Masculine I'll Love You Forever!

Hello friends!  I hope you are staying warm where you are!  The weather here has been really frigid (for the south at least) and the snow that fell yesterday and started to melt in the sun, is now re-freezing with temps below freezing and going to 8 degrees by morning!  So this is the sunny south?  LOL!

Anyway... I made a quick card today for the sketch challenge on SCS.  I really needed to get a couple masculine valentines made and I wanted to experiment with some non-traditional valentines colors.  This is what I came up with.

This is another sneak peek at two stamp sets being released officially Feb 1 by Our Daily Bread designs, but available now in a bundle with freebies!(Have you seen the new Heart and Soul paper???  Check out the store website to see how you can get it free if you pre-order now!)   I used sentiments from two sets: Heart of Joy and Be Mine. I also used the new ODBD Custom Ornate Hearts die set to cut my little window heart.  My base is craft, then a 1/8" black mat and the designer paper is My Mind's Eye Bramble Rose.  I used Spellbinders Pennants dies and the key is a charm I have had for a while. A little black twine finished it off.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

2 Chronicles 30:9
The Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you.

Love You Bunches!!!

Hello friends!  Happy Monday!

I have another sneak peek for you at some stamps and dies being officially released Feb 1 by Our Daily Bread designs.  

I played in today's CAS (Clean and Simple) challenge  over on SCS, which is a color/inspiration challenge chosen from Design Seeds.  I loved the luscious color combo and thought it could work well for guy valentines.  I'm not sure if I achieved the masculine idea or not, but I did create a clean and simple card!  :)

 

I used two of the AWESOME new sets from ODBD:  Heart of Joy and Love You Bunches.  I also used one of the ODBD Custom Ornate Heart Dies to cut out my "bunches" of hearts, and one of the gorgeous new border dies from Beautiful Borders. 


The REALLY good news is that you can pre-buy different bundles of this release NOW!  Doing so will not only give you the discounted price of a bundle, but you will also get free Heart and Soul designer paper, which you are going to love!!!

I am entering this in the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - CAS

"I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us"  Is 63:7

Blessings,

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart!

Hello friends!  I hope you have enjoyed a great week and are ready for a wonderful weekend!  

Today I have a sneak peek for you! These stamps and dies will be released by Our Daily Bread designs Feb. 1 and they are just AWESOME!!!  Not only are there lots of great Love sentiments useful for Valentines Day, etc., but there are some wonderful Scriptures and other sentiments as well!  Couple that with gorgeous images and to "Die For" dies...  well, if you can't tell.... I'm really excited about this release!  

For today's card I used two stamp sets: Clean Heart and Bless Your Heart. I stamped the verse from Proverbs 3:5 in the lower corner.   I stamped the image from Bless Your Heart with a VersaColor Cicicle Spectrum pigment pad, then clear embossed for a little extra oomph.  I cut the white die cut from the ODBD Custom Ornate Hearts Die set, popped it up on dimensionals, and then stamped and embossed the small heart from Bless Your Heart and die cut it, and popped it up on the white die. 

This is a very clean and simple card for me, but I kind of like how it came out!  I was playing in a few challenges that required there be no embellisments, so that dictaged my decision to leave it clean, but  I do like how it focuses on the stamps and wonderful verse.

Proverbs 3:5 -6

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

That's it for me today! The DT will be sharing more sneak peeks so visit often!  You don't want to miss this release!  Guess what?!!?  You don't have to wait!!!  You can PRE-ORDER this gorgeous release and get some AWESOME savings for doing so!  See the ODBD Store for the full details!

 Have a blessed weekend!

Hope in Him!

Hello friends!

Today I'm sharing a card I made for this week's Shining the Light Challenge(keyword: ODBDSLC187) over on the ODBD Blog.  This week's challenge is an inspiration challenge and oh so pretty!  Here is the inspiration photo:

I created this tri-fold card using Lavender, Apothecary Bottles, Joy in a Jar and Scripture Collection 5.  I also used the ODBD Custom Apothecary Bottle Dies, Antique Labels Design Dies, SB Mega Ovals and Scalloped Ovals, Cheery Lynn lace edge die, an MS edge punch and an Anna Griffin embossing folder.  The aqua designer paper is from an old Crafty Secrets pad, and the image is stamped with Memento, colored with Copics, and the Lavender is cut out by hand.  I doodled in the stems toward the bottom of the bottle with a SU! Marker.  I used some hand dyed wrinkled seam binding to embellish.

I used just the word "Hope" from the Joy in a Jar set for my label, and then I loved this Scripture verse from Lamentations to focus the recipient's mind on the One in whom we hope, and that when we do place our trust and hope in Him, we are in the hands of a loving God who loves us divinely, and who knows the plans He has for us.  We can rest in that,  because we know He does all things well!  Nothing goes unnoticed by Him, and He has a bigger plan for our lives than we can ever imagine! 

This is a tri-fold but I did not get a photo of the card open.  Please forgive me, but I have had a question on the dimensions of this card so I'm editing this to give you that info:

The total width of the middle center of the card is 4" (I did not show a picture of that center inside part) when card is opened all the way out.  So with that in mind, starting at the left side, score a 9 9/16" wide piece of card stock at 1 5/8" and 5 5/8".  This leaves the right panel (the one with the Scripture on it) just a sliver shorter than the middle panel, so that it does not interfere with the fold on the right side, which becomes the front most panel when closed.  When closed the card measures 4 x 6".


I loved the colors in these inspiration photos! I was also inspired by the blue mason jar, the pretty pink flowers,  and the pointed lace in the china cabinet. 

 I hope you'll join us and play along! Here are the details:

 
If at all possible, please upload your creations to Splitcoast or a blog if you would like comments or would like to be spotlighted.  It is very difficult and sometimes impossible to leave comments on other forums or to save and post cards to be spotlighted from places like Flickr.



To make the challenge even more fun, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Sunday, January 26, at 8 p.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next challenge.   

As a way of recognizing those who do use Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we will again be choosing three or more of our participants  for the  Shining the Light Award. In order to qualify for this award, however, you must  have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Sunday, January 26, at 8 p.m. EST. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword  ODBDSLC187.  When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.

For more inspiration for this challenge, please visit the Challenge Team Members:

Linda Carson, Elizabeth Whisson,  Diana Nguyen, Chris, Cheryl Scrivens, DJ Rants and our guest Robin Clendenning

Hope to see your take on this gorgeous photo collage!!!

Blessings & Hugs,

Just Because I Care!

Hello friends!

I created this card for a couple challenges on SCS.  One was the Clean and Simple Challenge to use scallops on your CAS card, and one was the Technique Lover's Challenge to revisit an old technique of water coloring on kraft.  We were to emboss an image on kraft paper in white, then water color it as is, or use white craft ink or paint on the image, and then water color over that.  I used just white craft ink on my stem and leaves, let it dry and water colored it lightly, but the flower, I embossed in white, then painted it with white acrylic paint.  When that dried I used SU! inks to color it, using an aqua pen.  I popped up the image but kept the card CAS to fit the rules.  I'm still struggling with clean and simple, but I am challenging myself to conquer the fear and keep trying!!!

The image is from SU! Fabulous Florets, and the sentiment is from SU! Best Yet set.  It was fun to get out some stamps I have not touched in ages and play!  Today is my birthday and I had been sick yesterday, so didn't feel up to anything too taxing today... but this was just for fun.

Here's today's blessing from my "Blessings from the Word" box:
Ps. 138:8
"The Lord will work out His plans for my life - for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever" NLT

I hope your week is off to a great start! 

Hugs,

Taking a Look Back at a Sweet January Release!

Hello everyone!  Today we are taking a look back at the January ODBD release!

For this card, I used Canning Jar Fillers, Canning Jars, (or Blue Ribbon Winner) Antique Labels Designs , and Ornate Borders Sentiments.  I also used the ODBD Custom Canning Jars Die, the Antique Labels and Border die, and a SB A2 Brackett die.  The designer paper is from Hampton Art (Doilies pack).  I used a heart doily from my kitchen stash, and some bakers twine and bling for embellishments.  So the card is very flat and mailable.. one of my goals for this year! :)

Here are the ODBD products I used:

                      

                    

To create the cascading candies spilling out of the jar, I simply stamped the candy hearts image twice, one inside the jar and once again, and cut the second out.  After coloring them with Copics, I used my craft blade to cut a slit where the top of the jar would be and trimmed the candies to a configuration I thought looked somewhat realistic, and I adhered them in that way.  To stamp the jar without the lid on it, I colored the outline of the jar with a marker, leaving out the lid parts, then I hand doodled in a few lines to simulate screw lines in the glass. 

To see more inspiration, please see the ODBD Blog 

To view my DT sisters creations!

Chris * Cathy * Lori * Grace * Julie * Dawn * Sabrina * Sandee * Wanda

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Blessings,

Lavender is definitely going to be in my herb garden!

Hello my friends!!! I hope you are all doing well!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I have a card to share with you today, made with the February set "Lavender" from Our Daily Bread designs.  I am entering it in this week's Color Throwdown Challenge.  Wanda is the hostess this week and she chose Black, Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder, Garden Green and Almost Amethyst.  Yum!

I am just in love with Lavender!  It has so many wonderful properties and can be used for so many things!  I have decided to grow it in my herb garden next year!  I can't wait!!!

  I stamped  the gorgeous lavender image with Black Memento ink and colored with Copics, then cut with the ODBD Custom Antique Labels and border die.  I sponged antique linen on the edges and around the image to vintage it up a bit.  I cut the ODBD Custom Quatrefoil Pattern die from Perfect Plum card stock(the closest I have to wisteria wonder), and using a Spellbinders A2 Bracket Border, I cut the right side of some Prima Meadow Lark paper.  That was mounted on a Crumb Cake base.  The little lace, stick pin, medallion and pearls finished it off.  I am trying to make a bunch of cards for the rack at church that do not have a specific sentiments or occasions on them so they can be used for any occasion or just notes of encouragement as needed.... so this should work for that. 

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

A Berry Sweet Sketch Challenge!

Today I am sharing a card I made for this week's Shining the Light Challenge over on the ODBD Blog!  It's a sketch challenge this week!  

I used Canning Jars, Canning Jar Fillers, Canning Jar Fillers 2,  the ODBD Custom Canning Jar Die, and the sentiment is from Strawberries. 

I stamped the image with Memento, and then using my stamp positioner, I stamped the strawberries inside the jar and colored with Copics.  I cut with the custom canning jar die.  My designer paper is Lasting Impressions and Pink Paisley (the stripes).  I repurposed a coaster from a trip to Olive Garden.  They gave me several and I knew I could put them to good use!  My tag is cut with a SB tag die and I embellished with some ribbon and pearls.  This is a CAS sketch and I left it that way.  I'm beginning to get the hang of CAS I think.... I'm a lot less uncomfortable with it so that's progress!!! :)

Have a wonderful week!

 

Happy Birthday Grandson!

 Hello friends!  I hope you are enjoying a relaxing and refreshing weekend!  Today is a special day in our family... it's the day God gave us the gift of our first grandchild, Nathan, 16 years ago!  Nathan is one of the greatest joys in our lives, and we love him so much!  I made this card for him, because he and his dad have been rebuilding a 1949 GMC Pickup together for the past year or so.  It's really coming along nicely, but it has been a HUGE job!  It's been a great experience for them though... working together to restore something that will be extremely special when it's done!  

I couldn't find a stamp or digi on the fly that looked like their truck, so I found this free public photo on line, converted it to black and white (mainly because my color printer can't seem to get colors anywhere near right)!  I then used a Darice embossing folder on both my blue and white panels, matted with black, and stamped the multi-word sentiment that's from an older Anna Griffin set where each word is separate and therefore allows many different special relationships to be stamped.  

For those of you who are familiar with Duck Dynasty, you'll also "get" the inside sentiment.... the Happy! Happy! Happy! I had to do that since Nathan is also a big fan of that show.  

Here is the inside, also computer generated in Publisher:

 I thought you might enjoy seeing their truck in progress. These pictures were taken at Christmas, not really with the intention of showing the truck, but rather a

"hunt" Nathan had for one of his presents.  I know the truck still doesn't look very together, but believe me, they have come a LONG way!  At least  the cab  is on the frame now!

  As you can see, it's been sanded and primed, inside has been painted, and the doors are being primed after repair.  

 

The whole family had more fun this Christmas giving both Nathan and his Dad various parts for the completion of the truck.  This is the new grill!  (sorry about the blurry shot)

Happy Birthday Nathan!!!  We love you and are so proud of you!!!  Now we'll be praying for your driver's test tomorrow!!!  

Thank you all for stopping by!  My blog candy has been shipped to my next chosen recipient... Maxine!  Stay tuned as I will be doing it again... choosing at an unannounced time from my faithful commenters, and gifting them with some of the overflow of blessings I have and want to share!

Thank you too to all who sent messages, cards and prayers during the illness and loss of my Mother In Law.  We will miss her, but we don't grieve as those who have no hope!  This is the beginning for her.... not the end! 

Vintage Apothecary Bottle

Hello friends!

I hope all is well with you all!  I have been extremely busy with funeral arrangements, travel, baking for the get together after the funeral, etc.  However, I did have a card made prior to my mother in law's passing, so I'm sharing that with you today.

This is a vintage feeling card  using Our Daily Bread designs Joy in a Jar Clear Stamp set, Apothecary Bottles, Antique Labels  designs, Antique Labels and border Dies. 

The card base is cream with a mat of brushed gold.   I heat embossed an ODBD Antique Label with Fantasy God embossing powder and die cut with the Antique Labels and border die to serve as a placemat for my apothecary bottle.  The bottle itself is stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copics, and cut with the ODBD Custom Apothecary Bottle Dies.  The label is stamped with Memento, and cut with the Antique Labels and Borders Dies, then I added a little gold embossing to the edges and adhered it to the bottle.  Behind the bottle is a brushed gold doily, some lace, pearls and then I added a pink bow and Wild Orchid flower. I hope you like it!

I hope to be back to creating later this week!!!

Hugs and Blessings,   

Absent from the body... present with the Lord!

In loving memory of my Mother in Law, Nellie Nywening, who died Jan. 2, 2014.

Mom was born in Paterson, NJ on June 2, 1918.  She was the dedicated wife of Albert Nywening for over 65 years, and mother to three sons, grandmother to 5, and great-grandmother to 4.   She spent the war years working for Wright Aviation in support of the World War II effort, while her husband fought as an infantryman in France.  After he was wounded in action and worked in NJ for a while, he decided he wanted to buy a farm in Goshen, NY.  Mom was a city girl and probably that wasn't her fondest thought, but she was a loving and dedicated wife and supported her husband in what he wanted to do.  So they bought a dairy farm in Goshen, NY, and raised their three boys there.

I am married to the oldest of those three boys, and I thank my Mother in Law for the training she gave to my husband.  She taught him Christian values, love for family and love for the Lord. She will be dearly missed here on earth, but we rejoice in the knowledge that having accepted the Lord as her Savior as a young woman, she is now in His presence and her pain and suffering is over.  We do not grieve as those who have no hope... for we know that we will see her again!  This is not the end for her.. it's the beginning of an eternity with Jesus Christ, and with other loved ones who have gone before.  I am sure my Father in Law was waiting for her with open arms and it makes me feel good thinking of them being together again!

Rest well, Mom!  We love you,  and we'll see you soon!

ODBD January Release, and Happy New Year!

Hello my friends!  Happy New Year!!!! I hope it will be your best year yet, and that God blesses you  in ways you can't imagine!!!

 Our Daily Bread designs is starting off the new year with another great release!  I hope you've had a chance to see the entire release, but if not, be sure to stop by the ODBD Blog to see it all together!   Before I tell you about the samples I've created for this release, let me just give you the details of how you can win one of THREE prizes being given away to THREE blessed commenters on the DT Blogs! 

 Three winners will be randomly chosen from the comments left on the designers blogs to receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the ODBD Store, to be used toward the purchase of ODBD Stamps.  You have until January 2, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. EST to make your comments!  The Winners will be posted on the ODBD Blog on January 3rd, so be sure to check back there to see if you won! 

Now, for my samples.  My first card is a very simple design using these fun new Canning Jar Fillers along with the Canning Jar set, and the ODBD Custom Canning Jar Dies!  (Note:  These canning jars are the same as the ones released last summer in the Blue Ribbon Winner set.  They are being released again now as a mini set, so you can get them either way!)

Very simply, I stamped with Memento and colored with Copics, and the designer paper is BoBunny.  It's on a base of Certainly Celery.  My tag uses a sentiment from the Ornate Borders Sentiment set, and the border is from Antique Labels  Designs set.  It is cut with the ODBD Custom Antique Labels and Border Dies.   Some bakers twine and bling are the only embellishments.  Very CAS for me, but I think this will be very cute for Valentine's Day!

The second card I'm sharing is made using the Apothecary Bottles, Lavender set, Joy in a Jar set,   Bottles Dies and past releases: Decorative Corner dies , Antique Labels and Border Dies, and Ornate Borders and Flowers Dies.  I also used a tiny sentiment from the  Ornate Border Sentiments set. 

The card is made with Perfect Plum card stock and some Anna Griffin dp.  I used a Spellbinders A2 Bracket Border for my lower edge, and sponged antique linen on the edges of all my layers to age it just a bit.  The matting is made using two of the ODBD Custom Decorative Corner dies, and the little tiny corner die cuts are from the ODBD Custom Ornate Borders and Flowers set.  The Apothecary Bottle is stamped with Memento, colored with Copics and cut with the custom Apothecary Bottle die.  I created a label with the border stamp from the Joy in a Jar set, then I stamped in VersaMark the tiny lavender image from the Lavender set, and lightly ran my pastel chalks over it to add a touch of color.  I stamped the sentiment over top of that, and then cut the label with the Antique Labels and Border dies.   The tag is a sentiment from the Ornate Border sentiments set.  For my layout, I used some burlap ribbon, then some thin ivory lace as a backdrop for my apothecary bottle.  I embellished with a lace bow topped with a lavender seam binding bow.  

I shared  a sneak peek this week at a  gift set I made using these stamps as well, but thought I'd share these bottles with you again here just in case you missed them, because the card above was made to create a gift set that all matches... a nice gift for a neighbor who has a birthday just around the corner! 

The bottles are decorated with the same burlap/lace/seam binding theme, and for their labels I   stamped images from the Joy in a Jar set (the larger bottle) and the Lavender set (both bottles) and cut them with the past release, Antique Labels and Border dies.  Again, I aged them a bit by sponging with Antique Linen Distress ink.

If you would like the details on these bottles including links to Recipes for bath products to make to put inside, just scroll down ONE POST, or click HERE. 

Now here is a look at the gift set all together.  (Pssst...don't tell my neighbor, but my next addition to this set is going to be home made lavender soap!)  

Here are the NEW sets and dies I used today:

Be sure to visit my DT sisters and leave a comment so you don't miss a chance to win one of the prizes this month!!!

Grace * Chris * Cathy * Sandee * Dawn * Lori * Julie * Sabrina * Wanda * Lisa * Angie * Audrey

Blessings,

'