A is for ANNIVERSARY

One of the blogs that I have really enjoyed following is Just Stampin' and over recent months, Jeanie, the blog author, has been making a series of cards representing each letter of the alphabet.  It has really inspired me to see her creations and the other day I was thinking about how many cards I've made, many of which I have not photographed and shown on my own blog, but this might be a good way to challenge myself to remember to make a record of some of my cards as I make them.

Sooo... starting today I am going to do my own ABC cards.  And I am going to try to remember to record them here as I do them.  We'll see if I am successful!

I have made so many cards in recent months for all sorts of occasions.  I love making cards and scrapbooking because it is never the same thing twice in a row (I would never make a good factory worker!).  The thing about doing an ABC challenge is finding new reasons to make a card, or at least, a reason that I don't often have.

My first submission is a case in point... I have lots of friends who have been married a long time, but we don't exchange anniversary cards.  However, my friend Jane is newly married and coming up on her first anniversary, so this is a great time to make an anniversary card!

Here it is!

 Doesn't look like an anniversary card, does it?!  And of course, it could actually be for any occasion with the little "Just for You" sentiment!  Can you see where I cut a slit in the covering paper there on the left side?  I folded the cut down and put some different butterfly paper on the folded section and cut out a little butterfly from the paper and glued it onto the white section.

As I said, it isn't really clearly an anniversary card from this view, but...

... when you open it up, there it is!  I kept the inside pretty plain and simple after the fancier front, but there it is ...

A is for ANNIVERSARY

For the grandkinds

This year Russ and I decided to write letters to each of our grandchildren at the beginning of the school year.  We are writing separately but are sending them in one card to each child.  I decided to make a card for each set of letters, one card for each grand.  I only decorated the front of the cards because the two letters will be inside.

This first card is for Joy, who loves music:

The words and the music are from a die cut set and I think it is perfect for the occasion.  Her favorite colors (last time I checked) are pink and turquoise.  But you know how quickly those things change for a young teenager!

The card for Lucas is more generic but I think he'll get a charge out of the "Hay there" greeting.  The figures and words are from a new stamp and die set I recently purchased.  I love the little farm animals!

I set the animals on foam tape...

And lastly, I made this card for Levi, who is our family punster.  He comes up with the funniest puns and "homemade" jokes!  I think you will see right away why I thought this was the perfect card for him.

I made this as a shaker card.  The stuff in the shaker is a set of sequins and tiny little pieces of fruit, including slices of watermelon!  Here is a closer look at the shaker:

Sleepless nights

Once in a while I find myself unable to sleep, usually after about two hours of good sleep I'll wake up wide awake.  If I find myself tossing and turning, I get up, get a drink of water and either read or watch a movie on my Roku, but last night when I had one of "those" nights I decided to go into my  (newly re-organized) craft room and do some card-making.

I have been going through all my stash of materials, getting rid of things that for one reason or another I am pretty certain I'll never use.  In the process, I have rediscovered some things such as some Dazzle stickers from one of my favorite online craft suppliers, Paper Wishes.  I decided to use them on a couple of cards ... I ended up making three cards!  Went back to bed around 3:30 a.m. and although I know I'll feel the lack of sleep later today, at this point I am just enjoying seeing how productive I was in my sleeplessness!

See what I mean?

The little sewing machine is obviously a get well card...

Then there is the card that could be just a "glad you are my friend" card or could be a birthday card, depending on what you put inside.  I choose to make it a friendship card.

And, finally, I made this friendship card (I guess it could be a thank you card, too, come to think of it!).

I don't think I'll be so slow to go into that crafting room the next time I can't sleep, but I must admit, that is NOT what I want to make a habit!

Birthday flowers

I made a card for our friend yesterday whose birthday is today, the Fourth of July.  She loves red and gold so I used quite a bit of gold on her card and added a touch of red.

I am going to submit this to the Freshly Made Sketches challenge for this week.  This is the sketch I am following:
I am using the natural strips of the background paper for the stripe behind the circular image. 

I had this golden metallic doily in my stash and used it as the background for my little wreath of white flowers.  I think the doily looks pretty on the turquoise-to-pink paper.  And like I said, my friend likes god, which is what prompted me to add the gold dazzle line stickers around the edge of the card as well as the background doily.  The little leaves are some brads I had in my stash and they filled in some of the space around the flowers.

You are a blessing

Today I made a card for a friend using a really old wooden block stamp from Hampton Art that I've had for ages (since 2012!) as the focal point for my card. 

I stamped it on black card stock and heat embossed it using pearl embossing powder.  I wanted to image to 1) stand out and 2) match the pretty background paper I'd chosen.  The paper started out with purple and pink at the bottom fading into a light yellow at the top.  (Makes me think of a sunset!)

After embossing the image, I cut it out using deckle scissors to add some interest to the image, and added fushia dazzle stickers to the centers of the flowers.

I like the simplicity of the card, but I think it is quite striking by have such a contrast between the pink/purple of the background and the black on the image.

I am going to submit it to the Retro Rubber Challenge blog for their "anything goes" challenge this week.

My A.U.G. degree

A few weeks ago I did a presentation at my regular Bible study group at a local assisted living facility to which those who attended had an exceptionally good response.  So good, in fact, that several times since then they have asked me to write it out for them to share with their families!  Although that response is gratifying to me, I am humbled that such a simple presentation as I gave that day had such a big impact on them!  I think it inspired them to think about the value of the Word of God to our everyday lives.

This week I sat down and wrote out a simplified version of what I said in my presentation.  I'll make some copies to take to them this coming Sunday afternoon when I go for my next Bible study with them, but I decided to put my newly-written, as yet unedited, version here on my blog as well.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR A.U.G. DEGREE?

By Jo Ann Rhodes

II Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to   

     be ashamed   (New International Version)

(The King James Version puts it this way: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a

     workman that needeth not to be ashamed)

This verse tells us about a graduation of sorts.  Just what is “graduation?”  We usually think of it mainly in terms of completion of a course of study, but it can also apply to any situation in which we are ready to move on to a new level of life or experience, whether it is school or work-related.  In either case, it is a matter of being ready to move on to the next level.

What are the requirements of graduation, as for graduating from high school?  According to the state Department of Education, two main requirements are: 1) completing certain courses of study, and 2) passing an examination that proves that you have adequately learned the lessons you have studied.

There are several ways in which this study and graduation are very similar to our spiritual lives as well.  Our entire life is our course of study for our “graduation” to the “next level” of life, our eternal destiny, heaven for those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ as their Savior.  As God’s children, we are working on our A.U.G. degree!  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us we are to study to show ourselves “APPROVED UNTO GOD.”

The word “study” in this verse means to “do your best”, “be diligent.”  Note that this verse does not say that we are to study in order to be approved by God!  It is not the studying that gives us salvation.  “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:5)  No, our studying is living a life that honors God.  Our course of study for our graduation to heaven is our life experiences.   Each time we have an experience where we learn another step in loving God or trusting Him, or entrusting our lives and concerns into His hands, it’s like taking another course in that subject.

What are the courses that are requirements for graduation?  Here again, we see a beautiful parallel between studying for graduation from high school and our spiritual study in preparation for what lies beyond this life on earth.  We can learn some valuable lessons for our spiritual “study” by looking at the course requirements from the Department of Education.

ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE ARTS

By studying God’s literature (the Bible), we learn what pleases God and that in turn equips us for living our lives in a way that pleases God.

     All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and

     training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for

     every good work. ~ I Tim.3:16-17

      

MATHEMATICS

God uses this short life on earth to help us prepare for eternity.

     Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. ~ Psalm 90:12   

 SCIENCE

 God, who created the vast universe as well as this earth and all of us, loves us as

 individuals and cares for us, and provided a way of salvation from our sins.

     When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which

     you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings

    that you care for them? ~ Psalm 8:3-4

 

HISTORY

God never changes so what we learn of Him from the Bible, which was written hundreds of years ago, is still true today.  

     Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8

ECONOMICS

The most important thing we do during our lives on earth is to put into our heavenly savings account by remembering that our most important investments are spiritual investments.

     Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, 

     and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

    where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.    

    For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matt. 6:19-21

             

GOVERNMENT/CIVICS

It is our responsibility to support our authorities in prayer and honesty, whether or not we agree with them.

     I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and           thanksgiving be made

     for all people—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and

     quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior.

     ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2

     Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. ~ Matt. 22:21

   

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

     Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in

     such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict

     training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that

     will last forever. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

     Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let            us throw off 

     everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with  

     perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. ~ Heb. 12:1-2

We are to study, i.e., do our best, be diligent, and work hard to learn what God wants us to learn during our lifetime.  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us that if we do that, when we “graduate” and stand before God we will not be ashamed.  We will not be ashamed because we will have trusted in Jesus for our forgiveness of sin and our salvation, and we will not be ashamed because we will have studied our courses diligently so God could teach us during our time here on earth.   We will have our A.U.G. degree!

Love birds

Not long ago I bought a stamp set of cute little love birds that I got a discount on but I had not had a good occasion to use any of the stamps until this week when I wanted to make a card to go with a gift for a wedding shower.  This stamp was perfect!

I stamped and heat embossed the image on blue card stock, on yellow card stock, and on the shimmery golden card stock that I used for the label.  Then I enhanced the little boy blue bird with some markers and cut it out.  Did the same for the little girl bird on the yellow card stock and added a little bit of silvery glittery pen along with some color and cut it out and glued it onto the label stamp.  I added the boy bird with some foam so it pops up a little bit.  Colored the branches and the hearts with markers and I think it turned out really cute.  I love the paper in the background, with the muted circles of various colors.  I hope she will enjoy the little birds as much as I enjoyed putting them together!