I Am Confident…A Kitchen…and Some Senior Moments!

Such a wise, Godly man Abraham Lincoln was!

I made this card today for several reasons, to send to a friend who needs a lift and for the Technique Challenge on Splitcoast, Dryer Sheet Flowers.

Ok, now on to my card… {remember, right clicking on a picture will bring it up larger in another window for your viewing pleasure}

The quote is from ODBD Quote Collections I. Stamped, cut out with Spellbinders Floral Ovals and sponged with Distress ink while still in the die.

Here is how I did the flower… I didn’t have a dryer sheet so I used a coffee filter.

Spellbinders Blossom 3

Then I crumpled them up

Uncrumpled, but didn’t smooth out, and lightly touched with Worn Lipstick

Spritzed with some water…this allows the Distress ink to bleed

After my  flowers were dry, I applied Flower Soft glue around the edges and dipped into Flower Soft Glitter Frosting… and set aside to dry.

Once dry and nestled together, I lightly crumpled the flower again.

I added a few die cut butterflies from Die Cut Diemensions Butterflies by Flower Soft, and Spring Border die cut from Memory Box.

I trust this brings some some comfort to my friend.

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Hey, if you didn’t get a chance to see my new, improved kitchen… see this post. Can you tell I’m excited about it?!

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Every year at church we have a “Talent Show”. We have quite a few home-schooled kids so it gives them a chance to perform in front of an audience, but it’s not limited to ‘young kids’… even some older ones join in too!

In this video are 2 of my big kids and a friend. Unfortunately, they can’t be seen close enough, but Jared has a ‘bald’ cap with tufts of grey llama hair glued on, Timothy has grey llama hair tucked under his cap, and Daniel has an awesome mustache (Sam Elliot style)…from the same grey llama hair! They went to Salvation Army clothes shopping (really funny if you could totally see them!) and all have name tags pinned to their shirts.

Turn up your speakers and …      
Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn 

A Llama Field Trip…and Beauty of Dreams

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day yesterday for a homeschool group to come visit the farm!

About 28 people, kids and moms showed up, excited to learn about llamas! Annie and Shadow were waiting for them as I gave a little “Llama 101” talk before heading out to the pasture. I’d asked Levi (4H alumni) and his brother Ryan (still in 4H) to come help too. {remember, right clicking on a picture will bring it up in another window for better viewing}

I’d told the moms to bring carrots…Annie and Shadow made out like bandits! I had to tell the kids to hold up and save some for the rest of the gang!

A little apprehensive at first, entering the pasture with the llamas loose… everybody soon felt at ease and just had fun! They had to resort to picking dandelions and grass to feed the llamas when the carrots finally ran out.

And of course the llamas were happy to be getting treats and hand fed!

I finished up with a spinning demo which they all thought was fascinating, showing them the finished yarn….natural and dyed with kool-aid!

They’re already talking about another trip in the Fall! Buttons says.. BRING MORE CARROTS!!

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I already had this card to share with you, and writing this post I thought..how perfect this quote is to put with the field trip. Who knows how these young minds were inspired yesterday!

A little explanation on how I ‘think’ I did this card! LOL!!

The Butterfly Corner has been done just as a card front since its release a year or so ago!! So remembering just how I did it, um… I’ll give it a try! It’s embossed in clear then painted with acrylic paint tinted with reinkers. How’s that sound? {grin}

Anyhoo… I was wanting to do a shaped card with the new Dreams set from Our Daily Bread designs and this is what transpired!

I used Spellbinders Grand Labels 4 to cut my base and embossed with my Victoria folder. Then I used the next size down GL4 to cut my image piece. All done in my Grand Calibur!

The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I used my Becca Peg Bow Maker for the bow. That tool is awesome and so many possibilities for different bows!!
A little Mark Richards bling, and my card was simply done!

I hope I’ve inspired you to try something new, take a field trip.. Believe in the beauty of your dreams!

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

Sunshine…a Hammock…Birds Singing…Relax!

The birds are singing, the sun is shining… we do have a hammock, BUT so far it’s only 57 degrees! Promising to get mid-60’s though and maybe even 70 tomorrow! Woohoo!

I had a Bluebird and an Oriole flitting around the yard this week! So pretty.

The WT Challenge on Splitcoast today is to use birds. The ODBD Alumni Team's bi-monthly For the Love Blog Hop this week is featuring For the Love of ODBD Spellbinder's Compatible stamp sets!

For my card I used a word from one of the new releases, Happy Retirement, and an older set that I designed, Bird & Butterfly Labels. This set matches Spellbinders Labels 18, all cut in my Grand Calibur. DP is Bo Bunny Ambrosia.

While still in the die, I sponged Ranger Distress ink, Wild Honey, Broken China, Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet. I added dots onto the flowers with a white gel pen then a fine tip marker.

The bow was done on my Becca Peg Bow Maker!

Well, I’ve got 2 loads of laundry ready to hang on the line… better get busy!

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

Blessing and Prosperity…Faux Leather Cover

Last weekend while visiting and working with Kelley at Our Daily Bread designs, I stopped at Hollo’s for envelopes….and left with just a bit more! It’s a fun place to check out if you’re ever in the area!

Anyhoo, while standing in the checkout line I saw a stack of plastic checkbook covers, a buck… oh, why not!

I love the look of tooled leather. My father used to do this kind of work. I remember a purse he tooled for my mom, very similar to this pattern!
Cardstock, some embossing and distress ink… and my faux leather insert was born!

Tricky to photo, so bear with me!

I started by cutting a piece of Kraft paper the size needed to fit in the plastic cover then embossed it using Spellbinders Flora M-Bossabilities in my Grand Calibur. I love these embossing folders, you get two designs in each one!

I had to run it through twice as the folder didn’t quite cover the entire piece, but I was able to line up the pattern pretty close.

 
Nice having the large area of the GC, it allowed me to emboss most of the paper, slide the folder over and emboss the rest. Since the folder and adapter plate didn’t make contact with what was already embossed I didn’t ruin what was done!

A slight pattern break but not enough to worry about!

Now the fun of making the Faux Leather! I started by sponging on some Tea Dye, then taking my Vintage Photo pad directly to the paper, hitting the high spots of the embossing. I then took my Walnut Stain and hit just a couple places. You might have to sponge some more depending on the look you want.

Take your Versamark pad (or other clear embossing ink) and smoosh it around real good over the entire surface. You want to make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies! Then sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat set.

Voila! Faux Leather!!

I stamped Happy Retirement on water color paper with Versafine Onyx Black and embossed with clear ep, then using my ink pads (just squeeze the lid against the pad to pick up color), water colored my scene. I did the same for the verse, sponging both edges with Tea Dye and going around the edges with a marker. I also added some faux brads because I didn’t want real metal ones rubbing against the cover.

I finished the inside too, but not as detailed as you don’t see much of it.

A cool look with little effort!

I hope I’ve inspired you to try something different today!!

stamps: Happy Retirement-Our Daily Bread designs

paper: kraft, water color

ink: Versafine onyx black, Versamark, distress tea dye/vintage photo/walnut stain, various Adirondack pads for water color

other: Spellbinders Labels 25/Grommet Tags/Flora M-Bossabilities/Grand Calibur, Copic marker, clear embossing powder, plastic checkbook cover

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

Time and Memories….

Sympathy cards are never easy to make. Usually until it’s needed do I make one…making it that much harder… And, not anticipating needing one, but everything just jelled this morning for this card!

Even though I used the set, Paw Prints, from Our Daily Bread designs, it’s suitable for ‘people’ too!

Ok, enough of my rambling!

I was a real slacker this week with the Splitcoast challenges… I know, you’re thinking She’s rambling again!!… So I combined the Sketch, Technique, and Inspiration! All can be found here.

The embossed layer is Spellbinders 
M-Bossabilities Enchanted. I love the depth and clarity these give! Awesome! AND… did you know  you get two different patterns with each one! Cool beans! BTW… all the cutting and embossing was done in my Grand Calibur too!

Ok, the sketch is obvious, the technique is to use masking tape, ink pad and glossy paper…. I used painter’s tape on regular paper. You ink up your tape {I used Tumbled Glass/Bundled Sage} and stick it to  your paper, leaving a cool background.

This was my inspiration, as I thought it fit the sketch perfectly and using Spellbinders dies too! For the medallion layer I used Moroccan Motifs (bottom) and Splendid Circles (top). 
Ack… the masking tape/sentiment strip looked rather dull stuck on top, so I added one of the Ribbon Buckles under it and using the same die from Moroccan Motifs, gave it a fancy end!

 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Be inspired!

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

Make Me An Instrument…

Ever since I got this new ODBD stamp, Prayer of St Francis, I had this idea… finally, I put it to paper!
Although, I’d originally thought I’d
put it on a card front.

If you’re anything like me, you have a drawer, container… or {CLOSET} … yes, I do…. full of alterables. Little (or big) treasures that only a paper crafter can appreciate!

This particular one I found in the reduced aisle, a plaque, 5x5. I think it had a rooster on it…lol

I stamped the prayer 5 times, then using Spellbinders Labels 25 cut each layer with my Grand Calibur, and sponged with Old Paper Distress ink.

Taking my black Copic, I went around the edges of the plaque for my border and cut a piece of Basic Grey Little Black Dress to fit.

The paper flowers are more from my ‘closet’. For filler I used Flower Soft wires curled around a chopstick, and wires with Flower Soft glue and Ivory, Ultra Fine Koala Grey and Black. 

The leafy swirls are Fanciful Flourishes by Cheery Lynn Designs cut from the same Basic Grey pack.

I love how it turned out… much better than the rooster!

I hope I’ve inspired you to dig something out of your stash and get creative!

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

May Time Heal Your Heart…

It’s not something I like having to do, to make a sympathy card. And this one was especially hard. Not because of the techniques or images, but because it is being sent to a mother… I barely knew her. Her daughter was in my 4H club seven years ago, she was 14 at the time… I found out this week that she was brutally murdered late last month! A very sad, horrific ordeal. I can’t even begin to imagine what her mom is going through…

A depressing intro to my card…. I’m sorry.
I do LOVE how the card turned out though!

This is the Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast this week.

I used ODBD Bird Border & Corners, inking up the stamps with Distress Vintage Photo (bird), and Bundled Sage. To add a little color to the flowers, I used a white gel pen and several fine tip Sharpie markers. I also sponged the edges with the same inks. 
The sentiment is from the newly released set, Paw Prints.

I also used the Technique Challenge for this week, Faux Pressed Flowers. You can see a video tutorial here.

My DP is Prima Sparkling Spring, Spellbinders is Romantic Rectangles {I love this set!}…cut in my Grand Calibur, a Sizzix embossing folder and pearls from Want2Scrap.

I’m not sure there is enough ‘time’ for Sue’s heart to heal, but I pray she can cherish the good memories and begin that long healing journey.

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn

 

April Release…Our Daily Bread designs

Can you believe it’s April already!!!

Welcome to the Our Daily Bread Designs April 1 Release Blog Hop! If you got here from Becca’s awesome blog, you are in the right place! If you just happened here, you might want to hop on over to the ODBD Blog and start from there so you don’t miss a chance to win any of the four great prizes this month, and pick up all the details there! You have until Monday, 8PM EDT to complete the hop!

We do have one
Announcement
we want to be sure you get!

We have decided to extend our Customer Favorites Contest! You now have until April 7th to add your submission to the Customer Favorites Contest for a chance to win a free set and the chance to be a guest designer for the release of “your” set! So leave us your ONE choice of favorite short Scripture, spiritual quote or spiritual sentiment, and YOUR submission might be in the next ODBD Customer Favorites Sets! Read all the details and leave your submission HERE! ***PLEASE take time to see the Scriptures already in sets list so you don’t waste your one submission on one that’s already in a set!

Now… here’s my creation:

This set is called Cat Sympathy.
{by the way, this is ‘Kitty’, ODBD’s cat!
I’ve met her and given her some lovin’}

I like that the set can be used for more than just sympathy, if a friend has a sick or lost kitty… or just a cute card for a cat lover!

I stamped on Flower Soft’s Die Cut Dimensions Butterflies and added Flower Soft to the wing edges.

Isn’t that the cutest face!!

To give her fur some texture, I used a pin, dragging it across the image in the direction the hair goes. {learned from my good buddy…thanks Mel!!}

I stamped the sentiment on a tag from another Flower Soft set in black, then, stamped the cute heart with paw prints in Adirondack Juniper.

Now it’s time to visit
Grace 
and see what she has to share
on her awesome blog!

Stamps: Cat Sympathy

Paper: Prima

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Adirondack Juniper

Other: Flower Soft Die Cut Dimensions Butterflies-FS used Diamond Range Silver, Ultra Fine Toffee/Black/Ocean/Koala Grey, FS Glue. Spellbinders Grand Large Labels/Grand Calibur ODBD Fence Border Die. Copics Foam dimensionals

Thanks for stopping!

Dawn