Make a Difference

 …let our songs with joy resound, - The glory, Lord, be Thine. 

Every month, I participate in a little challenge between friends, Just For Fun. This month Alli Miles selected a Unity image that she liked and asked a few of us to give it a whirl. Myself, Kim Hughes, Julie Campbell and Michele Boyer took on the challenge and paired it with some Graphic 45 Hot Tomato paper that Carole Burrage liked and was so sweet to send. That’s how we do the Just for Fun challenge. I can’t wait to see how their projects turned out. I know they’ll be fabulous.

I stamped my bird from the Unity July Kit of the Month on kraft cardstock, cut with a Spellbinders die, inked the edges with a cream chalk ink and proceeded to cover it with several layers of ultra-thick embossing powder (UTEE).  I love how UTEE gives your images an epoxy look, like an enamel charm or glass window.

Then it was time for a sentiment. Months and months ago, my friend Sandy Redburn from Crafty Secrets (no one does vintage quite like Sandy!) had a beautiful old hymn as a free download on her blog. It’s been sitting on my desktop just waiting to be printed and live out it’s days on a crafty creation. Yesterday was that day.  I loved it so much, that I might do it again. The sentiment that shows reads, “..let our songs with joy resound, - The glory, Lord, be Thine.” from the original song, “Sing Joyfully, Sing Cheerily”.

The patterned paper, the bird, the sentiment tag, Prima flowers and of course, buttons were layered onto a Blush Red, and then a Suede Dark Brown Chocolate square, both from Prism. All the layers were stitched snug and mounted on a 5.25″ square Kraft card.

I wasn’t originally digging the image/paper pairing, but I am loving how this turned out.  Now I just need to find more of that Graphic 45 paper.

• Stamp: folksy bird - July Kit of the Month - Unity Stamp Company 
• Cardstock: Kraft, Blush Red Dark, Suede Dark Brown - Prism & Hot Tomato - Graphic 45 
• Ink: Rich Cocoa - Memento, Old Paper Distress - Ranger, Cream - Papertrey Ink 
• Accs: flowers - Prima, buttons - PTI, sheet music download - Crafty Secrets 

A while back, I used some of my Vintage Stickers from Crafty Secrets to  make a short series of get well quick cards. I love how they paired with Kraft card stock for a sweet salutation. Last weekend, I used the Vintage Cuts to make another 8 quick cards focusing on girlfriends and general happliness. With quick witted sayings and darling vintage art, I’m happy to send these out for a quick hello. My favorite sentiment set to go with these quick cuts is Card Sentiments from Crafty Secrets. Hopefully by mass producing…I’ll actually send them. :)  (short supply at the bottom)

I’m going to keep the blah, blah short. I have to play my roll as Mom Taxi in just a few short minutes. Have a great day!

• Cardstock: Kraft Card Stock - Stampin’ Up!, Early Bird - Cosmo Cricket, Bloom & Grow - My Mind’s Eye, Vintage Paper - Crafty Secrets
• Ink: Brown Memento & Sand VersaMagic - Tsukineko
• Stamps: Crafty Secrets sentiments - various sets - but this is one of my faves: Card Sentiments
• Accs: Buttons, buttons, buttons, prima flowers, ribbon, Spica Glitter Pen - Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Woo-hoo for fabulously fast sketches. We got one from Sharon today for the Weekend Sketch Challenge. This came together quickly with Stampin’ Up! patterned paper  and Garden Theme Creative Scraps from Crafty Secrets. The sentiment is from a stamp set called Card Sentiments, also from Crafty Secrets.

I actually made a few of these, and despite the simplicity, I love them.

You can see other sketch samples from my Girl Fridays: Cambria, Charmaine and Jenn. Laurie and Mary Jo are posting a little later today.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love the Weekend Sketch Challenges. Check the link below for the sketch. Create and link. It’s that easy.

This card was made with a small set from Crafty Secrets called Chandelier Fun.  I had fun making this one. I used some of my new Everlasting patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket and Kraft cardstock. The bulbs were colored on white with Copic Markers (YR21 & YR31) then glittered. I also used my Pebbles chalk (pale yellow) behind the popped up bulbs. They have a subtle glow about them.

We’re getting ready for a garage sale in a couple of weeks so this weekend will be filled with closet purging, little sticky dots all over everything and lots of ‘I don’t want to get rid of that!’ whining. Hopefully, you’ll find a more exciting kind of fun with your free time!

The last VSN Challenge that I got to participate in yesterday over at Splitcoast was called Bittersweet. The idea was to take a stamp set (or product) that you weren’t sure about and roll with it. Give it some love. Well, I’ve never been bittersweet about Crafty Secrets and these Vintage Stickers are no exception.

But, I just never felt like I could do anything great with them. I always got really uptight about the whites matching or the creams matching….the answer? … Kraft Cardstock, friends.

Guess who is going to be ordering more of these sweet Vintage Stickers from Crafty Secrets?

I’m feeling so much better! And, without the challenge, who knows how much longer I would have waited to work with these gems?! So, step out of your comfort zone - try something new - you’ll ‘feel better soon’. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

• Stamps: Feeling Yucky (Crafty Secrets)
• Cardstock: Kraft Cardstock (Prism) and patterened paper from my fave October Afternoon
• Ink: Black Tuxedo Memento & White Versa Magic Chalk
• Accs: Prima Flowers  & Embroidery Floss

I’ve decided I can’t add anything else to this card… snort… It’s been sitting on my desk for days. I don’t know why I’m so charmed with these cottages? I don’t know if I’ve ever even been in a ‘cottage’? More Urban Prairie, more bling, more COPICS! I love this cheery palette in the dead of winter. Edited to add: This charming cottage is part of Home Sweet Home from Crafty Secrets. I’m sorry I neglected to mention that in my original post today.

Speaking of Copics… check this out!  I used random.org to find a winner for the Copic Candy post. Look what I got:

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2009-01-07 17:14:56 UTC

A lucky number ONE! Who said:

1. Elizabeth S. Says:
   January 5th, 2009 at 11:08 am eI have this set myself and she is just adorable!! There are so many options with these sets. Thanks for the opportunity to win some more copics but being the first it doesn’t happen very often.

Well, it happened today! Send me your snail mail, Elizabeth. I’ll get these Copics in the mail to you! Thanks for all of the warm hellos and sweet comments.

Tomorrow is a very special day - I’ll be back early…I can’t wait! 

Check out this new set of cottage stamps from Crafty Secrets. I love the vintage-y feel and cleaner lines for coloring. Crafty Secrets is having a sale right now, as well. You can choose a small stamp set for free when you spend $25. WOW! You can read about how to take them up on that sweet offer HERE.

Colored with Copic Markers and layered with Basic Grey Bittersweet papers and brads that I got when I was having a ‘retail therapy’ moment…ok, it was a whole day. One of my other purchases that day was a reversible blaze orange/black coat to wear out in the elements when Wes decides it’s time to do something like this again.  Yes, I live an exciting life. LOL!

Wes and I are hosting a missionary couple that we pray for and some friends from the community tonight for dessert and to hear about the couple’s mission work. They have wonderful jobs with Campus Crusade for Christ and the Jesus Film Project.  That said, I’ve still got the Christmas ‘piles’ sitting around that need to be shuffled and dealt with.

Have a great day!

• Stamps:  Home Sweet Home - Crafty Secrets
• Cardstock: Rasberry Splash Bazzill solid and Bittersweet Basic Grey
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Accs: Copic Markers, Bittersweet Basic Grey decorative brads, Spica Glitter Pen, trim - unknown