Pumpkin with Flowers

This is Week Two of our Shining the Light Fall Inspiration Challenge –– such a wonderful selection of ideas to inspire you!

Since I love that top left-hand corner inspiration photo, I used it again this week but used the Fall Pumpkin Flowers with the matching Pumpkin & Flowers die. My designer paper served as my color pallet, and I layered two patterns matted with Cajun Craze to add contrast. I added the sentiment from Doily Blessings just below the popped pumpkin and also added some floss underneath it and paper pierced the top layer (how could I resist...hehe!) and made room for three "buttons" from the Doily dies (aren't they cute?). What I especially like about this card is that it is mailable and needs no special packaging. That's one of my goals this year - to make more cards that are mailable - and to mail them!

I am so thankful for so many things, and I love this sentiment. It reminds me of the wonderful blessings from God, one of them is the wonderful friends He has given me. Once again, I'm reminded of a wonderful hymn, "Count Your Blessings."

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Life can be hard sometimes. One of the verses says, "Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?" But when I stop and think about all the blessings God has given me (in spite of the hardships of life), how can I not be thankful? He is always with me...through it all!

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until October 5 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Fall Pumpkin Flowers, Doily Blessings (ODBD)

Paper: X-Press It Blending Card (Copic), Vintage Cream (PTI), Cajun Craze (SU), Collectable/Notable paper pad (My Mind's Eye)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Pumpkin & Flowers die (ODBD), Doily dies (ODBD), DMS floss 3830, Perfect Layers tool, Diamond Glaze adhesive, piercing tool, 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Paper-piercing
Card Size:  5 1/4"

Sunflower Blessings

This is Week One of our Shining the Light Fall Inspiration Challenge –– such a wonderful selection of four ideas to inspire you!

I chose the top left corner image with the beautiful sunflowers using the orange and green of the pumpkin and leaves. I colored Sunflowers as my focal image and layered it on two matted designer paper patterns, piercing the top layer. Then a simple seam binding bow dyed to match with the wonderful sentiment from Doily Blessings using one of the the Recipe Card & Tags dies. It's a simple card that I hope will express my love for the friend who receives it - she has been a blessing to me in so many ways! 

Yes, I do love sunflowers, and I love that they follow the sun as it moves from dawn to dusk. It's amazing, and it reminds me of this precious passage from Psalm 34 (such a wonderful Psalm):

I sought the LORD, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Psalm 34:4-5

We can learn a lesson from the sunflower by always turning our face to the LORD by reading the Bible and praying.

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until October 5 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Doily Blessings, Sunflowers (ODBD)

Paper: Classic White (Neenah), Vintage Cream (PTI), Really Rust (SU), Stella Rose/Mabel (My Mind's Eye)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Recipe Card & Tags dies (ODBD), Petite Ovals dies (Spellbinders), seam binding (dyed with E97), piercing tool, 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Fussy cutting, paper-piercing
Card Size:  5" x 7"

Warmth of a Quilt

This is Week Two of our Shining the Light In Stitches Challenge. We'd love to see your designs using stitch themes (real or faux stitching), quilt layouts, stitched images or sentiments. Be creative.

Using an image from Quilts, I colored my quilt in blue, red, and green. When making a quilt, you need special tools. So I fussy cut and added the Spool & Tape and the Pincushion layered over the bottom of the quilt after I used a stylus to give the pincushion dimension. And I love this sentiment. The background is embossed, sponged, and matted - and of course, paper-pierced. By now, you must know I love to pierce! 

Back in the days when early pioneers traveled west, women made quilts out of necessity using fabric from worn clothes and blankets. Women would gather to make quilts, and it was essential for socializing as well as for making quilts for new brides and new moms. I especially thank God for the wonderful friends He has given me to love me, pray for me, and encourage me to be a woman who fears God and desires to praise Him in all that I do. And my precious friends do not lose their warmth as we age together!

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:36

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until September 21 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Quilts, Pincushion Single, Spool & Tape (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), White (PTI), Marina Mist (SU)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Marina Mist (SU)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Circles dies (Spellbinders), Aida impression plate (PTI), bitty buttons (threaded with dental floss dyed with B32), Empressor tool, stylus, piercing tool, Perfect Layers tool, 3M Diamond Glaze adhesive, dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Paper-piercing, fussy cutting, sponging, adding dimension
Card Size:  4 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Sharing Joys and Sorrows

This is Week One of our Shining the Light In Stitches Challenge. We'd love to see your designs using stitch themes (real or faux stitching), quilt layouts, stitched images or sentiments. Be creative.

As you might imagine, I enjoyed making a card using a quilt theme. It started with the beautiful new Doily die, and I sponged it and added my sentiment from the Quilts stamp set. Next I cut four squares from the new Soulful Stitches Collection paper pad and adhered them to the background card stock. Then the "quilting" began! I pierced around each square and then "poked" each hole with the fine marker to add some color and then drew the lines for the faux-stitching (remember how patient I try to be - hehe!). I find this really gives the faux-stitching a more realistic look. But I thought my patience needed more work, so I added the sweet little cluster of buttons and thread from the Quilts stamp set, fussy cut it, and placed it on the doily. The doily is "floating" on the card and is adhered only in the center and has dimensional tape under each oval shape to pop it. 

As I consider the friends with whom I can share my joys and sorrows, I am truly blessed by God. I can share prayer requests and know that I will be upheld in prayer, and I also know that these same friends will be happy with and for me when God brings joy into my life. Are you a friend like that? I trust you are, as it is one way to show our love for Christ.

Rejoice with those who rejoice;
mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until September 21 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Quilts (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Vintage Cream (PTI), Crisp Cantaloupe (SU), Soulful Stitches Collection paper pad (ODBD)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Crisp Cantaloupe (SU)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Doily dies (ODBD), Crisp Cantaloupe Stampin' Write marker (SU), piercing tool, 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Paper-piercing, fussy cutting, sponging, faux-stitching
Card Size:  4 3/4"