Lace and Pearls from the Heart {Scrapy Land}

Happy Spring, everyone! And welcome to my humble little blog. 

Special welcome to new follower Becca Cruger.

Sadly, this will be my last post with the marvelous Scrapy Land design team - best team ever! Such kindness and encouragement in one place - I cannot thank my teamies enough for a very enriching and supportive experience!
Be watching soon for a Guest Design Team option at the SL Challenge blog!

This is Scrapy Land's 16th Challenge!

Challenge #16 is open from April 15 until May3. 

The theme is "PEARLS AND/OR LACE" using any die manufacturer which Scrapy Land sells".  Scrapy Land sells over 40 brands of dies, including overseas products, and many are discounted.
The prize is a $15 gift card - good for anything in the Scrapy Land store!

My cards feature the following Scrapy Land dies.
(for all the dies used, please see the product list at bottom of post)

Scrapy Land Memory Box - Riviera Corner MBD-98372

Scrapy Land Memory Box - Elegant Scrollwork MBD-98153
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Chloe Stem
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Leavenworth Butterfly Trio (filigree)
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Cascadia Butterfly Trio (solid)
Scrapy Land Spellbinders -  Bitty Blossoms S5-086
Scrapy Land Cheery Lynn - "Cherish" B415

TIP:

When using semi-transparent glitter or embossing powder on die cuts, be sure to distress or shade the edges of your die cuts.
(It brings more dimension to the die cuts after the glue dries, because the ink can be seen through the glitter as shown on the leaves in my project)

TIP:

How to create a frame when you do not have dies the size needed.
(if reading from my blog, please click on the photo below to enlarge the print)

Love the pretty script on Cheery Lynn's word dies, especially when they are shadowed with a darker color. The pearl dotting the "i" is colored with a Copic Marker. The Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die cut is timeless, and customized with SNS Mulberry Star EP. Little pearls grace the body of the butterfly (links for die cuts shown below).

Memory Box's Chloe Stem is coated with Prills in the color called "mini pearls" as part of the Scrapy Land Challenge this fortnight.

The SL designers enjoy seeing your fabulous works of art! You are all an inspiration to us!

The Path of Positivity Challenge has a wonderful theme this month. It's all about GROWTH. I thrive in the process of Growth - even those periods of 

     extreme complications, 

          challenges, 

               unpleasantness. 

But surprisingly I have learned (for me) that my Greatest Growth takes place when 

• things are SEEMINGLY good, 
• or 
• when I cease to struggle (using up precious energy) in a particular hardship
• especially when I am "at rest" despite the circumstances.  

I call this "embracing the challenge", though I may not like what is happening, or respond OUTWARDLY in a manner that others think I should.

When Life is not its prettiest, we look for ways to make it pretty - we work hard to change whatever is troubling us; so Change is often a natural outcome from that. But Change and Growth are not always synonymous.

When things are soooo Good (typically when we do not recognize that "things are good"), we might not realize that the Status Quo needs a bit of shaking up, to help us deepen our commitments to certain people or causes - even commitments to ourselves. Sometimes, when everything is "going our way", we bask in the easiness of life, and forget the preciousness of

     every little aspect of life, 

          every tiny moment, 

               every soul who crosses our path - 

we might even tend to take the goodness for granted (though that is never our intention).  

Like my card, The Heart Shape had to morph, undergoing lots of cut ups, inking, dry embossing, gluing, shaping, before it began to come together in a format I had not previously imagined. It remained rather flexible in my hands during the arduous transformation. Our lives can be like that. I treasure every stumbling block, every moment of life, because it is THOSE ISSUES which cause the Real Me to come through - both my Flaws AND my Strengths become more visible.

Friday, a Stamping Buddy came over to play. I explained to her that it is the Process of Creation I most enjoy - 

     far more than the actual finished project. 

• I enjoy watching plants grow from seeds. 
• I enjoy having to prune plants to nubs on occasion, because it is good for them - then I get to watch how they re-emerge prettier than ever. 
• I allow the "dead blossoms" to sometimes seed, even though the plant's sickly appearance gives the viewer a desire to cut off the "dead blossoms" or to think it needs to be watered. 
• In my heart, (in faith), I know the plant is still growing, and producing the POTENTIAL FOR NEW LIFE. 

Though we may be 
     fragile, 
          vulnerable, 
               hurt, 
                    afraid, 
                         or lonely, 

it's entirely possible that we are in that "seed bearing" mode, where Growth is not apparent - YET - but where the potential of growth is just around the corner. Sometimes Growth requires patience, rest, faith and to continue "walking in mercy" regardless of what is happening around us and in us.

I'd love hearing what Growth means to you!

Products Used:

• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Riviera Corner MBD-98372
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Elegant Scrollwork MBD-98153
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Chloe Stem
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Leavenworth Butterfly Trio (filigree)
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Cascadia Butterfly Trio (solid)
• Scrapy Land Spellbinders -  Bitty Blossoms S5-086
• Scrapy Land Cheery Lynn - "Cherish" B415
• Life Style Scallop and Plain nesting heart dies
• EK Success corner punch, MS border punch, Couture Creations embossing folder
• INKS: Distress Inks dye base, VersaMarker

• 
  Sparkle N Sprinkle: Brushable Glue, Mulberry Star EP, Sunny Daze Glitter, Spirited Green Glitter

• Image: freebie digital heart colored with Copics (I'm sorry, the name of the pretty heart image is not in my records, but it might have been from Digital Tuesday.)

• Lace, fabric flower, mini flowers and Pearls from stash

• USArtquest Prills in "minnie pearls" color (on Chloe die cut)

Fun Challenges participating in:

• Craft for the Craic (fun) - April "Die-ing for Spring" must use die cut with Spring theme - this card is full of Spring Time colors, flowers and butterflies - dies listed above (5/1)

• The Shabby Tea Room - #249 "Rainbow of Colors" inspiration photo to left (4/20)

• Crafts 4 Eternity - #221 Texture - prills, lace, glitter, embossing powder, silk flowers, pearls, glitter, dry embossing (4/15)

• Jo's Scrap Shack - #83 Florals and Butterflfies - I hope using the die cuts for the theme is acceptable with the spring green, heart shaped fauna (4/17)

• The Pink Elephant - #294 photo inspiration at left (4/20)

• The Path of Positivity - #25 Growth - (5/3) (paragraph written in blog post) (end of May?)

• Ooh-La-La Challenges - #178 At Least 5 layers (5/1)

• Creative Colors Challenge - #33 Use 3 Colors from the Inspiration Photo shown at left [pale pink, bright pink, lime green, yellow (ceiling) deep plum-lavender (embossing powder)] (4/30)

• Outlawz Paper Ala Mode - (Apr 11-17) "Pretty In Pink" - grab your pink! PAM04112015 (1st week May)

• DiesRUs Challenge - #24 May Flowers - must use dies (please see grocery list above) 5/1

stamping hugs,