Garden Gate

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ and Craft's Meow post please scroll down.

I had so much fun with this card! Sometimes taking some time to learn a new technique and just experiment a bit is a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I had received this stamp from The Craft's Meow last week after watching a video about these stamps from La Blanche. I followed the video pretty much as it was shown.The paper that is used with this stamp is amazing, such a clear image! The entire image was painted using distress inks. I clear embossed the entire image also. If you watch the video you will know exactly what I did and used. Such fun! 





Card Recipe:
Stamps: Fence with Roses - The Craft's Meow
Paper:Spamped the image on the specialty paper for these stamps also GinaK Pure Luxury Cranberry Crisp and Black. SU - So Safron
DP: None
Other: Impressibility to emboss the yellow panel, some black tulle, gold button, distress inks, nubs for painting


Challenges
Gingerloft - Butterfly Die
2 Sisters Challenge - make your own embellishment - tulle and button
Simply Create - Do it yourself - This was a totally new technique
Flutter By Wednesday - Anything goes with a butterfly
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
There She Goes Clear Stamps - Markers Down - did not use any markers - only distress inks and nubs.

Frieda's Flowers: Philippians 4:6-7

Welcome back for another challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

This week our very sweet and busy and talented and wonderful Lisa challenges us with this verse from Philippians 4:6-7.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I am at peace right now. Through the many ups and downs of life I treasure those times when my heart is at peace. Perhaps because the older I get I understand better that all of life there are periods of peace and periods of unrest and anxiety. Last week I shared on my blog that I talk to God a lot in my daily life. I believe that helps me get through those more anxious times because I know that I am not alone. And when I am really thrown into a tailspin by something very difficult I know I can pray and I also know I can call on others to pray with and for me. I truly am never alone and my periods of peace are even more treasured.

This week Lisa asks us to create a project with a different kind of peace... piece... as in paper piecing. Use paper piecing in the main image of your card/project.

I made this card using a new stamp that I just got from The Craft's Meow, this is the online store that was just opened my our very own Lisa - you really need to check it out! I paper pieced the dress and the socks, collar, and sleeve cuffs. Talk about some fussy cutting! I cut out the entire image and popped her up. She is such fun to color too.I ran the purple panel through the Cuttlebug with the Spellbinder's daisy impressibility. I sponged the green and colored some white Prisma flowers. Frieda is really fun to play with.

Our sponsor this week is Technique Junkies Newsletter with a full year's subscription. AND Lisa, our design team sister has also opened up a new store called the Craft's Meow with some very cute stamps!!!  She has decided to offer a second prize this week.....a set of the three Little Frieda stamps to one of our players!!!

Be sure to stop by my SSIC design sisters to see what they have to share this week:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough
Kristine Breach: Ink Something
MariLynn DeGroot - Mississippi McGyver
Sabrina Jackson - SJ Butterfly Dreams
Randi Barret: A New Creation (On break)

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments!

Peace!
 

Recipe:

Stamps: Little Frieda's Flowers

Paper: GKD Pure Luxury White and SU Wild Wasabi and Perfect Plum
Designer Paper: BG - Kioshi

Other: Prima flowers, impressibility, some gems and ribbon

Challenges:
Mojo Monday - sketch

Simon Says Stamps - girly
Stamp Something - Spring
Freshly Brewed 2 or more embellies

Paper Pretties- Spring

Pals Paper Arts- Embossing

The Rubber Cafe-embossing

   

CSS - Sketch Blog Hop - 3/25/2011

It is another StampTV blog hop and this time it is a sketch challenge. 

I made my first card early on, I knew I wanted an Easter Basket and I knew that I wanted the background to look like an Easter Egg. So I started rummaging through my mountains of precious DP looking for just the right one. I couldn't find what I wanted so I made my own. I looked through the StampTV videos and when my eye caught the shaving cream one I knew that is what I wanted. By this time I already had my chicks and egg (from Basket Blessings) colored and cut out. I colored extra eggs to create a scalloped looking border. I found a scrap of some very green CS and cut some fringe so make it look like grass. I  then used the basket from Spring Basket and cut it down a little. Some twine for the handle a stamped Happy Easter on an egg shaped tag. And that is the card.

For my second card I made a "have to make it in a hurry for my son's birthday on the 31st" card. He is an FSU alumni and works for their alumni association as the IT guy so I had to go with the school colors which I found from PinkPaisley's Old School paper pack from my local scrap-booking store. I also knew I could not get too fussy on his, you know the whole single guy thing. I had it almost made with the scalloped line and the words from Tami's Blocked Greetings but it just needed a little something more. I added the brads - that was better - but it still needed something. So I left it on the table waiting for inspiration to hit. It came with the package in the mail today (Thursday) - yippie my Gina K order with the Nina's new Lovely Labels 3 (and several other stamp sets) came in. So I tried to fit my greeting into the various frames and this one worked with just a little tweaking trim of my ovals. Added a few more brads and you have a card even a 27 year old guy would like (I hope).

You should have arrived from Melissa Schultz blog and you were undoubtedly blown away! If you want to start at the beginning  or get lost along the way, just jump directly to the links for all of the wonderful creations on StampTV.

Now hop on over to visit  Peggy Wainman for some more inspiration. Thanks for hopping along with us and for the kind comments you leave. It is good to be back!

****Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (March 29th), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs who will get a stamp set of their choice valued up to $24.95!

As always, your comments really do mean a lot to me. Thank you for leaving them.

Best Things are Free

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ and Craft's Meow post please scroll down.

Another card - I have made several lately and have just not uploaded them. This was a nice simple card that just came together. I like gray and pink together and I loved the bow. This is one of those cards that just fell together on the craft table. Love that. Not sure if it falls in the CAS category but it is close.
Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Smile - GinaK Designs
Paper:GinaK Pure Innocent Pink, Moonlit Fog
DP: I can't find it - it was a remnant in my basket
Other: Pink ribbon, grey ribbon and a button, spellbinder's dies


Challenges

Spectacular Sunday - sentiment as focus

Totally Gorjuss - button

Card Patterns - sketch

Clear it Out Challenge - button

Happy Day

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ  and Craft's Meow post please scroll down.

Here is just a happy day card. I made this for StampTV's release party last week. It is also for the sketch challenge this week and it is a fun one. 
I paper pieced the entire image so this was pretty quick. This designer paper was just perfect for this frog. It is from Basic Grey.

Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Little Critters - GinaK Designs
Paper:GinaK Pure Luxury White and Fresh Asparagus
DP: Basic Grey - marjolaine
Other: Green ribbon, metal slider, very sharp scissors


Challenges

StampTV: Sketch
Card Making Mamas - animals
Simply Create - monochromatic
Creative Cowgirls - monochromatic
Gingerloft Challenge - Die Cut - 
Cupcake Craft Challenge - monochromatic

Little Frieda's Daisies

Grand opening of The Craft's Meow

My friend Lisa Hjulberg is opening her store today and I, for one, am very excited about it! The image above is one of the stamps that will be sold. Is she not adorable! I love her!

I have been watching the previews on Lisa's blog and I know that you are going to be as excited about the products that she is offering as I am. I won't keep you long - there is shopping to be done!!! The store will open at noon PST, see you there!  

Thanks for leaving a comment!

Recipe:

Stamps: Little Frieda's Flowers - Craft's Meow 

Paper: GinaK pure luxury white and Kraft - SU - rose

DP: SU - Sweet Always

Other: Copic Markers to color - ribbon, pearl

Other Challenges:

Card Patterns - Sketch

Stamp Something - Sweet - Frieda is sweet! 

The Kraft Journal - Kraft and Spring

The Shabby Tea Room - Bingo (punch/flower/gem)

Simon Says Stamps - Girly

Easter Joy: Matthew 6:6

Another week has flown by and once again it is time for another challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

This week it is sweet Grace who challenges us with this verse from Matthew 6:6

"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Going into my inner room to pray. I talk to God all the time. In the car - down by the lake - when I am going to bed - and when I first wake up. I have praised and cried and begged and accepted. These are all prayers. Amazingly enough, He always listens and He always rewards me although not always in ways that I anticipate.

This week Grace really gives us a challenge, she asks us to create a card or project that has something hidden from first view. It could be many things... an envelope, a pull out, doors that open to reveal something, anything that you don't see at first glance. I have to admit this was a difficult one for me. Let's see what you come up with.

I made this card using 2 stamps that I won on ODBD called Tulip Tag set and Tulip Corner. I love them. I have to be honest and it took be several tries to get this right. I dry embossed the Ivory CS and then used some Victorian Velvet Distress Ink to lightly sponge over it. I used gold embossing for the tulips and then colored them in using Copics. The scalloped edges are with some SU designer paper.

Our sponsor this week is Our Daily Bread Designs with a $15 gift certificate.

Be sure to stop by my SSIC design sisters to see what they have to share this week:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough
Kristine Breach: Ink Something
MariLynn DeGroot - Mississippi McGyver
Sabrina Jackson - SJ Butterfly Dreams
Randi Barret: A New Creation (On break)

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments!
 

Recipe:

Stamps: Tulip Tag and Tulip Corner from ODBD

Paper: GKD Pure Luxury Ivory
Designer Paper: SU - Sweet Always

Other: Gold embossing, Pink Ribbon, Impressibility Tulip, gold rejoice charm

Challenges:
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Spring - nothing says Spring like tulips!
Card Cupids Blog - Spring - tulips 
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Spring
Creative Inspirations Paint - Easter
I did it Creations - Spring
ODBD - New Life - Tulips and Easter
 

Easter Lily

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ post please scroll down to the Sunday post!

Now this really was a quick card. When my friend, Sue, came down we met up and went through a craft store that was going out of business (sad). We found these cute note cards with envelopes. I thought they would be perfect for the challenge over at Speedy's Friends.

The image and stamp set was a gift from my SS on StampTV. I was so excited to play with them and have more projects floating around in my head for this wonderful stamp set. The note cards already had the gray printed into it so all I did was stamp the image and the sentiment and then color the image and add the bow. It almost feels like I cheated! But it worked!

Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: He is the Lamb - MFP
Paper:
DP: Basic Notecards from Amuse
Other: Green ribbon - sparkly stickers - Copic Markers


Challenges

Woodware USA - Spring
Ally's Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
Gingerloft Challenge - Flowers
Simon Says Stamps - Anything Goes
MFP - Speedy the Cat - Lime Green and Gray - Single Layer
Scrap-Creations - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - 3 of something - several more than 3 of the glittery half gems.
Pink Paper Paradise - Anything Goes

 

Another Birthday Wish

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ post please scroll down to the Sunday post!

Made this quick card on Sunday. I had planned to stamp for several hours but the wonderful treasures in my life interfered. A visit from our oldest son with his wife and their 6 children. A call from my wonderful MIL. An hour of sunshine with my DH. But I did get this card done for a sketch challenge on StampTV that I ended up being too late for - Grrrr...

The card was done in shifts. I had the flower colored and ready to cut. I had the paper picked out and the Spellbinder die already did it's work. Those last minute things held me up. Cutting the flower was a bit time consuming and then I needed the right embellishments. I kind of threw those on  but still missed the deadline by about 15 minutes. Still like the card though!


Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Little Critters - from GinaK designs
Paper: Gina K Designs Sweet Corn
DP: Basic Grey - Kioshi
Other: Nestabilities, green sticker nail heads, ribbon


Challenges

Stamp TV - Sketch
Happileigh Scrappin' Challenge - Recipe - 1 plain cardstock - 2 DP - 3 embelishments.
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge -  Birthday Card
Paper Playtime - Challenge 1 - Mardi Gras Colors - Green and Purple
Woodware USA - Spring
Ally's Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
Gingerloft Challenge - Flowers
Simon Says Stamps - Anything Goes

 

Thank You Prayer: Matthew 6:21

Another week has flown by and once again it is time for another challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

This week it is Lovely Linda who challenges us with this verse from Matthew 6:21

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I love this verse Linda! As you see I chose to make a thank you card - there is a reason for that. I am surrounded by treasures. Tonight, at Mass, I had treasure behind me and next to me. At work, every student is a treasure as are the people I work with. And my family - well - treasures in every way! That is where my heart is! Okay - not always do I look at it that way, but I should. And the thank you is a Thank You to God for the many treasures in my life.

Linda challenges us to use something you treasure on your card - whether it be bling, flowers, something new or have been saving for a long time - show us your treasures!

My card was made using the Angel Anya image from Greeting Farm at Simon Says Stamps. My treasure - well see that gold panel - I have had a small package of the Premium Craft Foil from Spellbinders for a long time and have not used it. This seemed like the one to use it on. I embossed the foil with a Cuttlebug folder. I paper pieced Angel's dress and the bow in her hair and used some liquid pearls on her wings. Gold is something that many people treasure but to me - people are the greatest treasures in my life - including all of you who share your lives with us in "Blogland"! May you all have a wonderful week filed with God's treasures. 

Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamps with an adorable stamp set.

Be sure to stop by my SSIC design sisters to see what they have to share this week:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough
Kristine Breach: Ink Something
MariLynn DeGroot - Mississippi McGyver
Sabrina Jackson - SJ Butterfly Dreams
Randi Barret: A New Creation (On break)

So glad you stopped by today.
 

Recipe:

Stamps: Greeting Farm - Angel Anya

Paper: SU Lavender
Designer Paper: Cosmo -  Cricket - Pixie-Licious

Other: Nestibilities, Cuttle bug folder, Spellbinders Craft Foil, gold ribbon, bead, and charm

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamps - Anything Goes

7 Kids College Fund - Mardi Gras Colors

Outlawz - Wednesday Sketch
PaperCrafting Journey - Things with wings - my angel

Aly's Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
Let's Ink it up - embossing - the gold panes is embossed

CSS - Color Blog Hop - 3/11/2011

It is another StampTV blog hop and this time it is a color challenge.

After thinking and worrying about it for a bit I got some happy mail with my Gina K order with the new Christ is Risen stamp set I knew I had to use it. I found the sketch on Mojo Monday and made them work for me. I used some white embossing powder on the soft sand. The banner above cross was embossed with white on the asparagus. Then I stared at the card a while wanting something else - - - thinking - - - aha - an Easter flower! Found this flower from Gina's Spring Florals and colored with some soft Copics. The DP is from Basic Grey's Curio.

The second card was made quickly last night just for a second card. I dry embossed a border around the flower image from Seed of Kindness. I used just green Copics to color it and a Sakura clear pen to highlight the leaves. I added the bow.

You should have arrived from Melissa Schultz blog and you were undoubtedly blown away! If you want to start at the beginning  or get lost along the way, just jump directly to the links for all of the wonderful creations on StampTV.

Now hop on over to visit  Peggy Wainman for some more inspiration. Thanks for hopping along with us and for the kind comments you leave. It is good to be back!

Thanks so very much for stopping by and don't forget to add a card to the color challenge STVCSP15 (PLEASE USE CAPITAL LETTERS FOR THE CHALLENGE TAG) and you'll be enter to win a free Gina K stamp set of your choice valued up to $24.95.

I also entered the first card in the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge.

Birthday Wishes for You

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ post please scroll down to the Sunday post!

I was not sure I was going to like these colors but I do! So rich and vibrant and rather simple too. The picture just does not do it justice. 


I used a Cuttlebug folder on the black background which gives it some dimension. The image is embossed with black embossing powder and the flower and butterflies were colored in with Copics.

Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Framed Greetings - from GinaK designs
Paper: Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Black, White, Red Hot, Wild Dandelion
DP: Cosmo Cricket - Material Girl
Other: Cuttlebug folder, embossing powder in black, button, Nestabilities


Challenges

Stamp TV - Colors - red hot - wild dandelion - black

Jugs - sketch

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

The Outlawz - Used a die

Woodware USA Clear Stamps - Sentiment as focus

Bearly Mine Challenges - Birthday card

Creative Craft Challenges - Birthday Card
Papertake Weekly - Yellow

Piano Music

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ post please scroll down to the Sunday post!

This was one of those really quick cards, which is truly very rare for me. I take a lot of time with my cards, agonizing over each item. This one just flowed and worked! I liked the result.

I used a Cuttlebug folder on the white panel and I clear embossed the black panel. The piano was embossed with black. I added the flowers as an afterthought - the pink was also after I laid the elements out. I really liked the pink with it.

Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Gleefully Yours and Vintage Borders - from GinaK designs
Paper: Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Black, White - SU Pink
DP: None
Other: Cuttlebug folder (music) , pearls, embossing powder in clear and black, flowers


Challenges
One Stop Craft Challenge - Black, White, and 1 other color
Little Claire's Designs - Flowers - 3 as embellishment
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - embossing - did both wet and dry
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
Card Cupids Blog - Anything Goes
Play Date Cafe - White Black and a splash of color

Critter Collage

To see the Stampin Sisters in Christ post please scroll down to the Sunday post!

Are these not adorable critters? I thought so! I just thought they were adorable and wanted to showcase them with less is more color. So I just kind of played around with the images a bit. I used chalks for the first time in ages and then used my Copics to enhance some of the details. I do like how they turned out except for the lips on the frog (what was I thinking?!). 

I paper pieced the mushroom for a different, but also muted look. The background was created using one of the stamps from the set that I stamped with bleach. It took some trial and error. At first I was trying to stamp the critters with bleach but that did not work. So then I changed to making it the background. Worked out much better in my opinion. 


Well that is about it for today. Thanks for looking and for the comments!






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Little Critters - from GinaK designs
Paper: Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Fresh Asparagus, Chocolate Brown and Sweet Corn
DP: Basic Grey - Porcelain - for the mushroom
Other: SU chalks and Copic Markers, MS border punch, spellbinder dies


Challenges
Mark's Finest Papers - Bleach Technique - on the green background
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Anything Goes
Card Cupids Blog - Anything Goes
Basic Grey - Used Porcelain Paper for the mushroom
Easy Craft Project - Use green
Karens Doodles Challenge - use green
Wee Memories - Woodland Friends

Counting Blessings: Isaiah 40:8

My goodness this was a busy week, I can't believe that this is the only card I made! At least I have the card for another challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.

This week it is wonderful Chris who challenges with this verse from Isaiah 40:8.

6. A voice says, "Cry out!" I answer, "What shall I cry out?" "All mankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. 7. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it. [so then, the people is the grass]  8. Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever." New American Bible Saint Joseph Edition

I really had to type out a couple of verses before verse 8 because that completed it for me. In my Bible the phrase [so then, the people is the grass] kind of struck me. I opened up my blog post with what a busy week I had, and I have a busy weekend too. Friday night I really felt physically wilted. My brother is here visiting and I have no energy left. Yet, last night my brother and I had the most wonderful conversation. My husband was at choir practice and so just the 2 of us had an opportunity to share. I really needed that time. Today I feel much more like a flower.

The challenge this week is to create a card or project that has a stamped flower on it. Flowers on DP will not do - must be stamped.

Our sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps with a $15 gift certificate.

Be sure to stop by my SSIC design sisters to see what they have to share this week:

Chris Olsen: Twinkles Glow With Stamps

Grace Nywening: Th-INK-ing of You

Linda Lucas: Lovely Linda's Craft Central

Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Peggysue Turner: Roses By My Window

Rebekka Reed: Diamond in the Rough
Kristine Breach: Ink Something
MariLynn DeGroot - Mississippi McGyver
Sabrina Jackson - SJ Butterfly Dreams
Randi Barret: A New Creation (On break)

So glad you stopped by today. Have a wonderful week filled with blessings.
 

Recipe:

Stamps: ODBD - Don't Worry

Paper: GinaK Pure Luxury White
Designer Paper: Websters Pages

Other: Nestibilities, lace, ribbon, pearls

Challenges:
Our Daily Bread Designs - Yellow and Ivory
Stampin for the Weekend -  Springtime
Simply Create - Power of Flowers
Totally PaperCrafts - Pearls and Lace
If the Shoe Fits - Photo Inspiration
Gingerloft Challenge - Flowers