More spring photos

Little violets in the woods

Robin in the park


Pretty little blue jay

Sometimes more is MORE

The technique lovers challenge was to take a card that we had previously made and either make it less or more. I don't do less well at all so I went really more. More color, more layers, more techniques, more roses and of course more layers of colore butterflies.

My cards this week

I have had a crazy busy week at work this week, so I'm just now being able to upload these cards to my blog.

This was my card that I made on Monday for the TLC for piercing. I pierced the lace panel.

This is for the MMTPT party at the Kentucky derby. I knew right away that I would make a card based on the Dan Fogelburg song "Run for the Roses"

Wednesday's sketch challenge. I drew my lilies of the valley image and turned it into a digital one. I made some more pierced lace.

Thursday WT challenge was to mix patterned paper. I mixed floral and fern paper. I also used the same sketch from Wednesday!

All these cards also were for the Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge to use flowers on our cards. That wasn't much of a challenge for me because most of my cards do have flowers. But I did enjoy thinking about how God makes each of the flowers in His garden. Each one is unique and each one is His special creation.

Prom photos

This weekend both of my girls went to PROM. I didn't get to make any cards, I was too busy being hairdresser. They went together and had a great time. My oldest daughter said going to prom with her sister was definitely less drama than going with a guy.

Kristina

Johanna


Johanna and Kristina

sunset photos

I love the bright colors of sunsets. I thought I would share a couple of my photos of sunsets. The first one was looking out over a farm. The second one was taken overlooking the Des Moines River.

I come to the Garden...

I come to the garden alone... and he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me, I am his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.
As a little girl I remember my mom and dad and aunt and uncle singing this hymn in 4 part harmony. I love gardens, even though I'm not a very good gardener. One thing I do know is that gardens just don't happen, they have to have a lot of work put into them. I have been following the caring bridge journal of a mom, who just recently had her little angel leave this world because of cancer. Today the little girl would have been 5. The mother shared that she has seed of peace that God has placed in her heart that she has to cultivate each day. It made me think that we are co-gardeners with God. He has planted the seed of peace in our hearts. We need to cultivate it, but it is God who is going to make it grow. When the work is complete, God is going to have a beautiful garden of peace.

Those were the thoughts that I was thinking as I made this garden card. I used some of my favorite stamps. My brushed florals and my layers of color butterfly.

Photo Evidence of Spring

Yesterday was such a pretty day. After work, I took all my kids to the park for a few minutes before we had to go to a cub scout meeting. These photos are my evidence that Spring has come.

This robin was only a few feet away. I was standing by the tree when he came to land on the branch. He had already decided to land when he saw me. I was almost afraid to breathe. He was only on the branch for about 20 seconds. Fortunately for me I had my camera ready and was able to take this photo.

Squirrel!!! I can't help but think of the movie UP and the little dogs in that movie when I see a squirrel.

The magnolia tree had already started dropping petals. It looked like a sea of pink around the tree.

I love this view of the garden.





I love seeing all the vibrant colors.

Speedy the Cat dreaming in Color

Today's Mothermark Tuesday Teaparty was in honor of Miss Faith and her many, many comments that she leaves on everyone's cards. I drew Speedy the cat sleeping. What do black cats dream about.... COLOR! I added glitter to the bicolored flourishes that I stamped. I added a little layers of color bird. I think he is safe, because Speedy is so wrapped up in his cat nap for now.

PEACE, PEACE

I learned today that when a word was repeated in Hebrew, it meant the perfect form of that word, so PEACE PEACE would be translated to English PERFECT PEACE. This is for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge this week to make a card about peace or prayer. The old hymn, Peace, Perfect Peace came to my mind. It was inspired by a sermon that Edward Henry Bickersteth heard in the summer of 1875. The sermon was on Isaiah 26:3. He was reading that verse to a dying family member and wrote the words. All of the words of this hymn are encouraging, but my favorite is verse 5 that says..."Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown, Jesus, we know, and He is on the throne." To me that is what peace is. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.

The SCS Technique lovers challenge was to incorporate a bookmark into our cards. Here is a close up of the front of my bookmark.

Here is a back side view of the bookmark.

Here is a picture of the card. There is a slit cut on the left hand side to make a pocket for the bookmark to slide into.

Here is the card and bookmark together.

I used my little Layers of color, digital bird image. I just love this little bird.

Sketch Challenge 275

This card was made using the SCS Sketch challenge 275 layout. I cuttlebugged the white panels. I stamped a green flourish for the vine. I added pearls, my paper roses and paper leaves, a bow and a Layers of Color Butterfly. This is also for the Stampin Sister's in Christ Challenge.

Johann Sebastian BOCK

My sister loves chickens, so when I saw that the Tuesday Teaparty was a Rappin' Chicken, I knew what I was going to do for her Birthday card. I decide to make this card depicting Johann Sebastian BOCK. He doesn't go in for that rap music, but much rather prefers classical music. I drew my own chicken and added doodles around the edges.

April's Box

April 5th is my sister April's birthday. I made this box for her. It has 4 drawers and has an easel card on top. I used 1 John 4:7 as a reminder of God's love for us. I cuttlebugged the base of the easel card. I added some of my hand made paper roses. I added a Layers of Color butterfly. I filled each drawer with chocolate. I got the directions from Chris on her blog. I didn't have the same boxes, so I made origami boxes and made sleeves for them to make them like her matchboxes. The drawer pulls on my drawers are a simple little paper fastener. I wanted them to look fancy, so I painted them with pearl fingernail polish. I added some of my faux hot glue pearls. I felt like one of those Priceless commercials. I was calculating the cost to make the box including the chocolate and it was probably about $.75. Mailing it cost a bit more. I guess I'm just cheap. Maybe frugal is a better word. This was also for the Stampin Sister's in Christ Challenge to make love the theme of our projects.

Music for Easter

I don't have a card or project to share, but I do have three songs to share that are some of my favorites. The first one is Chris Tomlin singing My Chains Are Gone The second and third one are by Hillsong. At the Cross and Lead Me to the Cross. I pray that this Ressurection Sunday reminds us all of the Love that Jesus had for us when he died for us, and the hope that we have because he rose from the dead.

Love accordian Book

My mom sent me this little card this week. I loved it so much that I just had to repurpose it. I cut it apart to make the little accordian books that were the free for all challenge at SCS. I added some paper roses, some quilled tendrils, and some hot glue pearls. I think it is going to go back to my mom for Mother's day.

MEARLS

If you are like me, who is crafting on a very tight budget, you really have to be creative.

I had run out of MEARLS, so I decided to make some more and show you how I do it. MEARLS was the name my friend Kelly gave to my MariLynn made Pearls.

I have also called the hot glue pearls, because in reality that is what they are.

I start by making little round dots with my

hot glue gun on a piece of cardboard covered with foil.

When the hot glue cools, I take pearl fingernail polish and cover the hot glue drops.

When the polish dries, I peel them off of the foil and Voila, I have MEARLS.

They don't take very much time to make, and they cost very little,

especially when I buy the hot glue sticks at the dollar store.

Paper Roses Tutorial Update

I love making 3-dimensional items for my cards. I especially love making quilled roses. I have used them on the cards that I have posted this week. I decided to make a tutorial for how I make them. It has been a process. I started quilling some time ago. I found it to be interesting that exactly a year ago today, my friend Dawn, posted my tutorial on her blog, because I hadn't started blogging yet. Here is that tutorial. While I still like those roses, I think the ones that have evolved over the year are more realistic.

I start with these basic supplies. Aleene's Tacky Glue,

a regular office hole punch, scissors,

a scrap of cardstock, my quilling tool,

and my ek success flower punch.

I punch out 3 flowers and 1 partial flower. I call it the "B" shaped piece

Using the office hole punch, I punch holes in the centers
of 2 of the punched flowers.



Using my scissors, I cut from one edge of the flower to the center.

The punched out flower that wasn't punched, I make little

cuts between all the petals. This will be the Base of the rose.

I use the end of my quilling tool to press into the center

of the base. It makes it look kinda like a little bowl.

This is a quilling tool. You can see the slot at the top.

I insert the quilling tool into the center of the flower and slide

the edge that was cut into the slot of the quilling tool.

I slowly roll the flower around the quilling tool.

I roll both of the double punched flowers using the quilling tool.

I open one of the double punched flowers just a little bit.

I put the second double punched flower over the slightly opened

one and I rotate them so that the overlap eachother.

I put the "B" shaped piece into the quilling tool with

the rounded edges facing down.

I roll it all the way up.

While the "B" shaped piece is still rolled up, I slide it into the

centers of the double stacked, double punched flowers.

This shows the "B" piece coming out the back side of the double

stacked, double punched flowers.

I add a drop of glue to the center of the base.

With the other parts still on the quilling tool, I place them

into the glue that is on the base.

This is what it looks like with all the pieces glued together. You could

leave the rose like this and it would look pretty, but there is more

that you can do that makes it look more realistic.

After the glue dries, which takes about 10 mins., I take my

quilling tool and starting at the bottom layers, I curl each petal outward.

The finished rose.