Salt: Serving for God's glory

It's time for a new Salt challenge and Kim chose the topic - you can read what she had to say here.

I marvel that God has entrusted me with any gifts to use for Him - it is such a humbling thought and one that I find difficult to get my head round - and yet, He has told us in scripture that if we desire the gifts that He has for us, and ask for them, He will give them to us - so it is my prayer that I use such gifts to minister to others for His glory.

The cardstock is DCWV textured and the other bits and pieces of paper are BG wisteria; Prima pearls and crystals. The picture I've used is one I found on the internet (sorry, can't remember where) - I changed the colour to suit the LO.

As usual, you can see the LO better if you click on the picture. There are stamped and embossed hearts on the card beneath the picture.

In stitches

I used to do a lot of cross stitch, but found that it hurt my back too much to sit doing it and I had to give it up. The piece on this card was made quite some time ago and was just left in a book, waiting to be used some fine day!

Day 220 on 365 cards was 'in stitches' - 'How do you feel about cross-stitching? Well, that's what I'm going to ask you to do. There doesn't have to be much, but if there are any cross-stitchers out there, we'd love to see what you can do on a card!'

'In stitches' is also the topic this week for Ildi Co's challenge 3

It's a bit spoiled, in that I mounted the piece of cross stitched aida on to a piece of black card first and then decided to trim it because the black card didn't look right, leaving the corners showing.

A touch of autumnal velvet

This card is for challenge 74 on A spoonful of sugar: sketch by Debbie:



I've used Laura Ashley papers - the squares being velvet flocked effects and the centre image one of their matching velvet rub ons - I wish you could feel them! They are definitely 'touchy, feely' so are just right for 365 cards day 188 'touchy, feely Friday' - to use felt or flocking on your card.

I hope the colours I've used are autumnal enough for challenge 43 on the crafty pad.

Crafty Calendar (a new monthly challenge blog) challenge 1 is also 'autumn', with the option of using plants or vegetation - well, there's no vegetation, but I think there's a floral feel to the card.

A new monthly challenge blog 'By the cute and girly' started this month (a new challenge will be held on 1st of each month) and the topic is 'autumn glory', so I'm linking this card.

Lastly, Belli challenge 76 is 'fall, thankgsgiving with a leaf ...' and there are definitely some leaves on here.

I have to confess that the velvet rub on didn't go quite as it should have done. I hadn't realised how brown the rub on would be and put it on brown card to match the card blank and it really didn't show up very well (although I might still use it some time). What I actually used on this card is the image that was left after the rub on had been done - in other words, the negative effect, which has a flock velvet feel, but the other way round - so, by accident, I've discovered that you can get two for the price of one from each rub on!

The velvet flocking gives a really nice embossed feel to the card, which is another one for the treehouse challenge 20.(faux embossing was allowed).



This is the rub on as it should have been used, but it really is quite dark on the dark card (it's difficult to tell from the pack how the rub on will turn out - now I've done one I know what to expect):

Sweet treat

Challenge 83 on Cute Card Thursday this week is 'candy corn's - making a 'sweet themed' card, so I hope this is sweet enough - card, paper and image are all Dena designs:

Delightful daisies

'Delightful' daisies' is challenge 42 on Charisma Cardz this week.

I just happened to find these embossed daisies in my box of odd bits - so I just chalked the centres with yellow.

It's another card for the treehouse 20: 'embossing'.

Get well soon

The theme for this week's challenge on Simon Says is to make a 'get well soon' card. I needed some extra ones for the mini market sale, so here are three of those I made.

The first image is a Dottie download from Charmed cards and crafts.

Most get well cards seem to be suitable mainly for women, so I've made sure that I've made some with a more masculine look (without being sexist), hence the ship on the third one.

I'm linking the first card for Secret Crafter Saturday challenge 54 'dig deep' - to use an old stamp or image - the Dottie image was one that I downloaded and used some time ago, printed off a few more and found them today in a box with other bits and pieces.

A special anniversary

This is another special card with a number on it for challenge 19 this week on Creative Inspirations:

On your wedding day ... with love

The challenge for day 112 on 365 cards 'everlasting love' was to make a wedding card with 'love' in the sentiment. This is a simple card, using an irridescent card blank with a soft lilac sheen:

Gatefolds

No time for stamping challenge 109 was to make a gatefold card and Get Sketchy 10 was this sketch, which led itself to making a gatefold:



This is what I came up with - both cards have an irridescent look to them. As the centre pieces of each card have paisley designs on them, I'm also linking for yesterday's 365 cards (day 236): 'pretty paisley'.

Haven't I seen that somewhere before?

I made lots of cards today - all sorts - birthday, sympathy, get well etc etc ... and some more Christmas cards, ready for the church mini market tomorrow. I got to the stage this afternoon where I just wanted to put a few more together and had one or two bits and pieces that were suitable to be used - don't often do this, but decided to do a bit of recycling, as called for on Saturday's Workout 77: 'recycle it'.

The theme this week on Die Cuts R us is 'an earth friendly challenge' - well, I'm not sure whether I've interpreted this in the way that was envisaged, but to my mind recycling is very 'earth friendly', so I'm linking for that.

The pictures used on these cards were all recycled - the rest of the materials used weren't.

The 'music' paper is English Paper Company, the paper on the 3rd card is Dovecraft, the fourth card background greetings is vellum (I ran it through my xyron so it stuck perfectly on the embossed card blank).

Challenge 9 on Stampin' sisters for Christ is based on Luke 2:11: 'Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.' 'The challenge is to make a card or project featuring the nativity or other religious theme about Christ's birth.' - most of these cards fit the bill for that.

The third card is good for challenge 19: 'winter wonderland' this week on Die Cut Dreams.

A tall card

This card is for sketch 37 on Card Patterns:



As it's a tall card it's right for Caardvarks 'a tall order'.

Day 230: 'shape up!' on 365 cards calls for a semi circle to be used, so I'm linking for that, and as there is chalked embossing, I'm also linking for the Treehouse challenge 20 (sorry that the embossing doesn't show up well and the colour looks different to real life).

The paper for the semi circle is BG Scarlet's letter (still one of my fav, despite having loads and loads of other BG pads).

Anniversary card

This anniversary card uses elements from the music and dance kit from QVC to make the 3D effect, following the sketch on Crazy 4 challenges 7:



This is another card for Crafty Catz 4 colour combo - to use black, white and one other colour, also ribbon and any other embellishments (the black gems). This week's challenge on Paper Maniac Inspirations (now on Sundays) also calls for black, white and a pop of colour.

The topic on C.R.A.F.T. this week for challenge 22 is 'anniversary' - you can see from the second photo that this card is for that occasion.

As this is a '3D' type card with the twisted decoupage (or is it pyramage?), I'm also linking for the special Sunday challenge this week on My Creative Clutter. (I've just added this because I couldn't remember until now where the challenge was!).

It looks as if one of the pieces on the left is out of alignment, but it isn't - it's just the angle of the camera.

Pink card

This card is for Taylored Expressions 87 sketch:



Again I've used Dena design papers and chipboard.

Birthday girl

This card uses this week's sketch on Prairie Papers:



It also uses the picture given this week for Art Creations 45:



The card blank has a pink pearly sheen and the paper is Dena designs.

More clean and simple

Another sketch from Clean & Simple, this time for FTL64:



Papers are again Dena designs and Dovecraft ribbons. The green flower in the first one is Laura Ashley and the roses on both cards are Carol Wilson.

Clean and Simple

These cards are for Clean & Simple FTL63:



They also fit the colours called for on Easy Breezy 'Kewl' colour challenge 8 and also Our Creative Corner color challenge for this week.

Papers are Dena designs, a mixture of flowers and Prima pearls.

Commissioned card

I was asked by a friend to make a card for her husband's birthday with a jazz theme and incorporate a photo of him as a youngster. Some of the music and dance kit I bought a while ago from QVC came in handy for this. I used nesties for the photo and surround and had to resort to peel offs for letters and numbers. It's an A5 card.

This card fits the challenge on Creative Inspirations 19: “A Special Card or Project with Numbers on it”
Also 365 cards day 172: ABC's and 123's

WOYWW

It's Wednesday again - and I only remembered about WOYWW because I visited a couple of blogs where there were pictures for it.

So here's mine tonight:

Animal inchies

It's time to do my inchies for the BF October swap - the theme is 'animals'.

I've used two Penny Black stamps - I think I need a bit of licence for the size of the butterfly in comparison to the dog, but nevermind! They were stamped on to BG Scarlet's letter paper and coloured with copics.

Gingersnap 27 colour challenge is 'orange, green and brown' - all on these inchies.

Clearly orange

This afternoon I made my ATCs for the October swap on BF - the theme is 'orange'.

The theme for DCM this week is 'I can see clearly now' - the leaves I used are a bit pearlised, but are acetate, so I think they count for this challenge. I've had a pack of them for ages and can't remember where I got them from, but they seemed just right - altogether I made nine ATCs like this one.

I'm behind with the Crafty Pad challenge 41, but thought I'd still link as this was a recipe calling for 1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 brads and a swirl.

The main background paper is BG cupcake mac'n cheese and the bottom right hand corner piece is ambrosia. The Dawn Bibby stamp swirl has been stamped with versamark and clear embossed, although you can't see the shine on here - this fits the Whimsy challenge 24 'emboss-abilities'.

Moving along with the times 17 is to create anything BUT a card - so I thought this ATC is just right.

Paper Cutz Challenge prize

This is the prize I've received for winning challenge 10 at Paper Cutz: