Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge and a Color Freebie

Hello Everyone!  Greetings from very snowy Central New York!  I'm getting ready to face the Tundra outside and go to work but before I do I wanted to share This weeks' Word Art Wednesday 

with you and leave a freebie for your card making. 

Once again Word Art Wednesday has a beautiful KJV digitized verse by Karen Murray and an uplifting devotion by Karen Letchworth, along with two great sponsors and prizes!  Stop by and check it all out!

My card for this week is using the gifted verse from the Psalms, it is a personal favorite.  I have made 4 of these this morning. 

I belong to a Facebook group called  'From The Heart', this group is dedicated to sending cards of encouragement to people that are elderly, alone, in physical or emotional distress.  Because I work with this same group of people in private duty I know how much a little thing like a hand made card - or any card can be to lift a spirit of those lonely or sick. So I want to do that as much as I can, especially if I can bring the Word of Light with it!  

These four cards will be going to four ladies in assisted living and rehab.  I like to do a top fold as the will sit on a tray or shelf  for a long time ( a little something I learned when I worked in a nursing home hospice 30 years ago).

These cards were printed on 130# canson watercolor paper and really looks like a watercolor image!

I am mentioning the From the Heart Group in the hope that you will stop by there and see the need and get involved - it is very easy.  All you do is read the posts that have all the details and pick a few people, right or stamp a short not or innie and mail it. It does not have to be faith based. Many card makers have tons of cards they haven't mailed - this could be a great way to use them!

My gift for your card making:

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you check out Word Art Wednesday and grab this weeks verse and enter the challenge - then you can mail it to someone on the From the Heart list!

Ginny M

Happy ThanksLiving From My Family To Yours!

It is a wonderful day here, turkey cooking, baby and great grandma napping,  daughter  here, son and family on their way.  Six inches of snow, plenty of oil in the tank, the cars start, the power is on and life is good , we are so thankful for every blessing. Thankful  for a country we can worship freely in, for a wonderful church family, for a life that is overflowing in Joy.  All because of Jesus Christ and His Grace and Mercy.  My pastor said this weekend Thanksgiving needs to be a life style not a day - Thanks Living, so very true.  I hope you are having a blessed day and no matter what your circumstance in life today are, The Lord Jesus Christ died for you so that you can be free from this life of a sin cursed world  and spend eternity with him.  Look for him and you will find him - he is the truth, the life and the way. He will lead you and guide you with tender loving care.

Thanking you for taking a moment and stopping by,

Ginny M

A Word to Those who Pray and a Freebie

One of my friends posted a Meme on FB a week or two ago and I really liked it, so I turned it into a digital stamp.  I don't know who created it and I did not see any copyright info so I am sharing this with you.

I have a lot of elderly friends who have spent a life time in ministry in one form or another, but they all have one thing in common, they Serve the Lord and Pray for many, many people.  Most of the time you do not see what your praying or serving does - especially true if you are praying for someone you do not know who lives on the other side of the planet.  I made this card especially for those that are now in assisted living or continuous care and I made it for myself as a reminder. 

Those that serve in the ministry of prayer  will pass from this life to the next praying for souls, I plan on being one of those people and this is a good reminder now!

I used a Martha Stewart punch for the bordes and a bow, simple. I also did a top fold as these can sit on a dresser or tray, My cards are A6 size and I used 130# canson watercolor paper for the base.

For your card making:

Of course I know people are saved by the power and grace of the cross, but your prayers can lead them to that place and help them after, in their walk with Christ!

Thank you for stopping by, please keep praying, there is someone that needs that life line you are holding!

Ginny M

Winter Card Set and Set of Freebies

Here in Beautiful CNY we have lots of deer, open field and Pine trees.  Right now, 5 days BEFORE thanksgiving we also have LOTS of snow.  I started these a couple weeks ago while it was still green out.  While waiting for  my green ribbon to arrive to finish them, the snow also came and "winter greetings" seems appropriate right now!    

I made this set to have a design on hand for thinking of you and masculine birthday cards.

 Here is one of the cards, keep reading for the process and the digital set:

I had picked up a winter themed stack from Michaels  - this stack was $7.00.  Making hundreds of cards means I really have to think about the cost of materials, but  I never want to sacrifice the quality of a card for quantity. I want the card to feel good as well as look good!

I printed my images on water color paper- this gives them a letterpress /engraving kind of look, perfect for these vintage-y looking images.  To color you could use pencil, chalk or alcohol marker.  for these cards, I just went with the B+W. 

 I lined each panel with 65# Black paper.  I stock up on black paper once a year when it goes on sale for 5/$10.00 also at Michaels.  I like a very dark brown also.  The dark brown I cannot find retail so I purchase that at The Paper Mill Store for $22.50 per 250 ream.  I am not affiliated with this store, just wanted to share the value.  These dark colors really create a dramatic frame, A rest stop for your eyes - helping them to focus on the image. 

Here is the batch:

I had some "snow" I added to the trees and while you can't see it in the photos, it looks really pretty on the cards.  This snow is not glitter, I purchased it in the floral section and it is about $6.00 a pound.

And now for your card making, here is the digital set. Right click and save

I left this one blank so that you can enter your own sentiment or verse!

I hope you enjoy these and are able to use them in your card making!  Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Ginny M

Book Mark Challenge and a Freebie!

Over at Christian Card Makers FB group  On of my Moderators - Pam D has given us a great Thanks Giving Challenge - make 4 book marks using certain scripture.  You can keep one and give the rest of them away.   I love making bookmarks - this is how I started giving the Word out in art way back in 1981 - as the young people say this is my 'jan' giving the word away in art.

I did up the 23rd psalm and I am going to share it with you!

This was simple and fun, made in just a few minutes!

I used 2 pieces of 6x6 cardstock paper cut at 2.5 width - Basic Gray - yummy!

I had one tea stained paper doily left, I cut that into quarters

Here is my gift to you- the 23rd Psalm

Right click and save, easy!

Thanks for stopping by

Ginny M

Sending Peace and Strength and Freebie

One of the members of my Christian Card Makers FB group has asked the group to send her cards as she is part of a church comfort team aiding the California fire victims.  The group is putting together care packages for the families that are displaced due to the fires.  Having lived through the process of loosing  your home to fire and being displaced I was more than happy to make a few cards to send to her.  Words cannot describe what you go through emotionally. In those first few days you do not think oh I lost my china, or my favorite jeans, it is I wish I could take a tylenol and brush my teeth. No tylenol, no toothbrush, no clean underwear, no Thompson Chain reference bible with 20 years of notes-it is a empty motel room with the thoughts of, where do I begin.
Our lives rebuilt very quickly, we had people praying for us and helping in every way.  I am praying for these families and honestly I just can't imagine what so many are going through all at once.

I'm including a digi that I did up, for you to use

Here are  my cards and the process - these were made in an hour to get them in the mail fast. I wanted them to be understated and I will write a personal message.  I know they may go in the trash - but in that moment, I just want to say - I am praying for you.

Only two sheets of paper on pre folded bases for these A2 size cards

Base sheet 5.25 x4 with marker liner

Interior sheet was cut for each card - I used a sheet made for scrapbooking - it had words on it.  I wanted the predominantly white background.

Your gift Today:

In multi

Thanks for stopping by and please remember the thousands of people right now as they are working on putting their lives back together. Most of them are just like us.

Ginny M

A foot note: 

After my first posting I was alerted by Melissa that my digi stamp had an error.   Thank you so much Melissa! So I fixed the error, and while I was at it I changed the 'sending' to 'praying' - reprinted, added to the cards and retook the pictures and then updated my shared social media, So glad I was alerted! 

More Fast Cards and a Freebie

I've made a set of "fast cards" before work this morning. I wanted to share them with you and leave
you a freebie.

I am enjoying making these batches of cards, These were made this morning and I will take them with me along with my address book and get them out on lunch break - If I have one

I used side folded 5.5x4.25 ( I have a drawer full ready to go all different colors and folds) One sheet of red plaid paper from a 180 sheet stack - Christmas themed. Cut 4x5.25

Embellishments from stash. 

Printed digital,

And In 15 minutes I have 6 cards ready to go!

And for you:

Send the card and Keep praying!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny M 

Fast Cards Made a sweet Freebie from TLC Creations

 Sometimes I just need a sweet little card, not one I spent two hours making. just a nice card to send on its way.  I made a batch of cards using a sweet freebie from TLC Creations .  I've had this in my stash for a while, but if you go on over to TLC and  sign up to receive emails you will know when Paulette has a new offering, plus she has wonderful digis' in her etsy store!
Here are my cards:

I made 8 and each one is a little different - I used a Basic Gray DSP 2 two sheets were used to make these cards - so they were economical too!

Fast and fun, perfect when I want to send a little note to someone! 

I hope this sparks a few ideas for you!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ginny M

Sweet Bird Cards and Freebie

I worked up another batch of cards this morning,  an all purpose card - I may stamp a Happy Birthday or Thinking of you  on the inside upper half  - or not.    I've combine and image with a Scripture - I am not sure who digitized either but in combing them I have a lovely card: 

I made 4 using an Authentique pad:

Thes worked up fast and were fun to make adding a few little embellishments

and my gift to you for your card making

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Ginny M

How to Make a Sweet Anniversary or Wedding Card and a Tip.

Because I am the Church "Card Lady" along with a half dozen other card sending entities I go through a lot of cards. Keeping enough on hand so I can focus on writing and sending can be a challenge.  I make a lot of cards on individual basis but more and more I am making them in batches.

Today I made anniversary or wedding cards.  I will show you a finished card and then walk through the process.  I did use my Cricut explore Air 2 for this card:

This is an A6 size card, I used 140# watercolor paper. I use Canson XL for this, it is so inexpensive and makes great card bases and has the benefit of being able to do water color as a one layer card.

I buy the 9x11 size and cut in half - either way and I have a A6 size card.  I buy this on Amazon or Walmart. $5.50 an pad and that yields 60 bases or if I chop it in quarters to stamp or print on - yes this will go through my cannon pixma- I get 120 card fronts

I cut this image with my Cricut, I purchased a .99 cent  SVG - I just love trees!

Not having a lot of Brown solid core  cardstock on hand I also used some of the papers from stacks I had in my stash.  Some of these were White core and 65# weight which did not really cut well.   You can see where the knife lifts also brought out the white core:

I have an easy trick to hide this - which means I can use this type of paper for cutting.

I find an ink pad as close to the color paper as possible  and I brush ink over the cut paper, this only takes a few second and really works well.  I purchased these shaving brushes on eBay for $2.00 each and they have lasted for years.  I have about a dozen and use one for each color family in dye inks - works great.

You would never know there was a problem when I was done.

This sweet stamp is 'My Sentiments Exactly, it is wood mounted so I pray every time I stamp -"Please help me to keep it straight and have enough but not too much ink!"

I hope you find this helpful for your card making!

I've also shared this in the Word Art Wednesday, Family Friendly Anything Goes Challenge

- hop over and check it out! 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Ginny M