Monday, January 22, 2018

Power Poppy "Grab a Map!" Challenge

Well, hello there...echo...echo...echo. I know it's been awhile, but I am back in the stamping mode after a bit of a busy Christmas/post Christmas and then my big 60th birthday celebration last weekend. It's been so nice to get back to a quieter pace and as always, it takes me much mind shifting to begin stamping again after such a long while.
But, thankfully, I have so much inspiration from Power Poppy this month to "grab a map!" I can definitely use all the help I can get! The challenge is to use one of the sketches from Page Maps in the month of January.
Now my card looks nothing at all like the cute drawings in this sketch...but if you look closely, you can see I followed the layout pretty closely.

I wanted to use Power Poppy's Azalea's stamp set, so I did. And it went very soft and vintage on me...so fun to color and very relaxing!

The hardest part of making this card was choosing the designer paper...I have quite a bit to sift through. But I was so glad I did, as the  paper contributed to the overall look of the image...and it was fairly easy to color in these tones of soft pinks and creams and gray copic markers.
The sentiment is from a retired Flourishes stamp.
Here is a little close up of the flowers:


I love the sentiment on this, "Where beauty blooms hope flourishes." It reminds me of a book I chose for my very first book club selection "Own Your Life," by Sally Clarkson. In her book, she encourages us as women to create beauty in our homes, through natural elements, flowers, candles, beautiful music, books that elevate our minds to think and thrive on that which is beautiful and brings God's glory into our hearts. I think so many of us in the midst of winter, can become a little low and despondent, especially on days where there is very little sun or natural light. It is then that we need to especially cultivate habits of beauty. I am speaking to myself. I am trying to do this in our home by at least some evenings, lighting candles at dinner and playing classical music while we eat. It is nice, and our dog, Beulah even seems to thrive on the relaxing music.

Thank you so much for dropping in. Your comments brighten my day! Blessings on your day!

3 comments:

  1. Your coloring is beautiful on this, Traci! It's such a soft and lovely card and I like how the subtle pattern in the paper serves as part of the sketch. I like what you're saying about cultivating beauty in the home, too. There is an art to it and it makes all the difference.

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  2. Oh, Traci, it's been a long time for me as well, but thank you for visiting me and leaving a lovely comment! I so love your card and think you've done a masterful job with the sketch! It's so beautifully colored with soft colors, and I love the DP as well. I agree that making our homes warm and loving is so important, and beauty is just one way of reflecting God's beauty. I love the idea of playing classical music while eating dinner. We often have it on during the day, and it's amazing how much more relaxing it is. May God continue to bless and encourage you, precious friend! I trust that I can visit again soon. I see some lovely cards you've made that I've missed! Sending warm Florida hugs and much love! xoxo

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  3. So soft and elegant feeling. I really like the softness this has and the Zinnia's look wonderful. Beautiful.

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