TCM Easter/Encouragement Blog Hop

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's March Blog Hop. Our theme this month is Easter and Encouragement. If you came from Lindsay's blog, then you're at the right spot. Please check the TCM blog for the complete list and so you don't miss the information about the stamp giveaway!

I have two cards for you today, one for Easter and another for Encouragement. The first one uses my No Greater Love set. As a Christian, Easter is our most celebrated holiday since it is the basis of our faith. HERE is my post from last year why it is also my favorite holiday.

I had fun making this "messy" tag using Distress Inks. I dabbed the pads on a smooth surface and wiped them off with my Want2Scrap tag. I then stamped the cross with Versafine ink.

I wasn't able to get the full image stamped so I fixed that problem by stamping the image again on a white piece of cardstock, inked the edges and glued that where the error was. It kind of adds to the vintage appeal. :) Both the corner scroll and sentiment are also from No Greater Love set. I added some more Want2Scrap bling on the crown and the side. I ruffled the ribbon and stitched it in place.

My second card uses In Tandem set. As you can see, I pretty much used the same layout as the one above. The papers are by My Little Shoebox. I inked all the edges and glued some flowers on the front of the bike.

Your next stop is Sharri Seffens. Happy hopping!

No Greater Love

Today's card uses my brand new Easter set, No Greater Love, which is based on John 15:13. When I design Easter stamps, I have to make them majestic. As a Christian, this is the most important holiday for me. It recalls Christ's death on the cross, which shows His great love for undeserving people like me (Romans 5:8). And it celebrates His resurrection, which is a key event upon which my faith is strongly based. Christ conquered death just as He said (Matt 28:5) and that makes Him Lord of all.

When I was still unsure of Christianity, I remembered thinking that Christ was so different from other "gods" in that He came to serve and suffer for His people. While others demanded sacrifice, Christ sacrificed Himself for them. And truly there is no greater love (in its deepest meaning) than God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, humbled Himself to the point of death, so that we might have life. And you know what else is awesome (in the truest definition of the word)? That I will never be separated from this love (Romans 8:38-39)! This amazing truth is what gives me hope, that allows me to endure no matter what is set before me, and that makes life so wonderful!

Thanks for letting me share my heart with you today. You can read more about my faith from the tab above, What Matters Most to Me. For supplies on my card, I used My Mind's Eye papers, Spellbinders Labels 20. Now, I have more Echo Park cards to show you.

The sentiments are from my retired stamps by Layers of Color.

I just love this quote by Amy Carmichael, one of my spiritual heroes.

The Craft's Meow March Celebrations and a Contest!

EDIT: This contest is over and the winner has been announced HERE.

March is a big month for The Craft's Meow as we celebrate its 1st birthday! We have new designers, illustrator, challenges, and of course, stamps! I am excited to work with these talented ladies in the team!

We are kicking off the celebration with a special release called No Greater Love, a small set celebrating Christ's resurrection. I have been swamped with design deadlines and family commitments that I wasn't able to create for this release. However, I have a beautiful card by my talented friend Jessica Fick to show you here on my blog. I love how detailed she gets without making her card look crowded. It takes a special skill, I tell ya. :). Thanks, Jessica, for letting me share this. The TCM blog has a list of participants for this hop.

Here is the No Greater Love set that is available now at the TCM store:

I hope you will check out the monthly sketch challenge going on now. Here's the sketch and my card follows:

I shared this card a while ago, but here it is again for your inspiration.

Now, how about a little contest...I have BIG and exciting news to share next week. Leave a comment to guess what it is. I will pick a winner from the right guessers. If nobody guesses it right, I will pick a random winner from all the commenters. One guess per person, please. But if you share this on FB and/or your blog, you get to leave a second guess. The contest is open until I announce my exciting news sometime next week.

And don't forget to like my NinaB Designs FB page where there is also a contest going on with prizes galore for your and your friend! They all include Spellbinders dies, Layers of Color stamps, SRM Stickers, Want2Scrap bling and miscellaneous stickers. Just a reminder that you have to "like" the page, and not just leave a comment, in order to be eligible to win!

Enjoy your weekend, friends!