Look Up with Lavinia

Hello!  This week at Topflight Stamps, we're focusing on Lavinia stamps, stencils, inks and more.  I knew I wanted to create a scene with the adorable Pipspell mouse.  I gathered the Lavinia Moon, Christmas Tree Group and Pipspell, and stamped them all in Versafine Onyx Black ink.  Then I inked up grass and sky using the following Lavinia Dye Inks:  Della Blue, Graphite, Olive, Green Parrot and Violet Chalk.  I used a yellow ink from my stash.  Once the inks were dry, I splashed some water onto the card to create a magical touch.  The sentiments from Lavinia Sentiment Stickers - Uplifting Collection were added at the end:  "Look up and breathe..."

Supplies used from Topflight Stamps:

Lavinia Moon

Lavinia Pipspell

Lavinia Christmas Tree Group

Lavinia Dye Ink - Della Blue

Lavinia Dye Ink - Graphite

Lavinia - Green Parrot

Lavinia Dye Ink - Olive

Lavinia Dye Ink - Violet Chalk

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink

Lavinia Sentiment Stickers - Uplifting Collection

Luke 21:28 ASV

But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.

(emphasis added)

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Botanical Postage

It's been such an honor to be a guest designer for the month of April with Creative Worship Stamps!  Thank you to Korin for having me, and to Esther for patiently answering all of my questions.  😊

For my last creation this month, I pulled together quite a few stamps and dies to create a flora-and-fauna postage-themed Scripture card.  A verse stamp from Fear Not fit perfectly in one of the largest rectangles, and I paired it with sprigs of greenery from Beautiful Branches, stamped in a few areas.  The postmark wavy edges and tiny American flag are from Going Postal, as is the "par avion" sentiment.  I had stamped that one on white cardstock and grunged it up with Distress Ink, then layered it onto a piece of deconstructed cardboard box.  One of the pretty birds from More Than Sparrows was stamped on white cardstock, colored with alcohol markers and trimmed, then glued her body onto the postage background.  I stamped her first on the actual postage, so the feet would show and I wouldn't have to fussy cut those.  A tiny butterfly from Vintage Nature Elements was stamped and I used the matching die, and placed foam tape beneath to give dimension.  It was the perfect size for that right top corner!

Thanks for joining me all month at CWS.  It's been fun to use their beautiful products!  

More Than Sparrows stamp set

Postage Stamp Cover Plate die

Beautiful Branches stamp set

Fear Not stamp set

Going Postal stamp set

Vintage Nature Elements die set

Vintage Nature Elements stamp set

Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Thanks for coming by!

Hope you have a beautiful day!

John 15:13 Postage

Hi there!  I'm back to share more as a guest designer during the month of April at Creative Worship Stamps!  I've found the Postage Stamp Cover Plate die immensely versatile, and used it for several of my creations that I'll share throughout this month.  For this card, I used the cute little dies that come with the set as well:  hearts, leaves, gardening pots, stars/flowers.  After die-cutting them out of white cardstock, I used dye inks to shade them, and then did the water flicking technique on some of them to get a lovely mottled effect.  To round out the postage pieces, I also used stamps from these sets:  Vintage Postage, Words of Jesus and Vintage Nature Elements.

Supplies from Creative Worship Stamps:

Postage Stamp Cover Plate die set

Vintage Postage stamp set

Words of Jesus

Vintage Nature Elements

John 15:13 NIV

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

May your day be blessed!

God Knew

Hello there!  A friend sent me a small package of pretty panels and ephemera, like the vintage invoice seen here, and in order to thank her I made a card with it.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! Rose Wonder, the pale green stamped border on the tag is from SU's Very Versailles.  A bit of vintage lace, and some SU Itty Bitty Punch flowers with pearls were all it needed, so that the focus is on the sentiment.

Thanks for joining me and God bless you!

A Small Parade of Cards

Happy Friyay!  I have just a few cards to share in a quick post.  Hope your weekend will be a lovely one!

Papertrey Ink - Birthday Basics; Tim Holtz - Tattered Leaves Bigz die; twine

My Favorite Things - All Occasion Sentiments

My Favorite Things - Die-namics LLD Tea Party, Cup of Tea stamps; Papertrey Ink - Tiny Tags die

Stampin' Up! - Butterfly Thinlits; Papertrey Ink - Keep It Simple: Sympathy

Blessing to you!

A Quartet of Birds

Hello my friends,

It's been a while. 😀  Had not intended for so much time to pass, but life kept me oh-so-busy, and I was tired.  And then it became busy in a different way, and I am still tired.  LOL

I have been making cards so frequently, mostly on weekends.  The process of getting them nicely here to the blog is a process that I've had no energy for.  So glad I have several drafts lined up so I can pick from them, add supply lists and hit "publish".

K & Co. bird, flowers, eggs stickers; Martha Stewart Branch punch; Papertrey Ink Choose Joy sentiment 

K & Co. bird, nest stickers; Martha Stewart Branch punch; My Favorite Things Inspired By Spring sentiment; Stampin' Up! Decorative Label punch

K & Co. bird sticker; My Favorite Things Pierced Traditional Tags die, Traditional Tags die; button; twine; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die; Martha Stewart Modern Garland punch; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Birthay sentiment

K & Co. bird sticker; Hug Snug Ash Pink seam binding; button; lace

These K & Co. bird stickers are beautiful, and easily dress up a card.  I have a stash of them and parcel them out a little at a time, as they are hard to find (or impossible?).  

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ~ Matthew 10:29 BSB

Thanks for your visit today! 😃

Encouraging Messages

Hello again, just popping back in with a few more cards to share.  These all fall under 'encouragement', which seems to be one of my favorite types of cards to make.

Stampin' Up! Vintage Vogue sentiment; Papertrey Ink Angled Labels die; pearls; generic brand floral stamp (in background); flower die cut

Momenta Hello sentiment; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; Stampin' Up! Ornate Blossom solid flourish stamp; Spellbinders oval dies; pearls; church song sheet

Inkadinkado Big Butterfly; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die; vintage thread; pearls

Papertrey Ink Inspired: Grace stamps and die; ivory dots

Short and sweet today.

Sending you love!

Hope

Hello friends, I'm back again with another post.  I was able to get a bunch of card photos edited and some draft posts begun.  Makes things a little easier.

As I mentioned in my previous post from today, I've got more surgery to face soon.  My medical team is trying to prevent me from needing chemo (radiation and hormone therapy are still necessities, though).  I tell you, having cancer is such a humbling experience.  I am in control of NOTHING.  This is completely out of my hands, and totally in God's.  He is directing my steps, and providing my medical team with the knowledge and skills they need to treat me.  My job is to move forward, do the "work" (surgeries, treatments, medications, etc), and trust in Him.

Fittingly, I had made a card months and months ago that says, "Hope".  And, what do you know, it's in pink.  The sentiment is from a PinkFresh set called, Walk By Faith, and that is exactly what I am doing.   It's a perfect card to share right now.  I have hope.  I am overwhelmed at times (often!) by what is happening, and how many appointments I have, but...I have hope.  

PinkFresh Studio Walk By Faith sentiment; Inspired By Stamping Summer Flowers lily; Sizzix / Stampin' Up! Large Paper Doily Sizzlit die; ivory dots; crochet lace

When I made this card, I pulled together odd bits to make a cohesive card.  The text background is from packaging from a Girls' Paperie stamp set.  It was much too pretty to throw away.  And if you can see it, there's a mauve doily diecut tucked under the crochet lace.  That had been hanging around my desk for too long!  

I am entering this card in a challenge, at Little Red Wagon - #626 So Very Thankful.  I am beyond thankful for HOPE.

Thanks for joining me friends!  I so appreciate your visits!

Rose with Woodgrain, Rose with Dictionary Print

Hello my friends, thanks so much for the kind words from my last post.  It's so comforting to have my cardmaking friends be out there, thinking of me.  I truly appreciate it. 💖

I need normalcy as much as possible, and things that bring me joy. Anything related to handmade cards is big joy in my book!  I already have some posts in draft form, so it will be easy to hit "publish".

Here are two cards today that both features roses.

Inspired by Stamping Garden Seed Packet rose; Stampin' Up! Hardwood background, Rose Wonder sentiment; crochet lace; pearls

Stampin' Up! Dictionary background; Inspired By Stamping Elegant Flowers and Garden Seed Packets roses; sentiment is Stampin' Up! from a scrap bag - unsure of set

It was fun (when I made these a while back) to play with the two Stampin' Up! background stamps, Dictionary and Hardwood.  I've got a nice collection of their background stamps, most pretty old, but very well loved!

Thanks for joining me here today!

God bless you!