Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Song of the Stars


“Song of the Stars” is a beautifully written Christmas story by Sally Lloyd-Jones, a well-know author of children’s books.  The illustrations are as beautiful and inspirational as the story.

From the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, to the plant life, all of creation was joyously heralding the coming of Christ Jesus.  There was music from the crashing waves and whispering praise from the leaves of the trees.  All the animals sang songs of worship and adoration while keeping watch for the Savior, and then spreading word of His arrival.  The whole world and every created thing were in awe and praise of the newborn King.  Reading this story gave me an unexpected sense of wonderment, joy, and thankfulness that I had not expected to experience.

Although written for children, this little board book is a gem for all ages as a reminder of how we are to worship the Savior and look with great expectation for His return.  If you don't have any little ones in your home, just read it for yourself and experience the magic!

Blessings, Annie


In exchange for my review, the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Celebrating Thanksgiving!


Hi friends,

 Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching.  Now that my cards are made, I can concentrate on planning a menu and doing the shopping.

All through the year we have things to be thankful for, but isn't it wonderful that we have an annual day set aside where we show special thanks for our blessings, family, and friends.  I love making and sending Thanksgiving Day cards, so today I'm going to share with you two more designs.


I love this clean and simple design.  The colors of the image and the layered panel just really pop out against the white background which is partially embossed.  It is a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", side folded card.  The burgundy panel measures 4" x 2 1/2" after using the scallop border punch.  The white panel is 4" x 2" and stamped with a Kaleidacolor rainbow dye ink pad called Autumn Leaves (by Tsukineko).   Emboss the large 5 1/4" x 4" white panel, leaving 2" unembossed at the bottom.  I used the Stampin' Up/Sizzix embossing folder called Square Lattice, one of my favorite backgrounds.  After all pieces are attached together, wrap white ribbon around the whole assembly and tie a bow.  Then after you have stamped Happy Thanksgiving at the bottom of the panel, it is ready to be adhered to the card base.  For the finishing touch, I embellished the three flowers in the image with clear jewels.

The image stamp is by Inkadinkado #98700-DD (Pumpkin Trail).


                                                                                             

I just have to smile every time I look at these little Pilgrim mice.  Who knows - maybe their ancestors came over on the Mayflower, too!  This sweet little stamp set is by Lawn Fawn called "Thankful Mice" (LF936), which coordinates with the "Thankful Mice" dies (LF937).

This card is the same size as the first card.  The embossed panel (Thankful Background & Borders Set by Tim Holtz) is layered onto a black panel, then attached to the card base.  A ribbon was tied around the sentiment panel in a square knot before it was attached to the decorative paper panel.  

Well, there you have it.  Thank you for joining me today.  I wish you a very blessed Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Annie



Monday, November 9, 2015

On this Foundation, by Lynn Austin - Book Review

“On this Foundation,” is the third and last book of The Restoration Chronicles by Lynn Austin.  I really appreciate how thoroughly Ms. Austin did her research for this series of books.  Once again, I was captivated by her story-telling skill and character building.  Her words became so alive in my mind’s eye that I could almost see the characters and the story taking place.

As the story begins Nehemiah, a Jewish exile, is the trusted cupbearer and chief of security for King Artaxerxes, ruler of the Persian Empire.  This empire included The Promised Land and its holy city, Jerusalem.  When Nehemiah learned that the wall of Jerusalem still had not been rebuilt, from its destruction nearly 20 years ago by the Babylonians, he became extremely distressed because the people and the Temple were completely unprotected from their enemies.  Feeling God’s call upon him, Nehemiah obtained permission from King Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.

This book depicts Nehemiah as a righteous man, who God blessed with courage and unfailing faith, just as he was written about in the Old Testament of the Bible.  No matter the danger from his enemies and their plans to either stop the rebuilding of the wall or kill Nehemiah if they had too, Nehemiah carried out his God-given assignment.  In his real lifetime, Nehemiah was an inspiration to his people and a perfect example of living by faith in God.  The biblical account of this man is still inspiring to me, as I am sure it is to many others.

This is an absolutely wonderful book, just like the previous two books in the series.

Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Blessings,
Annie

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Thankful Mice!


Hello again, friends.

Just a quick post to share a Thanksgiving shaker card I just made. I used my new stamps and dies from Lawn Fawn, called "Thankful Mice."  They are just adorable little pilgrims!  Also, I loved making the cheese confetti to go behind the window frame along with the sequins. Included in the set is a cheese stamp and a die to match.  So cute! There are lots of shaker card tutorials on YouTube so I won't post directions.  Card size is 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".   I'm really looking forward to creating more designs using this little pair.

Thanks for looking at my card.
Annie

Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Looney Experiment in the Life of an Eighth Grader

Meet Atticus Hobart, an eighth grader who has decided that his life is pretty much a mess and wonders how it got that way.  Why did his dad just up and walk out on his family, why does he choke up and cannot utter a word in public, why is he the one who is constantly beat up by Danny, the school bully, will he always silently pine for Audrey, the most beautiful girl in school?  And by the way, why was he named Atticus of all things?  Just so Danny could taunt him by calling him Fatticus?

Then into this mess and confusion, Mr. Looney appears as their substitute teacher for the rest of the year.  Not only is Mr. Looney old, he’s a bit loony himself, and older than dirt according to Atticus.  Taking the path less traveled seems to be Mr. Looney’s teaching style.  And yet there’s something about this guy that makes Atticus want to listen to him, and not just because Mr. Looney has a loud, clear, and strong voice.  Atticus began to feel safe inside and thought to himself, “I’d better listen up.  This voice has got something interesting to say.”

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Looney Experiment written by Luke Reynolds.  It was very humorous and entertaining.  When Atticus’ imagination kicked in and he became the super hero in all kinds of situations, I actually laughed aloud.  But also it presented a very strong message.  In small steps Atticus left his shell of protection and began to feel hope.  This is a book about finding things within one’s self that you didn’t know existed.  Things like courage, believing in yourself, and the ability to manage the problems in your life.


In exchange for my review, the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Double Triple Shutter Card

Hello friends!

Today I'm really excited to share with you a card style of which I recently became aware, the Double Triple Shutter Card.  Being such a big card, at first I was hesitant to give it a try.  One of my stamping pals (thank you, Sharon) showed our paper crafting group how to do this, but also I found a wonderful tutorial by Tanya Dawn Richards, with very easy-to-follow instructions. It's not hard at all and assembles much quicker than what I thought it would.  I'm thinking that this is one of those cards that I will make for very special people in my life.

The card opens and keeps unfolding until it is spread out to a couple of feet and it is six inches high.  It's fascinating to watch it unfold!  Here are a series of pictures to see the various stages of unfolding.






Now go have yourself some fun . . . and have a blessed day!
Annie

Monday, September 21, 2015

Bathsheba, Reluctant Beauty


When reading this book, one thing you need to remember is that this story of Bathsheba is from the imaginings of the author, Angela Hunt.  Although it contains actual biblical events, the story surrounding these events is fiction.  With that in mind and understood, Bathsheba, Reluctant Beauty, is a riveting love story about a beautiful young woman named Bathsheba, who is married to and madly in love with her soldier husband, Uriah.  As one of King David’s most faithful and valiant soldiers, Uriah is sent off to fight in a war against the Ammonites.  Thus begins the end of Bathsheba’s joyful and contented married life with Uriah.

As many women did in those days, their baths were taken in the privacy of their sun-filled courtyards, usually in the late afternoon, sometimes in the early evening.  On one such evening, King David stepped out onto his terrace, seeking fresh air and release from a feeling of restlessness.  Once he caught sight of the beautiful Bathsheba, he was struck to the core of his being with desire for this woman and he could not avert his eyes, as decently required.  Not caring who this woman was or her status in the community, not caring whether she was virgin or married, David demand that Bathsheba be brought to him immediately, where upon he forced himself upon her, and all the while Bathsheba was protesting, pleading, and declaring her love for her husband.  As the Bible tells us, Bathsheba became pregnant, which led King David to cover up his evil deed by planning the secret murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.   He added Bathsheba to his harem under the ruse that he was taking her under his care in honor of the loyal and faithful soldier Uriah. 

Although the first child of David and Bathsheba died as punishment for David’s great sin, eventually another son is born to them, who was named Solomon.  God told David, through the prophet Nathan, that he was to anoint Solomon to succeed him, and that his seed would rule forever as long as Solomon was obedient to God.

As could be expected, contention and strife grew between the older sons of David as to who would one day become king.  There follows deceit, treachery, and murder from Solomon’s half-brothers, and Bathsheba’s constant struggle to protect Solomon until it was time for the prophecy to be made known.


Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

I hope you take time to enjoy the blessings of reading a good book.  Thanks for stopping by.
Annie

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Stepping it Up with Fall Cards

As much as I hate to admit it, Indian Summer is here, and autumn is creeping in.  Don't get me wrong, I love the seasons and I'm thankful to be living in an area that definitely has pronounced seasons.  It's just that I'm not yet ready for a change - just need a little more summer time.  By my own hand, I was forced into making a fall card because I joined a fall foliage swap.  You can see two of my creations here:


I sent the brown card for the swap.

Using an Impression Obsession die set, I cut the leaves from patterned paper matching the card base.  It's really a very simple design, but I love the effect of the patterned leaves.  I challenge you to just randomly pull some patterned paper from your stash, choose some coordinating card stock, and make one yourself.  Please leave a link where I can go admire it.

Blessings,
Annie

Saturday, September 5, 2015

A Wonderful Gift!


I just finished reading an absolutely wonderful book called, "So Great Salvation, What It Means to Believe in Jesus Christ," by Charles C. Ryrie. It is in our church library and I highly recommend reading it, even if you have been a follower of Jesus for many, many years.

This is what the dust jacket says:

"In an age when there is a tendency either to water down the Gospel or add to it requirements that are not scriptural, people need a clear, concise, and authoritative word on the meaning and evidences of salvation. And that is exactly what Charles Ryrie provides in the pages of this timely book.


Here Dr. Ryrie answers key and practical questions such as :

*What exactly is the Gospel?
*What is spiritual fruit?
*Can a born-again Christian be carnal and, if so, how long?
*Can a person accept Jesus as Savior without acknowledging Him as Lord:
*Can a dedicated Christian take back part or all of his commitment?
*Must repentance precede faith?
*Is believing in Jesus Christ really so easy?
*What is eternal security?


As you read, you will find the Gospel message and its implications for your life clearly delineated. You will receive added insight and confidence to explain the Good News to family members, friends, and others without the Savior. And you will be touched anew by the marvelous grace and sacrificial love of the Author of our great salvation."

Head for the library now. This is a must-read book!

Annie

Monday, August 24, 2015

Love Your Neighbor

Hello friends,

Thanks for stopping by today.  A few days ago I completed a poster and display for my church library.  I love it when I can use my paper crafting tools in my ministry work.  I saw a similar poster on Pinterest and adapted it to fit my purpose.  You can see it in these two pictures. 



The wording on the poster is, "We are each unique and beautiful, but together we are a masterpiece!"


The theme is about loving your neighbors world wide.   As you know, love can break all kinds of barriers - skin color, different languages, customs.  As Jesus taught us, "The first commandment is . . . you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. . . . And the second , like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  Mark 12:30-31 

Below are a few books and movie titles that I put on display with the poster.  Check through them to see what you might find for your reading or viewing pleasure.

Blessings,
Annie


How to Love Your Neighbor (Book)
Thunder Dog (Book)
Abel's Field (DVD)
God's Not Dead (DVD)
Chasing Mavericks (DVD)
Rescue the Captors (Book)
End of the Spear (Book)



Small Things with Great Love (Book)
Kite Runner (Book)
Unconditional (DVD)
Fearless (Book)
Behind the Sun (DVD)

  



Friday, August 14, 2015

Artsy Rainbow

Hello friends,

Don't you just love rainbows!  Every time I see one I am awed by its beauty and reminded of God's promise, "I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth."  (Genesis 9:13) 

So . . . when I had an opportunity to join a rainbow swap, I jumped right in.  I didn't have an actual rainbow stamp but would have to be creative.  A fun idea came to mind and I started looking through my artsy stamps.  When I came to this stamp by Judi-Kins, I could hardly wait to get started.  Here you can see the finished card:


It was really fun to do something out of the norm and stretch my imagination.  The image was colored with Copic Sketch markers, which I just love to use. 

Stamps:
Judi-Kins 2907G
Paula Best 988-A called Rainbow Soul.

Blessings to you and watch for those rainbows!
Annie

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

A Good Book for Beginners


Amy Lively writes very enthusiastically about how she overcame her fear of getting to know her neighbors.  However, she didn’t offer anything new to those of us who study the Bible and try to walk the Jesus way.  But for new Christians or those who have little or no knowledge or experience in loving their neighbors, this book may give them a starting place.  It is based on biblical principles so that is a big plus.

The content is good, lots of ideas and suggestions on how to get to know your neighbors, but the writing is slow paced and a bit boring.  I like a good page-turner-book, and this one didn't light my fire.  I'm sorry to  say that to complete reading the book was very tough for me as it just didn’t hold my interest for very long at a time.  But for others it may be just the perfect help they need.  And for that reason, I still plan to add this title to our church library
 
Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Digital Birthday Card Making

Creating birthday cards is always fun to do and I like to personalize them as much as possible.  One of my son's hobbies is remote-controlled cars.  Not only does he have ones for himself, but also for three of his grandsons.  Perfect idea for his birthday card!  Bummer that I didn't have a remote-controlled car stamp, but I was able to find clip art that worked perfectly.  What fun!

 
Of course, I didn't have a sentiment to match exactly, so back to the computer to compose and print one.  Looking forward to hearing him laugh when he looks at the card.  I'm sure he will get a big kick out it!
 
Blessings,
Annie
 

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

What's Green, Red, and Yellow, but not Altogether?

Hi Friends!

The answer has to do with cards, of course, specifically the three cards I'm showing you today.  I'm currently in a weekly color swap and just finished up my green card today.  Besides being a really fun challenge, I've been able to use some smaller scraps to make up the color combinations for each card.  I seldom throw away scrap pieces as I know that someday they will provide just what I need.  So what do you think of these little doozies?


 

 
Thanks for stopping by,
Annie

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Waterfall Fold Card - Asian Style


Hello, Blog Followers,

I've been having a great time making cards using the Waterfall Fold.  I'm sure you hear all the time that "it's much easier than it looks," but really . . . it is rather easy to do.  It's so fun to pull the tab and watch all the pages flip up one-by-one.  The finished card size is 5 1/2 x 4 1/4, just the right size for easy mailing.



Here is a link to a great tutorial for making a Waterfall Fold card.  Whether it will be your first time making it or maybe you have made it in the past, give it go and have some fun card making time.

Blessings,
Annie


Monday, May 18, 2015

Shadow of the Mountain

Not the Caleb of the Bible that I Envision!

I was quite excited to receive “Shadow of the Mountain,” by Cliff Graham, because the summary for it was so favorable.  However, after only a few pages, disappointment set in. The author states right up front that the Bible does not yield very much information about Caleb.  He tells us that he has taken a great deal of liberty in fashioning Caleb’s background, because Caleb didn’t appear in the Bible until Moses called upon him and Joshua to lead the spies into Canaan.  Apparently, the author chose to not delve deeper into historical documents written by other authors of that time period.  Caleb’s character as portrayed by Mr. Graham is one with which I am not comfortable.  I cannot see Caleb as a mercenary for the Pharaoh in Egypt, heartless and cruel.  Nor can I see him as one who rose to the ranks of a special group called Red Scorpions after passing punishing and brutal tests and surviving near-death experiences.  Supposedly, Caleb became the most excellent soldier in the land and won the Gold of Honor, the highest award in the Egyptian army and in the kingdom itself.  “It was reserved only for those who exceeded every understanding of courage and valor in battle.”

If you’re not looking for biblical fiction based on fact and if you like stories about raging battles of war, blood, and guts, then this book might be considered very entertaining.  At least two-thirds of the story is about the grueling military training that Caleb experienced, and his battles, then finally in the last third of the book Moses and Aaron enter the story, and finally Joshua.  I finished reading the book only because I said I would read and review it.  This is only one woman’s opinion – you might find it really entertaining.

Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Blessings,
Annie

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Tulip Window Cards

The tulips in my flower gardens are still blooming, but I can see the end coming.  Working outside has kept me from card making, but it has inspired me to make some tulip cards. Especially since I have a new tulip embossing folder that I haven't yet used!  Finally, I had some time to play.  Here are three very fun cards, two using a technique that is new to me.


1.  Fold an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" white card base in half.
2.  Cut a white panel measuring 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  Emboss it with the tulip window embossing folder.
3.  Die cut 5 tulips from green card stock and 5 tulips from red card stock.  Match up the green and
     red tulips.
4.  Trim off about half of the green tulip blossoms and trim the stem off of each red tulip.  Glue the
      red tulip blossoms onto the green ones.
5.  On the backside of the embossed panel, in the window opening, layer as follows:
        a. grass die cut
        b. a green 1/2" x 2 1/4" strip (see card for placement; about
            1/8" shows above the bottom of the window)
        c. the tulips and leaves 
6.  Adhere the embossed panel to the card front.
7.  Die cut the watering can from polka dot paper and attach to the lower right bottom of card.
8.  Stamp a small sentiment on red card stock and punch out with 5/8" round punch.  Glue to center of watering can.
9.  Punch 2 small butterflies; place one with the tulips in the window and the other one on inside of card, lower left side.

Stamps:  Stampin' Up:  Fabulous Phrases
Dies:      Impression Obsession:  Grass 06-I, Stems & Leaves 150-D, Tulip Set 147-A, and Watering Can 155-A
              Spellbinders:  Small Deckled Rectangles
Embossing Folder:  Crafts-Too:  Tulip Window

This is the second card using the same Tulip Window embossing folder:



My idea for this card came from this tutorial, however I changed things up a bit by embossing the card and by making a smaller window for the pop-out butterfly:  http://flowerbug.typepad.com/my_weblog/2015/03/pop-out-window-butterfly-basics-card-video.html.  The white folded panel is 3 1/2" x 6", scored at 2" and 4".


These tulips were made by punching the wing of the Stampin' Up Bird Builder punch.  It is one of my favorite punches because so many things can be made with it. The layered panel and the circle were embossed using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots EF.  All pieces were edge distressed using Rusty Hinge and Dusty Concord Distress Ink pads.

I hope you found the cards to your liking.  I would love some feedback. Thanks for stopping by and may your day be blessed.
Annie