Almost summer!

Hello bloggers,
What a lovely spring we have had here in the Columbia Gorge. Lots of wind lately, but that cools things down which is good. Flowers are in abundance and wonderful to see. The local cherries are getting ready to be harvested so a busy time around the valley. School is out for the summer so let the fun begin!

It has been too long since I have last posted so need to do some catch up. So settle in and get comfy. The first group of cards were done at a friend's house.

The green one (inspired by C. Pooler) has a front piece of white cardstock that is textured w/ a  "Diamond" embossing folder; color added using a stencil I think it is by crafter's workshop.

The purple one used a Spellbinders die for the shape; perfect plum card stock by SU; embossing folder by Cuttlebug & unknown flowers. The grass die is from Impression Obsession.

The yellow one is tangerine tango card stock, scallop edge and "Heartfelt Thanks" sentiment from Stampin UP. Flowers and leave by 7 Gypsies. Inspired by Sara Lincoln. Top view is closed and bottom view is the inside opened up.

The next few cards were sent to me by a very nice friend. If you check the trim, it is her very own tatting on one of the cards. She does such lovely work. Thank you so much L. H.

It's the time of year for graduations so I had the opportunity to make one for a relative who completed his college degree. The card is a diamond top folded card. The white card stock has been texturized with an embossing folder. Tassle was made from paper with a brad to hold it on. The bottom shows the inside where I also used an embossing folder (Cuttlebug) on the congrats and then inked it to make it show up a bit better.

This card I have had for a few months as it was one of the first file folder cards I made using the We Are Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. I do not know the manufacturer of the card stock. The label is from a Spellbinder set of dies.

This card was an example for the class I taught at our local scrapbook store. Sorry it is sideways. It is called the square frame card. I think I saw it on Deb Valder's video. We used double sided card stock. The strip at the bottom is made using a Martha Stewart Cherish edge punch.

This is an anniversary card. The decorated papers are from various different sources. The hearts were cut using a SU heart punch and then texturized with the dot embossing folder. They are lifted up off the card using a "Jacob's ladder" strip.

This double side step turtle card was for my neighbor who loves turtles. I got the picture off the internet; texturized the side & bottom panels, stamped a greeting panel and added turtle buttons from LaMode & JoAnn's and some unknown little shiny beads.



Now for a change in the line up to sewing. For the entertainment of my grandkids during the summer's travels I have made activity notebooks.

For the larger one I took a 3 ring binder and covered it w/ fabric taken from a pair of jeans. The back pocket was put onto the front making 2 pockets there to hold the flannel hankies I made. The front right pocket of the jeans was put on the left side of the inside of the cover making a couple more pockets there. Another pocket was made for the cover outside back to hold activity/ color books. Handles were made by using the long seams on the legs. The smaller one is a smaller notebook done in a similar way. Pencil pockets were added to store pencils, crayons, pens, hand sanitizer, mini frizbies, sticky note, etc. Various activity books were obtained from the dollar store. There is also a bag for mom that holds the games, etc. for that family such as a dice game,  activity/color kit, bouncy balls, balloons for rest stops sani wipes and child ID bands for safety.

The three smaller bags are "ditty" bags for toothbrush, etc. Those are for the kids. The larger one is for mom to put all those items mentioned above and maybe a few more. Hopefully you can see, they are all lined.

Here are the other 3 notebook packages. For the girls, I decorated around their front pockets for a little more "pretty." For the older one I made the handles longer for her to put over her shoulder as I had some long seams left.

I hope you enjoyed my offerings today on what I have been doing the last little while. Maybe there is a technique or idea you would like to try. Go ahead and go for it!

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

[Spiritual Blessings in Christ] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

I may have shared this verse with you before, but it is such a wonderful and encouraging verse, it bears repeating. We have so many blessings to be thankful for, even in the midst of challenges. God is taking care of us and is in control. He deserves all the praise & worship we can give Him. May you be blessed by my projects and the words of the scripture.

Wishing you great blessings for the summer!!
Meg

Happy Mom's Day

Hi bloggers,
Sunday is Mother's day in the U.S. Happy day to all those moms, aunts, cousins and grandmas. Hope your day is filled with lovely memories.

Matthew 12:50 NIV

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

This was Jesus speaking as he was talking to the people about their spiritual relationships. We are in the family of God if we believe in Jesus as our Savior. Of course a relationship with our mom is one of the most special and treasured. I hope you will honor your mom this weekend in whatever way you feel appropriate, even though she has passed on.

 

 

Cards I have made---

 

This first one should have been on the last post as it is my Easter card this year. I came across the punch technique on Pinterest and YouTube so wanted to try it. These punches are Martha Stewart corner & edge punch. Using text weight paper fold in half the long way and then a little ways from the top fold over again. At the intersection of all the folds, insert into the corner punch and punch. Unfold the top fold and then use the edge punch matching up with where the corner punch left off. Unfold and you have a cross!

Our small stamping group met at my house last month so I was to bring the demos. This white card is one of them. It is done w/ Stampin Up Elegant Lines embossing folder and Martha Stewart small monarch butterfly punch. At random points cut away the white card stock and put colored paper under. I chose some holographic shiny paper. Then to add some bling, I added some pink rhinestones.

Another project we did was this frame card. It shows off the double sided card stock so you can see both sides. It is basically layering papers in a contrasting way with the frame on top. To make the frame, start with a square, fold both ways once and unfold. Then fold the corners to meet in the middle and then partially back again. That's it!! Then add an embellishment in the middle. The strip arcross the bottom is done using Martha Stewart Cherish edge punch and an extra contrasting strip of card stock.

Our last project was a little cracker box made using the WRMK Envelope Punch Board. It also uses the double sided card stock. I saw this on Deb Valder's YouTube channel. Easy to make and glue together. Then make a lid to fit and fill with goodies.

This week I had the opportunity to teach a class at our local scrapbooking store: Urban Paper. Since I was on the trend of using the double sided paper, that was the theme of the class also. The same box was made along with the frame card.

Here are all the projects we did in that class. I tried to flip it right side up, but it wouldn't cooperate. So I made the picture bigger so it might help you to see them better. Sorry. There is the frame card, a dahlia fold card, a chevron fold card and our little box.

Here is the frame card made with the card stock chosen for this project. In the middle instead of a button is a die cut from a Spellbinders die set.

This is the dahlia style folded card. There are a couple ways to fold these,but went with the most simple. The trim at the bottom is done with Martha Stewart Deco Fan edge punch.

Last we have the chevron fold card. This has been done on YouTube videos a few times. It really shows off the sides of the card stock. The little clip on the side I found at the dollar store.

This is the card I sent for Mother's Day . The doily and inset are Spellbinders Vintage Doily dies and the butterflies are MS Monarch butterflies. The edge is just using a white gel pen to make stitches.

 Hope you found something new to try or maybe revisit and use your own ideas. Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings,
MEg :)

Easter blessings

Happy Resurrection Sunday bloggers!!
This is the weekend that we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord who gave his earthly life as a payment for our sins. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Matthew 28:6 NIV  "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. "  It was prophesied that Jesus would rise again and He did just that.

He lives in heaven and is preparing a place for me and all who believe on His holy name. I hope you all are going to be there.

Now for some postings of my cards.

This is one of the many variations of masking that is being done. The frame is an embossing folder called Swirly frame I believe. The oval is merely done by cutting out an oval of a piece of cardstock and placing it over your card. Sponge in colors desired and then stamp on the black image.

This card is made with digital images from Stampin Up. The strip on the left was cut from a page printed out from their disc, also the paper for the butterflies. They are punched using a Martha Stewart large monarch butterfly punch.

The background for this card was a pre-printed square card. I then cut out 2 die cuts using Spellbinders dies for the circles.  The banner is a strip of card stock that I punched at both ends, stamped and folded. The lower banner is from Stampin Up. The name was printed using foam stamps-unknown manufacturer.

Here again are the MS monarch butterflies in 2 sizes and colors. The middle strip is a MS corner punch. The turquoise dots are stick ons.

This is a new technique I just learned this week-the chevron fold. I saw it on Pinterest but don't remember who was the artist. It's done with folding paper strips-very easy but a fun technique. Two cards-same technique just different paper.

At our stamp club this month I needed another birthday card for one of the ladies so made this one up. I knew she liked birds so needed to put one on her tag. The tag can come out of the clear pocket (made using the envelope punch board) to be used for a bookmark (as I knew she liked to read). The bottom of the tag is decorated with a Martha Stewart punch.

Hope you have enjoyed the projects. Have a blessed weekend.
Blessings,
MEg :)

 

Spring is here!

Greetings bloggers,
In our area of the country, I think spring is finally here. We have daffodils and those tiny violets blooming. So nice to see the color after all the gray of winter.

I just have a few projects to show today. One group is from my stamp club. We did a 10-minute card. Everyone is to bring all the ingredients to make a card in 10 min. or less. We set up stations around the tables and just move around until we have made all the cards.
Take a look: I did rotate it on my disk, but it must not like that orientation. Sorry. This shows all the cards we made that evening.

This card is the one that I had prepared to take. I do like tags so this is a no brainer for me.

There is stencil work for the background of the card. I then cut a tag and used a corner punch to make the top cut. Then cut out the hearts at the bottom and stamped it.

This is for a challenge on the Scrapadabadoo page on Facebook. The background is decorated paper. The punch is a Martha Stewart for the chain. The flowers are Boho Blossom punch from SU. I don't remember where the stamp is from. It is gold embossed and colored in with watercolor crayons.

Hope you are enjoying the hopefully warmer weather these days-although i do have a hoodie sweatshirt on today!! O well. a little at a time.

Will leave a good thought with you: Deuteronomy 32:3 "I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!"  God is good all the time. If we but look around at all the things He has done for us, we will be amazed. In the flowers and greening up of the landscape, to the changeable weather, protection and guidance He gives us every day.
Blessings to you all!!

Valentines to crocus

Hello bloggers,
 Time does slip away and it's been too long since my last post. I didn't realize I had so many pictures of things I could share until I looked through them today. So hopefully there will be something you might like to try. New techniques are fun to try to see if they work for you. Never know when you might discover a favorite.

Of course in February there has to be Valentines's cards. These have the front textured with an all over heart design and then a strip of hearts at the bottom. A "label" was made with a strip of card stock put into just one end of a die, making the shape at each end. The hearts are from Stampin Up "Hearts a Flutter" die set.

At our monthly meeting of a couple of friends we made these 2 projects. Actually as you can see there are more than 2 since the first one has 5 boxes. These were all made using one sheet of 12 x 12" scrapbook paper. Both tops and bottoms are included. The next one is a fun folded card with pop outs where you can add whatever you like. We selected a saying. I later chose more decoration for the front and sentiment inside. The blue flower is my first attempt at cutting flowers using a die on felt. It works pretty well but I did have to add an extra shim. The card was a bit larger than the regular A2 size.

This one is so much prettier in person. But hope you can see the details. It is a gate fold style card using spellbinders dies (I think. The owner couldn't remember). The main card stock is light aqua with sparkly stars. Bling flourishes are added on the left along with a pretty lady button and stick pin. It is all held together by sheer organza ribbon.

My hair cutting lady had a birthday so made this card for her. The white lacy part is made with a Martha Steward punch. Inside is gold paper textured w/ a swirly embossing folder. The pretty paper flower was given to me so don't know who made it. Leaves are MS punched out.

I hope there is something here you would like to try. Since the projects were done at my friend's house, I don't know the source. But you could do a search on youtube to find videos to help you with them. Youtube is a fountain of information.

Looks like spring is trying to come and most of us are ever so ready for its appearance. Until then, keep warm and busy crafting.


Luke 8:16 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  
If you have a relationship with God on a regular basis, you know what this means. Jesus was actually talking to those of His day who could see Him in person. But I think it also pertains to seeing with our spiritual eyes and ears. We can see His work everyday as we go through our life. He touches this world and sustains it for our use. There is much to thank and praise Him for, even if life gets challenging. Give Him your praise for what He has done for you.
Have a wonderful day and keep on crafting!! 

Clarification

Hi bloggers,
In the "group" picture of the 3 cards I have a repeat of sorts. The card on the left with the ribbon flower was also posted in the previous blog so you can see the details better. Also it is done in red which makes the details stand out better. Hope that helps to see what actually was done.
Couldn't figure out how to edit after it was published so will have to figure that one out!!
Enjoy your day.

Snow Days!!

Hi bloggers,
We are having a snow weekend here in the white Pacific Northwest. Right now we have about 10" with snow still falling, but other places have up to 2 feet or more. So this is the time to just stay inside and not worry about getting in the car to go shopping. Snow pictures can be seen on my Facebook page. It's been longer than I would like to post some new project pictures so here we go.

The top card is similar to the cascade card that i have made before, except it has only one side to multi fold. It started as white card stock, stamped w/ a text stamp and inked edges to give it more color. I then stamped and punched out the flowers from SU Mixed Bunch stamps and leaves from a Martha Steward punch. In the picture, it doesn't look much like it but it does fold up on the slant.

The bottom photo shows a cute little box purse made with the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. The little bow in from is also made w/ the punch board. There are videos on youtube to show you how to do these. For the extra little tab on the front I used a small embossing folder to give it some texture.

A couple of friends came over to make cards together and these are the projects I selected to make with them. The one on the left has a Happy Birthday embossed background lightly touched with turquoise ink. A flower was punched out of white using the SU Blossom punch and then stamped with a text stamp. On each petal and in the middle I punched a small hole and then threaded ribbon all around the flower. On top is a die cut of a turquoise flower and a brad added to hold it all together. A loop of the same ribbon was placed under the flower and the whole thing adhered to the card. The ribbon on the flower idea is from Pinterest.

The middle one is a masking technique. Using painter's tape or sticky notes, mask off the card leaving a strip down the middle. Use blue ink of your choice, ink down from the top of the mask. Using green of your choice, ink up from the bottom. Remove masks and then stamp image in black letting some go off the unmasked area. Stamp sentiment at bottom.

The third one is pink card stock embossed w/ hearts. A label shape darker pink card stock is placed toward the bottom w/ a strip of lighter pink embossed card stock on top. Three hearts are die cut and place on to embellish.

One one of the scrapbooking shows  that I watch, the lady was giving away some prizes that she had gotten at the recent CHA. I happened to win one of the stamps. So I needed to send her a thank you card. The pretty lady looking through the window is the stamp I won. The embellishments were made using Spellbinders dies along with some flowers, punched leaves and pearls. Thank you Zandra.

A friend was in the hospital w/ knee replacement surgery. I didn't know she was going in and so only had a short time to get up to see her before she left and went home. Thankfully I had this card in my stash. It uses the ever popular Blossom punch and dots embossing folder.

This last card shows off my latest bargain from Joann's Fabrics. They had some Martha Stewart's punches on clearance so I got this lovely set for 75% off. It is called Blooming Vines. The card itself is a slate blue. The punched out vines are of a pearly darker blue w/ a white circle underneath. The label at the bottom is a Spellbinders die cut which has a cobalt & silver ribbon under.

I hope you will try some of these ideas and give them your own twist. If you are in the area, our stamp group will be meeting on Tues., Feb. 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wasco County Library meeting room in The Dalles, OR. I will be bringing the demo on 2 or 3 projects. Just let me know and I'll give you a list of what to bring to join in the fun. Hope to see you there. If not, try some of these on your own.


Job 37: 5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. 6 He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'  
We are seeing God's snow fall on the earth and it is beautiful. The seasons in the northwest truly show the power, grandeur and creativity of God. Enjoy your day whatever kind of weather.
Blessings to you!