Tag and gift bag idea

Temperatures are soaring here, too hot and too tired to sit down long enough to create. The last treatment has not given any nausea, thank goodness, but has slowed me down and taken a lot of energy.. but I know that in time I will regain what I have lost, it is only temporary.

Just shaing a little tag I made a while ago with the lovely lace that Sue sent me and a diecut from Hellemor. Haven't used a vintage image in ages.

Just a little share of a little gift I made for a lady who always helps me out with the cooking the day of my treatment. I have put the lavender sachet I stamped into a vellum bag (thanks Jean) and closed it off with a flower from Hero Arts called Garden Star.

My son David went to his holiday camp for three weeks yesterday, missing him already. He was healthy and in good spirits, bless him.

Happy sunday to you all.

PDCC92 and update

Hi ladies! The prayers were felt on Tuesday as the fourth Chemo session went better than I had expected. Although the smell in the polyclinic is exceptionally bad, I was helped within half an hour, one hour on the infuse and the taxi was ready and waiting to take me home when I was finished. Even the doctor was nice to me and prescribed a very expensive injection to pick up my white blood count for more energy. Either that or returning next week - no way! Today was a slow start and I'm feeling it, but happy to say that it seems to be less nauseating and heavy. Thank God!
Thank you for your continual prayers and support, it so helps me stay connected.

Now, the colors this week for the PDCC really caught my eye. So I made a card, inspired by the ladies on the Hero Arts flickr gallery, especially Judy and Vanessa, with these colors. No secret how much I just love the Hydrangea stamp from Hero Arts, stamped on Kraft with white color box ink.

Thanks to Tiffany for the pretty flowers she sent.

Collage

Hi ladies, hope you are all well and enjoying your summer! We have had a cold windy July which is not at all up to the standards we usually have and I think a lot of tourists have been very disappointed that the weather is so unrealiable these days in this region.
I have had a difficult weekend but I have to say that difficulties let you dig deep and increase your desire to seek God and pray for all things! My DH had a fall from his motorbike, had to break for an old lady who breaked suddenly in her car on the highway and has to have a huge reparation done to his bike, if it is not declared totalloss.
I have my fourth chemo session tomorrow and need to keep my strength and focus on the Lord who is able to bring me through once again! As I said I am learning so much in this time.

A share of some cards I quickly made this morning in the collage style. Thanks to Sue for the heart-lace. I am entering this one into the Simon Says Stamp, Anything Goes challenge.

and the last card which I decorated with some toille lace also thanks to Sue.

Thanks again for all your support!
God bless you!
Jacqueline

Botanical #3

Just have too many stamps for this theme over at the Moxie Fab blog not to have another try!
This grid is made up of two stamps from Crafty Individuals, stamped twice on a distressed background. The panels have been distressed with bundled sage and chipped sapphire.

And a little lavender sachet:

It all of a sudden dawned on me how botanical this Bird Collage stamp was from Hero Arts.

I am in the process of making these square little lavender sachets. I have harvested and hung up the lavender bunches in the garage, just waiting for them to dry.

These are so easy to make and when done, you just throw them in a drawer or cupboard and you keep your clothes smelling clean and fresh. I usually have one next to my pillow in bed. Lavender keeps away moths and insects and apparently helps you to sleep!


This last card uses old Anne Griffin stamps, it might look more vintage than botanical. Distressed all the panels and then stamped. I colored the roses in with watercolor pencils.

 Hope you have a lovely weekend.

SING your own song.. it's your day

I have been weary again after having two really good days. Means I still have to take heed and nap now and again! I don't want too though because I love being busy, so many creative ideas and resources, just want to be creative and productive! But I will listen to my body because I need the strength for this coming Tuesday. Thanks for your support ladies!

(I love the new colors distress inks that I just received: used here are bundled sage and chipped shapphire.. love them!)
The tag has been stamped with a stamp from the Viva La Flora set from Darkroom Door - never used it before today and I have had it more than a year. I sponged a small diecut (thanks Sue) with distress ink, stamped a fern and perched the bird on it, added a small sentiment, a crinkled ribbon (thanks Jean) and I was done.

I could not resist using the Bird stamp (Studio 112 K&Co) that Sue sent me. Always wanted a stamp like this. So I have made two cards and a tag so far. Through Veronica's blog, I have picked up a love for vellum. Never really used it, but it is so, so effective and brings something extra to a card when you don't want to use ribbon or other embellishments.

Here I used a stamped panel from the pile and just stamped over the top with the Bird. It uses Hero Art stamps and I placed it in a frame which was also on the pile. That's how a lot of my cards come together.

Fanatical about Botanical # 2

Hello dear friends! Hope you are all well and enjoying the summer.
This weekend I had a lovely time creating close to my heart - nature, and botanical fits in that theme, maybe with a little whimsical twist this time. I made a couple of collage cards for the Moxie Fab challenge, which can be found here.

I used a Darkroom door stamp which I have always admired how Godelieve uses. Cut out the flowers and put them on dimension. Thanks to Sue for the diecut in cobalt blue. The little strips at the bottom are scraps. I used a punched out butterfly on gingham and a Robin (again) from the Graphic's fairy.

My second card using the same stamp for my focal point stamped in blue distress ink on PP. Used some scraps for the bottom two strips, another bird from Karen and some digital butterflies from Hero Arts.

I received a beautiful surprise this morning from Sue - I was speechless. Have to share it with you! You see that bird stamp? I have always wanted one of those!! Thank you Sue for your unbelievable generosity!

Not only is my cup running over in the Lord, my card basket is also running over! Thank you to all of you for the wonderful encouragement I receive - it is such a blessing.

I am feeling well - I have another eight days to enjoy it too! Fourth chemo session will be 26th July.

Have a lovely sunny day!!
Jacqueline

Fanactical about Botanical

I am fanatical about Botanical so I had to enter this challenge over on the Moxie Fab World Blog here.

This is one of my favorite styles, Alcohol inks on glossy card stock, then stamping with versamark and embossing with gold and white. I chose blue and green with a touch of brown as these colors represent blue skies and green grass, love earthy colors.
I can't wait to start another one soon with pinky colors. I used to use a lot of bronze for embossing, but have run out, need to get that soon.

These Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden stamps are so versatile and give such a great print.

Forgot to tell you yesterday but this afternoon the Tour de France will be passing by our house!

Different ways of using stamps

Hi Ladies. Although the improvement is very slight, I am happy to report that with a lot of rest I am slowly getting my strength back.

I made a card with alcohol inks on glossy card stock. Embossed the Collage Bird stamp from Hero Arts in gold and punched out eight squares that fit just inside the Simple Frame stamp. Punched out a butterfly with the left-overs (it is in the right hand corner, not very clear to see). The words are from the clear design 'Treasure the Moments'. I stamped and then cut out the words to go around the outside.
I am entering this in the 'Texture It' challenge on the Inspiration Journal here.

Here is a little display of the summer time in France from a vegetable garden, which my son brought home.

This is a beautiful Hibiscus plant that I was given. Nearly everyday I see a new flower open - it spreads so much sunshine!

Thank you for your friendship

Dear friends, this card is to thank you for all your friendship! A special thanks for all the amazing comments you leave me - they are all bright spots in my day and really help me!

With this post I would ask you to pray for my blood count which is very low. I don't get enough information at the hospital as I was wondering why, after a week, I still feel sick and low. So I phoned the nurse at the hospital and she said that it would take 8-10 days and that it was due to a low blood cell count. That really reassured me and at the same time made me determined that God would do a miracle through many praying friends. You see, I have more pressure with David, my son, being home and him being sick and not healing in his lungs. It has been weeks and the doctor can't give him anti-biotic because he doesn't have a fever.

Thank you ladies, just a sick one here, calling on the strong ones!

I hope you are all well and thank you again!

Jacqueline x

Bird's of a Feather

The last three days have been the worst yet. I am still not well, hoping it will go over soon, that I can eat and drink again without feeling nauseas and having problems with the smell of everything, which is totally out of proportion! This time around I noticed I was much more emotional,  it's not only the body that suffers. My DH has been my comfort and he told me something I will never forget, he said, see your emotions, your feelings as instruments and servants but never let them master you!! I really liked that!
I also placed a little verse, with a tremendous impact in my left column - the Bible speaking to us about weakness - I pray to understand God's Power in my human weakness, so that I may boast in them and not complain.

I so wanted to play along with the City Crafter Challenge, never done that before - but the theme 'Birds of a Feather' just pulled me in and because I have seen beautiful Bird cards on so many blogs.
I stamped the Misty Garden background stamp (distress ink sprayed with water then stamped) from Hero Arts on beige card stock. Layered with one of my favorite bird stamps from Artistic Outpost (I know a robin should have a red breast), added some more layers around the edges with a bird stamp (inspiration from Franziska). The branch die cut is from Sue and the rolled flower at the bottom from Helle - thanks girls.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Little update and new Stamp

Hello dear freinds. Yesterday I had my third Chemo session and came through it o.k. although the smell that always hangs in that particular room of the polyclinic totally puts me off. I heard that my fourth session will be a different medicine without the nausea side effect!

It was a beautiful afternoon so I took some rest under the best God-given shade, a huge Fir tree that we have in the garden and let the wind cool my brow and listened to the music the wind makes as it blew through the tree. A little bit of heaven in my own garden.

I am off work for the next couple of days, see how it goes but I'm feeling quite bad already. I wanted to share a card using a lovely stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms which Jean kindly sent me. I got the inspiration from this card here. So happy to have this crafting therapy time. I colored it in with distress inks.

Thanks for all the messages I received to encourage me for yesterday, all the prayers said, it certainly helped! Thank you!

Blue and Green

Hope you had a lovely weekend. It has cooled down a bit here, but the temps will go up again. Tomorrow I start my third session Chemo. I am half way to the finish line and in September my hair should start growing again, I can't wait! It has been too hot to organize myself to take photos of the cards I received, there are so many I don't know where to start! Thank you to everybody who thinks of me!

Just recently a Dutch Christian friend sent me these words:

Difficult moments . . seek God
Quiet moments . . worship God
Painful moments . . trust God
Every moment . . thank God

have a little share today, quick and simple - I can't get my head around difficult cards for a while. What I did which is something I hadn't thought of before. I stamped the bottom half of the stamp and then left a gap and stamped the top half of the stamp. In that gap I placed the sentiment. I'm sure there are many stamps that lean towards this little trick, to use your stamps in different ways. I still want to get the maximum out of them!

Quick and simple card

The hot weather continues here in the South of France. Our youngest son has joined us for two months now the Bible School in Holland is on holiday. Nice having Michaël home. So I finally got round to making a card today which I will share.

These squares were punched out from a free download which I found here. The Postcard came from The Graphic's Fairy. The butterfly is Hero Arts.

Enjoy your weekend!
Jacqueline