Patriotic Word Art Wednesday

Hello!! It's Wednesday and that means it time for a new challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  This week we're focusing on Psalm 85:9, "Surely his salvation is night them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land."  As we get closer and closer to our Lord's return, we realize more and more that our salvation only comes from the Lord.  As we look around our world, it has become a very scary place.  Glory will only come to our land as we (as a country) draw close to the Lord.  Our country needs the Lord and needs to turn back to loving and serving Him.

I chose to use a patriotic theme for today's card and used Sketch #365 from Sketch Saturday for the card design.  I dearly love our country and enjoy using a Patriotic theme when I can. Patriotic papers are layered under the sentiment panel.  Washi tape fishtail banners and a compass anchor the sentiment panel.  The compass was stamped with Memento ink and die cut.  The diecut circle was pressed into a Versamark pad and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Faux stitching (some a little crooked - just like my real life sewing) finishes it off.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Recollections (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper - Francis Meyer (blue), Recollections (blue)
Stamps - WORDart by Karen (Psalms 85:9);  Sweet 'n Sassy (Across the Miles clear stamp set)
Ink - Memento (Paris Dusk), Versamark
Tools/Embellishments - Spellbinders dies (Deckled Rectangles Large and Small), Sizzix dies (Circle Flip-its #2), Craft Essentials washi tape, Staedtler fine tip marker (blue), Uni-Ball Signo gel pen (white), Stampin' Up! embossing powder (Crystal Clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crop Stop Link #5 - Use a product found in the Crop Stop Shop - Memento Paris Dusk ink)
Craft Your Passion Challenge #267 - Anything Goes
Going Gray with Scrap Creations - 4th of July or Red/White/Blue
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #233 - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations Challenge #292 - Red, white and/or blue

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you will also have time to visit the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the other projects from the rest of the Design Team and to pick up your free digi.

For He Shall Be LIke a Tree

It's time for another Word Art Wednesday Challenge.  This week our verse is Jeremiah 17:8, "For He shall be as a tree planted by the water, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." To really understand this verse, it's helpful to back up and read verse 7, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Blessed means "divinely or supremely favored." (Dictionary.com)  So the man that trusts the Lord will be favored by the Lord and will flourish like a tree that is planted by water.  His roots will go so deep that he doesn't need to worry during times of drought. What a fantastic word picture!  The more we trust the Lord and put our confidence in Him, the deeper our spiritual roots will go and the more we will flourish.  Even during times of difficulty and trial, we can still flourish because we know the Lord will take care of us and help us to bear fruit.

To keep the focus on the Scripture this week, I didn't use any other images. I matted the verse and accented it with flowers and rhinestones. This panel is popped up over the background layer. I love this paper because it looks like a painting.  A length of ribbon is stretched across the background paper and some additional rhinestones are scattered on the paper for extra sparkle.

This card has a lot of dimension so it will be one that will need to be hand-delivered or enclosed in a package. I will need to make a box for it as well.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (purple)
Patterned Paper: Recollections
Stamp:  WORDart by Karen (Jeremiah 17:8)
Tools/Embellishments: Want2Scrap Baby Bling, The Paper Studio Purple Flowers 3D Stickers, Offray Ribbon, Spellbinders Dies (Petite Ovals Small, Floral Ovals)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Craft Your Passion Challenge #266 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Oh So Pretty
Top Tip Tuesday - Cut It Out
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Favorite Technique and/or product (I love to use die cuts to make my sentiment the focal point and I love to use small pearls/rhinestones as accents)
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #232 - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting with me today.  I hope you'll come back soon. If you have a chance, please stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog for more inspiration and to pick up your free digi.

With Sympathy

Sympathy cards are always tough cards to make but ones that inevitably are a necessity. A friend had a death in the family and this is the card I made for her. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of light gray cardstock and then cut it to a tag shape. This tag was matted on a piece of dark gray cardstock.  The smaller sentiment was stamped on a piece of patterned paper and then cut with a fish-tail end to make a banner. Faux stitching, a bow, pearls and a ribbon flower finish off the card. I used the final Deconstructed Sketch for the card design.  I'm so sorry to see them go.  I love sketches!

The patterned papers, ribbon, ribbon flower and light gray cardstock are all from an old Simon Says Stamp card kit (October 2012) that I won in one of their giveaways. I'm sort of hoarding the supplies because I really like this kit. The "You are in my thoughts and in my prayers" stamp is one of my oldest and a favorite.  I haven't used it in awhile and decided to ink it up again.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections (card base), Creativity (dark gray), Simon Says Stamp (light gray)
Patterned Paper:  Fancy Pants Designs (Country Boutique)
Stamps: Stampendous (Thoughts and Prayers - wood mount), Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (Peaceful Swans -retired clear stamp)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Simon Says Stamp Oct 2012 (seam binding ribbon, ribbon flower, patterned paper, light gray cardstock), pearls (Michael's), Staedtler fine tip marker (black), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Mini Scallop Edge)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Deconstructed Sketch #204 - Sketch
Mod Squad Challenge - Use a tag
Penny's Challenge #231 -  Use your favorite embellishment (for me that's flat back pearls - love them!!)
Aud Sentiments Challenge #133 - Bingo {I used ribbon, rubber stamp (2 of them) and 3D item (pearls, bow and ribbon flower)}
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #250 - Polka Dots
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge #93 - Use Pearls

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'll be back Wednesday with a new Word Art Wednesday challenge. There's still time to play along in this week's challenge so why not join us?

The Just Man

This week's verse at the Word Art Wednesday challenge is one that is person for a Father's Day card.  Proverbs 20:7, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him."  One of the definitions of integrity is "adherance to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty" (Dictionary.com). That is something that is missing in much of our society. If a child has a father who is also a man of integrity, then they are truly blessed. A man who keeps his word, is honest in his dealings and does his best to live a just (proper, right, righteous) life is truly a treasure. If you have a man like this in your life (father, husband, son, grandfather, uncle, etc.), then he needs to be celebrated and commended. It takes a lot of effort to live a life of integrity in the world today. Our men need to know we notice and appreciate their hard work.

One of our sponsors this week is Bugaboo stamps.  I was able to play with one of their Topper images called Hat Boy.  I think he is just adorable. I really like the way he's designed to hold things. It made it so easy to have him hold the verse "sign."

After coloring the boy with Copics, he was fussy cut and attached to his "sign." Then he was layered on top of an embossed circle.  This matted circle was popped up with some fun foam over the background paper.

The Happy Father's Day sentiment is bordered by two strips of washi tape and anchored by brads.  There is a little interior decorating as well.

Top Tip Tuesday Tip: When I add a new die set to my collection, I immediately cut out all the pieces.  If they are "nesting" types, I label them with the die name and assign a # with the smallest being #1. I store these samples with the dies.  When designing a card, having these samples makes it easier to know if a certain die will fit in the space available and/or if a stamp will fit on the die cut I'm wanting to use.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (image and verse panel), Georgia Pacific (all other white), Recollections (navy and kraft)
Patterned Paper: Recollections
Digi Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Proverbs 20:7); Bugaboo Digi Stamps (Hat Boy);  Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (Father's Day Sentiments Digital Stamp)
Copics: Skin (E00, 01, 11; R20); Hair (E31, 35; Y21); Shirt (N01, 1, 3; B21, 23, 26); Hat (R22, 24, 27, 29; N5)
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders dies (Classic Circle Large, Petite Scalloped Circle Large), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Mini Scallop Edge (used on the interior)), Cuttlebug embossing folder (wiss Dots), washi tape (Craft Essentials), brads (American Crafts - denim), Staedtler fine tip marker (black)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club - Sketch (option use washi tape)
Sweet Stamps Challenge #225 - Anything Goes
Pile it on Challenge #72 - For/Featuring a Father/Man
The Kraft Journal Challenge #227 - Take Your Pick (I chose make a masculine card using white and red)
Papertake Weekly - Something for the Boys
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations - Father's Day
Top Tip Tuesday - Cut it Out (I fussy cut and used dies)
Digi Choosday Challenge Week 23 - Father's Day/Male
Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge - Emboss It
Crop Stop Linky Party #5 - Use something that can be purchased at the Crop Stop store (I used the Swiss Dot Embossing Folder)

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your week is going well and that you'll be able to visit again soon. Don't forget...there's more inspiration and a free digi at the Word Art Wednesday blog.

The Same Yesterday, And Today and For Ever

Wednesday means it's time for another Word Art Wednesday challenge. This week our verse is Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever." There's a (very true) saying that states, "Life is change." We've really seen that this week as we've moved my mother-in-law to an assisted living center. She's been living with us for the past two months as we've waited for her apartment to be ready. As she's transitioned from living in her own apartment, to living with us to now living in her assisted living apartment, her life has been FULL of changes. Yet, I've realized over and over, that she's handled these changes with grace and acceptance because she's learned the truth of our verse this week. Her world may have changed drastically but the Lord she loves, serves and depends on has never and will never change. He's been there to provide comfort and strength in the past and will continue to do the same as she adjusts to her new surroundings. That doesn't mean all this has been easy for her because these types of adjustments never are. It's just that she can rest in the knowledge that the Lord is in control and will be there to help her each step of the way. I've heard her say several times that she knows this move is of the Lord and He's directing the events of her life. I hope if I'm ever in her situation, I'll show the same grace and trust that she is showing to all of us now.

For my card this week, I wanted the verse to be the focal point. I made a shaped card with a Spellbinders Label 25 die.  I used the next to the largest die and traced the outer edge and then fussy cut it for the card base. Then I used the die to cut the patterned paper panel. The verse was die cut and matted with oval dies. I used my favorite technique of faux stitching around the patterned paper panel and the verse mat. The edges of the card were inked with some green ink.  Since the card base and green background panel were fussy cut, this helps soften the edges a bit.

To accent the verse panel, I layered two die cut butterflies. One is made from patterned paper and the top one was cut from vellum and embossed with the matching embossing die. Some pearls make up the butterfly's body. The vellum layer has a coating of Wink of Stella for some shimmer.

For the interior, the patterned paper panel was made by tracing the interior of the same die used for the card base. More oval die cuts were layered on top and were accented with some butterflies from a punch.  The butterflies are accented by a coating of a Wink of Stella glitter marker.

Crafty Tip: I apparently press too hard when using a scoring board because I've ruined the tips of more than one bone folder.  I recently switched to using a metal stylus and like it so much better. So, if your bone folder tip is showing wear, why not give a stylus a try?

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (green)
Patterned Paper & Vellum: The Paper Studio
Stamp:  WORDart by Karen (Hebrews 13:8)
Ink:  Memento (Bamboo Leaves)
Tools/Embellishments: Staedtler fine tip marker (black), Zig Wink of Stella glitter brush marker (clear), Spellbinders dies (Classic Ovals Large and Small, Labels 25), Momenta Cut and Emboss (Butterflies), Fiskar's Dual Tip Stylus

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
V's Sweet Ideas Challenge #35 - Favorite Technique (mine is faux stitching)
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #21 - Freestyle
Get Creative Challenge #16 - Must Include Butterflies
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge - K is for Kritters (animal, bug, etc.)
Crop Stop Linky Party #4 - Use item available in the Crop Stop store - Memento Bamboo Leaves ink, Fiskar's Dual Tip Stylus)

Please come play along with us in our Word Art Wednesday challenge.  It's always Anything Goes (as long as it's family friendly and include an encouraging sentiment).  We have fantastic sponsors and you can link up to 5 projects weekly.  Please also stop by the blog to pick up your free digi and to be inspired by the other Design Team projects.  Thanks for visiting with me today.  I hope your week is going well.