Happy Father's Day! I hope everyone has said... "I love you." and "Thank you." to their dads if they still have them around.

“You’ve got to see it to believe it.” Have you ever heard that expression? I have a story to share with you. When I was little I was blessed to live near my grandparents and my cousins. One day my sister, my brother and I were playing ball with our cousins in my grandparent’s big back yard. Our game got interrupted when the ball rolled near my grandparent’s Airstream trailer that they stored in their yard for when they went camping. My cousin Alissa touched the trailer as she was reaching for the ball. As soon as she did that, she got a shocking jolt. She jumped back and screamed “I’ve just been shocked!” We gathered around her and taunted “Did not!”, “Did too!” was her response. One by one we ALL had to touch that trailer and get shocked because we had to SEE FOR OURSELVES.

My daughters and I love watching crime tv shows, like CSI. (Probably because my dad is a forensic pathologist and my brother works as a tech in a crime lab.) In all these shows there is a common theme. The police have an idea who committed the crime, but it is their job to collect enough EVIDENCE that the jury will SEE and BELIEVE them.


The scripture I choose to share with you this week is:

Hebrews 11:1 Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things unseen. (KJV)


How do we get the kind of Faith that is so strong that it is our evidence? The Bible says in Romans 10:17 “So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That is how it starts. We can read the Bible. We can then ask the Lord to help our Faith to grow. Like the apostles did (Luke 17:5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our Faith.”) and like the father of the possessed child did ( Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do BELIEVE; help my unbelief.”)

My prayer is that God will strengthen your faith this week. My challenge for you is to make a card that shows the “EVIDENCE” that you were the creator by doodling on your card. Here are a few suggestions to get you started: dots, swirls, lines, and faux stitching… I look forward to seeing what you create.


I stamped Mark's Finest Papers- Poppies,poppies,poppies and did paper tole with Aleene's burnt glue for the centers. My doodling is very subtle. I doodled with a black pen around the edges of the lighter brown dp. I used my scalloped border punch along the blue panel and around the circle for the Stampin B's challenge to use a border punch.

Here is a close up on a piece of gray cardstock so that you could see what the doodle looks like. It is a dot with a line that I call the ER Life line machine. It is a straight line with a squiggle and a straight line. I really like this kind of doodle because you don't have to be exact. If your straight line isn't exactly straight that is ok and if the squiggle is different from the other squiggles that is ok too.

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Our Daily Bread Designs.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris

Grace

Kris

Linda

Lisa

Miesje

Pegggysue

Rebekka

Sabrina

American Made collage

I made this card for 2 challenges: Ways to Use it Challenge to use stars. and Stampin' B's challenge to make a collage card. I used the images from Mark's Finest Papers set called AMERICAN MADE. If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would be making collage cards, I would have laughed. They were extremely hard for me to make. They are getting a little easier. I just try to think of different textures. On this card the lace, corderoy, raffia, twine and charm add a lot of different texture. Sewing also helps add to the collage feeling.

Sunlight, sunlight in my soul today....

The Friday free for all challenge was to use warm and fuzzy on our card. The warm on my card is the colors orange and yellow and also the hymn... Sunlight by Judson W. Vand De Venter. The fuzzy was the orange fibers that came in a big box, of blog candy, from my friend Grace. This hymn was a favorite of my youngest sister when she was really little. I would sing it to her at nap time and bedtime.

Sunlight

I wandered in the shades of night 'till Jesus came to me, and with the sunlight of His love bid all my darkness flee.

Though clouds may gather in the sky, and billows 'round me roll, however dark the world may be I've sunlight in my soul.

I cross thew ide extednded fields, I journey o'er the plain, and in the sunlight of His love, I reap the golden grain.

Soon I shall see Him as He is, The Light that came to me; behold the brightness of His face, throughout eternity.

Sunlight, sunlight, in my soul today, sunlight, sunlight all along the way; since the Savior found me, took away my sin, I have had the sunlight of His love within.

I Trace the Rainbow through the rain...

Close up of butterfly.

The ways to use it challenge today at SCS was to make a card with a rainbow. The StampinB's challenge was to make a card inspired by a song. This is the result of both of those challenges. I made my rainbow by taking acetate and scribbling markers side by side. I then took a coffee filter and sprayed it with water. I then carefully laid the filter on top of the acetate. The markers slowly mixed giving me this great rainbow. When it was dried I printed this hymn onto it. I picked this hymn because of the line "I trace the rainbow through the rain".

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (George Mattheson pub 1882.)

O LOVE that will not let me go, I rest my weary sould in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer fuller be.

O LIGHT that followest all my way I yield my flickering torch to thee; my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day may brighter, fairer be.

O JOY that seekest me through pain, I cannot clos my heart to thee. I TRACE THE RAINBOW THROUGH THE RAIN, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.

O CROSS that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee. I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground ther blossoms red Life that shall endless be.

George Mattheson the author was engaged to be married and at the age of 20 started going blind. His fiance left him because she didn't want to spend her life with a blind man. After he was completely blind his sister took care of him. He wrote this song in 5 mins the night before his sister was to get married. This hymn was based on the following scripture:

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 13:5

Stampin B's in yellow purple and green

The Stampin B's challenge this week was to make a card using purple yellow and green. I used yesterday's SCS sketch challenge for the layout of my card. I stamped my little Layers of color butterflies. I stamped one and cut it out and that is the butterfly at the bottom of my card. I stamped another butterfly twice and cut off both of the right wings and layered them on top of eachother. I really like how this card turned out.

Precious Memories

The technique lovers challenge yesterday was to make a card using a childhood memory. I chose to use what I think was one of my earliest memories. I remember lying in bed - supposedly taking a nap- and looking up out the window of my bedroom at the leaves on the trees. I remember watching the negative spaces between the leaves as the wind blew them. Last night as I was talking with my mom she said I had to have been less than 3 because after that I wouldn't have been looking up. This is also for the Stamping Sisters in Christ Challenge to make a clean and simple card. Clean and simple for me means little coloring and limited layers and embellishements. I did have to add one of my Layers of Color butterfly. I used the MOJO131 sketch for my layout. This is also for the Stampin B's challenge to make a monochromatic green card.

split negative

I tried my hand at the split negative technique. This was for the stampin b's challenge to make a split negative card. I also used this sketch challenge, because I thought the line really made it interesting.

Cards- longing for springtime

All my cards this week had a longing for springtime theme. At least that is how I was feeling. The snow outside and cold winter winds, made me long for the vibrant colors and warmth of spring.
This card was for the sketch challenge and for the ways to use it challenge to use orange on a card. I thought I would make a monarch butterfly, because they are orange. However, I decided to color my butterfly to look like an orange sulphur butterfly.
This is the card I made for the inspiration challenge. I loved the little moonbird. I especially loved the bird on the cactus, because it reminded me of springtime in the dessert. I love how green the dessert gets in the spring, especially after the rain.

I made this card for CHLOE, who was born a couple of weeks ago. It is also for the limited supply challenge to use ribbon and an edge punch. I also used the mojo126 layout.

This is for the Stampin' Sisters challenge to make a creation that lets someone we love, know that they are loved by us and by God. It was also for the technique challenge to make a match book candy holder.

Mothermark's teaparty was on FAT TUESDAY. Here is my mardi gras card. It is so different from what I would usually make, but I love the colors.

I made this for the stampin' bee's challenge to make a red white and blue card that wasn't patriotic.

Another orange ways to use it card. I had fun with this card.

Another limited supplies challenge card and a case of Jill's (quillister) card.

Butterflies

I made these 2 cards for the Stampin' B design Team Challenge to use a butterfly, die cut and flower. I had so much fun making these. I hadn't used this little butterfly in a long time, because I really like my Layers of Color butterfly. I saw this one when I was cleaning up last night and knew I had to use it today.

New Moon

I made this for two challenges, the Stampin' B challenge to make a card with red, black and white and a moon on it. It was also for the limited supply challenge to make a long tall card. I gave this card to my daughter. She used it as a thank you card. Her friend took her to see the movie New Moon.

Origami Christmas Tree

I made this origami Christmas tree for the Stampin B's Challenge to make something other than a card. I found a guy on youtube who has a tutorial on making these. Here is the Preliminary Base. Here is the Basic Fold. And Here is the Assembly of the Tree. I topped my tree with quilled roses made out of coffee filters. I also added beads and ribbon. My squares were 8"x8" decreasing each time by one inch. So I had 7"x7", 6"x6", 5"x5",4"x4",3"x3" and 2"x2". I made a bunch of these 6 years ago out of plain green paper, I wanted to give it a fresh update. Helen, I look forward to seeing yours.

BOO

The stampin b design challenge was to make a Halloween card. I don't celebrate Halloween, but I have seen some really cute cards in the SCS gallery. This is one that I saw two years ago. I loved him. I had to make him.

Long-Tall card with NO stamps allowed

I made this card for the Stampin B Design Team challenge. Vicky challenge everyone to make a long-tall card without using stamps. It also fit yesterday's Ways To Use it Challenge to use charms. I made my charm out of a chipboard flower covered with dp, pink beads, and pearl beads and wire. I hung my flower charm on a pink ribbon. I made my base using paper lace technique. I punched little flowers and added pearls. I also punched a big flower. My sentiment was a sticker that I have had for so long I forgot where I got it. I am going to send this card to my friend Anne. I was thinking about her the whole time I was making this card.

Pink, pink, pink

This card definitely is pink. It isn't my usual color. I am more of a blue person, but for some reason I felt compelled to make this pink card. It is for 2 challenges: Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, and the Stampin B's Design Challenge. I made the flowers and butterflies on Saturday. The flowers and butterfly were stamped with a versamark ink pad on pink paper. I then used my heat gun and gold embossing powder to make the gold edges. I then glued the flowers and butterfly paper to two layers of cardstock using Aleene's tacky glue. While the glue was still wet, I cut the flowers and butterfly out and shaped the petals and wings over my finger. When that glue dried, I brushed a coat of Aleene's tacky glue over the top surface. I used a really inexpensive paint brush... one that had originally been in a watercolor set that my kids took to school. The set when returned home at the end of the school year was ruined because all the colors were mixed. I salvaged the cheap brush to spread glue. That way if the brush gets ruined I am not that upset. After that top layer dried, I put the flowers together using gold brads. The antenea, and flower tendrils were made a thin strips of paper that had been heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I rolled the tendrils strips around the handle of the cheap paint brush. I added little rhinestones to the butterfly's body. I made the one gold leaf using a paper crimper.(I am working on a tutorial for making the leaves. I hope to have it posted this week.)

Sketch Challenge 236

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers Sketch challenge 236. I guess I was thinking, and longing for fall. I used fall colors on this card. I took this photo of a flower arrangement from my mother in law several years ago. I had it in a folder for use on a card someday. Today was that someday. I used wrinkle free distress technique on the base of the card. I outlined each panel with black cardstock. I used twine, brads, a metal embellishment and a butterfly to finish the card. The brads and metal embellishment qualify for the stampinb's challenge to use metal on a card.