Easter Wishes

Tomorrow Don and I have a lunch engagement with three other couples we met at Rock Steady Boxing. All four husbands have Parkinsons, at different levels. These three couples bless our us every time we are together.

I wanted to make a special Easter card. I came up with the idea of doing a card-in-a-box. It had been a long time since I made one. The first thing I had to do was find my instructions. It took me almost a full day to create the card. After that everything went a little faster. The three are now finished.

Stamps -- Blessed Easter (Easter Wishes on back panel), Tranquil Tulips, His Grace (John 3:16) and Beautiful Bouquets (Leaves)
Dies -- Cross of Hope Framelits, circle punch and round and scalloped dies
Card Stock -- Rose Red, Old Olive, White and Black
Ink -- Rose Red, Old Olive, Soft Sky and VersaFine Onyx Black

A Miniature of Another Project

I wanted to share with you a picture of a small wall hanging that I just finished. The one I made last year, used 2 1/2-inch strips. I wanted this one to be smaller so I used 1 1/2-inch strips to make this wall hanging. Quite a difference. Here is a link to the original piece that I called "Surrounded by His Love".

This wall hanging measures 18-inches by 26-inches. This will be a gift to a very special person in my life.

"For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only

begotten Son..."

John 3:16

Simplicity

I had breakfast this morning with a couple of special friends. I wanted to give them an Easter card. This is what I came up with last night. It was very simple but elegant. The card was made to fit one of my small envelopes -- 3" x 5".

Surrounded By His Love

When I go to post a picture of one of my sewing projects, I think that maybe I should change the name of my blog.

I love to sew. I started when I was in the seventh grade and have been sewing ever since. Because of where I am in life's journey, I tend to enjoy smaller projects better than large ones. I had made a wall hanging for Christmas but I knew that I could not leave it up all year. One day while looking at projects on Pinterest, I ran across a picture that really caught my attention. Immediately I knew that this was my next project. After playing with the design on graph paper, I was pretty sure I knew where I was going. I started my project in January at a quilting retreat. Finished it up this morning. I am not good at naming my projects, but I am going to call this one "Surrounded By His Love". I used the same fabric for the binding that I had used for the cross. Thus the name.

I fell in love with the new Stampin Up set called "Hold On To Hope". Early this month I wanted to use it for a class. I had seen a card using the set that really got my attention. After cutting the die from white card stock, you cut an oval around the opening. Cut a scalloped oval frame with a coordinating die. Glue the white oval onto the scalloped oval. Insert the cross back into the original cutout. It really gives a cool focal image -- and so simply. I really like the second card better because I like the higher contrast.

He Is Risen

I spent the morning working on an Easter card for our stamp club's March meeting. I wanted a card that tells the true meaning of Easter. It is not about the Easter bunny, candy or eggs. It's about the fact that Jesus died, was buried and raised from the dead in order to provide my Salvation.

I began by cutting this Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps die out of black card stock. I have had the die for a couple of years and have never used it. It is time! To create the background, I began by sponging blue ink onto a piece of white card stock. Stamped the sun (from the SU stamp set "Kinda Eclectic") in SU Crushed Curry ink. Black card stock was used to create the mount. The sentiment was from a very old Cornish Heritage Farms set that I purchased before the company went out of business. I trimmed the focal piece, layered it with a piece of blue card stock and added it to a white card base. Simple. I wanted to add something else but stopped. Not sure what that something else should be.

He is not here; he has risen!

Remember how he told you,

while he was still with you ...

"The Son of Man must be delivered

into the hands of sinful men,

be curcified and on the third day

be raised again."

Luke 24:6-7 NIV

Pop Out Swing Card

I saw a really pretty card a few weeks ago that I fell in love with. I finally found instructions and set about to make the card. I was challenged and had fun learning how to put this card together. I found the instructions on the blog Creatin' with Kristeen. I did a close CASE of her card. I was having difficulty coming up with my own idea for this first card.

I used the Stampin' Up set called "Blessed Easter". I love these tulips; they are so easy to color. The card stock is Stampin' Up's Strawberry Slush. The image is stamped on Canson 140# watercolor paper with VersaFine Black Onyx ink and heat embossed with fine detail clear embossing powder.

For my second card I used Stampin' Up Pistachio Pudding card stock. I found the flowers and leaves in my stash of design elements. The finished size of the card is 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 so I had to make my own envelope. I used some scrapbook paper that I have had for a while. Using my envelope punch board, I cut my square at 8 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch and scored at 4/1/4-inch.

CAS320 -- Stencil It

"Stencil It" is the theme for today's CAS challenge at SCS. A couple of weeks ago I prepared a class on "Stencils -- Ways To Use Them". I made several images and cards demonstrating the use of stencils. None of the cards have been posted so I am going to use two of them for this week's challenge.

This sunburst stencil is from Tim Holtz. I have used it several times and love it. For both of my cards, I was trying to create a early morning feel. I used SU so saffron and crushed curry inks on this sunburst but I can't remember to name of the blue I used. The stamp for the sentiment is one from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set "Be Encouraged".

This was an Easter card I was working on. The stamps were from the old Cornish Heritage Farms company which went out of business several years ago. The company re-opened under new owners but I don't think they ever brought back this stamp set. The tomb stamp was a line image. Since I wanted a solid image, I colored the image in with the darkest gray Copic marker I have. You can still see a little of the stamp details but I thought it added interest to the image.

This last card was listed in the "Favorites of the Week" ending April 19 at SCS.

SC530 -- Pink Tulips

Love today's sketch. I have made cards in the past with a similar layout. I also wanted to make a card for this week's challenge at The Paper Players blog. Their challenge was "spring". Sooooo -- here is my card. When I think of spring, I think of all the pretty flowers that are soon to bloom. I am always amazed at the early spring blubs. After weeks of being covered with snow, they always seem to know when it is time to start growing. I have been tempted to go outside and dig in the snow. I bet that under that layer of white, the crocuses, early tulips and daffodils are already poking their heads up through the frozen ground.

Today's sketch --

 

*March 8, 2015 -- This card was one of many "CAS Favorites" for the week.

 

 

SC426

It's time I get the card that I made for this week's sketch challenge at SCS posted. After making a card for MOJO Monday, some of the leftover pieces of paper I used were left on my workspace overnight. When I got the sketch on Wednesday, it just seemed that those little pieces of paper were crying out to be used again. It was one of those times when everything seemed to just go together. For the card base I used SU Baja Breeze CS. The other papers were from DCWV's Linen Closet matstack. I really enjoyed working with this sketch. Hoping that each of you are having a good week.

MOJO283

What a cool design. For my card I used SU Baja Breeze for the card base. The designer paper was from DCWV's Linen Closet matstack. The sentiment was from SU's Well Scripted set. The flower stamp was a gift from a friend. It was purchased in Hawaii. I colored it with copic markers and cut it out. I used SU's bird punch for the leaves.