WOYWW + Light in Darkness Snippets

hi one and all,

Yes, it's flown again! My Yorkshire grandmother used to say "time flies", says the monkey, as he threw the clock at the cat!! :D

Firstly to my desk, as it is WOYWW or What is on your Workdesk Wednesday (pop over to Julia's and join in do!).

I'm in middle of upcycling some cards. Am pretty well finished making my 60 cards but thought I'd add a couple of extras. I've also done Christmas letter, and printed off inserts for cards and posted a few overseas ones, so starting to feel organised. I'm using this Memory Box Star mask with some cosmic glitter glue for background to this card.

Over at Cuttlebug Mania the challenge is "Light in Darkness" and when I popped onto Miss Di's blog last night I did a double take!

She was posting the almost identical card to mine for today. She'd also seen Loll's card and pinned it. Great minds think alike.
I loved the title of "Light in darkness" for it reminded me that this what the Lord Jesus is, the true Light... for He said "I am the Light of the World"....
.John 1:5 "...the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. "
 I saw once a verse on a war memorial at Canterbury, it had this verse: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. "
It was referring to that fact they came through the blitz, but I must admit was a striking reference, for truly they were dark times.

My green is actually a piece of gloss card and I smooched up the excess brushos colour, when I was making these cards - see here. I've actually made about ten of those background  nativity cards, no two are remotely similar. (Snippets used - so off to the playground)
I am totally in love with brusho find it so versatile. And as I discovered last week (see here, Rudolph day post) it looks great on die cuts.

 

 The red glitter card was some American Crafts glitter paper. MB central die called "glowing candles", EF is American crafts, Christmas tradition, Spellbinder Elegant Ovals, ODB Joy to world stamp set silver embossed..
I made some cards with three colours on this on this die layering post - see here.

Well, now to our pickies from Oz. I went for a walk with a friend through our Botanic gardens again.
I've shown you the orchids before but this time thought would share mainly the Brommeliads... so many varieties. There is also a desert room where there are cactus plants in flower and showing one orchid at the end. God's creation is amazing ... so much variety!

A special welcome to the latest encourager of this blog...Linby of Craft by Linby, please check out her wonderful creativity over there and give her some encouragement too.

May God bless each of you this day in all that you do - and thanks for popping over and making my day.. you bless my heart, 

Shaz in Oz.x

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the Light shined."
 Isaiah 9:2

Joining up to:

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used snippets on my card.   http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/ 

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

4. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/chnc-challenge-extra-for-november-2016.html
4. Stamping Sensations - Christmas greetings. http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/november-anything-christmas.html
5. Light in darkness http://cuttlebugmania.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/shine_19.html 
6.http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/chnc-challenge-309-use-sentiment.html. 
Finally managed to join up with Beccys Challenge. https://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/a-month-of-holiday-cards.html

Penny Black Wonder Stamp set - Masked trees.

 For Annie's Smiles and Rudolph day ... see here

Just a very quick post as made this card and found the Allsorts Weekly challenge on "O Christmas Tree!" was closing toute suite!

I'm a huge fan of Heather Telford's work. I'm pretty sure she has made a card similar to this at some stage! Cut a mask of snow bank and stamped one of the tree in Black Onyx Versafine, and also a second one on left then with ink duster and Adirondack inks inked up the banks. Added sky with moon, used Cool Peri with Cloudy Sky. Stamped the "JOY to the world" wreath from the same set for the sentiment, and added some bling coloured some blue with permanent marker.

A close up, added some more silver die cuts to finish off images, and the CB large snowflake folder as this is 5 x 7" card. Three snow flakes in upper left corner.

Sunset taken this evening (at 8pm).. it just after midnight here, now :D

May God bless each of you this day in all that you do - and thanks for popping over and making my day.. you bless my heart, 

Shaz in Oz.x

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Linking over to:

1. Allsorts challenge blog. http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/week-390-o-christmas-tree.html

2.Word Art Wednesday - anything goes     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au 
3. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/chnc-challenge-extra-for-november-2016.html

4. Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Christmas with dies. http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-christmas-to-die-for/ 
5. Simon Says Monday Challenge - (Trio-tastic) used a trio of snowflakes in left corner..  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=7214
6. Finally managed to join up with Beccys Challenge. https://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/a-month-of-holiday-cards.html  
7. http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/november-challenge-anything-christmas.html

Scrappy Mo's Christmas (Rudolph Day) Challenge

 Here it is time for the last challenge for 2016 over at Scrappy Mo's, HERE!

.... and because it is Friday I am also going to join over Annie's Friday Smiles, smiles in Oz photos below card ones.
Pop over to Annie's for some more smiles.

No WOYWW or What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday this week, too busy .. but here is my desk this morning, am midway through some more cards with dies and dies cuts and bits and bobs everywhere!

The learned :D among you will recognise this as piece of brusho on gloss card, with some gold spatter... I decided to do some Christmas colours - however you dont see the green, if did it again would just do two colours, (Rose red and Lime green) not four (for more glittery brusho cards see here).

This is what it turned into, The verse " For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD".
It is Stampendous stamp, I love it. Christ is the reason for Christmas.
Dies are: Britannia - Poinsettia medium and small, Cheery Lyn Leafy Flourish, small, SB Petite Ovals Scalloped.

Here are three of them and I have two more half done, there would have been half a dozen, except I tore one of the pinpoint ovals by Cottage Cutz when trying to position it. :(

For today's Oz photos I am sharing something we saw yesterday (taken on my phone), origami by Seuki Cheung, using mainly recycled paper from magazines. 

There were two tables like this one and some more other display stands.

Cute monkey, in close up down below you can see the magazine papers, very clever use.

 

I loved this lobster, think it was my favourite.

Cute roosters at the front too!

"Mr Funny Face" he was called - at the back!

For those who like their fix of sunshine and beaches - here is McCauley's headland the other day, when we we were eating an ice-cream - again!

May God bless each of you this day in all that you do - and thanks for popping over and making my day.. you bless my heart, 

Shaz in Oz.x

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 I would like to join up with the following challenges:

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

2. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/chnc-challenge-extra-for-november-2016.html

3. Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Christmas with dies. http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-christmas-to-die-for/

4. Simon Says Monday Challenge - (Trio-tastic) used a trio of dies as listed, also three cards shared :D.  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=7214
5. Finally managed to join up with Beccys Challenge.
https://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/a-month-of-holiday-cards.html 

God Is In It - so Trust in the LORD

Dear ones,

Do you ever start something without any clear idea of where it is going, but knowing in your heart that you need to do it? Well, this post and this card I am sharing today are a little like this.

This card is for a very dear lady, for whom my heart is really burdened and as I prayed for her earlier, I felt impressed that I needed to write a post about it. This card began in the same way as this post, without any clear idea.. but took some snippets... loads of snippets in fact!
Heidi, for whom this was made, is struggling with a very hard thing in her life - she suffers from desmoid tumours. They grow anywhere, around vital organs requiring massive surgery for removal. Heidi is facing yet another one of these, tomorrow sees her excellent surgeon. She does a wonderful job full time running a Bible Book and Tract Depot. I get a big order from her each Christmas, and her ministry is invaluable.
Recipe: background is CB Kimmy Luvs EF extended .. embossed ages ago. The die cut in second was coloured and folded years ago. Not even sure what it is. I stamped the "Trust in the LORD" stamp in white EP. Made flowers from scraps with my MS hydrangea punch, the border is MS Floral vine, both were from newly given ones.

 So why does God allow such a horrible condition,.. one which took her own mother at such an early age. My title God is in it.. is there for a reason, God does have a purpose in this and every hard thing allowed in our life..
Are we willing to learn to know Him better through such hard times? or perhaps even come to salvation in His Son Jesus through such trials?  
Regular readers of this blog know that I have had many health struggles; one in July this year where I almost died again.
I, years ago was mad at God for what He had done in making me the way He has.. but passing years and the Spirit of God working in my life have taught me to be grateful for those thorns in the flesh.
As Paul himself said in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9:"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Are we willing to simply TRUST in the LORD???
Yes,  as Paul was told - "God's grace is sufficient".. for us.
When I was very ill in Intensive Care a few month back, the LORD God, my Saviour and I shared a time of fellowship so deep and rich like you never have when the path of life runs smoothly, so yes! it is worth it ALL for that! I am sure Heidi would concur.

I chose this image of Oz for a reason... this is a grey day but there is a bright clear shining light pouring forth from  the centre of the sky and reflected in the water below... Our Lord God, loving heavenly Father and His comforting Spirit is like that light. He shines ever so brightly comforts us through His word ever so deeply.
"..when I fall, I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me".
Micah 7:8
Are you in darkness?... cry out to the LORD! He is longing to hear from all who are weary and heavy laden.. for He alone can give us true lasting peace and rest.
To read of fifty years walk with our dear LORD God, read this post here.
It might bless your heart to read the comments of others too below it as they share what God has done for them.
God made us with a free will, that is why there are Aleppo's and other such grievous battles going on today!
For man is lover of self.. he doesn't want to know God, we are naturally, by nature, haters of God, not lovers of God.
But oh, how He longs to free us from our sin and that we might know Him!

I pray this blesses your heart and lifts your eyes to the beautiful face of the lovely Lord Jesus... our Sin-bearer upon the cruel tree - where He bore all our sins and rose again vistorious over death..
Praise His name for this... a great thing to be thankful for indeed.

Thanks so much for popping over for peek and chat.. you are really appreciated!

May God bless your day wherever you maybe!

Shaz in oz.x 

"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me." Micah 7:7,8

I would like to link up to the following:

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

2. Di's Snippety challenge - Used snippets on my card.   http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/  Only item not snippet on this card is the base piece!

3. Brown Sugar challenge anything goes.  http://brownsugarchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/challenge-225-anything-goes.html

WOYWW + Mighty Crafty Bounty - God blessed indeed!

(**For those who liked the MB glowing candle die cuts on my desk two weeks ago, the cards made with them are on the post below.)

Hi one and all, lobbing in with a quick post for WOYWW + desky shares x 3, (warning loads of pickies here). It is WOYWW or What is on your Workdesk Wednesday (pop over to Julia's and join in do!).

Okay, deep breath everyone!! I was given fifteen punches yesterday!! plus a whole lot of embossing folders (rear) + two spellbinder dies. This dear old gentleman is going blind and was getting rid of a whole lot of crafty goodies and was just going to tip them if we didn't take them. My friend went away with three or four times as many as this. I actually don't have a huge number of punches so this probably more than doubles my number. Monkeys survey new crafty haul, talk about so very "God-blessed" indeed! (if only you could have heard me exclaiming over each one..oh how I love that, I have wanted that, etc. However didn't want to be too greedy so tried to be selective  :D)

I felt needed to familiarise myself with such a number at once, so I have made a ready reference sheet of them (will do same for folders too) by punching them out and saving positives and negatives and inking them up. They are all put in the spare basket to the left side and I do have a spot on the shelf for that basket too, wonderful!

This is what my desk would've had on it and was shifted to dining table, all my cards for Christmas, at rear in plastic bag, I think I need another twenty. So I've done some more sheets of brusho to make some more of the nativity cards shown back here. I love how no two brusho sheets are the same!

Two cards I've made in the last week.

This is another colour challenge one over on FB Christian Card Makers, you could chose you own.
Popular Dark Cools 2Color Palette : mauve blue green

My 3rd entry in this challenge, the oriental digi was printed out and the verse was stamped, a Printblocks stamp from 1990's. EF is Moroccan frame I think, papers are LOTV. Coloured the backing papers and ribbon with DI Peacock Feathers.

Second card is with a Nicecrane bird image and overlaid a PNG bible verse file from WAW, this is an encouragement card for a friend. Stamped SU French script on Background inked with DI Peacock feather again. EF is Courture creations Tied together.

 Now to the Aussie shots no beach ones today... but at the local Botanic gardens and one at home.

Flowering cactus in our courtyard, the flowers take ages to come out and then only last a day or so but they are beautiful.

No idea what this is but I did love its flower... tried a search but may try another to see if I can find it!

The largest birds nest fern I've ever seen!

Okay for those who dont know .. this is a brush turkey mound .. and this one is ginormous!

This is the bird that shapes that huge mound ... they do it for the warmth to help incubate their eggs. it is because of them we have to put chicken wire over mulch or they tip it all out everywhere! Actual size of mound shown well below!

I have been a bit remiss in welcoming a new wonderful encouragers called Heidi Stamps over at My little Stamping blog .. pop over here, if you have time, as she doesn't have many folks who've join her blog!

Thanks so much for popping over for peek and chat.. you are really appreciated!

May God bless your day wherever you maybe!

Shaz in oz.x 

 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:1

I would like to link up to the following:
1. Feature a creature, Allsorts challenge both cards have birds on them.
2. Simon Says Wednesday blog  - Thanksgiving. SECOND card - O give thanks unto the LORD for He is good His mercy endureth forever.

3.Word Art Wednesday - anything goes     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au  
4.Simon Says  Monday blog  - Thanksgiving. SECOND card - O give thanks unto the LORD for He is good His mercy endureth forever.

Layering Dies - Memory Box Glowing Candles die

Time again for a another mid month post over at Bizzy Bec's blog. Last one of the year, wow where did it go?
Ages ago now I bought this die - Memory Box Glowing Candles (available Bec has it at a really great price over here!). I had made a card with it, but saw a totally different one (seen first in different colours over here, on Loll's blog). And in same colours as mine- here, this one has a video if you want to watch it!

 

I had these three cut on last week of October on my desk. I layered double sided tape on the back of card first.

Then you remove the tape layers with pricking tool, remove the pieces you want in other colours on the top gold layer first.

Added red to candles centres and centre of the flame which is also red.

 Removed the gold leaves, adding the green on top.

Cut the top two colours of red and gold stems off the edges.

Under the layers, adhere the green so it shows green stems.

"Joy to the world, the LORD has come!" is from Our Daily Bread "Joy to the world" stamp set (ODB stamps are available from Bizzy Bec's upon request). Gold embossed, and added die cut centre from SB die, inked lightly around edge in gold.
Spellbinder die, I bought from Bec, it's cut in gold, and is a 5 x 7 Heirloom Legacy a gorgeous die and great size.

Yes, I am batch baking my cards so here are the three I've made of these, I actually really enjoy them, may even try them in another colourway if time permits.

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and chat,I would really love it if you have time and could comment on the blog post here on Bizzy Bec's blog, thanks so much to those who've kindly done this before! 

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

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 37:4 

Joining up to:

1. Di's Snippety challenge - Used snippets on my card.   http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/ 

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

4. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/chnc-challenge-extra-for-november-2016.html
4. Stamping Sensations - Christmas greetings. http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/november-anything-christmas.html