Strength and Weakness

It's been too long since I did some Bible journaling, but I can see why because it's taken 3 days to get as far as posting this - even though it's a fairly simple page.  I just plain have less time to do this than I did during the height of covid!  Protecting the page with gesso and doing the illustration took the first day.  The words/lettering took the second day (the pen is less likely to get clogged by the gesso if it has dried for at least a day).  Then, it took me a third day to get around to posting it.  Below you will read about the steps I took to make this page.

1) As I mentioned above, the first thing I did was to apply 3 thin coats of thin gesso to protect the page from bleed through.

2) Next, I stamped the hummingbird using a Stampendous stamp from the sets of stamps (and matching dies) called Hummingbird.

3) Then I colored in the hummingbird using Inktense pencils & a water brush, and used the same to highlight the verses to which I referred.  Notice that the eye turned out dark enough that you can't see the letters behind it.  Mistakes like this happen!  I fixed it by putting the hard to read word in parenthesis beside the hummingbird.

4) After leaving the page to dry for a day, I came back to do the words.  Most of them are just printed with a Small sized Pitt Pen, but some were made like "bubble" letters so I could fill them in with color.  To do that, I used my Scroll and Brush markers.

Daydreams ACK - Part 2

Today's cards come from an old HOTP Artful Card Kit (ACK) called Daydreams.  Five years ago I made a card from this kit which I posted here. Today I have 6 more cards from the kit - with plenty of materials left over for a "Part 3".

Card #1: 

This first card is a slimline card.  I matted the background paper with black, added a die cut border piece from the kit and layered a sticky-backed bead border on top.  I added some HOTP stickers to the tag and glued it to the dream catcher focal (both from the kit).  A silver sequin appears to attach it in place.  I added an arrow die cut in the lower right corner, then a sprinkling of black beads to finish the card front.

Inside:

Don't ask me why I didn't mat the piece of patterned paper on the inside - it just slipped my mind as I was too focused on creating the border from scraps of black paper & the rest of the border die cut - no beads on the inside!  The stamped sentiment is from Crafter's Companion Compendium (CCC) - the page called Thinking of You.

Card #2:

Once again I matted the background with black.  After adding the rest of the die cuts I had put with this paper, I added a couple of alphabet stickers to form the word "HI", and then some Jewel Border Dazzles to create a bit of a frame.

Inside:

The border is scraps of black & patterned paper - with 3 diamond die cuts punched out from the border on the inside of the previous card.  Then I just added a stamped greeting (another from CCC's Thinking of You).

Card #3:

A floral print and a plain black paper form the backdrop for this focal - a die cut label topped with a cut out and die cut flowers - all but the black paper is from the kit.

Inside:

Scraps form the foundation of the border for the inside - a scrap of black layered with a scrap of the floral pattern, layered with a cut out - all from the kit.  I stamped the cutout with a CCC stamp from the Birthday-Female page.

Card #4:

One corner of this patterned paper makes a great background & focal image combined when I mat it with black paper from my stash.  I added a stamped greeting (CCC - Birthday-Male) and a couple of die cuts to completed the card.

Inside:

Once again I used a scrap of patterned paper for a border on the inside - this time adding a cutout from the kit.

Card #5:

This time I used the opposite corner of the paper to form the background - once again matted with black from my stash.  I used a strip cut from patterned paper & matted with black to form an upper border.  A cutout from the kit forms the focal - embellished with a couple of die cut flowers (also from the kit).  A small cut out greeting in the upper left corner completes the card front.

Inside:

Inside I used the remaining scrap of this patterned paper, matted with black, to form a border that the die cut tag sits on.  I added Dazzles to it to create the message and a flower Dazzle sticker to "attach" the tag to the border.

Card #6:

This final card is a slimline card - as you can see.  I combined scraps from two papers for the background, and added a black ribbon border before matting it with black.  A cutout sentiment and die cut flowers - both from the kit - complete the card front.

Inside:

On the inside I have more of the floral paper with black from my stash to create a border.  To this I've added a cut out and a die cut flower.  Voila'!  6 more cards from this kit.

HD Santa and Friends - Together at Christmas

Today I have another set of Hunkydory cards - this time made from their Santa and Friends kit - the set called Together at Christmas.  As usual, I added from my stash as well.  Here's what the set looked like.

And here are the 5 cards I made from it:

Now for a closer look at each one:

Card #1:

This card uses some lavender card stock from my stash, a corner of the AS (Adoreable Scoreable card stock in the set), a focal & two sentiment pieces from the set, and a couple of corner stickers from my stash.

Inside:

I used an oval frame from the set to surround the lavender card stock on which I printed a message (no name Christmas Word Stamps).  I added a cute little snowman stamp & die cut from HOTP (Snowglobe) to bring in a bit of the red from the card front.

Card #2:

Here I created a focal by cutting a piece of the AS to fit inside a silver poster board die cut (Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles Two).  I added a sentiment threaded through from ribbon (from my stash) before attaching it to the die cut.  Then I matted a larger piece of the AS for the background, and added the focal with fun foam for dimension.

Inside:

Inside, I created a border using scraps of the AS, the lavender matting, and a narrow silver strip.  I added a little die cut I got from a friend, and a stamped message (Crafter's Companion Compendium {CCC} - sheet called Warmest Wishes).

Card #3:

This card uses dies from Card Making Magic's Octogon Box Kit 6 x 6.  I didn't make it 6 x 6.  I think the card is 5 1/4" in diameter.  After cutting the card base, I cut the silver (using two of the dies) and glued it in place.  I cut an oval from red paper using a die from Spellbinders' Grand Ovals die set.  The focal die cut from the set, and a sentiment piece from a HD Little Book of Essential Sentiments, completes the card front.

Inside:

Inside was a die cut piece of AS matted with a die cut piece of red (all dies from the octagon kit).  I used my Lifestyle Circle Cutting Dies to cut a red mat for the greeting die cut from the set.  Then I added a "hanger" of Dazzles stickers to make it look like a Christmas ornament.

Card #4:

Next up I created a background from a piece of the AS and matted it with silver.  I turned an oval die cut frame on its side and put the focal die cut inside that - adding more stickers to make it look like a hanging ornament.  A sentiment from the set finished the outside.

Inside:

Inside I used a border strip from the set - and a little embellishment piece which I "hung" using more of the same stickers.  The sentiment is another from the no name brand Christmas Words stamp set.

Card #5:

This one is a slimline card - as you can see.  I simply cut a piece of AS, wrapped a ribbon around it for a border, matted it on black paper, and added a cut out sentiment (printed from a Debbi Moore freebie).

Inside:

I used the leftover AS pieces for borders either side - matting them in black as I did for the card front.  The stamped sentiment is the same as the last card.

May Digi Challenge

 

Today's cards are ones made for the "Digi-swap" challenge on the message board I frequent.  For it, I needed to use papers I printed from a digital file.  I re-sized the images for these first two cards before printing, then printed the others at half letter size.

Card #1 (above): As you can probably tell, I used a metallic gold card stock to mat some paper from my stash, then die cut a fancy mat from the gold to mat the printed digi paper - which I cut to shape.  The sentiment was from a Hunkydory Little Book of Essential Sentiments.

Card #2:

Here I used the printed digi paper for this beautiful background.  I added a die cut matted sentiment (Card Making Magic - A5 Box Kit) and a dollar store dimensional butterfly sticker.

Inside:

Another of the butterfly stickers adorns the inside of the card where I stamped a sentiment from the Crafter's Companion Compendium (CCC) - page named Birthday - Female.

Card #3:

Both the green and the patterned papers are printed from digi papers.  Once again the sentiment is die cut from Card Making Magic (Thinking of You word dies) - the background from the printed green digi, and the main sentiment from white card stock from my stash.  I also used a narrow strip of the green for border - adding a white ribbon from my stash, and a butterfly sticker.

Inside:

More of the green and patterned papers create border & mat on the inside.  Then a simple rectangle of white with a stamped sentiment from CCC Thinking of You page fits inside the mat - decorated with a butterfly sticker.

Card #4:

This one not only has digi papers, but also is a step card - which meets a second challenge on the board. The focal is a Hunkydory image a friend gave me from a Picture Perfect paper pad (as is the one inside the card).  The sentiment tags are from my stash.

Inside:

More paper forms borders inside.  The sentiment is another CCC - this one from the sheet called Celebrate.