DS79 ~ God's Spirit ~

Can you feel it?  Each and every day, Christmas inches closer.  And just like a little kid perusing the Sears & Roebuck Catalog, I'm dreaming of all the possibilities.  As I write, the tree is not up and the garland isn't strung.  And I dear friends have decided not to fret about that fact!  The greenery and baubles are just that... items to take up space and time...  I am going to enjoy the process!  I would venture to say SAVOR it!  For we are never promised tomorrow and Jesus expects us to give him our best each and every day.  

As I write this post, I am reminded of two lovely ladies in the crafting world that are losing their battles with cancer.  Losing is probably not the right word.  For I know each will be going home to meet their heavenly Father soon.  They have nothing to lose and everything to gain!  But for those that are left behind, the holidays often present a challenge...  an empty seat at the dinner table, an unopened gift under the tree and/or a flood of memories...  a season of rejoicing tempered with longing for those we have lost...  So I ask you to add these unspoken requests to your prayers this holiday season and to embrace those you love!  

The real meaning of Christmas arrived in a dark and dirty stable all those centuries ago.  And it is through his death and resurrection we can live eternally...  no more sickness and no more pain...

Blessings...

The Deconstructed Sketch...

and my interpretation...

 

Card Recipe

 

Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs - Snowflake Sentiments

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Ink - Frayed Burlap

Papers - The Paper Studio, Bazzill, Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas

Dies - Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug - Houndstooth

Misc. - Jet Flourish - Recollections; Paper Punch - Martha Stewart Crafts, Paper Piercer - Stampin' Up , Flower Soft - Meadow

 

Challenges

 

The Deconstructed Sketch - DS79
Word Art Wednesday - WAW57 - Giving/Anything Goes

MOJO264 ~ Our Refuge ~

Welcome!  Thank you so much for stopping by!  I've been working on a couple of projects the last few days.  I keep coming back to this particular scripture.  I will be sharing another project tomorrow using these comforting words from Psalms...

inspired by this Mojo sketch...

using ODBD's Keep My Lamp Burning set...

Praying for all of those in the path of Hurricane Sandy... blessings...

Lori

Card Recipe

Stamp - Our Daily Bread Designs - Keep My Lamp Burning

Paper - Bazzill, Paper Studio, Simple Stories - Summer Fresh

Ink - Versafine - Onyx Black

Dies - Spellbinders Standard Circles Large

Misc. - Edger Punch - Martha Stewart Crafts, Pearls - Recollections, Flower - McGill Punches

Challenges

MOJO Monday - MOJO264

DS72 & a Blog Candy Winner! ~ Ho, Ho, Ho!

Hello Wednesday!  I am so excited to reveal my blog candy winner for Sunday's Birthday Blog Hop.  (Yes, I was one of the team members with hidden "blog candy.")  I am terrible at keeping secrets!  So glad I can reveal the winner.  :-)  Thanks to everyone who stopped by to wish Kelley Holland, the owner of Our Daily Bread Designs a happy birthday!  I know she appreciated all of your birthday wishes.  And now for the winner...  I feel like Santa Claus...  :-)

Congrats to Kathy O! 

Please reach out to me within 48 hours so I can get your prize pack out!  Thanks again to everyone who took time out of their day to play along! 

Today I am taking a few moments to play along with Jen at The Deconstructed Sketch. By now, everyone knows how I feel about sketches! They make me SO happy! And this one is no exception...

I decided to pull out a fun stamp set recently sent to me by Kelley Holland, owner of Our Daily Bread Designs and North Coast Creations. This set is from NCC and is called Holly Jolly Christmas. Kelley and crew travel almost every weekend to stamp and craft shows to show their wares including booths for both Our Daily Bread Designs and North Coast Creations. If you get a chance to check NCC out in person, please do! The images are darling!

Santa Claus is coming to town...

Several layers of coordinating DP by Simple Stories, kraft and card stock along with some lace and pearls make up this fun card. I love the traditional red and green but I also like nontraditional colors. I think the kraft adds a country/vintage feel. A few paper punched evergreen springs and a cute copper jingle bell add festive touches. And isn't Santa darling?  And he was a blast to color! So fun! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are working on your Christmas cards too!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Lori

Card Recipe

Stamps - North Coast Creations - Holly Jolly Christmas

Inks - Memento - Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Ink - Pumice Stone; Copics

Papers - Bazzill; Kraft - Paper Studio; Simple Stories - Handmade Holiday

Dies - Spellbinders - 2010 Heirloom Ornaments & 2011 Heirloom Ornaments

Misc. - Martha Stewart Evergreen Paper Punch & Edge Punch; Baker's Twine - Jillibean Soup; Jingle Bell - Art Minds; Lace - American Crafts; Pearls - Recollections

Challenges

The Deconstructed Sketch - DS72
Simon Says Stamp - Use Dies and/or Punches

ODBDSLC124 ~ All About the Melody

It is time for another Our Daily Bread Designs' Shining the Light Challenge... 

This challenge is all about the melody! 
(This challenge lasts 2 weeks!) 

Create a card or project with some musical element. It can include a musical theme, words in the sentiment or verse having to do with music or instruments, an embossing folder or designer paper.  Let your musical imagination go wild!

  To make the challenge even more fun, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! If you are not using ODBD stamps, please do not enter more than once. Additional entries without using ODBD stamps will not be commented on nor will they qualify for prizes.

While it is not required to use Our Daily Bread Designs images and sentiments on your creations, we would love to see them if you have them! As a way of recognizing those who do use Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we will again be choosing 1 to 2 creations to spotlight for our Shining the Light Award. In order to qualify for this award, however, you must use Our Daily Bread stamps and have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Sunday, October 7th at 8 p.m. EST. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword ODBDSLC124. When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to our challenge.

And my creation for the week...

I chose a couple of musical elements.  One layer of designer paper has musical notes all over it.  I also opted to use a Scripture stamp referencing singing and music.  (Oh, how I love to make a "joyful" noise...)  A shabby rose is surrounded by bits of paper punched foliage and pearls.  I also added a few burgundy blossoms to break up the neutral tones.  When I think of singing, my mind naturally turns to birds.  So I pulled a few craft feathers out of my stash and tucked a few behind the flower grouping.  Kinda shabby and eclectic...  So whatcha think? 

Make sure to stop by and visit my sister sticks! They have some wonderful creations to share! And don't forget to leave them some love!  Thanks so much to Katherine Lawson, our special guest this month! 

Chris Olsen *** Jan Keen *** Jan Marie Ennenga *** Kathy Roney *** Rosemary Dennis ***
 and our fabulous guest all this month, Katherine Lawson.

To see all the creations in one place or join the challenge, click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! Blessings...

Lori

Card Recipe

Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs - You Will Find Refuge
Papers - Bazzill; Simple Stories - Documented; Teresa Collins - Christmas Cottage
Ink - Memento - Rich Cocoa (sentiment); Ranger Distress Ink - Pumice Stone (distressing)
Misc. - Paper Punches - Martha Stewart Crafts; Blossoms - Prima & Stash; Pearls - Recollections; Lace, Feathers

MOJO259 ~ Harvest of Memories

Thanks for stopping in!  I hope you and yours are having a wonderful, worship filled and restful Sabbath!  As I write this, I am preparing for a short business trip and attempting to tie up some loose ends.  Tons of laundry, dishes and the like to do...  plus I am frantically preparing posts for the upcoming weeks! 

I have several fun projects this week.  For Cricut fans, I will post a couple of Exploring Cricut projects this week.  Our Daily Bread Designs' weekly Shining the Light Challenge is Tuesday PLUS I will be joining the alumni crew for a hop Thursday!  I will also share a cute card using some digis from Clear Dollar Stamps.  It promises to be a fun filled week! 

In the meantime, I am sharing my take on the weekly Mojo sketch shown here...

And my interpretation...

I had the opportunity to attend a card class a few nights ago. My friend Emily, created some fun projects for us to do. We talked about the plethora of stamps we own... (and how there must be a ten step program for this...) Sadly, I realized I have a stack of cute fall images that I am under utilizing. So today, I pulled out one and knocked some dust off of it. I chose Close To My Hearts' So Grateful set.

I stamped the pumpkin image with a slightly lighter ink followed by the word layer in a deeper shade. I also stamped the leaf in several colors and cut them out individually to add with dimensional foam. I embossed the background with an embossing folder to mimic lattice. The circle form tucked in behind the focal panel is a bit of burlap cut with a Spellbinder die. Instead of my normal spray of flowers, I grouped together some random buttons. It feels a bit more like fall to me...

Thanks so much for stopping by and check in each day this week to see the projects I have. I may even have two on one day! ;-)

Blessings...

Lori

Card Recipe

Stamps - Close To My Heart - So Grateful

Papers - Bazzill, Neenah, Simple Stories - Take a Hike

Ink - CTMH - Goldrush, Autumn Terracotta (pumpkin), Topiary (stem, pumpkin leaf & sentiment), Sunflower, Sunset (falling leaves)

Dies - Spellbinders - Standard Circles Large & Foliage Two

Embossing Folder - Provocraft - Wicker Weave

Misc. - Buttons (Bo Bunny), Twine, Burlap

 

Challenges

 

Mojo Monday Sketch 259 - MOJO259

Clear Dollar Stamps Digi September Release ~

Good morning!  So glad to see you! 

I have some special news to share.  For the next few months (4 to be exact)  I will be working with and sharing some new items.  I have joined the Clear Dollar Stamps Digital Crew! 

What is a digital?  I'm trying my hand at working with digital stamps, or those you print right off of your PC and create with.  You can manipulate sizes and colors...  They are so versatile!  And that makes your creative possibilities endless!  So to celebrate the occasion, I have a few projects to share using a couple of new September releases.  Be sure to check out the CDS Blog and Clear Dollar Stamps website to find details on how to purchase plus a fabulous tutorial on working with Digis...  I look forward to sharing more wonderful digi stamps of faith from Clear Dollar...  So let's dive in...

For my first card I selected Lori McCroskey's Leaves set...

 

Isn't it darling!  I printed the digital background with the lovely inspirational message and cut/embossed it with a Spellbinders die.  I added a bit of dark brown card stock cut with the coordinating Petite Scalloped die.  The maple leaf (also a digi from this set) was altered to give it a warm orange color and hand cut before placing it on top with dimensional foam.  The DP layer was lightly distressed on all edges and inked for depth.  I just love this image!  So simple and so very elegant!

 

Now for another peek...  This one uses Austin Owen's Garden set.

 



 

This one is so yummy!  I can't get enough of inspirational quotes and C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors.  So this set immediately grabbed my eye and my heart!  The base is 6 x 6 inches and is double matted.  The houndstooth pattern actually came from a Halloween paper pad.  I really like the menwear feel of it...  I printed the sentiment and flower border on white card stock and trimmed.  I added a bit of bling with a dash of Stickles glitter glue on the three blossoms and a silver flat backed adhesive pearl on each.  So easy! 

 

Be sure to check out the other fabulous projects my DT sisters have to share!  There is so much to share!  Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Blessings....

 

Lori

  

Clear Dollar Stamps Digi Team

Jerusha Borden - Digi Design Team Coordinator

Barb Gmitro Best  ***  Candy Fosta  ***

Cassie Trask  ***  Kathy Dunnegan  ***  Laurie Wilson  ***  Linda Anderson  ***  Lisa Lara  ***  Sarah Taylor  ***  Vicki O'Dell  ***  Jen Young  ***  Angela Pruisman   ***  Sarah Nelson  ***  Dana Colburne  ***  and Lori Ulrich (me)

 

Card 1

 

Stamps - Leaves (Black & White) by Lisa McCroskey for Clear Dollar Stamps

Papers - Bazzill; Simple Stories - Harvest Lane

Inks - Ranger Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap

Tools - Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Circles Large & Standard Circles Large; Tonic Distressing Tool; Cutterbee Scissors; Dimensional Foam

 

Card 2

 

Stamps - Garden by Austin Owens for Clear Dollar Stamps

Papers - Bazzill; Neenah Solar Crest; Echo Park Chillingsworth Manor

Tools - Stickles by Ranger - Star Dust; Flat Back Silver Adhesive Pearls by Mark Richards

Challenges

WAW45 - Word Art Wednesday
Twist of Faith Card Challenges #2 - Comfort



ODBD For the Love of Fall Harvest ~

Welcome to Our Daily Bread Designs' Alumni Team bi-monthly For the Love Blog Hop. This week the Alumni team along with some of the ODBD designers are featuring a hop For the Love of ODBD Fall Harvest Stamps! Check out each link and leave a comment. If you get lost along the way, check the ODBD blog for full list of links. One of the posts is a hop hot spot and a name will be drawn from that list of comments to win a $15 ODBD store gift certificate. So, all you have to do is hop along and see all the lovely creations and leave a little love! You have until Wednesday, September 26th at 6 pm. Enjoy all the awesome inspiration using For the Love of ODBD Fall Harvest Stamps!

If you arrived here from Jan's FABULOUS blog you are in the right spot!
 If not, head over to ODBD's Blog for a full link list.

Here's what I created this week...

Using this lovely set of images and scripture entitled The Good Seed

The base layer was embossed with a Polka Dot Embossing Folder and stitched around the edges. I added a few coordinating DP pieces under the focal panel to resemble a quilt. A floral doily die inked lightly makes a feminine first layer while the rust circle die adds a bit of contrast. The sentiment (ODBD's The Good Seed)

was stamped on coordinating paper and cut with a circle die. A bit of ecru seam binding was tucked behind with a fluffy bow for dimension. I also added a tiny acorn die cut with both leaves and branches tucked behind the bow. And I can't forget the gold flat backed pearls!

Now I will send you on your way to Our Daily Bread Designs' WONDERFUL blog. Make sure to leave some love at this final stop! Blessings and thanks so much for stopping by!

Card Recipe

Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs - The Good Seed

Papers - Bazzill; Simple Stories - Harvest Lane; Bo Bunny - Apple Cider

Inks - Versafine - Onyx Black (Sentiment); Ranger Distress Ink by Tim Holtz - Pumice Stone (Distressing)

Dies - Spellbinders - Standard Circles Large, Floral Doily Motifs, Fall Foliage & Exquisite Circles

Misc. - Punches - Martha Stewart Crafts; Seam Binding - Stampin' Up; Gel Pen - Signo - White; Gold Flat Backed Pearls - Mark Richards; Cuttlebug Folder - Polka Dots

Mojo Monday - Grow in Grace

I'm taking one final day to wind down before returning to work. John and I spent some quality time visiting with the kids this weekend. Michael left late this afternoon... so now I am taking some time for me... And you know what that means! Projects!!!! I can't believe how many projects I have completed over the last few days! I think the forced crafting sabbatical sparked my creativity!

Today's card is for Mojo Monday. I found this paper pad recently online and decided to order. I had never heard of the company but liked the looks of it and decided to commit. Boy, am I ever glad I did! The paper is SO rich! And this project required very little extras from me. I just let the DP do the work! LOVE IT!!! Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to hang out with me and I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Blessings...



Card Recipe

Paper - Bazzill, Simple Stories - Generations; Stamps - ODBD - Grow in Grace; Ink - Versafine Onyx Black; Dies - Cheery Lynn Designs - Fanciful Flourish, Spellbinders Classic Ovals Small;Embossing Folder - Sizzix Tim Holtz; Paper Punch - EK Success; Mulberry Roses

And do you like pretty paper flowers like I do? Hop over and visit Jani here at Paper Compulsions. I know you have a super creation you want to share with the world! Plus you have a chance to win some uber cute paper posies! Check it out!