"And It Was Night" ~ The Light in Night...

{Sorry ~ WOYWW post below this one ~ thank you  :D}

Hullo there everyone, The photo below was taken of the moon last year in Feb. Thought it fitted this; Jesus said, He is our Light ... in the midst of darkness.

 I was just reading the Daily bread, and this blessed me, so thought to share the blessing.

Thursday,March 28, 2013

“And It Was Night”    Read: John 13:21-30

Having received the piece of bread, [Judas] then went out immediately. And it was night. —John 13:30

"...I attended an evening service on the Thursday before Easter—a service of Communion and Tenebrae (darkness) held in a small chapel lit by candles. Following the bread and the cup, a passage was read aloud from the gospel of John, one candle was extinguished, and we sang a verse from a hymn about Jesus’ journey to the cross. This was repeated 14 times until the chapel was completely dark. In silence we knelt in prayer and then left one by one without speaking.

  

The darkness of this type of service can remind us of the dark elements surrounding Jesus’ death. Think of His last meal with the disciples (John 13:21-30) as He explained that one of them would betray Him. Only Jesus knew it was Judas. “Having received the piece of bread, [Judas] then went out immediately. And it was night” (v.30).

On the darkest evening of Jesus’ life, He agonized in prayer in the Garden, faced a wrongful arrest, endured humiliation at the hands of religious leaders, and winced at Peter’s denials.

 Yet He moved faithfully toward the cross where He would die for our sins.

Jesus endured darkness and death to give us light and life. Praise Him for what He went through for us! — David C. McCasland

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? —Watts

(Taken from our Daily Bread e-cards)
"Live as if Christ died yesterday, arose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow."

Calvary reveals the vileness of our sin and the vastness of God’s love.

May God bless you with a happy safe Easter as we remember His great gift to us, 

Shaz in Oz.x 
Linking over to Word Art Wednesday, and Little Birdee Blessings, Scripture Thursday.

PanPastels, Brenda of Floral Fantasies + WOYWW

Hullo there everyone - well here we are at WOYWW once more!

What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday. For link over to look & learn here is our wonderful Julia's blog - the Stamping Ground for one big, exciting blog hop! 

The other day was over at one of my favourite blogs - B.'s blog, or as most know her, Brenda of Floral Fantasies.. and saw this lovely card, on this post here!
Isn't it just the loveliest image?Brenda is such an inspiring, creative lady lady as well as being very kind, generous and caring. She does not keep good health, but does so much in spite of it all.

I thought, "Mm, well I could try that!" You see 'cos I had been categorising my stamps I knew I had one sort of like it - a Hero Arts one (inked up on desk). 
So off I went to play, as you can see on my desk! practise piece on back of envelope, with stamps and ink and....

Some of you know there was big birthday this year (yes! you guessed 21, well done :D) - and so some delicious PanPastels arrived here in Oz. Ooo- yum.. and here I am doing some learning. I can do it after all!! 
Wow, they are so easy. I finally have found a paper I like to use with them. I had tried several different ones but have found some smooth ones do not work well. Linen are great + paper card with tooth. These somehow were not my cup of tea. Brenda had suggested the one she used, but it is not available here. I found one in my craft cupboard (*huge grin*) worked just beautifully. Called X-Press It - A4 Blending card it is great for use with Copic or  alcohol markers - in fact that it is made to be used with them.

I am going to enter the competition B. has this month at her blog ( see here) where you can submit any card which is an inspiration of her blog.

At first I thought poppies, I had not fixed on anything till saw her card the other day - so here B. am dedicating these two cards to you!  Thank you so very very much for all your help over the Panpastels, you are greatly appreciated!

 I will close with two photos taken on phone from my beach walk, late in the afternoon, on Monday. Yesterday I enjoyed a swim down at the jetty beach which was simply lovely....we are so blessed at the moment. The water is finally clean after all the floods, so lovely the temperature for swimming.

 

 I am sending all over blogland heaps of Aussie sunshine (oh how wish I could)!

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for peek and chat; also a big welcome to my latest Wonderful Encourager - Debs Of Debs' Designs!
Happy WOYWW and may God bless your Easter time, where we remember the death and resurrection of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ - He is not here - He is risen, as He said,
Shaz in Oz.x 

Cards recipe: 

Hero Arts Delicate Leaf Cluster stamp
Panpastels - lemon, blue and grey (okay not good on correct shades yet)

Sage Mellow SU card on both, first one with Bubbles embossing folder, second is Herringbone.
Corners on second one are Fleur de Lis Square, cut into four and attached as a corner.

Ribbons assorted, brad etc. 

Entering card 1 or 2 in:
 Word Art Wednesday weekly Challenge - anythings goes (1)
Lets craft and create - One for the boys - card 2 is birthday card for male in our family (fortnight ->31.3)
Challenges for everybody-  Anything  goes card 2 (end 29.30.13)
Stamping Sensations Monthly Challenge- Great Outdoors! (card 2)

Penny Black Stickeroos - Moggy style! Aren't they THE cutest?

Hullo there everyone!!  Well, have test for you now.

Most regulars would know I had a few weeks ago some generous booty from the lovely Miss Di over at the play-ground (see this post back here).

Well, so I love these Penny back images ( for which I will never have stamps. I cannot justify the buying of them when flat out categorising the ones I do have! but that is anther story!)..

Sooooo... I came up with this "cheaters" method.. I have scanned the fav. images and printed them out on good inkjet paper, then used them on cards... 
{EDIT: Tip in printing: I put through the printer twice - then they come out as well as original. Also my Canon Inkjet scanner/ Printer isn't a dear one, cheapest around.}

 One below is a REAL Stickeroo and one is NOT (oo-ar!) 

so my quiz today its to ask you, which is the real one one?
Which is "ridgey- didge"? "fair-dinky-di"?

is it number one?

or is it number two??

Made with:   SU Designer papers, both discontinued,

Cherry Cobbler (snippets both these and the DP were too, so joining over with Di's Snippets challenge :D) + Very Vanilla,
 with Nellie Snellen Square Stitch die (gotta be their best one).

Greeting "Thinking about you in my heart, and remembering you in my prayers" is from "Our Daily Bread" stamps, and two different Spellbinder to mount it.
 Posted one to France (other to US), last Friday from here in Oz, and it arrived in Brittany on Wednesday - howzat?

Okay - a prize to one who guesses right - name will go in hat of all correct answers - and draw one - and will send you some images to play with - of your choice, even some brayered backgrounds if you like :D

Date of draw will be after Easter.

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be,

Shaz in Oz.x
{EDIT: Only three folk guessed correctly that it was number two - more guessed number 1 curiously.Those who guessed no 2 were Di, Kathleen and Mrs  A. so did a hat draw and winner is:
Mrs A.  ~ yay! so Mrs A., I will be off to email you now - thanks everyone for being such wodnerful encouragers

Di's Snippets - Cuttlebug embossing

(WOYWW post ~ next one down- thank you!)

Hullo there everyone! Well, two quick cards were made at the weekend for two occasions. So raided my snippets drawer 'cos then I can go play in the playground over at Di's Snippets challenge (see here) - better take my woolies! I believe it is cold over there too!! 

First one is a baby card ~ used Cuttlebug embossing folder on snippet and added chalk pad to highlight words. Always hate covering this up so went for minimal additions, found the image pre-coloured in my snippets. Added LOTV greeting,hand- cut it out, used SU round scallop punch with blue card.

Second one was a Chris Dark digi image printed in snippets. Coloured with watercolour markers, die cut in Spellbinder deckle oval, hand-edged in green. The deckle card has been lying on my desk for weeks waiting to be made into another card but embossed it for this one instead in Cuttlebug Caramello folder. Bethought myself of the LOTV greeting - my one and only New home stamp, and so used it for this..

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be,

Shaz in Oz.x

I would also like to add these to the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays Anything goes, plus sentiment (finishes Sunday)

WOYWW - Brayer Resist Stamping, Oriental theme.

Hullo there again everyone!

Yes, it is time for WOYWW, or for the uninitiated it is: What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday - or floor, or wherever you work?! Be game - show us your creative space - a bit of "Look-see" over at our honorable leader's blog - Queen Julia, of the Stamping Ground!

Okay not much going on here, "post-cleaning-day" an' all! Floor and space is pretty spotless. It happens but once a fortnight, makes me tidy up. :D 
To right are two cards waiting for me to finish inside, one is shown below the other peeking out is my father's birthday card. It'll be shown soon, has a new method on it.

Also is a small drawer of stamps to left. Trying to sort and catalogue my stamps, so sheets with stamped images on top of the small folder in centre of desk.

 I am following the example of other WOYWW-ers as thought I really need it.Do you know what I  have found the hardest? How categorise some of them. I seem to have a number of what I call odd-sods :D When compete will do a big reveal(?). I never realised just how many I have accumulated in 20+ years of stamping, and so varied as well.

Here is the latest piece of work done for OSA - or the Oriental Stamp Art group (link here) a Blossom Mingle, stamp some blossoms in Oriental theme; send it off to partner - you get one in return, lovely!

The blossom stamp (Unknown, unmounted stamp bought years ago) inked in Versamark, white embossing powder, heat set. Brayered gloss card stock with SU Lavender lace ink pad, sprayed diamond glimmer mist + glitter touches. Labels 8 Spellbinder die cut, hand-cut edged in black, mounted on Washi paper. The Haiku poem, the Kanji (signature chop) are from Artneko stamps. Found it very hard to photograph with glimmer mist and glitter. Edged at the bottom with EK Arrow border punch border and ribbon. Two butterflies were die-cut from scraps of gloss card with Marianne die, some bling added.

Here is my Aussie photo of the day. Rainbow lorikeets are very prolific and noisy as usual; here is one greedily collecting the nectar from the grevillea blossoms in the backyard.

I have been remiss of late in welcomes! So a big welcome to the new Wonderful Encouragers of my blog - Sue.C, a brand new WOYWW-er, of Sue's Crafty Corner

Betsy, of the Simple Life of a Queen, and Stephanie of the Enchanting Rose.

Thanks so very much everyone for popping over for a peek and a chat - thank you especially if you do say hullo! 

And may God richly bless your day wherever you maybe,

Shaz in Oz.x

WOYWW Letterpress, Brayer + Embossing Folders

Well, hullo there everyone! Here we are on the 13.3.13 - and it is Wednesday, so that means WOYWW! Yay! 

What's On YOUR Workdesk Wednesday? So take a pickie load it up and and share your wonderful workspace and link over to the wonderful Julia's blog over here at the Stamping Ground. it is a time of great discovery - not unlike that of Columbus and Cook! (well kinda? in a crafty way)

So the mess! Top left watched by Big Monkey is the Letterpress card - shown on the post below - or click here for more details.

In the foreground is another  card in the making. 

I am trying to work out what I can decorate it and still get through Australia's Post letter gauge of 5mm!

It is going to USA, it saves on heaps on post if we get it through that narrow opening so that eliminated most of my first thoughts. I love the verse (Edit: Stampabilties stamp bought on eBay in answer to query) on this card, plus the design of layout of stamp, not always high quality.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty."

 My friend is not well and thought this might encourage her. I have just rediscovered the beauties of the brayered embossing folder ... forgot how lovely they are. I had bought a couple of SU pads for bargain prices on eBay. When looked how lovely large and juicy they were my brayer jumped into my mind; also this Budding vine embossing folder by Craft Concepts. At this time I did not know as going to need two ladies "Get well" cards (but LORD did), so away inked quite merrily. 

 

Once inked and embossed,  I spritzed them with Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist, my very favourite spray; hope you can see the glimmer shine on the two images. The Christmas one will be made into a card too - doesn't it look lovely? Embossing folder is also Crafts concepts - Festive tree.

I will close this a pickie of a small part of our courtyard - the African violets seems to grow better outside totally neglected and just given an occasional spray with water and maybe the odd fertiliser. There is also Vinca sprouted up to the right, in the concrete of the courtyard garden. It has stones/ pebbles on top of concrete, but will grow anywhere but where you plant it!

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for a peek and chat - you make my day!

May God bless your day wherever you may be,
Shaz in Oz.x

Snippets - Nellie Snellen Oval + Letterpress.

Hullo there everyone.

Well here are some Snippets all ready from the Snippets drawer and assembled for your viewing.

When busy making another card, I came across these two Snippets, and when put them together I thought, they are lovely! why didn't I see it before?
The background done many moons ago with letterpress method by Gina K.see here - or my summary here: 
Letterpress with Spellbinder Impressabilities (this is Flourish) 

Letterpress method has debossed the design into cardstock and colours. You can use pigment or dye ink. Pigment takes longer to dry, but dye ink dies straight away and ready for debossing.

TIP: if wanting deeper debossing, then spritz card stock with light spray of water then put throguh the bug.

1. Cover the Impressabilities with ink.

2. Take out the bug, plate A plate B then tan mat.

3. Then card stock, and inked Impressabilites INK SIDE down.

4. B plate and shim for extra pressure.

 The Centre image stamped ages ago now, by "the-random-scribble-on-the stamp-with-water-markers" method. Once inked up with markers, spritz with water, and stamp on gloss card - see for method HERE (look for link to Lindsay's blog)

 Used the Nellie Snellen Oval, with purple Spellbinder Oval Petite scallop, cut then assembled the card with other snippets and hey presto card was made!

All ready to enter into the Snippets Challenge over at Miss Di's this week - playground here I come!

Thanks everyone for popping over for a peek and chat - you make my day, you do! :D

Shaz in Oz.x

PS I would like to link over to the following challenges:

Crafty Bloggers network - Spring and pastels. (Monday monthly challenge)

That Craft Place - Anything Goes (fortnightly on Wed. started 3/3)
Joanna Sheen Challenge Mum's the Word - female cards (weekly - Sunday UK)
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes  (monthly)

Lessons of the Eagle's Nest + Proverbs 3:5, 6 Illuminated Verse

 {WOYWW post below - thanks :D}

When we think of eagles and the Bible most often we think of this reference here in this passage here: 

Isaiah 40 ^v31  

.".but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

God has other important messages for us in eagles in the Bible. Often in our lives we have what I call "prickly periods" - prickly because of an association from a message I heard a long time ago, as detailed below.

These words in the verse below meant so much more to those living in Israel than they do to us today. As itinerant travellers or ones settled and farming, they lived close to the land.

Deuteronomy 32: 11 - 12

¹¹ As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
¹² So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

This is an excellent summary here in part from a post on Robin's Weidner's (found via Google) website "Secure in Heart" {LINK here}:

A Lesson On The Eagle : 

"...like an eaglet, I can get so comfortable in what appears to offer security that the thought of change fills me with fear.

It turns out that an eagle’s nest is quite an elaborate affair. 

A pair of eagles may take up to 6 weeks to build a nest, usually in the top of a tree, lining it with soft grasses, moss and cornstalks. To complete the next, they tenderly line the bottom with their own feathers.

For the first twelve weeks of life, the eaglet relaxes, trusting her parents to provide everything she needs.

When it’s time for the eaglet to learn to fly, the mother and father use their sharp talons to pull apart the soft materials that lined the nest. Then the mother eagle rises up and hovers over the nest, flapping her huge wings, stirring the nest.

As she does this, all of the comfortable stuff that kept the nest cozy flies out. This sends a clear message to the eaglet—it’s time to leave your life of comfort!

If needed, the mother will literally knock her baby out of the nest, and then follow it as it falls, swooping it onto her wings at the last moment. The mother eagle knows that her young one can only survive by learning to fly.....

But what strikes me is that of all the analogies God could choose to depict Himself, to win the hearts of His people and generations to come…God chose that of an eagle. And that analogy simply drips with Grace.

You see, unlike the eagle and its eaglet, I haven’t been with God from the day of my birth. Rather He found me in a “barren and howling waste” and then brought me to Himself, shielding me and guarding me.

And like the Israelites, even though there have been times when I’ve pursued my own selfish ends, and taken some hard falls, He’s still been there ready to renew His compassion.

The lesson of the eagle sheds so much light on a relationship with God.

I entrust myself to God, while He guards me as the apple of His eye. Sometimes He wounds me in his stirring of the nest, but He also is quick to heal. He promises to catch me, and I promise to jump!

And then no one, including the evil one, can steal me out of His hand!"

I would like to close this post with one of my illuminated works, as often asked to do so, and to my shame I never seem to get around it. 

 This is an excellent verse to use - it was one given to me when I first came to the LORD (to read this story + another calligraphy piece see this post here) Please note, this photo is of a photo this work was done about 15 years ago now. Did not have digital cameras then, and was using a borrowed one anyway. Hence the flare on the photos.                             This verse given me as a very young believer in the LORD Jesus - why - because we always think we know best - but we must not lean upon our understanding but God's, trusting in Him with ALL our heart, and in His way alone.

TRUST Him when dark trials oppress you,

TRUST Him when your faith is small,

TRUST Him when to simply

TRUST Him is the hardest thing of all.

May God richly bless you where ever your maybe and thank you SO much for popping over for a peek and chat and making my day! 
Shaz in Oz.x  

I would like to link this post with:

1.  Birdee blessings - Under His wings ( A blessing please pop across to it )
2. Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes?

Stickeroos, Di's Snippets + WOYWW!

Hullo there everyone - well here we go again.. 

The merry go round of months passing by with great rapidity - yup!! we are now in the third month of the year .. and here is it is again:

 What is On Your Workdesk Wenesday again!! so to join in do pop over to our chief's desk - aka Julia, the Queen of Desks at the Stamping Ground.

 Lo - here is my desk!!

Ooh yum! new, unheard of, unseen before "stash" - all from Di of the Snippets Challenge! Thanks so much, Di - and also she sent lovely card - see Di's card in the left inset!

The funny thing about this stash, they are called "Stickeroos" by Penny Black.

I had never heard of them ( I actually thought it was Di's name for them, but they are called that on the back, shows how ignorant I am of such delights). When they appeared on Di's desk, I remember Mrs A. commenting about "kangaroos in the playground" - almost as if she knew they were coming downunder to kangaroo country :D.

Aren't they beautiful?.. and as you can a see I have made two cards with them already... 

 I have number of birthdays in March - thankfully not as many as February, so made these two up yesterday for today and Fridays birthdays.

On this card I used the new Spellbinder set, a Christmas pressie, called Decorative Labels 8, snippets DP from SU, discontinued. Other used more snippets, Sizzix textured Expression embossing folder enlarged. Did it for another card but didn't work on it, and the Nellie Snellen rectangle die. {Linking these up to Di's Snippets for this week.Yay! get to play in the playground again!}

For the Aussie shots today thought would update you with my pineapple which showed you back in this post here - and it is a Brommeliad family for those who did not see the post. 
{Edit: to answer Maggie's Question - it is a regular pineapple and is edible. My friend grew them that is why we put a top of one of our pineapple in the ground - just to try it!}

We had a lot of rain here lately, so it has grown quickly in the month (now about 7" or 23cm). They are pretty slow growing - not that I have ever grown them before!! If you want to know how it was started, please look at link above.  

Also appearing in the lawn was this very curious flower. 

What caught my eye was all the flies hovering around it but when came to photograph it, they took off - but notice all the dead flies inside it (more inside than photo shows)?? It did not have a strong aroma to me but guess it did to them! Tried to find out what it is but no success! {EDIT: Caro suggested it maybe a Star fungus and think she is right see here and here - see how wonderful WOYWW is?}

 I also want to welcome my wonderful new encourager AMY of the Insomniac Crafter ( a woman after my own heart) - please pop over to see her wonderful bog HERE - she is a new blogger, was in Di's top three last week!

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be.,
Shaz in Oz.x