Thanks So Much Mixed Media

I have a mixed media thank you card for you today using some of my Want2Scrap® staples.  I first took a neutral patterned paper and water colored it randomly.  I then stamped the Penny Black’s Floral Applique stamp along the bottom using Clearsnap inks.

I covered Want2Scrap’s Nestaboard Labels Eleven (using Spellbinders‘ Labels 11 dies) and Chipboard Clouds with patterned papers, then inked the edges. I painted the Chipboard Houses with DecoArt gesso, then placed a Heart Bling. I adhered them right on the seam. I glued a piece of SRM Sticker doily on the bottom. The sentiment, adorned with Want2Scrap Baby Bling white pearls, is also by SRM Sticker. Finally, I added the corduroy button stringed with burlap twine.

Challenges: Colour Me...1, Vintage Stamping.
Want2Scrap® Products for Mixed Media Thank You Card:

• Chipboard Clouds
• Chipboard Houses
• Nestaboard Labels Eleven
• Heart Bling
• Baby Bling white pearls

Other Products:

• Clearsnap inks
• Spellbinders‘ Labels 11 dies
• DecoArt gesso
• SRM Sticker doily and sentiment
• Penny Black’s Floral Applique stamps
• Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L E-Z Runner and foam squares
• Crate Paper patterned papers
• Water colors
• Corduroy button
• Burlap twine

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Mother's Day CAS cards with Freebie

I have tons of mother's day cards for you all that uses my FREEBIE sentiments that you can find HERE. Here they are in yellows.

In pinks:

And a few close-ups of my favorites.

The papers are from various companies: Crate Paper, Graphic 45, and October Afternoon.

The pearls are by Want2Scrap, twine by the Twinery.

I hope you all have a great weekend, esp those of you who are moms! Happy mother's day! :)

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Vintage Cards with Quietfire Designs Cut Files

I am guest posting for Quietfire Designs this month. Today, I am highlighting the QFD cut files that you can purchase HERE. These cut files are so delicate and I was afraid my Silhouette wouldn't cut them right, but was I wrong! I love their elegant design and they make a great focal point.

My first card uses the Friend cut file and is vintage shabby with girly pink all over.  The doily is by SRM Stickers. I also embellished with a Spellbinders Moroccan die cut, Want2Scrap pearls, paper flower and seam binding.

My second card is also vintage shabby, but milder on the girly scale (just my style). This time the focal point is the lovely Thank You cut file. I did some distressing and stitching on the edges and placed buttons to matched the strip of patterned paper (from Crate Paper's Maggie Holmes collection).

I think this is the first time in a while that I didn't do any stamping on my cards. With these stunning Quietfire Design cut files, I didn't need to. The cut files added more dimension and a different look from my usual stamped cards. And I love the results! On Friday, I have another guest post for another favorite company that offers so many different products I love.

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Destashing and Reflecting on Life

I have another destashing card today using the same Crate Paper pad I used on THIS and THIS post. My card is fairly simple. I used my Penny Black's Blooming Tags. The main image is watercolored. I also used a little bit of stitching, a white twill tape, paper flower and Want2Scrap pearls, which I colored with Copics to match my card base and main image.

Here is a close up of the tag. The flowers match the paper better in person and I'm not sure why the photos didn't quite capture that. The sentiment is from PB Special Wishes set.

On a different note, I have received several encouraging notes and emails about MY POST from the beginning of the year. Thank you all for reaching out and sharing your stories with me. I have always wanted my blog to be more than just a card inspiration. As I was evaluating again where I am since 3 months have passed since the beginning of 2014, I have to say nothing much has changed in the are of my designing life. I am just enjoying making cards and trying new things (like playing with my Silhouette Cameo!). I am filling my days with enjoying my family, reading and studying, getting crafty with my girls, cooking and spending personal time with friends over coffee.

I recently read a couple of articles that convicted my oft-wandering heart, encouraged me in my sometimes unsure direction regarding my design work, and altogether really ministered to my soul. I hope you will find them useful as well, as you juggle so many responsibilities in this wonderful thing called life. :)

I Have All the Time in the World - How many times have I said here on my blog and FB page that I'm busy. It is true, but I have to re-think how I use that word from now on. I do have lots of things to do (who doesn't?), but I don't want anybody to ever feel afraid to ask or think they're inconveniencing me, if there is anything they need from me. Of course, I have to prioritize (my family comes fist!) since I am only human and can only do so much, but I hope that I'm not perceived as unapproachable, esp by those whom God has brought to my life: my family, friends, neighbors and church. I echo the author's words, "I’m not busy. I have all the time I need to accomplish the things the Lord has called me to."

Women, Work and Our Crisis of Identity - this one really hits home for me. I think the biggest disappointment for me for slowing down on my design work is my own self-assessment that somehow my worth is less because I make less money. Believe me, I do miss the regular income, but my job description doesn't, shouldn't, define who I am. And I am, above all things, a follower of Christ. Even the sweet title of wife and mom do not compare to this. My worth is not based on my own accomplishments, income or how others view me. My worth is based on Him who loves me and died for me. I am nothing without Him. And my being His is a privilege that I can never earn. And who am I to complain? God has been good to me beyond my expectations.

Well, thank you for reading this far. I hope I have made you think deeply about what matters most in this life. I hope someday we can meet and talk about the journeys God has directed our lives to follow. Wouldn't that be lovely? Have a great and blessed day!

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Destashing: 2 Cards, Similar Layout, Colors

As promised, I have more cards using the same Crate Paper scraps that I just have to get rid of. You can see the other cards HERE. Both use the same background paper and similar layouts. I used SRM Stickers doilies and some lovely Penny Black stamps.

For the first card, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the feathers. I then stamped in the inside with PB background stamps and inked the edges with the same ink. The little tag is from one of my new sets, Blooming Tags. If you have my Spellbinders' Home Sweet Home dies, the small tag stamps fit nicely inside one of the tag dies.

I took this photo in direct sunlight, so it's hard to see, but the tag has a stamped flower background in flight pink ink.

My second card uses the PB Floral Applique stamps. The sentiment is by SRM Stickers, which was cut with Spellbinders Classic Circle die.

The flower is colored with Copic markers. The pearls are by Want2Scrap.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine will be spent with lots of cleaning and, since we've been enjoying gorgeous spring weather, I'll probably end up hanging out with my girls outside. Sometimes, that means just reading outside. And maybe a long walk with Max, our spoiled dog. :)

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Destashing: Simple Card Sets

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was busy, taking care of some sick kids and nursing a sinus infection myself. As a result, blogging has taken a back seat last week. I did manage to take a short break to do some crafting. I think it took me about an hour to make them. I decided to finish off a Crate Paper Valentine-themed pad from 2 years ago. I loved this collection and really just had a few sheets left. I was able to make about 7 cards. Here are 4 of them, 2 each of these:

The first card used Penny Black's new Verdant stencil. I just sponged some Distress inks on it to match my paper scraps. The sentiments are from SRM Stickers' By the Dozen Birthday. I used Spellbinders' Circle and Scalloped Circle dies.

I will share the others later this week. Now, I'm headed back to bed. :) Have a great day!

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TCM April Blog Hop: Friendship

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's April Blog Hop. Our theme this month is Friendship. If you came from Lindsay's blog, then you're at the right spot. Please check the TCM blog for the complete list.

I have two cards for you today. One is for a special occasion in a friend's life like birthday, graduation, engagement, etc. I used the Free with $50 purchase, Sweet Silhouettes, for my card. I die cut the frame using Spellbinders Labels 10.

The papers are Basic Grey's True Love collection. The pearl brad came from my stash.

My second card uses Take the Cake. I layered the cake using the colors of the pretty Fourteen collection by Crate Paper. I love this color combo!

Your next stop is Sharri Seffens. Happy hopping!

Sewing-inspired Friendship Card

I shared two sewing-inspired cards on the Want2Scrap blog today. Both cards use stamps from the The Craft's Meow's Sew Happy set, which coordinates with Spellbinders' Sewing Elements dies.  

Here is one of them using Want2Scrap's Beautiful Bling Borders-Fancy Waves! on the side. 

The bling strip is just the perfect accent, along with some lace and buttons.

Please check out the other card on the Want2Scrap blog. Thanks, friends!

I'm still here! And summer highlights...

Hello, friends. Have you missed my posts? I know I have. I've been traveling and hosting all summer that I had to take a break from blogging. After a busy June and July traveling, hosting guests and doing outreach camps, my family and I went to visit the US to celebrate (though belatedly) my in-laws' 50th anniversary. I was away from my craft table pretty much all summer, but being with dear friends and family made it worth it :). I had hoped I would have time to do some work while in the US, but we don't go there often and always have more friends and family to see than we have days there.

I have missed creating and blogging, but I hope I'll get back on track quickly. I find that when I take a long break from anything, it takes me a while to get used to it again. My card today is something I made for my NinaB Designs blog hop that I had planned on Aug 15th, but an uncle passed away during that time that I had to postpone it. We will still have one in the near future, so don't worry :). This is a little preview.

I used my Spellbinders' Sewing Elements dies, which coordinate well with my The Craft's Meow's Sew Lovely and Sew Happy stamp sets. The papers are Crate Paper.

I used my usual favorite embellishments like seam binding and lace (from Ribbon Carousel), button and twine.

Here are some highlights of our summer. Our girls' introduction to professional baseball. Atlanta Braves vs the Padres. The Braves won!

Bible Camp in Pag, Croatia

English Camp

Visiting Vienna, Austria with some dear friends

Conference at the Aegean Sea, Greece (photo courtesy of Rich Hall Photography)

So how was your summer?

 

Cards and Winners!

Thank you all so much for your visits while I was gone. We took a much needed break. My family and I were treated to a Grecian vacation where we got to see many ancient sites that brought Bible stories to life! We visited places where the Apostle Paul went, like Philippi, Thessaloniki, Corinth, Berea, Athens. It was a trip we will not soon forget. I'll share some photos in a future post. We hit the ground running as we now prepare for a super busy summer (expecting 23 guests this weekend!) that involves English and Youth camps, so I'm still on semi-hiatus on this blog over the next few weeks.

Here are today's cards. I made these a few weeks ago, but never got to sharing them. These use leftover scraps from my Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe collection.

I'm always in need of girly cards for my girls' friends. The sentiments on this card is from a LOC retired set.

This one will be perfect for one of my girls as they are all Daddy's girls (well, they're Mommy's girls, too). It'll be hard to pick which daughter gets it...Hmmm, I may have to whip 2 more similar cards. :)

Before I announce the winners, I have to let you know that most of the prizes will not be mailed out until July 17 at the earliest. I'm sending them through my American friends who will return to the US then. They will get to you faster (and it's more secure!) that way, than if I send them from Croatia. Also:

A note about claiming your prize: Due to the number of prizes being given away on my blog and my dependence on my mom to do the shipping, I have to ask that the winners email (via Contact tab above) me with their info within 4 days (till July 10) in order to claim the  prize. This will help with organization and avoiding confusion. Thanks for understanding!

Now onto the winners of my giveaway...

Spellbinders Sewing Elements dies... Monika Buzsy

Spellbinders Bauble Blossoms One...Denise Bryant

Want2Scrap Bling...Nicole Doiron

The Craft's Meow's Vintage Rides stamp set ...  Becky Dunham

Layers of Color's Sweet Silhouettes stamp set (retired) ...House Built of Cards 

Congratulations, winners! Please email me via the Contact tab above and, if possible, with the subject, "June 2012 Giveaway Winner (prize)." This will make it easier for me to spot your email in my ever growing inbox :). Thank you, all, for joining in my giveaways.

TCM Previews: Lovely Labels 14

Welcome to Day Three of The Craft's Meow's June release. Today we are showcasing a set designed by my friend and fellow crafter in Croatia, Teta Beta, called Lovely Labels 14.This is indeed a lovely set, especially if you are a fan of Spellbinders dies!

For my card, I make a tag with the large label stamp and die cut it. I paper pieced the flower images. I embellished the label and the corners of my card with some Want2Scrap bling.

I love the big sentiments in this set and I know I will use them a lot. The papers are from Crate Paper's Pretty Party. Some of usual shabby embellishments are seen here, paper rose, seam binding and lace.

Please make sure you stop by The Craft's Meow's blog for more info in this month's release festivities, including welcoming our two guest DTs this month, Gayatri Murali and Larissa Haskett. And of course, what's a release without tons of stamp set giveaways? :). Have a great day!

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