11/05/2014

Our Daily Bread Designs - Guest Designer Week 1

     I am so excited to tell you that Our Daily Bread Designs has asked me to be a guest designer for the month of November. Each Wednesday during November, I will create and share a card on their blog and mine.

     I have never cried over a card before, but this one brought tears.  I'll get to that later, but first I have to tell you how I made the flowers on my card. I so love how they turned out!


     I began by making a 5.5 x 5.5 card base. I cut a same-size panel and adhered it. Then, I matted a matching panel with black. The rebel in me made me scoot it off to one side. I kind of like my cards being a little different from others. I cut and matted a tag shape and stamped the sentiment in black. I used foam tape to adhere the tag.
    Now for the flowers! Again, the rebel rises up in me. I used the Fancy Foliage leaf die to make my flower petals. I love making my dies / stamps / embellishments work differently than for that which they were intended. I die-cut but did not emboss seven large leaves in purple and seven more in black. In the same manner, I die-cut seven small purple leaves and seven more in black. To give shape to the petals, I rolled them gently around a pencil. I glued one black petal to the back of each purple petal allowing the black to show just a little on one side to create shadow and depth. Then, I overlapped the petals and glued them in place. I found it was easier to first glue all the petals to a piece of scrap and then adhere it to my tag. I added a blue gem to the center of each flower and tucked a Fancy Foliage vine which I cut in half around the flowers. Now, for the tears.
     As I was looking through the papers in the ODBD Christian Faith Collection, I found a sheet that had stakes like those used to nail our Savior to the cross. I was so moved by the image of the stakes lashed together and the sentiment I chose to use with it. I made a point to cut each petal with an image of the stakes showing. I've been a Christian my whole life, and to be reminded of the sacrifice of our Lord just hit me in an unexpected way. I love our Lord so much. I tear up again as I write about it now. I will be keeping this card. I'll frame it and hang it over my desk so I am reminded every day of the sacrifice made on my behalf.
     Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. You can see more about my cards each Wednesday in November at http://ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/.
    
     Our Daily Bread Design supplies used:
 
          Papers - Christian Faith Collection
          Stamps - Earth Verses #F494
          Die - Fancy Foliage CSBD33
 

11/01/2014

Scripture Inspiration Challenge - ODBDSLC216

     Hello my friends, so nice of you to stop by. Today, I have a card for Our Daily Bread Designs bi-weekly challenge.
     The challenge this time was to create a card that is inspired from this scripture:
        Ecclesiastes 3:1 - To everything there is a season and a purpose for every time under Heaven.
     One could go in a lot of directions with this inspirational scripture. I love the changing of the season from summer to fall when the morning air is crisp and leaves begin to change. I used ODBD's Birch Background (#D213) stamp for my card. And, for the inside sentiment, I used their Friendship (#B52) stamp set. 
     The deadline for this challenge is Sunday so you have a little while to get your card ready. Here's a link to the details if you want to join in the fun: http://www.ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/odbdslc216-scripture-inspiration_28.html
     Have a wonderful day and be sure and check back here and on ODBD's blog on Wednesday to see the card I designed for them.
      Love and hugs coming your way, Pamela

Other stamps used: birch leaves - Martha Stewart Leaf and Branches MA331036

10/31/2014

DCWV October Stack-a-holic Card Challenge

Update:  So exited to find out my card made it to the winner's list at DCWV!
     Thanks so much for popping in. I really love your visits. Today, I have a card for the DCWV Stack-a-holic Challenge which I am getting in at the very last moment. Not like me, but I've been super busy this month.
     I used DCWV's Heirloom Stack to make my card for this month's challenge. I bought this stack just for the sheet of paper you see under my card. I have still not been able to cut it! You now how that goes - right!?! It can't just be me.
    I love using unexpected colors for my Christmas cards. Teal and taupe/tan/dark ivory. Let's go with taupe because it's fun to say teal and taupe!  
     If you have an idea for this challenge, you might still have time to get it in. The deadline is today! Here's a copy of the sketch we had to work with and the address for all the details.
     Thanks again for stopping in. I wish you a fun and meaningful holiday season. http://dcwvinc.blogspot.com/2014/10/october-stack-holic-challenge.html


I also used La Petites stickers (the Paper Studio) and sentiment stamps from Hero Arts #CL469.

10/12/2014

Anything Goes with ODBD Stamps Challenge - ODBDSLC215

     Thanks so much for stopping in today! I love your visits and comments, as always.
      I created this card for the current challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs. For this challenge we can make any card we want that uses ODBD stamps.
     I began by making a 5" x 7" white card base. I diecut a shaped hole and heat-embossed the sentiment on the inside of the card so that it would show through the hole.
     I heat-embossed and diecut two snowflakes and added rhinestones to one snowflake. I adhered the two snowflakes together with foam tape. Then, I adhered the pair to my card as shown with foam tape. Here's a close-up of the snowflakes. 
     Here's a close-up of the sentiment inside the card. 
     ODBD stamps and dies I used today:
          Snowflake Sentiments #EC506
          Sparkling Snowflakes #EC508
          Snowflake Custom Die Template

     There is still plenty of time to join in the fun. Check out the details here: http://www.ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/odbdslc215-anything-goes-with-our-daily.html
 
     Are you familiar Our Daily Bread Designs? They are a Christian stamp / die / paper company. I love their products and am excited to tell you that I am their guest-designer for November. You can sign up for their email list and/or like them on Facebook and you won't miss any of my cards in November. Sign up here: www.ourdailybreaddesigns.com
     You can also join my blog and you won't miss my cards. Just click on  "Join this Site" over there in the right-hand column and follow the easy steps to get my posts. 

10/09/2014

Sharing Max with the Head Start Kids

     What a fun day Max and I had with the 55 Head Start kids at the Cooper Library! The kids were great! They listened so politely and got the point of Max's story without any prodding. Max, on the other hand, was quite rude. He kept interrupting me. He is really shy and will talk only to me and only in my ear.
     Max really liked the kids and wanted them to know how scared he was, and how much braver he is now. Maybe he will become brave enough one day to speak to others.