Ransom Note

It is my turn to host the MIX-Ability challenge on SCS. I was thinking it would be fun to make cards with a "Ransom Note" feeling. You know, the kind where the person cuts out words or letters from other print media, like magazines, newspapers or books to  compose the ransom note. 

To achieve that look, I used 5 different STAMPlorations sets. 

I used: Blossom like a butterfly

Thank you coffee

Great is thy Faithfulness

Bloom Happy

Frames and Flowers

I made the background with my gel plate. I used shades of blue acrylic paint. I used a curled up piece of paper and corrugated cardboard to make the marks on that first print. When that print dried, I put fall colors of acrylic paint on my plate with a crumpled up piece of paper. I then put ARTplorations stencil called: Autumn Falling. 

After I puled that print I filled in some space on the leaves that didn't completely print with colored pencils and watercolor paint. I also doodled some dots with a white gel pen.  I think the swirls with the leaves makes it look like they are blowing in the wind. 

If you want any of the stamp sets I used or the leaf stencil, you can go to STAMPlorations and use my discount code at check out to get 20% off your order. 

Worship Wednesday Ephesians 4:15

Welcome to my Worship Wednesdays. I have decided to be more intentional to journal in my bible on Wednesdays. I saw a quote on facebook that my preacher shared. It was so good I knew I had to put it in my bible. I took some of the designer paper that I had been hoarding. I cut it to the shape of my bible. I made a fold up flap that left me space to write out the quote.

October stencil reminder STAMPlorations Birds

Remember you can still play along with STAMPlorations Stencil Challenge.

I made this card using ARTplorations Lattice Stencil
and STAMPlorations Folk Flowers
STAMPlorations Trendy Birds and
STAMPlorations Anchored

If you want to add any of these products to your crafty stash you can use my discount code to get 20% off your order.

Cast your anxiety on Him

Last night I was having a hard time not worrying. My friend Lee Ann asked what we should bible journal. I said we should journal about not worrying. She did a page on Matthew 6:34 and the verses leading up to that verse. I had already journaled about that verse so I decided to use 1 Peter 5:7  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I took a monotype that I made this week and cut it up into geometric shapes. I then stamped
STAMPlorations In Bloom: Darling Dog Roses.

I stamped it using black stazon ink. I then water colored them and fussy cut them out. I added some extra roses from a second stamping of the same set to further fill out my page and to kinda cover an oops where the mono type didn't exactly line up.

I  wrote part of the scripture at the top. 

If you like this floral stamp you can get it at STAMPlorations. Use my discount code and you can get 20% off your order. 

Peace be still

While I was practicing my waves prints with my gel plate to fix my mistake in my bible I decided to use the practice ones on a card. I decided to combine it with this week's SCS Mix-ability challenge which is to confine your "art" to 3"x3" square. To be mixed media you need several mediums. I used acrylic paint, colored pencils and a white gel pen.  I put little scraps of blue cardstock around the edges. I also did some doodling on the frame with the white gel pen. I hand wrote the sentiment.

As I was making this card I was reminded that there are storms in life that I have no control over. I have to relinquish that control and let the one who controls the winds and the waves be in charge. I was reminded of this hymn Peace be still (Master the Tempest is Raging)  It was written in 1874 by Mary Ann Baker.
This is from Hymnary.org

1. Master, the tempest is raging, Peace, was written in 1874 at the request of Dr. H. R. Palmer, who desired of her several songs on the subjects of a series of Sunday School Lessons for that year. Its theme is "Christ stilling the tempest."   During the same year it was set to music by Dr. Palmer, and pub. in his Songs of Love for the Bible School, 1874. It is found in other collections, including I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, London, 1881. Its home popularity was increased by its republication and frequent use during the illness of Pres. Garfield. It was sung at several of the funeral services held in his honour throughout the States.

This was my favorite hymn growing up. When it was request time, this was always one of the ones I picked.

A glimpse at my bible

( It wasn't until I had finished typing this post, that I realized this post is more than a glimpse.)

 There are times that I am tempted to be sad about the things that I don't have and can't do and don't realize what I do have and can do. This last week there was a bible journaling retreat. My friend Lee Ann and I wished that we could have gone to this retreat because we have a lot of stamping friends that went to it. We decided that we would get together and have our own retreat. We decided to focus on what we did have. She took me out for Chinese dinner then we went to her house and we did bible journaling together. What a blessed time we had. We laughed and really enjoyed eachother's fellowship. I knew that she had the Sweet N Sassy set called Furever Friends that has the cutest little fox.

 I suggested that we use that fox and journal Matthew 8: 20. Jesus replied,"Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of  Man has no place to lay his head."

Now most of the time the projects that I share are the ones that turned out how I liked them. When I started bible journaling I was afraid and thought "What if I mess up in my Bible?" Well, I don't have to worry about that now because I did mess up the other night.

I had my Bible open and ready to stamp the little fox. I am not sure how the page turned but when I finished stamping I realized that I had it one page over from where I had intended to journal. Nothing about foxes at all on this page. Well, I fixed this page and I will show you how I did that later in this post.

So after I restamped the fox on the correct page. I masked the little fox and masked a circle for his hole and then gel printed on the page. Sometimes the idea in my head should have stayed there because it didn't look how I wanted it to. I laughed because there was a fox with a floating hole next to him. I thought if it was science fiction that the hole would be a portal to another dimension. I added some more layers with a stencil and added lettering and finally had to stop because it was getting late. My friend took a photo of both of our pages. I really liked how hers turned out. 

I found myself guilty of comparing how our pages  turned out. I reminded myself about a post the other day that I really like. It was titled   Bible Journaling Commandments. I asked the author if I could share and give her credit. 

Bible Journaling Commandments 

Taken from Nadine Kennedy in the Bible Journaling Community Illustrated Faith Facebook group

With permission to share.

1. I will NOT compare myself to others.

2. I will NOT try to be like others but find my own style.

3. I will always appreciate edify and honor my sisters in this community.

4. I will NOT get involved in Drama.

5. I will only create on page per week. (Lee Ann and I changed this one. We decided that it should read, I will not create a page just to check it off a list, but strive to create pages that have meaning to us. -That might be more than 1 page a week and we want to be open to what God is speaking to us.)

6. I will NOT be envious of other people's supplies or ability to get them.

7, I will give credit to those I have copied or took ideas from.

8. With God's grace, I will try to not be resentful towards people who take my ideas and make it their own without asking And worse without credit, but I will remember the grace given to me towards my own failure.

9. I will NOT judge

10 I will not harm or dishonor God's creativity in me by saying "I am not good" "I can not" or "I wish I was like."

11. I will honor and appreciate the creative space I'm in and trust God to help me learn and grow.

12. I will take others up with me

13, I will make this about God, NOT about man, followers, likes, comments or sales.

14, I will honor God in what I do.

15 I will guard my heart.

16. I will NOT let this be an idol.

That being said, here is how my page looked at the end of the night when I had journaled it with my friend Lee Ann. . 

My one rule of art, which is different from the Bible journaling commandments that I just shared, was, If I don't like it, I must not be done. Well. I followed that rule and worked some more on the page and now I do like how it turned out. Just a little highlighting with a white gel pen and some texture with colored pencils. 

Now to share how I fixed my mistake page. When reading the scripture opposite my "mistake" I saw the verses about Jesus calming the sea. I decided to do a  monotype with my gel plate to mimic the waves of the ocean. 

When I pulled the print from the gel plate I added some extra white paint with a stipple brush.  I personalized the scripture that Matthew 8:26-27 says. 26. He (Jesus) replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men (the disciples) were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him."

Thanks for reading this long post. I hope that my being transparent, helps encourage you.

October stencil challenge- STAMPlorations

STENCIL Challenge Team

(Challenge starts October 1 at 3 am Pacific)

The girls in the Stencil team will be sharing projects featuring ARTplorations, our line of stencils.

        

ASMAH | HARRIET | HELEN | INA

       

MARILYNN | NANCY | SANNA | TANJA

After our summer break we are starting again. I am so excited to one again be joining these talented ladies as we share projects with you that feature ARTplorations stencils. 

So I would like to have you join us for the STAMPlorations Stencil Challenge. You can see that challenge HERE.   

There will be prizes:  $15 gift certificate to the winner and $10 to the runner up as well as an additional 3 $5 gift certificates picked randomly by the players of the challenge.

For my card I made a monotype using

ARTplorations Evolution stencil, and 

STAMPlorations True North, and  Anchored

The use of stencils is essential to the challenge. If you are thinking you NEED more stencils in your crafting stash you can check out all the wonderful stencils HERE. You can use my discount code to get 20% off your purchase.  Happy Crafting. 

National Coffee Day-

Happy National Coffee Day.  Get your cup of coffee and sit down for awhile, because I have a couple of cards to share. I made a mini card and regular sized card. The papers that I used to make my card started as white cardstock that I made monotypes with my gel plate. 

This monotype  was made with my gel plate, acrylic paint and ARTplorations Floral Flutes and I stamped with black stazon ink - STAMPlorations Framed Tea Cups

 

For this card I used two monotypes that I made. I cut one into strips the other one I stamped the cup and sentiment.  

I used STAMPlorations Thank you Coffee set. 

I love using monotypes with my STAMPlorations stamps because each one is unique so it makes a one of a kind card. Check out the many

  Coffee- Tea themed products at STAMPlorations. 

You can use this discount code to get 20% off your purchase at STAMPlorations. 

Unity Growing in Unity Blog Hop

Here is my card for the Unity blog hop.