Tuesday, February 19, 2013

HSCRC13 #3

This is the third  HSCRC13 Hymn and Scripture Challenge located here.  The hymn is My Faith Looks Up to Thee and I have found my verse.    I  took part of Jeremiah 31:13.  There is a line in the third verse of the song that goes, "Bid darkness turn to day; Wipe sorrow's tear's away.  I based my card on this line.  Interesting situation at work this week.  On Friday we had no money for Payroll.  We needed enough by Monday or we would have to hold the payroll.  My faith felt very small on Friday - especially as we all knew there was no mail on Monday and usually very little comes on Saturday.  But the Son was shining and more than enough came in Saturdays's mail to make Payroll.  God is good.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Victorine Challenge #53

Good Monday Morning (I'm  pretty sure anyway)  Haven't had time to check much yet and Monday's can fool with you.
     This is my card for the current Victorine Originals Challenge located here.  The challenge is to Stamp, Emboss and Embellish.  The little Victorine Celebrateion Mouse is stamped and colored with copics.  The striped panel is run throught my Cuttlebug with the Birthday word folder and I added some colorful buttons.

Check it out.  They have prizes!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Valentine Cookie

I'm a little late with this, but was so pleased with it that I had to show off.  I had company coming on Valentines Day - our Small Group Bible Study.  I needed a quick easy treat (and this could be it), and really wanted to try a Valentine Cookie.  I make my own Chocolate Chip Cookie mix which I love as it's better than most store bought and I can change it up any way I want to.  I happened to have a batch in the pantry that I made a couple weeks ago, but I could not for the life of me remember how to cut the finished cookie to make a heart.  I knew I used to make a big heart shaped valentine cake and I thought it was using two round cakes.  It was not.  My sister sent me  a link to the directions here showing me that the Big Heart is made from one round and one square cake. 

I was not sure how chocolate chip cookie mix would work, but I sprayed both pans really well with Olive Oil Spray and pressed the cookie dough in.  I baked it first as long as the recipe said to bake the cookies, but then watched it closely & tested a couple of times, and I think it was about 15 minutes.  I set it out to cool thinking I would never get it out of the pans and that I would have a crumbled mess.

The round pan was easy as it had one of those things inside that you turn around and it unsticks the cake.  I loosened the edges really well on the square pan with a spatula and tipped it over and it came right out too.

Then you cut the round one in half and put together your heart.  I didn't have much time to decorate and took this picture before I had even thought of it, but our group is mostly men and they care what it tastes like - mostly.  So I ran upstairs and punched a bunch of red hearts from Cardstock and scattered them on the big cookie.  I WILL do this one again.

The hard part is finding something big enough to serve it on.  In the past I have used a big piece of wood or cardboard covered with tinfoil.  This time in my rush, I served it on the pull out breadboard.  It worked just fine.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Denim Used on Greeting Cards

Today I will be showing you several cards made with denim as I think denim is such a nice thing to add to a masculine card.  The Paper Inclinations ladies will be making cards for a men's homeless shelter and these are just a few ideas to get us started.  I won't forget the time someone said to me, "You can stamp on denim?!"  Yes you can, and you can also do a lot of other things besides stamp with it.

So my first card is just a denim decoration with a message.  I actually cut the oval with a Spellbinders Petite Oval.  This is 'shirt denim' which is thinner,and I'm not sure it would work with heavy jeans denim .    The background is actually a shiny gold cardstock, but we are having a snowstorm today and my pictures are not good.  I added the center panel which is Michaels Recollections.  Then I stamped the Picture Show flower on another Recollections pattern and cut it out.  I was at a friends's house and used her Happy Birthday stamp.  Thanks, Vi.

This second card is my favorite.  I love Paper Piecing and I just did the same thing with denim.  This time it's thick denim from old jeans. You will need a sissor that cut heavy cloth for this.  I stamped the balloons on the Recollections cardstock and then stamped it again on the denim.  I cut out the balloon parts and glued them right where they fit.  Tombo Mono glue works well here.
I am rethinking this last one.  It's not my favorite and I need to come up with another one that has the main image stamped. Also  after I finished it, I thought that "no one wants an "in the toilet birthday" so the inside is going to have to reflect that.  I get so excited about doing a card that sometimes I forget to put any thought into what I am saying.  Duh!  I am uploading it just so you can see that stamping on denim works well.
  I  cut a piece of denim that was already frayed on the edge and stamped the image on it.  I use Archival Jet Black which is a permanent ink and does well here.  Pigment  Ink takes longer to dry so it's necessary to use care not to smudge, or just dry it with a heat tool.
In my practice, I have found that darker ink works the best, but I have also stamped a main image with a lighter ink or an ink that is getting dry and the image was not good.  Then I used an ink pen or black and/or red fine tip marker to bring out the image.  Fine detail images may not work as well, so I have stayed away from them.  So...don't throw out those old jeans.  Recycle them.
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Victorine #52

Challenge #52 is posted on the Victorine Originals blog located here.   Check it out.  There are prizes. 

My hearts are Victorine Originals stamps and are cut out and mounted on black cardstock.  Then I added the pearl flourish and a crocheted flower made by my sister Melody - lacyquilter@gmail.com.  She has them in all different colors and they are for sale.   I attached the flower, topped with a burgandy  Prima, with a brad.  Pretty sexy, hey?

I have a free day so far today and it looks like the snow which was coming down pretty well when I got up, has lightened up a bit, so I will see what I can conjur up.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

HSCRC13 #2 It is Well with My Soul

I hope you are having a wonderful day.  We have more than 3" of light and fluffy snow today.  It's more than we have had all year and is so pretty.  I like at least one good snowstorm in winter and some pretty snow.  This counts as pretty, but not the storm.  And I watch the storms from INSIDE in case you wondered.

So I am working on cards.  This is my card for the Hymn and Scripture challenge located here   It's the #2 Hymn called "It is Well with My Soul and is an old favorite of mine.

There were SO many verses I could have picked to go with this, but I picked an obvious one

Isaiah 26:3 "He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord." Living Bible

I used Kraft Cardstock for the background that I printed lots of SAD words on and highlighted some of them.  Peace covers the sadness.  These letters were sent to me by my cousin who loves to give little gifts.  They were shiny pink and silver and for this project I wanted something a different color, so I sanded them, stamped them with VersaMark, and embossed them with Verdigris embossing powder.  I love how they turned out.  The flowers are from Picture Show stamped on the same paper, cut out, and colored in the centers.  I couldn't resist the red flower which symbolizes the Joy that comes along with the Peace.