30 Day Coloring Challenge and Spring photos

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Sharing this card at the Daily Marker for the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.  Oh and by the way happy Spring to you all!  I've added some pictures from my yard that tell me that Spring has arrived.  Funny that my card today is a Christmas one!!

This will be one we will be making in class in April to continue my "1 Christmas card a month in a class" promise to the gals who take my classes.  I fell in love with Kay Miller's card here  (thanks for the inspiration Kay!) I wish I had the same color of green c/s she used but anyway I added my own twist to it and CASE'd it.  The ingredients are listed below.

Ingredients:
Stamps - Penny Black Winter Joy, Rejoice with Joy; Hero Arts - Branches
Paper: Bazzill Green Apple card stock, Strathmore 140lb cold press watercolor paper; red & black card stock and the base is 80lb Neenah bright white.
Ink: Ranger Dye Ink Lily Pad; Distress Inks, Mowed Lawn, Iced Spruce, Antique Linen, Fired Brick; Tombow Marker #847 (red)
Dies: Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle
Versamark Ink; Ranger White Embossing Powder
Making Memories Spotlight acrylic paint; Micron Black Pen (to trace around holly and berries.
3M Dimensional Adhesive

Here are my Spring photos:

Flowering Cherry

Wisteria bud

Bee collecting  pollen

Thanks so much for visiting and have a blessed day!

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:43-44

Wisdom and Understanding - Word Art Wednesday #244 and #245

Hello Delightful friends and family!
Summer is scooting by isn't it?  Hubby and I are getting ready for a quick trip to San Francisco to catch a couple of baseball games and celebrate our 40th anniversary and hopefully get a little R&R.
Of course I couldn't go without posting a card for this weeks Word Art Wednesday Family Friendly Anything Goes Challenge!
Here is my card:

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Here are the ingredients:

Base: Neenah bright white card stock A2 size

Next layer: Dark brown card stock

White Vellum die cut with Lawn Fawn Stitched Journal set

Leaf embossing folder (not sure of the maker) used on Neenah c/s and blended with Distress Inks

Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves Die cut on water color paper (Ranger)

Distress Inks: Peeled Paint, Rusty Hinge, Scattered Straw, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany.

Scripture Art - Proverbs 24:3-4

This is the perfect Scripture this week since my husband & I will be celebrating our 40th anniversary. It's through the wisdom and understanding that the Lord has given us to persevere through difficult times. And it's the knowledge that it is our Savior who has filled us with the love we need to overlook the little things that annoy us so. (Ha! you know what they are!)  I think the secret to a successful marriage is no secret at all.  Think of a marriage as a triangle with Jesus at the top, you at one side and your husband on the other side.  The closer you draw near to Jesus the closer you get to your husband! The other help is to pray for your husbands weaknesses and encourage him in his strengths. Watch the Lord fill your lives with all precious and pleasant riches that money cannot buy.

Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches. 

Proverbs 24:3-4

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND THANKS FOR VISITING!

P.S. Please pray for one of our  DT members Carole Robb-Bisson she is seriously ill and needing a physical healing.  Thanks so much!

Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life - WAW # 219 and 30 Day Color Challenge

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
My card this week was inspired by the Pattern on Pattern Resist Emboss technique using Distress Inks that I learned at the Online Card Class (Watercolor Intermediate). I will be sharing this at Word Art Wednesday this week for the Anything Goes - Family Friendly challenge #219.  I will also be linking this up at the 30 Day Color Challenge Blog with Kathy Racoosin.

Here is my card for this week:

Here are the ingredients for my card:

Background stamp - Darcie's Stamps

Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz Collection) Watercolor (butterflies)

Ranger White and Clear embossing powder

Distress inks: Twisted Citron, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Lucky Clover.

I've gotten quite the variation by overlapping the colors of inks.  I've used a circle die (Spellbinders) as my stencil (so I'm stretching the use of my dies!)

The Scripture is our Word Art From WAW and I've printed it on Vellum and die cut the tag twice, once in card stock and then die cut the vellum.  The seam binding was colored with Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn & Twisted Citron).  I've used all greens and I love how these colors blend so nicely. I've used a paint brush and a water brush to work the Distress ink into the water color paper. I used my heat gun to dry it. The base was cut to 5 x 4.25 and the bright green was the perfect green to mat the top layer. The butterflies were embossed with white embossing powder, then with a water brush I add the Distress inks, dried them with a heat gun, then fussy cut them out and used dimensional adhesive to pop them up.

If you would like the Scripture Art be sure and visit us at the Word Art Wednesday Blog HERE and download the art, then link your project for a chance to win a prize!

This weeks verse is foundational for the Christian. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way to God the Father, it is a narrow road. Most don't like to hear that, but it is truth and it will give you life.  Abundant life here and everlasting life to come, what a blessing!  Jesus made the way for you and I through His death and resurrection, we must believe in order to receive this free gift of life.

Thanks so much for visiting and don't forget to link up at Word Art Wednesday this week (it's a two week challenge starting today!)

Roses For You - Word Art Wednesday #216

Hello Delightful friends and family!
Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas.  We had all the kids and grandkids over, so it was a full house and we had so much fun watching the little ones.
Today I'm sharing a new card for Word Art Wednesday.  It's our last 2015 challenge and starting 2016 we will be going to a bi-monthly challenge.  And as always it will be an Anything Goes - Family Friendly challenge.  We are super excited about Simon Says Stamp being a new sponsor this year!  Yay!!  Now onto my card:

I've used a new stamp "Roses For You" from Simon Says Stamp.  I've stamped the flowers and then stamped the flower portion twice and popped it up with dimensional adhesive and then added a pearl. Before those steps I used a water brush to paint with Distress Inks (Sketch Blueprint, Twisted Citron, Abandoned Coral and Festive Berries, Hickory Smoke) to give this water color effect.

The Word art is from 1 Corinthians 6:20.  A wonderful verse to end 2015 and to head into 2016.  We must remember that we are to glorify God with all we have, for without Him we are nothing.  But with Him we have everything.  We were bought with a great price being the very blood of Jesus Christ.  It's truly our reasonable service to honor and glorify Him. I thought the flowers on the card was a simple way to reflect how we are to live, reaching to the heavens in praise to the Lord and seeking His will in everything we do.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year!!

Simple Blessings #thedailymarker30day3

Thanks for visiting and welcome!  Hope you are having a delightful day.  Today is Day 1 at the 30 Day Coloring Challenge Blog and I'm excited to play along!
Here is my card which was colored with Distress Inks (Persimmon, Peeled Paint, Hickory Smoke) on Ranger Water Color Paper.

The sentiment is from an older Unity stamp set and the cute Pumpkins are from Taylored Expressions (Thankful set).  Can you see the embossed border at the top?  It's a Sizzix Alterations border (set of three).

Well that's it for me!  Have a fabulous day!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10

Seek the Lord - Word Art Wednesday #201

Hello my delightful friends and family!
I am having a rough go here with my laptop in the shop! (pray for me and for my laptop!) It's the only computer in my home, so this has been really difficult getting my weekly routine done here online.  I apologize to all the wonderful participants at Word Art Wednesday that I've not been able to comment on, as I usually do. So once I get the laptop back I will be playing catch up!
 Getting my card finished for this week was the easy part, but I had to learn a different program to edit and add a watermark, it's wasn't too terribly time consuming, just not the norm and a little inconvenient.
So here is my card for Word Art Wednesday #201 Anything Goes - Family Friendly we would love for you to join in the challenge and perhaps you will be one of the prize winners!!

This turned out to be a pretty simple card and I really liked the colors.  I've used 3 Distress Inks (Abandoned Coral, Fossilized Amber and Worn Lipstick); a Heidi Swapp Stencil (butterflies in the background) and 2 Spellbinder Dies (butterfly and Deckled Rectangle).

Can you see the subtle butterflies in the background. I've printed the Scripture out on Vellum so you can see through to the background.  I've used Ranger Water Color paper for the background and "smooshed" the colors on my Craft Sheet,applied the watercolor paper onto the misted ink, then dried it with the heat gun.  Then I used the stencil to make the butterfly pattern (6x6 pattern and we carry this at Scrapper's Edge).  I also used the same colors for the die cut butterfly and then added Wink of Stella (clear) the picture below shows the glimmer much better.

This word art Scripture is so powerful and I hold it close to my heart.  Seek the Lord and His strength!  Oh my that says so much.  First, if we would truly seek the Lord (that is His heart towards you, I hope you know...) and there are so many verses that request us to SEEK Him. How else will I get to know Him if I don't seek Him?  This isn't a casual relationship, this needs to be a passionate, heart yearning desire in us to know Him.
We can seek to know Him and His strength.  I cannot do anything without the Lord's strength, I'm learning that more and more.  Seek His face continually... like I said, this is not a casual fling, it's a head over heels in love with Jesus relationship.  How about you? Are you seeking the Lord or is it a one-sided relationship with the Lord waiting for you to take that step towards Him? I think that is an invitation and I hope with all my heart you will accept it.  God bless!

Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.  1 Chronicles 16:11

Thanks for visiting!

 

No Line Hydrangea - Word Art Wednesday #194

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
We've got a heat wave going on here in northern California, I know it's summer and heat is always a possibility (lol) but living so close to the ocean this kind of heat is rare for us! Air conditioning is something you only find in a car so to get some relief last night I opened up the windows and the backdoor, pulled back the drapes and set out a big fan in front of the window to get some fresh air circulating in the living room.  Finally a little relief and a happy husband!
The heat and work is keeping me out of the craft room but I do have a card to share for our Word Art Wednesday (Anything Goes - Family Friendly) #194 Challenge! A new (to me) technique to share with you - no line coloring (or almost no lines coloring!).

The stamp I've used is from CC Designs (Hydrangea) and the Distress Inks used were: Seedless grape, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron, Fired Brick. I've stamped with Antique Linen and used a water brush and water color paper both by Ranger.

Here is the free digi art available at Word Art Wednesday this week, you don't have to use it to play along but it's great if you do!

I just wanted  to share a little about the above verse:

This verse in the Book of Job shows how Job came to the realization that he personally did not know the answers to the questions that came up during his difficult season of life but God did.  Everything is filtered through the loving hands of God, even the tough times. Sometimes that can be difficult to accept and it can be very difficult to admit that our every thought is exposed before the Lord of glory.How humbling is that!  Those last chapters of Job show God's faithfulness in restoration and if you are needing a touch from the Lord, perhaps restoration in your life,  I would like to encourage you to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of salvation first off and then learn to trust the Living God and get to know Him in a personal way by reading God's love letter to us called the Bible.

Well, that's it for me, hope you'll check out the challenge at Word Art Wednesday and see the fun sponsors and prizes!

Thanks for visiting!

Nature Sings with Joy - Word Art Wednesday #192

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
I love trying new techniques and with this card I've used the Stitched Hillside Border (Lawn Fawn) to add a bit of interest on my water color background.  After the watercolor was dry I trimmed out the background to 4" x 5-1/8" and then die cut the background pieces.  I simply taped them back together on the backside. I love the breezy/wavy feel to the card. I added dimensional tape to pop it up on the white card base.  Then I stamped and doodled on the flowers with a black micron pen and a white pen (nothing fancy!) I punched out the digi Scripture with a large scallop oval punch. It reminded me of a cloud so of course I had to add the sun peeking over the edge.
Isn't this a great verse!  Nothing like a little singing to bring out the joy!  Even in the midst of trials it's amazing how singing to the Lord can lift your spirit! Even nature seems to be singing and clapping it's hands at times.


















I hope you will consider joining us this week at Word Art Wednesday, it's challenge #192!  We are a family friendly challenge blog and we would love for you to join us.  We have fabulous sponsors that are so generous, most weeks there are more than one prize to win!  Be sure and check out what the Design Team is sharing this week and leave them some love!

Here are the ingredients to my card!

Stamp: Taylored Expressions - Faith in Bloom (flowers); and Lawn Fawn- Seasons Tweetings (musical notes);

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside border (background) and Spring Showers (sun)

Punch: Scallop Oval (Marvy Uchida)

Re-Inkers: Mermaid Lagoon and Twisted Citron (Ranger Distress Inks)

Ranger Water color paper

Neenah Bright white card stock

Uni-ball Signa Broad white pen

Archival Jet Black ink

Thanks so much for visiting!! 

We will Rejoice - Word Art Wednesday #191

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Hope this finds everyone well and enjoying the summer!
 I'm excited to get into the craft room and getting my August class samples done for the two classes I'll be teaching at Scrapper's Edge.  I'm blessed to teach the Crafter-Noon classes on the first and third Thursdays of the month.  Last week was a blast we did a bit of coloring with Distress inks and used stencils.  It was a big hit!
Today I'm sharing a card that I used the same technique with a twist.  I added wording to the stamped image and I love how it turned out.  This is the card that I'm sharing at the Word Art Wednesday Blog challenge this week.  This weeks Scripture is from the Book of Psalms chapter 20 verse 5.  The word art is free on the site to download and use!  This Scripture is a wonderful expression of joy and confidence knowing that our God is victorious over our enemies, we can set up our banners declaring victory! He is Mighty to save!  I've used encouraging bits of Scripture within the flowers from a stamp set from Taylored Expressions (Faith in Bloom).

The card base is a bit bigger than what I usually like but this fabulous stencil from Penny Black is bigger than A2 size so I cut the water color paper (Ranger) to 5" x 5" the base is Bazzill (green) card stock.  I printed the Scripture word art on Vellum and added 3 sequins for a little interest and that's it for the card. The poppies look like they are dancing, don't they?!  Hope it inspires you to get creative!

Thanks for visiting!

I will trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation.  I will sing unto the Lord for He has been good to me.  Psalm 13:5-6

Distress Inked Himalayan Poppy - 30 Day color challenge

Hello Delightful Friends and Family!
So glad you came by today!  Here is another card I've made using the Himalayan Poppy stamp.  This time I've used Distress Inks and a Ranger waterbrush to color.  I've kept it sentiment free so that I can add it later depending on the occasion.  I've used some of my hoarded Stella Rose (MME) paper.  I've embossed with Versamark Ink and Ranger White embossing powder (just like the last poppy I colored).  I've used the Ranger watercolor paper (I LOVE IT) and the Ranger Distress Inks are Mermaid Lagoon, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles (very sparingly to add shadows), and Mustard Seed.

Thanks so much for visiting! 

 I will be sharing this card at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (Use Your Favorite Technique and/or Product. I will also link up at the 30 Day Coloring challenge blog.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalm 118:4

Scribbly flowers - 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Hello Delightful friends and family!
Have you been inspired by the 30 Day Color Challenge for June?  I know I have!  Finding time to post them on my blog has been another story though!

I've been having fun being inspired by all the incredible artwork being shared HERE.  This is one  I would like to share using Distress inks (Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles and Stormy Sky), a waterbrush and Ranger watercolor paper.  The stamp is from the Dina Wakley Media line called Scribbly Flowers the word die is from a stamp and die set from Hero Arts called Congrats.  I've masked the flower to arrange along the left side of the paper.   I've added vellum under the word diecut, lastly I've added Liquid Pearls to the center of flowers for dimension.

Hope you'll be inspired to color and thanks for visiting!  I hope to share a card tomorrow I colored for my granddaughter Addy's birthday.  Just need to get it put together for "show and tell" so until then....

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.  Psalm 19:1

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

Curtain Call Bouquet Challenge

Hello Delightful friends and family,

Here is a card I did using Dylusion sprays on an acrylic block and a water brush to color on watercolor paper (Ranger).   Isn't this stamp so cute, it's by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called Sunshine and Flowers.  It is such a fun set!  I'm writing this up on my lunchbreak at work so I'm sorry I don't remember which company made the "hello"

I will be sharing this over at Curtain Call with the challenge "Bouquet".

Thanks for visiting!!  Hope to share another card tomorrow! 

I'll be heading to Addy and Riley Ann's softball game after work today and hope to get some cute pictures of the little granddaughter's playing ball!!  They are so fun to watch!

His Mercies - CTD 281 and WAW 121

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Pulled out my Distress Inks and water color paper to play along with the Color Throwdown #281 and Word Art Wednesday #121 Anything Goes

Ingredients: Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade Squeezed Lemon, Black Soot, Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold); Archival Jet Black ink;  Stamps:  Taylored Expressions (Posh Posie) and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (Be Encouraged set); Paper: Bazzill card stock and water color paper; Mini Mister and water pen; EK Success corner rounder, rhinestones, white gel pen and Spica clear pen.

This card is going to friends who are having a rough time with guilt and regret due to their past. Have you ever felt that way? The wrong choices that perhaps you made in the past that effected future decisions made by your children.  And now the adult children are experiencing the consequences of their own choices, while the parents are experiencing guilt and regret.  It is so difficult to see our loved ones making decisions that could affect their eternal destination.  Addictions, bitterness and hardness of heart are very difficult to break through.  Wow, this sounds like a real downer of a post but I just want to say that there is HOPE.  God is faithful.  He is sovereign.  We have to learn to trust and serve Him faithfully no matter what. Is that easy? Not always easy, but possible. Discouragement is a powerful weapon of the enemy that we have to learn to recognize so that we can overcome it. We can overcome it through prayer and praise, but the best way is through reading the Word of God and taking time to really meditate on it and allow God to work in our hearts (couple that with the prayer and praise and it's a great recipe for a spiritual victory!).  I have found that when talking with friends who are discouraged that they are no longer reading their Bibles and spending time with the Lord.  You see, when we get our eyes off of Jesus and get them turned on ourselves and our circumstances we are playing right into the adversary's hand.  Does this sound like you? God's mercies truly are new every morning (He cannot lie).  He is waiting with open arms to love, comfort and extend His mercies to you.  

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4

Thanks for visiting!!