Sympathy - Diagonal Split Panel Card

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Sympathy cards are not much fun to make, but sadly there is a need for them.  Today's card was made for a dear friend whose brother passed away.  I hope it brings a bit of comfort to her.  I want to share it with you in case you want to make one to have on hand.  Without the sympathy sentiment on the front, it would make a good thinking of you card, too.

Direction

1.  Glue the bottom layer patterned paper to the front of the card front.

2.  Working on the Top Layer Patterned Paper, mark in pencil 1 1/4″ to the left of the bottom right corner, and 2 1/2″ above the bottom right corner. Trim from the top left corner to these marks, then erase the marks. Discard the center piece or lay aside if you want to use it in center of the split.  

3.  Attach the diagonal pieces with foam tape.

4.  Your choice to do this step:  With the left-over center diagonal cut, put DS tape on the back.  Center and slide the small tip up under the flower image.  Match patterns if there are any.  Cut off excess.

5.  Stamp image, color, cut out, and attach to card at top left.  For the inside leaves: color all of them all over with Apple Green.  Shade half of each leaf with Dark Green.

6.  In the center of each flower, put a drop of Buttermilk Gloss Crystal Drops.

7.  Die cut the sympathy sentiment from white card stock and glue it on the lower left of the card.

Stampin’ Up Wonderful Romance stamp set

KaiserCraft Decorative Dies (Words)

Tape Runner

Foam Tape

Glue Pen

Fussy Cutting Scissors

Paper Trimmer

Craft Knife with Cutting Pad

Colored Pencils:  Canary Yellow, Light Aqua, Cobalt Turquoise, Apple Green, Dark Green, Germany Blender

Ruler

Pencil

Buttermilk Gloss Crystal Drops

Permanent Black Ink Pad

Thanks for taking a look.

Blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling: Matthew 2:1-2

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,  "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."  Matthew 2:1-2

My study included Matthew 2:1-12.

When the magi saw the Star, they knew that it signified the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews, the Messiah.  Their long journey was solely for the purpose of worshiping this new King.

In a commentary by John Piper, he asks the question, “ What is worship in this text?”  He goes on to say, “Worshiping Jesus means joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts.”  He believes that there are four pieces to that definition of worship, and all four are grounded in this text.

First, He sees the magi ascribing authority to Christ by calling him "King of the Jews" in verse 2: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" "

Second, in verse 11, he sees the magi ascribing dignity to Jesus by falling down before him: "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him."  Falling to the ground is what you do to say to someone else: you are high and I am low. You have great dignity and I am lowly by comparison.

 Third, he sees the joy in these ascriptions of authority and dignity in verse 10: "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." I love how he explains this:  “Now this is a quadruple way of saying they rejoiced. It would have been much to say they rejoiced. More to say they rejoiced with joy. More to say they rejoiced with great joy. And even more to say they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And what was all this joy about? - they were on their way to the Messiah. They were almost there. I cannot avoid the impression then that true worship is not just ascribing authority and dignity to Christ; it is doing this joyfully. It is doing it because you have come to see something about Christ that is so desirable that being near him to ascribe authority and dignity to him personally is overwhelmingly compelling.”

Pastor John says that the fourth part of the definition of worship here is that we do our ascribing with sacrificial gifts. “Worshiping Jesus means joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts.”

God does not need anything from human hands, so the gifts of the magi are not given by way of assistance to God or to meet His needs.  The gifts are intensifiers, meaning to build up or strengthen our desire for Christ Himself.  When you give a gift to Christ like this, it's a way of saying; I have not come to you for your things, but for Yourself.  I am giving up things in the hope of enjoying you more, not things. By this I am saying, You are my treasure, not these things.  John Piper thinks that's what it means to worship God with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh and I can agree with that.

“I bring my gifts to say that you alone can satisfy my heart, not these."

Praise the Lord that wise men still seek Him!

Blessings,

Annie

Oh My Whiskers Birthday Card

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Hi there, Stampers,

I have a friend that loves cats as much as I do, if that's possible.  Her birthday is coming up in a few days and this is the card I made for her.

Well, I think it is adorable but, of course, I love cats.  The white die cut background is called "Summer Border" from Memory Box.  The stamp set is from Honey Bee Stamps "Oh My Whiskers and Purfect Sentiments."  I stamped the images on white card stock and colored them with Copic Markers.  The color numbers are listed below.  After coloring, I fussy cut the images and glued them in place.  I think it's cute how the little butterfly is just out of reach of the the tiny kitten's paw.  Hope you enjoyed today's card.

Stamps and Copic Markers Used:
Honey Bee Stamps:  Oh My Whiskers and Perfect Sentiments
Copic Markers:  Greens YG17 & YG45
                            Yellow Y13
                             Pinks RV13, RV52, R11
                             Greys N1 & BV23
                             Blue B41
                             White E41

Blessings,
Annie

Nativity Ornament Card

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Hello again,

Last Saturday I finished up my cards, got them all signed, addressed, stamped, and dropped into the mail box. What a good feeling!  This is the last card I made.  I love to always make at least a few focusing on the nativity.  The die I used for this card is one that I purchased during the summer and have been saving for December.  It is called "Ornament, Nativity" by Cottage Cutz.  

The navy blue base is the normal size, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.  The white panel is 4 x 5 1/4 inches embossed with "Boughs and Berries" embossing folder from Stampin' Up.  The sentiment stamp is an old one but one of my favorites.  It is called "The Nativity Cast" by Stampendous.  A tiny little gold jewel is glued in the center of the star.  That single bit of gold really focuses one's attention to the star shining over baby Jesus.

May you experience all the blessings of Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all,

Annie

Christmas Carol Singers Card

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Hello friends,

I don't know about you, but I am way behind on making my Christmas cards.  However, finally I have another one to share with you.  This is another one that is different from my regular Christmas card style but it still relates to the most wonderful night when Jesus was born.  I hope you like it.

I used a set of stamps and dies from Simon Says Stamp called Carol Singers.  The white background die cut is from Papertrey Ink called Mix & Match Plaid Die.  Copic markers were used for coloring.  For a final touch I wrapped red and white twine in and out around the white  die cut.  Wishing you happy stamping.

Blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling: Psalm 30:11

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  Psalm 30:11

"You have changed my mourning into joyful dancing."

David sang Psalm 30 at the dedication of his palace.  He remembered a time when he was suffering from a mortal illness.  At that time, he felt that God was angry and was hiding His face from him; that in some way, his illness was related to God’s anger.  David pleads with God to save his life so that he can continue to praise and worship God as he had promised to do.  In his mourning, David asked God what profit he would be to God if he died.  God did answer David’s prayer and showed mercy by blessing him by saving his life.  Verse 11 is David’s expression to God of thankfulness, gladness, and praise for his deliverance, but also that he would be able to continue to praise the Lord all his days and keep his promise. 

David tells us that the primary reason for God’s transforming work in his life wasn’t primarily to give him palaces or peace, but was so that David could praise the Lord and not be silent.  It was for God’s glory.  This principle means that God has a special reason to bring His transforming work to lives that will give Him praise.

The lesson for me in this is that whatever are my circumstances, my purpose is to always praise God and to do so before others – not be silent.

Blessings,
Annie

Christmas Collage Card

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Hello and happy December!

Don't you just love it when it is time to make Christmas cards.  I was searching through my supply of Christmas stamps looking for something a little different and something that I hadn't used for a long time.  What I found is this stamp set from Hero Arts called

Holiday Poste de Luxe Christmas Postoid.  Aha!  I have always loved to do collage cards and haven't done that technique in a while, this set is the one I chose for this card.  Although Hero Arts has retired it, you can still find it at Ebay.  Here's a picture of the finished card.

The card base is actually a pale green, although the picture shows a yellow tinge to it.  I stamped several of the elements individually and then trimmed them to size.  Some of the elements were just randomly stamped on the card base and also on one square piece of card stock which I first stamped with a shadow stamp.  The Celebrate the Season postoid was stamped, trimmed with postage stamp scissors, and then layered onto a piece of green card stock.  I also used the shadow stamp on the card base four or five times.  It's easy to get carried away when doing collage and just so much fun!  The final touch was adding a gold star brad at the top of one of the Christmas trees.  Here's a look at this great stamp set.

Thank you and blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling: Ecclesiastes 3:11

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything 

beautiful in its time.

All things in creation are made by God for His pleasure and glory, and there is a beauty in them all.  He governs and orders all things according to His will.  Some things are done immediately by Him, as in creation.  Others are made by instruments, and some are only permitted by him.  Some He does Himself, some He wills to be done by others, and some He suffers to be done.  However, in all, there is a beauty and harmony.  Everything is done in the time in which God wills it shall be done, and it is done in the time most fit and suitable for it to be done.

We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them.

Blessings,

Annie

Elegant Thanksgiving Wreath

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Need a quick card for Thanksgiving?  Here  is an idea that can be whipped up in just a few minutes.  For a background, emboss the card using Sizzix Elegant Wreath folder, or your choice.  Daisy punch several times from scrapbook paper and cream card stock to make a decorative flower.  For the flower center I used a tiny flower punch and a tiny starburst punch, with a jewel in the center.  I used a couple of pieces of green grosgrain ribbon for the leaves.   I used my Stampin' Up Classic Label punch to punch the cream label and then stamped with Inkadinkado #99450-K, and colored the fruit with Prismacolor pencils.  The card size is 51/2 x 41/4, top folded.  Quick but still a bit elegant!

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving and special blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling - Psalm 138:1

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  Psalm 138:1

"I will praise You with my whole heart."

David boldly declared that he would hold nothing back in his praise to God.  His praising God would be done with all his being, with his whole heart, with the whole force of his life.  David intended his praise to be done with joy and enthusiastic eagerness. 

To praise God with the whole heart leaves no room for any other motives to divide our devotion to the Lord.

I need a broken heart to mourn my own sins, but a whole heart to praise the Lord.  If ever my heart is whole and wholly occupied with one thing, it should be when I am praising the Lord.

Blessings,
Annie

Book Review: In the Footsteps of Jesus, One Man's Journey, by Bruce Marchiano

Annie’s Ink-Lings

In the Footsteps of Jesus, One Man’s Journey, 

by Bruce Marchiano

This is a book written from the heart of the author, Bruce Marchiano, who portrayed Jesus in the movie, “The Gospel According to Matthew.”  It is his personal testimony of the effects that playing this roll had on his spiritual life and in his personal life.  One of the things that I found so encouraging was that he related how wonderfully God worked in his life and then shares that he is nobody special.  God wants to relate to each one of us right where we are.  Bruce talks about his background and details about how he came to be in such a film. He gives insight to his thoughts, feelings, and attitudes leading up to and during the filming.  You come away feeling as if you were on location with him during the shoot.

Bruce's writing is so fresh and conversational that you feel he is sitting in your home and chatting with you about what matters most in the world - Jesus!  Although he was a believer before playing the role of Jesus, I feel he was very transparent about what was in his heart and thoughts as the Holy Spirit led him to know a Jesus that he previously didn’t fully understand. 

It was an encouragement to me to read Bruce Marchiano's testimony about his amazing journey of following Christ and his life changing experience of portraying Jesus in the film.  What he shares is from the heart as he bares his soul in this book and the greater knowledge he gained of who Jesus really was. After reading the book, you feel as if Bruce is a friend who has shared an intimate part of his life with you.  More importantly, he reveals to us the Jesus who is a friend to us all, not a solemn or sad Messiah, but a man of joy and love.  I believe it will deepen your own relationship with Christ as it did with Bruce - it did mine!

Blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling - Galatians 6:9

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary of doing good, 

for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Doing good involves yielding to the Spirit and exhibiting the fruit He produces—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When these things are dominant in our lives, doing good is the inevitable result.

We need this encouragement to not grow weary in doing good because of our own natural weakness and the opposition of evil spirits and evil men.  The best intentions for doing good can be easily derailed. We often feel there is so much work to be done that we cannot possibly do it all. There are so many needs, so many calls on our time, energy, and finances, that we can easily become exhausted and disheartened.  Doing what’s right is not easy in a fallen world, especially when it seems no one notices and there is little recompense for all our troubles.

Growing weary in doing good is an ever-present danger in the Christian life.  Overcommitting ourselves is a primary cause of weariness among Christians. We want so much to contribute and to respond to God’s love by pouring ourselves into ministry for His sake that we risk burnout. Discernment is essential. We need to choose wisely and always allow time for rest.  God will provide for each need He wants to fulfill. He will provide the means to accomplish His ends.

Paul reminds us to look past our labors to the prize at the end:  those who persevere in doing good are promised to reap rewards. When we become disheartened, the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit brings relief and gratitude to our hearts and glory to God.  Just like the sower of seed must wait for the harvest, the Christian must wait patiently for the rewards that will inevitably come to us from God. We will not give up, because our Lord is faithful. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

(Based on Galatians, McArthur New Testament Commentary.)

Blessings,
Annie

Milk Can Arrangement

Annie’s Ink-Lings

Today’s card was made with one of my favorite stamp sets.  I really like the country, old-fashioned look.  You can color the image to make it appropriate for any season.  This brings back memories of when it was popular to decorate your front porch with a milk can.  Yes, I had one on my porch!  It was always fun to walk in the fields or woods and find items to make a bouquet.  Now, in my area, it’s hard to find cattails.  One of the things that I really like about this stamp is – you guessed it - the cattails.   

You might think my card took a long time to make, but actually it takes very little time.  Copic markers make coloring really quick and easy.  Fussy cutting took the most time, but even that went quickly, and I love to do it.  Now it's your turn!

Card Stock Measurements

White Card Stock Base  8½ x 5 inches

Patterned Paper Panel 5½ x 2½  inches

White Card Stock Panel 4 3/8 x 2½ inches

Red Specialty Paper Panel  4 5/8 x 2¾ inches

Red Specialty Paper Strip  5½ x 5/8 inches

Supplies

Stampin’ Up Country Home Stamp Set

Stampin’ Up Cup of Cheer Dies – the Bow die

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad

Misti or Clear Blocks

Paper Trimmer

Tape Runner

Fussy Cutting Scissors

Make Art Play Station (if you have one or just a ruler)

Copic Markers Coloring Chart

Milk Can:  YG61 Pale Moss, hi-lighted with G99 Olive

Milk Can Rings and Handles:  E55 Light Camel and E39 Leather

Catails:  E55 Light Camel, dots with E39 Leather

Small Berries:  R35 Coral

Leaf Branches:  G99

Artichoke:  R39 Garnet

Dark Leaves:  G94 Grayish Olive

Light Leaves:  G40 Dim Green, hi-lighted with BG01 Aqua Blue

Notes

1.  Remember – when stamping with polymer stamps, you need to leave the stamp on

           the paper for a longer time in order for the ink to transfer.

2.  Red and White panel is mounted with 3-D tape.

Layering Directions/Measurements

1.  Red Specialty Paper Strip ½ inch from left side of card.

2.  Patterned Paper Panel ¾ inch from left side of card.

3.  Red Specialty Paper Panel 1 inch from left side of card.

So glad to have you here today.

Blessings,
Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling: Ephesians 1:4-5

Annie’s Ink-Lings

This Week's Scripture Focus:  Ephesians 1:4-5

 

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Please note that in this journaling I am addressing only the meaning of the words "chosen" and "predestined."  This is not an argument either for or against Arminianism or Calvinism.

I encourage you to do your own research if you have been touched by this journaling.  This is one of the mysteries of the bible that we may never truly and completely understand while we are present on this earth.  But one thing is certain:  if we are a believer, we have been chosen by the grace of God, and not by works.

* * *

 God chose we who are in Christ to be His children in His wisdom, power, and love, so our proper response as His children is to live in obedience to Him. We are to be "holy," a word meaning "set apart." We are also to live in a way which is without blame.

Before the world was created, God made the decision that all those who believed in Christ Jesus would become children of God.  By that decision, He chose who would be allowed to be his children.  The word chose comes from the Greek word eklegomai, (ek-le'-go-mī )which means “to pick out, choose out a person or thing.” 

By making the decision that only those who would become believers would become His children, God predestined us.  Predestined comes from the Greek word proorizo (proh-oh-REE-zoh) and it means “to make a decision beforehand.”  This means that God determined ahead of time whom He would adopt as His children – the believers.

God has chosen us and yet we are responsible to believe.  He gives us the gift of faith and all who have faith are granted the ability to come to Jesus and will come – no exceptions.

In the beginning before anything was created, God chose and predestinated us to be adopted as children of God by our faith in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Annie

Bible Illustrating and Journaling: Isaiah 61:11

Annie’s Ink-Lings

  This Week's Scripture Focus:  Isaiah 61:11

For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

The prophet Isaiah is comparing how a garden grows seeds planted in it to how God brings forth righteousness and blessings in our lives.  We can’t get inside a seed and press a button to make the seed grow.  The blessing of life and growth is miraculously within the seed, placed there by God.  We can’t “make” something grow, but we can provide the right environment for the seed to bud, grow, and be fruitful. That’s also how we receive and flourish in God’s blessings. We can’t “make” or “manufacture” them, but we can put our hearts and minds in the right environments of faith, fellowship, and obedience, to see blessing grow and flourish.  In this passage, righteousness means deliverance, which is a reference to the coming Messiah, who will provide the means of deliverance for all nations.

Blessings,
Annie

Thankful Mice

Annie’s Ink-Lings

So much has been going on that I’m very happy to finally get around to making some Thanksgiving cards.  It appears that I was feeling whimsical today and didn’t realize it.  My intent was to make a nice autumn Thanksgiving card.  However, when I spotted the little Thankful Mice stamps in my “Holidays” drawer, I knew it was time to use them again.  So, my original plan was put on hold for another day.  The little pilgrim mice and slice of cheese are so fun to design with.  It’s really great to have the matching dies, so no fussy cutting.  The card is fairly straightforward, so I felt directions weren’t really needed, except that I used foam tape to mount the mice for a nice 3-D effect.  Just follow the picture and have fun.

Measurements

8 ½ x 5 ½ inch card base

5 3/8 x 4 1/8 inch panel

5 ¼ x 4 inch panel

Stamps, Punch, and Dies

Lawn Fawn Thankful Mice #LF36 and Coordinating Dies #LF37

Sizzix/Lori Whitlock Sentiment Circles & Stamps #66234

Joy Crafts Cardmodel Circle #6002/0599

Stampendous H091 Thanksgiving Time stamp

Stampin’ Up Painted Harvest set:  I am thankful for you

Stampin’ Up Bird Builder Punch

Copic Markers

R01 Pinkish Vanilla

R30 Pale Yellowish Pink

N1 Neutral Grey No.1

E13 Light Suntan

R56 Currant

G46 Mistletoe

100 Black

Hope you enjoy the card.

Blessings,
Annie