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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Graceful Still Life

Hello, dear and precious friends! It's been a while, so I'm happy to join in the Power Poppy blog hop today. It is my hope that I will resume posting a bit more often soon...Lord willing. And I so cherish your continued prayers for me. 

Today's gorgeous digital stamp set is called Graceful Still Life. Here are some thoughts from dear Marcella: "To me, the most relaxing scenes are composed of elements that feel familiar, with touches of nature, style, and beauty. My home is composed of little 'still lifes' -- arranged on shelves, tabletops, windowsills, and basically anything that is not moving. This springtime still life is similar to what I'd set up in my living room: a Susie Cooper teapot filled with fresh-cut roses and trimmed branches of flowering dogwood, piled on top of a stack of decorative books (the books have to have cool-looking spines with great colors or nice typography, or they will not make the cut). Completing the scene, a straw hat with a millinery rose and berries to suggest we've just come inside from gardening. But who knows if we have? Maybe we've just been sitting here coloring up this still life."

Power Poppy, Marcella Hawley, Graceful Still Life, Instant Garden Digital Image, February 2017

This stunning artwork has so many possibilities, and there is a graceful dogwood branch included that I used for my card. I needed "easy peasy" this week. So I used GIMP and Word and arranged two dogwood branches...leaving space for the sentiment from the clear stamp set, Dynamic Duos: Foxglove & Ranunculus. It's one of those perfect sentiments for almost anything, and I printed a bunch of these to relax and color up and then add the sentiment. I think there are lots of other ways to use this lovely dogwood branch, and you will see another one on our hop. 

After coloring my dogwood branches, I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment. I knew it needed something extra for some sparkle, so I added some sequins that are varied in color...I like how that looks in real life. Next I decided to add some Wink of Stella. Oh, I love the shimmer it gives. Well, suddenly my "Stella" (bad girl that she was) started leaving "blops" below one of the blossoms. Hmmm...well, I had to really get creative, so I said, "okay, girl, if that's how you want to play...." So I took my fingers and started flicking adding some splatter and "played along with her!" Hehe! And of course, now the card has some really pretty glimmer and splatter that is so popular (yes, I am always the last one on the band wagon with techniques). I matted it with a light gray mounted on a pink card base. Voila...ready to mail to a friend with a special note inside.

Power Poppy, Marcella Hawley, Graceful Still Life, Instant Garden Digital Image, Dynamic Duos: Foxglove & Ranunculus, CherylQuilts, Designed by Cheryl Scrivens, February 2017

Once again, many of you know how I've struggled with health issues the last couple of years as we continue to seek a definitive diagnosis. Scripture gives us many verses filled with hope and the knowledge that we can rest safely in our loving heavenly Father's hands. This verse is a very special one for me, and it reminds me that I must continue to trust in the Lord. He is my strength and my Redeemer.

You will keep him [her] in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he [she] trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3

Now it's time for my stamping friends to hop on over to Power Poppy and purchase this beautiful digital image and use it today. But first, be sure to visit my teammates to see what gorgeous cards they've made and to read what Marcy has shared about this amazing digital stamp set. I know she will delight...she always does!
Sweet and loving friends, I am so very grateful for your visits and love reading each one of your comments. Thank you for visiting with me today...and I hope to see you again in a few weeks. May God bless you. (And I am entering this card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge using flowers...how could I not resist?)

Blessings, dear friends,



Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Pink Pirouette and Smokey Slate (SU!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine), printer
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, MISTI tool, Wink of Stella, sequins, Irresistible Pico Embellisher, white tape
Techniques: Digital images using GIMP and Microsoft Word
Card Size:  A2
Copic markers used: Petals - RV10, RV11; Petal tips and flower centers - Y23; Branches - E31; Leaves - G40, G43; Shading - B0000