Word Art Wednesday Challenge 274 and 275

Hello Delightful Friends and Family,

I have a real simple card to share today.  I've used a Heidi Swapp stencil to create this background.
It's time for our Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes - Family Friendly Challenge.  Hope you will link up and share with us, it's a two week challenge and you can enter up to 5 times!

I wish the photo did this justice.  The butterflies are so shimmery with the Perfect Pearls added after blending the three ink colors. 

Here are the ingredients I've used:

Heidi Swapp butterfly stencil

Distress Inks - Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon

Paper: white Vellum, Hammermill 100lb white card stock

Perfect Pearls spray, Ranger Glacier White Enamil Accents

Copic Markers: BG0000, BG10, W0, W1

Word Art Karen Murray

Our Word art today is from the book of Revelation.  Our future hope of a world without sorrow is expressed in this verse from Revelation 21.  Everyone experiences sorrow.  It is just a part of this life. The Bible talks about different types of sorrow.  There is one that is very important and it is the sorrow we have when we repent.  It is called godly sorrow and it leads to life. It is the complete opposite of wordly sorrow that leads to death.  (read 2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

I am looking forward to that time coming when sorrow will end.  I just felt led to share the verse before the one featured in our Word art.  It is Revelation 21:3 is says: 

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God."

In Genesis, God walked with Adam & Eve in the Garden and in the Gospel of John "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" tells us that Jesus, God in the flesh walked among those in Israel so we look forward to the day when God again will be dwelling with us. He will wipe away all our tears, there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain!  What a day that will be when our Jesus we shall see!  To God be all the glory.

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to check out Word Art Wednesdays Challenge!

Clean and Simple Soft Floral Card - WAW 184

Hello Delightful friends and family!
Here is a card I've made to share at Word Art Wednesday #184 (Anything Goes and family friendly) 

I CASE'd this card from the Penny Black Simplicity Blog.  It was super simple and I plan to try it again and use different colors and do a bit more blending with the Copic Markers.  The stamp is called Softly and I embossed with Versamark Ink and used white embossing powder from Ranger.  The Scripture is this weeks digital verse from Word Art Wednesday and I printed it on white vellum and mounted it on the blue card stock which I popped up with dimensionals.  I've used Copics B21 and B23 and the blue card stock is from my stash.

Thanks so much for visiting! Have a fantastic day.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

CAS - Thinking of You

Hello Delightful friends and family!
We enjoyed a beautiful day here in northern California.  Thankfully the wind has died down and it was really a pretty day.  It was so nice this evening I didn't even need a blanket or the extra hoodie at Jakob's little league game, I don't leave home without them!

Here is a CAS card I made using Distress inks, a MFT's stencil, Lawn Fawn stamp (grass from Gnome Sweet Gnome)  and Ranger watercolor paper. The sentiment is from a Taylored Expressions stamp using Archival Jet Black ink.  The card base is Neenah Desert Storm.

The Distress Inks I've used are Peeled Paint and Mowed Grass for the stems and grass.  Mermaid Lagoon and Tumbled Glass are the colors I've used for the blossoms.  I used the Ranger water brush which I love working with and I am really enjoying this watercolor technique using stencils!

I will be sharing this at Word Art Wednesday #183  Family Friendly card

and CAS on Sunday #58 Cheer up Buttercup (make a card to brighten someone's day)

Thanks so much or visiting!

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

Just a Note

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
We are having quite the downpour here in our neck of the woods.  We certainly have needed the rain so it is a welcome sight.  Just hoping it doesn't affect the power because we've got a pretty strong wind with this rain. It's a nice day to stay inside curled up with a good book or in my case I'm hoping to get into my craft room soon.
 Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful change of the scenery with the autumn colors!  I've been  inspired by all the autumn cards I've been seeing!

Here is one of the cards I did for a class this week which fits right into the Fall theme.  I love sunflowers and this sunflower stamp is a set from Technique Tuesday.  I've embossed it using Copper embossing powder from Ranger.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches.  I've used Copper Sheen Card Stock for the top layer and I really like the look of the tone-on-tone with the matching embossing powder.  Such an elegant look for a CAS card and just think of all the different sentiments that could be used!
I will be entering this card at:
Word Art Wednesday (Anything Goes #155)

Here are some pictures of the sweet ladies taking my class this week at Scrapper's Edge.

Thanks for visiting!!  

Therefore He (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.  

Hebrews 7:25

Warm Thoughts - CTS 63

Hello Delightful friends and family!

I've been MIA this week due to a lot of extra stuff going on at home and church.  Hope you've all had a good week.  I'm sitting here getting my mind wrapped around that I have to go to work tomorrow.  I worked Saturday at the lss and then picked up my oldest granddaughter Riley after work and we got all of her school valentines made.  We made some special ones for her teacher and the teacher's assistant.  But I completely forgot to take a picture!  I do have one to share but it's a birthday card I made for my boss.  Hope she'll like it.

I've used my Copics (R46, R56, R59, E55, E53, W0, W1) to color this and the stamp is from Paper Smooches (Warm Hearts and Sentiment Sampler).  I've stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black.  Card stock: Neenah and Bazzill; Spica Pen and Glossy Accents to embellish.

I'm entering this card at CAS(E) this sketch! #63 and Word Art Wednesday #118

Thanks for looking!!  

My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  Psalm 84:2

Only God knows... Sympathy card (WAW #117)

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
Quick post tonight!  I wanted to do a simple one layer card and just bought this new (to me) stamp set of sentiments from Avery Elle.  I love the fonts! It also has the small flowers and petals as well as some other small shapes.
Unfortunately I've been needing sympathy cards (2014 is starting out rather rough for those left behind) and I thought this is somewhat cheery and I hope it brightens our young friend's day.

The inks I've used are Archival (venetian orange, chrome yellow) Memento (tuxedo black, pear tart), Colorbox (Playground).  Card stock is Neenah bright white.

The inside sentiment is new from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called Future.  It is one of 10 sentiments. I've added more flowers on the inside.  This is for a young lady who goes to our church and it's
not only to express condolences but to encourage her as well.
 
I will be sharing this card at Word Art Wednesday #117 Anything Goes.

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed week!

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

Autumn-themed card - And a Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!

Wow, another week has flown by and it's already late Wednesday evening so another week is half over.  I am learning to be thankful for everyday because this life is so fragile.  The verse on the card says "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever" and that's what I'm doing: Giving thanks in the midst of this busyness!  When I'm thankful to Him, I find a peace and even a rest within that God is so faithful to provide. He is so good!

This first card is a Clean and Simple design that was so quick to put together.  It's one layer, one stencil (Stampers Anonymous, Layered Tree), one stamp (Taylored Expressions) and two inks (Distress Ink, Bundled Sage and Memento, Rich Cocoa).  Fast, fast, fast!  The second card is the same basic card but "dressed up" a bit. 

I'm entering the 2nd card in two challenges:

Word Art Wednesday (Anything Goes #103)

Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenge (Autumn - not Halloween #50)

 I've stenciled the leaves with 2 colors (Bundled Sage and Wild Honey) and used those same colors to sponge around the edges.

Inside of the 2nd card (you can really see the natural fibers on the inside, but the picture doesn't do this justice)

Both cards have the same base and it came from the lss, it comes in a package of pre-cut card stock (A-2 size, desert storm color with lots of natural fibers throughout) with matching envelopes. 

Here are the ingredients I've used:

Stencil: Studio 490 Layered Tree (Wendy Vecchi - Stampers Anonymous)

Stamp: Taylored Expressions, Thankful set and Falling For You)

Inks: Distress Inks, Bundled Sage and Wild Honey; Memento, Rich Cocoa

Card Stock: Bazzill 

Copics (to color the wing and beak of the bird)

Button: Favorite Findings (Nature)

I cut the small green flags from the matching green card stock.

Here are some little ones that I'm thankful for!

Pictures of the kiddo's at the Pumpkin Patch last Saturday:

Jake(6), Riley(5), Addy(4) getting ready for the hayride to begin.

Tucker (almost 3) found a big one!  Poppa can you carry it for me? PLEASE???

Here are some good ones!

Riley is one strong little girl!

Teamwork!

The cousins having some fun trying to roll the "big one" to the haywagon.

This is the one I want.

Posing for Grammie

Thanks for visiting!!  Enjoy your week.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.  Psalm 147:5

You're so tweet! CAS209 at SCS

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Hope your day went well, it's almost time for the kiddos to head to their own home and for me to go to our Thursday night Bible study.  Thought I might get this card challenge posted before I went.  After Bible study I'll be working on Jakob's birthday card, he's going to be six years old tomorrow. He's the oldest of the four grandkids and I can't believe how big he's getting.  

This is for the Clean and Simple challenge at Splitcoast Stampers with the featured SCS gallery to choose from belonging to Ceal (Simply Beautiful Blog).  I've been a blog follower for a long time and she always has beautiful cards and projects.  I've CASE'd this card HERE

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Taylored Expressions (Splish Splash set); Paper: Bazzill card stock; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black;  Prismacolor pencils; Bella Blvd paper tape.

Thanks so much for visiting!  

Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.  Amen.  Ephesians 6:24

Thank you!

Hello Delightful friends and family and happy weekend to all of you! 

 I'm not sure if it's blogger or my lack of "tech" sense tonight but I'm sure having a difficult time uploading pictures onto my blog.  I finally just gave up and did a restart to see if that would work!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! (ha!) 

 I just wanted to share a couple of thank you cards I've made and pass on that I've purchased the Paper Crafts 75 Creative Card Challenges magazine and boy was there some great card designs!  Today has been the day to be inspired, I was checking out some of the blogs I follow and found some cool techniques I want to try.  So, taking my gift card (Christmas gift from one of my daughters) to Scrapper's Edge (where I also work, but not today!) I purchased some glossy paper and two more delicious colors of Distress Ink for a future project.  Pretty nice I didn't have to spend a penny! 

 

 Well, the restart worked I guess I'm more tech savvy than I thought! :-)

 

 

Ingredients: Designer Paper: Fancy Pants (Country Boutique) Bazzill and Neenah card stock; Ink: Memento tuxedo black; Stamp: PTI (thank you inside and out); Ribbon: Taylored Expressions Key Ingredient kit; Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities.  The design is from a card  I CASE'd, which is pinned on my Cards and Tags board at Pinterest.

 

My second card is CAS and I used a resist emboss technique.  The stamps: Taylored Expressions (Make a Wish and Falling For You); Ink: Ranger  Distress Ink (Picked Raspberry) and Memento Tuxedo Black; Ribbon (my stash); Queen & Co Washi Tape and wood heart from a TE Key Ingredient Kit; Tsukineko Versamark Ink and clear embossing powder (Ranger); Ace Hardware Masking Tape;  Neenah bright white card stock is my base.  My picture is on the dark side, I took it outside to photograph, it seems to be more true to the colors when I do.  But this photo really doesn't do it justice, I think it's much nicer in person.  If and when I do this again I'd like to see the sentiment down just a bit, but for a CAS card I was pretty happy, especially when it's way out of my comfort zone! I'm not used to so much white space.

So I did just get a little notice from blogger that there are errors happening (duh!) I just lost my signature!  Oh well, I'm not starting over and my new computer doesn't have the graphic saved to it so I'm just going to have to leave it off this post. It's getting late and I need to get to bed so I can get up early and play ;-)  Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I'm looking forward getting in to my craft room and I'm going to try and  ignore the Christmas decorations that really need to be put away....where are those elves when we really need them?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.   2 Corinthians 8:9



Blessings to you!!

 

Natalie

 (minus my cute little signature that Nina B made me)

 

 

 

CAS - Blessed Christmas (CCDC1)

Hello Delightful friends and family,

Hope this finds you well!  It's been a while since I've been able to post (computer woes continue!) but I did want to share this CAS card for a challenge at Cindy Coutts blog.  

THE CHALLENGE: Make a clean and simple nontraditional Christmas colors card using a die-cut or embossing folder (optional) that can be easily mass produced.

 CCDC1

This card could definitely be mass produced  and the color of the designer paper has more of an orange/rust color to it so I hope it qualifies as non traditional.  The only thing that would be considered time consuming would be the ink blending around the edges of the poinsettia and the focal point labels.  And the  next one I will use my Stamp-a-ma-jig to center the sentiment better. Of course a well placed bling or two or three to the side will fix this on mine! Wouldn't this CAS be a great way to use up some of those Christmas paper scraps you have?  I saw a card in the CARD magazine (Dec 2012 pg 73) that was very similar to the challenge so I need to give Amber Kroening a shout out for her inspiration, too. 

Ingredients:  Designer Paper: Memory Box, Tinsel collection; Neenah bright white card stock;  Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs, Blessed Christmas set; Dies:  Sizzix Alterations (Movers and Shakers) Mini Cardinal and Poinsettia set and Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels; Ink: Archival Russet and Distress Ink, Vintage Photo; EK Success corner punch and Cuttlebug (Provocraft).

Thanks for visiting!!

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.  Psalm 115:1

BFF 'n ever - PDCC#119

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!

 I have a funny card for you today!  I can think of a number of "old" friends that I could send this to and get a good laugh.  I hope this makes you smile today!

I'm playing in the Play Date Cafe Challenge this week and as you can see by the photo we have some pretty sweet colors to focus on!

The stamp and sentiment are from the line called "Girlfriends" (of course!) and is made by Art Impressions.  We just got this line of stamps in the store and I was cracking up over all of them and could hardly wait for an opportunity to ink this one up.  Looking forward to taking the card in to show the girls at work.

Inside

Ingredients:  Designer Paper: Echo Park (Yours Truly collection); Bazzill and Neenah card stock; Ink: Memento Tuxedo black; Colored with Copics; Fiskars Upper Crest border Punch was used on the inside.  I kept the design simple I had intended on paper piecing all the outfits but that was hard with the mainly black patterned paper so only the polka dotted friend has been paper pieced.  I used a stencil to outline the stars with a fine tip sharpie and then colored it in with Copic R43.  The finished card is 4.25 x 5.5

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have an excellent day!

I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.   Psalm 37:25

CPS Day 12 and 13

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!

Trying really, really hard to get all 15 sketches in before the deadline! Yikes! I think I have two more cards that I need to finish by Sunday.  Not sure how that's going to happen with church plus Jakob's preschool is having a spaghetti feed at 3pm (why on a Sunday I don't know!) and since this Grammie & Poppa bought tickets we'd better show up.  Poppa needs his nap between services so I'm not so sure how this is going to work out! 

Here are the sketches for Day 12 and Day 13 at Card Positioning Systems and my cards following.

Day 12 CPS#118

Day 13 CPS#121

CPS #118  All Taylored Expressions Key Ingredient Kit (January 2012)supplies except for Copics and Stamp set TE: Love Grows Here set and Memento Ink (black).  I also used Spica pens to add a little sparkle to the green on the tree and the hearts but the picture is not picking it up.

Here is a CAS card for Day 13 CPS #121

All Designer Paper is Basic Grey (6x6 pad: Kissing Booth) and the Stamp is from Taylored Expressions Bugabee set.  Memento tuxedo black ink, the Spellbinders Scallop Circle and the Marvy Uchida scallop heart which is popped up with dimensionals.  Card Stock is Neenah bright white.  I think if I were to do this one again (love the sketch!) I'll add some liquid pearls to embellish the heart and scallop circle.  But I love the browns and the pinks/reds together.

Thanks for looking and I am heading to bed!!  It's late and it will be another busy day in the Houston household tomorrow!  God bless.

The Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  2 Corinthians 3:17

For You - CPS Day 5 Sketch #38

Hello Delightful friends and family,

My last post of the day, just trying and almost succeeding in getting caught up in the Anniversary challenges at Card Positioning Systems.  This is Day 5, which I had skipped. (oops!)  I'm so glad it was a relatively  CAS card!  The fun thing about this celebration and sketches is that I've gotten the dgkid's Valentine cards done!! Yay!

CPS #38

Here is my card for the challenge:  The DP is SEI which I just received this week from a sweet sister in the Lord, Jonia!  I had won a whole bunch of goodies from her!!  I've inserted a pic of the stash I won at the end of this post. 

CPS#38

Here is a side view and how I've used dimensionals to pop up the heart.  I've inked around the edges with Distress Inks: Frayed Burlap and Worn Lipstick.

Other Ingredients:  Stamp: Taylored Expressions Buddy Bear (sentiment); Card Stock: Bazzill; Watercolor paper; American Crafts Ribbon; Memento Tuxedo black ink; Marvy Scallop heart punch.

Look at all those goodies!!  Thank you so much, Jonia!  I'm already having fun with them!

Thanks for looking and I love to read the comments and I appreciate it so much when you take the time to leave one!  God bless!

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.    2 Corinthians 4:17-18

HELLO! CFC#36 (a second card)

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!

Couldn't resist doing another black and white card!  So I'm playing along again with CASual Fridays challenge of black and white only, no exceptions!

Here are the details: 

1. Black card base of Bazzill card stock, cut 4.25 x 5.5

2.  Stamp 4 different backgrounds on white card stock (Neenah) and cut 1.25 x 1.25 

3. Cut black card stock square 3 x 3; adhere small backgrounds

4. Cut white card stock square 3.5 x 3.5; Adhere step 3 to white c/s.

5. Adhere the above to base.

6. Stamp label on white c/s; Stamp "hello" on to label, cut out.  Adhere to card.

7.  Stamp heart, cut out and adhere with dimensionals.

Stamps used:  Taylored Expressions: Bugabee set (label and sentiment); It's in the Bag set (backgrounds).

Unity Stamp Co. Ippity : Devoted set

Ink: Memento Black Tuxedo

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful week. 

Thanks to all who have prayed for my daughter, she's home now and recovering from the leg infection.  She is still on antibiotics for another week and her white blood cell count is still elevated but we are praying and hoping that her next blood test will show great improvement. 

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6