COF July challenge

Kelly sent us some fabulous papers and embellishments along with this adorable stamped image. It was so much fun to get a surprise in the mail and I just had to make two cards since I have two grand daughters who will love these. Thanks, Kelly for making this such a fun challenge and thanks for all the goodies.

ODBDSLC117

This was a lovely layout for this week's challenge. The stamps are from ODBD. The dark brown side was stamped with the butterfly background stamp from ODBD as well. The left side is a piece of Graphics 45 design paper.

CFC63

Using the colors for the CAS-ual Friday challenge today and the sketch from the VLVJuly 2012 challenge. The stamps are from Verve. I used copics to color the images. The background is stamped in taken with teal ink.

WAW38

I was fortunate enough today to hear two amazing testimonies from two wonderful Christian women who have never given up even facing the toughest of obstacles in their life stories. They even testified to the fact that these difficult situations only proved to them just how much God loves them and both testified to the faith communities that surrounded them to be the hands and feet of Jesus that helped carry them through. God never seems to give up on us, wooing us  to stay in relationship with Him. I will never never give on up my Lord. 

FTTC179-Christmas in July

This is for the Flourish Timeless Tuesday Challenge this week. I got to pull out some much neglected Christmas Flourish stamps to make this one. I have made about 3 Christmas cards in the last week, so I guess I have started working toward that pile of cards I will need in December. What is it 20 weeks before Christmas? If I get 3 done a week, I will have the amount I need done!!!Could I be so disciplined???Check next week and we'll see how it's going!!!

Make My Monday Challenge

This was for a color challenge for Make My Monday. The butterfly is the old retired Stipple Butterfly stamp from Stampin' Up. It's a stamp I will forever have in my collection. The sentiment is from Mark's Finest Papers. I embossed the card base, diecut the frame and cirlce and stamped the image in tuxedo black. I colored it with my copic markers.

MOJO 251

 The stamps are from Verve. I found lots of scraps from my design paper piles for this card.

SSIC149

I did some reverse masking on this card using Baja Breeze and curry. The sentiment and image are stamped in tuxedo black. The stamps are from Stampabilities. I did some scoring and added a rhinestone cross.

ODBDSLC116

I've been trying to get this challenge card done all week. Finally, I carved out a little time to get it done before the deadline tonight. I sponged the clouds and the image is colored with copic markers. Although it does not show up in the photo, the butterfly wings are colored over with a sparkle gel pen just to add a little shimmer to the wings. Hope you are having a blessed Sabbath!

CR84FN #59

When I saw the CR84FN colors this week, I just had to play along. This is one of my favorite color combos. I rooted through my scraps to find this striped dp and stamped the hydrangea in rich cocoa ink and colored it with some of my copics markers.

CFC62

This was a fun and easy card. I love black and white color combos, and I had just recently bought this ribbon that I found for 40% off. The tag is a silver metal cut in a circle. I stamped black leaves on it with black StazOn. The white leaves on the black cardstock is SU white. I stuck on the cross rhinestone  as an additional embellishment.You can find this challenge here.

For Renee

I ran across two challenges this week that used black and white for cards. Loving that color combo, I had my motivation for a couple of cards. So today's downloads are my black and white creations. I needed to make a birthday card for a dear friend whose birthday is Sunday. She and I enjoy being musicians for Emmaus weekends, so I thought designing a guitar for the card was a great idea. I cut out a guitar body shape and then sponged around it. The neck I cut from a piece of black cs and the 6 strings are twine.
She is also an awesome gardener so I put the leaves around the edges. Renee, you are such an awesome child of God and how wonderful it is the sing His praises with you. Have a very blessed birthday, my beloved friend!

WAW #37

A line from a old hymn favorite was the featured text today for Word Art Wednesday. Both of these stamps are from Stampabilities and were so perfect for this verse. I found some great design paper scraps in my nearby piles around my work area. Am I the only one who sits in their scrap piles to draw motivation??
God is so wonderful, isn't He? One of my husband's most frequent prayer requests is "keep an eye on".
He uses it in every one of his prayers. It is comforting to know that God's eye is on all of His creation and each of us can feel that unique "specialness" about it.

SSIC148

Matthew 5: 13 - "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

The challenge was to use something glittery. The tinsel glitter from Martha Stewart that I used actually looks like salt. I also made this card to honor SCS's featured stamper: Cynthia (StampinAK). I cased a card from her gallery that had silhouettes of children in a patriotic parade. I didn't have that Flourish stamp, but I had this one that I used of a row of children frolicking in the summer sun.

I added the glitter to the sun and also to the organdy ribbon. Like the sentiment says, I am "Wishing you a day of Joy!"

C4C145

Here is the sketch for the Crazy for Challenges this week:

I used cardstock from Stampin' Up, design papers from Basic Grey, and stamps from Verve. 
I embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder. 

Less is More 76

This is for the Less is More Challenge this week. It is a one layered card and we were to use 3 of something on it. I used three colors: Mustard, orange, and blue. The technique I used was reverse masking and the stamps are from Flourishes. 

CAS-ual Friday Challenge #61

I love all white cards, especially for wedding cards. I did this one for the CAS-ual Friday Challange to use strips of color or texture. I used the texture options for this one. The sentiment stamp is from Stampin' Up. The textures were Sizzix embossing folders and Cuttlebug folders, the punches are Martha Stewart and Stampin' Up and the label is from Spellbinders. Added dimensionals to adhere the pieces and pearls as the last embellishment. This was a 10 minute card. Elegant look, but quick to do, my favorite combination.

ODBDSLC115

I'm  usually not drawn to most Jesus stamps, but this one just grabbed me the minute I saw it. The challenge was to use torn paper and/or distressing. I used both. I also used just a touch of color and chose red for the blood He shed for us.The stamps are from Our Daily Bread Designs, the ink is Memento Tuxedo black, the papers are kraft, black, white, and red.

What can make the wounded whole? Nothing, but the blood of Jesus!

Word art Wednesday #36

This is such a powerful message from the Word for just the best advice of parenting we can give anyone.
AMEN, and AMEN. The cross image is from Verve and the mother silhouette is from Flourishes. I just used various papers I found in my scraps for the paper on the card. Word art Wednesday is my favorite Wednesday challenge. I'm getting a late start today, because I had other things that needed to be done today. One of which was having lunch with my favorite pastor, Lorraine Brown!! What a spiritual inspiration she is to me!!!

RcC61

This might be my first time to do one of the Ribbon Carousel Challenges. I was anxious to try out my new Verve stamp and I found this cool ribbon in my stash and added a button for the challenge to use ribbon and buttons. I used copic markers to do the coloring of the flower, and the images were stamped in Tuxedo black ink by Momento.

FTTC177

Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday challenge is always one of my favorite in the week. Today the challenge was to make the sentiment the focal part of your card. I love this sentiment and the herbs that accompany it. I embossed the background with two different Sizzix embossing folders. I used some lavender paper and this great purple wired ribbon.

FTTC176

I love these peaches and summer is the season for freestone peaches in Texas. I also love this basket weave stamp from Flourishes as well, so I combine these two favorites together on this card.  I hope you are enjoying the fruits of the season, and staying cool in these hot temperatures. I used my copics to color these yummy peaches.

CTD199

This was an easy, fast card. I stamped stars on the blue cs with white ink, and on the turquoise stars I stamped with navy ink. The sentiment was stamped in black. The colors this week: real red, tempting turquoise, night of navy, and crumb(I subbed in kraft.) I thought this would be a great card to send a soldier.

CBC147 challenge

This card was done for the Belli Challenge this week to use stars. Actually, this card and the next would qualify for this challenge. I used my star and that punch used on the navy and got them off the dusty shelf they had been sitting on for awhile.

Penny Black 208

This week's Penny Black challenge is to use metal. I have had these metal flowers for a long time and since my goal this year is to use up some of the stashed stuff in my stamping room. So along with these corduroy brads, they make up the metal on this card. I also cuttlebugged this Sizzix embossing folder for the texture and used my copics for the cute frog image. You can find the PB challenge here.

WAW35

I was delighted to find this scripture from Deuteronomy as the featured scripture today on Word Art Wednesday. The pear is a multi-layered stamp from Kitchen Sink Stamps. Isn't it amazing how when we put the love of God first in our lives, there seems to be less of me and a new joy in sharing that love with others.
This is one of those scriptures that remind us it is not about me because I am giving God my all. And He is my all in all. Like a song I love says, "He is my strength when I am weak, He is the treasure that I seek, He is my All in All. When I am down, He picks me up, when I am dry, He fills my cup."

MOJO 248

This little quote seems to be my way of doing things. Some people have a plan A and possibly an additional plan B just in case. I'm glad we have a 26 letter alphabet because in all of that I can come up with SOME way that will work in getting the job done. Don't ever let the failure of one plan block you from other possibilities. Maybe that is why I tend to be so creative. Mistakes always give way to activating creativity without a doubt. Life is full of lessons whether you pass or fail the test, there is something always to be learned.

House Mouse FMC 123

The challenge this week was to use one of the HM stamps that have fruit. My last challenge card used one of my fruit stamps, and this is my only other one. I think of apples as more of a fall crop than summer, but apples are a fruit!!!  I used my copics for the coloring of the image. If you would like to check out this challenge for yourself you may find it HERE. The name of this stamp is "An apple a day."

ODBDSLC114

This is for the Our Daily Bread Design's Shining Light Challenge to use your favorite ODBD stamp.
I just love this cross and the background that matches it. I added this embossed edging and thought it complimented the stamps well.  I have learned how precious that cross is, and I can now boldly say I let it go before me in my good times and in the hard ones. I hope you find your blessings that Christ brings you every day.

SSIC146

The challenge for Stampin' Sisters in Christ is to use something new. This is a new set of stamps that I won from Flourishes. It is just gorgeous. My mother in law's 90th birthday is coming up, so I made it in some of her favorite colors. To get my ribbon to match, I used my copic markers to make it the color I wanted.
I used by Becca Bow Maker to come up with this fabulous bow.