Blessings Card

The Monday Greetings Challenge at The Outlawz this time has a theme of "Good Luck," but the DT graciously said I could use "blessings" or "prayers" in place of that phrase, so I designed a birthday card for a friend using an Our Daily Bread stamp saying, "Wishing you a year filled with His richest blessings." I really prefer to avoid saying "Good luck" because it implies things happen by chance instead of through God's providence. If you're not familiar with the term "God's providence," here's a definition I like:  The providence of God is the working of God's sovereignty to continually uphold, guide, and care for His creation. (The definition comes from: Providence of God - The Gospel Coalition). If you'd like to delve deeper into the topic of God's providence, this is a more thorough resource: Providence of God Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary (biblestudytools.com). It's comforting to know my loving Father is in control of every aspect of my life, and He is always at work for the good of His people and for His glory. 

I recently purchased the Enchantment set of layering dies from Birch Press Designs and have loved using them! I think the depth of the three layers is really lovely, and the pattern on this particular layering set (they have many to choose from) is so elegant. The card base is a top-fold A2 card. I adhered the three die cut layers to a layer of black card stock and then adhered all 4 layers to my base card. I die cut the sentiment (from Our Daily Bread Stamps) using a Spellbinders die. I added a few pearls to the centers of four of the flower groupings in a half circle that mimics the way the die has a half circle element on the right. It looked clearer before I added the sentiment, so I think I may try a thinner sentiment and adhere it to the top corner next time. I've just begun playing with this set and have lots more ideas in mind for it! Although there are only 3 layering plates, all three plates cut out three different elements (notice the half circles on the right? The inner and outer half circles there are separate elements), so you can change up the patterns. I've changed the order of the three colors I used so you can see what I mean. 

Close up:

Side view:

A look at the three dies and examples of the half circles:

Challenges I'm entering: 
 

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Good luck (but the DT is graciously allowing alternatives like "Praying for you" or "blessings," etc.). (1/3; ends 10/9)

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends 10/9)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): (1/8; ends at the end of the month)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for this week; 7/10 for the challenge period; ends October 12)

The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! (corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com): ATG (3/4; ends Nov. 5)

Sympathy Cards

My task today was to complete 3 sympathy cards for 3 sisters from my church whose mom just passed away last week at the age of 99. I'm on the Board of Missions and Evangelism at my church, and each month we send out cards to the people on our church's prayer list. There's another member of the board who also loves to make cards, so between the two of us, we can generally send out handmade cards each month. I do keep a stash of inspirational cards for various occasions that I purchase at the Dollar Store to have on hand just in case we need them though! 

I've been playing with my new Enchanted layering die set from Birch Press this week. I spent awhile die cutting the various papers I wanted to use a little while ago, so today I only needed to work on my layouts and the best way to adhere all the layers. In the future I will save the glitter cardstock for the top layer only as it's more challenging to adhere the other layers to it (they don't want to stick to the uneven surface of the glitter cardstock). It does give a nice sparkle to the card though. 

For this design, I used an old rubber stamp from Our Daily Bread and stamped that on a die cut Gina Marie stitched circles die that I had trimmed to fit the opening on the Enchanted dies. I saved a few of the floral pieces from when I die cut the layers, so I added them to the sentiment panel. One card opens on the left and the other is a top fold card, but both are A2 size. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Tuesday Color challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-tuesday.blogspot.com): Blue, burgundy, and yellow

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for this week; 6/10 for the challenge period; ends October 12)

The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! (corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com): ATG (2/4; ends Nov. 5)

Lori Whitlock Window Flip Halloween Cards

My mom commissions me to make 135 cards for most holidays and 250 for Christmas as a way of keeping in touch with her circle of friends/family and fellow Bible study members from the different groups she's part of, so I'm always on the lookout for cute holiday cards that I can make in bulk. This Lori Whitlock Window Flip Card fit the bill! I used my Silhouette Cameo 4 to cut out the card elements (I used print and cut for the kitty and pumpkins) and then spent several hours assembling the cards using my tape runner and foam tape strips. 

Holding the cards closed:

How they look lying flat:

Here's what they look like when you open the card:

And finally a view of what they look like when fully open using 

the sentiment to make them into easel cards:

Envelopes I printed with "bugs and hisses" sentiment:

A closer look at the mechanism that makes the kitty "flip":

A look at the supplies:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Creative Creases Challenge Archives - Secrets to Stamping (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (2nd entry; ends October 14)

Challenge | Your Next Stamp: Fall (2/3; ends October 14)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for this week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends October 12)

fourseasons (thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG Fall (1/3 ends at the end of the month)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Fall,  Halloween, Christmas (2/3; ends October 13)

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

Taylormadecards4u: ATG with option of Halloween/Fall (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

handicraft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Fall (4th entry; ends October 15)

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge: Halloween Random draw winner: prize is a Halloween stamp set (emailed akadafney@yahoo.com on 11/4)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with a twist of 

1 RIBBON, 2 WORD SENTIMENT, 3 LAYERS or MORE! 

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): purple, orange, and green; pumpkins included; entered Jan's Digi Stamps Challenge (1/3; ends on October 17)

Jan's Digi Stamps Challenges (jansdigistampschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (1/5; ends November 3)

Rainbow Card

The theme for the challenge at Cut it Up this time is rainbows. I wasn't sure what card design I wanted to make for the theme until I found this Papertrey Ink stamp in my stash that reads: Beyond the clouds, behind the rain, there are a thousand rainbows. That decided me! I needed more than one rainbow on my card to go with that sentiment (but not quite a thousand of them😂), and I wanted to include sunshine (for the hope of better times ahead) along with the raindrops and clouds. I decided to make three different types of rainbows: pastel colors, primary colors, and darker colors. I'm not really sure whether I like the dark-colored rainbow, and I considered die cutting another rainbow, coloring it a bit more brightly and then adhering it over the dark one on the far right, but then I thought that it kind of matched the theme because we have times when life feels light and wonderful, when it feels just kind of ordinary, and when it feels heavy/dark, and the 3 rainbow color groupings sort of reflect that. 

I like to have a recipient in mind when creating a card so I can pray for the person to be encouraged by the card, and this time it was easy to think of someone who could use a lift. One of my cousins who lives in another state is struggling with a lupus flare on top of worsening depression (fall is always hard for her in terms of her mental health), so I wanted to make something that will hopefully lift her spirits. She isn't a Christian yet (I've been praying for her to come to Christ for years and am excited to see how God will work in her life to draw her to Himself as she recently joined a Zoom Bible study because she likes the women in the group). God's Word is the best comfort there is! I thank God for the kind woman who befriended her and invited her to join the group as well as for softening her heart to desire to attend. If you have someone you've been praying for over the course of many years, please don't give up! 

The die set I used (I wish I knew the manufacturer's name, but I didn't write it down, and I've owned the set for several years and can't remember who made it) has a cute little rainbow die that doesn't cut the rainbow out all the way so that the rainbow can stand up. Each rainbow was die cut twice: once on the blue sky cardstock and then once on white cardstock and cut out of the white so that I could color it with Copics and Chameleon markers and adhere it to the blue cardstock. The rainbows fold back down for mailing. 

I popped up the sentiment and the sun die cuts with foam tape. I've already mailed it out and am praying my cousin feels encouraged when she receives it. 

Challenges I'm entering:

Cut It Up (cutitupchallenges.blogspot.com): Rainbow (1/1 entry; ends October 5; winners posted October 7)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (no limit; ends at the end of the month)

Colorful Options: Rainbow of colors (unlimited entries; ends at the end of the month)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (3/5; ends on October 5)

The Paper Shelter: Buttons and/or Bows (I hope rainbows count😀) (2/3; ends on October 5)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends October 10)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Punch it out (ATG with a die); Of course I was drinking some tea when making this card! I had Plum Deluxe's Ginger Delight herbal tea with Caramel Nut Pods non-dairy creamer😃

Taylormadecards4u: ATG with option of Halloween/Fall (3/3; ends at the end of the month)

Arty Divas (artydivaschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends October 19)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with a twist of 

                                                                1 RIBBON

 2 WORD SENTIMENT

3 LAYERS or MORE! 

The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! (corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com): ATG (1/4; ends Nov. 5)

Blessed to Know You Cards

I'm back with more thank you/friendship cards today for some special friends! For my recent birthday, one of them gave me a Hobby Lobby gift card, one gave me some tea and a lovely mug, and one gave me some stamps and dies! They know me so well! Tea and craft supplies are always my favorite gifts!

I love the stamp and die set from Papertrey Ink called "Enclosed Butterfly." It has two layers: a solid die cut for the base and an outline of the butterfly with the word "Blessed" attached to the two sides. It's so pretty! The coordinating stamps have sentiments that go with the word "Blessed" as well as some stamps to decorate the butterfly. I chose "I'm so" and "to know you" to stamp on the butterfly. 

For all three cards, I chose a few pink pattern papers for the butterfly dies. For the first two cards, I then die cut and embossed a Spellbinders die out of the pink sunflower background paper. One card has some pretty pink pattern paper behind the Spellbinders die cut, and the other was embosses using a dots EF on the white card base. The third card includes a CTMH stamp for the calligraphy "Friend" sentiment and a SU! die from the Fond of Autumn bundle between the top and bottom die cuts. I embossed that one with an EF with a pattern of roses. 

Close up to see the details on the die cut and the embossing behind it:

Third card: 

Challenges I'm entering:

Creations in Pink: ATG in mainly pink (2/3; ends October 15)

Arty Divas (artydivaschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends October 19)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (no limit; ends at the end of the month)

TFJB Challenge Blog (frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com): Friendship (3rd entry; ends October 4)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Emboss it (the sentiment on the card front was embossed with a Cuttlebug leaf EF) (2/5 ends October 3)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (4/5; ends on October 5)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (4/5 for this week; 4/10 for the challenge; ends October 12)

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Animals (I hope butterflies count but please disregard my entry if not); 1/3; ends October 1

Friendship Card

The challenge theme at The Funkie Junkie Boutique this time is "Friendship." I'm so grateful for the wonderful Christian friends the Lord has given me over the years, and I've had fun creating some special cards to thank my friends for their prayers and encouragement.

The card base for this card is 5X7, and I cut out a layer using some pink vellum with roses on it as a background. I then die cut a Spellbinders die with white cardstock and ran it through again to emboss it. I die cut a fun floral pattern die in pink using a die from SU!'s Fond of Autumn bundle. I used a Just Rite Stamp's stamp and die set for the jar, bow on the jar, and the flowers. I had to arrange the flowers a bit wonky because the die cut tore a bit on the top right and I wanted to cover it. No point wasting such a pretty die cut, right? 

Close up of the Spellbinder's and SU! die details:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Creations in Pink: ATG in mainly pink (3/3; ends October 15)

 TFJB Challenge Blog (frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com): Friendship (2nd entry; ends 10/4)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Emboss it (the Spellbinders label die was embossed after I die cut it) (3/5; ends October 3)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (2/5; ends October 5)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for this week; 3/10 for the challenge; ends October 12)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: September Challenge | Hero Arts: Use a die (ends October 2)

Sweet Stampers Challenge: Add a sentiment (4/5; ends 10/8)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with a twist of 

                                                                1 RIBBON

 2 WORD SENTIMENT

3 LAYERS or MORE! 

(My card has a ribbon die cut for the top of the jar, a sentiment, and more than 3 layers)

Proverbs 18:24 Fancy Quarter Fold Card

Today's card was a labor of love! It took a few tries to get this one right! I made the inner pumpkins too big the first time around, and then still bigger than I wanted the second time around (they completely fill the inside of the card!), and the cut file I designed for the outside box card didn't quite fit together correctly at first, either. Nevertheless, I kept at it, and eventually it all came together. 

To start with, I got the idea of creating this card design from Rae Harper-Burnet. You can check out her instructions here: Fancy Quarter Folds | Wild West Paper Arts. I modified her sizing to accommodate the pumpkin cut outs I wanted to use inside and created a cut file in my Silhouette Design Studio software so I could make multiples of them quickly. Pro tip: Don't try to size the exterior after creating the interior elements! I really did this backwards and wound up using giant envelopes to fit the cards I ended up with 😂. I would have been way better off sizing up the interior elements to fit the exterior and being able to put this card in a standard 5X7 envelope. 

Once I knew that I wanted to make this quarter fold card, I decided I wanted something the recipient could open up inside the card, also. I liked the idea of a surprise inside a surprise! It's fall, so I thought a pumpkin would be a good shape for the interior of the card, and I had a petal enclosure cut file in my Silhouette library that I sized up to fit inside the dimensions of the pumpkin. 

To continue the fall theme, I chose the stamp and coordinating die set "Autumn Blessings" by Our Daily Bread and stamped the sentiment "A falling leaf is nothing more than a summer's wave goodbye" and then die cut the sentiment using a Gina Marie Designs stitched oval die. Then I embossed the sentiment die cut.  After that, I stamped and die cut the leaves and acorn elements in the Autumn Blessings set. I also die cut a twig from a Tim Holtz set and used that on a couple of the card fronts. I didn't have enough of any one color of ribbon to do all the cards in the same ribbon, so I used a couple different colors for the set for the shut ins I mail to each week and then a third color for my good friend whose card was modified slightly to read "I'm so blessed by your friendship." She embroidered a beautiful jean jacket for me for my birthday earlier this week, and I wanted to make her a special card as a thank you. I chose a verse that reflected the gift of Christian friendship. She's like a sister to me for sure!

The set of cards for the shut ins this week:

The version I gave my friend:

The next few pictures show what the card looks like as it opens: 

The stamp on the pumpkin reads: Surprise inside

Inside the petal enclosure part:

A close up of the verse:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Leaves, ribbon, autumn colors (ends October 6)

handicraft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Fall (no limit; ends October 15)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (no limit; ends at the end of the month)

Arty Divas (artydivaschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends October 19)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Emboss it (the sentiment on the card front was embossed with a Cuttlebug leaf EF) (1/5 ends October 3)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (5/5; ends on October 5)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (5/5 for this week; 5/10 for the challenge; ends October 12)

fourseasons (thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com): ATG Fall (2/3 ends at the end of the month)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Things that fall (leaves); (1/3; ends on October 12)

The Paper Shelter: Buttons and/or Bows (I have bows on the front of my cards) (1/3; ends on October 5)

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #42 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (ends October 14)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends October 10)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Punch it out (ATG with a die); Beverage I was drinking while crafting this one was Harney & Son's Florence black tea (a chocolate/hazelnut blend) with Hazelnut Nut Pods non-dairy creamer! So delicious! (4/4; ends on October 3)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Scarecrow graphic as inspiration--I went with the fall theme and chose fall colors and leaves on my card (unlimited entries; ends on October 2)

Challenge | Your Next Stamp: Fall (2/3; ends October 15)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Fall,  Halloween, Christmas (1/3; ends October 13)

Taylormadecards4u: ATG with option of Halloween/Fall (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends 10/14)

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with embossing; twist of leaves (I used a leaves EF to emboss the sentiment on the front of the card (check out the second photo) (3/3; ends on October 8)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends on October 8)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: September Challenge | Hero Arts: Use a die (ends October 2)

Sweet Stampers Challenge: Add a sentiment (3/5; ends 10/8)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with a twist of 

                                                                1 RIBBON

 2 WORD SENTIMENT

3 LAYERS or MORE! 

(My card has a ribbon, 2 sentiments, and more than 3 layers)