"A cheerful heart is good medicine . . . Proverbs 17:22

Monday, December 8, 2014

My First Z-Fold Card

I found the instructions for a Z-Fold Card on Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog. I discovered their peel off stickers a couple of months ago and have especially enjoyed using their Christmas ones. So here is my try at the Z-Fold.



The poinsettias, tree and packages are some of the peel-off stickers that I purchased from Elizabeth Craft Designs. 

Both sentiments are from the Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas CL543.

Blessings to you and yours as we celebrate the birth of Christ. 

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6-7

Thursday, December 4, 2014

You're Special

Can't help but use Christmas colors for December birthdays ~ love this Hero Arts Stencil and sentiment.
Distress Inks: Tim Holtz Peeled Paint, Fired Brick
Stencil: Hero Arts Lotus Pattern
Sentiment: Hero Arts CL508

Thursday, November 20, 2014

More Stickers

I used some of the snowflake peel off stickers from Elizabeth Craft Designs for this card along with the Christmas tree sticker.

Sentiment: Hero Arts CL543 Very Merry Christmas stamped with Simon Says Stamp Lipstick Red
Simon Says Stamp Curved Edge Craft Die

Have a blessed day!
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Galatians 6:9-10

Glitter, Glitter

I am so excited about two new products. I have not used glitter paper but thought this time of year would be perfect to try it on a card. Loving it! I purchased American Crafts Glitter Paper. I have recently started using Elizabeth Craft Designs Peel-Off Stickers. There are so many wonderful designs and they are fun to color with copic markers.

Here is one of my cards using the glitter paper and peel-off stickers:


Sentiment: SSS Holiday Hellos stamped with SSS Lipstick Red Dye Ink
Snowflakes: Punch

May you experience His blessings over the next few weeks as we celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen"
Jude 1:24-25

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Joyful Blessings

I have had my one and only Winnie & Walter stamp set ~ The Big, Bold & Blessing  ~ for a little while now and have not inked it up. So since I have been on a roll today, I was inspired by Gayatri Murale's card to make one more card using the Simon Says Stamp Set ~ Be Joyful.


Hope your day has been full of joyful blessings :-)

"The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fail, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
PSALM 37:23-24

Merry Christmas

I received my Simon Says Stamp Card Kit Be Joyful. I used the sentiment that was with the set but for whatever reason I did not use the cute little trees that came with it but pulled out a very old Hero Arts set and used the tree die that was with it.



Christmas Trees: Sizzix Hero Arts 657780
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

"But I trust in you, Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me."
PSALM 31:14-15

Autumn Blessings

I absolutely love the fall of the year. The trees show off all their glory in so many beautiful colors and the crispness of the air always refreshes me. I recently received Simon Says Stamp ~ Autumn Blessings and have so enjoyed playing with it. Here is my first card using one of the sentiments:



I found this adorable stamp: Daisy Bouquet from Taylored Expressions. Several others caught my eye on their web page and I will share those later.

I used Glossy Accents to give the appearance of water in the vase.

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Happy Thoughts

Loving my new stamp set Hannah Elements from ALTENEW. The sharpness of the stamp is amazing!


Leaf Die: Simon Says Stamp Clustered Leaves Craft
Flowers: Hannah Elements from ALTENEW
Sentiment: Hero Arts ~ CL150 Heartfelt Messages
Embossing Folder: Sizzix 

I used patterned paper for the Leaves Die and adhered them to the card base and then ran it through the Sizzix embossing folder. You can't see it from the view but one of the smaller flowers is "popped" up.

It has been an absolutely GORGEOUS Fall Day here in South Georgia ~ FINALLY :-)

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Ephesians 4:29

Saturday, October 4, 2014

My Favorite Things Challenge

Well, we are finally having some "fallish" like weather here in Georgia. Love it! As I was looking at challenges this week I found the perfect challenge for this fall weather with My Favorite Things Color Palette Challenge. I decided to incorporate it with their weekly Sketch Challenge too.

I used my favorite new Papercrafting Printed Burlap.
Sentiment: Simon Says Stamp SSS101308 Square Sayings
Die: Paper Smooches Flag Tags

Here is the sketch:

Also entering this in MFT Color Palette Challenge 10:

Enjoy your day and thank you for stopping by!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6


Monday, September 29, 2014

National Coffee Day

In celebration of National Coffee Day, there is a Coffee Lovers Blog Hop you need to check out. Also, stop by Simon Says Stamp and see Shari Carroll's National Coffee Day card for some inspiration!

Here is mine:

 In a previous post, I mentioned that I had found some cool new products at Hobby Lobby by Papercrafting. The first set I used was Printed Burlap which you can see here. On this card I used the Printed Cork Paper Pad and I LOVE it too!

Background: Printed Cork
Sentiment, coffee mug die and Khaki die ink all came from the 2014 Simon Says Stamp October Card Kit.

Have a blessed day!

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God."
Ephesians 2:8

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Birthday Wishes

Lots of birthdays for us in September. Here is one of many.


My favorite flower stamp for now: Penny Black ~ Petal
Butterfly: Hero Arts ~ CL383 Antique Engravings
Background doilies: Spellbinders Lacey Ovals (White); Die-namics Oval Decorative Doily (Blue)
Sentiment: Simon Says Stamp  ~ Square Sayings

Think Fall has finally decided to arrive here in Georgia ~ loving it!

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:16-19

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Printed Burlap

A couple of months ago I was in Hobby Lobby and stumbled on several unique paper pads AND they were on sale. I finally got around to using one of them and I LOVE it - Paper Burlap. The material is really durable. I kind of threw this together quickly to just get a feel for it. Looking forward to doing more with it. Think the texture makes for a really neat masculine card.

Background: Printed Burlap
Flags: Paper Smooches
Circle: Got a pack of these out of one of the $1 bins at Michael's; stamped & ran through Cuttlebug embossing folder
Sentiment: Simon Says Stamp Square Sayings; ZING! Pewter Embossing Powder

Here is the pack of paper I purchased:

It is College Football Saturday here ~ so GO DAWGS!



"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:7-9

Stencils & Stamps

Another entry for My Favorite Things Sketch 195 and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge (Stencils & Stamps):

Stencil (at bottom): TCW Fish Scale ~ Used Distress Ink Salty Ocean to tint embossing paste
Flowers: Penny Black Petal (LOVE this set!)
Flag Tag Die: Paper Smooches Flag Tags
Embossing Folder: Darice

Thank you ever so much for stopping!

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
1 John 4:18

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Sketch Challenge

Entering this in My Favorite Things: GET SKETCHY Card Sketch 195 and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Stencils and Stamps.

Here is the sketch for My Favorite Things:

Here is my take on it:
Stencil: Hero Arts Large Lotus Pattern
Inks: Distress Ink Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade
Sunshine Stamp: Simon Says Stamp Color & Sunshine
Sentiment: Hero Arts
Studio Calico: Wood Veneer Bird

Blessings to you today!

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 41:10

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Hello

If you saw my Butterfly post that had the Hero Arts Tweed Pattern background, you will recognize that the large hello die was cut from one of many panels that I had made using the Tweed Pattern.

This card is pretty simple. I die cut the large HELLO from Simon Says Stamp out of the Hero Arts Tweed Pattern background stamp that was white embossed and then colored with distress inks. Background is Cuttlebug folder on vellum.


I am on a roll today ~ think I just made history ~ three posts in one day!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

Butterflies

I absolutely love, love, love butterflies! I chase them around in the yard to take photos of them. 

Papertrey Ink has a butterfly stamp and die set that I LOVE and evidently everyone else does too because I procrastinated too long after it first came out and had to wait a while before it was back in stock. I opted to just get the die set and I will say it again ~ I LOVE it!


The background stamp is Hero Arts Tweed Pattern. I white embossed it and then used distress inks to color it. 
AND THEN: There is that gorgeous butterfly die
The sentiment is Simon Says Stamp Die. I layered it about four times to give is some dimension which you can't really see in the photo.

Blessings to you ~ thanks for stopping by!


"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you for forsake you. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8

Petal Party

I absolutely love this stamp set from Penny Black (Petal Party). 


I have used these flowers many times. I was inspired by Lin's card using these. I moved things around a bit but totally used her design. Thanks for the inspiration Lin! Here is mine:


Thank you for stopping by!

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."
Jeremiah 31:3

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Tags

My Favorite Things and Simon Says Stamp have challenges this week that focus on Tags.

My Favorite Things sketch:


Here is my entry:

Tag: Hero Arts Large Tag #DI058
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder for tag
Circle Die: Lawn Fawn LF522
Papers: Lawn Fawn Petite Paper Pack
Banner Die: Paper Smooches ~ Flag Tags

Thank you ever so much for stopping by!

[I was just looking back at this after having posted it earlier today and the two maple leaves together look like a bat :-) - Oh Well]

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and teh God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Long Time Away

I have been busy with my card making but have not been very prompt with posting. So here is a catch up post.

Thank you in advance for stopping by.

The whole concept of these cards were inspired by Debby Hughes.  The flowers were white embossed on vellum but Debby's technique was to color on the back side so as to not color over the embossing on the front. I then ran my panel through a dotted Cuttlebug folder.

Flower Stamp: Penny Black 30-113 Petal Party
Sentiment: Hero Arts CL283 Scroll Frame & Messages

Flower Stamp: The Craft's Meow ~ Hope Blooms

 Flower Stamp: Hero Arts CL304  Million Thanks

 Flower Stamp: Hero Arts K5586 Daisies

 Flower Stamp: Lawn Fawn LF556  ~ Our Friendship Grows

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Philippians 4:4, 12

Friday, August 15, 2014

Inspired By

I was inspired by this card that JJ Bolton made ~ such fun colors and design!Check out her blog.

Here is what I did:

Butterfly & Sentiment: Technique Tuesday ~ Take Flight

Enjoy your day!

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who  loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Online Card Class Day 9

I fell in love with today's class. I really did not think that I had any stamps that I could "stretch" when I saw that it was based on stamp sets that were made for taking many stamps to create an image. However, as I looked through my stamps I found this sweet Clearly Besotted ~ Love Quotes stamp set and thought it might work. And it DID! Loved the way it turned out.

Flowers: Clearly Besotted ~ Love Quotes
Inks for Flowers: Hero Arts Butter Bar and Bubble Gum
Ink for Leaves: Hero Arts Green Hills
Sentiment: Simon Says Stamp Small Hello Die
Background: Distress Ink Tumbled Glass mixed with water
Circle: 2 1/2" punch (Glossy Accents over it)

Blessings to you! Thanks for stopping by.

"Give thanks to the Lord,  for he is good; his love endures forever."
1 Chronicles 16:34


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Online Card Class Day 8

This one turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. Didn't really know where I was going with it - it just kind of fell together.


Hexagons: The Crafts Meow ~ Thanks Be To Thee stamped with Hero Arts Wet Cement, Cornflower, and Lime Green
Sentiment & Die: Simon Says Stamp Memory Box Expressions For You Set EFY11


After I got it assembled it still looked like it was missing something because the background was just the white card stock so I decided to get out my Hero Arts Cornflower and my blending tool for the background.

I think I will call it a day :-)

Blessings to you!

Online Card Class Graphic Stamps

We are huge UGA fans! That's where I met my sweet, sweet husband and here in Georgia it is about SEC Football time so that was my motivation for this card. I was trying to figure out how to use some of the graphics stamps and incorporate the lesson on Day 3 using alphabet stamps and I remembered my Papertrey Ink Alphabet dies.

Stamps: Avery Elle ~ Rounded Diamonds stamped with Hero Arts Pale Tomato and Wet Cement and "Kissed" with Hero Arts S5507 (Envelope Pattern) using Memories Pigment Unicorn.
Go Dawgs: PaperTrey Ink Alphabet Die; covered with Glossy accents

A few sequins and dots scattered around.

Thanks for stopping by~

Online Card Class Days 7 & 8

I really enjoyed working with the Graphic Stamps. At first I didn't think I would have too much on hand to work with even though I do have the Avery Elle Rounded Diamonds Stamp Set which I LOVE. However, as I looked through my stash I found several that would work. So here they are.

Background: Mama Elephant ~Sunny Skies stamped with Hero Arts Pale Tomato, Hero Arts Cornflower, Hero Arts Butter Bar, Hero Arts Lime Green,and  Hero Arts Soft Cantaloupe
"Flower": Avery Elle ~ Rounded Diamonds stamped with Hero Arts Cornflower, Cerulean, Punch, Pale Tomato, Green Hills, Lime Green, Butter Bar, and Soft Cantaloupe 
Sentiment: Avery Elle ~ Modern Leaves

Thanks so much for stopping by!

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
ISAIAH 54:10

Monday, August 11, 2014

Online Card Class Day 4

Here is what I did with Day 4 Online Card Class Stretch Your Stamps 2. (If you read my previous post, you will see that I haven gotten behind with my "lessons" so I am trying to play catch up and do the ones that are a little easier for me)

Background: Hero Arts S5654 Tweed Pattern, white embossed and distress inks
Spellbinders: Labels Fourteen
Sentiment: Hero Arts CL578 Good Friends


"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
ISAIAH 54:10

Online Card Class Day 5



I am a little behind with my "lessons" for this wonderful online class. So you may see things a little out of sequence as I am trying catch up but work on the ones that seem a little easier for me.

Here is my attempt at Day 5 Easy Watercolor Outline & Debossing that Jennifer Rzasa demonstrated. (I left out the debossing part on my card).

If you remember from a previous post, I said that I didn't do watercoloring well. I had to try three times before I was satisfied with this. I guess practice does makes perfect ~ I still have a way to go with this technique though.

FLOWER STAMP: Penny Black 30-113 Petal Party
SENTIMENT: Hero Arts CL750 Butterfly and Flower
DISTRESS INK: Dusty Concord
DISTRESS MARKER: Peeled Paint
CURVED EDGE CRAFT DIE: Simon Says Stamp

ONLINE CARD CLASSES: Stretch Your Stamps 2
Thank you ever so much for stopping by!

"I pray that out of hos glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
EPHESIANS 3:16-19

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Online Card Class Day 2

I have had several jars of Ranger Perfect Pearls on hand but wasn't really sure how to use them. Well, after watching Jennifer McGuire's video I felt confident enough to try it. LOVED the technique she shared.

Here are my cards:

 With the first card I used a brand called Pearl Ex for the effect of the Perfect Pearls from Ranger. The background stamp is Impression Obsession Small Paisley. The sentiment is a die from WPlus9 ~ Season Sentiments Die.

The second card was made using the same background stamp only this time using Ranger Perfect Pearls Green Patina and Pewter. The heart is the die cut from the above card. Sentiment ~ WPlus9 ~ Season Sentiments Die.

Loving the Perfect Pearls but what I learned is that when you use embossing powder and Perfect Pearls it takes it a while to dry.

"He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to sand on the heights."
Psalm 18:33

Online Card Class ~ Stretch Your Stamps 2

I always love the inspiration given by the team of ladies who present and motivate us to think outside the box with these online card classes.

Most of Monday's class dealt with using watercolor backgrounds and I have really, really tried to work with watercolors BUT the two of us do not work well together :-( So after making several attempts again, I had to resort to the concepts of the class and not use the "watercolors".

Here are a couple of cards I made from Day 1:



If you are interested in being a part of the online card classes, it is not too late to sign up.

"I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." PSALM 16:8

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Live Every Moment

I was inspired by a card on  Laura Bassen's blog and loved the design.
Here is what I did with it:

Sentiment: One of my new stamp sets from Hero Arts ~ Dauber Bunch CL751
Butterflies: Simon Says Stamp Dies Pauline and Chrissy Butterfly
Bracket Die: Simon Says Stamp ~ Brackets 111317

Here is Lauren's card:

Thanks for stopping by!

"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
Romans 8:9-11

Sunday, May 18, 2014

New Stamps

I just received my "new" stamps from Papertrey Ink this weekend and have fallen in love with this set. Lots and lots of flowers to work with and that is my usual go to stamp for cards.

Flower: Papertrey Ink ~ Doodlie-Do Vol.7 #141 ~colored with Copics
Tag: Hero Arts Frame Cuts DI058 Large Tag
Sentiment: Verve Stamps (One of my Favorite Companies) Bloom & Grow
Bling: Hero Arts Hero Hues CH236 Diamond Gemstones

Thanks for stopping by!

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."
Psalm 29:11

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Hero Arts Sketch 3

Well, I met my goal of trying to do one of each of the sketches for the Hero Arts Spring Sketch Challenge. You still have until May 25th so check it out.

So here is my take on Sketch 3:


I am loving my new Martha Stewart Heart Border punch that I got on sale at Michael's.
Background: Hero Arts CG504 (Looped Flower Pattern) ~ I white embossed the stamp and them colored the diamond centers with copic markers.
Flower and Leaves: Hero Arts CL750 (Butterfly and Flower)
Die: Hero Arts Frame Cut DI090 (Flower and Butterfly Frame Cut)
Sentiment: Hero Arts CL490 (Sending Smiles)
The heart is actually a dark turquoise but looks black in the photo. It was part of my Simon Says Stamp May Card Kit.

Thank you ever so much for stopping by and hope you are in an area that is finally experiencing some warm weather! We have had LOTS of rain here in Georgia so any sunshiny day is a blessing.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
(Ephesians 1:18-19, NIV)

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hero Arts Sketch Challenge #1

I guess I am on a roll now ~ here is my second card for the Hero Arts Spring Sketch Challenge. I used sketch #1 for this one.


Pulled out another old Hero Arts stamp that I have not used in a while: CL548 (Basic Grey) Enjoy.
Stamped with Hero Arts Shadow Ink Mid-Tone Cornflower and colored the leaves and flower with Copics. You can't tell from the picture but the flower is layered to give it dimension.
For the curve, I used Simon Says Stamp A2 Card Curved Edge Die.
The center is an enamel heart from my Simon Says Stamp May Card Kit.

Blessings to you!

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:6-7