Crafters of Faith March Challenge

Hi!

Today is the day for some "faithful crafting". :~)

One of my blog groups, The Crafters of Faith, monthly challenge is due the last day of each month. Carolina is our hostess this month. Here's what she wanted us to do:

1. Try to use a lighthouse in your project or something that represents LIGHT in your world/life.
2. Use at least two different scrap of designer paper.
3. Since the theme is light use some bling on your card/project.

I don't have a lighthouse image :( So, I had to use THE LIGHT, well not the big Man Himself....but something HE made :)

My sun image is from Close to my Heart. I got this stamp set from a "scrapbook yard sale" for $1!!!! Woooooo! Whooooo! :) I love finding a bargain!!!

My scrap dp is exactly that, from my scrap box. I do believe both came from a Die Cuts with a View stack, since I'm a 12x12 paper stack NUT! I got stacks upon stacks upon stacks.........but all were bought on sale. I love that 40% off printable coupon to Hobby Lobby. Or even better, the weeks they put them on 1/2 off. Yeah baby!

I didn't want to cover up too much of the middle paper so I used a sentiment from Fundamental Phrases (SU!) and cut it tiny :)

 

I hope you like my cheery card!

Be sure to check out my "sisters" blogs. I can't wait to see what they created for Carolina's challenge!

That blog list is located in my left sidebar.

 

Until next time...

Blessings...

 

Melina

First Christmas Card of 2012!

Okay, yes, I made a Christmas card in March.

It's never too early, right?!

When I saw this scrap dp in my box and I had a crumb cake base sitting on my desk.....well, it just had to happen! *giggle*

I made this for the QFTD105 challenge on SCS, the Ways to Use It challenge and last week's Free for All challenge. Click HERE to go to my SCS gallery for more details on those challenges.

I loved embossing and inking the punched circles. I love that look. I tore and inked some vanilla c/s.....it's been a long time since I did any tearing. The polka dot paper is from my scrap box. It's a retired Christmas SU pack.

**Something new** I colored my pearls with a copic marker to make it go better with the card. I used #E11. This is a first, and I loved it!...can't wait to try it with some, more vibrant color.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate you.

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Leaves and Doodles!

Hello! Happy mid week :)

Okay, blue...green and kraft.....how can you go wrong?! Well for me anyway since I love earth tones.

Make it CAS and you've got me!

That's why I love this simple card....

My Spellbinders dies have become my new best friend. I haven't had them long. I just this past week found a deckled rectangle set on clearance at Hobby Lobby! Woot! Woot! very excited about that. Can't wait to try them out. For this card I used my trusty Circle dies. I added a couple rounds of doodling and a single green leaf.

For the sentiment, I inked it and curved it a little before adding it to the card. Some scoring, ribbon, a button and twine finish it off.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Playground Inspiration

Hiya!

This card is one I created for the CAS design team call a few weeks ago.

We were challenged to make a card inspired by a playground.

The bottom border reminded me of monkey bars.

Of course the primary colors are ones you see at every playground.

I used a birthday sentiment b/c when you think playgrounds, you think kids and for me when I think of kids and playgrounds I think of Birthdays. Maybe that's b/c we've been to a few parties at the playground! :)

..and the snowcone was a reminder to me of every time we go the playground, our kids want something nice and cold once they're through playing!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Have a wonderful day.

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

I Was Buzzing By......

.....and wanted to know if you had any cake? :)

Hi!

I hope you're having a great day.

I have a card here I made for a few challenges....

I went by this sketch at the Clean and Simple Stamping blog found here:

Challenge #183

This week's Little Red Wagon Challenge is to make a Clean and Simple card.

Challenge #125

and last but certainly not least, the CAS-ual Fridays blog is going Bold and Beautiful this week. They want to see your pastel colors with black.

Challenge #45

Now, for my card details...

The base is crumb cake but it has a green hue to it. I guess it's the Wild Wasabi against it that makes it look that way.

I used my Big Shot, SU! dies and Spellbinders a lot with this layout.

The little bee image is from the SU! Love Bug stamp set and the sentiment is from the SU! Afterthoughts set. The image is stamped on pretty in pink c/s with memento black ink.

The large white circle is stamped in Wild Wasabi ink with the SU! Sanded b/g stamp.

The little pink balls are pom poms I bought months ago and have just now used. I love em! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

A Few Current Faves in an Easter Card

Hello!

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Here's a little card I made a while back but just haven't gotten it to my blog yet. I have organized my pictures on my computer now and have a folder just for cards I haven't posted to my blog. Ugh, I'm so behind.

The base of this card is Natural White. That's one of my FAVES right now. I love the weathered look of it. My stamps are from SU!, Mixed Bunch and Delightful Dozen. That image is my FAVE of that set. Can you see a pattern forming? Also the green ribbon (SU SAB special) is one of my.....LOVES right now. I like how small and sheer it is.

Well, there you have it. A few of my current FAVES in one card.

Have a great day!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Another Mystery Solved!

Hello

It's time again for the Mysterious image to be revealed.

 I'm a part of a group on SCS that loves a good Mystery. We have a different hostess every couple of months that sends us images. We then make cards with the image and then mail them back to the hostess. She in turn, swaps them out and we get cards back (that other ladies in the group have made with the same image) along with the next rounds mystery image. It may sound a little confusing, but we make it work. It's a great group of ladies.

This round was hosted by our sweet Linda.

She sent us this darling MFT image. I've never worked with them and now I'm hooked.

I colored the image with watercolor pencils and blended with my blender pen.

Linda also sent the brown CM cocoa paper I use on the card base. I decided to make my card base smaller than usual. I placed the image a taller than the base so the card would fit in a regular A2 envelope. 

The snowflake accent is made with 3 SU! punches and a white brad. I popped it up off the card with dimensionals. 

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

March 18, 2012

11:20 pm

************

My sweet Mamaw got her wings.

She fought a good fight. Now she's safe in the arms of JESUS.

 *************

Thank you for your continued prayers as we celebrate the life of Gertrude Wray.

We will shed many tears but knowing there are no tears in Heaven gives me great comfort.

She is no longer in pain. She has a brand new body. I will see her again one day.

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Having Way TOO Much Fun With Punches!

Hi Everybody!

Happy St. Patty's Day to ya! I have my green shirt on. Got it out first thing so I wouldn't get pinched! :)

I've been having so much fun with my paper punches lately. I wanted to show you a few cards I made.

This one is very simple made with a square, circle and corner rounder punch...

 The "M" is cut with my cricut. Then, I just doodled a little and....done.

It's a 4" square note card.

Here's another pretty made with the square punch! Who knew you could make a butterfly with it?

 I pierced the trail and the antenna are black metal dots.

I was very proud of myself for using my scallop square punch. I NEVER use that thing!

  This card took a little time....

 But, only because my big, fumble fingers had a hard time getting the punched owl together!

I used the scallop border, owl and circle punches with this. I used the circle punch to make the cresant shape on the pumpkin pie strip. The large circle is cut with Spellbinders and then embossed with a dots embossing folder. I turned the embossed side inward and then embossed the belly of the owl and turned it outward.

I placed black, satin ribbon over the orange circles and baker's twine (twisted and knotted) behind the owl.

Now, this card I made for the Inspirational Challenge over on SCS today...

 

Here's the photo I drew inspiration from in making this card:

(click for picture ) TRAPIRA

I love the circles and squares on the wallpaper and the color combination.

I tried to mimic the pattern with my circle and square punches.

I also tried something I never had by punching the edges of the stamped medallion and attaching with twine. I went a little crazy with the buttons and pearls.

Well, there's my punchy madness that's been occurring lately. I have another I'm working on for Sweet P's (Sama ~ SCS) Punchy swap. I will get it posted next week.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

********************

~ Oh, and I thank all of you that have been much in prayer for my Grandmother. She is bed ridden and her condition is deteriorating very quickly. But she has had a good 2 days with hardly any pain. Praise the Lord!!!! She still has a smile for you when you walk to her bedside. She is a dear lady and for 92 years old.....well, let's just say I pray I am as healthy as she has been her whole life and that I make it to that beautiful age. :) ~

 I LOVE YOU MAMAW!!!!

********************

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Dueling Darling Blessngs!

Hello everyone!

It's the 15th and that means it's time for another Duel!

The Dueling Darlings (group over on SCS) is made up of some of the best ladies online! We are a fun, caring group of gals who love to create.

This month we are hosted by Michelle on the Dazzlers team and Barb on the Divas.

I am a Dazzler so Michelle is "my girl"! 

She sent some of the cutest papers and embellishments in our kit. I love the poem she printed out for us too.

Here's what I created:

See isn't that poem beautiful?!

Thank you so much Michelle! BIG HUGS

Our hostesses wanted us to list any traditions we hold dear at St. Patrick's Day. Although I am of Irish decent, we don't really celebrate the day. Well, if you call making sure I wear something green on that day, then yes....I celebrate it :~)

Be sure and check out all the other Darlings creations. Their blogs are listed in my left sidebar.

Other challenges I am entering:

The new challenge blog, retro sketches 2nd challenge found HERE

and here's the sketch

I turned the sketch and went all the way across my card with it.

Also:

The CCEE Stampers Challenge to use an element of International Flair.

Find the challenge HERE

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina

Supplies:

Papers...

Basic Grey Origins ~ Sugar Pea, Echo Park This and That ~ dots and plaid, Reminisce...ShamRock

 Embellishments...

Ribbon, cording and brad ~ American Crafts

Glitter Shamrock ~ die cut from glitter paper

Button Candy Dots by Pebblesinc

C/S...

Irish Blessing is computer generated and printed on SU! Whisper White, and SU! Very Vanilla

SU! Crumb Cake card base

Ink...

Sponge Dauber and Soft Suede inked edges
and circle punches

Design Team Call at Twisted Tuesday Challenges!

Hello everyone!

I am starting a new challenge blog and would love for you to come check it out!

We are having an open Design Team Call starting today and running through the 24th. We will be picking 2 ladies to (for a 6 month commitment) join our team. The challenges will run weekly and will start April 3rd. All the details can be found here:

Twisted Tuesday Challenges

So, come....

with us!

Blessings!

Melina