Maximizing Joy

We all have seasons of life, don't we? Honestly...this has been a very difficult season for our family, and for myself personally. I would like to be able to claim that I have just glided through the hard times with great triumph and no hindering worries or thoughts of, what if, or why now? But I am finding at every turn of unknown...there is always a promise of the one who Knows All Things! I am thankful that I don't have to know what's around the bend. He's already there.
This verse has been reverberating through my head. I love how the Lord brings scripture to mind when we need it most. I wanted to maximize the scripture on this card by minimizing the decor elements...just a bit of shimmer in the card stock.

I wanted to try out a new product given to me by my dear friend, Peggysue. It is Nuvo Tonic Gilding Flakes. She had warned me that these flakes were very prone to "blowing in the wind..." but what I didn't realize is how they stick to every thing...including my fingers.
I used the Papertrey Ink's Psalms scripture and gilded the vines on each side. The scripture itself was embossed with gold powder. The gilding flakes was a mixture of gold and copper. It gives a very pretty raised effect with more texture than regular embossing. A Swiffer sheet works well to burnish the metallic into the card stock and also cleaning up.
I used Shimmer paper in copper and black for this card also.
I am still learning...and God is always teaching me...the best way to move beyond our troubles or heartache is to keep our focus on what God has already accomplished...the gifts He has given us...and the faithfulness He has shown. He truly has done Great things for us!!

Mighty Oak~Turning Leaves

Hi friends! I am kind of smitten with the PTI set, "Mighty Oak." It is one of the few sets I purchased the accompanying dies as you have all these individual leaves that pop out and you can stamp them in any color you choose, and there are a variety of stamps to add some cool pattern.

For this, I used the PTI website for inspiration and used a wood grain cover plate background to give it some subtle texture. Then went to town stamping leaves and added the sentiment on the bottom and some rustic twine to finish it off. 

The dies were cut twice, once with a brown polka dot (used for the tree's trunk,) and then again with the embossed white paper.  This card has so much fun texture and color...it doesn't need much embellishing! 

Thanks for your visit...I am about to get ready for our neighborhood picnic. I just found out that we are supposed to bring a dessert. Hmmmm...good thing I have our favorite oatmeal cookie dough all rolled into little dough balls in the freezer ready for baking. But too bad I have to share! 

Birthday card for Caitlyn

This month's Power and Spark Challenge is a fun one from Julie Koerber, Pick-a-Sketch! As you can see in the graphic above, there are three to choose from. I decided on the oval with the side panel. I wanted to make our daughter a birthday card for her big 3-0 and we won't say how old that makes me!! Why is it, as I am aging now...I feel younger, yet when I was that age, I felt older? The older I get, the younger my mind seems to be...it is very strange. I feel more like dancing, daring, artful, happy, and yet...I also sit in my recliner a lot in the evenings.

Anyway, that was just a side tangent...we will see her when she returns from Cuba on a 4 day birthday trip adventure her and her younger sister are taking this week. I don't have much to wrap or do since we will be eating out...maybe I'll bring a boquet of these flowers to go with her card...that would be fun!

The stamp I used is a retired Flourishes illustrated by Marcella Hawley (now Power Poppy.) I think she has one like this in her store though. I water colored these with bright vivid colors using zig markers. The oval was almost too big, but I didn't want to cut off a single bloom. I layered a blue tonal polkadot paper and stamped a smaller version in versamark on the soft blue on the other side panel. The bow and button and twine were added, along with a sweet tag and flower jewel. The Gerber daisies were all crowned with Wink of Stella pen clear glitter and it looks so much prettier in person.

 I also used my white signo gel pen to add accents to the flower centers and petals.  I hope this is one she enjoys!

The tag sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Make It Market Mini Kit "Bloom and Grow."

Thanks so much for popping in...your kind comments and wishing you a happy day full of spring flowers and sunshine! Or rain...we are having that here and it is so needed...and it is making me happy because our flowers need some rain to grow!

Sing to the Lord!

I have been anticipating Spring since last winter...more this year than any other. It doesn't take much convincing in the middle of winter, amidst a lot of dreariness, the angst of our sweet dog, Beulah, having to undergo major surgery, the loss of my husband's dear Dad and the family monarch, and scary news headlines and political madness...
I needed Spring and the promise of new life, color, beauty, and reminder that God is on his throne and always making all things new again!
We planted spring bulbs for the first time since living in our home...and a few are beginning to make an appearance which I will share very soon since right now we are experiencing much needed rain. (And it is a little wet to be out taking photographs!)
I ordered this stamp from Papertrey Ink's February release and decided to pair it up with this SU! DSP (retired.)

So I made a set of note cards...pretty quick and simple! I colored in the font lines with several copics, added the musical notes, and some pretty yellow sequins for added interest.
I can't think of a better scripture to herald Spring and all the promise scripture gives us!!
I will be back tomorrow for our second Mustard Seed Faith Challenge so hope to have you visit soon!

PTI~Looking Back at 2009!

Giga Guidelines came out in 2009...and I have always been too intimidated to actually stamp with it! After seeing Laurie Schmidlin's card...I studied it and several other samples...then actually inked them up! Yes, I made 2 cards...one is a CASE of Laurie's (except for that diamond embossing!,) and the other is my own creation using "New Every Morning" as the focal sentiment.
I stamped on itty bitty vellum dot paper and then colored the lettering in with copic markers.
Not the best card photograph...it was hard to capture the softness of this.

                                          Stamps: Giga Guidelines, New Every Morning
                                          Ink: Memento Black, Autumn Rose, Linen, SU Soft Sky
                                          Paper: SU Soft Sky, PTI Vellum , PTI Linen Ribbon,'
                                          Websters Sparklets, copic markers
Laurie's card was so classic in Black, White, and Gold....I tried navy, white, and silver embossing. I actually liked how it turned out...but do wish I could figure out the scoring she used!

This should make a great masculine birthday card, don't you think? Thanks for stopping in! Blessings on your day!

Songbirds

Hi there! Just another quick post today with a sweet songbird stamped out for a friend's birthday! This card was found on the Papertrey Ink's capture blog by one of their designers...I changed a few things but the overall design was inspired by them.
I was so happy to make this in one of my very favorite color combinations...red on white! A very dear friend from way back in 7th grade is having a birthday at the end of this month. She called me out of the blue about a week ago and when I asked her how she was...she told me that she was fine...now. Then  she went on to explain she had suffered a brain bleed back in February and had been in Intensive care for two weeks before she was able to go home. Her Mom stayed with her and took care of her for a couple of weeks after that. Her lightheartedness accompanied by the heavy news left me at a loss for words...it is always hard to know what to do or say after a crisis has occurred, and been recovered from. I just said I was so happy she was fine now and that she was here and I valued her friendship. I won't forget her birthday this year...she loves the color red, so this was made especially for her! The little Happy Birthday to you stanza is actually meant to be a banner...but after not having much success cutting them out evenly; I opted to use it as a background stamp and love the way it turned out. A little prima flower perched on some natural twine completes the songbird ensemble.

         

No hail allowed!

I am a little late in my gardening this year...as in I have nothing at all planted in any planters. First we were gone on Mother's Day weekend which would be my typical day to plant...then it became unseasonably cool...and then the past two weekends we have had huge hail and rainstorms...so about now I am debating whether I should or not. Our daughter planted an entire garden in her very first home...and said the hailstorm this weekend ruined it. So sad...but she may replant some areas.
One of the things I love about stamping cards is you can have instant flowers...no hail damage allowed! I love this pretty bouquet of cascading floral in this sweet bicycle wicker basket. My card today was Pinterest inspired. I made this for a friend who is getting on in years and I think this is a fun birthday sentiment for that occasion. Wishing you hail-free and stress-free gardening! Thanks so much for your visit.

Pedal Pusher

Hi blogging friends! Happy June! I can't believe we are already nearing summer,can you? Way back in February, my youngest daughter, Erin, took us to a breeder she was considering for her first puppy. This was a "sample" of a sweet little cuddly fellow (that was about to go home with another owner.) I took a few pictures because I wanted to celebrate the moment...even though the actual puppy is still a few months from coming home with her. The Bernese Mountain is the breed she has chosen...they are supposed to be very mellow, sweet dogs...but big! And she lives in a two bedroom town home right in the heart of downtown Denver. Oh my is all I can say to that!

She is in line for the next male dog of the litter due sometime in September, I believe. I just recently took out my Papertrey Ink stamp, "Pedal Pusher," and found this cute puppy face that is one of the many options to fill the bicycle basket.
As I am a little rusty, the design was taken from Pinterest...but I changed up the colors and layout a bit. I love the way this card took shape...

That face looks a lot like the puppy's face in the photo, don't you think? This card just makes me smile. I added a bit of crochet ribbon over the basket to look like the puppy is swaddled in a blankie along with all sorts of fun embellishments to give this a little dimension.

As always, thanks for stopping in...your comments make me smile!