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!

Jan. ODBD Release BLOG HOP!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the January Our Daily Bread designs Release "Taking a Leap of Faith" Blog Hop! If you got here from Angie's Blog then you are in the right place! If not you should go to the Our Daily Bread designs Blog to start from the beginning so you don't miss anything! The Hop will run from 8am Eastern Jan. 1 to 8pm Jan 2. The winners will be announced on the ODBD Blog on Jan. 3. There will be 5 prizes. Kelley has very generously offered to give five prizes of YOUR CHOICE of one set!!! The prizes are hidden on various blogs along the hop, so it is important that you visit and comment on each one!

Here is what you have to do to be eligible to win one of these great prizes:

Visit and leave a comment on each blog on the hop, then return to the ODBD Blog and leave a comment:

* Telling us you completed the hop and noting any blogs you could not comment on

* Answer the question that is posted on the ODBD Blog (You only need to answer on the ODBD blog)

* Be sure to check the ODBD Blog on Jan 3rd to see if you won! :)

All of us in the Bread Basket have had so much fun playing with these new stamps and die cut! Who doesn't love butterflies? They are symbolic of HOPE and new life... and they are one of God's most beautiful creations! You will love the sentiments and the font on the Faith set! Just wait until you see how many Spellbinders dies you can fit these sentiments in! Don't delay.. I think these will sell out quickly!

So Now on to my card details:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread designs "Full of Grace Series - Faith" (sentiment), "Butterfly Corner"," Butterfly" and "matching Die Cut", "Faith" (Butterfly design on Bookmark).
Card Stock: Bazzill, Gina K Pure Luxury Layering Weight
Designer Paper: Prima Fairy , Pink Vellum
Ink: Memento, Our Daily Bread designs Olive Green
Accessories: May Arts Silk Ribbon, K&Co Crystal Bling, ODBD Tag Die Cut, Ornare piercing template and tools

I colored the butterfly corner image with Copics and then cut out. I cut a piece of pink vellum and adhered it with Vellum adhesive to give the softness to the design to make the sentiment on the bookmark pop more. I attached the corner to the card top making a pocket for my sentiment bookmark. I made the bookmark using the ODBD Tag Die to cut the shape on the top, then just didn't run it all the way though the machine so I could hand cut a longer length of cs. I matted the bookmark with Black and used May Arts silk ribbon for the ties at the top.

I hope you enjoyed my card today!

From here, hop on over to Debi's Blog to see what inspiration she has for you! Thanks for stopping and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Oh and PLEASE if you have not entered my drawing for My BLOG CANDY, please do so HERE!