Snippets Scraps + WOYWW ~ Last of 2014

Well, everyone we are skating by out of 2014 and rapidly into 2015, aren't we?? Older ones say the years are flying faster that is for sure. To the point as not much time - here is my last WOYWW or What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday over at Julia's blog we peek at desks of the world ** for messes (in my case) and creativity joys in others! To my messy desk. (has been tidied a little since then but more needing done).

On a mission here - to use up scraps and snippets or left over items from 2014. So yes!! am making Christmas cards with more of those silhouette circles and having fun with some NBUS dies. BTW rumour has it that is another NBUS challenge on, so saving these cards for that. Two in front right have been finished since taking photo at 1.45pm.

This is the Bible verse stamped and embossed, then dusted with ink and fussy cut out for top of Gold embossed SB Fancy Oval. I felt the LORD wanted me to use this verse for my friend. Used two DI for the ink dusting.

Purpose of this card was to use scraps. All die cuts are that + tried out a new $5 Spellbinder. My dear friend Marilyn of Sharing Simple Things blog in US emailed that Scrapmart were selling spellbinders for $10 and $5. I ordered three SB through Marilyn - when they came there were six!! (she said they multiplied on the way but I know who multiplied them :D thank you, very dear kind friend). This Decorative Wrought Iron die was one of the gifts. Was double cut in  two 200gsm card together then embossed in gold and rubbed with wax in green gold to give a verdigris look on bottom and right. Flowers have had for years, unused. Was really disappointed with this photo looks much better IRL. Love the die ad have other ideas for it.

This card is also for friend Sue in UK who is fighting cancer she loves butterflies that's why they are on both cards. The Pippi butterfly is actually gold not brown inked. :(  ribbon is tiny snippet, and inked ODB stamp "Lifting You up in prayer" was inked ages ago, as was this printed Digi Rose image. Was part of an old advert for Tulip soap and removed the Tulip soap writing :D

My Aussie photo for today is the beautiful sunset last night .. after I went down the beach for great swim... after trip to dentist :D
This sort of stunning beauty always reminds me of Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." If you tried to paint those colours it would look fake.

Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and a chat, may God bless your day wherever you may be, and keep you safe at this very busy time of year!  

Shaz in Oz.x 

I pray that in 2015 that in all our hearts and in all things He may have the pre-eminence.

" He (the LORD Jesus) is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence." Colossians :18

**linking over to these challenges: 

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used  a number of snippets on cards. http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au 
2..Word Art Wednesday - anything goes    http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au.

My Favourites of 2014

Oh wow!!!! this was soo hard.... to pick only five ... so choosing five cards and one piece of calligraphy.. eh?? 

What am I raving on about? over at Debby's "A Scrapjourney" she is is asking us to chose our top five favourites for 2014 and share them :D so here they are .. and each name has the link embedded to read for more details. Calligraphy first then five cards.

Emily's birthday .. finally I made her the "Emily sleeps here" Blue Wren

Hudson's 1st birthday Bugaboo Elephant

Stampscapes brayer card

Ink resist with white embossing.

Didi's 60th Birthday.

 Sue's card "Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:8

 

So that's it for 2014.. 

What a blessing it is... to have hands to craft and crafty goodies to use to encourage or bless others :D

Every blessing of the LORD God be upon you all as we enter a New YEAR... 

May we use it wisely and well.

Shaz in Oz.x
Also want to link up with Lyndal's Favourite things blog hop over her: (ends January 31st)

Top Five Christmas cards for 2014

This year I decided to make standard sized Christmas cards and I must say when it came to the posting of them it made it heaps easier .. so here in no particular order are my five favourite cards for Christmas this year... although one lot were saved for next year as want to make more of them... :D and over at Debby's there is a challenge to share your fav. Christmas cards...

 Embossing and cutting folder is by Marianne dies, used up snippets of card with holly from Joanna Sheen Signature die. The stamp is from Our Daily Bread heat embossed with red embossing powder. see post here.

All my cards have reference to real reason of Christmas somewhere so even though these were some masking cards of snowy scenes I put verses referring to the coming of Christ to be our Saviour on each card, digi images. Plus was using a NBUS Never Used Before Schtuff -  made with stamp set had for ages (Sheena Douglas) never used - perfect for this. see post here for further explanation + video used in these cards.

Used these Pass it On cards for toppers for Christmas, with differing backgrounds.. thought of doing this one with Memory Box Star mask. It has all these different sized stars on it. Used gold embossing paste and mixed gold glitter with it for extra sparkle... really love it.  see post here and here and here

This one has to be my favourite, with CAS look. Folder is Marianne Designable DS0908, poinsettia die is by Britannia and has great detail, I wish all dies were this good! The stamp is Our daily Bread Christmas Blessings set, and I gold-embossed the edges of card + where designable shows through - see post here.

Using five strips of JOY! Christmas tree border die", one on right is in gold vellum, then found some more gold card snippets for second one.. stamp is an Itty Bitty stamp from years back "For unto us a child is born". Was good to dust this "JOY! Christmas tree border die" off. see post here for more info.

Well, that's my five fav... off to join over with Debbie of Scrapjourney who is sponsoring this idea of sharing our favourites. I rarely comment on her blog but get her every post via email and love to see what she is up to. Her ability to produce such beauties always blows me away, a post a day is too much for me and even once a week sometimes.

May God bless each of you this holiday time and may He keep you safe in His care, thanks so much for all your wonderful encouragement you are truly appreciated.

Shaz in Oz.x

Snippets + The Riches of the Magi

Christmas greetings, everyone, from Downunder – where it is summery, bright and glorious, I love it! I love Christmas too, because I love the Christ of Christmas.

We are mostly, if we have ever sung carols, we are familiar with the story of the Wisemen {μαγοι, (magi in Greek)}. They of course came on a journey of many miles once they saw the star sparkling so brightly in the eastern sky. (Micah 5:2) 

They were obviously familiar with the promises of a King “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” (Matt 2:1–2)

They came bearing three kinds of gift.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

These three gifts Gold, Frankincense and myrrh would have made Joseph and Mary instantly rich. This was some time after the birth of Jesus, shown by highlighted words above, they were in a house and Jesus no longer a babe. 

The riches were needful to support them for flight into Egypt, Joseph being warned by the LORD in a dream to flee ~ before King Herod’s command to kill all male baby children under two.

However the real treasures of Christmas were not the gifts of the Wisemen. Rather the Treasure was found in the One Who chose a Manger for His bed.

The LORD Jesus, He is the True Gift ~ and also the True Light, as opposed to the Star.

In Him alone, by faith in His death upon the cross for you and for me, we can rejoice in eternal life with Him.

These last two Snippet cards tell of God's greatest gift:

 "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" 1 John 4:14 

 May the dear LORD bless you and your dear ones with this Hope, this Peace in Jesus this Christmas time, and keep you in His care for the coming year, till He comes.

Shaz in Oz.x 

Cards are all snippets pieces taken from rejects and turned into cards. The white based one is debossed because I managed to get red ink on embossed side :D as you do!  Yay! so  I am off to the Snippety playground to play... 

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used  a number of snippets on cards. http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au 
2..Word Art Wednesday - anything goes    http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au. 

3. Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - anything urgent for Christmas  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com.au/
4. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog  

WOYWW + Great Cards from Crafty Pals

{Warning Picture heavy post ..}

Hullo everyone ... yes WOYWW again.. been absent for few weeks of late but back today so that is good. Nice to be back! and Deere is my crafty desk after all WOYWW stands for What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday!! and we all link up over at Julia's desk at the Stamping Ground! to share our crafty fun!!

My desk ( or fold up camp table) is in the lounge room... cooler plus the cricket is on and so can craft whilst watching the test with Australia and India :D its at the 'Gabba Cricket ground this week which is in Brisbane and boiling hot there - 35+c but cooler here thankfully. On my left is a card from Shelley, with a whole lot of lovely die cuts - what a lovely gift!
On my right is my cardmaking with more of those round Christmas images. I bought some more as liked them so much, hunted through my dies to find different ways of using them... like a fleur de lis SB - hardly ever used dies!! gotta love that!

Shelley's (My Creative Rumblings) clever card - embossing paste + gold rub on is my guess?

This year's makes - on my last desk showed using these circles Christmas images and SB scallop... with different layouts. Had enough cards for this year but had ideas - want to formulate them before I forget!! Love the way you can put them in sequence to tell the wonderful Christmas story of God's gift to us through His son Jesus - like lower left is "Emmanuel" and then the meaning of it - "God with us"

Superb Blackboard card by Anne in France

Ultra cute LOTV card by Di of Snippets fame!

Lovely diecuts on this card of Mrs A. ( last two were a total surprise in today's mail ~ how kind!) and she decorates card's inside as beautifully too.. thanks so very much my dear, dear crafty friends!

Last two are my Aussie shots of the day our Rainbow lorikeets doing acrobatics while eating the nectar on the Bottlebrush blooms - view from kitchen window, taken through the glass yesterday.

{Special thoughts and prayers for all who have been affected by the siege here in Sydney, two brave folk lost their lives to save others. Praying God's blessing upon all affected}
Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and a chat, may God bless your day wherever you may be, and keep you safe at this very busy time of year!  

Shaz in Oz.x 

  ^"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."      

Luke 2:11 - 12

** the top set of my cards - linking over to these challenges:

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used  a number of snippets on cards. http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au 
2..Word Art Wednesday - anything goes    http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au. 
3. Simon Says Monday Challenge - anything goes http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

4. Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - anything urgent for Christmas 
5. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog 

Our Daily Bread Christmas Challenge ~ sort of!

Hullo everyone ... yes - surprise!!!! am back again!

Now in my typical manner I made these cards, then the two week challenge (think that would be long enough!?) expired few hours ago but going to post them anyway - if the storm outside doesn't beat me :D 
It is summer here in Oz and really loving it... not too hot where I live, cos we are near the sea. 
To the card, or actually cards:

This card came to me one sleepless night! Love the elements, these have to be some of my favourite quality crafty items. Folder is Marianne Designable DS0908, poinsettia die is by Britannia and has great detail, I wish all dies were this good! The stamp is Our daily Bread Christmas Blessings set, and I gold-embossed the edges of card + where designable shows through, (it is very hard to get matt gold cardstock here and did not want to over-use what I have, also it then matched the stamp embossing. It is Ranger ultra fine BTW and it really great colour wise) added some pearls and ribbon left over bits.

As you can see really made three, if you have everything out for it and it is Christmas cards you might as well multiply. The first one is the bottom one here. I made two mistakes on it:
1. I stamped upside down (did not read my inked TOP on stamp through clear mount, der!) 2. It was not inked on "S" of " "Sending love and prayers" so had to hide that with poinsettia. :D

Thanks for popping over everyone for peek and chat.. sorry, I will comment as time permits :D but really appreciate your thoughtfulness to comment.
May God bless your day wherever you may be.

Shaz in Oz.x

PS have heaps of cards to share but dont have time to blog them at the moment.. 

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23

** these cards am linking over to these challenges:

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used  a number of snippets on cards. http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/

2..Word Art Wednesday - anything goes    http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au.

3. Simon Says Monday Challenge - anything goes http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

4. Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - anything urgent for Christmas http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/chnc-challenge-207-urgently-needed.html
5. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog