TCC173 My Help Comes From The Lord

 

Hi Friends!

I apologize for the delay in posting to my cards for The Card Concept challenges to my blog.  Some of you who follow my blog know that my hubby has been battling different cancers (five in total) since 2003.  His battle is over.

My beloved hubby, Dave went to be with the Lord on April 24^th , due to a glioblastoma.  He started exhibiting memory issues on February 25th, was diagnosed with a UTI on February 28th  and his memory continued to decline during the week, so he had a MRI on March 7th,   The MRI revealed a lemon sized tumor so we rushed off to the emergency room to wait over 12 hours to have Dave sent via ambulance to Johns Hopkins.  Dave had brain surgery on March 9th  at Johns Hopkins and they could only remove half of the tumor, he had a week long hospital stay and several weeks at rehab until April 8th  I brought him home for supportive/palliative care.  Home Health Care came in on the morning of April 9th and felt (as I did) that Hospice should be called in.  Hospice was ordered and started to assist with his care on  April 16th and my darling Dave took his last breath on earth and first breath in heaven on Sunday the 24th.

Dave and I had discussed at great length over the years that we never wanted to be a burden on anyone and our worst fear would be that we would lose our memories/brain function,  On the day of the MRI and after surgery, Dave had no short-term memory at all, could not walk on his own, had to be reminded to eat/drink, and could not do anything for himself.  

While I did not want to lose my husband here on earth, he was not the same since the MRI and after surgery, he continued to decline mentally and physically due to the location of the brain tumor.

Glioblastoma has no cure and is a difficult cancer to endure.  I am thankful that Dave did not seem to have pain (until the Wed. before he passed and we were able to get him on pain meds so he did not feel any pain).  Plus, he did not really seem to know that he had a brain tumor.  He remained my sweet husband as far as demeanor and so many have had worse symptoms, I was so blessed to have had such a wonderful husband. 

I know that Dave is with the Lord and take great joy in knowing that I will see him again one day along with Jesus!  We both accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior on June 8, 1996 and had almost forty years together (twenty-five as Christians and serving the Lord)! He was my best friend here on earth and while I am heartbroken and miss him terribly, I am also at peace.

This verse is one that has been special to me during the time of being Dave’s caregiver-

 Nehemiah 8:10b ESV

“And so not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is my strength”.

Also the verse on my card for this challenge is perfect for how I felt during this time-

Psalm 121:1-2 ESV

“ I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.”   

Thank you for your prayers during this time- I am truly blessed beyond words!

This card was designed for The Card Concept #173 {Vintage Style} and I was inspired by the florals on the pillows along with the black script to create a Clean and Layered vintage style Mixed Media card.

I have a personal goal to create a card using stamps and supplies that I already own and have not inked up in a while.  I pulled out this gorgeous Roses & Prayers (collage stamp) from Unity Stamp Co and paired it with a verse sentiment from the Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps, Be Encouraged clear stamp set.

I also have a personal goal to create a card for each of the Splitcoaststampers’ sketches and I used the SC470 Sketch Challenge for the layout on this card.

If you have not had a chance to visit the Splitcoaststampers’ gallery or our Design Team/gallery at The Card Concept Challenge, I hope you will find time to do so- so much inspiration from all!

To create this card:

De-static a piece of black cardstock with an embossing powder tool, stamp the verse image from So Encouraged with Versamark™ ink onto the prepared panel, apply White Embossing Powder and heat set with a heat tool. 

Once cooled, trim close to the edge and create the “flags” on the end by hand.

Die cut a piece of white cardstock with a stitched rectangle die, de-static with an embossing powder tool, stamp the Roses & Prayers image with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink onto the prepared panel, apply Clear Embossing Powder and heat set with a heat tool. 

Once the embossing has cooled, watercolor the image with water-based markers and use a flourish stencil with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink to add a bit of color in the background (hard to see in the photo).

Mount the floral image layer onto black cardstock, trim close to the edge.

Emboss a piece of white cardstock with the 3D Diamond embossing folder, trim to approx. 4 ⅛” x 3 ½”, mount or a piece of 4 ¼” x 5 ½” piece of black cardstock.

Add a layer of striped designer paper to the lower portion of the black panel.

Die cut a piece of white cardstock with the Tim Holtz Crochet Die, mount onto the background panel with the edges facing up.

Add a strip of 1” black satin ribbon to cover the cut edges of the designer paper and lace, wrapping the ends behind the panel.  

Mount the background panel onto a white card base.

Adhere the main floral image panel on a diagonal (per the sketch) using dimensional foam (or chipboard).

Add the sentiment layer and a few pearls in the upper right hand corner.

Use a clear glitter marker to add shimmer to the rose petals to finish off the card,

Stamp Sets:  Roses & Prayers (Unity Stamp Co.), Be Encouraged (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)

Ink/Mediums:  Versafine™ Onyx Black, Versamark™; Stampin’ Write markers- Blushing Bride, Poppy Parade, Mossy Meadow; Black Watercolor Pencil (SU!), Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Marker, Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, retired red striped designer paper (Stampin’ Up!)

Accessories/Tools: Gemini, Jr.™,  WRMK 3D Diamond Embossing Folder, MFT Stitched Rectangle A2 Dies, Square Punch (to create banner), Sizzix Tim Holtz Crochet Thinlit Dies, Embossing Powder Tool, Clear and White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, 1” Black Satin Ribbon (from my stash), Pearls

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I hope you have been inspired to join us in the future at The Card Concept!

Though I Walk Through The Valley

Hi Friends!

I am working on posting the many cards that I have created in the past few months- posting can take longer than creating sometimes, lol!

For this card, I decided to pull out the Roses & Prayers {Floral Collage} (designed by Graciellie Designs for Unity Stamps) and paired it with the sentiment from Fear Not (Stamp Simply).

I am making an effort to try to create a card for each of the over 800 sketches at Splitcoaststampers and this card uses the SC350 Sketch for the layout (thankfully, their sketch challenge do not expire- this one is from 2011).  

I am also participating with the Tic-Tac-Toe #071 Challenge (Flowers, Stripes, Stencil- center row across) along with the Word Art Wednesday #446-#447 “Anything Goes” Challenge.

To create this card:

Using Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink, stamp the floral image and sentiment onto white cardstock panels.  Apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.

Watercolor the rose image using water-based markers and die cut the rose image with stitched rectangle die. 

Using a stencil brush along with a flourish stencil, apply tumbled glass distress oxide ink to the background. 

Mount the panel onto a piece of black cardstock, trim close to the edge.

Die cut the sentiment using a stitched circle die, mount onto a die cut circle from black cardstock.

Emboss a piece of white cardstock using a quilt embossing folder, trim and mount onto a piece of black cardstock, trim close to the edges.

Cut the striped background paper into triangles and mount onto black cardstock.

Mount the triangles directly onto the card front and add the layered rose image using dimensional foam.

Add the layered sentiment and finish off using a clear glitter pen for the petals and a few black rhinestone gems.

Stamp Sets: Roses & Prayers (Unity Stamps), Fear Not (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist, Mossy Meadow; Tim Holtz® Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide, Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, retired Stampin’ Up! Designer Paper

Accessories: Gemini, Jr.™, Dies- MFT Stitched Rectangle A2 STAX Set 1, Stitched Circle STAX, Sizzix™ Circles; Quilt Top Embossing Folder (Stampin’ Up!), AquaPainter™, Stencil Brush, Memory Box™ Flourish Stencil, Black Gemstones

Thanks again for visiting and I hope you have a fabulous week! I am planning on posting more cards this week to try to get somewhat caught up :-)  

My Grace is Sufficient

Hi Friends!

I designed this card using a stamp set that I purchased on clearance over a year ago- Everlasting (Kaisercraft) and this is the first time I have had a chance to ink it up.  I decided to pair the birds with a sentiment from another stamp set that has been un-inked lately- The Vine (Unity Stamp Co).   

I am making a dedicated effort to try to use stamps and paper that I already own (although I do still purchase a few)- I find it so difficult to resist those 40-50% off or more sales- don't you? 

I am also challenging myself to work my way through all of the Splitcoaststampers’ Sketch Challenges (now at 800) that I have not used yet so I incorporated the SC160 Sketch layout into the design of this card.  This sketch was from 2009 (the SCS challenges do not expire) and I thought it would be a good layout for the branch image.

I enjoy participating with online challenges as well and will be linking this card to the Simon Says Monday “Spritz and Splatter” Challenge along with the A Bit More Time to Craft #115  “Anything Goes” Challenge.

Since the Simon Says Monday Challenge was "Spritz and Splatter", I decided to create a Shabby Chic/Vintage Mixed Media card.  

To create this card:

Apply distress ink to the inside of a woodgrain embossing folder, insert a piece of white cardstock and emboss the panel.  Spritz the panel to allow the ink to spread a bit and also use a water brush to apply additional brown distress ink as needed (see all of the colors used below).

Trim the panel and mount onto a piece of black cardstock. Adhere the background panel to a white card base.

Ink the background stamp (Chalkboard Vine) with the same brown distress ink (, lightly stamp over the designer paper before cutting the paper into three panels.  Mount onto black cardstock and add directly to the card front.

Ink the birds on the branch image (from Everlasting) with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink, stamp onto a piece of white cardstock,  apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.  Once the image has cooled, water color with brown distress ink along with brown and gray water-based markers.

Apply the distress ink directly around the edges of the image and stamp with a texture splatter stamp to achieve additional distressing and “antiquing”.  Die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die and mount onto black cardstock.

Stamp the sentiment from The Vine (Unity Stamp Co) with embossing ink (I used the Versafine™ Onyx Black since my Versamark™ was not nearby), apply white embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.  Trim the sentiment (I used a scrap piece of black paper and it was not trimmed evenly so I had to cut into the area where the “M” would be cut-off, therefore, I fussy-cut around the “M”).  Mount the sentiment onto the bird panel.

Adhere the bird panel to the card front using chipboard or dimensional foam (I prefer chipboard for extra stability, plus I have a lot of chipboard on hand, lol!).

To finish the card, use an extra fine white paint pen to add a highlight to each bird’s eye.

Stamp Sets: Everlasting (Kaisercraft), The Vine (Unity Stamp Co), Chalkboard Vine (Divinity Designs, LLC), Timeless Textures (Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers-Gray Granite, Soft Suede; Tim Holtz™ Brushed Corduroy Distress;   Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Prima Lifetime Collection Designer Paper

Accessories: Gemini, Jr™, My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangle A2 STAX Set 1 Dies, retired Stampin’ Up! Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Embossing Buddy®, Clear and White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter™

I am so thrilled that you took the time to visit my blog- I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe during the worldwide pandemic!

I am planning on posting a few more cards this week and, if you have the time, please stop  by again soon!  Hugs, sweet friends!

TCC134 Sending Prayers

Hi Friends!

Welcome to The Card Concept #134 {Mother’s Day} Challenge! 

Our challenge is based on an inspiration photo and I love the vintage feel of this photo.  I was inspired by the colors of the bouquet and the textures to create a Shabby and Vintage/Mixed Media card!

I pulled out a stamp set that I have not inked in a while, Roses and Prayers from Unity Stamps along with some neglected designer paper.  I incorporated the Splitcoaststampers SC499 Sketch Challenge (from 2014)  for the layout. 

I am also linking this card to the Always Fun #160 “Embossing Folders” Challenge and the Word Art Wednesday #436-#437 “Anything Goes” Challenge. 

I love the texture of embossing folders and am making an effort to use more of mine (I have at least 100 different folders, so you may see more of them in the future).  This ornate lace folder is one of my favs :-)

To create this card:

Using a 3-D ornate lace embossing folder, emboss a piece of white cardstock.  Apply brushed corduroy distress ink over the embossed panel to “age” the paper, lightly distress the edges and mount onto black cardstock.  Mount the panel onto a white card base.

Layer a piece of designer paper onto black cardstock (for the background layer behind the focal image) and mount directly onto the card front.  

De-static a piece of white cardstock with an embossing powder tool.  Ink the rose flower image  with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink , stamp onto the prepared cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat emboss with a heat tool. 

Once the embossing has cooled, watercolor the image with water-based markers.  Trim and distress the panel, sponge brushed corduroy distress ink around the edges to “age” the image, mount onto black cardstock and distress the edges.

Mount the floral image panel onto the card front with dimensional foam.

Ink the sentiment with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink , stamp onto black cardstock, apply white embossing powder and heat emboss with a heat tool. Trim the sentiment and mount onto the card front.

Add a bit of shimmer to the flower petals with a clear glitter pen and pearls to the upper right hand corner of the floral image panel to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets:  Roses and Prayers (Unity Stamps)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz; Tim Holtz™ Brushed Corduroy Distress;  Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, misc. green designer paper (not sure of manufacturer)

Tools/Accessories: Gemini, Jr™, Ornate Lace 3-D Embossing Folder (Crafters Companion), Distressing Tool, Embossing Buddy®, Clear and White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter™

Thanks again for taking the time to visit!  I hope I have inspired you to create your own card based on our {Mother’s Day} photo and link up to our gallery at The Card Concept- we would love to see what inspired you! The challenge is open until May 11^th  at noon EST.

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

Hi Friends!

I hope all of you in the USA had a great Labor Day weekend!  I had a chance to create a few cards using a new to me stamp set, Sunflower from Unity along with a verse sentiment from the Stamp Simply set,  Fear Not.

I decided to incorporate the Sweet Sketch Wed 2 #166 Sketch Challenge along with the Simon Says Monday “Something Clear” Challenge (I used clear embossing powder) and the WordArt Wednesday #402-#403 “Anything Goes” Challenge.

If you have not had a chance to stop by the above challenge sites yet, I hope you will find the time to do so- fabulous galleries and inspiration from all!

To create this card:

Once the background has dried, stamp the sentiment with Versafine™ Black Onyx ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Stamp the sunflower image with Versafine™ Black Onyx ink onto a piece of white cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.  Once the image has cooled, watercolor with water-based markers and add distress oxide ink to the background before die-cutting the image with a stitched oval die.  Add white highlights to the center of the flower with a white paint pen and use a clear glitter pen to add shimmer to the sunflower petals.

Emboss the sentiment in the same manner as above and add a bit of distress oxide ink to soften the background before die-cutting with a stitched circle die.

Mount the dry embossed, layered panels per the sketch layout and add the black satin ribbon before adhering the entire panel to the white card base.

Mount the sunflower oval image along with the sentiment using dimensional foam and adhere the black satin bow.  Add a few pearls to the sentiment to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Sunflower (Unity Stamp Company), Fear Not (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black,  Tim Holtz® Tumbled Glass & Mustard Seed Distress Oxide; Stampin’ Write Markers- So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive; Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen, Sharpie® Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Designer Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, retired Certainly Celery and So Saffron Designer Series Paper (all Stampin’ Up!)

Accessories: Gemini™, Ornate Lace 3-D Embossing Folder (Crafters Companion), retired Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, My Favorite Things Dies- Stitched Oval STAX and Stitched Circle STAX; Circle Dies (Sizzix), Embossing Buddy®, Clear Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter™, ¾” Black Satin Ribbon, Pearls

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I am honored that you have dropped in!  Hugs and I hope I have inspired you to create something this week!

Funny Farm- Unforgettable Birthday

Hi Friends!

I hope all of you are having a relaxing weekend!  I had a chance to spend some creative time today and designed a card using a new to me stamp set, Funny Farm from Unity Stamp Company. 

This is such a fun set and I decided to create a birthday card incorporating the Freshly Made Sketches #400 Sketch Challenge along with the Simon Says Wednesday “Anything Goes” Challenge and Simon Says Work It Wednesday Aug/Sept “Celebrate” Challenge into the design.

If you have not had a chance to stop by the above challenge sites, I hope you will find the time to do so- terrific galleries and inspiration from all!

I heat embossed the main image as well as the sentiment, die cut the main image with a pierced rectangle die, created a few photo corners by hand and added silver brads along with ribbon and lace from my stash to finish off this easy layered card.

Stamp Sets: Funny Farm (Unity Stamp Company)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black,  Versamark™

Cardstock/Designer Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, misc. red dsp (not sure of manufacturer)

Accessories: Big Shot™, Divinity Designs Pierced Rectangle Dies, Embossing Buddy®, Clear and White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Silver Mini Brads, White Crochet Lace, 1” Black Satin Ribbon, ½” Black/White Checked Ribbon

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by- hugs and I hope you will visit again soon!