QFTD05 You're a Star!

Hello everyone!  I am so thrilled you came back for a visit - today I have something a little different to show you - it is my card for the 'Queen for the Day' on SCS -this week the Queen is another one of my Twisted Sisters - Sue (aka Perk aka coffeestamper) and it is a pleasure to be casing her!!

It is only fitting that I use this adorable image from Sue - I love her House Mouse cards...so here I am trying to case her.....LOL!  I have used this adorable Happy Hopper that I have seen Sue use a number of times.and she so very generously sent me in a RAK, along with many other treats!!  Thanks Sue!! 

I have coloured this cute ittle guy with SU Chalks and a Blender Pen and added some Kindy Glitz to add some 'oomph' to the thrown ball!  The sentiment was punched with a circle punch and backed with some blue DP (same as the image and the DP)  I then added some stars what are part of a RAK from the lovely Pat Smethers - they are perfect here!!

I am also linking this to:

the C4C33 - Sketch

Creative Card Crew - Happy Birthday

Pile It On - Spring

Little Red Wagon - Dry Embossing

Quixotic Challenge - Heavy Metal

Crafty Angels - My Favourite Things - Chalking

Doodle Palace - Funny Animals

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - Let the Sunshine In

PaperTake Weekly - Cutie Pie

Stamp Something - Something Layered

Penny's Challenge - Open Challenge

Cute Card Thursday - Touchy Feely - Embossing

Thanks for looking today - I appreciate your comments and the encouragement you give me!!  I am stressing right now as I cant find my Distressing Tool - been hunting for 2 days now and no sign of it - did you borrow it!?!? LOL!  It is one of my most used tools - are you surprised!?!? LOL!  Have you got any suggestions I should be looking - throw them my way - you never know - it might help!!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

LOC SSCC In Time.....

What a relaxed week I have had, as my kids are on two weeks holiday and things have slowed right down for us - love it!!  What a great response to last weeks Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge, I loved visiting your blogs and seeing your gorgeous cards and reading your 'reflection' - it is so inspiring, on many levels!  Thank you!! 

This weeks Challenge is brought to us by Candace who has shared this fabulous scripture with us:

Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

Candace has challeged us to use flowers in our card or project! What a truth there is in this scripture, there is nothing that is constant in our lives but the Word of God, the world is everchanging and God is NEVER changing!!  I am someone who resists change, I don't like it at all and find great security in this fact.  I have known so much change in my life and love the security that comes from God and His Word!  It set me to thinking about how unsettling it can be when change comes, as it is often associated with things like illness, loss of a job or a loved one, things that are beyond our control, at this point I have come to realise the best thing is NOT to fight it, but hand it to Him ....
 

Who doesn't love flowers - these gorgeous flowers are from Layers of Color, using the Flowering Gems art stamp set.  I love the way they can be made to look aged or bright and bold.  I have chalked them and added both glitter pen and Kindy Glitz to add that gorgeous sparkle.   I have added the Martha Stewart Fence Punch along the top of the scripture and sponged it all with distressing ink!

This fabulous scripture is from that amazing RAK from my dear friend Sabrina (okimom2girlz) I have chosen it for this challenge as it is such a great reminder for me that when things do change, even if I am not 'good' with what is happening He will make it beautiful - whether that 'beauty' be in the natural or in my heart!

A big thank you to this weeks sponsor  Michelle Perkett - don't you just love her images!  She is kindly donating a $15 Gift Voucher to the random winner, so make sure you see Stampin' Sisters in Christ for the details.!

Michelle Perkett

If you should create a card or project for this challenge, please leave a direct link here. Should you upload your creation to SCS or any other gallery, please use the keyword SSIC35.

I am linking this to:
Sophisticat Challenges - So Distressing
Stamp Something - Something Layered
My Time to Craft - Pretty Pearls
Practical Scrappers - Glitter/Bling
Other Lovelies - Embellishments
KL Stampin'N Scrappin' - Bling It On
Penny's Challenges - Anything Goes
Lil Red Wagon - Dry Embossing
Cute Card Thursday - Touchy Feely
All that Scraps - Distressing
Meljen's Designs - 3D Elements

Stampin' Sisters in Christ are supporting a CARD DRIVE for a Christian Kindergarten teacher who was in a terrible car accident.  She taught Kristine's oldest daughter a few years ago. Her name is Cathy Downing.  By the looks of her car afterwards, it's a miracle that she is alive!  Angels were definately watching over her - God must still have a plan for her here. If you would like to be part of this you can find the details here.

Thank you for stopping by today and for your encouraging comments, you can also find my cards in my Layers of Color gallery here.  I do appreciate your support and love to see you have been!

{{{hugs}}}

Sisterly Love

I could not resist playing along with last weeks Wags'n'Whiskers Challenge to use ribbon, especially as I won this image in one of their challenges - what a buzz!  I chose this image 'Love You Sis' as it reminded me of my girls.  It is also the perfect stamp for my sister's birthday card, her birthday is not until June but I am working ahead so I can take then with me when I go home for a visit (41 sleeps Mum!)  Now I have to add there is sheer ribbon running behind the embossed Nestie but it is not showing up - if you look closely you can see a slight shimmer - I will try and get a better photo in the morning!

How adorable is this image, I have coloured these gorgrous girls with SU Chalks/Pastels and a Blender Pen

They have been popped up on foam tape into the Nestie that has been

cut into squares, I have used the CAS sketch from the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge (hello Girlz). Lacey happens to be this Weeks Bonus Sponsor over at MMSC...even more reason to use this image!    I was also inspired by the Inspiration piece at The Shabby Tea Room - I love this new challenge!

I have shown a couple of different angles so you can see the dimension and those adorable gumboots - I would love some like that - how cool are they, they would brighten up any day and make gardening fun!!!

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's 'Wonderful Words' set - this is a favourite of mine - and is perfect on this easel card!  I did have a lot of fun making this card, sometimes it is good to do something different - I am surprised at how much I love 'whimsey' but how could you not - these images are heart warming!

This is also linked to:

 Stamp Something - Something Layered

Papertake Weekly - Cutie Pie

Corrosive Challenge- Texture

Roses on Paper - Layers

I will leave you with a photo of the Baked New York Cheescake with Sour Cherries that I made for my DD2's birthday yesterday - it is her favourite and definitely should be listed as a 'lethal weapon' LOL!  If you ever come and visit I will have one waiting for you!  LOL! 

Thank you for looking and for the lovely comments you leave me....you are so encouraging and inspire me every day!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

LOC Bella Bronte

Hello everyone, I thought I would show you some scrapbooking I have been doing, this page was started at last month's Scrapbooking Crop so I thought I would actually post it before I head off there again tonight!

I am trying to get a layout done for each 'event' on our house - well, I was defnitely late with this one as it was for my DD2's birthday last month - as you can see by the photo!  I used my Layers of Color images and set out to create a page that is not 'girly girl!  The colours were determined by the gorgeous Basic Grey DP from my friend Melinda (aka Melinda80 on SCS) and the sepia photo.

I did use a bit of symbloism with the clock sticker I had and adding the Layer of Color Beloved Wings, symbolising 'time flying' and it certainly has - this girl is 4cm taller than me and I am fairly tall...it doesn't seem so long ago she was in her pretty little dresses and holding my hand everywhere we went - haven't seen her in a dress for years - apart from school uniform that is!!

I have used a combination of flowers, buttons and brads and added the gorgeous bird from the Layers of Color art stamp set 'Royal Birds' I have said it before, but this is my ABSOLUTE favourite LOC image - it is only small but makes a BIG difference - I would use it on every project, but exercise self control!  LOL! 

Of course it had to have some shimmer happening on those wings, as well as the crown from the Beloved Wings set - very fitting for the birthday girl!!

Just so you see what I battle with taking photos, I thought I would show you what happens when I try and get a photo with the layout on the ground - I get visitors - this one was the leader and five others followed along with our two dogs - what a household!! LOL!

I am linking this to the following Challenges;

Corrosive Challenge - Texture

Gorjuss Girls - Texture

Practical Scrappers - Glitter & Bling

Crafty Angels - Favourite Things - flowers & birds

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Peace

Thank you looking, I appreciate your visits and the comments you always leave me - you are always so encouraging!  You can see my layouts and other projects over at Layers of Color, while you are there you might want to have a look at the other Designers albums - there is so much inspiration to be found there, you might want to 'put on your' seat belt' before you go! LOL!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

MMSC49 New York Door

Hello everyone!!  It is time for this week's Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge - how much fun did you have last week - thank you for all of your lovely comments, I really enjoyed visiting all of the players blogs and seeing your fabulous work! - what fun!!

My card this week is made with an image from our monthly Sponsor - Sunflowers & Dragonflies, called the New York Door - I love doors!!  I do have it say it was 'challenging' using this weeks challenge but also a lot of fun!!  Priscilla - you really had me thinking this week - and that is skeery!  LOL!

I stamped the door twice, colouring them both with chalks, although I only colour the bottom layer very basically!  I 'roughly' drew the jigsaw sketch onto the back of the card (are you amazed that I actually got it the right way around as I had to work in reverse - a challenge in itself!)  and cut the two layers out together and inked around them with Tim Holtz Distressing Ink. 

The next challenge was to add foam dots and then piece it together so they actually fitted together properly!!  I layered the completed jigsaw onto black CS and then cut around the whole thing again - finally layered them onto the red CS embossed with the Herringbone Embossing Folder - thank Mum (aka SuperNan) it worked perfectly here!!  I did my first successful 'Cracked Glass' Technique on the window pane on the door - the first time I tried this I had read on SCS that you out it in the freezer, so I did all of the steps and when I took it out of the freezer (after an hour) it was covered in frost - I didn't know whether to cook it for dinner of throw it out! LOL!  Yes, I do know now that it is put in the freezer for only 5 minutes - much more effective!!

as a finishing touch I used a tarnished brad for a door handle and added a key charm attached to some gold thread to the door handle! So there is my card and here is the sketch for you to work with:

Over at Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge there is a more CAS version - your choice - it is as 'Easy as 1-2-3! and you can check it out here.

Thank you to this month's sponsor

Sunflowers & Dragonflies

and our weekly sponsor

Stamp & Create

Congratulations to the MMSC48 Gold Star Winner:

#31 Iris

and the Remarkables

#14 Grace N.

#46, Teri Sherman

Grab those awards ladies and show them off on your blog!

and then there is more.....

Midnight Madness on the High Seas

Find out all about it here

I am linking this to:

Simple Doodles - Inspire Others - Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss - Texture

Sisterhood of Crafters - Recycled - my White CS is recycled

The Crazy Challenge - Don't Call Me Flat - 3D

Sophisticat Challenge - So Distressing

One Stop Craft Challenge - On the Move - A Door Moves

Crafty Angels - My Favourite Things - Chalking/Vintage

Corrosive Challenges - Texture

Thank you for looking and for your lovely comments, you know you make my day - I love seeing that you have been!!  so what are you waiting for - click here and play along - I am ready and waiting to come and visit with you - I will even bring my own coffee!  LOL!  You know I will be over to visit with you!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

A Bird in the Hand

Hello everyone, I thought I would do a quick post before heading off to bed - it is only 11:30pm and an early night for me - gee, I hope I am not awake at 5am!! LOL!

I made this card for two special challenges and they are a bit inter-related for me - this first in the Twisted Sister Challenge to make a get well or an encouragement card and the second was to honour this week's Featured Stamper over on SCS, who is none other than my dear Twisted Sistah and very dear friend, Pat Smethers.

I have not chosen any particular card to case, but just some 'Pat-isms' have been added to my card!! You can see Pat's amazing gallery here.  Pat - I know how you feel about these little Tilda's and I could not resist making one in honour of you!! (The Lolly Man and I think it is only fitting! LOL!) I have used a number of punches in honour of the hundred's of photo corners and flowers you have punched for me, what a labour of love!!

I have added the gorgeous lace that my Mum sent me - it is from my Great Grandmothers collection, which now resides with my Mum....thanks Mum!!  By the way, my Mum is known as SuperNan over at SCS and has been stamping for around 7 months now - if you get a moment I know she would love it if you sent a little 'luv' her way! 

For the Twisted Sisters Challenge for last Friday, I decided to make a card  for encouragement - this little image just 'lifts my heart' holding that adorable little bird in her hand (I love birds!)    Each Square has been individually paper peirced and the swirl has had shimmer added, with the flower mounted on foam tape, for dimension and of course that gorgeous little 'bling thing' added!

I am linking this to:

Simple Doodles - Inspire Others - Anything Goes
Magical Crafts - Animal Mania

I have to say I was not too sure about this card and had to ask my DH if it was okay, apparently it is - I would love to hear what you think!  Thank you for your lovely comments - you are always so kind - you know I love seeing that you have visited!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

LOC SSCC Be Still

Has this week flown by for you, or do they go by quicker here in Australia!?! LOL!  It is time for this weeks Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge and I want to start my thanking you all for your lovely welcomes to the SSCC Team - thank you so much!

This week's scripture has been brought to us by our very own Lisa and it is:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, wihch transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:4-7

Lisa has challenged us to make a card/project about prayer and/or peace.   I have chosen this scripture from the Psalms - this image was sent to me by my dear Stampin' Sister and valued friend Sabrina (okimom2girlz)  Thank you Sabrina - I have been so blessed by your giving heart my friend!!  I layered this, on dimensionals, onto a Fleur de Lis Nestie, I met another lovely stamper this week, Bridget and we spent time together on Thursday - I sat cutting some of these Fleur De Lis for nearly the whole morning...Bridget made the loveliest lunch for us to share - it was a great time - so Bridget I thought of you as I made this card - thank you for your generosity, both with your 'stamping stuff' and your heart - you can check out bridget;s work here!!

I added this gorgeous Layers of Color bird from the Royal Birds art stamp set, I love these birds, they chalk so beautifully and just cry out for a touch of Kindy Glitz - it seems to bring them to life!

The background DP has been embossed with the 'Fleur de Lis' embossing folder - would it surprise you to know that this was also part of a RAK from Sabrina (aka okimom2girlz)  Where would I be without my friends....very limited in these kind of things I can tell you - thanks you to all of those who have blessed me with RAK's - I am so grateful and do pray for blessing for you all too!!  I always think of my cards as combined efforts - sharing the 'luv!'

I finished off with this gorgeous lace (yes,also from Sabrina - I am telling you it was a HUGE RAK) and adding a layered flower - don't get a shock, they are actually mine!  I have sponged the egdes of the flowers and added half pearls to the lace and on the corners of the Nestie.

As I was making this card, I thought about the scripture and how it related to the challenge - being still...it sounds so easy, but I have come to realise that it is one thing to sit still and quite another be 'be still!'  I find 'being still' such a hard concept - I find sitting still hard too, but I can sit there giving the appearance of being still, when infact my mind can be racing and thinking about so many things - planning cards is usually in there somewhere!! LOL!

But in reality, it is when being still is more of a 'state of the heart' than a physical state, that our hearts are often quiet enough to pray from the heart, rather than bombard God with our 'shopping list' of needs.  In these still moments we are able to be 'spirit to Spirit' with our Creator - then follows that amazing 'peace that passes understanding!

A special thank you to our sponsor:

  Simon Says Stamp

 who is blessing a random player from this weeks Random Draw with this gorgeous set

To be entered in the drawing, your card must be linked to Mr. Linky by 11:50PM PDT (GMT-8) Saturday April 17th. The winner will be chosen by random and will be announced on Tues. April 20th. Please be sure to make the link direct to your project, not just your blog or gallery, and please place a link to Stampin' Sisters in Christ

I am linking this to the following Challenges:

Simple Doodles - Inspire Others  - Anything Goes

AI Factory - Mother's Day

Allsorts - Petals & Pearls

Cute Card Thursday - Mono Mania

Totally Gorjuss - Texture

Magical Crafts - Animal Antics
The Corrosive Challenge - Textures

Thanks for coming by and for those enciuraging comments you leave for me - I love seeing that you have called in - thank you!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend and are able to get in some crafting tme!  God bless you!

{{{hugs}}}

LOC Published on Paper

You have no idea the excitement that buzzed through our house when I opened the mail and saw my copy of the Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine that has published my card in the readers section.  Even more exciting is the fact that this is the first card I made for Layers of Color - you can see it in my Layers of Color gallery here!!

I have a couple of photos so you can see the WHOLE thing and share in my excitement

Here is the magazine - and I am thrilled as there is a lot of inspiration in this month's copy!!  I usually just look in Blogville and sites where I have a gallery, but recently sat and looked through the magazines that have seen stored in 'Craft Central' - it certainly filled my head with ideas, I have tags stcking out of these magazines EVERYWHERE!!

Oh - and just incase you missed it  (LOL) - look right here - third name down - wahoo!!  Incase you haven't gathered - I am excited.....because.....

I have also been published on Scrapbook News and Review March issue and you can see it here -  (you will need to scroll down the page) 

I am going to have to settle down as it is my DD2's Pancake Party today after school for her birthday, which is actually next week BUT it is also the end of the school term and her friends all normally go away - so we are doing it today - I may just have to run those hot cakes through the Cuttlebug as they come out of the pan, just because I am excited - what do you think - use the Nesties or the Embossing Folders - when I first got my Cuttlebug, I offered to emboss the kids sandwiches - you can imagine the looks they gave me!!  LOL!  Little did they know it only needed one 'yes' and I would have done it - what fun it would have been!!  Their lunches would have caused a 'sensation' that day! LOL!

Thank you for coming and sharing my exciting news - I love it that I can share it with you - so do my family - they are going to get sick of hearing about it!  LOL!  Thank you for your comments and support - you are FABULOUS and a blessing to me!  God bless you! 

{{{HUGS}}}

SSCC Happy Birthday Candace

Who doesn't love a BIRTHDAY and today it is Candace's Birthday, and we at Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenges are throwing her a virtual birthday party, each of us is going to bring something special - some of Candace's favourite things infact!  You will see what I am bringing further down this post....but in the meantime.

I have created this card inspired by my party contribution - using Layers of Color art stamp set Merci Bouquet.  I have embossed the DP with the Stylised Flowers Embossing Folder and edged it with the SU Scalloped Border Punch.

I am inspired by this lovely photo taken by my DH - he is a photographer and often his photos are of our flowers and backyard, or local scenes - you can see some of these here.

 So naturally, I am bringing PINK ROSES!  I love roses and some of my absolute favourite ones are pink, as you can see in this photo - these are our lovely Pierre de Ronsards and they grow on the verandah outside our window- just gorgeous!

In our house birthdays are done BIG TIME - when you wake in the morning the table is decorated and covered with balloons, cards and of course presents - it is so exciting to see your chair with a HUGE gold and purple bow on it and is affectionately known as the 'Birthday Chair,' it just adds to that special feeling.  We all sit down and the presents are given and opened and the place is 'buzzing' with excitement.  Your favourite birthday breakfast is cooked - for most of the family this is hotcakes with bacon and Maple Syrup - me, I am more civilized and love bagels with cream cheese and blueberries, a glass of tomato juice and a coffee chaser - percolated coffee of course!  YUMBLY!  So it is only fitting that I also bring decorations.

I do have to add that this photo is four years old and it is no longer these colours - it is now creams and whites, I have more recent photos but cannot find where I put them for 'safe keeping!' LOL!

and just for good measure I am bringing a YUMBLY cake....white chocolate cake with pink & white marshmellows drizzled with dark chocolate!! 

If you arrived here from Kristine's Blog then you're in the right place! If not, please start this short hop at SSCC blog.  If you happen to get lost along the way, the blog hop order is:

Chris

Grace

Kathy

Kristine

Linda (that's me!)

Lisa

PeggySue

Randi

♫ Happy Birthday to you Candace - hope your day is 'blooming' lovely! ♫  I know - but I could not help myself!  LOL!  Don't forget to stop by and wish Candace a Happy Birthday!  The next stop on the Hop is the very lovely Lisa

Thanks for coming by today and for your fabulous comments, you are always so kind!!  God bless you!!

{{{hugs}}}