Lost Art Cards and Designs

Tea. Quotes, magazine photos, and cozy vignettes bombard the senses at this time of year with the promise of enjoyment a cup of hot tea brings.  It can be served in a beautiful floral patterned  china teacup or a whimsical ceramic mug and as long as the beverage is hot and served with love, the fragrant drink satisfies our need for a few moments of escape.   One cup of hot tea of almost any flavor or variety will do. So with this card I would like to honor the delightful  tradition of a blissful wintertime pastime.  


Tea shared with a friend makes the momentary occasion all the more pleasurable, however if you lack the presence of someone dear to your heart to chat, converse or share a few tidbits with you can curl up on the sofa with a good book, or simply bask in the warm sunshine streaming in the window and daydream for a minute or two.  Why , if you were to be seated at my table for tea, I might pull out a photograph of my new and very first grandson, Gregory Stuart, who was born just before Christmas, and is a most welcome addtion in my life.  

Gregory Stuart 2012

Isn't he adorable? Or was that precious?  Some other ways to enjoy a cup of tea are to phone a daughter who has recently become a mother and encouarge and reassure her of her abiltiy to be a good mom, or to pray for a daughter who is training to possibly become a missionary in a foreign land, or to pray for the plan of God to be made evident in another daughter's life as she seeks Him in all that she does, or to say hello when she comes home from work. And though my cup of hot tea may be used as a respite from the demands of homeschooling my teenage son, that time is also well used in preparation of the next hour or so of school together at home.

So , I invite you, fill up the tea kettle, open the cupboard or the china cabinet, select a tea cup or mug, place the teabag into the cup,  pour yourself a cup of hot tea and enjoy the winter season  remembering you are loved by God and those He has placed in your life.  


Have a good day today!

Here is my first attempt at stamping a plate using Rubber Stamp Tapestry's ceramic bisque stamps and paint supplies.  Thanks to the encouragement and enthusiasm from the staff at Color Me Mine, Harrisburg,PA, for being as excited as me when seeing the results after glazing and firing the plate. 

In approximately 12 weeks I will become a grandmother.  Looking back to the day when I learned about the new addition to my family I began thinking ,"What could I make to give as a gift, knowing a baby shower would take place sometime this year?"  Unsuccessfully attempting crocheted baby booties, I decided to stick with something I could complete with better results,which became the design of my new baby announcement card, Vintage Baby Carriage, and presented a set of cards to my daughter yesterday at her shower in a handmade box with parchment tag.  I think she enjoyed opening them almost as much as I enjoyed making them.  

Complete Set with covered box lid

The best inspiration comes from God.  When we pray He answers and gives life, creativity, goodness and love.                                                                   

Purchasing a current issue of Card Maker Magazine, 37 Popular Techniques for Card Making, helped me practice cardmaking techniques I had forgotten or not used for a time.  Opening the magazine, browsing the entire issue found me eager and a little nervous to begin. 


The paper this card is stamped on is at least two years old.  The hand-drawn pumpkin drawings with a muted graphic style paper on the reverse side attracted my eye immediately the day it was purchased.  After perusing through my paper box I selected several pages with a fall theme and was ready to start.
  
The first technique illustrated how to make a gate fold card.  After measuring I bravely cut the paper, almost hearing those plump pumpkins yelp:)  I folded the paper and stopped.  "Now what?" I thought.  Minutes passed.  It was then that I bowed my heart and head asking the Creator of the whole universe to help me design this card.  "What is your design for this card?" I asked Him.  Soon after praying, His still, small voice directed me. " Try some of the Spellbinder Die Cut templates."  I pulled out the storage drawer labeled diecuts and searched for the exact shape to use.  The ideas flooded in. 


As I turned my gate fold card over and over I wondered what to do next. "What would this front look like with a cut angle in the middle?"  "What shape should it be, square or rounded?"  were some of my thoughts.  Trying several different template shapes,  I settled on the one the He originally gave to me-- a square placed as a diamond, cut in the middle of the flap.  Then with brilliant and blazingly insight He guided me with this question--"What about a diamond shape cut out of the center of the back to make a unique peek- through type card? " What a great idea!  Though I didn't want to risk my only piece of this paper I trusted His instinct in me, decided on the correct size of the square placed as a diamond and Cuttlebugged the shape.  "Perfect!", I thought.  To add dimension to the inside center I cut a smaller square of the muted graph style paper on which I planned to stamp a design using Rubber Stamp Tapestry's Pumpkin Border set.  It looked nice, but still needed something that would make it jump out. "Wonder what green would look like on top of terra cotta?"... and a creative idea was born.


Choosing Versa ink colors was the next step and I practiced on a piece of scrap paper.  Duplicating the design on the muted graph paper wasn't difficult and then I tied a small piece of raffia style paper ribbon in a knot guided by the distressed looking line on the upper left portion of the small square I cut.  Not forgetting Stickles, the image was complete. 

The next idea that came was to cut out a whole hand-drawn pumpkin from the remaining paper and place it on the bottom right flap. Itching to try my new Copic Marker colors, I colored in the hand-drawn lines and liked the result.  Not completely satisfied I stamped some pumpkin leaves and tendrils on paper, cut them out and glued them on using Martha Stewart craft glue on the pumpkin.  Now the pumpkin was noticeable.  


Words were next.  Not finding anything suitable I leaped into the van and headed for Michael's Craft Store and after a quick  jaunt down the sticker aisle I chose to purchase some clear alphabet stamps by InkaDinkaDo.  Anxious to finish the card I returned home, placed the letters on a clear acrylic block and stamped a practice set so that I could choose the correct ink color.  Arranging the word 'fall' in lowercase letters I stamped the word on the lower left flap and traced around each letter to highlight the word.  Turning the card over I completed my project by stamping my logo that was designed by Sarah Roberts,www.reflectingthedesigner.com and smiled.  


What do you think?    

It has been a long and busy summer. But now that my daughter's wedding is over and school started, it is FINALLY my turn to do some fun and creative things.

Today I made a hat, or rather, I should say, decorated a hat. I wanted a funky, pretty, bright hat to wear on a walk to raise money for children with heart problems and today I made one.

Materials Used:

~one white baseball hat from Art Media
~iron-on appliques from Patch-It-Up!
~Rhinestone Stickers from Darice
~Dress It Up Buttons from Jesse James and Co., Inc.
~Busy Butterflies by Blumenthal Lansing Co.
~Fashion Fabric Markers by Marvy


Unfortunately I won't be able to walk for them this fall, but next year I am looking forward to fully participating.

I would appreciate your comments on my newly decorated hat below. Thanks!

As you may have noticed there have been no new posts for quite some time. My oldest daughter is getting married in August and we have been very busy planning her wedding. I am hoping to find some time to stamp, but I doubt I will get much of a chance.

Most of my days have been spent taking one of my children to a job or activity, doing regular errands, or keeping regularly scheduled appointments. When I am not running all over the place, I am taking care of my home, reading a book, or just sitting around trying to regain something of myself.