Happy Memorial Day and may God continue to bless the USA!

 

Hello all! 

I wanted to wish all my American friends a happy and safe Memorial Day!  With many on the roads, I pray for safety and a blessed time of refreshment!  For the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, I want to say a heart felt thank you... and a huge thank you to all who have served and who presently serve to help preserve the freedoms we have enjoyed in this country!  May America return to the Lord God, the giver of these blessings!

 Here is a quick card I made with the soon to be released  ODBD Home of the Free set and the Some Gave All set.  My image is stamped with Memento and colored with Copics.  I then embossed it with a basket weave folder.  The dp is BoBunny Liberty, brushed gold matting on a navy base.  The sentiment panel was hand cut to a banner shape.  I stamped America on my dp, added three brads and some twine for a simple patriotic card.  

I also wanted to mention that ODBD is having a big 40% OFF CLEARANCE SALE, so don't miss out this! Read all about it HERE!

With Love and Flower Soft!

 

Hello my friends!
  I'm sorry it's been a while since I posted!  I have been busy working "behind the scenes" on some things that I can share with you soon, but today I thought I'd share something that I do when I need a quick card and just don't have time to stamp an image, color it up and create a card.  This is a Flower Soft Scenic Window Set, available HERE. 

It has a variety of fully colored images, and all you have to do is put one on a card!  If you wish to let it just go the way it is, you certainly could!  If you want to add some great texture and interest to your card, then go ahead and add some fun Flower Soft!  I added a wrinkled seam binding bow, and I popped up the curtains that also some in the Flower Soft set, using small dimensionals to adhere.  These Flower Soft cards pack quite a punch, and take little time to complete!

I will be back later this week with some sneak peeks for you!  I can't wait to share what's coming your way in June!

Blessings,

Fishers of Men

Hello friends!  I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I certainly did!  I spent the weekend in TN with family, and they spoiled me rotten with a BEAUTIFUL gift basket filled with all my favorite things.... coffee and chocolate!  That plus many hours of pure fun made this a most cherished mother's day!

I did want to pop in to share a card I made for a challenge on SCS and for ODBD's Shining the Light Challenge this week which is to use an image that depicts stone or wood, or use them on your card.   I used Our Daily Bread designs The Waves of the Sea and Fishing Net Background .

I sponged my image with distress inks, and added a little white with a THoltz marker so this was extremely quick to make! The Spellbinders used are Sprightly Sprockets, Classic Circles Large and Small, and Ribbon Tags Trio 3. The dp is Websters Pages Yacht Club. This was quick and easy, but I like how it turned out.  Hope you enjoyed it too!


Have a wonderful week!  I have a busy one ahead of me, but will try to not stay away too long!


Blessings,

Shedding some Light and a mini tutorial!

Hello friends!

We're still cleaning up the mess from the flood here on the lake, but I wanted to share something fun and different I tried.   I did take a few pictures along the way to show you what I did.  Forgive the background of my work spaces.... this was done not to be pretty, but to help you see the basics of the process.


I decided to try using that real copper metal sheeting you can buy at craft stores in rolls, and see if it would die cut and emboss to make a candle holder band.  To begin, I stamped the ODBD Cathedral Window- Wood with Stazon ink on acetate, cut it out with the outer part of the ODBD Custom Cathedral Window and Borders Die,  and then on the back, I colored the window with Sharpies. 

 I tried die cutting and embossing the copper that I had bought at AC Moore, and was thrilled to find that it die cuts beautifully. I cut the copper, using both the inner and outer parts of the custom Our Daily Bread designs Cathedral Window and Border Die.

 I then cut a 1" strip long enough to wrap around my glass candle holder like a belly band, to which I could attach the window die. I embossed the strip with an E-bosser embossing folder.

I antiqued all the copper with an antiquing medium I have had for some time.

 

I scored the band at the measurements needed to wrap my candle holder.  I adhered the acetate to the back of the window with Tombow Metal Glue, careful to only dab the parts of the window that would be covered by the metal in case the glue would show after it dried.  I then adhered the band to the back of the window with Aileen's Jewelry adhesive. I'm really happy with how this came out, as it has a real metal look and feel that just would not have come from paper alone, to say nothing of it's much stronger.

I hope you were in some way inspired to try something dfferent and create something pretty for your home or as a gift with this lovely window stamp and die set!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
 Crafty Ribbons -  No designer paper, Paper Crafting Journey -  Anything Goes,

Until next time....
Blessings,

 

Deep Waters!

Hello friends!  I hope that where you are, you are enjoying wonderful weather!  We have just had some pretty heavy rains, and even more so in the mountains where the streams empty in to the river that feeds the lake we live on, and we have been dealing with incredible flooding.  Our lake crested at 9.9' above full pond, causing much damage to homes, docks, etc.  We are blessed to be high so our home is fine, but the dock and shore line are a mess and are going to be expensive to repair.  So I have been busy trying to save the dock and other things along the shore, tying them off with ropes, etc.  Entire trees 20-30' long have ended up stuck in our dock and shoreline.  Someone else's boat with their entire dock attached ended up on our bank, and we have been trying to keep that tied up as well so it won't go over the dam.  We called the County Sheriff who has tried to contact the owner, but so far no word from them.  They may be summer visitors and might not live here year round.  Oh the joys of lake living in the spring time!  Old timers tell us this is the worst whey have seen except for one other flood in 2004, which was supposedly a 100 year flood.  The good news/ bad news is that tomorrow we are supposed to not have any rain, but it starts up again Fri. and will rain through Mother's Day!  However... we have soooo much to be thankful for!  Many right on this lake have have had their homes flooded, cars flooded, and docks, etc. carried away.  Our lake seemed to take the worst of it, however lakes south of us are now getting it as well.

The events of this week have put in my mind this verse, from the May release at Our Daily Bread designs.  I decided to play along with this week's Shining the Light Challenge, which is a word challenge.  You are to use the letters in the word  S-P_R_I_N_G, and create a card using things that begin with 4 of the letters in this word.  I used  S-Spellbinders Bracket Die and String, R - Rich Cocoa Momento, I - Ink, N- Neutrals,  and  G- Green (Sage Shadow).

The sets I used are Waves on the Sea, Fishing, and a past release, Footprints in the Sand.  I also used the border die from the ODBD Custom Cathedral Window and Border Die.  I stamped the image from Footprints in the sand on Sahara Sand and used that behind my main image/ sentiment panel.  I lightly stamped the image from Waves on the Sea with Sahara Sand ink, and then over stamped the verse from Fishing with Rich Cocoa Momento ink.  The bracket is Spellbinders Bracket Borders One.  I added twine and brads for simple embellishments.  The Sage Shadow layer is embossed with a Darcie Wood Grain folder set side ways as it acutually looks a lot like water that way.

It's so good that even when we are going through the "deep waters", we don't walk alone!  Even when we don't see His footprints, we know that God is leading us along, often carrying us along,  and will never let us go!  If you think of it... pray for the people effected by this flood and those who yet will be as the waters rush south through the next lakes along the Catawba River.

I am entering this in Word Art Wednesday where you can use their freebie verse, or any encouraging Scripture or sentiment.  

Blessings, 

Christmas Blessings in May, and free shipping!

Hello friends!  I have a card to share that I made using this month's Cathedral Window Marble, and the ODBD Custom Cathedral Window Die.  From the first time I was this die and stamps, I thought of the many possibilities, which included some awesome Christmas card possibilities.  For this card I also used the wreath image from Poinsettia Wreath, and sentiment from Cardinal Ornament.  I embossed with Fantasy Gold ep, and cut the sentiment with SB Fancy Framed Tags 2.  The embossing folder is from Craftwell.  The window image is stamped on pink vellum and THoltz Markers were used to lightly color the wreath image in soft tones to match the soft pinks of my base and seam binding.  I love doing unconventional colors for Christmas cards, so this was fun for me. 

I wanted to just let you know that Kelley is offering free shipping on orders placed through 12 midnight tonight (May 5)!  No Code is needed... the free shipping will simply be applied to your order!  This is in honor of Nathional Scrapbooking Day!  So if you have been wishing for some great Our Daily Bread designs stamps and dies... this is the day to jump on this deal!  *Note: International Customers will receive $5.00 off of shipping, and no code is needed for this, but will simply show up  in your card. 


Thanks for stopping by,  and remember,  this is the day the Lord has made.... rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessings,

May 1 Release Blog Hop!

Hello friends!  Welcome to the May Release Blog Hop!  Here in the US, May flowers are in full bloom, and the earth is singing the praises of it's Creator! We hope you are too!

I am the first stop on the hop, but if you did not see the release, you might want to start at the ODBD Blog so you don't miss anything!  Here are the basic details of the hop:

• Hop will run from 8:00 am EDT May 1 to 8:00pm EDT May 2
• Winners will be announced May 3 on the ODBD Blog
• There will be THREE prizes:  a $20.00, $30.00, and $40.00 Gift Certificate toward stamps in the ODBD Store.  *Must be redeemed within the month of May!
• To qualify to win all you have to do is hop to each designer's blog, leave a comment, and return to the ODBD Blog to tell us you completed the hop, and if you had any difficulties along the way!  Easy Peasy!!!

Our hop this month focuses on two different themes.  I think you'll find lots of different possibilities with these two themes!  For my samples, I have decided to share one of each.  First, I created a special masculine "gift" card... a card that actually houses a little box that holds a fishing lure.  Depending on the requests I get I may do a tutorial for this card later on... but for now, here is my "gift card".

For this card, I used Waves on the Sea, Fishing, and Fishing Net Background, as well as the anchor image from a past release, Anchor.  I cut my image panel with the ODBD Custom Elegant Ovals Die, and matted with Spellbinders Labels 4 in black.  The image itself is colored with Copics.  I stamped the sentiment from the Fishing set,  and cut it with a Spellbinders Back to Basics Tag die.  I added some burlap, twine around the anchor, and I knotted some twine for the tag.  The tag is colored with Copics as well.

The card itself looks more like a book from outside, because there is a surprise inside.  I created a custom sized "box" to hold a fishing lure as a gift for my husband, who loves to fish. 

The inside of the card is stamped with the Fishing Net Background on River Rock, and then lightly spritzed around the edges with my Airgun, using a B91 Copic Marker.

Here are the stamps I used on this card:

My second sample is much more formal and uses the Cathedral Window Wood stamp, and the ODBD Custom Cathedral Window and Border Die.

 

 For this card, I wanted to create a wedding card, and I decided to try to create the feel of a wedding chapel.  I stamped the Cathedral Window Wood with VersaMark and heat embossed on vellum using a midieval metals embossing powder. (It is basically copper colored).  I lightly colored the back of the vellum with  blue and violet Copic Markers and my airgun, but it's hard to see the color in the photo.  I then cut the window with the Custom Cathedral Window and Border Die from both vanilla and Prism Antique Bronze card stock.  I used the bronze window pane cut to give a little shadow to my panes, and then adhered the vanilla window pane over top, offsetting just a little bit.  I adhered my window on to a vanilla base which I had cut with my new Spellbinders 5 x 7 Elegant Labels 4 die.  As you know, you can't get a top fold from standard card stock when working with this large a die, so I had to create a hinge by scoring the top fold, and cutting part of the design a second time.  I then matted my card front on that partial cut, and backed it with still another die cut.  This completely hides the hinge and allows a top fold card even when 12 x 12 card stock isn't long enough.  My sentiment is from a past release, All Occasion Sentiments, and it is cut with Spellbinders Fancy Tags 1. I added some Cheery Lynn mini Fanciful Flourishes and little flowers punched with a CarlCraft punch.  The greenery is punched with a Martha Stewart bough punch, and I added tiny pearls to the centers of the flowers. 

To add to the fun I stamped the Flourished Cross Samped by Mini on the back and signed it.  I'm so excited that ODBD is now offering these special little stamps!!!

Here are the ODBD products I used for this card:

 Just in case you missed my sneak peeks, here's a look at a couple that are posted just  below this one, if you want to scroll down for more info on them:

Thanks so much for stopping by!

From here, you will hop to the super talented Julie!

Blessings,