PDCC #35~ Birthday Card for Gavin

I never thought that Red, Orange, Turquoise and Brown would be so inspiring, but they proved to be a perfect combo for a birthday card for a special little boy (my great-nephew) who will be 2 in August. The creative minds at the Play Date Cafe keep coming up with challenge colors that are truly challenging.

Here's the challenge palette...don't you just love that photo of the weathered chairs? So of course when I saw this picture I immediately thought...birthday card and dogs! Go figure.

I used a fun mix of stamps and papers and really did "play" with the ideas until I finally ended up with this!
The papers are from Sassafras- Nerdy Bird and Apple Jack 6x6 pads. The zigzag stitching is a great stamp from the Stitchery clear set by Sassafras. The lettering is "Harold's ABCs" by Lawn Fawn. I just love the stack of dogs, it's a stamp called "Circus Act" by Penny Black (it's an old one from 2001). And I can't make a card without using Hero Arts stamps; the balloons are from the clear set "Birthday Messages" and I snuck in my new favorite DesignBlock stamp-"Designer Woodgrain" on the little sign. The brown ink is Memories ArtPrint Brown, the balloons are stamped with Hero Hues Chalk ink in Poppy and Punch. The dogs are colored with Copics. A little bit of bling from the Metallic Decor by Hero is the finishing touch.

Thought for the Day: Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 ~ "God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil- this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him."
Blessings,
nancy

June Card Chain Challenge

I'm putting my disclaimer out there now....I have no idea what came over me, but when Deborah listed the themes for this month's Card Chain Challenge and she added Farm in honor of National Dairy Month, well......I went whole hog, or I should say whole cow.

I sent this to Jan in Modesto, California. In my defense Modesto is in a farming area of the state. I searched through my stash and found some amazing papers that I had forgotten I had. Then I searched through my stamps and found the itty bitty cow stamp and the fun belated birthday sentiment. It all fit together just too well, so you see I had to do it. Then to make matters worse I made another card to send along with it with my own message to Jan....

....I just couldn't let the dairy farm thing go! The good news is that I think I'm over the Farm theme for now.
The papers I used are Garden Variety by Cosmo Cricket, and collage papers from the Heartland pack by DMD (these are really old). The little cow stamp is from an unknown, just can't remember company and the birthday sentiment is from a seriously old Stampin' Up set. The sentiment on the greeting card and the little butterfly stamp are Hero Arts.
And the best thing about the Card Chain Challenge is that you get a card from somewhere in the world....mine came winging it's way from Germany and Monika Reeck.

She included 2 paper pierced butterflies for me to use and this fun beach themed card. Thanks so much Monika and thank you to Deborah Nolan for continuing to organize this event.

Thought for the Day: Romans 5:11 "So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."
Blessings,
nancy

Tag Tuesday-Postage

Tag Tuesday is my favorite weekly challenge because I just let my creativity take me where ever it wants. Louise always has a perfect challenge theme; this week it's Postage. Luckily I have been saving interesting postage stamps. My favorites are from Ukraine, arriving on letters from my friends Doug and Marina Landro. They are missionaries with International Teams. As I like to make tags that have a purpose, this one will serve to remind me to continue to pray for their family and ministry.

I was inspired by Nancy Taylor on the Hero Arts blog this week to use the mini clothes pin to affix the prayer reminder to the tag.

Here are a couple things using my new Hero Arts stamps........

This one uses the Little Butterfly Frame cling stamp along the Graph Background and the sun and sentiment from the clear set Kiss from the Sun.

I call this one "A Colorful Village", it uses the Hero Arts Design Block stamp: A Village. I stamped it with Hero Hues Chalk ink in Latte, then color it with Prismacolor Watercolor pencils. I'm working on some other designs with this stamp as I'm not too pleased with this initial effort.

On a final note, it's that time again for me.......

Every year without fail I get a Jury Summons. And the crazy thing is I always wind up on a jury....I guess I just have one of those faces. I'm not scheduled until August so I'll keep you posted.

Thought for the Day: I John 5:20-21 "And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts."

blessings,

nancy

Happy Father's Day!

There are way too many emotions I'm feeling today. I'm celebrating my wonderful hubby who is an excellent father to our 2 sons....and celebrating his dad who raised his son to be an incredible man. I'm remembering and missing my dad, enjoying sweet memories of happy times with him.
I made a photo card for Al for Father's Day, he loved the card and enjoyed reading the lengthy missive I wrote on the inside. Of course today is also my birthday, so wonderful guy that he is, he made a fantastic breakfast and gave me a beautiful card, lovingly chosen at the neighborhood CVS.

 I created the card completely in Publisher using scanned papers and free fonts I found recently.

For my birthday I amassed quite a collection of loot. I spent a day filling in for Linda at Stamp Fever recently and was compensated with Hero Arts Stamps. Here's my new stamps....

I'll be digging to these this week, I have some class samples to make so I will be looking to you all for your creative inspiration. I ordered some stamps and paper from Addicted to Rubberstamps and that order came in this week too...

....including a Penny Black sheet music background stamp, a Unity stamp set Tiny Trinity and a collection of Sassafras 6x6 paper packs in Nerdy Bird, Apple Jack and Cherry Delicious that came with the Stitchery clear stamp set. I also ordered from Unity the Melody Ross Brave Girl stamp set.  It's quite obvious I'm going to be a busy stamper for the foreseeable future.
Thought for the Day: In honor of the wonderful men in my life who exemplify God's standard for fathers.... Ephesians 6:1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother-which is the first commandment with a promise-that it may go well with you and that you my enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

blessings to all the dads out there and to all who are celebrating their dads today!
nancy
PS-Congrats to the Kiwis of New Zealand...excellent World Cup match today!

A soccer mom plays at the Play Date Cafe!

I'm playing at the Play Date Cafe then it's back to watching World Cup soccer. Yep, I'm a soccer fan!
Here's my entry for challenge #34....Black, white and a splash of blue!

Stamps- All Hero Arts:Clear set Antique Engravings, Flowing Flowers and Leaves Cling, Friend Definition Cling.
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Black Soot.
Copic markers- B0000, B21, B24, B26
Other supplies- Flexi-Lace hem tape white, used to make the flowers and the border. Zva black crystals. Perfect Pearls and water in Mini Mister misted on butterfly and hummingbird.
So yes I have been a soccer mom for almost 20 years. There are very few of us this old in captivity but due to the fact that Andy still plays on a few teams at the age of 27 I still qualify. And more than just being the mom on the sidelines bringing oranges for halftime I was involved in many areas. I earned a soccer coaching license and coached a few of the teams at the school. I coordinated the referees for the local league, trained the linesmen and even filled in as a linesmen on occasion. (And yes, I understand the offside law). As a family we would set up the fields before the games. Andy and Ben both played on club teams (travel teams) so for about 10 years I don't remember being home on the weekends. Both boys played on their high school team and Andy continued playing for the local JC. 

 One of Andy's first teams.

Some pictures of my boys through their soccer playing days.....

During those years we traveled all over California for tournaments and league games. Our travel extended into Nevada and Arizona and even Hawaii for tournaments. It was great family fun and I have to say that soccer played a huge part in helping us get our boys through the teen years unscathed. They were literally too tired to get into any trouble. Sometimes the rewards were tangible...

Andy and his team mate Drew at the airport in Maui bringing home the Hawaii Cup 1999 trophy.

But the best reward was the time spent developing friendships that remain, and making wonderful memories with our boys. Thanks for walking with me down my soccer memory lane.

Thought for the Day: Rev 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

 blessings to you,
nancy

Finally a Father's Day Card

Nothing like waiting for the last minute to make a Father's Day card for my FIL. I guess I needed some special inspiration and it arrived just in time from Lucy! When I saw THIS card an idea was formed and I was off to create. I originally thought I would use this for the Play Date Cafe Challenge but the blue background digi paper I used is a bit more than a "splash" of color. I'm working on another card for that challenge.
First let me share some background about my wonderful father in law. He is so talented in so many ways, he has always been self employed until his very recent retirement. His business was restoring classic car interiors. He is a magician with a sewing machine and a bolt of leather. There were always fancy (read-expensive) cars in his shop. The first time Al brought me to see his dad's shop when we were dating he was working on a very fancy car. In fact the first words my FIL ever said to me were, "Don't touch the Rolls!". Yep, it was a 1930s Rolls Royce that he was lovingly restoring to it's former grandeur.
When he moved his shop to his newly expanded home garage about 20 years ago, he worked on a car for Jay Leno. My mother in law told me Jay drove up to their house one day while she was bringing in groceries and he grabbed a couple bags to bring in the house for her....just like a regular guy!
At that time I was teaching PE classes at an elementary school and was in need of some new bean bags. My FIL made a whole bunch of them using the leather left over from the Jay Leno car.
So anyway, now you know why Lucy's card was the perfect inspiration with it's vintage car design.

 I found the car image in clip art and formatted it in gray-scale. The background paper is from the Boho Chic digikit by Brandy Buffington for Chubby Bird Designs-it was a free kit on Two Peas. The gray diamonds are from a Hero Arts Digikit-Diamond Pattern. I assembled the design in Microsoft Office Publisher in one layer then I printed the car a second time to cut out and use dimensional adhesive to pop it up. Some black floss and a black button finish it off.

Thought for the Day: I John 4:7-8 "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love". So many people believe that love is a feeling, but love is a choice and love requires selfless action. God is love, He is also holy, just and perfect. If we truly know God we will love as He does.
blessings to you,
nancy

Tag Tuesday - Little Man

The wonderfully talented Louise at Kard Krazy has done it again! She's given us a terrific Tag Tuesday challenge theme this week, perfect for the week before Father's Day. It's all about MEN! I've had this charming vintage photo for a few years now, just waiting for the perfect occasion to do something with it. It is from 1930 and the subject is my uncle Donald. He lived just a short life, about 2 and a half years. This was back in the days when contracting a simple virus could be a death sentence. Since I'm thinking about my dad and missing him this Father's Day, I thought a little tribute to his baby brother was in order.

I used a couple little pieces of ephemera from a wonderful pack of papers I found at the Etsy store, Time to Remember, of none other than our Tag Tuesday Hostess, Louise!
Thought for the Day: I know I shared this verse recently but it was in my morning reading today and I think it's good to remember often.
Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Thanks to all who prayed for Ben on Saturday. He made it to Temecula and back home again Sunday night without incident. (Save for the fact that he has his dad's knack for getting lost, a quick phone call home and he was going in the right direction again).
Blessings,
nancy

Happy Saturday!

I'm off to Kelly's class at Stamp Fever today but I have a couple cards to share first. I will post some photos tomorrow of all the class fun and festivities!
I was in a kraft mood so I just went with it. This first card uses my own version of color layering...

I used Hero Arts clear set Real Flowers and Memento dye inks. The background is Write Your Own a cling stamp by Hero Arts. The flower is made using Papertrey Ink dies and K&Company paper. The sentiment is from the clear set Everyday Sayings again from Hero Arts.

I made the next card for Lucy's current challenge to use white, light blue and light kraft.

I tried a technique I found at the CLASSroom for the cut-out and embossed scallop. Stamps from Hero Arts are the Dogwood and Antique Engravings clear set. I also used Hero Hues layering paper in Powder, an old piece of kraft cs (from the early 90s) and an equally vintage sheet of vellum. (I have a serious craft product hoarding problem). The hummingbird is colored with Copics.

The last card is for the Inchie Inklings sketch #7.

The sentiment is Hero Arts Truly Appreciated clear set. The patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket DeLovely and I used some Hero Hues layering paper in Punch. The edge punch is Swirl from EK Success.
I like to share the products I used because I love it when other bloggers do the same. I know it is horribly enabling to our common addiction but that just can't be helped. {wink}
Thought for the Day: Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Bless you,
nancy
a little ps: Ben finally got his Driver's License and just embarked on a road trip to Temecula for the weekend. I can honestly say I'm more concerned for his safety now (driving California freeways) than I was when he was in Iraq....prayers appreciated!

Playing at the Play Date Cafe!

I missed a few weeks of the challenges at Play Date Cafe but the color this week really inspired me. I used Cosmo Cricket 6x6 paper from the DeLovely collection with the perfect color combo.

And here is what is made.....

I had a lazy day at the beach in my mind, a chance to relax, reflect and recharge. We are having some really chilly June gloom here today so I can only imagine this scenario. Besides the patterned paper, I used a 1995 stamp from Annette Allen Watkins called Beach Chair. The sentiment is from Hero Arts clear set Treasure the Moments. I used Hero Arts Shadow ink in Soft Pool and Memento ink in Rose Bud. I actually made a little flower embellie to go on this but thought it was better left out.
Thought for the Day: James 3:17 " The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."
blessings,
nancy

Playing with Punches and Lawn Fawn Stamps

I saw this tutorial at The CLASSroom and I tried it using Basic Grey Kioshi papers. The stamps are Lawn Fawn's Sew Lovely set. I thought this would be perfect for Jenny's current challenge over at Wee Memories.

On Saturday I'm going to be taking a class at Stamp Fever and I'm so excited because it will be taught by, none other than, Ms Lawn Fawn herself, Kelly Marie Alvarez!! I can't wait.
I'll be back tomorrow with another Thought for the Day (apparently I only have 1 thought per day) since this is my second post today.
blessings.....

Tag Tuesday #55 My Favorite Things

I've missed making a tag for 2 weeks now so I made it a point to get one done early this week. It was a very intriguing  theme this week too! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else does.

I'm not so sure I have favorite design elements or a signature style so I went with my favorite things in life and hoped that as I worked through the design of the tag something would emerge to say this is my style.
The text is a scan of page from an 1890s German Bible that belonged to my DH's grandfather.
I love vintage Bibles with notes in the margin and dog-eared pages.
I love- the beach, dogs, dance, polka dots, new stamp and craft techniques, playing Scrabble and card games with friends till the wee hours of the morning on vacation.
Apparently I like pink, since it has made a pretty bold appearance on the tag.
Manuscript background is my favorite go-to stamp.
Starburst Lace is my favorite new stamp.
And of course Psalm 16:11 is my favorite Bible verse.
Thought for the Day:  "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasure forevermore!" Meaning and purpose in life are found in the presence of God, there we find joy and guidance and hope for the future!
Bless you,
nancy

Getting in the Summer Swing

I finally some motivation and a slight reprieve from the heinous back spasms so I got my mojo going and made some cards!
This first one I made for my wonderful Mom-in-law. It was her birthday yesterday and the whole the family got together to celebrate. I used the fun watercolor with Distress ink background demonstrated by Joy HERE

I colored the Bird in a Circle stamp with Copics and layered with some dreamy paper I've had in my stash for way too long. The Starburst Lace stamp is used for the watercolor background on the card base.

This next card I made for the Hero Arts June Challenge Theme of Summer or July 4th. I've had this idea in my head for awhile to scan the stamped Row of Houses to resize them and alter them digitally to make a flag.

I used the Hero Arts Polky Dots DigiKit to put the white dots on the navy row of houses. Then I sized the houses smaller and changed the color to red and copied and pasted them to look like the stripes on the flag. The sentiment is computer generated. I have found that when I scan a stamped image the edges and lines are pretty pixel-y so I open it in Paint to clean up the edges. (So totally old-school, but it works really well).
Unfortunately I live in a neighborhood on a busy street so a block party is not possible but I thought the sentiment was perfect for the image. Feel free to use the idea if you are planning a block party; just send me a link so I can marvel at your handiwork!

So here's my last card, just a simple little quick card I sent to a friend.

I used the Basic Grey Kioshi papers with a computer generated sentiment. The clear bird stamp is a favorite but I have no idea who makes it as I lost the packaging long ago.

I was surfing around some blogs recently and noticed that someone was using the image I created for my Flickr link. That was a fun surprise. If you would like to use it too, just right-click on the image and save it to your computer then for blogger; customize, add a gadget- choose picture and link it to your photostream. If you use it let me know.

Thought for the Day: From Zephaniah 3:17 "For the Lord Your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs!" From the New Living Translation.
Have a wonderful week,
blessings in abundance,
nancy

Taking a tiny break....

Hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend. Apparently I enjoyed mine a bit too much; I wrenched my back searching for the perfect stamp while holding my little chihuahua. Doesn't take much it seems. Little Tia had a rough weekend too, she got stung by a wasp poor little thing. She was in a lot of pain, hence the constant cuddle from me.

Here she is posing with her big Golden buddy, Digby. Thankfully, she's doing fine now, which is more than I can say for me. I did manage to make a couple cards this weekend before the mishap. I  had some fun with Distress ink backgrounds.

Thought for the Day: I'm remembering Romans 8:28, even being in pain can be used for my good and His glory!
bless you; I hope to be back soon,
nancy