The Christ of Christmas + Friday Smiles 200!!

Hullo there everyone .. another Friday here in Oz is drawing rapidly to close, so better do my Friday post to link up with Annie's Friday Smiles. 
(Big congrats to dear Annie for her 200th Friday smiles post)

As well, it is rapidly heading towards Christmas!
We celebrate ahead of lot of other folks, here in Australia in our time zone. 

This card is an upcycle and I made it for my best friend Robin (just for record I have lots of best friends, my best Friend of all is Jesus :D), the verse is a favourite of mine for Christmas time ..
"The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world"..
...the greatest gift of all was the LORD Jesus. (Robins are very cute and make me smile.)
The EF was smooched with gold ink to make it stand out and added bit of ribbon and bling to it.

 I love Christmas, I realise not everyone does, but even when I am sad Christmas things make me smile.
Most of all for me as a Christian is the Christ of Christmas that makes me smile. We really dont know when Christ was born and to be honest it doesn't really matter (if it did, we would know).

The reason I love the verse above is because it gives the real reason of Christ's coming. He came to be our Saviour. 

God, the Father, knows what it is to suffer loss, to be deeply sorrowful and afflicted, He suffered when he gave His own Son for us, that first Christmas. 
His Son, the Lord Jesus, gave up His heavenly home for a stable and human frame instead of His holy Home.
We can't imagine what it was like for Him, the King of Glory, Who knew no sin, to be made sin for us... when He bore our sins upon the cruel cross.

Another upcycled card.

I love this card... it tells the story of Christmas, of the Nativity, foretold thousands of years before, and the cross which lay ahead. It tells of the ones who saw the star, the humble shepherds and wise-men who followed it from afar.
It tells us of the happiest thing that happened to the world, the Gift of Salvation through our SAVIOUR the LORD Jesus.
(**and the twist for challenge below is that Christmas leads us to the cross)

This card shows those humble folk who came to see... see the Saviour sent by the Father. They were poor but honoured by God to be at Jesus' birth. 
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen,
yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
I Corinthians 1:27-29

As it is Friday Smiles - extra smiles for you.

Loved this one as it is so true .. God is our greatest Friend, but our dear earthly friends bring a smile to our face too.

 .. hope it brought some smiles to your face!

Happy Smiles day everyone!! 

and may God richly bless your day wherever you maybe,
and may the real reason of Christmas shine brightly in your home and heart.

Shaz in Oz.x

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

EDIT: A dear friend commenting below suggested this video was a good one for this time of year
- I agree with her.

Well, I'm delighted to welcome new wonderful encouragers ..
Jan of http://serendipity45.blogspot.com.au/
Lois of http://lilartsywoman.blogspot.com.au/
You will learn much from these clever crafters.. a pleasure to visit..
.... so do pop over to their blogs and give them some encouragement! 

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

2. link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.

3. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/

3. Robin card  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/chnc-challenge-312-cute-or-anything.html  

4. Simon Says Wednesday - Make it sparkle. Last card  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-make-it-sparkle-3/ 
5. Crafty Cardmakers, the second card - **with the cross http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/179-christmas-with-twist.html

"Inspired to Stamp" Guest DT call + WOYWW

(EDIT: 10th Jan 2017 - Well, still catching my breath!! 😁 I've been accepted for GDT, watch this space!! A big thanks to everyone and your lovely comments to, you are so appreciated)

Hi all,

My desky share today shows multiple desks - with the process of making a card for a challenge. The experienced crafters among you, can just skim down the pickies. ;D
To join with What is On Your Workdesk  Wednesday pop over to Julia's desk for the deskland world wide hop. 

 This card is inspired by this image on Inspired to stamp.

I am not good on some challenges especially photo ones, I loose track half way through!

This is my second card as first one I went on memory and the colour wasn’t right! 
No worries, I still like it and will rescue it later.I took several things from this image:
1. colours - gold, white and coral or peach pink.
2. shapes  - namely spots, floral, and chevrons. So that's what I went with!

This is a card using stamping and wet embossing in various ways:
1. Stamp + wet embossing with stamped image

2. Stamp + wet embossing with an embossing folder

3. Stamp + wet embossing with a stencil. 

Don’t think I’ve used all three methods on one card before!

 I’ve been stamping with embossing since 1990, so a few years :D it still fascinates me.

As I'm playing with wet embossing, first use embossing buddy on plain white card (see how to make one here). Next apply Versamark to top side of Darice Chevron embossing folder (gift from Scrappy Mo - thanks Mo!) very generously, dry emboss, add embossing gold powder and heat emboss.

Plain snippety piece of card, gold embossed to do border scalloped die cuts with my scalloped rectangle die. One day must buy a scallop border, but these do work fine!

Added the two pieces of scallop to border on Chevron folder piece.

Next stamped Hero Arts Background stamp, Flowing Flowers and Leaves, with Versamark then gold heat embossed (used Stampendous Fine detail Gold). As my Coral sheet was textured the stamping was textured. I really loved this, it reminded me of the Victorian era wallpaper, William Morris used this colour with gold. Cut it into a large SB circle and added gold embossed large SB scallop circle die underneath.

Here I am at the "well, have these, what next stage?" next step was thought of as a late night idea, after prayer.

Next day, took a Stamping up mask bought recently on eBay (set of stripes and spots, I really bought it for the stripes). Had a snippet of vellum left over from previous card, and was big enough for background of the card 5 x 7" base. Used embossing buddy generously, then added small square Versamark in the spots.

Next added generous layer of Gold embossing powder (scrap paper underneath to catch the embossing powder).

Doesn't this have punch!!! I love it.
 Vellum can be tricky to adhere if nowhere to hide tape, but no worry of that here.
So adhered it to base, THEN added the chevron strip + stamped circle.

 Don't have much in way of die and stamp sets but bought this one from Simon Says this year, a prayer and hugs set, I love it. I worked out if you try to die cut before stamping it is harder to match, the die matches easily if you do it after stamping. Match it up on stamped image, tape it on with invisible tape and cut.

"prayers" is cut three times, the two white ones have double-sided tape on the back, attach for extra dimension underneath the gold die cut.

Here's a close up of all that embossing! Triple-wrapped some gold edged twine around the chevron piece before attaching.

The assembled card - hopefully it meets the challenge requirements. I enjoyed making it and as I used snippets am off to the playground too. YAY!
Next to the shots from Oz. We're in summer downunder, and the birds were enjoying the nectar from this coral coloured bottle brush outside our kitchen window. Firstly is a Blue faced Honey eater and next the noisy Lorikeet.

Lastly - found out last night our pineapple is sprouting again (isn't it cute?), this is the top from our first baby, now growing a pineapple too! It is a brommeliad. To see our earlier pineapples progress and planting of this top - see here.

Well, I'm delighted to welcome three new wonderful encouragers of this blog ..

Wow! these do some imaginative stamping and card making!

Kathy of http://joyfullymadedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

NanaConnie of http://mygrammysattic.blogspot.com.au/

EmLouise of http://www.creative-em.com/

You will learn much from these clever crafters.. a pleasure to visit..

.... so do pop over to their blogs and give them some encouragement! 

Thanks so much everyone for popping over and saying hi!
And may God bless your day (and especially your Christmas, as we remember Jesus' birth) wherever you may be!

... and dont forget to pop over and join in Bec's Anything Goes December challenge .. you might win the prize :D

Shaz in Oz.x

**"Therefore the LORD Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.
( Immanuel means "God with us." (Isaiah 7:14).

**This verse above was written 800 BC, over 800 years before Christ, and just one of many true prophecies which accurately foretold His coming.

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

2. Di's snippets Challenge    http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/  
3. Stamping Sensations - Floral Fantasies. http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/december-floral-fancies.html

Masking with Darkroom Door Gum Trees Stamp Set

Please scroll down for WOYWW or click here


Hi everyone, time again for my mid-month post on Bizzy Bec's Design team, and today I'm revisiting a great stamp set from Darkroom Door - Gum Trees. I love this set it has two great tree stamps - used both of them over on this post here.

So today I am using different style - previous one was a brayered scene, and this is ink duster scene, with larger of tree simply embossed in front of a masked scene.
On right is the first one I did, but I stamped the "Remember your roots" slightly crooked by 2mm or so (card for family not living in Oz). I cant handle crooked. So started again!

Mask with paper and repositonable tape two masked pieces top and bottom (on the second one I stamped the tree first, but decided it looks better stamped afterwards, just looks stamped fresher).
I always lay down a base layer of ink when doing any sort of inking whether blending or brayer work - use neutral shade like Distress Ink - Antique linen here. TIP: If you lay a base layer, the following layers blend more smoothly.

Brushed on ink, however you can use blending tool too. Used some Memento Bahama Blue, Grape seed.

Then added some hills, with a torn piece of scrap paper to give rough shape of hill and inked this up twice with archival Black ink.

So here are the two cards, didn't waste the first one, I merely covered the offending crooked sentiment with a free digi Bible verse from WAW. Die cut it with Memory Box Pinpoint circles, and the Spellbinders scallop circles, love how them MB dies fit the SB circle dies.

 

 I really loved these cards, the Darkroom door stamps were so great to stamp with.
The "Remember your roots " word stamp is part of the Darkroom Door – Gum Trees set.

Thanks so much everyone for popping over and saying hi!
And may God bless your day wherever you may be!

... and dont forget to pop over and join in Bec's Anything Goes December challenge .. you might win the prize :D 

(if time permits a comment on DT post here too would be appreciated)
 Shaz in Oz.x 

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

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

2. Di's snippets Challenge    http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/ 
3. Any thing Goes at :  http://brownsugarchallenge.blogspot.com.au/ 
4. Challenge at Dies R Us. http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com.au/   

Brushos meet Dragonlfies + early WOYWW

hi there one and all,

Popping in with a quick share as things are pretty full on here.
It's sort of a WOYWWing a day early too as tomorrow is very busy, although my desk has little to show. So tomorrow on Wednesday (and afterwards) pop over to Julia's desk for the deskland world wide hop.

Basically I was adding the stamp (see red handle) of my blog and card names to back of cards - hence Versamark, embossing powders and heat gun, as embossing means you can change colour without changing inks :D

This die of the dragonfly is one of the Chinese dies from eBay (thanks to ShazSilverwolf). A niece, whose birthday it was, loves dragonflies and so do I. This was piece of brusho experiment from few weeks back on gloss card, so decided to use same colours on background with spot mask. With scrap card, I wiped up excess of colour from masked brusho background and used for the greeting.

Colours used were mostly Lime green, Yellow Ochre and Sandstone, sprinkle on gloss then spritz.

Sweet and Sassy Clear mount set of Christmas stamps, a NBUS, saw a card of snowflakes and white masked down side and wanted itched to have a paly so made this card. The embossed gold greeting "Glory to the new born King" is by ODB. Actually really shimmery on inked panel but cant see it.
EDIT- had folks asking soooo:
Panel was done with Distress inks after stamping in versamark and clear EP. I do an undercoat of base layer.. antique linen when blending as base coat gives smooth blending. Used reds and greens of DI two of each, and added Delicata Golden Glitz on top of masked panel, which gives gorgeous shimmer; also added it to edges of card to give it an aged look.

If ever there was a Christmassy tree, its the Poinciana, all red and green just glorious! this one was taken yesterday out on our drive. Below is close up of blossoms.

 

This was the beach, where we sat and ate our ice cream yesterday, first one looking south, second one looking north, a lovely summery weather here in Oz. Spoilt plus.

 

Thanks so much for popping over for peek and chat.. you are really appreciated!
Also a big welcome to a new encourager - but do not know blog so cant link...

So hi to LD Matte and please comment to let me know your blog so I can welcome you properly.

Don't forget to pop over to join in with Bizzy Bec's Anything Goes challenge.
You just might win that prize of that die or stamps, posted worldwide!

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.

Also joining up with
 Challenge at Dies Rus.
http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com.au/  

1..Word Art Wednesday - anything goes     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au  
2.. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au/

3. Any thing Goes at :  http://brownsugarchallenge.blogspot.com.au/ 

Shaker Cards using Nellie Snellen Eastern Ovals

Am still in Christmas card making mode at the moment!
To join in with us over at Bizzy Bec's ANY-thing Goes December Challenge - please pop over here!! a prize drawn each month!

Over on this post here, I used the Nellie Snellen Straight Eastern Oval dies as a mask for the Faux Vellum technique. Here it is being used in positive and negative for four shaker cards in negative space and for four ornament cards in positive cut.
On these cards I stamped with a silhouette Nativity stamp (from 1992).
Gold embossed the Darkroom Door Splatter stamp on background, masking around Nativity scene.

Verse for Unto us a child is born is by Unity stamps, Gold embossed, but think no longer available as had it for a while. Used SU Oval punch x 2 for verse.

Verses stamps on other shaker cards are from Our Daily Bread Stamps  Joy to the world, available from Bec upon request.
Used on verses, Spellbinder Fancy Tag Two from this die here + SB Fancy Tags.
The background on larger two was made with Memory Box Mask Stars (disc?) and Cosmic Shimmer glitter paste.

Then used the positive shape as an ornament on these cards. The verse used is also a discontinued one from the 1990's. Corners are from Martha Stewart punch, Layered Arches.

And the photo from Oz today sharing our summer sunshine with you, down at the river about half hour south - mouth of river out to ocean in far distance. Taken from our lunch time position on Friday.. not a bad view to overlook while eating, is it?

Thanks so much for popping over for peek and chat.. you are really appreciated! Don't forget to pop over to join in with Bizzy Bec's Anything Goes challenge. You just might win that prize of that die!

Shaz in Oz.x 

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”  1 John 4:14

Also joining up with

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

2.Word Art Wednesday - anything goes     http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au  
3. Crafty Hazlenut's  Extra Christmas challenge  http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com.au
4. http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/chnc-challenge-310-vintage-or-anything.html
5 Light in darkness - first  four shaker silhouette cards http://cuttlebugmania.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/shine_19.html  
6. http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-33/ 
7. The last three cards - http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/week-392-cas.html