Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge Challenge 114

This week's challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs.....

....is anything goes (114)  but it must use Our Daily Bread Stamps.

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!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Sunday July 8th at 8 p.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday. 

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 three or more of our participants  for the  Shining the Light Award . In order to qualify for this award or join the challenge, however, you must use Our Daily Bread stamps and have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Sunday, July 8th at 8 p.m. EST. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword is ODBDSLC114. When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.

Now on to my take for this challenge:

     There are many places I like to shop for craft supplies. Recently at Michael's I found these fabulous $1.00 frames and bought a 'bunch' in different shapes and sizes.  This design has been in my head since I first saw this oval.  I covered the frame with a paper that has an old wood look. The image and sentiment are from Our Daily Bread Design "Light of the World" set.  It was colored with my Copic's and sponged in Stampin' Up Bliss Blue around the edges.  It just seemed to call out for some shells, which also happened to be found at the same store as the frame.

For more inspiration for this challenge, please visit my dt sisters:

Jan Marie Ennenga,   Jan Keen,   Lori Ulrich, 

Kathy Roney,   Rosemary Dennis,  Sabrina Jackson

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

Not a card....

     You have to love those $1.00 frames that Michael's sells......at least I do.  The overall dimension of this frame is 5 x 5, the inside measures 3.25 x 3.25.
     Using my largest Fleur De Lis Square Nestie with some black linen cardstock I ran this through my Grand Calibur.  Then I took the cardboard piece that was in the frame and laid it on top of the piece I ran through my machine and traced the square inside of it....I then used my Fiskars cutter to cut around my marks (if you have a square die you could probably use it instead).  In the meantime I cut a piece of 5 inch by 5 inch DP from K & C (Ancestry.com design) and trimmed the inside the same way, using the cardboard inset that was in the frame.  I glued the DP to the front of the frame that I had previously painted with some acrylic paint in the color Caramel Candy.  Then I ran my die cut through my Krylon machine and placed it over the DP.  Using my Cheery Lynn die I made a few leaves and placed them in the corner of the frame, then I added a few of my homemade flowers I had from a previous project.  On a recent trip to the craft store I found some cute Metal embellishments in a butterfly design that I used as well.
     On a piece of good CS I used my Stampin' Up More Mustard Ink and stamped the Branch and Butterfly stamp from the Our Daily Bread Designs Faith set  (it was too strong to stamp directly on my piece, so after inking I stamped it once on scrap paper and then onto the CS).  I then used an Impression Obsession stamp for the sentiment.
     This was so fun and I have so many ideas about ways to use this frame, thinking Christmas, small group gifts, family.......a pretty endless list of ideas and styles are rolling through my mind.

Materials:  Wood frame, Spellbinders, Metal, Martha Stewart Punches, Cheery Lynn Die, DP, Krylon Machine, Our Daily Bread Design Faith, Impression Obsession Sentiment


Challenges:  Simon Says Anything But a Card, Dream Valley 35 Things with Wings

A good cause...

     Most of the cards I make are for friends, family, Church or the Ranch.....but there are many that I play around coloring and following through on ideas I have.  This week I took those cards that didn't have a specific purpose and boxed them up for shipment to OPERATION WRITE HOME.  These cards are sorted and sent overseas by a group of  volunteers.  When they arrive our soldiers can look through the very well organized selection and take cards they want to send to family, friends, and loved ones.  So glad to know something I have created will be used by someone who serves this country and defends my freedoms.  God Bless them all.   

OPERATION WRITE HOME

     Consider sending some of your cards to this very worth while group!!

Red, White and Blue

     It may not be the Fourth of July yet, but this past week was Flag Day (I always remember this day because it is also my DH birthday).  Recently I have been playing with some small frames I purchased at Michael's.  The first few I covered with paper and I really liked them, but I wanted to try my hand at painting and stamping one.
     I covered this small frame with some Red Apple acrylic paint, then I took the Wood Background stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs and inked it up with some brown ink.  The stamp is not quite wide enough to cover the entire frame so I had to stamp it once, then eyeball it and stamp it a second time.  I think it turned out very nicely and I have more ideas to play with this same look and maybe aging it a little.
     Wanting to enter this in the challenge over at Really Reasonable Ribbon I then took some cute little 'red, white and blue' ribbon and with my score tape layered it across the bottom.  After looking through tons of images and ideas for the center I settled on a computer generated sentiment that I stamped over with a Northwoods Fireworks stamp, and then jazzed it all up with the large blue stars around it.
     I will be entering this in the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge for summer in the USA, I think fireworks are a big part of the summer celebrations....I am very patriotic, one of those people who cries when they play the National Anthem.....
     Be prepared to see a few more things with these frames I bought 24 of them when I was in the store, I'm thinking Christmas gifts for some Bible Study friends and family!!!

     Thanks for visiting,

Supplies:  Michaels Frame, Our Daily Bread Designs Stamp, Basic/Basic Ribbon, Star Rhinestones, Northwoods Rubber Stamp 

Challenges:  Really Reasonable Ribbon #50,: Red, White and Blue, Our Daily Bread Designs ODBDSLC112 Summer

Be still my heart...

     If you know me at all, you know that there are two styles of stamps that take up many drawers in my stamp cabinet compared to the other drawers.....those would be Christian stamps and Western stamps.  It has been with great pleasure that I have watched the market for Christian stamps grow and suppliers of those same stamps as well.  It is a little more difficult to find Western stamps that are to my taste...this one of da Man, retired by Stampin' Up many years ago is a favorite of mine.  While I do not own this stamp, I have come to know a lovely women (Greenie) through Splitcoaststampers, who befriended me, and sends me a supply of this 'hunka, hunka' cowboy so I can create cards with him.
      She surprised me recently when she sent images of him stamped on patterned and colored paper.  I am a little use to coloring him and loved that she thought to challenge my thinking.  Looking at this image I decided to look through some of the photos I took during my recent vacation at the White Stallion Ranch, in Tucson, Arizona.  One of the shots I took of the tack room (the place that saddles, blankets, etc are stored in) seemed an appropriate background for da Man. Kind of like having him on vacation with me (whoot, whoot)!!
     I will post this at Splitcoaststampers on the "Bring the Man Back" page.  With the anniversary of Stampin Up around the corner a group of us are rallying them to bring back this set, or at least da Man.  My last visit to e-bay he was selling for $180.00, while I love the stamp, I don't love him that much.

Supplies:  Photograph, CS, Spellbinders, Stampin' Up

Zoom, zoom.....

     Before I went on vacation I was perusing the net for horse and cowboy images.  I came across a few adorable images that were digital.....ughhh!  For some reason these intimidate me.  Over the last year I have purchased and downloaded several and they live a lonely life in my computer files.  Soooo, I decided to play and teach this old dog new tricks.
     Other than my western cards I do very few that are for the masculine gender. This little fella and his dog from Mo's Digital have been on my computer for about two years I thought it was about time I inked him up with some Copic's and added a new design to my card stash.  Below is a just for fun card I made that I actually used two digital's on - woo hoo - I'm starting to get the hang of this.

Supplies:  Top card Mo's Digital Pencil, Spellbinders, Crimper, Sentiment My Favorite Things, Ribbon, Copics, Button Embellies,  Second card, Digital by Clear Dollar Stamps, Copics

Challenges for the First Card:  Ozook Challenge 3, Paper Players Challenge 98, The Ribbon Girl. use ribbon or lace, The Perfect Sentiments Anything Goes

And a one, and a two, and a three...

     Oooh, I just love Mumu by Mo Manning.......just before I went on vacation I purchased this stamp. Next trip to the stamp store I want to get the one with her hanging the laundry.  She just reminds me of a free spirit, unafraid to shake that booty with an in your face attitude.
     The challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ was to do something on your card your afraid of.  I don't really fear trying anything when it comes to stamping, but there are styles and techniques that are for sure out of my box.   Sooooo, I decided to distress the edges of my background paper as well as sew around them. (I am so NOT grunge that it was a challenge for me to even get those edges messy). I also decided to work on perfecting my paper piecing by cutting her skirt out of some lovely paper I have been hoarding.  There were several sentiments I felt fit this cha cha mama, but for today's card I chose this one by Inkadinkado.  The next one I make with her I plan on using another sentiment from this set that says 'Confidence is Sexy' with a truly wild paper pieced skirt!!

Materials:  Mo's Digital Pencil, Copic markers, Pearls, Inkadinkado Sentiment

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters in Christ  , The Perfect Sentiment, Anything Goes  PSC34

Peace.......

   
    The challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs was to create a card using this photo as an inspiration.

     First you need to know that my DH and I had talked about going to a movie, but we were soooo relaxed  and enjoying the quiet time at home that we changed our minds.  With that in mind I was checking out the ODBD blog and saw this photo.......I was drawn to picture 4 BECAUSE of the caramel corn, yes, I had popcorn on the mind.  There is no way I can go to a show and not have a small bag of popcorn, since we hadn't gone to the show I was kind of missing getting my popcorn fix. As soon as I saw this picture my mind focused on the caramel corn......SO, the colors I chose were in the burgundy family and of course a lovely caramelly orange color, Mmmmmm! 

     I had a lot of fun making this card.  First I ran my DP through the Grand Calibur with an EF....then I took my Color Box gold and rubbed it all over the paper giving a nice highlight to the embossed pattern.  After stamping my sentiment (Our Daily Bread Designs) on a circle I layered this on another circle and then placed those on top of that lovely 'caramelly colored' paper cut with the Lacey Circle Die.  I punched this same paper with my Martha Stewart Hydranga punches and edged them in Red.  Before layering them together I spritzed them with some Gold Shimmer Mist and then added some Champagne colored beads to the center of each flower with a drop of Glossy Accents.  I used my Cheery Lynn die to cut some leaves from some other DP and layered everything on my card, having rounded the lower edges of the layers.  

     The colors on this card are so rich and the flowers turned out absolutely beautiful with the gold spritz.  

Thanks for visiting:

Supplies:  Spellbinders Die, Cheery Lynn Die, Our Daily Bread Design Sentiment, DP, Embossing Folder by Spellbinders, Recollections Beads, Color Box Ink.

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Design Challenge, ODBDSLC 108

A little birdie told me....

    


     I was inspired recently to try a new way to frame and layer.  First I cut my paper 5x 5 and used my Martha Stewart Punch around the edges.  Then I used a Spellbinders die to cut a circle in the center.  I used two other sheets of paper to make two smaller circles with the Spellbinders Circle dies and matted them all together.  I chose a simple image this time to place in the center of my card and then used pop ups below my 5 x 5 sheet to make it stand out from the image.  Since I haven't done anything like this I decided to keep the colors subtle.  The flowers are ones that I made, there is a picture tutorial you can click on in my tab bar above to see how I make them.  This is a style of card that holds a lot of possibilities with other images, papers, and embellishments.

Thanks for visiting,

Materials:  Martha Stewart Punch, Spellbinders Die, Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch, Cheery Lynn Leaf Punch, Studio 112 Stamp, Pearls, Cardstock, Pop ups.

Challenges:  Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Challenge 139

Da Man on the move....

     Yep, its 'Da Man' and he is on the move.  He has spent a little time here in Georgia but is getting ready to move on to meet up with someone special.  Hard to come by Da Man, he was part of the Wild Wild West set retired by Stampin' Up back in 2004, but there is a movement by some of us to try and bring him back for their anniversary - you can check those details out at the 'Bring Back Da Man' site at Splitcoaststampers. 
     I don't own this stamp, but because of the generosity of some lovey ladies I have some stamped copies of him.....it is only occasionally that I am able to play with him and bring him to life...the real thing would be so much better, hence the reason many of us want Him back!!!!
     Real cowboys do wear red especially when they are on their way to meet up with  their girl .... sigh..... hope she enjoys him.

Thanks for stopping by,

Materials:  Stampin Up RETIRED Wild Wild West Stamp, Copics, Cricut Wester, Ribbon, Crimper.

Birthday Tea

     Just love those Lily of the Valley stamps....I have a special birthday girl I intend to send this to (its a surprise so I can't share it right now).  These little ladies were such a pleasure to color and layer on top of bright colors. It was one of those days where I had everything out on my stamping table, Embossing Folders, Spellbinders Dies, Ribbon, Rhinestones, Copics, and lovely, lovely colorful paper.......a card looking this nice on the outside needed an inside to match.

Thanks for looking,

Materials:  Lily of the Valley, Spellbinders, Mango Frost Matstack DCWV, Rhinestones, Ribbon, 

Challenges:  Simon Says, Their 3rd Birthday Celebration Challenge, 

Leibster Blog Award

Many thanks to Shelly N for presenting me with the Leibster Blog Award.
http://shellysblog-ne.blogspot.com 
How very thoughtful of her to think of me.  You can visit her blog for a whole lot of inspiration.

The origins of the Liebster Blog Award are somewhat unclear, but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany. Liebster, means favorite or dearest, and the Liebster Award is designed to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award, the recipient must pass it on to five more blogs of note.

Okay winners, here’s what you need to do.
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve recognition.
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

The blogs I follow that I think deserve this award are:

Cards by Jan - http://cardsbyjankeen.blogspot.com/
Joyfully Handcrafted (Joy) -  http://joyfullyhandcrafted.blogspot.com/
Betty's Stamps and Life Musings - http://bettystamps.blogspot.com/
Tracy at Present Scraps - http://presentstorms.blogspot.com/
Margaret at Cards and Cats - http://nutsandcats.blogspot.com/

Ain't This Cowboys First Rodeo

     I wasn't smart enough to buy Da Man when he was for sale with Stampin' Up, but I am lucky enough to have a friend who sent me several stamped images of him so I could play.  There is a  coo to bring Him back if your interested check this site out  Bring Back the Man at Splitcoaststampers.  There is a whole blog dedicated to the man here at Women of the Wild West, check him out.
    Da Man has packed his saddle up after his most recent rodeo, I think he is hoping Miss Kitty will give him a nice foot rub when he gets home......sigh, if he were here I would give him a foot rub :)
   

     Just had to post a few pics from some visits to the Ranch....I've made lots of friends over the years and always look forward to visiting with them.  I have been blessed to meet and get to know several people from around the world.

 

Isn't he sweet

Me and Flavio from Switzerland

This little fella was only a week old when I snapped this

On a ride in the Catalina's with my favorite Cowboy

Challenges:  Joyful Stamper, Anything Goes,  Make it Monday Anything Goes

White on White

     My stamps are in drawers with categories on the front,  If you know me it is no surprise that the Western and Christian stamps share equal space. My heart belongs to both of them when it comes to stamping, I am trying to branch out a little.....and why not, that means more stamps of other images to play with - and there can't be anything wrong with more stamps.
    The scripture I used from Our Daily Bread Designs is one of my favorite, and from their Customer Favorites released last August. When I think of a new creation I think a clean start or all white. With that thought in mind as I put this scripture to ink, it is no surprise the card is 'simply' white with lovely butterflies (and of course a few pearls, I do like pearls).  What a comforting scripture to know that when I know Christ and embrace Him in my life, I too become a new clean slate for Him to work through. The old me is gone and I am renewed by his gift on the cross and through His resurrection.
   

Thanks for visiting: 

Materials Used:  Sizzix Embossing Folder, Our Daily Bread Designs Stamp, Cheery Lynn Butterfly Die, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Vellum, Cardstock,  Pearls

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge,  Simon Says Stamp Challenge, Anything Goes, Word Art Wesnesday

Keep it Simple

As I was perusing Splitcoaststampers I came across a challenge that I couldn't resist.  I have posted it below:

Just like technology grows by leaps and bounds every year, so does the art/craft we share. It's hard to believe that just a little over six years ago, there was no Cuttlebug. Then the nestabilities and subsequent dies exploded on the scene. I remember when I started stamping... eyelets were the rage and brads were hardly heard of. And designer paper!! When I first started, they were limited as well.

~ Stamping Nostalgia ~

So our challenge today is going to be to make a card as if we were back in the early days of stamping. NO EMBOSSING, NO DIE CUTS, NO PEARLS, NO SEWING, Nothing that was not available way back when. 


     This challenge really got me thinking back to those first stamp parties I went to and the stamps, stamp pads, and paper I purchased then left them sit on the counter.  I remember some of those first cards I made, given what I owned and what I knew, I think I did a mighty fine job!!  Then I heard of a place called Splitcoaststampers and 'oh my' I could spend hours looking at cards and get ideas...I just knew I could never stamp as well as so many of the ladies whose galleries I visited.  SCS was a place I visited for about 2 years before I joined in 2007 AND I just knew I would never post a card there, I was way too intimidated. 
     During those early years a friend, who had been stamping for many years, challenged me to get together with her every few weeks and as I watched what she did I began to grow and learn and WANT to step out of my little box.  When she moved back to Illinois she invited me to be a part of the 'Stamp Club' she belonged to (and her sister stampers welcomed me with open arms).  What fun to get a challenge each month to create something of a certain color, or layers or whatever the theme was that was chosen.  How I looked forward to receiving their cards in the mail to see what they had done with the challenge - I couldn't wait for the mailman to come.  
    I'll never know what possessed me to play at the computer and become a blogger a few years ago.  What an adventure it has been!!!  The talent and ideas I have come across amaze me.  The kindness of people who I have sometimes contacted to find out 'just how they did what they did'.....has overwhelmed me.  Friendships have been made with people I have never met (but sure would like to).  Its been great.
     SO today I took the "Back to the Early Days" challenge and created this wonderful simple little card.  In those early days I had few supplies and would have stamped my image and layered it onto some colored paper....to make a real statement I would have probably put a few colors of paper under it.  The only way I could even think of adding texture would have been with my Fiskar cutter and stylus....to color my image I would have to raid my kids colored pencil box.  So what you see below is pretty much what an early card from me would have looked like...simple, clean, straight and pretty much one size fits all.  I don't regret those days and am glad to have had this challenge to keep me grounded about what it is I love so much about stamping.  

Thanks for visiting:

Challenges:  Splitcoaststampers TLC374

Materials:  Cardstock, colored pencils, Wordsworth Rubber Soul Stamp

Woman in Pink

     I'm not sure if its because I enjoy biking, or I am just getting older, but I just love this image by Mo Manning.  MuMu, who is of that age where a lady still wears a skirt to shop, looks as if she hasn't a care in the world as she bikes home from the market. Her plump rump is planted firmly on the seat as she pedals along with her face soaking up the sun, and her surroundings.  I can only hope I grow older with this same sense of empowerment, while still riding my bike.
     The flower I used is made from some crinolin and netting that I cut from a Sizzix die and colored with my Copics, after which I scrunched it all up around a brad..  The leaves are a Memory Box die.  I have been working on reorganizing my craft room and my sewing machine is now out and useable, so I just had to stitch around the outisde.  That and I thought it gave the card a more 'down home' look to go with this sweet image.  If you know me you are probably surprised there aren't pearls on this as I love 'pink and pearls'.......I don't think I'll add any, but sometimes cards change before they go in the mail :)
     For the challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs I have used, Stitching, Pink, Ribbon, Ink, Nestie, Green Leaves.  For the challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks I used material for my flower.

Thanks for visiting, have a great day....

Materials: Spellbinders, Sizzix, Fabric, Stamp by Mo's Digital Pencil , Bo Bunny Paper, Seam binding, Copics Memory Box

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs (SPRING), 4 Crafty Chicks #85 

Bleached Peony

 

 When my niece got married last August I purchased this stamp to use on the front of her wedding handouts. Since then I have been thinking of some ways to use it on a card.  Splitcoaststampers did a tutorial on bleaching  not long ago, a technique I haven't done in at least 5 years.  When I did last try it all I did was bleach an image out on my paper.  This time I wanted to try and not only bleach my image BUT color it with Copics.
     While I am happy with how this card turned out, it has many imperfections.....that said I can't wait to make another and see if I can improve.  Using some kraft cardstock I stamped the image and then embossed it with clear powder.  Using an old paintbrush I applied my bleach.  There are areas where I applied too little, they didn't bleach out quite as much as other areas.  Coloring with Copics on this surface was a challenge, you can't really blend them as well - and you certainly want to make sure the paper is good and dry from the bleaching before you use them.  This is however, a flower, and not expected to look perfect.  I had really wanted to add some vines or leaves around the cut out image but the card is already a large square and it just seemed to look too busy.

Thanks for visiting,

Materials used:  Stampendous Peony Stamp, Ribon, DCWV Mango Frost Matstack, Make an Impression Sentiment

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters in Christ, 4 Crafty Chicks Flowers, Papertake Weekly Anything Goes, Whimsy Stamps Ribbon, Divas by Design Anything Goes and Blog Hop

By His Wounds

      As I got some cards ready for Easter this was one of several I put together. For my background I used an Our Daily Bread Designs Stamp of three crosses, and repeatedly stamped across some kraft card stock in brown ink.  The sentiment, from the same Our Daily Bread Design set, He will Rise, is stamped on a coaster that I ran through my Grand Caliber with a Spellbinders die and then used some gold Krylon to ink the edges.  I cut several leaves from a Cheery Lynn die that I positioned in the corner, and then put a flower I made in the center of them  (a picture tutorial of how I make my flowers is posted on this blog).  The inside reads "Alleluia, He is Risen".
     I also used this sentiment on a cross I made that I purchased from Michael's. The cross was edged in gold so I used gold leaves below the sentiment.  Instead of cards I made a few versions of this cross and sent them to friends.

Thanks for stopping by,

Materials:  Our Daily Bread Designs He Will Rise, Spellbinders Die, Cheery Lynn Die, Krylon Pen, Pearl, Cross from Michael's

Challenge:  Word Art Wednesday Challenge 22, Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Easter