Vintage share - HOPE

Just a little share today of some vintage cards. I was able to use some of my patterned paper scraps for these and I always love that, when a card comes together, through the image.
I received a beautiful 'HOPE' stamp today from a lovely lady in the States. I found the vintage image through Helle's Pinterest board.

I just love working with these colors. It speaks for itself, how it was made, I think.

Then this one is also made with patterned paper.

 
The third one.

Talking about hope  - it's very important to have Biblical Hope in our lifes. I read just recently that Hope is necessary if we are to maintain both faith and love. Hope is not optional, it is essential to the fullness of the Christian life. People say 'where there is life, there is hope', and the opposite is also true, where there is hope, there is life! Being hopeless is a very sad condition. Just yesterday I answered the door to a young man who we recently invited to our Church Service where He could hear about the God of Hope. He was just as empty as he was when we last saw him and yet God is still holding out His arms to draw all to Him to give us new hope and life in Jesus Christ who took away the wall that separates us from Him by carrying away our sins on the Cross. Why is it so difficult, for people to say 'yes' to God. We are still praying that many who are hopeless will become desperate enough to accept the Grace of God and be made new!

Jacqueline

How I love to craft

Good afternoon ladies - hope you are well! I am glad things are back to normal again.

Just sharing a project of how I just love to craft. Using patterned paper that I love, the color pink, an image from nature and a bit of paper piecing. This was pure enjoyment to put together.
The image is from Hero Arts. Thanks to Sue (once again) for the patterned paper.
Jacqueline

A couple of cards in pink

The first card is using a wine label and an assortment of stamps. The image is from patterned paper.

For the second card I used a tag which was a free gift in a Magazine. Just gave it a bow and a diecut background and it made for a very quick card.

Now for a little cooking tip. Do you have a Muffin tin? Well, until Saturday I never ever owned one! I found one at our local store, one with six rather large cups in it. Saturday night I arranged a cozy dinner for two with DH and wanted to do something special and original. So I made some mini Asparagus tarts in the Muffin Tin. So easy! Used puff pastry which I cut out into four circles and into four of the cups. I mixed four eggs, a little bit of cream, Roquefort cheese (3rd of a pack), salt, pepper and a jar of asparagus which I just cut into small pieces. Mixed it all together, and divided the mixture on top of the pasty into the four cups - made a little lid from the pastry that was over for all four and they cooked in about 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees. They were delicious with a salad and ready in no time. It just made it a little bit special to eat real home-made food. (Forgot to take a photo..)

Vintage Card

 Just a little vintage card to share and another use of the wine label. The verse is: Do not fear, only believe!

Going romantic...

Today I was back at work for a couple of hours and as my boss is my hubby, he was very kind to me :)

Using some of my go-to colors in a romantic card today. The Frame is a Penny Black stamp and the velvet pink and mahogany colored flowers are Pink Paislee stamps. Image is from Graphics Fairy.

Hope you all have a very nice weekend and thank you all once again for your support in many ways!

French Vintage Spring and a giveaway

A friend of mine found this image in a little shop in our village. I don't see why I should not share it so that you can have fun with it too on your cards.
The lovely LIN sent me this Spring definition stamp from Hero Arts. I am so happy with it! It has been on my wishlist for more than two years but I could never find it on Ebay and its just too darn expensive to order in the U.K; as it consists of four stamps of all seasons. But I am very happy to have one now which I can use on my cards. These sort of stamps are so versatile. First up is this card, which is meant to be a bit romantic.. It is so French too, as it really looks like this where I live. I used a Pink Paislee stamp to decorate the edges. (She is reading a love-letter :))

Here is the freebie - I do not know about quality or size, I only hope that if you download it, it is usable to you. I am not a star in technical issues.

If you do succeed in making a card with this image, link ik here in a comment and I will send one person some Pink Paislee papers to create with.

Tag Tuesday - Use a postcard cutout

The theme this week over on the tag challenge blog is to use a cutout of a postcard  in your possession on your tag. I punched out three faces from the one I found. I chose the paper according to the colors of the postcard, not my normal colors.

I used the Pink Paislee stamps with white ink to decorate the tag and added a few vellum flowers from the design block Lace stamp from Hero Arts and a  added a vellum butterfly.

Just loving collage again

Happy Sunday! Here it is grey and damp.... But inside warm and cozy!

I am not motivated to enter any challenges these last months - I just create spontaneously as the mood is and the time allows. Going with the flow I suppose.

 Like yesterday I just pulled out four pieces from my scrapbasket (see card above), juggled and glued and had myself a little card within twenty minutes. Thats how I love creating - picking up papers lying in a pile and turning them into a useful object that I can bless somebody with. When I pray I ask the Lord to show me who I can send a card too and bless them - usually, with a Bible verse or just a word of encouragement.
At work I have many opportunities to include a little creation in the mail I send. So I am happy that being creative is a tool I can use to bless others. I know how it blesses me ridiculously when I receive something from somebody in the mail, so thats what motivates me to create too!

Having made one collage card, never satisfies me, so here is the second one that followed.

Masking

A couple of cards using the masking technique.

 

With the Lace background stamp I went for a different effect for the background.

These are Hero Arts stamps and the bird is from Artistic Outpost.

Gothic Arches - Snowflakes

I am feeling a lot better - thank you so much for all your well wishes!

Today I wanted to make a Christmas Arch on the theme 'Snowflakes', which was posted two weeks ago on the Gothic Arches blog. I used a Memory Box patterned paper and one of my favorite images which was a download from the Graphic's fairy. All the stamped snowflakes are from Artistic Outpost stamp plate Sleigh Ride that can be found here.

Our sons arrived home safely, just had a slight delay. Lucky for us as there is a lot of chaos everywhere in the North of Europe due to snowfall. I hope to write a little bit about our eldest son later this week - the transformation due to a touch of God in his life is evident! 
God bless!
Jacqueline

Christmas blessings

Just sharing a few little treats I received this week.

Look at this beautiful card from NANCY - all the colors I just love packed into a stunning creation with a fabric flower! Thank you Nancy!

Secondly, HELLE from Denmark sent me this little package, with little Tatting butterflies, made by hand that she had learned from her grandmother - isn't that special! Thank you Helle. Her card is gorgeous - she even stitched around one of the Christmas trees!

I used the image Helle sent to make another Christmas card:

That is what I love about the blogging world - the contact with other crafters all over the world and sharing the riches of creativity!
No magazine yet and no news.. I hope Monday.

A little bookmark

This is a little bookmark I made a while ago. It is a recycled label from a pair of jeans one of the boys bought. All I had to do was decorate it. Here is how it works in a book, very handy!

This is the whole tag - of course this model is very easy to copy and make many more, even as little gifts

I think I just gave myself a little idea!

Jacqueline

Just playing

I have been so busy that it was nice just to sit down and play this afternoon with some grid patterns. I really wanted to use the snowflake and the robin squares I had, so I added some other little stamped squares and made these two cards.

It's always handy to have a couple of extra cards for Christmas!

Have a great week!
Jacqueline

Decorating an envelope?

First I want to share with you the good home that the stamps went too from my first give-away a little while back. Do you remember that Sanne won.

Look at these beauties she created for me. I sent her the Thank You cling together with the Heart Swirl flourish. I am so happy they are being used! Oh, and she sent them in a beautiful green envelope that was decorated with the Hydrangea stamp.

Back to the envelope idea. I wanted to try something different and after seeing the lovely work that Wilmi did here, I just had to have a go.

I am going to write the address on the yellow label.

Have a peaceful weekend!

 Jacqueline

Just playing

I found a lovely design on the Internet today and loved the idea of the paper layers and tucked in ribbon scraps that were used. I used that idea to create this card.

I incorporated Hero Art stamps and a couple of other ones and used ribbon scraps that I can't get to throw away, so glad I didn't!
It's just a simple design and gives me the chance to mix papers and colors which I love to do!

A little Christmas vintage card

I just haven't had time to create much this week and I have to post this quickly as well. I just had to get crafty this afternoon before I'm too busy again.

I just puzzled some papers together after I found this sweet image.
Hope to be back this weekend.

Grid card and a little give-away

When I just want to sit down and play I usually make these sort of cards as I have lots of papers with unfinished projects or projects that didn't land on a card and then I pull them all together to make a puzzle.

I usually use a punch but these squares are slightly bigger than my punch as I cut them out from a template. I then add whatever I find in my scrap basket. The top right square is a scrap from Sue.. they all come in handy!

Secondly a little give-away. I never use this stamp from Hero Arts and that is a shame. It should be used, so I'm offering it to somebody who leaves a comment.  It's as good as new too. I will also include a little bag of my scraps. I'll ask my son to choose a number sunday morning. And I will send this card with it.


Have a nice weekend!
Jacqueline

Tag Tuesday - Bingo card

Tag Tuesday was to use a Bingo card on your tag and luckily Sue came to my rescue once again as I had one she sent me a while ago... thanks Sue!

I used K&Co papers, and the distress ink is Frayed Burlap which I used to stamp the Artistic Outpost image with on PP.

I paper pieced the Mother's hat and painted her coat with Victorian Velvet distress ink. The little girl has gold buttons on her coat.

Thank you Louise, nice to try something different.

On another note.. 'Be kindly affectionate to one another..' Romans 12:10

I was struck by something Chuck Swindoll wrote yesterday.  He said: 'Have you ever stopped to think that all those little irritations which come your way each day, are just God giving you an opportunity to become more Christ-like? What does the Lord do to help broaden my horizons and assist me in seeing how selfish I am? Very simple: He gives me four busy kids who step on toes, wrinkle clothes, spill milk, lick car windows, and drop sticky candy on the carpet... being unselfish in attitude strikes at the very core of our being. It means we are willing to forego our own comfort, our own preferences, our own schedule, our own desires for another's benefit. And that brings us back to Christ.'

We might not all have young children anymore, but I'm sure that can be filled in with other things!

It certainly gave me something to think about and may I add 'Lord make me more Christ-like'!
Jacqueline

Vintage

A little vintage share today.

Just picking up bits and pieces from the scrap basket to give them a home. Most enjoyable.

Collage

A quick share today.. something I love doing mixed together - using up scraps and making collages.

Most of the stamps, too many to mention are from Hero Arts, as well as the pearls for decoration.