Sweet Simple Things

Hello, dear friends, and I trust you had a wonderful and safe Fourth of July (and for my Canadian friends, a happy Canada Day on July 1). 

I was delighted to color up the newly remixed digital image from Power Poppy by Marcella Hawley called Sweet Simple Things. I would say that this is truly sweet, and I love both sentiments! Marcy shares this:

"Imagine coming upon an old-fashioned bee skep perched between cottage blossoms, with honeybees buzzing about to collect the nectar. Well, I once imagined this scene, and now I have reseeded the garden to bloom with foxgloves and cosmos -- and two brand new sentiments. Share this one with your sweetest friends! Or just color it up for the sheer joy of it."

I had fun coloring this newly remixed digital image, and I also learned a new word -- to me, anyway -- but my dear husband, the avid reader, knew it. In the center is a skep, and it's amazing to see how they are hand woven. Just "google" for them, and wow! However, for those of you who loved "Downton Abbey," Highclere Castle is where it was filmed. And Lord and Lady Carnarvon own it. Lady Carnarvon has a blog, and here is the post about a new skep on the estate. It's quite an amazing blog and website that could easily keep one busy for many hours. Here is the main website, and I believe you will be enthralled as I was. But I digress, so back to my card.

As I searched for a piece of designer paper, I came upon this adorable piece in a paper pad with these chubby little bees. Aren't they sweet? I am allergic to bees, so I stay clear of them in real life, but these were irresistible and helped me with my color combination. I used a stitched die and then matted both my focal image and the designer paper with So Saffron. Thinking it needed a little something else, I used some So Saffron taffeta ribbon. And it was done!

The sentiment I used was just perfect for the card front, and I will use the beautiful quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder inside the card. It reminds me of this wonderful Scripture verse that emphasizes the value of kind words in dealing with one another. Oh, may I daily remember that myself.

Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Proverbs 16:24

Now is time to hop to see what my teammates are up to and leave them some love! And then you will surely want to go to Power Poppy to get this new digital release to use today -- and also check out the entire digital collection.

Barb Walker

Cheryl Scrivens <me>
Debbie Olson

Jennifer Dove
Nancy Sheads

Marcella Hawley on the Power Poppy blog

Ooh, and because I have some BEES, a BEEHIVE, and a BOW, I am going to enter this in this month's Power & Spark Challenge - B Happy, hosted by Kathy Jones. 

Thanks so much for visiting and sharing a comment, thought, or question. I love hearing from you and am always happy to answer questions, so don't hesitate to email me. (I am entering this in this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge, the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge.)

Blessings,

Stamps:  Sweet Simple Things (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), White (Recollections), So Saffron (SU), and Garden Party paper pad (Pebbles)

Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Dual Stitched Squares dies (Lil' Inker Designs), So Saffron taffeta ribbon (SU), Wink of Stella, Lemon Yellow (Kirarina Wink), Perfect Layers tool, white tape, red tape
Techniques: Digital images using Microsoft Word

Card Size:  6" square

Rose and Chamomile

Hello, sweet friends! It's the middle of June already, and it's time for the brand new Instant Garden digital set from Power Poppy by Marcella Hawley called Rose & Chamomile.

"Did you know that June is National Rose Month in the United States? To help celebrate these perennial favorites, we're showcasing a single rose bloom unfurling amongst a swirl of chamomile and rose hips. If you are wanting to switch it up a bit, the rose image is also included without the extra flowers and rose hips! Image this cluster of beauty colored up multiples ways, from the softest whites to the deepest reds. It's a versatile grouping that will have you returning to color again and again. This downloadable digital set includes the sentiment 'You are in my prayers.'" – Marcella Hawley

Well, is this one of the sweetest rose images you've ever seen? I love the softness and the wonderful sentiment to encourage that special someone. I have been wanting to make some special cards, and this sentiment is just perfect (and will be in the mail shortly). I have a new tag die that I decided to use, so I resized my digital image to fit and added the sentiment, colored it, and die cut it. Then I traced the outside of the die on pink card stock and fussy cut it for a thin mat around the tag die. Then I used my Japanese screw punch to make a hole for my ribbon. I found some designer paper and ended up using a single piece and added two doily dies along with some leaf branches. I just couldn't resist paper piercing, and then I adhered everything. And finally it was finished! I don't do shabby chic, but I was definitely going for a feminine feel.

I have to tell you what happened to me while I was coloring. I normally print two images and often color two at once. I started coloring one on Neenah and another on X-Press It Blending Card. I finished the rose on each of them and had started on the leaves, but I decided to finish the Neenah one first. Well, after coloring with a certain (unnamed) marker a bit, a sudden "bloop" came out, and I gasped! My husband heard me and said, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I said, "Well, you come and see for yourself." He then realized it wasn't a good thing! LOL! (I wasn't laughing at the time!) So I set that one aside and decided to figure out a layout using the other piece I had started to color. After a while, I thought to myself – well, I could try putting some tissue under it and use the chisel end of my colorless blender marker to see how much I could blot out. While it took some work, I am thankful that I was able to camouflage the first image and finish it – big sigh of relief! I could not see the mistake unless I looked at the back. This experience reminded me of how God can blot out our sins, and I praise God that He sent Jesus to pay the ultimate pray for my sin. So no matter what messes we are, God can always make something beautiful of our lives – for His glory!

I, I am He Who blots out your
transgressions for My own sake. 
Isaiah 43:25

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18

Now it's time to visit some of the Instant Gardeners for so much inspiration! Surely all you stampers will be drooling for this beautiful digital set. So after you've visited my teammates, hop over to Power Poppy to purchase it and use it today. We'd love to see what you do with it. 

Barb Walker
Broni Holcombe

Cheryl Scrivens <me>
Debbie Olson

Jennifer Dove
Nancy Sheads (newest member)
Rhea Weigand

Marcella Hawley on the Power Poppy blog

Thank you so much for visiting and sharing a comment, thought, or question. I love hearing from you and am always happy to answer questions, so please don't hesitate to email me. I love to help whenever I can. (I am entering this in this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.) 

Blessings,

Stamps:  Rose & Chamomile (Power Poppy) 

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), White (PTI), white (Recollections), Pretty in Pink (SU), Summer Crush 6x6 paper pack (Maja Design)

Ink: None (printer)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers,  Stitched Main Street Tags dies (Memory Box), French Pastry Doily die (Cheery Lynn), Tea time Doily die (Cottage Cutz), Beautiful Flowers dies (Verve), pink organza ribbon (The Robert Stanley Collection/Hobby Lobby), Multi Mono Liquid Glue (Tombow), piercing tool, sanding tool, Japanese screw punch, white tape, red tape
Techniques: Digital images using GIMP and Microsoft Word, paper-piercing

Card Size:  6" square

Power Poppy Birthday Celebration Continues

Hello, wonderful friends! Well, the weekend is nearly over, and I hope all my stamping friends have had an opportunity to visit the Power Poppy blog to see the new "Power & Spark Challenge" and also visited the Power Poppy Shop to take advantage of the big sale. Remember to enter the discount code MORECOLOR at checkout to get 10% off any clear or digital stamp sets. 

There is still time to join in the celebration "Color Your Way To Win." Play along and be a Power Poppy Peep all weekend long! Grab your favorite coloring medium, and show us your finished colored Power Poppy image. Put your link as a comment on the Power Poppy post on Passionate Paper Creations & Friends' Facebook page. One winner will receive a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop.

Today is Marcy's birthday. Happy birthday, sweet Marcy! You are dearly loved!

As part of Marcy's birthday celebration, she has THREE newly remixed digital sets, each with three sentiments. She shares: 

"They are all fishing related – because this girl grew up fishing, one of my long-term clients is a fly fishing outfitter, my brother is a fly fishing guide, and my dad even taught me how to tie my own flies as a kid. This release is near and dear to my heart, so we're going to, dare I say, blog it out of the water." 

The three new digital sets are called Reel Deal, Leaping Trout, and Fly Guy. And what a great way to celebrate the man in your life or use one of these for Father's Day. I chose Fly Guy to make a birthday card. I always struggle with masculine cards, but this was a fun one to use. And I know all three will come in handy this summer/fall for our three sons and two grandsons.

I decided to use the Wonky Stitched Rectangles die, so I pulled in the image into Word and resized it to fit. I printed a sample to make sure and then make it a bit smaller to fit into the stitching. The I colored using the X-Press It Blending Card, which is really great for large areas because it blends so well. Then I cut my die and used my MISTI to stamp the "happy birthday" from the Go Wild clear set and used my Mini Perfect Layers tool to add a green mat before adding it to the card base. It's a very mail friendly card, and I know all three of these new digital sets will really help me with all my masculine cards this year – yay!

Birthdays are a special time to celebrate the lives of family and friends, and it reminds me that we are all made for God's purpose and that He has plans for us each day. In fact, His plans were in place long before we were born. May we glorify and honor Him in all that we do and say.

For You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13-14a

Now it's time to visit my amazing teammates and see what set they've used at the Power Poppy blog! Be sure to visit Power Poppy to get this new digital release to use today and take advantage of the big sale.

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought or question, and I wish you a wonderful week! (I am entering this card in the current Word Art Wednesday challenge.)

Blessings,

Stamps:  Fly Guy, Go Wild (Power Poppy) 

Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, White (PTI), Wild Wasabi (SU)
Ink: Onyx Black (Versafine)

Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Wonky Stitched Rectangles STAX dies (MFT), MISTI, Mini Perfect Layers tool, Uni-Ball Signo white gel pen

Techniques: Digital images using Microsoft Word

Card Size: A-2

Power Poppy's Color Your Way to Win

Hello, sweet friends! Can you believe it's June already? Well, I have lots of special news to share with you that begins today and runs through the weekend. 

If you've not seen today's Power Poppy blog post, be sure to visit. There is a new Power Poppy "Power & Spark Challenge" by Cindy Lawrence called the "Happy Mail Challenge." I have to say that it's a challenge I sure need!

Today begins a celebration called "Color Your Way To Win." Play along and be a Power Poppy Peep all weekend long! Grab your favorite coloring medium, and show us your finished colored Power Poppy image. Put your link as a comment on the Power Poppy post on Passionate Paper Creations & Friends' Facebook page. One winner will receive a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop. 

And stock up on Power Poppy stamps to play! Enter the discount code MORECOLOR at checkout to get 10% off any clear or digital stamp sets. (In-stock clear sets only, offer ends Sunday, June 5, at midnight Central Time.)

Finally, Sunday will be the reveal of the remixed digital set by Marcella Hawley, who will be celebrating her birthday! Happy Birthday, Marcy! Yes, and she's releasing three newly remixed digital sets because she loves to celebrate! What a great beginning to a fun weekend for all my precious stampers, right? I'm hoping to color one of these new digis to have for you on Sunday, and I look forward to seeing what my sweet teammates will use. So many decisions! Hehe!

So, that's it for now. But be sure to stop by on Sunday to wish our precious Marcy a happy birthday! She's one special gal who is dearly loved by us all! 

Until then.....

Blessings,