Alternative Alterations

I think when you make an alternative card, especially a baby card, it tends to stand out from the usual blues, pinks and yellows. I liked the idea of using notepaper, but never done it before, so this was the start of the inspiration to this card. I used some bright pink felt flowers and filled with buttons, added brownsand turqouise and it all came together in the end!

I was admiring a brooch on a ladies bag, when she went on to tell me it was made from a zip! It was so effective, and looked like it was colured stitching rather than part of a metal zip. Inspired I looked through the internet to see if I could find a pattern, but to no avail. Instead I found a few other designs. Combining the ideas, this was my first effort maknig a zip brooch, with locally charity shop sorced zips!

Home Improvements

Recently made this card inspired by the paper (by Papermania- me thinks?) which had this gorgeous chair design, and an idea form a craft magazine, but adapted it to suit. Ideal for a new home card, retirement or that sort of thing. I had fun making the details, like the picture frame and the lamp. The photo doesnt show up that some of the furniture is stuck on 3d to give it a better effect.

A sponge cake I made for my husband's Grandad who turned 85 recently. Just something simple...Note to self- invest in some brown food colouring! I had to use cocoa powder to achieve the colour for the bird.

End of an Era

My son finished at nursery last friday :( I made a window cling (nearly A4 size) for the nursery and made a frame each for the teachers. Seems strange to come to the end of an era only to start a new one at school! But thats life! Oh the joys of labelling everything....

SALT & Sugar!

This card I made for the SALT CHALLENGE, the general topic is on prayer, but please read the blurb on the site for more detail. I must admit I was stuck for inspiration until I noticed another person on the design team had used this verse, and I happened to have the same one in a clear sticker! I finally bought myself a pricking tool which I used for the faux stitching around the edge, and some new papers I picked up in a sale.
Some cupcakes I made recently for my son's nursery cake sale. My cards seem to be put on the shelf for the time being whilst I take up my new hobbie of cake decorating! Although I do come back to it now and again. Thanks to my sister Ruth, who gave me the tip on using paper punches on rice paper to make the butterflies! Forever in your debt! Thanks!

Frames for Friends

Here are some recent frames I did for commissions for some friends. I really enjoyed doing the black and white one, especially as it came out how I wanted! The idea behind it was old fashioned movies, hence the black and white feather and bling! The verse inside is Psalm 121, and was given to a young lady on the occasion of her baptism.This frame was for a couple's wedding anniversary, think it may have been 25 years- hence the touch of silver!

This frame was for twins, I wanted something that would be suitable for both the boy and girl without going down the blue and pink route.

Loving Lawrence

Using some newly accuired Larence Lewellyn Bowen papers, I came up with these... Card for My father in law's Birthday, with an image of his car that he is going to get...

A bright cheery card for my mum's birthday, inspired by the colurs from the papers, I like the detail of the hummingbird charm- can you spot it?!

This card is for the SALT challenge, here is the blurb 'I have chosen to focus on one element of the Spirit's work - the community of faith. In Acts 2:42-47 Luke describes the amazing first congregation and how they share their lives together totally. It is quite something to try and live up to. How do we become Acts 2 communities today? I also thought about Matthew 18:20 (where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them). Being a Minister I feel I have to point out that this reading is not just a reminder of Jesus being with us when there are just a few of us there, but that the context is actually when people are falling out and how to deal with it - but that is part of being a community of faith too. Community of faith could be a church, a group, your family, your area. You may want to focus on the highs or lows of trying to be the people together that Jesus has called us to be. I'll leave it to you and the Spirit to mull over as you create with'. So with 'Matthew 18:20' in mind I used the Unique BG stamp and hero arts Family definition stamp. Gold foil from an easter egg, and LLB paper for the centre.

Sufficient to Strengthen

The SALT challenges of late, have been a challenge and more importantly an encouragement! Challenging in the sense that God really does speak through His word (the Bible). The challenges seem so appropriate to situations I go through. This weeks card was made for a specific couple in mind. When we go through trials, it seems that more struggles are piled on to us, but this verse teaches that through our suffering God's undeserved love shines through, and is enough to get us through, if only we lean and trust in HIM!!!

Here is the blurb 'the topic for this week and I chose God's Strength based on 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It seems lately that I have been made aware of so many people going through so many difficult trials, serious illnesses/injuries, financial strains, marital stress, loss of loved ones, and more. It's often easy for us to begin to question God's purposes and worry or despair. In this chapter of Corinthians, we see the example of the apostle Paul, how he prayed 3 times for God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" (we are not told what it was). God's answer should be our encouragement and comfort as it was Paul's! "My grace is sufficient for you."Matthew Henry in his commentary on this chapter states that "Grace signifies . . . The good-will of God towards us, and this is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses. . . . Christ Jesus understands our case, and knows our need, and will proportion the remedy to our malady, and not only strengthen us, but glorify himself."

Please visit SALT and if you dont feel like you can take part at least enjoy the creativity of the design team and their artwork.

'Try something new today'

Although I subscribe to a craft magazine, I cant say that I tend to get a lot from it.... silly I know, Ishould really cancel the subscription. But while looking for inspiration I came across a card with these torn flowers on, I have seen them before, but never tried it for myself; until now! I tore the circles without the aid of any puches (I dont know if that is what you are supposed to do?) using some co-ordinating coloured off cuts and found some small buttons for the centre. I used the edge of my teweezers to create the piercing effect for the faux stitching and used pencil for the lines. I was pleased with the results, and hope to make some more of those flowers!

A serious case of....

A serious case of... blog neglection! Life seems to be full of one thing and another, and I am finally finding myself at nearly 11.30pm loading photos on my blog, never the less here I am! I have quickly knocked together this weeks SALT challenge of PERSERVERANCE, Here is some of the blurb for the challenge ''perseverance' is based on Hebrews 12:1 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.'I am so encouraged that, although we are urged to persevere, the race is 'marked out for us', so we can rest assured that the plans for our lives are in God's hands. However, we must do our part and 'throw off everything that hinders' and keep on track with Him...If we are to run the race well, we need to get rid of those things in our lives that would hold us back from going God's way.Sometimes it is hard to persevere - when circumstances are such that life is difficult - but I believe that the key to our perseverance is in the next verse of Hebrews 12, where the writer says: 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.'

I was pleased to find the photo I was looking for of this pair of my dads shoes, along size my nephews ones when he was small, which helped me with the colour scheme of the layout.

Easter, Explained...

It was my turn to set the challenge this week at SALT. This is what the blurb says (for worry that I will only repeat myslf..) I don't know about you, but this year is flying by! Everyone seems as busy as ever, and EASTER is fast approaching! So that brings me (Esther) neatly on to the subject for this week...'The real meaning of Easter' how easy it is to get caught up in the commercial side of Easter, without reflecting on why as Christians we celebrate it. God sent his one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away our sin and the punishment we so deserve. He died, and yet even death had no power over him, Christ rose victorious and is alive for ever more! If you put your trust in God and believe that he died to take away your sin you also may experience new life in Christ. This was a real challenge for us as a design team, do let us know how you get on. DONT FORGET WE ARE NOW POSTING EVERY THURSDAY!

I really struggled with this callenge-even though I was the one to set it! Perhaps it was to broad a subject?... My first card, I was just not happy with, the desired effect was not how I wnted it to look. So I pressed on and came across this scrap of urban lily paper. I thought the butterfly image was just waht I needed to express new life in Christ, and through his dying on the cross was what makes it all possible!