Blue and Green Challenge

Hello everyone! It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge! This week our hostess is the lovely Lisa. Lisa has chosen the Twenty Third Psalm for today's Scripture. Many of you can quote this entire Psalm because you learned it by heart, perhaps when you were young... I know I did and I'm so thankful for all the Scriptures I committed to memory when I was young because it sure is more difficult to memorize anything now!!! Anyway.. what a comforting passage this is!

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Ps. 23

Lisa's challenge is to use the colors of blue and green on your project.

I decided to just play for fun this week. I found this fabulous Sugar Nellie image as a digi HERE
and just had to have her. Her name is Grace! How could I resist? LOL!

I used the Papertake Weekly sketch for this card. I needed a birthday card so my tiny tag is stamped with a stamp from Popcorn Bear set, Birthday Hugs. I love how tiny it is... fun to just add anywhere on a card! I stamped my image with Memento Ink and colored with Copics. The base is SU! Pear Pizzazz and the designer papers are from BasicGrey Urban Prairie and Memory Box Spearmint. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the greenery and an EK Success punch for the little flourishes. Sponged everything with Crushed Olive Distress Ink. I used Spellbinders Lacy Circles and Standard Circles Small, and three different Cuttlebug folders for the embossing. The flowers are ZVA Creative. The ribbon is May Arts silk.

I had so much fun coloring up this image! I so often do more serious cards and it was fun to break out and do something different!

Our Sponsor this week is Taylored Expressions!

They are giving away this set! Wow! Can I play? :)

We want to thank them for their support and generosity!

For full details on the challenge and the prize please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Blog!

For more inspiration on this challenge, please visit my DT Sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Miesje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti, Randi (on leave)

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Delightful Challenges - include a heart on your project (2 heart embossing folders)

Do You Stack Up? - patterned paper

Meljens Designs - create something with hearts

Moving Along With The Times – Spring

Pals Paper Arts - bows

Paper Play - layer it up

Southern Girls - dry embossing

Cooking It Up With Katie - use a sketch from another current challenge, add texture, use a punch

Fab 'n' Funky - use a digi

Penny's Paper-Crafty – anything goes

Pixie Cottage - SKETCH and/or flowers

Sisterhood of Crafters- anything goes

Stars and Stamps - NO GLITTER, cards for kids

Rubber Redneck - COLOR I used them all but the early espresso only a touch in her shoes

Everybody-Art-Challenge - "my favourite thing" (flowers)

My Time To Craft - embossing

Crafty Cardmakers - Floral

Karber Weekly - DIGI STAMP and Dots & Stripes (dp & dots in her dress and embossed heart dots)

Magical Mondays - Flowers

Ooh La La Creations - 3 of a kind (flowers)
BasicGrey - BG ITEM and flower power
Copic Creations - use something new plus Copics (new image)

Thank you for visiting and for blessing my day with your comments! I hope your week is simply wonderful!

Love... Stamping in Time

It is time for ODBD Stamping In Time Challenge(SNTODBD27)! The assignment is Our Daily Bread Design stamps. The challenge this rotation is "All about Love!" Love can be conveyed in many ways. You can use sentiments, stamps, or designer papers that use the word love or have a heart on them! You can use scriptures that actually use the word LOVE! Or, you can come up with your own idea about LOVE! Just let us know what you use to convey love! We look forward to seeing what you create using ODBD stamps!

For my card I used Our Daily Bread designs Love One Another set. I colored it with Copics and cut the panel with Spellbinders Labels Ten . I matted that on Gina K Cranberry Tart cs cut with Spellbinders Labels Fourteen which I embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. I matted that with a white layer, embossed with a Cuttlebut Swiss Dot folder and cut with a Spellbinders Curved Rectangles die. I cut and embossed everything with my new Grand Calibur and I love how smoothly it works, yet makes an incredible impression when embossing! I used a Martha Stewart edge punch.

This card was made to take to my church along with a lot of others to donate to a missions scholarship fundraiser. I bought a revolving card rack to have in the Church where people can take whatever cards they want... and hopefully will leave a donation in the attached box. My hope is that lots of cards will be taken for whatever donation people care to make, and that those donations will enable someone to go on mission who can't otherwise afford to do so. I'm resisting the temptation to see how much money has been raised so far, as it's only been in place a little over a week, but pray with me that God will use this in many ways.... it's always amazing to think what God can do with even a little thing! Just think... if someone goes on mission.... and someone else finds the Lord through that person... and then two more find the Lord through that person... well... the results could be far above what we can even imagine! Will you pray with me for God to use this little effort?

Well... that's my take on the love challenge this week! Now let's see yours! Simply link to the Stamping in Time Challenge on the ODBD Blog by Feb 9th! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Be sure to check the rest of my DT sisters who played in today's challenge:
Sabrina, Fran, Pat, Angie, Patter & Betty

I am entering this in the following challenges:
A Spoonful Of Sugar - Valentine's
Everybody-Art-Challenge - "my favorite thing" (love)
My Time To Craft - embossing
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Love is in the air
Lexi's Creations - Valentines
Pink Elephant - Red, brown & pink
Let's Ink It Up - NO DIGI and Anything Goes
Pile It On - Love is in the air
Craft Your Days Away - love
Secret Crafter - it's a couple thing (2 characters in your main image I hope hearts apply)
Totally Papercrafts - add a heart
Penny's Paper-Crafty  – anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters  - anything goes 
Stampavie and More - love
Meljens Designs -   create something with hearts
Paper Play -  layer it up
Southern Girls -  dry embossing

Sneak Peek... Steadfast and Sure!

Hello everyone! I made this for several challenges, using today's sketch on SCS. It is a sneak peek at a wonderful set to be released by Our Daily Bread designs on Feb. 1! It's great for guy cards and easy to color up quickly. I colored my image with Copics and the sentiment is stamped on Gina K with a light stamping in VersaMark of ODBD's very first set, Light of the World behind it. I sponged the edges with Adirondack Latte. The base is SU! Soft Suede and the dp is my hoarded Blue Awning by K&Co. The charm was a gift from a sweet friend, America. It's perfect for this card!

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - add hardware
Creative Belli - anything beginning with "P" (Paper)
Penny's Paper-Crafty – anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - distressing (ink distressing)
Stamp with Fun - Blue & Brown
Woodware USA - Anything Goes
Aly's Sunday Challenge - For the guys
CD Sunday -Something from a CD and Where Waters Meet (My anchor holds)
Let's Ink It Up - NO DIGI and Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Distressing (ink distressing)
Allsorts - for a male/boy
Copic Creations - use something new plus Copics (new stamps)
Delicious Doodles - get well soon or cheer someone up (this verse is encouragement)
Mami Doodles – mostly blues
Stamp Man – distressing (ink distressing)
Charisma Cardz – numbers (Scripture verse numbers)
Crafty Purple Frog - distressing (ink distressing)
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes

Vintage Valentine

Hello everyone! It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge! Today our challenge hostess is our Lovely Linda! Linda has chosen Jer. 31:3

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

Linda's challenge this week is to make a Vintage Style Card or project.

I love today's Scripture because even though this refers to God's restoration of His people Israel, we as Christians can find such comfort in knowing that God is unchangeable, and His love for us is also everlasting. He has drawn us to Himself because He loves us and desires a relationship with us. There is nothing we can do to make Him stop loving us! His very nature is love, and that love is unconditional love. If you have been feeling unloved, or if you have run so far because of past sins that you think He would never forgive... feel His love for you today! It is everlasting and He desires to draw you to Himself! Run to Him for comfort, for help, for all His best that He wants to pour out on you!

When I saw the challenge I immediately thought of this image from Layers of Color Fleur Heart clear art stamp set. It is such a detailed beautiful vintage image. The sentiment is from Crafty Secrets and says "You make my heart sing". I decided to play along with the Shabby Tearoom challenge this week which was to use white or cream plus one color, and neutrals. I also used this week's Midnight Madness Sketch.

I embossed my image and sentiment in gold and lightly chalked the heart. My base is Papertrey Sweet Blush sponged with with Adirondak Latte ink. The designer paper is two sides of one sheet from a Crafty Secrets pad "Heartwarming Vintage Collection". It is a creamy base with taupe and those same sweet blush colors. I used Spellbinders Label 13 (#1 size) and the oval from a Spellbinders retired tag trio, sponging them with Latte and layering. The ribbon is May Arts and the lace is vintage lace my sister found at a wonderful shop. I added some pearls and little Prima rose buds as embellishments.

Our Sponsor this week is Designed to Delight
The winner will be receive 2 free digi stamps!

We want to thank them for their support and generosity!

For full details on the challenge and the prize please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Blog!

For more inspiration on this challenge, please visit my DT Sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Miesje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti, Randi (on break)

Thank you for visiting and for blessing my day with your comments! I hope your week is simply wonderful!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Craft Your Days Away - love
Really Reasonable Ribbon - ribbon and hearts
Crafty Catz - use a forgotten stamp
Phindy’s Place - lace & pearls
Totally Papercrafts - add a heart
AiFactory - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - vintage
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes
Do You Stack Up? - pink
Stamp Insanity - use your favourite colour and go monochrome
Crafts and Me - monochrome
Creative Belli - anything beginning with "P" (peachy pink)
Freshly Brewed - love or Valentine's themed
Penny's Paper-Crafty – anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Valentine
Pollycraft - Pastel Colours
Corrosive Challenges - Lace and Pearls

Fresh Brewed Coffee - Love/Valentine

Aud's Sentimental - Love Theme

He makes everything beautiful in His Time!

Hello everyone! If you are looking for the winner of my blog candy, please scroll down one post!

I have one quick card to share with you today. I used my new birthday toy... my Marianne doily die cut that I got from Terryfic Times. (If you call them make sure you tell them Grace sent you!) Oh I love the pretty lines on this die! I used this month's Our Daily Bread designs release, Faith. I stamped with Memento on Papertrey Vintage Cream cs, colored with Copics and cut with the Marianne die (smaller circle). I then cut a circle from the Spellbinders classic circle Nesties set, and then the largest doily die from the Marianne set. I stamped the verse and punched it out in a tag, and attached with some May Arts Ribbon. The pearls are ZVA creative. The purple dp is daisyd's and the green is Memory Box Enchanted. I made this for Angie's Bible Verse Thursday over on Christian Paper Crafts, which was to use the theme of "beautiful"! Come play along!!!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
AiFactory - anything goes
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes
Creative Belli - anything beginning with "P" - pearls, pink ribbon
Penny's Paper-Crafty – anything goes
Stampin' Royalty - anything with wings
Oldie But Goodie Challenge - Bright and Cheerful
Paper Take Weekly - Ribbons and Pearls
Top Tip Tuesday - All Sentimental
Pollycraft - Pastel Colours
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Things with wings
Let's Ink It Up ) - NO DIGI and Anything Goes
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Quirky Crafts - In the Spring Garden
Our Daily Bread Designs - wings

Blog Candy Winner!

Hello everyone!!!
As promised.. we have a winner for my Christmas to Birthday Blog Candy! I had 376 signed up, plus another 11 who were not able to that I added in by number, for a total of 387! I wish you all could win something for blessing me so with your comments, but here is the number Random.Org selected:


MariLynn... that's you! Please contact me within 48 hours so I can get your package out to you!!! Congratulations!!!

Thank you all so much! I had a wonderful birthday... my hubby cooked me breakfast while I snoozed... I had literally hundreds of emails, and messages, received numerous gorgeous cards, and I was able to talk to many of my family members who live far away. I spent the morning with good stampin buddies over coffee, and then was taken out to dinner by my wonderful hubby... who also brought me flowers! It just doesn't get much better than that! Kind of takes the sting out of getting older! :)

Thank you all for joining in and blessings to you!!

Design Divas Oldie but Goodie Blog Hop

If you are on the Design Diva's Oldie but Goodie Blog Hop, you should have arrived here from Tenia Nelson's Blog. If you happened on my blog and would like to do the hop, it starts at Sue Morris' Blog and from there you just follow the links!

The Design D.I.V.A.S are a group of talented papercrafters who formed a group first on SCS, and now on Facebook to share our common interests in all things paper! The meaning behind the group's name of DIVA is: Divine, Inspirational, Virtuous, Artistic (or Annointed) sistahs! Don't you just love that? I was honored to be invited to join! We were challenged this week to use some of our old stamps and supplies that have not seen any love in at least 6 months. I pulled out this Impression Obsession Clear stamp set I won about a year ago from Stampers Dream, and have not had the chance to ink it up even once! I guess you could say it is my NEW but old stamp! So this gave me the reason to do so, and I had a blast coloring it. I stamped it on Ex-Press It cs, colored it with Copics and matted it with BasicGrey Green at Heart, which also is old now! I used a base of Gina K Pure Luxury and used designer paper from BG Sultry as well. I used an EK Success punch and May Arts twine. You can't see it in the photo but the flowers are highlighted with Spica Pens for a little sparkle. The sketch I used is from Card Positioning Systems. I had a blast using my "new" old stamps and I hope you've enjoyed this hop!

From here hop on over to the talented and sweet Deb Felts to see her oldie but goodie!

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
Claudia & Co - COLOR (red, green, yellow)
Oldie But Goodie Challenge - Bright and Cheerful
Quirky Crafts - In the Spring Garden
Pile It On - Anything Goes
2 Sisters - flowers
BasicGrey - BG ITEM and dots & spots
*NEW* Copic Creations - anything new plus Copics (stamp is never used before and ef)
Craft Your Days Away - anything goes
Fairy Tale ) - flowers
Stamp Something - anything goes (using a rubber stamp)
AiFactory - anything goes
Meljens Designs - square or round cards (no rectangles)
Sassy Studio Designs - use something that is over a year old

Thanks for stopping and for blessing my day with your comments!

Sweet Little Lauren

Today I'm sharing a 12 x 12 scrapbook page I made of my granddaughter Lauren. She's so precious! With material like this, how can you go wrong? LOL!

If you have not heard, Our Daily Bread designs has started a brand new Scrapbook Challenge! Patter Cross and Chris Dickinson are inspiring us every Tuesday with a new "take" on the month's challenge, and encouraging those of us who have been doing mainly cards (like myself) to take the leap into scrapbooking! Just take a look at how beautifully your ODBD stamps work for Scrapbooking as well as cards!

Well... I am NOT an experienced scrapbooker. I have done a few little chip board books and scripture books but nothing like this before. So when Patter came up with this month's sketch, I knew I had to try it and you know what? I absolutely loved doing this! I now have great aspirations to keep going at this!

Here is this month's challenge: A Sketch by Patter Cross

My page is 12 x 12. I started with an Anna Griffin dp for my base. I used different patterns from Daisyd's for my matting of my image. I also used ADT Pastel Textured card stock and used GPWhite to punch out borders with a Martha Stewart around the page punch. I used a Spellbinders Grand Label 1 (which I cut with my new Grand Calibur) for the middle mat. Let me just repeat here that using the Grand Calibur has been such a joy, and when you now can cut these large dies with it.... well, it's like stampers heaven! The greenery is Spellbinders On The Vine Border (also cut with the Grand Caliber) and sponged with Distress Ink in Bundled Sage.

The stamp sets I used are Our Daily Bread designs "The Lord has Risen", "God Loves You" (embossed in white the phrase I am so thankful for you), "Don't Worry" and "Butterfly Single". I colored everything with Copics and cut out the flowers and butterflies. The ribbon and lace is May Arts, the pearls are ZVA Creative. I added Stickles to the flowers and some bling to the butterflies. For the little tag I cut the word "sweet" from my Sweet Stack pad with a Spellbinders Label 6 #1 die.

So now it's YOUR turn! Come join the fun! The challenge runs until the 31st! Be sure to link your entry to the first challenge post of the month here, and there is a $25.00 credit to the ODBD Store up for grabs! Can't wait to see what you come up with!!!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew - new beginnings
Top Tip Tuesday - All Sentimental
Quirky Crafts - In the Spring Garden
2 Sisters - flowers
Crafty Calendar - New Beginnings
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - anything goes
Daring Cardmakers - 1 image, 2 ribbons, 3 papers
Delicious Doodles - any 3 colours (plus skintone) - pinks, greens, lavendar
Raise The Bar - use a child image
Stamp Something - anything goes (using a rubber stamp)
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - pink, green
Paper Play – cutie patootie
Pixie Dust Studio - create or use a tag on your project

Thanks so much for stopping by and for making my day with your lovely comments!

A NEW creation!

Welcome to another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Today I am hostessing the challenge and I have chosen 2 Cor. 5:17 for this week's Scripture.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The Challenge is: Use the theme of "NEW" and interpret it as you want: new year, new life, new birth, new supplies, new house, new technique, etc.
Please tell us what you use to fit the challenge.

We are all God’s creation – made in His image to have a relationship with Him. God saw what He had created and said it was good! However, man sinned, and in so doing, their relationship was broken, because God is Holy and cannot coexist with sin in a sinful vessel.

So because God loved His creation so much, He made the way for us to be reconciled to Him; to be made clean again. This plan involved sending His one and only son, Jesus into the world to take upon Himself the sins of the world. Now, when we place our faith in the work of Christ Jesus, God forgives our sin and makes us NEW. New is our status before Him (forgiven instead of condemned, our relationship to Him (devotion to Christ brings new attitudes and actions), and our purpose! Eph 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them”. Now we are to be about our Father’s business!

I used butterflies for my "New" theme. The butterfly is a beautiful example of new life. In its original state, the caterpillar serves a purpose, but it’s not exactly what we’d consider lovely! Many caterpillars die in their caterpillar state, being stomped under foot, considered a nuisance by many, and ending up as food for songbirds! However, those that do go on to cocoon up emerge as a most beautiful creature, enjoyed by mankind, and serving the new purpose of cross pollinating God’s beautiful flowers and flowering trees! Their new life may be very short… but while they are here, they go about their purpose with full abandon!

In the same way, when God makes us new creatures, He has a job for us to do! We each have different talents, abilities and gifts which we are to use to bring glory to Him and to point others to Him so they too can one day enjoy eternal life with Him and the joyous abundant life we enjoy today!

How about you? Are you a new creature in Christ? If so are you living like it? Are you intentionally seeking to do His will and bring Him honor? There is such joy in serving Jesus! Don’t miss it!

My card details:
Stamps: Layers of Color Flutterescent, Nature Walk and Touch of Elegance clear art stamps
Card Stock: Coredination - Nostalgia 80#
Designer Paper: Pinkpaisley 365* lined paper
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy,(SU!) Big & Juicy (Ranger) VersaMark Dazzle Champagne
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Spare Parts lace, May Arts Faux Suede ribbon, Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks,Sewing Machine

Our Sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps!

They have generously offered $15.00 worth of clear stamps!

If you have not checked out their store, please do so as they carry many Christian stamps!

We thank them for the support!

For full details on the challenge and the prize please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Blog!

For more inspiration on this challenge, please visit my DT Sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Miesje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti, Randi (on break)

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations - new beginnings
Karen's Doodles - monochromatic
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Color Chef - COLOR - Monochromatic (tone on tone)
AiFactory - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - monochrome
Meljens Designs - square or round cards (no rectangles)
Some Odd Girl – embossing (I heat embossed the butterflies in clear)
Creative Card Crew - new beginnings
Mami Doodles – mostly blues
Dutch Dare - all stitched up

Thanks so much for visiting!!! Have a blessed week!

Love

Hello everyone! I made this card for the Flourishes 100th Timeless Tues. Blog Hop as well as for Flourishes Color of Love Challenge using this week's Midnight Madness Sketch86.

For the 100th Challenge Blog Hop, we were to use our favorites... whether they be stamps, techniques, materials, whatever... Well... I used one of my favorite Flourishes Stamps sets,
Flourishes Cherry Blossoms . I also used my favorite card style... the Easel card, though I don't make them all the time, I do think they are the neatest style card and pack quite a punch in wow factor! I also used my favorite embellishments which include pearl flourishes, ribbon and lace. For the Flourishes Colors of Love challenge we were to use shades of red, pink and white... oh so pretty and perfect for a valentine!

So I stamped with Memento and colored with Copics # R81, R83, R85, G20, G28. The designer paper is DCWV Sweet 8 x 8 stack. The base is Coredinations and then I matted with SU! Pretty in Pink. The ribbon is also pretty in pink and the pearls are ZVA Creative. I used a JOY heart border die for the bottom of my easel and a Spellbinder's Nested Heart as well as the #1 Labels Six. Everything is sponged with TH Distress Ink in Fired Brick. The lace is from my stash. Have I reminded you lately how much I love using my new Grand Calibur? Cutting and embossing with it is a dream! It is so smooth and quiet, and I no longer need any other cutting machine!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Karen's Doodles - monochromatic
Midnight Madness - SKETCH
Oldie But Goodie Challenge (2 weeks) - bright & cheerful
Scrap-Creations - love is in the air
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts (2nd monday) - Love is in the air
Color Chef - COLOR - Monochromatic (tone on tone)
Crafty Cardmakers - Use red and a die cut
Lexi's Creations (2 weeks) - Say it with Love
Ooh La La Creations (2 weeks) - Bling it on
Woodware USA (1 entry) - Hearts
Cute Card Thursday - monochrome
Delightful Challenges - easel card
Meljens Designs - square or round cards (no rectangles)
Pals Paper Arts - valentine
Pixie Dust Studio - create or use a tag on your project
Sassy Studio Designs - use something that is over a year old (paper and stamps)
Southern Girls - lovey dovey
Stampin' B's - use a die cut
Reasonable Ribbon Challenge: hearts

Thanks so much for stopping by and blessing my day!

All creatrues, great and small... the Lord God made them all!

Hello everyone! It is time for ODBD Stamping In Time Challenge(SNTODBD26)! The assignment is Our Daily Bread Design stamps. Sarah Nelson is our challenge hostess this rotation. Sarah Nelson is challenging us to "All Creatures Great and Small!" All creatures great and small work for this challenge. So, without too much direction, we want you to interpret it the way you want. We look forward to seeing what you create using ODBD stamps!

For my card, I used the ODBD set Noah's Ark. I stamped with Archival Sepia Ink and colored with Prisma Pencils and Odor Free Mineral Spirits. The base is Papertrey Dark Chocolate. The designer paper is The Paper Studio Mirabella Collection. I used Spellbinders Scalloped Edge Frame and Fancy Tags, and a MS edge punch for the lower green edge. I used TH Distress Ink in Pumice Stone to sponge around the image. I added some "white caps" to my water with a Galaxy Broad Point Marker in Milky White. The pearls are Recollections. Card is 5.5" square.

We can't wait to see your submissions! Check out the Our Daily Bread designs Blog for all the details of the challenge and prize, and to link your card to the post! When uploading to on line galleries please be sure to use the key word SNTODBD26!

To see more inspiration, please visit my DT sisters who have played along this week:
Randi, Angie, Chrissy, Fran, Lorelie and Betty and don't miss Sara Nelson, our special guest hostess! Special Thanks to Sara for such a great challenge!

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations - new beginnings
Fab 'n' Funky - warm, toasty colours
Creative Card Crew (2nd week) - new beginnings
My Time To Craft - chocolate (colour or candy - I used Chocolate cs)Promarker Challenge - baby cards
Crafty Cardmakers - Use red and a die cut
Crazy Challenge (2 entries) - Animals
Cuttlebug Spot - Inspired by a Book (Story of Noah's Ark in the Bible)
Gingerloft (2 weeks) - Celebrations
Quirky Crafts (2 weeks) - New Beginnings
Catch The Bug (3 entries) - anything goes
Crafty Emma - all creatures great and small
One Stop Craft - card for a child
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - new beginnings
Fairy Fun Fridays (2nd week) – new beginnings
Phindy’s Place - distressing (lots of distress inks used)

Thanks so much for stopping by and blessing my day!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Hello everyone!
Today I thought I'd share a card I made for my Grandson who turns 13 on Jan 12!  Where did the time go?  It seems like just yesterday he was a little baby!  Now he is as tall as I am!  I'm so thankful for such a wonderful Grandson though... he's such a good "kid"!  He truly loves the Lord and has a heart for things of God.  I pray that he'll never lose that sight and that he will stay close to the Lord all his days.  So as he enters his teen years... his Mom and Dad probably shudder a little, and we all joke about plugging up his ears until he's 21 so his brains don't run out one night.... (an old joke you might not have heard).... but the fact is.... he's growing into a wonderful young man.  It brings me such pleasure to watch as the long days of parenting yield their fruit!

His wish for his birthday is to be able to go take snowboard lessons.  Since they live in the mountains, and they got 8" of snow yesterday and are forecast to have a "25 year snow storm" over the next 3 days, I have a feeling that having snow is NOT going to be the issue... more likely it will be whether they can actually get TO the ski lodge! LOL!  At any rate... I made this card with an image from Stampin spot Studio by Jen Ofiana.  I bought these from my lss during a consignment sale so I have no idea if they are still available. There were so many fun images for kids and tweens with sports related subjects. The DP (Jack Frost) and base (Pastel Textured)  are both ATD.   I colored the image with Copics and paper pieced the snow board with a scrap of Papertrey Ink. dp I had in my stash. On the inside I used a sentiment from Great Impressions that simply says "Wishing you everything that makes you happy". The only embellishments I added to the card were these felt snowflakes... I'm figuring teenage guys might not want ribbon and lace, ya think? :)

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Color Chef - COLOR - Monochromatic (tone on tone)
Stamp with Fun - Snow
Crafty Hos' - Monochromatic (one colour)
Crafty Pad - Happy Birthday
Gingerloft (2 weeks) - Celebrations (birthday)
Let's Ink It Up (monthly) - NO DIGI and Anything Goes
Pile It On - Cute Children
Scrappy Frogs (3 weeks) - use a Sentiment
Catch The Bug (3 entries) - anything goes
One Stop Craft - card for a child


Charisma Cardz (3 entries) – birthdays and celebrations
Creative Belli (2 weeks) - snow


Happy Birthday Nathan!  We love you!

Under His Wings

Hello everyone! It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Yay! We all enjoyed our break and hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well, but now we are back and ready to be challenged again! This week, our challenge hostess is my dear friend and DT sister, Chris Olsen. She has chosen Ruth 2:12 for this week's Scripture!

"May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Chris is challenging us to use wings on our card or project.

What a great challenge for the first one of 2011! I love the book of Ruth for many reasons. Ruth is truly a picture of unselfish devotion and love. Ruth was a Moabite woman and after the death of her husband was willing to leave her family, country, and even the idols of Moabite worship out of loyalty to her mother in law and to the God of Israel. She told Naomi that wherever Naomi went, she would go; that Naomi's people would become her own people... and that Naomi's God would become her own God. I love reading how the Lord protected Ruth and rewarded her as well! When you think of protection and safety... what do you think of? I love the word picture here...that God would gather Ruth under His wings, offering her the protection He gives to His own people much as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings and protects them from danger. Do you feel like there are storms raging around you? Do you long for safety? Well God offers that protection to His children! If you don't know Him personally, I urge you to come to Him as your Savior and Lord, and He will give you that protection. There is no safer place to be than sheltered by the Almighty!

My project today was inspired by the Tissue Box I posted Thursday (one post down). I altered an acrylic tissue box with spring/summery images and verses that speak to my heart. I shared that I was starting to make panels for a winter and fall version of it, since it's easy to change out the panels. This is the first panel for a more wintertime cover. Please scroll down one post to see the full box in it's spring version. As you can see... when you insert the panel, you really don't have room for ribbons and bows, but you can still fit in a few layers!

I used Our Daily Bread designs "Sing to the Lord" set for my image and verse. I love this verse too.... if God cares for the birds of the air...how much more can we be sure He will care for us, for we are precious to Him! My base is Gina K, as is the white card stock. I stamped with Memento and colored with Copics. I used Spellbinders Lacey Squares (I cut 2 and overlapped to make a rectangle) and Labels Ten, cutting them out with my new Grand Calibur! (Oh I love this machine! It cuts and embosses like a dream and so smooth and quiet!) To mat my verse I cut another Label 10, cut it in half and just slightly extended it over the ends for a shadow effect instead of using the next bigger size, as that was quite a bit bigger.

Our Sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp!

We want to thank them for their continued support and generosity!

For full details on the challenge and the prize please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Blog!

For more inspiration on this challenge, please visit my DT Sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Miesje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti, Randi (on break)

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Catch The Bug - anything goes
Craft Your Days Away (2 weeks) - anything goes
Crafty Emma - all creatures great and small
Our Creative Corner - inspirational photo
Our Daily Bread Designs - something old, something new (older stamp set, new acrylic tissue box)
Sweet Stampin - try something different (altered tissue box)
Delicious Doodles - try something new or use something new (tissue box)
Scrapbook Sisters - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - use some old stash (dp)
Rainbow Lady's - something new (acrylic tissue box)

Sassy Studio Designs - use something new

Southern Girls - anything goes
Stampin' B's - use an old favourite and something new (old favorite stamp, new tissue box)
Creative Cottage - something new
Fab 'n' Funky - anything goes
My Time To Craft -Up In The Air
Sentimental Sunday - Something with wings

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have not entered my Blog Candy Drawing, please do so HERE! Have a blessed week!

Altered Acrylic Tissue Box

TO ENTER MY BLOG CANDY PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Hello everyone!

If you are here to enter my Blog Candy Drawing, please click HERE.

Today...I wanted to share a project I have been working on. I bought this lovely acrylic tissue box from Hobby Lobby. It retails for $9.99 but with the 40% off coupon you can get it for only $6.00. It is sturdy and really a beautiful design. There are so many possibilities for it! I originally was going to make a 4 seasons box, using one season for each side, but decided to make all 4 sides for one season and change the entire box up every season. It's as easy as making 4 cards!

Here is what you actually get when you buy the box.

There are 3 parts to the box. The basic box (left rear), an insert which will hold your pictures in place (front center) and an outer box (top right) which slides down over the top after you have inserted your tissue box. It frames each side and has the tissue cut out in the top. I hope that explains it OK. The box comes with pictures and templates for each side, because they are not equal. Two sides are larger because the acrylic wall comes to the edge, and the two narrower sides just but up to the first two sides. So be sure to use the paper inserts as your template for the size you make each insert.

This is how it looks assembled but with no inserts.

First, you will want to make an insert for the top of the tissue box so you won't be looking at the cardboard tissue box, but a pretty coordinating paper. To do this I simply took the top of the box, laid it on my card stock and drew the pattern. I then found a Classic Oval Spellbinders die that fit that cut out about perfectly, centered that and cut it out.

I matted mine with some Martha Stewart card stock and then used pretty pink patterened paper from the Memory Box Gossamer 6 x 6 pack.

This is how it looks in the box.

Next I used my template sizes to create my four springy sides. I used a couple brand new ODBD sets, and a couple favorite past release sets. For my first side, I used this month's release "Butterfly Corner" and a sentiment from the "Faith" set, as well as the "Small Butterfly Background" stamp.

I colored the Butterfly corner design with Copics (Y13, Y15, Y17, V09, V15, V17). Next I lightly airbrushed the background using V000, V12, B00 and Y11. I then made a mask of the corner and stamped the Small Butterfly Background with VersaColor White. I lightly brushed the design with yellow and green Pearlescent Chalks by Pebbles. I then spritzed the entire thing with Pearl Glimmer Mist. Wish you could see the shimmer! This "set" the chalks as well. I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with Spellbinders Label 10, matted with my purple cs (EK Success Purple Helliotrop) and matted the whole panel in the same purple. Side 1 was done and I was ready to start side 2.

For side 2 I used this month's release "Faith" for both my verse and my butterflies. I stamped the butterfly design twice, colored with Copics (Y13, Y15, Y17, G20, G82, E35, E37, E15, V04, V06, V12). I fussy cut the butterflies out so that I could lace them into my Spellbinder's Lattice Pendant cut out, which I had sponged with VersaMagic Purple Hydrangea. I adhered everything to the same designer paper as side 1 and matted with the same purple cs.

For my third side I used the Fuchsia images from both "From Me To You" and "God Loves You" sets, stamping on pure white and stamping an extra image for cutting out and popping up. I colored my image with Copics: RV06, RV09, RV11, RV17, RV19, V15, V17, G20, G21, YG67, G24. I used the same purple cs as my mat for the panel, and I used this wonderful Lamentations 3:21-13 Scripture from the "Scripture Collection 1" set for my focal point. This is one of my favorite Scriptures and I wanted to see this every morning as a reminder of God's Faithfulness and His great mercies for me... and how they are new every morning! I stamped this verse directly on the Memory Box Gossamer designer paper and cut with Spellbinders Classic Squares. I matted in black using Spellbinders Lacey Squares.

For my last panel, I used an all time favorite, "Sing to the Lord" for my bird and flower images. For my verse I used "You Will Find Refuge". This again is a favorite Scripture of mine! I can't tell you how many times this verse comes to my mind when life's storms seem to surround and encompass me! The designer paper is Memory Box, the cs is Martha Stewart. I colored with Copics: R81, R83, R85, R000, RV10. E15, E35, E37, E31, W3, W5, G40. G82. I also highlighted with Spica Clear and Yellow Glitter Pens. I used a Martha Stewart Lattic Punch and cut some extra flower images out to weave into the lattice.

The assembly of the tissue box is very straight forward. You insert each side panel into the basic box, and slide the inner frame inside the basic box, forming a sealed window for each side panel.

Finally, you insert a tissue box, and then slide the outter frame over top of the whole thing and you have a beautiful gift or something you will keep and enjoy yourself!

In making this I used the 11 elements challenge from Shabby Tearoom. They are Acrylic Box, Designer Paper, Copics, MS Punch, Glimmer Mist, Chalks, SB Label 10, SB Lattice Pendant, SB Lacey Circle, Card Stock, Scissors for hand cut work.

I have already started the panels for a Winter Tissue Box Cover, and have plans for a fall one as well! I hope you are inspired to try one for yourself and have fun with it! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,


Challenges I am entering my creation in:
Marks Finest Paper - Use Something New - New Faith set from ODBD and new copics- I Did It Creations - Favourite technique coloring with copics- Really Reasonable Ribbon- Something new- stamps Paper Sundaes (3 entries) - Something New-new stamp and copics Paper Issues - 'New'-stamps My Time to Craft - Up in the Air - birds and butterflies )Lil Red Wagon - Leftovers-ribbon, Cardmakin' Mamas - Anything Goes CES - Anything Goes Craft your Days Away - Punches or Diecuts Craft Your Passion - Anything GoesPapertake Weekly - Anything Goes Ladybug Crafts Ink - Anything GoesFrosted Designs - Use a SentimentPile it on- Something new (stamp and couple of copics) Tuesday Throwdown- Embossing- embossed spellbinders die cuts, Victorine Stamps - Anything Goes Pixie Cottage- punches (MS Lattice) Corrosive Challenge - purple and yellow, One Stitch at a time - Anything Goes, Paper Sundaes - Something New (new releases and tissue box cover), Quirky Crafts - New Beginnings (Tissue box cover and new release stamp sets), Creative Inspirations - use something new (stamps), Whoopsi Daisy - free and easy, Kaboodle Doodles - Anything goes, Shabby Tearoom - 11 elements,

A new birth, a new release, and a new Spellbinders!

Hello everyone!

If you have not entered my BLOG CANDY, you can do so HERE!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration and that you are off to a wonderful start to 2011! Our family is celebrating a new birth and I'm so excited! My Nephew and his sweet wife had their first baby on New Year's Eve! She is healthy and perfect in every way and we are so excited! My "big" sis is finally a Grandma!!! When I think that my first grandchild is about to turn 13 it just amazes me, so I'm so excited to have a new baby in the family! I made this card for the occasion, to celebrate the birth of Madeline Brielle!

I used this month's Our Daily Bread designs new release Butterfly Single and the Butterfly Embossing mat to create a soft pink baby card. Since a butterfly is a symbol of new birth, I thought it was perfect. I used Our Daily Bread designs Children of God for the sentiment, cutting it with my Spellbinders Mega Oval and Mega Scalloped Oval die cuts. The card base is SU! and the white is Gina K. I embossed the butterflies with my new Grand Caliber (wow!!!) and used the thin embossing pad that comes with the embossing plate from ODBD. I then used a sponge dauber to lightly sponge Ranger Spun Sugar onto the raised parts. The sentiment is also stamped with the same ink. The butterfly is embossed with white on pink vellum, then colored a little on the back with Copics to give more depth of color, and cut out. I added some sheer ribbom and ZVA Creative pearls and done... quick and easy but oh so feminine! I love these new ODBD stamps and am excited at how many different ways to use them there are!

I will be sharing more on the Grand Caliber in a little bit.... but let me just say that Spellbinders has really outdone themselves with this product! It cuts soooo beautifully, and embosses so crisp! The handle is SUPER easy to crank and so quiet!!! When you also can run an entire sheet of paper through cutting several different things at once, you realize what a great tool this is! I'm so thankful I got it!!!

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Crazy4Challenges - Celebrate Something - New Baby

Marks Finest Paper - Use Something New - Embossing Plate and Stamps

Stampin with Dragon - Favourite Winter Colour - White

Ai Factory Challenge - Elegance

Fab'n Funky Challenges - Quick and Easy Does It

I Did It Creations - Favourite technique - Embossing

Aly's Sunday Challenge - anything goes

Crafty Hos' - Babies
One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes (3 entries) - Something New
Quirky Crafts - New Beginnings
Ellephantastic (Monthly, 1 entry) - New Beginnings
One Stop Craft -New Beginnings
Send A Smile 4 Kids-(2 weeks),Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a blessed week!