I'm Praying for You

I've had this little bunny colored for awhile (I can tell it's been awhile because I do skies and ground differently now).  Last night, when I needed an encouragement card for a friend, I decided it was his time to shine.  I used sketch #79 from PaperTake Weekly for the card design.  I flipped the sketch so the bunny would face toward the middle of the card.  The bunny's eye, nose, tail and flower are accented with a glaze pen. The gingham panel was bordered by thin scalloped strips of kraft cardstock.  A ribbon, pearl flourish and a few scattered pearls finish off the card.

I popped up the bunny and sentiment panels and did a little interior decorating.  The finished card is 5.5" square.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (kraft), Bazzill (pink)
Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline (Dolled Up 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy (Bunny 2 Digi Stamp, Comforting Pines (retired) clear stamp set)
Ink:  Versafine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Copic Markers, Spellbinders dies (Classic Squares Large and Small, Classic Ovals Large and Small), My Favorite Things die (Mini Scallop Edge), Sakura Glaze pen, Want2Scrap (Baby Bling White Pearl, Finesse Swirls Pearls White), ribbon (Offray)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Sketchie Free for All (I used sketch #79)
Delightful Challenges - Layer It
PDE Linky Party #17 - Use Metal Dies
Scrapbook Blessings Club #27 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #274 - Animal/Pet
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #336 - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge #114 - Any Sentiment Other than a Birthday
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #209 - Something Old/Something New (Something Old - ribbon, dies; Something New - pearl flourish)
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #166 - ABCs (A-animal, B - blossoms, C-checkered paper)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Be Ye Also Patient....

Happy Wednesday!!  The weekend is getting closer!!  This week's focus verse at Word Art Wednesday talks about being patient. "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8  Dictionary.com defines patience as, "bearing, provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint,anger,or the like." I don't know about you but bearing annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, etc. calmly and without complaint is sometimes a very tough thing to do.  This verse tells us we are to be patient but also mentions a specific thing for which we're to exercise this virtue.  When Christ ascended back to Heaven after His resurrection, the angel told His disciples that Jesus would return.  Christians are still waiting for His return but make no mistake, He WILL be coming back some day.  This verse tells us to be patient and settle the fact of His return in our hearts because His return is coming soon.  As we look at the world around us, with all of its heartache, loss, and sickness, we can only say, "Even so come, Lord Jesus!"

Regular readers know I really like fancy fold cards.  Probably two of my most commonly used are the easel card and the gatefold card.  Well, this past week, thanks to Pinterest, I found a card fold that combines BOTH of them!  Of course I had to try it.  I found The Frugal Crafter's written tutorial and downloadable template here and her video YouTube tutorial here.  {I'm sorry to be showing you so much light tent.  My light bulbs need replaced and aren't strong enough for my bigger tent.}

This is the card opened up.  It's like a regular easel card but with side flaps (or wings).   This week's WORDart was matted with a floral oval that was accented with some Liquid Pearls.  This panel is propped up on a couple layers of patterned paper.

The die cut border is accented with a marker and more Liquid Pearls.  The sentiment on the floral panel was heat embossed directly on the banner die cut. Normally the banner die cut would be popped up a little.  This time, it was kept flat so that it wouldn't make closing the card harder.  I really like how embossing this patterned paper makes it look distress and worn.  It goes better with the whole theme of the card that way.

There is room under the WORDart panel to write a message to the recipient.  The patterned paper is a light color so that a special pen isn't needed. 

When you are ready to close the card, the WORDart panel lays down flat.  Then the side panels fold in to close.

A belly band keeps the card closed for mailing (this card definitely requires extra postage for weight).  The sentiment is double matted and accented with more Liquid Pearls.  I thought about adding pearls, Liquid Pearls, or some other embellishment to the front but decided not to so that removing the belly band wouldn't be more difficult.

My Top Tip Tuesday Tip:  When using Liquid Pearls, after applying the dots of liquid, raise the panel and gently flick the back of it.  This helps the Liquid Pearls settle, removes the "Hershey's Kiss" look and flattens them a bit which makes it easier for mailing.

When working with 6 x 6 patterned papers, an extra sentiment panel for the back covers where the two strips join.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye-Miss Caroline (Howdy Doody 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps:  WORDart digi stamp (James 5:8), Our Daily Bread Designs rubber stamp set (Quote Collection 4), Simon Says Stamp clear stamp set (Banner Sayings)
Ink:  VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments:  Staedtler fine tip marker (brown), Simon Says Stamp die (Folded Banner), Spellbinders dies (Classic Decorative Inserts 5, Classic Edges 2, Classic Ovals Large and Small, Floral Ovals), Stampin' Up! embossing powder (Crystal Clear), Cuttlebug embossing folder (Baby's Breath), Liquid Pearls (White Opal, Petal Pink)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club #27 - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #210 - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Theme: Favorite Color Combo (I really like using shades of red with kraft and adding touches of green) & Stash: Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #50 - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - Anything Goes
PDE Linky Party #17 - Use Metal Dies (I used a total of 5 sets)

Thanks so much for visiting with me today.  I hope you'll visit often.  The Word Art Wednesday blog has a lot more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and a free digi for you.  I hope you'll have time to visit there as well.

There is None Holy as the Lord

Hi!  Welcome back!!  This week's focus verse at Word Art Wednesday makes a powerful statement.  1 Samuel 2:2, "There is none Holy as the Lord; for there is none beside thee; neither is there any rock like our God."  Today's world tells us that it doesn't matter what god you worship (if any) and that all gods are the same.  However, those of us who believe God's Word know this isn't true.  This verse tells us that there is nothing as holy as the Lord and that nothing (or anyone) measures up to our God.  Wow!  Now that's the kind of God I want!  I'm so thankful that the Lord is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere at once.

I wanted this verse to really be the focal point of the card.  I also think it is a great encouragement verse for someone going thru a difficult time.  Scrapbook Blessings Club is featuring Pop Up Slider Cards in their current challenge.  If you are a regular reader, you know I love fancy folds, so I decided to do one this week.  {For a video tutorial by Dawn click here.  For a pictorial tutorial on SCS click here.}

When you pull the ribbon tab at the top, the verse panel pops up to reveal another sentiment inside.

It will sit up on a desk for display.   The pull out at the back also gives room for another message.  A longer note can be written on the back of the card (what is the bottom of the card when opened up for display).  The flowers are accented with Liquid Pearls. 

These soft, subtle papers, the cardstock (except for the cream) the ribbon and the Liquid Pearls are part of a Simon Says Stamp card kit that I won in one of their recent challenges. 

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections (cream), Simon Says Stamp (brownish-gray, light gray)
Patterned Paper:  Fancy Pants (Country Boutique)
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (1 Samuel 2:2), Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps clear stamp sets (The Gift of You, Jesus Cares)
Ink:  VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments - ribbon (Simon Says Stamp card kit), Liquid Pearls (white opal), pearl (from stash), eyelet (American Crafts), Spellbinders Dies (Deckeled Rectangles Large and Small)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #27 - Anything Goes featuring Pop Up Slider Cards
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #49 - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps Challenge #183 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - To Die For (use dies)
PDE Linky Party #17 - Metal Dies or Punches
Eureka Stamps Challenge #103 - Inspirational
Divas by Design - Pretty Pearls

Thanks for visiting with me today.  I hope your week is going well and that you'll have time to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to pick up your free digi as well as be inspired by the projects from the rest of the Design Team.

Prima Shabby Chic

Hi!  Happy Wednesday!!  I hope your week is going well.  This week's focus verse at Word Art Wednesday is Colossians 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." We can read the Bible daily all our lives and still learn something new each time we read it.  God wants to share His riches with us.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and helps shed light on what we're reading.  Too often, we read simply to say we've have read our Bible for the day.  We should stop to ask the Lord to show us what He has for us to learn in what we read that day.

I received a notebook project kit as a challenge prize a couple weeks ago.  It came with several beautiful Prima 6x6 papers, some ivory and pink cardstock, and LOTS of embellishments.  I decided to use it for cards instead of the intended notebook.  For this reason, I don't know the brand of some of the items on today's card.  This is a 5.5" square (when folded flat) Z-fold card.  The verse font had an elegance to it that went very well with these papers.  Shabby chic is a challenge style for me but with these papers....this is my version of it.  The Lattice Motif under the verse panel is accentd with small pearls.

A matching lattice die cut on the inside provides a spot to write a message to the recipient.

There is lots of interior decorating on this card.  I'm not sure how well it shows up in the picture but there is a pretty pearl flourish on the left interior panel.  LOTS of pearls on this card!!

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Unknown (pink, gray/brown)
Patterned Paper:  Prima
Stamp:  WORDart by Karen ()
Tools/Embellishments: My Favorite Things die (Postage Stamp Edge), Spellbinders dies (Classic Ovals Large and Small, Lattice Accents, pearls (Want2Scrap, The Paper Studio, Michael's), ribbon (unknown), flower (Prima)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Digi Chooseday Week 31 Challenge - Shabby Chic
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #219 - Decorate card inside and out
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #26 - Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #48 - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must cover card with Patterned Paper
Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Anything Goes
V's Sweet Ideas Challenge #26 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll be back to visit often.  There is lots more inspiration over that the Word Art Wednesday blog and a free digi for you to snag. 

Canine Birthday Wishes

My husband's co-worker has a shih tzu dog that she adores.  She is celebrating a birthday this week so this image was perfect for her card.  I didn't have an appropriate stamp or digi so I went looking online.  I found this public domain image at wpclipart that was perfect, pre-colored AND it came with permission to use it freely.  I used the sketch from the Clear It Out Challenge blog but am too late to enter it in the challenge.  Shading around and under the dog was added with Copics.

The image and sentiment panels are popped up a little off the background. 

This card has a sentiment stamped as part of the interior decorating.  The finished card is 5.5" square.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Unknown (Pink, gray/brown)
Patterned Paper:  Prima
Stamps:  Inkadinkado (front), Stampendous (Birthday Wish)
Ink:  VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Classic Squares Large and Small), Lacey Squares, Classic Ovals Small, Lacey Ovals), Fiskars border punch (Apron Lace), pearls (The Paper Studio), Copics (N0, 1, 3, W-1)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #219 - Decorate inside and out
Papertake Weekly - Spots and Dots
Going Gray with Scrap Creations - Animals
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #48 - Anything Goes
Dies R Us Challenge #7 - Birthday

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back tomorrow when I'll have a new Word Art Wednesday card to show you.

Picture Perfect Congratulations

Deedee's Digis released quite a few new sets last week.  This card uses the Picture Perfect set.  The camera, speech bubble and checked paper are just a few of the choices you have when you use this set.  I chose to use the pre-colored camera but an outline camera is also available for you to color.  I cropped one of the sentiments from the Stitchy Stars set to put in the speech bubble.  I used the sketch from the current Clear It Out Challenge but won't be entering this card in their challenge because I didn't use any die cuts.

The camera has gold and silver glitter accents courtesy of Wink of Stella brush markers.  The lens and the 2 hearts were also accented with Glossy Accents.  The camera flash has a small rhinestone for a little extra sparkle.

I didn't have red brads so I colored white ones with a Copic marker and then gave them two coats of clear embossing powder.  I just colored a brad, dunked it in embossing powder while it was still wet, heated the embossing powder until it melted and repeated the dunk/heat cycle one more time.  These last two pictures also show my interior decorating.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), DCWV (metallic blue/gray)
Patterned Paper & Stamps:  Deedee's Digis (Picture Perfect, Stitchy Stars)
Tools/Embellishments:  Copic marker (R29), Wink of Stella glitter brush markers (gold, silver), Making Memories brads, Recollections fine detail clear embossing powder, Staedtler fine tip black marker, Glossy Accents,  Gelly Roll white gel pen

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #219 - Decorate Your Card Inside & Out
Scrapbook Blessings Club #26 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #47 - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #271 - Well done/Congratulations

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back to visit again soon.

Monkey Business

I have a card to share with you today using the Monkey Business digi set from Deedee's Digis.  This is the current Digi of the Month and is available this month for a special price in the shop or Deedee will email it to you for free if you purchase $10 or more (after any discounts) in the shop.  You can see all the details here. 

This month we're celebrating the one year anniversary of Deedee's Digis being back in business.  So the Digi of the Month challenge has a couple twists:

Twist #1: FREE for all - participants from last month's Digi of the Month challenge received the entire set free.  However, one of the images is free to download from the blog this month.  If you make and link up a project using one of the images from the set, you receive the next month's featured set free.

Twist #2:  PRIZES!!  There will be weekly prizes and then a monthly winner.  Be sure to check out the blog post here for all the details.

Back to my card....I made a 5.5" square joy-fold card.  After die cutting the single monkey pre-colored image from the set, the background was sponged with light blue ink for a sky.  One of the sentiments was die cut and double matted.  Usually I have a brad or design element for the top layer to tuck under to keep a joy-fold card closed.  That didn't work on this card design but the extra weight from the sentiment keeps the top flap down.  Some glossy accents was applied to the banana and the heart on the top of the cupcake.

One of the digi papers was cropped down to a strip and then die cut to add a little interior decorating.  This is one of the benefits of digis - you can resize them for your project.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (kraft), Core'dinations (green)
Patterned Paper:  DCWV
Stamps:  Deedee's Digis (Monkey Business)
Ink:  Stampin' Up (Bliss Blue - retired)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Classic Squares Large and Small, Standard Circles Large and Small, Petite Scalloped Circles Large), Staedtler brown fine tip marker, Glossy Accents

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #26 - Anything Goes - Focus technique is joy-fold cards
Pile It On Challenge #31 - Stitching (real or faux)
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #47 - Anything Goes
PDE Linky Party #16 - Kids Theme
Penny's Paper Craty Challenge #189 - Anything Goes
MilkCoffee Challenges - 2 or more die cuts
V's Sweet Ideas Challenge #26 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you'll have time to play along in the Digi of the Month challenge.  This little monkey sure is a cutie!  Deedee has also put lots of new sets in the store be sure to go check them out!

The Number of the Stars

It's time for another Word Art Wednesday Challenge.  This week's focus verse is Psalm 147:4, "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."  If this verse doesn't boggle your mind then I don't know what will.  There are an astronomical amount of stars in the universe.  Someone has said that there are the same number of stars as there are grains of sand on all the sea shores.  Humans just can't count that high so we don't how many there are..  God does know the exact number.  Which truly does make sense because He created all of them.  However, He also has a name for every single one of them!!  Now that just blows me away.  I have trouble remembering the names of childhood friends, customers, etc. and yet God knows the individual name of each of the stars!!  Wow!!

I found this paper in my stash and it just seemed perfect for this week's card. Using a VersaMarker, the background stars were heat embossed with a sparkling embossing powder for some shine. Some of the larger stars in the background have an added rhinestone for even more shine.

The cluster of stars on top of the sentiment panel were fussy cut, outlined with a Copic marker, pressed into a VersaMark ink pad and given two coats of the sparkling embossing powder. 

I attached the middle star with a blue dot and popped up the two smaller stars.  Some blue rhinestones on the embossed panel add a little more shine.

The interior decorating is kept simple to allow for plenty of room to write a note.  I used the current Sketch 'n Dies sketch (Challenge #12) for the card design.  The finished card is 5.5" square.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Geogia Pacific (white), Recollections (black), The Paper Studio (blue)
Patterned Paper:  The Paper Studio
Ink:  VersaMark
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Psalm 147:4)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Classic Squares Large, Classic Circles Small, Petite Scalloped Circle Large), Cuttlebug embossing folder (Wicker Weave), My Favorite Things die (Mini Scallop Edge - used on interior), VersaMarker, Copics (B26, B34, 100), ribbon (May Arts - black; Morex - white; Schiff - blue), rhinestones (The Paper Studio), embossing powder (A la Mode Sparkle)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sketch 'n Dies Challenge #12 - Use sketch and at least one die cut
Pile it on Challenge #31 - Stitching - real or faux
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps Challenge #181 - Bling
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #47 - Anything Goes
Digi Choosday Challenge #30 - Lots of Layers
MilkCoffee Challenge - 2 or more die cuts
Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Anything Goes
SSS Work It Wednesday - Use Blue
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make It Sparkle
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #189 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today -- I appreciate you spending some time with me. Don't forget to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog for more inspiration and your free digi.