Creative Journey

Thought of You Today...and smiled {Mojo Monday 281 | Shabby Tea Room Week 154}

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since my last post mostly because I have been focusing on my "one little word" for this year: RENEW.

I have asked God to reveal to me the areas in my life which need renewal...relationships (with Him, my family, my loved ones, and friends), my heart and spirit, the use of the gifts and talents He has given to me, and so much more! To think of them all at once becomes quite overwhelming, but I am so thankful that He is gracious enough to reveal to me only one area at a time and to focus on only one thing at a time. Each moment becomes an opportunity to change, and it has been a blessing (and challenge!) to be able to see and experience changes within myself and the way I think that creates a renewed perspective and outlook on my life.

Yesterday I had the blessing of a few moments to get my creative juices goin'! How excited I was to finally have some time to be inspired and to focus on creating something with all of you in mind. When I think about the privilege of sharing a project with you, I feel so warm and happy inside! So I just wanted say thank you for taking the time to visit right now! I love the thought that you are here, and I truly hope that you may be inspired to join in on the challenges that I am sharing with you today!

For this project, I was inspired by this week's sketch #281 over at Mojo Monday. Those of you who know me know that I love using sketches as a springboard for the projects I create, and the Mojo Monday sketch blog is a great source of inspiration every week!  Here's this week's Mojo Monday sketch:

The following is my take on the sketch. I chose to use hearts in place of the circle elements in the sketch and this is what resulted:

Another place I often go to for inspiration is The Shabby Tea Room, and the challenge this week was to use the colors aqua and brown with a silver embellishment. For this project, I used silver glass glitter as a border around the hearts. I just love the shimmer and bling glitter adds to this project! :)

Supplies used: Paper (Prima, Recollections cardstock), crystal swirls and ivory flowers (Prima), doily, lace, ribbon and rose (craft store)

Please take a moment to check out the following challenge blogs that are hosting some wonderfully inspiring challenges as well:

• Ooh La La Creations Challenges - shimmer and shine challenge
• Dream Valley Challenges - ribbon and bling
• Stampavie and More - lots of layers
• The Ribbon Girl Blog - February colour challenge
• The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog - pretty pastels

I plan to add these to the list of challenge blogs I will visit for inspiration, too!

So will you join me this week and create something pretty with either the sketch or the challenges I shared? I hope so! If you do, please feel free to comment and leave a link to your project! I would love to see your creations!

 

Birthday Wishes - Mojo Monday #271 - 'Shabby Chic Holiday' #144

Hello dear friends!

It has been a long time since I have had an opportunity to post on my blog, and it's high time that I've done anything creative!  I have forgotten how much I enjoy paper crafting, and today has been a day during which I made a wonderful creative mess all over the house! I have left scraps, glitter, embossing powder, and ink in three different rooms of our home in order to create just one card that I will be sharing with you today.

Today's project is inspired by the Shabby Chic Holiday challenge over at the Shabby Tea Room. When I saw the inspiration photo, it really got my creative juices flowing. This week's Mojo Monday sketch also made it simple for me to put what I had in mind together to create the following card. I actually took the sketch and turned it upside down...

I embossed the aqua panel using a folder from Couture Creations and then layered a die cut arch from the layered elegant swirl set by Heartfelt Creations and cut from silver glitter paper on top of it.  The floral patterned paper is mounted on more glitter paper and layered with cream and aqua lace.

The flower was made using the Spellbinders Rose Creations dies and then painted with pink glimmer mist and a layer of diamond stickles. It rests on top of a die cut element from the Spellbinders vintage lace motifs set and is embellished with silver leaves.

The sentiment is bordered with a glittered name plate from Making Memories, and the card is completed with a Prima crystal swirl.

My dear husband blessed me with an early Christmas present, and I was able to choose my gift this year. I do believe that he is weary of trying to figure out what I would like to receive, and I didn't make it any easier because I delayed in giving him any form of wish list (I really didn't know what to ask for since I already had everything that I needed and wanted already!).  Well, the dies and embossing folder used in this project were part of his gift to me, and I am so grateful that I was able to put them to good use today!

Here are the two images that inspired this project. I hope that you are inspired to be creative this week! If so, please leave a comment or link to your project below, and it would be my pleasure to see what you've created as well!

 

 

 

 

Celebrate You...My Mind's Eye Blog Challenge 32: Card

We celebrated our oldest son's birthday last night, but because of the weather, we decided to postpone our traditional family birthday dinner out with everyone to tonight. So, before we dash out, I wanted to share this card I created to celebrate the blessing of birthdays...

I was inspired by the following card sketch for challenge #32 over at My Mind's Eye:

I started with a 6x6 sheet of My Mind's Eye patterned paper from the Lost and Found Portobello Road collection and layered a piece of text paper from the same collection that I stitched and inked along the border on top of the background paper.

Next, I cut out the "celebrate" and label images from a couple of sheets in the same collection as part of the sentiment and layered them on top of a ribbon and trim border. I took the liberty of using three Prima flowers rather than the two in the sketch and embellished the flowers and the corner of the card with pearls from Recollections to complete it.

We are looking foward to a wonderful dinner with our family tonight, and I hope you have the blessing of enjoying one another's company with your families as well!

Pink Galore...and CPS sketches, too!

Today's post is full of pretty pink goodness! Now, I have to confess that pink wasn't my favorite color until after I was blessed with a girly-girl for a daughter. Yes, she has helped influence my taste in colors, and I now delight in pink things! :D

For the first card, I used CPS 5th Anniversary Day 2 Sketch #54:

I layered a white heart-shaped doily onto pink glittered paper from My Mind's Eye and stitched the patterned paper along the edges. Tan grosgrain ribbon is topped with a length of Creative Imaginations printed ribbon.

A Tattered Angels chipboard butterfly is embellished with a Prima flower and a single lace leaf to complete this card.

For the next card, I used CPS 5th Anniversary Day 3 Sketch #54:

I used a Spellbinders scalloped square die to create the card base. Next, I stitched a piece of pink My Mind's Eye patterned paper and adhered it to the front of the card. Layered on top of the patterned paper is a die cut label from K & Company.

A stitched seam binding ribbon borders the bottom of the image, and is topped with a Creative Imaginations epoxy sticker, a bow, and a Prima flower.

Next is a card inspired by CPS 5th Anniversary Day 5 Sketch #38:

This time I chose a brighter color palette from My Mind's Eye, and picked the striped, green polka dot, peach damask, and blue damask patterned paper from the same collection. The blue damask paper was hand cut to create a border and a length of ribbon is layered on top of it.

A sentiment rubon from Marcella by K is placed inside of the embossed Pink Paislee frame, and Prima flowers, seam binding ribbon, and pink Prima swirls complete this card.

Finally, the following card was inspired by CPS 5th Anniversary Day 6 Sketch #37:

The same My Mind's Eye collection is used for this card, and I used two pieces of a doily to create a scalloped border under the aqua ribbon. The different pieces of patterned paper are arranged like the sketch and then stitched into place with straight and zigzag stitches.

Finally, the card is embellished with Prima flowers, a stitched and glittered chipboard heart, and a Pink Paislee frame with a sentiment sticker.

Thank you for stopping by today! May you have a wonderful day and..

I LoveYou Forever...Mojo Monday 227

Happy Monday to you all! :)

I have a few projects to share with you today inspired by the following challenges:

John 3:16 Challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ

Pink challenge  #134 at the Pink Elephant

 

For the first card I used this week's sketch at Mojo Monday 227:

Here's my take on the sketch:

I used the color combination from the Love is in the Air recipe challenge at Our Creative Corner. 

The grey floral and pink patterned paper are from My Mind's Eye and the journaling card and tag are from Daisy D's.

The Tattered Angels chipboard frame was painted with Shimmerz Poinsettia Pink Blingz and embellished with Prima flowers and pink seam binding ribbon. Layered under the frame is a white doily and Making Memories metal border. I used Prima rhinestone swirls to complete the card.

Next is a card inspired by the Love is in the Air recipe challenge at Our Creative Corner and the following CPS 5th Anniversary Day 8  sketch #102:

The pink MyMind's Eye patterned paper is layered on top of grey shimmery DCWV cardstock. I layered a pink Melissa Frances glittered heart on top of a heart shaped doily. Using a EK Success border punch, I created a short border using silver glittered paper from The Paper Studio.

To complete the card, I embellished the heart with Prima flowers, a Creative Imaginations epoxy sticker and Prima rhinestone swirls.

 

For the next card I used CPS 5th Anniversary Day 7 Sketch #242:

 

 

Starting with a cream card base, I mounted kraft colored cardstock that was embossed along the edges using my Scor-It tool. Layered on top of the kraft cardstock are patterned papers from My Mind's Eye and DCWV shimmery grey cardstock.

A length of lace is used as a border as well as a length of pink seam binding ribbon and a piece of Making Memories metal border. An embossed and stitched mini tag is tucked under the ribbon border.

Under the Tattered Angels chipboard frame is a piece of text patterned paper from My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is made up of Making Memories mini alpha stickers and a K & Company epoxy sticker. To complete the card, a glittered heart from Prima is combined with a Prima flower and a seam binding bow, and pink Prima rhinestone swirls are added to finish it off.

 

The last card I'll be sharing today was created by using the Moxie Fab Fancy Schmancy color combination and  CPS 5th Anniversary Day 4 Sketch #220:

My Mind's Eye patterned papers are stitched and layered on top of a white card base for this card. The label was cut from a piece of My Mind's Eye patterned paper and adhered on top of a lace border.

The Tim Holtz name plate frames a sentiment cut from a piece of Creative Imaginations ribbon, and dark pink seam binding was threaded through the sides of the name plate. Finally, the "yours" rub on is placed above the name plate and a Prima flower and pink rhinestone swirls complete the card.

If you've gotten this far in this post, I thank you!!! I had a productive weekend and Monday morning and just wanted to share the projects I created with all of you today. I hope and pray that you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Love...CardPatterns Sketch 151

Good morning!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend! Our family will be busy working on small projects around our house today that have become neglected so we will be playing catch-up this weekend! :)  Before I start on my part around the house, I'd like to take a moment to share a new project with you!

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a card that I created as a Guest Designer at CardPatterns and inspired by the Get in Shape challenge at PaperPlay Challenges. This is Sketch 151 for this week:

This is my interpretation of the sketch:

I used a white cardstock base and layered a Prima journaling card which was stitched along the edges on the card front. Then I cut along the bottom of the card following the shape of the journaling card to create the scalloped border.

To put together the card, I simply added the Prima crystal swirls to the bottom border of the card and a length of white lace and light blue trim along the top of the card.

To complete it, I attached a mini tag  from Daisy D's that I embellished with a Melissa Frances glittered heart, a Prima flower, and a Making Memories metal word charm on a white piece of twine.

I hope you take a moment this week to give the sketch a try! It was a lot of fun creating this for CardPatterns, and I look forward to using more of their sketches for my future projects!

Evidence of Love...and I Adore You...

Good morning!

I don't know about you, but I happen to love this time of year! The days leading up to Valentine's Day really keeps me thinking about how thankful I am to God to have a house full of children and a wonderful husband to love! They are my life, and it is a great blessing to be able to share so many moments together with them.

In fact, our family will be headed to the beach later this afternoon to visit Naomi, our exchange student from China, who has been camping at the Southern California coast enjoying the beach and our beautiful weather. We are looking forward to the fellowship with the other exchange students and their host families and the chance to have a barbeque dinner and a campfire in the evening with them. But before we head out, I wanted to share a new project with you...

This first project is a gift box that was inspired by the colors of the Moxie Fab Fancy Schmancy Tuesday Trigger, the You've Got Mail challenge at the City Crafter Challeng blog and the So Romantic theme challenge at the Kraft Journal blog. After creating the card I shared with you the other day, I couldn't get over the lovely color combination of the the inspiration photo:

Isn't that the yummiest and sweetest piece of dessert you've ever seen? I hope you'll forgive me for sharing it with you again! I just couldn't resist, and thankfully, it's only a photo so I don't get tempted to indulge myself in eating a few pieces! :D

Here are a few more views of the gift box:

I started with a paper mache box that I painted with cream acrylic paint. I used sketch #64 at Paper Take Weekly for the layout of the box top.  For the background, I adhered a piece of  My Mind's Eye patterned paper which I stitched along the edges. Layered on top of it is a Maya Road kraft colored envelope which holds a journaling card that can be used to send a message of love to someone special.

On top of the envelope is a Daisy D's tag which has been stamped with "Feb 14" from Making Memories and an epoxy sticker from K & Company. The top of box is also embellished with a Tim Holtz hinge die (cut from grunge paper, painted white, and roughed up and crackled for textured for Try it on Tuesday's altered art and textured themed challenge this week ), a gold foil bird from Making Memories (inspired by the Animal Antics challenge at Simon Says Stamps), a Melissa Frances glittered chipboard heart, Prima flowers, Creative Imaginations pearl brads, Recollections rhinestone swirls, cream lace, and pink seam binding ribbon.

Finally, along the edge of the lid, I used a Martha Stewart border punch to create a scalloped border from chocolate brown cardstock, and embellished it with a length of pink and tan vintage trim.

The next project is a card that somewhat took me out of my comfort zone...it's a masculine card! If you know me, masculine cards are a rare creation for me! Hehe! :) I have to confess that other than clean and simple cards, masculine themed projects are a challenge for me to create. :D

As I was thinking about my dear hubby, I decided to try my hand at creating a card that he would like...with no flowers, pearls, or rhinestone swirls as embellishments. Let me tell you, I really missed having those embellishments for this card... ;D

However, I did have the benefit of using the CPS Sketch #136, which is the first of the sketches they posted for their 5th anniversary celebration, as the inspiration for this card:

I started with a Bazzil chocolate brown card base, and chose a piece of Martha Stewart cream and grey text patterned paper which I stitched along the edges and then adhered to the card front.

Next, I adhered a Creative Imaginations journaling card on top of the patterned paper and then layered a Maya Road chipboard label on top of the journaling card which was embossed with the script Cuttlebug embossing folder, painted cream, and inked with creamy brown Colorbox stamping ink along the edges. I punched two holes on the chipboard label and threaded a length of wide brown satin ribbon.

Finally, inspired again by the Animal Antics challenge at Simon Says Stamps, I cut a label from a piece of My Mind's Eye patterned paper which included two sweet little birds. I used some Making Memories mini alpha stamps and a K & Company epoxy sticker for the sentiment to complete the card.

Well, that's all from me for today! I hope you all enjoy your Friday evening, and are looking forward to the weekend ahead of us!

 

Lucky in Love...Mojo Monday 226 | True Love Always...CardPatterns 150

Happy Wednesday to you all! I can't believe it's the first day of February already! A month has gone by, and this year has been filled with so many blessings already! Thank the Lord for His wonderful grace! :)

Today I'd like to share a couple of projects. The first one is inspired by the love and hearts challenge at Truly Scrumptious and this week's color challenge #47 at CR84FN:

and the Mojo Monday Sketch #226:

My card didn't turn out to be either round or square, but a shaped card based on the Prima journaling card I used for the background. Take a look at what I created:

I layered some lace, a Jenni Bowlin bingo card, ribbon, flower trim, a Tattered Angels chipboard frame, mini alpha and sentiment stickers, and a Melissa Frances glittered heart on top of the background paper.

I love this color combination! It's one of my favorite combinations for Valentine's Day!

Next, is a card inspired by the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger - Fancy Schmancy challenge, the So Romantic challenge at the Kraft Journal and this week's CardPatterns Sketch 150:

Here's the inspiration photo from the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger:

This is my take on the challenges:

Inspired by the colors from the Moxie Fab inspiration photo, I started with a chocolate brown cardstock base for the card, My Mind's Eye striped patterned paper and tan ledger paper, layered with a length of embroidered lace with a zig zag stitched border.

The card is embellished with a Tattered Angels chipboard frame, Recollections pearls, a Daisy D's journaling tag, and a Creative Imaginations sentiment. 

Finally, a Melissa Frances glittered heart, Prima flowers, a vintage silk flower, and pink seam binding ribbon are added to the card to finish it off!

I have to say that I truly enjoy participating in challenges because they provide the spark of inspiration that I need to get a project started. Here are a few more challenges that you may want to try this week as they have been a source of inspiration for the projects shown above:

Show Us Your Style at Stampin' Sisters in Christ

Ribbon Challenge at the Secret Crafters Saturday Challenges

Lovely Lace Challenge at Paper Play Challenges

Diamonds or Pearls Challenge at Stamptacular Sunday

I also wanted to thank CardPatterns for the honor of having this card for Sketch 149  chosen as one of the Super 6 for the week. I am so blessed to be able to display this on my blog:

Please check the CardPatterns challenge blog this Saturday for a new sketch! I have the blessing of being a guest designer there for the upcoming Sketch 151 so you'll also see the project I created with it!

So...are many of you creating handmade cards for your loved ones this coming Valentine's Day? If so, I would love to see your creations! Post a link here so I can see what you've made for your special someone, and I'll visit your blog and take a peek!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today!

 

http://stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-124-ph-48.html

My Whole Heart...TSTR Week #99 - 'Love is in the Air'

Hello Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! As I mentioned earlier, we welcomed a new visitor to our family, and we have been enjoying the time with her immensely! We were able to take her to two different parties this weekend, and we have had such a great time with her! We are sending her off for a camping retreat tomorrow, and we are already missing her just thinking about the two days that we will not see her. However, we hope to be able to get together with her again at the campsite this Friday, and our family is really looking forward to it!

Well, today I have a card inspired by the Show Us Your Style Challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ,  the Ribbon Challenge at the Secret Crafters Saturday Challenges,  the Lovely Lace Challenge at Paper Play Challenges, the Diamonds or Pearls Challenge at Stamptacular Sunday and this week's Shabby Tea Room challenge #99 which includes this inspiration photo:

and calls for a VALENTINE'S DAY card or project inspired by the COLORS IN THE INSPIRATION PHOTO and WITH A MAIL OR POSTAGE ELEMENT.

Here's my card:

The background paper is from Martha Stewart, and I embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder, being careful not to emboss the postage stamp on the corner.

I layered a heart shaped doily with a length of lace and seam binding ribbon and a journaling card from Daisy D's. A single rhinestone marks the box "whole heart" on the journaling card. Finally, I embellished the card with silk flowers, Recollections pearl and rhinestone swirls, and pearl brads on the flowers and along the ribbon. If I were to choose between diamonds and pearls as an embellishment, I would pick pearls. However, I'm partial to diamonds for jewelry! ;D

I enjoyed creating this card so much, and The Shabby Tea Room happens to be such a wonderful source of inspiration for me! I hope that you all take the opportunity to create something for this week's challenge, and if you do, please let me know! Post a link to your project so I can take a peek at it as well! I would love to hear from you! :)

I also wanted to mention that my project was chosen as one of the Top 3 for the Shabby Tea Room 'Gorgeous Gateaux' Challenge #97...

and my gift box and card set was picked as the winner for the Shabby Tea Room 'Sparkly and Bright' Challenge #98!

Eeek! I was so excited and happy to hear about that! What an honor to be able to share this with you all!

Now it's time for me to help our exchange student get ready for tomorrow's camping trip! Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Love You...CardPatterns: Sketch 149

What a wonderful winter day it has turned out to be here! The temperatures are cool and the skies are fairly clear. The hills outside our home are simply beautiful! Praise God for days like this! Just looking out at the beauty is a simple reminder of God's love, and it is so inspiring being able to create projects where I can view God's creation nearby.

Today I'd like to share one of the projects I made that I hope will be a reminder of my love to someone special. It was also inspired by this week's Anything Goes Challenge at Creative Inspirations, the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp, the Pretty in Pink Challenge at Charisma Cardz, the Pixie Dust Paperie January Love Notes Challenge, and CardPatterns Sketch 149:

 

I rarely make shaped cards, but when I do, I can't help but feel delighted by its unique form. I really ought to try making more, and I resolve to do so after I set up the Silhouette Cameo I got for Christmas (yes, I'm so bad with installing and setting up equipment like that, but as soon as I clear a space on my desk for it, it shall be done! LOL! :D ).

Here's my card:

I decided to use a round Wilton doily on top of pink cardstock for the card background. This card opens from the left side, and I made sure to cut around the doily, leaving about two inches of the fold on the left to create the card base.

The cream pleated ribbon from Hobby Lobby is topped with aqua blue trim and laid across the middle of the card. The pink ruffled paper beneath the Prima flowers is actually a Martha Stewart cupcake liner. They were on sale at Michaels so I picked up a package, and I just love the scalloped edges and texture they add to the project!

 

The monogram card is from Fancy Pants, and the mini alpha stickers are from Carolee's Creations. The card wasn't complete until I added the crystal swirls from Zva. They add the perfect touch of bling, don't you think?

I have really enjoyed using the sketches over at CardPatterns to spark my creativity! They are really inspiring to me, and I hope they inspire you to create more projects as well. In fact, my card for Sketch 148 was chosen as a CardPatterns Super Six Winner, and I will be a guest designer for one of their sketches soon. I hope that you will all stay tuned and watch for it!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today! We will be attending my mother-in-law's birthday party tomorrow, and we'll be seeing some relatives on my husband's side of the family that we haven't seen in a long time. I am really looking forward to seeing them again, and being able to do a little dancing with our family (our daughters love to dance, and they are excited about being able to do some line dances with their cousins!).  Lord willing, I'll be able to capture some photos and videos of the celebration!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed weekend!