I Found A Hug...

Each month, Deedee's Digis has a Digi of the Month Challenge.  This is a progressive challenge, which means if you use this digi on a project and link it up this month, you'll receive an email with next month's digi for free.  Keep playing and you'll keep receiving free digis.  You can find all the details on this month's challenge here.

April's digi is is an absolutely adorable set called Under Your Wing.  It is also offered at a special price of $1.25 all month long. If you purchase $10 worth of digis from the Deedee's Digis shop, you can receive this set for free.  See the details here.

For my card using this set, I chose to use the pre-colored version of the owls.  I die cut it, added some faux stitching and matted it twice.  I also die cut this adorable sentiment and matted it as well. Both the image and sentiment panel are popped up over the background paper.  Wink of Stella glitter pen was added to the owls' beaks, eyes, and feet.

Some additional die cuts, a button, baker's twice and more faux stitching doodles finish off the card front.

I did a little interior decorating. with scraps left from the front and more doodle stitches.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Neenah (Desert Storm), Georgia Pacific (white), DCWV (yellow)
Patterned Paper:  MME (Quilting Bee 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps:  Deedee's Digis (Under Your Wings)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Standard Circles Large & Small, Labels Four Small), MFT Blueprints 1 dies, Staedtler tri-plus fine point marker (brown), baker's Twine (The Twinery), Zig Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (clear), button from stash

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #200 - Add Doodles
Scrapbook Blessings Club #16 Mini Challenge - Anything Goes (past challenge focus - sentiment on the front)
Catered Crop - Put a bird on it
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes with a Button
Just Keep on Creating April Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today.  I have several projects to show you this week so please keep visiting.

Scrapbook Blessing Club

One of the challenge sites I've recently "discovered" is Scrapbook Blessings Club.  From the name, you might think they are just for scrapbookers.  Not so!  I was really pleased to find that most of the challenges are for card makers.  I've really enjoyed the challenges and even been honored to be a guest designer a couple of times.  They don't have just challenges.  They also have product reviews, technique demos and more.  Oh, and they even have a Facebook group with lots of additional games, challenges and prizes!!

April 1st, they will be sharing some Top-Secret News.  I'm not sure what it is but am quite curious to find out.  So, the purpose of this post is to let you know about this wonderful group of ladies and their blog and to let you know know they will be sharing their secret on April 1st.  Now you can be curious with me.  :)  {I'm just nice like that!!  LOL }

Perfect Peace

Wednesday = New Challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  Our theme verse this week is Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."  In times of difficulty, only by keeping our mind focused on The Lord will be we able to experience the "peace that passeth understanding."  During some of our darkest days, as we've dealt with our children's chronic illnesses, I've imagined God's promises as a literal bar (think trapeze type bar) that I'm holding onto.  It felt like we were hanging in mid-air and yet by holding onto God's promises and trusting Him to take care of them we were able to make it thru.  Our children still suffer daily pain, and I still sometimes have to imagine my "bar" of God's promises, but from the years of experience I KNOW He will always take care of them.

We've had several family connections enter/re-enter the valley of a cancer diagnosis in the last couple weeks.  This week's card is one of several that I need to mail.  Since the best encouragement comes from God's Word, this week's verse is perfect as the focal point of the card front.   As I'm designing a card, I sometimes ask my husband, "does this look right?", "does this cardstock go OK with this paper?", "what else does this card need?"  He patiently offers opinions and ideas - and I usually use them.  :)  This week, when I asked, "what else does this card need?" his response was, you know it would look really cool if you cut a hole in the front of the card with your die and had a 3D object on the inside come out through the hole.  You could put a frame around it."  So.....this is how I implemented his idea.  I really like how it turned out and just had to give him credit for the idea.  The card is a standard A2 size.

 For the frame around the flower opening, I nested a circle die inside a petite scalloped circle die to cut the frame.  While the cardstock was still in the dies, I embossed the frame as well.  I used the circle that was cut out of the frame center to help me line up where to cut the hole first in the patterned paper panel and then again in the card base.  The card has lots of faux stitching and all the flowers are accented with Stickles.

The card has lots of dimension and will take some extra care when mailing.  The colors remind me of spring - it IS on the way right?  I really like seeing all the flowers bloom this time of year.  All the flowers on this card just say "happy" to me so I'm hoping they lift the spirits of the recipient too.

The interior is decorated as well.  An "I am praying for you" sentiment was placed below the flower and a panel for writing a message is included.  The scalloped edges used on the front on the frame and sentiment panel is mimicked by the border punch along the edge of the writing panel. There's lot of faux stitching on the inside too.  While it's hard to see because of the bow and sentiment panel, the polka dot background paper is also used on the front on the horizontal strip.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, Bazzill
Patterned Paper:  Simple Stories (Vintage Bliss 6 x 6 pad)
Ink:  Versafine (Onyx Black)
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Isaiah 26:3), Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (Comforting Pines clear stamp set - retired)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Petite Scalloped Circle Large, Standard Circle Large, Classic Square Small, Petite Scalloped Ovals Small, Petite Ovals Large), Fiskars border punch (Threading Water), small flowers (Recollections), large flower (Prima), Stickles (Star Dust), Staedtler tri-plus fine point black marker, Uni-ball Signo white gel pen, ribbon (Michael's)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #199 - Flowery Springtime
Cuttlebug Mania - Dotty (use dotty embossing folder, paper or stamps - I used dotty paper)
Catered Crop - Spring Fever (anything to do with spring - colors, holidays, themes, etc.)
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #81 - Anything Goes with Ribbon
Crazy 4 Challenges #228 - Make a card
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #15 - Say What? (use a sentiment)
Just B Creative Crazy - Anything Goes
Faith, Hope Love Scripture Challenge #4 - Use Scripture on your card (now this is a challenge right up my alley!!  :)  )

Why not give this 3D pop-out style card a try?  It's actually pretty easy and is so unusual.  If you have any questions on how I did something, leave me a comment or send me an email.

Please stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see what the rest of the Design Team have made.  While you are there, don't forget to grab your free digi stamp.  Thanks for stopping by today.

As for Me...

Wednesday means it's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  This week's focus verse is Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness.  I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."  In this verse, David is looking forward to the wonders of Heaven. He knows the Heavenly Father is righteous and is greatly anticipating "waking up" in Heaven where he knows he will also be righteous.  Like us, David probably got tired of fighting against sin.  If we have trusted Christ as our Saviour, we too can anticipate a life without sin in Heaven.  In the words of the song writer, "Oh, that will be glory!"

For my card today, I chose to make a criss-cross card.  I haven't made one in awhile and decided to revisit this design.  However, this time, I chose to make it a 5.5" square.  A ribbon was stretched across the front and tucked under the patterned paper panels.  Stickles was added to the flower centers in the paper.

The sentiment panel was double matted with Spellbinders dies.  The scalloped oval just asks for some sort of bling so clear rhinestones were added.  Three flowers finish off the sentiment panel.  The little girl is from the Pray Without Ceasing Girls digi set from Deedee's Digis.  This set comes with 12 color images (3 skin tones and 4 hair colors for each skin tone), 1 outline image and 13 sentiments.  There is a corresponding boys sets as well.  I chose to use one of the pre-colored images.  She was fussy cut and popped up over the edge of the sentiment panel.  Wink of Stella was added to the little girl's eyes and to the tops of the flowers.

The pull-out card was edged with a border die cut and the panel includes plenty of space for writing a note.  A strip of the patterned paper decorates the writing panel.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), The Paper Studio (pink)
Patterned Paper:  Unknown - it's from a RAK
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Psalm 17:15), Deedee's Digis (Pray Without Ceasing Girls)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Petite Ovals Large and Small, Petite Scalloped Ovals Small, Sweet 'n Sassy die (Lacey Eyelet Border), ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon), flowers (Recollections), rhinestones (The Paper Studio), Wink of Stella glitter brush marker (clear), Stickles (Star Dust)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown #187 - Tic-Tac-Toe (diagonal from top left - bling, digi image, ribbon)
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #27 - Anything Goes but must be square
Sweet Stamps Challenge #161 - Anything Goes
Milk Coffee Challenge - Flowers Challenge (must have at least two flowers)
Just B Creative Challenge - Anything Goes 
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #15 - Say What? (Use a sentiment)

Please be sure to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to get your free digi and to see the rest of the Design Team's projects.  We'd also love for you to link up your family-friendly projects as well.  Deedee's Digis is one of our sponsors this week.  Linking up your projects (up to 5) could win you some of her adorable digi stamps.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.

Speedy Recovery

I have a quick card to share with you today.  A friend asked me to make a 5.5" x 8.5"  get well card.  She's taking it to work to have co-workers sign for another co-worker who is recovering from surgery.  It is definitely larger than my normal and it needed to have plenty of room for signatures.  I also had to keep in mind that it's going to be handled a lot before it gets to the eventual recipient.  The recipient likes the outdoors and would rather be working in her yard than working indoors. For this reason, I chose a garden type theme.  I thought the flowers and lattice border die cut went well together.

After matting the computer generated sentiment, I added it to a die cut and popped it up over the background paper.  A few green pearls were added for a little embellishment.  I *really* wanted to add some pearls to the lattice but I didn't think they'd hold up well with all the handling and thought they might interfere with signing the inside front of the card.

While keeping the card somewhat flat (to make it easier for people to sign), I did get some dimension by popping up layers.  The vines on the bottom have some Wink of Stella glitter pen accenting them.  The flowers in the top have were accented with stickles.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections (cream), Bazzill (green)
Patterned Paper:  MME (Bloom & Grow - Vines), The Paper Studio
Sentiment - computer generated
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders (Timeless Rectangles, Lattice Accents), My Favorite Things dies (Blueprints 1), Staedtler Tri-plus fine point marker - black, trim (Hobby Lobby), Zig Wink of Stella brush tip glitter marker (clear), Stickles glitter glue (Star Dust), pearls (Want 2 Scrap - sage green)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club #15 - Use a sentiment on the front
Shopping Our Stash #142 - Sentiments only
Papertake Weekly - Bingo (I used the middle column - diecuts, FREE, & glitter)
Aud Sentiments Challenge #102  - Anything Goes (with a sentiment)
Just B Creative Crazy - Anything Goes
Inky Impressions Challenge #150 - Go Green (have green on project)

Thanks for stopping by today.  Be sure to come back Wednesday for the new challenge at Word Art Wednesday.

In His Time

It's time for a new challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  This week our focus verse is Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He hath made everything beautiful in his time:  also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."  The last few weeks, the verses have seemed to emphasize waiting on the Lord's timing and that He has things under control.  Maybe that emphasis isn't apparent to anyone else but me.  However, I think the Lord knows I need the reminders. :)  When you are in "God's Waiting Room," sometimes He sends these reminders not because you don't already know but as an encouragement that He's still working.  So, if you are like me, and are waiting on God to work in an area (or two or three) of your life, remember, "He hath made everything beautiful in HIS time..." [emphasis mine]

For today's card, I wanted the verse to be the focal point.  The sketch from this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge seemed perfect for that. Since we are starting to see hints of spring, I thought the pansies would be a good example of one of the beautiful things the Lord has made.  They are from the fantastic Bloom & Grow digi set from Deedee's Digis.  This set has 6 different floral images that come in pre-colored, outline and layering formats as well as 5 different sentiments.  I chose the outline version of the pansies.  I colored two sets of them and then cut one set apart to use just one of the flowers.  A pearl center and a coat of glitter from a clear Wink of Stella brush marker finish them off.  The sentiment panel was matted and then popped up on a doily die. 

My tip for Top Tip Tuesday Challenge is to use portions of a diecut or layer that will be covered up for matting or other decorative elements.  On this card....I didn't have more of the green cardstock used for the doily die.  I needed something else green on the card so I cut the decorative corners from the center of the doily.  The sentiment panel covers it up and you wouldn't have known if I didn't tell you.  LOL  It's a great way to stretch your paper supplies. 

I used a Fiskars border punch to make a lacy border across the card.  I topped it with a piece of dark purple cardstock and a strip of pearls.  I also used the punch on the bottom of the card front.  This allows the purple cardstock on the interior to show.  I really like the crisp white against the dark purple.  More pearls accent this border.

For the interior, I reversed the white/purple combo and have a purple punched border layered over the white writing panel.


Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (green, purple)
Patterned Paper:  Best Creation, Inc.
Stamps: WORDart by Karen (Ecclesiastes 3:11), Deedee's Digis (Bloom & Grow)
Copics: V01, 04, 06, YG03, 05, 100
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Standard Circles Large and Small, Decorative Photo Corners), Cheery Lynn die (French Pastry Doily), Fiskars border punch (Give it a Swirl), pearls (Michael's, The Paper Studio), Zig Wink of Stella Clear Brush Tip Marker

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #210 - sketch
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge -  3, 5, or 7 (use 3, 5, or 7 of something - I used 3 flowers and 5 pearls on each of the decorative corners)
Papertake Weekly - Bingo (I used the top row of gems (pearls are gems right?), die cuts and flowers)
Just B Creative Crazy - Just Because (anything goes)
Crazy 4 Challenges #226 - Be Sentimental (the sentiment must be the focal point)
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #14 - Punches Galore

I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to pick up your free digi and see the projects from the rest of the Design Team.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I truly appreciate your visit.

Birthday Girl

I decided to make a birthday card with this cute image.  Not for a design team project.  Not for an upcoming craft fair.  Just because.  How fun!  :)  The image was colored with copics then the headband, dress and gem were given some attention from a Wink of Stella clear brush pen.  The gem was also covered with Glossy Accents.

 
I couldn't decide which doily die to use....so I used them both.  They are by Cheery Lynn and I think they are so pretty.  The background layer was embossed with a 5 x 7 embossing folder and everything else layered on top.  The flowers on the sentiment panel also received some attention from the Wink of Stella pen.  A ribbon and bow add the finishing touch.

Here's my tip for Top Tip Tuesday:  Use your alcohol based markers (i.e. Copics) to color clear rhinestones for perfect coloring matching to your image.  Using multiple coats, and allowing a brief drying time between coats will deepen the color.  I used two coats of R85 on the pink rhinestones on this project.

For the inside of the card I used my Punch plus Emboss corner punch on the mat and the writing panel.  I think it's such a feminine look.


Supplies:
Cardstock:  Bazzill, Georgia Pacific, Neenah Solar White, Creative Imaginations
Patterned Paper:  Prima (Madeline 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps:  Robyn's Fetish (She's a Gem digi), Stampendous (Birthday Wish clear stamp set), Hero Arts (Special Birthday wood mount stamp)
Ink: Versafine (Onyx Black)
Copics:  Skin (E00, 11, R20), Eyes (YG03), Hair (E29, 35), Dress (R81, 83, 85), Shoes (N3, 7), Gem (BG10), Shadow (N0, 1, 3)
Tools/Embellishments:  Cheery Lynn Dies (English Tea Party, French Pastry), Spellbinders Dies (Standard Circle Large and Small, Petite Oval Large, Petite Scalloped Oval Small), Spellbinders M'bossabilities embossing folder (Splendid - side B), Zig Wink of Stella pen (clear), Glossy Accents, flowers (Recollections), gems (The Paper Studio), ribbon (Michael's Celebrate It!)

Spellbinders M'Bossabilities Folder	Spellbinders Standard Circles Small	Spellbinders Standard Circles Large	Cheery Lynn English Tea Party Die
Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry Die	ink of Stella Clear Brush Tip Marker	VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad	Ranger Glossy Accents

InLinkz.com

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Pile it On Challenge #9 - Sweet/Soft or Bold/Bright (I chose sweet/soft)
Craft Your Passion - Birthday
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 122 - Doilies
Just B Creative Crazy - Just Because (anything goes)
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #141 - 3-2-1 (3 flowers, 2 doilies, 1 bow)
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - 3, 5 or 7 {3 flowers, 3 main colors (pink, mint, brown), 7 gems (girl is holding one and 3 in 2 different corners)}
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge #300 (PWC300) - Lots of Layers
Milk Coffee Challenge  - Emboss It (wet or dry)
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge # 249 - Mother's Day/Female
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #311 - What a Gem
Crafty Ribbons #79 - Anything Goes with Ribbon
Clips-n-Cuts - Inklinz Link-up Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you have a good weekend.

May God grant you....

This week we were given the choice to use one of two digis from Daydream Designs for our cards at Word Art Wednesday.  I chose to use this sentiment because I think it's so appropriate for those going thru a difficult time.  I know when I'm in a deep valley it's so easy to lose my focus and forget that the Lord IS there, that He IS able to take care of us and to have the patience (there's that word again!) to wait for Him.  Somehow, I don't think I'm the only one.  :)  I will definitely be reaching for this sentiment time and time again when making encouragement cards!!

I kept the design pretty simple so that the focus would be on the sentiment.  After printing and cutting the sentiment, the edges were inked to tone down the white cardstock.  A matting layer and then a beautiful rectangle die cut accented by two sizes of pearls finish off the sentiment panel.  A strip of patterned paper is edged with strips from my favorite border punch.  The corners of the background patterned paper were punch with a ticket punch and the flowers and leaves were accented with a Wink of Stella glitter brush pen.  Pearls were placed in each corner.  A ribbon and bow with a pearl center complete the front.

The sentiment panel is popped up over the background layers to keep things level.

For the interior decorating, a corner punch and embosser was used on the panel for writing a message and for the matting.


Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (orange, green)
Patterned paper:  Basic Grey (Picadilly)
Stamps:  Daydream Designs (Peace and Rest Scripture Set)
Ink:  Distress Ink (Antique Linen)
Tools/Embellishments:  ribbon (Michael's), pearl brad (The Paper Studio), individual pearls (The Paper Studio, Recollections), Spellbinders die (Timeless Rectangles), punches (Fiskars Apron Lace border punch, SU Ticket punch, Fiskars Emboss Plus corner punch), Wink of Stella glitter pen (clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #141 - 3-2-1 (I used three sizes of pearls, two patterned papers and one stamp)
Just B Crative Crazy -  Just Because (Anything Goes)
Paper Take Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - 3, 5 or 7 (I used 3 sizes of pearls and 3 punches and have 7 paper layers on top of the card base)
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #14 - Punches Galore (I used 2 corner punches and one border punch)
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge #300 (PWC300) -  Lots of Layers
Delightful Challenges - Color Crazy (use a color you don't normally use - I rarely use orange.  On this card it is the background cardstock, in the paper and used as a border across the card.  For me, that's a lot of orange - and unless I'm making a pumpkin, I don't usually use orange and green together!)

I hope you'll go by the Word Art Wednesday blog to get your free digis but also to see the rest of the projects made by the Design Team.  Don't forget, we love to see YOUR projects.  You may link up to 5 projects each week.  The challenge is always anything goes (as long as it is family-friendly).

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today.  I appreciate your visits and comments.  Have a good week!