I Love Camp....

....especially Summer Card Camp with Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner!

I just finished my first card using the Week One Color Combo of Purple, Pink, Sky Blue, Orange and White.

I used all Lawn Fawn stamps: Blissful Botanicals, Fanciful Frames and Say Cheese for the sentiment.

~  Mark 2:15-17 ~

Levi invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests,

along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.

(There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.)

But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw Him

eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked His disciples,

"Why does He eat with such people?"

When Jesus heard this, He told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do.

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, 

but those who know they are sinners."

blessings,

nancy

Penny Black Cards

When Linda at Stamp Fever asked me to make some samples with some new Penny Black stamps I was a little hesitant. They were totally outside of my tidy little box but I accepted the challenge and I'm so glad I did. I had some real fun working with "Two's Company" and "La Soiree".

It also helped a lot that I finally took a Copic coloring class so I had some new techniques to practice. Jennie Black taught the class and she is wonderful, so knowledgeable and such a kick. You can find her blog HERE. I had a great time and learned enough until the next class.

So here's my first card...

This one uses Two's Company as the main image. The background is Hero Arts Friend Definition (yes it is stamped upside down, I did it on purpose hoping to just add texture) and the sentiment is an Itty-Bitty by Unity Stamp Company/Cosmo Cricket.

This is La Soiree colored and paper pieced using my new favorite paper Out of Print by Basic Grey! The light blue background paper is from my stash and is by My Mind's Eye (part of a Christmas collection).  The Friend Definition makes another background appearance, this time right-side up. I used my new Labels 20 Nestie.

Both of these Penny Black stamps are at Stamp Fever, but they are going fast so hurry and get your own!

~ Colossians 3:16 ~

"Let the words of Christ, in all their richness,

live in your hearts, and make you wise.

Use His words to teach and counsel each other."

blessings,
nancy

Lily Pad Inspiration

I love the inspiration challenges at Lily Pad Cards; I love perusing all the entries to find spark of inspiration that leads to my next card design. I found a really inspiring project by Katie Tate: a July 4th Decoration.  And since she entered it in the May Arts Ribbon Challenge I got out my May Arts ribbon to make a couple of flowers to mimic Katie's rosettes in a watering can decoration.

 This card started with the ribbon flowers, they are hand-stitched in a messy gathered circle. Then the another piece of ribbon was machine-stitched on the Hero Hues patterned paper. Hero Arts Envelope Pattern is stamped on the kraft card base. Some scraps of paper from Crate Paper Portrait Collection and 2 red buttons are the only embellishments. Thanks Katie for the wonderful inspiration!
Let's see what inspired you this month at Lily Pad Cards.

 ~ Psalm 4:6-8 ~

"Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"

Let Your face smile on us, Lord.

You have given me greater joy

than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for You alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."

blessings,

nancy

Father's Day and an Anniversary Card

So I was up until 1am finishing up the cards for Father's Day. I made one for my sweetie featuring the beloved orange VW bug he drove when we were dating (have I told you that funny story?). Then I made a card for my wonderful Father-in-law. It also features a car since he made his living restoring classic car interiors. And then to finish off the dads, I made a card for my son Andy who is anxiously anticipating the birth of his first child later this summer....it also is sporting a vehicle or 2. I have one Father's Day stamp...it's an ancient one but I love the font so I keep using it.

 Al loved this card, that made me very happy! I decked it with paper from Basic Grey Oxford collection. I think it gives it that 70s beachy vibe that was the setting for our 2 years of dating. The VW image is from Hero Arts clear set "Going" and I also used the HA Woodgrain background. Since Al is a woodworker I always try to incorporate that in his cards. A little glossy accents made the windows shine.

Now for that funny story. We met when we were both going to Orange Coast College. We were just getting to know each other when Al offered me a ride home one day and I gladly accepted since I was taking the bus to school at the time. When we got to the orange v-dub he looked crestfallen. He just looked at me and smiled because he had forgotten that his dad was reupholstering his seats (in a groovy blue denim) and the front passenger seat was in the shop. So....I sat in the backseat for the ride home. You should have seen the look on my mom's face when he pulled into the driveway. That was 36 years ago and we still chuckle when we think about it.

On to the next Fathers Day honoree....my father-in-law.

The car stamp is from the same clear set, "Going", and Large Canvas Stripes and Old Letter Writing are in the background. The paper is Graphic45 "A Perfect Gentleman". When we gave Pops his card he studied the car and said, "That would be a 1934 Ford Coupe." He knows his classic cars. I think he's a classic, too!

Andy got a bit of ironic humor with his card....reality will be setting in soon.

It took him a moment to get it but he finally started laughing. I don't think he'll be giving up his truck anytime too soon. In addition to "Going" this card features Lawn Fawn's Teeny Tiny Backdrops. I used Jenni Bowlin Dye inks in Fountain Pen, Spice Tin, Soap Powder and Seed Packet.

And finally, Tuesday is Andy and Kellie's 3rd wedding anniversary so I made a special card for them.

 The "picture perfect" photo was taken at Hume Lake where they met. The "memory" photo is the day they were engaged while on a mission trip in Thailand. Shortly after this photo was taken, that elephant shook off the driver and took them on a rampage through the jungle foiling Andy's plan to propose while perched atop the pachyderm. He settled for proposing while riding in an ox cart later in the day. It was a very memorable day and it was all caught on video by their friends. The center photo was taken on their first Christmas as a married couple; they look so happy!

 Papers are from the "Portrait" Collection by Crate Paper and the stamps are "Say Cheese", "Say Cheese, Too" and "Sophie's Sentiments" from Lawn Fawn.

Thanks for sticking with this long post. I appreciate all the men in my life and I thank God for them!

Ben, Al and Andy after church today. I like that they were all color coordinated...totally a fluke.

~ Ephesians 6:2-3 ~

"Honor your father and mother. 

This is the first commandment with a promise:

If you honor your father and mother, things will go well for you,

and you will have a long life on the earth."

I'm missing my dad today and I sympathize with everyone who is without their dad. I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father, He fills up the empty places that were left when He took my dad home.

blessings,

nancy

Memory Box/Lucy's Sketch

It's Friday so that means another Lily Pad Cards Challenge. Today it's a Lucy's Lovely Lines Sketch Challenge sponsored by Memory Box!


Here's my card using Tree of Birds by Memory Box:

The image is colored with Copics then color was added to the background with Distress ink. The yellow polka dot paper is from Memory Box and the turquoise blue paper is from Basic Grey-Hello Luscious. The sentiment is Hero Arts.

~ Ephesians 5:15-17 ~

"So be careful how you live. 

Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise.

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."

blessings,

nancy

Watercolor Fun with Distress Inks

I've been trying new ways to use my Distress inks to share with my Rubberstamping 101 class at Stamp Fever. After filling the recycle bin with un-salvageable rejects over the course of a week I finally have 3 cards that I like!

For this first one I was inspired by Jacqueline's fabulous card HERE. She used a paintbrush to "paint" the Distress inks on to the stamp. After painting I spritzed the stamp with water before stamping.

I used Garden Bouquet, a cling stamp from Hero Arts and layered it with Hero Hues papers and Basic Grey pp from the Lauderdale collection. The sentiment is Lawn Fawn from Just My Type, Too.

The next technique used a paintbrush also.

This time I stamped the Lawn Fawn images from Blissful Botanicals with Memento ink. Then I added Distress ink in Dusty Concord, Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint to an acrylic block and spritzed on a bit of water. I used this to "paint" the images with a messy look. The sentiment is another Lawn Fawn stamp from Hello Friend. The background panel is covered with Dusty Concord and then I stamped Friend Definition just with water using inspiration from Vicky's video HERE.
 
The last technique is a favorite one for getting a watercolor look that's quick and easy. I used my own card HERE as inspiration.

All the stamps on this card are from Hero Arts. On the smaller panel I stamped Envelope Pattern with Scattered Straw for a bit of texture. Then I inked up the Silhouette Ivy with Crushed Olive and spritzed it with a mini mister before stamping each time. I let this dry then followed with the same technique using Stormy Sky.  I inked the edges with more Scattered Straw and stamped the sentiment with Jenni Bowlin No.11 Brown Sugar ink. Layered this to a white panel and tied a bit of jute string then set it aside while I stamped the background panel. I started with a white piece of cardstock and covered it with Stormy Sky using an ink blending tool. Then I inked up the Classic Fabric Design cling with more Stormy Sky and spritzed it before stamping on the prepared background. Once it dried I layered it on a 4.25 x 5.5 top fold card base then added the panel with dimensional foam.

I'm not sure which two will be used for the class, maybe we'll do all 3 techniques, you never know!

~ Isaiah 26:3-4 ~

You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in You,

all whose thoughts are fixed on You!

Trust in the Lord always,

for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

My heart has been breaking lately for all of my dear friends and loved ones who have been experiencing tragedy, sickness, loss of jobs, etc. I hope this verse will bring you comfort. It's so easy to lose our focus on the Lord and forget that it's not about this life but the one to come. Our pain and suffering here only serves to make our hearts long for our true home in heaven.

blessings and prayers loved ones,

nancy

Quick CAS Birthday Card

I have had so little time to make cards lately that when I really need to make one, like for a friend's birthday, it's got to be quick. Like they say necessity is the mother of invention and I'm reinventing myself as a CAS card maker.
I'm entering this in a challenge, I can't believe it! But this is perfect for the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge this week to choose 3 components in row from the Tic-Tac-To grid. My card uses; gems, punch and flowers.
Here's my quick birthday card:

I used a design that my friend, Sue and I first used to make a graduation card for her to give to a friend. I love the colors and all the papers were still on my desk so I reworked the design a little.
I layered brown cs from my stash onto a white cardbase. On a K & Co pp panel I stamped the floral pattern from the Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden stamp set using Memories ArtPrint Brown ink. The the PTI sentiment was white embossed on the panel which was layered onto the brown cs. I finished it with white gel pen stitch lines (they mimic the design in the pp). The butterflies were punched out of white cs using the MS punch and embellished with some Hero Hues gems.

~ Romans 12:2 ~

"Do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God."

blessings,

nancy

May Arts Ribbon with Lily Pad Cards

One of the things that is a real challenge for me is using ribbon. Bows completely frustrate me. I have used ribbon and bows successfully only a few times on my cards. So wouldn't you know, that's the challenge this week at Lily Pad Cards. (Maybe that's why it's called a challenge, hmmmm) But I couldn't help but be inspired to try again when I got this gorgeous ribbon from May Arts.
I've had this Eiffel Tower stamp for years and decided it was time to ink it up again and pair it with a few other stamps and some fun chipboard shapes,  so here's how the pieces came together...

That striped ribbon is so phenomenal, I wanted it to be a feature and not look like it was added as an afterthought. I think it grounds the design perfectly. The colors came from the ribbon and from the Circa 1934 chipboard stickers.

Eiffel Tower stamp by Stampa Rosa-Tin Can Mail. Other stamps: Dots and Flowers by Hero Arts, Vintage Verses by Lizzie Anne Designs, Butterfly Garden by Pink Paislee. 
Patterned Paper and Chipboard Circa 1934 by Cosmo Cricket.

~ Ephesians 1: 3-4 ~

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

because we are united with Christ.

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ

to be holy and without fault in His eyes."

blessings,

nancy

Hydrangea Collage Card and Missing You

I miss the days when I could spend all day in my "soft clothes" making cards and visiting all my favorite blogs. I miss all of you who visit and leave such sweet and encouraging comments. I still pop in from time to time and leave a comment here and there but it's just not the same. I haven't played in a challenge in so long I may forget how. I'm hoping that I will have more time for the activities I love really soon.

Here's a collage-style card I made a while back and never posted:

I used my favorite Hero Arts Hydrangea stamp and combined it with Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden paper and stamps. I used Copic Markers and colored pencils to color the images. The sentiment is by Lawn Fawn.
Frosted Lace Stickles adds the sparkle and I added a bit of Tim Holtz tissue tape to the bottom just because.
I'll be sending this off to a special friend who loves vintage style cards.

~ Psalm 128:1-4 ~

How joyful are those who fear the Lord-

all who follow His ways!

You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

How joyful and prosperous you will be!

Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,

flourishing within your home.

Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees

as they sit around your table.

That is the Lord's blessing for those who fear Him.

The phrase "fear the Lord" means to hold Him in high esteem, to show reverence and devotion to Him.

I think the fear of the Lord means being careful to live in such a way that I will bring honor to Him. 

blessings,
nancy