JOYFUL LAMB BAPTISM CARDS

We had baptisms in the afternoon at church this Sunday, so it was an extremely busy and tiring day with a service in the morning too and food etc to prepare, but I wouldn't miss a baptism at our church for anything even when I feel so weak and useless as I did yesterday. But at least I had a good reason to make some cards over the weekend LOL

My friend Angeline asked me to make 3 cards for her. The first one was for a male baptism candidate so no bling on this one! I like the texture on this card which was achieved using a Cuttlebug embossing folder...

I used an old rubber stamp by Stampendous (1994) of a very joyful leaping lamb for all three cards. I started with this image and the three cards kind of evolved from there! I cut a template for the clouds from scrap card and sponged the sky with china blue distress ink, the grass was created with a little grass stamp and distress inks, I used my Promarkers to colour the rest of the image and I used a Zig fine pen to create the flying birds.

For this one I used one of my my Marrianne Design Anja oval dies for the background and a punched cross which I added clear gems to, I was gonna add gems to the background but it just didn't look right. Each of the cards had the same computer generated sentiment.

I used my Martha Stewart lace border punch for this one and added some bling, think I will use this layout a lot in future its simple but effective. All three cards were based on a folded A5 white hammer card blank, 

I chose blues and aqua colours on each card (I had water on my mind LOL) 

I love the way each one turned out a little different but had the same image, that's a bit like the three people who were baptised, each of them were individual very different people but they had all found the same God, all filled with joy and so blessed at their baptism. I havent felt well for some time and struggled yesterday with a real lack of strength which to be honest really got to me. but I wouldn't have missed this baptism for anything, it was well worth the extra effort to see how God changes peoples lives.

CHALLENGES

I have entered these cards in the following challenges, although they are very simple cards some of them still meet the criteria, I will share the cards I made for kev and I to give in the next post

SOUTHERN GIRLS CHALLENGE  #56 Animal Crackers

BROWN SUGAR CHALLENGE  #13Anything Goes

FUSSY AND FANCY CHALLENGE  #74 Anything Goes

STAMPIN' FOR THE WEEKEND CHALLENGE  #20 Anything Goes

DO YA STACK UP CHALLENGE #95 Embossing (entering the first card which is embossed)

Psalm 91

Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so.... my dad used to sing that little song to me when I was very young. The bible is the most encouraging, inspiring, amazing book that anyone could ever read. And on top of that, to know the God of the Bible in a living vibrant and personal way is beyond description.

 Sometimes God uses a scripture from the bible to speak deeply within our very spirit, to give us hope, faith and the trust we need to know that even though we are going through a rough time He will be our refuge, our source of strength and peace in the battles of life.

I made this centre step card for a special couple who are going through such a time. But they'rer facing it all with faith, turning to their God for strength and healing.

I am entering this card into some challenges..

'ABC' challenge (all beautiful cards)  New to You! 

well that little Marianne Design bird die is my newest die and my first use of it.

ALLSORTS challenge, they ask for Autumn Colours, well this copper and brown ticks that box!

CHALLENGES4EVERYBODY Anything Goes

The scripture on the front of the card is from a rubber stamp set by Our Daily Bread Designs, they in my opinion produce the best Scripture stamps available worldwide, 

I just wish I could afford more sets!

I wanted to show images of wings in the back ground to represent the feathers (echoing the verse inside the card...He will cover you with His feathers... computer generated)  

I stamped some wings from my psx bluebird and a small eagle stamps onto the front and back of vellum in cocoa brown ink, This allowed the wing image to reverse! then I attached the vellum to the card. 

I used my Spellbinders Parisian accent and motif dies for the copper coloured die cuts, and a scalloped circle for the stamped image.

To finish the card off I used my Marianne Design bird die, I cut it on cream card and used the die as a stencil with the cocoa brown ink, the leaves above are the same die turned round without the little bird.

Pretty Team Teddy Easel Card

I am really getting onto the flow with these easel cards! 

I needed to make a card for my friend Stephanie so here's the card I created for her and the Penny Black & Friends Saturday Challenge for the October challenge they have set a sketch which I have followed...

Embelishments and sentimenrts may be placed wherever I wish but I left it without a sentiment as I think my friend will want to leave this out on show for a while or even frame it!

I started to make this over a week ago but have been poorly and just not well enough to think straight!

I intended this card to be entered into a challenge that called for paper piecing, therefore I pieced the teddy arm, the gift, then the ribbon and bow and the tag on the gift then I used glossy accents on the bow to make the ribbon shine!

Here's the easel card opened up and showing the inside too. I wanted the sweet image of the teddy and the rose paper to really be the focal point of this card so kept embelishments to a minimum.

The image is a Penny Black stamp 3981K Team Teddy, 

I coloured  it with Promarkers. I have only used half of the image, masking off the other little creatures 

as there wasn't enough room for all of them to fit within the circle. 

I love the feminine feel of this card, it's just right for the friend it's intended for!

thanks for looking

I'm a Winner

YAY \o/ just found out that I have won a $10 gift certificate for the StampFairy.com (linked) my forever friends baby easel card was a winner on the  ABC CHALLENGE (linked) Y is for chromosome! male card. I am so pleased, I have been quite poorly this week and this was a nice surprise to cheer me up,  I have been over to the Stamp Fairy blog to take a look at their images, and to my delight they have a doggy that looks just like my Lulu (she is a West Highland Terrier) here's a link to the doggy images so I will choose the one with the ball as one of my purchases. this will make some fab cards to her friends!
Thank You to the ABC Challenge blog design team for choosing my card as one of the winners.

I have just signed up for Pinterest! I was a bit worried at first as it said I gave permission for it to post for me??? but then thought oh well if it gets me some sales in my Etsy shop then its worth it. If anyone has had a real good experience with Pinterest or Etsy I would value some advice please!
I have lowered the prices of most of my cards for a season just to see if it's the price that is stopping sales or that I am using the wrong place for my store. I am creating a very sweet easel card for a friend that will fit a few challenges so hope to be back soon when its finished and photographed
Have a good week everyone and remember don't just be blessed be a blessing too, what goes around comes around my mother used to say! what that really means is you reap what you sow!!!

thanks for popping by

House Mouse Strawberries Easel Card

Kev and I were invited to have a meal with friends from church a couple of weeks ago. Margaret is a fabulous cook and we really enjoyed the food and fellowship. 

When thinking of making a suitable thank you card I couldn't resist this House Mouse stamp as we had strawberries for dessert which were a sheer delight, strawberries are my absolute favourite fruit!

I had fun putting a little red on his lips to represent the strawberries he has eaten lol

I am entering this little easel card over at the  

PENNYBLACKATALLSORTS Challenge blog this months challenge is "AnimalMagic" 

they are asking for guest DT's so fingers crossed!

ANYTHING GOES challenge blog also have animals as their theme so entering this card there too

It's quite a simple card but sometimes less is more! it gave me the chance to try out my three new Promarkers which I bought to colour some robins!

unfortunately the photography isn't that good as it was photographed in very late light

I tried to fix it but it's still not as nice as in real life!

Thanks for looking xx

I am feeling so rough today, I have been having a lot of health issues which have been a real test for me. I have been off work since may and still no sign of returning ;o( Now on top of all that I have a poorly chest now and a cough that will not ease. I have only had just about 1 hours sleep in total in the last 24 hours.
But having said all that I am grateful for the way my God has brought me closer to Him. I'ts been a real storm for us, like a whirlwind disrupting everything and bringing chaos. Kev's arm is broken it's an old fracture that has not mended and needs an operation and because of it he lost his job! finances have been a struggle but we are trusting God in it all.  all I can say is "thank you God" for placing us in a good loving supporting church where we can be who we are and accepted and loved and encouraged to trust God in all circumstances! that reminds me... I heard a comment on UCB radio which really spoke into the situation. it went  something like this....
Through the storms of life God does one of two things.....He either calms the storm or He calms His child.
I can testify that this is true, sometimes I have felt so calm within at the centre of this storm but at other times the storm has become a place of peace when I struggled with receiving His peace myself! It's a season we must walk through but all seasons end! Thank You Lord for your grace and love and strength xx


Psalm 36:5-9 says

Your love, Lord reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord,preserve both people and animals.
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house
you give them drink from your river of delight
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

Cute Forever Friends Baby Easel Card

I am creating some new designs for my Etsy shop 
(to see items for sale use the link in the sidebar) 

I am real pleased with my progress. Here's my latest baby card design.....

The Forever Friends bear image is quite large and easy to colour with Promarkers. 
I was really surprised with its size when I bought it.I just wish I was quicker in designing new cards, I seem to pfaff around for ages, is everyone else like that?
I am entering this card into 2 challenge that are new to me...
I have just found a challenge blog called 
ANYTHING GOES CHALLENGE BLOG #77 animal
Well this cute bear is an animal!
ABC CHALLENGE BLOG y is for chromosome!
in other words a male card! well although this card is lemon coloured
that little baby bear is a male named Ethan Paul!

I can add a personal message or birth details as above to this card, 

which easily makes it into a wonderful keepsake.This easel card is also available as a Christening or adoption card or even a card for new grandparents!

and alernative colours of pink, blue, lilac, as well as this sample in lemon. 

Although the cradle hood and frill will be mainly white with a coloured bow.

I am thinking through how to make a similar card especially for the older sibling, I have seen "Big Sister"or "Big Brother" cards available on the internet and think this image would lend itself nicely 

I just don't know how popular they are?

so what do ya think?

PSX Botanicals Pansy

I used my PSX Botanicals Pansy stamp this afternoon to create another centre step card. I am so pleased with the finished card, it turned out even better than I imagined. so why don't I use this image more often I ask myself? I love my PSX Botanical stamps, most of them were a gift from mother,

I am entering this card into some challenges.....

CREATIVE CARD CREW Purple! errr yes theres plenty of purple ;o)

CUTE CARD THURSDAY Lotsa Ribbon! I have a large bow plus ribbon under the licalc braid ;o)

PAPERTAKE WEEKLY Anything Goes! Happy 5th Birthday Papertake \o/

CHARISMA CARDZ Badda bling! yes I have clear ab gems blinging on the image and the sentiment ;o)

click on the underlined title to go to the 

I layered the pansy image decoupage style once I had coloured it with Promarkers, the wonderful thing about this pansy image is the multitude of different ways to colour it as pansy's come in an array of colours. The photographs do nut display the purple coloured background as the actual colour it is! it seems a lot more blue than the mauvey purple it really is!

Centre Step Card Penny Black Primp Cat

Hello everyone from a cold and wet seaside town in North West England brrrrrrr. Well there's always something to be thankful for........I dont live near a flooded river and at least I have something to do when the weather is too yuk to go out :o)

I have been looking at different card shapes and having a go at my own take on them. So this week I made a centre step card. I found it quite easy to make, it just consists of two cuts and some measured scoring. Then its up to you how to decorate it with papers etc. I did however, make up my own measurements so that it fitted into a 6"x6" envelope and so that the framed image fitted nicely in the centre of the card. 

I am entering this card into the following challenges....

CHARISMA CARDZ Badda bling challenge

STAMPIN' FOR THE WEEKEND Feeling Floral challenge

PAPERTAKE WEEKLY Anything Goes 

(click on the pink challenge name to go to their blogs)

I needed to make a card anyway as I had been asked to make a card for the daughter of a friend.

The birthday girl is an excellent card maker so no pressure there then LOL.

 The stamp I used is by Penny Black, 3965k "Primp" I coloured it with Promarkers then 3D decoupaged some of the image, (paws, ribbon, mirror, perfume). I added some clear AB gems to the pin tops, mirror, perfume bottle and to the name on the sentiment to bling it up.

I love the colour combo of black and white with a touch of another colour like pink here or perhaps lime green. the lovely backing papers are by Papermania. The frame is by spellbinders, I had to cut off the heart at top and bottom so that it would fit into position. I finished off the card with flowers, ribbons and a couple of pale pink pearls. I have a sentiment stamped inside the card but didn't take a photo before I delivered it. duh!!!

Looking at the photo's now I wish I had added a couple more of the punched flowers to the sides or perhaps small butterflies but I am pleased with how this turned out and so was my friend!I think I may try a side step card next but I have to say it does look a lot more fiddly to cut/score! all advice appreciated!

Thanks for looking!