Virginia View Challenge #25

I am joining in with Virginia's challenge this month and thanks to her for hosting! Here is the theme and blog link..

So my card for the challenge has punched out leaves from a plaid patterned paper that somebody sent to me a long time ago.

I have used a doily which helped me make a perfect circle with the leaves and decorated them with red gem berries. The sentiment is gold embossed and is from Hero Arts.

While I was inspired I made two more cards with the same design. I had a lot of alcohol ink snippets left over from past cards which I punched out leaves from and made these.

I have used a heart aperture panel (thank you, Betty K).
The sentiment 'Fall' is gold embossed and its the first time I have used this Hero Arts stamp. Behind the aperture I adhered a doily.

These designs are so easy to make. All you need is a doily and a leaf punch and your Fall card has been created!
Have a happy weekend!
Jacqueline

Alcohol Inks

Probably you can relate... we are always looking for a place to put a sentiment on our cards. When my friend ordered ten of my cards she said - I would like to have cards without a sentiment so that I can make them my own...
So I refrained from putting a sentiment on these cards. The panels of glossy cardstock have been dabbed with a random inking of alcohol inks. Ginger, cranberry and eggplant. I always add a few drops of alcohol blender solution which is apparent by the 'rings' you see. I also made two in one go - that is a frugal way of using all the ink on the felt applicator.

The large butterfly is Penny Black. The set is called Butterfly Trio. I white embossed the image.

This is the smallest size of the butterflies. I love the depth that alcohol inks bring to a card.

We are having beautiful sunny, warm weather! Since we have a National holiday on Tuesday, that means four beautiful days to rest and gives thanks to the Lord for His Goodness and Kindness.

Jacqueline

Flower Cascade

Hello everyone! I have been away in Spain - a beautiful spot next to the sea and it was the place where we held our Annual Meetings for the Mission work we do here in France. Had a wonderful time and miss it!

This card was made with alcohol inks, three colors, one pink and two greens: oregano, pesto and cranberry. I dabbed the inks onto glossy card stock and then... used my new stamp which I love! It's from Penny Black and its called Flower cascade.
I black embossed the image to secure it on the glossy paper.

That's all for today.
Jacqueline

Butterfly Trio - inspired by Virginia Lu

One day into Fall and a beautiful Indian Summer seems to follow the hot Summer days we had. The days are cooler and much more comfortable. That makes crafting a little easier and the new stamps I purchased give the necessary inspiration!
Well, it was actually Virginia Lu who inspired me with her beautiful summer cards using these butterflies. They can be seen here.
Before I show you my cards, just a huge thank you to those who are so nice to leave me feedback, I really appreciate it. I have recently just came back from a Mission trip to Bratisalava and in a week's time will be in Spain. The time I have over after work are precious hours that I like to be creative in, which means cooking, making jewellry, painting furniture, and yes, card-making!

So this is my first card. I have never used alcohol ink on vellum before, but that is the tip I got from Virginia. Just dab alcohol inks with an applicator on the back of the embossed image, before you cut it out - that is what I did with the butterfly, which is a new stamp set from #Penny Black. The sentiment is #Hero Arts.

This second card is a little different as I stamped and embossed the butterfly direct to the distressed panel, and adhered one pair of vellum wings to give some dimension.

Here is the set.

Thanks for your inspiration, Virginia.

I want to share something with you that might encourage or help somebody who happens upon my blog today.
A little while back I read this sentence:  God is faithful to accomplish the Plan He has for your life - but not your own plans... it was instant revelation. I may seem dumb but I hadn't really grasped this in my spirit. We sometimes think of God being a Father who blesses us in all we do and in our daily lifes, which is true BUT - God has his own specific plan for our lives which could be totally different than ours!! You know the line - Let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven .... that means HIS will and not mine. This has really dawned on me and I notice myself wanting His Will and His Plans more than ever. And finding the discernment to ask Lord, is this You or is it me???
These following words gave me so much joy - they are confronting, deep and exposing, but the truth will always set us free:

Sometimes….
The thing you never would choose for your life, chooses you for a reason.

Sometimes…
The thing that you’d never pick, picks you to become brave.

Sometimes….
You get what you need  — by walking through what you never wanted.

The thing you never wanted, may turn out to be be the thing you need most.
The thing that may make you fall a bit apart, may be part of what one day holds you a bit together.

There are reasons we don’t understand that someday will help keep us standing, there is pain that isn’t a poison but a prescription, there are broken ways that are actually breaking us free.

The cross you’ve been given —
is always God’s kindest decision. 
The cross you carry — is carrying you toward who you are meant to be. 

The article in which this was written can be found here. I would recommend you read it as many, many people carry crosses we never know about but have a faith that holds on to God no matter what! That's what I call faith!!!

May your day be blessed!
Jacqueline

Sharing

And so it came to pass that we were invited to a Summer Camp gathering of believers a while back. How refreshing to sit in a circle and see everybody's face and not the back of their heads for an hour. The prayer requests seemed to emerge from a corner that was also very refreshing such as let's pray that the wars will stop, for the terror groups etc. Not even, please pray for my big toe or for my mother or even please ask the Lord to heal 'me'. On looking a bit closer I realised that this group were handicapped, intelligently challenged people... I had received the sermon already, no need for a further word from God as He chooses the weak to confound the strong .....
But again I was surprised to see an old man convey some beautiful truths from his own life of suffering. He said that if we try to understand God's Ways in our lives then we get a short circuit (doesn't sound right, but I am translating from Dutch). We have to trust God, not try to understand. And then I was conveyed back to my birthday last year when I heard God say just one word, and that was SURRENDER. Surrender, meaning letting go of control, letting God do it His Way and not yours, giving up the stubborn attitudes! I have to say that my life changed after that, but for how long before the old ways start to creep back in again? 

We need God's Grace every day!
 

A couple of cards I managed to make when the outdoors is really calling and it's so hot and sticky that my arm is sticking to my desk everytime I lift my hand from the mouse pad ;)

I used a Seringe stamp from a very old Stampin' Up set and some butterflies from my scrap drawer.
Sentiments are Hero Arts.

We have a National holiday today. Hope you enjoy yours!

Jacqueline

Sharing

A new wave of terror has hit Nice and we have had destructive forest fires with high winds destroying 400 hectares of land in one day here in our area! The high winds have not helped the fire-fighters who have been out in full force helped with Canadairs and Trackers. One village had to evacuate completely. The billows of smoke can be seen for miles. Between France and Spain, the border faces 35 miles of cars carrying people on their way to their holiday destination, stuck in traffic!

But there is good news because God still reigns!

At the moment I am on holiday and the temperatures have not been above 30°C this week so I crafted a bit and made this tag.
 

 
Made with snippets of patterned paper, a diecut and two swallows.

Our Rodney and Lola had a beautiful wedding.

I am very tired and need rest and recuperation. I still hope to post now and again. Many greetings and have a wonderful summer holiday!
Jacqueline

A 'different' kind of card

So kind of you all to give me feedback on my last post - thank you!
We are having hot, heavy weather at the moment and that is not so inviting to sit down and create but I need to make a card so now and then!
Betty sent me some beautiful apertures a while back. I was planning on making wedding cards, but it just hasn't been an inspired idea. So I thought of using up my punched out circles from my snippets box (I just read that word and felt it nicer than 'scraps').
I filled up my circle with all the coordinating blue circles and once again they have come in useful.

Have a lovely weekend!
Jacqueline

Sharing

Hello everyone. I have had a creative weekend. The inspiration has been flowing to other things lately. First time in ages I succeeded in making a tag too with two strips of patterned paper and a tag base I found in a patterned paper pad.

I really want to THANK all of you who commented on my grand-daughter in my last post. I truly did not expect so much love, so it was such a blessing! But, I have not seen more of her than the photo I posted. Not saying this as a bad thing, but my son and family live in Holland and I will be seeing my granddaughter for the first time in June. In June our eldest son, Rodney is getting married. He is the boy who had his colon removed due to a genetical illness. He found the girl of his dreams. As you may know, Rodney is a christian and his deepest wish was to marry a girl who shares the same Biblical faith. Lola, his financé came to know the Lord two months after they met. Talk about miracles! We were introduced to her on a Sunday afternoon last year in October and we really felt that the Lord's Hand was on her life. During our conversation, my hubby started talking about Jesus with her and she was very open. All of a sudden she started sobbing and she said she felt something heavy on her heart was lifted.... the Holy Spirit Himself just drew her to Him and she became a child of God. Yes, it can be as easy as that! We are so thankful!

Here is a photo of Rodney and Lola.

Secondly, a lot of my creativity has gone to repainting old cupboards. I picked up a gem a couple of weeks ago. It was a dirty old corner cupboard in brown and white which I painted a very rustic gray color. I love the rustic style so most of my painting is submitted to sand paper after I have finished to give it an old look. This one I might just leave as is... it fit perfectly into a corner where I wanted it!

I also want to share a photo I took of my wall one morning while I was praying. I looked up and saw how the light filtering through the window left beautiful shadows of the leaves and foilage but I didn't expect to see the big heart! I suddenly realised that I had been reading and meditating  1 Corinthians 13 about the LOVE of God! How Love is not resentful and irritated, not seeking it's own way etc. I think that God was giving me a nudge in the right direction!

Before I share my card, I want to say a huge thanks for the comments I get. I have not been on the blog a lot. My eyes hurt if I am on the computer too much and to have to make a photo, upload it, write a blog post, find the photo etc. it all takes time. So I go with the flow and when I have something to share I do.

Here is the card I made. I rarely make cards without birds, I think its just a weakness!

Life is beautiful!

Until next time,

Jacqueline x

Another Tag card and ..my second grand-daughter arrived

Yes, I'm still here. I am sharing another tag-card I made.

 She was born in April and her name is Jamairah Loïs.

Thanks for your visit - I am not so active on the blogs lately..
Love to you all
Jacqueline

Collage Tag card

So I had this flower in my scrap basket... why only use it for Christmas... so I had a little play with papers which I punched out in the form of Tags and placed the flower just above the leaf.

With a collage design it doesn't matter what you add so I adhered a strip of patterned paper and a little flower to finish it off.

Yesterday I made a Home Decor project with tags on an A4 sheet of paper.
I hope it gives you some ideas and inspires you to make one yourself, and if you do, I'd love to see it.
The tags are 5 1/2 by 3 1/4 cm, or 2 1/4 by 1 1/4 inch.

Have a lovely weekend!
Jacqueline

A couple of collage cards

Just a share of something I love to do when I'm inspired.

 

Used all different kinds of stamps, mostly from Hero Arts to stamp these pattern. The flowers have been cut out and the butterflies were from some patterned paper on the second card.
This frame stamp will remain a favorite. I cut out a piece of beige card stock which fits exactly inside the frame and after cutting out the frame, adhered it inside it.

Jacqueline

Sending wishes..

A quick card, using Stampin' Up's stamp set called Butterfly Basics.

I thought I would print it big this time! The butterfly has been white embossed and I love how it shows the patterns in the stamp.
 

Have a lovely weekend!
Jacqueline

Japanese washi papers

Until recently I have never been attracted to washi papers... that is until you see them in real life. Just recently I received a beautiful card and package from Carolyn who I met via Etsy. And she sent me some beautiful washi papers and I couldn't wait to try a card with them.

So here is my first try. I think they lend themselves well to the grid style.
 

In real life it has gold shimmers on the paper.

And this is Carolyn's card that so inspired me. It also shimmers more in real life.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jacqueline

Revisiting a scrapling

I feel so bad that I haven't visited my favorite blogs lately. I have been so preoccupied. Yesterday my beautiful chicken, Lilly, got killed by a fox. The other two chickens are in shock and have only started eating and moving about again late this afternoon. I know it's only a chicken but it has a character and you get used to seeing them every day etc.

Anyway, I am going to share a little scrapling I made this afternoon. It is 4,5 by 1,5 inches, so very small!

It is a revisit of this one here:

Stamps are Hero Arts.

 
Jacqueline

Pink and brown

It is a rainy afternoon and time for a little creative time with stamps. I still remain creative every day but now in different ways.  I love to cook and I love some time in the garden. We had a beautiful weekend with temps  up to 20°C; it would have been lovely on the beach.

So here is my card

I used distress inks and vintage sepia to stamp. I love this little bird.

This little egg basket was made by my future daughter in law. Her name is Lola and she is Rodney's girlfriend. I made this picture also because I was thrilled that my broody chicken (whose name is Lola too :) laid her first egg again after two months on the first of February. Just one cold day of snow and she snapped right out of it.

And some flowers I have been enjoying inside my home the last couple of weeks.

Jacqueline

A Valentine's card

I made a Valentine's card.. well it could be a card for a different occasion but with a heart on it and the words Made with love - it could just pass for one!

I think I will be making more of these in different colors.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jacqueline

Collage card

Hello!
Just sharing a little collage card today. It could be a sympathy or a thank you card.

 Bad lighting today so photo is not how I like it.

I used a mix of papers and a little bird from Stampin' Up. The above picture is the stamp set I love using!

Until next time
Jacqueline

Collage cards

Hi - its a rainy day today but we are going to be in the high 20°C this wednesday!

I don't whether you ever waste time taking photos of cards that just don't work? I do and I've decided not to go there for the time being, so I am scanning my cards. It does rob them of their dimension but at least the colors are real and the sides are straight!

I have used some scraps here to create this card, collage style. The bird is from Stampin' Up. I used ivory card stock.

Using white cardstock for a change. I used distress inks on a Hero Arts flower stamp and stamped the bird over the top.

This card has a tag which has been cut out of a patterned paper pad. I have added elements from the scrap basket.

That is all for today!
Jacqueline

Quick grid card in diecut

Why didn't anybody tell me one could eat all the greens leaves of vegetables - why have I thrown away turnip, califlower, beetroot, broccoli, sweet potatoe leaves and how many other precious nutrious, vitamin-full vegetable leaves, the best part of the plant? Just last week I got some beautiful turnips from the market, I steam the bulbs with other veggies to eat with a roast - and I looked up on Internet if I could eat the leaves.... apparently they are the best part of the whole plant and can be used in soup or steamed down to a spinach-like mush. So I made soup with them - what a gorgeous peppery flavour! I asked the man at the market why he didn't sell the leaves on his beetroot - he looked at me flabbergasted! You can eat beetroot leaves raw in the salad. Take a look at the vitamins they contain here. And if you juice every day just put them in and drink them up!

And then I thought, isn't life just like that too - we don't know that we are missing the most important part of life and wouldn't it be tragic if we threw away what we don't know. How can we afford to miss that God sent His only begotten Son on a Cross to reconcile us to Him? He wants to love us, to cherish us, to help us - His arms are wide open and so often we live life without Him, the best part there is! My heart overflows with thanksgiving that I came to know God through meeting Jesus and reading the Bible. I cannot imagine living life without it.

Now to a little share.
A while ago, Betty sent me some embossed apetures. I wanted to do some Wedding cards with wine labels but when I actually get down to making them they just don't work. If I just sit down to create without a plan cards just seem to come together....

Anyway with this card, I used an embossed aperture front and decorated the inside with little scraps that I save.

A picture of Joël with Sérena, she is growing!

Have a lovely Sunday!
Jacqueline

Happy new Year!

Hello everybody! Hope your Christmas was enjoyable. My two sons went on holiday to a Wintersport region in the Alps and Rodney very kindly left me his baby cat to look after... it was more work than I had anticipated! David was with us for a week too.

Just sharing a card I made with a favorite Hero Arts stamp, called Post-card Tag. I have made several of these for the Christmas period as I love the shape. I used liquid pearls to decorate the trees.
 

 
Here are two others I have made in the past for the Christmas season.

This is the little mischief who stuck his nose into everything that was going on, made the Christmas tree unsafe, clawed his way up the curtains and whatever took his fancy he did it!

Happy New Year and God Bless!
Jacqueline