Diane's Designs

Sweet Hearts 4 U

2012-01-30T00:05:00.124-06:00

I'm not sure where my love of Valentine's Day came from, because as a child I wasn't particularly fond of grade school celebrations of the event. In my day, there were no "rules of kindness" regarding the Valentine card exchange. So some children got fewer cards than others. My mother always insisted that I make a card for everyone, but other mothers were not so thoughtfully instructive.

I did, however love decorating my Valentine Box, and I would proudly prance off to school eager to show off the joint creative efforts of my mother and me. The closer I got to school, my pride would shift to dread for fear I'd be coming home with an empty box. I didn't!

I certainly don't want you to go away from this post empty handed! So I've collected a little Valentine love and put it all in a jar just for you.

I created some fun digital images some time ago, and thought they'd be perfect for a few projects I needed to do. (You can purchase them at the end of the post.) I created the jar image as a mini tri-fold that forms four inside panels. The overall card measures a cute 2-1/4 x 2-3/4 inches.

When fully extended the card measures 2-3/4 x 9 inches so you could make three of them with one 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock (the base).

I copied and pasted one jar image on a landscaped Word Document page. I sized the jar to 2-3/4" tall and copied it two times laying them on the document as shown above and below. Once printed, I followed these easy steps to construct my card. The red dashed line above indicate the first score line described later.

Step 1: Print out the jar image once sized.

Step 2: Make horizontal cuts the 11-inch length of the paper between jars. Make a straight cut along the right side of the jar as shown on the third strip above or in the view below.

Step 3: For each strip, use scoring tools and make a score line along the left side of the jar.

Step 4: Fold on the score line, and keeping the image up, score along the right side of the image.

Step 5: Fold that portion under and score again along the left side. You are making accordion folds.

Step 6: Fold under and CUT carefully along the right side of the fold to cut away excess cardstock. Don't cut through any of the folds!

Step 7: When the excess is cut away, your piece looks like this.

Step 8: Now carefully trim around the shape of the jar, taking care not to cut any of the folds along the sides of the side. Begin your trimming at the curved parts of the jar image.

Step 9: Just continue cutting through all layers along the top and bottom of the jar (just not folds!!)

Step 10: When you've cut out the jar shape from all layers, you piece should look like this. Now the fun begins. Open the card and color the front with Copic markers or other coloring medium.

I colored my candies with colors that coordinating with the paper I used, all from the 100 Days of Summer collection from Simple Stories. I tied a piece of crochet ribbon (Stampin' Up!) around just the front of the jar, and created the tag which is tied to the ribbon. I just hand printed the saying and trimmed each word.

Inside panels one and two are above. I adhered 2-1/4 x 2-3/4 inch rectangles from my patterned paper to each page then trimmed to fit. I added two of my Sweet Hearts 4 U images (these are FREE on THIS POST.). The tree and bird (Pure Innocence/ Out on a Limb @ My Favorite Things) were stamped and colored with Copics. Again I hand printed and trimmed the sentiment.

Panels 3 and 4 are filled with more sunshine and love. I hand cut the sun and words, and created another smaller version of the jar for the last panel. I'll add a tag with my name here. I hope you've enjoyed the tutorial for this fun little card.

These sweet images can fill your own jar projects! They can be sized to fit your needs. Just click on the PayPal button below to securely purchase these digital sets. The sets come with JPEG, PNG and layering (or masking) image files. They will work perfectly on your traditional paper craft projects or with digital design programs too. And think beyond Valentines Day. These would be great for weddings, anniversaries, thank you, thinking of you....or just anytime you want to share your heart with someone.

Sweet Hearts 4 U

20 Digital Images / $3.95

Jar Full of Love

2 Digital Images / $1.95

More fun projects and digi stamps are coming soon, so I hope you'll come back often!

Blessings on your day!

Sweetness for You

2012-01-28T00:05:00.003-06:00

Today I'm sharing the last project of three in my "Sweet Treats" ensemble which includes two cards and some FREE digital images from my last two posts.

I also shared how to copy and mass produce the free images (cupcake, sentiment, pair of heart candies) I gave you earlier, as well as how to paper-piece the cupcake bottom. The last of my projects from the set is a sweet mini pocket card.

The base is a tri-fold card that creates a pocket for a little sweetness.

A Dove chocolate candy heart, a tea-bag or other small candy packs will fit inside the packet.

For measures, step-by-step instructions, and an alternate design view my Tiny Tri-Fold Tutorial HERE.

Once you've cut your base and created the pocket, decorate the front. I'll be using all three of the FREE digi images you could get HERE.

Just adhere the patterned paper to the front, and add the layered image piece. I used the same image and mat measurements I did in the earlier projects too.

I shared with you in my first post how I colored with Copics. I used the same colors as in the other projects but filled the icing part with the lighter color and only added enough of the darker color to create some dimension.

I making cards for the ladies in my church since I have several to make, and these packets will be for a few ladies I plan to personally visit. Thought the candy might get squished in the mail! I hope you've enjoyed these three projects and the FREE digi images included.

Please join me Monday for more Valentine love!

More Sweetness!

2012-01-27T00:05:00.002-06:00

I'm showcasing the second card in this three-card set I made recently. The first one with FREE images, is in my previous post. This card offers a little lighter fare, but only in hue, not sweetness!

The card base is Early Espresso and layer 1 is Pink Pirouette, which has been embossed with the hearts folder. The overall sketch is similar to my previous card, but I reoriented it, and changed the details a bit. The patterned paper is another design from the same stash I had from My Favorite Things. I designed the images--the cupcake, the hearts and the sentiment and you can get them all FREE on the previous post.

I wanted to highlight the way you paper-piece when using digital images. It's so easy and much faster than stamping especially if your are mass producing as I do with Valentine cards.

To prepare for paper piecing, just copy and paste the image in the desired size as many times as needed and print on regular printer paper. Cut small pieces of patterned paper and very lightly adhere to the part of the design desired. Print again. This will print the image exactly where needed on smaller pieces of patterned paper minimizing waste.

Carefully pull off the patterned paper and cut out the part you want paper-pieced.

Adhere the paper-pieced patterned paper to the image and color in the remaining parts of the cupcake and heart embellies. Very simple, very fast.

Remember to pick up the FREE digi images in the previous post, and tune in Monday for a FREE tutorial on the third project in this group...a sweet little pocket card that super easy.

Have a sweet day!

Sweet Treats (and some FREEBIES)

2012-01-25T11:45:00.001-06:00

While I've been away from posting (computer problems) I've at least been creating a little bit. Many of you may remember that I send Valentine's Day cards to all the widows and single ladies in our church. It's a huge blessing for me as I work on them and pray over each woman on my list. And they seem to be blessed to be remembered on the day as well. Here are three designs I've created so far.

I love the bright colors used for this ensemble: Early Espresso, Regal Rose, and Pink Pirouette. The papers are some from my stash that I purchased from My Favorite Things. I'll share some details of one card in this post, then post the others this week too.

The card base for this one is Early Espresso and the first layer, in Regal Rose cardstock, is embossed. A simple band of patterned paper and a ribbon easily dress up the card. I mass produced the cupcake, heart "candies" and sentiment. I designed the images myself and will share those with you.

To sugar-coat the sweetness, I added a little Dazzling Diamonds.

To color the icing, I started with Copic marker RV10 and filled in most of the image, avoiding coloring directly over the lines, because lighter colored Copics sometime smear the ink from the printer.

Next, I colored with a darker marker leaving open spaces where I wanted highlights.

I blended over the whole surface of the icing with the lighter marker and filled in the candy heart on the top.

I paper-pieced the bottom portion of the cupcake and added the two smaller heart candies, popping them up with foam dots for dimension.

I love to cut out images. It takes me back to paper-doll days! But as carefully as I try to cut, I often have bits of white showing beyond the line. To fix that, I just sponge the edges a little and it takes all the white away.

The finished product is bright and cheery and I hope it makes the ladies who receive one feel loved.

Here are the images I created. Hope you can use them in sharing a little sweetness with those you love.

To use the images just click, copy and paste to a word document. For mass production, I create pages like this. I punched the sentiment with my scallop oval punch, cut out the small hearts as shown earlier in this post, and trimmed the cupcake to a 2-1/8" square piece to which I added my cardstock layers.

I'll post details for the other cards on Friday and will show you how I paper-piece the cupcake bottom. Hope you have a SWEET day!

Thank you for your patience...

2012-01-15T21:10:00.000-06:00

...while I deal with computer problems! I'll be posting again soon, but have been experiencing a lot of technical problems. My computer is in repair....hoping I don't have to buy a new one. I appreciate your patience.

Capture the Fun (50% off SALE!) Snow Day Mitten Album Tutorial

2011-12-27T12:57:00.001-06:00

Somewhere it's snowing...and whether the snow comes during Christmas break or school is cancelled because of the snow, children will certainly want to go out and play and it a great time to capture some fun in the snow.

I remember with clarity experiencing the fun of a "snow day" as a young child. Besides all the fun we had (missing school and playing outdoors), one impression in particular stands out in my mind. My mother loved having us home and she made the most of the time she had with us. Mother was a stay-at-home-mom while we were growing up. When school was called off we knew it would be a very special day. There would be cookies and cocoa to warm us, one hour getting dressed for outside, 30 minutes playing outside, and one hour getting undressed and warmed up again. The cycle might repeat 2 or three more times through the day. I'm sure it exhausted my mother, but you'd never know it. She always acted thrilled with the snowmen we would build and the snow angels that adorned the yard. What wonderful memories!

As a young mother, I too loved it when my boys and I would all get a free, fun day at home. Thus, I was inspired to create this Snow Day Mitten Mini album tutorial. The mitten is my own design, so this album is unique.

The perfect album to treasure the fun of a snow day! School is canceled and the children (or grandchildren) are home for the day. So it’s time to make snowmen and snow angels then warm up with a steaming mug of cocoa. Now, you can trap the magic of the day in this adorable 12-page album. Covers and pages are shaped like a mitten—an exclusive design from Diane’s Designs. Other pages showcase Paper Fashions elements that are snow much fun and perfect for this heartwarming mini album. Finished album size is 5-1/4" x 7-1/4." The 13-page PDF tutorial includes a supply/tools list, tips for success, cutting guide, and detailed step-by-step instruction for decorating each page. Color photos enhance the instructions.

With enough space for at least 22 photos, the album is packed full of adorable snow-themed embellishments. When you purchase the tutorial, the paper embellishments are included with links to the sites for the two digi images used. Totally adaptable, you can use your own papers and embellishments, but the Celebrations designer series papers create a bright, cheery look to the album. Mitten template is included.

Here are two of the two-page layouts included in the album.

There's plenty of room for your favorite snow day pictures and spots to journal the memories of the day. Don't miss out on this fun project. Grab a cup of hot cocoa or your favorite java and start creating yours today!

12 Pages of Full-Color, Step-by-Step Instructions

Regular Price $12.95

NOW THRU JANUARY 10, 2012

$6.48

Please allow 48 hours from payment to receive your PDF tutorial
as an email attachment from Diane's Designs.

I'm Wishing You...

2011-12-23T01:19:00.001-06:00

...A WHITE Christmas!

Probably no one else is hoping for a white Christmas but me, but I love snow on Christmas day. It creates a hush over the world that seems appropriate for Christmas. A number of years ago, I heard this song and it's always been a favorite. I love the analogy of God's grace covering man's sin like snow when it blankets the earth. This Christmas may God's marvelous grace given in the gift of Christ cover your hearts and your celebrations.

Merry Christmas!

Somewhere It's Snowing Lyrics

I once read in a poem,
when snow covers the earth,
That it hides the worlds scars,
and gives nature new birth,
And they say when a man turns from sin to the Lord,
That forgiveness, like snow, covers him evermore!

And somewhere it’s snowing –
see the soft drifting down
As the snowflakes surrender
to the hardening ground.
Like the good grace of Jesus
that now covers our sin,
In the kingdom of Heaven,
it’s snowing, again.

Now, I’ve heard that the angels
lift their hearts and rejoice,
When one traveler turns homeward
from his ways, to the Lord.
If somewhere someone’s turning, he’s giving his all,
And God’s grace, like the snow, is beginning to fall!

And somewhere it’s snowing –
see the soft drifting down
As the snowflakes surrender
to the hardening ground.
Like the good grace of Jesus,
that now covers our sin,
In the kingdom of Heaven,
it’s snowing, again.

Here's the Christmas card I made for my son this year. It could be used throughout the winter months by just changing the sentiment. This is a 5-1/4" x 5-1/4" finished card. The snowflake is a chipboard die covered with patterned paper (retired Stampin' Up!)

May your days be merry and bright....

and may this Christmas be white with the grace of God!

December Deal!

2011-12-15T22:41:00.000-06:00

Everyone needs a good deal, especially in December! So I have a great one! Now through the end of December, my Pocket of Treasures Christmas Mini Album tutorial will be 50% off.

3 Mini Albums in One Adorable Folder

This adorable album is loaded with hidden treasures! Open the folder to discover three mini albums are tucked inside the decorated pockets. The total package offers spots for 40 photos...enough to capture all your favorite holiday photos. The pockets make this little folder so versatile. If you don’t want to use them for photo albums, tuck 3x3 cards/envelopes or gift tags in the smaller pockets and several money envelopes in the larger pocket and give the ensemble as an early Christmas gift...one that will keep on giving! This tutorial offers a complete list of supplies and tools needed, a detailed cutting guide, and step-by-step photo instructions for the folder and all three mini albums. Decorations are playful and fun with a Christmas tree and gingerbread man theme. Just a few sheets of designer paper, coordinating rub-ons and a few embellishments finish this too-cute project.

Just in time for all your Christmas Memories!

Photos of alternate, non-holiday version included.

Regular Price: $12.95

Discounted Price: $6.48

Now through December 31, 2011

She Woke Up in Killarney!

2011-12-09T00:03:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that I traveled to Ireland early this fall with my 84-year old mother, my sister (age withheld, but she's 6-1/2 years younger than me ;), my 30 year-old son....and I'm 61 years old. The ages are significant for my post. As we traveled we obsessed a bit about our agenda...really more about keeping track of our agenda. My sister diligently studied, researched and planned our itinerary. She was also my co-pilot and navigator...I did the driving (on the wrong side of the road, and the wrong side of the car. That's right....not opposite; it's wrong! There's just something unnatural about the driving there. God never meant it to be that way, I'm sure! LOL)

So, along the way, we would have to re-orient ourselves frequently to 1) where we were, 2) where we were going, and 3) why we planned that! Our memories failed us several times. So we would say at least once each day, "OK, we're going to wake up in ___________," and then we'd have our bearings. If we just knew where we were going to start the day, it all made sense to us.

Thus...(finally, I'm sure your thinking), the inspiration for this Heart Art canvas creation. I wanted something to commemorate my trip to Ireland, remind me of some special things I loved AND it all had to go with my new decor colors. Without any more to-do....

Here's my girl! The title...."She woke up in Killarney!" And I did! And I loved it. The whole Killarney experience was fantastic. Killarney is in County Kerry, Ireland. Here we stayed in one of my favorite B & B's, toured Muckross House, and took a horse and buggy ride ("jarvey"), driven by the most delightful old Irish gentleman. I will forever remember the twinkle in his eye. Here's my mother in the jarvey with him and my son, Matt, standing near by.

He drove us through the estate grounds, giving the history of trees and flowers. Many were imported to the estate. He asked us about our travels and when we told him we were going around the Ring of Kerry the next day and that we were nervous about the narrow roads, he chuckled. In the most delightful brogue he advised us to "stall and let the other guy do the driving." Excellent advice. That's exactly what I did! Here are some photos of the estate grounds.

The photos do no justice to the vast spectrum of greens we saw. No wonder they call Ireland the "Emerald Isle." When designing my Irish lass, I incorporated some old sheet music titled Killarney...click to enlarge so you can see the lyrics. Perfect, don't you think?

I purchased some lace while in the gift shop (not this lace....I wouldn't be puttin' the real thing on there now, would I!?).

The sights of this wonderful estate and castle nestled in the hills of Killarney did indeed "charm the eye."

As our jarvey driver drove us away from the house, we took a different way back to our car and stopped by this waterfall (still on the estate grounds!) along the way. Can you imagine have a waterfall like this in your back yard?!

I will forever be grateful that God granted me the blessing of waking up in Killarney (on TWO mornings!

We headed off to the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Penisula and the most incredible views of the ocean. But those photos are for another day.

I will never be the same again. I now hold a piece of Ireland in my heart. (Represented by the silver heart on my girl.) There's always been a wee bit of it in my blood...but now it is forever a part of my most treasured memories. The closer to Galway where my mother's family ties are, the more we felt like we were coming home. If you love Celtic music, listen to this!

Blessing on your day....Irish blessings!

Pearls of Wisdom from the Kitchen

2011-12-07T00:03:00.000-06:00

I shared the story of my niece's 16th birthday in my previous post and the Pearls of Wisdom themed party I attended. In addition to the canvas art gift I made her, we were asked to share "pearls of wisdom" with Brooke. I created these 8 x 8 scrapbook pages for the occasion.

Brooke's mom sent the yellow and green sheets to decorate. Fortunately I had some October Afternoon papers that matched really well and highlighted Brooke's love of cooking. It was so fun going with the kitchen theme.

The right page is the title page, "Pearls of Wisdom from the Kitchen." I generated the title on the computer using Diner Script. I also designed the recipe cards that I printed and slipped in behind Brooke's pictures just to add to the kitchen ambiance. Brooke loves to bake, and even has a bread-making business.

The left page contains my "pearls." We were asked to verbally share the group what we designed. I explained that the rolling pin is a significant symbol of all the wisdom shared by my own grandmothers as I helped them in their kitchens (I was probably more of a spectator than a true helper), but I now have both of their rolling pins. Both grandmothers made wonderful pies with these now precious keepsakes. One of them was my inspiration for designing the image. I colored the handles with Copic markers. Then I matched with "pearls" to the kitchen elements. You can click on the image if you want a larger view.

The pages were a fun way to share with Brooke on her special day. I'm so glad I could be a part.

Pearls of Wisdom

2011-12-05T00:04:00.001-06:00

This past week I had the joy and privilege of attending my niece's 16th birthday. She and her mother prepared a lovely tea party for their guests.

The theme of the party was Pearls of Wisdom and each lady and girlfriend who attended brought their "pearls" to share with Brooke. I wanted to create a gift for Brooke that would capture the essence of her special day, so I decided on one of my Heart Art canvas creations.

There are several personalized touches added to the canvas. But I wanted the overall look to be bright and cheery. I'll just take you on a little tour of the canvas.

Brooke loves lavendar, purple, yellow and green. So flowers were a must. These were stamped with a few Stampin' Up! images and other clear stamps (source unknown--part of my vast collection). I painted with acrylic paint, and used a Sharpie pen to add a few doodles. The saying on the bottom is a rub-on. In the upper right corner of this picture, you can see a stamp. Brooke's family vacationed in Canada, and while this stamp isn't from there, I thought the waterfall could represent Niagara Falls (I've always wanted to see the Falls!)

On the other side of the girl I added a few other symbols of Brooke's favorite things. She loves to cook so I included a recipe card I created, and stamped a teapot image (for the tea party we were having), and a spoon. Notice too the pearls in her pocket. I added that fun touch to represent all the wonderful pearls of wisdom Brooke would collect through her day.

Here's a little better view of the "title" for the canvas. Brooke is an amazing Christian young woman. Her faith and passion for Christ is evident in all that she does. She loves God's Word, and while she will no doubt treasure all that was shared on her birthday, it will be the pearls from His Word she'll treasure the most.

Finally in the upper right corner, I attached a key with a bright yellow bow. God's Word is the key to all wisdom and understanding. The bow doubles as an embellishment that goes with her room decor, and also signifies the Light of the world who came from heaven's glory (iridescent flakes). The printed page came from a old book I have on prayer.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111:10

Wisdom begins with our relationship to God. If we trust Him, and surrender our wills to His, He will grant us wisdom in all aspects of life. We can reflect His perspective, His understanding by obeying His precepts and living by them. And when we do, we come to realize His goodness, His faithfulness and His protection over our lives. This brings joy to our hearts regardless of life's circumstances and trials, regardless of disappointments and heartaches, regardless of incredible challenges to our health or well being. The wisdom of God, is indeed a pearl!

I'll be posting my fun scrapbook page I created for Brookie next....it includes my "Pearls of Wisdom....from the Kitchen!"

Blessings on your day!

Peeking in on Santa!

2011-11-30T21:55:00.000-06:00

Seems like forever since I've been here, but life has been happening. I suspect it will continue to "happen" as the holiday season kicks into high gear. But I did want to post one of my recent Paper Fashions Etc projects, because I just love this little guy peeking around Santa's bag.

The bag, gift boxes and reindeer are images from the Santa Please digi set at Paper Fashions. Because we always include a unique file for "layering," you can stack our images and create dimension right there on your computer.

The bag is paper-pieced (one of my all time favorite things to do), and the rest is colored with Copic markers.

I actually made a little gift ensemble. The pocket folder is soooo simple. I've explained how to do it on my post at Paper Fashions from about a week ago.

The opened folder reveals two pockets that are perfect for cards/envelopes or note pads. Just a fun little gift idea.

Come see this set, Santa Please, and our whole holiday line of digital images and get started on your easy-peasey mass production Christmas creations now.

Blessings on your day!

Ruffled Christmas Tree Card

2011-11-12T16:32:00.000-06:00

I've seen these adorable little ruffled Christmas trees (my name for them) around online and I really wanted to try one. I was so glad when Linda's card-making gathering included one. They are so easy once you get the hang of it.

This was such a fun card to make. I love this embossing folder, because it's great for all year. It can be snowflakes for winter/Christmas, but it would make a great background for Forth of July, or other star-themed creations. The card has more bling than can be seen in the photo, but the star is punched from SU's new glitter paper (gotta have me some of that!), and the polka dot paper is embossed with a touch of glitter too.

I hadn't used my new frame embossing folder yet, so I was happy to get the chance to play with it. I really liked Linda's idea to put the red background inside the frame. Nice color contrasts to the tree. You can see the ruffles of the tree better here. Just start with a half circle. Begin folding so folds line up as you build the ruffles upward.

Anyway you look at it, Linda's design is fun, fast and about as cute as they come. Thanks, for another great inspiration Linda. I had a blast with all your cards, but was totally pumped about the tree! You are ALWAYS on target. Love your designs. Girlfriends...you gotta check out her schedule. She's worth driving a bit if you live in the Kansas City Missouri / Kansas City, Kansas area.

Blessings on your day!

God's Comfort Will Not Fail to Comfort

2011-11-09T00:05:00.001-06:00

Have you needed comfort and all the well-meaning attempts of friends and family just fell short? It isn't because people don't care, but it's because they don't have the ability to go deeply enough to touch the source of your loss or pain.

My mother, also a pastor's wife, was comforting someone who had lost her mate. Mother was offering hope and encouragement by focusing the woman on heaven and that her husband was no longer in pain. The woman harshly responded, "Well that's not helping me one bit!" and slammed the phone down hanging up on my mother. My mother cared deeply about this woman's pain, and tried to offer comfort. It's hard to know what to do and what to say sometimes.

The best we can do is point someone to the comfort God gives in times of pain and sorrow. Only God can really reach our deepest needs and heal our greatest hurts. Only God can literally replace intense pain with peace. He can calm the storm whether it's on the raging sea, or deep within our hearts.

This is another of the cards I made at Linda Wright's card-making event. Visit her website for contact information and sign up for her classes. You will love them. I was crazy about this color combination--Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso and Baja Breeze. The three simple panels offer tons of color interest and the flowers add the perfect artistic touch. All supplies are, of course, Stampin' Up!

As a pastor's wife myself, I have many occasions for sending sympathy cards and offering what comfort to people I can. Yet, ultimately, God is the healer and my best gift in such times is praying that His comfort will shower down upon my friend. Thank you, Linda, for another great inspiration!

Jump Start on Christmas

2011-11-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun at a recent card-making event by a SU demo friend's house. I got to make 12 cards (at a great price!) and they are all fabulous. I'll be sharing Linda's designs and the cards I made over the next several posts. Going to her events inspires me, but it also gives me great samples to post.

This one would be great for mass production, and since I do over 200 Christmas cards each year, I'm looking for that feature. Course, if I chose this one, I'd have to purchase that stinkin' cute stocking punch. LOVE it. I used a current SU stamp for the stocking image in Old Olive, then punched it out. The new glitter paper is great and I punched that for the stocking top, toe and heel. It's very blingy and bling is good.

The card base is from Old Olive cardstock and the embossed panel that covers the front is in the same color. I liked that effect. The rest was super easy--stocking is popped up, sentiment on the bottom, layer the image piece, mat in red, wrap a ribbon around it and set it at an angle. I could do that, and I think I'd still love it after making 200....

More Christmas and all occasion coming soon. Blessings on your day!

Fall Card --Thank You

2011-10-28T00:05:00.003-05:00

I'm sharing the last of the three fall cards accepted by Paper Creations magazine (online bonus project). I really love the rich colors of the papers I used for the 3-card set. And I managed to keep some (actually bought more than I needed--no accident), so I plan to make some more with this yummy paper.

Harvest of Thanks

Materials—

American Crafts--Caramel twill ribbon

BasicGrey--Pyrus Collection: Cordata (both sides), Snow Pear (both sides), Bradford (both sides) Chinese White (reverse side)

Color Box--Fluid Chalk inkpad in Charcoal

K & Company--Tim Coffee Fall Harvest 3-D stickers

Memory Makers--Paper Reverie: Brun Antique Baubles (pendant bead)

Stampin’ Up!

· Cardstock in Buckaroo Blue

· Stamp—Many Thanks

· Early Espresso Class ink pad

Other

· Foam dots, sponge

· Double-sided adhesive, mini glue dots

· Scissors, ruler, pencil, scoring tool

Sorry for the funky spacing....not sure what's going on there.

Instructions—

1. Cut one 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” rectangle from Buckaroo Blue cardstock, one 2” x 4” rectangle from Cordata tree print and one 2-1/4” square from the reverse side of the Cordata paper, one 2” x 4” rectangle from the Chinese White (reverse) print, one 2” x 4” rectangle from the Bradford stripe, and two ¼” x 4” strips of Snow Pear paper (one from each side). Turn the Buckaroo Blue cardstock rectangle horizontally, score a vertical line down the center and fold in half. Ink edges of all pieces with Charcoal ink.

2. Layer the three 2” x 4” rectangles on the card overlapping to fit the card. Cover seams with the ¼” wide strips of paper.

3. Punch a small hole in one corner of the Cordata reverse print square. Open the O-ring of the bauble and thread it through the hole, then close the ring. Use foam dots to mount this square to the top center of the card so the bauble hangs from the lower right corner. Mount the leaf sticker to the square of Cordata print. Make a small bow from the Caramel ribbon and adhere over the bauble ring with a mini glue dot.

4. Stamp the sentiment in black ink on the card in the lower right corner.

This 3-D sticker from K & Company was great. Gave me just what I needed easy peasy. Happy when that happens. (Grammer is getting sloppy, I know). Just writin' what I'm thinkin', ya know!?

And I also really loved the bead...it's this wonderful smokey color. I love this baubles and beads on cards.

With Thanksgiving so near, I really want to make more cards with this paper and with our Harvest of Gratitude sentiments. If you haven't seen our whole fall and Thanksgiving line up, do check us out at Paper Fashions Etc. Oh....and you can see all our new Christmas sets too. I just have to say...I love 'em!!

Thanks so much for stopping in today. I know you have a ton of things on your plate so I'm really honored that you would even come in for a peek!

Fall Card--Kindness and Gentleness

2011-10-26T00:05:00.000-05:00

The second card in a series of three is one of my cards accepted by Paper Creations Magazine (Yikes...I need to renew my subscription--just remembered that!) It's also a part of their online bonus projects.

The Fruit of Your Life

It got a little beat up in the shipping to and fro, and I didn't even realize the braid trim needs some fixing, but I think you get the idea. Here are the details:

Materials—

BasicGrey--Pyrus Collection: Cordata, Snow Pear (reverse), Regul (reverse)

Color Box--Fluid Chalk inkpad in Chestnut Roan

Copic Markers--Ciao Markers

Just Rite--Autumn Blessings stamp

Paper Fashions, Etc.-- Harvest of Gratitude sentiment set

Stampin’ Up!--Cardstock in Naturals Ivory and Old Olive

Tsukineko Memento Ink--Tuxedo Black Stamp Pad

Other--Crocheted trim (fabric/craft store), Foam dots, sponge, Double-sided adhesive

Scissors, ruler, pencil, scoring tool

Instructions—

1. Cut one 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” rectangle from Old Olive, one 4” x 5-1/4” rectangle from the Snow Pear (reverse) paper, one 3-3/4” x 5” rectangle from the Cordata design, one 2-1/4” x 3-3/4” rectangle from the Regul (reverse) paper, and one 1-1/4” x 3-1/2” rectangle of Naturals Ivory cardstock. Turn the Old Olive cardstock rectangle horizontally, score a vertical line down the center and fold in half. Ink edges of all pieces with Chestnut Roan.

2. Adhere first two layers to the card. Apply trim to third layer with adhesive and mount over second layer with foam dots.

3. Create on a sheet of Naturals Ivory cardstock; cut out to 1-1/4” x 3-1/2”, ink edges with Chestnut Roan and adhere with foam dots.

4. Stamp image in Tuxedo Black Memento ink, color in with Copic markers,cut out, ink edges with Chestnut Roan and mount to card to overlap sentiment slightly.

I definitely want to produce more kindness and gentleness in my life. I just think it would make someone feel really loved to get a card with this sentiment on it.

Thank you for all your kindnesses and your gracious gentleness as you chat with me about my creations here. See you back here on Friday.

Fall Card

2011-10-24T08:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks for indulging me with a few photos from Ireland! I'll post more just cause I like to see them here...but I'm back to sharing cards for awhile.

I'll be sharing three cards over the next three posts that were accepted by Paper Creations magazine and appear on their online bonus projects page. I checked the online page and their directions are not up for the cards yet, so I'll provide them to my readers here.

Reap a Harvest

Materials—

American Crafts--Caramel twill ribbon

BasicGrey--Pyrus Collection: Bradford, Regul (both sides), Snow Pear

Color Box--Fluid Chalk inkpad in Chestnut Roan

Memory Makers

Paper Reverie: Brun Antique Baubles (resin flower)

Paper Fashions, Etc.-- Harvest of Gratitude sentiment set

Stampin’ Up!

Cardstock in Naturals Ivory and Cranberry Crisp

Other

· Crocheted trim (unknown)

· Clear Lacquer

· Foam dots, sponge

· Double-sided adhesive

· Scissors, ruler, pencil, scoring tool

Instructions—

1. Cut one 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” rectangle from Cranberry Crisp cardstock, one 4” x 5-1/4” rectangle from the Regul paper, one 2-1/8” x 4” rectangle and one 1-5/8” x 3-3/8” rectangle from Regul (reverse) paper, one 1-3/4” x 4” rectangle from the Bradford striped print, and one 1-3/8” x 3” rectangle from Naturals Ivory cardstock. Fussy cut a pear from the Snow Pear paper. Turn the Cranberry Crisp cardstock rectangle horizontally, score a vertical line down the center and fold in half for a top-fold card. Ink edges of all pieces with Chestnut Roan.

2. Adhere the Regul print rectangle to the card front. Layer the larger Regul reverse paper and the Bradford striped papers. Wrap a piece of the caramel ribbon around this layered piece and tie a bow in the front. Adhere to the left side of the card as shown.

3. Print the sentiment from the computer onto Naturals Ivory cardstock and trim down. Mat with Regul reverse rectangle and mount to card with foam dots.

4. Cover fussy cut pear with clear lacquer and let dry. Mount to card with foam dots. Embellish with a fancy button.

I love this little cabochon from Memory Makers...you can't see the glittery finish but these are fantastic and they come in caramel, ivory and this dark chocolate. Yummy.

You can see better from this angle the shine of the lacquered bear. I'm using more of the clear lacquer now than I used to. Bought a huge bottle of it and I don't feel so much like I have to hoard it!

Also, the sentiment is available from Paper Fashions Etc. It's my digi creation!! Harvest of Gratitude. I think they make beautiful focal images on their own...with maybe a glittery cabochon to sparkle beside it!

I'll be posting cards 2 and 3 on my next two posts, so hope to see you here then. As always, thanks so much for your visits. I love having you here...and hearing from you.

Rustic Altered Tin

2011-10-21T12:27:00.001-05:00

I created this altered tin for some new fall decor using leaves from our Fall is in the Air set by Paper Fashions Etc. All the decoupaging details and more photos are over on our website for my post today. Come by for a quick look...Rustic Altered Tim at Paper Fashions Etc.

Have some fun cards to show you tomorrow, so do come back. See you over at PFE today!

A Valley of Pure Serenity...

2011-10-19T00:05:00.017-05:00

More photos from Ireland!

Just a bit north of Enniskerry, where we stayed our first night, we visited Glendalough. These fascinating monastic ruins date back to the the 5th century. So many times we would remark that there's simply nothing this old in the United States. The history of the places we visit was amazing.

This abandoned monastery built near two lakes surrounded by forests seems to remain in perpetual soft focus, shrouded by mist. Its name means Glen of two lakes. In the 5^th century, a monk named St. Kevin chose this secluded setting around a Bronze Age tomb for his home. For 7 years he fasted, prayed and slept on the hard ground and ate only what he could catch or find. His self-deprivation and fervor gained attention from passing hunters and peddlers, and soon similarly devout followers found their way here. The monastery community is in ruins, but there is a round tower 102 feet high, and hundreds of time worn Celtic crosses and several chapels.

I was struck by the ancient and the current day commercialism in some of the places we visited. This is the arched entryway to the ruins. Peddlers were selling their wares just at the entrance. A little sad...

Several times while the monastery was active, Vikings plundered and killed the monks. Yet those who survived or came later, kept it a vital place of spiritual reflection. Many of these tombs represent those who were undoubtedly martyred for the cause of Christ.

The two lakes were nestled in the hills near the monastery. It was unbelievably quiet on the walk to the lakes. It really was a place of spiritual retreat and renewal. A crystal clear brook ran through the ruins...

Most relaxing, spectacularly beautiful...a blessing just to be there and experience it.

I'm Home!

2011-10-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

I'm home from Ireland and had a fantastic time. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was more beautiful than I even imagined. I promise I won't bore you with a ton of pictures, but I did want to share a few of the ones that are most special to me. I'm still recovering...or I should say, still trying to catch up. I feel way behind on everything. Of course we're still in the middle of our big house redecorating project so that's been time consuming too. Thanks for your patience with my lack of posting until I could catch my breath.

These three photos are of our first stop after leaving the Dublin airport when we arrived on Sunday, Sept. 4. The building in the background (top photo) was our B & B. We stayed in only 1 hotel for three nights in Galway (one of my very favorite places), and the rest of the time we stayed in quaint B & B's like this one--Ferndale House in Enniskerry (next two photos). Delightful hosts!

Here I am in the Enniskerry village center with younger son, Matt, who was our body guard! Although, we never felt like we needed one. We were greeted by warm hospitality and helpful friendliness everywhere we traveled.

The greatest blessing of the whole trip however, was traveling with my 84 year old mother. Traveling to Ireland was a life-long dream of hers. And after Dad went to heaven in October, we just decided to make her dream come true. She was a trooper and the sweetest thing ever the whole time. What a joy. (Yes, I chopped my hair for the trip...and will now let it grow back...but I didn't do a thing to it but wash and wear.)

Near Enniskerry we visited Powers Court mansion and gardens. Here are a few of the photos from there.

You might recognize these views of the mansion from the remake of The Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caviezel. Oh....gotta see that movie again. Classic.

Here are some random photos from the grounds and garden. Hard to imagine that someone actually lived there!

Next stop will be Glendalough...and then just two more spots I really want to share. Hope you'll indulge me while I briefly relive this most amazing trip! Back with more crafting goodies soon.

You Gotta See

2011-09-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

We've been having a fun and busy week celebrating our friends at Paper Fashions Etc. (my digi company). I do hope you'll stop in and see what we've been up to this week.

I've posted this fun project and if you visit and leave a comment for us on the post, you get a FREE tutorial (including all the images used) for this cutesy Girl Gathering party ensemble.

Hope you'll come by and be our friend today. Oh, and while you're there sign up for our email updates...just subscribe in the upper right corner of our website. So easy...then you won't miss our fun inspirations and FREEBIES!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-09-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

Our family is thrilled to be celebrating the first wedding anniversary of our older son, Jeff, and our beautiful daughter-in-love, Jori. I can't believe how quickly that time has flown by. They are visiting us for the week, and as I write, I'm about ready to embark on a fun mother-daughter day of shopping. What fun. I spent all my mothering days buying boy clothes and I've been so looking forward to the girlie day with my sweet daughter.

I wanted to share the anniversary card I designed for them. When I returned from my trip to Ireland I was delighted to find that my very talented PFE partner had created an adorable new fall set for Paper Fashions. The minute I saw it, I was inspired to create this card for Jeff and Jori.

I absolutely love Melissa's rendering of the little blackbirds in her new set. So I used one of them, copied it and horizontally flipped the fird for a mirrored image. I created a postage stamp border filled with graph paper on the computer and layered the pair on top of that background. Then I created my greeting and inside sentiment.

You can click on the photo above for a close up of the inside sentiment. To accent the inside I recopied the birds...made one slightly smaller and oriented them so they were "facing the future together!" I added little hearts to layer on top of these cute little guys.

The set, available now at Paper Fashions Etc is called Pumpkin Harvest.

Pumpkin Harvest

7 images/$4.95

Details and another sample HERE

Melissa also designed a single digi stamp set from this called Fall Harvest that is ready-to-go for a quick design.

Fall Harvest Single / $1.95

Details and another sample HERE

Gotta run....I'm eager to get shopping with my girl. I'll let you know how we fare, and will have to show you some pics from my Ireland trip soon. Have a great day!

Short and Simple # 6--Button Blossoms

2011-09-20T00:05:00.003-05:00

This card definitely fits the description of "simple" but you'd have to add "sweet" to the list of descriptors too. The flower/vase image is from the set Button Buddies (SU).

This card is certain to brighten anyone's birthday. The Daffodil Delight cardstock is such a pretty sunny color. Other colors used: Melon Mambo, and Pacific Point. The buttons are from SU as well.

And how's this for a "short" post? I told you....Short and Simple!

Thanks again, Linda, for facilitating such a wonderful class. So good to see you again, and get to play in your craft room. You did an outstanding job preparing all of our kits, and I just loved the final projects.

Blessings on your day!

Just an Update You Can't Miss

2011-09-16T00:05:00.024-05:00

I wanted to briefly interrupt my Short and Simple series of card designs (Sept. 5-14 posts), to catch you up to date on all the new things happening at Paper Fashions Etc, my digital image company. These are just quick peeks at some of our new sets and the projects I made with each one. New sets are being release every week, so if you don't have Paper Fashions Etc on your blog subscribers list, visit our website and sign up to receive our posts in your email inbox.

This card showcases several optional sets. We love our new All About Containers set, which includes the basket. I also used a sentiment from our Harvest of Gratitude and the apple from our School Days 1 set to create this card. But we like the apples/basket together so well, we created a single set and added an exclusive sentiment to complete the single set, Sweet Wishes. For details of the card, visit my post on Paper Fashions Etc. For larger details of sets, click on the images.

This project features The Perfect Blend, our new coffee themed set of digital images. It has two coordinating sets of sentiments, Coffee with Friends, and Brewing Up Trouble. For details on my card, visit my post on Paper Fashions Etc.

And finally, here's a card I created with our new Oh, Baby! sentiments, which coordinate with our entire Oh, Baby! ensemble--a set of digital images, banners, Bingo Cards, and a single set, Baby Building Blocks. See details of the card HERE. I created a fun Baby Shower Invitation that coordinates with the card.

Hope you'll take a minute and check out these and other new sets at Paper Fashions Etc. More on Fall, Harvest, Halloween and Thanksgiving are there and others coming soon.

Short and Simple #5: This Little Piggy

2011-09-14T00:05:00.015-05:00

#5 in the series...(go to Sept. 5, 7, 9, 12 for previous projects in the series).

This was such an adorable card that Linda had prepared for us to make at class. The pig image is from Button Buddies--designed to be embellished with buttons. For this card, we used faux buttons--Buttons #5 Sizzlit die. A smaller pink one was added for the snout, and a larger black one added to the rippled ribbon as an embellishment.

Can't tell you how fast and easy it was....when someone else does all the work. If you attend classes led by your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, give them a huge hug next time for all the work they do. Unless you've done it, you can't imagine the hours that go into designing, prepping, cutting...getting the house ready, the craft room set up. You have no idea. So big thanks, Linda for a great class. If you are in the greater Kansas City, Kansas area...you need to connect with Linda. She offers regular classes in her home and church.

Blessings on your day!

Short and Simple #4: Birthday Blessings

2011-09-12T00:05:00.009-05:00

Back to my "Short and Simple" Series:

Birthday cards are always in style, and we cardmakers always need a ready supply to choose from. I loved working on this card. It was simple, but has just the right up-scaled touches to give it a little extra pizzazz. I just so enjoyed this fun class. It was great therapy for me...having all the card kits cut out and designed by someone else is just the best!

What an adorable little image (all materials and images are SU). Pink polka dot patterned paper is topped by an embossed scallop trim (Tasteful Trims die). The new Dazzling Details from SU works just like Stickles. I really liked it because it has lots of sparkle, just like my all time favorite, Dazzling Diamonds glitter. This was a totally fun card to make. You did good, Linda! Thanks for such a great class.

Sometimes, at least at my age, we get a little uncomfortable with another birthday. When a birthday approaches (long before I'm ready for it), I remember this verse:

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:6

God knew the first day I would take a breath long before I breathed it. He knows the final breath I will take...on this side of glory. Every day, every minute, every second of our life is ordained by God. My heart's desire is to live each day fully and completely in devotion to Him...until He takes me home. Ahhh...think what THAT first breath will be like. I can only imagine!

Blessings on your day!

Remembering...

2011-09-11T00:05:00.002-05:00

Just remembering today...

...and praying to God that He will protect and preserve our great land.

IF my people, who are called by my name,

will humble themselves and pray

and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

THEN I will hear from heaven,

and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Short and Simple #3: Four Square Thanks

2011-09-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

By now I hope you are familiar with my "Short and Simple" series of cards. They are all from a class I took, facilitated by an SU demo-friend. Since I was creating several posts before leaving for Ireland, I am keeping them all "Short and Simple."

The third card I made is a perfect CAS design. The beautifully bright colors are perfect for bringing a cheery hello to someone. This one was particularly fast and easy, and we all need card recipes for those at our disposal.

The 1-1/4" square punch makes quick work of the backdrop--squares of patterned paper. And they are particularly striking set on a Whisper White card base. The whimsical flowers (SU) are colored in with coordinating markers. You could use this layout for any occasion, and put together an adorable greeting in no time. Loved this one, Linda! Thanks for a great class.

"Irish" blessings on your day!

Short and Simple #2: Big {Hug}

2011-09-07T00:05:00.010-05:00

Big Cyber Hugs...from Ireland! While my Short and Simple posts are going live, I'm traipsing all over Ireland. I just hope all goes well with my posts here, because I'll have no access to them while I'm away.

My second "short and simple" post features another card made at the card class I took right before I left. Love the light and clean fall colors to this card.

We used Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery and Whisper White. I should have used the Stamp-a-ma-jig Linda provided because my flower layers don't align real well...but it gives it a casual, fun and funky look. So I was happy. The Scallop Dots Ribbon in Choc. Chip was the perfect embellishment and the sentiment from Perfect Words seemed....perfect.

While at the class I was able to reconnect with another demonstrator friend, who caught me up on her life and the condition of her son who'd been in an accident and was recovering from severe injuries. What the mother and son had to go through over three years of rehab was amazing. We received and gave several BUG {HUG}s through the course of our conversation. An amazing story of God's miraculous touches on their lives. It was a privilege just to listen....and love her. Our sons are about the same ages, and I just kept thinking, that could be my boy, and that could be me. So humbled, so grateful, so amazed by her effervescent positive response to a life-shattering crisis. Give your children a BIG HUG today! I plan to be hugging on mine every day...on the Emerald Isle!

Blessings on your day!

Short and Simple #1: Delicate Doilies

2011-09-05T00:06:00.008-05:00

Since I'm vacationing in Ireland, I made my pre-posts short and simple! I recently went to a card class hosted by a dear friend and SU demonstrator. It was so good to be back in her craftroom playing. We made super cute, simple designs, so I decided to post those while I'm away from my computer. Since the class was offered by a SU demonstrator all the images and papers are from SU for all the Short and Simple posts over the next couple of weeks.

Short and Simple #1

I couldn't get the color right in the photo, but the card base is Elegant Eggplant--a luscious deep purple, and I absolutely loved Linda's plan for us on this card. The patterned paper on the bottom is from the Flirtatious Specialty paper series and the images are from the Delicate Doilies stamp set. Since I'm no longer a demonstrator for SU, I'm not as familiar with the products, so I don't know the name of the sentiment set, but I'm sure it's SU. I just loved the color scheme Linda chose for us:

Elegant Eggplant Wisteria Wonder Old Olive Whisper White

We used these punches: 1-1/4" circle, scallop circle and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon. It was so fun making cards that someone else designed and organized. Loved having all the cutting already done for me! What a treat to play and see everyone again.

Blessings on your day!

An Irish Blessing

2011-09-02T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm flying to Ireland tomorrow! I'm so excited that the time has finally arrived. I don't think I'll sleep a wink tonight for all the excitement. I've checked my checklist 100 times. What do you think I'll forget?

For the occasion, I'm working on a new Irish-themed digi set for Paper Fashions Etc. I'll wait until I get back to finish it because I might find things there that will inspire me!

Here's a peek at one image...my little pot of shamrocks. Of course, the colors had to be green, gold and white, but I really wanted the shamrocks to be different shades of green. Several people who have been to Ireland say that there are so many luscious shades of green. Hope we will see them...but it may be too "fallish" there now.

I created two versions of the little shamrock cluster--with and without the card thingy (what do florists call that--floral pick?). Shamrocks are colored with Copics and a few are paper pieced. Can you find the four-leafed one?

Here's a close up of the sentiment. I will have some fun sentiments and a set of Irish blessings and prayers to coordinate with the digi stamps. Can't wait to get them finished. This is one of my favorite Irish blessings. It was spoken over us at our wedding by my principal (when I was a teacher)--a dear friend who has long since been with the Lord. I've been comforted many times, and especially now as I embark on this amazing journey, that God holds me in the palm of His hand. He can set me gently down on new ground, or He can lift me heavenward. In either case, a good, loving and gracious Heavenly Father is holding onto me. I'm so blessed to be making this trip with my family--mother (84!), my sister and my son! And I know they are in His palm with me.

The card is on a soft green textured cardstock from Bazzill Basics--sorry, don't have the color name. But the patterned papers are from a new Lost and Found packet (My Mind's Eye) that I just purchased. I paper pieced the vase to coordinate.

The frame is a beaded oval Nestie, and I used smooth oval dies for the image piece and More Mustard mat.

I'll be sharing more of my Irish Images when I return and finish the set. Meanwhile, may this blessing be yours until we meet here again...

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be at your back.
May the sun shine warmon your face,
May the rains fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

[Note: All images for the set Irish Images are copyright protected by Paper Fashions Etc. Duplicating the image is an infringement of the copyright. © 2011 Paper Fashions Etc. All rights reserved. ]

I've pre-posted a series of card posts, Short and Simple, made recently at a class I attended. I hope they post correctly...I won't know until I get back! I'm calling it Short and Simple cause the posts are short and the cards are simple. Who doesn't need both! LOL

Thanks for stopping in!

Complete Joy

2011-09-01T00:37:00.008-05:00

I'm thinking fall already in my crafting and I'm gravitating to the rich warm colors of Indian Summer.

My family has served in ministry more years than I care to count. That is just what we do. God has called us to serve Him with all of our hearts, and for us, with all of our lives too. It's an honor and a joy to serve beside my pastor husband. Sometimes, the rewards of ministry are not very visible, nor are they often immediate. Ministry is more like planting seeds and tending a growing garden. Some plants take longer than others to reach full maturity. So patience is an imperative in ministry. And I'm not talking about patience with people....rather patience for the harvest. God promises us that our labors will not be in vain if we serve in His name. So we just keep on doing what God has called us to do, even when we don't see a huge harvest. He promises it will come...that our harvest and our joy will be complete. And His promises are enough for me.

The card:

I couldn't identify this coordinating patterned paper, but I really like it, and I hope I figure out what it is. I'd long since cut off the id strip at the bottom of the paper. I printed the sentiment on Naturals Ivory and cut it out and layered it using Nesties. The sentiment is from the Harvest of Gratitude set from Paper Fashions.

The set contains 8 lovely sentiments that express your gratitude for others and the harvest of their lives. This is perfect for someone who serves in ministry....or for anyone who would be blessed by a word of gratitude from you.

Harvest of Gratitude

We aren't that far from Thanksgiving either. So you might also be interested in this set from Paper Fashions Etc.

Thanksgiving Sentiments

And while I'm talking about gratitude and Thanksgiving, may I just say thank you again for even taking the time to come peek in on my blog. I love having you here, and so appreciate all your comments and notes of encouragement. You are the best!

Blessings on your day!

Heart Art #2

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm still having a blast creating my Heart Art...and the best part is, I'm keeping these! I want to make five of them to go on the wall in my newly decorated reading room (my previous formal dining room). I will have a shabby chic desk, with bookcases, and the most yummy white leather chair and ottoman. When I sat in it while shopping for my special chair...I almost didn't get up. It was like sitting in a puff of whipped cream!

Not the best picture, but you get the idea. It's the one in the middle....the whipped cream one! It will be delivered as soon as we get the room done. 'Course we're doing four rooms all at once including new flooring and DH is doing all the work himself (poor thing). I'm just doing a little painting and scraping.

Here's the "before view of my reading nook. And really, a nook is about all it is. It was really crowded for a formal dining room 12 x 14. I'm in the process of refinishing my antique buffet and converting it to shabby chic. The walls won't be this...that's just the look of freshly removed wall paper. This is sort of what I'm living with right now. But I have a dream...

This will be the bookcase at the far end wall you see in the room above...toward the left and my wonderful chair will be beside it.

Then along the left wall, I'll have a shabby chic finished desk and above the desk I will display my Heart Art. The one below was my first attempt and I've made five now (three for me, two gifts). But I'll keep my first one because of the message.

Here she is...temporarily standing in my craft room. Poor little thing...her plump middle actually bears a striking resemblance....but NOT TO ME!!! Well, sort of... And her legs are a little too skinny. Mine are not. Still I love her because of the delight I had in creating her. It was more fun than I've had crafting in some time. Totally relaxing.

This is the canvas I created before putting on my girl and all the embellishments. So easy to do...you just about can't make a mistake. It's meant to be messy and fun.

She's not a perfect girl, but in that, she's very much like me! God is still painting the rich canvas of my life. I can't wait to see it when He is finished with it and places it in the mansion He has prepared for me!

I'm so grateful for my hubby who is taking our humble home and creating a wonderfully warm, inviting retreat for us. He's doing a wonderful job...I just hope he lives through all the work. I really DO want to grow old by his side, and enjoy his handiwork....and mine....together.

Thanks for sharing a piece of my heart!

Blessings on your day...

Still Debating

2011-08-23T23:58:00.002-05:00

I'm not too sure how I feel about this card. I tried to used some of my mixed media techniques I've been using on canvas and it certainly has a different look on a small card. I wanted to create a masculine card for my FIL's birthday recently. I really wanted a piece of torn music, so I used this hymn from an old hymnal we had laying around the house. I used some Tattered Angels distressing spray and WHOA, those puppies really shoot the spray all over the place and kinda blotchy.

My FIL has wander-lust, so he travels whenever he can. So I used a bit patterned paper that looks a graphic relief map, then used color wash and acrylic paint to add color. I layered the music on top of that, then did a mask and spray technique. Thaaat's the part I'm not too sure about. Really strong stuff. Nothing subtle about it!! LOL

Next I adhered the music with Mod Podge and pushed it around to get some wrinkle. I covered the entire surface of this layer with the MP, and dried it. Then I affixed rub-ons and did a little stamping in black.

The sentiment is a stamp and I used a Nestie frame die to cut out the sentiment. I layered that with patterned paper to get a little more color and texture.

For the inside, I searched online for an Irish blessing or prayer. I modified it slightly but I was happy with the message of the inside. It will have particular meaning to him because he traveled to Ireland last year with his son. And....Ireland's on my mind lately too, since I'm traveling there this year.

Well, for better or for worse, there it is. I wouldn't call it one of my better creations, but it's growing on me....maybe. I'm sure it will bewilder my FIL!

Thanks for peeking in on the good, the bad and even the ugly! I appreciate you so much!!!

Erase That!

2011-08-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

I cannot even begin to count the numbers of times I wish I could just "erase" something I did or said. Have you ever been there? It never ceases to amaze me to think of the power of the spoken word. We do well to carefully consider that power as we make our pronouncements!

For just such occasions, I included an appropriate sentiment for our school-themed set for Paper Fashions Etc.

While definitely on the light-hearted side, the sentiment offers a heart-felt and creative way to offer an apology. Of course, the truth of the matter is that we can't erase what is spoken. It's there, and it carries with it all the ramifications of both what we intended and didn't intend to convey. While our words have power, the act of seeking forgiveness is even more powerful.

I remember a time when I spoke too quickly and my statement came out as harsh and judgmental. It offended a new believer. I spoke it to a group in general during a teaching session, but this tender young Christian took it more personally. My intent at that moment mattered not a whit. It was his perception of what I said that mattered. I'm so grateful that he spoke to me later and described how he had taken what I said. I told him on the spot I was sorry. But I wanted my apology to go deep. So I scheduled a meeting with the man and his wife, and my pastor-hubby went with me. I acknowledged his hurt, and described exactly why I knew that I was in error. I asked for his forgiveness and then prayed with them that God would forgive me to and that He would help this young Christian wipe the slate clean, so he would not harbor bitterness in his heart. And God blessed us both in deepening the friendships we already treasured.

Forgiveness really does mean to wipe the slate clean! God does that for us as His children. Once we go to Him and acknowledge our error or sin, He is slow to anger and quick to forgive when we come to Him in genuine repentance. I'm grateful my God has wiped the slate clean for me so many times!

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.

Numbers 14:18

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is His love for those who fear HIim;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions for us.

Psalm 103:11-12

The card:
I used one of the images from PFE's School Days Backgrounds set. These are so fun, since they can be sized for your particular project. I colored the images: slate, chalk and eraser with Copic markers. I really liked the way a light touch with the dark gray Copic gave a freshly erased look. I accented the card with a little stitching, which is so popular right now.

The images are popped up with foam dots for dimension.

What I like most about our School Days ensemble (2 sets of digital images, sentiment, 2 sets of flashcards and borders), is that they are so versatile. This card and the one I posted previously would fall into the all-occasion category, so though you can have fun with the vintage school theme, these can be used for any occasion.

Review of Sets used:

Blessings on your day!

School Days Ahead!

2011-08-12T23:37:00.002-05:00

Where has the summer gone? I can't believe it's almost time for school again...when the summer just got started. For so many years my biological clock was intricately intertwined with the start of school. There was always an excitement to starting a new year, whether I was in the classroom teaching, or later as a school administrator. A new school year always meant a clean slate!

I had such a fun time designing the images in the new school-themed set available at Paper Fashions Etc. School just seems to be in my blood, and even though I'm elated to be retired...I still love all the fun memories this set elicits. Whether or not you have anyone involved in school (I have no real connections any longer)...this is just a fun set. It's perfect for so many occasions. I still have "brown-bag lunches" with some of my friends from time to time.

In addition to the digital image set, we have a coordinating sentiment set, a border set, two different flashcard sets, and a bingo set. The sentiment set contains sayings like this one, that are great for totally non-school related activities.

I had fun paper-piecing the books for this card. The papers used on my cards came from MME paper packs or from a October Afternoon pack all available at Two Paper Divas.

I'll have a few more projects to share with you using these sets, but be sure to check us out at Paper Fashions Etc. We've showcased several school themed projects there last week and will have more this next week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Complete Abandon....Well, Almost!

2011-08-05T15:18:00.001-05:00

If you know me, you know I rarely do anything with complete abandon. I'm structured, I want a plan (or at least a to-do list) and I want my life organized--although it rarely is. When I saw Christy Tomlinson's online art classes, I was so intrigued. The mixed-media had an allure to me...it looked free and it elicited a yearning to design with that kind of abandon. So I signed up for two classes.

The classes are changing me! And I'm liking the changes. In my previous post, I shared a project I designed after watching the first week of videos from Christy's "She Art" class. Oh, my goodness! I am so hooked on those. I have five completed now. Before I share my second type of project I want to share a window into my new world...the new me. (I will be back with card projects, BTW!!)

I have four large craft tables in my downstairs craft room. One is now dedicated to my Christy classes. One is my stamping/card-making table. One has my computer and Wacom tablet for creating digi stamps for my Paper Fashions business and one is for all other junk. I'm most proud of this table!!

I love it because it's messy...but it's an artsy kind of messy. I adore Christy's fun-loving, get-paint-all-over-the-place way of creating. It's free, and it's fun. I wore my "retired-really-retired" SU black apron, and my goal was to get it covered with paints!! (I know...shocking to you loyal SU demos!) A very freeing experience! Look at this close up of these paints.

Don't they just LOOK like they belong in an artist's studio?. I have always wanted to be an artist. I'm learning a new freedom in re-defining that word. I'm beginning to understand that art is NOT in the skill of mastering certain techniques, but it is learning to use techniques to free up self expression. My name is Diane Noble, and I am an artist! (Gives me goosebumps!)

Christy is simply helping me "grow" into this new skin. And at 61 years of age...I'm pretty much liking the idea of getting to wear new skin, expanding my identity, becoming more expressive through what I create.

I'm trying not to abandon all organization...I go crazy when I can't find things. So I'm trying to keep things in a general this-is-where-you-belong place.

Here are three samples from the second class project...My Three Hearts art journal. I'm going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this class/project. Basically you learn TONS of art techniques, then apply them while creating a journal about your three hearts...

I will explore all these fun artsy techniques, but I will also be sharing my heart through my journaling. Of course I won't bore you with all my pages, but from time to time, I'll share some results from my most favorite techniques. One of the best parts about the classes is that I get to use art mediums I've never used before: Pan Pastels (used on the above page), Shiva Paint Stick (oil paint in a stick), India ink, washes and sprays (used below) and oh, so much more. I still get to use my favorites--papers and stamps--too. What could be better?

This page (above) is my favorite so far...

And this one (below) is my not-so-favorite one so far...

I intended it to look like a window to my heart, and the question is what does God see when He looks inside. I asked the question because that's what really matters. You might get glimpses into my heart through what I say and what I create, but God knows me fully. And it is my total desire, that when He looks inside, what He sees is pleasing. Hmmmm.....some days good. Some days, not. I'm a canvas in progress!

For this page I pulled out my SU watercolor crayons and went to work, splashing the color with the aqua-painter. I tried to highlight a frame look using the Faber Castell Pitt pens (India Ink)--what a fascinating medium. By the way, Christy has a store--Scarlet Lime, and all these new art mediums can be purchased there.

Finally (you've been super to stick with me through the whole post)--my structured side is still there...and to prove it, I'm also designing a companion journal. I'm creating pages that explain what techniques I used and adding a thumbnail of the page. I describe how I created the background, what design elements I use, how I finished the page, and any anecdotal notes about the process. It's just a way for me to remember!

OK....I'll quit!
Blessings on your day!

My Heart Art

2011-08-02T15:15:00.006-05:00

I'm embarking on yet another exciting journey in my crafting. The new mixed-media craze is so contagious, and I'm hooked. I took the online course, She Art, offered by Christy Tomlinson, and I have absolutely fallen in love with this totally free and expressive art form. Because it's mixed media, I still get to use (and use up!) all my wonderful papers (I've been stashing) and I still get to use my stamps. I also get to throw on some paint with wonderful abandon and (yeah!) I opened some long-sealed packages of rub-ons. I just never used them on cards and they are perfect for this art form. So I'll be sharing my Heart Art over the next few weeks. I've made four of these and have plans for several more.

This one is the last one I created, and I did it in part for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge for this week. Plus I made it as a gift to a teen girl in our church who is in our praise team....shhhh, it's a surprise for her this Sunday.

The challenge at SSIC is from Psalm 148:7-10--“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds.” How amazing to think that all of earth praises the Creator, just by being! The fact that they live and breathe gives testimony to our great God. Peggy Sue offers a wonderful scriptural challenge for us to praise God each and everyday.

We know from the truth of scripture that if we don't sing God's praises, His creation will. The creative challenge offered at Stampin' Sisters in Christ was to use some small creature. So I attached this fun, glittery birdcage with the small bird, who--if you will notice--is sitting on the outside of the cage. Free! It is only through Christ that we are truly free...and that is certainly something to sing about!

The delightful young lady for whom I made this canvas, has been exalting her Lord since she was just a little girl. I was the principal of the Christian school when she started kindergarten. I remember her first day clearly. And at church she came to the platform every Sunday for the children's messages my husband (pastor) and I gave. I've watched her grow up. When she was an adolescent, I watched her bring her friends to church, and I know she frequently shared Jesus. Once at a youth function on evangelism, she called some friends on her cell phone during the rally to share her excitement about Jesus with them. She will be a senior this year. When she sang this Sunday, all the sweet memories of this precious girl came flooding over me. What a powerhouse for her Lord this young woman is. She often sings on the praise team and her inner and outer beauty is a testimony to Christ in her heart.

When working with mixed media, anything can become a piece of your art. These art canvases are 8 x 10 and are covered with paints, papers and ephemera. I've used delicately bold colored papers (just how I would describe Sydney--delicately bold), but I also used a page from an old hymn book I had laying around.How appropriate for the challenge and the gift..."praise Him, praise Him, Jesus our blessed Redeemer...His wonderful love proclaim." It's almost covered, but I also used a page from a book of devotions. When Christ is in your heart, you will follow Him anywhere, everywhere, and your heart will just spill over with song!

I hope you've enjoyed the first of my Heart Art pieces I'll be sharing in the days ahead. Each one tells a story...whole chapters of life represented on a single canvas. I hope your heart is brimming over with praises for your Lord, and I hope you'll visit Stampin Sisters in Christ, join in the fun of their challenge this week, and create your own way to express your praises.

Blessings on your day!

Baked Fresh and Served Hot!

2011-07-30T00:10:00.012-05:00

I've cooked up some delightful new craft recipes with my new digi ensemble, Kitchen Clatter. I literally have everything BUT the kitchen sink, I think...and I might work on that! Follow these tasty cookie crumbs to uncover these delicious delights.

I have a yummy new digi set of vintage kitchen paraphernalia, and coordinating sentiments, recipe cards, and some fun single images too.

Now you can create this vintage kitchen-themed set of cards and gift box for a special cooking enthusiast.

The 10-page tutorial includes step-by-step instructions with clear photos, and all the digi images and sentiments needed for the project. So the tutorial is a great bargain--you get the gift box, all instructions and the images/sentiment for your project for only $6.95. That's hot!

Homemade Goodness

10-page, Full-cColor Photo Tutorial

$6.95

Blazing a Trail

2011-07-25T00:05:00.001-05:00

I'm not a hiker and I've never traveled much. I love being home. All the years while I worked outside the home, I longed for retirement....just the chancge to stay at home. And retirement was better than I even dreamed. I love being in my nest! So I'm not really an adventurer, but later this fall, my trip to Ireland will definitely be blazing a trail for ME. I'll be having so many new experiences and I can hardly wait.

This is the last of my published cards I'll share for now. The remaining two have a distinctive fall flair, so I'll wait until a little later to share those. With all the fun tags and embellishments that came with this Kaiser Craft paper, the card was so easy to organize and put together.

Hope you've gained a wee bit of inspiration for your own creations from the sets I've shared recently. I'm going to be spending time in my craft room now designing my next sets to submit, and some new fun tutorials for Diane's Designs.

Thanks for peeking in....may God bless your day!

Remember When...

2011-07-22T00:05:00.001-05:00

Isn't it amazing when you remember back to the things of childhood and realize how your perspective changes. The houses we lived in seemed so big to me. I'm less than an hour from most of my childhood homes, and when I revisit the old neighborhoods, I can't believe how little those houses really are. I remember how long summers lasted...they lasted forever and I enjoyed every day of them. Now summers go by so quickly and I'm thankful because I can't stand the heat.

And I remember a place called "KiddyLand"--a magical place for a child with Ferris Wheels, roller coasters, the big Merry-Go-Round and cotton candy. I can still remember the excitement of my parents announcing, "Let's go to KiddyLand!" There was much anticipation walking up to the ticket booth and waiting to see how benevolent my parents were feeling--how many tickets we would get for the rides. My brother and I were always ecstatic with whatever we got! Life then was just bigger than life.

When I started creating these cards, published in the recent issue of Paper Creations, I did a joyful dance down memory lane. I created the sentiment, soon to be released at Paper Fashions Etc, because I really could remember when summer lasted forever, the Ferris Wheel made me squeal (I'd just scream now), and Cotton Candy tasted good.

Life was a blast and I was blessed with one of the happiest childhood's anyone could have. Days were marvelous, and on so many summer nights, we would go outside with Mother and Daddy and catch lightening bugs in a jar or lay on a blanket and look at the stars. We didn't have much money, and we learned to love the simple things in life. And looking back, I know how rich I really was.

Breathtaking Moments

2011-07-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

What breathtaking moments have you experienced in your life time. As I think back to mine, all have something to do with the way God has revealed His glory....a stunning sunset, a miracle of new life (particularly the first time I held each of my sons), watching a baptism, just sensing His presence in a million different ways. There are two things on my "bucket list" that I envision being breathtaking moments--seeing Niagara Falls and riding in hot air balloon. I might get to experience the first, but I think the closest I'll come to the second is this card!! LOL And that's a pretty far cry from a breathtaking moment.

This card, however, did make the line up of my most recently published cards, so I'm pretty amazed by that. And I will have to say, seeing my cards in a magazine in a spectacular moment!

This one was also published and was part of a 5-card set using these fun balloon themed papers from Kaiser Crafts. I created the sentiment, and it's one that will be in an upcoming set at Paper Fashions Etc. Obviously I was thinking about mustering the courage to get in that hot air balloon. It's a huge dream, but I'm afraid of heights--majorly afraid. I can't even walk close to the railing at a two level shopping mall! But maybe someday my dream will overcome my fears and I'll follow my heart.

In the meanwhile, I'll just continue to get a thrill from having my cards published! What are your dreams?

Back to Mapping!

2011-07-18T00:05:00.000-05:00

I've been a little hit and miss with my Monday Maps and creating some card sketches for you. But I've been a little hit and miss with LIFE lately....anyone else experiencing that? *WHEW*

I've been sharing some of my cards I submitted for publication that made it. Thought I'd share this one that didn't make it! I'll just turn a lemon into lemonade and give you a fun sketch from it!

The inspiration from the card came from the totally sensational papers I was using. One of the sheets was just words. So I used one of the patterned papers--one of those glitter sheets that are so fabulous, and just cut out words for a collage look. The glass of lemonade and sunglasses are SU stamps from a retired set and those were both colored with Copics. I popped up some of the words and both images with foam dots.

Thought it didn't make the cut, I have a bright and cheery card to send to someone....if I ever stick it in an envelope! That's another thing I'm pretty hit and miss with....mostly miss (especially birthdays!).

There's really no right or wrong to a collage design, whether you're working with sentiments, words/phrases or images. It was probably a little busy for the editor's taste, but I bet it will brighten someone's day nonetheless.

Here's the sketch for your files.

Have a sun-kissed, but cool, day!

Bon Voyage!

2011-07-15T08:02:00.000-05:00

From my previous post, you know I'll be showing the rest of my cards that were published in Paper Creations magazine. However, I had to insert this project that's over at Paper Fashions Etc. right now, cause I'm lovin' this new set.

This little faux postage stamp measures 1-1/8 x 2-1/8 and has four digi images layered on top of one another to create the scene! I'm tellin' ya...that's what I LOVE about digis. Versatility to the max! All the details of my card can be seen right HERE.

I'll be back on Monday with another line up of my published cards. Be prepared to go Up, Up and Away!

Blessings on your weekend!

A Touch of the Orient

2011-07-11T16:59:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share some of my most recently published cards, once again in Paper Creations Magazine. One of my biggest surprises (besides being accepted again) was that three of my cards made it to the cover! I found out about it on Facebook when the owner of the local scrapbook store gave a shout out for me! I was so excited. This is the Fall 2011 issue....and there I am!

Here's the inside pages....

I just wanted to show you why I like this magazine so well. First, I love the simple, step-by-step directions. I have to submit them with my cards, but they require a format that is easy for readers to follow. Secondly, I love the way the cards are staged throughout the magazine. I won't share the rest of the pages where I'm featured (you'd have to buy the magazine), but I'll be sharing them here on my blog. Really, this magazine is soooo worth it. There are some outstanding artists in here. They amaze me...and I just can't believe I get to sit on the same page with them.

Card #1 (Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge card)

I'm submitted this card to Stampin' Sisters in Christ, for this week's challenge. You should really head right over there and read Rebekka Reed's devotional from James 2:18-19. Very powerful! And I loved her design challenge..."what works for you." I loved using embossed foil for this card...and since it was published, I guess it worked for me just great!

The papers for all the cards are from Kaiser Craft/ Lush Collection. Gayla and Melissa (PFE buddies) shared their stash with me from their trip to CHA last year. I loved the papers, embellies and stamps that went with the set, so I used as much as I could.

This card is a 5-1/4" square card--base is Crushed Curry (SU, retired) cardstock. I embossed the foil sheet with an embossing folder, layered it onto the patterned paper layer and added the other embellishments. I made the folded fan from a strip of paper and just folded it back and forth. I smashed one end down to fit securely under the sentiment map. Now, I have no idea what the sentiment says! That could be interesting!!!

Card #2:

Tangerine Tango cardstock (SU) perfectly matches this paper. The card is an off-set gate-fold card. I stamped the flower image on Very Vanilla cardstock and colored it in (Copics). Then I cut a piece of Vellum cardstock the same size and stamped the sentiment on it. The small flowered brad holds the two pieces together.

Card #3

This 3-1/2" x 6" card base is from Wild Wasabi (SU) cardstock, and has two layers of patterned paper. The scallop circle and bracket chipboard pieces are both from the coordinating embellishments for the Lush collection. I just stamped the Thank You on it and added the silk flowers.

I'll be sharing more of my published card throughout the week. Hope they provide just a little inspiration for you.

I've never been to the Orient, so the culture is mysterious and far-away in my mind. Miles and oceans separate us, yet I can enjoy the beauty of their unique art genre. In thinking of such far-away places I think of one of the most amazing verses of Scripture:

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on His children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11-13

What amazement, what comfort I have in embracing this truth. I'm grateful beyond words that God has cast my sin that far from me. Sin...my sin...was ugly and it separated me from God. I can scarcely imagine the love and compassion it took for God to remove that sin from me, because only Christ's sacrifice could effect that depth of purging. Indeed, I am whiter than snow...not because of my goodness, but because of God's great love and sacrifice. As far as the east is from the west....for me, that's far enough!!!

Blessings on your day!

I'm Heading to the Beach...

2011-07-09T01:12:00.000-05:00

Just a quick peek of my project to introduce Paper Fashions Etc newest set, BeachScapes! Hope you'll drop in and check out the details and catch my framed art piece there too.

Sports Fun Game Book for Kids

2011-07-02T08:10:00.001-05:00

Sometimes my head spins when listening to young parents relay their summer schedules that are full of all their children's activities. As a girl, my summer time consisted of long summer evenings playing softball in the vacant light, playing hide-and-go-seek with the neighborhood kids, or catching fire-flies in a jar then letting them all go at once. They were slow-paced, no-stress days and they seemed to last forever.

I created this activity book for Paper Fashions Etc. to showcase our newest set, Sports Fun, with coordinating sentiments and Bingo cards. Kids today are so knowledgeable of all kinds of sports. This would surely be a "winner" for them.

The pages are designed to have the game on the right side and the answer page on the back of the matching game. The whole family could get into these activities. To see all the pages, just head over to my post on Paper Fashions Etc.

Blessings on your day!

In My Thoughts and Prayers

2011-06-29T00:46:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a pastor's wife and one of my most fulfilling personal ministries I have in our church is sending cards to our members. There are so many of our members who are experiencing all kinds of challenges right now...health, grief, job losses or unsettling life changes. So I'm making more cards than usual right now. I needed a general scheme that was fast and simple but that had enough to it that it conveyed how much I really care.

For this card, I used a digi frame I ordered online and recolored it. I layered one of our PFE sentiments from Thoughts of You and the little flowers from our Garden Accessories set.

I colored the flowers in with my Copic markers and added some tiny rhinestones to the centers. The alternating faux pearls in cream and Baja Breeze added a bit of elegance to what is a pretty simple card.

The scallop frame is Baja cardstock, coordinating with the card base, and was cut using a Nestabilities die.

Inside the card, I layered a coordinating piece of patterned paper cardstock (retired SU) under the computer generated sentiment and put another digi flower in the lower right corner, coloring and embellishing it to match the front flowers.

When I think about all the changes that these precious friends are facing I'm reminded of Psalm 93:1-2:

The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
   the LORD is robed in majesty
   and is armed with strength.
The world is firmly established;
   it cannot be moved.
Your throne was established long ago;
   you are from all eternity.

Regardless of the changes we encounter, God is not moved by them. He remains steadfastly in place--on His throne. The changes and challenges that come into our lives never surprise Him. He is always in control, and always desires what is good...what is best for us. Even our challenges can refine us and strengthen our faith.

So my prayer for all my hurting friends, and for you too, is that God would reign in your lives and over your hearts, that He would touch you with His strong arm, and that He would comfort you with the knowlege that He will not be moved. He is from all eternity, for all eternity...He has it all in His loving hands.

Blessings on your day!

For Your Sports Enthusiasts

2011-06-27T04:12:00.000-05:00

Seems like I can never have enough cards suitable for the guys in my family. That's why I'm loving the new Sports Fun set we launched this weekend at Paper Fashions Etc. The digital set incorporates several sports--golf, baseball, basketball, soccer, football and cheerleading--14 images in all. And there's a coordinating set of sentiments (used on my sample here) and a really fun set of sport-themed Bingo cards.

My card is designed using the center-step fold design introduced on Splitcoast Stampers. It's so easy and I love the unique fold. It's always a big hit with recipients. Here's a side view:

I used October Afternoon papers (Campfire and Homemaker), and both of those paper pads are available here at Two Paper Divas. More details on the card and sets can be found at Paper Fashions Etc.

I thought this sample would make a great sketch challenge for you too.

Just a Peek...

2011-06-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

Check out the details for this card I made using several elements from Paper Fashions Etc.

I have quite a few antiques around my house. Most are sentimental pieces that are family heirlooms. But of all my antiques, I treasure old friends the most. You know...the kind of friend you can call after years and pick up right where you left off.

Head over to Paper Fashions for more views and details.

Weighing in on Fun!

2011-06-23T03:32:00.005-05:00

When I first learned how to make these pocketed folders I went crazy with mass producing them. I was leading a weight loss support group at church and I wanted to make them so the ladies could keep track of their progress. But before I could finish, the group dispersed. I still think they are fun and so versatile.

Of the 13 or 14 I made, this one was my favorite. I always loved the colors of Stampin' Up!s Haiku papers, and of course, I had to buy several packages. I still have plenty left. And I still love them.

The project is made using one manilla file folder. I altered mine somewhat from the tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers but it's pretty close to it, so just follow the link to download instructions.

Once you follow the cutting/folding directions, you decorate four inside pocketed panels. Here are the first two panels.

and the second two panels...

I created the cards to fit inside so members of the group could keep track of food points, a food intake journal, weight gains/losses and a general card for notes.

The difference in my version and the one on SCS is that I glued the backs of the two center panels together so instead of opening wide open, it would fan open like a book as shown above.

These are so versatile...they can hold coupons, all types of lists, photos, tickets or important papers--endless possibilities.

Blessings on your day....

Doodle Bird For You...

2011-06-20T01:59:00.004-05:00

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.

Hebrews 11:1

This week's challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ is so fun that I had to participate. As always the hostess offers a wonderful devotion, a spiritual challenge and then finishes with a card design challenge. The Scripture verse is Hebrews 11:1--Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. If we think that our faith is something we can "muster up" when we need an extra dose of it, we will lack the very thing we need. Jesus is the "author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2) Our faith is a gift from God. We can't simply try harder to achieve a deeper faith. As we trust in Jesus day by day, He increases our faith. We are encouraged in Scripture to ask God to increase our faith when we feel it is faint. He will give in ample measure as we trust His Word and His promises. That's my take on the verse; you should hop over to Stampin' Sisters in Christ and read the devotional there....and see all the other cards submitted for the challenge. Better yet, submit your own card!

The card design challenge was to create a card displaying "evidence" that is was yours. Doodling is a fun way to personalize your card. I love doodling because you can't do it wrong. It's yours...and it can be anything you want. Here's my card for the challenge.

The images are available from Paper Fashions Etc, and are ones I designed for the Birds and Bees set of digital images. What's fun about the images is they are like doodling themselves. I had no real plan when I created them...I was just doodling.

To enhance the images, I added doodle dots around the inside of the cloud borders, inside the upper border of the banner, and around the edge of the image piece. I matted the image with a rectangle of Baja Breeze cardstock, and used a different doodle along the edges. The last layer (red grid from My Mind's Eye/Stella and Rose/Hazel patterned paper), has yet another doodle pattern. The edge of the card base echoes the original dot doodles to pull it all together.

To reflect the personalize touch of this doodled card, I just hand-wrote a simple sentiment across the banner, which is also a part of the Birds and Bees set I designed. It definitely has that hand-drawn doodle feel to it that I love.

What a fun challenge! I'm always inspired when I visit Stampin Sisters in Christ, and I know if you visit them, you will be too. Then head over to Paper Fashions Etc. and pick up your Birds and Bees set. Thanks for stopping by!

May your heart be full of faith...

Father's Day without Dad

2011-06-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

My heart just goes out to all the sons and daughters who, like me, will experience their first Father's Day without their dads. It's hard. But I'm so very grateful as thoughts of my own dad fill my mind, that we had so many years with him, so many good times, and such a precious relationship. I told my Daddy often how much I loved him and how grateful to him and for him I was. I didn't miss many opportunities to openly express my affection for him. Now, I realize what a inexpressible gift it is that I have no regrets and no words that remained unspoken.

To honor Father's Day this year, I thought I would share some of the past cards I've made for the occasion with the words of love and appreciation I expressed to him when he was alive. Daddy saved every card I ever made for him. Mother gave them all to me after he died. Yesterday would have been his 84th birthday, and I pulled all the cards out and read through them. That's what prompted this Father's Day tribute and my reverie of expressing my love to my Dad.

Here was my last Father's Day card to Dad, just a year ago...

and the inside...

About one year ago we started realizing that Dad was getting weak. The sentiment above was a prayer of my heart...that God would strengthen and sustain Dad. Within a few months from giving him this card we received his terminal cancer diagnosis. God granted every prayer of my heart. He strengthen my dad spiritually for the end of his days.

I made this card for my Dad about 10 years ago...

Not long after Daddy passed, I had a dream of him in heaven, running a race. He looked just like he did in this picture...young, strong....his body totally restored. Crowds lined the path he ran on both sides and they were cheering him on. He was ecstatically happy. Just before I awoke, I realized that he had already passed the finish line and was running for the pure joy of it!

Here's the inside...

And here is a card I made about five years ago...

Can you tell the picture of me at about 6 or 7 is my favorite picture of me and my Dad? I had actually forgotten I'd used the picture on an earlier card to him. Here's the inside...

And here is the gift I made for him that went with the card.

A close up...

The picture of both of us were very current at the time. Indeed, time with him was so precious!

While this card isn't a Father's Day card, I included it in my memoirs for this post because of the inside. I gave this card to him about 14 years ago...don't you laugh at some of your creations from long ago. It certainly reveals how my tastes in creating have evolved!

But here's the inside, and it's one of my favorite expressions of love and admiration for him.

What I love about this sentiment is that it is still true today, and even more relevant now that he is at home with Jesus. He finished his race so gracefully, so beautifully. And now, my preacher daddy is reaping the rewards of his labors in the Gospel. I love to go outside at night, look up at heaven's expanse and picture my daddy there with his precious Savior. One time a unbelieving person told me that when someone dies they become stars. How sad to believe that is all that awaits a loved one. My father is no star, he is a redeemed child of God who has claimed the prize of a surrendered heart and now walks with those who have also died, but who accepted the message he so passionately preached. No, he's no star....but he certainly shines more brightly than one....in my heart....and in heaven forever and ever!

If you have lost your dad,

May God grant your heart peace.

May you rest in the knowledge that

God holds all things in the palm of His mighty hand.

If your father is still alive,

Honor him, love him

and express your heart to him every time you have the opportunity.

Don't hold back the words or the feelings.

What a different Father's Day this will be. On Sunday, at 9:30 in the morning, I will stand where my father stood for over a decade teaching his Sunday School class. A few weeks after he died I assumed his role...but I can never fill his shoes. As I stand there, and open the Word of God, as he had every Sunday, I will be thanking God in my heart for such a wonderful father, such a wise mentor, and for the man of God who has filled my heart everyday of my life.

Love It! Map It!

2011-06-13T01:38:00.007-05:00

I started sharing some of the birthday cards and gifts I received. Here's the second of three posts on that topic. I was so blessed by many well wishes from friends and family. And my PFE buddies Melissa and Gayla just outdid themselves. I was overwhelmed by their generous gifts to me and their gorgeous cards. I thought I'd use their cards as two sketches for you to try this week.

Here's Melissa's card. Aren't these just the most fun colors? All the patterned papers come from My Minds Eye/Stella and Rose/Mabel and they are available at Two Paper Divas. I loved the card cause it has those cute cowGIRL boots as the main image and because it came from one of the sweetest gals I know. I thought putting flowers IN the boots was a fabulous idea. She paper pieced the boots. The card is constructed on the buckle idea...the buckle is the flap on the top of the card that tucks in under the layered image.

And Gayla made this gorgeous card for my birthday.

I know....amazing, isn't it?! Paper roses are really hot right now. I hope you caught my post about Theresa's card and link to her tutorial on paper roses. Gayla takes a little different spin on her rose construction. You'd never guess what she used for the large petals. You'll have to head over to her tutorial to see....and pick up a print-friendly version of her "how-to" so you won't forget how to!!!

But pick up these sketches first...

I'm so grateful for my friends....and my business buddies. It makes work and play all the more fun!

Just a Sneak Peek!

2011-06-10T01:19:00.007-05:00

I just cannot get enough of it....Feelin' Like a Cowboy that is! I have a fun post on Paper Fashions Etc. today and you might learn a little bit more about me. This is just a sneak peek....

...for the full round up on me, head on over to Paper Fashions Etc. Traci, you inspired me!!!

FREE Daisy Image

2011-06-09T00:57:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't like FREE? And if it's cute and fun, that's even better. I think this little bouquet of daisies matches all three criteria.

And when you add it to a card....

...the whole deal just gets sweeter and sweeter! This is an image and card I created when Paper Fashions Etc was invited to host the Color Challenge on Crafter's Digital Art Center. We have a group there and have had a blast being a part of just a wonderful group of digital enthusiasts and artists. The FREE digi image is available by visiting CDAC and going to the Color Challenge Section. If you're a member of CDAC (also FREE), the link will take you right to the challenge. If you're not a member, you'll be prompted to join and then you can click on the challenge link to get there.

The card base is Regal Rose cardstock (retired SU), the image is printed on Whisper White, layered with lime green cardstock and October Afternoon patterned paper. The images are colored with Copics.

Join us at CDAC and get this image FREE, then join in the fun. There are several samples already on the site. The challenge closes June 15. Hope to see you there!

Birthday Blessings!

2011-06-06T09:09:00.006-05:00

One of the best things about celebrating my birthday was receiving so many blessings from friends far and near. I'm diverging for awhile from my regular post types and instead I'll be posting some of the cards and gifts I received over the next few days....they are sure to inspire you!

Here's a card I received from my "farthest-away-friend", Theresa. Go ahead...drool all over it. I did!

Is it not beyond stunning?! Theresa put a post up on her blog, Cards by Misstreez, detailing how to make these gorgeous roses. The moment I saw them I just had to have them. Theresa and I first met online in a SCS blog group. I immediately fell in love with her artwork and delightful personality. So we chat back and forth quite a bit.

Theresa lives in Australia, and if you remember, the country was hit hard with flooding last fall. Theresa shared some of her harrowing experiences with our group. I thanked God again and again for sparing her life and allowing her property to escape the devastation experienced by so many others. Here is the "field" just across from her home. In only a few minutes the landscape changed from a farm to a river. You can see a metal building being submerged. Note the time stamp on her photos.

You can see why it was a miracle that her property was spared.

Understandably, she was unable to create projects for some time. When I saw Theresa's roses, I was reminded of a book I'd read years ago, Roses in December. The author shares how even in intense grief and loss, God provides "roses in December" or blessings among life's thorns. Theresa's stories of loss and human suffering, coupled with God's grace and new hope were such an inspiration to me. Her roses were a reminder to me that God is in control, that He always demonstrates His redemptive love toward mankind even in the midst of difficult times.

I wanted those roses! I didn't want to make them myself. I wanted roses that Theresa had fashioned herself...something of beauty that came from a healing heart. What treasures they would be. So I asked! And...guess what!

Theresa sent me 30 of the most beautiful paper roses you've ever seen. These wonderful creations will be treasures to me. I can't wait to start the projects I have in mind...and of course, I will share them with you.

Theresa's friendship, her story, and her artwork inspire me. And I hope you are inspired as well. Her easel card is beautiful, inside and out, and I'm shopping for just the right shadow box so I can give it a proper home. All the way from Australia, God blessed my birthday!

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Our great God does reach down with compassion and gives us roses in December, joy in the midst of mourning, and beauty among the ashes.

May His comfort reach your heart today!

Feelin' Like a Cowboy?

2011-06-04T09:36:00.000-05:00

I've had more fun with this set, Feelin' Like a Cowboy from Paper Fashions Etc. We created this entire party ensemble for a cowboy themed party.

The ensemble includes the table setting (cup, napkin-silverware holder, and coaster), party favor (boot), decorated gift box, and the invitation. Here's a close up of the projects I contributed.

I had so much fun designing the images for our Feelin' Like a Cowboy set. My hubby even got into the cowboy mood by making sure my guitar image was accurate and true-to-life. I had to go back to the drawing board a couple of times before he was happy with it! (Parenthetically...I love it when he serenades me with his guitar!) This napkin and silverware holder is so easy to make.

I used a coffee cozy from our local coffee shop to create this cup for the party. It sits on a fun, coordinating coaster, made using the pinking circle dies from Nestabilities.

The bolo tie party favor was fast and easy but would enhance the party theme.

This cowboy boot was a blast to make. It stands about 8" tall and would hold some fun cowboy themed treats like beef jerky.

All project details are at Paper Fashions Etc., including the link for this cowboy boot template from Ellen Hutson. The other projects in the set are details there too.

Have a fabulous weekend!

New Releases at Paper Fashions Etc.

2011-06-01T00:13:00.002-05:00

We've had great response to our newest releases at Paper Fashions Etc. and I wanted to share them with you here. You saw the card I made with the BBQ set in the previous post. What's making our newest sets so fun is that we're creating sentiments that coordinate with the images, but you can buy the sets as individual packages or save a little by purchasing them in bundles.

Here's my card for the second more masculine set, Gone Fishin' that we debuted this last Saturday. All this week at Paper Fashions we'll be sharing our projects with you and Melissa's card that's up right now is just too fun. Here's a card I made using 3 images and a sentiment from the set.

I'm a little out of sync with my weekly posting schedule because of all the technical difficulties I was having. [Long story short my new favorite computer geek helped me switch from Internet Explorer 9 to Google Chrome, and I'm LOVING it. IE9 has bugs that don't like graphics...and Google Chrome is a breeze!]

So...I thought I'd include this as a sketch idea too. Really like the opportunities this sketch offers for displaying your patterned papers and the images too. The patterned papers used on my card were from the October Afternoon. The sentiment is from our new Gone Fishin' Sentiment pack.

I just have to show you the images that come in this set. You can get the sets individually (9 images/$6.95 and 10 sentiments/$3.95) or you can save and get both sets--19 elements for only $9.95.

And in case you didn't see all the images that went with the BBQ set, you are in for a sizzling treat! We have the same versatility in purchasing--18 images/8.95 or 16 sentiments/$4.95, OR get the bundle--34 elements for only $9.95. That price is smokin! Just think of the fun Father's Day cards (or any outdoor occasion) you could make with these images: (the package doesn't show the BBQ man that comes in the set....we added him later...but see him on the previous post HERE.)

And you just have to check out the fun mini album tutorial that uses our BBQ set. Too perfect for Father's Day--available exclusively at Paper Fashions HERE.

Finally, while we're talking about some great ideas for men's cards, you've just gotta see this set--Feelin' Like a Cowboy. Same great deals--10 images/$7.95, 13 sentiments/$3.95 or the 23 element bundle for $9.95. That's a great deal, partner!

We'll be havin' a really party with this one all week beginning Saturday, June 4 when we start showcasing our project inspirations for this set. But it's available right now so you can get a jumpstart on your Father's Day projects. Do stop in at Paper Fashions this week because we have some great projects to show you.

Blessings on Your Day!

Just Had to Share...

2011-05-27T02:45:00.000-05:00

With Memorial Day just around the corner, and cookouts surely being planned, PFEs brand new BBQ digi set is perfect. And it's great for Father's Day and anytime you want to invite friends over when you're ready to throw something on the grill.

And more fun summer/guy sets will be released over the next couple of weeks. Details of my card and the set are at Paper Fashions Etc. Just take a fast peek there. Some sizzling deals await you there!