Challenge #74 ... Psalm 23

Hi all!
Yesterday Stampin' Sisters in Christ  http://stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.com/ put out a challenge to use lots of blue and green in our creation. They used Psalm 23 as their inspiration - this Psalm speaks of the Lord being my Shepherd, giving me green pastrues to lie in and peaceful waters to walk beside. I love this Psalm. I know it seems to be one that we hear at funerals and not much at any other time - BUT - many years ago I wrote these words in my Bible beside this Psalm - "happiness; contentment; positive; hopeful; faith approach to life" - and so it is! I hope you will check out their blog and take a moment to reflect on this Psalm.

Here is the card I made this morning. I know. No Stampin' Up! I have been looking for ocean and beach based stamps... primarily because the beach is a place of peace for me; of reflection; and of rest.... not when it's full of people but when it's me and God - and maybe hubby, family, or a friend or two! :) I found this stamp set on Saturday on an excursion with a couple friends -and when I saw this challenge I just knew I had to use it. I took 3 of the stamps and put them together as a scene. Hope you enjoy your peek!

I just have to show a couple beach pictures I took last summer - How blessed I am! Can't wait to get back there this year!

Have a wonderful day!
HUGS!!!
Ruthie

"thinking of you"

Good morning...
and what a beautiful one it is! Sun shining brightly ... love to see the sun!
Here is the sketch from http://utahdivasinternational/ -

...and here is the card I made from this sketch... I needed to make a card for the husband of a friend ... he fell last week on the ice and has some broken bones as a result! This will be a time of testing for them both - for sure! :)
I used Soft Suede CS and the glitter brads from the Occasions Mini - Stampin' Up!

Hope you have a wonderful day ... keep your eyes on the sun ... and on the SON!
Blessings and hugs!
Ruthie

More Greenhouse Gala

Good Morning.
I don't know about you guys but I sure will be glad to see Spring arrive! I so love the spring season - when flowers appear; buds come on the trees; "peepers" start peeping - and so on!
For now I have the Greenhouse Gala DSP to help me thru!

Here are the other 2 cards I promised to show you (see yesterdays post)...

Card #3:

Card #4:

Thanks for peeking into my little world ...
((((hugs))))
Ruthie

Greenhouse Gala!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not one to sit and "mass produce" cards ...especially using all the same stamps, same design, DSP, etc. I was reading on a blog the other day that this gal had 30 invitations to make (forget if they were for a bridal shower or what...) and I thought to self ... "ummmm! Not sure I would want to do that." I guess I would have to put my mind to it and set up an assembly line...

So - why am I telling you this? Well!
One day, a couple weeks ago, I had a thought! :)
I said to myself, "Why don't you make a bunch of cards using the same DSP and one stamp set,  rather than making one card, putting that "stuff" away, and then doing another, etc." And self said, "Hey! sounds like a good idea."
So that is exactly what I did.

I made four 5X5 cards that afternoon using Greenhouse Gala DSP and the stamp set "Just Believe" - all from Stampin' Up! Today I am showing you 2 of them and tomorrow I will show you the other 2...

Here is card # 1:

 Here is card #2:

Today is a "storm day" around here... another wintery one! Maybe I'll get creative and attempt a challenge or two!
Stay snug and warm!
Thanks for stopping by...
Ruthie

BRRRRR -

Hi All!
BRRRRRRR - It is a COLD one today...
[ -13 with wind chill of about -21 ]
I'm hoping that this spring-like card will take your mind off the chill in the air and transport you to a warmer place!

I used Tangerine Tango CS; TT and Old Olive ink; Greenhouse Gala DSP. I used the Sweetheart stamp set for the heart flower, bird, sentiment; then took the heart from Paisley Prints and stamped it inside the larger heart. Of course, I had to add a few pearls!

I hope you stay cozy and warm today!
Blessings,
Ruthie

PPA77 - Sketch Challenge

Good morning!
Whoa! It is chilly today! And sooooooo windy! A good day to stay inside and craft! :)
I made a card last evening for the Pals Paper Arts weekly challenge. This week the challenge was to follow this sketch. When I first looked at it I thought, "Nahhh, too many layers for me." But - I decided to put my mind to it and I did come up with a card - and - it was quite fun doing all the layers!

Here is my take on this sketch - I used Blueberry Crisp DSP and

Elements of Style stamp set from Stampin' Up! River Rock CS is the base for the card...

and the inside:

Thanks for stopping by today!

Stay warm and safe!

Hugs....

Ruthie

Buttons and Pearls...

Good Morning everyone!
I have a card for you today that showcases butttons and pearls ... but I bet you already guessed that, huh?
And once again...I used the Springtime Vintage DSP - This has to be my most favorite of all time! I use it for everything.
My most current journal - a dollar store composition book - is covered with this DP. I'll show you that too.

For the card I used Night Of Navy CS and ribbon - I like the depth of color in this particular navy CS. I love buttons and I purchase them - then I don't know what to do with them... so here I am - breaking out of the box so to speak!

 I used Rose Red CS on the journal and Pretty in Pink satin ribbon.

I hope you enjoyed your peek here today - I have lots more to show you and have to restrain myself from giving it to you all at once! :)
Have a great day!
Blessings on you all!
Ruthie

"NEW" - Stampin' Sisters in Christ #72

Guess I was wrong... I said I wouldn't be back til the end of next week but when I saw this challenge at http://stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.com/ I just knew I had to participate.

2 Corinthinas 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

Yesterday 5 gals got together to do some dry embossing... two of them were very new at this. I am showing you a card I put together during that time ... what fun we had! I have always loved the beauty of the butterfly!
There is a quote that goes something like this that I like as well! "What the catepillar sees as the end, the butterfly sees as a new beginning". I cannot look at a butterfly without thinking of newness and new beginnings - especailly after having journeyed with a dear Sister in Christ thru her cancer journey this past year! She has been a true inspiration to all around her as she has "Let Go and Let God". She - who loves butterflies - is truly a butterfly today! Praising God for that!
So Janet - this post is in honor of you!

Thanks for stopping by today... see you next week!

Springtime Vintage

Good Morning!
Beautiful day today! I have the patio door open a bit to let some of that clean fresh air inside!!!! Hubby says "You're heating up the outdoors." But I gotta have me some fresh air!!!!

Here is a thank you card I made a while back ... pretty simple! I have never used the tab punch for anything  but tabs and then had a light bulb moment! I would imagine this has been done a thousand times or more ... but for me it was new!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Just so yah know - I will be absent from blogger land for most of the next week - hoping to return next weekend!
Blessings on you!
Ruthie

Second UDI #18

Good Morning!
I have another card for you this morning that uses the Utah Divas color challenge ... but I changed the Very Vanilla to Whisper White; and used Whisper White Organza Ribbon insted of the Always Artichoke. If you read my post for yesterday you saw that I wasn't totally happy with the outcome of Card #1.....

TaDa!!!!
Here is card #2:

Now that I have the 2 side-by-side I like them both! Go Figure!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day!
Blessings,
Ruthie

UDI Color Challenge #18

Well! Here I am back with a second post today.
The weather sure has changed and I guess that storm is here! Who knew?
Anyway - In my daily "stampin' blog" visits I found this color challenge: Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum, Concord Crush, Very Vanilla - isn't this bouquet of flowers gorgeous? Almost makes me forget that it is snowing outside!

I decided to make a card for this challenge and here it is!

The picture doesn't do it justice, for sure! I didn't have any AA ribbon so I dyed a piece of white organza with sponge and ink .. gotta love that. Did some sponging, embossing, layering, embellishing - and there you have it? You can't see by the picture but I layered each mat...

Fairly often I will complete a card and it just isn't what I had pictured in my mind ... that is what has happened with this one. I think it needs White and Old Olive instead of the colors I used .... so sometime today I will make another one - the same but different!!! Ever done that? Oh, I bet you have!
For now...
Stay warm, stay safe!
((((hugs))))
Ruthie

"HAPPY" card!

It's a funny-strange day here. School's have been cancelled but we have no snow... go figure! I know that there is talk of a storm coming our way but at this moment in time it is 1 degree C, very windy, and the temp is supposed to go up? What's with that?

This card is a "happy" card .... I used the set "Define Your Life" for the sentiment. The "Poppy" DSP is from the In Color DSP Pack - Level 1 Hostess set. The flower is one of the "Adornments" flowers - page 15 in Occasions Mini (Love these!). I attached the flower to one of the "Big Designer Buttons" (page 16)

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you are tucked in nice and warm!
Blessings,
Ruthie

Scallops, Scallops, and More Scallops!

No! No!
Not the "fish" kind - I don't like them!
Paper Scallops!
The other day I received a S. Up! order with the Scallop Circle Die (large one) in it.... just had to put it too use. Here are 2 Scallop cards I made by folding the CS in half and placing the fold just below the edge of the die so that the fold remains after the CS has been run through the die. Hope that makes sense. :)

Once I had the circles cut I embossed them with embossing folders. Then I stamped on the larger scallop from the Scallop Circle #2 die - colored the images and - voila! There you have it! A small, simple card!

I know! I know! Who ever heard of a pink swan! She is my original! ;)

Hope you had a good day today and enjoyed your peek here!
Blessings!
Ruthie

With Sympathy

Hi all!
Just a short post tonight... a couple sympathy cards I needed to make this week -

Hope you are having a great weekend!
See you next week!
In HIM,
Ruthie

Winter Wonderland!

Well!
We certainly have a winter wonderland out there today! It snowed all day yesterday - and now the sun is shining on the trees that are laden with snow! How beautiful!
Here are a couple pics I took yesterday!
This one is of my Teddie - boy!

 This is looking from our back deck!

And here is a card to share with you! Another thank you card -

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping  by!
Blessings,
Ruthie

colorQchallenge #66

Hey everyone!
It's a cold one here today! Gotta keep the SON shinin' within!

Here is my submission for the ColorQ challenge #66: I love these colors!!!!

I always liked "Soft Sky" and was disappointed when Stampin' Up! took it away :(    Maybe they'll rethink that decision sometime soon!
I have a number of thank you cards to make - here is one for a special friend!
I used Greenhouse Gala DSP; Daffodil Delight satin ribbon (gotta love that satin ribbon!); and some pearls!
The senitment and the butterfly inside are retired ... but not by me! :)

Now to write my note and deliver this, and do some errands, and .... well! you know how the story goes!
See you soon!
Keep looking up!
(((HUGS))))
Ruthie

Triple Challenges!

Triple challenges! WOW!
http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/  [CAC68] and http://stampinbsdesignteam.blogspot.com/ [#91]
wanted us to make a "celebration" card! That was so easy for me! This card  celebrates my Lord and Who He is and all He means to me!
The 3rd challenge was a card sketch! Here is the sketch from http://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ [#65]

This is the card I made to meet all 3 challenges! I used the Springtime Vintage DSP with Pear Pizzazz CS; and added a touch of Daffodil Delight with the ribbon!. You can't really see it in this picture but the flowers have a soft hint of "yellow" in them! This card is so much prettier in "real life"! :)

 This is the inside of the card ....

Have a great day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ruthie

Springtime Vintage & Rich Razzleberry...

Greetings on this first day of the New Year!
My hubby worked overnight on New Years Eve... so one of my crafting friends came over for supper, and some serious card making!  :) We later watched a movie, and she left around 2230... I was in bed by 0001!

Here is one of the Thank You cards I made... using the Springtime Vintage DSP from the Occassions Mini. I love this paper!!!!  Ordering from this mini begins January 4th!
I used Pear Pizzazz & Rich Razzleberry CS and the RR striped ribbon! I love how this co-ordinated with the DSP.

Thanks for peekin' today!
See you next week!
((( HUGS )))
Ruthie