Retro Rubber Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #233

It was lots of fun playing along over at Retro Rubber Challenge (#rrcb223) this time with their BINGO board! "Summer" was the center spot and that seemed like a perfect starting point for a card. From there, I chose to go across and use "Dry Embossing" and "Twine" as elements in my project.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! "Beach Happy (2019)
• Reminisce Pattern Paper Aloha Island Princess
• SU! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• Teal Card Stock
• Hemptique Baker's Twine
• Sizzix Embossing Folder
• Copics R35, R81, Y15, YG06, YR07, E34, RV55

This card is a 5 x 7 card, although I hadn't planned on making it that way. However, this piece of patterned paper was left out after another project and it seemed to fit the summer theme. But it wouldn't have shown up much on an A2 card, so I had to  make the card a little bigger in order for the design to show.

So that's all for today. If you'd like to join the fun and use some of your older stamps, be sure to check out Retro Rubber for their bi-weekly challenges. They're always so much fun, and it's great to give some attention to those older stamps.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you're having a wonderful summer!

Try A Sketch on Tuesday #649

Sketches are always so much fun, especially as you see how others interpret them. I knew this would be such a fun one when I saw those little gem-like things at the bottom of the card over at Try a Sketch on Tuesday #649. 

At first I thought about doing flowers, which are always pretty, but after digging around in my stash, I came across this cute set from Stampin' Up! called "Always on an Adventure." (This sounds like both of my kids! My daughter just moved to Wisconsin and my son is working in Alaska.) 

I don't have the dies that go with this one but it's cute enough to just improvise the background by hand cutting different colors of card stock. 

In addition to that Stampin' Up! set, I also used the following:

• Memento Northern Pine Ink
  
• Memento Olive Grove Ink
• Memento Rhubarb Stalk Ink
• Memento Rich Cocoa Ink
• Memento Danube Blue In
• SU! Pear Pizzazz Card Stock
• SU! So Saffron Card Stock
• SpellBinders Scalped Die
• Unknown Birthday Wishes Sentiment (I found it in my "lost stamp" box.)

There was a lot of fussy cutting in this one, but I actually love doing that. This is a fun set to work with and I love how it's perfect for guys and girls of any age.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to stop by TSOT and join in the fun!

Regarding Dahlias NBUS #63 Card

I've got a perfect entry for this month's NBUS Stamping Challenge #63. Stampin' Up!'s Regarding Dahlias is an old set that I bought at a nursing home sale and and just now getting around to using. I fell in love with the large flower that can be used as is, as I did here, or stamped and colored in.

Unfortunately, the set didn't come with a leaf at all, so I used one from another set called Wonderfall Leaves, also from Stampin' Up! I chose a playful pattern for the leaf, since trying to make it match the flower really didn't work. I thought it matched the little dots in the patterned paper. The sentiment is from that set too. I loved it because I very affectionately say to my sweet little dog "hey you."

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Regarding Dahlias Stamp Set
• SU! Wonderfall Leaves Stamp Set
• SU! Soft Suede Ink & Card Stock
• SU! Real Red Card Stock
• Carta Bella Home Sweet Home Patterned Paper
• Memento Lady Bug Ink

I always appreciate Darnell and love visiting her challenge blog. If you get a chance, find a stamp set or something that you haven't used and play along. It's always so satisfying and so much fun!

And finally, I just had to use the opportunity to include a picture of Bella, my little "hey you."

Copic Coloring in Blues

I've got 4th of July on my mind right now, and I thought I'd try my hand at coloring some flowers in blue. Copic markers aren't the easiest things for me to use, but I'm really happy with how these blues turned out. I tried what I call the swiping technique which is where you swipe the marker once in one direction only. I think it helped give the petals a good variegated look.

Using Stampin' Up!'s Real Red Card Stock and Doodle Bug's Enamel Dots, I threw in some red to give it a 4th of July look. The card base is SU! Boho Blue and the stamp set itself is called Blended Seasons.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Snarky But Uplifting Cross Stitch Piece

Yesterday I talked about the importance of making sure the pieces you stitch are legally free. I'm pretty sure I'm safe with this post, but let me explain.

My daughter saw this piece online somewhere and asked me to stitch it for her. She wanted it done in her college colors. That was a lot of fun to find the actual hex colors (they are usually available on any school's website). Then we translated them into DMC thread colors. There are several sites available for this too. Modern times are great!

Anyway, she texted me the pattern and I tried to locate it best I could. I was able to find a really clear image of it. I believe it is attributed to @morganalfays on Tumbler but really struggled to find her account.

The trail has run cold on this one, but I wanted to share the only link I have to this pattern. It can be found HERE. I'm thankful to whomever created this piece. My daughter is really happy with it!

P.S. A funny thing happened with this piece. I stitched it, ironed it, matted it, framed it, photographed it and put in on Instagram. Only then did I realize that the "e and r" in the word better went upwards! I was so annoyed with myself for missing that. In a way though it's kind of fun because it's an "uplifting" saying anyway. Plus, as my daughter says, mistakes make the piece more real. I love that!

The Fruit of the Spirit Cross Stitch Freebie

I was so excited to find this freebie on Pinterest. Years ago back in the 1980's when I used to cross stitch a lot a friend made a similar piece. I always admired it and wanted to stitch one myself. Back then there was no internet to look things up on. You pretty much just had to buy the patterns that were available in your local shop or big box store. I never got to ask her what pattern she used, and I gave up on the idea. 

Fast forward to modern time and the wonderful world of Pinterest. I finally came across a pattern that is very similar to the one my friend made years ago. The only difference was that it didn't have the different colors for each of the fruits. I made some changes to the pattern and came up with this finished piece. I really love how it turned out! 

You can find the pattern HERE.

There are lots of freebies for cross stitch patterns on Pinterest, but you do have to be careful. Many are uploaded by individuals and the patterns are copyrighted to someone who doesn't want to share their work for free. Often it's difficult to know the difference. I've had numerous Pins removed because of copyright violations, but this one is safe. 

If in doubt about patterns you find on Pinterest, click on the link. If it takes you to an actual website where the pattern is located and it says free, you're good to go. If you click on the image and it doesn't take you to another website, it's probably not uploaded legally.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today, and happy stitching!

Diving Deeper into Philippians 4:13

Today in church we took a closer look at Philippians 4:13. It’s a famous verse that in the New Living Translation simply says, “ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” This scripture often conjures up images of people climbing steep and treacherous mountains. We can often associate it with difficult tasks, such as studying for a challenging test or working for a demanding boss. And it certainly does mean all that. I’ve heard Bible teachers say that if it’s something that God has called us to do, this verse is applicable. 

But today in church we took it a step further. One of the translations, the Common English Bible says, “I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.” That gives this verse even deeper meaning. 

Whatever weaker going through today, especially those difficult situations, He can give us the strength to endure it. What a blessing that is no matter what life throws at us each day, God is there and we have the strength, through Him, to make it through. Thanks be to God!

Word Art Wednesday, Weeks 649 & 650

Well it's been a busy time around here with an out-of-state graduation and all other things summer. But thankfully I'm getting this card in just in time over at Word Art Wednesday Weeks 649 & 650. I snagged their digital Bible Verse and added some other graphics to create this card. 

The verse made me think of a sweet woman who puts this verse into practice. And what a beautiful verse it is. How wonderful for our speech to be filled with grace and seasoned with salt as we talk to one another. It's a real art and we need to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we talk. 

In addition to the digital design that I made, I used a piece of Stampin' Up! Rose Red card stock and a couple pieces of vintage string for the top. It's a simple card that will be just right for someone special, probably from the Angel Card Project.

If you'd like to make your own similar card, feel free to use the graphic below, but only for your own personal use please. The scripture is from Word Art Wednesday, so be sure to check out their blog for a beautiful new verse every two weeks.

Here's the free digi. As always:

1. Snag it to your desktop or photos.
2. Put it in a Word or Pages Document.
3. Resize it to the size card you want to make.
4. Print it out, either at home or at a copy center. 

I hope you enjoy the freebie! Thanks for stopping by my blog today and have a wonderful day!

Upcycled Calendar Card

NOTE: This card was made and this post created at the early stages of the Israel/Hamas war. Although I still support Israel and my friend for whom this card was made, I in no way condone the killing of those in Palestine. May this post be only to show how to create a pretty card using any calendar photo. 

Today's card is made for a friend who is raising money to support Israel. 

I like making upcycled cards from many sources, but calendars are particularly pretty. Sometimes they're a little hard to work with because of their size, but it's usually doable. 

I just happened to have a calendar that featured Synagogues of the World. I thumbed through it and found this beautiful one in Hungary.

It was really easy from there. I worked with a bigger size card: 5.25 x 7.5. That fit perfectly into a clear envelope that I had and gave me more room to capture the image on the front. I offset the image a little and ran a strip of gold washi tape up the side. The name and city of the synagogue were on the calendar and I cut that out, double framed it and included that too. Easy peasy!

I'm so glad that I save stuff like this you never know when something's going to come in so handy.

Here's a picture of the front of the calendar that I used:

It's my hope that this card will mean a lot to my wonderful Jewish friend who is supporting her beloved country.