Friday, January 29, 2010

Birds of a Feather - Artistic Outpost

The stamped images on these cards are from Artistic Outpost. They are the most recent stamps just out this month, called Birds of a Feather.



I love this plate of stamps because it helps me use up scraps of paper which I can't always find a destination for. I wondered whether I would be able to use up the rest of the paper I have, so that I can begin on some new ones... which I ordered already..
I don't have hoards of stuff btw! Staying selective, keeps everything in perspective.


Little tip: Keep all the bits of ribbon you cut off the ends after making a bow or tying a knot. The small ribbon loop tucked under the panel on the right side of this card is one of those. The little lace border - same thing!


Put the cage on pop dots.


Used distress inks to color in the girls.



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I thought I would share another piece of very humoristic journaling that Joanna Weaver uses in her book to get her point across. Remember I told you about the book called 'Having a Mary heart in a Martha's world"?

I think you will get the message!!

It is the story in the Bible from Luke 10:38 when Martha and Maria open their home for Jesus and His disciples when they come to visit.

Quote:
When I read the first part of Mary and Martha's story, I must admit I find myself cheering for Martha. I know we tend to sing Mary's praises in Bible studies. But Martha, to be honest, appeals more to my perfectionist tendencies.
What a woman! She opens her home to a band of thirteen hungry men, possibly more. What a hostess! She doesn't whip up an impromptu casserole of Kraft macaroni and cheese and Ballpark franks as I've been known to do on occasion. Not her! She is the original Martha Stewart, the New Testament Proverbs 31 woman, and Israel's answer to Betty Crocker. She's the Queen of the Kitchen - and the rest of the house as well.
And Luke's story starts with Martha in her glory. After all, this is Jesus. She scraps her ordinary everyday menu of soup and bread and pulls out all her cookbooks. This, she decides will be a banquet fit for a messiah. For the Messiah. Martha sends one servant to the field to slaughter a lamb, another to the market to pick up a few of those luscious pomegranates she saw yesterday. Like a military general, she barks commands to her kitchen staff. Soak the lentils! Pound the grain! Knead the dough!
So many things to do and so little time. She must make sure the centerpiece and the napkins match, that the servant pours the wine from the right and not the left. What would be just right for dessert? A little goat cheese with a tray of fresh fruit? Will Jesus and his followers stay overnight? Someone must change the sheets and fold some towels.
"Where's Mary? Has anyone seen Mary?" If Mary could change the sheets, Martha might have time to fashion an ark from the cheese and carve the fruit into little animals marching two by two. Productions of this magnitude require the skill of a master planner. And Martha's an administrator extraordinaire - a whirling dervish of efficiency, with a touch of Tasmanian she-devil thrown in to motivate the servants.
I happen to be the oldest in my family. Perhaps that's why I understand how frustrated Martha must have felt when she finally found Mary. The entire household is in an uproar, busy making ready to entertain the most famous teacher of their day. I can relate to the anger of Martha at the sight of her lazy sibling sitting at the Master's feet in the living room.
It's simply too much. With everything still left to do, there sits little Mary, being quite contrary, crashing a party meant only for men. But worse, she seems oblivious to all of Martha's gesturing from the hall.
Martha tries clearing her throat. She even resorts to her most effective tool: the "evil eye," famous for stopping grown men in their tracks. But nothing she does has any effect on her baby sister. Mary only has eyes for Jesus.
Pushed to the limit, Martha does something unprecedented. She interrupts the boys' club, certain that Jesus will take her side. After all, a woman's place is in the kitchen. Mary, should be helping prepare the meal.
Martha realizes there is a cutting edge to her voice, but Jesus will understand. He, of all people, knows what it's like to carry the weight of the world.
But instead of applauding Martha, Jesus gently rebukes her, telling her "Mary has chosen the better part".
"The better part?" Martha must have echoed incredulously.

"The better part!" I say to God in the midst of my own whirl of activity. You mean there's more? I have to do more?"
No, no, comes the answer to my tired heart. Jesus' words in Luke 10 are incredibly freeing to those of us on the performance treadmill of life.
It isn't "more" he requires of us.
In fact, it maybe less.

Unquote.

I don't know about you, but I certainly got the message!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A new Hero Arts Stamp

This is one of the latest stamps that Hero Arts bought out and I love it.



Its called Silhouette Grass, S5316. Actually I won it with the Holiday tag challenge, luckily!



This is what it looks like. It has endless possibilities!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tag tuesday - Time

The challenge this week on Louise's blog is 'Time'.



Here is my take. The bird and birdcage are stamps from the new plate I just had to have from Artistic Outpost called 'Birds of a Feather' (see below).



I missed out on making a doll tag last week, I just couldn't get it together. But as I was looking through some of the tags I made in 2007, I came across this one which I think was for a Wednesday Stamper's challenge.



So now it feels as if I didn't miss the challenge last week...lol.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Little Victorian girl

Loved making this. I can't get enough of these colors and I will have to get some of the new distress ink tints. Once again my base was a postcard and it went from there.



I love using distress inks. Thanks to Art Creations Friday for the free download of this image.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Gothic Arch Sunday - Weddings

My arch is one of the Bride unveiling herself - I love this image.



Thanks for the challenge, which can be found here, for those interested.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Some vintage cards

Staying true to my heart, vintage cards are the most enjoyable to make for me. Other kinds of cards just don't come natural!


These papers have been distressed with vintage photo ink - the colors just wouldn't have held together otherwise. The image can be found here. Take a look at this beautiful blog where Carolyn is offering free downloads. I also have her blog in my side-bar called Antique Images.


For this card I thought the butterfly went nicely together with the hat.


This was white paper that I stamped on and distressed. Sorry don't know where I got the image from.

The stamps I used on the last two are from Artistic Outpost.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Tuesday trigger - I feel pretty in torquoise and gold

This is the inspiration photograph on the Moxie Fab World website.



I got immediately inspired to use this torquoise patterned paper from K&Co and the Cut Out Flower (K5148) stamp from Hero Arts which I embossed in gold. I punched out the little golden butterfly and added pearls. The white diecut (thanks Sue) is my inspiration for the mirror in the picture. Its so nice to get inspired instead of having to go look for it!




(I haven't done tag-tuesday yet, just cannot find the right combination, but I'm working on it.)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Inspired by Jill and 'Love adds a little chocolate'..

Jill, who's blog you can find if you click on her name makes beautiful cards. I was so inspired by her cards with butterflies and just recently she used a postcard template as her background.This inspired me to create something with a similar background and fortunately I had one in my files.



The butterfly is digital - not a fan of this but I can't buy all the stamps! I stamped over the background with the Antique brocade stamp.

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LOVE ADDS A LITTLE CHOCOLATE....

I read this, this morning that really struck a chord. It is from the book 'Having a Mary heart in a Martha world.

Quote
Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch,
but love may decide to enclose a little love note inside...
Obligation sends the children to bed on time,
but love tucks the covers in around their necks and passes out kisses and hugs...
Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated,
but love learns to laugh a lot and to work for the sheer joy of doing it.
Obligation can pour a glass of milk,
but quite often, love adds a little chocolate.

Jesus didn't respond to people out of duty; he ministered to them because he felt their distress. So deep, so profound was his compassion, he felt it in his gut. Even when he was tired his love moved him to reach out!
Unquote

OH how I want to grow in this compassion - please Lord increase your Love in me.

Cor. 13:2
If I have prophetic powers and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love - I AM NOTHING.

Only God can give us the love to get past our duty and go the second mile!

Friday, January 15, 2010

I was inspired by.. TOMO this week

I have been particulary inspired this week by Tomo, who lives in Japan. If you click on her name you will find her blog.

This card gave me instant inspiration:

(TOMO'S CARD)

I have this background stamp and it had been lying idle in the cupboard, but received new life just by inspiration. That is what I love about inspiration, it can bring stamps to life! I am so happy with all the blogs out there with inspiration, sometimes a card or image or even colors can just trigger what you need to birth an idea.



As you know, I love using images. This one is from The Graphics Fairy which is hosted by Karen. Thanks Tomo for your inspiration! It can be found here.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Theme thursday - hearts

Theme thursday this week is hearts.
I thought I would change the colors up a bit (other than pink and brown tints), so it probably doesn't fit in with the valentine vibes but anything goes with the challenges.

This whole tag is a stamp from Stampington which I love. I arranged pom-pom lace around it. I stamped on a scrap Nancy Kreuger sent me, although she would never have known hadn't I mentioned it. And, forgot to mention that the pom-pom lace comes all the way from Japan, thanks Tomo once again!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tag Tuesday - Happy Birthday.. to Louise!

First of all, all the best wishes to Louise from Kard Krazy as it is her birthday today!



I'm not so inspired so made a simple little tag as I wouldn't want to miss a week.
The Happy birthday tag-stamp is from Hero Arts and the image is a download from the Graphics Fairy, with thanks to Karen.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

I have four winners!

Yes I like surprises, don't you?!!

First prize of the stamp, lavender sachet, Christmas tree hanger, tag and card go to

DIERDRE, IRELAND

Second prize which will remain a surprise for the recipient is

MARIA from Russia

Third place, which will be a little something goes to

DAWN from Australia

And fourth place goes to LIN in America who will also receive a little something from me.

Dierdre and Maria, please send me your addresses via e-mail or flickr mail.

Thank you to everybody that took part and have a lovely weekend!

Jacqueline

Friday, January 8, 2010

January's challenge theme is Friendship & Valentine's at Hero Arts!

The whole challenge system has changed on Hero Arts but I think it is better, more relaxed. If you want to check it out, here is the link.





I made some friendship tags, one of which will accompany my give-away which I will draw a name for tomorrow.

Thanks to the all the ladies who have joined in.

I will be back tomorrow with a winner.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A visit to a little village in the South of France and a little give-away - CLOSED

AIGNE is a little village just a little way from here and is in the shape of an escargot (snail), a 'round' village. This afternoon I went there to get some souvenirs from the little shop I found and to take photos of the Christmas decorations before they got taken down.

Here is a grid of the Christmas wreaths I saw hanging on doors. One of them is decorated with peakcock feathers - isn't that a great idea?!


This is the entrance to the shop I found which sells lovely little souvenirs. The shop is on the right.

Looking through the windows!


This photo and the one beneath is how the owners decorated the shutters on the outside.



These doors belong to very old houses! The wreaths are really effective on the outside, even though they are decorately thinly.






A very old window barred with mesh.


Look at the moss under the window on the above photo!

I bought some lovely little souvenirs there and am going to do a little New Year blog give-away. The stamp isn't new but as good as (which I didn't find in the shop by the way).


A sachet of Provence lavender with an ornament of an angel, a Christmas tree hanger and a stamp. If the winner is not vintage-minded and doesn't want the stamp I will pull out another name for the stamp.

Just leave a comment here and tell me what you think of this little village in France and I will pick a winner at the end of the week, probably saturday.

Hope you will join in!
Jacqueline

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Tag Tuesday - #33 dots and stripes

Hi there! I am so excited! A lady came round to pick me up to show me a beautiful shop she had found in a little village about ten minutes by car from where I live. It's true that I don't venture out enough on my own - what a beautiful place!



All the hand-made Christmas decorations were still on the doors and walls and I didn't have my camera with me!! What kind of a shop you may well be thinking... well they don't sell stamps or paper but they do sell this kind of thing, see the photo above - isn't it beautiful? They sell hand crafted items of a vintage style, just my cup of tea! I hope to go back this week to take some photographs.




I feel like making heart tags now after seeing the beautiful things in the shop!
Jacqueline

Saturday, January 2, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hi and Happy New Year to you all!



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If I had to chose a verse to live by at the beginning of this year it would be this little pearl from the Word of God :

"All my springs are in YOU! Ps.87:7" (Another word for springs is source)

I want to find more contentment, more satisfaction, more joy, more passion, more fire in the Lord alone.... more strength, fulfillment, praise, love and peace in HIM. I also want to give more, live more, love much more and see more of God's Grace working in His Church.

I have felt very frustrated the last couple of months, passing through times of silence in my walk with God, learning even more deeply how to live by faith not by sight and yet I have been more than abundantly blessed.

My conclusion has been that the only blessing that can really fill a void is the presence of the Lord, the intimacy that comes through sacrifice and time - nothing external will give lasting fulfillment. We need to be filled with a perspective that is formed in us through fellowship with Him.

This is going to be my reading material for the next couple of weeks. This is what it's about: Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve him... yet you struggle with weariness, resentment and feelings of inadequacy. For every woman who's ever felt she isn't godly enough, isn't loving enough, isn't doing enough, this book takes a fresh approach to the familiar story of Mary and Martha to show how all of us can draw closer to our Lord."

I am so thankful to all those who are so friendly and kind to pop by! I call my computer my window to the world - it brings me in contact with so many friendly, talented ladies who share the same passions in more than just creating. I know I need that to be able to express myself.

Thank you all so much!!