A Touch of Grace

I just wanted to check in and say thank you for all the wonderful comments on the wallet I designed.  I’ve had a few commitments pop up that I’ve had to take care of.  I hope to post a template and directions for the wallet within a day or two.  My Dad’s birthday is coming up on the 19th so that’s incentive for me to get busy and make a couple more.

I don’t have anything new to share today, but I would like to share with you a design I did last year when Flourishes debuted this gorgeous iris illustrated by Marcella Hawley.  I think it’s still my absolute favorite Flourishes stamp.

Thank you for stopping by, I wish you all a blessed day!

Hi Everyone!  I’d like to thank each and every one of you for helping us make Stamp Simply Celebrates a fabulous success!   A quick reminder that my blog candy is open until Wednesday, December 17, 12:00 noon, click here to check it out and read the rules for playing.

Today Barb Schram’s Featured Project is a useful Holiday Home Decor item for YOU if you please, or it makes a fabulous gift item that will knock the socks off your friends!  It comes completely packaged with a card to match!  I KNOW you won’t want to miss out, so be sure to visit today over at Barb’s place and lap up the inspiration!!!

Today is Sharon Johnson’s - notimetostamp regular Stamp Simply Challenge.   It promises to result in some great layout options for you to use for quick projects.  Hope you can play! 

Be sure and check out samples made by:  Julie, Janine, Jennifer, Tammy, Dee, LeAnne, Becky, AJ, and Darlene.

Leslie Miller and Sharon Johnson have some BLOG CANDY for you today!

Sharon invited me to play along in her challenge today - ssnotime65 - We were to create a simple layout for a Christmas card using just a 2″ strip of designer paper, but only this one strip of designer paper, NO MORE.  We were allowed to border it or do scallops, or anything else we wanted, just no more designer paper. 

Okay, so here is my card that I made for the challenge:

As I’m photographing this photo, a bell - no pun intended - goes off in my head and I realize that I’ve used designer paper on the 2″ strip, as well as the background.  Doh!!!!! A Homer Simpson moment to be sure! 

Soooo, I run back upstairs at 9:00 p.m. and disassemble my card and come up with this card.  I’ve totally stolen Sharon’s layout as I have no time to design one of my own . . . hence . . . Sharon’s alias notimetostamp truly applied for me . . . LOL

And I like this card so much better!  Thanks Sharon!!!

• Stamps:  Flourishes (sentiment)

• Paper:  Watercolor Paper, Prism, The Paper Company

• Ink:  Versamark

• Accessories:  Tombow markers, Ranger Gold, Gold Tinsel EP, heating tool, watercolor brush, Kaiser Pearls, gold Krylon pen, gold ribbon, dimensionals, glue glider, glitter, Cuttlebug embossing die, Wizard, craft knife, glue dots

I’m taking a few minutes away from the packing today to post this thank you card that I watercolored for a lovely person I recently met that has been very kind and generous to me.  I snuck in a little time a few days ago to make it and have been trying to get a good photo of it and finally the sunshine came out this morning and shared its glorious rays long enough for me to get this shot. 

Last month I designed a set of luggage and had so much fun in the design work that I decided to try it again.  I changed the colors, the handle, the monogram, and the clasp and came up with a slightly altered design.  I watercolored several tulips from the Thank You stamp simply tulip set by Flourishes using a combination of Yarka paints and Tombow markers.  Dimensionals were utilized to pop up the two larger tulips for added dimension.  I used the small monogrammer from JustRite Stampers for the initial “K”.  The decorative design and initial were colored with Stampin’ Up! markers direct to rubber and topped off with Dazzling Diamonds, although it’s a bit difficult to see the sparkle in the photo.  The faux stitching was done using a white gel pen from Sakura. 

• Stamps: Thank You (Flourishes), JustRite Stampers
• Paper:  Rose Red, Watercolor, Basic Grey (Perhaps)
• Ink:  Versamark, Rose Red
• Accessories:  Mat Pack, Sakura white gel pen, gold brad, dimensionals, paper piercer, Coluzzle, oval punch, corner punch, craft knife, Tombow markers, Yarka watercolor paints, watercolor brush, heating tool, Ranger gold embossing powder, Stampin’ Up! markers, Fiskars embossing plate, embossing stylus, nestibilities

Today Stephen and I start our official packing (packing boxes, affixing labels to the boxes, etc.).  Wish me luck and much patience!  I’m so not looking forward to this.  We leave this Thursday and I keep pushing that date to the back of my mind.

It’s hard to believe it’s been two months since Stephen asked me to make thank you cards for the high school graduation gifts he received.  The summer has just flown by so quickly.  He asked me to make something masculine with no ribbon, I interpreted that to mean no bows and he asked for masculine colors as well.  After a few prototype cards this design is the one he chose.  He asked me to keep it simple and I think I was able to accomplish that (no watercolors). Instead of using the typical masculine stamps that I have, I decided to monogram the cards.  I love the DIY monogram stamper from JustRite, it was perfect for this project, I used the Small Round Monogram Stamper for the monogram.  I chose Stampin’ Up!’s Chocoloate Chip ink for the monogram color, I simply used the re-inker to fill up the JustRite ink pad for the stamper. For the thank you sentiment I used a set of sentiment stamps from Flourishes.  I made seven cards of each design for a total of 28 cards.

• Stamps:  JustRite Small Round Stamper, Flourishes
• Paper:  Crate Paper, Close to Cocoa
• Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Vintage Photo
• Accessories:  Making Memories copper brads, SU Mat Pack, sewing machine, oval punches, nestibilities, dimensionals, grosgrain ribbon

During the Dare To Get Dirty week over at Splitcoast a few weeks ago (I know, I’m sorry, I’m terribly behind, but I’m trying to get caught up  . . . LOL), my dear friend and Dirty Dozen partner, Christine, hosted a watercolor challenge and asked me to design a sample card.  It was my pleasure to participate in Christine’s challenge.   I was very honored to also be asked by my very good friend Kittie to design a card for her scene challenge.  The images used on the card I did for Kittie’s challenge are Kittie’s Cause a Scene stamps by Rubbernecker.  Check them out, they’re a must have, even if you don’t watercolor or want to do scenes, each kit comes with plenty of stamps perfect for cardmaking.  The cobblestones stamp is from Art Impressions.

Recently I’ve been struggling with feelings I have concerning a friend who has been wronged.  I think we’ve all been there, someone who is dear to us is hurting and we feel anger towards the perpetrator.  I’d like to share with you a devotional from a wonderful book I have entitled Promises From God For Women.

“We so easily fail when it comes to one of Jesus’ most important commandments: to love our neighbor.  Loving the people who love you isn’t always all that easy, but to wish those people who annoy you well seems like too much to ask.  No one likes to come off second best, and usually we are quite indignant when we do.  Because we are only human, we find it virtually impossible to bless those who have persecuted us.  And yet the Lord asks it of us.  Jesus was willing to pray for and bless the people who persecuted Him time and again.  Even on the cross He asked God to forgive His persecutors.  This is impossible if you are not a child of God.  It is only He who can enable you to conquer your innate selfish nature and to love and bless those people for whom you feel no love.”

I’ll be working on the butterfly tutorial when I return from taking my son to Tennessee in mid-August.  My plans are to start the tutorials in September.  - Have a wonderful day!

• Paper: Prism Blush Red Medium, Basic Black, Arches watercolor paper
• Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black
• Accessories: Tombow Markers, heating tool, Ranger Gold EP, Oval Punches, craft knife, watercolor brush, dimensionals, gold cord, black sheer ribbon, Swarovski crystals, gold Stickles

• Stamps: Kittie’s Cause A Scene, Art Impressions
• Paper:  Old Olive, Really Rust, Basic Black, Arches watercolor paper
• Ink: Marvy Timeless Sepia
• Accessories: Marvy Markers, watercolor brush, dimensionals, Perfect Layers tool, sponge, Old Olive Ribbon