Mojo Monday 256 - Dakota Thanks

This week at Mojo Monday the challenge is to use the round or square pattern. I used this as a way to make a more masculine thank you card using Close To My Heart "Dakota" paper with burlap.  Here's their great pattern and the way I used it:

I used a stamp set I got in Texas this summer and paper pieced the star. I also used the Cricut Artiste to cut the shape for Thanks. My friends told me this summer that ladies from Texas like bling so I added a few clear sparkles on the sentiment shape. Hope y'all like it, I have to go now and pick up grandkids from a school far away, but I'll add details later, I hope.

Sunshine and Smiles

While New Orleans is being flooded with too much rain, here in Missouri we're praying that there will be some rain left as it heads our way--and soon. The county where I live has missed most of the meager rainfalls that surrounding counties have had. I think that's why I've been looking for the usual wild sunflowers that bloom here in August and I don't see any.  So I decided to make my own sunflowers this week with cards. The image and sentiment for this one comes from Clear Dollar Stamps. It's called Sunshine and Smiles. I chose the words that say, "Sunflowers are God's way of saying "Chin up!" They really do turn their "heads' to face the sun as it moves across the sky. So do my daffodils in the spring. I thought that was a great analogy.

 

I used this great sketch from Fetch a Sketch, making it rectangular.

 

I scissor distressed the edges of my image, added one row of stitching with embroidery thread on the left side of the mat. (Wow, I actually could see the hole in the needle to thread it!!) I tied organdy around the punched border and topped the bow with a wooden button tied with embroidery thread.

 

Now I'm turning my head up like the sunflowers and praying for some of that rain!

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crafting for All Seasons  Challenge #34 - Stitching Real or Faux (mine are real)

Crafty Creations Challenge #185 - Summer Scene
Fetch a Sketch Challenge #31
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #154 - Punches, dies, or shapes

5.5" x 4.25" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance," Close To My Heart White Daisy, Olive, Honey cardstock
Image - Clear Dollar Stamps Digital "Sunshine and Smiles"
Markers - CopicsY17 (Golden Yellow), E33 (Sand), E25 (Caribe Cocoa), BG10 (Cool Shadow), N02; CTMH Alcohol markers Creme Brulee, Olive, Light Olive, Black
Accents - CTMH Goldrush organdy ribbon (retired), Chocolate wooden button; white embroidery thread
Tools - Martha Stewart border punch, CTMH ruler (with holes - to punch for sewing) needle for hand stitching, scissors for edge distressing


 

PSC47 Anything Goes with Bugaboo Stamps

This week at The Perfect Sentiments we're using Bugaboo Stamps for a great Anything Goes With a Sentiment (on front), Challenge #47.  I had a lot of fun using their Thoughts and Prayers Block. There seems to be an endless number of people who are in my thoughts and prayers each day. When I retired I decided that I would be instant in prayer as soon as God brings someone to mind, otherwise, at retirement age I tend to forget! I probably need to pray about that, too!

I loved the design of the flowers in this digital stamp. I used the colors from the CR84FN challenge this week and the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges. I printed the digital stamp two times and colored both. Then I cut the large flowers out and adhered them in the center with pop dots, but curled the loose edges slightly for a little dimension. For more dimension, I embossed the background, pleated the ribbon and added a pin and bling button.

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

 CR84FN Color Challenge #61 - Aqua, Tan, Cream

Crazy 4 Challenges #151 - sketch

Craft Your Passion #125 - Embossing

Shopping Our Stash Weekly #66 - Use your favorite thing - mine is embossing

 

I hope you'll  join our Perfect Sentiments Challenge Anything Goes with a Sentiment - CREATE ANY TYPE OF PAPER-CRAFTED ITEM YOU LIKE, FOR ANY OCCASION YOU LIKE.  Bugaboo Stamps is offering a great prize: 7 FREE IMAGES OR $21 VALUE.

 

Get Well Gift with Scriptures that Encourage

I was trying out another of the Cricut Artiste "purses" when I realized it was large enough for a small mini-album like a tissue tube album. That's when I also decided that adding some encouraging scripture would make a great gift for someone recuperating or fighting a long illness.

I cut out two of the purse shapes and used adhered them together, letting the pattern show on the outside and the solid color inside. I used matte Mod Podge to attach matching cardstock to the tissue tubes (after I flattened them really well with my ribbon iron).

I typed up some of my favorites, printed them on 4" x 6" cardstock and attached them to the covered tubes or the inserts. I have those in a Word Document. If anyone would like a copy, let me know how to email it to you. I also used verses from Our Daily Bread Designs that were the right size. I kept embellishments flat and simple - a few butterflies cut from Graphic 45 Botanicabella paper and some of the hearts from the same cardstock that I used for the purse and mini-album.

 

 

After punching a hole in the upper left corner with my Crop-a-dile, I tried a metal ring, but it stuck out of the purse at an odd angle. So I used Creme Brulee ribbon I've kept on hand for a long time. The dotted satin is wrapped around the purse and is the one I used to tie the pages together. I didn't tie it tightly, but kept it in the shape of a ring with a knot at the end. I used another stitched grosgrain from that same set to use as "pulls" for the inserts. The front cover of the album has a third ribbon, chocolate organdy that I got in 2006. It's subtle and goes well with the colors of the patterned paper.

I'm sharing this gift with tissue tube mini-album with the following challenges:
 All Sorts Weel #169 - A Gift
IDIC Robyn's Fetish Challenge #122 - Anything but a card
Make It Monday #104 - Anything Goes
The Stamp Man - Alter It
Use It Tuesday Challenge 38 - Use That Ribbon (hoarded supplies)

Materials used:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Florentine," Colonial White and Twilight cardstock; Graphic 45 "Botanicabella";  toilet tissue tubes
Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs "Get Well"
Inks - CTMH Black, Chocolate
Accents - CTMH Creme Brulee Ribbon Collection and CHocolate Organdy (all retired), Prima flower
Tools - Cricut Artiste p. 33, "3" key, 3-D Object 4" - cut two and adhere for sturdier purse
Spellbinders Nestabilities - ovals, scalloped ovals; ribbon iron


 

Freshly Made Back to School Card

Most of my life I was excited in August to get ready for the school year. I loved going to school as a child and teenager so it was natural for me to choose teaching as a career. This week my "old school district" started school. I had lunch with another retired teacher yesterday and we agreed- we didn't miss it enough to want to give up retirement!

When I feel those wistful yearnings to teach again, I either visit grandkids or remember that the 30 years I spent teaching reading laid a foundation for many young lives. I also remember that I need to pray for my grandkids to do well, pay attention, and work hard and for their teachers. It's an overwhelming but important job to meet every child's needs in our education environment today.  I chose a sentiment to remind myself and my retired friends of their teaching influence.  I used apples showing their seeds and some that aren't because that's the way our influence seems. You can't always see the results of what you've accomplished in young lives, but the seeds are always there, even if they're hidden for a time.

Freshly Made Sketch #49 was perfect for this card.

 

I modified the sketch from a square to 5.5" x 4.25."

 

 

I wanted to use my Quikutz embossing folder to make the apples. I brayered red ink on the raised side of the folder which debossed colored apples. (Since they're colored, it's hard to tell that the apples were debossed.) I colored between the thin lines of the "peel" on the four outlined apples using the Ruby alcohol marker. I cut them out and pop dotted the middle solid apple.

 

By the way, we all had teachers, too. I'm sending this card to my 6th grade teacher whose address I recently found. I want her to know she was the one who influenced me to teach.

 

And even as we age, their influence lives on in us. May we never stop learning!

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crop Stop Challenge 86 - Back to School

Freshly Made Sketch #49

Fussy and Fancy Challenge #70 - Back to School

Going Grey with Scrap-Creations - Back to School

Simon Says Stamp - Simon Says Back to School

Simply Create Too Challenge #20 - Back to School

Tuesday Alchemy Challenge #28 - Learn with Joy

 

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:

Paper - The Paper Studio "Linen Closet"; Close To My Heart Cardstock

Stamp - My Favorite Things "Clearly Sentimental About Teaching"

Ink - CTMH Cranberry, Black

Markers - CTMH Alcohol Ruby, Ponderosa Pine

Accents - MME baker's twine

Tools - The Paper Studio "Notebook Paper" embossing folder, Quikutz embossing folder

 

Unscripted Sketch #172 for Joy

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with a "girl" that I've been friends with since 7th grade. She just moved into a new apartment after losing her husband this past year. Here is a fun card that I made for her housewarming. She's always been one of the most cheerful people I've ever known. I know her heart gets heavy with the loss of her husband and father this year, but she has that deep abiding love and joy that comes from knowing Christ.

I used the sketch and color suggestions from Unscripted Sketches Challenge 172. I flipped the sketch upside down so that I could try out a card pattern from Cricut Art Philosophy that had a row of four daisies on the bottom. However, I decided to cut the front off of that card and mount it with pop dots over a white card base so that the flowers would show through as white. I tried something new with the baker's twine. I wrapped it around the spaces between the flowers and taped it on back. Next time I think I'll wrap it maybe three times for an even different look.

The joyful verse from Word Art Wednesday this week was perfect for this card. I also stamped a Close To My Heart sentiment inside that is more of a prayer and blessing:

May joy fill your heart and home.

Challenges for this card:
No Matter Which Challenge #1 (since they started their new blog): I used both digital and acrylic stamping - Anything Goes
Ribbon Carousel Challenge 67 - Bump it up = embossing
Unscripted Sketches#172 - sketch and color challenge
Word Art Wednesday #42 - Joy (with a great link to explain this kind of joy)

5" x 6.25" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart Pear, White Daisy, Chocolate cardstock, Bazzill green cardstock
Stamps - CTMH one of the 2011 stamps of the month
Ink - CTMH Chocolate
Accents - CTMH retired buttons, Mocha pearls, butterfly; My Mind's Eye baker's twine
Tools - CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy, Sizzix Floral Flourishes embossing folder

 

PSC46 Missing You Card with Wings

When I was a "young thing," newly married to an airman, I remember how lonely it would be when he was assigned overseas near a war zone. I wrote a letter every day saying how much I missed him. I made this card with other service men and women in mind for our challenge this week at The Perfect Sentiment. I chose the wings of a plane for the card I'll send to Operation Write Home.

I used sketch #73 at Sketchbook Saturday:

I used two different embossing folders from The Paper Studio, stars for the tag behind the plane and hearts on the middle band. The sentiment is from a set called "4 My Friend" that I got this year from Close To My Heart. I really like using this paper with vintage foreign stamps to express the idea that "I miss you." I'll have to make another one of these to slip in my hubby's baggage when he travels on business. He knows I always miss him, but he loves that surprise. Luckily, he doesn't read my blog! 

Please join us at The Perfect Sentiment with your own card!

Other Challenges for this card:

 Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge - twine or ribbon (I used both)

Card Crafter's Circle Challenge  #36 - Rich and Earthy Colors

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge #19  - Emboss

Polka Doodles Week #33 - use Tags

The Cupboard Trilogy #2 - Embossing