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

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Sketch Challenges

I have never done too much with sketch challenges but I am finding on days when my creative juices are just NOT flowing that sketch challenges can give me a "jumping off" point. Hero Arts always has a sketch challenge in addition to their theme for the month. You can check out this month's theme, color challenge and sketch challenge here.

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Here are a few cards I made. Think I am only entering the first one.

I partially dry embossed the top with a Sizzix die. I know I could have done the entire card but didn't want the rough texture under the pattern paper I attached on the bottom half.

The black pattern paper is from Paper Studio Harper's BOUTIQUE (4.5 x 6.5 paper pad). I am loving all the different shades of black and patterns. 

I layered 3 of these sweet, sweet flowers stamped from Hero Arts CL527 Stitched Frame. Sentiment is a very old Hero Arts CL184 Sayings & Quotes.

Button is my stash from WalMart :) and some paper lace that I have had for a while.

Here are two others:


The pattern paper on the left is Paper Studio Classics. It is their 4.5" x 6.5" paper pad. The butterfly is a digi from Hero Arts Winged Friends and the bow is a Simon Says Stamp die. Both sentiments are Hero Arts.

Thank you ever so much for stopping by.
Blessings to you!

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."
Jeremiah 17:7

Monday, April 8, 2013

Friendship

I think we often take our friends for granted. We know they are there but we don't communicate like we should. This often occurs as we grow older because "back in the day"  (which would be way back for me now) we were inseparable from our friends. This generation calls them their "besties" :) Friendships are important and I need to remember that and make time for my friends.

I am sharing this at Just Us Girls 
#183 Sketch Graphic
And since it is a "girly" card I am entering it in the Hero Arts April Challenge
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Here is my Friendship card:

Paper: Dilly Dally Miss Caroline (I love this floral paper)
Dies: Notebook~ Paper Smooches; Butterflies~Die-namics
Sentiment: Hero Arts CL493 (Live Life)

The "bling" in the bottom corner are buttons with pearl dots on top
Ribbon: "Hug Snug" seam binding

Thank you for stopping by and call one of your friends today :) 

Blessings!


"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Pink Galore

I was surfing on Pinterest last night to get my creative juices for another card for Hero Arts April Challenge. There are some really great ideas out there. Here is what I came up with:

Yep, lots of pink! I used a Sizzix embossing folder for the background and the white oval. The ovals are Spellbinders die. And I am loving my Flourish die from Hero Arts DI077. 

The butterfly is a Hero Arts digi Winged Friends. 

I struggled with the size of the flowers and went back and looked through all of my Hero Arts stamps with flowers (which there are a lot of) and found this "oldie goldie" that I thought was perfect (HA CL304-A Million Thanks). 

The leaves are an EK Success punch. 

Sentiment is Hero Arts also BUT I have no clue because I cut it apart and do not know where its mate is :(

Blessings to you!

Have a glorious day ~

This verse comes to mind because I have so many friends recently who have had surgery. Some will have a quick recovery and others will have to be patient with their healing:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

Friday, April 5, 2013

Poppies Poppies Poppies

This is one of my favorite Hero Arts flower stamps. It is an older one but I keep pulling it out. We are still having rain and cool weather here in South Georgia but I just know spring is around the corner. Hopefully we will not be jumping from winter to summer which has happened here on more than one occasion. Check out the Hero Arts Challenge for April.


The poppies are Hero Arts CL449. I colored these in copics. The sentiment is from a new set I got from Paper Smooches.
I decided to use some dotted paper for this one. I used Memento Angel Pink to create the pink background and a Sizzix embossing folder.

Trusting you are having a good day filled with lots of love! Blessings to you!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagel's."
Psalm 103:1-5

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Pretty In Pink

I am loving playing around with old and new stamps. This is another card for the April Hero Arts Challenge.

One of my new background stamps is the Small Paisley Cover - A - Card from Impressions Obsession. It is a huge stamp if you are wanting to cover more than a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 area. I heat embossed it in white embossing powder. The oval is My Favorite Stamps Oval Decorative Doily. Flowers are  Hero Arts CL496. Another new die for me  is the flourish on the doily and at the base of the card. It is Hero Arts Fancy Dies Flourish. I was really pleased with how that turned out.

Thank you for stopping by ~ Blessings to you for today!

"He makes me to lie down in the green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake."
Psalm 23:2-3

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Girly Cards

Hero Arts April Contest Theme is Just For Her but I am going to call them girly cards :) Girly cards are fun and for the most part they are easy - NOW having to do a Just For Him card would take me hours or days to come up with something. Soooooo I am going to enjoy this while I can.

Here is what I did today:

Love, love, love this Tea Flower stamp from Hero Arts Classic Tea Flower (H5577). Colored it with copics and stamped the stem with Memento Bamboo Leaves
I use this Birthday sentiment all the time. It is a perfect size for most things. It is Hero Arts CL139. The seam binding is "HUG SNUG" and I love to use it because it is so easy to color using my copics if I need it to be a color other than white. The sentiment is stamped on a Cuttlebug Slider die.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by.

Blessings to you!

We have a lot of people that are having surgeries and serious medical problems so we have been in prayer for them. This scripture has become our "go to" verse for encouragement and I wanted to share it with you.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7

Monday, April 1, 2013

Inspiration

I think quilts are absolutely one of the most creative works of art. I have always wanted to make one but do not have the patience for the cutting and sewing that is required. I purchased an Easy Quilts magazine Summer 2013 publication and found this unique use of a quilt.


It inspired me to make this card:


The sentiment is Hero Arts CL613. The panel and background was embossed using a Paper Studio embossing folder. I used a 1 1/4" EK Success circle punch to get the oval size I needed and used as a "pattern" to punch the others.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. Hope you have had a blessed day!

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."
Psalm 34:8