Better late than never-Caardvarks Sketch #7

I've been inspired by the wonderful work on the Caardvarks site for awhile and since it looked like everyone was having so much fun with the Caardvarks Sketchfest I thought I would attempt to play along too! I've been playing with Perfect Pearls lately so I included a panel with PP and the Hero Arts Antique Brocade Cling Stamp. The panel behind it is my handwriting with white gel pen on MM Just Chillin' paper. The background paper is from the K&Company Que Sera collection.



and a close-up



Thought for the day: From Psalm 85:8 ~ "I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people."
I am always in need of more peace in my heart and my life: God is the Source!

I know it's Friday but I finally made a tag for Tuesday

I have wanted to join in on some of the challenges I've seen Jacqueline do, she always impresses me with her wonderful heartfelt art. So even though it's Friday already I'm going add my tag to the Tag Tuesday site. The theme was children and I had this scrap photo left over from another project (the one in my blog banner) and thought it would work just fine. It's a photo of 2 of my dad's boyhood friends taken in 1934. My dad and his brother were in the side of the photo which can be seen in the banner above, my dad is the one on the end and his brother is next to him.


In the photo the boys were practicing their Boy Scout salute and it just reminds me of a simpler time and the loyalty of children.

Thought for the day~There is never a bad time to seek wisdom
James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you!

Counting our Blessings

In the fall of 2005 when Ben was in Marine Recruit Training (Boot Camp) and I was rehabbing after my spine surgery, I created a little Thanksgiving card using clipart and photos. I used the Microsoft programs Publisher and Paint to create little caricatures of my family. Each year since I have updated and tweaked the design to use again.


This is my original effort of the blessings card as I call it.


This is how it evolved for 2008 when we added 2 new dogs and our sweet DIL.


I decided to do something different this year for the Hero Arts challenge this week to use a photo in a stamped card. As each face and dog is a different photo I think this will qualify.

I used 4 Hero Arts stamps on this card and paper from K&Company. This time I changed the women's hats and removed the corn stalks before printing and cutting out the design.

Here's a closeup of the caricatures

Hero Arts Stamps used:
Clouds
Old Letter Writing
Dots and Flowers Design Block
Clear Design Scallop Borders

K&Company Paper:
Citronella
Wild Saffron

Thought for the Day:
Psalm 84:10~ A day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Isaiah 30:18~ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Have a blessed day and please leave a comment so I know you were here.
Nancy

Home

I am such a homebody. I like going on vacation but I love coming home!

We had a wonderful four days in Cayucos and Morro Bay. I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast part of the bed & breakfast. Melissa and Heather are 2 wonderful young women who can really cook. We were treated to homemade raspberry danish on our last morning there and I'm still thinking about it. If you are ever traveling through the Central Coast of California you will want to check out On the Beach Bed and Breakfast. 
Al and I realized what a gift it was to spend this time with Ben before he heads off on his own adventures in life.

A family photo on the Cayucos Pier


Ben and Al eating breakfast in the cozy lobby


Those delicious danish and the wonderful Heather!

Now I'm off to play with stamps and ink and paper, Oh boy!!

Thought for the day: 2 Timothy 2:19 (my paraphrase) ~ God knows me, walk accordingly!

Off to lovely Cayucos

One more day of work, it's already stressful, then it's off for four days in Cayucos. I'm looking forward to doing nothing but sitting on the beach and reading a book. We will be staying at a nice little B&B called On the Beach, pictured below

Here's a link to the website On the Beach.

I also took some time to play along in the current Hero Arts Challenge "Fall Colors".  Just a really quick birthday card to replenish my supply.


Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Tuesday with vacation photos! Just me and Al and Ben sitting on a beach, I'm sure you'll be thrilled, lol!

Thought for the day: 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Letting go of stress and worry is hard, but necessary. Let Jesus take care of your worries and fears, He does a much better job of handling them. And it will leave you free to appreciate the lovely Fall weather and the beauty that surrounds you everyday.

Nancy

"Fun" in the garden on Labor Day Weekend

Golden Glow Rose. This is one of my newest additions.

I'm sorry I missed posting yesterday, but I was working in the yard all day. Our old sprinkler system needed to be replaced to update it for the new garden design. My dear friends Sue and Ernie were here all weekend, truth be told they are in the backyard even now as Ernie is finishing the sprinkler hook up. Praise God for good friends.

Sue planting a pot with help from Digby


Ernie taking a break with Tia

Saturday we got a start on the digging and bought all the sprinkler parts, Sunday was the heavy digging day with all hands on deck. At one point it was suggested we rent a ditch witch trencher, to which my hubby replied, "I'll go wake up my Ditch Witch". One more reason why I'm happy to have Ben home. He finished the work in half the time it would have taken us old folks. That was how Ben celebrated his E A S day. (End of active service in the Marine Corps) Today and for the next four years, he is inactive reserve status.
When Sue and I started working on my yard this past May it was a large weed infested dusty landscape. It's starting to take shape with the first phase almost complete. I will occasionally post about the progress that is being made to transform my yard.


This is my proof that I can do manual labor. Five years ago this would not have been possible due to multiple herniated disks. Surgery four years ago gave me a new lease on life! I am very grateful.



Ben to the rescue! He finished the digging in no time. Must be all that Marine Corps training. He was not pleased that I took this picture.


Digby offers some advice on digging.


Tia offers some encouragement and gets a little scratch.


Cherry Parfait Rose

Thought for the day: Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble and keep on praying; Romans 12:12.
Good advice no matter what the situation.

Blessings to All!

Hero Arts Challenge

My son did some research on our family name a while back and found out that our family crest has 3 Beer Steins as the main symbol. Then we found  Krueger's Beer, an old brewery that was the first to use aluminum cans. It's all very interesting for a family that doesn't really drink alot of beer.
So I thought I would combine the family connection to beer with the man week challenge on the Hero Arts blog, and make a birthday card for my father in law.

I used paper from K&Company Citronella and Hero Arts stamps Birthday Messages and Design Block Birthday.
Now I'm going back to playing with Perfect Pearls to get ready for my next class at Stamp Fever on October 9th.

Thought for the day: "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10
 Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to just be still, just trust, just be confident in God's promises. Have confidence in God, He is our Hope and He will never Change.

Have a blessed day!

Playing with Perfect Pearls

I am playing with Perfect Pearls and designing some cards for my next class at Stamp Fever. I hope to have 2 more cards in addition to the one above ready to teach on October 9. The butterfly card came about as a happy accident, just experimenting with mixing the Perfect Pearls and water. I based the design on a sketch from Hero Arts during the sketch challenge week. Thanks go to Jennifer McGuire for her thinking inking class I was inspired to experiment because of her great videos.

Thought for the day: From Psalm 16:11~ You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
Find your Hope for the future in the Lord and your Joy today in His presence

Thanks for stopping by

Golden Opportunity

My Gold page for the Truest Colors Circle Journal Project, 2005 I used a vintage photo, circa 1910, of my grandmother and her sisters.

A few years back I participated in a Circle Journal with a group from the now defunct Sweet Water Sisters site. It was based on the Stampington and Company book True Colors.

The journal itself was sent to each of the participants and after beginning in Hawaii, I was second on the list. Each artist had chosen a color or combination of colors to use to add a page to the journal, which was a really cool 1940s album for storing 78 records. In addition to the journal each artist was to include a set of ATCs (artist trading cards) one for each of the color combinations used in the journal.
I had a wonderful time designing and completing my page and set of ATCs. Thankfully I photographed and scanned the artwork before sending it off. The project was to take almost a year for everyone from across the country to add their work to the journal. Somewhere near the end the journal disappeared. There were frantic emails exchanged to see who had seen it last but it never turned up. I never got to see the later additions to this collaboration and I felt very deflated. I had sent my ATCs separately to the coordinator but nothing was followed through.

A sampling of my ATCs~ I used a different technique for each one, dictated by the color. I enjoyed the challenge of creating something totally different with each one.


I share this story because for some reason I am still feeling somewhat deflated by the failure of the project and it has been part of the reason I find it hard to jump into new projects lately. I'm hoping this will settle it once and for all.


More ATCs

Thought for the day: our own attempts at perfection are over rated. They only lead to stifled creativity and feelings of failure. Strive instead to allow God to do His work, to bring about His perfection in you.

Life is good, God is faithful!

Still Moving In Here at the New Blog

I added the banner and edited the title today. Still sprucing up the new digs. The photo in the header is a card I made for my dad for Father's Day this year. He is pictured on the far left when he was about 9 or 10 years old. Vintage and distressed styles catch my eye, I'm so drawn to the subtle washed out colors and the feeling of a simpler time in history.

Here is the card as I posted it on Flickr:


The thought for today~ The fruit of the Spirit is.....kindness!
Enjoy today, it's a gift from God!