Happy Snowman

I had time to make a few more Christmas cards these past few days. I am posting one of them today. I love this snowman - he looks so happy! 

This snowman is from GinaK called Merry Little Christmas and the sentiment is from Warm and Cozy Christmas. The DP is also from GKD. I love those snowflakes. I have no idea when I got that glittery snowflake - it was in my stash of unknowns - I really love that big plastic container of "stuff". 

I entered this card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday
365 Cards
StampTV

Thanks for stopping by for a visit - I hope you have a glorious day filled with God's Blessings. 

A Child is Born: Matthew 2: 10-11

Welcome to the last challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Life takes twists and turns and occasionally we all need to reassess where we are and where we are going. Stamping Sisters in Christ is closing it's challenge blog after much prayer and discernment.  We never know where the Lord takes us though, so we could reopen at a later date. But, for now, the blog is sending you one more great message and challenge - make a Christmas card. We, on the design team, all chose to keep the focus of the Christmas card on Jesus.

Kris is the challenge hostess and the verse she chose is Matthew 2: 10-11.  

Matthew 2:10-11 - "They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And... presented gifts to Him."

I believe that this verse speaks for itself - a wonderful reminder as we enter into the Christmas season that the focus should remain on Jesus at all times. 

I used the wonderful colorized digital images from Daydream Design set called Little Bits of Christmas. 

Our sponsor this week is Doodle Pantry with 3 digis of you choice.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

I personally want to thank Kris for the the work she put into this amazing blog. She, and the rest of the design sisters are the best! We truly are like sisters and vow to stay in touch. Peace to you all and I will still be hopping around - making cards - and entering challenges. Good things are ahead with God at the helm! 




Recipe: 

Stamps: Daydream Design - Little Bits of Christmas

Designer Paper: none

Other: Spellbinder dies, some yarn and Cuttlebug folders

Challenges: 
Crimbo Crackers
House That Stamps Built

Daydream Designs November Blog Hop

We are thrilled to be hosting our second blog hop at Daydream Designs!  Our theme is polka dots...and other than that, anything goes!  So you will see lots of variety and the tremendous talents of our design team!

Our Sponsor:

THREE PRIZES!

 Daydream Designs

ONE $15 Gift Certificate

ONE $10 Gift Certificate

ONE FREE Digi Set (excludes bundles)

To win:  Just leave a comment each Dream Team members blogs listed below.

We will randomly select one winner to receive the grand give away of a $15 gift certificate. 

PLUS we will also give one $10 gift certificate, and one FREE set of choice to a third winner.

And everyone is a winner…FREE DIGIS on Diane’s blog!

Diane

Amy

Beth

Debbie

Helen

Jennipher

Jerusha

Kristie

MariLynn

Michelle

Sandie

Miesje 

Vicki

Happy Hopping!

MY PROJECT: 

There is going to be another grand-baby for me to love in the Spring. We do not know yet if it will be a boy or a girl so I had to make one for each. Yesterday I posted a boys card using Daydream Designs Bitty Baby Boy and today I used Bitty Baby Girl in case it is a girl. I used the paper from the Hope Endures Pink Paper for the polka dot challenge. The sketch is from the sketch challenge at The House that Stamps Built.

Thanks for visiting and for commenting!

Boy oh boy: Psalm 127:3

Happy Sunday! Welcome to another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! No Christmas card this week but come back tomorrow and you will see another one - I still have plenty to make! 

This week Jerusha is the challenge hostess and the verse she chose is Psalm 127:3.  

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him"

Friday night I had 6 granddaughters over to spend the night - they call it the girl cousin sleepovers and we have a great time. It is at some of these wonderful times that it is so easy for me to realize again what a precious gift children are. Their mothers might not think so all of the time but as grandparents we can, maybe because we give them back or maybe because we realize how quickly the years go by and we know to treasure every moment. Whatever the reason - I am blessed with my 8 children and 18 (soon to be 19) grandchildren! They are a reward! Aren't my granddaughters beautiful! 

The challenge this week is to create a card or project for a child. I used the wonderful colorized digital images from Daydream Design. I love the little bear! 

Our sponsor this week is ODBD with a gift card to their wonderful store!

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: Daydream Design - Bitty Baby Boy

Designer Paper: none

Other: Spellbinder dies and a felt poinsettia

Challenges: 
I Spy Sketches: sketch

Grand-daughter Birthday

I have a lot of birthdays coming up so in addition to Christmas Cards I also need to keep up with my birthday cards. In fact today I have 6 granddaughters over to celebrate 2 birthdays! This card is for one of them. The one you see today was made using colored digis from Daydream Designs. 

This particular card was made using Time to Party. I layered the images and popped up the balloon. It is in fun bright colors. 

I entered this in the following challenges:
Forever Friends
Paper Crafting Journey

Thanks for stopping by! 

Christmas Candy Cane

I know that Christmas is right around the corner so when I have a few minutes I try to get ahead on my cards. For this one I am using the wonderful digis from Daydream Designs. 

These are 2 different digi sets one is Deck the Halls and the other is Deck the Halls Boughs and Borders.This was a relatively simple card but I wanted to show how a card using digital images can still pop! I printed the images twice then cut out the poinsettias and popped them up. I added some gold beads and a ribbon. 

I entered this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge
Through The Craft Room Door

Christmas Wreath

Today was finally a day that I spent creating something just for fun. I wanted to try something new and that is precisely what I did with this card.

One of the new techniques was the sunburst technique which was the challenge for ISpySketches. This took a lot more time then I thought it would but I think it was worth it for this unique use of scraps of Christmas Paper. Talk about paper piecing! I also saw this week's challenge on JUGS, which was to make a ribbon Christmas Wreath. It was fun and I think it turned out cute. I used a sentiment from GKD and fulfilled the challenge on WAW. So that was my day today and I made another Christmas card too! 

Christmas Angel: Psalm 147-3

Happy Sunday! Welcome to another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! I am still on a Christmas card roll - making them one at a time with specific people in mind is what I enjoy. No two alike will go out this year.

This week Helen is the challenge hostess and the verse she chose is Psalm 147:3.  

 "He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds"

I just love the image of the angel and this one by Daydream Designs is so pretty. This past week my dearest friend and sister-in-law's mother passed away. She had not been sick long so it was not fully expected. Now both of her parents are gone. He will heal their broken hearts because she fully walks with Him. Tonight we are going to a service where my husbands parents will renew their vows for 69 years of marriage. How lucky they are to still have each other. We know that their time will come too just like my mother went home to our Father a year ago. He does bind our wounds. I know this is rather scattered as are my thoughts. I feel Him so strongly - yet I hurt for my friend Pam. I made her a card and posted it yesterday. I am so thankful that we do not walk this journey alone.

The challenge this week is to create a card or project that uses something "broken and put back together" on your card. I chose to do the cracked glass technique. Here is a tutorial for it.

Our sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps with $15 worth of digitals.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: Daydream Design - Little Bits of Christmas

Designer Paper: Daydream Design

Other: Spellbinder dies and a felt poinsettia

Challenges: 

CSS Inspiration Blog Hop - 11/9/12

It is another StampTV blog hop. This month it is an inspiration blog hop. I love the colors and the layout - sure wish my house looked like this! You should have arrived from the fabulous blog of Linda Payne with what I am sure was a wonderful project!

The first card was really fun! I focused on the colors from the inspiration photo for this card. I got out some pure luxury ivory paper and then with 3 different distress inks swiped the ink pads across it in random directions. I then stamped the vases from Vogue Vases 2 on that paper and used the rest as a back panel. The sentiment is from Hopeful Hearts I was very happy with the result of this card and it was so easy to do. I also entered this card in the Simon Says Stamp challenge. 

This card took me a while - I knew what I wanted but it just didn't come together as easily as the first card. I colored the pumpkins from the Heartfelt stamp set and lightly with Copics to look a little like the inspiration picture and I knew I wanted to use the burlap I also took the circle image and incorporated that into the card. The sentiment is from the Autumn Splendor stamp set. I also used 2 different Cuttlebug folders and a couple of beads.  

I do want to apologize for the quality of the pictures, I love taking my card pictures outside but now it is dark too early so my light box has to do. I do not think the image is as crisp and clear as it is outside. Anyway - it is what it is.
Now hop on over to visit Sharri Seffens, for some more fabulous eye candy. 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.

Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (November 13)  we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunflower Thanksgiving: Colossians 1:3-5

Happy Sunday! Welcome to another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! This week we focus on thankfulness. A wonderful reminder to always be thankful.

This week Diane is the challenge hostess and the verse she chose is Colossians 1 verses 3-5.  

Colossians 1:3-5-- We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel.

I have had a busy week so little time to make the card. I generally shy away from the CAS (Clean and Simple) cards but this week that is what I made. Sometimes the clean and simple turn out really well. I liked the end result and the coloring was wonderfully therapeutic! Sometimes when we are so busy with work and other commitments it is even more important to stop and thank God for the work and the family and church activities that fill our days. Thank You God! 

The challenge this week is to create a card or project depicting thankfulness or prayer. It can be a Thanksgiving card/project, a thank-you note, or an "I'm Praying for You" type card/project.

Our sponsor this week is  Karen Little with a a grab-bag of stamps from.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: GKD - Stately Flowers 5

Designer Paper: none

Other: a button and some floss

Challenges: 

Christmas Holly: Eccl. 3: parts of 1-8

Happy Sunday! Welcome to another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! I hope that this day finds you well and safe and happy and thanking God for all of the Blessings - both large and small!

This week Sweet Sandie is the challenge hostess and the verse she chose is from Eccl. 3: parts of 1-8. These verses are all about time. I encourage you to read or re-read these verses, they apply to all of us on every different levels. 

I thought that when we reached our 60s that we would have more time to do things for us - fun things - relaxing things. I thought that we would not worry about our children as much anymore. I thought we would be carefree after raising our 8 children and seeing them all into adulthood safely. WRONG! That is not what is happening in our life. We seem to be busier then ever and worrying (well, I am the worrier) as much as when we had teenagers. Perhaps the easy and relaxing doesn't come in this life. Or perhaps I need to let go and let God realizing that there is an appointed time for everything under the Heavens. 

I chose to download a calendar image and printed it out. The sentiment and image are from GKD. A simple bow and some bling. I have another Christmas card ready to go! Woo Hoo!

The challenge this week is to: use clocks/watches, calendars, sundials, etc. OR black and white only (to represent night and day).

Our sponsor this week is Inspired Stamps offering a $15 gift card.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: GKD - Blessed is the Season (sentiment) and Merry Little Christmas (image)

Designer Paper: GKD - Merry Little Christmas

Other: ribbon, bling

Challenges: 




 

CSS Sketch Blog Hop - 10/22/12

It is another StampTV blog hop and these are my favorites. I love sketch challenges and this one was a lot of fun.

You should have arrived from the fabulous blog of Melissa Shultz with what I am sure was a wonderful project!

The first card I made I decided to build up my Christmas card collection and the new stamp set from Theresa called Joyful Holiday fit the sketch perfectly. The sentiment is from Seasonal Labels. I did some fussy cutting with this and enjoyed that and the coloring. I even dug out my chalks and chalked the pine branches lightly. I used the GKD PL white and lipstick red.

The second card was very simple but a card I needed to make for my FIL's 90th birthday this upcoming weekend. I think he will like it. The sentiment is from Birthday Greetings. I used GKD PL kraft, white and black. This card also qualifies for the release party challenge "What's the Word". 

Now hop on over to visit Sue VanDeVusse, for some more fabulous eye candy. 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.

Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (October 30), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!

Peaceful Fall: John 16:33

Welcome Sunday has rolled around which means that Stampin' Sisters in Christ  has another challenge based on scripture for you! This week I went with a Fall theme. I love the colors of fall.

This week Peggysue is the challenge hostess and the verse I chose is John 16:33. 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

The challenge this week is to Make a card that to you represents peace or calm; with an image, color scheme, CAS layout or verse, something that speaks peace to you, but peace symbols themselves are excluded. The card has to speak peace through your own style..

For me using these colors is peaceful as is the fence with the sunflowers. Fall is when things slow down a bit, the windows are opened, the smell of fresh air - ah - that is peace to me. 

Our sponsor this week is Daydream Designs.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: Daydream Designs Pumpkin Patch and God's Bountiful Love

Designer Paper: Pumpkin, Black, White

Other: ribbon, Spellbinder Dies, Cuttlebug Folder

Challenges: 




  

Peace: Psalm 52:10

Another Sunday has rolled around which means that Stampin' Sisters in Christ  has another challenge based on scripture for you! Another Christmas card this week, see I am getting a head start.

This week it is my turn to be the challenge hostess for is this week and the verse I chose is Psalm 52:10. 

"But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever."

Trusting in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever is not as easy to do as it is to say and I do say, “I trust in God” with confidence – often! I tell others to trust in God all the time and I mean it too. Or do I? I have to say mostly yes because if I do truly trust in God’s unfailing love then why do I worry so much, especially about my adult children? I worried when they were little I worried when they were teen-agers, a lot, and now that they are all grown and live on their own I still worry about them. Some more than others but worry I do about their relationships and some with money and some with their jobs and the grandchildren, but mostly about their spiritual life.

My husband and I always went and go to church. It has always been a priority in our life. We were both that way before we met and married and are still that way today. Several of them don’t attend church at all, except maybe Easter and Christmas when they are with us. It makes me sad. Then I question where we went wrong – did we force them too much when they were younger? I don’t know. So I worry – how will they handle difficult situations without that relationship with God? I know that there have been many stumbling blocks in our life through the years that God walked us through. I want that for them.

Several months ago I was listening to Spirit FM which is our local Christian radio station when I heard a story about “The God Box”.  I found the story here and realized that I needed that too. I love the line where she says, “…Then, she believed, God would take over”. That was the phrase that hit me. That is trust and that is what I needed. So now I place my prayers, hopes, praise, and worries into my God Box and I am much better about trusting in God’s unfailing love. 

My Hastily Made God Box

The challenge this week is to use a tree in your card or project.

Our sponsor this week is Whimsy Stamps.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: Joyful Holiday

Designer Paper: Navy and White

Other: ribbon

Challenges: 




  

Daydream Designs Declaration of Hope Day

Daydream Designs Declaration of Hope Day

October 9th

Cancer touches most of us in one way or another. It has touched me on several levels. Last year at this time my husband had just had his first chemo and radiation treatment for throat cancer. He is the only one in his family to get cancer so it really took us by surprise. The treatment is brutal, he had radiation 5 days a week and 3 chemo treatments. He had to be hospitalized once. It was not an easy time for him or us. However, we also experienced incredible support and love from our church and coworkers and family. It was life affirming.

At the school where I teach there is a 5th grade girl named Laura, she is undergoing cancer treatment for leukemia for the second time. The first time was when she was in kindergarten. She is one of the sweetest little girls I know. It is hard on her and her family.

A fellow teacher faced breast cancer several years ago, then it came back in her brain. She had had several surgeries and continues to have treatments. She is still teaching, still sharing her battle through walk days for breast cancer. Her fight has affected us all. She is the teacher for the 5th grade student who is battling again. 

These are my heroes. They fight the fight with Hope and Strength and Faith. 

Visit our blogs, for your own inspiration, but we’d love to hear from you too. We invite you to share your own testimony of faith, or take the opportunity to honor loved ones who lost the battle with cancer.  Share whatever is on your heart.  You can tell your story on anyone’s blog, but we hope you’ll let each 

designer know you visited.  Maybe you’d just rather list the names of those you want to honor and remember, whatever the form the cancer /disease took.  Here are the dream team members who are participating.  

Diane

Miesje ( you are here)

Helen

Michelle

Beth

Peggysue

Jerusha

Vicki

Karen

Thank you for joining us, for commenting, and for your support of cancer awareness. 

Christmas Boy: Ephesians 3: 17-119

Another Sunday has rolled around which means that Stampin' Sisters in Christ has another challenge based on scripture for you! This week I decided to get a tiny jump start on Christmas cards. I usually do not like to jump ahead in seasons but there just is not enough time to make them after Thanksgiving.

Sweet Michelle is the challenge hostess for is this week and the verse she chose is Ephesians 3:17-19. Be sure to read her devotion for this week over on SSiC.

"that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge."

I think children know that love of Jesus deep in their hearts. They accept it easier and without over-thinking it like many of us adults. I remember when my children were little we used to through our arms out as wide as we could and say, "I love you THIS much". That is how much we are loved! Thank you Jesus!

The challenge this week is to make a box or use an image that includes a box.

This week our sponsor is Digi garden. Their digis are just adorable.  The card I made uses one of their cute little guy named Chester.

Don't forget to stop by my SSIC design sisters (listed on the sidebar) to see what they have to share this week.

It is always great to see you, thanks for the comments and have a wonderful week surrounded with God's love.

Recipe: 

Stamps: Digigarden - Chester
Paper: SU red

Designer Paper: SU

Other: Spellbinder dies, ribbon

Challenges: 
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Tag your it
Lili's Little Fairies -Christmas card for a boy
Simply Create - Always anything goes
Southern Girls - Spots & stripes


 
  

More Fall

Yes, that's right, another fall card using the wonderful digis from Daydream Designs. 

This was a pretty simple card to make. The image is from "A Bushel and a Peck - Colorized". I printed it out twice and then cut out a few of the leaves to fall over the basket and onto the sentiment from "Pumpkin Patch - Colorized" which I printed on the mustard card stock. The background is simple - just a sponged border on the mustard. I used 2 Spellbinder labels for the sentiment. I think this comes close to a CAS card but .... maybe not. 

I entered this card in the following challenges:

Catered Crop - Fall/Harvest
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo Inspiration 
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes