Purpose Card

Our oldest son received his ministers credentials in September.  We are so proud of him and he is loving his ministry as a youth pastor.  I made this card to give him to recognize his accomplishment.  I decided it also would qualify for the latest challenge at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com.  The challenge was to use A-alphabet stamps or stickers, B-make it for a boy, C-use chocolate somewhere.  I went a little crazy with the gold embossing but since it was "from the heart" and not from a well thought out design, I am happy with it.

The stamps I used are from a set that is no longer available but one I have used over and over-"Felicity".  The cross was cut with my Cricut.  Thanks for stopping by!

70th Birthday

This is my entry for this week's challenge at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com.  

My FIL celebrates 70 years of life this week!  I created this card for him using the following Close To My Heart products:
Clear Card, Journey Paper Pack  & Stickease (tag), Celebrate Life Stamp Set, True Friends Stamp Set, Brown Bag Ink, Cranberry Ink, Chocolate Ribbon, Mini Medley brads, Liquid Glass for adhesive. 

I used the Cricut Cindy Loo cartridge to cut the numbers (welded with Design Studio) and the A Child's Year cartridge for the scalloped squares.  Thanks for looking!

ATC Swap and H2H challenge

I am in an ATC (artist's trading card) swap with the theme of Home Sweet Home.  I am in 3 groups and so made 3 different designs.  I also felt they qualified for the Heart 2 Heart challenge of making a sentiment a focal point.  You can see the great entries at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com. 

The first card used Close To My Heart cardstock that I used a Tim Holtz Cuttlebug folder to emboss in "bricks".  I sanded it to bring out the texture.  I combined the word and the house in my Cricut Design Studio and cut with my Cricut with White Daisy CTMH cardstock.  I then sponged Topiary and Moonlight inks over the cut out.  It's finished off with a heart crystal.

The center one is my fave.  I grew up in church so it has always felt like home to me.  I again started with CTMH cardstock in Holiday red.  I embossed a line around all four edges and used a nail file to bring out the white lines and distressing.  To mimic stitching, I ran the cards through my mini sewing machine (NO thread) to punch the holes on the white lines.  Enlarge the photo to see the detail.  I used CTMH Cranberry ink to stamp the flourishes from the CTMH Timeless stamp set.  The church was cut with my Cricut and then pressed into a Versamark ink pad and embossed with iridescent embossing powder.  The heart was cut with the Cricut as well and adhered to the church and covered in CTMH Liquid Glass.  The sentiment is from the CTMH Treasures of the Heart stamp set-stamped in our Colonial White pigment ink and embossed with clear emb. powder.

Finally, the 3rd card also is from CTMH cardstock sponged with a little Moonlight ink.The sentiment is actually 2 different stamps from 2 different sets.  I cut the "treasure" off a phrase in the A Tweet set and used "family" from the July Word Puzzle set.  The bird ( I know, I use it ALL the time) was cut with my Cuttlebug and a Tim Holtz die.  I sponged it in Crystal Blue, Heavenly Blue and Moonstruck CTMH inks. The nest was stamped in Brown Bag and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The stamp is from a CTMH stamp set but not sure of the name.  I colored the eggs with a Copic marker and covered in Liquid Glass.  The branches and flowers were stamped using the A Tweet stamp set.  Flowers-Hydrangea, branch in Brown Bag and leaves colored in with Copic marker.  I used a pop dot to adhere the wing and the nest to give it a little depth.

Thanks for looking!  Let me know which is your favorite!

Back Home

Hey everyone-I'm behind on projects and postings because I ended up in the hospital for 6 days starting
Labor Day with an infected cyst which caused my MS to flare.  Not fun but God sustained me throughout and everyone's prayers helped me get better in half the time the doctors were predicting!  In fact, a couple of my nurses and 2 of my doctors are Christians and they were praying for me as well.  God knew just where to place me.  Now it's behind me and I am so very ready to create something.  Give me a few days and I'll try to get something posted!

Splendid Technique!

I enjoyed watching Tresa Black and other talented CTMH consultants yesterday on a live broadcast on UStream of Creative University.  I especially loved learning this technique from Tresa called "Joseph's Coat".  I had to try it before going to bed last night and I know I will be using it a bunch!  You can see the instructions for this and other fun techniques at  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/fabulously-artsy. 

For this little bit of fall card, I used CTMH paper pack "Olivia" and the stamp sets "Something Splendid" (available 2 more days) and "Timeless".  Inks used are chocolate, creme brulee, sorbet and goldrush.    The sparkly brad is one of our new products being released on Wednesday.  Thanks for looking!

H2H stitching

This week's challenge at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com is to make something using stitching-faux or real.  I am in the middle of creating prototypes for my Christmas workshop and so I made one of the tags to fit the challenge. 

I used Close To My Heart's wonderful cardstock in Ponderosa Pine to cut the tag.  I trimmed it with a bit of paper from the fabulous, soon to be released  CTMH Mistletoe pack, the berries were enhanced with a bit of red stickles.  For the curly stitch and the straight stitches, I used CTMH stamps from the "Togetherness" set and Martha Stewart gold pigment ink, embossed with gold embossing powder.  The beautiful ornament comes from the soon to be released CTMH "All The Best" stamp set.  I again used the same gold ink and powder on CTMH Holiday Red cardstock. I crowned it with a red rhinestone from  my stash.  The sentiment is from the same set and I stamped it with Versamark and used red embossing powder-"All The Best" actually shows up better in person.

The final touch was to press the piece of colonial white ribbon in gold ink and tie a knot!  All the Christmas CTMH papers and stamps will be available to customers starting Sept. 1st and can be purchased on my website: http://belindak.myctmh.com

High School-Amazing

No artwork today.  Just a post about my mom feelings!  Today my youngest son begins high school!  That means we've seen one all the way through those years ( he is now married and doing great ) and 1 halfway through and  we're now beginning the journey with another.  I know everyone says this, but I just don't know where the years have gone!  I vividly remember skipping (ok, maybe only inside of me!) down the hall of his elementary so very happy that my last little bird was on his way out the nest.  I laughed at those first timers who were crying over leaving their little darlings with the teacher!  In my opinion, once they got a taste of a few hours of freedom, they would be skipping along with me.

Fast forward 9 years and I can no longer skip physically due to spinal cord damage and multiple sclerosis that was diagnosed a couple of months after dropping off that kindergartner.  In fact, that year was the only year of his life that I could walk with him to the first day of school.  He only has very vague memories of a mom who could walk.  I wish I could go back in time and tell that carefree me to not rush things.  To live in the moment.  To cherish every little second she had with those little boys.  I feel like I lost so much of their growing up years in the hospitalizations, therapy and medical chaos that ensued.

God has been so good through the years and I know He filled in the gaps in their lives that a sick mom couldn't.  He also has allowed me to have many years of relative stability and the ability to ( almost ) fully participate in all they do, despite my disability.

Now, my last two babes are well on their way to being grown men who will no longer need their mommy.  I am not skipping inside today but I am filled with thankfulness that  my God has allowed me to see them to this point and with His grace I will be there for the remaining milestones in their lives.  There is no higher calling and no greater honor than to be mom to my precious sons.