Christmas is coming...

Hello, sweet friends! Can you believe that Christmas is just five months away? Today I am sharing my first Christmas card for this year. I know some of my friends work on their cards throughout the year, and I so admire them. But, I've finally made my first one...yay!

It's the 25th of month, which means it's time for the newest freshly remixed digital stamp by Marcella Hawley. This new set is called Hollyberries and is a beautiful botanical image with two sentiments, and (as always) is available for purchase now...ready to print, color, and make a card. And there's another big surprise (for today only)...but, I'll leave that to the end! (What a tease, eh?)

Holly is such a traditional image for Christmas, and this image lends itself to so many design possibilities...especially as a digital image. I envisioned the image "cascading" across my card with a sentiment below. I downloaded the Hollyberries image, used GIMP to erase the left portion, saved it as a temporary .png file, and pulled it into Microsoft Word. I also pulled in the original Hollyberries image, and I resized and arranged the two images to allow room for a sentiment from the clear stamp set, O Holy Night. (You can also use GIMP to do the same thing and print directly from GIMP.) After I finished coloring, I used my MISTI tool to stamp my sentiment for perfect placement. Once again, I kept it simple with an out-of-the-box technique and a matting of red...taking care to fussy cut around the holly leaves...then matted that with some striped designer paper. I decided to pierce it (guess you could have expected that, right?), rounded the corners, used a Copic marker to go around the edge of the designer paper for a finished look...and then adhered it to a white card base. It still seemed to be missing that little something, so I added some medium green rhinestones to dress it up a bit...did it work?  

It's a "Christmas in July Sale!" Stock up early and get a head start on your Christmas cards and creations! Power Poppy is offering 20% off all its Happiest Holiday Collection clear stamps for 24 hours only. And Hollyberries is half off for 24 hours too. The sale is today only, July 25, until 11:59 p.m. (Central Time).

Now it's time to see what some my sweet friends have to show you! And be sure to visit the Power Poppy blog to read and see what Marcy has for us!

Stacy Morgan
Christine Okken
Tosha Leyendekker
Leslie Miller
Allison Cope

Cheryl Scrivens <me>

Marcella Hawley

I'm not sure about you, but this was just what I needed to get me into the Christmas spirit! Christmas is a time for giving, and we cannot begin to give what God has given us through His Son Jesus.

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

Blessings,

Stamps:  Hollyberries, O Holy Night (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Patterns & Solids/Home Sweet Home (Graphic 45), Poppy Red and White (PTI)

Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, MISTI tool, Perfect Layers tool, piercing tool, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), rhinestones (Jolee), Diamond Glaze adhesive, red tape

Techniques: Digital images using Microsoft Word, out-of-the-box, paper-piercing, fussy cutting

Card Size:  4¼” x 5¾”     
Copics used:  Holly leaves - G20, YG25, YG17, G43, G46, YG21; Berries - R22, R35, R29, YR02; Branches - E35; Designer paper edge - G40

Peonies for Misti

Hello, sweet friends! After church today I decided to participate in the Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoaststampers. It's rare for me to color and finish a card on the same day (yes, I'm a tortoise, not a hare...haha!). But I managed today, and chose this beautiful CAS (clean and simple) card by Misti (who like me loves flowers). 

For some reason, I have not inked up the peonies in Power Poppy's Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips. So I found lots of beautiful samples of peonies on the internet and colored this beautiful image with Copics. (I used far more colors than I needed, but I wanted to add more depth and used some darker colors and blended them...very fussily.) I added a sentiment from the same set and did it using my MISTI! I love that tool, and what fun to use the MISTI for my card for Misti (sorry...that was bad, wasn't it?).  

Keeping it simple, I trimmed down my focal image, gave it a thin mat, and (of course) pierced it. I used an embossed background with a thin mat, tied a bow with organza ribbon, and then popped my image...and it was done. I almost CASE'd one of Misti's cards that had designer paper but decided to keep it simple.

So many of my stamper sisters (and families) are going through difficult times, and I was thinking of them as I was making this card. Prayer is such a precious gift of being able to talk to our heavenly Father directly.

Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

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

Blessings,

Stamps:  Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Cameo Coral (SU), White (PTI)

Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Dainty Dots M-Bossabilities reversible embossing folder (Spellbinders), MISTI, piercing tool, Whisper White organza ribbon (SU), 3M dimensional tape

Techniques: Paper-piercing

Card Size:  A-2
Copics used:  Peonies - RV00, RV02, RV21, R21, R22, R32, R14; Leaves - G40, G43, G46, YG21; Background - YG30

Power Poppy Instant Garden Release - July Release

Hello, sweet friends! Today we have another beautiful new digital image for you from Power Poppy by Marcella Hawley called Ranunculus. I continue to be amazed at her artistry! Thanks, Marcy! 

For this beautiful flower, the color possibilities are nearly endless! I chose a bright pink...but it was a hard decision, and I see more of these in my future! 

Once again, I simply opened Microsoft Word, pulled in the image and resized it...and colored it (to beautiful music...of course). After seeing this image, I actually sketched out a simple card layout...something I rarely do. And I used no dies. After coloring, I trimmed the image and paper-pierced the sides only (yes, it took restraint not to do more...haha!). Then I added DMC Perle cotton with a button. I had some striped designer paper that seemed to work with the green I used (opposite pink/red on the color wheel), and I cut it on a 45-degree angle and matted on each side and then used red tape to adhere to my card base. I used the sweet sentiment from Geraniums Take Two. It's one of the wonderful things about Power Poppy -- you can mix the sentiments from other sets...both clear stamps and digis. So print, color, trim, pierce, add Perle cotton and button, mat, add the sentiment, and adhere to the card base - and it was done! How easy is that?

Now it's time to visit my amazing Instant Gardener teammates...and to visit with Marcella and read how she was inspired by these luscious flowers! Be sure to visit Power Poppy to get this new digital release to use today. While you are there, check out the entire digital collection. 

Jennifer Dove

Cheryl Scrivens <me>

Debbie Olson
Rhea Weigand
Marcella Hawley

I continue to be so grateful for the beauty God has created for us in flowers and how it inspires us in our card making. He enjoys the delight we derive from His creation!

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

Blessings,

Stamps:  Ranunculus, Geraniums Take Two (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Patterns & Solids/Home Sweet Home (Graphic 45), White (PTI)

Ink:  Black (Versafine)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, piercing tool, DMC Perle cotton #746, Lemon Tart button (PTI), red tape

Techniques: Digital images using Microsoft Word, paper-piercing

Card Size:  A-2
Copics used:  Flowers - RV00, RV02, R81, R32, R35, G40; Leaves - G40, G43, G46, YG21; Background - YG30, YR31, 0

Teddy Bear Alert...

Hello, sweet friends! Well, today is a very special and different day. As some of you may know (especially those who have seen my craft room), I love teddy bears! And I do mean love! My mom loved them dearly and collected them, and now I have many of her cherished teddy bears and have also added to the collection.

Here's a very old card I shared on Splitcoaststampers. (five years old - yikes, I was just starting with Copic markers). I guess I have improved some...hehe! I paper-pieced her outfit and bow, colored her body, and added some shading with Copic markers on the paper-piecing. And even back then I loved to pierce!

Today I would like to introduce you to the newest little teddy bear "fella" to my collection. His name is Barnsley, and his spaniel's name is Bentley. Barnsley was adopted by me from Katlyn, daughter to Tricia Traxler. You may know these talented friends as T. Joy and K. Joy on Splitcoaststampers. They make beautiful cards, and Katlyn is also making the most adorable teddy bears. I saw this post on Tricia's blog last year and just had to adopt Barnsley. Now (sitting in my curio cabinet) he is with Grandpa Norman (another very dear and beautifully handmade bear I purchased years ago while we were visiting the Teddy Bear Museum in Naples, which no longer exists...sad to say). When I introduced them, well, you can see how happy they are together. (Yes, we "bear" lovers are a little funny about our bears! Just ask Katlyn and any other bear lover you know!)

But the big news is -- Katlyn has entered Barnsley in a contest, and we would love for you to vote for him. Like her precious mom Tricia, Katlyn is a dear sister in Christ. Tricia has posted a card for Katlyn here along with a photo of Barnsley and where you can vote.

Here's a photo of Barnsley that just melted my heart! Click on him to vote. (There are specific rules for voting, so please follow the instructions below for your vote to count.)

The link takes you to Category 1. Scroll down to the bottom, select Category 9 (Friends and Pairs - Vignettes), scroll down again to the bottom, and click on the right where it says, "Vote now for your favorite in Category 9." Click "Vote," and you will be taken to a long list, and Barnsley and Bentley are at the top. Click the circle, scroll to the bottom, and hit "vote." Thank you!

I know teddy bears aren't for everyone, but I love mine dearly mostly because of my love for my mom and what she loved...most of all her love for the Lord. It's a reminder that we should pass along those values we love most, leaving a legacy to the next generation and beyond. It reminds me of this wonderful hymn by Steve Green. Here is the chorus:

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe.
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought or question, and I hope you have a wonderful week! And I truly hope you will take a few moments to vote to Barnsley!  (You have until July 31, so spread the word!)

Blessings,

Asters Abuzz

Hello, sweet friends! So have you recovered from yesterday's celebration of the Fourth of July -- Independence Day? I hope you had a wonderful time and also commemorated this special day by remembering the reasons our country was founded and the sacrifices by many to give us the liberties we have today. We are truly blessed!

Today I get to share a new digital image...one the talented Marcella Hawley will explain. Wow, will you be excited, and there will be more to follow. So if you (like me) cannot get enough digital images, just pop over to read what Marcy has shared at the Power Poppy blog and then get ready for Asters Abuzz. This freshly remixed digital set comes with two sentiments, and it's available for purchase now...ready to print, color, and make a card!

After finding lots of beautiful floral images for coloring ideas, I decided I wanted periwinkle asters, pinkish clover flowers, and soft pink flowers for the thyme. But there are SO many different colors that I almost got stuck trying to decide what colors to use! 

Once again, I opened Microsoft Word, pulled in the image, resized it, and printed it. To keep it very simple, I used a sheet of patterned paper and used Copic markers to color another sheet for the matting. I cut my focal image out with a lacy circle die, and (of course) pierced around it and even pierced around the base layer. I added some ribbon, popped my focal image, and added some pearls to dress it up a bit. 

Now I have to share a hint (if you've not already discovered it yourself). When I color an image, I usually make a color copy on plain paper and use that to "audition" or "stage" a card layout...making sure what I want to do before I cut the original! Earlier this year, I ended up copying on Neenah paper by mistake. Was I surprised at how good it looked. I enhanced the colors a bit with more Copic markers, and I could hardly tell the difference from the original. So I used those copies to make more of the same card (since I like to send out multiple cards after doing all the creative work). So this is in fact a "copy" of the original colored image (after going over some of the coloring to enhance the colors that didn't copy well). I could hardly tell the difference. Nice tip, eh? Now, can you figure out what other card this year (there's only one) that I did that with? Hehe! Some colors just don't work as well, but some do. Try it sometime, and let me know how it works for you.

Be sure to stop by and see what some of the girls have done with this "sweet" image...and visit the Power Poppy blog to read and see what Marcy has for us! (And be sure to visit all the Power Poppy digital stamps!)

Cindy Lawrence
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Julie Koerber

Cheryl Scrivens <me>

Marcella Hawley

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

Blessings,

Stamps:  Asters Abuzz (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Almost Amethyst patterned paper pack (SU), White (PTI)

Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Lacey Circles dies (Spellbinders), Perfect Layers tool, piercing tool, Whisper White organza ribbon (SU), pearls (Jolee), Wink of Stella (on wings), Diamond Glaze, 3M dimensional tape, red tape

Techniques: Digital images using Microsoft Word, paper-piercing

Card Size:  5¼” 
Copics used:  Asters - V20, RV00, VB02; Clover flowers - RV06, RV02; Thyme flowers - R00, RV11; Leaves - YG01, G40, G43; Bees - Y13; Background - YG30, YR31, 0; Paper edging - BV02, B41, B32