Some play time

Good Monday afternoon, Y'all!!!!     I do hope and pray that this is a great day for all of y'all.     It has been for me so far, and I am believing it will continue to be a great day.     I have a few errands to run in a bit.    Then a few more things that need to be done around the house today, and then I hope to have a few minutes of play time after while. 

Today has been such a beautiful day in my neck of the woods.    Especially after the somewhat dreary and cloudy weekend.    I don't remember any rain, maybe a sprizzle here and there, but just the threat of it almost all weekend.    When it's cloudy outside, I have a tendency to be a bit cloudy on the inside.    So, I love to be able to do fun stuff and keep the clouds away even if it is cloudy outside.    With that in mind, I played off and on Saturday with a new stamp and trying to get my vision to come together.    And I finally did.    The card itself, is not overly ornate with stuff, but....it really made me happy just to look at it.    I already have another idea in mind for it and can't wait to get around to seeing if I can fulfill that vision.

Before I share the pic, I would love to pick up with Psalm 23:4   "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Remember we are talking about David and the fact the he was a shepherd.    The terrain where David shepherded his sheep was rough and dangerous terrain.   One wrong step, and David could have fallen to his death.    His sheep could find themselves in perilous situations.  There was danger and pitfalls at every turn.   Earlier in this Psalm, we see God at work.    He is still at work even in the "valley of the shadow of death".    There will always be valleys that we will have to trod in life, but God can and will see us through them if we trust Him, and physical death is the end result of this life for each one of us, unless Christ returns before we die.    But with the great Shepherd looking out for us, even facing death should not be a source of fear for the true believer.

David says, "I will fear no evil".     David's confidence was in God!    So much so that he was not going to fear what ever he faced.    David had a history of God working on his behalf.    When you have a history with God, you know how He has worked in your life in the past.    We can draw strength from our past experiences relying on God and knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us in the present.      

"for Thou art with me", this is where David's confidence, joy and hope came from!    David knew no matter what came up, God WAS with him!!!    This is where our confidence comes from also!   A true believer can trust that God will be with him, no matter what he comes up against.   No matter how dark, gloomy and dismal, the Shepherd will be with you, if you are a true believer.

"thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."   The picture here is the shepherds crook.     One end has the crook that was used to rescue a sheep that had maybe gotten in  perilous situation.    It was used to hook the leg of a sheep to keep it from going astray.   The other end, the staff was also used by the shepherd to defend his sheep from wild animals.    So here we see discipline, correction and defense.    The Shepherd is always watching over His sheep!!!    Sometimes that calls for chastisement and correction and sometimes the Shepherd has to go into battle to protect His sheep.   The presence of God in our lives is a great source of comfort and strength.    The rod and staff for the Christian is the written Word of God used for correction, chastisement, comfort and strength.   Just as the shepherd goes before his sheep, so goes God before His children.   I hope and pray that you know the love of the Shepherd in your life, if you don't, it's not too late.    The Shepherd knows the cry of those who are in need of Him!    He heard my cry, when I was in desperation, and He will hear your cry too!!!!!

So......now I want to share my card with y'all!     Like I said earlier, it's nothing fancy, not a lot of layers or anything like that, but a lot of heart and love.   ggg

This is a new stamp from Paper Wishes called baroque cross.    It is just beautiful.    I can't wait to do more cards with this one.    I started with my plain white card base.     I used a fav purple ink pad and inked the outer edge of the card base front.    Then I used my my fav white card stock to stamp my image on and colored it with some Marvy LePlumb water base markers.    I used purple, blue, mustard and cherry colors to color the cross image.   After I got the cross colored I cut a mask of the cross and placed it over the cross and then I used three different inks on the outer edges of the cross.    I used a straw color, a lavender and a darker purple color.    

I really liked the blending of the three colors.   Once that was all dry, I got out my fav fake stickles (glitter glue) and put that on.    I don't know if I ever told y'all this, I do love bling!!!     I think a little bling does a heart good!     (Someone suggested I may need to go to "bling-ers anonymous!     I said I would go if they would anoint me with glitter!     hahahaha)

I got a little gizmo from Paper Wishes that you can stick a marker down in and squeeze the bulb and it will blow ink off the tip of the marker.    It is a really neat little thing.    The higher you have it from your project, the lighter the mist.    The closer to your project, the darker and more spotty it will make you project.   Most of what you are seeing is part of the stamp itself.   But, it really is fun to play with and I can't wait to play with it more.

I love the center of this cross.    I colored it cherry red, but it doesn't show up really well in the pic.    I wish the pic would have captured the sparkle.   One thing that I almost forgot is the deckle edge scissors I used to cut the card layer down with.    I really love the uneven edge of it.    It looks like a torn paper edge, but neater.    I inked the edge after I cut it with a brown ink spot.   Anyway, this is my card and I hope you enjoyed seeing it.

I started this post this morning and am just now getting it wrapped up.    So it is just about bedtime.    I do hope and pray that everyone has a wonderful night of refreshing rest.     I hope tomorrow is a day filled with peace, love and joy!    Every day is a gift from God, each with its own beauty.    I pray that our rest tonight will prepare us to enjoy the gift tomorrow.  

Ladybug, sweet pea loves you!   Hope to see you soon!

Goodnight y'all, God loves y'all, so do I!    hugs, Patty

Click Your Heels

That's a catchy title, isn't it?     Just you wait and see what it's all about.   ggg    I hope and pray y'all are having  a great day today.     It's sunny, humid, and hot in my neck of the woods.    The sun is good.    The humid and hot, I could do with a lot less of it.    If I remember correctly, back earlier in the year when we didn't think warm weather would ever get here, I think I remember making a promise that I wouldn't complain about the weather.    So.......I'm pretty sure I just broke that promise, y'all.    I really didn't mean to, but, I just don't do very well in the humidity and heat.    Ugh!!!    One thing for sure, I am so thankful for our air conditioner.  

So, back to the title of my post.    I seen a card that a friend had made, +Tina Van Eick.    I loved her card and she shared where she had gotten the stamp from, and I ran as quickly as I could; without knocking anyone else over; to the web site, Paper Wishes, over in my left hand column, and ordered the stamp.   I love it!!!   My card isn't as beautiful as Tina's was, but I do hope y'all enjoy seeing it.   Thanks Tina!

So, this is my completed boot card.   I love this stamp!!!   This if the first stamp I have that is "steampunk".    But, I thought it was so gorgeous that I had to have it. 

The embossed layer is from an embossing folder I ordered the same time I ordered the boot.   It is called "gun metal".   I can see it quickly becoming a fav.  It is a 6" x 6" embossing folder.    I do think I will enjoy that size.   It does fit in the Cuttlebug nicely.   I get grungy with my ink on the edges of my card stocks.   I love that look.

I used my Spectrum Noir markers on this.   I also used a little generic gold ink pen that came in a card making mag that I picked up at Joann's around Christmas of 2013.   I used that to color the gold sections.

Then I used my perfect pearls on each corner and also on the boot in diff places.

You can see the dark raised spots in this pic, that is perfect pearls.   I love that stuff.

The slight glittery finish that you see over the purple (have I ever told y'all I love purple?) part of the boot is my faux stickles.    I brushed on a very light coat just to give it a little bling.    Hey, I gotta get a little bling in, y'all!    I was soooo happy with the outcome of my "steampunk" boot, I hope y'all are too!

As I leave you this afternoon, I leave you with this scripture:

Isaiah 26:3  "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Chapter 26 of Isaiah, in some translations has the title as "A song of Praise".   This song of praise is addressed to God in the form of a prayer, not petitioning God for something, but making a statement to God agreeing with God and proclaiming His work.   The people had honor for God and only God.   Their hope was in God.    Just as our hope is in God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Verse 3 talks of peace.    Perfect peace is a gift from God.    Peace does not come from anyone else or anywhere else.    We can search a lifetime for peace, but we will never find it, till we trust in Him.    When we place our confidence in God, through the Blood of Christ, then we can have peace over the things of this world that tries to steal our joy and contentment.

People are striving for world peace.    You can't mandate peace, you can't legislate peace, you can't make peace a law that has to be followed.    Peace only comes thru that "individual, personal" relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.   Keep your mind on God!   If you don't have a relationship with Christ, you don't have peace.    It's just that simple.    Peace is based on our "steadfast" trust in God.    Do you have enough trust in God to say, "what ever happens, I will trust God"?    That trust produces internal peace, personal peace.    That kind of trust in God, on a personal basis; each individual having peace; CAN bring about peace on a larger scale.    That is the only way this unsettling world will ever know peace.    Individually.   

If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, thank Him for that and the peace that comes from having a relationship with Him.    If you know people that don't have a relationship with Christ; and we all do; put those people on your prayer list.   We also should pray for peace.    The peace that I pray for people to have is the peace that passes all understanding, and it comes only from God.    May you have peace in your heart today and stay focused of God and all He's doing for you, through the Blood of Christ.

Ladybug, I pray that each new day is better than the one before.   Keep on keeping on.   Sweetpea loves you lots and can't wait to see you, soon.

Have a blessed rest of the day, y'all!    God loves you and so do I!   hugs, Patty

Welcome July and Two New Cards

Greetings one and all y'all!!!    God Bless every one of y'all as we go into the month of July and as we celebrate "Independence Day".    What does that day mean to you personally?     I hope, where ever you are, and what ever country you happen to live in, that those words, alone, mean something to you.    Here in the great country of the United States of America, those two words mean an awful lot.    There was much blood shed and loss of life to gain our independence from another great country.    We should never forget that our freedom was purchased at a GREAT price!!!!     I pray that as we go into this holiday weekend, that each and every one of us will take the time to pause and thank God for the blessings that He has bestowed upon this great country!

I made a couple of cards recently for some friends that have been recovering from surgery.    I hope the cards will be an encouragement and uplifting for both of them.   

This is a new stamp set that I ordered.     It is Hello Daisy from JustRite Papercraft that I ordered through Blitsy.

I love the boldness of the flower.   As usual, here lately, I'm trying to use my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

The flower itself, doesn't require much coloring, if you choose to go that route.   After I got the image colored, I used my Studio brand glitter glue, or faux stickles, as I call it.    After all, I just gotta add a little bling.   hahaha

I used my standby Spellbinders die and Cuttlebug to cut and then I inked the edge so it would stand out on the card front.   I also inked the card front ever so slightly with a purple, yeah, my fav color.

I was really happy with this image and I'm sure it will become a favorite of mine.

This is the second card I made using the same stamp.   I used the Sizzix Postage Stamp Die to cut this image.    When I got it cut, I used my Martha Stewart Score Board to make the straight lines just inside the scallops indented a little more than they were.   I am trying to find something else that I like as well as I like the Spellbinders Die, just so they all won't look the same.   Anyway...

I oriented the stamp differently on the front of this card.    I inked the edges and also the raised straight lines inside the scalloped edge.    Then I took some of my liquid pearls and went around the scalloped edge.    I really loved that, it makes it look like lace when you are holding it.

In the center of this flower, after I used my faux stickles all over the flower,I used my glossy accents and covered the center of the flower.  I loved that also.

This is just a close up of the swirly effect of the liquid pearls.  

I really liked this card and I know I will use the stamp more and more.   When I was finished with both cards, I went around the images with a pale blue for this one and a pale gray for the other one.   I love to do that to give a bit of dimension to the stamped image.    Any way, I hope you have enjoyed looking at my latest two cards.

As I leave y'all today,  I would love to share another scripture with you.

Isaiah 41:13 says, "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the One who helps you."

Have you ever thought about holding hands with God?    Maybe you don't, but He does.     God wants to hold our hand with His "right" hand.    There is all power, all strength, all favor, all glory in the Father's right hand.    God is the One who helps you!    God is the One who says to you, "Fear not!"

Recently a sister in Christ asked me where God was at in my early life.    All I could say at the time was, "I don't know".     She asked me if I would like to know.     I said, "I really don't know if I want to know."     On the way home from our visit, I asked God where He was.    This is the response I got that evening while in the kitchen, cleaning up a bit, and in the blink of an eye, the answer was,  ""God spoke to me thru the Holy Spirit and said, "When your hands were clenched, as if making a fist, you weren't;  I was with you, holding your hands!!!""

Picture, if you will, someones hands in a closed manner.    Anyone seeing those hands would assume they had made fists, and getting ready to fight.    Ok, now picture those same hands holding hands with God.    There's no fight in those hands at all.    Just the hands of God holding my hands.    To think that God loves me enough to hold my hands is more than my feeble mind can comprehend.    Thank you God, for loving me and being my El Rohi, "the God of Strength who sees me".

God has held my hands my whole life and I praise Him for that!    I'll bet that God has held your hands too.    There's only two people that I want to hold hands with and that is my husband and God.    Just knowing that God has held my hands in the past, it does not matter what the future brings, because I know He'll hold my hands through it.

I hope and pray that you have a right relationship with Father God, through the blood of Jesus Christ.   If not, then maybe this is the time or the weekend  for you to have an "Independence Day" from sin.   Knowing that your "freedom" from sin was bought and paid for with the blood of Christ.   Christ died for one and all, only once.    One death was sufficient saving grace for me, and everyone before me, and everyone after me.   One death paid the penalty for "all" sin.    But, you don't automatically have the ransom just because you belong to the human race.    You have to acknowledge the sin in your life, repent, and ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life.    He will!    He wants to hold your hand!     Jesus wants to be your, "Fear Not"!    Let Him, you won't be disappointed.    Happy Independence Day!!!!

Ladybug, I hope you are staying cool!    Praying for the days ahead!    I love you bunches and look forward to time with you soon.   Sweetpea loves you!

Where ever you are, what ever country you live in, I pray for all to have a happy and blessed weekend ahead.    God loves y'all and so do I!   hugs, Patty

Happy Sunday....

Hello to all of y'all and "Happy Sunday"!    Do you fell blessed to have the breath of life in you today?   I sure hope so.   I always say that every day I open my eyes after a night of sleep and rest is a "good" day.   If my feet hit the floor, then that's a "great" day.   So, if your feet hit the floor this morning, then my friends, it's a great day.

I got to go to church this morning, that makes it even a greater day.   It's always great to be with our Christian brothers and sisters and spend a bit of time with them and just be in the presence of God and study His Word and worship and praise Him for all He's done in our lives.

I know that each one of us has prayer needs and requests.   There are many in my church that are sick and need lifted in prayer.   Some are going thru illness and have uncertain days ahead of them, and some are in life transitions, and still others just need encouragement.   So I ask you to help me pray for all who need prayer, which in essence is all of us, the planet wide.   We all need prayer.  So my friends, just know that I have been, I am, and I will continue to lift all of you in prayer.   I do have 2 special prayer requests that I ask you to pray specifically for.  Both are young men with illnesses that God is taking care of even as I type this.   One is "K" and one is "M".   Please lift these in prayer.   God knows who they are.

I wanted to share a project with you today.   I think I have mentioned having a small collection of Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.  Well, I keep plodding along and trying my best with them.   I have decided that practice may not make perfect, but it sure can't hurt.  hahaha

This is a kit from Crafters Companion.  They are listed on the left hand side of my blog page.   They have issued 3 projects of the month so far.  My prayer is for them to keep doing that.  You get everything to make a card, all the pieces for it, plus, this one had two markers in it.  I got another kit that had six markers in it.  And then another one that had three markers in it.  

So, I colored my butterfly, best as I could, anyway.   The butterfly was to be purple, so I used the accent pieces that came with the kit to cut different colors of accent pieces.  I used purple and pink cardstock instead of what came with the kit.   I will use what came with the kit on another card.    I also used some clear, square, faceted stones, but I colored them with my SN alcohol markers and got the perfect color stones.  Yay!!!

As you can see, I used my Cuttlebug and an embossing folder on some of the accent pieces.   I love the look of that.   Then I took one of my little ink pads and rubbed it over the top of the embossing to make it pop a little and then I inked the edges a bit, too.

I put a light coat of faux stickles, glitter glue, on top of my butterfly.   For some reason, the camera did not pick up the glitter like it usually does.   My bad.

I still have a time with getting my coloring and blending to the point of seeing a lot light areas amid the darker areas, highlights.   It just looks like one big blob, but hey, I keep trying.  And I keep asking if any of y'all have any suggestions, besides, just "give up".   hahaha   Well, I ain't gonna quit, at least not just yet anyway.   Clicking my purple sparkly shoes together and saying; I "will" get it right, I "will" get it right.............

I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at my project.   I have more in store, so just keep checking back every once in a while, ok.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.   I hope and pray that you will take a minute of two to thank God for all He has done for you in your life.   We must remember, always, that the ground at the foot of the Cross is level for each and every one of us.   No matter your status in life, rich, poor, popular, unknown, millionaire, pauper, free, behind bars, saint, sinner,  we all come to God the Father, the same way, by way of the Cross.   There is no other way known by God, to come to Him, except by and thru Jesus Christ.   I hope and pray that if you don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that you will repent of your sins and ask Jesus Christ to forgive you and to cleanse you and to become Lord of your life from this day forth, to be a living sacrifice for Christ, pointing others to Him, by the way you live.    Living for Christ will not be the easiest thing you've ever done, but....it will be the most rewarding thing you've ever done.

I pray for y'all to have a wonderful rest of the day.   I challenge you to do this:  the next person that you see, with your own eyes, tell that person: "Jesus Christ loves you, and so do I."

Ladybug, I hope and pray today has been a most spectacular day for you!  Sweetpea loves you bunches.

Be blessed, y'all!   God love y'all and so do I.   Till we meet again, right back here, take care.   hugs, Patty

A couple of cards and a story

Good afternoon, Y'all!   I pray you are having a wonderful Thursday afternoon!   It has been raining here and supposed to have more rain tonight.   We had some bad strong storms last night, but fortunately, there was no damage.  I just hope and pray everyone stays safe and sound if you do have storms.

I wanted to share a story and a couple of projects.  It seems like I am getting more and more behind in posting my projects.  I'm trying though.  ggg

Papaw and His Tobacco

Papaw always chewed tobacco, smoked a pipe or rolled his own little cigar/cigarette type thingies.  He would take a piece of newspaper and tear off a perfect square, about 4inch by 4 inch.  He went through the same ritual every time for making his cigarettes.  He grew his own tobacco. Like most farmers, he sold the majority of his crop to get by till the next season.  But he always kept back for himself, some of the best leaves of tobacco.  With some of those big beautiful brown leaves he would make two or three or more big twists.  I know some of you have seen those and know what I am speaking of.  He really could make a fine twist.  I remember watching him make a twist and just be fascinated that he could do that.  I still really don't know how he done it.  He always told me it was magic.  To me, it really was.

He would save a few leaves for drying till there was NO moisture in them at all and then he would start pulverizing it with his thumb in an old cigar box he had.   That was the tobacco he used to put in his pipe or to roll cigar or cigarette.  If he made a cigar, he would use a brown paper bag and cut out about a 4inch by 5 inch piece.  It was just fascinating to watch him do that.  Now, if he was just gonna enjoy what he called a “chaw” of tobacco, then he would reach way down in his pocket and pull out his knife and then open his tobacco drawer on the desk that he sat by every night.  It had had tobacco in it for so many years that I don't think a stink bug could have had a chance of survival in that drawer.  But he would pull out one of those big beautiful twists and ever so gently, cut off a “plug” about the size of the end of his thumb.

I was sitting at his feet one day when I was six or seven years old, maybe younger, and had never tasted any of that stuff.  I said, “Papaw, what does that stuff taste like?”  He said, “candy.”  Mamaw was sitting in her old fashioned wooden rocking chair.  The back of it had some scroll work in it.  You could tell by looking at it that it was very old, but well cared for.  She was rocking and looked up, and said, “Jerry, cut that out!”  I asked papaw what she meant.  He said, “She's afraid you'll want some of my candy.”  I asked him,“Can I, can I have a piece of your candy?” Mamaw said, “So help me Jerry, I'll take a broom to you!  I've done it before, and you know I'll do it again, if I have too!”  He laughed really big all the while cutting me a little “chaw”.  Before she could stop me, I popped that plug of tobacco in my mouth and started chewing and swallowing because I didn't want her to stick her finger in my mouth and get it.

Papaw was sitting there watching me real closely.  His eyes started to get big and then he started laughing and I think that was about the time I started turning green.  I got so sick, boy did I ever get sick.  Mamaw ranted and raved.  Papaw said, “Now Etta, you know she'll never ask for another “chaw” as long as she lives.”  Mamaw said, “Well, you can deal with her mother!”  Papaw said, “her momma likes me, there won't be anything to deal with.”

Well, yes, my momma did like papaw.  No question about that. But...she did not like the fact that he made me sick, brought me home, and then she had to deal with all the vomiting!!

The next time I was up there papaw asked me if I wanted some more candy.  I got up went outside on the porch and got the broom carried it inside, handed it to mamaw, and said, “here, you do it, you can hit harder than I can!”  They both laughed and laughed and finally I did too.  Not knowing why I was laughing, I just knew I did not want any more of his old “Candy”!!!!!( written by pjg,2013)

Hahahaha!!!   Just another "fun little piece"...

I said earlier I was way behind in posting a lot of projects, but I do have two cards to share with y'all today.  One is a "thank you" card and the other one is a"thinking of you" card.  I enjoyed making these two cards a lot.  I hope you enjoy looking at them.

This is the first card I wanted to show y'all.   The background is a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Chicken Wire.   I love that folder!   When I embossed the background I took  a dry metallic silver ink pad and rubbed it over the embossing and it left just enough color to make the embossing pop.   I had started to toss out that dry pad many times, but hadn't, I am so glad I didn't toss it.

I have been hoping it would come to me where this design file of the "wisteria vine" came from.  I can't remember who had it as a freebie, but I will gladly put their name on here if someone can help jog my memory.  I'm really sorry I don't remember, because I LOVE this cut file!  It is amazing!  ***Update: the freebie wisteria file came from EINNEJ.  She is in the list of blogs that I follow on the right.  Click on the link that goes to her blog. It is on the FREE SVG FILES page in the left hand column.***

The little tag is cut from a Sizzix  die.  It is a square die, but I made a rectangle out of it by cutting the square and then lining the scallops up about two or three scallops up and re-cut it.  So, that made a really neat size to put my sentiment on.

After I got my wisteria vine glued to the background, I used my faux stickles to put a little "bling" on my flowers and a little on the leaves.  It was just enough to really gussie it up.

This is the second card I wanted to you.   This was a cute little stamp and I colored it with my Marvy Uchida LePlume alcohol markers.   As you can see, I am not the greatest with the alcohol markers, yet, but I am having fun and trying, anyway.  Her makeup looks kinda like mine.  hahaha   But, I thought she was a little cutie.

Here is the completed card.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  I used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the background layer.  I used a fuchsia ink pad to highlight the edges of the cut image and then floated it over the top of the background layer to highlight the embossed image.  Then I popped some little pre-made embellishments on each corner for the bling effect..

I hope you enjoy what you have seen here this afternoon.   If so, tell a friend.

As I leave you this afternoon, I want to ask you a question, "Are you  a missionary?"   The first thing that might pop into your mind is "No, I'm not a missionary."   We sometimes think of the global arena when we think of missionaries.   Or we may even focus on a continent.   We may even think of a country.   But if you are a follower of Christ, you ARE a missionary right where you are.  Don't let that scare you at all.  But, when we are out and about, doing what we do on our usual days, we can be certain that we are on the mission field.  Look around, and look deeper than the smiles on the faces.  Ask God to allow you to see what He sees.  When we look at the world around us, through the filter of what breaks God's heart, we can see a whole heap of hurt around us at all times.  The best thing that you can do is to just start praying for God to use you when ever He see's fit.   2 Timothy 4:2 says:"Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching."

Proclaiming the message is as simple as saying, "God loves you!"   Keep saying it.   How inconvenient was it for Jesus Christ to face the Cross for my sin and yours.   Think about it.  I'm sure that was one thing that He would rather not have done.  After all, He was fully human.  So, it was with great pain and agony that He faced the cross.  But He did it for me.   He did it for you.  He did if for ALL humanity.  Tell someone you know what Jesus Christ has done for you.  When you  do that, you are proclaiming the "Message"!   Thank God that we can be in a right relationship with Him, all because of the obedience of Jesus Christ!

Have a blessed rest of the day and tell someone Jesus loves them.

Hey, Sweetpea loves Ladybug!

God loves y'all and so do I.  Many hugs and much love, Patty

February Swaps

Good afternoon, y'all!    I pray that y'all are having a wonderful, fun filled and crafty day!    It has been raining here in my neck of the woods most of the day, with lots of heavy wind.    Seems like when it's rainy, I kinda have a rainy mood.    So, the best place for me today is right here, getting caught up with some projects for y'all to see.    I have been busy here lately, but today, has really been a lazy day for me.    I think I have been trying to refuel, since a great weekend.    We had a very full day at church yesterday.    It was just a great day to be in the presence of the Lord!    So, today has been a slow day, with plans for a busy week ahead.

I have gotten all my swaps for the month of February in the mail, some have already reached their destinations and some are still in the mail system hoping to be received tomorrow.    I made a card, a tag, artist trading cards, and ornament.   I did make pics of course, and I want to share them with you.

The above two pics are of my atc.   It was supposed to be "pastels" in hopes of Spring being just around the corner.    I stamped my image in Memento london fog, which is gray.   Then I used my water color pencils and a blender pen.    I stamped my sentiment and when all was dry, I took three of my little Studio ink disks and just lightly touched the edges all around to color the background and then I used a lot of my glitter glues to get the bling going.   hahaha  Gotta bling!

The above three pics are of the "green and Spring" card swap.    So the green is my background and I also used my green water color pencil on her dress.    I used a new stamp I had just gotten, and I do love the elegance of her.   I stamped the sentiment, added a little bling and then I brushed the whole layer of the lady with a coat of Deco Art Glamour Dust, Ice Crystal Paint.   Love, love, love it!    It is a new product I had just gotten and I will be using it a lot!    I put a couple of purchased stickers and some stick on gems.    If you will notice in the pic below, I also added some hand made flowers.   The flowers were cut with a die that is about the size of my thumbnail.   Then I used a quilling tool to roll the tiny flower and glued it.    Then I cut the little leaves to go with the flowers.    They really are so tiny.    I will make a pic of the flower with a dime and show you later on.    Click on the pics to enlarge and hopefully you can see the tiny flowers better.

This is a pic of all my swaps together.    I hope you can see the tiny flowers on the card above.    There is an ornament between the card and the atc.   That is the ornament I made for the ornament swap.    I'm in this with a friend and we do this each month and we are having a great time with these.    The ones I have been making are themed for the year and I'm calling them "Victorian Ornaments".    I am searching for victorian style, free images and using them for my ornaments.    I love them and they are fun to make.   This one was to have a tea pot on it for a sign of "hospitality".    It is two sided, with a diff pic on the back.   I am so mad at me, that I did not get a pic of the ornament by itself.   I could just smack myself.

The above four pics are of my tag swap.    It is the brick wall technique.   I have already showed you one that I had done earlier for another swap that had gotten lost in the mail and the purple one was a replacement for my friend.    This is the one for this months swap.    I am so in love with technique!    I cut my tag on my Cameo Silhouette.    It is from the Silhouette Store.    I enlarged it and cut two layers and ran a layer through my 5 inch Xyron and stuck the two layers together.    I lightly inked the edges of the tag with a brown ink disk.   Then I took a piece of white Georgia Pacific paper and stamped my crackled background with olive green and then I stamped my rose.   I colored the rose with several diff colors of water color pencils.  After it was dry,  I cut it in brick fashion, being careful not to loose the placement of each piece.   After I got it glued down and that dried, I then added a little faux stickles for sparkle and bling.   I stamped my sentiment and then put my ribbons and threads through the loop and it was finished.   Then I had fun with my GooseBumps!    I just love the Goosebumps!    I loved making this months swaps!    I hope you enjoyed looking at them.

As I leave you this evening I ask, "What have you done today?"   Has today been important to you in any way?    Every Sunday at church, one of our Ministry Leaders will ask the congregation what today is?    There is one faithful saint that he will always call on to tell him what today is.   She will always say, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will be glad and rejoice in it." Psalm 118:24

I pray that y'all have been able to say that you have been glad and rejoiced in today!    Every day is not going to be a perfect day, or live up to our expectations.   But, when we have a proper perspective on every day, we can always find something great in it.   Every day of your life and mine has been given to us by the Creator of the day!!!    I don't know about y'all, but I cherish that!   God created the universe in an orderly and reasonable manner.   Much thought went into creation.    With that in mind, have we all been glad and rejoiced in this day?    I sure hope so!    God really had all of us in mind when he spoke the universe into existence!    Let's determine in ourselves, that we will be glad and rejoice in every day that God allows us to be a part of!   Sounds like a plan!

God bless y'all!   Thanks for stopping by and I hope y'all make plans to visit again, soon.

Hugs and much love, Patty

New Project

Well, howdy doody, Y'all!   It seems like it has been forever since I updated my blog.   For that, I do apologize.   Sometimes I get busy and don't mean to neglect it, but y'all know, it just happens.   I do believe that's what we call, "life getting in the way".   And, that's totally ok.

In my neck of the woods, we have been in a deep freeze.   Kinda like being in a freezer for a couple of weeks.   On January 25th it was really cold.  How cold was it?   It was just a smidgen bit below 0*.   I jumped outta bed and ran thru the house to check the thermometer on the deck and I almost fainted.   I grabbed my coat, sandals and camera.   Have camera, will shoot! 

I have been trying to sleep and keep one eye on the thermometer.  hahaha   That is making me tired.   These temps are NOT the norm from where I come from.   The way I see it, it kinda shoots down the "global warming" theory.   My theory is this,  God is gonna do what God wants to do.  We can blame it on global warming or we can say, "Ok God, YOU are in control, and we are along for the ride."   I'm lovin' the ride!   How 'bout you?

Well, in between watching the thermometer and napping, ggg, I have been working on some projects.   I thought I would share a small project with you.   I have had a great time working on this.   I am working on a set of Victorian style ornaments.   Just doing a month at a time.   I used a cereal box and covered both sides with glitter cardstock that I run thru my 5 inch xyron and then cut them out.   I used my sizzix ornaments dies and cut the glittered ornaments with my cuttlebug.   Then I found some free Victorian style images  and cut them out with my little scissors.   Most of the time now, I will cut them with my Cameo, but if I forget and print them before I have brought the images into my software, then I will just cut them by hand.   After I get the images stuck to the both sides of my ornaments, then I will bling them up with my glitter glue, faux stickles.   Well, here they are, I hope you enjoy them.

I took some old seam binding and made some hanging loops.   I also took a sharpie marker and went all around the edges of the ornaments to hide the white edges.   I am really loving making these ornaments.  I have a couple more months of ornaments in the works.    Keep an eye open for them to show up here before long.   I actually have several projects to show you in the next few weeks.

That's about it for tonight.  But, before I leave you tonight, I would like to take the opportunity to tell you again that God loves you!   The love that God has for His creation; us, is the ultimate Valentine!   There is no greater love than the love that God has for us, through the blood of Jesus Christ!   Christianity has been described as "one beggar telling another beggar where the Bread is".   We are the beggars sharing the message of Christ with other other beggars.   Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life that we are sharing!   Do you know someone in your circle of influence that needs to know about the Bread of Life?   If you do, please share.   Remember, someone once shared the Bread of Life with you.   I can't think of a better way to share a Valentine this year, than to tell someone that God loves them.

Stay warm, y'all!   God loves y'all and so do I!  hugs, Patty