Key to my Heart

Help! This card needs something but I'm not sure what.

My new CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge arrived today, so I immediately had to play. It's going to make those fun round cards so much easier.

After coloring my lock and key, I sponged them with a VersaMark ink and sprinkled brass embossing powder over them. I didn't want to cover the entire area.

I tissue stamped the heart and then covered it with clear embossing powder so it would shine brighter than the lock and key. I also touched the edges with Pear ink...not really sure why.

Lots of sanding on this to dull down the colors against the brass. I also touched up the edges of my ribbon with a Pear marker because the green was more on the blue side.

And after all that, I still think it needs help.

However, that won't keep me from entering it in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday 206
Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge: Sorbet, Pear and Cocoa

If you have any ideas (or if you think I'm being too critical of my own work), leave me a comment. I could sure use the help.

Until next time,
Becca

First Things First

Gen. 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters."

The first two things God wants us to know about Him are these: 1) even in the darkest places, where there is nothing--absolutely nothing--good or light or worthwhile, He is there; and 2) He can create life from nothingness.

Do you ever feel like you life is formless and void? Like your marriage is full of nothingness? Your soul is a pit of darkness? Even there, God is with you. Ps. 139:7, 11-12 "Where can I go from Thy Spirit?...If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,' even  the darkness is not dark to Thee, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee."

Maybe it's your own, stupid fault you are in this deep, dark pit. What about then? Surely, if you deserve it, God isn't there. Wrong! Take it from the guy who wrote the above verse in Psalms.

David messed up big time. He didn't go to war with his army like he was supposed to do. Instead, he's peeping over rooftops at naked women. He spies Bathsheba, has her brought to him so he can have sex with her, and when she comes back later to tell him she's pregnant (and there ain't no way it's anyone but David's because her husband is off at war), David has the husband killed so he can marry Bathsheba and try to make the baby legitimate. While that child died, do you know what other child came from their union? Solomon. The richest, wisest ruler who reined during Israel's heyday. The one who built the Temple of God. This guy was only alive because of a marriage founded on lust, adultery, deception and murder, and he is the greatest King Israel ever had...the one whom God entrusted to build His center of worship.

There is nowhere you can be where God is not with you, even in the depths of hell, He is there (Ps. 139:8). There is nothing so dark He cannot see you through it. There is nothing you have done which He cannot take and turn into beautiful worship. There is no dryness of soul, no barrenness of feeling, no void of emotion He cannot take and, from it, create life.

Abundant life.

Life everlasting.

For in the beginning God created, and He is still creating today.

Until next time,
Becca

Time for Cocoa

I am anxiously awaiting my new CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. I am going to have SO MUCH FUN with that. While I wait, I have been playing with the cartridges I do have. The cup is from the "Graphically Speaking" cartridge; swirly embossing from Cuttlebug, but all the rest is CTMH (Crystal Blue and Cocoa papers, "Sip" stamp set).

No challenges to enter with this one, but I still wanted to share it with you. I made my son and husband admire every detail...from the liquid glass making my cup look porcelain, the liquid applique giving my cocoa a whipped cream topping, and the spoon sticking out. Each time I pointed out a new detail, my son repeated (with increasing impatience), "I told you I liked it." My husband (who has had more training) simply kept repeating the required phrase..."Ooooh. Ahhhh." Gotta love men!

The pennant was made by punching the ends with one spoke of a star. Pretty clever, if I do say so myself. Hee!

Well...off do do some writing. If my men are not great at admiring pretty cards, they ARE great at villains. We brainstormed into the wee hours of the morning, and some nagging plot details got worked out. It does concern me - just a little - how well those two can come up with madness and mayhem. :)

Until next time,
Becca

Laughing at Myself

I am great at giving advice. Got tons of it. I shovel it over anyone who wants a little. Probably over those who don't want any, too. Okay...I hear you. Drop the "probably" out of that sentence.

I can even give great advice to myself...doesn't mean I'll do anything with it, though.

For example, when I first started this blog, one of the Bible studies was on Abraham's servant and how, regardless of the outcome, his obedience was all the success he needed. Well...here I am to tell you that I do not live that truth. I am a perfectionist. An all or nothing kind of girl. And I want a guaranteed success at the end of the journey in order for me to feel it's worth taking more than a few steps down the path.

Today, my husband and I started a Bible study on grace. While answering the discussion questions, we meandered onto this question: What does God's approval look like?

For me, the answer is a straight, easy path. Now I know that isn't right. I know it. But the minute I encounter resistance, I'm wondering if God is really for this path. Knowing what I do, I'll go a little further, but much more resistance and I'm going to sit down and not move. Because the problem with being an "all or nothing" person is, too often, it results in me doing nothing. Sitting down. Not moving. Waiting for God to make the path easy before I move again.

But if God's approval doesn't look like a straight, easy path, what does it look like. I don't know.

Do you?

Until next time,
Becca

Card Spree

My husband and I are getting ready to take nearly three weeks off to go visit family. In that time, we are celebrating birthdays for both our kids, two nephews, and one niece-in-law plus one graduation and four anniversaries. August is a busy month! Here are a few of the cards made today:

All supplies by CTMH and are entered in the Heart 2 Heart Sketch Challenge.

I embossed with clear powder over Cocoa ink, then added three more layers of embossing powder to get the thickness. I thought about adding a pin on the back of this to turn it into a button, but I'm pretty sure the person I have in mind for this card would  NOT go for that. Below, the "ribbon" is pleated paper which I then straightened back out and stamped "CELEBRATE" on the ends.

 This picture was given to me by a friend who has a talent for photography and was in Italy for three months. The charm is discontinued CTMH.

Below, the background was done using the shaving cream technique. I've had it sitting in my scrap drawer for at least three years. Not sure where the idea to weave three of the five background ribbons came from, but I thought it looked pretty cool. The present stamp is discontinued CTMH; the words and wood grain are current CTMH.

 Love how this one turned out! All stamps are CTMH except for the scroll which, I believe, is Stampin' Up! The newsprint paper is also CTMH, but the polka dot is from somewhere or other. I also distressed my edges with Chocolate distressing ink from CTMH.

 And, last but not least, an anniversary card. The patterned embossing is a CTMH background stamp over gold vellum. Again, edges distressed in Chocolate. The paper lace is also very, very old CTMH. The embossing on the ribbon (CTMH) left little flakes, but I didn't even see them until taking the close up picture. The flowers and pearl accents were purchased at Michaels and I have no idea who to credit.




Whew! Now I need to find envelopes and put them with the stash of things to pack.

Until next time,
Becca

...and Farewell

One of our Army traditions is the "Hail and Farewell" to say thanks to those who have served with us. Tonight is our farewell dinner for the commander of my husband's battalion. We have been blessed by his leadership, wisdom, and friendship. I wish there was something more than a small card to express how deeply we appreciate him.

Mojo Monday Sketch 201

This is my first circle card. I used a Nestabilities die to cut the outside and then cut another, plain circle to create a back. The paper is K&Company. I'm not sure where the stickers came from. Ribbon and safety pins are CTMH, and the pearl accents are Recollections but colored using Copic markers. Because I used stickers, I needed to take the pictures at an angle to cut down the glare.

It has been our honor to serve alongside this commander. His wife has become a dear friend, and it hurts to see them go. However, we are all the richer because he chose to dedicate himself to a life of service.

Until next time,

Becca

Ice Cream Anniversary

Okay...not sure what's up with me lately, but the Neapolitan ice cream colors have become my new favorite. I need an extra special card for my daughter and her husband because I'm going to be very, very late getting their anniversary card to them. I really like how this turned out.

The heart stamp was retired long ago by CTMH, the damask background stamp was the CTMH Stamp of the Month earlier this year. And, since CTMH Heart to Heart is doing a doily and lace challenge, I thought I'd enter it there as well as at Mojo Monday Sketch 200. The doily is even an old CTMH product. Yeah...used to be a demonstrator with them, back when they were D.O.T.S.

I used a Versamark pad and then embossed with clear powder to create the background. Other products include Nestabilities, a square punch, three sizes of flower punches, sanding block, pearl accents, and a little bit of ribbon.

After all this, I think I'll run upstairs and see if there is any ice cream in the freezer. Might help me stay cool in the heat wave we are having here. Thank goodness my hubby installed a couple small air conditioners we've been carting around for years.

Until next time,

Becca