CAS-ual Fridays CFC164

Hi!  I'm playing along with CAS-ual Fridays' weekly challenge today--my first with them!  The challenge is to create a card that celebrates something.  As some good friends recently had a baby, this is perfect timing.

My friends had a baby girl so I went with a pink and yellow color scheme.  Using Papertrey Ink's Bitty Baby Blessings I die cut and paper pieced some ducks and a bunny using scrapbook paper from my stash.  I lay them on top of a strip of May Arts' pink rosette ribbon and stamped a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Inside & Out: Baby set.  To finish I set my white panel on a yellow card base.  Welcome to the world, little one!

CAS(E) this Sketch #202

Hello there!  As I continue to immerse myself in the relatively-new-to-me world of stamping and card-making, I find that one of the easiest ways to create something is by starting with a sketch.  I'm happy to have found CAS(E) this Sketch!  Today I am joining by playing along with Sketch #202.  Seeing the first flurries in the air today easily led me to make a winter themed card.

I began by blending Distress Inks to create my background, and then simply stamped a series of snowflakes in descending sizes.  I used Versamark Ink and heat embossed them with white, adding a sentiment at the bottom.  Love how it came out! 

Inks: Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass

Stamps: Papertrey Ink's What the Doodle: Snowflakes

Other: white card stock, Versamark Ink, Zing Embossing Powder (white)

Advent

I woke early the morning we left to spend Christmas with family.  Grateful for the chance at a quiet morning, I slipped downstairs, turned on the Christmas tree lights, and made a cup of coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer--a new favorite holiday treat.  I settled on the couch to read the last of my Advent Devotional; it was the first time in 27 days I'd been able to read in silence and solitude, and I felt myself relax as the coffee wafted over the words from Matthew.

Not a second before I finished, another word came from on high..."mama!  Maaaama!"  I reluctantly left my coffee, hoping I could rock him back to sleep.  Alas, the wish was in vain.  So I gave myself up to my sweet, where-does-he-get-this-energy, almost three year old (!) little boy and carried him downstairs to play.  And finish my coffee.

As we walked down the stairs he noticed the tree lights on, and asked in his curious little voice "hey! Why you turn dis light off?"  Thinking he meant "on," I explained that I love to look at Christmas tree lights.  But he asked again, as I carried him past the overhead light switch.  Reaching out to grab it, he repeated "hey, why you turn dis light off?"  Instinctively I replied, "because it makes the tree more beautiful."

As long as I can remember, I have loved to sit in a dark room, in the quiet of a Christmas season morning or night, with nothing but the light of a Christmas tree.  There is just something about that shining cone that quiets my soul and fills me with peace and joy.  

Christmas lights are beautiful, especially when they are the only thing to light the darkness of a room or home.  Which is why we have Christmas in the first place.  Not to light the darkness that falls as winter begins, but to alighten our souls with God’s love.  The anger and selfishness and all manor of sin tucked away inside each of our hearts…this is the darkness we live in.  Until, wrapped in a blanket, Jesus brought light to Earth, to shine into the darkest corners of our souls.

We can look pretty on the outside, decorated with shiny ornaments and sitting atop stacks of material blessings, but without the love of God through the gift of Jesus, we will remain dark.  Let His love and forgiveness light our hearts and souls this Christmas.

PTI's Create Along With Us: December 2016

I love so many of the new products and designs revealed this month over at Papertrey Ink, but the To Have & To Hold set particularly caught my eye.  The delicate pastels and flowers it showcased are so pretty!  I especially liked Laurie Schmidlin's take on it. 

 For my card, I cut a heart-shaped hole from my panel using a die from Heart Prints, and added floral images around it.  I stamped leafy prints from Turning a New Leaf in New Leaf and Mint Julep, and die cut the flower and heart from Flipping Out in Amethyst Allure, Lovely Lady, and Pale Peony.  I adhered the panel to some amethyst card stock and added a white embossed sentiment from Heart Prints.  Feeling inspired to make some Valentines now!

 

Sheep

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."

~Luke 2:8

I never saw it before.  How many times have I read or heard this verse and not noticed?  The shepherds were LIVING in the fields.  Not hanging out during the day and then going home to be with their families.  LIVING.  Sleeping on the ground, hopefully not near sheep dung, out in whatever weather there was.  

Now, I like camping...and sheep...but living like that doesn't sound pleasant to me.  But they did it.  To keep their sheep safe.  Because they loved them.

All this going on right next to the place where God--Immortal, Invisible God--was actually becoming visible in the form of a baby boy.  He left His home, His throne, to LIVE among us. 

His sheep.  

Because He loved us.  Loves us still.  

Will we let Him?  Let Him love us and protect us from mortal danger, as sheep allow their shepherds to protect them?  We need Him.  We may not know it or see it (yet) but we do.  Let Him love you.  Let Him protect you.

"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." 

~John 10:11 

He did.  He does.  Amen.

 

 

Stop! Potty Time!

I know that's a take-off on a line from a song, but I can't even remember the rest of it; nor do I have any sense about the artist.  Isn't it funny what little things stick in our minds?

So...it's that time in our house.  Our little man is ready, though cooperative some days and stubborn others.  What toddler isn't?!  I know he would respond to candy as an incentive/reward, and we may use that as we work on...#2...but he already has enough of my sweet tooth so I decided to start with stickers on a sticker chart.  Two nap times in my craft room and I think we're all set!

 It's hard to see in the photo, but there are little dotted lines through all the squares, like a road.  One sticker per try, two for success!  And we are prepared to sit and wait if need be :)

  Here goes!!!







 

PTI's November 2016 Blog Hop Challenge

After a busy morning of shopping, I was ready for some seat time in my craft room!  Here is this month's photo inspiration for the PTI Blog Hop Challenge:

Bright and shiny!  I usually stick with traditional colors and looks for card design but I did like the bright ornaments on the white tree, so that's what I focused on.

I started with a Raspberry Fizz dot embossed panel on a white card base.  For the tree, I die cut my Hero Arts Christmas tree, embossed it with a holographic powder (it's MUCH more sparkly in real life), and added raspberry, aqua, and lime clear embossed dots for the ornaments.  I popped it up using foam tape to add some dimension, and finished with a sentiment strip stamped in lime from Keep It Simple: Christmas Mini Stamp Set.  Merry Christmas and happy card making!