MFP April 2013 Blog Hop day 2

April Blog Hop! 

This month's New Stamp Set Releases are

 Featured April 16
Columns and Topiaries
 

Featured April 17
Be A Showoff 
 

Featured April 18
Honor and Glory

  Featured April 19 

Birds and Trees

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 four winners will be announced on April 20,2013 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 11PM EST on Friday April 19,2013.

 The special stamp set we have for you this month is:

"Zoo Friends"

 The mini stamp set we have for you this month is

"You May Bow"
                                                         

Patty P.

Lois

Vicky

Jane C 

Debbie 

Pam 

Pat G 

Thrifty Stamper 

MariLynn 

Karen K 

Bonnie 

Kathy B 

Angela B 

Cathy C 

Toni 

Sue W 

Janine B 

An'jenic 

Kate Z 
Shirley Q 

Marks Finest Papers, a Heinrich Co 

When it came time to make this card, I was at a loss for what to do. I was in need of inspiration. I told my friend and fellow design team member Pam that I was going to look at photos of peacocks to see if that gave me any ideas. I must have looked at over 100 photos. When I looked at each one, I was amazed by the brilliant colors of these amazing birds. The blues and greens were fantastic, but then I noticed that they had white and brown. Such ordinary colors mixed with the bright. I stamped the peacock onto white cardstock and watercolored it. I used simple crayola

watercolors the kind that my kids use to use in school. I thought it would look cool to have it in an oval with the tail out of the box. Then I thought it would look good with a black mat behind the oval. I got that far and got stuck. I wasn't sure what I was going to do next. Every paper that I pulled out of my stash just didn't fit. Then I decided that I would go with black and white background so that the colors of the peacock would stand out. I knew it needed some embellishments, but I wanted something that would add to the card not fight with the peacock for the eye's attention. I tried rhinestones and gems, and brads, but none of them looked just right. Then I decided to look at beads on silver wire, with another KEY charm and more sheer ribbon. 

                          A close up view of my coloring on the peacock's feathers.

 

 I know that we project that the peacock is being proud when he displays his feathers, but in my opinion he is just finding joy in being how God made him.  This blog hop, with 20 different designers, will have 20 different cards even though we all started with the same set. Some might be similar, but each one will be unique.
 When we compare ourselves, we either experience PRIDE or DESPAIR a feeling of being "Better than" or "Not good enough"

The following is a scripture that my mother was always quoting to me when I was growing up:

 2 Corinthians 10:12  We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.


The KEY on my card is to remind me that the key to being happy is to realize that I am one of a kind and to enjoy being who God made me to be. 


I love this song by Scott Krippayne.  "I'm Not Cool" my favorite part is at 2:00 into the song. The lyrics say...He says that I am a one of a kind, and I don't have to try to be somebody else. He believes in me and says I'm free to BE MYSELF