Black and White

Sharing another card I made using Our Daily Bread Designs' February release.

This card is made using the Our Daily Bread Designs Miss You stamp set. 

I made up my card base and cut all my layers to size first. Then I've stamped the image using VersaFine Onyx Black. This is a pigment ink and gets a better coverage than Memento Tuxedo Black does on solid areas. 

I stamped the sentiment on the side and then doodled around the edge using a black 0.5 mm Copic multiliner.

Nice and simple! Thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday dies

I was so excited when I saw that Our Daily Bread Designs has released some word dies in their February release! I had a great time making these two cards.

My first card is pretty simple. You just diecut the words (ODBD Happy Birthday dies) out numerous times in different coloured card and stick them on some white card. I added the balloon and "string" for the "dot" of the "i" in Birthday. I dotted glossy accents randomly all over the page too.

For my second card I've diecut the words again (ODBD Happy Birthday dies), this time I've inked them while still in the die using Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire. I've added them to a blue card panel that I've dry embossed with little dots.

I diecut the balloons quite a few times using one of the patterns from ODBD Patriotic Paper Collection. Some of the balloons are up on foam tape while others are flat on the page. I scattered some coloured half-round glass sprinkles across the card and drew in some faux stitching with Distress Marker Stormy Sky.

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Did you know Our Daily Bread Designs runs a challenge every week?? The current challenge is a "no colouring" challenge, ODBDSLC228 (both of my cards above fit this challenge!). To see some cards I made for this challenge visit my posts here and here. To join in the fun visit the ODBD blog. You have until 8 pm Sunday, 1 March 2015 EDT to enter (or 9 am Monday, 2 March 2015 AWST).

Also, have you heard that Our Daily Bread Designs Daily Dough Dollars are back??! 

Check out the ODBD Blog for more info!

Thanks for looking!

Flowers in a vase

Just wanted to share another card I have made using Our Daily Bread Designs products.

I was inspired by Gracie's awesome flowers in this card. I diecut 3 pieces for each of the 3 sizes of the aster dies (ODBD Asters and Leaves Dies). This will make one flower, so you will need quite a few diecuts! I've used two different patterns from the ODBD Patriotic Paper Collection for my flowers - and I've mixed and matched them for each flower. 

Once I had diecut the pieces I then used a stylus and a foam mat to give the flowers some dimension (curl them a bit). Then you just glue them together. I added a large half pearl to the centre of each one. 

For the leaves I have used the leaf dies from ODBD Asters and Leaves dies and one of the dies from ODBD Fancy Foliage dies. 

The vase is diecut using ODBD Decorative Vase die and stenciled with Distress Ink Fired Brick. I have popped this up on foam tape.

Cardstock that I used is Bazzill textured and American Crafts.

I thought about adding a sentiment to the bottom right corner of the card but in the end decided against it (although I think it would look fine). This card could be used for a number of occasions. It is easy to make just a little time consuming diecutting the asters (but fun!). 

This card also fits into the current ODBD challenge for no colouring - ODBDSLC228. You can see the other card I made for this challenge here. Come and join in the fun! You have until 8 pm Sunday, 1 March 2015 EDT to enter (or 9 am Monday, 2 March 2015 AWST).

Also, have you heard that Our Daily Bread Designs Daily Dough Dollars are back??! 

Check out the ODBD Blog for more info!

I am entering my card in ABC Challenge D is for Diecuts.

Thanks for looking!

ODBDSLC228 - No colouring

This week's challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs is a no colouring challenge, ODBDSLC228. This is a hard one for me because I love colouring! Here is my card:

The cardstock that I've used is Bazzill textured and the DP is ODBD Soulful Stitches Paper Collection. The background DP is diecut with ODBD Flourished Star Pattern dies and then I've cut my card base to match the size. I've used ODBD Doily and Beautiful Borders dies. And it's a little hard to see but I've cut up a diecut from ODBD Fancy Foliage and added it behind the button.

The verse is from Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 1 and I've diecut it with ODBD Vintage Flourish Pattern dies.

Lastly I've added a bit of lace and some twine.

For more inspiration for this challenge please visit my talented design team sisters:

Diana Nguyen ~ Gracie Chavez ~ Paula Bigelow ~ Robin Clendenning ~ Chris Olsen

To see all the projects created for ODBDSLC228 or to join the challenge click here. You have until 8 pm Sunday, 1 March 2015 EDT to join us (or 9 am Monday , 2 March 2015 AWST). By participating in the challenge, you have a chance to win a $15 ODBD Gift Certificate that can be used towards the purchase of stamps in the “stamps column” in the ODBD store; or to be spotlighted on the ODBD Blog at our next challenge! The random prize winner will be posted on our next challenge post.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

1. Word Art Wednesday challenge #171 - Anything Goes; and

2. Splitcoast Stampers Ways to Use It Thursday challenge (WT519) - to use Button and Lace (Faux or Real).

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I don't have any sewing or stitching on my card but I couldn't help but think about a sewn item of some sort while I was making my card (maybe it was the ODBD Soulful Stitches Paper Collection???)! You know when you're working on a piece of cross-stitch or tapestry etc. and if you look at the back of the piece the threads can go every which way and they look like such a mess (well mine do anyway!)?? But then if you turn it over and look at the front - you can see the beautiful pattern or picture that you've created. This can be similar to how we see our lives sometimes - messy and going in all directions at once and we can't seem to see where we are headed. But God knows the big picture for our lives and can see the beautiful "image" on the "other side" of all the mess. I love how this ties in to the verse that I've used on my card:

"He has made everything beautiful in its time"

Ecclesiastes 3:11

This is a beautiful passage of scripture. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 says:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

How wonderful that we have a Creator who knows the "big picture" - everything is in His hands. If we continue to follow Him and put Him first in our lives - we will grow in Him. We may only be able to see our "messy" lives - but let's pray that as we continue to follow Jesus others may see the beautiful work that He is creating in our lives and be drawn to Him. May He shine through us :-)

Thanks for looking!

Unicorns

Yesterday I posted a card I made for my daughters friend's birthday (you can see it here). Well, it was a joint birthday - it was also the friend's younger sister's birthday! This is the card I made for her.

The image is from Whimsy Stamps - Beau and Bashful. I've used the digi (which is no longer available) but you can buy the image in a rubber stamp format from their store. 

I printed the image onto X-Press It blending card and coloured with Copic markers.

Copic colours used

Pink pony (body) - RV02, RV04, RV14, RV25, RV29

Pink pony (hair) - V01, V04, V06, V09

Blue unicorn (body) - B00, B12, B24, B37

Blue unicorn (hair) - YR01, YR04, YR07, YR09

Pink pony and blue unicorn (grey / white and hooves) - N0, N1, N3, N5

Flowers - Y02, Y15, Y17

Basket - E42, E44, E47

Ground - N1, N3, N5, N7 and colourless blender

I coloured the pink and blue bodies of the pony and unicorn first. I then got a textured rag, added some Copic colourless blender to it (you could also use rubbing alcohol as it's much cheaper) and pressed the rag to the pony and blue unicorn. You won't be able to do the whole of both bodies at once - just add a little more colourless blender (rubbing alcohol) to the rag and do it section by section. The shorter time you press down the less of a "smudged" effect. The longer you press - it will "lighten" your image and "push" the colour out of the way more. You can experiment with different patterned rags /cloth to get different effects. You can see this post of mine with more awesome effects you can do with colourless blender ink (or rubbing alcohol). 

I've added some Stickles to the flowers on the image after I finished colouring.

The DP is from KaiserCraft Fairy Tales and the cardstock I used is American Crafts. The bright pink matted section you can see is a piece of white American Crafts card coloured with Copic RV04 to match my image. (You only need to colour the outside edge of the card as you won't see the rest!) I've inked around the edge of some of the DP with Distress Ink Picked Raspberry.

Added some ribbon and flowers from my stash. The leaves are diecut using ODBD Fancy Foliage dies and Spellbinders Foliage Two dies.

A nice and bright card for a little girl :-)

Thanks for looking!

Whimsy Stamps

I love Whimsy Stamps and I had so much fun colouring this one in recently. The card was for a friend of my daughters for her birthday. 

The image is from Whimsy Stamps and is called Rowan Fairy. I'm pretty sure (my memory is shocking!) but I think I bought this stamp as a digi (which I don't think is available anymore) but you can still buy it as a rubber stamp. I've printed her out on X-Press It blending card and coloured with Copics.

Copic colours used

Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11, E04 and R20 for blush

Hair: Y23, E11, E15, E25, and E09 (may have used E23 too??)

Clothes (blue): B91, B93, B95, B97 and B99

Clothes (white): C1 and C3 and 0

Berries: R22, R29, R59 and C5

Leaves: YG03, YG17, G94 and G99

Branch: E21, E23, E25, E27 and tincy bit of E29

Wings: BG90, BG93, BG96 and BG99

Background: W3 and W5

I've cut around the image, added some chunky white Frantage embossing powder and then matted with some red Bazzill textured card.

The blue DP I've used is from My Minds Eye and the green DP is from (I think) Meg's Garden. The Doily is a white paper doily that I've inked with some Distress Ink Fired Brick. The lace is from my stash (could be Creativ brand?) The flowers are also from my stash (had them for years) and I've added some large sprinkles (half white pearls) to the centres. The dragonfly is also from my stash (pretty sure it was bought from Kmart years ago). 

The two leaves I've used are Bazzill textured card diecut with Marianne Designs Creatables Branch Forest die and Spellbinders Foliage Two die.

I've added some Stickles glitter to finish off the card - Key Lime to part of the leaves and Stardust to part of the wings.

Thanks for looking!

ODBDSLC227 - Inspiration

This week's Our Daily Bread Designs challenge is an Inspiration challenge, ODBDSLC227. Here is my card:

And here is the inspiration picture:

I've taken the colours - green, red and white, from the image and used these to create my card.

I've stamped the image from Our Daily Bread Designs Miss You in green ink (Memento Bamboo Leaves) and embossed using clear embossing powder. I've stamped the image again on a separate piece of card using red ink (Memento Rhubarb Stalk) and embossed using clear embossing powder. I've diecut out a circle of the red image using ODBD Recipe Card and Tags Dies and positioned this above the corresponding part of the green image using foam tape.

I've stamped the word Hello from the same Miss You set in the bottom right corner and added some olive sprinkles to the top left. I've matted the image with green, red and white cardstock.

For more inspiration for this challenge please visit my talented design team sisters:

Diana Nguyen ~  Gracie Chavez ~ Paula Bigelow ~ Robin Clendenning

To see all the projects created for ODBDSLC227 or to join the challenge click here. You have until 8 pm Sunday, 22 February 2015 EDT to join us (or 9 am Monday , 23 February 2015 AWST). By participating in the challenge, you have a chance to win a $15 ODBD Gift Certificate that can be used towards the purchase of stamps in the “stamps column” in the ODBD store; or to be spotlighted on the ODBD Blog at our next challenge! The random prize winner will be posted on our next challenge post.

I am entering this card in the Word Art Wednesday challenge #170 - Anything Goes.

Thanks for looking!

ODBD February Release

If you haven't been over to check out Our Daily Bread Designs' February release - you must - it's gorgeous - AND they have word dies!! Here is a card I made using one of the stamp sets:

I started off by scoring my cardstock to make my card base (8.5" x 6" and fold in half), then I made the bottom white layer and stamped one of the sentiments from Our Daily Bread Designs Miss You set. I could then work out how much room I had for the other layers.

For the top white layer I have stamped part of the image from the same set, Our Daily Bread Designs Miss You, several times in a row, overlapping a little. I then stamped the image from Our Daily Bread Designs Faith onto a separate piece of white cardstock and fussy cut two of the butterflies. These I added to the card popped up on some foam tape.

Lastly I've added a couple of black "sprinkles" to the bottom right corner.

Here are the sets that I used on my card:

Check out the February release (below) or visit the ODBD store here:

For more inspiration for using the February release please visit this ODBD blog post where the very talented ODBD Design Team have made some gorgeous cards!

Our Daily Bread Designs also has a weekly challenge and this week it is a sketch challenge. To see the card I made for this challenge please visit this post or visit the ODBD blog to enter the challenge.

I am entering my card in Word Art Wednesday challenge #170 - Anything Goes.

Thanks for looking!

Thanks Berry Much

I had fun making this quick card using Our Daily Bread Designs products. 

I've stamped the imaged from Our Daily Bread Designs Strawberries onto X-Press It blending card and coloured with Copics.

Copic colours used

Strawberries and flowers: R12, R14, R17 and some prismacolor pencils

Greenery: G40, G43, G46

Box: E42, E44, E47, E49

Ground: E42, G40, G43, C3 and colourless blender

I've diecut the image and matted using ODBD Matting Circles dies and ODBD Circle Ornament dies. I've added a doily, diecut using ODBD Doily Dies, behind the circles. 

The sentiment is from Our Daily Bread Designs Strawberries and has been diecut using ODBD Pennant dies. 

The DP that I've used is DCWV Freshly Picked and Sweet Tangerine and Bazzill textured cardstock. The Distress Ink I used (to ink the edges of my layers) is Distress Ink Ripe Persimmon.

Our Daily Bread Designs current challenge is a sketch challenge. You can see the card I made for the challenge here. See this post to join in all the fun!

Thanks for looking!

ODBDSLC226 - Sketch

Thank you to everyone who entered the colour challenge last week - there were some gorgeous entries! This week Our Daily Bread Designs has a sketch challenge for you - ODBDSLC226.

Here is the card that I made:

And this is the sketch:

I made a rather large card this week. It is 7 inches by 5.5 inches! Much larger than my "normal" cards and as you can see I've turned the sketch sideways and flipped it. I've stamped the image from Our Daily Bread Designs Music Speaks onto X-Press It blending card and coloured with distress markers. I've then diecut it using ODBD Vintage Flourish Pattern dies and inked with Distress Ink Victorian Velvet while still in the die.

I've matted this using the largest die from ODBD Vintage Flourish Pattern dies and ODBD Blooming Garden Paper Collection. 

The background paper is also from ODBD Blooming Garden Paper Collection; however, because my card is larger than the paper pad, I've "joined" the DP under the ribbon. You can do this because you get two sheets of each pattern in the paper pads :-)

The sentiment is also from Our Daily Bread Designs Music Speaks and I have diecut it with ODBD Recipe Card and Tags dies. It has been inked while in the die with Distress Ink Victorian Velvet. 

Lastly I've added a white, satin ribbon and bow. 

For more inspiration for this challenge please visit my talented design team sisters:

Chris Olsen ~ Diana Nguyen ~  Gracie Chavez ~ Paula Bigelow ~ Robin Clendenning

To see all the projects created for ODBDSLC226 or to join the challenge click here. You have until 8 pm Sunday, 15 February 2015 EDT to join us (or 9 am Monday , 16 February 2015 AWST). By participating in the challenge, you have a chance to win a $15 ODBD Gift Certificate that can be used towards the purchase of stamps in the “stamps column” in the ODBD store; or to be spotlighted on the ODBD Blog at our next challenge! The random prize winner will be posted on our next challenge post.

I am entering my card in Word Art Wednesday challenge #169 - Anything Goes.

Thanks for looking!

ODBDSLC225 - Colour

Wow - it's February already! Where did January go??!

The Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light challenge this week, ODBDSLC225, is a colour challenge.

It's sad that DJ won't be joining us this week as she has left the ODBD CT (will miss you DJ!) but welcome to Paula! Paula was part of the ODBD DT but has moved across to the CT. I encourage you to check out her blog if you haven't before - she has some gorgeous cards and projects!

Here is my card for this week's ODBD challenge:

Here is the colour palette:

I've used the dark brown, dark pink, green and tan colours from the colour palette.

I've stamped the image from Our Daily Bread Designs Bicycle stamp set onto X-Press It blending card and coloured with Copic markers.

Copic Colours Used

Bicycle and Flowers: R12, R14, R17 (+ Y11 for flower centres)

Bicycle wheels: C1, C3, C5, C7

Basket and Fence: E42, E44, E47, E49

Greenery: G40, G43, G46

Background: E30

I've cut it in a rectangle and matted with dark pink Bazzill textured cardstock.

I've used dark brown Bazzill textured cardstock for the fence - ODBD fence die. The leaves are diecut using ODBD Fancy Foliage dies (from KaiserCraft Precious Moments DP) and the flowers are diecut using one of the dies from ODBD Ornamental Crosses dies. I've used a foam pad and a stylus to shape the flowers and added a dark brown sprinkle to the middle.

The sentiment is stamped using Our Daily Bread Designs Ornate Border Sentiments and diecut using ODBD Mini Tags dies. I've coloured it with Copic marker E30 to match the background of the image. The edges of most layers have been inked with Distress Ink Shabby Shutters.

Lastly I've added some dark brown twine to finish off the card.

For more inspiration for this challenge please visit my talented design team sisters:

Chris Olsen ~ Diana Nguyen ~  Gracie Chavez ~ Paula Bigelow ~ Robin Clendenning

To see all the projects created for ODBDSLC225 or to join the challenge click here. You have until 8 pm Sunday, 8 February 2015 EDT to join us (or 9 am Monday , 9 February 2015 AWST). By participating in the challenge, you have a chance to win a $15 ODBD Gift Certificate that can be used towards the purchase of stamps in the “stamps column” in the ODBD store; or to be spotlighted on the ODBD Blog at our next challenge! The random prize winner will be posted on our next challenge post.

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Not really anything to do with bicycle riding or birthdays but I wanted to share a passage with you that has made its way into my life a few times in the last few days. Firstly, I heard it in a sermon on Sunday and then when I picked up one of my kids' devotional bedtime books the next night - the passage was there too. So I thought I'd share it with you.

The passage is from Luke 10:30-35

" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have."

In the sermon we started from a few verses earlier that gives a bit of context to this passage. Verses 25 - 29 say:

" On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' " "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"

Before I go on, as our pastor said on sunday, and I whole heartedly agree, we do not need to do anything to have eternal life other than believe that Jesus is our Saviour (died for our sins and rose again). However, when we do believe in Jesus we will want to "do" things that please God.

So the 'expert in the law' has identified two important tasks that we, as Christians, should be "doing". They are:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and

2. Love your neighbour as yourself.

But now the expert in the law questions Jesus on "who is my neighbour?" And Jesus goes on to reply in verses 30 - 35 with the story about the Good Samaritan.

In the story a priest comes along first and passes on the other side of the road. He probably had reasons along the lines that if he touches blood or anybody dead etc. this would make him 'unclean' and then unable to perform his duties when he got to his destination. The Levite is the second person to pass by - he too probably had reasons such as he may have thought it was a "trap" (like someone pretending to be hurt and then he himself would be robbed and/or beaten) as this stretch of road was known for sometimes not having very nice outcomes for travellers. Then the Samaritan comes and he has compassion for the man and helps him. Of the three people that passes the hurt man, the Samaritan is the one who does not think of himself, but of the hurt man and does everything he can to help him.

In this story Jesus is illustrating who our neighbours are. Luke 10:36-37 goes on to say:

""Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise.""

So, our neighbours are not only those people who we are friends with, or live next to, but everyone that we meet. People that we may not know but meet in the street and need help, people who may not like us and even people that we find very hard to like! We are to love them all!

I hope this encourages you, as the sermon did me on Sunday, to act on this command from God and "love your neighbour as yourself".

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 I am entering my card in Word Art Wednesday Challenge #168 - Anything Goes.

 
Thanks for looking!