SSS36 Celebrate King Jesus

It's hard to believe how quickly Christmas seems to come and go! For me, the weeks just before Christmas are filled with shopping for gifts, decorating, meal planning, and house cleaning...all in preparation for the Christmas Grand Event....celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, opening gifts, and eating an elaborate meal and spending time with family and friends. As the festivities of Christmas Day come to an end, all is once again quiet...I can now sit and contemplate on the abundant blessings of this past year while giving thanks to God for His sacrificial gift...that being His only begotten son who took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, that we might have the gift of salvation, forgiveness of sin, and the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven.

My card today uses a portion of an image from the SNSS digital set, 'The Greatest Gift' by Korin Sutherland. In order to create the sentiment I wanted for this particular card, I've combined words from a couple of the sentiments included with the set.
The color combination is Red, Silver, and White.

Of course, the sketch is from The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge, SSS36. If you would like to play along with this sketch, we would love to have you join us. Click the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge Badge on my sidebar and it will take you directly to the blog and the sketch. Also, I would encourage you to visit the blogs of the other Sugar Babies for more fantastic inspiration.


I have been a Sugar Baby Design Team Member for 3 months now. It has been an exciting adventure and I'm proud to have had this opportunity. Korin has given us the option to remain with the team for another 3 months...Unfortunately, because of a possible surgery and a couple of other things needing my attention in the coming months, I've had to decline her offer. Having said that, I want to thank Korin for inviting me to this team: it has truly been an honor to work with her and all of the SNSS Design Team Members...they are awesome ladies and extremely talented.

Also, in order to get some personal issues taken care of, I have to step back from my crafting and blogging for about 3 months. I may be able to 'play' a little during this time period and if so, I will post to my blog. But I wanted my 'followers' to know I will be missing-in-action for a short time. Hopefully things will go well during this little hiatus and I will return to my crafting with a clearer mind and more creativity than I've been able to do of late. If any of you would like to be removed from my 'followers' list, I will certainly understand and will not be offended.

May this New Year be filled with wonderful blessings for each of you and your families.

As always, spend time with family and friends and then,

Make time to create but remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!
Barbg(WV)

PMSSC02

It's Time....For another Sketch Challenge....'Just for the Fun of It'....PMSSC02 Rectangle Squared

The Sketch and my Sample:

PMSSC02 Sketch Challenge ~~~ A 'Just For the Fun of It'' Sketch Challenge ~~~
This is one I designed myself....and it is the first time I've ever attempted to work with 'Paint' and 'Microsoft Word' to produce a basic sketch...it is definitely a learning process for me! Hopefully, I will improve with this task as time goes by.

Most of the time, my sketch challenges will be available for you to use with no time limit...a 'Just For the Fun of It' sketch. If you decide to use my sketch, I would ask that you please give me proper credit for the sketch. And if you are posting to a public gallery or blog, I ask that you please use the number of the sketch challenge in the key words and post a link directly to your card within the comment section of the appropriate post.

A few times each year, I will post sketch challenges that will have a time-limit. In addition, these particular challenges will offer the chance to win a 'prize package' for participating within the specified 'rules' of the challenge. "Time Limited" sketches will require that you post your creation/interpretation of the sketch according to the specified posting directions and within the specified time limit....Much the same as was posted with the very first PMSSC01 Sketch Challenge. (Refer back to post 'A Sketchy Debut" for more info on that particular challenge or click here ---> http://gotpms.blogspot.com/2009/07/a-sketchy-debut.html).

My hope is to post a new 'Just For The Fun Of It' Sketch Challenge around the 15th of each month...we'll see if that happens :o)

Today's Sketch:

Is basically a Square, with a Square, with a narrow horizontal rectangle (can be ribbon or paper or whatever your creative mind desires to use) and with a vertical rectangle as the main image layer.

As always, you may use any stamp image, any paper, any embellies, and any color combination....just be sure to follow the basic sketch design...However you may add extra layers as long as you can stay within the basic idea of the sketch.... as you can see, I added an extra square layer for my sample.

Card D-Tails:
Stamp Image: 'Sassafras Faerie' by Faerie Song Art Stamps for SCACD
Card Stock: Neena Solar White, Lemon Tart, Spring Rain, and Lavendar Moon (PTI)
Pattern Paper: 'Baby' 6X6 Designer Paper Pack byDovecraft
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Copic Markers for Coloring, Shimmerz Bling for Wings and headcovering.
Embellishments & Tools: White Pearls (don't have purchase info), Stickles (Ranger), 7/8" wide Sheer Pink Organdy Ribbon (Michaels), 3/8" sheer white dotted ribbon (PTI), silk florals with stem (Michaels), scalloped corner punch (Marvy Uchida), dimensionals and glue dots (SU)

Until next time,
Make time to create but remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!
Barbg(WV)

Berry Delicious & PMSSC01 Sketch Challenge Submissions

That pie crust is super-delicious looking and if you enlarge the image, by clicking on the picture itself, hopefully you will see what I mean!

The Lord blessed me with some free time this last week and I thought I would get a lot of stamping done....Unfortunately, my 'mojo' has been missing (my friend Sandy claims to have found him in the Walmart Parking lot .... she grabbed him up and is keeping him....err, using him, LOL...with her until the next time she drives out my way....like I said Sandy, make good use of the time you have him because he is NOT yours and he HAS to return home very soon...LOL!).

Ahh well....last night I was finally able to put a card together (even though Mojo is away, my pretty papers helped to inspire me...smile) for the Card of the Month Challenge at Sweet N' Sassy Stamps Yahoo group. For more info on the SNSS challenge, view the Card of the Month messages (posts) by visiting the following link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sweetnsassystampers/

(I'm not positive, but you may need to 'join' the group in order to view the messages)

OK....Enough rabbit chasing.....

Anyway, the challenge was simple....we were to make an Autumn Themed Card using any of the SNSS images. Earlier in the week I had gone shopping at our brand new Michaels and picked up a Recollections "Autumn" 5X7 card stock paper pad....I love these things, they are fairly inexpensive and offer a variety of papers which can be used with card making.

For this card, I used 5 different pieces of the patterned papers along with the SNSS Digital Pie Image from the 'Sweet As Pie' SNSS Digital Image Set.

The image is colored with Copic Markers. I added a little dimension to the pie by coloring the pie crust a second time and after cutting it out attaching it using SU dimensionals. To get the 'sparkly' look that sugar gives to a baked pie crust, I added a little bit of Martha Stewart's 'crystal fine glitter using a Sakura Glue Pen. For added dimension, I also added a little of the Crystal Effects (SU) to the little 'berry' sections of the pie. For the larger berry resting on top of the pie , I applied a tad of SU's chunky blue glitter. And finally, I added a few streaks of light' using an Inkssentials Opaque White Pen.

Other embellishments and tools:

1/8" wide navy blue grosgrain ribbon (SU)

Heart brad and Shimmer Brads (Making Memories)

Scalloped Decorative Border Punch (Martha Stewart)

Scalloped Corner Punch (Marvy Uchida)

Base Cardstock Bashful Blue (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI)

Sentiment is computer generated

Now, on another note....

To date I have 8 FABULOUS cards submitted by 4 Talented Crafters for the PMSSC01 Sketch Challenge.

The sketch was designed for 'Got PMS' by my longtime 'sista- friend', Micki Harper....you can view her blog at:

http://artfulxpressions.net/

If you would like to participate in the challenge (and I hope you will), you have until Midnight (eastern...New York....time zone) September 19, 2009 to submit your cards.

For details of the sketch challenge, visit the following link:

http://gotpms.blogspot.com/2009/07/sketchy-debut.html

Now... take a quick look at all of the cards submitted so far:

Deedee's Card:

http://stampinsunshine.blogspot.com/2009/08/pms-sketch-challenge.html

Terri's Card:

http://triesmakingcards.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-challenge-blog-out-there-got-pms.html

Jess's 3 Cards:

http://jesskittelson.blogspot.com/2009/08/got-pms-papers-markers-sketches-entry.html

http://jesskittelson.blogspot.com/2009/08/justrite-stamper-pms-comfort-military.html

http://jesskittelson.blogspot.com/2009/09/pc-got-pms.html

Penny's Cards:

http://scrappinpenny.blogspot.com/2009/09/sketch-card.html

http://scrappinpenny.blogspot.com/2009/09/dont-say-I-didnt-warn-you.html

http://scrappinpenny.blogspot.com/2009/09/unscripted-sketches-and-got-pms.html

If you have submitted a card and do not see it posted above, I have failed to find your submission....I don't want you to miss out on the challenge drawing, so please email me at BarbgWV@gmail.com with your card information and I will add it to the list above.

Have a fun and safe Holiday Weekend...and until next time,

Make time to create but remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!

Barbg(WV)

A Sketchy Debut

Oh My! The brainwaves seem to be darting all over the place within my mind, sometimes running one another over as they race toward the 'starting line' for the GRAND DEBUT of my blog; GOT PMS? Grab Papers, Markers, and Sketches and No One Gets Hurt!

In an effort to 'ease the tension' (headaches included), I've decided it is time to get things moving. I'm sure mistakes will be made but hopefully, given enough time and experience, better ideas will begin to formulate and take place . And so, this blog will be a 'work in progress'. This reminds me of a little chorus from Sunday School... one my girls used to sing and I enjoyed hearing. There are a couple of verses but the chorus goes like this:

'He's still workin' on me
To make me what I ought to be,
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The sun and earth and Jupitar and Mars,
How loving and patient He must be,
He's still workin' on me!'

It is such a fun song reminding me of this important truth: Each day God is working on the canvas of my life, directing me toward His will and His purpose for my life. And as I often 'muddle the colors of paint' into one big mess, He remains patient, kind, and loving toward me. He is an awesome God!

OK....so what's in store for the Grand Debut?

A SKETCH CHALLENGE~~ courtesy of my fabulous friend, Micki Harper

see more of Micki's work by visiting her blog 'Artful Xpressions Captured in Paint, Paper, and Photos' at http://artfulxpressions.net

And a PRIZE for one lucky and randomly selected participant in the challenge!

If I am doing this correctly, you should see the sketch at the beginning of this post (clicking on the picture should enlarge the image). I will be back later with samples from Micki and myself using this fun and creative sketch.

For those participating: da D-Tails:

• You may use any stamp or digi image of your choice
• You may use any product and/or embellishments of your choice
• You may use any color combination of your choice

Go ahead....enter as often as you would like.....by posting to the comment section of this post.... a picture of your card OR post a link that will take us DIRECTLY to your card (this is done in an effort to help prevent spam... well, as much as I am able to do so....and... having learned from the experiences of other artisitic bloggers, I reserve the right to delete any and all links that do not link directly to a picture of your card, if you have any questions please email me using: barbgwv@gmail.com).

For prize consideration, your valid contribution for this challenge must be posted not later than noon (eastern time zone...think New York time) Saturday, September 19, 2009.

Ohhhhhh, but what is the Prize, you ask....Well....you'll have to wait on that little tidbit of information....Why, you ask....Well, because I forgot -- to take a picture ..... and since I don't have one of those fancy-shamancy 'lighting hoods', I rely on natural daylight for my picture taking and since it is now dark outside, I have NO light....But, I will get it done tomorrow and post the picture with the sketch samples....see, I told you this was all a 'work in progress'...Thanks for being patient!

And soooooooooo....You have the sketch and you have the D-Tails (well, most of them anyway)....the rest is up to YOU!

Until then,

Make time to create but remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!

Barb g (WV)