Happy 26th Anniversary

I was recently asked to make an anniversary card for some friends of ours. I was more than happy to do so and thought it would be the perfect time to play with some goodies that I won in Our Daily Bread Design's recent birthday celebration. This couple are still deeply in love - even 26 years later! She is a card-maker and he loves to help her in the craft room. They make a great team!! Their main wedding color was purple so I went with shades of that in the card design. The darker purple cardstock has sparkle all through it. I cut and embossed the "2" and the "6" from the Large Number Dies out of a dark purple sparkly cardstock and also from a light purple cardstock. The sentiment from the Celebration clear stamp set was white heat embossing on the lighter purple cardstock. The dies and stamp set are also available in the 2017 Anniversary Bundle. I used a banner die to  cut out some purple polka dotted patterned paper and layered patterned vellum over it.

I chose to make this an easel card for an extra special touch. The polka dot patterned paper was matted on some light purple cardstock and again covered with the vellum before being adhered to the bottom in the card interior with foam squares. This provides the stopper so that the easel part of the card will stand up. I created a custom sentiment for the interior of the card and matted it with the light purple cardstock. Some layered die cut hearts and purple bling finish off the card.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (both purple cardstocks), The Paper Studio (Heavyweight white)
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio (purple polka dot and patterned vellum)
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs (Celebration clear stamp set)
Ink: Versamark
Dies: Our Daily Bread Designs (Large Number Dies), Lawn Fawn (Hearts), My Favorite Things (Wavy Edge Die), WRMK-Lifestyle Nesting Dies (Party Banner)
Other: Simon Says Stamp (Fine Detail Embossing Powder-white), Studio G (purple bling)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mod Squad Challenge - Love Theme
Hiding in My Craft Room #299- Freestyle
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #340 - Embossing (I used both heat and dry)
Outlawz Paper A La Mode Challenge - Use items beginning with the first letter of my name (sentiment, six, sparkle and spots)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I hope you'll come back soon

Watercolor Panel Card Set

Today is my last project as a Guest Designer for the Crop Stop Blog. For today's project, I decided to make a set of cards. Instead of making each card in the set match exactly, I chose to make them coordinate by using the same card design and patterned papers from the same company (all but one of the papers are even from the same 6x6 pad). Black cardstock was used for matting to also help tie the set design together. I had some 3 x 4 pre-printed water color panels that I water colored using Distress inks and markers. For the inks, I smooshed them on my craft sheet and then spritzed them with water using a mini-mister to make the "paint." I used a small paintbrush to apply the color to the image. For the distress markers, I colored right on the panel and then moved the color around with a brush and plain water. After they dried, I stamped sentiments on three of them with Versafine ink and the added some Wink of Stella for a little shimmer. Below are closeups of each card.

 The golden yellow strip is from the Basic Gray Urban Luxe 6x6 paper pad. It also uses a coordinating embossing folder and embossing border folder from Anna Giffin.

Supplies from the Crop Stop Shop:
Distress Pads - various colors
Distress Markers - various colors

Cricut Cuttlebug - Machine, Spacer A, Cutting Pad B, Adapter C

Inkssentials - Mini Misters

Scotch ATG Adhesive Applicator
Scotch Advanced Tape Glider Refills (ATG)

Scor-Buddy

Fiskars Triple Track Cutting Blades 

Brands found in the Crop Stop Shop:
Cricut Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder - Anna Griffin-  Juliette Lace folder and border folder
Zig - Wink of Stella Brush marker - Clear
Tsukineko - VersaFine ink - Onyx Black

Other Items Used -
Recollections cardstock - black
The Paper Studio heavyweight cardstock - white
Basic Gray 6 x 6 pads - Hillside (retired), Urban Luxe (retired)
Taylored Expressions 3x4 Watercolor Panels - Keep in Touch
Kaisercraft clear stamp set - Secret Garden (Cards 1 & 2 above)
My Sentiments Exactly clear stamp set - Inspirational Birthday Innies and Outies (Card 3 above)
Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps die - Lacey Eyelet Border (retired)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy - Anything Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must use patterned paper
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge -Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today. I hope you'll come back soon. Thanks again to Esther and the Crop Stop Shop for allowing me the honor of being a Guest Designer for the blog these last two weeks.

Be Joyful

Happy Wednesday!! Thanks for coming to visit me on my blog today. It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday and this time our sponsor is Simon Says Stamp. Be sure to check out the Word Art Wednesday blog for all the details on how you could win a $25 Gift Certificate to spend in the Simon Says Stamp store. This week our focus verse is Psalm 5:11, "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Once we trust the Lord as our personal Savior, one of the blessings we receive is that the Lord will defend and protect us. In a world that sometime looks so scary and chaotic, this is invaluable. As a Christian, we are never alone and we always have the Lord protecting and caring for us. This should cause us to shout for joy! Literally and quietly in our hearts. The second part of the verse says that those that love the Lord should be joyful. We should not go around with a "Woe is Me!" expression or a sour "nothing pleases me" look on our face. No! We should remember all the riches we have in Christ and be joyful! Be sure to let that joy show on your face! When we go through tough times, the world is watching us. If we are "Negative Nellies" and "Debbie Downers," then why would they want what we have? However, if we can show the joy and peace of the Lord in the midst of our struggles, then they will notice the difference and may just ask how they too can have this joy and peace.

For my card this week I started with a base of Simon Says Stamp Soft Navy Cardstock. SSS cardstock is such a nice heavy-weight and perfect for card bases. I made a basic gate-fold card by scoring my 8.5 x 5.5 piece of cardstock on the long side 2.75" in from each end. I matted some of the beautiful papers in the Echo Park Just Be You 6x6 pad on white cardstock.  Spellbinders dies were used for the sentiment panel and mats. The flowers were die cut using Designer Flower dies from scraps of the patterned paper and the coordinating stamp Artful Flowers were stamped using my MISTI in VersaFine ink before being embossed with Fine Detail Clear embossing powder. Glue dots were used to attach them to the card front and then Stickles were used on the flower centers.

More patterned paper decorates the inside. One of the sentiments from the Artful Flowers stamp set was stamped as a greeting.

Simon Says Stamp supplies
100# Cardstock (Soft Navy)
Artful Flowers clear stamp set
Designer Flowers die set
Artful Flowers stamp set & Designer Flowers die set bundle 
Embossing Powder - Fine Detail Clear

Supplies available in the Simon Says Stamp store:
Echo Park (Just Be You 6 x 6 Pad)
VersaFine Ink (Onyx Black) 
Ranger Stickles (Star Dust)
Spellbinders Dies (Standard Large, Standard Small)
MISTI Original Size

Other Supplies:
Georgia Pacific cardstock (white)
Ranger Distress Stickles (Spun Sugar, Chipped Sapphire)
Ranger Stickles (Eucalyptus)
Spellbinders Dies (Petite Scalloped Circles Large)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Dare 2B Artzy - Anything Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must use patterned paper
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #340 - Use embossing - heat or dry (I heat embossed the flowers)
Come and Get It Challenges - Circle Challenge
Outlawz Paper a la Mode Challenge - Sparkle and Shine

Thanks again for visiting with me today. Please be sure to visit the Word Art Wednesday blog and see what the rest of Design Team has made as well as pick up your free digi. I also hope you visit our wonderful sponsor, Simon Says Stamp. They truly are a "one stop shop."

Perfect Pearls - Hello

I am excited to be a Guest Designer for the Crop Stop Blog. I will be Guest Designing this week and next for them. For this week's card, I wanted to try something a little different. I found this tutorial on Jennifer McGuire's YouTube channel and just had to try this Faux Textured Metal with Perfect Pearls technique. She gives such clear directions and the results are so fun.

I used approximately 1/2" wide washi tape to mask off the edges of the 3.75" x 5" white panel. Using a mini ink blending tool, I started inking the panel from the top left corner with Picked Raspberry Distress ink. Then as I moved to the bottom left corner I brought in Spun Sugar, Picked Pistachio and finished up with Evergreen Bough. I carefully peeled off the washi tape and then applied Perfect Pearl color of Perfect Pearls all over the inked surface. Because the Distress ink stays wet for a little while it acts as a binder for the Perfect Pearls. I used the brush that came in my package of Perfect Pearls to apply them and then to buff away the excess. I also tapped the back of the panel to remove the excess powder. I really liked the metallic look this gave the inked portion and the Perfect Pearls hide some of the less than perfect inking I did. I set the Perfect Pearls by spraying water into the air with a mini-mister and then waving the panel through the mist. I did this 2-3 times. I then dry embossed the white panel with a Cricut Cuttlebug embossing folder. I love the way this panel turned out! I matted it on a 4" x 5.25" black piece of cardstock and then adhered both panels to an A2 sized card base. The "hello" sentiment and hearts were die cut from black cardstock and then adhered with Ranger Multi Medium Matte liquid adhesive.

Paper-saving tip: I die cut the hello and the hearts from the black mat piece of cardstock before adhering the white panel on top of it.

Supplies found in the Crop Stop Shop:

Distress Ink pads - Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistacho and Evergreen Bough
Cricut Cuttlebug - Machine, Spacer A, Cutting Pad B, Adapter C

Inkssentials - Mini Misters, Mini Ink Blending Foam

Scotch ATG Adhesive Applicator 

Scor-Buddy

Fiskars Triple Track Cutting Blades 

Brands found in the Crop Stop Shop:

Distress Ink Pads - Spun Sugar, 

Cricut Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder - Rosette Cluster (I believe it's an Anna Griffin)

Lawn Fawn dies - Scripty Hello and Hearts
Inkssentials - Mini Ink Blending Tool

Perfect Pearls - in the Perfect Pearl color

Ranger - Multi Medium Matte

Fiskars - paper trimmer

Other items used:

Cardstock: Recollections (white heavy-weight, black), Raspberry cardstock brand unknown

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today. I hope you will visit the Crop Stop Blog and Store. You will find beautiful inspiration on the blog and some fantastic products in the store.

The Hour is Come

Hello, I hope your week is going well. This week's Word Art Wednesday challenge focuses on John 12:23, "And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified." Jesus was letting His disciples know what was to come. He was telling them that the time had come for Him to go to the cross so that His glory would be made known. However, His disciples just couldn't comprehend what He was trying to tell them. Even now, with the benefit of the Bible (which the disciples did not have), so many people don't believe that Jesus came to Earth to die for the forgiveness of their sins. If you have not accepted His free gift, please send me a message or leave me a comment. I'd love to share with you how you can know for sure that you will go to Heaven some day.

For my card today, I wanted to focus on the Scripture. I thought this Graphic Greeting: Redeemer stamp from Taylored Expressions would be a good way to help keep the card's focus on the Lord. I plan on giving this card to my husband for Easter. I used a new-to-me technique for making an easel card by Inspired Stamps. This tutorial gives the directions on how to make a 4x4 easel card from one piece of paper. Since my card is 3.75 x 5.25, I used her modified directions. I think I'll use my normal method for easel cards larger than 4x4 in the future but this would be a great technique for those 4x4 or smaller. Some die cut swirls and bling add some interest to this monochromatic card.

Supplies: 
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (vanilla), Dark Gray Unknown
Patterned Paper: Basic Gray (Hillside 6 x 6)
Stamps: WORDart by Karen, Taylor Expression (Graphic Expression Redeemer)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders die (unknown name but I think it's an Anna Griffin), The Paper Studio (bling), MISTI, Darice fun foam

I'm entering this card in the following challeges:
Dare 2B Artzy - Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash Challenge (SOS298) - Uses punches and/or dies
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper April Challenge - Anything Goes as long as you use patterned paper
Creative Craft Challenge #85- Use Dies and/or Punches

I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the rest of the projects by the Design Team and to pick up your free digi stamp. Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll come back soon.