Tag Tuesday - Birds

Thanks to Louise for preparing this weeks challenge, which can be found here.



I stamped a collage Fall stamp from Hero Arts as basis and stamped with the dill and cut out a bird from another collage stamp and pasted it all together. All sides are equal IRL but a photo can show differently!
Sorry I didn't clean up the window sill before I took the photo but it adds interest;

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I hope to think I'm progressing with these stamps...

Tag Le parfum des fleurs and Sunday scraps with Godelieve

Doesn't that sound nice... le parfum des fleurs



I am still experimenting with my new stamps - it's going to take a while to find the right way to use them and with which paper... it does all make a difference. I used distress inks and water to paint this image on semi-glossy card stock. I will probably have to do some masking to get the flowers to look like they are in the pot and not behind it...!!

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Never thought it would come to this but these are scraps of my scraps that I have put in a huge box and only get out for the Sunday School kids!



I had Sunday school today and needed my scraps to make a crown with the children and I just saw too much potential.... sigh.

Joining in with Godelieve again today on her Scrap Sunday. Take a look at her blog.

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I had posted this card before but saw that it needed some flower centres which I did with a black felt tip pen and took another photo.



Our weather is still incredible. On the veranda it is 30°C which is 86°F. I love being outdoors as long as I can, exercising in the pool and just enjoying the sun and the blue skies! Our pool is still 25°C, which is warm!
Have a great week!

A new stamp plate!

I was very excited to receive a new stamp plate this morning that I chose for my birthday two weeks ago. This is something I have always been looking for, it's perfect for 'my' kind of art and encompasses everything I love.


(Can you see the white roses PP I stamped on?)

The person who designed these stamps is a French lady, and actually she is the Mother of Isa Norris, whose blog and introduction of these stamps can be found here.

These stamps represent everything I love about France, including this first card with lavender in a pot! What I like about these stamps are that I can stamp as many flowers in the pot as I like! I can change the flowers and put pink roses in or any other color I choose. I found some textured PP in my scrap basket which I found ideal for the pots, which is another aspect of art I really like, paper piercing.

My back panel for the flowers is another scrap dear Sue sent to me, of white roses. The stamped sentiment 'Lavende' is in French.



If you are interested in finding out more, where they can be purchased here is the link.



A 'lavender' collage of photos I have taken around the house as I have huge lavender bushes!

Theme Thursday - text or script

Couldn't resist a challenge with this theme.



The backdrop is a scrap from Sue - can you imagine her giving this away! I had the darling little girl in my files and just printed her out on PP so that she had a pattern on her apron. I stamped the French writing stamp with the dill stamp from HA on the back panel and the Friends definition stamp on a coordinating green scrap.
In two corners I have stamped an Archivers flourish branch from HA - a stamp I won on Anne's blog.

The challenge can be found here.

The image was a free download from here. Thank you very much.

Tag Tuesday - Children

It's my favorite challenge of the week time.



Decided to stay with a monochromatic color scheme today. This little girl is from a larger stamp from Crafty Individuals. I framed her and used the butterflies on the stamp to decorate the frame.

All thanks to Louise and if you want to join in please look here for details.

Distress inks

Just sharing a card I made using distress inks. I saw the stamp with the face that I love so much a little while ago on a blog and knew I just had to use it again.



I'm not running over with inspiration at the moment. I have been out in the fresh air, swimming etc. this week which is so refreshing! Only now the weather has changed, it's colder and there are more clouds. I just love the summer, hopefully it will hang around a little while longer.

Pearl of the Word and Tag Tuesday - take two

Like Louise, I made another couple of little grid tags.


I love making them so much!
I use tags from clothing - I have a bunch but they are not that big which means I don't have much room on them - but they are ready made.


I had to tag lift one of Suzanne's tags (didn't succeed very well) I just loved her style and design for this week's challenge! I used all distress inks and had this made quicker than I thought. Then I couldn't get a good photo so had to scan it, grr.


It is harvest time in France and the vineyards are being stripped of their juicy grapes by machine or by hand. This photo is taken next to our garden. Just last night we had a huge rainfall so I expect the fields will be muddy. In any case it will have washed off all the insecticides (most of the vineyards use harmless products) that are used to keep certain insects at bay! The farmers do not want it to rain though because it decreases the sugar level in the grapes if they absorb too much water and they will receive less money for them when they get delivered to the Cave where the wine is made.

I am always reminded of John 15 when I look at the vines:
" 1 Jesus said to his disciples:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of what I have said to you.
4 Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. " John 15:1-5

We know that the branches that don't bear fruit are cut away but that the branches that DO bear fruit need to be trimmed and cut back seems unfair! But the goal is 'more fruit' the next year round. If we bear fruit for the Lord and feel it's unfair if he starts pruning us then it is not because we have done something wrong! We have done something right! The Lord has to trim us because He knows those areas that prevent us from bearing even more fruit still!! We have experienced this lots of time and it gives us the faith to hang on until God shows us His purpose!

Remember: your FATHER is the gardener!

Sharing

I received a beautiful little package from my friend Nancy with an elegant vintage stamp in it - isn't it gorgeous?!! It is from Great Impressions for those interested.





I had it inked up in no time, just had to try it!! I had a distressed background which I hadn't used yet and it seemed the perfect match.

Thank you Nancy!

Card collage

I am posting this here because I have cards that have never been put on my blog and I like to keep a record of them. They are just snaps of them.

Tag Tuesday - Grid tag

Louise, who hosts this weekly challenge, has made a beautiful grid tag on her blog! I just love her colors and chose a soft lavender, touches of green and vintage brown for my tag today due to her inspiration.

Have to say that I did use up the scraps in my basket again and punched out mini squares.

The photo of the little girl is an image Nancy sent me a while back, so thanks Nancy!

Hero Arts weekly challenge - Fall colors

I made this card for the weekly challenge on the Hero Arts blog. There were four color combinations to choose from. All I used were some CS scraps which I punched into squares and stamped with the clear Mix N Match set from Hero Arts.



I wonder whether this will be the last grid card I'll make for the time being!

Thank you ladies!

I just want to thank the ladies who visit my blog who have sent me a card and/or present this week for my birthday today!! I have felt so lucky and spoiled and you have truly added highlights to my day - thank you!!



I want to share a tag I made with a beautiful rose stamp that Vanessa sent to me. I colored it in with diluted distress inks. I used a script stamp stamped on patterned paper from Basic Grey as a backdrop. This is a stamp from Artistic Outpost and I will be endeavoring to win one of their brilliant new stamp plates this month! Details are here.



Here is another card made using an Artistic Outpost rubber stamp (Bluebird) as focal point, which I shall be linking up. These are gorgeous stamps!

Here's a birthday message I want to share with you, it's delightful:

May your birthday be awesome, blessed, crafty, delightful, exciting, fun, golden, happy, inspiring, joyful, kind, loving, merry, no-calorie counting, outstanding, perfect, quiet (if you want it to be!), relaxing, scramping, tasty, unforgettable, valued, wonderful, x-tra special, yummy, and zesty!

Grid sketch

I saw another sketch I liked on Card Patterns which was a grid, so I decided to make another one, not all of them scraps this time.





I am in the process of looking for a nice new blog background, it's hard.

Sunday scraps - 31

Can't say these are the scraps of the week but they certainly were in my scrap basket and I love using them up! I'm joining in with Godelieve again. She has made some gorgeous blue and white cards with hers this week. Yes, I love grid cards and through Godelieve's blog I came across this blog from Kim. If you stroll down you will see some grid cards made with four coordinating squares. Of course I had to give this a go myself!



Paper is Basic grey which I got from Tania (thanks Tania). The birdcage stamp is Hero Arts and the black square is another scrap from Sue who has just posted an amazing grid card on her blog here. You just have to check it out, it is stunning!

Tag tuesday - In a Word

I am so happy that my friend Nancy in California has started a blog and shares her faith and her beautiful artwork! I feel so 'one' with her! If you click on her name it will take you to Happy Heart Studio. I think it touched me because I love to share my faith with her in the English language! Here, where I live, I have to communicate and pray in French... do you know what it is like to have to pray in a language that is not your own?! It feels kind of funny and it has cost me alot of faith to do it!


Louise, another one of my Christian friends has a two week tag challenge this time and the theme is 'In a word'. I didn't need to hurry as it lasts two weeks and I have not had the time before today. I used a scrap I found in my large scrap basket and my eye fell on an Artistic Outpost stamp with a birds nest.. so because I wanted to use the one word 'Peace', I thought the two would go together. Love distress inks.



This is a tag I made last week for the 'Color it' challenge on Hero Arts. I totally didn't expect to get third place because coloring is just not a thing I do!! I don't usually like it! I just colored the rose in quickly with diluted distress ink, as well as the leaves. O yes, had to mention that I received a lovely parcel from Anne with this cling rose stamp set in it (and many other goodies!).


(I was totally blown away when I opened this!)

About Meditation Monday - I think I am going to wrap it in a different style and just leave 'Pearls of the Word' here and there as I go along the week. I have found that the Holy Spirit is more eager to find the Word of God in our hearts than our own little words of wisdom!!

So, my first Pearl of the Word is : For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor.5:7
(Just as I typed this verse, I looked down and saw a tiny pearl embellishment caught in my keyboard... hmmmmm)

I do not ask that He must prove
His Word is true to me
And that before I can believe
He first must let me see.
It is enough for me to know
It's true because He says it's so;
On His unchanging Word I'll stand
And trust till I can understand.
(E.M. Winters)