Bible Promises - Day 27

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 27

Stamp Used:

Illustrated Faith - Names of God

Die Used:

Taylored Expressions - Summer Sunnies

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Three Sentiments in One

Happy Halloween! (It sure seems odd that we are moving into November tomorrow.) I don't have a Halloween card to share with you today, though. I have a Birthday card, in part because I can't think of Halloween without thinking of my maternal grandmother, whose birthday was October 31st. I never knew her (she passed away before my parents met) but I've heard my dad share so many stories about her. He says that he and his friends often teased her about having a Halloween birthday as he was growing up.

I'm also excited to tell you about a special that SumMore Fun has going on - this week only. The Raisin Boat No Loss For Words stamp set is 25% off - it's a GREAT stamp set! There are 22 sentiments in this set. I used three of them on my card front.

As you can see, there are sentiments for many different occasions plus some that are more general in nature. 

For the background of my card, I blended three colors of Ranger Distress Oxide inks randomly all over a piece of white card stock. I then gave it a little spritz of water. After it was dry, I stamped the sentiments onto the colorful paper and then used a die to cut it out.

I also stamped the word Enjoy (from the same stamp set) on the inside of my card.

Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Raisin Boat No Loss for Words stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Lavender Lace CS

Ranger Distress Oxide Inks (for blending): Broken China, Wilted Violet, and Worn Lipstick)

Die: MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle

Embellishments: Glitter Enamel Dots from an unknown vendor

Bible Promises - Day 26

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 26

Stamps Used:

Our Daily Bread - Keep Climbing

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I Love Coffee-Themed Cards

I love coffee-themed stamps and embellishments. They are so comforting somehow. When I was on the Eyelet Outlet design team, I was introduced to the Coffee Brads and immediately loved them. I have just a few of them left, so decided to make two coffee-themed cards using those brads and the Picket Fence Sponsored by Coffee stamp set.

Card #1

Aren't those coffee bean brads fun?

Card #2

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp Set: Picket Fence Sponsored by Coffee stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, Recollections Neutral, and SU Real Red CS

Dies: MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle and Rubbernecker Nested Rectangle Stitch

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Coffee Brads

Bible Promises - Day 25

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 25

Stamp Used:

Joy Clair - God's Love

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Smooshing Sunflowers

This is my tenth card in my Could Ya? Should Ya? Would Ya? Yea! series. 

In this monthly series, I strive to try something out of the norm... i.e. a size of card I rarely use, a technique I've wanted to try (or try again), an unusual fold, a card for a bizarre holiday, etc. I also plan to try a new recipe on these days - not a card recipe, a kitchen recipe.

For this month's card, I tried smooshing. This is not the first time I've ever used the technique, but I've only done it once or twice before and it's been a long time. 

I used a piece of plastic packaging (the kind SU CS comes in) to lay down some distress ink, then spritzed it and then added the color to a piece of water color paper by laying it upside down on the ink. It's impossible to know how it will turn out, but it is fun.

I actually made two of these, so I made two cards.

Card #1

I used the Smooshed piece as part of the background on this card.

Card #2

On this card I stamped the sunflower onto the Smooshed piece and used a die to cut it out.

And don't forget... there's the added feature of this series - try a new recipe. What's for supper? Crock Pot Cube Steak. I hope we like it.

Last month I made Roasted Tomato Soup, which was a total FAIL.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp/Die Set: Stampin' UP! Celebrate Sunflower and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, Recollections Black, and SU Cameo Coral CS, Canson Watercolor Paper, and DP from my scrap file

Ranger Distress Inks (for Smooshing): Dried Marigold, Squeezed Lemonade, and Worn Lipstick

Die/Embossing Folder: Rubbernecker Nested Rectangle Stitch Die and Cuttlebug Matelasse Embossing Folder

Embellishments: Fun Stampers Journey Ribbon and Gina Marie Glitter Enamel Dots

Bible Promises - Day 24

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 24

Stamps Used:

Colorado Craft Co. - Lovely Legs Bible

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A Pink Challenge

The Challenge  Your Stash group on SCS (founded by my friend Barb) is all about using what you have... no shopping allowed. Each month one of us chooses a theme and we dig through our own stash to find what we need to make a card with that theme in mind. This month Vickie challenged us to use PINK on our cards in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Thank you for a great theme, Vickie!

I hope Vickie, Barb, and the other CYS members like my card.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Catherine Pooler stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink and colored with Karin Markers

Papers: Canson Watercolor Paper, Recollections Black and SU Pink Passion CS and DP from the MFT Black/White Stripe Paper Pad

Dies: Gina Marie Pleated Lace Rectangle and Simon Says Bold Hello

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Rhinestones

Bible Promises - Day 23

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 23

Stamp Used:

Unity - Our House... Serve the Lord

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2020 Travel the World - Week 43

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Bulgaria

I was really excited to travel (virtually) to Bulgaria this week  because I've really traveled there on two different occasions. The research for this blog post brought back a lot of fond memories.

Tucked in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula in the South-Eastern part of Europe, at a crossroad between Europe and Asia, Bulgaria borders Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, and Romania.

Bulgaria's boundaries are the Black Sea (east) and the Danube (North).

Bulgaria is as big as Ohio, slightly smaller than neighboring Greece, somewhere between the sizes of North Korea and South Korea, and approximately half the size of Uganda.

No army in the world has ever captured a Bulgarian flag in battle.

The two major mountain ranges in Bulgaria are the Balkan Mountains and the Rhodope Mountains.

Bulgaria receives a little less than 30 inches of rain each yea, with more falling in the mountains and less on the coast. Winter is the driest season. Summer thunderstorms are common.

Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe that hasn't changed its name since it was first established. That happened in 681 AD.

Sofia, the capital, was founded 7,000 years ago, making it the second oldest city in Europe.

Sofia is the only major European city located a mere 15 minutes away from a mountain.

A capital city with a large population requires reliable transportation systems. On the surface, Sofia has many bus and tram services but underneath,  the city only has two Subway lines.  The first subway station took 30 years to build with the beginning of construction starting in 1960 and finishing in 1990. This is because, every meter they dug, they found more and more archaeological sites ranging from the era of Thracians to the Romans. They even found thermal water.

Bulgaria's population is shrinking due to low birth rates and outward migration. It is estimated that the current population will decline by almost one-third by the year 2060.

Bulgaria is home to about 170 plant species that are found nowhere else in the world, including uniques species of tulips, buttercup, cornflower, and baby's breath.

Bulgaria is the world's second-biggest exporter of rose oil, an ingredient in most perfumes.

The country produces not only rose oil in abundance, but also livestock, fruits, vegetables, wheat, wine, tobacco, sugar beets, barley, and sunflowers.

The town of Kazanlak holds a Rose Festival yearly, wherein a girl is elected as “Rose Queen”. Festivities include street processions, folklore concerts, art shows, wine tasting, exhibitions, and more.

One of Bulgaria's wonders are the Belogradchik Rocks. The bizarre rock formations each have a hame: The Schoolgirl, The Camel, Adam and Eve, The Madonna, The Mushrooms, The Horseman, The Cuckoo, The Red Wall, The Bear, and so on. Each rock formation also has its own story.

The Stone Wedding is an awe-inspiring natural rock formation in southern Bulgaria. It has interesting colors of pink, brown, and red. The two largest rocks are the bride and the groom, while the many others are the wedding guests.

Forests in Bulgaria constitute one-third of the country's territory.

Deer, bear, wild boars, wolves, fox, jackals, and lynx can be seen deep in the Bulgarian forests.

Some rare mammals being currently being monitored in Bulgaria are the red squirrel, European and Dobrudja hamsters, lesser mole rat, wolf, jackal, pine marten, otter, wildcat, and red deer.

As confusing as it may be, Bulgarians shake their head when they mean to say “yes” and nod when they want to say “no”.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has Bulgarian roots. He was named after his Bulgarian grandfather Marko.

Bulgaria is considered to be the birthplace of yogurt. The Bulgarian supermarkets contain over 300 different types of yogurts. It is also used as an ingredient in many of the signature Bulgarian dishes.

Bulgarians often start their meals with fresh salads, and these salads rarely include lettuce.

Shopska, also known as Bulgarian salad, won as best dish in Europe in a contest organized by the European Parliament. On a personal note, having been to Bulgaria twice, I can tell you - this salad is amazing! It truly is one of the best salads I've ever had and I ate it every chance I had. One of the things that makes it especially good is the cheese that is unique to Bulgaria. AND... that cheese is also amazing when sprinkled onto french fries. (Please don't ask me how many of those delicious fries I ate.)

At the Bulgarian Christmas Eve table, the dishes are an odd number and they are all vegan. Prior to Christmas, Bulgarian Christians fast for 40 days. The Christmas Eve celebration is the culmination of the fasting.

On Easter (or Velikden), Bulgarians dye red eggs and throw them at one another. The last person left with an unbroken egg is believed to have good luck for the year.

To celebrate New Year's Day in Bulgaria, dancing men dressed in costumes made of goat hair and wooden ram masks wake residents early. The costumed men wish the people good health and a good harvest in exchange for small gifts like beans or eggs. Eventually, everyone gathers in the town square for music, dancing and food.

The oldest processed gold in the world is found in Varna in Bulgaria. The golden artifacts were believed to be 7,000 years old.

The national instrument is the bagpipes, called the Gaida in Bulgaria. There are only three nations in the world that employ the bagpipes in their traditional music. They are Scotland, Ireland, and Bulgaria. The Gaida Bagpipe is usually made of goat or sheep hide, connected to a pipe with three sections, a blow pipe, and a shorter pipe.

Fire dancing is one of the oldest Bulgarian traditions and is still performed in a few mountain villages. It should be noted that these fire dancers dance in their bare feet. I was able to go to one of these performances on one of my trips to Bulgaria and can say it is intense to watch and impressive, too.

On Jordan's Day in Bulgaria, there's one custom that involves a priest throwing a cross into the river. The man who can retrieve the cross is said to be rewarded with good health and happiness.

An ancient March 1st tradition celebrates the passing of winter. Bulgarians exchange Martenitsi bracelets; these white and red woven bracelets are worn during March until the wearer sees either a blooming tree or a stork. Then they are tied to the trees to welcome springtime. This celebration is called Baba Marta (“Grandmother March”). It is not uncommon to see some of these bracelets left in trees into the summertime.

In addition to birthdays, “Name Days” are also celebrated in Bulgaria. A Name Day (also known as “Saints Day”) is celebrated by people named after a particular Saint on their Saint’s birthday. Many Bulgarians value their “Name Day” as much or more than their birthday.

When a member of the family leaves home on a special event, e.g. the first day of school, graduation, an important exam, or on his or her wedding day, the other members of the family spill water in front of the doorstep as he or she leaves. They then wish him or her that “his/her success boat floats in calm waters” (roughly translated). 

The State provides education for all children in primary (1-8) and secondary (9-12) public schools. High schools students study for a technical, general, vocational or specialized discipline education before higher education. The national literacy rate is estimated at over 98 percent.

I decided to let this Bulgaria fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Hedgehogs can be seen in the wild as well as in Bulgarian villages and even some of its cities. Some people in villages even leave food out for the hedgehogs to make sure they are around because they are famous for eating snakes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamps: LDRS Happiness Is a Cupcake and Taylored Expressions Simple Strip Background

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Real Red CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Gina Marie Big and Little Chain Rectangle, Rubbernecker Nested Rectangle Stitch, and Taylored Expressions Sentence Strip

Embellishment: Michael's Rhinestone

Bible Promises - Day 22

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 22

Stamps Used:

Unity - Constance Girl

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With Deepest Sympathy

I am not one who thinks sympathy cards need to be neutral colored. I hope I'm not alone. I am pretty sure the friend I'm sending this card to will not be troubled with the colorful flowers and will focus on the handwritten note inside, expressing my heartfelt sorrow for her and her family.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp/Dies: Altenew Statement Flowers, MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle, and Technique Tuesday Lots of Sentiments 

Ink/Markers: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Grapefruit Grove CS

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestones

Bible Promises - Day 21

I am going through the 100 Days of Bible Promises with a small group of online Bible Journalers. I will post my completed entries here on my blog at 6:00 pm each day of the journey.

Day 21

Stamps Used:

Unity - Dream of Being

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Stay@Home Follow-Up Update

We had been Sheltering at Home for about a month when I came up with a plan to do some deep purging/organizing in my Play Room, so on April 12th I launched my weekly Stay @ Home Updates here on my blog. I continued those for 23 weeks, concluding on September 13th, when I divulged that I had worked through everything in my Play Room as well as every box/bin labeled Crafts in the garage, and would therefore no longer posting the weekly updates on my blog.

My plan was to continue to work on my index sheets for my stamp sets - for more information on that, take a look at THIS blog post. Well... let's just say I've had a bit of a slow go with that. I did not realize that we have a monthly limit of pages we can print on our printer without having to upgrade to a more expensive plan. Even though these pages only have 4 short lines of print on them, they still count as a page. UGH! I am literally only about 1/3 of the way through my project and may not be able to get it finished for months.

So, why this blog post??? Good question. I'm thought I'd share some other things that have happened in my Play Room organization since September 13th. I've mostly worked on six things (in addition to the stamp index sheets).

One

My 2-drawer lateral file was old and the drawers were not opening fully, which made it challenging to get the cardstock out without damaging it. I thought I wanted to switch to a pair of identical 2-drawer file cabinets instead but wasn't sure so kept hesitating to buy any. I happened upon a pair of used ones (CHEAP - but they do look pretty ugly with some scratches and a ding on one of the drawers). I purchased them thinking if I didn't like the new set up I wasn't out a lot of money. I actually LOVE them! Good decision! (These sit to the right of my stamping desk and the top is where I have my die-cutting system and dies.)

Two

You might remember that I shared how I'd put scraps with each paper pad that I have - in ticket holders. Here's a picture from that post...

Well, that wasn't very successful. First, it's not the way I find/use my scraps. I have them organized by categories in the drawer unit directly behind my stamping desk and I always look there first when creating a card. BUT I also discovered that the ticket holders make it very difficult to pull the paper pads off the shelf and put them back. So... I now have a huge stack on unused ticket folders and I put the scraps from those paper pads in with my other paper scraps where they will more likely be used.

Three

I have been storing my loose sheets of 12 x 12 paper in the plastic 3-drawer units. I've done that for years, but it never worked well. Invariably the piece I wanted was buried deep in the drawer and difficult to get to... and truthfully, a lot of times, I didn't even know what was in the bottom of those drawers. I couldn't figure out what I wanted - I would have loved hanging files, but 12 x 12 (especially when you have a lot of it) doesn't have good options for hanging files. I asked my trusted friend Barb how she stores her vast supply of DP and she shared pictures with me. I decided to do a similar method.

I purchased several Totally Tiffany Paper Handlers and moved my paper to them. Of course they are stored by theme, and labeled. I don't necessarily like the look (a bit too disheveled for my liking) but I am loving how much easier it is to find and retrieve the piece I want to use.

The top shelf in this picture shows paper pads without the ticket holders. ;)

Four

I've stored a lot of our photos (organized by theme/person) in file boxes on a shelf in the closet off of my Play Room. (Have I ever mentioned I have an amazing room!??! It even has a walk-in closet.) The shelf is deep and holds a lot but it's not always easy to get to things that are on the shelves. 

When I purged 8 x 12 papers (cheap cardstock, colored copy paper, etc.) and donated it earlier to my preschool teacher friend earlier this year, it freed up nearly 2 full drawers in my 4-drawer file cabinet. I decided to move our photos from the file boxes on that shelf into the file cabinet where they can easily be located.

Five

I have a lot of Illustrated Faith Bible Journaling Kits... and found I don't really do my Bible Journaling that way. They have a devotional, stamp set, washi tape, cut outs, and more in them. They really are very nice - for people who like that sort of thing. I like the stamp sets and the washi tape but not much else. LOL! So, I took them apart. EEK!

I now have the stamp sets stored separate from the other items where I can find them easily to use in my own Bible Journaling. I put the washi tape with my other washi tape. I might package up the devotionals, cut outs and stuff and use them as prizes at a Bible Journaling breakout I'll be leading next year.

Six (I may have saved my favorite for last)

I've wanted a locker for my Play Room for a long time! I've searched and searched the FB Marketplace for one nearby. I actually almost purchased one this summer - but she ended up backing out. Patience paid off. I found one! My husband and Brock went to pick it up for me and it's now proudly sitting in my Play Room!!!

What's in it? For now, I'm using it to organize items that I purged and am going to try to sell online - stamp sets, dies, ink pads, and more. Once I've completed all of that process, which may take me years as I have so much to sell, I'll use it to store some of my supplies.

It's been a productive few weeks since my last update. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I've been doing!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!