Monday, August 29, 2022

Psalm 46:1 Reverse Pop-up Card

This week's card for the shuts in I write to each week features an idea I saw on Shurusti Patil's FB page. She called it a reverse pop-up card. It features a mechanism that causes a panel to pop up when the card is open. I've included a video at the bottom of the post so you can see it in motion! I was inspired to use the little chipboard frames you see around the verse on these cards by the Crash Your Stash challenge at the Outlawz this month. 

Psalm 46:1 is such a comforting verse! How often I have turned to the Lord in my times of trouble, sorrow, fatigue, or uncertainty and found Him to be my refuge and strength! When I feel overwhelmed, this verse comes to mind as a comfort and encouragement. I made an extra copy of the card for a friend who shared with me this week that her daughter had a miscarriage recently. The baby would have been my friend's first grandchild, and I cried with her as we mourned the loss of that precious little one. I am asking the Lord to be her refuge and strength in this time of grief. 








The pop-up panel folds down when the card is closed: 


Side view:



Video of the card as it opens: 

 


Front close up:
 



Challenges I'm entering:

Crash your Stash challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-stash.blogspot.com): Chipboard: The frames around the verse are chipboard. Thanks for the inspiration to finally use them in a project! Winner of Alex Syberia Designs gift certificate (10 euros) 9/20/22

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Sweet greetings

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas or ATG

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly link for cards entered in this month's challenges Site-wide winner of 2 stamps from Sherry West 9/1/22 Received 9/1/22

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge ...: ATG

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com):ATG

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): Anything goes with embossing (Sentiment as a focus is the twist)

digidesignchallengeblog (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.com): Add a sentiment

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #39 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (2/3)

Art Impressions Blog: Dynamic Duo Challenge Week 2 (artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com): Use more than one stamp or die set (I used Papertrey Ink's stamps and dies for the verse, Our Daily Bread's stamp for the "Praying for you" sentiment, Papertrey Ink dies for the front of the card --the blue background and yellow decoration on top and bottom--, a Spellbinders die for the inside of the card behind the framed verse, and Just Rite stamps and dies for the peony

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge (trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com): Back to school or ATG (2/2) Top 3 Winner 9/1/22

Krafty Chicks Challenge: All occasions

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Blue, Red, Yellow diagonal

Ellibelle's Corner: Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday (simplyellibelle.com): ATG

The Paper Shelter: Frame it

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Use a Frame

Word Art Wednesday: ATG

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Something, Anything, Everything (I actually did use a bone folder to score the mechanism for this pop-up insert, and I used a bunch of dies/stamps/chipboard frames from my stash!); I've entered this with Creative Creases, too
Prize Winner 9/5/22 Prize arrived 9/17/22: The Stamps of Life Jingle Bells stamp and die set

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #39 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold

Your Scrapbook Place: ATG

The Creative Crafters (creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG

Sweet Stampers Challenge: Embossing and/or stencils (I used a floral embossing folder)

QKR Stampede: ATG

2 Sisters on the blog: Text as focus

AUGUST MOOD BOARD CARD CHALLENGE (not2shabbyshop.com): Flowers in the mood board inspired my background papers

Scor-pal: More than one score (The mechanism I created for the reverse pop-up has four scores on it)

Let's Craft and Create (letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com): ATG + option feeling distressed

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies: ATG with dies (my dies were from JustRite, Spellbinders, Gina Marie Designs, and Papertrey Ink)

Girlz Creative Crafts: ATG

Creatalicious Challenges: ATG with option of butterflies

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog: Summer Colors

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Shaped or Fun Fold Cards

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): The flowers on this card remind me of the line in the poem that reads: Spring comes and brings new life

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com): ATG (unlimited entries)
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Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Cruise Ship Shaker Card

My husband and I went on our first cruise ever this past June and had a wonderful time cruising from Venice to Athens on Viking's Empires of the Mediterranean cruise. We went with 9 other members of my extended family, and the cruise was a gift from my parents for our 30th wedding anniversary later this year. I've been wanting to make a special card for my parents as a thank you (what a generous anniversary gift!), and inspiration finally struck as I was digging in one of my many crafting boxes the other day! I came across this shaker card kit and thought the chevrons could look like waves as a background for a cruise ship. I found a picture of the Viking Star (the ship we were on) and printed three copies of it on glossy photo paper. You can't really tell in the photo, but I découpaged the ship into 3 layers using foam tape. I sorted through my sequins and beads to find yellow and blue ones for the sunshine and the ocean and added some ink to the background and the card front to emphasize those colors. Then I made a terrible pun that my parents will appreciate (they both love puns and have subjected me to more than my fair share of bad puns over the years, so I don't feel the least bit bad about using this one!). My daughter who is in the Navy wouldn't approve since a cruise liner is a ship rather than a boat, but "Merci ship-coup" just doesn't work here!😆

For the cruise, my dad had matching t-shirts made for all 11 of us that had our names on the front and a graphic of the Acropolis on the back with the words "Alig Expedition" at the top, so I included that saying on the card. My maiden name was Alig in case you are wondering what that word means. It's a bit unusual. 

What a blessing to have had that time with my husband, my parents, my dad's brother and sister, and several cousins! We are all spread out geographically and generally only get together all at once for funerals, so this was an amazing opportunity to catch up and enjoy an adventure together. 



Here we are all together in our t-shirts at a honey farm in Olympia, Greece:

Here's what the back of the shirts look like: 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG

Color Throwdown: Mustard, navy blue, turquoise

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Shimmer and Shine (I used sparkly sequins)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG (3/4)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas or ATG

Outlawz Challenges: Site-wide drawing

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with option of sunburst background (3/3)

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): My inspiration from the poem is the line: Summer days are here at last (I was looking forward to June for so long in anticipation of this cruise!)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2 weekly)

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (1/4 bi-weekly)

{Cupcake Inspirations}: Hobbies (Mine is travel--I wish I could do it more often!)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Relaxation Celebration (There's nothing more relaxing than a cruise! I loved having my stateroom cleaned twice a day and having all my meals prepared for me! Plus Viking has a high tea at 4 pm every day on the ship that was AMAZING!)

Crafter's Cafe (crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com): Relaxation Day (I had 10 days of relaxation on my cruise!)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): I was inspired by the water the kids are jumping into and included water for my cruise ship to sail on

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Mixed Media (I used sequins, beads, glossy photo paper, foam strips, acetate, and cardstock)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge ...: ATG (1/3)

The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! (corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3)

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com): AT creative/mixed media goes

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3)

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG or add roses (1/3) 

Crafty Calendar Challenge: ATG (2/3)

digidesignchallengeblog (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG

Taylormadecards4u: ATG with option of Transportation 

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (1/3)

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Summer + A Sentiment (3/5)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge (trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com): Back to School or ATG (1/5)

2 Sisters on the blog: Text as focus


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Monday, August 22, 2022

Dr. Digi's Dinosaur Birthday Card

 Today I had fun playing with a new cut file from a fellow Silhouette crafter named Nicky Viner. She very generously shared the file for this Circle Display Card in our FB Silhouette Card Making & Paper Crafts group, and I thought it would be a great design to use with this month's progressive challenge image over at The Outlawz challenge blog. The image this month is from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps. I digitally colored the dinosaur (I named him Pete) and added a party hat since I wanted to make a birthday card with him. My husband turns 51 this Friday, and we have some good-natured bantering going on about our ages. I happen to be almost 11 months older than he is, so he likes to tease me and make it sound like I'm so much older than he is. I thought it would be funny this year to have a sentiment that reflected just how old he made me feel when I turned 51 last year! He kept saying that while he was only 50, I was now "in my fifties." Well, he's joining me in his fifties this week, and I can't wait!


I made a few others without the specific age on them: 
The card when folded flat: 
Side view: 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Progressive freebie challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-freebie.blogspot.com): In this challenge, participants are given the digital stamp for free each month as long as they submit a project with the image before the end of the preceding month. If you'd like to join, check out the link and see the instructions. The first image is free, so why not play along? 

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Birthday

Outlawz Challenges: Each project submitted for a particular challenge on the website can also be submitted for site-wide prizes at this link up

AAA Birthday: Anything Birthday Goes

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Shaped or Fun fold cards (3/3)

digidesignchallengeblog (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.com): Add a sentiment

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: O is for Old

Creative Creases Challenge Archives - Secrets to Stamping (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold

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Sunday, August 21, 2022

Book Sale Thank You Cards

 Today I made some cards to thank all the wonderful volunteers who helped make my local library's annual used book sale such a success! I'm in the Friends of the Coopersville Area District Library group, and we organize several fundraisers for the library throughout the year. The used book sale is our biggest fundraiser, and we could never do it without all the faithful volunteers from our community.

These cards are 5X7, and the book stack and sentiment are from the Silhouette Design Store. I tried a few different stencils and also kept some of the cards plain. Hopefully our volunteers will feel very appreciated when they receive these cards.  



Challenges I'm entering:


https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Fun with stencils (I used a stencil for the background)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG with optional twist of By the Book

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with option of sunburst 

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Inspirational photo: I chose various blues as the predominant color in my cards to mimic the blue of the pool water and several of the boys' swimsuits. 

Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge Blog: Back to Books (items I used from my stash: patterned cardstock, stencils I rarely use, and plain 5X7 card blanks that have been sitting around awhile)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG

TIME OUT Challenges: Make Your Own Background

Creative Knockouts: ATG Winner 8/25/22 Pretty Cute Stamps $15 gift certificate (still haven't heard back from PCS about my gift certificate as of 9/17/22 and sent another email to Kelly from the challenge; gift certificate code received 9/28/22)

Colorful Options: Tranquil Turquoise

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Sunday, August 14, 2022

Psalm 34:8 Lemonade Card


This cute lemonade card cut file is from My Scrap Chick, and you can find it here: Tropical Lemonade Slimline Card - My Scrap Chick. It was the free file of the month for July, and I had fun making an assortment of these for the shut ins I send cards to weekly as well as a few extra cards for friends having a rough time. "Need a squeeze?" seemed like a good sentiment for friends in need of encouragement. I even found some cute double-sided cardstock with lemons on it to use on some of the cards! I love it when I find just the right paper for a project!

Psalm 34:8 is a beautiful verse that reminds me of how good God really is! The longer I walk this journey of faith, the more I experience His mercy, grace, and goodness and praise Him for who He is and how He has worked in my life. I pray that is your experience, too. "Taste" seems an odd verb when it comes to the Lord, so I looked up a commentary on the verse. The commentary helped me better understand the concept. Here's the gist: "To taste involves testing or sampling; to see involves understanding or perceiving. The phrase taste and see, then, means 'try and experience.'" If you'd like to read more about the phrase, check out the commentary I visited here: What does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good in Psalm 34:8? | GotQuestions.org.  I like how the commentary summed that up so concisely. When we experience God by walking with Him and applying His Word to our lives, we see His goodness in new ways and find satisfaction and fulfillment in Him.




 




Challenges I'm entering: 

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Shaped or Fun Fold Cards






Allsorts challenge blog: ATG with option to create your own background


Taylormadecards4u: ATG with optional twist of transportation 


My Time To Craft! (mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com):  Favorite Beverages Top Pick Winner 9/12/22

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Summer + A Sentiment








https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Summertime Blues

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with optional twist of friendship





A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG with optional twist "By the Book" Rising Star Pick 8/21/22

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly drawing

Outlawz Challenges: Twisted Thursday: ATG with option of sunburst

Colorful Options: Tranquil Turquoise 3rd Place Winner 9/1/22

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Monday, August 8, 2022

Triple Circle Birthday Card

These cute ice cream cone digi stamps are from Gerda Steiner Designs. I traced them in my Silhouette Studio program so I could digitally color them in a few fun colors to match the cardstock I wanted to use. The triple circle cut file for the card base is from Sabine Harris. She regularly uploads free files to the Silhouette Card Making & Paper Crafts FB group I'm part of. There are several talented designers who generously share their files in that FB group. Anyone can join, and several designers upload SVG files that will work for other cutting machines beside those made by Silhouette, so if you have an electronic cutting machine, feel free to join the group and check out the great files at the top of the page. 

I made each card a little unique by changing the sentiment and experimenting with a few different stencils on some of them. Now I have a set of cheerful birthday cards to have on hand for summer birthdays. 




Challenges I'm entering: 

 Share your Designs - Gerda Steiner Designs, LLC: ATG with a Gerda Steiner stamp

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG with optional twist "By the Book" 

AAA Birthday: Any birthday cards

Crafting Happiness Challenges: It's the Little Things (cute little popsicles on my cardstock as well as "little things" like sending a card to celebrate a friend's birthday  Top Pick Winner 8/14/22

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): "S'more stuff" (several layers and foam tape for the inner circles), a fun fold, and an entry at Creative Creases  Winner of Top 3 Pick 8/15/22












Creatalicious Challenges: ATG with option of embossing






Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Shaped or Fun Fold Card


International Art & Soul (intaas.blogspot.com): Happiness (Ice cream definitely makes me happy!)



Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Summer plus a sentiment


little red wagon (lilredwagon.blogspot.com): Circles  Top Picks Winner 8/10/22





2 Sisters on the blog: Text as the focus









Mix It Up Challenge Blog: ATG with option of CAS


http://sognandoscrap.blogspot.com/2022/08/il-105-challenge-di-sognando-scrap-dal.html?m=1: ATG with a touch of blue


Colorful Options: Tranquil Turquoise

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie... Picture inspiration: 

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Thursday, August 4, 2022

John 1:16 Floating Gap Card

I've really been enjoying the Iced Images videos featuring unique and fun card folds, and this week I decided to create a Silhouette Studio file for the Floating Gap Card featured here: Floating Gap Card - Bing video. The two "L" shaped sides are held together by a center focal point that I adhered using foam tape. Most of the card was created using my Silhouette Cameo, but I die cut the center pieces from Spellbinders dies I haven't used in an age. The word "Grace" is also a die cut from a Papertrey Ink  die I purchased recently after winning a $25 gift card to Simon Says Stamp on the SSS Monday challenge blog. The die and coordinating stamp set can be found here: Papertrey Ink INSPIRED GRACE Clear Stamps 3219 at Simon Says STAMP! and Papertrey Ink INSPIRED GRACE Die PTD 1060 at Simon Says STAMP! I broke out my stencil collection to add a little background behind the sentiment. I need to do that more often as I like how it adds a bit of color and depth. 

The verse I chose for this card (from the Papertry Ink stamp set linked above) is such a great reminder to be grateful for the "grace upon grace" I have received from God. Have you heard the definition of grace as "God's Riches At Christ's Expense"? It's such a beautiful way to think of grace. I hope each of you reading this post can think of many examples of God's grace in your own life and will join me in thanking Him for the riches of His grace. I pray the shut ins I send these cards to will be as encouraged by this verse as I am. 

The Floating Gap Card can be made in multiple sizes (see the video for 4 different sizes Iced Images showcases). I chose the 4X7 size. It folds flat to fit in an A7 envelope. 

Front view: 



Folded:

A view of the side flaps: 

Back view: 


Challenges I'm entering: 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with optional twist of friendship 



Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG

Unicorn Challenge Blog: Summer Time (I hope flowers count)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com):ATG with optional twist "by the book"

Jan's Digi Stamps Challenges (jansdigistampschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG

Path of Positivity Challenge: ATG Positive or make something special to celebrate yourself Top Pick 9/13/22;  Voted Most Inspirational 9/26/22

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com):ATG

International Art & Soul (intaas.blogspot.com): Happiness (For me, God's grace is the source of true happiness)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com):ATG

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG

Art Impressions Blog (artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com): Pretty in Pink




2 Sisters on the blog: Text as the focal point 





Creations in Pink:ATG mostly in pink

Dies R Us Challenge: Summer and use die cuts (I used dies from Spellbinders and Papertrey Ink)

Girlz Rebel Challenge: Color challenge






The Crafting Challenge: My favorite color: pink

fourseasons (thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com): summer mood board (I chose the flowers for inspiration)


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