SSIC Making Lemonade

This weeks Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge is brought to us my the fabulous Randi - Randi is such a blessing to the Design Team, she is so full of joy and always finds a positive in life, in the midst of any situation.

The scripture Randi is sharing with us today is one that would epitomise Randi, who loves to laugh and brings so much joy!

 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. "  Proverbs 17:22

The challenge is very fitting and is to make a clean humorous card. - Lets see some laughter!!!

I have used this adorable image from our sponsor Deedee's Digital

We all know a laugh makes us feel better don't we - it is so true, it is just like a medicine - it can make us forget about those things that cause us headaches and heartaches.   What about when we forget to laugh - when things just overwhelm us and laughter cannot be found - what happens to us then - this scriptures tell us that a crushed spirit dries the bones...sounds horrid doesn't it, but it is happening to people all around us.  Arthritis is just one ailment that comes from the drying of the bones - but so often we don't associate it with this scripture...

So often when things overwhelm us and  laughter is the furtherest thing from our minds, but if only we could 'let go' and 'let God' things would be so much better.  In our household, when things get really tough, we often say  'one day we will laugh about this' and usually end up laughing pretty soon after and it helps put things into perspective.  We love to laugh and hardly a day goes by without laughing from one of us, if not all.....we thank God He has made this scripture a truth in our lives.

The reality is that things happen in life and not all of them are good!  I love the way God cab turn things around ands make them work for good for us - this image appealed to me for that very reason - we can make lemonade from the lemons we can get in life - in Isaiah 61:3 the word tell us that He gives beauty for ashes - what a promise!!  So lets not hold onto the lemons we end up with or the ashes that weigh us down and indulge in the beauty that can be ours and maybe, just maybe, we could dare to enjoy some lemonade!!

This is for the following Challenges:

All that Scraps Wednesday Challenge - DieCuts

If the Shoe Fits Scrap It - DieCuts

Lily of the Valley Challenge Blog - Depict Spring. Summer or Winter

Little Red Wagon - Summer Theme - lemonade in summer - YUMBLY!!

Crafty Angel - Something Old & New - Digi is new and the DP is old!

Papertake Weekly - Something Old, New, Borrowed or Blue - DP (old) Digi (new) Diecut (borrowed)

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
The Pink Elephant - Summer Fun

Thank you to our sponsor

Deedee's Digi's

For more inspiration make sure you visit each of the Design Team:

*Lisa * Chris * Cindy * Grace * Peggysue * Randi * Miejse * Rebekkah *

Thank you for visiting with me today, I love to see that you have been and appreciate your encouraging comments!  I hope you are having a great weekend and manage to do something fun!  God bless you!
{{{hugs}}}

Beary Sweet

I realised today that I have not done a post since Tuesday - so very unusual for me, I have been working very hard but on things that I can't show you just yet, but believe me...when I can, you will be inundated!  LOL!

In the meantime I thought I would show you that I actually leave the Craft Table every now and them....I made this gorgeous little bear some time ago - he is only tiny and was a bit fiddly as his head turns - I could not give him away so...he sits on my desk..

.

He will be starring with a project shortly but I wanted you to see him NOW!  So how is this for a short post - first ever from me, but I will be back later with a couple of CAS cards I have made recently - CAS cards from me - I know - I am as surprised as you - so make sure you come back to check them out!! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by, it is Friday here and sunny - looking like a slightly warmer weekend for us, thank fully!!  I believe we are experiencing a 'taste of spring' and my eternally cold hands are so grateful!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

MMSC66 Sunny Days

Wahoo - time for another Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge - I don't know about you, but I am ITCHING to get happening this week!!  It seems lately I have not been able to get enough of Priscilla's sketches - they are so creative and get me thinking outside the square and I LOVE THAT - don't you!!?

My first card this week (yes I have made two again!! LOL!)  is using one of Priscilla's newer images - and who doesn't love sunflowers - they can make anyone smile!  When I first looked at this sketch I thought okay, this is going to be interesting'' - as soon as I started working with it - I loved it....

I coloured the sunflower with SU Chalks, cut it out and popped it up on foam dots.  Deciding which DP's to use was the hardest part of this card - I went with these Stampin' Up ones that I had lying around in my scraps bin from scrapbooking class!  The bling - well, I had to hand glue each gem on there, I used a glue

stick and a toothpick and I gotta tell you - I don't think my eyes have been focusing properly since!! LOL!

My second card is made an image by the Divine Miss M (Michelle Perkett that is), our monthly sponsor - I just love Michelle's whimsical images, they are in a league of their own - if you haven't checked them out - you need to...

This card took me some time to make - at first I emailed  Priscilla and told her I had make the ugliest card ever - not because of the image, but the way I had put it together BUT I was determined to persevere and fine tune what had made it UGLY - finally yesterday I found what it was - the ribbon I had chosen - originally I had used a white ribbon with pink starts, thinking pretty and soft - but it was just too washed out - so changed to the black and white and wha-la - instant improvement.

This adorable image is coloured with SU Chalks and I have added Kindy Glitz to the wings...and...to the eyelid - a major achievement when my eyes had not yet recovered from the card above!  LOL!

The DP is gorgeous in its own right and has photographed perfectly, I added one of these delish roses that I won in a Blog Candy and the black gems - there was no way I was going to do the toothpick thing again!!

Before we go any further.....NOW we are on Facebook!! Yes, that is right..we are jumping on the bandwagon there too. So many people have such different avenues for communications these days and we thought we would start a Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge page as well as a "priscillastyles" Store page.(thanks Gunn) If you are on facebook and would like to follow.. just search Midnight "Madness Sketch Challenge" and "priscillastyles Store" and click the "LIKE" button..We would love to have you as a friend :)

So there you have it - now for this weeks sketch - as you know it is "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.

Congratulations to

 our MMSC65 Gold Star Award  Winner
#29 Sarah T

and

Our Remarkables Award Winners
#13 Zoe
#27 Sue Dress
#38 Judi Rose

Please grab your award logos from the side bar and display them proudly :)

Thank you to our Weekly Sponsor


The Beary Scrap

and

August Monthly Sponsor

Michelle Perkett Studio

This is for the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Things with Wings - card 2
Stars and Stamps - Use Patterned Papers - both cards
Creative Card Crew - Cute and Girly - card 2
Cute Card Thursday - Whateva!! - both cards
Pixie Dust Studio - Cute as a Button - card 2
Pennys Challenges - Anuthing Goes - both cards
Dutch Dare Card Challenge - Anything Goes - both cards

Thank you so much for visiting with me today, I look forward to your visits as much as I look forward to the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge each week.  You are so very kind with your comments - they always add that extra 'buzz' to my day!  God bless you!
{{{{hugs}}}

SSIC LOC Just Because

Doesn't the week go past so quickly - it is Sunday and that means it is time for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge!!  This week Lisa is sharing the scripture with us and she has chosen...

 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:13-14

Lisa has challenged us to make a card of apology or one reaching out to someone and encouraging them to put the past behind them and move forward .

I have used the Layers of Color Clear Art Stamp Acanthus Leaves and embossed it with Gold Embossing Powder. I am recycling some old Christmas cards and using the back of them on some of my cards - some of these have fabulous texture, like the one I used here!  I cut it out with the Nestibilities Labels 1 and sponged the edges while it was still in the Die!!  I have seen this done before and love the effect - there is always something to learn each day!!

I stamped and coloured the flower from the Nature Walk Clear Art Stamps with chalks, cut it out and secured it with a large gold brad - these are not just any brad, but were given to me by our friend Jack, who has given me many gorgeous vintage finds along the way - these brads are from an old bank and used to be used - they are have now been updated and made their way to the sanctuary of my Craft Central!!

I embossed a sentiment from Stampin' Up in Gold Embossing Powder and but it out using the Ribbon Tags Nestibilitie and attached it with gold brads.

I have thought about the scripture for this week and 'forgetting about what lies behind' and today was reminded of it again today as we had a surprise visit from a very dear friend, we met him and his family when they came across from Hawaii to be Missionaries at the Church we were attending, after two years they went back and took part of our hearts with them.  Over the past six years we have missed them terribly - you can imagine our delight when we saw him walking along our veranda this morning - we could not get to the door quick enough to hug him, we were all falling over ourselves!

The Church we had attended together had some issues come up and things took a bad turn and needless to say people were badly hurt and sadly there were causalities.....Many people were so hurt and are still recovering today.  I look at this scripture and thank God that He gives us the ability to make the choice to forget what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus

When we get hurt we can tend to stop where we are and let that hurt take hold of our hearts, making it almost impossible to move forward - I love way it says 'straining' toward what is ahead - sometimes it is an effort to move forward - we tend to say back at that ;point 'selling souvineers' of our experience and not moving past it, reliving those events over and over....but we need to leave that place and move forward if we are to reach the goal, win the prize. The Bibles tells us to separate the precious from the worthless - and I am challenged to do this - to leave those things which really, in the big picture are not important at all and move on to that which has value!!

Thank you to our Sponsor

Simon Says Stamp

For more inspiration make sure you visit each of the Design Team:

*Lisa * Chris * Cindy * Grace * Peggysue * Randi * Miejse * Rebekkah *

You can see more of my projects in my Layers of Color Gallery, while you are there make sure you check out the other Design Team galleries there is so much inspiration waiting to be discovered.  You are invited to join us on our SNR Group where there is lots of fun and chatter (No surprises there I know! LOL)  There are also discounts and previews that are exclusive for the Group Members - come and join us!!

This card is for:

Creative Inspirations Challenge - Recycling

Our Daily Bread Designs - Three of Something - layers - DP, Nestie, Flower

Cute Card Thursday - Whateva!

Alphabet Challenge - Nature 

Double Dare Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes
Alota Rubber Stamps - Distressing
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Distressing
Delightful Sketches - Distressing
Stars and Stamps - Use Patterned Papers

Thank you for your comments and all of the encouragement you leave me here!  I love seeing that you have visited - it makes my day!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

LOC In Flight

I am so happy to be able to play along with the Play Date Cafe again this week - I am loving the inspiration that there is over there - I used to find inspiration sketches so challenging - but now I just love them!

Something a little different this time - I have used the Layers of Color Butterfly Collector Clear Art Stamps to do a little bit of Emboss Resist with

I forgot how much I loves this technique until I saw a Tutorial Video on StampTV with GinaK the other week and Resist it is....using Distressing Inks...Tim Holt's Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint and Walnut Stain - I love the natural and earthy feel that is happening here!!  The butterflies are embossed with White Embossing Powder!

The black border is made using the Martha Stewart punch and I have added layered flowers - the material ones are individually cut from a piece of lace I had lying around, I spent ages cutting each one out individually - aren't they divine!!  Black gems have been added to the butterflies wings.

This was very quick and easy - I am going to be using this technique a lot more - it is so easy and so effective!

This card is also for the following challenges!;

Rosie-D's Challenges - All Creatures Great and Small

By the Cute and Girly - Animal Antics

You can see more of my projects in my Layers of Color Gallery, while you are there make sure you check out the other Design Team galleries there is so much inspiration waiting to be discovered.  You are invited to join us on our SNR Group where there is lots of fun and chatter (No surprises there I know! LOL)  There are also discounts and previews that are exclusive for the Group Members - come and join us!!

Thank you for coming and visiting with me today, I love to see you have been and appreciate the comments you leave - each one means so much to me - I think I have become a comment 'junkie!' LOL!  I hope you are having a great day!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

Hidden Treasures...

Treasures can be found in the most unlikely places - on Saturday I went exploring  a local  Thrift Shop with my youngest daughter - she turns it into a theatrical event, loving all of the wonders that can be found, not seeing the items that someone has discarded.  We found many treasures that day and I wanted to share some of them with you today

This is the first, a heart full of pearls and gems, encased in twisted wire swirls, holding it together and making something beautiful....I am not sure what I am creating with it yet, but until I do, it will inspire me where I sit and create...

The next is this gorgeous pendant - beautiful bevelled glass in encased in black swirls and speaks to me of elegance - this too will be used on a creation...it is just waiting for the inspiration to come to me...

More gorgeousness was found

Followed by

and finished off with theses glorious flowers that were rescued

from being discarded into the junk pile - these they threw in for nothing....the rest came to the grand total of $1.50 - can you believe that - it shows me that beauty truly is in the 'eye of the beholder!!'

Thank you for visiting today, I hope you feel inspired to see beauty in those things that have been discarded by others and can be brought to life with your inspiration and creative hands - please come back and show me - I would love to come and visit and be inspired by what catches your eye and captures your heart!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

MMSC65 All Lit Up & Party Animal

Who doesn't love Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge time - not me!!!  Each week we love to the inspiration you bring us and this past week has been no exception - you are all amazing!!  This week I have had the privilege of playing with one of the digi's from our weekly sponsor our very own Priscilla, of "priscillastyles" Store

Don't you love this image - my Mum has a lamp like this in her house and it is fabulous so I was excited to see Priscilla draw one.  I used a mix of Chalks and Prismacolors to get the right shade of yellow - I am not really a yellow person but it just seemed to go with this image for me!

I used DP from DCWV One Upon a TIme' Stack and added a strip of CS embossed with the D'Vine Swirls Embossing Folder - I always love the movement this folder gives to a card!   The image is cut out and popped up on foam dots, onto some white CS that has been distressed and had some paper piercing added to the corners!  I added three small circles to the top and bottom - to look like scallops!!

How did you go with the circle - I was glad to have this SU one on hand and cut some acetate out and tapped it to the back of the circle - it worked well! PHEW!!  A layered flower and some nail bling is added as final touches.

You know I wasn't going to resist one of Michelle Perkett's images don't you - how is this adorable puppy - way too irresistible for me!  I printed it twice and cut out one image, colouring it with SU Chalks and popping it up on foam dots! 

I used light grey around some of the edges and added some glitter around the tag - hard to see I know!  Kaiser flowers have been added to the top and the bottom and attached with white brads,

The sentiment circle is from an older Stampin' Up set (thank you Melinda!!) and is popped up on foam dots!  You can see the dimension here....

So there you have it - now it is your turn!!  Here is this weeks sketch...it's "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.

"YOUR CHOICE"

Our MMSC64 Gold Star Award goes to...

#35 Dreamtime

Our Remarkables Awards this week go to...
#17 Peggy

#26 Sue Drees
#64 Marsha Sanderlin

Please grab your award logos from the side bar and display them proudly :)

a BIG THANK YOU to

Our MMSC65 weekly Bonus sponsor

"priscillastyles" Store

Our Aug Monthly Sponsor

 Michelle Perkett Studio

I am linking these to the following Challenges:
Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge - Animal's 'n Bugs - Card 2
Creative inspirations Challenge - Anything Goes - Both Cards
Cute Card Thursday - Texting Crazy  - Card 2
Paper Play Challenges - Anything Goes - Both Cards
Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes - Both Cards
By the Cute & Girly - Animal Antics - Card 2
Charisma Cardz - Something with a Tail - Card 2 
Dutch Dare Card Challenges - Anything Goes - Both Cards
Rose D's - All Creatures Great and Small - card 2
Stamping with the Dragon - Distressing - Both Cards
Ellephantastic - Distressing - Both Cards

Thank you for stopping by today, I always love to know you have been - and appreciate your comments and encouragement!!  Blogging is one of my favourite places to be!!  I cant wait to see what you come up with - you know I will be there to see!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

SSIC Lift Up My Eyes

It is exciting at Stampin' Sisters in Christ this week, we are welcoming Miesje, Rebekkah and Cindy onto the Design Team, it has been great having them as Guest Designers and we are even more thrilled that they are staying - welcome ladies - what a blessing you are!!

It is with great pleasure that Rebekkah is bringing us this week's challenge and has chosen this scripture:

 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 The challenge is to create a card with birds of any kind.  Not too hard is it!

Our sponsor kindly donated stamps for the whole Team and unfortunately I was able to print mine - I am not sure why and yes Lisa, the computer did have ink in it!! LOL!  But as soon as we have worked it out, I will make a card and link it back to this weeks challenge!

So I have used the Layers of Color Royal Birds Clear Art Stamp set.  I have stamped it in Distressing Ink and coloured it with Chalks, using a Blender Pen and lightly added Kindy Glitz.  The image has been popped up on foam dots into the Oval cut with my Nestibilitie, and layered into the Labels 4 Nestie to create a frame.

The gorgeous flowers are some I won from Wild Orchid in a challenge and the flourishes I have used to create corners I have had for nearly a year, I cut them using my friend Hannah's (aka bubblefrog) Die - I borrowed Hannah's embossing folders and Dies when she went way with her family and after 3 hours had to stop - due to cramps in my hand - so as you can image - I have a few of them!  LOL!  I need to use them more!!

Rising up like eagles - what great imagery - we hear so many things about eagles and one of the things I remember the most is that they rise the currents, they don't waste energy trying to fly against them. but ride with them - how clever are they??  If only I would learn from them - how do we do this - surely it should be easy - by waiting on the Lord.  How then, do we wait on the Lord - is it by sitting and praying to Him, bringing our 'shopping list' of needs and wants, waiting for Him to supply them all!?  I tend to think this is not at all what is meant - for me, it is coming aside and waiting in His presence - quietening my heart and allowing Him to speak -  an audible voice - I have never heard that audible voice, but have known the 'witness of His Spirit' in quietness and confidence. 

Renewing our strength - I have to be honest and say that I have never felt a SURGE of power after these times, but I have been strengthened and gained stamina, an enabling to keep 'running the race' at times when I could easily have sat down and taken time out....I would dare to say that these times of waiting on the Lord enable me to run and not grow weary - no sprinting for me, but sure and steady....to walk and not faint!!  Thank God for these times!!  I would love to hear how you wait on the Lord!!

I am linking this to:

Creative Inspirations Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Play Challenges - Anything Goes

Polka Doodles - Generic Male or Female

Digi Doodles Shop's Best - Punch or Cut Me!

Dutch Date Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge - Animals and bugs

Thank you to our sponsor

Digi Doodle Shop

For more inspiration make sure you visit each of the Design Team:

*Lisa * Chris * Cindy * Grace * Peggysue * Randi * Miejse * Rebekkah *

You can see more of my projects in my Layers of Color Gallery, while you are there make sure you check out the other Design Team galleries there is so much inspiration waiting to be discovered.  You are invited to join us on our SNR Group where there is lots of fun and chatter (No surprises there I know! LOL)  There are also discounts and previews that are exclusive for the Group Members - come and join us!!

Thank you for your comments and all of the encouragement you leave me here!  I love seeing that you have visited - it makes my day!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}