Make Mine Stamps

God is...

This was a tough weekend.  A very dear woman whom I called a friend passed away on Wednesday evening and her calling hours and funeral were Friday and Saturday.  I know it was a blessing as she had fought bone cancer for three years and has been in so much pain that wasn't really able to be controlled.  However, her faith never waivered and she was a true lamp of God, never complaining or losing sight of God.  Amazing -- that is all I can say.  I am so grateful she is now with the Lord but it also hard to imagine not hearing her sing again in church.  She loved her husband and her two boys so very much -- I hope they will always hold that love inside of them and remember the depth of her love forever. 

I made this card as much for myself during her illness as for anyone.  It was hard for me to cope with the fact that God was not healing her.  He healed me of cancer and she was a much better woman than I could ever hope to be.  However, that wasn't her message and as I watched her through this illness, I had to remember that she was going to see her Lord -- if she couldn't be here, Heaven is where she would want to be.

This card started with a base of Baja Breeze.  I layered two different pieces of the Parisian Breeze DSP onto Kraft and adhered them to my base card.  Next, I stamped the Cross from Refuge and Strength onto Whisper White.   After I inked the cross in Chocolate Chip, I used the small floral image that comes in this set to stamp off the Chocolate Chip ink on the cross before stamping the image onto Whisper White.  It doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person, but you can see it just a bit. 

I layered this image onto Kraft as well and, after popping it up with dimensionals, I attached it to the card.  Next, I stamped the sentiment or verse from the set onto Whisper White cardstock.  I punched the image out with the Circle punch and layered this onto a Baja Breeze circle punch, attaching it to my card with additional stacked dimensionals.  The heart was on my desk from the three heart punch and I attached it with a very teeny glue dot.

I need to remember that God is in control and that whatever He wills is what I need to accept.  I vividly remember my own cancer experience. When I found out that Kim had cancer, I wrote to her and told her that even though we may never know why we had this disease, the way we handle ourselves through it is helping someone else.  I shared with her that through my own struggle, I knew that people who needed to meet one another for whatever reason now know one another because they were helping me through my illness.  I know that Kim's struggles, and the grace with which she handled those trials daily, were a huge blessing to others within her life and our church.  In addition, although we may never know the why behind all of this, God does and that is all that matters.  Kim embodied that statement and I truly take comfort that she never once felt that God had abandoned her. 

Remember that we are not home, that earth is just a dress rehearsal and that God has something so much better in store for us.  I'm counting on it!  Thank you, Kim, for reminding me that life is so precious but that in death, God will be waiting for us and what a reward there will be in heaven if we have lived this life as God told us to in His Word.

Have a blessed, God-filled day! 

Blogger's Challenge - Alter It!

Well...here it is Friday again and time for Blogger's Challenge!  This week was tough for me because the challenge was to Alter It.  Now, I'm just not good at altering.  Cards, I can do okay, but altering it is not my strength.  So, what did I do but mull this over all week and here's what I came up with.

These are cans that I opened from the bottom when I used them.  I'm using these cans, filled with goodies, as gifts at my New Catalog Debut on July 1.  It's kind of cool to pop the top and find Stampin' goodies inside. 

Okay, so I know this is very easy, but it is altered and it's the best I could do at this point.  I did use some retired rub ons (trust me, I've got the Mother Lode of rub ons) and loved them!  Yep, this is the first time I've used them and I can't figure out why I wasn't using these all along -- ours are fabulous and very easy to apply!

Have a terrific weekend and I'll see you again on Sunday or Monday!  I appreciate you stopping by!

For Mandy...Fifth Avenue Floral

Recently, I had a question from a gal who is a fantastic stamper as I expected -- her Mother-In-Law, Francie, is a phenomenal stamper and quite creative herself!  It just must run in families, which would explain why I didn't get "it".  My mom is one of the best cooks ever, but she doesn't craft at all.  At any rate, as she was looking at the catalog, Mandy said, "I really like the Fifth Avenue Floral Set, but what would you do with it?"  I promised to show her and here is one really fabulous technique that looks incredible when using this set.  Of course, this is only one idea and as we master this technique, I'll share more idea.

Now, here is the disclaimer:  I am not crazy about this card, but check out the rose -- focus on the rose.  That said, here's the card:

This rose shimmers so much in real life and is gorgeous in its own right.  The card is questionable, but I've been so busy lately that I didn't really have time to do the rose justice.  We are going to learn this technique in our July Techniques class.

I started with a base of Summer Suede (hooked on this color!) and I used a sketch challenge from a couple of weeks ago, but again, I'm not sure which challenge or where I got the sketch.  I used some leftover polished vellum from some practice I had been doing and I adhered this to Crushed Curry cardstock mats, color side up.  I liked that the combination of Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango was more vibrant on the color side up, so I just decided to go with it.  I adhered the vellum to the mats with regular adhesive because the polished vellum hides the adhesive very well.

Next, I used a mat of Crushed Curry with Whisper White on top and adhered this to the basecard.  I used Old Olive cardstock and the Little Leaves die through the Big Shot for my leaves, adhering these to the card with dimensionals.  I had created the rose earlier (this one takes time!) and cut it out.  I popped it up with dimensionals as well, and adhered it to the basecard over the Whisper White square, hoping it would pop even more.  To balance everything, I punched three 1/4" circles from Dusty Durango and adhered these to the basecard with glue dots.

Here's a hint to tuck away:  When you want to add green, but aren't sure WHICH green, use Old Olive.  It really works in most any application.  It's my "goto" green when I'm not certain which green to use when I'm creating. 

Still working diligently on my Catalog Debut.  I want so badly to have something to give everyone and I'm just not finding all the time I need to get it all done, so I'm really going to have to use my time wisely.  You'd know that this also coincides with our year end at work -- not really great planning on my part, eh?  I'm thinking positive and I'm going to get as much as I possibly can done.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks for making my blog a part of your day -- God's blessings to your and yours!  Have a terrific, God-filled day!

Great Friend...Again!

This stamp set just keeps calling my name and requesting ink -- I haven't been able to let it sit without ink for a few days.  I wanted to make a card using the new In Colors and try to find someway to make this DSP look good as well.  It's bright, but I like it and who would ever have thought these colors would look okay together?

This card base is Crushed Curry and I love the color!  I layered on Rich Razzleberry and kind of stood back and looked at it.  Then, I used two strips of Dusty Durango and scalloped them both.  I decided to pierce them as well and put a pierce in each scallop too.  (I'm sure those of you in my Techniques classes are not surprised -- my piercing kit sees a great deal of use!).  I cut a piece of the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP and adhered my scalloped strips to it and then placed it on the card base. 

I stamped the butterfly and the sentiment in Dusty Durango on Whisper White and layered this on Crushed Curry.  I wanted a separation between the stamped images so I wrapped some hemp twine around the entire layer.  I added this layer to my card with dimensionals.

Next, I stamped the butterly image in Dusty Durango again and cut it out (Pat from my Techniques classes calls this "fussy cuts"!).  I fluttered up the wings and added it above the stamped butterly with dimensionals.  I still felt the card was a bit unbalanced, so I punched three 1/4" circles from Dusty Durango and added these to my card with glue dots.

Now, I admit, I would not ever have put these colors together, but they work well with this DSP and I really like the final result.  Even my resident card critique said he liked it and that is a good stamp of approval -- kind of like Good Housekeeping's seal of approval!

I am continuing to work away on my Catalog Debut being held Wednesday, July 1, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Stop by and see the new catalog, check out some new stamp sets, make a couple of projects and see what surprises are in store for you.  I'll be here to answer any questions and share some munchies with you.  I hope to see you here and share some new projects with you!

Good Bye Baja Breeze!

Of all the In Colors from the current catalog, I am going to miss Baja Breeze the most.  In fact, my guess is that many of you are going to miss this color -- it was the first color to sell out the coordinating print patterns!  I'm not sure if it was demos buying it up or customers -- but I know that whomever bought it will love using it until it runs out!

This card started as a sketch challenge, but I can't tell you what sketch challenge it was.  This past week has been a huge challenge at work, at home with the remodeling and with my phone drowning (it has been resurrected, praise God!).  I completed this card about a week ago but just didn't have time to post it.

I started with a Baja Breeze card base.  Because I still have quite a bit of the Walk In the Park Designer Series Paper, I decided to use it as my color inspiration.  Who would have thought that these colors -- Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, Cameo Coral and White -- would look good together? 

I layered the DSP onto Basic Gray strips.  Next, I stamped my image (Friends 24/7) in Cameo Coral (love this image!) on to Shimmery White cardstock.  If you haven't tried this, see me for a sample.  Once you see it, you will know YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT.  It is absolutely beautiful and I've got some great techniques coming up that will use this fabulous paper!  At any rate, I layered Basic Gray, Baja Breeze and Shimmery White cardstocks, ripping the bottoms of all the pieces individually.  I took a look to see what this card needed and decided to add the Basic Gray corduory button brads on the strips.   Then I adhered those strips to the basecard.  I popped up the image piece with dimensionals and then stamped my sentiment in Basic Gray.  I love the different textures from the ripping to the corduroy and the layers.  I find it hard to do flat, simple cards because I don't do them well.  I'm still working on that!

Enjoy your day celebrating your fathers and dads!  I hope everyone has a blessed, God-filled day and that you get to celebrate with your loved ones! 

My First Bloggers Challenge!

I just joined a group called Bloggers Challenge and I'm supposed to have my card posted early in the a.m.  Well, I tried, but computer woes, work woes and a cell phone that I drowned in the remodel fiasco yesterday got in the way!  Sorry to be late, but at least I'm done and here now!

This is my entry for Bloggers Challenge 104 - Manly Cards.  Because I needed a card for Thom, I decided to do a Father's Day card.  My dad's Father's Day Card is in the mail and I didn't want to duplicate.  Check this out:

I started with a card base of Always Artichoke, one of my favorite colors.  Next, I layered on a piece of the retiring Manchester Designer Series Paper.  I stamped a piece of Kraft with the Sanded background stamp, pierced both long sides and layered this onto Baja Breeze.  Once I had adhered this to my card, I used the Dad stamp from Eight Great Greetings (it made it into the new catalog!) in Always Artichoke ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  I layered this on Kraft and Always Artichoke, popping the Very Vanilla layer with dimensionals.  Then I added dimensionals to the bottom Always Artichoke layer and added this to the card. 

I am absolutely loving those corduroy buttons and I still have some left!  Time to use them all up, so I added three of the Baja Breeze button brads to the lower right and called it done.  Thom will love this card beause it is "manly colors" but he digs those buttons too.  He thinks corduroy is a man's fabric, but I like the Baja Breeze buttons for his manly card because he has some fabulous soft sides too! 

I am glad to see this week end -- our shop manager was on vacation this week, and we have been busier this week than we were in the last month.  It makes for long days and when I get home, I get to wait for the remodelling crew to leave and clean up the dust that sits on top of everything.  Those brand new custom drapes we had made should have been pulled down, but I didn't think of it until we were several days into this.  Live and learn!

Have a fabulous weekend and celebrate the fathers in your life!

A Special RAK!

I've got a special card for you today -- it was a card I received from my Sister-In-Law, Laura, and I love it!  She is extremely creative and very rarely makes the same card twice.  As a result, her cards are truly LIMITED EDITIONS, 1 OF 1.  Here's the card:

Laura found napkins at Hobby Lobby and decided to make a card with them.  So she cut the ladies and the sentiments out and adhered them to her basecard.  Aren't these gals priceless?  Even better yet -- the sentiment inside reads, "The lifeguards don't try as hard!"

It was the laugh I needed!  Laura is another lady who can't send a card without writing a message and her message just made my month!

If you wonder, RAK is Random Act of Kindness and Laura is all over that all the time.  I walked into our Accountant's office the other day and exclaimed over the handmade cards on her desk.  I mentioned how beautiful they were and she said, "Oh, those are from Laura!"  I should have known!

If you click on the next pictures, they will enlarge.  These are the projects we completed in my Techniques Classes this month.  We did Polished Vellum, Vitalized Vellum and Re-Inker Splash.  Polished Vellum and Re-Inker Splash are great ways to use those re-inkers and I try never to buy an inkpad without a re-inker if I can help it!

             

Hope you enjoy!

I'm working on the projects for my New Catalog Debut on July 1.  Invitations have been sent to all my class members and I hope everyone receives them by Friday.  If you are in the area and want to attend, you can wander in when it suits you -- doors are open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.  More details as we get closer to the date!

Have a fabulous, God-filled day!  Thanks for stopping!

Hero

We all have our own ideas of what a hero is and one of mine includes anyone who has ever served in any branch of the military, including the Coast Guard and the National Guard.  I really feel for those families who have a loved one off fighting in a war or protecting our interests in other countries.  That constant worry, even though you pray and trust in God to keep them safe, has to be with you always.

One of the gals in my Techniques Classes, Pat, is also a member of the same church I attend.  She has organized a card signing for this weekend at our church.  All of the cards that have been made will be in the foyer for families to sign and then she is sending all the cards to military personnel of those who attend our church, or are family or friend of our members.  It's a great way to say "We're praying for you and thinking about you!" and I really appreciate her taking the initiative to coordinate all of this.  I know those cards will be greatly appreciated by the recipients, as well as by their family members because their families know their loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers as well.

This is the card design I contributed.  Using a Night of Navy base, I ran a piece of Really Red through my Big Shot using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.  I love that Swiss Dot folder!  With the jumbo roller, I wheeled the stars in Whisper White Craft ink on Really Red and then cut a bottom for the card.  To cover the line where the two Really Red pieces meet, I used the Really Red striped grosgrain ribbon.

Next, I used the same jumbo wheel on Night of Navy and allowed this to dry.  Using my Big Shot, I cut out the letters H E R O and popped them up on my card.  I wanted something more than just the Night of Navy and thought the star pattern would bring emphasis to the word HERO.  I hope it isn't too busy, but I think you really notice it.  I do believe it will catch the eye of the recipient and I hope it helps to say that these service men and women are on our minds, in our hearts and in our prayers.

I was right!  The demoing of the bathroom caused me grief yesterday!  When the guys left, I had no water AT ALL.  We called them back and got water, but NO HOT WATER.  So, after a second return trip to our house, we have water and some of it is hot!  That's a good thing -- I'm hopeful that today will be a better day and that I can get some serious cleaning done once they leave.  This project is scheduled to take a month or so and it will be interesting to see how it progresses.

Have a wonderful, God-Filled day and be a blessing to someone who needs you!  Thanks for stopping!

Oh, Those Colors...

I have to admit that I am an absolute lover of paper!  I have it stashed all over my stamp room and I actually hang most of my paper in the closet in my room.  I'm like a kid at Christmas over paper, but I'm also a hoarder!  I don't want to use the paper because then I would run out and have to get more...oh, you mean I can get more?

When I first saw this Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper by Stampin' Up!, I thought, "What were they THINKING?"  I didn't like it at all but it has grown on me.  And of course, I haven't used any of it so I thought I had better get with the program and use some of the stash.  After all, Kiwi Kiss is retiring so that means this paper is as well.

Working with a sketch challenge, I immediately knew which stamp set I wanted to use when I saw the sketch.  My mind works so much more easily from a sketch challenge!  I started with a base of Kiwi Kiss and layered on the dotted DSP from the Urban Oasis collection.  Next, I used a piece of Kraft and pierced a double layer up each side.  I tied a length of Kiwi Kiss striped ribbon around it and adhered this piece to my card base.  Next, I inked the sentiment in Kiwi Kiss ink and used my Basic Gray marker to color over the words "kind" and "friend" and stamped it on Whisper White.  I didn't think it would really matter that I didn't remove the Kiwi Kiss ink on those words because the Basic Gray ink is so dark.  However, in real life, it turned a rather funky shade of green.  I have to admit, though, that I don't really mind that funky shade on this card with this paper (these colors are odd together anyway, but I love them!)!  I mounted the Whisper White image onto Basic Gray and popped this up on my card. 

Since I never send or give a card without adding words from my heart, this is a perfect card ready to send to a dear friend who means a great deal to me.

Just so you know, I will not be posting daily for the next month or so.  We are (hopefully) starting our master bathroom remodel today and I'm afraid it is going to put my entire house in chaos.  It should go smoothly as all the components (minus the tile) are in our garage, but we'll see.  You know what they say about the best laid plans...

Have a blessed, God-filled day and thank you for making me a part of it!

Little Birds...

I love the sounds of the birds throughout the woods behind our home!  I don't know anything about the birds or which bird makes what sound, but if I sit in the gazebo and just listen, it's like music. 

When the last catalog debuted, I was not in love with the Cheep Talk set, but everyone started using it and the cards were really cute.  So, I bought the set and found that I reached for it much more often than I originally thought I would.  This card features Cheep Talk and the sneak peek new hostess set The More the Merrier.  It has great row images that are easy to color and offers much more than birds.  You'll have to check it out when you get your copy of the new catalog on July 1!

I started with a basecard of Kiwi Kiss and layered on a piece of the Kiwi Kiss paper fron the DSP Good Morning Sunshine.  Next, I stamped the image from The More the Merrier on Whisper White in Chocolate Chip ink and colored them using my Pacific Point and Summer Sun inkpads, along with my blender pens.  I layered this onto Summer Sun and adhered it to the base card.  I used a second piece of the DSP Good Morning Sunshine in Summer Sun and stamped directly on it with the Cheep Talk set.  Because I loved the birds holding the hearts above, I stamped this image from Cheep Talk and popped it up, using twine from the bird's beak to replicate that image.  Finally, I used crystal effects on all the hearts to give them some shine to make them stand out and they also add some extra dimension.

I'm off to stamp!  Much needed therapy today.  This evening, we are going to see Chorus Line and I'm so excited.  It should be a great time because I love dancing and can't wait to see the pros doing their best!  Enjoy your day!