Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . .great joy

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's sponsor is La-La Land Crafts and you can find more information about them and see the other creations by the design team on our home page right here.

This week's hostess is my dear friend Traci, who selected this verse from James 1:2-3 "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." Her challenge is for you to create a card with variegated colors. This can mean a monochromatic card with various shades of one color, or a card that shows variegated as in a variety of colors, or a pop of bright colors in unison as in a boquet of flowers. Be creative!!

I know that Traci is doing the same Beth Moore study that I am finishing up as well, although we are on different sides of the country. The book of James offers so much food for thought it feels like an eight week study is just scratching the surface.

I am looking forward to seeing her thoughts on this verse.

I also created this card using the Make it Monday technique highlighted on Nichole Heady's blog this week; to create glitter buttons; fun stuff.

Thanks for looking, have a great week!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Ink: black
Paper: greens
Other: buttons, glitter.

Let's go for a Ride . .. Papertrey Ink blog hop February 2012

Hey stampers, hope you're having a good Saturday!

I found the time this week to maek a card for the Papertrey Ink customer blog hop.

The challenge: to make an interactive card.

I don't have the dies to make the zipper card or spiral, very cool things, but I used a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers to make a viewmaster card.

I want to take a photography course this summer if I can find one, so they turn out a little better, the sun was glaring a bit. I hope you can see the dial on the right hand side of the card; you attach a large circle with a brad and it spins around. My opening is the car window, so different 'passengers' are going for a ride in the window. You can fit about four of the tiny treats images on the wheel. Anyway, I had fun, hope you're having fun hopping. Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Enjoy the Ride, Tiny Treats Valentines
Ink: Black, cool carribbean, Ranger distress inks in greens and yellow
Paper: New Leaf, Spring Rain, PTI white, random DP
Other: 1/8-inch hole punch, copics, PTI car die, brads, buttons

Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . fragrance

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ where all of our challenges are based upon scripture. This week I am the hostess and I have selected my challenge based on this verse from 2 Corinthians 2:15-16: 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?

This verse reminds me of many things. One image that might help illustrate this verse is the stable scene in the last story of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, entitled The Last Battle. A group of Narnians find themselves tossed into a stable towards the end of the book, a stable where dark, evil things were committed. The dwarves, the king and his friends all are thrown into it by the Calormenes and inside the dwarves find only darkness, damp straw and horse feed.

Lucy and the others find themselves, instead of inside a building, underneath the bright, wide-open skies of Aslan’s lush and fertile country with a vast land before them to explore. Aslan himself is there to be their guide. Despite Lucy’s best efforts to help them, the dwarves refuse to see what is all around them and refuse to listen to her or Aslan. They are trapped inside their own stubbornness in the darkness of a stable, in the darkness of their own minds.

We all know people who have heard the witness of Jesus Christ and refuse to listen. They’re trapped in a dark world but cannot see the light.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop loving them or stop trying. I know because I was one of those people at one time. I didn’t come to Christ until I was fully an adult, 30 years old. Then the light shone through the darkness and the words of the bible became sweet, I couldn’t drink in enough. Today the words still are sweet and their fragrance is life to me.

I am not a bible scholar and I might have this all wrong, but to me, that’s what the last verse is telling us . . . “who is equal to such a task?” Meaning, how can we tell who is going to perceive our words as sweet or as the aroma of death? I don’t think we can. I don’t think we ever stop carrying the fragrance around and sharing it with others, because only God knows who will be saved and who will not and it could be that one more time sharing will turn that person’s heart. We don’t know.

So today’s challenge is to create a card or project that features flowers. Carry your fragrance, carry your light, into the world and share it with others.

I was trying to create a masculine birthday card while still using flowers, hope I've achieved that with the colors I've chosen. Thanks for looking and we hope to see you participate this week. We have a new sponsor as well, Verses and they have a great selection of scripture and image stamps. You can see the rest of the creations by the design team and more information about Verses on our home page, here.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento black
Paper: White, assortment of blues
Other: prismacolor pencils, petite spellbinders scalloped circles, twine, button, rhinestones

Papertrey Ink interactive challenge

Papertrey Ink's anniversary challenges continue and today's is to create an interactive card. I haven't had time to make anything super fancy yet, hope to, but this is a tag card, the tag pulls out so its sort of interactive. I mixed up a couple of sets, had a lot of fun using bright colors again; I think I'm feeling ready for Spring.

I still need cards for the nursery workers at church. I found the tiny sentiments or words from the $5 sunflower set fit the spaces in the index card stamp and seemed to fit the garden theme and raising up children in a nursery. Anyway, I was pleased. Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Iconic Images, Green Thumb, Garden Variety, Index Card, Sunflowers (sentiments)
Paper: Green, PTI white, Hawaiian Shores, vellum
Ink: Antique Linen, raspberry, pixie pink, green, dark chocolate
Other: linen thread, PTI chocolate button, white gel pen, glitter, ribbon, corner rounder, MS edge punch

ALSO, I did the random.org draw for the winner of the little Flower Fusion set I was giving away in the Valentine's hop post, and the number drawn was 50, who I believe is Traci S. So Traci, please contact me with your address so I can mail it to you!

Papertrey Ink challenge butterflies

Papertrey Ink is continuing with its anniversary challenges for customers and I still need two thank you cards for this weekend. So here is another thank you created using a limited edition set from last year called Iconic Images. I had to find it once I saw the vase and flowers.

I tend to shy away from oranges except in the Fall, so I made myself using brighter, bolder colors than I normally would, including raspberry, hibiscus burst and orange. The challenge was to use leaves and butterflies; I used the Martha Stewart branch punch and have 'leaves' on the stems for the flowers in the vase. Martha Stewart butterfly punch for just a light accent of butterflies fluttering near the flowers, with their flight traced using a black gel pen.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Iconic Images
Ink: Memento black, Stampin' Up orange, Pink passion, Hibiscus Burst, Kiwi Kiss, Glorious Green
Paper: PTI Raspberry, Hibiscus Burst, white, silver
Other: pink ribbon, silver cord, orange zest button, linen impression plate

Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . smile

(For the WAW/SSIC Valentine Hop, scroll down a few posts)

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's hostess is the ever faithful Miesje, who selected this verse from Job 8:21 "Once more will he fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with rejoicing." Her challenge is to make a card that will cause you to smile, create a happy card, happy news, rejoicing in life.

Our sponsor this week is Our Daily Bread Designs and one randomly selected participant will receive a $15 gift certificate to spend in their store.

I will be very interested in reading Miesje's thoughts on her selected verse. I do know that each of us in the group has had trouble and have walked through some valleys either in the past year or a continuing valley that doesn't seem to want to end.

I also know that clinging to the Lord through it all helps provide strength and courage to continue on. The bible doesn't promise that everything lost will be restored in this life, but that we do have our ultimate hope in Jesus Christ.

Silly images can make me smile or make me happy and I hope my card makes you smile. I actually to have an intended recipient for this card, although I realize it isn't every day you can use a card with a knitting chicken sitting on top of a turtle. Thanks for looking, have a great week!

Stamps: chicken from a 12 days of Christmas set, Papertrey Ink (sentiment)
Ink: Memento black
Paper: Just a variety of scraps from a box in my stamp area
Other: copic markers, SU markers, spellbinders dies, PTI ribbon

Papertrey Anniversary Challenge sketch4 2012

I need a course in better photography. Anyway, this is the second of three thank you cards I need for the nursery workers at church on Sunday and the PTI sketch challenges are helping me get the job done. This is sketch four and although the lighting is terrible, I used for inspiration a photo I saw on pinterest of some gorgeous pink, gray and white cupcakes. This uses sketch four of the PTI day six challenge. Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Big, Bold Wishes, Guidelines Two, Turning a New Leaf
Ink: memento black, versamark, pink pirouette
Paper: PTI white, soft stone, SU pink pirouette, DP scrap
Other: Autumn Rose satin ribbon, Lavendar buttons, MS butterfly punch, pearls, PTI linen impression plate

Papertrey Anniversary Challenges 2012

(Please scroll down a post for the Word Art Wednesday/Stampin' Sisters in Christ Valentine's Day blog hop!)
Papertrey Ink is having its fifth anniversary festivities and I finally found some time to stamp! Yay! It always makes me happy to mess with my ink and paper. I was happy to find out that the flowers from Green Thumb (still one of my all time favorite sets) matched the flowers in my patterned paper from Stella and Rose. I stamped them first, then cut them out to layer on top of the stamped vine from Turning a New Leaf.

This is for sketch #2. Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Green Thumb (flowers on sentiment band), Big and Bold Wishes, Turning a New Leaf
Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Cool Carribbean, Chocolate, Kiwi Kiss
Paper: PTI Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet, Fine Linen, random blue, Lemon Tart, white
Other: PTI button, linen twine, MS edge punch, PTI linen impression plate

Word Art Wednesday Valentine Blog Hop

VALENTINE BLOG HOP, Feb. 9-13

Welcome to this stop on the Valentine's Blog Hop! You should have come from Paula's blog. And your next stop is Rebekka!

If you just happened upon my blog or are getting this by email, we invite you to join us in our first blog hop with our Sister Site, Word Art Wednesday!! We exuberantly join them in sharing our love for the Lord this Valentine's Weekend, and we hope to pass on that love to you all as well!! John 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; now remain in My love."

In celebration of Valentine's Day, this hop is all about love - God's love! Besides all the LOVE-ly eye candy you will see on this hop in the way of cards/projects, we'd like to share the love by offering prizes to our hoppers as well, so be sure to leave comments on each stop along the way!! There is a "Grand Prize" of this complete SU! Stamp set called "Cute by the Inch" donated by the lovely Vicki of The Stamping Room (you can also visit her Stampin' Up page.)

In order to qualify for the Grand Prize Drawing, you simply need to leave a comment on each blog on the hop list. We will announce the Grand Prize winner as well as the winner of our prize here on our blog the afternoon of Tuesday, February 14.

There are several other fun prizes to be won along the way on some of the Designers' blogs as you make your way through the Hop. I am offering this little flower stamp set from Papertrey Ink, Flower Fusion #6, don't know if you can make it out in the photograph, it has a plaid stem, so cute! I haven't inked it up yet, it is still brand new.



Since this is near to the last stop, you've probably already made it through most of the list, but if you didn't here it tis!! Thanks for joining us, and have fun!

Start at the Word Art Wednesday Blog
Cassandra
Wendy
Karen L
Marilynn
Karen C
Gemiel
Linda
Tabitha
Barbara
Miesje
Paula
PeggySue
Rebekka
Kristine
Last Stop - Stampin' Sisters in Christ

Didn't have my supply list up earlier, sorry about that!

Stamps: none, printed sentiment from WAW
Ink: computer ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Avocado, patterned paper, white
Other: Spellbinders 1/8" scor tape, MS glitter, MS edge punch (upside down heart on the bottom panel), PTI floral dies, PTI buttons

Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . love

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. Our hostess this week is sweet MariLynn who has selected this verse from John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Her challenge is to make a card/project that is related to love. It could be a heart, the word "love" or just something that you love using on your projects.

We are delighted to welcome back as a sponsor this year Sweet n' Sassy stamps! They are offering three digis to the randomly selected winner of this week's challenge. You can find out more details and see the rest of the creations by the design team on our blog's home page here.

I think if someone asked 'can you summarize the entire bible into one statement?' that John 3:16 would be the answer. God reached down to us. God reached down to you because God loves you.

For my creation this week I made a Valentine's Day card that I'm going to be sending to my oldest daughter and her husband. They just got married in June and this will be their first Valentine's Day as a couple. I hope it conveys the message that I love both of them. I kept it very simple, just took some patterned paper scraps to make my 'waves' on the bottom of the card, some nice, sturdy, PTI white cardstock and colored the image with copics. I did add a little glitter on the top of the waves, its fun to add a bit of shimmer.

That's it, thanks for looking. We're looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery. Thanks also for all of the comments and encouragement we've received since the beginning of the year, the entire design team is thankful and appreciative, we are truly blessed.

Stamps: Taylored Expressions (whale), PTI sentiment from Tiny Treats: Valentines
Ink: Memento black
Paper: PTI white, DP scraps
Other: copics, glitter