Easter Blessings To You



Today we celebrate Easter. This is just a quick post to wish you Easter Blessings on this Resurrection Sunday.This was a hard winter where we live, but daffodils began to bloom in my yard with their promise of spring and new life. To me it's a picture of the gospel in nature. May you take time to reflect on God's gift of His Son who gave His life for us and rose after death to give us the promise of everlasting life!

Today we will be spending the day with our children and grandchildren. It is such a joy to know that death will never permanently separate us. We have that hope of living eternally with Christ and each other. That is one of the messages of Resurrection Sunday!

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NIV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; John 11:25

May you share God's love with others this Easter!

New Scripture Display Album - Beautiful Psalms and Proverbs

When I got my new Cricut Explore I decided to learn how to use it by making something that can be a blessing to someone else. I made a couple of  Scripture Display Albums for my most recent craft fair. They didn't stay on my table very long so I was glad I'd taken photos so I can make more. I used the Psalms and Proverbs stamps that I had from Our Daily Bread Designs for the decorated pages and some of my Word Art Wednesday digis for the simple back sides of the pages. Here's the cover:

This post has a lot of pictures.  The twelve pages are 6" x 6" inside page protectors. Most of the background papers are from Prima and the others are My Mind's Eye papers. I used CTMH cardstock to cut out the Cricut pieces using the Lacy Labels cartridge found in Cricut Design Space. Using the same cartridge throughout gives it some continuity. To make two entire albums it took half a day for two days. If you're not new to Cricut Design Space or Craftroom like I was, you could make something like this faster than I did. The Cricut definitely helped the creating to go faster than my previous albums.

I chose the following Psalms and Proverbs because many years ago, when I was 25, I attended a  Christian teacher's conference where they encouraged us to read five chapters of Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs each day since there are 150 Psalms and 31 Proverbs. Psalms draw us closer to God and Proverbs teach us how to live with our fellow man.

The back side of the pages have the digital Scriptures printed on light blue marbleized paper. Since the decorated verses have layers and embellishments they take up a lot of "room" in the album, so the backing pages are simply one layer. Here are a couple of samples:

I enjoy making these display albums with verses to encourage that can be displayed on a table or shelf. I hope this gives you some ideas for things to make to encourage someone or even yourself.  May God bless you as you take in His beautiful words!

I'm sharing these pages with the following challenges:


Addicted to Stamps #91 - Anything Goes
All Crafts Challenge April/May - Anything But a Card
Crafting By Designs April challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers Network - Die Cuts or embossing
Crafty Ribbons #85 - Anything Goes with ribbon
DRS Designs #118 - I Get Around - use circles (many of the pages use circles in the Cricut cuts)
Inklings and Yarns #51 - Anything goes
Pause Dream Enjoy Linky Party #8 - anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #128 - anything goes with uplifting message





Pastel Cards - He Is Risen

This week the Shining the Light challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs is to make cards that show the real reason we celebrate Easter. These are the cards I love to make and share because I want to honor Christ and His gift of love for us. Both of these cards have a subtle yellow stamped cross made of the rough nails that would have pierced Christ's hand and feet to nail him to the cross. I love the verse on this first one because it emphasizes that the sacrificial gift Christ made was because we were loved
God loved us so much. To symbolize that love, I embossed the two lime green photo corners with tiny hearts and swiped white pigment ink over them.   Both of the stamps are from the set He Is Risen from Our Daily Bread Designs The stamped verse says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life! John 3:16"

I love the verse on this second one because it emphasizes the fact that Christ didn't remain on the cross, but arose from the dead, giving us the promise of life after death if we believe in Him.  The stamped verse is a quote from Christ from the ODBD set I Am the Way and says: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. John 11:25"

I'm sharing this second card with the following challenges:


ABC Challenge - J-Just as you like it.
Clear It Out - Easter (stash item pastel brads top left on 2nd card)
Connie Can Crop #21 - Spring pastel colors and polka dots
Cuttin' and Stampin'  14/15 - Easter
Emergency Crafters - Polka Dots
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Easter
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge #99 - Easter or spring
Oldie But a Goodie - Easter (with old pearl brads, crochet flowers, and ancient organdy ribbon)
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #198 - He Is Risen with pastels
Treasured Times Rubber Stamps & scrapbooking Challenge #16 - Easter

Bastel-Traum Guest Designer Easter Tag



I was asked to be a guest designer at the Bastel-Traum challenge when my Happy Healing with Boo-Boo Birdie card was chosen as a winner. I had such fun chats with one of the designers, Ute, and I've made a TAG that will decorate an Easter basket this weekend.

My tag started with a heavy piece of My Mind's Eye double-sided patterned cardstock. The design was cut out using CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy. It has quite a few different tag shapes. The next top layer of the tag was cut 1/2" smaller out of Kraft cardstock. Then it was embossed with a basket weave embossing folder. I also cut the white scallop shape with that cartridge then embossed it with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The image and sentiment are from the Doodle Pantry set, Spring Trimmings. I used the uncolored image of the Easter eggs in a basket and colored the image using Copic markers similar to the way Laurie colored hers. I decorated the tag with two Prima flowers and a butterfly that had one wing colored. I used a Copic marker to color the other wing.

I'm sharing this tag with the following challenges:

All Crafts (Craft my life) Challenge April/May - anything but a card
Bitten By the Bug2 - Easter (using Cricut)
Crafting from the Heart #14 - Anything goes/use yellow
Craft Your Passion Challenge #209 - Bunnies, chicks and eggs
Crafty Bloggers Network April Challenge - Die Cuts or Embossing (I used both)
Created with Love Challenge #79 - Easter
Digi Makeover challenge #136 - Easter treats
Eureka Stamps - Easter
My Craft Spot Challenge #133 - tags or banners
Through the Purple Haze #37 - anything goes

Floral Cross Easter Cards

 At Easter we think about the cross as it relates to Christ's sacrificial death for us. It symbolizes His tremendous pain and sacrifice that He made for each of us. Thinking about those hours leading up to and including the time He spent on the cross can bring tears to my eyes. And yet, we wear crosses on our jewelry and decorate our homes with them as a symbol of following Him and honoring His sacrifice. I always liked to wear an "empty cross" which also symbolizes His resurrection from the dead. He didn't remain on the cross as so many did that were crucified by the Romans in that day. Oddly, the cross can also be a thing of beauty because of the great gift He made for us, salvation and eternal life - amazingly beautiful gifts. The crosses on my card today are the loveliest I've ever used. To me they emphasize new life in Christ.

Laurie Wilson introduced a number of images at Doodle Pantry recently that are perfect for Easter cards. I used several of her sets to make these cards. All three of my cards feature "Floral Cross." This first one uses the colored cross with the lovely blue flowers. I kept the color scheme simple to let the image stand out. I embossed the edges of the image panel using the Cuttlebug Pinking Stitch folder. I printed two of the same image so that I could cut out the second one and pop dot over the image panel for extra dimension. The organdy ribbon was actually one that matched the flowers, but off of the roll, it looked very pale.

The inside sentiment comes from a combination of the Doodle Pantry "He Is Risen" set.

This next card has a bright spring color scheme. I recolored the flowers with Copic markers and used the same embossing folder again. I lightly sanded the stitches on the embossing so that it stood out white.

I used Lori McCroskey's svg files Card Cut Cross  and a sentiment from Holy Land Flowers 1 inside the svg cut card that I made using the new Cricut Create. I used a beige base, woodgrain patterned paper for top layer and juniper cardstock for the frame. I added a lavender circle with burlap topped by a small floral cross image. The inside uses the sentiment from Holy Land Flowers 1.

 May God bless you this week as you celebrate the resurrection of our Savior!

I'm sharing the second colorful card with the following challenges:

 4 Crafty chicks #189 - Polka dots
Alphabet Challenge - E - Easter
D.L. Art Thankful Thursday #130 - Easter
Dream Valley #79 - Easter
Hobbycutz #43 - Bingo (3rd row down - flowers, ribbon, bling)

 

MilkCoffee Challenge - Easter

Moving Along with the Times - Easter

Sentimental Sundays #202 - embossing - mine is dry

That Craft Place - Anything goes or Easter

Word Art Wednesday #127 - anything goes with uplifting sentiment/scripture

More Lollydoodle - Easter Cards 3 & 4

Next week is Resurrection Sunday celebrating Christ's resurrection from the dead after the sinless Son of God took the punishment for our sins by His death on the cross. Traditions in our family made Easter a very special day. Schools were closed on Good Friday. We cleaned the house until it was spotless. We always got a new dress, Easter hat, white shoes, and little white gloves to wear to church. Early Sunday morning we'd find big baskets of candy with chocolate bunnies, have Easter egg hunts around the house. Then we went to church where we'd sing "Low in the Grave He Lay" and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" written by Charles Wesley.  Here's another performance of the first hymn. After church we had big family dinners. My mother would decorate with white Easter lilies and hand out Easter cards. Remembering those days fills my heart with joy! I want my cards, as well as my life, to reflect the priceless gift of our Savior.

Here are two more of the cards I made for family using the Close To My Heart Lollydoodle paper pack. I find it really fun to try to use all of the designs in the pack for the ladies who come to my card workshop. Mixing the Pear green design with the Juniper dotted paper had a surprising result. I used the retired Lovely Lily stamp colored with Copic markers, punched with a scalloped oval punch and pop dotted on a white doily I cut using the Cricut.

 I combined the Juniper paper with some Cotton Candy pink, Slate gray cardstock, and lavender ribbon. The cross is from a Spellbinder die and the butterfly is from a Martha Stewart punch. I added additional dots using the new CTMH dots embossing folder.  I stamped one of the sentiments from the CTMH stamp set Greatest Love.

The inside of the card has the sentiment from Word Art Wednesday this week.

May God bless you as you celebrate Resurrection Sunday. May you truly enjoy His amazing gift!

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:
All Sorts #254 - Spring blossoms
Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Easter
Created with Love Challenge #79 - Easter
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Easter
Kitty Bee Designs/Aloha Friday Challenge #8 - Easter
Open-Minded Crafting fun #8 - Easter or pastel colors
Paper Creator's Crafts #22 - spots and dots
Pumpkin Spice #67 - anything Easter
Sunflower Fields Design April Challenge - spring or Easter
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - flowers

Lollydoodle Easter Cards 1 and 2

Next Sunday we celebrate Easter. My family has always emphasized it as a celebration of Christ's resurrection after taking the punishment for our sins with His death on the cross. Praise God that He didn't stay dead, but arose to show us how we can have eternal life if we believe in Him and accept this gift.  He also gives us new life that begins at the time of salvation. He washes away our sins and gives us the power to change and become like Him through His Spirit working in our lives.  As a nation, our culture also promotes Easter bunnies, baskets of candy, decorated eggs, etc. That may be the main emphasis that young children understand, but I have written a message for the inside of their cards that also point to our Savior. Here are two cards that illustrate the Christian origins of Resurrection Sunday and the secular elements of Easter.

 

The inside sentiment is the verse from Word Art Wednesday this week and a quote I found and typed in Word.

Last week I was sad that my Cricut Expression was dying and I had to buy a new Cricut - the Expore. Because the new Cricut has to be connected to internet to work, I wasn't sure if our rural broadband connection would support my Cricut habit. I was relieved to see that it didn't use too much of our gigabite plan. Tomorrow I'm leading a workshop using the CTMH Lollydoodle Scrapbooking Workshop on the Go, paper pack, and stickease. I have six cards and four layouts that I'll be posting. These are the first two cards that I made using the Cricut.  The white mat and cross were cut using the Cricut Design Space.The layered cross was cut using Slate Cardstock and a piece of woodgrain Timberline paper. The pink, gray and juniper papers were all from the Lollydoodle paper pack.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cut It Up #42 - Easter with die cuts
Moving Along with the Times - Easter/Spring
Totally Papercrafts #214 - Easter
Word Art Wednesday #127 - anything goes - I used this week's verse inside

 This second card was made using a circle cut overlay from Cricut Artbooking. In Cricut Design Space I changed the dimensions so that the circles became ovals and the size fit my horizontal 4.25" x 5.5" card. The cutouts of the white overlay reveal the Lollydoodle circles underneath. I hoped it would look like decorated eggs. The stamp set is an older retired CTMH stamp set that was colored with Copic markers.

The inside verse is one I made up for the younger grandchildren this year. I don't mind if you use it as long as you link it back to my blog post.

May your heart and soul be blessed beyond measure by the resurrected Savior who gave His life for you in order that you may have eternal life. Let us praise Him for this priceless gift!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

CCEE Stampers - #1415 - bunnies and/or eggs
Cute Card Thursday #316 - Easter
Get Inky #11 - Hop into Spring with stamps
Hanna and Friends with cute, stamped animal - Easter
Jellypark Friends - Happy Easter