Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Flowers of the field

Psalm 103:15-16a(NIV)
The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field; 
 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
  

How long is your life going to be? None of us know the answer to this question. Some will live a long time and some for just a short time. The reality is that even if you live to be 100 your life would still be like the grass and the flowers. Short lived. 

I love looking out my window and seeing the flowers that God has planted. Most people call them weeds, but when you look at them closely you can't help but wonder at their exquisite creation. They don't last for very long and within a few months the cold of fall will have killed all the flowers. That is why I like to take the time while they are here to do smashed flower technique. 

As I was making these two cards I was thinking of Psalm 103:15. My niece and her husband had a son born last month who lived only 28 days. For those of us who are grieving his loss, his life was TOO SHORT. It has made me think of my life. In view of eternity no matter how long I live on this earth, it will have been a short time.

I imagine that God won't be as concerned with how long we lived, but with what we did with the time that He gave us. 

The other thing I was thinking as I made these cards is the wonderful friendships I have made in the stamping world online. I got to meet two of my special friends this summer when my kids and I were on vacation. I wish I could spend time with all of my friends. I told my kids if I ever win the lottery I want to travel to see all the friends who live in my computer. Until I can do that I guess sending cards to my friends will have to do.

Here is a photo of the wildflowers that I picked and used in my creations. The blue flowers are chicory and some of the yellow ones are chick peas. I am not sure what the rest are.

I love to use digital images with my creations. I love the digital images that you can get at 

You can get the digital images all colored in and all you have to do is print them. Like with this Sending you love set. 

But having only a printer that only prints with black ink, I have had to find ways to be creative with the images. You can use the outlined sets just like you would a regular stamp set that you can color. I used the post card from Sending you love(outlines) set.

I then took the postcard and did the ink spray smash technique. I added burlap, paper doily,gold marker dots, paper piercing, drywall tape, brads, twine, wire beads, and rhinestones to finish this easel card.
A side view of the easel card.

The nice thing about printing the digital images is you can print more than one at a time. I printed both post cards at the same time. Same technique, pounded flowers, but with a different layout. I used the sketch from SCS  SC499 
I really tried to stay with the sketch as much as possible, but like most of my cards, while I started with the sketch as my inspiration... the card took on a mind of it's own.  


I really liked how this dp looked with my smashed flowers.  The sentiment for both cards were also digital images from Bouquet of Daisies set.


With the left overs I made a bookmark to go with my second card.


My prayer for you is that today you realize how precious your time is, and to let God show you what He wants you to do with that time.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Mountain Plains Crafters Christmas in July Blog Hop


Happy Friday. Welcome to the MPC Christmas in July Blog hop. Make sure you check out the MPC blog for more details about this hop.

How would you like to win some prizes from
Smooch Spritz- Cashmere
Smooch- Spruce
Color Box - Saddle
 
All of the designers have used the above products in their Christmas creations.

Rules:  They are actually quite simple, really.  Just comment on each designers page under their Christmas in July project(s) b
y 7/26 midnight EST. Winner will be selected by a random drawing.
Ready, set, go!!!!

Click on the links below to go to each blog

Good Luck,



 When it was decided to do a Christmas in July hop, I was excited because I love Christmas time. I love thinking about how God loves us so much that he would come to earth to be one of us, and die in order to save us. It doesn't get any better than that.

I did have some challenges making my card.

Challenge #1  It was hard to think of making a Christmas card when it hot outside. I listened to some Christmas music to get me in the mood. This song sung by Audrey Assad is one of my favorite Christmas songs.


Challenge #2 My second challenge was trying to make a card using all these products. I love all of them, but they didn't just speak "Christmas" to me.

After a lot of thought, I decided to go for a romantic-vintage Christmas look. I used the Color Box - Saddle  ink with a retired Mark's Finest Paper set called Musical Holiday to create the Silent Night sheet music panel.After I stamped it I did a light pink water color wash over it. When it dried I sprayed it with the Smooch Spritz - Cashmere. When that dried I used a retired SU set called Itty Bitty Background and white acrylic paint to add white paint splatters. (You can see the white splatters in this close up photo.)



I made quilled roses and dyed them pink When they were quilled I sprayed them with the Smooch Spritz.

2 products used one more to go. The Smooch- Spruce... how to use it. After talking with fellow design team member Pam, and one of my dearest friends, she suggested I apply the smooch to a stamp and stamp with it. So I applied the Spruce Smooch to a flourish stamp. These next two photos will show the glimpses of my spruce flourishes.

I made sure I washed my stamp right after stamping with the Smooch- Spruce and it washed up no problems.



To finish my card off, I added ribbon, and pearls on a wire. I added silver dots around the edges.



Friday, July 18, 2014

Blog Hop Day 4



Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are


 Featured  July 15
Chinese Take Out

Featured July 16
Coneflowers & Roses

 Featured July 17
Snowflakes

Featured July 18
Sun and Moon & Heavenly Harmony


Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All six winners will be announced on 
July19, 2014 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) 
The deadline for 
commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday July 18, 2014


Here's the Design Team:


I thought of making a sun card with a sundial. I like how the plaid looks with the copper.






 For my second card I turned the sun/moon into a sunflower. I put copper inka gold on the center and glued beads to the center. I then added more inka gold to the beads after the glue dried.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

blog hop day 3



Welcome to the Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Company

July Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are


 Featured  July 15
Chinese Take Out

Featured July 16
Coneflowers & Roses

 Featured July 17
Snowflakes

Featured July 18
Sun and Moon & Heavenly Harmony


Please hop along with us! You have a chance to win one of the above stamp sets! Just comment on the following blogs (don't forget this one), each day for more chances to win! (You do NOT have to comment on all the blogs each day! The names are drawn randomly!) All six winners will be announced on 
July19, 2014 on the Mark's Finest Papers blog. You can go back and comment if you missed a day. (HINT: The more you comment, the more chances you have to win and comments on the MFP blog count twice!) 
The deadline for 
commenting is 10 PM EST on Friday July 18, 2014


Here's the Design Team:




When I saw the snowflakes, I was thinking that they would make really pretty leaves. I stamped the medium flower from great flowers set and stamped 2 snowflakes in green. i added a quilled rose to the center. My card sure feels like one of a kind. I had a lot of fun with this card. I like looking at the world just a little differently.