Strength In The Garden

I was thinking about the writing for this blog post a few minutes ago and decided that this was the title I wanted to give it.  I then thought about my father’s favorite hymn, the Garden of Prayer.  I remember coming home from high school and playing the piano and singing for him during a long recuperation from a serious heart attack.  It’s been 35 years since he moved on to his heavenly home, but I think my dad would tell me that true strength comes from prayer.  I think that this one is for your, Dad!  I love you and miss you and Mom both so very much.

As you may know from some of my precious posts, I am doing the card ministry for my church.  I send out the cards from our church to members when there is sickness or death in their families.  Since I know the people, I find myself personalizing the cards and try to find a good scripture for each card.  We’ve had quite a few over the last several weeks, so I’ve been continuing to look for a quick and easy yet beautiful ways to get some cards done!  I think that I may have hit one it through Simply Simple Stamping and a friend’s idea for making my own patterned paper!

·       Stamp set(s):  Stampin’ Up! – Secret Garden and Thoughts & Prayers; Our Daily Bread Designs – Scripture Collection 1

·       Ink(s):  Stampin’ Up! – Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizazz, So Saffron, and Coastal Cabana

·       Paper:  Stampin’ Up! – Very Vanilla, So Saffron & Pear Pizazz CS

·       Dies & Embossing folders:  Spellbinders – Classic Ovals Large & Classic Scalloped Ovals Large; Stampin’ Up! – Square Lattice & Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folders

·       Embellishments/Other things of note:  Stampin’ Up! – Brights collection buttons(ret.), Linen Thread and Antique Brads; Hobby Lobby – wired burlap ribbon; Petaloo – Mulberry Street Vintage Victorian Color Assortment

I started out by stamping my own patterned paper using all of the ink colors above and used all of the stamps in the Secret Garden stamp set.  I used ink pads because I think that I can tailor my card needs using these colors .  I may do something with purples for sympathy cards later, but for now, these will do.  I then cut up my “new” patterned paper using the “flashcards” that I’ve tried from Simply Simple Stamping in previous posts.  I need something that will come together quickly and easily and can also personalize.  I did add some wide wired burlap ribbon behind my floral paper some added texture and interest.  For the 3 cards I needed for illness in our church family, I personalized it by using the Pear Pizazz for the men and So Saffron for the lady.  I also added a different touch by the use of embossing folders.

I hope you like my ideas for quick and easy cards that still have style!  You can go to the website and get all the information about how to have an array for card ideas ready to go in a “flash”!  Until next time, be blessed in all that you do!

Many Blessings,

Donna

 

Secret Garden Patterned Paper

Sweetest Gift

 

           Hi, there bloggers!  This is my first post of 2014.  I’m off to a slow start.  I think the Christmas Holidays took all of my mojo!  It took a mojo to get me back in the swing of things.  Since I was in need of a baby shower card for my lovely step-daughter that I helped to raise, I decided to go with blue since we are welcoming next month a cute little boy to be named Mason.  I used the MOJO327 sketch and will be posting this card there as well as the Verve's January 2014 Diva Dare - Smitten and Verve's January Diva Inspirations Hop - Shimmer & Shine! Don't you love Shimmer & Shine and Smitten?

·       Stamp set(s):  Stampin’ Up – Sweetest Gift; Verve – Surely Goodness; Our Daily Bread Designs – Gingham Background

·       Ink(s):  Stampin' Up! - Marina Mist 

·       Paper:  Stampin’ Up – Marina Mist & Whisper White CS; the Paper Studio – Solid Glitter Light Blue

·       Dies & Embossing folders:  Spellbinders – Classic Rectangles Large  

·       Embellishments/Other things of note:  Fiskars – Heart Punches

I didn’t have any baby shower type of paper so I decided to make my own.  I stamped off the cute little stork from the Sweetest Gift SS to get the two colors of storks and then stamped the ODBD Gingham Background.  Gingham is so perfect in blue this time for a soft baby look.  I was looking for a scripture stamp to use for the focal of this card and choose this particular one.  What a special scripture to pray over the soon to be mother of three and her newborn baby.  We all need the Lord’s goodness and mercy to follow us all the days of our lives.

I want to wish all of my readers a very “Happy New Year” and pray the Lord’s blessings over you and your family.  I hope that this year is a truly crafty year for you and may you get inspiration for a wonderful year of raising spirits and creating and maintaining memories for you and your family!

Many Blessings,

Donna



Celebrate A Special Birthday with Viva la Verve

          I’m still hoping to get all 4 cards done for November for the Viva la Verve Master Challenge.  It has been such a stressful month with my husband’s mild heart attack.  I’m grateful to God’s sustaining hand upon him.  His vein graft from his triple bypass in 1991 was completely blocked in one place and partially blocked in another.  With his 11^th and 12^th stent and new medication, he is back on his feet and resuming his normal activities.  God is soooooo GOOD!!!!

          Thanksgiving is upon us so quickly, but I still have all the usual day to day activities going on around my house.  I am a tutor/mentor to a young lady at a local school whose birthday is this week and needed to make her a special card.  I wanted it to be young and youthful, yet sweet so I went looking through my paper stash and found this delightful paper hidden carefully away.  It said youthful to me!  One of the great things about Stampin’ Up! cardstock is that it comes in so many delightful colors and takes ink beautifully.  It was so easy to find some good coordinating cs for my creation.  My card is 5½” by 4¼” with a top fold.  I also got to use my new ODBD’s Gingham Background stamp.  Gingham background is now available in ANY color.  What’s not to love????

·       Stamp set(s):  Papertrey Ink – Delightful Dahlia Additions; Our Daily Bread Designs – Gingham Background

·       Ink(s):  Stampin’ Up! – Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

·       Paper:  Stampin’ Up! – Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo, Coastal Cabana, & Daffodil Delight CS; Prima – Fairy Floral Collection Garden Party

·       Dies & Embossing folders:  Stampin’ Up! – Chalk Talk Framelits; Spellbinders – Becky Fleck’s Tags & Flags   

·       Embellishments/Other things of note:  Verve - Truly Madly Deeply Ribbon Collection; Jolee’s – Sunflowers Dimensional Stickers

The card came together easily following the layout for week 2’s Viva la Verve Sketch.  It was super to realize that one of the Verve ribbons from the Truly Madly Deeply Ribbon Collection was a perfect match for SU!’s Melon Mambo.  I tried some pretty cream colored ribbon; it was OK but the Verve ribbon just made the whole card come alive.  I also reversed the scalloped border from the Becky Fleck dies to make a bit of a whimsical border – perfect for an almost teenager!

          I hope that you’ve enjoyed my card for the 2^nd week’s challenge.  Don’t you just love a happy card – especially for a birthday girl?  Until next time you visit, be safe and have a blessed week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Many Blessings,

Donna

It Is Well With My Soul

 

          Ah, what a beautiful hymn.  It always reminds me that the man who wrote this hymn wrote it over the place in the Atlantic Ocean where his daughters were lost at sea during a storm, yet he could say that “it is well with my soul”.  This is also one of my husband’s favorite hymns.  Help me Lord to say that it is well with my soul even during the storms of this life.  Help me to continue to build a strong foundation where I can turn to You as my loving Poppa in every situation.

          Enough said!  I finished this card yesterday, but wanted to get my MOJO 318 card posted and saved this one for today.  Two cards in 2 days – a little bit of a personal miracle!  I have been busy working trade shows and taking a class at my local store, the Enchanted Cottage which is where I picked up this background stamp and scripture.  Our Daily Bread Designs taught classes there on October 26 that a good friend Nancy & I took together.  When I saw this hymn in a stamp, I knew I would be getting it – a true no brainer for my card ministry!  I still haven’t told Thom the amount of my purchase yet!  The scripture sentiment is part of the scriptures that Pastor Jim Reklis of Grace Church in Chapel Hill, NC used in our wedding ceremony in 2005.  The Lord’s mercies are new every morning.  Thank you Lord for Thom!

          I used the Viva la Verve November, Week 1 sketch.  You can see it below.  I did modify the sketch.  It didn’t want to cover up the name of the hymn with my ribbon so I switched sides.  I made the horizontal strip wider so that the fall trees and leaf paper were more visible.  I’m so enjoying the cooler fall weather.  My card is 4¼” by 5½”.  

·       Stamp set(s):  Our Daily Bread Designs – It Is Well With My Soul & Scripture Collection 1;  Heartfelt Creations – Open Fall Leaves

·       Ink(s):  Stampin’ Up! – Early Espresso & Cajun Craze; Glimmer Mist – Iridescent Gold

·       Paper:  The Paper Loft – Autumn Splendor’s Orchard; Stampin’ Up! – Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Cajun Craze & Crushed Curry CS

·       Dies & Embossing folders:  Spellbinders – Labels 1; Heartfelt Creations – Falling Leaves Die;

·       Embellishments/Other things of note:  Stampin’ Up! – Antique Brads; Martha Stewart – Doily Lace Edge Punch; American Crafts - Ribbon

My card is straight forward after getting the cardstock and patterned paper the way I wanted them.  I also added the Glimmer Mist to the card after I had it all together.  The shimmer makes me think of those fall mornings when the frost makes everything just shimmer in the sunshine.  The wetness made the paper roll slightly but it just helps give my card a weathered feel that paper can get over time from moisture.  I might have gotten carried away with the Glimmer Mist – LOL – it’s been a while since I used it!

I so appreciate your stopping by my blog.  I was long-winded today but I had so much I wanted to share with you, my reader.  Please join my sight and become one of my followers.  I’m thinking about looking into some design teams next year and know that some companies look at followers when deciding about design team finalists.

Many Blessings,

Donna