Honoring MariLynn with butterflies and roses

Hello everyone!  I know I've been absent in blogland this week but my Grandkids are here and I didn't have a minute to spare!  I had started this before they came and just now had a minute to finish it up, but my post will be short as we are about to go have some more fun!
I made this card to honor MariLynn for being Queen for the day #19.  I also used last week's Our Creative Corner Sketch.  I used a JOY Craft die for the embossing of the circle card.  The flowers are hand made with cream cs and spritzed with Copic R59, and then TA Glimmer Mist in Irredescent Gold.

The butterfly is from  Layers of Color Butterfly Collector Art Stamps set and I love this set.  It's colored with Copics and popped up at the top.  The embossing is sponged with TH Distress Ink in Scattered Straw. The ribbon is May Arts.

Thanks for looking today.... sorry for the short post but I'm flying out the door!

See you Aug 1 for the ODBD Blog hop!

Let your Light Shine

Hello everyone! Happy Sunday! I hope you have been having a wonderful Summer! I have been away and my last several posts were pre-scheduled, but I am back now and my family is here for the week! We are having a wonderful time enjoying the lake, day trips, and lots of fun time together!

Today's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge has really been a fun one for me, and I hope it will be for you as well! Our hostess is Peggysue and she has chosen the verse from Luke 8:16

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lamp stand, that those who enter may see the light."

The challenge is to make a votive holder or a card/project depicting a candle (light).

My Thoughts on this challenge

John 8:12 says "When Jesus spoke again to the people He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

As we think about these verses about the true light, which is Jesus, we realize that when we know the Savior, we HAVE the Light of the world within us, and it is our responsibility to shine that light forth in all that we do, say and even think. As we strive to let the light of Jesus shine through us... people will be drawn to that Light... out of the darkness that is all around us in this world.

In Matt 5:14-16 Jesus says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven". Our greatest desire should be to help bring people to that Light that can save them from the darkness of sin and it's penalty, which is death. When we have the Light of Jesus in us, we have the forgiveness of sins, the promise of heaven and eternity with Him, and the joy of an abundant life here on earth! Why wouldn't we want to shine that light for all to see and be drawn to?

For this week's challenge, I made a votive holder using the wonderful light house image from Our Daily Bread design's very first set, Light of the World. Having lived near the east coast for most of my life, I have a love of light houses, and I can't see one without thinking of these verses! If you have ever been on the water in the darkness of night when you cannot see anything... dangers are all around you but you cannot see them. But when you see that light house, shining out a beam of light to warn of dangers and make your course clear, you are filled with relief and thankfulness. In the same way.... when you look on the light of Jesus, you will be not only able to see the path before you clearly, but you will be filled with His light and life! I hope you are basking in the joy of His light today!

Card Details:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread designs "Light of the World"
Designer Paper: Paper House Products "Sea Scapes"
Accessories: Martha Stewart Shell Punch, Copics to color image (stamped and colored 4)
Vellum for the windows, Spellbinder's long oval die cut for windows, tutorial on SCS, battery operated votive candle

Our Sponsor this week is Karen's Doodles
Be sure to check out the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog for all the details!

We'd love to have you play along... if you do, please place a link to the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog in your post, and place a direct link to your project on the SSIC thread.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

We're so excited that Miesje, Cindy and Rebekkah will be staying on as Design Team Members!
Chris
Cindy
Linda
Randi
Peggysue
Lisa
Miesje
Rebekkah

Have a blessed week and I hope to see you on Aug 1st when we reveal the brand new Our Daily Bread designs sets with a fun blog hop and prizes!

Don't Worry Sneak Peek

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since my last post! I have been away and had the last several posts prescheduled, but getting home again and working on DT requirements for NEXT week when I will have my family here has kept me busy with things I couldn't show you quite yet! I am thrilled today however to be able to share with you a sneak peek at a new Our Daily Bread designs set by Dina Kowl that will be released on Aug. 1. It's called "Don't Worry". I love this set and I believe you will too! Since one of my besetting sins is anxiety.... this set has verses that speak directly to me! I love this quote from Corrie Ten Boom.... it's so true!!!

I stamped my image which is 2 flowers, then masked and added a third with Memento on Neenah, then colored with Copics. My frame is made with the Spellbinder's Lotus Blossom die cut edgeability and cut to fit. My sketch is this week's Midnight Madness Sketch#63. For my butterfly I stamped it once on my main panel and then again, cutting out just the front wing and popping it up. After coloring with Copics I painted with Shimmerz Candlelight for a shimmer.

Card Details:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread desings "Don't Worry"
Paper: Bazzill base, Stamping Station (dotted light blue), Memory Box Frond (green), Francis Meyer (dark blue)
Accessories: SB Lotus Blossom die cut borderability, Sheer ribbon, EK Success edge punch, Blue bling and butterfly charm from Hobby Lobby

I am linking this to the following challenges:
Midnight Madness
Practical Scrappers- my ribbon and bling are over a year old
Stampavie - anything goes
Paper Play - blue, cream + one
Mami Doodles - anything goes
Additionally I am adding this to the following Dirty Girl challenges which I am late to start, but here goes:
DTGD10flowergal36 Winged Things butterfly
DTGD10notimetostamp Passionate for Patterns 3 patterned papers used
DTGD10cindy_haffner Dies and Punches SB die, EK Success punch
DTGD10gbedwright Strut Ur Stuff (dies, punch, ribbon, bling, charm)
DTGD10SweetMissDaisy Keepin' it Rural (Chickory grows wild in the country)
DTGD10kittie747 Lost and Found (Shimmerz was almost dried up, bling and charm are ancient!)
DTGD10melmel How Does Your Garden Grow flowers/weeds grow!

Thanks so much for looking and have a most blessed weekend! I hope to see you Sunday for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge with something a little different for you!

Built according to the plan

Hello everyone! Happy Sunday! Today, It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge and I am the hostess today. I chose Psalm 127:1a for today's Scripture:

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.

I wrote a devotional which is on the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog, and I hope you'll stop by there and read it. The" short" version is basically that God is our Master Builder. He has a blueprint (plans) for each one of us. If we go off on our own, building our lives without consulting or knowing the master plan, we're going to make a mess of things! When we carefully follow the Master's plan, He makes something beautiful out of our lives. We need to humbly admit that we NEED the guidance and direction of our Master Builder. Matt. 7:24 tells us that the wise man builds his house on the rock of God's Word and obeys Him. When the rains fall and the floods come, and the winds blow, that house will not fall, for it has a firm foundation on the rock. Let's make sure we are following God's plan for our lives!

My challenge is: Use an image of something that is "built" using a set of plans ... a house, church, school, automobile, even a bird house, swing set ...anything that would be built according to a set of plans. There's lots of room for interpretation here... so I can't wait to see what you come up with!

For my take on the challenge, I used the July Our Daily Bread designs release "Bless This Home". The card is 5 x 7. The image is stamped with Memento and colored with Copics. I used my new CB Brocade Window Embossing Plus Plate on GPWhite. I matted with green Bazzill and mounted on Gray Bling Bazzill. I added some CB Victorian corners, a Spellbinder's Label 4 for the sentiment which is embossed in silver and matted with a CB Ironworks die cut. A sheer silver bow finishes it off.

Our Sponsor this week is Wink Wink Ink. Be sure to check out the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog for all the details!

We'd love to have you play along... if you do, please place a link to the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog in your post, and place a direct link to your project on the SSCC thread.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Here's links to the rest of the team to make it easier for you!

Chris
Cindy
Linda
Randi
Peggysue
Lisa
Miesje
Rebekkah

Thank you so much for looking and for your sweet comments! They mean so much! Have a blessed week! I will be returning home tomorrow after a wonderful visit with my sister!

Butterflies Resist!

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful week! Today I have a card to share that I made using the technique spotlighted on Gina K's Stamp TV... it's basically emboss resist. I used Layers Of Color Art Stamp set Butterfly Collector, and stamped with VersaMark, and embossed with SU! Black EP. I stamped on a yellow marbled dp, then sponged on Distress Inks in Broken China and Worn Lipstick, and just a touch of Black Soot. I matted this panel on Bazzill and Basic Black. The ribbon is May Arts silk (yummy!) and I used a CB edge embossing folder. I added various sizes of black pearls to the flowers. This was a really quick card for me and I like the way it came out. Hope you enjoyed it too!

Have a most blessed week!!!

Peaceful Rest

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Today's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge is brought to us by our guest designer, Miesje! The Scripture she chose this week is:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

What a wonderful and comforting verse! Have you ever felt burdened beyond what you could bear? Have you ever felt that you would just break under the weight of it all... or experienced such intense pain that you wondered if you could go on? It is at those times, when we realize how powerless we are in so many ways... and it's also those times when we realize how powerful our Savior is! Not only is He fully able to hear our cry and heal our wounds, our pain, our burdens.... but He is standing ready to relieve us of the greatest burden of all... that of our sin. He loves us with a love that is pure and unending. In love, He provided the way for us to be released from the weight of guilt of all our sin... past, present and future.... and He did that by giving His own life for us. He offers us the greatest peace and rest imaginable... free for the taking! What's even more amazing about the Christian life is that once we give our hearts to the Lord, He also gives us a peace that surpasses all imagination.... He is the source of our deepest joy! We can face uncertain days, difficult days, painful days, knowing that this earth and it's trials are but a drop in a bucket compared to the riches He has for us in glory, and we find strength to help in time of need!

Miesje's challenge to us is to make a project that symbolizes what brings you rest or peace. It could be flowers, an ocean, music, mountains, sitting with a friend, or just reading a book.

Well, while the greatest source of peace for me is knowing my Savior, spending real time with Him, walking in relationship with Him.... I wanted to use this image to represent the peace I feel when I have time to get away from my usual duties to just sit by the ocean and listen to the waves, watch a sunrise or sunset, watch all the beauty of nature and be reminded that even nature calls out of the love and creativity of our maker! It's so comforting to know that that same God who created the seas and the dry land, the expanse of sky and the sun, moon and stars, also created me! He created me in His image to do good things... and gifted me in just the way He wanted so that I could do what He wanted me to do.

So for today's project, I used stamps from Our Daily Bread designs, Serendipity and Verve. The image is one I got for Christmas and adore, but have not had time to ink up, from Serendipity. It so represents what I love to do when we visit our "home" state of Maine. I cut it out with a Spellbinder's Label 11 and colored with Copics. The verse is from Verve and is a plain Jane stamp, which I stamped directly on the dp with Lavendar Lace Ink. The matching bookmark uses a Scripture from Our Daily Bread designs Customer Favorites Series 1. I used this gorgeous Memory Box Poppyfinch dp on Baja Breeze paper, and Baja Breeze ribbon. The punches are Martha Stewart around the page punches. For the bookmark I used the same punches and sponged my sentiment in Baja Breeze, and tied a little hemp twine at the top.

Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp and they are donating a fantastic set "Relax Vacation" which you can see on the Stampin Sisters in Christ post.

We'd love to have you play along... if you do, please place a link to the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog in your post, and place a direct link to your project on the SSCC thread.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Here's links to the rest of the team to make it easier for you!

Chris
Cindy
Linda
Randi
Peggysue
Lisa
Miesje
Rebekkah

Thank you so much for looking and for your sweet comments! They mean so much!

I'm linking this to the following challenges:

*Little Red Wagon- Nestabilities
*One Stitch At a Time- lace, ribbon, bows
*By the cute and girly-warm summer days
*Ooh La La Creations-simply summer
*Drunken Stampers- Summer Theme
*Lexis- layers
*Creative Card Crew- to Die for
*PIO- favorite things- image, Scripture
*Incy Wincy-use punches

Strawberries on the vine

Hello everyone! I hope your week is going well! Mine is flying by!!!

Today I wanted to share a quick card I made with two Layers of Color sets: Nature Walk and Merci Bouquet. I love the summery feel of this card! I stamped the strawberries with Memento and colored with Copics, then cut out. The little blossoms are from the Merci Bouquet set. The berries are dotted with Diamond Glaze and the blossoms have Stickles in their centers. I used a Martha Stewart lattice punch through which I wove some gingham ribbon, and I used an EK Success punch for the vine at the bottom. The base is Bazzill. The gingham is from my stash and unknown. The berries and blossoms are popped up with different depths of pop dots.


I am linking this to the following challenges:
* Ooh La La creations - Simply summer
* # Nutty Nutshells #19, Summertime Fun (what's more fun than picking strawberries?)
* Drunken Stampers #23 Summer Theme
* Lexi's - Layers
* PIO: Favorite Things (strawberries)
* Incy Wincy- use punches (MS and EK Success)
* Crazy Challenge - Make It In An Hour
*Prairie Fairy - Anything Goes
* Cute Card Thursday- Lets get fruity
*Kah-Wink-E-Dink - Fruit Smooth
*ABC Challenge - X is for extra dimension

Thanks so much for stopping by and your comments make my day!

ODBD Bread Scripture book and Tutorial

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Today I have a little project I made using the newly released July Our Daily Bread designs sets "Our Daily Bread" and "The Living Bread". As promised, I'm going to do a little tutorial on how I made this Scripture book, focusing on how I made the bread shaped pages. I looked everywhere for this shape in a template somewhere and could not find one, so this is how I came up with my own:

Materials Needed:
Cardboard
Sturdy Card Stock (I used Papertrey Vintage Cream)
Adhesive (Good Glue Stick or TomBow Multi)
Sanding block
Magic Matter Tool or other means to mat 1/4" onto shape
Paper snips
Craft blade
1" Ring

1. Fold a piece of printer paper in half and draw the shape of a half slice of bread.

2. Cut out the shape you drew and open fold. You now have a full "slice" of bread. My scripture book measures about 6" high and 6" across at the widest part of the bread. The recipe book I made is about 4.5" in both dimensions. It's up to you and what you want to fit on the pages.

3. Trace your pattern on heavy card stock making one for each page you want. (If your cardstock is not heavy you might want to do chipboard or cardboard for all your pages. I just used cardboard for my covers)

4. Cut the paper shapes and stack up to be sure they are cut the same. Clean up any little differences.

5. Using a Magic Matter Tool (which adds an even mat to any shape) trace around your paper pages onto your cardboard, adding 1/4". Cut two.

6. Cut out your cardboard covers out.

7. Trace the cardboard shapes onto cardstock and cut out. This will cover your cardboard for a finished look. If you are not using designer paper to decorate your covers, cut 4 cream or white cs. If you are decorating with designer paper, just cut 2 from cs and cut 2 from your designer paper choices.

8. With a good quality glue stick or TomBow Multi Glue, apply adhesive to cardboard.

9. Adhere card stock to each cover. If using designer paper, adhere cs to just one side of each cover and repeat process with your designer paper.

10. When adhered, trim any areas that are not exactly even using your craft blade.

11. Using a sanding block, smooth out your edges until you are satisfied with the look.

Now you are ready to decorate your pages! When finished, line up all your pages exactly together and punch holes and insert rings to hold book together. Add ribbons as desired. Here are some of my pages... I'll be adding more, which is the great thing about the rings... you can always add to your book!

Supplies Used for decorating pages:

Stamps: Our Daily Bread designs The Living Bread, Our Daily Bread, Scripture Collection 3, Scripture Collection 2, Customer Favorites Scripture Series 1

Designer Paper: BasicGrey Origins, Prima First Blush, K&CO Ancestry

Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia, TH Distress Inks

Accessories: Spellbinder's Labels 5, 7, 11, 13, Contemporary Hearts Pendant, Nellies Multi DieCut, QuicKutz Corner Die Cut, ZVA Creative Pearls and silk flowers, MS Punch, May Arts Wrinkled Ribbon, Lace, Prima silk flower, Joy die cut scroll, Misc. pearls

Happy July 4th America! Stampin Sisters Challenge:Blue

Hello everyone and happy 4th of July to all my American friends!!!

It's Sunday and time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge! Today, our hostess is my dear friend Chris, and she chose 2 Chronicles 7:14 for today's Scripture:

" If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face,

and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

What an appropriate Scripture for our nation today! We in the USA have been incredibly blessed, and I believe that much of that was due to the fact that the nation was founded on Godly principles. However, as we look around today we see a greater and greater move away from that Godly foundation our forefathers fought for and many died for. More and more we are pushing God out of everything from our schools to our court houses, gov't buildings, even ball games! It seems today that there is "tolerance" abounding for every thing EXCEPT for things of God! It amazes me to be honest! I wonder though as I look at our nation today, how much longer will we enjoy the blessings of God upon our land? I remember after 9-11, everyone flocked to the churches to pray and call on God's name. No news casters were downplaying or ridiculing the use of God's name in prayer then! The American flag was raised over the site and people begged God for mercy as rescue workers feverishly dug through the rubble for bodies. I made the comment to some friends then... I wonder how long people will be crying out to God for help? How long until they have forgotten? Well.... it wasn't long. I believe we are starting to see some judgement for how we have turned our backs on God, and unless we repent and turn back to Him I fully expect that things in our own country will just get worse. Our only hope is to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways and THEN, He will heal our land.

Chris' challenge is to use Red or Blue somewhere on our card. It does NOT have to be a patriotic card!

For my card, I used the July release from Our Daily Bread designs, "Our Daily Bread". I colored a scene using my Copics and airbrush set (something I have not practiced with much yet) to create a little scene that focused on "purple mountain magesty" and a setting sun. I then overstamped the first verse to America The Beautiful from this set with Versafine Onyx Black. I matted with these gorgeous papers from Memory Box "Enchanted", and mounted on a Papertrey base. The ribbon is May Arts, and the pearls are ZVA Creative.

Our sponsor this week is Whimsy Haven (Lindsay Spencer)

We'd love to have you play along... if you do, please place a link to the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog in your post, and place a direct link to your project on the SSCC thread.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Here's links to the rest of the team to make it easier for you!

Chris
Cindy
Linda
Randi
Peggysue
Lisa
Miesje
Rebekkah

Thank you so much for looking and for your sweet comments! They mean so much, and for my American friends.... I wish you a very happy 4th of July! God bless America!

I am linking this to:
Crafty Cardmakers - use ink/stains/mists- my whole bg is airbrushed copics

Layers of Color Vintage Roses meets MMSC60

Hello everyone!  Today I have a card I made for the Midnight Madness Challenge this week, using Layers of Color Vintage Roses Art Stamp Set.  I love this set and thought the arch of flowers would be perfect for the arch element of the sketch.  My base is Bazzill and the dp is Websters Pages and SEI.  I used my  new CB EF and sponged all my layers with Adirondak Latte Ink.  The images are stamped with Archival Sepia and water colored with inks.  I used an MS punch and lace from Websters and K&Co.  The arched element is hand embossed on a light box using a Marianne template from Terryfic Times.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

All Sorts- embossing I used dry embossing)
Papertake Weekly-stitching
Practical Scrappers- border punches
 Challenge Up Your Life - Vintage

I have my Grandkids to pick up and we'll have a fun weekend!  I hope you all have wonderful weekend plans as well!  Be blessed!

ODBD Release Blog Hop!

Hello everyone and welcome to Our Daily Bread design's July 1 release blog hop! If you got here from Becca's blog, you are in the right place! If not you should go to the ODBD blog and start from the beginning! This month Kelley is giving away A FREE SET of WINNER'S CHOICE to THREE Blessed Hoppers!!!! Here's the fun part... the prizes are hidden on three different blogs and you won't know which ones, so be sure to leave a comment on each DT blog, because three blog owners will be choosing a winner from their commenters now through July 2, 8pm Eastern! So grab your favorite beverage and enjoy the hop! Be sure to return to the ODBD Blog and leave a comment there that you completed the hop and left comments for everyone, noting there if there were any you could not comment on. The hop will close at 8pm eastern tomorrow night (July 2). The winners will be announced Sat. on the ODBD Blog!

We on the DT have been having fun playing with our new stamps, and we know you will too! Today's project is something I have seen in my mind since I first saw these stamps! I made a bread basket liner, decorated some matching candles for the table and made a little gift book of bread recipes for a certain someone who wants a bread machine!

For another booklet project and a tutorial on how to make this bread slice shape for your own book, please check back on July 6 on the ODBD blog or here, and I will post a tutorial and another project with this idea then!

For today, I know you are anxious to continue on the hop so you can sign up to win one of the free new sets Kelley is giving away! Today I have used ODBD's new set "Our Daily Bread". I stamped with Stazon Saddle Brown on pre-washed 100% cotton, stamping the verse and wheat image on one corner, and just the wheat on the other 3 corners. I sewed a hem around the edge of my fabric, which I sized to fit my own bread basket. For the candles I stamped the wheat onto tissue paper and heated my candles until the tissue melded into the wax. I tied a pretty coppery sheer ribbon around them and also added a bow to my bread basket liner. Then I made a little booklet with various recipes specifically for bread machines, as I have been experimenting and making bread for some time and wanted to pass some of my recipes along. I will add more as time goes on. The papers are BasicGrey Origins. I embossed the verse in Copper.

I hope you enjoyed my project today... now from here you should hop to the talented and sweet Sandee.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of the hop! Hope to see you back here on July 6th for the special booklet project and tutorial I have for you! For my American friends, Happy Fourth of July!!!