GCgirl

Trust in the Lord...

2012-01-17T15:21:00.000-05:00

Today was the first time in over a week I had the opportunity to sit quietly and play with some paints. I was determined to make something original and unique to me...one of my main goals for creativity this year. I painted a basic blue background and began to think about what I could put as my focal image...I decided an attempt at one of my favorite things about Hawaii...the gorgeous and abundant trees. While I am waiting for my son at school in the afternoons I ogle the beautiful twisting branches and canopy of leaves on the trees lining the school/church grounds. I am really no artist, but the point of painting or creativity is to express the inward self without so many words. So...I'll just say that many scriptures were on my mind, but the one I stamped on the background came from Proverbs 3:5,6. Really no matter what the circumstances of this life may bring, I KNOW that I can trust in the Lord who is good at all times and is orchestrating all things for His glory and my good as I do walk in obedience and faith to His high call. I am so blessed that my immediate family has intimacy in Him and with one another wherever the road takes us!

More than just a hammer....

2012-01-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

OK...so this isn't a great photo, but it captures the shiny head of this silly hammer which is the focus of this post. I decided that I need a hammer in my craft room for a variety of small purposes...have been thinking that for a while actually. While we were out and about over the holidays I kept my eyes open for a small hammer to suit the bill....well, they were all to big and ugly. I mean, it needs to be functional, but can't cute also be an option? I decided that I had a smaller hammer at home that had seen better days, so I would just spruce it up a bit. I asked my darlin' hubby to clean up the head of it a bit so I could paint it....well he took it to a completely different level. That crazy man o'mine spent a couple of hours with his dremmel polishing this thing to a high shine. He then cut off the handle and sanded it so it would be just the right size. Of course I then had to paint and "bling" it out appropriately to match his efforts...lol. This seems so silly on the surface...that I would want a "girlie" hammer, but the beauty of it is that the Lord has given me such an awesome husband who would gladly go to these lengths to demonstrate his love for me. The rest of this story is that this little hammer was in an $8 clearance tool kit that I purchased right after moving out in my divorce. That little took kit was very handy in my single years and was just one of the many, many ways that God provided for me then and continues to now. Chip knows me better than anyone and understands all that this represents so much better than I can express in a short blog post. I hope you enjoy the cute bling, but I will see God's amazing Grace in my life on so many levels every time I look at this transformed hammer! Thanks for stopping by and I will be posting some of my recent work next week!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas today...we are enjoying a very quiet afternoon in lovely weather!

Nancy, I will be happy to send you the bag of goodies! Just email me with your mailing address and I will get it out asap. Cassandra and Jan will also be receiving a little something from me. Thanks for all the kind comments and encouragement along the way.

May the rest of your year be blessed and peaceful!

Marsha

Christmas Give-a-Way!!!

2011-12-23T14:18:00.000-05:00

First, I will share my latest canvas that I made last night....can I say that I love it?? I do! The best part is that I had made another canvas that I hated....so I methodically stripped the canvas and started over (drives hubby crazy when I do that), but I am SO much happier with this piece! It just speaks to me and my growth this year personally and dare I say artistically? I really enjoy the tactile aspect of using paint, fabric, and all forms of media in expressing myself. I am so looking forward to growing and developing more of my own style as I continue.

This week did not turn out like I expected...my son has had a stomach virus and my husband worked even longer hours than usual AND I had a dentist appt.--yuck! Today is a new day and the sun is shining, my husband is home for the next 4 days and I am hopeful that darling son is better. We are off to shop and explore and prepare for the weekend!

Anyhoo...on to the good stuff. I put together a large bag of goodies that I truly think anyone would love. I included enough product to make several projects moving into Valentine's Day and beyond. Without further ado, here is a photo of what I have put together....

There is a greeting stamp set (new from Hero Arts), Stickers, Rub-Ons, Ephemera, Trim, Buttons, Handmade Embellishments, 2 Embossing Folders, Orange Distress Ink, A piece of Magic Foam, Vintage Book Paper, Twine, a mini canvas...and more!

There are no strings attached...just leave a comment and I will draw a winner on Christmas day!

HIS purpose....

2011-12-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

I was already working on this groovy little birdie when Cassandra's challenge from Word Art Wednesday hit my reader. I have been deeply contemplating the joy of the Lord lately....and how that balances with an increasing burden I have for those who have not repented and put their trust in Christ alone. It is the sovereignty of God that allows my soul to rest even as I pray fervently for those whom I care for to be open to the narrow path of life. Here is Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage:

Though the Lord is high, yet he has respect to every lowly, humbled sinner; but the proud and unbelieving will be banished far from his blissful presence. Divine consolations have enough in them to revive us, even when we walk in the midst of troubles. And God will save his own people that they may be revived by the Holy Spirit, the Giver of life and holiness. If we give to God the glory of his mercy, we may take to ourselves the comfort. This confidence will not do away, but quicken prayer. Whatever good there is in us, it is God works in us both to will and to do. The Lord will perfect the salvation of every true believer, and he will never forsake those whom he has created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works.

To God alone be the glory in ALL things!

Dreamy Cream and White Wreath!

2011-12-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

OK...I have envisioned a house done in white and cream decor since I was in High School...something about that color palette just seems so clean and refreshing....I WILL have a white couch one day (Lord willing) :0). In the meantime, that is the direction I have been taking my craft space, and I love it. When this wreath tutorial came along I was all over it! I plan to share the picture with the original artist Jeanne Oliver and I hope she likes how I interpreted her project. I am THRILLED with how it came out and it will grace my creative space year round. I had to photograph it in my chair for a good backdrop, but I plan to hang it later today :0). I used scripture from Ephesians chapter 1 for the butterflies as a beautiful reminder of His Grace in my life! Thanks for stopping by and I always appreciate any comments or feedback that you have to offer.

My new pin cusion!

2011-12-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

This was a dress form pin cushion I recently made after watching a DIY tutorial. She is supposed to have a finial and a base, but true to my MO...I messed up and modified her to salvage the project. In the end, I loved it because coming from her "neck" is the hand made seam ripper and pokey thing for sewing that my friend's husband turned for me on his lathe in GA. It works perfectly to house them!

I was going to give away the second one of these that I made and mounted in a bright happy color...but I am not 100% happy with how it turned out, so I will be making adjustments to it or another one altogether withing the next week for anyone who is interested. Stay tuned for that.

I have also been revamping my space and have many things I would be willing to part with...I just need to get them into order and photographed for another give-a-way in time for Christmas!

I do love this season and in spite of the commercialism, cynicism, and all that rot...it is still such a joy to give gifts out of gratitude for THE gift that God has given me in Christ! Hugs and blessings to all dear readers!

Teacher Gifts

2011-12-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

These were my son's teacher gifts this year...I bought some plain brown bags then stamped with various snowflakes and embossed them in white. I added a homemade tag and greeting.

Inside were these cute chalkboard mugs and I added the candy cane and Starbucks hot cocoa for a tasty treat. In High School the teacher's gift is like times 10...so inexpensive is the route to go!

I am glad to have these and a few more work/school gifts done so I can focus on the last minute preparations for my family Christmas...my poor hubby is the one person I have yet to bless with my "mad shopping skills" lol! I am confident that I can make something happen while he is at work next week ;0).

Potpourri.....

2011-12-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have been pretty busy getting boxes in the mail, shopping, errands, work/school party prep etc. I have found a little time here and there to make a couple of projects that I wanted to share today.

This is a pretty clean and simple Christmas card...maybe for next year since I am WAY behind for this year's mailing...

This next card just kinda' evolved when I was trying out a CB die/EF combo that I had not used yet....

And finally my new favorite thing to do a canvas...I had these yarn flowers completed for weeks just waiting to be finished, so this week I took 5 here and there to put together this canvas. I must say I enjoy this way more than cards.....

I have another project to show you and a give-a-way, but my camera battery is dead and I have pressing errands. I am very optimistic that starting next week I will have more craft/blog time.

Hope your Christmas preparations are going smoothly and that TODAY is the day that you will do what you've been putting off, or rest from doing too much....just being content in the day for what it is and will bring. Tomorrow is another story and will unfold quickly enough!

His....

2011-11-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

This is the last project that I have already made to post...so I am hoping to get back into the craft room soon! I don't know about you, but for me I have times where it flows and I try to maximize on it because there are plenty of times where I don't have the time or necessarily desire...! This girl was kind of the culmination of the series of canvases I have done both for friends and as a reflection of my own life/heart. This genteel lady speaks to me in that I have not always felt so soft and feminine and have been challenged in my ideas of womanhood by culture, the sinful nature of others and my own wretchedness. In spite of all this the Lord has been rich in mercy and has preserved me from giving over to hardening my heart to His beautiful truths. I have often longed for an era of times past when femininity seemed more celebrated...thinking that somehow it was easier. The truth is that the fall has affected all of creation and there will always be challenges and obstacles to living in the center of the perfect sovereign will of God. That is the way of it, but He is mighty to save and able to preserve those who are His own. Strength and beauty have a definition that transcends culture and compromise...it has Biblical foundations that are powerful and timeless and flow only from the Lord. Thank you for taking the time to look at my canvas and read my post. I sincerely pray that you too can know the peace that comes from belonging to the most high God!

For Everything a Season

2011-11-25T15:28:00.000-05:00

I have spent this week preparing for and enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving celebration with my husband and son. It turned out quite nicely and we even got the Christmas tree up and decorated. My son hung the ornaments while we supervised and sipped coffee! I am very thankful to have him with me this year...I didn't even put up a tree the last two years because of separation, traveling and such. There are holidays that are chaotic and noisy and then there are the ones that are the quiet and serene. Change has been the only constant in my life for as long as I can remember...the traditions that many hold so dear are lost on me. I have and am still learning to just be in the moment that God has orchestrated for me. There is truly a time and season for everything and surrender to the absolute sovereignty of God brings a peace that surpasses the circumstances. I find myself more and more grateful for the hardest things in my life because they are the tools that He has used for my good and His glory. It has not been that many years ago that I laid down flat on my back in the pouring rain and prayed for death...God is amazing not only in His grace to save, but in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to sanctify a wretch like me. We had a great sermon last week about maturing in the faith...it is my prayer to never stop allowing Him to bring me more and more into the likeness of Christ through both blessings and trials of many kinds. These days I am thankful for each one as it comes and pray for His grace to sustain me until HE decides when it is my time to go. May you be at peace with God in the Grace of Christ today as well!

Beautiful Beige....

2011-11-19T13:41:00.000-05:00

Today I have two items to share...the first is an up-cycled can from an item on my Pinterest board. The second is a mini canvas that I made after watching this episode of art redefined on my craft channel. It is raining today so my lighting wasn't very good...one of these days I will get a proper light box set up...just not high on my list of priorities at the moment! Anyway, I really love this gal...most of my canvases already have names on them for gifts, but this one I am keeping for me! Off for a busy Saturday with the fam, thanks for stopping by :0)!

Shopping at the Hardware Store!!

2011-11-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

OK, I am WAY too excited over my little invention, but I don't often have such epiphanies...so I am savoring this sweet little victory. I had been looking for a grid roller stamp lately without any success. Also, ever since I received a lovely ATC with drywall tape on it, I have been meaning to buy some. Now that I am doing so much mixed media I decided today was the day...especially after pricing some sticky mesh at the craft store that was just as expensive for one piece as was this whole roll. ANYWAY...as I was walking around, checking out the many cool things that I imagined re-purposing for art when I came up this perfect little roller. LIGHTBULB....I know have my very own little grid roller stamp which is gonna' be SO cool on future projects! Go shopping in your hubby's shed/garage/tool box, there's no telling what you'll find to craft with. Chances are he will think it's cool too ;0).

Living Simply....

2011-11-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

My first She Art girl! Christy Tomlinson is not only an excellent teacher, but warm and genuine too. She has made art completely approachable for me and I think I already saide it, but will again....it has been a gift in my life at this particular time and space. I find myself with both the time and the means to pursue something that I secretly always wanted to (art), but never had the confidence nor the circumstance for. So, I am continuing on the theme this week of posting the mixed media canvases that I have recently made and that have not just been fun to create, but have helped me to focus in on just how richly God has blessed me. Just like the words on my first She Art girl...I am living a simple and uncomplicated life. Once I let go of my expectations, I have come to cherish that fact and spend a whole lot more of my thought and prayer life just amazed at how good the Lord truly is...not just in my circumstances, but in the work He has and continues to do in my heart. Forgiving others and myself, embracing the here and now and choosing to see the good in each day is a gift all in and of itself. Soli Deo Gloria!

Free Indeed!

2011-11-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

Today is Scripture Thursday linky party over at Little Birdie Blessings blog. I thought this piece would be perfect to share there today. Abby is a real sweetheart and is always an encouragement and a blessing. She regularly exhorts us to count our blessings daily. There are many small things in each day that bring me joy and I am going to take Abby's challenge and start writing them down! I'll share my notebook soon on that. For today I can't think of anything better to rejoice over than the freedom in Christ! I also want to share here my favorite modern hymn In Christ Alone. It is the gospel sung so beautifully and brings joyful tears to my eyes each and every time I hear it! I hope it will bless you too. Thanks for those who stop by and esp those who regularly encourage me with your gracious comments :0).

How great His love is for us...

2011-11-16T11:11:00.001-05:00

My canvas is back...I just didn't like my initial post and took the liberty to take it down and start over. That is really fitting since this canvas was a do-over too! I started out to make a piece to share at Cassandra's Word Art Wednesday blog and ruined it. I am going to add it this week instead! I started over and this is where the process took me. Interestingly enough I was contemplating much when doing this project, and when I was preparing to re-post it this scripture comes to mind:

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the LORD’s great love

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I am so thankful that the Lord is faithful when I am not...and that He is so rich in mercy. Instead of pouring out His righteous wrath upon me the sinner, He was pleased to punish His only son instead for all those who repent and put their faith and trust in Him alone. How amazing, how humbling, how incredibly life changing that should be each and every day. The gospel truth does make my heart soar as I meditate on it. His word is the key to enduring joy in the face of trials of many kinds. Nothing is as sufficient as His word, but this is a powerful video that illustrates this beautiful truth.

Autumn Days...

2011-11-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

Nothing says fall like college football...too bad UF is not having a stellar year. That hasn't dampened my hubby's devotion to his Alma mater though :0). I started today's mini canvas with a fun piece of fall pattern paper then embellished it with stamps, stickles, rub-ons and modeling paste that I colored with acrylic paint. This was the first canvas that I did that I was totally happy with the outcome...I foresee using it in conjunction with some cute metal pumpkins I have for a small display. While I do miss the cool crisp days and turning leaves...I do appreciate the scenery we enjoy daily for now. It is also only a season and as my mother used to say..."This too shall pass". Use to make me crazy...but it is true! Ecclesiastes 3:1
I pray for the richest blessings to you and yours today :0).

Celebrate EVERY day

2011-11-11T12:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Veteran's day to those who are, who have and who support our service members. We have all benefited from the sacrifice of many. This is not a perfect country...never has been nor will it ever be. Still, I do count it a blessing to have enjoyed the liberty that we enjoy especially in matters of faith. I am counting my blessings today and enjoying time with my family and care group from church tonight. This canvas I make a few weeks ago...when I wasn't "feeling" so cheery, is a happy reminder to me that EVERY DAY is a gift from God and I WILL rejoice and be glad in it :0). I used some fun papers, punches, stickles, stencil, stamps, rhinestones, embossing folder, paint and word stickers to make this happy home scene. It makes me smile and hope it does for you too! Love, love, love being able to use all the resources in my craft room on one project...SO fun! I have more in store in the days to come...until then, I pray that you have reason to rejoice in each day as a gift from God.

Faith Hope and Love

2011-11-10T15:10:00.000-05:00

OK, being the timely person I am (not), I am finally posting a project that I made from taking an online color workshop from Christy Tomlinson a while back. She is completely adorable and fun to watch and has really given me a gift in introducing me to mixed media in an approachable way...LOVE it as she would say ;0). I used more of the canvases that I scored for $1 as my base...have several more to go before I am out of them (yeah). I punched a heart shape out of card stock and many many circles of tissue paper individually glued down for the texture. I used a SU set in the background along with some of my new favorite textures and finally three different techinques for the center hearts all involving UTEE. I initially didn't want to use green...but it turned out to be my favorite! Maybe that's as it should be since LOVE is the greatest of these three 1 Corinthians 13:13
Thanks for stopping by and I have several more itemsto p ost in the coming days...now that my interenet is FINALLY working again!!

New Stamp Shelf and projects

2011-10-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a (bad) picture of the stamp shelf that my sweet hubby helped me make. We had to put it on legs because I am not allowed to hang anything in this house. I am sure that I will rearrange it a few more times before I get it just right...and have my favorite stamps on display so that I will be more likely to use them. The best part of this is that not only does this make better use of an empty spot, but as we were putting it in place and the rest of my space was in shambles, I was feeling kinda' guilty ...like man, I just have too much craft stuff. My darlin' hubby was also taking note...and concluded that when we move into military housing, I will have a much more comfortable and functional crafting space...I am OK with that!! Love that man ;0). I am very content for now, but do look forward to having some floor and wall space if you know what I mean! Not to mention a dedicated table for painting and exploring mixed media on--one that I can trash lol!

This is a close up of one of the projects on display in my new shelf....another one of those $1 canvases that I scored at the local craft store. I shouldn't have told the gals at the checkout what I was going to do with those kiddie paint by the numbers sets...'cause they were GONE fast! They are a lot of fun to play on just try out new stuff with. I don't have to worry about too much heartburn if I hate how it turns out...which thankfully was not the case with this one.

This is another little project that I recently made using the cool artistic dwellings dies, dsp and rub ons for. I used my SU modern label punch for the hinges. I am really enjoying making more than just cards for a change of pace. My faith and family are the biggest priorities in my life, but since I have this season of plenty of down time, I am very grateful for this playful and encouraging outlet. I just pray that I can continue to develop my skill so that it can also be a blessing to others in some way as well. Mahalo (thanks) for stopping by!

Blessed Nest Indeed....

2011-10-14T22:12:00.000-04:00

So...this is an 8x8 canvas that I covered with patterned papers and doodling, stamps, paint and you name it! I took an online class and of course my work doesn't look anything like Christy Tomlinson's...but that's OK with me. I had a blast and that's why she gets to make money and I spend it...lol! These bright colors make me happy...and I will have a spot for this canvas soon...I hope to post a picture by Monday of the stamp shelf that my hubby and I built. It still needs a little paint....

This next project was done on a canvas board that I got from Wal-Mart dirt cheap which is good. It gave me the nerve to just play! I love how parts of it turned out and not so much on others...but that's OK too. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. In spite of a terrible head and stomach ache early on, I had a great week with my darling son who was out of school for fall break this week. I have really enjoyed hanging out with him and was thrilled when I received his mid-term grades. He's a good egg. The BEST part of this week was that today I actually found a pair of board shorts that actually fit me...hurray! Seriously, I have been looking for a year...now I may actually walk down to the beach and swim more often. The Lord has surely been good to me...I am livin' lovin' and stampin' away the days in Hawaii...how cool is that? If you need a vacation, I'd love the company ;0)

Thankful...

2011-10-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to my local craft store because I read on their blog that they had some new goodies. I was not disappointed! As I chatted with the owner about distress inks, he asked me if I could make a sample for him to display. This is the tag I made for his store to show the cool background effects these unique inks can make. I love the rustic look and think it would be a perfect gift tag for a fall thank you gift. I am very thankful to have the time and resources to play with paper and ink. I am even more thankful for my loving son and devoted husband. This morning as we were driving to school, my son needed my encouragement. The Lord used that teachable moment and the words I spoke for his sake, to pierce MY heart. Each day is anew opportunity to grow in grace. I pray that God never stops refining me and that my heart never becomes hardened to repentance, faith and trust in Him alone. His sovereignty allows all the distressing trials of life to be used for His glory which is a beautiful thing indeed!

Natural Beauty

2011-10-03T18:01:00.000-04:00

This is a quick CAS card I made for the Color Monday Challenge at CPC today. I really love the fall and the earthy tones that come with it....I don't see any outside my window right now, but that is ok. This is just a season in my life also!
I plan to do some refining and re-defining in my craft space and blog to more reflect this season of my life and so that quite honestly it is more joyful and less dutiful for me to blog. My subtitle is livin', lovin' and stampin'...I plan to share a little more of all of that.
Hopefully that translates into more readable....but I am not holding my breath on that one!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a peak!

Old Friends

2011-10-01T04:28:00.000-04:00

This is my card for the clean and simple Saturday challenge at CPC today. I have been seriously neglecting not only my blog, but commenting in my reader too. I think that I am going to make some big changes soon to my blog and hope to increase my posting and traffic here. Thanks to those who have stuck with me...I see blog candy in the future so stay tuned! Back to the card...acquaintances abound, but true friends are precious and few. The trials and joys of life that shape us become much richer and days seem brighter because of the ones who know me best and love me most. This one is for my long time friend Cheryl...hope she likes it! Thanks for stopping by and hope you like my CAS card highlighting this fun paper!

Crayons!

2011-08-20T12:59:00.000-04:00

This is the card I made for today's Clean and Simple Saturday at CPC. You can see the post on the creative blog here . I used two fun techniques on this card...a white crayon resist and malting multiple colored crayon shavings with my iron. This was fun to make and fitting for the back to school theme too! Thanks for looking and I pray that you have a blessed weekend, praising God in ALL things.

CPC July Retro/Vintage Blog Hop!

2011-07-22T15:37:00.000-04:00

This is a card/paper weight that I made from a digital image that I downloaded and using a free font download for the inside corresponding scripture. I was not very much into vintage images before this month's theme at CPC, but I am now! I used an embossing folder and nestability dies to finish off this card that I did not even have to color (gotta love that)! I really love the old fashioned feel of this card and hope you enjoy it too! Thanks for stopping by and by all means join in the hop if you haven't already! SDG Marsha

Gracious Glimpses July 2011

2011-07-11T13:22:00.000-04:00

Today I am showing my sneak peek of the July Design Team Delight Gallery for CPC themed Retro/Vintage. Our dear Jan has come up with the new and improved title of Gracious Glimpses....has a nicer ring I think. Since this is not my usual genre, I began scouring the internet looking for digital images that would fit the bill. I didn't want to invest in new stamps and I wanted to incorporate my simple style. I came across this sweet little girl and couldn't resist her! She sort of looks like the Morton Salt Girl to me. At any rate, I broke out my Copics and Prisma pencils and am really happy with the result. It's a good thing too because I was recently busted out in front of my dh about the price per marker on these....and I have a bucket full! It was really good timing to show him just how well they colored ;-D. I hope to take a class next month so that I can start getting more mileage out of them...shading & light placement etc has never been a strong suit for me, so I am looking forward to that. The rest of the design team has put together a range of super fun to elegant cards and will be showcasing them all week, so stop over to the creative blog to check out those glimpses too!

Digital Sunrise

2011-07-06T15:30:00.001-04:00

Pheasant Silhouette

I made this card using a gorgeous new silhouette image from Angela Coles of Toucan Scraps that can be found here. Angela is very talented with digital images while I am just learning. I did manage to figure out how to air brush the background, but Angela also has a great tutorial here for that. If you stop over to check it out...you may notice a bow tutorial recently too (hint, hint). This card sadly, does not photograph anywhere close to how vibrant and bold the color contrast is in person. My husband was disappointed that I did not make this a more masculine card for a hunter. I see elegance, he sees a rifle and dinner...which is really funny because since I have known him, he has never even remotely been interested in hunting! Men! haha

Shelter of the Almighty

2011-07-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

I pulled this card together for a late entry into last weeks Fun on Friday challenge at CPC. This was a great challenge and a pleasure to participate in. Worry, fear and doubt cannot plaque me when I am meditating on the sovereignty and goodness of God. He takes care of even the smallest birds in the sky, how much more has He taken care of me? More than I sadly take the time to be grateful for on most days. Thanks for stopping by, and I pray that you are blessed AND thankful for it!

Disaster Averted!

2011-07-05T22:53:00.000-04:00

I went into my craft room intent on finishing a project and was dismayed that my Big Shot was making a terrible grinding noise and protesting any turning. I asked my hubby to take a look at it, but was already trying to figure out where I could get another one cheap and fast. I was also greatly frustrated because I knew that it most likely had something to do with the salt and humidity here (my ongoing arch-nemesis)! He could see those wheels turning and wanted to save himself some $$ and went to work! He dismantled the entire thing and found one bearing that was rusty (proving my theory). He was able to clean and lubricate it and reassembled the whole thing in no time at all. It honestly works better now than the day I bought it!! I should have never had a doubt! I love that man and am so thankful for all the little things he does daily that just make my life better! I thought I'd share the pics in case you ever wondered what the inside of your Big Shot looked like!

Disassembled!

The Culprit!

Shine!

2011-07-02T13:16:00.001-04:00

I made this card for this week's Bible Verse Challenge at Christian Paper Crafts. Abby does such a wonderful job with this challenge each week, her blog is also just such a sweet refreshment for me. She has the most serene and sweet spirit that just translates even across the web. At any rate, I chose to ink up one of my Lizzie Anne Design stamps for this challenge ( I am sad to see them closing), because I wanted a more rugged lighthouse image. This is a pretty simple card which is usual for me, but I think it came together nicely and will be for an encouragement to my pastor this week. Walking by faith and advancing the Gospel is not the life for the faint of heart...and can be challenging. It is good to encourage others always, especially those who are dedicated to proclaiming the Kingdom. May the Grace of God be with you today.

Precious Friend

2011-07-02T12:49:00.002-04:00

For this week's clean and simple Saturday challenge I chose to highlight the out of the box technique. For my sample I used two stamp sets and left the butterfly wings outside the nestability border when cutting it out. I added a few embellishments to compliment the MME paper and that's it. This technique appealed to me and my spiritual application is that in Christ there is no "box"...to grow in His Grace means constantly being willing to be stretched beyond my natural comfort zone. I don't always appreciate that in the midst of the process, but I am so blessed that the Lord will not leave me to my own complacency. Thanks for looking and I pray that you are having a blessed Holiday weekend celebrating the national liberty that we enjoy. It is that liberty that allows me to worship openly and I am thankful to God for that!

Transformed

2011-06-18T17:14:00.000-04:00

This is my post for this weeks' Clean and Simple Saturday at Christian Paper Crafts. Thanks for stopping by and by all means feel free to participate if you'd like! Encouraging comments are always welcome too ;0)

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

It is in the discipline of applying God’s word to my heart and mind that I am made more into His likeness. It is not so much that I am changing into something different, but more like He is conforming me to His intended image all along. I know that this will be a life-long process and I fervently pray to endure to the end and finish well!

For this week’s CASS challenge, I would like to challenge you to “transform” a piece of designer or patterned paper any way you choose. For my card, I fussy cut around the flower images of my paper then embossed it, highlighting the pattern with distress ink. I printed my sentiment from the computer and layered it underneath. This gave lots of depth and dimension to the paper and overall card.

Card Front


Inside

His Love

2011-06-06T03:50:00.000-04:00

This was my sample for the CASS challenge at CPC on Saturday. In addition to being spurred on by several of the other challenges there last week, the colors and feel of this card were motivated by some recent re-working of my craft space. I am super exciting with how it's coming together and will post some pictures soon. In the meantime, I hope you like my card and that this verse brings joy to your heart as it does mine. The Lord is mighty to save indeed!

Trust in the Lord

2011-05-27T16:12:00.001-04:00

I made this CAS card for today's CPC Fun of Friday challenge to use butterflies and flowers on a card...I added the shimmery tulle on the side so that I could play along with the Bloggers Challenge today too (finally)! I just bought this yummy K & Co paper and Prima Flowers butterflies so they were begging to be used. I die cut the center of the patterned paper so that the verse would be framed by it. Thanks for looking and your comments are always appreciated!

Washed with the Water

2011-05-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

This week’s challenge was prompted from this passage in Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

There is a song by this title also and the chorus really seemed fitting here:

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

I picked this verse weeks ago to go along with the bleach brush technique that I wanted to give a try. Wouldn’t you know that as the time drew closer, this would really apply to me?! I have been going through a fiery trial in the last week or so that has shaken me and caused me to take a deep, hard look at my faith. I am SO thankful for God’s word, for the finished work of the cross and for the Holy Spirit how ministers to me in time of need. This week’s challenge was right on time for ME…and I pray that you will be blessed in it too.

Ta-Dah!

2011-05-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

I have looked at this stamp for the longest time over at MFT, and finally just bought it. I don't have any girls and have no idea what I will use this card for...and that's kinda' the point. Sometimes crafting is just for enjoyment...I know shocking right? This silly little mouse in a tu-tu just makes me smile every single time I look at it. Maybe it's just the little girl inside of me that wanted to be a pretty dancer...or just memories of all the adorable little girls on the block at Ft Benning always playing dress up in their princess costumes. Whatever the reason, I just enjoy this image and this was a fun card to make. Last week was a bit of a bummer for me, so I am just thanking God for a beautiful day here inside and out...

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you like it to!

The Straight Path

2011-05-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

This is the card I made for today's Clean and Simple Saturday challenge for CPC. Anyone can play along and post here. The idea is to use straight lines on your card in any creative way you chose. I used my MS score board to create the raised embossing to frame my focal point. I used Proverbs 3:5-8 as the verse that inspired me for today. Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

Mr Fix It

2011-05-11T00:28:00.000-04:00

This is my sneak peek for the May Design Team Delights Gallery at Christian Paper Crafts that goes live on the 15th for the King's Daughter and Super Sister subscribers. I made this for Chip who can fix just about anything. He is one handy man and I am so grateful for him...esp since he doesn't try to fix me! He is a keeper, and I am very blessed to have him as my husband. I used the tried and true Tool Time stamp set and metallic paper for this card...adding a little man candy to dress it up along the way. Thanks for stopping by and I pray that you are thankful for your husband...even if he doesn't like tools ;0)!

A few of my favorite things....

2011-05-04T18:40:00.001-04:00

CPC is still celebrating and having prizes to boot, so this is a card I made for sketch Tuesday. I just love embossing, ribbon and learning new cool techniques. I got to do all of that on this card, so it was a fun one for me. I like not having a sentiment on the front sometimes so that you can have a go to card if you need it kwim? Any-hoo, if you like this cool flower here is a link to the video tutorial for it by Becca Feekin. Of course her finished card is way better, but I am just happy that I got the flower to come out right!! Thanks for stopping by and hope to be posting more regularly now! In His grace--Marsha

It's A Birthday Celebration!

2011-05-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

We are celebrating the 2nd birthday of Christian Paper Crafts web site and community for the next few days. This site was launched by Cindy Coutts and has taken off rapidly. It is a vibrant and growing community of Christians and crafters. I have been participating there for much of that time and recently was added as a permanent member of the design team, which has some super talented and sweet ladies on it, it is an honor to serve with them. I will be hosting the Clean and Simple Saturday challenges starting this week. We strive as a group to honor God in all that we create and share in community there. The membership with full access to the design team gallery and all of the chat threads is a paid one, but the creative blog is free and offers up different daily card challenges...with special events and prizes the next few days in particular. I hope that you will come check us out this week here. Hope you can stop by and play sometime, but thanks for taking the time to look at my card.

As the Deer...

2011-04-29T00:32:00.000-04:00

This is a card I made for the Bible Verse Thursday challenge at Christian Paper Crafts. The challenge was to make a card from Isaiah 51:3 and an emphasis on the theme of wilderness, but always with creative room for interpretation. I don't have any wild life stamps, but I do have this fun deer die cut and jumped at the chance to pull it out and use it. Once I decided that my sentiment immediately popped into my head. There is a beautiful worship song based on this scripture...a version can be heard here. I enjoyed making this one, and even added cotton so that he would look like the white tail deer I grew up seeing in North Florida. I hope you like it too and thanks for looking!

Inspired by Nature

2011-04-12T18:20:00.000-04:00

The theme for this month's design team delights gallery at Chrsitan Paper Crafts is Mother's Day/Friendship. I created this card for a friend here in Hawaii using the emboss resist technique. I really love this tried and true stamp set from Stampin Up. Combined with Ranger Inks I think it made a simple but lovely card. Thanks for looking and I will be posting more projects from CPC as well as info on the free general membership offer coming up soon!

Bulk Card Project

2011-03-28T22:56:00.001-04:00

Aloha! Sorry I have not posted in so long...I have had some time management issues! Today I thought I would share the bulk card project I completed for my son's school fundraiser. They have an annual dinner and auction each year. These card sets were made as a table favor for the persons who purchased a table for 10 at different price points. The first set is a regular A2 card set of 8...I made 20 of these. The pineapple is embossed then inked, and the twine bow is tied through paper piercing around the neck.

This set is 6 3x3 cards also embossed and colored. I did not do the bows on the individual cards so that more could fit into the packaging. I had the stencil for these made at my local craft store from plastic. I made 30 of these sets. This was my first bulk project, and I enjoyed it once I was in a rhythm! Hope you like them and thanks for looking!

It's Amour!

2011-02-28T16:05:00.005-05:00

I actually made my card on time for the Bloggers Challenge sketch....but obviously did not get it posted until today. I used some great paper from Graphic 45 for this sketch and no stamps! I like how it came out and the colors in this rich paper. Thanks for looking and I hope you had a great weekend...it WAS my birthday so I am using that as my excuse for being tardy ;0)! ***I totally forgot that I DID use a stamp for the Amour--from SU Clearly for You set. One year older and I'm already senile...oy vey!

Take Flight

2011-02-16T15:44:00.000-05:00

I am not generally very good at making cards from a sketch...and this represents my third attempt at this one. I think it is like everything else, you get better with practice. I really lean towards CAS, but I enjoy stretching my comfort zone too. At any rate, I made this for the sketch challenge Tuesday at Christian Paper Crafts. That is hosted by Gloria Stengal...who is a pretty amazing crafter. You can check out more of her work here: http://www.gloriascraps.blogspot.com/
I used some basic SU card stock and a strip of DCWV Mariposa for my layers, some embossing, stamping and here you have it. Thanks for looking!

Sneak Peek for Design Team Gallery at CPC

2011-02-13T04:11:00.001-05:00

As a guest designer for Christian Paper Crafts this month, I had the oppotunity to play with some fabulous products from My Time Made Easy who is our sponsor this month. This is a sneak peek for the Design Team gallery open to Super Sisters and King's Daughter subscriptions. The gallery is full of beautiful creations from several templates, digi stamps and papers from MTME! My samples are using thee Just for You Digital stamps set, the Cherries in Blossom Digital Papers and teh Tea Box template. TFL and if you want to see more check out Christian Paper Crafts blog for more info! Blessings to you all!

True Love

2011-02-12T04:04:00.001-05:00

I wasn't 100% happy with my first card using this fun new flower technique...so this is take two! I am much happier with this card...reminds me of a box of chocolates! TFL...and I hope that you know personally the love of the Father as expressed through His son Jesus. THAT is something worth celebrating...every day!
**You Tube Tutorial for this rose can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcP_VJrvs0U

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-12T01:28:00.002-05:00

Love is the appropriate theme for this week's Bloggers Challenge. I made this simple card after seeing a video at SNR today using the SU owl punch for the petals and scallop punch for the center. If you like it you can check out a video tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcP_VJrvs0U . I then used a MS punch to add some leaves behind my rose and mounted it on this heart background stamp for a simple Valentines Day card. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the rest of the fantastic creations on the thumbnails below. Have a great weekend and of course a Happy Valentine's Day!

Red, Black and White

2011-02-05T16:38:00.004-05:00

I had such a great time celebrating my 4th wedding anniversary with my DH the last couple of days, that I forgot to post my challenge card on time...oops! I made this earlier in the week...and have seen similar cards on SCS, so it is not my most original creation but I love how it turned out. Of course, I had to add butterflies to my card...can't get enough of them! The whole image of God's transforming power is demonstrated in these beautiful creations. I left the flowers without color for this challenge and I think they are striking, but can't wait to break out the copics and give this stamp image a whole different feel for another card. Anyhoo, I hope you like this one and thanks for stopping by. Be sure and check out the thumbnails below and play along if you'd like!

Great News!

2011-02-02T15:14:00.001-05:00

I made this CUTE card for a release party/challenge by Sweet N Sassy Stamps over at the Christian Paper Crafts web site. The SNS stamp release this month is fantastic and worth checking out! I also wanted to announce that I was blessed enough to be picked to be a GUEST DESIGNER for CPC this month! Whoo Hoo :0). I have already made some fun projects to post in the special gallery there, and won't be able to share them here. I do plan to use some of the really fun digital stamps from this month's sponsor My Time Made Easy. Hope you enjoy this fun card and will check back to see more fun cards from MTME soon.

Winter Magic

2011-01-31T15:13:00.000-05:00

I know that many of my cyber friends are weary of the cold, ice and snow...but it really is beautiful :0). I made this card with you guys in mind, using a DreamWeavers stencil, double sided sticky paper, and glitter. I layered it onto silver and night of navy card stock topping it off with a ribbon from my stash. I love how this came out, so tfl and stay warm!!

Ode To Spring

2011-01-31T15:08:00.000-05:00

This is a card I made using one of my favorite Hero Arts tree images stamped onto watercolor paper (already colored with distress inks) in Brown Momento Ink. I then used various pink SU markers to color in the buds and accented them with Spica Glitter pens and a White Gel Pen. The card base is SU Naturals White and layered with Rich Razzleberry and Early Espresso that had been embossed with a Cuttlebug EF. I finished it off with some ribbon and a butterfly charm. TFL!

2011-01-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

This was my attempt at a more sophisticated card...I got a little (lot) carried away with the distress ink and then just couldn't pull this together the way some of the ladies I admire from ODBD. It is still a nice sentiment and it is good to know what my style is and is not!

This is a little more my speed design wise. I had one sheet of this groovy paper in a grab bag that I got from Taylored Expressions and I love it. There was a rainbow challenge this week at SCS and this fits the bill perfectly.

Happy Birthday!

2011-01-28T17:54:00.002-05:00

This week's theme was Birthday at the Blogger's Challenge Group. As is usually the case for me, I was stuck on making a card with multiple rainbow colors because I have tried to make a card for both the SCS/CAS challenge and the CPC/FOF challenge along those lines. So far...haven't nailed those yet, but did manage to eke out this card! I am actually quite pleased with how it turned out. Birthdays SHOULD be bright, happy and fun....that's my story and I'm stikin' with it! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my card and be sure to check out all the other fantastic cards from the rest of the group below. I hope you have a fantastic weekend Birthday or not :0).

Pattern Paper Theme

2011-01-21T12:12:00.002-05:00

Pattern Paper was the theme for the Bloggers Challenge group this week and this is what I came up with. I think this paper is SO pretty and the bird was a natural focal point. I just added a little embellishment and sentiment and I think it came together nicely. This was a pretty simple card, but I did have to let go of some hoarding tendencies to use the only peice of this pretty paper and to finally bust out the bling that I have had for ages! Thanks to our blog mom Lisa, you can now see ALL the players work right here. Great idea and will probably motivate me to work that much harder!! Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend :0)

My Craft Space....

2011-01-19T18:07:00.002-05:00

View of my desk and bookshelf...the desk & Chairwill be getting a makeover soon!


My Work Top--getting new drawers for my B-day!

My constant companion :0)

This is the Cart my hubby was working on a few weeks ago


Not the best pic of my favorite piece in the room...found it on the curb all busted up...DH revived it!

This was an Anne Geddes pic that I have had in a closet since the last time I was in Hawaii...works perfectly in this space! You can see the top of my AC in the bottom corner of the pic--my favorite gift EVER! You'd have to live here to understand ;0)

The other side of my worktop and a peek into the closet space that is chock full too!

Here is my current craft space. I have recycled, re purposed and made it work with all kinds of furniture and stuff I have found to create what is for me a little oasis away from everything that I can create in and share with my cyber friends. Of course, my fantastic husband has been very helpful in all of it and I am thankful ALWAYS to God that He has so richly blessed me! I do hope one day for it all to be more cohesive...but I am truly thrilled and content with what I have now.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! Kind comments are always appreciated too :0).

Need love...

2011-01-15T19:50:00.000-05:00

I made this card earlier this week from all of my scraps of this yummy paper from MME. It also fit the bill for a Fun on Friday challenge over at the CPC web site. I heart these fun and happy patterns and couldn't bear to toss any out since it is old news by now. I have come to realize that I hoard shoes and designer paper while only using a few that I am comfortable with. May have to work on that, but for now I found some more of this on Etsy and ordered it post haste! I don't have daughters so I have to live out my pink heart glitter fantasies on paper ;0). Anyhoo, I picked up this dollar stamp from Michael's a long time ago and it needed ink. I guess we do need air and water...but in the end it is the love of God that is eternally sustaining! Thanks so much for looking and even more if you choose to comment. Happy Saturday!

Glitter Flashback....

2011-01-14T21:27:00.003-05:00

I am re-posting one of the first cards I made for the chance to win an Ippity set for the Flashback Friday challenge. This was the first "glittery" card I made. The snow, the moon and the trees are very sparkly irl...but didn't really photo that way. The amazing thing is, I actually still like it :0). Thanks for stopping by, and if you are interested in this contest you can find it here: http://flashbackfridaychallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/flashback-friday-70.html

BC195 (Sketch)

2011-01-14T17:19:00.002-05:00

Today's post is based on the sketch provided by our blogger's challenge blog mom Lisa. She is terrific and so is this sketch....I on the other hand, not so much. I am not sure why, but I struggled with this one. I DO own other patterned paper besides this Basic Grey origins, and promise to use something else next week! Anyway, here is the sketch and my take on it. Thanks for stopping by and have a super weekend :-D

Color Challenge

2011-01-06T18:45:00.001-05:00

Yellow, Brown and Green (or Blue) were the colors to use this week. I used my Basic Grey Origins paper as a jumping off point for these colors, then pared it with a scrap piece of checkered paper covering the seam with twine. I colored/cut-out the bird then popped it onto the blossom image and layered it all with my nestabilities. Because of the Fleur De Lei I thought that a French greeting would be appropriate. Thanks for looking and have a wonderful weekend!

Darlin Husband's Recylcing.....

2011-01-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

I am WAY late for the Bloggers Challenge...and I cheated too! I hope that you will understand and forgive me once you read my post. This card is one that my husband made for me on Christmas morning...the ornament should look familiar...it was a reject from my project that he fished from the trash can! He also retrieved this punched piece of paper and added a couple of stamps in the background. It is great that he made a card for me, but the BEST part was that he said "this is harder than you make it look"! I think he did a great job, he has many skills and cards are not at the top of that list....what he is REALLY good at is building and fixing anything with wood. THAT is why I am so late with posting and didn't make my own project...he has been helping me upgrade my craft space--I will post pictures at the end of this week. It has taken longer than I anticipated, but here is a picture of him at work on a cart for my room that is being reworked for the third time since my friend Kate gave it to me...in fact almost ALL of the furniture in my craft space is a recycle project. I wanted to showcase it for this week's challenge, but I am still not done arranging it all, so I will load up the pics this Friday with this week's challenge--ON TIME I promise! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Happy Thoughts

2010-12-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

I am having Happy Thoughts indeed! I received my Christmas present a day late...and it was worth the wait!! If you read my blog you know that I moved to Hawaii with my military husband last summer and it has been quite an adjustment. On Christmas day my husband and I were using bleach and water to scrub our furniture after we discovered mold growing on our leather arm chair and mahogany dining table/chairs...ick! The constant rain and humidity have taken a toll on my belongings and my moral. My craft room was suffering too...rusting tools, droopy paper and falling apart cards were taking my joy of crafting. Just when I resigned myself to this fate, my DH came home from work with a small AC unit, perfect for my craft room. I know that many are facing bitter cold and snow, so this may seem weird...but I gotta' tell ya' that this gift ROCKS! It may be my best present ever...LOVE that man ;-). Thanks for looking and hope that you are having some Happy Thoughts of your own!

An Award for Chrismas!

2010-12-25T17:51:00.005-05:00

Wowza! What a nice Christmas present I received today from my SU co-hort, Madeline Marcelo! She is extremely talented--both creative and meticulous in her design aesthetic, so I am truly honored. You can check out her blog here: http://thestampingstudio.blogspot.com/.
Along with displaying this cool award, I have to tell 8 things about myself.

1. I am a Christian, a wife and mother in that order
2. I don't do Face Book (Gasp)!
3. I only have a few friends, but they are dear and genuine...sadly not crafters
4. I make fabulous Chocolate Chip cookies !
6. I have been addicted to stamps/card making for a little less than 2 years
7. My DH supports my habit and is my #1 fan
8. I live in the same town in Hawaii that I was enamored with on my Honeymoon--never imagining that we could/would reside here!

Finally I get to forward This award to 8 other stylish crafters. Of course Nikki Bond would be at the top of my list, but she is already on Madeline's ;-). So, I am going to send it on to some of the blogs I follow in my reader.

bensarmom

Becky

maryrose

Katherine

Lynn

Cindy

Karen

Heather

Peace on Earth

2010-12-24T20:24:00.000-05:00


Merry Christmas! I used a retired SU set for this week's card called Peace on Earth. I stamped the earth ornament onto water color paper and used Distress Ink with pearl mica powder to color it in (very shimmery irl). I cut it out and "suspended" it with some silver cord then embellished the atmosphere with some star brads to complement the sentiment. Hope you like it and are enjoying a blessed day enjoying your family and I pray that you are celebrating the birth of Christ and more importantly that you are at peace with God through repentance and faith in Christ alone. I used to struggle with saying Peace on Earth because it seems to be anything but peaceful...this year is different. I want to share a link to a beautiful Christmas song that really blessed me this year and was the inspiration for this card! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7670CXvPX0

December Sketch Challenge

2010-12-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

This card is for the Bloggers Challenge Sketch this week. I was glad to get to use this stamp that I have had for quite a while paired with this lovely DSP that I picked up from a LSS. Friends who really know and love you are a rare blessing indeed. Thanks for stopping by and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the group's creations--click on the link in my sidebar if you would like to see them too. Have a great weekend and I urge you to take some time to really reflect on this blessed season without getting too caught up in the rush and hype. Grace and peace to you!

The Names of Jesus

2010-12-13T02:01:00.000-05:00

This stamp was actually given to me by a sweet lady who was moving and clearing out her stash. I have had it tucked away until now. While standing in my craft room listening to my son and husband discuss Algebra (yuck) I spied it and started marking it up. The idea of a rainbow on this stamp appealed to me because I live in Hawaii...where I am blessed to frequently see this sign of God's covenant with man in the sky. Each time I am reminded of His great faithfulness that is so undeserved by us...and I am awed with wonder at His great love for humanity. I embellished the bottom with a heart button because the birth of Christ was the gift of love to mankind..and His death on the cross was the greatest demonstration of love that the world will ever see. This is surely cause for celebration, thanksgiving and praise....Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday

2010-12-10T10:43:00.002-05:00

I made this card for this week's Bloggers Challenge to create a Birthday Card. I used the SU Birthday Bakery and Well Scripted sets for the focal image framed in basic black and placed on gold background that was embossed using a Sizzix folder. I used a glitter pen on the stands for the desert. This card has just the right amount of sheen and sparkle in real life and makes a yummy looking card :0). It is good to be playing along and posting again, so thanks for stopping by and taking a look. I have been busy making some Christmas cards (finally) and will be posting some of them soon too!

BC176 Patriotic

2010-11-04T21:54:00.001-04:00

This week's Bloggers Challenge was to create a card with a patriotic theme. Great timing since this was an election week...which is a great part of this nation even if your candidate did not win. The freedom to vote is a blessing indeed. Anyhoo, I went with the tradition red, white and blue. I used the stamp sets the Free and the Brave and Service and Sacrifice from Stampin up to create the focal image. A distressed stripe EF in the background topped with punched stars finish it off. I really love this Eagle image...it captures much of what makes me love this country and those who serve and protect it. I KNOW that the other ladies in the Bloggers Challenge group will have some great cards to share (Nikki is a pro at patriotic cards), so be sure to check them out! Have a happy and safe weekend and please keep our soldiers and their families in your prayers :0).

R U ready for Santa?

2010-10-25T18:27:00.000-04:00

OK....my last post for today was just for fun. I made this card pretty quickly for the CAS challenge at SCS to use gingham or checks today. I LOVE gingham ribbon, so I wanted to think out of the box and do something different since I use it a lot. This is where my brain took me...just a little fun...since I tend to be very serious it was a nice break! Hope you like it and of course Santa's not makin' a list, but, nice does matter ;-).

Give Thanks...

2010-10-25T18:23:00.000-04:00

I made this card for two challenges at Christian Paper Crafts last week. I had typed out the back ground paper some time back and had it sitting on my desk to use for a thanksgiving card. I finally cropped it and inked it up with the French Foliage stamp set from SU. I layered Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Whisper White. I stamped my main focal image from the Friends 24/7 SU set twice. I layered the colored image on top, using a black pearl for the bird's eye. I embellished with some pearls, ribbon and a stick pen to complete the card. I worked hard on this one and love how it turned out. Thanks for looking and I hope that you find something to be thankful for each and every day. I have a long list...having the time, resources and ability to craft/create is high up there :-D

Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-25T18:14:00.001-04:00

I actually made this card before I saw this week's stampin' sisters in Christ challenge, but knew it would be perfect for it. I punched out a heart on scrap paper then stamped the image in versa mark over the mask. I then used the pastel chalks to color the image, added a ribbon and sentiment. Easy peasy, but beautiful. I love a CAS card when it comes together and I think this one did. I plan to send it along with a stack of others to the compassionate cards at SCS. I am so blessed to be in good health and want to reach out to those who are facing this horrible battle. Thanks for looking!

Recycle It

2010-10-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

I re-used the vellum front of this card from a card given to me. Sadly, I have occasion to send a sympathy card for a dear man who recently passed in my former church. I stamped the sentiment on the front in gold ink and layered in with nesties on Whisper White and Gold cardstock. Thanks for looking and I am sure that the rest of the ladies in the Blogger's Challenge group have some lovely creations to check out by clicking on the icon in my side bar. Have a lovely weekend!

For You

2010-10-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

I made this card for the sketch challenge at Christian Paper Crafts this week. I plan to send it to the sweetheart who filled in as the guest host for these challenges when the regular person had a family tragedy. The funny thing is that I started this card with the sketch and some DSP in mind. I ended up changing the background paper after coloring my image...and I am happy I did. I bought this paper (only 1 sheet) a while back and I LOVE it. Too bad it is gone :-(. I hope that "Stamptician" will enjoy it. Thanks for looking and have a fabulous weekend :-D

Just Because

2010-10-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

This week's Bloggers Challenge was to use Black, White and a splash of Orange. I made this card using a movers and shapers sizzix window die. It is good to have some all occasion cards on hand... just because ;-). The other ladies in the Bloggers Challenge group created some real stunners this week, you can take a lot by clicking on the link from my side bar. Thanks for stopping by, and I love to get your feedback!

Crazy Cajun Monday!

2010-10-11T17:59:00.000-04:00

Today's post is a card I made for 3 challenges...a first for me!! I continue to try and push myself a little more to learn and develop my "skills". I used Cajun Craze and PTI white paper, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze ink, MS border punch, corner chomper and my sewing machine for kicks. My poor DH had to work 12 hour night shifts all weekend after putting in a full week last week. That is the call of the Active Duty--to fill in wherever needed. Since he was snoozin most of the day yesterday and this morning I had some time in my craft room. He will be off for the next couple of days while my son is on semester break too, so we will be able to go and have some family fun--yeah! Thanks for looking and hope you are enjoying some nice fall weather and family time too :-D

reMEmber

2010-10-10T17:04:00.000-04:00

I purchased my first digital stamp this week and this is the card I made with it. When I make a card I seldom know where it is going to end up...or I would probably lay things out better. They just kinda' evolve into whatever they are going to be. Anyway, I was thinking about all that I have to be thankful for and the approaching Holiday season. Please remember a military family this year...many will be separated from the ones they love. My heart goes out to you Nikki. TFL!

Panda Love

2010-10-10T02:02:00.000-04:00

OK....so I really like this BG paper and I wanted to used the rest of one of my scraps! I saw this weeks Mojo Monday Sketch challenge (late) and wanted to play along. I had this panda on my desk from my frustrating day with the cricut and the xo paper I made for a valentine project from last year. So all in all, this was a card put together from a bunch of leftovers....and I like it! No excuses today ;-). It is kinda' funny to me that the cards I like the most get the lease response, but that's A-OK. I do not craft for any other reason than I really enjoy it and I hope to bless others in some way. I will share a little bit more in that vein next week. Hope you are having a great weekend...we have awesome weather here!

October Sketch Challenge

2010-10-08T13:00:00.004-04:00

This is my card for this week's Bloggers Sketch Challenge. It is called challenge for a reason...this sketch took a little time to come together for me. As usual, this is not my first attempt. I pulled out my cricut earlier this week at my husband's request. He bought it for me and I haven't used it much. I could not get the images to cut cleanly at wasted a lot of time trying to make it work anyway. I am going to buy a new blade for it today and see if that does the trick. I use SU card stock for all of my basic colors and it is pretty thick. I tried doing the adjustments, but I think I just don't have a sharp enough blade. I scratched that one and started over...and I am pretty happy with it. I am not sure that it is a good representation of the sketch..but I am OK with that! Thanks for looking and check out all the other creations by the group!

Take 2!

I loved the first card...sort of. After looking at all the other ladies' cards I decided that I could represent the sketch a little better, so I gave it a quick facelift! TFL :-D

CASEing Jennifer McQuire....

2010-10-04T17:20:00.000-04:00

I have been following Jennifer McQuire's blog because I love her style. I have had this house stamp from PTI for about a year because I loved it, but haven't used it. When I saw her post combining Hero Arts and PTI stamps I was so excited. I ran right out to a local store and purchased this background stamp...lol! Marketing works right? At any rate, this is my take on her card which you can see here:
http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/adsfadsfadsfa.html Thanks for stopping by :-D

Fall Thank You

2010-10-02T00:04:00.000-04:00

This is a card I made earlier this week...I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I started this card after browsing the web and finding a blog challenge to used some of the paper that has been stashed (or hoarded for over 6 months). WELL...I have plenty of that! I am kinda' hooked on red in my house lately...so I think that was also an influence. I started with a Kraft card base, then layered this cool paper from a pack hidden away in a drawer. I love punches and using my big shot, so I punched out the word window and stamped the sentiment on a layer of white card stock underneath. I used various markers to color the image, then cut it out and layered it with nestabilities. I like how this turned out and may make a few more varied just a little for some teacher thank yous after next week's finals at my son's high school. Thanks for looking and I always appreciate any comments you may have :0).

Anniversary Card

2010-10-01T15:09:00.000-04:00

This is the card I made for this week's Bloggers Challenge group. Believe it or not, this very simple card was my 3rd try. I am still not 100% satisfied that this came out exactly how I wanted, but there is a time to just quit. I resisted the temptation to keep embellishing and tweaking it. Masculine cards are definitely not my forte and no matter what, there is always a feminine element....good thing I married a man who is secure enough to just appreciate what I create and not mind so much! I did try to keep the colors bold and the embellishments simple....anniversaries are about celebrating the love and romance with your mate so their had to be some hearts involved....right? That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! The other ladies in the challenge group are sure to come up with some knock-outs so give them a visit too. Thanks for stopping by and I challenge you to celebrate the people you love in your life TODAY...even if it is not your anniversary, their birthday etc. We aren't guaranteed any tomorrows...I'm just sayin'. Have a great weekend :-D

Recycle It!

2010-09-24T01:29:00.000-04:00

This week's bloggers challenge was to recycle something for a card. I recylced the plastic bag that my local craft store used for my recent purchases. I crumpled it up then glued it to a piece of recycled chip board, brayering it down securely. I finished it off with various embellisments to coordinate with the colors in the bag. Thanks for looking and be sure to check out the other Bloggers Challenge members for their cool creations!

Girlie Time!

2010-09-23T17:17:00.002-04:00

This is a card I created today to play along with the Tuesday Sketch Challenge over at Christian Paper Crafts. It has been a long time since I posted anything there and I loved this layout. It came together in really "girlie" way-- maybe it is because I am wearing a skirt today :-D. This is my favorite kind of card...where I used all sorts of my most loved accessories put together in one project. I have had these string pearls and tulle for the longest time just waiting for the right card...add to that glitter, butterflies, small pearls and it just doesn't get any better than that for me! Thanks for looking

Two Cards in one day!

2010-09-22T17:58:00.000-04:00

I am actually posting twice in one day after such a dry spell--yeah! This is a card that came together pretty quickly using a new stamp set I picked up yesterday. I feel pretty guilty sometimes because I have more than enough...but there is always something new and cute to catch the eye! Anyhoo, I figure if I stuff this in my hubby's lunch he'll love it and my conscense will be soothed ;-). The camera would not pick up the score lines on this which add a lot more deminsion and interest in real life, but that's ok..you get the general idea. I am just so happy to be crafting again. My finicky poodle has even found a spot to sit in, so I have had company too! Maybe next week I'll post some photos of my new craft space--I am blessed enought to have my own room--no matter how small! Thanks for looking.

Giving Thanks

2010-09-22T17:05:00.000-04:00

Good day and thanks to my few and loyal viewers!! I first should say that the moon was amazing last night and my hubby and I took a nice walk and sat on the beach before bed...very cool. This moring, on the first day of fall, we had totally rainy and overcast weather--perfect! I was inspired to make a fall themed card and convicted of my recent gloomy attitude. Each day IS a gift and I am thankful for them all. I am so in the fall frame of mind that I am even going to make some soup for dinner tonight--even if we have to sit in front of the fan to eat it!! Thanks for looking :-D

Personal Updates...

2010-09-19T14:46:00.000-04:00

I wanted to put a fall layout on my page, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. Fall is my favorite time of year...I love the crisp air, apples, falling leaves etc. It has always been my favorite season and will be one of the things I will miss here in Hawaii. I decided to focus on the present which is palm trees and sunshine...poor me right? lol. I want my blog to reflect the beautiful palette of God's creation that I currently enjoy. My house is almost completely in order and is finally feeling like a home. Sun rash, contact dermatitis turned staph infection, centipede bite (on my face--while sleeping), jelly fish stings and high humidity with no AC have been just a few of the hurdles that I have been facing. I am all healed up, and adjusting to the constant sticky feeling! My son started a private High School after being in special education in the public school system his whole life. We have had a minimum of 4 hours of homework a night and he is still lagging, but I see improvements every day. We do have an amazing view from our home and the drive to school for him every day opens up to a panoramic view of the pacific ocean...it takes my breath EVERY time I see it. For whatever it is worth, the scenery is no comparison to loving friends and church fellowship which we are still waiting for. I guess this is all a sign of my age...I don't adapt as quickly or as well to changes. That, and I am losing the battle with gravity...good thing my eyesight is going too (helps not to notice too much)! At any rate, I am thankful for this internet outlet...it does not replace interaction with people, but sure helps to fill the void. Thanks for bearing with and reading this post (if you did) and I pray that you have a most blessed day in the Lord!
Soli Deo Gloria

Blue/Green/Brown Color Challenge

2010-09-17T15:41:00.000-04:00

Have you wanted to spend some time crafting and everything just fell right into place...and you made something that turned out better than you expected? That is so cool when that happens...but this is not a representative of such an experience. I did not post anything for quite some time because not only was I in transition with my move, but my creativity has been really lacking. This is the result of salvaging several mistakes and forcing something to come together. I hope to be in a better swing of things soon. Maybe taking a class to learn how to use my new camera would help too! Anyhoo, thanks for looking and I hope that you have a fantastic Friday and weekend. Now that the link is working again, check out the other Blogger Challenge group for some truly awesome cards in this color combo. :-D

I'm finally back!!

2010-09-09T23:35:00.000-04:00

This my first card in months! I made it for the Bloggers Challenge group for this week's fall theme. I needed a thank you card so I took the opportunity to do both in one. I used a stencil with paste and several types of glitter to make the tree. I picked it up at a locally owned craft store. A retired couple owns/operates it and they were such a delight when I was having a tough day. Being in their store immediately brightened my spirits, then they were super nice, so I am glad to use one of the products I purchased from them for my come-back card. I have missed crafting! At any rate, I didn't have a real plan with my color placement...but I kinda like how it turned out. The sentiment was die cut from metallic card stock that I also used as a mat. This is really sparkly irl....thanks for looking.

ALOHA!!

2010-06-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

This is the AMAZING view from my back yard in a few weeks. Below is the pool that is inside my back yard. I can hardly believe that this is real...all I can say is that God's grace continues to amaze me more and more every day. At one point in my life, I thought I had blown it all so completely and that my "chance" for happiness had passed....was I ever so wrong! I am not bragging or preaching--just trying to give God the praise He deserves for the incredible second chance at life that He has given me. Soli Deo Gloria!

Tropical Fathers Day

2010-06-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

I am finally excited about our move to Hawaii....must have something to do with the fact that we have a house lined up that is not only in our budget, but has a gorgeous view AND a pool! God is so good to us...MUCH better than I deserve. This card is for my father-in-law and will hopefully get him in the tropical mood to come for a visit when we are settled! I used always artichoke, kraft and dusty durango as my color combo in this card. I pray that you all have a wonderful day celebrating your father next weekend--alive or not and even for those who are less than ideal. I thank God for my earthly father even though he has long since passed...he brought me here and left me a legacy of his Godly example and I look forward to one day seeing him again. Blessings to you all and thanks for stopping by!

Liberty

2010-05-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

Red, White and Blue were the colors for this week's Blogger's Challenge card. I chose Bravo Burgandy, Night of Navy and Whisper White as my colors. These darker shades are used in much of the patriotic decor here on Ft Benng, so I thought I would tribute that. I wanted to do a not quite so literal interpretation of the flag, so I stamped tone on tone stars in the background, and used my fun rick-rack punch to create the "stripes". I enjoyed making this card and I hope you like it. I pray that you and your families enjoy a fun and safe holiday weekend while remembering the fallen soldiers who paved the way in blood for the freedoms we all hold dear. I thank God for our liberty and for His love! Thanks for stopping by :-D

Your too kind

2010-05-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of Karen Giron and follow her blog. I decided to play along with her sketch challenge this week and today's card is my interpretation of that. I started with a soft sued card base and layered it with rose red. My main panel is kraft brayered with white craft ink. I then stamped my background image with the elements of style stamp that had been colored with markers and spritzed with water. The birds were punched out of Kraft paper, brayered with whitle craft ink and ther very vintage wheel rolled over in soft suede. The sentiment is on the bottom because I smuged part of the image and didn't want to start over--so I improvised! To finish off I spritzed the entire from with the glimmer mist paint and alcohol to give it a pretty shimmer. Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

Beautiful You....

2010-05-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

I started this card over a week ago, toying with pink and orange. It changed several times until this final version. The inside is stamped...you. I have a friend who is just beautiful inside and out, but could use a reminder of that I think. The ludicrous standards of beauty that pressure women are everywhere and can be overwhelming even to the most mature and grounded of us. I would like to encourage anyone taking the time to look at this to be confident and courageous in the package you have been given...true and lasting beauty comes from the inside and radiates to the world in an inspiring and life changing kind of way. Grow in grace and wisdom so that you can be blessed and bless those around you!

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised

Black Majic

2010-05-21T09:48:00.001-04:00

This is the sketch for this week's blogger's challenge that I followed for a simple layout. I didn't include a sentiment so that this would be a versitile card. I finally tried out the black majic technique for this card as well using the inspired by nature stamp. This is a stamp that I love and a technique that I have wanted to try for a long time, so I am glad that I finally used both! I was also able to incorporate a new border punch and this fantastic new embossing folder. I think the end result is only OK for me, but I am just glad to get the opportunity to play along and use some of my favorite things :-). I have seen some really gorgeous work by the rest of the challenge team, so be sure to check them out by clicking on the Blogger's Challenge link on the right. Be blessed and thanks for looking!

My first blog hop!

2010-05-14T09:20:00.001-04:00

I have two cards today from the Lizze Anne Designs monthly mix stamp sets and am so excited to post them for the new monthly blog hop! I am loving these stamps and had so much fun making these. Thanks for looking :-).

2010-05-14T08:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! Today's blogger challenge was to use red/curry/teal. It is not a color combination that I would normally pick or so I thought until I rummaged through my stack of single sheets of paper that I have picked up along the way just because I thought they were pretty ;-). I love this particular floral print and I thought it was perfect for this challenge. I also got to ink up one of my brand new stamps that I purchased last week. I am pretty happy with how this came together and look forward to being inspired by the rest of the group (click on the logo if you want to check them out too)!

Father-in-law Happy Birthday

2010-05-12T10:01:00.001-04:00

This is for my father-in-law's 70th birthday next week. I LOVE this tree image...it is an exact representation of a tree in the field next to my house growing up. Just like this beautiful tree my father was a strong and beautiful presence in my life as a little girl. Ironically the tree was struck by lightening and died...as my father also passed from a massive heart attack at the early age of 47. I was still a girl and I missed him terribly, but have taken heart over the years in the knowledge that our separation is not eternal. At any rate, thanks for looking and I hope that my father-in-law enjoys this card and his special day : D.

Lovely Orchids

2010-05-11T19:03:00.000-04:00

I scored this orchid stamp in the clearance bin the other day! My DH's grandmother turns 97 tomorrow...I didn't get the stamp in time for that, but will use it in the future for her--she loves orchids. I couldn't wait to ink it up and use it and this is what I came up with . I really like the Rose Red and Chocolate Chip together. Thanks for looking :-)

Mother's Day

2010-05-07T08:27:00.001-04:00

This mother's day card is for the bloggers challenge this week and for my husband's step mother. She lives in South FL, so I thought the bright colors would be appropriate and the patchwork look of this card is also fitting of the way that our family(immediate AND extended) is stitched together out of mistakes, heartbreaks and redemption into something beautiful through God's mercy and lovingkindness. I pray that you would honor your mothers...for better or worse and greater still that those of you who are mothers would be honored this weekend.

Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

"Manydaughtershavedone nobly,

But you excel them all."

Proverbs 31:28-29