Divas by Design . . . Die Cuts and Punches

Happy Wednesday! It is time for another challenge from Divas by Design. I am betting everyone can participate in this one, the challenge is to use die cuts and/or punches. I don't know of a stampers who doesn't own a fine collection of these!

Shaped cards are big right now, it seems and I've seen quite a few that call for using the Spellbinders Nestabilities Grands. They ARE quite grand and I like them, but my pocketbook does not, so I try to find ways to use what I have. I do own quite a few of the nestie sets that are regular size and for this card I took the largest die from the Labels 4 set and traced around its outside for the largest layer on the white cardstock. For the green striped layer I cut a strip of paper so that it would just barely slide through the die and fed just one end through the half the die so I would get a cut on one end, but not both . . .I am going to have to post a picture to make it clear I think.

I have punched daisy shaped behind the prima roses, not sure you can see them. And I used a large Martha Stewart edge punch for a floral 'fence' where my little Frieda is picking flowers. (from The Craft's Meow).

I paper pieced Frieda and colored her with copics. Thanks for looking and hope you can play along! The rest of the design team blogs can be found as listed below!

And whooops! I forgot to mention that the Divas are looking for a guest designer! You will find all the deets on the blog link I posted above, so give it a shot!

Rebekah

Jacqui

Bettina

Laney

Anita

Sarah

Polaroid 2-Step Masking

I cannot recall if I've had a chance yet to play in the Make it Monday techniques posted on the Papertrey blog, but this week I did! Yay! It is so nice not to be traveling so much so I can get inky and crafty.

This week's Make it Monday is a Polaroid 2-step masking and you'll find the directions where I highlighted the link. The only thing I don't like about this is how long it takes my white craft ink to dry, but then again I have humidity issues in the basement. I'd like to try it again and play around more with the framing and the stamps I use there, in this instance I used Turning a New Leaf. The focal image is Autumn Abundance and I used prismacolor pencils. I chose kraft paper because I like the tone I get with the prismas on that paper.

Thanks for looking! Happy stamping!

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 95 . . . Free in Christ

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! Today's hostess is the ever youthful Miesje who selected this verse from Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

The challenge is to make a red, white and blue thank you card. I always enjoy working with red, white and blue, I just think they are pretty colors together, bright and cheerful. I had this set out for another project I posted yesterday and decided to try the tulips in red, white and blue and I like the result! However, for the entire layout and embellishment scheme I totally CASED a Debbie Olson card from February. She lives across the lake from me, so one day I might take a 118-mile swim (perhaps a jet ski?) and get her to teach me how to color properly with copics.

I had a few conversations this week that relate to the verse Miesje selected. One was with a friend yesterday who grieves over the fact that someone close to her won't accept the gospel message. They say openly that they don't want to accept Christ as savior because it would mean they would have to change their lifestyle.

I have known many other people who held this opinion, who feel as though to become a Christian means entering a life of bondage somehow, of eternal servitude. But that verse and many others point out that through Christ we have freedom from the bondage of sin!!! It compares sin to a yoke of slavery . . . what does that mean exactly?

At our old church one saying there was "choose to sin, choose to suffer." Sin always has its consequences. Sin seems so appealing at first, so easy and so widely accepted. But soon that sin ensnares us and we cannot escape, it becomes a yoke around our necks. I am sure you are able to think of many examples on your own, but for just a few . . . spending beyond your budget and the credit card bills pile up, drinking a bit to forget your troubles until the alcohol bottle is too hard to put down, cheating just a little on taxes until the IRS comes calling. What about the fallacy of 'recreational' drug use? In one area of the country I read about this week, where methamphetamine became popular, child abuse and domestic violence rose over 100% above previous levels. The police were overwhelmed and social services could not keep pace.

It doesn't matter whether the sin seems 'big' to us or 'little' in comparison to others, all sin is the same before a holy God. And we and the others around us suffer the consequences of that sin. Worst of all, sin separates us from God. Christ is the bridge, He paid the price for our sins on the cross and set us free from that bondage.

And far from a life of thankless, cheerless servitude, when we accept Jesus we become beloved sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:15-17) Life is ours to enjoy, on both sides of heaven. Sometimes I think ideas are better communicated through music, there is a great song that I love to sing at the top of my lungs (alone in the car or in the shower) by the Newsboys; Free to Run. You can find it here on youtube.

Thanks for looking, have a great week! We look forward to seeing your red, white and blue cards decorate the gallery!

Papertrey Ink June blog hop

Can you believe its time for another Papertrey Ink blog hop? I haven't had a chance to participate much lately, but this month found the time. Below is the inspiration photo, quite colorful, and I had just been playing with my kaleidacolor pads a few weeks ago, so I pulled them out again for a few of the cards below.



For this first card I pulled out Giga Guidelines and a few kaleidacolor pads in Fresh Greens, Desert Heat, Cool Carribbean and Berry Blaze, to mimic the colors in the striping in the inspiration photo. I added an accent strip of Martha Stewart black glitter.
For this card I colored the tulips and the jar with the colors from the inspiration photo (dark to light green, blush, yellow, oranges, reds, pinks and aqua) using prismacolor pencils and put in one poofy element in the bottom right corner of the card with the pink ribbon. (Friendship Jars, Friendship Jar Spring Fillers, Background Basics: Botanicals, Say it With Style)


Using the kaleidacolor pads I repeated the word 'happy' from the Enjoy the Ride set and then used Birthday from Giga Guidelines, and it introduces the aqua or bright blue color with Turning a New Leaf. I almost had enough stickle colors to match the ink choices. In the case of the light green I had to use a container of yellow icicle stickles as I had no good color match. See the little pink accent at the bottom left? That was a oops as my strip of green was too short for the card. I'd like to say it was some deliberate artistic element, but it isn't.

That's it! I would imagine the hop is going to be a very colorful one considering the inspiration photo and I had fun this past week creating. Looking forward to seeing all of your artwork as well.

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 94 . . . doodling

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! This week's hostess is the lovely and talented MariLynn, who selected this verse from Hebrews 11:1, which says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. (KJV)."

Our sponsor company is Our Daily Bread Designs which is offering a $15 gift certificate to one randomly selected participant in this week's challenge, which is to use doodling somewhere on your card.

I doodled all around the white space for my duckie and then doodled in a small bee buzzing nearby. I love this little duck stamp, makes me happy every time I use it!

Anyway, all you have to do is doodle to play, hope you find time this week! I honestly have no idea what MariLynn's devotion is going to be or the connection between the verse and doodling so I will be as anxious to read it on Sunday as you will! And I know she will have some precious thoughts to share, so I'm going to leave it to her. (I'm preposting).

Have a blessed week!

Stamps: Hambo, MFP (sentiment)

Paper: who knows . . . picked it up out of my scrap pile

Ink: black

Other: scor tape, glitter (that's always fun to use, any excuse will do), flower, corner rounder

One wedding photo

Wish I had a full length photo to share, but for now, here is a photo of the happy new bride and groom from my oldest daughter's wedding. :)

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 93 . . . Father's Day

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. I missed last week, finally have returned from having my oldest daughter's wedding and helping my mom with a move. Lots of traveling, lots of activity, but new horizons for many in the family and hopefully, good ones!

Our hostess this week is the lovely and talented Lisa, who has selected this verse from Ephesians 6:2-4, "Honor your father and mother"~this is the first commandment with a promise~"so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Lisa is challenging us to make a Father's Day card or a card praising our Father in heaven. And our sponsor is Simon Says Stamp! Be sure to check out the home page here to read Lisa's thoughts about her chosen verse and to see the beautiful creations from the rest of the design team.

I made my card to give to my husband. My own father is gone, but my husband is a stellar example of a man who has risen to the top as a father, and to children not his own. I have three children from a first marriage and the kids and I were on our own for quite a number of years before I met my current husband and he entered their lives. The kids, especially my oldest daughter, were of the opinion that life would have sailed on quite nicely without him, thank you very much, no need for you to get married again, mom. But what an incredible journey we have had.

It was never a question for my husband, he said when he married me he had to embrace them as his own children or it never would have worked. That he has done, all the while walking a delicate line of making sure the kids understand he was not here to replace their own father, who is still alive, but just entering in as an extra helper in their lives--patient, kind, understanding, generous, unselfish, encouraging--always there to support the kids.

This past weekend my oldest daughter got married, which is why I didn't have time to make a card for last Sunday's challenge. The wedding was beautiful, my daughter was, of course, the prettiest bride ever seen. She danced with her dad, her new husband danced with his mom, and then, as a complete surprise, my daughter called my husband to the dance floor for their own special, private dance. It was one of the best moments of my husband's life, a sweet reward for all of his efforts and the love he has shown. Above all, my husband has helped with the spiritual growth in our family because of his love for his heavenly father. All the kids have said that their faith walks would not have grown the way they have without him. Two of my kids are on mission trips this summer.

Parenting is never easy, step parenting is even harder and doing it well deserves a gold medal. I don't have one of those and most of you reading this probably don't either, but take the time to thank someone next weekend, father, stepfather, grandfather, or heavenly Father, who has poured themselves into your life. I don't have photos of the wedding yet, but hope to share some soon!

Have a great week, hope you can play along.

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers All Aboard and Big Boy Toys (sentiment)

Ink: Ranger distress ink Weathered Wood

Mark's Finest Papers June release . . . Floating Along

This week's new releases are: All Aboard, Poppies Poppies Poppies, Sand Surf Relax, and Floating Along.
For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.
So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Floating Along? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)
For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Floating Along. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

I am not part of the official hop but have listed the order below. I am out of town helping my mom move, she has no internet so I"ll be blacked out for a few days, but will look forward to visiting everyone's blogs when I return!

Had fun using the Wrinkle Free Distress technique with Ranger distress inks for the water lilies and the swan. Found some great paper that was a gift from a friend that I think complement the image wonderfully well.

On the second card I did an ornare pattern that looks really nice with the water lily stamp, I know its almost impossible to see in the photo. Had a great time with the stamps from this MFP release and you all are going to have FUN playing with them as well! Thanks for looking!

Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Silvia
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Sharon-Guest Designer for June
Mark’s Finest Papers

Mark's Finest Papers June release. . . Sand, Surf, Relax!

Hello! Welcome to the June 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!
This week's new releases are: All Aboard, Poppies Poppies Poppies, Sand Surf Relax, and Floating Along.
For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.
So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Sand Surf Relax? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)
For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Sand, Surf, Relax. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.
Emily
Nancyruth
Neva
Silvia
Faith
Claudine
Dawn
Marilynn
Patricia
Chrissy
Karen
Pam
Joanne
Kittie
Sharon-Guest Designer for June
Mark’s Finest Papers

Although I am NOT part of the official hop today and you can find on the main blog post some of the amazing creations by other design team members, I am listing the order here so if you're lost, you can follow along! Best of luck and happy hopping!

Just finished up my DD's wedding, now leaving for my mom's to help her move. Commenting and blog visiting will commence in the future soon I hope! Mom has no available internet, so I"ll be blacked out for a few days. Miss all you guys!

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Sand, Surf, Relax

Paper: Kraft, variety of browns

Ink: white craft, kaleidacolor browns, gray

Other: MFP twine, charm

Mark's Finest Papers June release . . . Poppies, Poppies, Poppies

This week's new releases are: All Aboard, Poppies Poppies Poppies, Sand Surf Relax, and Floating Along.
For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.
So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Poppies, Poppies, Poppies? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if the winner has already purchased this set!)
For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win POPPIES, POPPIES, POPPIES. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Earlier this month I have been showcasing some more elaborate poppy cards, I just love poppies and they all are blooming in Michigan right now! I also wanted to showcase how a detailed stamp can be easy to use depending on your use of color or technique. My daughter got married this past weekend so my stamping time has been limited, I had lots more ideas but no time to implement them!

For this first series of photos, I made a simple set of notecards using kaleidacolor pads. Stamp the poppy in your chosen color, use a ruler to outline it so the card has a little more definition, add a sentiment and then mount it on a complementary color cardstock. I love the white cardstock from MFP and there are so many colors to choose from in the colored cardstock line, its easy to find a match for your DP or your inks.









For this next card I stamped the image in black. Take a watercolor brush or aquapainter and dip it into a reinker of your choice--in this case I used red, orange, yellow and green to mimic poppy tones--and spatter your cardstock. I used a crimper to give the card a bit of added texture, and added a little bee from a different MFP set that features pansies. Love that bee! This is such a quick card, ten minutes tops, except for cutting out the bee.



This next card uses the Ranger distress inks in a wash on your cardstock, wrinkle free distress technique I think its called, then once you have your color wash, stamp the image in black. I cut it out, stamped some poppies in the background in red, added a sentiment and bow and voila!, you're done. Again, except for cutting out the flowers, this is a ten minute job.



And just to show them to folks who might not have come to my blog previous to this hop, I have the more complex cards, with poppies colored in prismacolor pencils and the glitter window technique, that I did earlier this month to really bring out the details and color burst you get with poppies. Thanks for looking and happy poppying!!! (hopping). (I know, stop with the poppies already!)





Lois
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue -----you are here!
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Lagene-Guest Designer for June
Mark’s Finest Papers

Mark's Finest Papers June release . . . All Aboard!!!

Hello! Welcome to the June 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!
This week's new releases are: All Aboard, Poppies Poppies Poppies, Sand Surf Relax, and Floating Along.
For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.
So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: All Aboard? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)
For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win ALL ABOARD. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.
Lois
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue ----you are here!!!
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Lagene-Guest Designer for June
Mark’s Finest Papers

This particular stamp in this set reminded me of a book I loved when I was a child of a train that had to try so hard to get over the mountain to deliver its load of candy and toys to the children in the valley below, the Little Engine that Could! So I made a candy train for my card, hope you like it! Thanks for looking and happy hopping, good luck!

Divas by Design . . . Flowers!

Welcome to another challenge from Divas by Design! Every challenge is listed for two weeks, there is plenty of time to play along and this challenge involves the type of stamp that I bet EVERY stamper has on hand. . . flowers! This is a floral challenge, so pull out that favorite flower set or two or three, and play along!

For my card I am featuring a sneak peek of a new set that will be introduced by Mark's Finest Papers this month, Poppies, Poppies, Poppies. There are three different sizes of poppies in this set and great sentiments, although I chose for this card a sentiment from an older set as I wanted a specific saying to give this card to a good friend.

For this card I've used the glitter window or stained glass technique. Take a sheet of acetate and stamp your image using stazon or an archival black ink. You want to be able to see the image clearly, black is the best ink choice. On the stamped side, using a glue that dries clear, choose your first color; it is best to work from dark to light, and glue in your first area, then sprinkle the glitter on that spot. Set a timer for a minimum of 15 minutes, I usually do 20 minutes, to let it dry a bit. This is a great technique to use when you have housework to complete! When the timer beeps, return, shake off the glitter excess (you can even shake it onto a piece of paper and return it to your glitter container) and then apply the next color. Gradually the image will fill in and when done, flip it over and use the opposite side for the front of your focal point. That way the glittered side is in the back and won't rub off.

You can even get some shading on your image, if you use the right mix of glitters, just as if you were painting with them. For this image I used onyx and brownstone for the flower center, maroon and bright red, garnet, carnelian for the flower petals and fire opal for the highlights, and peridot, verdelite, gray green, dark green and medium green for the leaves.

I also got a chance to use a pretty border stamp just release from Flourishes and given to me for my birthday by a very dear friend.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you play along!

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Poppies, Poppies, Poppies (June release), sentiment from Thanksful for You, Flourishes Country Charm Borders
Paper: white, red, acrylic
Ink: black, black craft
Other: glitter (as listed above), Spellbinders nestabilities labels 18, red gingham ribbon, clear EP, PTI impression plate