Come Let Us Adore Him

For today's card, I'm excited to get to play with the new

Gina Marie Design Angel 

and some beautiful metallic gold paper that a sweet friend shared with me. 

Like all of the Gina Marie Dies - Perfect cutting, crisp lines, every time!

I added a light blue circle behind the angel die to highlight her appearance on the card as the focal point against the dark background.

For the Christmas Cards, I selected Come Let Us Adore Him for my sentiment, although many would work. 

I think this die is so perfect for many designs!  Another Hit for Sure Gina!!!  

Since I also needed a Sympathy Card and a Get Well card, 

I simply changed the sentiment and made several extras.

I know I personally am so very glad that Angels are Watching Over Me.  Thank you for stopping by and for following my blog.

This posting will also appear on the following sites where I encourage you to visit to see other beautiful cards:

Addicted to Card Making

Christian Card Maker

Karle's Passion

Word Art Wednesday ~ #262-263

Crafting from the Heart #141

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

Be Merry ~ Even When You Goof Up!

For today's Christmas Card I started with another 'free' die from one of the crafting magazines from the UK.  

This little Be Merry circle die is so dainty and the 3 options increases your creativity.  

I did two of the cards at the same time, and tried several different combinations of the pieces before I decided on the one that I wanted to use.  I knew I wanted to change and put green leaves for the holly and red flat back pearls for the berries also.

As you can see below - I took out the center solid circle so that more red would show. 

Having glued both cards down now, I grab the bottom one to add a bit of white crochet thread and a bow....

ONLY TO REALIZE,...  I have somehow picked up green card bases that have 

LET's CELEBRATE on the back of them!

and the scripture rings in my ears.. 

The Lord has a reason for everything (Proverbs 16:4)...

Then as quickly as that ran through my head, 

I thought of the other card challenges that I had signed up for... 

Perfect - Let's Celebrate!... will make a great New Year's Card!

So a quick split down the middle of the two bases and turn it into two fronts! Awesome! Now I have my Anything Goes card too. 

As we count down the last days before Christmas - may you BE MERRY, even when you goof up!  And may you focus on the birth of our Savior and Celebrate HIS Birthday!

This posting will appear on the following sites where I encourage you to visit to see other crafter's work:

Addicted to Card Making

Artsy Cards, Karle's Passion

Cards in Envy ~Celebrate the Season

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thank you for stopping by and for following me.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

Merry Christmas Mittens

Earlier this month was National Mitten Day, which gave me a 

great opportunity to make several Christmas designs cards using the cute little mittens from the Whimsy Stamps, Bundled Up Die Set (WSD316), 

For todays card, the background is a snowflake embossing folder with the inside inked using Stampin Up Bashful Blue before running it through the machine. 

Tiny blue brads were added to the corners, then red crochet thread to make the clothes line.  The little mittens were easy to die cut from lots of scraps being generated by all my Christmas cards!  

Some of this design I sent to families that had three children, carefully writing each child's name above a pair of mittens. 

Merry Christmas was also stamped with Bashful blue and mounted on a scrap of blue paper. Then the entire card top was mounted a kraft card base.

I'll be posting this card on the following sites - where I invite you to view other cards and projects for ideas.

Karle's Passion, Artsy Cards, 

Crafting From the Heart ~ #141

Use Your Stuff ~ Merry Christmas

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thank you for stopping by and following by blog. Your comments are welcomed.  

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

Tech Challenge ~ Triple Easel

TECH CHALLENGE....I'm not sure what Mr Webster or Ms Google would define this as, but many of us on the card making group Addicted to Card Making read that and think... Oh No! Not Doing That One!  Too Hard... Too Much Time, etc.  

However, for me, skill growth and stepping out of my comfort box is exactly why I joined a card swapping group. 

The December Tech Challenge was to make a Triple Easel Card and the suggested video reference was posted on YouTube by Kim Score. (Ref: https://youtu.be/ThAo6Jj-AZc )

The base of the card is simply a matter of following the steps whether you use her video or any posted on this technique. 

My base templates were Sizzix, Labels Regal #559202.

To me, the hard part is uniquely decorating three panels that match in a descending order.  Being a South Carolina beach girl, I selected an ocean theme using lots of sea life dies.

Each panel is decorated, then applied to the base.

The size made it really hard to get a good photo in the light box. 

The Seahorse and the Mermaid are Gina Marie Design dies, the Dolphin and the Seaweed are from Elizabeth Crafts (#1183) and the "you gotta have it" Jellyfish is a Memory Box die, Elegant Jellyfish #99395.  One extra that I did with the jellyfish.. I just about always use wax paper between my die and paper (such a neat trick to instant paper release).  On the jellyfish I left the wax paper over the gray die so that there were two layers of tentacles flowing down.

The end result is a very large card, but amazingly folds down quite well and was carefully shipped to my swap partner who happen to be in Florida!  Perfect theme for sure! 

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of summer in the middle of the Christmas season.  I sincerely appreciate you stopping by and following by blog postings.  This will also be posted on the following sites where I invite you to visit for other great crafting ideas:

Artsy Cards, Karle's Passion,

and my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

 

ATCM Christmas Envelope Challenge Card

Addicted to Card Making is a great card making site if you like the smaller site without a lot of stress and enjoy receiving  positive  comments from fellow crafters.  There are usually 10-14 swaps available to sign up for each month, weekend challenges, and some special card sets and different events during the month.  

One of my favorites is each month, is a member hosts an envelope challenge - 15 members are allowed to sign up to receive the same items, to create their cards.  You are required to use some of each item and can add two of your own and a stamped image if you'd like.  Our December host, Deb sent this winter package out to us this month. 

For my card, I used the white rope for the left side ribbon and snipped the snowflakes in half for the right side border.  I used a Tree shaped die on the wood grained paper to make my tree in the center, and tied the silver string with the little silver bell.  The bling was randomly placed on the tree.  Not many of the crafters turned the paper over to see that the other side had red and green presents on it.  So I added a couple of those under the tree.

I've taken the liberty of adding a few of the other cards to show you the vast differences in how we all see the supplies differently.

Created by Pam Mott

Created by Jennie Amaker

Created by Linda Dicks

Created by Cindy Wangen

Aren't the all beautiful? And unique?  Just like the Snowflake and just like US, uniquely created, each for our on purpose and beauty.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and for following my work.  This posting will also be on the following sites where I invite you to see the work of other creative artists:

Artsy Cards, Karle's Passion, 

Robyn's Fetish #347 ~ Add a Bell

My Time To Craft #336 ~ Christmas Non Traditional Colors

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

Mailing Journal Challenge ~ Christian Card Maker

For several weeks during December the members of Christian Card Makers have been working on our December Long Challenge, which is to use our current stash and create a mailing journal for the new year to keep track of swaps, challenges, blog postings or other mailings.  

What a great idea and for me a much needed tool... but to get it done in DECEMBER?

Yet every time I've posted a blog or mailed a swap card during this month, I've thought about this journal idea.  

So, I found a spiral bound album that actually had some pretty leaves printed on the heavy pages, and went to work pulling together a few ribbons, and digging out a jar of modge podge from many years ago. 

For my cover I printed a piece from the internet that I have always loved, one that I try to live up to in my faith walk.

I added Pam's Pearls, my blog name to the side along with several strips of ribbon to complete the front cover.

The inside of each person's book I believe will be very different, some just a calendar, others more detailed.

My left side includes a small calendar for reference,  followed by lines for my card swaps, weekend and monthly challenges.

While all of the right sides are devoted to space for my monthly blog listings and follow up notes.

I love how the green leaves are softly transparent though each page.  There were actually 16 pages in my book so the last several pages I added half page pockets to give myself some additional storage space for notes and supplies.

With sign ups for January card swaps just ten days away, I'm so excited to have my journal ready for 2017.  This is one organizational resolution that will be easy to maintain.

Thanks Ginny for the great challenge!

In addition to being posted for the Christian Card Maker Long Challenge, this will also be posted on the following sites and blogs where I encourage you to pop over and see other great ideas!

Karle's Passion, Koala T Crafts,

Addicted to Card Making

Creative Artiste Challenge #21

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thank you for following me and stopping by.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam 

Lacy Tree Christmas

For today's card, I used an extra large lacy tree stamp as the center focal point of my card. 

Due to the large size of the stamp, there really wasn't room to add any words to the front, so I decided on a little fancy border using the Memory Box ornament die. This allowed more of the burgundy background paper to show also.    Then I added several red rhinestones and gold wax beads to complete the card.  

This was a limited design of four, sent to four very special online friends, who's friendships I treasure very much each day. 

Do you have Virtual Friends that impact your life? 

Don't forget to wish them a Merry Christmas also.

This posting will be submitted to the following where I encourage you to also look to see what others are making:

Create and Makes #6

Lemon Shortbread #29

Christian Card Maker

Karle's Passion

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thanks for following me and stopping by.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam

12 x 12 Makes Six

While searching through my Christmas papers for ideas for cards, 

I came across one 12 by 12 paper that was Ivory and had multiple 3" blocked designs on it. Each design had a lovely SNOWFLAKE and a sentiment.  

Using a basic layout design, I added a few different background papers, ribbons and snow drop pearls to make the following six cards, with left overs for another project. 

I love the variety of cards that the one sheet gave me. So if you are looking for some last minute, quick cards...be sure to check your scrapbooking paper stash.  You might be pleasantly surprised what you find!  

This posting will also appear on the following sites where I encourage you to visit:

A Snowflake Promise #35

Tuesday Throwdown #323

Christian Card Maker, Karle's Passion

Koala T Crafts

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thank you for stopping by and for following my posts.

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam

Season's Tweetings!!!

My special tradition....

handmade Christmas ornaments.

For almost 40 years now, I have made about 2 dozen 

handmade Christmas ornaments for my family and closest friends.

A tradition started by my Mom, one I have enjoyed doing each year and one I know that means a lot to my children, grandchildren and other family members.

This year's ornament ~ 

For he base miniature music sheet, I used several 12 x 12 scrapbook pages that were printed randomly with the song sheet, and cut them apart.  (Boy was I lucky not to have to shrink down music paper!) The birds and sentiment and coordinating die set are by Lawn Fawn (Season Tweetings). 

A tiny line of glossy accents and white snow glitter was applied to the brim of the red hat.

This is the first time I've used Lawn Fawn products, and I really enjoyed using them....

which equals, I need more!

Birds were colored with Copics and raised with pop dots. After punching and adding the red thread for the hanger, I did go back and apply glossy accents to the front and back of the punched hole to help reinforce the paper and prevent tearing. 

What is your Hand Me Down Tradition for the Christmas Season? I welcome your comments and stories. 

This posting will also be submitted to the following sites where I invite you to visit to see what other great cards and projects you might find:

Addicted to Stamping ~ Challenge #137

Crafting Circle ~ December Challenge

Facebook groups: Christian Card Maker, 

Addicted to Card Making, Karle's Passion,

Koala T. Crafts, Lawn Fawn Addicts,

and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps

Thank you for stopping by and for following my blog postings.

Serving a Risen Savior  ~Pam

Singing Merry Christmas

One of the things I've enjoyed this season of making cards is using the new dies that I've accumulated through the purchasing of crafting magazines from Craft Stash in the UK.  

At least in my area, it's hard to find the crafting magazines and their site offers a good variety.  Plus buying from the clearance section really helps justify the high shipping expense.

Today card includes three different dies.  The first is a circle die "Merry Christmas" with a small clear stamp 'birdie' from one of those magazines. 

With this and all dies, I used wax paper between my paper and the die to ensure easy release without having to spend a lot of time cleaning the die.  
The second die is the white circle behind the Merry Christmas which is one of the Spellbinder Stately Circles. 

At the bottom I added a single line of one of the special Christmas hymns and topped that with another free die - a holly branch. 

The small red flat back pearls that I added came from Lori's Lovely Paper Crafts 
(be sure to check out her huge selection of flat backs and charms! You can find her on Facekbook). 

The yarn bow was added using two different shades of green to pull the different shades of the trees in the background. 

Like many of my cards, certain designs were made for special sets of friends.  There were only three of these, made for my special scrapbooking sisters, who are also my sisters in the Lord.

This card will also be posted on the following sites where I encourage you to visit to see what others are making:
Robyn's Fetish ~ Christmas Card with a Die Cut #346
Creative Craft Cottage ~Die Cut Card challenge #77
Facebook groups: Artsy Cards & Karle's Passion
and on my personal site, Not Just Scraps.

Thank you for stopping by today - I hope you will follow my postings and I always welcome your comments. 

Serving a Risen Savior, Pam