Inky Techniques

I had some fun this morning using a new technique from Jennifer McGuire's new Holiday Thinking Inking video.

For the red panel I trimmed a white piece of cs to size and using Jennifer's example covered it with Fired Brick Distress ink. Then I spritzed some Perfect Pearls water on the Holly Flourish stamp and stamped it on the red piece. It was fun to watch the stamped pattern emerge as it dried. For the background I tapped some Antique Linen Distress ink on my craft sheet and spritzed on some PP water. I used this to ink the Holly Flourish and stamped it on the white panel. The tree was stamped with Artprint Brown Memories ink, some Crushed Olive Distress ink was blended on, then Vintage Photo around the edges. I stamped the Holly Flourish one last time with Galaxy Gold Brilliance ink on the card base. I love it when I can make a card with this much color that uses only white card stock.

Ephesians 3:17 ~ "Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong!"

blessings,
nancy

It's All Fun and Games!

I'm playing with Tag Tuesday again this week. The challenge is to use a bingo card in the tag. I was inspired by the Tim Holtz Lost and Found Paper Stash paper pad, and I incorporated a Bingo card into a Game themed tag.

Here's a close up of the detail....

Even though it's hard to see I used 2 Hero Arts stamps on this tag: Friend Definition and Crossword Background.  Most of the images are clipart pics of games and game pieces. I used a bit of digi-magic to make the title square.The flowers are from my friend Dawn in New Zealand. Thanks Dawn! I was waiting for the perfect project to use them.

2 John 3 ~ "Grace, mercy and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ- the Son of the Father- will continue to be with us who live in truth and love."

blessings,
nancy

Quick Card for Hero Arts November Challenge

I did lots of inking on this card....

I started with the acrylic block stamping for the background with Pumice Stone Distress ink. Then I stamped Old Letter (CG197) with Pumice Stone ink. I clear embossed the Floral Brocade (CG187) and then added color with a blending tool and Vintage Photo and Aged Mahogany Distress ink. The card base was stamped with Friend Definition (CG125), it's really hard to see in the photo, with Pumice Stone on kraft cs and then misted pretty heavily with Perfect Pearls water mixture.
Here's a close up look...

Psalm 25: 4-5 ~ Show me the right path, O Lord: point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.

blessings,
nancy

Letters From Home

Hi All! I want to share with you a wonderful organization that is dedicated to sharing love and brightening the days of lonely senior citizens. Letters From Home was started in 2001 by my Aunt Kay during the time that my grandmother (her mother) was in assisted living. Aunt Kay noticed that there were so many residents who were not getting frequent or even any visits from loved ones and her heart went out to them. Letters From Home grew out of  her desire to share her love. LFH is a way of including all of these lonely seniors in a big loving family circle.

 I would love it if you would take the time to read about Letters From Home, Inc HERE. As a non-profit corporation LFH operates on tax-deductible donations to cover printing costs and postage. They are always looking for more seniors who would benefit from receiving these news filled letters from their "adopted" family.

I know most of you like to send homemade cards and Vera at Ling's Design Studio has started a wonderful Caring Hearts Card Drive for that purpose. Letters From Home is unique in that it is only letters that are sent every week to 10 days. My aunt writes these letters herself and fills them with all the newsy family happenings in her own family allowing the recipients to become part of that family circle.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Letters From Home, Inc. I hope you will share this with your friends and family and maybe "adopt" Letters From Home as a charity to support this holiday season.

Love and Blessings,
nancy

Four-Sided Tag

I was intrigued by Louise's Tag Tuesday Challenge to use the back of the tag to continue the design. I thought it would be fun to try a  digital hybrid 4 sided tag. It all started in Microsoft Publisher- my go to program for anything digi related. Here's how the tag started out.....

I used a tag template that I had created previously and grouped together 4 of them. Then I added papers from a digital kit, this is Farmers Market by Sande Krieger. (All digital kits were found it at 2 Peas.)  I layered on some Polka Dots from a Hero Arts digital stamp kit. Next I found a Teresa Collins paper with frames that I scanned, then I cropped the design so only one frame was visible. I copied it and placed one on each of the 4 sides of the tag. Then I created 4 text boxes and typed a verse from my morning Bible reading and layered those with the frames. Once everything was sized and positioned correctly I printed this sheet.
Once printed, I trimmed and scored the tag. Then I did some stamping, embossing, distressing and adding simple scrap embellishments. Here's the finished tag.....

The next 4 pictures show the sides in order....

Special thanks to Suzanne Czosek for the crown chipboard piece on side 3. I added color to it with alcohol inks and pearl and copper metallic mixatives. I had a few odd lengths of Hero Arts self adhesive lace ribbon and they were just the right size to dress up the tag. I finished it off with piece of elastic gold cording so it can be hung...possibly on a Christmas tree!

As we are all starting to think about Christmas I thought this verse was appropriate to remind us of the true purpose and meaning of the holiday. Here it is straight from the Lord Himself...
"I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark." John 12:46
Add another passage from the Gospel of John and you get a complete picture:
"For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him." John 3:16-17.
Blessings,
nancy

A Little Bit of Inky Vintage-ness

Yesterday, my dear friend and sister in Christ, Jacqueline challenged me to make something in a vintage style. I figured that would be a good idea and took the challenge. (btw~Jacqueline has been encouraging and challenging me in my Christian walk for over 2 years). I wanted to make something that wasn't just vintage but would also fit with the Hero Arts challenge for this month using inking techniques. So I assembled all the usual suspects....Webster's Pages paper, paper from a vintage French book, Hero Arts Artprint Flowers, my favorite stamps, Distress inks and Alcohol inks. I included some die-cut leaves from Barbara and Cheryl (they were so nice to make them for me at the Craft and Chat at Stamp Fever on Saturday, thanks ladies!). And here's the result....

The leaves have been inked with Alcohol inks in Butterscotch, Lemonade and Peach Bellini along with Pearl and Copper Mixatives. The flowers have been inked with just the Copper Mixatives.
The vintage book page was first clear embossed using the Fabulous Flourish stamp then inked with Black Soot Distress Ink. The paper was so brittle that it cracked and tore in really fun and interesting ways. A panel of Webster's pages paper was stamped with Old Letter in Weathered Wood Distress ink and the stitching from Sew Artsy in Frayed Burlap Distress ink. To finish I added an old French postage sticker, a piece of black and cream ribbon and some pearls.
So how did I do, Jacqueline? I certainly had a wealth of inspiration from your lovely library of vintage cards and collages.

Grace and Peace to you in abundance,
nancy

A New Stamp....

that just happens to be a favorite Bible verse. I used the color combo for the current Everything But the Kitchen Sink challenge #26 ( I really want to win the Lawn Fawn "Frosties" set). The verse stamp is from Stampendous, I found it at Stamp Fever on Saturday. I paired it with a favorite Hero Arts cling stamp- Garden Bouquet.....

.....which is stamped on PTI Smokey Shadow cs with VersaMark ink and clear embossed. Then I over-stamped it with VersaMark several times to add some texture and pattern to the background. The verse is stamped on white cs with Memento Tuxedo Black and the Garden Bouquet is over-stamped with Weathered Wood Distress Ink. I used Hero Hues Layering paper in Cerulean to make the card base, the punched border and to mat the sentiment. I used an EK Success Swirl border punch. TFL!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ~ "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

blessings,
nancy