October CCC

Hi all....I just realized it's been over a week since my last post! Bad blogger. Now that I've scolded myself for being neglectful in my blogging, let's get on with the task at hand.

I've been saving a post for the October installment of Deborah's immensely popular global card exchange; the Card Chain Challenge (click HERE to join the challenge for November, there's still time). I've been delaying it because I hadn't heard from my recipient that my card had arrived. I just heard from her and she hasn't received my card as yet due to a spate of natural disasters to hit her country of Indonesia.

Now usually when I hear of disasters and turmoil in other parts of the world I'll stop and pray, I usually send some money to World Vision to help with relief efforts, but it stays compartmentalized in another part of the world and doesn't really hit home. Well, the Card Chain Challenge put a name and a person to "the other part of the world" for me this month. That person is Indah Permata Sari and my heart and prayers go out to her. I know how annoyed I am when there is a problem and my mail delivery is delayed a few hours, I'm sure for Indah right now not getting mail is the least of her worries. So I will continue to pray and continue to expand my horizons of compassion and realize that there is a name and a story for each person who is dealing with tragedy or even just inconvenience caused by natural disasters. Please keep Indah and all of our friends in Indonesia and their families in your prayers.

After much thought I decided I would go ahead and post the cards for the October CCC for two reasons. There is the real chance that Indah may not ever get my card and at least she will know that I did make something special for her; and I wanted to share the extraordinarily lovely card I received from my new friend in Canada, Sharon Dunn.

First up is Sharon's card...it's completely yummy in it's elegant beauty....

Sharon used the challenge colors exquisitely and you really have to see that layered flower in person to appreciate it's lovely handcrafted beauty. Thank you, Sharon, this card is a treasure!

Now to my card....I tried something new and different with this card......

The Little Stencil Flower cling stamp from Hero Arts is stamped with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink on a page from a vintage Italian novel (which I found at Louise Granville's Etsy shop Time to Remember).
I tore the edges to size and added various distress inks to age the page even more. The flower at the bottom was clear embossed before cutting out and mounting with foam dimensional adhesive. I realize that my sentiment is very appropriate to the current circumstances.

1 Timothy 2:1 ~ "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them."

Blessings,
nancy

How about a little Victorian Christmas card....

I don't know where I got the initial idea but it expanded into a creative storm and swept me up with it!

Believe it or not I started with a piece of bleached muslin fabric which I die cut into 3 scalloped circles of graduated size. The 2 larger fabric circles were spritzed with Cranberry Zing Glimmer Mist, scrunched into a ball and heated up a bit. Then I un-scrunched them and pushed them separately into a small strainer (used only for crafting) to give it a cupped shape and heated till dry. I did the same with the smallest circle using "RazzelDazzel" Berry- Shimmerz Mist. The 3 circles were layered and stitched together using a scalloped button and gold metallic thread.

I tied the green ribbon to look like leaves for the flower.

To make the card I started with a white cs panel and covered it with a blending of Spun Sugar and  Victorian Velvet Distress ink. Then I inked up Hero Arts Lace Background stamp (S5341) with Versamark ink and spritzed the stamp with Perfect Pearls in water and stamped over the cardstock panel. This is a variation of the technique used by Anette on THIS fabulous card. It was then trimmed, border punched, stamped with Holly Flourish Border (H5289) in Victorian Velvet and trimmed with thin strips of patterned paper.
All the patterned paper is from the Classic K collection from K and Company. I covered a white card base with a panel of pp. Then I trimmed another pp so it was not as wide as the base. This panel was stamped with the Lace Background as above, except this time I clear embossed it so it would stand out a bit more. Everything was then layered and adhered. I stamped the Cornish Heritage Farms sentiment on a pp scrap and distressed the edges with Victorian Velvet. As a finishing touch I added a bit of Aged Mahogany Distress ink to all the card edges.
Thanks for looking...

I wanted to share with you all a wonderful online Bible Study. I've been very blessed by the current study titled Renown, on the names and character of God. Stop by for a visit and let me know what you think! Here's the link  Click the link on the sidebar at Madabella to be taken to the overview, the study can be started at any time.

blessings to you!
nancy

Trying Something New!

I was inspired by Jacqueline's lovely card HERE to join in the challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Not only is it the first challenge I've done at this site, but this is also a first because the embellishing on this card is way out of my comfort zone. I've had the Zva rhinestone embellishment in my stash for a couple years but it always intimidated me. I decided to give it a try by pairing it with some wonderful Webster's Pages papers and my favorite Fabulous Flourish stamp by Hero Arts.

I computer-generated a favorite verse on prayer and printed it on white cardstock that I had pre-stamped with the Fabulous Flourish using Scattered Straw Distress ink. The flourish was also stamped on the yellow paper using Black Soot Distress ink. I know this is not really all that "flou-flou" as I didn't use any ribbon, but it took me hours to get the flowers and gems just right and to design the card specifically to use them.

Just for comparison, the following card is one that is pretty fancy by my usual standards.....

...I made this for my Mom and Dad in-law. They are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary today!
There is not one bit of bling but I love the rustic charm. I achieved the look of toile by stamping the HA Hydrangea with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Then I used watercolor paint to fill in the background. When it dried I over-stamped HA La Letter. The patterned paper is from K and Company.

As I was doing a little study on prayer I found the verse I used for the card. I think it is excellent, practical advice for purposeful prayer. Remembering how God has answered prayer in the past leads to a thankful heart and increased faith to believe He will continue to hear and respond. Praying with an alert mind allows the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your prayers. Another verse that always fills me with peace when I begin to pray is Psalm 46:10 ~ "Be still, and know that I am God."
Blessings,
nancy

Two More Takes on the Decorative Ornament Stamp

Now I've made 3 totally different cards using Hero Arts Decorative Ornament stamp paired with the Simple Frame stamp. The first one yesterday was a bit of elegance with soft colors and gold embossing. The second card uses silver embossing and blue and purple color scheme. I also incorporated the Block Stamping technique I learned in a class with Sally Traidman.

The frame was stamped first on white cs, then I used a wavy edged acrylic block inked with Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky Distress Inks then spritzed with Perfect Pearls water to stamp the color on the white panel. More Dusty Concord was blended along the edges after the panel was trimmed. I over-stamped HA Old Letter Writing with white ink over the top. The ornaments are silver embossed on glossy white cs that was inked with Ranger Alcohol inks in Wild Plum and Eggplant. I cut them out to adhere to the background. The sentiment is embossed with purple EP on silver cs.
The second card today is the most whimsical of the 3 cards using the combo of stamps. I used some scraps of Crate Paper-Snow Day paper.

The Simple Frame was again clear embossed on white cs, then I blended Barn Door Distress Ink over the top for that great red color. The sentiment and the ornament are both stamped with Barn Door Distress Ink. I border punched a scrap of Hero Hues Iris Layering Paper using a Fiskars punch.

I'm praising God today for answered prayer! A crafting friend who I had just met when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in August has found out her surgery is all the treatment she will need. No chemo, no radiation. Please visit her blog HERE to learn of her journey and to pass on some comment love to a warrior in pink.

Blessings,
nancy

Fancy Framed Ornaments

When I saw Tami's gorgeous card on the Hero Arts blog yesterday I was so impressed with how she used the Simple Frame stamp. And...I remembered that I have that stamp. I also had the Decorative Ornament cling stamp sitting on my desk because I just brought it home from Stamp Fever. Here's how I put them together...

Here's how I made this card:
The Simple Frame was white embossed on white cardstock then I blended Bundled Sage Distress Ink over the whole card. I used my Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink pad to give the edges a bit of a gold border. Setting that aside I gold embossed the Decorative Ornament 2 times on a panel of watercolor paper. I trimmed it to size to fit inside the frame, allowing the outside of the ornaments to extend past the edge. I used Victorian Velvet Distress ink spritzed with Perfect Pearls in water to paint color onto the ornaments and then I added a wash of Spun Sugar with Perfect Pearls to the background. Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink edges this panel also. I punched a hole in the top of each ornament to thread metallic gold twine through and around the top, tying with a bow. Then the panel was mounted with foam adhesive to the frame which I had adhered to a white card base.
Now I think I'm going to try this in a few different color combos. I like to make a bunch of different Christmas cards each year so that everyone on my list gets a one-of-a-kind custom original card.

Update on the Job Hunt:
So I tweeted earlier this week that I had found a job....this announcement was way too premature. I should have announced that I was trying out a job because it was completely not the right place for me.....although it was hard to pass up this corner office (all to myself).....

I had a bad feeling about the position when it was offered to me and that feeling only grew as I tried to make it work. Luckily it only took a day and a half to realize MY job is still out there....somewhere! I appreciate your prayers...I have some leads at the moment and my resume is going out every day.

Philippians 4:19 ~ "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
I have been experiencing the truth of this verse for the last few years, I know that it is by God's grace that Al and I are paying our bills and keeping food in the house....(and also have a bit extra when we need it). God has kept Al busy with cabinet-making jobs and more referrals come in every day. I'm just praising God for how He continues to supply our needs. He will take care of you, too....just ask!

Blessings to you,
nancy

Whimsical Thanksgiving Pilgrims

It's time to update the traditional family Thanksgiving card. Five years ago while I was recuperating from cervical spine surgery with a boat load of free time on my hands, I created a little clipart Thanksgiving card. I have updated it in Publisher a few times since.....
Here's the first card from 2005, Ben was in Boot Camp and Andy was living at home.

We had our old golden girl Cassey and our sweet Bruno. I put the old rifle in Ben's hand since that was his focus at that time.
By 2008 we had lost Cassey but we added our DIL Kellie and 2 new rescue dogs to our family....
And in 2009 I used the same basic design but I printed it and cut out the photo to add to a stamped card...

This year I decided I should reflect our empty nest and just include the hubs and me along with our current woofers. I was inspired to use the Hero Arts stamp set So Thankful and just add our faces to make the caricatures.....

I've got Digby and Tia hiding in the pumpkin patch along with a couple of jaunty pilgrims.

Since today marks my last day as a Hero Arts Hostess I wanted to take the time to thank my fellow Hostesses, all the Hostess Alumni (who paved the way for us) and the wonderful Tami Hartley who keeps all of the Hostesses going in the same direction. It has been a fantastic albeit very short 3 months and I will long remember with a smile on my face how much fun it was to be a part of this talented group. Hero Arts has been my favorite stamp company for over 20 years and it has been a wonderful honor to be a Hero Arts Hostess.
Thank you also to all the members of the Hero Arts Flickr group. You are the most encouraging and supportive group of people and I am very grateful to have found my place with you all.

Philippians 1:3-4 ~  "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy."

Stamps: Hero Arts- CL466 So Thankful, 5208 Designer Woodgrain, F5042 Leaf Flourish.
Ink: Memento -Tuxedo Black, Memories-Art Print Brown, Tim Holtz Distress Ink- Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo.
Paper: Neenah Solar White cardstock, Cosmo Cricket- Wanted.
Copic Markers.
Corner Chomper.

Dogtoberfest!!

Last Sunday we took Digby to his 3rd Dogtoberfest at Islander Park in Riverside. It is sponsored by Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles- Rescue. It's a Golden Retriever play date of grand proportions...the dogs swim, frolic and generally have a wonderful time. We brought Tia with us and our friends Ernie, Sue and Ed Ernst.

My lovable lunk-head Digby is a swimming fool....he jumps in the water on arrival and that's where he stays. He gets out for short trips to the grass (he's a good boy, he doesn't pee in the pool). This year we got him a handy dandy red doggie flotation device so he wouldn't get tuckered out too soon.

Digby loves to swim!

Swimming with friends

Doggie rest area.

Taking a short break before jumping back in.

I caught me a funny looking duck!

Hey Buddy, can you toss me one of those tennis balls?

Tia's glad she's not in the pool, that's no place for Chihuahua's

Time to go home...we finally got him out of the pool.

Dogtoberfest is a fundraiser for the Golden Retriever Rescue organization and the attendees are all rescue dogs. To learn more about adopting a homeless Golden Retriever visit their website HERE.

I'll be back tomorrow with my Thought for the Day!

blessings,

nancy

A New Card...Finally!

Well it's been forever since I've had the chance to be creative. I just got this new Hero Arts Winking Reindeer stamp...it's so whimsical, I love it!

I loved THIS card by Lucy, her paper-pieced reindeer provided the inspiration for my little card. I'm really stuck on the neutral colors these days so the papers from Basic Grey's "Basics Manila" along with the polka dotted paper from Cosmo Cricket's "Mitten Weather" were perfect. I added a pocket inside so this can hold a gift card.....

Proverbs 3:13-15, 18 ~ "Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly."

Thanks for your visit,
blessings,
nancy

Stamps: Hero Arts- Winking Reindeer H5457, Get Merry CL463, Joy to All CL460, Magic of Christmas CL462, Sew Artsy CL446.

Paper: Basic Grey- Basics Manila 6x6 paper pad. Cosmo Cricket- Mitten Weather 6x6 Mini Deck.

Cardstock: Neenah Solar White for card base. Papertrey Ink kraft.

Inks: Hero Hues Chalk ink-Latte. Memento -Tuxedo Black.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Dies- Lacey Circles, Standard Circles Large.

Embellishments: Hero Hues-Cream Adhesive Lace CH233, Earth Mixed Accents CH214. Recollections- gold gems.