Candy and a Challenge

Can you believe that the 10,000 visitor mark has come and gone!?! It totally amazes me. So, I would like to share some stuff. I am putting together a package of some ribbon and other fun stuff, but there is a catch.

The Catch: Do you have a plethora of handmade cards sitting around your stamp area?? Or perhaps there is an old friend that you have been thinking about lately. This is YOUR opportunity. I would like YOU to send a card that you have made to someone. I would like you to pick someone that is not expecting a card from you. They may not appreciate a hand made card--that is not the point. The point is relationships.

So to qualify for the blog candy: post a card on an online gallery (like Splitcoast or 2Peas) OR your own blog, then send it to someone. Come to this post and post a link to the card, and describe the person you sent it to (old friend from college, great aunt, etc.) not using the actual name (in the interest of Internet safety).

I can't wait to see your creations. You have 2 weeks (this is a busy time of year for me, and many others, too) At midnight Eastern time on September 14th. I will use a random number generator to pick a winner.

Baroque Christmas

After a few false starts on this weeks Technique Lover's Challenge, I decide that I needed to try something different. So I pulled out this set (it is so easy and fun to use) and I tried a Christmas card.

The square motif is stamped on white glossy paper, merely because that is what I had out.

Materials (SU! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Holiday & Wishes
• Paper: Glossy White, Basic Black, Rose Red, Certainly Celery
• Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
• Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Stickles (Ranger), Ribbon (WalMart and Michaels), Stampin' Dimensionals.

Thanks for looking!

The Zip Line (an non-stamping article)

I try not to post too many non-stamping articles on my blog. But this article kept me awake last night till it was written. It is about a Christian camp that our family is deeply committed to called Bay Shore Camp. It is about a zip line which can be seen HERE. I will not be offended if you choose to skip this article (how would I know? LOL!) I will make an effort to get at least one stamping article up for tomorrow.

God’s call of ministry and the zip line

This summer my good friend and I were with our nine year old daughters at Bay Shore for Family Assembly. We were there to teach, they were there to have fun, and all of us looked forward to fellowshipping with the Body.

The call— We had free time and the girls suggested we go on the zip line. We, their mothers, agreed. My friend and I knew we preferred the ground to the air, but so many have done it (and surrivived) we could do it, too. We walked up the trail, saw the landing point, and people getting off, safely and quite joyful. (We can do this, too). We listen to stories of those who have gone while we are in line. We walk further and see the launching point—it is high, but there are harnesses, railing, helmets, and guides. There is nothing to be afraid of.

We agree to go, not only saying “Yes” to his gift of salvation, but also to His call to ministry. We know in our heads that it will take us out of our comfort zone, but we know we will be with God on the journey. We know that he will provide our needs to do His will and it will be to His glory.

The equipping— We are fitted with helmets and harnesses. The equipment is strong and durable, and the fit is tested. The helper is satisfied. We are ready.

We study God’s word, write his words on our hearts. We spend time in meditation and prayer. We spend time with the Body, praising and worshipping Him. He does not send us out unprepared, unprotected, or alone. He sends His Helper, the Holy Spirit with us.

The beginning— We start up the stairs. I see that they are sturdy and strong, but as I climb them, I hear creaks, and feel a slight sway. I know the stairs, and the platform at the top, will neither break nor fail. But the sight of the ground so far away, and the breeze in my ears sends a wave of worry through me. I am nervous, and afraid. I could turn back, but then I would let down my friend and my daughter. So I go on.

Though we were warned that the road of his call would not be easy, we are surprised by the bumps and troubles along the way. The threat of doubt creeps in. We are vulnerable to Satan, and he takes advantage. We don’t want to turn back, we want to serve the God we love. His mission is now our mission.

The journey—As we step up to our perch we are properly and carefully hooked on to the zip line by our helper. I cling to the large post next to me as if it is my last remaining friend. My friend and the girls are hooked on to my right and my left. We are together, but separate. We smile and encourage one another, but when the helper says to go—we must each go on our own.

In the body, we are there to encourage one another. But one member cannot have faith for another. The Helper can make sure we are “hooked in” properly, but each member must leap on his or her own.

The leap—We discovered there is more than one way to get off the platform. The girls to a walking leap (with great joy) anticipating the glorious ride, trusting in the equipment, and savoring every inch of the ride. My daughter fully let go of her rope and let the equipment do its job. I sat down as much as the harness would let me, and scooted off my little platform, anticipating a drop or a moment of free fall (which never came)—full of worry till I was half way down the line and then realized that it was fun, and I was safe and fully supported by the line and harness. My friend stepped off obediently but held her self up by her rope as if it would not hold her without her help, till also part way through she too could let go and enjoy the ride.

We can leap straight into the Father’s arms, doing what he asks, and letting him be in control—then we can see the wealth of his power and feel the depth of his love. We can scoot off tenitively afraid of the lions (whether they are there or not) worried about what can go wrong—missing what is going right—unable to witness God’s will being done. We can also try to go on our own power. Tiring ourselves and feeling our own strength falter and not showing the world the strength of our God.

The dismount—At the end of our ride we were brought back together. Laughing, basking in the adrenaline rush, and sharing the stories of our own ride: the shoe that came off, the mom that almost didn’t come down, the glory of the ride. We grab our doggie leashes and run them back up the hill—for there are more people ready to leap.

At the end of a ministry or a task, we reflect on how faithful God was on our journey, on how we made mistakes and it was harder. Or even on how we let go and God was glorified all the more. We return to pass our equipment to others so that they can be a part of the journey as well.

Would we do it again—YES! Did we do it again—YES!! Encouraging others on our way up and letting go a little easier at the top.

Yes, Lord, Let’s do it again! Send me! All for Your Glory!

Because Gina K said I could.....

...that's why!

• That is why I invested a whole $1.96 in Rose Art Colored pencils (I wimped out at the last minute only got the 24 instead of the 72) and $2.97 in "Low Odor Thinners". Gina K did the legwork for me at Craft Critique in her colored pencil comparison. So I figured, why not!?! I do not own stumps--but I do have Q-tips--I took the cotton off of them and used them like that. No, I am not going to get the same results as Prismas with Gamsol and stumps from Taiwan (or where-ever they are supposed to come from). But I am not whining nor complaining to myself about not being able to try them. I can see that I need more practice, more colors and I think those stumpy things! But hey, I tried it. I think I like it, too!
• 
  
• This card was created for a color challenge--which was a challenge since I didn't have all of the colors (alternatives were provided) but this patterned paper DID! :D It is BasicGrey "Perhaps". (It was also used in the example--but I was just about to e-mail Emily with this combo BECAUSE of this paper, but I would have added More Mustard to the combo--I guess that is why I am NOT in charge-lol).
• My little dd made off with the olive pencil, and after looking for it for a half hour , I decided to just watercolor the olive.

• The green ribbon is from my ABSOLUTELY favorite dress growing up. It is a little creased and ratty for the dress (YES, I still have the dress) but perfect for cardmaking. The pink is from blog candy from Julia S. (See how I hoard it?)

• I am still unsure about these fuzzy flowers. They were so cute in the package (cute little plastic Chinese take-out style box with a handle). And they go so nicely with the paper, but...I just don't think I have the right size brads for them.

• The stamp had never seen ink before today. Doesn't sound too unusual till I tell you I have had this stamp since 1995!! It is from Rubber Monger. I didn't even stamp then. I collected frogs, and my mom would occasionally get me frog stamps. (this stamp was rescued from my "To Sell in a Garage Sale bin").

Well, thanks for stopping by! I hope my coloring skills will improve!!

Beate Weekend Sketch 16

Boy, did I take some liberties with this sketch. LOL!!!

Basically--I wanted--no--NEEDED to use this paper. This sketch really helped me do that. The paper is from a 6" x 6" pad of paper from BasicGrey, the collection is called "Perhaps"

The vase and the main white pannel is popped up with dimensionals. I colored with a water color brush and reinkers.

Materials (SU! unless noted):

• Stamps: Vases in Vogue
• Paper: White, More Mustard, DP (Basic Grey)
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Reinkers for watercoloring and Rose Red for sponging
• Accessories: Flowers (Bazzill and Prima), Scallop Punch (punch outs were a RAK), Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for looking!!

Wedding Gift Update

So, I go to this wedding (with THIS gift). It was a lovely day and the wedding was in one of our many beautiful parks. Sunny (after POURING all morning) warm (upper 70s). The Wedding party was beautiful in Cameo Coral dresses for the women and black tuxes with emerald green vests. Beautiful ceremony the couple wrote really cool (and well thought out) vows.

Then the pastor announces: "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Bell."

What did he say!?! Uh, oh!

Well, I had left the gift in the car (on purpose--since the reception was at another place). And well, it is still there.

In church, today, I talked to a mutual friend. And it turns out that he is trying to change his name to "Tucker" but is lacking the cash to get it done. (Bell is his father's name and Tucker is his mother's name--sad story with a very very hopeful ending--or beginning depending on your point of view).

So I will talk to the mother of the groom this week and ask her advice. I may be making a new gift---or not.

Can ANYTHING happen in my life without DRAMA!! LOL!

Wedding Gift

I am going to a wedding today. Unfortunately, I only know the mother of the groom. And since the couple is not registered anywhere, I had to guess a bit on their tastes. Hopefully, it is classic enough to fit in their new home, somewhere.

The zipper pulls say *heart* and *home*. The "Heather & Tony" was computer generated.

Materials (all SU! except where noted):

• Stamps: Headline Alpha, Double line Doodle, Garden Silhouettes, Polka Dot and Paisley, Lovely as a Tree, Swirls (Autumn Leaves)
• Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Light and dark grey--source unknown
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Going Grey
• Accessories: Black Brads, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Organdy ribbon (retired), Ticket Corner Punch, black ribbon (WalMart)bookplate die (Ellison), Haringtion Font., zipper pulls (All My Memories).

Thanks for stopping by!

I must now go and make the card!!

Sweet Baby Zebra

This is for a color challenge. The proposed colors were Groovy Guava and Soft Sky, but Emily graciously provided alternative colors: Bashful Blue and Apricot Appeal.

I thought that this combo called for a baby card. I thought this was a great time to CASE myself (see Rhino card). Also, I did not want to use black or brown with it because I wanted the card to stay soft and low contrast--so I used Going Grey as the neutral. Since I do not have a waterproof grey, I stamped the Zebra in VersaMark then in the Grey dye (classic) ink. Then I embossed the image with clear embossing powder.

The background is stamped with Pick a Peta and the little flower from Little Pieces. The grey is stamped off and the flower is stamped with Bashful Blue Craft (pigment) ink.

The fibers enhance the baby theme (they remind me of my babies' afghans) and qualify for the {Cardvaarks} "eat more fiber" challenge.





Materials (All Stampin' Up! unless otherwise listed):

• Stamps: Zoofari, Pick a Petal, Everyday Flexible Phrases, Little Pieces
• Ink: VersaMark, Going Grey, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue (Classic and Craft)
• Paper: Whisper White, Naturals-White, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal, Going Grey
• Accessories: Coluzzle, Corner Rounder, Decorative Scissors, Fibers (source unknown), Gingham Grosgrain, sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Keep Stamping!!

Cambria Style Tri-Fold

For the Split Coast Stampers Technique Lovers Challenge, we were to make tri-fold cards--Cambria Turnbow style. Cambria is a FABULOUS stamper and Dirty Dozen Alumni. HERE is the tutorial for them.

I decided to used my Pretty Princess stamp set one last time before it goes out to my stamp garage sale.

I wanted a lot of bling and jewels so I used Pearl paint and Stickles to jazz it up. You might think it is a little much in some places, but I think this card is going to be for my little girl (she turns 4 next week---Can it really be!!??!!) I really wish I had some of those stick on pearls instead of the paint (I kept smudging the paint). But alas, I do not.

The scalloped squares were RAKs from my online friend, Stacy, and the charm is a RAK from my online friend, Ann.



Thanks so much for looking!!

Just Zoo It!

I like the set Zoofari, not sure if I can love it. I do not send out many young kids cards--and I am not sure it is appropriate for cards for grown ups. I did try today--to make a grown up card with it. What do you think???



I had a lot of fun making the background (Pick a Petal and Little Pieces). And of course, I love water coloring!! I used the Taken with Teal re-inker for this one. I took my time layering the color.

For more info on this card see HERE.

Thanks for stopping by and being patient while I SLOWLY rebuild my stamping momentum!!

Getting back in the groove...

After 11 days with out inking a single stamp, I am stamping again. For a while all of my cards will be thank you and birthday cards--I am very behind. I need to just sit and address cards tonight.

This card:

...Features the stamps from Rubber Stamping Fun. I am very please with the quality of rubber and the depth of the image. They were not neatly cut for mounting, but I have not had any trouble with the edges getting ink and transferring onto the paper. I love that this set came with 3 sentiments!! "Flowers and Friends are a bit of Heaven on earth." "Friends are the flowers of life." and "Thanks for being such a true friend". All are sweet, and very usable with this and other sets.

Materials (all SU! unless noted):

• Stamps: #20 from Rubber Stamping Fun
• Paper: Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Cameo Coral
• Ink: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, and Cameo Coral
• Accessories: Ric Rack (unknown) and ticket corner punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

This card:

...is from a sketch challenge from Jen at i{heart}2stamp . There is a lot of rockin' & rollin' going on here.

Materials (All Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Pick a Petal, Little Pieces, Its Your Birthday
• Paper: Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, DP from KI Memories
• Ink: Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, & Cadmium Yellow-Fluid Chalk Ink from Clearsnap
• Accessories: Ribbon, buttons, charm, punch (orgin unknown) deco scissors (Fiskars)