Every Good Gift

I heard on the news earlier this week that 50% of America's land is farm land, so I don't suppose it is surprising that this paper made me think of fields and farmland and forests and the harvest.  I love looking down over the "patchwork quilt" of the earth when we fly...it never ceases to amaze me and overwhelm me with gratitude for the beauty and the bounty that surrounds us.  I don't ever want to take that for granted.  

Our farmhouse sentiment series is on sale this week, so it was obviously the perfect opportunity to put these papers and sentiments together for a paper-pieced landscape.  

I have made several similar cards in the past using colored card stock, white card stock with distress/oxide inks, or designer paper. Some were torn or cut freehand, others (as this one) cut with dies. It is fun to see how different they are even though the "anatomy" and layout of the card is essentially the same.

I had fun shuffling die-cut scraps of this two-sided designer paper, arranging them to maximize the contrast between the various greens, yellows and blues to create the illusion of hills and valleys on a sunny day. I included a bit of distressing along the edges to add emphasis.  It shows up better in person than through the camera lens...I may have to try it again on a stair step card just to achieve a more 3D effect. 

This is kinda what I was seeing in my mind's eye as I was creating my card, although this is in Scotland rather than here in America. This photo was taken at Ardalanish (a working farm and mill shop on the Isle of Mull) when we were there in 2024.  If you look really closely you can see the black sheep grazing way down in the valley!   

Here's the inside of the card, which with a little tweaking really would also entirely work as a card front if so desired!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Sentiments QUAD Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Farmhouse Signage (tiny heart)
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Organic 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Country Church (trees, clouds)
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Orange
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Original Bow Easy
• distress oxide inks
• white acrylic paint for spatters
• button from stash
• Spellbinders standard circles small

He's the Reason for the Season

 

Hi y'all!

I can hardly believe it is October already!  This week we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary on Tuesday, and then remembered my dad on his birthday (he would have been 101!) on Wednesday.  

I've been in full-on Fall mode, preparing for a broom-making class that's happening today (Thursday 10/8) at the Textiles Guild in St. Augustine (at the Lightner Museum).  We're making a turkey-wing whisk of natural broomcorn wrapped with nylon cording.  

Stamp Simply

But this week's Stamp Simply project is not for Fall.  It's for Christmas!  It uses one of our current Product of the Week sets, Jesus.  I love this set because it is filled with sentiments and verses that bring music and Bible studies to mind.  Lots of great memories of good times with special people.  

For the focal image I used one of the printed blocks from Carta Bella's A Wonderful Christmas paper pad, stamping two sentiments directly onto the designer paper.  There are several prints from that same paper pad in the background, with a strip of houses and a die-cut heart from more of the pad's coordinating prints.  It all goes so well together and makes designing so easy peasy.  

The inside is stamped with the verse from Isaiah that is well known from The Messiah Chorus.  I always end up singing it because I find it absolutely impossible to simply read it!  So there had to be that little music charm added to the bow on the front of the card.  ❤️

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Jesus
• Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
• Seam Binding Sampler - Christmas - 30 yards
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• distress oxide inks
• music charm from stash

Thanks for stopping by!  See you next week!   

Tea Time Pocket Card

Hi friends!

I grew up in southwest Louisiana where coffee is king and tea is served iced and sweet but I have definitely, true to my Scots heritage, learned to embrace a nice cup of hot tea.  Taking time out to enjoy a cup can definitely bolster one's energy and mood...this little Tea Time Pocket Card serves as a cup of love and a reminder to take Life one cup at a time! 

Today's project features stamps and dies from Stamp Simply's Coffee (or tea?!) series which is the current Product of the Week through Saturday.  

This project has a 5.5 x 4.25 inch card base upon which is attached a 4.25 x 9 inch (scored at 3 and 6 inches) "z-fold" of card stock.  

The center section is a perfect spot for tucking a tea bag or sample into a tiny pocket.  For this project I used a combination of Stamp Simply Coffee or Tea designer paper along with a couple of two-sided sheets of Craft Consortium Grunge Light.  The colors worked together perfectly.  

If I'd had a sample of butterfly pea tea to enclose that would have been perfect but I didn't, so Mardi Gras blend black it was (from Plum Deluxe)!  It has black tea, cinnamon chips, vanilla/pecan essence, safflower, and blue Malta flowers, so it seemed fitting! Sounds so yummy! 

I used a strip of easy-tear scor-tape to adhere a strand of cord toward the bottom of the back section of the z-fold card stock before adhering the z-fold to the card base.  With a tea bag tucked into the pocket, the cord/ribbon helps hold everything in place when the card is closed.   

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Coffee or Tea? Bundle
• Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Gems
• Cord/Rope/String
• vellum
• distress oxide ink
• Wink of Stella clear glitter pen