 Decorate the inside as desired. I decided to stamp a pop-up message that says "PULL" so he'll know how to open the jellybeans from inside. Be sure to leave a white portion for a sentiment or message.

Here are photos of the other card. On this one I covered the bottom flap and didn't cut a hole for the ribbon. Instead, the ice cream cone shape helps to hold it shut.

If you make a set of these cards and decorate them your own way like I did, feel free to leave a comment with a link to your photo.

5.75" x 5.25" Birthday Card Recipe (all of the materials are from Close To My Heart):
Paper - Dotty For You, Lagoon and White Daisy Cardstock
Stamps - Card Chatter Birthday, (retired Birthday Wishes), Hodge Podge Alphabet
Ink - Lagoon, Sweet Leaf
Other - My Originals Sweet Surprises Card Kit with white grosgrain ribbon, Sweet Leaf grosgrain ribbon, Adhesive Springs, Liquid Glass

Words of Comfort

Today I needed a card to comfort a family from our church that just lost a husband/son-in-law. I was very close to my grandmother, so when I was in my twenties and she was dying John 14:1-6 comforted Grandma and me. I stayed with her in the hospital one night so that my grandpa would go home. In her pain she whispered to me "I want him to take me home." I thought she meant Grandpa, since that night was the only night he had gone home to try to sleep. I told her that she needed to stay in the hospital so that the doctors could help her. She said, "No, I mean I want God to take me home." I had misunderstood, but the truth was so rich. Her home wasn't here on earth.  I had quoted it several times to my grandmother while she was ill and she believed that Christ did have a home for her. A couple of days later, she did go home. I miss her still, sometimes, but I know that she'll be one of the first ones I see whenever I go home. I hope the verse I chose for this card will be an encouragement for Lucille and her family like it was for me.

I made this card using the sketch and the Perfect Sentiments Challenge #25 "Uplifting Sketch" for a card of encouragement.

I chose the verse from  Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #2. The Shining The Light Challenge #102 on their blog this week was to show our favorite Our Daily Bread Designs stamp set. I pondered this quite a while since I like them all, but I went back to this one that I purchased first. I'm passionate about all of the verses in this collection.

I started designing the card using this Lucy paper and some light gray dotted paper, but needed another color for contrast, so I was happy to see the CR84FN Challenge #51 color palette for this week. The light blue was just the thing.

I hope God will bless you with the comfort of this verse.

5" x ^.5" Sympathy Card Recipe:

Paper - CTMH "Lucy," "Dotty for You (gray),"White Daisy, Sky, Taffy cardstock

Stamp - ODBD "Scripture Collection 2"

Ink - CTMH Black, Dutch Blue, Taffy

Other - CTMH Pink lace, Just Blooms; My Mind's Eye sparkles