Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2014

Thankful Thursday

I have 2 gifts I am thankful for today…. First, I am thankful for my little sister, Gisella. She is celebrating her birthday today! Hip Hip Hip Hooray, Sis! Though she is so far away from me but she is always close to my heart and thoughts. And…. I heard my mom reveal to me her secret! A BIG SECRET! I won’t tell you today but maybe with her permission, next week 😀

On her special day, I made this very special card just for her…

Batik Happy Birthday Card, By Helen Gullett

Supplies from CTMH: Beautiful Friendship (B1400), Joyful Birthday Stamp Set (B1419), White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Gold Embossing Powder, White Embossing Powder, VersaMark inkpad, Gypsy inkpad, Pacifica inkpad, HollyHock inkpad, Craft Heater, 3×3 Acrylic Block, 2×6 /12 Acryclic block, Adhesive. Not CTMH supplies: Xyron Max, Velum

I found one awesome YouTube Tutorial from Catherine Pooler how to create this pretty batik background using background stamp, embossing and watercolor. Check out her tutorial here.

And second is that today we are Indonesians celebrating National Batik Day. Batik is:

Batik (Javanese pronunciation: [ˈbateʔ]; Indonesian: [ˈbatɪk]) is a technique of manual wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting (IPA: [ʈ͡ʂantiŋ], also spelled tjanting), or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap (IPA: [ʈ͡ʂap], also spelled tjap). The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to color selectively by soaking the cloth in one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colors are desired. (source Wikipedia)

We had a chance to go back to Indonesia visiting my family in 2010 and took our family pictures. All of us wore Batik clothing 🙂 Hopefully one day we go visiting again and will have additional on the pictures. And now we have 2 daughters, so we need to have four of us wearing Batik.

Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2014

Scrapping Everyday Miracles October Challenge

We had a fun Mini Crop Challenge last 3 weeks and the entries are gorgeous! Thank you so much for participating with our Mini Crop Challenge! And don’t forget to check out the Winner on the SEM blog in the couple of days 🙂

Scrapping Everyday Miracles October Challenges is now open until Oct 31, 11:59 PM for you to link up your projects. We have 4 challenges! This month I participate for Card Sketch Challenge and I also incorporate with the Theme/Scripture for this month from Matthew 11:28 (you can use your favorite version of the Bible.):

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Here’s the sketch I use from one of our DT member, Bev:

My card I used Pathfinding paper packet for the pattern paper underneath the chevron die cut from Winnie and Walter. I added the chevron layer on the card using glue pen.

I stamped the verse from Look To The Light stamp set (B1428) with Barn Red pigment ink pad. And then heat set with Craft Heater for quick drying. Then I added some Gold Sequins (I love these sequins comes with 3 gold colors and back adhesive!).

The inside of the card, I stamped the message from Card Chatter set (D1476, retired) with Barn Red and Autumn Terracotta exclusive inks stamp pads using tissue papers. This is an easy technique. Tap couple times the tissue paper on the ink pad. Add the lighter color first and the darker color. Then stamp. You have 2 tone colors sentiment 🙂

Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Christmas Card Challenges #44 – Anything Goes

I have been working on my Christmas projects since early this year. One of the projects is making cards. Today, I would like to share a card I made last week:

I link up at Christmas Card Challenges #44 – Anything Goes and my inspiration is from one of the DT members, Marsha. I love how she created quilt looking card 🙂

For this card I used CTMH last year Christmas theme paper packet, Sparkle & Shine. The front sentiment, Merry Christmas, is from Sing Glory (hostess reward stamp set, C1587) and stamped it on a piece of White Daisy cardstock using Lagoon exclusive ink stamp pad. After that, I cut the banner tail using Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors and added the banner on the card with 3D Foam Tape.

The inside card, I stamped the Holly Leaves border from Sing Glory set using Panderosa Pine exclusive ink stamp pad. And using Kleenex tissue paper, I added Lagoon, Ruby and Slate inks on the message stamp. I am using White Daisy cardstock for the card base. And then I punched the top and bottom card using Scallop Border Punch.

All the supplies I used for this card are from Close To My Heart.

I am so glad you stop by today, Thank You so much! 🙂

Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Tuesday Thought: Our Care For Overseas Missionaries

Living overseas has special mark in my life. My life is changed. My perspective is changed.

This is not what I had in my mind when I was at school. My plan was to study hard, earned my bachelor and then went to overseas, well at least Singapore, to get better job. But then when I went back to finish my bachelor degree in 2004, God led me to different path. God changed my motivation. God changed my perspective of the idea of living overseas or cross-culturally.

We moved to Ohio since 2008 after we got married. For me, I am away from my home country, my parents and close families. But for my husband and daughters, here is their home country. For all of us, no matter where we will be living, wherever God will send us to go, we will make it home and serve Him as family.

Thinking of being away from home country, my thought goes to all missionaries who serve the Lord overseas. Those who live away from their home countries, away from their families. But they are there because of their obedience to the Lord’s calling. They are there because the people need to hear the Good News.

Our church, Grace Baptist Church Minford – Ohio, has a group of ladies who always get together every month to pray for the missionaries whom our church partner with. I am so thankful to this group of ladies! Knowing that they are thinking and praying for us and the missionaries is very encouraging.

They are not only getting together to pray, but in their act of love is real.

On last Friday, some of us get together to make Christmas cards for our missionaries. We would love to send them a note on Christmas day, sharing our hearts with them on the field. Especially for those who are away from their families on this special holiday.

That night, we made 17 Christmas cards! These ladies are amazing! We learned together to stamp and putting cards together. Most of all, we fellowshipped, shared stories, and had fun time 🙂

My oldest daughter came back from Great-grandma’s house, she joined us a little but before bed time. My friend helped her making this card. She is a blessing!

This is one of little thing we can do to show care with missionaries who serve overseas. If your church partner with missionaries overseas, you can try to do something special for them to show your care and love 🙂

Here are some cards we made that I would like to share with you today:

THANK YOU for your partnership with missionaries all over the world. THANK YOU for your love for the people who need to hear the love of God and His Good News. THANK YOU!

Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2014

Thankful Thursday

In my life, one of many blessings I received from God that I never stop thanking Him is friends.

Today, I would like to share a card I made for a new friend we met when we visited Wycliffe Associates office in Orlando. She invested her time to train us and pray for us. She is special to us.

I used kraft cardstock for the card base. I cut a piece of burlap ribbon into 2 squares about 1.5″ x 1.5″ and added them on the card using Liquid Glass adhesive.

Those little flowers are from #30yearsofhappy stamp set. I stamped them using Honey exclusive ink stamp pad.

The sentiment and banner are from Oodles of Doodles stamp set. I stamped the banner first using Slate exclusive ink stamp pad and then stamp the sentiment with Black exclusive ink stamp pad.

Then added them on the card with Liquid Glads adhesive and some 3D foam tape.

I finished it with some Bitty Clear Sparkle adhesive gems.