God has given each of us a wide variety of gifts and talents and today’s gospel is a clear message that the Lord expects us to use these gifts to serve others and do our part to build up the Kingdom of heaven.
It is not acceptable to waste our gifts by putting them on a shelf, allowing fear to stop us from doing our part within our own communities of faith and beyond. It is not important to have all the gifts and talents, or to compare our gifts to others, but it is important to do our best to use the gifts God has given us.
How will you share your gifts and talents with others this week? Perhaps we can begin with thanking God for our gifts and finding ways to show a bit more kindness to others. I know if I am blessed enough to reach heaven, I want to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
With Thanksgiving less than 2 weeks away I started thinking about making my Christmas cards. It seems if I do not get them made and ready to mail before decorating, I run out of time! This year there are so many wonderful Christmas bundles to choose from, which is great, but then again, I can’t decide. Maybe I will make a wide variety!
Today’s cards features bells from the Cherish the Season Bundle and the Joy from the Joy Dies. Our Cherry Cobbler cardstock is so elegant and doesn’t even have any calories! LOL
I began with a Whisper White card base and added a thin layer of Cherry Cobbler. Using the Cut and Emboss machine I embossed a piece of white cardstock with the Winter Snow Embossing Folder. I really love how the softness of these snowflakes brings out the elegance of this card.
I cut a square of Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White using the Layering Squares. The bells and the holly sprigs are cut from Shaded Spruce using the Cherish the Season Bundle. I added a Gold Metallic bow to the top of the bells.
TIP: This gold ribbon frays quite a bit, which I love when making tags, but not so much when it comes to bows for a card. I put a tiny bit of liquid glue on the both ends after cutting to stop the fraying.
Thanks for stopping by! Join me again tomorrow for more crafting tips and ideas. Until then, be blessed! Stamping Hugs and Blessings, Renae
Cherish the Season #155154 $35Winter Snow #153577 $7.50Whisper White #100730 $9.75Liquid Glue #110755 $4
Layering Squares #151772 $35Cherry Cobbler #147083 $7.50 Add All to Cart
Joy Dies #153530 $32Cherry Cobbler #119685 $8.75Shaded Spruce #146981 $8.75
Wow! Can you believe that it is only 13 more days until Thanksgiving and 41 until Christmas. Now is the time to start a Journal of Gratitude and write down at least 10 things a day that you are thankful for! What a wonderful way to celebrate all the blessings we have received this year, despite the many set backs.
And of course we offer prayer for those suffering physically, mentally and/or financially! With gratitude on my mind, I just want to say how much I truly appreciate all my customers, followers and stamping friends. Sending virtual hugs to wherever you may be!
With that being said, I could not resist a fall Thank you card. I decided to combine the Country Home stamp set from the annual catalog with the new Beautiful Autumn Bundle from the August – December mini. If you have not purchased this bundle, there is still time. Don’t forget to use the host code: 4SFDFVEX. If your order is $150 or more, skip the code so that you can enjoy the Stampin’ Rewards! Let me know if you have any questions or issues.
I stated with a Misty Moonlight card base. Did you know Misty Moonlight is the number one selling color? I added a layer of Very Vanilla (4 x 5 1/4) and in Misty Moonlight stamped the country container in the lower right corner. The flowery images and wheat is from the Beautiful Autumn set and I masked the country container so it would look more realistic.
I used the water color painters to add some Misty Moonlight color to the canister. The greeting from the Beautiful Autumn set and is stamped in, you guessed it Misty Moonlight! And of’ course, I could not resist a matching bow. I used Mossy Meadow, Soft Suede and Early Expresso for the leaves and pinecones.
On the inside I added a 4 x 5 1/4″ piece of Very Vanilla and stamped the greeting in Misty Moonlight. The little birdie is from the Quite Curvy Bundle that was left over from yesterday’s project. I think it looks really sweet on top of the greeting. Click here if you missed yesterdays post.
Thanks for stopping by. Come on back tomorrow for some more crafting fun. Until then, be blessed! Feel free to leave a comment. Stamping Hugs and Blessings, Renae
I have been using a lot of the Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper, but I always seem to go for the traditional fall colors, so today I am challenging myself to use one of the other colors. I decided to go with the Seaside Spray and the Melon Mambo. I am using the Beautiful Autumn and Quite Curvy Bundles, the Country Home stamp set and squares from the Stitched Shape Dies. A little birdie told me to do it! (hee hee)
I used the Seaside Spray, Crumb Cake and Flirty Flamingo blends to color in the birdies. The leaf and the acorn is stamped with Sahara Sand and Cinnamon Cider. The greeting from Country Home is stamped in Misty Moonlight ink. This is the stamp that I cut apart and today I am using the part I removed for the inside greeting!
I think it would look sweet to stamp a few birdies on the inside too! I really like the softness of this card and even though it is not traditional fall colors, it works! I hope you are inspired to create something beautiful today. Feel free to email or snail mail me your creations, I would love to share them with others! As always comments are always welcome! Until next time, be blessed!
Stamping Hugs and Blessings, Renae
Country Home #147678 $21
Stitched Shapes #152323 $30Plaid Tiding #153527 $11.50Melon Mambo #115320 $8.75
Quite Curvy #156228 $41.25
Misty Moonlight #153118 $7.50Seaside Blends #154901 $9 Add All to Cart
I just love a beautiful fall day and that is exactly what we had here yesterday. But as they say in Mary Poppins, the winds are a changing and I think today we are in for some much cooler weather. But hey, after all it is November.
My card today is a little fall fun on the diagonal to celebrate all the colorful changes of the seasons. I began with a Pretty Peacock card base and added a matching diagonal accent using the Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper. I added a small strip of Bumble Bee cardstock and then followed the diagonal with some leaves and acorns from the Beautiful Autumn Bundle.
I stamped the greeting from County Home in Pretty Peacock ink and yes, I actually cut my greeting to separate “Simply Thankful” from “For All Good Things”. I love both of those greetings, but I do admit I use the Simply Thankful a lot! The leaves are stamped in Mossy Meadow, Pumpkin Pie and Bumble Bee. The acorns are stamped in Cinnamon Cider.
For the inside of my card I added a piece of Very Vanilla, stamped the greeting in Pretty Peacock ink and added a few leaves and acorns to the bottom corner. I really love this fall set and have made tons of cards. I am really hoping it carries over to the annual catalog this summer. Let me know what you think of this set!
It’s a fall kind of day!
Now here is a real picture of my backyard! While it is so pretty those fall colors, I am not looking forward to racking! YIKES! Thank for stopping by today. Feel free to leave a comment ! Until next time, be blessed! Stamping Hugs and Blessings, Renae
