"Hello Life"

 

Hello there!
I hope you had a lovely Christmas, celebrating with family and friends. 2013 is just around the corner!

I wanted to share a cute little album I have just finished.
I had a go at Following The Paper Trail's paper bag album project, the YouTube tutorial is found HERE. Very easy to follow, give it a go!

I called mine "Hello Life" and using simple photos and very few words (no journalling) I was able to put this together with a minimum of fuss!

Here are a few pages...











 

 

A little while ago I bought the 6x6 paper pad of Amy Tangerine's "Sketchbook" paper range, as well as the die-cut elements and clear stamps. I challenged myself to stick to using only these products, as well as a couple of colours of cardstock (kraft, grey, black).  I found that the bright summery colours co-ordinated beautifully with the yummy new-ish set of "Summer" distress inks (Picked Raspberry = pink; Mowed Lawn = green; and Salty Ocean = blue) and also the happy Squeezed Lemonade yellow from the "Spring" set! So bright and happy.

 

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you can come back soon!

XRebecca





Love Those Distress Inks!

Hi there!
My mum had the kids for a couple of hours today, so I had the most wonderful time playing with one of my favourite mediums...distress inks!
If you have never tried these before, give them a go - they are so much fun, and the results are outstanding!

I created this card today, using a technique I discovered on Kristina Werner's blog. She is an amazing cardmaker, so talented, and I love that she posts a video for every card tutorial she makes. So helpful for a visual learner like me!

The card I used as the inspiration for my creation today can be found here.

And here is my card. 

For the sentiment I cut a label shape out of the blue "distressed" using a die and my cuttlebug, creating a negative space - or a hole (!). I stamped the sentiment onto the card front so that it peeps through the die-cut hole.

I adhered the blue card to the card front with foam tape.

A simple yet effective result, don't you think?

Check out Kristina's blog and learn some new techniques for yourself. It's a lovely way to spend a few quiet hours.

Hope to see you again soon!
XRebecca

Framed Monogrammes

Hello!

This pretty idea is something I made for my DDs several months ago - framed monogrammes for their bedroom doors.

They look good, don't they?

So easy.

All you need is a frame (mine were 2 for $5.00 from Big W); paint; and assorted papers.

The frames I got were already white, but because they were only cheapies I gave them a cupla coats of white paint to cover any marks/ scrapes on the wood (happy to do that - after all, they were only $2.50 each!).

You may prefer to use a colour to match the room instead.

You will find the painting easier if you remove the back of the frame as well as the glass.

You won't need the glass if you are planning on attaching dimensional embellishments.

Set aside to dry thoroughly.

While the paint is drying (or in my case 3 weeks later...well, life's busy!) cut your background paper to size and adhere it to the backing of the frame.

I printed the monogrammes on the computer and used them as a template to trace onto the paper I had chosen for the letters. If you're really clever you can draw them freehand.

Adhere letter to background paper, add desired fancies and...voila!

This would suit a boy's room too, using robots or space creatures or monsters, grrr!

I hope you have fun trying this out for yourself.

Have a great day,

X Rebecca

"LORD - do something...please!

Here's something for you to think about.

How many times have you prayed about an issue - either something you are going through, or maybe a friend - and you pray as if it's the first He knows of the situation?

The thing that the Lord revealed to me the other day was this - it is HIM prompting us to pray about the situation in the first place.
  

With God we don't have to be afraid of what lies ahead



He already knows about it, even more than you do.

He's the one getting the ball rolling by causing us to be aware of the issue in the first place.

He opens our eyes to it, whether it's something in our life that needs dealing with, or it could be a need a friend has, or a social justice issue.

Perhaps when we pray we need to be saying, "Thankyou Lord, for making me aware of this problem/issue, and please heal/deal with it/cause it to work out" instead of "LORD don't You see me/her/them suffering here? Why don't You do something about it??"

Well...He already has.

Thanks for calling in,

a bientot...X Rebecca

Something to Try...

Hi there!
Thanks for calling in.
See the cute little cupcake photo in my new header? Aint it suhweet?
I thought today I would encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to this hobby of papercrafting that we all know and love.
Don't limit yourself - or your supplies - to making cards or scrapbooking.
Let's face it, with the amount of money we spend on our hobby we are obligated to do much more with it than we do!

Take these cupcakes, for example.

I made these for my daughter's 12th birthday - very, very simple cake and icing - but by creating a flower (using the mini rolled rose die from Die-namics and a little leaf die from Stampin' Up) it transformed a plain old cupcake into something quite exquisite.
You don't need a die-cutting machine to do this, you can create a freehand flower and stem instead and get the same result.
What do you think...worth a try?

A bientot mes amis!
X Rebecca

Challenge Entry

Hi everyone!
I'm joining in a couple of challenges this week!
Here is my entry...

It's a card I made for my beautiful daughter's birthday - happy birthday sweetie!
For the background I used my "Large Flower Background" stamp by Hero Arts. I white heat-embossed it and painted it with watercolour pencils.
The little girl stamp is from the Pure Innocence range by My Favourite Things, called "Love You With All My Heart". I added her little leggings, and also painted this image using watercolour pencils.
I love doing this, it has to be my favourite technique at the moment - so easy to do and so effective!

The challenges I'm entering are Simon Says Stamp summer challenge, and the Hero Arts birthday challenge.
Why don't you join in the fun too?
See you soon,
XRebecca

Strength In The Wilderness

Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30, but before He began ministering He had to go through a time of testing.

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from

Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." (Luke 4:1)

Whenever I hear this verse it's like I erase part of it - Jesus was led - taken - by the Spirit into the wilderness. It doesn't say if it was a physical wilderness either - it could have been a wilderness experience.

Jesus was taken into the wilderness perhaps for the express purpose of being tested.

It's interesting that for some reason even Jesus could not escape the strengthening, refining process of a testing trial.

Jesus was so full of God's Word that He stayed strong to the end.

He knew why He was there.

He didn't want to blow it.

He knew full well that He could create food and comfort for Himself with just one word.

For 40 days the devil came and taunted Him.

Perhaps with doubts about who He was?

Perhaps with taunts about His effectiveness?

"No-one will believe Your words...they know You're just a carpenter's son...from Nazareth of all places..."

Sound familiar?

But Jesus knew full well who He really was.

He knew that His earthly family's background didn't matter.

It made no difference that He came from the wrong end of town.

What mattered was WHO had sent Him - WHO had called Him - Jesus' focus was on His heavenly Father and the calling that had been placed on His life.

This is what I want you to get a revelation of - the testing Jesus went through was PART OF His ministry...not APART FROM His ministry.

If we are going to be used by God, testing times will come.

It's when heat and pressure are applied that the impurities are drawn out of gold.

It's in the heat and cold water that steel is moulded and then hardened.

Trials will come.

Tests are inevitable.

But the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Where is your focus?

On the problem...or on the Father?

Thanks for calling in,

XRebecca